thirsty and weary, at Jacob's well, entered into conversation with a sinful woman, and before that conversation ended he had revealed to her the most profound spiritual truths and had announced himself as the Messiah. By this act he made this woman his representative to the Samaritan people. Could any one imagine anything more unwise? Would not the reputation of this woman add to Samaritan prejudice against a Jewish teacher of religion? Did he not place an obstacle in the path of others by making this Samaritan woman his first convert and representative to the Samaritan people?

In reply, it is only necessary to say that the wisdom of God, the wisdom from above, is essentially different from mere worldly wisdom. God sees the heart, and Jesus, with his divine wisdom, had as good reason for talking with this woman and revealing himself to her as he had for talking to Nicodemus or any other correct and reputable ruler of the Jews. It was as important that she should be born again, that she should be able to offer to God spiritual worship, as it was that Nicodemus should see the kingdom of God. Christ came to call sinners to repentance; he came to seek and to save the lost, and his method of proclaiming himself to the Samaritans was not essentially different from the general course of life that afterwards led to his being called "a friend of publicans and sinners."

It should be said, also, that the results approved the wisdom of our Lord's method. The woman did not hesitate and count the cost of professing her faith. She forgot her errand to the well; and, leaving her water pot, went to the city, and said to the men of the city, "Come, see a man, who told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?" She was the best example of courage and enthusiasm that had yet appeared. Philip had found

his friend Nathanael; Andrew had found his brother Peter, but all were Jews. This woman came to a great multitude of Samaritans and she asked them to recognize a Jew, a hereditary enemy of their nation, as the long looked for Messiah. Her intense earnestness and enthusiasm were most persuasive and most convincing, for many of those who heard her believed on Christ because of her words, while many others, after they had seen and talked with Jesus, said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of thy speaking, for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world."

In this beautiful sketch, there is something that is adapted to touch the tenderest cords in the human heart, something that so commends the love of God as to make it omnipotent. In this sketch there is a lesson for all who would win men to Christ. God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty. When we see the Son of God, hungry, thirsty and weary so deeply interested in the salvation of this one sinful woman as to forget hunger and thirst, we may learn how we should strive to carry out the great commission and preach the Gospel to every creature.

XV

JESUS REJECTED AT NAZARETH

John 4:44. "For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country."

(Matthew 4: 12-17 and 13:53-58 and 14:3; Mark 1:14-15; 6: 1-6; Luke 3: 19-20 and 4: 14-20; John 4:43-54.)

A

FTER the incident at Sychar Jesus visited his old home at Nazareth, but it seems nearly impossible

to determine the exact time when this visit was made. The older writers, not being able to harmonize the different accounts, concluded that Jesus must have visited Nazareth twice during his public ministry, but later writers reject this theory as inconsistent and impossible.

It may not be amiss to stop here long enough to come to some definite conclusion concerning the attempts to harmonize the gospels. From the time of Eusebius until the present, Bible students have sought to form a connected account of our Saviour's life out of the different gospels, and have not succeeded. The evangelists seem to have constructed their narratives without special regard to the chronological order of events. They begin their sketches with an account of the birth of Christ, and they end with an account of his death, but the intervening events of his life are presented with very little reference to time. From the time of the temptation until the last journey to Jerusalem, Matthew passes from one event to another without giving any clue to the exact time, except the expression "then," or, "in those days." He aims to present the character of Jesus, apart from time and

place, by grouping kindred actions and discourses. Mark seems to aim at a vivid presentation of some facts in our Lord's life without seeking to show how these facts are related to each other. Luke has more regard for the chronological order of events, but he is some times very indefinite; and John confines himself, for the most part, to a sketch of the Judean ministry.

Recognizing these evident facts, we should not expect to be able to form a perfect harmony, but we need not be surprised nor discouraged by our failure to do so. What once seemed a hindrance to faith, has come to be recognized as a help. The fact that we cannot always know just how to harmonize the four gospels proves conclusively that the writers were not in collusion; that the four gospels are independent sketches of the person and work of Christ and that they can, therefore, be used to explain and confirm each other.

A careful study and comparison of all the gospel narratives warrants the inference that Jesus only visited Nazareth once during his public ministry, and that this visit took place not long after the event at Sychar. He did not, however, go directly from Sychar to Nazareth, but journeyed from place to place, teaching and showing signs or performing miracles at different places. The healing of the nobleman's son at Capernaum, recorded in the Gospel by John (4:46-54) probably occurred on this journey.

After saying that Jesus spent two days with the Samaritans who besought him to abide with them, John says, "He went forth from thence into Galilee," and he adds, "For Jesus himself testified that a prophet hath no honour in his own country."

If John had said no more than this it might have been inferred that Jesus was intentionally going from Sa

maria, not his own country, and where he had honour, to Galilee, his own country, where he would have no honour. But John goes on to say, "The Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem." It seems evident, therefore, that John is, not speaking merely of our Lord's visit to Nazareth, but of his going to other points in Galilee, and when he speaks of the Galileans receiving him, he refers to what took place before the visit to Nazareth.

Assuming this to be true, and following John's narrative, Jesus came a second time to Cana, where a nobleman from Cana came to him and besought him to come to Capernaum and heal his son who was lying at the point of death. Instead of granting this request at once, Jesus said, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe." The nobleman urged him, saying, "Sir, come down ere my child die." To this second appeal Jesus replied, "Go thy way, thy son liveth." The nobleman believed Jesus and went his way, and, as he was going, his servants met him with the news that his son was living, and that the fever left him at the very hour when Jesus had said, "Thy son liveth." John then adds that the nobleman and all his house believed on Jesus. He tells us also that this was the second sign that Jesus had performed after coming out of Judea into Galilee.

Luke gives the most complete account of what took place at Nazareth. After saying that Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and that his fame went out through all that region, and that he taught in the synagogue being glorified by all, Luke adds, "He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read."