31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone hiin.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Fa- ther; for which of those works do ye stone me ?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy ; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world,
Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God ?
37 If I do not the works of my Fa- ther, believe me not.
38 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.
39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand.
40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42 And many believed od him there.
We should observe, in these verses, the extreme wicked- ness of human nature. The unbelieving Jews at Jerusalem was neither moved by our Lord's miracles, nor by His preaching. They were determined not to receive Him as their Messiah. Once more it is written that " they took up stones to stone Him."
Our Lord had done the Jews no injury. He was no robber, murderer, or rebel against the law of the land. He was one whose whole life was love, and who " went about do- iug good." (Acts x. 38.) There was no fault or inconsistency in His character. There was no crime that could be laid to His charge. So perfect and spotless a man had never walked on the face of this earth. But yet the Jews hated Him, and thirsted for His blood. How true are the words of Scripture : " They hated Him without a cause." (John xv. 25.) How just the remark of an old divine : " Uncon. verted men would kill God Himself if they could only ge\ at Him."
The true Christian has surely no right to wonder if he meets with the same kind of treatment as our blessed Lord. In fact, the more like he is to his Master, and the more