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The Cottager's Guide to the New Testament.

Those who have had the benefit of a cultivated education are often little aware how much information is necessary to a proper understanding of some of the things most commonly illuded to in the Scriptures. Having acquired information hemselves, and finding others in their own class of society equaly informed, they gradually assume that all classes are acquainted with that which they know so familiarly. Those however who have had much intercourse with the lower classes of society, continually discover that want of acquaintance with the commonest things hinders the reception of the instruction which so many are willing to give. Most of the authors of the various excellent commentaries on the Scriptures, have taken for granted that a great deal more preparitory knowledge is posessed by their readers than the lower classes of society have acquired; and they have thus rendered their works comparatively of little value in the cottage. In the Cottager's Guide to the New Testament it is intended to explain every thing as it occurs in the Scriptures without supposing any preparatory information; and to employ only such words and phrases as seem most suited to the capacities of the class of persons for whose benefit the work is undertaken.

The Harmony of the Gospels is arranged according to the plan of the Rev. EDWARD GRESWELL; and as, to avoid all controversial difficulties, it was necessary to follow one guide upon all the critical points of arrangement that are considered doubtful by the learned, these are explained according to the view taken in his valuable "Dissertation upon the principles and arrangement of a harmony of the Gospels."

The numbers of "The Cottager's Guide to the New Testament" will contain about sixteen pages each, and will be pub lished once a month until the whole is completed. They will be sold for two-pence each, or one shilling and nine-pence a dozen, or fourteen shillings a hundred.

VOLS. I. to IV. contain the first Eighty-one numbers; and may be had of all the Booksellers, price 3s. 6d. each, neatly bound in cloth.

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST

PORTION.

Jesus answers the demand for his authority. Discourse No. 26. Conversation, No. 54.

PLACE. On the road from Bethany to Jerusalem. TIME.-Morning of Wednesday in Passion week three days before His death.-YEAR 30.

I. BEGINNING PRAYER.

MAY GOD, for the sake of JESUS CHRIST, give me the HOLY SPIRIT, that I may understand this portion of his Holy Word, and profit by it. AMEN.

II. THE SCRIPTURES.

Read St. Mark's Gospel, chap. xi. ver, 20 to 33. St. Luke's Gospel, chap. xx. verses 1 to 8. then St. Matthew's Gospel, chap. xxi. v. 23 to 32.

III. THE MEANINGS;

[There is no word used in this portion, the meaning of which seems difficult to understand.]

IV. THE EXPLANATION.

Having passed the night at Bethany, our Lord (as usual) returned to Jerusalem in the morning, with his disciples, When they were come to that part of the road where the fig-tree stood, which Jesus had forbidden to bear fruit, they found it entirely withered from the very roots. Peter put our Lord in mind of what had happened the day before; and pointed out that the curse which had been then delivered had had its full effect. (See the last portion.) Upon this our Lord repeated the application he had then

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made. He urged them again to seek after true faith; and shewed the importance of this, by using for the fourth time (Matt. xvii. 20; xxi. 21. Luke xvii. 6) the illustration of moving a mountain or a tree into the sea: which might be done by the simple command of a believing heart, that firmly rested upon a distinct promise of the word of God, supposing such a one to have been made. In obtaining the fulfilment of God's promises, every thing depends upon the exercise of a firm and undoubting faith. Hereby we may certainly secure an answer to those prayers which plead the promises of God; so that such a believer shall have whatever he asks for. But this faith must be the faith of the heart, and the prayers must be offered in real sincerity.

Our Lord was pleased to add to what he had said the day before, the same charge which he had given in his Sermon on the mount, when he first bid them use that form which we call "the Lord's Prayer." (Matt, vi. 9-15.) Having just put before them one of the strongest statements of the power of faithful prayer, he warned them how necessary it was that the heart should not be in a state of unforgiving feeling towards any creature; which would altogether take away the application of the promise just made. Whenever they put themselves in a position to pray, they must harbour no unkindness or ill-feeling towards any body who may have offended them; in order that their Father in heaven may listen to them, and forgive their offences. Unless their hearts are in such a state of forgiveness towards others, He will not forgive their offences against Him. As was observed upon the former occasion, Jesus

does not say that our forgiving those who have offended us is the cause of God's forgiving us: the only cause why God forgives our sins, is because Christ has suffered the punishment of them for us. It is only said, that those who receive forgiveness from God under the Gospel Covenant, must themselves have forgiving hearts. (See vol. i, page 301.)

The day to which we are now come, was the third before our Lord's death-the Wednesday in Passion Week: and from this time forward the things which happened are related more in detail than any other portion of his life; so that we are able to trace the circumstances of almost every hour, until that in which he was taken down from the cross. Upon entering Jerusalem in the morning, he proceeded immediately to the temple, where he occupied himself in teaching the people, and preaching the Gospel. While thus engaged, the great council of the nation, (called the Saubedrim, see vol. i, page 258), which consisted of the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people, came to make inquiries of him, which (it would seem) must have been decided on in some meeting of their body; probably the night before, after Jesus had driven the dealers out of the court of the temple: for they desired to know, by what right he had taken upon himself thus to interrupt them in that place, and from whom he pretended to have authority.

Instead of giving a direct reply to their question, our Lord told them that he must first of all ask a question of them;-if they would answer this, he would also satisfy them, as to what they asked. He desired them to tell him, upon what authority

it was that John the Baptist had assumed the right of baptizing; - had he divine authority for what he did? or was it only a plan of man's device? Upon Upon this they consulted together, what answer they should give. They knew that, if they should acknowledge John's authority to be divine, Jesus would at once inquire why they had not received him as a messenger from God. If on the other hand they should deny that he was divinely commissioned, and said that his baptism was a human device, they were afraid that the people would rise up against them as blasphemers, and execute the Law of Moses against such, by stoning them (Lev, xxiv. 16); for the general opinion was that John was really sent from God, as much as Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Malachi had been. To get out of this difficulty, they told Jesus they could not reply to his question upon which he declared that he would not give any answer to their question.

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But though he did not choose to give them a direct answer, he shewed how they might make an application to themselves of his question to them. Suppose the case of a man with two sons. father comes to one of them, and bids him go at once to work upon the farm: this son answers his father by refusing to go; but presently he considers his error, changes his mind, and sets to work. The father comes to the other son with the same command: this one gives him a civil answer of obedience says he will go;-but never stirs a step towards the work, Jesus then asked the Sanhedrim, which of these two sons would be the one that obeyed his father? They had but one answer to give ;- of course the first.' Our Lord