sinners to repentance, Matt. ix. 13. Yet the indulgence of our Saviour seemed to be a subversion of that law of Moses, which condemned them to death who were guilty of adultery. (Levit. xx. 10. Deut. xxii. 22.) Nothing could be less likely to conciliate the minds of the Jews to Jesus Christ than the infraction of a religion, the origin of which was divine, and which no person could alter without incurring the most rigorous penalties; "ye shall not add unto the word which I command you," said the supreme legislator, "Neither shall ye diminish aught from it, Deut. iv. 2. To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them, Isa. viii. 20. Accordingly we find, one of the most specious accusations, that was ever invented against Jesus Christ, and one of the most pardonable scruples, which some devout souls had about following him, arose from this consideration, that on some occasions he had relaxed those laws, which no mortal had a right to alter, this man is not of God, said some, because he keepeth not the sabbath-day, John ix. 16.

This conduct certainly required an apology. Jesus Christ must needs justify a right which he claimed, but which no man before him had attempted to claim. This is the true clue of the discourse, from which our text is taken. Jesus Christ there proves, that he is the supreme law-giver, that although the eternal laws of right and wrong, which proceeded from him, are invariable, yet the positive institutes that depended on the will of the legislator, and derived all their authority from his revealed command, might be continued, or abrogated at his pleasure. He there demonstrates of the whole levitical ritual what he elsewhere said of one part of it, the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath, Matt. xii. 8.

mous terms.

He begins his discourse in this manner, I am the light of the world. In the style of the Jews, and, to say more, in the style of the inspired writers, light, by excellence, "Son of God, Word of God, God's Shekinah," as the Jews speak, that is to say, the habitation of God among men, Deity itself, are synoniWitness, among many other proofs, the majestic frontispiece of the gospel of St. John, the magnificent titles which he gives the adorable personage, of whom he writes. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," John i. 1, &c. Remark these words, dwelt among us, the phrase alludes to the Shekinah, which many Jewish Rabbies say, was the Messiah.

What Jesus Christ affirms being granted, that is, that he was THE LIGHT by excellence, no apology is needful; for he had a right to absolve a woman whom Moses, by the order of God, had condemned to die. The authority of inferior judges is limited to the execution of those laws, which the supreme legislator appoints. Sovereign princes have reserved the prerogative of shewing mercy. The Pharisees foresaw the consequences of admitting the title that he claimed, and therefore they disputed his right to claim it; Thou bearest record of thyself, say they, thy record is not true, chap. viii. 13.

This objection would naturally arise in the mind. It seems to be founded on this incontestible principle, No envoy from heaven, the Messiah himself not excepted, has a right to require submission to his decisions, unless he give proofs of his mission. All implicit faith in men, who have not received divine credentials, or who refuse to produce them, is not faith, but puerile credulity, gross superstition.

But the Pharisees, who made this objection, did not make it for the sake of obtaining evidence, and Jesus Christ reproves them for this duplicity. If you continue in doubt of my mission, said he to them, it is your own fault, your infidelity can only proceed from your criminal passions, ye judge after the flush, ver. 15. If you would suspend these passions, you would soon perceive, that the holiness of my life gives me a right to bear witness in my own cause; for which of you convinceth me of sin? ver. 46. You would soon see, that my testimony is confirmed by that of my Father, who, when he sent me into the world, armed me with his omnipotence, which displays itself in my miracles, He that sent me is with me, the Father hath not left me alone, ver. 29. But the hatred you bear to me prevents your seeing the attributes of my Father in me, ye neither know me, nor my Father, ver. 19. However, I will not yet justify my mission by inflicting those punishments on you which your obstinacy deserves, I judge no man; nor will I perform the office of a judge, till I have finished that of a Redeemer.

When you have filled up the measure of your sins, by obtaining a decree for my crucifixion, you shall be forced to acknowledge under that iron rod, which the Father hath given me to destroy my enemies, the divinity of a mission, that your wilful obstinacy now disputes, when ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, ver. 28.

Arguments so powerful, threatenings so terrible, made deep impressions on the minds of some of our Lord's hearers, and to them, who felt the force of what was said, Jesus Christ added, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,

ver. 31.

I suppose, among the people, to whom these words were addressed, were some of the disciples of Judas of Gaulon a city of Galilee, who for this reason was called Judas the Gaulonite. These seditious people supposed, that in order to be a good Jew, it was necessary to be a bad subject of the emperor. They were always ripe for rebellion against the Romans, and they reproached those of their countrymen, who quietly submitted to these tyrants of mankind, with degenerating from the noble spirit of their ancestors. This opinion, I think, places their answer to Jesus Christ in the clearest light. We are, say they, Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? ver. 33. Had they spoken of the whole nation, how durst they have affirmed, after the well known subjection of their country to so many dif

ferent conquerors, we were never in bondage to any man?

Jesus turned their attention from the literal to the spiritual meaning of his promise. He told them, there were bonds more shameful than those which Pharoah and Nebuchadnezzar had formerly put on their fathers, more humiliating than those to which the Romans obliged the nation at the time of his speaking to submit; bonds, with which sin loaded its slaves, chains, which they themselves actually wore, while they imagined they were free; Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin, ver. 34. Jesus Christ intended to inform them, that, although God had patiently treated them to that time as his children in his church, he would shortly expel them as slaves, and deal with them not as the legitimate children of Abraham; but as the sons of Hagar, of whom it had been said as St. Paul remarks, Cast out the bond-woman and her son; for the son of the bond-woman, shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman, Gal. iv. 30.

But while he undeceived them concerning that imaginary liberty, which they flattered themselves they enjoyed, he announced real liberty to them, and after he had given them most mortifying ideas of their condition, he declared, that he alone could free them from it; this is the sense of my text, " If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Some interpreters think, there is in these words an allusion to a custom among the Greeks, with whom a presumptive heir had a right of adopting brethren, and of freeing slaves.