same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.* 19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why do ye conspire 20 my death? The people answered and said, Thou

hast a devil † who goeth about to kill thee? 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have 22 done one work, and ye all wonder. Now

Moses gave you circumcision (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers) and ye on 23 the sabbath-day circumcise a man. If a man on the sabbath-day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me because I have made a man 24 entirely whole on the sabbath-day? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righ25 tcous judgment. Then said some of them of

Jerusalem, Is not this he whom they seek to 26 kill? But lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say

nothing unto him. Do the rulers know in27 deed that this is the very Christ? Now we

know this man whence he is: but when Christ 28 cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. Then Jesus spake aloud in the temple, as he taught, saying, Do ye indeed know me, and whence I am? I am not come of myself; but he who sent

* There is no deceit in him.

† Art possessed; thou art insane, or an impostor. Sce chap viii. 48, 52.

Circumcision was practised by Abraham and his descendants, long before Moses.

§ Rise superior to prejudice, and let your judgment be more rational and just.

Are the rulers in any measure eonvinced that this is the Messiah? Or, the rulers do not in fact know that this min is the Christ.

29 me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him, 30 for I am from him, and he hath sent me. Then

they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. 31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles then these which this man hath done? 32 The Pharisees heard that the people disputed in this way concerning him: and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. 33 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while I

am with you, and then I go unto him who sent 34 me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me ; 35 and where I am, ye cannot come. Then the Jews said among themselves, Whither will, he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles,* and teach 36 the Gentiles? What saying is this that he spake, Ye will seek me, and shall not find me; and 37 where I am, ye cannot come? In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come 38 unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me,

as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall 39 flow rivers of living water. (But this he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.) Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the 41 prophet. Others said, This is the Christ.

40

* The Jews dispersed in the country of the Gentiles.

It appears that the Jews expected a great prophet before the coming of the Messiah. See chap. i. 21.

But some said, Shall Christ come out of 42 Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out

of the town of Bethlehem where David was ?* 43 So there was a division among the people 44 because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

4.5

Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why 46 have ye not brought him ? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.† 47 Then the Pharisees said to them, Are ye also 48 deceived? Have any of the rulers, or of the 49 Pharisees, believed on him? But this people, 50 who knoweth not the law, are cursed.

Nico

demus, who was one of them, and the same who 51 came to Jesus by night, saith to them, Doth our

law judge any man before it hear him, and know 52 what he doeth? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and look : 53 for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

every man went unto his own house.

And

*So in fact it was, Christ was born in Bethlehem, and Mary his mother was a descendant of David.

†This ingenuous testimony from men devoted to the civil power, and prejudiced against Christ, furnishes the highest eulogy on the instructions of our Lord.

A remark suggested by prejudice and malice.

1

CHAP. VIII.

THEN Jesus went out to the mount of Olives: 2 And early in the morning returned to the temple, and all the people went unto him; and he 3 sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery and when they had sat her in the 4 midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman 5 was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law has commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6. This they said, tempting him, that they might have an accusation against him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the 7 ground, (as though he heard them not.) But when they continued asking him, he raised up himself, and said unto them, He who is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the 9 ground. And they who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last and Jesus was left alone, and the woman 10 standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, 11 Noman, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee :* go, and sin no more.

* That is, I pronounce no sentence against thee. We cannot suppose that our Lord meant to be understood, as not condemning such conduct. But he came not as a judge. Nor did he choose to exercise judicial authority when on earth.

12

Then Jesus spake again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have 13 the light of life. Then the Pharisees said unto

him, Thou bearest witness of thyself; thy tes14 timony is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bearwitness of myself, yet my testimony is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell 15 whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge 16 after the flesh;* I judge no man. And yet if

I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not 17 alone, but I and the Father that sent me.† · It

is also written in your law, that the testimony 18 of two men is true. I am one who beareth

witness of myself, and the Father who sent me 19 beareth witness of me. Then they said unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my 20 Father also. These words Jesus spake in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not 21 yet come. Then Jesus said again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. 22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? be

cause he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. 23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath;

* That is, from appearance or prejudice.

As if he said, my judgment and opinion are not that of a man only; but I speak and judge under the influence of the spirit of God. See 26th and 29th verses.