as they heard of his mighty works and the strange influence of his teaching. They must ha.ve felt some natural p1ide in the eminence of their countryman. But their admiration was mingled with unworthy feelings-jealousy, envy. Ilolim~ss is not always popular. Ungodly men feel it as a rebuke to themselves; they hate it. 2. His teaching there. He went to the synagogue, as he was wont. The Lord always attended public worship. In this, ns in all things, he is our Example. It was known that he would be there. The Nazarenes flocked to hear him. Their motives were different, but all were drawn by eager desire to listen to the great Preacher. We cannot tell for certain whether this visit, recorded also in St. Mark, is to be regarded as identical with that described in Luke iv. 16-30. We only know that the congregation was filled with astonishment now, as they were on that occasion. The Lord's words were words of deep and holy wisdom. " Never man spake as this Man." They had been told of his wisdom; now they heard it themselves, and they wondered greatly. II. THE FEELINGS OF THE NAZARENES. 1. Their talk. They whispered together about the Lord's humble origin. (1) He was the Son, they thought, of the carpenter Joseph, whom they remembered so well-the good man now gone to his reward; the son of David, but yet the village carpenter. 'l'he Nazarenes forgot his royal descent; they forgot the higher nobility of goodness which had distinguished him; they thought only of his humble occupation. He was a carpenter, they said, only a carpenter; and this Preacher who spoke with such authority was, they supposed, the carpenter's Son. Mary was his mother. They knew her well; she lived long among them. (2) There were brothers, too,-and sisters; children, probably, of Joseph by a former marriage, brought up with the Lord, older than he-which, perhaps, may serve to explain their assumption of authority (eh. xii. 46; Mark iii. 21, 31; John vii. 3, 4). It is a thought of deep interest that the blessed Lord bad lived with brothers and sisters in family life. He felt its joys and its troubles; the sweetness of affection, and at times, perhaps, the vexations of jarring wills; for br~thers and sisters were not, as he was, sinless and without spot. His brethren, wo know, did not yet believe in him. We wonder how the sisters regarded his exalted holiness, his perfect purity, hie tender love. Holy Scripture has hidden from us the details of our Lord's domestic life; but it is sweet to think that he lived as we have lived, and to regard him as our Example in all the varied relations of Jamily life. 2. Their rejection of the Lord. 'l'hey were offended in him. Their previous knowledge of him, of his early life among them, of his occupation, of his family, was a stumbling-block to them. They could not get over it. They stumbled and fell. Yet his life had been an example of unparalleled innocence and holiness. They had loved him in his holy childhood, when he increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. But they could not receive "the carpenter's Son" as the Messiah. Let us learn not to despise the poor, the lowly; let uo Christian dare to look down on honest trade. The Lord Christ was once a carpenter. The humble in earthly rank may be very high in hoiiness, first in the kingdom of heaven. Ill. His Dl!:PABTUBE. 1. Bis view of their conduct. .A prophet is not without honour. A prophet, a true man who speaks for God, who speaks in simplicity and earnestness, out of the abundance of his heart,-such a man is not without honour. He is honoured of God, and, sooner or later, he is honoured of men; not always in his life- time, but at last, when death raises him above the petty jealousies of life, men will own that there bath been a prophet among them, and will render him that meed of honour which pe1·haps in his lifetime they kept from him. But he is not always, not commonly, honoured in his own country and in his own house. Men do not envy those very high above them in rank and wealth, or those far removed from them in nny way. They envy most those who are nearest to them in place, in time, in circumstances. It is so -now, it was so in our Saviour's case. His fellow-countrymen held him not in honour. His brethren did not believe in him. If we suffer from the envy of others, let us think <if him. Ho was despised and rejected. We may well be content if the disciple is as his Master. And oh, let us drive envy out of own }learts. It kept the Nazarenes from Christ; it keeps men from Christ now. The envious cannot know him who is love. 2. His presence was not blessed to them. "He did not many mighty works there because <if their unbelief." He was there, the Saviour, the mighty Son of God, but his presence broucrht little blessing. It was not the mere bodily presence of the Christ that saved and blessed. 11 He could there do no mighty work," says St. Mark, "save that he laid r6 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MA'l'THEW. [ea, xm. 1-58.
his hanJ.s on a few sick folk, and healed them." The Lord's miracles of healing were not mere displays of power; they h11d a spiritual meaning. Faith was required in the recipie~t. He does not ~xercise his power arbitrarily; it is directed by his wise and holy will. A few had faith, those few he healed. 'l'he unbelieving derived no benefi~ from his visit. How earnestly we should pray, "Lord, increase our faith" I LEssoNs. 1. Ne~er despise men because of their humble origin; it is a sinful thing in the Christian, whose King was called" the carpenter's Son." 2. Honour God's saints• to honour them is to honour God, whose servants they are. 3, Flee from envy• it kills the soul. 4. Be very careful to use all the means of grace I do not drive Christ away by unbelief and hardness of heart.