but the attendance was always increased by the need of many persons to relieve each other in bearing the bier, particularly when the distance of the place of interment was considerable from the city walls: there were also many who attended the ceremony to support and comfort the mourners: the Evangelist accordingly relates, that "much people of the city" followed the deceased. And Jesus " came and touched the bier." The widowed mother stood still, sad and childless, without any help or sanctuary, except in that kind and tender God, who is a never-failing friend to the unfriended. Her complication of misery the merciful Jesus saw and felt, and He relieved it by turning her tears into joy: for in an instant, by one commanding word, He delivered the young man, alive and healthful, to his mother. No wonder that an event so unheard of before, and so incontestably miraculous, should have impressed the minds of all the spectators with a serious awe, and constrained them to acknowledge that an illustrious prophet had risen up among them, and "that God had visited His people." SECT. XLI.-Christ answereth John's Messengers.- It is thought that it was about the season of Dr. Lightfoot. N Nain. The Baptist had now been seven or eight months in prison, and his disciples heard "the rumour of Christ that went forth throughout all Judæa," and thought it strange that among all His miraculous workings, which could even raise one from the dead, He could not also loose John out of prison'. "The disciples of John showed Him of all these things;" and for their conviction, we suppose, rather than for his own, the Baptist took that opportunity of sending them with an express message to Jesus: 'Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another?" as expecting something more from the Messiah than they had yet obtained. They received a full answer to their question by the miracles they saw wrought before their eyes; for it is said, "In the same hour He cured many of their infirmities and plagues," and whereas the Evangelist had not yet recorded any distinct restoration of sight to the blind, it is added, "to many that were blind He gave sight;" "and Jesus said, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see.” Thus the messengers themselves were made the eye-witnesses of His power, and gifts, and mighty works; and to this evidence He refers them for a reply. And a more decisive and dignified answer could not possibly have been given; He neither says that He was, nor that He was not, 1 Dr. Lightfoot. the person they inquired after, but bids them take notice, and tell John of what they saw, and draw their own conclusion from it. It should be remembered, that among the mighty works which He tells the disciples to "show John" is, "that the poor have the Gospel preached unto them." This passage, taken from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus had applied to Himself in the synagogue of Nazareth when expounding that prophecy. Though the circumstance of the poor having the Gospel preached to them is no miracle, yet it was a marked distinction of the dispensation of Christ, who addressed Himself to people of low degree, when the Jewish doctors held them in utter contempt, and below the notice of their instruction". As to the miraculous enlargement of John, the answer of Jesus was, in effect, that His work was to preach the Gospel, and that it was a blessed thing for all men to take no offence, nor to be cast down at God's dispensations, but to yield and submit to the wise determinations of Providence1. Our Lord then took occasion, from the visit of John's disciples, to address the multitude concerning the Baptist, who had been extremely popular among the people. He spake of him in the most honourable terms, as being stedfast both in his preaching and his practice; not easily shaken, like a reed with the wind, waverArchdeacon Paley. Dr. Lightfoot. Dean Stanhope. ing in his testimony, and turning every way; not seeking the pomps of the world, nor sensual gratifications, but as a man of singular austerity and self-denial. He declared Him to be superior in many respects to all the ancient prophets, as being himself the subject of prophecy, and as the immediate harbinger of the incarnate God, whom the rest only foresaw at a distance". He hints a suspicion that they would not receive His doctrine, that John was "the Elias that was for to come;" which is sufficiently verified by the obstinate expectation of the Jewish nation, even to the present day, that Elijah the Tishbite is still personally to come upon the earth'. He complained of the perverseness of this generation, who had discovered the most absurd prejudices against both Himself and John; and who condemned the one and the other for different and opposite reasons. They had refused their attention to John, because of his austerities, as if he were a melancholy distracted man; and now they calumniated Him for the freedom of His intercourse with men of all characters. He mingled in social meetings with so little affectation of moroseness or reserve, that they said, "Behold a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners Yet the Saviour rejoiced, that 8 ⚫ Dr. Whitby. 7 Dr. Lightfoot. • Dean Stanhope. 8 Bishop Porteus. amidst these various misrepresentations there were many, the children of wisdom, or disciples both of His own and of the Baptist, who were wise enough to discern and acknowledge the wisdom of God in His way of appearing to the Jews, and in that of John'. But the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, "being not baptized with the baptism of John." It is observable, that, in rejecting the baptism of St. John, they are said to reject the counsel of God towards them, that is, His gracious design of calling them to Him by that repentance which alone could exempt them from the wrath to come, and who, by that refusal, declared they approved not of His counsel as just and righteous'. The methods of Divine Providence in its several dispensations of mercy to mankind will finally appear to be wise and good, in the destruction of the proud and obstinate, and in the salvation of the humble and teachable 2. SECT. XLII.-Christ upbraids the Cities.-Matt. xii. 20-30. On the occasion just mentioned, Jesus was induced to speak more largely, and with peculiar ardour of affection, while He lamented over the impenitent cities of Galilee, where He had been so long in the performance of miracles and teaching. The meek and compassionate Saviour D Bishop Pearce. 1 Dr. Whitby. 2 Dr. S. Clarke. |