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EXPOSITOET THOUGHTS

ST. JOHN. VOL. II.

RTLE^S COMMEJS'TuLRIES.

ExFosiTORY Thoughts on the Gospels. Bt Bev. J. C. Ryle.
Matthew  ^1.50
Mark  1.50
Luke. 2 vols  3.00
John. Vols. 1 and II. Each . . 1.50
"Mr. Rylo ia one of tbe most plain, positive, and practical writers of tbe
day. He goes directly to his subject, and finds a straight path to tbe heart
of his reader. Tbe excellences of bis style are brought out with great force
and Impressiveness in this expository volume on Matthew. It is not critical,
but practical, seeking to bring tbe idea of Christ's words home to tbe conscience
for reflection and improvement." — Rick. Christian Advocate,
"In these brief and familiar comments we find, combined witb tbe fruits of
tbe author's critical study of tbe Scriptures, that fervent piety, earnest love
for souls, and directness of address to tbe heart and conscience, wbicb have
rendered his writings so deservedly popular amongst evangelical Christians
of every name. These notes will be found a pleasant and profitable companion
for the closet, as well as useful for family instruction." — Presbyterian.
"The general complaint against expositors cannot be preferred against Mr.
Rylc, namely, that they pass over the really difficult passages. To these be
has devoted great and successful attention ; nor do we know any work in which
a person ignorant of the Greek tongue can obtain so much satisfaction as to
tbe meaning of tbe original words without being troubled witb a provoking
parade of learning, worthless to the ordiaary reader." — Colonial Presbyterian,

Expository Thoughts

ON

THE GOSPELS.

FOB FAMILY AND PRIVATE USE.

JffiSitlj tljc SCtit Complete.

BY

THE REV. J. C. RYLE, M.A.,
VTOAR OP 8TRADER0KB,
HONORARY OAWOH OF NORWICH, AND RURAL DEAN OF
HORNB, BUFfOLK.

ST. JOHN.
Vol. J\

From the Library
OF THE
Rev. Henry H, Washbarn

NEW Y(
ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS,
530 Bkoadwat. 1875.

PREFACE TO SECOND VOLUME.

In sending forth the second volume of my ' ' Exposi
tory Thoughts on St. John," I have little or nothing
to add to the introduction with which I prefaced the
first volume.
In the general plan of the work, — in the style of
expositions, notes, and critical remarks, — in the list
of Commentators employed and consulted in preparing
the whole, the reader will find little difference be
tween this volume and the one which preceded it. I
have rigidly adhered to the line which I marked out
to myself at first. In the notes I have gone steadily
forward through every verse, endeavouring to throw
light on the meaning of every word, evading no diffi
culty, examining every disputable point, trying to un
tie every knot, and carefully availing myself of help
from every quarter.
The doctrinal views of religion to which I gave ex
pression in the first volume, will be foimd unchanged
In the second. The fourteen years which have

vi PREFACE TO SECOND VOLUME.
" passed over" me since I first began writing on the
Gospels, I humbly hope have not been thrown away.
They have been to me years of many trials, and I
may add of much work, much reading, much reflec
tion, and not a little prayer. At tbe end of these
fourteen years, I feel more than ever convinced that
what are called "Evangelical" views of Christian
truth are thoroughly Scriptural views, and will bear
the test of any fair investigation. The longer I live
the more firmly am I persuaded that no system' of di
vinity is so entirely in harmony with the Bible, as the
system which rightly or wrongly is called ' ' Evan
gelical." In short, I am not .ashamed of saying once more
that in matters of doctrine I am an " Evangelical
Churchman," and that I am so because I can find no
other doctrinal system in the New Testament, when
fairly and reasonably interpreted. Let me add, once
for all, that nothing so much confirms me iu my opin
ions, as the broad fact that " Evangelical " views are
those to which I see men of all schools of opiniou
turn for comfort when they leave the world. I
observe continually that learned and zealous High
Churchmen, after denouncing " Evangelicalism" as a
defective system for many years, are only too happy
to take refuge in simple Evangelical doctrines when
they lie on their death-beds. That fact alone speaks

PREFACE TO SECOND VOLUME. vii
volumes. Give me the doctrines that men clins: to,,
and find soul-comforting in the hour of death !
I now send forth this volume with an earnest prayer
that God may bless it and make it useful. Ignorance
of Scripture, I feel more than ever, is the curse of
these latter days. Men read many books, and yet
neglect " the one Book." If I can help to make the
Bible more plain and interesting to any man's soul, I
shall be abundantly content.
J. C. EYLE.
iStradbroke Vicarage,
22d October, 1869.
P. S. I hope, if it please God to prolong life,
health, and a moderate degree of leisure, to carry on
my work on St. John without delay. A third vol
ume will complete it. If any one will take the
trouble to count all the verses in St. John's Gospel,
he will find that the last nine chapters contain about
the game quantity of matter as the first six, and the
second six chapters. 1 have therefore good ground
for thinking that the third volume will not exceed in
length either of the two which have preceded it.
After finishing ' ' Expository Thoughts ou the Gos
pels," I hope to attempt " Expository Thoughts oa
the Acts of the Apostles.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

vu.

John. 1—13.

Hardness and unbelief of man, — reason
why many hate Christ, — various opin
ions about Christ

Pagb

1—6

13— IT

14 — ^24. Honest obedience the way to spiritual
knowledge, — a self-exalting spirit in
ministers deprecated, — the danger of
hasty judgments.
25 — 36. Blindness of unbelieving Jews, — God's
overruling hand over His enemies, —
miserable end of unbelievers . 27 — 30
87 — 39. A case supposed, — a remedy proposed, —
a promise held out

39—43

40 — 53. TJselessness of mere head-knowledge, —
singular greatness of our Lord's gifts
as a teacher, — the work of grace in the
heart sometimes gradual . . 60-

-54

vin. 1—11.

12—20.

The power of conscience,-
true repentance .

-the nature of

61—64

Christ the light of the world, — promise
to those who follow Christ, — Christ's
exposure of His enemies' ignorance. 74-

-77

21—30.

Christ may be sought in vain, — differ
ence between Christ and the wicked, —
the avpful end of unbelief .

87-91

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

John.
VIII. 31 — 36. Importance of steady perseverance in
religion, — nature of true slavery, — na-

Pagk

IX.

87—47.

48—59.

1—12.

ture of true liberty

100—104

Ignorant self-righteousness of natural
man, — true marks of spiritual sonship,
— reality and character of the devil 109 — 113
Blasphemous language addressed to our
Lord, — encouragement to believers, —
Abraham's knowledge of Christ, —
Christ's pre-existence . . 122 — 126

Sin the cause of sorrow in this world, —
the importance of using opportunities,
— dififerent means used by Christ in
working miracles, — Christ's almighty
power  134-

13 — 25. Jewish ignorance of right use of Sab
bath, — desperate lengths to which
prejudice leads men, — seeing and feel
ing an irresistible evidence . 149-

¦138

-151

26 — 41. Poor men sometimes wiser than the
rich, — cruelty of unconverted men, —
danger of knowledge if not rightly
used  159—163

1 — 9. Picture of a false minister, — picture of
true Christians,— picture of Christ

Himself

175—178

10 — 18. Object for which Christ came into the
world, — Christ's ofBco as a Shepherd,

19—30.

— Christ's death a voluntary act.

188—191

Christ the innocent cause of strifes and
controversies, — name given by Christ
to true Christians, — the vast privileges
of true Christians . . . 202-

-206

TABLE OF CONTENI^.

XI

John. 31—42.

Page

XI.

Wickedness of human nature, — honour
put on Scripture by Christ,— impor
tance attached by Christ to His mira
cles  215-

-219

1 — 6. True Christians may be ill as well as
others, — Christ is the best Friend in
time of need, — Christ loves all true
Christians, however varying in tem
perament, — Christ knows best the
time to help .... 228—331
7 — 16. Christ's ways with His people some
times mysterious, — Christ's tender lan
guage about His people, — natural tem
perament shows itself in all believers 242 — 246
17 — 29. Mixture of grace and weakness in be
lievers, — need of having clear views of
Christ's person, office, and power 254—257

30—37.

88—46.

xn.

47—57.

1—11.

Blessing bestowed on sympathy, —
depth of sympathy in Christ for His
people  267—270
Christ's words about the stone over the
grave of Lazarus, — Christ's words ad
dressed to Martha when she doubted,
^Christ's words to God the Father, —
Christ's words addressed to Lazarus
in his grave .... 277 — 281
Wickedness of man's natural heart, —
blind ignorance of God's enemies, — im
portance often attached by bad men to
ceremonial  291 — 2t>
Abounding proofs of the truth of Christ's
miracles, — discouragement Christ's
friends meet with from man, — man's
hardness and unbelief . . 306 — 310

11 TABLE OP CONTENTS.
John. . Pagf
XII. 12 — 19. Christ's sufferings entirely voluntary, —
prophecies about Christ's first advent
minutely fulfilled . . . 321—325
20 — 26. Death the way to spiritual life, — Christ's
servants must follow Him . . 331 — 335
27 — 33. Man's sin Imputed to Christ, — Christ's
internal conflict, — God's voice heard
from heaven, — Christ's prophecy about
His being lifted up . . . 341—345
84—43. Duty of using present opportunities, —
hardness of man's heart,- -power of
the love of this world . . 357 — 360
44 — 50. Dignity of Christ, — certainty of a judg
ment to come .... 371 — 374

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS

ON THE GOSPELS.

. JOHN VII. 1—13.

1 After these things Jesus walked in
Galilee : for he would not walk in Jew
ry, because the Jews sought to kill
him. 2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles
was at hand.
3 His brethren therefore said unto
him, Depart hence, and go into Judtea,
that thy disciples also may see the
works that thou doest.
4 For there is no man that doetb any
thing in secret, and he himself seeketh
to be known openly. If thou do these
things, shew thyself to the world.
5 For neither did his brethren be
lieve in him.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, My
time is not yet come: but your time
is alway ready.
7 The world cannot hate you; but

me it hateth, because I testify of it,
that the works thereof are evil.
8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not
up yet unto this feast; for my time ia
not yet full come.
9 When he had said these words un
to them, lie abode still in Galilee.
10 TT But when his brethren were
gone up, then went he also up unto the
feast, not openly, but as it were in se
cret. 11 Then the Jews sought him at the
feast, and said, Where is he ?
12 And there was much murmuring
among the people concerning him: for
sorae said. He is a good man: others
said. Nay ; but ho deceiveth the peo
ple. 13 Howbeit no man spake openly of
hira for fear of the Jews.

The chapter we now begin is divided from the preceding
one by a wide interval of time. The many miracles which
our Lord wrought, while He " walked in Galilee," are
passed over by St. John in comparative silence. The
events which he was specially inspired to record are those
which took place in or near Jerusalem.
We should observe in this passage ihe desperate hard
ness and unbelief of human nature. We are told that even
our Lord's " brethren did not belte^e in Him." Holy and
1

2 EXPOSITOET THOUGHTS.
harmless and blameless as He was in life, some of his
nearest relatives, according to the flesh, did not receive
Him as the Messiah. It was bad enough that His own
people, " the Jews sought to kill Him." But it was even
worse that " His brethren did not believe."
That great Scriptural doctrine, man's need of preventing
and converting grace, stands out here, as if written with a
sunbeam. It becomes all who question that doctrine to
look at this passage and consider. Let them observe that
seeing Christ's miracles, hearing Christ's teaching, living
in Christ's own compan}', were not enough to make men
believers. The mere possession of spiritual privileges never
yet made any one a Christian. All is useless without the
effectual and applying work of God the Holy Ghost. No
wonder that our Lord said in another place, " No man can
come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw
him." (John vi. 44.)
The true servants of Christ in every age will do well to
remember this. They are often surprised and troubled to
find that in religion they stand alone. They are apt to
fancy that it must be their own fault that all around them
are not converted like themselves. They are ready to
blame themselves because their families remain worldly
and unbelieving. But let them look at the verse before us.
In our Lord Jesus Christ there was no fault either in tem
per, word, or deed. Yet even Christ's own " brethren did
not believe in Him.''
Our blessed Master has truly learned by experience how
to sympathize with all his people who stand alone. This
is a thought "full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable
comfort." He knows the heart of every isolated believer,
and can be touched with the feeling of his trials. He has
drunk this bitter cup. He has passed through this fire.
Let all who are fainting and cast down, because brothers
and sisters despise their religion, turn to Christ for com-

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 3
fort, and pour out their hearts before Him. He " has
suffered Himself being tempted" in this way, and He
can help as well as feel. (Heb. ii. 18.)
We should observe, for another thing, in this passage,
one principal reason why many hate Christ. We are told
that our Lord said to His unbelieving brethren " The world
cannot hate you ; but me it hateth, because I testify of it,
that the works thereof are evil."
These words reveal one of those secret principles which
influence men in their treatment of religion. They help to
explain that deadly enmity with which many during our
Lord's earthly ministry regarded Him and His Gospel.
It was not so much the high doctrines which He preached,
as the high standard of practice which He proclaimed,
which gave offence. It was not even His claim to be
received the Messiah which men disliked so much, as His
witness against the wickedness of their lives. In short,
they could have tolerated His opinions if He would only
have spared their sins.
The principle, we may.be sure, is one of universal ap
plication. It is at work now just as much as it was
eighteen hundred years ago. The real cause of many
people's dislike to the Gospel is the holiness of living
which it demands. Teach abstract doctrines only, and
few will find any fault. Denounce the fashionable sins of
the day, and call on men to repent and walk consistently
with God, and thousands at once will be offended. The
true reason wh3' many profess to be infidels, and abuse
Christianit3'^, is the witness that Christianity bears against
their own bad lives. — Like Ahab, they hate it, " because
it does not prophesy good concerning them, but evil." (1
Kings xxxii. 8.)
We should observe, lastlj"-, in this passage, the strange va
riety of opinions about Christ, -which were current from the
beginning. We are told that " there was much murmuring

4 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
among the people concerning him : for some said. He is a
good man : others said. Nay, but he deceiveth the people."
The words which old Simeon had spoken thirty years be
fore were here accomplished in a striking manner. He
had said to our Lord's mother, " This child is set for the
fall and rising again of many in Israel : and for a sign
which shall be spoken against ; — that the thoughts of
many hearts may be revealed." (Luke ii. 34, 35.) In the
diversities of opinion about our Lord which arose among
the Jews, we see the good old man's saying fulfilled.
In the face of such a passage as this, the endless
differences and divisions about religion, which we see on
all sides, in the present day, ought never to surprise us.
The open hatred of some toward Christ, — the carping, fault
finding, prejudiced spirit of others, — the bold confession
of the few faithful ones, — the timid, man-fearing temper of
the many faithless ones, — the unceasing war of words and
strife of tongues with which the Churches of Christ are so
sadly familiar, — are only modern symptoms of an old dis
ease. Such is the corruption of human natui'e, that Christ
is the cause of division among men, wherever He is
preached. So long as the world stands, some, when they
hear of Him, will love, and some will hate, — some will
believe, and some will believe not. That deep, prophetical
saying of His will be continually verified : " Think not
that I am come to send peace on earth ; I came not to
send peace, but a sword." (Matt. x. 34.)
What think we of Christ ourselves? This is the one
question with which we have to do. Let us never be
ashamed to be of that little number who believe on Him,
hear His voice, follow Him, and confess Him before men.
While others waste their time in vain jangling and un
profitable controversy, let us take up the cross and o-ive
all diligence to make our calling and election sure. The
children of this world may hate us, as it hated our Master

JOHN, CHAP. VII. 5
because our religion is a standing witness against them.
But the last day will show that we chose wisely, lost
nothing, and gained a crown of glory that fadeth not
away. Notes. Johx VII. 1—13.
1, — [After these things Jesus walked in Oalilee.'] These words
cover a space of about six months. The events of the last
chapter took place about the time of the Passover, in spring.
The events of the chapter we now begin took place in autumn,
at the feast of tabernacles. WhatourLord did in Galilee during
these six months St. John p.asses over in silence. His Gospel,
with the exception of the 1st, 2ud, 4th, and 6th chapters, is
almost entirely taken up with our Lord's doings in or near
Jerusalem. He was, at this period of His ministry, entirely
absent from Jerusalem, it would seem, for about eighteen
months. Tiie expression* "walked" must be taken flgur.atively. It
simply means, that our Lord " lived, dwelt, sojourned, was
going to and fro, and passing his time." The Greek word is in
the imperfect tense, and denotes a continuous action or habit.
[He would not vialk in Jewry.] This would be more literally
rendered, " He did not will, or desire, or clioose to walk." The
use of the word "Jewry " by our translators is to be regretted,
and seems uncalled for. The Greek word so rendered is the
same that is rendered "Judaea " in the third verse.
[Because the Jews sought to kill him.] By "the Jews" we
must understand the leaders and rulers of the Jewish nation.
There is no proof that the lower orders felt the same enmity
that the upper classes did against our Lord. "The common
people heard Him gladly." (Mark xii. 37.) The depth and
bitterness of this hatred against Christ may be seen in their
wish to kill Him. It seems to have been a settled plan with the
Jews from the time when the miracle was wrought at the pool
of Bethesda. (John v. 16, 18.) They could neither answer
Him, nor silence Him, nor prevent the common people listening
to Him. They resolved therefore to kill Him.
Our Lord's example recorded in this verse shows clearly that
Christians are not meant to court martyrdom, or wilfully expose
themselves to certain death, nuder the idea that it is their duty.
Many primitive martyrs seem not to have understood this.
2. — [Jews' feast of tabernacles.] This expression, like manyothers
in St. John's Gospel, shows that he wrote for the Gentiles, wno
knew little of Jewish customs and feasts. Hence "the Jews'
feast." The feast of tabernacles was one of the three great feasts in
the Jewish year, when, by God's command, all pious Jews went

^

6 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
up to Jerusalem. (Deut. xvi. 16.) It was held in autumn, aftei
the completion of the harvest, in the seventh month. The lime
of the Jewish " Passover " answered to our Easter, " Pentecost "
to our Whitsuntide, and " Tabernacles " to our Michaelmas.
The seventh month was remarkable for the number of ordi
nances which the law of Moses required the Jews to observe.
Ou the flrst day was the feast of trumpets, on the tenth day was
the day of atonement, and on the fifteenth began the feast of
tabernacles. There are several things peculiar to the feast of tabernacles,
which ought to be remembered in reading this chapter, because
some of them throw light on it. (1) It was an occasion of
special mirth and rejoicing with the Jews. They were ordered
to dwell in booths, or tabernacles made of branches, for seven
days, in remembrance of their dwelling in temporary booths
when they came out of Egypt, and to " rejoice before the Lord."
(Lev. xxiii. 39 — 43.) (2) It was a feast at which more sacriflces
were oft'ered up than at any of the Jewish feasts. (Num. xxix.
12 — 34.) (3) It was a feast at which, once every seven years,
the law was publicly read to the whole people. (4) It was a
feast at which water was drawn from the pool of Siloam every
day with great solemnity, and poured upon the altar, while the
people sung the 12th chapter of Isaiah. (5) It was a feast which
followed close on the great day of atonement, when the pecu
liarly typical ordinances of the scapegoat, and the High Priest
going once in the year into the holy of holies, were fresh in tbe
minds of the people. These things should be carefully noted,
and remembered, as we read through the chapter.
Josephus calls the feast of tabernacles "the holiest and
greatest feast of the Jews." It was a Kabbinical saying, "The
man who has not seen these festivities does not know what a
jubilee is."
Whether this very year, when our Lord went to the feast of
tabernacles, was the precise seventh year in which the public
reading of the law took place, we cannot now know for certainty.
Whether the custom of dwelling in booths was literally kept up
when our Lord was on earth may also be matter of question. It
certainly had not been observed for many years in the days of
Neheraiah. (Neh. viii. 17.) But that this feast was kept up with
extraordinary festivity and rejoicing in the latter days of the
Jewish dispensation is testified by all Jewish writers.
It was in the middle of this public rejoicing, and the con
course of Jews frora every part of the world, that the things
recorded in this chapter took place. It stands to reason that all
that our Lord said and did this week must have been more
than usually public, and would necessarily attract great attpn-
tion. _ ° "."'¦'cu
AVordsworth, Bu-gon, and others, consider the feast of taber
nacles to have been a very significant type of our Lord's incar-

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 7
nation. I confess that I am unable to see It. If the feast was
typical at all, which is not certain, I venture the conjecture,
that it was meant to be a type of our Lords second advent. My
reasons are these : —
(a.) It was the last in order of the Jewish feasts every year,
and formed the completion of the annual routine of Mosaic
ordinances. It wound up all.
(6.) It was kept at the end of harvest, when the year's work
was done, and the fruits were all gathered in.
(c.) It was an occasion of special rejoicing and festivity more
than any of the feasts. The dwelling in booths seems to have
been a circumstance of the feast less essential than the rejoicing.
((Z.) It followed immediately after the feast of trumpets, and
the day of atonement. On that day the High Priest went into
the holy of holies and then came out to bless the people. (See
Isa. xxvii. 13 ; 1 Thes. iv. 16.)
(e.) It followed immediately after the jubilee every fiftietlj
year. That jubilee, and proclamation of liberty to all, was in
the seventh month.
(/.) It is that special feast which, after the Jews are restored
and Jerusalem rebuilt, the nation are yet to keep in the future
kingdom of Christ. (Zech. xiv. 16.)
I venture this conjecture with much diflidence ; but I think it
deserves consideration. In the six points I have mentioned,
I see much more of the second advent than of the flrst. To my
eyes the feast of passover was a type of Christ crucified ; — the
feast of pentecost, of Christ sending forth the Holy Ghost in
this dispensation;— the feast of tabernacles, of Christ coming
again to gather His people in one joyous company, to reap the
harvest of the earth, to wind up this dispensation, to come forth
and bless His people, and to proclaim a jubilee to all the earth.
3. — [His brethren.] Who these " brethren " were is a matter of
dispute. Some think, as Alford, Stier, and others, that they
were literally our Lord's own brethren, and the children of
Mary by Joseph, born after our Lord's birth. (See Psalm Ixix.
8.) — Some think, as Theophylact and others, that they were
the children of Joseph by a former marriage, and brought up
by Mary under the same roof with our Lord. — Others think, as
Augustine, Zwingle, Musoulus, and Bengel, that the word
"brethren" does not necessarily mean raore than cousins or
kinsmen. (See 1 Chron. xxiii. 22.) This is the most probable
opinion. I take these "brethren" to have been relatives and
kinsmen of Joseph and Mary, living at Nazareth, or Capernaum,
or elsewhere in Galilee, — who naturally observed all our Lord's
doings w'th interest and curiosit}-, but at present did not believe
on Him.. To suppose, as some do, that these brethren were
some of our Lord's Apostles, is to my mind a most improbable
theory, and flatly contrarj- to the 5th verse of this chapter.

8 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
If Mary really had sons after the birth of our Lord, it cer
tainly seems strange that our Lord should commend her to the
care of John, on the cross, and not to her own sons. His half-
brethren. That at the latter part of His ministry He had some
" brethren" who were not Apostles, but believed, is clear from
Acts i. 14. But whether they were the " brethren " of the text
before us, we have no means of ascertaining.
[Depart. ..go into Jxtdxa, that thy disciples, etc.] This recom
mendation, as well as the next verse, looks like tlie advice of
men who as yet were not convinced of our Lord's Messiahship.
The exp'ression "that Thy disciples may see," seeras also to
indicate that the speakers were not yet of the number of our
Lord's disciples. The language is that of bystanders looking on,
waiting to see how the question is to be settled, before they make
up their own minds. It is as though they said, — " Make haste,
rally a party round Thee, show some public proof that Thou art
the Christ, and gather adherents." The " works " here mentioned
must evidently mean miracles. This speech seems to imply that
our Lord had a party of disciples in Judasa and at Jerusalem.
Many, it should be remembered, " believed on Him" at the flrst
passover he attended. (John ii. 23.)
4. — [For there is no man, etc.] This sentence is a kind of prover
bial saying. Every one knows that if a raan seeks to be known
openly, it is no use to do his work secretly.
[If thou do these things, show thyself to the world.] There
seems to be a latent sneer about this sentence. " If Thou really
art doing miracles to prove Thyself the Messiah, do not con
tinue to hide Thyself here in Galilee. Go up to Jerusalem, and
do miracles there," That the speakers said this from an honest
zeal for God's glory, and a sincere desire to have our Lord
known by others as well as themselves, is a view that I cannot
think probable.
Some think that the words "If Thou doest," mean "since
Thou doest," and see a parallel iu Coloss. iii. 1, — where "if"
does not imply any doubt whether the Colossiaus were " risen
with Christ." Lampe thinks it means, "if Thou really and
truly, not illusively, doest miracles."
The false standard of an unconverted man is very manifest in
this and the preceding verse. Such an one has no idea of
waiting for man's praise and favour, and being content without
it if it does not come. He thinks that a religion should have
the praise of the world, and labour to get it. The man of God
remembers that true religion does not " cry, nor strive " nor
court publicity. '
B.-~[For neither. ..brethren believe.] These words appear to me to
admit of only one meauing. They mean, that these brethren
of our Lord had at present no faith at all. They did not vpt
believe that Jesus was the Christ. They had no grace They

JOHN, CHAP. VII.

were not converted. The idea of some that the words mean,
"His brethren did not fnlly and entirely believe iu llim," Seems
to me utterly without foundation. It cannot, moreover, be
reconciled with the language that soon follows, — " The world
cannot hate you," etc. Such language cannot be applied to
disciples. The whole teaching of the Bible shovvs clearly that it
was quite possible to be a relative of Christ according to
the flesh and yet not be converted. He that does God's will is
as dear to Christ as "brother, or sister, or mother." (Mark
iii. 35.)
How frequently even the natural brethren of God's most emi
nent saints have been graceless and ungodly, every Bible reader
must often have observed. The cases of the brothers of Abel,
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and David will occur to our minds.
We should learn from a verse like this the desperate hardness
of raan's heart, the absolute necessity of grace to make any one
a disciple, and the extreme danger of familiarity with high
spiritual privileges. We should remember too, that a man may
be a truly good and holy man, and yet not have converted rela
tives. No one can give grace to his own family, " A prophet
is not without honour but in his own country," (Mark vi. 4.)
Even our Lord was not believed by all around Him, He can truly
sympathize with all His people who are in a similar position,
6.— [My time is not yei come.] These words raust nTean, that our
Lord did everything during His earthly ministry accordiug to a
preordained plan, and that he could take no step except in har
mony with that plan. He doubtless spoke with a Divine depth
of meaning that none but Himself could comprehend, and that
must have been unintelligible at the time to His "brethren."
To them His words would probably convey nothing more than
the idea that for sorae reason or other He did not think the
present a favourable opportunity for going to Jerusalera.
[Tour time is alway ready.] This sentence must mean, that
to unconverted people, like our Lord's brethren, it could make
no matter what time they went up. All tiraes were alike. They
would excite no enmity, and run no risk.
A Christian not possessing foreknowledge can only pray for
guidance and direction as to the steps of his life, and the ways ,
and times of his actions; and, having prayed, then make the
best use of his judgment, trusting that a faithful God will not let
. hira make mistakes.
7. — [The world cannot hate you.] These words surely settle the
question as to the present state of our Lord's brethren. They
were yet unconverted. Our Lord s.ays, iu another place, — "If
ye were of the world, the world would love his own," (John
XT. 19,)
[Meithateth because I testify. ..xvorlcs... evil.] The true reason of
thi.s enmity of many of the jews against Christ is here distinctly

10 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Indicated, It was not merely His claims to be received as t^e
Messiah. It was not merely the high and spiritual doctrine He
preached. It was rather His constant testimony against tue
sinful lives.and wicked practices of the raany in His day. That
adultery, covetousness, and hvpoorisy were rife and common
among "the leading Pharisees, is evident from many expressions
in ihe^Gospels. it was our Lord's witness against these darling
sins that enraged His enemies.
The wickedness of human nature is painfully shown in this
sentence. Christ was " hated," It is an utter delusion to sup
pose that there is any innate response to perfect moral purity,
or any innate admiration of " the true, the pure, the just, the
kind, the good, and tlie beautiful," in the heart of raan. God
gave raan, 1800 years ago, a perfect pattern of purity, truth, and
love, in the person of our Lord while He was upon earth. And
yet we are told He was "hated."
True Christians raust never be surprised if they are " hated"
like their Lord. " The disciple is not above his Master." —
" Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you," (Matt. x.
24; 1 John iii, 13.) In fact the more like Christ they are, the
more likely to be " hated." Moreover, they raust not be cast
down and raake themselves miserable, under the idea that it is
their inconsistencies the world hates, and that if they were more
consistent £]jid lovely in life the world would like them better.
This is a complete mistake, and a common delusion of the devil.
What the world hates about Christians is neither their doctrines,
nor their faults, but their holy lives. Their lives are a constant
testimony against the world, which raakes the men of the world
feel uncomfortable, and therefore the world hates them.
Let us note, that unpopularity among men is no proof that a
Christian is wrong, either in faith or practice. The common
notion of many, that it is a good sign of a person's character to
be well-spoken of by everybody, is a great error. When we see
how our Lord was regarded by the wicked and worldly of His
day, wc may well conclude that it is a very poor corapliraent to
be told that we are liked by everybody, I'lierecan surely be
very little " witness " about our lives if even the wicked like us.
" Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you." (Luke
vi, 26,) That sentence is too much forgotten,
Erasmus used to say, that Luther might have had an easy life,
if he had not touched the Pope's crown, and the monks' bel
lies, Bengel observes, " Those who please all men, at all times,
ought deservedly to look on themselves with suspicion."
S.—[Go ye rip. ..(his feast.] These words can hardly be called a
command. They rather mean, "If you wish to go at onop o-n
and do not tarry for Me." ' ^ '
[Igo not up yet...my time is not yet full coma.] Here the rea-

JOHN, CHAP. VII. 11
son already given and commented on is repeated. Our Lord
did not say He would not go to the feast, but not yet. There
was " a time " for all His actions, and every step of His ministry,
' and that time had not yet fully arrived ; or, as the Greek literally
means, was not " fulfilled." True Christians should remeraber
that, like their Master on this occasion, they and worldly men
cannot well work and act and move together. They will often
find it so. Their principles are difi'erent. Their reasons and
motives of action are different. They will often flud that " two
cannot walk together except they are agreed."
It seems strange that any reasonable person should see dif
ficulty in this passage, as if it threw a colour of doubt on our
Lord's veracity. Yet Augustine has a Homily on the subject in
defence of our Lord. Surely the simplest and most natural
view is, that our Lord meant, "I am not going up yet; " and
'.' ara not going, at any rate, in the public caravan with your
selves," This is Chrysostom's view and Theophylacfs, At an
early period Porphyry tried to fasten on our Lord the charge of
inconstancy of purpose, out of this passage. An enemy of
Christianity must be sadly at a loss for objections, if he can
find no better than one founded on this place.
9. — [When.. .said these words.. .abode. ..Galilee.] This means, that
He staid at the place where this conversation took place, while
His brethren started on their journey to Jerusalem. What the
place in Galilee was we are not told.
10, — [But when.. .brethren.. .gone up, then went he.] We are not
told what interval there was between our Lord's setting off for
Jerusalem, and His brethren's departure. The words before us
would seem to indicate that He set off very soon after them.
One reason perhaps for our Lord not going with them was His
desire to avoid being made a public show by His relatives.
They had very likely a carnal desire to call attention to HiiB,
and to rally a party of adherents round Him, for their own
worldly ends, i'o avoid affording any opportunity for this, our
Lord would not go in their company. He had not forgotten, no
doubt, that in Galilee there was a party who once would fain
have " taken Him by force to make Hiui a king." (John vi. 15.)
He wished to keep clear of that party.
[Not openly, but. ..in secret.] This probably only means that
our Lord did not go in the caravan, or large company of His
kinsmen, who according to custom went up together from Gali
lee, but in a more private manner. — How large the caravans or
gatherings of fellow-travellers going up to the three great feasts
must have been, we may easily see from the account of our
Lord being not missed by Mary and Joseph at flrst, when He
went up to Jerusalem with thera at the age of twelve. " Sup
posing Him to have been in their company, they went a, day's
journey, and sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaint
ance." (Luke ii" 44.)— Our Lord never sought publicity but

12 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
once, and that was when He entered Jerusalem, at the last pass-
over, just before His crucifixion. Then He wanted to draw at
tention to the great sacrifice He was about to offer up on the cross.
The contrast between His conduct on that occasion and the
present one is very remarkable.
When it says that " He went in secret," it does not neces-
s.arily mean that He went alone. There is no reason to suppose
that His own chosen Apostles had gone without Hira. It only
raeans that He did not go up publicly in the company of all
" His kinsfolk and acquaintance " frora Galilee.
11 — [Tlien the Jeios sought Him.] If, as usually is the case in St.
John, the "Jews" here mean the rulers and Pharisees, there
can be little doubt that they sought Jesus in order to kill Him,
as the first verse tells us they wished lo do. They naturally
concluded that, like all devout Jews, He would come up to Jeru
salem to the feast.
[Where is He?] Here, as in many other places, the Greek
word rendered " he " irapiies dislike and contempt. It is as if
they said, "that fellow," (See Matt, xxvii. 63,) "that de
ceiver,"
12, — [There was much murmuring.] As a general rule the Greek
word rendered "murmuring" means an undercurrent of dis
content or dislike, not openly expressed. (Thus, Acts vi. 1.)
But here, and at ver, 32, it does not seem to mean more than
muttering, and private conversation, implying only that people
were not satisfied about our Lord, and privately talked much to
one another about Him,
[TAe people.] This word in the Greek is In the plural, and
evidently means the multitude, or crowd of persons who were
gathered at Jerusalem on account of the feast, in contradistinc
tion to the rulers who are called " the Jews,"
[Some.. .good man: others. ..deceiveth.. .people.] These expres
sions show the feeling of the common people towards our Lord,
and are doubtless indicative of the classes from which the two
opinions came. The class of simple-minded, true-hearted Is
raelites, who had sufficient independence to think for them
selves, would say of our Lord, " He is a good man," So also
would the Galileans, probably, who had seen and heard most-
of our Lord's ministry. On the other hand, the class of carnal
Jews who thought nothing of true religion, and were led like a
mob at the beck of the priests and Pharisees, would probably
take their cue from the Rulers, and say, "He deceiveth the
people," simply because they were toki so. Such, probablv.
was the feeling jf the lower orders at Jerusalem.
Let it be noted that Christ is, and always has been, the cause
of division of opinion, whenever He has come or has been
preached. To some He is a savour of " life," and to othprcs of
" death." (2 Cor, ii. 16.) He draws out the true character of

JOHN, CHAP. vn.

13

mankind. They either like Him or dislike Him, Strife and
conflict of opinion are the certain consequences' of the Gospel
really coming among men with power. The fault is not iu the
Gospel but in human nature. Stillness and quiet are signs not
of life but of death. The sun calls forth miasma and malaria
from the swamps it shines upon ; but the fault is not in the sun,
but in the laud. The very same rays call forth fertility and
abundance from the cornfield.
13. — [Howbeit no man...openly... fear.. .Jews.] This expression of
course applies specially to those who favoured our Lord.
Those who hated Him would not fear to say so openly. This
verse shovvs the length to which the enmity of the Jewish ru
lers against our Lord had already gone. It was a notorious fact
among the lower orders that the heads of the nation hated
Jesus, and that it was a dangerous thing to talk favourably of
Him, or to manifest any interest in Him. The fear of man is a
powerful principle among raost people. Rulers have little idea
how many things are secretly talked of sometimes among sub
jects, and kept back frora them. Two hundred years ago, the
Stuarts could persecute all open and out-spoken favourers of
the English Puritans; but they could not prevent the lower
orders secretly talking of them, and imbibing prejudices in their
favour.

JOHN VII. 14-24.

14 IT Now about the midst of the
feast Jesus went up into the temple,
and taught,
15 And the Jews marvelled, say
ing. How knoweth this man letters,
having never learned ?
16 Jesus answered thera, and said,
My doctrine is not mine, but his that
sent me,
17 If any man will do his will, he
shall know of tbe doctrine, whether it
be of God, or whether I speak of myself,
18 He that speaketh of himself
-eeketh his own glory: but he that
rieeketh his glory that sent him, the
same is true, and no unrighteousness is
in him,
19 Did not Moses give you tbe law,
and yet none of you keepetb tbe law ?
Why go ye about to kill me ?

20 The people answered and said.
Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to
kill thee 7
21 Jesus answered and said unto
them, I have done one work, and ye
all marvel,
22 Moses therefore gave unto you
circumcision (not because it is of Mo
ses, but of the fathers) ; and ye on the
Sabbath day circumcise a man.
23 If a man on tbe Sabbath day re
ceive circumcision, that the law of
Moses should not be broken; are ya
angry at me, because I have made a
man every whit whole on tbe Sabbath
day? 24 Judge not according to tbo ap
pearance, bub judge righteous judg
ment.

We learn first in this passage, that honest obedience to Ood'a
will is one way to obtain clear spiritual knowledge. Our

14 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Lord says, " If any man will do His will, he ehall know of
the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of
myself." The difficulty of finding out " what is truth " in religion
is a common subject of complaint among men. They point
to the many differences which prevail among Christians on
matters of doctrine, and profess to be unable to decide who
is right. In thousands of cases this professed inability to
find out truth becomes an excuse for living without any
religion at all.
The saying of our Lord before us is one that demands
the serious attention of persons in this state of mind. It
supplies an argument whose edge and point they will find
it hard to evade. It teaches that one secret of getting the
kej' of knowledge is to practise honestly what we know,
and that if we conscientiously use the light that we now
have, we shall soon find more light coming down into our
minds. — In short, there is -a sense in which it is true, that
by doing we shall come to knowing.
There is a mine of truth in this principle. Well would
it be for men if they would act upon it. Instead of saying,
as sorae do, — " I must first know everything clearly, and
then I will act," — we should say, — " I will diligently use
such knowledge as I possess, and believe that in the using
fresh knowledge will be given to me." How many mys
teries this simple plan would solve ! How many hard
thing would soon become plain if men would honestly live
up to their light, and "follow on to know the Lord!"
(Hosea vi. 3.)
It should never be forgotten that God deals with us as
moral beings, and not as beasts or stones. He loves to
encourage us to self-exertion and diligent use of such means
as we have in our hands. The plain things in religion ai-e
undeniably very many. Let a man honestly attend to
them, and he shall be taught the deep things of God.

JOHN, CHAP. VII. 15
Whatever some may say about their inability to find out
truth, j-ou will rarely find pne of them who does not know
better than he practises. Then if he is sincere, let him
begin here at once. Let him humbly use what little knowl
edge he has got, and God will soon give him more. — " If
thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light."
(Matt. vi. 22.)
We learn, secondly, in this passage, that a self-exalting
spirit in ministers of religion is entirely opposed to the mind
of Christ. Our Lord says, " He that speaketh of himself
seeketh his own glory ; but he that seeketh His glory that
sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in
him." The wisdom and truth of this sentence will be evident at
once to any reflecting mind. The minister truly called of
God will be deeply sensible of his Master's majesty and
his own infirmity, and will see in himself nothing but un-
worthiness. He, on the other hand, who knows that he is
not " inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost," will try to cover
over his defects by magnifj'ing himself and his office. The
veiy desire to exalt ourselves is a had symptom. It is a
sure sign of something wrong within.
Does any one ask illustrations of the truth before us?
He will find them, on the one side, in the Scribes and
Pharisees of our Lord's times. If one thing more than
another distinguished these unhappy men, it was their
desire to get praise for themselves. — He will find them, on
the other side, in the character of the Apostle St. Paul.
The keynote that runs through all hisTEpistles is personal
humility and zeal for Christ's glory : — " I am less than the
least of all saints — I am not meet to be called an Apostle —
I am chief of sinners — we preach not ourselves but Christ
Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus'
sake." ^Ephes. iii. 8 ; 1 Cor. xv. 9 ; 1 Tim. i. 15 ; 2 Cor.
iv. 5.)

16 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Does any one ask for a test by which he may discern the
real man of God from the false shepherd in the present
day? Let him remember our Lord's weighty words, and
notice carefully what is the main object that a minister
loves to exalt. Not he who is ever crying, — " Behold the
Church! behold the Sacraments! behold the ministry!"
but he who says,— " Behold the Lamb!" — is the pastor
after God's own heart. Happy indeed is that minister
who forgets self in his pulpit, and desires to be hid behind
the cross. This man shall be blessed in his work, and be
a blessing. We learn, lastly, in this passage, the danger of forming a
hasty judgment. The Jews at Jerusalem were ready to
condemn our Lord as a sinner against the law of Moses,
because He had done a miracle of healing on the Sabbath-
day. They forgot in their blind enmity that the fourth
commandment was not meant to prevent works of necessity
or works of mercy. A work on the Sabbath our Lord had
done, no doubt, but not a work forbidden by the law.
And hence they drew down on themselves the rebuke,
" Judge not according to the appearance, but judge right
eous judgment."
The practical value of the lesson before us is very great.
We shall do well to remember it as we travel through life,
and to correct our estimate of people and things by the
light which it supplies.
We are often too ready to be deceived by an appearance
of good. We are in danger of rating some men as very
good Christians, because of a little outward profession of
religion, and a decent Sunday formality, — because, in
short, they talk the language of Canaan, and wear the garb
of pilgrims. We forget that all is not good that appears
good, even as all is not gold that glitters, and that daily
practice, choice, tastes, habits, conduct, private character

JOHN, CHAT. VII. 17
are the true evidence of what a man is. — In a word, we
forget our Lord's saying, — "Judge not according to the
appearance." We are too ready, on the other hand, to be deceived by
the appearance of evil. We are in danger of setting down
some men as no true Christians, because of a few faults or
inconsistencies, and " making them offenders because of a
word." (Isa. xxix. 21.) We must remember that the best
of men are but men at their very best, and that the most
eminent saints may be overtaken bj' temptation, and j'et be
saints at heart after all. We must not hastily suppose that
all is evil, where there is an occasional appearance of evil.
The holiest man may fall sadly for a time, and yet the
grace within him may finally get a victory. Is a man's
general character godly? — Then let us suspend our judg
ment when he falls, and hope on. Let us " judge righteous
judgment." In any case let us take care that we pass fair judgment
on ourselves. Whatever we think of others, let us beware
of making mistakes about our own character. There, at
any rate, let us be just, honest, and fair. Let us not flatter
ourselves that all is right, because all is apparently light
before men. " The Lord," we must remember, " looketh
on the heart." (1 Sam. xvi. 7.) Then let us judge our
selves with righteous judgment, and condemn ourselves
while we live, lest we be judged of the Lord and con
demned for ever at the last day. (1 Cor. xi. 31.)
KoTES. John VII. 14—24.

Ii.— [About. ..midst of. .feast.] This would be about the fourth
day of the week, as the feast lasted seven days. Some who
consider the feast of tabernacles a type of Christ's incarnation,
think this circumstance is typical of our Lord's earthly ministry
lasting three years and a half, answering to the three days and
a half during which our Lord taught publicly here in Jerusalera,
I doubt myself whether the circ rmstauce is typical at all. If the

18 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
feast of tabernacles is typical, I believe it points to the second
advent of Christ much more than to the flrst,
[Jesus went up...temple.] This means the outer court of the.
temple, where pious Jews were in the habit of assembling in
order to hear the doctors of the law and others, and to discuss
relio-ious subjects. This is the place where our Lord was, when
Jos?ph and Mary found Hira, at twelve years of age, " in the
temple," (Luke ii. 46.) It was probably a large open court
yard, with piazzas or verandas around it, for shelter against heat
and cold.
[Tauoht.] What our Lord taught we are not told. Exposi
tions of Scripture, as Luke iv, 17—21, and such lessons as those
contained in the Sermon on the Mount, and the parables, were
most likely the kind of things that He "taught" flrst, on such
occasions as this. It admits of doubt whether He taught such
deep things as those contained in the 5th and 6th chapters of St.
John, unless publicly attacked, or put on His defence.
Alford thinks this was " the first time " that our Lord
"taught publicly at Jerusalem." Yet this seems at least ques
tionable when we consider the 2nd and 5th chapters of John.
15.— [The .Tews marvelled.] The wisdom and knowledge of Scrip
ture which our Lord showed raust have been the principal cause
of wonder. Yet, we may well believe, there was something
wonderful iu His manner and style of speaking,
[How knoweth this man letters?] The word rendered
" letters " here, must probably be taken in the sense of " learn
ing," It is so used in Acts xxvi, 24. In John v, 47 it is ren
dered "writings." In 2 Tim. iii. 11 it is "Scriptures." The
original idea is a " written character," a letter of an alphabet.
It is thus used in Luke xxiii. 38 of the inscription on the cross,
written "in letters of Greek," etc.
[Having never learned.] The Jews raust have meant by this,
that our Lord had never attended any of the great theological
schools which the Scribes and Pharisees kept up in Jerusalem, —
to which St, Paul refers, when he says, he was " brought up
in this city at the feet of Gamaliel," (Acts xxii, 3.) They did
not of course mean that any one brought up at Nazareth must
necessarily have been totally ignorant. That our Lord could read
and write is clear from Luke iv. 16, and John viii. G. But the Jeru
salem Jews, in their pride and self-conceit, set down any one as
comparatively ignorant who had not been trained in their great
metropolitan schools. People are very apt to condemn any one
as " ignorant " who disagrees with them iu religion.
According to Tholuck, it was a rulj of the Talmud, " that no
man could appear as a teacher, who had not for some years been
a colleague of a Rabbi,"
16. — [il/i/ doctrine is not mine, Imt his that sent me.] Our Lord
meant by these words, " My doctrine is not mine only. The

JOHN, CHAP. VII. 19
teaching that I am proclaiming is not a thing of my own private
invention, and the product of my own isolated mind. It is the
doctrine of my Father who sent me. It deserves attention
because it is His message. He that despiseth it, despiseth not
only me, but Hira whose messenger I ara," — The great truth of
His own inseparable and raysterious union with God the Father,
is here once raore pointed at. It is like, " I can of my own self
do nothing," (John v, 30,) and "as ray Father hath taught me I
speak these things," (John viii, 28,) and "I have not spoken
of myself; but the Father which sent me He gave me com
mandment what I should say and what I should speak." (John
xii. 49.)
Some think that our Lord only meant, " The sense of Scrip
ture which I give is not ray own, but the sense in which God at
flrst gave it," But this is a very meagre view of the sentence,
though an Arian or Socinlan may like it.
Cyril remarks : "In saying that He was sent by the Father,
He does not show Himself inferior to the Father. For this mis
sion is not that of a servant, though it raight be called so, as He
' took on Him the form of a servant.' But He is ' sent,' as a
word is out of the mind, or a sunbeam out of the sun."
Augustine remarks : " This sentence undoeth the Sabellian
heresy. The Sabellians have dared to say that the Son is the
same as the Father : the names two, the reality one. If the
names were two, and the reality one, it would not be said, ' My
doctrine is not mine.' If Thy doctrine be not Thine, Lord,
whose Is it, unless there be another whose it may be ? "
Hengstenberg thinks that our Lord had in view the famous
prophecy of Moses in which God says of Messiah, — " I will put
my words in his raouth." (Deut. xviii. 18.)
Let us carefully note with what peculiar reverence we should
receive and study every word that fell from our Lord's lips.
When He spoke. He did not speak His own mind only, as one of
His Apostles or prophets did. It was God the Father speaking
with and through Hira. No wonder when we read such expres
sions as this that St. John calls our Lord " the Word."
17.— [If any man will do his viill.] The English language here
fails to give the full force of the Greek. It is literally, " If any
man is willing to do, — has a mind and desire and inclination to
do God's will," It is not the simple future of the verb " do,"
'There are two distinct verbs. The stress, therefore, in reading
the sentence, must not be laid entirely on " doing" God's will.
It is " if any man is willing to do,"
[He shall know of the doctrine.] This raeans he shall know
"concerning and about" the doctrine I am proclaiming.
[Whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself] This
means " whether the doctrine is from God, as I say it is,— the

20 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
doctrine of God the Father, which he has commissioned and
sent rae to proclaim to man,— or whether I speak from myself,
on my own isolated responsibility, without any license Or com
mission." The translation "speak of myself," is unfortunately
equivocal. The expression does not mean " about and concern
ing " myself, but " from" myself.
By " doing the will of God," our Lord must mean, " obeying
and performing, as far as in us lies, that will of God which we
have expressly declared to us iu the word of God," (17th Arti
cle.) Such " doing " He declares is the way to knowledge. It
is the same idea as the "doing truth" of John iii, 21,
The principle here laid down is one of immense importance.
We are taught that clear knowledge depends greatly on honest
obedience, and that distinct views of Divine truth cannot be
expected, unless we try to practise such things as we know.
Living up to our light we shall have more light. Striving to do
the few things we know, we shall find the eyes of our under
standing enlightened, and shall know more. Did the Jews pro
fess to iteel perplexed, and not to know whether our Lord was
sent frora God ? Let thera honestly do God's will, and seek
knowledge in the path of sincere obedience in such matters as
were clear and plain. — So doing they would be guided into all
truth, and find their doubts removed.
We learn from these words how greatly they err who profess
to be waiting till their raental difficulties are removed before
they become decided Christians. They must change their plan.
They must understand that knowledge comes through humble
obedience as well as through the intellect. Let them begin by
honestly doing God's will as far as they know that will, and in
so doing they will find their minds enlightened.
We learn, furthermore, that God tests men's siucerity by
making obedience part of the process by which religious
knowledge is obtained. Are we really willing to do God's will
so far as we know it? If we are, God will take care that our
knowledge is increased. If we are not willing to do His will,
we show clearly that we do not want to be God's servants.
Our hearts and not our heads are in fault.
We learn, finally, the great principle on which many will be
condemned at the last day. They did not live up to their lio-ht.
They did not use such knowledge as they possessed, and so
were left dark and dead in sins. There is probably not one in
a thousand araong unconverted people, who does not know far
better than he practises. Sach men surely, if lost, will have
none to blame but themselves !
In iuterpreting this verse, I believe we must be careful not to "
lay more meaning on the expression "do His will," than our
Lord meant it to bear, I say this because I observe manv re
spectable commentators place such f. very wide and comprehen-

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 21
sive sense upon "doing God's will," that they miss entirely our
Lord's purpose in speaking the words. They start with saying,
that to " do God's will," we must have faith in Christ, new
hearts, grace reigning within ns, and the like, and thus repre
sent our Lord as saying in effect, " If any man will become a
true believer, and a converted raan, he shall ' know of the
doctrine,'" etc, I venture to think that such interpretation
completely misses the mark, and is going round in a circle. Of
course any true believer knows true doctrine, I believe that
our Lord's object was simply to encourage the honest-minded,
sincere, single-eyed inquirer after truth. To such a man,
though at present very ignorant, He says, " If you really have
a desire to do God's will, to please Him, and to follow any light
He gives you, you will be taught of Him, you will find out the
truth. My doctrine raay be hid from the wise and prudent, but
it is revealed to babes," (Matt, xi, 25.) I hold, iu short, that
we should take as simple a view as possible of the sentence,
"If any man will do His will," and be very careful that we do
not mar its usefulness by putting more meaning ou it than our
Lord intended.
Bishop Hall thus paraphrases the text: "If any man shall,
with a siraple and honest heart, yield himself over to do the
will of my ITather, according to the measure of that he knows,
God shall encourage and bless that man with further light; so
ias he shall fully know whether my doctrine be of God, or of
myself." Burgon remarks : " The perception of truth depends on the
practice of virtue. It is a favourite maxim of the present day,
that increased knowledge will bring with it growth in godli
ness. Scripture at all events entirely reverses the process.
The way to know of the doctrine whether it be of God, is to do
His will." (See John v. 44; viii. 12.)
Hengstenberg remarks: "Whosoever would lead souls to
Christ should not tarry long about the specious arguments
with which the natural raan seeks to disguise the hateful per
version of his state of will, but should above all things try to
excite willingness to do the will of God."
18. — [He that speaketh of himself, etc.] In this verse, as in the
preceding verses,-" He that speaketh of himself" would be raore
literally rendered " speaketh from hiraself," The verse con-
V tains a general principle, applicable not only to our Lord's owa
case, but to teachers of religion iu every age. The raeaning
seems to be as follows : — " He that undertakes on his own re
sponsibility, and without being sent by God, to speak to men
about religion, will naturally seek to advance his ovvn im
portance, and get honour for himself. Speaking from himself,
he will speak fur hiraself, and try to exalt hiraself. He, on the
contrary, who is a true raessenger of God, and in whom there
is no dishonesty or unrighteousness, will always seek flrst the

22 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS. '
glory of the God who sent him." In short, it is cme mark of a
man being a true servant of God, and really commissioned by
our Father in heaven, that he ever seeks his Master's glory
more than his own.
The principle here laid down is a very valuable one. By it
we may test the pretensions of raauy false teachers of religion,
and prove them to be unsound guides. There is a curious ten
dency in every system of heresy, or unsound religion, to make
its ministers magnify themselves, their authority, their im
portance, and their office. It may be seen in Eomanism and
Brahminism to a remarkable extent.
Alford's remark, however, is very true, that in the highest
and strictest sense, " the latter part of the sentence is only true
of the Holy One Himself, and th.at owing to human infirmity,
purity of motive is no sure guarautee for correctness of doc
trine ; " and therefore in the end of the verse it is not said, " he
who seeketh God's glory," but " he who seeketh His glory that
sent Him-" — specially indicating Christ Hiiriself.
Burgon thinks that " true " is a word used intentionally, in
contrast with the expression, " He deceiveth the people."
19, — [Did not Moses give you the laio?] Our Lord here appeals
to the well-known reverence with which all Jews regarded
Moses and the law. But it is highly probable that He had in
view the practice of publicly reading the law of Moses to the
people during the seven days of the feast of tabernacles, which
was observed once in every seven years at that feast. (Deut.
xxxi. 10.) If, as is possible, this was one of the seventh years '
in which the law was so read, there would be a singular
significance and aptness in His appeal. "This very day you
have been hearing that law, which you profess to honour so
much. But do you honour it in you r lives ? "
[None of you keepeth the law, etc.] This would be more
literally rendered, " none of you doeth the law." It is the sarae
word that is used in the expression, " if any man will do His
will," (v. 17.) The meaning seems to be, " You reject me and
my doctrine, and profess to be zealous for the honour of Moses
and the law. And yet none of you really obey the law in heart
and in spirit. For instance : why do you seek to kill me ? You
are full of hatred of me, and want to put me to death unjustly,
in the face of the sixth commandment. This is not keeping the
law." The Greek word rendered " go about," is the same that Is
rendered " seek" in v. 1 of this chapter, and ch. v. 16, 18.
20.— [The people answered and said, etc.] It seeras probable that
those who said this were the common people, the multitude of
Jews gathered from all parts of the world, to many of whom ¦
our Lord was a stranger. We can liarrlly suppose that the
rulers and k.-ders of Jerusalem would have spoken in this way

JOHN, CHAP. VII. 23
The expression " Thou hast a devil," may possibly be a
repetition of the old charge, that our Lord wrought His miracles
by Beelzebub, and was in league with the devil, as John viii. 48.
In that sense it would be the strongest form of reproach,
blasphemy, and contempt. But considering who the speakers
' were, it is more likely that it simply means, " Thou art beside
Thyself, and mad." (So John x. 20.)
The expression, " who goeth about to kill Thee," can easily
be understood, if we suppose the speakers to be the common
people, and not the rulers. The common people probably knew
nothing about the intention of the rulers to put Jesus to death,
and would think Him beside hiinself to say that any one wanted
to kill Him.
21. — [Jesus answered...! have done one loork.] Our Lord can only
refer here to the miracle He had wrought on a former occasion
at the pool of Bethesda. (Ch, v, 1, etc) This was at present
the only great miracle that had been publicly performed in
Jerusalem : and frora its having led to our Lord being brought
before the Sanhedrim, or great council of the Jews, and to His
defence made before them, it would be a miracle that all would
know. [ Te all marvel.] This strong present tense seems to mean,
" ye are all still wondering," not only at the greatness of the
miracle, but also at my working it on the Sabbath day.
Schleusner maintains that the Greek word rendered "marvel"
means here, "ye are indignant, ye take amiss," He thinks the
word is used in this sense in Mark vi. 6 ; John v. 28 ; and Galat.
i. 6.
22. — [Moses therefore gave unto -you circumcision.] There Is a
difficulty in this verse in the expression we translate " therefore,"
It is literally, " on this account, — for this reason, — on account
of this," It is not easy to say how the expression comes in, and
with what it is connected, (1) Some, as Theophylact, Beza,
Poole, Whitby, Hammond, Maldonatus, Pearce, Doddridge,
Bloomfleld, Olshausen, Tholuck, Hengstenberg, and Stier,
propose to alter the stopping, and to connect it with the end of
the preceding verse, — "ye all marvel because of this one work,"
(Compare Mark vi, 6.) But it is doubtful whether the Greek
language will fairly admit this. — (2) Some would connect
"therefore" with "are ye angry," in the following verse: —
" Are you really angry with me on account of this one work,
-When you yourselves break the Sabbath, in a sense, by circum
cising on the Sabbath day?" — But this connection seems very
distant indeed. — (3) Some, as Grotius, Calovius, Jansenius,
and Webster, think the expression altogether elliptical, and
would fill up the sense after "therefore," by supposing some
such connection as this : — " On account of this work and your
anger at it, let me remind you of your own practice about
circumcision." (See Matt, xviii. 22; xii. 30; Luke xii. 22.) —

24 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
(4) Sorae, as Cheranitius, Musculus, and De Dieu, interpret
"therefore" as "because," and make the sentence mean,
" Because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a man
on the Sabbath duv," etc. But it seems a violent strain to make
the Greek word we render "therefore" mean " because."— (5)
Some, finally, as Alford, Burgon, Barradius, Toletus, and
Lyranus, would connect "therefore" with the middle of this
verse, and would have it mean, " For this reason Moses gave
you circumcision, viz., not because it was an ordinance ap
pointed flrst by him, but because it was given to the fathers,-"
—i. e., Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This last is perhaps as
tenable a view as any. But it is undeniably a difficulty, and
must remain so. Adopting this view, the whole verse may be
paraphrased as follows :—" Moses, whose name and law you.
highly reverence, gave you among other things the ordinance ,
of circumcision. He gave it, remeraber, for this reason : because
it was an old ordinance, handed down to hira by your fathers, -
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and not an ordinance flrst com
municated to him like the Levitical law. Now you, in obedience
to the ordinance of circumcision, which ought to be administered
on the eighth d.ay after a child's birth, think it no breach of the
fourth coraraandment to circuracise a child on the Sabbath day.
In fact, you postpone the law of the Sabbath to the law of
circumcision. You admit that a work of piety and necessity
may be done on the Sabbath day. You admit that the fourth
commandment which was given on Mount Sinai was not so
important as the older law of circumcision."
Burgon shows that " therefore " is used just in the same way
as here, at the beginning of a sentence, and pointing forward,
in John v. 16, 18; viii. 47; x, 17; xii, 18, 39.
We should note how here, as elsewhere, our Lord refers to
Moses as a real person, and to the Old Testament history as
real true history.
23. — [If a man, etc.] The argument in this verse is as follows: —
" Lven among yourselves you circumcise a child on the Sabbath
day, when it happens to be the eighth day after his birth, in
order that the law of circumcision, which your great lawgiver,
Moses, sanctioned and re-ord.ained, should not be broken. You
thus admit the whole principle that there is some work which
may be done on the Sabbath day. Is it then just and fair to be
angry with rae, because I have done a far greater work to a mau
ou ihe Sabbath, than the work of circumcision? I have not
wounded his body by circumcision, but made hira perfectly
whole, I have not done a purifying work to one particular
part of hira, but have restored his whole body to health and
strength, I have not done a work of necessity to one single
member only, but a work of necessity and benefic to the whole
man," I cannot see any ground for the idea suggested by Alford,
that our Lord implies in this verse, that the law of the Sabbath

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 25
Is a mere Judaical practice and comparatively a modern
crdinance, and that as such it properly gave way to the older
and higher law of circumcision, which was "of the fathers." —
It miglit be replied, firstly, that the Sabbath is so far frora being
a Judaical institution, that it is actually olderthan circumcision,
and was appointed in Paradise. — It might be replied, secondly,
that our Lord seems purposely to guard against the idea by
speaking of circumcision as " given by Moses," and as a part of
"the law of Moses," In fact. He does this twice with such
curious particularity, that one might think lie meant to guard
against any one wresting this passage into an argument against
the perpetual obligation of the Sabbath day. He is pleased for
the occasion to speak both of circumcision and the Sabiiath as
part of " the law of Moses." He did this purposely, because
the minds of His hearers were full of Moses and the law at this
particular period. And His argument amounts to this, that if
they themselves allowed the Mosaic law of the Sabbath must
give way in a case of necessity to the Mosaic law of circumci
sion, they admitted that some works might be done on the
Sabbath day ; and therefore His work of healing an entire man
on the Sabbath day could not be condemned as sinful.
The marginal reading, " without breaking the law of Moses,"
instead of, " that the law of Moses should not be broken,"
appears to me inadmissible and unnecessary. It is inadmissible,
because it is a forced and unnatural interpretation of the Greek
words. It is unnecessary, because our Lord is evidently
speaking of circumcision as part of " the law of Moses."
The idea of some commentators, as Trapp, Eollock,
Hutcheson, Beza, and Stier, that " every whit wliole " means
" wholeness" of soul as well as body, and implies conversion of
heart as well as restoration to entire health and strength of the
physical man, appears to me unlikely and far-fetched. It is a
pious thought, but not apparently in our Lord's mind. More
over, it is not quite certain that the raan healed at Bethesda was
healed in soul as well as body. There is no clear proof of it.
2i.^[J'.ulge not according to the appearance, etc.] The sense of
this verse mudt be sought in connection with the subject of
which our lord has just been speaking. The Jews had
conderaned our Lord and denounced Him as a sinner against the
fourth commaiidment, because He had done a work on the
Sabbath day. Our .Lord refers to this and says,— "Judge not
the deed I did according to the appearance. I did a work on
the Sabbath unquestionably. But what kind of a work was it?
It wa'i an act of necessity and mercy, and therefore an act as
lawful to be done as circumcision, which you yourselves
perform on the Sabbath day. In appearance the Sabbath was
broken. In reality it was not broken at all. Judge fair and
just and righteous judgment. Do not hastily condemn an
action, such as this, without looking below the surface.''

