Or, was it out of cunning? in that they hoped for more likely matter to accuse Christ, in the case of the woman, than of the man; for that they supposed his merciful disposition might more probably incline to compassionate her weakness, rather than the stronger vessel. Or, was it rather out of partiality? Was it not then, as now, that the weakest soonest suffers; and impotency lays us open to the malice of an enemy? Small flies hang in the webs, while wasps break through without control. The wand and the sheet are for poor offenders; the great either outface or outbuy their shame. A beggarly drunkard is hauled to the stocks, while the rich is chambered up to sleep out his surfeit.

Out of these grounds, is the woman brought to Christ: not to the Mount of Olives, not to the way, not to his private lodging; but to the Temple: and that, not to some obscure angle; but into the face of the assembly.

They pleaded for her death. The punishment, which they would onwards inflict, was her shame; which must needs be so much more, as there were more eyes to be witnesses of her guiltiness. All the brood of sin affects darkness and secresy, but this more properly; the twilight, the night is for the adulterer. It cannot be better fitted, than to be dragged out into the light of the sun, and to be proclaimed with hootings and basons. O the impudence of those men, who can make merry professions of their own beastliness; and boast of the shameful trophies of their lust!

Methinks, I see this miserable Adulteress, how she stands confounded amidst that gazing and disdainful multitude; how she hides her head; how she wipes her blubbered face and weeping eyes.

In the mean time, it is no dumb show, that is here acted by these Scribes and Pharisees. They step forth boldly to her accusation; Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

How plausibly do they begin! Had I stood by and heard them, should I not have said, "What holy, honest, conscionable men are these? What devout clients of Christ? With what reverence they come to him? With what zeal of justice?" When he, that made and ransacks their bosom, tells me, All this is done, but to tempt him. Even the falsest hearts will have the plausiblest mouths: like to Solomon's Courtesan, their lips drop as a honeycomb, and their mouth is smoother than oil; but their end is bitter as wormwood.

False and hollow Pharisees! He is your Master, whom ye serve; not He, whom ye tempt: only in this shall he be approved your Master, that he shall pay your wages, and give you your portion with hypocrites.

The act of adultery was her crime: to be taken in the very act, was no part of her sin, but the proof of her just conviction; yet her deprehension is made an aggravation of her shame. Such

is the corrupt judgment of the world. To do ill troubles not men, but to be taken in doing it: unknown filthiness passes away with ease; it is the notice that perplexes them, not the guilt. But, O foolish sinners, all your packing and secresy cannot so contrive it, but that ye shall be taken in the manner: your conscience takes you so; the God of Heaven takes you so : and ye shall once find that your conscience is more than a thousand witnesses, and God more than a thousand consciences.

They, that complain of the act, urge the punishment; Now, Moses in the Law commanded us, that such should be stoned. Where did Moses bid so? Surely the particularity of this execution was without the book: tradition and custom enacted it; not the law. Indeed, Moses commmanded death to both the offenders; not the manner of death to either. By analogy, it holds thus it is flatly commanded, in the case of a damsel betrothed to a husband, and found not to be a virgin; in the case of a damsel betrothed, who being defiled in the city, cried not: tradition and custom made up the rest; obtaining out of this ground, that all adulterers should be executed by lapidation. The ancienter punishment was burning; death always, though in divers forms. I shame to think, that Christians should slight that sin, which both Jews and Pagans held ever deadly.

What a mis-citation is this! Moses commanded. The law was God's, not Moses's. If Moses were employed to mediate betwixt God and Israel, the law is never the more his. He was the hand of God, to reach the law to Israel; the hand of Israel, to take it from God. We do not name the water from the pipes, but from the spring. It is not for a true Israelite, to rest in the second means; but to mount up to the supreme original of justice. How reverent soever an opinion was had of Moses, he cannot be thus named, without a shameful undervaluing of the royal law of his Maker. There is no mortal man, whose authority may not grow into contempt; that of the ever-living God cannot but be ever sacred and inviolable. It is now with the Gospel, as it was then with the Law: the word is no other than Christ's, though delivered by our weakness; whosoever be the crier, the proclamation is the King of Heaven's. While it goes for ours, it is no marvel, if it lie open to despite.

