them to allow them to be indifferent altogether to what seemed a victory on their side. So they came forward again to improve the advantage. "And one of the Scribes," says St. Mark, "came, and having heard them reasoning together"-respecting the resurrection, as it would seem—" and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, saying, 'Which is the great commandment in the law?" St. Matthew says that the Scribe-lawyer he calls him—asked the question "tempting Him.” It does not appear from St. Mark's narrative that he had any malicious design, and perhaps the expression only means testing Him, asking out of a kind of curiosity to hear what He would say, like the other lawyer (Luke x. 25) who gave occasion to the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The question, "which is the great commandment of the law ?"—"the first of all"-has this implied in it. "Of course we cannot be expected to keep the whole law; no one could be expected to keep all the commandments. Now, which dost Thou consider the really essential one-that which, if we keep strictly, our neglect of others will not so much. signify?" A very common question at the bottom of most of our hearts! "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord"-requiring therefore undivided allegiance-" and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength this is the first commandment. And the second is like"-equally inclusive of every possible : kind of service and duty-" namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."* "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."+ "And the Scribe said unto Him, 'Well, Master, Thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He; and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices." The man was an honest man. The Lord's words waked up an echo in his heart; he felt their truth and beauty, and he honestly spoke out his conviction, to the contempt and annoyance probably of his fellow-religionists. "And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, 'Thou art not far from the kingdom of God" "§-into which kingdom we cannot doubt he did enter. "And no man after that durst ask Him any question." He had come out of the ordeal with such increase of honour and reputation that they dared not run the risk of any further defeats. The Lord then took the opportunity, while the Pharisees were gathered together, of putting to them a question designed apparently to make them reconsider their notions respecting the Messiah. "What think ye of Christ ?"-what is the idea you entertain respecting the quality and origin of Him whom ye are expecting?" whose Son is Mark, ver. 32, 33. * Mark, ver. 29-31. +Matth. ver. 40. he? They say unto Him, The Son of David.'" On this they were unanimous. "He saith unto them, 'How then doth David in spirit'"-speaking by prophetical inspiration-"call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call Him Lord, how is He his son ?" " In these questions was suggested the great truth of the union of the Divine and Human natures in Christ. But the Lord contented Himself with the suggestion, and did not pursue the subject. "And no man," St. Matthew adds, was able to answer Him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions."* SECTION LI. THE REQUEST OF THE GREEKS-SUBSEQUENT JOHN xii. 20-36. 66 ND there were certain Greeks among them that came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, 'Sir, we would see Jesus.'" It seems probable, though it is not expressly so said, that our Lord spent both the Monday and the Tuesday in the Temple, going out of the city in the * Matth. ver. 41—46. evening and spending the night at Bethany. The Tuesday morning seems the most likely time at which to fix the incident which St. John here records.* These Greeks, who came up to worship at the feast, were probably Greeks by nation-Europeanssuch as afterwards formed part of St. Paul's churches. They were men who were, as far as was permitted, proselytes to the Jewish religion, and attended its great solemnities. They had doubtless heard of the fame of Jesus, and were anxious to be made better acquainted with Him-not merely to see Him, for that they might have done without any application to the disciples, but as we should say, to be introduced to Him, and have an opportunity of conversing with Him. For this purpose they addressed themselves to Philip, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip, not knowing exactly whether he might venture to bring them to his Master, consulted Andrew, his townsman, and by Andrew's advice, the matter was laid before their Lord Himself. "Philip cometh and telleth Andrew and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus." It is not stated whether our Lord gave the desired permission or not, but we can hardly doubt that He would receive these strangers kindly, though the short time now remaining to Him might not permit Him to give much attention to them. He intimates that soon, very soon, there would be free access to Him for their countrymen. "And Jesus answered them, saying, 'The hour is come, that the * The arrangement of the events in the Holy Week is very difficult, and at best can be only conjectural, but this seems the most natural break in St. Matthew's narrative. Son of man should be glorified.' But there was a condition to this, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." The law of God's vegetable creation is that life springs from death; that which produces is sacrificed, disorganized in the act of reproduction. In the animal kingdom, though one individual does not always die to produce another, yet do animals of one class give up their lives for the support of others. And this analogy is carried into the moral and spiritual world. No great work is ever accomplished but by those who are willing to throw themselves into the price. "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world”—the merely selfish enjoyment of life-" shall keep it unto life eternal." This must be the portion, the chosen portion, of Christ's servants, to give up their lives for others. "If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour." And now the contemplation of this truth aroused in our Blessed Lord those deeply solemn feelings which, hidden beneath the calm dignity of His ordinary demeanour, now and then arose to the surface. Feelings which we almost hesitate to speak of, or think of, except in moments of devotion; feelings, the expression of which is yet most precious, showing that He was truly human, and that He did not advance to His great sacrifice without the natural repugnance and anxiety of a man. "Now |