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equal fervour, Crucify him, crucify him. Scarcely inferior to this was the instance that occurred to him the very first time he preached at Nazareth. When his sermon was but half finished, his auditors were filled with admiration at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth: but before the close of it, they rose up in murderous rage in order to destroy him.

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I. The occasion of their wrath

Our blessed Lord had preached to them in a kind but faithful manner,

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[He had opened to them a passage from the prophet Isaiah, and informed them, that it was accomplished in him. This on the whole afforded general satisfaction: but yet he saw that there were some objections lurking in their minds, relative to his parentage and education; and that they were displeased because he had not given a preference to his own townsmen, and wrought his miracles there rather than at other places. These objections he anticipated, and proceeded to return an answer to them. He observed, first, that prophets in general were not received in the place where they had been educated, because the people who had known them as equals or inferiors, did not like to submit to them in their prophetic character. Secondly, he shewed them from different instances in the scriptures, that God had always dispensed his favours in a sovereign manner, and had sometimes imparted them to the despised Gentiles in preference to his own peculiar people.

This was the immediate purport of what he spake: but doubtless there was much more insinuated, than what was plainly expressed. His answer was intended to bring conviction upon their minds, and to shew them, that they were indulging prejudices against him in spite of all they had heard respecting him; and that, if they yielded to their unbelief, they would constrain him to withhold his blessings from them, and even to send them to the Gentile world in preference to them.]..

This was the true ground of all their rage

[They saw the drift of his discourse: but they hated the light; and therefore sought immediately to extinguish it. They were not disposed to contend with him in a way of argument; for they saw that the truth was against them. They resorted therefore to clamour and persecution, the usual substitutes for truth and reason. But to reject him merely, was not sufficient: no could they be contented even with expelling him from the city: no; nothing but his blood would VOL. III.

Ii

satisfy them; and therefore, forgetting the sanctity both of the synagogue and of the sabbath, they rose up with one consent, and thrust him out of the city to an eminence, that they might dispatch him in a moment. Probably in executing thus, what they would have called, the judgment of zeal, they thought they were doing an acceptable service to their God; so blinded were they by their own passions, and "captivated by the devil at his will."]

The inspired historian has declared to us

II. The manner in which our Lord escaped its effects

Our blessed Lord on different occasions withdrew himself from those who loved, and from those who hated him. His escape from them at this time may be considered

1. As it respected them

[His withdrawment from them was miraculous, as much as if he had beaten them all down with his word, or smitten them with blindness, or struck them dead upon the spot. The precise mode of his withdrawment is not specified; but it seems that he rendered himself invisible, and thus escaped from their hands.

It was also merciful, both as it tended to convince them of his miraculous power, and especially as it prevented them from executing their murderous purposes. What a inercy did David esteem it, when by the interposition of Abigail he was kept from destroying Nabal! Much more, if they ever received grace to repent of their wickedness, was it a mercy to those infatuated zealots, that they had not been suffered to imbrue their hands in the blood of God's only Son.

But it was also judicial: for, by means of his departure, the people of Nazareth were deprived of many temporal benefits, which, if they had received him more worthily, he would have imparted to them: they were deprived also of his 'spiritual instructions, which, if duly improved, would have converted and saved their souls.]

2. As it respects us

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[In this escape of his we see, what care he will take of us, and what care we ought to take of ourselves.

Every faithful servant of God must expect persecution. But he is immortal till his work is done. God will screen him from his enemies, how numerous, potent, or inveterate soever they may be. Look at Paul when a conspiracy was formed

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e 2 Kings i. 10, 12.

Luke xxiv. 31. John viii. 59. d Gen. xix. 11. 2 Kings vi. 18.

f 1 Sam. xxv. 32, 33.,

8 Zech. ii. 5. Isai. xxxiii. 21, 22. 2 Kings vi. 16, 17.

against his life; and at Peter when chained in an inner prison in order to be brought forth the next day for execution: how seasonably, and in what an unlooked for manner, did God interpose for their deliverance!h Thus will he exert his almighty power on behalf of all who serve him faithfully, unless indeed the hour is come for them to receive their full reward. We never need to fear the face of man: for God has " hook in the nose, and a bridle in the jaws," of every man; "nor can any have even the smallest power against us, except it be given him from above."

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But notwithstanding our assurance of divine protection, we ought to take all prudent precautions to avoid the fury of our enemies, and to avail ourselves of those methods of escape which God in his providence has opened to us. "If they persecute us in one city, we should flee to another," and like Paul, when" let down by the wall in a basket," elude the resentment which we cannot pacify, We must not indeed deny Christ, or decline any duty, even though death should be the inevitable and immediate consequence of our fidelity: but we must never court death, if we have an opportunity of saving our lives by privacy or flight.]

