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silent; we hear of nothing that she said. From which you may see that true penitence wants not words to express it. It is neither loud nor boisterous-actions here are better than words. The usual course of men

is to profess much and do little. How much better is it to do much and say little about it!

Ver. 39. Now when the pharisee which had bidden him saw it, &c.-Simon observed all this with an evil eye, and his mind was working suspicion and censoriousness. He did not understand why this sinful woman should make this ado, and he felt sure that Christ could not be the person represented, or he would never suffer such a woman even to touch him. He thought he had gained a confirmation of his suspicions; but this was the reasoning of a pharisee, for such thought it a part of goodness to affect great distance from the polluted, and repel the contrite sinner with disdain.

This man, if he were a prophet, &c.-You see he was not himself then a believer in the least in the divinity of Jesus Christ. He had perhaps invited him for the purpose of obtaining an opportunity of judging concerning him, and this occurrence furnishes support to his suspicions. He concludes that Jesus is neither the Messiah nor a true prophet. So mistaken may we be if we lean to our own understanding or judge by appearance. "My ways are not your ways, nor my thoughts your thoughts." This singular occurrence ought to have afforded to the pharisee the most convincing proof of Christ's divine character. It might have taught him that his guest exercised a wonderful power over the human heart; for he had seen such a change wrought as could have been the effect only of divine influence. The whole of the pharisee's reasoning was false and unsound; for it did not follow that Jesus was no prophet, even if he had been ignorant of the woman's character, which he was not. It does not follow that every prophet should understand everything, or possess omniscience. Moreover, he lost sight altogether of the evidence which the

woman's conduct afforded of a thorough change of character. He does not infer that she was a penitent, though she gave ample evidence of a thorough change, and yet he does infer that Christ was no prophet, because he did not seem to take offence at her sinfulness. We may, however, learn that God will not mention our sins, nor even seem to notice them when we present our broken hearts. There are no reproaches for her who had been, but was no longer, a great sinner. Then again, how ignorant does this pharisee prove himself of the real character of Christ, or else he could never have supposed that he could contract any moral defilement by the touch of this sinful woman. But here you see the narrow notions of the pharisee clearly manifested. He imagined that for a sinner even to touch a righteous person, communicated such a defilement as made them hateful in the sight of God. But it never was so. There is no defilement of the heart or mind, but that which arises from a breach of the divine command.

He spake within himself, &c.—But Jesus, who knew the woman, and the change she had undergone, soon shows that he equally knew the evil thoughts which were passing in the pharisee's mind. To manifest the all-comprehending wisdom and penetrating knowledge of his divine nature, he prepares to answer the thoughts that had not been expressed.

See

Ver. 40. And Jesus answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.-The heart of the pharisee spake-his tongue was silent-but the ear of Jesus heard. This clearly showed that he needed not that any should tell him what was in man. how readily he understands, and can refute all that Simon thought. There was neither any confession of the woman audible to the company, nor any suspicion of Simon's expressed in words, and yet he treats both in a manner exquisitely adapted to the peculiarities of their case.

Ver. 41. There was a certain creditor, &c.-The parable that followed was most skilfully and at the same time most graciously adapted to comfort the woman and

produce conviction in the mind of the pharisee. How astonishing the wisdom he displays in this remarkable case! How full of point, how full of power, how full of grace! It is irresistible in argument; it is overwhelming in goodness. A sermon most suitable to all there, and pertinent to the occasion. It stands in his word for our instruction. He knows what is in us as perfectly and as fully as he here appears to know the heart both of the woman and of Simon. If we could but realise the thought of that penetrating knowledge, we might be glad to take the place of the weeping sinful woman at the feet of Jesus. By this brief parable the pharisee appears to be taken on his own ground. Christ displays to him at once, without exposing him to the contempt of the company, his misjudgment both of the woman and of his guest.

Here Christ represents the sins of men as debts which they owe to God. None of us have anything to pay, and whether our sins are more or less, he teaches us that on a true repentance God will frankly forgive them all; yet he shows us, that our gratitude for the deed of his grace in blotting out our sins will be proportioned to our ideas of their magnitude. The application of the parable was pointed, convincing, and humbling. There is ground to hope that it proved so to the pharisee, while it proved a stream of divine consolation and encouragement unto the poor penitent's heart.

Ver. 44. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water, &c.--The washing, the kissing, the anointing, were the customary tokens of a cordial reception. But it seems, all these marks of respect, not altogether despicable or unimportant, had been neglected, because perhaps the pharisee had not that reverence for Christ which he ought to have felt; but now our Lord, though he had not noticed the neglect when he sat down to meat, reproves the pharisee for his own want of courtesy. It was not for the worth of these customs that he made the observation, but for

the temper of mind which their denial in the one case and their observance of the other testified. The woman, though not the host, had observed the neglect, had supplied the pharisee's lack of attention, and had supplied it in the best way she could. Let us observe, this washing of the saint's feet is noticed on another occasion as a mark of christian hospitality and benevolence in pious women. "If she have washed the saints' feet." And Christ himself, before his sufferings, washed the feet of all his apostles, and said, I have left you an example-ye ought to wash one another's feet. It was so far at least an emblematical example to teach us to humble ourselves, even to the meanest offices, to serve one another. And though we have not Christ to serve, yet we have his saints, his poor saints, and in them he has left us his feet to wash, when he said, "The poor ye have always with you."

Verses 47, 48, &c. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins which are many, are forgiven, &c. &c.—See here how the fulness of the remission of her sins, and the reassurance of it, corresponded with the fulness of her contrition. Now, all she did for Christ, the tears she shed, the ointment she poured out, returns in a sweeter balm upon her own heart. "Go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee." These are indeed precious words from the lips of him who knows the heart. We may go in peace, and it is no matter whither, if our sins are forgiven; to the duties of life, to the fight of faith, to the sick bed, to the grave, to the judgment-seat. Follow her in imagination from that hour. She would never lose the recollection. The kind and gracious reception Jesus had given her would never be effaced from her heart. Those were indeed precious tears that she shed when she came in, but she went out rejoicing and blessing God; and wherever she might be or in whatever circumstances after that day, she could never forget nor lose the fragrance of these words, "Thy sins are forgiven thee, go in peace." Now you say, O that I could hear that heavenly voice but whisper, thy sins are forgiven, go in peace! I have sought for it; prayed

for it; laboured for it long. I have asked ministers and christian friends to tell me how I might find pardon and peace. So it is with multitudes: they think more of peace than of penitence, and are more anxious to be sent away with the assurance of forgiveness than to come to Christ, with, God be merciful to me a sinner. If we were not so sparing of our penitential tears, God would not be so sparing of his consolations. See how she poured her tears on Christ's feet, and see how he, in return, poured his consolations into her heart. God is always better to penitent sinners than their expectation. The reason why we do not hear the same voice, Go in peace, is because we do not show the same repentance. She thought only to show her contrition and her gratitude, perhaps scarcely expected to be noticed by Christ, and would have been contented with a smile or a nod of approbation. But he sends her away with a seal of acceptance, and an assurance of life eternal, which overwhelmed her heart. "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." And it is to the inexpressible honour of the gospel of Christ, that those who confess themselves sick never find the physician long absent.

XXVI.

LOSS OF THE DIVINE FAVOUR.

PSALM lx. 1.

"Thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again."

In this verse David is thought to refer to the disastrous condition of the Israelites at the closing part of the reign of Saul. God had cast them off, and did not go forth as on former occasions with their armies: he left them to their own resources, and they were discomfited and scattered by their enemies. The Psalmist

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