minds of the people, or even of the elders of the synagogue; and, on our Lord's return to that city, He was entreated by the people to heal the centurion's servant (1 Luke vii. 1); and so He did. Next day, He raised from death the son of the widow at Nain. The affecting scene which occurred in Simon's house, and the mission of John's disciples, are introduced here as next in order. Then follows a journey, in which the Lord preached the kingdom of God in cities and villages (Luke viii. 1); but only, as Mr. Ellicott thinks, occupying a day or two (p. 184), and probably ending at Capernaum, where His friends, in alarm for Him, sought to restrain his exhausting zeal. There, too, were the scribes and pharisees waiting for Him, and ascribing His miracles to satanic power. He warned them of the fearful nature of their sin. (Matt. xii. 24; Mark iii. 23.) The afternoon or early evening of that day was spent upon the shores of the lake; and a multitude having assembled from the neighbouring towns, the Lord spake to them from a fishing vessel, by parables, beginning with the sower. (Luke viii. 4.)

In the evening He crossed the lake, to seek repose on its eastern shores; and He quelled the storm which terrified the disciples. (Luke viii. 22; with Mark iv. 35.) The Gergesene demoniac was delivered from the enemy who oppressed him; and the destruction of the herd of swine, by the devils, took place. (Luke viii. 26; and the other evangelists.) Immediately after, our Lord returned to the western shore, and there He found the multitude longing for His presence, and the anxious Jairus with them. That day He healed the suffering woman, and restored to life the ruler's deceased daughter.

The following Sabbath was spent at Nazareth, where He had again to encounter unbelief, though rage appears to have subsided. That evening or perhaps, the next day, the Lord set out again on a circuit, preaching, and taking the direction of Capernaum; at the same time He sent out the apostles for the like purpose, two and two. (Mark vi. 1-13.) As early as the evening of the second day they met at Capernaum, (Mr. Ellicott is prepared for this being heard with surprise,) and they went out at once to seek retirement. The tidings of the Baptist's murder had just arrived, and for safety perhaps, but also for privacy, they crossed the lake once more. But rest and retirement were not to be enjoyed. The multitude followed Him; and, at the north-eastern corner of the lake, He fed the five thousand by a miracle.

We have avoided perplexing the reader's eye more than seemed absolutely necessary, by references either to the gospels or to Mr. Ellicott's pages. We have also simply given his order of events and his notes of time, without stopping to discuss their merits, or to set forth the grounds which he

alleges for his arrangement. We have not space for that purpose. But it is due to him to say, that he more than once admits the difficulty of his task, and acknowledges that we ought not to be "too confident, either in the construction of our chronological tables, or in the correctness of our collocation of individual events (p. 194);" and that "the arrangement of the whole period is a matter of the utmost doubt and difficulty." (p. 196.) We are sure, however, that every reader must be thankful to him, if only he has approximated to a true arrangement of the narrative, of which there can be little doubt.

The miracle of feeding the five thousand is assigned to the eve of the passover, A.U.c. 782, A.D. 29, (see notes 152, 192, and 201,) the ground for which is John vi. 4.

III. The third division is distinguished as The Ministry in northern Galilee, though comprising expeditions in other directions. Here we have to follow the Great Teacher through journeys of longer duration and of wider compass. The time extends from after the feeding of the five thousand to our Lord's return to Capernaum shortly before the feast of Tabernacles, towards the middle of October, a period of about six months, bounded by two great festivals. (p. 201.) The light of the gospel spreads out to the frontier lands. Miracles are of more rare occurrence. Teaching characterizes this division of the Lord's ministry. Here St. Luke is almost silent (about thirty verses to the whole six months). The historians of this period are, St. Matthew chiefly, but also St. Mark.

On the evening after the miracle of the loaves, the disciples embarked on the lake for Bethsaida; Jesus walked on the stormy sea; they landed and went to Capernaum, followed by the people; and in the synagogue, on the 15th of Nişan (that day of solemn service), the Lord delivered His great discourse on the bread of life, which we find in John vi. The hearers, some of them, murmured; but there was nothing like the malignant hostility of the pharisees; they had gone up to Jerusalem to the feast.