INFER

1. What need have all Christ's followers to count the cost before they take up a profession of religion!

[Ministers indeed, for the most part, are called to stand foremost in the post of danger, and to bear the brunt of the battle: but every soldier of Christ is called to" endure hardness," and to "fight a good fight." If by our life and conversation we condemn the world, though the reproof be tacit, and rather intimated than expressed, the world will be filled with wrath against us; and, if suffered by God, will persecute us unto death. Let us then know what we are to expect, and stand at all times prepared for the worst.]

2. What a ground of thankfulness should we esteem it, if we are in any measure divested of carnal prejudice!

[All of us, if not restrained by God, should, like the Nazarenes, be ready to vent our indignation even against Christ himself if he uttered any truths offensive to our ears. What a mercy then is it if we can hear our sins condemned, and have our indignation turned against them, rather than against our faithful Monitor! Let us cultivate this disposition, whether it respects the public preaching of the word, or private admonition. Against our sins we cannot manifest too much displeasure. Happy would it be for us, if by one act of zeal we could dispatch them utterly. Let us at least set ourselves against them without delay, and prosecute them from henceforth without intermission, and without mercy.]

ǹ Acts xxiii. 12, 13, 16-24. Acts xii. 5-8.

CCLXXXII THE DRAUGHT OF FISHES,

Luke v. 8-11, When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of fishes which they had taken: and so was also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

THE miracles of our Lord were such as did not admit of intrigue or collusion-Not only men on earth, but even the fishes of the sea were subject to his power-Of this we have abundant evidence in the preceding context-We shall make some observations on

I. The miracle ཛཱ ས༅།

The occasion of the miracle is worthy of notice

[The people had attended on a week day to hear our Lord And Peter, after toiling all the preceding night, had preferred instruction before his necessary rest-Thus will all who are concerned about their souls, rather strain a point to attend the house of God, than invent excuses for neglecting divine worship-Nor will they find reason, in the issue, to regret their labour-Sooner would Jesus work a miracle in their favour, than suffer his faithful followers to wait upon him in vain-]

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The miracle itself was both seasonable and instructive

[Peter little thought why he had been suffered to labour all night in vain-But his ill success tended greatly to illustrate the power of Jesus-The draught of fishes shewed, that Jesus had the whole creation under his control that in seasons of darkness and despondency we may obtain help from himthat they who follow his directions may expect his support→→ and that he should ever be the supreme object of our love and confidence]

II. The conduct of Peter on the occasion

Peter on this occasion shewed a mixture of humility and ignorance

[Our Lord's display of his glory excited astonishment in all-But Peter was more occupied about his soul than about

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See John xi. 4, 6, 15, 39, 43.

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his unexpected acquisitions-Thus, if the heart be upright, prosperity will not turn the soul from God any more than adversity Peter however was apprehensive that his unworthiness might provoke this heavenly messenger to destroy himOn this account he intreated Jesus to depart from him-But he should rather have intreated his continuance with him; that through his instruction and assistance he might obtain the pardon of his sins, and victory over his corruptions-]

Our Lord overlooked his ignorance and rewarded his humilitya

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[God has often turned away from men on account of their pride-But never on account of their self-loathing and self-abhorrence-Nothing is more pleasing to God than unfeigned humility-Our Lord therefore would not take Peter at his word-On the contrary he now called Peter to become his constant attendant-]

III. The application which our Lord made of the miracle The draught of fishes was intended as a figurative representation of what should be done by the gospel

[It is not judicious to look for a spiritual meaning where none was intended-But our Lord himself suggests the application of this miracle-He elsewhere compares the gospel to a net cast into the sea-And here intimates, that though his servants, if left to themselves, might in vain cast the gospel net, he would surely crown their labours with success

And an express promise of success was now given to Peter

[Peter's fears were dissipated by our Lord's exhortationIndeed, by every dispensation, Jesus speaks in the same encouraging terms to contrite souls-None who bewail their own sinfulness have aught to fear from him-The promise of success in catching men could not but rejoice the soul of PeterWho that knows the value of one soul would not labour night and day to secure it? And how much more should we labour in hopes of saving many!-The promise was gloriously verified in Peter's first sermonAnd shall be verified to all whom Jesus has commissioned to preach his gospel-]

IV. The effect produced on Peter and his associates
They gladly left all to follow Christ

[They knew that the power now exercised by Jesus could provide for their wantsAnd felt that the goodness manifested

b Matt. xiii. 47.

e Acts ii. 41.

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