DISCOURSE XIX. NATHANIEL. And Nathaniel said unto him, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, come and see. Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him, and saith of him, behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathaniel saith unto him, whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathaniel answered and said unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God: thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. John i. 46 to 50. MUCH of the excellency of the scripture lies in this—that it does not state things in general representations, but descends to particulars that it does not place them before us in specu. lative notions, but in practical effects—that it does not describe them only, but exemplifiesso that we see them alive and in motion. The passage of scripture which is now to engage our attention is peculiarly interesting and instructive. It is a narrative of the interview between our Lord and Nathaniel. It leads us First, to observe the advantages of occasional solitude. What was Nathaniel doing under the fig tree? We are not informed. Perhaps he was reading the scripture-perhaps he was engaged in meditation--perhaps he was praying -perhaps he was joining himself to the Lord in a perpetual covenant, saying, "Lord I am “thinė, save me, and manifest thyself to me." Some purpose had allured him there, which our Saviour noticed and approved; he saw him in secret and he now rewards him openly. Does he see us? are we strangers to retirement? Surely if we are christians, and concerned for the welfare of our souls, we shall often retire and find that we have much to do alone. I pity the man whose life is full of action, and void of thought. I pity the professor who lives only in public, who is always hearing sermons, who pays very little attention to the duties of the family, and none to those of the closet. It is alone that we disengage ourselves from the dominion of the world: the world conquers us in a crowd, when our senses are dazzled, and our minds amused, and we are too much occupied to find out the cheat-but when we are withdrawn from it, when we calmly consider it as an object of lonely contemplation, O how is its importance diminished, how is its influence reduced-ah! it is then we sigh-vanity of vanities, all is vanity. It is alone that conscience operates, that motives impress, that truth is examined and applied. It is alone that we obtain a knowledge of ourselves; there we can examine our condition, investigate our characters, discover our follies and our weaknesses. Alone we can be familiar with God and divulge to him secrets which we could not communicate to the dearest friend, or express in any public, or social exercises of religion. OI love the fig tree! I love to go forth from among the works of man to enjoy the creation of God: to enter a wood-to walk through a field of standing corn-to follow the windings of a river to view the playfulness of the lambs -to listen to the varied melody of the birdsO here is nothing to vex, nothing to pollute. What an innocency, what a softness does it spread over the mind-how disposed is the heart to welcome and cherish every devotional sentiment! "O sacred solitude! divine retreat! " Choice of the prudent, envy of the great- Secondly. Let us remark how perfectly acquainted our Saviour is with our most private concerns. Whence knowest thou me? asks Nathaniel when our Saviour had in few words developed his character. Jesus auswered-when thou wast under the fig tree I saw thee. This good man imagined himself alone there? he supposed no eye saw him. No wonder therefore he was surprised to hear a person who appeared only a man like himself announcing the whole affair: no wonder he was immediately convinced of his Messiahship, and exclaimed, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. To know all persons and things infallibly is the prerogative of God only. He therefore claims it in distinction from all creatures: the heart is deceitfal above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord |