the same verse to prove Jesus to be Christ: 'God,' says he, 'tells my Lord, Sit thou upon my right hand! Yet David never went up into heaven.'[1] Now, this is exactly of a piece with St. Paul's proving salvation to be by Christ alone, from seed, in the promise to Abraham, being in the singular not the plural.[2] It is merely false criticism of the Old Testament, such as the Jews were full of, and of which the Apostles retained far too much. But the Jews were full of it, and therefore the objection of Jesus was just such an objection as the Jews would think weighty. He used it as he might have used a crux about personality or consubstantiality with the Bishops of Winchester or Gloucester;—to baffle and put to rout their false dogmatic theology, to disenchant them with it and make them cast it aside and come simply to him. 'See,' he says to the Jewish doctors, 'what a mess you make of it with your learning, and evidences, and orthodox theology; with the wisdom of your wise men and the understanding of your prudent men! You can do nothing with them, your arms break in your hands. Fling the rubbish away, cease from your own wisdom,[3] and throw yourselves upon my method and secret,—upon me! Believe that the Father hath sent me; he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I have invented it!'[4]
And no grand performance or discovery of a man's own to bring him thus to joy and peace, but an attachment! the influence of One full of grace and truth! An influence, which we feel we know not how, and which subdues us we know not when; which, like the wind, breathes where it lists, passes here, and does not pass there! Once more, then, we come to that root and ground of religion, that
