won over some of the more courageous and generous spirits: "And He went again beyond the Jordan, into that place where John was baptizing first, and there He abode. And many resorted to Him, and they said: John indeed did no sign, but all things whatsoever John said of this Man were true. And many believed in Him."

HYPOCRISY.

CHAPTER LXVII.

WOE TO YOU PHARISEES!

Luke xi. 37-53, and xii. 1–12.

GOING along the road towards the Jordan, Jesus passed through Bethany, and thence towards the head of the Dead Sea, leaving Jericho to the left, journeying along a road well known to Him and His company. He desired to place the river Jordan between Him and Jerusalem, the focus of all His enemies. He was leaving the city for the last time before His return to be put to death.

He preached publicly and discoursed privately during the journey, and after passing the river systematically instructed the people, who as usual thronged out of their homes to hear Him. St. John says that He had many believers, attributable very likely to the memories of the Baptist, who had done most of his preaching in that vicinity. St. Luke, who gives us more details than does St. John of this stay of Jesus in the Perea, as the country beyond the Jordan was named, relates that the Saviour on one occasion fell into a hostile, or semi-hostile, company of Scribes and Pharisees. Some of them had, perhaps, followed Him from the city. At any rate one of their leaders invited Him, seemingly with

not the worst motives, curiosity predominating, to dine with him.

HOW ALL THINGS MAY BE MADE CLEAN.

And as he was speaking a certain Pharisee prayed him that he would dine with him. And he going in sat down to eat. And the Pharisee began to say, thinking within himself, why he was not washed before dinner. And the Lord said to him: Now you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inside is full of rapine and iniquity. Ye

The old trouble arose: "A certain Pharisee prayed Him that He would dine with him. And He going in sat down to eat. And the Pharisee began to say, thinking within himself, why He was not washed before dinner." They had watched Him. Their very souls were set upon these observances, wholly without warrant in the law of Moses, and forming a set of rules as irksome to keep by ordinary mortals as they were delightful to enforce by such religious drill sergeants as the Pharisees, many of whom were secretly the most abominable sinners. Our Saviour's rebuke was instant. He compared them to the dirty dishes upon the table after the feast: "Now you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inside is full of rapine and iniquity. Ye fools, did not He that made that which is without make also that which is within?" The admonition was especially addressed, it would seem from what followed, to certain usurers among the Pharisees. To all present the Master pointed out an external observance which would crowd out of sight every other, the holy duty of alms-giving: "But [consider] that which remaineth [undone]; give alms, and behold all things are clean unto you."

fools, did not He that made that which is without make also that which is within? But yet that which remaineth; give alms, and behold, all things are clean unto you. But woe to you Pharisees, because you tithe mint, and rue, and every herb, and pass over judgment and the charity of God. Now these things you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues and salutations in the market-place. Woe to you because you are as sepulchres that appear not, and men that walk over are not aware. And one of the lawyers answering, said to him: Master, in saying these things thou reproachest us also. But he said: Woe to you lawyers also, because you load men with burdens which they cannot bear, and you yourselves touch not the packs with one of your fingers.

How terrible a contrast is drawn in the succeeding words! These extortioners ground contributions out "You load men with of the people down to a tenth part of the little herbs

burdens,"

of the kitchen garden, and all this under pretence of religion, while their own very souls were hardened with uncharity: "Woe to you Pharisees, because you tithe mint, and rue, and every herb, and pass over judgment and the charity of God." If the payment of tithes should be fully observed, or even minutely, how much rather the primary law of brotherly love.

ship and in public intercourse with the people: "Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues and salutations in the market-place. Woe to you because you are as sepulchres that appear not, and men that walk over are not aware."

We may imagine the effect of these fearless accusations. One of the Scribes-lawyers the narrative calls them-found His voice after the first shock had passed, and protested: "Master, in saying these things Thou reproachest us also. But He said: Woe to you lawyers also, because you load men with burdens

which they cannot bear, and you yourselves touch not the packs with one of your fingers." The Scribes being the legal advisers of the Pharisees, shared their guilt because they twisted the law of Moses into conformity with their clients' wishes. In fact, the condition of Israel in our Saviour's day recalled the most disastrous eras of her history, when the prophets of God were put to death by God's own people, and when to honor God meant to rebel against the priesthood,- the times of Elias, Jeremias, and the Machabees. Those heroes were held in honor by these very men who were now hounding the Son of God to His death. Jesus continued: "Woe to you who build the monuments of the prophets; and your fathers killed them. Truly you bear witness that you consent to the doings of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and you build their sepulchres. For this cause also the wisdom "You tithe mint, of God said: I will send to them prophets and apos- and rue, and every tles, and some of them they will kill and persecute herb, and pass over That the blood of all the prophets which was shed judgment and the from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation. From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who was slain between the altar and the Temple. Yea I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you yourselves have not entered in, and those that were entering in you have hindered."

Having thus poured forth His indignation, Jesus arose from the table and took His departure. He was closely followed by His enemies. At every discourse they lay in wait to interrupt, to entrap Him, to force Him into some expression which would entangle Him with the Roman authorities. "And as He was saying these things to them, the Pharisees

"Woe to you Pharisees."

and the lawyers began vehemently to urge Him, and to oppress His mouth about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch something from His mouth, that they might accuse Him." He stood His ground. He gave them more than they bargained for. Especially He thundered against that one most hateful sin of all to Him, the sin which has caught a new name from these memorable struggles, Pharisaism -the detestable vice of hypocrisy. Jesus called it the very intoxication of the Pharisee's soul: "And when great multitudes stood about Him, so that they trod one upon another, He began to say to His disciples: Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." He threatens hypocrites with the penalty they most mortally dread, discovery: "For there is nothing covered which shall not be revealed, nor hidden that shall not be known. For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness, shall be published in the light, and that which you have spoken in the ear in the chambers, shall be preached on the housetops."

What, we may inquire, was the effect of all this upon the disciples? What were they to think of the conspiracies and plots and attempts at violence, the threats and denunciations against Jesus, the wild storm beginning to rage now in the Perea as it had done so long in Galilee and in Jerusalem? What would be the end? He would not fight: how then was He, how were they, to escape? He could raise the dead, He could terrify and drive before Him the very devils, but He would not call the people to arms, the people who on this very occasion, as St. Luke tells us, were treading upon one another in their eagerness to see their great Prophet, to hear His lifegiving voice. Was Jesus to leave them-to say noth