26

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

There is perhaps a reference here to Isaiah's prophecy about
Messiah, "He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes." (Isa.
xi. 3.)
The principle here laid down is one of vast importance.
Nothing is so common as to judge too favourably or too un
favourably of characters and actions, from merely looking at the
outward appearance of things. We are apt to form hasty
opinions of others, either for good or evil, on very insufficient
grounds. We pronounce some men to be good and others to be
bad,— some to be godly and others to be ungodly, without
anything but appearance to aid our decision. We should do
well to remeraber our blindness, and to keep in mind this text.
The bad are not always so bad, nor the good so good as they
appear. A potsherd may be covered over with gilding, and
look bright outside. A nugget of gold may be covered with
dirt, and look worthless rubbish. One man's work may look-
good at flrst, and yet turn out, by and by, to have been done
from the basest motives. Another man's work may look very
questionable at flrst, and yet at last may prove Christ-like and
truly godly. From rashly "judging by appearances" may the
Lord deliver us !
Whether our Lord meant "judge not persons," or "judge not
actions," according to appearance, is a point on which com
mentators do not agree. If we take the application to be to
"persons," the sentence means, "Do not hastily suppose that
Moses and I are at variance, and that, therefore, I must be
wrong, because Moses, the great lawgiver, must be right."-
But it seems far simpler and more natural to apply the
expression to "actions," — "Judge not the thing done by the
appearance only. Look below the surface and weigh it justly."

JOHN VII. 25-36.

25 Then said some of them of Jeru
salem, Is not this he whom they
seek to kill ?
26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and
they say nothing unto him. Do the
mlers know indeed that this is the
very Christ 7
27 Howbeit we know this man
whence he is: but when Christ cometh,
no man knoweth whence ho is.
28 Then cried Jesus in the temple
as he taught, saying. Ye both know
me, and yo know whence I am: and
I am not come of myself, but ho that
lent me is true, whom yo know not.

29 But I know him: for I am from
him, and ho hath sont me,
30 Then they sought to take him:
but no man laid hands on him, bcoause
his hour was not yet come,
31 And many of the people be
lieved on him, and said. When
Christ cometh, will ho do more mira
cles than these which this man hath ,
done ?
32 IT The Pharisees heard that the
people murmured such things concern
ing him; and the Pharisees and the
chief priests sent officers to take him.
33 Then said Jesus unto them, Ifet

JOHN, CHAP. vn.

27

a little while am I with yon, and then
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.
33 Then said the Jews among them
selves, Whither will he go, that we

shall not find him ? will ho go unto
the dispersed among the Gentiles, and
teach the Gentiles ?
36 What manner of saying is this
that ho said. Ye shall seek me, and
shall not find me: and where I aux
thither ye cannot come 7

"We see in these verses, the obstinate blindness of the un
believing Jews. We find them defending their denial of
our Lord's Messiahship, by saying, " We know this man
whence He is : but when Christ cometh no man knoweth
whence He is." And yet in both these assertions they
were wrong !
They were wrong in saying that they "knew whence
our Lord came." They meant no doubt to say that He
was born at Nazareth, and belonged to Nazareth, and was
therefore a Galilean. Yet the fact was, that our Lord was
born at Bethlehem, that He belonged legally to the tribe
of Judah, and that His mother and Joseph were of the
house and lineage of David. It is incredible to suppose
that the Jews could not have found this out, if they had
honestly searched and inquired. It is notorious that
pedigrees, genealogies, and family histories were most
carefully kept by the Jewish nation. Their ignorance was
without excuse.
They were wrong again in saying " that no man was to
know whence Christ came." There was a well-known
prophecy, with which their whole nation was familiar, that
Christ was to come out of the town of Bethlehem. (Micah
V. 2 ; Matt. ii. 5 ; John vii. 42.) It is absurd to suppose
that they had forgotten this prophecy. But apparently
Ihey found it inconvenient to remember it on this oc
casion. Men's memories are often sadly dependent on
their wills.
The Apostle Peter, in a certain place, speaks of some
as " willingly ignorant." (2 Pet. iii. 5.) He had good

28 ' EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
reason to use the expression. It is a sore spiritual disease,
and one most painfully common among men. There are
thousands in the present day just as blind in their way as
the Jews. They shut their eyes against the plainest facts
and doctrines of Christianity. They pretend to say that
they do not understand, and cannot therefore believe the
things that we press on their attention, as needful to sal
vation. But, alas ! in nineteen cases out of twenty it is
a wilful ignorance. They do not believe what they do
not like to believe. They will neither read, nor listen, nor
search, nor think, nor inquire, honestly after truth. Can
any one wonder if such persons are ignorant? Faithful
and true is that old proverb, — " There are none so blind as
those who will not see."
We see, for another thing, in these verses, the overruling
hand of God over all His enemies. We find that the un
believing Jews " Sought to take our Lord : but no man
laid hands on Him, because his hour was not yet come."
They had the will to hurt him, but by an invisible restraint
from above, they had not the power.
There is a mine of deep truth in the woids before us,
which deserves close attention. They show us plainly that
all our Lord's sufferings were undergone voluntarily, and
of His own free will. He did not go to the cross because
He could not help it. He did not die because He could
not prevent His death. Neither Jew nor Gentile, Pharisee
nor Sadducee, Annas nor Caiaphas, Herod nor Pontius
Pilate, could have injured our Lord, except power had been
given thera from above. All that they did was done under
control, and by permission. The crucifixion was part of
the eternal counsels of the Trinity. The passion of our
Lord could not begin until the very hour which God had
appointed. This is a grea-; mystery. But it is a truth.
The servants of Christ in every age should treasure up
the doctrine before us, and remember it in time of need.

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 29
It is " full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to
godly persons." Let such never forget that they live in a
world where God overrules all times and events, and where
nothing can happen but by God's permission. The very
hairs of their heads are all numbered. Sorrow and sick
ness, and poverty, and persecution, can never touch them,
unless God sees fit. They may boldly say to every cross,
— " Thou couldst have no power against me, except it were
given thee from above." Then let them work on confi
dently. They are immortal, till their work is done. Let
them sufler patiently, if needs be that they suffer. Their
"times are in God's hand." (Psl. xxxi. 15.) That hand
guides and governs all things here below, and makes no
mistakes. We see lastly, in these verses, the miserable end to which
unbelievers may one day come. We find our Lord saying
to His enemies, — "Ye shall seek me, and shall not find
me ; and where I am thither ye cannot come."
We can hardljj^ doubt that these words were meant to
have a prophetical sense. Whether our Lord had in view
individual cases of unbelief among His hearers, or whether
He looked forward to the national remorse which many
would feel too late in the final siege of Jerusalem, are
points which we cannot perhaps decide. But that many
Jews did remember Christ's saj'ings long after He had as
cended into heaven, and did in a way seek Him and wish
for Him when it was too late, we may be very sure.
It is far too much forgotten that there is such a thing as
finding out truth too late. There may be convictions of
sin, discoveries of our own foil}', desii-es after peace, anx
ieties about heaven, fears of hell, — but all too late. The
teaching of Scripture on this point is clear and express.
It is written in Proverbs, — " Then shall they call upon me,
but I will not answer ; they shall seek me early, but they
ehall not find me." (Prov. ii. 28.) It is written of the foolish

30 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
virgins in the parable, that when they found the door shut,
they knocked in vain, saying, " Lord, Lord, open to us."
(Matt. XXXV. 11.) Awful as it may seem, it is possible,
by continually resisting light and warnings, to sin away
our own souls. It sounds terrible, but it is true.
Let us take heed to ourselves lest we sin after the ex
ample of the unbelieving Jews, and never seek the Lord
Jesus as a Saviour till it is too late. The door of mercy
is still open. The throne of grace is still waiting for us.
Let us give diligence to make sure our interest in Christ,
while it is called to-day. Better never have been born
than hear the Son of God say at last, " Where I am thither
ye cannot come." Notes. Johk VII. 25—36.
25. — [Then said some of.. .Jerusalem, etc.] It is likely that these
speakers were some of the lower orders who lived at Jerusalem,
and knew what the rulers wanted to do to our Lord. They can
hardly be the same as " the people " at 20th verse. They, being
probably strangers to the plans of the priests and Pharisees,
said, "who goeth about to kill Thee?" These, on the other
hand, say, " is not this He whom they seek to kill? "
Tlttman remarks that the argument of the preceding verses
" appears to have had great weight in the minds of our Lord's
hearers."
26. — [But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing, etc.] There
appears to have been a restraining power put on our Lord's
enemies at this juncture. (Sue verse 30.) It certainly seems
to have struck the people before us as a remarkable thing, that
our Lord should speak out so boldly, openly, and publicly, and
yet no effort be made by the rulers to apprehend Hira and stop
His teaching. No wonder that they asked the question which
immediately follows, "Have our rulers changed their mind?
Are they convinced at last? Have they really found out that
this is truly the Messiah, the Christ of God? "
The Greek words would be more literally rendered, " Have
the rulers truly learned that this man is truly the Christ? "
21.— [Howbeit we know this man whence he is.] This means that
they knew that our Lord wa* from Nazareth of Galilee. This
wo raust remember, was the universal belief of all the" Jews'
When our Lord rode into Jerusalem, just before his crucifixion'

JOHN, -CHAP. vn. 31
the multitude said, "This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of
Galilee," (Matt, xxi, 11,) When an inscription was put over
His head on the cross, in the letters of the three languages, it
was, "Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews," ( John xix.
19, See also Matt. xiii. 55; Mark vi. 3; Luke iv. 22.) Yet we
know all this time that the Jews were mistaken, and that our
Lord was in reality born at Bethlehem, according to prophecy,
(Micah V, 2,) We can hardly doubt that the Jews might have
found out this, if they had taken the pains to inquire narrowly
into the early history of our Lord's life. In a nation so strict
about pedigrees and birthplaces, such a thing could not be hid.
But it seems as if they would not take the pains to inquire, and
satisfied themselves with the common story of His origin, as it
gave them an additional excuse for not receiving Him as the
Messiah. The entire ignorance which appears to have prevailed among
the Jews, about all the circumstances of our Lord's miraculous
conception, and His birth at Bethlehem, is certainly rather re
markable. Yet it should be remembered that thirty years had
passed away between our Lord's birth and His public ministry,
— that His mother and Joseph were evidently in a very humble
position and might easily be overlooked, as well as all that hap
pened to thera, — and that living quietly at Nazareth, their jour
ney to Bethlehem at the time of " the taxing " would soon be
forgotten by others.
After all we must not forget that it is part of God's dealings
with man, not to force conviction and belief on any one. The
obscurity purposely left over our Lord's birthplace was a part
of the moral probation of the Jewish nation. If, in their pride
and indolence and self-righteousness, they would not receive
tlie abundant evidence which our Lord gave of His Messiah-
ship, il could not be expected that God would make unbelief
impossible, by placing His birth of a virgin at Bethlehem be
yond the reach of doubt. In this, as in everything else, if the
Jews had honestly desired to find out the truth, they might have
found it.
[When Christ cometh, no man knoweth, etc.] It is rather diffi
cult to see what the Jews meant by these words. Most writers
think that they referred to the mysterious language of Isaiah
about Messiah, — "Who shall declare his generation; " (Isa. liii.
8;) or to Micah's words, — " Whose goings forth have been frora
of old, from everlasting; " (Micah v. 2;) and that they had in
view tlie Divine and heavenly origin of Messiah, which all Jews
allowed would be a mystery. Yet it is hard to understand why
they did not say, "when Christ cometh. He shall be born in
Bethlehem," and why they should be supposed to speak of our
Lord's earthly origin in the beginning of the verse, and of
Messiah's Divine origin in the end. There seems no explana
tion except to suppose that these speakers were singularly
ignorant Jews, who did not know that Messiah was to be born

32 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
at Bethlehem, and only knew that His birth was to be a mytJ-
terious thing. This is a possible view, if not a very probable
one,— The argument of the speakers before us would then be as
follows :—" When Messiah comes. He is to come suddenly, as
Malachi foretold, saying, ' the Lord shall suddenly come to His
temple,' (Mal. iii. 1,) unexpectedly, mysteriously, and taking
people by surprise. This man therefore, who is sitting in the
temple araong us, cannot be the Messiah, because we know that
He came from Nazareth in Galilee, and has been living there for
more than thirty years." — The prophecy about Messiah being
born at Bethlehem, they conveniently dropped out of sight, and
in fact never dreamed that it was fulfilled by our Lord. The
only prophecy they chose to look at was the one in Malachi,
(Mal. iii. 1,) and as the Lord did not appear to fulfil that, they
concluded that He could not be the Christ. In religious matters
people are easily satisfied with very imperfect and superficial
reasoning, when they want to be satisfied and to be spared
further trouble. Men never want reasons to confirm their will.
This seems to have been the case with the Jews.
Eupertus mentions a common tradition of the Jews, — that
when Christ came, He would come at midnight, as the angel
came at midnight, when the first-born were destroyed in Egypt,
and he thinks it may have been in their minds here.
Hutcheson observes that " not comparing of Scripture with
Scripture, but taking any single sentence that seems to plead
for that we would be at, is a very great nursery and cause of
error. Such is the Jews' reasoning here. They catch at one
thing, speaking of Messiah's Divinity, and t.ake no notice of
other places."
Besser quotes a saying of Luther's: "The Jews are poor
scholars. They have caught the sound of the prophet's clock,
(Micah. V. 2,) but they have not noted the stroke aright. He
who does not hear well, imagines well. They heard that Christ
was so to come, that none should know whence He came. But
they understood not right, that coming from God He was to be
born of a virgin, and come secretly into the world."
2S.— [Then cried Jesus.. .temple. ..taught.] This is a remarkable
expression. We find our Lord departing frora His usual prac
tice, when we read that He " cried," or raised His voice to a
high pitch. Generally speaking, the words in St, Matthew
apply strictly, quoted from Isa, xlvii, 1,— "He shall not strive
nor cry, neither ehall any raan hear His voice in the street,"
(Matt, xu 19) Yet we see there were occasions when He did
see It right to cry aloud and lift up His voice, and this is one.
The perverse ignorance of the Jews, their persistence in blind
ness to all evidence, and the great opportunity afforded by the
:orwhy"He°'crl;d."" "" *<=-Ple courts, we're probabl/rea-
Our Lord is only said to have " cried " or lifted up His voice

JOHN, CHAP. VII. 33
in four other passages in the Gospels,— viz.. Matt, xxvii, 60;
Mirk XV. 39; John vii, 37, and xii, 44. The Greek for " cried "
In Matt, xxvii. 46 is even a stronger word than that before
us. [Te both know me and...iehence lam.] This is an undeni."ibly
difBcult expression ; partly because it is hard to reconcile with
John viii. 14, and partly because it is not clear how the Jews
could be said to "know our Lord" and "whence He was."
The explanations suggested are various.
(1) Some, as Grotius, Lampe, Doddridge, Bloomfleld, Tltt
man, . and A. Clarke, would have the sentence read as a
question : — " Do you both know me, and do ye know whence I
am? Are you quite sure that you are correct in saying this? "
— In this view it would be rather like the mode of expression
I used by our Lord in John xvi, 31, — "Do ye now believe?"
where the interrogative forms the beginning of the sentence.
(2) Some, as Calvin, Ecolarapadius, Beza, Flacius, Gualter,
EoUuck, Toletus, Glassius, Olshausen, Tholuck, Stier, and
Webster, think that the sentence is spoken ironically : — " Truly
you do know me and whence I ara, and poor miserable knowl
edge it is, worth nothing at all," — Bengel and others object to
this view, that our Lord never spoke ironically. Yet it would
be hard to show that there is no irony iu John x. 32, if not in
Matt. xxvi. 45, and Mark vii. 9.
(3) Some think, as Chrysostom, Cocceius, Jansenius, Di-
odati, Bengel, Henry, Burkitt, Hengstenberg, Alford, Words
worth, and Burgon, that the sentence is is a simple affirmation :
— " It is true that you know me and whence I am, I grant that
in a certain sense you are right. You know where I have been
brought up, and who my relatives according to the flesh are.
And yet in reality you know very little of me. Of my Divine
nature and my unity with my Father ye know nothing at all,"
— On the whole I prefer this last view to either of the other
two, [And I am not come of myself, etc.] This sentence and the
rest of the verse are evidently elliptical, and must be para
phrased to give a full idea of the sense : — " And yet ye do not
really and thoroughly know me ; for I am not come of myself,
independent of God the Father, and without commission, but
sent by the Father into the world. And He that sent me has
proved Himself true to His promises by sending me, and is
indeed a real true Person, the true and faithful God of Israel,
whom ye, with all your profession, do not know."
Here, as elsewhere, our Lord's expression, "not come of
myself," points directly to that intimate union between Hiraself
and God the Father, which is so constantly referred to iu the
Gospel of John.
Here too, as elsewhere, our Lord charges on the unbelieving

34 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Jews ignorance of the God whom they professed to serve, and
for whose honour they professed to be jealous. With all their
boasted zeal for true religion and the true God, they did not
really know God.
The word "true," here, is of doubtful interpretation. It
means " truthful," according to Cyril, Chrysostom, Theophy
lact, Lampe, Tholuck. But it is not clear that this is so.
Alford maintains that it must mean " really existent," Trench
takes the same view iu his " New Testament Synonyms."
29. — [But I know him, etc.] The knowledge of which our Lord
here speaks, is that peculiar and intimate knowledge which is
necessarily implied in tlie unity of the three Persons of the
Trinity, in the Godhead. There is a high and deep sense in
which the Sou knows the Father, and the Father knows the
Son, which we cannot pretend to explain, because it is far
above our capacities. (John x. 15.) The Jews knew nothing
rightly of God the Father. Jesus on the contrary could say,-
"I know him," as no one else could. "Neither knoweth any
man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son
will reveal Him." (Matt. xi. 27.)
The expression " I am from Him," must not be confined and
craraped down to mean only that our Lord had come like any
prophet of old, with a message and commission from God. It
declares the relationship between God the Father and God the
Son, " I ara from Hira by eternal generations, — always one
with Him,— always equal with Hira,— but always a distinct
person;— always the only begotten Son,— always from Hira."
The expression " He hath sent me," is, like the preceding
one, soraething far more than the mere assertion of a prophet's
commission. It is a declaration that He was the Sent One,—
the Messiah, the Prophet greater than Moses, whora the Father
had always promised to send :— " I ara the Seed of the woman
sent to bruise the serpent's head, I am He whora the Father
covenanted and engaged to send for the redemption of a lost
world, I am He whom the Father hath sent to be the Saviour
of lost man, I proclaim myself the Sent One,— the Christ of
God," Bishop Hall paraphrases the two verses thus: "Ye mutter
secretly that ye know me, and the place of my birth and parent
age; but ye are utterly mistaken, for I have a Father in heaven
whom ye know not. I came not of myself, but my Father is He
that sentmc, who is the God of truth; of whom ye after all
your pretences of kuowledge, are utterly ignorant But I do
perfectly know Him, as I have good reason ; for both I am
from Him by eternal generation, and am bv Him sent intn tlm
world to do the great work of redemption,"
SO,— [ Then they sought to take him.] This last declaration seems to
have raised the anger of the Jerusalem multitude, who werTlis-

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 35
tening to our Lord. With the characteristic keenness of all
Jews they at once detected in our Lord's language a claim to be
received as the Messiah. Just as on a former occasion, they
s.aw, in His " calling God His Father," that He " made Hiraself
equal with God, " (John v. 18,) so here in His saying "I am
frora Him : He hath sent me," they saw an assertion of His right
to be received as Messiah.
XBut no man. ..hour not yet come.] This restraint on our Lord's
enemies can only be accounted for by direct Divine interposi
tion. It is like John viii. 20, and xviii. 6. It is clear that they could
do nothing against Him except by God's permission, and when
God, in His wisdom, was pleased to let it be done. Our Lord
did not fall into His enemies' hands through Inability to escape,
but because the " hour had come," when He voluntarily under
took to die as a substitute.
The doctrine before us, let ns note, is fiill of comfort to God's
people. Nothing can hurt thera except and until God permits.
We are all immortal till our work is done. To realize that noth
ing happens in this world except by the eternal counsels of our
Father, and according to His eternal plans, is one grand secret
of living a calm, peaceful, and contented life.
Besser quotes a saying of Luther's: "God has appointed a
nice, easy hour, for everything; and that hour has the whole
world for its enomy : it must attack it. The devil shoots and
throws at the poor clock-hand, but in vain : for all depends
on the hour. 'Till the hour coraes, and the hand has run its
course, the devil and the world shall accomplish nothing."
>1. — [Many of the people] This means the common people — the
lower orders, in contradistinction to the Pharisees and chief
priests. [Believed on Him.] There seems no reason to think that this
was not a true faith, so far as it went. But it would not be safe
perhaps to conclude that it was more than a general belief that
our Lord must be the Messiah, the Christ, and that He deserved
to be received as such.
[Wlien Christ cometh ... more miracles.. .done.] This language
must clearly have been used by people who were familiar with
many of our Lord's miracles wrought in Galilee, and knew a
good deal about His ministry. So few miracles probably had
been wrought as yet in and round Jerusalem, that the language
would hardly be used by Jerusalem people. The word " more "
probably means not only more in number, but "greater" in
character. The question raised by these people was a fair and reasonable
one, — " What greater evidence could any one give that He is
the Christ, than this man has given? He could not work great-
Wiiattheg

36 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
are we waiting for? Why should we not acknowledge this man
as the Christ?"
32. — [The Pharisees heard that the people murmured... him. ] "This
would be more literally translated, " The P-harisees heard the
people murmuring;" they actually heard with their own ears
the common people, as they walked about the temple courts,
and gathered in the streets of Jerusalem, at the crowded time of
the feast, keeping up their under conversation about our Lord.
Here, as at the 12th verse, the word we render " murmuring"
does not necessarily imply any finding fault, but only a dissatis
fied and restless state of mind, which found vent in much con
versation and whispering among the people.
[And the Pharisees.. .sent officers to take Him.] It would seem
that the talk and stir of men's minds about our Lord so alarmed
and irritated the rulers of the Jews, that they resolved even
now in the midst of the feast to arrest Him, and so stop His
preaching. What day of the feast this was, and what interval
elapsed between this verse and the 37th, where we are told of
" the last day " of the feast, we are not told. It seems probable
that the officers sought an opportunity for taking our Lord, bnt
could find none, — partly because of the crowds that surrounded
Him, and partly because of a divine restraint laid upon thera;
and that this was the state of things for three days at least.
Full well did these Pharisees justify our Lord's character of
them in another place : "Ye neither go in yourselves into the
kingdom : neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."
(Matt, xxiii. 13.)
83. — [Then said Jesus unto them. ] The officers of the Pharisees
and their supporters seera clearly to be the persons whom our
Lord here addresses. Not only were thej', through Divine re
straint, unable to lay hands on Him, but they were obliged to
stand by and listen to Him. They dared not seize Him for fear
of the people, and yet dared not go away to report their inability
to carry out their orders.
[Tet a little while, etc. ] There is probably an under-tone of
sadness and tenderness about this and the following sentences.
It is as though our Lord said, " Ye have come to lay hands on
me, and yet ye might well bear with me, I ara only a little time
longer with you, and then when my time is corae for leaving the
world, I shall go back to my Father who sent me," Or efse it
must mean, " Ye are sent to lay hands on me, but it is useless at
present : ye cannot do it, because my hour is not yet come. I
have yet a little longer tirae to rainister on earth, and then, and
not till then, I go to Him that sent rae." Alford takes this view.
The Jews of course could not understand whom our Lord
meant by "Him that sent me," and this saying must necessa
rily have seemed dark and mysterious to thera.
84.— [Ye shall seek me. ..shall not find me.] These words seem
addressed both to the officers and to those who sent them —to

JOHN, CHAP. VII. 37
the whofe body, in fact, of our Lord's unbelieving enemies :—
"A day will come too late, when you will anxiously seek me,
and bitterly lament your rejection of me, but too late. The day
of your visitation will be past and gone, aud you will not flud
me." There is a great Bible truth taught here, as elsewhere, which
is far too much overlooked by many, — I mean the possibility of
men seeking salvation when it is too late, and crying for pardon
and heaven when the door is shut forever. Men may find out
their folly and be filled with remorse for their sins, and yet feel
that they cannot repent. No doubt true repentance is never
too late; but late I'epentance is seldom true. Pharaoh, King
Saul, and Judas Iscariot, could all say, "I have sinned." Hell
Itself is truth known too late. God is unspeakably merciful, no
doubt. But there is a limit even to God's mercy. He can be
angry, and may be provoked to leave men alone. People should
often study Prov. i. 24 — 31 ; Job xxvii. 9 ; Isai, i, 15 ; Jer, xi.
Il; xiv. 12; Ezek. viii. 18; Hosea v. 6; Micah iii. 4; Zech. vii.
13; Matt. xxv. 11, 12.
These words very possibly received a most awful fulfllment
during the siege of Jerusalem, forty years after they were spoken.
So think Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Euthymius.
But they were probably found true by many of our Lord's
hearers long before that time. Their eyes were opened to see
their folly and sin, after our Lord had left the world.
Burgon remarks, that to this very day the Jews are in a sense
seeking the Messiah, and yet not finding Him.
[Where ! am, thither ye cannot come.] The place our Lord
speaks of here is evidently heaven. Some have thought, as
Bengel, that the words, "where I ara," should be translated,
"where I go." But it is neither a natural nor usual sense to
put on the words. Nor is it necessary. There was a sense
in which the Son of God could say with perfect truth — " Where
lam, thither ye cannot come." As God, he never ceased to be in
heaven, even when He was fulfilling His ministry on earth during
his incarnation. As God, He could truly say, " where I am,"
and not raerely where " I was," or where " I shall be," It is
like John iii, 13, where our Lord speaking to Nicodemus, calls
Himself the Son of man which IS in heaven," The expression
is one of the many texts proving our Lord's divinity. No mere
man speaking on earth could speak of heaven as a place " where
I ara," Augustine strongly maintains this view.
[Te cannot come.] This is one of those expressions which
show the impossibility of unconverted and unbelieving men
going to heaven. It is a place where they " cannot come."
Their own nature unfits them for it. They would not be happy
if they were there. Without new hearts, without the Holy
Ghost, without the blood of Christ they could not enjoy heaven.
The favourite notion of some modern theologians, that all man-

38 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
kind are finally to go to heaven, cannot possibly be reconciled
with this expression. Men may please themselves with thinking
it is kind aud loving and liberal and large-hearted to teach and
believe th.at .all men and women of all sorts will finally be found
in heaven. One word of our Lord Jesus Christ's overturns the
whole theory. — Heaven is a place. He says to the wicked, where
"ye cannot come."
The word "ye" is emphatical, and in the Greek stands out
in strong contrast to the " I " of the sentence.
85.— [T/iere said the Jews.. .themselves.] The expression "Jews"
here can hardly be confined to the Pharisees and rulers. It
must mean at any rate those among them who heard our Lord
say the words in the preceding verse. Whoever they were,
they were probably not friendly to Him.
[Whither loill He go... not find Him.] This would be more
literally rendered, "Whither is this man about to go." They
could put no meaning of a spiritual kind on our Lord's words.
[Will He go. ..dispersed. ..Gentiles, etc.] This would be raore
literally rendered, " Is He about to go to the dispersion among
the Greeks, and to teach the Greeks." The Greek language,
and Greek literature, and Greek philosophy, had so thoroughly
leavened Asia Minor and Syria and Palestine, that the expression
" Greeks " in the New Testament is often equivalent to Gentiles,
and stands for any people who are not Jews. Thus Rom. ii. 9 ;
X. 3 — 9 ; 1 Cor. x. 32 ; xii. 13. Yet it is a singular fact that this
is the only passage in the New Testament where the word
" Greek," standing alone aud not in contradistinction to Jews,
Is rendered " Gentile."
The verse teaches two interesting things. One is the fact that
the existence of a large number of Jews scattered all over the
Geutile world was acknowledged as notorious in our Lord's time.
The other is the impression that it proves to have prevailed
among the Jews that a new teacher of religion might be expected
to go to the Jews scattered among the Gentiles, and, beginning
with them, proceed to teach the Gentiles. This is in fact precisely
what the Apostle Paul and his companions afterwards did. They
did "go to the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the
Gentiles," The idea started here of " teaching the Gentiles " was3
probably the suggestion of those who hated our Lord, How
much the Jews detested the opening of tlie door of salvation to
the Gentiles, we know from the Acts of the Apostles.
Some, as Chrysostom, Theophylact, Hengstenberg, and many
other.s, think that the words "dispersed among Uic Gentiles"
mean the Gentiles themselves dispersed and scattered all over
the world, aud not the Jews. But our own version seems far
more likely. There Is au awkwardness in callin" the Gentiles
" the dispersion," and it is in expression nowhere else used
James calls the Jews "the twelve tribes scattered abroad"
(James i. 1.) ""i".*".

JOHN, CHAP. VII. 39
»e.—[What manner of saying, etc.] This question of the Jews ia
the language of people who saw that there was probably some
deep meaning iu our Lord's words, and yet were unable to make
out which He meant. Hating our Lord bitterly, as many of
them did, — determined to kill Him thefirst opportunity,— vexed
aud annoyed at their own inability to answer Him, or to stop
His influence with the people, — they suspected everything that
fell from His lips. " Do not these words of his imply some
mischief ? Is there not some evil at the bottom of thera ? Do
they not indicate that he is going to dishonour the law of
Moses by pulling down the wall of partition between Jew and
Gentile ? "

JOHN VII. 37—39.

37 In the last day, that great day
of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,
Hiying, If any man thirst, let him
come unto me, and drink,
38 He that believeth on me, as the
Boripture hath said, out of his belly
ehall Sow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit,
which they that believe on him should
receive : for the Holy Ghost was not
yet given; because that Jesus was not
yet glorified.)

It has been said that there are some passages in Scripture
which deserve to be printed in letters of gold. Of such
passages the verses before us form one. They contain one
of those wide, full, free invitations to mankind, which make
the Gospel of Christ so eminently the " good news of God."
, Let us see of what it consists.
We have, first, in these verses, a case supposed. The
Lord Jesus says, " If any mau thirst." These words no
doubt were meant to have a spiritual meaning. The thirst
before us is of a purely spiritual kind. It means anxiety of
soul, — conviction of sin, — desire of pardon, — longing after
peace of conscience. When a man feels his sins, and wants
forgiveness — is deeply sensible of his soul's need, and ear
nestly desires help and relief — then he is in that state of mind
which our Lord had in view, when he said, " If any man
thirst." The Jews who heard Peter preach on the day of
Pentecost, and were " pricked in their hearts," — the Phi-
lippian jailer who cried to Paul and Silas, " What must I

40 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
do to be saved? " are both examples of what the expression
means. In both cases there was " thirst."
Such thirst as this, unhappily, is known by few. All
ought to feel it, and all would feel it if they were wise.
Sinful, mortal, dying creatures as we all are, with souls
that will one day be judged and spend eternity in heaven or
' hell, there lives not the man or woman on earth who ought
not to "thirst" after salvation. And yet the many thirst
after everything almost except salvation. Money, pleas
ure, honour, rank, self-indulgence, — these are the things
which they desire. There is no clearer proof of the fall of
man, and the utter corruption of human nature, than the
careless indifierence of most people about their souls. No
wonder the Bible calls the natural man " blind," and
" asleep," and " dead," when so few can be found who are
awake, alive, and athirst about salvation.
Happy are those who know something by experience of
spiritual " thirst." The beginning of all true Christianity
is to discover that we are guilty, empty, needy sinners.
Till we know that we ave lost, we are not in the way to be
saved. The very first step toward heaven is to be thor
oughly convinced that we deserve hell. That sense of sin
which sometimes alarms a man and makes him think his
own case desperate, is a good sign. It is in fact a symp
tom of spiritual life: "Blessed indeed are they which do
hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be
filled." (Matt. v. 6.)
We have, secondly, in these verses, a remedy proposed.
The Lord Jesus says, " If any man thirst, let him come
unto me and drink." He declares that He is the true foun
tain of life, the supplier of all spiritual necessities, the re
liever of all spiritual wants. He invites all who feel the
burden of sm heavy, to apply to Him, and proclaims Him
self their helper.
Those words " let him come unto me," are few and very

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 41
simple. But they settle a mighty question which all the
wisdom of Greek and Roman philosophers could never
settle ; they show how man can have peace with God.
They show that peace is to be had in Christ by trusting in
Him as our mediator and substitute, — in one word, by, be
lieving. To " come " to Christ is to believe on Him, and
to " believe " on Him is to come. The remedy may seem
a very simple one, too simple to be true. But there is no
other remedy than this ; and all the wisdom of the world
can never find a flaw in it, or devise a better.
To use this grand prescription of Christ is the secret of
all saving Christianitj% The saints of God in every age
have been men and women who drank of this fountain by
faith, and were relieved. They felt their guilt and empti
ness, and thirsted for deliverance. They heard of a full
supplj' of pardon, mercy, and grace in Christ crucified for
all penitent believers. They believed the good news and
acted upon it. They east aside all confidence in their own
goodness and worthiness, and came to Christ by faith as
sinners. So coming they found relief. So coming daily
they lived. So coming they died. Really to feel the sin
fulness of sin and to thirst, and really to come to Christ
and believe, are the two steps which lead to heaven. But
they are mighty steps. Thousands are too proud and
careless to take them. Few, alas ! think, and still fewer
believe. We have, lastly, in these verses, a promise held out.
The Lord Jesus saj's, " He that believeth on me, out of his
belly shall fiow rivers of living water." These words of
course were meant to have a figurative sense. They have
a double application. They teach, for one thing, that all
who come to Christ by faith shall find in Him abundant
satisfaction. They teach, for another thing, that believers
shall not only have enough for the wants of their own souls,
but shall also become fountains of blessings to others.

42 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
The fulfilment of the first part of the promise could be
testified by thousands of living Christians in the present
day. They would say, if their evidence could be collected,
tliat when they came to Christ by faith, they found in Him
more than they expected. They have tasted peace, and
hope, and comfort, since they first believed, which, with
all their doubts and fears, they would not exchange for
anything in this world. They have found grace according
to their need, and strength according to their days. In
themselves and their own hearts they have often been dis
appointed; but they have never been disappointed iu
Christ. The fulfilment of the other half of the promise will never
be fully known until the judgment-day. That day alone
shall reveal the amount of good that every believer is made
the instrument of doing to others, from the very day of his
conversion. Some do good while they live, by their
tongues ; like the Apostles and first preachers of the Gos
pel. Some do good when they are dying ; like Stephen and
the penitent thief, and our own martyred Reformers at the
stake. Some do good long after they are dead, by their
writings ; like Baxter and Bunyan and M'Cheyne. But in
one way or another, probably, almost all believers will be
found to have been fountains of blessings. By word or by
deed, by precept or by example, directly or indirectly, they
are always leaving their marks on others. They know it"
not now ; but they will find at last that it is true. Christ's
saying shall be fulfilled.
Do we ourselves know anything of " coming to Christ?"
This is the question that should arise in our hearts as we
leave this passage. The worst of all states of soul is to be
without feeling or concern about eternit}^, — to be without
" thirst." The greatest of all mistakes is to try to find re
lief in any other way tlian the one before us,— the way of
simply " coming to Christ." It is one thing to come to

JOHN, CHAP. VU. 43
.Christ's Church, Christ's ministers, and Christ's ordinan
ces. It is quite another thing to come to Christ Himself.
Happy is he who not only knows these things, but acts
upon them 1 Notes. Johk VII. 37—39.
87. — [In.. .last day. ..great day. ..feast.] There seems to be an in
terval of three days between this verse and the preceding one.
At any rate it is certain that our Lord went to the temple and
taught " about the midst of the feast." (v. 14.) There seems
no break from that point, but a continuous narrative of teach
ing and argument up to this verse. There is therefore no .ac
count of what our Lord did during the three latter days of the
feast. We can only conjecture that He taught on uninter
rupted, and that a restraint was put by divine interposition
on His enemies, so that they dared not interfere with Him.
Whether this " last day of the feast " means the eighth day or
the seventh, is a question not decided.
(1) Some, as Bengel, and others, think it must be the seventh
day, because in the account of the feast of tabernacles given by
Moses, there is no special mention of anything to be done on
the eighth day ; (Levit. xxiv. 33 — 43 ;) while on each of the seven
days of the feast there were special sacriflces appointed, a spe
cial reading of the law once every seven years, and also, accord
ing to the Jewish writers, a solemn drawing of water from the
pool of Siloam, to be poured on the altar in the temple.
(2) Others, as Lightfoot, Gill, Alford, Stier, Wordsworth, and
Burgon, think it must be the eighth day, because in reality the
feast could hardly be said to be linished till the end of the eighth
day ; and even in the account of the feast in Leviticus, it is said
that the eighth day is to be " a holy convocation " and a " sab
bath." (Lev. xxiii, 36 and 39.)
The point is of no practical importance ; but of the two opin
ions I incline to prefer the second one. The words seera to me
to indicate that all the ceremonial of the feast was over, the last
ofl'erings had been raade, and the people were on the point of
dispersing to their respective horaes, when our Lord seized the
opportunity, and made the grand proclamation which immedi
ately follows. — It was a peculiarly typical occasion. The last
feast of the year was concluding, and before it concluded our
Lord proclaimed publicly the great truth which was the com
mencement of a new dispensation, and Himself as the end of
all sacriflces and ceremonies.
The objection that no drawing and pouring of water took
"¦ place on the eighth da.v, appears to me of no weight. That our
Lord referred to it, is highly probable. But I think He re
ferred to it as a thing which the Jews had seen seven days run-

44 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
ning, and remerabered well. Now on the eighth day, when
there was no water drawn, there seems a peculiar fltness in His
crying,— " Come unto me and drink. 'The water of life that I
give may be drawn, though the feast is over."
[Jesus stood and cried.] These words must mean that our
Lord chose some high and prominent position, where He could
" stand " and be seen and heard by raany persons at once. Ifi
as we may suppose, the worshippers at the feast of tabernacles
were just turning away frora the last of its ceremonies, one can
easily imagine that our Lord "stood" in some commanding.
position close by the entrance of the temple. When it is said
that "He cried," it means that He lifted up His voice in a loud,
and to Him unusual manner, in order to arrest attention, — like
a herald making a public proclamation.
[If any man thirst.. .come unto me and drink.] These words
can have but one meaning. — They are a general invitation to all
who are athirst about their souls, to come unto Christ in order
to obtain relief. He declares Himself to be the fountain of life, ,
— the reliever of man's spiritual wants, — the giver of satisftic-
tion to weary consciences, — the remover and pardoner of sins.
He recommends all who feel their sins and want pardon, to
come unto Him, and promises that they shall at once get what
they want. The idea is precisely the same as that in Matt. xi.
28, though the image employed is difi'erent.
It is probable, as almost all commentators remark, that onr
Lord chose this flgure and imagery, because of the Jewish cus
tom of drawing water from the pool of Siloam during the feast
of tabernacles, and carrying it in solemn procession to the tem
ple. And it is thought that our Lord purposely refers to this
ceremony, of which the minds of many would doubtless he
full: — "Does any one want true water of life, better than any
water of Siloam?— Let him come to Me and by faith draw out
of Me living waters, — even peace of conscience, and pardon of
sins." — But it is fair to remeraber that this is only conjecture.
This custom of drawing water frora Siloam at the feast was a
human invention, nowhere commanded in the law of Moses, or
even mentioned in the Old Testament; and it admits of doubt
whether our Lord would have sanctioned it. Moreover, it is
evident frora John iv, 10, and vi, 85, that the figures of "water"
and "thirst "were not unfrequently used by our Lord,— The
figures at any rate were familiar to all Jews, from Isaiah Iv.
1. Sorae have thought, because the feast of tabernacles was ~
specially intended to remind the Jews of their sojourn in the
wilderness, that our Lord had in view the miraculous supply of
water from the rock, which followed Israel everywhere and^
that He wished the Jews to see in Hira the fulfllraent of that
type, the true Rock. (1 Cor. x. 4.) The idea is deservin" of
attention. "

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 45
The whole sentence is one of those golden sayings which
ought to be dear to every true Christian, and is full of wide en
couragement to all sinners who hear it. — Its words deserve
special attention.
We should note the breadth of the invitation. It is for " any
man." No matter who and what he may have been, — no matter
how bad and wicked his former life, — the hand is held out, and
the offer made to Him: — "If any man thirst, let him come."
Let no man say that the Gospel is narrow in its offers.
We should note the persons invited. They are those who
" thirst," That expression is a figurative one, denoting the
spiritual distress and anxiety which any one feels when he dis
covers the value of his soul, and the sinfulness of sin, and his
own guilt. Such an one feels a burning desire for relief, of
which the distressing sensation of " thirst " — a sensation famil
iar to all Eastern nations — is a raost fitting erablera. No further
qualification is named. There is no mention of repentance,
amendment, preparation, conditions to fulfil, new heart to be
got. One thing alone is named. Does a man " thirst? " Does
he feel his sins and want pardou? — Then the Lord invites
him. We should note the simplicity of the course prescribed to a
thirsting sinner. — It is simply, " Let him come unto Me." He
has only to cast his soul on Christ, trust Him, lean on Him,
believe on Him, commit his soul with all its burdens to Him, and
that is enough. To trust Christ is to "come" to Christ. — So
" coming," Christ will supply all his need. So believing, he is
at once forgiven, justified, and received into the number of God's
children. (See John vi. 35, 37.)
The expression " drink," is of course figurative, answering to
the word " thirst." It raeans, " Let hira freely take from me
everything that his soul wants, — mercy, grace, pardon, peace,
strength. I am the fountain of life. Let him use rae as such,
and I shall be well pleased."
We do not read of any prophet or Apostle in the Bible who
ever used such language as this, and said to men, " Come unto
me and drink," None surely could use it but one who knew
that He was very God.
8. — [He that believeth on me, etc.] This verse is undoubtedly full
of difficulties, and has received very various interpretations. Not
the least difficulty is about the connection in which the several
expressions of the verse ought to be taken,
(1) Some, as Stier, would connect " He that believeth on
me " with the verb " drink " in the preceding verse. It would
then run thus,—" If any man thirst let him come unto me, and
let him drink that believeth on me," — I cannot think this is a
right view, Por one thing, it would be a violent strain of all
grammatical usage of the Greeklanguage, to interpret the words

46 EXPOSITORY THOUGHT?.
thus. Tor another thing. It would introduce doctrinal con
fusion. Our Lord's invitation was not made to him " that Ije-
lieveth," but to him that is " athirst."
(2) Sorae, as Chrysostom, Theophylact, Pellican, Heinsins,
Gualter, De Dieu, Lightfoot, Trapp, and Henry, wonld connect
" He that believeth on me " with the following words, — " As the
Scripture hath said." It would then mean, " He that believeth
on me after the manner that the Scripture bids hira believe."
I cannot think that this interpretation is correct. The expres
sion, " Believeth as the Scripture hath said," is a very strange
and vague one, and unlike anything else in the Bible.
(3) Most commentators think that the words, " As the Scrip
ture hath said," must be taken in connection with those that
follow, "out of his belly," etc. They think that our Lord did
not mean to quote precisely any one text of Scripture, but only
to give in His own words the general sense of several well-
known texts. This, in spite of difficulties, I believe is the only
satisfactory view.
One difficulty, of a grammatical kind, arises from the expres
sion, " He that believeth on me," having no verb with which i(
is connected in the verse. This cannot be got over. It must
be taken as a nominative absolute, and the sentence must ba
regarded as an elliptical sentence, which we must fill up.
Another difficulty arises from the fact, that there is no text
in the Old Testament Scriptures which at all answers to the
quotation apparently given here. This difficulty is undeniable,
but not insuperable. As I have already said, our Lord did not
intend to give an exact quotation, but only the general sub
stance of several Old Testament promises. Wordsworth thinks
Matt. ii. 23 a similar case. Jerome also maintains that fre
quently the inspired writers contented themselves with giving
the sense and not the precise words of a quotation. (See also
Ephes. V. 14.)
Another difficulty arises as to the application of the words,
" Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Some, as
Rupertus, Bengel, and Stier, would apply this to our Lord Him
self, and say that it raeans, " Out of Christ's belly shall flow
rivers of living water." But it is a grave objection to this view
that it totally disconnects the beginning of the verse from the
end, — makes the expression " He that believeth on me "even
more elliptical than it needs be,— and throws the latter part of
the verse into the form of a precise quotation of Scripture.
I venture to think that the true interpretation of the verse is
as follows :— " He that believeth on me, or comes to me by faith
as his Saviour, is the man out of whose belly shall flow'rivers
of living water, as the Scripture hath said it should be " It is
a strong argument iu favour of this view that our Lord said to
the Samaritan woman, that the water He could give would be

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 47
In him that drank it " a well of -ivater springing up into ever
lasting life," (John IV, 14.) The full meaning of the promise
is that every believer in Christ shall receive abundant satisfac
tion of his own spiritual wants; .and not only that, but shall
also become a source of blessing to others. Prom him instru-
mentally, by his word, work, and example, waters of life shall
flow forth to the everlasting benefit of his fellow-men. He
shall have enough for himself, and shall be a blessing to others.
The imagery of the figure used is still kept up, and " his belly "
must stand for " his inner man." His heart being filled with
Christ's gifts shall overflow to others, and having received
much, shall give and impart much.
The passages to which our Lord referred, and the substance
of which He gives, are probably Isai, xii, 8; xxxv, 6, 7; xii, 18;
xliv, 3; Iv. 1; Iviii. 11; Zech. xiv. 8, 16. Of these passages our
Lord gives the general sense, but not the precise words. This
is the view of Calvin, Beza, Grotius, Cocceius, Diodati, Lampe,
and Scott. It is a curious, confirmatory fact, that the Arabic
and Syriac versions of the text both have the expression
" Scripture " in the plural, " As the Scriptures have said."
It is a curious fact which Bengel mentions, that the 14th
chapter of Zechariah was read in public in the teraple, on the
flrst day of the feast of tabernacles. If this is correct we
can hardly doubt that our Lord must have had this in mind
when He used the expression, " As the Scripture hath said."
It is as though He said, " As you have heard, for instance,
during this very feast, from the book of your prophet Zecha
riah." That almost every believer, whose life is spared after he
believes, becomes a fountain of blessing and good to others, is
a simple matter of fact, which needs no illustration. A truly
converted man always desires the conversion of others, and
labours to promote it. Even the thief on the cross, short as
his life was after he repented, cared for his brother thief; and
from the words he spoke have fiowed " rivers of living water"
over this sinful world for raore than eighteen hundred years.
He alone has been a fountain of blessing.
Bloomfleld quotes a Rabbinical sentence, — "When a man
turns to the Lord, he is like a fountain filled with living water,
and rivers flow from him to men of all nations and tribes."
The favourite notion of some, that our Lord in this place only
referred to the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, to be given
on the day of Pentecost, is an idea that does not commend
itself to rae at all. The thing before us is a thing promised to
every believer. — But the miraculous gifts were certainly not
bestowed on every believer. Thousands were evidently con
verted through the Apostles' preaching who did not receive
these gifts. Yet all received the Holy Ghost.

