From the time that the Pharisees first took offence at our Lord's teaching and baptizing in Judea, they pursued him with unremitting hostility. It was probably owing to their influence at Jerusalem, that he was prevented from exercising his ministry in that city. Even at the festivals, his visits had been interrupted and cut short by opposition and open assault. They pursued him into the country. Wherever he was, there were scribes and Pharisees; wherever he went, they followed him. And we are reconciled to the petty persecution and unprincipled calumny with which they harassed him, only by observing, that they thus furnished opportunities for some of his most delightful instructions, and served to display in constantly new forms the wisdom and loveliness of his character.

In several instances he was invited to dine at the houses of these arrogant but distinguished men. It is reasonable to suppose that this was sometimes done from motives of real respect; but sometimes, also, from very different motives. It seems rarely to have happened, that some one present at such seasons did not take the occasion to cavil or insult; and the issue always was to bring forth a new illustration of his doctrines and character.

Luke vii. 36.

One of the most affecting incidents of his life occurred on one of these occasions. As he was dining with a Pharisee, a woman of the city, whose name is not given, and of whom nothing is told except that she was a sinner, entered the apartment where they sat, for the purpose of doing him an act of honor. She brought with her an alabaster box of precious ointment, such, probably, as it was customary to use for the purpose of anointing the head, on occasions of special ceremony. She went behind the guests, who, instead of sitting at the table as we do, were reclined at full length on couches, leaning on their left arms. She thus approached the extended feet of Jesus, intending to pour upon them this costly perfume. So profusely did she weep from the fulness of her feelings, that Luke expresses it by saying, "she bathed his feet with her tears." She wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed them, and poured on them the fragrant preparation.

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The Pharisee was scandalized at the scene, and said within himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would have known that this woman is a sinner." It was not in the heart of the Pharisees to have sympathy or forbearance for those whom they regarded as sinners. They esteemed themselves to be righteous, and despised others. But Jesus was full of compassion for them, especially in their penitence; and he never appears

more amiable and heavenly, than in the reply which he made at this time to the thought of the Pharisee. He gently, but pungently, reproved the spirit which actuated him, and vindicated the claim of the sinful to compassionate regard. "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven," " said he, "for she hath loved much." And then turning to the weeping woman, he said, "Thy sins are forgiven." Some of the company began to murmur at this; but without taking notice of it, he added, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."

We remark here, by the way, that this difference between the manner in which Jesus, and that in which the Jewish leaders, felt toward sinners and treated them, illustrates one of the characteristic distinctions of his life. Without any greater lenity toward crime, and with unspeakably higher notions of moral purity, he united a sympathy for the unhappy delinquents, and a compassionate tenderness towards them, altogether foreign from the supercilious hardness of the selfrighteous Pharisees. He was touched with a feeling of their infirmities, and never shunned them when he could be in the way of doing them good. Yet this beautiful circumstance was perverted into a ground of accusation against him. "He eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners," it was said; "he receiveth sinners, and eateth with them;" "he is a friend of publicans and

sinners." To these accusations, which were intended to cast obloquy on him in the minds of the people, he replied, that his very object was to seek and save that which was lost, to call, not the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And on one occasion, he enlarged on this thought, and went on, in several parables of most affecting beauty, to picture forth the unchanging and impartial love of the God who had sent him, and the inexhaustible fulness of his mercy. One of these was the parable of the Prodigal Son;—so familiarly known, so universally admired, so full of delightful consolation and encouragement to the humble and fearful penitent. Nothing could be more opposed to the principles of the proud Pharisee, and nothing more characteristic of the spirit of Christ and his gospel.

On another occasion a Pharisee, with whom he was dining, expressed surprise that he had not washed before sitting down; a negligence, which he, with his scrupulous observance of forms and ablutions, accounted as nothing less than a sin. This led Jesus to remark on the folly of laying so much stress on outward appearances and merely mechanical observances, to the neglect of inward purity and important duties. And when a lawyer in the company interrupted him, he extended

Luke xi. 37. xv.

his reproof to that class of men also. This brought upon him a general attack from the scribes and Pharisees present, who urged him vehemently, and incited him to speak on many subjects; lying in wait for him, says Luke, and hoping that he would let something fall which might be matter of accusation against him. It excites our admiration of his wisdom, that he was always able to avoid the snares which they thus laid for him.

On a certain sabbath, he dined with one of the chief Pharisees, when the very purpose seemed to be to watch him. This he perceived; but would not let it stand in the way of his benevolence. There was in the company a dropsical person, whom he desired to restore to health. And as he had had experience of the malicious construction which these men put on his sabbath-day charities, he turned to them, and asked, "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath-day? They did not choose to answer the question, but it prevented their opposition at the time. It was on this same occasion, that, unappalled by the presence of a company assembled around him as spies, he remarked freely on the ambitious spirit displayed by many among them, and gave one of his most striking lessons on humility. He then turned to the master of the house, and with the greatest freedom

Luke xiv. 1.