Divisioa T I n 
 
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 "The literature of this gospel (John) has, of late, become exceedingly rich, and 
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 erally useful. From our examination we hesitate not to pronounce it in advance of 
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 open and covert infidelity." — Congregationali^t. 
 
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 Januaey 9, 1854. Central Church, Philadelphia." 
 
5-^ 
 
 
NOTES ON THE GOSPELS, 
 
 CRITICAL AND EIPLANATOKY; 
 
 NCORPORATING WITH THE NOTES, ON A NEW PLAN, 
 THE MOST APPROVED HARMONY OF THE 
 FOUR GOSPELS. 
 
 MELANCTHON W. JACOBUS, 
 
 PKOFESSOE OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE IN THE WESTERN THEOLOGICAIi 
 SEMINARY AT ALLEGHENY CITY, PA. 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, 
 
 No. 530 BROADWAY. 
 
 1857. 
 
Kr.tered according to Act of Con;j:ress in tlie year 1S56, by 
 
 HKLANCTHOX W. JACOBUS, 
 
 In tiia Clerk's OlTice of the District Court of tho United States fur the Southern JJislrict 
 of tlie State of New Yorl:. 
 
 STEEKOTYPEU Br W. B. BAVEN. riTTSBUBSU, Pi. 
 
PREFAOE. 
 
 The Author once entertained a thouglit of including the Notes on John and 
 the Acts in one volume ; but it was soon found to be impracticable. 
 
 The ancients gave to this Evangelist the symbol of the Eagle. He is so lofty 
 in doctrine, and so rich in the discourses of our Lord, while his narrative is 
 so additional to the foregoing, that John, of all the four, could best claim a 
 volume of exposition. 
 
 As there is less that is historical, and more that is theological in this Evan- 
 gelist, the comments will be found to be more full than the former. They arc 
 the result of exegetical studies for the class-room, divested of critical details. 
 It is hoped that in this form they may be found to bring within the compre- 
 hension of all classes, somewhat of the richness and fullness of this beloved 
 Evangelist, and may aid many to enter into his spirit of love. 
 
 As one of " the pillars," (Galat. 2: 9,) and one of the three whom our Lord 
 admitted to His most saci'ed and special familiarity, (Matt. 26 : 37,) and to whom 
 alone He gave new names — the last of tlie Evangelical witnesses, and the last 
 of the Inspire:' writers — John has been furnished by the Holy Spirit with 
 thoughts and words which take peculiar hold upon tlie heart of Christ's loving 
 church. His is the closing testimony, worthy of the deepest study. And if the 
 church is to become more loving, and more spiritually one, how shall this end 
 be better promoted than by the earnest study of this "Apostle of completion," 
 who is also the "Apostle of love?" For — as has well been suggested by an- 
 other from this Evangelist — while God has His perfect attributes, such aa 
 "being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth" — "God IS 
 Love." In Him love is not so much an attribute, as it is God Himself : and 
 it is the perfect combination of all these attributes that resolves them into 
 Love, as the harmonious whole, just as it is the perfect combiijation of all tho 
 prismatic colors in the sun-ray that makes Light which is " the true Light." 
 
 As this Gospel narrative was called for to meet a more advanced neoSftty 
 of the church, so the study of it will be found to be a more advanced exercise, 
 and will foUov,' very properly upon that of the foregoing Evangelists. It will 
 of course be quite necessary, in order to a full understanding of the Life of 
 our Blessed Lord, to examine all that the beloved disciple has given us fresh 
 
 i^iiij 
 
IT PREFACH. 
 
 from His bosom : and in these three volumes a facility is furnished for the 
 study of this fourfold testimony/, as it is harmonized and arranged in ;i consistent 
 whole. 
 
 The Illustrations which are introduced are mainly such as have been verified 
 by the Author's personal observations in the Holy Land. Notices of locali- 
 ties and customs, fi-om the same source, ai'e also interspersed. 
 
 Parallel passages of Scripture have been not only referred to extensively in 
 the Notes, but cited in the very words as often as possible. 
 
 The literature of this Gospel has been greatly enriched of late : and has 
 been carefully applied, during the last few years, to this volume. 
 
 Besides the works of Lampe, Tittman, and Liicke, which are so well known, 
 Professor Tholuck has issued a Sixth Edition of his Commentary, quite re- 
 written. It is now in course of translation by the Rev. C. P Ivi-auth, of 
 Pittsburgh. 
 
 Of the recent helps, "Alford's Commentary" on the Greek text, (Vols. I. 
 and II. issued) — Webster and Wilkinson's New Testament, (Vol. I. just issued) 
 — and " Plain Commentary on the Gospels," are valuable expositions from the 
 Church of England. 
 
 Brown's " Discourses and Snyings of our Lord" — Stier's " Words of Jesus" — 
 Qucinel on the Gospels, (Boardnian's Edition) — Olshausen's Commentary, and 
 Meyer's and Hutcheson's, with Bengel and Calvin, are but a few of the promi- 
 nent authorities at hand, on this portion of Scripture. — Francis Trench on 
 "The Life and Character of John," is highly interesting. 
 
 While the etFort of modern skepticism is to throw obscurity around the 
 origin of cur religion, and especially to impugn the genuineness of this Gospel 
 narrative, it can-ies even if possible a peculiar authority, as a history made 
 up of our Lord's own ivords, and as thus remarkably bearing on its very face 
 the title—" The Word of God:' 
 
 The study of its contents, with an understanding of its relation to the other 
 Evangelists, will show it to be a new Gospel narrative, and yet not '^another 
 Gospel" — a crowning exhibition of the Person and Work of our Lord, out of 
 the richest experience of His love, and with patriarchal feet already stepping 
 into the New Jerusalem — the aged Apostle seeming already to get a vision of 
 the Lamb, and to hear the anthems of the redeemed ; and bearing a testimony, 
 the substance of which is, " WE LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED 
 US." 
 
SYNOPSIS OF JOHN'S LIFE. 
 
 1. John, son of Zebedee, and a disciple of Jolin the Bap- 
 
 tist, " one of the two" first followers of Christ. , . John 1 : 37-40 
 
 2. His call to be a personal attendant of Christ. . . . Matt. 4: 21-22. 
 
 3. He attends Jesus as a special witness of His miracles. Mark 1 : 20-29. 
 
 4. His call to the Apostleship, and his new name. . . . Mark 3 : 17. 
 
 5. He is a witness of the raising of Jairus' daughter to 
 
 life Luke 8 : 49-56, 
 
 6. He is an eye-witness of Christ's majesty at the Trans- 
 
 figuration Matt. 17 : 1-9. 
 
 7. He complains to Jesus of one, not a disciple, working 
 
 miracles Mark 9 : 38. 
 
 8. He and his brother propose to call down fire from 
 
 heaven on the Samaritans Luke 9 : 51-56. 
 
 9. He and his brother apply for promotion in Christ's 
 
 Kingdom Matt. 20: 17-28. 
 
 10. He asks Christ privately about future events. . . . Mark 13 : 3-5. 
 
 11. He is sent with Peter to Jerusalem, from Bethany, to 
 
 prepare the Passover Luke 22 : 8. 
 
 12. John as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." .... John 13: 23. 
 
 13. John at the Agony in the garden Matt. 26 : 36-46. 
 
 14. John at the trial, as known to the High Priest: and 
 
 gaining admittance for Peter John 18: 15. 
 
 15. John alone of the Twelve at the Cross, and charged with 
 
 the care of our Lord's Mother John 25 : 25-27. 
 
 16. John with Peter at the Sepulchre — and the first of the 
 
 twelve to believe in the Resurrection John 20: 1-10. 
 
 17. John one of the seven at the Sea of Galilee after the 
 
 Resurrection John 21 : 20-24. 
 
 (He follows after Peter, perhaps to show his readi- 
 ness to go also to death for Jesus — perhaps to enjoy 
 His presence as long as possible, fearing that He 
 might suddenly disappear. ) 
 
 1* (y) 
 
vi SYNOPSIS OF JOHN'S LIFE. 
 
 18. John, after Pentecost, worlis tbc first ^Miracle (with 
 
 Peter) at the Temple gate Acts 3. 4 : 1-52. 
 
 Preached Christ to the people Acts 4 : 1. 
 
 "Was persecuted and put in custody, (with Peter,) as 
 
 one of the first sufferers for the Risen Christ. . . AcT.s 4: 3. 
 
 19. He is thrust into the common prison, and miraculously 
 
 delivered Acts 5 : 18. 
 
 Teaches and preaches Christ from house to house, with 
 
 Peter Acts 5 : 47. 
 
 20. Remains with the rest of the Apostles at Jerusalem, in 
 
 the persecution there at Stephen's death. . . . Acts 8 : 1. 
 
 21. He is sent down thence to Samaria, with Peter, to bear 
 
 Apostolic witness to the extension of the Gospel to 
 
 the Samaritans. lie returns to Jerusalem. . . . Acts 8 : 14. 
 
 22. John in the Apostolic Synod at Jerusalem Acts 15. 
 
 Gives to Paul and Barnabas "the right hand of fellow- 
 ship," as himself a "jotZZar" in the church. . . . Galat. 2: 9 
 
 23. John residing at Jerusalem ; having charge of our 
 
 Lord's Mother John 19 : 27. 
 
 24. John's final departure from Jerusalem — probably at the 
 
 breaking out of the Roman war, or at Paul's death, 
 
 or Mary's Mark 13: 14-ia 
 
 25. John in Asia Minor, at Ephesiis, &c. — writes his Gos- 
 
 pel history and Epistles. 
 
 2G. John at Patmos Rev. 1 : 9 
 
 Writes the Apocalypse. 
 
 Returns to Ephesus, A. D. 96. 
 
 He dies a natural death, A. D. 100—102. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 The Scriptures say little about the early life of the New Testament charac- 
 ters, excepting of John the Baptist, as Christ's forerunner, and of Pa^ul, the 
 converted foe of Christianity. All attention is left to centre upon Christ 
 himself. As to all others, their official life in this Divine service is shown 
 to be the main concern, in comparison with which their former life was 
 of little or no importance. 
 
 John was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and the brother of James. He 
 ■was probably the younger of the two — as it is yet the custom in the East to 
 speak of the elder son as the son of the father, and to speak of the others as 
 his brothers. Hence it is, "James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother." 
 He was probably born in Bethsaida, as were Peter, Andrew and Philip. Ch. 
 1 : 44. Salome is honored with having two sons Apostles, ai;d we may infer 
 hence the influence of her piety in her household. AVe know from the Scrip- 
 ture that she became a constant and devoted attendant of Christ, and minis- 
 tered to him of her substance. We infer that the family was in comfortable 
 circumstances. Zebedee, it appears, had " hired servants," and pursued, 
 with his sons, the trade of a fisherman, having his boats and nets. (Mark 1 : 
 20. Matt, 4: 21.) This business was profitable on the sea of Galilee. Vv'o 
 observe, also, that John had a house, ra Idia, (probably in Jerusalem,) to 
 which he took our Lord's mother after the crucifixion. 
 
 It is said of Peter and John that they were ayqafinaToi. Kai. cdiurat, (Acts 
 4: 13,) not — "unlearned and ignorant men," but that they were untaught in 
 the schools of the Rabbis, and that they were private men, — not "rulers" or 
 magistrates. In the same sense it was inquired about Christ : " IIow knoweth 
 this man letters, having never learned ?" (John 7 : 15.) The reference was to 
 Rabbiuical learning that was thought necessary, especially for public teachers. 
 John was aa Apostle, an Evangelist and a Prophet. He wrote besides this 
 Gospel narrative, three Epistles, and the Apocalypse. He was a disciple of 
 John the Baptist, and, as he was a partner of Andrew in the fishing trade, so 
 he was doubtless the companion of " Andrew, Simon Peter's brother," to whom 
 Christ was first pointed out by His foreninner, as "the Lamb of God." We 
 observe his modesty in not giving his name, though lie was among the first to 
 whom Christ was introduced. As he first heard of Christ as " the Lamb,'" so 
 we find him speaking of Christ, under this name, some twenty-six times in the 
 Revelation. Accordingly, he w\-s,o mentions the very hour of the day made so 
 memorable to him by this discovery of Christ. Ch. 1: 3G, 39, 40. 
 
 John and his brother James were called by our Lord, Boanerges — "sons of 
 thunder" — referring probably to qualities which they had for their work, and 
 
 (vii) 
 
Tui INTRODUCTION. 
 
 also to qualities which should be given to them for their work. So John, 
 though generally regarded as mild and effeminate, perhaps, from being known 
 as the beloved disciple, was pungent and terrific in his rebukes, as we see in 
 his Epistles. He uses some of the hardest terms, and calls the hardest names, 
 " liar, Antichrist," &c. Neandcr calls him " the man of burning love and burn- 
 ing hate." It was, however, the same disposition showing itself in opposite 
 directions. Our Lord himself displaj'ed the same severity towards hypocriti- 
 cal Pharisees, while he was tender and forgiving toward publicans and 
 sinners. A new name was sometimes given to mark some covenant relation, 
 (as Abraham and Sarah) or to signalize the entrance upon Christ's special 
 work, as Cephas. This name, "Boanerges," may have been so perverted in 
 their minds as to lead them to talk of calling down fire on the Samaritans, 
 Elias-like. It is remarkable that Peter and John, though so different in 
 character, were so intimate. We find them going timidly together to the 
 Judgment Hall, and running eagerly together to the sepulchre, and together 
 going up to the Temple after the Ascension. (Acts 3.) These two, with 
 James, were the chosen thrte whom our Lord admitted to be the honored wit- 
 nesses of His most extraordinary works, and His special attendants to the last. 
 But though Peter was inclined to legal views, John was the Apostle of love. 
 Yet their different tendencies and shades of thought, did not hinder their 
 cordial, familiar friendship. We may learn a lesson from this — Grotius 
 remarks, that Peter was more a friend of " Christ," and John of '^ Jesus" — 
 that is, the former revered and loved Christ in his official character as the 
 Messiah more, and the other more in his person, as his bosom friend. Peter's 
 love was more active and practical. John's more passive and receptive. 
 Peter boasted more of showing his love. John boasted more of beinff loved. 
 Both were necessary among the twelve. Peter was the planter, John the 
 waterer. We observe that a similar miracle of fishes was wrought by our 
 Lord, at the beginning and close of his intercourse with Peter and John, to 
 illustrate the success of the Gospel net, under their preaching. (Ch. 21, 5, &c.) 
 
 John was specially prepared to treat of Christ as the glorious Word, by the 
 Transfiguration scene, where the chosen three had special, personal assu- 
 rances, derived from r. personal view of their glorified Kedeemer. Thcj' were 
 chosen to be "eye-witnesses of his majesty," so as to give a very particular 
 testimony of Christ's Divinity and work. John, however, was to stand alono 
 at the Crucifixion — braving the danger there and confessing the Saviour 
 amongst bloody murderers. And hence, he needed to have it to say, "We 
 beheld his glory," kc. as Peter says, (2 Peter 1: IG,) "We have not followed 
 cunningly devised fables, but were eye-witnesses of his migesty" — bo*:h 
 referring to the same event. For this last trying scene and service, John was 
 prepai'ed by the Transfiguration scene, as was Peter for his special testi- 
 mony to Christ's glory. James, the other one of the three, was called to be 
 the first martyr of the twelve, while John was called, through exile and much 
 tribulation, to survive them all. It was a very distinguished honor of John, 
 to have intercourse with Christ from the cross, and to be charged by the 
 dying Saviour with the care of his widowed mother. 
 
 Lampe distinguishes three calls of John — 
 
 1. His call to the discipleship, remaining yet in his business. (Chap. 1 : 
 37-40.) 
 
 2. His call to be an attendant on Christ in his ministry. (Matt. 4: 21, 22.) 
 
 3. His call to the Apostleship, when he was surnamed with James "Boan- 
 erges." (Mark, 3: 17.) 
 
 Hengstenberg suggests, that John's designating himself as "the disciple 
 whom Jesus loved," was, perhaps, an explanation of his own name, ("favor, or 
 grace of God.") so that his name was a prophecy of the relation which he 
 
rNTRODUCn05. tx 
 
 entered into to Jesus. But, we suppose, that it was rather out of humble and 
 earnest gratitude that he takes this designation to himself, while it is also for 
 a modest withholding of his name, in the narrative. 
 
 So the sisters at Bethany speak of their brother Lazarus: "Lord, behold he 
 whom thou lovest is sick." When we can profess nothing of our own love as 
 Peter did, and fell, we can profess ChrisCs love, as John did — or our own lovo 
 as Peter afterwards did, but not as more than that of others. 
 
 TIME. 
 
 It is not easy to determine the exact date of this Gospel narrative. It 
 would seem that it must have been later than the other three Gospel Histories; 
 its contents suppose a more advanced state of the Church, and of contro- 
 versy. It is not mentioned by the earliest writers of the Apostolic age, as 
 Papias, Polycarp, Barnabas or Ignatius. But neither does Papias mention 
 Luke's Gospel. And this of John is universally recognized by the later writers,- 
 showing that it was not promulgated and received till late in the Apostolic 
 age. It is now more commonly referred to the period 70-85 or 90; which 
 would be subsequent to all the other New Testament writers, but prior to 
 John's Epistles and Apocalypse. 
 
 The writings of Hippolytus, lately discovered, show that it was acknowledged 
 as in use, and as received in the Churches as early as A. D. 117. The Ottobo- 
 nian manuscripts lately found, quote it as early as A. D. 120. So that t!:e 
 late skeptical theory which has labored to make out a later date for this Gospel 
 narrative — even as late as the middle of the second century — is positively 
 disproved, without the need of exposing the folly of those assuaiptions upon 
 which this theory was built. 
 
 PLACE. 
 
 Irenaeus, the most ancient testimony, gives Ephesus as the place from which 
 this Gospel was published. The manner in which the localities and customs 
 of Palestine are spoken of, indicate that it was written at a place remote from 
 the Holy Land. At Ephesus, his Epistles were probably written. There ho 
 long resided : and if the terms used in the introduction of the Gospel (eh. 1,) 
 imply anything about iha place of writing, we may suppose that it was likely 
 to have been Ephesus — a place in such intercourse with Alexandria, which 
 was the seat of those erroneous philosophies, that are supposed to be more or 
 less aimed at, or provided for, here. AVhen this narrative was written, many 
 more Gentiles of more distant parts had been converted to Christianity than 
 at the date of the former Gospels, and it had become necessary to explain to 
 the Christian Church, many things which needed no explanation when the 
 members were mostly from about Judea, and when the Jewish polity was still 
 in existence. The feasts and other Jewish peculiarities would be little under- 
 stood by the Greeks of Asia, a score of yeai's after the destruction of Jerusalem. 
 
 OBJECT. 
 
 The Evangelists Matthew and Mark have given us the official life of our 
 Lord, more according to the substance of what was first commonly preached. 
 Luke has aimed to give a more complete and orderly account, "hanng 
 examined everything from the beginning." These were chiefly historical. 
 John hns had a still different object — to meet the wants of Christians at a more 
 advanced stage, and to give them such further docirinal views as would solve 
 the questions that had nrisen, or would arise in the Church, and confirm the 
 f.dth of Cliristians against oppositions of science, falsely so called. In so doing, 
 he would also furnish additional matter, under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, 
 filling and supplying what would be for the fuller edification of the Church in 
 the Gospel narrative 
 
X INTRODUCTION. « 
 
 He falls in witli the other Evangelists in a few passages only, (ch. 6 : 1-21 
 and 12: 1.) except in the records of the Passion and Uesurrection. 
 
 Against the denial of Christ's Divinity, Incarnation and Pre-existcnce he is 
 most explicit, furnishing ficts, and the claims and arguments of our Lord. 
 Against the notions of the Logos that prevailed in the writings of Philo and Plato 
 in distinction from the doctrine of Ciiristas the true Logos or Word, he is most 
 full. He opens his Gospel History with terms used in a peculiar sense, yet with- 
 out explanation, showing that they must have been in use already, and that 
 these terms were applied by him to his object in a way that would be commonly 
 understood. The term "Logos," especially as applied by him to the Person 
 of our Lord, is not so used by the other New Testament writers. It was familiar 
 to the Alexandrian Jews who had already sown the seeds of that heresy, whicli, 
 in the middle of the second century, came to be established and known as Gnosti- 
 cism. Already Paul warns Timothy against the false knowledge, and refers 
 to it in other Epistles, as itAvas aiming to unite Christianity with their philoso- 
 phy. (1 Cor. 8: 1; Col. 2 : 8,18; Ephes. 3 : 19.) They believed in certain 
 .^ons or Emanations, from the Supreme God, among which was the Logos, 
 with others. 
 
 Between Philo's notion of the Logos, and the opinions which the Jews of 
 Palestine entertained of the Messiah, there was a strong similitude. . Many of 
 the attributes which Christ possessed, these Alexandrian Jews were accustomed 
 to ascribe to the Logos. John, therefore, in order to correct their false notions 
 and to more aptly set forth the true doctrine of Christ to these, and all to 
 whom he wrote, employed this very term, and transferred it to Christ. 
 
 This term Word, or a kindred term Reason, is found also in the Indian, I'er- 
 sinn, Egyptian and Chinese systems. And wc ninyremaik tlie Providence 
 of God which had allowed this idea of the Logos to become so universally 
 familiarized, especially during the four hundred year« prior to Christ's comir.g — 
 for l)y this means, and under this character of Wisdom and the Word of God, 
 John was ejiablcd to illustrate and unfold the doctrine of Christ as he could nut 
 otherwise have done it. (See Notes, ch. 1.) 
 
 The Evangelist proceeds to show the true Logos as eo infinitely superior to 
 their view — as God Himself — who becomes Incarnate, and was of course rro- 
 existent, and was even already existing at the beginning of all things. 
 
 In all this view of the immediate relations of this Gospel narrative to ihtto 
 times and necessities of the Church, Ave are not to forget that the Huly Spi;it 
 liad reference also to all after ages, and to the tendency in all periods of tie 
 Church's History to deny the Divinity of our Lord. The Divine origin of tiie 
 Sacred Scriptures is seen in the fact that no great error in doctrine or pr;ic- 
 tice arises out of the heart of man, but it meets a barrier reared already in 
 the Word of God, "by Him who knoweth what is in man." 
 
 The main conflict in the Church, at first, was with those Jewish notions of 
 the Mosaic law, which were inconsistent with the Gospel method of Justilica- 
 tion by faith. The other Evangelist accordingly, some thirty years before this, 
 had given the Gospel narrative in its relations to the Mosaic economy. l';tiil 
 also, in his Epistles, had fully met the questions between the Law and the Gos- 
 pel as a ground of Justification. But now, other questions liad also to be me',. 
 Here the conflict turned upon the Person of Christ, and a proper view of tlii^ 
 great truth lies at the very foundation of true Christianity. This, tbercliTo, 
 John undertakes to set forth in his Gospel, his Epistles and the Apocalypse. 
 Already in the time of Paul's imprisonment at Rome, (see Epistle to the 
 I'olossians,) this question had arisen. Hence, we find Paul and John using 
 language very similar, and aimed at the same great point. 
 
 And ever since their day it has been seen that essential questions in religion 
 have turned upon this — as to what view is taken of the person of Christ — Ilia 
 
INTRODUCTION. xi 
 
 Incarnation — His actual life upon Earth as G.^d-inan — Hie two natures in one 
 pei-sou forever. The Apostle contends against thr.ic errors which early brolco 
 out, and which have ever since arisen iu viu-i.^us shapes. He teaches the 
 Eisciitial Divinity and Godhead of Christ — ills prc-existcncc and His real 
 humanity also as tlic man Christ .Jesus. His p.irt of the Apostolic work was 
 theicfore the building up and perfecting of the saints in the true kncwledgo of 
 Christ; and who more fitted for this work than he who leaned on the Master's 
 bosom ? 
 
 John state.s his object in oh. 20 : 31 — to le:ul to faith in the Messiahship and 
 Divinity of Jesus, and thereby to the possession of eternal life. 
 
 The divisions of this Gospel as given by Liicke, are, 1st. The Preface or 
 Summary. (Ch. 1: 1-18.) 
 
 Part I. The official work of our Lord in Galilee. Samaria and Judea — His 
 reception and rejection — His glorification by John the Baptist's testimony — by 
 that of others — by His miracles and by His conflict with the Jews. (Ch. 1 : 18, 
 to 12: 50.) 
 
 Part II. His special glorification in His last supper, and the Discourses of 
 that period, which are so fully related, and His public glorification by His 
 sufferings, death and resurrection. (Ch. 13: 1, to the end.) 
 
 And this great idea of our Lord's glorious worlc is set forth as according to 
 the Fathei''s purpose and the Son's pleasure — and to accomplish the great end 
 of giving Light and Life to mankind through this only Mediator and Intercessor, 
 who also sends the Comforter to take His place in the Church, Avhon He departs 
 to cari-y out this work in Heaven. (Clis. 16 and 17.) 
 
 In all this it is shown that " the public work of Christ manifested His glory, 
 but at the same time led on to His dcatli, which death again manifested His 
 glory." Gradually it appears that His glory is to bo shown forth as the result 
 of tho opposition of His enemies, (ch. 12: 28,) until the Father's testimony 
 forms the transition point from Part I to Part II. 
 
 It is argued that he could not have seen the other Evangelical na,rratives, as 
 an examination of the contents will show that where he gives the same account.-', 
 he has altogether the style of an independent witness, as iu the account of 
 John the Baptist (ch. 1,) — the miraculous feeding (ch. 6,) — and the history from 
 ch. 12. The conuexion between the language of the Gospel and of the Epistles 
 ought to be noted, as ch. 1 : 1, and 1 John 1 : 1. 
 
 That he could not have aimed at making a supplement to the other Gospel 
 narratives would appear from his going over the same ground in part, (ch. : 
 1-14; ch. 18; 19,) and from his nowhere intunating this. 
 
 The Ancients termed this '• the spiritual goftpcl." Ernesti calls it " the heart 
 of Christ." 
 
 "The Spirit took a historical picture out of tlio Lord's whole life and work 
 from His birth to His ascension, and so showed it to the Evangelists, that in 
 their mutually supplementary records, the glory of tho only begotten Sou 
 shines forth to us, full and unimpaired." — Steir. 
 
 " In the fine quartette of the four gospel witnesses, John gives tho hass of a 
 full harmony." Chrysostora says that John, though rising higher than any of 
 the other Evangelists in the statement of Christ's divine nature, descends 
 lower than any other in describing His bodily nffectiona. 
 
 AUTHORSHIP. 
 
 Up to the 18th centur}', this Gospel had been universally acknowledged, 
 except by one insignificant sect, the Alogi. Itwastlien attacked by certain 
 Englisli Deists, .ind by a few German writers, but with poor success. Strauss, 
 more recently, has assailed it, chiefly because, as he admits, " he could not other- 
 wise escape from helieuing the miracles of Christ" Irenseus, who conversed witU 
 
xii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Polycarp, the friend and disciple of John himself, quotes this Gospel as tbo 
 work of John, and as already well known and received in the Christian church. 
 
 Some moderns would attempt to trace it to tlie Gnostics in the latter part 
 of the second century, and some threescore years after Jolin's death. But there 
 is no proof of this, and every proof against it. And, as Liicke has shown, 
 there are clear traces of its being quoted and received by the churches bcloro 
 it was adopted by the Gnostics. Ireuojus used it, at any rate and recognized 
 it at the same time with the Valentiniaus. And if it had been first promulga- 
 ted by the Gnostics, it would not have been received into the Canon by the 
 Christians, as they were violently opposed to those crrorists. 
 
 It is shown in the few fragments of Celsus's book entitled "the true Logos " 
 which Origen has preserved in his treatise "Contra Cclsum," that this early 
 infidel writer was acquainted with this Gospel narrative. Why then, wlien lie 
 battled Christianity to the uttermost, did not Celsus deny that John was the 
 author of this Gospel, especially when he lived so near the time of John, (140) 
 and must have known the facts, and would have denied this if he could? There 
 is also evidence that Valentinus, the Gnostic, early in the second century, 
 borrowed some of his expressions from this Gospel, while he acknowledged 
 John to bo the author. (See Tholuck on John.) 
 
 APOSTOLIC LIFE OF JOHN. 
 
 This Apostle, who was styled by the early Greek writers, " the leaner on the 
 bosom" — or, as we would say, "the bosom friend," of our Lord, was, as we 
 have seen, the last of the twelve in His company before His deatli. The last 
 time wo meet him after the Ascension, we see him, true to his intimacy with 
 the i\Iaster, making him known to Peter — "/^ is the Lord." (Ch. 21 : 7.) In 
 the second year of Christ's Public Ministry he had been chosen from among the 
 chosen disciples to be an Apostle. And out of these twelve thus specially clioscn 
 he was also one of the three most elect, who were admitted to company with 
 our Lord on the most extraordinary occasions. 
 
 Paul, who was called to the Apostleship about ten years later than John, 
 died some 30 to 35 years earlier than he. John and Paul are most eminently 
 the Theologians of the Apostles, though John has received that title. These 
 two have furnished us with the most complete systems of doctrine. Peter has 
 been styled the Apostle of Hope — Paul, the Apostle of Faith — John, the Apostle 
 of Love. 
 
 We observe that John had not been moved by the defection of Peter, which 
 he alone witnessed at the trial of our Lord, but had remained firm, (John 19 : 
 26,) and had cleaved to the Master alone, of the twelve, to the last. 
 
 While Peter and Paul were more addicted to planting, John, like Apollos, 
 was given to' watering. And thus it was reserved for him, as the last of the 
 Apostolic line, to do the work of finishing. Hence, he is termed also the Apostle 
 of completion. He specially preaches and presses on the Church, while he also 
 represents in himself, the love which is most needed to give power and perfect- 
 ness to the Christian body. 
 
 In the Apostolic history we find him alone on the stage during nearly forty 
 years, and engaged in Apostolic labors during the long term of nearly tlireescoro 
 and ten years. AVe find him a party in ihe first miracle, (Acts 3 : 1, &c.) where 
 Peter, as usual, was the speaker — We find him a victim of the first persecution, 
 (Acts 4: 3,) and recognized as one of the two "who had been icith Jesus" — at 
 the trial, (Acts 4: 13.) Though his name is not given, nor that of any but 
 Peter, he was in all probability one of the Apostles who was thrust into the 
 common prison and miraculously delivered at night by the Angel of the Lord. 
 (Acts 5 : 18-20.) He was also engaged with Peter in the temple, and in every 
 house teaching and preaching Jesus Christ. (Acts 5; 42.) We find him sent 
 
INTRODUCTION. liil 
 
 down with Peter to Samaria, to lay hands on the baptized converts of Philip 
 the deacon, and thus to give Apostolic sanction to that work of first extending 
 Christianity beyond the limits of Jerusalem and Judaism to tlie mongrel 
 Samaritans. (Acts 8: 14, &c.) There we see John praying for the descent of 
 the Holy Ghost upon the same Samaritan people, upon whom he was ready 
 once before to call down fire (of wrath) from Heaven. 
 
 The next scene in which we meet him, is that in which he is called to mourn 
 the violent death of his brother James, by the hand of Herod. (Acts 12 : 2.) 
 Subsequently to this he is in his place at the Apostolic Synod convened at 
 Jerusalem, (Acts 15,) where Paul found him with Peter and the other James, 
 as Apostles of tiie circumcision and pillars of the church, (Gal. 2: 1-9,) though 
 he did not see him on his first visit. (Gal. 1 : 19.) His labors thus far were 
 confined chiefly to the Jews and to Jerusalem. We add from Tholuck. 
 
 "As he took the mother of Jesus to his own house, that in accordance with 
 the request of Jesus he might sustain to her the part of a son, (John 19: 27,) 
 !ind as this house probably was in Jerusalem, tradition has drawn the infer- 
 ence that he did not leave Jerusalem before Mary's death, which, according to 
 Euscbius, took place A. D. 48. This much is certain, that John, at the time 
 when Paul was in Ephesus, that is A. D. 58 or 59, was not yet in that city 
 which became the scene of his later labors ; for not only would not Paul labor 
 in places which had been occupied by others, and therefore would not have 
 intruded upon the territory occupied by John, but besides there is a scene 
 (Acts 20: 17,) in which mention of John could not have been avoided had he 
 then been in Ephesus. When, too, Paul wrote his Epistles to Timothy at 
 Ephesus, John was not there. Yet when Paul afterwards comes to Jerusalem, 
 (Acts 21 : 18,) he does not find John there — his absence, however, can hardly 
 have been more than temporary, like the one mentioned. (Acts 8: 14.) The 
 first occasion for John leaving Jerusalem was probably furnished by the death 
 of Paul ; as Asia Minor, where the Christian churches were very numerous, but 
 where also doctrinal errors of the most dangerous character germinated, was the 
 very region to demand the oversight and fostering care of an Apostle. This 
 would bring us to about A. D. 64 or 05. Where he spent the period from A. 
 D. 50 to A. D. 64, we are not informed. But how he spent it wc can have no 
 doubt. 
 
 "During the labors of the Evangelist in those portions of Asia Minor, he was 
 banished by one of the Emperors (Domitian,) to Patmos, one of the ishinds of 
 the Sporades iu the jEgean sea, where, according to Rev. 1 : 9, he wrote the 
 Apocalypse. Irenseus (Adv. Hasres. 5: 30,) and Eusebius following him, 
 (Hist. Eccles. L. III. c. 18,) say, that the Apocalyptic vision was given to 
 John at the end of the reign of Domitian. As this account may be credited, the 
 banishment must have occurred under Domitian, who died A. D. 96. AVe find in 
 addition, in TertuUian (Pra>script adv. haeret. c. 30,) and in Jerome, who adopts 
 his statement, (adv. lovin. L. I. c. 14 ; in Matt. 20: 23, and in other passages,) 
 an account of John's being taken to Rome under Domitian, of his being cast 
 into a vessel of boiling oil, of his miraculous deliverance from it, and of his 
 being subsequently removed to Patmos. As this, however, rests on the authority 
 of no ancient writer, except TertuUian, who was not very ci'itical, and as this 
 sort of capital punishment was unknown in Rome, no importance can be 
 attached to it. (See IMosheim Dissertat. nd. Hist. Eccles. vol. I. p. 497, seq.) 
 There is an independent testimony that John sufiered for the faith, in the fact 
 that Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, (about A. D. 200) calls him ftuprvg, 'a 
 martyr' (Eusebius. Histor. Eccles. V. 24,) though this is disputed. The 
 return from exile is to be dated under Ncrva. (Euseb. Histor. Eccles. L. III. c. 
 20: 23. Jerome Catal. Scriptor. Eccles. c. IX.) In the Ecclesiastical tradition 
 he appears as the centre of the church life iu Asia Minor, in so much that 
 2 
 
xiv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 in the coiitrovevsies, ns for esample the one about Easter, and in the struggle 
 ■v\ith the Gnostics, he is referred to, and frequent mention is made of his disci- 
 l)lcs and hearers. Wlien upwards of ninety years of age (according to Jerome, 
 lie was n imudrcJ, according to Saidas a hundred and twenty years okl,) he 
 died at Epiiesus, in the reign of Trajan. 
 
 Contents and ror.Ji of John's Gospel as compared with the fisst 
 TiiREK Gospels. 
 
 "With reference to its contents and form, this Gospel is, throughout, peculiar, 
 and in this peculiarity lies a charm and a power of attraction, which have not 
 only caused it to be preferred to the other Gospels, but have led many to rank 
 it above all other Cooks of the Bible. All the leaders of the voice of the Church 
 have been full of its praises. Augustine (Tract. 86, in Johan.)declares: 'In 
 the four Gospels, or rather in the four books of the one gospel, the apostle 
 John, not undeservedly with reference to his spiritual understanding compared 
 to an eagle, has lifted higher and far more sublimely than the other three 
 his proclamation, and in lifting it up, he has wished our licarts also to be 
 lifted. For the other three Evangelists walked, so to speak, on earth with our 
 Lord as man: of His divinity they said but few things; but John, as if it 
 oppressed him to walk on earth, has opened his words as it were with a burst 
 of thunder, has lifted himself not only above earth and every spht.Te of sky and 
 heaven, but even above every host of angels and every order of invisible 
 powers, and reaches to Him, by whom all things were made, as he says : 'In 
 the beginning was the AVord,' &c. He proclaims other things in keeping with 
 this great sublimity with which he begins, and speaks of the divinity of our 
 Lord as no other person has spoken. He pours forth that of Avhich he had 
 drunk. For not without a reason is it mentioned in his own Gospel, that at 
 the feast he reclined upon the bosom of his Lord. From that bosom he had 
 in secresy drunk in the stream, but what he drank in secret he poiired forth 
 openly.' And Origen (Comm. p. 6, Ed. Huet.) says: 'We may presume (hen 
 to say that the Gospels are the first fruits of all the Scriptures, and tlie first 
 fruits of the Gospels is that of John, into whose meaning no man can enter, 
 unless he has reclined upon the bosom of Jesus ... he must V.)ecori'.o a second 
 John, and take John as a Jesus from Jesus.' (Origen means to say, the 
 Expositor must so enter into the spirit of John, that John, as one filled by 
 
 Jesus, appears as the counterpart of Jesus himself.) 
 
 Herder exclaims: 'It is written by the 
 
 hand of an angel.' This impression is a result as well of the literary form of 
 the Gospel as of its substance. As regax-ds the substance, it is more detached 
 from special Jewish references than the others, and appeals in a more lively 
 manner to the sensibilities than do the instructions mostl}' beaiing on practical 
 life, which are recorded in the synoptical Gospels. The superhuman in Christ, 
 the necessity of faith in Him, regeneration, the mystical union of believers wilh 
 Him and with one another, the commandment of love and the blessing atlaclied 
 to it, these are the chief themes of John's teaching, and VAimy of the facts 
 recorded by him, and peculiar to his Gospel, correspond with them. Among 
 these are presented the condescending love of Christ seeking men. His tender 
 relation as a man to John, His position of earnestness, yet of forbearance tow:;rd 
 Ilis betrayer. His superhuman knowledge. His glorification in suffering, and the 
 obstinate unbelief of the world. To this substance, the peculiar character of 
 the author's spirit impressing itself on the language, has imparted a form 
 which enlists the sensibilities in a high degree. The noble simplicity on the 
 one side, on the other its indeterminatcness, the dim mystery of the narration, 
 the tone of grief and of longing with the light of love shedding its tremulous 
 beam on the whole, these impart to the Gospel a charm, a peculiar originality. 
 
INTRODUCilON. 
 
 XT 
 
 to which, out of the writings of John no p.irallel can be found. To these is to 
 be added the plastic power of the narrative to bring its scenes vividly before the 
 eye. The localities are fully marked, c. 1: 28; 4:5; 5:2; 6: 59; 10: 23— 
 tlicdates, 4: 6; 5: 9; 6: 4; 7: 2— personal traits, 11 : 5; 12: 29; 18: 10; 
 7: 2-5 — manners, 2 : 0; 4: 9; 18: 39; 19: 31 — gestures and passions, 18: G, 
 8; 11 : 35, 38. The fact, too, that Christ's discourses rather than outward 
 facts, are given at large, that the disciple not only stands before the history of 
 the Lord, but in it and over it, and, as is the method in every work of Art, 
 reproduces it from a noble subjectivity, and accompanies it with remarks of 
 his own, (2: 21; 3: 16, 31; 6: 64; 7: 39; 10: 6; 12: 33, and 35— 50 ; 
 19: 35-20, 30, 31.) contributes to impart to this delineation a life and vivifying 
 character beyond that of the other Evangelists. 
 
 " Precisely these peculiarities, nevertheless, in the substance and form of tho 
 Gospel, which have excited the praises of the leading spirits of all ages, have 
 furnished the points on which, in recent times, the most formidable attacks 
 have been made on its genuineness and authenticity. The more widely the 
 fourth Gospel deviates from the type of the first three, the more distinct the 
 history and the discourses both in form and substance, the more ready have 
 modern doubters been to dispute, first, its authenticity, and then its genuine- 
 ness." (Tholuck's Int., 6th Edition, Krauth.) 
 
 But this Gospel narrative would naturally enough be different from the rest, 
 supposing John — or the Holy Spirit acting in John — to have had any distinct 
 object in writing it at a period so much later in the Apostolic age. T!ie circum- 
 stances of the Church would be different, calling for the Life of Christ in still 
 a different aspect. The early struggles with Pharisaic Judaism, from the time 
 of Stephen, and through the labors of Paul, had passed t^irough great crises, 
 such as the Apostolic Synod, (Acts 15,) A. I'. 50, and the destruction of Jerusa- 
 lem and of the Temple, A. D. 70. It was in the direction of the great doctrine of 
 universality as distinct from Jewish exdusivencss that the first three Evangelists 
 had set forth the Christian system as a system intended to extend to all 
 nations. The narrative of John pre-supposcs the fonrer Gospel histories, 
 and therefore passes over many important items as i'aiuiliarly known. Alreadj', 
 in Paul's Epistle to the Colossians and to Timothy, and in Peter's second Papistic, 
 and that of Jude, another element of heresy had been aimed at, as working 
 more or less in vain .speculations about the person and work of Christ. This, 
 together with the old workings of dissent in the outward body of believers, 
 tending to a final separation of the strict Jewish element, presented a new 
 aspect of things — new difficulties which John was most adapted to meet: — and 
 a new phase of error, or rather a group of errors in new combinations, which 
 it was the mission of his Gospel narrative by the Spirit to proviile against, in 
 the way not of direct confutation, but of doctrinal testimony, which would 
 stand as a protest against all the like errors to all time. Unbelief in Christ 
 was that sin of which the Holy Spirit would convict t'ne world at His coming — • 
 and the sin and the conviction are going on to this daj'. And w'uat portion of 
 Scripture is more adapted to wcrk the conviction, or more employed by the 
 Spirit for that end, than this Gospel by John ? The great doctrine of Justifi- 
 cation by faith, which Paul had so elaborated, was not fully brought out by 
 the Fathers, except by Augustin and his school, so that its neglect and perver- 
 sion in the nominal Christendom called loudly for the Reformation. Hosts of 
 sects sprang up with every hue and form of error in regard to the proper God- 
 head of Christ. 
 
 Such as Arius in the fourth century, with all his train of Sociuians, &o., 
 have kept up the pervei-siou. And even now, the denial of Christ's proj.er 
 Godhead is the sin of our day. And John's profound, loving statements, and 
 his embodiment of the Diseouraes of our Lord are for us and for all time, a 
 
rvt THE GOSPEL rLlRMO.NT. 
 
 refutation of the whole tribe of eiTors on this vital point, and prove themselvcB 
 wonderfully adapted to us, as truly as to any past age. 
 
 Jlence, while the other Evaugelists begin from below and go upward, 
 tracing our Lord's History from Abraham, (as Matthew,) or from Adam, (aa 
 Luke,) John begins above and comes downward — tracing oui- Lord from His 
 eternal abode with the Father, and coming down to His earthly estate. And 
 everywhere he plainly draws his language from the bosom of his Lord, on 
 which he leaned. 
 
 THE GOSPEL HARMONY. 
 
 We suppose that, on the whole, no " Synopsis of the Harmony" is preferable 
 to that of Gresswell, adopted by Robinson. Not, that it is, in every par- 
 ticular beyond dispute — not that in some respects it might not be corrected— 
 but it must be borne in mind that any attempt at harmonizing, can be 
 expected only to approximate an adjustment of all points — that, in such con- 
 densed narratives, we must needs lack much of the filling up which would 
 serve to reconcile the accounts — and that if we were furnished with full par- 
 ticulars from each of the narrators, the whole business of harmonizing would 
 be comparatively easy. Some critics, as Alford, hold it quite impossible to 
 construct any satisfactory harmony of the fragmentary narratives as we have 
 them. See "Synopsis of the Harmon^'." Notes on Matt. 
 
 The History is properly divided into nine parts. 
 
 Part I, relating to '■'the birth and childhood of our Lord, tcith the events con- 
 nected," covers about thirteen and a half years. This begins with the preface to 
 Luke's Gospel History, and extends to our Lord's first visit to the Temple at 
 Jerusalem, on his reaching twelve years of age. This portion of the history 
 is given mainly by Luke, in part by Matthew, and not at all by either Mark 
 or John. The birth of John the Baptist is given by Luke .ilone — the birth 
 of Jesus chiefly by Luke, and only impliedly by Matthew, while Matthew, and 
 not Luke, gives the angel's appearing to Joseph, announcing the birth as to 
 occur ; and Luke, and not Matthew, j;ives the angel's appearing to the shep- 
 herds, announcing the birth as having occurred. Luke alone gives the visit to 
 the Temple for His circumcision and presentation, while Matthew alone records 
 the visit of the ^Lagi to the infant Jesus at Bethlehem. The flight into Egypt 
 is recorded by both these Evangelists, and the going up to the Temple at 
 twelve yeai's of age, is recorded by Luke only. 
 
 Here occurs an interval q^ sixteen a7ul a half years. 
 
 The marked silence in regard to this portion of our Lord's hist^rj', would 
 seem to be rather for the purpose of magnifying His Public work, in compar- 
 ison of which His private and preliminary life sinks into insignificance, and 
 in reference to which alone it must have all its importance. [See Trench 
 JIuls. Lrct.) 
 
 Part II relates to the announcement and introduction of our Lord's Public 
 Ministry, Cuveriug about one year, and beginning at within six months of our 
 Lord's entrance upon His Public Ministry. At this point John the Baptist's 
 Ministry commences — six months prior to our Lord's, as we infer from his 
 being born six months earlier, and entering upon his work at the same time of 
 life, as provided by the law. Tha three sj'uoptical Evangelists give John'a 
 
THE GOSPEL HARMONY. xvii 
 
 Ministry, Christ's Baptism and Temptation, and then at this point John begins 
 his narrative, with the Baptist's Testimony, Jesus's first gathering of disciples, 
 and the first Miracle — at the marriage at Cana in Galilee. 
 
 Part III relates to our Lord's First Passover, with the leading events to the 
 Second Passover, covering, of course, one year. 
 
 We observe here, that John alone gives our Lord's signal and symbolical 
 transaction at His First Passover, driving the traders out of the Temple, while 
 the other three Evangelists narrate the second cleansing towards the close of om* 
 Lord's iMinistry. At the first cleansing, as given by John, Jesus said, "make 
 not my Father's house a house of merchandise." At the second cleansing, 
 as given by the others. He said moi"e severely, as was fit, " Ye have made it a 
 den of thieves." John alone records, according to his doctrinal aim, the con- 
 ver?ation of Jesus with the noted Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrim, who 
 sought some enlightenment as to His work. He .alone gives also Jesus's 
 further step of teaching and baptizing, and the Baptist's further testimony to 
 Him ; Avhile the four Evangelists record John the Baptist's imprisonment, and 
 Jesus's departure into Galilee — the event, observe, upon which hinges the Public 
 Ministry of our Lord. That in Judea had been preliminary. Accordingly 
 the Public Teaching of Jesus in Galilee, which begins at the time of John's 
 Imprisonment, is given by all the four Evangelists, while John, who attended 
 afterwards on the first propagation of the Gospel in Samaria, records the inter- 
 esting conversation with the Samaritan woman. The only other event under 
 this First Passovei*, which John narrates, is the second miracle of our Lord, 
 which was wrought at the same place as the first — the healing at Cana of the 
 Capernaum nobleman's son. After this, Matthew and Luke record our Lord's 
 visit to Nazareth, and His rejection there. The three Synoptists give the call 
 of Peter and Andrew, James and John, with the first miracle of the fishes. 
 John, observe, does not narrate the circumstances, or even the fact of his own 
 call. Of course, however, it is taken for granted in all his narrative. 
 
 After this, the other Evangelists relate four works of healing at or near 
 Capernaum, where our Lord went from Nazareth, on His rejection, and they 
 close with the call of Matthew the Publican, at Capernaum. 
 
 John has thus far glanced lightly at the leading points of the history, and 
 has followed the chronological order. 
 
 Part IV, wliich covers the second year of our Lord's Public Ministry, opens 
 ■with John's narrative of the cure wrought by our Lord upon the impotent man 
 at the Pool of Bethesda, (Jerus.alem.) chap. 5. After this he gives us no 
 record of the important events which occurred during this year, until, just at 
 its close, he records the return of the twelve Apostles, (which of course implies 
 their call and commission, though he has not recorded these,) and the miracle 
 of feeding the five thousand, our Lord's walking upon the water, and His dis- 
 course to the multitude in the Synagogue at Capernaum, which led to the 
 turning back of many, and was followed by Peter's confession of faith. All 
 these items are given in one chapter. (Ch. G.) 
 
 The solemn designation of the twelve Apostles, is given by Mprk and Luke. 
 The Sermon on the Mount is given by ^latthew and Luke. This prominent 
 discourse of our Lord we should rather have expected to get from John also, 
 though on examination we see liow it is suited rather to Matthew's object of 
 setting forth the relations to the old economy; and to Luke's object of pro- 
 claiming the great Scriptural principle of universality in the Gospel call. Many 
 miracles and teachings of our Lord, with some Parables, are meanwhile 
 recorded, usually by two of the Evangelists, and often by three. The instruc- 
 tions and mission of the twelve arc given by Matthew only. 
 
 Part V, which covers a, period of six months, is remarkable as having only 
 one item recorded by John, and that at the close, the imjortant visit of our 
 2* 
 
xviii THE GOSPEL HARMONY. 
 
 Lord to Jerusalem, at the Feast of Tabernacles, and His final departure from 
 Galilee, with the incidents in Samaria. (Chap. 7: 2-10.) 
 
 Part VI, covering the next six months, and bringing us to the last ■week of 
 our Lord's history before His death, gives us John's account of our Lord's Dis- 
 courses at the Festival of Tabernacles, -which no other Evangelist has given. 
 And throughout this part we find John giving the narrative of events at and 
 about Jerusalem, while the other Evangelists, and especially Luke, give the 
 incidents, parables, &c. in the journey to Perea. The healing of the man 
 born blind, and the raising of Lazarus, are given by John alone, inasmuch A3 
 these miracles were directly connected, in John's view, with the Crucifixion. 
 He then passes to the close of this Part, our Lord's arrival at Bethany after 
 the opening of the Passover week. (Ch. 11 : 55; ch. 12.) 
 
 Part VII, which covers only five days, opens with John's narrative of our 
 Lord's Public Entry into Jerusalem, (ch. 12: 12-19,) aft#r which, passing over 
 even this cleansing of the Temple, he notes the visit of the Greeks inquiring 
 afier Christ, and gives the profound and precious reflections of our Lord on 
 that striking occasion; whence he pasi;es by even the final departure from the 
 Temple, to record the conspiring of the Ilulers, and the Treachery of Judas. 
 (Ch. 12: 2-8.) 
 
 Part VIII is more fully given by John, in connexion with all the other 
 Evangelists, the fourfold witness being thus remarkably furnished to these 
 closing facts of our Saviour's sufi"erings and death. John here brings forward 
 those golden Discourses, and that wonderful Intercessory Prayer of our Lord, 
 (chs. 14 to 17,) by the aid of that Spirit which was promised in them, espe- 
 cially to the twelve, for this purpose. Remarkable as it is, John alone omits 
 the account of the Lord's Supper, while he alone gives the promise of the 
 Comforter. He alone omits also the agony in Gethsemane, the rending of the 
 Temple Vail, and of the graves of the Saints. These leading events were 
 familiarly known. 
 
 Part IX, covering the Resurrection and subsequent forty days, is given very 
 much in detail by John, though he omits some particulars furnished by the 
 other Evangelists, as the appearing of our Lord to Peter, and to the two disciples 
 on the way to Emmaus, as also to the Apostles and above five hundred 
 brethren on a Mountain in Galilee. He alone gives the striking account of 
 Thomas, as he was challenged by the wounds of our Lord, and was led to cry 
 out in view of Christ, as a personal Saviour, "Mt Lord and my God." 
 
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOKST. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 N * the beginning was the 
 Word, ^ and the Word was 
 
 nPr. 8. 22-31, Col. 1.16, 17. IJno. 1. 1. 5 Re. 19. 13. 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The commencement, of John's narra- 
 tive is at the 17th Section of the history. 
 (See Synopsis in front of Vol. I.) The 
 other Evangelists have given particu- 
 lars prepai-atory to Christ's birth. 
 Luke began with the birth of John the 
 Baptist. John omits all these early 
 details, which he supposes to be per- 
 fectly familiar, and at once proceeds to 
 treat of Christ as the Son of God. He 
 passes by the whole of Part I, con- 
 nected with the birth and childhood of 
 oirr Lord, and omits in Part II the 
 ministry of John the Baptist, and even 
 the Baptism and Temptation of Jesus 
 as given by the other Evangelists. 
 § 17. Pkeface to John's Gospel 
 
 History. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. I Lake. | John. 
 
 I I I 1. 1-18. 
 
 1-18. The Evangelist opens his Gos- 
 pel narrative with this introductory 
 passage. It sets forth the glorious 
 subject of his history, and shows his 
 own particular object as a historian. 
 These statements are, indeed, a brief 
 compend of the whole Gospel record 
 as he designs to give it. The sum- 
 mary is this — 
 
 God revealed Himself in the Personal 
 "Word. The Word was Eternal, was 
 the Creator of all things, was life and 
 light to men, became man, dwelt among 
 us, was witnessed to by John the Bap- 
 tist, rejected by His own people, but 
 was received by some, to whom he 
 gave the prerogative to become sons 
 of God. He was the perfection and 
 end of God's revelation of Himself, 
 and so was far greater than Moses. 
 
 Quesnel calls the first verse "the 
 Gospel of the most Holy Trinity. Our 
 knowledge thereof ought to begin with 
 
 with " God, and the Word was ^ 
 God. 
 
 that of THE Son," who reveals the 
 Father, and whom the Holy Spirit 
 reveals to us. 
 
 1. In the beginning. According to 
 John's object, as appears in all the 
 history, he begins by setting forth the 
 eternal pre-existence of Jesus Christ, 
 His personal co-existence with the 
 Father, and His divine essence as God. 
 Here, therefore, he goes back to the 
 beginning — the origin of all things, to 
 which Moses went back in his history 
 of the Creation, when he said, "In the 
 beginning God created the heavens and 
 the earth." And John says "In the 
 beginning," at this commencement of all 
 things, the AVord ivas-^WiQ Word already 
 existed. Of course, then, the Word 
 existed before all created things. There 
 can be but one Being who is uncreated^ 
 and He can never have had a begin- 
 ning, and this Being is God. And, 
 as he further shows in verse 3, this 
 very Word was so far from being cre- 
 ated at that time or at any time, that 
 all things were made by Him. This, 
 of itself, would prove Him to be God. 
 This agrees with what our Lord de- 
 clared of Himself, (8: 58,) "Before 
 Abraham was, I am." And John, (vs. 
 18,) "No man hath seen God at any 
 time ; the only begotten Son, which is in the 
 bosom of the Father, He hath declared 
 Him." 
 
 If the phrase, "in the beginning," 
 which is here used so unqualifiedly, be 
 taken to refer to that absolute original 
 which is eternity, the sense would be. 
 In eternity the Word was, or existed. 
 As there is nothing hero to define this 
 beginning, nothing of Avhich a begin- 
 ning is mentioned, as in Gen. 1:1, but 
 as it is absolutely "the beginning" that 
 is spoken of, this might be the sense of 
 the phrase here. 1[ Was — existed. This 
 (19) 
 
20 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 term does not mean was created or was 
 made, or began to be. Quite a different 
 ■word is used in vs. 14, wbere the Evan- 
 gelist speaks of what this Eternal 
 Word became, when He took our flesh. 
 But here the verb to be is in the indef- 
 inite past, and means existed. The 
 Word existed already, in the beginning. 
 The terms cannot possibly teach any- 
 thing less than the great truth that 
 Jesus Christ existed in eternity, an 
 enduring, timeless existence, before 
 the foundation of the world. See Col. 
 1: 16, 17; Rev. 22: 13; 1 John 1: 1, 
 2, 13; Isa. 43: 13; Prov. 8: 23. So 
 John, in other terms sets forth the 
 Eternity of the Word, in 1 John 1 : 2, 
 as "that Eternal Life which was with 
 the Father, and was manifested unto 
 us." Augustine says, " He who is in 
 the beginning, comprehended every 
 beginning within Himself." TheAVord 
 already existed in the beginning, and 
 therefore was without beginning. See 
 chap. 3: 13; G: 46,62; 17: 5; 8: 14; 
 16: 28. So says Paul to the Colos- 
 sians, "He is before all things," the 
 beginning, the Great First Cause. 
 Col. 1 : 16-18. So John, in the Eeve- 
 lation, heard Him call Himself, "the 
 Alpha and the Omega," (Rev. 1:8,) 
 "the beginning of the creation of God," 
 (Rev. 3: 14,) who gave it "beginning," 
 the original source of all creature exis- 
 tence. So in the first Epistle, John 
 speaks of Christ as "that which was 
 from the beginning." 1 John 1 : 1, 2, 
 13. TT The Word. Greek, The Logos. 
 That a Being, a Person, is meant by 
 this term, is plain from all the context. 
 It is He by whom all things were made, 
 &c. vss. 3, 10, 11, 12. That this Be- 
 ing was none other than Jesus Christ, 
 is also plain, for it is He who became 
 flesh, (vs. 14,) and to whom John bare 
 witness, vs. 15. See vs. 30. The term 
 is never used to signify an attribute of 
 God, as Reason. The usual Scripture 
 sense is Speech, or Word. Calvin 
 translates it "Speech." Christ is not so 
 called as lie who speaks, or as He who 
 is spoken of, "the promised one," nor 
 even as He who is the author of the 
 Gospel word, but rather as He by whom 
 God reveals Himself to man, and com- 
 
 municates His mind and will. Christ 
 Jesus is the Revealer of the Godhead, 
 "the only begotten Son which is intho 
 bosom of the Father, He hath de- 
 clared Him." verse 18. The term 
 "Word" would seem well adapted to 
 expi-ess this. A word is that by which 
 we communicate our thoughts to 
 others. Our thoughts are even carried 
 on in words. We think in words. 
 They are the natural medium of our 
 mental operations. The Word is one 
 with God ; and not as a mere acting 
 out of God, or manifestation of Him, 
 but as the Second Person of the glori- 
 ous Trinity. As God in eternity loved, 
 so He supremely loved this Being Avho 
 was in His bosom. And in the fullness 
 of time this Being "became flesh," 
 and revealed God to man. At the very 
 beginning of the Creation, God is rep- 
 resented as operating by His word, 
 when He said "Let there be light," 
 and this, in vd. 3, is referred to the 
 agency of this Eternal, Personal Word. 
 So, throughout the Old Testament, the 
 Word of God came to be gradually 
 more and more distinctly set forth as a 
 personal revelation of God's mind and 
 will in reference to man, just as the 
 "Wisdom" was the pei'sonal revela- 
 tion of Himself in regard to His own 
 essence and attributes. Prov. 8: 9; 
 Job 28 : 12. We find also in the Jewish 
 Targum, or paraphrase of the Histori- 
 cal Scriptures, dating near the time of 
 our Lord, the name " Word of Jehovali" 
 occurring to designate Jehovah, and 
 especially the revelation of Jehovah in 
 the Schecinah. See Da Costa's Four 
 Witnesses, p. 249. So in Josh. 1 : 9, 
 the reading is given, " For the Woi'd 
 of the Lord thy God is thy helj'er, 
 whithersoever thou goest." Josh. 3: 
 
 7. As my Word was the helper of 
 Moses, so my Word will be thy helper. 
 2 Sam. 2: 1. David inquii-ed through 
 the Word of the Lord, &c. 2 Sam. 
 19:7. For I swear by the V.'ord of the 
 Lord. The same term is used by the 
 Chaldee paraphrasts, in passages which 
 set forth the acts of God, as in Isa. 45 : 
 12. "I (by my Word, Chald. ) have made 
 the earth," So, Isa. 58 : 13, and Gen. 3 : 
 
 8, "The voice of the Word of God 
 
CHAP. L 
 
 fl 
 
 spake." They used it plainly in a per- 
 sonal sense. Also in the apocryphal 
 books that were written before Christ, 
 this use of the term is most apparent. 
 Among the Alexandrian Jews, who 
 mixed their religious views with the 
 Greek philosophy, (Plato's,) and with 
 the Oriental mysteries, the term was em- 
 ployed to denote a kind of second person 
 of God, but rather the mind, word or 
 reason of the First Person. The wri- 
 tings of Philo, at the very time of 
 Christ, Jire most remarkable in speak- 
 ing of the Logos or Word, as a most 
 exalted being, (or attribute,) but con- 
 fused with false philosophies. From 
 all these sources there would naturally 
 be found among the early Christian 
 converts such expressions, whether 
 they had come from Judaism or from 
 Paganism. John alone among the 
 New Testament writers uses the term, 
 in application to the Messiah, and he 
 only in this introduction, and in his 
 fii'st Epistle and Revelation. 1 John 
 1: 1, 2; Rev. 19: 11-13. John 
 therefore found the term already in 
 common use, and he employs it with- 
 out remark. False philosophy was 
 dealing out to the world all kinds of 
 error in regard to God, and the modes 
 of the Divine existence. What dark- 
 ened reason was thus struggling after, 
 when ' ' the world by wisdom knew not 
 God," John was commissioned to set 
 forth, as God's own Revelation of Him- 
 self. The Evangelist borrowed none 
 of his doctrines from those systems. 
 But he takes, in this case, a term that 
 had become so universally familiarized 
 in the chief philosophies of the world 
 before Christ's coming, and this Logos 
 that they had spoken of, so blindly and 
 ignorantly, he declares unto them. 
 See Introduction, (Object.) ^ With 
 God. In most intimate connexion 
 with — "■In the losoni of," (vs. 18.) 
 This showa that the Logos or Word 
 here spoken of, does not mean an 
 attribute of God; for how absurd it 
 would be to declare here by revelation, 
 that the reason, or wisdom, or power 
 of God was with God. This clause, 
 therefore, shows us that the Being 
 called "the Word," who was "mado 
 
 flesh," ("vs. 14,) was in i/fjst intimatt 
 union with God, and of course was in 
 some respect to ))e distinguished from 
 God, (the Father,) and yet in the next 
 clause it is declared that the Word was 
 truly and essentially God. Some have 
 pretended that the Father and Son are 
 only different modes of the Divine 
 operation. But this is most carefully 
 and expressly guarded against by this 
 clause. There is a plain distinction 
 here asserted between " the Word " and 
 " God, " and this is more fully ex- 
 plained in vs. 18, as "the only begotten 
 Son, which is in the bosom of the 
 Father." Inch. 17: 5, Jesus speaks 
 of "the glory which He had with the 
 Father before the world was. " Wisdom 
 in the Proverbs says, "The Lord pos- 
 sessed me in the beginning of His way. 
 I was hy Him as one brought up with 
 Him." (Prov. 8: 22.) ^ Was God. 
 This clause is further necessary to de- 
 clare the whole truth. The Word 
 besides being ^'with God," and so, in 
 some sense, making -a distinction in 
 the Godhead, was essentially and truly 
 God. These clauses are to be taken 
 together. They are both true — they 
 are equally revealed, whether we can 
 reconcile them plainly or not. We 
 could not expect to understand per- 
 fectly the modes of the Divine exis- 
 tence. The philosophy of Philo taught 
 that the Word was a second God, and 
 so was with God, as beside the Eternal 
 God. Da Costa, p. 233. Plato made 
 the Word to be the mird, or reason of 
 God, and a kind of Second Person, but 
 not very God. John shows that the 
 true Word, the true Revealer of tho 
 Godhead, the Lord Jesus Chi'ist, was 
 essentially God. He could not have 
 meant to say that God was the Word, 
 as some would read it, for he had just 
 said that the Vv'ord was with God as 
 somehow distinct from God, and he is 
 all along speaking of the Word and 
 describing the Word. And the Greek 
 does not allow such a reading. Besides, 
 in the next verse, the distinction in the 
 Godhead is more particularly dwelt 
 upon. Here the term "God " is without 
 the article, and is meant to designate 
 not the Fa til ©r — as in tho preceding 
 
22 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 2 The same was in the beginning 
 with God. 
 
 clause and in the following — but the 
 Divine essence, in which the Son was 
 equal with the Father. It is not inter- 
 mediate or inferior Being that is spoken 
 of, but one who is "the same in sub- 
 stance, equal in power and glory" with 
 the Father — as is plainly shown from 
 other passages of Scripture. This verse 
 teaches — 1st. That the Word existed 
 before all things, and from Eternity — 
 and existed with God the Father — and 
 was really and truly God. The Lord 
 Jesus Christ was ^Hhe Eternal Son of 
 God," Christ is called God elsewhere, 
 as ch. 20 : 28 ; Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1 ; 
 8, 9, 10-12 ; 1 John 5 : 20. 
 
 2. Not only was the Word "in the 
 beginning" as to duration — and "with 
 God" as to relation — and "God," as to 
 essence, but the Word was in this relation 
 from the very first. There never was 
 a time when the Word was not with 
 Gcd. If the terms " in the beginning " 
 refer io the creation of all things, (Gen. 
 1 : 1,) when the Word already existed, 
 it is here said that the Word already 
 and always existed in this relation to 
 the Father, of essential union. The 
 distinction, in unity, is here more 
 particularly pointed out. And as the 
 union was from Eternity, it must have 
 been in the nature or essence, and not 
 any mere temporary connexion. This 
 verse thus prepares the way for the 
 next, which declares that the created 
 universe was made by Him. So Solo- 
 mon speaks of the Personal Wisdom, 
 (Prov. 7: 30,) "Then was I by Him 
 as one brought up with Him." Observe 
 
 1. John speaks of the Personal Word. 
 
 2. It is the same who was made or 
 became flesh, and to whom John the 
 Baptist testified, and this was Jesus 
 Christ, who was the Eternal Son of God 
 and became man. 3. ]l&u-as,ov existed 
 already at the very first, and hence, 
 was not created, but by Himself all 
 things were created, (vs. 3,) and there- 
 fore He was no creature. 4. He was 
 Himself God, (vs. 1,) and yet in some 
 sense distinct from God the Father, 
 
 3 All ' things were made by 
 him; and without him was not 
 
 1 Ps. 33. 6. Eph. 3. 9. 
 
 but not in any sense inferior — and 
 hence, we learn that they are "one 
 God — the same in substance, equal in 
 power aud glory." How comforting 
 is it that He by whom the worlds were 
 made "2« the beginning," is He by 
 whom God "in these last days" hath 
 spoken to us, in the Gospel. Heb. 1 : 
 2. " See that ye refuse not Him that 
 speaketh" — the IMediator of the New 
 Covenant. Heb. 12: 21, 25. 
 
 3. All things, tj'c In vs. 10, the world. 
 As the term Logos means the Word, 
 and is applied to the Son as the 
 Revealer of the Godhead, i*, is now 
 stated that He revealed the Godhead 
 in the creation of the world. He is 
 the creative Word of God. Of course 
 He existed before the world w&s, and 
 is no creature. He was in the bosom 
 of the Father, (vs. 18,) and had His 
 glory with the Father, (ch. 17: 5,) 
 "before the world was;" and when 
 the universe was created it was done 
 by Him. "All things" cannot mean, as 
 some say, all Christian virtues ; for in 
 vs. 10, it is distinctly said to be t?ie 
 World, which was made by Him. The 
 Theosophists held that the v7.rj or mat- 
 ter was co-eternal with God. John 
 declares the contrary, viz: that the 
 material universe was created, and was 
 created by Him. Hebrews 1 : 2; Rev. 
 4: 11; Col. 1: 16: 1 Cor. 3: 6. 
 If Were made. Literally, became; the 
 term is used here in a sense distinct 
 from independent, original being, such 
 as that in vs. 1. He was. The world Zie- 
 came. He who was, (vs. 1,) became flesh, 
 vs. 14. It is used of creating or form- 
 ing out of nothing. See James 3: 9; 
 Gen. 2 : 4; Isa. 48: 7; Gr. version. 
 T[ By Him. All creature existence 
 is traced up to Him, as therefore 
 Heir of all things, (Heb. 1 : 2,) where 
 the Father is said to have created by 
 Him, "By whom also He made the 
 worlds." All beings depend on Him, 
 and He is, therefore, Proprietor of all. 
 It was not by His external assistance, 
 but by Him as the Word, the revealer 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 23 
 
 any thing made that was made. 
 4 In him " was life ; and the life 
 •was the light " of men. 
 
 c. 15. 26. 1 John 5. 11. b o. 8. 12. 
 
 of the Godhead. This leads us back 
 to Gen. 1:3; where "God said, Let 
 there be Light." This creative word 
 of God is here referred to the Personal 
 Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. What 
 is said by Moses in Genesis to have 
 been done by God, is here said to have 
 been done by the Divine Word, who, 
 therefore, tvas God, as is here said. 
 Christ's creative work was the reveal- 
 ing or manifestation of the Father 
 in creation. ^ And ivithout Him. The 
 doctrine is now more fully stated, 
 so that there can be no mistake. 
 Literally — " and without Him not one 
 thing became, or was made, which was 
 made." By this it is shown that there 
 could have been no independent power 
 besides. All existences besides God 
 had their origin in this way. Every- 
 thing became or was made thus, and did 
 not exist of itself — not even one thing 
 of all. The doctrine which some held 
 in John's time, that matter as an inde- 
 pendent principle and the source of 
 evil, existed of itself from Eternity, is 
 here positively denied. Thus Ominipo- 
 tence is ascribed to Jesus Christ. He 
 was essential to the creation. This 
 He could not be without being God 
 Himself. The works of the Father 
 are ascribed to Him. On this point 
 also He rests his own claim. Ch. 10: 
 37. " If I do not the works of my 
 Father, believe me not." He is " equal 
 in power and glory" with the Father. 
 Philo and the philosophizing Jews and 
 Gentiles of that time held that the 
 Logos made the world inslrumentally. 
 (Virg. Eneid, VI, 724.) John accord- 
 ingly here means to say that He made 
 the world efficiently — on account of His 
 oneness with the Father. He could 
 not have had the capacity to execute 
 such an oifice, if it had been entrusted 
 or delegated to Him, unless He was 
 God. How glorious that our Saviour 
 is so Omnipotent — able also to save them 
 to the uttermost who come unto God 
 
 5 And the light shineth in ° dark- 
 ness; and the darkness comnre- 
 hended ** it not. 
 
 : 0.3.19. dl. Cor. 2. 11. 
 
 through Him. Heb. 7: 25. Paul, in 
 his Epistle to the Colossians, written 
 probably some 30 years earlier than 
 this, presents the doctrine of Christ's 
 Creatorship more fully, with an eye to 
 errors already existing, and with the 
 intent of the Spii'it to testify against 
 kindred errors in all time. See Col. 
 ch. 1 : IG. " The inheritance of the 
 saints in light," (vs. 4,) is called "the 
 kingdom of the Son of His Love," 
 (Col. 3: 35,) who is " the Image of 
 the invisible God." Ch. 1:18. "For 
 by Him, (Literally, 'm Him'') were 
 all things created, that are in 
 Heaven and that ajre on earth, visible 
 and invisible, &c., all things were 
 created bg Him and for Him. And 
 He is before all things, and by Him 
 all things consist — who is the begin- 
 ning.''' Thus His creatorship is vari- 
 ously described. "Let no one say He 
 is an inferior agent. The creation 
 was in Him. Let no one say He is 
 but a source. It is by Him. Let no 
 one look on him as a mere deputy. 
 It is for Him. He is the Supreme 
 Creator — Himself the agent and end." 
 See Dr. Eadie, Colossians. 
 
 4. In Him ivas Life. As the creation 
 of all things was by Him, so all Life is 
 to be traced up to Him as the original 
 source. No creatures could have life 
 except as through Him. He was the 
 source of life to the animal and vegeta- 
 ble worlds. And in a much higher 
 sense also, life, in its spiritual fullness 
 is in Him, and froin Him alone can 
 true and eternal life be had. This 
 prerogative in the spiritual world is 
 most important. He claims it for 
 Himself. John especially claims it for 
 Him. In his 1st Epistle, 1: 1, he 
 calls Him " the Word of Life." Comp. 
 John 5: 26; 1 John 5: 11 ; with John 
 11: 25, and 14: 6. The Lord Jesus 
 has life in Himself independently, (ch. 
 5: 26,) and this prerogative is given 
 Him by the FatliCr. IIo is come to 
 
24 
 
 JOHTr. 
 
 give life, (6: 83,)— eternal life— (17 : 
 2). He is the Resurrection and the 
 Life, (11 : 25,) " the way and the truth 
 and the life," (eh. 14 : 6). lie quickens 
 or '^ gives life to whom He will," (ch. 
 6:21.) See Eph. 2: 1. And John 
 dwells much on this essential preroga- 
 tive of the Son, as a self-subsisting 
 Fountain of Life, and active source of 
 Life to men. He is presented by John 
 in the Revelation, as " He that liveth," 
 (Rev. 1: 18,) "and is alive forever- 
 more." So in 1 John, ch. 5: 20, 
 " This is the true God and Eternal 
 Life." " The Word of Life," (ch. 1: 1,) 
 "that Eternal Life which was with the 
 Father," (ch. 1 : 2, ) "the Prince of 
 Life," (Acts 4: 15). This then belongs, 
 and always did belong to the Divine 
 Word to have Life in the true sense — 
 life in its reality and perfection — 
 spiritual life ; and both the old and the 
 new creation must be traced up to 
 Him. Of course He must be God 
 in a sense the most interesting to us. 
 ^ The Life was the Light of men. This 
 Life which was in Him, was in Him as 
 the Word, the Revealer of the Godhead 
 to men, and this true Life works the 
 only true Light in men. It is only by 
 means of this life that they can have 
 light — that is knowledge and happi- 
 ness. All pretended light apart from 
 this, is darkness. Light is essential to 
 life in the vegetable world. But here 
 the life which is in Christ is said to be 
 essential to light. This does not mean 
 merely that Christ is the Great Teacher, 
 but that He is the dispenser of spiritual 
 light — the only true light — enlighten- 
 ing men by enlivening them. So He 
 Bays, "I am the Light of the World. , 
 He that followeth me shall not walk in 
 darkness, but shall have the light of 
 life" — the light which is life. See ch. 
 8: 12; 9: 5; 12: 4G, in all which 
 passages He so calls Himself. He is 
 here set forth, 1st. As the source and 
 author of Life. 2d. As by means of 
 this higher Life, the only dispenser of 
 inward Light to men. He is the 
 Light, as the only true light — "that 
 light," (vs. 8,) "the true light," (vs. 
 9). See 1 John 1 : 5. John intends 
 to describe Christ as more than a 
 
 Teacher. He was predicted as "a 
 Light to the Gentiles," as the author 
 of salvation, the bringer and imparter 
 of Light to benighted souls. The 
 Messiah vras promised in the Old 
 Testament under the name of Light, 
 (Isa. 60: 1,) the Light of the 
 church, (Isa. 9: 2,) He is "the 
 Sun of Righteousness," (IMal. 4: 2,) 
 who was to " arise with healing in 
 His wings." He is the brightness of 
 the Father's glory. All nations have 
 regarded the Deity as full of Light — 
 "Father of Lights." See ch. 17: 3. 
 "And this is Life Eternal that they 
 might know thee the only true God, 
 and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." 
 John means hero to set forth Chnst's 
 glorious nature not only, but what Ho 
 is to us, in His prophetic office. This 
 He executes in revealing to us by His 
 AVord and Spirit the will of God for 
 our salvation. See ch. 2: lG-21. 
 So the Apostle exhorts Christians to 
 carry themselves as the sons of God, 
 without rcbvike, in the midst of a 
 crooked and perverse generation, among 
 whom ye shine as lights (light bearers) 
 in the world, holding fcrth (as a torch) 
 the Word of Life. Phil. 2: 15, IG. 
 
 5. Shinetli. — Shone, and is still shi- ■• 
 ning. This refers to His manifesta- 
 tion in the world. He not only is 
 essentially Life and Light — but he is 
 this, as the Revealer of the Godhead 
 to men. Accordingly, this is what 
 Christ does as the Light. It is tho 
 province of a light to shine. He shi- 
 neth now, as all along in the past 
 history of the race. This describes 
 the whole process of this "light of 
 life," shining in this dark world, both 
 through the dim Old Testament revela- 
 tion, and through the scattered rays 
 gleaming in the darkness of heathen- 
 ism. Ch. 10: 16 ; 12: 52. 1 In darkness. 
 Literally, in Ike darkness (of the world. ) 
 This term is used in Scripture to 
 denote ignorance, sin and misery 
 among men — that state into which the 
 fall brought mankind. See Eph. 4 : 
 18, "having the understanding dark- 
 ened." In Luke 1 : 78, Jesus is spoken 
 of as the Day-Spring from on High, to 
 give light to them that sit in darkness 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 25 
 
 6 There was a man * sent from 
 God, whose name icixs John. 
 
 7 The same came for a witness 
 
 and in the region and shadow of death. 
 See Isa. 9: 1, 2; Matt. 4: 16; John 
 3: 19, 20; Acts 26: 18; 1 John 1: 
 6; 2: 9, 11. If Comprehended. The 
 term here means entertained, or retained, 
 witli an allusion to the nature of dark- 
 ness which, when it is very thicli — 
 " ffvoas darkness," (Isa. 60: 2,) does 
 not admit or embrace the light— (vss. 
 10, 11.) See oh. 3: 19. This is of 
 course to be understood of the great 
 majority — for there were some who 
 received Him, (vs. 12,) by His grace. 
 "This (therefore) is the condemna- 
 tion that Light is come into the world, 
 and men loved darkness rather than 
 light, because their deeds were evil." 
 (ch. 3: 19.) Though this Divine 
 Light shines, and has always shone in 
 the world — though it is the office of this 
 Light to shine as the true and only 
 light of men, yet it shines in dark- 
 ness and in a peculiar darkness — the 
 darkness — gross dai-kness. Isa. CO: 
 2. "The whole woiid lieth in wicked- 
 ness." 1 John 5: 19. "The people sat 
 ia darkness." Is. 42 : 7. It was the 
 nature of the darkness — this deep 
 darkness of the soul — this human igno- 
 rance, depravity and perverseness — to 
 resist the light — not to entertain it nor 
 to retain it. This is to be observed — 
 that though light in the natural world 
 scatters the darkness — yet here, in the 
 spiritual world, the darkness is so deep 
 and deplorable, that it does not take 
 the light. "All mankind, by the fall, 
 lost communion with God, are under 
 His wrath and curse." Thus far the 
 statement is general. The Evangelist 
 now comes to particulars. 
 
 6. Here he gives a passing reference 
 to the History, which he afterwards 
 dwells upon in detail, vs. 19. Pas- 
 sing by those manifestations under the 
 Old Testament, which pointed forward 
 to Christ, He comes to John the Bap- 
 tist. All the prophets were rays 
 of the approaching Sun. John was 
 a ray sent forward in advaace. 
 3 
 
 to bear witness of the Light, that 
 all tntn through him might be- 
 lieve. 
 
 ^ There was. This phrase doeh not 
 mean merely — "a man was sent" — but, 
 there appeared a man xoho teas sent 
 (according to prophecy, Mai. 3:1; 
 Isa. 40: 3,) from God. The Evan- 
 gelist refers to this important appear- 
 ing of John the Baptist — the immediate 
 forerunner of Christ — as though the 
 Baptist might easily have been mista- 
 ken for Him — as he really was mistaken 
 by some. And John was a disciple of 
 the Baptist, and was pointed by him 
 to Chi'ist. vss. 35, 36. 
 
 1: The Baptist's office is, therefore, 
 clearly set forth — as to what he came 
 foi\ His work was simply that of 
 a witness — to bear witness of another — 
 to herald one coming after. He 
 himself had a testimony to give of 
 what had been revealed to him in 
 his own experience, but he had no 
 other glory than such as he de- 
 rived from this near and important 
 relation to Christ. Some of the Bap- 
 tist's disciples long insisted that he 
 was the Messiah. There is no evi- 
 dence that the Evangelist wrote his 
 Gospel to disprove this, as some sup- 
 pose. But it is important in proving 
 Christ to be God, that he should show 
 the Baptist's true relation to Christ, 
 and especially that he should establish 
 the truth by his express testimony, 
 vs. 15. ^ To bear witness. Liter- 
 ally — in order that he might bear wit- 
 ness concerning the Light. This was 
 the direct object. f That. This 
 was the ultimate object of the Baptist's 
 testimony — that all men through — by 
 means of him — might believe. That 
 is — that through his testimony all 
 might believe on Christ. John there- 
 fore baptized, saying that they should 
 believe on Him who should come after 
 him. Acts 19 : 4. He accordingly 
 pointed his own disciples to Christ, 
 when He appeared, (vs. 29,) and sent 
 them *,o Him when they were in doubt. 
 Matt. 11:2. 
 
26 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 8 He ^ was not that Liglit, but 
 was sent to Lear witness of that 
 Light. 
 
 8. Here it is further stated that 
 John the Baptist was not the Christ. 
 For when he first gave his testimony, 
 and before Christ came, he was thought 
 by many to be the Cimst. The formal 
 inquiry was made of him whether he 
 was the Christ, vs. 19. Some, as 
 the Fabii, continued so to regard him, 
 and were not turned from this belief, 
 even by the coming of Christ Himself. 
 See Luke 3 : 15. ^ He. inelvoc — 
 referring to the Baptist, as the in- 
 ferior. ^ T?iat Light. Literally — 
 THE Light. He was not the true 
 Light, (vs. 9,) He was a Light — "a 
 burning and a shining light," or lamj:!, 
 (as the term is in ch. 5 : 35, when 
 applied to the Baptist,) for he derived 
 all his light from Christ who was 
 coming after — just as the sun lights 
 up the moon and stars, till by his own 
 coming he outshines them, and turns 
 them pale. John himself was most 
 careful not to be mistaken for Christ. 
 
 9. The true Light. Referring to 
 Jesus — literally — The JAght ivhich is 
 true. a7^7]0ivov. The term means 
 original, as distinct from that which is 
 secondary and derived. It is used by 
 John twenty-two times, and only five 
 times by other New Testament writers. 
 It agrees with John's object, which 
 was to set forth Jesus as the original, 
 Eternal source of Light and Life, to 
 men. So he terms Him the true vine, 
 (ch. 15,) "the true bread" — the bread 
 in the highest sense — realizing in Him- 
 self perfectly, all that other bread 
 only poorly represents. Ch. 6 : 32. 
 And so here He is called the true 
 Light — as being the Light in the 
 highest sense — substantial instead of 
 shadowy — and original instead of 
 secondary, like John. He is also 
 called by John, " the true God." Ch. 
 17: 3. This is appropriate to 
 Him who is treated of by the 
 Evangelist as "the Word." As the 
 Revealer of the Godhead, He is the 
 true, original Light from whom all 
 
 9 That was the true Light, *" 
 which lighteth every man that 
 Cometh iuto the world. 
 
 b lea. 49, 6. 
 
 others must borrow, and from whom all 
 His ministers and members may borrow, 
 without making His Light the less. 
 In the Old Testament already, Christ 
 the glorious Son, had been represent- 
 ed as the Personal "Wisdom." "I, 
 Wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find 
 out knowledge of witty inventions." 
 Prov. 8: 12. And "in Christ are hid 
 all the treasures of wisdom and knowl- 
 edge." Colos. 2 : 3. In Him is re- 
 vealed the mystery hid from the foun- 
 dation of the world. Ephes. 3 : 8, 9. 
 So it is said, in vs. 4, " The Life was 
 the Light of men." In His revelation 
 of the Life that now is and of that 
 which is to come, is found the truest 
 Light — the most valuable knowledge 
 and wisdom for any soul. So saith 
 Wisdom, " Blessed is the man that 
 heareth me. For whoso findeth me 
 findeth Life." "All they that hate 
 me love death." Prov. 8: 35, 3G. 
 ^ Lighteth evert/ man. See below. 
 Hence, this is the condemnation 
 which is pronomiced against every 
 man: that light is come into the world, 
 and men have loved darkness rather 
 than light, because their deeds are 
 evil." Ch. 3: 19. Obsekve — 1. As 
 all the colors of the sunbeam make 
 light, so all Christ's attributes combined, 
 make Light without color and without 
 any darkess at all. 1 John 1 : 5. 
 " The darkness is past and the true 
 Ljight now shineth." 1 John 2 : 8. — 2. 
 Christ is the true Light for men, as He 
 is the true, original, substantial Rea- 
 son — the true wisdom apart from 
 which all is darkness and folly. 
 ^ Thai cometh, S;c. Most critics agi-ee 
 that this cannot refer to ^^ every man," 
 but to " light," and that it is to be 
 read, "That was the true Light hav- 
 ing come into the world, which lighteth 
 every man," or, "That was the true 
 Light (which was to come into the 
 world,) which lighteth every man." 
 That the words " ichich cometh," do not 
 refer to " every man," as in our En- 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 27 
 
 10 He was in the world, and the 
 world was made by him, and " the 
 world knew him not. 
 
 glish version, is more prob.able, because 
 they -would convey no distinct sense, 
 since, of course, every man "cometh 
 into the world," or w born. And this 
 expression is not so applied in Greek, 
 besides which, it would require the 
 article before the participle, to read, 
 " that cometh," as referring to " every 
 man." But further, in the New Tes- 
 tament Christ is spoken of as " the 
 comer:" — "^'He that should come," 
 (Matt. 11 : 3,) the One predicted as 
 to come, or coming, and the phrase 
 " wlio is comiriff," or " who cometh into 
 the world," is the usual expression to 
 denote His Incarnation and personal 
 manifestation amona; men. 3 : 19 ; 6 : 
 14; 9: 39; 11: 27"; 12: 46. At the 
 time when the Baptist gave this testi- 
 mony, the true Light which lighteth 
 every man, was coming — was in pro- 
 cess of manifesting Himself — or was 
 about coming into the world. He 
 lighteth every vian — as He is "the Light 
 of men" — of all men, without distinc- 
 tion of Jew and Gentile. Besides, 
 every man who is truly enlightened 
 must owe it entirely to Him. And He 
 offers His Light to every man freely. 
 "He maketh His Sun to rise on the 
 evil and on the good." Matt. 5: 45. 
 He is in the highest sense, light to the 
 soul, "the true light" to all — as it is 
 His province to give light to all — the 
 Sua of Righteousness, (Mai.) — ^just as 
 the Sun shines for all, though many 
 do not actually get the benefit of his 
 beams. Observe — 1. Every man is 
 by nature in darkness — in an estate 
 of sin and misery. 2. Christ is the 
 true, genuine and only saving Light 
 for the soul. 3. No man can be truly 
 enlightened, except by His Divine 
 power and grace. Beyond all that 
 human learning can do, and all that 
 the most able teachers and pastors can 
 do for men, they must have light from 
 Christ, or must die in their sins. He 
 executes the office of a Prophet, in 
 revealing to us by His Word and Spirit 
 
 11 He '' came unto his own, and 
 his own received him not. 
 
 I Acts 3. 25. 13. 40. 
 
 the will of God for our salvation. 4. 
 Christ is the only true Light for the 
 world at large. 5. This Light will at 
 length enlighten all nations. Isa. 60 : 
 1, &c. 
 
 10. In the tvorld. This refers back 
 to vs. 5 — where the previous operation 
 of this Light in the world is alluded 
 to, and here it is again declared that 
 the world (in darkness,) knciv — or 
 "comprehended" — Him not. He who 
 came into the world, in the Incarna- 
 tion, was in the world before, under 
 the old economy, as the Angel of the 
 Covenant, (see Gen. 18: 23-33; 19: 
 18, 19; 1 Pet. 3: 18, 19,) and He 
 afterwards "became Flesh," (vs. 14,) 
 He was in the world personally, and 
 not merely as Light. " The angel of 
 His presence" it was, that accompanied 
 the ancient covenant people under 
 Moses. See Isa. 63 : 9"; Exod. 14 : 19. 
 This is mentioned here as a reason 
 why the woi-ld should have known 
 Him. A second reason is immediately 
 added — that the world ivas made by Him, 
 as already was stated in general terms, 
 vs. 3. " The world" here means the 
 world generally — the world of man- 
 kind at large. Though He operated 
 among men, of old, through so many 
 generations, and though by Him they 
 were made, yet the world knew Him 
 not. ^ Knew Him not. As it had 
 been declared (vs. 5,) that the dark- 
 ness and depravity of the world did 
 not entertain the Light, so here it is 
 more distinctly said, that the world of 
 mankind did not know Him, though 
 He was among them of old. They did 
 not recognize Him. 
 
 11. He came, <J-c. This is a step 
 further in the manifestation of the 
 Divine Word. In vs. 9, He had been 
 referred to as " the comer," as "He 
 ivho was to come" — who having been 
 predicted of old, and more and more 
 manifested under the old economy, at 
 length came, f Unto His own. Aa 
 Israel had all along, of old, been th« 
 
28 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 12 But as many "as received liim, 
 to them gave he ^ power to become 
 
 a Is. 56 4,5. Ro. 8. 15 , ljno.3.1. 1 or, tlie right; 
 or, priuileije. 
 
 people to whom He specially manifes- 
 ted Himself, and to whom He was 
 plainly predicted as to come, so He 
 came to them. They are here called 
 His own, and the term which is neuter 
 here, means, His own possessions. 
 His people are often spoken of as His 
 inheritance — purchased possession, Sfc. 
 Eph. 1 : 18. But the temple also is 
 called His own — and He is predicted 
 by Malachi, as about suddenly to come 
 to His temple, (ch. 3: 1,) as "the 
 Messenger of the covenant," &c. So 
 the Holy Land was called His own, 
 (Joel 2: 18,) and His holy hill of 
 Zion. Joel 3: 17. ^ And His own. 
 Here the term is masculine, and refers 
 to His ovrn people, as distinct from the 
 i-ace beside — "the world." Though 
 the world of mankind had not recog- 
 nized Him, it might have been expected 
 that Plis own people would know Him 
 when He came. He answered to the 
 prophetic descriptions. He fulfilled 
 in Himself all that was foreshadowed 
 of the coming Messiah. And yet His 
 own people to whom were committed 
 the oracles of God, (Rom. 3: 2,) and 
 whose were the promises, (Rom. 9: 4,) 
 even they did not know Him. As a class, 
 they even denied Him and rejected 
 ancl crucified Him. Acts 3 : 14. 
 ^ Received, This term implies \:>er- 
 Bonal reception of one as a friend and 
 companion. See Matt. 15 : 24. It was 
 true of His own people as a liody that 
 they did not embrace Him as their 
 Messiah, and as their personal friend, 
 but despised and rejected Him, as the 
 Nazarene and the Galilean. John 
 shows in the further history of our 
 Lord, how they rejected the evidence 
 which He gave of His Divinity from 
 His miracles — and how they charged 
 Him with blasphemy for claiming to 
 be the Son of God. Observe — 1. 
 The depravity of mankind is clearly 
 shown by the universal rejection of 
 Jesus. 2. Eventhey who have enjoyed 
 the best opportunities, and highest 
 
 the sons of God, even to them ''that 
 believe on his name. 
 
 privileges have been found to reject 
 Him, no less than others. 3. Unless 
 men have an inward illumination, the 
 light of the gospel will not avail. 
 
 12. But as many, ^c. Inasmuch as 
 the Jews, who were His ancient cove- 
 nant people rejected Him, He ex- 
 tended the benefits of His covenant to 
 all nations — even to as many — of what- 
 ever name or nation, Jew or Gentile — 
 as received Him, (See Acts 10 : 34, 35, 
 43,) which were not of the seed of 
 Abraham — and not born of a particular 
 blood, vs. 13. This change in the dis- 
 pensation of grace had been predicted 
 by the prophets, (Isa. 49 : 20-22; 60: 
 3 ; 06 : 12,) and John had lived to see 
 it fulfilled. National distinctions were 
 far wiped out. Barriers from differ- 
 ent blood were much broken down. 
 The new covenant extended its bless- 
 ings to all, " where there is neither 
 Greek nor Jew," but Christ is all 
 AND in all." John had seen churches 
 founded, first among the Jews, and 
 afterwards at Antioch, and Ephesus, 
 and Alexandria, and Rome, and in all 
 chief cities of the Empire, among the 
 Jews and Gentiles together. This was 
 the grand result which is traced out in 
 "the Acts" — which Peter had had 
 revealed to him in vision. Acts 10. 
 This purpose Paul was raised up to 
 carry out. Acts 13: 47. This turning 
 aside to the Gentiles, as to be admitted 
 on a level with the Jews, followed upon 
 the rejection of Christ by the Jews, 
 when they "received Him not." This 
 was declared by Paul and Barnabas to 
 the unbelieving, persecuting Jews at 
 Antioch in Pisidia. "It was neces- 
 sary that the word of God should f rst 
 have been spoken unto you. But see- 
 ing ye put it from you, and judge your- 
 selves unworthy of everlasting life, lo! 
 we turn to the Gentiles ! For so hath 
 the Lord commanded us, saying, I have 
 set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, 
 that thou shouldest be for salvation 
 unto the ends of the earth." Acts 13 . 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 29 
 
 13 Which were born, * not of 
 blood, nor of the will of the flesh, 
 
 oJa. 1.18. 
 
 46, 47. ^ To them. To whoever 
 
 received, or embraced Him by faith, 
 to them He gave the privilege which 
 before this had belonged to the Jews 
 alone, of being His own people, His 
 children. 1 John 3:1; Rom. So the 
 true, believing church foresaw in the 
 prophet's time (Isa. 63: 16; 64: 8,) 
 that, though the outward Israel was to 
 be rejected for their rejection of Christ, 
 the true believers — whoever they 
 might be — would be admitted into this 
 relation of sons — and that though 
 Abraham be ignorant of us, doubtless 
 Jehovah is our Father, if we receive 
 His Son as our Saviour. ^ Power. 
 e^ovGia. The term menns priviUffe, pre- 
 rogative. It refers to that spiritual 
 privilege and prerogative which was 
 typified by that outward relation of 
 the ancient Israel. This was the true 
 Israel, after the spirit ; admitted now, 
 to s-onship, by faith and not by descent. 
 "For as many as are led by the Spirit 
 of God, they are the sons of God." 
 Rom. 8: 14. *[ The sons of God. 
 Literally — children of God. The term 
 for " S071S " is diiferent and not so com- 
 prehensive, while this refers also, more 
 especially to the mode in which they 
 are here said to become such — namely 
 to the new birth. The same term is 
 used in 1 John 3: 1. "Behold what 
 manner of love," &c., and in Rom. 8 : 
 16; 17:21. "If children, then heirs," 
 &c. ^l' That believe. Faith is the 
 mark of sons under the new economy, 
 and not any descent from Abraham, 
 as of old. ^ In His name. The 
 name of God is that whereby He makes 
 Himself known. And He has revealed 
 Himself in Jesus Christ, and more 
 especially under the New Testament, 
 as He came into the world (vs. 11,) 
 in a full, personal manifestation. To 
 believe on His name is therefore to 
 believe in God, as revealed to us by 
 Jesus Christ, whose Incarnation is 
 spoken of by John. Faith in Christ is 
 now the grand mark of distinction. 
 Men are believers or unbelievers. 
 3* 
 
 nor of the will of man, but of 
 God. 
 
 " He that believeth shall be saved, and 
 he that believeth not shall be damned." 
 It is faith which unites to Christ, 
 makes us stand in Him, and rests 
 upon Him alone for salvation as He is 
 offered to us in the Gospel. So John 
 in his 1st Epistle, celebrates this grace 
 of God in Christ. "Behold what man- 
 ner of love the Father hath bestowed 
 upon us, that we should bo called the 
 sons of God." 1 John 3 : 1. 
 
 13. Which were born. These believers 
 of all classes, are not distinguished by 
 emineyit human birth, as the Jews boasted 
 their descent from Abraham, but by 
 the new birth, which Christ explained 
 to Nicodemus. Ch. 3. They are led 
 by the Spirit of God ; and their being 
 sons, and their having the mark of 
 " sons of God" in a living faith, proves 
 them to have been born of God. Rom. 
 8 : 14. They are shown to be the 
 sons of God because they "have re- 
 ceived the Spirit of adoption, whereby 
 they cry, Abba, Father." Rom. 8 : 14, 
 15. God hath sent forth the Spirit of His 
 son into their hearts. Observe — 1. 
 " Effectual calling is the work of God's 
 Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our 
 sin and misery, enlightening our minds 
 in the knoicledge of Christ, and renewing 
 our will, He doth persuade and enable 
 us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered 
 to us in the Gospel." 2. True be- 
 lievers are admitted to the privilege of 
 sons, without regard to name or class 
 or previous standing. ^ Hot of 
 blood. Literally — of bloods — of one, or 
 another, or any long succession. See 
 Matt. 27 : 4. These Jews, even while 
 they rejected Christ, boasted of being 
 born of Abraham, and of having the 
 prerogative of children of God by such 
 birth of blood. Matt. 3: 9. But all 
 such distinction was put away under 
 the New Testament, and true believers 
 of all names were admitted as being of 
 the true family of Christ. 2 Cor. 11: 
 22, 23; 1 Pet. 1: 23. "And not be- 
 cause they are the seed of Abraham 
 are they all childi-en." Rom. 9: 7. 
 
80 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 14 And the Word ' was made 
 flesh, and dwelt among us, 
 (and '' we beheld his glory, the 
 
 bLu.I.SB. ITI. 3,16. 1 2 Pe. 1.17. IJno. 1.1,2. 
 
 glory as of the only-begotten of 
 the Father,) full " of grace and 
 truth. 
 
 c Ps. 45. 2. Col. 2. 3, 9. 
 
 ^ The v^ill of the flesh. The natural, 
 fleshly vWl. The natm-al will is de- 
 praved. Eph. 2 : 8. Therefore effec- 
 tual calling consists in '^renewing our 
 trill" as well as enlightening, &c. 
 That -will which we have by nature, 
 cannot change itself. It must be 
 changed by a higher power. ^ The 
 will of man. This may refer to the 
 will of other men. We sometimes are 
 admitted to the children's place by 
 adoption of men. But no such human 
 arrangement can serve us in this case. 
 Or, it may refer to the influence which 
 men exercise over one another — and 
 then it would mean, that this new 
 birth is not by the power of human 
 eloquence, or reason or persuasion. 
 Men cannot work this saving change 
 in their fellow men by any boasted 
 power of theirs. Those who claim to 
 convert others, and who declare that 
 the Spirit of God is not necessary, but 
 only the right presentation of truth, 
 are here taught that the new birth is 
 not within their power. ^ But of 
 God. This work is that of God alone. 
 Those who are true believers, and who 
 are here spoken of as admitted to be 
 the true children of God are born of God. 
 John speaks of such in his Epistles, 
 and sets forth their characteristics — 
 that they overcome the world. 1 John 
 5:4. " And this is the victory that 
 overcometh the world, even our faith." 
 They sin not (1 John 5 : 18,) as others 
 sin, habitually and of choice. 1 John 
 3 : 9. This doctrine of the new birth 
 Christ sets forth to Nicodemus — that 
 it is by the Spirit, (ch. 3: 6,) and 
 entirely another thing from being "born 
 of the flesh," (3 : 7,) or corrupt nature, 
 which must needs be a corrupt birth ; 
 "For who can bring a clean thing out 
 of an unclean? not one." Job 14: 4. 
 Observe — 1. Oui- first business is to 
 embrace Jesus Christ, as He is freely 
 offered to us in the Gospel. 2. It is 
 not any outward relation or standing 
 
 even in the church — not pious parent- 
 age nor outward baptism that makes 
 us the children of God. 3, The true 
 mark of children is a living faith in 
 Christ. 4. All who have faith, and 
 who prove their faith by their Chris- 
 tian lives, prove also that they have 
 been born of God. 5. None who have 
 not had this nciv birth, can be true 
 believers, or true children of God. 6. 
 Salvation is all of grace. The privi- 
 lege of being sons is a free gift, which 
 shows the wonderful love of God. 
 
 14. Was made flesh. Literally — 
 became flesh. He who in vs. 9, is spo- 
 ken of as the Light about to come, and 
 in vs. 11, as having come to His cho- 
 sen people, is here set forth as the 
 original Word, now taking human 
 flesh. He became Incarnate. 1 John 
 4:2. He who was with Go3 from 
 Eternity, and who was God, (vs. 1,) 
 and by whom all things were made, 
 (or became, had their existence) became 
 flesh. Verses 1 and 2 show what He 
 originally and essentially teas. This 
 verse shows what He became, and the 
 term is difi'erent. ^ Flesh. This is 
 the general expression for human 
 nature. See Matt. IG: 17; 19: 5; 24: 
 22. He took our flesh with its weak- 
 ness and suffering, but not with its 
 sin. Rom. 7: 18. He took on Him the 
 nature of the seed of Abraham and not 
 that of angels. " As the children were 
 partakers of flesh and blood He also, 
 Himself, likewise took part of the 
 same." Heb. 2: 14. See 1 John 4:2; 
 1 Tim. 8: 16; Phil. 2: G; 2 Cor. 8: 
 9. There were those in John's time 
 who believed that the body of Christ* 
 was not real, but only imaginary. 
 This statement would contradict such 
 an absurdity. Others, as Apollinaris, 
 believed that Christ had not a human 
 soul. " The son of God became man, 
 by taking to Himself a true body and 
 a reasonable soul." It is not meant 
 that the Eternal Word was changed to 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 81 
 
 man, so as to be no longer God, (vs. 1,) 
 but that He took to Himself our human 
 natui-e. So He saiJ, " A body hast 
 thou prepared me." Heb. 10: 5. The 
 Lord Jesus Christ is He "who being 
 the Eternal sou of God became man, 
 and so was and continues to be, God 
 and man, in two distinct natures and 
 one person forever." ^ Dwelt. Liter- 
 ally — tabernacled. Pitched His tent, 
 or dwelt as in a tent. From the cor- 
 responding term is the word Shekinah; 
 and also our English word Scene. It 
 has a reference to His manifestation — 
 and so it is added, " we beheld His 
 glory." " Really and briefly, he af- 
 forded a spectacle of Himself." — Ben- 
 gel. The word is also used in Scrip- 
 tui'e for the dwelling of God among 
 men. Rev. 7:15; 12:12; 13:16; 
 21: 3. See Levit. 26: 11, 12. Such 
 a tabernacUug of God on earth, was 
 promised through the prophets. Ezek. 
 37: 27; 43: 7. The idea may be of 
 something movable, as that in the 
 wilderness — His transient continuance 
 among men in the flesh — for the flesh 
 in which He dwelt here w^as soon to 
 be glorified and removed to Heaven. 
 ^ Amoni) us. There could be no mis- 
 take, for Christ had companied with 
 men, and displayed His Divinity by 
 His miracles, and, in various ways, had 
 daily shown Himself dui-ing more than 
 three years. This was abundant proof 
 of His Incarnation. Besides, he showed 
 Himself alive after His passion by many 
 infallible proofs, being seen of the dis- 
 ciples forty days, &c. Acts 1. ^ We 
 beheld. See 1 John 1:1, where John 
 speaks of having seen the Word of 
 Life loith his eyes. The Apostle here 
 i-efers to the whole manifestation of 
 Christ in the flesh, by His word and 
 works, but more especially to His 
 transfiguration, when they saw Him 
 in His glory — as God-man — when His 
 flesh shone with His proper Divinity — 
 and they saw plainly what glory He 
 had as God, though He was m the 
 flesh. This was a' special evidence 
 furnished to Peter, James and John, 
 fortifying them for their special work. 
 " We If^eld." Peter refers to it as a 
 most convincing and overwhelming 
 
 proof of His Godhead. 2 Pet. 1 : 16-18. 
 See Matt. 17: 1-9. His '^ glory'' was 
 also displayed or manifested forth, (ch. 
 2: 11; 11: 4;) in His miracles, in 
 which His Divine majesty more or less 
 appeared — but His transfiguration was 
 the crowning scene, to which John 
 seems further to refer. It was a visi- 
 ble glory, like that of the Shekinah of 
 old at the door of the Tabernacle. He 
 who was "tte true Light" showed 
 forth His glory. The terra here used 
 for beheld signifies not a mere sight of 
 the eyes, but a close, familiar contem- 
 plation. See 1 John 1 : 1-4. \ As 
 of the only-begotten. Such glory — so 
 peculiar — the reflection of the Divine 
 image. On that occasion, on the mount, 
 this testimony of the Father to Christ 
 from Heaven, as His beloved Sen, made 
 a strong impression upon these Apos- 
 tles. Peter says, ' ' We were eye wit- 
 nesses of His majesty — for He received 
 from God the Father, honor and glory, 
 when there came such a voice to Him 
 from the excellent glory, Thou art my 
 beloved son, in whom'I am well pleased. " 
 John, in kindred terms, here testifies 
 that they beheld His glory, " as of the 
 only-begotten of the Father," &c. The 
 glory which they saw was manifestly 
 that of the only-begotten — according 
 to the special testimony from Heaven. 
 See Acts 1 : 21. ^ The only-begotten. 
 This term is used by John alone, as 
 applied to Christ. See vs. 18; ch. 3: 
 16, 18. 1 John 4: 9. He is the only 
 Son of God in the highest sense beyond 
 all that " children of God" and "sons," 
 so called, can be — for He is in the 
 bosom of the Father, and alone able to 
 declare, or reveal Him, because lie is 
 one with Him. Of course, therefore, 
 the term means more than that He 
 was specially dear, or beloved ; though 
 in this light He is set forth as the 
 highest idea that can be given to us of 
 the relation. He was "with God, 
 and WAS God." ^ Full of. This con- 
 nects with the clause — ^^ dwelt among 
 us"— full of, &c. This is the way in 
 which He displayed Himself. "For 
 it pleased the Father that in Him 
 should all fullness dweU." Col. 1 : 19. 
 He was the manifestation of the Divine 
 
32 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 15 John * bare witness of liim, 
 and cried, saying, This was he 
 of whom I spake, He that 
 Cometh after me is preferred 
 
 o Matt. 3. 13, &c. 
 
 grace to men for their redemption — 
 and also of the Divine truth as connec- 
 ted with grace. " Mercy and truth 
 met together in Him. Righteousness 
 and peace kissed each other." Ps. 85. 
 The Gospel plan is the exhibition of 
 grace to sinners as consistent TPith 
 truth. Hence, Christ in all His con- 
 duct and works, displayed the grace 
 of God to sinners — healing, pardon- 
 ing and blessing them, (vs. IG,) bestow- 
 ing abundant grace : and He vindicated 
 God's truth and revealed the truth, the 
 will of God for our salvation — as Him- 
 self "the way and the truth and the 
 Life." Ch. 14: 6. So Isaiah predicted 
 that the Messiah would bring forth 
 judgment or salvation unto truth, or 
 by truth. Isa. 42: 3. He was always 
 contemplated as accomplishing salva- 
 tion in perfect consistency with truth 
 and by a clearer revelation of the truth. 
 The isles were to wait for his law. 
 And such a system of grace and truth 
 came by Him, (vs. 17,) as makes the 
 gospel, in distinction from the laio that 
 was given by Moses. Observe — 1. 
 Grace without truth would not satisfy 
 the conscience, nor give peace. Truth 
 without gi-ace would only proclaim our 
 just perdition. 2. Christ executes the 
 ofiice of a Prophet in revealing to us, 
 by His Word and Spirit, the will of 
 God for our salvation. 3. Christ exe- 
 cutes the office of a Priest, in His once 
 offering up Himself a sacrifice to satis- 
 fy Divine justice, and reconcile us to 
 God, and in making continual interces- 
 sion for us. 
 
 15. Bare ivitness. In vs. 7, John the 
 Baptist, was spoken of as sent for this 
 purpose, to bear witness of Christ, in 
 order that all men, by his means, might 
 believe. Here, accordingly, his testi- 
 mony is given. *^ And cried. His wns 
 "the voice of one crying in the wil- 
 derness." Isa. 40 : 3. He made open 
 and public proclamation of Christ. 
 
 before me : for he was before 
 me. 
 
 IG And of his fullness "^ have all 
 we received, and grace for grace. 
 
 5 Jno. 3.3i. 
 
 ^ This u'tts He. The Evangelist repre- 
 sents the Baptist, as referring back to 
 a previous testimony which he had 
 given, before Christ appeared. So he 
 says " this was He" as though j»om/?>!^ 
 out the one of whom he had testified 
 before He came. vss. 26, 27, SO, 33. 
 Of coui'se he gave the testimony in the 
 power of the Spirit, for it was before 
 he thus had recognized Him in the 
 flesh. *^ After me. That is, somewhat 
 Za^frthan myself. He announced Him 
 as about to come. vs. 9. Our Lord ap- 
 peared about six months later than 
 John. And this was John's way of 
 announcing his speedy coming. \Is 
 preferred. Has become greater than I. 
 Has received a greater rank, or dignity. 
 This alludes to what John distinctly 
 declared, that Christ's ministry should 
 increase while he should decrease, ch. 
 3 : 30. T[ For He icas before me. The 
 term ^'zi-as" here is the same as in vs. 
 1, and refers plainly to His previous 
 existence before He appeared in the 
 flesh. It expresses an indefinite past. 
 This, therefore, is given as the reason 
 for Christ's increase and preferment 
 before John — that He existed before 
 John — even from Eternity, (vs. 1,) 
 though John was born before Christ. 
 Such exalted testimonies of Jesus were 
 given by the Baptist as appears further, 
 ch. 3 : 27, &c. This was in the true 
 spirit of his ministry. He was sent 
 for this, 
 
 16. And of His fullness. The Evan- 
 gelist had declared, vs. 14, that Jesus 
 was "full of grace and truth," and now 
 he goes on to testify for himself, and for 
 the disciples generally, that they had 
 all received of His fullness of grace and 
 truth. Eph. 3: 19.— "That ye might be 
 filled with all the fullness of God." Col. 
 1 : 19.— "It pleased the Father that 
 in Him should all fullness dwell." See 
 Ephcs. 3: 17. In Him dicelleth all the 
 fullness, ^'c. He means to say that 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 33 
 
 17 For the law was given by 
 Moses, hut grace * and truth came 
 by Jesus Christ. 
 
 oPb.85.10. Ro.5.21. 
 
 they, (believers,) could speak from ex- 
 perience, more thau confirming the 
 Baptist's testimony of Christ's proper 
 and sajjerior rank, as the Eternal 
 AVord. (Verse 15 is not a parenthesis, 
 but is the Baptist's testimony in proof 
 of what was said in vs. 14, that Christ 
 had dwelt among men.) All true be- 
 lievers can further confirm this testi- 
 mony by their experience. John the 
 Evangelist wrote after many churches 
 had been formed, of Jew and Gentile 
 believers, in all the principal cities of 
 the world : after Paul had traveled from 
 Jerusalem to Illyricum and Rome, 
 (Rom. 15 : 19,) and the Gospel had 
 gone to remote parts of the Empire. 
 And he gives it as the united witness 
 of believers, that they had received of 
 Christ's fullness of grace and truth — 
 had been made partakers, from His rich 
 treasury, of heavenly benefits. Eph. 
 1: 23; 3: 19; Col. 1: 19; 2: 9. 
 Observe — Christ Jesus is an inexhaus- 
 tible resource of all things pertaining 
 to life and godliness. 2 Pet. 1 : 3. 
 And we may come boldly to Ilim, for 
 there is in Him an infinite store of 
 grace for sinners, and of truth also, so 
 that by His knowledge, (the knowledge 
 of Him,) He, (God's righteous servant) 
 justifies manj% for He has borne their 
 iniquities. Isa. 53: 11. ^ Grace for 
 grace. Literally, " Grace instead of 
 grace," grace in such abundance as to 
 crowd on in a perpetual tlow, like wave 
 upon wave, where one constantly rushes 
 on to take the place of another; or, 
 rather the inward spiritual grace of the 
 new covenant instead of the outward 
 grace of the old. The law under the 
 old covenant was written on the cold 
 tables of stone, uttering its demands 
 and giving no adequate helps. Under 
 the new covenant the law is written in 
 grace on the warm tables of the heart, 
 and grace comes first, heralding and 
 establishing the truth and securing its 
 fu'.fillmcnt in us. It first gixes, then 
 
 18 No man hath seen G-od ^ at 
 any time; the " only -begotten 
 Son, which is in the bosom of 
 
 6 Ex. 33. 20. ITi. 6,16. c IJno. 4. 9. 
 
 asks. This is, therefore, superior 
 grace — a better covenant — better pro- 
 mises. Heb. 8 : G, 8, 9. We have Law- 
 giver for Lawgiver — Christ for Moses — 
 Head for Head — the second Adam for 
 the first Adam. And we have grace 
 for grace. Hence, the phrase may 
 refer immediately to the new dispen- 
 sation of grace as in place of the old. 
 " They that are eifectually called, do 
 in this life partake of justification, 
 adoption and sanctification, and the 
 several benefits which in this life do 
 eitlier accompany or flow from them." 
 "The benefits which in this life do 
 accompany or flow from justification, 
 adoption and sanctification, are assu- 
 rance of God's love, peace of con- 
 science, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase 
 of grace and perseverance therein to 
 the end." 
 
 17. For. A reason is here given for 
 this new and superior supply of grace ; 
 because Christ and Uis office work 
 must be understood as far superior to 
 that of Moses. The law (which Moses 
 j gave,) is of ivorks, and so it is necessa- 
 rily limited and resti'icted. But in thiu 
 dispensation of the Gospel, grace is a 
 free flowing stream, always pom-ing 
 upon us from the fountain. Mosea 
 gave the law — the Old Testament econ- 
 omy, full of positive regulations and 
 bui'densome rites, (Acts 15: 10;) and 
 he was only dispensing it, as a servant 
 in the house. Heb. 3: 5. It rather 
 announced and heralded some better 
 economy as coming. Accordingly grace 
 and truth came by Jesus Christ, or be- 
 came, as the new and " better covenant, 
 established upon better promises. " 
 Heb. 8: 6. The law worketh wrath. 
 Rom. 4 : 15. ^ Gt-uce and truth. Lit- 
 erally, the grace and the truth emphati- 
 cally — or in reference to vs. 14, the 
 grace and the truth already mentioned. 
 ^ By Jesus Christ. He was Himself 
 the efificient source. The phrase here, 
 "came by" is the same as that 'vrhich 
 
84 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [A. D. 26. 
 
 the Father, 
 him. 
 
 he hath declared 
 
 ^ 19 And this * is the 
 
 a Lu. 3. 15,&c. 
 
 declares that all things were made by 
 Him. vs. 3. " The law was not Moses' 
 own. Grace and truth are Christ's 
 own." — Bengel. He is the Son in the 
 Father's house, and Moses was the ser- 
 vant. This shows the superiority of 
 the new dispensation to the Old, and 
 of Christ to Moses — though those were 
 good in their place and for their pur- 
 pose. See Epist. to Hebrews. The 
 great distinction of the new covenant 
 is, that it reconciles grace and truth — 
 brings them into perfect harmony. It 
 is what the law could not do, on ac- 
 count of its weakness or impotency by 
 means of our fleshly or depraved nature. 
 Rom. 8: 3. The Gospel by Christ 
 declares His righteousness — that God 
 might be just, and yet justify him that 
 believeth in Jesus. Horn. 3 : 26. 
 
 18. No man, S^c. See chap. 3 : 13. 
 Moses went up to God on Mount Sinai, 
 and communed with Him. But it was 
 amidst clouds and darkness, and fire 
 and tempest; so that he said, "I ex- 
 ceedingly fear and quake. " But 
 Christ, in a very different sense, hath 
 seen God, as dwelling in His bosom, and 
 as partner of the Godhead. Moses 
 had nothing to reveal of God, from 
 any essential connexion and relation 
 such as Christ had. So it is said of 
 the Spirit, that, on account of His pe- 
 culiar, essential relation to the God- 
 head co-existing in the Trinity with 
 the Father, "He searcheth all things, 
 even the deep things of God," (1 Cor. 
 2: 10.) IT Which is. The term implies 
 Essential being, without relation to time. 
 He does not merely lie upon the Fa- 
 ther's bosom for a season. He lives 
 there always. This is the great advan- 
 tage of Christ over Moses, even for any 
 full revelation of God. "No man hath 
 ascended up into Heaven save He that 
 came down from Heaven, even the Son 
 of Man, which is in Heaven, ch. 8: 
 13. See Heb. 3 : 3-6. IT/w the bosom. 
 This expresses, by nn oriental figure, 
 
 record of John, when the Jews 
 sent priests and Levites from Jeru- 
 salem to ask him. Who art thou ? 
 
 the idea of vss. 1, 2, that the Son was 
 in the closest possible relations with 
 the Father, The guests 7eclined at 
 table in the East, leaning on the left 
 arm. Hence the person on the right 
 hand of the Master of the feast, leaned 
 toward his bosom, and was said to 
 "lean on his breast." ch. 13: 25. 
 John was the beloved disciple who 
 leaned on Jesus's breast. Hence he 
 was the one to ask Him the most mo- 
 mentous questions, ch. 21: 20. John 
 naturally uses these terms to express 
 the most striking idea of Jesus's fam- 
 iliar and full knowledge of the Father, 
 and of His personal communion with 
 Him, making Him the very one, and 
 the only one to reveal Him. None 
 could know the Father, from personal 
 knowledge, as He could. '^Declared 
 him. From this term in the Greek, 
 we have the word "exegesis," in Eng- 
 lish. He, and He alone, hath revealed 
 Him, or set Him forth. The Son is 
 the Pievealer of the Godhead. And 
 the Spirit, too, makes known to the 
 people of God — icilhin — the things of 
 Christ, (ch. IG: 14,) and the things 
 prepared by the Father for those who 
 love Him, as " Eye hath not seen nor 
 ear heard." 1 Cor. 2: 9. God in 
 these last days hath spoken unto us by 
 his Son. Heb. 1 : 14. 
 
 § 18. Testimony of Joun the Baptist 
 TO Jesus. — Bethany beyond Jordan. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. I Luke. i John. 
 
 I I I 1.19-34 
 
 19. This is. John the Baptist's uitn ss 
 which has just been spoken of, is here 
 given. The word "record" is the same 
 as is used in the verb, (vs. 15,) trii- 
 nessed. It is not trrittc7i, but spoken 
 testimony. T The Jeus. John's men- 
 tion here of the Jews, seems to inti- 
 mate that they had ceased to be a na- 
 tion when he wrote, and that the Gen- 
 tiles are supposed by him to be his read- 
 ers. His use, however, of this name, 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 35 
 
 20 And ho confessed, and denied 
 not; but confessed, I am not the 
 Christ. 
 
 21 And they asked him, What 
 then? Art thou Elias? And he 
 saith, I am not. Art thou ^ that 
 prophet ? And he answered, No. 
 
 22 Then said they unto him, 
 Who art thou ? that we may give 
 an answer to ttem that sent us. 
 What sayest thou of thyself? 
 
 1 or, apropliet. 
 
 is usually to designate the officers of 
 the Jews — the Sanhedrim — and here 
 the terms, "from Jerusalem," should 
 be connected with "the Jews," to sig- 
 nify the Sanhedrim — the Jews — the 
 leaders of the Jews who were from 
 Jerusalem. This highest coui't of the 
 uation were charged with the care of 
 religion — and it was their business to 
 examine into the lawfulness of any 
 prophet's pretensions. ^Priests and 
 Levites. These were the two classes 
 employed about the temple service, 
 (Josh. 3:3,) and they were here sent 
 qjficially to inquire into the pretensions 
 of the new teacher, (vs. 25,) who had 
 gathered such crowds about Him, 
 (Matt. 3: 5,) and had excited public 
 expectation that he might prove the 
 Messiah. Luke 3: 15. 
 
 20. Confessed. That is, openly and 
 publicly acknowledged — professed. He 
 did not profess to be what he was not. 
 This shows his sincerity. He was very 
 popular and might have claimed to be 
 the Messiah, as Chi-ist had not yet 
 l>ublicly appeared. Among the learned 
 and the unlearned, there were many 
 doubts as to the prophecies about the 
 Messiah, ch. 7 : 40-52. 
 
 21. Elias. This is the Greek way 
 of writing Elijah, whom the Jews ex- 
 pected to come down from heaven in 
 person, to anoint the Messiah. The 
 whole appearance of John reminded 
 them of Elias. Matt. 3:4. 2 Kings 
 1:8. He denies that he was Elias iu 
 any such sense, though he was person- 
 ally the Elias prophesied by Malachi, 
 (3 : 1, 4, 5,) but that he came " ia the 
 
 23 He * said I am the voice of 
 one crying in the wilderness, Make 
 straight the way of the Lord, as 
 said the prophet ^ Esaias. 
 
 24 And they which were sent 
 were of the Pharisees. 
 
 25 And they asked him, and 
 said unto him, Why baptizest 
 thou then, if thou be not that 
 Christ, nor Elias, neither that 
 prophet ? 
 
 a Mat. 3. 3. Mar. 1. 3. Lu.3.4. c.3.28. 6 Is. 40. 3. 
 
 spirit and power of Elias," was the 
 most that could be said. Besides, he 
 announced that the kingdom of God 
 was at hand, and they naturally turn- 
 ed to the last of their prophets for the 
 indications there given. Mai. 4 : 5. 
 Lightfoot shows from their Rabbinical 
 teachings that they expected a general 
 purification, or baptism, to be adminis- 
 tered by Elias, before the coming of 
 the Messiah. Ezek. iJG: 25, 2G. Zech. 
 13: ]. The conversation of Christ 
 with Nicodemus, opened the true sense 
 of these predictions, ch. 8: 5-10. 
 1[ That prophet. The Jews looked for 
 '■^ one of the old prophets risen again,'''' 
 to herald the advent of Christ. They 
 differed in their views of the person — 
 but some thought it Jeremiah — some 
 one and some another. Matt. 16: 14. 
 This also he disclaimed. This may 
 refer to that prophet like unto Moses, 
 promised. Deut. 18 : 15-18. See ch. 
 G : 14. 
 
 22. An ansiccr. They came as an 
 official delegation, and they must have 
 some definite report to carry back. 
 
 23. lam the voice. Here John ap- 
 plies the prophecy of Isaiah to himself, 
 which the Evangelists apply to him. 
 Isa. 40: 3. I am he whom Isaiah 
 describes. 
 
 24. 25. The Pharisees. This seems 
 here thrown in, to explain the question 
 immediately following. The Pharisees, 
 who were so exact and strict about 
 ceremonies, would naturally want to 
 know all about his authority for bapti- 
 zing. They pi-etended to be the high' 
 est authorities on all such ritual points, 
 
86 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 26 John answered them, saying, 
 I baptize with water: but there 
 standeth one ^ among you, whom 
 ye know not: 
 
 27 He it is, who, coming after me. 
 
 Hence, -while they admitted that Christ 
 would have a right to baptize when he 
 should come — and perhaps, these 
 prophets — they inquired what author- 
 ity John had, if he was any other than 
 they. The Sadducccs had no concern 
 about these nice points of ceremony, for 
 they opposed the Pharisees in regard 
 to all such matters. — "Why takest thou 
 upon thee this office of administering 
 baptism, if thou art not able to prove 
 thyself to the Sanhedrim as one or 
 other of the great personages promised 
 to come ?" And especially did they ask 
 this with some severity, as he under- 
 took to baptize, not only proselytes, 
 but Jews. He had declared who he 
 Avas, (vs. 23,) and this they should have 
 understood. He had applied to him- 
 self the description which Isaiah bad 
 given of the Messiah's forerunner. But 
 they seem not to have understood. 
 This at least would not account to the 
 Pharisees for his baptizing. T[ Neither. 
 If John was neither of these that they 
 had fixed in their minds to expect, 
 they could not regard him as having 
 any right to use the Jewish ceremonies 
 officially. Who could he be ? 
 
 26. John now explains. His bap- 
 tism is a mere symbol of the greater 
 baptism which Christ would perform — 
 a mere forerunner of that, as he was 
 of Christ Himself. ^ There standeth. 
 This is the more formal announcement 
 of Christ's presence among them as 
 procl.aimed by John — to satisfy them 
 of his near relations to the promised 
 jNIessiah, and to show that though he 
 was not the Christ whom they looked 
 for, yet, Christ Himself was there 
 .imong them. He elsewhere further 
 declares, that Christ baptized with the 
 Holy Ghost, &c. T[ Ye knoiv not. The 
 multitude knew not Christ, excepting 
 as John afterwards pointed Him out. 
 The sign at the baptism was not for 
 
 is preferred before me, whose shoe's 
 latchctl am not worthy to unloose. 
 28 These things were done in 
 Bethabara "^ beyond Jordan, where 
 John was baptizing. 
 
 b Judg. 7. 24. 
 
 tliem, but for John ; so that he might 
 make Him known to them. 
 
 27. He it is. He further sets forth 
 the relations he sustained to the Mes- 
 siah who had really come. ^ Coming 
 after me. See vs. 15. He it is whom I 
 spake of as coming after me, and about 
 to rank before me. This testimony of 
 John was doubtless delivered often, 
 and in different terms and circumstan- 
 ces. It will be observed that this 
 was after Christ's baptism, when John 
 had already r«co^«?zec? Him; and that 
 the testimony in Luke (3: 16,) was 
 given before the bnptism, and accord- 
 ingly, in the latter, he uses the terin 
 " There conieth." Christ was known as 
 the comer — "He that cometh" as pre- 
 dicted. The Hebrew name of God in the 
 Old Testament, ("Jehovah,") is sup- 
 posed by some to mean " lie shall be" — 
 as the promised Redeemer — the one 
 that was to come. ^ Shoe's la/chet. 
 Shoe-string. The people of the East 
 wore only the sole of a shoe, bound 
 fast to the foot by strings passed over 
 and around it. This was more pleas- 
 ant for hot countries. But it was the 
 work of lowest servants to stoop and 
 untie this sandal. See Plate, Luke 10: 
 34, Tol. 1, p. 200. This shows us 
 John's true humility. Though ci'owds 
 were attending upon him, he took no 
 honor to himself except that of point- 
 ing out his Master, and urging all to 
 follow Him. There is no higher honor 
 than this for any ministers or disciples 
 of Christ. 
 
 28. Bethabara. The manuscripts favor 
 the reading of Bethany. The ancient 
 interpreters have it Bethabara, which 
 may have been only another name for 
 the Bethany here referred to. Betha- 
 bara means a place of passing over— 
 and Bethany means a place of shipping, 
 T Beyond Jordan. That is on the east 
 side of the river, but upon the yiyer. 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CriAP. I. 
 
 87 
 
 29 The next day, Jolin seeth Je- 
 sus coming unto him, and saith, 
 Behold the Lamb ^ of Grod, which 
 ^ taketh ^ away the sin of the world ! 
 
 30 This is he of whom I said, 
 After me cometh a man which is 
 
 29. The next day. The day after the 
 delegation of the Jews inquired of 
 John. This was just after Christ's 
 return from the temptation in the wil- 
 derness, that they came to him. J[ The 
 Lamb. The question is, what reference 
 John could have had in the use of this 
 name. A lamb was killed and eaten, 
 in commemoration of Israel's deliver- 
 ance from Egypt. Christ was predic- 
 ted by Isaiah as a lamb led to the 
 slaughter, (53: 7,) who "hath borne 
 our griefs and carried our sorrows." And 
 here accordingly He is announced as 
 beariiiff or taking away the sins of the 
 world. This bearing of sin, is a He- 
 brew idiom frequent in the Old Testa- 
 ment, and signifying, to remove the 
 (guilt or) penalty of sin by expiation. 
 Levit. 10: 17. Ex. 34: 7. Num. 14: 
 18. The prophecy in Isaiah was ap- 
 plied to the Messiah by early Jewish 
 commentators. And this idea of taking 
 away sin, by bearing it, or suffering 
 on account of it, so as to expiate it, 
 was conveyed in the Jewish saci'ifices 
 and must have become familiar to the 
 people. A lamb was offered morning 
 and evening in the temple-worship, to 
 keep up this great idea. He, our Pass- 
 over, or Paschal Lamb, was sacrificed 
 for us. 1 Cor. 5:7. ^Of God. Jesus 
 Christ was God's Lamb, as the sacri- 
 fice provided by God, (ch. 3: 16,) and 
 accepted by the Father as a satisfac- 
 tion for sin, according to the plan of 
 grace. It was not any private offering 
 like the lamb which any sinner brought 
 to the altar. But it was God's un- 
 blemished offering furnished by His 
 Infinite Love "to take away sin, and 
 in Him is no sin." 1 John 3: 5. 
 IF Taketh away. John the Baptist was 
 inspired so to announce Jesus, in lan- 
 guage thus strikingly expressing His 
 mediatorial office, as a Priest — our 
 
 preferred before me : for he was 
 before me. 
 
 31 And I knew him not : but 
 that he should be made manifest 
 to Israel, therefore am I come 
 baptizing with water. 
 
 Great High Priest. He was what all 
 the bloody sacrifices typified, as Paul 
 has clearly shown in the Epistle to the 
 Hebrews. The sacrificial lamb which 
 bears the sin, also takes it away. 
 There is no bearing of sin as mediator, 
 without removing it. This cannot be 
 done by mere teaching — nor even by 
 Christ as a teacher, but only by Christ 
 as "our Passover," (ch. 3: 1-16,) 
 whose blood must be sprinkled on our 
 conscience. The doctrine of substitu- 
 tion, that is, of one's punishment endu- 
 red by another, was clearly taught in 
 the Old Testament. This is the light 
 in which Isaiah sets forth the suffering 
 Messiah, "He was wounded for our 
 transgressions," &c., (ch. 53, through- 
 out.) SeeEzek. 13: 5; 22: 30. Isa. 
 64: 7; 106: 23. John therefore means 
 to say. Behold the sacrificial Lamb — 
 the great appointed sacrifice prepared 
 by God, predicted and brought forward 
 by Him, to bear the sin of the world. 
 The Lord hath laid upon Him the 
 iniquities of us all : by His sufferings 
 and death, to remove the punishment 
 of sin — by taking it, to take it away. 
 IT Of the leorld. The Old Testament 
 often refers to the Messiah's work as 
 extending to the Gentiles. So Simeon 
 understood that it was not for Jews 
 alone. Luke 2: 31, 32. 
 
 30. This is Tie, &c. He points to 
 Him as the very one of whom he had 
 spoken before the baptism, as to C07ne, 
 and whom he had represented as supe- 
 rior to himself. Matt. 3: 11, 12, 13. 
 Now he repeats the terms of the an- 
 nouncement, implying that this per- 
 sonage who had come according to the 
 description, would answer to these 
 jjarticulars. 
 
 31. I kneio Ilim not. This may read 
 "/ also, (referring to vs. 26,) knew 
 Him not." That is, he knew Him not. 
 
S8 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 02 And John bare recordj saying, 
 I saw the Spirit descending from 
 heaven like a dove, and it abode 
 upon him. 
 
 33 And I knew him not: but 
 he that sent me to baptize with 
 water, the same said unto me. 
 Upon whom thou phalt see the 
 Spirit descending, and remain- 
 ing "■ on him, the same is he 
 
 as he was to know Him certainly by 
 an ajjpointed sign. vs. 33. John was 
 sent to make Him publicly known, and 
 He was to be made known te John, 
 beyond any mistake. This was ac- 
 cording to the testimony which John 
 gave before the baptism, as to his re- 
 lations to Christ. He was enabled to 
 recognize Christ when He applied to be 
 baptized by him, and He was revealed 
 to him on the occasion, by this sign 
 from heaven. He knew Him not, so 
 as to make any collusion or conspiracy 
 between them possible. It would seem 
 from Matt. 3 : 14, that John knew 
 Christ when He came to him for bap- 
 tism, but knew Him not yet by revela- 
 tion, as was appointed, vs. 32. 
 
 82. This is John's further witness, 
 which more fully explains the forego- 
 ing verse. He testified that Christ 
 had been clearly made known to him 
 from heaven — and that therefore he did 
 not base his witness of Christ upon any 
 mere natural, personal acquaintance. 
 He tells the sign which was appointed 
 from heaven by which he should, with- 
 out fail, recognize Christ — so that it 
 was by this Divine signal, and not by 
 mere personal knowledge, that he could 
 point Him out to Israel. God leaves 
 none of His ministers in the dark, 
 when they are intent iipon doing their 
 work, and wait on Him for tokens and 
 directions. 
 
 33. This was, of course, a special 
 claim which John had upon the confi- 
 dence of the Jews, who boasted their 
 belief in Jehovah, that the Messiah 
 was witnessed to from heaven by tho 
 
 which baptizeth ^ with the Holy 
 Ghost. 
 
 o-J: And I saw, and bare record 
 that this is the Son of God. 
 
 ^35 Again, the next 
 day after, John stood, and two of 
 his disciples; 
 
 36 And looking upon Jesus as 
 he walked, he saith, Behold the 
 Lamb of God ! 
 
 h Ac. 1.5; 2.1. 
 
 Father's own appointment, and by a 
 Divine token. See Matt. 3: 16. 
 
 34. Bare record. I have testified, as 
 you know and remember. 
 
 § 19. Jesus gains Disciples. — Tlit 
 Jordan — Galilee 9 
 
 Matt, I Mark. | Luke. I John. 
 
 I I |l. 35-51. 
 
 35. Again. We need not suppose 
 that these disciples were absent the 
 day before, when John pointed out 
 Jesus. But that what he said to the 
 multitude, perhaps, or to a band of 
 disciples the day before, became now 
 more directly applicable to themselves, 
 by their being the only two who were 
 present. So it often is that small au- 
 diences are more moved by the preach- 
 ing, than larger ones. Ministers who 
 preach to few, need not despond. 
 Stormy-day congregations are some- 
 times the most encouraging on this 
 account. It is not the number ad- 
 dressed, but the number reached and 
 truly afi"ected, that is the gieat matter. 
 We hear of none moved to embrace 
 Christ the day before, when the ad- 
 dress was to many. Now that it is to 
 tico, we find them both moved to seek 
 Jesus. This shows us, too, that preach- 
 ing should not be general, but particu- 
 lar, so that it should be made to apply 
 to individual cases. 
 
 36. Loolcing xipon. This term inti- 
 mates something more than John's 
 seeing Jesus, as before in vs. 29. It is 
 the term that is used of the maid looJc- 
 ing xtpon Peter, closely eyeing him, 
 and of Christ looking vpo7i Peter, which 
 drove him out to weep bitterly, (Mark 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 89 
 
 37 And the two disciples heard 
 him speak, and they followed 
 Jesus. 
 
 38 Then Jesus turned, and saw 
 them following, and saith unto 
 them, What seek ye ? They said 
 unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, 
 being interpreted, Master,) where 
 dwellest ^ thou ? 
 
 1 or, abidest. 
 
 14: 67; Luke 22: 61,) and of Jesus 
 looking upon the young man lovingly, 
 (M<ai-k 10: 21,) and loolcing upon sin- 
 ners, (vs. 43.) John is represented as 
 earnestly looking upon Christ at this 
 time, and thus proclaiming him with 
 effect. Perhaps we should infer that 
 the hearty contemplation of the Sa- 
 viour by the preacher himself, may 
 be expected ordinarily to be accompa- 
 nied by a successful exhibition of Him 
 to the hearers. 
 
 37. Followed. Not as disciples, 
 leaving all, as yet, but rather going 
 after Him, in the way of inquiry, as 
 appears from the verses that follow. 
 We note these as our Lord's ^r«< ivords 
 to his first disciples. 
 
 38. Jesus here shows His lively in- 
 terest, anticipating their inquiries, by 
 inquiring after their want. So it is 
 always under the Gospel. Christ is be- 
 forehand with us.- If any one sets 
 out, takes any step towards Him, he 
 finds already for him in the Gospel, 
 words of grace, leading him along to 
 salvation, inviting him to come and see. 
 If Rabbi. This term is the Jewish title 
 for Master, which they gave to their 
 great men. Matt. 23 : 8. Our Lord 
 forbade His disciples to be so called, 
 or to choose such distinctions. John 
 interprets the name, reminding us that 
 he wrote after the Jewish polity was 
 destroyed. \ Where dwellest thou. How 
 natural is it, after knowing of Christ as 
 the atoning Lamb and Saviour, to ask 
 after the place where He dwells. Ob- 
 SEKVE — Christ dwells in His church, in 
 His people, in the ordinances, private 
 as well as public, and in the wi'itten 
 word. Fere may we find Him at any 
 
 39 He saith unto them, Come 
 and see. They came and saw 
 where he dwelt, and abode with 
 him that day : for it was about ^ 
 the tenth hour. 
 
 40 One of the two which heard 
 John speak, and followed him, 
 was Andrew, Simon Peter's bro- 
 ther. 
 
 2 That was 2 hours before night. 
 
 time. They ask for His lodging place, 
 as though they wanted to know where 
 to find Him at any time, or rather, 
 perhaps, to know how far He Avas now 
 going on. Whatever question any in- 
 quirer asks of Christ, to know more of 
 Him, of His dwelling, of His way, of 
 His plans. He meets it by the invita- 
 tion, Come and see. 
 
 39. This was the common saying of 
 the Jewish Piabbis to their disciples — 
 Coyne and see, let it be explained to you. 
 And with our Lord there was implied 
 a promise. Come, and ye shall see, and 
 experience all that ye seek. See ch. 
 11 : 34; Rev. 6: 1, 3, 5, 7. Observe— 
 1. This foregoing love of Christ has 
 shown itself in His dying for sinners, 
 before we ever took a step, or had a 
 thought about salvation. 2. He is 
 come for this very object, to seek and 
 to save the lost. See the case of Zac- 
 cheus. He is seeking us more than 
 we are seeking Him. And if any one 
 has the first rising care for salvation, 
 and the first desire after Christ, it is 
 an evidence that Christ is seeking Ilim. 
 Tf Tenth hour. So accurately does John 
 give the hour, perhaps to show, in con- 
 nexion with the foregoing conversa- 
 tion, that it was now towards evening, 
 and that therefore it was asked where 
 Christ lodged, or perhaps to show that 
 this was a memorable occasion, wh'ch 
 made the very hour worthy of note to 
 him, as the hour of his first seeking and 
 following after Christ. The tenth hour, 
 in the Jewish calculation, was 4, P. M. 
 John was doubtless the otiier disciple. 
 
 40. One of the tivo. The other i&not 
 mentioned. This agrees with the Evan- 
 gelist's way of introducing himself in 
 
40 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 41 He first findeth his own bro- 
 ther Simon, and saith unto him, 
 We have found the JMessias, wliich 
 is, being interpreted, ^ the Christ. 
 
 42 And he brouf>;ht him to 
 
 1 or, tJie anointed. 
 
 Jesus. And when Jesus beheld 
 him, he said, Thou art Simon the 
 son of Jona: thou '' shalt be called 
 Cephas, which is, by interpreta- 
 tion, ^ A stone. 
 
 o Matt. 16. 18. 2 or, Peter. 
 
 his narratives, and "we see no other 
 rea.sou for his keeping back the name, 
 ■while the particular mention of the 
 hour would signify that he was con- 
 cerned deeply in the occurrence. We 
 see John's special modesty, as in this 
 case he was one of the very first who 
 had Christ pointed out to him. 
 
 41. lie first. Not (as Alford,) that 
 both went in search of Peter and An- 
 drew first found him. But the fist 
 thing he did, or the first thing in the 
 morning cfler visiting Christ at His 
 dwelling, was to go in search of his 
 brother. IIow natural this, in any 
 true discovery of Christ. The first 
 prompting is to go after near relatives 
 and others, and tell the glad news, " We 
 have found Christ." Or, we may under- 
 stand the terms as intimating that what 
 Andrew was first to do, namely, to 
 bring "his own brother," that John, 
 "the other disciple," also did, and 
 brought "his own brother" James, 
 and that this accounts for the order of 
 names in the common list of the 
 twelve, the oldest brother being named 
 first of the first called pairs. Simon and 
 Andrew, then James and John. Ob- 
 serve — 1. How sweet and sacred is 
 this influence of a brother for Christ. 
 2. A younger brother may even lead 
 the elder to Jesus. Yes ! Andrew may 
 even lead the impetuous Peter, and so 
 may the mild and winning John lead 
 James. *i His own brother. This ra- 
 ther suggests the reason of his making 
 this his first business after finding 
 Christ for himself: to acquaint "Am 
 oicn brother" with the cheering fact, 
 and seek to lead him also to Christ. 
 Even Dives, in torment, felt for his 
 five brethren on earth, lest they also 
 come to that dreary abode, and asked 
 Abraham to send them a messenger, even 
 Lazarus, to warn them away from it. 
 liuke 16 : 28. If we feel not now for 
 
 our relatives and others, we may feel 
 for them, as Dives did, when it is too 
 la.te. 
 
 42. Beheld, or, literally, looking 
 upon — earnestly contemplating him. 
 See vs. 36, notes. Our Lord here 
 intimates that He knew him first and 
 last — that his being now brought to 
 Him by his brother Andrew was noth- 
 ing so important as his being brought 
 to Him, by the Holy Spirit. That as 
 with Nathanael, (vs. 50,) whom Jesus 
 knew before Philip called him, so He 
 knew Simon before Andrew called 
 him ; and indeed knows now, already 
 beforehand, his future character and ca- 
 reer. T[ Brought him to Jesus. How 
 natural, how beautiful and how momen- 
 tous in its results was this Christian 
 act! How blessed is the work of 
 bringing to Christ one earnest, faithful 
 soul — much more one able, influential 
 minister — a missionary — a winner of 
 multitudes of other souls. ^ Simon. 
 Peter was the first fruit of Christ's pub- 
 lic ministry, the first one looked out and 
 brought in by one of the future twelve. 
 And it Avould seem he was the first 
 publicly recognized as a future apostle, 
 by this new name. On this account, 
 it may be, that he is frequently men- 
 tioned first in the list and spoken of 
 with some distinction, among the 
 twelve. ^ Cephas. This term is Ara- 
 maic, and signifies — a stone. His name 
 was Simon. Now Christ adds this new 
 name, which in Greek is Peter. It was 
 a declaration beforehand, of what 
 Peter icas to he made in the gospel ser- 
 vice, and of what part he was to have 
 in the upbuilding of the early church. 
 He was to have a primary work, iu 
 fact, but no primacy in rank. Peter's 
 confession of Christ was the foundation 
 truth upon which the church was to be 
 built, (Matt. IG: 18.) See Gab 2: 9, 
 where Cephas is spoken of ns a pillar, 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHaP. I. 
 
 41 
 
 43 The day following, Jesus 
 would go forth into Gralilee, and 
 findeth Philip, and saith unto him, 
 Follow me. 
 
 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, 
 the city of Andrew and Peter. 
 
 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and 
 saith unto him, We have found 
 him of whom Moses " in the 
 law, and the prophets did write. 
 
 I Lu. 24. 27, 44. 
 
 but only "o«2 of the pillars" — with 
 John and James. John records this 
 case to show Christ's DivinilTj by Ilis 
 forelsnowledge and prerogatiye in thus 
 designating Simon. 
 
 43. The daij folloiving. The next day 
 after Peter was so called and designated — 
 and so it was the fourth day after, vs. 
 19, supposing Peter's naming to have 
 been the day after the visit of Andrew 
 and John. 1[ Follow me. Christ here 
 calls him to be a disciple, not an apostle. 
 This is the first instance of His making 
 such a call. 
 
 44. Bethsaida. There are two places 
 of this name mentioned in the New 
 Testament. One was at the head of 
 the Lalie, and was called Bethsaida 
 Julias. This one here mentioned was 
 the town more commonly known, where 
 Christ wrought, and which was de- 
 nounced, with Capernaum, for its un- 
 belief. Matt. 11: 21. It was on the 
 western side of the Lake. It was a 
 fishing place, probably, but no trace of 
 it can now be found. We made many 
 inquiries in vain. 
 
 45. The first tiling spoken of, as 
 done by Philip after he was called by 
 our Lord, was this — "he findeth Na- 
 thanael." It was the same feeling as 
 in Andrew's case, (vs. 42,) leading him 
 to go after his brother Simon. It is a 
 characteristic of true conversion — this 
 prompt movement to tell to others 
 what a Saviour has been found, and to 
 lead them to the same Jesus. First, 
 we have had shown to us the beautiful 
 instances of individual effort for Christ, 
 as shown in the family circle — brothers 
 and younger brothers leading their 
 
 4* 
 
 Jesus of Nazareth the son of 
 Joseph. 
 
 46 And Nathanael said unto him, 
 ** Can there any good thing come 
 out of Nazareth ? Philip saith 
 unto him, Come and see. 
 
 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming 
 to him, and saith of him. Behold, ° 
 an Israelite indeed, in whom is no 
 guile ! 
 
 6 c. 7. 41. cPs.32. 2. Eo.2.28,29. 
 
 elder brothers to Christ, as Andrew 
 and John. Here observe, we have 
 individual effort displayed outside of 
 the domestic circle — where friend pre- 
 vails with friend to come to Jesus. 
 Tliis Nathanael is spoken of (ch. 21 : 2,) 
 as of Caua in Galilee, and Jesus was 
 now probably in that vicinity, as in 
 ch. 2:1, he is mentioned as being 
 there. This case is now given, in 
 which Christ proved Himself to bo 
 Divine, so clearly as to convince a sin- 
 cere Jew, by the evidence of His 
 omniscience. The Hebrew name Na- 
 thanael answers to the Greek Theodo- 
 rus. It is supposed that Bartholomew, 
 who is found in the list of the twelve, 
 and is named with Philip, was the same 
 with Nathanael, who is not mentioned 
 otherwise in the number. So that 
 Nathanael was Bartholomew, which 
 means the son of Ihlmai. So Peter was 
 Barjona. See Matt. 10: 3; Mark 3: 
 IG ; Luke 6: 14. Tf Moses in the law. 
 In the first five books of the Old Tes- 
 tament, which were written by Moses, 
 and called "the Law," according to 
 the general division of the Books, 
 Christ is variously referred to : as " the 
 seed of the woman," and as in Balaam's 
 prophecy, (Numbers 24: 17,) where 
 He is called The Star. And so, our 
 Lord himself "beginning at IMoses, 
 and all the prophets" expounded to the 
 disciples on the way to Emmaus, the 
 things there written concerning Him- 
 self. H The Prophets. Not— which 
 Moses in the prophets — but which the 
 l^rophets did write in the prophecies — 
 and Moses wrote in the law. The 
 Old Testament Books were divided into 
 
42 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 48 Natlianael saith uuto him, 
 Whence knowest thou me? Je>:us 
 answered and said unto him, 
 
 *' The Laxo, the Prophets, and the 
 Psalms." Isa. 53: 9; 6: 7; Jer. 23: 
 5, 6; Dan. 9: 24-27; Zechariah IS; 
 Mai. 3. IT Jesus of Nazareth. It would 
 seem from this, that Philip had had 
 some acquaintance with Jesus before — 
 or that he gives this particular account 
 of Christ's earthly relations, as his 
 mode of proclasming him to Nathanael, 
 a devout Jew. He knew of Him as 
 residing at Nazareth. 
 
 46. Can there any good thing come, 
 ^•c. It has been generally supposed 
 that the notorious wickedness of the 
 place is here referred to. But as 
 Nathanael was a Galilean, we need not 
 suppose that he expressed on his part 
 this kind of contempt, but rather that 
 he referred to the meanness and insig- 
 nificance of the place, as not likely 
 to give any great personage to the 
 world. Ch. 7 : 52 ; Matt. 2 : 53. He 
 alluded, also, to the contempt in which 
 Galilee was Jield in the popular estima- 
 tion, and Nazareth was only a small 
 despised town of Galilee. The name 
 Nazarene and Galilean was a name of 
 derision. This was a natural expres- 
 sion. It was a prejudice natural 
 enough to the human heart. It was a 
 feeling of distrust of the person, 
 because of the place from which he 
 sprang. So unreasonable are the 
 objections which many urge against 
 Christ and His gospel. T[ Come and 
 see. This reply was the only way to 
 meet such a false judgment. Every 
 man should examine for himself. His 
 prejudice was not so obstinate as to 
 forbid this fair tri.al from personal 
 investigation. This is the substance 
 of Christ's invitation to men. Come 
 to me and prove the Gospel true. 
 Observe. — If men will first of all go 
 to Christ and see the gospel plan with 
 all its evidences and fruits — its promi- 
 ses, provisions and hopes — they will 
 find rest to their souls. All their 
 petty prejudices should be laid aside, 
 
 Before that Philip called thee, 
 when thou wast under the fig-tree, 
 I saw "^ thee. 
 
 and instead of caviling, querying and 
 fault-finding, they should at once go 
 to Christ and see. 
 
 47. We need not suppose that our 
 Lord had any reference in His remark 
 to this conversation of Nathanael. 
 The plain meaning is that He knew 
 him by a Divine power. ^ An Israel- 
 ite indeed. One truly or really an 
 Israelite — one who truly answers to 
 that title. It was our Lord's work to 
 pronounce upon character, especially 
 to distinguish the true hrael (vs. 13,) 
 from the nominal. His fan was in His 
 hand, and He was purging His floor 
 and gathering His wheat into His gar- 
 ner. Matt. 3 : 12. This man was one 
 of the true sons, or people of God : like 
 Simeon and Anna, waiting for the con- 
 solation of Israel like Zacharias and 
 Elizabeth, walking in all the command- 
 ments and ordinances of the Lord, 
 blameless. This would seem, indeed, 
 in his reply to Philip, where he speaks 
 of the Messiah as a "good thing." He 
 was, at least, ready to hear of Christ. 
 Tf No guile. No hypocrisy — as with 
 the Pharisees — no false profession. See 
 Ps. 15. It is not meant that Nathan- 
 ael had no sin, but that he was a sin- 
 cere, honest and pious Jew — and 
 therefore, as was proved, ready to 
 receive Christ. Rom. 2 : 28, 29. No 
 guile was in him as was in Jacob, 
 before he wrestled with the angel. 
 Nathanael was found in prayer. There- 
 fore, our Lord speaks of him as a 
 specimen of the earnest seekers and 
 prepared pupils that He would have — 
 His own Israel out of the mere exter- 
 nal Israel, looking for Him, and coming 
 to Him with readiness to receive His 
 invitation. Thus ought all Israel to 
 be prepared for Him as their Messiah. 
 Not that Nathanael had yet embraced 
 Jesus as the Christ, but he .accepts the 
 invitation. Come and see — and soon his 
 prejudice is lost in his happy experi- 
 ence. 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 43 
 
 49 Nathanael answered and saith 
 unto him, Rabbi, thou * art the 
 Son of God; thou art the King 
 •' of Israel. 
 
 50 Jesus answered and said unto 
 him, Because I said unto thee, 
 I saw thee under the fig-tree, 
 
 rt Matt. 11. 33. c. 20. 28,29. 1 Matt. 21.5; 2T. 11. 
 
 48. This claim to a thorough knowl- 
 edge of Nathanael, awakens his inqiiiry 
 as to whence this stranger, whom he 
 never before saw, had learned anything 
 of him — or so much, as now to be tell- 
 ing his acquaintances (as Philip,) about 
 his private character. T[ Before that. 
 Christ always shows Himself before- 
 hand of all human agency for our 
 salvation — more acquainted with us, 
 and with our character and wants than 
 our nearest friends — and knowing all 
 about us before ever we heard of Him, 
 before we ever moved toward Him, and 
 before any one ever moved to lead us 
 to Him. Before we ever heard a 
 sermon, or were spoken to by any one 
 about Christ, He knew all about us, 
 and was more concerned for us than 
 all beside could have been, f When. 
 Our Lord now gives an evidence of His 
 Divine knowledge of him. He knew 
 where he was, when he thought himself 
 in deepest solitude, and He refers to 
 this on purpose to show His super- 
 natural knowledge. So He did with 
 the Samaritan woman. Ch. 4 : 18. He 
 showed His particular acquaintance 
 with her circumstances and history, as 
 He could not have known them but 
 for Divine power. AVe may suppose 
 that Nathanael was under the fig-tree 
 at prayer or meditation, as was cus- 
 tomary among the Jews. So our Lord, 
 Ch. 18: 2; Luke G: 12. 
 . 49. The efl'oct upon Nathanael was 
 similar to that upon the Samaritan 
 wom.an. It was a proof of Jesus being 
 the Messiah. \ The Son of God. By 
 this, perhaps, was meant the Messiah, 
 as in Ps. 2:7; John 11: 27; Matt. 
 16 , 16 ; Luke 22 : 70. 1[ The king of 
 Israel. This was another title of tlie 
 IMessiah. It was written on His cross, 
 ' ' The King of the Jews. ' ' John the Bap- 
 
 believest thou? Thou shalt see 
 greater things than these. 
 
 51 And he saith unto him, Verily, 
 verily, I say unto you. Hereafter 
 ye shall see heaven " open, and the 
 angels ^ of Grod ascending and de- 
 scending upou the Son of Man. 
 
 cEzc.l.l. (ZGe. 28.12. Da. 7. 9,10 Ac. 1.10,11. 
 
 tist, however, had called Jesus "the Son 
 of God," (vs. 34,) in his testimony after 
 the baptism, and Nathanael might 
 have referred to this claim set up for 
 Him by John — meaning, "Thou art 
 the Son of God," as is claimed. Nathan- 
 ael could not yet have understood the 
 mystery of Christ's Divine nature. 
 But this proof of His Omniscience was 
 indeed enough, when carried home 
 by the Spirit to show that He was 
 God — at least, that He was the Christ. 
 Observe — 1. The Gospel of Christ 
 shows the deepest knoAvledge of our 
 hearts. It is when we see how exactly 
 it is suited to our condition, that we 
 embrace it as Divine. - 2. Christ shows 
 us plainly that He has all along seen us, 
 and followed us up with warnings and 
 messages of love. When we see this and 
 so read His providence, we find Him to 
 be God, and embrace Him as a Personal 
 Saviour. " My Lord and my God." So 
 Christ called out Zaccheus, by name, 
 before Zaccheus knew Him. Luke 19: 5, 
 
 •50. Our Lord commends the prompt 
 believing of Nathanael on this simple 
 evidence of His Omniscience. He 
 assures him that he shall witness more 
 abundant tokens of His Divinity. He 
 thus meets his faith with new and lar- 
 ger promises. So it is with every 
 believer till he enters Heaven. 
 
 51. Verily, verily. Most certainly. 
 This repetition is for emphasis, to 
 show the solemn truth of what is 
 uttered. ^ Ye shall see. This is spo- 
 ken to all the disciples. T[ Heaven 
 open. The reference here is plainly 
 to Jacob's ladder, which he saw in 
 vision. Gen. 28: 12. That was an 
 image of the Incarnation and Divinity 
 of our Lord, and of his mediatorial 
 work, which should engage the angels 
 as ministering spirits to the heirs of 
 
14 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 T[ i ND the third 
 _Q_ day there was 
 
 Balvation. The meaning here is — that 
 they should see Divine glories dis- 
 played in His Person and Work, and 
 Heaven should be seen open — not any 
 more shut — open for the free entrance 
 of sinners — " by a new and living way 
 which Christ hath opened for us 
 through the vail, that is to say, His 
 flesh." Heb. 10: 20. T[ Amjels of 
 God. They are all ministering spirits 
 to the heirs of salvation. Heb. 1 : 14. 
 They often appeared on commissions 
 from God to His servants under the 
 old economy ; to Abraham and Lot, and 
 Daniel : and in the New Testament, 
 they appear to Zacharias, and Mary 
 and John, and to Jesus, once and again. 
 Mark 1:13; Luke 22 : 43 ; John 5 : 
 4. The Heaven was seen open by 
 Stephen, (Acts 7 : 55 ; ) by the three 
 disciples on the Mount, (Matt. 17 : 5 ; ) 
 by the disciples who beheld Christ's 
 ascension. Luke 24 : 51 ; Acts 1 : 9. 
 It was no bodily vision promised to 
 Nathanael, but that spiritual apprehen- 
 sion of the heavenly world, and of 
 our Saviour and inheritance there 
 which all believers were to enjoy. 1 
 Pet. 1 : 3, 4, 8 ; Pv.evelation. T Ascend- 
 ing, &c. Christ had brought the 
 heavenly agencies down to earth — the 
 foot of the ladder He was planting 
 here in His earthly mediatorial work. 
 And the angels as ministei-ing spirits 
 should ascend upon Him, from His 
 mediation, and descend full of blessing 
 for men. Angelic ministries would be 
 opened up to men by Christ's Incarna- 
 tion and Death. These heavenly spir- 
 its would keep up intercoui'se with 
 men through Christ as a ladder upon 
 which they would travel between 
 heaven and earth. What Jacob saw 
 in dim vision — that they should see in 
 fact. ^ Son of Man. See Dan. 7 : 13, 
 14. This title is never applied to 
 Christ by any but Himself, except in 
 Acts 7 : 5G, by Stephen, and in Rev. 
 1 : 18 and 14 : 14, which are rather cita- 
 tions from Daniel. Christ was found 
 
 a marriage in Cana * of Galilee ; 
 and the mother of Jesus Tvaa 
 there : 
 
 aJos. 19. 28. c.4.46. 
 
 in fashion as a man. Phil. 2:6, 7. 
 Observe — 1. Christ may be known by 
 His knowledge of us, of our sins, of 
 our ruin, and only recovery. 2. They 
 who believe from the light they have, 
 will have more light. 3. We enjoy 
 free communication with the heavenly 
 world through Christ alone. Heaven 
 is open to our view, as He has revealed 
 its glories ; and it is open to our en- 
 trance, as He has made the ladder to 
 it, and is Himself the ivay. AVhy will 
 not men cease to follow after delu- 
 sions — after schemes of consulting 
 spirits, and of opening the spiritual 
 world, when Christ is the only ladder 
 and the only door. 
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 
 § 20. The Marriage at Cana of 
 Galilee. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. | Luke. I John. 
 
 I 1 |2. 1-12. 
 
 1. The third day. That is, the third 
 after the incident just recorded, viz : 
 the calling of Nathanael ; making one 
 whole day only, and parts of two days 
 between that event and the marriage. 
 This was tlie first public miracle of our 
 Lord, and so it was the first fulfillment 
 of ch. 1: 51. See vs. 41. 1 Cana 
 of Galilee. The small village now 
 called Kefr Kenna on the road from 
 Nazareth to Tiberias, has been com- 
 monly held to be the same place. We 
 found a modern chapel erected there, 
 and large water pots standing out on 
 the road side. The monks have fixed 
 upon this as the spot, and strive to 
 keep up every appearance of its being 
 the same. But Dr. Robinson has. 
 shown that a village called Kana-el- 
 Jclil, (the very name "Cana of Gal- 
 ilee,") about three hours N. E. from 
 Nazareth, is the real spot ; that it was 
 in earlier times recognized as the 
 place, and that the same name is given 
 in the Arabic version of the New Tes- 
 tament, as the place where this miracle 
 was wrought. It was the birthplace 
 
AoE 30.] 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 45 
 
 2 And both Jesus was called, 
 
 and his disciples, to the marriage.* 
 
 8 And ^ when they wanted wine, 
 
 a He. 1.3.4. 6 Eo. 10.19. Is. 22. 11. 
 
 of Nathanael. ch. 21: 2. ^Marriage. 
 Our Lord prefaces His public ministry 
 by appearing at a marriage, and show- 
 ing Himself thus differently from John 
 in His social relations. He here con- 
 fers special honor upon Marriage by 
 His presence, and by working His first 
 public miracle for its guests. Ho 
 came to dignify and sanction our social 
 ties. He foresaw, says Trench, that 
 some would arise in His church who 
 would despise marriage, or fail to give 
 the Christian family all its honors. 
 And surely He knew of the apostacy 
 whose mark is the "forbidding to 
 marry." 1 Tim. 4: 3. *S^ The mother 
 of Jesus. Joseph was most probably 
 dead. He is last mentioned where 
 Christ was sought at the Temple, at 
 twelve years of age. Luke 2 : 48. 
 
 2. Was called. Was invited. The 
 mother of Jesus "was there" uninvi- 
 ted — was there apparently as one of 
 the relatives of the family in whose 
 house the marriage took place. His 
 brothers also seem to have been pres- 
 ent in the same way. vs. 12. Jesus 
 and His disciples were particularly 
 invited, as He probably would not have 
 gone without the invitation. Blessed 
 are they who invite the Saviour to their 
 festive circles — and will have Him to 
 honor and sanctify and bless every 
 happy occasion in their house. T Ilis 
 disciples. Those, as we suppose, who 
 were named in the last chapter as hav- 
 ing lately been called by our Lord, 
 were now invited out of regard to Him. 
 There were the six disciples — Peter 
 and Andrew, James and John, Philip 
 and Nathanael. 
 
 3. When they icanted. Rather — 
 when the wine had begun to fail. 
 Mary seems to have been so related to 
 the family as to know when the wine 
 was beginniug to give out. And she 
 also interests herself at once in the 
 matter, and bespeaks of Him some 
 interference. ^ They have no wine. 
 Lightfoot argues that the wedding was 
 
 the mother of Jesus saith unto 
 him. They have no wine. 
 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, 
 
 in the house of Mary, wife of Cleopas, 
 a sister of the mother of Jesus, (ch. 
 19; 25,) who was also the mother of 
 James and Joses, (elsewhere called the 
 brethren of our Lord? Matt. 27: 56.) 
 Our Lord's mother seems to have had 
 some expectation from all that she 
 saw and heard of Him, that He would 
 display His power for the supply. He 
 may have privately wrought certain 
 wonders in her presence already, but 
 none publicly before this. At the 
 opening of the marriage ceremony 
 among the Jews, the priest took a glass 
 of wine in his hand and said, " Blessed 
 art thou Lord, our God, King of the 
 universe, the Creator of the fruit of 
 the vine." This was also the prayer 
 at the table. How appropriate then 
 that He should show Himself their 
 Lord God upon their own solemn 
 acknowledgment, by showing that He 
 was the "Creator of the fruit of the 
 vine." 
 
 4. His answer here shows that her 
 address to Him was an appeal for help, 
 either by way of His Avonderful wis- 
 dom, or of His wonder-working power. 
 T[ Woman. This is no term of re- 
 proach or contempt, or disrespect. It 
 is the same as He used so tenderly 
 from the cross, ch. 19: 26. This is 
 the term in which He addressed Mary 
 JMagdalene — and which the angels had 
 used in addressing her before. Matt. 
 20: 13-15. It is to be observed that 
 in this answer He intimates that He is 
 no longer to be considered as in subjec- 
 tion to His human parent — but having 
 now entered on His official work, He 
 is to be understood as the Son of God 
 rather than the son of Mary. Com- 
 pare Matt. 12: 48, 50, and Luke 11: 
 27, 28. He would show His object to 
 be far higher than a mere gratification 
 of these guests or of herself, indeed — 
 and higher than to produce the mere 
 earthly supply — while yet He will not 
 refuse tc work the miracle. ^ What 
 have I to do, &c. This seems to carry 
 
46 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30, 
 
 what have I to do with thee? 
 Mine hour is not yet come. 
 5 His mother saith unto the 
 
 Trith it somewhat of repulse. The 
 phrase is used elsewhere in Scripture, 
 and where the impression convej'ed is 
 that the speaker has been unseason- 
 ably interfered with. Jos. 22: 24; 
 Judges 11:12; 2 Sam. 16:10; 19: 
 22; 1 Kings 17: 18; 2 Kings 3: 12, 
 13; 2 Chron. 35: 21; MattT 8: 29; 
 27 : 19 ; Mark 1 : 24. The meaning 
 is not that He would have nothing to 
 do with her — far from it, as appears 
 from what follows. Literally, the 
 phrase is "what to me and thee." 
 What is there to us in common, seeing 
 I am thy Lord as well as thy Son — the 
 Son of God, as well as the Son of 
 Mary. As regards the miraculous 
 power, what could there be in common 
 between them ? Here He must declare 
 His essential independence of her 
 direction. It was only as her Lord 
 that He could do this thing, and here 
 He must disclaim her authority. 
 T[ With thee. That this could not have 
 sounded so harshly to her ear as it 
 may sound to us, is plain fi-om what 
 follows. He gave her to understand 
 that at the proper time He would act — 
 only that His thoughts were not her 
 thoughts, nor His ways her ways. Isa. 
 55. And so again. He would declare 
 His superiority to her, in His official 
 character and relations. And this was 
 accessary — for His being the son of 
 Mary, was to many minds the evidence 
 that He was not the Son of God. Only 
 n.s lie should be seen to be both, would 
 He be properly undei-stood. She, the 
 fond mother, was to be taught that lie 
 was much more than her son. " That 
 which in me works miracles was not 
 born of thee." Observe. — He has also 
 here shown us how false is that doc- 
 trine of the Romish church which 
 makes Mary an object of worship as a 
 mediator between us and the Son. 
 "There is one Mediator between God 
 and men, the man Christ Jesus." 
 (1 Tim. 2 : 5) How blasphemous is that 
 new article of faith in the Romish 
 
 servants, Whatsoever =■ he saith 
 unto you, do it. 
 6 And there were set there six 
 
 church, that ]\Iary was conceived with- 
 out sin — placing her on a level with 
 her Lord — and making a goddess of 
 her so as even to throw His Godhead 
 into the shade ! Tf Mine hour. Whpt- 
 ever our Lord intended by the fullness 
 of these words, there was a present 
 sense in which they were meant and 
 received. INIy time for this public 
 manifestation is fixed — is approach- 
 ing — but it has not yet come. When 
 it comes I shall be ready to prove my 
 Divine nature and commission, and 
 show myself, upon their own acknowl- 
 edgment, the Lord Jehovah, as being 
 the Creator of the fruit of the 
 vine. Observe. — Christ has come 
 to turn the water of earth into the 
 wine of Heaven. He could as easily 
 have turned stones into bread when 
 Satan challenged Him. But He will 
 do nothing at the suggestion of such — 
 yet He will do all things at the sug- 
 gestion of love. Nor even at the 
 direction of His earthly mother will 
 He do Divine works, or out of any 
 mere earthly love — for He had a higher 
 relation to Heaven. He was disposed 
 to meet her request, only that there 
 was as yet an obstacle in the Divine 
 plan. His hour was not yet come. 
 His hour was not Iter hour. Hers was 
 when the wine was failing. His was 
 when the fountain was opening. Zach. 
 13: 1. He had "■wine and milk" to 
 furnish "without money and without 
 price." Isa. 55 : 1. And His hour is 
 coming when at the marriage supper 
 of the Lamb, Ho shall furnish new 
 wine in His Father's kingdom for His 
 redeemed and glorified guests. 
 
 5. From this it is plain that his mo- 
 ther understood that he would work 
 the desired supply, and might do it at 
 any moment — that it was only a ques- 
 tion of time. This throws light on the 
 sense in which His reply was meant to 
 be understood — as tlie miracle was 
 soon wrought according to tliis intima- 
 tion. 
 
AOE 30.] 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 47 
 
 water-pots of stone, after tlie man- 
 ner of the purifying of the Jews, 
 containing two or three firkins 
 
 apiece. 
 7 Jesus 
 
 saith unto them, Fill 
 
 6. The Evangelist now tells us liow 
 there came to be a quantity of water 
 there for a special use, and this was 
 turned into wine. It would make the 
 miracle no less. As they were water- 
 pots, they could have had no remains 
 of wine in them. The Rationalists 
 try to understand this miracle as no- 
 thing more than the bringing in of a 
 new supply of wine, after the provision 
 was exhausted. Absurd ! Observe — 
 Our Lord chooses not here to create 
 out of nothing — but to change one li- 
 quid into another, which, nevertheless, 
 was virtually a new creation. Augus- 
 tine says, "//(? made wine at the nup- 
 tials, who every jca,v makes it on the 
 vines." *i Of stone. They were of 
 earthen or stone-ware, and were there, 
 after the manner, or according to the cus- 
 tom of the Jews, for the " divers wash- 
 ings," which they practiced at their 
 feasts. Matt. 15: 12. Mark 7: 4. 
 If Firkins. If this "firkin " be the same 
 measure as the Jewish bath, it would 
 be near eight gallons : some make it 
 thirteen and a half English. And as 
 each pot contained two or three of 
 these, there would be at least, over a 
 hundred gallons in all. This large 
 quantity has been caviled at. But if 
 there had been only a few gallons it 
 might have been charged to some trick, 
 as though it could liave been brought 
 in, secretly; or, as though this small 
 supply was unworthy a miracle. Our 
 
 the water-pots with water. And 
 they filled them up to the brim. 
 
 8 And he saith unto them, Draw 
 ''out now and bear unto the governor 
 ■^ of the feast. And they bare ii. 
 
 sEc.9. 7. 6Eo. 13. 7. 
 
 Lord never wrought small miracles — 
 never produced scanty supplies, but 
 always an over-abundance, that, like 
 Ilis provisions of gi'ace, there might be 
 '■'■enough and to spare." 
 
 7. The water was poured va fresh by 
 the servants, so that there could be no 
 deception. Those who had to do with 
 the vessels, and the contents, would 
 thus be made witnesses to the facts. 
 They could testify most certainly that 
 it was water, when they put it in, just 
 before, and that they put in the water 
 at His direction. These facts would be 
 most important to verify the miracle. 
 Tf To the brim. To the top — brimming 
 full. Every one could see that it was 
 water. It was not a small quantity 
 of something at the bottom of these 
 large vessels. But all was plain and 
 open, to make the miracle more con- 
 vincing to all. 
 
 8. The servants who had just poured 
 in the v;ater, were those who are now 
 directed to draw out the contents. If 
 they found that what tl^ey drew out 
 was icine, knowing as they did, that 
 what they poured in was water, how 
 irresistible was the conclusion, that it 
 had been miraculously changed. This 
 was done, too, at once, and without any 
 third party stepping in, to deceive. 
 T The governor. This term is used 
 only in this chapter of the New Testa- 
 ment. It means the person (an hon- 
 ored guest,) who presided at the table. 
 
48 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 9 When the ruler of the feust 
 had tasted the water that was 
 made wine, and knew not whence 
 it was, (but the " servants which 
 drew the water knew,) the gover- 
 nor of the feast called the bride- 
 groom, 
 
 10 And saith unto him. Every 
 man at the beginning doth set 
 
 The tables had three sides, and the 
 ruler of the feast sat, or reclined, at 
 the head, opposite the open space. 
 His was the honored post. There was 
 usually one each at his right and 
 left. At the head the one leaning to- 
 wards him, on his right hand, (as they 
 all reclined on the left arm, ) was said 
 to "lean on 7ns bosom." ch. 13: 23. 
 There were also three persons usually 
 on each of the other two sides of the 
 table. Beclcer's Gallus, p. 473. 
 
 9. Knew not. This statement calls 
 attention to the fact, that without 
 knowing whence it came, he pronoun- 
 ced it so genuine and superior, and 
 that he could not have conspired with 
 others to deceive. \ Who drew. Ra- 
 ther, who had drawn. . 
 