48 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Luther paraphrases this verse thus : " He that cometh to me
shall be so furnished with the Holy Ghost, that he shall not
only be quickened and refreshed himself and delivered from
thirst, but he shall also be a strong stone vessel, from wliich
the Holy Ghost in all His gifts shall flow to others, refreshing,
comforting, and strengthening them, even as he was refreshed
by me. So St. Peter on the day of Pentecost, iDy one sermon,
as by a rush of water, delivered three thousand men from the
devil's kingdora, washing thera in an hour from sin, death, and
Satan." Hengstenberg, after quoting this, adds, " That was
only the flrst exhibition of a glorious peculiarity which dis
tinguishes the Church of the New Testament frora the Church
of "the Old. She has a livipg impulse which will diffuse the life
within her, even to the ends of the earth."
89. — [But this spake. ..of the Spirit.] This verse is one of those
explanatory comments which are so common in St. John's
Gospel. The opening words would be more literally rendered,
" He spake this concerning the Spirit."
Let it be noted that here, at any rate, there can be no doubt
that " water" does not mean "baptism," but the Holy Spirit. — ,
St. John himself says so in unmistakable language.
[Which they. ..believe.. .should receive.] This means, "Which
believers in Him were about to receive." There is an insepa
rable connection between faith in Christ and receiving the
Holy Ghost. If any raan has faith he has the Spirit. If any
man has not the Spirit he has no saving faith in Christ. The
effectual work of the second and third Persons in the Trinity is
never divided.
Eupertus think that our Lord had specially in view that
mighty outpouring of the Spirit on the Gentile world, which
was to take place after His ovvn ascension into heaven, and the
going forth of the Apostles into the world to preach the
Gospel, [For the Holy Ghost. ..not yet given, etc.] This sentence means
that the Holy Ghost was not yet poured on believers in all His
fulness, because our Lord had not yet fluished His work by
dying, rising again, and ascending into heaven for us. It was
not till He was " glorified " by going up into heaven and taking
His scat at the right hand of God, that the Holv Ghost was
sent down iu full influence on the Church. Then' was fulfilled
Psalm Ixviii. 18,- "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led
captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for raan: yea, for
the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among
T^'^.^'.^T^'^'''^'''' °"^ ^°''^ '^^'^'^ """^ ™s<= agaiu aud ascended, the
Holy Ghost was, and had been from all eternity, one with the
Father and the Son, a distinct Person, of equal power and \
authority, very and eternal God. But He had not revealed
Himself so fully to those whose hearts He dwelt in as Hp did
after the ascension; aud He had not corae down in person oa

JOHN, CHAP. vn. , 49
the Gentile world, or sent forth the Gospel to all mankind with
rivers of blessing, as He did when Paul and Barnabas were
" sent forth by the Holy Ghost." (Acts xiii. 4.) In a word,
the dispensation of the Spirit had not yet begun.
The expression " the Holy Ghost was not yet given," would
be more literally rendered, " the Holy Ghost \yas not." This
cannot of course mean that the Holy Ghost did not exist, and
was in no sense present with believers in the Old Testament
dispensation. On the contrary, the Spirit strove with the men
of Noah's day, — David spake by the Holy Ghost, — Isaiah spake
of the Holy Spirit,— and John the Baptist, now dead, was filled
with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb. (Gen. vi. 3 ;
Mark xii. 36; Isa. Ixiii. 10, 11; Luke i. 15.)
What the expression does mean is this. The Holy Ghost was
not yet with men in such fulness of influence on their minds,
hearts, and understandings, as the Spirit of adoption and reve
lation, as He was after our Lord ascended up into heaven. It
Is clear as daylight, from our Lord's language about the Spirit,
in John xiv, 16,17,26; xv, 26; xvi, 7 — 15, that believers were
meant to receive a far raore full and complete outpouring of the
Holy Spirit after His ascension than they had received before.
It is a siraple matter of fact, indeed, that after the ascension
the Apostles were quite different men from what they had been
before. They both saw, and spoke, and acted like men grown
up; while before the ascension they had been like children. It
was this increased light and knowledge .and decision that raade
thera such a blessing to the world, far more than any miraculous
gifts. The possession of the gifts of the Spirit, it is evident, in
the early Church was quite compatible with an ungodly heart.
A man might speak with tongues, and yet be like salt that had
lost its savour. The possession of the fulness of the graces of
the Spirit, on the contrary, was that which made any raan a
blessing to the world.
Alford says : " St. John does not say that the words were a
prophecy of what happened on the day of Pentecost ; but of the
Spirit which the believers were about to receive. Their first
reception of Him raust not be illogically put in the place of all
His indwelling and working, which are here intended."
I ara quite aware that raost commentators hold, that the out
pouring of the Spirit at Pentecost was specially meant by St.
John in this passage. But after carefully considering the
matter, I cannot subscribe to this opinion. To conflne this
verse to the day of Pentecost appears to me to cramp and nar
row its meaning, — to deprive many believers of their interest
in a most precious promise, — and to overlook all the special
language about the inward teaching of the Comforter as a thing
-to come on believers, which our Lord used the night before His
cruciflxion, BengeLremarks that the use of "to be "instead of "to be
8

50

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

present "is not uncommon in the Bible. (Thus 2 Chron. xv.
3.) When therefore we read " the Holy Ghost was not," we
need not be stumbled by the expression. It simply means " He
was not fully manifested and poured out on the Church."
Peter, and James, and John, no doubt, had the Spirit now,
when our Lord was speaking. But they had Him ranch more
fully, after our Lord was glorified. This explains the meaning
of the passage before us.
We should note, in leaving these three verses, what a striking
example they supply to preachers, ministers, and teachers of
religion. Let such learn frora their Master to offer Christ
boldly, freely, fully, broadly, unconditionally, to all thirsting
souls. The Gospel is too often spoiled in the presentation of
it. Sorae fence it round with conditions, and keep sinners at a
distance. Others direct sinners wrongly, and send them to
something else beside or instead of Christ. He only copies his
Lord who says, "If any one feels his sins, let him come at once,
straight, direct, not merely to church, or to the sacrament, or
to repentance, or to prayer, but to Christ Himself."

JOHN VII. 40—53-

40 Many of the people therefore,
when they beard this saying, said, Of
a truth this is the Prophet.
41 Others said. This is the Christ,
Bnt some said, Shall Christ eome out
of Galilee ?
42 Hath not the scripture said,
That Christ cometh of the seed of Da
vid, and out of the town of Bethlehem,
where David was 1
43 So there was a division among
the people because of him,
44 And some of them wonld have
taken him; but no man laid hands on
him, 45 Then came the officers to the
chief priests and Pharisees; and they
said unto them, Why have ye not
brought him?

46 The officers answered, Never
man spake like this man,
47 Then answered them the Phar
isees, Are ye also deceived ?
48 Have any of the rulers or of the
Pharisees believed on him?
49 But this people who knoweth
not the law are cursed,
50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he
that camo to Jesus by night, being
one of them,)
51 Doth our law judge any man,
before it hear him, and know what he
doeth ?
62 They answered and said unto
him, Art thou also of Galilee ? Search,
and look : for out of Galilee ariseth no
prophet, 63 And every man went unto hifl
I own house.
These verses show us, for one thing, how useless is knowl
edge in religion, if it is not accompanied by grace in the heart.
We are told that some of our Lord's hearers knew clearly
where Christ was to be born. They referred to Scripture,

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 61
like men familiar with its contents. " Hath not the Scrip
ture said that Christ coineth of the seed of David, and out
of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?" And j'et
the eyes of their understanding were not enlightened.
Their own Messiah stood before them, and they neither
received, nor believed, nor obeyed Him.
A certain degree of religious knowledge, beyond doubt,
is of vast importance. Ignorance is certainly not the
mother of true devotion, and helps nobody toward heaven.-
.An " unknown God " can never be the object of a reasona
ble worship. Happy indeed would it be for Christians if
they all knew the Scriptures as well as the Jews seem to
have done, when our Lord was on earth !
But while we value religious knowledge, we must take
care that we do not overvalue it. We must not think it
enough to know the facts and doctrines of our faith, unless
our hearts and lives are thoroughly influenced by what we
know. The very devils know the creed intellectually, and
" believe and tremble," but remain devils still. (James ii.
19.) It is quite possible to be familiar with the letter of
Scripture, and to be able to quote texts appropriately, aud
reason about the theory of Christianity, and yet to remain
dead in trespasses and sins. Like many of the generation
to which our Lord preached, we may know the Bible well,
and yet remain faithless and unconverted.
Heart-knowledge, we must always remember, is the one
thing needful. It is something which schools and univer
sities cannot confer. It is the gift of God. To iind out
the plague of our own hearts and hate sin, — to become
familiar with the throne of grace and the fountain of
Christ's blood, — to sit daily at the feet of Jesus, and
humbly learn of Him, — this is the highest degree of
knowledge to which mortal man can attain. Let any
one thank God who knows anything of these things. He

52 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
may be ignorant of Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and mathe
matics, but be shall be saved.
These verses show us, for another thing, how eminent
must have been our Lord's gifts, as a public Teacher of
religion. We are told that even the officers of the chief
priests, who were sent to take Him, were struck and '
amazed. They were, of course, not likely to be prejudiced
in His favour. Yet even they reported, — "Never man
spake like this Man."
Of the manner of our Lord's public speaking, we can
of necessity form little idea. Action, and voice, and de
livery are things that must be seen and heard to be appre
ciated. That our Lord's manner was peculiarly solemn,
arresting, and impressive, we need not doubt. It was
probably something very unlike what the JewLsh oflBcers
were accustomed to hear. There is much in what is said
in another place : " He taught them as One having au
thority, and not as the Scribes." (Matt. vii. 29.)
Of the matter of our Lord's public speaking, we may
form some conception from the discourses which are
recorded in the four Gospels. The leading features of
these discourses are plain and unmistakable. The world
has never seen anything like them, since the gift of speech
was given to man. They often contain deep truths, which
we have no line to fathom. But they often contain siraple
things, which even a child can understand. They are bold
and outspoken in denouncing national and ecclesiastical
sins, and yet they are wise and discreet in never giving
needless offence. Thej- are faithful and direct in their
wiirnings, and yet loving and tender, in their invitations.
For a combination of power and simplicity, of courage and
prudence, of faithfulness and tenderness, we may well say,
" Never man spake like this Man ! "
It would be well for the Church of Christ if ministers
and teachers of religion would strive more to speak after

JOHN, CHAP. VII. 63
their Lord's pattern. Let them remember that fine bom
bastic language, and a sensational, theatrical st}"le of
address, are utterly unlike their Master. Let them realize,
that an eloquent simplicity is the highest attainment of
public speaking. Of this their Master left them a glorious
example. Surely they need never be ashamed of walking
in His steps.
These verses show us, lastly, how sloiuly and gradually
the work of grace goes on in some hearts. We are told that
Nicodemus stood up in the council of our Lord's enemies,
and mildly pleaded that He deserved fair dealing. " Doth
our law judge any man,'' he asked, " before it hear him,
and know what he doeth ? "
This very Nicodemus, we must remember, is the man
who, eighteen months before, had come to our Lord by
night as an ignorant inquirer. He evidently knew little
then, and dared not come to Christ in open day. But now,
after eighteen months, he has got on so far that he dares
to say something on our Lord's side. It was but little that
he said, no doubt, but it was better than nothing at alL
And a day was yet to come, when he would go further still.
He was to help Joseph of Arimathsea in doing honour to
our Lord's dead body, when even His chosen Apostles had
forsaken Him and fled.
The case of Nicodemus is full of useful instruction. It
teaches us, that there are diversities in the operation of
the Holy Spirit. All are undoubtedly led to the same
Saviour, but all are not led precisely in the same way. It
teaches us, that the work of the Spirit does not always go
forward with the same speed in the hearts of men. In
some cases it may go forward very slowly indeed, and yet
may be real and true.
^We shall do well to remember these things, in forming
our opinion of other Christians. We are often ready to
condemn some as graceless, because their experience does

54 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
not exactly tally with our own, or to set them down as not
in the narrow way at all, because they cannot run as fast
as ourselves. We must beware of hasty judgments. It
is not always the fastest runner that wins the race. It
is not always those who begin suddenly in religion, and
profess themselves rejoicing Christians, who continue stead
fast to the end. Slow work is sometimes the surest and
most enduring. Nicodemus stood firm, when Judas Iscar
iot fell away and went to his own place. No doubt it
would be a pleasant thing, if everybody who was con
verted came out boldly, took up the cross, and confessed
Christ in the day of his conversion. But it is not always
given to God's children to do so.
Have we any grace in our hearts at all ? This, after all,
is the grand question that concerns us. It may be small,
— but have we any? It may grow slowly, as in the case
of Nicodemus, — ^but does it grow at all? Better a little
grace than none ! Better move slowly than stand still in
sin and the world !
Notes. John VII. 40—53.
4.0.—[Many...people...this saying, said.] The "people "here evi
dently mean the general multitude of common people, who had
come together to attend the feast, and not the chief priests and
Pharisees. The " saying" which called forth their remarks ap
pears to be the public proclamation thatourLord had just made,
inviting all thirsty souls to come to Him as the fountain of life.
That any one person should so boldly announce himself as the
reliever of spiritual thirst seems to have arrested attention,
and, taken in connection with the fact of our Lord's public
teaching during the latter half of the feast, which many of the
people raust have heard, it induced them to say what immedi
ately follows. '
Brentius, Musculus, and others, hold strongly that our Lord's
words in the preceding three verses must have been "reatlv'
amplified, at the time He spoke, and are in fact a sort of tpxt or
keynote to His discourse; and that this is reined to in the
expression, "this s.aying," Yet the supposiUon seetns liard ly
i^nrandTreaJMng!"'-"^ '''•''' ' '=°'^'=^"^'- '° *^- '^T^' ^^-
[Of a truth this man...Prophet.] This would be more literally

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 65
rendered, " This man is truly and really the Prophet, " These
speakers meant that He must be " the Prophet " like unto Moses,
foretold in Deuteronomy. (Deut, xviii, 15, 18,)
41. — [Others said. Tills is the Christ.] These speakers saw in our
Lord the Messiah, or Anointed Saviour, whom all pious Jews
were eagerly expecting at this period, and whose appearing the
, whole nation were looking for in one way or another, though
the raost part expected nothing more than a temporal Redeemer.
(Psalm xiv. 7 ; Isaiah Ixi. 1 ; Dan. ix. 25, 26.) Even the Samari
tan woman could say, " I know that Messiah cometh." (John iv.
25.) [But some said. Shall Christ.. .Galilee?] This ought to have
been rendered, " But others said," It was not a few exception
al speakers only, but a party probably as large as any. They
{¦aised the objection, which was not unnatural, that this new
¦teacher and preacher, however wonderful He might be, was
notoriously a Galilean, of Nazareth, and therefore could not be
the promised Messiah. How utterly ignorant most persons
were of our Lord's birthplace, we see here, as elsewhere.
42. — [Hath not ihe Scripture said, etc. ] We should note in this
¦ verse the clear knowledge which most Jews in our Lord's time
had of Scripture prophecies and promises. Even the common
people knew that Messiah was to be of the faraily of David, and
to be born at Bethlehera, the well known birthplace of David.
It may indeed be feared that myriads of Christians know far less
of the Bible than the Jews did eighteen hundred years ago.
43. — [So...division among... people because of Him.] Here we see
our Lord's words literally fulfilled. — He did not bring " peace,
but division," (Luke xii. 51.) It will always be so as long as the
world stands. So long as human nature is corrupt, Christ will
be a cause of division and difference araong raen. To some He
is a savour of life, and to others of death. Grace and nature
never will agree any more than oil and water, acid and alkali.
A state of entire quiet, and the absence of any religious divis
ion, is often no good sign of the condition of a Church or a
parish. It raay even be a syraptom of spiritual disease and
death. The question may possibly be needful in such cases,
"Is Christ there?"
44. — [And some.. .would.. .taken Him.] This would' be more satis
factorily rendered, " Some out of those " who made up the
crowd " were desirous and wished to take our Lord prison
er." — These were no doubt the friends and adherents of the
Pharisees, and very likely were the coraraon people who dwelt
at Jerusalem, and knew well what their leaders wanted to do.
[No man laid hands on Him.] This raust be accounted for
primarily by divine restraint which was at present laid on our
Lord's enemies, because His hour was uot yet come; — and sec
ondarily by the fear in which the Pharisees' party evidently
stood of a risingjn our Lord's defence on the part of the Gali
leans, aud others who had come up to the feast. Thus we read
that at the last Passover " the priests and Scribes sought how

56 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
they might kill Hira, for they feared the people." (Luke xxil.
2.) Again : " They said. Not on the feast day, lest there be an
uproar of the people." (Mark xiv. 2, and Matt. xxvi. 5.)
i5.— [Then came the officers, etc.] It is not clear what interval of
tirae elapsed between verse 32nd, where we read that the ofli-
cers were sent by the priests to take our Lord, and the present
¦¦ verse, where we are told of their coming back to their mas
ters.— At flrst sight of course it all happened in one day. Yet
if we observe that between the sending thera to take our Lord,
and the present verse, there comes in the remarkable verse,
"In the last day, that great day of the feast," it seems impos
sible to avoid the conclusion, that an interval of two or three
days raust have elapsed. — It seeras highly probable that the offi
cers had a general coraraission and warrant to take our Lord
prisoner, whenever they saw a fitting opportunity, about the
fourth day of the feast. They found however no opportunity,
on account of the temper and spirit of the crowd, and dared
not make the attempt. And at last, at the end of the feast,
when the multitude was even more aroused than at first, by our
Lord's open testimony, they were obliged to return to those
who sent them, and confess their inability to carry out their
orders.
46. — [The officers answered, etc.] The answer of the ofllcers has
probably a double application. They themselves felt the power
of our Lord's speaking. They had never heard any man speak
like this raan. It tied their hands, and made them feel incapa
ble of doing anything against Him. — They had besides marked
the power of His speaking over the minds of the multitude
which gathered round Him. They had never seen any one ex
ercise such an influence over His hearers. They felt it useless
to attempt arresting one who had such complete command
over His audience. We cannot doubt that they had heard much
more " speaking " than the few things recorded between verses
32nd and 46th, These are only specimens of what our Lord ¦
said, and furnish a keynote to us indicating the general tenor
of His teaching.
What it was precisely that the ofllcers meant when they said
"Never man spake like this man," we are left to conjecture.
TJiey probably meant that they had never heard any one speak
such deep and important truths— in such simple and yet striking
language — and in so solemn, impressive, and yet affectionate
style. Above all, they probably meant that He spake with a
dignified tone of authority, as a messenger from heaven, to
which they were entirely unaccustomed.
47. — [Then answered them.. .Phansees... ye. ..deceived?] The word
rendered " deceived " means, literally, " led astray, or caused to '
err," Have you too been carried off by this new teachin"?
The question implies anger, sarcasm, ridicule, and displeasure!
i8.—[Have any.. .rulers. ..Pharisees believed on him?] This arro-

JOHN, CHAP. VII. 67
gant question was doubtless meant to be an unanswerable
proof that our Lord could not possibly be the Messiah :— " Cau
a person be deserving of the least credit, as a teacher of a new
religion, if those who are the most learned and highest in posi-
^ tion do uot believe Hira?"— This is precisely the common argu
ment of human nature in every age. The doctrine which the
great and learned do not receive is always assumed to be
wrong. And yet St. Paul says, " Not manywi.se, not many no
ble are called." (1 Cor. i. 26.) The very possession of rank
and learning is often a positive hindrance to a man's soul.
The great and the learned are often the last and most unwilling
to receive Christ's truth, — " How hardly shall a rich raan enter
the kingdom of God," (Matt, xix, 23 ,)
It seeras clear frora this that at present the Pharisees did not
know that one of their own nuraber, Nicodemus, was favourably
disposed to our Lord.
49. — [But this people... knoweth not law. ..cursed.] This sentence is
full of contempt and scorn throughout. "This people,"— a
mob, — a common herd, — " which knoweth not the law," is not
deeply read in the Scriptures, aud have no deep Rabbinical
learning, — " are cursed," are under God's curse and given over
to a strong delusion. Their opinion is worthless, and what
they think of the new Galilean teacher is of no moment or value.
— Charges like these have been made in every age, against the
adherents of all reformers and revivers of true religion. The
multitude who followed Luther in Germany, our own Reform
ers in England, and the leaders of revived religion in the last
century, were always attacked as ignorant enthusiasts whose
opinion was worth nothing. When the enemies of vital relig
ion cannot prevent people fiocking after the Gospel, and cannot
answer the teaching of its advocates, they often fight with the
weapons of the Pharisees in this verse. They content them
selves with the cheap and easy assertion that those who do not
agree with theraselves are ignorant and know nothing, and
that therefore itraatters nothing what they think. Yet St, Paul
says, " God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to con
found the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the things that are raighty," (1 Cor, i, 27.)
The poorer and hurabler classes are often much better judges
of " what is truth " in religion than the great and learned.
The disposition of the Jews to pronounce those " accursed "
who differ from themselves in religious controversy is exhib
ited in this verse. Jewish converts to Christianity in modern
times are often sadly familiar with cursing from their own
relatives.
50. — [Nicodemus.. .he. ..came to Jesus by night.] This would be
more literally rendered, " He that came to Him by night."
The omission of our Lord's name here is very peculiar.— The
- fact of Nicodemus having come to see Jesus "by night" is
always mentioned by St. John, where His name occurs. (See

58 EXPOSITOltY THOUGHTS.
John xix. 39.) It is to my mind a strong proof that he was a
coward when he flrst came to our Lord, and dared not come
openly by day.
[Being one of them.] This means that he was a chief man, or
ruler among the Pharisees, and as such was present at all their
deliberations and counsels. His case shows that the grace ol
God can re.ach men in any position, however unfavourable it may
be to true religion. Even a chief Pharisee, one of that com
pany of men who, as a body, hated our Lord and longed to kill
Him, could believe and speak up for Him. We must never con
clude hastily that there can be no Christians among a body of
men, because the great majority of thera hate Christ, and are
hardened in wickedness. There was a Lot in Sodora, an Oba-
diah in Ahab's house, a Daniel in Babylon, saints in Nero's
palace, and a Nicodemus among the Pharisees. He was "one
out of their number," but not one of thera in spirit.
51. — [Doth our law judge any man, etc.] This was undoubtedly
speaking up for our Lord, and pleading for His being treated
justly and fairly, and according to law. At first sight it seems
a very tarae and cautious mode of showing his faith, if he had
any. But it is difllcult to see what raore could have been said
in the present teraper of the Pharisees. Nicodemue wisely ap
pealed to law. "Is it not a great principle of that l;iw of
Moses, which we all profess to honour, that no man should be
condemned without flrst hearing from him what defence he can
make, and without clear knowledge and evidence as to what he
has really done?— Is it fair and legal to condemn this person
before you have heard from His own lips what He can say in
Bis defence, and before you know from the testimony of com
petent witnesses what He has really done? — Are you not flying -
in the face of our law by hastily judging His case, and setting
Hira down as a malefactor before you have given Hira a chance
of clearing Himself? (See Deut. i, 17, and xvii, 8, etc, and xix,
15, etc.) Nicodemus, it will be observed, cautiously takes up
his ground on broad general principles of universal application,,
and does uot say a word about our Lord's particular case.
The Greek words would be more literally rendered, "Doth
our law condemn the man unless it hears from him flrst,"
I think there can be no reasonable doubt that these words
show Nicodemus to liave become a real, though a slow-growing
disciple of Chiist, and a true believer. It required srreat cour- ,
age to do even the little that he did here, aud to say what he
said. Let us carefully note, that a man may begin very feebly and
grow very slowly, and seem to make very little proo-ress, and
yet have the true grace of God in his heart. We mu.st be care
ful that we do not hastily set down men as unconverted be
cause they get on slowly in the Christian life. All do uot "row
equally quick. e>'""

JOHN, CHAP. vn. 59
Let us learn to believe that even in high places, and most un
likely positions, Christ may have friends of whom we know
nothing. Who would have expected a chief ruler among the
Pharisees to rise at this juncture and plead for justice and fair
dealing in the case of our Lord?
62. — [They answered.. .thou also of Galilee?] This was the lan
guage of rage, scorn, and bitter contempt. " Art thou too, a
ruler, a learned man, a Pharisee, one of ourselves, become one
of this Galilean party? Hast thou joined the cause of this new
Galilean prophet? "
The tone of this bitter question seems to me to prove that
Nicodemus had said as much as was possible to be said, on this
occasion. The temper and spirit of the Pharisees, from disap
pointment and vexation at our Lord's increasing popularity,
and their own utter inability to stop His course, made them
furious at a single word being-spoken favourably or kindly about
Him. They raust Indeed have been in a violent frame of mind,
when the mere hint at thedesirableness of acting justly, fairly,
and legally, made them ask a brother Pharisee whether he was
a Galilean !
Musculus remarks that Nicodemus got little favour from the
Pharisees, though his favourable feeling towards our Lord was
60 cautiously expressed. He observes that this is generally the
case with those who act timidly as he did. People may just as
well be outspoken and bold.
[Search and look.] This seems to be meant sarcastically. "Go
and search the Scriptures again, and look at what they say about
the Messiah, before thou sayest one word about this new Gal
ilean prophet. Examine the prophets, and see if thou canst
find a tittle of evidence in favour of this Galilean, whose cause
thou art patronizing."
[Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.] This would be rendered
more literally, " a prophet out of Galilee has not been raised."
About the meaning of the words there are three very different
opinions. (1) Some think that the words only mean, no "prophet of
great note or eminence has ever been raised up in Galilee."
"This, however, is a tame and unsatisfactory view.
(2) Some, as Bishop Pearce, Burgon, and Sir N, Knatchbull,
think that the Pharisees only meant that "THE Prophet like
unto Moses, the Messiah, has nowhere in the Scripture been
foretold as coming out of Galilee." According to this view the
Pharisees said what was quite correct.
(3) Others, as Alford, Wordsworth, Tholuck, and most other
commentators, think that the Pharisees, in their rage and fury,
either forgot, or f6und it convenient to forget that prophets

60 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

had arisen frora Galilee, According to this view they made an
I ignorant a-3sertion, and said what was not true,
I find it very difllcult to receive this third opinion. To me it
seeras quite preposterous to suppose that men so thoroughly
familiar with the letter of Scripture, as the Pharisees were,
would venture on such a monstrous and ignor.ant assertion, as
to say that "no prophet had ever arisen out of Galilee!"
Elijah, Elisha, Ainos, Jonah, and perhaps Nahura, are all thought
by some to have been Galilean prophets. Moreover Isaiah
distinctly prophesied that in Messiah's times, Zebulon and
Nepthali and Galilee of the Gentiles should be a region where
" light should spring up." (Matt, iv, 14 — 16,)
On the other hand, I must frankly admit that the Greek of
the sentence raust be much strained to raake it mean " the true
prophet is not to arise out of Galilee. I do not forget, more
over, that when men lose their tempers and fly into a passion,
there is nothing too foolish and ignorant for them to say. Like
a drunken man they raay talk nonsense, and say things of which
in calra raoments they may be ashamed. It may have been so
with the Pharisees here. They were no doubt violently enraged,
and iu this state of mind might say anything absurd.
The point, happily, is not one of flrst-rate importance, and
men raay afford to differ about it. Nevertheless if I raust give
an opinion, I prefer the second of the three views I have given.
The iraprobability of the Pharisees asserting anything flatly
contrary to the letter and facts of Scripture, is, to ray mind, an
insuperable objection to the other views.
63. — [And every man.. .his own house.] These words seera to indi
cate that the assembly of Pharisees, before whom the officers
had appeared, reporting their inability to take our Lord pris
oner, broke up at once without taking any further action. They
saw they could do nothing. Their design to put our Lord to
death at once could not be carried out, and must be deferred.
They therefore separated and went to their own houses. We
may well believe that they parted in a most bitter and angry
frame of mind, boiling over with mortified pride and baulked
malice. They had tried hard to stop our Lord's course, aud had
completely failed. The "Galilean" had proved for the time
stronger than the Sanliedrira. Once more, as after the miracle
of Bethesda, they had been ignorainiously foiled and publicly
defeated. Hutcheson reraarks : " There is no council nor understanding
against Christ, but when He pleaseth He can dissipate all of it.
Here every man went unto his own house, without doing any
thing." Maldonatus thinks the verse proves that though the Pharisees
sneered at Nicodemus, and reviled him, they could not deny the
fairness and justice of what he said. He tliinks, therefore that

JOHN, CHAP. Vin.

61

they dispersed in consequence of Nicodemus' interference.
Even one man may do something against many, when God is on
his side.
Besser quotes a saying of Luther's : " Much as the Pharisees
before had blustered, they dared do nothing to Jesus: they be
came still and silent. He ffoes up to the feast meek aud silent,
and returns home Avith glory. — They go up with triumph, and
corae down weak."
Trapp reraarks: " See what one man may do against a mis
chievous multitude. It is good to be doing, though there be
few or none to second us."
Baxter remarks: "One man's words may sometimes divert
a persecution."

JOHN VIII. 1—11.

1 Jesus went unto the Mount of
Olives. 2 And early in the morning ho
came again to the temple, and all the
people came unto him; and ho sat
down, and taught them.
3 And the scribca and Pharisees
brought unto him a woman taken in
adultery; and when they had set her
iu the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this
woman was taken iu adultery, iu the
very act.
5 Now Moses in the law command
ed us, that such should be stoned: but
what sayest tbou ?
6 This they said, tempting him,
that they might have to accuse him.
But JesQS stooped down, and with his
£ngor wrote on the grouud, as though
he heard them 7to^

7 So when they continued asking
him, he lifted up himself, ahd said
unto them, He that is without sin
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 hy their oww conscience, went
out one by one, beginning at theeld-
est, even unto the last: and Jesus was
left alone, and the woman standing iu
the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up him
self, and saw none but the woman, he
said unto her, Woman, whero are those
thine accusers? hath no man con
demned thee ?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And
Jesus said unto her. Neither do I cou-
demu thee : go, and sin no more.

i'HE narrative which begins the eighth chapter of St. John's
Gospel is of a rather peculiar character. In some respects
it stands alone. There is nothing quite like it in the whole
range of the four Gospels. In every age some scrupulous
minds have stumbled at the passage, and have doubted
whether it was ever written by St. John at all. But the
justice of such scruples is a point that cannot easily be
proved.

62 EXPOSITOET THOUGHTS.
To suppose, as some have thought, that the narrative
before us palliates the sin of adultery, and exhibits our
Lord as making light of the seventh commandment, is
surely a great mistake. There is nothing in the passage to
justify such an assertion. There is not a sentence in it to
warrant our saying anything of the kind. Let us calmly
weigh the matter, and examine the contents of the passage.
Our Lord's enemies brought before Him a woman guilty
of adultery, and asked him to say what punishment she
deserved. We are distinctly told that they asked the ques
tion, " tempting Him." They hoped to entrap Him into
saying something for which they might accuse Him. They
fancied perhaps that He who preached pardon and salvation
to " publicans and harlots" might be induced to say some
thing which would either contradict the law of Moses, or
His own words.
Our Lord knew the hearts of the malicious questioners
before Him, and dealt with them with perfect wisdom, as
He had done in the case of the " tribute-money." (Matt.
xxii. 17.) He refused to be a "judge" and lawgiver
among them, and specially in a case which their own law
had already decided. He gave them at first no answer at
all. But "when they continued asking," our Lord silenced
them with a withering and heart-searching reply. — " He
that is without sin among j^ou," he said, " let him flrst cast
a stone at her." — He did not say that the woman had not
sinned, or that her sin was a trifling and venial one. But
He reminded her accusers that they at any rate were not
the persons to bring a charge against her. Their own mo
tives and lives were far from pure. They themselves did
not come into the case with clean hands. What they really
desired was not to vindicate the purity of God's law, and
punish a sinner, but to wreak their malice on Himself.
Last of all, when those who had brought the unhappy

JOHsr, CHAP. VIII. 63
woman to our Lord had gone out from His presence , " con
victed by their own conscience," He dismissed the guilty
sinner with the solemn words, " Neither do I condemn
thee : go and sin no more." — That she did not deserve pun
ishment He did not say. But He had not come to be a
judge. Moreover, in the absence of all witnesses or accus
ers, there was no case before Him.' Let her then depart as
one whose guilt was "not proven," even though she was
really guilty, and let her " sin no more."
To say in the face of these simple facts that our Lord
made light of the sin of adultery is not fair. There is
nothing in the passage before us to prove it. Of all whose
words are recorded in the Bible there is none who has
spoken so strongly about the breach of the seventh com
mandment as our divine Master. It is He who has taught
that it may be broken by a look or a thought, as well as by
an open act. (Matt. v. 28.) It is He who has spoken
more strongly than any about the sanctity of the marriage
relation. (Matt. xix. 5.) In all that is recorded here, we
see nothing inconsistent with the rest of His teaching. He
simply refused to usurp the office of the judge and to pro
nounce condemnation on a guilty woman, for the gratifica
tion of His deadly enemies.
In leaving this passage, we must not forget that it con
tains two lessons of great importance. Whatever difficul
ties the verses before us may present, these two lessons at
any rate are clear, plain, and unmistakable.
We learn, for one thing, the power of conscience. We
read of the woman's accusers, that when they heard our
Lord's appeal, " being convicted by their own conscience,
they went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even
unto the last." Wicked and hardened as they were, they
felt something within which made them cowards. Fallen
as human nature is, God has taken care to 1 tave within
every man a witness that will be heard.

64 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Conscience is a most important part of our inward man,
and plays a most prominent part in our spiritual history.
It cannot save us. It never j'et led any one to Christ. It
is blind, and liable to be misled. It is lame and powerless.
and cannot guide us to heaven. Yet conscience is not to
be despised. It is the minister's best friend, when he
stands up to rebuke sin from the pulpit. It is the mother's
best friend, when she tries to restrain her children from
evil and quicken them to good. It is the teacher's best
friend, when he presses home on boj's and girls their moral
duties. Happy is he who never stifles his conscience, but
strives to keep it tender ! Still happier is he who prays to
have it enlightened by the Holy Ghost, and sprinkled with
Christ's blood.
We learn, for another thing, the nature of true repentance.
When our Lord had said to the sinful woman, "Neither do
I condemn thee," He dismissed her with the solemn words,
" go and sin no moi-e." He did not merely say, " go home
and repent." He pointed out the chief thing which her
case required, — the necessity of immediate breaking off
from her sin.
Let us never forget this lesson. It is the very essence
of genuine repentance, as the Church catechism well teaches,
to " forsake sin." That repentance which consists in
nothing more than feeling, talking, professing, wishing,
meaning, hoping, and resolving, is worthless in God's
sight. Action is the very life of " repentance unto salva
tion not to be repented of." Till a man ceases to do evil
and turns from his sins, he does not really repent. — Would
we know whether we are truly converted to God, and know
anything of godly sorrow for sin, aud repentance such as
causes "joy in heaven"? Let us rsearch and see whether
we forsake sin. Let us not rest till (ve can say as in God's
eight, " I hate all sin, and desire to sin no more."

JOHN, CHAP. vni. 6,')
Notes. John VIII. 1—11.
These eleven verses, together with the last verse of the pre
ceding chapter, form perhaps the gravest critical difficulty in the
New Testament. Their genuineness is disputed. — It is held
by many learned Christian writers, who have an undoubted
right to be heard on such matters, that the passage was not
written by St. John, that it was written by an uninspired hand,
and probably at a later date, and that it has uo lawful claim to
be regarded as a part of canonical Scripture. — It is held by
others, whose opinion, to say the least, is equally entitled to re
spect, that the passage is a genuine part of St. John's Gospel,
' and that the arguments against it, however weighty they may
appear, are insufficient, aud admit of an answer. A summary of
the whole case is all that I shall attempt to give.
In the list of those who think the passage either not genuine,
or at least doubtful, are the following names:— Beza, Grotius,
Baxter, Hammond, A. Clark, Tittman, Tholuck, Olshausen,
Hengstenberg, Tregelles, Alford, Wordsworth, Scrivener.
In the list of those who think the passage genuine are the fol
lowing names : — Augustine, Ambrose, Kutliymius, Rupertus,
Zwingle, Calvin, Melancthon, Ecolampadius, Brentius, Euccr,
Gualter, Musculus, Bullinger, Pellican, Flacius, Diodati, Chem-
nitius, Aretius, Piscator, Calovius, Cocceius, Toletus, Maldona
tus, a Lapide, ITerus, Nifanius, Cartwright, Mayer, Trapp, Poole,
Lampe, Whitby, Lrfgh, Doddridge, Bengel, Stier, Webster, Bur
gon. Calvin is sometimes named as one of those who think the pas
sage before us not genuine. But his language about it in his
Commentary is certainly not enough to bear out the assertion.
He says, " It is plain that this passage was unknown anciently
to the Greek Churches; and some conjecture that it has been
brought from some other place, and inserted here. But as it
has always been received by the Latin Churches, and is found
in many old Greek manuscripts, and contains nothing unworthy
of an Apostle, there is no reason why we should refuse to apply
it to our advantage."
[ A.] The arguments against the passage are as follows :—
(1) That it is not found in some of the oldest and best manu
scripts, now existing, of the Greek Testament.
(2) That it is not found in some of the earlier versions or
trai.slations of the Scriptures.
(3) That it is not commented on by the Greek Fathers, Ori-
gen, Cyril, Chrysostom, and Theophylact, in their exposition of
St. John; nor quoted or referred to by Tertulliau and Cyprian.
(4) That it diflfers in style from the rest of St. John's Gospel,
and contains several words and forms of expression which ara
nowhere else used in his writings.

66 EXPOeiTORY THOUGHTS.
(5) That the moral tendency of the passage Is somewhat
doubtful, and that it seems to represent our Lord as palliating a
heinous sin.
"B ] The arguments in favour of the passage are as follows : —
(1) That it is found in many old manuscripts, if not in the
very oldest and best.
(2) That it is found in the Vulgate Latin, and in the Arabic,
Coptic, Persian, and Ethiopian versions.
(3) That it is commented on by Augustine in his exposition of
this Gospel; while in another of his writings, he expressly re
fers to, and explains, its omission from some manuscripts:—
that it is quoted and defended by Ambrose, referred to by Je
rome, and treated as genuine in the Apostolical constitutions.
(4) That there is no proof whatever that there is any im
moral tendency in the passage. Our Lord pronounced no opin
ion on the sin of adultery, but simply declined the office of a
judge. It may seera almost presumptuous to offer any opinion on this
very difficult subject. But I venture to raake the following re
marks, and to invite the reader's candid attention to thera. I
lean decidely to the side of those who think the passage is gen
uine, for the following reasons : —
1. The argument from manuscripts appears tome inconclusive.
' We possess comparatively few very ancient ones. Even of them,
some favour the genuineness of the passage. — The same remark
applies to the ancient versions. Testimony of this kind, to be
couclusive, should bo unanimous.
2. The argument from the Fathers seems to me more in favour
of the passage than against it. — On the one side the reasons
are simply negative. Certain Fathers say nothing about the
passage, but at the same time say nothiug agaiust it. — On the
other side the reasons arc positive. Men of such high authority
as xVugustine aud Ambrose not only comment on the passage,
but defend its genuineness, and assign reasons for its omission
by some mistaken transcribers.
Let rae add to this that the negative evidence of the Fathers
who are against the passage is not nearly so weigh y s it ap
pears at first sight. Cyril of Alexandria is one. But his com
mentary ou the eight chapter of John is lost, and what we have
was supplied by the modern hand of Jodocus Clichtovceus.a
Parisiau doctor, who lived iu the year 1510 a. r>. (See Dup.ii's
EcclPS. [list. )— Chrysostom's commentary on John consists of
popular public homilies, iu which we can easily imagine such a
passage as this mii;ht possibly be omitted.— Theophylact was
notoriously a copyer and imitator of Chrysostom.— Origen,
the only remaining commentator, is one whose testimony is not
of first-rate value, and he has omitted many things in his ex-

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 67
position of St. John.— The silence of Tertullian and Cyprian
is perhaps accountable, on the same principles by which Augus
tine explains the omission of the passage in some copies of this
Gospel in his own time.
Some, as Calovius, Maldonatus, Flacius, Aretius, and Pisca
tor, think that Chrysostom distinctly refers to this passage, in
his Sixtieth Homily on John, though he passes it over in expo
sition. 3. The argument from alleged discrepancies between the
style and language of this passage, and the usual style of St.
John's writing, Is one which should be received with much
caution. We arc not dealing with an uninspired but with an
inspired writer. Surely it is not too rauch to say that an in
spired writer may occasionally use words and constructions and
modes of expression which he generally does not use, and that
it is no proof that he did not write a passage because he wrote
it in a peculiar way.
I leave the subject here. In cases of doubt like this, it la
wise to be on the safe side. On the whole I think it safest to
regard this disputed passage as genuine. At any rate I prefer
the difficulties on this side to those on the other.
The whole discussion raay leave in our rainds, at any rate,
one comfortable thought. If even in the case of this notori
ously disputed passage — more controverted and doubted than
any in the New Testament — so much can be said in its favour,
how immensely strong is the foundation on which the whole
volume of Scripture rests ! If even against this passage the
arguments of opponents are not conclusive, we have no reason
to fear for the rest of the Bible.
After all there is rauch ground for thinking that some critical
difficulties have been purposely left by God's providence in the
text of the New Testament, in order to prove the faith and
patience of Christian people. They serve to test the humility
of those to whom intellectual difficulties are a far greater cross
than either doctrinal or practical ones. To such minds it is
trying but useful discipliue to find occasional passages involv
ing knots which they cannot quite untie, and problems which
they cannot quite solve. Of such passages the verses before
ns are a striking instance. That the text of them is " a hard
thing" it would be wrong to deny. But I believe our duty is
not to reject it hastily, but to sit still and wait. In these
matters "he that 'believeth shall not make haste."
The following passage from Augustine (De conjug. Adult.)
is worth notice. Having argued that it well becomes a Chris
tian husband to be reconciled to his wife, upon her repentance
after adultery, because our Lord said, "Neither do I condemn
thee : go and sin no raore," — he says, " This, however, rather
shocks the minds of some weak believers, or rather unbelievers

68 EXPOSITOB;Y THOUGHTS.
and enemies of the Christian faith, insomuch that, afraid of its
giving their wives impunity of sinning, they struck out of their
copies of the Gospel this that our Lord did in pardoning the
woman taken in adultery; as if He granted leave of sinning,
when he said, "Go and sin no more." Augustine, be It re
membered, lived about 400 a.d.
Those who wish to look further into the subject of this dis- ¦
puted passage will find it fully discussed by Gomarns, Bloom-
field, aud Wordsworth.
I. — [Jesus went.. .mount. ..Olives.] The division of the chapter in,
this place is to be regretted. The last verse of the preceding
chapter and the verse before us are evidently intended to be
taken together. While the Pharisees and members of the
council " went every man to his own house," our Lord, having
no home of His own, retired " to the Mount of Olives," and_
there spent the night in the open air. In such a climate as that
of Judea there was nothing remarkable in His doing this. The
garden of Gethsemane, at the foot of the raount, would supply
sufficient shelter. That this was our Lord's habitual practice,
we are distinctly told in Luke xxi. 37.
Lampe remarks that we never read of our Lord lodging,
sleeping, or tarrying a night in Jerusalem.
2. — [And early in the morning.] This expression is worth notic
ing, because, according to some, it explains our Lord's subse
quent use of the flgure — " I am the light of the world." They
think that it refers to the break of day, or rising of the sun.
[He came again...temple.] This means the outer courts of the
temple, where it was customary for the Jews to assemble and
listen to teachers of religion. In eastern countries and in the
times when there was no printing, it must be remembered,
much instruction was given in this way, by open-air addresses
or conversations. Thus Socrates taught at Athens.
[All the people came unto Him.] " All " here must mean great
multitudes of the people. After all that had happened in the
last three or four days, we may easily understand that our Lord's
appearance would at once attract a crowd. His fame as a teacher
and speaker was established.
[He sat dotcn, and taught.] That it was common for the
teachers to sit, and the hearers to stand, is evident from other
texts. " I sat daily with you teaching in the temple." (Matt.
xxvi. 55.) Id the synasoi>ues of Nazareth, when our Lord began
to preach, He flrst " gave the book to the minister, and sat down."
(Luke iv. 20.) " He sat down and taught the people out of the
ship." (Luke v. 3.) " We sat down aud spake to the women."
(Acts xvi. 13.)
8.— [The Scribes and Fliarisees.] This is the only place in St.
John's Gospel where he mentions the " Scribes " at all. He names

JOHN, CHAP. vni. 69
the Pharisees twenty times — sixteen times alone, and four times
In conjunction with the chief-priests.
This fact is thought by some to be an argument against the
genuineness of the passage, but without just cause. St. Mark,
in his Gospel, speaks twelve times of the Pharisees, and only
twice mentions the Scribes in conjunction with them. More
over, this is the only occasion recorded in St. John, when a
formal attempt was made to entrap our Lord by a subtle ques
tion. That being so, there may be a good reason why the
Scribes should be mentioned as well as the Pharisees, as prin
cipal agents in the attempt.
[Brought unto Him a woman, etc.] It seems not improbable
that this attempt to ensnare our Lord was one result of His ene
mies' failure to apprehend Him during the feast. Defeated in
their effort to meet Him iu argument, or to apprehend Him in
the absence of any legal charge, they tried next to entrap Hira
Into committing Himself in some way, and so giving them a
handle against Him. No time was to be lost. "They iiad failed
yesterday, and found their own officers unwilling to apprehend
our Lord. They resolved to try another plan to-day. They
would ensnare our Lord into doing something illegal or indis
creet, and then get an advantage over Hira.
[Set her in the midst.] This means In the middle of a ring or
circle, composed of themselves and their followers, our Lord
and His disciples, and the crowd listening to His teaching.
4. — [They say. ..this woman.. .taken.. .etc.] It throws some light on
this charge to remember what immense crowds came up to Jeru
salem at the great public feasts, and especially at the feast of
tabernacles. At such a season, when every house was crowded,
as at a fair time, when many consequently slept in the open air,
and no small disorder probably ensued, we can well understand
that such a .«in as a breach of the seventh commandment would
be very likely to be committed.
6. — [Now Moses...law commanded.. .stoned.] This is the legitimate
conclusion of the two texts. Lev. xx. 10 and Deut. xxii. 22,
when compared. There seems no ground for the comment of
sorae writers, that Moses did not command an adulteress to be
put to death by stoning.
It is worth notice, that the expression, "Moses in the law,"
is not used either by Matthew, Mark, or Luke. But it is used
by St. John both here and at chap. i. 45.
[But what sayest thou ?] This would be more literally ren
dered, "What thrrefore sayest thou?" The Greek word ren
dered "but" by our translators is hardly ever so rendered in
the New Testament ; and in most places is either " therefore,"
"then," "so," " now," or " and." John ix. 18, and Acts xxy.
4, are the only parallel cases.

70 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Ecolarapadius thinks the Pharisees were especially sore and
irritated because our Lord had said that " publicans and harlots "
would enter the kingdom of God before Pharisees. (Matt.,
xxi. 31.)
6. — [This they said, tempting... accuse him.] In what did this temp
tation consist ? How did the Jews hope to find ground for an_
accusation? The answer seems easy. — If our Lord replied that
the woman ought not to be stoned, they would have denounced
Him to the people as one that poured contempt on the law. — If
our Lord, on the contrary, replied that the woman ought to be
stoned, they would have accused Hira to the Romans as one who
usurped the prerogative of putting criminals to death. See John
xviii. 31: "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death."
Moreover, they would have published everywhere onr Lord's in
consistency in offering salvation to publicans and harlots, and
yet condemning to death an adulteress for one transgression.
Let it be noticed that subtle ensnaring questions like these,
putting the person questioned into an apparent dilemma or diffi
culty, whatever answer he might give, seem to have been
favourite weapons of the Jews. The Pharisees' question aboat
" tribute-money," the lawyer's question about " the great com
mandment of the law," and the Sadducees' question about "the
resurrection," are parallel cases. The question before us is
therefore quite in keeping with other places in the Gospels.
Augustine remarks, "They said in themselves, 'Let us pnt
before Him a woman caught in adultery ; let us ask what is
ordered in the law concerning her ; if He shall bid stone her.
He will not have the repute of gentleness : if He give sentence
to let her go. He will not keep righteousness.' " Euthymius says
the same.
[But Jesus stooped down, etc., etc.] Our Lord's intention in
this remarkable sentence can hardly admit of doubt. He
declined to answer the subtle question put to Him, partly be
cause he knew the malicious motive of the questioners, partly
because He had always announced that He did not come to be " a
judge ahd divider" among men, or to interfere in the slightest
degree witH the administration of the law. His silence was
equivalent to a refusal to answer.
But the peculiar action that our Lord employed, in " writing
with his finger on the grouud," is undeniably a difficulty. St.
John gives no explanation of the action, and we are left to con
jecture both why our Lord wrote and what He wrote.
(1) Some think, asBede, Eupertus, and Lampe, that our Lord
wrote on the ground the texts of Scripture which settled the
question brought before Hira, as the seventh coraraandment, and
Lev. XX. 10, and Deut. xxii. 22. The action would then imply, "
" Why do you ask me? What is written in the law, that law
which God wrote with His own finger as I am writing now? "

JOHK, CHAP. Vin. 71
(2) Some think, as Lightfoot and Burgon, that our Lord meant
to refer to the law of Moses for the trial of jealousy, in which
an accused woman was obliged to drink water into which dust
- frora the floor of the tabernacle or temple had been put by the
- priest. (Num. v. 17.) The action would then imply, "Has
the law for trying such an one as this been tried? Look at the
dust on which I am writing. Has tlie woman been placed before
the priest, and drank of the dust and water? "
(3) Some think, as Augustine, Melancthon, Brentius, Toletus,
and k Lapide, that our Lord's action was a silent reference to
the text, Jer.^ xvii. 13 : " They that depart frora me shall be
written in the earth."
(4) One rationalist writer suggests that our Lord "stooped
down" from feelings of modesty, as if ashamed of the sight,
before Him, and of the story told to Him. The idea is prepos
terous, and entirely Out of harmony with our Lord's public
demeanour. (6) Some think, as Euthymius, Calvin, Rollock, Cheranitius,
Diodati, Flavins, Piscator, Grotius, Poole, and Hutcheson, that
our Lord did not raean anything at all by this writing on the
ground, and that He only signified that He would give no answer,
and would neither listen to nor interfere in such matters as the
one brought before Him.
Calvin remarks : " Christ intended, by doing nothing, to show
how unworthy they were of being heard; just as if any one,
while another was speaking to hira, were to draw lines on the
wall, or to turn his back, or to show by any other sign, that he
was not attending to what was said."
I must leave the reader to choose which solution he prefers.
To my eyes, I confess, there are difficulties in each view. If I
must "select one, I prefer the last of the five, as the simplest.
Quesnel remarks : " We never read that Jesus Christ wrote but
once in His life. Let men learn from hence never to write but
when it is necessary or useful, and to do it with humility and
modesty, on a principle of charity, and not of malice."
1.—[So when they continued.. .lifted.. .said unto them.] The Scribes
and Pharisees seem to have been determined to have au answer,
and to have made it necessary for our Lord to speak at last. But
His flrst silence and significant refusal to attend were a plain
proof to all around that He did not wish to interfere with the
office of the magistrate, and had not come to be ajudge of offen
ces against the law. If they got an opinion from Him about
this case, they could not say th.it He gave it willingly, but that
it was extorted from Him by much importunity.
[He that is without sin. ..first cast a stone at her.] This solemn
and weighty sentence is a striking exaraple of our Lord's perfect
Wisdom. He referred His questioners to Scripture. Deut. xvii.

72 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

7 : " The hands of the witnesses shall be flrst upon hira to pnt
him to death." — It sent their minds home to their own private
lives. " Whatever the woman may deserve, are you the people
to find fault with her? " — It neitlier condemned nor justified the
adulteress, and yet showed our Lord's reverence for the law of
Moses. "I decline to pronounce sentence ou this woman,
because I ara not the judge. You know yourselves what the
law is in such cases as well as I do. You have no right to
assume that I do not reverence the law as much as yourselves.
But since you profess to honour the law of Moses so much, I
remind you that this same law requires the witnesses to be the
executioners. Now are you the persons who ought to punish
this woman, however guilty she may be? Do you yourselves
come before me with clear consciences about the seventh com-
jnandment?" ^
Many think that when our Lord said " he that is without sin,".
Ho meant the expression to be taken in a general sense. I can
not hold this view. It would involve the awkward conclusion
that no one could be a judge at all, or punish a criminal, be
cause no one is altogether and absolutely " without siu." I am
decidedly of opinion that our Lord referred to sin against the
seventh commandment. There is too much reason to thiuk
that such sin was very common among the Jews in onr Lord's/
time. The expression " au adulterous generation " (Matt. xii.
39; xvi. 4; and M,ark viii. 38) is full of raeaning. (See also ;
Rom. ii. 22 ; Luke xviii. 11 ; and James iv. 4.)
8. — [And again he stooped down, etc.] This repeated act would,;
greatly add to the weighty solemnity of the sentence which
had just fallen frora ourLord's lips. " I have given ray opinion;
' — now what are you going to do? I wait for your reply."
9. — [And they wliich heard... conscience.] This sentence seems to
me to confirm the opinion, that when our Lord said "he that is
without sin," He referred to sin against the seventh command
ment. A general charge would hardly have produced the effect
here described. A charge of breaking the seventh command
ment would be just such an one as a man would shrink from,
if made publicly. The sin is peculiarly one which brings with
it afterwards a certain sense of shame. It is commonly a deed
of darkness and done In secret, aud the doer of it dreads the '
light. The power of conscience stands out here in a very striking
manner. It is a part of man's inward nature which is far too
little remembered by ministers and teachers. Fallen and cor
rupt as man is, we must never forget that God has left him a
certain sense of right and wrong, called conscience. It has uo
power to save, or convert, or lead to Christ. But it has a
power to accuse, and prick, and witness. Such texts as Rom.
ii. 15 and 2 Cor. iv. 2 should be carefully considered.
[Went out...beginning...eldest... last.] The words "eldest "and

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 73
" last " In this sentence are in the plural number, which does
not appear in the English version. The oldest wonld probably
have the greatest number of sins on their minds.
[Jesus tons left alone, and the woman.. .midst.] This must of
course mean that the Scribes and Pharisees who accused the
women were all gone away. It does not necessarily follow
that the crowd of hearers who were about our Lord when the
case was brought to Him had gone away. They raust have
stood by, and seen and heard all that passed.
10.— [When Jesus had lifted uphimself, etc.] How long the pause
must have been during which our Lord stooped down aud wrote
on the ground a second time, we are not told. But it must
probably have been several minutes. When it says that onr
Lord " saw none but the woman," it raust mean " none of the
party which came and interrupted His teaching, except the
woman." The accusers had disappeared, and the accused
alone remained.
The question that our Lord put to the woman must have been
for the satisfaction of the crowd around. Let them raark frora
the question and answer that the case had fallen to the ground.
No evidence was offered. No accuser appeared. No sentence
therefore could be pronounced, and none was needed.
11.— [She said. No man. Lord.] We raay observe here that our
Lord, with merciful consideration, did not ask the woman
whether she was guilty or not. Thus she could with truth re
ply to His question, and yet not criminate herself.
[Jesus said... neither do ! condemn.. .sin nomore.] The mingled
kindness and perfect wisdom of this sentence deserve special
notice. Our Lord says nothing of the question whether the
woman deserved punishment, and what kind of punishment.
He simply says " I do not condemn thee. It is not my province
or offence to judge or pronounce any sentence." — Nor yet does
He tell the woman that she may go away without stain or blem
ish on her character. On the contrary He implies that she had
sinned and was guilty. But in the absence of witnesses she
might go away clear of punishment. — Nor yet does He say
" Go in peace," as in Luke vii. 50, and viii. 48.
"Go," He says, "and si7i no more." How anyone, in the
face of this text, can say that our Lord palliates and condones
the woman'.s sin, it is rather hard to understand. That He re
fused to condemn her is clear and plain, because it was not His
office. That He ignored or connived at her sin, as Hengsten
berg says, (in his argument agaiust the genuineness of the
whole passage,) can never be proved. The very last words
show what he thought of her case : — " Sin no more." She
had sinned, and had only escaped from lack of evidence. Let
her remember that, and " sin no more."
Augustine remarks, "How, Lord? Dost thou then favour

74

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

sin? Not so, assuredly. Mark what He says : Go, henceforth
sin no more. You see then that the Lord condemned, but He
condemned sin, not man. For were He a favourer of sin. He
would say, neither will I condemn thee, go, live as thou wilt."
The remark of Euthymius that our Lord considered the pub
lic shame aud exposure sufficient puuishment for the woman's
sin, is thoroughly unsatisfactory, and not warranted by any
thing in the context. — The view of Bullinger and some others,
that one principal object of the passage is to teach our Lord's
mercy and readiness to pardon great sinners, appears to me
quite destitute of foundation. Christ's abounding mercy is a
great truth, but not the truth of this passage. — There seems no
parallel between this woman and the Samaritan woman in
John iv.
Poole observes that our Lord does not merely say " Commit
adultery no more. No partial repentance or sorrow for any par
ticular sin will suffice a penitent that hopes for mercy from
God ; but a leaving off all sin, of what kind soever It is."

JOHN VIII. 12—20.

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 hare the
light of life.
13 The Pharisees therefore said unto
him, Thou bearest record of thyself;
thy record is not true.
14 Jesus answered and said unto
them, Though I bear record of myself,
yet my record is true: for I know
whence I came, and whither I go ; but
ye cannot tell whenco I come, and
whither I go.
15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge
no man.
16 And yet if I judge, my judg

ment is true: for I am not alone, but
I and the Father that sent me.
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 me
beareth witness of me.
19 Then said they unto him, Where
is thy Father ? Jesus answered, Ye
neither know me, nor my Father : if ye
had known me, ye should have known
my Father also.
20 These words spake Jesus in the
treasury, as be taught in the temple;
and no man laid hands on him; for
his hour was not yet come.

The conversation between our Lord and the Jews, which
begins with these verses, is full of difficulties. The con
nection between one part and another, and the precise
meaning, of some of the expressions which fell from our
Lord's lips, are " things hard to be understood." In pas
sages like this it is true wisdom to acknowledge the great

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 75
imperfection of our spiritual vision, and to be thankful if
we can glean a few handfuls of truth.
Let us notice, for one thing, in these verses, what the Lord
Jesus says of Himself. He proclaims, "I am the light of
the world."
These words imply that the world needs light, and is
naturally in a dark condition. It is so in a moral and
spiritual point of view : and it has been so for nearly 6,000
years. In ancient Egypt, Greece, and Eome, in modern
England, France, and Germany, the same report is true.
The vast majority of men neither see nor understand the
value of their souls, the true nature of God, nor the reality
of a world to come ! Notwithstanding all the discoveries
of art and science, " darkness still covers the earth, and
gross darkness the people." (Isai. Ix. 2.)
For this state of things, the Lord Jesus Christ declares
Himself to be the only remedy. He has risen, like the sun,
to diflEiise light, and life, and peace, and salvation, in the
midst of a dark world. He invites all who want spiritual
help and guidance to turn to Him, and take Him for their
leader. "What the sun is to the whole solar system — the
centre of light, and heat, and life, and fertility — that He
has come into the world to be to sinners.
Let this saying sink down into our hearts. It is weighty
and full of meaning. False lights on every side invite
man's attention in the present day. Reason, philosophy,
earnestness, liberalism, conscience, and the voice of the
Church, are all, in their various ways, crying loudly that
they have got "the light "to show us. Their advocates
know not what they say. Wretched are those who believe
their high professions ! He only is the true light who came
into the world to save sinners, who died as our substitute
on the cross, and sits at God's right hand to be our
Friend. " In His light we shall see light." (Psalm xxxvi.
9.)

