wisdom in the ministry of John the Baptist and Himself, there were a chosen few who did. Those few were the "children of wisdom." Those few, by their lives and obedience, declared their full conviction that God's ways of dealing with the Jews were wise and right, and that John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus were both worthy of all honour. In short, they "justified" God's wisdom, and so proved themselves truly wise. This saying of our Lord about the generation among whom He lived, describes a state of things which will always be found in the Church of Christ. In spite of the cavils, sneers, objections, and unkind remarks with which the Gospel is received by the majority of mankind, there will always be some in every country who will assent to it, and obey it with delight. There will never be wanting a "little flock" which hears the voice of the Shepherd gladly, and counts all His ways right. The children of this world may mock at the Gospel, and pour contempt on the lives of believers. They may count their practice madness, and see no wisdom or beauty in their ways. But God will take care that He has a people in every age. There will be always some who will assert the perfect excellence of the doctrines and requirements of the Gospel, and will "justify the wisdom" of Him who sent it. And these, however much the world may despise them, are they whom Jesus calls wise. They are “wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim. iii. 15.) Let us ask ourselves, as we leave this passage, whether we deserve to be called children of wisdom? Have we been taught by the Spirit to know the Lord Jesus Christ? Have the eyes of our understanding been opened? Have we the wisdom that cometh from above?-If we are truly wise, let us not be ashamed to confess our Master before men. Let us declare boldly that we approve the whole of His Gospel, all its doctrines and all its requirements. We may find few with us and many against us. The world may laugh at us, and count our wisdom no better than folly. But such laughter is but for a moment. The hour cometh when the few who have confessed Christ, and justified His ways before men, shall be confessed and "justified" by Him before His Father and the angels. NOTES. LUKE VII. 31-35. 32. [They are like unto children.] Let it be noted that the one point to be kept in mind, in the comparison of the generation among whom our Lord lived, to children, is the waywardness and determination not to be pleased, which is often observable in some children. In this respect they were exact types of the Jews when John Baptist and our Lord successively preached to them. Their two ministries were peculiarly unlike one another. But neither pleased the Jews. To attach deep spiritual meanings to the "market-place," the "piping," "dancing," "mourning," and "weeping," of the similitude, is, to say the least, unprofitable. [Ye have not danced.] The dancing here mentioned must not be tortured into an excuse for modern dancing-parties and balls. The dancing spoken of in Scripture had no resemblance to the dancing of modern times. 34.-[Eating and drinking.] The utmost that can be made of this expression amounts to this, that our Lord's habits in the matter of eating and drinking were different from those of John the Baptist, that He was less ascetic, and more like other men. Comparing this verse with the preceding one, and remembering, also, our Lord's miracle at the marriage in Cana, and the Institution of the Lord's Supper, I certainly think there is a strong probability that our Lord did not altogether abstain from the use of wine. I say this with the utmost respect for the friends of temperance. But I do not like to see a good cause injured by its advocates taking up untenable ground. 35.-[But wisdom is justified of all her children.] There is some obscurity about these words. At any rate, there is much diversity in the interpretations which commentators put upon them. Some take the expression "children of wisdom" in a bad sense, and consider the meaning to be, “those who ought to have been, or were reckoned children of wisdom, having rejected wisdom's offers, wisdom is now acquitted and free from all blame at their hands. Divine wisdom tried all things needful for their conversion and salvation, and they would have none of her counsel. She is, therefore, justified, absolved and excused from all blame, if they are lost." This is Chrysostom's view. Some take the word "justified" in the strange sense of "condemned," and make out the meaning to be as follows. "Those who professed themselves to be children of wisdom have actually condemned wisdom, by refusing her counsels." This, according to Paræus and Chemnitius, is the view maintained by Luther. I believe the right interpretation is to regard the "children of wisdom" as the truly wise, the elect, the believers, the people who are really taught of God. By them "the wisdom of God's ways is always justified, whatever others may please to think of it. They assent to them, approve of them, and regard them as being entirely right." This sense will be found ably defended in the commentary of Paræus on St. Matthew,-and well and briefly stated by Euthymius. The "children of wisdom" is a Hebraism for "those who are wise." Thus, the "children of rebellion" means the rebellious, Num. xvii. 10., the "children of wickedness" the wicked, 2 Sam. vii. 10., the "children of pride" the proud, Job xli. 34., the "children of transgression" transgressors, Isai. lvii. 4. The “children of this world," and "children of light," Luke xvi. 8., are similar expressions. It seems unnecessary to take "wisdom," at the beginning of the verse, in the sense of the Personal Wisdom, Christ Himself. It is more likely a general expression for the "wisdom of God's ways." 66 The word "but," at the beginning of the verse is more commonly translated" and." Beza and others however show that it should be taken here in the sense of "and yet," or but," as we have rendered it in our version. Alford points out that and," should be so rendered in Matt. x. 29. It should be "and yet one," &c. LUKE VII. 36-50. love him most? 36 And one of the Pharisees desired | Tell me therefore, which of them will him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him for she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. : 45 Thou gavest me no kiss but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. THE deeply interesting narrative contained in these verses, is only found in the Gospel of St. Luke. In order to see the full beauty of the story, we should read, in connection with it, the eleventh chapter of St. Matthew. We shall then discover the striking fact, that the woman whose conduct is here recorded, most likely owed her conversion to the well-known words, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." That wondrous invitation, in all human probability, was the saving of her soul, and gave her that sense of peace for which we see her so grateful. -A full offer of free pardon is generally God's chosen instrument for bringing the chief of sinners to repentance. We see in this passage that men may show some outward respect to Christ, and yet remain unconverted. The Pharisee before us is a case in point. He showed our Lord Jesus Christ more respect than many did. He even "desired Him that He would eat with him." Yet all this time he was profoundly ignorant of the nature of Christ's Gospel. His proud heart secretly revolted at the sight of a poor contrite sinner being allowed to wash our Lord's feet. And even the hospitality he showed appears to have been cold and niggardly. Our Lord Himself says, "Thou gavest me no water for my feet :thou gavest me no kiss :-my head with oil thou didst not anoint." In short, in all that the Pharisce did, there was one great defect. There was outward civility, but there was no heart-love. -- We shall do well to remember the case of this Pharisee. It is quite possible to have a decent form of religion, and yet to know nothing of the Gospel of Christ, to treat Christianity with respect, and yet to be utterly blind about its cardinal doctrines,-to behave with great correctness and propriety at Church, and yet to hate justification by faith, and salvation by grace, with a deadly hatred. Do we really feel affection toward the Lord Jesus? Can we say, "Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee?" Have we cordially embraced His whole Gospel? Are we willing to enter heaven side by side with the chief of sinners, and to owe all our hopes to free grace ?-These are questions which we ought to consider. If we cannot answer them satisfactorily, we are in no respect better |