The Lord performed some miracles of mercy (Matt. xiv. 35; Mark vi. 35); but in a few days the pharisees had returned (Matt. xv. 1; Mark vii. 1); and their work of malignity was resumed. Thereupon He removed to the confines of Tyre and Sidon, seeking seclusion and perhaps security. It was at this time that He hearkened to the supplication of the Canaanite woman. After (probably) a short stay, He seems to have visited Sidon (p. 218,) but, certainly, passed through semipagan Decapolis, and ultimately came to the sea of Galilee. Here He healed the man who was deaf and almost dumb, and wrought other miracles (Mark vii. 32, and Matt. xv. 30), amongst which was the feeding of four thousand men, besides women and children. Leaving that district, having made a

strong impression on the people by that mighty work, He crossed the lake to Magdala, or some other village, in the region called Dalmanutha (Mark viii. 10), where He again encountered the pharisees, newly leagued against Him with the Sadducees. (Matt. xvi. 1.) Having warned them, and having cautioned His disciples against their leaven, He embarked again, and crossed over to Bethsaida-Julias, where He worked the miracle by which He progressively gave sight to a blind man. (Mark viii. 22.) Proceeding northward, He visited towns and villages near Cæsarea Philippi; but no record remains of His teaching, excepting a short passage containing a conversation with His disciples respecting the Baptist and Himself, and an exhortation to them and to the people to prepare to take up their cross and follow Him. (Mark viii. 27-38.) It was on this occasion that He delivered the first formal prediction of His own sufferings and death. Six days after (dated probably from St. Peter's confession of Christ, and the discourses which arose out of it), occurred the Transfiguration, followed by the healing of the deaf and dumb demoniac, whom the disciples could not help. (Mark ix. 17.) Journeying on, He came again to Capernaum, where He provided, by a miracle, for the payment of the tribute-money. His stay is supposed to have been short, and of comparative seclusion. (Mark ix. 30, 33.) It was now that He checked the pride of spirit which showed itself amongst His disciples in unbecoming contention (Luke ix. 46), and in forbidding some yet undeclared disciple to cast out devils in their Master's name. Now also, "humility, forbearance, avoidance of all grounds of offence, love towards their Master's little ones, gentleness and forgiveness, the lost sheep, and the debtor of the ten thousand talents, were the wise and loving lessons" of the Lord to His disciples. (Mark ix. 33, 38; Matt. xviii.) (p. 231.) This closes the present section of our Lord's public life, and the author leaves his "endeavour to trace the connexion of events during a period where connexion is doubtful," with a becoming and characteristic modesty. (p. 233.)

IV. The fourth division of the history of our Blessed Lord's ministry on earth is distinguished by the title of The journeyings towards Jerusalem. It extends from the departure of Jesus from Capernaum for Jerusalem, with the intention of attending the feast of Tabernacles, to his arrival at Bethany on the eve of the passion week. Mr. Ellicott describes the period as "six months of anxious wanderings in Judæa, and the lands on the further side of Jordan, interrupted only by brief sojourns in remote frontier towns; six months of ceaseless activities and unresting labour, of mighty deeds and momentous teaching, yet six months, if not of actual flight, yet of ever-recurring avoidance of implacable and murderous designs, that were

now fast approaching their appalling and impious climax." (p. 237.)

It is a period which presents great difficulties to the harmonist and chronologer. St. Matthew and St. Mark are almost silent respecting it; and they add no facts to those which we find in St. Luke. The latter evangelist is here rich in discourses, but he gives few notes of time or place. St. John supplies three chronological notices of three journeys towards Jerusalem, and some trace at least of these is to be found in St. Luke's gospel. Thus, St. Luke notices a journey (ix. 51), which is regarded as corresponding with the journey to the feast of Tabernacles, John vii. 10. There is a break at Luke xiii. 22, which is supposed to correspond with a second journey to Jerusalem about three months after the first (John xi. 1,) while it is a third journey which is noticed, Luke xvii. 11, (the parallel passages being Matt. xix. 1; Mark x. 1), which Mr. Ellicott identifies with the Lord's retirement to Ephraim (John xi. 54) shortly before the passover.

