holy and spiritual his life, the more probable is it that he will have to endure hatred and persecution. Let him not suppose that any degree of consistency will deliver him from this cross. It is not his faults, but his graces, which call forth the enmity of men. The world hates to see any- thing of God's image. The children of the world are vexed and pricked in conscience when they see others better than themselves. Why did Cain hate his brother Abel, and slay him? "Because," says St. John, " his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." (1 John iii. 12.) "Why did the Jews hate Christ? Because He exposed their sins and false doctrines ; and they knew in their own hearts that he was right and they were wrong. " The world," said our Lord, " hateth Me, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil." (John vii. 7.) Let Christiana make up their minds to drink the same cup, and let them drink it patiently and without surprise. There is One in heaven who said, " If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you." (John xv. 18.) Let them remember this and take courage. The time is short. We are travelling on towards a day when all shall be set right, and every man shall receive according to his works. " There is an end : and our expectation shall not be cutoff." (Prov. xxiii. 18.)
We should observe, secondly, in these verses, the high honour that Jesus Christ x>uts on the Holy Scriptures. We find Him using a text out of the Psalms as an argument against His enemies, in which the whole point lies in the single word " gods." And then having quoted the text, He la3rs down the great principle, u the Scripture cannot be broken." It is as though He said, " Wherever the Scrip- ture speaks plainly on any subject, there can be no more question about it. The cause is settled and decided. Every jot and tittle of Scripture is true, and must be received as conclusive."