se is a double one in
the power seen at work. She would naturally be hardened, and stony
hard, shameless to the point of hopeless indifference in moral sense,
and all this increased by their coarse publicity of her. And so little
is said, but so much suggested of a change in her.

The purity of Jesus' face and presence would be a tremendous power of
conviction. The gentleness of His quiet question would couple softening
of heart with conviction of her sin. The word of counsel as she is
dismissed would seem a mirror reflecting the inner longing of her heart
and the new purpose stirring within, as memory recalls early days of
virgin purity, and a wild hope within struggles towards life that there
may yet be a change even for her.

The change in her accusers is, at least, as remarkable though wholly
different. Morally hardened, as shameless and coarse as the woman as
regards a fine moral sensibility; by their own tacit confession no
better in practice than she in the point of morals raised; in their
malignant cunning only concerned with the woman's sin as a means of
venting their spleen upon the man they hated and feared,--what a hideous
spirit-photograph!

Under the strange compelling power of Jesus' word and will, utterly
conscience-stricken at being as guilty as she in the particular item
under discussion, they turn, one by one, and slink softly out, until the
last one is gone. As an instance of one will controlling and changing
another will wholly against its will to the point of forcing out
confession of personal guilt, it is most remarkable. One wonders if,
under that tremendous conviction of personal sin, some of these were
later included in those of the Sanhedrin who openly accepted Jesus. It
is quite possible. It is not improbable.[95]

The fact is noted that the very language used here under the English
indicates a different authorship of the incident than John's. Possibly a
thoughtful delicacy of regard for the woman restrains John's pen if she
were still living as he writes. And then later the Holy Spirit, who so
tactfully restrains John's pen, guides another to fit the remarkable
story in its place in the record.

The drastic turning of bargaining cattle-dealers and bickering
money-brokers, out of the temple-area, and restoring it from a barn-yard
to a place of holy worship, is a most remarkable illustration of
_restraint upon antagonistic wills_ at the point of their greatest
concern. These leaders woul