wish to accentuate, is, that he was 'a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews.' When we are thus told that fear kept him from avowing his discipleship, we are tempted to think of him as of all men one of the most despicable; and at once to proceed without patience, and without a trial, to pass sentence upon him. But never is fair and careful thought more imperatively needful than before a sentence. There may be a repression of open discipleship from a kind of fear, in speaking of which our justice must be tempered with mercy. It is conceivable that there may be such a fear on the part of a timid and gentle man of quick nerve and delicate culture-a fear natural to a mental sensitive plant, shrinking from every rough wind and every random touch-a fear fostered by that atmosphere of reverence which always breathes round rank, wealth, the stainless fame of wisdom, goodness, and the known love of fair play,—a man so brought up may have such a fear, and also have it heightened by a weak wish for popularity, by an exquisite pain at the thought of difference between himself and other men, and by a feeling that their scorn would be the death of him. Picture such a man, with such a latent fear within him, living in the time of Jesus, and beginning to be conscious that Jesus was the promised Saviour of the world-the time when the Spirit was not yet given, the

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New Testament revelation not yet formulated, and when, as yet, the Old Testament was the only Bible; the time when those who were understood to be the best men in Jerusalem thought the worst of Jesus, and had just made a law that any one who 'confessed Him to be the Christ should be cast out of the synagogue.'

There were three stages of the excommunication which thus opened; and, in the then furious condition of hatred to Christ on the part of the councillors, the third and most terrible stage of it would be certain to follow the steadfast and final refusal to recant, if maintained by a man like Joseph. The penalty had its origin in that which is decreed in the Book of Leviticus, where we read of a person being 'cut off from the people.' Here the nation was thought of under the conception of a tree, the offender, under that of a bad branch, to be cut clean off-cut off from all honour, all salvation, all that belongs to nationality, and cast into the fire. Certain forms of commination were read. Then, perhaps, his face white as death, his coat torn to strips, the man was hustled and flung down the fifteen Temple steps, and so, not only cut off but cast out,-cast out like Cain, with a mark upon him; cast out as a vile thing; henceforth no one was to speak to him, no one was even to sell him food, and 'the place that knew him once was to know him no more for ever.'

A curse like this would have been to all appearance, in Joseph's time, the likely consequence, sooner or later, of openly professing faith in Christ. Public opinion may be a mighty and terrible tyrant; no wonder, therefore, if a man who was so high in station, and who had so much to lose, feared to face its stern frown and to meet its terrible inflictions.

The companion of Joseph was Nicodemus, a man like himself in station, in wealth, and, I think, in being 'a disciple of Jesus, but secretly.' This is not said of him in so many words, but it appears almost with certainty, from two scenes of his life, which we shall proceed to notice. The first belongs to the period when Christ opened His public ministry. He had done many wonderful things at the Feast of the Passover then being held. Nicodemus, if he had not personally seen these things, had heard them spoken of, in every circle, every day. A creeping awe was in his soul, and in his heart rose many questions. Can this be the great Prophet like unto Moses? Is this the long-expected King of the Jews? Is He about to cast off the dress of obscurity, to put on the dress of regal splendour, and to be lifted up, the centre of all attention, the magnet of all attraction, the Lord of all the world? It may be so-yet none of the rulers have believed on Him, fishermen are His only attendants, and He is only followed by the

common people. I should like to have sure information; but how can I obtain it? If I speak to my brother magnates, they will scorn me; if I speak to Him by day, I shall shake my credit in society; I will speak to Him by night.' And so, full of anxiety that he was unable to repress, yet unwilling to reveal; afraid to trifle with his conscience, yet afraid to sacrifice his caste; wishing at once to solve his doubts, yet to save his dignity-one soft April night, when the city was asleep, he stole out of his palace alone, hurried along the silent street, and made his way down to the lowly lodging where Jesus was; he knocked at the door, and though it was night he was at once admitted. Jesus is always at home to an anxious enquirer, always at home to a soul who longs to speak to Him, however imperfect in faith or defective in motive-it may be a visit by night, but He never said when on earth, never says now, 'It is past the hour of consultation, come again to-morrow.' When he was admitted, his heart was so full, that, without ceremony, his eagerness abruptly and at once broke out into the exclamation, 'Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these signs that Thou doest, except God be with him.' Jesus read his heart, and read it aloud, answering in effect, 'You want to know about the kingdom, and whether I am King; then become a new creature. Verily,

verily I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' After He had unfolded the doctrine of the New Birth,' He went on still further unfolding the mysteries of grace until He came to the grand announcement given in the words, 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.'

It was not the way of Jesus to give explanations of deep things to those who were not ready for them,—He ever taught on the principle, 'To him that hath shall be given;' and by giving to Nicodemus at the very opening of His ministry, in some respects, a fuller explanation of the Gospel than He gave to any one else even at its close, the fact lends proof to our opinion, that this master in Israel was even then 'a disciple, but secretly.'

We have similar evidence of this in another scene-a scene in Jerusalem on a summer day during the third year of our Lord's ministry. It was the last day in the Feast of Tabernacles. No institution of the Old Testament was so romantic with scenic beauty and festive gladness as this. The city looked like a scene of magic; it was a poem alive; the whole place was all a-flutter with leaves-leaves green, leaves red, leaves like living silver, in gay