legHimacf of the power of the devil in over was at hand, and we find ourselve1 in human polity, John tells us that Jesus, by the miclst of a group of facts in which some uncompromising fidelity to his great mission chronological hints may be gained. The aa spiritual Healer, waved off the half- multiplication of the loaves, the walking homage of the ruler of the Jews ancl master of upon the sea, are events which are recorded the schools, and pointedly declared his need by the synoptists, and which appear there of personal, individual regeneration. Then to have followed the execution of John the we ree.d that he quietly began his humble Baptist, and the conclusion of the trial career of persuasion, that he grappled with mission of the twelve disciples. We must, ;1nd discarded the presumptuous claim of therefore, conclude that, between the Pass- nationality, and announced the natme of over of eh. ii. 13 and eh. vi. 4, one year must spiritual worship. Not by the pomp of na- have, at least, elapsed. (It is true that tional homage won by truckling to the power Browne, in bis 'Ordo Sreculorum,' has en- of evil, but by the conversion of the simple deavoured to obliterate this reference to the hearts of Samaritans through their personal Passover as a gloss, but without any autho- conviction that he was indeed the Saviour rity from codices, or versions, or other diplo- (not the Cresar) of the world, he would win matic evidence.) This period, moreover, the world. Snch obvious comparisons are includes a vast amount of incident in the not fortuitous. These events set forth, on a synoptic no.rrative; all that, e.g., which is magnificent scale of converse and action, the recorded in Mark between i. 14 and vi. deep lessons of the temptation, and show, as 56. Now, it is obvious that, after a period the synoptists tell us, that he was filled with of general response to his claims, our Lord the Holy Ghost (see Introduction). encountered (according to the synoptisti) an Yet, notwithstanding all this, it were a organized opposition from the Pharisees (see great mistake to suppose that he had ex- Mark ii., iii., and parallels, and especially hausted his resources or his teaching; he from ii 23 to iii 6), in particular a bitter and has simply uttered the alphabet of the whole deadly persecution on the ground of bis gospel which he is about to disclose. The heterodoxy of word and conduct with refer- teaching of the voJedictory discourse is pro- ence to the rabbinic interpretation of the digiously in advance of this introduction to sabbatic law. There are also other indica- his ministry. The truths absolutely revealed tions of a rising storm of indignation, even are the need of a complete purification of in Galilee, to modify the popular enthu- man and temple, the imperative necessity siasm. Concerning this John says nothing, of heavenly birth, of spiritual worship, of but he does record the origin of the storm implicit faith in the Father's love, and of in the metropolis in his account of a journey patient waiting for God. We have two inci- to Jerusalem taken in the course of this dents of the Lord's ministry in Galilee, but period. It was his obvious purpose to detail also impressive hints of the e.daptation of the history of the conflict with the hier- his gospel to that world of strangers and archical party at Jerusalem. outcasts that he has come to seek and save. The metropolis was the great focus of the Our great difficulty is in the silence which antagonism to Christ, and John describes the Fourth Gospel preserves concerning the those scenes which appeared in Jerus11lem continuous ministry of our Lord in Galilee to have stimulated the assault, and thereby, o.rter this preparation for it. elioited the self-revel:i.tion of Jesus. In ob. vi. 4 we leo.rn that the Jews' Puss-
HOMILETICS. Vere. 1-6.-~e foui·ney of our Lord through Samari'a. We are now to see the firstfruits of Gentile conversion. I. CONSIDER THE OA.USE OF CHRIST'S DEPARTURE FROM: JUDEA TO GALILEE, "When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptizeci more disciples than John, he left Jndrea and departed ngain into Galilee." 1. The anger ef the Pharisees wa3 ,·oused by the greater s11ccess of Jesus. "All men were coming 182 THE GOSrEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. [en. 1v. 1-54.