76 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Let us notice, secondly, in these verses, what the Lord
Jesus says of those that follow Him. He promises, "He
that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall
have the light of life."
To follow Christ is to commit ourselves wholly and
entirely to Him as our only leader and Saviour, and to
submit ourselves to Him in every matter, both of doctrine
and practice. " Following" is only another word for "be
lieving." It is the same act of soul, only seen from a differ
ent point of view. As Israel followed the pillar of cloud
and fire in all their journeyings — moving whenever it
moved, stopping whenever it tarried, asking no questions,
marching on in faith — so must a man deal with Christ. He
must " follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth." (Eev.
xiv. 4.)
He that so follows Christ shall " not walk in darkness."
He shall not be left in ignorance, like the many around
him. He shall not grope in doubt and uncertainty, but
shall see the way to heaven, and know where he is going. —
He " shall have the light of life." He shall feel within him
the light of God's countenance shining on him. He shall
find in his conscience and understanding a living light,
which nothing can altogether quench. The lights with
which many please themselves shall go out in the valley of
the shadow of death, and prove worse than useless. But
the light that Christ gives to every one that follows Him
shall never fail.
Let us notice, lastly, in these xeTses,what the Lord Jesus
says of His enemies. He tells the Pharisees that, with all
their pretended wisdom, they were ignorant of God. "Ye
neither know Me nor my Father : if ye had known Me, ye
should have known my Father also."
Ignorance like this is only too common. There are
thousands who are conversant with many branches of human
learning, and can even argue and reason about religion, and

JOHN, CHAT. vm. 77
yet know nothing really about God. That there is such a
Being as God they fully admit. But His character and
attributes revealed in Scripture, His holiness. His purity.
His justice. His perfect knowledge. His unchangeableness,
are things with which they are little acquainted. In fact,
the subject of God's nature and character makes them un
comfortable, and they do not like to dwell upon it.
The gi-and secret of knowing God is to draw near to Him
through Jesus Christ. Approached from this side, there is
nothing that need make us afraid. Viewed from this stand
point, God is the sinner's friend. God, out of Christ, may
well fill us with alarm. How shall we dare to look at so
high and holy a Being ? — God in Christ is full of mercy,
grace, and peace. His law's demands are satisfied. His
holiness need not make us afraid. Christ in one word is
the way and door, by which we must ever draw nigh to the
Father. If we know Christ, we shall know the Father. It
is His own word, — " No man pometh unto the Father but
by Me." (John xiv. 6.) Ignorance of Christ is the root
of ignorance of God. Wrong at the starting-point, the
whole sum of a man's religion is full of error.
And now, where are we ourselves? Do we know?
Many are living and dying in a kind of fog. — Where are
we going? Can we give a satisfactory answer? Hundreds
go out of existence in utter uncertainty. — Let us leave
nothing uncertain that concerns our everlasting salvation.
Christ, the light of the world, is for us as well as for others,
if we humbly follow Him, cast our souls on Him, and be
come His disciples. — Let us not, like thousands, waste our
lives in doubting, and arguing, and reasoning, but simply i
follow. The child that says — "I will not learn anything
till I know something," will never learn at all. The man
that says — " I must first understand everything before I
become a Christian," will die in his sins. Let us begin by
" following," and then we shall find light.

78 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Notes. John VIII. 12—20.
Before beginning the notes on this section, I will ask any one
who doubts the genuineness of the flrst eleven verses of the
chapter, to consider how very awkwardly the twelfth verse
would come in if it immediately followed the 52nd verse of the
seventh chapter. — The omission of the disputed passage about
the woman taken in adultery, however necessary some may
think it, undoubtedly makes a breach in the connection which
cannot be reasonably explained. — Omit the passage, and our
Lord appears to break in upon the angry council of the Phari
sees, foiled in their attempt to take Him, and vexed with Nico
demus for pleading for Him. This is surely very improbable,
to say the least. — Betain the disputed passage, on the other
hand, and the whole connection seems plain. A night has passed
away. A sunrise is over the whole party assembled in the tem
ple court. And our Lord begins again to teach by proclaiming
a beautiful truth, appropriate to the occasion, — "I am the light
of the world."
12. — [Then spake Jesus again.. .them.] The expression "spake
again " exactly fits in with the preceding narrative. It carries
us back to the 2nd verse, where we read that our Lord was sit
ting in the temple and teaching the people, when the woman
taken in adultery was brought before Him. This naturally in
terrupted and broke off His teaching for a tirae. But when the
case was settled, and both accuser and accused had gone away.
He resumed His teaching. Then the expression coraes in most
naturally, " He spake again." Once admit that the narrative of
the woman is not genuine and must be left out, and there is
really nothing with which to connect the words before us. We
are obliged to look back as far as the 37th verse of the last
chapter. The same remark applies to the word "them." The natural
application of it is to " the people " whom our Lord was teach
ing, in the 2nd verse, when the Scribes aud Pharisees interrup
ted him. Leave out the narrative of the woman, and there is
nothing to which the word " them " can be referred, except the
angry council of the Pharisees at the end of the seventh chapter.
[I am...light...toorld.] In this glorious expression, our Lord,
we cannot doubt, declares Himself to be the promised Messiah
or Saviour, of whom the prophets had spoken. The Jews would
remember the words, — "I will give thee for a light of the Gen
tiles." (Isai. xiii. 6 ; xlix. 6.) So also Simeon had said, he would
be a " light to lighten the Gentiles." (Luke ii. 32.) Why He used
this figure, and what He had in His mind in choosing it, is a
point on which commentators do not agree. That he referred
to something before His eyes is highly probable, and in keep
ing with His usual mode of teaching.
(1) Some think, as Aretius, Musculus, Ecolarapadius, BuU-
inger,and Bp. Andrews, that He referred to the sun, then rising

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 79
while He spoke. What the sun was to the earth, that He came
to be to mankind.
(2) Some think, as Stier, Olshausen, Besser, D. Brown, and
Alford, that He referred to the great golden lamps which used
to be kept burning in the temple courts. He was the true light,
able to enlighten men's hearts and minds. They were nothiug
but ornaments, or at most, emblems.
(3) Some think, as Cyril and Lampe, that He referred to the
pillar of cloud and fire which gave light to the Israelites, and
guided them through the wilderness. He was the true guide to
heaven, through the wilderness of this world.
The first of these three views seems to me most probable, and
most in harmony with the context.
Eupertus remarks, that two grand declarations of Christ fol
lowed each other on two successive days at Jerusalem. On the
last day of the feast He said, — " If any man thirst let him corae
unto Me and drink." (John vii. 37.) The very next day He
said, — " I am the light of the world."
[He that followeth me.] This means " following " as a disci
ple, servant, traveller, soldier, or sheep. What the teacher is
to the scholar, the master to the servant, the guide to the trav
eller, the general to the soldier, the shepherd to the sheep, that
is Christ to true Christians. " Following" is the same as " be
lieving." See Matt. xvi. 24; xix. 21; John x. 27; xii. 26. Fol
lowing here, we must always remeraber, does not mean copying
and imitating, but trusting, putting faith in another.
Musculus and Henry observe, that it is of no use that Christ
is the light of the world if we do but follow Him. " Following "
is the point on which all turns. It is not enough to gaze upon
and admire the light. We must " follow" it.
[Sliall not walk in darkness.] The expression " darkness" in
the New Testament sometimes denotes sin, as 1 John i. 6, and
sometimes ignorance aud unbelief, as 1 Thess. v. 4. Some have
thought that our Lord referred to the woman taken in adultery,
and to such deeds of moral darkness as she had been guilty of.
The meaning would then be, — "He that follows Me and be
comes my disciple, shall be delivered from the power of dark
ness, and shall no longer commit such sins as you have just
heard of." — Others, on the contrary, think that ouir Lord only
referred to the intellectual darkness and ignorance of mau's
mind, which He had come to illuminate. The meaning would
then be,—" He that follows Me as my disciple shall no longer
live in ignorance and darkness about his soul." I decidedly pre
fer this second view. The promise seems to rae to have a
special reference to the ignorance in which the Jews were,
about everything concerning Christ, as shown in the preceding
chapter. liShall have.. .light of life.] This expression means,—" He

80 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

shall possess living light. He shall have spiritual light, as much
superior to the light of any lamp or even of the sun, as the living
water offered to the Samaritan woman was superior to the water
of Jacob's well." The spiritual light that Christ gives is indepen
dent of time or place, — is not affected by sickness or death, —
burns on forever, and cannot be quenched. He that has it shall
feel light within his mind, heart, and conscience,— shall see
light before him on the grave, death, and the world to come, —
shall have light shining round him, guiding him in his journey
through life, and shall reflect light by his conduct, ways and
conversation. Chrysostom thinks that one purpose of this promise was to
draw on and encourage Nicoderaus, and to rtraiiid him of the
forraer saying Jesus had used about light and darkness, John
iii. 20.
Augustine remarks on this verse, "What is our duty to do,
Christ puts in the present tense : what He promiseth to them
that do it, He hath denoted by a future time. He that followeth
noio, shall have hereafter, — followeth now by faith, shall have
hereafter by sight. Whenbysight? When we shall hsive come
to the vision yonder, when this night of ours shall have passed
away." I should be sorry, however, to conflne the promise to so
limited an interpretation as this, and though I have no doubt it
will only be completely fulfilled at the second advent, I still
think that it is partially and spiritually fulfilled now to every
believer. Calvin remarks, that in this verse "Benefit is offered not
only to one person or another, bnt to the whole world. By this
universal statement Christ intended to remove the distinction,
not only between Jews and Gentiles, but between learned and
ignorant, between persons of distinction and common people."
He also says, — " In the latter clause of the verse, the perpetuity
of light is stated in express terras. We ought not to fear there
fore lest it leave us in the middle of our journey."
Brentius remarks, that if a man could continually "follow"
the sun, he would always be in broad daylight in every part of
the globe. So it is with Christ and believers. Always follow
ing Him, they will always have light.
In this most precious and interesting verse there are several
things which deserve our special attention.
(a) We should note the great assumed truth which lies
underneath the whole verse. That truth is the fall of man.
The world is in a state of moral and spiritual darkness. Natu
rally men know nothing rightly of themselves, God, holiness,
or heaven. They need light.
(6) We should note the full and bold manner of our Lord's
declaration. He proclaims Himself to be "the light of the

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 81
world." None could truly say this but One, who knew that He
was very God. No Prophet or Apostle ever said it.
(c) We should note how our Lord says that He is " the light
of the world." He is not for a few only, but for all mankind.
Like the sun He shines for the benefit of all, though all may not
value or use His light.
(d) We should note the man to whora the promise is made.
It is to him " that followeth Me." To follow a leader if we are
blind, or ignorant, or in the dark, or out of the way, requires
trust and confidence. This is just what the Lord Jesus requires
of sinners vvho feel their sins and want to be saved. Let them
commit themselves to Christ, and He will lead them safe to
heaven. If a man can do nothing for hiraself, he cannot do
better than trust another and follow him.
(e) We should note the thing promised to hira who follows
Jesus, — viz., deliverance from darkness and possession of light.
This is precisely what Christianity brings to a believer. He
feels, and sees, and has a sense of possessing something he had
not before. God " shines into his heart and givesl iglit." He
is " called out of darkness into marvellous light." (2 Cor. iv.
4—6; IPet. ii. 9.)
Melancthon thinks that this verse is only a brief summary of
what our Lord said, and must be regarded as the text or key
note of along discourse.
Bullinger remarks how useful it is to commit to memory and
store up great sentences and maxims of Christ, like this ver.se.
13. — [Tlie Pharisees.. .said unto him.] These "Pharisees were
probably some of the multitude who had come together to hear
our Lord's teaching, aud not those who brought the woman
taken in adultery to Him. The Pharisees were a powerful and
widely spread sect, and merabers of their body would be found
in every crowd of hearers, ready to raise objections and find
fault with anything our Lord said, wherever they thought there
was au opportunity.
[Thou barest record of thyself] This would be more literally
rendered, " thou dost witness about tliyself."
[Thy record is not true.] This means, — " thy testimony is not
trustworthy, and deserving of attention." The Pharisees evi
dently could not raean " thy testimony is false." They only
meant that it was an acknowledged principle among raen that a
man's testimony to his own character is comparatively worth
less. Our Lord Hiraself had admitted this on a former occa
sion, when he said before the council, — " If I bear witness of
myself my witness is not true." (John v. 31.) Solomon had
said, — "Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a
stranger, and not thine own lips." (Prov. xxvii. 2.)
14. — [Jesus answered...though I bear record.. .true.] Our Lord

82 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

meant by these words that even if He did testify of Himself,
and make assertions about His own oflJce and mission. His
festimony ought not to be despised and disregarded as not
trustworthy. Whether His enemies would hear it or not, what
He said deserved credit, and was worthy of all acceptation. —
" The testimony that I bear is not the testimony of a common
witness, but of one who is thoroughly to be depended on."
[For I know whence I came, etc.] Our Lord here gives a
solemn and weighty reason why His testimony to Himself ought
to be reverently received by the Jews, and not refused. That
reason was His divine nature and mission. He came to them
and stood before them not as a common prophet and an every
day witness, but as one who knew the raysterious truth that He
was the Divine Messiah, that should come into the world. — " I
know whence I came : — I camo forth frora the Father, to be His
Messenger to a lost world. I know whither I go : — I am about
to return to my Father when I have finished His work, and to
sit down at His right hand after my ascension. Knowing all
this, I have a right to say that ray testiraony is trustworthy.
You, on the other hand, are utterly ignorant about me. You
neither know nor believe ray Divine origin nor mission.
Justly, therefore, I may say that it matters little whether you
think my testimony deserving of credit or not. Your eyes are
blinded, and your opinion is worthless."
Chrysostom observes that our Lord " raight have said, I am
God. But He ever mingleth lowly words with sublime, and
even these He veileth."
Bucer, Cheranitius, and Quesnel observe that our Lord's
argument is like that of an ambassador from a king, who says,
— "I know mj' commission and Who sent Me, and therefore I
claim attention to ray message."
Webster paraphrases the sentence : " I speak in the full
consciousness of ray previous and future existence in the glory
of the Father; and I therefore feel and assert my right to be
believed on my own testimony. If you knew whence I came
and whither I go, you would not want any other witness than
myself. And this you might know if you were spiritual; but
you are carnal, and judge after the flesh."
15.— [Te judge after the flesh.] The meaning of this sentence
seems to be, — '¦ You judge and decide everything on fleshly and
worldly principles, according to the outward appearance. You
estimate Me and my mission according to what you see with
the eye. You presume to despise Me and set light by Me,
because there is no outward grandeur and dignity about Me.
Judging everything by such a false standard, you see no beauty
in Me and my ministry. You have already set Me down in your
own rainds as an impostor, and worthy to die. Your minds are
full of carnal prejudices, and hence my testimony seems worth
less to you."

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 85
Calvin thinks that "flesh" is here used in opposition to
" spirit," and that the meaning is, " Yon judge on carnal wicked
principles," and uot "You judge after the outward appearance."
Most comraentators think that the expression refers to our
Lord's humble appearance.
[I judge no man.] In these words onr Lord puts in strong
contrast the difference between Himself and His enemies.
"Unlike you, I condemn and pass judgraent on no man, even
on the worst of sinners. It is not ray present business and
office, though it will be one day. I did not come into the world
to condemn, but to save." (John iii. 17.) It is useless, how
ever, to deny that the connection between the beginning and
end of the verse is not clear. It seems to turn entirely on the
twice-repeated word "judge," and the word appears to be
used in two different senses.
Sorae have thought that our Lord refers to the case of the
woman taken in adultery, and contrasts His own refusal to be
ajudge in her case, with the malicious readiness of the Phari
sees to judge Him and conderan Him even when innocent. "I
refuse to condemn even a guilty sinner. You on the contrary
are ready to condemn Me, in whom you can flnd no fault, on
carnal and worldly principles."
Some, as Bullinger, Jansenius, Trapp, Stier, Gill, Pearce, and
Biirnes have thought that the sentence before us means, — "I
judge no man according to the flesh, as you do." But this view
does not seem to harmonize with the following verse.
Bishop H.iU paraphrases the verse thus : " Ye presume to
judge according to your own carnal affections, and follow your
outward senses in the judgraent ye pass on Me. In the mean
time ye will not endure Me, who do not challenge or reconcile
that power which I might in judging you."
16. — [And yet if I judge, my judgment, etc.] This verse seems to
come in parenthetically. It appears intended to remind the
Jews, that if our Lord did not assume the office of a judge now,
it was not because He was not qualifled. The sense is as
follows : " Do not however suppose, because I say that I judge
no man, that I ara not qualifled to judge. On the contrary, if I
do pass judgment on any person's actions or opinions, ray judg
ment is perfectly correct and trustworthy. For I am not alone.
There is an inseparable union between Me, and the Father that
sent Me. When I judge, it is not I alone, but the Father with
Me that judges. Hence, therefore, my judgment is and must be
trustworthy." The reader should compare John v. 19. aud 30.
The doctrine is the sarae. That mighty truth,— the insepa
rable union of the Father and the Sou,— is the only key that
unlocks the deep expression before us. Our Lord's frequent
reference to that truth, in St. John's Gospel, should be carefully
noted.

84 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

n.—[It is also written, etc.] Our Lord, in this verse, reminds tne
Jews of an adraitted principle of the law of Moses, — that the
testimony of two witnesses deserved credit. (Deut. xvii. G;
xix. 15.) "You will admit that the testimony of two witnesses
deserves credit at any rate, although one witness alone may
prove nothing. Now, admitting this, hear what testimony I
can adduce to the divine character of my mission."
Let it be noted, that where our Lord says " in your law,"
He did not mean that He was above the law and did not recog
nize its authority. He only intended, by laying stress on the
word "your," to remind the Jews that it was their own
honoured law of Moses, to which they were continually pro
fessing to refer, that laid down the great principle to which He
was about to direct their attention. "It is written in the law
that YOU speak of so much, and that you so often quote."
It admits of consider.ttion whether our Lord did not mean to
use the expression " of two men " emphatically. It may be that
He would put in strong contrast the testimony of two mere
men, with the testimony of Himself and his Father in heaven.
It is like the expression, "If we receive the witness of men,
the witness of God is greater." (1 John v. 9.) At any rate the
word reudered " men " is emphatic in the Greek.
18. — [lam one, etc.] The connection and sense of this verse are
as follows : " Admitting that the testimony of two witnesses is
trustworthy, I bid you observe that there are two witnesses to
My divine nature and mission. I myself, the Eternal Son, ara
one of these witnesses : I am ever testifying concerning my
self. The Father that sent Me into the world is the other
witness : He is ever testifying concerning Me. He has testified
by the mouth of the Prophets in the Old Testament. He is
testifying now by the miraculous works which He is continually
doing by My hands." The reader should compare John v. 31—
39. There is undeniably something very remarkable about this
verse. It seems a singular condescension on our Lord's part to
use the train of argument that it contains. The true solution
probably lies in the very high dignity of the two wituesses,
whom He pLices together before the Jews. The Greek words
beginning the verse are peculiar, and can hardly be rendered
in English. They will almost bear to be translated,— " I, the
great I am, am the person witnessing about myself; and the
Father," etc.
Chrysostom and Theophylact both remark that our Lord here
claims equality of honour with the Father, by putting His testi
raony and the Father's side by side.
Poole remarks: "Our Saviour raust not be iinilerstood here
to distinguish Himself from His Father in respect of His divine

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 85
being, for so He and His Father are one; but in respect of His
office, as He was sent, and His Father was He who sent Him."
19.—[T7ien said they...'miere is thy Father?] This question of the
Jews was probably not asked in a tone of serious inquiry, or
frora real desire to know. It was more likely sneering and
sarcastic. Calvin observes, "By these words they meant that they did
not so highly value Christ's Father as to ascribe anything to the
Son on His account."
Hengstenberg bids us observe that they did not ask, "Who
is thy Father? " but " Where ia thy Father? " It sounds as if
they looked round in contempt, as if scornfully expecting an
earthly father to stand forth and testify to Christ.
[Jesus ansvjered, Te neither know me. ..Father.] Our Lord
here tells His enemies that they were ignorant both of Himself
and of His Father in heaven. With all their pride of knowledge
and fancied high attainments they knew nothing rightly either
of the Father or the Son. The expression certainly favours the
idea that the expression " Ye know me," (John vii. 28,) must be
taken as a slight sarcasm.
Let it be noted that great familiarity with the letter of Scrip
ture is perfectly compatible with gross spiritual darkness.
The Pharisees knew the Old Testament prophecies well; but
they neither knew God nor Christ.
[If ye had known me. ..my Father also.] These words teach
plainly that ignorance of Christ and ignorance of God arc in
separably connected. The man who thinks he knows anything
rightly of God while he is ignorant of Christ is completely de
ceived. The God whom he thinks he knows is not the God of
the Bible, but a God of his own fancy's invention. At any rate
he can have a most imperfect conception of God, and can have
but little idea of His perfect holiness, justice, and purity. The
words teach also that Christ is the way by which we raust come
to the knowledge of God. In llim, through Him, and by Him,
we may corae boldly into the Father's presence, and behold His
high attributes without fear.
He that wonld have saving, soul-satisfying religion, and be
come a friend and servant of God, must begin with Christ.
Knowing Him as his Saviour and Advocate, he will find it easy
and pleasant to know God the Father. Those that reject Christ,
like the Jews, will live and die in ignorance of God, however
learned and clever they may bo. But the poorest, humblest
man, that lays hold on Christ and begins with Him, shall flnd
out enough about God to make him happy forever. In the
matter of becoming acquainted with God it is the first step to
know Jesus Christ, the Mediator, and to believe on Hira.
Augustine and others think that the thought here is the same

86 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

as that in the words spoken to Philip, when in reply to Philip's
question, "Lord, show us the Father," Jesus said, "He tliat
hath seen Me hath seen the Father." (John xiv. 8, 9.) I think
this is at least doubtful. The thing that Philip needed to know
was the precise relation between the Father and Son. The
thing that the Jews needed was a right knowledge of God alto
gether.
20. — [These words spake Jesus. ..treasury. ..temple.] This sentence
seeras meant to mark a pause or break in the discourse, and to
show also how publicly and openly our Lord proclaimed His
Messiahship. It was in a well-known part of the temple called
the treasury that lie declared Himself to be " the light of the
world," and defended His testimony.
Calvin thinks that " the treasury was a part of the temple
where the sacred offerings were laid up, and therefore a much
frequented place."
[No man laid hands on him.] The reraark made on a former
occasion applies here. (John vii. 30.) A divine restraint was
laid on our Lord's enemies. They felt unable to lift a finger
against Him. They had the will to hurt, but not the power.
[His hour loas not yet come.] The same deep thought that we
remarked in ch. vii. 30, comes up here again. There was a cer
tain fixed time during which our Lord's ministry was to last,
and till that time was expired His enemies could not touch
Hhn. When the tirae had expired, our Lord said, "This is
your hour, and the power of darkness." (Luke xxii. 53.)
The expression should be carefully noticed, and remembered
by all true Christians. It teaches that the wicked can do no
harm to Christ and His raembers until God gives them permis
sion. Not a hair of a believer's head can be touched until God
in His sovereign wisdom allows it. — It teaches that all times
are in God's hand. There is an allotted " hour " both for doing
aud for sufi'ering. Till the hour comes for dying no Christian
will die. When the hour comes nothing can prevent his death.
These are comfortable truths, and deserve attention. Christ's
members are safe and immortal till their work is done. When
they suffer it is because God wills it and sees it good.
Quesnel remarks : " A man enjoys the greatest peace of mind
when he has once settled himself in a firm and steadfast belief
of God's providence, and an absoluiiC dependence upon His de
sign and will."

JOHN, CHAP. VHI.

87

JOHN VIII. 21—30.

21 Then said Josns again unto them,
I go my way, and ye shall seek me
and shall die in your sins: whither I
go, ye cannot corae.
22 Then said tho Jews, Will he kill
himself? because he saith, Whither 1
go, yo cannot come.
23 And ho said unto them, Yo are
from beneath; I am from above: ye
aro of this world; I am not of this
world. 24 I said therefore unto you, 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, Who
art thou ? And Jesus saith unto them,
Even the same that I said unto you
from the beginning.

26 T have many things to say a:jd
to judge of you: but he that sent ma
is true; and I speak to the world
those things which I have heard of
him. 27 They understood not that he
spalte to them of the Father.
28 Then said .Tcsus unto them,
When yo have lifted up the Son of
man, then shall ye know that I am he,
and that I do nothing of myself; but
as iny Father hath taught me, I speak
these things.
29 And he that sent rae is with me:
tho Father bath not left me alone; for
I do always those things that please
him. 30 As he spake these words, many
believed on him.

This passage contains deep things, so deep that we have
no line to fathom them. As we read it we should call to
mind the Psalmist's words, — " Thy thoughts are very
deep." (Psalm xeii. 5.) But it also contains, in the
opening verses, some things which are clear, plain, and
unmistakable. To these let us give our attention and
root them firmly in our hearts.
We leam, for one thing, that it is possible to seek Christ in
vain. Our Lord says to the unbelieving Jews, " Ye shall
seek Me, and shall die in your sins." He meant, b3' these
words, that the Jews would one day seek Him in vain.
The lesson before us is a very painful one. That such
a Saviour as the Lord Jesus, so full of love, so willing
to save, should ever be sought " in vain," is a sor
rowful thought. Yet so it is ! A man may have many
religious feelings about Christ, without any saving religion
Sickness, sudden affliction, the fear of death, the failure of
usual sources of comfort — all these causes may draw out
of a man a good deal of " religiousness." Under the
immediate pressure of these he may say his prayers fer

88 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
vently, exhibit a strong spiritual feelings, and profess for a
season to " seek Christ," and be a different man. And yet
all this time his heart may never be touched at all ! Take
away the peculiar circumstances that affected him, and he
may possibly return at once to his old ways. He sought
Christ " in vain," because he sought Him from falsa
motives, and not with his whole heart.
Unhappily this is not all. There is such a thing as a
settled habit of resisting light and knowledge, until we
seek Christ " in vain." Scripture and experience alike
prove that men may reject God until God rejects them, and
•will not hear their pi'ayer. They may go on stifling their
convictions, quenching the light of conscience, fighting
against their own better knowledge, until God is provoked to
give them over and let them alone. It is not for nothing
that these words are written, — " Then shall they call upon
Me, but I will not answer ; they shall seek Me early, but
they shall not find Me : for that they hated knowledge, and
did not choose the fear of the Lord." (Prov. i. 28, 29.)
Such cases may not be common ; but they are possible, and
they are sometimes seen. Some ministers can testifj'^ that
they have visited people on their deathbeds who seem to
seek Christ, and j'et to seek in v.ain.
There is no safety but in seeking Christ while He maybe
found, and calling on Him while He is near, — seeking Him
with a true heart, and calling on Him with an honest spirit.
Such seeking, we may be very sure, is never in vain. It
will never be recorded of such seekers, that they " died in
their sins." He that really comes to Christ shall never
be " cast out." The Lord has solemnly declared that " He
Lath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth," — and that
'* He delighteth in mercy." (Ezekiel xviii. 32 ; Micah vii.
18.) We learn for another thing, hew wide is the difference
between Christ and the ungodly. Our Lord says to the

JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 89
unbelieving Jews, — " Ye are from beneath, I am from
above : ye are of this world, I am not of this world."
These words, no doubt, have a special application to
our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In the highest and most
literal sense, there never was but One who could truly say,
" I am from above, — I am not of this world." That One
is He who came forth from the Father, and was before the
world, — even the Son of God.
But there is a lower sense, in which these words are ap
plicable to all Christ's living members. Compared to tho
thoughtless multitude around them, they are " from above,"
and " not of this world," like their Master. The thoughts
of the ungodly are about things beneath ; the true Chris
tian's affections are set on things above. The ungodly
man is full of this world ; its cares, and pleasures, and
profits, absorb his whole attention. The true Christian,
though in the world, is not of it ; his citizenship is in
heaven, and his best things are yet to come.
The true Christian will do well never to forget this line
of demarcation. If he loves his soul, and desires to serve
God, he must be content to find himself separated from
many around him by a gulf that cannot be passed. He
may not like to seem peculiar and unlike others ; but it is
the certain consequence of grace reigning within him. He
may find it brings on him hatred, ridicule, and hard
speeches ; but it is the cup which his Master drank, and
of which his Master forewarned all His disciples. — " If ye
were of the world the world would Igve His own, but
because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you
out of the world, therefore the world hateth j'ou." (John
XV. 19.) — Then let the Christian never be ashamed to stand
ftlone and show his colors. He must carry the cross if he
would wear the crown. If he has within him a new prin-
eiple " from above," it must be seen.
We learn, lastly, how awful is the end to which unbeliej

90 EXPOSITOEY THOUGHTS.
can bring man. Our Lord says to his enemies, " If ye
believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins."
These solemn words are invested with peculiar solemnity
when we consider from whose lips they came. Who is this
that speaks of men dying "in their sins," unpardoned,
unforgiven, unfit to meet God, — of men going into another
world with all their sins upon them? He that says this is
no other than the Saviour of mankind, who laid down His
life for his sheep, — the loving, gracious, merciful, compas
sionate Friend of sinners. It is Christ Himself! Let this
simple fact not be overlooked.
They are greatly mistaken who suppose that it is harsh
and unkind to speak of hell and future punishment. How
can such persons get over such language as that which is
before us? How can they account for many a like ex
pression which our Lord used, and specially for such
passages as those in which He speaks of the " worm that
dieth not and the fire that is not quenched " ? (Mark x.
46.) They cannot answer these questions. Misled by a
false charity and a morbid amiability, they are condemning
the plain teaching of the Scripture, and are wise above
that which is written.
Let us settle it in our minds, as one of the great foun
dation truths of our faith, that there is a hell. Just as we
believe firmly that there is an eternal heaven for the
godly, so let us believe firmly that there is an eternal hell
for the wicked. Let us never suppose that there is any
want of charity in- speaking of hell. Let us rather main
tain that it is the highest love to warn men plainly ol
danger, and to beseech them to " flee from the wrath to
come." It was Satan, the deceiver, murderer, and liar,
who said to Eve in the beginning, " Ye shall not surely die."
(Gen. iii. 4.) To shrink from telling men, that except
they believe they will " die in their sins," may please the
devil, but surely it cannot please God.

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 91
Finally, let us never forget that unbelief is the special
sin that ruins men's souls. Had the Jews believed on our
Lord, all manner of sin and blasphemy might have been
forgiven them. But unbelief bars the door in mercy's face,
and cuts off" hope. Let us watch and pray hard against it.
Immortality slays its thousands, but unbelief its tens of
thousands. One of the strongest sayings ever used by
our Lord was this, — " He that believeth not shall be
damned." (Mark xvi. 16.)
Notes. John VIII. 21—30.
21.— [Then said Jesus again unto them.] There seems a break or
pause between tills verse and the preceding one. It is as if our
Lord resumed discourse with a new leading thought or key-note.
The other idea, viz., that " again " refers to chap. vii. 34, and
means that our Lord impressed on His hearers a second time that
He would soon leave them, does not seem probable. — It seems
not unlikely that in the first instance our Lord spoke of "going"
to the officers of the priests and Pharisees, and that here He
speaks to their masters, or at least to a different set of hearers.
[Igo my way.] This must mean, " I am soon about to leave
this world. My mission is drawing to a close. The time of
My decease and sacrifice approaches, aud I must depart, and go
back to My Father in heaven, from whence I came. " — The
leading object of the sentence appears to be to excite in the
minds of the Jews thought and inquiry about His divine nature.
" 1 am one who came from heaven, and am going back to heaven.
Ought you not to inquire seriously who I am?"
Chrysostom thinks our Lord said this, partly to shame and
terrify the Jews, and partly to show them that His death would
not be affected by their violence, but by His own voluntary sub
mission. [Te shall seek me.. .die in.. .sins.] This means that His hearers
would seek Him too late, having discovered too late that He
was the Messiah whora they ought to have received. But the
door of mercy would then be shut. They would seek in vain,
because they had not known the day of their visitation. And
the result would be that many of them would die miserably " in
their sins," — with their sins upon them unpardoned and un
forgiven. [WJiiiher Igo ye cannot come.] This raust mean heaven, the
everlasting abode of glory which the Son had with the Father
before He came into the world, which He left for a season when
He became incarnate, and to which He returned when He had

92 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
finished the work of man's redemption. To this a wicked mas
cannot come. Unbelief shuts him out. It is impossible iu the
nature of things that an unforgiven, unconverted, unbelieving
man can go to heaven. The words in Greek are emphatic, —
" Ye cannot come."
The notion of Augustine and others that " ye shall seek Me"
only means "ye shall seek Me in order to kill Me, as ye are
wishing to do now, but at last I shall be withdrawn from your
reach," — seems to rae quite untenable. The "seeking," to my
mind, can only be the too late seeking of remorse. — The theory
of some, that it refers exclusively to the time of the siege of
Jerusalera by the Romans, seems to me equally untenable. My
belief is that from the time that our Lord left the world down
to this day, the expression has been peculiarly true of the Jew
ish nation. They have been perpetually, in a sense, " seeking"
and hungering after a Messiah, and yet unable to flnd Him, be
cause they have not sought aright. — In saying this we mast
carefully remember that our Lord did not mean to say that any
of His hearers were too sinful and bad to be forgiven. On the
contrary, not a few of them that crucified Him found mercy on
the day of Pentecost, when Peter preached. (Acts ii. 22—40.)
But our Lord did mean to say prophetically that the Jewish na
tion, as a nation, would be specially hardened and unbelieving,
and that many of them, though an elect remnant might be saved,
would "die in their sins." In proof of this peculiar blindness
and unbelief of the Jewish nation we should study Acts xxviii.
25 — 27; Koraansxi. 7, and 1 Thess. ii. 15, IG. The Greek expres
sion for " sins" in this verse confirms the view. It is uot, liter
ally rendered, "sins," but "sin,"— your special sin of unbelief.
Let us note that it is possible to seek Christ too late, or from
a wrong motive, and so to seek Him in vain. This is a very im
portant principle of Scripture. True repentance, doubtless, is
never too late, but late repentance is seldom true. There is
mercy to the uttermost in Clirist; but if men wilfully reject Him,
turn away frora Him, and put off seeking Him ia earnest, there
is such a thing as " seeking Christ" in vain. Such passages as
Proverbs 1.24—32; Matt. xxv. 11— 12; Luke xiii. 24; Heb. vi.
i — 8, and x. 26 — 31, ought to be carefully studied.
Let us note that our Lord teaches plainly that it is possible
for men to "die in their sins," and never come to the heaven
where He has gone. This is fiatly contrary to the doctrine
taught by sorae in the present day, that there is no hell and no
future punishment, and that all will finally go to heaven.
It is worthy of remark that our Lord's words, " Ye shall seeV
Me," and " Whither I go ye cannot come," are used three time*
In this Gospel : — twice to the unbelieving Jews, here and vii. 34,
and once to the disciples, xiii. 33. But the careful reader will
observe that in the two first instances the expression is coupled

JOHN, CHAP. Vin. 93
with, " Ye shall not find Me," and " Ye shall die in your sins."
In the last, it evidently raeans the temporary separation be
tween Christ and His disciples which would be caused by His
ascension. Melancthon observes that nothing seems to bring on men
such dreadful guilt and punishment as neglect of the Gospel.
The Jews had Christ among them and would not believe, and so
when afterward they sought they could not find.
Eollock observes that the " seeking " which onr Lord here fore
tells was like that of Esau, when he sought too late for the lost
birthright. Burkitt observes, "Better a thousand times to die in a ditch
than to die in our sins I They that die in their sins shall rise in
their sins, and stand before Christ in their sins. Such as lie
down in sin in the grave shall have sin lie down with them iu
hell to all eternity. The sins of believers go to the grave be
fore them; sin dieth while they live. ' The sins of unbelievers
go to the grave with them."
22. — [Tlien said the Jews, etc.] It is plain that this last saying of
our Lord perplexed His enemies. It evidently implied some
thing which they did not understand. In the preceding chapter
(vii. 34) they began speculating whether it meant that our Lord
was going forth into the world to teach the Gentiles. Here
they start another conjecture, and begin to suspect that our
Lord must mean His going into another world by death. But
by what death did He think of going? Did He raean to "kill
Himself?" It seems strange that they should start such an idea.
But may it not be that their minds wei-e occupied with their
own plan of putting Him to death? " Will He really anticipate
our plan, by committing suicide, and thus escape our hands?"
Origen suggests that the Jews had a tradition about the man-
rter in which Messiah would die: viz., "that He would have
power to depart at His own time, and in a way of His own
choosing." Eupertus observes that afterwards, at the siege of Jerusalem
by Titus, many of the desperate Jews did the very thing they
here said of our Lord — they killed themselves in madness of
despair. Melancthon remarks that nothing seems to anger wicked men
so rauch as to be told they canuot come where Christ is.
i3.—[And he said, Te are from beneath, etc.] Our Lord's argument
in this case appears to be as follows : " There is no union, har
mony, or fellowship between you and Me. Your minds are en
tirely absorbed and buried in earth and objects of a mere earthly
kind. You are frora beneath, and of this world; while I came
from heaven, and My heart is full of the things of heaven and
My Father's business. No wonder, therefore, that I said you

94 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
cannot come where I go, and will die in your sins. Unless your
hearts are changed, and you learn to be of one mind with Me,
you are totally unmeet for heaven, and must at last die in your
sins." The expressions "from beneath" and "from above" are
strong figurative phrases, intended to put in contrast earth and
heaven. (See Col. iii. 1, 2.) The Greek phrases literally ren
dered would be, — " Ye are from the things beneath : I am frora
the things above.
The expression " of this world " means bound up with, and
Inseparably connected by, tastes, aims, and affections, with this
world, and nothing else but this world. It is the character of
one utterly dead and graceless, who looks at nothing but the
world, and lives for it. It is a character utterly at variance
with that of our Lord, who was eminently " not of this world;"
and therefore those who were of this character were Incapable
of union and friendship jyith Him.
Let it be noted that what our Lord says of Hiraself here is
the very same thing that is said of His true disciples elsewhere.
If a man has grace he is "not of this world." (See John xv.
19 ; xvii. 16 ; and 1 John iv 5.) Christ's living members always
have raore or less of their Master's likeness in this respect.
The3' are always more or less separated from and distinct from
this world. He that is thoroughly worldly has the plainest mark
of not being a member of Christ and a true Christian.
Theophylact observes that the strange notion of the ApoUina-
rian heretics, that our Lord's body was not a real human body,
but came down from heaven, was built on this verse for one of
its reasons. But, as he remarks, they might as well say the
Apostles had not common human bodies, since the same thing
is said of them — " not of this world."
24. — [I said therefore, etc.] This verse seems elliptical, and must
be filled up in some such raanner as this: " It is because you
are thoroughly earthly and of this world, that I said, Ye cannot
come where I go. You are not heaveuly minded, and cannot go
to heaven, but must go to your own place. The end will be
that you will die in your sins. Not believing in Me as the Mes
siah, you cut yourselves off from all hope, and must die in your
sins. This, in short, is the root of all your misery — your un
belief." Let it be noted that unbelief is the thing that specially ruins
men. All manner of sin m.ay be forgiven. But unbelief bars
the door against mercy. (Mark xvi. 26, and John iii. 36.)
Let it be noted that unbelief was the secret of the Jews being
so thoroughly " of the world." If they would only have be
lieved in Christ, they would have been "delivered frora this
present evil world." The victory that overcomes the world ia

JOHN, CHAP. vnr. 95
faith. Once believing on a heavenly Saviour a man has a por
tion and a heart in heaven. (Gal. i. 4 ; 1 John v. 4, 5.)
Let it be noted that there is nothing hard or uncharitable iu
warning men plainly of the consequences of unbelief. Never to
speak of heU is not acting as Christ did.
The expression "believe not that I am He " would be more
literally reudered " believe not that I am." Hence some think
that our Lord refers to the great name, well known to the Jews,
under which God revealed Himself to Israel in Egypt,—" Say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent you." (Ex. Iii. 14.)
Augustine remarks that "the whole unhappiness of the Jews
was not that they had sin, but to die in sins." He also observes :
"In these words. Except ye believe that I am, Jesus meant
nothing short of this. Except ye believe that I am God, ye shall
die in your s,ins. It is well for us, thank God, that He said ex
cept ye believe, and not except ye understand."
Quesnel remarks: "It is a mistaken prudence to hide these
dreadful truths from sinners, for fear of casting thera into de
spair by the force of God's judgments. We ought, on the con
trary, to force them, by the sight of danger, to throw themselves
into the arms of Christ, the only refuge for sinners."
25.— [Then said they,.. .Who art thou?] This question cannot have
been an honest inquiry about our Lord's nature and origin.
Our Lord had spoken so often of His Father,— for instance, in
the fifth chapter, when before the council, — that the Jews of
Jerusalem must have known well enough who and what He
claimed to be. It is far more likely that they hoped to elicit
from Him sorae fresh declaration Which they could lay hold on,
and make the ground of an accusation. Anger and malice seem
at the bottom of the question — " Who art thou that sayest such
things of us? Who art thou that undertakest to pronounce
such condemnation on us ? "
Ecolarapadius thinks the question was asked sarcastically. —
" Who art thou, indeed, to talk in this way ? "
[And Jesus saith.. .even the same. ..beginning.] — Our Lord's
reply here seems so guarded and cautious, that it increases the
probability of the iews' question being pnt with a malicious
intention. He knew their thoughts and designs, and answered
thera by reminding thera what He had always said of Hiraself:
" Why ask Me who I ara? You know well what I have always
said of Myself. I am the same that I said to you from the
beginning. I have nothing new to say."
Scott thinks it simply means, " I am the sarae that I told you
at the beginning of this discourse, — the Light of the World."
There is an undeniable difBcnlty and obscurity about the sen
tence before us, and ilt has consequently received three different

96 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

interpretations. The diOiculty arises chiefly from the word
" beginning." (a) Some think, as our own English version, Chrysostom,
Calvin, Bucer, Gualter, Cartwright, Rollock, and Lightfoot, that
" beginning " raeans the beginning of our Lord's ministry. " I
am the same person that I told you I was from the very first
beginning of My ministry araong you." This view is confirmed
by the .Septuagint rendering of Gen. xliii. 18, 20.
(&) Some think, as Theophylact, Melancthon, Aretius, and
Musculus, that " beginning " is an adverb, and means simply,
"as an opening or beginning statement." "First of all, as a
commencement of My reply, I tell you that I am what I always
said I was."
(c) Sorae think, as Augustine, Eupertus, Toletus, Ferus,
Jansenius, Larape, and Wordsworth, that " beginning " is a sub
stantive, and means the Beginning of all things, the personal
Beginning, like " I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning
and the End." (Eev. i. 8; xxi. 6; xxii. 13.) It would then
mean, "I am the great beginning of all things, the eternal God,
as I always said."
The reader must exercise his own judgment on these three
views. The extreme brevity and conciseness of the Greek
words make it very hard to give a decided opinion upon thera.
On the whole, I prefer the view taken by our translators. In
three other places in St. John's Gospel our Lord speaks of His
early ministry as "the beginning." (John vi. 64; xv. 27; xvi.
4.) In no place in St. John's Gospel does He ever call Himself
" the beginning." As to the second view, that it only means,
"First of all, as an opening statement," it seems to rae so
meagre, flat and bald, that I cannot think it is correct.
Eollock, who takes the view of our English version, observes
what a bright example onr Lord here sets to all Christians, and
especially to ministers, of always telling the sarae story, and
witnessing one and the sarae confessiou without variation. «
26. — [I have many things, etc.] This verse again is very elliptical.
This meaning seems to be as follows: "You marvel and are
angry at My saying that you are frora beneath, and will die in
your sin, and cannot come where I go. You ask who I am that
si)eak and judge in this manner. But I tell you that I have
many other things that I might say, and other judgments that
I might pronounce about you. But I forbear now. Yet I tell
you that He who sent Me is the one true God ; and I only speak
to the world things which I have heard of Him, and am com
missioned by Him to proclaim. He that sent Me will prove
thera to be true one day."
The general idea seems to be that our Lord defends His right
to speak decidedly and pronounce judgment on His enemies'
conduct ou the ground of His divine mission. " I have a right

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 97
to say what I have said ; and I raight say much more, because
I am not a common prophet, but am commissioned and sent
as the Word of the Father."
The frequency with which our Lord speaks of Hiraself as
" sent by the Father," in St. John's Gospel, should be carefully
noticed. When our Lord speaks of Himself as " hearing" things from
the Father, we must remember that His language is accom
modated to our understanding. The relation between the
Father and the Son iu the Trinity is something too mysterious
for us fully to comprehend. The Son does not really and liter
ally need the Father to " speak " to Him, and does not himself
need to "hear" Him. The flrst and second Persons in the
Trinity are ineffably united, though two distinct Persons.
Lightfoot thinks the latter part of this verse means : " He
that sent Me hath of old said and judged of you, and He is true,
and they are true things that He said. Of this kind are the
passages Isaiah xi. 10, and xxix. 10, and frora such predictions
Christ concludes thus — ' ye shall die in your sins.' "
21 .—[They understood not, etc.] Why the Jews who heard these
words did not coraprehend that our Lord spoke of the "Father"
is not clear. They must have thought that " He that sent Me "
meant some earthly sender. The extent to which our Lord's
hearers sometimes understood Him, as in John v. 18, and some
times did not understand Him, as here, is a curious subject.
Alford observes : " There is no accounting for the ignorance
of unbelief; as any minister of Christ knows by painful expe
rience."
28. — [Then said Jesus, etc.] This verse is phrophetical. Our
Lord predicts that after His crucifixion the Jews would know
that He was the Messiah, that He had done all he had done
not of His own private authority, but by God's commission, and
that He had spoken to the world only such things as the Father
had taught and appointed Hira to speak. But whether our
Lord meant that His hearers would really believe with the
heart and really confess His Messiahship, or that they would
know it too late and be convinced when the day of grace was
past and gone, is a nice and difficult question.
My own opinion, judging from the context and the analogy
of other places, is in favour of the latter view: viz., that our
Lord predicted the Jewish nation would know the truth and
discover their own raistakc too late. I think so because our
Lord seeras so frequently to allude to the light which would
come on the minds of the Jewish nation at large after His
death. They would be convinced, though not converted.
Chrysostom thinks that onr Lord meant, " Do you expect
that you shall certainly rid yourselves of Me, and slay Mef I
6

98 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
tell you that then ye shall most surely know that I am, by reason
of the miracle of my resurrection, and the destruction of Jerusa
lem. When ye have been driven away from your place of wor
ship, and it is not even allowed you to serve God as hitherto,
then ye shall know that He doth this to avenge Me, and because
He is wroth with those who would not hear Me."
Augustine takes the other side, and says : " Without doubt
Jesus saw there some whora He knew, whom in His foreknowl
edge He had elected together with His other saints before the
foundation of the world, that after His passion they should
. believe." Euthymius, agreeing with Chrysostom, remarks how the
crowds that saw our Lord crucified, and returned home smiting
their breasts, — the centurion who superintended His cruciflx
ion, — the chief priests who tried in vain to stifie the report of
His resurrection, — and Josephus the historian, who attributed
the misfortunes of the nation to their murder of Christ, — were
all witnesses to the truth of this verse. When too late they
knew who our Lord was.
Alford thinks that the words admit of a double fulfllment, and
that the Jews were to " know " that Jesus was the Christ,
in two different ways. Some would know by being converted,
some by being punished and judged.
The expression "lifted up," both here and elsewhere in St.
John's Gospel, can raean nothing but our Lord's crucifixion and
lifting up on the cross. (John iii. 14, and xii. 32.) It is never
used in any other sense, and the modern habit of talking of
Christ as " lifted up," when magnified and exalted in the pulpit,
is a total misapprehension, aud a play upon words.
Eollock and others think that the phrase "lifted up" may
fairly include all the consequences and effects of our Lord's
crucifixion, such as His second advent to judge the world, aud
that this will be the time when the unbelieving will at last know
and be convinced that Christ is Lord of all. But the idea seems
far-fetched. The expression "then ye shall know" may possibly refer both
to our Lord's resurrection as well as his crucifixion. Certainly
the rising again from the dead silenced our Lord's enemies in a
way that nothing else ever did.
The expression "that I am he," here as elsewhere, might he
equally well rendered " that I am ; " that I am the great " I AM,"
the Messiah.
The phrase "that I do nothing of myself" is the same that
we have had frequently before, as in John v. 19, 30. It means
"that I do nothing of My own independent authority." The
reference is to the perfect union between the Son and tha
father.

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 99
The expression, " as my Father hath taught Mel speak these
things," again bears special reference to the divine commission
of our Lord and the perfect union between Himself and His
Father. " I do not speak the things I speak of Myself aud by
My own authority only. I speak nothing but what My Father
has taught, coraraissioned, and appointed Me to speak." Com
pare 7th, 16th, and 26th verses of this chapter.
Augustine says here : " Do not as It were represent to your
selves two men, the one father, the other son, and the father
speaking to the son, as thou doest when thou sayest certain
words to thy son advising and instructing him how to speak,
that whatever he has heard from thee he may commit to mem
ory, and having committed to memory utter also with the
tongue. Do not so conceive. Stature and raotion of the body,
the office of the tongue, distinction of sounds, do not go about
to conceive them in the Trinity." Again : " Incorporeally the
Father spake to the Son, because incorporeally the Father begat
the Son. And He taught Him not, as if He had begotten Him
Ignorant and in need of teaching ; but this ' taught ' is the same
as begat Him knowing."
19. — [Andhe that sent me, etc.] This verse contains once more that
deep and oft-repeated truth, the entire unity between God the
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the consequent entire
and complete harmony between the mind of the Father and the
mind of the Son. It contains moreover that entire and com
plete performance of the Father's will by the Son, and that per
fect righteousness, obedience, and holiness, wherewith the
Father is well-pleased.
When we read such words as " he that sent Me is with Me,"
and " hatli not left Me alone," we must remeraber that there is
much in them which we cannot fully explain. We raust be con
tent to believe that the Father was " with " the Son, and never
"left" Him during the whole period of His incarnation, in an
ineffable and inscrutable manner. Perhaps also there is a ref
erence to Isai. 1. 7, 8, 9.
Augustine remarks: "Albeit both are together, yet one was
sent, and the other did send. The Father sent the Son, yet
quitted not the Son."
When we read snch words as " I do always those things that
please Hira," we must see in the expression a description of
that spotless perfection with which the Son during His incarna
tion constantly pleased the eternal Father.
Let Christians never forget the practical lesson that in this
verse, as in raany other places, Christ is their exaraple and their
encourageraent. Like Hira, however short they may come, let
them aira at " always doing what pleases God." Like Him, let
thera be sure that so doing they will flnd the Father " with
them," and will never be left quite " alone."

100 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Calvin remarks : " This is the courage with which we ought
to be animated in the present day, that we may not give way on
account of the small number of believers: for though the whole
world be opposed to His doctrine, still we are not alone. Hence it
ia evident how foolish is the boasting of the Papists, who, while
they neglect God, proudly boast of their vast numbers."
80. — [As he spake these leords, many believed on him.] There can he
little doubt that " these words " in this place, refer to the whole
discourse which was delivered at this time, and not to the sin
gle verse which imraediatcly precedes this one. It is possible
that the reference to Isai. 1. 7, 8, 9, may have brought light to
the Jews' rainds, and explained our Lord's relation to the
Father, and His claim to be received as the Messiah.— Other
wise it is not very clear what it was that raade " raany believe"
on Him at this juncture. There is, however, no reason to think
that the " belief " here was anything raore than a head belief
that our Lord was the Messiah. That many did so believe
whose hearts remained unchanged, there can be little doubt.
, The same expression occurs at x. 42, and xi. 45, and xii. 42.
The extent to ^\hich men may be intellectually convinced of the
truth of religion, and know their duty, while their hearts are
unrenewed, and they continue in sin, is one of the most pain
ful phenomena in the history of human nature. Let us never
be content with believing tilings to be true, without a personal
laying hold on the living Person, Christ Jesus, and actually fol
lowing Him.
Chrysostom observes : " They believed, yet not as they ought,
but carelessly and by chance, being pleased and refreshed by
the humility of the words. For that they had not perfect faith,
the Evangelist shows by their speeches after this, in which
they insult him again." Theophylact, Zwingle, and Calvin take
the same view.

JOHN VIII. 31-36.

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on him, If ye continue
in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed; 32 And yo shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered him. We be
Abraham's seed, and were never in
bondage to any man: how sayest
thou, Ye shall be made free ?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Whosoever
committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the Servant abideth not in
the house forever: bid the Son abid
eth ever.
36 If the Son, therefore, shall mak«
you free, ye shall be free indeed.

