III. Tm: THEORY OP' TNSUP'FICIF.NT BtoNs. (Vers. 16, 29-36.) The miracles of healing, it woultl seem, were insuflicient to cc,nvince Christ's enemies that he was from God. They demanded more-a sign from heaven; something, that is, which would connect him with the heavenly world. 1. Now, the way OUI Lord meets this unreason- able demand is by denying their right to ~uch a sign. It ,,a~ most unreasonable, n11d to unreasonable cl11mour onr Lord never yielded. His miracles were of such a cb11rncter, were so numerous, and so instructive, that nothing but wilful blindness could prevent the demonstration from being final and conclusive. 2. Jesus declares that in the history of Jonah theywouldhaveasign. (Vere. 29, 30, 32.) Now, in what respect ·was Jonah a sign to the Ninevites? Accepting as historic the narrative of his flight, his imprisonment in the fish, bis release from it, and his subsequent preaching to the Ninevites, we see a striking parallel between it and the history of Christ. As Jonah was buried in the fish, and so the endangered seamen were saved, so Jesus was buried in the tomb, and through his death saved endangered sinners. Again, as Jonah was cast forth from hie imprisonment to land and life again, so Jesus by resurrection passed from the imprisonment of the tomb into the newness of immortal life. And as Jonah became a witness to the Ninevitcs of the truth of God's threatenir,gs and Go,l'R mercy, so Jesus, in the persons of his apostles, and in Pentecostal power, became a witness to his generation. Moreover, the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonah, anci in so doing they would be a standing rebuke and condemnation to Christ's contemp,,raries, who resisted bis preaching and would not repent of their sins. In the light of Christ's subsequent fate, the sign of the Prophet Jonah must have proved striking in the extreme. 3. Jesus dulares that the Queen of Sheba would condemn his contemporaries, as she was attracted by the wisdom of Solomon, while a greater than Solomon was here. (Ver. 31.) The wisdom of Solomon was not associated with any miracle. It stood alone. It was rendered impressive by a halo of worldly glory; but this was all. Yet it commanded the queen of the south, who came from her distant land and learned wisdom 11.t Solomon's feet. The worth of wisdom is the lesson of her loog journey. But Christ's contemporaries, who have more wisdom by far in bis discoUises, and who have the miracles backiog up the whole, are refusing the matchless testimony. Their condemnation shall be all the greater considering the noble conduct of the queen. How prone we are to despise the present opportunity, and to imagine that the former days were better than these, when the truth may be that now the most magnificent opportunity of al I the ages is lying to our hands ! 4. The great necessity he shows is singl-e- ness of eye. (Vera. 33-36.) 'l'his is the practical lesson with which our Lord closes his answer to bis enemies. There is a light in the world, and it is not bidden. As the Light of the world, he was himself occupying a sufficiently elevated caodlestick, and illumining all within the house. Bnt if his hearers and interviewers bad duplicity and not singleness of aim, they would miss the illumination and be filled with dark- ness. This was their danger. Hence he Uiges singleness of eye. If they but gazed on him with the proprr motive, they would find their whole lives illumined, and glory waiting upon their work. He was anxious for this result-hence bis warn- ing. We learn, then, the necessity of singleness and simplicity of aim. In such a case we shall need no theories to account for Christ's power, but acknowledge its Divine and gracious character at once. Then shall OUI whole heart go forth in sympathy to him, and we shall be with him in co-open1.tioo and in success.-R. M. E.
Vers. 37-54.-Pharisaism and legalism rebuked. Our Lord, who was emioently social in bis habits, accepts an invitation to dine with one of the Pharisees, and meets many Pharisees and lawyers there as guests. Such scenes were, to his pure and philanthropic mind, important opportunities, and as such be entered upon them. In this case he breaks ground at once by deliberately neglecting the usual preliminary ablutions. This was through no slovenliness in bis personal habits, we may be GUie; for if cleanliness is next to godliness, we may be pretty certain J csus practised it. Ilut as it is quite possible for men to put cleanliness in plac? of godliness, to be scrupulous about outward cleansing and careles,i abou~ the ~eart, !t was necessar~ that JeRus should exposfl the Pharisees' error and danger ID this particular: _Accordm~ly, we find him at this dinner-table exposing with grcr1t power lir$t, Phansa1c bypocnsy, awl, secondly, lcgalizc<l irnputiitions. Let us look at tuese in their onitlf, 3.10 TTIE GOSPEL ACCO~DlNG TO ST. LUKF,, [en. x1. 1---3~