 10. Have well drunk. This is a gen- 
 eral remark with regard to the common 
 practice at feasts — not referring to 
 this feast. It is the remark, too, of the 
 governor, not of our Lord. The sim- 
 ple idea is plain, that men commonly, 
 in serving their guests with wine, bring 
 on the best at tii'st, before they have 
 become satisfied and before they have 
 lost the relish by abundance. This 
 was said to express the opinion of the 
 governor or ruler of the feast, as to 
 the quality of the wine. This is im- 
 portant. He seems to give an inde- 
 pendent judgment without reference to 
 the miracle, and probably without 
 knowledge of it. It was of the very 
 best quality, in the opinion of the head 
 of the feast, whose business it was to 
 taste and judge. Our Lord never pro- 
 duced a poor article, but what lie 
 made was the best. What He supplies 
 ns in our want is never the poor stuff 
 
 forth good wine; and when men 
 have well drunk, then that which 
 is worse : hut thou hast kept the 
 good ^ wine until now. 
 
 11 This beginning of miracles 
 did Jesus in Cana of G-alilee, 
 and manifested " forth his glory; 
 and his disciples believed ^ on 
 him. 
 
 5 Ps. 104. 13. Pr.9. 2,5. cc. 1.14. d IJno. 5. 13. 
 
 that the world gives-, ch. 14: 27. And 
 yet, He keeps the best till the last — • 
 "the new wine that he shall drink with 
 us in His Father's Kingdom," is "far 
 better." Phil. 1 : 28. 
 
 11. This beginning, &c. This is not 
 a useless statement. Many pretended 
 miracles have been published as 
 wrought by Christ in iufancj'. This 
 shows that they are false as they are 
 silly, and unworthy of our Lord, 
 T[ Manifested forth. Displayed — made 
 manifest. Tf His glory. This was the 
 glory of which John was writing and 
 which he attempts to testify of, most 
 conclusively, which he says also, that 
 he and others, (Peter and James,) be- 
 held — the glory of the Incarnate Word. 
 1 : 14. It was to set forth this glory 
 that Christ wrought this miracle — and 
 for the same purpose now John records 
 it. He declared that it gave powerful 
 manifestation of His glory before the 
 disciples. T[ His disciples believed oti 
 Him. This record seems strange. 
 His disciples might be supposed to 
 have already believed on Him. But 
 they were to be taught as well as 
 others. They knew not as yet half 
 that they would soon learn, of Him, or 
 of His works. Our Lord bears with 
 us in our ignorance, takes us by the 
 hand while we know so little, and by 
 many precepts and dealings instructs 
 us more fully, day by day. It is not 
 because we a?-e fullj^ taught, that He 
 takes us into His disciplesliip, but that 
 tee may be. Here these disciples saw, 
 as He promised, greater things than the 
 Omniscience displayed in the cf se of 
 Nathanael. ch. 1 : 50. Observe — 
 1. The first miracle of Moses was a 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 49 
 
 12 After this he went down to 
 Capernaum, he, and his mother, 
 and his brethren, and his disciples: 
 and they continued there not 
 many days. 
 
 ^ 13 And the Jews' 
 
 turning of water into blood. The law 
 worketh wrath and death. Exod. 7 : 
 20. The first miracle of Christ is a 
 turning of water into wine. The gos- 
 pel brings its heavenly '■'■wine and milk, 
 without money and without price." 
 Isa. 53. 2. Christ comes to supply 
 what we lack, even in our gladdest, most 
 joyous feasts. Our sources of comfort 
 fail, even where we have provided our 
 best, and lie comes to create a richer 
 and better supply, when all ours is 
 gone. 3. He can turn our common 
 beverage into the richest — our water 
 into wine. 4. He honors marriage, 
 and blesses the relation. When it is 
 dishonored, society becomes corrupt 
 and debased. 6. He wrought this first 
 public miracle at a marriage, as this 
 is the relation by which He chooses to 
 set forth His love to the church. Eph. 
 5: 25. 6. Let us call upon Christ in 
 every strait. He can and will supply 
 whatever we truly need. He can bless 
 every place — honor every occasion, and 
 sanctify all the joys and endearments 
 of life. 7. This wine was not that fer- 
 mented liquor which passes now under 
 this name. All who know of the wines 
 then used, will understand rather the 
 uufermented juice of the grape. The 
 present wines of Jerusalem and Leba- 
 non, as we tasted them, were commonly 
 boiled and sweet, without intoxicating 
 qualities such as we here get, in liquors 
 called wines. The boiling prevents 
 the fermentation. Those were esteem- 
 ed the best wijies which were least 
 strong. Wo may be sure that our 
 Lord's wine would neither be drugged, 
 nor mijced with deleterious ingredients, 
 but would be pure. For bread he would 
 give a stone, as soon as for loine he 
 would give poison. He gives riches 
 that add no sorrow. 
 6 
 
 passover * was at hand, and Jesus 
 ^ went up to Jerusalem, 
 
 14 And found "= in the tempio 
 those that sold oxen and sheep 
 and doves, and the changers of 
 money sitting: 
 
 12. Capernaum. This was on the 
 Sea of Galilee, and about ten hours N. 
 from Cana-el-JeUl, and of course far- 
 ther from Jerusalem, where He was 
 next to go. It is said that He "went 
 down,'" not only because it was going 
 away from Jerusalem, but also, towards 
 the Sea. ^ His brethren. See Notes, 
 ch. 7:5. ^ Not many days. Because 
 the Passover was near, and they went 
 up to attend the feast at Jerusalem. 
 vs. 13. 
 
 PART III. 
 
 Our Lord's First Passover, &c. 
 till the Second. 
 
 § 21. At the Passover, Jestjs drives 
 THE Traders out of the Temple. 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Mark)- I Luke. I John. 
 
 I I 1 2. 13-25. 
 
 13. This visit to Jerusalem for the 
 first Passover during His Ministry, is 
 not given by the other Evangelists. 
 This cleansing of the Temple, there- 
 fore, is not the same as in Matt. 21 : 
 12. But at the beginning and end of 
 His Ministry, He did this work, that 
 was also symbolical of what was to 
 come, in purifj'ing the church. 
 
 14. The Temple. This was the court 
 of the Gentiles. The outside area — 
 within which there were three other 
 courts. TF Sold oze?i, &c. This mar- 
 ket appears to have sprung up since 
 the captivity, with a view to the con- 
 venience of those Jews who came from 
 a distance to provide them with the 
 beasts for offering, and to change their 
 foreign money into the sacred shekel, 
 which alone was allowed to be paid in 
 for the Temple tax. Matt. 17:24. 
 This would (1,) produce a mixture of 
 sacred and profane transactions, be- 
 sides, (2,) opening the way for abuses 
 
50 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age o; 
 
 15 And when he had made a 
 scourge of small cords, he drove 
 them all out of the temple, and 
 the sheep, and the oxen; and 
 poured out the changers' money, 
 and overthrew the tables; 
 
 16 And said unto them that sold 
 
 in the traffic. Perhaps this first 
 cleansing had regard to the former, and 
 the hist to the latter of these evils. 
 
 15. The Lord had now come to His 
 Temple — even the Angel of the Cove- 
 nant, and who could abide the day of 
 Jlis coming? This was <a hint of what 
 He was to do as Walachi had prophe- 
 sied of Ilim. He should be "as a re- 
 finer's fire, and as fuller's soap.'' Mai. 
 3: 2. His fan was in His hand, as 
 John the Baptist, (the Elias,) had de- 
 clared, (^latt. 3: 12,) and lie would 
 thoroughly purge His floor. The 
 scourge of small cords was rather the 
 emblem of His wrath than the instru- 
 ment of it. His object was to cleanse 
 the worship and church of God, to 
 "purify the sons of Levi," and intro- 
 duce the change predicted in Isa. 66. 
 
 16. Some think, that as the doves were 
 sold for the poor. He deals more mildly 
 with those who trafficked in them on 
 this account. But this is not stated. 
 Their object was the same as that of 
 the rest. All the traffickers were 
 driven out. And these were even the 
 worst, perhaps, as they made gain of the 
 poor by keeping up this mercenary 
 traffic in God's house. Besides, the 
 doves should now be removed, for 
 Christ was Himself come, the one free 
 effering for the poor. The occupation 
 of these traders was gone. And it 
 was more doubly offensive in His Tem- 
 ple, in the face of this one perfect and 
 holy sacrifice, who had come to claim 
 it as His own. In keeping with this. 
 He speaks of His body as the Temple. 
 vs. 19. "^ My Father's House. He 
 Lad spoken of the Temple under 
 this name some eighteen years before 
 ihis. Luke 2: 49. Thus He makes 
 tnown His claim to be the Messiah, 
 by claiming God for His Father and 
 
 doves, Take these things hence; 
 make not my Father's house an 
 house of merchandise. 
 
 17 And his disciples remembered 
 that it was written, " The zeal of 
 thine house hath eaten me up. 
 
 18 Then answered the Jews and 
 
 by showing this zeal for His house. 
 Thus, also. He shows by what author- 
 ity He does these things. Matt. 21 : 
 23. Josephus informs us that more 
 than 250,000 victims were offered up 
 at one Passover. ^ An house of mer- 
 chandise. At the later cleansing He 
 speaks with greater severity, as was 
 fit, in view of their continuance in sin. 
 "Ye Lave made it a den of thieves." 
 Matt. 21 : 13. 
 
 17. Remembered. Possibly it was 
 not until after He was risen from the 
 dead, that they remembered this. See 
 vs. 22; comp. ch. 12: 16. This 
 was surely more distinctly and clearly 
 understood by them, when He opened 
 unto them in all the Scriptures the 
 things concerning Himself. The trans- 
 action was calculated to bring this 
 passage to mind. The Psalm had in 
 it a reference to the Messiah, which 
 the Holy Spirit would thus afterward 
 bring to view. It is found in Ps. 69 : 
 9. T[ The zeal. Jealousy, intense de- 
 votion to the House of God is here 
 meant — ardent zeal for the purification 
 of religion and its sacred institutions. 
 ^ Eaten me tip. Consumed, devoured 
 me ; swallowed up my desire and pas- 
 Fions, and absorbed my energies. The 
 Prophet Isaiah sees the Messiah 
 "clothed with zeal as with a cloak," 
 going forth to vengeance, punishing 
 the rebellious, and introducing a glo- 
 rious change in the condition of His 
 Church, isa. 59: 17, IS. 
 
 18. This agrees with the demand 
 which thej' afterwards made upon Him 
 at the second cleansing. See Matt. 
 21. They required to know, by mira- 
 cle. His authority for siich a proceed- 
 ing, according to His claim which He 
 hints of in vs. 16, that the Temple 
 was His Father's House, and He, of 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 61 
 
 said unto liim, What sign " sliewest 
 thou unto us, seeing that thou 
 doest these things ? 
 
 19 Jesus answered and said unto 
 them, Destroy ^ this temple, and 
 in three days I will raise it up. 
 
 a Matt. 12. 38, &c. c.6. 30. 6 Matt. 26. 61 ; 27, 40. 
 
 course, the Son of God. See Notes on 
 Matt. 21: 2-3. 
 
 19. Destroy. This is the wonder- 
 ful sign given. It is, of course, 
 no command. It is as much as to 
 say, you may destroy it, (as you will, ) 
 &c. Or it is hypothetical — " if you de- 
 stroy this Temple." The construction 
 would then be the same as in Matt. 
 12 : 23. Or, He may be understood 
 as saying, "Go on to destroy it," like 
 the passage in which the Prophet is 
 charged to go on to do what was fore- 
 seen would be the fruit of His mission. 
 Isa. 6: 10. " Jlake the heart of this 
 people fat." His death and resurrec- 
 tion were to be a sign to them, just as 
 elsewhere he terms it "the sign of 
 Jonas the Prophet." ^ This Temple. 
 From vs. 21 it is plain that He spake 
 of His death and resurrection which 
 He so fully foreknew. Yet the lan- 
 guage was most proper. In the In- 
 carnation, the human body of Christ 
 became the dwelling of God in the 
 flesh, and thus it took the place of the 
 old Temple, and showed the true sense 
 of t!ie Sanctuary [vaoq,) under the old 
 economy. " In Him dwelleth all the 
 fullness of the Godhead, bodily," — in 
 the body. Coloss. 2 : 9. The Temple 
 was truly glorious only as the residence 
 of Jehovah, and His visible seat. 2 
 Chron. 36: 15; Ps. 76: 2. Now His 
 body was the most glorious earth- 
 ly dwelling of Jehovah. Ch. 1 : 14. So 
 the Christian Church is now His body 
 on earth, and the true Christian 
 Church is to be His cleansed Temple. 
 It is, then, as though He had said, 
 "Destroy this body which is now the 
 proper sanctuary, or holy place, as the 
 dwelling of God among men, and in 
 three days I will raise it again." 
 The language was to be remembered 
 
 20 Then said the Jews, Forty 
 and six years was this temple in 
 building, and wilt thou rear it up 
 in three days ? 
 
 21 But he spake of the temple " 
 of his body. 
 
 c Ep. 2. 21, 22. Col. 2. 9. He. 8. 2. 
 
 afterwards, and interpreted by the 
 event, vs. 22. ^ / will raise it. This 
 Omnipotent act of resurrection is here 
 spoken of as performed by Christ 
 Himself. This is also declared in ch. 
 10: 18. See ch. 6: 39, 40, 44; Matt. 
 12 : 38, 39. This language was also 
 made the ground of accusation against 
 our Lord at His trial, as the other 
 Evangelists have noted, though they 
 have not recorded the circumstances in 
 which it was spoken by our Lord. John, 
 therefore, narrates this very important 
 conversation, so that we can see the 
 sense in which it was spoken, and the 
 falsity of the charge which they found- 
 ed upon it. See Matt. 26: 61 ; 27: 40. 
 
 20. This temple, restored and beau- 
 tified by Herod the Great from the sec- 
 ond temple of Zerubbabel, was begun 
 in the eighteenth year of his reign, 
 (Joseph Ant. XV. 11. 1,) reckoning 
 from the death of Antigonus. This 
 would be sixteen years before the birth 
 of Christ, or twenty before our era. 
 And counting thirty years after that 
 for oui" Lord's age at this time, we have 
 forty-six years. But the temple was 
 not yet finished, and the meaning is 
 that this structure was already so many 
 yeurs in the course of jauilding. When 
 this saying was brought up against 
 Him by the false witnesses, (Matt. 26 : 
 61,) their falsity consisted in putting a 
 different sense to His Words, and really 
 altering them also, so as to make quite 
 a different meaning, ' ' / am able to de- 
 stroy," &c., representing Him as an 
 enemy of the temple, and some added, 
 that "He would raise another, built 
 withovA hands." 
 
 21. But He spake, &c. They were 
 blind to any but the most carnal and 
 false meaning. He meant to say what 
 would soon be understood by His dis- 
 
52 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Aqe 30. 
 
 22 When therefore he was risen 
 from the dead, his disciples re- 
 membered " that he had said this 
 iiuto them: and they believed the 
 scripture, and the word which 
 Jesus had said. 
 
 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem, 
 at the passover, in the feast day^ 
 
 ciples, namely : that His body was 
 Jehovah's Temple, and that this would 
 come to pass respecting it. 
 
 22. The scripture. That is, the Old 
 Testament scripture. The Holy Spirit 
 in the New Testament alludes to Christ's 
 resurrection as taught in the Old Tes- 
 tament, and this is our best authority, 
 though we may not see it as fully as 
 it is taught. See ch. 20: 9; Luke 24: 
 26, 27: 1 Cor. 15: 4; comp. Ps. 16: 
 2, 7 ; Hosea 6:2; comp. Acts 2 : 27-32; 
 13: 35-37; Isa. 26: 19: "Thydead 
 men shall live — with my dead body 
 Bhall they arise." The Holy Spirit 
 brought to view the spiritual sense of 
 Old Testament pass.ages, especially 
 "taking the things of Christ (in them) 
 and showing them unto them." ^ The 
 xvord. They saw, (1,) the meaning of 
 such passages on this subject as they 
 had not iinderstood before, and, (2,) 
 they saw the truth of His prediction as it 
 was interpreted and made clear by the 
 event. See Matt. 20: 19; Luke 18: 32, 
 33. Observe — God will show the truth 
 of all His prophecies and promises, by 
 the fulfillment. 2. One fulfillment 
 should strengthen our faith for ano- 
 ther, and confirm our confidence in all 
 God's word. 3. We ought to treasure 
 up the words of scripture, so as to be 
 able to recognize their truth when 
 they come to pass. 4. Children are 
 to be taught the scripture, though 
 they may not yet fully understand it ; 
 that they may be brought to remember 
 the sacred words and believe. Often 
 these passages have been brought to 
 mind by God's Spirit, with power ; and 
 wayward youth who have been taught 
 God's word, in childhood, have remem- 
 bered the scripture, under some deal- 
 
 many believed in his name, when 
 they saw the miracles which he did. 
 
 24 But Jesus did not commit 
 himself unto them, because he"" 
 knew all men, 
 
 25 And needed not that any 
 should testify of man: for he knew 
 what was in man. 
 
 ing of His hand and by the working 
 of the Spirit, and have believed. 
 
 23. The feast. The Pasi;over feast 
 lasted eight days. ^ diani/ believed in 
 His name. In His authority and mis- 
 sion as the Messiah from beholding 
 the miracles, which He did. It M'ould 
 seem from this, that He wrought some 
 miracles which are not recorded here. 
 
 24. Did not commit Himself. Liter- 
 ally — Did not trust Himself to them — 
 did not believe in them, because He 
 knew them inwardly and knew that 
 this belic\ing from the evidence of 
 miracles alone, was only from an out- 
 ward constraint. They more truly 
 believe who are led by His teachings 
 beyond all the evidence of miracles, as 
 Nicodemus. 
 
 25. Needed not. This is here decla- 
 red by the Evangelist as already the 
 substance of his observation. Na- 
 thanael believed in Christ on account 
 of his own experience of His being 
 the searcher of hearts, and knowing 
 what is in man. 1 : 48, 49. See also 
 ch. 5: 42; 6: 64; Matt. 9: 4. This 
 testimony of the Evangelist is thrown 
 in as a kind of summing up thus far, 
 of the evidence given to His essen- 
 tial Godhead. Observe — "The Lord 
 knoweth them that are His" — and this 
 is the great truth on the seal of the 
 foundation of God, in His church. 
 2 Tim. 2: 19. He distinguishes mere 
 outside or intellectual belief, from an 
 inward and hearty reliance. See ch. 
 21: 17. "Lord thou knowest all 
 things, thou knowest that I love thee." 
 It is well if each professor of Christ 
 can say this. "Let every one that 
 nameth the name of Christ depart 
 from iniquity," and prove his faith by 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. in. 
 
 63 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 t rpHERE was a man 
 i of the Pharisees, 
 
 o 0. 7. 50, 51. c. 19. 39. 
 
 his works. "They that are Christ's 
 have crucified the flesh, with the affec- 
 tions and lusts." "The fruits of the 
 Spirit are love, joy, peace," &c. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 § 22. Our Lord's Discourse with 
 NicoDEMUS. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Uatt. I Mark. | Luke, I John. 
 
 I I |3. 1-21. 
 
 An instance is now given of such a 
 believer as is mentioned in ch. 2 : 23 — 
 one who was convinced by the miracles 
 which Christ wrought, and who went 
 so far as to conclude that God must 
 needs be with Him, (vs. 2,) but who, 
 from what follows, is shown to have 
 had the greatest ignorance of Divine 
 things, and an utter inexperience of 
 the 7iew birlh. The result is not here 
 mentioned. But from the notice made 
 of him, (ch. 7: 50, and 19: 39,) we 
 infer that he was led to embrace the 
 Gospel by this interview. Observe. 
 How a man may be convinced of 
 Christ's Divine mission, and of His 
 Divine Person, and not know .anything 
 of true conversion. He lacks the great 
 saving change. This interview oc- 
 curred during oui* Lord's brief sojourn 
 at Jerusalem, at this first Passover of 
 His ]\Iinistry. Christ is here presented 
 as opening to a Jewish Rabbi, the 
 spiritual doctrine of His kingdom, as 
 so different from the false notions of 
 the Jews, generally. This accords 
 with John's object, which is to set 
 f )rth tlie pi-oper Godhead and Messiah- 
 ship of Jesus. 
 
 1. A Ruler. He was a member of 
 the Sanhedrim, the chief council and 
 court of the nation, ch. 1 • 19. 
 
 2. By night. This was for fear 
 of being cast out of the synagogue, 
 (ch, 12: 42,) and perhaps, also on 
 account of his own doubts he had not 
 yet the firm faith which led him after- 
 wards to defend Christ, (ch. 7: 50, 51,) 
 and to bring a load of spices to embalm 
 
 5* 
 
 named Nicodjmus, " a ruler of the 
 Jews: 
 2 The same came to Jesus by 
 
 the dead body of our Lord. ch. 19: 39. 
 It is supposed that the interview 
 was between Nicodcmus and Christ 
 alone. But John may also have been 
 present. And if he was not, there is 
 no difficulty, as the Holy Spirit re- 
 vealed to John this important conver- 
 sation, as promised, ch. 10 : 13, 15. 
 Our Lord Himself could have told it to 
 the beloved disciple if it were needful. 
 \ We knotv. He seems to have spo- 
 ken not only for himself but for others, 
 such perhaps as Joseph of Arimathea, 
 and the class of Jews who received 
 Christ, and to whom He gave the 
 privilege to become the sons of God. 
 ch. 1: 12. *^ A Teacher. He was ready 
 to recognize Christ as a teacher, but 
 not further as a King, nor even as a 
 Prophet, for declaring the Divine will, 
 but only as an instructor Divinely sent 
 and as perhaps able to tell something 
 about the kingdom of the Messiah 
 which was so earnestly looked for, at 
 that time. This was not the idea 
 which the Jewish Scriptures gave of the 
 Messiah, as Nicodemus must have well 
 known. There are those who would 
 regard Christ as only a great moral 
 instructor come to teach the virtues, 
 and to be a pattern of them, and noth- 
 ing more. ^ Covie from God. The 
 term here used refers to Christ as He 
 ivho was to come, and is thus commonly 
 used in the New Testament. ^[ For 
 no man. Nicodemus inferred that 
 Jesus was divinely commissioned, from 
 the miracles which He wrought at 
 Jerusalem, ch. 2 : 23. Many others 
 believed for the same reason. Miracles 
 were promised to the twelve as a proof 
 of their divine commission, (Mark 16: 
 17,) and so the apostles claimed to be 
 believed on this ground, as Paul, 
 Rom. 15: 11. The presumption is, 
 that God would not give miraculous 
 powers to any false teachers — and we 
 may be sure that a genuine miracle 
 will never accompany error. There 
 
51 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoE 30. 
 
 night, and said unto him, Rabbi, 
 we know that thou art a teacher 
 come from Grod ; for * no man can 
 do these miracles that thou doest, 
 except '' God be with him. 
 
 a c. 9. 16. 33. Ac. 2. 22. 6 Ac. 10. 38. 
 
 may be gross impostures — like the 
 pretended Romish miracles which are 
 childish, winking pictures, &c. — or, 
 there may be shrewd counterfeits of 
 divine miracles, which Satan himself 
 may aid. But if the ivork is certainly 
 of God, and such as could be wrought 
 only by omnipotent power, the word 
 will be such also — though no marvel- 
 ous work could possibly prove false- 
 hood to be truth. Hence, our Lord 
 appeals directly to His miraculous 
 works as the sufficient proof of His 
 Divine authority, ch. 15: 24; 10: 25, 
 38. The people called for such proof, 
 ch. 6 : 30. The principle was insisted 
 on. ch. 9: 29-33. Some hold that the 
 miracle did not prove the divine 
 authority of the person who wrought 
 it, but only claimed for him a hearing, 
 and that it must be judged from the 
 doctrine which was to be established 
 by the miracle, whether it was wrought 
 of God, or of Satan: and that this 
 principle is referred to, ch. 9: 29. But 
 it does not appear that the objectors 
 had any such right ground to stand 
 upon — and we see that Nicodemus was 
 convinced by Christ's miracles that He 
 was from God before he knew of His 
 doctrine. 
 
 3, Our Lord waits for no inquiry. 
 This confession is enough. He at once 
 replies against this serious mistake so 
 fatal to all true piety. ^ Verily, verily. 
 This is the form of introducing the 
 most solemn discourse. He tells him 
 that it is not learning, but life, that is 
 necessary for entrance to the Messiah's 
 kingdom — and life must begin by birth, 
 and if Nicodemus will now receive Him 
 as a Teacher, indeed, he must be 
 taught this truth — first of all. "My 
 teaching is not of doing and of leaving 
 undone, but of a change in the man — 
 not of new works, merely, but of a new 
 man to do them — not of a new life only, 
 
 3 Jesus answered and said unto 
 him. Verily, verily, I say unto 
 thee, ° Except a man be born ^ 
 again, he cannot see the kingdom 
 of God. 
 
 6 c. 1.13. Ga.6.15. Ep.2.1. Tit. 3. 5. Ja. 1. 18. 
 1 Pe. 1. 23. 1 Jno. 2. 29 ; 3. 9. 1 or, from above. 
 
 but of a iieiv birth." ^ Except a man. 
 This solemn declaration includes every 
 man — Jew and Gentile. Our Lord 
 could not make Nicodemus an excep- 
 tion. His being a Jew, or a ruler — a 
 member of the Sanhedrim — or his 
 being rich, could make no difference. 
 This truth was meant to embrace all 
 men, and every man is included in it. 
 ^ Born again. This phrase, as will 
 be seen, was used to introduce Nicode- 
 mus to the true spiritual nature of 
 Christ's kingdom, and by means of the 
 terms and customs in use among the 
 Jews, to open to him the higher sense. 
 The Jews called those proselytes new- 
 born, who were received by baptism 
 into their church — into the Messiah's 
 kingdom, as they claimed their church 
 to be. But how infinitely below the 
 true requirement was this ! The true 
 regeneration lies not in any outward 
 ordinance — in any boasted rite, as our 
 Lord will explain to this Jewish Rabbi. 
 It is a neiv birth, indeed. Our first and 
 natural birth was corrupt. We were 
 conceived in sin and shapen in iniquity. 
 Ps. 51. " The carnal mind is enmity 
 againstGod." Rom. 8: 7. "Bynature 
 children of wrath, even as others." 
 Eph. 2 : 3. We need a different birth. 
 We are dead by nature. AVe can be 
 alive only by being born again. Nico- 
 demus thought only of a mere outside 
 form of connection with a corrupt and 
 formal church. In order to have any 
 sight or experience of Christ's kingdom, 
 the heart must be changed, and not 
 merely the outward church relation. 
 And this is a work which none but 
 God can do. It is called a new crea- 
 tion. 2 Cor. 5: 17. It is a new life 
 and being. That the birth of the in- 
 ner man is here meant — a new and 
 more important beginning of life, 
 beyond the birth of the natural man — 
 is plain from the connexion. The term 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 66 
 
 4 Nicodomu3 saith unto him, 
 How can a man be born when he 
 is old ? Can he enter the second 
 time into his mother's womb, and 
 be born? 
 
 here rendered aciain is used twelve 
 time^ in the New Testament, in five of 
 which cases it means ^\from above." 
 Hence, this is regai-ded Ly many as 
 the true meaning here. In Luke 1 : 1, 
 it is translated '■'■from the very hegin- 
 ninj," in which sense it would express 
 here the thoroughness of tlie change 
 called regeneration. The word had no 
 double meaning in the language which 
 our Lord used. And Nicodemus plainly 
 understood it as meaning ai/ain — a 
 second birth. The old Syriac version 
 renders it a/jfiy. ^ Cannot. Literally — 
 is not able. Instead of being new-born 
 in the Jewish sense, bi/ entering into 
 the church, our Lord shows how one 
 must be new-born in order to enter into 
 His gospel church or kingdom. ^ See. 
 Experience, attain to, or have any 
 experimental sense of it. Obseuve. — 
 This is nothing arbitrary with God. 
 It is in the nature of things impossible 
 fir a man unrenewed to enter Christ's 
 kingdom. He is not able to see it. 
 ^ Kingdom of God. This i^hrase in 
 the New Testament is taken from the 
 prediction in Dan. 2 : 44. 
 
 4. It is not likely that this man was 
 60 utterly ignorant of our Lord's 
 meaning as to suppose that he was 
 spealcing of a literal second birth of 
 nature. The general idea of a new 
 birth was already' in use, as proselytes 
 were spoken of as new born, when thej' 
 came into the Jewish Church by. bap- 
 tism. And our Lord here gives the 
 deeper, more important sense in which 
 a new birth was necessary for coming 
 into the church of the Messiah, that 
 is, for being His true disciples and 
 members. Nicodemus understood the 
 term only as applied to proselytes en- 
 tering the Jewish Church. But how 
 it could apply to the Jews, and be 
 made a prerequisite for entering the 
 Messiah's kingdom, ho could not see. 
 
 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, 
 I say unto thee, Except a man be 
 born of water ^ and of the Spirit, '' 
 he cannot enter into the kingdom 
 of God. 
 
 oMar. 16. IG. .1.0.2. 
 
 b Eo.8. 2. 1 Co.2. r2 
 
 Indeed, it seemed to him just as ab- 
 surd as to think of a man when he is 
 old, (already born and advanced in 
 age,) entering again into his mother's 
 womb, and being born, as for a Jew 
 already in the church, the true and only 
 church, going back to enter the church 
 for the first. Our Lord, therefore, 
 more fully explains. Beyond the 
 form, is the inward reality which is the 
 great requisite, and without which the 
 form is only an empty sign and shadow. 
 5. Some understand the water to refer 
 to the ceremony of sprinkling yiiih pure 
 loater, mixed with the ashes of the 
 heifer, (Numb. 19: 7-10,) or with the 
 blood of the leper's bird, (Levit. 14: 
 50, 52,) as applying the benefits of the 
 vicarious sacrifice." In this case the 
 water would be '■'■the water of pur if gin g," 
 as representing the cleansing efficacy 
 of Christ's blood. This would make 
 the two terms here express the double 
 cleansing, of Christ's blood, and of the 
 Spirit's influence, as shown in justifica- 
 tion and in regeneration together. 1 
 John 1 : 7 ; 5 : 6, 8. Guthrie's Ezeldel. 
 1 Of water and of the Spirit. Bap- 
 tism was the outward sign of embra- 
 cing this religion of Christ, the act of 
 public profession, as adults were ad- 
 dressed. Hence men were summoned 
 to be baptized. This was not, surely, 
 for any virtue in the baptism, but for 
 what it signified. In such as Simon 
 Magus, it was of no benefit. Acts 8: 
 13, 23. To guard this, therefore, it is 
 added, '■^ and of the Spirit," which is 
 the great essential requisite. And as 
 John's baptism was only with water, 
 and Christ's was with the Holy Ghost, 
 (which the water only signified,) this 
 baptism of the Spirit was the great vi- 
 tal matter. John's announcement of 
 Christ explains this language. "Of wa- 
 ter, and of the Spirit," without which 
 the water is nought. Or — of water, 
 
60 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 6 That " which is born of the 
 flesh is flesh : and that which is 
 born of the Spirit is spirit. 
 
 7 Marvel not that I said unto 
 thee, Ye must be born ^ agL.in. 
 
 a 1 Co. 13. 47-49. 2 Co. 5. 17. 1 OT, from above. 
 
 even of the Spirit, •which the water- 
 baptism signifies and sets forth, but 
 cannot give. "He connects the water 
 find the Spirit, because under that vis- 
 ible symbol. He attests and seals that 
 newness of life which God alone produ- 
 ces in us by His Spirit." — Calvin. So 
 in the further explanation, vss. G and 
 8, the water is not named, and only the 
 birth of the Sjnrit is mentioned, as the 
 essential energy which the water itself 
 rejjrcsents. Here Christ points to 
 baptism, as performed by John and by 
 Himself, (through His disciples,) and 
 points beyond it to the new spiritual 
 birth which is signified as indispensa- 
 ble, and which Christ came to bestow. 
 This had been set forth under the Old 
 Testament as a spiritual baptism, to 
 be outpoured upon the church in the 
 Messiah's time. "I will sprinkle clean 
 water upon you, and ye shall be clean," 
 &c. Ezek. 3G: 25. Therefore, Kico- 
 demus should have understood it. The 
 quickening had been prefigured as a 
 raising to life of dry bones. Ezek. 37. 
 It should not have been so utterly 
 strange then to this Master in Israel. 
 vs. 10. Our Lord, in this discourse, 
 Vv-ill illustrate what had been declared, 
 cli. 1 : 17. "^ Enter into: — practically. 
 The Kingdom, in vs. 3, relates more to 
 experimental acquaintance. Here, be- 
 yond this, the reference is to prac- 
 tical living. 
 
 6. That ivhich is born. Our Lord 
 here declares the general principle to 
 show how impossible it would be, by 
 any natural birth, such as Nicodemus 
 speaks of, to be born of the Spirit. It 
 would be only twice born in sin. And 
 so. He shows that true believers are 
 "born not of flesh, (see Gen. 8: 21,) 
 but of God.''' vs. 13. Like begets 
 !ike. A lion begets a lion, and not a 
 lamb. " Who can bring a clean thing 
 out of unclean ? Not one. "•^'^oi. Only 
 
 8 The wind bloweth where it 
 listeth, and thou hcarest the sound 
 thereof, but canst not tell whence it 
 comcth, and whither it goeth: so ''is 
 every one that is born of the Spirit. 
 
 the Spirit of God can create a new 
 spirit in us. Ps. 51 ; Eph. 2:3; Rom. 
 5:17,18. See 2 Cor. 5 : 17, &c. No one 
 by natural birth has the right of citi 
 zenship in the Messiah's Kingdom. 
 Eph. 2 : 19. This general declaration 
 would also teach Nicodemus that it is 
 not a birth of bloods," (vs. 13,) as tlio 
 boasted descent from Abraham, which 
 could give them membership in His 
 kingdom. 
 
 7. Ye must be. Our Lord Himself 
 was born in the flesh, but not properly 
 of the flesh. He took cur infirmities 
 upon Him, as Mediator, j'et He was 
 " without sin " — "knew no sin." The 
 term here for w!/s^, is literally, Itis neces- 
 sary that ye be born again. It is used by 
 John to express the necessity which 
 there is according to the divine plan : 
 though as we see from the term, vs. 3, 
 it is also in the nature of things, im- 
 possible to belong to the true kingdom 
 of Christ, without the new birth. He 
 must exercise towards us the office of 
 a King, in subduing us to Himself. 
 
 8. Wonder not, or do not marvel at 
 this doctrine of a new birth by the 
 Spirit, Fon there are mysteries also 
 in the natural world. How absurd 
 that men should complain of mys- 
 teries nowhere but in religion, when 
 they are equally to be found every- 
 where in nature. Mj'steries of wind, 
 weather and climate they do not disbe- 
 lieve because they cannot understand 
 them. They rather suit themselves to 
 the case. ^ The uind. This illustra- 
 tion is taken, because the same word 
 in the Greek and in the Hebrew, means 
 tcind and spirit, and is used for the 
 Spirit of God. It means the gentle 
 wind, silent and mysterious. As in 
 the Old Testament, also, both mean- 
 ings belonged to the same word, 
 Nicodemus ought not to be a stranger 
 to such a sense of the terra. The He- 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 57 
 
 9 Nicodemus answered and said 
 unto hinij How can these things 
 be? 
 
 brew word means breath, wind, spirit, 
 and is used in the title, "Spirit of God." 
 Gen. 1. So in the vision of dry bones, 
 the Prophet was commanded to proph- 
 esy nnto the wind, and say to the 
 u-i7id, "Come from the four winds, 
 breath, and breathe iipon these slain, 
 that they may live." Ezek. 37. So 
 also at Pentecost, the Spirit came "as 
 the sound of a rushing mighty wind." 
 Acts 2:2. ^ Listeth — tvillcth. As the 
 summer breeze bloweth where it 
 pleaseth, that is, not regulated or con- 
 trolled by man, so the Spirit is God's 
 " free Spirit," dividing as he will. 1 
 Cor. 12: 11. Yet, tiiough all gracious 
 influence is of God's free pleasure. He 
 has appointed to hear pr;iyer, and he 
 •who seeks shall find, and more freely 
 than parents give good gifts to their 
 children, will He give the Holy Spirit to 
 them that ask Him. Luke 11: 13. Dr. 
 Brown understands the term through- 
 out to mean Spirit, and not wind at 
 all, and he renders it, "Tiie Spirit 
 breathes where He will, in inspiration, 
 and you do not know the reason or 
 manner of His beginning or closing 
 the work, but you observe its effects. 
 You know His voice, the revelation. 
 So in the work of regeneration. He 
 gives no account but by the effects." 
 But the common understanding of it is 
 better. ^[ Thou hearesf. So is the 
 mysterious work of the Spirit. We 
 cannot trace it out in its secret plans 
 and courses, any more than we can 
 trace the wind that sweeps by us now, 
 to the first impulse which the air ever 
 received. Philosophers tell us that a 
 mere lifting of the hand causes vibra- 
 tions iu the air which never end. How 
 can we calciilate, then, how the wind 
 that blows upon us to-day has been 
 caused in connexion with ten thousand 
 secret influences ? Wc can know of it 
 only as we see its effects. So, also, we 
 cannot dictate the time and manner of 
 the Spirit's working. It is neither 
 confined to ordinances of a certain 
 
 10 Jesus answered and said unto * 
 him, Art thou a master of Israel, 
 and knowest not these things? 
 
 pale, nor is it produced by human de- 
 vices and schemes. 
 
 9. Nicodemus here inquired into the 
 reason of the matter, how these things 
 could be. But if he could not under- 
 stand plain matters of fact which he 
 could see, how should he comprehend 
 things far above him, which he could 
 not see ? lie could not understand 
 how any such radical change could be 
 necessary for a Jew, in order to share 
 the benefits of the Messiah's kingdom, 
 which, he supposed, the Jewish nation 
 was entitled to. Observe — 1. jMany 
 persons think that if they have been 
 born in the church, and learned the Cat- 
 echism, &e., they do not need any spe- 
 cial change. Or, they think they are 
 regenerated thus. 2. Many stop to 
 ask hoiv this and that can be, instead 
 of believing God's work, and receiving 
 His provisions and promises. " Ota- 
 serve (says an early writer,) when a 
 man trusts spiritual things to reason- 
 ings of his own, how ridiculously he 
 talks." 
 
 IQ. A master. Ai"t thou such an 
 one as claims to be a teacher of Israel, 
 a Rabbi, and art yet ignorant of these 
 things. Nicodemus "was one of the 
 chief doctors in Israel. Besides he 
 alone, of them all, had come to Christ 
 to learn of Him. They had required 
 iisiffn, some wonder-working of Christ, 
 to prove His authority in such summa- 
 ry clearing out of the temple courts, 
 ch. 2: 18. After rejecting their de- 
 mand by indicating a sign full of mys- 
 tery to them, (ch. 2: 19,) we find 
 that He wrought miracles in Jerusa- 
 lem, which led many to believe, (ch. 2 : 
 23,) though this was not the trustwor- 
 thy faith, (ch. 2: 24,) and Nicodemus 
 came forward secretly with his testi- 
 mony only so far as this — and we see 
 how, as he came by night, so he was 
 yet benighted. Now, however he had 
 come into contact with the true Light 
 of Life. Well did he act his part 
 afterwai'ds -when he defended our 
 
dS 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 11 Verily, verilj, I say unto 
 thee, * Wc speak that we do know, 
 and testify that we have seen; and 
 ye receive not our witness. 
 
 il Juo. 1.1-3. 
 
 Lord's opinion, (ch. 7: 50,) and Ills 
 deed (ch. 19: 39,) in both which places 
 mention is made by the Evangelist 
 of this iuterview. Nicodemus should 
 have known these things from the Old 
 Testament. He was a Rabbi, and the 
 Spirit spake by David and all the 
 prophets, and sll the Old Testament 
 scriptures about this Kingdom, and its 
 spiritual nature. Like Simeon and 
 Anna, he should have recognized Christ 
 ■when He came — and should have under- 
 stood His offices. This spiritual change 
 to be wrought upon Israel, had been 
 spoken of. Jer. 31: 31-33. Ezek. 18: 
 31 ; 36 : 26. Paul, in the Epistle to the 
 Romans, treats of such as he. Rom. 
 2: 17, 19, 20. 
 
 11. Our Lord now replies to his un- 
 belief, (vs. 9,) and shows the need of 
 faith in Him. ^ We speak. Here He 
 includes the Spirit as speaking with 
 Himself, (Heb. 1:1,) by the prophets 
 and in His word. Or more, as in ch. 
 8: 16-18, He refers to the double 
 testimony of the Father and of Him- 
 self. This would alhide to the mirac- 
 ulous works in which the Father bare 
 witness, with and to the Son. See ch. 
 8 : 26, 28, 38, 40 ; ch. 15 : 15. So also 
 He addresses Nicodemus as represent- 
 ing the Jewish people, for indeed He 
 came speaking in the plural, as if for 
 others also. Tf That ive do know. The 
 truth that we know and are positively, 
 personally sure of, we testify to you. 
 You have come professedly to be in- 
 structed by me, and call me Rabbi, 
 and a Divine teacher. And now when 
 I tell you the truth that I perfectly 
 know — the most important truth, which 
 I have the most perfect assurance of, 
 you do not receive it. See 1 John 1:1. 
 Every preacher and teacher of the Gos- 
 pel can claim to be listened to, when 
 lie can say, " I know this from my own 
 experience." He can come to his peo- 
 ple or to his class in the sabbath 
 
 12 If I have told you earthly 
 things, and ye believe not, how 
 shall ye believe if I tell you of 
 heavenly things? 
 
 school, with the message which he has 
 proved in his own case. This will give 
 the truth a greater weight. Nothing 
 is so calculated to influence us, as the 
 testimony of others from their own 
 experience — when they speak most 
 confidently because they have tried for 
 themselves. ^ Have seen. Here our 
 Lord claims to have a most immediate 
 knowledge of Divine and Spiritual 
 things. " For what man knoweth the 
 things of a man, save the spirit of man 
 which is in Him," and so Christ and 
 the Spirit are the Persons in the God- 
 head, by whom God is revealed. 1 Cor. 
 2:11; Heb. 1 : 1 ; ch. 1 : 18. He who 
 is in the bosom of the Father as one 
 belonging there, (see notes,) hath re- 
 vealed Him, as no mortal could. ^Ye 
 receive not. Our Lord here declared 
 what was and would be His reception 
 among the Jews as a nation. Hence, 
 this conversation was intended not 
 alone for Nicodemus, but for them all : 
 and for us. How inconsistent and 
 contradictory was it in this man and 
 the people, to reject the testimony 
 which they professed to seek, and the 
 teaching which they acknowledged to 
 be from God. vs. 2. So many pretend 
 to seek religion, and finding that it re- 
 quires them to give up worldly con- 
 formities, and the customs and max- 
 ims of the flesh, they reject it. So 
 some enter the church, and finding its 
 rules to restrict evil practices and 
 cross their notions, they turn aside. 
 Faith is the receiving of a witness. It 
 is far above mere reason, as it receives 
 and acts upon a message from God. 
 
 12. If I have told you. Our Lord 
 here shows the inconsistency of com- 
 ing to Him for teaching, without a 
 sincere disposition to receive His 
 truth. *!\ Earthly things. Already tho 
 professed inquirer had stumbled utter- 
 ly at what might be called the ground 
 work — the earthly things — the mattei's 
 
AoK "0.] 
 
 CJIAP. III. 
 
 53 
 
 13 And "■ no m:iu hath ascended down from heaven, even the Sou 
 
 up to heaven, but he that came 
 
 a Ep. 4. 0,10. 
 
 about the uew birth, which involve per- 
 sonal experience and tlie great .saving 
 change of heart and life, and entering 
 into the earthly kingdom of Christ. 
 These are matters which are of every 
 day concern, and these practical proofs 
 of the religion of Clirist, are palpable, 
 and can be everywhere pointed to — 
 the great change which it works upon 
 men and society — how it plainly makes 
 men neiu creatures. And these things, 
 BO at hand, .and capable of being attes- 
 ted, ought to be received, and received 
 by faith — believed — even though not 
 fully understood, for they are not con- 
 trary to reason, thougli sometimes they 
 are above reason. '^Heavenly things. 
 These are the higher mysteries of His 
 Kingdom, the secret counsels of God. 
 If the lower, more plain and practical 
 things were so stumbled at, and not 
 believed, how should the higher truths 
 engage their faith, especially if they 
 adopted the false principle of believing 
 only so far as they could understand. 
 Observe — There are two sides of Gos- 
 pel truth — the earthly and the heav- 
 enly — the lower and the upper side — 
 the revealed things which belong to 
 us, and the secret things which belong 
 to God. Deut. 29: 213. Both sides 
 are presented in the scriptures. Many 
 puzzle themselves about the secret 
 counsels of God in election, and about 
 the mysterious work in regeneration, 
 and do not attend to the plainly re- 
 vealed way of life. He asked for the 
 hoiv of the matter — the philosophy of 
 the opei-ation — when He should have 
 received by faith the clearly revealed 
 truths. Observe — If men reject the 
 " earthly things,''^ the plain, personal 
 truths, of native depravity, corruption 
 of the whole nature and need of re- 
 newal by Almighty power, they cannot 
 believe the great, high truths Avhich 
 are built upon these — such as media- 
 ation, r.sgeneration, sanctitication and 
 the whole plan of redemption by Jesus 
 Christ through the Holy Spirit, The 
 ■whole plan of grace supposes our lost 
 
 of man which is in heaven. 
 
 condition as granted. If men deny 
 that they are lost, how can they receive 
 the message of salvation ? Only such 
 as own themselves to be sinners, can 
 I'clish or receive the salvation for sin- 
 ners which is in the gospel. 
 
 13. And no man. This agrees with 
 the passage, ch. 1: 18. "No man 
 hath seen God at any time," &c. Our 
 Lord had just declared that a knowl- 
 edge of these earthly and heavenly 
 things, and a believing reception of 
 them as taught by Him, were essential. 
 And now He declares that if they reject 
 them as conveyed by Him, they could 
 not get them from any other source — 
 because no man had gone up to heaven 
 for the purpose of revealing these 
 things, nor so as to be qualified for 
 teaching them, for none had returned 
 for this — neither Enoch, nor Moses, 
 nor Elijah. ^ But He. It is not meant, 
 of course, that Christ had ascended up 
 to heaven, but that He alone is able to 
 teach these things, as no mortal had gone 
 up thither for this, and as none could pry 
 into the secrets of the Father's bosom; 
 but He who came down from Heaven 
 could alone reveal these things — and 
 He was the Son of Man, who belongs 
 always essentially to heaven, so that 
 His Incarnation did not remove Him 
 entirely, nor cut off His connexions 
 there. ^ Which is in heaven. This won- 
 derful Personage so united Divinity 
 and Humanity, as to be on earth and 
 in heaven at the same time. This 
 phrise, — "The Son of M.an which is 
 in Heaven," expresses the great truth 
 that Jesus belonged to he.aven — camo 
 from heaven and was destined to return 
 thither, and even then, while on earth, 
 held his place and relationship there. 
 "Christ, therefore, who is in heaven, 
 hath clothed himself with our tiesh, 
 that by stretching out His brotherly 
 hand to us. He may raise us to heaven 
 alongwith Him." — Calvin. Observe — 
 1. We have not gone up to the door 
 of heaven for these eternal benefits, 
 but God has come down to us with 
 
60 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 14 Aud " as Moses iifteJ up tlie 
 serpent in the wilderness, even so 
 
 aNu. 21.9. 
 
 tliem. Eternal love has stooped to our 
 low estate — taken our llcsh, and 
 brought these blessings to our doors — 
 to our lips. 2. Now that Christ has 
 come, why should we stand and spec- 
 ulate and ask the hoio and ivhy bej-ond 
 what is revealed ? What is revealed, 
 is what "eye hath not seen, nor ear 
 heard, but what God hath revealed 
 to us by His Spirit." 3. "The word 
 is nigh us." Why should we say in 
 our hearts, "Who shall ascend up 
 into heaven to bring Christ down?" 
 Rom. 10: C. The way of salvation is 
 plain and nigh. 
 
 14-16. Our Lord proceeds now to 
 speak of some Divine things, which 
 Nicodemus would so poorly under- 
 stand. As a Jewish doctor he had 
 differently understood the Old Testa- 
 ment predictions and types of the Mes- 
 siah. He looked for a successor of 
 David on the Jewish throne, as a pow- 
 erful Prince, (Dan. 12,) who should 
 deliver their nation from bondage, and 
 punish the Gentile nations, or make 
 them minister of their wealth and 
 power to the Jews — misinterpreting 
 the prophecies of Isaiah ; eh. 60, &c. 
 Here, therefore, our Lord bcyiiis at 
 Moses, and expounds unto him the 
 things pertaining to Himself. The 
 Messiah, He says, shall be exalted, not 
 on a temporal throne, but on a cross, 
 as the serpent was lifted up on a pole, 
 (Num. 21 : 8, 9,) for an amazing cure. 
 It is the bite of the Old Serpent that 
 afflicts the race, Jew and Gentile, and 
 from this thej' are to be delivered, as 
 a worse than Egyptian, or Babylonish, 
 or Roman bondage and curse. For God 
 po loved, not Israel merely, but the 
 race of men, Jews and Gentiles, that 
 He gave (devoted to death as a victim) 
 His only-begctten Son, that whosoever, 
 of any nation, believeth on Ilim, should 
 not perish, but have everlasting life. 
 Eur as to the object of His Mission, 
 God sent not His Son into the 
 •world to condemn the world — not to 
 destroy the Geotilc nations aud to do 
 
 must the Son of man be lifted 
 up; 
 
 an exterminating work, as you have 
 vainly dreamed — but that the Avorld, of 
 all nations, ("whosoever will," "as 
 many as receive Him,") through Him 
 might ])C saved, without regard to 
 nation or other worldly distinction. 
 Therefore, except a man, any man, 
 be born again — experience an utter 
 change of mind and heart, be born of 
 the Spirit, who takes the things of 
 Christ and shows them unto us — who 
 sheds abroad in our hearts the love of 
 God — he cannot enter into the king- 
 dom of God. 
 
 14. The connexion of the passage is 
 this : Ye receive not my testimony, 
 and yet ye can obtain the truth from 
 no other source. I am come indeed as 
 the Teacher whom you would profess 
 to recognize, but not a mere teacher, nor 
 a mere man, for I am in heaven while 
 oil earth. I belong to heaven, to the 
 bosom of the Father from which I 
 came as the Revealer, and I am also 
 come as a vicarious sufferer and a glorious 
 Deliccrcr, in which offices I was dis- 
 tinctly symbolized by the Healing 
 Serpent, raised up in the wilderness 
 by Jdoses, of which you ought to know. 
 ^ And as Moses. It was in the wilder- 
 ness, on their journey to Canaan, that 
 the people of Israel were bitten by 
 fiery serpents. They were dying under 
 the fatal bite. jNIoses was commanded 
 to make a brazen image of the serpent 
 and lift it up upon a pole, so high that 
 all could easily see it. And the wonder- 
 ful provision of God's mercy Avas, that 
 whoever should look upon that serpent 
 should be healed of the fatal bite. 
 Our Lord refers to it as a type of Him- 
 self, and shows us by this use of it, how 
 we are to regard Old Testament per- 
 sons and events, as often carrying in 
 them a reference to Him, as here, to 
 the Great Healer and Saviour from the 
 sting of Satan and from the miseries 
 of sin. ^ Lifted itp. Tliis lifting up 
 of the serpent by Moses was typical of 
 Christ's being lifted up, (ch. 12 : 32,) 
 and so it is here explained to this Jewr 
 
Age 80.] 
 
 CHAP. Ill 
 
 61 
 
 15 That whosoever * believeth 
 in him should not perish, but 
 have eternal life. 
 
 16 For ^ God so loved the world, 
 
 aver. 36. He. 7. 25. &Jiio.4.9. 
 
 ish doctor, ■who was familiar with the 
 n.irrative. That symbolical transac- 
 tion in the wilderness is here inter- 
 preted by the Lord Himself. 1. It 
 meant more than was there apparent. 
 It was a likeness of the serpent that 
 was erected on the pole. So Christ 
 Avas made in the likeness of sinful flesh. 
 Rom. 8:8. " He who knew no sin, was 
 made sin for us." 2 Cor. 5:21. 2. As 
 it was a looking on the Serpent which 
 gave healing, so a believing look \ipon 
 Christ, (beholding the Lamb of God,) 
 gives salvation. 3. It was lifted up as 
 a. representation of that by which they 
 had suffered, and as a trophy, to show 
 that there was victory over the plague. 
 So Christ made a show of Satan, tri- 
 umphing over Him in His cross. Col. 
 2:15. The lifting up of the Redeem- 
 er, v.'as not merely His crucifixion, but 
 His glorious exaltation. The eye of 
 faith directed to Him, finds peace for 
 the conscience, in a view of His sacri- 
 fice for us ; and beholds Him in His 
 accepted Mediation, His perfect adapt- 
 cdness, and His finished work. oh. 1 : 
 3G. Here also is a prediction of His 
 death on the cross, and of His trium- 
 phant ascension to glory. ^ 3Iust. 
 The term here vised signifies, as com- 
 monly in the Gospels, that necessity 
 that belongs to the Divine plan. Luke 
 24: 26. f Son oj Man. See Ps. 80: 
 17. This title oui' Lord oftenest uses 
 of Himself. According to the Hebrew 
 ' idiom, it means. He who is eminently 
 possessed of Manhood, as "Son of 
 Consolation," " Sou of Thunder," "Son 
 of Perdition," mean such as are in a 
 special sense or degree possessed of 
 these qualities or characters, so our 
 Lord is Uie Man, the highest style of 
 man, the only perfect, sinless man, the 
 perfect pattern to all men, the Man 
 above all others, the second Adam, the 
 glorious God-man, who is not only very 
 God, but also very man, and as truly 
 6 
 
 that he gave his only-begotten 
 Son, that whosoever believeth in 
 him should not perish, but have 
 everlasting life. 
 
 one as the other, "in two distinct na- 
 tures and one person forever." 
 
 15. This agrees with the passage, 
 "And I, if I be lifted up, ivill draw all 
 men unto me," "signifying by what 
 death He should die." ch. 12 : 32, 33. 
 ^ That u'hosocver. This is the world- 
 wide application of the plan — con- 
 fined to uo nation or rank. ^ Believeth 
 in Him. It is not the believing that is 
 meritorious, but it is the one believed in, 
 that is so vital. Men trust to other 
 confidences and hopes and reject this, 
 and so they perish. 1[ Not perish. All 
 will certainly perish if they are not 
 willing to receive and follow Christ. 
 Herein is His love — that He dies to 
 meet the law's requirement so that 
 they may not perish, forever, if they 
 will accept His substitution. 
 
 10. Our liord here continues, and 
 opens more fully the great truths con- 
 tained in that type in the wilderness. 
 "For" connects the passages, as show- 
 ing that what follows is a further dis- 
 coursing on the subject of vss. 14 and 
 15, by the same speaker. Tl So loved. 
 This love of God is according to a defi- 
 nite plan. It is not love in general, as 
 some men profess to hojye in "the 
 general goodness of God" without any 
 plan, and discard the revealed plan 
 in the Gospel. He so loved the world 
 (in this manner,) that (as an exhibition 
 of the love, and as the only plan in 
 connexion with which He does, or will 
 exhibit His love to men,) He gave (as 
 a fi-ee gift,) His only-begotten Son — • 
 (and this, in strict accordance with a 
 definite plan as to the results) — that — 
 [in order that) — whosoever believeth in 
 Him (and only they, in the very neces- 
 sity of the case,) should not perish, 
 (as they must otherwise inevitably do,) 
 but have everlasting life : as the fruit 
 of His mediation — and the benefit of 
 His finished work. Titus 3: 4, 5. 
 Observe. — Love is, in its very nature. 
 
62 
 
 JOILN. 
 
 [Aqe 30. 
 
 17 For " Grod sent not his Son 
 into the world to condemn the 
 
 particular and personal, and not indis- 
 criminate. T The ivorld. This great 
 truth, as here announced to a Je^y, 
 shows him that the Gentile world is 
 included in God's love, and that the 
 Jews .ire not exclusive objects of His 
 affection. The plan of redeeming love 
 is here set forth in its groat distinctive 
 features. He thus — so — afler this man- 
 ner — exhibited His love to mankind. 
 Then follow the particulars. ^ That. 
 So that. This is the statement, show- 
 ing the magnitude of the love. This 
 is the astonishing fact. (It might 
 refer this inquiring Jew to the case of 
 Abraham and the son of premise.) 
 ^ He gave. The term here expresses 
 the absolute freeness of the gift. He 
 spared not His own proper Son, but 
 gave Him up as a victim. It was a 
 free gift. Isa. 55: 1. f His onhj- 
 begolteii Son. John uses this new name 
 of our Lord — the only-begotten — and 
 is the only one of the Evangelists who 
 uses it. See ch. 1 : 14 — This is the 
 matchless grace. The whole plan is 
 here traced to the love of God the Father 
 sending the Son. This is the precious 
 Lamb of God, furnished by the Father — 
 the only Lamb of His fold that would 
 Eufiice — and His office is to take away 
 the sins of the world. It is not as 
 though the Father had no love, or as 
 though the Son must interpose to ap- 
 pease an angry God who took no interest 
 ill the sinner's salvation, and exacted 
 the most costly sacrifice. Cut the Fath- 
 er's love is nt the bottom of all the plan — 
 giving up freely His own Son — only be- 
 gotten Son, who, as freely undertook to 
 meet the eternal demands of justice. 
 Kom. 8: 32. 1 That— In order that. This 
 describes further the plan of redeeming 
 love. This was the object of so unspeak- 
 able a gift. Ilis love was so great to our 
 fallen world that He gave His Son. — and 
 this was His plan and object in so 
 doing — not that all should thereby be 
 saved without exception or distinction, 
 but that every one, without exception or 
 distinction.who believes in Christ should 
 
 world; but that the world through 
 him might be saved. 
 
 be saved and not perish. This clause is 
 here repeated from vs. 15, showing 
 that the lifting up there, refers to the 
 same event as the giving vj) here — and 
 that "the Son of man" there spoken 
 of, is the same person as " His only- 
 begotten Son" here named. The plan 
 of redemption as here set forth by our 
 Lord Himself cannot be understood 
 without taking into view these differ- 
 ent clauses of the verse. Every one 
 who believeth is to be saved just as 
 every one who looked on the brazen 
 serpent was healed. ^ Believeth in 
 Him. This is the definite plan. It is 
 founded in a natural necessity. We 
 must have confidence in the plan, or 
 we cannot get the benefits of it. We 
 must believe in Christ, must believe in 
 His Person and offices — in His suffer- 
 ings and exaltation — and their being 
 for us — suited to our case and ac- 
 cepted for our deliverance — else we 
 cannot take the comfort — can have no 
 hope in Him — cannot be living for 
 Heaven—cannot be following Christ. 
 " He that honoreth not the Son, honor- 
 eth not the Father who hath sent 
 Him." ch. 5: 23. If we believe not 
 in Christ, we reject God's love — put 
 contempt upon the Saviour's agonies — 
 make God a liar, (1 John 5: 10,) and 
 cannot possibly be saved. " Neither 
 is there salvation in any other." Acts 
 4: 12. ^ Should not perish. Just as 
 the bitten Israelites, poisoned and 
 ready to die, were, by that miraculous 
 intervention of God, saved from perish- 
 ing, as they must have done — so this 
 is His gracious object, in sending His 
 Son. He gave Him up for this. 
 Obskkve. — Perdition in the eye of 
 God is so dreadful — so much more 
 fearful than men ever conceive, that 
 He did not spare His own Son to die, 
 rather than that all men should die 
 eternally. Faith is that saving grace 
 whereby we receive and rest upon 
 Christ alone for salvation, as He is 
 offered to us in the Gospel. 
 
 17. This verse denies that Christ 
 
\cK 30.] 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 6S 
 
 18 He * that bellevcth on him 
 is not condemned : but he that 
 believeth not is condemned al- 
 
 came into the world to condemn 
 it, as the Jews believed that He was 
 to come to condemn the Gentiles. It 
 was no part of God's object in sending 
 the Son, to fnlfill any such vindictive 
 plans as the Jews had in view, nor to 
 condemn the race as He might justly 
 have done. To judge, sentence and 
 punish sinners was not His aim, but to 
 furnish a Saviour for sinners and for 
 the world. Observe. — When God 
 might have revealed Himself in wrath, 
 lie revealed Himself in saving love and 
 mercy. Instead of being arraigned to 
 answer at His righteous bar, we are 
 invited to be pardoned at the mercy 
 seat. ^ Bn saved. The expression is 
 here varied. It is not said that they 
 might have opportunity to save them- 
 selves, but that through Him they 
 might be saved. And this agrees every 
 way with the requirement just stated — 
 that is, faith in Christ, which receives 
 and rests upon Him alone for salvation, 
 as He is offered to us in the Gospel. 
 
 18. He that believeth. He who by 
 faith receives and rests upon Him alone 
 for salvation as He is oftered to us in 
 the Gospel, trusting in His atonement, 
 embracing His righteousness, relying 
 on His finished work, and receiving 
 Him in all His offices as our only 
 Saviour. ^ On Him. As distinct from 
 any and all other objects and groimds of 
 confiilence — renouncing self-righteous- 
 ness and all other hopes. '[ Is not 
 condemned. He is not in a condemned 
 state. Because Christ removes the 
 condemnation, by His sufferings and 
 obedience being applied to his case. 
 He accepts Christ's finished work, and 
 in Christ he stands. He stands justi- 
 fied by faith in Christ, and has accept- 
 ance, peace, and all the blessings of 
 salvation. This agrees exactly with 
 the plan of grace as set forth by I'aul and 
 all the apostles. Rom. 8:1. " There is 
 therefore now no condemnation to them 
 that are iu Christ Jesus'' — who believe 
 ia Him, and stand in Ilim. " Being 
 
 ready, because he hath not be- 
 lieved in the name of the only- 
 begotten Son of Grod. 
 
 justified by faith" — by this believing 
 in Christ "we have peace with God." 
 Rom. 5: 1, &c. This agrees also with 
 John the Baptist's testimony, (vs. 3G,) 
 " Hath everlasting life." 1[ Ccndemned 
 already. That is — by the very nature 
 of the case — he who rejects the only 
 way of pardon and acquittal, stands 
 condemned— spurning or neglecting 
 the only way of justification, he is of 
 course condemned already. As he was 
 condemned, so he remains ; only under 
 condemnation greatly aggravated by 
 this rejection of the only way. So that 
 this is THE condemnation now, above 
 all. vs. 19. ^ Because. Unbelief 
 keeps a man in the condemnation from 
 which Christ would release him 
 through the exercise of fait'u. He is 
 condemned by nature ; but he does not 
 perish for lack of any way of salvation, 
 ijut for lack of faith in the only 
 appointed way. Therefore it is clear 
 that the condemnation takes effect 
 upon him, because he has not embraced 
 the offered release. This is also the 
 greatest aggravation of his condemna- 
 tion. He is also condemned already 
 by this very rejection of Christ with- 
 out any need of any extra act of God 
 in condemning him. "The word (of 
 salvation) that Christ hath spoken, the 
 s.une shall judge (condemn) him." 
 ch 12: 47, 48. Observe — 1. Unbe- 
 lief seems to many to be only negative, 
 and no positive sin. But it is a most 
 heinous and aggravated offence. It is 
 putting contempt upon God's costly 
 plan of grace. Besides, "he that 
 believeth not God, hath made Him a liar, 
 because he believeth not the record 
 that God gave of His Son." 1 John 5: 
 10. 2. No matter how amiable and 
 excellent otherwise a man may be, 
 unbelief in Chi-ist is the great grievous 
 sin which excludes from salvation, and 
 it cannot be otherwise. Hence, all 
 whom the Holy Spirit convinces are 
 convinced and convicted of this sin — 
 because they believe not on Christ, ch. 16: 
 
u 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 19 And this is the condemnation, 
 that light " is come into the world, 
 and men loved darkness rather 
 than light, because their deeds 
 were evil. 
 
 a 0.1.4,9-11. 6 Job 51. 13, 17. Pr.4. 18. 
 
 9. 3. We see that the reception of 
 Divine truth is not merely intellectual, 
 but chiefly a moral act. 
 
 19. A?id this. Our Lord here states 
 more fully the whole case as it is with 
 every man. Many wonder why they 
 should be condemned. They cannot 
 see that they have done so much that 
 is evil, they do not consider what they 
 have omitted to do. Here is the rea- 
 son given for their con<kinnation, and 
 and it is from the Judge himself. It 
 is their willful rejection of the Light 
 after it has come to the world. ^Light. 
 Literally, the Light, spoken of, ch. 1 : 7. 
 Kicodemus had owned that Christ was 
 a teacher come from God — a great 
 teacher, such as the Jews were wont 
 to call a Light. Christ was the Light 
 of Lights — "the Light of Life," the 
 Light which was "the Life of men." 
 ch. 1 : 4 ; 8 : 12. Nicodemus was not 
 ready to follow his own clear convic- 
 tions and accept of Christ's teachings. 
 And in all cases tliis is what condemns 
 men, even at the bar of their own con- 
 fcieuce. ^\Lovcd darlniess. Literall}^ 
 the darkness (spoken of,) that of their 
 natural condition. This is a general 
 statement. It is tlie universal history. 
 " The dnrkness comprehended (re- 
 tained, received,) it not." *^^ Rather 
 thati Liijht. Literally, the lijht, espe- 
 cially the true light — Jesus Christ. J'e 
 who has done most for men, suifered 
 most and oifered most — is most avoided 
 by them. How strange that any Avho 
 can have light, shouM prefer the dark- 
 ness. Sue!) hate the Scripture as ap- 
 plied to tr.emselves. The reason is 
 not tliat the revelation is not clear 
 fnough, or well enough proved ; l)ut 
 it is because the love of ignorance, 
 error, and sin, and all the daikness 
 and corruption of nature is so strong, 
 that they choose to remain in their nat- 
 ural condition. Any turning to Christ 
 
 20 For every one that doeth 
 evil, hateth the light, neither 
 "' eometh to the light, lest his 
 deeds should ' be reproved. 
 
 21 But he that doeth ■= truth 
 
 1 or, discovered, c 1 Jdo. 1. 6. 
 
 is avoided, because it condemns their 
 whole life and casts away all their 
 trusts and boasts and pleasures of sin. 
 
 20. Here our Lord adds a still fuller 
 explanation of this common course of 
 men. He traces it to a radical princi- 
 ple of depraved nature. Evil doers 
 do not love exposure, nor seek the 
 truth. Men do not come to the Light 
 there is in Christ, because they see 
 that it will expose and condemn their 
 darling sins, and will require them to 
 give up their wicked indulgences. 
 They will avoid the scripture and 
 prayer, and pungent preaching, or con- 
 versation on this great subject, for this 
 reason. ^ Doeth evil — practiceth evil 
 things. In ch. 5: 29, this same dis- 
 tinction is observed between the two 
 classes. % Be reproved. The term here 
 used, means to refute or expose, with 
 condemnation of the wrong conduct. 
 It is the same term as is used, ch. 16: 
 8, of the Spirit's work in convicting 
 sinners. This distinction of opposite 
 characters 'would apply to the two 
 classes among the Jews — the carnal, 
 who would not receive Christ when He 
 appeared to them, and the spiritual, 
 like Simeon and Anna and Cornelius, 
 who waited for the consolation of Is- 
 rael. The principle is general and 
 plain, and applies to all, in all ages, 
 vs. 21. This course of sinners, will- 
 fully rejecting the light, shows the jus- 
 tice of their condemnation. How could 
 they endure heaven, where "the Lamb 
 is the light thereof." Rev. 21 : 23. 
 
 21. Doeth truth. Liter:dly, doeth, 
 (worketh) the truth. He wLoi^e deeds 
 are in accordance with the truth, "as 
 the truth is in Jesus" — conicth to the 
 light that he may have everything 
 clearly manifested and nothing con- 
 cealed or kept in the dai-k, that he 
 may know wherein he. does amiss, and 
 may have it appeal", that his deeds are 
 
A.aic 30.] 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 65 
 
 cometh to the ligbt, that his deeds 
 may be made manifest that they 
 are wrought ^ in Grod. 
 
 f 22 After these 
 
 wrought in God. Instead of wishing 
 toJiave his deeds concealed, he would 
 have them revealed, brought to light — 
 not for any vain boast before men ; but 
 for examination of himself in the light 
 of God's word — so that judging himself 
 be may not be judged and condemned 
 Avith the wicked. 1 Cor. 11: 31. 
 ^ Cometh to the light, vss. 16, 18. See 
 eh. 18: 37. 1 John 3: 19. The gen- 
 eral principle is to be applied especially 
 here. This is only another mode of 
 expressing that helkvinfj which is not 
 merely an act, but a spirit, a temper, 
 n principle always more or less acting, 
 wliereby we receive aud rest upon 
 Christ alone for salvation. Coming to 
 Clirist is really and eminently " coming 
 to the light." He is God's revelation 
 to men, "the way, and the truth, and 
 the life." Such well-doers will come 
 therefore to the scripture, from a 
 sincere desire to know wJiat God 
 teaches, and will come to Christ, whom 
 the scripture sets forth. The princi- 
 ple is of universal application. All 
 sincere n\en would come to the light — 
 but sinners have a bad conscience, aud 
 thorafore avoid it. All v.'ho are true 
 workers of good, come to Christ, aud 
 refuse to trust in themselves or in their 
 o',v:i doing. This is light to them — the 
 vv'ny of light. Any other plan is dark- 
 iies!. Of course it is not taught, that 
 men have a good conscience before 
 they have faith, or that by believing 
 v/e deserve the praise of good works, 
 but rather that no one can be said to 
 do good works who hates the light — 
 and will not come to the true Light as 
 revealed in the Gospel. If Made viatii- 
 fesi. iMay be shown, proved. ^Wrought- 
 in God. This is the object in coming 
 to the light. It is that he may "prove 
 his own works," and know that they 
 are of God, and "that men may see his 
 good works, and glorify his Father 
 which is in heaven." Matt. 5. It is not 
 
 things came Jesus and his dis- 
 ciples into the land of Judea; and 
 there he tarried with them, and 
 '' baptized. 
 
 for any glorifying of self, but that God 
 may be glorified in him, and in all his 
 daily living. It is to have it seen that 
 his works are wrought, not in himself, 
 or in any reliance on his own strength, 
 but in God — in the light and strength 
 which God gives, (Eph. 5: 8; 1 Cor. 7: 
 39,) to show that his life has its sources 
 in God — "hid with Christ in God"— that 
 his works are only proofs of this new 
 birth by the Spirit. Observe — We 
 hear nothing of the working of this 
 interview upon Nicodemus, except from 
 the effects. We hear the "iound" (vs. 8) 
 of the Spirit's elBcient operation, where 
 his devotion is afterwards referred to. 
 ch. 7 : 50 ; 12 : 42 ; 19 : 39. This dis- 
 course teaches — 1. The absolute neces- 
 sity of the new birth in the case of 
 every man, whoever Ee be. 2. The 
 way of salvation by .Jesus Christ, as 
 originated in the Love of God — and as 
 calling for men's believing reception 
 and embrace. 3. The condemnation 
 of sinners — so agg^-avated by the com- 
 ing of such light, of such sufficient 
 knovdedge, of such light which is 
 "the life of men," so dilferent in this 
 respect, from the light of the law, 
 which is their death. Observe — Soon 
 after this conversation Jcsus and His 
 disciples depart into the vicinity of 
 .John the Baptist, who again testifies 
 to Him. 
 
 § 23. Jesus remains in Judea and 
 BAPTIZES — Further testimony of 
 John the Baptist. 
 
 Matt. I Mi!-k. I Luke. I .lohn. 
 
 I I 1 3. 22-36. 
 
 22. After these things. Not immedi- 
 ately, but a while after. It is probable 
 that this preliminary work in Judea, 
 of which John gives special account, 
 and which the other Evangelists have 
 not recorded, did not occupy more than 
 tv^o months in all. ^ The land of. It 
 is here meant that they came, on this 
 
JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 23 And John also was baptizing 
 in Enon, near to Salim, * be- 
 cause there was much water there; 
 and ^ they came and were bap- 
 tized : 
 
 a:Sa.9.4. 6 Matt. 3. 5, 6. 
 
 occasion, into the rural districts of 
 Judea, eitlier from the chief city, Jei'u- 
 Balem, where He had conversed a short 
 time previously with Nicodemu?, or, 
 possibly, from Galilee, ^ Baptized. 
 Our Lord is here said to have done 
 what was done by His authority ; for, 
 it is said, (ch. 4: 1, 2,) that He Him- 
 self baptized not, but His disciples. 
 
 23. And John. John the Baptist 
 we sec, did not repel those who will- 
 ingljr came to him, though Jesus had 
 thus far commenced (through His dis- 
 ciples) to administer the Christian 
 baptism. Yet John invited the people 
 less than before. — Bengcl. ^ Enon. 
 This name is from a word signifying 
 ^'' fountain,'^ which is a common name 
 for watering places, (Ain.) AVe often 
 made our stay for the night at some 
 Ain. The place here referred to is 
 generally located fifty-three miles N. 
 E. of Jerusalem, in Samaria. The 
 ancient Salim, or Shalem, however, 
 (Gen. 33: 18,) was located near to 
 Nablous, towai-ds the Jordan, and 
 South of the hilly range of Gilboa. 
 This would seem to have been the more 
 probable vicinity. Some understand 
 it to have been the spot in the wilder- 
 ness of Judea as mentioned in Josh. 
 15: 61, where Salim is named in the 
 same chapter. ^ Much icater. The 
 phrase is " many ivaters" — many small 
 streams. This would serve his con- 
 venience in going from point to point, 
 both for baptizing and for drink tor the 
 people and cattle. Some imagine that 
 "much water" being named as his 
 reason for being there, refers to the 
 depth of the water, and would go to 
 prove that he baptized by immersion. 
 But this inference is utterly destroyed 
 by the literal rendering — as many 
 streams would be no reason for an 
 immer.«ionist to tarry there, when one 
 deep stream like the Jordan would have 
 
 24 For John " was not yet cast 
 into prison. 
 
 25 Then there arose a question 
 between some of John's disciples 
 and the Jews, about purifying. 
 
 been a reason. There would be other 
 reasons for selecting a well-watered 
 region for several days' sojourn in that 
 hot land. The crowds who came to 
 be baptized, would need to have easy 
 access to water for themselves and for 
 their animals with which they traveled. 
 As we traveled through that land our 
 dragomen always carefully arranged 
 to have us stop at places where there 
 was good water with ample and certain 
 supplies. All other conveniences were 
 made secondary to this. The great 
 scarcity of water throughout the coun- 
 try, and the danger of streams being 
 dry, made it necessary to know where 
 the water would be sure — so that we 
 might stop for the night where our 
 company and the animals could have 
 drink, and where water would be fresh 
 and good to fill our bottles till we 
 reached the next water station. 
 Where a great company was gathered, 
 and baptizing also was to be done, the 
 many waters would be a most impor- 
 tant consideration, without inferring 
 anything from this as to the mode of 
 baptism. We observed that this region 
 was the best watered with small 
 streams, gushing from springs in the 
 hill sides — little rivulets and brooks. 
 
 24. For John. This accounts for 
 John's continuing his work, as his 
 ministry had not yet come to an end, 
 and Christ had not yet formally and 
 fully entered ou His public official 
 work, as He did after John was cast 
 into prison. The other Evangelists 
 have given the narrative, more or less 
 in detail, of John's imprisonment. 
 This Evangelist only alludes to the fact. 
 Christ's baptizing, through His disci- 
 ples, was rather preparatory to His pub- 
 lic ministry, and unaccompanied by 
 the fuller manifestation. But as John's 
 ministry was waning, our Lord's was 
 waxing. TT A'bi yet cast, &c. Here 
 
Lqe 30.] 
 
 CHAP. in. 
 
 67 
 
 26 And they came unto John, 
 and said unto him, Rabbi, he that 
 was with thee beyond Jordan, to 
 whom thou ^ barest witness, be- 
 hold, the same baptizeth, and all '' 
 men come to him. 
 
 27 John answered and said, A'= 
 
 !j c.1.7, 15, &o. Z>Ps. 63. 2. Is. 45. 23. c 1 Cor. 2. 
 12-U; 4,7. He. 5. 4. Ja. 1.17. 
 
 it is implied that John was soon after 
 imprisoned, but not yet. And this 
 notice is thrown in, perhaps to guard 
 against an inference that he had been 
 imprisoned already, since the other 
 Evangelists had not recorded any 
 ministrations of Christ prior to the 
 Bapitist's imprisonment. John's aim, 
 however, is to narrate the events in 
 Judea, and he accordingly gives these 
 preliminary doings that occurred there. 
 
 26. The diflFerent baptizings of John 
 and our Lord, not far apart, led to a 
 questioning about the two. It was 
 started by John's disciples. They 
 began to be jealous for their ]Master's 
 waning reputation and work, and 
 hence they challenged the Jews who 
 went for Christ's baptizing — as to the 
 ivhole matter of purification. This 
 was the Jewish term, and was used for 
 the Levitical Baptisms, ch. 2 : 6. They 
 probably insisted that John's baptism 
 was pre-requisite even to Christ's ; 
 while on the other hand, the Jews 
 attending upon Christ's baptism would 
 naturally urge that the Mastei-'s pres- 
 ence and work dispensed with that 
 which was merely preparatory to it. 
 The disciples of John appeal to him. 
 1[ Ih that. Christ is here referred to 
 as one yet comparatively unknown, at 
 least, by name. ^ To u'hom. This 
 may convey the idea that He who was 
 indebted to John's testimony for his 
 prominence and popularity, was now 
 likely to supersede John. ^ All men. 
 The multitude flocked to Christ's bap- 
 tism. 
 
 27. A man. I, who am only a man, 
 cannot (am not able to) receive or 
 assume any thing except by Divine 
 gift. I cannot go beyond my divinely 
 
 man can ^ receive nothing, except 
 it be given him from heaven. 
 
 28 Ye yourselves bear me wit- 
 ness, that I said, ^ I am not the 
 Christ, but that ^ I am sent before 
 him. 
 
 29 He that hath the bride ' is 
 
 1 or, take unto himself. do. 1.20, 27. e Lu. 1. 17. 
 /Ca. 4.8-12. Jer. 2. 2 Eze. 16.8. Hos. 2. 19. 20. Matt 
 22.2. 2Cor. 11. 2. Ep. 5. 25, 27. Ke.21.9. 
 
 appointed office-work. This is all as 
 it should be, and as it was predicted 
 to be — and as I announced that it was 
 to be. 
 
 28. He now appeals to them that 
 this was just what he had all along de- 
 clared. Tf 27ie Christ. John does not 
 directly call Jesus the Qhrist, but so 
 speaks of him that this may easily be 
 inferred. — Bengel. T[ Before Him. This 
 points personally to Jesus, as the One 
 whose forerunner he was. 
 
 29. He that hath the Bride. He to 
 whom all come, thus shows himself to 
 be the Bridegroom, by having the bride 
 attend upon Him.— See Solomon's Song. 
 TT Friend, ^-c. This refers to the grooms- 
 man — the master of ceremonies — who 
 is also the particular, personal friend 
 of the groom. By this one John des- 
 ignates himself, and his name (John) 
 signifies the grace or "favor of God." 
 1[ Which standeth, S^c. These terms ex- 
 press his own attitude of waiting upon 
 the Master whom he heralded. ^ Re- 
 joiceth greatly. Literally — rejoiccth loith 
 joy, — "-without sadness and envy." 
 But it is rather the Hebrew idiom 
 for "greatly rejoiceth." T Voice. Be- 
 cause His voice indicates His pres- 
 ence, and shows that his own pre- 
 paratory heralding work is fulfilled. 
 Besides this, the voice of such a friend 
 cheers and charms him. This may re- 
 fer to a part of the ceremony of mar- 
 riage among the Jews, as it is the part 
 of this officiating friend to lead the 
 groom in to the spouse, and uncover 
 her face to him. His iwice, then, would 
 mean the Joy and gladness of this intro- 
 duction. See Jer. 7: 34; 25: 10. lu 
 the East, this introduction on the mar- 
 riage occasion, is often the first sight 
 that the parties have of each other. 
 
S8 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age so. 
 
 the bridegroom : but the friend " 
 of the bridegroom, which standeth 
 and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly 
 because of the bridegroom's voice. 
 This my joy therefore is fulfilled. 
 
 The whole arr.angement for their ninr- 
 riage is made by the parents. — This 
 that they complain of, he rejoices in. 
 Observe — As the Bridegroom is here 
 Baid to be known by his having the 
 Bride (the believing church) attending 
 upon him, so may it be asserted, that 
 she that hath the Bridegroom is the 
 Bride — the people u-ho have Christ 
 with them are Christ's Church. IT T'his 
 my joy. This would seem to refer to 
 the advent of the Bridegroom, as wit- 
 nessed by his voice — rather thrm to the 
 following clause. To Jicrald Christ is 
 what he came for, and he is satisfied 
 to exalt Him. 
 
 30. He must. The term rendered 
 " must," is commonly used in the New 
 Testament to refer to the Divine pur- 
 pose. It points to the necessily in God's 
 plan. It is ordained that He must in- 
 crease. That i", to Hira hereafter ail 
 must come, (Josh. 4 : 14,) and not even 
 death would hinder that increase of 
 Christ. Hence, the Evangelists speak 
 very differently of John's death and of 
 Christ's. — Bengel. T[ Decrease. John's 
 name and office would go down, as 
 Christ's luent up — just as the stars grow 
 dim when the sun rises. Christ's ad- 
 vance would make John's preparatory 
 work decline, for he was sent to an- 
 nounce Christ as coming, and to point 
 him out and then to disappear. And 
 this was the Divine plan. 
 
 81. John the Baptist here continues 
 his discourse, to show the reason why 
 he must decrease, wliilo Christ must 
 increase. He sets forth Christ's supe- 
 rior qualifications and prerogatives as 
 a witness-bearer — that He has a higher 
 rank — and is able to speak not of what 
 He hears, but of what He knows from 
 experience. For these reasons which 
 ho here gives, John was properly 
 enough to be cast in the shade by His 
 
 30 He must increase, but I must 
 decrease. 
 
 31 He that cometh from above,'' 
 is above all : he " that is of the 
 earth, is earthly, and speakcth of 
 
 ic.6. 33; 8. 23. Ep. 1.20, 21 cl Cor. 15. 17. 
 
 coming. As the principal had appeared, 
 the agent might disappear. ^ lie that 
 cometh. Here is the title that desig- 
 nates Christ as the comer according to 
 the prophecies. " He that cometh," 
 or " He that should come." He was 
 Divinely commissioned the Apostle of 
 our profession. ^ From above. This 
 was sn appeal to the Jewish belief, as 
 they admitted the Father's authority, 
 and were therefore bound to recognize 
 the Son, as sent from Him. ^ Abovs 
 all, — in rank : and as He was above all, 
 He was above him, of course — and so 
 far above him as to be above all dig- 
 nitaries or functionaries on earth. 
 f Of the earth. John now describes 
 his own origin and rank, in contrast 
 with that of Christ. Literally, it reads, 
 " He that is of the earth is of the 
 earth." This is the most that you can 
 make of him, as to his rank. He is 
 infinitely beneath the Divine being. 
 % Speaketh. Of course be can give 
 only what he has got. He is bounded 
 by his own being and relations. He 
 can speak only of earthly things from 
 any independent knowledge of his own. 
 He must be a mere mouth-piece for 
 Grod in proclaiming heavenly things. 
 John Avould sink himself utterly into 
 insignificance to have Christ Vxalted. 
 So should all ministers of Christ do. 
 He does not disparage his ministerial 
 commission, as sent to proclaim Christ. 
 He would have it plainly understood, 
 that when Christ Himself appears, (and 
 in comparison with Christ) he is noth- 
 ing. As he is of, and from the earth, 
 he can speak even of heavenly things, 
 only from an earthly platform and 
 point of view. Bengel remarks, that 
 on this account, the multitude are 
 more ready to hear such a speaker. 
 But the spiritual excellence of a 
 preacher is not to be measured by the 
 eagerness of the hearers. 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 69 
 
 the earth : he that cometh from 
 heaven, is above all. 
 
 32 And what he hath seen 
 and heard, that he testifieth ; 
 and no ' man receiveth his testi- 
 mony. 
 
 o3 He that hath received his 
 
 32. John here repeats his assertion 
 of Christ's Divine authority and supre- 
 macy as above all — explaining eh. 1 : 
 1. 1[ What He hath seen. John de- 
 clares that Christ could speak from His 
 own personal, immediate knowledge, 
 and of things that He had seen in 
 Heaven, and in the Godhead whence 
 He came. Ch. 1 : 18. ^ Testifieth. 
 Christ could bear witness of heavenly 
 and divine matters as He personally 
 knew them ft-om His own sight and 
 hearing. While John could onlj- speak 
 of them, at this great distance from 
 them, Christ spoke with every ad- 
 vantage and authority, as He belong- 
 ed to the bosom of the Father, (cb. ] : 
 18,) and was even while on e.arth es- 
 sentially in Heaven, as to His Divine 
 nature, vs. 13. ^ No man. John 
 now shows that while Christ deserves 
 universal attention, on account of His 
 origin, rank and personal knowledge 
 of what He testifies. He is received 
 as a witness by comparatively none. 
 Bengel says that John so ardently de- 
 sires that Christ should have all, that 
 what the disciples called "all," (vs. 
 2G, ) John calls noi'ie, "no man" here. 
 33. It appears from this that John 
 did not mean to say that 7ione received 
 Christ's testimony, for here he speaks 
 of those who did receive His witnes'^, 
 as he himself did. and others, as Si- 
 mon, Andrew, Nathanael, &c. ch. 
 1 : 40, &c. IT Set to his seal. That 
 is, hath certified~-ha.th put his seal to 
 the acknowledgment — hath subscribed 
 for himself, and confessed and profess- 
 ed before others. ^That God is true. 
 That is, as Christ is sent from the 
 Father, the receiving of His testimony 
 .s a sealing of God's truth. And far- 
 ther, as Christ himself is God, our be- 
 
 testimony hath ^ set to his seal 
 that Grod is true. 
 
 34 For " he whom God hath 
 sent, speaketh the words of God : 
 for God giveth not the Spirit by 
 measure ** unto Mm. 
 
 35 The Father loveth the Son, « 
 
 lieving in Him, subscribes to the truth 
 of God. ch. 12 : 44. This agrees with 
 the language of John the Evangelist, 1 
 John, 5: 10. "He that believeth not 
 God, hath made him a liar ; because he 
 believeth not the record that God gave 
 of His Son." Observe — Here, again, 
 in another way, John the Baptist's tes- 
 timony of Christ's Godhead is set forth 
 by the Evangelist in accordance with his 
 object of testifying to Christ's Divinity. 
 
 34. Here again the Baptist refers to 
 Christ as the se7it of God — the Ambas- 
 sador of God — the Apostle of Jehovah — 
 the Servant of the Most High. Isa. 42 : 
 1. As thus Divinely "commissioned 
 and sent forth from God, He speaketh 
 the words of God — delivers the Divino 
 message. What He says is therefore 
 to be received as the very language of 
 God the Father. IT J^or God. Here the 
 reason is assigned for the words of 
 Christ being Divine. It is the unlimited 
 gift of the Spirit which Christ received, 
 in this distinction from all others — who 
 had it only measurably. Ephes. 4 : 7. 
 God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto 
 Him, as He does to other messengers, or 
 ambassadors of truth. He possessed the 
 Holy Spirit originally, in perfection, and 
 hence, needed not to receive it in lim- 
 ited supplies, as others did. The Trinity 
 here appears — the Father, Son and Spirit, 
 
 35. Here a reason is assigned for 
 the unlimited gift of the Spirit to 
 Christ, viz : The unlimited love of the 
 Father, who gives the Spirit. See Matt. 
 11: 27: 29. "For that love, with 
 which embracing the Son, He embraces 
 us also in Him, leads Him to commu- 
 nicate all His benefits to us by His 
 hand." — Calvin. The Bride is His, (vs. 
 29,) and Life is His, (vs. 36.) Since 
 therefore, every gift and blessing is 
 
70 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30, 
 
 and hath given all things into his 
 hand. 
 
 36 He » that bclieveth on the 
 Son hath everlasting life : and he 
 that bclieveth not the Son shall 
 not see life ; but the wrath '' of 
 God abideth on him. 
 
 oHa.2.4. ver. 15. 16. 6E0.I.I8. 
 
 put into Christ's hand, only they who 
 will take from Christ's hand by faith, 
 can have any saving gift or blessing. 
 He has purchased them all by his 
 blood, and they must fiow through 
 Him, as from the fountain. Christ 
 himself declared that his Father's love 
 to us was so great, that He loved Him 
 especially, because He laid down His 
 life for His people. 
 
 36. The Baptist here rises to a high 
 strain of Evangelical doctrine, and 
 speaks like the Evangelist himself, in 
 setting forth the absolute need of faith 
 in Christ. He presents it in the strong- 
 est light — as if rising to this conclu- 
 sion, or irresistibly borne to it by all 
 he had just surveyed. Christ being 
 such a divinely provided Saviour, he 
 who receives and rests upon Him by 
 faith, is saved — He hath eternal life, 
 hath it already, in the principle within 
 him, and in the promise in God's word. 
 Our Lord uses the same language, 
 (ch. G : 47. ) The believer obtains par- 
 don and peace by faith in Christ, 
 (Rom. 4: 1, 8: 1.) gets release from 
 condemnation, and hath passed from 
 death unto life. H Believeth not. These 
 two clauses agree with our Lord's com- 
 mission, " He that believeth shall be 
 saved, but he that believeth not shall 
 be damned." '*^ Not see life. As there 
 is no way of escaping from death but 
 by the deliverance furnished us in 
 Christ, he who receives not this by 
 faith, must be lost. "If it be the 
 office of Christ to save what was lost, 
 they who reject the salvation offered 
 in Him, are justly suffered to remain 
 5n death." — Calvin. They shall never 
 see, or enjoy, or attain to life. But 
 they lie under the condemnation and 
 wrath of God, from which Christ alone 
 could have rescued them. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 T[^TTHEN therefore 
 
 VV the Lord knew 
 
 how the Pharisees had heard that 
 
 Jesus made and baptized " more 
 
 disciples than John, 
 
 C c.3.22, 25. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ^ 24. John's Imprisonment and 
 Jesus's Departure into Galilee. 
 
 
 Mark 
 
 
 Luke. 
 
 6 
 
 17-20. 
 
 3. 
 
 19-20. 
 
 I. 
 
 14. 
 
 4. 
 
 14. 
 
 4. 12. 1. 14. |4. 14. 4. 1-4. 
 
 John had first shown how Christ 
 disclosed Himself to a devout Israel- 
 ite, Nathanael — and obtained a confes- 
 sion of His Messiahship — then, how 
 He wrought conviction of His Divine 
 Mission in the mind of a Jewish Rabbi, 
 by His miracles, and further revealed 
 Himself by His discourse. He now 
 proceeds further to set forth the Divin- 
 ity of our Lord as confessed by a 
 Samaritan woman, and gives the stri- 
 king incidents. This occurrence is 
 not immediately connected with the 
 former chapter. John's imprisonment, 
 {I 24,) as recorded by the other Evan- 
 gelists, belongs first in the history. 
 In the 3d chapter, vs. 22, it was sta- 
 ted that Jesus tarried with His disci- 
 ples sometime, in Judea — and here wo 
 are told that after that delay. He re- 
 turned into Galilee. John's object is 
 also here seen to give some of the most 
 important discourses of our Lord. AVe 
 observe also the order of his testimo- 
 nies. Next to that of a Jewish Rabbi, 
 he gives that of the Samaritans, who 
 were a connecting link between the 
 Jews and Gentiles, a mixed people, 
 with a different worship, and hated by 
 the Jews. It was in this same order 
 that Christianity went forth — to Sama- 
 ria first, from Jerusalem. Acts 8 : 5. 
 And so it was predicted by our Lord. 
 Acts 1 : 8. 
 
 1. When therefore. The reason for 
 this movement of our Lord, is dis- 
 tinctly given. ^Knew. He knew it 
 as soon as it came to pass, and knevr 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 71 
 
 2 (Though Josus himself bap- 
 tized not, but his disciples,) 
 
 3 He left Judea, and departed 
 again into Galilee. 
 
 even what they had heard, without 
 needing any report of it. \ Heard. 
 That is, " with indignation and of- 
 fence." '^ Made and baptized more. Lit- 
 erally, makes and baptizes — is now doing 
 it The offence of the Pharisees, that 
 is, of their leaders, may have been 
 what was already complained of by 
 John's disciples, (ch. 3 : 26,) the grow- 
 ing popularity of our Lord. This, 
 however, would affect them differently 
 from the followers of .John. John's 
 baptizing was to them an innovation. 
 Heace, they had early sent a deputa- 
 tion to John, to know by what author- 
 ity ho baptized, ch. 1 : 25. They were 
 most jealous about rites and ceremo- 
 nies, and claimed to be the regulators 
 of worship, as they were a majority 
 in the Sanhedrim ; and the Sadducees 
 cared nothing for outward forms. And 
 they had scarcely allowed John's bap- 
 tism, after many searching inquiries 
 about his authority. Now this man 
 Jesus was even going beyond .John in 
 this questionable work. ^ Jesus Him- 
 self. This clause may be added either 
 to show wherein the Pharisees had 
 been misinformed, or perhaps to show, 
 wherein they chiefly were offended — 
 that Christ was instituting the ordi- 
 nance, and it was performed already 
 in His name, by His disciples — and 
 that thus these common men were 
 doing what was scarcely tolerated in 
 John the Baptist, and without author- 
 ity from themselves, the Sanhedrim. 
 Our Lord did not baptize, as Paul did 
 not, because baptism was not salvation, 
 and His office was rather to preach and 
 toach. 1 Cor. 1:14-16. f He left Judca. 
 Because He know also \\liat the malice 
 of the Pharisees would do. He did not 
 'ear any danger when His linuv ^.hould 
 
 ome. But He had n.it yet fini.'ihed His 
 [earthly work. Hence, He went into 
 [G.'xlilce, to be removed fi-om their iin- 
 imediate jurisdiction. Their seat was 
 
 C Jerusalem, where their leaders, who 
 
 ^ 4 And he must 
 needs " go through Samaria. 
 
 5 Then cometh he to a city of 
 Samaria, which is called Sychar, 
 
 a Lu. 2. 49. 
 
 persecuted our Lord, sat in the Sanhe- 
 drim. Mark 2 : 22. Matthew states 
 (ch. 4: 11, 12, 17,) that it was when 
 our Lord heard that John was imprison- 
 ed, that He departed into Galilee. But 
 this statement of John, alludes to the 
 Pharisees' knou-ledge of John Baptist's 
 numerous followers — and that now they 
 had heard that Christ's were even more 
 nuinerous. Their knowledge of John's 
 popularity had probably just led to his 
 imprisonment — and our Lord heard of 
 their receiving information about His^ 
 greater popularity, in a way to show 
 plainly what He might expect from 
 them accordingly. He had heard of 
 John's being impi-isoned, and of the 
 Pharisees having even a stronger mo- 
 tive for laying hands upon Him, from 
 what they had heard. 
 
 § 25. Our Lord's Discourse with 
 
 THE S.\MARITAN 
 
 or JVeapolis. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. 
 
 Woman. — Shechem 
 
 IJohn. 
 4. 4-42. 
 
 4. He must needs. It was not abso- 
 lutely necessary, but this was the 
 shortest road, and especially it lay in 
 the Divine plan. The term is so used 
 by John. It was in the path of His 
 mediatorial purpose and work. That 
 was always to our Lord the best road, 
 which was the road to spread His 
 Gospel, and to s.ave lost souls. For 
 this. He went even to the borders of 
 Tyre and Sidou, just to seek and find 
 the poor Syrophenician woman. And 
 now he orders His course, so as to meet 
 and save this Samaritan woman. Our 
 Lord's purpose here was not mere 
 speed, since He tarried two days on 
 the way. Ncnie but the very strict 
 Jew passed around Samaria, through 
 Peroa, out of hatred to the Samari- 
 tans, vs. 9. The Galileans ordinarily 
 took the direct course of about three 
 days on foot. 
 
 o, 6. Si/char. This town is alsa 
 
72 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 near to the parcel of ground that 
 Jacob gave "■ to his son Joseph. 
 6 Now Jacob's well was there. 
 
 8.22. Jos. 24. 
 
 named in the Old Testament Sychem, 
 or Shechem. Gen. 12 : 6. It was called 
 by the Romans Flavia Nea^^olis, from 
 ■which the present Arab name Nahlous, 
 has come. It lies about 34 miles North 
 of Jerusalem and 15 miles South of 
 the city of Samaria, and in the naiTow 
 gorge between Mount Gebal and Mount 
 Gerizim. Before entering the gorge 
 from the South, we came upon the 
 well of Jacob. Two pairs of grey 
 granite columns about 15 paces apart, 
 and one quite similar, outside the low 
 rude wall, are the ruins of an ancient 
 church, erected to mark the spot. It 
 is remarkable that not only Jews and 
 Samaritans, but Christians and Moham- 
 medans, all agree in the traditions of 
 Jacob's well and Joseph's tomb ; and 
 that they can be traced back as early 
 as the beginning of the fourth centurj^ 
 in the time of Eusebius, the Historian. 
 The well's mouth we found closed b}' 
 a huge stone, and it was quite dry. 
 We came to it in the heat of the day, 
 about two o'clock, and could well ap- 
 preciate our Lord's weariness which 
 led Him to sit carelessly down upon the 
 well-side, as we also did. At the 
 junction of two valleys, and looking 
 up through the narrow pass between 
 the two great hills of Ebal and Geri- 
 zim, it is a retired and beautiful spot. 
 We wished in that quiet and sacred- 
 ness, as it was on the eve too of the 
 Sabbath, that our Lord would meet us 
 there and talk with us, as He did with 
 the woman so long ago. The people 
 of Nablous are the most bigoted and 
 hostile toward Christians. Boys hoot- 
 ed and spat at us, and threw stones, 
 which we learned was only a common 
 expression of this feeling there. It is 
 strange that there, where they refused 
 Christ their hospitality, and where the 
 disciples would have called fire down 
 upon them, and where afterward Ihe 
 Spirit descended, the old hostility 
 should yet exist. The place has now 
 some 12,000 inhabitants, and hue ba- 
 
 Jesus thcrefore,being wearied with 
 his journey, sat thus on the well : 
 and it was about the sixth hour. 
 
 zaars. Large granite columns are 
 here and there to be seen, lying along 
 the side of the streets. At the further 
 gate we saw a group of lepers stand- 
 ing — one with the nose eaten off — 
 others white around the wrist. Fifteen 
 of them followed us to our tents. As 
 we were alarmed, our Dragoman offer- 
 ed them two piastres each, to go away. 
 They refused, and demanded five. 
 Towards evening we rode up the steep 
 and stony sides of Mount Gerizim. On 
 the summit are immense ruins, of bev- 
 eled stone work, indicating a great 
 antiquity, and supposed by some to be 
 the remains of the Old Temple there, 
 as they contend, but this is not likely. 
 On our way to Samaria, near "the 
 drowned meadow," we met a Samari- 
 tan named Yakob, whom we found to 
 be the man that recovered the Bible 
 drojDped by Bonar and McCheyne, 
 down the well of Jacob. He said that 
 the day after the morrow — the Pass- 
 over, was their great feast day.' That 
 they w-ere then to sacrifice their seven 
 lambs on Mount Gerizim, according to 
 the Divine command — that they had 
 the ancient Law written on Gazelle 
 skin, and thirty-four hundred and sixty 
 years old ; that they were sixty-seven 
 in number no v.', and as soon as they 
 should reach seventy, they would be 
 the greatest people in the world ; as 
 this was the number with which Jacob 
 went dov/n to Egypt and became a 
 nation. They keep Saturday as their 
 Sabbath. They have a synagogue, and 
 have public prayers there, at morning, 
 noon and evening, and meet also on the 
 four great festivals, Passover, Pente- 
 cost, Tabernacles and Atonement. 
 They read the Law. They have no 
 dealings with the Jews at this day, as 
 of old the Jews had none with them. I 
 T[ Parcel, of ff round. From Gen. 83 : 1 
 19, we find that Jacob bought a field 
 near Shechem — and from Josh. 24: 
 32, we find that Joseph was buried 
 there, and it is said that it became the 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 78 
 
 7 There cometh a womau of 
 Samaria to draw water. Jesus 
 
 inheritance of the children of Joseph. 
 This well, .is Robinson suggests, may 
 have been dug by Jacob for an inde- 
 pendent supply of water on this plot 
 of ground, as the region around here, is 
 well watered otherwise. We saw a white 
 tomb near the foot of the hill, which 
 
 saith unto her, Give me to 
 driuk. 
 
 is pointed out as the tomb of Joseph. 
 See Heb. 1 1 : 22. ^Sut thus: or accord- 
 ingly — that is, as He was tired. The 
 word thus, stands connected with the 
 word therefore, and reads " thcre/ore — 
 so," therefore being wearied, .so ]Ie sat 
 down, &c. ^ On the well. As we found 
 
 tac well, there was ovei rf.c ir.outh p 
 vaulted chamber, which, tn.-atia now 
 below ihe siu-face, may havt oeen 
 origiuai'v the well-curb, that oftea is 
 to be seen around these ancient wells, 
 in Palestine In the valley beyond 
 Samaria, we toiind a well, which had 
 overflown, and it seemed only a shal- 
 low pond ot water, with a large stone 
 in the centre. One of our company, an 
 active, muscular man, rode up to it to 
 give his thirsty horse a drink. The 
 animal, stepping forward into the 
 water, to enjoy a free draught, pitched 
 into the well. The rider instinctively 
 sprang forward, and laid hold of the 
 Btone, which proved part of the well- 
 curb ; Avhile the poor horse was strug- 
 gling in the well, just keeping hia head 
 7 
 
 ' out of the water. It was only by 
 
 I laying hold of him with all our forces, 
 
 I by bridle, saddle and mane, that we at 
 
 I length succeeded in dragging him out. 
 
 11 Sixth hour. That is, twelve o'clock 
 
 at noon. It was the hour for mid-day 
 
 meal, and hence, the disciples had gone 
 
 into the town to buy food. 
 
 7. Wo7nan of Samaria. Not from 
 the city of Samaria, but a Samaritan 
 woman, from Sychar the adjacent 
 town. In the East it is still the busi- 
 ness of women to carry water, ("as 
 above) : and it is customary for trav- 
 elers to stop at wells, or fountains, 
 which are few, and, in that warm coun- 
 try, most refreshing on a journey. It 
 was to be a sign to the two disciples 
 commissioned to prepare the Passover, 
 
JOHN. 
 
 [Age so. 
 
 8 (For his disciples were gone 
 away unto the city to buy 
 meat.) 
 
 9 Then saith the woman of 
 Samaria unto him, How is it 
 tLat thou, being a Jew. askest 
 drink of me, which am a wo- 
 man of Samaria ? — for the Jews 
 
 thot they should meet a man bearing 
 a pitcher of water — which was unusu- 
 al. 1[ Give me. Our Lord improves 
 her errand to press His own errand. 
 He asks of her, in order to have her 
 ask of Him. This is the spirit in 
 which He makes all His demands upon 
 us. It is not that He has need, so 
 much as that He may lead us to obtain 
 the blessings which He has to give, and 
 which we so perishingly need. 
 
 8. The Evangelist mentions this to 
 Bhow how He came to ask of her, as 
 His disciples were not present. Our 
 Lord, as a man, hungered, and thirsted, 
 and was wearied. But His meat was 
 to do His Father's will, and to give His 
 salvation to sinners. *\The city. Sy- 
 char. It was about half an hour's dis- 
 tance from the well. 
 
 9. llow is it. She knew from His 
 dress, features and accent, (Judges 12 : 
 6,) tjiat He Avas a Jew. She inquires, 
 therefore, on account of her surprise at 
 His asking of her a favor, or to expi'ess 
 her national alienation from the Jews — 
 probably the former. The explanatory 
 clause here added, is ccmmouly taken 
 as the Evangelist's and not the woman's. 
 T[ ]\'o dcalinr/s. The disciples had gone 
 into the city to buy meat^ — which shows 
 that there was some dealing between 
 them. But no social intercourse ex- 
 isted. The enmity originated at the 
 building of Zerubbabel's temple. Neh. 
 4 : 2. Ordinarily, the Jews were not 
 allowed even to buy of the Samaritans, 
 But our Lord did not encourage such 
 a feeling. 
 
 10. If thou knewest. Our Lord's 
 reply would rather intimate that she 
 made objection to His request. Else 
 it was meant to show her that He does 
 
 Jiave no dealings ' with the Sa- 
 maritans, 
 
 10 Jesus answered and said unto 
 her, If thou knewest the gift ^ of 
 God, and who it is that saith to 
 thee, Give me to drink; thou would- 
 est have asked of him, and he would 
 have given thee living "water. 
 
 a Ac. 10. 28. 6Ep. 2. 8. c Is. 12.3; 41. 17, 18. Jc. 2. 
 13. Zee. 12.1; li.S. Ke.22.17. 
 
 not partake of the Jewish enmities 
 toward her people. Ho therefore hints 
 to her that she has more to expect 
 from Him than He could possibly ask 
 of her. *i The gift of God. Here 
 Jesus opens to her His meaning — that 
 He was no common Jew — and that He 
 was divinely commissioned to give to 
 her more than she could give to Him, 
 and rather to give than to take. The 
 obligation would be all on her side if she 
 only understood it. This gift is Christ, 
 who is "the unspeakable gift" (2 Cor. 
 9: 16,) as is further expressed in the 
 next clause. If she only knew who 
 He was, she would understand God's 
 gift which He came to bestow. This 
 may refer more expressly to the Holy 
 Spirit, as symbolized by the water — 
 wliicli was the gift which He should 
 impart, eh. 7 : 37-39. *^ Living zvater. 
 Here our Lord further hints of His 
 high spiritual meaning. He had liimig 
 water to give. In a mere natural 
 sense this would mean, spring water 
 in distinction from cistern water — run- 
 ning water and not stagnant. In a 
 higher sense he meant it as being the 
 "water of life;" (Eev. 22: 1,) from 
 " the fountain of living waters." Jer. 
 2:13; 17: 13. In Palestine, where 
 water is scarce, " living u-ater" — that 
 is, running water, or water perpetually 
 supplied — as in springs and fountains 
 and deep wells — is counted very pre- 
 cious. Where these are lacking, they 
 often hew out cisterns from the lime- 
 stone rock, to catch the rain and hold 
 a supply for travelers along a desert 
 road. Coming up from the Dead Sea 
 to Bethlehem, we were suffering from 
 thirst until we came to such a large 
 reservoir hewn out of the rock. The 
 
Are 30.] 
 
 CHAP. n. 
 
 75 
 
 1 1 The woman saitli unto liini,Sir, 
 thou l;u.st nitbiiig to draw with, 
 and the well is deep : from whence 
 then hast thou that living water i* 
 
 12 Art thou greater than our 
 father Jacob, which gave us the 
 well, and drank thereof himself, 
 and his children, and his cattle ? 
 
 13 Jesus answered and said unto 
 
 water was covered -with a geeen scum, 
 and looked most uninTiting. But on 
 letting down a skin bottle by a cord, 
 the scum was found to cover cool, clear 
 water, which was most sweet and 
 refreshing. See Plate, p. 73. 
 
 11. To draw ivilli. The term means 
 a bucket, or bottle, such as they let 
 down with a cord into the well. Trav- 
 elers carry these, as we also did. The 
 woman, living in mere earthly ideas, 
 does not yet cf.tch the spiritual sense, 
 but refers to the well. She was evi- 
 dently puzzled, as we see from her next 
 question. Tf Deep. The well is, by 
 some measurements, seventy-five, by 
 others, a hundred and five feet in depth, 
 nine in diameter. Tf That living icater. 
 Literally — " Thexoater which is living," 
 " from wells of salvation." Isa. 12 : 3 ; 
 Za(;Ji. 14: 8. "For with thee is the 
 fountain of life." Ps. 3G: 9. 
 
 12. She sees that lie claims some 
 j prerogative, she knows not what, and 
 I now addresses Him, "Sir." Tf Art 
 
 thou greater — more excellent. She now 
 wants to know if He boasts of any 
 thing beyond the patriarch Jacob — of 
 any better Wiiter, or better well, or 
 nvire abundant supply. She claims 
 J;ic b as the lather of her nation, as 
 the Samaritans still do. The Samari- 
 tans were a mixed people, springing 
 partly from a remnant of the ten tribes, 
 and partly from Chaldeans brought 
 thither. Hence, they were regarded 
 as a connecting link between the Jews 
 and the Heathen. And this was 
 recognized in the plan for the progress 
 of Christianity. Acts 1:8; 10 : 28. 
 When men are called to give up their 
 false systems, they fall back upon 
 their ancestors who have handed these 
 
 her, Vi'liusocver driukoth of this 
 water shall thirst again: 
 
 14 But " whosoever drinketh of 
 the water that 1 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. 
 
 15 The woman saith unto him, 
 
 ac.6. 35, 58. 6 c. 17. 2, 3. Rom.6. 23. c c. T. 38. 
 
 down to them, and so, one generation 
 of falsehoods supports another. How 
 many hoary systems of superstition 
 and irreligion stand on no better 
 foundation than their antiquity. And 
 yet the newness of a theory is no proof 
 of its worth, any more than its an- 
 tiquity is, in itself, a disproof of it. 
 ^ Gave us. This was the common 
 tradition — and the well had so much 
 greater value, in her view, because it 
 was used, as she believed, by Jacob, 
 who owned the ground, and because it 
 was a gift or bequest from him, as she 
 believed, to her people. All this was 
 said boastingly in a way that would 
 convey a passing reflection upon the 
 Jews, as not thus descended from 
 Jacob, or, at least, not so honored by 
 him. 
 
 13. Our Lord now further opens 
 His meaning, and declares that He can 
 give a better supply than she could get 
 from the best well on earth. He says 
 nothing of being greater than Jacob. 
 He appealed to her own experience as 
 to the inability of that water to satisfy 
 her thirst beyond the present time, 
 much less for all the future. And 
 herein He promised a much better 
 kind of water — allowing no distressing 
 thirst — as its supply and satisfaction 
 never fail. 
 
 14. In him. A supply within — a 
 portable, internal well or fountain — 
 how wonderful ! to be carried about 
 in the bosom. This shows that it was 
 a spiritual matter — a gushing well in 
 the heart, springing up unto everlasting 
 life — flowing forever — and ending in 
 life everlasting, which alone can realize 
 its full benefits. 
 
 15. This was such a commendation 
 
JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 Sir, give me this water, that I 
 thirst not, neither come hither to 
 to draw. 
 
 16 Jesus saith unto her. Go, call 
 thy husband, and come hither. 
 
 17 The woman answered and 
 said, I have no husband. Jesus 
 said unto her, Thou hast well said, 
 I have no husband : 
 
 18 For thou hast had five hus- 
 
 of Avhat He had to give, that she could 
 no longer hesitate to ask it of Him. 
 It M'ould, at least, save her the trouble 
 of coining constantly to draw, at that 
 well. Oh ! how much severer trouble, 
 heart trouble, it would save her, she 
 did not yet understand. So our Lord 
 gently leads her into the truth — taking 
 her up at the lowest point, and from 
 her carnal perceptions drawing her 
 along by divine constraints to heavenly 
 realities. From the following verses, 
 we infer that beyond the meaning of 
 this to us all, there was a special 
 application to this woman who had 
 been vainly going " to the broken cis- 
 terns of carnal lust." Observe. — 1st. 
 Christ is the fountain of all grace and 
 peace, and every blessing. 2d. The 
 religion of Christ is an unfailing supply 
 for all times and necessities. 3d. The 
 true Christian has his sources of happi- 
 ness within the soul — in the hope and 
 joy and peace which Christ gives, as 
 *♦ the unspeakable gift of God." 
 "Christ in him, the hope of glory." 
 4th. It is a living resource Avhen all 
 earthly springs are dry. 5th. It is 
 life. The true believer in Christ hath 
 everlasting life in possession. It is 
 everlasting in its nature. He has now 
 the beginning of it, and it ends in life 
 everlasting. 
 
 16. Go call thy husband. This is His 
 first step in granting her request, 
 though, alas, she little understood it 
 Bo. His first work is to convince her 
 of sin. This is the first business of the 
 Comforter whom He now gives, (ch. 
 16. ) He was also taking the same 
 method as with Nathanael, to show His 
 
 bands ; and he whom thou now 
 hast is not thy husband : in that 
 saidst thou truly. 
 
 19 The woman saith unto him, 
 Sir, I perceive * that thou art a 
 prophet. 
 
 20 Our fathers worshipped in 
 this mountain ; '' and ye say, that 
 in Jerusalem " is the place where 
 men ought to worship. 
 
 oc.l.48,« iJa.9.T. cDe.l2.5-n. lKi.9..'!. 
 
 omniscience, by disclosing his perfect 
 knowledge of her case and history, 
 (ch. 1 : 48, 49.) 
 
 17. This was nothing new to our 
 Lord. He perfectly knew her whole 
 life of sin, but this was her vain at- 
 tempt to cover the facts by her equiv- 
 ocation. She spoke the literal truth, 
 and our Lord exposed the case as being 
 to her shame — the more true, the more 
 disgraceful. 
 
 18. Five husbands. She had had so 
 many, lawfully, no doubt, as distin- 
 guished from this sixth one, who was 
 not lawful, but she had left them, per- 
 haps unlawfully, or they had been di- 
 vorced from her, or had died. ^ Truly. 
 Literally, " This true thing thou hast 
 said," This one thing is true. 
 
 19. This discriminating knowlecfge 
 of her case opens her eyes, as it prob- 
 ably also wakens her conscience. ^ A 
 Prophet. A Divi7ie teacher — not nec- 
 essarily one who foretells future 
 events. Here she virtually confesses 
 that His account of her case was true, 
 though she did not own Him to be the 
 Messiah, (ch. 6: 14, 15.) She saw 
 only that He must be from God. She 
 had got only as far as Nicodemus was 
 when he first came to Christ. 
 
 20. Possibly she was so far con- 
 vinced of His Divine mission, as to 
 seek some instruction about acceptable 
 worship. Or, perhaps before accept- 
 ing any religion from Him, she would, 
 naturally enough, fall back upon the 
 old difiiculty between their worship 
 and the Jews. So, commonly, when 
 men are convinced of sin, they put 
 forth the objections to ono or another 
 
A.QE 30.] 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 77 
 
 21 Jesus saitli unto her, "Woman, 
 believe me, the hour cometh, when 
 *ye shall neither in this moun- 
 
 o Mai. 1.11. Matt. 18. 20. 
 
 church as an excuse, or the inconsist- 
 encies of professors, or the doubtful 
 forms of worship in use. They take 
 a momentary refuge behind "the 
 sects " in the church, or often pass from 
 one excuse to the other. Tf Our fathers. 
 Our Samaritan fathers, or perhaps 
 meaning the patriarchs, and thus re- 
 flecting upon the Jews. Tf This moun- 
 tain. Mount Gerizim, which she could 
 point to, rising very near to Jacob's 
 well, where they sat, and overlooking 
 the town of Sychar. On the summit 
 the Samaritans had erected their tem- 
 ple, Tfhile the Jews had built theirs at 
 Jerusalem. See Neh. 13 : 28. It was 
 destroyed B. C. 129, by John Ilyrca- 
 nus. We saw on the summit a small 
 caamber, where the priest officiated to 
 the sixty-seven Samaritans at that 
 passover. Gerizim was the Mount of 
 blessing, and Ebal the Mount of curse. 
 Tiieir copy of the five books of Moses 
 has Gerizim, instead of Ebal, in Deut. 
 27 : 4. Some travelers imagine that 
 Ebal is more barren-looking than the 
 other, but it is scarcely so. The as- 
 cent of Gerizim we found most stony 
 and difficult with horses. The mas- 
 sive ruins on the summit are judged to 
 \ e the remains of a castle, erected by 
 Justinian. The walls are about ten 
 ffi't in thickness, and we wandered 
 over huge heaps of grey granite bev- 
 eled stones, ready to believe that it 
 might have been their ancient temple, 
 though they do not so regard it. They 
 show you the place near these ruins, 
 where they say arc the twelve stones, 
 brought up by Israel from the Jordan. 
 They believe that on that Mount, also, 
 Abraham was directed to oflTer up 
 Isaac, and that there, not on Moriah, 
 that interesting event occurred. They 
 call it the holy mountain, and turn 
 their faces toward it in prayer. ^ Ye 
 say. Ye Jews, in opposition to the 
 S.imaritans, say that the place for 
 Divine worship, appointed by God, is 
 in Jerusalem. The rivalry and hatred 
 
 tain, nor yet at Jerusalem, wor- 
 ship the Father. 
 22 Ye worship " ye know not 
 
 6 2 Ki. 17.29. 
 
 between the two people was so great, 
 that the Samaritans would not allow tho 
 common hospitalities of their country 
 to our Lord and His disciples whea 
 they would pass through their land, 
 because their face was as though they 
 would go to Jerusalem. Luke 9 : 53. 
 'i Jerusalem. Ou "Mount Zion," as it 
 was commonly called — including Mo- 
 riah, which was more properly the site, 
 the temple of Solomon was built. Tho 
 name " Moriah" seldom occurs. Tho 
 two hills arfe adjacent and only separated 
 by the Tyropeon. A bridge connected 
 the temple with Zion, and the ruins of 
 it still remain. The massive stones 
 jut out from the wall, broken off, at 
 the springing of the arch, but show- 
 ing plainly their connection with that 
 bridge, as described by Josephus. We 
 examined the remarkable manner ia 
 which they are morticed into the im- 
 mense stones of the temple wall. See 
 Notes on Luke, and Plate. 
 
 21. Our Lord answers her that all 
 these differences are of small account. 
 The forms are not the essentials. The 
 heart is that which is chiefly required 
 in worship. ^Neither. That is, not. 
 only here or there — not in any place 
 exclusively. Our Lord here perhaps re- 
 ferred to the success that would attend 
 the Gospel in Samaria. Acts 8. 
 ^ The Father. God the Father, who is 
 so superior to their father Jacob. 
 
 22. Our Lord now shows that the 
 .Jewish worship alone was the true, and 
 in this He spake as a Jew. If Ye wor- 
 ship. The Samaritans received only 
 the Pentateuch — rejected the further 
 revelations of God by His prophets. 
 Therefore they had not the oracles, and 
 covenants, &c., (Rom. 8: 1, 2,) as the 
 Jews had, and they had no proper, full 
 knowledge of God, as He had revealed 
 Himself for an object of intelligent 
 worship. ^ What. He does not say 
 whom, for the question was not about 
 a true or false God — but what — as 
 though their ricws of worship altogeth- 
 
78 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 what: we know what we worship; 
 for * salvation is of the Jews. 
 
 23 But the hour cometh, and 
 now is, when the true worship- 
 
 als. 2. 3. Ro.9.5, 
 
 er, were vague, and without any clear 
 idea of God's personal revelations, and 
 certainly without any true idea of God 
 in Christ, or of the Messiah, who was 
 revealed so especially in the prophets. 
 Their separate worship had its origin 
 in sinful spite. Their independent tem- 
 ple set up there was contrary to the 
 Divine appointment which fixed the 
 sanctuary upon Zion. 2 Sam. 7 : 2, 
 13. 1 Kings, 5: 5, 12; 8: 15-22. 
 They therefore cut themselves loose 
 from the Saviour, and from salvation, 
 which is of the Jews " of whom, as 
 concerning the flesh, Christ came." 
 Rom. 9 : 5. They have kept up to 
 this day their separate pretension, and 
 look vainljr for a " Guide," or " Teach- 
 er." ^ We know. This clause is made 
 to correspond with the former, so as to 
 show the contrast in stronger light — 
 we kn'-xi ivhat. This advantage the 
 Jews ii.ni — the law and the covenants, 
 and the worship of God, and the prom- 
 ises. Rom. 3 : 1,2. *l. We worship. 
 Speaking as a Jew here. He includes 
 Himself and in this instance alone. ^For. 
 The reason here assigned for their bet- 
 ter knowledge and more assi^red confi- 
 dence in Divine worship, is, that " the 
 salvation " promised and expected, is 
 of the Jews, belongs to their nation as 
 having it promised to them, and sprung 
 from them, and from them the Messiah 
 had already sprung. Luke 2 : 30, 3, 
 6. ^ Is of the Jews. Not is to be, 
 for Christ had already appeared, 
 
 23. This verse connects with vs. 21, 
 and further sets forth the true spiritual 
 worship. ^ A'oiv is. The time has 
 arrived for setting aside distinctions of 
 places, and of forms, in comparison 
 with the worship of the heart. This 
 He mentions lest she should think that 
 the spiritual worship was to be set up 
 in Judea. It is noiv and here and every- 
 tvhere, the great requisite. ^ True. 
 As distinguished from the false who 
 
 pers shall worship the Father 
 in Spirit "^ and in truth : for the 
 Father seeketh such to worship 
 him. 
 
 were so many, and from former formal 
 worshipers generally, who went so much 
 on a different principle. ^ In spirit. 
 As distinguished from mere form with- 
 out the soul of devotion. ^ Truth. 
 The requisite is "In spirit and in 
 truth," not "In this mountain." The 
 worship which Christ would establish, 
 was above such narrow restrictions 
 of place. He says, " In everi/ place, 
 (Mai. 1 : 11,) incense shall be ofiFered 
 to my name, and a pure offering." 
 These true worshipers would be dis- 
 tinct both from the mere formal Jews 
 and from the false Samaritans. They 
 would worship in truth, as distinct 
 from Jewish forms and ceremonies 
 which were shadows of the true, and as 
 distinct from a false worship unauthor- 
 ized by God, such as that of the Sa- 
 maritans. His Avould be worship in 
 the highest sense — the genuine — the 
 real. This intimates that all mere for- 
 mal worship is more or less false and 
 not true. It has a pretence and show 
 that are not answered to by the reality. 
 It makes great outward appearance of 
 worship, but does not truly worship 
 God — and often does not worship the 
 true God — but some false notion of 
 God — or even some image or idol in- 
 stead of God. ^ For. The reason is 
 that the Father — the Jehovah whom 
 they acknowledged, had so revealed 
 His will, and never could be satisfied 
 with a mere external service. Espe- 
 cially would He soon demolish the 
 boasted Jewish Temple, and require 
 universal worship. Mai. 3. T[ Seeketh. 
 Is seeking. This again expresses the 
 tender solicitude of God for us, and 
 for our proper service. He knows 
 what is sincere worship, springing from 
 the heart and soul, and engaging all 
 the affections, and such worship and 
 worshipei's He seeks. God is seeking 
 us more than we are seeking Him. 
 As the shepherd seeks the lost sheep, 
 
Agk30.] CLIAI'. \Y. 79 
 
 24 G-od * is a Spirit : and tliej i which is called Christ : when 
 that worship him must worship he i^ come, he will tell us all 
 
 hwi in spirit and in truth 
 
 25 The woman saith unto him, 
 I know that Messias comcth, 
 
 a 2 Cor. 3. 17. 
 
 and the woman tlie lost coin, so He 
 seeks us for His sei'vice aud glory. 
 Ps. 144: 18. 
 
 24. This requirement of spiritual 
 M-orship is fouudcd on God's spiritual 
 essence. " Godis Spiuit." Sof;ir,is 
 this could refer to the Mosaic worship, 
 it shows that even in that, God sought 
 and required, not merely the form but 
 chiefly the Spirit, and the Spirit in and 
 tlu'ough the form. And now, in the 
 worship of the new covenant He is seek- 
 ing a more sjjiritual service. So the 
 cliuse may properly read : as the refer- 
 ence is not to His personality, but to His 
 essential nature. This is His essence — 
 I'ure spirit — not confined, as we are, to 
 place or to a material body, but invisi- 
 ble, and everywhere present. To ap- 
 proach God .acceptably in spirit, we 
 must be made tlis temple. Tliis sug- 
 gests tlie gift of the Holy Spirit for 
 this end. The expression " the Fath- 
 er," brings to view, also, the " new 
 birth " t)y the Holy Ghost. See ch. 3. 
 This passage, therefore, forms a con- 
 clusion to the subject of these first 
 chapters. " God is become one flesh 
 with us that we might become one 
 Spirit with Him. He requires what is 
 agreeable to His Divine nature. So He 
 is Truth, and requires truth : not par- 
 ade pretension or pomp, without sin- 
 cerity and spirituality. Thus Stephen 
 reasoned with the Jews. Acts 7 : 48. 
 So Saul argued on Mars' Hill, in re- 
 gard to heathen temples. Acts 17: 25. 
 
 25. But, if God be pure Spirit, how 
 can He be approached? This seems 
 to suggest to her the idea of the Mes- 
 siah, as the medium of understanding 
 a'"d approHching God. She yielded 
 readily to His teaching, as to God's re- 
 quiring a more excellent worship aud 
 abolishing the old. But she intimates 
 that this must be deferred till the Mes- 
 siah cornea. She at least seems to have a 
 
 things. 
 
 26 Jesus saith unto her, ^ I that 
 speak unto thee am he. 
 
 b c. 9. 37. 
 
 general idea of something great and 
 excellent as promised, which would be 
 clearly explained by the expected Mes- 
 siah. Observe. — This expectation of 
 a Messiah, by Samaritans, as well as 
 Jews, shows that it was no recent idea, 
 but ancient ; and that, as these people 
 were hostile to each other, it was de- 
 rived not from each other, but from a 
 common source, which could have been 
 only the Books of Moses received alike 
 by both. The Samaritans, too, seem 
 to have looked for the Messiah as a 
 Teacher rather than as a political Con- 
 queror — they seem, also, to have look- 
 ed upon the Mosiac law as not permn- 
 mcnt, but temporary ; and as to 
 pass away when Christ should come. 
 ]\ Called Christ. These are probably 
 the words of the woman, alluding to 
 the popular name of the Messiah 
 among them — as Christ is the Greek 
 term meaning the same as Messiah in 
 the Hebrew, f Tell. Will declare by 
 Divine authority, as "the Prophet, 
 like Moses." Deut. 18: 15. 
 
 26. This is our Lord's first declaration 
 of Himself as the Messiah. Some 
 wonder that He should have done this 
 when He forbade others to make Him 
 known so early. But this case was dif- 
 ferent from theirs. It would have per- 
 iled His life in some instances, but it 
 did not in this. It led to the conver- 
 sion of many. vs. 39. He knew all 
 things, aud suited Himself to the cir- 
 cumstances as to when, where, and 
 how far He should make Himself 
 known. ^ That speak. " I am He who 
 am now speaking unto thee," and "tel- 
 linff thee," as you expect to be told by 
 the Messiah. This refers to her words 
 as she had confessed. See vs. 29. Ob- 
 serve. — 1. How early our Lord here 
 declared Himself to the Samaritans 
 who were not His people. His heart 
 burned for all the world, even for those 
 
80 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 30. 
 
 27 And upon this came his dis- 
 ciples, and marvelled that lie 
 talked with the woman : yet no 
 
 who hated Him, and refused Him their 
 hospitality. 2. John alone records 
 this remarkable proof of Christ's God- 
 liead, as this is His great object. 
 3. How beautifully our Lord improved 
 this occasion of delivering to this wo- 
 man the truth of His salvation. It 
 was as they incidentally met — though 
 she did not know Him. It was not 
 with harsh denunciation that he treated 
 her, though she was in error. It was 
 no rash, olfensivc, abrupt dragging in 
 of the subject. It was delicately, pru- 
 dently done. 4. Religion gives more 
 than it asks for. He asked for water, 
 and gave her the water of life. It does 
 not even appear whether He obtained 
 the water He asked for, cr not. It is 
 so much more important to show tliat 
 she obtained the grace and salvation 
 that she had not sought. Christianity 
 is worth more than it costs. 5. Christ 
 seeks us more than avc seek Him. If 
 He had not sought us first, we liad 
 never sought or found Hiai. 
 
 '■ To llim that soviglit lis fijst 
 Before the world bogau." 
 
 5. Christ never announced Himself 
 more clearly even to the disciples, than 
 He did to the Samaritan woman. 
 
 27. Upon this. Just as He said this. 
 ^ Blarvellcd. They wondered that He 
 spoka with the woman — because she 
 was a Samai-itan. Some suppose, also, 
 that it was because she was a woman ; 
 and the I'vaVibius despised the female 
 gex as utterly without religious knowl- 
 edge. In the Talmud it is said, "No 
 one salutes a woman." " He who in- 
 structs his daughter in the law is like 
 one who acts the fool." But, rather, 
 they m.arveled becnuse He took the 
 trouble to speak with evident interest, 
 to one whom as Jews they could only 
 despise and hate. ^ No man. No one 
 of the disciples. They asked no ques- 
 tions about tlie matter, not willing to 
 pry into His plans, though they won- 
 dered at Hira. We may learn a lesson 
 not to ask for the why and tcherrforc of 
 
 man said, What seekest thou? or, 
 Why talkest thou with her? 
 28 The woman then left her 
 
 God's ways, though we may marvel. 
 We are to be satisfied that what He 
 does is right, even if we do not fully 
 understand. "^ What seekest ih on. They 
 neither made this inquiry of the wo- 
 man, nor did they ask Christ, "Why 
 talkest thou with her." 
 
 28. It was our Lord's whole conver- 
 sation that convinced her — and not 
 merely His last words declaring Him- 
 self to be the Messiah. She had been 
 impressed by His "telling her all 
 things," as she was led to expect of 
 the Messiah, (vs. 25,) and she could 
 plainly see that He was divine fron; 
 His omniscience. His announcement 
 of Himself as the Messiah makes her 
 think now mere seriously of what He 
 had told her of herself. Observe. — 
 She leads others as Christ led her. 
 Slie makes no assertions except of her 
 own experience — and upon this she 
 would have others come and see for 
 themselves, and judge as to the great 
 question. We are to leave all for 
 Christ's service. 1. She left her pres- 
 ent earthly concerns for the greater 
 concerns of the soul. These led her 
 to forget her errand, and her natural 
 thirst was lost in her greater thirst for 
 divine things. 2. She hastened as 
 soon as she found Christ, to make Him 
 known to others. Not to reproach or 
 dictate to them, but to invite them to 
 come with her and see what she had 
 seen, and judge. 3. She — a woman — 
 dared to publish Christ to the men, 
 who thought themselves far superior 
 to her. True religion emboldens 
 women to do what they can properly 
 do, in making Christ known in society — 
 by speaking of Him to others whom 
 they meet — by distributing tracts and 
 teaching in the Sabbath School. But 
 it does not lead them to public preach- 
 ing or teaching in the church, which 
 the Scripture forbids. True religion 
 will never lead any beyond their proper 
 sphere. 4. True conviction and re- 
 pentance must spring from propei 
 
A.aE 30.] 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 81 
 
 water-pot, and went her way into 
 the city, and saith to the men, 
 
 29 Come, see a man, which told 
 me all things that ever I did : Is 
 not this the Christ? 
 
 30 Then they went out of the 
 city, and came unto him. 
 
 ol In tlie mean-while his disci- 
 
 vie wt> of God, It is only Avhen we 
 understiind Christ's declarations of 
 Himself as the Redeeraer, that we 
 properly understand His declarations 
 of ourselves as the sinners that we 
 are. 
 
 29. Christ's deep, inward knowledge 
 of her heart and life convinced her of 
 His being God. So we soon find that 
 the religion of Christ is made by the 
 same God who made our souls, and 
 understands all our lives. ^Ve find 
 that it is every way so perfectly suited 
 to us, as no one but the heart-scnrch- 
 ing God could devise. When she finds 
 that He who had told her of her sins 
 is the Messiah, she goes away ■with 
 eager interest, thinking more of tlie 
 Christ she had found, tliau of her sins 
 which Ho had exposed. So we are to 
 rejoice at finding Cia'ist rather than to 
 be so oppressed with our tins as to for- 
 get His preciousness. Our sins are to 
 be thought of to make us wonder at 
 His grace, and glail and grateful at 
 finding Him. ^[ Told me. So Nathan- 
 ael was convinced of Christ's ilessiah- 
 ship by His Divine knowledge of him, 
 and of his secret ways. Ch. 1. ^ Is not 
 this, &c. She speaks modestly — but 
 puts forward the plain evidence which 
 she had received, as sufficient to satisfy 
 any — and yet would have them expe- 
 rience for themselves. She also would 
 to glad to have their experience in 
 coafirmation of her faith. John's ob- 
 ject being to present the vai-ious proofs 
 of Christ's Godhead, gives here the 
 very grounds on which one of a hostile 
 r:itiou, wns l-jd to believe and publish 
 the great ttutl; — ^jast as Nathauael 
 «f the devout Jews had done. 
 
 30. And came. Rather, they tcere 
 
 pies prayed him, saying. Master, 
 eat. 
 
 32 But he said unto them, I have 
 meat to eat that ye know not of. 
 
 33 Therefore said the disciples 
 one to another. Hath any man 
 brought him aught to eat? 
 
 34 Jesus saith unto them. My" 
 
 coming, but had not yet reached Him, 
 when what follows occurred. 
 
 31. As the woman left her water 
 pot and seemed to forget her natural 
 thirst, so Christ seemed to forget His 
 natural hunger. This was the begin- 
 ning of His labors outside of the boun- 
 daries of Israel, and His soul was 
 deeply exercised in it. So it was when 
 the Greeks came to Him at the feast. 
 Ch. 12:23-33. % Eat. The disciples 
 had brought the food which they had 
 gone to the city to procure. They 
 accordingly set it before Him, and 
 urged Him to ent. This seems to 
 imply, also, that He seemed not as 
 ready to take food as might have been 
 expected from His natural want. 
 Tlierefore tiiey urge Him to eat. 
 
 32. / Jiave meat. The term rendered 
 meat, means /oof/ of any kind. See vs. 
 34. His meaning was, that He was 
 engaged in a work that was more pleas- 
 I'.nt to Him, than bodily food : a work 
 for which He had the strongest relish, 
 and a work which was to Him, instead 
 of all common and physical gratifica- 
 tions — though they had no proper idea 
 of it. 
 
 33. They do not understand His 
 meaning. They think only of His 
 having a supply from some other quar- 
 ter. He proceeds to enlighten them. 
 How amazingly does He bear with our 
 ignorance and willful blindness, and 
 lead us into His truth, "bearing lorg 
 with us." 
 
 3'1. ily meat is. Here He explains. 
 His whole living — His proper food and 
 sustenance, His whole life and relish, 
 was to do His Father's will — as he in- 
 timated, already, when a boy in the 
 Temple. It was then already more to 
 
JOHN. 
 
 [Age 80. 
 
 meat is to do the will of him that 
 
 sent me, and to finish * his work. 
 
 35 Say not ye, There are yet 
 
 four months, and then comcth 
 
 Him than earthly parents or home. 
 Luke 2 : 49. See Job 23 : 12. T To do. 
 Literally, in order that I may do. My 
 ■whole aim and satisfaction is this — not 
 merely the obedience itself, but the 
 ico7-k, that I may carry forward the 
 great work of Ecdemption, step by 
 step, to completion, ch. 6 : 38. He 
 would show that He had a high object 
 in all His travels, and conversations, 
 and miracles — an object far above the 
 satisfying of natural hunger, and that 
 for this end He had been employed 
 even in their absence. He was intent 
 on the great work of giving salvation 
 to perishing sinners — and all his ac- 
 tions aimed at that result. He was 
 advancing that great object in teaching 
 this poor woman. And soon on the 
 cross He would say " It is finished." 
 
 35. It was four months in Judea 
 from sowing seed till harvest. Our 
 Lord refers to this common saying. 
 In Palestine the seed is commonly 
 sown in November to December, and 
 January. The four or five months that 
 elapsed from the sowing till the harvest 
 was a remarkably quick reaping, in 
 comparison with many lands. But in 
 His work the harvest is even m.ore 
 speedy. It is immediato. No sooner 
 was the seed of Divine truth sown in 
 some hearts, than it sprang up — as in 
 case of this woman. The great spir- 
 itual harvest — the reaping of souls for 
 heaven was at hand, in connexion with 
 His work, which He was so anxious to 
 finish, vs. 35. It is not necessary to 
 suppose that it was harvest time when 
 our Lord spake these words, though it 
 may have been — and through the pic- 
 ture He may have urg^d the higher 
 truth on their attention, as He often 
 did. Some suppose it was the seed-time, 
 taking the proverbial saying for the 
 fact, at the time. But had this been 
 His meaning, that it was only four 
 months to harvest from the time when 
 
 harvest ? behold, I say unto you, 
 Lift up your eyes, and look on 
 the fields, for they are white al- 
 ready to ^ harvest. 
 
 6 Matt. 9. 37. 
 
 He spoke, He would not have so intro- 
 duced the remark — -^ Say not ye.^' 
 ^ Look. Our Lord would animate them 
 by the bright prospect. Many of the 
 people were thronging to Him from tho 
 city, at the report of the woman. Ho 
 may have pointed to these, whose eager 
 coming and prompt believing, was 
 proof of the readiness of the great field 
 to be reaped, as soon as the seed was 
 sown. Or He may have referred gen- 
 erally to the successes that would more 
 and more attend His gospel. Matt. 9 : 
 37 ; 13 : 3. Tf White. Just as grain 
 when it ripens and is ready to be 
 reaped, turns to a bi-ight yellow or 
 whitish color ; so here, the time for 
 ingathering had come, and the indica- 
 tions were plain. Pentecost, the feast 
 of first fruits of harvest, was the time 
 of the Spirit's outpouring, and the 
 commencement of a higher, happier 
 ingathering, as had been promised of 
 old. Observe — 1. The encoiu-age- 
 ments for laboring iu the spiritual 
 field, by sowing the good seed of the 
 word and kingdom, are far greater 
 than the farmer has for planting the 
 soil. We may be sure of a harvest — 
 and, in our Lord's time, the results 
 will be far more prompt, and we shall 
 reap speedily. 2. The world is the 
 great field that now waits to be sown 
 and reaped, and we are to lift up our 
 ej-es, and see the indications, and pray 
 for the laborers that are so ui-gently 
 needed. 3. We may be sure that car- 
 nest, prayerful efifort is our business. 
 We are to plant and to water faith- 
 fully — and God, whose prerogative it 
 is to give the increase, will do it, as 
 He has promised. 5. The consumma- 
 tion of God's purposes of grace is has- 
 tening. We live amidst the last days. 
 The prophecies are fast accomplishing. 
 Laborers iu Christ's spiritual field may 
 look for glorious results — even more 
 so than at the introduction of Christi- 
 anity. 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 ClIAl'. 
 
 83 
 
 38 Aud ho that roapeth rocciveth 
 wages, aud gathcreth fruit '■unto 
 lii'j eternal ; that both ** he that 
 
 aRo. 6. 22. 6 1 Cor. 3. 5-9. 
 
 oG. The encouragement which our 
 Lord presents to His disciples, is this — 
 that they sliall nap in due season if 
 they fain/, not — and this is the reason 
 why they should not be weary in well- 
 doing. He would incite them to a 
 cheerful, hopeful spirit in their great 
 gospel work, which he would soon en- 
 trust so to their hands. ^ Reapeth. 
 They would be reapers — the harvest was 
 already so ripe — the promise was so 
 graciously sure. And this reaping of 
 fruit, and such fruit, was promised 
 them as wage^ — souls they should have 
 for their hire. The ^oages will there- 
 fore be great, and satisfactory, because 
 it will be unto life Eternal, like the 
 fruit. This will be the joy of success- 
 ful teaching and preaching in the gos- 
 pel service — the results will be eter- 
 nal — the fruit reaped and harvested 
 will be of souls, for Eternity. The 
 wages therefore — the joy and rejoicing 
 will be Eternal. See vs. 37. f//<J that 
 foiceth. The plan is, " that both he 
 that soweth and lie that renpetk may 
 rejoice together," over the eternal 
 fruits of their labors. Therefore it is 
 to be understood that the sower also 
 recoiveth wages, and even they, who 
 like those disciples, should rather reap 
 the ripened harvest, would receive 
 wages also, forgathering in the fruit— 
 and thus both sower and reaper would 
 rejoice together — they would share to- 
 gether in the joy. Observe — Our 
 Lord rejoiced over one repenting sin- 
 ner — He therefore did not lose any 
 opportunity with any. How much 
 was rea2)ed from that incidental sowing 
 at the well ? How large a crop and 
 how speedy a harvest. If all His dis- 
 ples would enter into His spirit, as 
 sowers and reapers — improving every 
 opportunity — always looking at the 
 fields and watching the indications, 
 'jow TGiiuch would surely be accom- 
 plished ! 
 
 S7. That sayinci. Our Lcrd here 
 tefers to a proverbial saying in com- 
 
 soweth and he that reapeth may 
 rejoice together, 
 o7 And herein is that saying 
 
 mou use — that the sower is one aud 
 the reaper another, and not the sarao 
 person — meaning that often a man may 
 sow the seed, and not himself reap the 
 harvest, but another shall do it. Such 
 a Greek proverb Avas in use, and tho 
 Hebrews had a similar one. Isa. 65 : 21, 
 22 ; See also Wicah 6 : 15. This would 
 be fulfilled in their case. The plans of 
 grace had been long coming to matu- 
 rity. The preparations of the gre!;,t 
 iield which is the world, had been long 
 making by the prophets, and by John 
 Baptist, and by Himself. Already 
 they were in " the latter days," prophe- 
 sied of. ^ To reap. They would have 
 the privilege of reajjing the fruit of 
 other men's labors. Their share in 
 the preparations was comparatively 
 nothing. ^ Other men. The chief ref- 
 erence here is to OHr Lord Himself, aa 
 laboriously preparing the way for their 
 harvest, according to the plan of grace. 
 The general pi'inciple admits of gen- 
 eral terms. But He looks upon their 
 work as though it were accomplished, 
 while it is the accomplishment to which 
 He urges them, from these encouraging 
 considerations. Observe — How hon- 
 ored is the Christian ministry in this 
 view — that it is an entering into the 
 fruits of Christ's labors. Even the 
 Sabbath school teacher becomes a, 
 reaper of rich fruit, because Christ 
 has died and preached the gosi^el to 
 men — and purchased the Spirit's influ- 
 ence to accompany the truth to salva- 
 tion. We may reap what He has sown. 
 We may sow, for He prepares the soil. 
 And so, also, Christ and the humblest 
 teacher or preacher of the Gospel, will 
 rejoice together with joy and singing 
 over the eternal fruits. 2. No matter 
 how we may be called to labor in the 
 great field, whether as sowers or as 
 reapers — whether in laying founda- 
 tions or in carrying up the structure, 
 we shall have a share in the eternal 
 joy. AVe are to go forth bearing pre- 
 cious seed, and even though v:eepinc/ aa 
 
84 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Ar!E 80. 
 
 true, One * so^7eth, end another 
 reapetli. 
 
 38 I sent you to reap that where- 
 on ye bestowed no labor : other *• 
 men hiboured, and ye arc entered 
 into their labours. 
 
 39 And many of the Samaritans 
 of that city believed on him for the 
 saying "of the woman, which testi- 
 fied, He told me all that ever I did. 
 
 40 So when the Samaritans were 
 come unto him, they besought him 
 that he would tarry with them : 
 and he abode there two days. 
 
 Mi. 6. 15. JlPe.1.12. 
 
 Tv-e go, we shall come again with re- 
 joicing, bringing our sheaves with us. 
 Ps. 126: 6. 3. There is a work of 
 sowing seed which is most important 
 to be done, and without which there 
 can be no havTest. The humble la- 
 bors of the Sabbath school teacher, 
 and of t'ne private Christian, and of 
 the faithful tract distributer, are val- 
 uable auxiliaries to the ministei-ial 
 work. [For remarks on vss. 09-43, 
 see Appendix. 
 
 § 26. Jesus teaches publicly in 
 Galilee. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. | Luke. I John. 
 
 I I 14.43-45. 
 
 43. After hvo. Literally — after the 
 two days. vs. 40. So short a time He 
 ppcnt among the Samaritans. He 
 showed thus Iiis preference for Galilee, 
 and perhaps He feared lest His longer 
 stay might give His own people occa- 
 sion for jealousy, and load them to use 
 the Proverb ap:ainst Him, "Physician, 
 heal thyself." Luke 4 : 23. 
 
 44. For. This verse refers to the 
 following narrntive, and explains 
 beforehand what is said in vs. 48. He 
 v.-ent thither, not because they were 
 better, or more ready to receive Him 
 than the Samaritans, but rather the 
 contrary. Neither did He go expect- 
 ing any welcome that He did not 
 receive — for. He knew what was in 
 them — and He testified, on certain 
 
 41 And many more believed 
 because of his own word ; 
 
 42 And said unto the woman, 
 Now we believe, not because of 
 thy saying ; for ^ wc have heard 
 liim ourselves, and know tliat 
 this is indeed the Christ, the Sa- 
 viour of the world. 
 
 \ 43 Now after two 
 days he departed thence, and 
 went into Galilee. 
 
 44 For Jesus himself testified, 
 that " a prophet hath no honour 
 in his own country. 
 
 d c. 17. 8. 1 Jno. 4. 14. e Mi.tt. 13. 57. Mar. 6. 4. 
 
 (subsequent) occasions, what was to 
 be expected by a prophet in his own 
 country. Luke 4 : 24 ; INIark 6 : 4 ; 
 Matt. 13 : 57. But this rather led Him 
 to go. He chose wicked Galilee for 
 His public ministry, where He was to 
 be rejected by His own townspeople at 
 Nazareth. A people so disposed 
 toward Him, would be the first to 
 blame Him for staying too long among 
 the Samaritans. Yet, by His perseve- 
 ring labors amidst persecution and 
 rejection, many believed on Him. 
 ^ His own country. This was Galilee; 
 for though lie was born at Bethlehem, 
 He was '■'hroiiyht vjf" at Nazareth. 
 Nor would the proverb apply equally 
 to Bethlehem, for there he had not 
 been so familiarly known, as to have 
 these objections brought up on account 
 of His humble origin. Some, how- 
 ever, understand that John, -whose aim 
 is to record more especially the minis- 
 try of our Lord in Juden, speaks of 
 this as His own country, in contrast 
 with Galilee— since He was, indeed, 
 born in Judea and returned to Naza- 
 reth, instead of Bethlehem, only by 
 divine direction. But the objection to 
 such an understanding is, that our 
 Lord applied this proverb to Galike, 
 as "i/i's own country," and to His 
 reception there. Luke 4 : 23, %\ ; 
 Matt. 13: 57. This surely fixes the 
 reference in this passage, vrhere th^ 
 Evangelist seems to bring forwarcj 
 
Age 30.] 
 
 niAP. I\^ 
 
 85 
 
 45 Then, when he was come into 
 Galilee, the Galileans received 
 him, having seen '^ all the things 
 that he did at Jerusalem, at the 
 feast : for '' they also went unto 
 the feast. 
 
 a c. 2. 23. 6 De. 16. IC. 
 
 those very instances of its application 
 by our Lord, as also suited to this 
 occasion. It shows that our Lord 
 referred more than once to Galilee, as 
 '■^ His ou-71 country." It must be re- 
 marked, however, that our Lord intro- 
 duced His ministry in Judea, and at 
 Jerusalem, as He afterwards comman- 
 ded His apostles to do. Nor did He 
 turn aside to Galilee until His own 
 people had shown their aversion to 
 Him, and tlie Pharisees had imprisoned 
 John the Baptist; nor indeed, until 
 the report of His gaining more disci- 
 ples than John, was about centering 
 their cruel enmity upon Him, as the 
 nextvictim. Galilee, therefore, was His 
 own countrj'. Thither He went from 
 the persecution of His own Judea. And 
 this had been already foreshadowed in 
 the divine direction on the return from 
 Egypt, that they should "turn aside 
 into the parts of Galileo." Matt. 2: 22. 
 This, therefore, wns always the course 
 of Christianity, " beginning at Jerusa- 
 lem." Acts 1 : 4. He came unto His 
 own, (country) and His own (people) 
 received Him not. But as many as 
 received Him, (tliough not " His own," 
 in the same sense,) to them He gave 
 the pi'ivilege, rank, of sons of God — 
 even to believers, of wliatever land or 
 name. ch. 1: 11, 12. Hence, the 
 proverb in question rcaMj' applied to 
 both countries — to Judea, where it had 
 first been tested, and to Galilee, where 
 it was afterwards proved. And we 
 might, in this light, understand the 
 Evangelist as throwing in here our 
 Lonl's use of the proverb in regard to 
 Galilee, as .applicable, in his view, to 
 His turning aside from Juilea, on this 
 occasion. Observe, also, He had gone 
 from the Jews to the Samaritans, and 
 thence to the Galileans, just as He 
 directed the apostles to do in cstablish- 
 8 
 
 ^ 4G So Jesus came 
 again into Cana of Galilee, where 
 he made " the water wine. And 
 there was a certain ^ nobleman, 
 whose son was sick at Caper- 
 naum. 
 
 c C.2. 1, 11. 1 or, courtier; or, ruler. 
 
 ing His church, and as thei/ did. Acts 
 1:8; 8:5. 
 
 45. Received. The Evangelist pro- 
 ceeds to record His reception in the 
 light of the proverb which influenced 
 His return. Therefore — accordingly — 
 when He came into Galilee, the Gali- 
 leans received Him — not with any 
 genuine faith, but simply under tho 
 impulse of sense — and from their sight 
 of His miracle, vs. 48. Such a recep- 
 tion it was that He was distrustful of, 
 and He would not confide Himself to 
 such. ch. 2 : 23. It is noted here, also, 
 in connection with the last verse, to 
 indicate the contrast between the 
 Samaritans who believed Him for His 
 ivord, and the Galileans (His own peo- 
 ple,) who received Him merely on 
 account of His miracles, which they 
 had seen at Jerusalem. ^ For ihey. 
 This explanatory clause is added by 
 John for the information of such as 
 did not know their custom, and this 
 explains how the Galileans had wit- 
 nessed the miracles which He wrought 
 at Jerusalem, ch. 2 : 23. 
 
 ^ 27. Jesus again at Cana, and 
 
 HEALS THE NoBLEMAN's SON. 
 Matt. I M.ark. 1 Luke. I John. 
 
 I I 1 4. 4,6-54. 
 
 4G. So. That is, on account of 
 their bcitsg so influenced by His mira- 
 cles. Though this was not the best 
 kind of faith, our Lord was always 
 ready to meet people "a great way 
 off," (Luke 15: 20,) aud lead thoiii 
 along from the first beginnings of 
 interest in Him, even when at first 
 they were influenced only by low and 
 worldly views. So it was with Zac- 
 cheus and the Samaritan woman. 
 ^ Where He made. See ch. 2. 
 T[ Nobleman. jiaacliKo^. This term 
 is used by Josephus to disting'.:i!<li tho 
 
BG 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AGS 30. 
 
 47 When lie heard that Jesus 
 was come out of Judea into Gali- 
 lee, lie went unto him, and be- 
 sought him that "he would come 
 down, and heal his son : for he 
 was at the point of death. 
 
 48 Then said Jesus unto him, 
 
 officers of the kings (as Herod's) from 
 those of Rome, (Caesar's). This man 
 may have been Chuza, Herod's stew- 
 ard ; (Luke 8: 3,) but this is conjec- 
 ture. He appears to have been a Jew. 
 ^ At Capernaum. The site of Cana 
 and Capernaum is involved in doubt. 
 If Cana be — as Dr. Robinson con- 
 tends — not Kefr Kenna, but Cana-el- 
 Jelil, .'.bout six miles N. of Nazareth, 
 it was v.ithin an easy day's travel of 
 Capernaum, supposing that to have 
 been Khan Jlinyeh, as Dr. R. supposes. 
 Or, even if Capernaum were the pres- 
 ent Tell Hum, as most believe, Cana 
 was within a day's journey. 
 
 47. Come out of Judea. This seems 
 to imply that he had heard of our 
 Lord's miracles at Jerusalem, and per- 
 haps had been at the feast (vs. 45,) 
 and seen what He had done there. 
 ^ Come down. The man seems to 
 have thought it necessary that Jesus 
 should go to Capernaum to work the 
 miracle. In this he showed low views, 
 thougli his faith was strong enough to 
 make him go to Jesus. 
 
 48. Except ye see. This is not to 
 distinguish the nobleman's faith from 
 the people's, but rather to include his 
 weak faith with their's. These words 
 seem addressed to them all, for our 
 Loi'd saw the defect of his faith as it 
 again appears in His reply. He means 
 to say that they would not believe, as 
 liie Samaritans did, by His simple 
 preaching, but tlipy must have mira- 
 cles wrought, (1 Cor. 1: 22,) and even 
 Ilis miracles would not secure their 
 faith — but these also were rejected, 
 oh. 12: 37. And yet they must have 
 more miracles. So the temp'er in the 
 wilderness insisted on Christ's v.'orking 
 miracles to satisfy His uni-easonable, 
 xinbelievLus demands. So His cruci- 
 
 Excfpt ve see signs * and ^vonders, 
 ye will not Leiievo. 
 
 49 The nobleman saith unto him, 
 Sir, coiue down ere my child die. 
 
 5U Jesus saith unto him, Go ''thy 
 way; thy sou liveth. And the 
 man believed the word that Jesus 
 
 a 1 Cor. 1.22. 6 Matt. 8. 13. War. 7. :0, 30. Lu. 17.U 
 
 ficrs at the cross taunted Him with 
 such challenges, when they would not 
 believe any sooner if He had met their 
 new requirement. So also it is that 
 common unbelievers in our da.y, would 
 make their own terms — are never satis- 
 fied with the ample evidences and 
 proofs of Christianity — and call for 
 new demonstrations, as though none 
 had been made. 
 
 49. Come down. He could not 
 believe there was such omnipotence in 
 the Great Healer, as could dispense 
 with His going doicn to where the sick 
 child was. 1[ Ere my child die. Much 
 less could the man think of any possi- 
 bility of Christ's raising the child after 
 death. He must come down, and He 
 must do it 500/7, or it would be forever 
 too late — the child would be dead. 
 
 50. Beheld the readiness of the 
 blessed Saviour to meet the inquirer a 
 great way off. As He would not break 
 the bruised reed, at Jacob's well, bo 
 He would not quench the dim candle- 
 wick here. Isa. 42 : 3. Notwithstand- 
 ing such inadequate views, and such 
 narrow faith, the Lord receives the 
 nobleman more than the nobleman 
 receives Him — and He works the sign 
 that was needed for his fuller convic- 
 tion, rather than send him empty away, 
 lie put his faith to the test in the very 
 point where it was weakest. And it 
 is plain, that just as He gave strength 
 to the man of the withered hand, when 
 He commanded him to stretch it forth, 
 so here He gave faith to the nobleman 
 when He commanded him to go his n-ay, 
 and believe that his son was restored 
 without His bodily presence. ^ Thy 
 son liveth. The anxious father said 
 that tlse child was "at the point of 
 death " — dying — and considered that 
 in all likelihood the child might be 
 
Age 30.'' 
 
 CHAr. IV. 
 
 87 
 
 had spoken unto him, and he 
 wont his way. 
 
 51 And as he was now going 
 down, his servants met him, and 
 told liim, saying, Thy son liveth. 
 
 already dead. But Christ gave this 
 stron-T assurance — it was living, and 
 would live and not die, in this sickness. 
 And moi-eover, He intimated that these 
 words of His carried authority, as they 
 did, to send fresh life to the dying 
 child, and give to it the elements of 
 recover}', at that very moment, vss. 52, 
 53. Observk. — In the centurion's 
 case, (Matt. 8,) where, from humility, 
 the man requests Him to speak the 
 word only, He ofiers to go to his 
 house. Here, where the weak faith of 
 tlie applicant requires Him to go down 
 to the house. He speaks the word 
 only. — Alford. Thus the weak faith of 
 the nobleman is strengthened, while the 
 humility of the centui-ion is honored. 
 ^ Believed — that is, in Jesus — not 
 merely in His word, but in Him. — 
 Trench. Here our Lord was working 
 a mightier miracle in the nobleman's 
 heart, than He promised to do in the 
 child. The sa-eat marvel is, that these 
 words of Jesus, without any convincing 
 sign, should so have satisfied the man. 
 What he needed more than signs or 
 wonders, (though he knew it not,) was 
 the inward working of divine power in 
 his heart. 1[ The ivord. He believed 
 Christ's word. This gave him peace. He 
 went homeward in comfort. Ps. 130: 5. 
 
 51. As he was noio going. How 
 beautifully he was furnished with assur- 
 ance, when he went forward with con- 
 fidence in Christ's word. Just as the 
 lepers were healed on the way to do 
 Christ's bidding, so here, Christ blesses 
 tlie first, faintest step of obedience and 
 confidence, and gives more assurance. 
 The joyful message came to him in the 
 way of faith and obedience. So always 
 the sweet comforts of the gospel come 
 to us in the way of believing Christ's 
 
 j worl, and acting upon it. 
 
 52. Doubtk'ss now he was ready at 
 once to give the credit of his child's 
 recovery to Christ — though he proba- 
 
 52 Then inquired he of them the 
 hour when he begau to amend. And 
 they said unto him, Yesterday at 
 the seventh hour the fever left him. 
 
 53 So the father knew that it teas 
 
 bly had not expected to hear of it so 
 wonderfully and so soon. In order to 
 make sure of the facts, he inquired into 
 the particulars. Such inquiry does not 
 imply doubt in us, but a desire to have 
 the fullest knowledge of Christ's faith- 
 fulness from careful inquiry into our 
 afi^ixirs. ^ Seventh hour. This was 
 one o'clock in the afternoon. He had 
 twenty-five miles to go to Capernaum, 
 which he could reach the same evening. 
 But he was now in the next day. 
 Therefore it would seem he was going 
 leisurely and calmly (trusting). "He 
 that believeth shall not make haste." 
 
 53. The same hour. Our Lord was 
 fully believed on this positive, mathe- 
 matical proof — from the tcatch — that 
 the child's recovery was owing to His 
 word. ^ And his ivhole house. The 
 Evangelist had thus shown the divine 
 glory of Christ in-this further instance, 
 and, as is usual, the whole house 
 is spoken of as having become a Chris- 
 tian house by this saving change of 
 the parent. The household covenant 
 is thus referred to, and God's estab- 
 lished dealing with men by which He 
 transmits His religion in families and 
 by means of a pious posterity. 
 Observe. — 1. How Christ encourages 
 the weakest faith, so that none need 
 hold back for more correct feelings. 
 2. Though He may not grant our 
 prayers precisely in the manner we 
 suggest or expect, He will answer us 
 in His own way, and prove His faith- 
 fulness. 3. We are to believe Christ's 
 7cord, however conti-ary it may seem 
 to our understanding. This brings 
 peace, and we go on our way rejoicing, 
 and are not disappointed. Christ's 
 word never yet has failed. 4. It is in 
 the way of faith and obedience that we 
 arc met by the good news which takes 
 away our remaining doubts and fears, 
 vs. 51. 5. Wc are to do our Lord the 
 ;'ustice to inquire into His dealings 
 
88 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 31. 
 
 at the same " hour, in the which 
 Jesus said unto him, Thy son 
 livftth : and himself believed, ^and 
 his whole house. 
 
 54 This is again the second 
 miracle tJiat Jesus did, when 
 
 aPs.I07.20. 6 Ac. 16. 3t; 18. a 
 
 ■with lis, and credii Him for His good- 
 ness and grace toward us. vs. 52. 
 Thus only it is that we sec fully the 
 astonishing deliverances -wrought out 
 for us by our Lord, and are led into 
 the fullest confidence, and the most 
 unmixed devotedness. 0. It is often 
 by sickness in the familj' that a -whole 
 household is brought to God. 7. God 
 honors parental piety, and loves family 
 religion. A parent's faith is thus often 
 accompanied or followed by that of his 
 house. 
 
 54. TTie second. As the Evangelist 
 had noted the miracle at Cana as the 
 first that Jesus did, so h( re he notices 
 this as the second. Both showed His 
 tender i^gnrd fur us — to furnish our 
 table and to heal our sick — to turn our 
 •water into v.'ine, and" to heal a son at 
 the point of death. He began with 
 ftiraily miracles, preaching thus to 
 households, and manifesting His glory 
 to interested groups, rather than to 
 single individuals. .John has tlius fur- 
 ther set forth our Lord's divinity. 
 "For to restore life and health to a 
 dying person, at a distance, and by a 
 simple act of volition, and at tlie same 
 moment to have .a perfect knowledge 
 of His recovery, was surely .a most 
 convincing proof of divine power and 
 omniscience." — Tiiiman. 
 
 PART lY. 
 
 Our Lord's Hccuvd Fassover, and 
 onirard to the Third. 
 Time, one year. 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 g 36. Tkk Pool of Eetuesda, the 
 Healing of Tim Impotent iSIan, 
 AND OUR. Lonn's Discourse. 
 
 Matt. I ll.iik. I Luke. I Jobn. 
 
 1 I I 'J- 1-47. 
 
 It is to be observed that after the 
 
 miracle of healing the nobleman's son, 
 
 he was come out of Judea into 
 Galilee. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 ^ A FTER this there was 
 _/x ^- fc^st " of the Jews ; 
 and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 
 
 cLe.-iS. 2, &o. De.16.16. c. 2. 13. 
 
 our Lord -went to Nazareth, where He 
 was rejected, and then fixed His abode 
 in Capernaum. After that He called 
 the two pairs of brothers — Simon and 
 Andrew, James and John — at the sea 
 of Galilee, to be Apostles as He had 
 before called them to be disciples, 
 (ch. 1 : -JO, 41,) healed a demoniac in 
 the sj-nagogue at Capernaum, and 
 Peter's wife's mother, &c., and went 
 throughout Galilee with His disciples — 
 healed a leper and a paralytic, and 
 called Matthew. He comes now to Je- 
 rusalem. See Harmony, Matt. 
 
 1. After this. lAternMy, after these t/iinffs. 
 This phraseology implies the lapse of 
 consideraliletime. AVhen an immediate 
 succession of events is intended, John 
 uses the plirase, "After this," which is 
 different. Tf A feast. Much doubt is ex- 
 pressed by many commentators as to 
 what feast this was. On this will de- 
 pend the cjuestion of how long our 
 Lord's ministry continued. If this be 
 the Passover, besides the other three 
 mentioned by John, the time of our 
 Lord's ministry must have been three 
 and a half years. See Dan. 9 : 27 
 Otherwise, one year less. Seech. 2: 3; 
 ch. G : 4. There would seem very 
 weighty reasons (with few solid objec- 
 tions) for considering it the Feast of 
 the Passover. One of the chief objec- 
 tions to this, is the omission of the ar- 
 ticle in the text. But similar instances 
 occur elsewhere, as Matt. 27 : 15; 
 Mark 15 : 6 ; Luke 23 : 17. It is fur- 
 ther urged, that it would make a year 
 between this ehaptcr and the next, 
 where a Passover is also spoken of. 
 Tills is of no weight, as John did 
 not aim at a full or continuous narra- 
 tive. But further it is said, that as 
 He did not go to the next Passover, 
 (ch. 6 : ) this would mal<e our Lord 
 to hare been absent from Je.nisalera a 
 
A.GE .31.] 
 
 CHAP. V 
 
 89 
 
 2 Now there is at Jerusalem, by 
 the sheep ' market, a pool, which 
 is called in the Hebrew tongue 
 Bethesda, having five porches. 
 
 , gute. Ne. 3. 1 ; 12. 39. 
 
 year aud six month?, which could 
 Bcarcely have been, consistently with 
 His strict observance of the .Jewish 
 law. But this would be accounted for 
 by their going about to kill Him. The 
 plucking of the ears of grain by the 
 disciples, (§ 37", Luke 6: ], 5;) shows 
 that a Passover had just been kept. 
 Tliis was also the understanding of the 
 early church, as Ireneus, &c. : though 
 on account of the indenuiteness of the 
 terms, almost every one of the Jewish 
 feasts has been argued for, in this con- 
 nection, by the more recent commenta- 
 tors. There is nothing recorded in the 
 chapter, which would make it necessa- 
 ry to alluiie to the time or nature of 
 the feast. Hence it is not specified ; 
 though as this was the great feast of 
 the Jews, it was commonly called the 
 feast, and here a feast emphatically. 
 ^ Went up. He went up from Caper- 
 naum, where lie called Matthew. Mark 
 2: 1:3, 14. §35. 
 
 2. There is. The present tense here, 
 leads some to maintain that tliis narra- 
 tive was written before the destruction 
 of Jerusalem. But this is no proof, as 
 It was doubtless according to his habit 
 of describing a locality, which he was 
 so familiar with — and, indeed, the pool, 
 the gate, &c,, were yet existing as lo- 
 calities of Jerusalem, when he wrote — 
 although, as we suppose, the city had 
 been destroyed by Titus, before this 
 time. The poo! itself is generally 
 pointed out as that walled enclosure 
 ne.ar St. Stephen's gate, which is dry 
 and in appearance much like the Pool 
 of Siloaui. It is some three hundred 
 and sixty feet long, one hundred and 
 thirty broad, and seventy-five feet deep 
 to the rubbish, which has long accu- 
 mulated. V/e observed the tops of two 
 arched vaults at the south-west corner. 
 One of these is twelve feet broad and 
 the other nineteen or twenty feet. 
 These are the doorways to chambers, 
 8* 
 
 3 In these lay a great multitude 
 of impotent folk, of blind, halt, 
 withered, waiting for the moving 
 of the water. 
 
 one of which Dr. Robinson traced for 
 more than one hundred feet, and thinks 
 these were vaulted supports to the city 
 structures above, and that the reser- 
 voir extended much farther westward. 
 (He is disposed to make the Pool of 
 13ethesda the same with the Fountain 
 of the Virgin, or, Solomon's Pool iu 
 the valley of Jehosbaphat.) It was ev- 
 idently used as a reservoir, and was 
 lined with stone and plaster. Di-. R. 
 holds it to be the ancient fosse which 
 protected the fortress Antonia, and 
 the temple on the north. Large trees 
 are growing in it which do not reach 
 to the level of the street. ^ Sheep 
 market. The word market is not in the 
 Greek, and is en-oneously supplied by 
 the translators. Vfe hear nothing of 
 such a locality, while- we know there 
 was a sheep gate, which is probably in- 
 tended here. Neh. 3: 1, 32; 12: 89. 
 It was the gate near the temple where 
 sheep for the sacrifices were generally 
 brought into the citj', or held for sale, 
 in the open space, as wc saw them. 
 We were struck at the sight of a flock 
 of beautiful sheep, gathered just inside 
 the gate, (St. Stephen's) which is now 
 adjoining the temple area, and which 
 has been commonly regarded as the 
 "■Sheep Gale." Anciently, however, 
 the city wall ran along the valley of 
 Jehoshaphat, and terminated probably 
 at the eastern portico of the temple, 
 (Rob. 1: 460,) so that the Gate was 
 not the very same — and the present 
 wall in that vicinity is not more an- 
 cient than the time of Agi-ippa. % Be- 
 thesda. This name is significant, and 
 means "the house of mercy," from two 
 Hebrew words. It would seem to have 
 been built by the contributions of the 
 benevolent. \Porches. These were 
 covered recesses around the pool, for 
 the shelter of the sick. 
 
 3. Impotent folk— Sickpersons. If With- 
 ered. The term refers to such diseases 
 
90 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoK 31. 
 
 4 For an angel went down at a 
 certain season into the pool, and 
 troubled the water : whosoever 
 then first '' after the troubling of 
 the water stepped in, was made 
 whole '' of whatsoever disease he 
 had. 
 
 as paralysis, which takes away the use 
 of tlie limbs. ^ Waitintj, ^'c. From 
 this word to the end of vs. 4, there is 
 some doubt about the text ; but there 
 is strong reason from the context to 
 suppose it genuine, as it gives an im- 
 portant explanation of the other parts 
 of the narrative. That a viiraculous 
 cure was waited on, is ele.u-ly implied, 
 by the number of different diseases 
 here mentioned, and by the fact that 
 the cure was dependent on one's being 
 the first to get iu after the stirring of 
 the water. It is not said that the angel 
 was visible ; and invisible agencies of 
 angels are doubtless much more com- 
 mon than we generally suppose. Rob- 
 inson suggests that as the water 
 in these fountains is intermittent, 
 this may be the "troubling of the 
 water" referred to, flowing iu and 
 out. And if this were so, an angel 
 may have been sent to dispense the 
 healing qualities at such times. Barnes 
 refers it to medicinal properties in the 
 water, in a way to exclude any mirac- 
 ulous effect. V/e see no reason for 
 evading the plain sense of the terms, 
 which would surely convej' the idea of 
 a supernatural power exerted at inter- 
 vals for the cure of one, and lim- 
 ited to the one who first stepped in — 
 whereas if the healing lay in the virtue 
 of the water, how could it have been 
 so restricted ? 
 
 4. An angel. It is not said that an 
 angel was seen doing this. Nor need 
 we suppose that this mention of an 
 angel, is merely according to the Jew- 
 ish notion, of ascribing all favors to 
 the ministry of antjels. Surely where 
 they are all declared to be minis- 
 tering spirits to the heirs of salvation, 
 (Heb.-l: 14,) it is not merely accord- 
 
 5 And a certain man was there, 
 which had an infirmity ' thirty 
 and eight years. 
 
 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and * 
 knew that he had been now a long 
 time in that case, he saith unto 
 him, Wilt thou be made whole ? 
 
 c Lu. 8. 43 i 13. 16. d Ps. 142. 3. 
 
 ing to Jewish notions. Rather we may 
 suppose that our notions are wrong in 
 referring so few matters to the ministry 
 of angels. They doubtless have to do 
 with many common mercies which are 
 thought to spring from natural causes 
 and which may be brought about 
 through natural operations, under 
 their immediate agency. Many critics 
 have regarded this explanatory pas- 
 sage as added by a transcriber and not 
 belonging to the text. It is not found 
 in some of the manuscripts. In others, 
 it is written on the margin. But to 
 leave it out, would destroy the con- 
 nection of the passage — making the 
 Evangelist stop with the teim '^with- 
 ered" (vs. 3,) and proceed with vs. 5. 
 And why should the sick be lying 
 there, and why should the man have 
 been so long waiting anxiously to bo 
 put in, unless some known effect fol- 
 lowed on the troubling of the water, 
 at these intervals, when he wished to 
 be put in and could not be. — A/ford. 
 ^ Certain season. At intervals, which, 
 were irregular, else the sick need 
 not have waited. 
 
 5. Had an infirmity. Literally — was 
 thirty and eight years in the sickness — 
 had the same disease so long, but not 
 at Bethesda all the while. This is 
 mentioned to show the extreme case, 
 as exhibiting Christ's supreme power 
 and mercy. 
 