These verses show us, for one thing, the importance of
steady perseverance m Christ's service. There were many,

JOHN, CHAP. Vin. 101
it seems, at this particular period, who professed to believe
on our Lord, and expressed a desire to become His disci
ples. There is nothing to show that they had true faith.
They appear to have acted under the influence of temporary
excitement, without considering what they were doing.
And to them our Lord addresses this instructive warning,
— " If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples
indeed." This sentence contains a mine of wisdom. To make a
beginning in religious life is comparatively easy. Not a
few mixed motives assist us. The love of novelty, the
praise of well-meaning but indiscreet professors, the secret
self-satisfaction of feeling " how good I am," the universal
excitement attending a new position, — all these things com
bine to aid the young beginner. Aided by them he begins
to run the race that leads to heaven, lays aside many bad
habits, takes up many good ones, has many comfortable
frames and feelings, and gets on swimmingly for a time.
But when the newness of his position is past and gone,
when the freshness of his feelings is rubbed oS and lost,
when the world and the devil begin to pull hard at him,
when the weakness of his own heart begins to appear, —
then it is that he finds out the real diflSculties of vital Chris
tianity. Then it is that he discovers the deep wisdom of
onr Lord's saying now before us. It is not beginning, but
" continuing " a religious profession, that is the test of true
grace. We should remember these things in forming our estimate
of other people's religion. No doubt we ought to be thank
ful when we see any one ceasing to do evil and learning to
do well. We must not " despise the day of small things."
(Zech. iv. 10.) But we must not forget that to begin is one
thing, and to go on is quite another. Patient continuance
in well-doing is the only sure evidence of grace. Not he
that runs fast and furiously at first, but he that keeps up

102 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
his speed, is he that " runs so as to obtain." By all means
let us be hopeful when we see anything like conversion.
But let us not make too sure that it is real conversion,
until time has set its seal upon it. Time and wear test
metals, and prove whether they are solid or plated. Time
and wear, in like manner, are the surest tests of a man's
religion. Where there is spiritual life there will be con
tinuance and steady perseverance. It is the man who goes
on as well as begins, that is " the disciple indeed."
These verses show us, for smothev thing, the nature of true
slavery. The Jews were fond of boasting, though without
any just cause, that they were politically free, and were not in
bondage to any foreign power. Our Lord reminds them
that there was another bondage to which they were giving
no heed, although enslaved by it. — " He that committeth
sin is the servant of sin."
How true that is ! How many on every side are thorough
slaves, although they do not acknowledge it ! They are led
captive by their besetting corruptions and infirmities, and
seem to have no power to get free. Ambition, the love of
money, the passion for drink, the craving for pleasure and
excitement, gambling, gluttony, illicit connections, — all
these are so many tyrants among men. Each and all have
crowds of unhappy prisoners bound hand and foot in their
chains. The wretched prisoners will not allow their bond
age. They will even boast sometimes that they are
eminently free. But many of them know better. There
are times when the iron enters into their souls, and they
feel bitterly that they are slaves.
There is no slavery like this. Sin is indeed the hardest
of all task-masters. Misery and disappointment by the
way, despair and hell in the end, — these are the only wages
that sin pays to its servants. To deliver men from this
bondage, is the grand object of the Gospel. To awaken
people to a sense of their degradation, to show them their

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 103
chains, to make them arise and struggle to be free, — this is
the great end for which Christ sent forth His ministers.
Happy is he who has opened his eyes and found out his
danger. To know that we are being led captive, is the
very first step toward deliverance.
These verses, show us, lastly, the nature of true liberty.
Our Lord declares this to the Jews in one comprehensive
sentence. He says, " If the Son shall make you free, ye
shall be free indeed."
Liberty, most Englishmen know, is rightly esteemed one
of the highest temporal blessings. Freedom from foreign
dominion, a free constitution, free trade, a free press, civil
and religious liberty, — what a world of meaning lies beneath
these phrases ! How many would sacrifice life and fortune
to maintain the things which they represent ! Yet, after
all our boasting, there are many so-called freemen who are
nothing better than slaves. There are many who are
totally ignorant of the highest, purest form of liberty. The
noblest liberty is that which is the property of the true
Christian. Those only are perfectly free people whom the
Son of God " makes free." All else will sooner or later be
found slaves.
Wherein does the liberty of true Christians consist? Of
what is their freedom made up ? — They are freed from the
guilt and consequences of sin by the blood of Christ. Justi
fied, pardoned, forgiven, they can look forward boldl}' to
the day of judgment, and cry " Who shall lay anything to
our charge? Who is he that condemneth?" — They are
freed from the power of sin by the grace of Christ's Spirit.
Sin has no longer dominion over them. Renewed, con
verted, sanctified, they mortify and tread down sin, and
are no longer led captive by it. — Liberty, like this, is the
portion of ' all true Christians in the day that they flee to
Christ by faith, and commit their souls to Him. That day
they become free men. Liberty, like this, is their portion

104 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
for evermore. Death cannot stop it. The grave cannot
even hold their bodies for more than a little season. Those
whom Christ makes free are free to all eternity.
Let us never rest till we have some personal experience
of this freedom ourselves. Without it all other freedom is
a worthless privilege. Free speech, free laws, political
freedom, commercial freedom, national freedom, — all these
cannot smooth down a dying pillow, or disarm death of his
sting, or fill our consciences with peace. Nothing can do
that but the freedom which Christ alone bestows. He gives
it freely to all who seek it humbly. Then let us never rest
till it is our own. Notes. John VIII. 31—36.
81. — [Then Jesus said. ..Jews. ..believed.. .him.] It is clear, I think,
from the tone of the conversation that runs from this verse
uninterruptedly to the end of the chapter, that this "believ
ing" was not faith of the heart. These Jews only "believed"
that our Lord was One sent from heaven, and deserved atten
tion. But they were the same Jews to whom He says by and
by, "Ye are of your father the devil."
[If ye continue. ..my word... disciples indeed.] This sentence
does not raean that these Jews had really begun to receive
Christ's word into their hearts. Such a. sense wonld be contra
dictory to the context. It must mean: "If you take up a flrra
stand on that Gospel and Word of Truth which I have come to
proclaim, and go on sticking firmly to it in your hearts and
lives, not raerely convinced and wishing, but actually following
Me, then you are truly My disciples." — The word rendered "in
deed " is more literally, "truly." The converse throws light
on our Lord's meaning: "You are not truly disciples, unless
you continue steadfast in My doctrine."
Our Lord teaches the great principle, that steady continuance
Is the only real and safe proof of discipleship. No persever
ance, no grace ! No continuance in the word, no real faith and
conversion 1 This is one of the meeting-points between Calvin-
1st and Arminian. He that has true grace will not fall away.
He that falls away has no true grace, and raust not flatter him
self he is a disciple.
Let us note, that it Is not the " word continuing in us," but
" our continuing in the word," which makes us true disciples.
The distinction is very important. The word " raight continue
In us," and not be seen. If we " continue in the word," oul

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 105
lives will show it. In John xv. 7, we have both expressions
together : " If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you."
2. — [And ye shall know the truth.] The expression, " the truth."
here cannot, I think, mean the Personal Trutli, the Messiah.
It-ihust be the whole doctrinal truth concerning Myself, My
nature. My raission, and My Gospel. Steady continuance iu My
service shall lead to clear knowledge. It is a parallel saying to
the sentence, "If any raan will do His will, he shall know of
the doctrine." (vii. 17.) Honest obedience and, steady perse
verance in acting up to our light, and doing what we learn,
are one grand secret of obtaining more knowledge.
Chrysostom however thinks that our Lord raeans by "truth,"
Himself. " Ye shall know Me, for I am the truth." So also
Augustine, Theophylact, Euthymius, and Lampe.
[The truth shall make you free.] This freedom can only mean
spiritual freedom, — freedom from the guilt, burden, and domin
ion of sin, — freedom frora the heavy yoke of Pharisaism, under
which many Jews were labouring and heavy laden. (Matt. xi.
28.) " The Gospel I preach, and its good news, shall deliver
you from spiritual bondage, and make you feel like men set at
liberty." I think these words must have been spoken with special ref
erence to the bondage and spiritual slavery in which the Jews
were kept by their principal teachers, when our Lord came
among thera. In the synagogue at Nazareth He had said, that
He came " to preach deliverance to the captives." (Luke iv.
18.) This, however, is the first place in the Gospels where He
openly declares that His Gospel will give men freedom.
Until truth coraes into a man's heart, he never really knows
what it is to feel true spiritual liberty.
Augustine says, " To Christ let us all flee. Against sin let us
call on God to interpose as our Liberator. Let us ask to be
taken on sale, that we may be redeemed by His blood."
13. — [They answered. We be Abraham's seed.] Here we see the
usual pride of carnal descent coming out in the Jewish mind.
It is just what John the Baptist told them when he preached,
"Think not to say that we have Abraham to our father."
(Matt. iii. 19.)
[And were never in bondage to any man.] This is the blind
ness of pride in its strongest form. The seed of Abrahara were
in bondage to the Egyptians and Babylonians for many years,
to say nothing of the frequent bondages to Philistines, aud
other nations, as recorded in the book of Judges. Even now,
while they spoke, they were in subjection to the Romans. The
¦power of self-deception in unconverted man is infinite. These
Jews were not more unreasonable than raany novv-a-days, who
say, " We are not dead iu sin,— we have grace, we have faith,

106 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
we are regenerate, we have tho Spirit," while their lives show
plainly that they are totally mistaken.
[How sayest thou... made free?] This question was partlyasked
in auger aud resentment, and partly in curiosity. Angry as the
Jews were at the idea of being subject to any one, they yet
caught at the expression " be made free." It made them thiuk
of the glorious kingdora of Messiah foretold in the Prophets. —
" Art Thou going to restore the kingdora to Israel? Art Thou
going to set us free from the Romans ? "
We should observe here, as elsewhere, the readiness of our
Lord's hearers to put a carnal sense on spiritual language. Nic
odemus misunderstandiug the new birth, the Samaritan woman
and the living waters, the Capernaites and the bread from hea
ven, are all illustrations of what I mean. (See John iii. 4; iv.
11; vi. 34.)
Pearce thinks the Jews here spoke of themselves individually,
and not of the Jewish nation. Yet surely, even when they
spoke, they were subject to the Eomans.
Henry observes: "Carnal hearts are sensible of no other
grievances than those that molest the body and injure their sec
ular affairs. Talk to thera of encroachments on their civil lib
erty and property, — tell of waste committed on their lands, or
damage done to their houses, and they understand you very
well, and can give you a sensible answer : the thing touches
and affects thera. But discourse to thera of the bondage of sin,
or captivity to Satan, and a liberty by Christ, — tell thera of
wrong done to their souls, and you bring strange things to
thera."
34. — [Jesiis answered, etc.] In this verse our Lord shows His
hearers what kind of freedora He had meant, by showing the
kind of slavery from which He wished thera to be delivered.
Did they ask in what sense He meant they should be made free?
Let them know, flrst of all, that in their present state of mind,
wicked, worldly, and unbelieving, they were in a state of bon
dage. Living in habitual sin they were the "servants of sin."
This was a general proposition which they themselves must ad
mit. The man that lived wilfully In habits of sin was acknowl
edged by all to be the slave of sin. Sin ruled over hira, and he
was its servant. This was an axiom in religion which they
could not dispute, for even heathen philosophers admitted it.
(See Rom vi. 16—20; 2 Pet. ii. 19.)
" Committeth," we must reraeraber here, does not raean
" commits au act of sin," but habitually lives in the commission
of sin. It is in this sense that St. John says, " He that commit
teth sin is of the devil," and " He that is born of God doth not
commit sin." (1 John iii. 8, 9.)
85.— [And the servant abideth not, etc.] This is a difficult, because
a very elliptical verse. The leadiug object in our Lord's mind

JOHN, CHAP. vnr. 107
seems to be to show the Jews the servile and slavish condition
in which they were, so long as they rejected Him, the true Mes
siah, and the free and elevated position which they would oc
cupy if they would believe in Him and become His disciples.—
" At present, living under the bondage of the ceremonial law,
and content with it and Pharisaic traditions, you are no better
than slaves and servants, liable, like Hagar and Ishmael, to be
cast out of God's favour and presence at any moment. — Receiv
ing Me and believing ou Me as the Messiah, you would at once
be lifted to the position of sons, and would abide forever in
God's favour, as adopted children and dear sons and daughters.
— You know yourselves that the servant has no certain tenure
in the house, and may be cast out at any time; while the Son
is heir to the Father, and has a certain tenure in the house for
ever.— Know that I wish you to be raised from the relation of
servants to that of sons. Now, under the bondage you are in,
you are like slaves. Receiving Me and My Gospel you would
"become children and free."
Something like this seems the leading idea in our Lord's mind.
But it is vain to deny that it is a dark and difficult sentence,
and requires rauch filling up and paraphrasing to complete its
meaning. The simplest plan is to take it as a parenthesis. It
then becomes a comraent on the word " servant," which to a Jew,
familiar with the story of Hagar and Ishmael, would be very
instructive, and would convey the latent thought that our Lord
wished them to be not servants but sons. I cannot for a mo
ment think that " the Son " in the last clause means the Son of
God, or that the whole clause was meant to teach His eternity.
It is certainly possible that a deep mystical sense may lie
under the words " servant " and " son " in this verse. " Ser
vant" may mean the Jew, content with the inferior and servile
religion of Moses. " Son " may raean the believer in Christ,
who receives the adoption and enjoys Gospel liberty. He that
is content with Judaism will find his system and religion soon
pass away. He that enters into Christ's service will flnd hira
self a son forever. But this is at best only conjectural, and a
somewhat questionable interpretation.
One thing, at any rate, is very clear to my mind. The latent
thought in our Lord's mind is a reference to the story of Hagar
and her son Ishmael being cast out as bond-servants, while
Isaac the son and heir abode in the house. He wished to im
press on His hearer's minds, that he desired them, like Isaac,
to have the privilege of sons forever, and to be free to all eter
nity. Keeping this thought in view, and regarding the verse as
a parenthesis, its difficulties are not insuperable.
Chrysostom says : " ' Abideth not' raeans 'hath not power to
grant favours, as not being raaster of the house ; ' but the Son
is master of the house." The Jewish priests were the servants,
and Christ was the Son. The priests had no power to set free ;

108 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
the Son of God had. Theophylact and Euthymius take the same
view. Maldonatus calls attention to the expression in Hebrews,
where Moses and Christ are put in contrast, and each in con
nection with the word " house," Moses as a servant, Christ
as a Son. St. Paul certainly seems there to refer to this pas
sage. (Heb. iii. 2, 5, 6.)
36. — [If the Son shall make you free, etc.] In this verse our Lord
explains what He had meant by freedora. It was a freedom
frora sin, its guilt, and power, and consequences, which believ
ers in Him were to receive. "If I, the Son of man, make you
free, in the sense of delivering you from the burden of sin, then
you will be free indeed ! " This was the freedom that He wished
them to obtain. Here, as elsewhere, our Lord carefully avoids
saying anything to bring on Himself the charge of rebelling
against constituted authorities, and of heading a popular rise
for liberty.
The word rendered " indeed " here is not the word so ren
dered at the 31st verse. Here it means " really, in reality,"
ft-ora the participle of the verb "to be." There it means
" truly." Let us not forget in these. days that the only liberty which is
truly valuable in God's sight is that which Christ gives. All
political liberty, however useful for many purposes, is worth
less, unless we are children of God, and heirs of the kingdom,
by faith in Jesus. He only is perfectly free who is free from
sin. All beside are slaves. He that would be free in this fash
ion has only to apply to Christ for freedora. It is the peculiar
office and privilege of the Lord Jesus, to enfranchise forever
all who corae to Hira.
Augustine carries the freedom here promised far into the
future. He remarks, " When shall there be full and perfect
liberty? When there shall be no enemies, when the last ene
my shall be destroyed, even death." •

JOHN VIII. 37—47.

37 I know that ye are Abraham's
seed; but yo seek to kill me, because
my word hath no place in you.
38 I speak that which I havo soon
with my Father: and yo do that which
yo havo seen with your father.
39 They answered and said unto
him, Abraham is our father. Jesus

saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's
children, ye would do the works of
Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a
man that hath told you the truth,
which I havo heard of God: this did
not Abraham.
41 Yo do tho deeds of your father.

JOHN, CHAP. vm.

109

Then said they to him, We be not
born of fornication; we have ono Fa
ther, 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 cannot hear
my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil,
and the lusts of your father ye will do.
Ee was a murderer from the begin

ning, and abode not in the truth, be
cause there is no truth in him. Whoa
he speaketh a lie, ho speaketh of his
own : for he is a liar, and the father
of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth,
ye believe me not.
46 Which of you convinceth me of
sin ? And if I say tbe truth, why do
ye not believe me ?
47 He that is of God heareth God'3
words : ye therefore hear them not, be
cause ye are not of God.

There are things taught in this passage of Scripture which
are peculiarly truth for the times. Well would it be for
the Churches if all Christians would ponder carefully the
matter which it contains.
We are taught for one thing the ignorant self-righteous
ness of the natural man. We find the Jews pluming them
selves on their natural descent from Abraham, as if that
must needs cover all deficiencies*: " Abraham is our
father." We find them going even further th.in this, and
claiming to be God's special favourites and God's own
family : " We have one Father, even God." They forgot
that fleshly relationship to Abraham was useless, unless
they shared Abraham'^ grace. They forgot that God's
choice of their father to be head of a favoured nation was
never meant to cairy salvation to the children, unless they
walked in their father's footsteps. All this in their blind
self-conceit they refused to see. " We are Jews. We
are God's children. We are the true Church. We are in
the covenant. We must be all right." This was their
whole argument !
Strange as it may seem, there are multitudes of so-called
Christians who are exactly like these Jews. Their whole
religion consist of a few notions neither wiser nor better
than those propounded by the enemies of our Lord. They
will tell you " that they are regular Church people ; they

110 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
have been baptized ; they go to the Lord's table ;"— but they
can tell you no more. Of all the essential doctrines of the
Gospel they are totally ignorant. Of faith, and grace, and
repentance, and holiness, and spiritual mindedness they
know nothing at all. But, forsooth 1 they are Churchmen,
and so they hope to go to heaven ! There are myriads in
this condition. It sounds sad, but unhappily it is only
too true.
Let us settle firmly in our minds that connection with
a good Church and good ancestors is no proof whatever
that we ourselves are in a way to be saved. We need
something more than this. We must be joined to Christ
himself by a living faith. We must know something ex
perimentally of the work of the Spirit in our hearts.
" Church principles," and " sound Churchmanship," are fine
words and excellent party cries. But they will not deliver
our souls from the wrath to come, or give us boldness in
the day of judgment. "
We are taught for another thing the true marks of
spiritual sonship. Our Lord makes this point most plain
by two mighty sayings. Did the Jews say, " We have
Abraham to our father"? He replies, "If ye were Abra
ham's children ye would do the work of Abraham." — Did
the Jews say, "We have one Father, even God"? He
replies, " If God were your Father ye would love Me."
Let these two sa3'ings of Christ sink down into our
hearts. They supply an answer to two of the most mis
chievous, yet most common, errors of the present day.
What more common, on one side, than vague talk about
the universal Fatherhood of God? "All men," we are
told, " are God's children, whatever be their creed or re
ligion ; all are finally to have a place in the Father's house,
" where there are many mansions." — What more common,
on another side, than high-sounding statements about the
eflfoct of baptism and the privileges of Chutch-membership ?

JOHN, CHAP. Vlir. Ill
*' By baptism," we are confidently told, " all baptized
people are made children of God ; all members of the
Church, without distinction, have a right to be addressed
as sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty."
Statements like these can never be reconciled with the
plain language of our Lord in the passage before ns. If
words mean anything, no man is really a child of God,
who does not love Jesus Christ. The charitable judgment
of a baptismal service, or the hopeful estimate of a cate
chism, may call him by the name of a son, and reckon him
among God's children. But the reality of sonship to God,
and all its blessings, no one possesses who does not love
the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. (Ephes. vi. 24.) In
matters like these we need not be shaken by mere asser
tions. We may well afford to despise the charge of un
dervaluing the sacraments. We have only to ask one
question: "What is WTitten? What saith the Lord?"
And with this saying before us, we can only come to one
conclusion : " Where there is no love to Christ, there is no
sonship to God."
We are taught, lastly, in these verses, the reality and
character of the devil. Our Lord speaks of him as one
whose personality and existence are bej'ond dispute. In
solemn words of stern rebuke He says to His unbelieving
enemies, "Ye are of your father the devil," — led bj'him,
doing his will, and showing unhappily that you are
like him. And then He paints his picture in dark colors,
describing him as a "murderer" from the beginning, as a
" liar " and the father of lies.
There is a devil ! We have a mighty invisible enemy
always near us, — one who never slumbers and never sleeps,
— one who is about our path and about our bed, and spies
out all our ways, and will never leave us till we die. — He
is a murderer ! His great aim and object is, to ruin us for
ever and kill our souls. To destroy, to rob us of eternal

112 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
life, to bring us down to the second death in hell, are the
things for which he is unceasingly working. He is ever
going about, seeking whom he ma}' devour. — He is a liar!
He is continually trying to deceive us by false represen
tations, just as he deceived Eve at the beginning. He is
always telling us that good is evil and evil good, — truth is
falsehood and falsehood truth, — the broad way good and
the narrow way bad. Millions are led captive by his
deceit, and follow him, both rich and poor, both high and
low, both learned and unlearned. Lies are his chosen
weapons. By lies he slaj's many.
These are awful things ; but they are true. Let us live
as if we believed them. Let us not be like many who
mock, and sneer, and scoflf, and deny the existence of the
very being who is invisibly leading them to hell. Let us
believe there is a devil, and watch, and pray, and fight
hard against his temptations. Strong as he is, there is One
stronger than him, who said to Peter, " I have prayed for
thee, that thy faith fail not," and who still intercedes at
God's right hand. Let us commit our souls to Him. (Luke
xxii. 32.) With such a being as the devil going to and
fro in the world, we never need wonder to see evil abound
ing. But with Christ on our side, we need not be afraid.
Greater is He that is for us than he that is against us. It
is written, " Resist the devil, and he shall flee from you."
— " The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet
shortly." (James iv. 7 ; Rom. xvi. 20.)
Notes. John VIII. 37—47.
37. — [Ilcnoio that ye are Abraham's seed.] In this verse onr Lord
takes up the arrogant boast of the Jews, that they were Abra
ham's seed. He had replied to their assertion, " We were never
in bondage to any man," by showing the nature of true bondage
and true liberty. He now returns to their opening saying,
" We be Abraham's seed," and begins by telling them that He
knew, and fully admitted, their carnal descent from Abrahara.
[But ye seek to kill me.] This must mean, "Your relation to

JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 113
Abraham does you no good, for ye are seeking to murder Me
at this very moment, though I have come to fulfil the promises
made to Abraham."
Here, as well as at the 40th verse, and chapter vii. 19, our
Lord shows His perfect knowledge of all the designs of His
enemies. He gives us an exaraple of steady perseverance ia
God's work, even though we know our lives are in peril.
[Because my word hath no place in you.] This means,
"Because the Gospel I preach, the message I brought from my
Father, makes no way or progress in your hearts, or among
you." — The Greek word, which our translators have reudered
"hath place," is never so rendered elsewhere. The idea here
seeras to be that of "going forward, spreading, and marching
on." This describes literally the condition of many who hear
Christ's word in every age. It seems to come to a dead stand
still or halt in their hearts, and to make no way with them.
88. — [IspeaJc that, etc.] The sense of this verse appears to be
filled up thus : "The truth is, that there Is an entire gulf and
breach between you and Me. I speak, and am ever speaking,
the doctrine which I have seen with My Father, in our eternal
councils about mankind, and which I ara sent by Him to pro
claim to the world. You, on the other hand, do and are always
doing the things which your father the devil presents to your
minds, and which you have seen and imbibed into your charac
ters, under his influence."
When our Lord speaks of what He has "seen" with His
Father, we must remember, as elsewhere, that He uses
language accommodated to our weak capacities, to describe the
relation between Himself and the flrst Person in the Trinity.
Compare John iii. 33 and v. 19.
There can be no doubt that the "father" of the Jews, to
whora our Lord here refers, is " the devil," when we read the
verses following. It conveys an awful idea of the state of
unbelieving and wicked men, that they are doing what they
have seen and learned from the devil. There may, however,
be special reference to the design of the Jews to kill Christ.
Our Lord's meaning may be, "Ye are doing what ye have seen
with the devil your father. He has suggested to you to kill
Me, and you are listening to his suggestion."
S9.—[They ansioered... Abraham is our father.] This is a repeti
tion of what the Jews had already said. Startled at what our
Lord said about their "father," they reassert emphatically their
relationship to Abraham.-" What do you mean by thus speak
ing of our father? Abrahara is our father."
[Jesus saith. ..if Abraham's children... iwrks of Abraham.] Our
lord here tells them that it is possible to be Abraham's chil-

114 EXPOSITORY THOriGHTS.
dren according to the flesh, and yet not Abraham's children
according to the Spirit.— "If ye were true spiritual descendants
of Abraham, you would show it by doing such things as Abra
hara did. Your works would be like his, because springing
from a like faith."
The distinction here drawn by our Lord is a very important
one for Christians to notice. 'Phe utter uselessness of carnal
relationship, or formal outward succession, is a truth which
man does not like to adralt, but one that needs to be constantly
taught iu the Churches. How common to hear men say, " we
belong to the one true Church ; we are in the direct succession
from the Apostles." Such claims are utterly useless, If not
accompanied by " works."
We must never forget the importance of " works," if pnt in
their right place. They cannot justify us. They are at best
full of imperfection. But they are useful evidences, and serve
to show whose we are, and what our religion is worth.
40. — [But now ye seek to kill me, etc.] Our Lord in this verse con
firms the charge made in the preceding one, — that His enemies
were not Abrahara's spiritual children, although carnally de
scended from Abraham. — " At this very moment you are
wishing and endeavouring to put Me to death, not for any
crime, but simply because I have spoken to you that raighty
message of truth which I heard frora My Father, and am sent
to proclaim to the world as the Messiah. This is the very
opposite of what your great forefather Abrahara would have
done. He longed to see My day. He rejoiced in the prospect
of it. He would have hailed My appearance and message with
delight. Your conduct, therefore, is an unanswerable proof
that you are not Abraham's spiritual children."
Our Lord's argument is the same that St. Paul uses to the
Romans. "He is not a Jew which is one outwardly." — "They
which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God."
(Rom. ii. 28, 29; ix. 8.) The iraportance of it cannot be over-
I'ated. It estabushes the great principle that fleshly relation
ship, or ecclesiastical connection, is nothing without grace in
the heart, and indeed only adds to a man's condemnation.
The expression " this did not Abrahara " is a Hebraism. Of
course literally Abraham could not "seek to kill" Christ,
because he never lived with Hira on earth. The raeaning must
be " your conduct is the very opposite of what Abraham would
have done, and utterly contrary to the general tenor of what
he did while he lived." Compare Deut. xvii. 3 ; Jer. vii. 22—
31 : xix. 6 ; xxxii. 35, where the same form of speech is used.
When our Lord calls Himself here simply " a man," He uses
an expression which He nowhere else employs in the Gospels.
As a rule. He calls Himself" the Son of man," when speaking
of His human nature. Here, however. He seems to speak of

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 115
Himself in the point cf view iu which His unbelieving enemies
ought to have regarded Him, if they could not yet acknowledge
His divinity. " I ara among you a raan speaking the truth : and
yet ye seek to kill Me." — The atterapt of Jews and Socinians to
show that our Lord was not really God, founded on this text,
is futile. Our Lord's real and true humanity no sound Trini
tarian thinks of denying.
41.— [ Te do the deeds of your father.] This means " You are
doing the things that your father the devil approves and
suggests to you. You are showing yourselves genuine children
of the devil, by doing his works." The word " ye " in the
Greek is emphatic, and may possibly be intended to contrast
with " I," at the beginning of the 35th verse.
[Then said they...not horn of fornication.] These words can
hardly be taken literally. Our Lord was speaking to the Jews
not as individuals, but as a nation and a class, and was speak
ing of their descent in a religious point of view. The question
was, " Who was their father? From whom did they get their
spiritual character? To whom were their proclivities and ten
dencies to be traced?" This our Lord's hearers understood,
and said, " We be not bom of fornication ; we are not heathens
and idolaters at any rate, even if we are not as good as Abra
ham." — That idolatry was called fornication, because it was
unfaithfulness to the covenant God, a forsaking Him for false
gods, is, I think, clear from many places in the Old Testament.
See for instance Jeremiah ii. 1 — 20, and iii. 1 — 3. I think this
was in the rainds of the Jews, when they spoke to our Lord
here. This is Augustine's view.
The notion of Euthyraius, Eupertus, and others, that the
Jews refer to other children of Abrahara, by Hagar and Ketu-
rah, and boast themselves his true children by Sarah, is not
satisfactory. It is surely too much to charge Abraham with
the sin of fornication, because he took Hagar to be his wife,
at the instance of Sarah, and married Keturah after Sarah's
death !
The notion of sorae, that the Jews refer here to the many mar
riages between Jews and Gentiles in the Old Testament tiraes,
(as seen in Ezra x. 1, etc.,) and repudiate them, is not proba
ble. Some have thought that the Jews insinuated wicked doubts
of our Lord's legitimate birth in this phrase. But it seems
unlikely. [ We have one- Father, even God.] The Jews here lay claim to
be regarded as God's children. That God is called "the
Father" of Israel in several places in the Old Testament, is
undeniable. See Deut. xxxii. 6; 1 Chron. xxix. 10; Isai. Ixiii.
16 and Ixiv. 8 ; Mal. i. 6. But it is very clear that these texts
specially refer to God's relation to Israel as a nation, and not to
Israelites as individuals. The Jews, however. In their pride

116 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
and self-righteousness, raade no such nice distinction. They
did not see that national sonship and covenant sonship with
out spiritual sonship, are nothing worth. Hence they brought
on themselves the stern rebuke of the next verse.
42. — [Jesus said... if God... your Father... love me.] Our Lord here
tells the Jews, that although they raight be children of God by
covenant and nationality, they were evidently not God's chil
dren by grace and spiritual birth. If God was really their
Father, they would show It by loving the Son of God, even
Himself. Let us note carefully the great principle contained in this
sentence. Love to Christ is the infallible raark of all true chil
dren of God. Would we know whether we are born again,
whether we are children of God? There is one siraple Wiiy of
finding it out. Do we love Christ? If not, it is vain and idle
to talk of God as our Father, aud ourselves as God's children.
No love to Christ, no sonship to God !
The favourite notion of many, that baptism raakes ns sons
and daughters of God, and that all baptized people should be
addressed as God's children, is utterly irreconcilable with this
sentence. Unless a baptized person loves Christ, he has no
right to call God Father, and is not God's child. He has yet to
be born again, and brought into God's family. Before the
point and edge of these words, the doctrine that spiritual re
generation always accompanies baptism cannot staud.
The modern notion about God's universal Fatherhood, which
finds such favour with many, is no less irreconcilable with
this sentence than baptismal regeneration. That God the
Father is full of love, mercy, and compassion to all is no doubt
true. But that God is really and truly the spiritual Father of
any one who does not love Christ can never be raaintaiued
without contradicting our Lord's words in this place.
The sentence is full of condemnation to all who know nothing
experimentally of Christ, and neither tlnuk, nor feel, nor care
anything about Hira. Crowds of so-called Christians are in
this unhappy state, and are plainly not God's children, whatever
they may think. — The sentence is equally full of comfort for all
true believers, however weak and feeble. If they feel drawn
towards Christ in heart and affection, aud can truly say " I do
love Him," they have the plainest mark of being God's children,
and "if children then heirs." (Rom. viii. 17.)
[For I proceeded forth, etc.] Our'Lord here shows the Jews
His own divine nature and mission. He had proceeded forth,
and come from God— the eternal Son from the eternal Father.
He h.ad not come of His own independent will and without
commission, but specially sent and appointed by the Father, as
His last and dearest Messenger to a lost world. Such was His
nature. Such was His position and relation to the Father.— If

JOHN, CHAP. vin. 117
therefore they really were children of God the Father, they
would love Hira as the Father's Son, the Father's Messenger, the
Father's promised Messiah. Not loving Him, they gave the plain
est proof that thoy were not God's children.— A true child of God
will love everything belonging to God, and specially he will love
God's only begotten and beloved Son. He can see and flnd
nothing nearer to the Father than the Son, who is the " bright
ness of His glory and the express image of His person." (Heb.
i. 3.) If, therefore, he does not love the Son, it is clear that he
is no true child of the Father.
Calvin remarks : " Christ's argument Is this : whoever is a
child of God will acknowledge His first-born Son; but you hate
Me, and therefore you have no reason to boast that you are
God's children. We ought carefully to observe in this passage,
that there is no piety and no fear of God where Christ is re
jected. Hypocritical religion presumptuously shelters itself un
der the name of God ; but liow can they agree with the Father,
who disagree with His only Son? "
43. — [Why do ye not understand? etc.] In this verse, our Lord seems
to rae to draw a distinction between "speech" and "word."
The expres.sion " word "' is deeper than "speech." By " speech,"
He means " My manner of speaking and expressing Myself."
By " word," He means generally " My doctrine. " — The sense is,
"How is it that ye do not understand My manner of express
ing Myself to you, when I speak of such things as freedom and
of ' your father ' ? It is because ye will not receive and attend
to My whole raessage, — the word that I bring to you from My
Father." — Lightfoot takes this view.
This explanation seeras to rae to describe raost accurately the
state of things between our Lord and His hearers. They were
continually misunderstanding, misinterpreting, and stumbling
at, the expressions and language that He used in teaching them.
Did He speak of "bread"? They thought He meant literal
bread. — Did He speak of " freedom " ? They thought He meant
teraporal and political freedom. — Did He speak of "their
Father"? They thought He meant Abraham. — How was it that
they so raisunderstood His language aud dialect? It was simply
because their hearts were utterly hardened and closed against
the whole " word of salvation" which He came to proclaim.
Having no will to listen to and receive His doctrine, they were
ready at every step to misconstrue the words and figures under
which it was conveyed and placed before them.
Any one who preaches the Gospel now must often observe
that precisely the same thing happens in the present day. Hear
ers, who are strongl3' prejudiced against the Gospel, are con
stantly perverting, wresting, and misinterpreting the language
of the preacher. None are so blind as those who will not see,
and none so stupid as those who do not want to understand.
The "cannot" here is amoral inability. It is like "no mau

118 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

can come unto Me," and "His brethren could not speak peacea*
bly unto him." (John vi. 44; Gen. xxxvii. i.) It means, "Ya
have no will to hear with your hearts."
Chrysostom remarks : " Not to be able here means not to be
willing."
44. — [Te are of your father the devil, etc.] This verse deserves
special attention, both for the sternness of the rebuke it con
tains, and the deep subject which it handles. The general
sense is as follows : " Ye are so far frora being spiritual chil
dren of Abraham, or true children of God, that, on the contrary,
ye may be rightly called the children of the devil ; and ye show
it, by having a will set on doing the evil things which your
father suggests to you. He, frora the beginning of creation,
was a being set on the destruction of man, and abode not in the
original truth and righteousness in which he was created ; for
now truth is not in his nature. When he now speaks and sug
gests a lie, he speaks out of his own peculiar inward nature,
for he is emiently a liar, and the father of a lie."
When our Lord says to the wicked Jews, " Ye are of youi'
father the devil," He does not raean that the wicked are made
wicked by the devil in the sarae sense that the godly are made
godly by God, created anew and begotten of God ; but He uses
a coraraon Hebraisra, by which persons who are closely con
nected with, or entirely under the influence of, another, are
called "his children." It is in this sense that the wicked and
unbelieving are truly the children of the devil. This raust be
carefully remembered. The devil has no power to " create" the
wicked. He only finds them born in sin, and, working upon
their sinful nature, obtains such an influence, that he becomes
practically the " father of the wicked." (See Matt. xiii. 38 and 1
John iii. 8; Matt. xiii. 19 ; Luke xvi. 8; xx. 34; Isai. Ivii. 4;
Numb. xvii. 10.)
Augustine says : " Whence are those Jews sons of the dev
il? — By iraitation, not by birth." He also refers to Ezek. xvi.
3, as a parallel case.
When our Lord says, " Ye will do the lusts of your father,"
we must remember that "ye will" is emphatic in the Greek.
" Ye have a will, and mind, and purpose, and disposition." — By
" doing the lusts," He means "ye follow those evil inclinations
and desires " which are peculiarly characteristic of the devil,
and according to his mind,- such as to corarait raurder, and to
love and tell a lie. The desire of the devil can only be for that
which is evil.
When our Lord says the devil was a "murderer from the
beginning," I do not think He refers exclusively to Cain's raur
der of Abel, though I think it was in His mind. (See 1 John iii.
12.) I rather think He means that the devil, from the beginning
of creation, was set on bringing death into the world, and mur
dering mau both body and soul.

JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 119
Origen remarks : " It was not one man only that the devil
killed, but the whole human race, inasmuch as in Adam all die.
So that he is truly called a murderer."
When our Lord says that the " devil abode not in the truth,"
I think He teaches that the devil is a fallen spirit, and that he
was originally made very good and "perfect," like all other
works of God's hands. But he did not continue in that state of
truth and righteousness iu which he was originally created. He
kept not his flrst estate, but fell away. " Truth " seems to
stand for all righteousness, and holiness, and conforraity to the
mind of God, who is " Truth itself." This verse, and Jude 6,
are the two clearest proofs in the Bible that the devil fell, and
was not created evil at the beginniug.
The word "abode" would be more literally rendered,
" stood." When our Lord says, " Because there is no truth in him," He
does not mean that this was the reason why the devil " abode
not in the truth." If this had been His meaning, He would
have said, " Truth tocw not in him." But He says, "is." — His
words are meant to describe the present nature of the devil.
"He Is now a being in whom truth is not." — It seeras to me a
somewhat similar expression to that of St. Paul, when he says,
"I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly;" where
" because " does not mean the reason why he obtained mercy.
(1 Tim. i. 12.) The Greek word for " because " in both cases
is the same.
Calvin remarks : " As we are called the children of God, not
only because we resemble Hira, but because He governs ns
by His Spirit, — because Christ lives and is vigorous in us, so as
to conforra us to His Father's image ; so, on the other hand, the
devil is said to be the father of those whose understandings he
blinds, whose hearts he moves to corarait all unrighteousness,
and on whom, in short, he acts powerfully, and exercises his
tyranny." When our Lord says that «' the devil speaketh of his own," He
does not mean that he " speaks about his own," but that he
speaks " out of his own things." It is like, " Out of the abun
dance of the heart the raouth speaketh." (Matt. xii. 34.) He
speaks out of those things of which he is full.
When our Lord says that the devil " is a liar," I think He
refers to the great original lie by which he deceived Eve at the
beginning, " Ye shall not surely die." (Gen. ill. 4.)
When our Lord says here of the devil, that "he is a liar and
the father of it," I think the most likely and natural meaning is,
that " he is the father of every lie." A lie is specially the result
and work of the devil. The expression " of it " is undeniably
difficult, and is variously interpreted.
(o) Some think that it means "he is the father of him,"—

120 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
viz., of the liar, of every one th.at tells a lie. This is the view
of Brentius, Bengel, Stier, Hengstenberg, and Alford.
(6) Some think that it means " he is a liar, and his father."
This was an error of the Manicheans, and justly reproved by
Augustine. Yet Grotius seems to hold this view, and maintains
that he who deceived Adam and Eve was not the prince of the
devils, but one of his messengers I (See 2 Cor. xii. 7.) This
seems an untenable idea.
Neither of these views is at all natural and satisfactory,— and
the one I have given — "father of a lie" — seems tome much
raore probable. It is the view of Augustine, Theophylact,
Rupertus, Calvin, Bucer, Beza, Bullinger, Rollock, Burgon,
Wordsworth, and the great majority of all comraentators.
Let us note, in this verse, how strongly and directly our Lord
rebukes His eneraies. There are times when strong condemna
tion becomes a positive duty, and we must not refrain from it
through fear of being charged with severity, personality, and
harshness. Let us note how clearly this verse establishes the personality
of the devil. The expression before us can never be explained
by those who think he is only a vague evil influence.
Let us note how the fall of angels Is recognized and taught
by our Lord, as one of the great truths that we must believe.
Let us note how raurder aud lying are specially mentioned as
characteristics of the devil. Thoy are sins most opposite to the
mind of God, however lightly regarded — and lying especially —
by man. An indifference to the sin of lying, whether among
old or young, rich or poor, is one of the raost unmistakable
symptoms of an ungodly condition.
Luther says : " The world is a den of murderers, subject to
the devil. If we desire to live on earth, we raust be content to
be guests in it, and to lie in an inn where the host is a rascal,
whose house has over the door this sign or shield, ' For murder
and lies.' For this sign and escutcheon Christ Hiraself hung
over the door of his house, when He said. He is a murderer and
a liar."
i5.—[And because I tell, etc.] Our Lord in this verse puts in
strong contrast His own teaching and the lying suggestions of
the devil, and the readiness of the wicked Jews to disbelieve
Him and believe the devil. — "The reason why you do not be
lieve Me is, your thorough dislike to the truth of God. You are
genuine children of your father the devil. If I told you things
that are false, ye would believe Me. But because I tell you
things that are true, you believe rae not."
We see here how little cause faithful ministers of Christ have
to feel surprise at the unbelief of many of their hearers. If
they preach the truth, they must make up their minds not to

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 121
be believed by many. It Is only what happened to their Mas
ter. " If they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also."
(John XV. 20.)
le.— [Which of you convinceth me? etc.] Our Lord In this verse
asks two questions, to which it was impossible for thera to give
an answer : " Which of you can reprove or convince Me as an
offender concerning sin of any kind? You know that you can
not lay any offence to My charge. Yet if I am free from any
charge, and at the same time speak to you nothing but what is
right and true, what is the reason that ye do not believe Me ? "
Let us note here the perfect spotlessness and innocence of
ourLord's character. None but He could ever say, "I have no
sin. I challenge any one to flnd out any imperfection or fault
in Me." Such a complete and perfect Sacriflce and Mediator is
just what sinful man needs.
n.—[He that is of God, etc.] Our Lord in this verse supplies
an answer to His own questions, and conclusively proves the
wickedness and ungodliness of His hearers. — " He that is a true
child of God hears with pleasure, believes, and obeys God's
words, such as I bring to you frora My Father. You, by not
hearing, believing, and obeying them, prove plainly that you
are not God's children. If you were, you would hear gladly,
believe, and obey. Your not hearing proves conclusively that
you are what I said, children, not of God, but of the devil."
Let us note here that the disposition to hear and listen to
truth is always a good sign, though not an infallible one, about
a person's soul. It is said, in another place, " My sheep hear
my voice." (John x. 26, 27.) When we see people obstinately
refusing to listen to counsel, and to attend to the Gospel, we
are justified in regarding them as not God's children, not born
again, without grace, and needing yet to be converted.
Let us note here, as elsewhere, how carefully our Lord speaks
of His teaching as " God's words." It consisted of words and
truths which God the Father had commissioned Him to preach
and proclaim to man. It was not " His own words " only, but
His Father's as well as His own.
Eollock observes, that there Is no snrer mark of an unsancti-
fled nature than dislike to God's Word.
Musculus, Bucer, and others maintain here that the phrase,
"He that is of God, heareth God's Words," must be confined to
God's election; and raeans, " Ho that was chosen of God from
all eternity." I cannot, however, see reason for confining the
sense so closely. I prefer to consider " of God " as including,
not only election, but calling, regeneration, adoption, conver>
sion, and sanctification. This is RoUock's view.
6

122

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

JOHN VIII. 48—59.

48 Then answered the Jews, and
Baid unto him, Say we not well that
thou art a Samaritan and bast a
devil ?
49 Jesas answered, I have not a
devil ; but I honour my father, and ye
do dishonour me.
50 And I seek not mine own glory:
there is one that seeketh and jndgeth.
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~thoa sayest, If a man keep my
Baying, he shall never taste of death.
53 Artthon greater than our father
Abraham, which is dead ? and the
prophets are dead: whom makest thou
thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour my

self, my honour is nothing: it is my
Fatlierth,ithonouroth me; of whom ya
say, that he is your God:
55 Yet ye havo not known him;
but I know him : and if I should say,
1 know him not, I shall be a liar like
unto you: but I know him, and keep
his saying.
66 Your father Abraham rejoiced
to see my day : and he saw it, and was
glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him.
Thou art not yet fifty years old, and
hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, before Abra
ham was, I am.
59 Then took they np stones to
cast at him: but Jesus hid himself,
and went out of the temple, going
through the midst of them, and 90
passed by.

We should observe, first, in this passage, wJiat blasphemous
and slanderous language was addressed to our Lord by His
enemies. We read that the Jews " said unto Him, Say
we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?"
Silenced in argument, these wicked men resorted to per
sonal abuse. To lose temper, and call names, is a common
sign of a defeated cause.
Nicknames, insulting epithets, and violent language, are
favourite weapons with the devil. When other means of
carrying on his warfare fail, he stirs up his servants to
smite with the tongue. Grievous indeed are the sufferings
which the saints of God have had to endure from the
tongue in every age. Their characters have been slan
dered. Evil reports have been circulated about them.
Lying stories have been diligently invented, and greedily
swallowed, about their conduct. No wonder that David
said, " Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from
a deceitful tongue." (Psalm cxx. 2.)

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 123
The true Christian in the present day must never be
surprised to flnd that he has constant trials to endure from
this quarter. Human nature never changes. So long as
he serves the world, and walks in the broad way, little
perhaps will be said against him. Once let him take up
the cross and follow Christ, and there is no lie too mon
strous, and no story too absurd, for some to tell against
him, and for others to believe. But let him take comfort
in the thought that he is only drinking the cup which his
blessed Master drank before him. The lies of his enemies do
him no injury in heaven, whatever they may on earth. Let
him bear them patiently, and not fret, or lose his temper.
When Christ was reviled, " He reviled not again." (1
Peter ii. 23.) Let the Christian do likewise.
We should observe, secondly, lohat glorious encourage
ment our Lord holds out to His believing people. We read
that He said, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man
keep My saying, he shall never see death."
Of course these words do not mean that true Christians
shall never die. On the contrary, we all know that they
must go down to the grave, and cross the river just like
others. But the words do mean, that they shall not be
hui't by the second death, — that final ruin of the whole
man in hell, of which the first death is only a faint type or
figure. (Rev. xxi. 8.) And they do mean that the sting
of the first death shall be removed from the true Christian.
His flesh may fail, and his bones maybe racked with strong
pain ; but the bitter sense of unpardoned sins shall not
crush him down. This is the worst part of death, — and in
this he shall have the " victory through our Lord J.esus
Christ." (1 Cor. xv. 57.)
This blessed promise, we must not forget to notice, ia
the peculiar property of the man who " keeps Christ's
sayings." That expression, it is clear, can never be appli
cable to the mere outward processing Christian, who neithei

124 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
knows nor cares anything about the Gospel. It belongs to
hira who receives into his heart, and obe3^s in his life, the
message which the Lord Jesus brought from heaven. It
belongs, in short, to those who are Christians, not in name
and form only, but in deed and in truth. It is written, —
" He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second
death." (Rev. ii. 11.)
We should observe, thirdly, in this passage, what clear
knowledge of Christ Abraham possessed. We read that our
Lord said to the Jews, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to
sec My clay : and he saw it and was glad."
When our Lord used these remarkable words, Abraham
had been dead and buried at least 1850 years ! And yet
he is said to have seen our Lord's day ! How wonderful
that sounds ! Yet it was quite true. Not only did Abra
ham " see " our Lord and talk to Him when He " appeared
unto him in the plains of Mamre," the night before Sodom
was destroyed, (Gen. xviii. 1,) but by faith he looked
forward to the day of our Lord's incarnation yet to come,
and as he looked he " was glad." That he saw many
things, through a glass darkly, we need not doubt. That
he could have explained fully the whole manner and cir
cumstances of our Lord's sacrifice on Calvarj-, we are
not obliged to suppose. But we need not shrink from
believing that he saw in the far distance a Redeemer, whose
advent would finallj' make all the earth rejoice. And as
he saw it, he " was glad."
Tlie plain truth is, that we are too apt to forget that
there never was but one way of salvation, one Saviour, and
one Jiope for sinners, and that Abraham and all the Old
Testaments saints looked to the same Christ that we look
to ourselves. We shall do well to call to mind the Seventh
Article of the Church of England : " The Old Testament
is not contrary to the New : for both in the Old and New
Testament everlasting life is pfiered through Christ, who is

JOHN, CHAP. vni. 125
the only Mediator between God and man, being both God
and man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign
that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises."
This is truth that we must never forget in reading the Old
Testament. This is sound speech that cannot be con
demned. We should observe, lastly, in this prophecy, how distinct
ly our Lord declares His own pre-existence. We read
that He said to the Jews, " Before Abraham was, I am."
Without a controversy, these remarkable words are a
great deep. They contain things which we have no eyes
to see through, or mind to fathom. But if language means
anything, they teach us that our Lord Jesus Christ
existed long before He came into the world. Before the
days of Abraham He was. Before man was created He
was. In short, they teach us that the Lord Jesus was no
mere man like Moses or David. He was One whose goings
forth were from everlasting, — the same yesterday, to-day,
and forever, — very and eternal God.
Deep as these words are, the}' are full of practical com
fort. They show us the length, and breadth, and depth,
and height of that great foundation, on which sinners are
invited to rest their souls. He to whom the Gospel bids
us come with our sins, and believe for pardon and peace,
is no mere man. He is nothing less than very God, and
therefore "able to save to the uttermost" all who come to
Him. Then let us begin coming to Him with confidence.
Let us continue leaning on Him without fear. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the true God, aud our eternal life is secure.
Notes. John VIII. 48—59.
48. — [Then answered the Jews. ..Samaritan.. .devil.] This verse
seems to contain nothing but personal abuse and bl.asphemous
slander. Unable to answer our Lord's arguments, the unbeliev
ing Jews lost their temper, and resorted to the last weapon of
a disputant, — senseless invective and calling of names. The

126 EXIOSITORY THOUGHTS.

extent to which calling names Is carried by Oriental people, even
in the present day, is soraething far greater than in this coun
try we can imagine.
When the Jews called our Lord "a Samaritan," they meant
much the same as saying that He was no true Jew, and little
better than a heathen. "The Jews have no dealings with the
Samaritans." (John iv. 9.) When they said, "Thou hast a
devil," I think it meant rather more than "thou art mad," as in
John vii. 20, if we observe the following verse. It probably
iraplled, " Thou actest and speakest under the influence of the
devU. The power Thou hast is frora Satan, and not frora God."
Let us learn here how little cause Christians have to be sur
prised, if hard names and insulting epithets are applied to them.
It is only what was done to their Master, and is no ground for
discourageraent in doing God's work.
49. — [Jesus answered, I have not a devil, etc.] Our Lord's answer
to the coarse invective of His eneraies araounts to this: "In
saying that I have a devil yon say that which is not true. I ara
simply honouring My Father in heaven by delivering His mes
sage to raan, and you by your violent language are dishonouring
Me, and in effect dishonouring and insulting ray Father. Your
insults do not strike Me only, bnt my Father also."
Let us note our Lord's calmness and equanimity under insult.
A solemn denial of the blasphemous charge laid against Him,
and an equally solemn reminder that He was honouring the God
whom they theraselves professed to worship, are the only reply
He condescends to make.
BO. — [And I seek not mine own glory.] This sentence seeras to
arise out of the last verse.—" Ye dishonour Me; but you do not
move or hurt Me, for I did not come to seek my own glory, but
the glory of Hira that sent Me. I receive not honour frora men."
(See John vii. 18 and v. 41.) Here, as elsewhere, our Lord
points to the great principle, " that a true messenger from
heaven will never seek his ovvn glory, but his Master's."
[There is one that seeketh andjudgeth.] There is a very solemn
warning in these words. They mean, " There is One, however,
even my F'ather in heaven, who does seek and desire my glory;
and not only seeks, but judges the conduct of all who dishonour
Me, with deep displeasure, and will punish it at the last day."
There is comfort here for all Christ's members as well as for
their Head. Though they may not think of it, there is One in
heaven who cares deeply for them, sees all they go through, and
will one day plead their cause. The latent thought seems the
same as In Eccles. v. 8—" He that is higher than the highest
regardeth." A believer raay cheer himself with the thought,
" There is One that judgeth. There is One that sees all, that
cares for me, and will set all right at the last day."

JOHN, CHAP. vm. 127
Euthyraius remarks on this verse that we should not heed
things said against ourselves, but should vindicate the honour
of God if things are said against God.
61. — [Verily. ..if a man keep my saying. ..never see death.] The
mighty proraise contained in this verse seeras intended to wind
up the whole conversation. All that our Lord had said had pro-
dnced no effect. He therefore closes His teaching for the pres
ent by one of those mighty sayings which tower above every
thing near them, and of which St. John's Gospel contains so
many. — " Whether you will hear or not, whether you choose to
know Me or not, I solemnly tell you that if any raan receives,
believes, and keeps My doctrine, he shall never see death.
Despised and rejected as I ara by you, life or death, heaven or
hell, blessing or cursing, depend and hinge on accepting the
message I proclaim to you. I am the way, the truth, and the
life." — It is like Moses taking leave of Israel and saying, " I call
heaven and earth to record against you, that I have set before
you life and death." (Deut. xxx. 15, 19.) Just so our Lord
seems to say, " I tell you once more, for the last time, that to
keep My saying is the way to escape death."
The expression is parallel to the one our Lord uses in the
synagogue of Capernaum. There He says, " He that believeth
in Me, hath everlasting life." Here it 'is "shall never see
death." (John vi. 47.)
We should notice here, as elsewhere, that when our Lord uses
the expression, "Verily, verily, I say unto you," which is
familiar to all careful readers of St. John's Gospel, He is always
about to say something of peculiar gravity and solemnity. See
John i. 51; iii. 3, 5, 11; v. 19, 24, 25; vi. 26, 32, 47, 53; viii. 34,
51, 58; X. 1, 7; xii. 24; xiii. 16, 20, 21, 38; xiv. 12; xvi. 20, 23;
xxi. 18.
The expression " keep ray saying," means "receive into his
heart, believe, embrace, obey, and hold fast the doctrine or
message which I am coraraissioned to teach." — The phrase "ray
saying," raeans much more than the " words I am speaking at
this moment." It is rather the whole doctrine of My Gospel.
The expression "never see death" cannot be taken literally.
Onr Lord did not mean that His disciples would not die and be
buried like other children of Adam. We know that they did
die. The meaning is probably threefold: (1) "He shall be
completely delivered from that spiritual death of condemnation
under which all mankind are born; his soul is alive aud can
die no raore : (2) He shall be delivered from the sting of
bodily death ; his flesh and bones may sink under disease and
be laid in the grave, but the worst part of death shall not be
able to touch him, and the grave itself shall give him up one
day : (3) He shall be delivered entirely from the second death,
even eternal punishment in hell; over him the second death
shall have no power."

