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the wilderness beyond Jordan , for no other purpose but to have such an idea as this awakened in his mind ? Besides , it is in itself altogether a silly and puerile notion , quite unlikely to have occurred during his waking hours to a mind so humble and unobtrusiveso averse on all other occasions to everything like unnecessary ostentation or parade . That it should occur in a dream or vision
is conceivable enough ; because we all know that very strange , inconsistent , and extravagant things often do present themselves in our dreams ; but the supposition that , with the full exercise of his understanding , he could entertain such a thought as this , appears to me quite incompatible with the simplicity , the dignity of character , the humility , the wisdom and good sense which we justly ascribe to the meek and holy Jesus .
On the whole , therefore , though with some hesitation , I am disposed to acquiesce in the interpretation of this narrative recommended by Mr . Farmer . That the SiafioXo * was a wicked spirit , supposed to be permitted to address his evil suggestions to the minds of men , would not , on this scheme , be an inadmissible supposition . Without at all admitting the existence of such a being , or supposing that Jesus believed in his existence , there is no
difficulty in admitting that the popular notions of his character and attributes then prevalent among the Jews might present themselves in a dream . Still , however , it does not appear to be necessary to resort to this supposition . The word properly denotes an accuser or adversary ; it is generally , if not always , used in a bad sense , and may therefore be understood to denote the adversary
of God , or of good men , or of any cause or undertaking of which good men may wish the success . Now there was in those days a person who was then , and continued for many ages afterwards , to be invested with power which he was commonly disposed to apply to these evil purposes ; and more especially was it true of him , that all the kingdoms of the oiKov ^ E vy ) , or Roman world , were given into his hands , and that to whomever he would he gave them ;—
a fact which was nowhere more remarkably exemplified than in the distribution of political power in the various regions of the holy land . I refer to the Roman Emperor ; who may very well be supposed to have been presented to our Saviour ' s dreaming imagination as saying , All the provinces and districts into which this land is now divided are subject to my uncontrolled disposal , and I have
accordingly committed- them to the charge of various petty chiefs and governors . In thy character of the Messiah expected by the Jews , thou aspirest to a dominion over the whole of it , and I am ready to invest thee with this authority , provided that thou wilt do homage to me for it , and acknowledge the Roman Emperor as thy political superior . '
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Matt . xxv . 37 . —* Then shall the righteous answer him , saying , Lord , when saw we thee an hungered , and fed thee ? ' &c #
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Scripture Criticism . 49 T
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1832, page 497, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1816/page/65/
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