How captious a word is this! Moses said thus, what sayest thou? If they be not sure that Moses said so, why do they affirm it? And if they be sure, why do they question that, which they know decided? They would not have desired a better advantage, than a contradiction to that received Lawgiver. It is their profession, We are Moses' disciples; and, We know that God spake to Moses. It had been quarrel enough, to oppose so known a prophet. Still, I find it the drift of the enemies of truth, to set Christ and Moses together by the ears; in the matter of the sabbath, of circumcision, of marriage and divorce,

of the use of the law, of justification by the law, of the sense and extent of the law, and where not? But they shall never be able to effect it: they two are fast and indissoluble friends, on both parts, for ever; each speaks for other, each establishes other : they are subordinate; they cannot be opposite: Moses faithful as a servant; Christ, as a Son. A faithful servant cannot be but officious to the Son. The true use we make of Moses is, to be our schoolmaster to teach us, to whip us unto Christ; the true use we make of Christ is, to supply Moses. By him, all that believe are justified in all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses. Thus must we hold in with both, if we will have our part in either: so shall Moses bring us to Christ, and Christ to glory.

Had these Pharisees, out of simplicity and desire of resolution in a case of doubt, moved this question to our Saviour, it had been no less commendable, than now it is blameworthy.

O Saviour, whither should we have recourse, but to thine oracle? Thou art the Word of the Father, the Doctor of the Church. While we hear from others, "What say Fathers? What say Councils?" Let them hear from us, What sayest

thou?

But here, it was far otherwise: they came not to learn, but to tempt; and to tempt, that they might accuse. Like their father the Devil, who solicits to sin, that he may plead against us for yieldance, fain would these colloguing adversaries draw Christ to condradict Moses that they might take advantage of his contradiction. On the one side, they saw his readiness to tax the false glosses, which their presumptuous doctors had put upon the law, with an, I say unto you: on the other, they saw his inclination to mercy and commiseration in all his courses, so far as to neglect even some circumstances of the law, as to touch the leper, to heal on the sabbath, to eat with known sinners, to dismiss an infamous but penitent offender, to select and countenance two noted publicans; and hereupon they might perhaps think, that his compassion might draw him, to cross this Mosai

cal institution.

Such, as he

What a crafty bait is here laid for our Saviour! cannot bite at, and not be taken. It seems to them impossible, he should avoid a deep prejudice, either to his justice or mercy: for thus they imagine; "Either Christ will second Moses, in sentencing this woman to death; or else he will cross Moses, in dismissing her unpunished. If he commanded her to be stoned, he loses the honour of his clemency and mercy: if he appoint her dismission, he loses the honour of his justice." Indeed, strip him of either of these, and he can be no Saviour.

O the cunning folly of vain men, that hope to beguile wisdom itself!

Silence and neglect shall first confound those men, whom, after,

his answer will send away convicted. Instead of opening his mouth, our Saviour bows his body; and, instead of returning words from his lips, writes characters on the ground with his fingers. O Saviour, I would rather silently wonder at thy gesture, than inquire curiously into the words thou wrotest, or the mysteries of thus writing: only, herein I seen thou meanest to shew a disregard to these malicious and busy cavillers. Sometimes, taciturnity and contempt are the best answers. Thou, that hast bidden us Be wise as serpents, givest us this noble example of thy prudence. It was most safe, that these tempters should be thus kept fasting with a silent disrespect, that their eagerness might justly draw upon them an ensuing shame.

