When, on another occasion, the Lord Jesus, at the Feast of Dedication of the Temple, was in Solomon’s porch, those ravenous wolves surrounded Him, with the greatest fury, gnashing with their teeth, and saying, “How long dost Thou make us to doubt ? If Thou be the Christ, tell us plainly ?1 n But the most meek Lamb answered them humbly, saying, “I told you and ye believed not. The works which I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.” Contemplate Him at this moment, and all that happened, as before God. He Himself speaks to them in accents of humility ; but they, with the fury of so many barking “dogs,” roared at Him, and hemmed Him in on all sides ; when they could no longer conceal the malice of their hearts. They, then, took up stones to cast at Him. But the Lord Jesus, nevertheless, most blandly addressed them, saying, “Many good works have I showed you ; for which of those works do you stone Me ?” They, amongst other things, replied, “Because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God.” See their incredible madness ! They wish Him to manifest Himself, and then because He does, both by word and deed, they seek to stone Him. Neither had they any excuse, for they could, and should, believe the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God. Because, however, His hour was not yet come, He escaped out of their hands, and retired beyond Jordan to a place where John baptized, which is distant from Jerusalem about eighteen miles ; and there He abode with His disciples. Behold Him, then, and His disciples as they sorrowfully depart, and compassionate them with all your power.
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Footnotes
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S. John x. 22. ↩