The stones, that had been taken up, were not thrown, for the words of Christ rendered impossible the charge of explicit blasphemy which alone would, according to Rabbinic law, have warranted such summary vengeance. But they sought again to seize Him,' so as to drag Him before their tribunal. His time, however, had not yet come, and He went forth out of their hand' - how, we know not.
Once more the Jordan rolled between Him and His bitter persecutors. Far north, over against Galilee, in the place of John's early labours, probably close to where Jesus Himself had been baptized, was the scene of His last labours. And those, who so well remembered both the Baptist and the testimony which he had there borne to the Christ, recalled it all as they listened to His Words and saw His Works. As they crowded around Him, both the difference and the accord between John and Jesus carried conviction to their minds. The Baptist had done no sign,' [4410] such as those which Jesus wrought: but all things which John had spoken of Him, they felt it, were true. And, undisturbed by the cavils of Pharisees and Scribes, many of these simple-minded, true-hearted men, far away from Jerusalem, believed on Him. To adapt a saying of Bengel: they were the posthumous children of the Baptist. Thus did he, being dead, yet speak. And so will all that is sown for Christ, though it lie buried and forgotten of men, spring up and ripen, as in one day, to the deep, grateful, and external joy of them who had laboured in faith and gone to rest in hope. __________________________________________________________________
[4376] 28 a.d.
[4377] Wieseler, Chronolog. Synopse, pp. 482, 483.
[4378] St. John x. 22.
[4379] It must, however, be admitted that some commentators draw an opposite inference from these words.
[4380] The subject has been more fully treated in an article in the Leisure Hour' for Dec. 1873: Christmas, a Festival of Jewish Origin.'
[4381] 1 Macc. vi. 52-59.
[4382] u. s. vv. 56-59.
[4383] Ant. xii. 7. 7.
[4384] Ezra vi. 16, 17; Neh. xii. 27; Dan. iii. 2.
[4385] Similarly, the cognate words nkanisis and nkainisms as well as the verb (nkainzo), are frequently used both in the LXX. and the Apocrypha. The verb also occurs Heb. ix. 18; x. 20.
[4386] Ps. cxiii. - cxviii.
[4387] See ch. vii. This was always the case when the Hallel was chanted.
[4388] 2 Macc. x. 7.
[4389] Shabb. 21 b, lines 11 to 8 from bottom.
[4390] Shabb. 21 b, about the middle.
[4391] In regard to the latter Jewish legend, the learned reader will find full quotations (as, in general, much interesting information on the Feast of the Dedications') in Selden, de Synedriis (ed. Frcf. 1696) p. 1213, and in general from p. 1207 to 1214.
[4392] The reader will find much that is curious in these four Midrashim (apud Jellinek, Beth haMidr. i. pp. 130-146): the Maaseh Jehudith, 2 Midr. for Chanukkah, and he Megillath Antiochos. See also the Megillath Taanith (ed. Warsh. 1874), pp. 14 a to 15 b.
[4393] Moed K. iii. 9; Shabb. 21 b.
[4394] Bemidb. R. 13, ed. Warsh., p. 49 a, line 15 from top.
[4395] The location of this Porch' in the passage under the present mosque El Aksa (proposed by Caspari, Chronol. Geogr. Einleit. p. 256, and adopted by Archdeacon Watkins) is contrary to all the well-known facts.
[4396] Commentators mostly take quite a different view, and regard their as more or less honest inquiry.
[4397] According to the better reading, in the present tense.
[4398] This clause in ver. 26 of the A.V. must, if retained, be joined to ver. 27.
[4399] St. John x. 27, 28.
[4400] So, after the precedent of Bengel, especially Luthardt and Godet, and after them others.
[4401] By Bengel.
[4402] St. Augustine marks, that the word one' tells against Arianism, and the plural are' against Sabellianism. And do they not equally tell against all heresy?