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that same is he take him, and lead him away safely." Jesus alluded to this secret transaction, when he said, "Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?"

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While Jesus stood before the High Priest Caiaphas, he was thrice denied by Peter. Peter being in the hall" below, and our Lord in the upper part of the same spacious chamber; it is reasonable to think that our Lord's acquaintance with the fact, and his "turning and looking on Peter," immediately after his third and most vehement denial, furnish another instance of his more than human knowledge.

* I shall close this enumeration with two instances ' of facts preternaturally known by our Lord after he rose from the dead. "He * upbraided the Apostles with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them who had seen him after his resurrection" and he shewed his knowledge of Thomas's incredulity, and of the very words in which he expressed it, when he said to him, "Reach hither thy finger, and perceive my hands; and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless, but believing."

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Dr. Benson has observed that this knowledge directed our Lord in preaching his doctrine, in working miracles, in selecting his Apostles, in conducting himself towards his enemies, and in answering insidious questions.

It also shews that "God gave not the spirit by measure unto him." We read that the same gift

was imparted in a lower degree to his followers. The word of God, spoken by his prophets, was "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart :" and when the first Christians prophesied in the church, "the secrets of the unbeliever's heart were. made manifest; and so falling down on his face he worshipped God, and reported that God was in them of a truth."

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At the time, this great and wonderful knowledge must have carried with it much astonishment to all, and the most entire conviction to the well disposed; and it must have filled his enemies with shame, and have greatly aggravated their guilt.

To those who believe the sacred records it will always be a proof of our Lord's heavenly mission. Christ, says an admirable a writer, knew the hearts of men, as he shewed on all occasions: a knowledge which Almighty God represents in scripture as so peculiar to himself, that he cannot be supposed to suffer those to partake of it who are not sent by him." 1 Cor. xiv. 25. d Jortin Eccles. Hist. i. 282.

b Heb. iv. 12.

SECTION VIII.

OF HIS WISDOM IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, AND IN REPLYING TO INSIDIOUS QUESTIONS.

AFTER having recounted proofs of our Lord's supernatural knowledge, I shall shew his superior wisdom in trying situations, and in answering difficult or insnaring questions suddenly and publicly proposed; a wisdom uniformly displayed by him, and, though not exceeding the powers of man, yet admirable in itself, and worthy of a prophet sent from God: nor indeed can it easily be accounted for on any other supposition than that of inspiration from above, considering the narrow and mistaken notions of the Jews at the time of Christ's appearance.

Let the reader consider the following instances. "Jesus entered into a synagogue; and there was a man who had his hand withered. And the Pharisees, that they might accuse him [of breaking Moses's law,] asked him, saying, Is it a lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep; and, if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day."

Matt. xii. 10, 11, 12.

* When one said to him, "Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me:" his reply was, "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" Thus did he keep within the limits of his office as a heavenly teacher,

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In the temple, the Scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman taken in adultery: "and, when they had set her in the midst, they said unto him, Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned; but what sayest thou? This they said tempting him, that they might have to accuse him" either of condemning her to death without the authority of the Roman governor, or of determining against the decision of their law. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger formed about them a circle in the dust of the pavement. And "when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down and marked the ground. And they who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest even to the last and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst." But though our Lord did not invade the province of the magistrate

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* Dr. Benson, in his Life of Christ, c. v. has given all the instances in this section, except those marked thus *. Luke xii. 13, 14, 15. John viii. 3, &c. drgapur xxxov in the Greek mathematicians is to describe a circle and Plutarch in the story of Popillius, who included Antiochus in a circle, and demanded his answer before he quitted it, says, τῷ κλήματι γυρὸν περὶ αὐτὸν περιέγραψε. Apophthegms. Caius Popillius. I reject μh #goomixμevos, as a gloss..

by condemning the adulteress to death, he explicitly condemned her crime as a moral instructor; "Go, and sin no more."

When the Pharisees and Sadducees, tempting him, desired that he would shew them a sign from heaven, he answered, " When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red: and in the morning, It will be foul weather to day, for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky: but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and a sign shall not be given unto it [such as they ask at this time;] but the sign of the prophet Jonas" [shall be hereafter given.] He advises them to use their reason, refers them to a future illustrious proof of his divine mission, and reproves their vices; but he displays not his boundless power to the unworthy, though all nature was at his command.

When "a certain & teacher of the law stood up and tempted him, [or proved his wisdom,] saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ?" a reply was expected derogating from the excellence of the law, and exposing our Lord to censure and danger on that account. But Jesus referred him to the Jewish law giver, approved of his answer, and assured him that, if he loved God and his neighbour, he should live and being further asked who was his neighbour, he shewed, by an elegant and affecting parable, that every one to whom he could perform a good office was comprehended in that description.

f Matt. xvi. 1-4.

Luke x. 25-37.