The more unwillingness they saw in Christ to give his answer, the more pressive and importunate they were to draw it from him. Now, as forced by their so zealous irritation, our Saviour rouseth up himself, and gives it them home, with a reprehensory and stinging satisfaction; He, that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her: as if his very action had said, "I was loth to have shamed you; and therefore could have been willing, not to have heard your ill-meant motion: but since you will needs have it, and by your vehemence force my justice, I must tell you, there is not one of you but is as faulty as she whom ye accuse: there is no difference, but that your sin is smothered in secresy; hers is brought forth into the light. Ye had more need, to make your own peace by an humble repentance, than to urge severity against another. I deny not, but Moses hath justly from God imposed the penalty of death, upon such heinous offences; but what then would become of you? If death be her due, yet not by those your unclean hands: your hearts know you are not honest enough to accuse."

Lo, not the bird, but the fowler is taken. He says not, "Let her be stoned; this had been against the course of his mercy: he says not, "Let her not be stoned;" this had been against the Law of Moses. Now he so answers, that both his justice and mercy are entire; she dismissed, they shamed.

It was the manner of the Jews, in those heinous crimes that were punished with lapidation, that the witnesses and accusers should be the first, that should lay hands upon the guilty; well doth our Saviour therefore choke these accusers, with the conscience of their so foul incompetency. With what face, with what heart could they stone their own sin, in another person?

Honesty is too mean a term. These Scribes and Pharisees were noted for extraordinary and admired Holiness. The outside of their lives was not only inoffensive, but saint-like and exemplary. Yet that allsceing eye of the Son of God, which found folly in the angels, hath much more found wickedness in these glorious professors. It is not for nothing, that his eyes are like a flame of fire. What secret is there, which he searches not?

Retire yourselves, O ye foolish sinners, into your inmost closets; yea, if you can, into the centre of the earth; his eye follows you, and observes all your carriages: no bolt, no bar, no darkness can keep him out. No thief was ever so impudent, as to steal in the very face of the Judge. O God, let me see myself seen by thee, and I shall not dare to offend.

Besides notice, here is exprobration. These men's sins, as they had been secret, so they were forgotten. It is long, since they were done; neither did they think to have heard any more news of them. And now, when time and security had quite worn them out of thought, He, that shall once be their Judge, calls them to a back-reckoning. One time or other, shall that just God lay our sins in our dish, and make us possess the sins of our youth. These things thou didst, and I kept silence; and thou thoughtest I was like unto thyself but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thee. The penitent man's sin lies before him for his humiliation; the impenitent's, for his shame and confusion.

The act of sin is transient; not so the guilt; that will stick by us, and return upon us, either in the height of our security, or the depth of our misery, when we shall be least able to bear it. How just may it be with God, to take us at advantages; and then to lay his arrest upon us, when we are laid up upon a former suit!

It is but just, there should be a requisition of innocence in them, that prosecute the vices of others. The offender is worthy of stoning, but who shall cast them? How ill would they become hands, as guilty as her own! What do they but smite themselves, who punish their own offences in other men? Nothing is more unjust or absurd, than for the beam to censure the mote, the oven to upbraid the kiln. It is a false and vagrant zeal, that begins not first at home.

Well did our Saviour know, how bitter and strong a pill he had given to these false justiciaries; and now he will take leisure, to see how it wrought. While therefore he gives time to them to swallow it and put it over, he returns to his old gesture of a seeming inadvertency.

How sped the receipt? I do not see any one of them stand out with Christ, and plead his own innocency; and yet these men, which is very remarkable, placed the fulfilling or violation of the law only in the outward act. Their hearts misgave them, that if they should have stood out in contestation with Christ, he would have utterly shamed them, by displaying their old and secret sins; and have so convinced them by undeniable circumstances, that they should never have clawed off the reproach; And, therefore, when they heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, they went out one by one, beginning at the eldest even unto the last.

There might seem to be some kind of mannerly order, in this guilty departure; not all at once; lest they should seem violently