Urged to show Himself to the world, Jesus went to Jerusalem during the feast of Tabernacles, travelling by way of Samaria, and receiving ungracious treatment in one of its villages. He went into the temple and taught. Some of those who heard Him only speculated on the conduct of the rulers, but many believed in Him. The Sanhedrim was excited; but He was not arrested; and on the last day of the feast He preached again to the multitude. Upon the Sanhedrim, sitting in council, Nicodemus now urged respect for the law. (Luke ix. 51-62, and John vii. 2-53.) This too is the place assigned to the history of the accused woman. (John viii. 1-11.)

On the sabbath after the feast (John x. 14) occurred, probably, all that is described John viii. 12-x. 21, including the discussion with the pharisees about Christ's office and work, the gift of sight to the man who was born blind, and the discourse on the Good Shepherd.

Whither He went, on leaving Jerusalem, cannot be decided; but as St. John usually mentions any departure from Judæa, it is inferred from his silence that that country was the scene of our Lord's ministry till His next return to Jerusalem. If so, this was the interval in which He sent forth the seventy (Luke x. 1) and made His visit to Bethany (v. 38), and in which He delivered the discourses reported Luke x. 23 to xiii. 17; from which it may be gathered that his hearers were many, and that there was an eager desire to listen to the word of life. (p. 258.)

The feast of Dedication occurred in that year, on the 20th of our December. Our Lord, having been absent from Jerusalem two months, returned to the city for the celebration of that festival. He now spoke openly in Solomon's porch, proclaiming His divinity. (Matt. xvi. 20, and John x. 24, 5.) This, which

had, on former occasions, provoked the anger of His enemies (John v. 18, and viii. 59), now excited them to the extreme of fierceness. (x. 31.) He withdrew from the city, and crossed the Jordan, where He abode for about four or five weeks, teaching many who believed in Him, until His next return to the neighbourhood of Jerusalem. To this time, Mr. Ellicott assigns the visit of the pharisees who warned our Lord of the enmity of Herod (Luke xiii. 31); after which He would remain three days in that ruler's province, and then depart for Jerusalem. He wrought cures (v. 32); He healed the dropsical sufferer in the pharisee's house (Luke xiv. 2), and He delivered the parable of the great supper (v. 16). Publicans and sinners crowded around Him (xv. 1); and to the scribes and pharisees, who murmured at His receiving such persons, He spake the parables of the lost sheep, of the coin, and of the prodigal son, and afterwards addressed to His disciples, in the hearing of the pharisees, the parables of the unjust steward, and of Lazarus and the rich man. (Luke xv. 4-xvi. 31.) The conjecture which assigns this portion of St. Luke's gospel to the time of our Lord's abode beyond Jordan, receives some corroboration from St. John (x. and xi.), who, after noticing our Lord's withdrawal to Peræa, next tells of the message of the mourning sisters of Lazarus ; after which He remained two days where He then was, and would take two days more for the journey; and found, on His arrival, that Lazarus had lain four days in the grave. This seeming coincidence is confirmed by the use of the name of Lazarus at that time in the parable. Proceeding to Bethany, He wrought that miracle of power and of love, the account of which, and of its effects upon the people, is related in John xi. The chief priests and the pharisees, alarmed lest all men should believe on Him, took counsel together to put Him to death (v. 53), and He withdrew for a while to Ephraim, a town supposed to have been distant from Jerusalem about twenty miles. He had one journey more to make before the coming feast, mentioned by the first three evangelists. (Matt. xix. 1; Mark x. 1; Luke xvii. 11.) It was through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Its recorded incidents are few. Now the ten lepers were healed (Luke xvii. 12); and Jesus was led to discourse on the coming of the kingdom of God (v. 20); and He spake the parable of the unjust judge (Luke xviii. 1). Under the guidance of Matt. xix. 1, and Mark x. 1, we next trace His steps to the country beyond the Jordan, and judge that He returned to the scenes of His recent preaching on that side, in Peræa, near to Judæa. Thither the multitude followed Him, and there the pharisees laid snares for Him, and tried to entrap Him by questions on the subject of divorce. There, too, occurred the incidents of His blessing the little children, and talking with the rich young man (v. 13, &c.). The journey to Jerusalem