 6. Here, again, John records our 
 Lord's superhuman knowledge of per- 
 sonal character and history — that He 
 knew how long the man had been ill, 
 &c. So He knew of Nathanael under 
 the fig tree before he was called by 
 Philip, and of the Samaritan woman 
 and her five husbands, and of the no- 
 bleman's son. John's object is to re- 
 
Aaa 31.] 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 91 
 
 7 The impotent man answered 
 him, Sir, I have * no man, wlien 
 the water is troubled, to put me 
 into the pool : but while I am 
 
 oDe. 32.36. Pt.Ti.U; U2.i. Eo. 5. C. 2 Cor. 1.9, 10. 
 
 cord such instances which prove 
 Christ's Divinity. 
 
 ^ When Jesus saiv, &c. Our Lord's 
 knowledge of his distressed case moved 
 Him to compassion. So our sin and 
 misery have moved Him to such pity 
 as to bring Him into our world, a 
 Healer, Substitute and Sufferer, Victim 
 and Saviour, for lost man. Why He 
 singled out this man among the many, 
 we cannot say. It must be referred 
 to His Sovereignty. Yet this was no 
 damage or injustice to the rest. None 
 had any claim on His favor. But it is 
 i)nplied that the sjDecial distresses of 
 this man — his helplessness — his utter 
 hopelessness, and his long continued | 
 suffering, brought our Lord to him. 
 ^ Wilt thcu. Literally, art thou ivil- I 
 ling — dost thou ivish ? So our Lord I 
 introduces His great salvation. He 
 offers it — asks if we will have it, and 
 if we would desire to have deliverance 
 wrought out for us, such as we cannot 
 else obtain. If we care to be saved — 
 if we feel our miseries, and would feel 
 glad at the glad tidings, He is ready. 
 He has come already. This is now the 
 news to all. He would have us con- 
 sent to be saved — to be made tvhole, by 
 His Divine power and grace. This is 
 t!ie question with which he addresses 
 every man, impotent and without help, 
 as all are, and He alone can deliver 
 and save. 
 
 7. The man thought of nothing be- 
 yond tiie water, and of the means of 
 obtaining that kind of cure. His an- 
 swer iniplies, that he had no one even 
 to bring him daily to the pool, (for 
 such an one might also have put him 
 in at the proper time,) but that he 
 crawled along to and fio, or perhaps 
 remained there in his helplessness for 
 long seasons. This poor impotent man, 
 had neither ability nor help. Of 
 course ho means to be understood as 
 having a strong desire to be liealed — 
 
 coming, another .stoppeth down 
 before me. 
 
 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, '' 
 take up thy bed, and walk. 
 
 6 Matt. 9.6. Mar. 2. 11. La. 5. 24. 
 
 and as only wishing he could see any 
 possibility of it in his forlorn case. 
 ^ Before me. If his cure must depend 
 on his being beforehand of others, he 
 must despair. His was just the worst 
 possible case. All others had the ad- 
 vantage of him, and were always be- 
 fore him. Oh! if he bad only some 
 kind friend and helper near, to put him 
 in, in season, so that he might be the 
 first, and get the healing advantage. 
 What a mercy ! 
 
 8. Rise. This is the surprising way 
 in which Christ brings deliverance. 
 His commands are sweet. They are 
 in mercy. The duties He enjoins are 
 the very modes in which He would 
 bring to us His Salvation. Without 
 going into the water, the poor sick man 
 is cured. It is not nfeeded, if Christ 
 pleases to dispense with it. If He had 
 commanded it, it would have been 
 indispensable — as when He said, " go 
 to the pool of Siloam and wash." ch. 
 9 : 11. Means, ordinances and even 
 sacraments, have no saving virtue in 
 themselves, or apart from His saving 
 power. Yet who shall dure omit them 
 where Christ commands ? Here He 
 would have the man see that salvation 
 is of Christ alone — that He is more 
 than the water — -more than the angel, 
 more than both, though the man was 
 impotent and Christ would have seem- 
 ed to be commanding an impossibility, 
 yet his inability would have been no 
 excuse for disobedience. It is enough 
 that Christ commanded him to do this 
 thing. He always gives the strength 
 to do what we attempt at His com- 
 mand. Christ told him to 7-ise, though 
 he could not help himself, and to take 
 up his bed, and go away cured, walking 
 as any well man could do, to show that 
 he was perfectly cured just by His 
 Divine word. T[ Bed. This was usu- 
 ally a mat or rug ; or the cloak, the 
 outer garment, as it is still in Pales- 
 
92 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 31. 
 
 9 And immediately the man was 
 made whole, and took up his bed, 
 and walked : and on " the same 
 day was the sabbath. 
 
 10 The Jews therefore said unto 
 hira that was cured, It is the 
 sabbath-day ; ** it is not lawful for 
 thee to carry tlvj bed. 
 
 a c. 9. 14. & Je. 17. 21, &c. Matt. 1^. 2. Ac. 
 
 tine. Observe — 1. Christ's commands 
 are ditt'erent from those of the old 
 economy. They giive no adequate 
 helps. Christ gives while he demands. 
 Nay, He first gives — then asks. The 
 motto of an ancient saint, was, "Only 
 give what thoucommandest, then com- 
 mand what thou wilt." -. Christ's 
 commands are in the way of healing 
 and salvation. The sum of all His 
 requirements is, that we be saved. 
 How precious are His obligations, be- 
 cause thej' are gracious — binding us 
 fast to Life and Heaven. 
 
 9. The man's healed condition was 
 first to be shown in the discharge of 
 duty — in obedience to the Divine com- 
 mand. He doubtless saw tliat Christ 
 spake Avith autliority — He was led to 
 attempt to obey, tliough he might have 
 pleaded his inability and said* "how 
 can I rise and take up my bed, when I 
 am a helpless paralytic, and when this 
 power to get up and walk, is just what 
 I need ? If I could do this I could 
 get to the water and be cured." Our 
 Lord's authoritative word put away 
 from the man all such objections, and 
 accordingly he attempted obedience, 
 and immediately he found himself 
 healed. T[ The Sabbath. Our Lord 
 iind directed this to give Him occa- 
 sion also for laying down the rule in 
 regard to the Sabbath. 
 
 10. Tlie Jews. John uses this 
 term. Not of ike people., but of the offi- 
 cers — the rulers, either some of the 
 Sanhedrim or others — who are in open 
 controversy with our Lord. If Not 
 lairfuL It was against the Mosaic law 
 to carry burdens on the Sabbath. Neh. 
 13: 15-19; Jer. 17: 21; Exod. 31: 
 13-17; Numb. 15: 32-36. But the 
 Pharisaical Jews had introduced a 
 
 11 He answered them. He that 
 made me whole, the same said 
 unto me. Take up thy bed, and 
 walk. 
 
 12 Then asked they him, What 
 man is that which said unto 
 thee, Take up thy bed and 
 walk? 
 
 variety of false and worrisome dis- 
 tinctions, so that it had become •' al- 
 most impossible for a plain unlearned 
 man to know what was forbidden and 
 what was permitted." See Luke 13 : 
 15, 16. 
 
 11. The man's answer conveyed a 
 weighty truth. It was really enougli 
 for him, or for any one, that a person 
 who could work such an Omnipotent 
 cure, had authorized him to carry his 
 bed on the Sabbath. And this was 
 indeed the very ground which Christ 
 Himself took — that He, as Lord of 
 the Universe, was Lord also of the 
 Sabbath day. We may safely obey 
 such a Divine and gracious Master. 
 Further, also, snch a gracious work 
 proposed to be wrought on the man, 
 laid him under obligations to respect 
 and follow His directions. Besides in 
 this case, the carrying of the bed had 
 been commanded only as properly a 
 part of the cure, or the natural result 
 of the cure, so that the cure is to be 
 charged with the violation of the Sab- 
 bath, if anything. And the question 
 would simply be, whether it is not 
 lawful to do good on the Sabbath day. 
 See Luke 6 : 9. For he who could do 
 a work of necessity and mercy on that 
 day, does wrong if he leave it undone, 
 wb.en by this neglect or omission, great 
 evil may ensue. See Matt. 12: 6-11; 
 Luke 13: 14; 14: 5. 
 
 12. Instead of inquiring more about 
 the miracle, or asking, "who healed 
 thee" — they were bent on finding the 
 author of this pretended violation of 
 their law, to punish Ilim if they could. 
 Their question is — who told thee to do 
 this which we pronounce unlawful ? 
 Their narrowness, severity, and big- 
 otry, arc here made to appear. It is 
 
Age r>l.] 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 93 
 
 lo And be that was heal id wist 
 » not who it was: for Jesus had 
 conveyed ** himself away, ^ a mul- 
 titude being in that place. 
 
 14 Afterward Jesus lindeth him 
 in the temple, and said unto him, 
 
 a c. 4.19. IiLu.4.39. lot, from the multitude thattoat. 
 
 no matter to them, though Divine pow- 
 er has been exerted in the cure of so 
 hopeless a case, they are only the 
 more encouraged r, gainst such a dis- 
 tinguished opposer of their opinions — 
 and they will hunt Ilim down. They 
 leave the man, in order to find the one 
 who authorized him so to do. The 
 man's reason too, was good in itself, 
 find shifted the responsibility upon 
 Him who wrought the cure. The man 
 meant to offer this in vindication of 
 himself and of his wondrous, unknown 
 Healer, whom the rulers sought to ac- 
 cuse. They were ready enough to trans- 
 fer the blame to Christ. They did not 
 take any favorable view, nor look at the 
 good that was doue, but they saw only 
 the ceremonial side of the matter, and 
 cried oat agninsta breach of obsci-van- 
 ces such as their bigotry prescribed. 
 They looked not at what they might ad- 
 mire, but only at what they might cal- 
 umniate. They will hear nothing in de- 
 fence. Bigotry is most unreasonable. 
 13. Wiit not. The man had not 
 thought of inquiring who this was, 
 until that wondrous word came to him 
 from the stranger, in which he found 
 life ; and then, the stranger had disap- 
 pe.ircd. T[ Conveyed Himself away. 
 Rather the terra signifies, " to avoid 
 by turning the head aside," and so it 
 may mean — had escaped his notice. On 
 account of the multitude, amidst so 
 great a number, the man lost sight of 
 Him. He was naturally so much exci- 
 ted and engrossed with the cure, that 
 he lost sight of evei'ything else, for 
 the moment. It may express also, the 
 easy, unobserved manner in which Ho, 
 as it were, glided through the crowd. 
 How amazing the love. When we were 
 strangers, aliens, enemies, Christ died 
 for us — delivered us, though we knew 
 Him not. 
 
 BeLold, thou art made whole : sin ° 
 no more, lest a worse thing come 
 unto thee. 
 
 15 The man departed, and told 
 the Jews that it was Jesus which 
 had made him whole. 
 
 14. Afterwards. The terms would 
 intimate that it was some time after- 
 ward. T[ Findeth. Our Lord will find 
 out those whom He has healed — re- 
 minding them of His grace and giving 
 them His gracious direction. This se- 
 cui-es their perseverance and final salva- 
 tion. H The temple. The healed man 
 was in the courts of the Lord, and, it 
 is to be hoped, was engaged in devout 
 worship. Such as have been healed 
 from long sickness, or saved by grace, 
 might be expected to find their way 
 at once to God's house, for worship. 
 ^ Sin no more. This would, perhaps, 
 imply, that his long disease had come 
 from some habits of sin. Of this we 
 cannot be sure. But if so, the man 
 would be convinced more fully of 
 Christ's Divinity from His knowledge 
 of his history, so long back. So it 
 was wjth the Samaritan woman, and 
 with 'Nathauacl. Indulgence in sin 
 often brings on long continued dis- 
 ease — takes away the strength and 
 produces premature decay and death. 
 When one has been raised up from such 
 a condition, the best advice that can 
 be given, is not to indulge any more 
 in these destructive vices. Besides 
 this. He who works the deliverance, 
 hates the sin, and out of gratitude to 
 Him, it ought to be avoided ever after. 
 Still further, the case of those who go 
 on to sin, becomes worse and worse. 
 "if A worse thing. This may mean, a 
 worse condition, beyond any possible 
 help, even from the Only Deliverer, and 
 thus, at last, eternal death. A icorse 
 thing, obsei've, than thirty-eight years 
 of pain and infirmity, is threatened. 
 
 15. This he may have done out of 
 joy at finding cut his Deliverer, not 
 thinking of the mischief it might 
 bring upon Christ. He could not have 
 had any wish to bring trouble upon hifl 
 
94 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age si. 
 
 16 Acd therefore did the Jews 
 persecute Jesus, and sought to 
 play him, because he had done 
 these things on the sabbath-day. 
 
 17 But Jesus answered them, 
 
 gracious benefactor. Some men, with 
 very good motives, do very imprudent 
 tilings, and injure Christ's cause, while 
 they aim to benefit it. He perhaps 
 did this to obey the rulers, and possi- 
 bly to apologize further to them for 
 himself. He speaks gratefully of his 
 Healer, and records the salvation 
 wrought out for him. '■'■It was Jesus 
 IV ho made him u'hole." None but Jesus 
 can make a helpless sinner whole. 
 
 16. Persecute Jesxts. These men 
 cared neither for the poor paralytic 
 who was liealed, nor for the Messiah 
 who thus had proved Himself divine. 
 They caviled at the way in which He 
 did this work of mercy, because it 
 opposed their views — and so they 
 sought even to take His life. They 
 would have it that He was wicked, and 
 that they were holy, and they would 
 listen to nothing else. ^ To slay Him. 
 It was directed in the law of Moses 
 that a Sabbath-breaker should be j)ut 
 to death. Exod. 81: 15; 85: 2. 
 IT Because. As though they could find 
 cause in what He had done, to slay 
 Him as a violator of the sanctity cf 
 that day. This is the spirit which 
 showed itself in this cruel nation, and 
 which at last accomplished its malicious 
 ol ject, in putting to death the Prince 
 of Life. 
 
 17. It appears that they found 
 Christ and accused Him as a violator 
 of the Sabbath. But what had He 
 done? He had only spoken with His 
 divine word to u poor cripple, and the 
 man had been made whole. They 
 blamed Him probably for the man's 
 carrying a bed, at His direction, and 
 upon His authority. T[ My Father 
 Korheth. Our Lord here meant to say 
 that Jehovah, whom they professedly 
 worshiped, and whom He claimed as 
 His Father, had always worked — on 
 Sabbaths and on other days — never 
 
 i^Iy " Father wcrketh hitherto, 
 and I work 
 
 18 Therefore the Jews sought 
 the more to kill " him, because 
 he not only had broken the sab- 
 
 re c. 9. 4; 14.10. 6 c. 7. 19 
 
 ceasing to rule and order all things in 
 His works of creation and providence — 
 "making His sun to rise and set" — 
 " giving rain and fruitful seasons." In 
 like manner also He Himself vforked. As 
 the Jews proposed to worship the 
 Father, and could not find fault with 
 Jehovah for working at all times as 
 Lord of all — so He Himself did only 
 what the Father did, and just because 
 thej' did not and could not work apart — 
 much less in any opposition to each 
 other. He did not here plead that this 
 work was a work of mercy, but He 
 took higher ground — that He was Lord 
 of the Sabbath, and therefore had a 
 perfect right to do His divine work on 
 that daj'. Of course He thus claimed 
 the same right as His Father, and by 
 calling God His Father, He made Him- 
 self equal with God. Observe. — Our 
 Lord here corrects their false notion, 
 that the true Sabbath observance con- 
 sists in ceasing from every outward 
 work. He honored the Sabbath by 
 doing His divine works more than Ho 
 could have done by ceasing from them. 
 The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a 
 holy resting all that day from all such 
 icorldly employments and recreations 
 as are lawful on other days, &c. With 
 God, ceaseless activity and holy energy 
 are His highest repose. He rests in 
 ceaseless labors of love. " God's works 
 of Providence are His most holy, wise 
 and powerful, preserving and govern- 
 ing all His creatures and all their ac- 
 tions." \ Hitherto. Until now — from 
 the beginning. God executeth His 
 decrees in the works of creation and 
 providence. 
 
 18. The more. What He said in His 
 vindication only enraged them the 
 more. They could not be reasoned 
 with. A new ground of offence they 
 pretended to have now, ?w His claiming 
 to be the Son of God. ^ His Father. 
 
Age 31.] 
 
 CHAP. Y. 
 
 as 
 
 bath, but said also that God was 
 his Father, makiug * himself equal 
 with Grod. 
 
 19 Then answered Jesus and 
 said unto them, Verily, verily, I 
 say unto you, ^ The Son can do 
 
 a Zee. 1.3.7. c. 10.30,33. Ph. 2. 6. 6 ver. 30. 
 
 Literally — ITis own Father — His own 
 proper Father. This was their under- 
 Btaiiding of His language, and this 
 was His meaning. To make God 
 " His own Father," claiming "peculiar, 
 personal Sonship " (and not as He is 
 "our Father") was, in their view, 
 blasphemy. This gives Him occasion 
 to set forth His proper Person and 
 offices, together with His special rela- 
 liiins to the Father. And He will not 
 k'jep back the truth merely because it 
 will enrage them. This claim, in their 
 view, weut quite beyond the claim of 
 r^lessiahship as commonly understood. 
 They sought therefore to kill Him, for 
 blasphemy and violation of the Sabbath, 
 both of which were punishable with 
 death, according to their law. Num. 
 15: 35; Levit. 124: 11-14. 
 
 19. He here declares that His rela- 
 tions to the Father make it impossible 
 for Him to do anything apart from the 
 Father, or alone and disconnected from 
 the Father. As they are essentially 
 one, He could not possibly do anything 
 except what He is sure, from His own 
 personal knowledge, that the Father 
 docth. ^ Can do nothing. Literally — 
 is not able to do anything. ^ What 
 Ileseeth. As He "is in the bosom of 
 the Father," He cau see what the 
 F;ither doeth, as none other can. "No 
 man hath seen God at any time. The 
 oaly-begottcn Son which is in the bosom 
 of the Father, He hath declared Him." 
 eh. I: 18. H For. The truth is now 
 further stated in its broadest sense. 
 The fact is, that u'halever things the 
 Father m;iy at any time do, these 
 tilings also the Son doeth likewise — in 
 like manner — after the same fash" m 
 and plan. And as this pe' feet oneness 
 I belongs to all their doings, they can 
 bo no other than one. This indicates 
 A unity of being as the ground of unity 
 
 nothing of himself, but what ho 
 secth the Father do : for what 
 thiug.s soever he doeth, these also 
 doeth the Son likewise. 
 
 20 For ■= the Father loveth the 
 Son, and sheweth him all things 
 
 c Matt. 3. 17. 0.3.35; 17.26. 
 
 in action. It cannot be understood as 
 only a moral unity — or unity of will, 
 or of action in the operations of the 
 Father and the Son. For, it is said 
 expressly, the Son is not able to do any- 
 thing of Himself, except what He seeth 
 the Father do. If What things soever 
 He doeth. Literally — may, at any tiine, 
 do. The Greek particle here, which 
 expresses contingency, convej'S this 
 shade of tlie idea, and hence, the terms 
 are most s rong and comprehensive of 
 every possible case. Of course, the per- 
 sonal otfices of the Father are distinct 
 from those of the Son, in the work of 
 creation and redemption. But what 
 is meant is, that whatever belongs to 
 the Father as God to do, belongs to 
 the Son, also as God — and that the 
 Son has the same divine attributes of 
 Omnipotence and Omniscience and 
 Omnipresence as the Father, for all 
 possible divine works. "Kiss tlie Son." 
 20. For. This perfect unity is fur- 
 ther explained and traced back to tlio 
 peculiar, infinite love of the Father to 
 Him. The Son was the object of tho 
 Father's love, eternally. It was always 
 necessary to the Father to have an 
 object of His love — and this was tho 
 Eternal Son. There is uotliing, there- 
 fore, contradictory in this relation. 
 Ahd the Son cannot have any plan or 
 operation but such as the Father 
 approves. See ch. 10: 30; 17:21. 
 Observe, — This unity of action is 
 necessary. 1st. From the union of tho 
 two Persons in the Godhead. 2. From 
 His peculiar, personal knowledge of 
 the Fiither's acts; which He '■'■seeth" 
 as none other can. 3. From the con 
 stit.utional love of the Father to the 
 Son, making Him the reflection of 
 Himself — the character (Gr.) or stamp, 
 " expi'ess image of His Person" — 
 "shewing Him all things that Iliinsclf 
 
JOHN. 
 
 [Age 31. 
 
 tliat himself doeth : and he will 
 shew liini greater works than 
 these, that ye may marvel. 
 21 For as the Father raiseth up 
 the dead, and quiclceneth them; 
 
 doclh " — ■' hanng no .icrrets wifJi Him. ' ' 
 ^ Slficeth Ilim' all (hhi;//!. This also 
 represents the esseiiti;il unity of tlicir 
 heitin and action. It also proves the 
 Son tube Omniscient, a.s no mere crea- 
 ture, however exnlted, woukl be 
 capable of having all the doings of 
 God shemi. to him — no finite mind could 
 p.'ipsibly take in such a communication 
 of .-til the divine works if it were 
 oifered. «[ Will yhnc Hl.,i. This fur- 
 ilifr future unfolding of the Father's 
 ]>lnustotl!e Son, refers to the deveh)p- 
 meiit of them in Providence — for the 
 carrying on of the Medi;itorlal work. 
 And this increasing display of the 
 Father's purpose in Christ's redeeming 
 work, would make them marvel, and 
 would ])roduce greater wonder th;m 
 these miracles of healing, etc. 
 
 21. Fir. He now assr^rts His proper 
 and essential work by His divine pre- 
 rogative — the highest work that can 
 b^ performed upfin inen — raising them 
 from the dead and giving them life. 
 Jle not only could heal the poor cripple 
 of Bethesda, but could raise up and 
 quicken, in the highest sense, whomso- 
 cvor lie pleased. ^ Eaiscth up: If 
 tliey stagger at the healing of the 
 impotent maw, they will be compelled 
 to own Ills essential divinity in this 
 greater woik. In this passage He 
 plainly refers to both the spiritual and 
 bodily resurrection. liaising up the 
 dead is more than curing the cripple. 
 But quickening or imparting life to 
 buch, is more than raising them up. 
 All this is most plainly a divine work. 
 And that qxiickening of the soul to the 
 highest style of life, from the death of 
 trespasses and sins, is also the 
 sovereign prerogative of the Son, as 
 Mediator. ^ Quiclenrth — Makeih alive. 
 This the great work which the Son 
 performs in union with the Father. 
 
 even " so the Son quickencth 
 whom he will. 
 
 22 For the Father judgeth no 
 man, but hath committed "^ all 
 judgment unto the Son : 
 
 a Lii S. 54. c.U.26;n.2. b Molt. 11. 27. Ac. 17. 
 31. ';C<ir. 6. iO. 
 
 U Whom Ileu'ill. This power is exercised 
 according to Hi/: ;/ood plca.sure. He is, 
 therefore, supreme, not suhj.ct to 
 restraint from any one. His will is 
 tiie Father's, and he also is God. cb 
 1 : 1,2. Besides, He is sovereign in 
 this work of making su;di men spiritu- 
 ally alive, as He will. Yet it is 
 according to " His own c/oon pleasure. " 
 This is not arbitrary n<ir blind. Ho 
 has been pleased to reveal His will, 
 and to show tl;e plan of grace accord- 
 ing to which He chooses to make men 
 alive. This work refers both to resur- 
 rection and regeneration, because the 
 resurrection of the body, while it is to 
 come upon all, comes to the believer 
 alone as a privilege and blessing, 
 proniised to Him by divine covenant, 
 and as a part of the Mediator's work. 
 Phil. 3: 20, 21. Obsmuve.— 1. To 
 '•quicken the dead " was acknov>-ledged 
 as a peculiar prerogative of God. Rom. 
 4. ]?. Christ, then, claims to be 
 equal with God by claiming to ao this, 
 and in the highest sense 2. To gnicketi 
 or ffire life to men, is here understoml 
 as som.ething more than to '■'■raise tlu 
 dead." So Christ says, " I am the 
 Resurrection and the Life.'' ch. 11 ; 25 
 Giving Life in the .'^piritxial sense, 
 inciudes the physical resurrection, 
 specially promised to all such Though 
 all men shall be raised from their 
 graves, it will be a " resurrection of 
 hfe " only to such as have been already 
 quickened in their dead souls. 
 
 22. For, &c. Literally — '^ For ncithrr 
 does the Father Judge any man." He 
 goes on to show the further preroga- 
 tive of the Son, in rcfcrenee to men, 
 even having the work of judging men 
 committed to Himself, and that in dis- 
 tinction from the Father. This is 
 indeed a solemn and awful relation in 
 which He stands to men — and for the 
 
AoB 31.] 
 
 CHAP. V 
 
 97 
 
 23 That all men slioulJ Iionour 
 (he Son, even as tho}^ honour 
 the Father. He that honoureth 
 not the Son, honoureth not the 
 Father which Lath sent him. 
 
 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
 
 highest reasons. This work of judg- 
 ment shows Him to be God, as it sup- 
 poses Omniscience, since none could 
 be universal Judge but one having 
 power to search all hearts and under- 
 stand all motives. T[ Hath committed. 
 This is part of the Father's will which 
 is to be more fully "shewn," (vs. 20,) 
 and which shall be greater than the 
 healing of the paralytic. Acts 17: 31 ; 
 IMatt. 25. 
 
 23. The object of this exaltation of 
 Clirist as Ju Ige of the world, is to re- 
 quire His being honored as God. This 
 will be the demand, because He will 
 thus be shewn to be God at the great 
 judgment day. The term here used 
 " io judge" uaeans also in its wide 
 sense to rule — includes the whole ad- 
 ministration of the Divine moral gov- 
 ernment, (Ps. 110: 1;) the Governor 
 and Universal Lord, being also Uni- 
 versal Judge. Phil. 2: 9; Eph. 1: 
 21 ; 1 Pet. 3 : 22. \He that. There 
 can be no honor paid to the Father by 
 those who refuse honor to the Son ; 
 for the Father can be " honored by us 
 only as the Father ivho sent His Son." 
 Besides He could not be the Son if 
 there were not tlie Father, nor could 
 the Father be such if there were not 
 the Son. Obskrve. — Worship is here 
 claimed for Christ the same as for God 
 the Father. There is no God but the 
 Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy 
 Ghost. He who denies or dishonors 
 either of these persons in the Godhead, 
 denies or dishonors God, Hence he 
 who refuses to worship Christ as God, 
 does not worship the true God, and 
 cnnnot be a Christian. The Jews wor- 
 .shiped the Father and claimed to be 
 jmost devout and strict in their wor- 
 ship. But they were uot worshiping 
 the true God if they refused to worship 
 Him as the Father of Jesus. Ob- 
 9 
 
 lie " that heareth my word, and 
 beiieveth on him that sent me, 
 hath everlasting life, and shall 
 not come into condemnation ; 
 but is passed ^ from death unto 
 life. 
 
 a c. C. 40, 47. b 1 John 3, 14. 
 
 SERVE. — Our Lord claims Divine wor- 
 ship, equal to that which is due to the 
 Father, and on three grounds. 1. The 
 community of nature. He calls God 
 His own proper Father, as He is called 
 in the same terms, God' sown proper Son. 
 Rom. 8: 32. "He that spared not 
 His own Son." 2. From community 
 of Divine attributes and agency as 
 quickener and judge, and from the 
 unity of being, making it impossible 
 for the Son to do any thing independ- 
 ently of the Father. 3. From the 
 oneness of their honor, as one cannot 
 be honored without the other. " The 
 Father can be honored in no way but 
 through the Son." He who does not 
 honor the Son does not honor the 
 Father in the character in which He 
 has manifested Himself by the Son, 
 namely, as the Father of Jesus Christ : 
 does not acknowledge the grand attri- 
 bute of the Father, His love in send- 
 ing His own Son, does not pray to the 
 Father as ' ' the Father of Jesus Christ," 
 does not and cannot trust with joyful 
 confidence in the Father because he 
 does not trust in the Son — cannot love 
 the Father because he does not ac- 
 knowledge the love of the Father, and, 
 in fine, cannot obey the Father because 
 he is without the aids obtained by faith 
 in Christ the Son. Only they who honor 
 Christ, pay any proper worship, or 
 have any earnest and pure devotion. 
 Men's devotedness to God is just in 
 proportion to their love for the Pie- 
 deemer. Observe. — To deny one vital 
 doctrine of scripture leads to the de- 
 nial of all. 
 
 24. Verily. This introduces a most 
 solemn practical truth. ^ Heareth. 
 Faith cometh by hearing, and it is he 
 that not only heareth but also beiieveth. 
 Our Lord here declares that faith in Hia 
 word and in the Father as Imving sent 
 
98 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AaB^l. 
 
 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
 The hour is coming, and now is, 
 "when the dead * shall hear the 
 
 o ver. 28. Eph. 2.1. 
 
 Hirii, (ch. 3: 17;) is {\\^ sure evidence 
 of this eternal life wbicli lie claims to 
 give. vs. 21. It is remarkable that 
 here He repeats the declaration of 
 John concerning Him (ch. 3 : 36;) in 
 almost the same words. Christ had 
 said the same to Nicodemus and refer- 
 red to the necessity of His being lifted 
 up, in order that every believer in Him 
 might have eternal life, (3: 15,) and 
 He here declares that every such one 
 hath eternal life. ^ And shall not come. 
 Tills refers to His power of passing 
 judgment (vs. 22,) and implies that he 
 "who believes not shall come into con- 
 demnation in the last day. T[ But is 
 passed. Rather, has pa-ised. The be- 
 liever is justified .already by faith and 
 has peace with God, (Rom. 5 : 1,) not 
 by his works, but through our Lord 
 Jesus Christ. His faith in Christ is a 
 proof of his having been quickened — 
 made alive by Christ — from the death 
 in trespasses and sins, in which he was 
 by nature. Ephes. 2: 1. "To him 
 there is no difference, in point of fact, 
 between this world and the world to 
 come." Augustine says, "In this life 
 ■which is not yet life, we pass from 
 death unto life," by believing in Christ. 
 John says, "We know that we have 
 passed from death unto life, becanse 
 we love the brethren." 1 John 3: 14. 
 The state of man by nature, is tliatof 
 spiritual death. He is insensible to 
 divine things. It is death in trespasses 
 and sins from which believers are 
 quickened by Christ. Ephes. 2: 1. 
 The new birth is the name which Christ 
 gives to this quickening, ch. 3, The 
 teaching here is the same as that to 
 Nicodemus. Men are dead in sin, 
 until Christ, by his word and spirit, 
 gives them the new life. They who 
 are in .a state of nature will not admit 
 that they are thus dead. But when 
 they arc regenerated, they feel often 
 that the change is like that of "pass- 
 ing from death unto life." So our Lord 
 epokc of the unbelieverns " condemned 
 
 voice of the Son of God : and they 
 that hear shall live. 
 26 For as the Father hath life Id 
 
 already." ch. 3: 18. John the Baptist, 
 too, had spoken of the unbeliever, (ch. 
 3: SG,)that "he shall not see life, but 
 the wrath of God abidetb on him " 
 And this he said, too, in a similar con- 
 nexion, as he had just declared, "For 
 the Father loveth the Son, and hath 
 given all things into His hand." 
 
 23. This is a more direct reference 
 to His work as going forward now. 
 " Ilis fan is in His hand, and He will 
 thoroughly purge His floor, and gather 
 His wheat into the garner." This He 
 is now carrying on. The spiritual 
 quickening is going on. ^ The hour 
 is cominff, &c. This announces such 
 things as would characterize His 
 spiritual kingdom which then was 
 coining, and had even commenced. It 
 also looks beyond to the final resurrec- 
 tion especially of believers, as really 
 involved in their spiritual resurrec- 
 tion — their bodies being still united to 
 Christ, do rest in their graves until the 
 resurrection. If Hear the voice. This 
 is in the sense of hcaiing His ivord, (vs. 
 24, ) helievingly . Ilis icord, as preaclied 
 by Himself, by His apostles and minis- 
 ters — shall be heard by ii certain class, 
 and thej', and they alone, shall live. 
 Tf They that hear. This shows that a 
 spiritual awakening is here chiefly 
 meant. Hearing is evidence of life. 
 Only the living hear. 
 
 20. Such as hear Christ's voice by 
 faith shall live, because He lives, ch. 
 14: 19. His life is the pledge of theirs. 
 Their life is hid icith Christ in God. 
 They shall live by His power and merit 
 and finished work ; and here He 
 declares that He has life in Himself — 
 and has it also, not in opposition to the 
 Father whom they worshiped, but 
 from the Father, as he is the Son of 
 God. IF In Himself. The lather has 
 made Hira the independent source of 
 life, and dispenser of it to men as 
 Mediator. "As thou hast given Him 
 power over all flesh, that He should 
 give etern.al life to as many as thou 
 
Age 31.] 
 
 CRAP. V 
 
 99 
 
 himself, so hath he gn-en to the 
 Sou to have life " in himself; 
 27 And hath given him au- 
 
 a 1 Cor. 13. 45. 
 
 lia.st given Him." ch. 17: 2. He hath 
 given Him /o /iai'e life in Himself. It is 
 not said that the Father hath given life 
 to the Son, but hath appointed Him ns 
 the fountain of divine life to mankind. 
 "It pleased the Father that in Him 
 should all fullness dwell." This 
 appointment does not make Christ 
 inferior to the Father — for it was an 
 official appointment as Mediator, show- 
 ing only the relations which He sus- 
 tained to the Father in this work. And 
 this appointment to such a work implies 
 a capaeity in Him to exercise the office, 
 and this capacity must prove Him to 
 be divine. None but God would be 
 capable of exercising such an office. 
 
 27. Connected with this power of 
 giving Life to men, is the authority to 
 execute Judgment, also, as the Son of 
 M.\x. ^ Aiithoriti/. That such au- 
 thority was given to Him, is proved by 
 His own resurrection, (as a pledge of 
 that of His people,) and by His ascen- 
 sion, in which He was exalted to the 
 right hand of God, to exercise univer- 
 sal dominion as Mediator — waiting till 
 the appointed day, when He shall come 
 to judge the world. Th's is part of 
 His glorification. ^ Execute judyment. 
 Not merely to judge, but io juiss judg- 
 ment ill a f(;rmal way, on the great 
 final day. Acts 17: 31. ^ JJecause. 
 The I'eason of His having this office 
 of Juilgo assigned to Him, is, that He 
 wears 5ur human nature. This is tlie 
 kindest arrangement. 1. Because He 
 who" undertook to mediate for man 
 with God, must have the most tender 
 regard for man, and would naturally 
 be chosen by us, to judge in our affairs. 
 2, He ■\\ho, as God, took our nature 
 and battled with the tempter, yet with- 
 out sin, would sympathize with us, as 
 to all our temptations. 3. As God- 
 man, He would have a fellow-feeling 
 with us, as well as with God ; and as 
 no one could so well be our Mediator, 
 so no one could so well be our judge. 
 
 28. But this judgment occasion, 
 
 tliorit J '• to execute judgment also, 
 becau.'se he is the Son of man. 
 2S Marvel not at this : for the 
 
 b ver. 22. 
 
 when He shall execute judgment, is con- 
 nected with the resurrection of the body 
 from the grave. 1. Because the body 
 and soul must be together, to make the 
 proper person of any man. It is not 
 body alone, nor soul alone, which makes 
 the man, but both. 2. Beca\ise as 
 body and soul toyether, have been en- 
 gaged in the deeds of life, so together 
 they must be judged. It is for the 
 deeds done, (not by the body, but) 
 in the body, (by the soul,) that men 
 are to give account. There will be a 
 judgment at death according to the 
 necessities of the case — not of body 
 and soul, but of the soul alone, to de- 
 cide the state of the soul. But the 
 final public judgment will be of the 
 proper person, as including soul and 
 body. ^ Marvel not: — at this office- 
 work of judgment being committed to 
 the Son, or to Him as man, for you 
 shall see greater things than these. 
 If Is cominy. He does not add — " and 
 tiow is," because He is speaking of the 
 futurejudgment and resurrection day. 
 1[ All This is not the resurrection of 
 a part of the race — "whom lie will." 
 That was spoken of before, (vs. 21,) 
 and was spiritual. But this is the res- 
 urrection of ALL~tliedead and buried — 
 of good and bad — believers and unbe- 
 lievers — at the last day. 1" In the 
 graves. This speaks most plainly of 
 the dead bodks being raised, not neces- 
 sarily in the same material form — but 
 in the same person, that which shall 
 be identified as the same, but "chan- 
 ged," as God shall please, (1 Cor. 15: 
 35, ) a body, but "a spiritual body.'" 
 "Many of them that sleep in the dust 
 of the earth shall awake," &c. Dan. 
 12:2. ^ Shall hear. In verse 25, it 
 was said that some only should hear 
 His voice, that is, practically and be- 
 licvingly, for there He referred to the 
 spiritual awakening. Here, all are 
 spoken of as hearing — for all the dead 
 shall be raised. His voice, too, shall 
 have power to bring them forth, how* 
 
100 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 31. 
 
 hour is coming, in the which all 
 that are in the graves shall hear 
 his voice, 
 
 29 And shall come forth; they* 
 that have done good, unto the 
 resurrection of life ; and they that 
 
 ever reluctantly the wicked may come. 
 This shows Him to be God. None 
 else could command the universe of 
 mankind, and none else could raise the 
 dead. The Jews owned that this was 
 the peculiar woi'k of God. 
 
 29. Come forth — from their burial 
 as Lazarus. See ch. 11 : 43, 44. Dan. 
 12 : 2. ^ Done good. The words here 
 are different in the two clauses. So 
 also, in the same phrase, ch. 3: 20,21. 
 They that have done good, and they 
 that have practiced evil. The former 
 refers rather to tcorks — the latter to 
 kafiits. A Christian has tt-orks to follow 
 him — good fruit which remains. In 
 this sense all the works of the wicked 
 are vanity and falsehood, and they do 
 not remain. Ch. 15: 16. Matt. 23: 
 34-3G. Observe — A true Christian 
 will show his faith by his works. 
 2. It will be enough to condemn unbe- 
 lievers that they have not believed in 
 Christ, and that they have done nothing 
 truly good, nor by patient continuance 
 in well doing, sought for glory, honor 
 and immorti'.lity. ^ Resurrection of 
 life. It is so called to distinguish it 
 from the other kind of resurrection 
 next spoken of. All will be raised 
 from the dead, but not all to life. 
 " Some shall awake to shame and ever- 
 lasting contempt." Dan. 12: 2. It is 
 here a rising to the possession and 
 enjoyment of life, such as Christ gives 
 to men, (vs. 21,) and such as they 
 who believe on Him have, (vs. 24,) and 
 such as true believers ha.\e passed over 
 to, from their natural, original death 
 in sin. "At the resurrection, believ- 
 ers being raised up in glory, shall be 
 openly acknowledged and acquitted in 
 the daj' of judgment, and made per- 
 fectly blessed in the full enjoyment of 
 God, to all eternity." This is called 
 "<A« resurrection of the just," (Luke 
 
 have done evil, unto the resurrec- 
 tion of damnation. '' 
 
 30 I " can of mine own self do 
 nothing: as I hear I judge: and 
 my judgment is just, because I 
 seek not mine own will, but the 
 
 b M.-at. 25. 4G. c ver. 19 
 
 14: 14,) and the first resurrecticn. 
 Rev. 20: 5, 6. Observe — The eternal 
 state of men must correspond with 
 their character and conduct here. 
 Though believers will not be raised to 
 life eternal on account of any good 
 deeds which they have done, these are 
 nevertheless mentioned as characteri- 
 zing them. The saved, are "they 
 that have done good." The lost are 
 " they that have done evil," lived lives 
 of unbelief and disobedience. ^ Of 
 damnation. Of condemnation under 
 which the true believer is said not to 
 come, because he has passed from death 
 unto life. The unbeliever has never 
 experienced this change, has never 
 made this passage, and hence, is 
 yet in death, and rises as he fell, 
 to the sentence of condemnation. He 
 that believeth not is condemned al- 
 ready, and must appear condemned at 
 the judgment. Only they "toho die 
 in the Lord," are declared by the Spirit 
 blessed, (Rev. 14: 13,) and these rest 
 from their labors, and their works 
 do follow them. Observe — As the 
 righteous are raised to eternal life, so 
 the wicked are raised to eternal condem- 
 nation. IMatt. 25: 4C. 2 Thess. 1: 8, 9. 
 They who deny future rewards^ and 
 punishments in the life to come, deny 
 this and such like scriptures — where 
 Christ Himself has declared the awful 
 truth. 
 
 30. Here begins the second part of 
 the discourse. Our Lord has vindica- 
 ted His right to do His Divine work on 
 the Sabbath — and has brought the 
 great subject of His supremacy home 
 to His caviling hearers. Here He 
 goes on to show what abundant testi- 
 mony He has. 1. He shows that as 
 He is essentially one with the Father, 
 all His acts are to be regarded as 
 necessarily sanctioned by the Father — 
 
Age 31.] 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 101 
 
 will * of the Fatlier which hath 
 sent me. 
 
 31 If I bear witness ^ of myself, 
 my witness is not true. 
 
 32 There is another " that bear- 
 eth witness of me; and I know 
 that the witness which he wit- 
 nesseth of me is true. 
 
 aPs.40. 7, 8. Matt. 26. 39. 0.4. 34; 6.38. 6 Pr. 27. 2. 
 c. 8. 14. Re. 3. 14. c c. 8. 18. Ao. 10. 43. 1 Jno. 5. 7-9. 
 
 .ind SO with His judgment — it cannot 
 1)0 independent of the Father — but 
 must be officially directed by Him. 
 This ought to satisfy the Jews, who 
 claimed to worship the Father. He 
 now speaks plainly of Himself as "the 
 Son of God," whom He had spoken of 
 in the previous passages. T As I hear. 
 Referring to His commission from the 
 Father as Mediator. Every thing 
 which He did in His work of judgment 
 would be under this commission. He 
 came to declare God's will to man for 
 his salvaticn. He will be governed by 
 the highest, strictest rules of eternal 
 Justice, in all His decisions. God may 
 be said to be bound to act in confor- 
 mity with truth and equity, for He is 
 necessarily governed by these eternal 
 principles. It proves no subjection nor 
 inferiority, for it is the very necessity 
 of His perfect nature. And on the 
 same ground, Christ's being bound to 
 act according to the Father's direc- 
 tion, docs not prove any inferiority in 
 Him. *[] Because I seek. They con- 
 stantly thought of Him as a private 
 person, seeking His own selfish ends. 
 He shows that He is engaged in pro- 
 moting the Fiither's will, and by infer- 
 ence, they who opposed Him must be 
 opposing the Lord Jehovah, 
 
 31. He now brings forward the tes- 
 timony which He had received. If, as 
 a private person. He had nothing to 
 refer to, or depend upon, but His own 
 testimony of Himself, He could not 
 claim to be believed. He goes on then 
 to show that He has John's witness 
 and the Father's witness, which is 
 greater — in His miraculous works — as 
 well as in the Father's voice from 
 Heaven. In ch. 8: 14, He says, 
 9* 
 
 33 Ye sent unto John, and ^ he 
 bare witness unto the truth. 
 
 34: But I receive not testi- 
 mony from man : but " these 
 things I say that ye might be 
 saved. 
 
 35 Ho was a burning and a 
 shining light : and ye were willing 
 
 d John 1,7, 32. e c. 20. 31. Eo. 3.3. 
 
 '•though I bear record of myself, yet 
 my record is true." But this is, as He 
 there shows, just because it is not un- 
 supported, but necessarily the Father's 
 testimony witnessing in Him — "fori 
 know whence I came and whither I 
 go." If His witness were indepen- 
 dent of, and separate from the Father's, 
 it would be false and they would be 
 right — but as it cannot be, He is right 
 and they are false. Moses's law requi- 
 red two tcitnesses. Deut. 17: t3. 
 
 32. Another. He evidently points 
 here to the Father, as He will gradu- 
 .ally show. This is the greater witness 
 upon which He relied, and by which 
 especially they ought to be convinced. 
 From man He received not testimony, 
 and John's was valuable chiefly as 
 coming from God, and confirming (he 
 truth of God. 
 
 83. Ye sent, &c. ch. 1:19. ^f He 
 bare ivitness. ch. 1 : 26-29, 36, They 
 had enough confidence in John to 
 reg.'ird him as a prophet and to send a 
 formal deputation to him, to inquire 
 who he was, and when he testified so 
 plainly and fully to Christ, this should 
 have been enough to satisfy them on 
 their own ground. 
 
 34. But He would not rest His claim 
 on any human testimony. It was not 
 to boast of John's good opinion, or 
 sanction, that He mentioned this — but 
 that they might make proper use of 
 that testimony which they themselves 
 had sought, and might be saved. He 
 sought, most of all, their salvation — 
 and He wished them to believe on 
 Him, because it was the only way in 
 which tliey could be saved. This was 
 not a selfish question about authority, 
 origin, rank, &c. as among men, (vs. 
 
102 
 
 JOHxX. 
 
 [Age si. 
 
 * for a season to rejoice in his 
 light. 
 
 30 But I have_ greater witness 
 than tluit of John ; for the works '' 
 which the Father hath given me 
 
 aSIatt. 21.26. Mar.6.20. !. c. 10. 25: la. 21. Ac.2.22. 
 
 44,) but a question vital to tbeir sal- 
 vation. Observe — Wbenmen are met 
 on one ground, tbey are apt to fly to 
 anotber, because tbey are unwilling to 
 receive tbe trutb. 
 
 35. Our Lord now testifies to Jobn, 
 tbat be was an eminent teacber among 
 tbem, bere called a lic/ht — as tbey were 
 used to call their great teachers, 
 "lights." Tbe word is not tbe same 
 as is applied to Cbi-ist, when He is 
 called tbe Light — but another word 
 signifying a portable light, as a candle, 
 lamp, lantern. Matt. 5 : 15. It is 
 used bere with the article — " He was 
 the burning," &c. "?/ie lamp which was 
 to lead you" — or eminently, the light, 
 nearest to tbe Sun itself, and greatest 
 among tbe prophets, (Matt. 11: 11,) 
 none horn of icomctn, who was greater, 
 in bis time, or under tbe old dispensa- 
 tion. IF Burning. The term is pas- 
 sive — lit up, and not burning of itself. 
 ^ And shining, doing its part as convey- 
 ing light — referring to John's eminent 
 teaching — but also transitory — shining 
 yesterday and not to day ; for this is 
 what be icas. He was now cast into 
 prison. *^ For a season. '■'■For an 
 hour,^' literally — while it was the fash- 
 ion — and while it was a novel and ex- 
 citing matter. But soon they tired of 
 him as he preached repentance, and 
 tbey turned away from his instruc- 
 tions. Tbe masses at first crowded 
 after him, but with many good opin- 
 ions of him, as a prophet, they heeded 
 him not as tbe forerunner and herald 
 of Christ. 
 
 36. Literally — " I have the witness 
 greater than John " — for Jobn was 
 himself a witness, y The works. All 
 His works, both miraculousand saving, 
 not His miracles alone, for tbey were 
 only in order to His saving work — 
 quickening dead souls — Avbich was His 
 great work. ch. 6: 29. But the mir- 
 
 to finish, " the same works that I 
 do, Lear witness of me, that the 
 Father hath sent me. 
 
 37 And the Father ^ himself, 
 which hath sent me, hath borne 
 
 cc. 17.4 dMatt. 3.17; 17.5. 
 
 acles such as Christ wrought to satisfy 
 John's messengers, (Luke 7: 21,) Avere 
 addressed to the senses, and were such 
 as tlicy ought to receive. ^ To finish. 
 The Father gave Him a work as Medi- 
 ator, to carry on to completion, and 
 these same works, (which be was then 
 doing,) in pursuance of this commis- 
 sion and office work, bore witness 
 of Him. These supernatural works, 
 showed tbat He was sent from God, 
 for -'no man could do those miracles 
 which He did, except God were with 
 Him." This was the confession of one 
 of them, Nicodemus. ch. 3 : 2. And 
 though it was not the kind of convic- 
 tion which He prefen-ed, or relied on, 
 it was such as tbey could not in any 
 fairness avoid. So He appealed to 
 these when everything else failed. 
 "If ye believe not me, believe the 
 works." ch. 10: 38. Observe — 
 Christ's finished work is our only hope 
 for salvation. He has made atonement — 
 He has wrought' out and brought in 
 everlasting lighteousness, and "our 
 hope is now set before its in the gospel." 
 See Heb. 6: 18, 19. He said in death, 
 " It is finished," and expired. To 
 receive Him as our " wisdom, i-ighte- 
 ousness, sanctification and redemp- 
 tion," is our only way to be saved. 
 
 37. Bej^ond the indirect testimony 
 of these miraculous works, the Father 
 Himself hath given a direct testimony 
 of me in His word. vs. 39. Not in- 
 deed by sensible manifestations, speak- 
 ing as man to man, and showing Him- 
 self in visible form, as to Moses at 
 Sinai — but in their own scriptures. 
 Indeed, "no mnn hath seen God at 
 any time ; the only-begotten Son which 
 is in the bosom of the Father, He bath 
 declared Him." cb. 1 : 18. The 
 Father's direct, explicit witness of Him 
 at His baptism and at His transfigvira- 
 tion, were in an audible voice, but these 
 
Age 81.] 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 108 
 
 witness of me. Ye * have neither 
 heard his voice at any time, nor 
 seen his shape. 
 
 38 And ye have not his word ^ 
 abiding in you : for whom he hath 
 sent, him ye believe not. 
 
 39 Search ° the Scriptures; for 
 in them ye think ye have eternal 
 
 were rare manifestations — not the usual 
 ones, and they were of course confined 
 to a few. Instead of these, and as a com- 
 mon property which they all possessed, 
 He had witnessed of Christ in His 
 written word. 
 
 o8. Nor, had they the inward witness 
 from a true faith in His word, as "he 
 that believeth on the Son of God hath 
 the witness in himself." 1 John 5 : 10. 
 If tlicy had believed on Him they might 
 have been satisfied, without a sensible 
 manifestation of God the Father. 
 
 30. But they have also a kind of 
 witness which even thej'' could be ex- 
 pected to receive — their own scriptures 
 were the Father's testimony of Him ; 
 for "the testimony of Jesus is the (very) 
 spirit of Prophecy." Rev, 19 : 10. 
 ^ Search. This is a solemn challenge 
 to them — to search earnestly their own 
 scriptures of the Old Testament, in 
 which they boasted as containing the 
 covenant with their nation, and giving 
 them the promise of eternal Life. 
 II 7V^i•^,/ are the;/. These scriptures will 
 be found upon a faithful candid search, 
 to testify of Me, as the author and 
 source, and giver of Life Eternal. 
 After His Resurrection He more ex- 
 pressly showed this to be true, for 
 " liegiuning at Moses and all the 
 prophets, He expounded unto them in 
 all the scriptures the things concern- 
 ing Himself." Luke 24: 27. So Philip 
 declared to Nathanael. eh. 1 : 45. 
 Obsehve — Our Lord here appeals to 
 a fourfold' testimony, and there is a 
 regular gradation in the witnesses that 
 He claims. 1, Tlie witness of John. 
 2. His mlncles and gracious works 
 which confirmed .John's words. 3. His 
 own doctrines which gave still stronger 
 
 life : and they are "* they which 
 testify of me. 
 
 40 And ye will not come ® to me, 
 that ye might have life. 
 
 411 receive not honour from ' 
 men. 
 
 42 But I know you, that ye have 
 not the love of (xod in you. 
 
 proof of His having come forth from 
 the Father as the Messiah. 4. The 
 weightiest testimony of all, was the 
 Father's direct witness as given, (at 
 His Biiptism and transfigm-ation not 
 only,) but in the Scriptures, which had 
 been specially committed to the Jews. 
 
 40. A?id (yet) yc tcill not come to ?ne, 
 that ye may have life. I am the only 
 true way of Life — "the way, the 
 truth and the Life" — all in all for 
 salvation — and so your own scrip- 
 tures abundantly, plainly testify — and 
 yet, ye will not come to me — Liternlly, 
 Ye are not iviUing — do not icish. The 
 difficulty is in your repugnance to Me. 
 It is not for want of testimony. But 
 it is for want of disposition to embrace 
 me and my finished work. Though you 
 think you possess in the scriptures, 
 eternal life, yet you are not willing to 
 come to me, of whom they testify. 
 
 41. They evidently wished a Mes- 
 siah who should be great among men, 
 (vs. 44,) a leader, a Ruler, a conqueror 
 for their national, political advantage. 
 But His kingdom came not " with 
 obsei'vation," with outward pomp and 
 show. Hence, their position and His 
 were entirely opposite. His glory was 
 from an entirely different source. 
 
 42. The great dlCiculty with them 
 was their lack of love to God — and 
 their taste for human pomp and ap- 
 plause. This taste He could not grat- 
 ify, but could only break it down, 
 " casting down imagination and every 
 high thing that cxalteth itself ngainsf 
 the knowledge of God," (2 Cor. 10: 5,) 
 and hence they rejected Him. If / 
 know you. I have knoivn you — of old. 
 ^ The }ove of God— lie knew the Father, 
 (vs. 32,) and so He knew them. And 
 
104 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Ace 31. 
 
 43 I am come in my Father's 
 name, and ye receive me not : if 
 another shall come in his own 
 name, him ye will receive. 
 
 44 How can ye believe, which " 
 receive honour one of another, and 
 
 He knew tlieir radical alienation from 
 the Father, though they pretended to 
 love Him. If they had any love to 
 Him, it would teach them to love tlie 
 son of His Love, (vs. 20,) and to seek 
 the honor that cometh from God only. 
 Tl Tn you. In yourselves — where the 
 fault lies. This was the inward, per- 
 sonal difficulty — a matter of the heart. 
 Hence, it turned out, that these who 
 ckimed to have every thing religious 
 and godly in themselves, and even 
 persecuted Christ out of a boasted zeal 
 for God, had no such real feeling or 
 quality. Observe — How this one 
 word of Christ pronounces judgment 
 beyond appeal, reaching the depths 
 of the soul. "Who may abide the day 
 of His coming." "/ knoio you" 
 notwithstanding your pretences and 
 boasts. How all vain hopes and self- 
 flatteries will sink away before this 
 word of the Judge ! He knows us 
 better even than we know ourselves. 
 We gain nothing by avoiding self- 
 inspection. He will bring our true 
 character to light. 
 
 43. He came with the highest au- 
 thority in His Father's name — and 
 they rejected Him 1[ If another. See 
 vs. 32. He brought another's witness, 
 oven the Father's. But if another 
 than He should come inthout ivitncss, 
 they would receive him, and thus 
 would show how false-hearted they 
 "were, and that the difficulty was not 
 in the u-ilncss, but in themselves — in their 
 own hearts, and that in reality, while 
 they would be thought to be jealous of 
 God's honor, they had nothing of His 
 love in them. So, as He had before 
 shown, they did not worship the Father 
 in truth, because they did not reccg- 
 nize Him, as He who sent the Son. 
 So they stood every way condemned. 
 T Will receive. Some think the rei'er- 
 
 scek '' not the honour that cometh 
 from God only? 
 
 45 Do not think that I will 
 accuse you to the Father : there 
 is " one that accuseth you, even 
 Moses, in whom ye trust. 
 
 6R0.2. ]0. cRo.2. 12. 
 
 ence here is to the Anti-Christ of the 
 latter days, (2 Thess. 2: 8-13,) who 
 will be received by such without any 
 Divine witness. The direct reference 
 is to the false Messiahs, (more than 
 one, even including the great Anti- 
 Christ in his last form,) whom they 
 would be so ready to receive. Jchn 
 in his epistles wrote of '■'■many Anti- 
 christs," as being then already abroad 
 in that time. 1 Jchn 2: 18. Though 
 our Lord's true disciples were few, a 
 Jew from Egypt, as Josephus tells us, 
 gathered to his standard on Olivet, 
 30,000 deluded followers ; and thia 
 apparently "in his own name," with- 
 out any such testimonies, human or 
 divine, as Christ had. John defines 
 Anti-Christ, as "he who denieth the 
 Father and the Son," which the Jews 
 really did — as Christ showed, (ch. 5: 
 2-3,) — and for such they would have 
 affinity. Obsekve — Those who are 
 most slow to believe the truth of God, 
 are often most ready to believe impos- 
 tures of every kind. God often sends 
 them strong delusion, to believe a lie. 
 See 2 Thess. 2: 11. 
 
 44. Ilotv can ?/«-:-Literally, " How 
 are ye able to believe V The great dif- 
 ficulty in the way of their believing 
 God, is here traced to their undue con- 
 fidence in man and regard for human 
 opinion and applause. So the prophet 
 charges upon the unbelieving of old. 
 "And their fear toward me is taught 
 by the precepts of men." Isa. 29: 13. 
 \ From God only. Literally, from the 
 only God, implying that they had their 
 idols — false gods — that they worshiped 
 men and men's opinions, and sought 
 honor from creatures rather than from 
 the Creator. This was directly con- 
 trary to the teachings of Moses, and 
 to the Law of God, which they boasted : 
 as He proceeds to show. 
 
Age 31.] 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 105 
 
 46 For had ye believed Moses, 
 ye would have believed me : for 
 he wrote * of me. 
 
 oGe.3. 15; 22. 13. De. 18. 15, 18. Ac. 26. 22. 
 
 45. It would not be necessary for 
 Hiiii to accuse them to the Father — 
 for Moses whom they professed to fol- 
 low, would do it. They had rejected 
 liis claims as God, yet they had made 
 to themselves false gods — idol divini- 
 ties, which they worshiped. They had 
 professed to receive and rest in Moses 
 as their Teacher, yet Moses taught of 
 Ilim. It was not His business to 
 accuse Ihem, (as if for His own plea- 
 sure,) for they wotild stand every way 
 condemned by their own Scriptures. 
 Christ, though He is the Judge, 
 declares that He will not condemn men, 
 (arbitrarily,) but the words that He 
 has spoken, the s;ime shall judge them 
 in the last day. ch. 12. 49. i' Trust: 
 (See vs. 39; Rom. 2: 17 ; ) "making 
 their toast in the law," as bringing 
 thf^m salvation and "eternal life." 
 Compare Deut. 31 : 21, 2(5 with ch. 
 7: 19. 
 
 40. Moses. His writings, vs. 47. 
 This is our Lord's testimony that 
 Moses is the author of the books which 
 bear his name — the five books of .Moses, 
 from Genesis to Deuteronomy inclu- 
 sive — and that those l)ooks teach of 
 Christ as the angel of the covenant, 
 ill whom God appeared unto their 
 fathers — and as "the prophet, like 
 unto Moses." See Paul's Epistle to 
 the Hebrews. ^ He wrote of inc. Gen. 
 3: 15; 12: 3; 18: 18; 26:4; 49: 10; 
 Numb. 21: 9; Deut. 18: 15-18. This 
 is an important testimony as to the 
 sense and object of the writings of 
 piloses. " A'oM'/i ere," says Ben gel, ^^did 
 ]ic not ivrite of Christ." The Pentateuch, 
 in its history, genealogies and institu- 
 tions is full of Christ, even though we 
 mil}' not have noticed this. '■'■Search 
 the Scriptures to find Christ in them 
 all." 
 
 47. His writings. The term here is 
 not the same as is used to sip- '"^ 
 "Scrij^^^u'-— but rather refers i. 
 
 47 But if ^ ye believe not his 
 writings, how shall ye believe my 
 words ? 
 
 outward form — the letters, ivritings — 
 referring to the sacred documents as 
 held by them, and to their own INIoses 
 as the human agent in producing them. 
 Writings are naturally more revered 
 than words. Especially was it so 
 among them, as they boasted of these 
 documents which had been handed 
 down to them through long ages, and 
 which they kept with such jealous care, 
 as "the oracles of God." If they 
 rejected the teachings of their own 
 boasted and cherished Scriptures to 
 which He appealed, and by which He 
 was ready to be tested, much more 
 would they reject His icords, when 
 they came to them with no such 
 ancient reverence and acknowledged 
 authority. Again, says Calvin, He 
 shows their unbelief to be more aggra- 
 vated, becji use the truth of God recorded 
 in an authentic form has no authority 
 with them. Besides, jNloses leads to 
 Christ. If they rejected tliis witness 
 of Him, how would they receive Him 
 i'l His own person. If they rejected 
 the schoolmaster's instructions, how 
 would they receive the Person of whom 
 he taught? Observe. -^Many profess 
 to receive the Scripture and yet 
 receive not its teachings — do not ever 
 search the Scriptures to find what is 
 their real testimony, vs. 39. 2. The 
 Old Testament Scriptures agree with 
 the New Testament, and are equally 
 of God, find testify of Christ. Those 
 who do not value them as such, cannot 
 receive the New Testament in its proper 
 light. 3. They who reject one part 
 of the Bible do virtually reject all 
 of it — for it is the work of one and the 
 same Divine Spirit, revealing one and 
 the same system of religion. John 
 has thus advanced a step farther in 
 His narrative to testify of Christ's 
 divinity. He has here shown what 
 • Lord professed to be, and how He 
 claimed so positively to be God. 
 
IOC 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Tf A FTER ^ these things 
 
 j\_ Jesus went over the 
 
 sea of Galilee, which is the sea of 
 
 Tiberias. 
 
 2 And a great multitude followed 
 
 a Matt. 1-1. 15, &(!. Mar.B. 31, &c. Lu.9. 12, ic. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 § G4. The twelve retuen — Jesus 
 retires with the.ai across the 
 Lake — Five Thousand are fed. 
 Capen.aiim. — N'. E. Coast Lake. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. | Luke. | John. 
 
 14. 13-21. |6. 30-44. |9. 10-17. |0. 1-14. 
 
 Here John further testifies of Christ's 
 divinity by narrating a notable miracle, 
 and introducing thus a very remark- 
 able discourse of our Lord, to the same 
 end. It was delivered just before His 
 third Passover, and it was therefore 
 only about a year before His death. 
 John has selected this of all our 
 Saviour's discourses during a year 
 and a half, as being very specially 
 fitted for his object. This is one of 
 the few passages in which John falls 
 in Avith the other Evangelists. There 
 is an interval of about a year between 
 this and the discourse in the preceding 
 chapter, during which time our Lord 
 chose His twelve apostles — delivered 
 the sermon on the Mount, &c. § 30 — 
 § 64. Meanwhile the twelve had 
 finished their mission, and were now 
 returned, and Jesus retires with them 
 across the Lake. Herod was pronoun- 
 cing Christ to be John the Baptist 
 (§ 68,) risen from the dead I 
 
 1. After these things. The phrase 
 here implies a longer interval than 
 usual, in tlie narrative. \i\s general — 
 as we say, '■'■after a while." ^ Over 
 the sea. The last chapter recorded a 
 discourse at Jerusalem. Here our 
 Lord is at the sea or lake, which Avas 
 well understood to be that of Galilee. 
 His chief labors had been in Galilee, 
 through which He had made His second 
 and third circuits since John's last 
 record of Him. ^ Which is. This 
 may be explanatory, as it was to the 
 Gentiles the more common and well 
 known name of the sen, from the 
 
 him, because they saw his miracles 
 which he did cu thtm that were 
 diseased. 
 
 3 And Jesus went up into a 
 mountain, and tlicre he .sat with 
 his disciples. 
 
 ancient city which stood on its S. W. 
 shore, and took its name from Tiberias 
 Ca3sar. From Luke's narrative (9, 
 10,) we learn that He went to Beth- 
 saida, (Julias,) on the N. E. corner of 
 the sea. 
 
 2. Bccau.^e they saw. This can be 
 understood only by observing from the 
 Harmony (§ 02, «fcc.,) that He had been 
 working many miracles throughout 
 Galilee. The people, as the other 
 Evangelists tell us, had gone on foot 
 round the Lake, and had arrived first, 
 so as to receive Him when He stepped 
 on shore. See Matt. 14: 13; Mark 6: 
 33. The "great viiiltitiide" is further 
 explained by vs. 4, that " the Passover 
 was nigh," and many were thronging 
 to Jerusalem. 1[ Which He did. 
 Which He u-roiight upon the sick. 
 
 3. A mountain. Rather — the moun- 
 tain. The sea is skirted with a chain 
 of hills on either side ; and thus it lies 
 in a basin, which accounts for the sud- 
 den gusts which so often disturb its 
 waters. It was on the E. shore, as 
 least frequented, that our Lord went for 
 retirement from the crowd. We came 
 upon the Lake from Nazareth and 
 Tabor over the beautiful hill that 
 slopes gently down upon Tiberias. 
 Not a ripple was upon the water — nor 
 was a boat to be seen, nor any trace 
 of the fishing which used to find profit- 
 able employment there. The old circle 
 of fishermen who had tecome known 
 to all the world, were known rather as 
 " fishers of men.'" The Lake hiy there 
 as ever, and its features, as we looked 
 upon them, would be recognized doubt- 
 less by our Evangelist as the face of a 
 familiar friend. AVe had seen no Lake 
 so much resembling it, as the Lake of 
 Geneva, en whose hilly banks we had 
 looked across the placid waters upon 
 
CHAP. VL 
 
 wr 
 
 4 AnA tlui passover, a feast of 
 the Jews, was nigh. 
 
 old Mont Blanc, glowing in a glorious 
 sunset. But this was a moi-e glorious 
 scene where wo seemed to see "the 
 Ancient of Days" walking on the 
 
 5 When Jesus then lift up his 
 eyes, and saw a great company 
 
 troubled waters, at the fourth (last) 
 watch of the night, and the sea and 
 hills all lighted up with the effulgence 
 of the Sun of Ivighteousness. 
 
 
 :s^ 
 
 4. T/ie Passover. This was the third 
 Passover ef our Lord's ministry, and a 
 year before His death. John writing 
 for those not familiar with Jewish cus- 
 toms, and after the Jewish polity had 
 been destroyed, explains — that it was 
 *' a feast of the Jews." This accounts 
 for a great multitude being gathered 
 4).p. their wa}' to .Jerusalem. 
 
 5. Our Lord, of course, knew beforc- 
 liaiid that tliey would follow after Iliin. 
 But lie acted as a man — for lie was 
 also man as well as God: .and- the 
 inspired writer records His action as 
 it appeared to human view. ^ When 
 
 Jesus. It might seem from this that 
 He asked this question as soon as He 
 saw the company. But this is not 
 said. From the other Evangelists we 
 learn that it was after lie had dis- 
 coursed to them and healed their sick. 
 Luke 9:11. John does not attempt 
 to relate all that occurred, but sets out 
 to tell of this miracle, and so he intro- 
 duced it at once, and gives only whr.t 
 belongs to it. T[ Unto Philip. Soma 
 have variously conjectured the reason 
 for Ills addressing Philip rather than 
 any other — as that he was weaker in 
 the faith, or slower to believe than the 
 
108 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 come uuto him, he saith unto 
 Philip, Whence shall we buy 
 bread, that these may cat? 
 
 6 (And this he said to prove 
 him : for he himself knew what he 
 would do.) 
 
 7 Philip answered him, Two ^ 
 
 I Nu. 11. 21, 22. 2 Kl. i. 43. 
 
 rest. See vol. Mark and Luke, notes. 
 Blunt supposes the reason to be given, 
 that " Philip was of Bethsaida, the 
 city of Andrew and Peter." But that 
 was doubtless the other Bethsaida, a 
 city of the same name, near Chorazin, 
 on the W. coast of the Lake. Hence, 
 Birks has conjectured that the city of 
 Bethsaida on the W. coast had a dis- 
 trict belonging to it on the Eastern 
 shore, for the convenience of its fishing 
 business. There needs no reason for 
 Philip being addressed. Some one 
 would be spoken to, in asking such a 
 question — and the object was not to 
 meet the case of Philip so much as to 
 meet the case of all — by preparing the 
 way for the miracle as He was wont 
 to do, by getting first a confession that 
 no human power could accomplish it. 
 If this Bethsaida bo that of the W. 
 coast, as has been suggested, (see Notes 
 on Luke 9: 10,) we can see a striking 
 reason for Philip and Andrew being 
 prominent in this matter, as they 
 belonged to the city, and would know 
 about the supply of provisions. We 
 observed the mountainous border of 
 the Lake, as we approached from Naza- 
 reth over the beautiful and high hill 
 overlooking Tiberias, and gently slo- 
 ping down to the shore, which is said by 
 tradition to be the site of the miracle 
 of feeding the four thousand with seven 
 loaves. It is, however, more probable 
 that this Bethsaida was across the 
 Lake, as it is so constantly spoken of 
 as "on the other side," {Tregav} that 
 is — from where they lived. We ob- 
 served that the hills on the othc?- side, 
 were higher and mo7-e bare and wild in 
 their appearance — which also agrees 
 with this narrative. ^ Whence. The 
 object was to call attention to the great 
 quantity that would be needed to feed 
 
 hundred pennyworth of bread is 
 not sufficient for them, that every 
 one of them may take a little. 
 
 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, 
 Simon Peter's brother, saith unto 
 him, 
 
 9 There is a lad here, which bath 
 
 so many, and to their utter lack, so 
 that when He should furnish a supply, 
 they must confess that it was done by 
 miraculous power. — Stier notices six 
 wonderful words of Christ in this mira- 
 cle, of which this is the first. 
 
 6. This is recorded to show that oui 
 Lord foreknew what would be said and 
 done, and that His object was only to 
 draw out a confession beforehand of 
 their inability to feed so many. 
 
 7. Two hundred pennyworth. About 
 $25. This would seem to have been 
 the sum in hand, provided by the dis- 
 ciples for their support, and for the 
 expenses of their journey to Jerusalem. 
 Mark has it, that they asked if they 
 should expend this sum — (their whole 
 amount of money (?) ) and Philip owns 
 here that it would not furnish enough. 
 So our Lord will first have men con- 
 fess that their utmost means will be 
 quite inadequate to supply their want, 
 and the7i He will work His salvation. 
 Some understand that the sum named 
 was only a round sum, proverbial among 
 the Jews, and meaning more than they 
 had. See the narrative strikingly 
 detailed in Mark 6: 85-37. "We are 
 to learn not to be too confident in our 
 reckonings, so long as they are made 
 for more or less, loithout the host. How 
 many great counting houses and mer- 
 cantile houses have forgotten in their 
 books, the column for the blessing or 
 the curse of God! " Tf That every one. 
 This amount of money would not buy 
 enough for each of the multitude to 
 have a little. 
 
 8. Andrew. He was of the same 
 city with Philip, and they were doubt- 
 less very intimate, ch. 1 : 44. 
 
 9. A lad here. This is a more par- 
 ticular narrative than that of the other 
 Evangelists. It seems that this was 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 109 
 
 five barley-loaves and two small 
 fishes : but what are they among 
 so many ? 
 
 10 And Jesus said, Make the 
 men sit down. Now there was 
 much grass in the place. So the 
 men sat down, in number about 
 five thousand. 
 
 11 And Jesus took the loaves; 
 and when he had given thanks, he 
 distributed to the disciples, and 
 the disciples to them that were set 
 
 in possession of a boy in the company. 
 The others speak of it as belonging to 
 the twelve, (who at once bought it,) or, 
 perhaps to the company of whom the 
 lad was one, and among whom they 
 had just made inquiry. Mark 6 : 38. 
 Observe — 1. A lad — a small bo>/ — has 
 in hand that which Christ uses to feed 
 five thousand people! A child may 
 carry the tract or message which shall 
 save one soul, and l)e thus the means 
 of saving thousands. 2. Andrew, who 
 called Simon Peter, is the one who 
 notices this lad, and finds out what he 
 has that is made to be so much, though 
 it was in itself so little. They who have 
 a true zeal for souls, will notice (he 
 children — and will find out what they 
 have, and put them in the way of being 
 useful — and this will lead, through 
 Christ, to the feeding of thousands. 
 3. Let the children know that they can 
 do much for Christ and for the world, 
 if they will. " A Utile maid" prevailed 
 with the Syrian captain, Naaman, to 
 send for the prophet of the Lord, and 
 he was healed of his leprosy. 2 Kintrs 
 6 : 3, 4. 
 
 " Wh;it time the Saviour spread His feast, 
 For thousands on the mouutain side; 
 
 One of the last and least, 
 
 Tlio abundant store supplied." 
 
 i. Let the boys and girls from the 
 streets and crowds be gathered into 
 the Sabbath school. 
 
 10. Much c/rass. John gives the 
 
 account as an eye witness. This agrees 
 
 with the time of the Pnssover, in 
 
 spring, when the grass is high ond 
 
 10 
 
 down; and likewise of the fishes 
 as much as they would. 
 
 12 When they were filled, '' he 
 said unto his disciples, Gather up 
 the fragments that remain, that 
 nothing *• be loSt. 
 
 13 Therefore they gathered them 
 together, and filled twelve baskets 
 with the fragments of the five 
 barley -loaves, which remained over 
 and above unto them that had 
 
 eaten. 
 
 iNe.9. 25. 6Ne.8.10. 
 
 flowers abound in the fields. Tf Sat 
 down — in ranks, or companies. See 
 notes on Mark and Luke. It was at 
 this season of the year when we were 
 in the Holy Land : and we can under- 
 stand how there could be " mtich grass " 
 in the place, in March, before the 
 Passover. The vernal rains had 
 ceased : and we were assured before- 
 hand, as we found, it, that after the 
 middle of March, no rain, or almost 
 none, would fall for many weeks. The 
 fields were in their freshest dres.s — 
 everything luxuriant in the genial sun 
 after the copious showers — the anemone 
 opening its broad, crimson leaves, and 
 spreading over acres a royal robe, 
 while in the rank grass our tents were 
 pitched at evening without risk from 
 any dampness, or we cast ourselves 
 down at noon to sleep on the velvet 
 carpet, under the shade of any tree, 
 or shrubbery. ''Blessed are they who 
 are fed by the Master in His own Holy 
 Land — in the Heavenly Canaan — where 
 the Lamb which is in the midst of the 
 throne, shall feed them, and shall lead 
 unto living fountains of waters." Pie v. 
 7: 17. 
 
 12. Gather up, &c. This command 
 is net recorded by the other Evangel- 
 ists. He would have it seen how there 
 was more left from the abundance 
 which He had wrought, than they had 
 altogether without His help. But 
 besides this. Ho would have them lose 
 nothing, but gather the fragments for 
 their own use — each in his traveling 
 basket. La this the Jews commonly 
 
no 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 14 Tlieu those men, wbeu they 
 had scca the miracle that Jesus 
 did, said, This is of a truth that * 
 Prophet that should come into the 
 world. 
 
 ^ 15 When Jesus there- 
 fore perceived that they would 
 come and take him by force, to 
 make him a king, he departed 
 again into a mountain himself 
 alone. 
 
 -iGe.40.10. ]le. 18. 15-18. 
 
 16 And '' when even was now 
 come, his disciples went down unto 
 the sea, 
 
 17 And entered into a ship, and 
 went over the sea toward Caper- 
 naum. And it was now dark, and 
 Jesus was not come to them. 
 
 18 And the sea arose, ° by reason 
 of a great wind that blew. 
 
 19 So when they had rowed about 
 five and twenty or thirty furlongs, 
 
 carried food, lest tbey should be pol- 
 luted by the food of the people 
 through whose territory they passed. 
 Observe. — If our Lord, who could, by 
 a word, create such an abundance, 
 would have the fragments gathered up, 
 liow must He frown upon a reckless 
 waste of His bounties. Whether men 
 waste His gifts upon appetite, show, 
 pleasure, or squander them because 
 He has given them so large a supply, 
 they offend God, by not taking proper 
 care of what Pie gives tliem, and 
 making proper use of it. 
 
 14. John alone records this f^cc? of 
 the miracle. It falls in with his 
 design, to show the Divinity of our- 
 Lord. Here, therefore, he gives the 
 testimony of those who saw it wrought. 
 7 That Projihet. Namely, "the prophet 
 like unto Moses," who was promised. 
 The Messiah. In ch. 1 : '2\, they asked 
 John if he was that prophet, viz : which 
 shuukl come — who was predicted as 
 to come into the world. Now they 
 Lave found from Christ's miraculous 
 work who that Prophet is, as John had 
 declared, 
 g 65. Jesus w.\lks upon thk watkr. 
 
 Lake of Galilee — Gennesarct. 
 
 Matt. I Mnrk. | Luke, I John. 
 
 14.22-3r,.iG. 45-5G.! lo. 1-5-21. 
 
 1-5. Make Him a King. The people 
 were ready from what they had seen, 
 to exalt Ilim over them as king — oi? to 
 proclaim Him the King of the Jews in 
 Jerusalem, wliithcr tliey were going. 
 Yet their views were secular and 
 worldly — they did not receive Him as 
 the true Messiah, with any just views 
 
 h Matt. 14. 23. War. 6. 47, &o. 
 
 of Ilis reign. Therefore He would 
 withdraw from them. The other Evan- 
 gelists record the fact of His with- 
 drawing, while John also gives the rea- 
 son, and thus throws light upon tho 
 narrative. 
 
 lG-21. See Notes on Matthew and 
 ISIark, for an explanation of this mira- 
 cle of walking on the Sea. It is 
 given in substance by John, but most 
 briefly ; for his object is merely to 
 record the fact as another proof of our 
 Lord's Divinity, and then pass on to 
 the Discourse. 
 
 20. It is I. Literally, / am. This 
 recalls the Divine name. Exod. 3: 1-4. 
 ^ Be not afraid. This word of encour- 
 agement had been used under the Old 
 Testament — but now first in the mouth 
 of the Sen of Man, has it the full 
 power really to take away all fear. 
 Thus did He come into the world with 
 His miraculous manifestation, "I am 
 the Helper." Happy he, indeed, who 
 in the true faith of a discii)le, altiiough 
 it may at first be weak, gets acquaint- 
 ed with the gracious Master, in order 
 to be hflped. So then every new "/i 
 M 7," always more effectually dissipates 
 anxious fears, until the gracious words 
 are heard for the last time, in the last 
 fear of death, as in Her. 1: 17, 18. 
 John does not record the incident cf 
 Peter's impetuous experiment and the 
 result. Only IVLatthew mentions it. 
 Stier shows Peter's donbt at the start, 
 " If it be thou" — his asking to go out 
 of tlie ship to Christ, instead of to have 
 Christ come into the ship — his asking 
 this for himself "Bid me come," whcr« 
 
CHAP. TI. 
 
 Ill 
 
 they sec Jesus walking on the sea, 
 and drawing nigh unto the ship : 
 and they were afraid. 
 
 20 But he saith unto them, It is 
 * I; be not afraid. 
 
 21 Then they willingly received 
 him into the ship : and immedi- 
 ately the ship was at the land 
 whither they went. 
 
 T[ 22 The day following, 
 when the people which stood on 
 the other side of the sea saw that 
 there ^^■as none other boat there, 
 save that one whereinto his disci- 
 ples were entered, and that Jesus 
 went not with his disciples into 
 
 a Pa. 35. 3. 13.43.1, 
 
 the me is the flaw in the gre.it faith, 
 on account of which it shall soon 
 become so little — running before it is 
 calleJ, begging for a c.ill for single me, 
 where me is not first called to the ven- 
 ture by Christ. Because lie will out- 
 run the others in showing liis faith, he 
 will be allowed to show himself the 
 '^ stone,'' upon the water, that he is. 
 
 21. The]/ received llimidlUngly. (Lit- 
 erally, " they were willing to receive 
 Him into the ship," as they had net 
 been at first, on account of their fear,) 
 and immediately (hinting of His power 
 which had perfect control of the ele- 
 ments, J by the calming of the sea, &c. 
 as His providential favoring, the boat 
 was at the land. 1. How many are 
 afraid of Christ — fear to come to Him, 
 or to have Hira come to them — look 
 upon Him as an inquisitor, rather tiian 
 a Saviour, and have dread of His 
 requirements rather than any trust in 
 llis plan of grace. They go about in 
 doubt and terror from legal fears, and 
 do not receive Christ into their vessel, 
 and hence do not get a smooth arrival 
 at their haven. 2. Some hold that no 
 one can walk upon the waves of the 
 world, and of history, and that the 
 Christ who really does so, must be 
 only a phantom of men's imagination. 
 Yet these very skeptics are ready 
 
 the boat, but that his disciplea 
 
 were gone away alone : 
 
 . 23 ( Howbeit there came other 
 
 boats from Tiberias, nigh unto the 
 
 ''place where they did eat bread, 
 
 after that the Lord had given 
 
 thanks;) 
 
 24 When the people therefore 
 saw that Jesus was not there, 
 neither his disciples, they also 
 took shipping, and came to Caper- 
 naum, seeking for Jesus. 
 
 25 And when they had found 
 him on the other side of the sea, 
 they said unto him, Rabbi, when 
 camest thou hither? 
 
 enough to take a phantom of their own 
 imagination to be God ! 
 
 ^ 66. Odr Lord's discourse in the 
 Synagogue at Capernaum. Many 
 
 DISCIPLES turn back. PeTER's 
 
 PROFESSION OF FAITH. — Capemaum. 
 
 Luke. I John. 
 
 1 6. 22-71. 
 |7. 1. 
 
 22. The Evangelist here relates what 
 the multitude had noticed as to the 
 facts of Christ's departure — namely, 
 that there was but one boat, and that 
 this they saw go away without Christ, 
 and hence, that as they found Him 
 the next day at Capernaum, He must 
 have gone across in some unexplained 
 manner. This statement is given to 
 show how their observation of the 
 facts would correspond with the mira- 
 cle. 
 
 23. Other. This is thrown in here, 
 as a parenthesis, to account for their 
 getting across — namely, that other ves- 
 sels came from Tiberias to the vicinity 
 of the place where the miracle had 
 been wrought. 
 
 25. When. They are puzzled about 
 the time and way in which He had 
 gotten there, and are not inquiring 
 about the more important matters of 
 salvation. So men are inclined to 
 query about the Trinity and about the 
 
112 
 
 .10 1 IN. 
 
 26 Jesus answered tlieni and said, 
 Verily, 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. 
 
 27 Labour ^ not for the meat 
 
 Incarnation, rather than about how 
 they can be saved by Christ. Such 
 vain questionings our Lord does not 
 encourage. 
 
 26. Instead of satisfying their in- 
 quiry, our Lord exposes their hollow 
 hypocrisy, and shows that their inter- 
 est in Him is of the lowest kind, and 
 that His miracles have wrought no 
 proper conviction in them. T[ Miracles. 
 Kather — signs — miraculous signs or to- 
 kens of the Divine presence, as in vs. 
 2 and 14. It appears plainly from vs. 
 30, that the miracle which He had just 
 wrought, had been of no effect in con- 
 vincing them of His Divinity. There- 
 fore He charges them with their car- 
 nal, grovelling aim, which looked no 
 higher than the satisfaction of bodily 
 appetites. — ]\Iany profess Christ from 
 low motives of temporal advantage. 
 Christ invites the weary and heavy- 
 laden to come to Him for rest, and the 
 hungry, for food. But they must come 
 to Him as the only Lord and Saviour, 
 and the only true and lasting portion 
 of the soul. 
 
 27. Labour not, &c. Work not — 
 egya^ecfds He turns their attention 
 now from carnal j^rovisions to spirit- 
 ual, and takes occasion from the mira- 
 cle to illustrate His greater work for 
 giving food to the soul. He does not 
 forbid them to labor for temporal pro- 
 vision, but rather chiefly to labor for 
 tlie soul's food. They were chiefly 
 concerning themselves about the per- 
 ishing food, such as He furnished 
 them, which could answer onh' for a 
 day's supply, or for a meal. T[ Wliich 
 pcrisheth — as to its nourishment : and 
 more is immediately required. If Meat. 
 The term means not meat, but food — 
 and this is used in all languages to 
 signify figuratively sustenance for the 
 
 which i^erisheth, but for that » 
 meat which endureth unto ever- 
 lasting life, which the Son of man 
 shall give unto you : for him ^ 
 hath God the Father sealed. 
 28 Then said they unto him, 
 
 soul. Tf But for that. Labor, be con- 
 cerned in seeking for that food, which 
 is not perishing, but enduring, in its 
 qualities, and in its power to feed the 
 soul : lasting eternally, as long as the 
 sovil lasts. ^ Shall give. He here 
 first hints of what He means to open 
 to them further by degrees. He hero 
 first states only that He has this food 
 to give, and proposes to give it. Our 
 Lord is thus teaching them as He did 
 the woman of S.amaria, by means of 
 the commonest necessaries of life, how 
 needful and suitable is His salvation. 
 IT For. He is fully authorized to give 
 this food — for this is His ofBce and 
 commission from the Father. ^Sealed. 
 The Father has set the stamp and 
 seal of Divine authority upon His per- 
 son and work, testifying at His Bap- 
 tism, "This is my beloved Son," &c. 
 and stamping His work by miracles. 
 Obsekve — Men are commanded to 
 labor for salvation, and yet it is the 
 free gift of God, in Jesus Christ. The 
 gate is wide open, but they are to 
 strive to enter in. They are to con- 
 cern themselves about salvation, to 
 inquire — to find the way — to lay hold 
 on the hope — to flee from the wrath to 
 come, and to labor for this rather than 
 for temporal possessions ; and yet all 
 their Avorking is not to merit it, but 
 only to receive and apply it for their 
 salvation. Observe — Our Lord in this 
 miracle showed His power and plan to 
 restore the ruins of the fall. Want is 
 a fruit of sin. He can supply all want 
 and create a superabundance. And 
 by the lower gift He illustrates the 
 higher provision, which He has to 
 bestow for the soul. 
 
 28. As He had just exhorted them 
 to concern themselves chiefly for 
 another kind of food, they take Him 
 
CHAP. vr. 
 
 iia 
 
 What shall we do, that we might 
 work the works of God ? 
 
 29 Jesus answered and said unto 
 them, This * is the work of God, 
 that yo believe on him whom he 
 hath sent. 
 
 30 They said therefore unto him. 
 What sign ^ shewcst thou then, 
 that we may see and believe thee? 
 what dost thou work ? 
 
 al Jdo.3.23. b Matt. 12. 
 
 up at the word, and ask what they are 
 to do, to fall in with this that He pro- 
 poses — (the same word is used here 
 a3 is rendered " labo?-," in vs. 27,) — 
 they seem to understand Him so far 
 as to inquire what kind of work He 
 exhorts tiiem to do : and how thc}' shall 
 work such works of the law as God 
 requires. 
 
 29. The ivork. He speaks not of 
 works. They had thought of a round 
 of Icrjal works, whicli should be accept- 
 able to God. There is hut one work, 
 properly speaking — and this is no legal 
 work. This is the thinff required — 
 namely, to believe — to accept the finished 
 ivork of Christ, as accepted by the 
 Father in the room and stead of sin- 
 ners. 
 
 30. When they see that it is a work 
 of the heart — a spiritual obedience and 
 submission that He requires, they at 
 once alter 'Iheir tone, and talk doubt- 
 ingly of His authority. They now 
 again demand some sign. They seem 
 to make ncthing of His miracle. This 
 shows that they cared for nothing in 
 the miracle but the food. And now 
 they demand a siffii as though none 
 had been wrought. Observe. — 1. 
 How many go about seeking some 
 method of salvation, as though there 
 were no Gospel, no Christ, no hope set 
 befijre them. 2. How unreasonable is 
 the spirit of unbelief, that makes noth- 
 ing of all the evidences and proofs 
 which Christ has furnished, but de- 
 mands something 77iorc convinciiig, and 
 such as it shall dictate. Like the 
 eavilers at the crucifixion, who demand 
 that He should show His divinity by 
 
 10* 
 
 31 Our fathers ' did eat manna 
 in the desert; as it is written,"* He 
 gave them bread from heaven to 
 eat. 
 
 32 Then Jesus said unto them, 
 Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
 Moses gave you not that bread 
 from heaven; but my ® Father 
 giveth you the true bread from 
 heaven. 
 
 c Ex. 16. 15. No. 11.7. ICor. 10. 3. dNe.9. 15. Vs. 
 78. 24, 25. e Ga. 4. 4. 
 
 coming down from the cross — or like 
 Satan who demands that He should 
 turn stones into bread, or cast Himself 
 down from the pinnacle of the temple. 
 Calvin says, " How many eagerly 
 embrace the Gospel, when they think 
 it will flatter their vices ; but when 
 they are called to deny themselves and 
 to bear the cross, then they begin to 
 renounce Christ, and to ask whence 
 the Gospel came." 
 
 31. They seem to demand something 
 like the miracle of the manna in the 
 wilderness. ][ Manna. Literally — 
 the manna. Exod. 16: 4, 15. This 
 miracle they regarded as the greatest 
 one wrought by Moses. " They for- 
 got," says Stier, "that their fathers 
 disbelieved Moses almost from the 
 time of their eating the manna, as is 
 set forth in the very Psalm to which 
 they refer, and that they eveu'despised 
 the manna and preferred ordinary 
 bread to it." They seem to challenge 
 Him to show something coming down 
 so directly and plainly from Heaven as 
 the manna. Over 2 million were fed 
 daily, for years, in that miracle. 
 
 32. Moses. They h.ad not named 
 Moses, but our Lord knew that they 
 credited him with the miracle — and it 
 was not Moses who even gave them tho 
 manna, but God. The idea is, also, 
 that in this miracle they did not get 
 the real bread from Heaven, such as 
 He spoke of, but for that, they must 
 look to God, who giveth now, the true 
 bread — literally, the bread from Heaven, 
 which is true. 1 Giveth — is now giving. 
 ^ True. Substantial, as opposed to 
 shadowy — bread in the highest sense-^ 
 
114 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 33 For the bread of God " is lie 
 wli'ich Cometh down from heaven, 
 and giveth life unto the world. 
 
 34 Then said thej unto him, 
 Lord, evermore give us this bread. 
 
 35 And Jesus said unto them, 
 I am the bread of life : he *> that 
 
 ver. 48, 58. iKe.T.lli. 
 
 of which tlie other was only a type — 
 bread for ike soul. 
 
 33. For. The great difference 
 Detween that manna and His bread, is, 
 that this is really from Heaven, and 
 has the wonderful property' not merely 
 of sustaining life, but oi giving life, unto 
 the icorld. It is like the living water, 
 better than that from Jacob's well, and 
 better than anything which they could 
 boast from their ancestry — it would 
 Kpring up to everlasting life. ^ I'he 
 Bread of God. The Bread which God 
 provides and supplies, is really of 
 lieavenlj' origin and quality. T[ Is He. 
 Rather — is that. Our Lord here means 
 to say that this is the only broad which 
 really comes down from Heaven. The 
 manna came from the clouds. He does 
 not mean as yet to declare Himself as 
 the Bread. This lie does in vs. 35. 
 
 31. They reply to Him very much 
 as the Samaritan woman replied. As 
 much as to say, if you have any such 
 Vv'onderful bread, give it to us by all 
 means, and evermore. They were 
 willing enough to have some heavenly 
 food like the manna, or better than 
 that, yet of the same kind, to supply' 
 their earthly want, so they ask it. 
 ilen arc ready enough to take any 
 tempoi-al advantage from the Gospel, 
 and arc willing often to have churches, 
 Bchools and a ministry for the good order 
 they bring, and even will join the church 
 for ts respectability. But they have 
 no .dea of asking any spiritual supplies. 
 Tliey will use the Lord's Prayer, 
 '• Give us this day, (or day bj- day, ) our 
 daily bread," but will rot ask lor the 
 soul's sustenance. 
 
 35. Our Lord now reveals Himself 
 ns that bread of God. So Ho is, for 
 expiation, the Lamb of God. He 
 declares Himself to be the Bread of 
 
 cometh to me shall never hungerj 
 and he ° that believcth on me shall 
 never thirst. 
 
 36 But I said unto you, that ye ^ 
 also have seen me, and believe 
 not. 
 
 37 All "^ that the Father giveth 
 
 c 0. 4. 14 ; 7. 38. d ver. 64. ever. 45. c. 17.fi-8, &c. 
 
 Life, which includes all the ideas of its 
 heavenly origin, and its property of 
 giving life. So He called the benefits 
 He had to bestow, the living tcater, or 
 the water of life, when speaking to 
 the Samaritan woman. Oh. 4. He 
 explains^T— thatit is by a believing resort 
 to Him, that the benefits are obtained. 
 He giveth richly "all things that per- 
 tain to life and godliness." 2 Pet. 1: 3. 
 This is not merely by His teaching — 
 but by His entire provisions of grace. 
 We take his finished work — His atone- 
 ment — His righteousness — His Spirit — 
 and " of His fullness we receive, and 
 grace for grace." And hence. He adds 
 to the benefits of coming to Him, that 
 besides ceasing to hunger we shall 
 cease to thirst. The doctrine here 
 taught, is, that Christ, in the doctrines 
 of the Gospel, and in the provisions of 
 grace, is the proper sustenance of the 
 soul. ^ Never thirst. This lie adds 
 to show that it is not merely natural 
 bread which He offers which could not 
 satisfy thirst ; but rather a full pro- 
 vision for all the soul's wants, of every 
 kind; and thus He directs their atten- 
 tion to higher views of His salvation. 
 And hence, He varies the language so 
 as to show that Ijy coming to Him is 
 to be understood, lelieving on Him. 
 
 8G. But. He now, after this plain 
 statement of the way for recei\ing His 
 provisions of gi'ace, chai-ges them with 
 their deep-seated unbelief which would 
 stand in the way of their salvation. 
 They have had opportunities and 
 means for exercising this faith in Him, 
 but in vain. They are, therefore, 
 willfully rejecting these provisions 
 while they pretend to seek them. 
 
 37. Though they do not believe, 
 their unbelief shall not make void His 
 gracious mission. If the results 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 116 
 
 nic shall come to mc ; and him " 
 that cometh to me I will ia no 
 wise cast out. 
 08 For I came down from hea- 
 
 ol's. 102. 17. Is. 1.18; 55. 7. Matt. 11. 28. Lu. 23. 
 42,M. lTi.1.15, 16. Rii.2L'.17. 
 
 depended on nien alone, none would 
 accept His offers. But He acts in 
 covenant with the Fathei", as He is 
 also sent by the Father, and conies to 
 carry out the eternal plan of redemp- 
 tion. Though men do not incline to 
 come to Him, it is not of him that 
 ■willeth, but of God (hat sheweth meraj. 
 And those who shall come to Him, are 
 given to Him by the Fatiier. The 
 Shepherd has his sheep. And all the 
 malice of hell could not defeat His pur- 
 poses of grace. They may be certain 
 of His success with many, though they 
 should refuse and perish. And if they 
 persist in rejecting Him, they only 
 prove themselves thus to be such as 
 tlie Father has not given to Him ; and 
 while they boast of worshiping the 
 Father, they show themselves to be 
 not included in the Father's grace. 
 This would be calculated to awake their 
 fears, lest tliey be proving themselves 
 outcasts ; and it should stir ia them a 
 sense of dependence, as iu the hands 
 of God. *i All. Literally — cverij thing — 
 perhaps so worded to include every 
 person and thing — all interests of the 
 world — all commerce, all wealth, all 
 government, all power of men, and 
 also everything pertaining to every one 
 of my people, even to their dust. So in 
 vs. 39, He speaks of losing nothing of 
 whatever is given Him. T[ And him. 
 With this declaration of their depen- 
 dence and of the divine sovereignty. He 
 sweetly invites them to come. ^Vh.i*- 
 ever they mny think of the fi.v mer 
 declaration, this is all they cor.d ask. 
 It opens the way to whosoever will, to 
 take freely tlie living bread and the 
 water of life. The former clause 
 relates to the securities which He has 
 of success in His work. This relates 
 to the securities which men have of 
 Bucccss in their application to Him. 
 Would men have Christ die without 
 any certainty of saving any? Does 
 
 ven, not to do mine own will but '' 
 the will of him that sent me. 
 
 o9 And this is the Father's will 
 ° which hath sent me, that of all 
 
 this hinder any being saved? No, 
 surely! It is just the very efficient 
 help which any one has in coming to 
 the only salvation. ^ Ao u-ise. The 
 terms are the same which are rendered 
 in vs. 35, never. It is a double nega- 
 tive, and signifies hy no means — not at 
 all. Christ disappoints no right expec- 
 tation. They who are lost are such as 
 repose no confidence in Him according 
 to the Gospel, and hence, no confidence 
 is violated or disappointed. All who 
 rest and trust iu Him, will find Him 
 all that they expected or could expect. 
 "The doctrine of the Gospel, says 
 Calvin, will be salutary to all believers, 
 because no man becomes a disciple of 
 Chi'ist who does not, on the other 
 band, feel and experience Him to be a 
 good and faithful teacher." 
 
 38. Again, He presses them with tho 
 fact that His work is of the Father's 
 planning, and that He Himself comes 
 to men under His direct commission, 
 having, therefore, all the authority He 
 could have, and all which they ought 
 to ask. " Hence, finally, it follows that 
 faith will never be useless." — Calvin. 
 
 39. He now shows the securities and 
 warrants of His work. "The design 
 of the Father is, that believers may 
 find salvation secured in Christ." — 
 Calvin. \ Of all. He acts under this 
 will of the Father— that He is to lose 
 riothing of whatever is given Him. All 
 power in Heaven and earth is given 
 Him, therefore, for this. Matt. 28. The 
 Father hath given Him power over all 
 flesh that He should give eternal life 
 to as many as He had given Him. ch, 
 17: 2. And this exercise of universal 
 flower implies a divine nature in Him. 
 He must be God in order to use it. 
 And this divine and universal power 
 secures every thing appertainii-g to 
 every one of His people, even their 
 rotten dust, so that He will raise it up 
 at the last day. John refers to this say* 
 
116 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 which he hath given me I should 
 lose nothing, but should raise it 
 up again at the last day. 
 
 40 And this is the "will of him 
 that sent me, that * every one 
 which secth the Son, and believeth 
 on him, may have everlasting life : 
 and I will *" raise him up at the 
 last day. 
 
 41 The Jews then murmured at 
 
 over. 47. 54. 0.3.15,16. 6 0.11.25. 
 
 ing at the time of our Lord's arrest, 
 ch. 18: 9. His sheep hear His voice — 
 He knows them .and they follow Him 
 and He gives unto them eternal life, 
 and they sliall never perish; neither 
 shall any pluck them out of His 
 Father's hand. ch. 10 : 27, 28. 
 
 40. Which seeih. He had just charged 
 them with having seen Him, without 
 believing on Him. On the contrary, 
 those who see and believe on Him have 
 eternal life. This is the Father's plan. 
 Not that it is necessary to see Him, but 
 to believe tlie message we have of Him. 
 The believing on Him is in accordance 
 with the truth brought to view ; and to 
 believe on Him as He is set forth and 
 freely offered in the Gospel, is the true 
 faith here required. Tlie term here is 
 stronger than that in verse 36, and 
 means more than seeing with the eye. 
 It means ratlier to behold with an 
 aw.akencd attention. The plan secures 
 to such, everlasting life, and in this is 
 secured the raising of the body — since 
 the body and soul together constitute 
 the proper person. The promise of 
 everlasting life includes tlie promise 
 of tiio body's resurrection, as Christ 
 will lose notliing of those who are 
 given to Him, and "the adoption" to 
 wit, the redemption of the body, is 
 waited for by the whole creation. 
 Kom. 8. Eternal life is already begun 
 witliin such, through their vital union 
 with Christ. See vs. 50. Ch. 11 : 20. 
 Obseeve — The revealed will of God is, 
 that wliosoever receives Christ as He 
 is freely offered in the Gospel, shall be 
 saved. 2. The unrevealed will of God, 
 tis to whom the Father hath given to 
 
 him, because he said, I am the bread 
 which came down from heaven. 
 
 42 And they said. Is ° not this 
 Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose 
 father and mother we know? how 
 is it then that he saith, I came 
 down from heaven? 
 
 43 Jesus therefore answered and 
 said unto them. Murmur not 
 among yourselves. 
 
 cMatt. 13. 55. Mar. 6. 3. Lu.4. 22. 
 
 Christ, cannot alter or hinder this 
 truth. 3. We can know of our election 
 only so far as v»'e know of the salvation 
 going on within us. If we are chosen 
 to be saved, we shall find ourselves 
 being more and more delivered from 
 the power of sin. 4. " He who is not 
 satisfied with Christ, but indulges in 
 curious inquiries about eternal predes- 
 tination, such a person, as far as lies 
 in his power, desires to be saved con- 
 trary to the purpose of God." — Calvin. 
 If "God has chosen us to salvation," we 
 may be sure it is " through sanctifica- 
 tion of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 
 2 Thess. 2 : 13. These marks, there- 
 fore, we must search for in ourselves, 
 and if we are not sure of having such 
 evidence, we must labor and pray for it. 
 
 41. AVhen the Jews found that this 
 much talked of bread of life meant 
 nothing more than Himself, and that 
 He claimed to have come down from 
 heaven, which they could not admit, 
 they murmured ; and began at once, to 
 cavil at His lowly origin among them. 
 This, that was a proof of His grace — 
 namely, His condescending to be a man 
 among men, they turned to His re- 
 proach, and on this very ground rejec- 
 ted Him. "By our own sinful views 
 we pervert all that belongs to Him, and 
 to His doctrine. It is a great hin- 
 drance to us, that only with carnal eyes 
 we behold Christ." — Calvin. "They 
 saw that this coming down from heaven 
 implied some extraordinary mode of 
 coming into the world." — Alford. 
 
 43. Our Lord does not satisfy such 
 vain cavilings, but charges it upon 
 them, as a token of their depravity, 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 117 
 
 44 No man can come to me, ex- 1 me, draw " him : and I will raise 
 cept the Father, which hath sent him up at the last day. 
 
 wliich, if left to itself, will be their 
 ruin. Their blindness ought to alarm 
 them. And if they are so ready to 
 cavil at Christ, and yet have no way 
 of salvation except through Christ, 
 they might well take alarm. Here, 
 therefore, by showing His prerogative 
 and their dependence. He would set 
 them inquiring for the way, and asking 
 humbly to be saved. This also would 
 account for their murmuring and rejec- 
 tion of Him. This He does, also, says 
 Calvin, that their unbelief may not 
 disturb weak minds, who depend so 
 much on the opinions of others. 
 
 44. No man can come. This inability 
 of men to come to Christ is not physi- 
 cal, because the coming, which is tlie 
 same as believing, is not a bodibj 
 coming. It is an inability growing 
 out of a depraved nature — an inability 
 of heart and will — and yet it is as real 
 and great a hindrance to the soul, as 
 iron bars could be to the body. Until 
 it is removed by Divine power, no mail 
 can come. It does not mend the matter 
 to say that it is only an inability of 
 heart or will ; for this is the worst 
 kind of inability, where the heart and 
 will are so depraved, as not to be able 
 to receive Christ. ^ Draw him. This 
 term shows that this inability is ovei*- 
 come without violence. The term 
 expresses a drawing to a certain point. 
 There is another term in the Greek 
 which would more properly express a 
 dragging by violence. Here it is not by 
 violence, for the will is incapable of 
 violence. And yet the unwilling are 
 drawn — constrained; powerfully, sweet- 
 ly, irresistibly made willing. If the 
 will were not averse, there would need 
 no drawing. God's work secures a 
 consenting will. ^' Are you not dravm?" 
 says Augustine. ^^ Pray that you may 
 be drawn." It is what God alone can 
 do — to renew the temper and spirit of 
 the mind, to secure a consenting will, 
 to work an entire regeneration without 
 compulsion ; not against the will, but 
 regenerating the will, working in us to 
 
 will and to do, or rather, as the terms 
 are, "the willing and the doing," and 
 that, of His own good pleasure. "As 
 to the kind of drawing,"' says Calvin, 
 "it is not violent, so as to compel men 
 by external force, but still it is a 
 powerful impulse of the Holy Spirit, 
 which makes men willing, who formerly 
 were unwilling and reluctant. Those 
 are drawn whose understandings God 
 enlightens, and whose hearts He bends, 
 and forms to the obedience of Christ." 
 Observe — While some abuse the doc- 
 trine of dependence, so as to excuse 
 themselves and "wait God's time," 
 others equally abuse the doctrine of 
 independence, so as to wait a more 
 convenient season. 2. Our Lord shows 
 us how cavilers are to be treated — they 
 are to be charged with their blindness 
 as being their sin and ruin, and that 
 they have no help but in God. Human 
 dependence, as here taught by our 
 Lord, is so set forth as to put men in 
 the dust to entreat the Divine draw- 
 ings, for if they provoke Him to 
 abandon them, they are lost forever. 
 3. How sweet are the workings of 
 Divine grace in the heart — moving 
 among the thoughts and affections, 
 irresistibly and efifectually, but without 
 violence, drawing, not driving — leading 
 along by soft and winning constraints. 
 "Draw us, we will run after thee." 
 " Those are drawn," says Calvin, 
 "whose minds God illumines, and bends 
 the heart, and forms to the obedience 
 of Christ." It is done always in con- 
 sistency with the laws of mind — in ttse 
 of truth and motive, but not by them 
 as the efficient cause. " Effectual 
 calling is the work of God's Spirit, 
 whereby convincing us of our sin and 
 misery, enlightening our minds in the 
 knowledge of Christ, and renewing our 
 ■will, He doth persuade and enable us to 
 embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to 
 us in the gospel." ^ And I will raise 
 him up. See vs. 40. This is repeated 
 here, as the result which shall follow 
 upon this Divine effectual drawing— 
 
118 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 45 It is written " in the prophets, 
 And they shall be all taught of 
 God. Every man ^ tl-ereforc that 
 hath hoard, and hath learned of 
 the Father, cometh ui^to me. 
 
 o Is. 54. 13. Je. 31.:«. Jli.4.2. 6 Matt. 11.27. 
 
 — — — ^ 
 
 the same as is yoteil, vs. 40, to follow 
 upon believing. This implies that the 
 dran-ing, by the Father, works this 
 hdieving, and is always so exhibited in 
 the lite. They Avho believe are the 
 same persons as tliose who are drawn 
 by the Father. They come to Christ 
 believingly for salvation. This promise 
 of a final resurrection is given as com- 
 prising everything — including death 
 and the grave, and compassing tlie 
 results of the last day. This shows 
 that everything will be done for them. 
 
 45. 'ihepropheti. This is expressed 
 in substance by different prophets. 
 Jer. 31:34; Micah 4 : 1-4. But our 
 Lord quotes from the book of "the 
 Prophets," that is, from that division 
 of the Old Testament scriptures known 
 as "the Prophets," (in distinction from 
 "the Law," and "the Psalms,") and 
 refers probably to the passage in Isa. 
 64 : 3, which pointed to gospel times. 
 This quotation is used to enforce what 
 He had just said. This teaching of God 
 belongs to their draiving. The Holy 
 Spirit is the great Teacher, and in tliis 
 effectual drawing or calling. He convinces 
 us of our sin and misery, enlightens 
 our minds in the knowledge of Christ, 
 and renews our wills, and so He ^^c/- 
 suades and enables us to embrace Jesus 
 Christ freely offered to us in the gospel. 
 Tl Heard, &c. This is the fruit of the 
 divine teaching just spoken of. In vs. 
 40, it was expressed as seeing the Son 
 and believing on Him, that wa.s the 
 great requisite. And here it is decla- 
 red that in order to this believing, we 
 must Am?- the Father and lea7-7i of Hi in. 
 It is by receiving the Divine instruc- 
 tions that any one comes to Cbrist. 
 This is the human side of the matter. 
 The Divine side was just mentioned, 
 the Father's drawing. The things 
 revealed belong unto us. We are not 
 to sit idly waiting for the Divine cou- 
 
 46 Not = that any man hath 
 seen the Father, save he Avhich 
 is of God; ^ he hath seen the 
 Father. 
 
 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
 
 straints, but we are to hear and learn 
 from God's revealed truth, and embrace 
 the offered salvation. Those who so 
 hear and learn of God in the gospel, 
 humbly receiving and applying the 
 Divine word, do come to Christ, and 
 only such. 
 
 4G. Here our Lord cautions against 
 misunderstanding His words. He does 
 not mean that only those who havo 
 some personal and face to face audience 
 with the Father — as Moses on Sinai, 
 come to Christ; for no man has had 
 a personal, immediate vision of God. 
 IT Save He, &c. He has seen the 
 Father, as others have not, because 
 He dwells in His bosom, ch. 1 : 18, — 
 comes forth from Him and declares 
 Him — is the only one who can possibly 
 make Him known to men. Here thus 
 our Lord insists on His Divinity and 
 Humanity, as the Son of God. This 
 is the sense of the passage, (ch. 3: 13,) 
 "No man hath ascended up to heaven 
 save He that came down from heaven, 
 even the Son of Man, which is in 
 heaven." 
 
 47. Our Lord labors to show the 
 simple plan of salvation, in opposition 
 to all their vain speculations. It is 
 not going up to heaven to see the 
 Father, but receiving and embracing 
 Christ, who alone has seen the Father, 
 and who, as dwelling in His bosom, is 
 alone able and authorized to reveal 
 Him. He therefcre repeats in sub- 
 stance, the declaration made (vs. 40,) 
 as to the only way of being saved. 
 If Hath. There is this additional idea 
 here — that the believer is already in 
 possession of eternal life — "hath" — 
 (not as in vs. 40, "that he may have" 
 as something only future.) He has 
 the life already in him, which shall 
 grow up in all things into Christ, who 
 is the Head. "Where the Bread of 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 119 
 
 » He that belicveth on me hath 
 everlasting life. 
 
 48 I " am that bread of life. 
 
 49 Your fathers did cat manna 
 in the wilderness, and ■= are dead. 
 
 50 This is the bread which com- 
 
 over. 40. 5 Ter. 33, 33, 51. c Zee. 1.5. 
 
 Life is, there is Life, even before the 
 last day." — Bengel. See ch, 3. 
 
 48. This is so, because Christ is the 
 Bread of Life, whose property it is to 
 give life to those who pnrtake of Him. 
 Herein He shows the difference be- 
 tween partaking Him and eating the 
 manna — and the superiority of Himself 
 to the manna, as that, rather, which 
 the manna ii/pijled. Hence, a portion 
 of the manna was preserved in a golden 
 vessel, and laid away in the Holy of 
 Holies within the ark of the covenant, 
 along with the tables of the covenant 
 (Heb. 9:4; E.xod. 16: 33, 34) and the 
 rod of Aaron that budded — and so it 
 was carried about with the tabernacle 
 as a sacred memorial of that miracle 
 not only, but of Christ, the Bread of 
 Life. The Sheiv-hread also in the holy 
 place, which was renewed every week — 
 a portion for each of the tribes — point- 
 ed forward to Him as the only perfect 
 exhibition of obedience — and as bring- 
 ing in and setting before us a finished 
 righteousness acceptable to God. He 
 intimates all along, too, that the mir.a- 
 cle by which He was given to the world 
 is far superior to tliat of the manna in 
 the wilderness. The proofs of His 
 Divine origin are far greater than the 
 proofs of the manna being from heaven. 
 ^ That bread. The word.s here are the 
 same as in vs. o-j rendei'cd " the bread" 
 and so lhc3' should be translated here. 
 Yet He was i-eally what the manna fore- 
 shadowed — and the Bre.ad of Life, as 
 the manna was not. 
 
 49. Maiiivt. See vs. 31. Rather 
 " TUE manna" of which they boasted. 
 *' That bread in the wilderness had no 
 power to give even natural life, nor to 
 sustain it beyond the time when ic was 
 eaten. Their (unbelieving) fathers, of 
 whom they spake, (vs. 31,) who ate 
 iud m\irmured and rebelled, 'Hod long 
 
 etii down from heaven, that a man 
 may eat thereof, and ^ not die. 
 
 51 I am the living bread which 
 came down from heaven. If any 
 man eat of this bread, he shall 
 live for ever : and the bread that 
 
 ago — and great as their unbelieving 
 children now regard that miracle of the 
 manna, it had no life-giving effect for 
 them, nor benefit beyond the wilder- 
 ness where their carcasses fell." He 
 says ^^ your fathers." Though Himself 
 a Jew, He had a higher origin, vs. 42. 
 
 50. This. By way of contrast now, 
 He shows the excellence of Himself, in 
 His fullness. 1. That He really c; me 
 down from heaven in a truer, higher 
 sense than the manna, as He came 
 from the bosom of the Father, where 
 He dwelt. 2. Life is the object of His 
 coming, and the effect upon those who 
 partake of Him. ^ A man. Literally, 
 " that any one." The terms show the 
 extent of the offer, and the saving re- 
 sult to " whosoever Avill." Those who 
 were dead in trespasses and sins are 
 quickened, made alive, and are saved 
 from the second death. Even death in 
 its temporary power over the body has 
 no dominion over such. Rom. ; Colos. 
 3. Obsekve — 1. Temporal good may 
 leave a man to perish eternally. 2. 
 How many who fared sumptuously are 
 now in torment. 3. Christ can satisfy 
 us in adversity, can fortify us in 
 death, and can save us forever. 
 
 51. He now changes the terms from 
 ''Bread of Life," to "Living Bread." 
 This would signify that He has life in 
 Himself, and that thus He is the Bread 
 of Life, able (o give life to all who 
 feed upon Him : and that He came 
 from heaven, from the Father, who 
 yare Him power over all flesh, as Medi- 
 ator, " that He should give eternal life 
 to as majiy as He had given Him." 
 IF // any man. Now he conveys the idea 
 that eternal life was the certain effect 
 of feeding upon Him, personally. But 
 how could any feed upon Him ? This 
 was the mystery. This He now ex- 
 plains. The bread which He has been 
 
120 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 I will give is my flesh/ wliich T 
 
 will give for the life'' of the world. 
 
 52 The Jews therefore strove 
 
 among themselves, saying, How "^ 
 
 a He, 10. 5 ; 10. 20. /.e,3.16. IJno. 2.2. cc.3. 9. 
 
 speaking of, and offering to give, is 
 His flesh. Tlie figure is henceforth 
 dropped. The bread is no further 
 spoken of, but Himself. Ills flesh, 
 which He meant all along by the bread — 
 this He was to give, by His death on 
 the cross, as the Lamb of God, and the 
 substitute for sinners who will accept 
 His offered salvation. This is the way 
 in which He is to become the Bread of 
 Life to all who believe on Him. These 
 words would be understood more fully 
 at His death. T Tlie u-orld. The manna 
 was only for their fathers, but His 
 flesh is given for all people, and not 
 alone for the Jews — as explained al- 
 ready — (vs. 50) — that any one may 
 eat thereof and not die. See ch. 3: IG. 
 
 52. The Jews. These arc, as before, 
 the persecuting rulers — the Sanhedrim. 
 ^I' Strove. They not merely murmured 
 at Him, but began to quarrel among 
 themselves; some, probably, Laving an 
 idea of the spiritual sense, and others 
 treating it literally, as absurd. Oe- 
 SEHVE — They stumble as Jsicodemus 
 did, at what seems so impossible ac- 
 cording to the lettc?: " How can a man 
 be born when he is old?" " How ca,n 
 this man give us His flesh to eat ?" Our 
 Lord replies in ver}- much the same 
 manner as to Nico'lemus: He does not 
 soften the terms, nor retract any thing ; 
 but rather insists the more, and speaks 
 r.ot only of eating His flesh, but also of 
 drinking His blood. Observe— 1. 
 Persons who are utterly without piety 
 may nevertheless earnestly strive about 
 religious things. 2. A spirit of bitter- 
 ness in controversy shows more regard 
 for self th!in for the truth. So their 
 unbelieving fathers, whom they now 
 boasted, had asked in the wilderness, 
 "Can He give meat also? Can He 
 furnish a table in the wilderness V" 
 
 53." He uses here similar expressions 
 to those used in the institution of the 
 Lord's Supper, (Luke 22: 19,) nnd ! 
 
 Can this man give us his flesh to 
 eat? 
 
 53 Then Jesus said unto them, 
 Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
 
 plainly refers to the same great truth, 
 in both cases. AVe are habitually to 
 feed on Him — on His finished work — 
 on His promises — and on all His bene- 
 fits — just as we live on our daily food. 
 This great truth would be set forth by 
 lively symbols afterwards, and then 
 they would more fully understand it. 
 He used the bread and cup in the 
 Lord's Supper with the same meaning, 
 showing that "the worthy receivers 
 are, not after a corporal and carnal 
 manner, but by faith, made partakers 
 of His body and blood with all His 
 benefits, to their spiritual nourishment 
 and growth in grace." His language, 
 in both cases, is meant to set forth 
 Christ and Him crucified, as the living 
 food and drink of the soul. Of course 
 it cannot be meant as Papists vainly 
 hold, that eating the bread and drink- 
 ing the wine at the Lord's Supper, is 
 eating His real body, and drinking Hia 
 real blood — for it is plain from all the 
 connexion, th:;t He speaks of Himself 
 as to be eaten in a figurative, spiritual 
 sense, just as He calls Himself bread, 
 figuratively. Besides, it is plain from 
 the context, that this eating and drink- 
 ing is the same with believing — for the 
 same benefits are connected with the 
 two. And partaking of the Lord's 
 Supper cannot be meant here, because 
 it was not yet instituted, and could, 
 therefore, have no application to those 
 who were then addressed for their 
 present practice and salvation. Nor 
 could it have been intelligible at all to 
 them, if it referred simply to the par- 
 taking of the sacrament. But ^^this 
 gives to us in words, what the Loid's 
 Slipper gives to us in visible action." — 
 Da Costa. A misapprehension of this 
 passage in the third century, as refer- 
 ring to the sacrament, and making it 
 thus absolutely requisite for salvation, 
 led to the absurd practice of adminis- 
 tering the Lord's Supper to infants 
 
CHAP. vi. 
 
 121 
 
 Except * ye eat the flesh of the 
 Sod of man, and drink his blood, 
 ye have no life in you. 
 
 54 Whoso "^ eateth my flesh, and 
 drinketh my blood, hath eternal 
 life : and I will raise him up at 
 the last day. 
 
 . o Matt. 2G. -iG, 28 b vcr. 10. 
 
 Besides, the Papists maintiiia that eat- 
 ing at the sacrament is enough, and 
 deny to the people the privilege of 
 drinking; while here, our Lord con- 
 nects the two, and requires both eating 
 and drinking, so that the Papists con- 
 tradict themselves. Our Lord would 
 have us live upon Him, and partake 
 of Him in every Avay, and both for 
 meat and for drink — thp,t is, for our 
 ail. To e.at His flesh is to apply to our- 
 selves Christ's Person and sacrifice — 
 for His body was broken that each may 
 have a part. And it is to live upon 
 Him as our living Lord and portion. 
 To drink His blood, is to apply and 
 partake for ourselves, His satisfaction, 
 as the ground of remission ; and so to 
 be refreshed by a sense of pardoned 
 sin. ^ No life in you. Because He 
 is the only source of life to the soul, 
 they who do not feed upon Him — in 
 His offered grace — as the only sacri- 
 fice for sin, and the only hope and 
 sustenance of the soul, cannot have 
 life in them. B3' rejecting Him, they 
 also prove that they ai"e without 
 spiritual life. " The Jews asked about 
 the 2>ossibilily. Jesus replied by 
 declaring the necessity of it." — Bengel. 
 54. Our Lord here shows that this 
 eating and drinking is the same with 
 believing on Him — for it has the same 
 result. See vs. 47, It puts eternal life 
 in the possession of such an one. 
 He has it, even now, by having 
 Christ, the life of the soul, for his por- 
 tion. This would show them that the 
 eating and drinking were spiritually 
 meant. The same truth would be 
 more expressly symbolized in the Lord's 
 Supper. ^ Raise him up. Such a 
 partaker of Christ, namely, the one 
 who believes on Him, shall enjoy all 
 the benefits before promised, (vss. 39, 
 11 
 
 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, 
 " and my blcod is drink indeed. 
 
 56 He that eateth ** my flesh, and 
 drinketh my blood, dwelleth ® in 
 me, and I in him. 
 
 57 As the living Father hath 
 sent me, and I live by the Father ; 
 
 cPs. 4. 7. dLi. 3. 24. ec.15. 4. lJno.3.24; 4. 15, 16. 
 
 40,) even to the final and glorious 
 resurrection of the bodj-, which is the 
 crowning act. Luther says, " When I 
 reflect how Christ was crucified for me, 
 it ought not to be a mere thought, but 
 over and above tlie thought I should 
 have such an heart as builds upon 
 Christ, whose flesh and blood I receive 
 into my heart, and cimsider it as being 
 given for mc."' 
 
 55. For. This assigns a reason for 
 such benefits of feeding upon Christ 
 as had just been named. ^ Indeed. 
 This is opposed to the doubt expressed 
 by the Jews. My flesh is truly, really 
 meat. All other mea't is but a faint 
 shadow of this in its power of sustain- 
 ing life. To partake Christ so as to 
 live upon the benefits of His incarna- 
 tion and vicarious Sacrifice, is the only 
 true style of living. They who feed 
 upon Him as He is oflFered in the 
 gospel, have the most substantial food. 
 It is not a mere idea. It is a living 
 reality. They are sustained and sup- 
 ported more than by daily bread. 
 
 56. This is just because such a par- 
 taking of Christ as is here meant, 
 makes Christ part of the believer's 
 life. Christ enters into such an one ; 
 and as food becomes part of the system, 
 so Christ enters into such, and there 
 is a living union. For such to live is 
 Christ. 1" Dwelleth. Rather, abideth. 
 See ch. 15: 5. The term is the same 
 as is used of abiding in the vine. The 
 reference is to the vital union which 
 exists between the true believer and 
 Christ. It is not any mere theoretic 
 faith, which receives the doctrine of 
 Christ as part of one's creed. It is a 
 partaking, feeding upon Christ in His 
 Person and offices for life and salva- 
 tion. And this He labors to make 
 clear in every way. 
 
122 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 so * he that eateth nic, evcu he 
 shall live by me. 
 
 58 This is that bread -which came 
 down from heaven : not as your 
 fathers ^ did eat manna, and are 
 dead: he that eateth of this bread 
 shall live for ever. 
 
 67. The vital union is even like that 
 which exists between Him and the 
 Father. See ch. 5: 26. The whole 
 doctrine is further set forth — that as 
 the living Father, who is the fountain 
 of life (ch. 5: 20,) hath commissioned 
 Him, and given Him as ^lediator, to 
 have life in Himself, that He should 
 give eternal life to His people, (Col. 1: 
 19,) and as He lives by virtue of His 
 union witlT tlio Father, so, he that 
 eateth — ficdcili. upon Him — shall live 
 by virtue of his union with Him, and 
 because Christ lives, he shall live also, 
 in Him as the source of bis soul's life. 
 ch. 5: 28. '^ By me. 1. The parta- 
 kers of Christ siiall have life by Him, 
 as He has procured life by His death, 
 for sinners. 2. He gives life, and that 
 life is perpetuated, He gives life from 
 the dead — life over death — life in 
 death — and life after death. "What is 
 stated {^mounts to this, that God the 
 Father in whom life dwells, is at a great 
 distance from us, and that Christ placed 
 between us, is the second cause of life 
 in order that what would be otherwise 
 concealed in God, may proceed from 
 Him to us." — Calvin. Observe. — 
 Though some would make this refer to 
 eating the Lord's Supper, it is such 
 an eating of Christ, as to live by Him, 
 and not by the sacrame7it. 
 
 58. Our Lord here sums up what He 
 had said. ^ T/ns w. Of this kind- 
 having these qualities which He had 
 set forth. Such is the bread. T[ Which 
 came. He returns to the comparison 
 of this Bread with the manna, as at 
 the beginning of His discourse. And 
 now He speaks of this Bread as having 
 already come down from heaven, refer- 
 ring plainly to His own descent from 
 above. 'If Not as. The contrast which 
 He insists on between this Bread and 
 
 59 These things said he in the 
 synagogue, as he taught in Caper- 
 naum. 
 
 60 Many therefore of his disci- 
 ples, when they had heard this, 
 said, This is an hard saying; who 
 can hear it? 
 
 the manna which they boasted — is that 
 the partakers of it, (of Himself,) have 
 eternal life, while those who ate the 
 manna, are dead. He, therefore, is 
 the true Bread, which can not only 
 sustain life at the time it is eaten, but 
 can give life and life eternal. Hence, 
 He is more to be valued than that 
 manna in the wilderness, and His 
 being sent from God to men, is a 
 greater miracle, and should be received 
 as a more majestic display of Divine 
 love, than that daily raining down of 
 food for so many j'ears, for two millions 
 ofpeople, around their wilderness camp; 
 or, than that feeding of the thousands 
 on the few loaves. Bread of heaven ! 
 feed me till I want no more. — " There 
 is no reason why you should prefer 
 Moses to Rfe because he fed your 
 fathers in the wilderness, since I supply 
 you with far more excellent food, for 
 I bring heavenly life with Me." — 
 Calvin. 
 
 59. This important discourse was 
 public, and John notes the place. 
 T[ The Synagogue. The same Synagogue, 
 doubtless, which the faithful centurion 
 built, as a lover of the Jewish nation. 
 Luke 7 : 5. 
 
 f)0. An hard saying. The term here 
 used is generally applied in the New 
 Testament by way of reproach, as 
 harsh, repugnant, rough. It does not 
 mean " hard to be understood." Calvin 
 says, "it was in their hearts, not in the 
 saying, that the harshness lay." These 
 who are here called disciples, were 
 such as attended upon His teachings, 
 but of course, were not truly His 
 followers. See Matt. 17: 16; 10: 24. 
 ^ Saying, or discourse, referring to al) 
 that He had said about the true Bread . 
 which He had summed up at the close. 
 I Tj Can hear it. Literally, who is able to 
 
CHAP. vr. 
 
 123 
 
 61 When Jesus knew in himself 
 that his disciples murmured at it, 
 he said unto them, Doth this 
 offend you ? 
 
 62 What and if ye shall see the 
 
 hear it? AVho can endure to bear such 
 things ? 
 
 61. Knew in Himself. It is implied 
 that they did not utter their comphiints 
 aloud, so that He could hear — but 
 that He knew from His own Omnis- 
 cience even of human hearts, all that 
 they thought and said. ^ Offend. Lit- 
 erallj', scandalize. Is this a stumbling 
 block and offence to you ? 1. He had 
 claimed to be Himself a greater mirac- 
 ulous gift, than the manna. He asser- 
 ted His Divine origin, and the need of 
 living on Him, in terms such as seemed 
 absurd, or ridiculous to them. They 
 were offended that He should thus, in 
 such strange language, set Himself 
 before the highest gifts to their fathers, 
 and make Himself and their partaking 
 of Him, essential to their salvation. 
 This was putting great dishonor upon 
 Moses and the Fathers, and exalting 
 Himself, who seemed to them none 
 other than the son of Joseph and Mary, 
 to a position which they could not 
 appreciate. The necessity of Christ 
 and His atonement for being saved, is 
 always an offence to the natural heart. 
 (j"2. He meant now to declare, that 
 there was a j'et higher truth more 
 difficult and harsh, to common, unre- 
 newed understandings. Instead of 
 explaining that of which they com- 
 plained. He further asserted His dignity 
 and Divinity. "What if possibly ye 
 may see the Son of Man ascending up 
 where He teas before ?" AVhat a convin- 
 cing proof of His coming down from 
 heaven was reserved for all cavilers 
 in the fact, soon to be realized, of His 
 ascending up ivhere He was before ! So 
 our Lord often met His caviling oppo- 
 nents, by presenting still higher truths, 
 which should yet come home with 
 overwhelming evidence to their souls, 
 as the last judgment, &c. As He 
 . would ascend to heaven, it could not 
 
 Son of man ascend ^ up where he 
 was before ? 
 
 63 It ** is the Spirit that quicken- 
 etli ; the flesh profiteth nothing ; 
 the words that I speak unto you, 
 
 ac. 3. 13. Mar. 1G.19. £p.'1.8-I0. 6 2 Cor. 3. 6. 
 
 be His bodily flesh, upon which they 
 were to feed. 
 
 G3. The Spirit. The Spirit is that 
 which quickeneth — or giveth life. It 
 was not " the corporal and carnal" 
 eating of His flesh that was to be 
 saving. It is the province of the Spirit 
 to give life. So He had already shown 
 to Nicodemus. ch. 3. Their views of 
 His doctrine were low and groveling. 
 How He was bread, and living bread, 
 and how they were to eat Him, and 
 how this was essential to their salva- 
 tion, seemed to them simply absurd — 
 and so they murmured — while their 
 pride also was .wounded by His pre- 
 tensions. Hence He vindicates His 
 discourse from their low, literal con- 
 struction of it. They were like the 
 Papists, in supposing that any eating 
 of His flesh, or drinking of His blood, 
 could be required, or could be saving. 
 So He charges them that their low and 
 carnal aim after the loaves and fishes, 
 was vain and profitless, unworthy of 
 His gi'eater work. Tf The words. His 
 doctrine was received by them only in 
 a carnal way. The words, however, 
 which He used were to be taken spi- 
 ritually — and they are "the Sword of 
 the Spirit," (Eph. 6: 17,) and "quick 
 and powerful, sharper than any two- 
 edged sword" — (He. 4: 12.) — they are 
 " the incorruptible seed" — the living 
 germs — which spring up by the power 
 of the Holy Ghost, to a true life in the 
 soul. They are not empty sounds — 
 they are not gross absurdities. They are 
 spirit — life-giving — the seeds which 
 the Spirit vitalizes — the sword which 
 the Spirit wields — and they are life, in 
 the renewed soul — giving life from the 
 dead — and full of life, energizing the 
 renewed conduct. " We are boro 
 again — by the word of God which Ut- 
 eth and abideth forever." 
 
124 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 theij 
 life. 
 
 are sj^irit, and thcij arc 
 
 6-i But there are some of j-ou 
 that believe not. For Jesus knew 
 ' from the beginning who they 
 were that believed not, and who 
 should betray him. 
 
 65 And he said, Therefore said 
 
 aRo.8. £9. 2Ti. 2.19. 
 
 64. But. The difficulty is not in the 
 truth, hut in your unbelieving spirit. 
 TT Knew, &c. This directly asserts our 
 Lord's omniscience, as such knowledge 
 implies a perfect understanding of the 
 heart, and of the future conduct f»nd 
 result. T[ Betray Him. He even looked 
 forward to the issues of all this oppo- 
 sition in the closing transaction of His 
 life, when the same bitter hostility of 
 the human heart to His doctrines of 
 grace, should bring out a .Judas to de- 
 liver Him up to death. " He know all 
 things that would come upon Him." 
 Ch. 18: 4. 
 
 65. Therefore. Their conduct, and 
 His perfect foreknowledge of it, would 
 explain what He had said before, that 
 ■with such obstinate, inborn depravity, 
 no man could come unto Him except 
 by Divine grace drawing him— giving 
 him the renewed will and enlightened 
 understanding — vss. 44, 45. All their 
 inability lay in their spirit of unbelief — 
 their willful hardness and blindness. 
 This would always make it impossible 
 for them to apprehend and receive 
 Christ's words of truth and grace, ex- 
 cept by the almighty and irresistible 
 operation of God. ^ Given. Calvin 
 says. He here uses the word give in- 
 stead of draiv, (vs. 44,) to show that 
 there is uo other reason why God 
 di'aws, than because out of free gi-ace 
 He loves us. Those whom the Father 
 gives to Christ (vs. 37) to them He 
 gives to come to Christ. 
 
 06. From that time. Though the word 
 " time" is in italics, it is fairly i/npfied 
 in the Greek terms : and they could 
 not mean " from that cireumstance," as 
 that would be expressed by another 
 phrase. ^ ]\cnt back. This is ex- 
 plained by the next clause. They 
 
 I '^' unto you, that no man can como 
 unto me, except it were given unto 
 him of my Father. 
 
 66 From that time many of his 
 disciples went back, ° and walked 
 no more with him. 
 
 67 Then said Jesus unto the 
 twelve, Will ye also go away ? 
 
 5ver. 44, 45. c Zep. 1. 6. Lu. 9. 62. Ho. 10. 38. 
 
 ceased to attend upon His teaching. It 
 does not mean any such thing as that 
 they were Christians, and ceased to be 
 such, or fell from grace. Those who 
 are reallj' the Lord's, will persevere to 
 the end. They are kept by the power 
 of God through faith unto salvation. 
 Observe — 1. Not all who outwardly 
 profess Christ, and wait upon Him in 
 the public teachings, are true Chris- 
 tians. 2. How strange that what is 
 the life and soul of all true believers 
 should be an oflence to the mere worldly 
 professor. Only they who feel their 
 need can relish the plan of grace and 
 salvation by Christ. 3. These were 
 attracted to Christ by His furnishing 
 the loaves and fishes. When He pro- 
 posed, beyond this, to give food for the 
 soul forever, they murmured like their 
 unbelieving fathers in the wilderness. 
 
 67. The tivelve. The apostles. These 
 were but men, liable to be affected by 
 the turning away of others. He would 
 try their spirit of faith noAV, at a time 
 when the spirit of unbelief was preva- 
 lent. Instead of tivelve, scores probably 
 went away. They were outnumbered 
 by the skeptical, murmuring, caviling 
 throng. This has great power with 
 some. Many are staggered by hearing 
 of crowds turning infidel. But the 
 C[uestion is, whether they have taken 
 up this religion, just by the popularitj' 
 of it, and so are ready to go away 
 when the love of many waxes cold. 
 This is a test which our Lord puts now 
 to the twelve. Observe — Our Loi'd 
 was always jealous of the sinners' love 
 — anxious for it — applying for it — 
 testing it, so as to make it sure. 
 Amazing condescension, that says to 
 Peter, '■^ Lovest thou me?" — and to us 
 all, " Will 7/e also go away ?" He had. 
 
Age 32.] 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 125 
 
 68 Then Simon Pctor answered 
 him, Lord, to whom shall we go? 
 thou hast the '^ words of eternal 
 life. 
 
 69 And ^ wo believe and are 
 
 o Ac. 5. M ; 7. 38. i Matt, 16. 6. o. 1. 29 ; 11. 27. 
 
 and ha.s still, a human nature that 
 could be grieved by desertion, and 
 comforted by the devotion of men ! 
 
 68. Simon Peter. Tliis apostle an- 
 swers promptly for the rest, as in Matt. 
 16: 16, perhaps because one of the 
 tirst that was called to be a disciple, 
 (ch. 1 : 42,) and one of the first called 
 to be an apostle. iNIark 1: 17. ^ To 
 %ohom. This expresses the genuine 
 feeling of every true believer — that 
 there is none like Christ, that none 
 teaches like Ilim — loves like Him, or 
 saves like Him — and that if our hope 
 in Him must bo given up, we must 
 despair forever, it is not a question 
 between Him and others — any other — 
 but between Ilim and despair. How 
 cruel are the skeptics, who would try 
 to reason away from the soul this only 
 hope for eternity. ^ The words. Peter 
 here acknowledges the living, life- 
 giving power which Christ claimed for 
 His woi'ds. It is just because Christ's 
 words are spirit and life, that we can- 
 not go away from Him. Because they 
 pledge to us eternal life, and are the 
 words upon which He has caused us to 
 hope, (Ps. 119: 49,) therefore, we can- 
 not le ive Him. " Who shall separate 
 us from the love of Christ" — that is, 
 the love which Christ has displayed to 
 i-s, as it is revealed in the Gospel? 
 Ilom. 8. 
 
 69. Wc believe. Literally — xce have 
 believed. He speaks absolhtely — "We 
 believe, and have always done so." 
 Tliis is substantially the same thing 
 that Peter confessed so remarkably, 
 (Matt. 16: 16,) and for which Christ 
 pronounced him blessed, and gnve liim 
 his new name, and promised him (he 
 Jcej/s, which he gave Mo the eleven. 
 Peter here, as there, speaks in the 
 name of all the apostles. ^ And are 
 iure. This expresses the strongest 
 confidence. Faitli was confirmed by 
 
 11* 
 
 sure that thou art that Christ, tho 
 Son of the living God. 
 
 70 Jesus answered them, Have 
 not I chosen you twelve, and one 
 of you is a •= devil ? 
 
 CO. 13. 27. 
 
 their experience. Bengel remarks, 
 that here, knowledge follows faith, (2 
 Pet. 1: -5,) find that they are perverse 
 who demand knowledge before faith, 
 for it follows faith and obedience. Ch. 
 7: 17; 2 Cor. 5: 1; 1 John 5: 20. 
 IF Thai Christ. The Christ— the Anoin- 
 ted One — prophesied as to come. 
 Some texts read — "the holy one of 
 God." The reasons here added for not 
 forsaking Christ, are sober, solid and 
 sufficient. Who that ever knew this 
 Saviour could be induced to forsake 
 Him? How blessed to have such a 
 gracious and glorious friend — the Son 
 of God — the giv^r of eternal life. 
 
 70. Have not I chosen, &c. This 
 reply of our Lord must have greatly 
 shocked tlie confident Peter, who was 
 so ready to speak for them all. The 
 Master here declares, that so far from 
 all of them being so bound fast to Him, 
 as Peter had just attirmed, one of them 
 was, to his own knowledge, a devil. 
 This, of course, would prompt them to 
 self-examination. No reply of Peter, 
 or of any of them, is recorded. But 
 this astounding remark of our Lord 
 would show his i-eason for asking, 
 "Will ye also go away?" vs. 67. If 
 Judas had not already been hardened, 
 he must have felt like withdrawing or 
 repenting. But perhaps his heart had 
 not yet been drawn out — his hypocrisy 
 may not yet have fully developed even 
 to liis own view. Perhaps like many 
 a formal, hollow-hearted professor, 
 he gave outward assent to the apostolic 
 confession of Peter. It only needed 
 the hour of temptation to come, in 
 order to bring out the black hypocrisy 
 of his heart, f Twelve. Literally — 
 you, tlie twelve. Bengel remarks that 
 the article has great force here. The 
 twelve chosen ones — these here before 
 me — have a devil among them — ^' on« 
 qf the twelve." So in the narrative of 
 
126 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 32. 
 
 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot 
 the son of Simon : for he it was 
 that shoukl betray him, being one 
 of the twelve. 
 
 Judas's treachery, it is again emphati- 
 cally said — It was Judas Iscariot, 
 "one of the twelve!" How dreadful 
 to have it said, this or that criminal is 
 a professor of religion — a member, or 
 officer of the church ! Yet, though 
 Judas had been an apostle, he never 
 had been a true Christian — never a 
 sincere, humble believer. Christ had 
 chosen him for one of the twelve, but 
 it is plain from the result that He had 
 not chosen him to eternal life — else he 
 would not have fallen away and per- 
 ished, ch. 10. Our Lord did not here 
 point out Judas as the one to whom he 
 refen-ed. He only threw out for the 
 benefit of all, this positive declaration, 
 as from the searcher of hearts. IT Is 
 a devil. This is the strongest mode of 
 expressing the diabolical spirit of 
 Judas — that he was animated by the 
 temper of the devil, so as to be ?mong 
 the twelve, what Satan was among the 
 family of God in Heaven. He was a 
 fallen apostle, as Satan was a fallen 
 angel ; and soon this would come to 
 light. He said this much beforehand, 
 that when it should come to pass, they 
 might believe. This was meant to 
 touch the heart of Peter, and to set 
 him on his guard. 
 
 71. He spake of Judas. Tliis is 
 added by the evangelist, not from any 
 thing then said about the particular 
 person, but from what was afterwards 
 made plain by Judas's fall. The other 
 apostles seem to have confided in Judas 
 after this time. He still carried the 
 bag, (ch. 12: 6; 13: 29,) and they did 
 not seem to know that he was meant, 
 even when our Lord declared plainly 
 that one of them should betray Him — 
 until at length He pointed him out. 
 Ch. 13: 26. Observe— 1. The for- 
 bearance of our Lord toward Judas — 
 allowing him such opportunities of 
 Ealvatiori, and bearing for three j'cars 
 with his false professions. 2. Church 
 membership, and even the highest office 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 AFTER these things, Jesus 
 walked in Galilee : for he 
 would not walk in Jewry, be- 
 
 in the church may be held for years 
 respectably by a man that is a devil at 
 heart. 3. The lamentable fall of 
 others should make us humble and 
 lead to earnest self-examination. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 1. After these things. It will be ob- 
 served from the Harmony, (see Synop- 
 sis, Notes on Matt.,) that the year be- 
 tween the second and third Passovers 
 of our Lord, is opened by John in ch. 
 5, and closed with this announcement, 
 in the first verse of ch. 7 : so that John 
 has only two chapters of his narrative 
 falling within this second year of our 
 Lord's ministry. The other Evangelists 
 have related the chief events of this 
 year, embracing several important 
 miracles. There are several parables 
 which ai'e not given by John, and also 
 the Sermon on the Mount. T[ In Gali- 
 lee. Our Lord -iad been in Galileo 
 during the year. And now the empha- 
 sis is upon the verb "ivalked" — which' 
 literally means "tt-alked about" — tra- 
 versed — and comes also to refer to one's 
 course of living. The meaning here 
 would seem to be — He went about still 
 in Galilee, when it might have been 
 expected that after so long a time he 
 would go into Judea — and especially 
 as the yearly feasts would naturally 
 take Him up to Jerusalem. It is men- 
 tioned to introduce the account of His 
 not going up at first to this feast. 
 From ch. 5-: 18, we find that already 
 at the beginning of this year, and im- 
 mediately after the second Passover, 
 the leaders of the Jews were showing 
 their hatred towards Him. But His 
 hour was not yet come, and He there- 
 fore kept out of their way, when He 
 might lawfully ^o so. So we find that 
 He went about in Galilee at the opening 
 of the next year, traveling to the bor- 
 ders of Tyre and Sidon, and to the 
 coasts of Decapolis. The incidents aro 
 related chiefly by the other Evangel- 
 
AoB 32.] 
 
 CHAP. YII. 
 
 127 
 
 cause 
 him. 
 
 the 
 
 Jews sought 
 
 to kill I 3 His brethren therefore said 
 
 I unto him, Depart hence, and go 
 
 ^ 2 Now the Jews, into Judea, that thy disciples also 
 
 may see the works that thou doest. 
 
 feast * of tabernacles was at hand. 
 
 ists, (as. the seading forth of the Sev- 
 enty, &c.,) and John passes over this 
 tour with the simple statement in this 
 verse, |66, and continues the narrative 
 at §81. T[ Jewry. This is in the Greeli 
 " Judea.'" The name here given is the 
 old English name. It refers to the 
 soutliern division of Palestine, below 
 Samaria. See map, Mattliew. ^ Be- 
 cause. The reason for this course is 
 here given. The hostility of the Jcics 
 here mentioned, that is, the leaders of 
 the Jews, was fast ripening to bloody 
 violence. It was not the common people, 
 but the persecuting, bitter Sanhedrim, 
 who were seeking to put Him to death, 
 as will be seen in the ensuing verses. 
 Observe — That the 11th verse of this 
 chapter brings us to the Festival of 
 Tabernacles, which was only about six 
 months before His death. We come 
 now immediately to His final departure 
 from Galilee. 
 
 PART V. 
 
 From our Lord's Third Passover 
 witil His final departure from 
 Galilee, at the Feast of Taber- 
 nacles. 
 
 Time, six months. 
 § 81. Jesus goes up to the Festival 
 OF Tabernacles. His final de- 
 parture FROM Galilee. Incidents 
 in Samaria. 
 
 Matt I Mark. { Luke. | John. 
 
 I I 9. 51-56. I 7. 2-10. 
 
 Luke, in the parallel record, makes 
 no mention of this incident, but records 
 the conduct of the Samaritans, who re- 
 fused Him the hospitalities of their 
 country on this last journey from Gali- 
 lee to Jei'usalem. James and John 
 therefore asked if they should call down 
 fire from heaven to consume them. 
 
 2. Fea^t of Tabernacles. Literally, 
 The Feast of tents. It was in com- 
 memoration of the Israelites' dwelling 
 
 in tents or booths in the wilderness, 
 when they were brought out of Egypt. 
 The feast commenced on the llth and 
 15th of the seventh mouth Tisri, which 
 is our last of September and first of 
 October. Deut. 16: 13, &c. ; Numb. 
 29 : 12. It was one of the three prin- 
 cipal feasts of the Jews. It was also 
 connected with the celebration of the 
 vintage, as the Passover and Pentecost 
 wei"e also connected with the harvest 
 celebrations. At this festival of Taber- 
 nacles, the Jews were accustomed to 
 erect booths, of palm branches and 
 willows, or poplars, and to dwell in 
 them as their fathers did in passing 
 through the desert ; so bringing to 
 mind those wonderful events in their 
 history, which they were wont to sing 
 in their triumphal psalms. 
 
 3. His brethren. The question lias 
 been much discussed, whether these 
 were His actual brethren, born of the 
 same mother, or only near relatives, as 
 cousins. The term here used some- 
 times has this sense. Some hold that 
 our Lord had no brothers or sisters. 
 But they are referred to by name, 
 along with His parents, as showing 
 His lowly origin. Matt. 13: 55. See 
 also Ps. 69: 8. It is urged that if 
 Mary had had other sons, it is not 
 probable that they would have had the 
 same names as the sons of Mary the 
 wife of Cleopas — (the cousins) — one 
 of whom was called James, another 
 Joses, (Matt. 27: 56,) and especially 
 that the title, " Mary the mother of 
 James and Joses," would not have been 
 used to distinguish the latter. 2. That 
 if the mother of our Lord had had own 
 sons besides him. He would scarcely 
 have committed his mother to John's 
 care instead of to theirs. But this is 
 not conclusive, for all along He declared 
 that his nearest relatives were his 
 most faithful disciples — " he who doeth 
 the will of God, the same is my brother 
 
128 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age b2. 
 
 4 For there is uo uiau liiai Joelh 
 any thing in secret, and Le him- 
 self seeketh to be known openly. 
 If thou do these things, shew thy- 
 self to the world. 
 
 and sister aud mother." Mark 3: 35. 
 And 3. That the family of David seems 
 to have been regarded in tlie prophets 
 as ending -with our Lord. But on the 
 contrary, verse 5 lays a stress upon 
 the unbelief of these brethren, as 
 though they were of His own nearest 
 kin. If so, there could have been no 
 brothers of our Lord among the twelve, 
 unless we understand "the brethren" 
 as applied here to the majority of them, 
 with a single exception. It is urged 
 by those who take the former view, 
 that the "James" who was so promi- 
 nent at the Apostolic S^'nod in Jerusa- 
 lem (Acts 15) was now an unbeliever — 
 and that, as in the case of Paul, he 
 who held out so long in unbelief, be- 
 came afterwards most eminent in the 
 service of the Master, and yet was not 
 an apostle. It was held by early writers 
 that these were sons of Joseph b}' a 
 previous marriage, and thus were only 
 lialf-brothcrs of our Lord. See note 
 Matt. 12: 47. 
 
 Tf Depart hence. These brethren have 
 as yet taken only the lowest views of 
 His wonderful character. They seem 
 to have some faint notion of His ma- 
 jesty and superiority, but they treat it 
 in the most secular way. They would 
 liavc Him go to Judea to make a show 
 of Himself. They say this perhaps 
 not so much in derision as in vacilla- 
 tion ; not knowing what to make of 
 Him, but urging Him here to show 
 Himself. They doubtless thought that 
 at the feast, when crowds would be 
 thronging Jerusalem, He would have 
 the best opportunity of making Him- 
 self conspicuous. T[ Thy disciples. 
 Those in Judea who had become His 
 disciples in His previous visit. Ch. 4 : 
 1-3. As He had now been so long in 
 Galilee, those in Judea had not wit- 
 nessed His recent miracles. Or the 
 reference may be to the disciples who 
 
 5 For neidier did Lis brethren ' 
 believe in him. 
 
 6 Then Jesus said unto them, 
 My '' time is not yet come : but 
 your time is always ready. 
 
 a Mar. 3. 21. J o. 2. 4 ; 8. 20. ver. 8.30. 
 
 would be assembled from all quarters 
 at the feast. There may also be a re- 
 ference here to the desertion of many 
 disciples, which had just occurred. 
 Ch. G : G6. AVhen these brethren say, 
 " ihj/ disciples," they seem to imply 
 that they themselves are not of the 
 number. Sec vs. 5. 
 
 4. For. The reason which is urged 
 is one of principle — that as He sought 
 to do wonders. He would naturally 
 bring these wonderful works to public 
 view, since, on His own principle, a 
 candle is not lighted to be put under 
 a bed, or a bushel, but to give light to 
 all that are in the house. Matt. 5: 15. 
 ^ If thou do. This, perhaps, implies 
 a doubt. If there is no mistake about 
 all this wonder working, and if, really, 
 as it seems, thou doest these wonders, 
 make thyself manifest to the world. 
 Do not remain here in the obscurity of 
 Galilee, but go up to Jerusalem among 
 the crowds. — Perhaps, as His brethren, 
 they were disposed, if He had any 
 such greatness, to get the advantage 
 of His fame. Yet, on the whole, they 
 had no spiritual convictions of His 
 Divinity. 
 
 5. For. This verse connects closely 
 with the preceding, and is intended to 
 define the position of these brethren — 
 and to show their unbelief, as the basis 
 of the foregoing question. ^ Neither. 
 This may be read, not even. It is 
 meant to call attention to the fact that 
 even those who were so related to Him, 
 did not believe on Him. Observe. — 
 It is not natural fleshly relations, nor 
 anj- outward affinities or opportunities 
 that can secure faith in any. It is 
 only the power aud grace of God, the 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 6. Ml/ time. Literally — The conve- 
 nient time, which is mine. His time — 
 His set time, according to the Divine 
 plan — for manifestation to the world, 
 
Age 82.] 
 
 CHAP. vir. 
 
 129 
 
 7 The * world cauiiot hilt e 3'<'u; nut up yotuuto this feast; for my 
 but me it hateth, because I testify j tiiue is not yet full come, 
 of it, that the works thereof are 9 When he had said these words 
 
 evil. 
 8 Gro ye up unto this feast; 
 
 go 
 
 anil for going up to tlie feast, was not 
 vet. There were reasons why it was 
 not yet the suitable time, and He was 
 not at liberty to go up on such carnal 
 principles as they suggested. He acted 
 under a Divine commission and with 
 regard to the Divine ttIH. — In the fol- 
 loAving verses where the idea is repeat- 
 ed, it is implied that the present liin- 
 drance, was the bitter hatred of the 
 ■world. 1[ Your time. They had no 
 such thing in their way. They would 
 be kept back by no such principle as 
 His, and by do such enmity as Ho must 
 encounter. ^ Alwai/s readi/. They 
 Could go up at any time. "Like does 
 not cast off like." "They are fine fel- 
 lows," says Luther — "they have kind 
 High-priests. If I would speak what 
 the Papists wished to hear, I could 
 easily go to Magdeburg or Ptome, as' 
 liishop." — From vs'3. 10-12, we see 
 how well He foreknew the opposition 
 which would be showu towards Him, 
 when He should arrive at Jerusalem. 
 
 7. The world. He now explains fui'- 
 ther His delay, ou account of the 
 enmity He would meet, and this enmity 
 was grounded in deep principles of the 
 human heart. He was not of the world, 
 else the world would love its own ; but 
 because He was not of the world, 
 therefore the world hated Him and His 
 disciples. ^ Because I testify, &c. He 
 here gives the reason of the human 
 enmity He must meet. The world 
 liated Him because He faithfully bore 
 v.itncss against their doings. They 
 were animated by the opposite spirit. 
 This is also the ground on which faith- 
 ful ministers of Christ will often be 
 opposed by the ungodly world. 
 
 8. Go ye up. Do ye go up, and not 
 v.':iit for me. IT ^ go not up yet. Some 
 manuscripts read, " I go not up," 
 which some understand as meaning, I 
 d>J*iiot intend lo go. But this couli 
 
 unto them, be abode sd'Um Galilee. 
 10 But when his brethren were 
 
 not be the meaning, as the verb is in 
 the present. I go not up, at present, 
 and in the reason which He gives 
 immediately He adds, "for my time is 
 not yet fully come." This is abundant 
 to show that He did not mean to deny 
 any ^?,'?-j»ose of going at another time. 
 Yet such poor pretences do infidels 
 seize upon, like those persecuting Jews 
 to find some accusation against our 
 Lord. This w^as the aim of Porphyry, 
 and of others, since. But this only 
 shows what Christ here declares, that 
 the world of ungodly men hate Him. 
 
 0. When He had said. Having so 
 expressed Himsi^jf, He accordingly re- 
 m.-iineu, while they went up. He did 
 not go in their company. He would 
 thus avoid going up with unbelievers, 
 and He would not mingle with the 
 excited crowds along the roads. He 
 would also avoid exciting the jealousy 
 of the Jewish rulers, by going up with 
 a throng. Later in the feast, the ex- 
 citement would be less, than if He had 
 appeared in the caravan of His rcLi- 
 tives and countrj'men, when all Avcre 
 on the look-out for Him. 
 
 10. Then went He also. He waited 
 untd after His brethren had gone — a 
 day or two, for He arrived and had 
 made already much stir before the 
 fourth day, or "midst of the feast," 
 (vs. 14,) which lasted seven days. 
 *|[ Not openly. Not in the common 
 caravan parties. The custom was for 
 neighbors and kinsfolk to go up in 
 company. Luke 2; 41. This is still 
 the custom of the country. We saw 
 them in groups of fifty and a hundred, 
 thronging the chief roads, and with 
 music and banners going up to Jerusa- 
 lem on feast days. ^ But as it ivere. 
 This rendering of the Greek particle 
 conveys a wrong sense as though there 
 was a show of secrecy, or an affecta- 
 tion of it, without the faot. The par- 
 
130 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 gone up, then went be also up 
 unto the feast, not openly, but as 
 it were in secret. 
 
 ^11 Then ^ the Jews 
 sought him at the feast, and said. 
 Where J^ he? 
 
 12 And "^ there was much mur- 
 muring among the people concern- 
 
 o c. 11. 56. J c. 6. 19. 
 
 tide here, commonly rendered "as," is 
 also used to express the intention. See 
 Acts 17: 14, where the same vrrong 
 ^idea is given in the translation, "to 
 go as it were to the sea," but where the 
 real intention is meant to be expressed, 
 and not any false pretence — " to go as 
 to the sea." — Luke now relates the 
 healing of ten lepers, in a Samaritan 
 village, on His way to Jerusalem. 
 
 PAKT YI. 
 
 The Festival of Tabernacles, and 
 the subsequent transactions until 
 our Lord's arrival at Bethany, 
 six days before the fourth Pass- 
 over. 
 
 Time, six months less one week. 
 § 83. Jesus at the Festival of 
 Tabernacles — His public teach- 
 ing. 
 
 John. 
 
 7.11-53. 
 8.1. 
 
 11. Then the Jews. As soon as the 
 caravan arrived at Jerusalem, a gene- 
 ral excitement and inquiry ensued. 
 "The Jews," here spoken of, are the 
 leaders — the Sanhedrim — and not the 
 people. The latter were more open to 
 conviction. The former were bigoted 
 and bitter — intent on His death. They 
 were all bent on finding Him out. 
 If Where is He ? Literally — where is 
 this one — this fellow. Some suppose 
 that He went up very soon after the 
 caravan, and remained in Jerusalem 
 secretly, until about the middle of the 
 feast, vs. 11. 
 
 12. Murmuring — Muttering of one 
 thing atid another — whispering — not 
 sp9akiiig openly — for fear of express- 
 
 ing him : for some Said, He is a 
 good man : others said, Nay; but 
 he deceiveth the people. 
 
 13 Howbeit, no man spake open- 
 ly of him, for fear of the Jews. 
 
 14 Now about the midst of the 
 feast, Jesus went un into the tem- 
 ple, and taught. 
 
 ing any good opinion of Him before the 
 Sanhedrim. ^ The people. These 
 were feeling very differently from the 
 rulers, for the most part. Yet there 
 was a division among them. ^[ Some. 
 As His Galilean disciples and the con- 
 verts of Judea. ^ Good. One of good 
 motives and of honest, benevolent pur- 
 pose and character in opposition to 
 deceiving. ^ Others. There are always 
 fault-fjiders where Christ or His people 
 are found. The name " Satan " means 
 "accuser" — accuser of the brethren, 
 and of Christ. T[ Deceiveth. This is 
 opposed to the goodness of character 
 which His friends claimed for Him. 
 Instead of being honest and benevolent, 
 " He deceiveth the people " they said — 
 by setting up false pretences of being 
 the Son of God — the Messiah, &c. 
 
 18. Spalce openly. Literally — with 
 boldness. That is — none of His friends 
 made bold to speak their good opinions 
 of Him. These were His advocates in 
 the crowd so far as to give an opinion 
 very cautiously in His favor, where His 
 merits were passingly discussed. But 
 they were not ready to profess Him 
 boldly among His bitter enemies. 
 Many, doubtless, do now profess Him 
 in elegant churches, who would not 
 acknowledge Him in Pilate's judgment 
 hall — nay, many who will not take 
 sides with Him openly against the 
 ungodly world, if it will cost them any 
 sacrifice. 
 
 14. About the midst. This was 
 probably on a Sabbath. This would 
 seem to have been His first public 
 teaching at Jerusalem : and hence, the 
 inquiry of the Jewish rulers who were 
 persecuting Him. They were evidently 
 astonished at His open, public teach- 
 ing in the temple. It was the great 
 
AoK S:l] 
 
 CITA?. Ml. 
 
 131 
 
 15 And " the Juws marvelled, 
 saying, How knowcth this man 
 ^letters, having never learned? 
 
 16 Jesus answered them, and 
 
 a Matt. 13. 54. 1 or, learning. 
 
 said, My doctrine is not ^ mine, hut 
 his that sent me. 
 
 17 If °any man will do his will, 
 he shall know of the docti-ine, 
 
 5c.8. !8; 12.49. ce. 8.43, 
 
 Colonnade of the temple where He 
 resorted for this purpose. And at the 
 time of the feast, crowds would natu- 
 rally be about the temple. This 
 furnished Him a desirable opportunity 
 for His teaching. In the colonnade 
 which surrounded the great space 
 before the courts, the Sanhedrim had 
 their chamber, and in that quarter 
 there was also a synagogue or school 
 for instruction, where the learned Rah- 
 bins discussed important points of the 
 law. See Plate, ch. 10; 23. ' 
 
 15. How kiioweth. No one was per- 
 mitted to teach publicly who had not 
 been a regular disciple and colleague 
 of a Rabbi for some years. Even then 
 he could o!;Iy teach the opinions of 
 others. He must be a regular Rabbi 
 in order to be allowed to teach his own 
 opinions. Some do doubt, however, 
 ■whether this rule was fully established 
 in the time of Christ. T[ Letters. 
 This refers not to Scripture learning 
 except as the Old Testament Scriptures 
 were the only literature of the Jews. 
 The people considered every religious 
 discourse as a proof or pretence of 
 learning, like that of the Rabbins. 
 And this question was asked in order 
 to throw contempt upon Him as un- 
 schooled in Jewish learning. So Peter 
 and John were called '* unlettered," 
 la the same sense. Acts 4: 13. 
 T Havinj near imrned. Having never 
 been the scholar of a Rabbi. 
 
 16. Our Lord takes up this challenge 
 and proceeds to show the wide differ- 
 ence between His teachings and those 
 of the Rabbins, and in the san^e words 
 justifies Hia upgchooled teaching, as 
 having OQii)e fpcm the highest source. 
 Peye agaiu He presses the Jewish 
 fulers with the stubborn fact, that He 
 iaught under a commission (proved by 
 pis wonderful works, } from the Jeho- 
 vah whom they professed to worship 
 dad tq t^ftchj Ho had learned of one 
 
 higher than all their Rabbis — of the 
 one whom their teachers professed to 
 vindicate and to make known. 
 
 17. Will do. Literally — if any man 
 is willing to do. It is not meant that 
 an outwartl performance of God's com- 
 mands will insure such a knowledge of 
 the truth — but that a disposition which 
 is set on pleasing God, shall find the 
 truth clear, and the evidence satisfac- 
 tory. He goes on to show them a sure 
 method of proving His doctrine, and 
 seeing whether it is of God, as Ho 
 declared. It required only a right 
 state of mind in regard to the practical 
 duties of religion to convince any one 
 respecting the nature and origin of His 
 doctrines. These people were full of 
 professions and of external devotions 
 toward God, but the truth was, that 
 they were intent only oq doing their 
 own will and not God's. This princi- 
 ple would strike at the root of their 
 vain pretensions, and show them to be 
 wrong at heart, and at enmity with 
 God and His revealed will. This would 
 show the nature and ground of their 
 darkness. Calvin says, "A right judg- 
 ment in regard to divine things, flows 
 from the fear and the reverence of God. 
 If, therefore, they had possessed minds 
 penetrated with the fear of God, they 
 would easily have known of His doc- 
 trine, whether it was true or false." 
 It is here shown how wonderfully a 
 man's capacity for divine knowledge is 
 dependent on His inclination, Pascal 
 says, '*In order to love human objects 
 it is necessary to know them ; in order 
 to know those which are divine. It is 
 necessary to love them." In this sense 
 we see " the law is our schoolmaster to 
 bring us unto Christ." Unless you be- 
 lieve, says Augustin, you icill not zmder- 
 stand. — Those whose hearts are wrong, 
 never had their miuds truly enlightened. 
 The fall has blinded the mind as well 
 as corrupted the heart. Where there 
 
I'i2 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 wlietLer it be of God, or whtther 
 I speak of myself. 
 
 is a hearty avcrsiou to divine truth, it 
 is not received in its right light. It is 
 misunderstood, perverted, rejected. 
 How can an unrenewed man under- 
 stand the Scripture doctrine about sin, 
 or salvation — when he will not admit 
 and does not see his sin, nor see how 
 he can need such a salvation. Of 
 course he cannot appreciate the plan 
 of grace — nor apprehend the great 
 doctrines of the Gospel. Let one's 
 heart be set right, and let him be intent 
 on pleasing God, and he shall see the 
 fitness and truth of the Scriptures — he 
 will feel their suitableness to himself. 
 Observe — It is the disposition to com- 
 ply with God's requirements, and not 
 the bare performance of His outward 
 commands which is here spoken of as 
 fundamentally important. 2d. This 
 disposition of heart must go before 
 knowledge, and is in order to it. It 
 prepares us to receive God's revealed 
 truth with humility and docility, with- 
 out cavil or prejudice or perversion. 
 3d. We see thus, how essential is true 
 piety to a correct knowledge of the 
 Gospel. No other mind than one 
 savingly illuminated will receive the^e 
 humbling truths, and the practice of 
 true piety will greatly promote all 
 right understandings of God's revealed 
 will and ways. 4th. Vv'e see how it is 
 that poor, unlettered cottagers, who 
 have little knowledge of books, are so 
 clear and well informed in divine things. 
 They have been taught of God. Their 
 views are often far more sublime than 
 ever entered into the mind of worldly 
 statesmen and scholars who despise 
 holy living. 5th, The evidence which 
 true Christians have of the truths of 
 Christianity is most conclusive and 
 sntisfactory. They know of the doc- 
 trine from their experience in religious 
 duty. They know these truths from 
 having put them to a personal test — 
 and this is a kind of evidence Avhich no 
 arguing of infidels can disturb. It is 
 the evidence of the blind man, (ch. 9,) 
 "©ae thing I know, that whereas I 
 
 18 He "that speuketli of himself, 
 seeketh his own glory : but he that 
 
 was blind, now I see." 6th. This is 
 the only kind of evidence that many of 
 the poor of this world have handled — 
 and we ought to bless God that thus 
 he puts his glorious Gospel within the 
 reach of the humblest — and that while 
 these things are hid from the wise and 
 prudent, they are revealed to babes. 
 Observe — 6th. If any one cannot fully 
 see, let him not wait, but go forward, 
 earnestly seeking to serve God, and the 
 truth shall be made plain to him. 
 " Then shall ye know if ye follow on 
 to know the Lord." Hos. 6: 3. 
 
 18. Our Lord adds a most clear, 
 convincing test of His doctrine, as 
 ditfcreut from that of the Jewish doc- 
 tors. T[ 0/ himself. Not concerning 
 himself, but by his o%cn authority. Such 
 an one as speaks of his own prompt- 
 ing — self-commissioned — not sent by 
 a higher authority — such an one seek- 
 eth to promote his own ends, is self- 
 seeking, and aims at self-exaltation. 
 All His teachings tend to this object. 
 He meant to'intimate that this was the 
 character and spirit of the Jewish doc- 
 tors, and that in this respect, His 
 teachings were widely difi'erent from 
 theirs. ^But he, &c. (Piirity of motive 
 is no security for correctness of doc- 
 trine. Men may even submit to hard- 
 ships to establish their doctrine — ^may 
 even be cast out from the society of 
 their friends, and this will not prove 
 them to be teachers of the truth. Some 
 even love to endure persecutions for 
 their extravagant opinions, and then 
 plead their self-sought persecutions as 
 a proof of their true teaching. ) Bengel 
 saj's, there are tivo things included in 
 this mark of a true teacher. I. He is 
 sent. 2. He seeks the glory of Him 
 who sent Him. The stress is to be 
 liiid here upon the teacher being sent. 
 Christ is the great apostle, which 
 means " sent," and He proved His 
 mission by seeking the glory of the 
 Father: whereas the Jewish doctors 
 had no commission from God, to vouch 
 for their faleo and selfish teachings, 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 188 
 
 ' seeketh Lii.s glory that sent hiui, 
 the same is true, aud no unriglite- 
 ousness is in him. 
 
 19 Did not Moses '' give you the 
 law, and yet none ° of you keepcth 
 the hiw ? Why go ye about to kill 
 * me? 
 
 20 The people answered and said, 
 
 a Pr. 25. 27. 6 Jno. 1. 17. Ga. 3. 19. c Ro. 3. 10-19. 
 jd .Malt. 12. U. c. 5. 16, 18, 
 
 ^ No unrighteousness. One who is uot 
 only, not self-seeking, but is aiming at 
 the glory of God, must be true, and 
 worthy of confidence, because he seeks 
 only the promotion of His honor, who 
 is truth itself — and there is no falsity 
 in him, nor can he be a deceiver of the 
 people as some of them alleged, vs. 12. 
 19. He now charges home upon 
 them, the fact that they had proved 
 their character by their conduct, in 
 regard to the law of Moses. They 
 professed'.y regarded Moses as the 
 giver of the law — they had no doubt 
 about that, as they professed to have 
 about the authority and mission of 
 our Lord. But what was their real 
 regard f«i* the law of Moses ? Their 
 fathers had rejected Moses — and they 
 had no hearty care for doing the will 
 of God as delivered by Closes. This 
 showed plainly that the difficulty was 
 not in their disbelief of our Lord's 
 authority; for, though they pretended 
 to have the highest confidence in iMoses, 
 a.s being sent from God, they paid no 
 proper obedience to the law which he 
 delivered. Therefore He could sa}' to 
 them as He did here in substance, "If 
 ye believe not his writings, how shall 
 ye believe I\Iy words V ch. 5 : 47. 
 The law was to be read before all 
 l.'srael at the feast of tabernacles every 
 seventh year. ^[ Why go ye about. 
 Literally, Why seek. Herein they were 
 showing their real temper of enmity 
 against all truth and righteousness. 
 Our Loi'd Jesus is the sum of all excel- 
 lence — most worthy to be loved — most 
 suited to engage the warmest affections 
 of all the true and good in the universe. 
 Therefore it is said, " If any man love 
 not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be 
 12 
 
 ' Thou hast a devil : who gocth 
 about to kill thee? 
 
 21 Jesus answered and said unto 
 them, I have done one work, aud 
 ye all marvel. 
 
 22 Moses ^ therefore gave unto 
 you circumcision ; (not because it 
 is of Moses, but « of the fathers;) 
 
 ec. 8 48. /Le.l2. 3. 5 Ge. 17. 10. 
 
 anathema maranatha," because he does 
 thus put himself outside the sphere of 
 all true excellence — and liis doom, 
 however dreadful, is only the natural 
 necessary result of his hearty aversion 
 to the essence of all perfection. 
 
 20. The people. Not the rulers, but 
 the mixed multitude, who were distin- 
 guished from the persecuting rulers, 
 and may not have been aware of their 
 foul and murderous designs. From 
 vs. 25, we see that there were such. 
 Yet it would not be strange if even 
 they who were bent on killing Him, 
 had declared themselves innocent, and 
 pretended to be utterly ignorant of 
 any such scheme. They may not ye*, 
 have known their own hearts — that 
 their hatred was virtually murder. 
 Matt. 5: 21, 22. Tf Thou hast a devil— 
 A demon. Thou art possessed with a 
 spirit of lunacy, and art mad. 
 
 21. One zvork. Our Lord drops the 
 direct charge which they so flatly 
 denied — and passes to expose their 
 hatred as exhibited toward Him, in 
 regard to the most beneficent miracle 
 of healing the- impotent man at Beth- 
 esda. This He speaks of as "one work, ' 
 perhaps in contr.-ist with the multitude 
 of works which they performed on the 
 Sabbath, as He goes on to show. 
 Tf Marvel. Are amazed — a strong term, 
 expressing their great surprise — as if 
 they were horror struck. Some con- 
 nect the " therefore," of the next verse 
 with this, and read, ye all marvel at 
 this. But the received reading is 
 better. 
 
 22. Moses therefore. They had com- 
 plained of His work of healing the 
 impotent man, because it was done on 
 the Sabbath, and cur Lord proceeds to 
 
134 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 f A.GB 83. 
 
 and yc on the sabbath-day circum- 
 cise a man. 
 
