the other hand, had there been any appearance of lukewarmness in advocating the subject of his ministry, an excuse would have been furnished for the rejection of the Gospel, under the pretence of the apathy with which it was offered to the acceptance of the world. Again, had there been any ambiguity in the terms in which it was proposed, it would have been alleged that the incredulity of the people was owing to the mysterious manner in which the revelation had been introduced, and the want of clearness or simplicity in its conditions. Or, lastly, the conduct of our Lord would have been still more open to objection, if it had appeared to the political rulers of the nation that there had been any tampering with the multitude, to induce them to throw off their temporal allegiance, or if the most trifling expression could have been quoted which would bear a wrong interpretation, or be construed into a wish to change the order of civil government actually existing at the time of our Saviour's advent.

That Christ should have escaped all these dangers, can be ascribed to one cause alone— to the grace of God which was upon him—to the spirit of wisdom and prudence which was given him from above, and which as the Son of God, equal to the Father as touching his Godhead, he enjoyed without measure.

Some instances of our Lord's prudential discharge of his ministerial duties will place the truth of the preceding observations in its proper light.

I. A remarkable distinction must have been noticed between the manner in which Christ testified respecting himself at different times, and to different persons. The Jews demanded of him with an earnestness not unreasonable,-How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. And upon other occasions similar questions were put to him with the avowed intention of drawing from him a declara

2 John, x. 24.

Who

• Art

art thou'-' Art thou the Christ, tell us?' thou the Son of God?' Whom makest thou thyself? To all these challenges our Lord uniformly declined giving any explicit answer; generally reminding the inquirer of some testimony which had been given at another time, or else referring to collateral evidences respecting his mission, which, if rightly understood, would make any further questions unnecessary. Even when the Baptist sent two of his disciples, asking, Art thou he that should come ?'-he only replied by commissioning the messengers to go and show John again those things which they had heard and seen, from which their master would be enabled to draw his own conclusions 4.

Compare with this reserve, in which our Lord systematically persevered towards the Jews, the passage where he openly declares his dignity and character to their neighbours the

John, viii. 25. Luke, xxii. 67, 70.

* Matt. xi. 2.

Samaritans. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, (which is called Christ) .... Jesus saith unto her, I that speak

unto thee am he5.'

No more probable reason can be assigned for this extraordinary difference, than that our Lord, knowing perfectly the secret dispositions of both parties, saw that he should have risked an inconvenience in the one case, which he did not incur in the other. He had nothing to apprehend from the habitual feeling of the Samaritans. There was no ground for expecting that they would be excited to rebellion by the knowledge that Jesus was the Messiah; and therefore our Lord says to them plainly-I am he. But lest the Jews, who were eagerly watching for an opportunity of throwing off the Roman yoke, should attempt to raise him to the throne of David, he not only avoids any express assertion that he was the Christ, but orders those to

5 John, iv. 25, 26. The reason which Bishop Horsley gives for our Lord's openness on this occasion, appears to be less obvious and satisfactory.-See Mant in loco.

whom the fact had been revealed to conceal it. Or if he escaped this danger, he would encounter another not less formidable. His enemies would have been furnished with evidence to prove the accusation which, when they afterwards actually brought it against him, fell to the ground for want of proof. They watched him, and sent forth spies which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying, that he himself is Christ a king".

The same system of precaution which governed our Lord on these occasions, had been adopted by him from the commencement of his preaching. For it was at an early period of his ministry that when he knew umbrage was taken by the Jewish rulers at the numbers who flocked

6 Luke, xx. 20. xxiii. 2.