At the same time it is amongst the wonders of our Lord's ministry, that there is nothing forced in the transitions which are perpetually made from external circumstances to doctrinal or moral points. A casual expression, an incidental occurrence, the season of the year, a particular place, the vicinity of a building, or the imagery of the surrounding country, often served to introduce and illustrate matters of gravest import and replete with serious instruction.

This peculiarity has been remarked by writers on the life of Christ. Bishop Law, and Newcome have both given examples of it. Warburton alludes to it in the following passage: The properest season we can conceive for the institution of the last supper, was the instant of time between the celebration of the type, and the offering of the antitype. This time likewise corresponded with Christ's usual practice, who was wont to deliver his instructions by actions and expressions bearing allusion to what passed before his eyes, or presented

itself in the natural course of things to his observation". Jortin says- whosoever examines the discourses of our Lord with attention, may find in them a certain character and way of speaking peculiar to him. His manner, by which he may be distinguished, consists in raising matter of instruction and moral reflection from the things which were at hand, which presented themselves to him and to his audience. Hence it is that his sermons to the people and his conversations with his disciples allude perpetually to the time of year, or to the place where he was, or to the objects surrounding him, or to the occupation and circumstances of those to whom he addressed himself, or to the state of public affairs 3.'

There seems to be some connexion between this adoption of occasional illustrations pro re nata, and the use of parables; and both modes of teaching were probably suggested to our

7 Div. Leg. vol. vi. p. 173.

8 Jortin's Discourses concerning the Truth of the Christian Religion, pp. 199, 200.

Lord by the same cause, the fondness of the oriental nations for figurative language. In selecting a few examples of the practice from the different Gospels, I shall first bring forward some which have reference to natural objects.

I. Much of our Lord's time, from the character of his occupation, was passed in the temple. Its beauty and magnificence were favourite subjects of remark among the Jews, and they frequently challenged admiration for the size and splendour of its buildings, as the boast of their city and the memorial of their national religion. It might be expected therefore that our Saviour would avail himself of so popular a topic to present, through a palatable medium, truths which could not but be unacceptable to many of his hearers. Allusions to it consequently are very frequent, and it was to one of these that the false witnesses suborned against him were indebted for the only subject even of false accusation which they could bring. For it was after he had purged the temple from the abuses with which it had been defiled, that he

foretold to the Jews the rebuilding of the spiritual temple of his body which they would destroy.

It was also in the temple that Christ quoted the passage from the Psalmist, in which it was predicted that the stone that the builders ́ refused would become the head of the corner, and the allusion was probably suggested by the sight of the object from which the metaplior was derived. Sheep were kept in one of the outer courts to supply the demand required for sacrifices; and Jesus, taking notice of this

9 Near this gate were several pens or folds, containing sheep and lambs to be sold for sacrifice; so that our Lord probably pointed to these, when he delivered in the temple that beautiful discourse, concerning himself as the good shepherd, and his people as the sheep. Perhaps the porter, in that discourse, may allude to the porter of the gate, without whose permission none obtained admittance; and the conduct of a shepherd in going before his flock, might have been suggested either from memory, or from the observance of a flock coming to the pens, and following their keeper at that instant through the gate of the temple. For this is the eastern mode of conducting sheep, and it was our Saviour's custom to catch at circumstances, and render them the vehicle of religious instruction.' Brown's Antiquities of the Jews. Vol. i. p. 61.

circumstance, compares himself to the shepherd and his people to the flock in the beautiful 'parable contained in the tenth chapter of St. John. Beausobre mentions a peculiarity connected with the same inclosure, which appears to be alluded to in another passage. It was unlawful for any one to come in here with a stick or a purse in his hand, with shoes on, or dusty feet.... Which circumstances may give some light to Matthew, x. 9, 10, where Jesus Christ orders his disciples to walk in the discharge of their ministry with the same circumspection and care as men were wont to take when they designed to walk in the temple '.'

Again; after an impressive denunciation which our Saviour had uttered against the hypocrisy of the scribes and pharisees, the disciples, as they were leaving the temple, called his attention to the stupendous works of that structure, perhaps with some reference to that part of his preceding discourse in which he had

Introd. to the New Test. p. 62.