 23 If a man on the sabbath-day 
 receive circumcision, ^ that the law 
 
 1 or, tcithuut breaking the laiv of Muses. 
 
 condemn them, and justify Himself, on 
 their own principle. 1. lie says that 
 Moses gave to them the rite of circum- 
 cision — and this, not as though it ori- 
 ginated with him, but because it came 
 down to him from the fathers, (Abraham, 
 Isaac and Jacob,) as a seal of the 
 Abrahamic covenant, therefore he gave 
 it to them. Accordingly it was their 
 custom to circumcise a child on the Sab- 
 bath dai/, whenever "the eighth day," 
 prescribed in the law for circumcis- 
 ion, came on the Sabbath. And they 
 did this, that the law of Moses, in regard 
 to circumcision, might not be broken. 
 ^ Are ye angry. He asks now how 
 they could be angry at Him, (not for 
 circumcising, but what is much greater 
 and better,) for curing a man — making 
 an impotent man, entirely tohole on the 
 Sabbath day. They performed circum- 
 cision, that (he law of Moses should not 
 be broken. Levit. 12: 3. But the ordi- 
 nance of circumcision was really of 
 prior and higher authority than Moses, 
 as having come down from the patri- 
 archs. And yet, even in this view, the 
 law of love and mercy which He fol- 
 lowed in this healing act, was of still 
 prior anl higher authority, as having 
 been from the very beginning, and, like 
 Christ Himself, before Abraham. If 
 then, they, in order to keep the law of 
 ]\loses, were accustomed on the Sab- 
 bath to perform the rite of circum- 
 cision, with so many works belonging 
 to it, of washing, bandaging, healing, 
 &c., how could they consistently com- 
 plain of Him — niiy, be so enraged at 
 Him, because He, on the Sabbath, did 
 a work that was of earlier and more 
 urgent obligation — a work of necessity 
 and mercy ? Our Lord here shows 
 that if to keep a Mosaic law, they 
 thought it right to do this work of 
 circumcising a man, (a male child) on 
 the Sabbath, He could plead a law 
 older than Moses, or the patriarchs 
 
 of Moses should not be broken ; 
 are ye angry at me, because " I 
 have made a man every whit whole 
 on the sabbath-day ? 
 
 even, for His work — the original funda- 
 mentpj law of God, the law of love 
 and mercy. Matt. 9: 13. Observe. — 
 If our Lord had held that the Sabbath 
 law was no longer binding, He would 
 certainly have said, you can do either 
 or any work on the Sabbath, because 
 the fourth commandment is no longer 
 in force. But His object was here, 
 (as elsewhere often.) to correct their 
 false views of the Sabbath, and to 
 show that works of necessity and 
 mercy could be done on that day. So 
 He taught them, in the case of others. 
 They had superstitious ideas of the 
 day and perverted tlie commandment. 
 The seventh day of the week, was still 
 the Sabbath, till the resurrection of 
 our Lord on "the first day of the 
 week," consecrated another day, as 
 " the Lord's Day." Rev. 1 : 10. * This 
 came gradually to be held as superse- 
 ding the other, along u-ith the institutions 
 of the old economy. 2. In circumcising 
 according to the Mosaic law, they did 
 right, and in healing according to the 
 original law of love, He did right. 
 Neither of these was a violation of the 
 Sabbath. "The Sabbath was made 
 for man, and not man for the Sab- 
 bath." 3. If our Lord had held the 
 Sabbath to be a mere ceremonial insti- 
 tution, He would have said, "j'e allow 
 one ceremonial institution to be set 
 aside bj* another." You circumcise, to 
 keep the law of Moses. But the Sab- 
 bath also is such. — But He speaks of 
 the Sabbath law as evidently some- 
 thing different, and resting on distinct 
 grounds. And the simple question 
 was, whether His act of healing was 
 any more inconsistent with the true 
 spirit of the Sabbath as an original, 
 fundamental law, than their work of 
 circumcision. He would show them, 
 that according to the proper idea of 
 the Sabbath, both were allowable. 
 Besides, circumcision was appointed to 
 
AoE 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 185 
 
 24 Judge " not according to the 
 appearance, but judge righteous 
 judgment. 
 
 25 Then said some of them of 
 Jerusalem, Is not this he whom 
 they seek to kill ? 
 
 26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, 
 
 I De. 1. 16. 17. 
 
 be done ou "<Ae eighth day." And as 
 the seventh day was the Sabbath of 
 the week, it came to denote the sacred 
 portion of time; and so "^Ae eighth 
 dag" (wliich followed it,) carried with 
 it a foreshadowing of the new, Chris- 
 tian Sabbath, which should supersede 
 the Jewish Sabbath and its ritual ordi- 
 nances, ch. 7 : 37, notes. Tf Every 
 U'hit whole. Literally — The whole man 
 healed. Circumcision related to the 
 outside merely. But this healing re- 
 stored the ivhole man. It was not 
 superficial and ceremonial, but it gave 
 soundness to the entire person. Some 
 take it to refer to soul and body. But 
 we nvQ not sure that this man was 
 renewed, vs. 14. 
 
 21. According to the appearance. He 
 had set forth this act of healing as not 
 iu violation of the Sabbath, according 
 to the true spirit of that institution, 
 and of His own act. He meant by 
 this to turn their attention to the in- 
 ternal motive of His conduct, and to 
 urge upon them a spiritual view of 
 the whole matter. At first appearance, 
 it mig'at seem that their circumcising 
 or His healing was in violation of the 
 Sabbath. But carefully, justly con- 
 sidered in their proper spirit, and ac- 
 cording to righteous judgment, the 
 case would be dear — and His act 
 would prove justifiable no less than 
 their work. T[ Righteous judgment. 
 Literally, The righteous judgment — 
 that which alone is righteous, and 
 true, according to the inner principle, 
 and not swayed by the outward ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 2.5. Of Jerusalem. Literally, Some 
 of the Jerusalem.ites. These seem to be 
 citizens of Jerusalem who were well 
 disposed, and difTerent from " the peo- 
 ple" mentioned in verse 20. They 
 
 and they say nothing unto him. 
 Do '' the rulers know indeed that 
 this is the very Christ? 
 
 27 Howbeit " we know this man 
 whence he is; but when Christ 
 Cometh, no man knoweth whence 
 he is. 
 
 6 ver. 48. c Matt. 13. 55. 
 
 speak here as lookers-on, who knew of 
 the hatred of the Sanhedrim there, 
 and were cui-ious to observe the turn 
 which things would take. They were 
 surprised at the boldness with which 
 Jesus defended Himself, and at the 
 way in which He zvas allowed to pro- 
 ceed — as though, perhaps, the rulers 
 had come to some change in their 
 views. 
 
 26. Do the rulers know indeed. The 
 rulers were the Sanhedrim, who, as was 
 well known in Jerusalem, had sought 
 to take the life of Jesus. It was there- 
 fore to be expected from the public in- 
 quiries made by them about His pre- 
 sence at the feast, that when He should 
 appear they would lose no time in seiz- 
 ing Him. But their quietness, and 
 their allowance of His open, bold dis- 
 course and defence, made these people 
 of Jerusalem query whether the rulers 
 had indeed become possibly convinced 
 of His Messiahship. It was their busi- 
 ness to search into it. The people 
 themselves were probably quite ready 
 to believe in Him — His words moved 
 them to conviction. H Indeed — Truly. 
 Have they ascertained of a truth ? See 
 vs. 48. 
 
 27. Howbeit. They are willing to take 
 human authority in rejecting Christ, 
 but not in acknowledging Him? They 
 are not ready to believe and adopt the 
 consequences of it, even if the rulers 
 have so done. They easily find some 
 flaw in the evidence, just where they 
 would be pressed to the point of giving 
 in their adherence to Him. There is 
 a " but" in the matter. IT We know 
 this man, &c. This was their flimsy 
 and false reasoning. "We are given 
 to understand in the Scripture, that no 
 one will know whence the Messiah ori- 
 ginates, and where He is born, Bu4 
 
186 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 28 Tlieu cried Jesus in the tem- 
 ple as he taught, saying, Ye both 
 know me, and ye know whence I 
 am : and * I am not come of my- 
 
 a c.5.43. 
 
 it is well kuown that Jcsiis was boru 
 at Bethlehem — therefore He can not 
 be the tine Messiah." But plainly 
 enough their own Scriptures doclai-cd 
 that Christ was to come out of Bethle- 
 hem. It was some false notion of their 
 teachers, therefore, or some false con- 
 struction of theirs, on which this mis- 
 take rested. It may have come from 
 the idea which is met with in the Scrip- 
 tures, that when the Messiah should 
 come, no one would Icnow His eternal, 
 heavenly origin as the Son of God. Is. 
 53: 8;'M:cah -5: 2. And this they 
 may have so misunderstood a.s to refer 
 it to His eaithly birthplace. Even His 
 tribe, family and lineage, as well as 
 His birthplace, were distinctly pointed 
 out in their Script 'li^-^. Or it may 
 Lave been their r.iis^ijsiirchcnsion of 
 Daniel 7: IG, where the ^Messiah is 
 represented as coming in'lh t!ie clouds 
 of heaven. Some of the .Jews thought 
 that the Messiah v^-ould not be known 
 until Ho should be anointed by Elias, 
 when He vrould suddenly ccme forth 
 from obscurity, while others held that 
 He would appear and then be hid, as 
 IMoses was. Observe — It is plain 
 that this was only a subterfuge to 
 which they were driven by their rising 
 convictions. Just such foolish, un- 
 reasonable pretences does the carnal 
 heart always find to resist the truth. 
 "It belongs to God to give tlie true 
 un.lerstanding of His own Scriptures, 
 and othervvise human reason does but 
 make every thing in them iiitricate. 
 It often happens that men think them- 
 selves very knowing in the Scriptures, 
 and in the ways of God, when they 
 really are as blind in respect of them 
 as these very Jews." — Qucs?iel. 
 
 l28. As lie laiiglit, sayiiic/ — Teaching 
 and saying. Our Lord here takes them 
 at their word ; and shows with great 
 pointedness and severity, tliat while 
 they do, indeed, know of Ilis earthly 
 
 self, but he that sent me ''is true, 
 whom " ye know not. 
 
 29 But <i I know him : for I am 
 from him, and he hath sent me. 
 
 IKo.S.J. cc.1.18; 8.55. dJIatt. 11.27. c. 10.15. 
 
 origin, they do not at all know whence 
 He originally has come, nor Him from 
 whom He came. Thej' knew that He 
 was from Nazareth, a.s the place at 
 least "where He was brought up," and 
 that His family was that of Joseph and 
 Mary. But this was all they knew. 
 And so, in reality, the conditions which 
 they claimed for the Messiah were ful- 
 filled in Him — namely, that they did 
 not know whence He was. Tf And I 
 am not. Bather — And yet I am not, 
 &c. 1 But. Kather — And moreover — 
 besides this. T True. This is cot the 
 common word for " true." It means 
 rather, genuine, real, original, as dis- 
 tinct from the image or representation. 
 It is the term used in the fifteenth 
 chapter — " I am the true vine." See 
 Notes. It is not in the sense of being 
 Korthy of belief but as being a sub- 
 stantial and veritable person, who has 
 in Himself all the perfection that is 
 expressed in the image or type. Christ 
 was the reflection and image, or stamp 
 of the Father, (Heb. 1: 3,) and the 
 Father was the genuine essence, an- 
 swering to all that He represented and 
 showed forth. Besides this, the Father 
 was true, as distinct from their merely 
 shadowy and partial views of Him. 
 \ Whovi ye Jcnow not. They claimed 
 to know the Jehovah of their Old Tes- 
 tament Scriptures. But our Lord 
 shows that they did not know Him, 
 and in this sense, indeed, they did not 
 know whence He came, just Iccause 
 they did not know Him as the Father 
 of the Son. No one who denied Him 
 as the Messiah could know the Father 
 as Jeliovah — for he that honcreth not 
 the Son honoreth not the Father who 
 sent Ilim. Ch. 5: 23. A.ml the same 
 could be said of the present case, Ho 
 th.".t knoicetit not the Son Inoiceth not 
 the Father who sent Him. 
 
 29. / know Him. This clause fur- 
 ther sets forth the close relation to tha 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 187 
 
 30 Then * they sought to take him 
 but no man hiid hands on him, be- 
 cause his hour was not yet come. 
 
 31 And many " of the people 
 
 oMar. 11. IS. Lu.20.19. c.8.37. 6 c. 4. 39. 
 
 Father which Jesus claimed. He wa.s 
 in a position such as gave Him a pecu- 
 liar linowledge of the father. He was 
 in the bosom of the Father — and the 
 anly-begotlen son of the Father — and, 
 therefore, He could reveal Him, because 
 He most iaiineJiatelj' knew Him. ch. 
 1 : 18. Therefore, also, they did not 
 know Ilim, because they had no inti- 
 mate relation to Him as children, and 
 this was shown in tlieir rejection of 
 His Son whom He had sent. 1[ From 
 Him. This denotes tlie eternal Son- 
 ship from which foUov.'S His mission. 
 
 30. IViey sought. That is, the 
 rulers — the 8aiihedrim, as distinct from 
 the people. This was because of His 
 bold reproof and plain declarations 
 against them. ^ But no man. It is 
 wonderful that with all their zeal for 
 His destruction, no man laid hands on 
 Him. There were doubtless some 
 sufficient reasons for their keeping 
 back — perhaps from the fear of the 
 people who differed, as we have seen, 
 from the rulers, in their judgment of 
 Him, and their feelings toward Him. 
 vss. 25, 20 and 31. Bat the Evan- 
 gelist gives only the reason back of 
 all, and behind all second causes, viz : 
 that JIls hour, appointed by the Father, 
 had not yet come. ch. 17: 1. 
 
 31. And many. Rather— 6u< many. 
 This gives us some hint of the difficul- 
 ties which the rulers had in carrying 
 out their bloody designs. iNIany of the 
 people who did not share in the selfish 
 opposition of the Sanhedrim, were 
 really believing on Him, at least, in 
 His prophetic character, if not as 
 JMessiah, and the rulers saw that they 
 would liave the people agaiu.-st them if 
 they made any attempt upon His life. 
 Observe — 1. Our Lord's divine mis- 
 sion was proved by this continual 
 miracle of His preservation amidst the 
 malice of His enemies ; and He was 
 plainly apprized of the time and man- 
 
 12* 
 
 believed on him, and said, When 
 Christ Cometh, will he do more 
 miracles than these which thi3 
 man hath done ? 
 
 ner of His end, as appointed by the 
 Father, ch. 17: 1. " I am immortal," 
 said Whitfield, "till my work is 
 done." 2. There was, nevertheless, a 
 natural connexion of events leading to 
 that great hour — and John gives us the 
 narrative of how it came to pass — and 
 gives it no less carefully or minutely 
 because he saw it to have been divinely 
 appointed. ^ Of the people. As distinct 
 from the rulers. See vs. 48. These com- 
 prised also strangers who were visitors 
 at tlie festival from different quarters, 
 as distinct from the Jerusalemites, who 
 were residents of the city. vs. 25. 
 If And said. They were able to give a 
 reason of the hope that Avas in them. 
 ^ When Christ co-meth. That is — 
 according to the Scriptures, which pre- 
 dict Christ's coming, are we author- 
 ized to expect more. 1[ More miracles? 
 This was a good reason for believing 
 in .lesus. They were given to expect 
 from their Old Testament Scriptures 
 that the llcssiah, when he came, would 
 work miracles. Isa. 35: 5, 0, &c. And 
 now it was a fair question for his per- 
 secutors to answer, whether more 
 miracles could be expected to be 
 wrought by any other than had been 
 wrought by this Jesus. Observe — 1. 
 All the learning and subtilty of the 
 Jewish doctors does not come up to 
 this plain and conclusive argument of 
 the common people. ]\liracles are 
 promised to be wrought by Christ to 
 show the divine Avitness to His mission, 
 when He comes. This man has wrought 
 many miracles without doubt. Does 
 the Scripture say that "when Christ 
 Cometh," He shall work more miracles 
 than these. 2. The plain common 
 sense argument of the humble cottager, 
 which brings forward the Scriptures, 
 is confounding to all the fine-spun 
 sophistries of philosophers and men of 
 science, falsely so called. "I thank 
 thee, Father," &c. (Matt. 11: 25.) 3. 
 
188 
 
 JOTTN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 32 The Pharisees heard that the 
 people murmured such things con- 
 cerning him ; and the Pharisees 
 and the chief priests sent officers 
 to take him. 
 
 33 Then said Jesus unto them, 
 
 How often infidelity in its zeal, has the 
 elfect under God to bring out humble 
 faith, to a more bold and forcible expres- 
 sion. Hdw many of the able defences 
 of Christianity have been called out 
 by the denial of vital truths. And so 
 it is that God overrules the workings 
 of evil, and controls all things to the 
 furtherance of His cause. Things 
 seemed all the while now to be getthig 
 worse and worse. But God was gath- 
 ering His elect people in the midst of 
 vilest, bitterest oppositions of those in 
 power, and He would bring even out 
 of the death of His Sou, the light and 
 life of the world. 
 
 32. Murmured. This term means to 
 wimper — to talk over in a low tone. 
 This was the way probably in which 
 the people were expressing themselves 
 in groups, or discussing the matter in 
 private parties. They who fear tlie 
 Lord will speak often one to another, 
 even in the worst times, (Mai. 3: 10.) 
 !ind the Lord hearkens and hears Ihem, 
 as AvcU as the bitter persecutors. It 
 is not said that the Pharisees heard 
 them — but that they heard of them. It 
 was reported to them that the people 
 were so talking among themselves. 
 Nor is it said that the people were 
 seeking concealment. But the popular 
 excitement in His favor, brought the 
 masses to such earnest conference 
 wherever they met. The Pharisees 
 and chief priests are both mentioned 
 here, as the Sanhedrim was mude up 
 of these. TF Sent officers. This dem- 
 onstration of the people's faith, was 
 an alarming symptom in the view of 
 the Pharisees. They therefore, sent 
 at once their officers — not to seize Him 
 immediately, but to stand ready for a 
 convenient moment. 
 
 33. Our Lord here continues the dis- 
 course which was interrupted, vs. 29. 
 
 Yet * a little while am I with you, 
 and tlun I go unto him that sent 
 me. 
 
 34 Ye ^ shall seek me, and shall 
 not find me : and where I am, 
 thither ye cannot come. 
 
 a c. 13.33; 16. 16. &Hoa.5.6. e.8.21. 
 
 And He continues with a reference to 
 what He perfectly knew of all their 
 secret plots against Him. He seems 
 to refer to the movement they were 
 making to lay hands on Him — whether 
 there was anything open in it, or not, 
 is not said. He signifies to them, that 
 the time for His death was rapidly 
 approaching, and that therefore they 
 need not be so impatient to seize Him. 
 ^ Ilim that se7it jne. This implied that 
 He would soon ascend to the Father. 
 And it would seem that they would 
 have understood it so, as He had just 
 been speaking of being sent by the 
 Father, vs. 29. And yet they most 
 grossly misunderstand it, or willfully 
 pervert the meaning in ridicule, vs. 35. 
 It was a dark saying to them, as they 
 did not know Him who sent Him. 
 vs. 28. 
 
 34. Ye shall seek Me. Some take this 
 to refer to their seeking Him, to kill 
 Him. But it probably has the sense 
 of seeking the Messiah, whom they 
 had despised in Himself. " Tile time 
 shall come, (at my death,) when the 
 IMessiah, whom you have rejected in 
 my person, you shall then seek in 
 vain." And even while the judgments 
 would be hanging over the Holy City, 
 they would ask, (many of them,) whe- 
 ther this Jesus whom they had cruci- 
 fied, might not possibly have been the 
 promised Messiah, 'i Shall not find me. 
 You shall not find the Messiah, for I am 
 the true and only Messiah, and having 
 put me to death, j'ou shall seek for an- 
 other in vain. Nay, though you may be 
 driven by j'our calamities and self-re- 
 proaches to wish me back sigain, you 
 shall not find nie. ^Whcrelam. Hewas 
 "the Son of Man which is in Heaven," 
 (ch. 8; 13,) and the words, "where I 
 am" — which some have taken to be 
 rather, " uhere J go," are meaait to 
 
AoE 83. j 
 
 CHAP. VI!. 
 
 189 
 
 35 Then said the Jews among 
 themselves, Whither will he go, 
 that we shall not find him ? will 
 
 convey the same idea as in ch. 3:13, 
 and to signify that such was His won- 
 drous nature, that even while He was 
 on earth, He was also in heaven. My 
 bodily presence shall be withdr.awn 
 from you. I shall be safely at rest, 
 where ye cannot come. He means to 
 say that all their violence cannot seri- 
 ously harm Hiin — much less put Him 
 out of existence — that lie shall be in 
 a better place, where they might be 
 glad to be, aiiil where they could not 
 follow Him in the flesh, and where, in 
 their present unbelieving state, they 
 were not able to come. Prov. 1 : 28. 
 If Cannot come. Literally, ye are not 
 able to come. He says, " where I am," 
 rather than " xvhere I shall be," to 
 signify the essential truth, as applicable 
 to their condition at that moment, in 
 thpir unbelief, and to show the infinite 
 distance at which they then already 
 were — only that they had not yet 
 waked up to see it in any way, and 
 when, in their coming calamity they 
 should, as a nation, seek for Him, that 
 is, for the Messiah, they should not 
 find Him — .and more than this, where 
 He then was, and would be, they as 
 they then were, would not be able to 
 come. So in ch. 8: 21, He says more 
 severely, ye shall seek me and shall 
 die in your sins. " For if ye believe 
 not that 1 am He, ye shall die in your 
 sins." ch. 8:21, 22. Observe.— This 
 declaration of our Lord is the text upon 
 which He discourses to them in the 
 following chapter, and in ch, 1(3: 16. 
 Our Lorl, therefore, as much as said: 
 "Unwise men, ye know not what ye 
 do in rejecting me, your Deliverer! 
 S )on enough will your foolish desire 
 to see me removed from you, be ful- 
 filled. I shall remain with you only a 
 short time, and then return to my 
 heavenly Father." You shall be in the 
 d;?rk about my abode, and thus reject- 
 ing me now, you shall find the fruits 
 of your unbelief settling upon you in 
 judicial blindness, and ye shall die in 
 
 he go unto the dispersed ■ among 
 the ^ Gentiles, and teach the Gen- 
 tiles ? 
 
 o Is. 11. 12. Ja. 1. 1. 1 Pe. 1. 1. 1 or, Grecka. 
 
 your sins, by cherishing and continu- 
 ing in your unbelief. How sadly is 
 this threatening fulfilled in their de- 
 scendants ever since the time of Christ. 
 The Jews as a nation, still groping 
 along in the dark and looking for the 
 JMessiah, do not find Him, and many 
 give up to despair and utter infidelity, 
 because they reject Jesus Christ. Ob- 
 serve. — How often the cavils which 
 men indulge in, settle upon them, so that 
 they cannot shake them ofi" when they 
 wish to. All the objections and soph- 
 istries which they have resorted to, 
 in order to quiet their consciences in 
 unbelief, will, by the very laws of their 
 own minds, so fix upon them and fasten 
 them down in their sins, that they 
 cannot get rid of them, even, when in 
 the solemnities of a dying hour, they 
 would fain believe. They who spend 
 their lives in finding fault with church 
 members, and with ministers, and cul- 
 tivating a spirit of objection to the 
 truth — will find that though Christ is 
 gracious as ever, they have been weav- 
 ing a winding sheet for their souls — 
 forging a chain for their eternal im- 
 prisonment. They cannot escape from 
 the net which they have thrown around 
 themselves. "Because I called, and 
 ye refused," &c. Prov. 1 : 24-26. 
 
 35. The Jews either understand Him 
 to speak of going to some other coun- 
 try — or they mean to turn His words 
 to ridicule, and pervert their proper 
 sense. They a^k, therefore, if He will 
 go among the Gentiles and teach the 
 Gentiles? Will He leave Palestine, 
 where He has met so much opposition, 
 and out of despite will He turn to the 
 Gentiles whom the Jews so much hate, 
 and teach the Gentiles? "The dis- 
 persed," being mentioned here, may 
 mean those .Jewish congregations who 
 were scattered abroad in Gentile lands, 
 from whom He might operate upon 
 the Greeks." The meaning is, will He 
 leave Palestine and go into the coun- 
 tries of the Gentiles, (Greeks,) among 
 
140 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 36 AVhat manner of saying is 
 this tha.t he said, Ye siuill seek 
 mcj aud shall not find me : and 
 whore I am, thither ye cannot 
 come? 
 
 ■whom our brethren are dispersed. 
 Will He even teach and i~roselyte the 
 Gentiles ? Then, indeed, we shall not 
 follow Him. This is evidently spoken 
 in ridicule. Our Lord returns no 
 answer to these cavils. ^ Gentiles. 
 Those who were not Jews were called 
 Greeks, (Gentiles,) because those for- 
 eigners whom the Jews knew of, were 
 chiefly such as spoke the Greek toncjue. 
 The term here rendered " Gentiles," is, 
 literally, " Greeks," viz — the aliens and 
 strangers from the commonwealth of 
 Israel — the Gentiles. Observe — This 
 is precisely what Christ has done — and 
 for this very reason, viz — His going 
 to the Gentiles, the Jews yet at this 
 day reject Him, and die in their sins 
 without a Saviour. 
 
 36. M'hat manner. Literally — xchat 
 is this icord, &c. They mean to say 
 (liffhtli/,) that it is a dark saying — that 
 they cannot see what it means unless 
 it be what they have just said, or some- 
 thing of the kind. 
 
 37. In the last day, &c. The last 
 day of the Feast of Tabernacles was 
 the closing feast day of the year. Some 
 take this to have been on the seventh 
 day, understanding that the proper 
 term of the feast was seven days. 
 Levit. 23: o4-CG ; compare Neh. 8: 
 18; Numb. 29: 35. But we find that 
 the first day was to bo a solemn assem- 
 bly and feast Sabbath — and on the 
 eighth day, another solemn assembly 
 nnd feast Sabbath. It was doubtless 
 tliis eighth ami closing day — that was 
 called the great, the crowning day of 
 the feast. We find the eighth day thus 
 signalized also in the Passover feast. 
 The day after the Paschal Sabbath was 
 made great by the waving of " the first 
 fruits." And all along, there was a 
 pointing forward in the festivals of the 
 Old economy to the great festal day of 
 the New Testament, when Christ, " the 
 
 '67 In the la.st " day, that great 
 (1(1^ of the feast, Jesus stood 
 and cried, saying, If '' any man 
 thirst, let him come unto me and 
 drink. 
 
 aLe. 23. 36. 6 Is. 55. 1. Ke.22.17. 
 
 first fruits," was presented in His Pte- ^ 
 surrection — the eiguth day — which is 
 the first day of the week, and not the 
 last, the day when the Fountain is 
 opened, and when living waters flov.' 
 forth from the Temple at Jerusalem. 
 Ezek. 47: 1-12; Zech. 14:8. This 
 eighth day was celebrated with special 
 pomp and splendor. There was a uni- 
 versal jubilee among the people, and 
 the Kabbins were accustomed to say, 
 " Whoever has not witnessed these fes- 
 tivities has no idea of a Jubilee." This 
 day was a day of rest from servile 
 labor — a holy day — a Sabbath — and so 
 it did very plainly shadow forth the 
 glorious Sabbath of the New Testa- 
 ment. This was properly enough the 
 preaching-day of our Lord, when, in 
 terms so remarkably clear and direct, 
 He begins to set forth the Gospel pro- 
 visions, more fully than to the woman 
 of Samaria, ch. 4. It was remarkable 
 about this feast, that the animal sacri- 
 fices offered were diminished each suc- 
 cessive day, until the last day, when 
 but one was oifered — pointing plainly 
 to the vanishing away of those sacri- 
 fices, and to the one only sacrifice, 
 " the Lamb of God." Besides, that to 
 which ovir Lord here especiallj' alludes, 
 is the ceremony in which every day, 
 at the morning sacrifice, the priest 
 brought from the Fountain of Siloani, 
 which sprang up in the interior of the 
 Temple mountain, and flowed under 
 the shadow of the Temple, a golden 
 vessel full of the Avater, and mingling 
 it with sacrificial wine, poured it out 
 upon the altars, and amidst the sound- 
 ing of trumpets and c.ymbals thej' sang 
 the words of Isaiah, 12: 3, " With joy 
 shall ye draw water out of the wells 
 of salvation." The Hallel was then 
 sung. Ps. 113-118. Some allege that 
 this ceremony was not performed on 
 the eighth day. (There is evidence that 
 
Age S3.] 
 
 CHAP. vir. 
 
 141 
 
 38 He tbat belicvetli on me, as 
 the Scripture hath said, out * of 
 
 aPr. 18.4. Is. 5S. II. c.4. 14. 
 
 it was done on each dny of the feast.) 
 But if not, this would not make it in- 
 appropriate for our Lord to refer to 
 the ceremony of the preceding seven 
 days. He refers to the water here as 
 a symbol of Himself, or of His gospel 
 grace, just as He does in the next 
 chapter, to the illumination at this 
 feast, when He speaks of Himself as 
 " the Light of the world." The Inter 
 Rabbins call this festivity "The Joy 
 of the Law," because the water was .a 
 symbol of Divine grace. They sup- 
 posed the passage in Isaiah to refer to 
 Messianic times, and translated it, 
 " Vv'ith joy shall you receive the new 
 doctrine from the chosen ones of righte- 
 ousness." Our Lord connects His 
 gospel teaching with their ceremonies, 
 to show how fully the doctrine which 
 He brought answered to all the shadows 
 of their services, and best realized all 
 the expectations which tlieir ritual 
 properly called forth. He tells them, 
 tiierefore, that He was Himself the 
 Great Reality of what they rejoiced in 
 under that ligure. That He was " the 
 living water" — " the water of Life" — 
 " the Fountain opened." Tf Stood and 
 cried. He was accustomed to teach 
 sitting. Matt. 5: 1. Now, however, 
 on the last day of the last feast which 
 He should attend prior to the Passover 
 in wliich He was to be the victim, Wis- 
 dom stood and cried standing in the 
 chief place of concourse. Prov. 1 : 20- 
 -3. ^ If any man. Whoever he be — 
 Jew or Gentile — bond or free. ^[ Thirst. 
 This sense of thirst is used to ex- 
 press that intense uneasiness and long- 
 ing for supply and satisfaction which 
 the soul often feels. They Avere fa- 
 miliar with these terms of invitation 
 in the Old Testament Scriptures — " Ho 
 every one that thirsteth, come ye to 
 the waters." Is. 55 : 1. And this was 
 meant to announce Himself as the one 
 pointed toby Isaiah — as the "fountain 
 opened," (Zach. 13: 1,) and tliis invi- 
 tation as that which the prophets had 
 in view. It is not .intended to limit 
 
 his belly .sh.all flow rivers of living 
 water. 
 
 His gospel offer to those who shall bo 
 able to prove that they have just this 
 intensity of desire, called thirst. It is 
 not meant to say that only those whose 
 desire for salvation is so deep and 
 anxious us to answer to the idea of 
 thirst, can be allowed to come to Him. 
 It is an invitation — not a restriction. 
 It is meant to invite most broadly all 
 who will — not to limit the offer. Tlie 
 emphasis, therefore, is rather upon 
 the words " any man" and Me, tlLnn 
 upon the word " thirst." For thirst is 
 taken as that intense longing for some 
 supply to fill the soul, which all men 
 have in some shape — and to all, there- 
 fore, the Saviour would make knowii 
 that He alone can meet the desire, 
 and satisfy the need. As though He 
 had said — 
 
 " IIo ! ye who pant for living streams, 
 
 And pine away and die ; 
 Here yaw m.iy quench your raging thirst 
 
 Witli springs that never dry." 
 
 38. Faith is here set forth as the 
 great requisite. ^ As the Scripture, 
 &c. The reference is to the promise 
 of living water flowing from the be- 
 liever: and the difficulty is, that a 
 promise in such terms is not to be 
 found. But we understand Him to 
 refer to the Scripture as somewhere 
 substantially conveying this idea. And 
 we find it in the vei-y connexion of this 
 ceremony, where, in Ezek. 47 : 1-12, 
 and in Zech. 14: 8, living water is 
 spoken of as flowing forth from Jeru- 
 salem and from the temple. Now the 
 temple was the sacred residence or 
 scat of God on earth. But God, by 
 His Spirit, should dwell among men, 
 and in them, when Christ should ascend 
 on High and receive gifts for them. 
 Ephes. 4:8; Ps. 68: 18. Therefore, 
 the Christian is spoken of by the 
 apostle as the temple of the Holy 
 Ghost. 1 Cor. 6: 19. Hence, as "liv- 
 ing waters" of spiritual influence 
 should go forth from the Christian 
 church, as the temple of God and the 
 New Jerusalem — so also should they 
 
112 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 39 (But this spake he of the ° Holy Ghost was not yet given; 
 
 because that Jesus was uot yet 
 glorified.) 
 
 Spirit, which they 
 on him should rece 
 
 that 
 
 believe 
 for the 
 
 a Is. 4i S. Joel 2. ! 
 
 c. 16. 7. Ac. 2.17, 
 
 flow forth from each believer. And 
 this should be, when God by His Spirit 
 should dwell among men, (Ps. 68: 
 18,) — "tabernacle with men" — and 
 dwell in the believer as His temple. 
 Gal. 4: 6; 1 Cor. 3: 16. The next 
 verse shows this to be the true expla- 
 nation — as it refers to the fact that the 
 ascension of Christ to receive gifts for 
 men, was the condition upon which the 
 Holy Ghost was to be given. 
 
 89. Tlds sjjake He. This is the ex- 
 planation thrown in by the Evangelist 
 to show that the gift of the Spirit and 
 His indwelling in each believer, is 
 what our Lord spake of in the general 
 refei'cnce to the Scripture promise in 
 vs. 38. Accordingly we find that the 
 apostle understands the Old Testament 
 promise (Ps. 68: 18,) in the same 
 terse : for where he refers to it in 
 Ephes. 4 : 8, he goes on to speak of 
 the various gifts — " some apostles and 
 some prophets and some pastors and 
 teachers " — all of which are to flow 
 forth — "for the perfecting of the 
 saints, for the work of the ministry, 
 for the edifying (building up) of the 
 body of Christ." Ephes. 4: 11, 12. 
 Therefore, the explanation of the 
 Evangelist is as much as to say, that 
 our Lord did not mean to quote in the 
 very terms, any promise of the Old 
 Testament, yet He spake these words 
 in reference to the Spirit which be- 
 lievers should (.iccording to the promi- 
 Bcs,) receive, that is, after His own 
 ascension. ^ For. The reason is an 
 important one, as has teen already 
 thown. The Spirit's more specipl effu- 
 sion and ministration was made to 
 depend on Christ's ascension. ^ Not 
 yd. The word ^^ given" is not neces- 
 sary to be supplied. " The Spirit teas 
 not" simply means that it was not yet 
 the season of the Spirit's dispensation — 
 just as it is written in IMark 11: 13, 
 "^Ae time of figs was not." The Spirit 
 bad not coine in, as the other Comforter, 
 
 promised. Ch. 14:16; 15:26; 16:7. 
 The event of Christ's ascension was sig- 
 nalized by the outpouring of the Spirit 
 at'Pentecost, (Acts 2: 33,) which was a 
 token of what was to be expected in the 
 church, and a fulfillment in part of the 
 prophecy in Joel 3: 1; Ezekiel36: 25; 
 39: 29, and Zachariah 12: 1; Isaiah 
 .32: 15; 39: 29. Of course it is not 
 intended to say that the Spirit was not 
 at all imparted — nor at all working 
 in believers and the church — for it 
 wrought in the prophets and all saints 
 from pious Abel, (Heb. 11,) and not a 
 soul ever believed in Christ, or wrought 
 righteousness without the Spirit — for 
 faith is one of the fruits of the Spirit. 
 Gal. 5 : 22. \ Glorified. It is John's 
 object to set forth the glorious dignity 
 of Christ and of His work, and he 
 shows all the events as steadily tend- 
 ing to Christ's glorification. See intro- 
 duction. His death was even to lead 
 to His being glorified, as he should 
 thus be exalted to the right hand of 
 power on the Mediator's throne. The 
 Psalm already quoted, (68 : 18,) con- 
 templates Him as having ascended on 
 high, and having led captivity captive, 
 and ha.ving received gifts for men — while 
 the apostle Paul (Eph. 4:8,) has it 
 "He gave gifts to men" — because He 
 received the gifts in order to give them — 
 and while the Psalmist contemplates 
 Him as receiving them, the Apostle con- 
 templates him as bestowing them, dis- 
 tributing them graciously, in the church. 
 Believers did not receive them in their 
 full measure until He should ascend on 
 high, and receive them to give them out 
 according to the promise and the plan 
 of redemption. Observe — 1. These 
 gifts of the Spirit are said to bo 
 "according to the measure of the gift 
 of Christ," (Eph. 4: 7,) as they are all 
 of grace. And yet we are to exercise 
 them according to the proportion 
 (measure) of faith. Rom. 11: 6. As 
 Augustine has said, "Each is filled 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP VII. 
 
 143 
 
 40 Mauy of the people therefore, 
 when they heard this saying, said, 
 Of a truth this is the Prophet. " 
 
 oDe, 18.15, 18. c.6.14. 
 
 according to the size of that vessel of 
 faith which each brings to the fountain. 
 If the love of the world dwelleth in 
 thee, there is no room in thee for the 
 love of God. Pour out what thou 
 bast, that thou mayest receive what 
 thou hast not. Each according to his 
 thirst shall find drink in God." 2. 
 We pray for Christ's ascension gifts. 
 They are gifts of grace to us — but gifts 
 of merit to Him. He has earned them 
 by His finished work. Hence, it was 
 ■ when He ascended to Heaven, having 
 triumphed over the gr.ave and death 
 and hell, and having finished what was 
 given Him to do, that He received 
 these gifts for men (His people,) as the 
 reward of Ills atoning work. Hence, 
 He said to His disciples on the very 
 eve of His crucifixion, "If I depart, 
 (to Heaven,) I will send Him (the 
 Comforter, the Holy Ghost,) unto you. 
 For if I go not away, the Comforter 
 will not come unto you." ch. 15: 7. 3. 
 " The glorified body of the Lord is the 
 temple from under whose threshold 
 the Holy Spirit flows forth to us.'" See 
 ch. 1: 16; Rom. 8: 11; Col. 2: 9. 
 4. Christ has now ascended. He is 
 glorified and sitteth at the right hand 
 to shed forth fi-eely the gifts of the 
 Spirit. " Ask and ye shall receive. 
 I will give unto him that is athirst, of 
 the fountain of the water of life freely." 
 The river of water of life, clear as 
 crystal, is revealed to us as proceeding 
 out of the throne of God and of the 
 Lamb. Rev. 22: 1.— 5. The Gospel 
 provisions are represented by water, 
 
 (1) in i\\Q\v suitahleness — suited to every 
 man as water is suited to his thirst ; 
 
 (2) in their fullness — full as tiie run- 
 ning fountain which he cannot possibly 
 exhaust ; and (3) in their freeae^s — 
 free as the gushing spring at ilic road- 
 eide for every thirsting tiMveler. 6. 
 As this living water is a well-spring in 
 each believer, springing up to ever- 
 lasting life, (ch. 4: 14,) and as it is a 
 flowing stream, which is to f.ow forth 
 
 4 1 Others said, This is the " 
 Christ. But ^ome said, Shall " 
 Christ come out of Galilee ? 
 
 from every Christian bosom, as t'uly 
 as it flows forth from the origina' 
 source to him, so our graces, if we 
 have them, must be diffusive. There- 
 fore, divine grace in the heart is repre- 
 sented as light: and it is the very 
 property of light to shine. It is not 
 light unless it shines. " As every one 
 hath received the gift so let him minis- 
 ter." 1 Pet. 4: 10. "By their fruits 
 ye shall know them." Matt. 7: 20. If 
 each believer were a flowing spring of 
 Christian influence, how soon the 
 knowledge of God would cover the 
 earth as the waters fill th-e sea. 
 
 40. Many. There was a division 
 among them, ("as there always will be,) 
 some approving, some rejecting. So it 
 was, all along, (vs. 12,) and manyvrere 
 inclining to Him. vs. 31. Here also 
 we find the impression wrought by His 
 sweet and tender invitation — His bold 
 defence — His earnest manner, (as Ho 
 stood, that all might see, and cried that 
 all might hear,) and especially by the 
 secret working of that Divine "Spirit, 
 which as yet was only partially dis- 
 pensed. IT The Prophet. That is, the 
 Prophet who was predicted as to come, 
 (Deut. 18: 15-18,) the prophet like 
 unto JMoses — of whom some thought 
 one thing and some another. See ch. 
 1 : 21; IMatt. 16: 14; ch. 6 : 14; 4: 19. 
 The impression made upon the people, 
 of His being the great prophet who 
 was to come, is expressed in the lan- 
 guage of conviction, "Of a truth" — 
 really — certainly this is He. It is as 
 in the case of the centurion. Matt. 27: 
 54. So Matt. 14: 33; ch. 4: 42; 6: 
 14; 7: 26. 
 
 41. The Christ. Some of the Jews 
 held that the prophet who was to 
 come, was diflerent from the Messiah, 
 anil was to herahl His coming. Others 
 lield that he was the same with Christ. 
 Here they seem to be distinguished. 
 Some took Jesus for the prophet, and 
 others for the Christ Himself. See ch. 
 1 : 20 Tl But some said. These ob- 
 
144 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33 
 
 42 Ilatli not the Scripture said, 
 That Christ '^ couicth of the seed 
 of David, and out of the town 
 of Bethlehem, •* where David " 
 was. 
 
 43 So there was a division among 
 the people because of him. 
 
 jectoi's were always ready, ever stifling 
 bj' the scripture itself the yearnings of 
 faith. A true sample this, of the 
 world's wisdom in things spiritual. 
 Knowing so much, yet knowing so 
 little — ready enough to bring forward 
 difficulties and pick flaws, but not at 
 all ready v/ith the proper explanations, 
 even when they are plain to a child. 
 I Out of Galilee. This was ft slieor 
 perversion of the facts, as contrary to 
 the scripture which they professed to 
 know all about. The facts were in 
 exact and wonderful harmony with the 
 scripture. The hint of His connexion 
 with Galilee, was given in Isniah 9 : 
 
 1, 2. (Comp. Matt. 4 : 15.) while it was 
 not true that Christ came out of Gali- 
 lee, in the sense of His being born 
 there. Observe. — How often the car- 
 nal heart in its prejudice against the 
 truth, is ready to distort the facts, and 
 to quote Scripture to sustain errors — 
 when if the facts could only be known, 
 and the truth thoroughly sifted, scrip- 
 ture would never contradict the realitj-. 
 All the facts iu nature — as in Geology, 
 Astronomy, &c., are sometimes very 
 boldly brought forward as contradictory 
 to the Scripture, wheii if the two books 
 of God's revelation — in Nature and in 
 the Inspired word — were understood, 
 they would be found most exactly to 
 agree. Our Lord was brought up in 
 ?Nazarcth of Galilee, but He came out 
 of Bethlehem — that is, Avas born there. 
 
 2. How often' men who seem very zealous 
 fur the Scripture, use it against Christ 
 and against the truth sis it is in Jesus. 
 
 42. The Scrijjfurc. So many events 
 had occurred since our Lord's birth — 
 and that was so strangely away from 
 His home, at Bethlehem, where the 
 parents were on a passing visit for the 
 taxinc; — and He was so short a time at 
 
 44 And some of them would 
 have taken him ; but no man laid 
 hands on him. 
 
 45 Then came the officers to the 
 chief priests and Phari.«ees; and 
 they said unto them, Why have 
 ye not brought him ? 
 
 Bethlehem, before the flight intoEgj'pt 
 and the return to Nazareth, that it is 
 not strange if He seemed to the people, 
 to have been born at Nazareth, rather 
 than at Bethlehem. Joseph does not 
 seem to have been generally known, as 
 "of the house and lineage cf David." 
 But it was well understood among the 
 people from the prophecies of the Old 
 Testament, that Christ was to be of 
 royal descent, and was to be born at 
 Bethlehem. 2 Sam. 7: 12; Jer. 23: 
 5, 6; 33: 1.5, 16; Ps. 132: 11 ; Micah 
 5: 2. 
 
 43. A division. Literally, a schism. 
 There were two parties, and now they 
 began to take positive sides, so as to 
 form two bodies ; the supporters and the 
 persecutors of our Lord. So it came 
 t« pass, according to His own predic- 
 tion, that He came to bring a sword 
 instead of peace, (Luke 12: 51: 1 Cor. 
 14: S3;) not as though this was the 
 aim cr the i:>roper effect of His mis- 
 sion, but because of the perverseness 
 of men, by Avhich a man's foes should 
 be they of his own household. Matt. 
 10 : 3(i. 
 
 44. Some of His opposers had it in 
 their hearts to seize Him, as we have 
 before found in vs. 30. It is not for 
 lack of the disposition, that they keep 
 hands off of Him. They are still held in 
 check by a Di'vine power, because His 
 hour for suffering death had not yet 
 come, as is stated already in vs. 30. 
 There were not wanting many from 
 the multitude attending at the feast, 
 who were readj^ to serve the chief 
 priests and Pharisees. And as they 
 had oificers out, commissioned to take 
 Him, so they were careful to have also 
 enough of the crowd in their cruel 
 interest. 
 
 45. The queers. These were probably 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 146 
 
 46 The officers answered, Never 
 * man spake like this man. 
 
 47 Then answered them the 
 Pharisees, Are ye also deceived ? 
 
 the same as are spoken of in vs. 32, 
 as having been sent by the Sanhedrim 
 to take Him, or to stand prepared at 
 least, and watch their opportunity. 
 They had already been on the watch 
 during this public excitement, and had 
 probably heard His discourse at the 
 close of the Feast of Tabernacles, vs. 
 37. This discourse had impressed 
 many of the people, vs. 40. And we 
 find that even these officers were deeply 
 moved. ^ Will/. It is not unlikely 
 that the Sanhedrim were in council, 
 informally, at least, and awaiting some 
 report from the officers. They seem to 
 have expected the arrest to be made, 
 and to have been disappointed that He 
 was not brought to them — at least 
 that the officers returned without Him. 
 
 46. J^ever Jiian. They do not say it 
 was for lack of opportunity or of suffi- 
 cient force to take Him, or for fear of 
 the people — but simply that His won- 
 derful discourse had held them back. 
 It was doubtless his august manner — 
 showing something of His divinity — 
 that moved them, even though they 
 may not have quite appreciated His 
 doctrine. Matt. 7 : 29. Yet the tender 
 invitations which He gave, coupled 
 with His earnest and convincing de- 
 fence, appealed to the conscience of 
 these men, and they could not resist. 
 Even Stephen's discourse had such ir- 
 resistible power with the conscience. 
 Acts 7 : — . We see that these officers 
 choose rather to meet the frown of the 
 Sanhedrim than to lay violent hands 
 on such an one as He. How could 
 they seize one as a criminal from whose 
 lips such words of love and pity flowed? 
 They come back to the Sanhedrim, 
 preaching Christ. Augustine says, 
 " He whose life was lightning, had words 
 of thunder P' 
 
 47. Are ye also. In vs. 12, we find 
 Jesus charged with deceiving the people. 
 The cutting question now put to these 
 
 13 « 
 
 48 Have any of the rulers •" or 
 of the Pharisees believed on him ? 
 
 49 But this people, who knoweth 
 not the law, are cursed. 
 
 6 Je.5.4,5. c. 12. 42. 1 Cor. 1. 
 
 officers is. Are you also allowing your- 
 selves to be cheated by this impostor? 
 Are. you giving heed to His claims, and 
 believing blindly in His pretensions ? 
 
 48. The favorable report of the offi- 
 cers is further rebuked by the ques- 
 tion, whether they had any authority 
 for believing in Jesus from the example 
 of any of the Sanhedrim. As much as 
 to say, Wait till some of vs have be- 
 lieved, who are the proper leaders of 
 the public sentiment, and who have a 
 right to know whether He is true or 
 false. — It is not unlikely also that they 
 began to fear lest this strange report 
 of their officers might have had some 
 such ground as this, and lest some 
 "ruler" or Pharisee had indeed be- 
 lieved. Jairus, Joseph of Arimathea, 
 and Nicodemus were rulers, and be- 
 lievers: and in ch. 12 it is recorded 
 that "among the chief rulers many 
 believed on Him, but because of the 
 Pharisees they did not confess Him, 
 lest they should be put out of the syna- 
 gogue." Ch. 12: 42. 
 
 49. But this people. This common 
 people — this crowd — this rabble — as 
 distinct from the rulers, &c. The 
 language is that of vexation and con- 
 tempt. They accuse the populace of 
 being an ignorant mob, Avho had no 
 right to have any opinion, at least none 
 of their own, and none different from 
 that of these learned and official men. 
 And so they pronounced them cursed — 
 not in any formal sentence of the 
 court — for it was spoken rather in 
 scorn of the crowd, with whom these 
 officers were supposed to sympathize. 
 It will be remembered that it was on 
 account of some manifestation of favor 
 toward Him on the part of the multi- 
 tude, that they had sent these officers 
 to take Him, vss. 31, 32. Observe — 
 1. The testimony of the people, and 
 of these officers, to our Lord's wonder- 
 ful discour.so. What must have been 
 
MG 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 50 Nicodomus saith unto them, 
 ("he that came ^ to Jesus by night, 
 being one of them,) 
 
 51 Doth ^ our hiw judge any 
 
 ao.S. 2. lfo7i<m. IDe. 17.8. Pr. IS. 13. 
 
 the aspect, tone, m.inner and doctrine 
 of tlie Saviour, to send tliese men back 
 ■with such a report, when they were 
 sent to .seize Him — and sent by the 
 highest in church authority. Doubt- 
 less, however, it was tlie unseen and 
 powerful working of tlie Holy Spirit 
 through the natur.al conscience which 
 held tbcm in check. 2. How often 
 those who have gone to the sanctuary 
 to lay violent hands on the minister 
 of the gospel, have been powerless, 
 and have returned converted. 3. The 
 chief priests of a superstitious and 
 corrupt hiei-archy, as the popes, and 
 archbishops of the papacy, have often 
 " sent officers" of the State to seize 
 and murder the servants of Christ. 
 They areas intent upon it now as ever 
 — and nothing keeps them in check, 
 where Ihcy have the power, except it 
 be the Divine arm, for the time. 
 
 50. After this question of the San- 
 hedrim to the officers, (vs. 48,) how 
 st.artled they must have been to hear 
 one of their otvn body speak out, who 
 hitherto had been only a secret be- 
 liever, ch. 3: 1, &c. Inasmuch as 
 they accused the people of not knowing 
 the law, so as to judge of Christ's 
 pretensions, Nicodemus takes up the 
 charge, and puts it home to them. He 
 reminds them of the law of Moses, that 
 no one was to be condemned, unheard. 
 Exod. 23 : 1 ; Dcut. 1 : IG, 17, 19, 15. 
 The Sanliedrim were likely in session, 
 and had intended at heart to condemn 
 Jesus at once, as soon as the officers 
 ehould bring Him. It would seem 
 that the Sanhedrim had sent the offi- 
 cers, (vs. 32,) for "the Pharisees and 
 chief priests" arc tliey — and it was 
 against such hasty, informal, and ille- 
 gal procedure, that Nicodemus' ques- 
 tion is directed. Hence it turns out, 
 that these sticklers for the law, arc 
 the very men who are breaking the 
 law. And so it was throughout. They 
 
 man before it hear him, and kcow 
 what he doeth '( 
 
 52 They answered and said untc 
 him, Art thou also of Galilee? 
 
 were very jealous of the Sabbath — sc 
 much so, that they would have the 
 bones of Jesus broken on the cross 
 and a hasty end put to His life, les 
 the Sabbath hours should be encroach 
 ed upon ! Ch. 19: 31. AVhat hypocris;;, 
 is not the humnn heart capable of 
 OcsEKVE. — It is a bad sign when mei 
 are very particular about the external 
 of religion — the mode of public wor 
 ship, form, &c., and perfectly regnrd 
 less of justice and right, as betweei 
 man and man. This was our Lord' 
 denunciation against these very men— 
 "tithing mint, and anise, and cummin 
 and omitting the weightier matters o 
 the law, judgment, mercy and faith. 
 Matt. 23 : 23. 
 
 52. Art thou also, &c. They repi 
 to the sober, weighty question of Nico 
 demus, not with argument, but wit] 
 ridicule. This shows their blood_ 
 purpose. They had already conclude 
 against Christ without trial. Hence 
 they felt more keenly the home ques 
 tion of one of their number. This i 
 the answer they had least expectei 
 to their inquiry, whether any of th 
 rulers had believed on Him. The 
 see, and they are worried by the fact 
 that the contagion is spreading an( 
 even invading their own ranks. Wha 
 else can they say in reply ? In utte 
 lack of reason they must use ridicule 
 They even descend to personal sneers 
 They want to know if he is also one » 
 them — and a Galilean, as Jesus Him 
 self, and as most of His followers 
 So they accused Peter in the judgmen 
 hall, "Of a truth this fellow also wa 
 with Him, for he is a Galilean." Thei 
 contempt for Galilee, and their vexa 
 tion made them lose sight of the history 
 For it was not unknown to them tha 
 some of their own prophets had .arisei 
 out of Galilee, that is, had been bori 
 there. At least, Jonah and even Eli 
 jah, the greatest of the prophets, wett 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 147 
 
 Search and look : for out of Gali- 
 lee ^ ariseth uo prophet. 
 
 53 And every man went unto 
 his own house. 
 
 o Is. 9. 1,2. 
 
 Galileans; perhaps also Nahum and 
 Ilosea. Yet, at the risk of their own 
 boasted learning in the Scriptures, they 
 dare Nicodemus to search and see. 
 Luther says, " Nicodemus's words 
 touched their conscience and confused 
 them so that they did not know what 
 they said." They may have meant 
 that no proj)het who was ]yredicied as 
 to come, was to arise out of Galilee — 
 and hence, they challenge liim to exam- 
 ine the Scriptures as to whence "the 
 prophet" predicted as the Messiah, or as 
 the herald of the Messiah, was to arise. 
 53. The Sanhedrim seems to have 
 broken up in some confusion — and so 
 fp.r, the protest cf Nicodemus had 
 effect. This verse which relates the 
 scattering of the chief priests and 
 Pharisees to their respective homes, is 
 closely connected with the first verse 
 of the following chapter; and they 
 should not thus liave been separated. 
 For the contra.st is meant to be shown 
 between our Saviour's course and 
 theirs. They went to their own houses. 
 Josus, who had no home of His own, 
 went to the mount, where he often 
 resorted from the cit^- and from His 
 persecutors, fur meditation and prayer. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 JESUS went unto the Mount of 
 Olives. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 This passage, (1-12,) with the closing 
 verse of ch. 7, is judged by many 
 critics to be spurious. Alford regards 
 this as an authentic fragment of Apos- 
 tolic teaching, which was esteemed too 
 valuable to be lost, and was therefore 
 adopted into the sacred text, in or soon 
 after the 4th centur}'. It is not found 
 in many of the ancient manuscripts 
 and versions, and there are three dif- 
 ferent texts of it, which is remarkable, 
 while many words and idioms are found 
 here which are not elsewhere used by 
 John. Besides, vs. 12 would connect 
 very well with vs. 52, ch. 7. So that 
 it is difficult to decide whether it is 
 genuine or not. 
 
 This brief history Has given great 
 difficulty to interpreters. It is so brief, 
 and gives so few of the circumstances, 
 as to make it doubtful with many how 
 tlie j)lot against our Lord is to be un- 
 derstood, in this case, vs. 6. 
 
 1. Jesus xcent. While every one of His 
 opposers retired, in confusion, each to 
 his own house, our Lord retired to the 
 mountain where He so frequently re- 
 sorted. IF Of Olives. This is a high hill 
 
 i-uirj 
 a till 
 
148 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Ace 83. 
 
 ^ 2 And early in the morn- 
 ing he came again into the temple, 
 and all the people came unto him; 
 and he sat down, and taught them. 
 3 And the scribes and Pharisees 
 brou";ht unto him a woman taken 
 
 rising quite abruptly from the Valley of 
 Jehoshaphat, and overlooking Jerusa- 
 lem on the east side. At its foot, be- 
 tween the city and the hill, is the brook 
 Cedron, and on its slope, just across 
 the brook, is the garden of Gethsema- 
 ne. oh. 18: 2. A winding footpath 
 leads over the hill to Bethany (ch. 11 : 
 1,) on the other side. Our Lord seems 
 to have passed the night on the mount, 
 perhnps at Bethany, where He was 
 wont to resort, (ch. 11: 3, 5,) away from 
 the bustle and turmoil of the crowded 
 city, and from the malice of His ene- 
 mies. 
 
 § 84. The Woman taken in Ahul- 
 TEKY. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. 1 Luke. I JoUu. 
 
 I I I 8. 2-11. 
 
 2. T/ie temple. Not the temple pro- 
 per, but the porch of the temple. There 
 He was wont to teach. This sacred 
 building, with all its courts, stood on 
 the steep edge of the precipice, oppo- 
 site the Blount of Olives, with Cedron 
 and Gethsemane between. From the 
 mount, (or hill,) therefore, as He went 
 in and out daily, "He beheld the 
 city," (Luke 19: 41,) and in front of 
 all its buildings rose the temple, the 
 scene of His labors. 
 
 5. As He was teaching the people. 
 His persecutors of the Sanhedrim made 
 trouble. It is not said whether they 
 brought this woman to our Lord in the 
 course of any legal proceeding against 
 her, or not — but it is rather implied 
 that it was for the purpose of involving 
 Him in difTiculty. Probably it was as 
 they were taking her to the tribunal in 
 the temple, where the court of the San- 
 hedrim sat, that they took this oppor- 
 tunity of perplexing Jesus — "The Ro- 
 mans, in settling the provincial govern- 
 
 in adultery ', and when they had 
 set her in the midst, 
 
 4 They say unto him, Master, 
 this woman was taken in adultery, 
 in the very act. 
 
 5 Now '^ Moses in the law com- 
 
 ment of Judea, which they had con- 
 quered, deprived the Jewish tribunals 
 of the power of inflicting capital pun- 
 ishments. Ch. 18: 31. The law of 
 Moses, however, was understood as 
 condemning adulterers to be stoned to 
 death. This woman had been taken 
 in a way to make her guilt most clear 
 Jesus, therefore, as they supposed, 
 must determine against the law, which 
 inflicted death — or against the Romans, 
 who suflfcred them not to put any one 
 to death, and who would still less have 
 allowed it for such a crime as adul- 
 tery, which was not a capital ofi"ence 
 among them." — Greenleafs Testimony. 
 ^ Stoned. The punishment for this 
 crime, by the Jewish law, was death. 
 It is not said expressly that it should 
 be by stoning. Lev. 20: 10; Deut. 22: 
 22-25; compare Exod. 81 : 14; 85: 2, 
 with Num. 15: 35, 36. Strangling was 
 the common idea of capital punishment 
 in Scripture, as we gather from the 
 Rabbins, because it was the easiest of 
 the four modes in use among them — 
 viz., stoning, burning, beheading, 
 strangling. "There were eighteen 
 crimes to be punished with stoning. 
 The mode was this — The oftender was 
 led to a place without the gates, two 
 cubits high, his hands being bound. 
 From hence one of the witnesses 
 knocked him down, by a blow upon 
 the loins. If that killed him not, the 
 witness lifted up a stone, being the 
 weight of two men, which chiefly the 
 other witness cast upon him. If that 
 killed him not, all Israel threw stones 
 upon him. The party thus executed 
 being quite dead, was aftei'wards, in 
 greater ignominy, hanged on 8. tree 
 till towards the sunset, at which time 
 he and the tree were both buried." — 
 Goduyn. In Deut. 22: 20-25, four 
 species of fornication are mentioned ; 
 
Age 83.] 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 149 
 
 manded us, that such should be 
 stoned : but what sayest thou ? 
 
 6 This they said tempting him, 
 that they might have to accuse 
 him. But Jesus stooped down, and 
 with his finger wrote on the ground, 
 as though he heard them not. 
 
 7 So when they continued asking 
 him, he lifted up himself, and said 
 unto them, He that is without sin 
 
 with the first and third (20 and 23) 
 the punishment of death by stoning is 
 named — with the second and fourth, 
 (vss. 22 and 25,) it merely said ^' die." 
 In Ezek. 16: 38-40, this crime was 
 punished by stoning and tlu-usting 
 through with a sword. If tlie adul- 
 teress was the daughter of a priest, 
 she was to be burned to death. 
 
 6. Tempting. Putting Him to a test, 
 in order to get a ground of accusation 
 against him. How they hoped to en- 
 tangle Him. is not stated. But if He 
 had decided that she should be put to 
 death, they might accuse Him of in- 
 terfering with the State, who legally 
 claimed the power of life and death, 
 though they often waived it as in the 
 case of Stephen. If He decided to let 
 her go, they might accuse Him of 
 sanctioning crime and abrogating their 
 law. Augustine, Luther and Calvin 
 understand it rather thus — If He said 
 yea, they would charge Him with de- 
 ciding against that compassion to sinners 
 which He preached. If He said nay, 
 Ihey would hold Him as in opposition 
 to Moses. T[ Wrote 07i the ground. 
 This was a common mode of showing 
 one's unwillingness to attend — or of 
 expi-essing one's indifference. TT As 
 though. This last clause is not in the 
 original, but is added by the trans- 
 lators, and conveys to some a wrong 
 impression, as though our Lord meant 
 to deceive. It was, rather, a customary 
 way of showing that He meant to pay 
 no attention to their inquiry ; and they 
 would so understand it. 
 
 7. They continued to ask (inquire) 
 as before, pressing the question, and 
 
 13* 
 
 among you, * let him first cast a 
 stone at her. 
 
 8 And again he stooped down, 
 and wrote on the ground. 
 
 9 And they which heard it, being 
 convicted by their own conscience, 
 went out one by one, beginning at 
 the eldest, even vmto the last; and 
 Jesus was left alone, and the wo- 
 man standing in the midst. 
 
 oDe. 17. 7. Eo.2. 1,22. 
 
 determined to entangle Him La some 
 difiiculty. This led Him at length to 
 reply. 1[ Without sin. Without ein of 
 this kind — (not, sinless, nor fre« from 
 this particular sin, as it can s^jorcely 
 be supposed that all of them ^ero 
 adulterers, but) — free from sins of un- 
 cleanness. He meant to turn the tables 
 upon themselves, and to confound them 
 by convincing them all of sin. He was 
 sent, not to deal with this or that par- 
 ticular sin, but with all sin — and He 
 could charge them all with grievous 
 sin, as He was the searcher of hearts. 
 Therefore He challenges any one who 
 could boast freedom from all such sin, 
 to step forward and first cast the stone. 
 This was to be done by the tcitnesses, 
 according to the law, (Deut. 17: 7,) 
 that they might feel their responsi- 
 bility in giving evidence. 
 
 9. They had said that the law com- 
 manded that such should be stoned. 
 They now perceive that they them- 
 selves were such. See vs. 46. ^ The 
 eldest. The term is, presbyters — elders. 
 It seems to be taken here not ofiicially, 
 and yet may have respect to rank — 
 those in liighest repute — even unto the 
 last, or lowest. It is not me.mt that 
 they went out in the exact order of 
 rank, but the general idea is express- 
 ed, that the one and the other with- 
 drew; and it is also hinted that when 
 the more elevated took leave, the less 
 had less courage to remain, — Thol. 
 TT Alone — with the woman, without 
 lier accusers, who had gone away. 
 The disciples and people were also 
 there, and the latter He addresses, 
 vs. 12. 
 
150 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 10 When Jesus had lifted up 
 himself, and saw none but the 
 woman, he said unto her, Wo- 
 man, where are those thine ac- 
 cusers ? hath no man condemned 
 thee ? 
 
 11 She said, No man. Lord. And 
 Jesus said unto her. Neither do I 
 
 10. Condemned thee. He had chal- 
 lenged any innocent one among them, 
 to act as witness and take the step 
 required of witnesses by the law. But 
 this would make such an one declare 
 himself innocent, while he would really 
 condemn himself, for he deserved the 
 same. Therefore none came forward. 
 This was our Lord's most sweeping 
 sentence, unexpectedly bringing them 
 all into the same condemnation, and 
 driving them away convicted and self- 
 condemned. They had shrunk from 
 taking the part of public, judicial pro- 
 cess against her, and thus had implied 
 a confession of their own guilt. 
 
 11. Neither. Our Lord would not 
 take judicial measures against her, as 
 the accusers had not done the part 
 prescribed by the law, and He would 
 not do the witnesses' part of throwing 
 the first stone. Neither would He act 
 as a magistrate, since He did not 
 claim civil authority. Luther says: 
 " Ho does not take from them their 
 rights, and He lets Moses alone— says 
 neither yea nor nay, but in a masterly 
 way He says both to them. Why do 
 you not what Moses commands? If 
 you wish to judge according to my 
 kingdom, let the case be with me. 
 For my judgment is : This adulteress 
 is not the only one — there is no one of 
 you that is not just as perverse and 
 wicked." They came to Him for a 
 judicial decision, vs. 5. lie shows in 
 the next verse that He regarded her as 
 a sinner, and condemned her in this 
 sense : but He came not to condemn 
 the world. This was not His errand, 
 to enforce penalties and cut men off 
 from hope, but that the world through 
 Him might be saved. 
 
 condemn ' thee : go, and sin ^ no 
 more. 
 
 ^12 Then spake Jesus 
 again unto them, saying, I *= am 
 the light of the world : he that •* 
 followeth me shall not walk in 
 darkness, but shall have the light 
 of life. 
 
 nc. 3. ]"• Jc.5. U. CO. 1.4; 9.6. dc. 12. 35,46. 
 
 I 85. Further public teaching of 
 OUR Lord. He reproves the un- 
 BELir»7iNG Jews, and escapes. — 
 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 M.iU. I Mark. 1 Luke. I John. 
 
 I I 1 8.12-59. 
 
 12. This verse may be read as con- 
 necting with vs. 52, ch. 7 — the para- 
 graph in regard to the woman being 
 thrown in as a parenthesis. This is a 
 continuation of the discourse, and the 
 incident in regard to the woman may 
 easily have occurred just then, and 
 there, in the treasury : and after dis- 
 posing of it, our Lord resumes His 
 discourse to the disciples and the peo- 
 ple who were present, while the perse- 
 cuting, questioning Pharisees had reti- 
 red in shame. Hence, this verse is 
 introduced by the word "again," sig- 
 nifying that the discourse is resumed. 
 Our Lord here proceeds with au allu- 
 sion to the custom at the feast of 
 Tabernacles, to light ujj two large 
 golden chandeliers in the court of the 
 women, the light of which illuminated 
 the whole city. This was done on the 
 first night of the feast, and some sup- 
 pose on every night. And as before 
 He alluded to the custom of canning 
 water from the pool of Siloam, (vs. 37: 
 ch. 7:) so here He refers to the other 
 custom as to Light, and proclaims 
 Himself to be what that signifies. It 
 is to be considered also, that the Jew- 
 ish doctors were accustomed to call 
 themselves "the Light of the world." 
 Besides, it was one of the well known 
 titles of the Messiah. "Arise, shine, 
 for tJiy Light is come." Isa. GO : 1 ; 
 42 : 6 ; 49 : G. So this Evangelist had 
 represented Him — as the Light, and 
 the true Light, which lighteth every 
 
ArjE 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 161 
 
 13 The Pharisees therefore said 
 unto him, Thou * bearest record of 
 
 man that cometh into the world, (ch. 
 1, .and notes,) as that Light also, pre- 
 eminent and superior to lesser lights, 
 like the Baptist, who was only aa a 
 morning star to the sun, heralding His 
 way by a faint reflection of His glory. 
 And yet John the Baptist, was "a 
 burning and a shining light." ch. 5 : 
 35. Christ was "the Light of Life." 
 Seech. 1 : 4, 9 ; 6 : 48; Mai. 4:2; Isa. 
 42 : 6. "For with thee is the fountain 
 of Life. In thy light shall we see 
 Light." lie came "that those who see 
 not, might see, and that those who see 
 might be made blind." The connexion 
 therefore with the case of the woman, 
 is sufficiently direct, for He had been 
 exposing the darkness of their minds, 
 and as "whatsoever doth make mani- 
 fest is Light," He had been showing 
 thus His own essential Light, by His 
 power to reveal the darkness of sinful 
 nature. 1[ He that followeth me. Our 
 Lord here sets forth the only way of 
 getting the benefit of His Light. — It is 
 by following Him. No light is of any 
 benefit if one gets away at the farthest 
 distance from it. One may even get 
 down into a deep cell, or hide in a 
 cavern away from the sweet shining 
 of the sun, and thus he will be in dark- 
 ness at noon-day. AVe must form a 
 living habitual connexion with Christ, 
 or we cannot enjoy the benefits of His 
 Person and work. Besides, our Lord 
 drew His illustration here from their 
 ceremonies, in order to show the ful- 
 fillment of all the Mosaic ordinances 
 in Himself. As if He had said, I ora 
 all that this splendid illumination of 
 tlie temple-courts and of the city, sig- 
 nifies. Through Me alone it is that the 
 world cin have light, or any creature 
 in the world. Through Me Jerusalem 
 is (o be the light of tlie world. Zech. 
 14: 7-10. ^ In darkness. Literally, 
 in the darkness — that is, of nature and 
 of the world that lieth in wickedness. 
 In this connexion also. He often gave 
 sight to the blind, to show by His 
 cairacles what He was and what He 
 
 thyself; thy record is not true. 
 14 Jesus answered and said unto 
 
 came to do — to give light to them who 
 sit in darkness and in the region and 
 shadow of death — to open the blind 
 eyes of the soul. Ch. 9 : 4, 5. <| The 
 lAght of Life. The light which we are 
 promised in following Christ, is the 
 light of Life. It leads to life, while 
 apart from Him we must go down to 
 death. Ho is the way, and the truth, 
 and the life. He is the Life, and the, 
 truth which reveals it, and the way 
 which leads to it. This light from 
 golden chandeliers would go out. His 
 light is eternal. It is "the light of 
 life," as the water He gives is "the 
 water of life." "This is life eternal, 
 that they might know thee, the only 
 true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou 
 hast sent." ch. 17 : 3. Obsekve. — In 
 the ancient tabernacle, there was the 
 golden candlestick standing in the Holy 
 Place, which represented the relative 
 piety of the people, and yet pointed 
 onv.'ard to Christ as the only pattern 
 of perfect obedience, 
 
 13. The Pharisees now accuse Him 
 of being a self-witness, because He boi'e 
 witness of Himself — and that, as He 
 had none to bear witness of Him, His 
 own self-testimony stood unsupported 
 and could not be received. It was 
 a plain principle of common sense 
 recognized also in their law, (Deut. 
 17: 6,) that no man's claim could 
 be taken as sufficiently attested when 
 it had no evidence except that of the 
 interested party. But they do not say 
 that His evidence is not sufficient and 
 that it needs confirmation, but that it 
 is not true. They did not call for fur- 
 ther proof, but thej'^ use this flimsy 
 pretext for rejecting all His claims. 
 These Pharisees may not be the same 
 as were mentioned in vs. 3. 
 
 14. See ch. 5: 31. The passages 
 are not inconsistent. There He de- 
 clared that if He had no testimony but 
 His own, as a man might testify of 
 himself merely, it would not be suffi- 
 cient. But His was not such a case. 
 For He had the Father's testimony, 
 
J 52 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 them, Though I bear record of 
 myself, yet my record is true : 
 for I know whence I came, and 
 whither I go j but "^ ye cannot tell 
 whence I come, and whither I 
 go. 
 
 a 0. 7. 28 ; 0. 29, 30. 
 
 which was entirely one with His. Here 
 He declares that His witness of Him- 
 self was true because it was no common 
 self-testimony, but the Father's also in 
 Him, (vs. 16,) and of this vital, essen- 
 tial connexion He was infallibly sure. 
 Hence, He says "though,'" or even if 
 I witness of myself, the case is alto- 
 gether peculiar, and it is yet a double 
 witness. Besides, He had already 
 pointed them to John the Baptist's 
 testimony of Him — and yet that was 
 of small account as compared with that 
 of the Father. See ch. 5. ^ / hioio, 
 &c. His witness was true as He 
 claimed, for it resulted from His most 
 absolute knowledge, to which men 
 were, by nature, strangers, and could 
 not attain. "Light," says Augustine, 
 " both shows itself and other things. 
 Light affords witness to itself. It opens 
 sound eyes, and is its own evidence." 
 Then also only he who knows can wit- 
 ness, and Jesus alone knew this. I 
 know (He would say,) perfectly my 
 origin, my mission, and my plans, and 
 no human evidence could be free from 
 any possibility of error, or have such 
 absolute certainty as mine. T[ But ye 
 cannot tell. Literally — ye do net know. 
 His origin in God, (whence I came,) 
 and His return to God, (whither I go,) 
 were divine actions which surpassed 
 all human knowledge, and could not 
 be reached except through divine reve- 
 lation, which they would not receive. 
 15. Ye judijc after the flesh. They 
 were poor judges — for they judged from 
 outward appearances — and could not 
 comprehend spiritual and divine things. 
 And they were carnal in their judg- 
 ments, rejecting Him from mere preju- 
 dice, an<l pronouncing His word and 
 claims untrtio. His work M'as, how- 
 ever, not now a work of judgment, but 
 
 15 Ye judge after the flesh ; I •* 
 judge no man. 
 
 16 And yet if I judge, my " 
 judgment is true : for ^ I am not 
 alone, but I and the Father that 
 sent me. 
 
 only of testimony. He was bearing 
 witness to them — offering salvation 
 with all its evidences — and pressing 
 eternal life on their acceptance. He 
 " came not to condemn the world, but 
 that the world through Him might be 
 saved." ch. 3: 17. So He had not 
 even condemned the adulteress to 
 death, but preached to her repentance 
 and forgiveness and salvation, vs. 11. 
 Though judgment is not what He now 
 does, the time will come for it, and 
 then these rejectors of His gracious, 
 peace-speaking Gospel shall perish, 
 because they rejected the light of life. 
 16. And yet, if I judge. Literally — 
 bid, and even if I judge. Though this 
 is not my object or h.abit now, to judge 
 any man, "because I came not to 
 judge the world, but to save the world," 
 (ch. 12: 47,) yet, even if I pass judg- 
 ment as I am authorized to do, because 
 the Father judgeth no man, but hath 
 committed all judgment unto the Son, 
 (ch. 6: 22,) " my judgment is true" — 
 just because of this peculiar personal 
 relation to the Father which they could 
 not understand. The Father had given 
 over to Him the whole work of judg- 
 ing the world at the last day, in order 
 that thus His equality with the Father 
 might be set forth, and "that all men 
 should honor the Son, even as they 
 honor the Father." ch. 6: 23. H True. 
 The term here is, in the best reading, 
 the same as is used ch. 5 : 30, and is 
 different from the common word for 
 true. It means, rather, genuine, as hav- 
 ing in itself all perfection — as being .ill 
 that is represented by the' soundest 
 ideas of judgment. His judgment also 
 would be original and final, (without 
 appeal,) for He was not alone, but was 
 so personally associated with the 
 Father, and so essentiully one with the 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 153 
 
 17 It is also written * in your 
 law, that the testimony of two 
 men is true. 
 
 18 I am one that bear witness 
 of myself, and the Father " that 
 sent mc beareth witness of me. 
 
 a De. 17. C; 19.15. 6 0.5.37. 
 
 Father, that His acts as well as His 
 testimonies, must needs have the high- 
 est confirmation. 
 
 17. In your law. He now puts the 
 case home to them on their own princi- 
 ple that the law requii-es a double 
 witness, vs. 13; Deut. 17: 6; 19: 15. 
 The emphasis is upon '^yotir" — the 
 law which they had made so completely 
 their own, and in which they boasted. 
 If Of two men. It was in the mouth 
 of two or three witnesses, that every 
 word should be established. This 
 allowed of tioo, as enough. He now 
 claims that He has two. 
 
 18. I am one. Our Lord here refers 
 to His twofold nature in one Person. 
 The Son and the Father, as of the 
 blessed Trinity, are tlie two witnesses 
 to whom He refers. He points to the 
 Son of man which was ia Heaven, 
 while He was in His human nature on 
 earth, as one witness. The Father 
 was another — and the Spirit who had 
 not yet been brought forward, would 
 be a third. (See 1 John 5 : 7, wLich is 
 disputed as of doubtful authority, but 
 the doctrine is elsewhere taught and is 
 implied here.) The Jews miglit reject 
 this as being, after all. His own evi- 
 dence to Himself — as they did not 
 understand His two natures. But so 
 also would they reject the claim to the 
 Father's testimony, because they did 
 not admit that this had been given, 
 and they would say that He had no 
 witness but His own. What, there- 
 fore, could He ground His claim upon, 
 so as to make it suit their wicked judg- 
 ment ? ^ The Father. He had already 
 said (ch. 5: 3G,) that the works wliich 
 the Fatlier had given Him to finish, 
 boro v/ituess of Him that the Father 
 had sent Him. " The Father that 
 dwelk'th in me, He doeth the works.' 
 ch. M: 10. 
 
 19 Then said they unto him, 
 Where is thy Father ? Jesus 
 answered, Ye "= neither linow me, 
 nor my Father : if "^ ye had known 
 me, ye should have known my 
 Father also. 
 
 c Ter. 55. o. IG. 3 ; 17. 25. d o. U. 7, a. 
 
 19. Could they have supposed that 
 He meant by His Father, some mere 
 man — or that He referred to Joseph, 
 His reputed Father? Or was this 
 question spoken in derision ? He had 
 surely often enough and plainly enough, 
 declared that by His Father He meant 
 Jehovah. And their question is inten- 
 ded to deny His claim in a way to put 
 it to scorn — as much as if they had 
 said. You have no other Father than 
 an earthly one, like any of us. Where 
 then, is your Father? "Is not this 
 the carpenter's son?" Matt. 13: 55. 
 This is an instance of their judging 
 after the flesh, as_He declared, (vs. 15.) 
 and how could He furnish evidence 
 suited to such carnal minds ? For " the 
 natural man receiveth not the things 
 of the Spirit of God — for they are 
 foolishness unto him — neither can he 
 know them, because they are spiritu- 
 ally discerned." 1 Cor. 2: 14. T[ Ya 
 neither know me. The great ditBculty 
 was that they did not know Him. His 
 Divine nature — His heavenly origin — 
 His Godhead— and hence, they did 
 not know the sense in which He spake. 
 They knew Him only as a man, and 
 misjudged Him every way as such. 
 They knew nothing of Him as the Son 
 of the Eternal Father, and hence, they 
 knew nothing of Jehovah as the Father 
 of the Eternal Son, though they boasted 
 their knowledge of God. ^ If ye had. 
 If they had really unders4;ood Him, 
 who He was, and what He claimed, 
 they would have known the Father 
 also, for the one cannot be known apart 
 from the other. Christ alone has re- 
 vealed the Father, (ch. 1: 18,) as 
 Himself being in the F.tther's bosom, 
 and the Father, is the Father of the 
 adorable Son, and cannot be known 
 apart from this. ch. 6: 46; 14: 7-9; 
 5 : 23. " I and my Father are cue." 
 
 5 
 
154 
 
 JOIIX, 
 
 [Age S3. 
 
 20 These words spake Jesus in 
 the treasury, * as he taught in the 
 temple : and no man hiid hands 
 on him ; for "^ his hour was not 
 j^et come. 
 
 21 Then said Jesus again unto 
 them, I go my way, and ye " shall 
 
 a Mar. 12. 41. 6 c. 7. 30. c c. 7. 34. 
 
 Observe. — 1. It is only through the 
 revelation which Christ has made, that 
 ■we can sufficiently know God. 2. The 
 way to know the Father is to learn of 
 Christ. 3. This is Life Eternal — to 
 know the Father as the only true God, 
 and Jesus Christ as sent by Him. 
 4. As Christ and the Father are essen- 
 tially one, how can they who reject 
 Christ, ever dwell with God, or ever 
 have any correct and saving knowledge 
 of God ? 
 
 20. Trensury. There were thirteen 
 chests in the court of the women, in 
 which the offerings for the temple were 
 placed. In this very court were the 
 great chandeliers, which had been 
 lighted at the feast, and from which 
 Jesus had drawn an illustration of 
 Himself as tlie Light of the world. It 
 was proper, therefore, to note that His 
 discourse was spoken in this place. 
 ][ For His hour. We see how the Holy 
 Spirit all along gives notice of this 
 fact — that as the hour appointed by 
 the Godhead for His suffering unto 
 death, had not ari-ived, no man laid 
 hands upon Him. This was the only 
 expl.anation of their keejnng back. See 
 ch. 7 : 30, &c. 
 
 21. Again. Jesus now addresses 
 them very much as He had done, ch. 
 7 : 33. This concludes the series of 
 His discourses to the Jews. It was 
 about six months before His crucifixion. 
 ^ I go my way. He refers to His ap- 
 proaching death as being voluntary. 
 Wen could not kill Him, if He did not 
 purpose to die. Therefore, Avhile it 
 was their icay to kill Him, He would 
 only be going His icay, viz : to the 
 Father who sent Him. ch. 7 : 34 ; 8: 
 14. Tf Shall seek me. See notes on 
 ch. 7 : 33, &c. Our Lord here speaks 
 
 seek me, and ^ shall die in your 
 sins : whither I go, ye ® cannot 
 come. 
 
 22 Then said the Jews, Will he 
 kill himself? because he saith, 
 Whither I go, ye cannot come. 
 
 23 And he said unto them, Ye 
 
 still more plainly and pointedly than 
 before, until their enmity rises to the 
 highest pitch. He declares to them 
 the dreadful consequence of their re- 
 jecting Him, and of His withdrawal 
 from them, (vss. 23-24,) the conviction 
 which should seize them when they 
 should have put Him to death. 26-29. 
 He gently leads those who have the 
 first beginnings of faith in Him, and 
 exposes the Jewish pride and malice 
 of His enemies, (30-47,) and then 
 finally takes occasion from their further 
 charges to declare His own dignity and 
 glory. 48-58. T[ Die in your sins. 
 Literally, in your sin. This is explained 
 in vs. 24. If they persisted in their 
 unbelief and rejection of Him, they 
 could have no salvation — they must die 
 in their sin, because they rejected the 
 only Saviour from the power and curse 
 of sin. ^ Whithei I go. By this He 
 shows His perfect knowledge of all 
 that was to come upon L'im, and that 
 His departure from the world, though 
 it was to be by their bloody hands, was 
 entirely' of His own will, and included 
 in the Diyinc plan for the salvation of 
 men. He was to go to the Father, 
 (ch. 17: 1,) and thither they could net 
 come, just because they would die in 
 their sin. Their sin would be unre- 
 pented of and unforgiven, and as He 
 would go His yrny, and to His own 
 place, so they must go their way and 
 to their own place, as Judas went. 
 Acts 1 : 25. 
 
 22. Kill Himself. Here again they 
 pervert His words, yet differentlj- from 
 before, ch. 7 : 35. Here also, as there, 
 they are full of reproach and scorn— 
 for they regarded suicide as a crime 
 that inevitably led to hell. 
 
 23. He now enters into an expla- 
 
Agk 83] 
 
 CHAI*. VIU. 
 
 155 
 
 ore from bcuoath ; I am from 
 above : yc are of this world ; I 
 am not of this ^\orld. 
 2 1 I said " therefore unto you, 
 
 nation. They belonged to different 
 worlds — and lience, they could not, in 
 departing this life, go to the same 
 pl.icc. Observe. — Sinners perish, not 
 by any arbitrary decree of God, but 
 by the very necessities of the case — 
 just as a stone sinks in the water, while 
 an ark floats. "Except a man be born 
 again" — obtain a new nature — he must 
 naturally go to perdition just because 
 he is from beneath — all his tastes and 
 tendencies are to destruction — to the 
 •world and portion of the lost. " Except 
 a man be born ngain, he cannot see 
 the Kingdom of God." ch. 3. 2. 
 They whose joy and portion are in this 
 world, must perish with it. Therefore 
 the tender exhortation of this Evan- 
 gelist is : " Love not the world, neither 
 the things that are iu the world," for 
 such a love jjroves the worldly, unre- 
 generate nature — for "if any man love 
 the world, (ns his portion^,) the love of 
 the F;;ther is not in him." And so 
 his end is sure. For the world passeth 
 awny, and its votaries must perish 
 with it, "but He that doeth the Avill 
 of God, abide th forever." 1 J(ihn 4. 
 This is the great, fixed, eternal prin- 
 ciple from which none can possibly 
 escape, and which none can blot out, 
 because it belongs to the very nature 
 of things. 1 John 4, 5; ch. 3: 31; 
 James 3 : 15. 
 
 24. / said, therefore. This is the 
 explanation — the principle from which 
 there can be no departure. This 
 mi.kes the case perfectly clear and sure. 
 ^ For. If they perished it would be 
 by their unbelief and rejection of Him. 
 Literally, it reads, "If ye believe not 
 that I AM " — that is, that I am Goo— 
 the Son of God and the true Messiah. 
 The name of Jehovah with which they 
 v/ere familiar in their Old Testament 
 Scriptures was, "/ am.'' And this 
 form of expression might convey to 
 them a further hint of His claim. So 
 
 that ye shall die in your sins ; 
 for ^ if ye believe not that I am 
 he, ye shall die in your sins. 
 25 Then said they unto him, 
 
 in ch. 6: 20, the reading is, "I am," 
 though it is rendered, " It is I." 
 Observe — 1. John in his Epistles 
 dwells much upon this great truth — 
 and shows that the confession of Christ 
 as come in the flesh is an evidence of 
 the new birth — while a denial of Him 
 as being the Son of God is a mark of 
 Antichrist. 1 Jno. 4: 3. 2. Christ offers 
 the only way of salvation, and who- 
 ever refuses to believe in Him refuses 
 the only hope, and must therefore die 
 in his sin. 3. Unbelief in Christ is the 
 great fundamental sin, at the root and 
 source of all sin. Therefore, when the 
 Holy Spirit comes He convicts men of 
 sin, because they believe not on Christ, 
 ch. 16: 9. 4. Men are in a state of 
 sin by nature, alienated from God by 
 wicked works ; and without a living 
 faith in Christ the only Saviour from 
 sin, they must die as they have lived, 
 in a state of alienation from God — 
 unreconciled to God. 
 
 25. Who art thou? They still insult 
 Him by stubbornly asking of Him, 
 u'ho He is — as though He had not 
 already told them — or, as though He 
 must make Himself to be something 
 else, before they could comprehend His 
 language. This profession of the most 
 profound ignorance after all that He 
 had said, was the most downright 
 defiance of the threat which He had 
 just uttered. As much as to say, 
 ''who are you, and what have we to do 
 with believing in you. We know noth- 
 ing about you " — as having any sujh 
 superior claims. The dreadful inso- 
 lence of these men might justly have 
 brought upon them swift destruction. 
 But behold the forbearance of our 
 Lord. He came x\.(iti<:i judge, or surely 
 these must have been sentenced and 
 hurled into perdition. Still He for- 
 bears, and gives them yet space for 
 repentance, only forewarning them of 
 their certain doom if they continue to 
 
150 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoE 33. 
 
 Who art thou? And Jesus saith 
 unto them, Even the same that I 
 said unto you from the beginning. 
 26 I have many things to say 
 and judge of you : but * he that 
 sent me is true ; and I speak to 
 the world those things which I 
 heard of him. 
 
 disbelieve and reject Him. ^ Even. 
 This properly reads, "What I am 
 speaking to you all along from the 
 beginning" — or — "In very deed — 
 essentially — that same -which I am 
 speaking to you all along." AVhat He 
 reveals Himself to be, that He is. " I 
 am, that I am." Exod. 3: 14. The term 
 rendered "wi the beginning,^' rather 
 means here, primarily — essentially — 
 "traced up to its principle." — Alford. 
 See also Is. 52 : 6. He could only 
 answer to all questions concerning Him 
 by reiterating the declarations He had 
 made, as He had been laboring to set 
 forth Ilis proper dignity and glory — 
 the mystery of His Godhead, which 
 they could not and would not under- 
 stand. 
 
 26. As to Himself, He had much that 
 He migiit say and judge concerning 
 them, as in vss. 2.3, 24. He had, how- 
 ever, declai-ed to them faithfully the 
 truth of their sin and danger — and He 
 might go on to blame and condemn 
 them more and moi'e. But He was 
 now acting under a commission from 
 the Fathei' — having a definite testimony 
 to give — and what He had said of Him- 
 self and of them, was simply in accord- 
 ance with this commission. He thus 
 again refers them for His origin and 
 authority to the Father whom they 
 professed to worship — and as for Him- 
 self, though He might now doom them 
 to perdition, He confined his discourse 
 to these things. Our Lord is meek and 
 lowly in heart, and gives liberally with- 
 out upbraiding, lie came, "not to 
 condemn the world, but that the world 
 through Him might be saved." He 
 was kindly but faithfully urging on 
 tliem the' claims of salvation with a 
 yiew to reclaim them, and wifh many 
 
 27 They understood not that he 
 spake to them of the Father. 
 
 28 Then said Jesus unto them, 
 When ye have lifted up ^ the Son 
 of man, then shall ye know that 
 I am he, and (hat I do nothing of 
 myself; but as my Father hath 
 taught me, I speak these things. 
 
 6c.3. U: 12.32. 
 
 it had this efl'ect. vs. 30. We may 
 learn, hence, how we should deal ten- 
 derly but plainly with men for their 
 salvation. T[ To the world. He had a 
 testimony for the world at large which 
 He must deliver. This was His work. 
 He could not stop now to speak and 
 to judge of them as He might do. 
 The judgment day would come soon. 
 
 27. They understood not. Literally — 
 they knew not. They did not recog- 
 nize this, nor lay it to heart, but were 
 likely to overlook the fact, as He did 
 not speak of the Father by name. 
 Therefore, He proceeds more expressly 
 to speak of His relations to the Father. 
 Obsekve — How amazingly ignorant are 
 men of the most common truths of 
 religion, where they have no relish for 
 them. Those who are well informed 
 in all other kinds of knowledge, stum- 
 ble and show their ignorance about the 
 plainest doctrines of God's word. 
 '■^Having the understanding darkened." 
 
 28. He now refers them forward to 
 the guilty transaction in which they 
 should soon show their hostility toward 
 Him. That should be to them a day 
 of clear and fearfal revelation. ^ Lifted 
 up. — When ye shall lift up, (as ye will 
 do,) &c. See ch. 3: 14. He here 
 points them out almost as distinctly 
 as He afterwards pointed out Juda6 at 
 the table. He refers, by this language, 
 to His death upon the cross, when He 
 should be suspended as a malefactor; 
 and He forewarns them of what they 
 should do to Him. ^ Son of 3Ian. 
 When He sj^oke of being lifted up, 
 (ch. 3: 14,) it was as "the Son of 
 Man." He took a body, in order to 
 suffer a sacrificial death for sinners. 
 Heb. 10: 5. ^ That I am. The pro- 
 noun "He," is pot in the Greek text 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 167 
 
 29 And he that sent me is with 
 me : The Father hath not left me 
 alone ; for I do always those 
 things that please him. 
 
 here : and the sense is more striking 
 without it — " that I am." The centu- 
 rion was convicted at His death. Mira- 
 cles attested His divine commission — 
 as the rising of the dead, and their go- 
 ing through Jerusalem, after His resur- 
 rection. Beyond this, His resurrection 
 and ascent to glory would show who He 
 was, and the outpouring of the Spirit 
 at Pentecost perhaps brought convic- 
 tion to these very persons. In all these 
 things He should have the Father's 
 seal set to His claims and to His work — 
 and this would silence their doubts as 
 to His acting alone as a mere man, and 
 withoit authority from Heaven. From 
 the time of His crucifixion, the Jewish 
 people more or less began to see who 
 He was. See Matt. 27 : 54 ; Luke 23 
 48; Acts 2: 41; 6: 7; 12: 24; 19 
 20. IF But as my Father. See ch. 5 
 20, notes. They should then see His 
 relation to the Father, which was now 
 so dark and repugnant to them. They 
 would then behold the evidence from 
 on High, which He had all along 
 claimed. Acts 2. 
 
 29. Is icith vie. This is something 
 further than the mere commission, or 
 authority. He enjoyed the Father's 
 presence. This refers farther, to the 
 mystery of the oneness which He had 
 with the Father. He was not appoint- 
 ed to do His work alone, nor was He 
 acting alone — but in close companion- 
 ship with the unseen Father — the Fa- 
 ther's fellow. Ch. 1: 1. ^f Hath not 
 '.'.■ft me alone. So fully does He express, 
 in every variety of form, the great 
 truth of His essential partnership in 
 the Godhead. He was '^ sent," yet not 
 so as to be separated from the Fath^ 
 who sent Him. See vs. IG. And this 
 essential union of natures is evidenced 
 by the character of His works. C*"5.: 
 37, 38. ^ For. This is given as amply 
 justifying such a connection. The Fa- 
 ther loves Him because He laid down 
 14 
 
 30 As he spake these words, 
 many " believed on him. 
 
 31 Then said Jesus to those 
 Jews which believed on him, If 
 
 His life in the work of redemption. 
 Ch. 10: 17. The Father, also, declared 
 Himself xeell pleased in Him, and in His 
 work. Matt. 3: 17. It is a work done 
 by covenant with the Father. T[ That 
 please. That a^ve pleasing, acceptable to 
 Him. 
 
 30. This earnest, pointed discourse 
 of our Lord led many to renounce their 
 unbelief. Conviction was carried to 
 their minds. Yet it was not even His 
 forcible presentation of truth, but the 
 Divine Spirit, which alone could secure 
 true conversion. The same Spirit 
 which the humblest minister of Christ 
 needs to bless his labors, our Lord re- 
 quired to make even His preaching 
 effectual. This Spirit was given already 
 at times, and in a measure, though not 
 fully and universally until Christ was 
 glorified. Ch. 7:39. 
 
 3 J. Our Lord now proceeds to 
 strengthen these weak disciples — forti- 
 fying them for the future trials of life, 
 and warning them of their only secu- 
 rity. Every thing would depend on 
 their continuing in His doctrine, and 
 enduring unto the end. They would 
 have many temptations to depart from 
 His word and ways. He saw in them per- 
 haps an intellectual persuasion, with- 
 out any hearty trust. And these words 
 would, at any rate, be adapted to tho 
 different classes and characters. \ Con- 
 tinue. Tho same term is elsewhere ren- 
 dered, dwell, (ch. 15,) abide. They 
 were not only to express and profess 
 their belief now under this discourse, 
 and soon depart from it — but they 
 were to abide in His doctrine — "con- 
 tinuing steadfastly" in it — " rooted 
 and grounded" in it. TT In my word. 
 In the doctrine which is mine. In the 
 revelation of Himself, which He made. 
 It is only by abiding in Christ that we 
 can be disciples indeed — or bear imy 
 fruit of discipleship, that shall sliow 
 us to be living. Ch. 16: 7. They pro- 
 
158 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Agk 33. 
 
 ye continue " in my word, then 
 are ye my disciples indeed ; 
 
 32 And ye shall know ^ the 
 trutl), and the truth shall make 
 you free." 
 
 fcsseil tlieir belief in His claims. But 
 they might reject some of His humbling 
 doctrines. The result would soon ap- 
 pear. It is by following on to know 
 the Lord th.at we truly know Him, 
 (Hos. G: 3,) and are truly proved to 
 be His disciples — attending humbly 
 upon all his teachings. 
 
 32. A happy result of this abiding 
 in His doctrine is, that with a sincere 
 disposition to receive the truth as it is 
 in Jesus, we shall know it, and it shall 
 work out our glorious deliverance. 
 " If any man is willing to do His will 
 he shall know of the doctrine." See 
 note, ch. 7: 17. '^ The truth. The 
 revelation of Christ in the Gospel is 
 the highest truth, worthy of being 
 called truth itself. ^ Make you free. 
 Shall give you true liberty. The truest 
 personal liberty is announced in the 
 religion of Christ, and brings to the 
 believer, freedom from the slavery and 
 captivity of sin. Rom. 6: 16, 17, 19, 
 20; 7 To, 8, 11; 8: 21. The service 
 of God is the highest freedom. 'When 
 the truth as it is in Jesus comes to the 
 lieart, it works at ence a wonderful 
 freedom from harassing cares and from 
 turbulent passions — from Satan's ty- 
 lanny, and from the fear of death. It 
 comprehends the freeing of the intel- 
 loct (2 Cor. 3: 17) and the freeing of 
 the ■will from the bondage of sinful 
 nature. Rom. 7 : 23. This idea is 
 found vath all the apostles, as a doc- 
 trine peculiar to Christianity. Rom. G: 
 18; 7: 6; 8: 21; Gal. 5: l-lo; 4: 
 26-31; 1 Pet. 2: 16: Jas. 1: 25; 2: 
 12. But this idea they could not un- 
 dcrstaud. How little do unbelievers 
 know in what bondage they are, or 
 into what •'glorious Ulicrly of the chil- 
 dren of Ood" they might be brought 
 by the Gospel message. " Let Papists," 
 Buys Calvin, " now go and proudly 
 vaunt of their free-will ; but let us who 
 
 33 They answered him, We be 
 Abraham's seed, and v/ere never 
 in ^ bondage to any man : how 
 gayest thou, Ye shall be made 
 free ? 
 
 d Le. 25. 42. 
 
 are conscious of our own slavery, glory 
 in none but in Christ our Deliverer." 
 Some men speak as though an enslaved 
 will were nothing, and as though it 
 could be easily got rid of, by so icilling, 
 when this is just the greatest difficulty. 
 We could will aright, if our will were 
 not depraved and defiled and enslaved. 
 And this is the most serious bondage, 
 where the ivill is the very thing that is 
 concerned. "It is God that woi-kejitv 
 in us both the uillinff and the doing,]pt 
 His good pleasure:" and thisjiiB jBiir 
 only hope — Christ has come to'"set us 
 free from this and every bondage of sin. 
 33. This reply seems to have been 
 made by unbelievers in the crowd, and 
 not by the same persons, (the many,) 
 who are spoken of as having believed, 
 unless we suppose, with some, that it 
 was made to those who believed in a gen- 
 eral sense, but were not yet disciples in- 
 deed, as not being ready to ' -abide" in His 
 doctrine. But as our Lord in vs. 31, 
 spoke expressly to those of the com- 
 pany "who believed on Ili7n," the infer- 
 ence is, that the reply here made, 
 came from the other class — the un- 
 believers. ^ Abraham's seed. They 
 claimed that they were descended 
 directly from the patriarch, and were 
 not bondmen. But this was at best 
 only their boasting pretension — for 
 their ancestors had been bondmen in 
 Egypt, and in Babylon had been cap- 
 tives : and now thej' themselves were 
 groaning under the Roman yoke. Yet 
 they still vainly imagined a certain 
 kind of independence. " The most 
 common laborer, who is of the seed of 
 Abraham, is equal to kings," says the 
 Jewish Talmud. Observe. — 1. Those 
 who are the greatest slaves to sin, are 
 often the least aware of it, and least 
 willing to acknowledge it, and are the 
 most unwilling to be charged with it. 
 2. The very men who longed to be 
 
\gv. 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 159 
 
 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, 
 verily, I say unto you, Who- 
 soever * committetli sin is the 
 servant of sin. 
 
 35 And the servant ^ abideth not 
 in the house for ever : but the Son 
 abideth ever. 
 
 36 If " the Son, therefore, shall 
 make you free, ye * shall be free 
 indeed. 
 
 6Ga.4.30. c Is. 61. 1. 
 
 released from political bandage, and 
 sought a Jlessiah who Tvould do this, 
 '.vcre indignant at the very mention of 
 being made free, because it implied 
 that they were tilaves. 
 
 34. Our Lord now shows in what 
 sense He promised freedom — not as 
 they really would like, from political 
 bondage — but from the power of sia. 
 ^ Commilteth. That is, praeticeth — ha- 
 bitually doeth. ^ »S'i?!. — The sin: for 
 one sin may hold a man in perfect bon- 
 dage, and whatsoever sin it is that he 
 practices, that sin enslaves him. 1[ Is 
 the servant, (slave,) of the sin. Rom. 6: 
 16; 2 Pet. 2: 19. 
 
 35. He now refers to the distinction 
 between two diiferent descendants of 
 Abraham. Some are his posterity by 
 Isaac, but others by Ishmael. The 
 latter are cast out as the children of 
 the bondwoman, and only the former, 
 the true children, can remain in the 
 house, entitled to all its privileges. 
 This is explained in Gnlat. 4 : 19, &c. 
 This was insisted on by the apostles, 
 especially by the apostle to the Gentiles, 
 against their vain boast of an outward 
 descent — that "They are not all Israel 
 which are of Israel, neither because 
 they are the seed of Abraham, are they 
 all children. But in Isaac shall thy 
 seed be called." Rom. 9: G, 7, 8, 12. 
 " He is not a Jew who is one out- 
 wardly." Rom. 2 : 28, &c. See Gal. 
 4: 30, with Gen. 21: 10. 
 
 36. Tliey therefore were, after all 
 their boasts, not real sons, and could 
 be saved only ]'jy a living connexion 
 with the New Testament Isaac, "the 
 Son of promise," the Lord Jesus. In 
 
 37 I know that ye are Abraham's 
 seed : but ye seek to kill me, be- 
 cause my word hath no place in 
 you. 
 
 38 I ® speak that which I have 
 seen with my Father; and ye do 
 that which ye have seen with your 
 father. 
 
 39 They answered and said unto 
 him, Abraham '' is our father 
 
 e c. 11. 10, U. / Matt. 3. 9. 
 
 this way, also, they would come into 
 the relation of sons, and be introduced 
 into the glorious liberty of the children 
 of God. Rom. 8: 17. 'S Free indeed. 
 The term is not the same as is rendered 
 "indeed" vs. 32, where it meant truly, 
 in distinction from falsely. Here it 
 means rather, essentially, substantially. 
 
 37. He admits their Abrahamic lin- 
 eage according to the flesh, but He 
 speaks of a true "Israel, who are ac- 
 cording to the Spirit. "And if ye be 
 Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, 
 and heirs according to the promise." 
 Gal. 3 : 29. This idea is found running 
 through the prophets, as Isaiah, &c. 
 and is the basis of some of the glowing 
 predictions of what awaits Israel, the 
 true church, the spiritual seed, the 
 genuine discipleship. Now, though 
 they were Abraham's seed according 
 to the flesh, they were showing by 
 their works that they were slaves to 
 sin, and needed deliverance, and were 
 even rather, the children of the Devil, 
 as He would show. T[ Hath no place. 
 Has no room, finds no lodgment — is 
 not entertained, and received in you. 
 How obstinate is the opposition of the 
 carnal heart, to the truth in Christ. 
 This showed them to be vitally differ- 
 ent from Him, and proved them to be 
 children of the Devil, whose murder- 
 ous spirit sprang also from hatred of 
 the truth, vs. 44. 
 
 38. He here re-asserts His vital 
 connexion with the Father, and shows 
 tlieir proper relation to their father, (vs. 
 44,) in both which they may be known 
 by their fruits. 
 
 ?9. They thought they had an ad- 
 
160 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoB 88. 
 
 Jesus saith unto them, If' ye were 
 A)>i:tham's childrcD, ye would do 
 the works of Abraham. 
 
 40 But now ye seek to kill me, 
 a man that hath told you the 
 truth, whic-h I have heard of God : 
 this *" did not Abraham. 
 
 41 Ye do the deeds of your 
 father. Then said they to him. 
 We be not born of fornication ; 
 
 a Ro. 2. 28, 29; 9.7 Ga.3.7,29. "oRo.4.12. 
 
 vantage now, as He had declared that 
 they did the works of their father — for 
 surely they said, they were the chil- 
 dren of Abraham, and this was just 
 what they boasted. But, instead of 
 proving their fruit from their outr/ard 
 origin, He would prove their real 
 origin from their fruit. ^ Children. 
 The term here is not the same as for 
 seed — there was a great difference. 
 True enough they were the seed of 
 Abraham, but not his children — de- 
 scendants, but not sons, for else they 
 would have done as he did — and thus 
 would have proved that they inheiited 
 his character and spirit. Paul also 
 makes this distinction, Rom. 4: 11,12; 
 9: 8. 
 
 40. What then do they do, so con- 
 trary to Abraham's works ? See vs. S7. 
 ]ii thus persecuting Ilim they proved 
 themselves hostile to the truth which 
 He received from the Father, and thej' 
 were lighting against God. This is the 
 attitude of unbelievers, battling with 
 the only Lord God, and vainly contend- 
 ing with the Sovereign of the universe. 
 II ow shocking the folly of caviling at 
 what is shown to be God's truth. 
 If lids did not. This is utterly con- 
 trary to Abraham's practice. "Abra- 
 ham believed God," &c. vs. 56. Gen. 18. 
 
 41. He would now prove upon them 
 a different parentage, tracing it from 
 tlieir Avorks. It was true that they 
 did the wiu-ks of their real father, 
 and thus showed whose children they 
 were, by their conduct. Abraham 
 ■would not have acknowledged them. 
 They now affect to be indignant, and 
 charge Ilim with calling them "bas- 
 
 we " have one Father, even 
 God. 
 
 42 Jesus said unto them. If * 
 God were your Father, ye would 
 love me : for I proceeded forth 
 and came from God ; neither came 
 I of myself, but ^ he sent me. 
 
 43 Why do ye not understand 
 my speech ? even because ye can- 
 not hear my ' word. 
 
 cIs. 63. 16; 64.8. d Mai. 1.6. ljno.5. 1. eel". 8, 
 25. /Is. 6. 9. 
 
 tards, (Heb. 12: 8,) and not sons," 
 which was indeed spiritually true. 
 They claimed to be the lawful children 
 of Abraham, who was the founder 
 and head of Israel. Isa. 63: 16; 64: 
 8 ; Deut. 32 : 6. T One Father. They 
 also boasted, that as a nation they 
 alone were the children of God, and 
 that Abraham and themselves, had a 
 common father, even God. So that 
 any other intimation was an insult to 
 the whole Jewish people. They seem 
 to have caught a hint of the higher 
 sense in which He spoke, and laid their 
 claims high, accordingly. 
 
 42. Our Lord here takes them up 
 upon this profession, and shows how 
 false it was, as proved by their treat- 
 ment of Him, who had come from 
 God, to reveal the Father. He was 
 "set for the fall and rising again of 
 many in Israel, that the thoughts of 
 many hearts may be revealed." How 
 false must be that pretence of love to 
 God, which rejects t^hrist Jesus. 
 
 43. Our Lord now brings the matter 
 to a point, and traces all their opposi- 
 tion to i;s source in the depraved na- 
 ture. T[ Understand — take cognizance 
 of — apprehend. Why is there this 
 dullness, and this perversion of my 
 speech ? He refers to the spiritual 
 sense which all along ran through His 
 discourse, and which, with all His 
 explanation, they were so slow to 
 uiiderstiind. How blind is the natural 
 mind ! The simplest truths which a 
 child might understand, cannot be 
 riiade clear to such. And why is this ? 
 He gives the reason. ^ Cannot hear. 
 Literally — ye are not able to hear. It 
 
AaE 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 161 
 
 44 Ye * are of your father the 
 devil, and the lusts of your father 
 ye will do. He was a murderer 
 from the beginning, and abode '' 
 
 a Matt. 13. 3S. 1 Jno. 3. 8. 6 Jude 6. 
 
 is a deep-seated inability — not of the 
 ears or outward hearing. If this were 
 all, the impressions could be conveyed 
 through the eyes. But it was an ina- 
 bility of heart, which prevented them 
 from hearing favorably His discoui'sc. 
 They cried, " This is an hard saying, 
 who can hear it ? " who is able to give 
 ear to it ? ch. 6 : GO. This native, 
 inbred repugnance to the truth is not 
 physical, but it is natural — that is, ly 
 nature, and it is all the worse because 
 it is moral and spiritual, instead of 
 physical. If it were only that a man's 
 limbs were chained so that he could 
 not go to the house of God to hear the 
 Gospel, this would be a trifle, so long 
 as he had the hearty inclination to 
 receive it. But alas ! though the 
 "cannot," in the vieAV of many, is no 
 inability, because it is only a "will not," 
 it is on this very account the greatest 
 inability, as the will is enslaved and 
 needs to be delivered. It is depraved 
 and needs to be renewed. It is repug- 
 nant, and needs to be converted. 
 Melancthon says, "Ye are not able, 
 because the preponderating bias of the 
 heart draws it to evil." " By putting 
 the question," saj's Calvin, " He in- 
 tends to take out of their hands what 
 was the subject of their continual boast- 
 ing, that they are led by reason and 
 judgment to oppose Him." How igno- 
 rant are they who claim to be so 
 enlightened as to reject God's word — 
 His only written revelation from 
 Heaven ! How enslaved are they who 
 boast of being free thinke?-s, and who 
 cry out against trammels of Christian 
 doctrine and of religious truth ! Our 
 Lord, the final Judge, here traces their 
 true paternity, shows who is their 
 father, and whence their works proceed. 
 44. Ye will do. Literally — j/e will to 
 do. This is much more than is ex- 
 pressed in our English version. It is 
 not saying merely what they will do 
 14* 
 
 not in the truth, because there is 
 no truth in him. When he speak- 
 eth a lie, he speaketh of his own : 
 for he is a liar, and the father of it. 
 
 in future — but what they are inclined 
 to do, by nature and habit — what their 
 choice is. This is the condemnation — 
 that men choose darkness rather tJian 
 light. They are heartily disposed to 
 evil, and this is their slavery. It is 
 not such a slavery as binds them hand 
 and foot against their will, but a 
 slavery that bi?ids their will to act in a 
 swift and ready obedience to Satan. 
 1[ A murderer. They show themselves 
 the true children of Satan, for Ho was 
 a murderer, and the first murderer, 
 and the3% in seeking to kill Him, wero 
 only showing the spirit of his children. 
 Tf From the beginning. That is, from 
 the very beginning of society, in tho 
 outset of man's histpry. Satan brought 
 sin and death into the world by deceiv- 
 ing our first parents, and the first 
 murder immediately followed theix' 
 fall, and grew out of it — so that Satan 
 was the parent of it. 1 John 3 : 8. 
 " He that committeth sin is of tho 
 devil ; for the devil sinnetli from tho 
 beginning." 1 John 3: 12. "Cain — 
 who was OF THAT WICKED ONE, and 
 slew his brother " We see that Satan 
 is a real person, and active among men. 
 ^ Abode not. The fall of Satan is here 
 referred to, and in this state of apostacy, 
 He is the parent cf all apostates — so 
 that, secondly, He is not only a mur- 
 derer, but a liar, and hater of the 
 truth — and in this respect also, they 
 showed their real parentage. This 
 shows that the seduction of our first 
 parents is the murder here spoken of, 
 in which Satan showed his true charac- 
 ter of falsehood. Gen. 3 : 4. Ob- 
 serve — Satan was created holy, but 
 in this estate he abode not. He was a 
 leader of those angels '• who kept not 
 their first estate." Jude, vs. 6. If iVb 
 truth. No truthfulness. His lie ha3 
 become his very nature, and this, 
 therefore, is his life, and such as hate 
 tho truth are his children. T Mii 
 
162 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AohS3. 
 
 46 And because " I tell you tlio 
 truth, ye believe me not. 
 
 46 Which of you convinceth '' 
 me of sin? And if I say the 
 truth, why do ye not believe me ? 
 
 47 He that is of God heareth 
 God's words ; ye therefore hear 
 
 oGa.4.16. 2Th. 2.10. 6 He. 4. 15. 
 
 own. The term is plural. Of his oivn 
 things — "out of his own treasures or 
 resources." Matt. 12:35. Out of the 
 evil treasures of liis heart, he bringeth 
 forth tlie evil tilings, and so it is M-ith 
 his chilJren. They deal in lies. Noth- 
 ing so proves one to be a child of the 
 devil, as the habit of lying. " All liars 
 shall have their part in the lake that 
 burnetii 'with iire and brimstone." 
 ^ Falhcr of it. Rather— the father of 
 him — that is, of the liar, and of every 
 liar — and, of course, of these lying 
 Jews. 
 
 45. Ye display the character of the 
 devil — ye delight in his works — for he 
 plotted the murder and destruction of 
 men from the beginning. Falsehood 
 is his most prominent trait, and, there- 
 fore, ye do not believe me, because I 
 speak the truth. This was the crown- 
 ing condemnation — that just because 
 oui- Lord told them the truth in regard 
 to themselves and the only way of 
 salvation, they believed Him not. If 
 He had told them some pleasing false- 
 hood, they v/ould have received it. If 
 one should come to them in his own 
 name, and not in the Father's, him 
 they v.'ould receive, ch. 5 : 44. How 
 true is it that it is the trutli which men 
 object to,- because they do not relish 
 it. But if it be, nevertheless, the 
 truth — and especially, the saving truth, 
 how mad is it in them to reject it. 
 Will they have only what is pleasing — 
 whether true or false ? and 
 
 " Once wedded fast 
 To some de.ar falsehood, hug it to the last? " 
 
 46. Which. Literally, who of you 
 convicteth me of sin? "Convinceth," is 
 not the word here used. It was not to 
 satisfy Hira of any sin, that He here 
 challenged them. Convicteth is the 
 term. The question was, who of them 
 
 them not, because ye are not of 
 God. 
 
 4S Then answered the Jews, 
 and said unto him, Say we not 
 well, that thou art a Samaritan, 
 and " hast a devil ? 
 
 49 Jesus answered, I have not 
 
 could prove any sin against Him, to 
 show that He was not a faithful ser- 
 vant of God. He asserted his perfect 
 sinlessness, as a reason why He should 
 be received as sent from God. ^ And 
 if. Unless they could show either 
 from His life or His doctrine that He 
 was false, why did they not receive 
 and believe Him? Plainly because 
 they were, as Ho said, the children of 
 the devil, and so were opposed to 
 truth itself. This answers His own 
 question in the preceding verse. 
 
 47. If they were of God they would 
 surely show it, by hearing and receiv- 
 ing the words of God — the revelation 
 He gave by His Son. Thus He forced 
 upon them their opposition to God's 
 truth, as growing out of their alienation 
 from God. Thus He convicted them of 
 sin. This was most conclusive against 
 them. 
 
 48. They can reply to this only by 
 railing accusation. Men often repel 
 the truth by reviling at the messenger 
 or the message. They had quarreled 
 long with the truth — now they cavil at 
 Him and rail madly at His spotless 
 person. ^ Say ive not u-elL He was 
 repeatedly charged with casting out 
 devils by league with the prince of the 
 devils. And here they charged Him 
 with being crazed. Tf A Samaritan. 
 This was the severest reproach among 
 the Jews, to call one a Samaritan, or 
 heathen — with whom they had no deal- 
 ings. Ch. 4 : 9. But this was not 
 enough. Th'ey charged Him with 
 having a devil also — with being de- 
 moniacally possessed. 
 
 49. How mildly Jesus answers to all 
 such bitter revilings. He only re-as- 
 serted His claims and the purity of 
 His doctrine and work. And more 
 than this, He would let them know, 
 
AnE 33.] 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 163 
 
 a devil ; but I honour my Father, 
 and ye do dishonour me. 
 
 50 And I ^ seek not mine own 
 glory : there is one that secketh 
 and judgeth. 
 
 51 Verily, Verily, I say unto 
 you. If a man keep my saying, he 
 shall never see death. 
 
 52 Then said the Jews unto 
 him, Now we know that thou hast 
 a devil. Abraham is dead, ^ and 
 the prophets; and thou sayest, If 
 a man keep my saying, he shall 
 never taste of death. 
 
 53 Art thou greater than our 
 father Abraham, which is dead ? 
 
 ac.5.-tl. bZcc.1.5. 
 
 that He sought not mere human ap- 
 plause — their scandal would not harm 
 Ilim. He would do His Father's 
 work, and refer all the results to Him 
 who sceketh His honor, and judgeth 
 what is right. Ch. 5 : 23. 
 
 51. Wonderful gTace is it that our 
 Lord yet still further puts forward 
 the invitation of the gospel, even to 
 such willful and wicked revilers. He 
 would show them here, the blessed 
 crt'ccts of keeping, cherishing and abi- 
 ding in His word, which they, as chil- 
 dren of the devil, could not receive. 
 ^ See death. Shall not die eternally. 
 Ch. 11: 2G. 
 
 52. From this the .Jews, (the rulers 
 and leailers of them,) took advantage, 
 and supposed they could now entangle 
 Him. They took Him to mean bodily 
 death, and they supposed they could 
 contradict Him, and prove Him to be 
 false, by saying that Abraham and the 
 prophets who were good men, and had 
 kept (jod's words, had died. — They 
 blasphemed Christ : and yet the com- 
 passionate Saviour bore with them. 
 
 53. Art thou greater. So the Sa- 
 maritan woman asked : Art thou 
 greater than our father Jacob ? ch. 4 : 
 11. This pride of ancestry and of the 
 old economy came up to resist the 
 claims of Christ. ^ Is dead. Rather, 
 who died. ^ Whom makest thou. As 
 
 And the prophets are dead : vrhoin 
 makest thou thyself ? 
 
 54 Jesus answered, If " I hon- 
 our myself, my honour is nothing : 
 it is my father ^ that honoureth 
 me ; of whom ye say, that he is 
 your God : 
 
 55 Yet ye have not known 
 him; but I know him: and if 
 I should say, I know him not, 
 I shall be a liar like unto you : 
 but I know him, and keep his 
 saying.^ 
 
 56 Your father Abraham re- 
 joiced to see my day: and he 
 ® saw it, and was glad. 
 
 CO. 5. 31,41. do. 17. 1. c He. 11. 13. 
 
 much as to s.ay, who are you ? How 
 can you pretend to keep your followers 
 from dying, when all the great and 
 good who were Gotl's favorites died. 
 What power is this that You are claim- 
 ing for Yourself ? 
 
 54. He replied, referring them again 
 to the Father, whom they boasted as 
 their God, and whom they worshiped. 
 This was all along what our Lord 
 meant, by constantly claiming to have 
 been sent by the Father, and to have 
 had the Fathefs testimonies. Since 
 they professed to worship the Father, 
 they were bound to receive Him and 
 His message. 
 
 55. Yet the difficulty lay in their 
 ignorance of the Father whom they 
 claimed to know so entirely, and in 
 their rejection of Him who came to 
 reveal Him. 
 
 56. Rejoiced. The term is one ex- 
 pressive of strong delight. Our Lord 
 meets them with the fact that their 
 father Abraham, whom they so much 
 boasted, was a believer in Him, and 
 that if they were true children of 
 Abr.aham, they would also gladly re- 
 ceive Him. And thus also in the sense 
 which He intended, Abraham was liv- 
 ing and had not seen death. Luke 20: 
 37, 38. The literal meaning of the 
 passage is, " Abraham rejoiced that he 
 should see my day." He looked forward 
 
1G4 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AciE 33. 
 
 57 Then said the Jews unto 
 him, Thou art not yet fifty years 
 eld, and hast thou seen Abraham? 
 
 to it, with all tlie confidence of faith — 
 it was cherished by him as a joyful 
 reality yet to come; and the benefits of 
 it he fully expected to realize. It was. 
 in regard to this seed of promise that 
 "Abraham believed God, and it was 
 counted to him for righteousness." 
 Gen. I-j: 6; Rom. 4: 3. He, like 
 the other pati-iarchs and prophets, 
 " di'id in faith, not having received 
 the promises, (in their fulfillment,) but 
 having seen them afar off, and were per- 
 suaded of them, and embraced them," 
 &c. Ileb. 11: 13. The promise of 
 Christ's coming was made to Abraham. 
 " To thy seed — ichich is Christ." Gal. 3 : 
 16. He was also favored with a view 
 of Christ's death as a sacrifice for sin, 
 as it was shadowed forth to him in the 
 command to ofier Isaac. Gen. 22 : 1- 
 13; compare Heb. 11: 19. The ex- 
 pectation of the Messiah's time, as to 
 be realized by him, in all its benefits, 
 was the source of lively, exultant joy 
 to Abraham. ^ lie saw it. That is — 
 afar off. Heb. 11 : 13. And he so en- 
 tered into it, by faith, as a reality cei"- 
 tainly to be enjoyed, that it had with 
 him the power of a present experience. 
 He saw it as represented — and was 
 justified by the faith of it, "when he 
 offered up Isaac, his son, upon the 
 altar." Jas. 2: 21. '^ And ivas glad. 
 He so vividly saw it in the distance as 
 to be gladdened by the vision of it, and 
 this prospect of it cheered him in his 
 life and death. The name " Isaac" 
 signifies laughter. Perhaps the mean- 
 ing may also be, that he saw it in his 
 glorified state. " It is not said that he 
 saw Christ, but Christ's day — these 
 latter days — the time of Christ's king- 
 dom Avhen he appeared in the world 
 clothed with flesh, to fulfill the office 
 of a Redeemer." — Calvin. This pas- 
 sage, therefore, is not at all irusonsist- 
 eut with Luke 10: 24. There was 
 everything in this declaration calcu- 
 lated to strike from under them their 
 ground of boasting, and to show how 
 
 58 Jesus said unto them, Veri- 
 ly, verily, I say unto you, Before 
 Abraham was, I * am. 
 
 a Ex. 3. 14. Is. 43. 13. c. 1. 1, 2. Col. 1. 17. Re. 1.8. 
 
 idle is the objection drawn from the 
 name of Abraham. And if he so ex- 
 ulted in seeing Christ's coming, as it 
 was set forth in promises and prophe- 
 cies, how opposite to him must they 
 be who reject Christ when lie has 
 come ! Our advantages are much 
 greater than those of the most favored 
 patriarchs. To see Chrisfs day as we see 
 it — to live in the times of the gospel dis- 
 pensation, is the highest privilege. 
 And our responsibilties are proportion- 
 ably great. 
 
 57. The Jews at once charged Him 
 with the absurdity of saying that some- 
 how He had been seen by Abraham, 
 and as they knew that Abraham had 
 died so long before, they would have 
 Him explain how it could possibly be. 
 T[ Fifty. He Avas not even fifty years 
 old, they said. He was in fact only 
 about thirty-three. But He might have 
 appeared much older, as He was " a 
 man of sorroics," and they could say 
 that, at any rate. He was notffty yet — 
 perhaps conveying also a sarcasm, in 
 naming this greater age. As much as 
 to say, You are making yourself cen- 
 turies old, and we are sure j-ou are not 
 fifty yet, at oldest; for fifty would 
 more than cover all your claims to 
 age. And hast thou seen Abraham ? 
 This He had not said ; only they wero 
 determined to misunderstand and per- 
 vert His language. They were willing 
 enough to charge upon Him this ab- 
 surdity. He had a higher meaning. 
 
 58. Before Abraham, &c. Here He 
 brings out the astonishing truth, which 
 they were so poorly able to compre- 
 hend, and so unwilling to receive. Ho 
 here asserts His essential pre-existenco 
 — that He existed before Abraham. 
 ^ Was. This word is different from 
 that which is her6 used to express our 
 Lord's existence. More literally, it 
 would read •' before Abraham teas born, 
 or rcas made, (implying that Abraham 
 had a beginning,) I am." Aiid in this 
 connection the use of this different 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 165 
 
 59 Then took they up stones 
 to cast, at him : but Jesus hid 
 himself and went out of the 
 temple, going through the midst 
 of them, and so passed by. 
 
 verb, in reference to Himself, implying 
 essential existence, and immutable, inde- 
 pendent being, (in the present,) would 
 show that He claimed an underived 
 origin. ^ / am. This was the very 
 form in which .Jehovah declared Him- 
 self under the Old Testament — " I am 
 that I am." It was understood to im- 
 ply His uncreated and essential being. 
 And His object here was to show that 
 He existed as God in the beginning, and 
 that the Word was with God, and was 
 God. Ch. 1: 1. In His divine nature 
 He existed before Abraham was made, 
 though in His human nature He was 
 only thirty-three years old. This de- 
 claration was also made most solemnly, 
 somewhat in the form of an oath — 
 " Verilg, verib/' — and it was therefore 
 important for John's purpose, which 
 was to establish, in every way, the 
 proper Godhead of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ — not merely that He was di- 
 vinely commissioned, or of a divine 
 nature, tut that He was truly God. 
 He does not say " / ivas," but " lam," 
 as implying also that He was the very 
 same yesterday and to-day and forever. 
 It is not the mission and work of our 
 Lord that is here spoken of, but His 
 nature and essence, to meet the ques- 
 tion as to His existence in Abraham's 
 time. 
 
 59. To stone, &c. They probably 
 keld Him guilty accoi-ding to their 
 law. Levit. 24: IG. "We see how 
 great is the madness of inconsiderate 
 zeal." — Calvin. We need not suppose 
 any miraculous escape here. But the 
 connexion rather favors such an iniiu- 
 euce. Calvin says, "I have no doubt 
 that Christ rescued Himself by His 
 secret power; but yet under the 
 appearance of a low condition — not 
 intending to make a clear display of 
 His divinity as yet." 
 
 CHAPTER IX. ■• - 
 
 ^ \ ND as Jesus passed 
 l\. by, he saw a man 
 which was blind from his birth. 
 2 And his disciples asked him, 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 § 90. A MAN BORN BLIND IS HEALED 
 
 ON THE Sabbath — Our Lord's sub- 
 sequent Discourses. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Luke. I John. 
 
 9.1-41. 
 |l0.1-21. 
 
 It would seem that the incidents 
 recorded by Luke, in part of chs. 10 
 and 11, belong to this portion of the his- 
 tory. The return of the seventy is 
 supposed to have occurred at or near 
 Jerusalem, and just preceding the 
 miracle here narrated. 
 
 1. I'assed by. Not necessarily nor 
 probably in His escape from the Jews, 
 ch. 8 : 59. This is more like the com- 
 mencement of a new paragraph ; and 
 is such an introduction as marks an 
 ordinary occasion. "As He was 
 going along." ^ From his birth. 
 The man may possibly have been pro- 
 claiming the fact of his having been 
 born blind, in order to work upon the 
 sympathy of the passers by — which 
 would account for the disciples asking 
 the question. 
 
 2. Who did sin. The Jews be- 
 lieved that special calamities were 
 evidences of special sin. The 38th 
 Psalm is founded on the general idea 
 that affliction is the fruit of sin. — 
 In Luke 13: 1-4, our Lord met their 
 mistakes on this subject. It may be 
 said in general terms, that sufl'ering 
 in the world is the fruit of sin. But 
 we have no right, therefore, to count 
 those pei'sons the vilest who suffer the 
 most. It is, indeed, often the very 
 reverse of this, in God's providence. 
 And though some have supposed from 
 their question here, that they thought 
 the man could somehow have sinned 
 before he was born, it is not necessary 
 to infer that they Lad any very definite 
 theory in regard to such a case as this. 
 They asked rather because of a special 
 
166 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 saying, Master, wbo ilid sin, this 
 man, or Lis parents, that he was 
 born blind ? 
 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath 
 
 difficulty in this case, growing out of 
 his being horn with this calamity upon 
 him. Generally, the personal suffer- 
 ing would infer personal sin. But how 
 this man could have been a sinner 
 before he y^s born, would be the diffi- 
 culty here. And hence, they inquire 
 whether it could have been visited on 
 account of the parent's sin. This idea 
 they wei-e familiar with in the law, 
 (Exod. 20: 5,) where God declared 
 Himself as "visiting tlie iniquities of 
 the fatliers upon the chiUlreii, unto the 
 third and fourth generation, &c." 
 
 3. Our Lord takes occasion to cor- 
 rect their mistakes. They had no 
 right to look upon this calamity as a 
 proof of some special sin committed, 
 either by the blind man or by his 
 parents. Ho further settled the ques- 
 tion, (Luke 13: 2,) in the case of 
 "those eighteen upon whom the tower 
 in Siloam fell." He did not mean that 
 they were sinless, but that special sin 
 was not to be charged upon them from 
 such evidence as this. This was the 
 cruel error of Job's friends. ^ But 
 that, &c. The sin of the parties was 
 not the procuring cause of this, but it 
 was ordained, in God's works of Prov- 
 idence, for the manifestation of His 
 power and grace. In his blindness, 
 the sovereignty of God was displayed, 
 and in his cure, the mercy of God 
 would be displayed also. This was 
 now the view of the case to which 
 they should give attention. So the 
 (jickness of Lazarus was declared by 
 our Lord to be for the glory of God 
 the Son. Obskrve. — We are not to 
 infer the character of ourselves or 
 others in God's sight, from the out- 
 ward temporal circumstances, 2. We 
 are to show pity to those who sutler, 
 knowing that often the greatest sniier- 
 ers are the best of men. 3. If God 
 has sent calamity upon us, we are to 
 regard it as only making occasion. 
 
 this n)an sinned, nor his parents, 
 but that '^ the works of God should 
 be made manifest in him. 
 4 I must work the works of 
 
 if we will, to display His power and 
 grace for our deliverance. We are to 
 take it as an invitation to get our 
 necessity relieved by Him. 4. We 
 ought not to complain that we are 
 born sinners and sufferers, when we 
 consider that a Saviour has been sent 
 to us, to deliver from sin and death. 
 5. Evil in the world is not merely an 
 occasion for God's work of mercy. It 
 is real, and no less real because God 
 has graciously provided a remedy. 
 Because it is so real, and because the 
 curse here and herefifter is so dreadful, 
 He has undertaken to save — has given 
 His only-begotten Son, that men should 
 not perish, but have everlasting life. 
 
 4. This case fell directly in the way 
 of our Lord's work on earth. He came 
 "not to condemn the Gentile world," as 
 they would do, "but that the world 
 through Him might be saved." And 
 tliis commission of mercy He must ac- 
 tively execute, during the short time 
 that remained for Him on earth : in- 
 stead of starting or sanctioning such 
 vain speculations as they suggested. 
 Observe. — We are to employ our time 
 in doing good to men, rather than in 
 speculations about the origin of evil, 
 and about the measure of other peo- 
 ple's sin. ^ Day. This refers to His 
 allotted time for laboring on earth. It 
 was limited and short, and now within 
 six months of His death : and while 
 the time lasted He must fuliill Hi?- 
 commission and till up His time with 
 such works as the Father bad sent Him 
 to do. "ir The mrjhl. See ch. 11 : 9, 10. 
 There is probably here some hint of 
 its being the Sabbath, vs. 14. The 
 close of His earthly mission was ap- 
 proac' ing — and as night closes tbc 
 labor of the day to all men, and also 
 to Himself, so the end of His day, (of 
 His allotted time,) woiild bring His 
 earthly labors to a close : and He njust 
 occupy Himself, therefore, in gloiifying 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 167 
 
 liim that sent me, wliile it is day : 
 the night cometh, when no man 
 can work. 
 
 5 As long as I am in the world, 
 I ' am the light of the world. 
 
 6 "When he had thus spoken, 
 
 a c. 1.5, 9; 8.12; 12.35,46. 
 
 the Father, and in doing His appointed 
 work. Some understand it rather as 
 meaning, that no man who has not 
 done his work in the day, can do it in 
 the night. Besides there is this, that 
 is peculiar in His case, that not only 
 is llis lifetime His day for work, but 
 while His life continues He makes the 
 day for the wo'-ld. Sec vs. 5. 
 
 5. While He may be said to be under 
 limitation from His approaching deah, 
 His day is something more than a mere 
 opportunity for Him to work. It is 
 daytime to the world. Therefore all 
 men are eminently intcres-ed in His 
 work on earth. Besides He here refers 
 to the prophecy of Himself as " a Light 
 to lighten tlie Gentiles."' This claim 
 He also made. cli. 8:12. See Ps. 36: 
 9. The work which He is now about 
 to do — namely, this giving sight to a 
 blind man, is only a hint of what He 
 is able and ready to do, in giving light 
 to the darkened souls of men. See ch. 
 1 : 4 ; 8 : 12. His miracles were re- 
 demptive acts, and they were intended 
 to be signs of His complete redemption 
 from sin and death, for men of every 
 class and nation. As this poor blind 
 man, whom they would discard as a 
 gi'ievous and accursed sinner, was to 
 have the cheering light of day from 
 Him, so is He t!ie Sun of righteousness 
 for the world. Observe. — Our Lord's 
 example teaches us to work while the 
 day lasts — to be living daily in view 
 of death ard ctcrnitj^ — and to be burn- 
 ing and shining lights in the world, 
 while we arc in it, shedding around us 
 the benefit of good works and a holy 
 Bxample. 
 
 6. Spittle. lastar.ees arc given in 
 which both clay and spitth; Vr-ere used 
 
 mong the ancients for curing the 
 yes. Our Lord confined Himself to 
 
 he ^ spat on the ground, and made 
 clay of the spittle, and he ' an- 
 ointed the eyes of the blind man' 
 with the clay, 
 
 7 And said unto him, Go, wash 
 in the pool of Siloam, " (which is, 
 
 5 Mar. 8. 23. 1 or, spread the clay upon the eyes o/ 
 the blind ma7t. c Ne. 3. 15. 
 
 no method in working His miraculous 
 cures. It is plain that the healing 
 virtue was not in these applications, 
 any more than in the pool of Siloam. 
 He might have healed him by a word, 
 as in many other cases. But He chose 
 to honor the means by using them. 
 It was not, however, as an aid to Him. 
 He alone could give efficacy to any 
 means. It was rather in this case to 
 minister to the infirmity of the blind 
 man. It was only by the feeling of 
 this anointing upon his eyes, that he 
 would know that the cure came from 
 this his unseen benefactor. It was 
 also perhaps as a help to the weak 
 faith of the mnn, to feel that something 
 external was doing. — Our Lord deigns 
 to give to us blind sinners some sensi- 
 ble signs, that we may have a livelier 
 apprehension of His liealing mercy. 
 Lightfoot shows that the Jews were 
 forbidden to prepare medicines on the 
 Sabbath and even to use spittle for 
 curing the eyes. Our Lord, therefore, 
 may have designed to furiher train 
 them to the true idea of the Sabbath 
 ordinance. See ch. 7 : 22, 23, and 
 notes. Observe — Our Lord chcse to 
 employ something coming from Him- 
 self, to show that the virtue came frpm 
 Him. lie used it also in other eases. 
 Mark 8 : 23 ; 7 : 38. 
 
 7. G'o wash. Our Lord would 
 generally put the beginnings of faith 
 to the test, by requiring some act of 
 obedicnoe. It mny also have had 
 something to do with the cure. At 
 least, the cure was not to be felt until 
 this command had been obeyed. Tiie 
 blind bepg ir was familiar enough with 
 the l,ocalities about Jerusalem to find 
 his way there, where probably he had 
 often been without a cure. — Seethe case 
 of Naaman, 2 Kings 5: 10. T Siloam. 
 
168 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33 
 
 by interpretation, Sent.) He " 
 went his way therefore, and 
 washed, and came seeing. 
 
 8 The neighbours therefore, 
 and they which before had seen 
 him that he was blind, said. Is 
 not this he that sat and begged ? 
 
 9 Some said, This is he : others 
 said, He is like him : b^^t he said, 
 I am lie. 
 
 Josephus describes Siloam as a foun- 
 tain, and gives its locality as we 
 found it, and in accordance witb the 
 scriptural accounts. We had visited the 
 chapel of the Virgin in the vnlley of 
 Jehoshaphat, near Gcthsemaue, and 
 thence we passed along the valley and 
 by the fountain of the Virgin, and 
 winding around the point of Ophel, we 
 came to tlie pool. The structure of 
 the fountain, or reservoir, is a paral- 
 lelogram in form. The sides are of 
 rude stone work, with fragments of 
 columns set in the wall at intervals, 
 and one broken column, say three feet 
 in height, standing upright in the bed 
 of the pool — the remains probably of a 
 chapel formerly built over the spot. 
 The descent to the bed is by sixteen 
 regular steps, and three or four irregu- 
 lar stones to the water, which we found 
 clear and sweet, deepening along the 
 pebbly slope of its bed to about two 
 feet at the deepest. An archway is in 
 the rock overhead, as of a regular 
 aqueduct, leading under the temple's 
 mount, whence the water flows. We 
 measured the reservoir and found it 
 eighteen feet across and fifty-four feet 
 long. The water from the fountain 
 flowed in a narrow channel along 
 the base of the hill Ophel, some three 
 hundred feet to a basin where the 
 women from the adjacent village of 
 Siloam were washing clothes — and 
 thence it passed to the " King's gar- 
 dens" of fig trees, &c., in the valley 
 of Jehoshaphat. Some suppose the 
 fountain or pool to be connected with 
 a supply of waters under tlie temple. 
 This would still add to the significance 
 
 10 Therefore said they unto him, 
 How were thine eyes opened ? 
 
 11 He answered and said, A man 
 that is called Jesus made clay, ^ 
 and anointed mine eyes, and said 
 unto me. Go to the pool of Siloam, 
 and wash : and I went and washed, 
 and I received sight. 
 
 12 Then said they unto bim, 
 Where is he ? He said, I know not. 
 
 of this transaction. There is a popu- 
 lar tradition of some medicinnl virtue 
 in the waters, especially for the eyes, 
 but it is very likely to have sprung 
 from a superstitious notion founded on 
 this narrative. 1[ Sent. John has 
 given this interpretation, it would 
 seem, to call attention to its meaning 
 as very significant here. This pool 
 was employed in the matter as a sym- 
 bol of our Lord's mission and work on 
 earth. He was the "Sent" — "the 
 Apostle and High Priest of our profes- 
 sion." Heb. 5 : 1. — Thus did the eter- 
 nal "Word," the Son of God, give Light 
 to the blind eyes on the first day of 
 the week — the same Creator who, "in 
 the beginning," had called forth the 
 Light itself on that day. Gen. 1 : 3. 
 If Cttme sceui(/. This was plainly the 
 result of his obedience to Christ, and 
 he was doubtless made to see inwardly 
 that it was more because of his obey- 
 ing this divine command, than because 
 of any virtue in Siloam. It was the 
 great Siloam, opened for sin and for 
 uncleanness, (Zach. 12 : 1,) to which 
 he must credit his cure. He returned 
 probably to his own home, as would 
 appear from the next verses. Naaman 
 found nothing but oljection to the plan 
 of the prophet to wash in the Jordan ; 
 but this man went at the direction of 
 Christ, with a prompt obedience. This 
 was to show in a parable the case of 
 the Jews, who "refused the waters 
 of Siloah that go softly," (Lsa. 8: 6,) 
 and were, therefore, destroyed. 
 
 8-12. Those who knew him — the 
 neighborhood among whom he had 
 strolled, begging — were prompt to 
 
53.] 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 169 
 
 13 They brought to the Phari- 
 B(^es hiiii that aforetime was 
 blind. 
 
 14 And it was the sabbath-day 
 when Jesus made the chiy, and 
 opened his e3"es. 
 
 15 Then again the Pharisees 
 also asked him how he had received 
 his sight. He said unto them, 
 
 notice the change. If we are truly 
 changed by grace, our friends and 
 neighbors will remark the difference in 
 us. 
 
 " Great is the Trork my neighbors cried." 
 They could scarcely believe it to be 
 the same person. " The opening of 
 the eyes would naturally change the 
 whole countenance." They were in- 
 quisitive — would like to know how it 
 was done — while all were talking and 
 speculating about it. So the conver- 
 sion of a well known person excites 
 remark and starts many inquiries. 
 
 1-3. The Pharisees. From the men- 
 tion of the day as being the Sabbath, 
 (vs. 14,) it would seem that they brought 
 the man before the ecclesiastical rulers. 
 This niaj' have been the lesser local 
 Sanhedrim, which was always sitting. 
 Tlioy were not all Pharisees, but the 
 chief were of these — and these were 
 they who would take special notice of 
 any violation of the Sabbath. 
 
 11. This fact, that the miracle was 
 done on the Sabbath, is here noted in 
 connection with the tribunal; and the 
 making of the clay is probably men- 
 tioned as a species of labor which their 
 law pronounced illegal. 
 
 15. Again. See vs. 10, where the 
 same question, in sub.stance, had been 
 asked him, by the neighbors — here by 
 " the Pharisees also." ^ He put. The 
 man told what he felt that Christ did 
 to him, and what he knew he himself 
 did, and what they knew was the re- 
 sult. 
 
 IG. There was a division among the 
 
 rulers respecting Him. Some took the 
 
 ground that He was not of God, (not 
 
 "a teacher sent from God," cb. 3: 3,) 
 
 15 
 
 He put clay upon mine eyes, and 
 I washed, and do see. 
 
 IG Therefore said some of the 
 Pharisees, This man is not of God, 
 because he kcepeth not the sab- 
 bath-day. Others said, How » 
 can a man that is a sinner do such 
 miracles ? And ^ there was a 
 division among them. 
 
 over. 31. c. 3.2. 5 c. 7. 12, 43. 
 
 because He kept not the Sabbath day, 
 which was a divine institution. It is 
 true enough that no one who willfully 
 and habitually breaks the Sabbath can 
 be a child of God. But they put their 
 own construction upon what was re- 
 quired in the fourth commandment, 
 and bound every one to the same 
 opinions. The Pharisees were noted 
 for having a multitude of trifling rules 
 about the observance of the day. 
 Tf Others. This was -a fair question, 
 but only as yet a question, as if they 
 were timid and doubting. They do 
 not speak out, as Nicodemus. did — (ch. 
 3) — " We know that thou art a teacher 
 sent from God, for no man can do these 
 miracles which thou doest, except God 
 be with him." ^ Such miracles. These 
 miracles were before their ej'es. They 
 were plain proofs of divine power. 
 Hence, He constantly appealed to His 
 works, in evidence of His being God, 
 and being sent from God, and of His 
 not being a sinner, or deceiver, Mira- 
 cles were therefore a leading proof of 
 Christianity, in apostolic times. Chris- 
 tianity, as a system, was so connected 
 with miracles, that it is proved to be 
 a divine system by history itself, which 
 is the history of Christianity, as a 
 miraculous system. The miracles were 
 appealed to lay the apostles among the 
 chief cities, and were not denied by 
 the bitterest opponents of Christianity, 
 as .Julian and Porphyry, who would 
 surely have denied them if they could. 
 ,\iid, admitting the miracles to have 
 bci^^n wrought, the inference was plainly 
 correct, as Nicodemus declared, and 
 these Pharisees should have yielded to 
 the evidence, as he did. Some, how- 
 
170 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 17 They say unto the blind man 
 again. What sayest thou of hiui, 
 that he hath opened thine eyes ? 
 He said, Ho is a prophet. * 
 
 18 But tlic Jews did not believe '' 
 concerning him, tliat he had been 
 blind, and received his fcight, until 
 they called the parents of him 
 that had received his sight. 
 
 19 And they asked them, saying. 
 Is this your son, who yc say was 
 born blind r* how then doth he 
 now sec ? 
 
 20 His parents answered them 
 and said We know that this is 
 
 ever, were leaning to this conviction. 
 ^ A division. " For this was He," 
 says Augustine, "who in the begin- 
 ning divided the Light from the Dark- 
 ness." See also Watt. 25 : 82. 
 
 17. That he hath. Sec. There is but 
 one question here, and not two, as 
 many have understood. The empha- 
 sis is on the word " thou." Thou, 
 (as the chief witness,) " what sayest 
 thou of him in that, or as to that He 
 hath opened tliine eyes V They hoped 
 that he would possibly bring out some- 
 thing against Him. ^ A prophet. He 
 meant only to give Him the credit of 
 having a commission from God. 
 
 18. The Jeii's. These are the rulers, 
 of whom John often speaks as perse- 
 cuting Christ. They were the hostile 
 party called before — " the Pharisees." 
 They undertake " to sift more closely 
 the evidence of the fact. The parents 
 ai'e summoned as witnesses." ^ Did 
 not believe. These resisted the evidence 
 as long as possible, and chiefly in re- 
 ference to liis having been born blind: 
 for which they wanted the parents' 
 testimony. ^ Until. No — nor even 
 then. How reluctant is the natural 
 heart to admit the claims of Christ — 
 though they are established by clearest 
 facts. We see how mucli they labored 
 to maintain their unbelief — battling 
 against the plainest truths. 
 
 19. They seem to have hoped to 
 
 our son, and that ho was born 
 blind : 
 
 21 But by what means he now 
 seeth, we know not ; or who hath 
 opened his eyes, we know not : 
 he is of age; ask him : he shall 
 speak for himself. 
 
 2*2 These words spake his pa- 
 rents, because they *= feared the 
 Jews : for the Jews had agreed 
 already, that if any man did con- 
 fess that he was Christ, he ^ should 
 be put out of the synagogue. 
 
 23 Therefore said his parents, 
 He is of age ; ask him. 
 
 cPr. 29. 25. 0.7. 13; 12.42. dver.Si. c. IC. 2. 
 
 frighten the parents into some state- 
 ment more suited to their wish. 
 
 20. They state what they know, and 
 what they had the best right to know, 
 but they would not venture ixpon the 
 matter in dispute as to the healer or 
 the cure, lest they might get in diffi- 
 culty, with the rulers. T[ We know. 
 " Thus," saj's Chrysostom, "the truth 
 becomes strengthened bj- the very 
 snares which are laid against it. A 
 lie is its own antagonist, and by its 
 attempts to injure the truth, sets it off 
 to greater advantage. So was it here. 
 For the point which might have been 
 urged, viz., that the neighbors knew 
 nothing for certain, but spake from a 
 mere resemblance, is cut oif by the in- 
 troduction of the parents, who could, 
 of course, testify to their own son." 
 
 21. He is of age. They fall back 
 upon the son as of full age, and hence 
 a proper legal witness. 
 
 22. Had agreed. They had virtually 
 pronounced Christ an impostor, .".nd 
 even while seeming to be hearing the 
 testimony, they would not allow any 
 one to confess Him. ^ Put out, kc. 
 This is expressed by a single term, 
 like ex-synagogued. There were differ- 
 ent kinds of excommunication. This 
 could scarcely have been the severest 
 kind, which was final, and cut off the 
 man from any intercourse with the 
 people. It was more probably th« 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 171 
 
 24 Theu again called tlicy the 
 man that was blind, and said unto 
 him, Give God * the praise : we 
 know that this man is a sinner. 
 
 25 He answered and said, Whe- 
 ther he be a sinner or no, I know 
 not : one thing I know, that, 
 whereas I was blind, now I 
 see. 
 
 26 Then said they to him again, 
 
 o Jos. 7. 19. Ps.50. 34, 15. 
 
 first degree, expelling for thirty days 
 from the synngogiie, and from coming 
 nearer thi\n four cubits to his wife or 
 friends. But Christ had received this 
 man into His church, while these dis- 
 believing Jews are cut off to this day. 
 
 24. Give God the praise. The sense 
 might seem to be, '-Give the priiise (of 
 thy healing) to God. But tliis man 
 60 far from being God, or having any 
 ciaim to the praise, is a sinner — an 
 impostor." But the phrase is used as 
 a form of adjuration, by wliich they 
 v/ould oblige the man, ou oatli, to con- 
 fess the truth. See Josh. 7: 18; Ezra 
 10: 11. '-We adjure thee by God to 
 confess the truth. We know that this 
 man is a sinner." Thr-y wish by this 
 form of " holy inquisition" to awe the 
 man into some account of the cure 
 which would suit their own view. Ob- 
 serve — Tiiey claimed to know before- 
 hand — and yet they call upon the man 
 to tell them the facts, and will be 
 satisfied with no account of the matter 
 but such as will suit their enmity to 
 Christ. So men constantly question 
 nature and science and revelation, to 
 extort answers from them contrary to 
 what they properly give. 
 
 25. Tlic man, like one not to be sha- 
 ken from the truth, confines I'.imsolf 
 to the facts, and will not be entangled 
 by their questionings. jMany a plain 
 Christian, who is met by infidel objec- 
 tions, falls back with confidence upon 
 the consciousness of the truth, as felt 
 in the heart, and .-ays, one thing I 
 know — talk as you will, cavil as jon 
 may — that I have had inward experi- 
 ence of the truth of religion, and I care 
 
 What did he to thee '{ how opened 
 he thine eyes ? 
 
 27 He answered them, I have 
 told you already, and ye did not 
 hear : wherefore would ye hear it 
 again? will ye also b# his disci- 
 ples ? 
 
 28 Then they reviled '' him, and 
 said, Thou art his disciple; but 
 we are Moses' disciples. 
 
 nothing for your vain queries or j'oui 
 skeptical and obstinate doubts, espe- 
 cially where you have your foregone 
 conclu.sions, and will hear nothing but 
 what will suit youropposition to Christ 
 
 26. They are not satisfied — will no: 
 be — but again put the man at the bar 
 to be cross-questioned, so as yet, if 
 possible, to get some clue for accusing 
 Christ — especially, in reference to the 
 Sabbath violation. Tliey hope to hear 
 in his .account of the operation, some- 
 thing that shall further serve to con- 
 demn Christ as having broken th? 
 Sabbath. The question now is, "ic/iai 
 hath He done to thee — how opened He 
 thine eyes?" 
 
 27. The man seeing their stubborn 
 unbelief, declines to answer them fur- 
 ther, when their evident object is not 
 to get at the facts, but to pick flaws, 
 in a spirit of malice. *i[ Will ye also. 
 This is an ironical question put to 
 them, as much as to say, you seem so 
 anxious to learn about His work, that 
 you must be wishing to become His 
 fonov/ers. Observe. — Many inquire 
 about religious things, merely to raise 
 objections, and though they study the 
 Bible, it would l)e the greatest satire 
 to charge them with purposing to 
 follow Christ. It is plain that they 
 wish only to bring accusation against 
 Him. 
 
 28. The bold confidence of the blind 
 beggar in making this reply, so irrita- 
 ted these inquisitors that they loaded 
 him with abuse. Often a poor helpless 
 Christian has stood u]) against the 
 frown and threat, and torture, of Papal 
 inquisitions, and in bold confidence of 
 
172 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 29 We know » that God spake 
 unto Moses : as for this fdloic, 
 we ** know not from whence he is. 
 
 30 The man answered and said 
 unto them, Why " herein is a mar- 
 vellous thing, that ye know not 
 from whence he is, and yet he 
 hath opened * mine eyes. 
 
 the truth, bas uttered Christi.in con- 
 victions, without being shaken, even 
 though anathema and death have been 
 the penalty. ^ His disciple. This is 
 spolven in ridicule. Tliou art the dis- 
 ciple or follower of Him — of such an 
 one as this — of Ilim, the pretender — 
 the blasphemer — whom we so despise. 
 In contrast with this, they claim to be 
 the disciples of Moses — putting this 
 honored name, so established among 
 the Jews, against the strange name of 
 this new teacher. They would put 
 the blind beggar, and his teacher and 
 Lealer, under the same contempt. So 
 they would repel the very thought of 
 seeking to follow Christ. "Be this 
 reproach upon us and iipon our chil- 
 dren," saj-s Augustine. 
 
 29. We know. They claimed for 
 Moses ("in whom they trusted,") that 
 he had a divine revelation and au- 
 thority from God, but of this man they 
 had no such evidence. H Whence. 
 "We know that Moses was sent by 
 God, and that his doctrine is (rue and 
 divine. But whether this man be sent 
 by God and be the ambassador of God, 
 we do not know at all." Why then 
 should wo hear Him, and become His 
 disciples? 
 
 30. Such contemptuous and reviling 
 language spoken of his great Benefac- 
 tor, led the healed beggar to speak out 
 for his Lord. ^ W/ii/ herein. Litei'- 
 ully. For herein. The man naturally 
 enough points them to this proof of 
 Christ's Divinity, which he was so sure 
 of, and which they could not but 
 admit, as they did not denj' that He 
 had done it. Hence, he uses the 
 common argument from miracles — that 
 a miracle is a siffn of the Divine Pres- 
 
 31 Now we know that God • 
 heareth not sinners : but if ' any 
 man be a worshipper of God, and 
 doeth his will, him he heareth. 
 
 32 Since the world began was it 
 not heard that any man opened 
 the eyes of one that was born 
 blind. 
 
 e Job 27. 9. Ps. 66. 18. Pr.28. 9 Is. 1.15. Je.ll. 11. 
 Ez. 8. 18. Mic.3. 4. Zee. 7, 13. /Ps. 34. 15. Pr. 15. 29. 
 
 ence and Power — and that whoever 
 really wrought a miracle must be sent 
 from God — that God would not give 
 this power to an impostor, nor set this 
 Divine seal upon an unauthorized mes- 
 sage. " This, therefore, is very remark- 
 able, that though this man hath opened 
 my eyes and given such proof of His 
 commission, you do not know whence 
 He is." Some writers of the present 
 day, as Dr. Arnold, insist that the 
 ground taken by the Sanhedrim was 
 warranted by the passage in Deut. 13 : 
 1-3: only that they failed to distin- 
 guish between positive and moral stat- 
 utes. But the beggar meets their 
 wicked sophistry and cavil on the right 
 ground, viz : — that miracles are evi- 
 dences of Divine power, and that God 
 would not give the endorsement of His 
 Omnipotence to an imposture. 
 
 31-33. This he states as the common 
 sense — the uniform conviction of men, 
 which all may be supposed to admit — 
 fhat God heareih not — attends not to — 
 acts not in concert with — sinners — im- 
 postors. Therefore, they cannot do 
 works which require divine power and 
 show divine goodness. God will give 
 them no such seal or token of His 
 favor. 1 But. God Jtrictly distin- 
 guishes characters — separates the pre- 
 cious from the vile. He gives no coun- 
 tenance to the works of the wicked. 
 But the humble worshiper and follower 
 of God He heareth. The tokens of 
 His presence are, of course, confined 
 to these. Hence, if this man were not 
 sent from God, He could do nothing of 
 this kind. 
 
 32. Though the prophets of old had 
 wrought many miracles, none had ever 
 wrought one like this. The prophe) 
 
A.OE 83.] 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 173 
 
 33 If this man were not of God, 
 he could do nothing. 
 
 84 They answered and said unto 
 him, Thou * wast altogether born 
 in sins, and dost thou teach us ? 
 And they ^ cast him ^ out. 
 
 35 Jesus heard that they had 
 cast him out : and when he had 
 
 a Tcr. 2. I or, excommunicated Mm. b Is. 66. 5. 
 
 Elijah had, indeed, raised the dead. 
 But this opening of the blind eyes was 
 particularly ascribed to the Messiah by 
 the prophets, (Isa. 35: 5; 42 : 7,) and 
 the Jewish Rabbins believed and taught 
 that Christ, when he came, would work 
 this particular miracle. The beggar 
 may not have referred to the prophe- 
 cies, but only to the fact, that this 
 particular miracle whioa was confessed 
 to be so great, had nor, been wrought. 
 Yet it was calculated to force convic- 
 tion upon these obstinate Jews. 
 
 34. Altogether. They mean to charge 
 him now with being a sinner from his 
 birth, and marked as such by his 
 being born blind. They had asked our 
 Lord whether it was this man or his 
 parents that had sinned so as to stamp 
 him with this token of the divine dis- 
 pleasure. But now they charge it 
 upon the man himself, though they 
 had pretended not to believe that he 
 had been born blind, vs. 19. T Teach 
 us. Their pride was in very striking 
 contrast with his simplicity and sin- 
 cerity. They were proud pretenders, 
 (Rom. 2: 19, 20,) and could not bear 
 the thought of being schooled by this 
 "blind beggar." Brt, says Augustine, 
 " it was they themselves who had made 
 him the teacher, by asking him so many 
 questions." '^ Cast him out. This was 
 according to their threatening, vs. 22. 
 They regarded him now, by his defence 
 of Christ from their revilings, as pro- 
 fessing Him, and they excommunicated 
 him as not fit to have the privileges of 
 the Jewish church. 
 
 35. How tenderly does our Lord show 
 His interest in this honest oppressed 
 beggar whom He had healed. Calvin 
 says, "We have known the same thing 
 
 '6* 
 
 found him, he said unto him. Dost 
 thou believe ° on the Son of God ? 
 
 36 He answered and said, Who 
 is he. Lord, that I might believe 
 on him ? 
 
 37 And Jesus said unto him, 
 Thou hast both seen him, and ^ it 
 is he that talketh-with thee. 
 
 clJno.5. 13. dc. 4.26. 
 
 in our own time ; for, when Dr. Martin 
 Luther and others of the same class 
 were beginning to reprove the grosser 
 abuses of the Pope, they scarcely had 
 the slightest relish for pure Christianity. 
 But, after the Pope had cast them out 
 of the Roman synagogue by terrific 
 bulls, Christ stretched out his hand and 
 made Himself fully known to them." 
 ^ Dost thou believe. This was 0,3 
 ranch as to say. Do you, after all this 
 experience of the Jewish teachers, and 
 of this wonder-worker, believe, not- 
 withstanding the unbelief of the rulers? 
 He had recognized this healer as sent 
 from God, but he had not yet come to 
 think of Him under this title of Son of 
 God — perhaps not even as the Mes- 
 siah. Indeed, they knew of the Mes- 
 siah rather under the name of " Son 
 of David." 
 
 36. The man shows his inquiring 
 disposition and readiness to receive 
 the truth. He had not seen his Bene- 
 factor, when the miracle was wrought ; 
 and now perhaps it occurs to him from 
 this inquiry, that the Great Healer and 
 the Son of God were one and the same. 
 If so, this would increase the interest 
 of his inquiry, "Who is he?" See 
 Mark 10 : 26 ; Luke 10 : 29 ; 2 Cor. 2 : 
 2. Tf That I may. " Faith cometh by 
 hearing, and hearing by the word of 
 God,"&c. Rom. 10:17. The willing- 
 ness to believe — the believing spirit is 
 met by a sufficient communication of 
 the truth. " Then shall ye know if j'e 
 follow on to know the Lord." He was 
 ready to believe in Jesus whatever Ho 
 might say. 
 
 37. This does not refer to any for- 
 mer sight of Him, but the reference to 
 his restored sight serves to awaken tlie 
 
174 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 38 And he said, Lord, I believe. 
 "■ And he worshipped him. 
 
 89 And Jesus said, For '^ 
 judgment I am come into 
 this world ; that they which 
 see not " might see, and that 
 
 a Matt. 14. 33. 6 c. 5. 22. 27 ; 12.47. clPe. 2.9. 
 
 man's gratitude. In this way He dis- 
 covers Himself to him as He who had 
 given him sight. This poor witness to 
 the truth — cast out from the temple — 
 comes to be the gainer, as he was re- 
 ceived by the Lord of the Temple. 
 See Luke "2: 30. Jesus intended to be 
 acknowledged by him as the Christ, 
 (and to this the man was gradually, 
 graciously led along,) that from this 
 beginning of faith in His person and 
 office work. He might afterwards lead 
 him forward to a more intimate know- 
 lodge of Himself. 
 
 38. The man was brought now to 
 profess his faith in Christ, as the very 
 living Healer who stood before him. 
 He had found now a Personal Saviour. 
 Like Thomas, he could now say, "My 
 Lord and my God." John 20: 28. 
 ^ Worshipped. This term means lite- 
 rally to bow the knee in reverence. 
 As soon as he recognized Christ, he 
 adored. When we apprehend Christ 
 by a living faith, we must pay Him 
 the homage of our hearts. This is the 
 order in which " effectual calling'" works 
 — "enlightening our minds in the 
 knowledge of Christ, and renewing our 
 wills, the Holy Spirit doth persuade 
 and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ 
 freely offered to us in the Gospel." 
 
 39. For judgment. Our Lord now ex- 
 plains His mission, in connection with 
 such cases as this. His fan is in His 
 hand. He goes through the world 
 thoroughly purging His floor, gather- 
 ing His wheat, and separating from it 
 the chaff — (Matt. 3: 12) — dividing the 
 light from the darkness. This process 
 is constantly going on ; and an instance 
 had just occurred which would illu'^- 
 trate it. This blind beggar was spiritu- 
 ally blind also from his birth. But he 
 bad been found by Christ, the Great 
 
 they which see might be made 
 blind. ^ 
 
 40 And some of the Pharisees 
 which were with him heard these 
 words, and said unto him, are we 
 ^ blind also ? 
 
 d Matt. 13. 13. c. 3. 19. 
 
 iKo. 2.19. Ee. 3. 17. 
 
 Healer, and lie had received both bodily 
 and spiritual eye-sight. Christ had 
 revealed Himself to him as the Son of 
 God — the true Messiah — and he had 
 embraced Him as such a personal Sa- 
 viour for his own case. And though 
 Christ came not into the world to con- 
 demn the world, but that the world 
 through Him might be saved, (Matt. 
 18: 11,) there were always those who 
 would not receive His healing, and 
 must perish in their blindness. ^ See 
 not. His gracious object is to give re- 
 covering of sight to the blind, where 
 one is sensible of the blindness, or 
 would rejoice in His oiEce-work as a 
 giver of sight, T[ Who see. This is 
 a result naturally growing out of 
 Christ's work. He came not to call 
 the righteous. Hence the self-righteous 
 cut themselves off from His benefits. 
 They Avho claim to see without His 
 healing agency, put themselves outside 
 of the circle whom He would relieve 
 and save. ^ Be made blind. Literally, 
 Become blind. This blinding of tho 
 self-sufficient occurs either 1. from 
 His making them feel their blindness, 
 which He sometimes does in His infi- 
 nite grace, but does not bind Himself 
 to do : e. g. Saul of Tarsus : or 2. from 
 Ilis giving them over to their blind- 
 ness — to remain unhealed : or 3. from 
 His visiting upon them a judicial blind- 
 ness as the proper desert of their re- 
 jection of His grace : or 4. from the 
 natural darkening and hardt ning which 
 increases so through unbelief. Isa. 6: 
 9, 10; Rom. 11: 7-10. This last is 
 the prevailing idea. 
 
 40. They are indignant, and wish to 
 know if He means to class them with 
 the blind, that He speaks of — for they 
 perceive that He means a blindness of 
 the mind and heart. 
 
Ar.-E S3.] 
 
 CHAP. 
 
 175 
 
 41 Jesus said unto thorn, If " 
 yc were blind, yo should have no 
 sin : but now yc say, We see : 
 therefore " your sin remaiueth. 
 
 ac.lu.2:', :4. Ms.o.'.'l. Lu. ix. 11. IJiio. 1.8-10. 
 
 41. Calvin par.iplira.'scs this — " If 
 you would acknowlciige j'our disease, 
 it would not be altogether incuiable, 
 but now because j'ou think ycu are in 
 perfect health you continue in a des- 
 perate state." ^ Were blind. It might 
 mean, If ye were really blind — without 
 knowledge of the truth. "If I had 
 not come and spoken to you, you had 
 not had sin." Ch. 15: 22. But the 
 connection points rather to the other 
 idea. If ye confessed your.-^elves blind, 
 and were in this attitude ready to be 
 healed, and to receive sight, your sin 
 would not be chargeable upcu you, 
 and especially it would not remain 
 upon 3'ou. It v/ould be removed. But 
 now ye claim to have sight, and boast 
 that you see, therefore ,you put your- 
 selves outside of the circle of those 
 whom I come to heal, and you are left 
 to your blindness — your sin remaineth 
 ■ — your blindness of mind is unremoved 
 — you perish in your sins. They who 
 are anxious to be delivered will alwaj-s 
 lind the Great Deliverer at hand, ready 
 to hear their prayer. But they who 
 deny their sin and lost condition, deny 
 themselves the only salvation. To 
 whomsoever the Gospel is glad iidinr/s. 
 to them alone it is the Gospel. •[ We 
 sec. This was the great difficulty — their 
 self-sufficient spirit, full of boasting 
 and pretension — which would keep 
 tliem from seeking Christ, or from ap- 
 preciating what He had to bestow. 
 ^ Therefore. On this account. The 
 result was no arbitrary act of God. 
 It was a natural result of their unlie- 
 lief and willful rejection of an offered 
 .Saviour. They said in their liearts, 
 we !i;ive no need of sight — we see — we 
 are not in darkness — we ask uo en- 
 liglitening such as He can give. ''And 
 this is the condemnation, that light is 
 come into the world, and men loved 
 darkness rather than light, because 
 their deeds were evil," Ch. 3: 19. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 ERILY, verily, I say unto 
 you, ■= He that entereth not 
 by the door into the sheepfold, 
 
 cEo. 10. 15. He. 5. 4. 
 
 Men's sins might be taken away — they 
 need not remain upon them — Christ's 
 poAver and grace are all-sufficient. The 
 lost will have their own pride and self- 
 righteousness to blame, and Ihey will 
 forever reproach themselves with hav- 
 ing willfully rejected the light. Ob- 
 serve — Christ is the eye-salveiov blind 
 human nature, with which, if men will 
 but anoint their eyes, they shall see. 
 To this Christ invites men. Rev. 3 : 18. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Our Lord had claimed to be "the 
 Light of the world," as Teacher, 
 Leader and Guide of men, and the 
 only true Light of His people. He 
 would vindicate H-is claim, against 
 those ftilse guides who rejected and 
 calumniated Him. At the same time, 
 as He has set His ministers to be "a 
 Light unto the Gentiles," (Acts. 13: 
 j^o 47.) He would set forth, for His 
 churci. 'heir distinguishing marks, so 
 that they may be known in distinctioa 
 from the false prophets, and wolves, 
 and hirelings, which have always been 
 ready to destroy the flock. This dis- 
 course of our Lord stands closely con- 
 nected with the preceding narrative. 
 He had just charged upon the Jewish 
 teachers and leaders, that they were 
 "blind leaders of the blind," who, 
 instead of coming to Him to have their 
 eyes opened, were quarreling with 
 Him for giving sight to a blind beggar. 
 He takes this occasion to expose their 
 hypocrisy and to set foi'th His own 
 true character and relations, as a leader 
 and teacher of men. ]. He is a shep- 
 herd and has His flock. 2. lie is a 
 good shcpltcrd. 3. He is the shepherd, 
 4. He is (he good shcpheid. 5. He is 
 also the only icay of other shephu'ds, 
 so that none can be authorized who do 
 not enter by Him at the door. All 
 who reject Him, avoid the door, and 
 are to bo regarded as thieves and rob- 
 
176 
 
 JUIIN. 
 
 [AoK 33. 
 
 but climbeth up some other way, 
 
 the same is a thief and a robber. 
 
 2 But he that cntereth in by the " 
 
 door is the shepherd of the sheep. 
 
 bers. Those who do not receive Christ 
 as the only way of salvation — who do 
 not preach Christ as the only hope of 
 men — who stand between Christ and 
 the sinner, or otherwise block up the 
 entrance through which alone both 
 shepherd and sheep must get in to the 
 fold — they are thieves who would steal 
 the flock — Iiirdirif/s who care not for 
 the flock — wolves who devour the flock. 
 See Jer. 23: 1-4; Ezek. 3-1; Zcch. 
 11: 4-17; where Christ was predic- 
 ted under the figure of a shepherd, and 
 where faithless pastors are also spoken 
 of as here. 
 
 1. Bij the doo7: This, first of all, 
 sets forth the case of those claiming to 
 be leaders and guides of the people, 
 who reject Christ and deny His claims 
 as the Messiah and only Saviour. They, 
 like tlicse scribes and Pharisees, enter 
 not by the door into the fold. And in 
 a country abounding in flocks as Pales- 
 tine, all would understand such char- 
 actei-s. The fold is a large enclosure, 
 sometimes walled around, and com- 
 monly uncovered at the top, and having 
 but a single door. Our Lord means, 
 also, to show the proper marks of His 
 true Pastors, the faithful under-shep- 
 herds, as distinguished from the inter- 
 lopers, and false prophets, the wolves 
 in sheep's clothing and the hirelings 
 who destroy the flock — that the church 
 in all time may distinguish them by 
 these marks. Alwaj^s, in all ages of 
 the church, there would be danger of 
 rejecting the true shepherds, and re- 
 ceiving the false. So it occurred in 
 the early church — as Acts 13: 45-47, 
 Avhere it appears that His ministers are 
 given to be lights in the world, after 
 His ascension. He therefore vindicates 
 both their claim and His own, as the 
 true lights and the true shepherds. 
 Those of course who undertook to climb 
 over into the fold instead of going in 
 tt the 'loor, are not the shepherds of 
 
 3 To him ^ the porter opcneth ; 
 and the sheep hear his voice : and 
 he calleth "= his own sheep by 
 name, and leadeth ^ them out. 
 
 6Re.3,20. c Eze. 31. 11. Ro. 8, 30. dla.40.11. 
 
 the flock, but robbers of the fold. 
 This will apply also to the sheep. As 
 there is but one ard the same door for 
 both, the sheep cannot enter by any 
 other than "the living way." They 
 whose aim is to steal the sheep, Avill 
 be found not going in and out at tho 
 door of the fold, but climbing over the 
 wall, or in at a window, or opening of 
 some kind. ^ Thief. One who secretly 
 takes away another's property. ^ liob- 
 ber. Is one who also kills, who is, like 
 Barabbas, a murderer, as well as a 
 thief — committing bloody violence and 
 taking life. Such forewarning our 
 Lord gives, that we may see to it that 
 T^•e be not deceived by the subtilty of 
 those who, while they pretend to be 
 shepherds of the flock, are destroyers 
 of souls. 
 
 2. The one who enters in by the 
 door — who goes in and out before the 
 flock by the one appointed entrance, 
 is a proper and true shepherd. 
 ]f The shej)herd. Kather — a shepherd. 
 He is yet speaking in general terms, 
 and means only as yet, to describe a 
 shepherd as different from a robber. 
 You may know a shepherd by this, that 
 lie enters into the fold by the door, and 
 does not climb up some other way. 
 
 3. To him. This one is recognized 
 as a shepherd, and not a robber, and 
 he is admitted by the porter, or door- 
 keeper. The meaning is, that who- 
 ever is authorized to keep the door of 
 the flock, freely admits such an one aa 
 comes in, l)y this only true way; 
 while, as a proper watchman and gucr- 
 dian of the flock, he wou'd endeavor 
 to heep ou* all who climb up some 
 other Avay. The fold is the church — 
 His people are the flock. The proper 
 officers of the churcli who hold the 
 keys — opening and shutting — are 
 charged to admit such — while their 
 business is to exclude others. Some 
 take the porter to represent rather tha 
 
AaE 33.] 
 
 WIAP. X. 
 
 177 
 
 4 And when he putteth forth his 
 own sheep, he goeth before them, 
 
 Holy Spirit. In countries snch as 
 Palestine, where the keeping of flocks 
 was the chief business of the people, 
 some large folds had keepers besides 
 the shepherds, to take care of the 
 enclosure, Avhen the shepherd was 
 away with the flocks among the pas- 
 tures ; though, oi'iginally, the owner 
 was the shepherd of his own flock. 
 And the Holy Spirit's ofiice is some- 
 times noticed as that of opening the 
 door to the shepherds. Acts 14: 27; 
 1 Cor. 16: 9; 2 Cor. 2: 12; Col. 4: 
 3. Compare Kev. 3:7; Acts 16: 14. 
 So also of shutting the door. Acts 16: 
 6, 7. Men of the world often open the 
 door to such ministers as the Spirit 
 does not approve. Therefore, it is 
 always of great importance to know to 
 whom the porter openeth. The door- 
 keeper is regarded by others as refer- 
 ring to the servant of the shepherd, or 
 owner of the flock. ][ Ilcar liis voice. 
 That is, as tlie sliephcrd calls, thcj' 
 hear — when he commands, they obey. 
 It is a well-known faci, that tlie sheep 
 of a flock become familiar with the 
 voice of their shepherd, and know his 
 call. This is used as well represent- 
 ing the familiarity of Cliiist's people 
 with His word, and their obedience to 
 His command, as that of their good 
 shepherd. This He applies, vss. 26, 27. 
 T Ilis own sheep. He is the proprietor- 
 shepherd — the owner of the flock. 
 The sheep are His own — not another's. 
 He is not tending another's flock for 
 wages as an hireling. But He sus- 
 tains toward them a close relation as 
 their proprietor and keeper. Th.is is 
 the only kind of shepherd here spoken 
 of, and the only kind that sets forth 
 the shepherd office of Christ. Psalm 23. 
 In the East it is not uncommon for 
 shepherds to have names for certain 
 leaders of the flock by which he calls 
 them, and the rest follow. Our Lord 
 culls all of His flock by name. The 
 lenderest. relations and offices of the 
 bliepherd are touched upon in this 
 parable as representing the gi'acious 
 
 and the sheep follow him : for 
 they know his voice.'' 
 
 aCa. 2. 8; 5.2. 
 
 office work of Christ as personally our 
 shepherd. By this is shown the inti- 
 mate familiarity which Christ has with 
 every case — knowing our personal 
 wants. So he called to the penitent un- 
 believer among the twelve " Thomas," 
 in reply to his confession, " My Lord 
 and my God." ch. 20: 29. So He 
 called "Mary" by name, when He 
 discovered Himself to her seeking and 
 anxious soul at the sepulchre. 20: 
 16. So also He calleth all the stars 
 by their names. Ps. 147 : 4. ^ Lead- 
 eth them out. By green pastures and 
 still waters. Ps. 23. All these offices 
 of a good shepherd represent not only 
 Christ's office work eminently, as hav- 
 ing in perfection every quality which 
 the best, besides, have only imper- 
 fectly — but they also indicate the 
 proper traits of true pastors who lead 
 the flock according to Christ as the 
 chief shepherd and the door. A faith- 
 ful pastor will know his people, show 
 a personal interest in them, make them 
 familiar with his voice as a leader and 
 teacher — and he will lead them out by 
 his earnest instructions in every duty — 
 setting them also a good and true 
 example which they can safely follow. 
 4. I'atteth forth. A faithful pastor 
 like a true shepherd, will not be con- 
 tent to meet his flock merely in the 
 fold, or to deal with them in the church 
 alone, but will put them forth in 
 Christian walks and ways of active 
 duty. 1[ Goeth before them. This is 
 the practice, in the East especially* 
 The shepherd goes in front of the flock 
 instead of driving them, and sometimes 
 we have seen him pick up one or two 
 of the tender lambs, who were growing 
 overwearied in the way, and carry 
 them in his arms. This also would 
 incite the sheep to follow. 1[ For. 
 The reason here given fur their prompt 
 following is their knowledge of hia 
 voice — "In the sheep of Christ, a 
 knowledge of the truth goes before, 
 and then follows an earnest desire to 
 obey." — Calvin. So a ti-ue pastor puts 
 
178 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Aqk S3. 
 
