It was a custom amongst the Jews, when a feast was made, that the giver of it should appoint one of his friends to regulate the entertainment; to see that the guests were supplied with whatever they wanted; and, in a word, that every thing was properly conducted: he was therefore styled the governor, or ruler, of the feast. To this perfon, therefore, our Saviour directed fome of the new-made wine to be taken; as he, being beft-informed of the quantity and quality of the liquor provided, would naturally make inquiries from whence this fresh fupply came, and fo become acquainted with all the particulars of the miracle, which must have aftonished him too much to have fuffered him to conceal it from the company prefent: and this appears to have been actually the cafe; as we find by the fucceeding verfes, that he fent for the bridegroom, and questioned him upon the fubject; and the bridegroom would naturally fift the matter to the bottom.

<< 9. When the ruler of the feast had "tafted the water that was made wine, " and knew not whence it was, (but the "fervants which drew the water knew,) "the governor of the feaft called the “bridegroom, and faith unto him ;

"10. Every man at the beginning doth "fet forth good wine, and when men "have well drunk, then that which is "worse: but thou haft kept the good "wine until now.

"11. This beginning of miracles did 'Jefus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested "forth his glory; and his difciples believed " on him."

This miracle, therefore, was conducted in such a manner, that not a fhadow of doubt could have been entertained by any perfon present.

"12. After this, he went down to Capernaum, he and his mother, and his “brethren, and his disciples: and they " continued there not many days."

What

What the cause of their journey was, we are not told. It might poffibly be for the purpose of taking leave of his friends, that nothing might interrupt his public miniftry; for after this period he asks, "Who 66 are my mother and brethren?" as if my he had faid, all private connections are now to give place, and those are my neareft relations who adhere to my gospel.

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13. And the Jews' paffover was at "hand.

14. And Jefus went up to Jerufalem, and found in the Temple those that fold oxen, and sheep, and doves, and the changers of money, fitting:

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15. And when he had made a scourge of fmall cords, he drove them all out of "the Temple, and the sheep and the oxen ; "and poured out the changers' money, " and overthrew the tables;

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"16. And faid unto them that fold

doves, Take these things hence: make not my father's house an house of mer"chandise."

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The

The authority which our Lord exercifed upon the present occafion, was fo contrary to the general mildness and meekness of his character, that the priests must have been astonished at it, and would, doubtless, have interfered to have prevented it, had they not been restrained by the awe of that superior and invifible power which he then exercised. May this ferve as a lesson to us, that however quiet we may be in matters of mere indifference, yet, when the honor of God is infulted, it becomes us to express our most marked disapprobation, and to exert all our powers in its defence!

"17. And his difciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine houfe hath eaten me up.

"18. Then answered the Jews, and faid unto him, What fign fheweft thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

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19. Jefus answered, and faid unto "them, Destroy this temple, and in three "days I will raise it up.

"20. Then

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"20. Then faid the Jews, Forty and fix years was this temple in building, and "wilt thou rear it up in three days?

"21. But he fpake of the temple of "his body.

"22. When, therefore, he was risen "from the dead, his disciples remembered "that he had faid this unto them and

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they believed the fcripture, and the word "which Jefus had said.”

None of our bleffed Saviour's hearers, at that time, understood him; but, after his refurrection, his difciples remembered it; and, by the influence of the Holy Ghost, they were made the bleffed inftruments of reforming an ignorant and perverse generation.

The parables of our Lord may be aptly compared to good feed fown in the earth, which fometimes remains long in the ground, for want of refreshing fhowers; but when the Almighty is pleafed to fend a gracious rain upon it, it fprings up, and gives the prospect of a plentiful harvest;

and