Ver. 24.-T!,efallacy of holy place.,. I. THE FALLACY EMPHATICAT,LY STATED. Up to this point in the conversation the woman has not the slightest idea that religious matters are in question; but immediately on conclnding that Jesus is a Prophet, she proceeds to show that she can talk about religion as well as other people. Jesus seeks to fasten her up in a corner where she may be dealt with according to her individual sin and indivitl.ual need, and so she tries to escape away into a general rliscussion on an old point of difference that was altogether beside the question that should ha,e had most interest for her. The fallacy of holy places is emphatically illustrated in the experience Jesus had of them. We see that he had experience of two places reckoned specially holy, Gerizim and Jerusalem. Truly the holiness of Gerizim bad done little for this S:1maritan woman; and the holiness of Jerusalem did little fur those priests and Law-expounders who, in their fanaticism, put ,Tesus to death. Here is the paradox of a woman apparently unconcerned about her own misdoing, but very much concerned about the rightful localization of Deity. II. IT IS A FALLAOY WHICH PilEVAILS WIDELY AND DEEPLY STILL. Jerusalem and Gerizim are still reckoned holy places, and to them, in the name of Jesus, how many more have been· added! Special places, special forms, special symbols, special words, have been slowly exalted unto an honour and an influence they were never meant to obtain. Many who on no account woulu bow before an image, yet act as if Deity had "special dwelling and special surroundings. ,ve do not make a sufficient distinction between what is necessary to us and what is acceptable to God. Holy buildings, holy forms, may have in them much value; but the value is for us, and not for God. If one can think of God esteeming some spots of earth holier than others, surely they are those where most has been done for the renewal and sanctification of men. We may learn a lesson from the obscurity into which the ark of the covenant fell. How it vanishes away with the departure of Jehovah's people into the Babylonian captivity! Ill. A FALLACY WHICH IS ONLY TO DE REMOVED BY A CONTINUAL BEME::IIDR.-1.NCE 01" THE DIFFERENCE DETWEEN GoD AND MEN. God is pure Spirit. A thousand things which in themselves serve and gratify human beiugs because of their correspondence with human nature caimot serve and gratify God. 'l'he whole position is placed before us in the question, " Can I cat the tlesh of bulls, and drink the blood of goats? " Incense from Sheba, and sweet cane from a far country, became abominable to Jehovah, because the people who offered them did not hearken to his words, and rejected his Law (Jer. vi. 20). We who have bodies must to some extent be served even as the beast~ are served; but if we got nothing more we should soon be miserable. The higher and 1ieculiar part of our nature has also to be amply served. That which is invisible in ns is the most important thing; and that which we value most from others comes from what is invisible in them. How much more, then, when we are dealing with that Beiug who has in him no mixture of the bodily I We do give humau beings something when we give to their bodies; but wiless we give God the spiritual we give him nothing at all.-Y.
Ver. 21.-The astonishment of ignorance. These disciples marvelled that Jesus talked with a woman at all. 'l'hus we have proof positive that this conversation occurred at an early stage of the ministry of Jesus. The disciples would soon cease to marvel at Jesus talking with women. What a difference the ministry of Jesus has made in the position of •.vomen I What nn illumination and example are given by his treatment of them I I. THE DEGRADED CONDITION OF THIS WOMAN. A condition, not because of something peculiar to her as an individual, but simply because she was a woman. Think of the work to which she was put, travelling away out of the city at the THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO S'l'. JOIIN. [en. 1v. 1-64.