 5 And a stranger will they not 
 follow, but will flee ^ from him : 
 for they know not the voice of 
 strangers. 
 
 6 This parable spake Jesus unto 
 them : but they understood not 
 
 a 2 Ti. 3, 5. Ke. 2. 2. 
 
 Limsclf forward as an example of piety 
 and Christian activity, in front of his 
 flociv ; and just as shepherds tended 
 the sheep day and night, so a pastor's 
 attentions and exertions for their good 
 and for bringing them out of the fold, 
 to all activity and Christian enterprise, 
 are untiring. Christ walked before 
 His disciples where danger was to be 
 encountered. Ch. 18:4, 8; Mark 10: 32. 
 5. A stranger. This is the mock- 
 shepherd, who is really a thief and 
 a robber. No flock wouhl he found to 
 follow a stranger as they followed their 
 well-known shepherd. So the sheep 
 of Christ, (whom He faithfully tends 
 by under-shepherds,) will not go after 
 false teachers, such as constantfy come 
 along to lead them astray. They will 
 discriminate. They will demand the 
 marks of a true shepherd in those 
 whom they follow. Tliey will require 
 such as lead into the fold by Christ 
 who is the door. ^ Will jlce, &c. 
 They will even avoid such as make 
 pretensions which are derogatory to 
 the claims of simple Christian pastors, 
 who pretend to teach more excellent 
 ways than those of the gospel, or who 
 wander about to lead oft' the flock 
 by some novel doctrine or measures. 
 Christians who are Christ's sheep, gen- 
 'erally show a careful discrimination, 
 and avoid running after the more 
 popular declaimers, who do not preach 
 the doctrines of Chi-ist and are stran- 
 gers to the ti'uth as it is in Jesus. 
 The pastoral relation is tender, inti- 
 mate, confidential, sacred. Pastor and 
 people are bound together l)y the most 
 endearing ties. The pastor knows the 
 people's case, counsels them in per- 
 plexity — comforts them in sorrow — 
 sympatTiizes with them in affliction — 
 knows their perils and warns them, and 
 watches for their souls as one who 
 
 what things they were which he 
 spake unto them. 
 
 7 Then said Jesus unto them 
 again, Verily, verily, I say unto 
 you, I '' am the door of the 
 sheep. 
 
 h Ep. 2. 18. 
 
 must give account. This is the care 
 that Christ's churches need — the proper 
 pastoral care — and no other arrange- 
 ment in the church of Christ, can 
 possibly compensate for the lack of 
 this ofiicc. It was instituted by Christ, 
 and is here commended by Him, as for 
 the highest good of His church and 
 people. Wandering from church to 
 church — running after every new 
 preacher — or having only such care as 
 strangers can give, will not satisfy the 
 sheep of Christ's flock. Least of all 
 will they follow those whose voice they 
 do not know from the word of God, 
 and who broach their new, strange 
 theories to delude and destroy the 
 unwar}'. 
 
 tj. Farahlc. The term here means 
 not properly parable — but allegory — 
 there being no narrative here as in 
 parables. A similar instance is ch. 
 15: 1, &c. IT They understood not. 
 That is, they did not understand the 
 meaning of this representation — they 
 did not see what He meant to teach by 
 this illustration. Therefore He ex- 
 plains to them in the following verses, 
 as He did not do on other occasions, 
 except to His own disciples in private. 
 
 7. Verih/. He introduces the ex- 
 planation by this solemn form to call 
 attention to the truth of what He has 
 to say. The great truth which He 
 would urge by this pictorial represen- 
 tation, is His own relation to both 
 sheep and shepherds. ^ The door. 
 ♦'Christ is both the door and the shep- 
 herd and everj-thing. No one else can 
 suffice." — Bengel. He is the door of 
 the sheep. None can enter into His 
 true church, or belong to His spiritual 
 fold, or be one of His oicn sheep, 
 unless entering in by Him — as the only 
 way of access — as the strait gate, (ch. 
 7: 14,) "the new and living way 
 
Aqf, 33.] 
 
 riTAP. X. 
 
 179 
 
 For through 
 iccess by one 
 Ephes. ii: 18. 
 knowk'dffo of 
 
 which Ho h.ith openeil for us," (Heb. 
 10: 20,) by His atonement — Ills mer- 
 its — His intercession : 
 Ilijn we both h:ive 
 Spirit unto the Father 
 Observe. — It is the 
 Christ's voice, which makes them de- 
 tect that of the stranger by its differ- 
 ence Irom His. 
 
 8. Came before me. This has no re- 
 ference to the teachers of the Old Dis- 
 pensation. He had vindicated them 
 in a previous discourse, (ch. 8,) as 
 having come by Christ — such as Abra- 
 ham, &c. And these Scribes and Phari- 
 sees He had carefully distinguished 
 from them. Some refer this to these 
 Jewish teachei'S, not as belonging to 
 Abraham and tlie prophets, (for ihey 
 had come by Christ, ch. 8: 56,) but as 
 belonging to their father the devil, who 
 first attempted to lead human nature, 
 before the dispensation of grace began. 
 Another view is taken by Dr. Brown 
 in his " Discoui'ses." ^^ Before me — put- 
 ting themselves as it were between mo 
 and mankind, and thus placing them- 
 selves above me, taking the precedence 
 of me. All who, admitted by the por- 
 ter, pass through me, the door, into the 
 fold are genuine shepherds. All who 
 'ever came before me,' blocking up 
 the door, rather than passing through 
 it, and, rather than keeping the way 
 into the fold open, by leading the sheep 
 ill and out of it — they are thieves and 
 robbers. Every man — pretend what 
 he may — who does not practically ac- 
 knowledge Christ's authority iu ob- 
 taining and exercising ecclesiastical 
 othce — who looks no farther than the 
 ordination of a prelate or presbytery, 
 Vv'ho is satisfied with a mere human 
 authority and call — civil or ecclesiasti- 
 cal — he is not a shepherd of the sheep, 
 1)0 he called pope, patriarch, or bishop, 
 rabbi, reverend, master, or doctor."— 
 Broicn. This was tho case witli the 
 Scribes and Pharisees, and has been 
 the case with very many since, who 
 have pretended to be Christian teach- 
 er.s and pastors, but are spoilers of the 
 
 8 All that ever caiuo bofore nu' i .'-hct^p diJ not hear them, 
 are thieves aud robbers: but the U 1 am the door: by mc if any 
 
 fli:ck. ^ Are. This is their essential 
 nature in all circumstances, so that 
 the description will suit all times of 
 the church's history. They avIio " de- 
 voured widow's houses," and made the 
 Father's house a liouse of merchandise, 
 and a den of thieves, were such false 
 pastors. If Thieves and robbers. See 
 Jer. 23 : 1 ; Ezek. 34: 2-4. In verse 1, 
 He had said that all who enter not by 
 the door are " thieves and robbers," 
 and here He s.aj's, that He is the door, 
 and that all ivho ever came before Him 
 are "thieves and robbers." This 
 would seem to fix. the meaning of the 
 opening clause in vs. 8, for it shows 
 that by those vihocome before Ilim (the 
 door) must be meant those who climb 
 up some other way, and enter not by 
 the door; and, in so fai-, they make 
 another way of entrance, discarding 
 Christ and His claims. ^ But the sheep. 
 Such false pastors are blind leaders of 
 the blind. They make a class for them- 
 selves. They are not followed by the 
 sheep. It is not the character of the 
 sheep to obey and go after such. But 
 n false flock follow such false shepherds. 
 The sheep do not hear such, so as to 
 follow them. 
 
 y. The door. In vs. 7 He called 
 Himself the door of the sheep, but He 
 is also the door of the shepherd, as it 
 is one door, and only one, for both. 
 Tf By me, &c. Here He expresses ia 
 general terms the saving benefit to all, 
 whether shepherd or eheep, of enter- 
 ing into the fold, or church, by Jlim — 
 making Him tho way, the truth and 
 the life. 1 Shall he saved. " Neither 
 is there salvation in any other." Acta 
 4: 12. This is stated generally, be- 
 cause if it be the only way of salvation 
 to the individual, it is the only way to 
 be preached, and the shephei*d could 
 not adopt any other way for himself, 
 with safety. ^ Go in and out. This 
 expresses the course of living — the 
 daily habitual walk of life. It is as 
 much as to say, " He sh:dl walk se- 
 curely, and shall habitually find 
 nourishment aud provision such a"S the 
 
180 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Ace 33. 
 
 man cuter in, he shall be saved, 
 and shall go in and out, and find 
 pasture. 
 
 10 The thief comcth not, but 
 for to steal, and to kill, and 
 to destroy : I am come that 
 
 flock requii-e." Pasture is the food of 
 the flock, and Christ giveth those who 
 enter by Him "all tilings pertaining to 
 life and godliness." But this can be 
 had only by virtue of their relation to 
 Him — whether it be shepherd or sheep 
 — pastor or people. Hence, if any 
 suppose it is a particular church rel.a- 
 tion, or the virtue of any office or 
 service in the church, that secures to 
 them salvation, it is here said to be 
 only by making Christ the door into 
 the fold. Not sacraments, nor profes- 
 sions, nor denominations, nor any 
 thing, can serve as the door, in any 
 way to dispense with Christ as the 
 only proper and true entrance. Every 
 other way is the way of thieves and 
 robbers. Calvin explains — "First, they 
 shall go safel3' wherever they find ne- 
 cessary, and next they shall be fed to 
 the full." Observe — No pastor who 
 does not go in and out at Christ as the 
 door, doing every thing through Him, 
 as the way and the truth and the life, 
 can find pasture for his flock. They must 
 starve by any other preaching than that 
 of the glorious Gospel. No matter 
 how learned or elegant be the weekly 
 discourses, they must prove as husks 
 which swine do eat, for the soul's 
 wants. The true pastor who enters 
 by Christ, and so leads his sheep, finds 
 the green pastures. The promise to 
 Buch is " Lo, I am with you alway !" 
 
 10. The thief . Our Lord here passes 
 to mark the difference between Him 
 as the shepherd, and the thief as the 
 plunderer and spoiler of the flock. 
 Surely one who avoids entei-iiig in by the 
 door (made for the purpose,) can have 
 no good design. He must have it for 
 his object, to kill, steal and destroy. 
 So the false pastors can have no other 
 motive but to do injui-y, to pervert and 
 ruin the souls of men — to reason away 
 
 they might have life, and that 
 they might have it more abun- 
 dantly. 
 
 Ill" am the good shepherd : 
 the good shepherd giveth his life 
 for the sheep. 
 
 Ue. 13. 20. 1 Pc. 2. 25. 
 
 the soul's chief hope for time and eter- 
 nity — and to encourage some false 
 expectations that shall surely perish. 
 How entire is the contrast with Ciirist's 
 object. Calvin says, '■'■ Chv\s,t pnllsctir 
 ear that the ministers of Satan may 
 not come upon us by surprise. Our 
 insatiable curiosity is so delighted with 
 the new and strange inventions of men, 
 that of our own accord, we rush with 
 mad carecrto meet thieves and wolves." 
 Sec Col. 2:8. ^ I am come. As tlio 
 shepherd, Christ has the gracious 
 object, to give life, (instead of to kill 
 and to destroy,) and to give it withonit 
 stint, to His people. Ch. 5:24. \ More 
 abundantly. Literally — might have 
 abundance. He not only provides by 
 His atonement for salvation from death, 
 but for exaltation to everlasting blessed- 
 ness. He not only protects from the 
 wolf and from the lion, but He con- 
 ducts to Heaven itself every one of his 
 own sheep. It is not only giving them 
 life such as they would have merited 
 by their perfect righteousness, but it 
 is such as He has merited by His 
 sufferings and by His perfect obedience. 
 It is life eternal, (vs. 28,) life in the 
 fullest measure. 
 
 11. Tlie good shepherd. It is not 
 enovigh that He is the door and the 
 only door. This docs not express all 
 His relations to the flock — only the 
 beginning of them. He is the chief 
 shepherd of all under shei:)herds — and 
 the good shepherd whose ofiices are 
 full of grace and love and truth. Ho 
 is the opposite of the thief and hire- 
 ling. Isa, 40: 9-11 ; Ezek. 84 : 11-24. 
 "I ara the divinely-qualified, the 
 divinely-commissioned, the divinely- 
 accredited, the divine Saviour, prom- 
 ised to the fathers." — Brown. Our 
 Lord here gives further illustration of 
 His office-work, as represented by that 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 181 
 
 12 But he that is an hireling, 
 and not the shepherd, whose own 
 the sheep are not, seeth the wolf 
 
 of the shepherd. It is beautifully 
 expressed in general in Psalm 23. Jt 
 is brought out in this connexion more 
 in detail. He is the good shepherd 
 " as giving life to the sheep — and more, 
 or beyond that — 'the highest style of 
 life and blessedness, also — as doing 
 this at the greatest conceivable expense 
 to Himself — also, as preserving the 
 most intimate and endearing mutual 
 acquaintance and intercourse between 
 Him and His people, and as securing 
 the salvation of them all." — Brown. 
 ^ Givcth his life. Our Lord's object 
 was to set forth His own qualities and 
 of&ces as the eminently good shep- 
 herd — the Pattern and Head of all 
 good pastors, and the great opponent 
 of false pastors. The general truth 
 here declared is, that instead of despoil- 
 ing the sheep, as the false pastor does, 
 the faithful pastor devotes his life to 
 the sheep, and gives his life for the 
 sheep. Here, however. He intimates 
 His own special, vicarious sacrifice, 
 which He clearly states in vs. 15. 
 Here He sets to pastors a bright 
 example of large-hearted devotedness 
 as opposed to every thing narrow, 
 secular and mercenary. By this ex- 
 ample He exhorts all such to take the 
 oversight of the tlock, ''not for filthy 
 lucre," ( 1 Pet. 5 : 2, ) seeking not theirs, 
 but thcra. 2 Cor. 12: 14. 
 
 12. The fdse pastors are character- 
 ized more definitely as hirelings. — ''He 
 that is an hireling and not a shepherd." 
 Here is a general truth, full, however, 
 of application, as will appear in the 
 following verses. The ilocks of the 
 East were tended at first by their 
 owners, and their families. At times, 
 however, men needed to be hired for 
 the purpose. Some of these Avere mere 
 hirelings. They had no interest in the 
 flock, but only in their own wages. 
 They were hirelings and not shepherds 
 Many false pastors are most aptly de- 
 scribed under this figure : being not so 
 16 
 
 couiing, and leaveth * the sheep, 
 and fleeth : and the wolf catcheth 
 them, and scattereth the sheep. 
 
 aEze. 31. 2-6. Zee. 11.17. 
 
 much thieves and robbers, as mercena- 
 ries — preaching only for popularity or 
 pay, and not devoting themselves to 
 the care of souls — flying at any dan- 
 ger — avoiding any self-denial, unwil- 
 ling to sacrifice their lives or even their 
 ease, popularity or living, or even to 
 devote their time and energies to the 
 welfare of the flock. The Epistles 
 abound in warnings against a merce- 
 nai-y spirit in God's ministers. Yet 
 they equally inculcate the dutj- of ti 
 people to be liberal in their temporal 
 things to those who minister to them 
 in spiritual things. A narrow, illiberal 
 dealing with the pastor often provokes 
 a close calculating spirit, and drives 
 him into secularities. The form of the 
 call which a people extend to a pastor, 
 therefore recognizes this idea, in some 
 such terms as these, " that you may be 
 free from worldly cares and embarrass- 
 ments, we promise to pay you," &c. 
 As Christ Himself is both the door and 
 the shepherd, and the good shepherd, 
 so the faithless pastors are thieves and 
 robbers, and hirelings and wolves. 
 Tf Whose own. The great diff'erenco 
 between the good shepherd and these, 
 is, that He tends a flock which is His 
 ow/i. Observe. — Gradually He un- 
 folds this precious idea, and all along, 
 it shi/ies out through the figure, until it 
 is brought most clearly to view in vss. 
 14 and 15. 1. It is the great encour- 
 agement of God's people that "the 
 good shepherd," has His flock, ("Fear 
 not little flock," &c.) and that these 
 sheep are "His own" — His property — 
 His purchase — Ilis inheritance. Ephes. 
 1 : 18. The redemption must be par- 
 ticular and personal, to be eS'ectual. 
 We need to recognize Christ as our 
 own Saviour in order to receive the full 
 satisfaction. Like Thomas, we feel 
 our unbelief overcome when we can 
 say, "My Lord, and my God." Ob- 
 serve. — 2. Many object that Christ 
 should have his own sheep, that He 
 
l?-2 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age S3. 
 
 13 The hireling flceth, because 
 he is an hireling, and careth not 
 for the sheep. 
 
 14 I am the good shepherd, and 
 
 should have His chosen, Ilis people, 
 His elect. Hut this would rntherin;ike 
 Him to he a liirclin(j in this particular, 
 ''^ whose own (he sheep are not." ^ Tite 
 icolf. Tlie idea is that the false shep- 
 herd is good for nothing in tinie of 
 danger, while the good siicpherd shows 
 his entii'e self-sacrifice, laying down 
 his life. The hireling, with whom 
 the good shepherd is contrasted, "flics 
 even when the enemy is seen in the 
 distance, and before the battle is 
 begun."— Tholuch. f The wolf. The 
 woif is the foe of the flock — the secret 
 plunderer of the fold. False prophets, 
 "who come to you in sheep's clothing, 
 but inwardly are ravening wolves," 
 may be meant — or any other great 
 eneaiies of God's people. iMatt. 7: 15. 
 These Scribes and Pharisees, as false 
 pastors of the people, were mere hire- 
 lings, laboi-iug only to subserve their 
 own interest, and leaving the sheep to 
 the dangers of every foe. And the 
 result is natural — the wolf seizes the 
 sheep and scatters the flock. How 
 fearfully God's church had suifered 
 by their mercenary, unfaithful con- 
 duct. 
 
 13. This statement explains itself. 
 The difference between Christ and 
 every false pastor, grows out of their 
 different feeling for, and interest in tliC 
 flock. If Christ cared not for His 
 people, in their perils and straits, what 
 would be their ease ? He would show 
 us what I/e is not, as well as what He 
 ■is — to as,¥ure us most perfectly of His 
 caring for ns, that so upon this assur- 
 ance, we may cast all our cares upon 
 Him. 1 Pet. 5: 7. 
 
 14. Know my sheep. This expresses 
 the tender, personal interest He has 
 in them, and in each of them. IIow 
 different from the iiireling who careth 
 not for the flock. Christ distinguishes 
 them from others — and each of them 
 from every other, knowing all the 
 peculiar wants of each — and so also 
 
 " know my sfieej), and am known *■ 
 of mine. 
 
 15 As ■= the Father knoweth mc, 
 even so know I the Father : and 
 
 o2Ti. 2. 19, MJno.S. M. c Malt. 11. 27. 
 
 He owns them as His — setting this 
 seal upon the foundations of His 
 church, and of His throne. 2 Tim. 
 2 : 19. " The Lord knoweth them that 
 are His." *if Am known. This per- 
 sonal knowledge is mutual. They dis- 
 tinguish Christ h-om all others — and He 
 is to them a pei-sonal Saviour, so that 
 they say with Thomas, " My Lord and 
 my God." They are intimate with 
 Him — having their fellowship with 
 Him. they hear and they follow Him. 
 And even more than this — the mutual 
 knoAvledge is likened to that mutual 
 knowledge which exists between the 
 Father and the Son. Observe — First, 
 Christ knows us, then we know 
 Him. 
 
 15. This verse connects immediately 
 with the foregoing, thus — " I know my 
 sheep, and am known of mine, as the 
 Father knoweth me, and I knoAv the 
 Father." AVonderful as it seems, the 
 mutual knowledge of Christ and His 
 people is like that of the Father and 
 the Son. His knowledge of us is 
 "entire, perfect, all-comprehensive." 
 Our knovdedgc of Him is "intimate, 
 direct and personal," with a holy, 
 inseparable love. "This knowledge is 
 just as inward as that by which Christ 
 knows the Father. It has in it both 
 life and love." — Thohick. " There is as 
 really a peculiar, mutual knowledgo 
 and acknowledgment between the Good 
 Shepherd and his sheep as between the 
 Father and tlie Son, and it has the same 
 character of complacence and affec- 
 tion." — Brown. ^\ I lay down. New 
 He declares of Himself what He had 
 said already of the Good Shepherd (vs, 
 11,) — showing that by the Good Shep- 
 herd, He meant Himself. He came 
 on earth to offer Himself up as an 
 atoning, vicarious sacrifice for His peo- 
 ple. He gave Himself ibr them (Titus 
 2: 14,) — was made a curse for them, 
 and died in their stead, to redeem them 
 from sin and death and hell. This ia 
 
ioK 3?!. J 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 183 
 
 * I lay down my life for the 
 sheep. 
 
 IG And '' other sheep I have, 
 v.'hich are not of this fold : them 
 
 ac. 15. 13. U.oi.i.o. Us. 49.6; 56. 8. 
 
 the perfection of love. " Greater love 
 Lath no man than this," &c. 
 
 10. Our Lord's sliepherd-ofEce and 
 care extend also to other sheep of 
 Ili.s, besides those of His ancient 
 people, lie refers to the Gentiles. 
 Ills church was at first confined to the 
 Jewish fold. But He remembered the 
 multitudes of all tribes and tongues 
 that were given to Him in the covenant 
 of redemption. Isa. 53. 11. In this 
 sense, they were already His — for all 
 that the Father gave Him should come 
 ti) Him. The prophets had foretold of 
 the Gentiles coming to the IMessiah. 
 The Psalmist had sung of " the kings of 
 Tarshish and of the Isles^j'ea, all 
 kings — all nations," as flocking to Him 
 with presents and service; and of the 
 uttermost ends of the earth as being 
 His possession, to be entered upon 
 whenever He should ask. Pss. 72 and 2. 
 ^ Nut of this fold. They were scat- 
 tered among the nations — needing to 
 be brought in — and He would gather 
 into one the children of God that were 
 scattered abroad. Matt. 8: 11. ^[ / 
 must bring. The term here rendered 
 must, is used by the Evangelists to ex- 
 press that necessity that is founded in 
 the Divine purpose. These scattered 
 sheep were His, given Him of the 
 Father in the Covenant of Redemp- 
 tion, and His office was to bi-ing them 
 in, by His word and Spirit, through 
 His messengers in all times. \\\ 1 Pet. 
 5: 2, 3; Acts 20: 28, the use of the 
 term "flock" is seen, as meaning God's 
 heritage — peculiar people — the church 
 of God. Ez. 34: 81. He must bring them. 
 The necessity is such as lies in the 
 plan of grace. Christ gathers in His 
 elect through His ministers, and by 
 His Spirit. The apostles " went forth 
 and preached, thk Lord icorking with 
 them," (Mark 10: 20) and the "Acts 
 of the Apostles" is rather the History 
 of our Risen Lord, in His active work 
 vrhich Ho carried oa upon earth 
 
 also I must bring, and they 
 shall hear my voice ; and " there 
 shall be one ibid, and one shep- 
 herd. 
 
 cEze.37.22. Ep. 2. U. 
 
 through His apostles. At Pentecost 
 they say, "He hath shed foith this," 
 &c. Acts 2: 33. T[ Hear my voice. Ho 
 will bring them in, in no way that shall 
 dispense with their willing and cheer- 
 ful obedience. He will not force them 
 against their will, but will sweetly 
 constrain their will, so that they shall 
 hear and obey. Even the most un- 
 willing shall thus be made to consent 
 to His service, wherever He shall do 
 the almighty work upon the heart. It 
 shall not be by any natural disposition 
 to obedience in any, but by His power 
 and grace bringing, leading them in, 
 through His oflSce work, as the gentle 
 Shepherd and Bishop of souls. Christ's 
 work, therefore, so far from making 
 our obedience unnecessary, accounts it 
 most necessary, and secures it. ^ One 
 fold. The term here rendered fold, 
 means flock; and is altogether dilFerent 
 from the term rendered ''fold'' in the 
 context. The meaning is, then, net 
 that there shall be one exclusive iuclo- 
 sure — any one denominational pale, to 
 which all shall be brought in — but 
 that from Jews and Gentiles there 
 shall be one flock, comprising all His 
 own sheep — no one should le over- 
 looked or lost, and no one neglected, 
 but all should be united under Him, 
 as their Shepherd and Head, enjoying 
 His protection, care and government, 
 and embracing Him in the fellowship 
 of Gospel blessings. This idea was 
 repugnant to the Jews. Yet this ac- 
 cession of the Gentiles and the uni- 
 vers.al character of the Christian 
 church, as embracing people of all 
 nations, was often foretold by the pro- 
 phets, more or less clearly, and now 
 was definitely predicted by our Lord 
 Himself. The prediction soon began 
 its accomplishment, and has been glo- 
 riously fulfilled in the ingathering of 
 millions of Gentiles to the flock of 
 Christ. See Matt. 21: 43; Mark 13: 
 10, where our Lord bad already signi- 
 
(84 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 17 Therefore doth my Father 
 love me, because " I lay dowu 
 ray life, that I might take it 
 again. 
 
 IS No man talceth it from me, 
 
 als. 53. 7-12. He. 2.9. 
 
 fied that the heathen should be made 
 partakers of His grace. Siee ch. 4 : 21. 
 Obskrve — 1. The conversion of men 
 is according to a Divine plan. The 
 Shepherd has His sheep. 2. This plan 
 is not such as ever to make their obe- 
 dience unnecessary, but rather to se- 
 cure their obedience, as it could be done 
 in no other way. 3. How blessed that 
 unity in Christ which is better than any 
 uniformiti/. 
 
 17. Therefore. These remarkable 
 words show us something of the secret 
 of the eternal counsels of love, as if the 
 Father, if possible, had a more special 
 love for the Son on account of His 
 undertaking for men's redemption. 
 ^ Because. It was because He laid 
 down His life, with this definite pur- 
 pose of redemption — in a way to secure 
 such glorious results — because He laid 
 it down, (Ij vohintari!)/, (2) vicariously, 
 (3) triumphantly — in aider that He 
 might rise fi-om the dead, having suc- 
 ceeded in His expiating work, and 
 having procurrtl the end for tvhich He 
 suifered — the ^ ;v;ition of such multi- 
 tudes, b}' His .iccepted ransom. It 
 was because lie was voluntari.y deliv- 
 ered lor our (iliences in order that He 
 might be raised again for our justifica- 
 tion. See Phil. 2: 5-11. It was ber- 
 cause He CDudescended to this work 
 of humiliation with a view to this glo- 
 rious redemption. "Without such a 
 purpose in view, the death of Christ 
 would neither be lawful nor i^ossible." 
 Hence, His glorification commenced 
 with His resurrection. He was de- 
 clared to be the Son of God with 
 power by Ilis resurrection from the 
 deail. Piom. 1 : 4. 
 
 18. He proceeds further to insist 
 upon the voluntariness of His coming 
 death. AYhcn He should be crucified 
 by violent hands, it might seem that 
 it was because He could uot prevent 
 
 but ^ I lay it down of myself. I 
 ha,ve power to lay it down, and I "^ 
 have power to take it again. 
 This ^ commandment have I re- 
 ceived of my Father. 
 
 JPh. 2.6-S. cc. 2. 19. lie. 0.33. 
 
 it. But He tells them beforehand, that 
 it was all of His own purpose and will. 
 He showed this plainly at the garden, 
 when His word, "I am lie," brought 
 the traitors to the ground, (ch. 18: G,) 
 and when at the presence of His angels 
 rolling awajf the stone from the sepul- 
 chre with a great earthquake, the 
 Roman guards fell as dead men. He 
 also often escaped out of the hand of 
 the Pharisees in a way that showed 
 how easy it was for Him to avoid death. 
 He could have prayed His Father, and 
 obtained twelve legions of angels. 
 INIatt. 26 : 53. And in the gai'den He 
 showed His submission to death as the 
 will of the Father, and did not pray to 
 be delivered from it, if the Father re- 
 quired it, as He knew was the case. 
 On the cross, indeed, He showed the 
 same. Luke 23: 46. T[ I have power. 
 The term here rendered power, means 
 sometimes authority. In this sense, it 
 would signify that He acted under the 
 appointment or commandment of the 
 Father in Ilis mediatorial work ; and 
 this authority to lay dowu His life and 
 take it again, was under commission 
 from the Father. But, as referring to 
 our Lord, the term expresses essential 
 poicer, and refers to the commandment 
 only so far as authorizing this volun- 
 tary lajing down of life. This power, 
 tlierefore, would pi'ove Him to be God. 
 He could rise from the dead onlj- by 
 bursting the bands of death — only by 
 conquering the last enemy — as no 
 creature could. His resurrection was 
 propcrij- His own work, by virtue of 
 the Spirit of the Fat her dwelling in Him, 
 and tilling Him. Seech. 2: 19. 5f Tliii 
 commandment. The whole work of sal- 
 vation was in W\h power. Eph. 1:17; 
 1: 20; Matt. 28: 18; Col. 1: 19. All 
 things in Heaven and earth were given 
 to Him. And such a commission 
 implies, of course, a corresponding 
 
4.GE 33.] 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 185 
 
 19 There was a division therefore 
 again among the Jews for these 
 sayings. 
 
 20 And many of them said, He 
 
 capacity to exercise it, and thus shows 
 Ilim to be divine. No being less than 
 God would be able to execute such 
 Headship of the universe as was com- 
 mitted to Christ for the mediatorial 
 work. Tf ]\[y Father. Here He claims 
 that " the Father " (vs. 15,) whom the 
 Jews professed to woi'ship, was His 
 Father — and so again He shows their 
 obligation to receive Him and His 
 work. vs. 17. " This commandment " 
 refers probably to His entire work. 
 Ho has shown wherein He is the good 
 shepherd, as the Door — the Life — the 
 Protector — the Ingatherer — the Prince 
 and Saviour. 
 
 19. A division. Literally, a schism. 
 The truth of Christ occasions divisions 
 among men. Some object to the doc- 
 trine or to the person of Christ, and 
 charge His word with evil origin or 
 tendency. Others plead for it and 
 maintain it. It is plain which side is 
 in error. They were divided in their 
 reception of Him. \ Again. This was 
 not the lirst time. Where there is 
 deep opposition of heart, there will be 
 always fresh occasions of showing it. 
 Where men are opposed to Christ or 
 His Gospel, they will find objections — 
 if it is not one thing it is another. See 
 Ch. 9: IG. 
 
 20. See ch. 7 : 20 ; 8 : 48. They 
 scoffed at Him as before, saying that 
 He Avas in league with evil spirits. 
 Tills was the severest scandal — most 
 blasphemous tov.-ird Him and most 
 blackening to His name. It was the 
 old accusation — "He casteth out dev- 
 ils by Beelzebub." Matt. 12: 24. If Is 
 mad. Kaves, like a man possessed by 
 a demon. They attributed His dis- 
 cour.jc, like His mii'acles, to demonia- 
 cal agency. 1[ Whj hear ye Ilim ? 
 Why could they not allow others to 
 bear Him, even if they would not 
 listen? T.hi8 shows their malice. How 
 fiendish it is to undermine the only 
 
 16* 
 
 ■^ hath a devil, and is mad ; why 
 hear ye him ? 
 
 21 Others said, These are not 
 the words of him that hath a 
 
 hope of the sinner — to try and turn 
 men away from hearing Christ, the 
 only Saviour of the lost — to drive 
 away hope from the world ! These 
 are they who have a devil! These arc 
 the words of those that have a devil. 
 There is no more satanic word than 
 this that says of Christ, "He is mad, 
 Why hear ye Him?" — It was so in the 
 garden. The tempter, the Old Ser- 
 pent, which is the devil, said to our 
 first parents, "Why hear ye Him?" 
 So Paul was charged with madness, 
 and appealed to His words, as words 
 of truth and soberness. Acts 26 : 24. 
 The religion of Christ is not to blamo 
 for sects or schisms in any case, any 
 more than in this. Bengel remarks, 
 that these men were wont to receive 
 most severely His weightiest and sweet- 
 est discourses. 
 
 21. Others. If the schism consisted 
 in these breaking otF from the reviling 
 Jews, and taking the side of Christ, 
 then it was a separation from the body 
 of blasphemers and from the synagogue 
 of Satan — and it was well. ^ The 
 u-ords. This was a fair judgment, on 
 the best grounds. They judged Christ 
 by His words. By these, men shall 
 be judged. Matt. 12: 37. By these 
 Christ declared that they should be 
 judged. "The word that I have spo- 
 ken unto you, tliesame shall judge you 
 in the last day." Ch. 12: 48. \\ Can 
 a devil. These men appealed to Christ's 
 miracle which He had so lately wrought 
 among them. This sounds like Nioo- 
 demus. This connects the discourse 
 with ch. 9. It was good reasoning 
 that they used. The devil does nothing 
 to help or heal men, but only to harm 
 them. His works are not redemptive, 
 but destructive. It is like ou^ Lord's 
 reply to the charge of •\vorking mira- 
 cles by Beelzebub — that it would be 
 Satan's working against Satan. 
 
1S6 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 devil. Can a devil open " the 
 eyes of the blind ? 
 
 f 22 And it 
 was at Jerusalem the Feast 
 
 o c. 3. G, &e. 
 
 ^ 91. Jesus in Jekusalem at the 
 Festival of Depication. He Re- 
 tires BEYOND JoiiDAN. — Jerusalem. 
 Bethany beyond Jordan. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. | Luke. | John. 
 
 I I 1 10.22-42. 
 
 22 At Jerusalem. There was an 
 interval of two months between the 
 Feast of Tabernacle.s .ind this Feast 
 of Dedication. And as John has said 
 nothing of any journey of our Lord 
 from the city, but rather implies, in 
 this passage, that He tarried there, 
 during this time, we suppose tliat He 
 was engaged in the city and vicinity, 
 pursuing His great work which Avas 
 soon to close on earth. T[ I'he Dedica- 
 tion. The term here used means, the 
 renovation — and refers to the re-conse- 
 cration of the tonple under Judas 
 Jlaccabeus, after it had been desecra- 
 ted by Aiitiochus Epiphanes, in the 
 year 1G7 before Christ. This wicked 
 monarch sacrificed a sow on the altar 
 of burnt offering, and made a broth of 
 it, with which he sprinkled the temple, 
 in derision of the sacred services. 
 
 of the Dedication, and it was 
 winter. 
 
 28 And Jesus walked in the 
 temple in Solomon's porch. ^ 
 
 t Ac. 3. 11; 5. 
 
 After three years the city v.'as recov- 
 ered by Judas Maccabeus, and tlie 
 temple was purified — during an eight 
 days' celebration — and an annual festi- 
 val was established in honor of the 
 event. It began on the 2-jtli day of 
 the month Chislcu, answering to the 
 eighteenth of our I'ecemlier, and lasted 
 eight daj'S, with illuminations of their 
 dwellings and great joy — and not at 
 Jerusalem j.lone, but through tlie land, 
 1 Mace. 4: 41-59; 2 Maec. 10: 1-8; 
 Jos. Ant. 12: 7-9. •^\ Winter. This 
 refers not merely to the season, but 
 mainh' to the weather. It was stormy, 
 inclement weather; and this was a 
 reason for His walking in the porch, 
 rather than without. The assembling 
 of the people at this public festival, 
 was a reason for His appearing in the 
 temple at that time, "that His preach- 
 ing might yield more abundant fruit 
 amidst a large assembly of men." — 
 Calvin. "In the temple in Solomon's 
 porch," means — in that part of the 
 temple buildings. 1 Kings G: 3. '^Solo' 
 nion's porch. This porch, or porticoj 
 
AOK "?,.] 
 
 fTTAl 
 
 187 
 
 • 24 Then came the Jews round 
 about him, and s;tid unto him, 
 How long dost thou make ^ us to 
 doubt? If thou be the Christ, 
 tell us plainly. 
 
 25 Jesus answered them, I told 
 you, and ye believed not : the 
 ' works that I do in my Fa- 
 
 1 or, hold MS in suspense, a c. 5. 36. 
 
 as well as others, was built outside 
 of the temple proper, for persons to 
 •walk there without expojuro. It was 
 in the fore court of the heathen on the 
 East side. Some suppose "this was 
 a part of the temple buildings that was 
 left standing when the Babylonians 
 destroyed -Jerusalem." — Tholuck. So 
 Josephus asserts. Ant. 29 : 9, 7. It 
 is mentioned in Acts 3: 10; 5: 12. It 
 was on the side towards the Mount of 
 Olives, and was one of the corridors 
 or piazzas surrounding the temple 
 proper, and running along the outer 
 wall, as seen in the Cut. 
 
 24. Make us to doubt. The phrase 
 so rendered, means literally to 7-aise up 
 the mind, and hence is generally under- 
 stood as to hold in suspense. This 
 would also seem implied by the next 
 clause. This was a cunning jrttack upon 
 Him, pretending now to be earnest 
 seekers after the jMessiah and wishing 
 only to know if He were the Christ, 
 But they aimed to Lfet some ground of 
 accusation against Him and hoped that 
 lie would make some pretension or 
 claim upon which they might accuse 
 Him. ^ 'Tell tcs plainli/. The term 
 means optcnhi, boldly — keeping back 
 nothing. He liad not distinctly said 
 that He was the Christ, but He had 
 professed to be and to do all that was 
 promised of the ^lessiah, leaving them 
 to infev the fiet of His ?ilessiahship. 
 He preferred as yet to claim the at- 
 tributes rather than the name, as they 
 attached to the term ]\Iessiali very 
 extravagant ideas. 
 
 25. / Inld you. This reply shows 
 that thoy were seeking to entangle 
 Him, and asked now from no good 
 motive, else He would have answered 
 otherwise. He had told them enough. 
 
 thcv's name, they bear witness of 
 nil'. 
 
 2(3 But " ye believe not, because 
 ye are not of my sheep, as I said 
 unto you. 
 
 27 My " sheep hear my voice, 
 and I know them, and they fol- 
 low me : 
 
 5 c. 8. 47. lJno.4. 6. c ver. 4. 
 
 He had claimed to be the Son of God. 
 He had wrought miracles, proving His 
 ?ilessiahship. Ch. 7: 31. And their 
 question implies plainly that they un- 
 der-stood these things as evidence of 
 His being the Christ. He says, there- 
 fore. Ye might have learned enough 
 from my words, ch. 7 : 2'3. See, also, 
 ch. 5: 19; 8: 36-56; 10: 1. T Ye 
 believed not. This was all along the 
 radical difficulty. If they had been 
 disposed to receive His testimony of 
 Himself, or His appeal.to the Father's 
 testimony, (in His works,) they would 
 have found no obscurity in the matter. 
 Observe — Men often charge the Gos- 
 pel with obscurity, when all the diffi- 
 culty lies in their unbelief. '^ The 
 works. The miraculous works, such 
 as restoring the blind man, Avhich was 
 a kind of miracle which the prophets 
 often ascribed to the Messiah. Isaiah 
 42: 7, 18. 1[ In my Father^ s name. 
 Here again He reminds them of the 
 authority which He had from the 
 Father, whom they professed to wor- 
 ship, and who was also His Father. 
 These miracles, wrought in the Fathers 
 name, were most convincing proofs of 
 His being the Messiah. The miracles 
 they could not deny, but could only 
 accuse Him of working them by Beel- 
 zebub. 
 
 26. lie now explains the difficultly, 
 according to the parable which He had 
 just spoken to them. The3' were an 
 illustration of that parable. They 
 proved themselves to be not of His 
 sheep, because they heard not His 
 voice. 
 
 27. He now repeats in substance the 
 part of the parable which was so ap- 
 plicable to their case. See vss. 3-16, 
 Compare ch, 8: 47. ^ My sheep. If 
 
188 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33, 
 
 28 And I give unto them eter- 
 nal life; and they '' shall never 
 perish, neither shall any man 
 pluck them out of my hand. 
 
 1 c.17.12; 18.9. He. 7. 25. 
 
 tlicy were of His sheep, tliey would be- 
 lieve, for tliis is their characteristic. But 
 because they do not know His voice 
 and follow Him, and because they are 
 not of His own chosen flock, therefore 
 they do not believe. Believers' conduct 
 and state of mind are thus traced to 
 their relation to Him. The Messiah 
 was prophesied of as a shepherd — and 
 the Father's fellow. Zecb. 13:7. But 
 the shepherd has his sheep, as the 
 parable had shown — and one of their 
 characteristics is this, that they know 
 him, bear his voice, and follow Lim. 
 He whom true Christians follow is 
 Christ. " He that hath the bride is 
 the bridegroom." So, also. They who 
 hear the shepherd's voice are the sheep. 
 They who hear Christ's voice are His 
 people. She tcho hath the Briderp-oom 
 is the Bride. This obedience to Christ, 
 and this presence of Christ, will always 
 mark the true church. *\ I know them. 
 This is the seal upon tlie foundation 
 of God's church, (2 Tim. 2: 19,) and 
 so it standeth sure. This is the great 
 security of God's people. See vs. 14. 
 f TheT/ follow me. Uev. 14: 4. As 
 these cavilers did not hear His voice, 
 nor follow Him, He could say to them 
 " I never knew you." Matt. 7: 23. 
 
 28. Eternal life, ffiven as <a free gift 
 to sinners, implies all that leads to it — 
 as their cullinf-, quickening, teaching, 
 ingathering, leading, and conducting 
 to the end. This perfect ultimate pos- 
 session He r/iirs now. He gives eternal 
 life to as many as are given to Him by 
 the Father. Ch. 17: 2. "And this is 
 life eternal, that they might knav thee, 
 the only true God, and Jesus Christ, 
 whom thou hast sent.'" Ch. 17:3. Hence 
 the true sheep — His own sheep — have 
 the knowledge of Christ given to them, 
 which these liad not. 'i Never jjcrish. It 
 would be impossible to give eternal life 
 to any, as a free p;ift, unless it were pos- 
 sible to secure their perseverance unto 
 the end. Our confidence must not be 
 
 29 JMy '' Father which gave • 
 them me, is greater than all ; and 
 no man is able to pluck flicm out 
 of my Father's hand. 
 
 6 c. 14.28. CO. 17.2. 
 
 reposed in ourselves, but in God alone. 
 He bids us look to His Divine power 
 and grace, and trust His promises, and 
 rejoice in His iinished work. And 
 then He cheers us with the assurance 
 that we shall never perish — that as 
 surely as He has undertaken for us, 
 we shall be carried safely through. 
 Neither in this life, nor at death, nor 
 in eternity, shall they be destroyed. 
 The term here used, seems to refer 
 rather to their own course — " they 
 shall never perish," nor /<7?7. The next 
 clause refers to assaults from without. 
 ^ Shall any. It is not " any man," 
 but any being — whether of principali- 
 ties or powers. " The gates of hell 
 shall not prevail against them." The 
 timid Christian often fears that the 
 malice of Satan will prevail against 
 him. But he is secured by the watch- 
 ful, covenant care of his good Shep- 
 herd — and the great encouragement is, 
 that having given His life for him. He 
 cannot fail to give "all things that 
 pertain to life and godliness." 2 Pet. 
 1:3. Tf Pluck them. The term means, 
 literally, to steal them, by any craft. 
 However they may come like a thief, 
 they shall not snatch them out of His 
 hand. Neither the cunning artifice of 
 Satan, nor the power of the pit shall 
 do it. He will never be found otF His 
 guard — nor ever wanting in power. 
 They are in His hand, given to Him 
 by the Father, (ch. 17: 2,) and for 
 their keeping and safe conducting to 
 Heaven, all power is given to Him 
 over all flesh. Ch. 17: 1-3. But this, 
 of course, is not irrespective of their 
 conduct. Their consistent Christian 
 conduct will be secured as a constant 
 token that eternal life is given to them. 
 As it is f/ive7i now, and not in future, 
 they who have it will show it by their 
 vital piety. That they shall not fall 
 utterly away into ruin, is the promise. 
 29. Which gave, &c. See ch. 17 : 
 1-4; ch. 6: 37. All things in the 
 
^cr. 33.] 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 189 
 
 GJ I '^ aud niT/ Father arc 
 ouu. 
 
 ac. 17. 11,22. 
 
 economy of redemption are nrranged 
 nmong the persons in the Godhead. 
 Y/hiitever is of the Father, is l/i/ the 
 the Son, through the Holy Spirit. 
 Christians are claosen (of the Father,) 
 to salvation, (by the Son,) through 
 sanctification of the Spirit — all which 
 secures their belief of the truth. T[ Is 
 greater. If anything further were 
 needed to set forth this redeeming 
 work. He refers to the fact that it is 
 secured by the very throne of Jehovah, 
 whom they professed to worship. He 
 is the Supreme Lord of the universe, 
 and all His infinite attributes and 
 resources are pledged to preserve His 
 own sheep from final apostacy and 
 perdition. The power and grace of 
 God Jehovah cannot be overcome; 
 find before they could perish, it would 
 be necessary to overcome God Jehovah 
 Himself. *l Greater than all — men or 
 devils. He is supreme. None can 
 surpass or defeat Him. Neither man, 
 nor Satan and his hosts can do it. 
 They are not able to do it. No lan- 
 guage can more plainly set forth the 
 precious truth that Christians are 
 Christ's own. To make them not His 
 own, would be to make Him a hireling, 
 vs. 12. 2. That they are given to 
 
 : Him in covenant by the Father. 3. 
 That in carrying out their redemption 
 He gave Himself for them, in their 
 stead. 4. That He gives to them life 
 and eternal life — calls them by an 
 effectual calling — quickens them by 
 His Spirit — teaches them, renews their 
 will, and leads them safely on to glory. 
 6. That on account of the Godhead so 
 undertaking for them, "their final sal- 
 vation is as secure as the infinite love, 
 power, wisdom and faithfulness of the 
 divine Father and Son can make it." — 
 
 I Brown. They are in His Father's 
 hand, as truly as in His own hand. 
 This would show that He Himself was 
 something more than the mere man 
 that they might think Him. And so 
 He more explicitly adds in the next 
 verse. 
 
 31 Then "^ the Jews took up stones 
 araiu to stone him. 
 
 30. He has just said that the sheep 
 were equally in His own hand and in 
 His Father's. And what He says of 
 Himself, He says likewise of His 
 Father — that no power on earth or in 
 hell should be able to snatch them 
 away. He therefore ascribes the same 
 work to both — the same power, and 
 not merely the same will. To explain 
 this, and enforce it also. He asserts 
 the great truth that He and His 
 Fatlier are one — the essential unity of 
 Father and Son in the Godhead. He 
 claimed the same Omnipotence as the 
 Father. And as Good Shepherd, He 
 claimed a commission which none but 
 God could bear or execute. The 
 phrase is, literally, "I and my Father 
 are one thing'' — a unit. They were 
 not one person — but one essence — 
 " what the Father is, that the Sou is — 
 what the work of the Father is, that 
 the work of the Sou is." — Brown. As 
 none can effectually prevail against the 
 Father, so none can prevail against the 
 Son. These two are one — one in 
 nature — one in attributes — one in glory. 
 In this work of redemption, the Son 
 and Spirit are said to be sent by the 
 Father, and in this sense they are 
 sometimes spoken of as subordinate. 
 Christ also, as man, is spoken of as 
 infeiior. AVhen He is referred to as 
 man or as Mediator, men often take 
 the passages as denying those which 
 speak of Him as equal with the Father. 
 But both are true ; and they are con- 
 sistent. SaheUius, in the third century, 
 taught that there is but one person in 
 the Godhead. But this is denied by 
 the plural term "are." Arius, in the 
 fourth century, taught that Christ is 
 not God. And this is denied by the 
 singular term, "one." We cannot 
 understand this passage as teaching 
 merely a unity of will and of plan — as 
 though they merely worked in harmony. 
 The connexion shows that it was a one- 
 ness of divine work and of infinite 
 power, such as implies oneness of 
 essence, that He would Lave to be 
 
190 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33, 
 
 32 Jesus answered them, Many 
 good -works have I shewed you 
 from my Father ; for which of those 
 works do j'c stone me ? 
 
 33 The Jews answered him, say- 
 ing. For a good work we stone 
 
 understood by the terms. And so He 
 was understood at the time, by those 
 who lieard Him, as appears from the 
 next verse. 
 
 31. In these words which He had 
 just spoken, the blind Jews saw more 
 than the Anti-Trinitarians see to-day. 
 If they had understood Him as claim- 
 ing to be only a Divine man, and not 
 to be the Son cf God, as truly as the 
 sons of men are men, they would not 
 have said what thoy did in vs. 33 — 
 that when lie was only a man and 
 nothing more, He made Himself God. 
 Bengel. They took up stones to stone 
 Him as though He had spoken blas- 
 phemy. Levit24: 10, &c. 'i Again. 
 See eh. 5: 18; 8: 59. 
 
 32. "He not only denies that they 
 have any rational ground for their 
 fierce anger, but He also accuses them 
 of ingratitude, in recompensing the 
 favors of God so unjustly." — Calvin. 
 Here He declares: 1. That He had 
 done only works of mercy and love 
 among them, us healing the sick, resto- 
 ring the blind, &c., works which clearly 
 came from the Father, because (hey 
 were miraculous works, done to t|estroy 
 the works of the devil. He had not 
 come among them visiting them v;ith 
 swift destruction, but only with salva- 
 tion. ^ Good works. The phrase is, 
 excellent u-orlcg, in the sense of "works 
 of love.'" 1 Tim. G: 18. He appeals 
 to them also for His innocence. T[ Shelv- 
 ed you. jNleaning that these works 
 were part of tlie manifestation of Him- 
 Eelf as the Son of God. ^ Do ye stone 
 me. Are ye about stoning me. 
 
 33. Blasplteiiiy. This charge was 
 repeatedly made against Him — even 
 on His last trial before the Sanhedrim. 
 Mr.tt."2G: G5. Indeed, if lie had been 
 anj/thinff less than God, it icoiild have 
 been blasphemy, according to the Jcw- 
 
 thee not ; but for blasphemy ; 
 and because "■ that thou, being a 
 man, makest thyself God. 
 
 34 Jesus an.swered thero, Is it 
 not written in your law, I said, Ye 
 are gods ? 
 
 OC.5. 18. Ter.30. Ps.82.r,. Ro. 13.1. 
 
 ish law, and according to the proper 
 sense of the term. ^ Because. See 
 ch. 5: 18. They clearly show how 
 they understood His words, and here 
 they state explicitly the charge against 
 Him as grounded on those words. 
 ^ Blakest thyself. In ch. 5: 18, it is 
 more frlly expressed — makest thyself 
 equal with God. The words imply of 
 course that He made it so when it was 
 not so. They did not believe that as 
 He was a real man, so He could also 
 be very God. They, like many since, 
 have taken for granted that if He was 
 man He could not be God — not seeing 
 how it was necessary for a Mediator 
 between God and man, to be both man 
 and God, in two distinct natures and 
 one person forever. This they ought 
 to have known from the prophecies of 
 the JNlessiah. 
 
 34. If our Lord had not been God 
 as they understood Him to claim, 
 would He not now at once have correc- 
 ted their error ? Would He have insis- 
 ted rather on what He had said ? This 
 would have made Him a blasphemer. 
 The apostle Peter when he was mista- 
 ken for a Divine person, immediately 
 and earnestly denied any such claim, 
 and corrected the mistake. Acts 10; 
 2G. "Stand up! I myself also am a 
 man." Instead, however, of denying 
 that He claimed to be God, He vindi- 
 cated His claim. — The whole Old Tes- 
 tament sometimes is called "the law." 
 See ch. 12 : 34; 15: 25. He referred 
 them to a passage in the I'salnis, (82 : 
 6,) iu which the Jewish magistrates 
 are called gods, as bearing a high 
 commission from Jehovah. "I have 
 said ye are gods, and nil of you are 
 children of the Most High." Refer- 
 ence is made to Exodus 21 : 6 ; 22 : 
 9, &c., where magistrates wci-e S( 
 called. 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 191 
 
 35 If lie culled them gods, unto 
 whom the word of God came, and 
 the scripture cannot be broken ; 
 
 36 Say ye of him, whom the Fa- 
 ther hath sanctified, " and sent into 
 
 a Is. 11.2.3; 40.1,3. c.O.aT. 
 
 35, 36. The pohit then is tiii.s — If 
 in your own Scriptures God calls them 
 gods, (officially entitles them so,) to 
 whom the word of God c.nme — (to 
 whom God, in tliose passages, spake — 
 or to whom n, Divine commis.sion came 
 as magistrates to execute God's word) 
 . — how can ye uccuse one of hlaspliemy 
 for calling Himself tlie Son of God, 
 when lie has a fur higher commission 
 from the Father — has been set apart 
 by Him, and sent by Him into the 
 world ? His object wa.s only to take 
 them up on their own ground, and 
 show their unrcasoniible enmity to 
 Ilim — to e.Kpose the root of all their 
 bitterness, in the unbelief and malice 
 of their hearts. They cared not for 
 the honor of Johov.'rh. They were not 
 so anxious to vindicate His name from 
 blasphemy. They found no fault with 
 sucli passages in their Scriptures; but 
 their enmity was against liiin. and it 
 was simply becouse they were no: of 
 His sheep, vs. 2l5. ^ And (he Scrip- 
 iiirc. This is a parenthesis, and means 
 that this title, referred to in the 
 Psalms, ke., cannot he explained away. 
 They were bound to abide by their 
 own Scriptures. They could not make 
 them invalid lo .-iuit the present mo- 
 ment—nor would He wish to do so. 
 Therefore, they would much more be 
 ol/liged to charge blasphemy upon God 
 Jehovah, who, in these passages re- 
 ferred to, called even magistrates act- 
 ing under Ilis commission, gods. 
 
 36. The Faf/icr. He diH\s not use 
 I U.eterm "God," but "l/ie Fat/ie?;'' thus 
 
 fla.mingthe relation of Son, .and show- 
 .ng that the Father was such, and (he 
 Son also, before He was sent iiito the 
 world. ^ Sanclijled. The term gene- 
 rally refers to moral purificatitm. But 
 here and elsewhere (lleb. 10: 2'J) it 
 has the Hebrew sense of the Old Tes- 
 tament ritual, and means, set apart to 
 
 the world, Thnii bias]ilioi!ie>^f : be- 
 cause I said, I am ''the iSon t'f 
 G.al? 
 
 37 If " I vli) not the works of my 
 rather, believe iiic not. 
 
 ,', i'Ii.m;. c c.i 1.10,1:; ij. .'i. 
 
 a holy oflice or work. It was used in 
 reference to tlic selection of holy pro- 
 phets. He pleads, then. His high 
 commission and tlie testimony of the 
 Father, wliich had been brought to 
 ilie level of their apprehension — and 
 claims for Himself, even from what 
 they had seen, a better title to the 
 name of God, and Son of God, than 
 tliey found in their Scriptures, in refcr- 
 eiice to magistrates, kings and judges ; 
 especially as tiiese were rebuked there 
 for abusing their ofiicial trust, and Ho 
 had shown them nothing but excellent 
 works of love. All this He said, not 
 to expbiin His Godhead, but to expose 
 their malice, and turn their own Scrip- 
 tures against themselves. If He had 
 meant to show that He claimed to be 
 God, only in the sense of a Judge or a 
 magistrate, He would have said so, 
 and they v,-ould have been satisfied. 
 But they were not any more satisfied, 
 nor any less determined to punish Him 
 as a blasphemer, vs. 39. ^ The Son 
 of God. Why should they count 
 this to be blasphemy, when in the same 
 Script'jres, also, even in another of the 
 Psalms, the Sou had been spoken of as 
 one entitled to supreme homage — ■ 
 "• Kiss THE Son," Ps. 2 : — and this 
 was the same as liad just before 
 spoken—-" The Lord said unto me, 
 thou art ;;/// Son'," as "heir of all 
 things," entitleil to ask for the posses- 
 sion of the ends of the earth. There- 
 fore, when the Jews accused the early 
 Christians of worshiping more Gods 
 than one, Justin Martyr replied, that 
 " frequent mention is made in the Old 
 Testament of a person who is called 
 God, and is God, and yet is distin- 
 gukshed from tlie God and Father of 
 a\\."— Justin, p. 201. 
 
 37. He again .appeals to Ills miracu- 
 lous works, as before, and does not at 
 all lower His claim to Godhead, but 
 
192 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 88 Butif I do, though ye believe 
 not rue, believe the works ; that 
 ye may know and believe, that 
 the Father is in me, and I in 
 him. 
 
 39 Therefore they sought again 
 
 insists on it, and confirms it by the 
 Father's testimony in the worlis. "[[ The 
 works. The very works that my Father 
 does — these are worlcs of Omnipotence 
 and of all Divine attributes ; and this 
 proves Him to be God, as God is 
 proved by His works. This is the 
 very point which He had urged in the 
 words which so offended them, viz., 
 that He attributed to Himself the same 
 Omnipotence which He attributed to 
 the Father, and the same Almighty 
 ■work of defending and securing His 
 people to the end — which proved that 
 He and His Father were oke. 
 
 38. But if I do. If He Avrought 
 such works as were evidently divine, 
 and which none but God could work. 
 Ho claimed their confidence as God. 
 They were bound to credit the works, 
 even if they did not receive His ov/n 
 personal testimony. *[[ Father is in me. 
 Th«t is — that (hey are one as He had 
 said. This is only another way of 
 stating the same truth of their essential 
 uniti/. Not, that the Father was in the 
 Son, Avithout the Son being in the 
 Father ; but that equally they were in 
 each other. Ch. 14: 10. This remark- 
 able language shows that the divinity 
 of Christ could not be merely a parta- 
 king of divine qualities (by the Father's 
 beiii'r in Him,) without His being 
 actually God. For He is in the Father 
 as truly as the Father is in Him. And 
 it cannot be the same relation to God 
 as that of His people — for though He 
 is said to be in them, they are not said 
 to be in Him, in the same sense. " I 
 in them, and thou in me." Ch. 17 : 23. 
 That ye may knoxv — " That ye may 
 be led on to the higher faith of the 
 unity of myself and the Father" — This 
 was what He labored so to teach them, 
 and Avhat they were so incensed to 
 hear. Chs. 5-10. 
 
 to take him : but he escaped out 
 of their hand ; 
 
 40 And went aAvay again beyond 
 Jordan, into the place " where John 
 at first baptized ; and there he 
 abode. 
 
 39. It is plain that by these word.5 
 He did not mean to modify or qualify 
 at all Ilis positive declaration that He 
 was one with the Fatlur, nor to mako 
 Himself anything less than God. For 
 the Jews were moved by Avhat He said, 
 to seize Him— probably to bring Him 
 before the Sanhedrim lV,r trial, on the 
 charge of blasphemy — thinking that 
 they had now, from his own lips, the 
 means of convicting Him. ^ He 
 e-icajied. The term does not convey any 
 idea, of secret escape, or of miraculous 
 escape. But the inference seems plain, 
 that there was some supernatural 
 restraint upon them — for the word is 
 simply, "/ie departed" as though He 
 walked away as freely as He would hove 
 done, had no violence been aimed at 
 Him. "God grant," says Augustine, 
 "that we may ^take Ilim,' and not let 
 Ilim go." 
 
 40. The place. This was Bethany, 
 called Bethabara beyond Jordan. Ch. 
 1 : 28. Here He remained a few weeks 
 probably, and not the whole of the 
 four months up to the time of His last 
 Passover. It was a quiet, retired region, 
 whither He would find rest from the 
 pursuit of His enemies, and the minds 
 of the people had been much prepared 
 by the labors of John there for His 
 ministry. Here He also was, at least in 
 this region of Perea, when He was 
 recalled by the message of Lazarus' 
 death, (ch. 11: 3, 7,) .and the sisters 
 seem to have known where to send for 
 Him. In ch, 11 : 04, He is said to 
 have gone to a city called Ephraim, 
 near Bethel, in the valley of Jordan, 
 there to have continued with His disci- 
 ples. From this place, liowever. He 
 probably made short tours; and Mtst- 
 thew and Mark tell us that in His final 
 journey to Jerusalem, He came up to 
 Jericho by (he farther side of Jordan; 
 
AoE 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 193 
 
 41 And many resorted unto 
 him, and said, John did no 
 miracle : but all things that 
 John spake " of this man were 
 true. 
 
 oMatt. 3, 11,12. c. 3. 30-36. 
 
 (Perea,) and Luke states, also, that He 
 went through the cities and villages, 
 teaching and iourneying toward Jeru- 
 salem. Luke i3: 22. 
 
 41. Observe — 1. John's ministry 
 was more beneficial to this people after 
 he was dead, than it had been during 
 his life — and the end of his ministry 
 was attained in bringing them to Christ. 
 2. The persecutors of our Lord promo- 
 ted His cause by driving Him out of 
 their midst. *[[ No miracle. They 
 reason thus — that John did no miracu- 
 lous work, and yet they believed on 
 him. How much more then, should 
 they believe on one who wrought such 
 wonderful works, especially as He was 
 just what John had predicted He 
 should be. 
 
 42. The success of our Lord's preach- 
 ing toward the end of His life, is here 
 recorded. Observe — Present success 
 in the conversion of men is not always 
 to be required as a proof of one's min- 
 istry. What is faithfully preached may 
 spring up as good seed, after we are 
 dead. Even our Lord did not have equal 
 fruits of His ministry at all times, or 
 in all places. 2. When men come 
 to Christ — become acquainted with 
 Christ — and come to know Him for 
 themselves, they find that all that the 
 Scripture says of Him is true, and that 
 the reality far exceeds the report. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 § 92 The Raising of Lazarus. — 
 Bethany. 
 
 Uatt. I Mark. | Luke. I John. 
 
 I I 1 11.1-46. 
 
 This chapter records the miracle of 
 raising Lnzavas from the grave, which 
 is more spoken of than any of our 
 Lord's miracles, and is truly the most 
 wonderful exhibition of His Divine 
 power. He had raised others from 
 17 
 
 42 And many believed on him 
 there. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 IT IVF^^ ^ certain man 
 was sick, named 
 
 N^ 
 
 death — as the daughter of Jairus — 
 who had just died, (Luke 8: 41, &c.) 
 the widow's son, of Nain, on the way 
 to the burial, (Luke 7: 11-17,) and 
 now more remarkably still, this Laza- 
 rus, who had been dead four days. 
 John alone of the Evangelists has 
 recorded it. The Jewish skeptical 
 philosopher, Spinoza, is said by Bayle 
 the historian, to have assured his friends 
 that if he could feel convinced of the 
 reality of the resurrection of Lazarus, 
 he would dash to pieces his entire 
 system and would embrace without 
 reluctance the common Christian faith. 
 Disbelievers in the . miracles of our 
 Lord, have resorted to every method 
 of questioning this transaction, but in 
 vain. The miracle of the blind man 
 in ch. 9, was most abundantly estab- 
 lished, as we have seen, by the judicial 
 examination to which the man himself 
 and his parents were subjected. And 
 if Christ wrought that miracle, or any 
 one miracle, this proves His claims, 
 and makes it utterly vain to dispute 
 His claims, or to deny the fact of mir- 
 acles having been wrought by Him. 
 Those who come to the examination 
 of the scripture with th^ foregone con- 
 clusion that a miracle is impossible, may 
 be expected to put forth the most 
 extravagant theories in order to do 
 away with this plain narrative. Yet 
 it turns out that a belief in their theo- 
 ries is more difiicult, than a belief in 
 the mii'acle itself. That John alone, 
 of the Evangelists, has recorded this 
 p.articular miracle, some have held 
 to be an evidence against it. But the 
 fact that they all did not record it, 
 as they would naturally have done, is 
 rather a proof that they wrote their 
 Gospel narratives at the dictation of 
 the Holy Spirit, who had a plan, and 
 a method, and an object in each of the 
 four testimonies. Some suppose that it 
 
194 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 3S. 
 
 Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of 
 ' Mary and her sister Martha. 
 2 (It was that Mary which '' an- 
 
 o L.Ike 10,38,39. 6 Mar. 14,3. 0.12.3. 
 
 ■was because Lazarus was living when 
 the others wrote, and, that though the 
 miracle 'was well known, the publica- 
 tion might have exposed Lazarus to 
 persecution. Seech. 12: 10, 11. Yet 
 this is mere conjecture, and the reason 
 of the silence on the part of the other 
 Evangelists, is beyond our reach. A 
 complete history of our Lord's ■won- 
 drous life and doings, none of them, 
 nor all together could possibly give ; 
 because there would be no end to the 
 records. Ch. 21 : 25. John, however, 
 "would find this miracle to suit his 
 object of setting forth most strikingly 
 our Lord's Divine Person. Besides, it 
 was his particular relish to present so 
 lovely and tender a view of our Lord, 
 as is given in the scenes at Bethany. 
 We are indebted to John's narrative 
 for the detailed description of this 
 Christian family— this brother and these 
 Bisters tchom Jesus loved: and John as 
 that disciple whom Jesus loved, may 
 be supposed to have been drawn to- 
 wards them, in a holy sympathy, as 
 sharers in the precious intimacy and 
 friendship of the Lord. 
 
 1. Named Lazarus. Thenamcmeans, 
 help of God — or, one whom God aids, 
 answering to the IleLrew name Eleazar. 
 John alone mentions this, brother, 
 whose name first occ"ars here. Luke 
 speaks only of the siatei s. ^ Bethany, 
 This village is now called Lazarie. 
 The Arab name is " f Z Azariyeh," from 
 the Arab form of ^^ Lazarus." Passing 
 out of St. Stephen's gate, down to the 
 ■valley of Jehoshaphat, across the 
 brook Kedrou and along the edge of 
 GetLsemane, the foot-path winding up 
 the slope of Mount 01i\et brought us 
 on the Eastern declivity to the village 
 of Bethany. We entered it on our 
 route from Jerusalem to Jericho, as 
 our Lord entered it on His final return 
 to Jerusalem from Jericho, alter heal- 
 ing the blind men and saving Zaccheus. 
 Lu. 19: 1. Simon the leper also lived 
 there, (Matt 26 : 6,) and the site of his 
 
 ointed the Lord with ointment, 
 and wiped his feet with her hair, 
 whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 
 
 house, as reputed by the monks, was 
 pointed out to us. It is a scattered 
 and desolate village of a few families — 
 not more than twenty. The tomb is 
 held as the chief matter of interest ; 
 and this great miracle of our Lord 
 which is now to be narrated, has come 
 down to us in the name of the place. 
 AVe started at a quarter before 8 
 o'clock in the morning, from our quar- 
 ters in Jerusalem, and tarrying a few 
 moments at the summit of Olivet to 
 look in at "the Chapel of the Ascen- 
 sion," we came to Bethany at twenty 
 minutes past eight. ^ 21ie toun of 
 Mary. This is added to distinguish it 
 from another Bethany beyond Jordan. 
 Ch. 10: 40. These sisters were well 
 known from the public accounts given 
 of our Lord's life in the Apostolic 
 preaching — and here thej^ are referred 
 to, to designate the town where they 
 lived. These pious sisters, from their 
 friendship with our Lord, were impor- 
 tant enough to make this village known 
 by their name as residents there. 
 Bethany was honored in having such a 
 family to reside there. A great bless- 
 ing, indeed, to Bethany, were these 
 sisters who drew our Lord thither. 
 During the latter days of His life, He 
 is spoken of as often going out from 
 the city to this town, and He was ■n'ont, 
 no doubt, to seek repose in this 
 friendly circle, from His enemies and 
 His conflicts. Mark 11 : 12 ; Luke 21: 
 37. Mary is here spoken oi Jirst as 
 though she were the eldest — according 
 to the custom — as "James the son of 
 Zebedce, and John his brother." Mar- 
 tha, however, is spoken of by Luke as 
 if she were the mistress of the ho\ise 
 Luke 10 : 38, and in vss. 5 and 19 
 IMartha is put first and may have been 
 the eldest. 
 
 2. That 3fary. The Evangelist now 
 distinguishes this Mary above the 
 others of the same name in the Gospel 
 history, by the very distinguished act 
 of hers in anointing our Lord. Tho 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 196 
 
 3 Therefore Lis sisters sent unto 
 him, saying, Lord, behold, he " 
 whom thou lovest is sick. 
 
 o He. 12. 6. Ee. 3. 19. 
 
 anointing took place after this time, 
 but the Evangelist, writing at a still 
 later period, refers to it as to a well- 
 known transaction. Besides, it was 
 predicted by our Lord, that this act of 
 Mary should be everywhere published 
 wherever the Gospel should be preached, 
 (Mark 11: 6-9,) — and here Chi-ist is 
 called the Lord. The narrative is 
 given by John, ch. 12: 3. Observe — 
 How great the blessedness of Mary, 
 to be known by such a deed. How 
 happ3' for any one of us to be known 
 ou earth or in Heaven as the one who 
 put special honor upon the Master 
 before men. See Heb. ch. 11, where 
 a list of Old Testament worthies is 
 given, with their distinguished Christian 
 deeds. ^ Whose brother. This clause 
 shows that Mary and her deed of love 
 are here mentioned in connexion with 
 the sickness of Lazarus, to show that 
 her act of devotion was of some impor- 
 tance in this case, and a bond of ten- 
 der interest bi ling the Master to that 
 household, and making a kind of pre- 
 sumptive claim for Lazarus in this 
 extremit3\ — The Lord often regards us 
 for other's sake — children foi* the 
 parents' sake — and members of a Chris- 
 tian house for the sake of some dis- 
 tinguished Christian character among 
 tliem. Gen. 26 : 4, 5. — Here it is 
 plain that Lazarus was beloved of God 
 as well as the rest. vs. 5. 
 
 3. Sent. The sisters sent at once to 
 Christ for this reason, that their bro- 
 ther was sick. It was a good reason 
 for sending. As it proved, it was no 
 common sickness. We mny and ought 
 to send for Christ in every necessity. 
 This prompt proceeding shows their 
 intimacy with the Saviour. Often He 
 had passed a friendly evening and 
 night with them from the crowded 
 city, and now, when Lazarus was sick, 
 why should they not inform Him ? 
 Besides, they knew of His Divine 
 power — had wonderful confidence in 
 His ability to heal him, (vs. 21,) though 
 
 4 When Jesus heard ihat, ho 
 said, This sickness is not unto 
 death, but •• for the glory of God, 
 
 5 c. 9. 3. yer. 40. 
 
 not in His power to bring him from the 
 dead, vs. 24. They have something, 
 therefore, yet to learn : and the faith- 
 ful Master will put their faith to !\ 
 severe but gracious discipline. TJ He 
 whom thou lovest. Bengel remarks 
 that this was more modest than to say, 
 " Behold he who loveth thee." So 
 John called himself "that disciple 
 whom Jesus loved." The term used 
 here by the sisters, to express the love 
 of Christ to Lazarus, is not the same 
 term which the Evangelist uses in vs. 
 5, to express the love of Christ to the 
 sisters and Lazarus. The -former de- 
 signates rather the natural aifection — 
 and the latter the esteem which is 
 based upon reflection. See ch. 21 : 15, 
 and Notes. The term used in the phrase 
 " The disciple whom Jesus loved," is 
 the latter. Tf Is sick. The message 
 was doubtless for His aid in this ex- 
 tremity, hoping that He would come 
 and heal him. They seem to have 
 thought it enough to acquaint their 
 gool friend with the fact. They send 
 no message, as others had done, 
 " Come down ere he die," (ch. 4: 49,) 
 " Come and lay thy hands on him, and 
 he shall live," (Matt. 9: 18,) nor even 
 " Speak the word only, and he shall 
 be healed," Matt. 8: 8. They only, 
 in utmost delicacy, remind Him of His 
 love for their dying brother, and are 
 content to urge that tender plea. So 
 our strongest ground to take in prayer 
 is this — the love which Christ bears to 
 us, and His plan of redeeming love for 
 sinners. His finished work may be 
 pleaded, and by all the love He has 
 already shown to such as we, we may 
 put in our plea for whatever else we 
 require. Rom. 8. " He that spared 
 not His own Son — how shall He not 
 with llim also freely give us all 
 things ?" The sisters knew where Christ 
 was. It was but a full day's journey 
 from Jerusalem to this Bethabara be- 
 yond Jordan, and they could look for 
 help shortly. We may think of the 
 
196 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 that the Son of Grod might be 
 glorified thereby. 
 
 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and 
 her sister, and Lazarus. 
 
 messengers as winding along the dreary 
 defiles of the mountains around Jeru- 
 Balem, on the lone and perilous road 
 to Jericho and the Jordan, bearing the 
 message •which expressed at once the 
 great love of the sisters to their bro- 
 ther, and their great confidence in that 
 friend that sticketh closer than a brother. 
 4. This sick7iess. Our Lord spoke 
 already of the issues of this sickness, 
 as they were known to Ilim. He meant 
 to say, that it was not to terminate in 
 death, though the man should die ; but 
 rather in the glory of God as the great 
 end and object, by causing death itself 
 to be despoiled of its prey. The friend 
 of God is to be raised from the dead ! 
 Shall not the disciples then believe 
 that Christ Himself is superior to 
 death, and will not remain under the 
 power of death? f Not unto death. 
 This seems to have been our Lord's 
 reply to the messengers. How trying 
 to the poor sisters, who had only hoped 
 that He would reach them before Laza- 
 rus had died, and now after he had 
 been dead a whole day, they get such 
 a strange, mysterious answer — " This 
 sickness is not unto death." ^f But 
 for the glory of God. It is thus that 
 our Lord prepares the mind of the 
 sisters and of the people to behold 
 what is coming to pass. He gives 
 them a clear hint of what they cannot 
 yet understand, but shall understand 
 by the event. Martha seems (vss. 39, 
 40) to have inquired about this, as 
 soon as the Saviour arrived. Our Lord 
 doubtless foresaw also the fact that, by 
 means especially of this miracle. His 
 own death should be brought about — 
 and thus it would lead directly to His 
 glorification. Observe — While the sis- 
 ters send to tell Him the news, He 
 knows more about it than they — and 
 already He saw the end from the be- 
 ginning. Observe — God's honor is 
 here shown to be one and the same 
 with the honor of Christ — the glory 
 
 When he had heard therefore 
 that he was sick, he abode two 
 days still in the same place where 
 he was. 
 
 of God consists in the glory of God's 
 Son. 
 
 5. Now Je^us loved Martha, &c. 
 '■'■ Happy family,^'' says Bengel. How 
 beautifully this fact is thrown in just 
 here by the Evangelist, to show how 
 this answer of Jesus sprang from no 
 coolness toward them, and to prepare 
 us for what else might have seemed a 
 lack of love — His delay until after the 
 death of Lazarus. Observe — The 
 love of Christ to us is not the less in 
 such dark seasons, as though He cared 
 not for us when He delays to come 
 for our help, in such temporal ex- 
 tremities. It may be the very way in 
 which He will prove His Divine, Om- 
 nipotent love, when presently, after 
 our time, but in His own time. He 
 shall ajjpear for our deliverance and 
 salvation. Observe — 1. These whom 
 our Lord loved are yet in the greatest 
 distress — the sisters are in anguish 
 over a dying brother, and Lazarus is 
 himself drawing nigh to death. 2. 
 Martha, as well as Mary, is beloved, 
 though she has been often severely 
 judged, as little better than censorious 
 and fussy — a fault-finder and a busy- 
 body. 3. " AVhom the Lord loveth He 
 chasteneth." Heb. 12: 6. 4. So our 
 Lord will be glorified in the death of 
 all whom He loves. 
 
 6. This verse connects with vs. 4, 
 showing that He understood the case, 
 and had a high object to serve by it; 
 and therefore, though He loved them 
 all, and every one of them personally. 
 He delayed two days to go thither. 
 Rom. 15 : 4. It even seems to be 
 hinted that He delayed, just because 
 of His tender love to them. He to 
 whose Omnipotence it was just as easy 
 to raise a dead man as to heal a sick 
 one, performed no less an act of good- 
 ness in permitting the sickness of Laza- 
 rus to run on, and than raising him. 
 Lazarus was already dead before the 
 messengers returned, and probably 
 
AoB 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 197 
 
 7 Then, after that, saith he to his 
 disciples. Let us go into Judea 
 again. 
 
 8 His disciples say unto him, 
 Master, the Jews of late * sought 
 to stone thee; and goest thou 
 thither again ? '' 
 
 a c. 10. 31. 5 Ac. 20. 24. 
 
 about the time that they reached Him. 
 Observe — 1. These loving sisters did 
 not send for Christ till the last ex- 
 tremity — they did not give Him time 
 to reach them. Even thei/ seem not to 
 have sent promptly as they ought, but 
 to have waited until all other means 
 were proved fruitless. Do we not 
 often thus dclat/ to send, and make it 
 more perfectly fit in Him to delay to 
 come? 2. How often it is proved that 
 the present del.ay is really the best in- 
 dication for us, and shows that it is 
 just because there is some greater 
 good in store. 3. We do not see the 
 end from the beginning, and therefore 
 »n our straits we sometimes "charge 
 God foolishly." 
 
 7. Then. Here we see the faithful 
 acting out of His love. It was not 
 oecausc He had forgotten them th.at 
 He tarried — nor because He had noth- 
 ing to do for them. He will go soon 
 enough to work a most mighty and 
 glorious deliverance. Tf Af/er that. 
 His holy and graciovis providence has 
 its successive steps — carefully fitted to 
 the results. The steps are as much 
 decreed in all their order, as are the 
 issues. He could uot go until "after 
 that." The message He had sent back, 
 and the delay, would all serve an im- 
 portant purpose in His plan of grace, 
 to test their faith, and to work patience, 
 experience and hope. K.om. 5: 3. 
 " He would let the need come to the 
 highest, before He interfered." 
 
 8. Of late. Literally — -Just now were 
 Becking — that is — very recently. ^ Sought 
 to stone thee. This refers to oh. 10: 
 31-39. It would seem that it was on 
 account of His enemies at Jerusalem 
 that He had retreated to Perea, and 
 
 17* 
 
 9 Jesus answered. Are there not 
 twelve hours in the day ? If " any 
 man walk in the day, he stumbleth 
 not, because he seeth the light of 
 this world. 
 
 10 But if a man walk in the 
 night, * he stumbleth, because 
 there is no light in him. 
 
 c c. 12. 35. d Ec. 2. 14. 
 
 Thomas evidently thinks that His 
 return would be His death, vs. 16. It 
 was in December that these assaults 
 on Him had been made. 
 
 9. Are there not twelve hours, &c. 
 Just as surely as there are twelve hours 
 in the natural day, so the day allotted 
 to me for my work has its full time, 
 and cannot be cut short. So long, 
 therefore, as it lasts, I am safe, and 
 you are safe on the same principle. 
 So Whitefield said, when he was 
 assaulted by the mob, " I am immor- 
 tal till my work is done." See ch. 9 : 
 4. "I must work the works of Him 
 that sent me, while it is day. The 
 niglit Cometh wherein no man can 
 work." ^ Stumbleth not. Just as a 
 man has the natural day to do his work 
 in, and during the daylight he docs 
 not stumble nor suffer interruption 
 from darkness coming upon him — so 
 it is with me and with you, and there- 
 fore your fears are not well founded. 
 Under all this natural illustration is 
 the great truth that He Himself was 
 "the Light of the world." 
 
 10. Here He thinks of Himself not 
 only as having His day, but He thinks 
 of them also as having theirs. And 
 when He thinks of His day as about to 
 close, how can He help thinking of 
 their day as depending on His light, 
 and as closing by His withdrawment? 
 The idea seems to be — it is you that are 
 in the dark, and not /. And this is 
 because, as regards this matter, ye 
 have no light in you. Therefore, you 
 stumble now, where to me the whole 
 course is plain. I have the light of 
 the Father, and walk in His light, 
 while my day lasts on earth. But ye 
 are groping and stumbling because ye 
 
198 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 11 These things said he : and 
 after that he saith unto them, Our 
 friend Lazarus sleepeth ; " but I 
 go, that I may awake him out of 
 sleep. 
 
 a De. 31. 16. Ac. 7. 60. 1 Cor. 15. 18, 51. 
 
 have not here this inner light, and 
 because ye judge carnally and are in 
 the dark — since you take not Me to be 
 your light and guide in the world. 
 The sinffle eye which would illuminate 
 the whole body, they had not here. 
 Matt. G : 22, 23. So Isa. 8 : 20. " To 
 the law and to the testimony. If they 
 speak not according to this word, it is 
 because there is no light in them." 
 Obsekve — It is when we oppose our 
 judgment or will to that of Christ, that 
 we foi-sake our only true light — and 
 stumble. Lord thou knowest better 
 than we, what thou shouldest do, and 
 shall we presume to advise thee or 
 dictate to thee, even as to what thou 
 shouldest do to us ? 
 
 11. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. 
 Our Lord now gives them the great 
 reason which He has for going to 
 Bethany at the call. He speaks of 
 Lazarus as sleeping. Matt. 9 : 24. This 
 it is, "in the heavenly tongue" — in 
 the higher sense — as distinguishing 
 Christian death — '■^sleeping in Jesus." 
 "Blessed sleep, from which none ever 
 wakes to weep." 1 Cor. 11: 30; 15: 
 51 ; 1 Thess. 4: 14; 5: 10. How 
 tenderly does Christ communicate this 
 personal friendship. How strongly 
 does this love to Lazarus and the sis- 
 ters impel Him now to go ! What shall 
 keep Him back ? No fear of danger 
 shall stop Him. His love is bent on 
 going at the proper time, just as much 
 as on delaying before the time. The 
 use of the term ^^ deep" iov death, is 
 also found Matt. 26 : 52 ; Acts 7 : 60 ; 
 18: 36; 1 Cor. 11: 30; 15: 6; 18: 
 20; 2 Pet. 3: 4. The verb here ren- 
 dered "to wake out of sleep," is found 
 no where else in the New Testament. 
 The adjective which corresponds with 
 this verb, is found in Acts 16 : 27. In 
 the Septuagint the verb is used only 
 
 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, 
 if he sleep, he shall do well. 
 
 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his 
 death : but they thought that he 
 had spoken of taking of rest in 
 sleep. 
 
 once — to translate the Hebrew term in 
 Job — "raised out of his sleep." Job 
 14: 12. It is one word, and means, 
 literally, to unslecp one. It is not the 
 word used for resurrection. Observe — 
 
 1. The view which our Lord takes of 
 a Christian's death is, that it is a sleep. 
 
 2. The view that He takes of death as 
 to be broken in upon, and broken up 
 by His resurrection-power is, that it 
 is a sleep. With the daughter of 
 Jairus it was a sleep, because He 
 would so treat it, and would so soon 
 awake the dead damsel. ]\Iatt. 9 : 24 ; 
 Mark 5 : 39. With the Christian it is 
 a sleep, because it is a sweet repose, 
 t J be followed by the glorious morning 
 of the resurrection unto life. 
 
 12. If he sleep. The disciples under- 
 stood that Lazarus was in a stupor, 
 and they had heard Christ say, (vs. 4,) 
 that the sickness was not unto death. 
 They would naturally enough think, 
 therefore, that if he were only asleep 
 he would recover. It was commonly 
 understood among them that sleep in 
 sickness was a sign of speedy conva- 
 lescence, as it indicated a favorable 
 turn in the disease. They were bent 
 on dissuading Him from going to Jeru- 
 salem. 
 
 13. It is wonderful that they should 
 have understood our Lord as going to 
 Jerusalem, simply to awake Lazarus 
 out of natural sleep — or that this 
 should have been sufficient ground of 
 a message to Him from the family. 
 He must also have spoken those tender 
 words, "our friend Lazarus sleepeth," 
 in a way to express His emotion. But 
 they were ready to take His words in 
 their natural sense, and to fail of their 
 spiritual import. So in Matt. 16: 5-12, 
 where He spake of the leaven of tht 
 Pharisees, &c. So also ch. 4 : 32-34 ; 
 Luke 22 : 86-38, 
 
Age S8,] 
 
 CHAP. XL 
 
 199 
 
 14 Then said Jesus unto thein 
 plainly, Lazarus is dead : 
 
 15 And I am glad for your sakes 
 that I was not there, to the intent 
 
 14. Plainly. So our Lord stoops to 
 their infirmities, and most tenderly 
 corrects their misapprehensions of His 
 words. So He did often, in unfolding 
 His parables. "Do ye not yet under- 
 stand ?" If Is dead. We are not to 
 suppose that He had received any 
 second message ; but of His own Divine 
 knowledge He perfectly understood 
 the facts and knew of the event with- 
 out their telling Him. Was He not 
 present there, though not in the 
 tiesh? 
 
 15. Not there. If the Prince of Life 
 had been present there, how could 
 Lazarus have died ? See vss. 21-32. 
 And when He arrives there, death will 
 vanish before His word of power and 
 grace, vs. 22. Thei-efore the more sub- 
 lime and glorious manifestation awaits 
 you, just because I was not there. 
 And this was my pleasure in delaying 
 until he should die. "I am glad 
 therefore, ./bryoM;- sate." vs. 42. This 
 was my intent as regards you. Instead 
 of raising up Lazarus from a bed of 
 sickness, they are all by this miracle, 
 to be raised up together with Lazarus, 
 unto a higher life of faith. \ Believe. 
 More fully and truly than heretofore. 
 They were to be led into greater 
 degrees of faith and to believe in 
 Christ, in this new and more sublime 
 aspect, as raising the dead. ^ Never- 
 theless. But — notwithstanding your 
 objections and fears. TT J^d us go unto 
 him. To the dead Lazarus^ — where he 
 lies. This would further intimate that 
 He had an errand to that corpse, and 
 would have something to do with it ; 
 tlioigh, probably they thought it would 
 bo only to take a last look, and mourn 
 over the remains of His dear departed 
 friend. How far does the gracious pur- 
 pose of Christ transcend our poor cai*- 
 nal thought. How much more will 
 He do, for our dead bodies than we 
 have dared to dream ? " Who shall 
 change our vile body." Phil. 3:21. 
 
 ye niay believe ; nevertheless, let 
 us go unto him. 
 
 16 Then said Thomas, which is 
 called Didymus, unto his fellow 
 
 16. Called Didymus. The word 
 means " twin," and the Hebrew nanio 
 Thomas is the same as the Greek or 
 Aramaic term Didymus. When this 
 Apostle finds the Master bent upon going 
 to Bethany against all that they could 
 say, he seems to acquiesce only in a 
 spirit of despair, and says to his fellow 
 disciples. Let us also go with tho 
 Master, since He is determined on it : 
 and inasmuch as it must be fatal to 
 Him, let us at least die with Him. 
 This is the first time that this Apostle 
 is brought to our view — and this is his 
 character — looking on the dark side 
 of things, as we find in the other two 
 instances. Ch. 14: 5; 20: 24-29. Yet 
 with this uncomfortable temper, which 
 must have been to himself the source 
 of so much unhappiness, we find him 
 full of steadfast devotion, even whei-e 
 he anticipated the worst : ready to die 
 with the Master rather than desert 
 Him. "A remarkable mixture of faith 
 and unfaithfulness." He could not 
 hope against hope. He could look 
 only on the side of "common sense," 
 as it is called — and not on the side of 
 that uncommon sense which the Spirit 
 gives. He is the representative of a 
 class — desponding, full of dark appre- 
 hensions and through fear (of death,) 
 all their life-time subject to bondage. 
 And this miracle was to be wi'ought to 
 elevate and confirm such wavering 
 faith, in him, and in all like hira. 
 Well is it if doubters find in them j'et, 
 this spirit of devotement to the Master. 
 They who would die with Christ rather 
 than desert Him, shall find their fears 
 put to shame, and shall see Him work- 
 ing wondrous triumphs over death, so 
 as to assure their confidence. If now 
 this Thonias shall be given to see the 
 Master, for whom he trembles, raise 
 the dead Lazarus, shall he not believe 
 that He will raise Himself from the 
 dead according to His promise ? 
 
 17. Four days. It was a good day 'a 
 
200 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Ace 33. 
 
 disciples, Let us also go, that we 
 may die with him. 
 
 17 Then when Jesus came, he 
 found that he had lain in the 
 grave four days already. 
 
 18 (Now Bethany was nigh unto 
 Jerusalem, ^ about fifteen fur- 
 longs off :) 
 
 1 1. c. about two miles. 
 
 journey of the messengers from Beth- 
 any to Perea, (twenty-three to twenty- 
 nine miles,) and our Lord's delay of 
 two days, with the day for His coming 
 would make the "four days." In this 
 case, Lazarus must have died on the 
 day the messengers were sent, and 
 according to the Jewish custom of 
 prompt burial, he must have been 
 buried the same evening. See vs. 39; 
 Acts 5: 6-10. More likely as Tholuck, 
 (6th Edition,) thinks, Lazarus had lain 
 in the grave three days, at the time of 
 the arrival of Jesus, and here the 
 fourth day, yet incomplete, may be 
 counted with them. He considers it 
 certain that Jesus did not make the 
 whole journey in one day, for He went 
 to the sepulchre on the day He arrived, 
 as a comparison of vs. 17 and 39 
 shows — and must consequently have 
 spent parts, at least, of two days on the 
 road. He therefore supposes that 
 Lazarus died during the night follow- 
 ing the arrival of the messengers, and 
 was buried the following day, and that 
 the part of the day on which he was 
 buried, and the fourth, which was 
 incomplete, are reckoned. It is not 
 necessary to suppose any information 
 of this fact, as being carried to our 
 Lord on His approach to Bethany, "i/e 
 found" the fact, just as He knew al- 
 ready very well. "Four days already J ^ 
 This is twice brought to view. vs. 39. 
 " A hopeless period, it would seem!" 
 One day more than "the third day" 
 of our Lord's resurrection. Perhaps 
 nearly two tvhole days more: as our 
 Lord lay in the grave only one whole 
 day and the parts of two more. — The 
 first three days were days of weeping, 
 and the nest seven were days of lamen- 
 tation among the Jews. 
 
 19 And many of the Jews c:i.ni8 
 to Martha and Mary, to * comfort 
 them concerning their brother. 
 
 20 Then Martha, as soon as she 
 heard that Jesus was coming, went 
 and met him : but Mary sat still 
 in the house. 
 
 a 1 Ch. 7. 22. Job 2. 11 ; 42. 11. Eo. 12. 15. 1 Th. 4. 18. 
 
 18. Fifteen furlongs. This nearness 
 of Bethany to Jerusalem is recorded to 
 account for the throng of Jewish visi- 
 tors, who came to condole with the 
 family after the custom of the Jews. 
 The distance was less than two miles. 
 The Jewish forms of consolation com- 
 menced with these words, "Be ye 
 comforted from the Heaven," &c. It 
 was mostly a b.arreii formality. But 
 the better Comforter — the kinsman 
 Redeemer, the merciful and faithful 
 High Priest — the sympathizing Sa- 
 viour — the brother born for sdvei'sity — 
 " the friend that sticketh closer than a 
 brother," was on His way to give com- 
 fort not in the dead, vapid form, but 
 in the reality. Mourners had come in 
 from the town, and besides these, the 
 Jews from Jerusalem swelled the con- 
 doling company. 
 
 20. Martha, as soon, &c. This shows 
 the active impulsive character of Mar- 
 tha. The moment that some one 
 brought to her word of Jesus's coming, 
 she went forth on the road to meet 
 Him — full of excitement — and came 
 up with Him outside the village, vs. 
 30. Martha may have been engaged 
 in some out-door work, and so she may 
 have first got word of Christ's coming. 
 But plainly she could not stop to tell 
 Mary, but quitting everything as we 
 may suppose, hurried off to meet Him 
 for whom her soul had yearned so 
 much those last few dreary days. 
 Sitting was the posture of grief, and 
 this seems to be expressed here. Job 
 2:8; Ezek. 8: U. See Ezra 9 : 3, 4 ; 
 Neh. 1:4; Isa. 47 : 1. 1[ Mary sat 
 still. Literally — sat in the house. Who 
 doubts that Mary also would have 
 hastened to meet Him if she had 
 I known of His coming. As soon as she 
 
Aqb 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 201 
 
 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, 
 Lord, if thou hadst been here, my 
 brother had not died. 
 
 22 But I know, that even now, 
 whatsoever * thou wilt ask of God, 
 God will give it thee. 
 
 did hear, she arose quickly and came to 
 Ilim. vss. 28, 29. "To meet a friend 
 coming to us in our affliction is some- 
 thing, but this meeting was with such 
 feeling as none can know but they who 
 beheld in the flesh Him who raised the 
 dead." 
 
 21. If thou hadst been here. This was 
 the great thought uppermost in their 
 minds, which had been struggling for 
 expression since their brother's death. 
 "It is the bitterest drop in thoir whole 
 cup of anguish, that all this might liave 
 been otherwise : had this sickness be- 
 fallen liim at any other moment, when 
 Christ was nearer : or had He been 
 able to hasten to their aid so soon as 
 lie was summoned, all might have been 
 averted, and they might have been re- 
 joicing in a living brother, instead of 
 mourning over his corpse." — Mary also 
 met our Loi-d with the same exclama- 
 tion, vs. 32. From this we may infer, 
 says Bengel, that prior to their bro- 
 ther's death, the sisters had often ex- 
 claimed, "0 that the Lord Jesus were 
 here. Or would come!" So, indeed, 
 Jesus had hinted to the disciples, (vs. 
 15,) that if He had been there the 
 death would not have occurred. But 
 Martha speaks here out of her know- 
 ledge of His power and love, as she 
 had seen it manifested towards others 
 and towards herself. But, Martha ! 
 could not Christ have saved your bro- 
 ther without being present? Oh, how 
 this staggering, struggling faith needs 
 to be schooled, and how it will yet be 
 tried as with fire, like gold. 
 
 22. It may be, that what He had 
 said to the disciples had been repeated 
 to Martha, find that thus she had 
 caught a glimpse of hope. Or she had 
 believed that ihc same power which 
 could liave kept him from dying, could 
 do something — any thing — to relieve 
 
 23 Jeaus saith unto her. Thy 
 brother shall rise again. 
 
 24 Martha saith unto him, I 
 know that he shall rise again in 
 the ** resurrection at the last 
 day. 
 
 them. Had she not heard of Jairus' 
 daughter, and of the widow's son, 
 raised fully a year before? And in 
 her deep sorrow had not every thing 
 rushed through her mind that could 
 suggest relief? And yet when her 
 faith is brought to the point, this is 
 more than she can receive. ^ What- 
 soever. It is certainly a great stretch 
 of her faith, that ventures to think of 
 Christ's prayer or power as going be- 
 yond death and the grave. And yet 
 she thinks of Him only as prevailing 
 with the Father, and not as having tho 
 power in Himself. High thoughts and 
 poor thoughts of Christ these might 
 seem to be. But it is rather, perhaps, 
 the simplicity of her faith, which does 
 not put forward any request, nor ven- 
 ture any dictation, but throws out in 
 this extremity so delicate a suggestion, 
 as though she would only ask of Him 
 what He could get at the asking. 
 
 23. Shall rise again. The term here 
 used is that which is commonly ap- 
 plied to the resurrection. It is used 
 darkly, to lead her on to the requisite 
 faith. It is capable of being applied to 
 the final resurrection, and to a present 
 raising from the dead. But the Master 
 would exercise her faith, prove the ex- 
 tent of her confidence, and lead her 
 along gradually to the reality. Ob- 
 serve — She cou.ld hint of such a pos- 
 sibility as would relieve the case even 
 yet. But what she could even desire, 
 she could not believe as actually pos- 
 sible. It was too good to be true. 
 
 24. She understands the words as 
 thej' are spoken, in the general, and 
 gently repels the cold comfort to be 
 drawn from his final resurrection. 
 Nay, she even seems now to he drawing 
 out the Master, as the Master was draw- 
 ing her out. I know, she says, that he 
 shall rise again at the last day, \f this 
 
203 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 25 Jesus said unto her, I am 
 the * resurrection and the life : 
 *• he that believeth in me, though " 
 
 C.6.40,44. 5 Is. 38. 16. c. U. 6. IJno.1.2. 
 
 [Aqe 33. 
 
 shall he 
 
 is what thou meanest. Yet, perhaps, at 
 this delicate ventiu'e, she hoped to get 
 something more immediately satisfnc- 
 tory, or to find that these very words 
 were meant by Him to apply to Avhat 
 He would even now do. 
 
 25. I am the resurrection, ka. "These 
 words are the central point of the his- 
 tory — the great testimony to Himself, 
 of which the subsequent miracle is the 
 proof." The object is to call her 
 attention to the great truth that the 
 final resurrection which she supposes 
 He speaks of, and to which she looks 
 f.jr the raising of her brother, can give 
 her nothing apart from His own power 
 and grace. And the resurrection is 
 not a resurrection, but a final perdition, 
 except as it is in Him ; only they who 
 are r.aised to eternal life are truly 
 raised from the dead. Therefore, He 
 says, instead of looking to the distant 
 future for the resurrection, as though 
 it were something of itself, or anything 
 good apart from me, look by faith upon 
 me — for I am in myself the resurrec- 
 tion in the highest and best sense. 
 The dead shall be raised at last only 
 by my power — for "all they that are 
 in their graves shall hear His voice, 
 (the voice of the Son of Man,) and shall 
 come forth." And more than this, "I 
 am the life" — without which, the 
 resurrection is of no advantage, but 
 the contr.ary. By me alone can any 
 attain " the resurrection unto life." 
 So (ch. 14: G,) when Thomas asked 
 about the way which He was going, as 
 if it were the road to some other city 
 or town that He spoke of, Jesus an- 
 swered him, " I am the way and the 
 truth and the life." He thus calls 
 attention to Himself as able to satisfy 
 all their wants in the highest sense. 
 What need to wait in distant prospect 
 of the final resurrection, as the nearest 
 source of hope for thy desolate case, 
 when He is here who is the very resur- 
 rection itself, and more than this, is 
 
 he were dead, yet 
 live : 
 26 And whosoever ^ liveth and 
 
 c Job 19. 26. Is. 26. 19. Ro. i. 17. d c 3. 15. 4. 1*. 
 
 the life itself. "For since by man 
 came death, by man came also the 
 resurrection of the dead." 1 Cor. 15: 
 21. He is "the Prince of Life." He 
 is, therefore, the resurrection in the 
 highest sense — not merely the bodily, 
 but the spiritual resurrection, and the 
 raising of the soul is the greater work, 
 and involves the raising of the body as 
 the lesser. Thus He leads the thoughts 
 from all other helps and comforts to 
 Himself as the present Saviour, and 
 shows lier that in Him alone she may 
 obtain most perfect deliverance, both 
 for Lazarus and for herself, from bodily 
 and spiritual death. Ch. 1:4; 5 : 26 ; 
 14: 6; 1 Cor. 15: 22; Acts 3: 15; 
 Cclos. 3: 4. 
 
 26. He that believeth, &c. This is 
 the higher truth which He would have 
 her understand — that faith in Him 
 makes death no bar to life — nay, it 
 makes one live in spite of death — 
 though he has even died as Lazarus — 
 it gives him life from the dead in the 
 highest sense. And this calls for and 
 claims the resurrection of the body. 
 This is the sublime comfort which the 
 gospel of Christ gives to the dying 
 believer, and to surviving friends. 
 ^ Tliovgh he trcre dead. Literally, 
 thouyh he have died — as Lazarus has 
 done — Christ triumphs over death — He 
 hath abolished death. ^ Shall he live. 
 This surely does not mean to refer 
 her to the final resurrection, so much 
 as to show her that it is alone by faith 
 in Him, that any resurrection can come 
 to pass, and this might naturally 
 enough start the query, whether, as 
 the sole power was in Him, this glori- 
 ous work could not be done by Him on 
 the spot. Jle ^^ shall /a'f," whenever 
 I please to raise him up, and not 
 necessarily at the final, peueral resur- 
 rection day, only. He shall live 
 despite the power of death, and shall 
 have victory over death through Me. 
 By believing in Me, he becomes united 
 
A.G13 Ou.j 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 203 
 
 bolievotli in mo, shall never die. 
 Bclicvcst thou thi;5 ? 
 
 to tlic Prince of Life, and be possesses 
 a life of the soul which calls for a 
 quickening of the body. See ch. (5 : 
 32-59. Thus Christ exi^laius how He 
 is ^^thi resurrection." In the next 
 clause He will show how He is ^^ the 
 Life." ^ And whosoever liveih and be- 
 lieveth, &c. This may be read, "who- 
 soever of all living, believeth in Me," 
 or "whosoever liveth in the higher 
 sense, and believeth in Me." The 
 latter would involve a repetition of the 
 idea, as "whosoever liveth [by faith,) 
 and believeth.'' Therefore the former 
 is the true sense, and the declaration 
 is intended to apply to all living, as the 
 former clause applied even to one who 
 might have actually died. He had 
 said that a man who had even died, 
 should live — and now He says that 
 any living man who believeth, shall 
 never die, in the deeper sense — eter- 
 nally — that is, be shall live in the 
 truest, fullest sense of life, spiritual 
 and eternal. Thus, what He had said 
 substantially in the positive sense. He 
 now says negatively, in reference to 
 all the dreaded power of death. Some 
 understand the whole verse to refer to 
 spiritual life, and to signify that the 
 believer, though he were dead in tres- 
 passes and sins, shall live through 
 Him, &c This is indeed a plain truth 
 of scripture, but the teaching here 
 does not exclude a reference to the 
 resurrection of the body. Both are 
 included and connected, as in ch. 5 : 
 25, 26, and 28, 29. See notes. Ob- 
 serve. — The believer is not exempted 
 from the form of death, but it has lost 
 its sting to him. 1 Cor. 15:55. Christis 
 the Bread of Life — the water of Life — 
 the Light of Life — the way, the truth 
 and the Life — the Resurrection and 
 the Life — the Prince of Life, (Acts. 3: 
 15,) and because He lives, we shall 
 live also. He it is that liveth. Rev. 1 : 
 8. It is He that quickenetb, (Rom. 4: 
 17,) He is our Life, (Col. 3: 4,) He is 
 the Fountain of Life. Ps. 35 : 9. f Be- 
 lievest thou this? Our Lord now re- 
 quirea of Martha that faith without 
 
 27 She saith unto him, Yqji, 
 Lord : I believe that thou art the 
 
 which He cannot do His mighty work. 
 Matt 13 : 38. He will have lier con- 
 fession of Him as this Px-inue of Life, 
 before He will raise Lazarus. This 
 was His plan with the two blind men, 
 (Matt. 9: 28,) and witli the father of 
 the lunatic child. Mark 9: 23. He 
 has now preached Himself, in the light 
 of all that death seems now to have 
 done, as the vanquisher of death, who 
 hath abolished death, and hath brought 
 life and immortality to light. And 
 He only waits now for the hand of 
 faith to be stretched out in order to 
 grant the Almighty blessing. That 
 He asked for lier faith with a view to 
 His working the miracle, is plain from 
 vs. 40. And from that passage it 
 seems also clear that our Lord here 
 intimated to her, that if she would 
 believe, she should "see the glory of 
 God." Observe. — If we can have 
 faith in Christ in our dark hours, when 
 we are surrounded by affliction — or 
 when death has actually done his 
 work — Christ will rejoice to display 
 His power and grace. The true feel- 
 ing is therefore, " Though He slay me, 
 yet will I trust in Him." Job 13 : 15. 
 What time I am afraid, I will trust in 
 thee. Ps. 56: 3. "Though I walk in 
 the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive 
 me." Observe — Martha needed all 
 this discipline and this preaching of 
 Christ to bring about this faith in her 
 bosom — a higher conception of her 
 Saviour than she had ever yet had — 
 and if this is wrought in her by all 
 these means, she will yet be thankful 
 for the way in which her Lord hath 
 led her. She will yet see cause for 
 gratitude, even in His delay till the 
 death of Lazarus, if by that means 
 her higher life in Christ may be so 
 gloriously secured. Let us not be 
 disconsolate under our bereavements. 
 Christ is coming to us to preach His 
 own power and grace as the Prince of 
 life, and we shall rejoice in Him as 
 the friend that sticketh closer than a 
 brother. 
 
 27. I believe. Literally — / have be- 
 
204 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 Christ, the Son of GoJ, which 
 ehould come into the world. 
 
 28 And when she had so said, 
 she went her way, and called Mary 
 her sister secretly, '^ saying, The 
 Master •" is come, and calleth " 
 for thee. 
 
 a 0. 21. 7. b 0. 13. 13. c. Mar. 10. 49. 
 
 lieved — as her well-settled faith. This 
 confessiou of Martha does not directly 
 meet the points which our Lord pro- 
 poses, except as this general confession 
 of faith in Him covers all particulars. 
 Augustine understands her to imply, 
 " When I believed that thou wert the 
 Son of God, I believed also that thou 
 wert the resurrection and the life, with 
 all the corresponding benefits to us." 
 " She did not know all which His titles 
 involved, but all which they did involve, 
 she was ready to believe." — Trench. 
 She names Him by three of His great 
 names — the Anointed (Christ) — the 
 Son of God — the Comer (He that was 
 prophesied as to come.) This confes- 
 sion even seems to help her faith. She 
 is now brought out of her darkness and 
 doubt, to the point of happy confi- 
 dence — and like a new-born believer, 
 she hurries at once to her sister, to 
 bring her to share the blessings of this 
 conference and communion with Christ. 
 From vs. 40 it appears that our Lord 
 plainly signified to her that if she would 
 believe, she should see His glorious 
 power. 
 
 28. Called Mary. How natural was 
 this. AVhether the INLaster called for 
 Mary in so many words, or, whether 
 she meant only to say that His pres- 
 ence there had a demand for her attend- 
 ance, is not important. "The time 
 was," says Bishop Hall, "when she 
 would have called oif her sister from 
 the feet of that divine Master to attend 
 the household occasions — now she runs 
 to fetch her out of the house to the feet 
 of Christ." "A ray of comfort has 
 found its way into her head, and she 
 would fain make her sister a sharer in 
 this." Likely enough, however, the 
 gracious, loving Saviour asked after 
 Mary, f Secretly. Lest the guests 
 
 29 As soon as she heard tTiat, 
 she arose quickly, and came unto 
 him. 
 
 30 NoA¥ Jesus was not yet come 
 into the town, but was in that 
 place where Martha met him. 
 
 31 The Jews ^ then which were 
 
 might be scattered, or might keep 
 back the sisters from going to Him, 
 who was sought for His life, or, lest 
 by their spreading the news, Christ 
 Himself might thus be put in danger 
 from His bitter enemies in and about 
 Jerusalem. This fear was realized. 
 vss. 46, 47. Observe — 1. Genuine ex- 
 perience does not always shout upon 
 the house-tops, all that it has found 
 out, and without regard to times or 
 consequences, but sometimes, as "wis- 
 dom dwells with prudence," it goes 
 about quietly, and in gentle whispers 
 like a sister's call to come to Christ. 
 2. The glad tidings of the gospel 
 addressed to every sinner are — " The 
 Master has come.'" And this is also 
 the " good news," that in His word, 
 by His Providence and His ordinances, 
 and by His Spirit through them all. 
 He calleth for every one to come to 
 Him. 
 
 29. As soon as she heard thai. Mary 
 we see was not less ready to run to 
 Christ than Martha was. This was, 
 doubtless, the first knowledge she had 
 had of the Master's being near. 
 ^ Quickly. Her promptness in going 
 to meet Christ is here doubly stated. 
 It was as soon as she heard it — and it 
 was quickly that she went. She was 
 not only prompt, but eager. 
 
 30. This is here noted to show how 
 every step in the work was taken with 
 a view to the great result. ^ JVct yet. 
 Bengel remarks that Jesus did every 
 thing with a suitable delay. His tar- 
 rying outside the city, somewhere near 
 the bui'ial-grouud, which was always 
 outside the town, brought the whole 
 company of Mary's comforters to Him. 
 As they folloAved her toward the grave, 
 they found themselves in the presence 
 of tne Master, and were thus brought 
 
Age 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 205 
 
 with her in the house, and com- 
 forted her, when they saw Mary 
 that she rose up hastily and went 
 out, followed her, saying, She 
 goeth unto the grave, to weep 
 there. 
 
 into a situation to behold the wondrous 
 miracle, vs. 31. 
 
 31. She goeth unto the grave. " This 
 was but ' a loving suspicion' of theirs." 
 
 It was natural enough that her com- 
 forters, who had come to weep with her, 
 eeeing her rise up in haste and go out, 
 at the bidding of her sorrowing sister, 
 should think that they were going to 
 tlie grave to vent their grief there. This 
 was the custom of the Jews, as well as 
 of other nations. See Matt. 23 : 27. It 
 was the practice of the Jews to visit 
 the grave several times a day, during 
 the first days of moui-ning. Observe — 
 1. Though her friends were around 
 her, who came on purpose to give her 
 consolation, yet the moment she hears 
 of Jesus being near, she forsakes them 
 and hastens to meet Ilim. 2. These 
 friends came to comfort her — they fol- 
 low her for the same purpose. They 
 knew the sincerity of her grief: how 
 devoted a sister she was. Yet she was 
 a more devoted follower of Christ. 
 They do what they can. But Christ 
 
 32 Then when Mary was come 
 where Jesus was, and saw him, 
 she fell down at his feet, saying 
 unto him, Lord, if ^ thou hadst 
 heen here, my brother had not 
 died. 
 
 a 0. 4. 49. ver. 21. 37. 
 
 alone can heal her inward wound. 
 " While they supposed that she went 
 to a dead brother, she went to a living 
 Saviour." — Bishop Hall. 
 
 32. When Mary was come. This com- 
 pany of ISIary and her friends thus 
 comes out of Bethany to the suburb 
 where Jesus was. Mary, however, 
 was the chief character of that band. 
 All this was doing for her chiefly, of 
 that approaching group. " All things 
 were slowly working together for good 
 to her, as a lover of God, and as one 
 called according to His purpose." 
 1[ Saiu Him. Oh !■ how transporting 
 was that sight to this afHicted saint. 
 Now she saw Him whom her soul 
 loved — for whose coming she had so 
 earnestly longed — whose delay she had 
 not been able to interpret — and whose 
 power and grace were such as might 
 yet accomplish some relief or restora- 
 tion. Chiefly she needs some expla- 
 nation of His not having come sooner. 
 Two days haste would have made such 
 a diiference in their case. How is it? 
 How can such a reflection be borne ? 
 It seems even to aggravate the grief, 
 that He was so near, and that now 
 (only too late) He is on the spot. 
 " Lord, if thou liadst been here so short 
 a time ago, Lazarus would yet have 
 been alive." Mary thus gives expres- 
 sion to this one great thought of both 
 sisters — the same with Martha, vs. 21. 
 They say not, " my brother might not 
 have died," but " he ivould not have 
 died.'" This they had so often said to 
 each other, that, naturally enough, it 
 is their first expression which they 
 pour upon His ear. They reasoned 
 from their experience of His love. Aa 
 much as to say, Lord, whenever thou 
 wast with us, no fatal malady could 
 show itself. Sco Heb. 2:14. 
 
£06 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 33 When Jesus therefore saw 
 her weeping, and the Jews also 
 weeping which came with her, he 
 
 83. This was the tender sympathy 
 of Christ — "touched with the feeling 
 of our infirmities." "He hatli borne 
 our griefs, and carried our sorrows." 
 Is. 53 : 4. The tears of this beloved 
 and bereaved disciple, moved Him to 
 pity — and the tears even of the Jews 
 who came with her, moved Him. 
 "Mary wept. Her terrs drew tears 
 from her friends. All together drew 
 groans from Jesus." But it is asked, 
 " Did He know that He was to raise 
 Lazarus. How then could He have 
 wept?" Yes. But still His tender 
 human nature was touched with sym- 
 pathy. He felt their grief, even though 
 He was so soon to relieve it. Besides, 
 in this one instance He contemplated 
 the curse of sin — the whole horror of 
 death as the wages of sin, breaking 
 up human peace, and appearing as the' 
 king of terrors, to the human family. 
 Lazarus, even after his resurrection, 
 was held in the power of death, as he 
 had again to sufler death. T Groaned 
 in the sjririt. The term here used im- 
 plies a motion of anger. And if this 
 enters into the idea here, it is an anger 
 at the sight of the crrse — the bereave- 
 ment and sorrow — that thus broke up 
 the comforts of His best beloved fami- 
 lies, and called fcr His Divine resis- 
 tance and vengeance to destroy the 
 works of the devil. He seems to look 
 upon all this death, burial, corruption 
 and weeping, and say, "An enemy 
 hath done this." Some understand 
 the term as signifying only the effort 
 to suppress His emotion, in order to 
 utter the words that follow. "And, 
 indeed what is every scene of suffering 
 but the work of sin, the fruits of the 
 fall — which had now called for His 
 humiliation and death, in order to 
 restore the ruins ?" Well could His 
 heart be moved at the sight: for be- 
 cause of these doleful consequences of 
 ein. He had cone into this fallen world 
 to take oui" inVj-mities and bear our 
 eiclmesses. He could be no indifferent 
 
 groaned in the spirit, and ^ was 
 troubled, 
 34 And said, Where have ye 
 
 1 he troubled himself. 
 
 spectator — for this sight brought before 
 Him the work of the devil, whom He 
 had to encounter, and to whose hand, 
 in death even. He must yield for a 
 brief season. ^ Was troubled. Lit- 
 erally, troubled Himself. For, as Augus- 
 tine has said, "who could trouble 
 Him, if He troubled not Himself?" 
 It was no impetuous, uncontrollable 
 emotion as in the case of the sorrowing 
 company. It was orderly and accord- 
 ing to the highest reason. At a proper 
 time His emotions found vent in tears. 
 vs. 35. It is the same word used here 
 as in ch. 14: 1, referring to the 
 disciples: "Let not your hearts be 
 troubled." Christ was troubled ia 
 spirit that we might have peace. 
 
 34. Our Lord, at this rising of His 
 spirit, advances to encounter the foe, 
 and to show His power over Him, aa 
 it would be more fully illustrated in 
 His own future victory. ^ Where have 
 ye laid him? These words are spoken 
 in the consciousness of His Almighty 
 power over death and the grave. He 
 is eager to snatch this victim from the 
 jaws of the destroj'er — especially as 
 it is the same destroyer whom He 
 shall meet in a more personal struggle, 
 to vanquish Him for Himself and for 
 His people. He asked for the grave, 
 not for infoi'mation, but according to 
 His custom, to call attention of the 
 people to what was to be done. Tf They 
 said. They are not more glad of the 
 question than ready for the answer. 
 The question doubtless stirred some 
 hope in those afflicted minds. Can we 
 doubt that it was the tender voice of 
 the sisters, always ready to respond to 
 His questionings, that now caught a 
 gleam of hope from this inquiry, and 
 eagerly replied, Lord, come and sec! 
 Ah ! in the very W'ord with which they 
 reply to Him, " Lord," we have the 
 proof that it is His dear waiting disci- 
 ples who speak. 
 
 35. Jesus wept. He shed tears. The 
 hand of the dcBtroyer came now so 
 
Age 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 207 
 
 laid him '{ They said unto him, 
 Lord, come and see. 
 
 85 Jesus wept. " 
 
 86 Then said the Jews, Behold, 
 how he loved him ! 
 
 /lis. 63.9. Lu. 19. 41. He. 2.1li, 17. 
 
 sensibly before His mind that He must 
 now at length give vent to feelings 
 •which all along had struggled in His 
 troubled spirit, vs. 33. Death is still 
 an enemy though He is vanquished. 
 Perhaps, in this struggle of our Great 
 Captain of Salvation with this last 
 enemy, it was His own hastening grap- 
 ple with him in His own death, where 
 He should destroy him that had the 
 power of death, only by yielding for a 
 little time to death itself, that brought 
 the whole case of human suffering 
 before Him, and thus brought the tears 
 to His eyes. We may weep at the 
 death-bed of friends, and over their 
 graves, even though they have surely 
 entered Heaven — for death is still 
 the mark of the curse — and death does 
 still sunder the tenderest ties, and dis- 
 turb our family relations, even though 
 he be compelled to serve us by setting 
 us free from the body of sin and death. 
 Our Lord is, in three places, said to 
 have wept. See Luke 19 : 41 ; Heb. 5 : 
 7. But the " strong crying and tears " 
 referred to in the last passage, may 
 embrace many places through "the 
 days of His flesh," and especially point 
 to Gethsemane. How could He have 
 sweat as it were, great drops of blood 
 in that agony, without tears. He was 
 acquainted with grief as one is acquain- 
 ted with that to which He has been 
 schooled — since He learned obedience 
 by the things which He suffered — in 
 the school of affliction. " He hath borne 
 our griefs." But both in this instance, 
 and at His triumphal entrance into 
 Jerusa'.em, where so far as regards 
 Himself, He was showing forth His 
 glory. He wept at the contemplation 
 of human woes. Observe — AVe have 
 a merciful and faithful High Priest 
 who can be touched with the feeling 
 of our infirmities, though He is so 
 exalted and glorious, because He also 
 
 37 And some of them said, 
 Could not this man, which '' opened 
 the eyes of the blind, have caused 
 that even this man should not 
 have died ? 
 
 was clothed with human infirmities, 
 yet without sin. In the days of His 
 flesh, He offered up strong crying and 
 tears in reference to this very matter 
 of being saved from death — and He 
 was heard in so far as the fear ivas con- 
 cerned. Heb. 5 : 7. 
 
 86. The Jeivs, as the term is used by 
 John, generally denotes the persecuting 
 leaders from the Sanhedrim. Here, 
 however, it refirs to the friends of the 
 bereaved family, spoken of in vs. 31. 
 They who had been moved to tears by 
 the tears of Mary, whom they followed 
 to the grave, (vs. 33,) are now moved 
 to admiration at the tears of Jesus. 
 
 37. A7id some. Literally, but some. 
 There was another class who were in- 
 clined to query. Their minds turned 
 at once to the foolish questioning which 
 would go to put His power or His grace 
 in doubt. They refer, as they naturally 
 would, to His most recent miracle at 
 Jerusalem, recorded in ch. 9, rather 
 than to others which, even if they were 
 more after the nature of this raising 
 the dead, were done in remote parts, 
 and in times previous. T| Could not 
 thisma7i. " Had ye said, ivhy ivould He 
 not? or, why did He not? the question 
 had been fairer, and the answer no less 
 easy, namely — for His own greater 
 glory. Little do ye know the drift 
 either of God's acts or delays." — Bishop 
 Hall. They seem to think only of His 
 power to prevent the death of Lazarus, 
 not of His raising the dead — and in 
 this respect they may have been influ- 
 enced by the repeated lament of the 
 sisters, "Loi-d if thou hadst been 
 here," &c., though this would naturally 
 enough be the extent of their thoughts. 
 Observe — The sisters took exception 
 to His ways. These start a question 
 of His power. Thus it is that our 
 complainings, under unbelief, fall in 
 with the cavilings of the world. Un- 
 
SOS 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 38 Jesus therefore, .igiiin gronn- 
 ing in himself, cometh to the 
 grave. It was a cavo, and a stone 
 lay upon it. 
 
 39 Jesus said, Take ye away ^ 
 
 doubtedly it was as easy for Him to 
 have kept Lazarus from dying even at 
 a distance, as to have opened the eyes 
 of the blind. These questioners seem 
 to admit this, and thus they confess 
 the omnipotence of that miracle about 
 ■which perhaps they had caviled with 
 the rest at Jerusalem, vs. 26. We see, 
 by the way, how strong an impression 
 had been made by the miracle wrought 
 upon the blind man. 
 
 38. Again groaning, &c. "Another 
 of those mighty shudderings that shook 
 the frame of the Lord of Life, so 
 dreadful did death seem to Him, who, 
 looking through all its natural causes, 
 at which we often stop short, saw it 
 purely as the seal and token of sin." — 
 Trench. " It is not improbable that 
 Jesus, who before groaned in Himself 
 for compassion at their tears, now 
 groaned at their incredulity." — Bishop 
 Hall. This is the third time that His 
 deep emotion is noticed, vss. 33, 35, 
 38. Was it not, however, a wider 
 view that He took, which compassed 
 the events that wei'e to spring directly 
 out of this, (see vss. 46-53,) in which 
 He should be brought to battle so 
 dreadfully with the enemy. ^ A cave. 
 
 the stone. Martha, the sister of 
 him that was dead, saith unto 
 him. Lord, by this time ^ he stink- 
 eth : for he hath been dead four 
 days. 
 
 6Ps.49.7,9. Ac. 2. 27. 
 
 The caves used for sepulchres among 
 the Jews were commonly natural open- 
 ings in the side of the rock, or artificial 
 
 excavations, like Joseph's of Arima- 
 thea. Matt. 27 : 60. The tomb that 
 is now pointed out as that of Lazarus, 
 we found to be a chamber in the rock, 
 under ground, entered by twenty-six 
 rough, irregular and winding steps cut 
 out of the rock. We descended with 
 a guide and torch-light to the floor 
 below. And in the centre of the floor 
 there was an excavation, or vault, some 
 five feet in depth, and stoned around, 
 (not hewn out.) In this the dead was 
 said to have laid. Had this been so, 
 instead of its being in the usual way 
 of a horizontal opening, we should need 
 to contemplate the company as stand- 
 ing below, around the vault, and at 
 the word Lazarus must have arisen 
 from beneath, and stood up among 
 them. Or it might be that the stone 
 was only at the outer mouth, and that 
 here the company were collected : but 
 in this case Lazai'us must have come 
 up from beneath, without an unbind- 
 ing of his grave-clothes. Trench, with- 
 out knowing the actual description of 
 this tomb, infers, from the terms used, 
 that it was a vault, as the stone is said 
 to have lain on the tomb. In case of 
 horizontal excavations, the chambers — 
 often several in one cave — had each a 
 stone set up against the mouth, while 
 there was also a stone for the outer 
 door, or not, as might happen. Robin- 
 son, however, does not admit any prob.a- 
 bility of this being the real tomb or 
 locality. He urges that the tombs 
 were horizontal excavations. But they 
 were not alwaj's so. And he further 
 insisted that it was outside of the vil- 
 lage. But this spot may have been 
 at that time more outside than at 
 present. 
 
 39, Take ye aivay the stone. The Al- 
 mighty Saviour, though able to ra-se 
 the dead, will nevertheless have crea- 
 tures do what they properly can. It 
 
Agb 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 209 
 
 40 Josus saith unto her, Said * 
 I not unto thee, that if thou 
 wouldst believe, thou shouldst 
 see the glory of Grod ? 
 
 was not because He needed their help 
 that He bade them do this ; but to ex- 
 ercise their faith and obedience. So 
 are all His commands meant rather as 
 a service to ourselves than to PHm. 
 He needs not our work. But we need 
 the training here for the glorious rest 
 hereafter : for rest implies labor. Ob- 
 serve — It is inferred from all the in- 
 timations, as from their possessing 
 such a burial-place, and having so 
 many condoling friends, and from 
 Mary's costly box of spikenard (ch. 
 12: 3) for Christ's anointing, that the 
 family was not poor, but rather the 
 Conti*ary. ^ Martha, the sister, &c. 
 Literally, "Saith to Him the sister of 
 the dead, Martha," &c. The Evan- 
 gelist introduces the objection as com- 
 ing from the sister, because it sprang 
 from a tender sisterly feeling, that 
 was shocked at the thought of expo- 
 sure, where the precious body must 
 already have seen corruption. John, 
 nowever, tells us which sister it was, 
 (Martha,) that we may understand the 
 objection in the light of her character 
 and of her position, as the head of the 
 family. She who had the cares of the 
 Dereaved house so much upon her, was 
 ready at once to suggest the inexpe- 
 diency of uncovering the grave, and 
 seemed for a moment to think that 
 our Lord could not have known or 
 considered the fact that he had been 
 dead so long. Further, it is men- 
 tioned as showing how yet, at the very 
 latest moment, and just an instant be- 
 fore Lazarus was to be brought forth 
 alive to her embrace, this sister's faith 
 was so lacking — so far short of the 
 grace of her glorious Redeemer. How 
 little thought has she that the stone is 
 to be removed for any such Divine 
 work — or that this command, "Take 
 ye away the stone," has any thing to 
 do with the snatching of that buried 
 Lazarus out of the grasp of death! 
 Had she seen an inch further into 
 18* 
 
 41 Then they took away the 
 stone from the place where the 
 dead was laid. And Jesus lifted 
 up his eyes, and said, •> Father, I 
 
 the future, could she have been found 
 now hesitating to obey the Master, 
 when thus she would be honored as 
 co-operating with Him in the work of 
 bringing Lazarus forth? Observe — 
 1. How our poor faith is ready to put 
 obstacles in the way of Christ's glorious 
 work, or at least to leave obstacles 
 there where He has bidden us remove 
 them. 2. How often, in objecting to 
 Christian duty, we are found fighting 
 against the very plan of Christ for our 
 highest happiness. " In spite of all 
 the unjust discouragements of nature, 
 we must obey Christ's command." 3. 
 Though Martha saw nothing but the 
 likelihood of corruption in the corpse, 
 He, who had from the beginning pur- 
 posed to bring it forth, could easily 
 have kept it from seeing corruption. 
 Yet He who could raise the dead at 
 all — He who will raise all the dead at 
 last — could raise Lazarus from any 
 degree of corruption. 
 
 40. Said I not. Jesus here has 
 brought from her by His command, 
 such a confession of her faith as shows 
 its utter weakness, even though she 
 had confessed Him as the Christ the 
 Son of God. vs. 27. He therefore 
 deals with her by reminding her of 
 their previous conversation, and thus 
 He aims so condescendingly to rally 
 her weak, staggering, wavering confi- 
 dence in what He was to do. We saw 
 (vss. 26, 27, see notes,) that Martha 
 seemed to have caught a gleam of hope 
 as to the intent of Christ, from what 
 He there said. Perhaps He said more 
 that is unrecorded. Perhaps the ref- 
 erence is to what He said to the mes- 
 sengers, who would likely have carried 
 the reply back to the sisters : " This 
 sicku3ss is not unto death, but for the 
 glory of God." vs. 4. Or, it may bo 
 He refers to their former conversation 
 as having been to this effect, though 
 He may not have said these very 
 words. 
 
210 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 thank thee that thou hast heard 
 ine. 
 
 42 And I knew that thou hear- 
 cst me always : but because of the 
 people which stand by I said it, 
 
 41. Then they took awarj, &c. It is 
 possible that they all had waited to see 
 the issue of this questioning of INIartha, 
 as to the propriety of the act. And 
 now, when our Lord more distinctly 
 intimates that some glorious spectacle 
 was to be seen in case she would 
 believe, they see that there was every 
 reason for removing the stone as He 
 commanded. ^ Father. How season- 
 ably is this word spoken in the hearing 
 of those Jews who so caviled, and were 
 ready to stone Him because He made 
 Himself equal with God. " How can 
 ye now, ye cavilers, object to that 
 title which ye shall see so indisputably 
 verified? Well may He call God 
 Father, who can raise the dead out of 
 their grave." See Bp. Ilall. This is 
 not a prayer that He utters, but a 
 thanksgiving that He offers. Already, 
 before He speaks, the Father has 
 heard. And before this promiscuous 
 crowd, He thinks it fit to make this 
 public acknowledgment, professing the 
 Father before men, and showing that 
 He came to do, not His own will, but 
 the will of the Father which sent Him. 
 His first motion of will was met by the 
 grant of the Father, and this was 
 always the case, beyond any possibility 
 of doubt. Therefore the oneness of 
 Himself and the Father, which He had 
 claimed, was proved by this striking 
 and wonderful event. As if He had 
 said, "I need not pray to persuade 
 Thee, for ours is one will. While thou 
 saidst nothing, Saviour, how doth 
 thy Father lie^r thee ? Thy will was 
 thy pi-ayer." 
 
 42. And I kneiv, &c. He is heard 
 without speaking, and without excep- 
 tion, always. He was heard even when 
 He prayed in Gcthsemauc, (Heb. 5: 
 7,) with strong crying and tears, as to 
 the possibility of being saved fi-om 
 death. He was heard in so far as 
 respects the fears of death. For He 
 
 that they may believe that thou 
 hast sent me. 
 43 And when he thus had spok- 
 en, he cried with a loud voice, 
 Lazarus, come forth ! 
 
 said after praying the third time, 
 " Sleep on now and take your rest," 
 I am relieved. And then at once, 
 " Kise, Let us be going." I am ready. 
 He says ^'■Father,'" claiming the recog- 
 tion of His Sonsliip, and in order to 
 have the people see, by the miracle, 
 that the claim was recognized. This 
 was the reason for His saying this. 
 He does not say, "In my Fathers' 
 name come forth," or, " Father raise 
 him," "but throwing off the whole 
 appearance of one praying, He pro- 
 ceeds to show His power by His acts." 
 Observe. — Christ was heard always. 
 There was no possibility in the nature 
 of things that He should not be heard, 
 because He was of one essence with 
 the Father. Therefore, lest any should 
 think that sometimes He was heard 
 and sometimes not. He states the case, 
 that He did not even need to say Father, 
 except to call attention of the people 
 to the fact, that He was "the Son of 
 God.' "They should see that He 
 claimed His power from above, not 
 from beneath, that there was no 
 magic — no necromancy here." The 
 magicians and sorcerers of the day 
 performed their wcnders by whisper- 
 ing, muttering, by mysterious noises 
 and signs. Our Lord had nothing to 
 conceal, nor any trick or jugglery witli 
 which to impose upon public ci-edulity. 
 He cried therefore with a loud voice, in 
 the tone of an authoi-itative command, 
 and that all might hear what He com- 
 manded. 
 
 43. lie cried, &c. This He did, also, 
 in order that the people might under- 
 stand that Lazarus came forth bj' the 
 word of His power. He might have 
 come forth at the secret motion of^Iis 
 will, and it would not have been knaown 
 to be by His Omnipotence. ButTiow 
 He cries, and the dead obeys. * Who 
 can doubt that it is by His Almi^ghty 
 word ? So at the final resurrection, it 
 
Age 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 211 
 
 44 And "■ he that was dead came 
 forth, bound hand and foot with 
 grave clothes ; and his face " was 
 
 shall be "the voice of the archangel 
 and the trump of God," at which the 
 dead shall come forth. 1 Thess. 4: 16. 
 ^ Lazarus. He calls him by name, 
 says Augustine, lest lie should bring 
 out all the dead. "Hecalleth His own 
 sheep by name and leadeth them out," 
 as He had just said. ch. 10. ^ Come 
 forth. This is the life-giving command 
 which is not a dead letter, but quick- 
 ening — giving power for the perfor- 
 mance. Such are the lively oracles 
 to the people of God. "Only give 
 what thou commandest, then command 
 ^Yhat thou wilt." Those sainted ones 
 who are dead to us, are to and with 
 Him, alive. It is the voice of the Son 
 of God that shall raise all the dead 
 from their graves. John 5 : 28, 29. 
 " He does not here saj^ arise, as He 
 did to the daughter of Jairus and to 
 the son of the widow of Nain ; but 
 come forth, as though He were already 
 alive." Rom. 4: 17. The terms mean 
 litei'ally, come out — that is from the 
 cave. If it was around the outer 
 mouth of the cave that they stood, and 
 if the cave now pointed out be the 
 same, he must have come up the steps 
 to the nan-ow doorway in his band- 
 ages, making the miracle doubly mirac- 
 ulous. But He whom the bauds of 
 death could not hinder, could not be 
 hindered by these linen bands. 
 
 44. Bound hand and foot, &c. The 
 manner of the Jews to bury, more or 
 less resembled that of the Egyptians, 
 as to embalming, &c. The corpse was 
 wrapped in linen, (Luke 23: 53,) and 
 here more expressly it is said ivas hound 
 hand and foot with strips of lineri which 
 were wound around the limbs, sepa- 
 rately, for the better effect of the 
 tmbalming ingredients — and the more 
 perfectly to saturate the flesh. See ch. 
 19: 40. I brought with me from the 
 mummy pits of Egypt a human hand 
 thus enwrapped — and around each 
 finger the strips are wound in five 
 
 bound about with a napkin. Jesus 
 saith unto them, Loose him, and 
 let him go. 
 
 thicknesses of coarser material, and 
 then over the whole hand the linen is 
 wrapped more loosely. The Talmud 
 describes the custom as a wrapping 
 around of the separate limbs, and a 
 loose sheet over the whole. ^ Napkin. 
 This was a linen handkerchief, (Luke 
 19: 20; Acts 19: 12,) and was some- 
 times wrapped around the forehead, 
 or tied under the chin. This napkin 
 and the linen bandages our Lord threw 
 off and left them lying where He had 
 lain. Lazarus comes forth in them, that 
 the bystanders may have an oppor- 
 tunity of seeing the man walk forth in 
 his very grave-clothes, just as he had 
 been laid in the grave so lately, and 
 further, that they might handle him 
 and take off now from the living man 
 what they had put on him as a corpse. 
 ^ Let him go. Let him depart whither 
 he pleases. As they had something to 
 do in rolling away the stone, so as to 
 have the closest contact with the mi- 
 racle, they are now to put their hand 
 and seal to the reality of it, by unloosing 
 his grave-clothes. Even the Evangelist 
 could not pretend to tell of the greet- 
 ings that followed. Lazarus greeting 
 the Saviour and embracing the sisters, 
 and the whole company struck to the 
 very soul by the great fact. Observe — 
 He that said " take away the stone," 
 said " loose him." And it was the same 
 also who said "Lazarus come forth." 
 How shall we hesitate to obey the com- 
 mands of Him whose command can 
 raise the dead, and can succeed all our 
 efforts, and at whose command we our- 
 selves are to awake and come forth, 
 (Dan. 12: 2,) and "if toe have done 
 good to the resurrection of life." Ob- 
 serve — The sinner, dead in trespasses 
 and sins, is bound hnnd and foot with 
 grave-clothes, and cannot come forth 
 without the divine almighty word of 
 Christ. But His word in the gospel 
 is quick and powerful, it is lively and 
 life-giving. And at the voice of the 
 
212 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83 
 
 45 Then many of the Jews 
 which came to Mary, and had 
 seen " the things which Jesus 
 did, believed on him. 
 
 46 But some of them went their 
 ways to the Pharisees, and told 
 them what things Jesus had 
 done. 
 
 OC.2. 23; 10.42; 12.11,18. 
 
 Great Quickener, the dead do start 
 forth — they hear the voice of the 
 Son of man, and they that hear do live. 
 Ch. 5 : 2.5. He hath "life in Himself," 
 and He is "the way and the truth and 
 the life." Ministers can roll away the 
 stone — they can even in part un- 
 loose the grave-clothes But only the 
 almighty voice of Christ speaking to 
 the dead soul can give life. 
 
 45. Believed. Our Lord had con- 
 ducted the miracle in this particular 
 manner for their sakes (vs. 4:2,) — that 
 by raising Lazarus from the grave He 
 might raise many from the deeper 
 death of sin. Thus it came to pass as 
 Christ had said, that "this sickness 
 was not unto death, but for the glory 
 of God." vs. 4. 
 
 46. Thus it came to pass, also, what 
 Martha seems to have fe.ared when she 
 called Mary her sister secretly, vs. 28. 
 Those who did not believe, set about 
 at once to spread the report with evil 
 intent, or, at least, with no purpose of 
 good. So it came true that these Jews 
 who did not hear Moses and the 
 prophets would not be persuaded, 
 though one rose from the dead. Luke 
 16: 31. See Notes. 
 
 § 93. The counsel of Caiaphas 
 AGAINST Jesus. He retires from 
 Jerusalem. — Jerusalem — Ephraivi. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. I Luke. I John. 
 
 I I 111. 47-54. 
 
 47. A council. Liter,ally — a Sanhe- 
 drim. That is, the court of the San- 
 hedrim, the chief judicatory of the 
 nation, f What do ive. What are we 
 to do ? This court was wont to assem- 
 ble in a stone hall of the temple — and 
 though seventy-one was 'the full num- 
 
 *I1 47 Then ^ gathered 
 the chief priests and the Pharisees 
 a council, and said, What '° do we ? 
 for this man doeth many miracles. 
 48 If we let him thus alone, all ^ 
 me7i will believe on him ; and the 
 Romans shall come, and take away 
 both our place and nation. 
 
 iPs. 2. 2. c Ac. 4. 16. dc. 12. 19. 
 
 ber, te'm^?/-^Are« could transact business. 
 T This man. This {fellow.) It is spo- 
 ken in contempt. And yet they admit 
 the fact that He wrought many mira- 
 cles. This, however, only made Him 
 more dangerous in their view. 
 
 48. If tve let Him thus alone. They 
 seem to have regarded Him as likely 
 to be set up as king, if He should gain 
 thus the enthusiastic admiration of the 
 people, or, they feared that it would, at 
 least, awaken the jealousy of the Ro- 
 man authorities against them, and thus 
 their state and nation would be brought 
 in disastrous conflict with the conquer- 
 ing .armies of Rome. Observe — How 
 blind is depraved reason. That which 
 they judge likely to bring against them 
 the Roman power, namely, their letting 
 Christ alone, was that which would 
 have kept their citj' safe from desola- 
 tion. The very thing which they 
 dreaded, did occur, and that by the 
 very means which they used to prevent 
 it. These wicked persecutors, how- 
 ever, may have used this only as an 
 empty pretext in order to carry their 
 point against the opposing party in the 
 Sanhedrim, such as Nicodemus and 
 Joseph of Arimathea. See ch. 9: 16. 
 ^ Our place. This may refer to their 
 temple, which was their pride and 
 glory — or, it may denote only their 
 local habitation. For the former ex- 
 planation we have the examples, Matt. 
 24: 15; Acts 6: 13, 14; 7:7; 21: 
 28. And probably the sessions of thia 
 court were then actually in the temple. 
 But they would naturally have said 
 "Mi's place." We may take it here as 
 denoting the country generally. The 
 sense is, to take away our land, and 
 despoil our nation. Little did they 
 consider that Christ was the Lord of 
 
Aqe 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 213 
 
 49 And one of them, named ' 
 { Caiaphas, being the high priest 
 
 that same year, said unto them. 
 Ye know nothing at all, 
 
 50 Nor consider that it is '' ex- 
 
 aLu. 3. 2. c. 18. 14. Ac, 4. 6. & La. 24. 46. 
 
 that land and nation — the New Testa- 
 ment Moses, and Joshua, and David, 
 and Solomon. 
 
 49. One of (hem. This man was not 
 only one of the council, but as High 
 Priest he was President of it. He 
 spoke, therefore, with authority, and 
 his tone is that of positive, ofiGicial pre- 
 rogative. He presumed to lay down 
 the case most definitively and conclu- 
 sively. U Being the High Priest. At- 
 tention is here called to the office held 
 by Caiaphas at this time — to show the 
 significance of such a counsel in his 
 mouth, as the Spirit meant it to be 
 prophetic, though Caiaphas thought 
 not so. These words, uttered in the 
 spirit of deepest malice "by that officer, 
 who represented the spiritual interests 
 of the Jewish nation, were capable of 
 a construction which would be full of 
 the highest truth, and most expressive 
 of God's gracious plan for the salvation 
 of the people. How wonderfully thus, 
 at this very crisis, the Jewish people, 
 through their spiritual officer, are made 
 to give their voice for the expediency 
 of Christ's death as in order to the 
 salvation of the people. And yet, this 
 is the wonder of God's grace — that 
 what was spoken in malice, with refer- 
 ence to their bloody murder of the 
 Prince of Life, the Spirit remarks as 
 about to come true in the plan of grace 
 for the salvation of Israel. So it is 
 that the body and blood which might 
 be used as the confounding evidences 
 of our guilt in slaying the Lord, are 
 spread out as the very dainties of the 
 Gospel feast — and that which was done 
 by us in bitter hatred of our Lord, is 
 turned into the elements of a banquet. 
 Instead of being brought to be con- 
 fronted by these things at the criminal's 
 box, we are brought to be refreshed by 
 these things as guests at His table. 
 John also notes thus early the fact that 
 Caiaphas was High Pi'iest that very 
 
 pedient for us that one man 
 should die for the people, and that 
 the whole nation perish not. 
 
 51 And this spake he not of 
 himself : but being high priest 
 
 year, as will more fully appear in the 
 trial of our Lord. Ch. 18: 13, 24. And 
 thus he will have the connexion marked 
 between these words and the official 
 words and acts of this same man after- 
 wards in the closing transactions. 
 Having here given his advice, that 
 Jesus should be sacrificed to political 
 expediency, we are to understand all 
 his official conduct in the closing 
 transactions with our Lord. His death, 
 it appears, is fully determined upon by 
 Caiaphas already, and on such a base 
 ground. He was High Priest not only 
 during that year, but during all the 
 procuratorship of Pontius Pilate — 
 eleven years. Jos. Ant. 18: 2, 2 and 4, 
 3. It is asserted by some that there 
 is doubt about the legitimacy of Caia- 
 phas as High Priest, and that Annas 
 was of right, most probably, the law- 
 ful officer. See ch. 18 : 13, 24. Caia- 
 phas, moreover, was a Sadducee. 
 ^ Ye know nothing at all. This was 
 the overbearing tyrannical tone in 
 which he would put down all half-way 
 measui-es, and go at once for the death 
 of Christ as the only safety for the 
 nation. This is his view of political 
 expediency. You know nothing about 
 the case. Why hesitate where it is 
 clear ? 
 
 50. Nor consider. You do not at all 
 consider the bearings of this case, and 
 what expediency calls for. ^ One man. 
 A single individual in distinction from 
 the entire nation. As much as to say, 
 the source of all our trouble lies in 
 this one person. If he were put out 
 of the way the nation would be safe. 
 What doubt then can there be that it is 
 best for us to put Him to death, in order 
 to save the people. There was no alter- 
 native in his mind, and he counsels 
 accordingly for the death of Christ, on 
 this plea. 
 
 51. Thin spake he not of himself. 
 This record of the Evangelist throws 
 
214 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 that year, he prophesied that Jesus 
 should die for that nation; 
 
 important light upon these words. 
 These words were uttered by liim 
 indeed with a meaning of his own. 
 But being High Priest that year, he 
 was the official representative of the 
 people, (see Zech. 3: 1-8,) and was 
 the official medium through which 
 God might at times reveal Himself, as 
 here. Accordingly the Spirit uses his 
 words to express a great prophetic 
 truth, as to the plan for Christ's vica- 
 rious death. Caiaphas meant nothing 
 about the plan of God — or about Christ 
 as a substitutionary sacrifice provided 
 by God. But as High Priest, he was 
 here employed to utter unconsciously 
 a prophesy full of spiritual, saving 
 truth. John notes the fitness of this, 
 considering the office now held by Caia- 
 phas, because thus the mad hostility 
 of the Jewish people testifies, through 
 their spiritual head, that Christ's vica- 
 rious death is expedient, and that for 
 the salvation of the people — though 
 they understand it only in the lowest, 
 most wicked sense, coudemning them- 
 selves. It is thus put on record as 
 coming from this functionary who shall 
 so soon use every means to secure this 
 foregone sentence. And the event 
 should soon interpret it — namely, that 
 the only way in which it is really ex- 
 pedient that Chi'ist should die for the 
 people, is as "the Lamb of God which 
 taketh aw.ay the sin of the world." 
 ^ That Jesus. Under these words of 
 Caiaphas lay this prophecy of the 
 Spirit, that the one man who should 
 die and save the people by His death, 
 should be Jesus : that He should die 
 for that persecuting Jewish nation — 
 (first in privilege though fii'st in hos- 
 tility) — and that it should be not for 
 that nation only, but for others — the 
 Gentiles — as the prophets had all along 
 declared. ^ Gather together in one. The 
 Evangelist here adds a further expla- 
 nation which fairly enough belongs to 
 the prediction of Caiaphas, for he 
 spoke of the whole nation and people 
 of Qod — and this would include, iu the 
 
 52 And not " for that nation 
 only, but that also he should 
 
 a Is. 49. 6, Ro. 3. 29. 1 Jno. 2. 2. 
 
 mind of the Spirit throtigh whom he 
 prophesied, the true (spiritual) Israel 
 wherever they might be : (Gal. 6: 16,) 
 not only the Jews as such, but the 
 Gentiles also, who should become the 
 children of God. A far-sighted pre- 
 diction indeed, extending infinitely 
 beyond the anticipations of the apos- 
 tles themselves, as yet, and falling in 
 with our Lord's own words. " Other 
 sheep I have which are not of this 
 fold, them also I must bring, and they 
 shall hear my voice — and there shall 
 be one (fold) flock, and one shepherd." 
 Ch. 10: 16. See Deut. 80: 3. Isa. 66: 
 8. It is remarkable that the Greek 
 term for Gentile people is here applied 
 to the Jews. It may not be without 
 purpose, as the Jews were to become 
 as Gentiles, and the Gentiles as Jews, 
 on this plan. Isa. 49: 6-23; Ezek. 34: 
 12, 13. This g.athering together of 
 all Christ's family into one is the great 
 object and effect of His ISIediatorial 
 work. " That He might gather together 
 in one all things in Christ." Eph. 1: 10; 
 2 : 13, 14. He would break down the 
 partition wall, and unite in one, all 
 His true children, the true Israel — 
 whether Jew or Gentile. "This is 
 spoken of those who were in them- 
 selves wandering and lost sheep, but 
 who, in the breast of God, were the chil- 
 dren of God" — Calvin. Observe. — A 
 wicked man and a corrupt minister of 
 religion was used by God, to utter 
 most significant truth though he meant 
 not so, neither did his heart think so. 
 He meant it for evil, but God meant it 
 for good. This already hints before- 
 hand of the wondrous Almighty grace, 
 by which God would make the wrath of 
 ■ man to praise Him — and turn the cruel 
 death of the Prince of Life into the 
 only way of Life for the world. So 
 Peter charged it home. " Him, being 
 delivered by the determinate counsel 
 and foreknowledge of God, ye have 
 taken, and by wicked hands have cru- 
 cified and slain." Acts 2: 23. Se» 
 the case of Balaam, Numb. 23 : 24. 
 
AOB 33.] 
 
 CHAP XL 
 
 216 
 
 gather together in one the children 
 of God that were scattered * 
 abroad. 
 
 53 Then from that day forth they 
 took council together ^ for to put 
 him to death. 
 
 54 Jesus therefore walked no 
 more openly ° among the Jews ; 
 but went thence unto a country 
 near to the wilderness, into a city 
 called Ephraim, ^ and there con- 
 tinued with his disciples. 
 
 *f 55 And <= the Jews' 
 passover was nigh at hand : and 
 
 53. From that day forth. There was 
 hence a fixed purpose ou the part of the 
 Sanhedrim to put Jesus to death. It 
 could not be, however, until His hour 
 had fully come. See Note on vs. 57. 
 
 5i. The malice of these persecutors 
 ■would seek to slay Him at once. But 
 as the Passover had not yet come, the 
 true Paschal Lamb was not yet called 
 for. He therefore retires away from 
 the city into the border of the wilder- 
 ness, to a place called Ephraim, near 
 the desert of Judah, a short distance 
 from Jerusalem, towards the North. 
 The Sanhedrim wei-e actively in search 
 of Him, and there was already an order 
 of tlieirs published, that information 
 should be given of His retreat. 
 
 g 111. jESrs AERIVES AT BeTHANY 
 SIX DAYS BEFOIIE THE PaSSOVER. 
 
 Beihany. 
 
 Luke. I John. 
 
 11.55-57. 
 |l2.1.9-ll 
 
 John's narrative here passes from 
 §93 to?. Ill of the historj^ omitting 
 our Lord's tour from Epliraim into 
 Perea. See Luke, ch. 18-19. Return- 
 ing to Jerusalem by Jericho, he called 
 Zacc'aeus and cured the blind men. 
 
 55. Jeics' Passover. John's language 
 herC; speaking of the Jews as of ano- 
 ther j)coplc to those among whom he 
 wrote, sliows that he was at this time 
 among the Gentiles, and hence, also, 
 he explains their cu.stoms. % To purify 
 
 many went out of the country up 
 to Jerusalem before the pa^:sovcr, 
 to purifj'^ themselves. 
 
 56 Then 'sought they for Jesus, 
 and spake among themselves, as 
 they stood in the temple, What 
 think ye, that he will not come 
 to the feast ? 
 
 57 Now both the chief priests 
 and the Pharisees had given a 
 commandment, that if any man 
 knew where he were, he should 
 shew it, that they might take 
 him. 
 
 /C.5. 16, 18. ver. 8. 
 
 themselves. The object of this cere- 
 monial purification, as implied here, 
 was to prepare for the Passover. They 
 could not eat it if they were defiled. 
 For this reason they would not enter 
 into Pilate's judgment hall at the trial. 
 Ch. 18: 28. Numb. 9: 6-13; 2 Chron. 
 30: 17-19; Exod. 12: 3-6; Levit. 22: 
 1-6. Crowds flocked from the country 
 to the Holy City, because this ceremo- 
 nial purification needed to be done at the 
 Temple. Alas ! those who are so intent 
 ou being clean from ritual defilements, 
 are ready enough to imbrue their hands 
 in the innocent blood of Christ. These 
 hypocrites and heartless formalists are 
 anxious not to go unclean in tlie eye of 
 the letter, while they are most foul and 
 vile in spirit. And presently, when they 
 have hung their glorious Saviom' on 
 the cross, they will apply for leave to 
 break His bones and pierce His heart, 
 so as to get His dead body down from 
 the cross before the Sabbath, lest they 
 might violate that day. 
 
 56. That lie will not come. They 
 began now to fear only that He would 
 not attend at the feast, and that thus 
 they should lose their opportunity of 
 seizing and destroying Him. Their 
 guilty consciences agitated the ques- 
 tion as to the probability, not of His 
 coming, but of His 7iot coming, as they 
 had begun to doubt. 
 
 57. See Note on vs. 64. H That if 
 any manknew. They evidently expected 
 
210 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoE 83. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THEN Jesus, six days before 
 the passover, came to Bethany, 
 
 that He would be at or about Jeru- 
 salem, as they had heard of the great 
 miracle wrought at Bethany, and as 
 the feast was at hand. This order to 
 any who knew where He was, to give 
 information, was probably circulated by 
 the agents of the chief priests among 
 those who belonged to their party. 
 When He appeared openly at Bethany 
 and at Jerusalem, no man laid hands 
 upon Him as yet. Observe — 1. How 
 remnrkable that this peculinr work of 
 Christ — Tlis raising the dead from the 
 grave — sliould be that which led to His 
 death. Sec vs. 53. Thus it was, indeed, 
 that in giving dying sinners life, He 
 was Himself to die, and to die at the 
 hands of sinners. 2. It was in accord- 
 ance with this order of the Sanhedrim 
 that Christ was at length delivered up. 
 *'One of the twelve" who knew where 
 He was, shoiced it, that they might take 
 Him,. "And Judas also, which be- 
 trayed Him knew the jylace — for Jesus 
 ofttimes resorted thither ivith His disciples. ' ' 
 Ch. 18: 2. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The events recorded in this chapter, 
 and on to the 19th, occui-red during 
 the six days preceding our Loi'd's 
 death. Thus John occupies about one 
 half of his gospel narrative with the 
 transactions and discourses of this 
 brief period, and that subsequent to 
 the resurrection. His object was to 
 set forth Jesus in His Divinity, and in 
 those words and works of His which 
 proved Him to be God. 
 
 1. Six dags before. The chronology 
 of these concluding days of our Lord's 
 earthly history has been much dis- 
 puted. Robinson, after Lightfoot, 
 makes the arrival at Bethany to have 
 been on the Jewish Sabbath — to which 
 some object, that this would have been 
 a violation of the law against traveling 
 more than a Sabbath day's journey on 
 that day. Yet we know not from what 
 point He came that day, and it is not no- 
 
 where ' Lazarus was which had 
 been dead, whom he raised from 
 the dead. 
 
 cessary to suppose that the travel on the 
 Sabbath exceeded a Sabbath-day's jour- 
 ney. He may have arrived indeed a 
 little before, i. e. late on Friday even- 
 ing (before the sunset or Sabbath 
 morning.) See " the Schedule of the 
 dags" in Notes on Matt., p. 209, ch. 21 : 
 9, 10. Greswell, however, takes the 
 phrase here to mean, not six whole days 
 before the Passover, but on the sixth 
 day before, according to the Greek 
 idiom — just as "in three days," 
 meant on the third day after, when 
 spoken of our Lord's resurrection. 
 Ch. 2: 19. This would make the 
 sixth day before the Passover (Friday) 
 to be Sunday, the day following the 
 Jewish Sabbath. See the " Schedule 
 of Days," according to Greswell, in 
 Appendix of Notes on Matt., p. 314. 
 Professor Wieseler, in his learned work 
 on the " Chronology of the Gospel 
 History," argues that "had the Pass 
 over fallen on a Sabbath, our Lord 
 must have set out for Bethany also on 
 a Sabbath," p. 377, which he says 
 would have been a transgression of 
 the law. He seems to take the phrase 
 here to denote " tlie seventh day before" 
 — which would be Friday. The phrase 
 literally reads. "Before six days of the 
 Passover;" which some would under- 
 stand to be " before six days before the 
 Passover, not on the sixth, but posi- 
 tively on the seventh day before." — 
 Kitlo's Journal, vol. 6, p. 98. Tholuck, 
 however, declares that "In this for- 
 mula, the day on which the thing took 
 place is always regarded as the termi- 
 nus a quo — or point from tohich the 
 reckoning is to be made." Reckoning 
 the day of the arrival as the fii'st of the 
 six, would bring the " six days before," 
 at Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath ; 
 which was the opinion of the eai-ly 
 commentators. Examples are found 
 in elegant Greek usage, where this 
 phrase " Before six days of," means s/z 
 days before : and Lampe has shown that 
 there is no difficulty in supposing that 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 217 
 
 ^ 2 There they made 
 him a supper; and Martha * served: 
 
 a Lu. 10.38-t2. 
 
 our Lord reached Bethany on the Jew- 
 ish Sabbath. \ The Passover. This 
 •was our Lord's last Passover, and ac- 
 cordingly these six d.ays are those 
 which immediately precede His death. 
 They are of great interest therefore. 
 The closing transactions extend to 
 ch. 19. 
 
 § 131. The Ruleks conspire — The 
 Supper at Bethany — Treachery 
 OF Judas. — Jerusalem — Bethany. 
 
 Fourth day of the weelv. 
 Matt. I Mark. I Luke. I John. 
 
 26. 1-16.114. 1-11.1 2'2. 1-6. | 12. 28. 
 
 2. Theij made. It is not said ivho 
 made Him a supper, but that a supper 
 was made for Him. Matthew and 
 Mark tell us that " being in Bethany, 
 in the house of Simon, the leper, as He 
 sat at meat," He was anointed by a 
 woman, not mentioning her name. 
 John, however, in ch. 11 : 2, says "t< 
 teas Mary, which anointed the Lord 
 with ointment, and wiped His feet with 
 her hair, whose brother Lazarus was 
 sick." John's object in that passage 
 seems to have been to inform us of who 
 it loas that anointed our Lord after- 
 ward, (§ 131,) as recorded by the other 
 Evangelists, and that it was the same 
 who was so graciously served by our 
 Lord in the raising of her brother. 
 The two incidents are thus associated 
 to iutimate, perhaps, the special emo- 
 tions of RLary, which led her, soon after 
 the raising of her dead brother, to 
 anoint our blessed Lord. It will be 
 observed that the supper and anointing 
 took place not on the sixth day before 
 the Passover, as soon as He arrived, 
 btit on the second day before the Pass- 
 over ; that is, on Wednesday eve — after 
 sunset on Tuesday, which was counted 
 as Wednesday morning. See Matthew 
 and Mark. Tholuck, (last edition,) 
 Alford, Webster and Wilkinson, of 
 recent critics, understand the supper 
 to have been given on Saturday even- 
 ing, (the Jewish Sabbath,) and that 
 the proper location of it in the narra- 
 19 _ . 
 
 but Lazarus vras one of them that 
 sat at the table with him. 
 
 tive is here given by .John, as showing 
 the historical order of events. See vs. 
 12. Yet, as located in the narrative of 
 Matthew and Mark, it seems to give 
 the order of events, and this especially 
 to shovv how Judas was drawn out at 
 this supper, and was instigated to the 
 betrayal by what occurred there. 
 ^ Martha served — Waited at table. This 
 was the habit of Martha. Luke 10: 
 38-42. She busied herself with domestic 
 affairs ; .and though she is represented 
 as anxious overmuch, she is to be praised 
 as being anxious about serving the 
 Lord, and making His sojourn happy. 
 We are to remember, however, that it 
 is possible to be so attentive to the out- 
 ward concerns of religion, as to neglect 
 the word of Christ. Luke 10: 41, 42. 
 That this is not the same anointing as 
 is recorded by Liike 7 : 38, is generally 
 agreed — as that was in a different 
 place — Capernaum, probably — and the 
 whole record is diffei-ent, and the occa- 
 sion and purpose of the anointing are 
 different. The woman in that case, 
 also, is represented as a notable sinner 
 and "a woman of the city." It was 
 such a transaction as could easily havo 
 occurred more than once. " Simon the 
 leper " was probably a relative of these 
 sisters. It is expressly mentioned that 
 Martha waited at table, and that Laza- 
 rus was a guest, and that Mary was 
 there with ointment, because it was not 
 in their own house, which is elsewhere 
 spoken of. Simon is mentioned by the 
 other Evangelists as the owner of the 
 house, and it is not certain that he gave 
 the entertainment ; but it may have 
 been given by the "family of Bethany." 
 Yet it would seem that he is spoken of 
 as ''the leper," in this connexion, to in- 
 timate that he had been healed of his 
 leprosy by our Lord, and perhaps was 
 taking this mode of expressing his obli- 
 gation. Tf Lazarus. This is mentioned 
 to show the wonderful fact that this 
 man who had been riiised by our Lord 
 from the dead, was sitting at the sup- 
 rer table as others, and was enjoying 
 
218 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Ace S3. 
 
 3 Then » took Mary a pound of 
 ointment of ppikenard, very costly, 
 and anointed the feet of Jesus, 
 and wiped his feet with her hair : 
 and the house was filled with the 
 odour of the ointment. 
 
 o Matt. 26. 6, fto. Mar. U.S. &c. c.11.2. 
 
 again the society of friends, and tlie 
 company of our Lord. Calmet sup- 
 poses that he had been raised some two 
 months before. This is the last that 
 Tve hear of him. Of course he died 
 again, as others. 
 
 3. Marij. Mary the sister of Martha 
 and Lazarus, of course, as is expressly 
 stated ch. 11:2. The Roman Catholics 
 represent Mary Magdalene as anointing 
 Clirist and washing His feet with her 
 tears. Thi,3 is not warranted by the 
 name Marij, here given, which is surely 
 not j\Inry Magdalene, nor by the men- 
 tion in the other case, (Luke?,) that the 
 woman was a sinner. For she was also a 
 woman '-of the city" which was not Mag- 
 dala, but Capernaum, more probably. 
 
 3-8. See Notes on the parallel pas- 
 sages in Matthew and Mark, for expla- 
 nation in full. *^ A pound. Trobably 
 of twelve ounces. IT Ointment. The 
 term is used to signify ointment arti- 
 ficially prepared and compounded of 
 various perfumes. ^ Spikenard. Lit- 
 erally — nard — an herb from the leaves 
 and pods and root of which the ancients 
 extracted a very precious oil. 1[ Verij 
 costly. Two terms are used here, 
 gome understand the first term as 
 denoting the place from which the 
 spikenard came. But no such name 
 is known. Some read it ^'piire, or liquid 
 nard." See Margin in Mark. Mark 
 calls it liy the same name, and adds a 
 term meaning "ncc?/ precious" — the 
 same term as used figuratively in 1 
 Pet. 3: 4, with reference to Christ. 
 Matthew also uses a similar term. 
 If The feet. ISIatthew tells us that she 
 poured it on Ilis head. So Mark. But 
 John records the additional fact that 
 she anointed His feet "because it was 
 the greatest proof of love and 
 reverence." "This ointment," says 
 Kuinoel, "was doubtless the remnant 
 
 4 Then saith one of his disciples, 
 Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which 
 should betray him, 
 
 5 Why was not this ointment 
 sold for three hundred pence, and 
 given to the poor ? 
 
 of what had been procured for embalm- 
 ing the dead body of Lazarus — for 
 Jesus said "she hath kept this." vs. 7 — 
 And Judas blamed her, not because she 
 had bought it, but because she had not 
 sold the ointment." But this is mere 
 conjecture. ^ Was filled. John alone 
 records this fact, and thus gives an 
 odorous testimonj' to her odorous act. 
 vs 13. As the house was filled with 
 the odor of her ointment, so the world 
 shall be filled with the odor of her deed 
 
 4. Simon's son. Sad, indeed, to be 
 the father of such a son, and share in 
 his deep disgrace. It was customary 
 to call sons by the name of their father 
 in this way, " Simon, son of Jonas." 
 But who knows how the father may 
 have been at fault for the wickedness 
 of his son. John is the only one of 
 the JIvangelists who names Judas as 
 the objector. The others speak gener- 
 ally of "the discijiles" having indig- 
 nation. Judas may have influenced 
 some of them to think that this expen- 
 diture was quite beyond what the case 
 required, and perhaps unacceptable to 
 Christ. Observe. — Some of the bit- 
 terest objections to Christianity are 
 based on pretensions to great philan- 
 thropy and social reform, and are 
 sometimes made to seem very plau- 
 sible. But when th.e true motive is 
 uncovered as in vs. 6, the gross hypoc- 
 risy is seen. 1' Who should betray Him. 
 Literally — who would in future betray 
 Him — or who was about to do it, as our 
 Lord already knew. It is mentioned 
 liere especially, because this feeling 
 wliich Judas here displays was wortliy 
 of the traitor, and because this very 
 incident led to the betrayal. 
 
 5. Sold. See Note on vs. 3. IT Three 
 hundred pe7ice. About forty dollars of 
 our money. Friedlieb reckons it at 
 £9, IGs, or about forty-nine dollart. 
 
AOB 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 219 
 
 6 This he said, not that he cared 
 for the poor ; but because he was 
 a thief, " and had ^ the bag, and 
 bare what was put therein. 
 
 o 2 Ki. 5. 'iO-JT. ra.50. 18. 6 0.13.29. 
 
 6. John is the only one of the Evan- 
 gelists who exposes the base motive 
 of Jud.is. Christianity has always 
 cared for the poor. It has built hos- 
 pitals and alms-houses, and has sent 
 missionaries with the gospel : and in 
 the train of the gospel has followed 
 social elevation to the poor and ignorant 
 masses. AVhen Infidelity pretends to 
 care more for the poor than Christi- 
 anity, it only needs thnt the true motive 
 be laid bare, and it will be seen that it 
 is some selfish and sinister end, politi- 
 cal or personal, rather than any pure, 
 self-denying love for mankind. ^ A 
 thief. The term here used, refei's 
 expressly to one who purloins or steals 
 in secret — and not to one who robs by 
 open violence. ^ The bag. This word 
 means originally a case or chest, in 
 which the tongues or mouth-pieces of 
 reed pipes were carried by musicians. 
 It also means a casket for jewels — also 
 a money chest, or bag, in which trav- 
 elers carried their money, or other 
 valuables. The disciples had such a 
 purse in which they carried money for 
 their expenses, or such as was con- 
 tributed for the poor. Matt. 28 : 45 ; 
 Luke 8:3; Acts 2 : 4-1. Judas had 
 this common purse in his keeping, 
 rather, perhaps by his management, 
 than by any special confidence in him. 
 With his avaricious propensities, he 
 probably sought this post of treasurer, 
 and, of course, as he was not suspect- 
 ed by the twelve it would not be 
 refused to him. *\\ Bare. This term 
 might mean to carry away privately, 
 and it probably means here to purloin, to 
 pilfer. This would agree with Judas' 
 character as a thief, and at any rate it 
 is implied in the narrative, that this 
 was the motive he had in wishing the 
 ointment sold, and the pi'ocecds put in 
 the poor-bag. The term may mean 
 simply "he bare" — was accustomed to 
 carry, &c. — but this clause would then 
 give no additional meaaing. Many 
 
 7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone : 
 against the day of my burying 
 hath she kept this. 
 
 8 For " the poor always ye have 
 
 cDe. 15. 11. Matt. 26. 11. Mar. U.7. 
 
 men of good standing in society, have 
 been led to take secretly from funds 
 entrusted to their care. Often it has 
 been with a purpose to return the 
 money, and with a hope of becoming 
 rich by so using it. The first intention, 
 perhaps, has not been to steal. But 
 when their plans have failed, and they 
 have been detected in applying to their 
 own use money that did not belong to 
 them, they have seen their dreadful, 
 ruinous crime, and when it was too 
 late. They have brought lasting dis- 
 grace on themselves and their families, 
 and even sometimes on the church of 
 Christ. How shocking to think that 
 the passion of avarice — the inordinate 
 love of money led Judas on to stealing 
 from the Trea'sury of our Lord — and 
 then to betraying our Lord to death. 
 Observe — 1. The steps to most enor- 
 mous sin are gradual. One sin leads 
 to another and a worse. Avarice often 
 leads to theft — then to lying — then to 
 betrayal of friends — then often to mur- 
 der itself. 2. One may long keep up 
 good appearances, and be even in gcod 
 standing in the church, and be a hypo- 
 crite, a liar, a thief at heart, and in 
 secret practice. 3. There is a false 
 philanthropy that denounces all largo 
 hearted Christian benevolence — all mis- 
 sionary effort — all expenditure for 
 Christ's cause, as needless outlay and 
 waste — while it stands ready in reality 
 to betray Christ Himself for a few 
 pieces of silver. ^ What was put 
 therein. Literally, the contributions. 
 By this we are to understand the money 
 that was supplied by the liberality of 
 friends — the charitable offerings thrown 
 into this treasury of the Lord, for their 
 expenses and for the poor. This ex- 
 plains his reason for wanting the oint- 
 ment sold and put into that bag. 
 
 7. Our Lord defended her pious act, 
 because He knew the disposition from 
 which it came, and the circumstances — 
 80 nearly connected as it was with His 
 
220 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 with you ; but me * ye have not 
 always. 
 
 ^ 9 Much people of 
 the Jews therefore knew that he 
 
 a Ca. 5. 6. c. 8. 21. Ter. 35. c. 13. 33 ; 16. 5-7. 
 
 death and burial. The time for be- 
 stowing personal attentions upon Him 
 was fast drawing to a close, as He 
 knew — and though she may have had 
 no reference in this act to His burial, 
 He chose to regard it in this connec- 
 tion ; and to His own heart, which 
 appreciated sympathy and affection 
 mo^t keen.y, it was peculiarly grateful 
 in this light. *[[ The day. The words 
 of our Lord here Avere prophetic of th.at 
 day which was in effect now come. It 
 was so near at hand — and this very in- 
 cident was to put in train the agencies 
 which would shortly bring it about. 
 ^ 3hj burying. The term here used 
 refers not to the act of burying but to 
 all the funeral arrangements, of which 
 the embalming was one. He chose to 
 speak of this as a funeral service ren- 
 dered to Him. He would regard it as 
 if that pious office were paid by her to 
 His corpse. She did it in His life, as 
 she might not be able to do it in His 
 death. It was to Him the same as an 
 embalming. And by so speaking of 
 the act, He not only predicted His 
 epeedy death, but signalized the pious 
 conduct of this woman, giving it a sig- 
 nificance and importance beyond all 
 that she had thought. So our Lord 
 chooses often to construe our devout 
 acts and services as far more accepta- 
 ble to Him than we had supposed they 
 could be. No duty rendered to Him 
 by a pious heart cr.n ever be of small 
 account. Judas may count it a icasic. 
 But He pronounces it a most sacred, 
 personal service to Himself. They 
 who think any large contribution to 
 objects of Christian benevolences as 
 waste — who would rebuke it and avoid 
 it as thrown away — find themselves 
 partaking of the spirit of Judas, and 
 may soon be found also betraying the 
 Master for sordid gain — even for one- 
 half the amount they had grudged to 
 His cause. Sec Notes on Matt, and 
 
 was there : and they came not for 
 Jesus' sake only, but that they 
 might see Lazarus also, whom he 
 had raised from the dead. 
 
 Mark ; 1 Tim. 6:9. It was the same 
 evening, Wednesday, that Judas bar- 
 gained to betray Christ. Luke 22 : -S ; 
 Mark 14: 9, 10. f Kept this. Bengel 
 supposes that this refers to the money 
 as having been kept for offerings to the 
 poor as it might be needed : but that 
 under Divine direction it had been kept 
 by her, though not knowing beforehand 
 how it was to be applied. Blessed are 
 they who have money to give — a heart 
 to give it — and a call of God to make 
 it a most free-will offering and most 
 acceptable to Himself. Such a deed 
 shall be celebrated, if not on earth, 
 in Heaven. Matt, and Mark record 
 the remarkable promise and prophecy 
 of our Lord, that this charity of the 
 woman should be everywhere published 
 with His gospel, in all the world. 
 
 8. For the poor. Her large benefi- 
 cence was to be justified against the 
 shallow pretence of Judas, because 
 very few opportunities of serving Him 
 thus personally in the flesh remained 
 — while always they would have the 
 poor to help by their daily charities. 
 Mark adds an explanatory clause — 
 " Whensoever ye will, ye maj' do them 
 good." Ch. 14 : 7. 
 
