was on the last day. Our LORD's great ancestor, who was also His most remarkable type, then took from His enemy "his armour wherein he trusted, and spoiled his goodsi."

Take notice that the Captain of our Salvation overcame the Enemy with three several texts of Scripture. Those places, therefore, are as "smooth stones" which He gathered out of this "brook in the way."-David "chose him five." It was because the Lords of the Philistines were so manyk. David's Son, chooses Him three; because so many are the great divisions of human Sin1;-so many were the assaults which He had to encounter.

and was with the wild beasts; and the Angels ministered unto Him.

This language might serve to describe the fate of the man greatly beloved,' in the den of lions. See the Book of the Prophet Daniel,—vi. 16 and 22.

St. Mark is the only Evangelist who notices that the scene of our SAVIOUR'S,-like the scene of Adam's-Temptation, caused Him to be "with the wild beasts."

The concluding heavenly notice corresponds, doubtless, with St. Matthew's account of what occurred when the Temptation was ended. "Then the Devil leaveth Him; and, behold, Angels came and ministered unto Himm'

Thus briefly then, does St. Mark dismiss our

Compare St. Luke xi. 22, with 1 Sam. xvii. 54.

1 Samuel vi. 4, &c.

1 1 St. John ii. 16.

m iv. 11.

LORD'S Temptation in the Wilderness; in its nature, perhaps the most mysterious,-in its consequences, the most momentous,-transaction recorded in the Gospel of CHRIST. The reader is referred to the notes on St. Matthew, ch. iv. 1 to 11, and on St. Luke, ch. iv. 1 to 13, (where the Temptation is recorded more fully,) for some remarks on the subject.

In this place it shall be only further pointed out that the most entire reality of Temptation does not imply, of necessity, the least degree of Sinfulness in him who is the subject of it. Adam was tempted while in a state of Grace: and the beloved Disciple says of the Second Adam, whose Temptation is here recorded,-"In Him is no Sin"." The very instincts of that human nature which our LORD entirely assumed, make Pleasure, an object of desire; and Pain, an object of dread: and whenever the prospect of the former, to be earned as the price of disobedience to God's Will, -or of the latter, to be incurred as the penalty of submission to it,-is presented to the rational soul,-just so often does Man incur Temptation, in the strictest sense of the word.-Only then is he sinful, when he accepts the Pleasure or refuses the Pain.

And of the nature above described was the Temptation of our Blessed SAVIOUR. St. James has indeed said that "a man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed":" but

D1 St. John iii. 5.

• St. James i. 13.

14

this description applies to man's fallen nature;
and is clearly not applicable to our LORD,-any
more than to our first Parents while they were
yet in Paradise. Adam was created upright: and
our LORD came ""
in the likeness" only, "of sinful
flesh." The first, after his Fall, lusted to evil,
doubtless: but the second retained His innocency,
and never fell. In Him, therefore, Sin had not
any place, nor could have.

Yet must the display of such perfect virtue, on the part of the Son of Man, have been attended with difficulty, as we may most humbly and reverently assume. Of this fact, the later scenes of His mortal history are useful to convince us; as when the SoN submitted His own Human Will, not without pangs of keenest agony, to the Will of the FATHER. And we may not fail to remember that the perfection of Human Nature in Him must have heightened in His case every trial,-rendered more acute every suffering to which, for us men and for our Salvation, He condescended to submit.

Now after that John was put in prison, JESUS came into Galilee,

The Reader is referred to a long note on St. Matthew iv. 12.

What a mighty consolation is contained in this brief statement! How solemn a warning against

P Romans viii. 3.

q St. Matt. xxvi. 39, 42, 44,-compared

with St. Luke xxii. 41 to 44.

despondency, to the end of Time!-"John was put in prison:" men's hopes became clouded: on all those who had flocked to his Baptism, and listened to his preaching, on the banks of Jordan, the sun seemed to have set for ever: the very Disciples who had waited upon him, (as we read in St. John's first chapter (verse 37 to 42)), had returned to their nets. But, "when John was put in prison,-JESUS came into Galilee!"-GOD hath wonderful consolations in store for those who love Him. He can do for us beyond all that we can ask or think. When one instrument is removed, He can provide another. When human hopes are withdrawn, Divine comforts appear. Heaven begins where Earth ends.

The Reader may, if he pleases, read the notes on St. Matthew iv. 17.

preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of GOD, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and 15 the Kingdom of GOD is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel.

Now as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, 16

This Lake,—which, in the Old Testament, is spoken of as "the Sea of Chinnereth","-in the New, is sometimes called "the Lake of Tiberias";" sometimes, "the Lake of Gennesarett;" sometimes, "the Sea of Galilee." At its North-Western extremity, stood the town of Capernaum"; so that

Numbers xxxiv. 11. Joshua xiii. 27. t St. Luke v. 1. u St. Matth. iv.

8 St. John xxi. 1. 13, and note there.

this Lake proved the scene of many of the miracles, many of the parables, and many of the Discourses of our LORD. Travellers describe it as a sheet of water of singular interest and beauty; in length about sixteen miles, and in breadth, about eight. It is surrounded by mountains; and, like other mountain-lakes, is subject to storms which, (in the words of a recent Traveller,) make it boil with violence. In repose, its waters assume a grey, leaden hue.

He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were 17 Fishers. And JESUS said unto them, Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become 18 Fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed Him.

19

as

Leighton remarks upon it,-"This was Elijah's touch to Elisha: What have I done to thee?' Did our hearts once hear His voice, net would not entangle us, nor cables bind us. No friends, nor parents, nor business would hold 11s. We should break from all, yea, should break from all to follow Him."

And when He had gone a little farther thence, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the 20 ship mending their nets. And straightway He called them: and they left their Father

▾ 1 Kings xix. 20.