bride of Christ, are the foundation of all religion and virtue, of purity and of a chaste life and conversation, that household where true joy is found, must recognise in the institution of marriage the ordinance of God; and in the blessing of his well beloved Son, the fruit of the True Vine whereof his disciples are the branches.

VII.

The Interview with Nicodemus.

About six months, it is supposed passed between the time of the baptism of Christ, and the ensuing Passover. Jesus went up to Jerusalem at that festival, and there asserted his authority in his Father's house. The Temple tribute required Jewish money, since the image and superscription of Cæsar could not be permitted within the sacred precincts. And the sacrifices which were offered. there consumed many oxen and sheep and doves. That money-changers should be ready to furnish the needed. currency; and that the purveyors of animals for the sacrifice should centre at Jerusalem were, in themselves, circumstances not illegal or improper-since indeed they were necessary. But the holy Jesus who knew all men, discerned beneath the exterior profession and calling of these venders a covetous and mercenary spirit. He could not endure that they should invade the courts of the Temple with traffic, thus degrading and profaning the service of God by the spirit of merchandise, and the pursuit of gain. Therefore he made a scourge of small cords, and drove them all out of the Temple, and the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money

and overthrew their tables; and said unto them that sold doves, "Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise." The disciples remembered what was prophetically said by the Psalmist, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."

The Jews, in their hearts owning the justice of the proceeding, desired of the Reformer that he should show them his warrant and authority. "What sign showest thou unto us, seeing thou doest these things?" Jesus said unto them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews answered, "Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it in three days?" He spake, the Evangelist John informs us, of the temple of his body; and when he was risen from the dead, the disciples remembered the saying, and believed the Scripture, and the word that Jesus had said.

Many miracles were performed by him of which we have not the record: and many believed on his name, when they saw these wonders, performed at the passover, in the view of all the men of Judah. Doubtless they would have named him by acclamation as their king; for like the good kings of old, he had purified the temple; and greater miracles than prophet or priest, he had performed. But he did not commit himself unto them. He knew their hearts, and their unworthiness to receive the kingdom of God. And the rulers of the Jews, and the teachers of the law were even more ignorant of the character of that kingdom, than the people whom the Pharisees arrogantly pronounced accursed for their igno

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and a member of the Sanhedrim, came to Jesus by night, with the profession : "We know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles which thou doest, except God be with him." 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."

The fact that Nicodemus came by night, is a significant and important one; but those who suppose that it indicated lack of personal courage do his character injustice. In whatever respects he was deficient, he certainly was not in this, as his subsequent course and conduct evinced. In the face of taunt and derision, Nicodemus defended Jesus in the Sanhedrim. And in the hour of darkness, doubt and distress, when the recognised disciples of Jesus had forsaken him and fled, Nicodemus brought spices for his burial, an hundred weight; brought, observe, not sent, as the consciences of many would have been satisfied with doing. Though the fact is not expressed, it is fairly to be inferred, that Pharisee as he was, he dared to make himself ritually unclean, and thus unfit to partake of the great Jewish festival. In a Pharisee this was courage indeed the heroism of love-the love that casteth out fear. Let us not think that he who could thus deport himself in the hour of the death of Christ, when all men reviled him, could have been awed by the fear of man, in the commencement of the public ministry of the Redeemer. Such a supposition not only wrongs Nicodemus, but it is unworthy of our ideas of the Saviour: for

he would not have failed to admonish the ruler of the Jews of that fault, if it had existed in his character. The Saviour teaches us that we must not be ashamed of Him before men; and had such shame, false, craven and covetous, been the failing of Nicodemus, He who knew what was in man would have warned him of it.

Nicodemus, like other devout Jews, was looking for the salvation of Israel, and the establishment upon earth of the kingdom of God. But, in common with his countrymen, he expected to see in this kingdom a mighty temporal dominion, whose centre was to be in Jerusalem. He looked for an earthly monarch, whose power, mightier than his who reigned "over all the kings, from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and the border of Egypt," should restore the kingdom to Israel, in a greater glory than Solomon ever knew. He hoped to find the Romans, instead of exacting tribute of the Jews, paying tribute to the Temple. He saw the Roman legions discomfited like the host of Sennacherib; and the angel of the Lord slaying thousands of the oppressors in their camp, while their idolatrous banners burned in the fire of the valley of the son of Hinnom. He looked for a literal bringing of gifts from afar, which should exceed the offerings of the Queen of Sheba.

The ruler of the Jews, looking for this kingdom, had seen and heard the wonderful miracles of Christ. He beheld in him the long promised Saviour, the hope of Israel. We can imagine him, as he walked, preparing for the interview, looking upon the hated insignia of Roman