d gladly have turned _Him_ out.

And who was He, this man with flashing eye and quiet stern word? A
stranger, unknown, from the despised country district of Galilee. And
they have authority, law-officers, everything of the sort on their side.
Yet the restraint of His presence and will over them is as absolute as
though they were in chains. They weakly ask for a sign and evidence of
power. They themselves experienced the most tremendous exhibition of
power the old temple-area had known for generations.[96]

The power of restraint at the Feast of Tabernacles is yet greater. Or
it might be more accurate to say that it is a greater antagonism that is
restrained by the same power. They are fully prepared now. The cleansing
incident took them unawares. It made them gasp to think that any one
would dare oppose them like that.

Now they are on guard. Then, too, their antagonism has intensified and
embittered to the point of plotting His death. And they have grown more
openly aggressive. There are three attempts at His arrest. Yet that
strange noiseless power of restraint is upon them. They do not do as
they would. Clearly they cannot. They are restrained. The man whose
presence so aroused, also held them in check, apparently without
thinking about it. His _presence_ is a restraint.[97]

Then a second clash of wills comes a day or so later. Their opposition
is yet intenser. There has been no cooling-off interval. His continued
open teaching in face of their attempts at arrest puts fresh kindling on
the fire. "No man took Him," but clearly they wanted to. Their open
relations become more strained. He uses yet plainer speech in exposing
their hypocrisies. This stirs them still more. Their hooked fingers
reach passionately for the stones that would make a finish at once, and
the green light flashes out of their enraged eyes. It's the sharpest
clash yet. They are at a high fever point.

It seems to take a greater use of power to restrain. "He hid Himself" is
the simple sentence used. This is one of four times that we are told of
His overcoming the hostile attack of a crowd by simply passing through
their midst and going on His way.[98] Perhaps something in the glance of
that eye of His, or in the set of His face,[99] _something_ in Him
restrained them as He quietly passes through the uproarious crowd and
goes on His way undisturbed. They are held back against their wills from
doing the thing they are so intent on doing.[100]