for there is force in Schleyer's view (fiber die Briider Yeszi) that 'not even his brethren ' (this is the right rendering of John vii. 5, see Malan in /cc. ), 'though numbering among them three apostles' (he identifies Simon with Zelotes), had attained that right spiritual faith in the Lord's divine cha racter, which could enter into his reasons for declining a proclamation of his claims to the world.' The whole passage appeals to exhibit the ignorance of Christ's kinsmen as to the nature of his mission. Neither John Baptist (see Matt. xi. 3 ; Luke vii. 19, 20) nor the apostles (for Peter's mistaken views, see Matt. xvi. 21, 23 ; that they were probably shared by John and James, see Mark x. 37, 38 ; and by the blessed virgin herself, see John ii. 4 ; Matt. xii. 46, 5o, even later than the close of his ministry, but previous to the illumination of Pentecost, Acts i. 6) seemed to have possessed anything like a proper idea of our Lord's Messialiship, the want of which (it is very likely) constituted in St. John's sense the 'unbelief,' with which he charges the Lord's brethren in vii. 5 (comp. St. John's own view of adequate belief in xx. 31). [3.] Dr. Mill .(in his Christian Advo cate's Publications [on the Record of the Brother hood of Jesus in the Gospels pp. 248-26o) suggests that the apostles James and Jude pos sessed a higher faith than their non-apostolic brethren, at the time yeferred to in John vii. 5 ; that their brothers and other kinsfolk are there censured in general terms; but that even these (at least Joses and Shnon) were converted fully to Christ between the feast of tabernacles, referred to in John vii. 5, and the passover of the following year, when Christ suffered. The fault of such a theory lies less in its incredibility than in its im probable elaborateness. If we have taken a reasonable view in [2], it will be strictly consistent with it to suppose here that nothing tended more to elevate the low and worldly expectations of his disciples, not excluding his blessed mother herself, than the death and resurrection of our Lord. We have a brief glance of these personages permitted us in Acts i. 12-14 ; and we find that, notwith standing the terrible shock to their expectations, which two of them described so naturally and strikingly in Luke xxiv. 19-21, they were still
hopeful of a future, of which they had as yet failed to see the nature ; so with all their imperfection of belief, they well and wisely await the great issue with one accord, in prayer and supplication.' The result is complete. The very brethren whose conduct to Jesus wore so much the appearance of rudeness as well as unbelief (John vii. 5), were within fifty days in the upper chamber of Jerusa lem, amidst virulent and triumphant enemies, calmly aw.aiting, in company not only with all tbe surviving apostles, but with her too who had witnessed, if not partaken of, their unbelief,' the descent of that Holy Spirit who should clear up all perplexities, and endue them with a full under standing of the kingdom of heaven. Such were the brethren' of our Lord, and such their bearing towards him.
Preparation for His Ministry. —How little help from any human source did Jesus receive in his Galilean home for the work to which he is now approaching ! The one key-note of his ministry was, I came not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me' (John vi. 38). No training could better prepare him for such a mis• sion than that to which he was content to submit himself, among his humble kindred at Nazareth, Far removed from the metropolis, where learned men were for the most part divided between the hollow pretensions of Pharisaism or the sceptical sophistries of the Sadducees ; and shedding around him the graces of a spotless life, full of the charm of social virtues—not austerely separate from his kindred, after the manner of an Essene recluse, but by his omm active example recommending the excellent worth of an honourable, if humble calling (see Mark vi. 3) ; our blessed Lord passed through the stages of childhood and youth to the perfect manhood of thirty years, and at that ripe age enters on his great career, educated for it (as one of the noblest of his followers once said of him self) not of men, neither by man,' 'obic dr' thapth ircov, ob8e 32 civ-pcbrou (Gal. i. r), but by the plenary endowments of that Spirit which God gave him without stint or measure (comp. the IrX7ipoti i.cevov aocbias, of Luke ii. 40, with the a -rip itc ,u4rpou, K. T .X. of John 34)•