LECTURE IV.

LUKE, CHAPTER VII, VERSE 36 TO 50.

AND one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him; for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay; he frankly forgave them both Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint : `but.

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this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee. Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

THOUGH there be some uncertainty as to the city in which this occurrence obtained, it seems more than probable that if it was not Capernaum, it must have been some other city of Galilee; but if we wave the difference of the places, there are so many differences between the circumstances here narrated, and those of the supper at which Lazarus was present, that there is no reason for concluding that the same transactions are referred to in the different accounts.

Simon, the Pharisee, who invited Jesus to dine with him, seems not to have been so openly inimical to Jesus as many of his sect were. He had some regard for him as a teacher, and perhaps as a prophet, and we suppose invited him to his house with a view to obtain a better acquaintance with him.

Jesus accepted the offer, that he might do good, and set an example of civility; with such expectations we may venture to follow his example, and pursue a like conduct; but should always remember that we are liable to dangers from mixing with the avowed enemies of the gospel, to which he was not subjected.

The name of this heart-broken female is no where given us; it may have been concealed

from motives of humanity. The conjecture that it was Mary Magdalene is improbabie, and that it should have been Mary the sister of Lazarus, we suppose altogether unworthy of credit.

Her particular crimes are not mentioned, she is called in the general, a sinner; and what descendant of Adam has not merited this epithet? Her following Jesus to the Pharisee's house in such affliction, indicates that she had been convicted under the teaching of Christ, whose discourse had been set home upon her conscience by the divine Spirit.

Her sorrows induced her to follow him, even to the Pharisee's house, a most unsuitable place for a penitent to appear in, especially when seeking an interview with the despised Jesus. But when he has wounded, to him application should be for the cure; and the soul, which he has af flicted, will seek its comfort from him, and will follow him whithersoever he goes. This was her voluntary act, and yet no doubt divinely directed for the advantage or condemnation of the Pharisee, and his companions.

Not a word does this disconsolate woman utter. She comes into the house, into the room where they were dining, places herself behind Jesus; accounting herself unworthy to speak to him, she was afraid to go away in her unpardoned state, and afraid to sue for pardon. She had heard him probably, in some discourse, denounce her guilt and her doom, she had heard him, we presume, offer his gracious invitations of mercy. But why do her sorrows appear to be greatest, when in the presence of him who could give her relief? This is

not uncommon, silent sorrows will prey upon the vitals, and destroy the life, whilst not a tear can issue; but when a comforter approaches, or a ray of hope breaks into the mind, the bitterness of the heart vents itself in lamentations and tears. A sense of unworthiness puts her hand upon her mouth; but nothing can express the bursts of sorrow where heaven daring guilt, and obstinacy are seen to have been overwhelmed by. free, and abounding mercy.

According to the custom of the Jews in that day, as well as of others, Jesus reclined when he ate, his feet were upon the couch behind him, and his sandals were off as was usual. She was standing behind him at his feet, and it is probable, before she noticed it, her tears had, as the word literally expresses, rained upon his feet; discovering it, she stooped, or kneeled down, and. out of love to her Redeemer upon whom all her hopes were placed, she carefully wiped off the tears. from his feet with her hair, and kissed the feet which she seemed to have dishonoured. Whe.. ther she had brought the precious ointment to anoint his head, and had not courage to do it, or whether she had had it for other purposes, we. know not, but she thought it not too good to be expended upon his feet, which she had possibly: unintentionally, wetted with her tears.

But how was this scene understood by the Pharisee? The pride of that sect, on account of their hypocritical strictness, was not greater than. their censoriousness, and contempt for others.. Though guilty themselves of the greatest crimes,> they must not touch any person or thing that was:

in their estimation unclean, lest they should be defiled. If their boasting, and high pretensions to holiness were to be received as evidence of their holiness, penitential confessions would be only in: their eyes proof of guilt. The sorrow of this dejected mourning penitent, in the account of this Pharisee was no symptom of grace, but a proof incontestable of her being worse than others.

For her to touch Jesus, in his view, would be to defile him, if he were holy; and a thing to which he ought not to submit, if he knew it. He had been doubtful whether Jesus was not a prophet; it does not appear that he had the least apprehensions that he was the Christ. But now allowing Jesus to be a holy man, he determines him to be no prophet, or he would have known this woman's character, and prohibited her to have touched him.

Jesus knew his thoughts; but what must be done? To have exposed them to the guests, would have given great offence. If he had ask. ed Simon directly whether the woman was as good a person as he was, or in other words whether she had as great a respect for him, or love to God, the question would have created disagreeable sensations, and have received an unjust solution.

Yet in truth this daughter of affliction was in a better state than the Pharisee, and Jesus will, by asking an answer to a parable, make him give judgment against himself. According to the custom of those days at feasts, he first asked his host permission to speak. This was granted with