 9. John has given a brief account 
 of the Supper in vss 2-8, inclusive — 
 though it belongs in the history four 
 days later — on Wednesday. He now 
 proceeds with the narrative, and this 
 verse connects properlj' with vs. 1. 
 \ 3Iuch people. The people were moved 
 to inquire the same evening after 
 Christ, by the fame of such a niirnclo. 
 This popular movement in favor of our 
 Lord troubled the chief priests. See 
 vs. 10. There was also a strong de- 
 sire to see the wonderful man who was 
 alive from the dead. Bengel remarks, 
 " Who would not have gone to Bethany 
 to see Lazarus ?" This man was a 
 living witness to Christ's Divinity: 
 and it was natural and lawful that th« 
 
kas 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 221 
 
 10 But the chief priests con- 
 sulted that they might put Laza- 
 rus also * to death ; 
 
 11 Because that " by reason of 
 him many of the Jews went away, 
 and believed on Jesus. 
 
 T[ 12 On " the next 
 day much people that were come 
 
 aLn. 16. 31. !ic. 11.45. ver.lS. c Matt. 21.8, &c. 
 Mar.H.8, &c. Lu. 19. 36, &c. 
 
 people .should wish to see him as well 
 as Jesus. Obsekve — Christians lately 
 converted are often the most convincing 
 proofs of Christ's Almighty work, and 
 men naturally are much affected by 
 their presence and evidence. 
 
 10. Consulted. This does not mean 
 that they formally decided so to do — 
 but only counseled, conferred together 
 about it. These may have been Sad- 
 ducees, who hated so the doctrine of 
 the resurrection as to feel specially 
 enraged, and anxious to put Lazarus 
 out of the way. They were determined 
 not to believe in Christ, yet they could 
 not disprove the miracle which was so 
 testified to by those who knew the 
 facts. The facts were such as could 
 not be deceptive. The mass of the 
 unprejudiced people were sati.sfied that 
 the miracle was wrought. Therefore, 
 rather than give up their opposition to 
 Christ, these chief priests begin to 
 think of murdering the innocent man 
 who had been just raised from the 
 dead, that so they might set aside the 
 powerful and convincing evidence in 
 Christ's favor. Men would willingly 
 blot out the evidence of Christ's Di- 
 vinity rather than receive His claims: 
 and such is the hatred and malice of 
 the human heart, that it will seek to 
 destroy the truth, and blot out the 
 evidence, even though it be by mur- 
 dering the innocent. Bloody persecu- 
 tions of Cliristians can be accounted 
 for by this mad opposition to the truth 
 which they profess. This is here de- 
 clared to be the reason of their cruel 
 movement, vs. 11. T[ Lazmus aho — 
 As well as Jesus, whom they were de- 
 termined already to kill. 
 
 19* 
 
 to the feast, when they heard 
 that Jesus was coming to Jerusa- 
 lem, 
 
 13 Took branches of palm trees, 
 and went forth to meet him, and 
 cried, ^ Hosanna : Blessed is the 
 King of Israel, that cometh in the 
 name of the Lord. 
 
 dPs.118.25,26. 
 
 Mark I Luke. | John. 
 
 11:1-11. 19:29-44112:12-19 
 
 PART VII. 
 
 Our Lord's Public EntrT/ into Je- 
 rusalem, and the subsequent 
 Transactions before the Fourth 
 Passover. 
 
 Time, Five Days. 
 
 ^112. OuE Lord's Public Entry into 
 
 Jerusalem. — Bethany — Jerusalem. 
 
 First day of the week. 
 Malt. 
 
 21:1-11. 
 14-17. 
 
 12-19. See explanations of this pas- 
 sage in Notes on Matthew and Mark 
 and Luke, where the details are morp 
 fully given. TT On the next day. This, 
 according to our reckoning of the days, 
 would be the first day of the week 
 (Sunday.) They may have hoped that 
 such a public demonstration of theirs 
 would induce him to appear openly as 
 the Messiah, or they may have had 
 such an expectation at any rate — and 
 so they used such tokens of honor as 
 were paid to oriental kings. On tho 
 Feast of Tabernacles the Jews were 
 commanded to take palm branches, 
 and rejoice before the Lord their God, 
 Levit. 23 : 40. 
 
 13. Branches. Literally, ^Ae branches 
 of the palm trees — showing th;it they 
 were there on the road — or referring to 
 the custom. Branches of the palm, in 
 blossom, were broken off and strewn 
 upon the road. Garments also were 
 spread in the way. These were tokens 
 of honor such as were shown to east- 
 ern kings. The Targum (Esther 10: 
 15) says, "When Mordecai went forth 
 from the gate of the king, the streets 
 were covered with myrtle, and the 
 
223 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 88. 
 
 14 And Jesus, when he had 
 
 found a young ass, sat thereon ; 
 £18 it is '^ written, 
 
 15 Fear not, daughter of Sion : 
 hchold, thy King cometh, sitting 
 on an a.ss's colt. 
 
 IG These things •* understood 
 not his disciples at the first : but 
 when Jesus was glorified, ° then 
 remembered * they that those 
 things were written of hira, and 
 that they had done these things 
 unto him. 
 
 aZeo.9. 9. bhn.18.3l, cc.7.30. .2'\U.K. 
 
 porches witli purple." See Rev. 7: 9, 
 10. They sang a jubilant passage 
 from Ps. 118, which was sucg at the 
 Feast of Tabernacles, and at the Pass- 
 over, and had a ]\Iessianic interpreta- 
 tion attached to it. As to the object 
 of this triumphal entry, it was to show, 
 1. The accomplishment in Him of that 
 remarkable prophecy of Zechariah, 
 (9: 9,) which in its connections also 
 would explain His Messiahship — 2. 
 He here received what by Divine right 
 belonged to Him. It was the popular 
 acknowledgment of His claims as Mes- 
 siah. They looked for a political con- 
 queror. He showed that He could 
 thus reign if He had so chosen. 
 
 14. When He had found. The par- 
 ticulars are given by the other Evan- 
 gelists, which John seems to suppose 
 familiar to his readers. 
 
 15. See Notes on Matt. 21 : 5. 
 
 16. It would seem from this, that it 
 was not until the Holy Spirit was 
 given, after Jesus was glorified, that 
 this passage occurred to them as so 
 fulfilled. When they received the 
 Spirit's illumination at and after the 
 outpouring at Pentecost, such passages 
 of prophecy Avere brought to their 
 minds in connection with the events, 
 and the wonderful meaning of the 
 whole was clear to them. It needs the 
 Spirit of truth to shine upon the inspired 
 page, and to shine in our hearts, to 
 give us to see the light of the know- 
 ledge of the glory of God in the face 
 
 17 The people therefore that 
 was with him when he called 
 Lazarus out of his grave, and 
 raised him from the dead, bare 
 record. 
 
 18 For ^ this cause the people 
 also met him, for that they 
 heard that he had done this 
 miracle. 
 
 19 The Pharisees therefore said 
 among themselves. Perceive ' ye 
 how ye prevail nothing ? behold, 
 the world is gone after him 
 
 ever. 11. /c. 11. 47, 48. 
 
 of Jesus Christ. 1[ Was glorified. The 
 Holy Spirit was not given until Jesus 
 was glorified (7: 39) by His resurrec- 
 tion and ascension. 
 
 17, 18. These verses give a simple 
 account of the reason for this popilar 
 movement and public testimony. It 
 was the fact of their having seen or 
 heard of this miracle. " The people," in 
 vs. 17, are distinguished as those who 
 had seen tlie miracle. They bore wit- 
 ness of what they had seen. Hence, 
 another band of people was led to go 
 out to meet Him, (vs. 12,) because they 
 had heard of this wonderful work thus 
 testified to by eye-witnesses. Bengel 
 thinks these two classes of people are 
 spoken of by Matthew and Mark as 
 those icho iccnt before and those uho 
 followed after. 
 
 19. This popularity of our Lord was 
 just what troubled the Jewish rulers — 
 and it was just what they wished by 
 all means to stop. T[ Perceive ye. They 
 seem to have spoken peevishly, fret- 
 fully and almost despairingly among 
 themselves; convinced most over- 
 whelmingly by the crowd of followers, 
 that all their plans were powerless to 
 stop the rush after Christ. They can 
 only take more effectual measures. Ch. 
 11 : 53. ^ Preiail. Literally — profit, 
 gain nothing — get no advantage. 1[ 7'hc 
 u-orld. This they say indignantly and 
 impatiently — as we would say, '^every- 
 body " has gone. If Is gone after Him. 
 Have become His followers. The other 
 
Aqk 83.] 
 
 CHAP. xn. 
 
 223 
 
 ^ 20 And there were 
 certain ' Greeks among them 
 that ^ came up to "worship at the 
 feast : 
 
 21 The same came therefore to 
 ' Philip, which icas of Bethsaida 
 
 oAo. 17. 4. Eo. 1. 16. 6 1Ki. 8. 41 43. cc. 1.41. 
 
 Evangelists here relate the cleansing 
 of the temple, and several parables 
 spoken by our Lord •which belong 
 properly before this paragraph, which 
 is given by John alone. 
 ^ 125. Cebt.\in Greeks desire to 
 
 SEE Jesiis. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Third day of the week. 
 
 M.itt. 1 Mark. | Luke. I Joha. 
 
 I I j 12.20-36. 
 
 20. Greeks. These were not Greek 
 Jews — Jews speaking Greek — as some 
 have supposed — though there were 
 many such. But these were Gentiles, 
 who were accustomed to worship not 
 only their own gods, but the gods of 
 the city or region into which they had 
 come. They also brought offerings to 
 Jerusalem, and frequently attended 
 the great feasts of the Jews. See Light- 
 foot. Hence, there was in the temple, 
 "the court of the Gentiles," so called by 
 appointment of Solomon. 1 Kings 8 : 
 41. It is more probable, however, 
 that these Gentiles were proselytes of 
 the gate — who, it seems, were accus- 
 tomed to f/o up and worship at the feast. 
 In the time of our Lord, many of the 
 Pagans joined themselves to the Jew- 
 ish religion so far as to observe the 
 seven precepts of Noah, as they were 
 called. Juvenal speaks of " the Juda- 
 izing Piomans " in his Satires. Seneca 
 says that so many of them had passed 
 over to the Jewish worship, that Juda- 
 ism was adopted through all the earth. 
 In the Acts, such are mentioned as 
 specially ready to receive religious 
 iii.stfuction, and tliey seem to have had 
 an in war 1 longing after divine things. 
 
 21. riiilip. Why they came to 
 Philip is not stated. It ni;iy have been 
 for no special reason, or, because they 
 .knew he was from Galilee. This may 
 
 account for his being spoken of here as 
 Jrom Bethsaida, in Galilee. His name 
 
 of Galilee, and desired him, say- 
 ing, Sir, we would see Jesus. 
 
 22 Philip Cometh and tellcth 
 Andrew : and again Andrew and 
 Philip tell Jesus. 
 
 23 And Jesus answered them, 
 
 has a Greek form, and may imply that 
 he had Greek relatives. If these Greeks 
 had been from the neighborhood of 
 Bethsaida, we may suppose that they 
 would have been familiar with the per- 
 son of Jesus. ^ Would see. Literally — 
 We wish to see. They had heard of 
 Christ, and perhaps had seen something 
 of His triumphal entry at Jerusalem, 
 and were led by curiosity, as Zaccheus, 
 or by desire to learn something more 
 of Him, to make this inquiry. " These 
 men set forth from the AVest, at the 
 close of Jesus' life, just as the Magi 
 came from the East, at the commence- 
 ment. But they come to the cross of 
 the king as those came to His era- 
 die." — Stier, Red. 1, v. 78. Those who 
 seek Christ, must inquire of His word 
 and of His people, and use the proper 
 means — must go where He is to be 
 found, and consult His ministers. No 
 one should be ashamed to express his 
 desires or anxieties, if he wishes to find 
 Christ. 
 
 22. They must have desired to speak 
 with Jesus especially, and not merely 
 to see Him — as Philip has some doubt, 
 apparently, about introducing these 
 Gentiles to Jesus. He tells Andrew, 
 who was a near friend, as being from 
 the same town of Bethsaida. ^ Tell 
 Jesus. These disciples did not seem 
 ready to act upon their own individual 
 judgment, in a case which would seem 
 to us so clear. Yet we do not know 
 the particular object of the inquirers, 
 e.iccept so fir as we mny infer it from 
 tlie discour-e of our Lord. We learn 
 at least (1,) how we are to treat inqui- 
 rers. Instead of depeniling on our 
 own judgment or skill, we are to tell 
 Jesus: and (2,) how we are to treat 
 the iSIaster, with profoundest reverence 
 on all occasions. 
 
 23. It is not said whether the Greeks 
 
224 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 saying, The hour is * come, that 
 
 the Son of man should be glorified. 
 
 24 Verily, verily, I say unto 
 
 you, ^ Except a corn of wheat 
 
 o 0.13. 32; 17.1. 5 1 Cor. 15. 36, 
 
 were admitted to converse with Jesus, 
 but it seems probable that these words 
 were spoken to Philip and Andrew in 
 reply, and in the hearing of the stran- 
 gers and of the disciples. It may have 
 been indeed after receiving the Greeks 
 and conversing with them, that this 
 discourse was delivered. His answer 
 was suggested by the appearing of 
 these Geutiles. " He is led to look 
 upon these heatlien hungering after 
 salvation, as the first fruits of thiit 
 abundant harvest which His death 
 would produce." — Tholuck. *!f The hour 
 is come. The time has arrived. Often 
 it had been noted that "His hour ivcs 
 not y el come." Ch. 7 : 30 ; 8 : 20. The 
 gloi-itication of Christ by His resurrec- 
 tion from the dead and His ascension 
 to Heaven, stood connected with the 
 conversion of the Gentiles. These 
 Gentile inquirers, therefore, made His 
 heart leap at the thoiight of all tlsat 
 was to be accomplished through His 
 death for the Gentile world, and which 
 now was so near at hand. ^ Thai — In 
 order that — for this purpose, that He 
 should he. ^ The Son of Man. This 
 title our Lord here gives to Himself as 
 most appropriate to the case. It was 
 as Mediator that He was to be glorified 
 with the Father — as the God incarnate, 
 having undertaken for sinful man, and 
 having now accomplished the work 
 given Him to do. Ch. 17: 1-5. Our 
 Lord seems plainly to refer to the hour 
 of His death, as leading to that of His 
 glory. Luke 24: 2G. 
 
 24. Most solemnly He now sets forth 
 the method by which He was to intro- 
 duce the glories of His kingdom — not — 
 as they had supposed from His tri- 
 umphal entry into Jerusalem — by set- 
 ting up His throne there in great earthly 
 splendor, but most amazinglj', by death. 
 This He illustrates by reference to the 
 laws of the vegeto.ble kingdom. This 
 He shows so beautifully, to encour- 
 
 fall into the grouud and die, it 
 abidcth aloue : but if it die, it 
 bringeth forth much fruit. 
 25 He •= that loveth his life shall 
 
 c Matt. 10. 39 ; 16. 25. Mar. 8. 35. Lu. 9. 24 j 17. 33. 
 
 age them when they should see Him 
 shortly led forth to a violent death. 
 His death was only in order to His 
 being glorified, in the publisliing of the 
 gospel among the Gentiles, and in the 
 conversion of the nations. T Ccrn of 
 ichcal — Grain of uheat. Tf And die. 
 It is through death unto life. Just as 
 a grain of wheat does not germinate 
 unless it falls into the ground, and 
 dies there, so that the outer covering 
 rots ofr" and leaves the germ to spring 
 up — so He could not set up His glori- 
 ous kingdom except by dying, as they 
 would afterwards see — Heb. 2 : 9 ; 
 Phil. 2 : 8, 9 ; Heb. 12:2; Eph. 1 : 20, 
 23. They should not be troubled- at 
 His coming death, for by this very 
 means they should see His kingdom 
 spring up and spread abroad, just as a 
 seed, cast in the ground, shoots forth 
 and produces fruit. And this is just 
 as absolutely necessary in one case as 
 in the other, and would be as satisfac- 
 tory. It was only by giving His life 
 a ransom — a vicarious sacrifice— that 
 men were to be saved. His triumphant 
 ascension should procure the Spirit's 
 influence for men. " Christ died 
 alone — He rose again with many." — 
 Bede. Obsekye — The whole world 
 furnishes a mighty p.arable, to which 
 the gospel is the clue : as — "When thou 
 sowest, thou sowest not that body which 
 shall be but bare (mere) grain ; it may 
 chance of wheat, or of some other 
 grain;" so also is the resurrection of the 
 dead a sowing of the bodv. 1 Cor. 15: 
 37, 42. 
 
 25. This same Divine law applies to 
 the disciples as well as to the Master. 
 See Notes Matt. 10: 39; Luke 9: 24. 
 His kingdom was to be carried on by 
 the instrumentality of His disciples — ■ 
 and only as they submitted to self- 
 loathing, and self-sacrifice could they 
 attain to everlasting life and glory. 
 Trials were before them, and it was by 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 22S 
 
 lose it; and he that hateth his 
 life in this world, shall keep it un- 
 to life eternal. 
 
 26 If " any man serve me, let 
 him follow me; and where ^ I 
 
 6 c. U. 3 ; 17. 24. 
 
 presenting body and spirit a living 
 sacrifice, lioly, acceptable to God, 
 (Rom. 12: 1,) that they should truly 
 live, and live eternally. ^ Hateth. 
 That is, comparatively — his life in this 
 world as compared with his life in the 
 other world. lie who values his pres- 
 ent, temporal livicg less than his eter- 
 nal well-being, is the one who shall 
 keep — or as the terra is, shall guard his 
 life as by armed military defences. 
 We must die unto sin and live unto 
 righteousness. "If we must die in 
 order to bring forth fruit, we ought to 
 patiently submit to being mortified by 
 God." — Calvin. 
 
 20. This applies to these and all 
 others who might wish to enter His 
 service. Those who would serve Him 
 must follow Him through tribulation 
 into glory. So when He commnnds 
 us "Follow Me" — it is with this cheer- 
 ing prospect of entering with Him into 
 heaven, whither He has gone as our 
 forerunner. What matters the rough- 
 ness of the way, so as that we are 
 going by the path He traveled, and are 
 soon triumphantly to enter after Him 
 into His rest. ^ Where I am. That is, 
 whei'e I belong — in Heaven — and where 
 I shall soon eternally be, there shall 
 also my servant be. As he follows Me, 
 80 he shall share my joy and glory. 
 Ch. 14: 3; 17: 24. "If we suffer 
 with Him we shall .also reign with 
 Him." IT Honour. A great word is 
 this, says Bengel, agreeing with the 
 term "glorified" in vs. 23. The ser- 
 vant and follower of Christ is here 
 promised to be honored by His Father — 
 to be a sharer of His own rewards and 
 joys, and thus he should follow Him 
 into everlasting glory. 
 
 27. Troubled. He h.ad just how 
 
 w:irned them against loving, inordi- 
 
 ■ nately, life, (ease and convenience,) and. 
 
 had exhorted them to disregard it for 
 
 am, there shall also my servant 
 be : if " any man serve me, him 
 will m>j Father honour. 
 27 Now ^ is my soul troubled, 
 and what shall I say? Father, 
 
 His sake. Aud now He gives expres- 
 sion to His own self-sacrifice, and 
 shows how entirely He yields up His 
 own life for men. He could not atone 
 for sin without taking upon Him our 
 condemnation. And this sent the 
 shudder and horror to His holy soul, 
 that He was standing in the sinners' 
 place, and was soon to take the stroke 
 of justice due to rebel men. He was 
 possessed of human feelings in their 
 perfect puritj' and repugnance to sin ; 
 and we cannot conceive what must 
 have been the shrinking of His refined 
 human nature at the prospect of suf- 
 feiing the condemnation of man's sin. 
 Luke"23 : 41-44. H What. As though 
 He could not find words to express 
 His agony — aud as though He was 
 driven to such an extremity as not to 
 know what to say — rather shrinking 
 witbiu from the dreadful bitterness 
 which He saw was to come upon Him. 
 " This struggle of choice is a prelude of 
 the struggle in Gethsemane. The horror 
 of death and the ardor of obedience 
 here met." — Bengel. It was not a 
 shrinking from mere bodily suiferings, 
 for He had exhorted His disciples to 
 boldness and endurance in face of every 
 torture. It was an inward, overcom- 
 ing sense of the divine wrath which He 
 had to endure as a substitute for sin- 
 ners. "The sufferings of His soul were 
 the soul of His sufferings." T Father 
 save me. Shall I say this? This is 
 the struggle of His soul under these 
 inward sufferings. Shall I ask the 
 Father to relieve me fi-om this work 
 that I have undertaken, or from this 
 bitter hour to which it brings me ? 
 This was doubtless the natural prompt- 
 ing of His flesh. This course he could 
 have taken. Matt. 2o : 53. His human 
 nature was keenly alive to all these 
 woes which He was to endure. And 
 should He seek now to escape ? Just 
 
£20 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Aais 3&. 
 
 pave me from this hour : but ' 
 for this cause came I unto this 
 hour. 
 28 Father, glorify thy name. 
 
 ac. 18. 37. 
 
 SO His soul shrtink in Gethsemaiie 
 under the agonies which now alrend}' 
 He forefclt. And the experience in tli 3 
 garden wrung from Him the very cry 
 for a moment which instantly He 
 checked, " Father, if it be possible, let 
 this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, 
 not my will, but thine be done." It 
 was allowed Him so to express Himself 
 that we might see how overwhelming 
 ■were His afflictions for our sins — and 
 that in this light, His willing obedience 
 might appear to nil. Tf But for this 
 cause. Thus plainly does He declare 
 what it was that prevented Him from 
 seeking deliverance from His coming 
 agony and death. It was the very 
 thing Ho came to accomplish, viz — to 
 die for sinners — and, therefore. He 
 could not and would not draw back. 
 He gave Himself for us. His death 
 was voluntary, and for the great object 
 of redemption, Avhich could not other- 
 wise have been secured. Luke 23: 42. 
 This was the will of the Father which 
 He came to execute — and this language 
 agrees with what He said in the gar- 
 den — " Not as I will, but as thou wilt." 
 28. Father, glorify, &c. " By these 
 words He testifies that He prefers the 
 glory of the Father to all things else." 
 — Calvin. He would have the Father's 
 name glorified in the scheme of Re- 
 demption — and this was the object of 
 His work and obedience even unto 
 death. Let thy wisdom — thy righte- 
 ousness — thy faithfulness — thy mercy, 
 be manifest in this plan, and let thy 
 perfections all shine forth gloriously 
 in tlie accomplishment of salvation for 
 an innumerable multitude. Especially 
 let the principles of thy government be 
 displayed in not spai-ing thy Son, thine 
 only Ron, but delivering Him up as a 
 sacrificial victim for sinners. ^ A 
 voice. It was doubtless an audible 
 Bound, though the words were not 
 heard by all. T / have. This is the 
 history of all the past, and will charac- 
 
 Then came there a voice •* from 
 heaven, sayimj, I have both glori- 
 fied it, and will glorify it again. 
 29 The people therefore, that 
 
 terize all the future. The Father had glo- 
 rified His name, in all temporal events, 
 from the beginning. Christ in history 
 is a revelation of the Divine glory. 
 The preparations for His coming in 
 the ancient dispensation — His incarna- 
 tion — His baptism and miracles, and 
 all His work, had been a manifestation 
 of the Divine glory. ^ And will. — 
 Especially in His resurrection and 
 ascension. — And so would nil the 
 future course of our Lord prove a 
 revelation of the Father's perfections 
 in the salvation of men — the unfold- 
 ing of a plan corresponding with all 
 the preparations — " the wisdom of 
 God, and the power of God unto sal- 
 vation." Literallj', the reading is, "I 
 have both glorified and will glorify" 
 (my name.) See ch. 17 : 5. Observe — 
 The Father and the Son are hero 
 plainly distinguished as distinct per- 
 sons in the Godhead. They who teach 
 that the Son is only a manifestation of 
 the Father, and not a distinct subsist- 
 ence, are in grievous error. 
 
 29. The people. Some of the multi- 
 tude of bystanders. As the sound 
 came from above, in tones of majesty, 
 some, taking it only in the lowest 
 natural way, understood it to be thun- 
 der. How men can misunderstand, if 
 they know nothing of God's words. 
 Many are ready always to refer God's 
 plainest manifestations to natural 
 causes and events. They make nature 
 to be God : and make God to be no- 
 thing more than nature. ^ Angel. 
 These others take rather a higher view 
 of the matter, and understand it as 
 something spoken to our Lord by an 
 angel. Qhis agrees with the Jewish 
 notion that God always spake to men 
 by the ministry of angels. The}' did 
 not doubt that something was uttered. 
 See Heb. 2:2; Gal. 3:19. Obseeve— 
 Such a barren naturalism as finds in 
 tlio voice of God nothing more than a 
 clap of thunder, finds no life nor salva^ 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 227 
 
 stood by, and heard it, said that 
 it thundered : others said, An an- 
 gel spake to him. 
 
 30 Jesus answered and said, 
 This voice came not because of 
 me, but * for your sakcs. 
 
 tion in the Gospel. Yet this is the 
 low view of some who, "professing to 
 be wise, become fools," &c. Rom. 1. 
 
 30. He does notsny that the answer 
 came not for His sake, but that the 
 voice — the audible utterance — was not 
 needed by Him. He had the secret 
 assurance in Ilis own soul. The Father 
 and He were one. This miraculous 
 revelation was for their benefit, that 
 they might hear and understand — and 
 that, by such a direct manifestation of 
 the Father in answer to Him, they 
 miglit he convinced that lie was one 
 with the Father, and that His work 
 was approved in Heaven. So, at the 
 giMve of Lazarus, He spake to the 
 Father audibly — because of the people 
 that stood by — " tliat they might be- 
 lieve that thou hast sent me." Ch. 11 : 
 42. ^ For your sokes. How tender 
 was His regard for these who were .'^o 
 vainly speculating about what thoy 
 would not understand nor believe. 
 
 31. Thejudjmcnt. In the Greek the 
 word is crisis. Our Lord here already 
 rises to a view of His trjumph. Just 
 as atGethscmane, when He bowed Ilis 
 Soul in obedient submission to the will 
 of the Father, He was able to say to 
 His disciples, " Sleep on now," &c., 
 anil to go cheerfully forward to trial 
 and to death. He had just said. Now 
 is my soul troubled. Here He has 
 gotten beyond this inward agony, and 
 says, Now is the judgment, &c. He 
 viewed His death as about to accom- 
 plish such grand results. This was 
 what the Spirit was to convince men 
 of — "■ Of judgment, because the Prince 
 of this world is judged." Ch. 16: 11. 
 He could not have meant that this was 
 the general and final judgment — nor 
 that this was the judgment which the 
 world would pass upon Him. But now 
 comes on tho issue of the great coa- 
 
 31 Now is the judgment of this 
 world : now shall ^ the prince of 
 this world be cast out. 
 
 32 And I, if I be lifted « up 
 from the earth, will draw all <* 
 men unto me. 
 
 fiict between "the Prince of this 
 world" — " the rulers of the darkness 
 of this world"— (Eph. 6: 12)— the 
 usurping and unlawful "God of this 
 world" — and myself, the true and 
 rightful King. The Son of I\Ian was 
 about to be glorified by " spoiling prin- 
 cipalities and powers, and making a 
 show of them openly, triumphing over 
 them in His cross." Col. 2: 15. 
 Satan's lawless and cruel dominion 
 was to be broken down, and he was to 
 be cast out. This glorious consum- 
 mation He foresaw with the ingathering 
 of the Gentiles, and the triumphant 
 dominion of the Redeemer. Thus our 
 Lord should bruise the head of the 
 serpent (Gen. 3 : 15) in the very event 
 in which the serpent should bruise Ilia 
 heel. ^ The prince, &c. Satan is a 
 real person. He is called also " the 
 gotl of this world." This he is, not 
 of right, but because he is "the spirit 
 Ikut now worketh in the children of 
 disobedience" — (Eph. 2: 2) — because 
 he actually at present rules and con- 
 trols the great majority of men, and 
 has always done so. See ch. 14: 30; 
 16: 11; 2 Cor. 4: 4; Ephes. 6: 12, 
 ^ Be cast out. This was to be done 
 by the power of the Holy Spirit, taking 
 awaj' his dominion and casting him out 
 from his unlawful rule of men's hearts. 
 This result could be secured only by 
 Christ's death — " leading captivity 
 captive, and receiving gifts for men." 
 The consummation would be gradually 
 brought about. But the result was 
 virtually attained in Ilis death. See 
 Luke 10: 18; Col. 1: 18-20. Acts 
 26: 18; 1 Cor. 15: 25, 26; Rev. 20: 
 14. Here is a fulfillment of the first 
 promise, that the seed of the woman 
 shall bruise the serpent's head. Gen. 
 3: 15. 
 
 82. Be lifted up. The same term ia 
 
228 
 
 joirx. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 33 (This he said, signifying ^ 
 what death he should die.) 
 
 34 The people answered him, 
 We have heard "^ out of the law " 
 
 ac.lS.3-'. 6P8. 89. .10, 37; 110.4. Is. 9. 7. cRo.S.lS. 
 
 I that Christ abideth for ever : and 
 how payest thou. The Son of man 
 must be lifted up i* who is this 
 Son of man? 
 
 usedincli. 3: 14, andcb. 8i 28. Here 
 it mny even point fuithcr and include 
 His glorification ; thougli the main idea 
 is that of His deatli — His lifting up 
 upon tlie cross — which would carry 
 along with it the reward of His soul's 
 tr.avail, in the solvation of multitudes. 
 The "if" doe,s not express here any 
 doubt or uncertainty. It is elsewhere 
 BO employed to signify ratlicr the 
 certainty — as sure as I shall be lifted up. 
 In Ephes. 3: 2, it has this meaning: 
 '■If ye have heard" means, since ye 
 have heard. ^ Will draw. The term 
 here used signifies a gentle but effectual 
 drawing. It is different from the word 
 to draw by violence — to drag. " Thy 
 people shall be u-illing in the day of 
 thy poicer." Ps. 110. He doth persuade 
 ond enable us to embrace Him. T[ AIL 
 The word "men" is not expressed in 
 the Greek, but is implied — as the 
 "all," is masculine — and refers first 
 of all to persons. The Father is said 
 to draw men before Christ's death. 
 Ch. G : 44. But Christ when "lifted 
 vp" should draw to Himself. The 
 term is, to jiyself. The crucified, 
 expiating Saviour would be the great 
 object of faith. Ch. 11: 52. The term 
 "all" here used in reference to men, 
 means .all without distinction; not all 
 without exception — all nations, and not 
 the Jews alone. The old Latin trans- 
 lation reads, "I will draw all things 
 to me." But the term is masculine. 
 Yet the universal term is used to sig- 
 nify liow extensively this drawing 
 should be carried on, including things 
 as well as men — all agencies and re- 
 sources — and it is elsewhere said that 
 "He shall gather together in one, all 
 things in Christ, both which are in 
 Heaven, and which are on earth, even 
 in Him." Eph. 1 : 10. The verse which 
 immediately follows, (33) shows that 
 this was spoken in regard to the mode 
 and results of His death. This was the 
 
 way in which Satan was to be spoiled 
 of his dominion over men. His Spirit 
 was to be outpoured, and men were to 
 be drawn by almighty constraints. 
 The ideas included are — 1. Tliat all 
 men without exception should become 
 the subjects of Hjs mediatorial govern- 
 ment. — 2. That all men, without dis- 
 tinction, should become the objects of 
 His invitations in the Gospel. — 3. Tbi.'t 
 all whom the Father has given Him, 
 should be put in possession of the bless- 
 ings of His salvation. — Brown. His 
 death should make a full atonement 
 for sin — open the way to the univers:;! 
 offer, and procure the gift of the Holy 
 Spirit as the all-sufficient influence for 
 dr.iwing all classes of sinners to Him. 
 It is not meant to say that He will con- 
 strain all men to actually embrace His 
 salvation — and we know from Scripture 
 and from observation that all men aie 
 not saved. But He has provided for 
 bringing His own people to embrace 
 Him, in away that is perfectly consis- 
 tent with their freedom, and makes 
 them free. They are (/raira, not driven. 
 Obseeve — The attractions of tiik 
 CKOss. Christ by His cross will draw 
 to Himself not only men of all clashes 
 and climes, but all human interests 
 and resources — all commerce — all en- 
 terprise — all art and science — all wealth 
 and power in the world. Hence, His 
 loving church is described as singing, 
 " Draw me, we will run after thee." 
 Sol. Song 1 ; 4. 
 
 33. The "lifting vp" was a pro- 
 phetic allusion to the mode of His death 
 by crucifixion. Literally, it reads, 
 " by what death He was about to die." 
 Ch.'lS: 32, refers to this; and John, 
 after the event, understands the refer- 
 ence distinctly, and here throws in thia 
 explanation. 
 
 34. They reply to His remark about 
 His coming death, that He cannot bo 
 the Messiah for this very reason, that 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 229^' 
 
 35 Then Jesus said unto them, 
 Yet a little time is the light " with 
 you. *> Walk while ye have the 
 light, lest darkness come upon 
 you : for he " that walketh in dark- 
 
 OC.8. 13. 6Jer. 13. 16. cc. 11.10. 
 
 the Messiah of the Law, (the Old Tes- 
 tament,) is represented as " abiding," 
 or continuing forever. They referred 
 to passages such as Ps. 89 : 6 ; 3G : 37 ; 
 110^ 4; Ezek. 37: 25; Isa. 9:7; 
 Dnn. 7: 12, ''4. They overlooked, 
 however, the Ouher class of passages 
 which represented Him as a suffering, 
 dying Messiah. Isa. 53. Yet the Jews 
 applied these latter passages to Christ 
 before He came. ^ Ilotv sayest thou. 
 He had noi used these terms ou this 
 occasion, but in the parallel declara- 
 tion to Nicodemus. Ch. 3 : 14. SeeCh. 
 8. 28. \ Who is. They pretend not 
 to know to whom He can refer, and 
 ask whom He means hy the title "Son 
 of i\Ian," as applied to such a case — 
 hinting too that this " Son of Man," 
 this dying Son of Man is not, and cannot 
 be the same as was described in their 
 scriptures. This was not a common 
 title of the Messiah, as wc infer, though 
 the prophets had plainly designated 
 Him as to be a man. Zech. (J : 12. 
 And in Dan. 7 : 13, the very title is 
 found, " Son of Man," and is thus 
 ouoted by our Lord. Matt. 24: 30; 
 2G: G4. See Ps. 80: 17. 
 
 35. In this reply our Lord answers 
 them, not directly, but indirectly, 
 speaking of Himself as the Light, and 
 exhorting them to make a faithful use 
 of His presence. The prophets had 
 spoken of the Messiah as the Light that 
 was to lighten the Gentiles. See Ch. 
 8: 12; 9: 4, 5. And He would not 
 stop to argue with them further, but 
 only urge upon taem their duty, in 
 view of their opportunity as fast pass- 
 ing av.:ay. If, in their reference to the 
 Old Testament, they had thouglit of 
 Ps. 89 : 3G, this answer of our Lord is 
 a happy turn given to the subject. 
 "Hie seed shall endure forever, and 
 his throne as the sun before me." 
 IT With you — Or, amongst you. Ch. 1 : 
 20 
 
 ness, knoweth not whither he 
 goeth. 
 
 36 While ye have light, believe 
 in the light, that je may be '' the 
 children of lic-ht. These thino-s 
 
 4-9. f Walk. He alluded to the fact 
 that soon He was to leave the world, 
 and instead of caviling about His 
 death, and using it as an objection 
 against His Messiahship, they should 
 make the best use of His instructions 
 and invitations. They would under- 
 stand the figure from His frequent use 
 of it in reference to Himself. T[ While 
 ye have. He did not refer only to His 
 departure from the world, but also to 
 the continuance of their opportunities 
 as a nation. Tf Lest darkness. This 
 He warned them of — the approaching 
 darkness which was to come upon this 
 rebellious nation — and the darkness 
 that must sooner or later overtake all 
 who do not improve the light. They 
 who work not while it is day will find 
 the night coming upon them, in which 
 no man can work. Ch. 9:4. T[ Come 
 vpon you — overtake you hi/ surprise. Sec 
 1 Thess. 5:4; Jer. 13 :' 16. " Dark- 
 ness is here the period when the Sal- 
 vation is no longer personally among 
 them, the result of which is, that the 
 step is no longer secure." ^ Knoiceth 
 not. This is the disadvantage if their 
 ■walking, (or attending to their liighest 
 concerns,) should be postponed till 
 after the Light had gone away from 
 them. He who M'alketh in the dark- 
 ness of natural ignorance and sinful 
 prejudice, without the Light o'f the Sun 
 of Righteousness, has no security — 
 walks without knowing where l.i.s 
 course leads, or will end, or how Koou 
 he may step into destruction. 
 
 36. While ye have _ light. Pvatlifr, 
 '■'■the Light." They ought earne.-tly 
 to believe in Him as the true Lighf, 
 while thoy had the benefit of His Per- 
 sonal instruction and of His gospel 
 invitation. This was the only way iu 
 which they could become the children 
 of light. Ch. 1: 12; 8: 12; Ephes. 5: 
 8. "Now are ye light in the Lord. 
 
230 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 88. 
 
 Bpake Jesus and departed, and did 
 hide himself from them. 
 
 ^ 37 But though he 
 
 had done so many miracles before 
 
 them, yet they believed not on him: 
 
 38 That the saying of Esaias the 
 
 prophet might be fulfilled, which 
 
 Walk as chikli-en of the light." H De- 
 parted. He probably went to Bethany. 
 Luke 21 : 37. But it is very signifi- 
 cantly said that Ho " did hide Himself 
 from them." Already while He warned 
 them to receive His instructions with a 
 believing spirit, He withdrew. Men 
 often cavil amidst all God's faithful 
 warnings, nnd while they cavil, He 
 departs— hides Himself from them. 
 Yet while He withdraws, He utters 
 His entreaty to believe. By this with- 
 drawal He signified what should after- 
 wards occur to them. Matt. 23 : 39. 
 How sadly the Jews now grope in 
 darkness ! So do many Gentile unbe- 
 lievers who boast of having most abun- 
 dant Light. " Professing themselves 
 to be wise, they have become fools." 
 
 The First Division of John's narra- 
 tive is now drawing to a close, with some 
 general reflections of the Evangelist, 
 (vss. 37-43,) and with a summary of 
 Christ's commission, vss. 43-50. Thus 
 far he has given the History of Christ's 
 glorification by His acts, discourses and 
 conflict ivith the Jews. From this he 
 passes in ch. 13, to show the manifes- 
 tation of His glory, in His suflFerings, 
 death and resurrection. See Introduc- 
 tion — " Object.'" 
 
 g 126. Reflections upon the unbe- 
 lief OF THE Jews. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Hark. | Luke. | John. 
 
 I I I 12.37-50. 
 
 37. The Evangelist, who had lived 
 to see the tiireatened desolations 
 come upon the Jewish people, tr.iccs 
 here the ri>;hteous fulfillment back to 
 their unbelief. He refers back to the 
 abundaut evidence which Christ had 
 
 he spake, ■ Lord, who hath be- 
 lieved our report ? and to whom 
 hath the arm of the Lord been 
 revealed ? 
 
 39 Therefore they could not be- 
 lieve, because that Esaias said "* 
 again, 
 
 a Is. 53. 1. JIs. G.9, 10. 
 
 given them, in His frequent miraculou? 
 works to confirm His Divine mission, 
 and to prove His Divinity. T[ So many. 
 This term may mean rather so great, 
 as in Matt. 8: 10. But miracles both 
 great and many He had wrought. See 
 ch. 9: IG; 15: 24. If Before them. 
 Before the Jewish people. ^ Thq/ be- 
 lieved not. The majority of them be- 
 lieved not. This fact of His not having 
 been received by His own countrymen, 
 might be brought up in evidence 
 against His claims, as though they 
 had not been well supported. But it 
 was not for lack of miracles, but in 
 defiance of them, and notwithstanding 
 every such testimony from on high. 
 This the Evangelist would have to be 
 well understood, as the ministry of 
 Christ was now drawing to a close. 
 
 88. That the saying. Isa. '53 : 1. 
 "John docs not mean that the predic- 
 tion laid a necessity on the Jews : for 
 Isaiah (53: 1 ; see Rom. 10: 16) uttered 
 nothing but what the Lord revealed to 
 him from the secret treasures of His 
 purposes. Indeed it must have hap- 
 pened, though the prophet had not 
 spoken of it." — Calvin. This event is 
 here noted as a fulfillment of Isaiah's 
 prediction. That lie referred to the 
 times of the Messiah, and t.) this very 
 unbelief of the Jews, is plain from the 
 whole passage. Of course the result 
 did not take place in order that the 
 prophecy might be fulfilled — but the 
 result was foreseen by God, and in the 
 Divine counsel it formed one feature 
 of that comprehensive purpose which 
 covers all issues and events. Chrysos- 
 tom well remarks : " It was not be- 
 cause Isaiah said so, that they did not 
 believe, but because they would'uot 
 believe Isaiah said this." 
 
 89. " In this passage lie speaks of. 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. xn. 
 
 231 
 
 40 He hath bliaded their eyes, 
 and hardened their heart; that 
 they should not see with their 
 eyes, nor understand with their 
 heart, and be converted, and I 
 should heal them. 
 
 the Irardnesa by which God punishes 
 the wickedness of an ungrateful peo- 
 ple." — Calvin. ^ Thei/ could not. There 
 was an inability to believe. This is 
 explained in the words that follow. 
 It grew out of a blindness of mind and 
 hardness of heart. It was no less an 
 inability because it was one of the 
 mind and heart. This is the very kind 
 of inability belonging to the case. 
 They were not idiots nor madmen. 
 Yet they are not to be excused be- 
 cause their resistance of the light was 
 so stubborn that they could not see. 
 TT Because that. The Jewish people 
 were they whoso character was de- 
 scribed by Isaiah, and therefore, in 
 the circumstances, it could not be that 
 they would believe. They were the 
 people to whom this prophecy applied. 
 ^ Said ayain. Isa. G : 9, 10. 
 
 40. He hath blinded, &c. Here God 
 is represented as having an agency in 
 this sad result. The passage of the 
 prophet explains this. He is there 
 ordered to "Go and make the heart 
 of that people fat," &c. — that is, to do 
 what would surely have this effect — 
 to go on preaching where the result 
 would be only to harden the people 
 and blind them with the very light 
 itself. Yet this was no fault of his 
 preaching, or of the light, but the 
 fault of their own unbelief, because 
 this was foreseen as the result of God's 
 dealings and teachings, that they 
 should only grow harder and blinder. 
 He is spoken of here as directly doing 
 what was only the consequence of His 
 kindest treatment, and because of the 
 wickedness of their hearts. 1[ That. 
 So that this is the result and not the 
 object of God's dealing. God did not 
 interfere to prevent them from seeing, 
 &c., but He purposely permitted them 
 to go on and resist the truth, and suf- 
 
 41 These things said Esaias, 
 when * he saw his glory, and 
 spake of him : 
 
 42 Nevertheless, among the chief 
 r«lers also many believed on him, 
 but •" because of the Pharisees they 
 
 a Is. 6.1. 6c.9. :2. 
 
 fer all the hardening consequences. 
 His dealings were abused by them to 
 the same effect, so that this result was 
 realized — of their not seeing, &c. A 
 fearful curse of sin is this — that it has 
 a natural tendency' to wax worse and 
 worse. ^ Be converted, &c. Literally, 
 convert or turn, in the active sense. 
 While it is true that men are regene- 
 rated (?'. e. passively by God's act) it is 
 also true that in consequence of this, 
 they do turn actively. The hnrden- 
 ing process goes on in conformity 
 with the laws of the natural mind and 
 heart. The contrary process is indi- 
 cated here. If- they had seen and un- 
 derstood the truth, and had turned 
 from their evil way, He would have 
 healed them. 
 
 41. That Isaiah really spake of these 
 very times of Christ, is here stated. 
 Therefore, the passage was truly a 
 prediction of what came to pass under 
 the Evangelist's eye. It was a prophecy 
 of the rejection of Christ the Messiah, 
 by His own people. .lohn had been 
 led by the Spirit to see also that Isaiah 
 was in that content, (ch. 6,) speaking 
 of the same person of whom John here 
 speaks, viz — of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 Yet the prophet calls Him Jehovah — 
 and says that he saw Him. He could 
 have seen only the Schecinah, whose 
 glory filled the temple. This was the 
 visible manifestation of Jehovah, which 
 symbolized the Lord Jesus, " who is 
 the brightness of the Father's glory." 
 Therefore, John sajs it was tl.e Mes- 
 siah's glory that Isaiah saw — and, of 
 course, he thus declares that Christ, 
 of whom he himself was speaking, was 
 the Jehovah whom Isaiah saw. See 1 
 Cor. 10: 4. "No man hath seen God 
 at any time." But Isaiah s;iys that 
 he saw Jehovah. Isa. G : 5 — and, hence, 
 it must have been the only-bogottea 
 
£32 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83 
 
 did not confess him, lest they 
 should be put out of the syna- 
 gogue : 
 48 For "they loved the praise of 
 
 a c. 5. 44. Ro. 2. 29. 
 
 Son tliat he saw, who hath revealed or 
 luanifciited the Father. Here is a 
 direct and clear proof of the divinity 
 of our Lord. 
 
 42. Nevertheless. Though the people 
 as a body, rejected Christ, yet some 
 believed in the way here stated. 
 ^ Chi"/ rulers. These were not such as 
 Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea and 
 others, members of the Sanhedrim or 
 chief council. For that this belief was 
 not of a saving nature, or such as was 
 required, is manifest from its opera- 
 tion. It did not lead to self-denying 
 devotedness. They had a conviction 
 of His claims so far as to have yielded 
 to the evidence of His miracles. They 
 believed Him to be a teacher sent from 
 God, as Nicodemus did at the first, 
 (ch. 3: 1,) but they were not savingly 
 enlightened hy our Lord's inward 
 teaching, as Nicodemus afterwards 
 was. TI The Pharisee-i. These were 
 the bitter opposers of our Lord, and 
 their influence was supreme in the 
 council. If Confess Ilim. Make a 
 public profession of adherence to Him 
 as Nicodemus and Joseph did. Ch. 19: 
 38, 39. If Be put out. They had 
 passed a decree that if any man did 
 confess Christ, he should be excom- 
 municated. This was a serious dam- 
 age. See ch. 9 : 22, and Notes. 
 
 43. For. The reason for their de- 
 clining to confess Christ before oppo- 
 sers is here given. They cared more 
 for human applause than for the 
 approbation of God. Tlie term here 
 rendered "praise," means, commonly, 
 honor or glory, and the passage refers 
 back to that saying of our Lord, where 
 the same word is used, (ch. 5: 44,) where 
 He showed the great hindj-ance in the 
 way of men's believing in Ilim, if their 
 position or disposition led them to live 
 on the popular favor, and to "receive 
 honor, ("praise") one of another, 
 instead of that which cometh from God 
 
 men more than the praise of God. 
 44 Jesus cried and said, He '' that 
 bclieveth on me, bclieveth not on 
 me, but on him that sent nie. 
 
 5Mar. 9. 37. IPe. l.'Jl. 
 
 only.'' These were iDuVjIic men — high 
 in office — and they could not face the 
 opposition and scorn wliich they must 
 incur bj' confessing Clirist. They had 
 rather wait to see if He would not yet 
 come forth as a political deliverer, and 
 temporal king, so that it might be safe 
 to confess Him. Men who occupy 
 public office and "receive honor 
 ("praise") one of another, without 
 seeking the honor that cometh from 
 God only," are still exposed to the same 
 temptation of rejecting Christ's claiins. 
 This is the danger of political life. 
 Many chief rulers are afraid to confess 
 Christ publicly for fear of opposers — 
 and lest they should be put out of 
 political society and office on this 
 account by offending the open enemies 
 of Christianity. Yet public men are 
 entrusted with a great influence and a 
 weighty responsibility — and their open 
 profession of Christ has a great eft'ect 
 upon the public mind. They are 
 bound to use this influence for Christ. 
 God records in Heaven the reason of 
 their declining to own Christ before 
 men, just as it is here recorded. The 
 duty of professing Christ before men 
 is plainly laid down in the Scriptures. 
 H" there were no public professors of 
 Him, there could be no church and no 
 ordinances, and the religion of Christ 
 could not be kept up among men. 
 Therefore, it is required of tliose who 
 hope in Christ and receive Him as a 
 Saviour, to acknowledge Him publicly, 
 and to strengthen the church .\nd cause 
 of Christ on eartli hy their open testi- 
 mony. "With the mouth, confession 
 is made unto salvation." Horn. IG: 10. 
 44. John here adds the testimony of 
 our Lord to the same effect, and thus 
 confirms his remarks in the preceding 
 verses, about the unbelief of tlie people. 
 These woi'ds may be a continuation of 
 our Lord's discourse, (vs. 36, ) which was 
 thore cut short, or they may be gath- 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 233 
 
 45 And he that seeth me, seeth 
 him that sent me. 
 
 46 I * am come a light into the 
 world, that whosoever believeth on 
 me should not abide in darkness. 
 
 47 And if any man hear my 
 
 cred from His previous discourses, as 
 already given by John. Tlie terms, 
 liowever, seem to imply tliat tliis sol- 
 emu language was delivered on this 
 occasion. He "cried and said," repeat- 
 ing in substance His previous testimonies 
 in a kind of summary as He drew near, 
 noto, to the close of His libors with the 
 unbelieving multitude, and was about to 
 give Himself more exclusively to the edifi- 
 cation and comforting of His disciples. 
 His claims were really the claims 
 of the Father, also, whom the .Jews 
 professed to worship. And so the 
 believing in Ilim was not confined to 
 Him, but was essential to a proper 
 belief in the Father Himself. So He 
 said afterwards to His disciples. "Ye 
 believe in God — believe also in Me." 
 This doctrine He had constantly urged 
 upon this disbelieving people who so 
 falsely professed their belief in Jeho- 
 vah. He did the same works as the 
 Father did, and this passage declares 
 His essential oneness with the Father. 
 Ch. -5: 17, 20, 36; ch. 10: 25-37. He 
 taught the very doctrine which He was 
 sent to teach. Ch. 5: 20-23; 30: 8-38. 
 
 45. Seeth, &c. This is something 
 further. This was as much as to say, 
 in the strongest, plainest terms, that 
 He was so positively one with the 
 Father, that whoever saw Him, did 
 really see the Father. So He said to 
 Philip, when he asked Him saying, 
 " Show us the Father, and it sufQceth 
 us." Ch. 14: 8. He had come to show 
 the Father. He was "the express 
 imago of His person" — as the Avax 
 bears the express image of the seal. 
 
 4t]. A light, &c. So in vs. 35 He 
 had referred to Himself as the Light 
 which they might improve if they 
 would. John calls Him the true Light. 
 The term as applied to Christ is not 
 the same as applied to John the Bap- 
 20* 
 
 words, and believe not, I judge 
 him not : for I came "^ not to judge 
 the world, but to save the world. 
 48 He that rejectcth me, and 
 receiveth not my words, "= hath one 
 that judgeth him : the word that 
 
 6e.3. IT. c Dc. 18. 19. Lu. 9. 28. 
 
 tist, who, though he was a burning 
 and shining light — was only a lamp or 
 lantern, that needed to be lighted up, 
 and did not shine of itself. Christ 
 now professes again that He comes as 
 the " Light to lighten the Gentiles and 
 the glory of His people Israel." Luke 
 2 : 32. In ch. 8 : 12, He called Him- 
 self " the Light of the world." See ch. 
 1: 9; 3: 19. f That. This wfis His 
 gracious object — to give men light 
 upon their path. Reason and philoso- 
 phy cannot give us the light necessary 
 for s.alvation. He "brought life and 
 immortality to light," in the gospel. 
 Hence, •' this is the condemnation, that 
 light is come into the world, and men 
 loved darkness rather than light, be- 
 cause their deeds were evil." Ch. 3: 19. 
 ^ Abide — remain, continue. This im- 
 plies that men are in darki:ess by 
 nature. See ch. 3 : 36. The object of 
 our Lord in coming into tjie world, 
 was to provide a way of escape from 
 natural ignorance and error, so that 
 men should not remain in their original 
 estate of sin and misery. The terra 
 darkness is used to signify sin and 
 error, as in John 3: 19; 1 John 1 : 5. 
 It denotes also the misery of God's 
 withdrawment. Ch. 8: 12. 
 
 47. I judge him not. This remark is 
 qualified and explained by what imme- 
 diately follows. It was not Clirist's 
 object or pleasure now to punish men, 
 but to provide for their salvation. 
 Instead of destroying the race for the 
 sinfulness of that estate into which 
 they fell. He came in order that they 
 might not perish but have eternal life. 
 He ca.ne not to judge the worki at this 
 time, but to save the world. Hereafter 
 He will come as Judge of quick and 
 dead. 
 
 48. The word, kc. This solemn fore- 
 warning was most appropriate to the 
 
£34 
 
 JOHK. 
 
 [AoB 88. 
 
 I have spoken, the same shall 
 judge him in the last day. 
 49 For I have not spoken of 
 myself; but the Father which sent 
 me, he gave me a commandment. 
 
 close of our Lord's labors witli this 
 unbelieving people. It would not need 
 tliat He should judge or condemn them. 
 They would stand condemned by the 
 faithlulness of His labors. His warn- 
 ings, otFers and promises would testify 
 against them — and leave them no. pos- 
 sibility of excuse. Such words would 
 judge them: as '■'■ If any man thirst, let 
 him come unto me and dmik." '■^Except 
 a man be born again, he cannot see the 
 kingdom of God." Observe — 1. The 
 condemnation of the sinner is not arbi- 
 trary, nor does God take pleasure in 
 it, nor is this what Christ has come 
 for. '1. A guilty conscience needs no 
 accuser. 3. Every mouth will be 
 stopped at the judgment seat of Christ. 
 4. The very message of grace and sal- 
 vation, now rejected by the sinner, 
 will rise up in his memory to condemn 
 liim, and will show his condemnation 
 to be just, before the universe. 6. 
 There is a clear propriety in the final 
 judgment — and if Christ did not come 
 as the judge, the sinnei"'s own memory 
 and conscience would utter his sentence 
 in overwhelming tones. " Out of thine 
 own mouth will I judge thee." 
 
 49. See ch. 5: 30; 7: 16, 17, 28, 
 29; 8: 26, 28, 38. This message of 
 Christ is not that of a mere man — nor 
 can men escape the judgment that it 
 necessarily brings — for it comes from 
 God the Father Almightj', and Christ 
 comes as His messengei" and ambassa- 
 dor to men. Therefore, the words 
 which He has spoken are of the high- 
 est authority, and if i-ojectcd, will carry 
 their own condemnatory sentence with 
 them in the soul forever. AVhat an 
 i^^ful judgment must Christ's invita- 
 tions pass, in the bosom of the lost sin- 
 ner. How will the words, "Come 
 unto me all ye that are weary," con- 
 demn him long as his memory endures. 
 How will they etir up new pangs of 
 
 what I should say, and what 1 
 should speak. 
 
 50 And I know that his com- 
 mandment * is life everlasting : 
 whatsoever I speak therefore, even 
 
 :1 Jlio.3.23. 
 
 remorse in the guilty conscience. 
 II A commandment. An authoritative 
 commission. Ch. 10: 18. 
 
 50. / know. Our Lord here, in clo- 
 sing His public discouj-ses, sets His 
 solemn seal to His message. Ho 
 declares His own testimony as to its 
 vital importance as from the God of 
 Heaven to lost men — the only way of 
 salvation. Tf Life everlasting. Christ's 
 commission frcm the Father was the 
 only mode of procuring and revealing 
 everlasting life for men. And the 
 proper knowledge and acknowledgment 
 of the Father and Son in their work 
 of redemption, is life everlasting. Ch, 
 17: 3. John repeats this doctrine in 
 1 John 5: 20. "This is the true God 
 and eternal life," viz — this revelation 
 of God by Christ Jesus — of God as 
 reconciling tlic word unto Himself. 
 Eternal life can be obtained, therefore, 
 only by. believing in Christ, accepting 
 His finished work, and looking to Him 
 as the way and the truth and the life. 
 In this solemn manner our Lord brings 
 His public preaching to a close. It 
 was as much as to say, " I have done — 
 I h.ave delivered mj' message. It is of 
 most vital concern to every man. It 
 is the only plan of everlasting life for 
 sinners. It is from the maker of 
 Heaven and earth. I know that it is 
 the only way of life eternal. He who 
 rejects it, therefore, rejects everlasting 
 life." John, in his 1st Epistle, refers 
 to this solemn declaration when he 
 saj-s, "This is tlie record," (as though 
 all the Scripture Avere summed up in 
 this,) "that Godh.ilh given to ns eter- 
 nal life, and this life is in His Son." 
 " These things have I wi itten unto you, 
 that ye may knoio that ye have denial 
 life, and that ye may believe on the 
 name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:11, 
 13. It is in regard to this substance 
 of Christ's testimony that he says, 
 
Age S3.] 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 
 236 
 
 as the Father said unto me, so I 
 speak. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 t^jOW '' before the 
 feast of the pass- 
 
 fN' 
 
 *' lie that believeth not God, hath made 
 Him a liar, because he believeth not 
 the record that God gave of His Son." 
 1 John 5: 10. Obseeve — iMatthew, 
 Mark and Luke have licre added our 
 Lord's taking leave of the temple, with 
 His predictions of its destruction, and 
 of the persecution of the disciples — the 
 signs of His coming to destroy Jerusa- 
 lem and the Jewish politj' — with the 
 parables illustrating His final coming 
 to judgment. 
 
 This closes the Fikst Division of 
 John's Gospel narrative, in which he 
 Las shown the manifestation of Christ's 
 glory in His acts, discourses and con- 
 flicts with the Jews. Now He proceeds 
 to show His glorification in His suf- 
 ferings, death and resurrection, as the 
 Second Division. In all the history 
 it plainly appears — 1. That the public 
 work of Ciirist manifested His glory, 
 and — 2. That this, at the same time, 
 led on to His death, which death again 
 further manifested His glory. See 
 Introduction. 
 
 PART VIII. 
 
 The Fourth Paswver. Our LorcV s 
 Passion, ainl the accompanijing 
 events, until the end of the Jew- 
 ish Sabbath. 
 
 Time, two days. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 § 134. Jesus washes the feet of 
 His Disciples. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Evpijiiig iiitroduciiii; the sixth day of the week. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. I Luke. I John. 
 
 ' I I 13. 1-20. 
 
 1. Bejore the feast. It is quite re- 
 markable that John gives no account 
 
 over, when Jesus knew that his 
 hour '' was come that he should 
 depart out of this world unto the 
 Father, having "= loved his own 
 which were in the world, he loved 
 them unto the end. 
 
 5c.l7.1,ll. cJer.31.3. Ep. 5. 2. 1 .Jno. 4. 19. Re. 1.5. 
 
 of this last Passover, nor of the Sup- 
 per. He evidently takes for granted 
 that they ai-e familiar to his renders, 
 from the other Evangelists. There 
 are several pass.nges in John's history 
 which seem, at first sight, to imply that 
 the Passover meal had not yet been 
 partaken at the time of our Lord's 
 crucifixion — and, hence, some have 
 inferred that our Lord Himself did not 
 eat this Passover. But the other 
 Evangelists expressly state that He 
 did — and they give no hint of its hav- 
 ing been at any other than the regular 
 time. As John does not undertake to 
 give the details as the others do, we 
 need not wonder that his account dif- 
 fers somewhat from the rest — while 
 there is no real contradiction. And 
 we may be sure that if John had given 
 the full history, his narrative would 
 hr.ve been more clear as to the particu- 
 lars of time, &c. This question, how- 
 ever, was very early raised and agita- 
 ted in the Church. The churches of 
 Asia Elinor in the second century dif- 
 fered from the V/estern churches on 
 this point — the former holding that 
 our Lord ate this Passover — the latter 
 contending that He did not, and that 
 the meal which He ate was in antici- 
 pation of the Passover, which was 
 abrogated by His death — as He was 
 the true Paschal lamb which was killed 
 for the Passover at this time — "in the 
 fullness of the times." Those who wish 
 to see what can be said on this ques- 
 tion may consult Dr. Robinson's H.ar- 
 mony of tiie Gospels, Notes — and Al- 
 ford's Commentary on the New Testa- 
 ment. Matt. 26: 17. Robinson has 
 shown conclusively that there is no 
 contradiction in the different accounts. 
 f Before. Thd " Synopsis of the Har- 
 mony" (see Notes on Matthew,) will 
 show that this paragraph belongs after 
 
286 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Agk 83, 
 
 2 And supper being ended, (the » 
 devil having now put iuto the heart 
 
 n r.ii. '^2. S3, c. G. 70. 
 
 the contention among the twelve, as 
 they sat clown to the Passover meal. 
 Verse 2 also shows that the supper was 
 spre.ad, and that the washing of the 
 disciples' feet was meant to be intro- 
 ductory to the eating. This occurred 
 on the evening introducing the sixth 
 day of tlie week. It was Thursday 
 evening which, after sundown, came to 
 be reckoned as Friday morning. For 
 the difficult question as to the day and 
 date of this Passover of our Lord, see 
 ch. Id : 14, I^otes. 1i The feast. This 
 term means more properly, festival — 
 and has reference to the entire solem- 
 nity of the Passover, and not to the 
 Paschal meal. The time here meant 
 "before the festival," is the festival 
 eye — the evening immediately prece- 
 ding the festival proper. The Paschal 
 meal was prepared on the fourteenth, 
 (Thursday, in this case,) and eaten at 
 evening, while the festival began on 
 the fifteenth, and lasted seven days. 
 T[ W/ien Jesus knetv. Uather— Jesus 
 knoioing, or though He knew. By this 
 the Evangelist expresses the contrast 
 of His conscious dignity with this act 
 of condescension. He was induced to 
 this demonstration of love by the cer- 
 tain knowledge that He must soon leave 
 the disciples. ^ Ilis hour. The ap- 
 pointed time for His death. Of this 
 He had often before spoken, and said 
 that it had not come. But now it had 
 come and He knew it. T[ To the Father. 
 John here tells us distinctly, whither 
 Christ went Avheu He died. It was 
 not to the spirits in prison, as some 
 have supposed — but to the Father. 
 So He said to the dying thief, that He 
 was going that day to Paradise. 
 Tf Loved them. This refers to the emo- 
 tion as expressed in act. He actively 
 loved them — gave actual, visible proof 
 of His love, as here recorded. ^ Unto 
 the end. Not to the end of the feast, 
 merely ; but to the end of life. His 
 love could not be hindered or checked 
 by the fear of death. He now, in 
 immediate anticipation of it, gives them 
 
 of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to 
 betray him,) 
 
 the tokens of His warmest love. He 
 does not draw back when He comes to 
 the point. So He never will forsake 
 His people. If He did not shrink from 
 suffering cruel tortures and death for 
 them, will He foisake them now, that 
 it is done ? If He loved them to the 
 end of His earthly trials and agonies 
 on their behalf, will He not love Hia 
 people to the end of their trials, and 
 of their time on earth ? 
 
 2. Being ended. This term rather 
 signifies being prepared. The supper 
 was spread — and it was as they were 
 ready to eat that this service was per- 
 formed. We find them still eating, vss. 
 12-26. T[ The devil. This being is the 
 Tempter, Satan — the Old Serpent who 
 put disobedience into the heart of our 
 first parents. But though he assaulted 
 our Lord, he was not able to move Him 
 to any sin, because he " found nothing 
 in Him" to work upon. Ch. 14: 30. 
 See Jas. 1:14. ^ Put into the heart. 
 Litei'ally, havitig cast or thrust as a 
 dart. In Eph. 6:16, his temptations 
 are called "the fiery darts of the 
 wicked." We know the history of this 
 temptation — and that it was through 
 the avarice of Judas that it was ac- 
 complished. Ch. 12 : 4. He had 
 already bargained with the Sanhedrim 
 to betray Him. Matt. 26: 14; Mark 
 14; Luke 22. See gl31. And this 
 term refers to past time, and probably 
 to this bargaining. In vs. 27, the 
 actual entrance of Satan into him 
 marks his going forth to the deed. 
 Here this is mentioned to show the ex- 
 ceeding love of Christ in the following 
 action. ^ Simo7i's son. Sad is it to 
 think of the disgrace of a father by 
 the act of such a son. Judas is hero 
 spoken of in connection with the name 
 of his father: and possibly a careless 
 or wicked father was in part the 
 cause of such a career as brought 
 his son to the horrible end of a mur- 
 derer of Jesus, and a suicide. ^ To 
 betray Him. Literally, That he should 
 betray Him. 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. xm. 
 
 237 
 
 3 Jesus knowing * that the Fa- 
 ther had given all things into his 
 hands, and that ^ he was come from 
 Grod, and went to God; 
 
 4 He riseth from sui:)per, and 
 laid aside his garments; and took 
 a towel and girded himself: 
 
 nMatt.2S. 18. He. 2. 8. 5 c. 17.11. 
 
 3. J^p.sus knowing. This is mentioned 
 here to show that such an act of con- 
 descension was not inconsistent with 
 our Lord's Divinity, but perfectly in 
 keeping with it. It was not done 
 without aknowledge of His own majesty 
 and glory, and it is not to be looked 
 upon as disowning this, or denying it. 
 Though He knew that He was Lord of 
 the Universe, and that He was soon 
 going to Heaven and glory, to sit down 
 upon His throne. He stooped to wash 
 their feet ! ^ Given all things. See 
 Matt. 28: 18. This proves Christ to 
 have been God ; for no mere creature 
 could have had the capacity for such 
 a trust — and it plainly required Him 
 to be God, in order to have all things 
 in His hands. 
 
 4. Riseth from supiier. "From the 
 supper" — which is said in vs. 2 to have 
 been spread. This shows that He at 
 le.ast was already at table, and just 
 about to eat. Tf Laid aside. Here the 
 God-man is seen not only in the form 
 of a servant, but in the very apparel 
 of a servant. He put off His outer 
 mantle, or loose robe. Ch. 19: 23. 
 (See Cut, Matt. 5: 42.) It was the 
 custom to lay this aside when they 
 were going to work; as it was in the 
 way, and hindered a free use of the 
 limbs. TT A towel. The dress of the 
 East requires a girdle, and the people 
 usually wear n sash of silk or cotton 
 around the waist. But to be girded 
 with a towel was the dress of a slave. 
 See Luke 17:8. Tholuck understands 
 that our Lord had already reclined at 
 the table — that, as they had no ser- 
 vants, the feet-washing Avould natu- 
 rally have been done by one of the 
 disciples. The thing's necessary for 
 it were at hand. As the disciples are 
 debating who shall undertake it, Jesus 
 
 5 After that, he poureth water 
 into a basin, and began to wash the 
 disciples' feet, and to wipe them 
 with the towel wherewith he was 
 girded. 
 
 6 Then cometh he to Simon 
 Peter: and Peter ^ said unto 
 
 no longer remains in His reclining 
 posture, but rises Himself to perform 
 this duty of a servant, to show His 
 condescending love in this closing 
 transaction. How symbolical was this 
 of that love which led Him to lay 
 aside the garb of Godhead and take 
 our servile flesh, Phil. 2:5-7. Claudius 
 has said that " such an ideal of man 
 as presents itself here never entered 
 the heart of man. AVhatever great- 
 ness and glory antiquity presented — a 
 dying Epamiriondas — a dying Socrates 
 — vanishes before this specimen of Deity 
 in humiliation, and of a Divine form 
 of a servant." 
 
 5. Basin. Such a vessel was usually 
 at hand for this purpose. It was the 
 custom, at feasts, to have a servant 
 wash the feet of guests. 1 Sam. 25: 
 41. This was necessary, as they trav- 
 eled in the dust of a hot country, and 
 wore sandals which exposed the feet. 
 IT Feet. As they reclined according to 
 the Persian habit, since the captivity, 
 the feet were stretched out upon the 
 couch, so that this could easily bo 
 done. 1[ To wipe them. This was also 
 the servant's work, and the towel was 
 used for this purpose. (See Cut, ch. 2.) 
 
 G. Then. That is, in the course of 
 His washing their feet — as He went 
 around from one to another He came 
 to Peter. This implies rather that He 
 did not go to Peter first, as some under- 
 stand. This presents Peter's conduct 
 in a more striking light. ^ Dost Thou. 
 Rather — art thou washing, (about to 
 wash) my feet? "He thinks the act 
 unworthy of the Lord — even as many 
 think that great act of love to have 
 been, which was typified by it." Jlany 
 make the extreme condescension of 
 Christ to sinners, a difficulty in the 
 way of their understanding or accept 
 
238 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 him, Lord, dost ' thou -wash my 
 feet! 
 
 7 Jesus answered and said unto 
 him, What I do, thou knowest not 
 now J but thou shalt know here- 
 after. 
 
 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou 
 
 a Matt. 3. U. 
 
 ing the salvation. They cannot see 
 how this can be. 
 
 7. What I do. The terms / aud 
 thou here are emphatic, as well as now 
 and hereafter, and are placed in con- 
 trast. They did not understand yet 
 as they afterwards would, what He 
 meant by this. It was a symbol of 
 spiritual washing and purification. It 
 was a lesson also to them of brotherly 
 love and personal humility. And it 
 was only one way of expressing the 
 work that He was carrying on — laying 
 aside His glory, taking the form of a 
 servant, and cleansing His disciples by 
 the Holy Spirit. Our Lord gave some 
 bints of the meaning in its immediate 
 connection with themselves, vss. 13, 
 14. 1[ Shalt knoic. This was a pre- 
 cious promise, which ought to satisfy 
 in all cases. It applies .also to all 
 events. They should constantly know 
 more and more of the condescension 
 of Christ, as they should further under- 
 stand His dying Love. They should 
 see the need cf personal humility and 
 brotherly kindness, and the claim upon 
 them to this from the humiliation of 
 Christ for them. These things they 
 would better understand at His death. 
 And the cleansing work (f the Sp'rit, 
 as purchased for them by Christ, they 
 would understand at Pentecost and 
 afterwards. Observe. — 1. Christ's 
 acts of Love to us are often misunder- 
 stood. 2. His dark dealings are to be 
 explained hereafter. 3. AVe are prom- 
 ised by Him that we shall know the 
 course of His dealing toward us, if not 
 in this world, in the next. And hence, 
 instead of demanding to see and know 
 everything now, we should submit. 
 4. It is the part of faith to trust where 
 we do not know, and to be satisfied 
 vhere we do not see — relying upon 
 
 shalt never wash my feet. Je.sus 
 answered him, If "^ I wa.sh thee 
 not, thou hast no part with 
 me. 
 
 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, 
 Lord, not my feet only, but also 
 m^ hands, and mi/ head. 
 
 ilCor. 6. 11. Ep.5. 26. Tit. 3.5. 
 
 God's faithfulness. To believe only so 
 far as we can see, is walking by .vffhf 
 and not hy faith. "What time I am 
 afraid I will trust in thee." Where 
 we cannot see, is the very place for 
 trust. To trust Christ only so far as 
 we can see Him, is no trust. 
 
 8. Thou shalt never, &c. The terms 
 here are very strong. Thou shalt not 
 by ar.y means, ever. This is the temper 
 of the rash, self-willed Peter. ^ Wash 
 thee not. " Our Lord replies rather to 
 the spirit of Peter's objection, than to 
 his words." The same temper of de- 
 clining Christ's plan of grace, even on 
 account of its condescension, would 
 keep him from receiving salvation 
 itself or the spiritual cleansing which 
 is here signified. It seems to many, .a 
 mark of true humility to refuse such 
 condescending terms and ways as 
 Christ offers to sinners in the Gospel. 
 But when it is searched into we often find 
 it is a lurking pride of heart, that will 
 not yield to so unheard of a method, 
 and will not accept such gratuitous, 
 free-service, as is without money and 
 without price. If Thou hast no part, 
 &c. The meaning is, that if he would 
 not allow this, He would not allow the 
 spiritual work which it signified — aud 
 though this washing of the feet in 
 itself, was a small matter, yet if Christ 
 was not to be allowed to do His cleans- 
 ing work for him, he could not be His — 
 could not partake of His benefits aud 
 blessings. At any rate, disobedience 
 to Christ would be fatal. 
 
 9. See 1 John 1 : 3-7. Peter seeing 
 that his submission to Christ's work 
 and way was a condition of his salva- 
 tion, and getting a hint perhaps of 
 what was meant by our Lord, changed 
 his tone, and begged to be washed 
 abundantly. Now He could not have 
 
Agb S3.] 
 
 CHAP. xin. 
 
 239 
 
 10 Jesus saith to him, He that 
 is washed ncodeth not save to wash 
 his feet, but is clean every whit : 
 and yc arc clean, but not all. 
 
 11 For * he knew who should 
 betray him : therefore said he, Ye 
 are not all clean. 
 
 12 So after he had washed their 
 feet, and had taken his garments, 
 
 enough of the cleansing which was so 
 connected with an interest in Christ. 
 He could not consent to be cast otF 
 from Christ. " Let me be entirely 
 ■washed by thee that I may have full 
 participation with thee." Chrysostom 
 says: "In his deprecation, Peter was 
 vehement — in his yielding, more vehe- 
 ment; but both came from his love." 
 
 10. Our Lord now proceeds to show 
 the deep spiritual meaning of this 
 action, and how it is that the feet need 
 to be washed by Him, even though the 
 soul has been renewed, and how it is 
 that no more is necessary. It is just 
 as when one has been bathed, but 
 afterwards needs to have his feet 
 washed from the dust or sand that will 
 cleave to them along the way. One 
 who has been regenerated, needs, yet, 
 a daily cleansing of the feet from the 
 defilements of the way — from the cor- 
 ruptions of his daily walk in this world. 
 2 Cor. 7:1; Jas. 1 : 21 ; Acts 15: 8, 
 9 ; 2 Pet. 2 : 22. t Everi/ whit. En- 
 tirely — wholly clean. See Eph. 5 : 26. 
 He does not mean that they were any 
 of them perfect, but that they did not 
 need another regeneration, (an entire 
 washing as Peter called for, ) but only 
 this cleansing from tlie way. Such as 
 had been renewed by tlie washing 
 of regeneration, were clean entirely, 
 through His word abiding in them, 
 (ch. 15: .J,) and only needed this ha- 
 bitual sanctiflcation. Tf But not all. 
 This exception refers to Judas. 
 
 11. For He knew. Our Lord was 
 not ignor.ant, as John testifies, in regard 
 to what was to come upon Ilim, and 
 the Evangelists afterwards -unders'ood 
 this reference. ^ Who should betray 
 
 and was set down again, he said 
 unto them. Know ye what I have 
 done to you ? 
 
 13 Ye '' call me Master, and 
 Lord : and ye say well ; for so I am. 
 
 14 If I then, i/our Lord and 
 Master, have washed your feet, ye 
 also ought to wash one another's 
 feet. 
 
 l Matt. 23. 8-10. Ph. 2.11. 
 
 Iliin. Gr. — The betrayer — the one be- 
 trayiny Iltm — that is, ivho ivas about 
 betrayiny Ilim. This is the reason why 
 our Lord made the exception. John did 
 not understand it at the time, for he 
 asked at tlie Supper, wlio it was. vs. 
 35. But as he wrote this gospel his- 
 tory some fifty or sixty years .after the 
 event, he testifies here as to the mean- 
 ing which was made so clear by the 
 events. 
 
 12. "As Peter was not the first that 
 He washed, (vs. G,) so he was not the 
 last. .Judging from what follows, John 
 was more probably the first, then Peter, 
 then the rest." — Alford. ^ Know ye. 
 This He s.ays to call their attention to 
 the explanation He would now give. 
 This was the kind, patient manner in 
 which our Lord would urge His in- 
 structions upon t'lein, and secure their 
 being understood. "Do ye know the 
 meaniny of what I have done to you, 
 and its desiyii?" 
 
 13. Master. Literally, Teac/icr. ^ Lord. 
 The Greek shows that these were titles 
 which they g'lve to Christ. " Lord" 
 is a term by which the Greek trans- 
 lators of the Old Testament have ren- 
 dered the name .Jeliovali. It is con- 
 stantly applied to Christ in the New 
 Testament. It means, properl3% Pro- 
 prietor, Elder. These titles He claimed 
 and deserved. 
 
 14. The lesson He meant to give by 
 that action was this — That if He, their 
 Head, Teacher and Proprietor, had 
 condescended to do to them this work 
 of a servant., they, surely, should be 
 willing to serve one another in such au 
 humble manner, by such acts of con- 
 descending kindness. This action of 
 
210 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age S3, 
 
 15 For * I have given you an 
 example, that ye should do as I 
 have done to you. 
 
 IG Verily, verily, I say unto you. 
 The servant is not greater than 
 his lord: neither he that is sent 
 greater than he that sent him. 
 
 our Lord, notwithstanding this expla- 
 nation, has been misunderstood and 
 applied to a mere ceremonial religion. 
 Since the fourth century, the washing 
 has been practiced literally upon those 
 newly baptized, as though it were 
 meant as a mere outward ordinance. 
 (Bingham, Ant. Eccl. iv., p. 39-1.) The 
 Pope, at Easter, is accustomed to wash 
 the feet of twelve beggars! But this is 
 surely a human institution ; for if 
 literally to be done, it is nowhere 
 limited to twelve, nor to beggars, but is 
 to be universally done. Bengel says, 
 " The Pope would do a more remark- 
 able thing, if in unfeigned humility he 
 washed the feet of one king, than he 
 does in washing the feet of twelve poor 
 men." It was neither called for nor 
 fit, except where sandals were used ; 
 and there it could be practiced as a 
 work of love, (1 Tim. 5: 10,) like any 
 other loving service. It is plain, there- 
 fore, from the very nature of the 
 command, that it was not meant to re- 
 quire every Christian to wash the feet 
 of every fellow Christian, but to do 
 what is signified by this, in various 
 condescending acts of Christian kind- 
 ness. Even the Moravians have the 
 outward form practiced in their church: 
 but optionally, and not as a fixed obli- 
 gation. It was not observed by the 
 Apostles and early Christians as an 
 outward ceremony. Our Lord, in this 
 impressive way, meant to warn them 
 against ambition. But with what poor 
 grace does the outward washing of a 
 few of his beggars' feet come from the 
 Pope, who beggars so many by his 
 ambitious tyranny ! 
 
 1 5. Should do AS. Not that ye should 
 do t/ie same thing — but similarly. It is 
 not the act, but the spirit, that is to be 
 practiced. It is to be imitated by en- 
 
 1 7 If' ye know these thingv=;, 
 happy are ye if yc do them. 
 
 18 I speak not of you all; I know 
 whom I have chosen : but that the 
 " scripture maybe fulfilled, He that 
 eateth bread with me, hath lifted 
 up his heel against me. 
 
 iJa.l.2o. cPs.«.9. 
 
 deavoring, " if a man be overtaken in a 
 fault, to restore such an one in tho 
 spirit of meekness, "-^(Gal. G: 1-16;) 
 ^'■forgiving one another if a man have a 
 quarrel against any" — and by bearing 
 one another's burdens — and by doing 
 acts that might be regarded as servile, 
 yet mutually self-denying for Christ's 
 sake — assisting each other by all means 
 in temporal and spiritual progress, and 
 esteeming other better than self. Of 
 ceremonies that have become empty, 
 Claudius says — " They are little flags 
 which reach forth over the water, and 
 mark where a ship with her rich lading 
 has sunk." 
 
 16. This proverbial expression is 
 applied here in a sense that agrees 
 with the tenor of the discourse. "If 
 the Master thus humbles Himself, 
 much more should His servants and 
 messengers." Matt. 10: 24; Luke 
 6: 40. 
 
 17. See Luke 12: 48. '^ If ye know. 
 " As I have given you the teaching, 
 and explained it to you, blessed are 
 ye if ye put it in practice." It is much 
 easier to know than to obey. After 
 all my acts and explanations of this 
 duty, it is nothing for your good, un- 
 less you observe it. Observe — 1. It 
 is a source of true happiness to show 
 a disinterested, self-sacrificing love. 
 For even Christ "pleased net Him- 
 self." 2. From our Lord's washing 
 the feet of Judas with the rest, though 
 He knew what was in his heart, we are 
 taught the duty of treating professed 
 Christians as sincere, until they prove 
 themselves otherwise. 
 
 18. I speak not. In thus addressing 
 them as to Christian character and 
 privilege — as clean, &c.. He must be 
 understood again, as excepting om 
 among them, though He did not give 
 
Agk 33.] 
 
 CHAP XIII. 
 
 241 
 
 19 Now ' I tell " you before it 
 come, that when it is come to 
 
 1 or, from henceforth, a c. 14. 29 ; IG. 4. 
 
 tlie name. So He had hinted, vs. 10. 
 ^ ILive chosen. The term is used once 
 as including Judas, and refers to the 
 choosing out from His disciples of the 
 twelve for the apostleship: " Have not 
 
 1 chosen you twelve, and one of you is 
 a devil ?" Ch. 6 : 70. But here it evi- 
 dently refers to His eternal and gra- 
 cious election, by which He "hath 
 chosen His people to salvation through 
 sanctification of the Spirit and belief 
 of the truth." 2 Thess. 2 : 13. This be- 
 trayal that He referred to, therefore, 
 would not come upon Him unawares. 
 He knew who were His, in distinction 
 from such as were not. He knew, as 
 others, and even the fellow disciples, 
 did not know. The Good Shepherd 
 kaoivs His sheep. " The foundation of 
 God standeth sure, having this seal. 
 The Lord knoweth them that are His." 
 
 2 Tim. 2: 19. See ch. 15: 16. Ob- 
 serve — Every Christian may ask Him- 
 self, " Who maketh thee to differ from 
 another?" and what keeps any of us 
 from being such as Judas, but the 
 sovereign and free-electing love of God 
 in Christ, who "hath ordained us that 
 our fruit should remain." Ch. 15. ^ But 
 that, &c. Our Lord would say. That Ju- 
 das' treachery had not come upon Him 
 unforeseen, nor contrary to His certain 
 knowledge. The Scriptures had all 
 along looked forward to such a result, 
 and the event would be only a higher 
 fulfillment of the passage in Ps. 41 : 
 9, which if perhaps it immediately 
 referred to Ahithopel or Mephibo- 
 sheth, and to his conduct towards 
 David, nevertheless looked forward to 
 the traitorous act of Judas toward the 
 New Testament David. It seems, how- 
 ever, that the passage is a more direct 
 prediction of Judas' betrayal. The 
 person speaking is not David, but the 
 righteous sufferer, who is to be under- 
 stood as eminently the Messiah. He 
 is here characterized as the poor man, 
 and Christ had not where to lay His 
 head. See also vs. 5 of the Psalm. 
 So far, therefore, from our Lord's be- 
 
 21 
 
 pa.ss, ye may believe that I am he. 
 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
 
 ing disappointed in Judas, He knew 
 that he was not one of His chosen — but 
 was the son of perdition; and the 
 act, though so infamous, was one of 
 the transactions contemplated by the 
 whole plan of grace — foreseen and pro- 
 vided for. ^ lie that eateth, &c. This 
 was regarded as an act of friendship. 
 Gen. 43: 22; 2 Sam. 9: 11. The 
 meaning is, that Judas had been on 
 the most intimate terms with Christ — 
 had been his disciple, constantly at- 
 tending upon Him, sharing His lot — 
 admitted to personal friendship as 
 " one of the twelve." This was the 
 amazing iniquity, that "Judas, one 
 of the twelve," (Matt. 26: 14,) should 
 betray his Lord. Observe — The allu- 
 sion to Judas becomes more distinct, 
 until he is pointed out at the table as 
 the betrayer. T[ Bread. In the Psalm 
 the Hebrew reads " ?«?/ bread." *^ Lift- 
 ed up, &c. Bengel thinks that this al- 
 ludes to the washing of the feet, and to 
 the mode of lying stretched out at 
 table. Christ had just now washed 
 the feet of Judas, and he was ready to 
 lift up his heel against Him. 
 
 19. Now. This verse throws light 
 upon the object of our Lord's previous 
 remarks. They would naturally be 
 alarmed by the treachery of Judas, 
 when so soon it should be revealed. 
 They might think that He had been 
 overwhelmed by His enemies and de- 
 ceived by a pretended friend, and had 
 sunk powerless under His betrayer. 
 He would provide them with this fore- 
 warning, and fortify their minds against 
 the shock, that when it should come to 
 pass they might not disbelieve Him, 
 nor be offended in Him, (ch. 16: 1,) 
 but might rather take this additional 
 proof of His being God. Ch. 13 : 19. 
 It marked Him out as a true prophet — 
 as the injured Person to whom the 
 prediction refers — and as God the 
 searcher of hearts, whom no hypocrisy 
 could escape. 
 
 20. The connexion of this verse with 
 the foregoing, seems to be this. 
 
242 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 ' He that rcceivetli whoTrsocycr I 
 send, receiveth mc; and lie that 
 receivcth mc, receiveth him that 
 sent mc. 
 
 ^21 When '^ Jesus 
 had thus said, he was troubled in 
 spirit, and testified, and said. 
 Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
 
 o Matt. 10. «). 6 Malt. SG. 21. Mar. U. 18. Ln.22.21. 
 
 Though Judas was to fall from the high 
 office of the Apostleship, his falling 
 away was not to desecrate the office. 
 They were not to be ashamed of their 
 office on this account. They were to 
 ha received on the higher principle of 
 regard for Him, in His name, for His 
 sake, nnd not for any mere personal 
 superiority — for all of them would 
 fall like -Judas, but for His electing and 
 restraining grace. ^ Receiveth me. See 
 Notes, Matthew 10: 40. He who re- 
 ceiveth my messengers, receiveth me, 
 in so doing. And so, also, receiving 
 me, he receives Him who sent me. 
 And in this way, their office as ambas- 
 sadors for God, was one of such solem- 
 nity, and the fruits of their mission 
 were to be so extensive. As the treat- 
 ment rendered to one of His ministers 
 was to be regarded as shown to Him 
 and to the Father, they might go forth 
 humble and ready to wash each other's 
 feet, yet contident in their office and 
 work, and not disheartened by the fall 
 of one of their number. These words 
 were spoken for their encouragement 
 beforehand, showing the grounds on 
 which they had to go and cluim a 
 reception among men, viz— that they 
 were ambassadors for Christ. 2 Cor. 
 5 : 20. This would strengthen them to 
 hear what He was now to declare. 
 Observe — It would be unjust to dis- 
 parage the office of the ministry, 
 because some who have held it have 
 been guilty of gross crimes. It is still 
 "the ministry of reconciliation." 
 
 § 135. jESnS POINTS OtT THE TllAITOR. 
 
 Judas witube.^ws. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Murk. I Luke. I John. 
 
 2G.21-25.|l4.18-21 1 22.21-23. 1 13.21-35. 
 21. Our Lord now proceeds to show 
 
 that one of you shall hctray 
 mo. 
 
 22 Then the disciples looked one 
 on another, doubting of whom he 
 spake. 
 
 23 Now there was leaning on 
 Jesus' bosom one ° of his disciples, 
 whom Jesus loved. 
 
 CC.20. 2; 21.7,-0. 
 
 His perfect foreknowledge of all that 
 was to come upon Him. It seems 
 amazing that such a direct exposure 
 of Judas, and of his dark plot, did not 
 break it up. But He who knew the 
 end from the beginning, declared most 
 positively that it should take place, 
 and that nothing would hinder it. 
 ^ Was troubled. This awful troublbiij 
 of spirit occurred oa several distinct 
 occasions, and was so serious as to be 
 recorded by the Holy Ghost. Ch. 11 : 
 83 ; 12 : 27. The term means, to be agi- 
 tated — as water in a pool. There was, 
 perhaps, a deep sense of that dreadful 
 depravity of human nature which 
 Judas's treachery only acted out, and 
 which was made to meet upon our 
 Lord (Isa. 53: 6,) as Himself standing 
 in the sinner's place. He speaks the 
 words of affectionate sorrow, not of 
 anger. ^ 2'estijied. Solemnly bore 
 zvitness and announced. This is the 
 first time He had so plainly made the 
 declaration. ^ One of you. This wa.s 
 so far a relief to them, that it con- 
 fined the infamous transaction to one 
 of their number ; whereas, before this, 
 He had spoken indefinitelj^ 
 
 22. Looked one on, &c. This describes 
 their agitation and surprise, wondering 
 at the word of our Lord, and naturally 
 enough, gazing at each other— each to 
 see how it struck the rest — and whether 
 any of them could explain it — or who 
 of them could be the guilty one, 
 ^ Doubting. The term means, being 
 at a loss. Observe ■>— Their sweet 
 charity. 
 
 23. Since the captivity, the Jews 
 lay at table in the Persian manner, on 
 divans or couches, each on his left side, 
 with his face towai'd the table, his left 
 elbow resting on a pillow and support- 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. xin. 
 
 243 
 
 24 Simon Peter therefore beck- 
 oned to him, that he should ask 
 who it should be of whom he 
 spake. 
 
 25 He then, lying on Jesus' 
 
 ing liis lieail. Thus the secoml iniest 
 to the right hand, lay with hi.s head 
 near the lireast of the first, and so on. 
 See Cut, Notes, ch. 2. The one at the 
 right hand of Him who sat at the head 
 of the table, reclined toward His breast, 
 and was said to "lean on His bosom." 
 It is conjectured that "as John was 
 on Christ's rii/ht hand, .Juilas was on 
 His left hand — and that so there was 
 exhibited at the I'aschal supper what 
 was .'\fterwards seen on the cross — 
 Jesus between two, who bore in a man- 
 ner the image of those who shall stand 
 at His right and His left hand, in tlie 
 last judgment" — "the beloved disci- 
 ple," and "the son of perdition." 
 ^ Whom Jesus loved. Here Jolin first 
 uses this phrase. This delicate way 
 in which John speaks of himself, covers 
 nothing like a proud boast, but rather 
 .1 most humble acknowledgment. He 
 boasts indeed of bcinr/ loved by Christ, 
 and not as Peter, of showing his love. 
 It is the expression of modest, earnest 
 gratitude. .John's name was express- 
 ive of the same idea. It means the 
 fdvcr or grace of God. The Evangelists 
 show that they do not seek notoriety 
 for themselves. Much more desirable 
 is it to be loved by Jesus, than to be 
 called by any name, or to ha,ve that 
 name celebrated on earth. 
 
 24. He occupied such a position as 
 to have the best opportunity of asking 
 cur Lord — and as specially beloved by 
 the Master, his relations were such as 
 to allow of his asking Ilim who would 
 soon entrust His own mother to his 
 charge. 
 
 2o. Lying on Jesus' breast. These 
 terms arc quite ditftrent from the for- 
 mer, in vs. 23. They mean rather — 
 ''falling upon the breast of Jesus" — 
 leaning his head actually upon His 
 breast, to ask the question. Matthew 
 and Mark describe the twelve as in- 
 
 brcast, saith unto him, Lord, who 
 is it ? 
 
 2G Jesus answered, lie it is to 
 whom I shall give a ' sop, when I 
 luive dipped it. And when he 
 
 1 or, morsel. 
 
 quiiiiig among themselves, " Is it I ? " 
 and Judas himself, as repeating the 
 qiicstimi — but last of all. See Note.f. 
 Therefore, this that passed between 
 Peter and John .and our Lord may have 
 been unnoticed by the rest. 
 
 20. Answered. He seems to have 
 made a general reply to the general 
 questioning of the disciples as well as 
 this more express reply to the particu- 
 lar inquiry of John. Mark says, "He 
 answered and said to them," it is "one 
 of the twelve that dippeth his hand 
 with me in the dish" — one sitting in 
 closest company so as to be eating from 
 the same dish. See Cut, ch. 2. H A 
 sop. This word, means a morsel of 
 food. After the second cup of wine, 
 at the Paschal meal, the master of the 
 feast took a piece of unleavened bread, 
 brake it in pieces and gave a bit to 
 each one of those present. It was 
 commonly dipped in the broth, made 
 cf bitter herbs. This was now done in 
 a way to point out Judas — either given 
 to him alone at that moment, or given 
 to him differently from the rest — after 
 dipping it. '• This giving the sop was 
 one of the closest testimonies of 
 friendly affection." It is doubtful 
 whether any of the twelve, except 
 Peter and John, understood this signal — 
 perhaps only the latter, as the act was 
 proper to the occasion. And what was 
 said iu reply to John's question, may 
 have been spoken in an undertone, and 
 only f. r the inquirer. See vss. 28, 29. 
 Observe — He whose feet Jesus had 
 washed iu full knowledge of all that 
 was to take jilace, shall have nothing 
 but kindness from the Saviour through- 
 out. Observe — Jesus gives a portion 
 iu this life to liis enemies. Often it 
 serves to reveal their vv'ickedness — and 
 how often is it soaked with bitterness, 
 'S Judas. Here the full name of the 
 traitor is giveu. In so dreadful a con- 
 
2U 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 he had dipped the sop, he gave it 
 to Judas Ircariot, the son of Simon. 
 
 27 And after the sop, Satan * 
 entered into him. Then said 
 Jesus unto him, That thou doest, 
 do quickly. 
 
 28 Now no man at the table 
 knew for what intent he spake 
 this unto him. 
 
 nexion it is proper that he be designa- 
 ted as plainly and fully by the Evan- 
 gelist as he was by our Lord. 
 
 27. Salan entered. It Avas before 
 said that Satan put it in his heart to 
 betray Jesus. Now, as a further step 
 in the Satanic impulse, the devil is said 
 to have entered into him — taken full 
 possession. He '-filled the heart" of 
 Ananias and Sapphira to lie. Acts 5. 
 But this is uiorc. He entered in with his 
 ■whole train of malignant spirits, so that 
 he was under the full power of Satan — 
 given up to the devil — to do the fiendish 
 work at once. ^ Do qiiickli/. Hitherto 
 Christ had given him warnings and 
 opportunities to repent of his evil pur- 
 pose. Now He gives him up at last 
 and says, go on then, and do what you 
 are so intent on doing. Go on if you 
 ■will, and that without further delaying 
 nt mj' table, and among my disciples. 
 Go to your own friends, to your own 
 ■work, and to your oicn place.' This is 
 the most dreadful sentence of God — in 
 ■which he abandons the sinner to the 
 power of Satan, and bids him lyo on 
 and work out his own perdition with 
 no salvation for him. AVhen our Lord 
 said, do quicldy wh.it you are, to my 
 certain knowledge, about to do. He 
 may have meant to rebuke his hj'po- 
 critical pretence of ignorance when he 
 said, "Is it I." Matt. 20: 2-5. 
 
 28. No man. This shows how far 
 the thought was from the breast of any 
 of the rest. Probably John excepts 
 himself in this remark — tliougli some 
 think that he means to include himself 
 as not knowing what Christ meant by 
 these words, not supposing that the 
 deed ■was so soon to be done. 
 
 29 For some of them thought, '' 
 bccau.se Judas had the bag, that 
 Jesus had said unto him. Buy 
 those things that we have need of 
 against the feast ; or, that he should 
 give something to the poor. 
 
 30 He then having received the 
 sop, went immediately out : and 
 it was night. 
 
 29. Against the feast. Rather — the 
 festival — including the whole duration 
 of the festival, and not referring to the 
 Paschal meal. As it was now on the 
 evening of Thursday, introducing the 
 sixtli day of the week, Friday, it was 
 growing late, and haste was necessary 
 to make purchases for the Friday, and 
 following days. Our Lord had not, on 
 this occasion, commanded all the neces- 
 sary preparations to be made before 
 the festival. They, therefore, natu- 
 rally enough supposed that this was 
 what was directed by the Master. See 
 Exodus 12: 16. 1[ To the poor. Our 
 Lord it would seem, had been accus- 
 tomed to give him such orders. It 
 might have been thought to refer to 
 some help for the poor in making pro- 
 visions for the peace-offerings and 
 thanks-offerings made in the temple 
 during the festival. Num. 10 ; Deut. 
 12: 17; 14: 26. 
 
 30. Having received. Judas had 
 watched the questioning of John about 
 the betrayer, and all the looks and 
 movements of our Lord pointing him 
 out, and now, at this direct reference to 
 him, though it was only in itself a com- 
 mon token of friendship, his conscience 
 doubtless stung him most keen!}'. The 
 Master against whom he was plotting, 
 was following him up with kindness, 
 which now heaped coals of fire on liis 
 guilty head. ^ Went immedi'itcl// out. 
 Luke mentions that the cup of the Lord's 
 supper was given after the Paschal 
 meal. Luke 22 : 20. Hence we infer 
 tliat Judas went out before the institu- 
 tion of the Lord's Supper. Perhaps 
 our Lord pressed upon Judas to with- 
 draw, (vs. 27,) in order that he might 
 
AoB 83.] 
 
 CHAP. xiir. 
 
 245 
 
 31 Therefore, when he was gone 
 out, Jesus said, Now " is the Son 
 of man glorified, and God '' is 
 glorified in him. 
 
 32 If Grod be glorified in him, 
 
 oc. 12.23! 17. :-6. Jc.l*.13. lPe.4.11. 
 
 have no part in the holy ordinnnce. 
 Tl Night. The Evangelist means by this 
 to show that it was yet the same 
 night, introducing Friday, the day of 
 our Lord's death. The night had already 
 set in, when the traitor hurried out in 
 the darkness to do his darkest deed. 
 It must also have been before midnight, 
 as the Paschal supper could not con- 
 tinue beyond that time. 
 
 31. Here the language plainly inti- 
 mates that Judas' withdrawal gave our 
 Lord an opportunity, which He much 
 desired, to open to His own true and 
 faithful followers the burden of His 
 soul. At first, K'e spake familiarly and 
 answered their anxious questions, while 
 yet at the ta'ole — then rising from the 
 Supper, He discoursed in a higher 
 strain. Ch. 14: 31. Then follows His 
 parting prayer. Ch. 17. Ivrummacher 
 calls this portion of our Lord's history 
 "THE MOST HOLY PLACE." *\ Glori- 
 fied. This step of Judas He saw as 
 leading directly to the great and glori- 
 ous consummation. It was to result 
 in His death. But He looked beyond 
 that to His resurrection and to His 
 ascension, which would be His glorifi- 
 cation with the Father. Bengel says : 
 "Jesus here regards His suffering as 
 a short journey, and loves to look at 
 the goal." " Tke Son of Man," is a 
 title which our Lord takes to Himself ns 
 peculiar to Him. The prophet Ezekiel 
 ■was called "Son of Man," as being a 
 man in this high prophetic office ; but 
 Jesus is by eminence ^^ the Son of 
 IVLin." The phi'ase is found nixtij-six 
 times in the gospel narratives, and in 
 every instance is used by our Lord of 
 Himself. According to the Hebrew 
 idiom, the son of any thing is one who 
 has that quality or nature in a special 
 degree. Jesus is man in the highest 
 sense, as is seen in the 8th Psalm. 
 He is the perfect man — the second 
 21* 
 
 God shall also glorify him in 
 himself, and shall straightway 
 glorify him. 
 
 33 Little children, yet a little 
 while 1 am with you. Ye shall 
 
 Adam, as Head of His redeemed people. 
 Heb. 2 : 16. He is the appointed " Son 
 of Man" whom God made strong for 
 Himself, (Psalm 80: 17.) and He is the 
 God-Man. T[ God is glorified. Looking 
 upon Himself as being thus about to 
 close His labors on earth. He sees the 
 Father glorifiod in Ilis having finished 
 the work which He gave Him to do. ch. 
 17: 4. See also ch. 12: 28. " 6W 
 IS glorified'^ He snys, as though it were 
 already accomplished — so certain is 
 the end, and so nonr. God would be 
 glorified in His power, wisdom, jus- 
 tice, faithfulness and love. See Brozvn's 
 Discourses. 
 
 32. If. Rather — As surel;/ as " God 
 is, and is to be, glorified in Him," that 
 is, in His mediatorial work — in His 
 sacrifice and obedience, as completed 
 by His death — the Father "shall also 
 glorify Him" — that is, by His miracu- 
 lous testimony to Ilim as the Son cf 
 God — in the signs that should accom- 
 pany His death — in the powerful dechir- 
 ation of His Sonship by the resurrec- 
 tion from the dead, (Rom. 1 : 4.) and 
 also in the exaltation of Him to Gloiy. 
 He had a glory with the Father, in tha 
 Godhead, before the foundation of the 
 world, (Ch. 17: 5;) but this special 
 glory was to be as ''the Son of Man,'" 
 with His risen manhood. Tf In Himself 
 See ch. 12: 28; 17: 5. In the Father 
 — as His perfections all shine forth in 
 the Son, and as in the redeeming work 
 of Christ, so gloriously finished, the 
 perfections of the Father have their 
 highest lu.5tre ; His wisdom, holiness 
 and grace are glorified. Thus Christ's 
 glory is the glory of the Father, and 
 the Father's glorifying Christ, glorifies 
 Himself, so entirely are they one. 
 T[ Slraightivag. This leads to the re- 
 maik in the next verse. 
 
 33. Little children. The Evangelist 
 uses this term elsewhere, (see Epistles 
 
240 
 
 JOHK. 
 
 [Aax 3S. 
 
 seek me : and, ' as I said unto the 
 Jews, Wliithev I go, ye cannot 
 come : so now I say to yon. 
 
 34 A new ^ commandment I 
 give unto you. That ye love one 
 
 n 0. 7.34; 8. 21. 6 Le. 19. 18. c. 15. 12.17. Ep. 5. 2. 
 ITh.4. 9. J,i. 2. 8. Ife. 1.2'.J. IJco. 2. 7, 8; a. Il,'.i3: 
 4.20,21. 
 
 of John,) but Christ only here. It ex- 
 presses their tender rehition to Him as 
 sons, (1 .John 3 : 1,) growing out of His 
 glorious Sonship. It implies that they 
 are heirs, also, (Rom. 8: 17;) and it 
 denotes their weakness as babes, yet 
 not to be left orphans. Ch. 14: 18. 
 T[ A little lohile. The glorification of 
 which He spake was just at hand. He 
 should continue with them only a 
 little while yet, as He knew His deatli 
 to be hastening. *\ Cannot come. He 
 had so said to the Jews, but in a dif- 
 ferent sense. Ch. 7: 37; 8: 21. He 
 said it now to them in a sense which 
 He explains, vs. 86. He should disap- 
 pear from them, and go to heaven. 
 They should seek Him, but could not 
 follow Him, as they had done when 
 passing from place to place on earth. 
 34. Tljis is introduced here to show 
 the way by which alone, they shall fol- 
 low Him to Heaven — by love to Him 
 and to one another. Tf ^ new com- 
 mandment. Love to God and man was 
 the substance of the Old Testament 
 commandments. But it was " to love 
 thy neighbor as thyself." liow it is, 
 " to love one another as I have loved 
 you." The love of Christ to us is 
 made the motive and measure of our 
 love to one another. This is a higher 
 rule of love than any other. This is 
 a new rule. Tliis Christ calls "my 
 commandment," \b: 12. Paul calls it 
 •'the law of Christ." Gal. G: 2. James 
 calls it the "royal law," 2: 8; and 
 Christ again calls it "the first and 
 great commandment." It was to be 
 also a peculiar love — a Oiristian love 
 — a love to one another as Christians, 
 as fdloir-lieirs, as redeemed together. 
 This was to surmount all other distiiic- 
 tions. This love was given to them to 
 be a badge of their discipleship. Like 
 Christ we aj'o to say, " He that docth 
 
 another; as I have loved you, that 
 ye also love one another. 
 
 35 By this shall all men know 
 that ye are my disciples, if ye have 
 love one to another. 
 
 the will of God, the same is my bro- 
 ther and sister and motlier." It was 
 to make the Christian brotherhood 
 most peculiarly one. Ch. 17: 22, 23. 
 It was to lead to mutual aid — brotherly 
 self-denials. Hence, "bearing one an- 
 other's LurJens" was considered as 
 fulfilling "the law of Christ." Gal. 6: 
 2. It Avas a neiv commandment in its 
 connections with His love to them, as 
 now about to be displayed in its strong- 
 est light. " Greater love hath no man 
 than this, that a man lay down his 
 life for his friends," and so " we ought 
 also to lay down our lives for the 
 brethren." 1 John 3: IG. This com- 
 mandment is new, therefore, in the 
 character of the love that is required. 
 35. This mutual love should unite 
 them in one faithful brotherhood, and 
 should everywhere distinguish them 
 from the woi-ld beside. The early 
 Christians regarded this as their glorv. 
 1 John 3: 23; 1 Thes.i. 4: 9; 1 Pet 
 1: 22; 2 Thess. 1: 3; 2 Pet. 1: 7. 
 The heathen often exclaimed in amaze- 
 ment, "See hov.' these Christians love 
 one another, and how ready they arc 
 to die for one another." — Terttdl. Apol. 
 c. 39. They " had all things common," 
 " as every one had need." Acts 2 : 44. 
 And in the first centuries, their liberal 
 contributions to the poor saints and to 
 the church, showed their love. Acts 
 11: 29. Lucian, a heathen writer of 
 apostolic times, said contemptuously 
 of the Christians, " Their Lawgiver 
 has persuaded them all to be bre- 
 thren." By this, also, they were 
 themselves to k-iiow that they were 
 His disciples. 1 John 3: 14. John, in 
 his Fir.st Epistle, (3: IG,) thus ex- 
 presses' it — " Hereby perceive we the 
 LovK, (it is not said whose, since 
 there is but one instance of such love,) 
 because He laid down His life for us — 
 
Age 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XIY. 
 
 247 
 
 ■^ 36 Simon Peter 
 said unto him, Lord, whither 
 goGi^t thou? Jesus answered him, 
 Whither I go, thou canst not fol- 
 low mo now; but =* thou shalt 
 follow me afterwards. 
 
 37 Peter said unto him, Lord, 
 why ciiuuot I follow thee now ? I 
 will " lay down my life for thy 
 sake. 
 
 ac.2I.lS. 2PC.1.14. a Matt. 20. 33, &c. Mar. 14. 
 29, &o. Lu. 22. 3i, He. 
 
 .nnd we ouglit to lay down our lives 
 for tlie brethren." See 1 John 4:21; 
 3 : 2o ; 2:8. Brotherly love iii such 
 form had never been seen in the world. 
 § 130. Jesus foretells the fall of 
 
 Peter and the dispersion of the 
 
 Twelve. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. | Luke. [ John. 
 
 26. 31-35jl4. 27-31122. 31-38|l3. 36-38 
 3 J. Peter seems to have understood 
 Him by vs. So that He would fall into 
 violent hands — be seized and carried 
 away — else why could he not follow 
 Him '? And even in such case why 
 not? ^ Shalt follow. This leads to 
 the ample explanation in the opening 
 of the ne.\t chapter. There was room 
 in His Father's house for more than 
 Himself. He should follow Christ by 
 a similar death. Ch. 21 : 18, I'J. 
 
 37. Will/? It is natural to ask tlie 
 explanation of God's rules — especially 
 where lie lays any restriction upon 
 us. But often we find, as Peter did, 
 tliat He knows us better than we know 
 ourselves. Tf Mi/ life. This was the 
 impulsive Peter — who was also so 
 warm and earnest, and yet so cowardly, 
 as it proved — "a stone," and yet "a 
 stumbling-stone." This was no hypo- 
 critical pi-ofession. He felt it all, but 
 he ditl not know himself. His denials, 
 tlirice repeated in a few hours from 
 that time, liclped to show him his own 
 lie.u't. Tlie risen Saviour refers to 
 tliis louil profession, (ch. 21 : 15, j and 
 we find tliis great apost'.e, after he was 
 recoverei] from tlie fall that so fallowed 
 upon liissolf-eonfiilence, declining to say 
 any more than " Lord, thou knowcst 
 all things — thou kuowest that I love 
 
 38 Jesus answered liim, Wilt 
 thou lay down thy life for my 
 sake ? Venly, verily, I say unto 
 thee, The cock shall not crow, till 
 thou hast denied me thrice. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ^T ET ■= not your heart 
 _|_^ be troubled : ye be- 
 lieve in God, believe ^also in me. 
 
 cIs. 43. 1,2. ver. 27. 2 Th. 2. 2. d Is. 12.2,3. Ep. 
 1.12,13. IPe. 1. il. 
 
 thee." Matthew and Mark are more 
 full, and have it, " Though all men 
 shall be offended in thee, yet will I 
 never be offended." See Notes. '^ Shall 
 7tot crow. See Notes on Luke 22 : 34. 
 
 CHAPTEPt XIV. 
 
 §138. Jesus cojifobts His Disciples 
 — The Holy Spirit promised. — 
 Jen(sale7n. 
 
 Matt. I Mark.. | Luke. I John. 
 
 I I 1 14.1-31. 
 
 In these wonderful Discourses, says 
 Tholuck, (chap. 14-16,) there is a 
 childlike tone, and a certain subdued 
 style of delineation, not possible to 
 have been invented bj' man. No where 
 throughout the entire Gospel, has the 
 language of Christ such perfect art- 
 Icssnoss — a character so adapted to 
 the minds of His disciples as hers. As 
 Luther says, "lie speaks as one must 
 who would charm and win the simple." 
 
 1. Be troubled. This term was used 
 in the last chapter, vs. 21, respecting 
 Christ as being "troubled in spirit." 
 Now He who has felt such troubling 
 of soul, pities His troubled disciples. 
 The term expresses strong a/j-itation, 
 as water agitated by tempest. No 
 wonder they are troubled at the 
 thought of their Master's death — of 
 Peter's denial, and of Juda.s' treauht ry, 
 all of which had just liccn fnvetold 
 with deep emotion. If Ye believe. This 
 term may be rendered in the imjicra- 
 tive — "■Believe." It is in the san;e 
 form in both clauses, and it would 
 very properly read, " Believe in God, 
 believe also in me." But the common 
 reading is to be preferred. It makes 
 
248 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 2 In my Father's house are many 
 mansions : if it loere not so, I 
 
 the also more emphatic, and agrees 
 best with the drift of His discourse. 
 He assumes their belief in God, of 
 ■which, as Jews, they always boasted — 
 speaks encouragingly of this as the 
 ground of their belief in Him — for He 
 came forth from God, and produced 
 ample testimonies from the Father. 
 This was just the point of difficulty, 
 that they did not fully believe in His 
 oneness with the God of Abraham — 
 and this was the point at which He 
 labored with them till the last: as in 
 the case of Thomas. &c. Hence He 
 says " My Fatiiki 's House." This 
 command is closely cniinected with all 
 that He had just'sa:d in ch. 13 : 31, 
 32. They ought fully to believe in the 
 glorious results of His work, as en- 
 suring the glory of the Father and the 
 Son, and as providing for their future 
 glory, s^ that they should follow Him 
 afterwards. They were not taking 
 high views of His work — and especially 
 they were not trusting fully in the 
 plan of grace for their own salvation. 
 Now He addresses them amidst all 
 their fears with the sweet words of 
 consolation — as though He had said, 
 Do not be disheartened at all these 
 gloomy forebodings: only trust in the 
 Father and in Me, as united so entirely 
 in the work of redemption — and as so 
 tenderly providing for your personal 
 case. 
 
 2. House. They are now encouraged 
 to confide in Him as one with the Fa- 
 ther — for He shows them that His Fa- 
 ther's house is the place to which He is 
 going, and to which He conducts them : 
 that there is ample i-oom there for 
 many. Some understand this house to 
 mean the universe, and that He would 
 here assure them of His only going to 
 another part of the same Father's 
 house. But this would be compara- 
 tively a poor consolation — that death 
 would not remove Him entirely away 
 from them, but only to a different 
 apartment. His Father's house is here 
 expressly spoken of as the place to 
 
 would have told you. I 
 prepare a place for you. 
 
 go 
 
 to 
 
 ;He. 6. 20; 9.8,24. Re. 21. 2. 
 
 which He was going to prepare for 
 them an abode, so that they could be to- 
 yether, and it refers to the Upper Tem- 
 ple — Heaven — " Paradise," where God 
 dwells, and whither He was going soon 
 in His glorified body — takiny the thief 
 ifith Him. Luke 23: 43. Observe — 
 This is properly in reply to Peter's 
 que.stion. Ch. 13: 36. What, then, 
 could hinder their following Him soon? 
 '^Mansio7is. Literally, Gbidiny places. He 
 meant to say to them, There is room 
 enough for you all. Luke 14: 22. This 
 is your personal interest in the matter, 
 why then be discouraged ? What more 
 consolatory than that you shall follow 
 me, and that every provision will be 
 made by me. — "They should have 
 ''abundant entrance." 2 Pet. 1: 11. 
 ^ If it icere not so. Literally, if not. 
 All along He hud encouraged them to 
 expect ample benefits from His work; 
 and if there were net these provisions 
 for them in His Father's house, and 
 if they could not follow He would 
 have told them so. He would not have 
 encouraged such expectations if they 
 were not to be fulfilled. *[ I go — I am 
 going. He now sets forth His part in 
 the matter, and shows what His de- 
 parture has to do with it. They ought 
 to trust in Him, that He will make 
 good all His promises. The very ob- 
 ject of His going was this — to prepare 
 — to make ready a place for them, 
 where they should sit down with Abra- 
 ham and Isaac and Jacob. Luke 1 3 : 
 28, 29. He does not even go l)ack to 
 His Father's house solely on His own 
 account. He was to ascend, not sim- 
 ply as having finished His work on 
 earth, but also to carry it on in Heaven. 
 Our High Priest was to present the 
 blood in the holiest of all, and there 
 to make intercession for us. Heb. 0: 
 12. He was to enter there before us 
 as our Forerunner, to wait for us — and 
 to stand as the warrant for us till we 
 should come. Heb. 4 : 14-16; 7: 25- 
 27; 10: 12; 13: 19-22. He was the 
 true Joshua — the Leader into the Rest 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 249 
 
 3 And if I go and prepare a 
 place for you, I Avill * come again, 
 and receive you unto myself; 
 that *" where I am, there ye may 
 be also. 
 
 a He. 9. 28. c c. 12.26; 17. 'i4. lTft.4.17. 
 
 of God. Heb. 4 : 8, 9. He opened the 
 Avay, through death to Heaven for all 
 ijt'lievers. 
 
 3. Andif, &.Q. There is no doubt ex- 
 prossed in these terms. It means ' ' 'when 
 Js/iiill havegone," &c., or, as sureh/ as I 
 go. It was not merely necessary 
 to prepare the place, but to come and 
 lead them to it. ^ / icill come. 
 R:ither — '■'lam coming again, and icill 
 take yoxi,'" &c. He is coming again at 
 the second Advent to the final judg- 
 ment. His going to prepare a place, 
 implied His return to take tliem thither 
 for its occupancj'. But, meanwhile, 
 there would be divers "comings" of 
 His which should more and more point 
 to that, and give assurance of it as 
 foreshadows of the great tinal event. 
 This coming is begun at His resuiTec- 
 tion — carried on in the spiritual work, 
 (vs. 23,) by which they should be made 
 ready for the place prepared— it is 
 further advanced, when each believer 
 is taken away, to be with Hin^, (Phil. 
 1 : 23,) — when the Son of man comes 
 to each in death, (2 Cor. 5 : G-O ; 1 
 Thess. 5 : 10,) — and it is fully comple- 
 ted at His coming in glorj' — when they 
 shall be ever with the Lord. 1 Thess. 
 4: 17. T That where I am. That 
 U'hcre I belong — where my abode is — 
 my Father's house, there ye may be 
 also. In ch. 17: 24, He prays in His 
 parting petition, "Father, I will that 
 they also, whom thou hast given me, 
 be with me where I am;" and He 
 states the reason for this — that they 
 mag behold my glory. 
 
 4. Ye know. He means to say that 
 now He had answered their question 
 in ch. 13: 36, botli as to whither He 
 was going, and the waj' for their going 
 thitlier. He had plainly stated it 
 in the foregoing words. He was going 
 to His Father's house. There was 
 room enough there for them all. He 
 
 4 And '.vhltliLH- I go yo know, 
 and the way ye know. 
 
 5 Thomas saitli unto him, Lord, 
 we know not whither thou guest; 
 and how can we know the way? 
 
 was going with the express object of 
 arranging everything for their arrival. 
 And He assured them of His coming 
 again to take them to Hims^df, that 
 they might be there aiso. If they 
 were not utterly blinded thej'must see 
 what lie had made so plain. 
 
 5. Thomas. This is the loving, but 
 doubting Thomas — who was ready to 
 say, " Let us also go that we may die 
 with Him," when the Master would 
 go up to Bethany. Ch. 11: IG. He 
 would not believe in the resurrection 
 without seeing the print of the nails. 
 Ch. 20: 2-5. Tet that was, evidently, 
 because the news seemed to him too 
 good to be trua, ' So here it is the lan- 
 guage of deep interest and of jealous 
 love. It was the language of affection, 
 too deep to be indifierent to such a 
 matter, and oidy too inclined to look 
 on the dark side. This would foibid 
 encouraging views, an.l keep up per- 
 petual disquiet. How many such are 
 there in the church — habitual doubt- 
 ers, yet not unbelievers — having not 
 enougli assurance about their own 
 gracious estate to give them animation 
 in Christian duty. We shall find that 
 it is just this flagging spirit that keeps 
 Tliomas from the prayer meeting. Ch. 
 20 : 24. So here I e docs not knoic any- 
 thing certainly or clearly about the 
 matter, after all that the IMaster had 
 said. He vv'as full of other notions 
 and expectations which served to keep 
 him in the dark about the true nature 
 of Christ's kingdom. Their fancy ran, 
 says Henry, on His going to Bethle- 
 hem or Nazareth or Capernaum or 
 elsewhere, to be anointed King. The 
 idea yet lurked in the minds of some 
 of them, that He would thus restore the 
 kingdom to Israel. When He arose, 
 they were ready to look for that event 
 as likely to take place then, or soon. 
 Acts 1 : 6. And v.ith such views, so 
 
230 
 
 JOIII?. 
 
 [AoE 33. 
 
 G Jesus saiih unto bim. I au' ihc i " no "^ niau coiiietli unto the Father 
 " wa}', and the truth, '' and the life; ] but by mc. 
 
 nls.^a.B, 9. c. 10.9. lie. )0. 1'J, 'JO. i c. 1. 17 ; 15. 
 
 per.sistently entertixuied, we cannot 
 wni'.ilcr tlint Tlioiiifis could not under- 
 stiiuil this language of our Lonl. But 
 liad He not said, " What and if ye 
 shall .see the Son of man ascend up 
 •ni'.ere lie was before? " Ch. 6:-62. 
 
 6. Je;->us might easily h.ave left the 
 doubter without any further effort to 
 explain. But in infinite condescension 
 He goes further, and shows the spiritu- 
 ality of the subject. Thomas had 
 asked hov; they could know the way — 
 and as this question had respect to 
 tlieir following, Jesus replies on this 
 point for their practical benefit, that 
 He Himself is everything — all in all — 
 "the way,the truth, and the life." Calvin 
 says, "T;:e sum of the expression is 
 this — whoever possesses Christ, lacks 
 in nothing. But He marks three grades 
 or degrees, and says as it v/ere, that 
 lie is the heginvinf/ and ihc middle and 
 the end Whence it follo\YS that tlie 
 commencement is to be from Ilim — in 
 Him it is to be continued and ended." 
 This is Luther's view, also, "if The 
 %i-ay. Not merely ihc forcrwmcr, going 
 to prepare the place — but the way 
 for men to the Father — the only w.ay 
 for their getting there — as He shows 
 in the last clause — " the new and liv- 
 ing way,"' (Heb. 10: 20,) opened for 
 believers through His death — the veil 
 of His flesh 'ceing rent for their access 
 to the holiest of all. Had He not 
 already said "/ am the dook of the 
 sheep. By Mb if any man enter in, he 
 shall be saved, and shall go in and out 
 !',ud find pasture." Ch. 10. Had not 
 the persecuting I'liarisees asked 
 " Whitiier will He go that we shall not 
 find Him." Ch. 7 : 35. And had He 
 not replied, "Ye are from beneath, I 
 am from above." Ch. 8: 23. Had He 
 not said, " Whoever climbeth up some 
 other way, the same is a thief and a 
 robber." Ch. 10: 1. f The truth. He 
 is not onhi the tvay, in His atonement 
 and finished work — the only way of 
 access to the Father — but He is the 
 truth in regard to the way, and the life 
 
 c c.1.4; 11. :5. d Ac. 4. 12. 
 
 to irhich the nay conducts. He had 
 "come a light into iLc world, that they 
 which see not might see," (ch. 0: MO,) 
 and "not abide in darkness." Ch. 12: 
 44. Peter had confessed, " Thou alone 
 hast the icords of eternal life," and liad 
 asked, "Lord to whom (else) shall we 
 go?" Ch. 6: 68. He is, therefore, 
 the object of most implicit faith, in 
 order to get the benefit of Him as the 
 way ; for though He is the appointed 
 and only way to God and Heaven, none 
 will enter by Him unless they believe 
 His v>fords. This He had all along 
 insisted on. Besides, He is the sub- 
 stance of all the revealed truth of God. 
 Ch. 5: 16, 47. "In Him we have 
 boldness and access with confidence 
 (to the Father) by the faith of Him." 
 Col. 8: 12. He is the revelation of 
 the Father. Ch. 1: 18. "In Him 
 are hid all the treasures of wisdom and 
 knowledge." Col. 2: 3. In Him alone 
 can any man gain that knowledge of 
 God which is eternal life. Ch. 17: 3 
 Tf And the life — to which the way leads, 
 and which the truth points out. He 
 is the Bread of life — is the Prince of 
 life, (Acts 3: 15.) — and He alone 
 gives eternal life to His people. Ch. 
 17: 1. Because He lives, they shall 
 live also. vs. 19. Their "life is hid 
 with Ciirist in God, so that when Christ 
 y,ho is their life shall appear, they also 
 may appear with Ilim in glory." Col. 
 3 : 3, 4. This fact becomes the high- 
 est motive to holy living. He is " the 
 liciny nay." Heb. 10: 20. He is all 
 IN ALL. Seech. 6: 57; 11: 25. T[ Ko 
 man. This shows them plainly the 
 gloricus place whitker He was going-, 
 that is — " ^0 the Father'' — to His 
 Father's house, in Heaven, and the way 
 of getting there. This is that folhnc- 
 iny Ilim which He had spoken of, and 
 which they had asked about. Ch. 13: 
 30. To come to the Father thus in 
 Heaven, we must first come to Ilim 
 here by prayer and holy living. This 
 we can do only in Christ's name, and 
 through His merit. And we can never 
 
Ace :53.J 
 
 CHAP. XiV. 
 
 251 
 
 7 If ye had known mc, yo should 
 have knowa my Father also : and 
 from henceforth yo know him, and 
 have seen him. 
 
 be reconcileil to the Father, except by 
 the .•itoaenient of Christ. We c.-in coiue 
 to the Father witli acceptance ouly by 
 faith in Christ's finished work. This 
 none of us c-in do "except the Father 
 draw us " bj' the Holy Spirit of Christ. 
 Ch. 6: 44. — How false ami wicked is 
 that sj-stem of religion which makes 
 mani/ mediators between the Father and 
 the sinner — which teaches men to pray 
 to dead saints and to the Virgin Mary, 
 ratJier than to Christ — and to depend 
 on the act of the priest rather than on 
 the work of our great High Priest and 
 only Saviour. It is the chni-acteristic 
 of His sheep, that they folloic Him as 
 THE Way, (entering by Him as the 
 dcor, ch. 10: 9,) — they follow Him 
 IS THE Truth, (for they hear His 
 /oice, and they know His voice, ch. 
 10 : 4, 127,) and they follow Him as the 
 Life — (for He is come that they might 
 have "ite more abundantly, and He laid 
 down His life for the sheep.) Ch, 10: 
 10, 15. 
 
 7. If ye had hnoivn me. Though He 
 was indeed " the way and the truth and 
 the life," they had made but little pro- 
 gress, with all His teachings. He here 
 repeats what He had said, ch. 8 : 
 19. It appears that He had ground for 
 the exhortation in vs. 1, for they had 
 not yet fully known Him, nor the 
 Father. V/iiiie tiiey looked for new 
 discoveric.-i i'cora home source. He would 
 Lave tbejii loi.k to Him as all in all, 
 beginning, middle and end — "wisdom 
 and righteousness, and sanclificatiou 
 and redemptiou." Observe — 1. Men 
 look for new revelations, when the great 
 difficulty i.s, that they do not receive 
 and comprehend what they have. 
 2. Vvho would not follow Christ 
 through trial and death, when this is 
 the only way by which we can enter 
 into heaven? •'Follouj mc,'' lie s;iys, 
 and this is not merely a call to Christ- 
 ian duties, but a call to heavenly bles- 
 sedness. They had not understood 
 
 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, 
 shew us the Father, and it suf- 
 ficeth ug. 
 
 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I 
 
 His work — the nature of His kmgdora 
 — His renl object, and the ends of His 
 mission — else they would have under- 
 stood the Father's plan. So He would 
 have it urged upon them, at the opening 
 of thi.'B consolatory discourse, (vs. 1,) 
 the great need of believing, not only 
 in the Father, but in Himself also. 
 Tlicy did not yet understand Him, 
 else they would have understood what 
 He meant by His Father's house, and 
 by their coming to tlie Father by Him. 
 If they could only understand Christ, 
 they could understand the Father, 
 whom He came to reveal ; for lie Avas 
 the way to the Father — the true 
 knowledge of the Father was by Him, 
 and He was the source of that eternal 
 life which is with the Father. ^ From 
 henceforth. He had said, (ch. 13: 31,) 
 " Now is the Son of Man glorified, and 
 God is glorified in Him." Looking upon 
 His death and ascension as at 'uduO, 
 He says also here — from now — from 
 tl)is time of my glorification, ye know 
 Him ; these events will reveal Him to 
 you, and you will, after this, under- 
 stand Him, as revealed in Jesus Christ. 
 You will regard me as the brightness 
 of His glory, and the express image of 
 His person. Heb. 1:3; chs. 12, 44, 
 45; Col. 1: 15; 1 Tim. 6: 16. Be- 
 sides this, He had now surely made 
 Him known. 
 
 8. Slieiv vs, &c. Philip started at 
 this idea of seeing the Father, and per- 
 haps thought that some special sight 
 of Him was now to be granted. This, 
 ho says, would settle every doubt. 
 But our Lord had meant only that the 
 Father's plans would be revealed to 
 them, so that they would know Him 
 when the great facts of His death and 
 resurrection should soon burst upon 
 them. In.stead of receiving the ample 
 testimony which they already had, they 
 looked for some thing difl'erent, which 
 they supposed would be more conclu- 
 sive. But in the parable of the Rich 
 
252 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 been so long time with you, and 
 yet bast thou not known me, 
 Philip ? He ' that hath seen me 
 hath seen the Father : and how 
 sayest thou then, Shew us the 
 Father ? 
 
 man it is testified from heaven, that 
 the Scriptures are as strong and suf- 
 ficient evidence as any one's rising from 
 the dead could be, or any coming down 
 from heaven. Christ had come from 
 the bosom of the Father, and was not 
 this enough? See ch. 8: 19. 
 
 9. So long time. More than three 
 years Christ had been with them — in- 
 structing them as to His work and 
 kingdom, and oneness with the Father 
 — loorking miracles, to show the Father's 
 union with Him, and testimony to His 
 mission. And no wonder that He ex- 
 claims now, at such poor eifect of His 
 long presence with Him. Tf lie that 
 hath seen me. They had had the Fa- 
 ther shown to them by all His life and 
 work. He came from the bosom of 
 the Father on purpose to reveal Him 
 to men — to make known Ilis plans of 
 grace and purposes of salvation. He 
 was "the brightness of the Father's 
 glory, and the express image of His 
 Person." "No man hath seen God at 
 at any time. The only-begotten Son 
 which is in the bosom of the Father, 
 He hath declared Him." Ch. 1: 18; 
 ch. 12 : 44, 4-5 ; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1 : 3; 
 1 Tim. 6: 16. So inseparable is the 
 Father from the Son in essence, though 
 distinct from Him in person, that when 
 the Eternal Word appeared among 
 men, it was a revealing of the Father, 
 and they who properly beheld Christ, 
 by faith, would see Him in this light. 
 This was the truth of His essential 
 oneness with the Father, which the 
 nation so stubbornly rejected. It is, 
 indeed, a great mystery, and only the 
 eye of faith can behold the Father in 
 the Son. This demand, therefore, not- 
 withstanding all His manifestations, to 
 sliow them the Father, as though Christ 
 had not revealed Him, or as though 
 He was to be seen with bodily eyes, 
 
 10 Believest thou not that I am 
 in the Father, and the Father in 
 me ? The words that I speak unto 
 you, I speak not of myself: but 
 the Father, that dwclleth in me, 
 he doeth the works. 
 
 was only the working of natural and 
 carnal unbelief, quite unworthy of His 
 professed disciples, and most unworthy 
 of His Apostles. It was the same 
 challenge which the Pharisees threw 
 out, (ch. 7: 19,) " Where is thy Fa- 
 ther?^' And our Lord replied there 
 very much as He does here — " If ye 
 had known me ye should hnve known 
 my Father also" — and this simply be- 
 cause " I and my Father are one." 
 
 10. Belicvest thou not? The point 
 of this question is as to Philip's faith 
 — that he should review it and examine 
 himself. Did he not profess to believe 
 in His oneness with the Father, and 
 did he really believe it ? This was the 
 Philip whose faith was tested prior to 
 the miracle of feeding the five thousand. 
 Ch. 6: 6. "Whence shall we buy 
 bread that these may eat ?" And hence 
 it would appear that he was very slow 
 to apprehend the Godhead of the Son. 
 Observe — 1. It is important to ques- 
 tion ourselves often upon the first 
 principles of our faith — whether wo 
 really believe in a covenant-keeping 
 God — and an omnipotent Saviour. 2. 
 Our practice is often such as to con- 
 tradict the simplest articles of our 
 faith. We yield to doubt and unbe- 
 lief in matters that are elementary in 
 our professed creed. Therefore the 
 Saviour pointedly asks — " Believest 
 thou," &c. *|[ In the Father. It is not 
 easy for words to express this mystical 
 and Divine union. It is not to be ex- 
 pected, much less is it to be claimed, 
 that finite creatures, such as we, 
 should understand the modes of the 
 Divine existence. " The Son is in the 
 Father, as light is in that light out of 
 which it floweth without separation. 
 The Father is in the Son as light in 
 that light which it causeth and leaveth 
 uoV— Hooker. See ch. 10: 38; 17: 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 253 
 
 11 Believe me that I am in the 
 Father, and the Father in me : or 
 else Lelieve me for the very works' 
 sake. 
 
 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you. 
 
 21. ^ The luords. Words and works 
 are both spoken of here in such a way 
 as to show that they are equally com- 
 prehended in the statement. The idea 
 is, that both the words and works of 
 Christ come from the Father as really 
 as from Himself, because of their 
 essential oneness — and the Father is 
 equally present with Himself in all the 
 words and works. Besides, all the 
 works are an utterance and revelation 
 of the Father. Ch. 5: 19. T Dwelleth 
 in m&. This is the same term as is 
 used in ch. 15, of the believers abiding 
 in Christ. If Doeth the icorks. The 
 Father doeth the miraculous works 
 which prove that the woi'ds which I 
 speak are from Him and not from my- 
 self. 
 
 11. Believe me from the doctrine, 
 tiie words — or if you cannot take the 
 mystery from the icords — upon the 
 simple statement, yet believe me from 
 the works — from the evidence which 
 my miraculous works afl'ord. Literally, 
 on account of the loorks themselves — sim- 
 ply on that basis. Observe — They 
 ought to have believed in Him for His 
 own sake — they should have credited 
 His statements, simply because they 
 were His. Such an implicit faith in 
 God's word is beautiful, and it is that 
 wliich our Lord has a right to claim — 
 and which, therefore. He first of all 
 demands. Ch. 4 : 42. The faith which 
 rests simply on the evidence of mira- 
 cles He counted quite inferior, and was 
 not willing to trust it, (ch. 2 : 23, 24,) 
 hut it was better than none. Ch. 4: 48. 
 It was even a greater witness than 
 John's, which the loorks afforded. Ch. 
 6 : 66. Ai:a il would aid the faith of 
 many, and lead from faith in the works 
 to faith in the word. Ohserye — God 
 often makes His Avorks of Providence 
 a powerful means of grace, leading 
 men from such sensible manifestations 
 of Himself, to credit the simple word 
 22 
 
 He * that believcth on me, the 
 works that I do shall he do also ; 
 and greater tcor/^s than these shall 
 he do ; because I go unto my 
 Father. 
 
 a Matt. 21.21. 
 
 of Scripture — for all His works con- 
 firm His word. The revelation which 
 He makes of Himself in His works are 
 intended to illustrate and demonstrate 
 the revelation which He makes of Him- 
 self in His word. Hence, it is truly 
 said, " An undevout astronomer is 
 mad," for he who is conversant with 
 God's works of creation, and does not 
 see Him in them, so as to be led to a 
 belief in His more minute and full 
 revelation in His word, is mad. 
 
 12. He proceeds now to show how 
 by faith in Him they, the Apostles, 
 should acquire such wonder-working 
 power. It is here promised to them, 
 1. That they should in the power of 
 Christian faith do the works which He 
 did — that is, they should work miracles 
 in His name, and by faith in Him as 
 the risen Lord — Acts 3, &c. — and 2. 
 That they should even do greater things 
 than work miracles, because His going 
 to the Father would leave the interests 
 of His cause on earth devolving upon 
 them, to carry it forward to a more 
 wonderful development — and especially 
 because He should, at His ascension, 
 receive power and glory for the efficient 
 prosecution of His redeeming work, 
 through their instrumentality. It is 
 not meant that they sliould do more 
 astounding miracles than He. Nor 
 that they should do of themselves a 
 greater work than He. But it was so 
 ordered in the Divine plan, that the 
 disciples should carry forward what 
 He had begun. Yet it should be by 
 virtue of Ills sovcreicn power at the 
 li^rht hand. Acts 5: 15; 13: 11; 19: 
 12; Mark 16: 17. They should do 
 greater things in the conversion of 
 souls, (Acts 2,) and in the extension 
 of the kingdom — (Acts 10) — in the 
 planting of churches and in testifying 
 among dificrcnt nations — carrying the 
 Gospel to the Gentiles, and bringing 
 about great events, by extensive M"ork- 
 
2'>1 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 13 And "whatsoever ye shall ask i the Father may be glorified in the 
 
 in ray name, that will I do, that 
 
 a 1 John 5. U. 
 
 ing of miracles in tlie cliiof cities of the 
 earth. Yet it should all be liy virtue 
 of His sovereign jiower at the rigiit 
 hand on high. Hence the book of '• the 
 Acts" is r.-ither a hi.stdry of the xicts of 
 the risen LonI, through the ngciicj- of 
 the Apostles. '■ He shrd forCiC' that 
 ■which was seen at Pentecost, Acts 2 : 
 •33. 1 Because I go. This would be 
 the reason ichy thoy should do these 
 greater works. He would a.'ccnd for 
 this purpose. This was also spoken 
 beforehand, to prepare them for His 
 departure, and to train them gradually 
 to an expectation of blessed results 
 from His ascension. Ch. 16: 7, &c. 
 Obskeve — The progress of Christianity 
 on earth is directly owing to our risen 
 Lord, who mightily works, in carrying 
 on His kingdom to final victory through 
 His believing disciples. .See Matt. 17: 
 19, 20; Matt. 21: 20-22. 2. It is 
 because of His being exalted, and 
 crowned with glcry and honor, as the 
 reward of His sufferings, that we are 
 to w'ork hopefully, and to expect con- 
 fidently the fruit of our labors. 3. 
 '•Christ has sown, and we reap: and 
 the harvest is greater than the seed- 
 time." Observk — We know of not 
 more than 020 disciples (120 in Jeru- 
 salem and 500 in Galilee) whom our 
 Lord left on earth at His ascension — 
 while as the result of the preaching at 
 Pentecost, accompanied by the Spirit's 
 outpouring, 3000 souls were converted. 
 Acts 2: 41. Besides this, as the result 
 of the first miracle, and the defence and 
 preaching that followed, 5000 more 
 were converted. Acts 4 : 4. 
 
 13. The connexion is this. He had 
 appealed to His works in proof of His 
 oneness with the Father, vss. 10, 11. 
 He had shown further, that by virtue 
 of His going to the Father, they shall 
 do these same works bj' faith in Him, 
 and shall even do greater things, vs. 12. 
 (\\hich is also a proof of His oneness 
 with the Father. Acts 2: 33.) And 
 now, still further He shows that it will 
 be rather Ilk doing, by means of their 
 
 Son. 
 
 asking the Father nj His name — and 
 this further proves His oneness with 
 the Fatlici-. Tiie risen L"rd iisecnded 
 to the right hand of the Father; that 
 is — to a sha:e in the dominion — occupy- 
 ing the mediatorial throne. Ps. IIO — 
 also I'ss. 2 and 72. ^ Whafso'.vcr. 
 Here the plan for carrying forward His 
 glorious work is further set forth, 
 namely — that He shall be exalted on 
 liigh, to receive their petitions — as 
 Lord and Christ, (Acts 2: 83, 36,) and 
 to execute ichatsoecer they should ask 
 when presented thus in His name, on 
 the ground of His finished work and 
 His pi'omises. Besides this, the asking 
 /;; His name, means, as properly repre- 
 senting His interest on earth — asking 
 thus sucli thing.s as were needful for 
 the promotion of His cause. This im- 
 pilies tliat from the right hand on high. 
 He will pray tlie Father, who will send 
 down the Comforter in His name, and 
 He shall indite their petitions, for 
 they know not what to pray for as they 
 ought, but the Spirit maketh interces- 
 sion for them, (Horn. 8: 20,) and 
 prayers which He thus prompts in 
 them, (Phil. 2: 13,) He will surely 
 and .always execute. T[ TJutlieill Ido. 
 He will do it by His own jioAver in 
 Heaven ; He, as exalted to be a Prince 
 and a Saviour, Avill do it all. Ch. 15 : 7. 
 This is not an unlimited grant, to ask 
 what they please — but only what thcj'- 
 shall ask in His name. If the desire 
 regard only our own will, the prayer 
 is not in the name of the Lord, even 
 though it relate to spiritual good, 
 which maybe sought in a wrong spirit. 
 This promise of Christ implies His 
 essential omniscience as well !;s om- 
 nipotence — and it is a distinct asser- 
 tion of His Personal Godhead. A" 'Jl'at 
 the Father. The aim and result of tiiis 
 arrangement shall be that the Father 
 shall be glorified by these wonders of 
 grace and triumphs of the Gospel 
 through the Son, as the risen Lord, 
 shedding down His ascension gifts, ard 
 Korking still through His servants to 
 
A.GB 83.] CHAP 
 
 14 If ye shall ask any thing in 
 my name, I will do it. 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 255 
 
 the corajjletion of His kingdom on the 
 earth. Acts 4 : 29, 30 ; 3 : G-8 ; PJail. 
 4: 0; 2 Cur. 12: 0; Horn. 15: 18, 19. 
 Besides, the fact thit this is His aim, 
 and this the plan of His Icingdom, to 
 gloriiy the Fiither l)y the Son's omnipo- 
 tent work, proves still further the one- 
 ness of the Father and the Son. Ob- 
 SEKVK — 1. The end of the economy of 
 grace, is the glory of God, by the 
 agency of the Son. 2. This high aim 
 of all the Gospel plan encourages our 
 prayers and labors. Jt is a plan for 
 glorifying the Godhead, and it must 
 prosper, 3. Whatever we ask of the 
 Father in the name of tlie Son, the Son 
 performs, and this shows the essential 
 oneness of the Father and the Sou. 
 The Son knows of whatever is asked 
 of the Father — and He is able to do it 
 by His own Almighty power, 
 
 14. Here Ho solemnly repeats as a 
 promise Avhatwas incidentally asserted 
 beforo. It is distinctl^^ declared that 
 this promise should extend to " ani/- 
 thing," " iv/talsoever" they should so 
 ask — and it is emphatically said, " I 
 will do it." The pronoun "I" is here 
 used, as it was not in the former clause, 
 as much as to say, " It is / that will 
 do it." The promise is thus virtually 
 repeated and doubled in oi'dcr to give 
 every assurance to them, and to meet 
 their doubts. It is so emphatically 
 said, "I will do it" — to show tliem 
 that He will be Himself on high^the 
 same Personal Saviour — and that, as 
 their risen Lord, He would directly act 
 in answer to their prayers. The whole 
 I'.istory of the Acts of the Apostles 
 shows that this was the very truth 
 which they were so slow to und( rstand, 
 and which was constantly urged upon 
 their attention. Acts 1 : 24 ; 3 : 21, &c. 
 
 15. As the asking, however, was to 
 bo in His name, so it must be in the 
 way of loving obedience and service. 
 ^ If ye love me. He had exhorted 
 them to believe in Him — in His very 
 essential Godhead, (vs. 11,) and He 
 had uttered the richest promises to 
 them if they should so believe — even 
 
 me, keep my 
 
 15 If * ye love 
 commandments. 
 
 a c. 15. 10. U. ver. '21. 13. 1 John 5. 3. 
 
 that He would so fully perfcrni what 
 thoy sliould ask believiugly. And now 
 He nppea'.s to their love, and it is in 
 this tender form — "// ye love me," as 
 yo pi'ofess, and as ye ought, and as is 
 needful for any right prayer and labor, 
 keep my comiitandmenls. After show- 
 ing His love to them, He thus appe.ils 
 to their love to Him, and exhorts them 
 to make practical proi,f of it. Thus it 
 is that this exhortation connects with 
 verse 11. Faith and love are tested 
 by obedience. Faith works, and it 
 works by love. Gal. -5: 0. See vs. 23 ; 
 vss. 21, 24. So John elsewhere re- 
 marks, (1 John 5: 3,) "This is the 
 love of God, that we keep His command- 
 ments." "Love is the fulfilling of 
 the law," because it prompts to every 
 practical fulfillment. And h.ere this 
 appeal is made to furnish them a solid, 
 uniform principle for the regulation of 
 their conduct in His absence, namely : 
 to prove their love by their obedience. 
 Besides, it is meant to turn away their 
 attention from vain regrets at His 
 personal departure, and to show them 
 that they could most acceptably man- 
 ifest their love to Him, even while He 
 should be absent from them, nnmelj': 
 hy keeping the commandments which 
 He had given them. Ch. 8: 51; 1 
 John 5 : 2, 3. He refers especially to 
 the "new commandment" of love. 
 Ch. 13: 34. ^ My commandments. 
 The commandments of Christ are not 
 naked injunctions of do this and that, 
 but when He commands He also gives 
 to believers the grace to obey His 
 commandments. So Augustine used 
 to say — "Only give wdiat thou com- 
 mandest, then command what thou 
 wilt." Hence we have immediately 
 the promise of this needed helper. 
 
 16, Atid I tcill pray, &c. He 
 promises, therefore, in this very con- 
 nexion, the gift of the Ho!}- Spirit to 
 dwell Vi'ith them, and to be in them ; 
 so that He does not mean to leave 
 them to struggle on, in darkness and 
 doubt, in His absence, but to have Ilia 
 place fixlly supplied, and more. For 
 
£56 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 16 And I will pray the Father, 
 and he shall give yon another 
 
 the Spirit, instend of being confined to 
 places, as lie was in the flesh, could 
 dwell in all their hearts at once, and 
 "wherever they should be. It was, 
 therefore, a much better arrangement 
 than His continuance with them could 
 be. See ch. 16: 7, &c. The Spirit 
 could abide with them forever, and 
 dwell witli them and in them. How 
 blessed a provision — this gracious and 
 almighty Indweller, who works in the 
 very springs of thought and feeling, 
 and works so sweetly, constraining us 
 so softly and gentl^', by using the love of 
 Christ as a tender and powerful motive 
 to all obedience. Observe — 1. Christ 
 requires obedience to his commands 
 " They are not grievous." 1 John 
 5 : 3. They are such works as are 
 done by love, through faith in Him. 
 2. This promise of rhe Holy Spirit is 
 to be taken in close connexion with 
 His command to obedience, for only 
 thus are we furnished with any abil- 
 ity to do what he requires. The term 
 here rendered '■'■ jjray," is a term denot- 
 ing a familiar mode of asking, as of 
 friend asking friend, and refers to the 
 essential equality of the Father and 
 the Son. It also hints of His asking 
 face to face, as He was to ascend to 
 the Father, and carry on Ilis mediato- 
 rial, work in heaven. The term mean- 
 ing to pray as a suppliant, is difl'erent. 
 In this official character He would 
 intercede for them, and He would ob- 
 tain this advent of the third Person of 
 the Blessed Trinity, as a further step 
 in tlie glorious Phin of Redemption. 
 T[ I/c shall send. The Spirit was to be 
 sent as the fruit of Christ's atoning 
 work. The Father, therefore, is here 
 said to send Ilim. But in ch. 15: 2U, 
 Chiist is said to send Him. T[ Another 
 Comforter. The term here rendered 
 " Comforter," is the Greek word "Par- 
 aclete." Whatever it signifies, it was 
 such an office and woi'k as Christ had 
 hitherto performed, for the Holy Spirit 
 was to be "another," as Christ had 
 been one. Nay, Christ should continue 
 to be one, but not bodily present, as 
 
 Comforter, ' that he may abide 
 with yon for ever; 
 
 a e. 15, 26. 
 
 belore. The term also is here used 
 appropriately to the context, both as 
 adapted to what they should require, 
 (in order to keep His commandments,) 
 and to what this Paraclete is to per- 
 form, as is stated here and in vss. 26, 
 27; ch. 15: 20, and in ch. 10. He 
 was to " teacli them all things, and 
 bring all the tnings of Christ to their 
 remembrano. ," (vs. 26,) while it was 
 doubtless by ihe Spirit that " Christ 
 was to manifest Himself unto them," 
 and often come to them in their orphan 
 estate, vs. 18. The Paraclete was also 
 to bear witness of Christ. Ch. 15: 26. 
 He was also to lead them along in the 
 way into all the truth, and He would 
 show them the things to come. He 
 was to take of Christ's and show unto 
 them — opening to them the excellen- 
 cies, and unfolding the beauties and 
 glories of Christ to them. Ch. 16 : 13- 
 16. He was therefore to be such a 
 reminder and expounder of Christ, and 
 of His truth and s.alvation, as would 
 furnish them the greatest consolation 
 in His absence — and most fully make 
 up for His bodily departure. Nay, 
 they should know more of Christ from 
 the Spirit's unfolding than they knew 
 by Christ's own abiding with them — 
 and more than they could know by 
 His continuance with them in the flesh. 
 Thus we see the Spirit was to be a 
 Paraclete by His comfortikg inslnic- 
 iions and svygestions, which should be 
 always so FULL OF CiinisT. He was 
 also to " dwell with them, and to bo 
 in them." This seems to reicr to I'clp 
 and strength, which He w ould furnish 
 — stimding near as an assistant, and 
 pleading, interceding as an Advocate. 
 The term originally means, one icho is 
 called to stand by atiother — which was 
 most appropriate here when they 
 thought only of being deserted. Chritt 
 is our Advocate with the Father, 
 (James 2: 1,) standing by us with the 
 Father — and standing at the right hand 
 of the Father for us. Tlie word has 
 such a fullness of meaning here, that 
 it is not easy to express all the ideas 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 257 
 
 17 Even the Spirit of truth; 
 
 in one term. It combines Comforter 
 and Advocate. The sense, however, in 
 which the Spirit raaketh intercession 
 for us, is exj^lained in Romans 8 : 26, 
 27 — namely, that it is ivithin us, while 
 Christ intercedes above us. It is " with 
 groanings unutterable," that the in- 
 dwelling Spirit pleads — responsive to 
 the pleading of Christ at the right 
 hand on high. This accords with His 
 of&ce of Teacher, and Reminder of 
 Christ — Christ's Revealer on earth. As 
 Christ revealed the Father, so the 
 Spirit reveals Christ in all His com- 
 forting and beautiful qualities and 
 offices for the soul, ministering thus 
 the most heavenly consolations — lead- 
 ing in CLrist's ways, and opening to 
 the inward sight Christ's lovely attri- 
 butes, as by opening a casket and 
 showing the jewels, one by one, in 
 their richest light — "shedding abroad 
 in the heart the love of Christ," which 
 Christ has shown to us. Rom. 8 : 
 Hence we see, that whether it is com- 
 forting, strengthening, advocating, or 
 helping — it is expressly by means of 
 the TRUTH, as it is i?i Jesus, that the 
 Spirit is promised to work. This was 
 just what was needed as the next step 
 in the plan of redemption. It is to be 
 understood that the term "comforter" 
 had the sense originally of streiKjthemr, 
 from Latin confortare ; and we should 
 bear in mind, says Hare, that "the Spirit 
 is the Comforter in the primary as well 
 as the secondarj' sense of that word, 
 and that He diil not come merely to 
 console the disciples for their loss, but 
 mainly to strengthen their hearts and 
 minds, by enabling them to understand 
 the whole truth, and to feel the whole 
 power of the Gospel." — ilission of 
 the Com., p. 355. ^ That He may 
 eibide, &c. Christ must depart to carry 
 on His advocacy on high. The Spirit 
 would be a permanent indwelling Para- 
 clete. What a consolation that He 
 would never leave them. Clirist taber- 
 nacled with them, as in a tent, mova- 
 ble and temporary, as the term means. 
 The Spirit abides, dwells in them for- 
 ever, as in a temple never to be taken 
 22* 
 
 whom 
 
 the world cannot receive, 
 
 a 1 Cor. 2. 14. 
 
 down, but immortal as the soul itself. 
 1 Cor. G: 19; 3: 16, 17; 2 Cor. 6: 16. 
 They would need His ofiSces at all 
 times, to bring Christ and all His 
 things to remembrance, to lead and 
 guide them into all the truth as it is 
 in Christ. Ch. 10: 16. Observe— This 
 Paraclete is a Person no less than 
 Christ, and His Personal acts and 
 works are spoken of. So that here 
 the three Persons of the Blessed Tri- 
 nity are bi'ought to view. 
 
 17. The Spirit of truth. How appro- 
 priately, therefore, the Spirit is so 
 called, from all that we have seen of 
 His offices. He is called by this name 
 also, in ch. 15: 2o, and ch. 16: 13. 
 The Spirit is called " Truth," by John, 
 (1 John 1: 6,) and here the name 
 means not the true Spirit, as some 
 understand, but the Spirit who is 
 Truth, and who works Truth in us — 
 who leads into all" truth, (ch. 16: 13,) 
 who reveals the truth as it is in Jesus, 
 and shows forth Christ as "the Truth." 
 It is not a single truth to be understood, 
 but the very principle of truth which 
 is here referred to, which overcomes 
 all the vanity and falsehood of the 
 natural, sinful life. Christ came "full 
 of grace and trr.th." Ch. 1 : 17. And 
 here the Redeemer promises in His 
 bodily absence, the presence of a new 
 and higher principle, namely — the in- 
 dwelling and working of this Personal 
 Truth in them, to bring their minds and 
 lives into entire conformity Avith the 
 mind of God. T[ Whom the icorld. 
 This describes the Holy Spirit — this 
 third person of the Blessed Trinity. 
 Just as the world — the unregenerate 
 world did not receive Christ when He 
 came — so neither will they receive the 
 Spirit. ^ Cannot. Literally — is not 
 able. There is even an inability to 
 receive the Spirit for the reason stated. 
 It is not a phj^sical inability, but a 
 spiritual one — yet it belongs to us by 
 nature. Is is none the le.-s an inability, 
 because it is not a bodily one. It is 
 even more, because it is an inability of 
 the heart, about things that belong to 
 the heart. An inability of the eyca 
 
258 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 because it seeth him not, neither 
 Lnovreth hiui: but ye know him; 
 
 would be of small account — for the 
 truths of God's word that could not le 
 rciid, could le learned from the lips of 
 others, liut it is an inability of the 
 inward sense, Avhich is tlie most serious 
 inability, because it does not lessen the 
 responsibility, aud because it is not to 
 be overcome except by divine power. 
 So Paul says, (1 Cor. 2: 14,) "The 
 natural man recciveth not the ihings 
 of the Spirit of God, FOR they are fool- 
 ishness itnto Iiim. Neither can he (is 
 he able to) know them, because they are 
 spiritually discerned." The unrenewed 
 world cannot receive the Spirit, because 
 it has no spiritual sense. It cannot 
 discern these things of which the Spirit 
 treats, because they can be apprehen- 
 ded only with another eye. The blind 
 eyeball must be new created before it 
 can receive these i-ays. There may 
 be a dim sight of outward objects — of 
 shapes said figures and of light as dis- 
 tinct from darkness. But at best, it 
 is only "men as trees walking,'' that 
 can be seen — not a sentence of God's 
 glorious gospel — not a feature of Jesus' 
 face — not a glimpse of the heavenly 
 glory — because these things are spiritu- 
 ally discerned, and cannot be seen by 
 the carnal eye. IT Because it seeth Him 
 not. The reason here given for the 
 world's inability to receive the Spirit, 
 is the spiritual nature of the object, 
 not visible as worldly objects arc — 
 and they have no faith nor inward dis- 
 cernment of divine things. ^ Neither 
 knoweih Ilim. The world is not able 
 to know the Holy Spirit experimer, tally, 
 because they have no sj'iritual discern- 
 ment. The spiritual man "looks not at 
 the things which are seen, but at the 
 things which are not seen " — and by 
 faith he con.munes with God — has 
 fellowship with the Father, and with 
 His Son Jesus Christ, (1 John 1: 3.) 
 and has his "conversation (citizenship) 
 in Hea\en." Phil, o: 20. But the 
 natural man ncitlicr I'ecognizes the 
 person or work or wt.rd of the Spirit — 
 nor knotceth Him experimentally. He 
 may be learned enough in worldly 
 
 for he dwelloth with you, and 
 " shall be in you. 
 
 knowledge, and may be acquainted 
 with tlie great ones of the eaith, but 
 God the Spirit he has no knowledge 
 of, as to His person or His woik in the 
 heart. 1 Cor. 2: 10-10. "All that the 
 Scripture tells us about the Holy Spirit 
 is regarded by worldly men as a 
 dream, because, trusting to their own 
 leason they despise heavenly illumina- 
 tion." — Catviii. ^ But ye knoiv Ilim. 
 This is the contrast between believers 
 and the unregenerate world. WLilo 
 carnal men make no account of the 
 Spirit, see no need of conversio.i, and 
 do not understand regeneration, believ- 
 ers make great account of the Spirit, 
 without whose influence they " cannot 
 even think anything as they ought" — • 
 "know not what to pray lor as they 
 ought." They have constant need of 
 "the cojiMUNiON of the Ilohj Ghost," 
 and this, therelore, is in the apostolical 
 benediction along with " the grace 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ," and "the 
 love of God," (1 Cor. IC: 14,) and it 
 is what all require. Our Lord, there- 
 fore, appeals to their experience. 
 They already had inwaid knowledge 
 of the Spirit, though they may not 
 have learned fully to distinguish His 
 offices and woi'k. T[ For He duelleth 
 u-ith you. Already the divine Spirit 
 could be said to diciil — abide uiih Iheiu — 
 and He was to be given to abide with 
 them more fully and manifestly and 
 forever, vs. 16. ^ Shall he in you. 
 He was also to dwell in them, taking 
 up His abode in them, as in a temple. 
 1 Cor. 6 . 19. Hence, Paul the Apostle 
 testifies, "Now we have received not 
 the spirit of the world, but the Spiiit 
 which is of God, that we might know 
 the fliincs that are freely given to us 
 of God,'' &c. 1 Cor. 2 : 12. The Spirit 
 in believers works :ippropriato i'ruits, 
 (Gal. o: 22-24,) and His work of 
 sanctification is jjrogressive, at;d He is 
 needed to continue His abode in tlum. 
 Hence, believers are exhorted not to 
 grievethc Holy Spirit, (Eph. 4: 30,)-- 
 not to quench the Spirit, (1 Thess. 5: 
 19,) but to walk in the Spirit as a 
 
AoE 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XIT. 
 
 259 
 
 18 I will not leave you * comfort- 
 less : I * will come to you. 
 
 19 Yet 0, little while, and the 
 
 1 or, orpha 
 
 proof of their livinij in the Spirit. Gal. 
 5: 2o. 
 
 18. Leave ydu comfortless. The term 
 here rendered comfortless nie.ins orphans; 
 indeed it is the very word '■'■ orphan- 
 ous," in the Greek. Christ had prom- 
 ised the Spirit as the Comforter, to 
 compensate for His bodily .absence, 
 and more. Now, He goes further, and 
 assures them that He is not going so as 
 not to revisit them. He owns His 
 paternal relation to them. The re- 
 moval of Himself, as their family Head, 
 would seem to them to make them 
 orphans. But He will not leave them 
 really bereft. He will still be t'jieir 
 family Head in heaven. He would 
 give tliem evidence in the mission of 
 the Spirit, at Pentecost, of His living 
 interest in them. And personally, as 
 j\h;diator — God-Man — the Second Per- 
 son of tlie Blessed Trinity — He would 
 ol'ten come to them in special mani- 
 festations of Himself by the Spirit. 
 1[ / will come. Literally, / come, or 
 am coming. He refers not mainly to 
 the final, second advent, which is 
 ratl.er the climax of his frequent com- 
 ings, nor to the other bodily advent 
 at the resurrection. It is rather "tlie 
 great revisitation in all its blessed 
 progress," which He here pledges to 
 them ; for tlie Spirit will take of the 
 things of Christ and show unto them. 
 Ch. 16: 14. By this means they 
 sliouid reallj' see more of Him — see 
 Him more fullj', and know and appre- 
 ciate Him more than they did in the 
 flesii. So Paul testifies — " Henceforth 
 know we no man after the flesh: yea, 
 tiiough we have known Christ after 
 the llesh, yet now henceforth know we 
 liliu {ihns) no more." 2 Cor. 5: 16. 
 OusKiivE — 1. Christ would come per- 
 soh-jU;!, only not hodihj, by the Spirit. 
 2. Tiie Spirit would make Him more 
 miiiifest and near to His people than 
 a bodily forin could do. 3. How 
 blessed and desirable is this work of 
 the Spirit — how glorious is His person, 
 
 world seeth me no more j but ye 
 see me : because "^ I live, ye shall 
 live also. 
 
 and how earnestly should His opera- 
 tion be sought when it can be had at 
 the asking. Our heavenly Father gives 
 tlie Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. 
 Luke 11 : 13. 
 
 19. Yet a little u-hile. He refers 
 here to the great event for Avhich Ho 
 would prepare their minds: namely, 
 His withdrawal from human bodily 
 sight, in death. He v/ould be no longer 
 visible according to the flesh ; and to 
 the common, worldly view. He would 
 bo unseen. T[ But ye see vie. There 
 w."s a sense, however, in which His 
 believing disciples would continue to 
 see Him. The Spirit, whom He would 
 send, would show Him unto them — and 
 they would have inward perception of 
 Him, and holy communion and fellow- 
 ship with Him. He cannot refer merely 
 to the brief interval of forty days, ia 
 which He would sliow Himself to them 
 after His resurrection, and not unto 
 the world, (Acts 20: 41,) for He would 
 then, again, so shortly leave them, as 
 before. He may include thaf, however, 
 and more than that He refers to the 
 spiritual sight of Him, which would 
 more than compensate for His bodily 
 absence, vs. 17. See ch. 16: 16. 
 ^ Because I live. This habitual sight 
 of Christ by the inward sense, so much 
 nearer and better than that of the 
 bodily sirht, where He appears in the 
 very chambers of the soul, and nothing 
 to cloud or color tlie view, shall come 
 from the spiritual life in them. And 
 this is fouiuled upon His life. Thia 
 refers to the great truth, that He is 
 the source and " Fountain of Life " to 
 all His people — that they stand in Him 
 as their substitute, righteousness and 
 portion — and that He is '■'the Life." 
 Ch. 1 : 4. If He should be crushed by 
 the power of death. His work could 
 not avail them. But He essentially' 
 lives— He has tlie keys of Hell and of 
 Death — He will abolish death by \irtue 
 of His Divine Life, and bring Life and 
 immortality to light. 2 Tim. 1 : 10. 
 
260 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age Z'i. 
 
 20 At that day ye shall know 
 that I am in my Father, and ye 
 in me, and I in you. 
 
 Therefore, though He should seem to 
 yield to death and the grave, He here 
 assures them that He lives. "lam 
 He that liveth and was dead, and behold 
 I am alive for evermore. Amen! and 
 have the keys of hell and of death. 
 Rev. 1: 18. And because He lives — 
 just on this ground of His living, 
 despite of death, and living after death, 
 and living eternally beyond the power 
 of death — just because of His so tri- 
 umphing over death and hell and hav- 
 ing the roj'al prerogative of Life, His 
 people shall live also. Psal. IG : 10, 11 ; 
 Psal. 21 : 4. He laid down His life 
 and took it again, after He had fully 
 accomplished His object in laying it 
 down. In Him was Life, and the life 
 was the light of men. Ch. 1 : 4. He 
 hath life in Himself. Ch. 5: 24, 26. 
 He is "that eternal life," which was 
 from the beginning, (1 John 1, 2.) 
 " He quickens, (raises to life) whom 
 He will." Ch. 5: 21. His people 
 "shall reign in life by One — Jesus 
 Christ." Rom. 5 : 17. "Their life is Iiid 
 with Christ." As true believers have 
 their spiritual life on the ground of His 
 life, so they are to live after death by 
 virtue of His eternal and glorious life 
 in Heaven — "when Christ, who is their 
 life, shall appeal-." Rom. 8: 10, 11; 
 I'Cor. 15: 26, 53, 54; 2 Cor. 5:4; 
 Col. 3 : 3, 4 ; Phil. 3 : 21 ; 1 John 3 : 
 2. Observe. — 1. This is life in the 
 highest sense, life spiritual and eternal, 
 which we get from Christ and by virtue 
 of His life. 
 
 '• ' Tis not the whole of life to live." 
 
 2. "The world seeth not Christ — but as 
 soon as any man begins to live by the 
 spirit, he is immediately endued with 
 eyes to see Christ. Accordingly when 
 the question is, how are we to obtain 
 life, our eyes must be directed to 
 Christ, and His life must be eonvej-ed 
 to us by faith, that our consciences may 
 be fully convinced that so long as 
 Christ lives we are free from all danger 
 of destruction." — Calvin. " Cause me 
 
 21 He * that hath my command- 
 ments, and keepeth them, he it is 
 that loveth me : and he that 
 
 to live m, by and according to thee, 
 Jesus, my life and my eternal glory.'' 
 Ques?iel. 
 
 20. At that day. Under the dispen- 
 sation of the Spirit. This refers to 
 "the uninterrupted course, as it were, 
 of a single day, from the time when 
 Christ exerted the power of his Spirit 
 till the last resurrection." — Calvin. 
 As the prophets were accustomed to 
 speak of the Messiah's times as " that 
 day," "in that day," so here our Lord 
 refers to the times of the Spirit as 
 still more emphatically " that day," 
 to which all the plans of grace looked 
 forward. This time of the Spirit's ad- 
 vent is to be a time of pt-culiar life and 
 knowledge. He promises them, there- 
 fore, the knowledge of such high truths 
 asnow they stumbled at. How wonder- 
 fully' these very apostles did afterwards 
 enter into these lofty truths unler the 
 ministration of the Spirit. How deeply 
 Peter penetrated them. 1 Peter 1 : 
 1-6, 17^23 ; 2 : 3-12, 21-25. 2 Peter 
 1 : 3-12. And John, in this gospel 
 narrative, and his Epistles and Reve- 
 lation ; and James, in • his Epistle. 
 ^ / am in my Father. This was what 
 they did not yet understand. This 
 was the topic which he had been ex- 
 pounding to them, (vss. 10 and 11,) 
 and for which He appealed to the 
 works. See iS^otes. ^ And ye in me. 
 This was yet a more practical truth 
 for them to understand. They might 
 not be able to comprehend the relations 
 of the Blessed Trinitj', yet they would 
 receive abounding proofs of Christ's 
 essential Godhead from His resurrec- 
 tion, (Rom. 1:2,) and from His send- 
 ing down the Holy Spirit, according 
 to promise, and from His almighty 
 works in the Church, as well as from 
 the whole plan of redemption, as it 
 should be more iuwaixlly revealed to 
 their experience. They would also 
 have practical knowledgeof their stand- 
 ing in Him as their only life and hope. 
 They would know that high spiritual 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 261 
 
 loveth me shall be loved of 
 my Father ; and I will love 
 
 truth of their being "m Him," as the 
 br.anch is in the vine, (ch. 15,) and of 
 tlieir justification and new creation in 
 Him, (2 Cor. 5: 17,) by the working 
 of the Spirit — elect through sanc- 
 tification of the Spirit unto obedience 
 and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus 
 Christ. 1 Peter 1:2. \ And I in 
 you. This doctrine of Christ's being 
 in believers, is collateral with that of 
 their being in Christ. It is a mutual 
 indwelling — Christ in them was to be 
 more and more clearly, and the only 
 hope of glory. Col. 1 : 27. AVhen He 
 exhorts them to abide in Him, He 
 adds, "and I in you." Ch. 15. "I in 
 them," He says, "and thou in me," 
 (ch. 17: 23,) where He makes His 
 intercessory prayer to the Father: and 
 in vs. 26, He adds, " that the love 
 wherewith thou hast loved me may be 
 in them, and / in them." This is the 
 deep desire of His soul, to establish 
 this indwelling of His power and grace 
 in them — setting up in their hearts 
 His throne, and thus more fully and 
 firmly identifying them with Himself, 
 as those "given to Him" — as His own 
 (peculiar) people — as His rich and 
 glorious inheritance, and as destined 
 to be with Him forever, where He is. 
 Observe — We are in Christ as His 
 members — we are of His body, His 
 flesh, and His bones, and He is in us 
 by His indwelling spirit, to sanctify 
 and govern us, and to communicate to 
 us, as the Head to the members, or as 
 the heart to the whole man, the life 
 of grace and glory. So John, in the 
 Revelation, records the saying of 
 Christ to him in vision, "I will come 
 into him, and sup with him, and he 
 tvilh me," expressing this reciprocal re- 
 lation. "Accomplish in me, 0, my 
 God ! these last mysteries of thy Icve 
 and mercy. Vouchsafe to work tL.it 
 quickly in my heart which thou here 
 promisest . ' ' — Quemel, 
 
 21. Halh 7711/ commandments. The 
 Spirit's work aims at a living obedi- 
 ence : and the sanctification of be- 
 lievers is to be accomplished by Hia 
 
 him, and will manifest myself to 
 him. 
 
 advent. Therefore our Lord again de- 
 clares that obedience is the true test 
 of love, as before, (vs. 15,) — and that 
 such personal, vital, habitual con- 
 formity to Christ is the proof of His 
 indwelling, and of these close relations 
 just spoken of. It is not mere theory, 
 or dry doctrine, or formal profession. 
 It is living truth, working out in daily 
 practice. To h.we Christ's command- 
 ments means, says Calvin, "to be pro- 
 perly instructed in them." To have 
 them is surely something more than to 
 have the record of them, or the verbal 
 memory of them. One may have them 
 at his tongue's end, and not have them. 
 One may have thera written in front- 
 lets and ph^'lacteries, and not have 
 them. It means a living possession 
 of them, " laj-ing them up in the 
 heart," and the keeping them is a 
 "practicing them in the life." Here 
 our Lord laj's down the great principle 
 of the Christian life, that the relation 
 to Christ, can be proved in this way — 
 that mere profession or church con- 
 nection J8 not enough — and that the 
 Christian living must show the Christian 
 standing, as nothing else can: that kind 
 of having, holding, and holding to, and 
 holding fast His commandments, and 
 KEEPING them in daily conduct, which 
 will - spring from love to Him — and 
 which will prove itself as the proper 
 fruit of love — which could not bo ac- 
 counted for, except by the constraining 
 love of Christ — this He distinguishes 
 as the proper mark of His people. 
 1[ Loved of my Father. The Father 
 loveth the Son, and so also lie loveth 
 all those who love the Son. He loveth 
 truth and holiness and so He loveth 
 all those who express their love to 
 Christ by truth and holiness of life. 
 It is only as we stand in Christ that 
 we can be looked on with favor by the 
 Father, who loves us purely for Christ's 
 sake. "Behold, God, our shield, 
 and look upon the face of thine Anoint- 
 ed." Ps. 81. There is also another 
 sense in which God's love to us is the 
 cause of our love to Him. " We love 
 
262 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 TAge 8S. 
 
 22 Judas * saitli unto liini, (not 
 Iscariot) Lord, how is it that thou 
 
 a Lu.6. Ifi. 
 
 Him becimse He first loved us." It is 
 botli the efficient cnuse and tlie excit- 
 ing cause of it. But l:ere it is set 
 fin-tli as also the reicard of our love. 
 So that His love acts first, to work 
 love in us, and then to reward the very 
 love which He has excited in us, by fi 
 ■warmer love towards us; on this ac- 
 count His love supports us in tlie com- 
 b;it, and then eternally crowns those 
 ■whom He all along supported! "Be- 
 hold what riKinner of love the Fatln r 
 hath bestowed upon us, that we should 
 be called the sons of Gud. And it 
 doth r.ot j-et appear what we shall be." 
 1 Joh;i 3. Observe — '• Jlal/i' and 
 " kecpet/i," in this verse, Augustine 
 understands as "hath in his niemori/ 
 and kecpeth in his life.'' T And I ivi/l 
 love 1dm. It is not only the Father's 
 love that we get in return for our love 
 to Christ, but the love of Christ abo — 
 of the adorable, ever-blessed God-man 
 — the Saviour, Intercessor, and final 
 Judge — the friend that sticketh closer 
 than a brother — the sympathizing High 
 Priest, merciful and faithful. This 
 love has in it a sweetness beyond even 
 the love of the Father. It is closer. 
 " I will come in to him and sup with 
 him, and he with me." Rev. 3 : 20. 
 ^ Manifest mi/se!f. This, says Stier, "is 
 the highest promise which can be made 
 to man, cind yet it is made to every 
 man who has and keeps Christ's com- 
 mands, out of love to Him." This not 
 only implies a greater discovery of 
 Christ, day by day, on the principle 
 that " then shall we l^now if we follow 
 on to know the Lord," but it includes 
 a personal and gracious manifestation 
 to the soul, in a holy communion and 
 fellowship — as the return for our 
 love to Christ, our love shall be so 
 warmly responded to. vs. 23. This 
 .sight of Jesus is, indeed, the most glo- 
 rious, precious sight in the universe, 
 when He manifests Himself to the in- 
 Avard man, in the chambers of the soul. 
 How much better is this for us, in our 
 present state, than nny manifestation 
 
 ■wilt manifest thy.sclf unto u?, and 
 not unto the Avorld ? 
 
 in the flesh to our poor, dull senses, 
 where Ave might misapprehend Him, 
 and tal<e Him to beatpirit, (Luke 24: 
 37,) or mistake Him, even at the 
 open sepulchre, for the gardener! 
 Manifest thyself to us, Blessed Saviour, 
 in thy Avord, in thy providence — in 
 thine ordinances — in the Holy Supper. 
 OcsEDVE — Many look for some mar- 
 velous manifestations of Christ in a 
 sensible form, instead of lookir.g for 
 Him, Avhere He is to be found, in His 
 gospel. There he gives us the vivid 
 revelation of Himself — there He records 
 for us the ansAvers beforehand to our 
 prayers. 
 