128 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
The width and greatness of this promise are very reinatkable.
Ever since the day of Adara's fall death h.as been man's peculiar
enemy. Man has found the truth of the sentence, " In the day
thou eatest thou shalt surely die." (Gen. ii. 27.) But our
Lord boldly and openly proclaims that in keeping His saying
there is complete deliverance from death. In fact. He pro
claims Himself the One greater than death. None could say
this but a Redeemer who was very God.
Augustine says : " The death frora which our Lord carae to
deliver us was the second death, eternal death, the death of
hell, the death of daranation with the devil and his angels.
That is indeed death ; for this death of ours is only a migration.
What is it but a putting off a heavy load, provided there be not
another load carried, by which the man shall be cast headlong
into hell. This Is the death of which the Lord says, ' He shall
not see death.' "
Let us note the breadth and fulness of this proraise. It is for
any one who keeps Christ's sayings. "If a man," or rather it
should be rendered, " If any man," etc.
Let us beware of putting a meaning on this promise which it
was not intended to convey. The idea of some that it means
" believers shall be so completely delivered frora death that
they shall neither feel bodily pain nor mental conflict," is one
that cannot be supported. It is not borne out by other pas
sages of Scripture, and, as a matter of fact, it is contradicted by
experience. The Gospel delivers believers from that " fear of
death " which unbelievers feel, no doubt. (Heb. ii. 15.) But
we have no right to expect believers to have no bodily conflict,
no convulsion, no struggle, and no suffering. Flesh and blood
must and will feel. " I groan," said holy Baxter on his death
bed, "but I do not grumble." Death is a serious thing, even
though the sting is taken away.
Parkhurst thinks the expression here is like Luke ii. 26,
where it was said of Simeon that he should not " see death."
But the Greek for "see" is there a different word, and the
phrase there seems to mean nothing more than "die," which
does not come np to the full promise here. He also quotes
Ps.alins xlix. 9 ; Ixxxlx. 49. But neither of these places seem
parallel. The Greek word rendered " see " is so peculiar that one
might almost think the phrase meant, " he shall not gaze upon
and behold death forever to all eternity, as the wicked shall."
But I prefer the threefold sense already given.
B2.—[Then said the Jews, etc.] The argument of the Jews in this
verse seems to be as follows : " We know now by Thy own
words that Thou art mad and hast a devil. Our great" father
Abrahara and the prophets, holy aud good as they all were, are
all dead, and yet Thou presumest to say that if a man keep Thy

JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 129
saying he will never die. In short. Thou makest Thyself
greater than Abraham, for Abraham could not escape death.
while keeping Thy saying enables a man to escape death. To
talk in this way is a plain proof that thou art mad."
The phrase " to have a devil," In this place can hardly mean
anything but "to be mad or crazy."
The Jews, it will be observed, do not quote our Lord's
words correctly. He had said, " shall never see death." They
report Hira as saying, " shall never taste of death." Whether
this was a wilful perversion of His words is rather difficult to
decide. Some think that the Jews intentionally exaggerated
the promise, and put "taste" for "see," in order to magnify
the offence our Lord had committed. Others think that the
difference means nothing, and that it only shows" how thoroughly
the Jews misunderstood our Lord, and thought that He referred
to nothing but bodily death.
Here, as elsewhere, we may remark how ready the Jews were
to pervert and warp our Lord's meaning, and to put a carnal
and gross sense on spiritual language.
S3.— [Art thou greater, etc.?] The question in this verse shows
that our Lord had again succeeded in arousing the curiosity of
the Jews, and stirring them to inquire about His nature and
person.— "Who art Thou that talkest in this way? Whom
aost Thou make Thyself? To say that those who keep Thy
saying shall never die is to make 'Thyself superior to Abraham
and the prophets, who are all dead. Who and what art Thou?
Art thou really sorae one greater than Abraham ? "
Chrysostom observes that the question of the Jews reminds
ns of the Samaritan woman's question : " Art thou greater
than our father Jacob ? " (John iv. 12.)
84. — [If I honour myself...nothing, etc.] Our Lord's meaning in
this verse seems to be as follows : " If at any time I take to
myself and claim honour, such houour would be worthless. He
who puts honour on Me, and commissions Me to say that keep
ing My saying shall deliver a man from death, is My Father in
heaven, — that very Being whom you profess to call your God.
It Is your own God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, vvho
has put .such houour on Me, that life or death turn on keeping
My sayings, and believing on Mo."
Here, as elsewhere, we should mark the carefulness with
which our Lord disclaims all self-exaltation, and desire for
glory and honour from man. If, in claiming lor Himself to hold
the keys of life and death, He seemed to claim honour. He care
fully reminds the Jews that it is au honour put on Him by the
Father in heaven, even by their own God. He desired uo
honour independent of Him, or in rivalry to Hira.
When our Lord says, " My Father honoureth Me." the ex-

130 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
pression must Include all the works, and signs, and miracles,
which the Father gave Him to do ; as well as the words which
He gave Him to speak. (John v. S6; xiv. 10, 11.)
65.— [ Tet ye have not known him, etc' The meaning of this verse
seems to be as follows : " Although you say of My Father in
heaven that He is your God, you do not really know Him, aud
are plainly ignorant of His character, His will, and Ills pur
poses. Professing to know Him, in works you deny Him. But
I, on the contrary, know Hira perfectly: for I am indeed one
with Him frora all eternity, and came forth frora Hira. So per
fectly do I know Him, that I should be a liar, and a child of the
devil, like yourselves, if I said I did not know Him. Lui I re
peat that I know Him perfectly, and In all My words anc works
here on earth I carefully keep His sayings, and observe the
coraraission he gave rae."
There is undeniably a great peculiarity In the language of
this verse. But it is probably a Hebrew mode of putting In
strong contrast the Jews' thorough ignorance of God, notwith
standing their high profession of being His chosen people, —
and onr Lord's perfect knowledge of God, notwithstanding the
repeated assertions that He had a devil, was a Samaritan, and
was consequently an enemy to the God of Israel. — The phrase,
" I should be a liar, like yourselves, if 1 said I did not know the
Father," was just the phrase to convey the strongest idea to
the Jews' rainds of our Lord's knowledge. — In arguing with
sorae men, nothing but the strongest language, and the raost
paradoxical expressions, have any effect.— Eveu God himself
thinks it good to make such an asseveration as " I swear by
myself," and " as I live," in order to command attention. (.Ter.
xxii. 5; Heb. vi. 13; Ezek. xxxiii. 11.) Those who blame
ministers and preachers for using strong language, and say that
they should never use any but gentle, tame, and mild phrases,
can hardly have studied human nature or the style of Scripture
with thorough attention.
56. — [Tour father Abraham, etc.] Our Lord, in this verse, takes
up the question of the Jews, as to His being greater than Abra
ham, and boldly gives an answer. " You ask Me whether I am
greater than Abraham. I tell you In reply that I am He whose
coming and whose day of glory Abraham rejoiced to think he
should see. Moreover by faith he even saw it, and when he
saw it he was glad."
The precise meauing of the words of this verse is rather dif
ficult to discover, though the general idea of It is plain and un
mistakable. It is clear that our Lord implies that He is the
promised Messiah, the Seed of Abraham, in whom all the
generations of the earth should be blessed,- and of whom when
Abraham flrst heard, " he laughed " for joy. (Gen. xvii. 17.)
(a) Sorae think, as most of the Fathers and Reformers,
that it means, " Abrahara rejoiced in the prospect of seeiug, at

JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 131
some fiitnre time. My day, the day of Messiah ; and by faith ho
did see it afar off."
(6) Sorae think, as Maldonatus, Larape, Stier, and Bloora-
fleld, that it means, " Abraham rejoiced when he was told that
he should see My day ; and he actually has seen it in Paradise,
and has been gladdened there in the separate state by the
sight." (o) Sorae think, as Brown, Olshausen, Alford, Webster, and
Hengstenberg, that it means, " Abraham's great desire and joyful
expectation was to see My day, and he actually saw Me when I
appeared to hira and talked with him on earth."
Of these three views the first appears to me the most proba
ble, and most in keeping with the history of Abrahara, in
Genesis. It should be carefully observed that our Lord does
«o8 say that "Abraham saw Me," but that "he saw My day."
The cause of Abraham's joy seems to have been, that there was
to be of his seed a Messiah, a Saviour; and that he should see
His day, — the day of the Lord, the triumphant day of Messiah's
complete victory and restitution of all things. This day he
even saw by faith afar off, and was glad at the sight. — Our
Lord's object does not seera to be to tell the Jews that Abrahara
hiid seen Him, but that He was " the Seed," the Messiah, who
was prSmised to their father Abrahara. The Jews had asked
whether he was greater than Abrahara? "Yes," he replies,
" I am. I am that very Messiah whose day Abraham rejoiced
to hear of, and saw afar off by faith. If you were like Abrahara
you would rejoice to see Me."
Chrysostom and Euthymius think that " My day," in this
verse, means "the day of the cruciflxion, which Abraham fore
showed typically by offering the rara in Isaac's place." This
however seeras a very cramped and limited view.
Rupertus thinks that Abraham " saw the day of Christ " when
he entertained the three angels who carae to hira.
Augustine thinks it may refer to both the advents of Christ:
first in humiliation, and second in glory.
57.— [Then said the Jews, etc.] It is plain that the Jews here put
a wrong meaning on our Lord's words, and suppose Hira to say
that Abraham had seen Him, and He had seen Abraham. Yet
onr Lord had only said, " Abraham saw My day." It is another
instance of their readiness to pervert His words.
When the Jews said, " Thou art not yet fifty years old," I
believe they only meant, " Thou art not yet a middle-aged raan."
Fifty years old was the turning point in life, at which the
Levites and priests were excused from further active serwice in
the tabernacle. (Numbers iv. 3.) I fancy the reference is to
this.— Our Lord was at this time about thirty-three years old, or
at raost thirty ^four. The notion of Irenseus and Papias that He

132 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
really was fifty before He was cruclfled. Is utterly without war
rant, and absurd.
Some think that our Lord's countenance was so marred and
aged by sorrow and care, that He looked much older than He
really was, and that hence the Jews supposed Him to be nearly
fifty. But I prefer the former view.
Euthymius thinks that the Jews thought our Lord was fifty
years old, on account of His great wisdom and experience. This,
however, seems a weak and untenable view.
58. — [Je.'ius said... before Abraham was, lam.] This famous verse,
I believe, can only receive one honest interpretation. It is a
distinct assertion of our Lord's eternity, — His existence before
all creation. " I solemnly declare unto you that before Abrahara
was and existed I was, the great I AM, the same yesterday,
to-day, and forever,- the eternal God." All attempts to evade
this explanation appear to me so preposterous that it is vvaste
of time to notice thera. The man who can think the words only
mean, "I am He who was promised to Adam before Abraham
was born," seems past the reach of reasoning. — The name " I
AM," we must remember, is the very name by which God
revealed Himself to the Jews, when He sent Moses to them:
" Say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me." (Exod.
iii. 14.)
Let us carefully note what a strong proof we have here of tho
pre-existence aud divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. He applies
to Himself the very name by which God made Himself known
when He undertook to redeera Israel. It was " I AM " who
brought thera out of the land of Egypt. It was "I AM" who
died for us upon the cross. The amazing strength of the foun
dation of a sinner's hope appears here. Believing on Jesus we
rest on divinity, on One who is God as well as man.
There is a difference In the Greek verbs here employed, which
we should carefully notice. The Greek for "was " is quite dif
ferent from the Greek for "am." It is as if our Lord said,
" before Abraham was born, I have an existence individual and
eternal." Chrysostom observes: "He said not before Abraham was, I
was, but, I AM. As the Father useth this expression I AM, so
also doth Christ, for it signifleth continuous being, irrespective
of all time. On which account tlie expression seemed to the
Jews blasphemous."
Augustine says: "In these words acknowledge the Creator
and discern the creature. He that spake was made the Seed of
Abraham; and that Abrahara might be, He was before Abra
ham." Gregory reraarks : " Divinity has no past or future, but always
the present; and therefore Jesus does not say before Abraham
was I was, but I am."

JOHNi CHAP. Vin. 133
59.— [Then took they up stones to cast at him.] It is clear that the
Jews at any rate had no doubt what our Lord meant in the pre
ceding verse, whatever modern Sociuians may think. They saw
and knew at ouce that He who spake to them boldly claimed to
be Jehovah, and One far greater than Abrahara, being very God.
This they did not believe, and therefore regarded Him as a blas
phemer who ought at once to be stoned. In their rage and fury
they immediately took up stones, which were probably lying
about on account of repairs of the temple, iu order to stone Him.
The whole proceeding appears to have been a tumultuous and
disorderly one, not regularly conducted, but sudden and un
authorized, like the stoning of Stephen afterwards. (Acts vii.
58.) [But .Jesus hid himself, etc.] I think this withdrawal can only
be regarded as miraculous. The Greek word rendered "hid
Himself" is literally " was hid." It seems most improbable
that our Lord could " pass by " and " go through the midst " of
an angry crowd, whose eyes had for a longtime been fixed and
concentrated on Him, without being seen and stopped, unless
there was a rairaculous interposition. I believe that the eyes of
His eneraies were holden, and that they did not know Him for a
season, or that by His own almighty power He rendered Him
self temporarily invisible. It Is only what He did at Nazareth
on a similar occasion ; (Luke iv. 30 ;) and if we once concede
that our Lord could work miracles at His will, there seems no
reason to suppose that He would not work one on this occasion.
Let us note that our Lord's enemies could do nothing to Him
until His hour was corae for suffering. When He was at last
. taken prisoner, brought before Pilate, and crucified, it was not
because He could not escape, but because He wonld not. What
He did here He might have done there.
Let us note that it is not always the path of duty and of real
obedience to God's will to sit still and submit to sufferings and
death. It raay be the will of God that we should " flee to some
other city" and avoid death. (Matthew x. 23.) To court martyr-
Uom and throw away life, when it might be saved, is not always
the duty of a servant of Christ. Some of the martyrs of the
priraitive Church appear to have forgotten this.
Augustine says : "Jesus did not hide Himself in a corner of
the temple as if He were afraid, or take refuge in a house, or
run behind a wall or a pillar; but by His heavenly power He
made Himself invisible to His enemies, and went through the
midst of them."
The argument of Maldonatus, that this verse proves the pos
sibility of Christ being corporally present in the Lord's Supper
in the bread, is so preposterous that it requires no refutation.
There is no positive proof that our Lord was actually invisible
here. It is quite possible that the eyes of His enemies were
"holden that they could uot know Him." (Luke xxiv. 16.) I*" lie

134

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

was invisible, Maldonatus proves too much. The bread in the
Lord's Supper is seen, and after consecration the Roraan Cath
olic says its substance is changed. But It is not invisible.
In leaving this remarkable chapter, we should not fail to no
tice the difficulties under which our Lord's public ministry was
carried on. Ten times, between the 12th verse and the 59th,
we find His eneraies interrupting, contradicting, or reviling
Him. Our Master's calra dignity and perfect raeekness under
all this " contradiction of sinners " ought to be a never forgot
ten exaraple to His disciples.
It is a wise remark of Pascal, that our Lord's eneraies, by
their incessant cavilling and interruption, both here and else
where, have supplied us unintentionally with a strong proof of
the truth of His teaching. If our Lord's doctrines had only
been delivered privately to a prejudiced audience of kind and
loving disciples, they would not come down to us with the same
weight that they do now. But they were often proclaimed in
the midst of bitter enemies, learned Scribes and Pliarisees, who
were ready to detect any flaw or defect in His reasoning. That
the enemies of Christ could never answer or silence Him is a
strong evidence that His doctrine was God's own truth. It was
from heaven and not from men.

JOHN IX. 1—12.

1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a
man which was blind from Ms birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, say
ing, Master, who did sin, this man, or
his parents, that he was born blind ?
3 Jesus answered. Neither hath
this man sinned, nor his parents: but
that the works of God should be made
manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of him
that sent me, while it is day: the
night Cometh, when no raan can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I
am tho light of tlie world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat
on the ground, and made clay of the
spittle, and ho anointed tho eyes of
tlic blind man with tho clay.
7 And said unto him. Go wash in
tho pool of 617 cam, (which is by inter

pretation. Sent.) He wont bis way
therefore, and washed, and came see
ing. 8 The neighbours, therefore, and
they which before had seen him that
he was blind, said, Is not this he that
sat and bogged ?
9 Sorae said, This is he; others snirf,
He is like him: but he said, I am he.
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 him, Whera
is he ? He said, I know not.

The chapter we now begin records one of the few great works
of Christ which St. John has reported. It tell us how our

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 135
Lord gave sight to a man who had been " blind from his
birth." Here, as elsewhere in tliis Gospel, we flnd the
circumstances of the miracle narrated with peculiar fulness,
minuteness, and particularity. Here too, as elsewhere,
we find the narrative rich in spiritual lessons.
We should observe, first, in this passage, how much
sorrow sin has brought into the world. A sorrowful case is
brought before us. We are told of a man " who was blind
from his birth." A more serious affliction can hardly be
conceived. Of all the bodily crosses that can be laid on
man, without taking away life, none perhaps is greater
than the loss of sight. It cuts us off from some of the
greatest enjoyments of life. It shuts us up within a
narrow world of our own. It makes us painfully helpless
and dependent on others. In fact, until men lose their
eyesight, they never fully realize its value.
Now blindness, like every other bodily infirmity, is one
of the fruits of sin. If Adam had never fallen, we cannot
doubt that people would never have been blind, or deaf, or
dumb. The many ills that flesh is heir to, tlie countless
pains, and diseases, and physical defects to which we are
all liable, came in when the curse came upon the earth.
" By one man sin entered into the world, and death by
sin." (Eom. v. 12.)
Let us learn to hate sin with a godly hatred, as the root
of more than half of our cares and sorrows. Let us
fight against it, mortify it, crucify it, and abhor it both in
ourselves and others. Tliere cannot be a clearer proof that
man is a fallen creature than the fact that he can love sin
and take pleasure in it.
We should observe, secondly, in this passage, what a
solemn lesson Christ gives us about the use of opportunities.
He says to the disciples who asked Him about the blind
man, " I must work while it is called to-day : the night
cometh, when no man can work."

136 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
That saying was eminently true when applied to our Lord
Himself. He knew well that his own earthly ministry
would only last three years altogether, and knowing this
He diligently redeemed the time. He let slip no oppor
tunity of doing works of mercy, and attending to His
Father's business. Morning, noon, and night He was
always carrying on the work which the Father gave Him
to do. It was His meat and drink to do His Father's
will, and to finish His work. His whole life breathed
one sentiment, — " I must work : the night cometh, when
no man can work."
The saying is one which should be remembered by all
professing Christians. The life that we now live in tho
flesh is our day. Let us take care that we use it well, for
the glory of God and the good of our souls. Let us work
out our salvation with fear and trembling, while it is
called to-day. There is no work nor labour in the grave,
toward which we are all fast hastening. Let us pray, and
read, and keep our Sabbaths holy, and hear God's Word,
and do good in our generation, like men who never forget
that " the night is at hand." Our time is very short.
Our daylight will soon be gone. Opportunities once lost
can never be retrieved. A second lease of life is granted
to no man. Then let us resist procrastination as we would
resist the devil. Whatever our hand findeth to do, let us do
it with our might. "The night cometh, when no man
can work."
We should observe, thirdly, in this passage, what differ
ent means Christ used in working miracles on different oc
casions. In healing the blind man He might, if He had
thought fit, have merely touched Him with his finger, or
given command with His tongue. But He did not rest
content with doing so. We are told that " He spat on the
ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the
eyes of the blind man with the clay." In all these means

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 137
of course there was no inherent healing virtue. But for
wise reasons the Lord was pleased to use them.
We need not doubt that in this, as in every other action
of our Lord, there is an instructive lesson. It teaches us,
we may well believe, that the Lord of heaven and earth will
not be tied down to the use of any one means or instrumen
tality. In conferring blessings on man, He will work in His
own way, and will allow no one to prescribe to Him. Above
all, it should teach those who have received anything at
Christ's hands, to be careful how they measure other men's
experience by their own. Have we been healed by Christ,
and made to see and live? Let us thank God for it, and
be humblfed. But let us beware of saying that no other
man has been healed, except he has been brought to spir
itual life in precisely the same manner. The great ques
tion is, — "Are the eyes of our understanding opened?
Do we see ? Have we spiritual life ? " — Enough for us if
the cure is efi'ected and health restored. If it is, we must
leave it to the great Physician to choose the instrument,
the means, and the manner, — the clay, the touch, or the
command. We should observe, lastly, in this passage, the almighty
power that Clirist holds in His hands. We see Him doing
that which in itself was impossible. Without medicines
He cures an incurable case. He actually gives eyesight to
one that was born blind.
Such a miracle as this is meant to teach an old truth,
which we can never know too well. It shows us that
Jesus tlie Saviour of sinners " has all power in heaven and
earth." Such mighty works could never have been done
by one that was merely man. In the cure of this blind
man we see nothing less than the finger of God.
Such a miracle, above all, is meant to make us hopeful
about our own souls and the souls of others. Why should
We despair of salvation while we have such a Saviour?

138 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Where is the spiritual disease that He cannot take away?
He can open the eyes of the most sinful and ignorant, and
make them see things they never saw before. He can send
light into the darkest heart, and cause blindness and preju
dice to pass away.
Surely, if we are not saved, the fault will be all our own.
There lives at God's right hand One who can heal us if we
apply to Him. Let us take heed lest those solemn words
are found true of us, — " Light is come into the world :
but men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil." " Ye will not come to Me that ye might
have life." (John iii. 19 ; v. 40.)
Notes. John IX. 1—12.
1. — [And as Jesus passed by.] The Greek word rendered " passed
by," is the same as the word so rendered in the preceding
verse, at the end of the last chapter. — Some think, from this
repetition, that the miracle recorded here took place immedi
ately after the events of the last chapter, without the least
break or interruption ; and that it was as our Lord was retiring
from the temple, after the attempt of the Jews to stone Him,
that He saw the blind man. — Others, however, think that an in
terval of time must have elapsed, partly because it seeras
improbable that our Lord and His disciples would all be able to
withdraw themselves quietly from an angry mob, and calmly
stand still near the scene of attempted violence to attend to a
blind man, and partly because it is the manner of St. John's
Gospel to pass from one event to another, sometimes without
intimating that there is any change of tirae or place. Thus,
John V. 19; vi. 25, 43,59; vii. 28—33. The point, however, is
not one of any practical Importanee.
Cheranitius holds strongly that an interval of two months
comes in here, and that our Lord spent that time in a visitation
of the towns and villages of Judaea, as related iu Luke xiii. 22.
He thinks that He thus occupied the two months after the feast
of tabernacles, and that He returned to Jerusalem shortly be
fore the feast of dedication, in winter. The main objection to
this theory seeras to bo, that it Is not the natural conclusion
we should draw from the text.
Gualter, Ferus, Ecolampadius, and Musculus maintain, on the
other hand, that there is a close and intentional connection be
tween this ch.apter and the preceding one. They think that
oar Lord desired to show, by deed as well as word, that He was

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 139
" the Light of the world." (John viii. 14.) Bucer says, " This
chapter is a sermon in act and deed, on the words, ' I am the
Light of the world.' "
In the miracle which occupies the whole of this chapter, the
following special circumstances deserve notice : (1) It is only
related by St. John. (2) Like each of the few miracles in St.
John, it is described with great minuteness and particularity.
(3) It is one of the four miracles wrought in Judaea, or near
Jerusalera, mentioned in St. .John. He records eight great
miracles altogether: four in Galilee, — turning the water into
wine, healing the nobleraan's son, feeding the multitude, and
walking on the water, (chap, ii., iv., and vi. ;) and four in
Judsea, — purifying the temple, healing the impotent man, re
storing sight to the blind, and raising Lazarus. (Chap, ii., v.,
vi., and ix.) (4) It is one of those miracles which the Jews
were especially taught to expect in Messiah's time : "In that
day shall the eyes of the blind see out of obscurity." ( Isai.
xxix. 18.) (5) It is one of those signs of Messiah having
come, to which Jesus particularly directed John the Baptist's
attention : " The blind receive their sight." (Matt. xi. 5.)
(6) It was a miracle worked in so public a place, and on a^man
so well known, that it was impossible for the Jerusalem .Jews
to deny it.
It is hardly necessary, perhaps, to bid any well-instructed
Christian observe the singularly Instructive and typical char
acter of each of the eight miracles which John was inspired to
record. Each was a vivid picture of spiritual things.
Hengstenberg observes that three of the four great miracles
wrought by Christ in Judeea exactly represent the three classes
of works referred to in Matt. xi. 5, " The lame walk, the blind
see, the dead are raised np." (John v. ; ix. ; xi.)
[He saw a man... blind from his biiih.] The man was probably
sitting near the temple gateway, to attract the notice of wor
shippers going to and fro, like the raan described in Acts. (Acts
ill. 2.) Frora blindness he would naturally be dependent on
charity. The Jewish law specifies the blind as peculiarly de
serving of attention. (Levit. xix. 14; Deut. xxvii. 18.) To
give sight to one who had not lost the use of his eyes by dis
ease or accident, but had never seen at all, was of course a
mighty miracle.
Let it be noted, that our Lord "saw" the blind man, and
healed hira of His ovvn free will, unasked, and unexpectedly.
As in the case of the impotent man, (John v. 6,) He did not
wait to be entreated, but was Himself the flrst to move. Let
it however be noted at the same time, that if the man had not
been by the wayside, our Lord would not have seen him.
Chrysostom observes, that when the Jews " would not re
ceive our Lord's sayings, and tried to kill Him, He went out
of the temple, and healed the blind, mitigating their rage by His

140 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

absence ; and by working a miracle, both softening their hard
ness, and proving His affections. And it is clear that He pro
ceeded intentionally to this work on leaving the temple, for it
was He who saw the blind man, and not the blind man who
came to Him."
Gualter observes, that this passage shows how the eyes of
the Lord are in every place, and how He sees His own people,
even when they think not of Him.
Alford thinks it possible that the blind man was constantly
proclaiming that he had been born blind, to excite pity.
Burgon observes : " More of our Saviour's miracles are re
corded as having been wrought on blindness than on any other
form of human infirmity. One deaf and dumb man is related
to have had speech and hearing restoned to him ; one case of
palsy, and one of dropsy, find special record ; twice was leprosy,
and twice was fever expelled by the Saviour's word; three
times were dead persons raised to life; but the records of His
cures wrought on blindness are four in number, at least, if not
five." (See Matt. xii. 22.) Isaiah seems to foretell the re
covery of sight by the blind, as "an act of mercy specially
symbolical of Messiah's day." (Isai. xxix. 18; xxxii. 3; xxxv.
5 ; xiii. 7.)
8. — [And his disciples asked him.] This expression seems to show
that our Lord was surrounded and accompanied by His usual
followers, and favours the idea that there was some break or
Interval between the beginning of this chapter and the end of
the last. Though He by Diviue power could hide Hiraself and
go through the midst of His eneraies, it is hardly reasonable to
suppose that within a few minutes He would be surrounded
again by His disciples. Yet it is of course possible.
[Master, who did sin, this man. ..parents. ..blind?] This curious
question has given rise to ranch unprofitable discussion. It is
repeatedly asked, — Why did the disciple say this? What pnt
it into their minds to start the inquiry?
(a) Some think that the Jews had Imbibed the common
Oriental notion of the pre-existence and transmigration of souls
from one body to another, and that the disciples supposed that
In some previous state of cxi.steuce this blind man must have
committed some great siu, for which he was now punished.
(&) Some think that the question refers to a strange notion
current among some Jews, that infants might sin before they
were born. In support of this view, they quote Gen. xxv. 22,
and Gen. xxxviii. 28, 29.
(c) The most probable view is, that the question arose from
a misapplication of such passages of Scripture as the Second
Commandment, where God speaks of "visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children, " (Exod. xx. 5,) and from a "for-

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 141
getfulness of Eze. xviii. 20, etc. There are few notions that
men seera to cling to so naturally, as the notion that bodily suf
ferings, and all afllictions, are the direct consequences of sin,
and that a diseased or afflicted person raust necessarily be a very
wicked man. This was precisely the short-sighted view that
Job's three friends took up when they came to visit hira, aud
against which Job contended. This was the Idea of the people
at Mclita, when Paul was bitten by a viper, after the ship
wreck: "This raan is a murderer." (Acts xxviii. 4.) This
appears to have been at the bottom of the question of the dis
ciples: "There is suffering; then there must have been sin.
Whose sin was it ? "
Chrysostom thinks that the disciples remerabered our Lord's
words to the paralytic whom He healed (chap. v. 14) : " Thou
art made whole ; sin no more ; " and asked now to what sin this
raan's blindness might be traced. This, however, seems very
improbable, considering the length of time between the two
miracles. Hengstenberg observes that the fallacy of supposing that
special afiBictions are the result of some special sins, "com
mends itself to low and coraraon spirits by its simplicity and
palpableness. It has the advantage of rendering it needless to
weep with them that weep. It saves a man from the obi iga-
, tion, when he sees heavy affliction, of smiting on his breast,
and saying ' God be merciful to me a sinner.' It gives the
natural man the comfortable feeling that he is so much the
better than the sufferer, as he is more fortunate."
Those who wish to go more deeply into the subject will flnd
it fully discussed by the great Dutch divine, Goraarus.
It is worth notice that the word here rendered " Master " Is
the sarae that is rendered " Rabbi " In five other places in St.
John. (i. 38; i. 49; iii. 2; iii. 26; vi. 25.) Why onr translators did
not observe uniforraity in their translation of the word
t throughout this Gospel is not very clear.
8. — [Jesus answered. Neither hath this man sinned. ..parents.] This
flrst part of our Lord's answer is elliptical. The sense of
course must be supplied from the context. Our Lord did not
mean that neither this blind man nor his parents had committed
any sin at all, but that it was uot any special sin of his or
theirs which had caused his blindness. Nor yet did our Lord
mean that the sins of parents could never entail disease on
children; but that the case before Him, at any rate, was not
such a case. Of course he did not mean us to forget that sin is
the great primeval cause of all the evils that are in the world.
[But that the works of Gnd.. .manifest in him.] The meaning
of this must be, that the man's blindness was permitted and
overruled by God, in order that His works of mercy in healing
him might be shown to raen. This blindness was allowed and
ordained by God, not because he was specially wicked, but in

142 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
order to furnish a platform for the exhibition of a work of Di
vine mercy and power.
A deep and instructive principle lies in these words. They
surely throw some light on that great question, — the origin of
evil. God has thought St to allow evil to exist, in order that
He raay have a platforra for showing His mercy, grace, and
compassion. If man had never fallen, there would have been
no opportunity of showing Divine raercy. But by permitting
evil, mysterious as it seems, God's works of grace, mercy, and
wisdom in saving sinners, have been wonderfully manifested to
all His creatures. The redeeming of the Church of elect sin
ners is the means of " showing to principalities and powers the
manifold wisdom of God." (Ephes. iii. 10.) Without the fall
we should have known nothing of the cross and the Gospel.
Melancthon, on this verse, suggests no less than ten reasons
why God permits evil to come on the Church, which contain
much food for thought. Brentius and Cheranitius also say many
excellent things on the sarae theme.
Bucer remarks that this verse should teach us to bear ills pa
tiently and cheerfully, since all that happens to us tends, in
sorae way, to the glory of God.
Gualter remarks, that even wicked men like Pharaoh subserve
the glory of God, (Rom. ix. 17 ;) much more may men's afflictions
and diseases.
Ecolampadius remarks, that God allows nothing whatever to
happen without some good reason and cause.
Henry observes : " The intention of Providence often does
not appear till a great while after the event, perhaps many years
«fter. The sentences in the book of Providence are sometimes
long, and you must read a great way before you understand the
meaning." Jones, of Nay land, on this text remarks: " The best way to
answer the great question of the origin of evil, is to considei;
the end of it, ' vifhat good comes out of it? ' this makes the sub
ject plain and useful. Why was this raan born blind ? That the
works of God might appear, and Christ might cure him. — Why
did man fall? That God might save him. — Why is evil permit
ted in the world? That God may be glorified in removing it. —
Why does the body of man die ? That God may raise it up
again. — When we philosophize in this manner we flnd light,
certainty, and comfort. We have a memorable example of it
in the case before us."
Barnes remarks that "those who are afflicted with blindness,
deafness, or any deformity, should be submissive to God. It is
His appointment, and is right and best. God does no wrong;
and when all His works are seen, the universe will see and
know that He Is just."

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 143
t. — [Imustioork the works, etc.] The connection between this
verse and the preceding one seeras to be in the word " works."
It it as though our Lord said, — "Healing the blind raan is one
of the great ' works ' which God has appointed for Me to do,
and I must do it during the ' day,' or short period of My minis
try. This blindness was ordaiued by My Father to be a means
of .showing forth My divine power."
The expression " while it is day," and "the night cometh,"
must probably be interpreted with special reference to our
Lord's ministry upon earth. While He was with His disciples
speaking, teaching, and working miracles, it was comparatively
"day." His little Church basked In the full sunlight of His
Divine presence, and saw and learned countless wonderful
things. When He ascended up on high It became comparatively
"night." Just as in night " no raan can work," so when Christ
left the world the visible proof of His Divine raission, which
the disciples had so long enjoyed and seen, could no longer be
given. T'he proverbial saying, " No man can work in the night,"
would be verifled.
These limits to the application of the flgure must be carefully
remembered. Of course our Lord did not mean that the Church,
after His ascension, would not enjoy far more spiritual light
than it did before He came ; nor yet that the disciples, after the
day of Pentecost, would not see many truths far more clearly
even than when Christ was with them. But the words " day
and night " here have a special reference to our Lord's bodily
presence with His Church. As long as He was visibly with
them it was " day." When He left thera it was "night." It is
well to reraark that St. Paul uses the same figures when com
paring time present with time to come, at the second advent.
He says, " The night Is far spent, and the day Is at hand." (Rom.
xiii. 12.) There the night is Christ's bodily absence, and the
day Christ's bodily presence.
Melancthon points out what an example Christ supplies to
Christians in this place. The hatred, opposition, and persecu
tion of the world, and the failures and iufirmities of professing
Christians, must not make us give way to despondency. Like
our Master, we must work on.
Calvin observes : " Frora these words we may deduce the
universal rule, that to every man the course of his life raay be
called his d.ay."
Beza aud others think that there is a primary prophecy here
of the withdrawal of light and privilege from the Jews, which
was in the raind of our Lord, as well as the general principle
that to all raen day is the time for work and not night.
6. — [As long as lam in the world, etc.] This verse seems to be a
general broad assertion of our Lord's purpose in coming into
the world, and His position while in it. " I came into the world
to be its San and spiritual Guide, and to deliver men from tha

144 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

natural darkness in which they are; and so long as I am In the
world I wish to be its Light iu the fullest sense, the Deliverer
of men's souls and the Ilealer of men's bodies."
Cocceius suggests, that in these words our Lord had respect
to the fact that He was going to work a work on the Sabbath,
and that it would be disapproved by the Jews, as a breach of
the Sabbath. Foreseeing this. He defends what He Is about to
do, by reminding His disciples that during the short time of
His earthly ministry He must seize every opportunity of doing
good. Alford observes, that just as Jesus said before He raised
Lazarus, "I am the Resurrection and the Life," so here, before
giving sight to the blind, he said, " I am the Light."
6. — [Wlien... thus spoken.. .spat.. .anointed.. .clay.] The action here
used by our Lord is the same that we find used on two other
occasions, — ouce when He healed one deaf and durab, (Mark
vii. 33;) once when He healed a blind man. (Mark viii. 23.)
The making of tho "clay," however, is quite peculiar to this
miracle. The reason why our Lord used the action we cannot
tell. There is, of course, no special virtue either in spittle, or
in clay raade from spittle, which, could cure a man born blind.
Why, then, did Jesus use this means? Why did He not heal the
man with a word or a touch?
The only answer to such inquiries is, that our Lord would
teach us, by His peculiar mode of proceeding here, that He is
not tied to any one means of doing good, and that we may
expect to flnd variety in His methods of dealing with souls, as
well as with bodies. May He not also wish to teach us that
He can, when He thinks fit, invest material things with an
efficacy which Is not inherent in thera? We are not to despise
Baptism and the Lord's Supper, because water, bread, and wine
are mere material elements. To many who use them, no doubt
they are nothing raore than mere material things, and never do
them the slightest good. But to those who use the sacraments
rightly, worthily, and with faith, Christ can make water, bread,
and wine, instruments of doing real good. He that was p'eased
to use clay in healing a blind man, may surely use raaterial
things, if He thinks fit, in His own ordinances. The water in
Baptism, and the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper, while
they aro not to be treated as idols, ought not to be treated with
irreverence and contempt. It was, of course, not the clay th.at
healed the blind man, but Christ's word and power. Neverthe
less the clay was used. So the brazen serpent in itself had no
medicinal power to cure the bitten Israelites. But without it
they were not cured.
The selection of clay for anointing the blind man's eyes Is
thought by some to be significant, and to contain a possible
reference to the original formation of man out of the dust. He
that formed man with all his bodily faculties out of the dust

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 145
conld easily restore one of those faculties, even sight, when He
thought fit. He that healed these blind eyes with clay was the
same Being who originally formed man out of the clay.
Ecolampadius thinks that the spittle was the emblem of
Christ's Divinity, and the clay of His humanity, and that the
union of the two represented the union of the two natures in
Christ's person, whereby healing came to a sin-sick world. To
say the least, this seems fanciful.
Barradius suggests that our Lord actually formed new eyes
for the man, as He at first formed raan's body out of the dust.
This, however, seems needlessly improbable.
Poole thinks that our Lord used spittle to raake clay, simply
because there was no water nigh at hand to raake it with.
Wordsworth observes that Christ's manner of working the
miracle was " tenderness to the Jews. They would see the
clay on the man's eyes, and see him going to Siloam."
He also observes, " God loves to effect His greatest works by
means tending under ordinary circumstances to produce the
very opposite of what is to be done. God walls the sea with
sand. God clears the air with storms. God warms the earth
with snow. So in the world of grace. He brings water in the
desert, not from the soft earth, liut the flinty rock. He heals
the sting of the serpent of fire by the serpent of brass. He
overthrows the wall of Jericho by ram's horns. He slays a
thousand men with the jawbone of an ass. He cures saltwater
with salt. He fells the giant with a sling and stone. And thus
does the Son of God work In the Gospel. He cures the blind
man by that which seemed likely to increase his blindness, by
anointing his eyes with clay. He exalts us to heaven by tho
stumbling-block of the cross."
7. — And said. ..Go, wash... Siloam.] The direction hero given to
the blind man would remind any pious Jew of Elisha's directions
to Naaman, "Go, wash in Jordan." (2 Kings v. 10.) Thewater
of this pool had no inherent healing efficacy any raore than other
water. But the command was a test of faith, and in obeying,
the blind man found what he wanted. It is the great principle
which runs through Scripture, — " Believe and obey, and all will
be right."
¦The pool of Siloam was a well-known reservoir, or artificial
pond, in a valley close to Jerusalem, remarkable for a supply of
water from an intermittent s])ring. It is pointed out in the
present day, and there seems no reason to doubt that it is the
same pool that was so called eighteen hundred years ago. It is
flrst mentioned in Neheraiah iii. 15, and afterwards iu Isaiah
viii. 6.
Lightfoot asserts that the pool of Bethesda and the pool of
Siloam were both supplied from one spring.
7

46 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

[Which is by interpretation. Sent.] There is
culty about this sentence. It is natunilly askeu,-
parenthetlcal explanation inserted by St. John? Why are we
specially told that the word Siloam means Sent, or He that was
sent? — The mo.st probable answer seems to be, that the name
of the fountain was meant to refer the blind man's mind to the
Messiah, whora God had " sent." All pious Jews would under
stand the expression which so frequently occurs in John's Gos
pel, " He whora God hath sent," to point to Messiah. When
therefore Jesus said, " Go, wash in Siloam,"' the naming of that
particular fountain would be a silent hint that He who gave the
comraand was the Sent One of God, the great Healer of all dis
eases. St. John's parenthesis would then mean, when ex
pounded : " This was a raost suitable and proper pool for Jesus
to narae. It was fitting that He who was ' Sent of God ' should
work a miracle in the pool called ' Sent.' " — This is the view of
Chrysostom and Augustine.
It is impossible to help feeling that the clause looks ver}' much
like the insertion of some ignorant early copyist, who wished to
show his own knowledge of etymology, and perhaps found it in
an old copy as a marginal gloss. The Syriac and Persian ver
sions do not contain the clause. Yet it certainly is found ia
most manuscripts and versions.
Hutcheson thinks that John inserted this clause for no other
end than to reraind readers that this fountain was a special gift
" sent" by God, among the hills near Jerusalem, for the benefit
of the Jews.
Hengstenberg says : " As Jesus represents Hiraself and His
Church as the real Pool of Bethesda, in chap, v., so here He
declares Himself the real Sent One, or Siloam, the Fountain of
blessings." [He went.. .washed.. .came seeing.] The blind man, as is often
the case with people born blind, was probably able to flnd his
way about Jerusalera without trouble, and the road from the
temple-gate to the pool of Siloam was likely to be much fre
quented. His implicit faith and obedience contrast favourably
with the conduct of Naaman, when told to go and wash iu Jor
dan. (2 Kings V. 14.) The word "came" must either mean
" to his own home," or simply " carae back to the temple-gate."
The miracle of healing seems to have taken place in the act of
washing in Siloam.
Let us remeraber that the blind raan's conduct is meant to be
a pattern to ns. He did not stumble at Christ's comraand, but
siroply obeyed ; and in obeying he was healed. We must do
likewise. Melancthon thinks It likely that a crowd of curious and jeer
ing spectators accompanied the man to Siloam to see the result
of our Lord's prescription.

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 147
Scott remarks that the immediate power of using the eyes
was no small part of the miracle. When people recover sight
now after surgical operations, it requires a considerable time to
learn the use of the newly acquired sense.
6.— [The neighbours.] This would seera to show that he " carae "
to his own house as soon as he was healed of his blindness.
The word before us naturally means the people who lived near
to hira.
[They which before had seen... blind.] This expression includes
all persons in Jerusalem who knew the blind raan by sight,
thoughtheydidnotlivenear him, but had often seen hira near the
temple and had become familiar with his appearance. There are
generally blind beggars in the chief thoroughfares of large cit
ies, and near large public buildings, whora all residents know
well by sight, d'he slow, uncertain, feeble gait of a blind raan
always makes hira conspicuous.
[7s not this he that sat and begged?] This question seems to
settle that the blind man was one of the poorest aud humblest
class of Jews. None are so likely to come to poverty aud be
dependent on charity as the blind, who of course cannot
work for their own support.
9. — [Some said. This is he.] This probably was the saying of the
blind raan's neighbours, who naturally knew him best.
[Others said, He is like him.] This was probably the saying
of people living in Jerusalera, who knew the blind raan by
Bight, but did not live near hira, and were not therefore so farail-
iar with his appearance. The difference between the look and
demeanour of the man before and after his miraculous cure
would necessarily be very great. One can quite understand
that some would hardly know him again. Augustine remarks,
"The opened eyes had altered his looks." Musculus observes
how much the expression of a face depends on the eyes.
[He said, 1 am he.] This was the saying of the man when he
heard people doubting his identity and looking at him with
hesitation. " I assure you," he says, " that I am he who used
to sit at the temple-gate and beg."
IQ.— [Therefore said they, etc.] Those who asked this question
appear to have been the people who carae together round the
blind raan, when he returned from the pool of Siloara with his
Bight restored. Some were his neighbours, and others were
inhabitants of Jerusalem, drawn together by the miracle. The
inquiry was the natural one that such a wonderful cure would
first call forth.
11.— [He answered and said, etc.] This verse is a simple, unvar
nished account of the facts of the cure. How the blind mau
knew that our Lord's name was "Jesus," does uot appear. It is
not unlikely that some of the bystanders, when our Lord flrst told

148

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

him to go to the pool of Siloam, told him that Jesus of Naza.
reth, the person whose preaching was making such stir in
Jerusalem, was the speaker. Wc canuot doubt that onr Lord
was well known by this time to all dwellers in Jerusalem. Yet
there is no proof that the beggar recoguized Him as anything
more than " a man called Jesus." The accuracy with which he
recites all the facts of his cure is well worthy of notice. " He
flrst put clay on my eyes; then He bid me go and wash in
Siloam; — I went: I was cured."
12. — [Then said they...u'here is He?. ..He. ..know not.] The desire to
•see the worker of this wonderful miracle was natural, but the
question, "Where Is He?" was probably asked with a mis
chievous intention. Those who asked it wished to lay hands
on our Lord, aud bring Him before the rulers. The man's an
swer certainly seems to show that he did not return to the place
where he had sat and begged, but to his house. Had he gone
back to the temple-gates, he might have replied, that Jesus was
here only a short time before, and was probably not far off.
The questioners seem to suppose that the worker of such a
miracle and the subject of It could not be far 'apart. They did
not understand that our Lord always avoided, rather than
courted, public notice.

JOHN IX. 13—25.

13 Thoy brought to tho Pharisees
him that aforetime was blind.
14 Aud it was the sabbath day
when Jesus made the clay, and opened
his eyes.
15 Then again tho Pharisees also
asked him how he had received his
sight. lie said unto them, Ho put
clay upon mine eyes, and I washed,
and do see.
10 Therefore said some of the Phar
isees, This man is not of God, because
ho keepeth not tho sabbath day.
Others said, How can a man that is a
sinner do such miracles? And there
was a division araong them.
17 Thoy say unto the blind man
again. What sayest thnu of Him, that
ho hath opened thino eyes? Ho said,
lie is a prophet.
18 But tho Jews did not believe
concerning him, that ho had been
blind, and received his sight, until
thoy called tho parents of him that
had received his sight.
19 And thoy aakfd them, saying,

Is this your son, who ye eay was bora
blind? how thou doth ho now sec?
20 His parents answered them and
said. Wo know that this is our son,
and that he was born blind:
21 But by what means ho now seeth,
wo know not; or Avho hath opened his
e3'es, wo know not: ho is of age; ask
him; ho shall speak for himself.
22 These words spake his parents,
because they feared the Jews; for
tho Jews had agreed already, that if
any man did confess that ho wM
Christ, ho should bo put out of tho
synagogue. 23 Tuoreforo said his parents, He
is of ago: ask him.
24 Then again called they the man
that was blind, and saiil unto him,
Give God tho praise: we know that
this man is a sinner.
25 Ho answered and said, Whether
ho bo a sinner or no, I know not: ono
thing I know, that, whereas I wal
blind, now I see.

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 149
These verses show us how little the Jews of our Lord's
time understood the right use of the Sabbath day. We read
that some of the Pharisees found fault because a blind man
was miraculously healed on the Sabbath. They said, " This
man is not of God, because He keepeth not the Sabbath
day." A good work had manifestly been done to a helpless
fellow-creature. A heavy bodily infirmity bad been re
moved. A mighty act of mercy had been performed. But
the blind-hearted enemies of Christ could see no beauty in
the act. They called it a breach of the Fourth Command
ment! These would-be wise men completely mistook the inten
tion of the Sabbath. They did not see that it was " made
for man," and meant for the good of man's body, mind,
and soul. It was a day to be set apart frora others, no
doubt, and to be carefully sanctified and kept holy. But
its sanctification was never intended to prevent works of
necessity and acts of mercy. To heal a sick man was no
breach of the Sabbath day. In finding fault with our
Lord for so doing, the Jews only exposed their ignorance
of their own law. Thoy had forgotten that it is as great a
sin to add to a commandment, as to take it away.
Here, as in other places, we must take care that we do
not put a wrong meaning on ourLord's conduct. "We must
not for a moment suppose that the Sabbath is no longer
binding on Christians, and that they bave nothing to do
with the Fourth Commandment. This is a great mistake,
and the root of great evil. Not one of the ten com
mandments has ever been repealed or put aside. Our Lord
never mc^int the Sabbath to become a day of pleasure, or
a day of business, or a day of travelling and idle dissipa
tion. He meant it to be " kept holy " as long as the world
stands. It is one thing to employ the Sabbath in works
of mercy, in ministering to the sick, and doing good to
the distressed. It is quite another thing to spend the day

150 EXPOSITOIiY THOUGHTS.
in visiting, feasting, and self-indulgence. Whatever men
may please to say, the way in which we use the Sabbath is
a sure test of the state of our religion. By the Sabbath
may be found out whether we love communion with God.
By the Sabbath may be found out whether we are in tune
for heaven. By the Sabbath, in short, the secrets of many
hearts are revealed. There are only too many of whom
we may say with sorrow, " These men are not of God,
because they keep not the Sabbath day."
These verses show us, secondly, the desperate lengtlis to
which prejudice will sometimes carry wicked men. We read
that the " Jews agreed that if any man did confess that Jesus
was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." They
were determined not to believe. They were resolved that
no evidence should change their minds, and no proofs
influence their will. They were like men who shut their
eyes and tie a bandage over them, and refuse to have it
untied. Just as in after times they stopped their ear?
when Stephen preached, and refused to listen when Paul
made his defence, so they behaved at this period of our
Lord's ministry.
Of all states of mind into which unconverted men can
fall, this is by far the most dangerous to the soul. So
long as a person is candid, fair, and honest-minded, there
is hope for him, however ignorant he may be. He may
be much in the dark at present. But is he willing to
follow the light, if set before him ? He may be walking
in the broad road with all his might. But is he ready to listen
to any one who will show him a more excellent way? In a
word, is he teachable, childlike, and unfettered ^y preju
dice? If these questions can be answered satisfactorily,
we never need despair about the man's soul.
The state of mind we should always desire to possess
is that of the noble-minded Beraeans. When they first
heard the Apostle Paul preach, they listened with attention.

JOHN, CHAP. IX. l.^l
They received the Word « with all readiness of mind."
They " searched the Scriptures," and compared what they
heard with God's Word. " And therefore," we are told,
" many of them believed." Happy are they that go and
do likewise ! (Acts xvii. 11, 12.)
These verses show us, lastly, that nothing convinces a
man so thoroughly as his own senses and feelings. We read
that the unbelieving Jews tried in vain to persuade the
blind man whom Jesus healed, that nothing had been done
for him. They only got from him one plain answer :
" One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see."
How the miracle had been worked, he did not pretend to
explain. Whether the person who had healed him was a
sinner, he did not profess to know. But that something
had been done for him he stoutly maintained. He was not
to be reasoned out of his senses. Whatever the Jews
might think, there were two distinct facts of which he was
conscious : " I was blind : now I see."
There is no kind of evidence so satisfactory as this to
the heart of a real Christian. His knowledge may be
small. His faith may be feeble. His doctrinal views may
be at present confused and indistinct. But if Christ has
really wrought a work of grace in his heart by His Spirit,
he feels within him something that you cannot overthrow.
" I was dark, and now I have light. I was afraid of God,
and now I love Him. I was fond of sin, and now I hate
it. I was blind, and now I see." Let us never rest till we
know and feel within us some real work of the Holy Ghost.
Let us not be content with the name and form of Chris
tianity. Let us desire to have true experimental acquaint
ance with it. Feelings no doubt, are deceitful, and are not
everything in religion. But if we have no inward feelings
about spiritual matters, it is a very bad sign. The hungry
man eats, and feels strengthened ; the thirsty man drinks,
and feels refreshed. Surely the man who has within him the
grace of God, ought to be able tf» say, " I feel its power."

152 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Notes. John IX. 13—25.
13. — [They brought to the Pharisees... bliud.] The prime movers in
this matter seem to have been the neighbours of the blind man.
They thought that so marvellous an event as this sudden cure
demanded investigation.
The " Pharisees " In this passage, if we may judge by the
context, raust have been the great council, or Sanhedrim, of the
Jewish nation, the same body before whora our Lord raade His
defence, in the flfth chapter of this Gospel. At any rate, we
can hardly Iraaglne any other body at Jerusalem " excomrauni-
catlug"aman. (See verse 34.)
Whitby observes how wonderfully the providence of God or
dered things, that the Pharisees should be put to silence aud
open shame by a poor blind man !
14. — [And it was tha Sabbath day, etc.] This seems specially men
tioned by the Evangelist parenthetically, for two reasons.
(a) It proved our Lord's unvarying readiness to do works of
mercy on the Sabbath day.
(6) It explains the bitter enmity of the Jews against our Lord
in this chapter. They regarded Him as a breaker of the Sab
bath. Assuming that there was no Interval of time between the end
of the last chapter and the beginning of this, it Is remarkable
how much our Lord did and said on this Sabbath day. Prom
the beginning of the eighth chapter, down to the thirty-fifth
verse of the ninth, the narrative at first sight seems to run on
without a break. It certainly makes It rather doubtful whether
there should not be a break or pause assumed at the end of the
eighth chapter.
Burkitt reraarks, that one object of our Lord in working so
many miracles on the Sabbath, was " to instruct the Jews in
the true doctrines and proper duties of the Sabbath, and to let
them know that works of necessity and mercy are very consis
tent with the due sanctification of the Sabbath. It is hard to
find any tirae wherein charity is unseasonable; for as it is the
best of graces, so Its works are fittest for the best of days."
Whitby thinks that our Lord frequently did miracles on th«
Sabbath, to Impress on believing Jews the folly of the super
stitious observance of it, and to prevent the misery they would
run into if they persisted in an extravagant scrupulosity about
the Sabbath, when days of vengeance came on Jerusalem.
16. — [Then again the Pharisees. ..sight.] The question asked of the
healed man by the council of Pharisees was pi'ecisely the same
that had been asked by his neighbours : " Your eyes have been
opened suddenly, though you were born blind : tell us how it
was done."

