the good wine until now," were spoken by the governor, or orderer of the feast, and not by Christ. It would be an horrible abuse of this passage of scripture, to suppose that Christ gives any, the least encouragement, to long sitting at the table, or much drinking. His aim, in all he did, was heavenly; and what it was on this occasion we are told in the next verse.

11. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory: and his disciples believed on him.

The great end which Jesus had in working his miracles, was to manifest his glory, that his disciples, and all others might believe on him. But in vain do we read of this, or of any other of his miracles, if we do not come to him for our own conversion. This he must effect, and it is as great a change as that of turning water into wine. Let us remember therefore that every miracle which he wrought, is both a proof of his ability to help us, and a call to us to receive our cure from him. Till we read the Bible in this view, and see ourselves in this light, it can be no more to us than any other book. Has Christ made a beginning with us? Are we in his hands for healing? This is the great question, in which our souls are concerned.

It seems as if this miracle, which was antecedent to Christ's public ministry, or, as it may be called, a miracle out of its course, was wrought merely for the sake of his disciples, among whom were some of the apostles. He could set no value upon a faith unsupported by reason, and did not intend they should believe in him, as the Christ, without sufficient ground; and whatever they saw in him was insufficient for this end, without the attestation of a miracle.

SECTION VIII.

Chap. ii. ver. 12—17.

CHRIST PURGETH THE TEMPLE.

12. After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.

13. And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,

14. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money, sitting:

These persons, mentioned in the thirteenth verse, furnished those who came to the passover with sacrifices and offerings, and money for their occasions. This was a goodly pretence, and doubtless they had enough to say for themselves. All their excuses were nothing to Christ; the temple, even the outer court of it, where they were, must at no rate be profaned.

15. And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

We are here to observe the divine power which attended him; for otherwise his scourge of small cords, or rushes, would never have driven them out.

16. And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence, make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

Nor anything else but an house of prayer. No worldly thoughts of any kind must enter there.

17. And the disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house has eaten me up.

This is written in Psalm the sixty-ninth, and the ninth verse. Every one who has a measure of Christ's spirit and temper, will have a suitable zeal and reverence for the place of God's worship.

SECTION IX.

Chap. ii. ver. 18-25.

CHRIST FORETELS HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION.

18. Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

The action itself was a sign, or miracle; but that they overlooked; as men do at all times what they have no mind to see, especially where their gains are concerned.

19. Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

At the same time Christ probably pointed to his body. 20. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

21. But he spake of the temple of his body.

His body was indeed the habitation of the Godhead. Col. ii. 9. "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily." As we are told our bodies are habitations of God; so if we are Christians, we shall reverence them accordingly, and as God's most sacred temples, keep them in purity and chastity. 1 Cor. vi. 19. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost ?" 2 Cor. vi. 16. "For ye are the temple of the living God."

22. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

They clearly understood this saying, and more firmly believed the scriptures which related to his resurrection. It was hardly possible that they should have such a knowledge and belief of it, as they had afterwards, and as we have now. God has a perfect knowledge of the means which all have for knowing and believing, and he will judge them accordingly.

23. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed on his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

They were astonished at his miracles, and could not resist the force of them, but nevertheless they were not sincere, and true believers.

24. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,

May not this be our case? We may believe in him to a degree, and own him to be a divine person, but not be such as that he can commit, or give himself to us.

25. And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

He knew what a depth of wickedness there was in man. To whom then must he, who knoweth all men, commit himself? To those who know themselves in some measure as he does, and who commit themselves to him for a change of their state.

SECTION X.

Chap. iii. ver. 1—5.

THE NECESSITY OF THE NEW BIRTH SHOWN.

1. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

It was cowardly in him to come to Jesus by night. However, he came, and God prospered his weak beginning. He had boldness afterwards to stand the reproach of the Pharisees while he spoke for Christ. John vii. 50, 51. ،، Ni

codemus saith unto them, Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth ?" He also assisted at Christ's burial, when all the disciples had forsaken him. John xix. 39. "And there came also Nicodemus (which at the first came to Jesus by night) and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pounds weight."

Nicodemus argued rightly respecting the miracles which Christ wrought; he inferred that they were a proof of Christ's being sent of God; and indeed they are a proof which nothing can shake, and when duly considered, will keep us close to him, and bear up the soul in all its doubtings. Christ at this time had wrought but few of his miracles, and yet Nicodemus could not withstand the force of them. Only let us remember what he was sent for, and that we believe on him in vain, if we do not come to him for the miracle of our own conversion.

3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

He cannot belong to his kingdom of grace here, or be received into heaven hereafter. This was taking him into the depth of divine knowledge at once, and showing indeed that he was a teacher come from God, for no man upon earth could have thought that this was the only way to the kingdom of heaven. Did Christ know what was in man, or not? And what can more plainly intimate to us that our first birth is impure and polluted, and that nature however improved, without the grace of the new birth, cannot be fit for heaven?

4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Here Nicodemus had forgotten the great end of Christ's miracles, which is to teach us to believe without objecting. When once we are convinced of them as being the words