The only actions of his life which betray any marks of character deserving of serious reprehension, are his treatment of the woman taken in adultery; and his application of the prophecy of Malachi concerning Elias, to John the Baptist.
As to his conduct to the woman, it was the conduct of a mild, and merciful man, but not that of one who declared, "that he came to fulfil the law." For God commanded concerning such, "that they should surely be put to death." Now though Jesus was not her judge, and had no right to pronounce her sentence; yet the contrivance by which he deterred the witness from testifying against her, was a contrivence directly calculated totally to frustrate the ends of justice; and which, if acted upon at this day, in Christian countries, would infallibly prevent the execution of the criminal law: For what testimony would be sufficient to prove a fact, if the witnesses were required to be "without sin ?" Instead, therefore, of saying unto them, "whosoever of you is without sin, let him cast the first stone at her;" he should have said, 'Men! who made me a judge, or a ruler over you?
carry the accused to the proper tribunal.' As to his conduct about the matter of Elias, it was as follows.

It is said, in the 17th chapter of Matthew, that at his transfiguration, as it is called, Moses, and Elias appeared to his disciples on the mount, talking with Jesus.

Upon coming down from the mount, the disciples asked Jesus, "how say the scribes that Elias must come first, (that is, before the Messiah.) Jesus answered, Elias truly cometh first, and restoreth all things; but I say unto you, that Elias has come already and they have done unto him what they would;" meaning John the Baptist, who was beheaded by Herod.

(See the parallel place in Mark.) And he says concerning John, (Mat.

vi.
14,) "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias which was for to come." Now certainly no one will pretend that John was the Elias prophecied of by Malachi, as to come before "the great, and terrible day of the Lord," which has not yet taken place.