 22. Judas. This question of the 
 faithful Judas shoAvs, alas ! how un- 
 spiritual the apostles even Avtrc, as 
 yet, in their vieAvs of Gospel truth. 
 They thought first of all of a glorious 
 manifestation to the world, according 
 to their JcAvish notion of a conquering, 
 earthly king. How utterly is that 
 notion to be crushed out of them, 
 during the next few hours, by His 
 seizure and death! T[ Kot Iscariot. 
 This Judas was the brother of James. 
 He Avas not the traitor, though having 
 the same name. He had also (happily,) 
 other names, as Lebbeus and Thaddeus. 
 Matt. 10: 3. This one Avas the Apos- 
 tle — and author of the Epistle of Jtide. 
 But see that Epi.>^tle for the proof of 
 the Spirit's eidightenment according 
 to the promise here. H? had received 
 an understanding of this, for he Avrites 
 of the icorld, (vs. 10, &c.,) "These bo 
 they Avho separate themselves, sensual, 
 having not the Spirit. But ya beloved, 
 building iip yourselves on your most 
 holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 
 keep yourselves in the love of Goil, 
 looking for the mercy of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And 
 of some have compassion, making a 
 difference, and others save with fear, 
 pulling them out of the fire." ^ How 
 is it. HoAv dift'erent from our natural 
 vieAv is this Gospel plan and doctrine 
 throughout. This is, indeed, o clear 
 
Aot: 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 263 
 
 23 Jesus ans-vrered and said unto 
 him, If a man love me, he will 
 keep my vrords : and my Fatlicr 
 will love him, and * we will come 
 unto him, and make our abode 
 with hi:i;i. 
 
 24 He that loveth me not, keep- 
 eth not my sayings : and the word 
 
 II 1 John 2. 24. Re. 3. 20. 
 
 proof of the inspiration of the Scrip- 
 tures, AVho would ever have tliought 
 of such a in;ini testation of Christ — to 
 a few — and in the Spirit. 
 
 23. Tliis is our Lord's answer. lie 
 repeats wliat He had already said, so 
 as to urge this spiritual truth upon the 
 comprehension. In vs. 21, he had 
 spoken of obedience as proving one's 
 love, and now He speaks of love as 
 working out obedience. ^ We will 
 come. Both the Father and Son — 
 which must also include the Spirit, 
 who shows the Son unto us, and sheds 
 abroad His love in the heart, just as 
 the Son reveals tiie Father. Besides, 
 " tiie things of God knoweth no man 
 but the Spirit of God, for the Spirit 
 searcheth all things, yea, the deep 
 things of God." 1 Cor. 2:10. 1[ Make 
 our abode. They will take up their 
 familiar residence with such. " I will 
 come in to him and sup with him, and 
 he with me." Kev. 3 : 20. The idea 
 of abode is that of permanency, not 
 only as distinct from sojourn, but it is 
 the idea of a dwelling, a mansion — the 
 same word as is used in ch. 16 : 2. " In 
 my Father's house .are many ma?isio?is." 
 Christ dwelt among us in the flesli. 
 See ch. 1 : 1-1, wliere the term ex- 
 presses a temporary dwelling, .as in a 
 tent, tabernacle. The Father and the 
 Son now come by the Spirit — really, 
 but not visibly — personally, but n.ot 
 bodily — and they nuike their pcrina- 
 iicnt abode' witli every believer. Tlie 
 Father is reco.nized and embrace!! by 
 th:it Spirit of adoption which He liath 
 sent forth as the Spirit of His Son into 
 our hearts, whereby we cry Abba, 
 Father. Uom. 8 : 15 ; 2 Cor. 6:10; 
 1 Cor. 3 : 16 ; : 19. Observe— It 
 la "nly such a heart of love and obedi- 
 
 which ye hoar, is not mine, but 
 the Fati;oi''s, which .scut me. 
 
 25 Tlicse things have I s^pokon 
 unto you, being yet present Mitii 
 you. 
 
 26 But ^ the Comforter, iclu'vli is 
 the Holy Ghost, whom the Father 
 will send in my name, he " shall 
 
 5 ver. IG. c o. IG. 13. 1 Juo. 2. tO, 27. 
 
 ence that God can dwell in — only such 
 a heart as is prepared by the Spirit — ■ 
 swept and garnished for His abode. 
 
 24. The reason is. here given why 
 this communion cannot be had with 
 the ungodly world. They do not kcip 
 llis sai/ini/s. And this is no small mat- 
 ter, nor is it an arbitrary distinction, 
 for tliis " vrord " is here shown to be of 
 tlie highest authorit}'. And ''as these 
 who show their love to me by keeping 
 my words, will be loved both by me 
 and my Father ; so, on tlic other hand, 
 they who, loving me not, do not keep 
 my sayings, Avill be excluded as well 
 from my Father's love as fioni mine; 
 since the word which ye hear from me 
 is not mine only, but my Father's 
 also who sent me." Ch. 5: 19; 7: 16. 
 
 25. Yet present. As though He had 
 said, I have spoken these things to 
 you while I tarry here in the flesh. 
 But though you do not yet understand 
 them, there is a provision even for 
 this — .and this more inward unfoldiiig 
 of these things to you will be the 
 peculiar office- work of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 20. The Cumfurter—IIe. iSlany find 
 it most difficult to conceive of the per- 
 sonality of the Holy Spirit. But — the 
 " Spi/'it is Just that very thimj itself, 
 wltieh is personal." — Ols. Our Lord 
 here for the first time tells them most 
 distinctly that the Paraclete (or Com- 
 forter) is "the Holy Ghost; ' though 
 He had spoken of Him before as " the 
 Spirit of Truth." vs. 17. ^ In my 
 ■name. That is as tlie Spirit of Christ, 
 (Rom. 8:9,) in whom the Father tes- 
 tifies concerning Christ, and who takes 
 of Christ's thinps and shows them unto 
 us. Ch. 10: 14. The Father would 
 send Him "in the name of" Christ, 
 that is, to carry forward to completiou 
 
264 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33 
 
 teach you all things, and bring 
 all things to your remembrance, 
 
 the gracious work -which Christ had 
 begun. He would urge the great work 
 of sanciification. In ch. IG: 7, Chi'ist 
 speaks of Himself s\.s sending Him, and 
 inch. 15: 26, as sending Him "from 
 the Father," which He did. See Acts 
 2 : 33. ^ He shall teach you all things. 
 Our Lord being yet present with them 
 could teach them only a few things 
 comparatively, and these only partial!}', 
 as they could not j'et understand them. 
 The Spirit was "to supply all their 
 need" — to teach them inwardly and 
 fully all things, especially that belong- 
 ed to their apostolic office-work — 
 whatever they should require to know 
 in founding the church, in I'ecording 
 the scriptures, and in carrying forward 
 the interests of His kingdom. By "all 
 things" here, is not meant every item 
 or branch of possible knowledge — as 
 about science, and worldly learning, 
 but all things requisite in their cir- 
 cumstances. The church of Rome 
 takes this as the promise of further 
 revelation continually, through the 
 church. Fanatics and Pantheists use 
 the passage to support their idea of 
 individual illuminations beyond what 
 is written. As Tholuck has well said, 
 it is only the blade from the seed that 
 we are at most to expect — the unfolding 
 of the same truth which Christ has 
 already deposited here. " And observe 
 how Paul, in opposition to those who 
 would complete Christianity from with- 
 out by philosophical tenets, declares, 
 "In Him arc hid all the treasures of 
 wisdom and knowledge." Coloss, 2: 3. 
 Observe — This is a clear promise of 
 the Spirit's infallible guidance. The 
 Apostles were inspired men. They not 
 only claimed this, but Christ here dis- 
 tinctly proviises them the gift of Inspira- 
 tio7i. And, if they tceir not inspired, 
 His promise teas not fulfilled to them. 
 ^ Bring all things to your remembrance. 
 Otherwise they would be liable to forget 
 many sayings and teachings of Christ, 
 which they would need to recollect in 
 preaching and composing the gospel 
 narratives, and in founding and in- 
 
 whatsoever I have said unto 
 you. 
 
 structing the churches. In the course 
 of three years He had delivered to 
 them so many precious doctrines, pre- 
 dictions, precepts, warnings and con- 
 solations, that naturally they would 
 not retain them all, especially as they 
 understood them so poorly, and now 
 He promises to quicken their memories 
 by His Divine Spirit, so that they 
 should recall fully and promptly, as it 
 might be needed, whatever He had 
 said to them. He woiild be thus not 
 only a teacher, but a liemembrancer. 
 And in both these offices He would 
 most perfectly serve their necessity. 
 But, besides quickening their memories 
 to recall the sayings cf Christ, the 
 Spirit would also bring these things to 
 mind in their freshness and fullness of 
 meaning — opening them to the under- 
 standing in their true liglit as the 
 unassisted memory could not do — 
 illuminating their minds — "shedding 
 abroad," (like a river) "the love of 
 God in the heart." Rom. 5 : 5. So it 
 was in regard to His saying about the 
 temple, Ch. 2; 17-22. So it was in 
 regard to His triumphal entry into 
 Jerusalem. Ch. 12: 16. Obsekve — 
 It is on the fulfillment of this promise 
 to the Apostles that the inspired au- 
 tiiority of their writings in the New 
 Testament is grounded. It is on this 
 ground that we receive their testimony, 
 in respect to all that our Lord did and 
 taught, as an infallible testimony. 
 Observe — Our Lord shows that every 
 way, this advent of the Paraclete would 
 be to their advantage. Even in the 
 matter of instruction, while they were 
 so wont to hang upon the lips of the 
 God-man, and could not see how they 
 could find His absence compensated, 
 He shows them the wonderful provis- 
 ion made for their permanent tuition — 
 and that, by this means, the things 
 which He had said and which they had' 
 forgotten, would be wonderfully and 
 beautifully recalled, and they should 
 thus lose nothing of His teachings, and 
 should gain more abundant and com- 
 plete instruction. Observe — "The 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 265 
 
 27 Peace * I leave with you, my 
 peace I give uuto you : uot as the 
 world giveth, give I unto you. 
 
 oEph.2.14, 17. Pb.4.7. 
 
 difiference between Christ's teaching 
 and that of the Spirit — and yet their 
 sameness. It was the same teaching, 
 but in a diflferent way. Christ taught 
 them — the Holy Ghost made them 
 understand. The word gave the doc- 
 trine. The Spirit gave the capacity. 
 The Saviour was a teacher with them. 
 The Comforter was a teacher within 
 them. The change, therefore, was not 
 to be so much in the teaching, as in 
 themselves — as when a man's eyes are 
 dim and you give him a Bible, and he 
 can scarcely read it. The word is 
 God's word — but its use to him is 
 small. Let his eyes be healed, how- 
 ever, and what a change comes over 
 his use of it. It is the same : but to 
 him, at the same time, how different! 
 The teaching of the Spirit makes the 
 teaching of the Son of Man available." 
 Observe — How false is the theory of 
 those who charge these inspired wri- 
 ters with inaccurate memories. Ob- 
 serve — " The Spirit will not be a 
 builder of new revelations. By this 
 single word we may refute all the in- 
 ventions which Satan has brought into 
 the church from the beginning, under 
 the pretence of the Spirit." — Calvin. 
 The Apostolic benediction pronounces 
 this as the sum of gospel blessings for 
 the people of God. "The grarce of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of 
 God, and the communion of the Holy 
 Ghost, be with you all." 2 Cor. 13 : 14. 
 27. Peace I leave, &c. This hints 
 of His speedy departure, and most 
 sweetly speaks the word of parting. 
 This was customary among friends. 
 Peace is the common oriental saluta- 
 tion and benediction and farewell. See 
 1 Sam. 1:17; Luke 7 : 50 ; Acts 16 : 
 36 : 1 Pet. 5:14; 3 John 15 ; also, 
 Gen. 43 : 23 ; Jud. 6 : 23. It was not, 
 however, an empty word with our Lord. 
 The world can say "Peace," and can 
 do nothing to give it. He speaks, 
 therefore, of leaving it with them, and 
 He could not leave with them what He 
 23 
 
 Let not your heart be troubled, 
 neither let it be afraid. 
 28 Ye have heard how I said 
 
 had not in possession. He promises 
 to leave it with them, that it should be 
 theirs after His departure — in His ab- 
 sence. This was mostcousolatory. What 
 could they want more than peace from 
 the Prince of Peace ? This one word 
 strikes at the root of a thousand 
 apprehensions and anxieties. It was 
 better than to say, " I leave friends 
 with you, and earthly possessions" — 
 for with these there might be no peace. 
 If we have peace, it is just that which 
 all the rest of our possessions aim to 
 give us. It is just what we want of 
 them ; and they are worth nothing if 
 they give us not this. Observe — How 
 one word of this Gospel, as Luther has 
 said, is often like the very gate of 
 Paradise, "Peace," ^'Rest." We are 
 to get peace from Christ, through His 
 Word and Spirit. " These things have 
 I spoken unto you that in me ye might 
 have peace." Ch. 16: 33. ^ Mi/ peace 
 I give. This is emphatic. He not 
 only promises general peace, but that 
 peculiar peace which is His — which 
 can come from Him alone. " The 
 peace of God, which passeth understand- 
 ing, keep your heart and mind through 
 Christ Jesus." Phil. 4: 7, 9; Col. 3: 
 15. This peace, which is distinguished 
 from every other. He gives in actual 
 donation to them at the time — and 
 this is what He was all along to do. 
 It seems also to be implied that as 
 believers are to enter into His joy by 
 virtue of His merit imputed to them, 
 so the peace which He gives is the 
 very peace which He enjoys in Himself. 
 So He is called by Isaiah "the Prince 
 of Peace." Is. 9:5. ''^ Not as the world 
 giveth. In a thousand empty forms 
 the world gives peace, but gives only 
 the name. In a thousand deceitful 
 promises and vain hopes, it gives only 
 the shadow and counterfeit after all. 
 But He gives it as its rightful possessor, 
 and gives it pui-e from the fountain, 
 and gives it to be as eternal as Him- 
 self. The world often gives tribula- 
 
266 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 unto you, T go away, and come 
 a<jain unto you. If ye loved 
 lUD, ye would rejoice, because I 
 said, I " go unto tlie Father : for 
 
 a Ter. 12. 
 
 tion without pence. Ch. 16 : 33. Christ 
 gives peace in tlie midst of tribulation. 
 ^[ Let not 7/our heart, &c. He saw 
 tbnt they grieved at His speedy depar- 
 ture; and in addition to all tlic con- 
 solation He had spoken, He bids them 
 be comforted, and take tlie peace He 
 gives thcni. He would have them dis- 
 miss their trouble and their fear. This 
 He had urged (vss. 1 and 2,) by all 
 the confidence they had in the Father 
 and in Him. 
 
 28. Yehavehcard. See vss. 12, 18, 23. 
 He had frankly told them that He was 
 going, and for what purpose, namely — 
 to prepare a placefor them— and thatHe 
 would also return to them to take them 
 to Himself, vss. 2, 3. ^ If ije loved vie. 
 Now He declares to them that this 
 departure was connected with His 
 highest interests as well as theirs, and 
 that, therefore, instead of grieving for 
 themselves, thej' should rejoice on His 
 account, while the secret of the matter 
 was that His exaltation was also theirs. 
 "F< r tlMj kingdom which I shall receive 
 at the right hand of the Father is over 
 all, and it is better that I should pass 
 from earthly littleness and infirmity 
 into the power and dominion in which 
 the F.ither is." — Lutlier. T[ 3Iij Father 
 is greater. This is said only in the 
 plain sense which is implied, vss. 2 
 and 3. He was now to end His humilia- 
 tion, and go to His own eternal home — 
 to "the glory which He had with the 
 Father before the world was." Ch. 17: 
 5. " Christ does not here compare the 
 Godhead of His Father with iiis own, 
 nor His human nature with the divine 
 essence of the Father, but rather His 
 present condition with that heavenly 
 glory into which He was soon to be 
 received." — Calvin. He refers here 
 to His state of humiliation. But now 
 He was to go to the Father to be 
 crowned with glory "and honor — to 
 receive the reward of His death, and 
 
 •^ my Father is greater than I. 
 
 29 And now I have told you 
 
 before it come to pass ; that, when 
 
 it is come to pass, ye might believe. 
 
 6 1 Cor. 15. 27, 28. 
 
 to Sit on the right hand of power to 
 send the Spirit down, and as tlie risen 
 Lord to carry forward, most effectively, 
 the great work which He had begun. 
 How should He hold back ? Would 
 theyliave Him forfeit all His reward- — 
 leave His work unfinished — and remain 
 in this state of humiliation beyond the 
 necessary time? This would also be 
 their perdition. Now, therefore, if 
 they loved Him, they would rejoice at 
 His entering into His glory — at His 
 being crowned King of kings and Lord 
 of lords — at His receiving gifts for 
 men — and at His so successfully 
 triumphing ever death and hell in the 
 last great conflict — especially when it 
 was not for Himself only, but for them 
 also. Observe — This passage is to 
 be taken in connexion with others in 
 which He speaks of Himself as "m the 
 Father, nnd the Father in Ili/n, (vs. 10,) 
 as one u-ith. the Father, (ch. 10: 30,) 
 and as not separate from the Father; 
 but so that they could both be seen 
 and known under one, vss. 7, 9. Christ 
 here refers to His going to the Father, 
 as the head of the glorious Trinity, in 
 the plan of redemption. See Phil. 2 : 
 0-11; see ch. 17: 1, 2, 5; Eph. 1: 
 20-22; Heb. 1 : 3, 4 ; 2:9; 12: 2. 
 In ch. 10: 29, He said, "My Father 
 which gave them me is greater tlian 
 all," and in vs. 30 He said, "I and 
 my Father are one." Both declara- 
 tions are true, and must be interfreted 
 so as to consist with each other. We 
 must receive them both, because they 
 are both revealed, even though we 
 may not be able to harmonize them 
 perfectly. 
 
 29. This shows how tenderly He 
 was looking forward to the coming 
 trial of their faith, and was fortifying 
 them by tolling them beforehand what 
 should take place. The cflTect would 
 naturally be, that they would be re- 
 minded of these sayings by the eventa 
 
AoE 38.] 
 
 CITAP. XIT. 
 
 267 
 
 30 Hereafter I will not talk 
 much with you : for the prince * 
 of this world cometh, aud hath 
 nothing '' in me. 
 
 oe. 16.11. Ep.2. 2. S 2 Cor. 5. 51. He. 4. 15. IJno. 3. 5 
 
 ■which were so near — and that His 
 foresight of them, which would thus 
 be proved, would prove Ilim to be God, 
 and show that His work was planned 
 from the beginning. So they did often 
 recall His sayings, under the sugges- 
 tions of the Spirit, and thus they found 
 their faith strengthened. Seech. 13: 19. 
 30. Hereafter, &c. He now gradu- 
 ally closes up the discourse, and de- 
 clares again the near approach of His 
 and their conflict. He will not have 
 much more to say, but some more He 
 will have occasion to Sfij. ^ The Prince 
 of this world. This was Satan. He 
 had met our Lord in the wilderness at 
 the threshold of His ministry, and 
 when He was defeated, departed from 
 Him only "for a season." See Luke 4 : 
 13; ch. 22: 53. As he tempted Him 
 with the bait of pleasure then, so now 
 he tries Him by means of fear. Matt. 
 4. He is called '"the Prince of this 
 world," because the world is yet sub- 
 ject to him — under his sway. He is 
 " the Prince of the power of the air — 
 the spirit which now worketh in the 
 children of disobedience." Tf Hath 
 nolliing in vie. He possesses nothing 
 within me which he can call his. There 
 is nothing Avithin me, in league with 
 him — nothing upon which he can lay 
 hold for his attack. There was no evil 
 sentiment or tendency in our Lord with 
 which Satan could co-operate. Only 
 those who hxve something in them to 
 respond to Sattm's suggestions, can be 
 overcome. A cunning searcher hath 
 pried narrowly into every corner of 
 His heart and life, and if there had 
 been anything amiss, would have been 
 sure to have spied it and proclaimed 
 it, but he could tind nothing — he has, 
 holds, possesses nothing in him. There- 
 fore, Satan should not triumph, but 
 should be defeated in the conflict. 
 His death would result not from Satan's 
 victory, but from the etei-nal plan of 
 
 31 But that the wor d may know 
 that I love the Father; and as " the 
 Father gave nie commandment, 
 even so I do. Arise, let us go hence. 
 
 cPs.40.8. Ph. 2. 8. 
 
 redemption. For " He spoiled princi- 
 palities and powers, and made a show 
 of them openly, triumphing over them 
 in His cross." 
 
 31. But my death, He adds, is an 
 act of voluntary obedience, (ch. 10: 
 18; 15: 10,) springing from a loving 
 fidelity to the Father, in the work 
 given me to do. Ch. 17: 4, 5. Read 
 the parting prayer (ch. 17) throughout. 
 He was to go through death to the 
 Father, according to the Divine plan, 
 and in obedience to the Father's com- 
 mandment, for the world's redemption. 
 " For God so loved the world that He 
 gave His onlj^-begotten Son," &c. Ch. 
 3. "As thou. Father, art in me, and 
 I in thee, that they also maj' be one in 
 us — that the world may believe that 
 thou hast sent me." Ch. 17: 21. Thus 
 He was aiming to vanquish the Prince 
 of this world, by extf-nding His king- 
 dom among men through His death. 
 It was to be the preaching of Christ 
 crucified, by which the world should be 
 savingly enlightened in regard to the 
 true intent of His work and His true 
 relations to the Godhead. " I, if I be 
 lifted up, will draw all men unto me." 
 Observe — It is when we see Christ's 
 death in its true light, not merely as 
 the death of an innocent man, but as 
 the death of the atoning Redeemer, 
 that we see clearly all the great truths 
 of the Gospel, and understand all His 
 life and His work. " We preach Christ 
 crucified — unto the Jews a stumbling 
 block, and unto the Greeks foolishness 
 — but unto them that are saved, both 
 Jews and Greeks, Christ the power cf 
 God and tlie wisdom of God." 1 Cor. 
 1 : 23, 24. 1" Arise. This touching 
 discourse is now closed by the sum- 
 mons to move from the table. They 
 had been in the large upper guest- 
 chamber, at the Sacred Supper which 
 He had instituted beforehand, as a 
 memorial of His death. 
 
268 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 IfT AM 
 I vine. 
 
 the true 
 *and my 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 §139. Christ the True Vine, ac. — 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. I Luke. I John. 
 
 I I I 15. 1-27. 
 
 It has been supposed by some that 
 the figure of the Vine was suggested 
 by the vineyards on the way to Geth- 
 semane — or by the vine carved on the 
 great doors of the temple ; and that 
 the company passing towards Geth- 
 semane, rested in one of the porches 
 of the sacred edifice. This would be 
 possible, except that we have reason 
 to suppose, that such a discourse would 
 scarcely have been delivered to them 
 as they walked along the public street, 
 and seems more likely to have been 
 uttered after they had risen from the 
 table, and were standing ready to 
 depart. Having risen to go, they 
 linger. Departing, yet tarryiug, the 
 impulse to communicate still more, 
 detains the Saviour in the room. It 
 is not necessary to suppose any thing 
 immediately suggesting this idea of the 
 Vine, and if any were needed, "the 
 cup," and the fruit of the Vine," in tl.e 
 sacred Supper, just instituted, had also 
 been the subject of special meditation 
 and of special prediction. Luke 22: 
 18. 
 
 Besides — this figure of a Vine by 
 ■which to represent the close relations 
 between Himself and His church, was 
 familiar to them all in the Old Testa- 
 ment scriptures. Isa. 5:1; Jer. 2: 21; 
 Ezek. 19: 10; Ps. 80: 8-19; Joel 1: 
 7. The idea that they were familiar 
 with, however, was that the Church 
 was the Vine, only that it was of His 
 planting. Here, however, He declares 
 that they arc only the branches, of 
 which He is the stalk and root. This 
 shows the cheering truth that they live 
 in Him, and hence, that the church is 
 safe in Him — and that all that is re- 
 quired of them can be done through 
 His life and strength, in which they 
 
 Father is the husbandman. '' 
 
 2 Every " branch in me that 
 beareth not fruit he taketh away : 
 
 are to abide. The Christian Life is 
 now set forth in its hidden principles 
 and plain duties. This doctrine was 
 here most important and timely, as 
 Vine and branches were now to en- 
 counter a most severe trial. It seems 
 altogether most probable that they had 
 not yet gone from the supper-chamber, 
 since ch. 18: 1, speaks of their then 
 ffoinff out on the road. 
 
 1. The true vine. So He calls Him- 
 self "the true Bread," (ch. 6 : 32,) the 
 tnie Light, (ch. 1: 9,) says John — He is 
 what the earthly Bread and Light sig- 
 nify as only patterns of the true. He 
 fulfills in Himself in the highest sense, 
 all the excellencies of these. The term 
 here used is not the common word for 
 true, but means original, of which the 
 others are only copies after their poor 
 sort, and this the antitype and arche- 
 type. " The natural relation between 
 the vine and its branches, shooting 
 forth in all the glories of their noble 
 fruit, is realized in its most perfect 
 sense, (?/ aAridivr/,) in the spiritual rela- 
 tions." That which Paul says of the 
 mystical union between the Redeemer 
 and His church, has found its most 
 beautiful expression in this language 
 of our Lord." — Tholuck. So Isaiah 
 introduces " the servant of Jehovah," 
 as a complex personage, including the 
 Messiah and His church, of which He 
 is the Head. Isa. 42 : 1-4.— The dra- 
 pery is not that of the parable, but 
 rather of an allegory. It is no event 
 in history, but a relation in the world 
 of nature, which is spoken of; and 
 this is employed from the commence- 
 ment to express a spiritual relation — 
 so that the literal and figurative mean- 
 ing run into each other. Observe — 
 The connection between the Vine and 
 branches is much closer than that be- 
 tween the shepherd and sheep, and it 
 more nearly answers to that in Ephes. 
 5 : 23, 36, between the Head and the 
 members. It is one and the same life 
 which animates them, and the life of 
 
Agb 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 2C9 
 
 and every branch that * beareth 
 fruit, he purgeth it, that it 
 
 a He. 12.15. Re. 3. 19. 
 
 the branches is dependent on the life 
 of the stalk and of the root. 1" The 
 husbandman. The Father is always 
 spoken of as the Head in the counsels 
 of Redemption. His commission the 
 Son executes, as Redeemer. So Paul, 
 (Heb. 3:4.) "Every house is builded 
 by some (man,) but He that built all 
 things is God." Hence, Christ will at 
 length be subject unto Him that put 
 all things under Him, that God may be 
 all in all. 1 Cor. 15: 28. The Father 
 is therefore appropriately enough sty- 
 led the husbandman — or more literally 
 the vine-dresser. As such He has plant- 
 ed the Vine in our human soil — watches 
 over it with Divine care — both stalk 
 and branches. He has to do with this 
 relation between the branches and the 
 Vine, between Christ's people and 
 Christ Himself, and He looks for the 
 appropriate fruit. 
 
 2. Every branch. The whole treat- 
 ment of the Vine is such as well to 
 illustrate our Heavenly Father's dis- 
 cipline of us. The old dead wood of a 
 vine is known to be of positive injury 
 to the fertility of the plant. The skill- 
 ful pruning has more to do with the 
 yield than any other one thing, in or- 
 dinary circumstances. If Beareth not 
 fruit. He has to do with tivo kinds of 
 branches — the unfruitful and the fruit- 
 ful. There were branches that bore 
 no fruit — dead branches — never having 
 had any thing but leaves — and utterly 
 worthless, detracting from the vigor 
 and value of the vine. These are the 
 external professors — the merely bap- 
 tized members, who have no life and 
 never had — though they belong to the 
 outward connection. "Christ intends 
 by these words to awaken anxious in- 
 quiry, by declaring that all the un- 
 fruitful branches will be cut oft" from 
 the vine. But here comes a question — 
 Can any one who is ingrafted into 
 Christ Idc without fruit? I answer, 
 many are supposed to be in the vine, 
 (according to the opinion of men,) who 
 actually have no root in the vine." — 
 23* 
 
 may bring forth more fruit. 
 3 Now ^ ye are clean through 
 
 I c. 17.17. Ep.5. 26. IPe. 1.22. 
 
 Calvin. T He taketh away. All such 
 merely nominal Christians — mere pro- 
 fessors — those belonging only to the 
 outward pale, and yielding no fruit, 
 He removeth — He cuts off their connec- 
 tion. This is due to the vine and to 
 the other branches. It is due to Christ 
 and to His church that false professors 
 should be removed. This our Heavenly 
 Father does in various ways. By trial 
 and affliction, as is shown in the para- 
 ble of the sower — by choking cares of 
 this world. In the slight rooting or 
 jointing to the stalk, where no life is 
 derived, the scorching heat withers it, 
 and persecution is a rough handling, 
 which easily breaks it off from its very 
 slight connection. God also removes 
 such from the church, by its lawful 
 discipline and by death. If Purgeth — 
 cleanseth. The fruit-bearing branches 
 are dealt with according to the nature 
 of the plant, as it is well known to the 
 Great Vine-dresser. This purging, or 
 cleansing, is the stripping off of worth- 
 less leaves, (of pretension,) and of 
 superfluous tendrils, (of worldly con- 
 formity,) where the branch puts out 
 too much of its strength for mere show, 
 without any gain to the fruit, but with 
 positive damage to it. This the Divine 
 hand so skillfully and tenderly does, 
 by His own gracious and wise methods 
 — by His word — by His providence — 
 by His ordinances — by His Spirit — by 
 severe winds, that blow off the useless 
 leaves, and by whatever dealing may 
 be needful to separate the superfluous 
 shoots that take away the vigor from 
 the branch. He takes away property, 
 worldly connections, children — blasts 
 secular enterprises that have too much 
 engrossed the heart, and thus He 
 prunes and cleanses the fruit-bearing 
 branch. If 3Iore fruit. This is His 
 gracious object — to make it more fruit- 
 ful, more valuable. Observe — It is 
 on this account that we are not to de- 
 spise God's chastenings, nor faint un- 
 der His rebukes — for they are thus to 
 His people an uidication of His love 
 
270 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33, 
 
 the word which I have spoken 
 unto you. 
 
 4 Abide ' in me, and I in you. 
 As •" the branch cannot bear fruit 
 of itself, except it abide in the 
 
 alJno. 2.6. iHos.U.S. Ga. 2. 20. Pb.l.ll. 
 
 and tender, faithful care. " What is 
 man, that thou visitesthim every moru- 
 jng, and triest him every moment." 
 Ps. 8; James 1: 1-4. Observe — " He 
 here shows what ought to be the pro- 
 gress of believers in the course of true 
 religion." — Calvin. 
 
 3. Now ye are clean. He speaks 
 this for their comfort, as they might 
 tremble to think that they were possi- 
 bly of the unfruitful sort that were to 
 be removed. He does not say, ye are 
 of the fruitful kind, but ye are clean. 
 The term is taken from the verb just 
 used, (kalhairei,) — purgeih — and now 
 He says, ye are (ka(haroi) purged or 
 cleansed. They were so already by 
 anticipation, and in foresight of what 
 His word should accomplish in them. 
 They were in process of this purging 
 through His word. Already they were 
 to some extent cleansed. See Coloss. 
 3: 9, 10. His instructions had recti- 
 fied many of their views — and Judas 
 had been removed from their circle. 
 So in Eph. 5 : 26. Christ is said to 
 have " loved the church that He might 
 sanctify anjl cleanse it with the wash- 
 ing of water, by the word." "But ye 
 are washed, but ye are sanctified, but 
 ye are justified," &c. 1 Cor. 0: 11. 
 This great truth had been already rep- 
 resented to Peter, by the towel and 
 basin, and he had been given to under- 
 stand and yield assent to it. Ch. 13 : 
 6-10. They were then pronounced 
 cleansed, excepting as to the feet, 
 ■which needed a new washing daily. 
 And then He said to them in these 
 very words, " i'l? are clean — but not all." 
 Judas also was a dead branch that 
 needed removal, and now at the Supper 
 this had just been done. Observe — 
 "Christ does not mean that the Apos- 
 tles were clean from all sin, but He 
 holds out to them their experience that 
 they may learn from it that the con- 
 tinuance of grace ia absolutely ne> 
 
 vine ; no more can ye, except ye 
 abide in me. 
 
 5 I am the vine, ye are the 
 branches : he that abideth in me, 
 and I in him, the same bringeth 
 
 cessary. Besides, He commends to 
 them the doctrine of the Gospel from 
 the fruit which it produces, that 
 they may be more powerfully excited 
 to meditate on it continually, since 
 it resembles the vine dresser's knife, 
 to take away what is useless." — 
 Calvin. 
 
 4. The word itself would not bo 
 enough without a vital, personal union 
 with Him. Here is something which 
 thej', as living branches, are to care 
 for — their abiding connexion with Him. 
 As we stand in Christ by faith, so wo 
 are to stand fast in Him — abide and 
 dwell in Him, by the diligent use of 
 all appointed means — by "His ordinan- 
 ces, as His word, the sacraments and 
 prayer, all which are made elFectual 
 to the elect for salvation." ^ And 1 
 in you. This is involved in the former. 
 It is a mutual relation. If the branch 
 is united to the vine, the vine is united 
 to the branch. The duty, therefore, 
 involves so great a privilege. Our 
 earnest care to abide in Christ, secures 
 His abiding in us. Tf ^« the branch. 
 Now He shows the importance to 
 them, in all the Christian life, of hav- 
 ing this vital union with Him. They 
 would be just as fruitless apart from 
 Him as the branch would be when 
 separated from the vine. The Chris- 
 tian life is as naturally and beautifully 
 fruitful where this connexion is main- 
 tained — where the love of Christ is shed 
 abroad in the heart — and where there 
 is an abiding and vital connexion with 
 Christ — as the bough of the vine, well 
 pruned, is loaded with clusters. " For 
 we are members of His body, of His 
 flesh, and of His bones." Ep'ies. -5; 
 30. Observe — Any professing Chris- 
 tians who are living without deriving 
 their life from Christ — without prayer 
 and fellowship and filial service — are 
 fruitless, of course. " To me to live 
 is Christ." 
 
Agb 88.] 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 271 
 
 forth much fruit : ^ for without 
 me ye can do nothing. 
 
 1 or, severed from me. 
 
 5. This verse explains the figure in 
 its proper force and its present rela- 
 tion to themselves, as they already 
 must have understood. How wonder- 
 ful — how -gracious, that the Saviour 
 would deigti to acknowledge creatures 
 and sinners as branches of Himself, 
 deriving of His life. This is the plan 
 of grace. The life of God in the soul 
 of man is so operative that we live by 
 His life, and thus it becomes Christ for a 
 Christian to live. This is the definition 
 and description of his life — Christ. 
 ^Hc that abideth, &c. The great truth 
 already stated negatively is now further 
 expressed positively— the dependence of 
 the believer on Christ, as his life. Not 
 only can no one bring forth fruit with- 
 out abiding vitally in Him, but, more 
 than this, by abiding in Him, even such 
 branches as we are will produce fruit, 
 and much fruit. This is the plain doc- 
 trine of the Chi-istian life. No good 
 works in the sight of tlie Judge, can 
 be brought forth, except in vital union 
 ■with Christ, and then they are pro- 
 duced out of His life, by virtue of His 
 spiritual energy in us. And so it is 
 that it is ^^ much fruit '" — for it is owing 
 to His life, and not to our independent 
 life. This makes it much, where in 
 itself it Avould be liUle. T[ For. The 
 reason is here given, namely, that this 
 connection is so indispensable and vital, 
 that nothing can come forth without it. 
 ^ Wkhout me. Separate from me — in 
 this state of separation from the vine — 
 not deriving of its life. ^ Nothing. 
 That is, nothing, as Christ, the Final 
 Judge, estimates it. One may do 
 many amiable things — things excellent, 
 according to human judgment. One 
 may '■'have whereof to glorg, butnothefore 
 God.'' Rom. 4: 2. Here the great 
 trutli is plainly stated which was pic- 
 torially represented in the previous 
 language. Even these Apostles could 
 do notiiing without Him — nothing for 
 the establishment of the church, and 
 nothing for common Christian living. 
 " Without faith it is impossible to 
 
 6 If 'a man abide not in me, he 
 is cast forth as a branch, and is 
 
 a Matt. 3. 10 : 7. 19. 
 
 please Him," (Heb. 11: G,) because 
 faith it is which keeps up the vital 
 connexion and derives of the Divine 
 life. 2 Cor. 3 : 5. 
 
 %. If a man, &c. This is a general 
 statement, that further keeps up the 
 figure, and sets forth the case of a pro- 
 fessing Christian, who does not abide 
 in Christ. This may refer to those 
 outward branches that do not bear 
 fruit, (vs. 2,) which have only a for- 
 mal, dead connexion — or it may be laid 
 down here as a general principle, that 
 shall set them on their guard against 
 apostacy, as possible enough in itself, 
 and impossible to true believers, only 
 by the grace of God. So Calvin says, 
 "Not that it ever happens that any one 
 of the elect is dried up, but because 
 there are many hypocrites who, in 
 outward appearance, flourish and are 
 green for a time, but who afterwards, 
 when they ought to yield fruit, show 
 the very opposite of that which the 
 Lord expects and demands from His 
 people." If, however, it is insisted 
 that these branches are said to be in 
 Christ, and must therefore be regarded 
 as having a living connexion, then we 
 must understand the Saviour as stating 
 a most solemn truth, applicable to all 
 who regard themselves as in Christ — 
 that this vital connexion is indispensa- 
 ble to salvation, that it must be kept 
 up, and that if one regarding himself 
 a true believer should depart from 
 Christ, and live apart from Him, the 
 sad results here stated would follow. 
 Final apostacy, however unsupposable 
 in the case of real Christians, is to be 
 warned against. So Paul Avarned all 
 on ship-board, that if they remained 
 not on boai-d the ship, they would 
 surely be lost. Yet he was assureil in 
 a vision, that not one would be lost, 
 and none of them was lost. The warn- 
 ing, however, was none the less neces- 
 sary. It was part of the decree. 
 They were to be kept on board the 
 ship by the warning, and by being kept 
 thus they were saved. (Acts 27 : 31- 
 
272 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AfiE 33. 
 
 withered ; and men gather them, 
 and cast them into the fire, and 
 they are burned. 
 
 34. ) ^ Cast forth — cast out. This is 
 "what must be experienced by every one 
 who departs from Christ — who does not 
 stand, and abide, and live in Him. He 
 will be treated like a worthless, dead 
 branch. ^ Men gather them. The 
 word "men" is not found in the Greek, 
 except impersonally — "they gather 
 them," any one and every one. This 
 is the treatment which apostates re- 
 ceive at the hands of men. They are 
 commonly despised in the community. 
 Their characters are severely handled. 
 They are pointed at as hypocrites. 
 They are dealt with as men deal with 
 stubble. Many stand ready, with no 
 little care, to gather tip all such cases, 
 and it is often a most scorching ordeal 
 that they are suljected to from their 
 fellow men. ^ They are burned. lAt- 
 erally— ?%«/ hum. They are used as fuel, 
 (Matt. G: 30,) in which there maybe 
 an allusion to the fire of hell. This is 
 fearfully applicable to hypocrites, dead 
 professors, and apostates who go back 
 unto perdition, (Heb. 10: 39,) having 
 had no real, living, abiding connexion 
 with Christ — who are only as a branch 
 that is fixed upon a stalk for a decep- 
 tion, as distinguished from a living 
 branch. These will be gathered by the 
 angels, (Matt. 13: 40-42,) and cast 
 into hell fire. Compare the parable of 
 the sower, in which those hearers who 
 spring up quickly, but without root, 
 making a fair profession, do yet wither 
 under the scorching heat of persecu- 
 tions and afflictions, and are cast into 
 eternal perdition. Observe — 1. Our 
 Lord could not possibly have intended to 
 teach that any true Christian can fall 
 finally away — that any living branch, 
 once growing up into Him, can be cast 
 out with the stubble into the fire of per- 
 dition, because He had just tauscht the 
 impossibility of this. Ch. 10:28,29. 
 " Neither shall any pluck them out of 
 my hand." 2. Warnings addressed to 
 true Christians, as to the fearful con- 
 eequences of apostacy, are needful, be- 
 
 7 If ye abide in me, and my words 
 abide in you, ye * shall ask what ye 
 will, and it shall be done unto you. 
 
 cause they are to be kept from falling 
 away, in the use of means and by such 
 motives and considerations as our Lord 
 here deems it proper to use. So Paul 
 says, "If we sin wilfully, after that 
 we have received the knowledge of the 
 truth, there remaincth no more sacri- 
 fice for sin." Heb. 10: 20. And 
 again, Heb. 6: 8, "It is impossible for 
 those who were once enlightened, &c., 
 (/' they shall fall aicag, to renew them 
 again unto repentance." 3. AVe can 
 have no valid evidence of being the 
 Lord's, except so far as we can show the 
 life of piety, and exhibit some fruits of 
 grace in the heart and life. The 
 branches which do not incorporate 
 with the tree, but hang upon it as 
 dead stuff", or fall off", are gathered by 
 the vine dresser for the fire. So John 
 the Baptist, in substance declared: 
 " The axe is laid at the root of the 
 tree." Matt. 7: 19; 3: 10. 
 
 7. If ye abide in me. This is added 
 now to meet the deep feeling of want 
 which the true Christian has when he 
 considers what he ought to bring forth, 
 and how much he falls short. Our 
 Lord well knew that many a true dis- 
 ciple would begin to fear from what 
 he had just said, that he might be a 
 cast-away. Now therefore He provides 
 comfort for the hungry soul. See 1 
 Cor. 1 : 5. It is the vital union with 
 Him, even more than any evidence of 
 an hour's devotions, that must stand 
 us for life. There is here a large 
 promise — but it is only to such as 
 maintain a living, abiding connection 
 with Christ — partaking of His life. 
 ^ And my words. That is, if we abide 
 by a vital union in Him, and live ac- 
 cording to His plan in the gospel, as 
 enjoined, vs. 4, we shall be fruitful. 
 But how? In such case we shall ask 
 for things agreeable to His will, and so 
 He will hear us. 1 John 5: 14; 1 Pet. 
 1 : 23. ^ Ye shall ask tvhat ye u-ill. 
 See vs. 16. For thus abiding in Him 
 we can will only in accordance with 
 
Age 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 273 
 
 8 Herein is my Father glorified, 
 that ye bear much fruit ; so shall 
 ye be my disciples. 
 
 His will, as His words abide in us, and 
 we have a living connection with Him. 
 " Whatsoever we ask we receive of 
 Him, because we keep His command- 
 ments and do those things that are 
 pleasing in His sight." 1 John 3 : 22. 
 This large promise is repeated from 
 ch. 14: 13, 14, where we are to have 
 whatever we ask in His name, on the 
 ground of His atonement, and for the 
 promotion of Ilis glory with a defer- 
 ence always to His will. Observe — 
 1. This is spoken with direct reference 
 to the Apostles, and was immediately 
 and especially applicable to them, as 
 commissioned to spread the gospel. 
 But through them it comes also to us, 
 even to every believer, though he be 
 the obscurest of all. 2. Many believ- 
 ers who feel no confidence in their 
 fruit or inward evidences, can be sure 
 of their sincere desire to be such as 
 Christ would have them to be. And 
 this promise is for their consolation. 
 ^^ Prayers themselves are fruit, and they 
 increase the fruit. " — Bengel. 
 
 8. Herein, &c. This refers not mere- 
 ly to the much fruit-hearing — but also 
 to what has gone before, including the 
 whole plan and process which results 
 in much fruit — the mystical vital union, 
 the Christian prayer, &c. See ch. 15: 
 16. If any should ask whether a little 
 fruit would not suffice, wishing to 
 know only how little they could do and 
 get to Heaven, our Lord sets the 
 standard high and calls for Mucir. 
 They who aim at glorifying the Master 
 and not merely at saving themselves, 
 will bring forth much fruit. As re- 
 spects the Apostles, they were to be 
 animated by large views of their work, 
 and not to be satisfied with small 
 things. Observe — 1. Every true Chris- 
 tian will aim at great things, and ought 
 to ask for gi-eat things, and expect 
 great things. 2. Our principle of con- 
 duct should be not to do as little as we 
 can, consistently with being saved, but 
 to do as much as we possibly can. ^ So 
 thall yc be. Literally — And ye shall 
 
 9 As th 3 Father hath loved mc, 
 so have 1 loved you : continue ye 
 in my love. 
 
 be. Bengel reads, Herein I will have 
 disciples bringing honor to me. The 
 Wiclif, and Tyndale and Geneva ver- 
 sions read, " And that ye be made my 
 disciples." Cranmer and Rheims — ■ 
 " And become my disciples." Calvin — 
 " That you may become my disciples." 
 The Syriac reads, "And ye will be my 
 disciples." Tholuck — "And so will 
 ye be." The idea is, that this large 
 fruit-bearing will honor Him as well 
 as the Father — will show them to be 
 His disciples while it will glorify His 
 Father. Observe — Those who profess 
 Christ and bring forth little fruit, put 
 dishonor upon Him. For the fruit 
 that is produced by a vine of any given 
 name, is to the credit or reproach of 
 that name. That " this fruit — so poor, 
 is called so, or so," is the report every- 
 where, to the disgrace of that kind of 
 vine, wherever spoken of. Claiming 
 that this is the fruit of that vine which 
 is Christ — borne on His stalk, they 
 profess that this is the proper fruit of 
 His life, and the kind of fruit which 
 He bears. Just as the branch puts 
 forth its fruit as the fruit of the vine, 
 so the professing Christian says : This 
 living of mine is Christian — that is — it 
 is like Christ — the fruit of Christ, which 
 is as much as to say that Christ is of 
 that nature — and so it degrades Him. 
 A fruitful profession will bring honor 
 to Him. 
 
 9. As the Father. He now declares 
 the height and depth of His love to 
 them, in order to provoke their love to 
 Him. Wonderful indeed is it that He 
 should have loved us sinners in any 
 manner to compare with the Father's 
 love to Himself. Thus it is that we 
 are called " the sons of God." 1 John 3: 
 1. The highest possible aifection is 
 that with which the Father has always 
 loved His only-begotten Son. Matt. 3 : 
 17; 17: 5. It is in Him that the 
 Father looks upon us and loves us, and 
 Christ, looking upon us as the purchase 
 of His death, calls us not servants but 
 friends. Ch. 15: 15. «' For whom H« 
 
274 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoB 83. 
 
 10 If ' ye keep my command- 
 ments, ye shall abide in my love ; 
 even as I have kept my Father's 
 
 OC. 14. 21,23. 
 
 did foreknow, He also did predestinate 
 to be conformed to tlie image of His 
 Son, that He might be the first-born 
 among many brethren.'" Horn 8. ^ In 
 my love. Literallj^ — Abide in the love 
 that is mine. Not "continue to love 
 me," but abide in the knowledge and 
 acknowledgment of the love which I 
 bear to you — continue to enjoy it, and 
 to glory in it. So the Apostle, argu- 
 ing about the glorious greatness of the 
 love of God to sinners, in Christ, comes 
 to the transporting conclusion, " Who 
 shall separate us from the love of 
 Christ ?" — that is, from the love which 
 Christ bears to us, and from His love 
 as revealed to us in the plan of salva- 
 tion, which is by virtue of His love. 
 
 10. If ye keep. The direction for 
 abiding in His love is here given, and 
 it is full of meaning. It is only, by 
 keeping His commandments that we 
 obtain the benefit of His love. Any 
 other plan of living rejects this plan 
 of salvation. None can plant them- 
 selves firmly upon His love as revealed 
 in the Gospel, except it be in the way 
 of habitual obedience and holy living. 
 Men may entertain some vain confi- 
 dence in the general love of God in 
 Christ, but it can be no well-grounded 
 hope. The plan of salvation by Christ 
 is a plan of love to men, which, if we 
 heartily embrace it, will lead us to holy 
 living. His commandments cannot be 
 grievous to such, for among them is, 
 •' Believe and be saved," " Come unto 
 me, and I will give you rest." And 
 the great command, FoUoiv me, is a 
 command to follow Him into Jieaven by 
 the only way, which is Christ — by the 
 only guide, tliat of His Truth — at the 
 only door, which is Himself. His sal- 
 vation is a salvation from sin : and it 
 takes hold of us in its abounding love, 
 only so far as it saves us more and 
 more from sin. The obedience which 
 believers render to Him is not the 
 cause of His continuing to love us, but 
 it ia rather the effect of His love. See 
 
 commandments, and abide in his 
 love. 
 11 These things have I spoken 
 
 ch. 14 : 23, 24. When, therefore, Paul 
 cried out, "AVho shall separate us 
 from the love of Christ ?" he was fired 
 with zeal in the Master's service, and 
 added, " Shall tribulation or persecu- 
 tion," &c. Rom. 8: 35. As .spoken to 
 the Apostles, these words would have 
 the highest force in their responsible 
 office-work, as publishers of Christ's 
 love. ^ Even as I. As though He had 
 said. Take me for an example of obe- 
 dience and continuance in my Father's 
 love, and so being fruitful of good 
 works, be disciples worthy of me. 
 
 11. T/:ese things. He states the ob- 
 ject of such directions as connected 
 with their highest happiness. ^ My 
 joy. Literally — The Joy which is mine — 
 which is peculiar to me. As we are 
 to enter into His Joy at last, (Matt. 25: 
 21,) if we are His, so the joy that 
 springs from His redeeming love to us, 
 is that which we need to possess and 
 retain, and to enjoy in fulfillment, and 
 not to lose. The world's joy we could 
 aiford to spare, but not His. " In 
 whom, though now we see Him not, 
 yet believing, (in these precious words 
 of His,) we rejoice with joy unspeak- 
 able and full of gloi-y : receiving the 
 end of our faith, even the salvation of 
 our souls." This was especially appli- 
 cable, therefore, to the Apostles, who 
 were to be sustained in their severe 
 trials, and under the discouragements 
 of His absence, by the presence of 
 this, His joy, in their hearts. See 
 parallel passages in ch. 13; 15, 16. 
 " Let us, therefore, learn that we 
 ought to seek in the doctrine of Christ 
 the assurance of salvation, which re- 
 tains its vigor loth in life and in 
 death." — Calvin. T That your Joy. 
 Namely, the joy thus imparted to j-ou 
 — the joy which springs from nij- love, 
 understood, embraced, and delighted 
 in — which no affliction or persecution 
 can separate you from, and which will 
 help you to triumph in sorrow and in 
 death — this joy of yours will thus bb 
 
Agk 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 275 
 
 unto you, that my joy might re- 
 main in you, and that '^ your joy 
 might be full. 
 
 12 This '' is my commcndment, 
 That yc love one another, as I 
 have loved you. 
 
 13 Grreater " love hath no man 
 than this, that a man lay down 
 his life for his friends. 
 
 oc. 16.24; 17. 13. iic.13.34. clto.5. 7,8. 
 
 FULL, just SO far as you keep my com- 
 mands in a filial spirit, abiding in my 
 love. And this which was addressed 
 to these Apostles was proved in their 
 case, (1 Pet. 1: 6; 4: 13,) and of 
 Paul, Romans 8. 
 
 12. This is my commandment. He 
 accordingly proceeds to show what it 
 is that He commands ; for in this 
 respect they might greatly mistake. 
 It is no system of legality that He 
 would enjoin upon them. His com- 
 mands are gracious — not grievous. 
 The sum of the commandment is Love. 
 And what He calls " the 7iew command- 
 ment" which He gives to them both 
 in His word and in His example, is to 
 love one another — which is an evidence 
 of our love to God. Ch. 13: 34. Here 
 also He calls this His commandment 
 emphatically. By this, all men would 
 know them to be His disciples. Ch. 13: 
 34, 35. y^^ As I have loved you. 
 Christ's love to us is to bo at once the 
 grand motive and pattern of our love 
 to the brethren. We love Him and 
 keep His commandment to love one 
 smother, because He first loved us. 1 
 John 4:19. And we love the bi-eth- 
 ren because they love Him, and are 
 made like to Him. Ch. 13: 14. Ob- 
 serve — John is often called "the Apos- 
 tle of Love," because He so prominently 
 keeps this doctrine in view, both in 
 this gospel narrative and in his Epis- 
 tles. It is related of him that when 
 he had grown too aged to stand and 
 preach, he was carried into the Chris- 
 tian assembly at Ephesus, and was 
 wont to repeat those words, " Little 
 children love one another." AVhen he 
 was asked why be always reiterated 
 tliis, he replied, <<It is the Lord's 
 
 14 Ye ** are my friends, if ye do 
 whatsoever I command you. 
 
 15 Henceforth I call you not 
 servants; for the servant knoweth 
 not what his lord docth : but I 
 have called you ® friends : for all 
 things that I have heard of my 
 Father I have made known unto 
 you. 
 
 d Ter. 10. c Ja. ■:. 23. 
 
 commandment, and if it is obeyed, all 
 is well." 
 
 13. Our Lord now sets forth His 
 love in this connexion. He laid down 
 His life for us, and John has elsewhere 
 drawn from this an inference that we 
 ought to lay down our lives for the 
 brethren. 1 John 3 : 16. And here, 
 says our Lord, this laying down of 
 one's life for his friends is the highest 
 example of friendship to be found in 
 the world. Hc_ does not here say any- 
 thing about His greater love of laying 
 down His life for His enemies, (Rom. 
 5 : 6, 8, ) as He is here only pressing 
 upon them the duty of earnest self- 
 sacrificing love towards the brethren. 
 AYe are to do good unto all men, 
 " especially unto them that are of the 
 household of faith." Gal. 6: 10. 
 ' ' AValk in love as Christ also hath loved 
 us," &c. Ephes. 5: 2. 
 
 14. This that He had just said 
 would suggest the great point of differ- 
 ence between all human love which, at 
 its highest pitch, is confined io friends, 
 and His dying love which was shown 
 to enemies. Therefore, He hints of 
 this by saying liere, " Not as if I died 
 for you when ye were friends, but 
 when ye were enemies; and now j'ou 
 have this most powerful motive to be 
 my friends ; and ye are my friends if 
 ye do whatsoever I command you." So 
 only could they prove themselves to be 
 His friends'. "Our hearts," says Calvin, 
 "must be harder than stone or iron, 
 if they are not scftened by the inesti- 
 mable sweetness of Divine love." 
 
 15. Henceforth I call you. Not any 
 longer do I treat you as servants. He 
 here looks forward to the closer, more 
 confidential relatiou in which they ar« 
 
276 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Ace 8{t 
 
 16 Ye * have not chosen me, 
 but I have chosen you, and or- 
 dained " you, that ye should go 
 and bring forth fruit, and that 
 
 a 1 Jno. 4. 10, 19. 6 Ep. 2. 10. 
 
 to stand to Him henceforth. In these 
 valedictory discourses He opens His 
 whole heart to them more fully than 
 before— takes them to His very bosom — 
 and pours out His soul of love before 
 them. And this is only the beginning 
 of what should more and more take 
 place under the dispensation of the 
 Spirit. IT Servants — slaves. They had 
 before this been treated more distantly, 
 as ch. 13: 16. "The servant is not 
 greater than his lord." TT For the ser- 
 vant knoiveth not. This had been their 
 case all along — and, hence, they had 
 to walk accordij^g to orders, in a most 
 dependent and submissive way, with- 
 out any full and satisfactory unfold- 
 ing of His plans. Henceforth, He 
 would treat them more like intimate 
 friends, in this respect — and thus He 
 does already in these discourses. Ob- 
 serve — 1. It is a privilege to be His 
 servants. But a higher privilege is it 
 to be treated by Him as friends. 2. 
 While He exhorts us to treat Him as a 
 friend. He engages to treat us as 
 friends. If He had not already first 
 befriended us, we should never have 
 been brought into friendship with Him. 
 If Friends. This is His condescending 
 love to us sinners. Abraham, the 
 father of the Faithful, was called by 
 this honorable name, " the friend of 
 God." And these Apostles, He was 
 now and henceforth to treat with a 
 very speoial friendship, as they were 
 to be entrusted with His plans, and 
 with a most important commission. 
 H For all things. This is the purely 
 confidential and intimate way in which 
 He was to treat them — opening the 
 mysteries of His kingdom, and unfold- 
 ing the Father's will and ways, as He 
 received them from His bosom. In a 
 special sense, the secret of the Lord 
 was to be committed to them, and He 
 •would show them His covenant. So 
 thoy afterwards say, " We speak the 
 
 your fruit should remain ; that 
 whatsoever " ye shall ask of the 
 Father in my name, he may give 
 it you. 
 
 ever. 7. c. 14. 13. 
 
 wisdom of God — the hidden wisdom," 
 &c., (1 Cor. 2: 7; 2 Cor. 4: 6,) as 
 "the kindness and love of God our 
 Saviour toward man appeared." Titus 
 3: 4. This friendship would be per- 
 fected in Heaven. This refers to what 
 is past as a pledge of what is to come. 
 Ch. 16: 12. 
 
 16. Ye have 7iot chosen me. As regards 
 this friendship, it originated on His 
 side, not on theii'S. Nay, they would 
 have chosen the world and self and 
 sin — anything rather than Him. ^ 1 
 have chosen you. This still connects 
 with His laying down His life as the 
 highest possible example of love ; and 
 thus delicately does He come to the 
 distinctive feature of His love, that 
 they were naturally estranged, and 
 enemies. 1 John 4 : 10, 19. ^ And 
 ordained you — constituted — appointed. 
 Acts 13: 47. Even these Apostles, so 
 conspicuous in His service, He had 
 chosen from the world, (vs. 19,) and 
 further from among all His disciples, 
 had called them and constituted them 
 Apostles. They were fishing and col- 
 lecting customs, and engaged in their 
 worldly avocations, and He called them 
 to His special service, as they would 
 remember. *^ That ye shoidd go. This 
 may refer to their apostolic commis- 
 sion, "Go TE into all the world and 
 preach the gospel," or it may mean 
 merely that they shoiild go o?i in an 
 active, living piety, and be fruitful of 
 all good works. ^ Fruit. The Apos- 
 tles afterwards often spoke of their 
 fruit, or the effects of their ministry. 
 Rom. 1: 13; Col. 1:6; 1 Thess. 1: 
 5, 6. Here He encourages them before- 
 hand with the promise of their labor 
 being productive. " The chief accom- 
 plishment of this promise, says Calvin, 
 may be at the very time when there is 
 no appearance of fruit." T[ Should 
 remain. How truly the fruit of their 
 labors remains to this day, and goeg 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 277 
 
 17 These * things I command 
 you, that ye love one another. 
 
 18 If ^ the world hate you, ye 
 know that it hated me before it 
 hated you, 
 
 19 If ye were of the world, the 
 
 aver. 12. ilJobnS. 1,3. 
 
 on to propagate itself. In their in- 
 spired writings — in tiieir evangelical 
 doctrines and institutions, what abi- 
 ding fruit have they had. So that 
 though persecutors may have seemed 
 to them to peril the very existence of 
 the church, it stands enlarged and 
 established more and more, and shall 
 stand to the end. So said Calvin, 
 " Our preaching is not for a single age 
 only. New fruit will be seen to spring 
 up after our death." Observe — 
 While He speaks of their fruit. He yet 
 saj's that their fruit-bearing was of 
 His appointment, and because He con- 
 stituted them for this end. And Paul 
 himself says, "Neither is he that 
 planteth, anything ; nor he thatwater- 
 eth, but God that giveth the increase." 
 See 2 John 8 ; Rev. 14 : 13. IT That 
 whatsoever. 1 Cor. 3:7. So He had 
 said, (vs. 7,) that the prayers which 
 they should oifer in the way of keep- 
 ing His commandments, should be 
 granted. Here He says that it belongs 
 to the plan of choosing and appointing 
 them, that they should ask and re- 
 ceive — that they should bring forth 
 fruit by means of answered prayer — 
 and that whatever they should ask in 
 the way of such fruit-bearing service 
 should be granted, (see vss. 7 and 8,) 
 because it would be asked in His name — 
 on the ground of His work — as repre- 
 senting His interest, and for His glory. 
 This would be to them a great encour- 
 agement, in the various trials of their 
 office, and of their pi-ivate Christian 
 life. Observe — The election of any 
 one to eternal life, includes all the 
 particulars of holy living, even the 
 habitual Christian praying — (asking 
 in Christ's name,) and the answering 
 of prayer as part of the Christian life. 
 17. These things. If John is "the 
 Apostle of Love," it is because Christ 
 24 
 
 world would love his own : but 
 because ye are not of the world, 
 but I have chosen you out of the 
 world, therefore " the world hateth 
 you. 
 20 Remember ^ the word that 
 
 0.17.14. dMatt. 10. 24. Lu.6.40. c. 13.16. 
 
 is the Lord of Love. See vs. 11, 21. 
 Ch. 16: 1, 2.5, 33; 17: 1; 18: 1, &c. 
 This verse, therefore, points back to 
 vs. 12, and what comes between is ra- 
 ther an enlargement upon the example 
 to be drawn from His love. If Love 
 one another. See 1, John 4: 11. "If 
 ministers do not maintain brotherly 
 intercoui'se," says Calvin, "they may 
 possibly erect some large heaps, but 
 they will be utterly disjointed and 
 confused, and all the while there will 
 be no building of a church." 
 
 18. From this verse to ch. IG: 4, He 
 forewarns them, of the persecutions 
 they should be called to endure from 
 the world. "After having armed them 
 for the battle. He now exhorts them to 
 patience." They were not to marvel, 
 if the world hated them, considering 
 their treatment of Him, which should 
 be more and more developed unto His 
 death. This last and crowning act of 
 hatred is spoken of as already passed, 
 for it was certain and just at hand, and 
 it would be past so soon, that they 
 would shortly have to contemplate it 
 as a most astounding fact. ^ Ye knoiv, 
 &c., or Know ye. In truth, the world 
 hated Him before it hated them, for it 
 hated Him as soon as He came into the 
 world, (ch. 1 : 11,) in His Public Min- 
 istry; and before they were ever called, 
 lie had been persecuted. So He had 
 said, ch. 13: 16, " If they have perse- 
 cuted me," &c. The term rendered 
 '^before," is taken by some to refer to 
 rank; and then it would read, "It 
 persecuted me, your chief," and the 
 servant is not greater than his lord. So 
 Calvin, Lardner, &c. Ch. 15 : 20. See 
 Gal. 1 : 10. But the common reading 
 is better. 
 
 20. Remember the ivord — referring to 
 ch. 13 : 16. In Matt. 10: 25, He had 
 also uttered a similar warning, "If 
 
278 
 
 JOIIN. 
 
 [Agk 83. 
 
 I said unto you, The servant ia not 
 greater than his lord. If they have 
 persecuted lue, they will also per- 
 secute you : if " they have kept my 
 saying, they will keep yours also. 
 
 21 Sut '' all these things will 
 they do unto you for my name's 
 sake, because they know not him 
 that sent me. 
 
 22 If « I had not come and spoken 
 
 o Exe. 3. 7. b Slatt. 10. 22 ; 24. 9. c. !C. 3. c c. 9. 41. 
 
 they have called the Master of the 
 house Beelzebub, how much more shall 
 they call them of His household?" 
 Tf I'crsccuted. He states the principle, 
 that they might expect treatment cor- 
 responding ^'ith His, whether good or 
 bad, as they were sent to represent 
 His cause on the earth. 
 
 21. All these things — hating and per- 
 Becuting. ^ For my name's sake. The 
 Christians in the opening of the second 
 century, were put to deatli for profes- 
 sing to be Christians, and because they 
 would not renounce the name. Pliny 
 wrote to Trajan, the Emperor, that 
 this was his practice in Bithynia. So 
 Athcnngoras pleaded before the hea- 
 then magistrates, that the Christians 
 should not be punished for bearing the 
 name, when in other respects they 
 wtre blameless. TertuUian says in 
 Ihe second century, "Even the name 
 is hated in men perfectly innocent." 
 The disciples were called Chrisliafis, 
 and Peter says, " If any man suffer as a 
 Chnstian, let him not be ashamed." 1 
 Pet. 4: G. James asks, "Do they not 
 blaspheme that worthy name by which 
 ye are called ? " Jas. 2:7. T[ Because 
 tkcy Icnow not. It is in this way they 
 prove their blindness to Divine trutli. 
 "For had they known it, they would 
 uot have crucified the Lord of glory," 
 (1 Cor. 2: 8,) and "they know not 
 what tliey do." Luke 23 : 34. The Jews 
 know not the Father whom they pro- 
 fessed to know, because they knew 
 liim not as sending the Son. 
 
 22. This ignorance and blindness of 
 theirs was sinful and without excuse. 
 Wiedom had cried without effect. Prov. 
 
 unto thcui, t!;cy had not had sin: 
 but ^ now they have no ^ cloke for 
 their sin. 
 
 23 He that hateth me, hateth 
 my Father also. 
 
 24 If I had not done among 
 them the works ^ which none other 
 man did, they had not had sin : 
 but novv' have they both seen and 
 hated both me and my Father. 
 
 d Ja. *. 17. 1 or, cxcvse. < c. 7. 31. 
 
 1 : 20-31. He had spoken to them of 
 their sin, as never man spake: and the 
 aggravation of their iniquity was so 
 great, from the fact of their rejecting 
 Him, that comparatively, they would 
 not h.ave had sin but for this. He does 
 not mean to say that there is no sin 
 but unbelief, or that men before Christ 
 came were not sinners — for Christ, as 
 predicted, was to be received and be- 
 lieved in, but that this people had 
 incurred the special, dreadful guilt of 
 rejecting Christ, who came to set forth 
 the gospel of Divine love. Observe — 
 They who still continue in sin, under 
 the light of the gospel, incur a deeply 
 aggravated condemnation. The worst 
 of the heathen have liot this peculiar 
 shade of guilt. See Matt. 9 : 32-34 ; 
 12 : 22-24 ; John 5 . 8-16 ; 8 : 43-59 ; 
 9: 13-22; 10: 29-39; 11: 43-53, as 
 instances in which Christ had spoken 
 to them and been rejected. " He that 
 rejecteth me, the words that I have 
 spoken shall judge him." Ch. 12: 48. 
 
 23. As Christ was the only Personal 
 manifestation of the Father, hatred to 
 Him Avas in reality hatred to the Father 
 also — and so the searcher of hearts 
 understood and reckoned it. Ps. 69 : 
 9, compare with Rom. 15: 3. So lie 
 had said, "He who honoreth not the 
 Sou honoreth net the Father." ch. 5: 
 23. So impossible is it for any to love 
 God and not love His beloved Son, who 
 is the only personal revelation of God 
 to man. 
 
 24. The wcrks. This continues the 
 summing up of that people's condem- 
 nation. His words and His works had 
 been alike rejected. See ch. 12: 27- 
 
Agb 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 279 
 
 25 But this cometh to pass, that 
 the word might be fulfilled that is 
 written in their law, They "■ hated 
 me without a cause. 
 
 26 But when the Comforter ^ is 
 
 aPs.Sa. 19; SD.'I. 5 c. 14. 17. 
 
 41. Christ evidently here holds, that 
 His miracles in themselves were suffi- 
 cient .attestations of His message, and 
 that He and His message should have 
 been received on the basis of such 
 ■works as could have come from God 
 only. Their proper effect was seen in 
 the case of Nicodemus. Ch. 3 : 1, 2. 
 See ch. 10 : 37, 38. T[ None other man 
 did. He wrought miracles as no other 
 Person ever did. The Prophets wrought 
 them not in their own name or 
 strength, but in that of God. He 
 wrought them by His word — at a dis- 
 tance, in every variety'. Tf Seen and 
 hated. See ch. 12: 45; 14: 9. Christ 
 had manifested Himself and the Father 
 to them. They had seen the Father 
 through the only-begotten Son from 
 the bosom of the Father, who alone 
 could reveal Him. Their condemna- 
 tion was clear, for they had deliber- 
 ately and positively, and perseveringly 
 hated them both. 
 
 25. In so doing, however, they had 
 shown the truth of God, for they had 
 fulfilled His prophetic word. This 
 was not any unexpected and disap- 
 pointing result. It had been foreseen 
 and foretold. God's plans would not 
 be defeated by the enmity of sinners. 
 He maketh the wrath of man to praise 
 Him and the remainder of wrath He 
 will restrain. T That the ivord. This 
 did not come to pass just in order to 
 make the prediction good. This was 
 the result and not the object of their 
 conduct. T[ Their Law. The Old Tes- 
 tament scriptures are often called ''the 
 Laio," as in ch. 10: 34. Sometimes 
 the Old Testament is divided into ',' the 
 Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms." 
 This prediction is found in the Psalms. 
 See Ps. 35 : 19 ; 69 : 4 ; 109 : 3. It is 
 found substantially in tliese several 
 passages, but chiefly in the two former. 
 ^ Without a cause. This means, with- 
 
 come, whdm I will send unto you 
 from the Father, even the Spirit 
 of truth, which proceedeth from 
 the Father, he " shall testify of 
 me : 
 
 c 1 John 5.6. 
 
 out any provocation. The word is 
 rendered "freeh/,'" without equivalent, 
 in Matt. 10: 8. They did it freehj 
 from the natural prompting of their 
 hearts, and without any ground. This 
 shows the depth of human depravity. 
 Out of the heart proceed murders and 
 all this natural, free, spontaneous, and 
 constant hatred of God and Christ. 
 
 28. While this was the sad case of 
 the people who rejected Him, He would 
 not leave Himself without witness. 
 The only hope for a depraved Avorld is 
 this advent of the Comforter — which 
 could be only — as He elsewhere show- 
 ed — by the Saviour's departure. Ch. 
 IG : 7. The Spirit of God is the Spirit 
 of Truth, and His testimony should be 
 given to the injustice and wickedness 
 of the world's hatred towards the God- 
 head. The Spirit should come forth 
 from the bosom of the Father, as Ho 
 did, and should reveal the secret love 
 of His breast, and the wonders of the 
 Divine counsels. 1 Cor. He should 
 witness also of Christ — "taking the 
 things of Christ and showing them 
 unto them." So the coming of the 
 Spirit witnessed in its eifccts of the 
 exaltation of the Son, as having risen 
 and "shed forth this," which the peo- 
 ple at Pentecost s.av/ and heard. See 
 also. Acts 8: 29; 10: 19; 11: 12; 13; 
 2. The Spirit should carry on the 
 testimony of Christ, and on the one 
 hand this seeing and hating must not 
 be expected to cease, while on the 
 other hand the Spirit will never cease 
 to overcome the haters of Christ by 
 His testimony, even to the end. Ob- 
 SERVK — 1. In the economy of grace 
 the Son is said to send the Spirit, in 
 His office of Paraclete and as a sub- 
 stitute for Himself upon the earth — 
 and 2. In the essential nature cf tue 
 Spirit, He proreedetli from the Father. 
 He is also said to be sent by tha 
 
B80 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 27 And " ye also shall boar wit- 
 ness, because ^ ye haA^e been with 
 me from the beginning. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 1 rpHESE things have 
 JL I spoken unto you, 
 
 a Lu. 24. 48. Ac. 2. 32; 4. 20, 33. 2 Pe. 1. 16. 6 1 Jno. 1.2. 
 
 Father in the name of the Son, as rep- 
 resenting the Son, and carrying on 
 His redeeming work upon earth, ch. 
 14: 26. 
 
 27. Ye also. The Apostles should 
 bear witness by their inspired records 
 of Christ's Life, which we liave in the 
 gospel narratives. This they should 
 do, not independently of the Spirit- 
 but under His prompting, and yet indi- 
 Tidually, giving each his own testi- 
 mony. See the four histories. Besides 
 this, they should bear witness to Christ 
 in their life, under the influence of the 
 same Divine Spirit of truth. "First 
 the Holy Ghost will give testimony 
 internally in your hearts, and then 
 outwardly by miracles and through 
 your confession and preaching." — Lu- 
 ther. ^ From the beginning. They were 
 raised up for this, to witness of Christ 
 from the beginning of His public min- 
 istry to the end. So it is stated when 
 they set apart another Apostle in the 
 stead of Judas. Acts. 1 : 21-23. See 
 also Luke 24 : 48 ; Acts 1 : 8 ; 2 : 32 ; 
 4 : 20, 33 ; 10 : 41. So the Apostles 
 claimed to be His witnesses. " And we 
 are witnesses of these things and so is 
 the Holy Ghost whom God hath given 
 to them that obey Him." They doubt- 
 less often remembered those precious 
 instructions and consolations of their 
 Divine IMaster, who here so graciously 
 mapped out for them the course they 
 were to follow. This Evangelical nar- 
 rative of John was itself such a wit- 
 ness, and herein he fulfilled in part 
 tills vocation, in times of bitter perse- 
 cution. See also 1 John 1: 1. His 
 testimony, accompanied by that of the 
 Spirit — nay, which is also that of the 
 Spirit, and which He recognizes and 
 seals as His own — has come even to 
 our day and to us. 
 
 that ye should not be offended. 
 
 2 They shall put you out of the 
 synagogues : yea, the time cometh, 
 " that whosoever killeth you will 
 think that he doeth God service. 
 
 o And ^ these things will they 
 do unto you, because * they 
 
 c Ac. 26.9-11. dc. 15. 21. el Cor. 2.8. 1 Ti. 1. 13. 
 
 CHAPTER XVL 
 
 g 140. Persecution Foretold — Fua* 
 THEE Promise of the Holy Spirit^ 
 
 &c. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Mai-k. I Luke. I John. 
 
 I I 1 16: 1-33. 
 
 Our Lord now more directly fore- 
 warns the Apostles of coming persecu- 
 tions, in His absence, and comforts 
 them with the promise of the Holy 
 Spirit, opening to view more distinctly 
 the work of the Comforter, for them 
 and for all His people. 
 
 1. These things — referring to what 
 had just been said, especially cb. 15 : 
 18-27. IT Be offended. The idea in- 
 volved in the term is, that of meeting 
 with an unexpected hindrance, or. 
 stumbling block. Our Lord declares 
 it to be His object to provide them 
 against the troubles that were fr.st 
 coming on, lest their coming upon such 
 adversities unfortified might prove dis- 
 astrous. 
 
 2. They shall, &c. He here refers 
 to that kind of persecution which they 
 should first encounter — that from the 
 Jews — bringing against them all the 
 power of the synagogues, with excom- 
 munications, &c. See ch. 9 : 22 — 34 ; 
 12 : 42. Instances occurred early in 
 their history, (Acts 8 : 1 ; 9 : 1 ; 23 : 
 1,) and the confession of an arch- 
 persecutor, Saul, is put on record 
 from his own lips, that in most severely 
 persecuting them he verilj^ thought 
 that he was doing God service. Acts 
 26 : 9. 1 Yea. Rather, Yet more, a 
 time cometh for every one to think, &c. 
 ^ Every one. This showed them that 
 it should not be merely by popular 
 outbreak or fanatic mobs, but by in- 
 dividuals also, coolly calculating that 
 God would thus be served. ][ Doeth 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 281 
 
 have not known the Father, nor 
 me. 
 4 But these things have I told 
 you, that, when the time shall 
 come, ye may remember ihat I 
 told you of them. And these 
 things I said not unto you at the 
 beginning, because I was with 
 you. 
 
 God service. The term used here is 
 that for the offering of sacrifice, and 
 means that the act of persecution, as 
 " for the sake of God," was regarded 
 as a solemn, religious service rendered 
 to God : and the slaying of the Chris- 
 tians was to them like the slaying of 
 animal sacrifices, as if appointed and 
 accepted by God. " This blindness, 
 however, was not innocent, since the 
 true knowledge of God would have led 
 them to acknowledge the cause of 
 Christ." Ch. 15: 2-3. 
 
 3. This persecution will result from 
 that ignorance of God the Father, and 
 God the Son, which the Jews persisted 
 la, against all His various revelations. 
 So Paul traces the crucifixion of Christ 
 to ignorance of God's revelation on the 
 part of the rulers, "for had they 
 known it, they would not have cruci- 
 fied the Lord of glory." 1 Cor. 2 : 8. 
 Seech. 15: 21-24. 
 
 4. Our Lord now repeats the object 
 which He has in view in forewarning 
 thciii of these coming trials, and of the 
 causes of them. As He had already, 
 in vs. 1, declared, it was to prevent 
 their stumbling or being offended by the 
 sudden encounter of such adversities. 
 And, moreover, it was to increase their 
 confidence in Him by finding how 
 fully He had foreknown all these re- 
 verses and provided against them. See 
 Matt. 24 : 25. f / told you. This is 
 emphatic — that / myself told you. 
 Tf And these things. He refers particu- 
 larly to this full account of their com- 
 ing persecutions and oppositions from 
 the woi'ld, and of His provisions for 
 them in His absence, which He now 
 gives as never before. While He was 
 yet with them they enjoyed His ready 
 
 24* 
 
 5 But now I go my way to him 
 that sent me ; and none of you 
 asketh me, Whither goest thou ? 
 
 6 But because I have said these 
 things unto you, sorrow ' hath 
 filled your heart. 
 
 7 Nevertheless I tell you the 
 truth : It is expedient for you 
 that I go away ; for if I go not 
 
 counsel and comfort in evei-y strait. 
 But now as He was to depart. He noti- 
 fies them of their dangers and re- 
 sources. He had indeed spoken of the 
 hatred of the world in the general, set- 
 ting forth the principle, as Matt. 5 : 
 10; 10: 16. Now He speaks more ex- 
 pressly of what was so shortly coming 
 on. 
 
 5. But now He says I am going my ' 
 way to Him that sent me, (as I have 
 given you to understand, ch. 14, in 
 answer to your question, ch. 18: 36,) 
 and none of you asketh me, (or — does 
 none of you ask me,) ivhithcr goest thou? 
 They were so inquisitive while they 
 seemed to think only of His going to 
 some city for being crowned King, or 
 otherwise ; and now that He had open- 
 ed to them the plan for His departure, 
 (that He was going to the Father, &c. ; 
 ffoing His tvay, instead of their way,) 
 they are quite mute on the subject, and 
 are overcome with sorrow on their own 
 account, when they ought rather to be 
 glad. 
 
 6. Sorrow hath filled. Stier remarks 
 that these are the same disciples who 
 afterwards, when their risen Lord had 
 ascended to Heaven — without any pang 
 at parting with Him — returned with 
 great joy to Jerusalem, believing. 
 
 7. Nevertheless — though you ask no- 
 thing about the nature of my departure, 
 I tell you — without your asking — the 
 truth of the matter. It is expedient for 
 you that I depart. He would show 
 them that His departure, which seemed 
 so dai'k and grievous to them, was in 
 truth immediately connected with their 
 highest comfort and confirmation. It 
 was necessary for Him to go, according 
 to the original, eternal plan of Redemp 
 
282 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Agh 83 
 
 away, the Comforter will not come 
 unto you : but if I depart, I will 
 send him unto you. 
 
 tion. Besides, it was even expedient, 
 profitable for them, as directij^ bringing 
 the exhaustless sources of consolation 
 and strength to their souls. If Go 
 aivay. This term means simply depart 
 — absent myself. The next term, ■which 
 is rendered "depart," signifies 7'(;?noi'f 
 to another place, as to the Father. T[ / 
 will send. He promises thus an ade- 
 quate substitute — a co-equal Person 
 of the Godhead — who would take His 
 place, and that with the great advan- 
 tage of being present to their hearts 
 rather than to their eyes. " From this 
 right of mission on the part of the Son, 
 is argued the procession of the Holy 
 Ghost from the Son, as well as from 
 the Father." "As one whom His mo- 
 ther comforteth, so will I comfort you, 
 and ye shnll be comforted." 
 
 8-11. When lie is come. The " He " 
 is emphatic, and refers to the coming 
 of this Divine Personage, as a glorious 
 era in the church. The following 
 words set forth His personal work 
 among men — what He Avill do when 
 He comes. T[ Will reprove. Tyndale's, 
 Coverdale's and Cranmer's translation 
 have it "rebuke." This term describes 
 the direct work of the Holy Spirit up- 
 on the hearts of men. The term "re- 
 prove " does not express the full 
 meaning. The verb has rather a doutle 
 force, including the idea of convincing 
 and convicting — convincing one class 
 for their conversion — convicting the 
 other class who are not converted, and 
 who shall go on to destruction. The 
 testimony of the Holy Ghost in behalf 
 of Christ, as opposed to the unbelieving 
 world, is essentially a refutation — a 
 demonstration of its wronc; and eri-or. 
 1 Tim. 5: 20; 2 Tim. 4: 2'; 3: 16; Ti- 
 tus 1 : 9. So the Holy Spirit actually 
 wrought and the Apostles prer.ched 
 "with demonstration of the Spirit, and 
 with power." Tf ^'he tcorld — meaning 
 in John's narrative, those who are as 
 yet outside, but who may be brought 
 in — has, of itself, no accurate knowl- 
 
 8 And when he is come, he will 
 ^ reprove the world of sin, and of 
 righteousness, and of judgment : 
 
 1 or, convince. Ac. 2. 37. 
 
 edge of what sin is, or righteousness 
 or judgment. Only indistinct and im- 
 perfect views of these great subjects 
 can they have without the Spirit's 
 working. The conversion of a sinner 
 has never taken place without the 
 convincing work of the Spirit. This 
 means much more than the work of 
 teaching and convincing by presenting 
 reasons. It is not enough to under- 
 stand by this work, that "He will so 
 apply the truths of God to men's own 
 minds, as to convince them by fair and 
 sufficient arguments that they are sin- 
 ners." It is only by His inward work- 
 ing that he convinces us — inwardly 
 removing the scales from the eye-sight, 
 quickening the conscience and shedding 
 light upon the soul. The Spirit uses 
 truth for the practical result. His 
 convincing work supposes truth to be 
 in view, and He is "the Spirit of 
 truth." — We are to interpret this prom- 
 ise of the Spirit's work, ("when He is 
 come,") by the actual work of the 
 Spirit,- since lie has come. — I. The 
 preaching of the Apostles, which He 
 so extensively employed after his com- 
 ing, was mainly upon these three 
 topics, as involved in "Jesus and the 
 Resurrection." See Acts 2 : 22, 23, 
 27. — 1. Christ the only Saviour, and 
 the fatal sin of rejecting Him. 2. 
 Eighteousncss, orjustification, through 
 the finished work of Christ, as wit- 
 nessed by His Kesurrection. 3. The 
 destruction of Satan's kingdom and 
 the advancement of Christ's kingdom 
 of grace, and the hastening of His 
 kingdom of glory. II. In every case 
 of effectual calling, the Spirit, (1.) con- 
 vinces of sin and miser}', (2.) enlight- 
 ens the mind in the knowledge of 
 Christ, (o.) renews the wi!l, and thus 
 persuades and enables the sinner to 
 embrace Jesus Christ as ofl'cred in the 
 gospel. The threefold working of the 
 Spirit is here set forth. T Of sin, bc' 
 cause. Unbelief in Christ is here taken 
 to be the root and ground of all sin ; 
 
Ace 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 iSS 
 
 9 Of sin, ' because they believe 
 not on me ; 
 
 oRo.3. 20; 7.9. 
 
 just as believing in Hina is the necessary 
 term of salvation, and source of holy 
 living. This is the sin, also, for 
 which there is the least excuse, as it is 
 against the clearest light. So it was 
 then — so it is now. The Spirit's work 
 is to take of the things of Christ, and 
 show them unto men. Those, there- 
 fore, who believe not in Christ, set 
 aside all the Spirit's teachings. Hence 
 the dreadful heinousness of this sin 
 will be brouf-ht home to all who are 
 effectually called — the Spirit convin- 
 cing them of their sin and misery, in 
 rejecting Christ, enlightening their 
 minds in the knowledge of Christ, and 
 60 leading them to embrace Him for 
 salvation, as he is offered in the gos- 
 pel. Those who perish will also be 
 reproved and convicted of their unbe- 
 lief, as their condemnation. Cb. 3: 19. 
 See 1 John 2: 22; 4: 3. ^ Of right- 
 eousness. Tlie work of the Spirit in 
 effectual calling, is not only to convince 
 of sin, but of sin in the form of unbe- 
 lief, — of sin as committed against 
 Christ, and against the only plan of 
 salvation. This is connected with a 
 ki.udi-ed work, of enVujhteniny our minds 
 in the knowledge of Christ. Without 
 this, all conviction of sin would be use- 
 loss, and must end in despair. There- 
 fore, He convinces of righteousness as 
 well as of sin. Of righteousness, as 
 found in Christ alone — as well as of 
 sin, as consisting fundamentally in the 
 rejection of Christ. These convincings 
 go together in effectual calling. Tf Be- 
 cause I go, &c. This departure to the 
 Father would need to be understood as 
 connected with the true and only 
 ricrhteousness — for it was by His going 
 to the Father that this righteousness 
 should bo proved to be wrought out — 
 finished and accepted. The Spirit 
 Avou'd show this in His convincing 
 operation— enlightening their minds in 
 the knowledge of Christ, and of His fin- 
 ished work. The unbelieving world, 
 also, will be convicted of Christ's 
 
 10 Of rigiiteousness, '' because I 
 go to my Father, and ye see me 
 no more ; 
 
 6Is. 42. 21 Ro. 1.17. 
 
 righteousness, as condemning their own 
 self-righteousness. Never vv'as this 
 more forcibly done than in the Resur- 
 rection and Ascension of Christ — when 
 He to whom Barabbas was preferred, 
 went to the Father, and was thus 
 shown to be the beloved Son of God. 
 Melancthon says, "The Spirit will ac- 
 cuse this very opinion of human reason, 
 which feigns that men are righteous, 
 that is, have remission of sin, on ac- 
 count of creditable actions and virtues 
 of their own." ^ Of judgment. This 
 is a third point, intimately connected 
 with the others, in this work of the 
 Spirit. The general term here used, 
 includes properly all false judgments 
 of men, as to be tried and condemned 
 by the judgment of Christ, and that 
 judgment or condemnation of the 
 Devil, (the Prince of this world,) is 
 closely connected with our Lord's 
 death, in which He "spoiled principal- 
 ities and powers, and made a show of 
 them openly, triumphing over them in 
 His cross." Col. 2: 15. This "con- 
 vincing of — or concerning judgment, in- 
 cludes the sense of a judgment to 
 come, which the Spirit will produce in 
 men — in some to regulate their ac- 
 tions — in others, to warn them of their 
 condemnation. *^ Because. The judg- 
 ment of Satan — his condemnation by 
 Christ's triumphant death and resur- 
 rection, will be a ground of proof by 
 which the Spirit will show that all will 
 be judged, and that the ungodly world 
 will be condemned along with its 
 Prince, or Leader. This judgment 
 also will be progressive, going forward 
 Avith every advance of the Kingdom of 
 Christ, until the consummation, when 
 Christ Himself shall sit as Final and 
 Universal Judge. Gen. 3: 15; Luke 
 10: 18; Phil. 2: 10. '^ The Prince, 
 &c. This is He, "the old Serpent," 
 "the Devil," "the Prince of the pow- 
 er of the air," who was predicted to be 
 "cast out" by Christ's work. Ch. 12: 
 31; Rev. 20: 10. Observe— This 
 
284 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 11 Of judgment, » because '' the 
 prince of this world is judged. 
 
 12 I have yet many things to say 
 unto you, but " ye cannot bear 
 them now. 
 
 13 Howbeit, when he, the Spirit 
 
 a Ac. 17.31. Ro. 2. 2. Ke. 20. 12, 13. 6 c. 12. 31. 
 
 threefold work of the Holy Spirit in 
 convincing and convicting men, is car- 
 ried on under the preaching of the 
 gospel. Men are convinced of sin — its 
 nature, its aggravation, and of sin in 
 reference to Christ. They are made to 
 see the grievous sin of unbelief, which 
 they cannot see unless they are en- 
 lightened in the knowledge of Christ. 
 So also they are made to see the only 
 true righteousness for sinners, and the 
 false and worthless nature of self- 
 righteousness. They come to see, 
 too, how Christ by His finished work, 
 has brought in an everlasting i-ight- 
 eousness for sinners, and is now in 
 heaven, interceding for those who are 
 His — offering his spotless righteous- 
 ness to the Father, for all his believing 
 people, and that His judgment is com- 
 ing, when no other righteousness will 
 be admitted for a soul's salvation. 
 
 12. Yet many things. These things, 
 as is explained in the following words, 
 belong to the truth which the Spirit 
 would more fully reveal after His com- 
 ing at Pentecost. They could not 
 (were not able to) bear, then, such an 
 unfolding of all the truth as they should 
 afterwards receive. The events of the 
 crucifixion, resurrection and ascension 
 Avould open to them new views, when 
 the Spirit should take those things of 
 Christ and show them unto them. So 
 the Apostles afterwards saw what they 
 could not then have believed — as re- 
 gards the restoring of the kingdom to 
 Israel, (compare Acts 15: 10, Acts 1 : 
 6,) and their apostolic work — the in- 
 gathering of the Gentiles, and the 
 breaking down of the partition walls. 
 Some of these things He revealed to 
 them after His resurrection. Acts 1 : 
 8 ; Luke 24 : 45, 46. 
 
 13. The Spirit of truth. This title 
 
 of truth, is come, he ^ will guide 
 you into all truth : for he shall 
 not speak of himself; but whatso- 
 ever he shall hear, that shall he 
 speak : and he ^will shew you 
 things to come. 
 
 means to ascribe the truth to Him as 
 the Author of revealed truth in the 
 Scriptures, as He who conveys the 
 truth to believers, and as Himself 
 truth itself. ^ Will guide you. The 
 term refers to the office of one Avho 
 points out the way and leads the trav- 
 elei' — one who acts the part of a guide. 
 ^ Into all truth. Rather — into all the 
 truth — namely, of the many things 
 which He had yet to say to them, in- 
 cluding the higher doctrines of His 
 Kingdom, and the wider views which 
 were yet to be unfolded by the Spirit. 
 " Into the full truth." See Hare. This 
 does not warrant us to look for all 
 kinds of truth in the Bible, as though 
 it were given to tell us all science and 
 learning in every department. No 
 truth or science can ever contradict 
 the real teachings of Scripture — for all 
 truth is consistent with itself, and the 
 same God speaks in the book of inspi- 
 ration and in the book of nature. But 
 the Spirit is here promised to lead into 
 ALL THE TKUTH, as it is in Jesus. This 
 was first of all, a promise to the Apos- 
 tles that they should be inspired for 
 the foundation of the Christian Church, 
 to speak and write what Christ would 
 have to be delivered to men as the gospel 
 of His grace. This had been promised 
 in other terms. Ch. 14 : 26. But we 
 cannot inwardly understand the sim- 
 plest truth of revelation, without this 
 Divine enlightening. Men's arguments 
 or illustrations cannot convince or con- 
 vert men savingly. And the Spirit is 
 necessary to lead us into all the truth 
 of Christ in our common daily aflfairs — 
 iuto Christ's claims, calls, character — 
 and into our glorious Christian hope, 
 as these great truths are more fully set 
 forth by the Spirit through the Apos- 
 tles. '^ Of Himself. Christ here speaks 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 285- 
 
 14 He shall glorify me : for he 
 shall receive of mine, and shall 
 shew it unto you. 
 
 of the Holy Spirit as like Himself, 
 acting under a commission from the 
 Father, and so discharging a special 
 oflBce, for the extension and consum- 
 mation of His Kingdom. This same 
 language Christ used of Himself and His 
 own ofl&ce work. Ch. 12 : 49, &c. And 
 as the Spirit was to take of the things 
 of Christ and show them to believers. 
 He is sent from the Father and from 
 the Son. T[ Whatsoever He shall hear. 
 He shall not communicate something 
 absolutely neio, but shall unfold what 
 was given to them by Christ. See ch. 
 14 : 26. Luther says, " There is a holy 
 conference between the Father and the 
 Word, and the Spirit is the hearer." 
 ^ Things to come. The things. Besides 
 showing them things past, which He 
 should bring to their remembrance, lie 
 should show them also the ihim/s fitficrc. 
 See Acts 11: 28; 20: £3; 2i;"ll ; 1 
 Tim. 4: 1 ; 2 Tim. 3 : 1 ; 2 Pet. 1 : 14. 
 This He did especially to the early 
 Church in the Book of the Revelation — 
 ■where the Holy Spirit revealed to John 
 for the churches, " the things that 
 shall be hereafter." Rev. 1 : 1-10. — 
 This would include also immediately 
 the things to come upon Him, in the 
 events of His Death and Resurrection, 
 (ch. 18: 4,) which the Spirit should 
 explain to their troubled minds. 
 
 14. This was to be the Spirit's 
 work — to honor Christ — to set forth 
 Christ's claims, and to show, both in 
 His revelations to the Apostles and in 
 His work in the heart, the love of 
 Christ to sinners, and the preciousness 
 of Christ as the only Saviour. He 
 sheds abroad in the heart " the love of 
 God.''' T[ Shall receive. This shows 
 that there were to be no new revela- 
 tions separate from Christ — no new 
 plan of salvation — as the Spirit's work 
 was to testify of the things of Christ, 
 and not of any new dispensation apart 
 from Christ and His work. He was 
 sent to carry on and complete Christ's 
 work on the earth. He could operate 
 
 15 All things that the Father 
 hath arc mine : therefore said I, 
 that he shall take of mine, and 
 shall shew it unto you. 
 
 everywhere at the same moment — 
 could be present everywhere at once — 
 and this would be His great advantage. 
 Even Christ's own preaching required 
 the Spirit of Christ to enforce it. Ob- 
 serve — The doctrine of Christ is the 
 central truth of Christianity. ^ Of 
 mine — of what belongs to me — of what 
 pertains to my doctrine and work. 
 See Epistle to Hebrews, Ephes. and Colosa. 
 T[ Shall show it. Christ and His gos- 
 pel cannot be understood except by the 
 Spirit's workings in the heart. And 
 this inward operation is essential to any 
 advance in the divine life or likeness. 
 2 Cor. 3 : 17, 18. It cannot be a mere 
 outward development of the church, 
 or of any independent life of the church 
 as a body, that is here meant. It had 
 already been promised (vss. 9-11,) 
 that the Spirit should convince of sin, 
 as against Christ, and of righteousness 
 as the righteousness of Christ imputed 
 to us and received by faith alone — and 
 of judgment as Christ's judgment — 
 when His enemies must be judged and 
 condemned forever with the Prince of 
 this world whom He casts out. All 
 those who have experienced the Spirit's 
 work in their own hearts, have had 
 Christ shown to them — as the only 
 Saviour — as an all-sufficient Saviour — 
 as the very Saviour they need — and as 
 freely offered to them in the Gospel. 
 This the Spirit does in effectual calling. 
 1-5. The relations of the Holy Trinity 
 are here set forth as the vindication 
 of this statement. The Son reveals 
 the Father by taking our flesh and 
 performing His work on earth. And 
 He is the only-begotten Son, who is in 
 the bosom of the Father — and thus He 
 is able to reveal Him. This work of 
 the Father's revelation by Christ, the 
 Spirit is to carry on — and especially is 
 He to carry it to the hearts of men by 
 His divine and almighty working. 
 If Therefore. This was the ground of 
 my so declaring. The union is so per- 
 fect between the Holy Three, that it 
 
£86 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 16 A little while and ye shall 
 not see me : and again, A little 
 while, and yc shall see me ; be- 
 cause I go to the Father. 
 
 17 Then said some of his disci- 
 ples among themselves, What is 
 this that he saith unto us, A little 
 while, and ye shall not see me : 
 and again, a little while, and ye 
 shall see me : and, Because I go 
 to the Father ? 
 
 18 They said therefore. What is 
 this that he saith, A little while? 
 We cannot tell what he saith. 
 
 can properly be said that the Spirit's 
 work of revelation is Christ's work of 
 revelation — and that His revealing the 
 Son is His revealing the Father, as they 
 have everything in common. In ch. 
 17: 10, Christ says to the Father, 
 "All mine are thine, and thine are 
 mine." Who but God Himself could 
 say, "AH things that the Father hath, 
 are mine ? " 
 
 16. A little while, &c. He proceeded 
 to tell them that this advent of the 
 Comforter would very shortly take 
 place, and, hence, that soon they 
 would not see Him. The terms here 
 rendered "see," are different. The foi"- 
 nier means to see with the eyes — to 
 behold. The latter means to see in a 
 wider sense, including spiritual sight. 
 In a Utile while (a few hours) He should 
 be removed by death and they should 
 not see Ilim. But again a little while 
 (a few hours,) — and they should see Ilim 
 with higher views, too, of His person 
 and work — because Tie was going through 
 death and the grave on His triumphant 
 way to the Father. They s^'ould further 
 see Him when He should come to them 
 by the Spirit, and at the final day. 
 ^ Because. He Avas going to the 
 Father — not to the dominion of death — 
 therefore, they should not be disheart- 
 ened, bat cheered by these consolatory 
 features of the case — that He would 
 send a substitute — and that He was 
 only going home, and would show 
 
 19 Now Jesus knew * that they 
 were desirous to ask him, and said 
 unto them. Do ye inquire among 
 yourselves of that I said, A *" little 
 while, and ye shall not see me : 
 and again, a little while, and ye 
 shall see me ? 
 
 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
 that ye "= shall weep and lament, 
 but the world shall rejoice : and 
 ye shall be sorrowful, but your 
 sorrow shall be turned into joy. 
 
 21 A ** woman when she is in 
 travail hath sorrow, because, her 
 
 a c. -i. U. i'5. I ver. 16. c. 7. 33 ; 13. 33 ; 14. 19. 
 
 Himself again, (as at Pentecost,) and 
 would come again and take thein to 
 Himself, vs. 2U. His death took place 
 in a few hours. 
 
 17. What is this? The same inquiry 
 is still made among critics, and what 
 wonder that it was a dark question be- 
 fore Christ had died .and risen ? The 
 words of chief difficulty were these, 
 " A Utile while." 
 
 18. What He saith. Rather— Tl'Aci! 
 He is talking about. 
 
 19. Jesus knew. It is clearly implied 
 that He knew this by His own Divine 
 insight of the hearts of men, whereby 
 He reads their secret thoughts, ^j' A 
 little while. KnoAving exactly that this 
 was their point of difficulty, He repeats 
 only this part of what He had said. 
 From this time to His death was about 
 eighteen hours, and from thence to the 
 resurrection about thirty. 
 
 20. He was stiiving to fortify them 
 beforehand for tlie trial which was to 
 burst upon them in His departure. He 
 would show clearly that He foreknew 
 .all the circumstances and events. So 
 now He even forete.ls them of their 
 sorrow and shock at His removal. Eut 
 that it would turn out to be matter of 
 rejoicing to them, is the comforting 
 assurance that He gives. 1[ Yc shall 
 u-eep. That is, at my death. Ch. 10: 
 11; Luke 23: 27. These terms ta-c 
 such as describe funeral wailing. Zech. 
 12: 10; Mark 16: 10. ^ But. " Th« 
 
Aqb 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 287 
 
 horn- is come : but as soon as she 
 is delivered of the child, she re- 
 membereth no more the anguish, 
 for joy that a man is born into 
 the world. 
 
 22 And * ye now therefore have 
 sorrow : but I will see you again, 
 
 world," as the term is used by John, 
 means the outside world, as uabeliev- 
 ing, but not as reprobate — for many 
 of them should be converted. T Shall 
 rejoice. That is, at His death. They 
 should triumph at his cruciiixion. 
 ^ Be sorrowful. That is, at His suffer- 
 ings and death and burial. But here, 
 beforehand. He assures them thnt they 
 should find the sorrow turned into joy 
 at the resurrection, and would even 
 see ground for nfoking in it all. It is 
 not merely that after the sorrow would 
 come joy — but the sorrow should be 
 turned into joy. Tliey would see, in 
 this very agony and death of Christ, 
 the ground of their only hope as sin- 
 ners, and of the only hope of the world. 
 Gal. 6 : 14. It is also implied that the 
 world's joy shall be turned into sorrow. 
 Their grief also may include that 
 which belongs to the Christian conflict, 
 which should be turned into joy by 
 the advancing work of the Spirit of 
 Christ — so also the grief of the 
 church in Christ's absence should be 
 turned into joy at His second coming. 
 
 22. Will sec you. This should be not 
 merely at His resurrection, but in His 
 coming to them by His Spirit, and in 
 His final coming. ^I Shall rejoice. See 
 Acts 2: 4G, 47. His recorded, (ch. 20: 
 20,) at His appearing to them after 
 the resurrection, "Then were the dis- 
 ciples glad when they saw the Lord." 
 ^ A'b man. The foundation of their 
 joy should be solid and lasting — even 
 the finished work of Christ, and the 
 greatness of His personal love, which 
 they would then see was the same both 
 sides the grave. Hence the doctrine 
 of the Resurrection was a chii'f topic 
 of the Apostolic preaching, and Clirist's 
 resurrection is the great fact at tlie 
 basis of our religion, and tl:e ground- 
 
 and '^ your heart shall rejoice, and 
 your joy " no man taketh from you. 
 2o And in that day ye shall ask 
 me nothing. Verily, verily, I say 
 unto you, Whatsoever 3'e shall ask 
 the Father in my name, he will 
 give it you. 
 
 J Lu. 24. 41, 52 c. 20. 20. 
 
 work of our "hope. "If in this life 
 only, we have hope in Christ, we are of 
 all men most miserable. But now 13 
 Christ risen from the dead." 1 Cor. 15: 
 19. See 1 Pet. 1:8. It is plain from 
 this clause that their permanent joy iu 
 the possession of the Spirit, and at the 
 spiritual sight of Christ, is contem- 
 plated. The transient bodily sight of 
 Him at the Resurrection, therefore, 
 cannot be all that is referred to. 
 
 23. Ye shall ask. The term here 
 rendered " ask" is not the same as in 
 the next clause. It is the term which 
 Christ generally uses of Himself, iu 
 asking the Father — and it refers rath or 
 to making inquiries. He seems to mean, 
 that in that day of their joy, they will 
 have better understandings of Him, 
 and of His ways, and less need to ask 
 questions, as before — and no opportu- 
 nity of putting their queries to Him, 
 as a companion in the flesh. Besides 
 this. He would anticipate their doubts 
 and difiiculties, by a full revelation, 
 and by the working and indwelling of 
 the Spirit, as the Great Teacher, v.s. 
 30. Yet " that dag" evidently takes 
 hold on Eternity and Heaven, and only 
 "(2 little while" lies beiwccn. T What- 
 soever, &c. In this clause the term 
 rendered ask, refers to petitions, pray- 
 ers. He does not mean, that instead 
 of praying to Him they shall pray to 
 the F.'ither in His name. He means, 
 that they shall not be in the way of 
 inquiring of Him as before in tJie flesh, 
 but that whatsoever they should prag 
 for, of the Father, in llis name, the 
 Father would grant to them. The 
 idea here is, that after His resurrec- 
 tion, they should see His finished work, 
 as the ground of their acceptance with 
 the Father, and that their prayers 
 would naturallv be in His name — for 
 
288 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 24 Hitherto -have ye asked no- 
 thing in my name : ask, * and ye 
 shall receive, that ^ your joy may 
 be full. 
 
 25 These things have I spoken 
 unto you in ^ proverbs : but the 
 time cometh when I shall no more 
 
 a Matt. 7. 7, 8. Ja. 4. 2, 3. 6o. 15. 11. I or, paralles. 
 
 His sake — -which would b« a new mode 
 of prayer to them. Ch. 14: 18. 
 
 24. Hitherto, &c. Before this time 
 they had not understood the great 
 truth that God can be approached only 
 in Christ's name. This belonged to a 
 further stage of His work and of their 
 experience. But when He should be 
 glorified, then they should see the plan 
 of grace and the need of His Media- 
 ting work, and intercessions. While 
 He was with them they had probably 
 prayed to Him directly. John in His 
 First Epistle understands this doctrine. 
 " If any man sin, we have an advocate 
 with the Father, Jesus Christ the 
 righteous," &c. Ch. 2: 1. " And this 
 is the confidence that we have in Him, 
 that if we ask any thing in His name, 
 He heareth us. And if we know that 
 He hear us whatsoever we ask, we 
 know that we have the petitions that 
 we desired of Him." 1 John 5: 14, 15. 
 TT Ask, &c. This is spoken in a very 
 diiferent connection from the same lan- 
 guage in Matt. 7 : 7. The prevalent 
 plea — the name of Christ — is added 
 here. *^ That your joy, kc. This full- 
 ness of joy from asking in Christ's 
 name, belongs to the dispensation of 
 the Spirit. Eph. 2: 11. So Peter 
 afterwards saw, " In whom believing 
 ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and 
 full of glory, receiving the end of your 
 faith, even the salvation of your souls." 
 So John also understood afterwards, 
 (1 John 1: 3, 4,) "Our fellowship is 
 with the Father and with His Son 
 Jesus Christ. And these things write 
 we unto you thnt yourjoymay befuU." 
 See ch. 17. 
 
 25. In proverbs. The discourse thus 
 draws to a solemn close. The term 
 here used implies dark, figurative say- 
 ings, as distinct from "plainly." vs. 
 
 speak unto you in ' proverbs, but 
 I shall shew you plainly of the 
 Father. 
 
 26 At " that day ye shall ask in 
 my name : and I say not unto 
 you that I will pray the Father 
 for you; 
 
 29. This was a form of instruction 
 very common, and much liked among 
 the Jews. He refers to the terms used 
 especially in this discourse. Thej 
 could not be otherwise than dark and 
 mystical to them as yet, until the Holy 
 Spirit should open to them the mean- 
 ing as He was promised to do. TF The 
 time cometh. Literally — The hour com- 
 eth oris coming; — that is, the period 
 after His ascension, when He would 
 show them — or the Spirit /or Him and 
 from Him would show them. ^ Plainly. 
 The teaching of the Spirit should be 
 without the obscurity of figures or pro- 
 verbs. Language itself is obscure 
 without the Spirit — as we see that even 
 Christ's words were dark, with all His 
 explanations. But under the Spirit's 
 inward teaching these dark sayings 
 should be plain and well understood. 
 This is the full truth which He prom- 
 ised, vs. 13. \ Of the Father. That 
 is — as revealed in the plan of grace, 
 and as to be approached through 
 Christ, and as carrying on His pur- 
 poses of redemption by the Son and 
 Spirit. 
 
 26. " The more knowledge, the more 
 prayer in the name of Jesus." They 
 should be so enlightened in the work 
 of Christ and the way of salvation, as 
 to be led to draw near to the Father 
 by " the new and living way consecrated 
 for them through the vail, that is to 
 say, His flesh." (Read Paul's under- 
 standing of the Father and Christ, as 
 given in his letter to the Hebrews.) 
 If Will pray, &c. He does not mean 
 that He will not engage to pray for 
 them — for this is what He does. Ch. 
 14: 16; Rom. 8: 34; 1 John 2: 1. 
 This is named as the ground of His 
 ability to save to the uttermost, and 
 that "He ever liveth to make interccs- 
 
AoE 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 289 
 
 27 For "the Father himself loveth 
 you, because ye have loved me, 
 and have believed that ^ T came 
 out from God. 
 
 28 I came forth from the Father, 
 and am come into the world : 
 again, I leave the world, and go 
 to the Father. 
 
 29 His disciples said unto him, 
 
 ac. 14. 21,23. li ver. 30. c.17.8. 
 
 eion for us." Heb. 9 : 24 ; 7 : 2-5. He 
 means only "I do not (now) say," or 
 " This is not what I am saying." "Tb 
 sat/ nothing of my asking the Father, 
 because," &c. Their asliing in His 
 name shall not cut them off from access 
 to the Father, but it rather ensures 
 their access — since, instead of the Fa- 
 ther being alienated from them. He 
 lovcth them, &c. — loved them as is 
 proved by their love, and as He said, 
 oh. 14: 21-23, "he that loveth me 
 shall be loved of my Father," &c. 
 
 27. For. It is not as though the 
 Father needed to be implored in order 
 to care for them — because the Father 
 Himself, and of Himself, loves them. 
 T[ Because. He does not mean that 
 the Father loved them on the meritori- 
 ous ground of their love. He said, "He 
 that loveth me, shall be loved of my 
 Father," (ch. 14: 21, 23,)— yet "we 
 love Him because He first loved us." 
 His love for us precedes and originates 
 our love to Him ; therefore, our love 
 cannot 7«mi; His love. l.John4: 10,19. 
 The Father's love brought them to 
 believe and love Christ. And now the 
 Father loved them because they be- 
 lieved and loved Christ — believing in 
 His redeeming work. 
 
 28. I came forth. This, their belief, 
 He confirms, and sets forth the plain 
 iTuth, as to His advent and ascension. 
 This means properly not a mere mis- ■ 
 sion from God the Father, but a pro- 
 cession from God — implying His being 
 ^^ until God" and being very God. Ch. 
 1:1; 3: 13, 31; 0: 62; 8:41. 
 
 29. Plainly. They seem to mean 
 that now there is not this need of His 
 now an-angement for their uuderstand- 
 
 Lo, now speakest tnou plainly, and 
 speakest no ^ proverb. 
 
 30 Now are we sure that thou 
 knowest all things, and needest 
 not that any man should ask thee : 
 by this we believe that thou camest 
 forth from God. 
 
 31 Jesus answered them, Do ye 
 now believe ? 
 
 ing His sayings — that since He had 
 so distinctly spoken, they would not 
 require a new teacher, as promised in 
 vs. 25 — that already He spake plainly. 
 He had before told them that He was 
 going to the Father, in connexion with 
 the words which puzzled them so, vs. 
 16. They do not yet sufficiently know 
 their ignorance. The hour spoken of 
 for His speaking plainly, (vs. 25,) bad 
 not yet come. "■ So little do they 
 understand," says Augustine, " that 
 they do not even understand that they 
 do not understand." 
 
 30. Are ive sure. Rather — '^wc 
 know." He had met their difficulty 
 about His words (vs. 16,) without their 
 inquiries — showing that He knew the 
 secrets of their hearts, and had not 
 need to be inquired of. He also felt so 
 much interest in them as to anticipate 
 their doubts and ditficulties. This con- 
 firmed their faith. Inquirers often 
 pray and wait as though they expected 
 some direct answer to their prayer, 
 not considering that they have the 
 answer beforehand, in the Scripture, 
 where Christ has already said what 
 He will do, and has given us the 
 very words on which alone we can 
 have hope. This discovery shows us 
 the divinity of Christ, and of our 
 religion, as it shows the perfect pro- 
 vision He has made for the soul, as 
 none but He who made the soul could 
 do. T[ Knowest all things. So said 
 Peter in the fullness of His heart. Ch. 
 21 : 17. In both cases it was His 
 thorough insight of their very secret 
 souls that so confirmed their faith. 
 
 31. Do ye now believe? This is not 
 an inquiry, but rather, taken with the 
 
290 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age S3. 
 
 32 Behold, » the hour cometh, 
 yea, is now come, that yc shall be 
 scattered, every man to 'his own, ' 
 and shall leave me alone : and 
 yet " I am not alone, because the 
 Father is with me. 
 
 33 These things have I spoken 
 unto you, that in " me ye might 
 
 a Mutt. 26.31. JIar.H.27. 1 or, his own home. 
 
 113.50.7,9. c 8.29. cc. 14.27. Ko. 5. 1. Kp. 2. U. 
 
 next verse, is a caution thrown out as 
 to the strength of their faith. He 
 recognizes their believing, (ch. 17 : 8,) 
 but intimates that it was not so firmly 
 grounded as to abide the coming trial 
 without being shaken. lie was pre- 
 paring some of tliem for their future 
 work, by strengthening them iu the 
 Delief of His Person. 
 
 32. The hour cometh. It was just at 
 hand. It would bo but a few hours 
 until His departure, of which He had 
 spoken. ^ Scattered. See Watt. 2G : 
 81. How sadly true wei-e these words 
 proved to be by the event, when the 
 Shepherd was smitten and the sheep 
 of the flock were scattered abroad. 
 IT To his own. His own thinr/s, posses- 
 sions and interests — wliich they had 
 before relinquished for Christ. 1[ Leave 
 me alo7ie. How touching ! He felt 
 their desertion with all the sensitive- 
 ness of the tenderest heart. ^ And yet. 
 He felt the Father's presence and 
 acceptance still more — and their deser- 
 tion, keenly as lie felt it, was nothing 
 in comparison with the momentary 
 hiding of His Fathei-'s face. 
 
 33. Here closes this remarkable dis- 
 course. It was spoken for their good. 
 ^ These things — referring to all the 
 foregoing, from ch. 14. In vs. 1, He 
 had declared that His object in thus 
 discoursing, was to prevent their be- 
 ing oifended, by persecutions and afflic- 
 tions, like the '^ stony ground" hearers, 
 jn the parable. Matt. 13: 21. Now 
 He declares that His further object in 
 these words is that they might have 
 peace in Him. T Peace. "For He is 
 our Peace." Eph. 2:14; Micah 5 : 5. 
 Seech. 13: 19; 14: 29; 15: 11; 16: 
 1-4. His object in all this precious 
 
 have peace. In ^ the world ye 
 shall have tribulation : but be of 
 good cheer; I have overcome the 
 world. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 ^ rnHESE words spake 
 X Jesus, and lifted 
 
 dc. 15. 19-21. 2Ti.3. 12. 
 
 discoursing had been to attiact their 
 attention and confidence to Himself, as 
 soon to be their Eisen Lord. T[ In the 
 icorld. This He, in all faithfulness 
 forewarns them of — that they should 
 have tribulation in the world — but 
 even this should prove part of the 
 Divine plan for their salvation, as tlie 
 white-robed company of the redeemed 
 should come to Heaven, " Out of great 
 tribulation." Eev. 7: 14. And yet 
 their robes were "made ichite in the blood 
 of the Lamb." 1[ I have overcome. Al- 
 ready He foresaw His triumph. x\ud 
 faith in Him as our conquering .Saviour 
 gets this victory. lJohn.5:4. Because 
 He has overcome, we may overcome in 
 Him, and be " conquerors and more 
 than conquerors through Him that 
 loved us." Augustine says, "Christ 
 would not have overcome the world, if 
 the woi'ld could overcome His mem- 
 bers." We are to regard the world as 
 a vanquished enemy, " Greater is He 
 that is in us, than He that is in the 
 world." 1 John 4 : 4. We are to over- 
 come Satan the accuser by the blood 
 of the Lamb. Rev. 12: 10, 11. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 § 141. Christ's last Prater with 
 His Disciples. — Jerusalem. 
 
 John. 
 
 ■. 1-2G 
 
 This chapter, says Bengel, is the 
 most easy in respect to its language, 
 and the most profound in respect to its 
 sentiment. It is the Intercessory 
 Prayer of our Great High Priest. He 
 was on earth as a Priest, to ofl'er the 
 one sacrifice of Himself, and to His 
 Priesthood belongs also the great work 
 of Intercession, which He here begins, 
 
Age S3.] 
 
 CIIA.P. XVII. 
 
 291 
 
 up his eyes to heaven, and said 
 Father, the ''hour is come : glorify 
 
 a 0. 12. W ; 13. 32. 
 
 and which lie ever liveth to carry on 
 in heaven, (Ileb. 7: 25,) in the true 
 Holy of Holies. See Ps. 141 : 2; Rev. 
 5: 8; 8: 3, 4. John Knox, the Scotch 
 Reformer, when he came to die, asked 
 for the reading of this precious chap- 
 ter. The devout Spener had it read to 
 him three times on his death bed, though 
 he never had been willing to preach 
 from it, as it seemed to ti-ansceud his 
 powers. Luther says of it, "Plain 
 and artless as is the language, it is so 
 deep, rich and wide, that no one can 
 find its bottom or extent." Augustine 
 remarks, that "our Lord might have 
 offered this prayer in silence or in se- 
 cret ; but He would present Himself to 
 the Father as a praying man, remem- 
 bering that He was our Teacher — 
 wherefore that prayer which He made 
 for us, He also graciously made known 
 to us, for our edification." So Bengel 
 asks, " Who does not rejoice that these 
 things Avhich Jesus spake with the Fa- 
 ther, stand on record still ? " The 
 Pr.iyer may be divided into three 
 parts — vss. 1-6, He prays for His glo- 
 rification with the Father ; vss. 6-19, 
 and 24 onward, He prays for His Apos- 
 tles and disciples, and vss. 20-24, for 
 all who should afterwards believe on 
 Him. Calvin and Bengel both notice 
 this chapter, as the seal of the prece- 
 ding doctrine, especially from ch. 13 : 
 31, contemplating things past, present 
 and future. 
 
 Having taught them in the prece- 
 ding chapters, discoursing at length 
 upon their relations to Himself, and 
 the promised gift of the Comforter to 
 take His place — having forewarned 
 them also of the world's hatred 
 toward them on account of His name, 
 which the world would continue to 
 liate — He now adds prai/er to the teach- 
 ing — thus teaching His ministers, (as 
 Calvin says,) "not to employ them- 
 selves only in sowing the word, but 
 by mingling their prayers with it, to 
 implore the assistance of God, that His 
 blessing may render their labor fruit- 
 
 thy Son, that thy Son also may 
 glorify thee : 
 
 ful." Melancthon says, "First He 
 prays for Himself, then for the whole 
 church, and for it He implores the four 
 principal things of the church — (he 
 preservation of true doctrine, concord 
 in the church, the application of His 
 sacrifice, and the last and highest good, 
 that the church with Christ may bo 
 invested with life, joy and eternal 
 glory." 
 
 1. These things. Namely, of the pre- 
 ceding discourse. 1" Lifted up. Up- 
 ward now He tended, soon to go where 
 He eternally belonged. The place was 
 probably the same, namely, the guest 
 chamber. The Publican, smitten with 
 sense of sin, dared not lift up his eyes 
 to heaven — but Christ had no sin, and 
 He prayed here not as a suppliant, but 
 as our Great High Priest, standing 
 between earth and heaven. T[ And 
 said. This prayer is given by John 
 through the inspiration of the Holy 
 Spirit, as was promised in ch. 14: 26, 
 and it is all of it, doubtless, to be re- 
 garded as the prayer of our Lord, with- 
 out any mixture of the Evangelist's 
 words. Since, however, it is ren- 
 dered into Greek, from the Syro 
 Chaldaic, the Greek form of it is in the 
 style of .John's other narratives. ^Fa- 
 ther. His Father and His people's Fa- 
 ther. "I ascend unto my Father and 
 your Father." Ch. 20:17. \Thehour. 
 That is, "the hour for the Son of man 
 to he glorified." Ch. 12: 23, 28; 18: 
 31, 32. The hour of His death, as the 
 hour of His triumph, and as leading to 
 His resurrection and exaltation. This 
 hour had often been referred to as not 
 yet come, (ch. 7: 30; 8: 20,) and now 
 it is spoken of as at length arrived, as 
 before hinted, ch. 12: 23; 13: 1. 
 ^ Glorifg thy Son. The Son glorified 
 the Father. Yet there was a mutual 
 glorifying. He prays liere in His Me- 
 diatorial character, in w'lich He was 
 afterwards exalted according to His 
 prfiyer, to be a Prince and a Saviour 
 to give repentance to Israel, and re- 
 mission of sins," for the glory of th« 
 
292 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33.- 
 
 2 As thou Last given him power 
 over all flesh, that *he should give 
 eternal life to as many as thou 
 hast given him. 
 
 Father. Augustiue explains it, "Raise 
 Me from the dead, that by Me thou 
 mayest be known to the whole world." 
 See Ephes. 1 : 20-23. ^ That thy Son. 
 These words prove the equality of the 
 Son with the Father, as touching His 
 Godhead. What creature could stand 
 before his Creator, and utter such 
 words? There is a mutual glorifica- 
 tion of Father and Son, in this mani- 
 festation of God to men by Christ. By 
 the Spirit there was to be a further 
 manifestation of God in men, conse- 
 quent upon Christ's being glorified, 
 and by which the Father and Son 
 and Spirit should be glorified together. 
 2. As thou hast. Inasviuch as, &c. 
 The plea here offered is, that the glori- 
 fication at the end of His work is 
 appropriate to the preparation and 
 commission at the beginning of it. 
 Glorify Him now even as thou hast 
 already given Him the authority over 
 all flesh for this work. Matt. 28: 18. 
 Observe — He prays for what is already 
 promised and made siu-e to Him. Ps. 
 2. Even He was to ask in order to 
 receive Wis inheritance. How much 
 more is prayer indispensable in our 
 case. ^ Power. This word means 
 rather, authority as "Head over all 
 things to the church" (Ephe. 1: 22,) 
 — having the whole creation put under 
 Him as the second Adam, (Psalm 8,) 
 ■ — and more especially everything is 
 given to Him, as the literal reading is, 
 for the express object of His glorifying 
 the Father by gathering in His own peo- 
 ple. See Matt. 28 : 18, where all power 
 iu Heaven and on earth is claimed as 
 given to Him, and on this ground He 
 commissions the Apostles to go every- 
 where, teaching and baptizing and in- 
 gathering. ^ As many. Literally — 
 "that as to everything which thou hast 
 given to Him, He may give to them 
 eternal life." So in ch. 6: 37, it 
 reads, *^ Everything that the Father 
 giveth me shall come to me, and Him 
 
 3 And this ^' is life eternal, that 
 they might know " thee the ^ only 
 true God, and Jesus Christ, whom 
 ° thou hast sent. 
 
 51Jno.5. 11. cJc. 9. :3. 24. dlTh. 1.9. ec.lO. 36. 
 
 that Cometh," &c. This is not an acci- 
 dental mode of expression. The Father, 
 says Bengel, has given the Son every- 
 thing, the totality — all things — that He 
 may gather in His own people as one, 
 vs. 11. He will lose none who are 
 given to Him — and He will lose noth- 
 ing that belongs to any of- them, (ch. 
 10,) not even their bodies. Ch. 6. 
 Tf Eternal life. The gift which He is 
 to bestow is eternal life. "In Him 
 was life, and the life was the light of 
 men." "The Word of life" was He 
 whom the Apostles had heard, seen and 
 handled, and the life Avas manifested, 
 and we bear witness and show unto 
 you that eternal life which was with 
 the Father, and was manifested unto 
 us. 1 John 1:2; 5: 11. 
 
 8. This is life eternal — the life eternal — 
 not, this is the ivai/ to life eternal, but 
 this is it. ^ Tliat they might know. The 
 knowledge of God the Father, as set 
 forth in Christ, is life eternnl, accord- 
 ing to the divine plan — and it surely 
 involves it. This, therefore, is what 
 the Saviour gives by His word and 
 Spirit, viz — this kno"n ledge, the inward 
 apprehension and appreciation of God 
 the Father, and of Christ the Son, as 
 revealed for our love, obedience and 
 salvation. " By His knowledge," said 
 the evangelical prophet — hy the knowl- 
 edge of Ilim — shall my righteous ser- 
 vant justify many, for He shall bear 
 their iniquities. Isa. -53: 11. "This 
 is the record, that God hath given to 
 us etei'nal life, and this life is in His 
 Son." lJohn5:ll. The right knowl- 
 edge of God through Christ is, there- 
 fore, the divine life in us. "He that 
 hath the Son hath life." 1 John 5:12. 
 Ireneus says, " To know God, and to 
 have experience of His graciousness, is 
 the very participation of Him, and life 
 results from the participation of God." 
 If The only true God. In distinction 
 from the false gods of the heathen, and 
 from any vaiu divinities of men. Sc 
 
A.QE 83.] 
 
 CHAP. xvir. 
 
 293 
 
 4 1" have glorified thee on the 
 earth : I ^ have finished the work 
 which thou gave.'^^t me to do 
 
 5 And now, Father, glorify 
 
 5 c. 19. 30. 2 Ti. 4. 7. 
 
 He is called "the only wise God." 
 "And we know that the Son of God 
 is come, and hath given us .an under- 
 standing that we may know Him that 
 is true, and we are in Him that is true, 
 even in His Sou Jesus Christ. This is 
 the true God and eternal life. Little 
 children keep yourselves from idols." 
 1 John 5 : 20, 21 ; Rev. 5 : 7 ; 1 Thess. 
 1:9. It is the conscious acquaintance 
 with God Himself as one, and with 
 Jesus a« the manifestation of God in 
 the flesh. Our fellowship is with the 
 Father, and with His Son Jesus Clirist. 
 1 John 1:3. TT And Jesus Christ. 
 The knowledge of both Father and Son 
 is defined hei'e to be eternal life, and 
 this proves the essential oneness of 
 Father and Son in the Godhead. How 
 could the knowledge of God and a 
 creature be eternal life ; or how could 
 they be so connected ? Our Lord here, 
 in speaking of Himself, uses the name 
 by which He was known, that prophetic 
 name Jesus, divinely given Him as the 
 Saviour of men, accompanied with the 
 official title, Christ — thus solemnly 
 recognizing these titl?s as embodying 
 the treasures of that knowledge of 
 which He here speaks — and giving a 
 sweet sanction to this double title for 
 the Chui'ch in all time. 1) Wliom thou 
 hast sent. So Christ is to be acknowl- 
 edged as having come from God. The 
 Father cannot be truly known or wor- 
 shiped except as having sent the Son, 
 vs. 8, (ch. 5: 23,) nor can there be 
 any true, s.aving knowledge of God, 
 except as God in Christ. See vs. 22. 
 
 4. I have glorified thee. That is, as 
 is immediately added, hj finishing the 
 work given Ilim to do. His teaching. 
 His holy living, His constant battling 
 with the powers of darkness, His won- 
 der working, and His laying the foun- 
 dations of the church, and especially 
 the finishing of His work so soon upon 
 the cross — this was His meat and drink 
 (ch. 4: 34; 5: 36)— suid all this work 
 
 thou nie with thine own self, with 
 the glory which I "= had with thee 
 before the world was. 
 6 I ** have manifested thy name 
 
 CO. 1.1,2. Ph. 2.6. He. 1.3, 10. dPs.22. 22. Ter.26. 
 
 had been done to the glory of the 
 Father, according to the eternal cove- 
 nant. And now, having performed 
 His part on earth — including wh.at was 
 immediately to come as the closing act 
 — He asks to be glorified on high with 
 the Father, according to the eternal 
 plan. Tf Have finished. " How doth 
 He say (says Polycarp, a disciple of 
 John,) that He h.ath finished the work 
 of man's salvation since He hath not 
 yet climbed the standard of the cross? 
 Nay, but by the determination of His 
 will, whereby He had resolved to en- 
 dure every article of His mysterious 
 passion. He may truly proclaim that 
 He hath finished the work." So Paul, 
 in his old age andin prospect of death, 
 says, " I have fought the good fight — 
 I have finished my course." Our Lord 
 was now within some seventeen hours 
 of His death, v.hen He cried, "/< is 
 finished." Our blessed Saviour, as the 
 surety of the better covenant, gives us 
 to rest upon His finished work. 
 
 5. Glorify thou me. He here declares 
 His essential Godhead, when He says, 
 1. That He had this glory with the 
 Father before the world was ; 2. That 
 He had left it only for a time and pur- 
 pose, and 3. That He ought to return 
 whither He belonged, and whence Ho 
 came. Compare ch. 1 : 1, 2 ; 6 : 62 ; 
 8: 58; Col. 1: 17; 1 John 1: 1, 2. 
 See what is said of " Wisdom," Prov. 
 8 : 22, 23. And this personal Wordr— 
 the same Being as that personal Wis- 
 dom — pleads now to be received back 
 to His original estate. Theophylact 
 explains, " Bring my human nature 
 into a participation of the glory which 
 I, the Word, had with Thee before the 
 beginning of the world." 1 With thine 
 oicn self. ch. 1. 1. At the right hand 
 of the Father — where Stephen saw Him 
 standing, (Acts 7 : 56) — and in par- 
 ticipation of the throne and kingdom — 
 " made higher than the heavens." 
 Heb. 7: 26. '^ The glory which I had. 
 
294 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoK 83. 
 
 unto the men which thou ' gavest 
 mc out of the world : thine they 
 were, and thou gavest them me : 
 and they have kept '' thy word. 
 
 oRo. 8.30. ver. 2, 9, 11. 
 
 '* This teaches plainly," says Calvin, 
 " that He is no recent one, nor newly 
 contrived, for if His glory was eternal, 
 80 also was He. Besides a plain dis- 
 tinction is here drawn between the 
 Person of the Father and that cf the 
 Son ; from which we see that He is 
 not only the Eternal God, but that He 
 is also the Eternal Word of God, be- 
 gotten by the Father before all ages." 
 This prayer was answered, for " God 
 also hath highly exalted Him." Phil. 
 2: 6-9. The Apostles testified that 
 He was "Exalted to be a Prince and 
 a Saviour." Acts 5: 31. Obseeve — 1. 
 There is shown here, also, the oneness 
 of Christ's person, in His three estates, 
 " before the world was" — on earth and 
 afterward in Heaven. 2. This glory 
 of Christ He did not receive, hut pos- 
 sessed. He HAD it originally, and al- 
 ways — and never began to have it. 
 
 6. / have manifested. As the Re- 
 vealer of the Godhead, (ch. 1 : 18,) 
 " the brightness of the Father's glory, 
 and the express image of His Person." 
 Heb. 1 : 2, 3. "The Life was man- 
 ifested." 1 John 1:2. t Thy name. 
 He came from the bosom of the Father, 
 to declare and reveal Him — to set Him 
 forth to men for a true knowledge of 
 ■he only true God. vs. 3. This was 
 the name whereby the prophet said 
 He should be called "Jehovah our 
 Righteousness." Jer. 23 : 6. The /iawie 
 of God which Jesus manifested or 
 made manifest to men, as it could not 
 otherwise have been, was all that by 
 which He maketh Himself known — 
 His titles, attributes, ordinances, words 
 and works. \ Unto the men. These 
 are they for whom He goes on to 
 pray — the disciples as well as the 
 twelve — all to whom He had especially 
 revealed the Divine name. Though 
 He preached to many unbelievers. His 
 more special work was for the believ- 
 ing people, whom the Father had given 
 Him in the covenant of Redemption. 
 
 7 Nov>' they have known that all 
 things whatsoever thou hast given 
 me, are of thee. 
 
 8 For I have given unto them 
 
 See vs. 2. The good shepherd was to 
 gather the sheep. If Thine they icere, 
 &c. They were the Father's in the 
 same sense in which they were given 
 to the Son. In the covenant of Re- 
 demption, the Father is spoken of ns 
 givitig the Son those whom He has 
 chosen from all eternity ; so that they 
 are said to have been the Father's 
 first — as it is the Father w!io covenants 
 with the Son for the salvation of all 
 who shall believe. Hence it is said, 
 "All that the Father giveth me, shall 
 come to me " So that this covenanting 
 to save them does not dispense with 
 their coming to Christ, but rather 
 secures their coming. So also it is 
 here added, "And they have kept thy 
 wo7-d." This is the saving indication in 
 them. This proves them to be the 
 chosen of God. Christ had spoken of 
 having Himself chosen them out of the 
 world. Ch. 15: 19; 13: 18; 15: 16. 
 This He had done as one with the 
 Father. Here He speaks of the dis- 
 tinct offices and relations of Father 
 and Son. Here our Lord reports to 
 the Father that thus far, these who 
 were given to Him, have been cai'ried 
 forward. They have been called effec- 
 tually, and have embraced the gospel, 
 and have entered upon a life of obedi- 
 ence. See vs. 7. How remarkable a tes- 
 timony is this to come from the lips of 
 Christ! How He identifies Himself 
 with His disciples — and prosecutes 
 their cause till they attain to Heaven. 
 7. They h'lve known. Thej' have a 
 knowledge derived from experience. 
 They have that knowledge which is 
 promised to those who follow on to 
 know the Lord. His disciples — espe- 
 cially the Apostles — knew that what 
 Christ offered was from Heaven. Tlify 
 had no doubt of the Divine source of 
 these benefits which He proclaimed. 
 So said Paul afterwards, though not 
 of this present number, "I know 
 whom I have believed." " We know 
 
Axi£ S3.] 
 
 CHAP. XVIL 
 
 295 
 
 the words * which thou gavest me j 
 and they have received them, and 
 have known surely that I came 
 
 I C.6. 68; 14.10. 
 
 that we have a building of God." And 
 John in his Epistles declares their most 
 assured knowledge of the truth in 
 Christ, (1 .John 1,) and that the}' knew 
 God in Christ as the substance of the 
 gospel. So Peter said ti-iumpliantly, 
 " We have not followed cunningly de- 
 vised fables." They knew that these 
 things of Ciirist were from God, and 
 of no inferior origin. 
 
 8. For. Christ had delivered to 
 them the very doctrines and revela- 
 tions directed by the Father. In this 
 'respect He was the true prophet, of 
 whom it was predicted, " lie shall 
 speak unto them all that I shall com- 
 mand Him." Deut. 18: 18, 19. So 
 they confess, (ch. u: 69,) "And we 
 believe and .are sure that thou art 
 the Christ the Son of the living God." 
 *[ Which ihoii gavest me. As He had 
 before said to them, (ch. 14: 24,) 
 "The word which ye hear is not 
 mine, but the Father's which sent 
 mo." See ch. 7: 16, 17; 8: 28; 12 
 49 ; 14 : 10 ; 5 : 19, 30. 1 Have received 
 them. By faith. They had embraced 
 His doctrine as Divine. Thus they 
 had "received Ilini" — the messenger 
 and the mess.age — and thus He ranked 
 them as "the sons of God." Ch. 1: 
 12. Their reception of the truth came 
 from His manifestation of it to them, 
 (vs 0.) and their reception of it was 
 cordial, leading to obedience. ^ Have 
 known sicrehj. Such positive convic- 
 tions belonged to their reception of the 
 truth. It was not ox\\y their certain 
 knowledge but their knowledge of a 
 certainly. They regarded Him as He 
 claimed to be, in the very particular 
 in which the world rejected Him — 
 namely. His coining from the Father 
 as God, and His ]\lissio:i as Mediator. 
 9. I praij for them. Here our Lord 
 begins to fulfill His promise. Matt. 10: 
 32. . Up to this point He had claimed 
 His own glory with the Father, as 
 hp.ving performed thus far His part in 
 tlie Covenant of Redemption. He has 
 
 out from thee, and they have be- 
 lieved that thou didst send me. 
 9 I pray for them : I pray not 
 
 ju.st presented the case of His people, 
 as called, taught and trained thus far, 
 and now He pr.nj-s for them iis to the 
 future. This He does, not as a suppli- 
 ant, but as a claimant. The term used 
 expresses this distinction. It is not the 
 terra to pray as a suppliant, but to ask 
 as a friend, and face to face. He asks 
 as the Great Shepherd, Jehovah's fel- 
 low — the Apostle and High Priest of 
 our profession, and He asks for His 
 flock. Literally, it reads, " I ask co?i- 
 cerning them." They are the subject 
 of my intei'cession. T[ Not for the 
 xvorld. This is His intercessory plea 
 for His own people, and does not em- 
 brace others, because He is here on the 
 eve of departui-e from His own Apostles 
 and disciples, and He pleads, of course, 
 for them as He' does not for others. 
 His prayer is such as would be heard 
 on their behalf. These are a distinct 
 class, and it is not a general petition 
 referring to none in particular, else it 
 it had been of small value to us — but 
 it is for all who are His believing peo- 
 ple. It is not meant that He never 
 could or would pra}^ or a.sk anything 
 for the world as distinct from His peo- 
 ple ; for He does ask for the world's 
 daily preservation from the doom that 
 all have deserved, so that the gospel 
 maj' be preached to sinners, even to 
 such as will finally reject it, and be 
 lost. The words here might be ren- 
 dered, "/am praying for them — I am 
 not praying for the world." Observe — 
 " The Lord knoweth them that are 
 His," and this is the inscription on the 
 seal of His foundation. 2 Tim. 2: 19. 
 ^ For they are thine. This is declared 
 to be the ground of His plea for them, 
 that thej' are the Father's as well as 
 His. In vs. 6, He had said, " Thine 
 they icere," before giving them to 
 Christ, in the covenant of Redeniptivon. 
 Hero it is said, Thine they are, even af- 
 ter they are given to Christ. It is not 
 as though the Father hated them, or 
 had no interest in them — for the love 
 
296 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 for the world, * but for them which 
 thou hast given me ; for they are 
 thine. 
 10 And all '' mine are thine, and 
 
 a 1 Jdo. 5. 19. 
 
 originated in the Father's bosom, 'who 
 " so loved the world, us to give His 
 only-begotten Son." Yet many regard 
 the Father as though He were ho.stile 
 to their salvation, and hard to be icon 
 by their prayers, or even by the en- 
 treaties of Christ. "In that prayer 
 for Eternal Life, (says Bishop Hooker,) 
 ■which our Saviour knew could not be 
 made without cfifect, He excepteth 
 them for whom He knew His suffer- 
 ings would be frustrate, and commend- 
 eth unto God His own. They are the 
 blessed of God, for whom He ordained 
 His kingdom, (Matt. 25: 31,) and to 
 whose charge nothing can be laid. 
 Rom. 8: 33." 
 
 10. And all mine. This is in the 
 neuter — all my things — comprehending 
 things as well as persons. So in vs. 
 2, Christ as Mediator, derives all His 
 instructions and all His people from 
 the Father. His people come from the 
 Father as a gift to Him in the cove- 
 nant, and to the Father they are re- 
 ported as brought in, &c., according to 
 the terms of that eternal compact. 
 IT Tliine are mine. How could any 
 creature say this ? What larger claim 
 to Godhead could be made ? It is not 
 "all thy people" merely, but all tilings 
 that are thine are mine, including, of 
 course, the Godhead. But here the 
 sijecial reference is to His people, and 
 all things necessary to their salvation, 
 and therefore all things in order to 
 their salvation. For in order to bring 
 about the salvation of His people, it 
 was necessary that He be " Head over 
 all things." Eph. 1: 22. Hehadalready 
 said, (ch. 16: 15,) "all things that the 
 Father hath are mine." " These things 
 are si^oken to confirm our faith. We 
 must not seek salvation anywhere else 
 than in Chi'ist." — Calvin. " Do not 
 suppose that they are any the less the 
 Father's, because they are His, or any 
 the less His because they are the Fa- 
 ther's." — Chrysostom. ^ Glorified. In 
 
 thine are mine ; and I " am glori- 
 fied in them. 
 
 11 And now I am no more in 
 the world, but these are in the 
 
 cGa. 1.24. lPe.2. 
 
 their redemption He would get glory 
 10 His name. "He shall come to be 
 glorified in His saints, and to be ad 
 mired in all them that believe." 2 
 Thess. 1 : 10. How comiorting that 
 Christ finds any motive for our salva- 
 tion, in His own glory ! Knox, the 
 great Scotch Reformer, triumphed in 
 death, upon this truth as expressed in 
 Ezekiel, (Eze. 36: 22,) "I do it for 
 mine own name's sake." " This is a 
 most excellent testimony for confirm- 
 ing our faith, that Christ will never 
 cease to care for our salvation, since 
 He is glorified in us." — Calvin. Christ 
 is glorified in His saints by their life, 
 (1 Cor. 10: 21,) by their death, (ch. 
 21 : 19,) by their "manifestations " in 
 the last day, (Rom. 8: 19.) as "the 
 Sons of God." 
 
 11. No more. "I am about to be no 
 longer in the world." This was the 
 immediate occasion of His interceding 
 here for them, as He was so soon to 
 leave them — and they who heard this 
 intercessory prayer, could never doubt 
 of His pleading for them continually, 
 on high. Neither should we doubt it 
 who read the same. ^ These are. 
 This is the occasion of His petition. 
 His people would be in the world com- 
 passed about by enemies and by infirm- 
 ities while He would be absent with 
 the Father. Therefore, He implores 
 the guaidiau care of tlie Father on 
 their behajf. And as He so prays hero 
 on earth, we are given to see how Ho 
 will make this the burden of His 
 prayer in Heaven, at the Father's right 
 hand. Here we get a glimpse within 
 the vail. Tf Holy Father. This word 
 Holy, as applied to the Father here, 
 points to the tidelitj' of the Father in 
 the covenant. The Son had stipulated 
 to redeem those given Him by the 
 Father — and the Father, as true to the 
 covenant, would surely keep them by 
 all the guards and defences of His 
 throne. So believers are said by Peter 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CITAP. XVII. 
 
 297 
 
 world, and I come to thee. Holy | world, I kept thorn in thy name : 
 
 those that thou gavest me I have 
 kept; and none of them is lost, 
 but the son of perdition ; that the 
 scripture '^ might be fulfilled. 
 
 Father, keep ^ through thine own 
 
 name ''those whom thou hast given 
 
 me, that they may be one, as we are. 
 
 12 While T was with them in the 
 
 alPe. 1.5. Judel.2i. 6 Pr. 18. 19. 
 
 to be "KEPT (defended a.s by a garrison,) 
 by the power of God through faith unto 
 salvation " for the inheritance which is 
 reserved in Heaven for them. 1 Pet. 
 1 : 5. Christ calls the Father ^'Right- 
 eous," in vs. 25. ^ Through ihmc otcn 
 name. Rather — intliynamc. That is, 
 in the confession of thy covenant name, 
 "Jehovah our righteousness." Keep 
 them in the knowledge and acknowl- 
 edgment of thy covenant titles and 
 truths. ^ Tliose. Many corrected 
 editions read here, " ivhich " — referring 
 to name. " In thy name ichich thou 
 hast given me." See Jude 21. Christ 
 was to "be called Jehovah our right- 
 eousness." See Is. 9: 6; Jer. 23: G. 
 TT One as n-e are. That is — that they 
 may be one by the indwelling of the 
 divine Spirit — not merely one in will 
 and purpose, but one in " the divine 
 nature," (2 Pet. 1: 4,) through " the 
 exceeding great and precious promi- 
 ses" — and in this respect made like to 
 God. "Then will our unity l)e truly 
 happy when it shall bear the ininge of 
 God the Father, and of Chriht, as the 
 wax takes the form of the seal Avhich 
 is impressed upon it." — C'alvi?:. 
 
 12. While I ivas. The Lord Jesus 
 here speaks as though He was already 
 standing at the right hand, and no 
 longer on earth. Pleading as High 
 Priest, He seems to rise to the Holy 
 of Holies — and this He does to give us 
 an idea of His loving pleas for us which 
 lie would continue to make on high. 
 % I kept them. He is here reporting 
 Himself as Mediator, and showing how 
 He had fulfilled His commission. AVhile 
 He pleads with the Father to keep 
 them henceforth. He here says that He 
 hid kept them hitherto. He had exer- 
 cised Ills ofGcial care over them, and 
 preserved them accunling to the cove- 
 nant — suiTering for them — and ready 
 to die now on their behalf, and it is 
 
 cPs,109. 8. Ac, 1.20. 
 
 every way fit, therefore, that He should 
 commit them to the Father's care, as 
 beloved also by Him. Observe — If 
 we compare His keeping of His own 
 and His Father's keeping of them, we 
 see that both Father and Son must be 
 God — that thej' must be of equal power 
 and dignity. T[ In thy 7wme. In the 
 knowledge and acknowledgment of thy 
 covenant name, and of thy truth and 
 salvation. ^ I have kept. Literally — ■ 
 I have guarded — or ke]^ as icith a jnili- 
 tary guard — a stronger word than the 
 simple word '^kept," which precedes. 
 If None of them is lost. He reports to 
 the Father this snccess of His mediato- 
 ri.al Avork on earth — that of those given 
 Him by the Father, He has lost none. 
 That He does not mean by these words 
 to make Judas an exception, as if this 
 one was given Him by the Father and 
 had been lost, is plain from the refer- 
 ence to this very passage in ch. 18: 9. 
 " Of them which thou gavest me, have 
 Host NONE." The proper reading here 
 is, "None of them is lost. But the son 
 of perdition is lost." The words ren- 
 dered "except," are elsewhere used to 
 signify " but," — but only— not inferring 
 that J udas was given Him by the Father, 
 but the contrary. And that God's pl;m 
 was in no way frustrated by the fall of 
 Judas is also plain from the title here 
 given to him — " the son of perdition " — ■ 
 meaning according to the Hebrew 
 iditra — one devoted to perdition — or 
 having in himself that quality in 
 an eminent degree, as "the man of 
 sir," is also so called. Besides, this 
 fall of Judas is expressly said to 
 have been in fulfilhnt;nt of prophecy, 
 and, therefore, altogether foreknown 
 by God, and provided for from the 
 beginning. Ps. 109: 8. So in ch. 
 13: 18, our Lord expressly says, "I 
 know whom I have chosen, but that 
 the Scriptures may be fultilled," &c. 
 
2% 
 
 JOH!^. 
 
 [AoE 83, 
 
 13 And now come I to thee ; and 
 these tbings I speak in the world, 
 that they might have my joy ful- 
 filled iu themselves. 
 
 14 I have given them thy word; 
 and ' the world hath hated them, 
 because they are not of the world, 
 even I as am not of the world. 
 
 It was no falling from grace, because 
 he had no grace to fall from, for none is 
 able to pluck His sheep out of His 
 hands. Ch. 10. ^ That the Scripture. 
 Of course, it is not meant that Judas 
 fell Justin order to fulfill the Scripture. 
 But when He fell, it was scon to be in 
 exact fulfillment of the prediction long 
 before uttered. If God did not know 
 the end from the beginning, how could 
 He save any? If His plan could be 
 frustrated in the case of any, why not 
 in the case of all ? How comforting to 
 know that He will lose none of His own 
 believing people — that none shall pluck 
 them out of His hand — nor is any able 
 to pluck them out of His Father's hand. 
 Ch. 10. 28, 29. 
 
 13. And now. He speaks of His 
 departure as just at hand, and this 
 makes tlie urgency of His prayer. 
 % That they might have my joy. He 
 gives this as the reason why He speaks 
 these things in the world — ^just as in 
 ch. 15: 11, He had given the same as 
 a reason for His speaking those things 
 to them. Hence we find that His 
 promises and cheering exhortations, in 
 ch. 15, had for their aim the completing 
 of Ilis disciples' joy. And here these 
 gracious words of intercession are 
 offered up, and spoken in their hearing 
 for this same end. Observe — It is 
 not enough for Christ that His people 
 be perfectly safe for eternity. He will 
 have them also perfectly happy. See 
 ch. IG : 24 ; 1 John 1 : 4—" And these 
 things write we unto you, that your 
 joy may be full." His object was 
 that tliey might have complete, or 
 fulfilled in them, the joy which is 
 peculiarly Ilis — which He receives as 
 Mediator, in view of His finished work, 
 
 15 I pray not that thou shouldest 
 take them out of the world, but •• 
 that thou shouldest keep them 
 from the evil. 
 
 16 They are not of the world 
 even as I am not of the world. 
 
 17 Sanctify " them through thy 
 truth : thy ^ word is truth. 
 
 dGa. 1.4. cAc.lS. D. Ep. 5. 26. 2 Th. 2. 13 
 
 and which they shall share, as they 
 enter more and more into the full bene- 
 fits of His work. See ch. 15: 11; com- 
 pare Is. 53: 10, 11-14. He had kept 
 them under guard (vs. 12) in this way, 
 by giving them His word. The motive, 
 therefore, of the prayer for the pro- 
 tection is, that they bear the same 
 principle within them as our Lord 
 Himself — a principle conflicting with 
 the world, and rebuking it, (ch. 3 : 20; 
 7:7,) and therefore they cannot escape 
 persecution. 
 
 15. The request is not for their re- 
 moval from the world, because they 
 have 3'et a work to do on earth, and a 
 work is to be done for them, and in 
 them here below. Luther understands 
 it — "They are not to depart from the 
 world with mo, for I have more work 
 for them to do ; to wit, that they in- 
 crease my little host." ^ Tlie evil. 
 Some read from tite evil one. The 
 words may be so read. They arc the 
 same as in the Lord's Praver. jMatt. 
 6: 13. See 1 John 5: 19; 2 Tim. 4: 
 18; "/;07?{ every evil ko7-Jc.'' We are 
 not to seek our removal from the earth 
 bcftre tlie time— nor to retire fro a 
 active part in the affairs of this life — 
 but we are to labor in cur business 
 here, seeking only to be preserved from 
 the evil, and to grow in grace. How 
 encouraging that the divine love is 
 concerned for this vcrj' thing. 
 
 17. It is not only to be kept from 
 positive evil, but to be advanced in 
 the divine life that our Lord asks for 
 His people. It is part of His gracious 
 plan. He had given them the divine 
 word, as witnesses and depositories of 
 the truth, (vs. 8,) and through its re- 
 ception and possession He asks that 
 
AcJK o'S.J 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 
 
 299 
 
 IS As thou hast sent rae into 
 the world, even so have I also sent 
 them into the world. 
 
 19 And * for their sakes I sancti- 
 fy myself, that they also might 
 
 a 1 Cor. 1.2, 30. 
 
 holiness may be wrought in them. 
 Tf Sanctify them. This term has the 
 Old Testament sense of setling apart to 
 a sacred service, (vs. 19,) and the New 
 Testament sense o^ spiritual purification. 
 Here it includes both. Their official 
 consecration comprehends cr implies 
 sanctification. It refers not mainly, 
 however, to setting them apart to tlie 
 ministry, but it refers especially to the 
 inward work of sanctification to be 
 carried on by the Spirit applying the 
 word. 1[ Through thy truth. By thy 
 trutli applied under the ministration of 
 the Spirit. Through this word they 
 were said to be already clean, (ch. 15: 
 3,) but needed that daily habitual feet 
 washing which should more and more 
 cleanse them from defilements of the 
 world, vs. 15. ^ Thy word is truth. 
 See ch. 18: 37, 38; Acts 20: 32. The 
 revealed word of God is the only rule 
 to direct us how we may glorify and 
 enjoy Him : and " the Woi'd of Truth" 
 is the name given to " the Gospel of 
 our Salvation," (Eph. 1 : 13 ; Col. 1: 
 5,) as it is the embodiment of saving 
 truth, and the revelation of Him who 
 is " the Truth." Whatever contradicts 
 this divine Avord is falsehood. 
 
 18. They need this sanctification on 
 account of their high vocation and 
 holy mission. They are commissioned 
 to a work requiring personal holiness. 
 Tliey are sent, [Apostle means one soit,) 
 as He was sent, "the Apostle and 
 High Priest of our profession." Heb. 
 3: 1. 
 
 19. / sanctify myself. This, as ap- 
 plied to Christ, cannot refer to spiritual 
 sanctification, but has necessarily the 
 Old Testament sense of holy self-conse- 
 cration to Ilis sacrificial death. He 
 spoke of Himself as sanctified, (set 
 apart,) bj' the Father, and sent into 
 the worhl. Ch. 10: 3t). So in Heb. 
 10: 29. Christ is said to have been 
 
 be ^sanctified through the truth. 
 
 20 Neither pray I for these alone, 
 but for them also which shall 
 believe on me through their word; 
 
 21 That they all may be one; " 
 
 1 or, Inily sxncUfied. b Ro. \2. 5. 
 
 "sanctified (set apart) by the blood of 
 the covenant." He consecrated Him- 
 self to a sacrificial death for the sake 
 of His people, enduring the penalty as 
 a substitute for them. This of course 
 implies personal Holiness as necessary 
 to His character and woik, as sacrifice, 
 Apostle, and High Priest, &c. See 
 Heb. 9 : 14 ; 7 : 2G, 27. T That they 
 also. The object which He had in 
 view by His holy consecration, was 
 that they also might be set apart to 
 God's service with a holy consecration. 
 ^ Through the truth. Rather — In truth, 
 considered in its highest and fullest 
 manifestation, vs. 17. The doctrine of 
 Christ's vicarious sacrifice as a spotless 
 offering, is here recognized i;s that sanc- 
 tifying truth which of all others would 
 be most powerful. "Be ye holy for I 
 am holy." "For such an High Priest 
 became us, (Heb. 7 : 26,) who is holy, 
 harmless, undefiled," &c. "For both 
 He that sanctifieth and they who are 
 sanctified, are all of one." Heb. 2: 11. 
 And the consistency of this sacrificial 
 provision with eternal truth, is an im- 
 portant sanctifying element. 
 
 20. Neither do I pray (or make re- 
 quest) concerning these alone. There 
 were other sheep not of this fold, 
 whom He must bring. Ch. 10: 16. See 
 ch. 11: 52. The Apostles believed 
 through Christ's word. Others after 
 His departure should believe on Him 
 through their word — the same Divine 
 word delivered by them, leading men 
 to believe in the same Saviour. Rom. 
 10 : 10, 17. " AVo to the Papists," says 
 Calvin, " who are not ashamed to belch 
 forth the abominable blasphemy, that 
 the scripture contains nothing that is 
 not ambiguous, and that consequently 
 the tradition of the church is sole mis- 
 tress of what they are to believe. But 
 we should remember that the Son of 
 God, our only Judge, approves of that 
 
800 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoE 33. 
 
 as thou, Father, art in me, and I 
 in thee, that they also may be one 
 in us ; that the world may believe 
 that thou hast sent me. 
 
 22 And * the glory -which thou 
 gavest me I have given them; 
 that they may be one, even as we 
 are one : 
 
 23 I in them, and thou in me, 
 that they may be made perfect in 
 
 o2 Cor. 3. 18. 
 
 faith alone, which is received from the 
 teaching of the Apostles." 
 
 21. This was the substance of what 
 He asked concerning all these, whe- 
 ther present or future believers — that 
 they should be one, as becomes one 
 flock under one shepherd — having "one 
 Lord, one faith, one baptism," &c. 
 ^ As thou. So in vs. 11, that they 
 may be one as we are " in the unity of 
 the same Spirit " — for he that is joined 
 to the Lord is one Spirit. ^ One in 7(s. 
 It is only by having fellowship with 
 the Father and with His Son Jesus 
 Christ, that they could be one. It is 
 only as standing in the same Savijur, 
 and bearing the same image of Chri-st, 
 and having the same spirit of adi'p- 
 tion, to put forth the same cry of Fa- 
 ther, that they could be one. How 
 much is here signified as to the only 
 proper means of Christian unity — that 
 it is not in uniformity but in true spir- 
 itual piety. This unity may consist 
 with a variety o? form, but it cannot 
 consist with diversity of spirit. " Union, 
 (says Ja>/,) implies parts." Only the 
 different parts, like diflerent mem- 
 bers of the body, should move harmo- 
 niously under one and the same Spirit 
 of truth and love. 1[ That the icorld. 
 A further object in this petition of our 
 Lord, is the convincing power that 
 such Christian unity must have for the 
 world of beholders, leading others all 
 along to believe. This was the effect 
 in primitive times and since. History 
 Waldenses. Ps. 133. See ch. 13 : 35, 
 Notes. This belief in the Mission of 
 Christ, implies a belief in His whole 
 work and office. 
 
 one ; and that the world may know 
 that thou hast sent me, and hast 
 loved them as thou hast loved me. 
 24 Father, I will that they also, 
 whom thou hast given me, be J* 
 with me where I am ; that they 
 may behold my glory, which thou 
 hast given me ; for thou lovedst 
 me before the foundation of the 
 world. 
 
 22. Til e glory. He hnd made them 
 to be sharers in His glory, as partakers 
 of the Divine nature, and of His full- 
 ness of grace and truth. Ch. 1: 14. 
 Believers stand in His merit, and are 
 made to sit together in heavenly places 
 in Christ, (Eph. 2:6,) and all the glo- 
 ry that He is entitled to'as Head, He 
 gives to be shared by the members so far 
 as each can receive it, anJfshow it forth. 
 This glory is already given, in ordev 
 to their unity in the brotherhood, tliat 
 it may be even like that in the God- 
 head, which is a unity of essence, con- 
 sistent with a diversity of form. 
 
 23. Tiiese close relations of Father 
 and Son are made to bear upon tlie 
 unity of the Christir.n membership. The 
 stalk and root of the Vine are one, so 
 as that the branches should be one also, 
 by having all of them a vital relation to 
 the Vine, and deriving of its one life. 
 '^Perfect in one. "Consummated in 
 one — brought to perfect unity." — Ben- 
 gel. The church is to progress toward 
 the perfection of a spiritual unity, 
 which shall be manifest to the world. 
 "Till we all come in the unity of the 
 faith," &c. Eph. 4: 13, 15. ^ And 
 hast loved them. Such distinctive 
 Christian unity is a clear proof to the 
 world, not only of Christ's Divine Mis- 
 sion, but of the Divine love toward 
 them. As we love Him, so also we 
 love one another, because Be first 
 loved us. 
 
 24. Here this wonderful intercesso- 
 ry petition branches into a claim for 
 the transfer to heaven of His people, 
 Tf / will. This is the language of clainj 
 founded on right, as equal with tho 
 
Age 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 801 
 
 25 righteous Father, the world 
 hath not known thee : but I have 
 known thee, and these have known 
 that thou hast sent me. 
 
 26 And I have dedared unto 
 them thy name, and will declare 
 it ; that the love wherewith thou 
 
 Father, and on the merit of His atone- 
 ment. AVhen the Christian dies, we 
 may regard it as being at this ex- 
 pressed "I will" of Clirist, where 
 the object is so tender loving and gra- 
 cious — that they may behold His glory 
 by an immediate presence with Him 
 whero He is. Here on earth the 
 Christian sees through a glass darkly, 
 and knows only in part — is encom- 
 passed with darkness and doubts, from 
 net clearly beholding His glory. 
 Therefore He claims that they shall 
 have death to do them the service of 
 introducing them to the beatific vision 
 of their Lord. 2 Cor. 3 : 18; 1 Cor. IJ: 
 12; 1 .John 3:2. *| £ekolJ—as in 1 
 John 3 : 2, the open beholding of His 
 glory, in connexii^u with which we 
 shall be c'aanged into His perfect 
 image. Luther says, "V/e should 
 m.ake this sentence our pillow, and a 
 oed of down for our souls, and with a 
 glad heart repair to it wJien tlie happy 
 hour (liMWS nigh." This sight includes 
 a partaking. \Ve sire to " en/cr into 
 the joy " of our Lord. No mere spec- 
 tator could see this glory. See Rom. 8 : 
 17; 2 Cor. 3: 18. '^ For ihoii lovedst. 
 The eternal love of the Father to the 
 Son will be displayed as at once the 
 source of all the heavenly glory and the 
 spring of all their blessedness in 
 Him. 
 
 25. Tliere seems an appeal here to 
 the Father as righteous in reference to 
 the unbelieving world, while it was 
 their blame and shame that they had 
 not known Him, and His boundless 
 lOve. He (the Son,) had known Him, 
 "and these," the opposite class of men, 
 believers in Him, had known His Per- 
 son -and office work, as sent by tlie Fa- 
 ther. 
 
 26. / have declared. He now closes 
 by declaring how He had instructed 
 
 2G 
 
 hast loved me may be in them, 
 and I in them. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIH. 
 
 1 TTTHEN Jesus 
 
 W had spoken 
 
 these words, he went forth with 
 
 them in the character and will of 
 God, by personal manifestation, by 
 direct and constant teaching, and by 
 the influences of the Spirit, in a meas- 
 ure, and how He will still continue to 
 make known to them the same great 
 truths of God, in order tliat the Fa- 
 ther's Love, as shown toward Him 
 might be "s/icc? ai?-o(?(Z" in them, and 
 that Christ Himself might abide in 
 them as the living vine abides with all 
 its roots and fatness in the branches. 
 Tl" Will declare it. This implies that 
 He would continue this work of reveal- 
 ing the Father, i)y the mission of the 
 Comforter, and that all these unfold- 
 ings of the Divine character, in all 
 ages of the church, ("the love of God 
 being shed abroad in the heart by the 
 Holy Ghost given unto them,") should 
 work in them a "hope that maketh 
 not ashamed," — "Christ in them, tho 
 hope of glory." Rom. 5: 5; Col. 
 1: 27. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 ^ 142. Departure to Gethsemane. — 
 
 Mt of Olives. 
 Evening introducing the sixth day of tho week. 
 Matt. ) Mark. I Luke. I John. 
 
 20: ;50,36-46| 14: 20, 32-42.|22:39-46|18:l. 
 
 The Evangelist now proceeds to 
 record the history of our Lord's be- 
 trayal and seizure in Gethsemane. He 
 omits altogether the narrative of His 
 agony in the garden which is given by 
 the other Evangelists. See Harmony, 
 Matthew. He touches lightly upon 
 what they have narrated, and gives 
 some circumstances omitted by them, 
 seeming to write in view of their histo- 
 ry as already known. If WcrU forth. 
 Out of the gate. ^ The brook Kedron. 
 The other Evangelists say "to the Mt. 
 of Olives." John alone names this 
 brook in this connexion. The path 
 
802 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83. 
 
 his disciples over the brook Ce- 
 dron, * where was a gardeu, into 
 the which he entered, and his 
 disciples. 
 
 ^ 2 And Judas nhn, 
 
 a'2Sa. lo.iS. 
 
 that winds down the bill from the gate, 
 now called St. Stephen's, out of which 
 Jesus '^ went forth," near the temple, 
 crosses this stream near the garden of 
 Gethsemane, and passes up the iVIt. of 
 Olives. We found a small bridge laid 
 over the dry bed of the rivulet a few 
 feet in length, along tlie line of this 
 path, ^^the projilieCs bridge." The deep 
 ravine of Jehoshaphat, on this (the 
 East) side of the city, separates the 
 Temple summit from Mt. Olivet. The 
 enclosure which is now pointed out as 
 Gethsemane, and which contains the 
 large and ancient olive trees, lies at the 
 foot of Mt. Olivet, as it begins to slope 
 from the edge of the brook. Other 
 olives, of more recent growth, are 
 scattered along the hillside, and the 
 footpath, which is probably ancient, 
 winds from the bridge along the site of 
 the garden, over the hill to Bethany. 
 We traversed it with deepest emotion, 
 to and fro, taking views of the city from 
 it, near the summit, where we may 
 suppose our Lord to have tcept over Je- 
 rusalem, and remembering at every step 
 the sacred and touching associations. 
 The term here rendered brook, is com- 
 pounded of two words, meaning a 
 vu/er-ilrcam, and refers to a winter 
 stream, that is dry in summer. The 
 name Kedron, as here found, means "of 
 the cedars," though the Hebrew name 
 from which it is taken may signify 
 black, and thus, a black stream would 
 refer to the dark waters of it, or to the 
 dark r arrow ravine through which it 
 flowed. It is more commonly called 
 Kidron. John is the only one who 
 mentions it in this narr.itive. See the 
 Old Testament mention of it. 2 Sam. 
 15: 23 ; 1 Kings 15: 13; 2 Kings 23: 
 6, 12; 2 Chron. 15: 16; 30: 14. «f .4 
 garden. The other Evangelists say, 
 "fo the place called Gethsemane." John 
 tells us that it was a garden plot. 
 Likely enough, frcai the location, it 
 
 which betrayed him, knew the 
 place ; for Jesus oft-times resorted 
 thither with his disciples. 
 
 8 Judas •* then, having received 
 a band of men, and officers from 
 
 hVan.m.h.kc. Mar. 14.43, &c. Lu.2a.4T,ic. 
 
 was the retired edge of a farm. Jo- 
 seph of Arimathea had a tonib in a 
 garden outside of the gate, and some 
 have thought that Gethsemane may 
 have been a plot belonging to tlie 
 grounds cf some one of His disciples. 
 It appears from the next verse that Je- 
 sus was in the habit of resorting 
 thither. The present site was probably 
 fixed upon by the Empres.? Helena, A. 
 !>. o2G, when she located .^.o many 
 places of sacred interest in the Holy 
 Land. This garden is now enclosed 
 by a heavy stone wall, twelve feet high, 
 built in 1850 b^' the Latin monks. 
 Finding one daj' some of them at work 
 inside, we obtained entrance. All the 
 natural features of the ground are de- 
 stroyed except the eight oM olive trees, 
 the monks having removed the grass 
 and shrubbery, to lay it out artificially 
 as a flower garden. A terrace is 
 thrown up in the centre about two feet 
 high, with rose bushes planted around. 
 
 ^ 143. Jesus betbayed and made 
 
 I'risonek. — Mt. of Olives. 
 Evening introducing thesi.\th day of the week. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. { LuL'c. I Jobn. 
 
 26.47-56.!l4.43-52|22.47-53. 1 18. 2-12. 
 
 2. Judas, &c. John pas.'ies by the 
 agony of our Saviour in the garden, of 
 which he must have be^n witness, and 
 which we may suppose lie would have 
 here detailed had it not been accurately 
 and sufficiently- given by the olhei' 
 Evangelists. He alone states the fact 
 that Judas was familiar with the place, 
 as he had often accompanied our Lord 
 in His retirement there. Often Jesus 
 had sought this retreat from the bustle 
 and persecution of the city. TliO 
 wretL'h Avlio could plot to betraj' our 
 Lord could take a guilty advantage of 
 such sacred privacy. ^ Oflc?i. See 
 eh. 8: 1; Luke 21 : 37. 
 
 3. A band. Properly — the baud — 
 that is — which was then on duty — a 
 
Vge 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 803 
 
 the chief priests and Pharisees, 
 comcth thither with lanterns and 
 torches and weapons. 
 
 4 Jesus, therefore, knowing * all 
 things that should come upon him, 
 went forth, and said unto them, 
 Whom seek ye ? 
 
 5 They answered hiin, Jesus of 
 ••Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, 
 
 oc. 10. 17, 18. Ac. 2.28. SMatt. 2. 23. 0.19.19. 
 
 Rom.aa cohort, or detachment of it, 
 which was st itioned in the castle of 
 Aiitonia, and attended tlie Sanhedrim 
 nt the great festivals, to keep the peace. 
 TI Scroanfs. These were the Levites 
 who served in the temple, and attended 
 upon the Sanhedrim, under officers. 
 The soldiers went from a suspicion that 
 resistance might be made, and under a 
 pretence probably of keeping the peace. 
 ^ Lanterns and torches. See Cut, Mark 
 14: 43. These were carried by sol- 
 diers on a night march, together with 
 their Aveapons. 
 
 4. Knoivinff. This is a most impor- 
 tant declaration as to our Lord's fore- 
 knowledge and voluntary meeting of 
 His death. Matt. 26 : 54. He had an 
 express work to do — and this was the 
 plan of the Father. Tf Should come. 
 Which were to come. This is the terra 
 used in speaking of the future things 
 which the Spirit would show to them — 
 and these things are included in the 
 Spirit's showing, viz— the mystery of 
 His death by wicked hands for the sal- 
 vation of sinners. ^ V/enl forth. 
 That is — from His retirement. He 
 went forth into the open moonligiit, as 
 it was 'he time of full moon. ^ Whom 
 seek ye ? He would show His voluntary 
 offering of Himself. This brings Him 
 now to approach thein, and to yield 
 Himself up, perfectly aware of their 
 intent. Besides, He would have them 
 to own, distinctly, their dreadful design. 
 Observe — "When men sought Him to 
 make Him a king, He fled. Now that 
 they seek Him to put Him to death, 
 He goes forth to meet them." 
 
 5, 6. The kiss of Judas that belongs 
 after this paragraph of the narrative, 
 and is given by the other Evangelists, 
 
 I am he. And Judas also, which 
 betrayed him, stood with them. 
 
 6 As soon then as he had said 
 unto them, I am he, they " went 
 backward, and fell to the ground. 
 
 7 Then asked he them again. 
 Whom seek ye ? And they said, 
 Jesus of Nazareth. 
 
 8 Jesus answered, I have told 
 
 cPs. 27. 2; 40.11. 
 
 is omitted by John. The answer which 
 the band here give, indicates the hatred 
 which they had toward Him, as they 
 call Him by the despised name of 
 Nazarcne. This fulfilled the prophecy, 
 (see Matt. 2: 2.3,) and accordingly 
 also this name went with Him to the 
 cross. T[ Judas. John here notes the 
 fact that Judas was among them, which 
 was to be inferred at any rate, but is 
 mentioned here perhaps as from an eye- 
 witness: Judas having attracted his 
 attention particularly — or perhaps to 
 show that even Judas, as one of the 
 terrified group, fell to (he ground at the 
 presence and wcrd of Jesus. This Avas 
 something more than a mere natural 
 eifect of His unexpected appearing, cr 
 of His innocence upon their self- 
 reproaching consciences. It was such 
 a glimpse of His divinity as now shone 
 through His flesh, which brought them 
 to the ground. Criminals are often 
 deeply moved at the presence of inno- 
 cent men, especially of innocent suff'er- 
 ers. But no mere human look could 
 so have prostrated them, as now pro- 
 bably brought all, even Judas, to the 
 ground. It was like the effect of the 
 earthquake and angels afterwards, in 
 the miracle of bursting the sepulchre. 
 Our Lord thus proved how able He was 
 to crush all His foes — so that His death 
 was not from helplessness, but from 
 choice. 
 
 7. Again. He asked the same 
 question a second time, that in so im- 
 portant a case they niiglil fully declare 
 their purpose, and that He might as 
 fully and understandingly yield Him- 
 self up to them. 
 
 8. / am He. Literally — / am. So 
 lie shall i-eveal Himself at the last day 
 
304 
 
 JOTTN. 
 
 [AaE 33. 
 
 you that I am he : if tlicref^re ye 
 seek mc, "■ let these go their way : 
 
 9 That the saying might be ful- 
 filled which he spake, ** Of them 
 which thou gavcst me have I lost 
 none. 
 
 10 Then " Simon Peter, having 
 a sword, drew it, and smote the 
 
 ol!.53. C. Ep. 5.25. 6 c. 17. 12. c Matt. 26. 51. 
 Mar. U. 47. Lu. 2l'.4U, 50. 
 
 as the " I am," to the everlasting dis- 
 may of His enemies. ^ Let these go. 
 He ■would have these Apostles who 
 were with Him left untouched. This 
 was as much as to say to them, Go. 
 This shows that He knew of the vio- 
 lent intent of Judas' band, and plainly 
 saw that they sought Him, to destroy 
 Him. Therefore, with a clear plan, 
 according to which He alone was then 
 to die, and not His Apostles, He 1 e- 
 speaks their release and safety. His 
 Divine purpose is most particular. It 
 confounds no different persons nor in- 
 terests. Nothing can occur contrary 
 to His eternal plan. Not even the 
 mad fury of His foes can overreach 
 His wisdom, cr overmatch His pro- 
 vision. These tremliling Apostles had 
 yet a great work to do, in preaching 
 His Gospel, and bearing witness of His 
 Resurrection. 
 
 9. That the saying. In oh. 17: 12, 
 our Lord uttered these words as a pre- 
 diction. When he said — "None of 
 them is lost: but the son of perdition 
 (is lost), " He looked forward to this 
 vei-y time, and now He provides for 
 what He had predicted, while it agreed 
 entirely with the plan cf the traitor. 
 But tlie prediction had also a deeper 
 meaning, and looked forward to the 
 higher truth, that He will keop all His 
 own true followers, that none of them 
 will ever be lost, Avhile traitors and 
 hypocrites, like tiiis son of perdition, 
 will be lost — and that this temporal 
 deliverance now was onl}' an earnest 
 of that spiritual safe-keeping which 
 He pledges in His covenant of grace. 
 