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 153
It is worthy of remark, that the Greek word which we ren
der here aud all through the chapter as " received sight," means
literally no raore than "looked up, or saw again!" This of
course could not be precisely true and correct in the case of
this man, as he had never seen, or used his eyes at all, and could
not therefore see a second time. But it is useful to notice how
here and elsewhere in Scripture the Holy Ghost uses the lan
guage which is raost familiar and easily understood, even when
it is not precisely and scientifically correct. And it is what we
all do every day. We talk of the sun "rising," though we
know well that strictly speaking he does not rise, aud that what
we see is the etfect of the earth moving round the sun.
Barues observes : " The proper question to have been a.sked
was whether he had in fact been cured, and not in what v\'ay.
The question about a sinner's conversion is, whether in fact it
has been done, and not about the mode or manner in which it
has been efi'ected. Yet no small part of disputes among men
are about the mode in which the Spirit renews the heart, and
not about t'he fact that it is done."
[He said unto them, etc.] The answer of the healed man is an
honest, bold, plain repetition of the same story he had told al
ready. The only difference is that he does not narae "Jesus"
here, but says "He "put clay, as if he knew his examiners
would understand whom he meant. Or it may be that his mind
was so full of his Benefactor that he omits to name Him, and
takes for granted that all would know who He was.
The simple, straightforward boldness of this man, standing be
fore the most formidable court of the Jews, and telling out his
story, is very noteworthy. It is, moreover, a complete state
ment of facts, and consequences. "He put clay : I washed : I
see."
16. — [Therefore said some, etc.] This verse brings forward promi
nently the existence of two classes araong the Pharisees. The
one was the great raajority, consisting of liundreds of bigoted
eneraies of our Lord, ready to catch at any pretext for injuring
His reputation and daraaging His character. They said, " This
Man is not of God. He is a wicked man, because He keepeth
not the Sabbath day. A Prophet sent frora God would not have
done any work on the Sabbath."— This assertion of course w.as
based on the false and groundless principle that works of mer
cy to the sick were a violation of the Fourth Commandment.
According to Lightfoot, the Rabbins expressly forbid saliva to
be applied to the" eyelids on the Sabbath day.
The other class, consisting of a small minority, raised the
grave question, " How could a man. not sent by God, a wicked
man, work such an astonishing miracle as this? If lie were
not commissioned and enabled by God, Ho could not possibly
give sight to the blind. Surely He must be frora God. " — These
must have been Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathaea, Gamaliel,

154 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
and others. Their line of argument is precisely that of Nico
demus in the famous visit to our Lord by night, when he said,
"No raan can do these ralracles except God be with him." (John
iii. 2.)
Three times in John's Gospol we flnd that expression, "There
was a division among thera." (Here, and vii. 43, aud x. 19.)
The hesitating manner in which the better class of the council
raise the question here, "How can a man," etc., is strongly
indicative of a timid minority, who felt that the stream of feel
ing was all against them. It strikingly resembles the question
of Nicodemus, (John vii. 51,) "Doth our law judge any raany"
etc. One might almost think it was Nicodemus speaking here.
In large assemblies of men convened to consider ecclesiastical
and religious questions, we may confidently assume that there
are always some present whose hearts are right, and who are
willing to support the truth, even though they sit in bad com
pany, and are for the present silenced and overawed. Gamaliel's
conduct, in Acts v. 34, is an illustration of this. There is no
warrant for staying away from assemblies and councils raerely
because we happen to be in a minority.
Chrysostom remarks how " none of the assembly dared say
what 'le wished openly, or in the way of assertion, but only in
the w ly of doubt. One p.arty wanted to kill our Lord, and the
other to save Hiin. Neither spoke out."
Bullinger observes, that " all divisions are not necessarily
evil, nor all concord and unity necessarily good."
17.— [They say...blind man again.] This division among the mem
bers of the council had at least this good efifect, that they found
it necessary to go into the whole case more fully, and ask fur
ther questions. These very questions brought the reality of the
rairacle into fuller light than before.
[What sayest thou... opened... eyes.] This question must evi
dently raean, "What dost thou think about this Person, who,
thou sayest, has opened thine eyes? Whora dost thou believe
flira to be, seeing that He has wrought this cure?" The ques
tion is an inquiry, not about the reality of the rairacle, bnt
about tho Person who is said to have perforraed it. It looks,
accordiug to sorae, like an intention to entrap the poor man
into saying something about Jesus for which they could con.
demn l-iim. On the other hand, Chrysostora, Ferus, aud Toletus
argue that those who made the inquiry of this text raust have
been the party which favoured our Lord.
[He said... a prophet.] This expression was the beginning of
faith in the healed raan. It was a declaration of his own belief
that the Person who had wrought such a great cure raust be a
Person specially raised by God to do great works, like Elijah or
Elisha. We niust not forget that in the present d.iy we are apt
to couflue^he word "prophet" to a man who foretells things

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 155
to come. But the Bible use of the word is much wider. The
" prophets " raised up in the Old Testament were by no means
all foretellers of things to corae. Preaching, warning, and
miracle-working were the whole business of not a few. In this
sense the rajn seems to have called our Lord "a Prophet." It
was for what He had done rather than for what He had said.
We should carefully note that the flrst idea about onr Lord
which the Jewish mind seemed ready to embrace, was that He
was a " Prophet." Thus the multitude which escorted Hira into
Jerusalera said, " This is Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth," (Matt.
xxi. 11 ;) and again, " The multitude took Hira for a Prophet,"
(Matt. xxi. 4G ;) and again, " Others said it is a Prophet," (,Mark
vi. 15;) and again "A great Prophet is risen up araong us."
(Luke vii. 16.) Eveu the two disciples going to Emmaus were
only positive on one point, that Jesus had been " a Prophet
mighty in word and deed." (Luke xxiv. 19.) But it was a
higher step of faith to say that Jesus was "the Prophet"
promised by Moses, — the Messiah. This the healed man did not
yet say. As yet he only got so far as "a Prophet," not "the
Prophet." Cheranitius remarks on this poor raan's clear view of our Lord's
greatness, that you " will often flnd raore solid theological piety
among tailors and shoemakers than araong cardinals, bishops,
and abbots."
Adam Clarke says it was "a Jewish raaxlm that a prophet
might dispense with the observance of the Sabbath." If tke
healed man referred to this, his answer was a silencingone, aud
put the Pharisees in a dilemma.
Lampe also remarks that many things were allowed to prophets
sent by God on an extraordinary mission, even about the obser^'-
ance of the ceremonial law, as we see in the history of David
and Elijah. This gives great weight to the man's reply, " He
is a Prophet."
18. — [But the Jews did not believe, etc.] Here, as elsewhere, we
should raark the extraordinary unbelief of the Jewish people,
and their obstinate determination to shut their eyes against
light. It teaches the folly of supposing that mere evidence
alone will ever make men Christians. It is the want of will to
believe, and not the want of reasons for believing, that makes
men infidels.
" The Jews " here, as in other places In John's Gospel, raean
the teachers of the Jewish nation at Jerusalem, and specially the
Pharisees. The expression, "until they called," deserves special notice.
We should remark that it does not mean that "after they called
the raan's parents they believed, — that they were unbelieving
up to the tirae that they called thera, and then began to
believe." On the contrary, the context shows that even after

156 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

they had called them they continued unbeUeving. Parkhurst
observes that it is a form of speaking, "signifying an iuterval,
but not necessarily excluding the time following." The expres
sion throws light on Matt. i. 25. Th.at well-knowu text must
not be pressed too far. It is no certain proof that Mary had
other children after Jesus was born. Compare 1 Sam. xv. 35;
2 Sam. vi. 23 ; Job xxvii. 5 ; Isai. xxii. 14 ; Matt. v. 26 ; xviii.
34. The word " called " probably Implies the public call or sum
mons of the man's parents to appear before the council, just as
witnesses are called aloud by name to appear in our courts of
justice. Gualter observes how close the resemblance was between the
conduct of the Pharisees in this case, and that of the Romish
Inquisition. The pertinacious, determined etfort to condemn
the innocent, and to deprive Christ of His glory, is painfully
the same.
Besser quotes a saying of the infidel Voltaire : " If in the
market of Paris, before the eyes of a thousand raen and before
my own eyes, a miracle should be performed, I wonld much
rather disbelieve the two thousand eyes and my own two, than
believe It!"
19. — [They asked them, etc.] The enemies of our Lord over
reached theraselves by their summoning the parents of the
healed raan. They brought publicly forward the two best pos
sible witnesses as to the fact of the man's identity, as to the
fact that he was born blind, aud as to the fact that he now had
his sight. So true is the saying, " He taketh the wise in their
own craftiness." (1 Cor. iii. 19.)
Chrysostom thinks that the expression, "whom ye say," in
sinuated that they supposed the parents to be impostors, and
that " they were acting deceitfully, 'and plotting on behalf of
Christ," by spreading a report that their son was born blind.
The language of the verse seems to show that the healed man
and his parents were at flrst confronted, and that the Pharisees
pointed to him aud asked, "Is this your son? "
W. — [His parents answered, etc.] The father and mother of the
blind man made a plain statement of facts, that could not be
contradicted. They placed it beyond a doubt that the man now
standing before the Sanhedrim was one who, from the best
possible evidance, they knew had been born blind. X'le fact
of having a jlind child is one about which no parent could be
mifi taken.
2}.— [But by what means. ..who hath opened. ..we knoio not.] These
words of the healed mau's parents were probably the simple
truth. The time was so short since the cure was wrought, that
they might well be ignorant of the manner of it. Hastily sum-

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 157
moned before the Sanhedrim, they might well have had no
opportunity of conversing with their son, and as yet may have
known nothing of the miracle.
[He is of age, etc.] These words show the determination of
the parents to have nothing more to do with their son's case
than they could possibly help. They evidently regarded" the
council with the same undefiued dread with which raen at one
time regarded -the Inquisition in Spain.
The word " age " is the sarae Greek word that in Matt. vi. 27,
is translated " stature." It is highly probable that in that text
it would have been better rendered " age," as here.
The words " he," " hira," and " hiraself," In this clause, are all
eraphatic, and all raight be rendered " hiraself."
A man was reckoned "of age" by the Jews when he was
thirty.
22. — [These words spake.. .feared. ..Jews.] This sentence must re
fer to the latter part of the preceding verse. Fear of the lead
ing Jews in the council of Pharisees made the parents refer
their inquirers to their son. Four times in John's Gospel we
have special mention made of the "fear of the Jews." Here,
and vii. 13 ; xii. 42; and xix. 38.
[The Jews had agreed, etc.] This Is a striking example of the
extreme littleness of unbelief, and the lengths to which hatred
of Christ will go. To resolve ou such a decision as this shows
a settled determination not to be convinced.
The punishment of being " put out of the synagogue" was a
heavy one to the Jew. It was equivalent to being cut off from
all communion with other Jews, and tantaraount to excommu
nication. Those only who do anything for evangelizing the Jews now,
can form any adequate idea of the trials which conversion to
Christianity entails on them, and the dread in which they stand
of being cut off from Israel.
Trench says : " We raust not understand that the Sanhedrim
had formally declared Jesus to be an impostor and a false
Christ, but only that so long as the truth or falsehood of His
claim to be the Messiah was not clear, and they, the great tri
bunal, had not given a decision, none were to anticip.ite that
decision, and the penalty of premature confession was to be
excommunicated."
23.— [Therefore said, etc.] It was the fear of running the slightest
risk of excommunication, or being even suspected of favouring
the Healer of their son, that made the parents refer all inquiries
to him, and refuse to ofler any opinion about the means of his
cure, whatever they may have felt.
Si.— [Then again.. .called.. .blind.] This, was a second summons

158 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

into court. Very possibly the healed raan had been carefhlly
removed out of court, while his parents were being examined.
But when nothing could be got out of them, there was no al
ternative but to submit him to a second process of cross-exami
nation and intimidation.
[And said... give God...praise.] This sentence admits of two
interpretations. (a) Some, as Calvin, Cheranitius, Gualter, Ecolarapadius,
Beza, Piscator, Diodati, Aretius, Ferus, Maldonatus, Jansenius,
Rollock, Alford, and Trench, regard it as a soleran form of ad
juration, and think it parallel to Joshua's words to Achau, (Joshua
vii. 19,) " You stand in God's presence : give glory to Hira by
speaking the truth." This, however, raakes the clause that fol
lows rather unmeaning, and renders it necessary to supply a
good deal to fill up the sense.
(&) Others, as Chrysostora, Brentius, Musculus, Pellican,
Vatablus, and Barradius, regard it as specially referring to the
cure which had been performed. " Give God the honour and
glory of your healing. He raust have wrought the cure, and
not this mau who anointed your eyes with clay. He could not
have wrought this cure, because he is a Sabbath-breaker, and
therefore a sinner. A sinner like him could not have healed
you." I rather prefer this view.
Gualter and Musculus point ont the odious affectation of zeal
for God's glory which characterizes the conduct of many wicked
persons in every age. Even the Spanish Inquisition professed
a zeal for God's glory.
This " we " here is emphatical in the Greek : " We, who are
learned meu, and ought to know best."
25. — [He answered.. .whether...sinner... know not, etc.] The healed
raan's answer is a very simple, and yet very striking one. He
tells his inquirers that the question whether Jesus is a sinner
is one he knows nothing about. But he does know the fact,
that he hiraself was blind up to that very day, and that now he
can see. He carefully avoids at present saying a word about
the character of his Healer. The one point he sticks to is, the
reality of the rairacle. He raust believe his own senses. His
senses told him that he was cured.
The expression in every age has been regarded as a happy
illustration of a true Christian's experience of tlie work of grace
in his heart. There may be much about it that is mysterious
and Inexplicable to him, and of which he knows nothing. But
the result of the Holy Ghost's work he does know and feel.
There is a change somewhere. He sees what he did not see
before. He feels what he did not feel before. Of that he is
quite certain. There is a coraraon and true saying araong true
Christians of the lower orders : " You may silence me and beat

JOHN, CHAP. IX.

159

me out of what I know : but you cannot beat me out of what I
feel." The English translation of the last clause rather misses the
brevity and force of the Greek. It would be more literally ren
dered, "Being blind, now I see."

JOHN IX. 26—41.

26 Thon said they to him again,
What did he do to thee 7 how opened
he thine eyes 7
27 He answered them, I have told
you already, and ye did not hear:
wheroforo would ye hear it again ?
will ye also be bis disciples 7
28 Then they reviled him, and said.
Thou art bis disciple; but we are
Moses' disciples.
29 We know that God spake unto
Moses: as for this fellow, we know not
from whence he is.
30 The man answered and said unto
them, Why, herein is a marvellous
thing, that ye know not from whence
he is, and yet be hath opened mine
eyes. 31 Now we know that God beareth
not sinners; but if any man be a wor
shipper of God, and doeth his will, him
be beareth.
32 Since tbe world began was it not
heard that any man opened the eyes
of one that was born blind.
33 If this man were not of God, he
eoald do nothing.

34 They answered and said unto
him, Thou wast altogether born in
sins, and dost thou toacb ns? And
they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast
him out; and when he had 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, Thrn
bast both seen him, and it is he that
talketh with thee.
33 And he said. Lord, X believe,
And he worshipped him.
39 If And Jesus said, For judgment
I am corae into this world, that they
which see not might see; and that
they which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which
were with him heard these words, and
sa,id unto him. Are we blind also 7
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were
blind, ye should have no sin: but now
ye say, We see; therefore your siu
remaineth.

We see in these verses how much wiser the poor some
times are than the rich. The man whom our Lord healed
of his blindness was evidently a person of very humble
condition. It is written that he was one who " sat and
begged." (See v. 8.) Yet he saw things vfhich the proud
rulers of the Jews could not see, and would not receive.
He saw in our Lord's miracle an unanswerable proof of our
Lord's divine commission. " If this Man were not of
God," he cries, " He could do nothing." In fact, from tho

160 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
day of his cure his position was completely altered. He
had eyes, and the Pharisees were blind.
The same thing may be seen in other places of Scripture.
The servants of Pharaoh saw " the finger of God " in the
plagues of Egypt, when their master's heart was hardened.
The servants of Naaman saw the wisdom of Elisha's advice,
when their master was turning away in a rage. The high,
the great, and the noble are often the last to learn spirit
ual lessons. Their possessions and their position often
blind the eyes of their understanding, and keep them back
from the kingdom of God. It is written that " not many
wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,
are called." (1 Cor. i. 26.)
The Christian poor man never need be ashamed of his
poverty. It is a sin to be proud, and worldly-minded, and
unbelieving ; but it is no sin to be poor. The very riches
which many long to possess are often veils over the eyes
of men's souls, and prevent their seeing Christ. The
teaching of the Holy Ghost is more frequently to be seen
among men of low degree than among men of rank and
education. The words of our Lord are continually proved
most true, " How hardly shall they that have riches enter
into the kingdom of God." — " Thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto
babes." (Mark x. 23 ; Matt. xi. 25.)
We see, secondly, in these verses, hoio cruelly and unjustly
unconverted men will sometimes treat those who disagree with
them. When the Pharisees could not frighten the blind
man who had been cured, they expelled him from the Jewish
Church. Because he manfully refused to deny the ev
idence of his own senses, they excommunicated him, and
put him to an open shame. They cast him out "as a
heathen man and a publican."
The temporal injury that such treatment did to a poor
Jew was very great indeed. It cut him off f;;om the out-

JOHN, CH.iP. IX. 161
ward privileges of the Jewish Church. It made him an
object of scorn and suspicion among all true Israelites.
But it could do no harm to his soul. That which wicked
men bind on earth is not bound in heaven. " The curse
causeless shall not come." (Prov. xxvi. 2.)
The children of God in every age have only too fre
quently met with like treatment. Excommunication, per
secution, and imprisonment have generally been favourite
weapons with ecclesiastical tyrants. Unable, like the
Pharisees, to answer arguments, they have resorted to vio
lence and injustice. Let the child of God console him
self with the thought that there is a true Church out of
which no man can cast him, and a Church-membership
which no earthly power can takeaway. He only is blessed
whom Christ calls blessed ; and he only is accursed
whom Christ shall pronounce accursed at the last day.
We see, thirdly, in these verses, how great is the kind
ness and condescension of Christ. No sooner was this poor
blind man cast out of the Jewish Church than Jesus finds
him and speaks words of comfort. He knew full well how
heavy an afBiction excommunication was to an Israelite,
and at once cheered him with kind words. He now revealed
Himself more fully to this man than He did to any one ex
cept the Samaritan woman. In replj' to the question, " Who
is the Son of God ? " He says plainly, " Thou hast both
seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee."
We have here one among many beautiful illustrations
of the mind of Christ. He sees all that His people go
through for His sake, and feels for all, from the highest
to the lowest. He keeps account of all their losses,
crosses, and persecutions. " Are they not all written in
His book?" (Psal. Ivi. 8.) He knows how to come to
their hearts with consolation in their time of need, and to
speak peace to them when all men seem to hate them.
The time when men forsake us is often the very time when

162 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Christ draws near, saying, " l^ear thou not, for I am with
thee : be not dismayed, for I am thy God : I will
strengthen thee : yea, I will help thee ; yea, I will uphold
thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isai. xii
10.) We see, lastly, in these verses, how dangerous it is to
possess knowledge, if we do not make a good use of it. The
rulers of the Jews were fully persuaded that they knew all
religious truth. They were indignant at the very idea of
being ignorant and devoid of spiritual eyesight. " Are we
blind also ? " they cried. And then came the mighty sen
teilKe, " If ye were blind, ye should have no sin : but now
ye say, We see ; therefore your sin remaineth."
Knowledge undoubtedly is a very great blessing. The
man who cannot read, and is utterly ignorant of Scripture,
is in a pitiable condition. He is at the mercy of any false
teacher who comes across him, and may be taught to take
up any absurd creed, or to follow any vicious practice.
Almost any education is better than no education at
aU. But when knowledge only sticks in a man's head, and
has no influence over his heart and life, it becomes a most
perilous possession. And when, in addition to this, its
possessor is self-conceited and self-satisfied, and fancies
he knows everything, the result is one of the worst states
of soul into which man can fall. There is far more hope
about him who says, "I am a poor blind sinner and want
God to teach me, " than about him who is ever saying,
" I know it, I know it, I am not ignorant," and yet cleaves
to his sins. — The sin of that man " remaineth."
Let us use diligently whatever religious knowledge we
possess, and ask continually that God would give us
more. Let us never forget that the devil himself is a
creature of vast head-knowledge, and yet none the better
for it, because it is not rightly used. Let our constant

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 163
prayer be that which David so often sent up in the hundred
and nineteenth Psalo. " Lord, teach me thy statutes :
give me understanding : unite my heart to fear Thy
name." Notes. John IX. 26—41.
26. — [Then said they. ..how opened...eyes.] The enemies of our
Lord renewed their examination of the healed man, by in
quiries into the manner in which our Lord had opened his eyes.
Their previous inquiry had been directed to the point, " who
had done the miracle ? " They now ask " how it was done ? "
The folly of wicked men comes out reraarkably in this re
newed examination. Had they let the matter drop at this
point, they would not have exposed their own malevolent and
unreasoning spirit. They madly rush headlong on, and are put
to open shame by a poor and humble Jew.
Let it be noted, that the word we have translated " then " is
not so strong in the Greek, and does not mark tirae, bnt simply
connects the verse with the preceding one. " And they said to
him again."
Let it be noted, that faith only looks to the result, and does
not trouble itself about the manner Iu which it is brought
about. Unbelief, on the contrary, refuses to look at the result,
and excuses Itself by raising diflSculties about the manner.
Let it be noted, that in every age Satan never so completely
outwits himself and defeats his own purpose, as when he
presses persecution and annoyance against weak Christians.
Hundreds learn lessons under the pressure of incessant attacks,
which otherwise they would never learn at all. The very fact
of being attacked calls out latent thought, energy, and cour
age.
27. — [He answered them, etc.] The patience of the healed man
evidently began to be exhausted at this stage of the pro
ceedings. 'This senseless repetition of questions, this re
doubled effort to raake hira disbelieve his own senses, became
more than he could bear. He seems to say, " I have told the
whole story once, and I have nothing to add to it. Yet when I
told it, you evidently did not listen to me. What is the use of
telling it again? Why do you want to hear it a second time? "
"Ye wonld not hear " is of course equivalent to "ye would not
believe." The expressions, " would ye " and " will ye," are both the
same verb in the Greek, and would be more literally rendered
as a distinct verb, " do ye will."
The last clause can hardly be taken in any other sense than
a sarcastic one. It (ould haidly be a grave question. It was

164 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
the natural sarcastic remark of a mau weailed, irritated, and
provoked by a long-drawn teasing repetition of questions. "One
might almost think, from your repeated, anxious questions, that
you yourselves want to be Christ's disciples."
Chrysostom remarks : "How strong is truth, and how weak
is falsehood I Truth, though she take hold only of ordinary
men, maketh them appear glorious ; falsehood, even with the
strong, makes them a^Dpear weak."
28. — [Then ihey reviled him, etc.] Here we see how one sharp
word leads to another. Sarcasm frora the lips of the healed
man produces abuse and reviling from his examiners. They
were evidently indignant at the very idea of such wise men as
they were, becoming disciples of Jesus. " Thou, poor ignorant
creature, and such as thou, art disciples of Jesus. But we are
not such fools. We are disciples of Moses, and want no other
teacher." And yet In their blindness they did not see, and
would not understand, that Jesus was the very Saviour of
whom Moses had written, and that every true disciple of Moses
must necessarily be a disciple of Jesus. So easy It is to talk high-
sounding. Ignorant phrases In religion, and yet be utterly In the
dark! Brentius remarks how ready men are to maintain that they
hold the old religion of their fathers, while in reality they do
not know what it was. Thus the Pharisees talked of Moses,
as if Moses was contrary to Christ. . The Romanist does just
the sarae, when he talks of the " old religion." He knows not
what the old religion was.
Ferns points out how many of the words of Moses' law these
men forgot and despised, even while they boasted of being his
"disciples; " as Levit. xix. 14; Exod. xxiii. 7.
29.— [We knoio that God spake, etc.] The meaning of this sen
tence seems to be, "We know that God commissioned Moses
to be a lawgiver and teacher, and that, in following Moses,
we are pleasing God. But as for this Jesus, we know uot who
has commissioned Him, or who sent Him to teach, or by what
authority He preaches and vrorks miracles. In a word, we see
no proof that Ho has come from God. We are not satisfied
that He has any Divine commission."
The expression, " frora whence Ho is," In this place cannot be
interpreted as meaning " from what place." It must signify
our Lord's commission,^who sent Him, and by whose authority
he acts. So in another place, "the baptism of John, whence
was it? " (Luke xx. 4,) means " whence had it authority?"
We should note here, how firmly Implanted It was in the
Jewish mind that Moses had received a revelation frora God.
" God spoke to Moses."
80. — [The man ansioered, etc.] In this verse the healed man be*

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 165
gins a simple, yet unanswerable argument, which completely
silenced his examiners. "There is something very wonderful
in this. It is an unmistakable fact that this Person has opened
my eyes. _ He has, in short, worked an astonishing miracle;
and yet, in the face of this miracle, you say that you do not
know whence He is, or who gave Him his power."
The word " ye " is here emphatical. " You, who are learned
men, and rulers, and teachers, might have been expected to
know whence this man comes."
81. — [Now loe knoio that, etc.] In this verse the healed raan con
tinues his chain of reasoning. " We all know, and it is an
admitted principle among us, that God does not hear the
prayer of wicked people, and give wicked people power to
work miracles. The only people whom He hears and enables
to do great works are people who fear God, and habitually do
God's will."
The expression "now," in this verse, perhaps conveys too
strong an idea of the meaning of the Greek word. It would be
more literally rendered, "and we know;" and would thus
simply carry on one unbroken chain of argument.
The principle that " God heareth not sinners " is here stated
by the man as a great incontrovertible doctrine, which all Jews
knew and admitted. It is hardly necessary to say that it did
not mean that God is unwilling to hear the prayers of sinners
who feel their sins, and cry to Him for pardon. It applies to
sinners who do not feel their sins, and are living In sin, and are
impenitent. Such persons God does not look on with favour,
and will not enable to do miracles. That God will not he.ar
impenitent sinners is taught in such texts as Job xxvii. 9;
xxxv. 12; Psalm, xviii. 41; xxxiv. 15; Ixvi. 18; Prov. i. 28;
XV. 29; xxviii. 9; Isai. 1. 1,5; Jer. xi. 11; xiv. 12; Ezek. viii.
18; Micah iii. 4; Zech. vii. 13. The Pharisees knew this, and
could not possibly deny it.
The expression, " a worshipper of God," means soraething
far more than mere outward worship. It is equivalent to a
God-fearing-man, — one who really honours and reverences
God. The expression, "doeth His will," means one who habitually
lives in the practice of God's preceptive will, — the things that
God coramands.
Brentius illustrates this verse, by contrasting God's readi
ness to hear Elijah when he worked a miracle on Carmel, with
the useless cries of the worshippers of Baal on the sarae occa
sion. Ecolampadius observes, that hitherto the healed man evi
dently saw nothing higher in our Lord than a very good man,
whose prayers God would hear. He did not yet see in Him one
who wrought miracles by His own Divine power.

166 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Musculus observes, that it is the man who not only "knows"
God's will, but practically " does " it, and obeys it, whom God
hears.
82, 33. — [Since the world began, etc.] These two verses contain
the conclusion of the healed man's argument. The sense Is as
follows: "To open the eyes of one born blind is a work so
entirely beyond the power of man, that no man has ever done
it since the world began. Divine power alone could effect it.
But this Man has done this work, and therefore must evidently
be one sent and coraraissioned by God. If He were not of God
He could do nothing rairaculous, and at any rate nothing so
miraculous as my cure."
The expression, " since the world began," would be more
literally rendered, " frora the age of the world ; " i.e., from the
beginning of. It is like Acts iii. 21, and xv. 18, and Ephfis.
iii. 9.
The concluding argument of the healed man is precisely that
of Nicodemus, when he came to our Lord by night. "No man
can do these miracles except God be with him." (John iii. 2.)
Augustine remarks : " This was frankly, firmly, and truly
spoken. These things that were done by the Lord, how should
they be done by any but God ? "
Brentius shows here the value of miracles as an evidence of
Christ's Divine raission. He also shows that the miracles so-
called, said to be worked by magicians and false teachers, are
either impositions, or else are wrought In support of something
contrary to Scripture, and are therefore not worthy of atten
tion. He finally remarks, that if we are not to believe an angel
speaking against the Gospel, much less should we believe a
miracle, if worked to confirm something contrary to Scrip
ture. Toletus remarks, that at any rate there is Ho case in Scrip
ture of any open sinner procuring a miracle to be worked in
reply to his prayer.
Whitby remarks : " We see here a blind man and unlearned,
judging more rightly of Divine things than the whole learned
council of the Pharisees ! Hence we learn that we are not
always to be led by the authority of councils, popes, or bishops,
and that it Is not absurd for laymen sometimes to vary ftom
their opinions, these great overseers being sometiraes guilty of
great oversights."
There is no weight in the objection raised by sorae modern
Gerraan critics, that eminent surgeons have effected the resto
ration of sight to people born blind. If they have, it has cer
tainly never been done instantaneously, and without the use
of outward means, as In this man's case.
34. — [They answered, etc.] The argument of the healed man was

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 167
one which the Pharisees felt to be unanswerable. Silenced
before the whole council they turn on the speaker with anger
and abuse. " Thou art a miserable, wicked creature, entirely
bom in sin, and dost thou pretend to know better than us, and
to teach ns?" They tlien proceeded at once to excoraraunicate
him. The expression, " they cast hira out," raust surely mean
much more than merely turning him out of the room or place
where they were assembled. To ray mind it raeans nothing
less than a formal expulsion from the coramonwealth of Israel,
and the consequent degradation of the raan. It raust be ad
mitted that Maldonatus and sorae others think it only means
that " they turned him out of the room " where they were. But
this does not agree with the context, and almost all comraenta
tors think "excommunication" is meant.
It is held by many that the expression, "born in sin," was
used with special reference to the healed man's old infirmity of
blindness. " Thy very blindness shows thee to have been a
very wicked man. It is God's stamp on thy wickedness. Body
and soul are both polluted by sin." There may be a latent ref
erence to the vulgar error referred to at verse 2, that blindness
was an evidence of God's special displeasure.
The expression, "Dost thou teach ns?" is precisely one of
those which wicked people in possession of place, rank, dignity,
and income, are fond of using about Reformers of the Churcli
and independent thinkers. — " How can such an ignorant person
as you pretend to know better than us, and teach us? We are
high in office, and must know better than you."
Let us note that this resort to personal abuse and violent lan
guage is often a sure raark of a failing cause in religion. Ina
bility to reply to arguraent is often the true cause of ill-teraper
and personalities. Truth can afford to be patient-, error can
not. Let us note that persecution and excommunication are com
mon weapons with the enemies of spiritual religion. When
men cannot answer arguments, they often try to silence and in
timidate those who use them.
The dread of excoraraunication with a Jew was second only
to the dread of death.
Calvin reraarks : " It is certain that those who are not subject
to Christ are deprived of the lawful power of excorarannicating.
Nor ought we to dread being excluded from their assemblies,
since Christ, our Life and Salvation, was banished from them."
Musculus observes that this excommunication could not have
been without the vote of the majority of the council. Truth is
too often with minorities.
Pellican remarks that "to be shut out from the communion
of the wicked is no dishonour or loss."

168 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS
Eerus, a Romanist, says that this verse should teach the lead
ers of Churches not to be hasty in excommunicating people, lest
they commit as great mistake au the Pharisees.
Barradius, a Portuguese Romanist, makes strong remarks
here on the great sin of unjust excommunication. He quotes
the text in Samuel which says that the sons of Eli made men
" abhor the offering of the Lord ; " and applies to the same point
the text in Canticles whero the bride complains that the keeper
and watchraen, who ought to have helped, " sraote and wounded
her." Quesnel remarks that wicked pastors are always impatient
that any one should remind them of their duty.
Lightfoot observes that this man was the first confessor who
suffered for Christ's sake, as John the Baptist was the first
martyr. Trench observes that the Pharisees in their rage forgot " that
the two charges, — one, that the man had not been born blind
and was an impostor; the other, that he bore the mark of God's
anger in blindness reaching back to his birth, — will not agree
together."
35. — [Jesus heard... cast him out.] An interval of time most prob
ably elapsed between the last verse and the present one. Where
our Lord was, at Jerusalera or elsewhere, and what He was
doing during the interval, we are not told. We can hardly
suppose that the events related in the present and following
verses, and the former part of the tenth chapter, took place on
the same day that the blind man was cured. There must have
been a break. Moreover the very expression before us shows
that the excommunication had had time to be reported and
known in Jerusalera. Making every allowance for the public
notoriety of everything done by the Sanhedrim, we can hardly
suppose that in a day when there was no newspaper, the treat
ment of the blind man would be public news and reported with
out some Interval of time.
As God, our Lord doubtless knew all that happened to the
suflerer, but He did nothing till his excommunication was pub
licly reported.
Burkitt observes: "O happy raan! Having lost the syna
gogue, he finds heaven."
Wordsworth observes : " If those who sit in Moses' seat teach
things contrary to the law of Moses, and proceed to impose
their false doctrines as terras of communion; if they will not
receive Him of whom Moses wrote, and threaten with excom
munication those who confess Jesus to be the Christ, then no
desire of unity, no love of enomies, no fear of separation from
parents, and spiritual supsriors, no dread of spiritual censures
and penalties, must deter the disciples of Christ from confess-

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 169
Ing Him. Our Lord Himself has set the seal of His Divine
sanction on these principles."
[And when he had found, etc.] We should note in this sen
tence our Lord's kindness and compassion. As soon as His
people suffer for His name's sake He is ready to visit them and
speak words of corafort and give special consolation. We see
too an example of His zeal to turn temporal trials to spiritual
gain. Like Him, we should be ready to say to sufferers, " Dost
thou believe on the Son of God ? The world fails thee. Turn
to Christ, and seek rest."
Chrysostom reraarks : " They who for the sake of the truth
and confession of Christ suffer anything and are insulted, these
are' especially honoured. So it was here with the blind man.
The Jews cast him out of the teraple, and the Lord of the tem
ple found him. He was dlshpnoured by those who dishonoured
Christ, and was honoured by the Lord of angels."
We should note that this is one of the very few occasions on
which our Lord called Hiraself directly " the Son of God."
(See John iii. 18 ; v. 25 ; x. 36 ; xi. 4.)
The word " thou " here is emphatic. " Others are unbeliev
ing. Dost thou believe ? "
86. — [He answered and said, etc.] This is the language of a mind
ignorant of many things, yet willing to be instructed. It is
like Saql crying, " Who art Thou, Lord? " and the jailer saying,
"What must I do?" When a man begins to inquire about
Christ, and ask who He is, it is always a hopeful symptom of
his stMite of soul.
It may be doubted whether "Lord" here would not have
been ietter rendered " Sir."
Ch rysostom says : " The expression is that of a longing, in-
quiriag soul." , .
37. — [And Jesus said, etc.] We should carefully notice the extraor
dinary fulness of the revelation which our Lord here made of
Hiraself. In no case but this, and that of the Saraaritan
woraan, do we flud Hira so unreservedly declaring His own
Divinity and Messiahship. So true is It that "the raeek He
will guide in judgraent,'' and that things "hid to the wise and
prudent are revealed to babes." The poor and despised and
friendless araong mankind are often those whom He favours
with special revelations of His kindness and mercy. (John iv.
26; Matt. v. 10—12.)
38. — [And he said, Lord, I believe.] This imraediate profession of
faith seems to indicate that the man's mind had been prepared
by the Holy Ghost during the interval of tirae slncte His cure.
The more he thought over his miraculous healing, and the Per
son who had wrought it, the more ready he was to believe in
Him as the Messiah.

170 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
We must not perhaps estimate too highly the extent of this
man's faith. At any rate, it had the germ and nucleus of all
justifying faith about It, a belief in our Lord as the Messiah.
[And he worshipped Him.] This seems to have been some
thing more than an action of respect and reverence to a raan.
It looks like the worship given to One who was felt to be very
God. Our Lord accepts it, and says not one word to check it.
We cannot suppose that Paul or Peter or John would have
allowed a fellow-man to give them " worship." (See Acts x.
25, 26, and xiv. 14, 15; Rev. xix. 10, and xxii. 9.)
Chrysostom reraarks how few of those whora onr Lord mi
raculously healed, worshipped Him as this man did.
Cocceius reraarks that when we consider that this act of
worship follows immediately on a full profession of faith in
Jesus as the " Son of God," it cannot be lightly passed over as
a mere mark of respect.
Ferus observes that there is a thing said of this worshipper
which is said of no one else who " worshipped " Christ. He
said, " I believe," before he did it, and I believe in the " Son of
God." Poole observes that " although the word ' worshipped ' in the
Greek be a word used soraetiraes to signify that civil respect
which men show to their superiors, yet it cannot be so inter
preted in this place, considering what went before."
89. — [And Jesus said. For judgment, etc.] We must not suppose
that there is any contradiction between these words and those
In John iii. 17, and xii. 47. It was quite true that our Lord
had not come into the world to be a Judge, .but a Saviour. Yet
He had corae to produce a judgraent, or distinction, or division
between class and class of characters, and to be the cause of
light breaking in on sorae rainds which before His coming could
not see, .and of blindness covering other inlnds which before
His coming flattered theraselves "that they were full of light.
In that the expression is very parallel to that of Simeon, (Luke
ii. 35,) " The thoughts of many hearts were revealed by his com
ing." Humble-minded, ignorant people had light revealed to
thera. Proud, self-righteous people were given over to judicial
blindness. (See Matt. xi. 25.)
And is not this judgment a common consequence of Christ's
Gospel coming to a place or a people for the first time? Minds
previously quite dead receive sight. Minds previously self-sat
isfied and proud of their own light are given over to utter dark
ness and left behind. Those who once saw not see. Those
who fancied theraselves clear-sighted are found blind. The
same fire which melts wax hardens the clay.
Let It be noted that the Greek word rendered " might be
made " would be more litemlly translated "might become." I
do not mean to say that in no case does God ever give over

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 171
people to blindness, by a kind of judgraent, on account of their
hardness and irapcnitence. But we should carefully observe
how rarely Scripture speaks of it as God's act. Thus here it is
not literally true that He " makes " thera blind, but that they
" became " blind.
Augustine reraarks : "Who are those that see? Those who
think they see, who believe they see." He also says : " The
judgment which Christ hath brought into the world is not that
wherewith He shall judge the quick and the dead in the end of
the world. It Is a work of diserimlsvition rather, by which He
discerneth the cause of them whicn believe from that of the
proud who think they see, and therefore are worse blinded."
Zwingle remarks : " Judgment is here taken for discrimina
tion, or separation into classes." Ferus says much the same.
Chemnitius thinks that our Lord spoke these words with spe
cial reference to the false and unjust judgment of excommunica
tion which the Pharisees had just passed. It is as though He
would say, " True judgment, a right discrimination into classes,
is My prerogative. The excommunication of a Pharisee is
worthless." Musculus and Gualter, think that "judgment " here means,
the eternal decree of God. " I carae into the world to carry out
God's eternal purposes, which are that the wise and prudent
should reraain in darkness, truth should be revealed to babes ;"
but this seeras far-fetched.
Poole says : " The best notion of 'judgment ' here is theirs
who interpret it of the spiritual government of the world, com
mitted to Christ, and managed by Him with perfect rectitude
and equity. One eminent part of this was His publishing the
Gospels, the law of faith. The result of which Is, that many
spiritually blind, and wholly unable to see the way to eternal
life, might be enlightened with saving knowledge, and that
many who think they see, should by their obstinate infidelity
become raore blind than they were from their birth. Not that
I cast any such evil influence on them, but this happeneth
through their own sore eyes."
Whitby reraarks that the Greek conjunction here rendered
"that "is not causal, but only consequential; as when Christ
said, " I carae not to send peace, but a sword," meaning, the
consequence and result of My coming will be to send a svkord,
and not the object of My coming. He also thinks that the verse
has a wide application to the Gentiles sitting in d.arkness, being
enlightened by Christ's coming, while the Jews were blinded.
Hengstenberg says : " Those that see are the Jews, in contra
distinction to the Gentiles."
Burgon remarks : " Judgment is not used here in an active
sense It is the conderanation iraplied bj severing men into

172 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

good and bad, which was one consequence (not the purpose) of
Christ's coming into the world. — When Christ came into the
world, raen promptly showed themselves to behmg to the state
of darkness or of light, and by their arranging themselves in
two great classes, anticipated their own final sentence." — " The
blind (that is, simple and Ignorant, yet meek and faithful men)
saw; while the seeing (that is, vain pretenders to discernment,
proud, presumptuous persons) were made blind."
40. — [And some...Pharisees... heard words.] This sentence literally -
rendered would be, "Those of the Pharisees who were with
Hira heard." It seeras to show that here, as on all other occa
sions, sorae of the party of the Pharisees were in the crowd
which hung round our Lord, narrowly watching all he said and
did, and eagerly catching at anything which might give them
an advantage against Him. It ought to make ns feel the Im
mense difficulty of our Lord's position. He was always at
tended by eneraies, and spoke and acted under the eyes of peo
ple desiring to do Hira harm. It also teaches us that we raust
not cease from efforts to do good, because many of our hearers
are unbelieving.
[And said.. .Are we blind also?] This question cannot possibly
be taken as a hurable, anxious inquiry. It is rather the sarcas
tic, sneering inquiry of men whose consciences were pricked
by our Lord's words, and who felt that He was condemning
them: "And in what class do you place us? Are we among
those whora you call blind? Do you raean to say that we who'
are doctors of the law, see and understand nothing ? " — St.
Paul's words to the unbelieving Jew should be remerabered
here : " Thou art confident that thou art a guide of the blind, a
light of them vv'hioh are in darkness." (Rom. ii. 17.) Blind
ness was probably- the last thing which the Pharisees would
allow could be predicated of them.
Augustine remarks : " There are many, who according to
common usage, are called good people, good men, good women,
harraless, honouring their parents, not committing adultery,
doing uo murder, not stealing, not bearing false witness, and
in a sort observing the other duties comraanded in the law, and
yet are not Christians. And these commonly give themselves
airs like the Pharisees here, saying, ' Are we blind also? '"
Ferns observes : " This is just the ancient arrogance of tho
Jews." Jones, of Nayland, makes the pious reraark: "Give us, O
Lord, the sight of this man who had been blind frora birth,
and deliver us from tho blindness of his judges, who had been
learning all their lives, and yet knew nothing. And if the
world should cast us out, let us be found of Thee, whom the
world crucified."
41. — [Jesus said unto them, etc.] Our Lord's answer to the Phari-

JOHN, CHAP. IX. 173
gees Is a very remarkable and elliptical one. It raay be thus
paraphrased : " Well would it be for you, if you were really
blitid and ignorant. If you were really ignorant, you would be
far less blameworthy than you are now. If you were really
blind, you would not be guilty of the sin of wilful unbelief as
you are now. But, unhappily, you say that you know the truth,
and see the light, and are not ignorant, even while you are
rejecting Mo. This self-satisfied state of mind is the very
thing which is ruining you. It makes your sin abide heavily
on you."
It is needless to say that our Lord did not mean that igno
rance makes a man entirely free frora guilt. He only meant
that a really ignorant man is much less guilty than one who
has light and knowledge, but does not improve and use them.
No man's case is so hopeless as that of the self-confident man,
who says that he knows everything, and wants no light. Such
a man's sin abides on him, and, unless repented of, will sink
him into the pit.
Let us note what a heavy conderanation this text contains
for those professing Christians who are constantly coraforting
theraselves by laying, " We know," " We are not ignorant,"
"We see the truth," while yet they lazily sit still in irreligion
and raake no attempt to obey. Such persons, however little
they think it, are far more guilty before God than the poor
heathen who never hear truth at all. The more light a raan
has, the more sin, if he does not believe.
To infer the salvation of all the unconverted heathen from
this text would be unwarrantable, and going much too far.
The worst heathen man has sufficient light to judge and con
demn him at last, and far raore than he lives up to. But it is
not too ranch to say that an ignorant heathen is In a far raore
hopeful condition than a proud, self-satisfied, self-righteous,
unconverted Christian.
Brentius thinks that the expression, ." if ye were blind,"
means " if ye would confess your blindness;" and that " to say
we see," is equivalent to a " refusal to acknowledge ignorance
land need."
Chemnitius observes, that the expression of this verse teaches
that there are two sorts of sinneis in this world, — those who
sin from ignorance and infirmity, and those who sin against
light and knowledge, and that they must be regarded and dealt
with accordingly.
Musculus remarks, that nothing seems to gall men so much
as the imputation of ignorance and vpant of knowledge of the
truth. The very men who are unmoved if charged with im
moral actions, such as simony, adultery, gluttony, or misuse of
ecclesiastical property, are furious if told that they are dark
and blind about doctrine.

174 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

The expression, "your sin remaineth," is very worthy of
notice. It teaches the solemn truth that the sins of impenitent
and unconverted people are upon them, unforgiven, and not
taken away. It condemns the modern idea that all sins are
already forgiven and pardoned ou account of Christ's death,
and all raen justified, and that the only thing required is to
believe it and know it. On the contrary our sins are upon us,
and remain upon us until we believe. Ferus calls it " a terrible
saying." Tholuck reraarks on the whole chapter : " The narrative of
this miracle has a special value in apologetics. How often do
we hear the wish expressed, that Christ's miracles had been
put on documentary record, and had been subjected to a
thorough judicial investigation. Here we have the very thing
that is desired ; judicial personages, and these, too, the avowed
eneraies of Christ, investigate a rairacle in repeated hearings,
and yet it holds its ground. A raan blind frora his birth was
made to see ! " — No wonder that Gerraan sceptics, like Strauss
and Bauer, are driven to assert that the whole narrative is a
fabrication. In leaving this chapter, it is worth remembering that this Is
that one of our Lord's miracles about which nearly all commen
tators have agreed that it has a spiritual signification, and is
emblematic of spiritual truth. Lampe reraarks, that even
those writers who are ordinarily most averse to spiritualizing
and accommodating, admit that the healing of this blind man
is a picture of the illumination of a sinner's soul. His healing
is a lively figure of conversion.
It is curious that we hear no more of this raan who was
healed. It is pleasant, however, to bear in mind the thought
that there -were many who believed In Christ and were true
disciples, whose names and lives have never corae down to
us. We raust not suppose that there were none saved but
those whose histories are recorded in the New Testament.
The last day, we may well believe, will show that this raan was
only a type of a large class, whose names were written in the
Book of life, though not recorded for our learning by the in
spired writers.

JOHN X. 1—9.

1 Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Ho that Ontereth not by the door into
tho sheepfold, but olimbeth up somo
other way, tho same is a thief and a
robber. 2 But he that ontereth in by the
door ia the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter openeth; and
the sheep hear his voice: and he call-
eth his own sheep by name, and lead-
eth thera out.
4 And when he. pnttoth forth his
own sheep, he goeth before thorn, and

JOHN, CHAP. X.

175

the sheep follow him: for they know
his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not fol
low, but will flee from him: for they
know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto
them: but they understood not 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,
8 All that ever came before me are
thieves and robbers: but the sheep did
not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall
go in and out, and find pasture.

The chapter we have now begun is closely connected with
the preceding one. The parable before us was spoken
with direct reference to the blind teachers of the Jewish
Church. The Scribes and Pharisees were the persons our
Lord had in view, when He described the false shepherd.
The very men who had just said " We see," were denounced
with holy boldness, as " thieves and robbers."
We have, for one thing, in these verses, a vivid picture
of a false teacher of religion. Our Lord says that he is one
who " enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs
np some other way."
The " door," in this sentence, must evidently mean
something far more than outward calling and com
mission. The Jewish teachers, at any rate, were not
deficient in this point : they could probably trace up their
orders in direct succession to Aaron himself. Ordination
is no proof whatever that a man is fit to show others the
way to heaven. He may have been regularly set apart by
those who have authority to call ministers, and yet all his
life may never come near the door, and at last may die
nothing better than " a thief and a robber."
The true sense of the "door" must be sought in our
Lord's own interpretation. It is Christ Himself who is
" the door." The true shepherd of souls is he who enters
the ministry with a single eye to Christ, desiring to glorify
Christ, doing all in the strength of Christ, preaching
Christ's doctrine, walking in Christ's steps, and labouring
to bring men and women to Christ. The false shepherd of

176 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
souls is he who enters the ministerial office with little or no
thought about Christ, from worldly and self-exalting
motives, but frora no desire to exalt Jesus, and the great
salvation that is in Him. Christ, in one word, is the
grand touchstone of the ininister of religion. The man
who makes much of Christ is a pastor after God's own
heart, whom God delights to honour. The minister who
makes little of Christ is one whom God regards as an
impostor, — as one who has climbed up to his holy ofllce not
by the door, but by " some other way."
The sentence before us is a sorrowful and humbling one.
That it condemns the Jewish teachers of our Lord's time
all men can see. There was no " door" in their ministry.
They taught nothing rightly about Messiah. They rejected
Christ Himself when He appeared, — but all men do not
see that the sentence condemns thousands of so-called
Christian teachers, quite as much as the leaders and
teachers of the Jews. Thousands of ordained men in
the present day know nothing whatever about Christ,
except His name. They have not entered " the door"
themselves, and they are unable to show it to others. Well
would it be for Christendom if this were more widely
known, and more seriously considered I Unconverted min
isters are the dry-rot of the Church. " When the blind
lead the blind " both must fall into the ditch. If we would
know the value of a man's ministry, we must never fail to
ask, Where is the Lamb? Where is the Door? Does he
bring forward Christ, and gives Him his rightful place ?
We have, for another thing, in these verses, a peculiar
picture of true Christians. Our Lord describes them as sheep
who " hear the voice of a true Shepherd, and know His
voice ; " and as " sheep who will not follow a stranger, but
will flee from him, for the}' know not the voice of strangers."
The thing taught in these words is a very curious one,
and may seem " foolishness " to the world. There is a

JOHN, CHAP. X. 177
spiritual instinct in most true believers, which generally
enables them to distinguish between true and false teaching.
When they hear unsound religious instruction, there is
something within them which says, " This is wrong."
When they hear the real truth as it is in Jesus, there
is something in their hearts which responds, " This is
right." The careless man of the world may see no diflFer-
ence whatever between minister and minister, sermon
and sermon. The poorest sheep of Christ, as a general
rule, will " distinguish things that differ," though he may
sometimes be unable'to explain why.
Let us beware of despising this spiritual instinct. What
ever a sneering world may please to say, it is one of the
peculiar marks of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. As
such, it is specially mentioned by St. John, when he says,
" Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know
all things." (1 John ii. 20.) Let us rather pray for it
daily, in order that we may be kept from the influence of'
false shepherds. To lose all power of distinguishing
between bitter and sweet is one of the worst symptoms of
bodily disease. To be unable to see any difference be
tween law and gospel, truth and error. Protestantism and
Popery, the doctrine of Christ and the doctrine of man, Jis
a sure proof that we are yet dead in heart, and need
conversion. We have, lastly, in these verses, a most instructive
picture of Christ Himself. He utters one of those golden
sayings which ought to be dear to all true Christians.
They apply to people as well as to ministers. " I am
the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved,
and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
We are all by nature separate and far ofi" from God.
Sin, like a great barrier-wall, rises between us and our
Maker. The sense of guilt makes us afraid of Him.
The sense of His holiness keeps us at a distance from Him,

178 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Born with a heart at enmity with God, we become more
and more alienated from Him, by practice, the longer we
live. The very first questions in religion that must be
answered, are these: "How can I draw near to God?,
How can I be justified? How can a sinner like me be
reconciled to my Maker ? "
The Lord Jesus Christ has provided an answer to these
mighty questions. By His sacrifice for us on the crossj
He has opened a way through the great barrier, and pro
vided pardon and peace for sinners. He has " suffered
for sin, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God." He
has opened a way into the holiest, through His blood, by
which we may draw near to God with boldness, and ap
proach God without fear. And now He is able to save to
the uttei-most all who come unto God by Him. In the
highest sense He is " the door." No one " can come to
the Father " but by Him.
Let us take heed that we use this door, and do not
merely stand outside looking at it. It is a door free and
open to the chief of sinners : " If any man enfer in by it,
he shall be saved." It is a door within which we shall
find a full and constant supply for evei'y want of our souls.
W^e shall find that we can "go in and out," and enjoy
liberty and peace. The day comes when this door will be
shut forever, and men shall strive to enter in, but not be
able. Then let us make sure work of our own salvation.
Let us not stand tarrying without, and halting between
two opinions. Let us enter in and be saved.
Notes. John X. 1—9.
1. — [Verily...! say...you.] Tlree tilings must be carefully remem
bered, if we would rightly understand the flrst nine verses of
this chapter. Inattention to thera has caused ranch confused
and inconsistent interpretation.
(a) For one thing, the passage is closely connected with the
last chapter. The opening sentence should be read on, without
break or separation between, together with the forty-first verse

JOHN, CHAP. X. 179
of the ninth chapter. Our Lord is still speaking to the hostile
Pharisees who asked, " Are we blind also? " and got the answer,
" Ye say. We see ; therefore your sin remaineth. "—It is to thera
that He goes on to say, " I say unto you. He that entereth not in
by the door is a thief and a robber." He is not so rauch com
forting His disciples now, as rebuking and exposing His eneraies.
(6) Foranother thing, the passage is entirely a parable, oralle-
gory. (See sixth verse.) In interpreting it, like alraost all our
Lord's parables, the one great lesson should be kept in view,
which is the key-note to the whole. We must not press every
detail and little point too far, and try to attach a spiritual mean
ing to the lesser parts of the picture. Those who do so always
run aground in their exposition, and get into difficulties. "To
this parable, if any, the old quaint sayings are applicable : " No
parable stands on four legs." — "Squeeze parables too far, and you
will draw blood frora thera, and not railk."
Calvin reraarks wisely : "It is useless to scrutinize too closely
every part ot this parable. Let us rest satisfied with this gen
eral view, that as Christ states a reserablance between the Church
aud a fold, (a sheepfold, in which God asserables all His people,)
so He corapares Himself to a door, because there is no other en
trance into the Church but by Hiraself. Then it follows that
they are good shepherds, who lead men straight to Christ; and
that they are truly gathered iuto Christ's fold, so as to belong to
His flock, who devote themselves to Christ alone."
(c) For another thing, the object that our Lord had in view,
in speaking this parable, must be kept steadily before our eyes.
That object was to show the entire unfitness of the Pharisees to
be pastors and teachers of the Jews, because they had not ta-
kenup their office in the right spirit, and with a right nnder-
standing of the work they had to do. He is not in this part
speaking of Hiraself as "the Shepherd," but as "the Door:"
only as the Door. What Christ is as a " Shepherd " coraes after
ward ; what Christ Is as " the Door " is the one point of the first
nine verses.
The "progressive" character of our Lord's discourses record
ed in St. John, is strikingly illustrated in this chapter. Start
ing from a very siraple statement, our Lord goes on to speak of
the highest truths. We see the sarae in the fourth, fifth, and
sixth chapters.
This is one of the twenty-four places in St. John's Gospel,
where the double " verily" comes in. Here, as elsewhere, it al
ways prefaces some statement of more than ordinary importance
and solemnity.
[He that entereth not, etc.] Our Lord here appeals to the com
mon experience of His hearers. They all knew well that any
one who was seen entering a sheepfold by climbing over the
wall or fence of puclosure, and not by going through the door.

180 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

wonld be justly suspected of being a thief. Every true shep
herd, as a matter of course, raakes use of the door.
The " door " He afterwards interprets to raean Hiraself. The
latent thought evidently is, that any teacher of religion who does
not take up and discharge his ofljce with faith in Christ and His
atonoraent, and with an aim to glorify Christ, is unfit for his
business, :ind unable to do any good. Instead of being a shep
herd who helps and feeds, he is no better than a " robber," who
docs harm. Instead of saving souls, he kills thera. Instead of
bringing life, he brings death to his hearers.
Some, as Chrysostora, Euthymius, Theophylact, Maldonatus,
think the "door" means the Scriptures. Others, as Tholuck
and Hengstenberg, think the " door " raeans a proper divine call
to office. Both views seera to rae unnatural and incorrect.
Augustine observes : " Christ's fold Is the Catholic Church.
Whoso would enter the fold, let hira enter in by the door: let
him preach very Christ. Let him not only preach very Christ.
but seek Christ's glory, not his own." — He says again, " I, seek
ing to enter into your hearts, preach Christ : if I preach other
than that, I shall be striving to climb in some other way. Christ
is my Door : through Christ I win your hearts."
Language borrowed from the care of sheep and sheepfolds
would be much more intelligible in Palestine than it is here in
England. Keeping sheep was much raore coraraon there than in
our climate. Folds, doors, shepherds, thieves clirabing over sorae
otlier way, would be points farailiar to most Jews. Moreover,
the use of such language iu speaking of spiritual things would
be peculiarly intelligible to all who had read Jer. xxiii., Ezek.
xxxiv., and Zech. xi.
Brentius remarks on the condescension of our Lord in bor
rowing spiritual lessons frora such humble sources : " What is
raore low than a shepherd's condition? Every shepherd is an
abomination to the Egyptians. What raore dull and stupid than
a sheep ? Yet here is a picture of Christ and believers ! "
Sir Isaac Newton, in his book on Daniel, supposes that our
Lord, in choosing the subject of this parable, had before His
eyes the raany sheepfolds near the teraple and about Jerusalem,
where sheep were kept ready to be sold for sacriflce.
The expression, "some other way," seems tome purposjely
very wide. Men may become teachers of the Church frora many
difi'erent motives, and in many difi'orent frames of raiud. Sorae
may be sceptical, some formalists, some worldly ; but all alike
are wrong, If they do not enter office " through the Door : " viz.,
by Christ.
The word rendered " the same " would be more literally trans
lated, "that raan."
The expression, " thief and rob'-'ir, " is very strong, and sup-

JOHN, CHAP. X. 181
plies a striking instance of the use of a parable to convoy indi
rectly a sharp and severe rebuke. Of course our Lord could
hardly have said to the Pharisees, "You are thieves and rob
bers." Yet by use of a parable. He says what is tantamount to
it. Let it be noted that these strong epithets show plainly that
there are tiraes when it is right to rebuke sharply. Flattering
everybody, and complimenting all teachers who are zealous and
earnest, without reference to their soundness in the faith, is not
according to Scripture. Nothing seems so off'ensive to Christ
as a false teacher of religion, a false prophet, or a false shep
herd. Nothing ought to be so much dreaded in the Church, and
if needful, to be so plainly rebuked, opposed, and exposed.
The strong language of our Reformers, when writing against
Romish teachers, is often blamed more than it ought to be.
The Greek word rendered " thief" implies secret fraud and
dishonesty. The word rendered " robber " implies more open
violence. There are false teachers of both sorts ; open Papists
and open Sceptics, semi-Papists and serai- Sceptics. All are
alike dangerous.
Augustine observes : "Let the Pagans, the Jews, the heretics
say, ' We lead a good life.' If they enter not by tlie door, what
availeth it? A good life only proflteth if it lead to life eternal.
Indeed, those cannot be said to lead a good life, who are either
blindly ignorant of, or wilfully despise, the' end of good living.
No one can hope for eternal life who knows not Christ, who is
the life, aud by that door enters the fold."
Hammond alone among commentators applies this verse and
the four following entirely to Christ Hiraself, and considers
"the door" to mean the proper evidence of ralracles and doc
trine. I cannot see this at all.
Bishop Burnet reraarks that this parable is the passage above
all others which both Fathers and modern writers have chiefly
used, in order to show the difference between good and bad
ministers. Wordsworth calls the whole chapter " a divine pas
toral to bishops, priests, and deacons."
2. — [He that entereth in by the door, etc.] This verse contains the
converse of the preceding verse. He that is seen entering tha
sheepfold by the one proper entrance, the door, may be set down
as a true shepherd. Such a raan, being duly coraraissioned by
the owner of the flock, and recoguized by the sheep as their pas
tor and friend-; has no need to enter clandestinely, like a thief,
or by violence, as a robber.
Tho word " the " before shepherd Is not in the Greek. It
should be simply, "a shepherd." The omission of the articln
seems intentional, to show that our Lord is describing trua
" shepherds of sheep " generally, and not Himself.
3. — ITo him.. .porter openeth, etc.] The whole of this verse is meant

182 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
to show the character of a true shepherd of sheep, in four
respects, (a) The porter opens the gate to hira, knowing by
his step and manner of approach, that ho is a friend, and not an
enemy, ^b) The sheep recognize his voice, and attend to what
he says, (c) He, knowing all his flock individually, calls each
sheep by his own peculiar name, (d) He leads thera out to
feed, desiring daily to proraote their health and well-being. In
all these four points, lie is unlilte the thief and robber.
The different custoras of Eastern countries, as compared to our
own, must be carefully kept in mind, to understand the expres
sions of this verse. A fold in Palestine was a space enclosed
by high walls, not by low hurdles. It had agate guarded by a
porter at night, as the sheep could not be safely left alone. An
Eastern shepherd knows each sheep in his flock,, and often has
a name for each one. The sheep are led, and not driven.
About " the porter who opens," in this verse, opinions differ.
Most commentators hold that the "porter" means the Holy
Ghost, who calls true ministers into the Church, and " opens
hearts ; " and that the sense is, " to a true pastor the Holy Ghost
gives a call to his ofllce, and makes a way into the hearts of
hearers." This, no doubt. Is excellent divinity, but I canuot
think our Lord meant anything of the kind. The " porter " here
is not said to call the pastor, but to open when the pastor
comes; nor yet to ppen hearts, but the door of the fold, through
which the true pastor enters. — The view of Wordsworth, also
held by Augustine, Rupertus, Bullinger, and Flacius, — that the
"porter" is Christ Himself, who is not only " Door," but "Por
ter," also, — does not appear to mo necessary. I prefer, with
Glassius, Grotius, Hutcheson, and Bloomfleld, regarding the
whole sentence as a subordinate feature in the parable, signify
ing that a true shepherd of sheep not only enters by the lawful
door, but that every facility is made for his entrance.
Sorae, as Chrysostora, Euthyraius, and Theophylact, think the
"porter" may mean "Moses."
Others, as Ecolampadius, Lampe, Webster, think the "por
ter" means the ministers and teachers of the Church, who have
the power of the keys, and the right to admit pastors.
Others, as Goraarus, Brentius, Maldonatus, Hall, Whitby,
Bengel, and Hengstenburg, thiuk the "porter" is God the
Father. The expression, " his own sheep," must not be pressed too far.
It simply means that a real shepherd, according to Eastern cus
tom, knowing his own flock individually by narae, calls them at
once by their names, and proves his relation to them by so doing.
If not hi.s own, he could not do so.
i.— [And when he putteth forth, etc.] This verse is simply a con
tinuation of the description of a true and faithful shepherd of
sheep. Whenever such an one takes his flock out to pasture, he

JOHN, CHAP. X. 183
walks before them, as an Eastern shepherd always does, never
requiring thera to go where lie does not flrst go himself. .Such
a shepherd the sheep follow with implicit confidence, and, know
ing his voice, go wherever he calls them.
The words of Moses should be read : " Let the Lord set a man
over the congregation, which raay go out before them, and which
may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which '
may bring them in : that tho congresation of the Lord be not as
sheep which have no shepherd. " (Num. xxvii. 16, 17.)
That Eastern shepherds " lead " their sheep, is clear from Exod.
iii. 1: " Heled thefiock; " andPsalmxxiii.2 : " He leadeth me."
5. — [And a stranger will they notfolloxo, etc.] This verse concludes
the picture of a true shepherd and his flock. It was a fact well
known to all our Lord's hearers, that sheep accustomed to one
shepherd's voice would not obey a stranger's voice, but would
rather be frightened at it. Just so true Christians have a spir
itual taste and discernment by which they distinguish a false
teacher, and will not hear him. "Ye have an unction from the
Holy One, and know all things." (1 John il. 20.) The poor
and illiterate believers often illustrate this in a very extraordi
nary way.
Brentius observes here the singular faculty which sheep
possess of always knowing and recognizing the voice of their
own shepherd. He also notices the extraordinary knowledge
that the lamb has of its own mother's bleat among a thousand
others, as a curious characteristic of an animal in many respects
dull and stupid.
Scott observes that this verse justifies true Christians in not
listening to false teachers. For leaving their parish church per
haps, underthese circumstances, many reproach them. Yet the
very men who reproach thera would not trust their worldly afl'airs
to an ignorant and dishonest lawyer, or their bodies to an incora-
petent doctor I Can it be wrong to act on the sarae principles
for our souls?
.Besser observes: " Sheep flee frora a false shepherd. They
will not say, it is enough if we do not follow this strange
preacher in those points in which he holds forth unsound teach-
• ing. They will have nothing at all to do with him. They will
flee frora him as frora a contagious disease." (2 Tim. ii. 17.)
Bickersteth observes that this verse, and the third, throw light
on the pastoral office of ministers. " How much of ministerial
influence depends on personal knowledge ! Great is the hindrance •
to the influence when an overgrown population renders it impos
sible."
i. — [This parable. ..Jesus.. .them.] The word rendered "parable"
here hardly bears the sense of the expression. It is rather
" allegory, " or flgurative picture. However, it clearly settles
that the whole passage must be taken as a picture of spiritual

184 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

things, and must be carefully handled, and not interpreted too
literally. The Greek word used by John for "parable" is not
used in any other Gospel.
[But they understood not.. .unto them.] The Pharisees appear
to have failed In seeing the application of the parable. This is
curious, when we reraeraber how quickly they saw the applica
tion to themselves of the parable of the husbandmen who killed
the heir of the vineyard. But nothing seems to blind raen's eyes
so much as pride of office. Wrapped up iu their conceit of their
own knowledge and dignity, they did not see that they them
selves who pretended to be leaders and teachers of the Jewish
flocks were not shepherds, but " thieves and robbers," doing
more harm than good. They did not see that the fatal defect in
their own qualiflcation for office was ignorance of Christ and
want of faith in Him. They did not see that no true sheep of
Christ could be expected to hear, follow, or obey their teaching.
Above all, they did not see that in excommunicating the poor
blind man whora onr Lord had healed, they were just proving
theraselves to be " thieves and robbers," and injuring one whom
they ought to have helped.
If even One who " spake as never raan spake " was not always
understood, ministers cannot be surprised if they find they are
often not understood now. How little of a serraon is under
stood, few preachers have the least idea !
Ferus remarks that our Lord's hearers must have been blind
not to see that their own prophet Ezekiel had already shown the
application of the parable. (Chap, xxxiv.)
Larape thinks they knew that our Lord was speaking of them,
but could not fully coraprehend the application of the parable.
7. — [Then said Jesus... again.] Here we see the condescension and
patience of our Lord. Seeing His hearers not able to understand
Hira, He proceeds to explain His meaning more fully. This is
an example for all teachers of religion. Without frequent repe
tition and simpliflcation spiritual lessons can never be taught.
[Verily, verily. ..you.] Once raore this solemn expression is
used, and again to the same hearers, the Pharisees.
[I am the door of the sheep.] Here is plain exposition. Jesus
here declares that He Himself is the Door through whom, and
by faith in whom, both shepherd and sheep raust pass, if they
would go Inside God's fold. " Every single sheep must enter
through Me, if he would join God's flock. Every teacher who
wishes to be a shepherd over God's flock, must enter his office
looking to Me."
This high claira of dignity raust have sounded startling to the
Pharisees! A higher claim wc can hardly conceive. None but
One, even the Divine Messiah, could have used such an expres
sion. No prophet or apostle ever did.

