showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?" "What sign showest thou, that we may see and believe thee? What dost thou work?" 1 Our Lord constantly referred to such signs in proof of his divinity; saying, "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin."2 "The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me." "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him." 3 But to these signs the scribes and Pharisees had long been blind. Seeing, they had seen not: and hearing, they had not understood. When Jesus wrought his miracles, they said, "This man doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." When the words of wisdom which he spoke caused the people to exclaim, "Of a truth this is the prophet;"" their answer was, "Search and look; for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet." And now they came forth, with no honest intention, but seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. He knew their thoughts. He sighed deeply in his spirit, "being grieved for the hardness of their hearts;" and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given to this generation. No other sign, no further sign. St. Matthew adds, "There shall no sign be given it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas." 1 John ii. 18. 3 Ib. x. 25-27. 5 John vii. 52. 2 Ib. xv. 24. Matt. xii. 24. "6 The next sign that they see, shall be that of my resurrection. Yet even this will not satisfy them, unless they have the "understanding heart." "If they believe not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, though one rose from the dead."7 The refusal, therefore, of our Lord, to grant the sign which the Pharisees demanded, was the consequence of the spirit in which it was sought, and of the perverseness and hardness of heart which they had uniformly displayed. The will of God is, that "all men should come to the knowledge of the truth" if it is withheld from any, it is withheld because they "would not;" "would not come unto him, that they might have life." We are assured that "if any man be willing to do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God."9 The Spirit perceives "afar off" the willing mind; enlightens, teaches it, "guides it into all truth." 1 So that the thing to be desired and sought, is not the sign from heaven, but the heart to receive the sign the heart which says, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth:"" the heart which says, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” "Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.' 7 Luke xvi. 31. 2 Ch. ix. 24. 8 1 Tim. ii. 4. 1 Sam. iii. 9. 2 Ps. cxix. 38. 99 3 LECTURE XLVI. THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES. MARK Viii. 13-21. 13. And he left them, and entering into the ship again, departed to the other side. 14. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.1 Jesus had just parted from the Pharisees and Sadducees, who had been " tempting him," and asking of him "a sign from heaven." Their unbelief and hardness of heart was uppermost in his mind; and suggested the warning, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod. The Pharisees sat in Moses' seat:" their "lips ought to have kept knowledge;" it was their business as professed teachers of the people, to instruct them out of the law. And this instruction ought to prove to the heart by which it was received, what leaven is to the meal with which it is mixed: that " 1 Matthew (xvi. 6) calls it "the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." Herod, and the Herodians inclined to the infidelity of the Sadducees. Matthew also states that some of the Sadducees came with the Pharisees. 2 See Rom. ii. 17-20. which makes it useful and nutritious to man. 994 But in the same degree as good leaven is wholesome, bad leaven is hurtful: and so likewise the principles of the Pharisees would pollute the minds which they ought to lead in the way of righteousness. We are told elsewhere, that their leaven was "hypocrisy." " We are also told, how it acted upon themselves how "all their works they did to be seen of men.' Whereas the true principle, the only principle consistent with faith and piety, is that all works be done to be seen of God: whether it be prayer, that it be offered to Him" who seeth in secret;" whether it be almsgiving, that we approve ourselves "good stewards of God's gifts:" whether it be the ordinary business of life, that we "do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men:" counting it a "very small thing to be judged of men, or of man's judgment," and "committing ourselves to him who judgeth righteously." Whatever principle of action is contrary to this, "cometh of evil: " let the disciples take heed, and beware of it: as the finest flour of wheat would become corrupt if the leaven mixed up with it were bad; so works of apparent goodness and seeming piety, alms, fasting, prayer, would be nothing worth, if done in hypocrisy. The leaven of Herod was dangerous in another way. Those called Herodians were unlike the Pharisees. These "rested in the law, and made their boast of God." The Herodians were men of this world; "children of this generation;" made no religious profession; were among those who pretended 3 Luke xii. 1. 4 Matt. xxiii. 4. 5 that God was no less indifferent to them and their doings, than they to Him and his will: their maxim being, "The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil." Sentiments like these overthrow all religion, which must have for its basis the belief “that God is, and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." And yet such sentiments often make their way, secretly, if not openly. Practical atheism may exist, even where God is speculatively acknowledged. So it was at Jerusalem. And the disciples are warned, lest any such leaven should be admitted into their hearts, and " pervert the right ways of the Lord." They could not avoid intercourse with these opposite parties, the Pharisees and Herodians; and must therefore be on their guard against the leaven which they spread. For what, if the bread on which men feed is poisoned? And it was poisoned by the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod. By their perversion of truth; by their unwarranted traditions; by their formalities; by their hypocrisy ; by their pretence of religion; and still worse, by the indifference to all religion of Herod and the Sadducees by all these the heart was corrupted, when it ought to have been supported. Such is the danger of all erroneous doctrine. It insinuates itself unawares, and the spiritual life, if not utterly destroyed, is deprived of all strength and vigour. The disciples' mind, meanwhile, was turned towards a different sort of bread, not that which feeds and nourishes the soul. They supposed that our 5 Zeph. i. 12. 6 Heb. xi. 6. |