 10. Immediately after this opening 
 incident, the kiss of Judas was given 
 as a signal, for the ari-est of Jesus. It 
 was as the band laid hold of Him that 
 
 high priest's servant, and cut off 
 his right ear. The servant's name 
 was Malchus. 
 
 11 Then said Jesus unto Peter 
 Put up thy sword into the sheath : 
 the cup ^ which my Father hath 
 given mc, shall I not drink it ? 
 
 12 Then the band and the cap- 
 
 d Matt. 20. 22 : 26. 
 
 Peter, in prompt resistance, drew his 
 sword. John is the only Evangelist 
 who has given these names. Some 
 suppose that this is because Peter was 
 dead before this narrative was written, 
 and that the others had avoided the 
 names because it might have brought 
 upon Peter some public punishment, 
 if his name had been given in his life- 
 time. But it is stated that a relative 
 of this Malchus detected Peter (vs. 26) 
 as though he identified him, possibly, 
 with that transaction. See Notes on 
 Matt. 26: 51, 52. 
 
 11. The reply of our Lord is given 
 in JJatthew very much as here, with 
 the addition of the reason there set 
 forth — that the sword is not His 
 weapon, and should not be theirs — 
 and that they who use merely carnal 
 weapons shall fall by them — and thnt 
 He needs no such defence in that ex- 
 tremity, for He could surely pray the 
 Father, and obtain twelve legions of 
 angels in His aid — that, therefore, His 
 death was most fully anticipated and 
 voluntary. This last idea He here ex- 
 presses. ^ The cup. In Matthew this 
 is given, " How then shall the Scrip- 
 tures be fiilfillcd, that thus it must be." 
 He would have them understand that 
 lie was not only voluntary in oflcring 
 Himself to His betrayers, but that all 
 this was by appointment of the Father, 
 and clearly foretold in their Scriptures. 
 This ought to open their eyes to His 
 great work, and to brice them in this 
 sudden, shocking extrtinity. Mark 
 alone records the healing of the ser- 
 vant's ear, with the remark of our 
 Lord, " Suffer ye thus far." See Notes 
 on Mark. 
 
 12. The other Evangelists here re- 
 cord our Lord's protest, at the same 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XVI ri. 
 
 305 
 
 tain and officers of the Jews took 
 Jesus, and bound him, 
 
 Tl 13 And led them 
 away to Annas " first; for he was 
 father-in-law to Caiaphas, which 
 was the high priest that same ^ 
 year. 
 
 14 Now Caiaphas was he which 
 gave counsel '' to the Jews, that it 
 
 a Lu. 3. 2. 1 And Annaif sent Christ loioid u}ito 
 
 Caiaphas , the liitjli priest. 6 c. 11 49. 50. 
 
 time, against such an armed attack. 
 Had He not taught openly among them, 
 and wa.s there any disposition in Him 
 to make resistance ? He would have 
 them understand, as well as the dis- 
 ciples, that He needed not to be hunted 
 as a fugitive, nor laid under military 
 arrest as an armed robbee, (not " a 
 thief,") but that He was a voluntary 
 sufferer. So He will have it testified 
 before earth and hell, that He has a 
 purpose to accomplish in His death, 
 and that though they will be held 
 guilty, they " would have had no power 
 over Him, except it were giveu them 
 from above." 
 
 § 14:4. Jesus before Caiaphas. Pe- 
 ter THRICE DENIES HiM. — Jerusa- 
 lem. 
 
 ilatt. Mark. Luke. John. 
 
 20. 57-58 14. 53-54 22.54-62 18. 13-18 
 69-75 66-72 25-27 
 
 13. Annas first. The other Evange- 
 lists mentiou only the arraignment 
 before Caiaphas. John gives this ad- 
 ditional particular and a reason for 
 it. Seevss. I'J, 24. The former relations 
 which Annas had sustained to the High 
 Priesthood, both in himself and in his 
 family, would make him an honorary 
 officer still. He had been High Priest 
 eleven years, and five of his sons had 
 succeeded him in the office which was 
 now held by his son-in-law — and he 
 himself was probably a vice High Priest. 
 Besides, in so .special a case, it would 
 seem fit that he should be consulted. 
 If, as is supposed, he lived in another 
 quarter of the same palace with Caia- 
 phas, it would be still another reason 
 for such an incidental turning aside to 
 this venerable dignitary, and former 
 26* 
 
 was expedient that one man should 
 die for the people. 
 
 15 And •= Simon Peter followed 
 Jesus, and so did another disciple : 
 that disciple was known unto the 
 high priest, and went in with 
 Jesus into the palace of the high 
 priest. 
 
 16 But Peter stood at the door 
 
 cMatt.26.58, &c. Mar. 14. 54. Lu. 22.54. 
 
 chief of the nation. ^ T/i at same year. 
 This particular notice is given both 
 here and in ch. 11 : 49 ; as if to connect 
 these two acts of Caiaphas, and to 
 show that he who there uttered sucli 
 remarkably prophetic words, and was 
 so determined beforehand upon Jesus' 
 death as a stroke of public policy, is 
 the same who, of course, condemned 
 Him here in the trial ; accordingly the 
 next verse further explains. 
 
 14. This Caiaphas, the same who is 
 spoken of in ch. 11: 49, was he who 
 gave counsel in the Sanhedrim for our 
 Lord's being put to death as a politi- 
 cal expedient, lest the whole nation 
 should be destroyed by the Romans. 
 This is here mentioaed to show that 
 Caiaphas had already given judgment 
 against Jesus, so that a fair trial was 
 not to be expected there. 
 
 15. Another disciple. Literally — the 
 other disciple, a phrase by which John 
 often speaks of himself. It is judged 
 by some to denote in this connexion 
 the close intimacy which existed be- 
 tween Peter and John, (one of a well 
 known pair,) as is elsewhere apparent, 
 in the history. We also infer that this 
 other disciple was John, from the rec- 
 oi'd in Acts 4: 13, that '■'■they (tho 
 Sanhedrim) took knowledge of them," 
 (Peter and John) — recognized them — 
 that they had been with Jesus at the 
 trial. The narrative here agrees with 
 Mark's, that " Peter followed llim af;a' 
 off." It also appears from John's be- 
 ing known to the High Priest, that he 
 was of some consequence in Jerusa- 
 lem, where he had a home. 
 
 16. Thai kept the door. It is yet 
 customary in the East, to have female 
 
306 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoE 33. 
 
 without. Then went out that 
 other disciple, which was known 
 unto the high priest, and spake 
 unto her that kept the door, and 
 brought in Peter. 
 
 17 Then saith the damsel that 
 kept the door unto Peter, Art not 
 thou also one of this man's disci- 
 ples? He saith, I am not. 
 
 porters at the liouses of the grent. 
 Wc visited the palace of a wealthy Jew, 
 in Damascus, and were admitted hy a 
 maid, who kept the door, receiving a 
 fee for her service. 
 
 18. A fire of coals. The term is 
 anthracite, though not used to desig- 
 nate a kind of stone-coal as noAV, but a 
 fire of coals from Avood. \ Cold. At 
 this Passover season, the nights are 
 often cold in Palestine. We -were in 
 Damascus at the corresponding time, 
 and though the temperature would not 
 be the same every year, it was deci- 
 dedly cold, within the season of the fes- 
 tival. ^ Peter stood with them. Not 
 unlikely Peter was more conscience- 
 Etricken than cold — and it M'ould ap- 
 pear that he took his place among tlie 
 servants to seem as one of them, and 
 to stand by his denial. For an ac- 
 count of Peter's denial, see Matt. 26 : 
 69, Notes. Tholuck notes, however, 
 that Peter's entering where certain 
 death would have resulted if he had 
 been detected as the one who wounded 
 Malcbus, is proof of a courage which 
 could only hnve sprung from devoted 
 love to the Master. 
 
 g 145. Jesus before Caiaphas. He 
 
 DECLARES HiMSELF TO BE THE 
 
 Christ. — Jerusalem. 
 Morniug of the sixth day of the week. 
 Matt. I Mark. I I.uke. I Jolm. 
 
 26. 59-68 j 14. 5.5-G5|22.U3-71 1 18.19-24. 
 
 19. This questioning may possibly 
 have been a preliminary one before ! 
 Annas, as would seem fi-om vs. 24, 
 where Annas is represented as sending 
 Him '■^therefore" — on the ground of 
 that examination — bound, as a prisoner 
 to Caiaphas. See Notes on Luke 22 : 
 
 18 And the servants and officers 
 stood there, who had made a fire 
 of coals ; for it was cold : and 
 they warmed themselves : and 
 Peter stood with them, and warm- 
 ed himself. 
 
 ^ 19 The high priest 
 then asked Jesus of his disciples, 
 and of his doctrine. 
 
 61. The inquiries seem here to be 
 quite different from those given by the 
 other Evangelists — being in regard to 
 His doctrine and His disciples, and 
 having no formality of witnesses, &c. 
 such as the others relate. If this be 
 so, the section as given by the other 
 Evangelists would relate to the formal 
 questioning before Caiaphas and the 
 Sanhedrim — and this to the preliminary 
 questioning by Annas given by John 
 alone. How Annas is called the High 
 Priest in that case, is perhaps no more 
 difficult to account for than that Christ 
 should have been sent to him at all, 
 and sent to him. /»-s^, as John relates. 
 Luke calls them both High Priests in 
 Acts 4: 6. There were arrangements 
 about the High Priesthood that we do 
 not now fully understand, else this mat- 
 ter would be clear. It is enough to know 
 that Arnas had long borne the office — 
 had had five sons successively in the 
 otSce — and now, as John states by way 
 of accounting for this incident in the 
 trial, He was father-in-law of the act- 
 ing High Priest. It has usually been 
 understood, however, that this exami- 
 nation was before Caiaphas, and that 
 vs. 24 should read, "Now Annas had 
 sent Him bound to Caiaphas." This 
 is favored by the notice of Caiaphas 
 in vs. 14, as though it Avas he Avho pre- 
 sided at tlio. trial, though this verse 
 may be included in the parenthesis. 
 ^ Of Ills disciples The fact that our 
 Lord was gatliering many disciples, 
 and Unit they would soon wield a for- 
 midable power against tlie JeAvish 
 I'J.eraieliy, alarmed the priesthood — ■ 
 and the object of this question was to 
 draAv something from Him, as to their 
 numbers and strength, and as to His 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. xvm. 
 
 807 
 
 20 Jesus answered him, I spake 
 * openly to the world : I ever 
 taught in the synagogue, and in 
 the temple, whither the Jews 
 always resort : and •* in secret 
 have I said nothing. 
 
 oLn. 4. 15. c.7.14, 26, 28; 8.2. 6 Ac. 26. :6. 
 
 teachings, that might be used for His 
 condemnation. ^ Doctrine. The aim 
 Tvas to convict Him of some teaching 
 against the Roman government, or 
 against their Jewish law, so that He 
 might be accused before Pilate, or the 
 Sanhedrim, of being an enemy to law 
 and order. 
 
 20. Openly. Boldly — not in any 
 secret way as one would do who plot- 
 ted against the government. He had 
 taught in public, and all could know 
 perfectly what His doctrines were — 
 what were His aims and those of His 
 adherents. In the synagogue and in 
 the temple, where the Jews resorted 
 always. He declared His views and 
 published them openly for all to hear. 
 This was not the way of one who 
 would carry on some conspiracy against 
 the public good. ^ The world. This 
 is used commonly by John, to denote 
 tlie outside world who were not of His 
 disciples. 1 1n secret. This surely 
 was in His favor, and it was also 
 beyond contradiction. And this He 
 said to show that they who questioned 
 Him did so, not for information, nor 
 with any honest intent of finding out 
 His teachings and position, but to 
 entangle Him in His talk. This had 
 been their mean and wicked plan from 
 the beginning, else He would have 
 answered them freely and fully. See 
 Is:i. 45: 19, and 48: 16, where the 
 Messiali speaks. 
 
 21. Our Lord here appealed boldly 
 to the public whom He had openly 
 taught. It was, however, no mere 
 popular appeal — nor was it from any 
 thought of enlisting the populace on 
 His side. But it was to show that His 
 doctrine was nothing to conceal nor to 
 be ashamed of — and that He would 
 challenge any fair investigation. This 
 was due to Him, both as to His disci- 
 
 21 Why askest thou me? ask 
 them which heard me, what I have 
 said unto them : behold, they know 
 what I said. 
 
 22 And when he had thus spoken, 
 one of the officers which stood by 
 
 pies, and to His doctrine. He could 
 appeal for His rectitude to all who had 
 seen or heard Him. In this, also, 
 lie would assert His right, and set an 
 example to all His followers, to walk 
 in wisdom toward them that are with- 
 out — and to rejoice if reproached for 
 His name — but never to incur suffer- 
 ing as murderers or as thieves, &c. 
 1 Pet. 4: 14, 15. 
 
 22. One of the officers. Not one of 
 the servants, but one of the High 
 Priest's attendants, or possibly one of 
 the band who had brought Him thither. 
 The term here refers to an official 
 attendant; and hence, it could not 
 refer to the one whose ear Jesus healed, 
 as some have held — for that term is 
 different, and means not officer, but 
 servant. Chrysostom breaks forth at 
 this indignity, "Shudder, Heaven! 
 Be astounded, earth ! at the long 
 suffering of the Master, and the crime 
 of the servants." ^ Struck. The 
 Greek does not say, " jcith the palm of 
 his hand," and it may have been with 
 a staff. Literally, it i-eads, " Gave 
 him a rap" (rajnsma.) Mark has it in 
 another connexion, "Struck Him, or 
 smote Him with rapismas — which may 
 mean with their official staves ; though 
 it is more likely to smite with the open 
 hand, to slap one on the cheek. 
 f Answerest thou, &c. AVhat should 
 lie have said rather than to challenge 
 any one of His numerous hearers to 
 bring any charge against Him? It 
 will be observed that the questions 
 recorded by the other Evangelists as 
 put to Jesus by the High Priest were, 
 in order to prove against Him, treason 
 to the State, or an attempt to destroy 
 the Jewish religion. False witnesses 
 were brought forward to substantiate 
 these charges. But they contradicted 
 each other. See Matt. 26: 59-61, &o 
 
308 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 struck * Jesus ^ with the palm of 
 his hand, saying, Answerest thou 
 the high priest so ? 
 
 23 Jesus answered him, If I have 
 spoken evil, bear witness of the 
 evil : but " if well, why smitest 
 thou me ? 
 
 24 Now ^ Annas had sent him 
 bound unto Caiaphas the high 
 priest. 
 
 ^25 And Simon Peter 
 stood and warmed himself. They 
 said therefore unto him, Art not 
 
 1 or, mth a rod. 
 
 Hence, our Lord's appeal to witnesses 
 has much meaning. Tiie High Priest 
 could give his vote only in case of « tie; 
 but here he teases Jesus, and harangues 
 them to pass capital sentence. 
 
 23. Spoken evil. Our Lord did not 
 bear this blow in silence, but mildly 
 and firmly replied. He had only 
 uttered a fair declaration of His inno- 
 cence, and had appealed to all who 
 had so often heard him. Therefore, 
 He had now answered as He ought. 
 ^ Bear u-itnesa. Say what it is that I 
 have answered wiong, so as to deserve 
 this violent blow. Testify in a legal 
 way to the crime, if it be such. It was 
 every way proper that He should insist 
 on His legal rights. His direction to 
 turn the other cheek, was in case of 
 private injuries. But this was a pub- 
 lic trial in a jiublic cause — where the 
 interests of truth and justice were at 
 stake, and He would not be condemned 
 and abused as an evil doer, without 
 declaring His innocence for the truth's 
 sake. 
 
 24. iVbu' Annas. See Note, vs. 19. If 
 Annas and Caiaphas lived in the same 
 palace, as may be supposed, or trans- 
 acted public business in the same, or 
 even in neighboi'ing buildings, this 
 sending the prisoner to Annas first, in 
 deference to his venerable position, 
 and then to Caiaphas, would be per- 
 fectly natural, and though not neces- 
 sary to be noted, would be given by 
 
 thou also one of his disciples ? He 
 denied it, and said, I am not. 
 
 26 One of the servants of the 
 high priest, (being his kinsman 
 whose ear Peter cut off,) saitli, 
 Did not I see thee in the garden 
 with him ? 
 
 27 Peter then denied again: and 
 " immediately the cock crew. 
 
 '^ 28 Then led " they 
 Jesus from Caiaphas unto ^ the 
 hall of judgment : and it was 
 early : and they themselves went 
 
 c Matt. 26. 7*. Mar. H. 72. Lu, 22. 60. c. 13. 38. 
 dMatt. 27. 2,&c. Mar. 15.1, &c. Lu. 23. 1, &o. 3 or, 
 Pilate's house. 
 
 John in his minute detail of this part 
 of the history, 
 
 25. See Notes, Matt. 26 : 72-74. 
 
 2(i. Being his kinsman, &c. John is 
 the only one who tells us this. But it 
 accounts to us incidentally for this 
 man's recognizing Peter, as he was a 
 relative of Malchus and would naturally 
 have seen liim, as he was on the spot, 
 and says that he "saw him in the 
 garden with Him." 
 
 ^ 146. The Sanhedrim lead Jesus 
 AWAT TO Pilate. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. I Luke. I John. 
 
 27. 1, 2. I 15. 1-5. |28. 1-5. 1 18.28-38. 
 28. Hall of judgment— The Preto- 
 rium. Our Lord had now been con- 
 demned by the Sanhedrim. Matt. 26 : 
 66; Mark 14: 64. But they had no 
 power to carry their sentence of death 
 into execution, without a reference to 
 the Roman governor, vs. 31. They 
 therefore hurry oflF their prisoner to 
 Pilate, of whom tliey mean to demand 
 His condemnation and death. The 
 Pretorium was at the residence of the 
 Roman governor — the former palace 
 of Herod. It was the place where 
 trials were held by the governor, or 
 Prcctor. In the front, in the open 
 court, was an elevated place with a 
 tesselated stone pavement, upon which 
 was placed the seat of judgment. 
 1 Lest, &c. These very wretches who 
 were not fearing to accuse the inno- 
 
AoE 33.] 
 
 CHAP, XVIII. 
 
 309 
 
 not into the judgment hall, lest * 
 they should be defiled, but that 
 they might eat the passover. 
 
 29 Pilate then went out unto 
 them, and said, What accusation 
 bring ye against this man ? 
 
 30 They answered and said unto 
 him, If he were not a malefactor, 
 
 a Ae. 10. 28. 
 
 cent Son of God, were afraid of cere- 
 monial defilement from entering the 
 apartment of the heathen magistrate. 
 The entrance of a Jew into the house 
 of a Gentile made him unclean until 
 the evening. Some have held, there- 
 fore, that the paschal lamb could not 
 yet have been eaten, and that our Lord 
 ate the Passover one day before the 
 Jewish nation, on this last occasion, so 
 as to be crucified on the day for killing 
 the Lamb — as Himself the true Pass- 
 over. But if the lamb had not been 
 killed the evening previously, it could 
 not be killed until the evening of that 
 day, and hence the eating would be 
 brought into the nest day, (as the 
 Jews' day commenced at evening,) and 
 hence the law of defilement could not 
 apply, as it affected them only for the 
 same day. See Notes ch. 19: 14. It 
 is more probable that the phrase here, 
 " eat the Passover," is used in the more 
 general sense of keeping the paschal 
 feast, and is not confined to the eating 
 of the lamb. The whole narrative 
 supposes no variation here from the 
 ordinary time of eating it. They 
 shunned the ceremonial defilement as 
 it would prevent them from the cere- 
 monies of that day, which were very 
 specially solemn, since the next day 
 was their Sabbath day — which was a 
 higli day on this occasion — and the 
 " preparation of the Passover" drew 
 on — that is, the Passover preparation 
 for the Sabbath. See vss. 14-31. 
 When the preparation for the Sabbath 
 occurred on a, feast day, as in this case, 
 they began it at noon. See Notes, 
 Mark 15, 42. 
 
 29. Came forth. That is, came out 
 into the open court from the Preto- 
 rium, as they were not willing to enter 
 
 we would not have delivered him 
 up unto thee. 
 
 31 Then said Pilate unto them. 
 Take ye him, and judge him ac- 
 cording to your law. The Jews 
 therefore said unto him. It is not 
 lawful for us ^ to put any man to 
 death : 
 
 5Ge.49. 10. Eze.21. 27. 
 
 it. If What accusation. Pilate had a 
 general knowledge of the case — but 
 now he mu.-^t have the formal accusa- 
 tion — and unless he should proceed in 
 a formal way he would be chargeable 
 before his own government. He had 
 already granted them the band for His 
 apprehension, vs. 3. 
 
 30. If he. The term He is emphatic 
 here. If this one — tins fellow — were not 
 an evil-doer — malefactor. The Sanhe- 
 drim are impatient, and cannot wait 
 for a formal process, but demand His 
 condemnation on the basis of their own 
 action. They saj' nothing of the charge 
 of blasphemy, upon Avhich they had 
 judged Him, lest Pilate might dismiss 
 the case as Gallic did, (Acts 18: 16) : 
 for that being a matter of the .Jews' 
 religion, he might easily decline to 
 concern himself about it. 
 
 31. Pilate would not act as the mere 
 creature of the Sanhedrim. And, at 
 any rate, he wished to have nothing 
 to do in executing their severe pur- 
 pose against one whom he regarded as 
 at worst a Jewish fanatic. Possibly 
 he had some lurking thought of His 
 being a superior personage, or of this 
 being a case that might involve him in 
 serious difficulty. Therefore, he tells 
 them to attend to the case themselves, 
 and proceed with IWm. according to their 
 law ; that is, to inflict a Jewish punish- 
 ment — as scourging or excommunija- 
 tion. \ It is not lawful, &c. This 
 course would not answer their bloody 
 purpose. Nothing less than His death 
 would satisfy them, and this was not 
 lawful for them, since Judea had come 
 under the Roman power. The Talmud 
 tells us that they lost this power of 
 putting to death, some forty years oi 
 more before the destruction of Jerusa- 
 
810 
 
 jom^. 
 
 [Age 83 
 
 32 That the saying of Jesus might 
 be fulfilled, -which he spake, * sig- 
 nifying what death he should die. 
 
 33 Then Pilate entered into the 
 judgment-hall again, and called 
 Jesus, and said unto him. Art thou 
 the King of the Jews ? 
 
 a Matt. 20. 19. Lu. 18. 32, 33. 
 
 lem, which would be about the thirtieth 
 year of our Lord. The case of Ste- 
 plicn, whom they put to death by 
 stoning, is brought forward by some 
 to show that they retained this power 
 of life and death at that time, say A. 
 D. 34. But that was a tumultuous 
 proceeding, and in such case of riot it 
 was sometimes allowed by the authori- 
 ties — or passed by. Josephus, speak- 
 ing of the stoning of James the Just, 
 says that it was not lawful for the San- 
 hedrim to execute capital sentence, 
 without the sanction of the governor. 
 It is probable, from all that can be 
 ascertained, that the Jews were allowed 
 to try all causes except those of capital 
 crime, which were reserved for the 
 governor; to be attended to on hie 
 visit to the great festivals. It was the 
 custom in Jerusalem to execute such 
 criminals, at the feasts. There is no 
 sufficient evidence that they had the 
 power of life and death in religious 
 cases, as of blusphemy, &c.. else why 
 should thcj' have referred this case to 
 Pilate, when they were so impatient 
 for His death. 
 
 32. The connexion here is this — the 
 Jews decline to take Pilate's counsel. 
 If they had been satisfied without de- 
 manding His death by the Roman law, 
 Christ would not have been crucified — 
 for crucifixion was a Roman punish- 
 ment. If it had been lawful for the 
 Jews to put a man to death, it would 
 have been done by stoning, which was 
 their mode of capital punishment. 
 Therefore, all this took place in fulfill- 
 ment of what He had said, signifying 
 by what manner of death He was about 
 to die. 
 
 33. Pilate, after this unsuccessful 
 conference with the Jews outside the 
 hall, went in and called Jesus within, 
 
 34 Jesus answered him, Sayesl 
 thou this fhiug of thyself or did 
 others tell it thee of mc ? 
 
 35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew ? 
 Thine own '' nation and the chief 
 priests have delivered thee unto 
 me. What hast thou dene ? 
 
 6 c. 19. 11. Ac. 3. 13. 
 
 to answer before Him to the charge of 
 claiming to be the King of the Jews. 
 He may have wished to hear His own 
 accovuit of the matter, by a private 
 examination, apart from the clamors of 
 the Jewish multitude. 
 
 34. Jesus asks him whether he puts 
 this question on his own account, oi 
 whether it is only at the instance of 
 others — the Jewish throng. There 
 might have been some thoughts cross- 
 ing the mind of Pilate, that Christ 
 was possibly some superior personage 
 indeed, (ch. 19: 8, 12,) or, this may 
 refer only to the sense in which Pilate 
 meant the question of His being King. 
 If he asked of himself, he meant it in 
 i\\Q political sense. This would be a 
 false charge against Christ. But if he 
 asked it at the instance of the Jews, 
 Christ did indeed claim to be King, 
 only in a higher and spiritual mean- 
 ing, vs. 36. Our Lord suggests that 
 in the sense in which they were accu- 
 sing Him before Pilate, that is, of 
 aspiring to the throne of Coesar, He 
 was not a King, and that Pilate ought 
 not to be influenced by their malicious 
 charges. 
 
 35. Pilate replies that he was not to 
 be understood as committed to his ac- 
 cusers, or as sympathizing with them — 
 much less, as being himself the accuser 
 in this matter. It was a Jewish 
 ch.irge, and all that he had to do was 
 to hear and adjudge the case as a pub- 
 lic officer. ^ What hast Thou done ? 
 Pilate accordingly asks for the prison- 
 er's own statement. He would natu- 
 rally be curious to know from Himself, 
 as he had heard so much of Ilim : and 
 as he now saw the excitement among 
 the Jews against Him, he intimates, iu 
 the preceding clause, that there was a 
 presumption of some guilt, where His 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP XVIIL 
 
 811 
 
 36 Jesus ' answered, My •• king- 
 dom is not of this world : if my 
 kingdom were of this world, then 
 would my servants fight, that I 
 should not be delivered to the 
 
 cwii nation, and its officers and court had 
 handed Him over for sentence — Pilate 
 is here seen to be the inventor of that 
 oft-repeated artifice of infidels, that of 
 regardinf^ the religion of Christ as local 
 and national, and not for the world. 
 AVhat have we citizens of Rome to do 
 with the hopes of the JeT>'s ? Our 
 Lord answers, that as the King of 
 truth, He has claims that are universal 
 ns truth itself. So, alas ! will the infidel 
 find, that iu all the universe he can get 
 no refuge from the tremendous sover- 
 eignty of truth, in Jesus. See vs. 37. 
 
 30. Here Christ puts in an explana- 
 tion of His claims. He was a King, 
 but not in Pilate's sense, and not in 
 the sense of this Jewish accusation. 
 He was not aiming to occupy the tem- 
 poral throne of Caesar. If He were, 
 His whole course would be different. 
 Instead of these poor scattered disci- 
 ples, He would have trained soldiers, 
 fighting men. T Not of this world. 
 Not of a worldly nature, like the king- 
 doms of tiiis world. It is of another 
 world. The kingdom of Christ must 
 have worldly resources, must attract to 
 itself worldly wealth and power, and 
 must control the kingdoms of the 
 earth, so as at length to possess uni- 
 versal dominion in the world. But it 
 is not to be promoted by arms, as 
 worldly kingdoms — or as the religion 
 of Mohammed and the Pope. It is ad- 
 vanced upon other principles — by other 
 and spiritual means. And Pilate could 
 see that he need have no political sus- 
 picions of Christ. He who allowed 
 Himself to be arrested by His enemies, 
 and to be brought unresistingly before 
 their tribunal, could have no political 
 aims. ^ If My kingdom. The con- 
 struction here is emphatic. Literally — ■ 
 Tf the kingdom ichich i.s Mine, luere, &c. 
 *f 3Ig servants. My official attendants. 
 The term is diiferent from that which 
 
 Jews ; but now is my kingdom 
 not from hence. 
 
 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, 
 Art thou a king then ? Jesus an- 
 swered, Thou sayest that I am a 
 
 means servant, and which is distin- 
 guished from this in vs. 18. This 
 which is h';re used means an official of 
 some kind, and was originally a milita- 
 ry officer, and hence some understand 
 it to refer to angels. But His Apostles 
 were angels of the church, and would 
 have been icarriors instead, if He had 
 so planned His kingdom. Tf Fight — 
 would have fought. If Delivered. This 
 refers onward to ch. 19: I'j, which event 
 He already had clearly in mind. '^ But 
 now. The Romish church pretends to 
 understand that our Lord put an em- 
 phasis on the word '^now," to imply 
 ihai afterward it 'would be a worldly 
 kingdom — as though it could ever 
 change! It means ^'notv," — as op- 
 posed to any other case, and to such 
 case as would call for their figiiting — 
 "«ow" — the nature of my kingdom is not 
 carnal, and its weapons are not such. 
 It is not of this world — but it is of 
 another and higher world. The words 
 "but noiu," are equivalent to but in- 
 deed—but the truth is — the true nature 
 of my kingdom, as distinct from the 
 worldly is, that it is spiritual, and it 
 can never be otherwise. 
 
 37. Art thou 9 Do you then mean 
 to say that you are a King? only of a 
 ditferent sort ? Do you so far admit 
 the truth of the charge, and only take 
 refuge behind some quibble? Tf Thou 
 sayest. This idiom of the Syro-Chal- 
 daic signifies, "I am wh.it thou sayest. " 
 Sec Mark 1-5: 2, Notes, 'i Fur this 
 cau.'ie. Our Lord now maintains the 
 truth of His mission, and shows that 
 His kingdom is ».hat of Truth. He is 
 to " bring forth judgment unto truth." 
 "He presents His royalty on that side 
 of it best calculated for the doubting 
 philosophic mind of the day, of which 
 Pilate was a partaker." He asserts 
 His Divine origin — born with a pur- 
 pose — and His lucarnation — having 
 
312 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 83 
 
 king. To this end was T born, 
 and for this cause came I into the 
 world, that I should bear " witness 
 unto the truth. Every one " that 
 is of the truth heareth my voice. 
 38 Pilate saith unto him, What 
 is truth ? And when he had 
 said this, he went out again 
 unto the Jews, and saith unto 
 
 a Is. 55. 4. Ee.1.5; 3.U. 6 e. 8.47. IJno. 4. 6. 
 
 come into the world, from heaven, for a 
 purpose. He comes as the King of 
 Truth — to gain a victory for truth — to 
 make conquests for it in human hearts, 
 that are buried in ignorance and error, 
 and to establish the universal reign of 
 truth in doctrine, in principle, in moral 
 administration, and in redemption. 
 "Mercy and truth are met together." 
 Not that He is a King only as a Teach- 
 er, for His teaching alone would effect 
 little, but as a King He subdues men 
 to the truth, makes them to be of the 
 truth, and puts down all enemies of 
 truth, casting all liars into the lake of 
 fire, -with the father of lies. ObsePvVE — 
 1. Jesus confi-onted by false witnesses, 
 and sentenced by a false-hearted ruler, 
 is the Great Head and Leader of the 
 " Witnesses for the truth," and of 
 holy martyrs to the truth. 2. ^Yhile 
 truth seems to sustain a sad defeat, it 
 conquers, and shows its Kingly connec- 
 tion and ultimate supremacy. ^ Every 
 one. As My kingdom belongs to the 
 higher domain of truth, it is recog- 
 nized only by such as are of the truth. 
 AVhat a rebuke to this false-hearted, 
 self-contradicting governor. Who shall 
 dare attempt to crush out truth from 
 the universe ? What a shame-faced 
 complaint is it that truth threatens to 
 prevail. 
 
 38. What is truth? In whatever 
 spirit this was said, whether of sneer or 
 of despondency, it was the expression of 
 that philosophic doubt and skepticism 
 which characterized that age. Grecian 
 and Roman philosophy had thus virtu- 
 ally confessed its inability to solve the 
 great problems of the soul. Their high- 
 est advance of mental culture could 
 
 j them, 1 find in him no fault at all. 
 
 j If 39 But ye have a 
 
 custom, that I should release unto 
 you one at the passover : will ye 
 therefore that I release unto you 
 the King of the Jews '/ 
 
 40 Then cried they all again, 
 saying. Not this man, but Barab- 
 bas ! Now Barabbas was a robber. 
 
 only ask, after all, blindly as ever, 
 What is truth? Who knows? Who 
 presumes to tell, after so many vain 
 inquiries of the world's sages? — What 
 a confession was this, in the face of 
 Divine truth itself, that "the world by 
 wisdom knew not God." Ah! Pilate! 
 Truth, as personated in Jesus Christ, 
 though condemned and crucified by 
 false judgments of worldly powers, 
 shall rise again and reign. This is the 
 kind of questioning which the world 
 makes. It is rather a taunt thrown out 
 against Christ and His religion — it 
 waits for no answer. ^ I find.no fault. 
 Thus Pilate mocks both the Witness to 
 the ti'uth, and the haters of the truth. 
 Miserable man. Yet here he testifies 
 to the innocence of his prisoner. I 
 find no fault in Him, however ^om Jeers 
 may do. "For he knew that the chief 
 priest had delivered II im from envy." 
 Obsckve — Here Luke records the 
 sending of Jesus to Herod as Pilate's 
 shift, to get rid of deciding the case. 
 See Luke ch. 23 : 6-12, Notes. 
 
 § 148. Pilate seeks to release Je- 
 sus. The Jews demand Barabbas. 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. | LnUe. I JoI,n. 
 
 27. 15-2g1 15.6-15 123. 18-26| 18.39-40. 
 
 Bee Notes on Matt. 27 : 15. 
 
 Pilate regarded Jesus as an enthu- 
 siast, and hence, not deserving of 
 death. Alas, how manj' are willing to 
 pronounce Him innocent, but rebel at 
 the thought of relying on Him for s.al- 
 vation — cannot bear to think of Him 
 as made a curse for us — because 
 this would be to acknowledge their 
 own grievous sin and perishing need 
 
Age 33,] 
 
 CHAP. XIX, 
 
 813 
 
 CHAPTER XTX. 
 
 II rriHEN » Pilate 
 _L therefore took 
 Jesus, and scourged '' liim. 
 
 2 And the soldiers platted a 
 crown of thorns, and put it on his 
 head, and they put on him a pur- 
 ple robe, 
 
 3 And said, Hail, King of the 
 
 o Matt. 27. 26, i'C. Mar. 15. 15, &o. 6 Is. 53. 5. 
 
 of salvation. "Jesus u-as a very good 
 man," says the world. So said Pilate. 
 But if this be all that you can say, the 
 clamor of the world would drive you 
 soon to give Him over to crucifixion. 
 "Jesus or Barabbas?" is at last the 
 question. Who shall die? The God-Man 
 Christ Jesus, or the murderer and 
 robber ? Shame ! The world prefers 
 the vilest of the vile before Christ ! 
 And yet rejoice. Christ's death is the 
 only hope for the vilest of men ! — 
 Christ dies, and thus only is any Bar- 
 abbas set free. "This is a faithful 
 saying (says Paul,) and worthy of all 
 acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into 
 the ivorld to save sinners, of ivhom I 
 am chief." 1 Tim. 1 : 15. See Acts 
 3 : 13. Jesus and the guilty sinner 
 exchange places. The sinner, con- 
 demned and awaiting his dreadful 
 death, is now freely released by 
 this wonderful substitution of Christ. 
 Not that the sinner has been found 
 innocent — but that Christ has taken 
 Lis place, and he is set free. Yet 
 Barabbas will after all, die eternally 
 if he believe not in Jesus. Christ's 
 interposition will do us no saving 
 good, if we see not in Him our glori- 
 ous and Divine substitute — on whom 
 our sins were laid, and who freely 
 died for us. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 2 149. Pilate delivers up Jesus 
 TO De.\tii. He is scourged and 
 MOCKED. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Luke. I John. 
 
 I 19: 1-3. 
 
 Pilate had yielded so far as to set 
 free Bai-abbas, instead of Jesus. That 
 27 
 
 Malt. 1 Mark. 
 
 27.20-30 15.15-19 
 
 Jews ! and they smote him with 
 their hands. 
 
 ^ 4 Pilate therefore 
 went forth again, and saith unto 
 them, Behold, I bring him forth 
 to you, that ye may know that ' I 
 find no fault in him. 
 
 5 Then came Jesus forth, wear- 
 ing the crown of thorns, and the 
 
 CO. 18.,S8. ver. 6. 
 
 door of release was thus closed. " He 
 delivered Jesus to their will." — Luke. 
 
 1. Scourged Him. It would seem 
 from the other Evangelists that this 
 scoui'ging was directly in connexion 
 with His sentence, and that it was pre- 
 paratory to the crucifixion. This was 
 the Roman custom, to scourge those 
 who were condemned to be crucified, 
 especially slaves, making this the most 
 ignominious punishment. It appears, 
 however, that this was now done to so 
 far satisfy the Jewish demand as to 
 leave room for another appeal for His 
 release, vs. 4. 
 
 2, 3. See Notes on Matt. 27 : 29, 30. 
 
 § 150. Pilate again seeks to release 
 Jesus. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. | Luke. I John. 
 
 1 I 1 19. 4-16. 
 
 4. Therefore. Whether Pilate was 
 moved himself by this cruel treatment 
 of one whom he judged innocent of the 
 charges and of any crime, or whether 
 he had all along hoped to make a suc- 
 cessful appeal after proceeding thus 
 far, does not appear. Our Lord's 
 meek, unresisting conduct under such 
 severities, doubtless impressed Pilate 
 more deeply than before, of His inno- 
 cence. He had been before Pilate in 
 the judgment hall, (ch. 18: 33,) and 
 now He is brought forth for another 
 effort to appease the Jews, and, at 
 least, to give the full weight of the 
 Governor's testimonj' for His release. 
 It was also Pilate's formal and solemn 
 protest that he, after a full and honest 
 judgment of the case, could not pro- 
 nounce Him guilty. 
 
 5. Purple robe. " The image which 
 the brutal insolence of soldiers here 
 
314 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AcK 33. 
 
 purple robe. And Pilate saith 
 unto them, Beliold, the man ! 
 
 6 When the chief priests there- 
 fore and officers saw him, they 
 cried out, saying, Crucify him, 
 crucify liim! Pilate saith unto 
 them, Take ye him and crucify 
 
 creates, as if by the sport of accident, 
 liiis become the most touching repre- 
 sentation of divine majesty in the form 
 of a servant." — Tholuck. The King 
 of kings indeed, in voluntary humilia- 
 tion. What a spectacle was this to 
 move the hardest hearts ! This inno- 
 cent and adorable being, whom neither 
 Herod nor Pilate could find aught 
 against — so mocked, as though scour- 
 ging witli knotted whips upon His bare 
 flesh were not enough ! ^ Behold the 
 man! Pilate pointed to Him as a 
 spectacle calculated to move them. 
 Was not this enough ? Behold the 
 man ! who is neither usurper nor rob- 
 ber, nor anything else but a poor inno- 
 cent, helpless man, whom in common 
 humanity you ought to set free. IJow 
 powerless is this unresisting person to 
 do mischief against Moses or Caesar ! 
 He is nothing but a despised, down- 
 trodden creature — here at yourmercv ! 
 "VVhy not let Him go? 
 
 6. The sight of Him only stirred up 
 their rage to a fury, and they clamor 
 for His crucifixion. ^ Takei/e Ilim, &c. 
 Pilate had, before this, bidden them to 
 take Him and proceed against Him 
 according to their law. Ch. 18: 31. 
 But this they were not satisfied with, 
 as their law did not allow them to exe- 
 cute sentence of death. Now Pilate 
 goes further, and says, " Go en if you 
 will, and crucify Him without law." 
 The Jews did sometimes inflict capital 
 punishment — though they had no right 
 by law, as in case of Stephen, some 
 six or eight years after this — and it was 
 suifered to pass as a riotous proceed- 
 ing. Pilate seems now to bo Avorried 
 and ve.xed, and bids them take their 
 own course, and take the responsibility, 
 as he could not sentence the prisoner, 
 against law and justice. 
 
 Jiim; for I find no fault in 
 him. 
 
 7 The Jews answered him. We 
 " have a law, and by our law he 
 ought to die, because *" he made 
 himself the son of God. 
 
 8 When Pilate therefore hoard 
 
 oLo.24. 16. 6 c. 5. 18; 10.33. 
 
 7. The Jews now reply that accord- 
 ing to their own law. He is worthy of 
 death as a blasphemer. Levit. 24: 16; 
 Dent. 13: 1-5. This was, indeed, the 
 very charge upon which they had tried 
 and condemned Him before their 
 court — the Sanhedrim. They mean 
 now to inform Pilaie that their law 
 condemns Him to death, and it is only 
 in deference to the Roman restraint 
 upon them that they do not execute 
 the sentence. *f Ouffht. Not only in 
 justice, but according to law. They 
 therefore state the charge — which is a 
 new charge to Pilate. They had 
 accused Christ only of s-ich a crime as 
 they supposed the Roman Governor 
 would care for or take notice of. But 
 since he would throw the responsibility 
 upon them, and decline to sentence 
 Him to death, they state their own 
 sentence, and the demands of their law. 
 They have no other resort, and they 
 will throw upon Pilate the responsi- 
 bility of refusing to confirm their sen- 
 tence, and thus, perhaps, provoking 
 riot. Would he drive them to take the 
 law into their own hands ? That would 
 encourage them to rebel against Ccesar. 
 TT Jfade Himself. Set Himself up as 
 the Son of God — claimed to be tuch. 
 They had at first accused Him befoi-e 
 Pilate, as claiming to be King, with 
 the hope that this would secure His 
 condemnation as a rival of Ctesar. 
 But there was anotlier view of Ilis 
 claim that would give ground for the 
 charge of blasphemy. As the Messiah, 
 He was not only the King of His people, 
 and King of kings, bi;t He was the Son 
 ami Fellow of the Father. Ch. G; Hob. 
 1. TI Son of God. Pi'ate had called 
 Him " The Man," vs. 5. This, per- 
 haps, encouraged them to come forward 
 now with this accusation. 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 815 
 
 that saying, he was the more 
 afraid ; 
 
 9 And went again into the judg- 
 ment-hall, and saitli unto Jesus, 
 "Whence art thou ? But "* Jesus 
 gave him no answer. 
 
 10 Then saith Pilate unto him, 
 
 oPs.38. 13. Is. 53. 7. Matt. 27. 12. 14. Ph. 1.28. 
 
 8. That saying. That He claimed 
 to be the Son of God. Pilate had all 
 along been impres.sed in His favor — and 
 not unlikely had seen enough in the con- 
 duct and look of this glorious personage 
 to awaken some suspicion of His su- 
 periority. "This saying" now, that 
 He claimed to be ^^ the Son of God" 
 fell in with his awakened fears — and 
 he was more reluctant than ever to 
 pass sentence. As a heathen, he may 
 have had only some vague ideas of 
 His being the Son of a Deity. But the 
 very presence of such a spotless Being 
 and IHs whole demeanor, went to his 
 conscience, and made him instinctively 
 shudder when he heard what he al- 
 ready felt — that He was somehow rela- 
 ted to the Gods. Besides, his super- 
 stitious feeling may have been aroused 
 by the message of liis wife to him, 
 that she had suffered many things in 
 a dream bec.iuse of this just man. 
 Matt. 27: 19. 
 
 9. Went again — leading Jesus with 
 him, as he had just before brought 
 Him out. He wished to make private, 
 personal inquiry — such as his aroused 
 fears would suggest. ^ Whence. This 
 inquiry related, not to His earihly, 
 but to His Divine origin, as claimed 
 by Him. Tell me, are you a mere 
 man, or are you from God? ^ No 
 answer. This was a matter that Pilate 
 was not prepared to understand, and 
 Christ would not proclaim His Divinity 
 merely to obtain His release. He 
 labored to explain this profound sub- 
 ject to His disciples for their instruc- 
 tion and confidence, and future conso- 
 lation. But He would not unfold it 
 to Pilato as a reason for His being set 
 free. Had He pleased. He could have 
 accomplished His deliverance by call- 
 ing for twelve legions of angels. Matt. 
 
 Speak est thoi not unto me ? 
 Kuowest ^ thou not that I have 
 power to crucify thee, and have 
 power to release thee ? 
 
 11 Jesus answered, Tliou ■= could- 
 est have no power at all against 
 me, except it were given thee from 
 
 Ii Da,3. li. 15. cLu. 22.53. c. 7.30. 
 
 2(j : 53. He was a voluntary sufferer — 
 going up to a death which He fore- 
 knew, and to which He devoted Him- 
 self as a vicarious sacrifice. Tlierefnre 
 He will no more satisfy Pilate of His 
 Godhead for His deliverance, tlian He 
 would satisfy Satan in the wilderness, 
 and no more than He would work a 
 miracle for Herod. Besides He knew 
 Pilate's heart, and that only they who 
 are of the truth, hear His voice. Ch. 
 18: 37. Further, this very silence 
 Showed Him to be Divine. It was the 
 best answer to Pilate's question. It 
 displayed His calm preparation for the 
 worst — and doubtless in His meek, 
 mild, heavenly look, He showed Him- 
 self to be the Lamb of God, led to the 
 slaughter, and opening not His mouth. 
 Isa. 53 : 7. Would any mere man 
 have refused an answer to such a 
 question in such a case ? 
 
 10. Pilate, worried and wavering, 
 cannot bear to be thus defeated in His 
 object. He is pressed by the Jews on 
 one side — by Lis troubled conscience 
 on the other. He would fain know 
 what is his prisoner's origin, and 
 whether He be such as He claims and 
 seems. He therefore is disappointed 
 at getting no reply. He now appeals 
 to his prisoner's fears — boasts his 
 power of office — suggest that he has 
 t'.ie prisoner's life in his hands. "This 
 is his self conviction of injustice. No 
 just judge has any such power as this, 
 to loose or to punish," nor any power 
 to do conti'.ary to law and justice. 2 
 Cor. 13: 8. 
 
 11. No power. Our Lord, in His 
 wondei-fUl reply, shows Pilate his own 
 oriiiin, and the origin of llis power — • 
 that He who boasts so much, is but a 
 creature of God. This might suffi- 
 ciently show to Pilate that his prisoner 
 
810 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AaB 83. 
 
 above : ' therefore he * that c!c- 
 livered me unto thee hath the 
 greater " sin. 
 
 12 And from thenceforth Pilate 
 sought to release him : but the 
 
 aPs. E». 9. bllar.U.U, c. 18. 3. c He. 6.4-8. 
 
 Ja.4. 17. 
 
 claims to be of God. He acknowledges, 
 
 1. Pilate's power, but that it is not of 
 bis owu right or production, but 
 as gran'ed him by God, extending 
 only so fir as He pleases. He owns, 
 
 2. That Filate's power is given him 
 from on High. 3. He own.s that that 
 power bears against Himself just be- 
 cause all things are done respecting 
 Hiw, according to the Divine decree. 
 'iFrom above. From on High, from Hea- 
 ven. Rom. 13: 1. "There is no power 
 but of God — the powers that be are or- 
 dained of Ood." Thus our Lord inti- 
 mates His divine and heavenly origin. 
 He claims here to know what is from 
 above, and whence Pilate received his 
 power, and how he holds it — and He 
 plainly implies that thence whence 
 Pilate has his power by appointment 
 and upon sufferance, He has come. 
 By the term here rendered given is not 
 meant a mere permission, but the decree 
 and appointment of God. And with- 
 out this he would have no power over 
 Him, neither of crucifying nor of re- 
 leasing, nor any other power. ^ There- 
 fore. As though He had said. You 
 happen to hold the /'Oicer in this case, 
 but the Sanhedrim and Judas, who have 
 delivered me up to you, have the will. 
 Theirs is the great ci ime of the deed. 
 Our Lord knew the heart, and hence 
 He knew that Pilate, with all his re- 
 luctance to execute the will of the 
 Jews, was not the chief offender sim- 
 ply because the legal power rested 
 with him. ^ He that delivered. This 
 may include any who had ofBcially or 
 actively to do with it. Caiaphas the 
 High Priest, who in his office was set 
 to be a type of this Great High Priest, 
 or Judas, or both, witli the Sanhedrim. 
 T[ The greater sin. While Pilate held 
 the power, the crime lay chiefly with 
 those who were pressing him, against 
 his convictions, to have Jesus crucified. 
 
 Jews cried cut, sajing, If thou let 
 this mau go, th' u art not Cajsar's 
 friend : ■whosoever ^ maketh him- 
 self a king, speaketh against 
 Csesar. 
 
 dLu. '.3. 2. Ac. 17.7. 
 
 Our Lord included also in their blame 
 that they had the Divine oracles, and 
 the prophecies of the Messiah, and as 
 they ought to have known ichence He 
 was, (of which Pilate might be igno- 
 rant with comparative impunity,) they 
 were the most guiltj' — guilty of cruci- 
 fyiiig the Lord of glory. This was 
 charged against them after the ascen- 
 sion, (Acts 2: 23); and it was then 
 said that " had they known it," they 
 would not have done it. But they are 
 here declared to be eminently guilty 
 for not having known it. 1[ Sin. Here 
 our Lord speaks as Himself the Judge 
 — and ''that Just one," of whom Pilate's 
 wife had dreamed. Any thing done 
 against Him was Sin. This poor, 
 trembling, vacillating Pilate shall 
 tremble more fearfully before this 
 abused Jesus, at the last day. 
 
 12. I'rom thenceforth. From hence- 
 forth — Literally, from this time. These 
 words went to his conscience — deepened 
 his convictions of the majcstj' as well 
 as innocence of his prisoner — and not 
 merely because he judged Him inno- 
 cent, but especially because he saw in 
 Him the marks of His Divinity, and 
 because His words and looks went 
 deeply to his soul, did Pilate quail be- 
 fore Jesus, and seek now very earn- 
 estly to release Him. 1[ //' thou, &c. . 
 The Jews seeing Pilate's wavering, 
 brought home to the timid, unprinci- 
 pled judge, a personal threat, which 
 moved him to give way. They charge 
 him that to release Jesus will le to 
 prove himself false to his government, 
 and to render himself liable to be ar- 
 raigned as a criminal before Ctesar. 
 Ctesar, as we learn from early writers, 
 was most suspicious, and punished with 
 death any ofl'ence that bordered on un- 
 faithfulness to his mnjestj'. The em- 
 peror then on the throne was Tiberius, 
 but after Julius Caesar's time, every 
 
i.QE 83.] 
 
 CHAP, XIX. 
 
 911 
 
 13 When ' Pilate therefore heard 
 that saying, he brought Jesus 
 forth, and sat down in the judg- 
 ment-scat, in a pUxce that is called 
 
 1 Pr. 29. to. Ac. 4. 19. 
 
 emperor was called C'cenar, as every 
 Russian emperor is called tbc Czar. 
 Tf Maketh Himself a Icing. This was 
 true in word, but false mfact. He bad 
 shown that He did not aspire to Coesar's 
 throne, but that His kingdom was of 
 another world. And though all king- 
 doms shall at length be His, and all 
 kings shall serve Him, (Isa. 60: 11,) 
 He was not seeking to dethrone Caesar. 
 
 13. That saying. This was the clamor 
 that prevailed with Pilate. He trem- 
 bled at the thought of being arraigned 
 before Csesar, not knowing that he was 
 dealing with the King of kings and 
 should soon stand before this same 
 Jesus in judgment. It was the fear 
 of man that moved him to yield against 
 all his convictions of truth and duty. 
 TT Forth. That is, brought Him out 
 from the Pretorium, or Judgment Hall. 
 ^ Sat down — -for judgment, as the tei'm 
 signifies. ^ Judgment seat. This was 
 an elevated platform out-side of the 
 Pretorium, fronting on the open Court. 
 Here he received the message from 
 his wife. Matt. 27 : 19. f The Pave- 
 ment. This was a platform laid with 
 stones or marbles of various colors — 
 mosaics. It was the fashion of orna- 
 menting floors, doorways, &c. as we 
 saw at Pvome in the ruins of ancient 
 baths and temples, and at Pompeii in the 
 houses which had been buried by the 
 lava of Vesuvius, and which show the 
 custom in the time of our Lord. Such 
 an ornamental platform, Julius Ctesar 
 carried about with him on his expedi- 
 tions. ^ Gabhatha. This word used 
 onlj' here, means elevated. It denotes 
 the raised platform on which the stone 
 pavement was laid. The term "altar'' 
 in the English, has the same derivation 
 from the Latin word high. 
 
 11. The preparation. The prepara- 
 tion for the Sabbath, which was made 
 more solemn at this time because it 
 occuiTed on the Passover day. See 
 this explained, Notes ca I\Iark ch. 16 : 
 27* 
 
 The Pavement, but in the Hebrew, 
 
 Gabbatha. 
 
 14 And " it was the preparation 
 of the passover, and about the 
 
 I Matt. 27. 6.'. 
 
 25. U" About the sio:th hour. John 
 makes no note of the time, except this 
 of the trial before Pilate, and speaks 
 in most general terms. JMark says, 
 "It was the third hour, and they cru- 
 cified Him." John speaks of the time 
 in reference to this particular matter : 
 namely, the preparation time. The 
 clause is in parenthesis, and would 
 read, " For the preparation of ihe 
 (Sabbath on this) Passover, (day) was 
 (or began) about the sixth hour." 
 More literally it would read, " But it 
 was the preparation of the Passover, 
 (that day) and (that occurred) about 
 the sixth hour." It is introduced as 
 a reason for Pilate's hastening the 
 decision — that- there were only a few 
 hours left for the whole transaction 
 of sentence and execution, belbre the 
 Jews' holy time began. Josephus 
 mentions a decree of the Emperor 
 Augustus, which exempted the Jews 
 from appearing in law courts, not only 
 on the Sabbath, but also during the 
 preparation before that day. This 
 preparation began usually at the ninth 
 hour, or 3, P. M., but when it occurred 
 on a feast day, as on this occasion, 
 (the Passover,) it commenced at noon, 
 " the sixth hour.'" This, therefore, is 
 what John refers to. See Notes, Mark 
 15 : 25 ; 16 : 42. T JSehold your King! 
 Pilate here seems to second the claim 
 of Jesus, as if he would charge the 
 Jewish people to accept Him, implying 
 at the same time his confidence that in 
 claiming to be their King, He did not 
 set up any claim against CiBsar, though 
 they might so pretend. He seems 
 therefore to bring forwjird Jesus to 
 them with these words, as a protest 
 against their declaration, vs. 12. This 
 construction of the case he adbtres to, 
 vs. 15, "Shall I crucify your King," 
 and vs. 19, in "ihe title" that he insis- 
 ted on giving to Jesus. His convic- 
 tion seems to have been that this claim 
 of Jceus was merely a Jewish claim. 
 
31S 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoE 33. 
 
 sixth hour : and he saith unto the 
 Jews, Behold your King ! 
 
 15 But they cried out, Away 
 with him, away with him; crucify 
 him ! Pilate saith unto them, 
 Shall I crucify your King ? The 
 chief priests answered. We * have 
 no king but Caesar. 
 
 16 Then '' delivered he him there- 
 fore unto them to be crucified. 
 
 a Ge.49. 10. 
 Lu.23. 24, &c. 
 
 6 Matt. 27. 26, Ac. Mar. 15. 15, Ac. 
 
 aud a matter of their religion — and 
 that it was in no way an interference 
 ■with Cassar's throne, though he dreaded 
 the clamor of this people, who might 
 60 misrepresent it to Ctesar, and so 
 bring condemnation upon him. 
 
 15. We have no Icing but Ccesar. 
 This was indeed a shameless confes- 
 sion from the religious officers and 
 teachers of a nation, whose fathers had 
 boasted that God was their King. 1 
 Sam. 12: 12. Some of these who now 
 thus rejected Christ for Csesar, as they 
 had already rejected Him for Barab- 
 bas, died miserably some forty years 
 after in the very place of Barabbas, for 
 his very crime, of rebellion against 
 Cffisar. 
 
 § 1C2. Jesus is led away to be Cru- 
 cified. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. I Luke. I John. 
 
 27: 31-34|l5:20-23 123: 26.33| 19: 16,17 
 
 16. Delivered he Ilim. This is noted 
 by Matthew and Mark as having taken 
 place after the scourging and before 
 the mocking. But Pilate seems to 
 have made the last effort for His re- 
 lease, as noted by John alone, after 
 that cruel scourging which he hoped 
 would move them to let Him go. This, 
 therefore, was his full and final deliv- 
 ery of Jesus frr crucifixion. Else we 
 may regard Matthew and Mnrk as 
 noting the delivery of Jesus only in 
 connection with the scourging and 
 mocking — while John enters more into 
 detail, and gives these fiu-ther eiforts 
 of Pilate, before Jesus was finally 
 yielded up to their hands. ^ And they 
 took Jesus, &c. Matthew just here 
 narrates the remorse of Judas and his 
 
 ^ And they took Je«ius, 
 and led him away. 
 
 17 And he bearing his cross, 
 went " forth into a place called 
 the ]ilace of a scull, which is called 
 in the Hebrew, Golgotha; 
 
 ^ 18 Where they cruci- 
 fied him, and two other with him, 
 on either side one, and Jesus in 
 the midst. 
 
 cNu. 15.36. He. 13. 12. 
 
 suicide, of which John makes no men- 
 tion. Matthew and Mark also relate 
 that before leading Him away, they 
 stripped Him of the mock purple in 
 which He had been dressed. 
 
 17. Bearing His cross. The other 
 Evangelists relate the interesting fact, 
 that as Jesus was likely to faint utterly 
 under His ©ross, the people relieved 
 Him, so that they might not lose the 
 pleasure of His crucifixion — and they 
 laid the cross upon one Simon, from 
 Gyrene, in Africa, coming into the city 
 as they passed out, who was compelled 
 to carry it behind Jesus. ^ The place. 
 See vs. 20, which says that this place 
 was nigh to \he city, just outside the 
 gate. T[ A scull. The same word is 
 trnnslated in Luke ^^Calvarg." Ch. 23: 
 22. See Notes on Luke. 
 
 ^ 153. The Crucifixion. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. 1 Luke. | John. 
 
 27: 35-38|l5: 24-28l23:33,34|l9:18-24 
 
 18. Je.nis in the midst. This John so 
 touchingly notes, as an eye-witness. 
 The position of .Jesus between these 
 malefactors doubtless made a strong 
 impression on his devout and tender 
 heart. Observe — Jesus is (1.) in tho 
 midst of the Godhead — yet equal with 
 the Father and Holy Ghost. He is 
 (2.) in the midst of His praying 
 church, "Where two or three are 
 gathered together in my name, there 
 am I in the midst of them." (3.) "In 
 the midst of the throne and of the four 
 beasts, He st.ands as a Lamb that 
 bad been slain." Kev. 5: 6. And 
 yet He is here (5.) in the midst of the 
 malefactors! 
 
Age 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 319 
 
 19 And * Pilate wrote a title, and 
 put it on the cross. And the 
 writing was, JESUS OF NAZA- 
 RETH, THE KING OF THE 
 
 JEWS. 
 
 20 This title then read many of 
 the Jews : for the place where 
 Jesus was crucified was nigh to 
 the city : and it was written in 
 Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 
 
 a Matt. 27.37. Mar. 15. 30. Lu.-23.3S. 
 
 19. The xcritinfi was — And it ivas writ- 
 ten. The other Evangelists have used 
 the term e7CLyna<p}], siq^erscripiion. John 
 has it title. They have given the wri- 
 ting in different words. For as it Avas 
 written in three lanr/uages, there was 
 room for some variety in their way of 
 giving it. See explanation Notes on 
 Luke 23 : 38. John gives it "Jesus of 
 Nazareth," &c. This may have been 
 taken from the Greek superscription. 
 It shows that the name of " Nazarene" 
 accompanied Him to the last. Matt. 
 2 : 23. jNIatthew and Mark use, also, 
 the term acrei.a — accusation, which ex- 
 presses a crime of which- one is accused, 
 but not convicted. 
 
 20. Read. John alone notes this 
 fact, that the title, wiatten so in various 
 tongues, for all to read, was extensive- 
 ly read by the promiscuous multitude 
 of Jews attending at the Passover, 
 and especially as it was nigh to the 
 city, where He was crucified. ^JVi^h. 
 See Notes Luke 23 : 33. 
 
 ^k&d> 
 
 Crosses and Implements. 
 
 '21 Then said the chief priests 
 of the Jews to Pilate, Write 
 not, The King of the Jews ; but 
 that he said, I am King of the 
 Jews. 
 
 22 Pilate an.swered. What I have 
 written, I have written. 
 
 23 Then the soldiers, when thoy 
 had crucified Jesus, took his gar- 
 ments, and made four parts, to 
 
 21. It was as much as to say, This 
 man dies as Kim/ of the Jens. This 
 might be construed to their disgrace, 
 as well as to the vindication of Jesus. 
 See Notes, vss. 14, 15. This, there- 
 fore, the Sanhedrim complained of. 
 H But that lie said. They urged that 
 this distinction be made, so tiiat it 
 should appear that He died for His 
 unjust claim and wicked pretension. 
 But even this public declaration was 
 ordered in Divine Providence to set 
 forth the glorious and true title of this 
 murdered Lord. 
 
 22. Pilate had a motive for this, and 
 was not to be moved by any urgency 
 of theirs. He had yielded his con- 
 science already to his policy and fears, 
 and he would have this satisfaction at 
 least. Pierced as he must have been 
 by his own compunctions, he was not 
 now to take back anything, but was 
 rather glad if they who had forced him 
 to this deed, could be publicly dis- 
 graced also by the transaction. 
 
 23. Garments. This term is here in 
 the plural, and is used thus of the 
 outer loose garment, or cloak, worn in 
 the East. It is a long piece of cloth 
 tlirown round the shoulders, and some- 
 times fastened at the neck, used also 
 as a covering for the night, llerfi it 
 is spoken of in the plural, as we speak 
 of one's robes, for rol)e. '^ Four parts. 
 There were four soldiers employed on 
 such an occasion, two on each side of 
 the cross, with a centurion, as would 
 seem, for the officer. The garments of 
 the crucified one were by law the prop- 
 erty of the soldiers. ^ Coat. This 
 was the under garment, or vest, called 
 
820 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33 
 
 every soldier a part ; and also his 
 coat : now the coat was without 
 seam, ^ woven " from the top 
 thrr^ughout : 
 
 24 They said therefore among 
 themselves, Let us not rend it, 
 but cast lots for it, whose it shall 
 be : that the scripture might be 
 fulfilled, which saith, ^ They parted 
 my raiment among them, and for 
 my vesture they did cast lots. 
 
 1 or, icruvght. a Ex. 39. '12. b Ps. 22. 13. 
 
 the tunic. See Notes on Matt. 5: 41, 
 Figure. It was the toga occUata, or 
 byssina. It was properly a priest's 
 garuieiit, and was woven of linen, and 
 sometimes of avooI. See Jos. Ant. 3: 7, 
 4, where Aaron's vest is thus described. 
 This was His own clothing, and it 
 would seem that He went up to the 
 crucifixion with this portion of the 
 priest's attire, when He was about to 
 die as our Great High Triest. The 
 priest's garments were woven, and 
 such garments without seam arc still 
 woven in the East, The tunic was 
 commonly made of two pieces, a front 
 and a back piece, with the sides open 
 and fastened with clasps, or laced with 
 cords. 
 
 24. Not rend it. For this would have 
 made the parts worthless to any of 
 them; and hence it was most natural 
 for them to think of casting lots for 
 it, so that whoever obtained it, might 
 have the benefit. The outer garment 
 was made up of parts, as borders, 
 fringes, &c., and could easily be divi- 
 ded. Deut. 12: 12. Also, as it was a 
 long piece of cloth, it could be divided 
 among them with advantage. See Fig- 
 ure, Matt. 5: 41. H That the scripture, 
 Ps. 22: 19. Thus does the great God 
 of Providence accomplish His decrees, 
 in perfect consistcbcy wiili tlie free 
 thought and choice of His creatures, 
 and by motives addressed to their will. 
 He who can thus use free agents as 
 though they were not free, must be the 
 Supreme, Omnipotent Jehovah. 
 
 These things therefore the soldiers 
 did. 
 
 ^ 25 Now there stood 
 by the cros.s of Jesus, his mother, 
 and his mother's sister, Mary the 
 wife of ^ Cleophas, "= and Mary 
 Magdalene. 
 26 When Jesus therefore saw 
 his mother, and the disciple stand- 
 ing by ^ whom he loved, he saith 
 unto his mother. Woman, " behold 
 thy son ! 
 
 lor, Clopas. cLu.Cl. 18. d c.lZ.'iZ. ec. 2. 4. 
 
 !Ma-t. 
 
 . 39-44 
 
 John. 
 
 19.25-37 
 
 § 154. The Jews mock at Jesus on 
 THE Ckoss. He commends His 
 MOTHER TO JoiiN. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Mark 1 LiiUe. 
 
 15.29-32 23.35-37 
 I 39-43 
 
 25. This touching narrative is given 
 by John only. Two of these three 
 were looking on afar oft", with Salome, 
 John's motlier, after Jesus liad expired. 
 We can easily see how as j-et, while 
 He was alive and able to speak, tliey 
 would be found near to the cross, and 
 within hearing of any word that might 
 drop from His lips. \ The wife of 
 Ckophas. This Cleophas is generally 
 thought to be not the same as one of 
 the two travelers to Emmaus, (Lnke 
 24 : 18. See Notes, ) —but the father of 
 James the less, and Joses. 
 
 20. The discijAe, &c. See ch. 13: 
 23. John gave himself this title not 
 in any vain, worldly' boast, but in deep 
 Christian gratitude, glorying only in 
 the love of Christ, (Romans 8: 35,) 
 "AVho shall separate us from the love 
 of Christ." Horn. 5: 5. *^Woman. This 
 title our Lord gave to His mother at 
 tlie marriage in Cana, when He spake 
 of His ofBce-workas sejiarate from His 
 earthly relatio;is. So, in this liighcr 
 sense. He declared that all who ditl the 
 will of His Father were regarded by 
 Him as on the same level with His 
 mother in His afifection. And here 
 His earthly relations with her were 
 drawing to a close, and He is about to 
 commend her to another son, His 
 
Aqe 83.] 
 
 CHAP. Xli 
 
 921 
 
 27 Then saith he to the disciple, 
 Behold thy mother ! * And from 
 tLat hour that disciple took her 
 unto his own ** home. 
 
 alTi. 5. 2. 6 0.16.32. 
 
 bosom disciple, and he calls her Woman. 
 ^ Beliold ihy Son. Tiiis refers to John. 
 There could be no mistake. .John was 
 the only one of the twelve that stood 
 there ; and all His relations to that dis- 
 ciple would warrant this. It is a double 
 charge. They wire to regard each 
 other in the light of son and mother. 
 This disciple was to take His place in 
 the tender, sacred charge of His only 
 earthly parent. Joseph, the husband 
 of Ma.ry, was dead. She was a poor 
 widow, while John had a home in 
 Jerusalem. And not only to John, 
 but to all His true disciples was she 
 commended by this dying act. We 
 find her in their midst at the pr.ayer- 
 meeting. Acts 1 : 14. The sword of 
 keenest agony was now piercing her 
 soul, as Simeon had prophesied, (Luke 
 2: 35,) and the Son that staid behind 
 at the temple, on His first visit, and 
 let her seek Him sorrowing, will not be 
 behind-hand now. He cannot forget 
 her future wants, even in His dying 
 agony. So He commends the church 
 to all His loving disciples, to take care 
 of it in His absence till He come. 
 What a pattern of filial affection ! 
 What a Son was this, true to His 
 Father in Heaven, and to His mother 
 on earth. Just ready to enter His own 
 paradise, yet not on this account neg- 
 lecting the future welfare of His poor, 
 comfortless, afflicted parent, but jjrovi- 
 ding her a substitute, the best on earth. 
 AVe see no more of her in the sacred 
 narrative, until ths meeting at Jerusa- 
 lem, about Pentecost. Acts 1 : 14. The 
 llomanists will have it that our Lord 
 here commended all His disciples 
 through John to the patronage of His 
 mother, whom they call the Blessed 
 Virgin. But in truth, just the converse 
 is true. He commended her to the 
 cnre of them all. It was her case that 
 He was providing for, and not theirs. 
 Wliat a dreadful impiety is it that 
 exalts JLary above Jesus — makes her 
 
 ^ 28 After this, Jesus, 
 knowing that all things were now 
 accomplished, that the scripture ° 
 might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 
 
 c Pa. 69. 21. 
 
 to be as holy in her birth as He was — 
 makes her to be a goddess — and then 
 goes to her rather thau to Him in 
 prayer, so making Him to be no God. 
 
 27. From that hour. Some suppose 
 that John immediately left the spot 
 with her, and that so she was spared 
 from beholding the painful scenes 
 which followed. The women retired 
 and were looking on afar otf. But in vs. 
 35, John seems to have been present, 
 though he may have returned. Mary 
 is not mentioned among the witnesses 
 of His death. *[ Home. Literally — 
 to his own things — as possessions — 
 home — meaning that he took her to be 
 sharer with him iu all the temporal com- 
 forts that he had. It has been inferred 
 that John had a comfortable living, 
 lie had some property and home, it 
 would seem most probably in Jerusa- 
 lem — to which he took Mary. There 
 is a tradition of the seventh century 
 that she lived with John, at Ephesus, 
 and died there at a very great age. 
 The Romanists pretend to show her 
 sepulchre at Jerusalem. 
 
 § 155. Daekness prevails. Christ 
 EXPIRES ON THE Ckoss. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. 1 Mark. | Luke. | .lohn. 
 
 27. 45-50|l5.33-37|23.44-4G| 19.28-30 
 
 28. Accomplished — finished — the 
 same word as is used in v.s. 30, "/; is 
 finished." 1[ That the Scripture. Not 
 that our Lord said these words merely to 
 fulfill the Scriptures, but this thirst and 
 His outcry were so ordered as to bring 
 about this accomplishment. The pas- 
 sage is in Ps. 69 : 22. The words 
 are here recognized as a predicting 
 Christ, and we are bound to conclude 
 that they were so intended and re- 
 corded by the Spirit. *[ / thirst. The 
 cry " My God, my God, why hrst thou 
 forsaken me" — whicli jNlatthew and 
 Mark give, was probably uttered in the 
 meantime, when the three hours' dark- 
 ness also took place. See Notes 07i 
 
822 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 29 Now there was set a vessel 
 full of vinegar : and they filled a 
 sponge with vinegar, and put it 
 upon hyssop, and put it to his 
 mouth. 
 
 30 When Jesus therefore had 
 received the vinegar, he said, It 
 " is finished : and ha bowed his 
 head, and gave ^ up" the ghost. 
 
 ^31 The Jews there- 
 fore, because it was the Prepara- 
 tion, " that the bodies should not 
 remain ^ upon the cross on the sab- 
 
 Malihew and Mark. They mention the 
 fact that the vinegiir was crfFered, and 
 this statement of John throws light 
 upon it. Observe — The rich man in 
 torment cries out with "tuirst" — 
 and Chi'ist on the cross suffers 
 "thirst." It is an anguish which 
 expresses the utmost extreme of desti- 
 tution, and the sharpest suffering of 
 the souh Sec Notes on Matthew 27 : 
 48. 
 
 80. It is finished. — His sacrificial 
 death, and all that was involved in it 
 of His expiatory Work. See vs. 28. 
 His whcile coui'se of obedience was now 
 brought to a close. His fulfillment of 
 the Divine purposes, and cf His com- 
 mission from the Fathc-r, so far as they 
 looked to His death, was finished. His 
 work of mediation on earth — His ful- 
 fillment of predictions, types, and 
 shadows, pointing to Him as the Mes- 
 siah, was finished. His suffering, 
 which began at Bethlehem, was now 
 finished on the cross. His conflict 
 with the powers of darkness was now 
 finished, and He is ready to triumph 
 over them, nailing them to the cross, 
 as those who were really crucified. 
 His expiatory life He is just now to 
 finish by His expiatory death. T He 
 gave up the ghost. Surrendered His 
 Spirit to the Father. Thus He was 
 obedient unto (to the extent of j death. 
 Here the other Evangelists narrate the 
 rending of the Temple vail. 
 
 bath-day, (for * that sabbath-day 
 was an high day,) besought Pilate 
 that their legs might be broken, 
 and that they might be taken 
 away. 
 
 32 Then came the soldiers and 
 brake the legs of the first, and of 
 the other which was crucified with 
 him. 
 
 33 But when they came to Jesus, 
 and saw that he was dead already, 
 they brake not his legs : 
 
 34 But one of the soldiers with 
 
 § 157. The taking down from the 
 Cross — The Burial. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Sixth day of the week. 
 Matt.' I Hark. I Luke. I John. 
 
 27. 57-6l|l5. 42-47|23. 50-56119. 31-42 
 
 31. The p7r2-iaration. See Notes on 
 Mark 15: 25. See vs. 42. IT An high 
 day. Literally — A great day. " There 
 was a high day on that Sabbath." 
 Some think that this is so called, as 
 having fallen on the first day of un- 
 leavened bread, and so forming a kind 
 of double Sabbath. But, if the fii-st 
 day of the feast fell on a Sabbath, so 
 would also the last, which on this 
 ground would be equally great. It 
 was more likely the second day of un- 
 leavened bread — the day on which the 
 paschal feast properly commenced — 
 and the Sabbath was called great, be- 
 cause occurring during the Passover, 
 and the only one. 
 
 32. Break the legs. This was usually 
 done with clubs, or an iron mallet, just 
 above the ankle, after which a blow 
 on the breast put an end to the suffer- 
 er's life. LactuiUius, Diu. Inst. 4 : 26. 
 Observe — How shockingly t\ilse-heart- 
 ed may a mere formalism in religion 
 be. So eager for the observance of 
 the Sabbath in the outward show, 
 while crucifying the Lord of glory and 
 the Lord also of the Sabbath day ! 
 
 33. Dead already. And He was even 
 " slain from the foundation of the 
 world." 
 
 34. It is not stated that the thieve* 
 
•] 
 
 CliAP. XiX. 
 
 823 
 
 a spear pierced his side, and forth- 
 with came there out bh)od " and 
 water. •* 
 
 85 And " he that saw it bare re- 
 cord, and his record is true ; and 
 lie knoweth that he saith true, that 
 yc might believe. 
 
 oG For these things were done, 
 that the scripture ^ should be ful- 
 
 were thus pierced, and we suppose 
 they were not. This was instead of 
 breaking the legs, and was to make 
 sure of His death. The term means 
 to lend — then to pierce deeply. As the 
 soldiers would make sure of His death, 
 so the Holy Spirit would assure us of 
 the full proof of His death, that none 
 may say tiiat our Lord was not really 
 dead at all, but only faint, and mis- 
 taken for dead — and that hence His 
 resurrection was not supernatural. It 
 is abuudantly proved from medical tes- 
 timony that He could not have lived 
 after this spear-icound. From the 
 position, it must have been on the lefl 
 side. TT Blood and tcater. Some have 
 judged this miraculous ; but learned 
 medical investigation has shown that 
 this was the lymph of the pericardium 
 or covering of the heart, or the watery 
 blood of the pleura, which follows a 
 mortal wound. See the treatise of 
 C. F. F. G rimer, Halle, 1805. It is 
 not said that this was a stream, as 
 many imagine, but an oozing that 
 issued from a mortal wound, and which 
 is often secreted as a result of long- 
 continued .and intense agony. " It is 
 one of the last phenomena of waning 
 life." Encyc. Metroj). Ilydrop. Per. 
 The Evangelist speaks of it .as most 
 remarkable. The infliction of this 
 death-wound was an important point 
 of evidence for all time as to Christ's 
 de.atli and Eesui-rection. There wore 
 also those in this Apostle's time who 
 held that Jesus was only an apparition, 
 and had not a real body. This testi- 
 mony may have been intended also for 
 them. 
 
 35. John thus expressly calls atten- 
 
 filled, A bone of him shall not be 
 broken. 
 
 37 And again another scripture ' 
 saith, They shall look on him 
 whom they pierced. 
 
 38 And after this, JosejA of 
 Arimathea (being a disciple of 
 Jesus, but secretly, for f^ar ^ of the 
 Jews) besought Pilate that he 
 
 ePs.22.16. Zee. la. 10. Re. 1.7. /o.9. 22; 12.42. 
 
 tion to this testimony as that of an eye 
 uHtiiess, and presses the truth. Observe 
 — Our faith weeps, yet triumplis, as it 
 sees the death-blow fall upon our Sub- 
 stitute, for in this we see our release. 
 The paschal lamb was pierced with two 
 spits of pomegranate wood, running 
 crossivise, and so was roasted. The term 
 for this mode of roasting, in Arabic, is 
 to crucify. Jahii's Arch, g 142. 
 
 36. For. This is a strong reason 
 for believing, Ijeyond the testimony of 
 an eye-witness, viz : — the evident ful- 
 fillment of the type. Tf Broken. This 
 is a quotation from Exod. 12: 46, 
 which was written of the paschal-lamb. 
 The event here fulfilled that, as it was 
 typical, and so far prophetic of this. 
 So did the minute arrangements of the 
 earliest Mosaic ordinances look forward 
 through ages, to Christ. 
 
 37. Pierced. This passage is found 
 in Zech. 12 : 10. The Septuugint trans- 
 lators, not able to see how this could 
 refer to God, took the sense to bo 
 " ichom they despised." John, however, 
 here intentionally quotes from the 
 Hebrew, instead of from the transla- 
 tion in his own tongue, and the Holy 
 Spirit through him here corrects tho 
 previous misapprehension, by giving 
 the true sense, and pointing to the ful- 
 fillment in this event. In this term 
 lay the fulfillment. The piercing was 
 fulfilled ; and though the looking on 
 Him was then in part fulfilled, the 
 greater accomplishment remains, when 
 the believing Jews shall look on Him 
 by faith, and the unbelieving (Rev. 1 : 
 7,) Avith the conviction of the last 
 day. 
 
 38. Secretly. Literally- -concea/efi?— 
 
824 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age S2 
 
 might take away the body of 
 Jesus : and Pilate gave him leave. 
 He came therefore, and took the 
 body of Jesus. 
 
 SO And there camo also " Nieo- 
 demus, (^yhich at the first came to 
 Jesus by night,) and '' brought a 
 mixture of myrrh and aloes, 
 about an hundred pounds iceiglit. 
 
 I c. 3. 1,2; 7.50. 
 
 hid. Mark (ch. 15: 43,) shows us a 
 reason for tlie mention of this, viz : 
 that the deatli of Christ gave him bold- 
 ness — "he went in boldly \vato Pilate, 
 and begged the body of Jesus." So, 
 also, was it with Nicodemus, who at 
 first came to Jesus by night, vs. 39. 
 
 39. Myrrh. Tliis is not the usual 
 term for n:} irh, and it is thought to be 
 a gum from a tree in Arabia. This 
 mixture was probablj' not in a liquid 
 Btate, but pulverized, as would appear 
 from the weight, (100 pounds troy.) 
 The body was wrapped in these spices, 
 as there was not time to do more, and 
 this would be -sufBcient until after the 
 Sabbath, for they had no thought of 
 His rising. The Jewish law was very 
 rigorous in regard to the observance 
 of the Sabbath. But we Christians 
 may anoint Christ's body, and may 
 serve the Church, (which is His body,) 
 on the Sabbath day, and at all times. 
 As to the very gi'eat quantity of spices 
 brought, it was only the greater honor 
 paid to the dead to bring an abun- 
 dance, and according to their custom, 
 great quantities were burnt to perfume 
 the chamber, and especially to pay 
 unusual re.spcct. 
 
 40. See Notes on Matt, and [fiyure,) 
 Mark 15: 44. For the mode of 
 embalming, seeJVotes, ch. 11: 44. Mark 
 expressly tells us that the linen used 
 for the wrapping of our Lord, ymsjine 
 linen. Ch. 15: 46. The coarse cloth 
 was probably used to fold the spices 
 upon tlie body, and an outer wrapper 
 of finer material was folded over all. 
 So the language of John implies, 
 •'AVound it (the body) in linen cloi/us, 
 vith the spic&s." 
 
 40 Then took they the body of 
 Jesus, and wound " it in linen 
 clothes with the tpiccs, as the 
 manner of the Jews is to bury. 
 
 41 NoAV in the place vv^hcre he 
 was crucified there was a garden ; 
 and in the garden a new sepulchre, 
 wherein was never man yet laid. 
 
 42 There ^ laid they Jetus there- 
 
 c Ac. 5.6. dis. 53. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 4. 
 
 41. John is more particular in this 
 interesting statement than the other 
 Evangelists. He tells us that the 
 garden was in, or near to Calvary. Of 
 course, therefore, it was ivell kuown, 
 as being so immediately outside iho 
 city, and Jesus was not buried in a 
 corner, to practice a cheat in regard 
 to His resurrection. The Jews yet 
 bury very near the city, and rows of 
 grave-stones, flat upon the ground, may 
 be seen along the slope and in the 
 valley of Jehoshaphat. TT -^ we!^' sepul- 
 chre. This is further stated, and it 
 shows that there could have been no 
 mistake about the same body having 
 risen, which was laid in the grave — as 
 no other IkmI ever been laid there. Ees 
 Notes on Matt. H To bury. The term 
 means to wrap in bandages with spices, 
 and thus prepare the body for the 
 tomb. It has been abundantly shown 
 that the varieties in these four accounts 
 of different Evangelists are only such 
 as are natural, and such as strongly 
 confirm the great facts to which they 
 all testify. These different narratives 
 could be most perfectly harmonized if 
 we knew all the particulars. But in 
 so brief and condensed a statement, 
 where each is giving the narrative 
 from his own point of view, and with 
 his own particular object in reference 
 to those for whom he immediately 
 wrote, it would be strange if they did 
 not so vary. They do not contradict. 
 Yet often such short imperfect accounts 
 will seem contradictory just for lack 
 of the filling up, which would reconcile 
 the whole. Skeptics would have said 
 that they copied from each other, if 
 all had given precisely the same uct 
 
Agb 83.] 
 
 CHAP, XX, 
 
 825 
 
 fore, because ' of the Jews' pre- 
 paration-f7ay ; for the sepulchre 
 was nigh at hand. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 t rpHE -^ first daj of 
 
 j_ the week cometh 
 
 Mary Magdalene early, when it 
 
 was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, 
 
 over. 31. iMatt. 28. l,&c. Mar. 16. 1, &c. Lu. 
 
 21. 1, (lEC. 
 
 count. Yet they use the variations 
 now to try and prove them contradic- 
 tory. .John makes no mention of tlie 
 watch that was set at the Pharisees' 
 request. The attempts they made to 
 shut up the body in the sepulchre, 
 were controlled by God to increase the 
 miraculous evidences of the resurrec- 
 tion, which was to be preached as a 
 fundamental doctrine. See Matt. 
 
 This figure gives a view of the build- 
 ing now st.anding over what is called 
 the Holy Sepulchre. It is within the 
 church of that name, and covers the 
 supposed tomb of .Joseph where Jesus 
 lay. Thrupp, in his late work — "Anci- 
 ent Jerusalem, its Topograph;/,''' kc. — 
 shows that the rocky knoll near to this 
 site, rising suddenly some fourteen feet 
 in lieight, answers well to the site of 
 Calvary or Golgotha, and must have 
 l)een a prominent feature familiar to 
 the people, and was located some two 
 hundred and fifty yards from the city 
 wall. The sepulchre we found to be 
 so stripped of any natural features, 
 that we could form no clear idea of its 
 original state. Indeed, it has become 
 28 
 
 and seeth the stone taken away 
 from the sepulchre. 
 
 2 Then .she runneth, and cometh 
 to Simon Peter, and to the other 
 disciple whom *■ Jesus loved, and 
 saith unto them, They have taken 
 away the Lord out of the sepulchre, 
 and we know not where they have 
 laid him. 
 
 CO. 13. 23; 19.26; 21.7,21. 
 
 a marble "shrine of superstition instead 
 of a sacred tomb. See Notes oti Luke 
 23: 83. 
 
 PART IX. 
 
 Our Lord's Resurrection, and 
 Ill's subsequent appearings, and 
 His Ascension. 
 
 Time, Forty Days. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 ^ 160. Visit of the Women to the 
 Sepulchre. Mary Magdalene re- 
 turns. — Jerusalem. 
 
 First day of the week. 
 
 Matt. I Mark. 
 
 28: 1. 16: 2-4. 
 
 Luke. I John, 
 
 24:1-3. I 20: 1,2 
 
 1. The first day. See Notes on ilatt. 
 28: 1. 1[ When' it was yet dark. This 
 clause of .John expresses more exactly 
 the fact noted by the other Evange- 
 lists — that it was very early. It was 
 twilight — at the first glimmering of 
 dawn. See explanation in Notes on 
 Mark 10 : 1-4. Diiferent groups of 
 the women probably arrived at diifer- 
 ent moments at the Sepulchre, and 
 Mary Magdalene, "last at the cross," 
 would seem to have been first at the 
 tomb. If Rolled away. The other 
 Ev.augelists notice this, but JNIatthew 
 alone tells how it was done. 
 
 2. John alone gives us these facts, 
 as to Mary's hastening back to Jei'u- 
 salem, in her first surprise, to toll the 
 anxious, doubting Peter and John of 
 what she had ecen, and of what she 
 feared. The other Evangelists here 
 give the vision of nngels by the other 
 women in the ."^opulchre. M.iry hur- 
 
32C 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Aqe 83. 
 
 3 Peter " therefore 
 ■went forth, and that other disciple, 
 and came to the sepulchre. 
 
 4 So they ran both together : 
 and the other disciple did outrun"^ 
 Peter, and came first to the se- 
 pulchre. 
 
 5 And he, stooping down, and 
 looking in, saw the linen clothes " 
 lying; yet went he not in. 
 
 6 Then cometh Simon Peter fol- 
 lowing him, and went into the 
 sepulchre, and seeth the linen 
 clothes lie ; 
 
 ried back to the sepulchre, meanwhile, 
 and saw the angels, and was the first 
 who saw ike Master. Mark 16: 9. See 
 tlie full explauation. Notes on Mark 
 16: 9. Observe — That in John's 
 narrative, his object is to give an ac- 
 count of Mary Magdalene, as the prin- 
 cipal character. Hence he mentions 
 Ler quite alone. 
 
 § 163. Peter and John run to the 
 Sepulchre. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Luke. 
 
 24: li 
 
 John. 
 
 20. 3-10 
 
 3. Peter. Luke speaks only of Pe- 
 ter's going, but John here relates that 
 he himself accompanied him, which 
 makes his witness the more credible. 
 
 4, 5. Did outrun. Literally — Ran 
 before more quickh/. Showing probably 
 that it was not with greater earnest- 
 ness, but with greater speed. For the 
 impulsive Peter rushed in, while John, 
 either for reverence or for modesty, or 
 for fear of pollution, did not at first 
 enter. How lively and natural is this 
 description. " What is not related is 
 as full of truth as that which is." 
 
 G, 7. Alford remarks that "we seem 
 to hear the very voice of Peter, de- 
 scribing to his companion the inner 
 state of the tomb." This orderly 
 arrangement of the clothes was enough 
 to satisfy them that the grave had not 
 been entered by thieves, for such rude 
 handling would have left everything in 
 confusion. 
 
 8. Jolin was doubtless atti-acted to 
 
 7 And the napkin, * that was 
 about his head, not lying with 
 the linen clothes, but wrapped 
 together in a place by itself. 
 
 8 Then went in also that other 
 disciple which came first to the se- 
 pulchre, and he saw, and believed. 
 
 9 For as yet they knew not the ^ 
 scripture, that he must rise again 
 from the dead. i 
 
 10 Then the disciples went away 
 again unto their own home. 
 
 *f 11 But Mary stood 
 without at the sepulchre, weeping : 
 
 s. 16. 10. Ac. 2. 25-31 : 13. 54, .".5 
 
 the inside by Peter's animated account 
 of what he beheld there. ^ Believed. 
 It is thus distinctly stated that the 
 effect of all that John saw was to con- 
 vince him of the fact that Christ had 
 "risen as He said." This is the sense 
 in which .John uses the word believe. 
 If he had meant only tliat he believed 
 what Mary Magdalene said, the lan- 
 guage would probably liave been so 
 restricted. He says nothing of Peter, 
 and tills is probably from delicacy, as 
 we must infer from Luke's acct'unt of 
 Peter's departure, that that Apostle's 
 mind was not set at rest. Luke 24: 12. 
 " He departed, icondcring in kimself at 
 that which was come to pass." 
 
 9. This is thrown in here, to' show 
 the state of the case. John believed 
 merely from the evidence of his senses, 
 not from the clear understandijig, or 
 full force of the scripture. For as 
 yet neither of them were moved by the 
 sense of scripture to expect any such 
 thing. Many passages of the Old Tes- 
 tament foretold His deatli and subse- 
 quent exaltation and glorification. Isa. 
 53, So Ps. 2: 7; compare Acts 13: 
 33. Ps. 16: 9, 10; compare. Acts 2: 
 25-32. 
 
 § 164. Our Lord is seen by Mary 
 Magdalene at the SeI^jlchre. — 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 lla'.t. I lUrk. I Luke. I Jolin. 
 
 110:9-11, I '120:11-18 
 
 1 1 . This shows that Mary returned 
 
 immediately after notifying Peter and 
 
Age 33.3 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 827 
 
 and as she wept, she stooped down, 
 and looked * into the sepulchre, 
 
 12 And seeth two angels in white, 
 sitting, the one at the head, and 
 the other at the feet, where the 
 body of Jesus had lain. 
 
 13 And they say unto her, Wo- 
 man, why weepest thou ? She 
 saith unto them, Because they 
 have taken away my Lord, and I 
 
 John. She was full of anxiety and 
 grief, not expecting what joy was in 
 store for her, or how near to her was 
 the Master. 
 
 12. Two angels. Luke speaks of two 
 angels, as seen by the women outside 
 the sepulchre. Now they were within, 
 and were seen by Mary as she looked 
 into the chamber. 
 
 13. Why iveepest thou? Comforting 
 angels were these, gracious heralds of 
 the Master and of His message, for 
 they ask the same tender, sympathizing 
 question which He puts to her the next 
 moment, vs. 15. What wonder if the 
 lieavenly hosts were often visible on 
 this great day, and in various circum- 
 stances were publishing this great fun- 
 damental truth of the new dispensation? 
 " He is risr7i as He said." ^ Because. 
 While the other women were terrified, 
 Mary seems to have had no fear, so 
 wholly was she taken up with her great 
 desire of finding her Lord. She was 
 ready to brave more heroically than 
 ever all danger, if she might only find 
 His corpse. She may have thought 
 that some of the other disciples had 
 removed the body from this sepulchre, 
 where it was deposited hastily before 
 the Sabbath. There seems at least to 
 have been an understanding among 
 them that the embalming, which had 
 only been commenced, should be com- 
 pleted after the Sabbath. 
 
 .14. Kiiew not. She did not expect 
 any such thing as to find Him alive, 
 and therefore she would not be likely 
 to know Him, at the first. Or, as 
 another suggests, "hsr tears wove a 
 
 know not where they have laid 
 him. 
 
 14 And when she had thus said, 
 she turned herself back, and ** saw 
 Jesus standing, and knew not " 
 that it was Jesus. 
 
 15 Jesus saith unto her. Woman, 
 why weepest thou ? whom scekest 
 thou? She, supposing him to le 
 the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, 
 
 JMatt. 28. 9. Mar. 16. 9. c Lu. 24. 1G,3I. c. 21.1. 
 
 veil which concealed Him who stood 
 before her." 
 
 15. Why iceepest thou? How differ- 
 ent are these words as spoken bj' Jesus 
 from the same words spoken even by 
 His angels. Friends often ask the 
 same thing, in our moments of anguish. 
 But they can give no relief, and no ar- 
 guments of theirs can cure the inward 
 wound. But our blessed Lord reveals 
 Himself in word's of grace that go to the 
 heart's wound, and wonderfully heal. 
 ^ Whom seekest thou. Thus the ado- 
 rable Saviour would draiv her out to 
 tell what she wants and whom she 
 seeks for. So pleased is He to hear 
 any poor sinner say, "/ secJc Jesus.'" 
 So ready is He at the moment to say, 
 / a}n lie — not as He said it to the band 
 of Judas, to diive them backward to 
 the ground — but in tones of infinite 
 tenderness to draw them unto Him, 
 So ready is He to show Himself, and 
 to show that He has all tliat is sought 
 for — all that the seeking soul can 
 possibly want. ^^ She supposing. Alas! 
 liow ready are we to mistake Him for 
 another! to be infinitely lowering Him 
 in our view — to think Ho is only some 
 one like ourselves — some one having 
 no more power thaii ourselves to give 
 the needed peace, and bring the needed 
 salvation. Jesus, mistaken for the 
 gardener! But Observe — It is Jesus, 
 nevertheless. Yes! Mary, though you 
 do Ilim such indignity and discredit as 
 to take Him for a gardener, and His 
 gracious words for those of a common 
 day laborer, it is Jesus just as truly as 
 though you now recognized Him. A 
 gardener He is, indeed! and "the 
 
828 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [AoB 83, 
 
 if tbou have borne him hence, tell 
 me where thou hast laid him, and 
 » I will take him avfi-.j. 
 16 Jesus h-aith unto her, Mary. '' 
 
 oCa.3. 2. 6 Is. 43. 1. c. 10. 3. 
 
 gardener" watching at e.nrliest morn- 
 ing to expose this tender, delicate 
 plant of Ilis to the rising sun, and 
 to prepare it tor blooming in the para- 
 dise of God. IT / idll take Him. Ah ! 
 this is what the Saviour wishes to hear 
 from His grieving, desponding disciple. 
 You will take Him away, will you? 
 will carry in j'our arms that precious 
 corpse which you have already handled 
 at the cross and the burial ! You will 
 bear it joyously and triumphantly to 
 some sacred retreat where it may be 
 safe. This is enough, "Whosoever 
 will, let him take." "Then shall ye 
 know if ye follow on to know the Lord." 
 How happy is the Saviour now, when 
 you have so freely expressed your lon- 
 ging desires after Him, to reveal Him- 
 self at once — as the very one whom 
 your soul loveth. Your beloved is 
 near you, thougli you have thought 
 Him afar off. Whoever sought and 
 did not find ? But oh ! instead of find- 
 ing Him a corpse, you shall find Him 
 a risen, living, glorious Kedcemer. 
 Weeping may endure for a night, but 
 joy cometh in the morning! 
 
 IG. Mary. He revealed Himself by 
 showing His recognition of her ? It is 
 wlien we find that the Master knows 
 us — recognizes us — calls us by name — 
 shows His person.al attention and sym- 
 pathy, that we know Him, and are 
 able to answer, ".blaster." So He 
 revealed Himself to Zacchcus, by call- 
 ing him out in the crowd, though 
 posted up where he seemed to be quite 
 out of the way of His notice. So the 
 Saviour always shows to every seeking 
 sinner, that He is cut seeking him. 
 Every inquirer, like Mary and Zac- 
 chcus, shall find himself more sought 
 than seeking. Christ is seeking thera 
 more than they are seeking Him. 
 Christ niters only one word! But 
 what a power goes with it, when that 
 ■word is her own name and shows how 
 He knows her — cares for her — seeks 
 
 She turned " herself, and saith 
 unto him, Rabboni ; which is to 
 say, Master. 
 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch 
 
 c C;i.3. 4. 
 
 her — rejoices in finding her, as much 
 .".s she can rejoice at finding Him — 
 owns her as His — and has a heart full 
 of love for her — all uttering itself in 
 lier familiar name. ^ She turned her- 
 self. However she had "-liirned herself 
 back" before, (vs. 14.) now she turned 
 more entirely. No turning of the soul 
 is full and true, till Christ is heard 
 calling— calling the very person by 
 name. The Saviour's call of grace and 
 salvation recognized in the pospel, is 
 what we need to hear, in order to gen- 
 uine " repentance unto life." We must 
 have an " apprehension of the mercy 
 of God in Christ," before we shall find 
 encouragement to turn from sin unto 
 Gud, with cheerful purposes of obedi- 
 ence. ^ Rabboni. How true hearted 
 is this. A whole world of emotion and 
 of devotion in a word. This one word 
 is a recognition of Christ, as what He 
 claims to be — a Personal, Living, Risen 
 Saviour — the accepted sacrifice — the 
 triumphant Redeemer who has died for 
 us — is risen for us — our Prophet and 
 King as well as our Priest. This one 
 word involves a profession of Christ and 
 a profession of His discipleship, better 
 than many empty formularies pronoun- 
 ced only with the lips. ^ Which is to 
 say. After all it shall be every thii.g 
 to have the Spirit's interpretation if 
 what we say in our profession. What 
 does it really mean ? Here the Evan- 
 gelist gives us the Syro-Chaldaic word 
 which she used, (as that language Avas 
 then spoken,) interpreted into the Greek 
 word, meaning Teacher. But when we 
 see our words of profession interpreted 
 from our common forms, into the true 
 language of the lieart, what will that 
 language be ? 
 
 " AVLat a change His word can make 
 Turning darkne.'is into day. 
 
 Ye who weep for Jesus' sake 
 He can drive your fears away." 
 
 17. Touch me not. It would seem 
 that she at once, with the word Mas- 
 
AoE 83.] 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 829 
 
 me not ; for I am noi yet ascend- 
 ed to my Father : but go to my 
 "brethren, and say unto them, ^ I 
 ascend unto r:-y Father, and *= your 
 Father ; and to my * God, and 
 your ® Grod. 
 
 IS Mary Magdalene came ' and 
 told the disciples that she had 
 seen the Lord, and that he had 
 spoken these things unto her. 
 
 ^ 19 Then ^ the same 
 
 a Ps, 22. 22. Ro. 8. -19. He. 2. 1 1 . b c. 16. 28. c Ro. 
 8,U.15. 2Cor.S,18. Gi, 3. 26; 4.6, 7. dEp.1.17. 
 c Go. 17. 7, 8. Ps. «.4, 5; 48. 14. 13.41. 10. Je. 31.33. 
 Eze. 36. 18. Zeo. 13. 9. He. 11. 16. Ke. 21. 3. 
 
 tor, threw her arms around Him — 
 "held Ilvn by tlie feet and vorshipcd 
 Ilim" as tlie other woiiieu diJ. See 
 jMatthew 28: 9. He saw that she 
 tlio light now only of cleaving to Him, 
 and not letting Him go — thinking no 
 farther than of having found her 
 buried and lost JNIaster, and of being 
 admitted again to the enjoyment of 
 Hi.s bodilj'^ presence, as before His 
 death. He therefore reminds her of 
 His work — bids her not to touch Him — 
 not to think of a mere visible commu- 
 nion — not to detain Him by these de- 
 monstrations of atiection — for He is to 
 rise to He.aven, as He said — is to 
 ascend to His Father — and that will 
 be the opportunity for communion with 
 Him iu a higher sense, and in a way 
 more aihipted to the need of all His 
 disciples, v«'here all can at the same 
 time embrace Him. Therefore she 
 must not monopolize His attentions, 
 but hasten and tell the brethren that 
 He is going, as He said, for their sakes 
 — to their Father's house, (ch. 15,) 
 where they may lay hold of Him by 
 faith, and all at the same moment. He 
 can no longer be restricted to the mere 
 bodily fellowship, and bodily tench, 
 Avhich is too narrow in its application, 
 and .suits not the need of the nniver.'ial 
 brotherhood of believers. T[ Go to in>/ 
 brethren. '-This was a far greater 
 honor than that whicli was denied her." 
 The gracious Saviour denies us nothing 
 but for our greater advantage. T Thy 
 brethren. " Thia shows tliat Ho has 
 28* 
 
 day at evening, being the first daj/ 
 of the week, when the doors were 
 shut where the disciples were 
 assembled for fear of the Jews, 
 came Jesus, and stood in the midst, 
 and saith unto them, Peace be unto 
 you. 
 
 20 And when he had so said, he 
 shewed unto them his hands and 
 his side. Then ^ were the disci- 
 ples glad when they saw the Lord. 
 
 not put off His humanity, nor His love 
 for His own, in His resurrection st:itp " 
 See Heb. 2:11. ^ I asce?.d. llather— 
 Iain ascending — am on my way thither 
 after a sojourn of a few da3's. And 
 she ought to rejoice. Ch. 15: 28. ^ ^[y 
 Father and your -Father. Here He 
 would teach them that His Father is 
 also theirs, as He liad often saiil. Clis. 
 14-17. This is their union with Him, 
 and their privilege through this union. 
 In His Father's house He was going to 
 prepare a place for them. i3ut the 
 Father was His by nature — theirs by 
 grace. *\ My God. Under whom also 
 I am man. \ Your God. Among whom 
 I also am Mediator. 
 
 18. Came and told. IMark saj's she 
 told the disciples as they mourned and 
 wept — and that they believed not. 
 Matthew here adds the report of the 
 watch. Mark and Luke relate His 
 appearing to Peter, and to the two 
 going to Emmaus. 
 
 I 107. Jesus appears in tiik ihidst 
 OF THE Apostles, Thomas being 
 ABSENT. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Evening following the first day of the week. 
 Matt. I JIark. I Luke. 1 John. 
 
 |1G. 14-18124. 30-49 1 20. 19-23 
 19 The first day of the week. All 
 the Evangelists at the commencement 
 I of their narratives of the rosui-roction, 
 mention that it was the first day of 
 the week. John here repeats the 
 notice of the time as being the even- 
 ing of this day that had passed already 
 
S30 
 
 JOHN, 
 
 [AaB 83 
 
 21 Then said Jesus to them again, 
 Peace " he unto you : as my Father 
 hath sent me, even so ^ send I you. 
 
 22 And when he had said this, 
 he breathed on them, and saithunto 
 
 a c. 14. 2T. I Matt. 28. 19. e. 17. 18. 2 Ti. 2. 2, He. Z. 1. 
 
 into general use as the Cliristian Sab- 
 bath, and which he in the Revelation 
 calls "the Lord's day." Jolin alone 
 relates that this social meeting was 
 with closed doors, on account of the 
 persecuting Jews. The intimation is, 
 that Jesus stood in the midst, notwith- 
 standing the closed doors, or caused 
 them to open before Him. This is His 
 first appearing to ''the eleven" — and it 
 was within the day of His rising. He 
 spake jyc«M to them, and showed them 
 the marks of His crucifixion, as the 
 proof of His having really risen from 
 the dead, (the same Jesus,) and this 
 FACT is to be the basis of their peace. 
 ^ Glad. So He had promised to 
 ihcm, (ch. 16: 20,) "Your sorrow 
 shall be turned into joy." If their 
 Lord had died and risen, then that that 
 was to them the deepest grief was 
 rather a matter of triumph. 
 
 21. Again. His salutation and 
 precious gospel-word "■Peace," He 
 repeats to us over and over, that we 
 may rejoice in Him as the overcomer. 
 "Be of good cheer, I have overcome 
 the world." Ch. 16: 83. ^ As my 
 Father. See ch. 17: 18. "He thus 
 installs them in the ofiice to which He 
 bad previously appointed them. Let 
 it be, therefore, held by us as an ascer- 
 tained truth that the Apostles were 
 now for the first time appointed to be 
 ordinary ministers of the Gospel." — 
 Calvin. AVe find no such language 
 used by the Apostles in reference to 
 their ordination of succeeding minis- 
 ters. Theirs was an extraordiimry 
 oflSce as Apostles, but au ordinary 
 work as teachers. That no final gifts 
 of Apostleship were now formally con- 
 ferred, is phiiu from the absence of 
 Thomas, who, in that case, would be 
 no Apostle, in the same sense as the 
 X'est. In the sense iu which He here 
 Bends them forth, we find them going 
 
 them Receive "ye the Holy Ghost. 
 23 Whose soever ^ sins ye remit, 
 they arc remitted unto them; and 
 whose soever sins ye retain, they 
 are retained. 
 
 c Ac. 2. 4, 38. d Matt. 16. 19; IS. 18. 
 
 forth, namely — as publishers of Christ. 
 In this sense also, they had successors, 
 and in this sense, He is to be with them 
 alwaj-s, even to the end of the world. 
 
 22. Breathed on them. The gift was 
 thus signified as to come from the 
 acting forth of His life, as applied to 
 them. The breath was an expressive 
 symbol of the Holy Spirit — more so for 
 tills purpose than the icind, as showing 
 that it must come from His own living 
 act, and from its direct application to 
 them, as infusing a new and higher 
 life. Gen. 2:7. ^ Receive. This was 
 a symbol and earnest of the impart- 
 ation at Pentecost, so soon to be expe- 
 rienced. Whatever was here conferred, 
 was Apostolic, like the commission to 
 teach all nations, but it was their mis- 
 sion from Christ the Bcstowcr of the 
 Spirit, for their ofiice, and not a suc- 
 cessive delegation and tran.smissioa 
 from the Apostles. Christ's preserce 
 with them as Teachers, Rulers, &c., is 
 that which gives them authority. 
 
 23. Whose soever. We learn the 
 sense in which this power was under- 
 stood, by observing the history of its 
 exercise, as in case of Simon Magus, 
 (Acts 8: 20, 23,) Ananias and Sapphira, 
 (Acts 5: 3, 4, 9,) where sins were re- 
 tained. So in 'he Corinthian chui'ch, 
 (1 Cor. 5 : 3-5,) we find Paul retain- 
 ing, and in 2 Cor. 2: 6-10, remitting 
 sin in this sense. This was a special 
 authority granted to them of binding 
 and loosing — a special povv-cr of the 
 keys. JIatt. 18: 18. Their retention 
 and remission of sin was an infallible 
 declaration of its being done by the 
 authority vested in them \>y the Head 
 of the Church. They cou'd not them- 
 selves /ory/re sins, but God ordy. They 
 had a speci.il gilt fur the discernment 
 of spirits which belonged to them as 
 Apostles, and which none after them 
 could claim. Acts 5 : 3, 4. Accord- 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 881 
 
 «[f 24 But Thomas, ' one 
 of the twelve, called Didymus, was 
 not with them when Jesus came. 
 25 The other disciples therefore 
 
 ac. 11. le. 
 
 ingly Timothy and Titus were charge! 
 to deal with sinners in the church, 
 "reproving" and «• turning away 
 from" them, and "rebuking with all 
 authority." 2 Tim. 4:2; Titus 1 : 13 ; 
 2: 15. Similar directions were given 
 also to churches collectively. See 
 Matt. 18: 17, where the discipline of 
 the Church is distinctly referred to, as 
 an authority of binding and loosing, re- 
 mitting and retaining sin, in Christ's 
 name, by solemn declaration of the 
 Church, through their constituted ru- 
 lers. These rulers ai'o found in the 
 New Testament, to be not only those 
 ciders who rule and teach, (ministers,) 
 but those -who rule o?ili/, (ruling elders,) 
 1 Tim. 5: 17 — [/overnmeniis. 1 Cor. 12: 
 28. Such an authority lodged with the 
 rulers of the Church, from Christ Hira- 
 scU' is vested in falli))lemen, but is full 
 of solemnity and of responsibility, and 
 it is essential to the idea of govern- 
 ment and order, that there should be 
 a provision for discipline. See Titus 
 8: 10; 2 Thess. 3:. 6. Observe— ^e 
 keys of the kin^jdom, which Jesus 
 promised to Teter, (.Matt. IG: 19,) 
 He gave, not to Peter alone, but to nil 
 the Apostles, and to the Church after 
 them. 2. "These terms arc used that 
 believers may be fully convinced that 
 what they hear concerning forgiveness 
 of sins is ratified, and may not less 
 higlily value tlie reconciliation which 
 is offered by the voice of men, than if 
 God Himself stretched out His hand 
 from Heaven. Most absurdly do the Pa- 
 pists, on the other hand, torture this 
 passage to support their magical abso- 
 lutions." — Calvin. 
 
 § 1G8. JfiSUS APPEARS IN THE MIDST 
 
 OF THE Apostles, Thomas being 
 PRESENT. — Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. 1 Mark. 1 Luke. I .loliu. 
 
 j 1 1 20. 21-29 
 
 This was the first Sabbath evening 
 
 meeting for soci.al worship which was 
 
 said unto him, We have seen the 
 Lord. But he ^ said unto them, 
 Except I shall see in his hands 
 the print of the nails, and put my 
 
 h Ps. 78.11.32. 
 
 held under the new Dispensation, and 
 Thomas was absent when Jesus came. 
 This absence was plainly enough owing 
 tj iiis unbelief — to the lack of a lively 
 hope, and to a flagging zeal. And just 
 by this one absence he missed the in- 
 tense joy of Jesus' appearing to the 
 circle — and he missed also the breath- 
 ing of Jesus by which the.Holy Spirit 
 was bestowed and the spiintual author- 
 ity in the church was given to the 
 Apostolic group. Observe — 1. How 
 much is often lost by absence from a 
 single social meeting. 2. This is often 
 excused on the ground of divers hin- 
 drances, but is commonly traceable to 
 the want of a lively yiety. 3. Such 
 absentees often miss the Saviour's ap- 
 pearings, and His wonderful commu- 
 nications of the Holy Spirit. Sad, 
 indeed, for any church member not to 
 have been with them when Jesus came. 
 Thomas had witnessed the resurrection 
 of Lazarus, (ch. 11 : IG,) but yet his 
 faith staggered here. 
 
 25. The others would naturally seek 
 out this absentee, and tell him what 
 he had missed. They would preach to 
 him from their own experience. The 
 spiritual ought to restore one who is 
 overtaken in a fault, and to do it in 
 the spirit of meekness. They tell him 
 in substance the simple fact, " We have 
 seen the Lord." Amazing grace! This 
 would be enough to say, though pos- 
 sibly they gave a full detail. They 
 probably told him that He shoAved them 
 His hands and His side, vs. 20. ^ Ex^ 
 cept I shall see. This is Thomas; quite 
 in keeping with his doubting, despond- 
 ing character all along. He has been 
 called " the Rationalist of the Apos- 
 tles." He will believe only so far a.9 
 he has sensible proof. Yet it was not 
 the result of inditl'erence, or of cold 
 skepticism. It was only too good news 
 to be true ! Therefore, as we shall see, 
 our Lord even givants him this extreme 
 demand, knowing that he is sound at 
 
882 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 8a. 
 
 finger into the print of the nails, 
 and thrust my hand into his side, 
 I will not believe. 
 
 26 And after eight days, again 
 his disciples Avcrc within, and 
 Thomas with them. Tlitn came 
 Jesus, the doors being shut, and 
 stood in the midst, and said, Peace 
 ' he unto you. 
 
 a Is. 26. 12. 
 
 heart, and that these nre only the fond 
 and jealous, misgivings of ardent love. 
 It was from the man who, in starting 
 for the tomb cf Lazarus, said, "Let 
 us al.so go, that we may die with Ilim," 
 despairing of the life of his dear 
 Jesus. 
 
 26. After eight dat/s. Thi.s is the 
 first record of the Christian Snbk'ath 
 observance. They probably had met 
 daily. But 1. The Holy Spirit records 
 this as more than an ordinary day — "//ie 
 eighth.'''' 2. The meeting was hallowed 
 by our Lord's appearing, giving it pur- 
 posely a special sanctity, and making 
 it worthy of record, as being the 
 second Sabbath of the New Dispensa- 
 tion. 3. These meetings, which Jesus 
 thus hallowed so especially, were both 
 of them turned into celebrations of His 
 resurrection, and this it is which makes 
 our Christian Sabbath. " The eighth 
 day,^^ as the beginning of a new Aveek, 
 and a new period of time, was sacred 
 under the Old Dispensation, as the 
 day for cii'cumcision. The morrow 
 after the Sabbath or first day of un- 
 leavened bread, was the day for the 
 offering of the first fruits. See Notes 
 on Mark 16: 1. 1[ Tlorrias icith them. 
 Could he ever be absent again? See 
 eh. 21 : 2. And does not his presence 
 now show how much he grieved at his 
 loss, notv.ithstamliiig all his darkness 
 and doubt? ^j Peace. Jesus, not up- 
 braiding, strives to remove all doubt- 
 ing by this gracious word '■'■Peace."' 
 Thus He answers to the Shiloh (Peace) 
 of prophecy, and "the Peack" of 
 Micah, (ch. 5: 5,) for He is our Peace. 
 Ephes. 2 : 14. 
 
 27. Without waiting for a word of 
 
 27 Then saith he to Thomas, 
 Reach hither thy finger, and be- 
 hold my hands; and reach hither 
 thy hand, '' and thrust it into my 
 side : and be " not faithless, but 
 believing. 
 
 28 And Thomas answered and 
 said unto him, My ^ Lord and mj 
 God. 
 
 Thomas' doubt, and well knowing all 
 his heart. He meets most fully his 
 case, even to the exposing of His 
 wounds to the experiment of Thomas. 
 Jesus had rather that they be opened 
 again, than have His dear, chosen 
 Apostle continue in darkness. He 
 suffers that our joy may be full. 
 "Reach hither thy finger, and behold 
 (make full and sensible experiment of ) 
 my hai.ds, &c. The resurrection body 
 was bloodless — and the wound in the 
 side was gaping enough to admit his 
 hand. This was only what our Lord 
 knew that Thomas had demanded. 
 And now when he is challenged at the 
 first- to do just what he had required 
 to do before he would believe, how is 
 he struck with the proof of Christ's 
 identity, as much from His Omnisci- 
 ence as from His wounds. TT Thrust. 
 Rather, ptit. ^ Pe not faithless. Ra- 
 ther, " Be not unbelieving, but believ- 
 ing." It was a believing spirit that 
 Thomas lacked, and had very much 
 lacked all along. Now that Jesus has 
 put to him such personal proofs of His 
 atonement, with all the comforts of 
 His glorious resurrection, will he not 
 henceforth be believing ? 
 
 28. Thomas plainly enough was 
 satisfied without making the gross ex- 
 periment that he had spoken of. The 
 Divine love had shamed him, overcome 
 him, convinced him. The same hcwrr, 
 of lovo that boie the nail wounds for 
 him stood out before him more ojfjcnly 
 thnn the gaping side, and he w.ts 
 admitted to reach into the depths of 
 the Divine tenderness toward him. He 
 saw this crucified one as a personal Sa- 
 viour — as his liisen Saviour — and ha 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 333 
 
 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, 
 because thou hast seen me, thou 
 bast believed : blessed * ai-e they 
 that have not seen, and 7/et have 
 believed. 
 
 ^30 And *" many other 
 
 cried out e.mbracingly — " My Lord and 
 my God." Socinians, in ordei* to get rid 
 of this passage as a proof of our Lord's 
 divinity, would make this to be a mere 
 exclamation of Tliomas; and this would 
 turn this noble testimony of the Apos- 
 tle into a profane shout, such as we 
 may hear along the streets. What a 
 perversion of Scripture, and what a 
 defamation of lioly men is this ! Ob- 
 serve — This confession of Thomas is 
 the highest testimony to the Godhead 
 of Christ yet given, and shows that the 
 former confessions — " Son of God' — 
 were understood. Artists have painted 
 Thomas as actually thrusting his hand 
 into Jesus' side, but the record implies 
 that he did no such thing. " Because 
 thou hast seen me thou hast believed," 
 vs. 29. Observe — This is tlie first 
 phice in the Gospel history where our 
 Saviour, the Lord Jesus, is addressed 
 as God. Thomas is said to have carried 
 the Gospel with a noble self-sacrifice 
 into India, and to have sealed his tes- 
 timony with his blood. 
 
 29. Alas for those of our day who 
 will not believe any thin^ supernatural 
 in the inspired Scriptures — will not 
 even believe in Inspiration. Blessed 
 of the Lord Jesus are they who have 
 faith, without first demanding the 
 sight — Avho have faith where, in the 
 nature of the case, sight is not to be 
 had. Blessed are the sheep of our 
 remote day and land, who are not of 
 that fold. Blessed are they who, where 
 there are no persecutions, do neverthe- 
 less endure against severe temptations 
 to a life of sense, and of the world — 
 who do yet believe; and who all along 
 can say, eich for himself, "My Lord 
 and MY God." Observe — Our Lord 
 reflects upon the requirement of sight 
 in order to faith, as being a low de- 
 gree of faith— just as that faith that 
 
 signs truly did Jesus in the pre- 
 sence of his disciples, which are 
 not written in this book : 
 
 81 But " those arc vrritten, that 
 ye might believe that Jesus is the 
 Christ, the Son of God; and "* 
 
 cLu. 1.4. (ic.3. 15, 16; 5.24; 10. 10. IPe, 1.9. 
 
 must have miracles and signs before 
 it could act, was unsatisfactory and 
 not to be trusted. John here gives 
 this practical, personal testimony to 
 the Godhead of Jesus, as establishing 
 the doctrine with which he started out 
 in this Gospel narrative — and further, 
 he sets forth (he (rue kind of faith in 
 Jesus Christ. Observe — The Chris- 
 tian faith is grounded on facts amply 
 attested — every way proved, against 
 all kinds of doubt and unbelief. 
 Through every variety of questioning 
 has come every kind of confirmation, 
 in all ages of the Church. It was the 
 firm belief in a Person — whom they 
 could see, know, handle and prove — 
 that so nerved the early Christians to 
 endure the stake for this religion. 
 
 ^ 172. The Ascension. — Bethany. 
 
 Matt. I M'trk. | Luke. | John. 
 
 J16. 19, 20. |24. 50-53. |20. 30, 31. 
 
 30. Signs. This term is commonly 
 used to signify miracles, as "signs" of 
 the Divine presence — and hence it does 
 not refer here to other appearings of 
 our Lord, some of which John indeed 
 goes on to i-ecord. It seems to be a 
 statement thrown in here as a kind of 
 summing up, and to signify that this 
 narrative is not to be taken as a com- 
 plete account of the forty days' won- 
 ders, ranch less of our Lord's life. 
 Acts 1: 3. 
 
 31. John here declares his object in 
 giving such a specimen as he has fur- 
 nished of our Lcrd's miracles, &c., as 
 proofs of His Godhead. This great 
 truth he set out to establish, and now 
 at tl\e close he sums up. The miracles 
 are recorded for the same reason as 
 that for which they Avere wrought — 
 to prove the Messiahship and Godhead 
 of the I-ERSONAL Word, (ch. 1: 1,) 
 
834 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 TAoE 33. 
 
 that, believing, j'C might have life 
 through his name. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 ^ i FTER these things 
 j\ Jesus shewed him- 
 self again to the disciples at the 
 sea of Tiberias : and on this wise 
 shewed he himself. 
 
 and lie implies that enough is written 
 foi' this purpose, to show forth the 
 glory of .Jesus as worthy of all faith. 
 «5[ The Christ. The Messiah. "|[ The 
 Son of God. As declared by John, an"d 
 as foretold by the prophets — as He 
 who was announced in the 2d Psalm, 
 " Thou art my Son." " For unto which 
 of the angels said He at any time, 
 Thou art my Son." Heb. 1 : 5. This 
 Sonship was sung of by the inspired 
 Psalmist, as the ground of dominion 
 over the heathen and the uttermost 
 ends of the earth, (Ps. 2: 12,) and as 
 the basis' of His claim to Divine icor- 
 ship and trust. "Kiss the Son." 
 "Blessed are all they that put their 
 trust in Him." ^ And that believing. 
 Thus David and John respond to each 
 other in their exaltation of the Eternal 
 Son, as tlie object of our faith. David 
 pronounces all believers in Him blessed. 
 John declares that such, and such only, 
 have eternal life, through His all-worthj^ 
 name — by His perfect righteousness 
 and His finished work, as He was 
 " declared to be the Son of God with 
 power by His Resurrection from the 
 dead." Romans 1 : 4. See chap. 1 : 
 4-12. 
 
 This chapter seems to bring this 
 Gospel narrative to a close. Yet there 
 is still another and significant chapter, 
 as an appendix. Just as John's his- 
 tory had more than one commencement, 
 so it has more than one close. And 
 just as the ISIaster, after He had seemed 
 to close His discourses at, the table 
 and rose to depart, had yet more, and 
 the more precious, discourses yet to 
 give, so here, the beloved disciple 
 closes, yet continues. 
 
 2 There wrro tngoliior Simcn 
 Peter, and Thomas called Didy- 
 mus, and "^ Nalhanacl of Caua in 
 Galilee, and the sons ^ of Zebedee, 
 and two other of his disciples. 
 
 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, 
 I go a fishing. They say unto 
 him. We also go with thee. They 
 went forth, and entered into a ship 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 § 169. The Apostles go away into 
 Galilee — Jesus shows Himself to 
 
 SEVEN OF them AT THE SeA OF TlBE- 
 
 EiAS. — Galilee. 
 
 M.att. I Mark. I Luke. I John. 
 
 28. IG. I I |2I. 1-24. 
 
 This chapter contains a most inter- 
 esting and important interview of our 
 Lord with His disciples, which is found 
 here only. 
 
 1 . After these things — at a subsequent 
 time, and not immediately afterwards. 
 John had already recorded two appear- 
 ings. He here proceeds to give a 
 third. The Apostles are here found 
 to have left Jerusalem. Matt. 28: 10. 
 Some of them had resumed their for- 
 mer trade of fishermen on. the Sea of 
 Galilee, where they were called to the 
 Apostleship, and where a previous 
 miracle of the fishes had been Avrought 
 for them by our Lord. Luke 5 : 1-8, 
 What wonderful events have occurred 
 since first they knew the Master. They 
 had now returned to Galilee in obe- 
 dience to the command given ly the 
 angel to the women on the morning of 
 the Resurrection, (Mark IG : 7,) and 
 in accordance with His promise. Jlatt. 
 2G : 32. T[ S/ioived Himself. The term 
 here used implies that He was in His 
 appearance something wonderful. Mark 
 16: 12. 
 
 2. Peter, who once denied the Mas- 
 ter, and Thomas, who so lately doubted 
 Him, are first on the list. See JLark 16: 
 7. Never more will it be said of Thomas, 
 that " he was not with them when 
 Jesus came." Ch. 20: 24. Nathanael 
 is here spoken of as- " of Cana in Gali- 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XXI. 
 
 835 
 
 immediately ; and that night they 
 caught nothing. 
 
 4 But when the morning wos 
 now come, Jesus stood on the 
 ehore : but the disciples knew " 
 not that it was Jesus. 
 
 lee," which connects this last miracle 
 ■with " the beginning of miracles." Ch. 
 2. His birth-place is mentioned here 
 only. John here calls himself and his 
 brother James by their original desig- 
 nation as " the sons of Zebedee." 
 If Two other. It has been supposed 
 that these were Philip and Andrew, 
 who are commonly named among the 
 first five of the twelve. There were 
 thus scuen in all present on this occa- 
 sion. 
 
 3. They had resumed their trade of 
 fishing, probably as a means of liveli- 
 hood during the interval that the Lord 
 had appointed them, between the feasts 
 of Passover and Pentecost. Christian 
 ministers, even those of Apostolic 
 labors, must often submit to conditions 
 of poverty. "An illusti'ions example," 
 says Benjel, "of working with one's own 
 hands, Avithout detriment to Apostolic 
 dignity." Yet in their straits Jesus 
 will often appear to them, and wonder- 
 fully replenish their store, and succeed 
 their labors. ^ I go a fisJiing. This 
 is like Peter, who made himself a 
 leader — oftenest forward and before- 
 hand of the rest in speaking, promis- 
 ing and acting — a primacy this, that 
 was quite his own, yet fitting him also 
 to lead the way as a fisher of men. Tf We 
 also. How the determination and ac- 
 tion of one in any work of tlie ministry 
 may move a whole circle of brethren. 
 If A ship, llather the ship, or small 
 fishinff-boat. vs 8. In the former 
 jniracle, recorded by Luke, (ch. -5,) 
 there were two boats. ^ That night. 
 Aristotle mentions that the uiglit was 
 the time for fishing thereabouts at this 
 season, as in many ot!;cr countries. 
 ^ Caugiit nothing. This was just as on 
 the former occasion, vrhen probably 
 they last fished together. This simi- 
 \iirity ia the circumstances would pre- 
 
 5 Tlien •• Jesus saith unto thora, 
 ^ Children, have ye any meat ? 
 They answered him, No. 
 
 G And he said unto them. Cast ° 
 the net on the right side of the 
 ship, and ye shall find. They cast 
 
 h I.u. 24. il. 1 or, Sirs. c I.u. 5. 4-7. 
 
 sently remind them that it was the 
 same Loi'd and Saviour who appeared 
 to them, and their past experiences of 
 His grace would give them confidence 
 for their present necessity. Observe — 
 As fishers of men they would toil all 
 niglit, and without Christ they could 
 do nothing. Ch. 15: 5. 
 
 4. The morning — After they had 
 toiled sufliciently to be made most 
 glad by His presence. So the morning 
 Cometh after the night, when Jesus 
 shall appear to His toiling ni'iiisters, 
 and by their great successes at His 
 bidding, introduce the millennial morn- 
 ing. If Stood on iRe shore. So at the 
 eternal morning of the final Picsurrec- 
 tion, when "the day breaks and the 
 shadows flee away," He will stand on 
 the shore, and welcome His faithful 
 laborers, to draw from the depths of 
 His infinite fullness, till there be no 
 room to receive. *^ Knew not. "Their 
 eyes were holden." Luke 24: 16. His 
 body was veiled in its resurrection 
 dress — and they were to know Him 
 nov/ from the miracle rather than from 
 His form — to be taught to walk by 
 faith rather than by sight. 
 
 5. Children. Rather, little children, 
 as 1 .John 2 : 18 — or possibly "sirs"— 
 a word that mig!;t be used equally by 
 a stranger to inferiors, and by a mas- 
 ter or teacher to his disciples. Chry- 
 sostom, whose native language was 
 Greek, says that He addressed them 
 just as one who wished to buy fish 
 might have addressed them. If 3Ieat. 
 Literally — Something to eat. The term 
 was used chiefly to signify fish, in a 
 country where fi?h was the staple ar- 
 ticle of food. The question, ps Tho- 
 luck remarks, implies a design on His 
 part of taking a meal with His disci- 
 pics, vs. 12. His questioning was 
 commonly to call attention to the ac- 
 
S36 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33, 
 
 therefore, and now tliey were not 
 able to draw it for the multitude 
 of fishes. 
 
 7 Therefore that disciple whom 
 Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It 
 is the Lord. Now when Simon 
 Peter heard that it was the Lord, 
 he girt Jiis fisher's coat unto Jiim, 
 
 tual necessity, and to draw out an ex- 
 pression of the destitute case. When 
 the sinner has confessed his utter emp- 
 tiness and helplessness, (nothing to 
 show after toiling the whole season 
 through,) then Jesus will show His 
 power and grace. So, in the mii-acles 
 of feeding the thousands. The season 
 prescribed by nature for the fishing 
 Lad now passed — the season which 
 grace appoiuts has come. 
 
 G. Cast the net. Though Jesus was 
 to work a glorious miracle, it was only 
 to crown their exertions with success. 
 As they could do nothing without Him, 
 so also He would do nothing here 
 without them. Christian ministers, as 
 fishers of men, must follow his positive 
 directions as to ichc?i and where and 
 hozv, without first demanding the why 
 and wherefore. ^ The right side. Thej' 
 saw not u-hi/ it should have been the 
 right any rather than the left side. 
 This showed His sovereign election, 
 and His secret knowledge of results. 
 "The power of tlie Lord, (snjs Bengel,) 
 compelled the fishes thither." The 
 right side, in the Scripture, is the side 
 of advantage, (Zech. 3: 1,) of power, 
 (P-s. 110: 1,) oi favor, (Matt. 25: 33,) 
 oi' good news, (Luke 1:11.) T[ Ye shall 
 find. His promise is conditioned 
 upon their action. But tlieir act is 
 only in the way of reception — throw- 
 ing out the net, or " letting it down for 
 a draught." Luke 5. They would see 
 that the finding must have resulted 
 wholly from following His directions, 
 as they had toiled all night, and 
 had doubtless cast the same net on 
 the same side of the ship in vain. 
 If Able tc draw. Liter.ally — They no 
 longer prevailed to draw it gently, or 
 with gentle efforts as usual, on account 
 of the multitude of fishes. The term 
 
 (for he was naked,) and did cast 
 himself into the sea. 
 
 8 And the other disciples came 
 in a little ship, (for they were not 
 far from land, but as it were two 
 hundred cubits,) dragging the net 
 with fishes. 
 
 9 As soon then as they were come 
 
 here used is not the same as in vs. 8, 
 which means to drag with violence. Why 
 can we not thus promptly follow the 
 directions, and apply the promises 
 when they are not at all less express, 
 in the great work of the ministry ? 
 
 7. Here the beloved disciple is the 
 one to recognize the glorious Master 
 from the miracle — which was a miracle 
 of Love. Not like Peter who only 
 doubtingly said, Lord, if it be Thou — 
 he most decidedly says, "It is the 
 LoKD." Peter, however, is the one 
 to go forward — except when cowardly 
 he " followed afar off" — while John is 
 the one to recognize the Master, and 
 make Him known to Peter. Lovk 
 does alwaj'S make the sweetest dis- 
 coveries of Christ. Zeal plunges even 
 into the Sea to reach (through fire and 
 tliroligh water) the Master. ^ Girt 
 his fisher's coat. Strapped it round him 
 with a belt. He had thrown off this 
 outer garment for work, (so the term 
 '^ raked" here means). He now put 
 it on and fastened it round him with 
 his girdle, as they wei-e accustomed to 
 do, when they wished to wear this 
 flowing coat, without having it in the 
 way. This was not necessarily his 
 " fisherma7i's coat," which was alight 
 garment, without arms, and reaching to 
 the knee, and was also a hindrance in 
 swimming. Yet he must wear his coat, 
 "as counting it unseemly to appear 
 without it in the presence of his Lord." 
 "Let us put on the armor of light." 
 " Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 8. A little ship. Literally, in the 
 boat, before spoken of, (vs. 3,) — by 
 means of the boat. It was only about 
 one hundred yards, or two hundred 
 cubits, distance. Peter swam or 
 waded, while they made use of the 
 boat. They came to the shore, now 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XXI. 
 
 837 
 
 to land, they saw a fire of coals 
 there, and fish laid thereon, and 
 bread. 
 
 10 Jesus saith unto them. Bring 
 of the fish which ye have now 
 caught. 
 
 dragging violently after them, so far as 
 they could, this overloaded net. 
 
 9. Come to land. — Disembarked. 
 IT Fire of coals. Why should we con- 
 ceive any difficulty or inconsistency in 
 our Lord's providing this, when He 
 had just now provided them the full, 
 overrunning net of fish at a word. 
 And it was significant, as showing 
 that He wrought not that miracle for 
 any need of His, to supply His hunger, 
 for He had already an independent 
 meal all ready for their partaking. 
 As fishers of men, too. He will not 
 only give them souls for their hire, but 
 He will bring them to the banquet of 
 His love. He has always a store — a 
 ready supply — waiting to be partaken. 
 He gives not only somewhat for His 
 people to prepare for their table, but 
 He sprcadcLh a table before us in the 
 presence of our enemies. " All things 
 are now ready." Wo are not to live 
 on our successes, nor on the fruits of 
 our toil — but however abundantly we 
 may have drawn with our net, we are at 
 last to sit down at Ilis table, not at 
 our own. He who before, upon yonder 
 mountain-side, had fed the thousands 
 with bread, can surely lurnish this 
 bread as it is needed. Observe — 
 A¥hen they had at first thought that 
 He wanted a meal from their fish, (vs. 
 5,) they find that He invites them all 
 along to the meal of His own providing. 
 So when the Samaritan woman thought 
 that He wanted only water for His 
 thirst. He shows that He wishes most 
 of all to give her to drink of " living 
 water. -^ He will have them sup with 
 Him. Rev. 3 : 20. 
 
 10. Bring. Yet He will have them 
 bring of what they had caught — now 
 that they would be prepared to own it 
 as having all been gotten by His mighty 
 power and love. They had caught 
 nothing by any tact or skill of their 
 
 29 
 
 11 Simon Peter went up, and 
 drew the net to land full of great 
 fishes, an hundred and fifty and 
 three : and for all there were 
 so many, yet was not the net 
 broken. 
 
 own — but just when they had fully 
 proved all their own strength, and 
 found it weakness, they then at length 
 by faith cast out their net, to catch 
 what He should graciously cast in. 
 They could not boast in these. There- 
 fore bringing all that they bad caught 
 to the feet of Christ, He would have 
 these added to the feast. 1 Thess. 2 
 19. Thus it is that His grace goes be- 
 fore, and our works follow. Ch. 15: 5 
 Rev. 14: 13. "Yea, saith the Spirit 
 that they may rest from their labors 
 and their works do folloiv them." Rest 
 gets some of its sweet reward from the 
 labors foregoing,- since if there were 
 no labors there could be no rest. 
 Christian I'est always implies labors. 
 Christ's yoke of obedient, cordial ser- 
 vice is to be taken upon us, and we 
 shall find rest to our souls. Happy 
 day ! when Christ's ministers may 
 bring to heaven of the multitudes 
 whom they have caught by His grace, 
 in the way of His directions, and may 
 rejoice also in the fruit of their Chris- 
 tian labors, to the praise of the glory 
 of His grace. 
 
 11. Peter is now forward to give 
 himself to the work that required spe- 
 cial enterprise. IT Went up. That is, 
 into the boat which was now at the 
 shore, with the net probably fastened 
 to it. ^ Drew. This is the term for 
 gentle drawing, not the term for drag- 
 ging tcith violence, as in vs. 8. They 
 had not been able any longer to draw 
 it in the usual easy way, (vs. 6,) but 
 together they had dragged it along, vs. 
 8. T[ Great fishes. Not small ones, 
 else the mii-acle would have been less. 
 These were all large. Every soul we 
 take for the Master, in the Gospel net, 
 is great — because it is immortal, and 
 its redemption is far too precious to be 
 accomplished by worlds of treasure. 
 ^ An hundred, &c. The number is filled 
 
JOHN. 
 
 [Age S3. 
 
 12 Jesus saith unto tbcm, Come 
 and dine. And none of the dis- 
 ciples durst ask bim, Who art 
 thou ? knowing that it was the 
 Lord. 
 
 13 Jesus " then cometh, and 
 taketh bread, and giveth them, 
 and fish likewise. 
 
 up, as well as the net. There could 
 neither have been one more nor one 
 less in the net than lay in the Divine 
 purpose. So is it with the multitudes 
 which we may catch as fishers of men. 
 The " hundred and forty and four 
 thousand" will all be brought safe to 
 Heaven. Yet many a pastoral hand 
 may be needed, to bring one soul to 
 land — how much more (o bring all. 
 ^ Broken. This seems to refer them 
 to the former occasion by the striking 
 contrast — for there the net was broken, 
 (Luke 5: 6,) — ^Ae church rent — but 
 here not, though the weight of the 
 fishes would naturally have broken it. 
 12. Come and dine. Rather — Come, 
 breakfast. It was to the morning meal 
 that they were invited. This would 
 also be significant. " The night is far 
 spent, the day is at hand." This was 
 the symbol of that great festival in 
 Heaven — His own feast — to which He 
 ■would invite them, after the labors of 
 the night are over — to come iu and 
 SUP WITH Him, (Rev. 3: '20,) at the 
 Marriage Supper of the Lamb, (Rev. 
 19 : 9,) — not these seven alone any more 
 than those ancient three, Abraham, 
 Isaac and Jacob — but the perfect 
 sacred number, all gathered into one. 
 |[ Durst ask Him. Knowing — from the 
 miracle of Love — why had they need 
 to ask ? And yet they would fain have 
 asked amongst so much that was won- 
 derful. But was not His name to be 
 called Wonderful? This was He of 
 whom the prophets wrote— "the Mighty 
 God," &c. Hence they sat at the 
 meal in silence. The object of this 
 miracle had been to teach them cf 
 what His power and grace could and 
 would do, to give them notable suc- 
 cesses in their ministerial work — and 
 
 14 This '' is now the third time 
 that Jesus shewed hirasolf to his 
 disciples, after that he was risen 
 from the dead. 
 
 15 So when they had dined, 
 Jesus saith unto Simon Peter, 
 Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou 
 me more " than tbe.se 't He saith 
 
 6 c. 20. 19, 26. c Malt. 2(5. 33, 33. 
 
 of the blessed reward to which He 
 would at last welcome them — even "to 
 the joy of their Lord." He will now 
 teach them that the great essential for 
 their successful labor and their heav- 
 enly rest is love to Christ as a Per- 
 sonal Helper, Deliverer and Saviour. 
 Peter, by the way, is also to be solemnly 
 re-installed in his ofiice-work after his 
 denial of the Master. 
 
 13. Cometh, &c. He thus proves 
 His resurrection, as He probably eats 
 also. Jesus dispenses all the provi- 
 sions of the feast. He sups with them 
 and they with Him. So will it be even 
 in Heaven. " The Lamb which is in 
 the midst of the throne shall feed 
 them." Rev. 7: 17. 
 
 14. • The third time. His third special 
 appearing to the disciples i7i groups. 
 
 15. When they had dined. He first 
 shows His own love — feeds us, feasts 
 us at His table, and then asks for our 
 love. Rising from the sacramental 
 supper, when we have been banqueted 
 by Him on the provisions of His grace. 
 He asks us individually, Lovest thou 
 Me? To Peter, however, all this had 
 the deepest significance. He calls him 
 by his original name, Simon, son of 
 Jonas, not by his new name, "Peter." 
 So Luke 22 : 31, when he appears as 
 no longer a rock. How this change of 
 address, went like a dagger to Lis 
 heart. How the change from a fa- 
 miliar and fond name, to a formal, cold 
 address, cuts to the quick among 
 friends. ^ Lovest thou me. This is 
 not the same term in the Greek as 
 that which Peter uses in his reply, 
 though they are translated alike. Our 
 Lord here asks, "Dost thou love me?" 
 using the cooler term that expresses 
 natural aflection. Peter replies with 
 
 i 
 
Age 33.] 
 
 CHAP. XXL 
 
 839 
 
 unto him, Yea, Lord; thou know- 
 cst that I love thee. He saith 
 unto him, Feed * my lambs. 
 
 16 He saith to him again the 
 second time, Simon, son of Jonas, 
 lovest thou me ? He saith unto 
 him. Yea, Lord ; thou knowest 
 
 a Is. 40. 11. Je.3. 15. Eze. 34. 2-10. Ao. 20. 28 1 Pc. 
 6.2,4. 
 
 the sti'onger term, expressing warm 
 personal friendship, " Thou knowest 
 that I love Thee dearly.'" Jesus repeats 
 His own sober question. Peter re- 
 plies in his own warmer term, which 
 he feels will alone express all that is 
 in his heart. " I love Thee dearly as a 
 personal friend." But "the third 
 time " Jesus uses Peter's word in ask- 
 ing the question. '-Lovest thou Me 
 dearly," as you protest? Peter was 
 grieved because he put to him this 
 questioning "the third time" remind- 
 ing him so keenly of his thrice denying 
 his Lord, and also, because at this 
 third time of the inquiry He tnkes the 
 very word from his mouth and puts it 
 into the question, as though it could 
 fairly- be doubted, and thus more keen- 
 ly still reminding him of the denial. 
 ^y More than these. More than these 
 other disciples love me. This was 
 what Peter had vainly boasted. Matt. 
 26 : 33. Peter, in his reply, speaks 
 not for the rest — does not say, '■^ I love 
 Thee more than these" — but only protests 
 his own love as being deep, special, 
 personal. And for this ho honestly 
 appeals to the Divine Omniscience. 
 ^ Feed my lambs. Our Lord also uses 
 different terms in this context which 
 arc alike translated/ce(7. This properly 
 enough means/cerf, in the sense of nour- 
 ishing, furnihfhing with food. That in 
 the next verse means to tejid — to act the 
 part of a shepherd towards them. The 
 term for lambs is net necessarily used 
 to designate a distinct class of the 
 flock, but is rather a tender name by 
 Avhich the Great Shepherd calls all His 
 own dear ones. Yet it may fairly be 
 regarded as pointing to the children of 
 the church, or the "babes in Christ," 
 who require most careful feeding "with 
 
 that I love thee. He saith unto 
 him. Feed my sheep. "^ 
 17 He saith unto him the third 
 
 time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest 
 thou me ? Peter was grieved " 
 because he said unto him the 
 third time, Lovest thou me ? and 
 
 He. 13. 20. 1 Pe. 2. 25. c La. 3. 33. 
 
 milk and not with meat." Heb. 5: 13, 
 14 ; 1 Pet. 2 : 2. The Great Apostle to 
 the Gentiles had a care for the chil- 
 dren. 1 Cor. 7: 14; Ephes. 6: 1. Pe- 
 ter exhorts all believers to have the 
 temper of neiv-born babes, for an habit- 
 ual feeding upon the word. He would 
 have all the flock to be lamb-like, and 
 he exhorts His felloiv- elders to feed the 
 Jlock of God, as he himself is here 
 charged to do. The test of ministerial 
 love to Christ is a faithful care of the 
 flock. This He had already shown in 
 chap. 10. 
 
 16. Feed my sheep. Rather — Shep- 
 herd my sheep. Act toward them the 
 part of a shepherd. Thus it was so 
 repeatedly charged upon Peter that the 
 proper proof of his love — his personal 
 love to Christ — would be fidelity in his 
 office as under-shepherd. To find in 
 this passage anything which can be 
 fairly understood as setting Peter at the 
 head of the Church, as Pope, is absurd ! 
 "There was an entire equality in all 
 powers and rights, (not excluding the 
 pastoral,) of the whole Apostolic Col- 
 lege." See Acts 15: 6-21 ; Gal. 1:1; 
 2: G-9, 11-14; 2 Cor. 11: 5; 12: 11, 
 12; Matt. 19: 28. 
 
 17. The Divine Speaker seems to say 
 that in a Pastor, the first, second and 
 third requisite, is love to Christ. 
 Our Lord still addresses him the third 
 time by his natural original name, to 
 remind him of what he was by nature, 
 and of wha,t "flesh and blood" could 
 be to him. ^ Was grieved. Not only 
 because it was the third time, with ref- 
 erence to His thrice denying Him after 
 his most earnest professions, but be- 
 cause on this third occasion He changed 
 the term, and used that which Peter 
 had all along used, and different from 
 
840 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 he said unto him, Lord, thou " 
 knowest all things : thou knowcst 
 that I love thee. Jesus saith 
 unto him, Feed my sheep. 
 
 18 Verily, verily, I say unto 
 thee, ^ when thou wast young, 
 thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst 
 whither thou wouldest : but when 
 thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch 
 
 a c. 16. 30. b c. 13. 36. Ac. 12. 3, 4. 
 
 that of tlie question. See vs. 15. For 
 it was as much as to say, "Do you 
 indeed, as you thrice have declared, 
 love me dearly?" and so it cast some 
 reflection upon his past folly and fall. 
 \ Thou knou'cst all things. Here Peter 
 most feelingly appeals to the Divine 
 Omniscience of his Lord. It is not 
 boastfully, but humbly, as much as to 
 say — Thou canst see into the secrets 
 of my inmost soul, and where my fel- 
 low men might not see it, and where 
 my inconsistencies would often cast a 
 shade upon it, thou canst detect the 
 love, however concealed. Obseeve — 
 The Divine Omniscience ought not to 
 be a terror to the true Christian, but a 
 comfort: for His all-searching eye, can 
 trace His own likeness wherever it is 
 to be found, in the deepest depths of 
 the soul. ^ Feed my sheep. The term 
 here used is not "shepherd," as in vs. 
 16, hxitfeed, as vs. 15. Trench remarks 
 that the iNIaster directs the "shepherd- 
 ing," with attention to the government 
 and order of the flock, but that first 
 and last, (vs. 15 and here,) He com- 
 mands the FEEDING of the flock, as the 
 most momentous and essential matter. 
 The pastoral care lies not mainly in 
 the form and outward pale, but va feed- 
 ing the flock with truth and conso- 
 lation. 
 
 18. The end of his pastoral oflice is 
 here announced to him, as a proof of 
 the Omniscience to which he had just 
 appealed, as a contrast with the denials 
 just referred to, and as a thrice noble 
 proof which Peter was to give of the 
 truth and sincerity of his love, as now 
 he had thrice professed. He refers to 
 this prophetic forewarning in his Epis- 
 
 forth thy hands, and another shall 
 " gird thee, and carry thc(i whither 
 thou wouldest not. 
 
 19 This spake he, signifying by 
 what death ^ ho should glorify 
 God. And when he had spoken 
 this, be saith unto him, Follow ° 
 me. 
 
 20 Then Peter, turning about, 
 
 tie. 2 Pet. 1:14. \ Girdedst thyself. 
 All along in your youth and prime, up 
 to this hour, thou hast girded thj'self, 
 just as so lately with the fishers coat, 
 (vs. 7,) prompt, resolute and gcdng 
 whither thou wouldest. This was his 
 past and present independence of ac- 
 tion, nobly consecrated of late to the 
 Master's service. ^ But ivhen. In his 
 declining years he should meet with a 
 different treatment. T[ Stretch forth 
 The tradition that Peter was crucified 
 has given to this term the sense of 
 stretching forth the hands for cruci- 
 fixion. It probablj', however, refers 
 originally to the outstretching of a 
 prisoner's hands to be bound lor exe- 
 cution.' Acts 22 : 25. ^Another. He 
 should fall into the hands of others, 
 and violence should be done to him, as 
 Avhen they gird the condemned with 
 ropes to drag them to crucifixion, or 
 gird them to the cross with cords. See 
 Acts 21 : 11 ; Acts 22 : 25. ^ Wouldest 
 not. Not that he would be unwilling 
 to suffer violent death for the Master, 
 but that he should die at the hand of 
 persecution. See next verse. 
 
 19. Signifying : — Indicating — pointing 
 out — by what (kind or manner of,) 
 death he should (attest the truth of 
 the gospel,) glorify God. H Follow 
 me. Peter had asked, "Whither goest 
 thou ? " and the answer of Jesus was, 
 " Thou shalt follow vie aflerieards." 
 Now comes the summons to go forth to 
 his work, ready to brave persecution 
 and death. He had made this same call 
 upon him on the same shore, (Matt. 
 16: 24,) and now most emphatically in 
 the light of this new disclosure. As 
 Jesus had just passed through death by 
 
Age S3.] 
 
 CHAP. X5I. 
 
 841 
 
 seeth the disciple v.-hom Jesus 
 loved, following, which also leaned 
 on Lis breast at supper, and said, 
 Lord, which is he that betrayeth 
 thee ? 
 21 Peter, seeing him, saith to 
 
 bloody violence, so Peter is summoned 
 to follow Him. 
 
 20. It would seem that our Lord 
 moved on, and Peter commencing to 
 follow, turned about to look after the 
 rest, and saw .John following — John, 
 who was so pre-eminent among the 
 twelve, having the true spiritual pri- 
 macy of Love — whom Jesus loved — 
 who also leaned on Jesus' breast, as 
 his bosom friend and right-hand guest, 
 and who asked the delicate question at 
 the Supper, as it was suggested by 
 Peter. Peter naturally enough asks 
 about him. He was also the bosom 
 friend of Peter. See Introduction. And 
 his following here showed his love to 
 both. 
 
 21,22. What shall this man do 9 Liter- 
 ally — And this one — ivhat ? Peter had 
 already understood that he was called 
 to follow Christ to trial, though at the 
 ti-i.il of Christ he had "followed Him 
 afar off." ]\Iatt. 26 : 58, And now, 
 thinking of all that so distinguished 
 John as the beloved, and honored, and 
 trusted disciple, he asks, with a curiosi- 
 ty not altogether pure, nor merely idle — 
 . as it was mixed with a concern for his 
 friend and what should befall him — 
 whether a similar call would be made 
 upon him, and whether a similar death 
 would be his. ^ If -f will- Our Lord 
 well understanding the temper of Pe- 
 ter, does not reply directly to his 
 question, but refers Peter to His own 
 sovereignty in the matter — one taken 
 and the other left, as He pleases. John 
 hatl already received a prophetic fore- 
 warning of his death, when our Lord 
 replied to the application for His right 
 and left hand places in the kingdom, 
 " Ye shall indeed drink of my cup, and 
 be baptized with my baptism." Matt. 
 20:23; Mark 10:39. % That he tarnj— 
 remain in the flesh. The iatimation 
 29* 
 
 Jesus, Lord, and what shall this 
 man do ? 
 
 22 Jesus saith unto him. It" I 
 will that he tarry till I come, " 
 what is that to thee ? Follow *" 
 thou me. 
 
 o Matt. 25. 31. Ke. 1. 7 ; 22. 20. 6 vcr. 19. 
 
 was that " John was to wait patiently, 
 to linger on 3-ear after year in loneli- 
 ness and weariness of spirit, to abide 
 persecution, oppression and wrong, 
 (Ptev. 1: 9,) to endure the enmity of 
 the wicked, (1 John 3: 13,) and the 
 sight of heresies abounding in the 
 church, (1 John 2: 18, 19-2._i,) as if to 
 exemplify in Himself all classes of the 
 faithful, and the various modes of 
 drinking the cup of Christ." 1[ 2111 I 
 come. Our Lord had spoken of His 
 coming to them, (ch. 19 : 18,) and in 
 His use of the term it includes all His 
 comings, by the Spirit and by PHs 
 judgments, onward to the consumma- 
 tion. It is generally referred here to 
 that notable coming at the destruction 
 of Jerusalem, which John alone lived 
 to see, and which was the opening of 
 that series of events that looked for- 
 ward to the final coming to judgment, 
 as in Matt. 25. T What is that to thee? 
 It is not speculation, but self-conseciNi- 
 tion, that is needed. It is not another's 
 matters, but your own. May not Pe- 
 ter here have learned the lesson which 
 he charges home in his Epistles, not to 
 le "a busy-body in other meii's matters," 
 and that other lesson, " If anj' man suffer 
 as a Christian — a follower of Christ — 
 (the only instance in which the name 
 is used by the New Testament writers,) 
 let him not be ashamed, but let him glo- 
 rify God on this behalf." 1[ Follow 
 thou me. Thou, (emphatic.) "For 
 every one of us must give account of 
 himself to God." " They measuring 
 themselves by themselves, and com- 
 paring themselves among themselves, 
 are not wise." 2 Cor. 10: 12. Each 
 must do his own duty, which is not 
 another's, and whether another shall 
 do his own duty or not. Each is to do 
 his own present duty, no matter what 
 becomes of others, or of himself. 
 
842 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 [Age 33. 
 
 23 Then went this saying abroad 
 among the brethren, that that 
 disciple should not die : j'et 
 Jesus said not unto him, He 
 shall not die ; but, If I will that 
 he tarry till I come, what is tliat 
 to thee ? 
 
 Christian liberality is cramped •with 
 many by the constant asking of this 
 question, "What shall this man do?" 
 when the question should be, " What 
 shall I do?" " Lord, what wilt thou 
 have me to do? " 
 
 23. Should not die — Is not going to 
 die. So some inferred, who supposed 
 that Christ's final coming was meant ; 
 and in the Thessalonian Church, many 
 had misunderstood Paul's language, 
 just as some here misinterpreted our 
 Lord's. They reasoned of course that 
 if Christ's coming meant His final 
 coming to judgment — and if John were 
 to remain until that time, he would 
 not see death. 1 Thess. 4: 17. But 
 if the prevalent belief in the church 
 was that Christ's final coming should 
 occur within a life-time, they could 
 not have drawn the inference from 
 these words, that John should net die. 
 And if they inferred only that he was 
 to be miraculously retained in life till 
 some remote future beyond the longest 
 life- time, why not as well for two thou- 
 sand years as for two hundred ? ^ Said 
 not. "To the law and to the testi- 
 mony." Give us the "thus saith the 
 Lord." What did the Lord say, and 
 what did He not say? Our hist appeal 
 in all religious controversy is, and 
 must be, to the Scripture. The original 
 word is acknowledged as the hist ap- 
 peal for the settlement of all disputed 
 points among all Evangelical Chris- 
 tians. Let us fall back upon God's 
 word — study its precise terms — and 
 bring out its very language more and 
 more to the public understanding. And 
 thus will many an error be stripped of 
 its disguises, many a perversion of 
 ,God'e word will be exposed, and by 
 the sure word of revelation, applied by 
 the Spirit of all truth, the church shall 
 
 24 This is the disciple which 
 testilieth of these things, and wrote 
 these things : and " we know that 
 his testimony is true. 
 
 ^ 25 And ''there arc also 
 many other things which Jesus 
 did, the which if they should be 
 
 o c. 19. 35. 3 Jno. 12. 6 c. 20. 30. 
 
 "grow up in all things into Him who is 
 the Head." 
 
 24. This is the discijile. As much as 
 to say — The writer of this Gospel nar- 
 rative is the disciple referred to — the 
 beloved disciple — Avho yet lives indeed 
 by the Divine favor, sixty or seventy 
 years after the events. And he has 
 nothing more to say, except to speak 
 for others as well as for himself as to 
 the certain truth of this testimony. 
 We know, he says, just as in ch. 3 : 
 11 ; 19: 35; 1 John 5 : 18, 19, 20; 3 
 John 12. John still to the last speaks 
 of himself in the third person. 
 
 § 173. CoNcmsioN of John's Gospel 
 Naekative. 
 
 Matt. ' I Mark. i Luke. i John. 
 
 I I I 21.25. 
 
 25. He seems here, at the close of 
 his testimony, to think how far short 
 it must of needs fall of being a com- 
 plete record. Already, in ch. 20 : 30, 
 he had declared that many other signs 
 were wrought by our Lord which are 
 not written in this book. And here he 
 adds that if these numberless works 
 and words of Him " who went about 
 doing good" should be written out, 
 every one of them, he does not sup- 
 pose that there would bo room to con- 
 tain the records — as we say — or as 
 the proverbial language has it that 
 the world itself would contain them. 
 So, in ch. 12 : 19, the same proverbial 
 hyperbole was used, and was per- 
 fectly well understood. "The icorld is 
 gone after Him." Observe — These 
 four gospel narratives seem each to 
 have had a specific aim, which natu- 
 rally would control the selections from 
 our Lord's words and works, under 
 the suggestion of the Holy Spirit. As 
 
CHAP. XXI. 
 
 343 
 
 written every one, I suppose that 
 even the world itself could not 
 
 ■we have seen, John had it for his ob- 
 ject to record the proof of our Lord's 
 Divine Person and Mission; and here, 
 at the lust, he testifies to the immensity 
 of His doings. Observe — We have so 
 viany books in order that we may have 
 a variety of independent testimonies — 
 we have so many writers that we may 
 have the excellent harmony of their 
 
 contain the " books that should be 
 written. Amen. 
 
 o Am. 7. 10. 
 
 statements, as given from every point 
 of view. AVe have so few details recorded, 
 lest the memory should be overbui'- 
 dened, and lest the Word of God, which 
 is the Book of Life^ — the charter of 
 salvation — should be unwieldy, and be 
 confined to a few, or to a class, instead 
 of being accessible and intelligible to 
 
 ALL. 
 
[see page 8-1.] 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 39-42. 
 
 This paragraph, -which recortls the extension of the Gospel to the Samaritans, 
 by the ministry of our Lord, lias an important connection with the progress of 
 Christianity, under the Apostles, and its extension to the Gentile world, as re- 
 corded in the Acts. Though here was a rival religion, full of bitterness to- 
 wards Judaism and its worship — though here was a mongrel people, full of 
 hatred towards the Jew,~ as a nation, our Lord had come on earth to be " the 
 Saviour of the world," and here was the "well of Jacob" to whom the angel of 
 the covenant, in the vision of the ladder, had promised, "Thy seed shall be as 
 the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the 
 east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all 
 the families of the earth be blessed." Gen. 28: 14. The twelve were expressly 
 charged to turn aside from this people, and to "go b.vther to the lost sheep 
 of the House of I.-rael." Matt. 10:5. But the Good Shepherd had other sheep 
 which were not of this fold-— them also He must bring, and they should hear 
 His voice, and there should iio one flock and one Shepherd. Ch. 10: 16, Notes. 
 Therefore, though these Samaritans afterwards refused Him and His disciples 
 ■the common hospitalities of their country, because His face was as though He 
 would go to Jerusalem — and though this very John then asked if he should call 
 down fire from heaven upon them, as Elias did, (Luke 9: 51-55,) the blessed 
 Saviour relinked him and said, " The Sen of JIan is not come to destroy men's 
 lives, but to save them." And John himself was afterwards, in his Apostolic 
 ininistr}', called to go down to Samaria, and to prijy rather for the baptism of the 
 Holy Ghost and of fire to descend upon them. Acts 8: 15. 
 
 39 And many of the Samaritans 
 of that eit}' believed on him for the 
 saying * of the woman, which testi- 
 fied, He tokl me all that ever I did. 
 
 40 So when the Samaritans were 
 
 a rer. '.'9. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 39. It is noted most expressly to the 
 credit of the Samaritans that they be- 
 lieved upon the simple report of the 
 woman, while the Jews, amidst His 
 miracles, demanded a sign from Heav- 
 en. Ch. 2: 18. These Samaritans of 
 the citj' believed even before they had 
 eeen Him. " V/ ouderful facility," says 
 Bengal. Compare ch. 5 : 40 and vs. 
 48. ' 
 
 40. The people proved their earnest 
 interest and confidence by beseeching 
 Him to remain with them. So He did 
 
 come unto him. they besought him 
 that he would tarry with them : 
 and he abode there two days. 
 
 41 And many more believed be- 
 cause of his own word; 
 
 for a season. He loves to staj' where 
 He is wanted. This Sychar, now 
 called Nablous, is one of the most 
 thrifty and prosperous towns in Pales- 
 tine, in the midst of a well-watered 
 region, beautifully located between 
 Gerizim and Ebal, with the Mount of 
 Blessing evidently the most over- 
 shadowing it, and drawing to this day 
 perhaps blessings from the well which 
 Jesus opened then and there. 
 
 41, 42. His own word. The woman 
 
 published the news with much success: 
 
 but Christ with more. "Come and 
 
 see" is always Christ's invitation. And 
 
 (844) 
 
346 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 42 And said unto the woman, 
 Now we believe, not because of 
 thy saying ; for * we have heard 
 
 o c. 17. 8. 1 John 4. 14. 
 
 ever since Jesus uttered these signifi- 
 cant words to those first inquirers, 
 Andrew and John, (ch. 1 : 39.) His 
 disciples have used them to others. 
 Philip said " Come and see," (ch. 1 : 
 46,) and the Samaritan woman said 
 " Come and see," vs. 29. And they 
 who responded to the call, found that 
 the half had not been told them. " Let 
 him that heareth say come." Rev. 22: 
 19. Observe — 1. How tlieir faith, built 
 upon direct pei-soual contact with 
 Christ, fully confirmed her testimony, 
 even while it seemed to set it aside ! 
 2. When we have had this personal 
 communion with Christ, we can say 
 we have heard him ourselves, and 
 KNOW that this is indeed — as the preacher 
 or teacher declares — the Christ. 3. 
 This is the people about whom Christ 
 had charged the twelve Apostles, in 
 their first temporary commission — 
 " Into any city of the Samaritans enter 
 ye not." They were counted as next 
 to the heathen. How blessed this 
 visit of our Lord Himself to them now. 
 This is now the beginning of the fulfill- 
 ment of those large promises made to 
 the patriarch. This is the first gather- 
 ing in of the aliens into the fold of 
 Christ. Here, where Israel owned the 
 first portion of ground possessed by 
 the patriarchs in the Holy Land, (ex- 
 cept for sepulchres,) where he dug 
 his well and opened a water-spring for 
 the thirsty, Jesus now drinks, and the 
 New Testament Joseph appears as the 
 ^^ Fountain opened," (of Zechariah,) and 
 as the "fruitful bough — even a fruitful 
 bough by a well, whose branches run 
 over the wall." Observe — How large 
 the terms of their confession — "the 
 S.4.VI0UR OF THE world" — uot of the 
 
 him ourselves, and know that thia 
 is indeed the Christ, the Saviour 
 of the world. 
 
 Jews only, nor of the Samaritans alone, 
 but of the world. They had not read 
 in vain their books of Moses — that "all 
 nations of the earth," and " all fami- 
 lies," were to be blessed in the pi"o- 
 mised seed. And the Frophet like unto 
 Moses had come. We Gentiles ought 
 surely to speak of Christ as lite Saviour 
 of the world, and to publish His Gospel 
 to all nations. 
 
 The Samaritans, as a mixed people — 
 partly of foreign extraction — were at 
 special enmity with the .Jews since 
 the time of the building of the Temple 
 by Zerubbabel, which they had seri- 
 ously interrupted. And though our 
 Lord had instructed the twelve, "Into 
 any city of the Samaritans enter ye 
 not," (Matt. 10: 5,) yet He himself 
 comes hither tD sow the seed which 
 should afterwards yield so plentifully 
 to the reaping of His Apostles. On the 
 eve of His Ascension, He declared to 
 them that next to Jerusalem and all 
 Judea, they should be witnesses to His 
 name in Samaria, and after that "into 
 the uttermost parts of the earth." 
 Acts 1 : 8. Samaria, in Apostolic 
 times, stood thus as a connecting link 
 between Jews and Gentiles. Accord- 
 ingly, this was the very path which 
 Christianity actually took. When it 
 was ready to overflow the ancient 
 banks, after Stephen's persecution, 
 Philip preached first at Samaria, and 
 " they received the word of God," 
 (Acts 8 : 14,) and through Peter and 
 this very John, the Holy Ghost was 
 imparted to them, tiU at length the 
 Gospel passed quite over to the Gen- 
 tiles, and while the Piiest and Levite 
 turn aside, "the Good Samaritan" 
 draws nigh. Luke 10: 33. 
 
OUTLINE OF EVENTS IN PALESTINE, &c. 
 
 PRIOR TO THE ADVENT OF OUR LORD, AND AFTERWARD, UNTIL 
 THE DEATH OF JOHN. 
 
 Before Clirist. 
 
 167. The Maccabean wars commenced under Mattathias. 
 166. The Maccabean princes and rise of the Asmonean power. 
 
 (" The Asmonean family descended from Mattathias, the father of Judas 
 Maccabeus, a priest of the course of Joarib, united in their own per- 
 sons the civil and ecclesiastical authority.") — Hale. 
 165. " The daily sacrifices," which were discontinued B. C. 168, are now re- 
 sumed; thus fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel (12: 7). 
 163. The Asmonean dynasty. — Hale. Judns is appointed governor of Judea. 
 160. First treaty of alliance with Rome. Embassy to Rome — the Jews are 
 
 admitted as friends and allies. 
 143. The Jewish nation declared independent. Simon rules both as prince and 
 
 priest — fortifies Jerusalem and Judea. 
 141. John (Hyrcanus) general of the forces. 
 
 136. Hyrcanus, attacked by Ptolemy, takes refuge in Jerusalem, and rules as 
 priest and king. (The rise of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes 
 traced by some historians to this reign.) 
 133. End of the Apocryphal writings. 
 130. Hjrcanus independent of Syria. He destroys the Samaritan temple on 
 
 Mount Gerizim, and brings Samaria under his rule. 
 125. Prosperous wars of John Hyrcanus. Dissensions of the Pharisees and 
 
 Sadducees. 
 109. Prosperous period of Judea. 
 
 106. Death of John Hyrcanus. His son Aristobulus becomes priest and king. 
 105. Alexander Janneus, his third son, succeeds as king. 
 103. Cleopatra of Egypt assists the Jews. 
 95. Insurrection of the Pharisees, 6,000 Jews massacred by the hired troops. 
 89. Civil wai". The Pharisees receive aid from Syria. 6,000 Jews revolt 
 
 from the Syi'ians, and join Janneus. 
 85. Suppression of the Pharisaic revolt — 50,000 rebels having perished in 
 
 tlie war. 
 09. Hyrcanus, High Priest, declared king. Aristobulus II. claims the throne 
 
 — defeats Hyrcanus, who then resigns. 
 66. Antipater, an Idumean, instigates Hyrcanus to struggle for the crown. 
 G5. Civil war. Aretas, an Arabian prince, assists Hyrcanus, and shuts up 
 
 Aristobulus in the Temple. 
 64. Roman interference. Arctiis withdraws from Jerusalem — on his way 
 home is defeated bv Aristobulus with great slaughter. 
 
 (346) 
 
OUTLINE OF EVENTS IN PALESTINE, &c. 847 
 
 BOMAX DOMUNATION 
 Before Christ. 
 
 64. The claimants fox- tlic crown plead their cause before Pompey, the 
 Iloman general, at Damascus. Arislobulus, fearing the reBult, hastens 
 back to Jerusalem, and prepares it for a siege. 
 
 G3. Pompey is admitted into .Jerusalem by the party of Hyrcanus. The 
 Temple is taken — 12,000 having perished. Aristobulus is sent prisoner 
 to Rome. Pompey profanes the Temple. lie enters the Holy of Holies, 
 (being the first man, except the High Priests, wlio had ever dared to 
 do so.) 
 
 6L Pompey's two triumphs as the conqueror of 15 kingdoms and 400 cities 
 Sep. 23. 
 
 JUDEA IS MADE TRIBUTARY TO ROME. 
 
 60. The First Ti'iumvirate at Rome (Ccesar, Pompey and Crassus, Triumvirs). 
 57. Five supreme independent Sanhedrims established. ("The corruption 
 
 of public morals was at this time at a fearful height.") 
 54. Crassus plunJers the Temple of two mil. ions pounds sterling — 10,000 
 
 talents. 
 47. Antipater made procurator of Judea under Hyrcanus, prince and high 
 
 pi'iest. Phasael his son is governor of Jerusalem, Herod his second 
 
 son governor of Galilee, who frees Galilee from I'obbers — is summoned 
 
 before the Sanhedrim. 
 46. Herod obtains the rule of Coele Syria. 
 40. Herod applies at Rome, and is appointed King of Judea by the Roman 
 
 Triumvirate — he returns with the title of " King of the Jews." 
 39. Contests between Her.pd and Antigonus. 
 38. Jerusalem besieged by Herod and the Romans. 
 37. Jerusalem taken by storm — awful massacre of the inhabitants. Antigonus 
 
 put to death as a common malefactor — thus tei'minating the Asmonean 
 
 dynasty, after a term of 126 to 129 years. 
 
 IDUMEAN KINGS UNDER ROME. 
 
 Hei'od ascends the throne of Judea. The Asmonean family and the 
 Sanhedrim, except two, destroj'ed. 
 
 80. Herod submits to Octavius, and is re-appointed king. His dominions 
 include Samaria, Galilee, Petrea, Iturea, Trachonitis and Idumea, be- 
 sides Judea. 
 
 28. Census of the Roman Commonwealth, 10,500,000 F. C. 17,258,761— 
 Census of Rome 4,164,000. 
 
 27. [Rome ceases to be a Republic. The title '• Auffusius" conferred upon Cre- 
 sar Octavius.) 
 
 THE EMPIRE OP ROME. 
 
 (Revenue of the State, 40,000,000 sterling. The Pantheon built.) 
 19. Herod commences preparations for rebuilding the Temple. 
 17. Rebuilding of the Temple commenced. (From this year to the first Pass- 
 over of our Lord's ministry, forty-six years. John 2 : 20.) 
 9. The Alexandrian Jews confirmed in their privileges by the emperor, 
 
 Augustus Ctesar. 
 8. Herod visits Rome — loses the favor of Cresar — obtains permission to kill 
 
 his two sons by Mariamne. 
 7. Judea virtually reduced to a Roman province. Herod a nominal king 
 fi'om this time. 
 
348 OUTLINE OF EVENTS IN PALESTINE, &c. 
 
 Before Christ. 
 
 4. — (That is, four years before the Common Era, called "Anno Domini.") 
 
 BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST ODE LORD AT BETHLEHEM. 
 
 Riot in Jerusalem. The Roman eagle over the temple thrown down. 
 
 3. Herod dies. By his will he appoints Archelaus, King of Judea, Samaria 
 and Idumea — Philip, Tetrarch of Trachonitis, Gaulonitis and Batanea — 
 and Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. See Notes on Matt. 2 : 22. 
 
 2. Archelaus proceeds to Rome, where he is accused of despotism and cru- 
 elty. (A. D. 6.) Cassar entitles him Ethnarch of Judea. He is banished 
 to Vienne A. D. 6. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN ERA. 
 
 This was first used as a notation of time about the year 527, by Dionysius 
 Exiguus, a Roman Abbot. It was intended to form a reckoning from the In- 
 carnation of our Lord. But chronologistshave found that it was set four years 
 too lale. Yet it is so generally received that the error is not often regarded 
 — and the j'ear A. D. passes as the Common or Vulgar Christian Era, though 
 for exact calculation it is important to note and allow for the difference. 
 Blunders often occur on account of this inaccuracy. For example, our Lord's 
 ministry, which commenced when He was 30 years of age, is to be set at A. D, 
 26 — and His crucifixion, which was at 33 years of age, was at A. D. 29 30. 
 
 A. D. 
 
 6. JUDEA UNDER ROMAN PROCURATORS. 
 
 8. Jesus goes at twelve years of age to Jerusalem, and remains behind at 
 the Temple. 
 14. Tiberius sole Emperor. 
 19. Expulsion of the Jews from Piome. 
 
 25. Pontius Pilate succeeds Gratus in the Pro-consulship of Judea. His 
 
 tyranny excites disaffection. 
 
 26. John the Baptist's ministry commences. He baptizes Jesus. Our Lord's 
 
 ministry begins six months after John's commences. 
 30. Crucifixion of our Lord, at 33 years of age. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH FOUNDED IN JERUSALEM. 
 
 Tiberius sole Emperor — (A. D. 14-37.) Caiaphas High Priest. PUate 
 Governor. 
 37. Caligula Emperor, Stephen the first martyr. The Gospel in Samaria 
 Conversion of Cornelius. First Gentile church at Antioch. Conversion 
 of Saul. 
 
 41. Claudius Emperor. He appoints Agrippa king over Herod's dominions. 
 
 42. Ilerod Agrippa King of Judea. 
 
 44. Martyrdom of James, son of Zebedee, and brother of John. 
 
 Death of Herod. 
 50. Synod at Jerusalem. 
 54. Nero Emperor. 
 
 60. Paul's voyage as prisoner to Rome. His Martyi'dom, (03 or 08.) 
 04. Burning of Rome. Nero's persecution of the Christians. 
 70. Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus. 
 70-95. John labors in Asia Minor, (Ephesus, &c.) His Gospel-History and 
 
 Epistles. 
 
 95. John's exile at Patmos, under Domitian. The Apocalypse. 
 
 96. Return to Ephesus. 
 100-102. John's death. 
 
DATE DUE 
 
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 GAYLORD 
 
 
 
 PRINTED IN U.S.A.