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he hath anointed me to preach glad tidings to the poor; he hath sent me 1 to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty the oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.' And having closed the book, and given it again to the attendant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were earnestly fixed on him. But he began to say unto them, "To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears." And all bare him testimony, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and said, "Is not this the son of Joseph ?" And he said unto them, "Ye will surely tell me this proverb, 'Physician, heal thyself,' and say, 'Whatsoever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here, in thine own country.'" But he said, "Verily, I say unto you, No prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, when there was great famine throughout all the land; yet to none of them was Elijah sent, except unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, to a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel, in the time of Elisha the prophet; and no one of them was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian." And all in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him even to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went away.1

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1 v. H. n. 2 I Kings xvii. 9. 3 II Kings v. 14.

PART III.

TRANSACTIONS CONNECTED WITH THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.

SECT. I.

On the Approach of the Feast of Tabernacles,1 Christ is urged to go to Jerusalem: He goes up privately about the middle of the feast: Transactions during it.

JOHN vii. 2-viii. 1.

Now the feast of the Jews, the Tabernacles, was at hand. His brethren 2 therefore said unto him, "Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples there also may see thy works which thou doest: for no one doeth any thing in secret, and yet seeketh himself to be publicly known. Since thou doest these things, show thyself to the world." (For neither did his brethren believe in him.) Jesus saith therefore unto them, "My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify concerning it, that its works are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I am not going up yet1 unto this feast; because my time is not yet fulfilled." Having said these things unto them, he remained in Galilee.

But when his brethren had gone up, then he also went up unto the feast, not openly, but as in secret.

The Jews1 therefore sought him at the feast, and said, "Where is he?" And there was much private debating1

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1 v. H. n. 2 Or, kinsmen; and so in the following verses.

among the multitudes concerning him: some said, "He is a good man: others said, "Nay; but he deceiveth the multitude." No one, however, spake openly of him, for

fear of the Jews.

But when it was now the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews wondered, saying, "How knoweth this man learning, having never been taught?" Jesus, therefore, answered them and said, "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man desire to do his will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God, or whether I speak from myself. He that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him-he is true, and unrighteousness is not in him."

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"Did not Moses give you the law? and yet no one of you doeth the law: why are ye seeking to kill me?" The multitude answered and said, "Thou hast a demon: who is seeking to kill thee?" Jesus answered and said unto them, "I have done one work, and ye all wonder at it.1 Moses gave unto you circumcision,-not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers,2-and ye on the sabbath circumcise a man. If a man receive circumcision on the sabbath, that the law of Moses should not be broken, are ye angry at me, because I have made a man altogether whole on the sabbath? Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said therefore, "Is not this he whom they are seeking to kill? And, behold, he is speaking openly, and they say nothing to him. Do the rulers really know that he is the Christ? Yet we know him, whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is." Jesus therefore cried aloud in the

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temple as he taught, saying, "Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am? yet I have not come of myself; but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. I know him: for I am from him, and he sent me forth." They sought, therefore, to take him: yet no one laid his hand on him, because his hour was not yet come.

Now many of the multitude believed on him, and said, "Will the Christ, when he cometh, do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Jesus therefore said, "Yet a little while I am with you, and then I go away unto him that sent me. Ye will seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, ye cannot come." The Jews therefore said among themselves, "Whither is he about to go, that we shall not find him? is he about to go unto the dispersion among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What is this word that he spake, 'Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, ye cannot come ?""

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried aloud, saying, "If any one thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water." (Now this he spake concerning the spirit, which they that believe on him were about to receive; for the holy spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.) Many of the multitude, therefore, when they heard this word, said, "This is in truth the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But others said, "Nay, for the Christ doth not come out of Galilee. Hath not the scripture said that the Christ cometh of the offspring of David,1 and from the

1 Is. xi. 1.

town of Bethlehem,1 where David was ?" There was thereNow some

fore a division in the multitude because of him. of them were desirous to take him; but no one laid hands on him.

The officers, therefore, came back to the chief priests and Pharisees; and these said unto them, "Why have ye not brought him?" The officers answered, "Never man spake "2 The Pharisees therefore answered them,

like this man.' "Are ye also deceived? hath any one of the rulers believed on him, or of the Pharisees? but this multitude, who know not the law, are accursed." Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to him by night, being one of them,) "Doth our law condemn a man, unless it first hear from himself, and know what he doeth?" They answered and said unto him, "Art thou also from Galilee? Search, and see; for a prophet hath not been raised up out of Galilee."

[And every one went unto his own house: but Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

SECT. II.

The Woman taken in Adultery brought before Jesus. His Discourses with the Jews, on the Day after the Festival.

JOHN viii. 2-59.

Now early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down and taught them. But the Scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman taken in adultery; and having set her in the midst of the people, they say unto him, "Rabbi, this woman was taken in the act of adultery: now Moses in the law commanded us, that such women should be stoned: what there

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1 Mic. v. 2. 2 Or, Never man spake thus ! v. H. n. 3 Lev. xx. 10.

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