Luke xi. 27.  “And it came to pass as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked:  but he said, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.”

Luke xiii. 1—­3.  “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices; and Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye, that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, Nay:  but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Luke xiv. 15.  “And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.  Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many,” &c.  The parable is rather too long for insertion, but affords a striking instance of Christ’s manner of raising a discourse from the occasion.  Observe also in the same chapter two other examples of advice, drawn from the circumstances of the entertainment and the behaviour of the guests.

We will now see how this manner discovers itself in Saint John’s history of Christ.

John vi. 25.  “And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?  Jesus answered them and said, Verily I say unto you, ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled.  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you.”

John iv. 12.  “Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?  Jesus answered, and said unto her (the woman of Samaria), Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.”

John iv. 31.  “In the mean while, his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat; but he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.  Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him aught to eat?  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

John ix. 1—­5.  “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth:  and his disciples asked him, saying, Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.  I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”