JOHN, CHAP. X. 185
At flrst sight it seems strange that our Lord says, '.' I ara the
Door of the sheep," and not simply " the Door." But I think it
is meant to teach that the Door is for the benefit of the sheep
more than the shepherd, and that He Himself is given raore
particularly for all His people than for His ministers. Minis
ters are only servants. The flock raight possibly do without
them, but they could not do without the flock.
Bullinger calls attention to the many beautiful figures under
which our Lord represented Himself and His office to the Jews,
in St. John's writings. The Bread, the Living Water, the Light
of the World, the Door, the Shepherd, are all in five chapters
of this Gospel.
Musculus observes that the simple view of Christ being " the
Door," is that He is the Mediator between God and man.
Webster observes : " It is worthy of remark that in the Ser
mon on the Mount, (Matt. vii. 13 — 17,) the description of the
strait gait and narrow way immediately precedes the warning
against false prophets and ravening wolves." The same also
may be seen here.
t.—[All that ever came before me, etc.] These words, " All, before
Me," must evidently be limited or qualifled. They cannot be
taken in their fullest sense. The prophets and John the Bap
tist were not thieves and robbers. It cannot well be taken to
mean, " All who have claimed to be the Messiah." There is no
evidence that many claimants did appear before our Lord, if
any. Besides, the word "are," in the present tense, seeras to
exclude those who lived before our Lord's time.
The great knot of the difficulty lies in the words, " came
before Me." The Greek word rendered " before " has only four
meanings: (1) before in point of time; (2) before in point of
place; (3) before in point of dignity and honour; (i) before in
the way of substitution. Of these, the two flrst seem ont of
the question, and we are shut up to the two last. I can only
conjecture that the sentence must be paraphrased in this way :
"All who have corae into the Church professing to be teachers,
clairaing houour for themselves instead of Me, or honouring
anything in preference to Me, such as you Pharisees, — all such
are not true shepherds, bnt thieves and robbers." I can see no
better solution, and I admit that the sentence is a difficulty.
Sorae, as Chrysostora and Theophylact, think " thieves and
robbers " mean drheudas, Judas of Galilee, (Acts v. 36, 37,) and
others like them.
Euthymius remarks that " all" here must not be taken liter
ally, but is a Hebraism meaning, " Any one who does not come
by Me is a thief," etc.
Theophylact observes that the Manichean heretics wrested this
' text into a proof of their fanatical view, that the Old Testament
prophets were uot sent by God!

186 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Luther says: "These thieves and robbers form at all times
the great majority iu the world, and nothing better can they be
as long as they are not in Christ. In fact, the world will have
such wolf's preaching, and indeed desires no better, because it
hears not Christ nor regards Christ. It is no wonder that true
Christians and their pastors are so few."
Calvin remarks : " That no raan may be moved by the consid
eration, that there have been teachers In all ages who gave
themselves no concern whatever about directing men to Christ,
Christ expressly states that it Is no matter how many there
may have been of this description, or how early they began to
appear. There is but one Door, and all who leave it, and make
openings or breaches in the walls, are thieves.
Lightfoot thinks that our Lord refers to the Pharisees, Saddu
cees, and Essenes, who had long misled the Jews before Christ
carae, and that they were the three false shepherds whose final
casting off is foretold in Zechariah xi. 8.
The expression, " The sheep did not hear them," raust raean
that true believers, when our Lord carae on earth, such as
Siraeon, Anna, and others, had ceased to put any confidence in
the coraraissioned teachers of the Jews, and were like sheep
without a slijepherd.
The word " sheep," in this explanatory verse, must evidently
betaken in a spiritual sense, and can only mean true believers.
Mere. outward merabers of the Church, without faith and grace,
are not " sheep."
" Sheep," says Hengstenberg, " In the discourses of Christ,
are always the faithful merabers of God's kingdom, the company
of believers."
Alford says : " The sheep throughout this parable are not the
mixed multitude of good and bad ; but tne real sheep, the faith
ful, who are what all in the fold should be. Tho false sheep, the
goats, do not appear."
Brentius remarks that we must not hastily assume, frora our
Lord's saying "the sheep did not hear them," that godly peo
ple will never be led away temporarily by false teachers. They
may be deceived and seduced, but will return to the truth at
last.
9. — [lam the door, etc.] This verse is one of those wide, broad,
grand statements which our Lord sometimes makes, stretching
far beyond the subject of which He is immedi.ately speaking. It
is like, " I am tho Bread,— I ara the Light, — I am the Way."—
The primary meaning Is, " I am He through whora and by
whora alone true pastors must enter the Church. All such pas
tors, entering by Me, shall flnd themselves at homo in the fold,
and enjoy the confidence of my flock, and flnd food for the souls
of my sheep, their hearers." — The secondary or fuller meaning
is, "I am the Way of access to God. All who come to the

JOHN, CHAP. X. 187
Father by Me, whether pastors or hearers, shall find through
Me safety and liberty, and possess coutinua; food for their
souls." Strictly speaking the sentence appears to belong spe
cially to the true rainisters of the flock of Christ. But I dare not
conflne it to thera alone. It is a grand, wide promise to all who
enter in.
Melancthon sees In this verse a most excellent picture of a
true pastor, in four respects. (1) He shall be saved personally.
(2) He shall go into close and intimate communion with God.
(3) He shall go forth furnished with gifts, and be useful to the
Church. (4) He shall flnd food and refreshment for his own
soul. Musculus observes that our Lord does not say, " If any
learned, or righteous, or noble, or rich, or Jewish man enters
by Me ; " bnt any man, " no matter who, great or small, how
ever wicked in times past," — any man that enters by Me shall
be saved.
The expression, " go in and out," irapiies a habit of using
familiarly a dwelling, and treating it as a horae. It is a Hebra
ism. It expresses beautifully the habitual coraraunion and
happy intercourse with Christ which a true believer enjoys. (See
Acts i. 21, ix. 28; John xiv. 23; Rev. iii. 20.)
Augustine suggests that " go in " raeans entering by faith,
and " going out," dying in faith, and the result of it having life
in glory. He says, " We corae in by believing: we go out by
dying." But this seems far-fetched.
Euthyraius thinks that "going out" refers to the Apostles
going out into the world to preach the Gospel.
The " finding pasture " irapiies the satisfaction, comfort, and
refreshment of soul which every one who uses Christ as his
Door into heaven shall experience. The latent thought is evi
dently Psalm xxiii. 1, 2, etc.
Burgon remarks : " The concluding words describe the secur
ity and enjoyraent which are the privilege of God's people. To
go in and out is to transact the business of each day's life : its
rest and labour, the beginning and end of every work. The
Hebrew phrase denotes a man's whole life and convers.ition.
The proraises connected therewith seera to imply that iu their
daily walk, it may be in the world's dusky lane and crowded
mart, the people of God will find spiritual support and conso
lation, even meat for their souls, which the world knows not
of. Elsewhere the phrase is often, ' go out and come in.' Here,
not without meaning, the e.-tpressions are transposed. The for
mer is the order of nature, the latter the order of grace."
In leaving this difficult passage, it is well to remeraber that
though our Lord is not speaking of Himself as a Shepherd here,
and is only giving a descriptive .picture of a good shepherd,
there Is a latent application to Himself. There is no one to

188

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

whom the various features of the picture apply so literally,
clearly, and exactly, as they do to thii great Shepherd of believ
ers. " Every expression," says Burgon, " has a marked refer-
euce to Christ; yet it is plain that it is not of Himself that He
Is primarily speaking."
Throughout the passage it is noteworthy how rauch stressi
is laid. on the "voice" of tho shepherd, and on hearing his
voice. I cannot but regard that as intentional. It is the " voice
in teaching " which makes the great difference between one
earthly pastor and another. "I'he shepherd," says Burgon,
" raust uot be silent while araong his sheep." It is hearing the
voice of the Chief Shepherd which is one great mark of all true
believers.

JOHN X. 10—18.

10 The thief cometh not, but for to
Bteal, and to kill, and to destroy: 1 am
come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundant-
ly- II I am tho good shepherd: the
good shepherd giveth his life for the

12 But he that is an hireling, aud
not the shepherd, whose own the sheep
are not, seeth the wolf coming, and
leaveth the sheep, and fleeth : and the
wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the
sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is
an hireling, and careth not for the

li I am the good shepherd, and

know my sheep, and am known of
mine, 15 As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father: and 1 lay down
my life for the sheep.
IG And 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, and one
shepherd. 17 Therefore doth my Father love
mo, because I lay down my life, that I
might talie it again.
is No man taketh it from me, buti
lay it down of myself. 1 have power
to lay it down, and I have power to take
it again. This commandment have I
received of my Father.

These verses show us, for one thing, the great object for
which Christ came into the world. He says, I am come
that men " might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly."
The truth contained in these words is of vast importance.
They supply an antidote to many crude and unsound no
tions which are abroad in the world. Christ did not come
to be only a teacher of new moralitj', or an example of
holiness and self-denial, or a founder of new ceremonies,
as some have vainly asserted. He left heaven, and dwelt

JOHN, CHAP. X. 189
for thirty-three years on earth for far higher ends than
these. He came to procure eternal life for man, by tho
price of His own vicarious death. He came to be a mighty
fountain of spiritual life for all mankind, to which sinners
coming by faith might drink ; aud, drinking, might live for
evermore. By Moses came laws, rules, ordinances, cere
monies. By Christ came grace, truth, and eternal life.
Important as this doctrine is, it requires to be fenced
with one word of caution. We must not overstrain the
meaning of our Lord Jesus Christ's words. We must not
suppose that eternal life was a thing entirely unknown until
Christ came, or that the Old Testament saints were in utter
darkness about the world to come. The way of life by
faith in a Saviour was a way well known to Abraham and
Moses and David. A Redeemer and a Sacrifice was the
hope of all God's children from Abel down to John the
Baptist ; but their vision of these things was necessarily
imperfect. They saw them afar off, and not distinctly.
They saw them in outline only, and not completely. It
was the coming of Christ which made all things plain, and
caused the shadows to pass away. Life and immortality
were brought into full light by the Gospel. In short, to
use our Lord's own words, even those who had life had it
" more abundantly," when Christ came into the world.
These verses show us, for another thing, one of the prin
cipal offices which Jesus Christ fills for true Christians.
Twice over our Lord uses an expression which, to an East
ern hearer, would be singularly full of meaning. Twice
over he says emphatically, " I am the Good Shepherd." It
is a saying rich in consolation and instruction.
Like a good shepherd, Christ knows all His believing
people. Their names, their families, their dwelling-places,
their circumstances, their private history, their experience,
their trials, — with all these things Jesus is perfectly
acquainted. There is not a thing about the least and low-

190 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
est of them with which He is not familiar. The children of
this world may not know Christians, and may count their
lives folly ; but the Good Shepherd knows them thoroughly,
and, wonderful to say, though He knows them, does not
despise them.
Like a Good Shepherd, Christ cares tenderly for all His
believing people. He provides for all their wants in the
wilderness of this world, and leads them by the right way
to a city of habitation. He bears patiently with their many
weaknesses and infirmities, and does not cast them off be
cause they are wayward, erring, sick, footsore, or lame.
He guards and protects them against all their enemies, as
Jacob did the flock of Laban ; and of those that the Father
has given Him He will be found at last to have lost none.
Like a Good Shepherd, Christ lays down His life for the
sheep. He did it once for all, when He was crucified for
them. When He saw that nothing could deliver them from
hell and the devil, but His blood. He willingly made His
soul an oflfering for their sins. The merit of that death
He is now presenting before the Father's throne. The
sheep are saved for evermore, because the Good Shepherd
died for them. This is indeed a love that passeth knowl
edge ! " Greater love hath no man than this, that a man
lay down his life for his friends." (John xv. 13.)
Let us only take heed that this office of Christ is not set
before us in vain. It will profit us nothing at the last day
that Jesus was a Shepherd, if during our lifetime, we never
heard His voice and followed Him. If we love life, let us
join His flock without delay. Except we do this, we shall
be found at the left hand in the day of judgment, and lost
for evermore.
These verses show us, lastly, that wJien Christ died, He
died of His own voluntary free will. He uses a remarkable
expression to teach this : " I lay down my life that I might
take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it

JOHN, CHAP. X. 191
down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have
power to take it again."
The point before us is of no mean importance. We must
never suppose for a moment that our Lord had no power to
prevent His sufferings, and that He was delivered up to His
enemies and crucified because He could not help it. Noth
ing could be further from the truth than such an idea. The
treachery of Judas, the armed band of priests' servants, the
enmity of Scribes and Pharisees, the injustice of Pontius
Pilate, the rude hands of Roman soldiers, the scourge, the
nails, and the spear, — all these could not have harmed a
hair of our Lord's head, unless He had allowed them. Well
might He say those remarkable words, " Thinkest thou that
I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently
give Me more than twelve legions of angels. But how,
then, shall the Scripture be fulfilled?" (Matt. xxvi. 63.)
The plain truth is, that our Lord submitted to death of
His own free will, because He knew that His death was the
only way of making atonement for man's sins. He poured
out His soul unto death with all the desire of His heart,
because He had determined to pay our debt to God, and
redeem us from hell. For the joy set before Him He will
ingly endured the cross, and laid down His life, in order
that we, through His death, might have eternal life. His
death was not the death of a martyr, who sinks at last over
whelmed by enemies, but the death of a triumphant con
queror, who knows that even in dying he wins for himself
and his people a kingdom and a crown of glory.
Let us lean back our souls on these mighty truths, and be
thankful. A willing Saviour, a loving Saviour, a Saviour
who came specially into the world to bring life to man, is
just the Saviour that we need. If we hear His voice, re
pent and believe, He is our own.

192 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Notes. John X. 10—18.
10. — [Tlie thief ...destroy.] In this passage our Lord entirely drops
tho flgure of " the door,'" and presents Hiraself under a new as
pect, as " tlie Shepheid." And the flrst thing He does is to
show the araazing difference between Himself and the false
teachers who bore rule among the Jews. He had already told
the Pharisees that they were no better than " thieves and rob
bers." He now contrasts their objects with His own. A thief
docs not come to the fold to do good to the flock, but harm ; for
his own selfish advantage, and for the injury of the sheep. Just
so the Pharisees only became teachers of the Jewish Church for
their own advantage and interest, and taught doctrine which
was only calculated to ruin and destroy souls.
A. Clarke observes : " How can worldly minded hirelings,
fox-hunting, card-playing priests, read these words without
trembling to the centre of their souls ?"
Bickersteth suggests that " the thief in the singular number
may reraind us of the prince of darkness, the great chief robber
and thief of souls."
[lam come...life... abundantly.] Our Lord here puts in strong
contrast with the false teachers of the Jews, His own purpose
and object in coraing iuto the world. He drops the figure of
"the cloor," and says plainly and distinctly, stating it in the
widest, broadest way, that, as a personal Saviour, He carae that
men might have life. The thief came to take life: He came to
give it. He came that the way to eternal life might be laid
open, the life of justification purchased by His blood, the life of
sanctification provided by the grace of His Spirit. He carae to
buy this life by His sacrifice on the cross. He carae to proclaim
this life and offer it to a lost world. To bring life and hope to
a lost, dead, perishing world was the grand object of his incar
nation. The ministry of the Pharisees was death, but that of
Christ VFas life. The word " they " before " raight have," must
be taken generally here for " men." There is nothing else to
which it can apply.
But this was not all. Our Lord carae that men who had life
already " might have it more abundantly : " that is, that they
might see the way of life raore clearly, and have no uncertainty
about the way of justification before God ; and that they raight
feel the possession of life raore sensibly, and have more con
scious enjoyment of pardon, peace, and acceptance. This seeras
to me by far the simplest view of the text. Of course there
were rcillions in the world who before Christ came knew noth
ing of life for their souls : to thera Christ's coraing brought
" iife." — But there were also many believing Jews who had life
already when Christ came, aud were walking in the steps of
Abraham : to them Christ's coming brought " life more abun
dantly." It enlarged their vision and increased their comfort.

JOHN, CHAP. X. 193
So Paul tells Titus that " Christ's appearing brought life and
immortality to light." (2 Tim. I. 10.)
Most commentators do not admit the comparative idea in
" raore abundantly," but interpret it as simply meaning the
abundance of grace and mercy which Christ brings into the
world : as Rom. v. 20, 21. This is true, but I ventu're to thiuk
it is not all the truth.
Chemnitius, following Augustine, thinks that " raore abun-
- dantly " may refer to the life of glory hereafter, which saints
will have after the life of faith here. But I cannot see this.
11. — [7 am the good shepherd.] Here our Lord declares that He
Himself is the great Head Shepherd of God's people, of whom
all rainisters, even the best, are only faint imitators. It is as If
He said, " I am towards all who believe in Me, what a good
shepherd is to his sheep, careful, watchful, and loving." The
li article in the Greek is twice used to increase the emphasis : " I
am the Shepherd, the good or excellent One." In the second
verse of the chapter, before the word " Shepherd," In the Greek,
we may remember, there is uo article at all.
It is probable that the name " shepherd," in . Jewish ears,
would convey, much more clearly than It does in ours, a claim
to be regarded as the Messiah or Shepherd of souls. (See Gen.
xlix. 24; Psalra xxiii.; Ezek. xxxiv.)
[The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.] Our Lordf
here shows the distinguishing raark of a good shepherd. Such
. an one will lay down his life for his sheep, to save, protect,
and defend thera. He will die rather than lose one. He will
peril his life, like David, attacking the lion and the bear, rather
than let one be taken frora hira. " All this," our Lord Irapiies,
" I have come to do for my spiritual sheep. I have corae to
shed ray life-blood to save their souls, to die that they raay
live." The word " giveth " here shonld have been translated
"layeth down." It is so rendered in the loth verse.
Flacius observes how our Lord here, as elsewhere, always
brings round His discourse to His own atoning death.
Hengstenberg observes : " The expression, ' laying down the
soul or life ' for any ono, does not occur anywhere else inde
pendently in the New Testament. It is never found in profane
writers. It raust be referred back to the Old Testament, and
. specially to Isai. liii. 10, where it Is said of Messiah, 'He
shall make, or place, His soul an offering for sin.' "
Tittraan says : " Those who maintain that Christ died only to
confirm the truth of His doctrine, or to confirm the certainty of
the proraises of pardon and acceptance with God, are under a
mistake. The death of Christ was not necessary for either of
those purposes. Tho truth of His doctrine and the certainty
of His promises must be established by other evidence. Neither
9

194 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

does our Lord say, that He laid down life for His doctrines, but
for His sheep."
12, 13. — [But he that is an hireling, etc.] Our Lord in these two
verses illustrates the subject He has taken up, by showing tho
wide difference between a mere hired shepherd, and one who
feels a special Interest In his sheep because they are his own.
A mere hired servant, who has not spent his money in buying
the sheep, but only takes charge of a flock for pay, and cares
little so long as he gets his money, such an one, as a general
rule, will make no sacrifice and run no risk for the sheep. If
he sees a wolf coming he will not meet him and fight, but will
run away, and leave the flock to be scattered and devoured.
He acts in this w.ay because his whole heart is not in his work.
He feeds the flock for money and not for love ; for what he can
get by it, and not because he really cares for the sheep. Of
course the picture must be taken as generaUy true : we cannot
suppose our Lord meant that no paid servant was trustworthy,
Jacob was a hired shepherd, yet trustworthy. But doubtless
His Jewish hearers knew many such " hirelings " as he here
describes. The picture of a faithless sliepherd In Ezekiel
xxxiv. would also occur to those who were farailiar with Old
Testament Scripture.
It is worth reraembering that St. Paul specially warns the
Ephesian elders, In Acts xx., that " grievous wolves " wonld
enter in among them, not sparing the flock. Our Lord also in
• the Sermon on the Mount compares false prophets to " raveniug
wolves." (Matt. vii. 15.)
Muscnlus observes how great a misfortune it is to Christ's
sheep when they are deserted by ministers, and left without
regular means of grace. It has a scattering, weakening effect.
The best of ministers are poor, weak creatures. But Churches
cannot keep together, as a rule, without pastors; the wolf
scatters thera. The ministry no doubt may be overvalued, bnt
it may also be undervalued.
We cannot doubt that the latent thought of our Lord's
language here was as follows. The Pharisees and other false
teachers were no better than hireling shepherds. They cared
for nothing but themselves, and their own honour or profit.
They cared nothing for souls. They were willing to have the
name and profession of shepherds, but they had no heart in
their work. They had neither will nor power to protect their
hearers agaiust any assault which that wolf, the devil, might
raake against them. Hence the Jews, when our Lord carae on
earth, were without help for their souls, fainting and scattered
like sheep without a shepherd, a prey to every device of the
devil. Let it btt noted that the great secret of a useful .ind Christ
like ministry is to love raen's souls. He that is a rainister
merely to get a living, or to have an honourable position, is

JOHN, CHAP. X. 195
" the hireling" of these verses. The true pastor's first care is
for his sheep. The false pastor's flrst thought is for himself.
Our Lord's strong language about the false teachers of the
Jews ends here. Those who think that unsound ministers
ought never to be exposed and held up to notice, and mon
ought never to be warned against them, would do well lo study
this passage. No class of character throughout our Lord's
ministry seems to call forth such severe denunciation as that
of false pastors. The reason is obvious. Other raen ruin
themselves alone : IVtlse pastors ruin their flocks as well as
themselves. To flatter all ordained men, and say they never
should be called unsound and dangerous guides, is the surest
way to injure the Church and offend Christ.
Chrysostom, Theophylact, and most commentators think
that the " wolf" here means the devil, even as he is called else
where a roaring lion, a serpent, and a dragon.
Larape, on the other hand, thinks that the wolf signifies the
same as the thief and robber, and that it must raean the false
prophet, the wolf in sheep's clothing. (See Zeph. iii. 3 ; Matt.
vii. 15.)
_ In interpreting this whole passage we must be careful not to
strain it too far. Our Lord did not mean that in no case is
flight from danger lawful in a pastor. He Hiraself says else
where, " When they persecute you in one city, flee ye to au-
other." (Matt. x. 23.) So Paul left Damascus by stealth to
escape the Jews. (Acts Ix. 25.)
Calvin remarks : " Ought we to reckon that man an hireling,
who, for any reasons whatever, shrinks frora encountering the
wolves? This was anciently debated as a practical question,
when tyrants raged cruelly against the Church. Tertullian and
others were, in ray opinion, too rigid on this point. I prefer
greatly the moderation of Augustine, who allowed pastors to
flee on certain conditions."
No unbending rule can be laid down. Each case musi be
decided by circumstances. There are times when, like St. .P.aul
or Jewell, a man may see it a duty to flee, and await better
days; and tiraes when, like Hooper, he .may feel called to
decline flight and to die with his sheep. Barnabas and Paul
were specially commended to the Church at Antioch, (Acts xv.
25,) as those who had " hazarded their lives for the name of
the Lord Jesus." St. Paul tells the Ephesian elders, " I count
not my life dear unto rayself so that I raay finish my course
with joy." (Acts xx. 21.) Again he says, " I am ready to die
at Jerusalera for the narae of the Lord Jesus." (Acts xxi. 13.)
U. — [lam the good shepherd.] These words are repeated to show
the iraportance of the office our Lord fills as the Good Shep
herd, and to bring into stronger light the wide difference be
tween Him and the Pharisees.

196 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

[And know my sheep, and am Jcnown of mine.] These words
express the close and intimate union there is between Christ
and all His believing people, a union understood fully by those
alone who feel it, but to the world foolishness. Our Lord, like
a good earthly shepherd, knows every one of his people, —
knows thera with a special knowledge of love and approval;'
knows where thoy dwell and all about them, their weaknesses,
trials, and temptations, and knows exactly what each one needs
from day to day. His people, on the other hand, know Him
with tho knowledge of faith and confidence, and feel ia Him a
loving trust of which an unbeliever can forra no Idea. They
know Him as their own sure Eriend and Saviour, and rest on
the knowledge. The devils know that Christ is a Saviour.
The sheep know and feel that He is their Saviour.
I fancy the fulness of this verse would be far raore plain to
Jews accustomed to Oriental shepherds and their flocks, to the
care of a good shepheid and the confidence of a flock, than it is
to us in this Northern climate. At any rate it teaches indirectly
the duty of every Christ-like pastor to be personally acquainted
with all his people, just as a good shepherd knows each one of
his sheep.
Musculus points out the strong contrast between " I know rny
sheep," and the soleran saying to the virgins, "I know you
not," and to the false professors, " I never knew you," in Matt.
xxv. 7; vii. 23.
Besser reraarks that " ' I ara known of mine ' is a sharp re
buke to those doubters who in voluntary humility refuse to be
sure of their salvation."
16. — [As the Father.. .me... I the Father.] I believe this sentence
ought to be road iu close connection with the last verse, and
without any full stop between. There is nothing in the Greek
against this view. The sense would then be, "I know my
sheep and am known of mine, even as the Father knoweth Me-
and I know the Father." The meaning will thon be that the
mutual knowledge of Christ and His sheep is like the mutual
knowledge of the Father and the Son,— a knowledge so high,
so deep, so intimate, so ineffable, that no words can fully con
vey it. The full nature of that knowledge which the flrst
Person of the Trinity has of the Second, and the Second has of
the First, is something far beyond finite man's understanding. It
is in short a deep mystery. Yet the mutual knowledge and com
munion of Christ and believers is something so deep and won
derful that it can only be compared, thoilgii at a vast distance,
to that which exists between the Father and the Son.
To understand this knowledge a little, we should read care
fully the language used in Proverbs viii. 22 — 30.
[And I lay down my life for the sheep.] Our Lord, to show
how truly He is the Good Shepherd, declares that like a good

JOHN, CHAP. X. 197
shepherd He not only knows all His sheep, but lays down His
life for them. By using the present tense. He seems to say, " I
am doing it. I am just about to do it. I came iuto the world
to do it." This cau only refer to His own atoning death on the
cross : the great propitiation He was about to make by shedding
His life-blood. It was the highest proof of love. "Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends." (John xv. 13.)
Taken alone and by itself this sentence undoubtedly contains
the doctrine of particular redemption. It declares that Christ
"lays down His life for the sheep." That He does so ina
special souse I think none can deny. The "sheep" alone,
or true believers, obtain any saving benefit from His death.
But to argue frora this text, that in no sense and in no way did
Christ die for any beside His " sheep," is to say what seems
to rae to contradict Scripture. The plain truth is that the ex
tent of redemption is not the leading subject of this verse.
Our Lord is saying what He does for His sheep : He loves them
so that He dies for them. But it does not follow that we are
to conclude that His death was not meant to iufiuence and
effect the position of all mankind. I venture to refer the reader
to my own notes, iu this commentary, on John i. 28; iii. 16
- and vi. 32, for a full discussion of the subject.
Both here and in the 11th verse, I do not think the Greek
word translated " for " should bo pressed too far, as if it neces
sarily implied the doctrine of substitution, or the vicariousness
of. Christ's death. That doctrine is a blessed and glorious
truth, and is taught plainly and unmistakably elsewhere. Here,
however, we are reading parabolic figurative langua.!?e, and I
doubt whether it is quite fair to explain it as raeaning more
than "on account of," or " in'behalf of," the sheep. Of course
it comes to the same thing at last: if the Shepherd did not
die, the sheep would die. But I do not quite tliink " vicarious
ness," at any rate, is the primary idea of the sentence.
I fully agree with Parkhurst, at the same time, that the Greek
expression for " dying for any one," in Rora. v. 6 — 8, never has
any siguification other than that of "rescuing the life of another
at the expense of our own."
16.— [And other sheep I have. ..fold.] In this sentence, our Lord
;.;' declares plainly the approaching conversion of the Gentile^.
The sheep He specially died for were not raerely the few
believing Jews, but the elect Gentiles also. They are the
"other sheep:" "this fold" means the Jewish Church. It
¦ reads as though He would show the real measure and size of
His flock. It was one much larger than the Jewish nation, of
which the Scribes and Pharisees were so proud.
Let it be noted here that our Lord uses the present tense.
The heathen sheep were as yet lieathen, and not brought iu :
yet He says, " I have them." They were already given to Him

198 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
in the eternal councils, and foreknown from the bei»inning of
the world. So it was with the Corinthians before their conver
sion : " I have rauch people in this city." (Acts xviii. 10.)
Augustine remarks: "They were yet without, among .th^e
Gentiles, predestinittod, not yet gathered in. These He knew
who had predestinated thera : He knew who had come to re
deem thera with the shedding of His own blood. He saw them
who did not yet see Him : He knew them who yet believed not
in Hira."
[Them also.. .bring.] Our Lord here declares that it is neces
sary for Him, in order to fulfil the prophecies of the Old Testa
ment, and to carry out the great purpose of His coming, to
bring in and add to His flock other believers beside the Jewish
sheep : " It is part of ray work, ofiice, and raission, to gather
them out from the heathen by the preaching of my apostles."
The prediction here made was contrary to Jewish prejudices.
The Jews thought they alone were God's flock and favoured
people. Even the apostles afterwards were slow to remember
these words.
Hutcheson observes : " Christ Himself is chief in bringing In
His elect, whatever instruments He employs : and He is at
pains to seek thera, and gain their consent, as being bound in
the covenant of redemption to present all that are given Him
blameless before the Father." Saints are " the called of Jesus
Christ." (Rora. 1. 6.)
[They shall hear my voice.] This is a prophecy and a promise
corabined. It was a prophecy that the elect among the heathen,
however unlikely it might appear, would hear Christ's voice
speaking to thera in the Gospel preached; and, hearing, would
believe and obey. — It was a proraise that would encourage His
Apostles to preach to the heathen : " They will listen, and be
converted, aud follow Me." — It is a saying that was wonderfully
forgotten by the Apostles afterwards. They were backward to
bring in the other sheep, after their Master left the world. — It
is a sentence that should nerve and cheer the raissionary.
Christ has said it: "The sheep who are scattered araong the
heathen will hear."
The text, "He that heareth you heareth Me," (Luke x. 16,) is
the Divine explanation of the expression, " hear my voice."
[And there shall be one fold... shepherd.] This sentence con
tains one word which ought to have been differently translated.
It ought to be, as Tyndale renders it, " one flock and one shep
herd." There is an evident difl'erence. Christ's universal
Church is a raighty corapany of which the merabers may be
found in many different visible Churches, or ecclesiastical
"folds:" but it composes only one "flock." There is only
" one Holy Catholic Church," which is the blessed company of
all foithful people; but there are many various visible
Churches.

JOHN, CHAP. X. 199
The sentence is true of all believers now. Though differing
in various points, such as governraent or cereraonies, true
believers are all sheep of one flock, and all look up to one Sa
viour and Shepherd. It will be more completely fulfilled at
Christ's second cominji: then shall be exhibited to the world
one glorious Church under one glorious Head. In the view of
this proraise unity with all true Christians should be sought and
striven for by every true sheep.
Gualter remarks that there never has been, or can be, more
than one Holy Catholic Church, and unless we belong to it we
cannot be saved, and he warns us against the pernicious error
that all men shall get to heaven if sincere, whether they belong
to the Holy Catholic Church or not.
Chemnitius observes that we raust be careful not to make this
one Church either too narrow or too broad. We make it too
narrow when, like the Jews and the Papists, we exclude any
believer who does not belong to our particular fold. We make it
too broad when we include every professing Christian, whether
he hears Christ's voice or not. It Is a flock of " sheep."
In every other place in the New Testament the word here
wrongly translated " fold," is rendered " flock." (Matt. xxvi.
31; Luke ii. 8; 1 Cor. ix 7.) The word "fold," before us, is
evidently an oversight of our translators.
17. — [Therefore.. .my Father love me because, etc.] This is a deep
and raysterious verse, like all verses which speak of the relation
between the First and Second Persons of the Trinity. We must
be content to admire and believe" what we cannot fully under
stand. When, as in John v. 20, and here, our Lord speaks of
"the Father loving the Son," we must reraeraber that He is using
language borrowed frora earthly afi'ection to express the raind
of one Person of the Trinity towards another, and accordin.gly
we raust interpret it reverently. — Yet we may surely gather
from this verse that our Lord's coming into this world to lay
down His life for the .sheep, by dying on the cross, and to take
it again for their justification, by rising again frora the dead, was
a transaction viewed with infinite complacency aud approbation
by God the Father. — " I ara about to die, and after death to
rise again. My so doing, however strange It ra.ay seera to you
Pharisees, is the very thing which my Father in heaven approves,
and for which He specially loves Me." — It is like the Father's
words, " In whom I am well pleased ; " and St. Paul's, " Where
fore God hath highly exalted Him," (Matt. ill. 17; Phil. ii. 9;)
and Isaiah's, "I will divide Hira a portion with the great,
because He hath poured out His soul unto death." (Isai. liii.
12.) Our Lord, by mentioning His resurrection, seems to remind
His hearers that in one respect He was different from the best
of shepherds. They might lay down their lives ; but then there
would be an end of them. He meant to lay down His life, bat

200 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
after that to take it again. He would not only die for His peo«
pie, but also rise again. ¦
Gnyse thinks the true meaning is, " I cheerfully lay down my
life fbr the expiation of my sheep's offences, in order that I may
rise again for their justification."
Let it bo noted here, that there Is no part of Christ's work for
His people that God the Father is said to regard with such
special complacency as His dying for them. No wonder that
ministers ought to make Christ crucified the principal subject
of their teaching.
Gualter thinks these words were specially meant to prevent
the offence of the ignominious death of Christ on the cross.
That death, whatever the Jews might think, was part of Christ's
plan and commission, and one reason why the Father loved
Him. Brentius thinks that there is here a reference to the story of
Abraham offering Isaac, when the words were used, "Because
thon hast done this thing, and not withheld thy son, therefore,
blessing, I will bless thee." (Gen. xix.)
Hengstenberg remarks that the Father's love " was the very
opposite of that wrath of God, of which the Jews regarded
Christ's death as a proof and sign." They thought that God had
forsaken Him, and given Him up to be crucified in displeasure,
when in reality God was well pleased:
18. — [No man taketh...of my^self.] In this sentence our Lord
teaches that His own death was entirely voluntary. An earthly
shepherd may die for his fiock, bnt against his own will. The
Great Shepherd of believers raade His soul an offering for sin
of His ovvn free will. He was not obliged or compelled to do it
by superior force. No one conld have taken away His life had
He not been willing to lay it down; but He laid it down "of
Himself," because He had covenanted to offer Himself as a pro
pitiation for our sins. His own love to sinners, and not the
power of the Jews or Pontius Pilate's soldiers, was the cause of
His death.
The word "I" is Inserted emphatically in the Greek. "I
myself" lay down my life " of myself."
Henry observes : " Christ could, when He pleased, slip the
knot of union between body and soul, and without any act of
violence done to Himself, could disengage them from each oth
er. Having voluntarily taken up a body, he could voluntarily
lay it down again. This appeared vphen He cried with a loud
voice, and ' gave up ' the ghost."
[I have power. ..doion... take it up.] Our Lord here pmpliflea
His last statement, and magnifies His own Divine nature, by
declaring that He has full power to lay down His life when He
pleases, and take it again when He pleases. This last point de«

JOHN, CHAP. X. 201
serves special notice. Our Lord teaches that His resurrection,
as well as His death, w.as in His own power. When our Lord
rose again He was not passive, and raised by the power of
another only, but rose by His own Divine power. It is note
worthy that the resurrection of our Lord in sorae places is at
tributed to His Father's act, as Acts ii. 24, 32; once, at least, to
the Holy Spirit, as 1 Pet. iii. 18; and here, and in John li. 19,
to Christ Himself. All leads to the same great conclusion, —
that the resurrection of Our Lord, as well as every part of His
mediatorial work, was an act iu which all three Persons of the
Trinity concurred and co-operated.
Hutcheson observes that if Christ had povpor to take life
again, when He pleased, " so He can put a period to the suffer
ings of His own when He pleaseth, without any help of their
crooked ways."
[Thiscommandment... received.. .Father.] Chrysostora, and raost
other coramentators, apply these words strictly to the great
work which our Lord has just declared He had power to do :
viz., to lay down His life and to take it again. " This is part
of the coraraission I received frora my Father on coraing into
the world, and one of the works He gave Me to do."
No doubt this is good exposition and good divinity. Yet I
ara rather inclined to think that our Lord's words refer to the
whole doctrine which He had just been declaring to the Jews :
viz.. His ofiice as a Shepherd, His being the true Shepherd, His
laying down His life for the sheep, and t.aking it again. His hav
ing other sheep who were to be brought into the fold, His fin-al
purpose to exhibit to the world one flock and one Shepherd.
Of all this truth. He says, "I received this doctrine in charge
frora ray Father, to proclaim to the world, and I now declare it
to you Pharisees." — I suspect that both here and elsewhere, the
word "coraraandraent" has a wide, deep raeaning, and points
to that soleran aud mysterious truth, the entire unity of the
Father and the Son in the work of redemption, to which John
frequently refers : "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 dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works." (John xiv.
10.) " The Father gave Me a coraraandment what I should
speak." (John xii. 49.) OurLord's object in these often re
peated expressions seems to be to keep the Jews in mind that
He was not a mere human Prophet, but one who was God as
well as man, and iu whora, both speaking and working, the
Father always dwelt.
When onr Lord speaks of " receiving a coraraandment," we
must take care that we do not suppose the expression implies
any inferiority of the Second Person of the Trinity to the First.
We raust reverently reraember the everlasting covenant between
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the salv.ation of man, and in
terpret "commandment" as meaning a p.art of the charge or
commission with which the Second Person, Christ, was sent
into the world, to carry out the purposes of the Eternal Trinity.

202

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

JOHN X. 19—39.

19 There was a division therefore
again among the Jews for these sayings.
20 And many of thera said, He hath
a devil, and is mad; why hear ye
hira? 21 Others said, These are not the
words of him that hath a devil. Can
a devil open the eyes of the blind ?
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast
of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple
in Solomon's porch.
24 Then came the .Tews Vound about
him, and said unto him. How long dost
tbou mako us to doubt ? If thou be tho
Christ, tell us plainly.

25 Jesus answered them, I told yon,
.and you believed DOt:"the works thati
do in my Father's name, they bear wit
ness of me.
26 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 thom, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal
life; and they shall never perish, neith
er shall any man pluck them out of my
hand. 29 My Father which gave them me,
is greater than all ; and no Tnrzn is able
to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.

We should notice, first, in this passage, what strifes and con
troversies our Lord occasioned when He was on earth. "We
read that " there was a division among the Jews for His
sayings," — and that " many of them said He hath a devil,
and is mad," while others took an opposite view. It may
seem strange, at flrst sight, that He who came to preach
peace between God aad man should be the cause of conten.^
tion. But herein were His own words literally fulfilled, —
i' I came not to send peace, but a sword." (Matt. x. 34.)
The fault was not in Christ or His doctrine, but in the carnal
mind of His Jewish hearers.
Let us never be surprised if we see the same thing in our
own day. Human nature never changes. So long as the
heart of man is without grace, so long we must expect to see
it dislike the Gospel of Christ. Just as oil and water, acids
and alkalies, cannot combine, so in the same way uncon
verted people cannot really like the people of God. — " The
carnal mind is enmity against God." — " The natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God." (Rom. viii.
7 ; 1 Cor. ii. 14.)
The servant of Christ must think it no strange thing if
he goes through the same experience as his Master He
will often find his ways and opinions in religion the cause

JOHN, CHAP. X. 203
of strife in his own family. He will have to endure ridi
cule, hard words, and petty persecution, from the children
of this world. He may even discover that he is thought a
fool or a madman on account of his Christianity. Let none
of these things move him. The thought that he is a par
taker of the afflictions of Christ ought to steel him against
every trial. " If they have called the Master of the house
Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his
household." (Matt. x. 25.)
One thing, at any rate, should never be forgotten. We
must not allow ourselves to think the worse of religion be
cause of the strifes and dissensions to which it gives rise.
Whatever men maj' please to say, it is human nature, and
not religion, which is to blame. We do not blame the glo- /v
rious sun because its rays draw forth noxious vapors from
the marsh. We must not find fault with the glorious Gospel,
if it stirs up men's corruptions, and causes the " thoughts
of many hearts to be revealed." (Luke ii. 35.)
We should notice^ secondly, the name which Christ gives
to true Christians. He uses a figurative expression which,
like all His language, is full of deep meaning. He calls
them, " My sheep."
The word " sheep," no doubt, points to something in the
character and ways of true Christians. It would be easy
to show that weakness, helplessness, harmlessness, useful
ness, are all points of resemblance between the sheep and
the believer. But the leading idea in our Lord's mind was
the entire dependence of the sheep upon its Shepherd.
Just as sheep hear the voice of their own shepherd, and
follow him, so do believers follow Christ. By faith they
listen to His call. By faith they submit themselves to His
guidance. By faith they lean on Him, and commit their
souls implicitly to His direction. The ways of a shepherd
and his sheep are a most useful illustration of the relation
between Christ and the true Christian.

204 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
The expression, " My sheep," points to the close connec
tion that exists between Christ and believers. They are
His by gift from the Father, His by purchase, His by call
ing and choice, and His by their own consent and heart-
submission. In the highest sense thej' are Christ's prop
erty ; and just as a man feels a special interest in that
which he has bought at a great price and made his own, so
does the Lord Jesus feel a peculiar interest in His people.
Expressions like these should be carefully treasured up
in the memories of true Christians. They will be found
cheering and heart-strengthening in days of trial. The
world may see no beauty in the ways of a godly man, and
may often pour contempt on him. But he who knows that
he is one of Christ's sheep has no cause to be ashamed.
He has within him a " well of water springing np into ever
lasting life." (John iv. 14.)
We should notice, lastly, in this passage, the vast privi
leges which the Lord Jesus Christ bestows on true Christians.
He uses words about them of singular riehness and strength.
" I know them. — I give unto them eternal life. — They shall
never perish, — neither shall anj- man pluck them out of my
hand." This sentence is like the cluster of grapes which
came from Eshcol. A stronger form of speech perhaps can
hardlj"^ be found in the whole range of the Bible.
Christ " knows " his people with a special knowledge of
approbation, interest, and afiection. By the world around
them they are comparatively unknown, uncared for, or de
spised. But they are never forgotten or overlooked by
Christ. Christ "gives" his people "eternal life." He bestows
on them freely a right and title to heaven, pardoning their
many sins, and clothing thera with a perfect righteousness.
Money, and health, and worldly prosperity He often wisely
withholds from them. But He never fails to give them
grace, peace, and glory.

JOHN, CHAP. X. 205
Christ declares that His people " shall never perish."
Weak as they are they shall all be saved. Not one of them
shall be lost and cast away : not one of them shall miss
heaven. If they err, they shall be brought back ; if they
fall, they shall be raised. The enemies of their souls may
be strong and mighty, but their Saviour is mightier ; and
none shall pluck them out of their Saviour's hands.
A promise like this deserves the closest attention. If
words mean anything, it contains that great doctrine, the
perseverance, or continuance in grace, of true believers.
That doctrine is literally hated by worldly people. No
doubt, like every other truth of Scripture, it is liable to be
abused. But the words of Christ are too plain to be eva
ded. He has said it, and He will make it good, — " My
Bheep shall never perish."
Whatever men may please to saj' against this doctrine,
it is one which God's children ought to hold fast, and de
fend with all their might. To all who feel within them the
workings of the Holy Spirit, it is a doctrine full of encour
agement and consolation. Once inside the ark, they shall
never be cast out. Once converted and joined to Christ,
they shall never be cut ofi" from His mystical body. Hypo
crites and false professors shall doubtless make shipwreck
forever, unless they repent. But true " sheep " shall never
be confounded. Christ has said it, and Christ cannot lie :
" they shall never perish.''
Would we get the benefit of this glorious promise ? Let
us take care that we belong to Christ's flock. Let us hear
His voice and follow Him. The man who, under a real
sense of sin, flees to Christ and trusts in Him, is one of
those who shall never be plucked out of Christ's hand.
Notes. John X. 19—30.
19.— [There was a division, etc.] This Is the third time that we find
our Lord's words causing a division, or schism, among His
hearers. Each time it occurred at Jerusalem. At chap. vii. 43,

206 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

It was among " the people ; " at ix. 16, among the " Pharisees."
Here it was among the " Jews," an expression in St. John's
Gospel generally applied to our Lord's memies araong the
Pharisees. The special " sayings " which caused the division were proba
bly our Lord's words about His Father, His claim to have power
to lay down His life and take it again, and His proclamation of
Himself as "the Good Shepherd." Words like these from a
Galilean teacher of hurable appearance were likely to offend the
proud Pharisees of Jerusalera.
That our Lord would be a cause of division — a stone of stum
bling to some, and set for the rise and fall of many In Israel — had
been foretold by Isaiah, viii. 14, and by Simeon, Luke ii. 34.
Divisions among His hearers are therefore no proof that He was
not the Messiah, and divisions among hearers of the Gospel in
the present day are no argument against the truth of the Gospel.
Eveu now the same Gospel is a savour of death to some, and of
life to others, calls forth love in sorae, and hatred in others.
The same fire which raelts wax hardens clay.
20. — [And many of them said, etc.] This Is the sort of profane
remark which we can well imagine many unconverted hearers
of our Lord making: "What! a hurable Galilean like this Man
call Himself tho only good Shepherd, and talk of having power
to lay down His life and take it again, and of having a special
commission frora His Father in heaven. He must surely have a
devil, or be out of His senses. He raustbe ra.ad. Why do you
waste your tirae in listening to Him? " — Thousands talk in this
way now against Christ's servants. They would probably have
talked in the same way against their Master!
Let us note what blasphemous and slanderous things were said
against our Lord. True Christians, and specially ministers,
raust never wonder if they are treated in the sarae raanner.
21. — [Others said. These are not, etc.] Here we see that there were
sorae among the Pharisees who took our Lord's part, and were
disposed to believe on Him. Such probably were Gamaliel,
Nicoderaus, and Joseph of Arimathea. They defend him on the
score both of His words and works. — As to His words, they argue
that no one of common sense could call such words as our Lord
had just spoken the words of a man possessed with a devil. The
devil and his .agents do not desire to do good to raan, or to
gloriiy God. The calm, solemn, loving, God-glorifying language
just used, was the very opposite to that which might be expected
from a demoniac. — As to ills works, they argue that no devil, how
ever powerful, could work such a miracle as to open the eyes of
the blind. Some wonderful works the devil might do, but no
such work as that of giving sight. It is worth noticing that the
Jews held that to give sight to the blind was one of the special
miracles which Messiah would work, "Then the eyes of tha
blind shall be opened." (Isaifth xxxv. 6.)

JOHN, CHAP. X. 207
The Greek word here rendered " words," is not the s.irae as
that rendered " sayings," in verse 19. Webster says it is a
stronger expression, and means "the wJiole transactiou," as
well .as the things said. The word " blind " here In the Greek is
plural, and would be more accurately translated, " of blind
persons."
12. — [And it was at Jerusalem.] Many think that an interval of
time comes in between this verse aud the prccedii)g one. I
doubt it. From chap. vii. 2, where we are told it was the feast
of tabernacles, the narrative runs on at flrst sight continuously ;
yet if we look at John ix. 35, there must have been one break of
time. — If there was any interval before the verse we are now
considering, I think it must havo been very short. The follow
ing verses show that the discourse about " the sheep " must have
been fresh in the rainds of the Jews, as our Lord refers to it as
a thing they could reraember : He would hardly have done so if
the interval had been very long. At any rate, I can see no proof
that our Lord left Jerusalem between the discourse about the
" sheep " and the verse before us.
[Thefeast of the dedication.] This Jewish festival is one which
is nowhere else raentioned in the Bible. It is, however, a matter
ofhistory, according to raost coraraentators, that it was flrst
appointed by Judas Maccabeus to coraraeraor.ate the purging of
the temple, and the*rebui!ding of the altar, after the Syrians
were driven out. Its appointment is recorded in the Apocry
pha in 1 Maccabees iv. 52 — 59. The Apocryphal books are, no
doubt, uninspired. But there is no reason to question the
accuracy of their historical statements. The passage before ns
Is often referred to, as proving that our Lord recognized, and
tacitly sanctioned, a raan-made and man-appointed festival.
" The Church has power to decree rites and ceremonies," and
so long as it ordains nothing against God's Word, its appoint
ments deserve respect. At any rate onr Lord did not denounce
the feast of dedication, or refuse to be present at it.
Chrysostom and others think that the feast of dedication was
appointed to comraemorate the rebuilding of the temple after
the Babylonian captivity, in Ezra's tirae. (Ezra vi. 16.)
Some think that it was to commemorate the dedication of Solo
mon's temple. (2 Chron. vii. 9.) There is, however, no war
rant for this view.
Pearce remarks, that John alone, of all the evangelists, records
onr Lord's attendance at four of the great feasts of the Jews : viz.,
passover, (John ii. 13,) pentecost,(v. 1,) tabernacles, (vii. 2,) and
dedication here.
[It was winter.] This shows that three months had passed
since the miracle of healing the blind raan, which was worked
at the feast of tabernacles. That was about Michaelmas, by
onr reckoning. The season of winter is here mentioned Do ex
plain why our Lord walked under cover, " iu a porch."

208 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

The mention of winter goes far to prove that the feast of dedi
cation must have been appointed in commeraoration of the
work of Judas Maccabeus. Solomon's dedication was at Michael
mas, in the seventli raouth; Ezra's about Easter, in the flrst
month.
t8. — [And Jesus loalked.] This must either mean that " it was the
habit" of our Lord to walk, or else that "one day Jesus was
walking." The latter seems the more likely sense.
[In the temple.] This means in the outer court, or area around
the temple, vvhich was a common place of resort for the Jews,
and specially upon festivals. Here teachers expounded, and
discussions on religious questions seem to have taken place.
Here probably our Lord was found " among the doctors," hearing
and asking questions, when he was twelve years old. (Luke ii.
i-6.) [In Solomon's porch.] The word " porch " rather means what
we should call a veranda, or colonnade. It was one of those long
covered walks under a roof supported by columns, on one side at
least, which the inhabitauts of hot countries appear to flnd abso
lutely needful. Singularly enough, one sect of lieathen philoso
phers at Athens was called " Stoics," from its meeting in a place
called " Stoa," here rendered a porch ; while another was called
" Peripatetics," from its habit of " walking about " during its
discussions, just as our Lord did in this verse. The cloisters of
a cathedral or abbey, perhaps, are most like the building called
a "porch " here.
Josephus says this porch was one of the buildings which re
mained partly undestroyed from Solomon's teraple.
Tacitus expressly mentions it as one of the defences of the
teraple at the siege of Jerusalera.
24. — [Then came.. .Jews round.. .said...him.] This would be more
literally rendered, " encircled Hira," or surrounded Him in a
circle. [How long... make. ..doubt.] This would be more literally ren
dered, " Until what time dost Thou lift up onr souls? How long
dost Thou keep us in a state of suspense and excitement? "
Eisner thinks it raeans, " How long dost Thou take away our
life, (asat verse eighteen,) or kill us with doubtand perplexity?"
Suicer, Schleusner, and Parkhurst, however, prefer, "hold us in
suspense." (See marginal reading iu Luke xii. 29.)
[If... Christ, tell usplainly.] Tho Jews had no right to say they
had not suiTicieut evidence that our Lord was the Christ. But
nothing is more common with hardened and wicked men than to
allege a want of evidence, and to pretend willingness to believe,
If only more evidence was supplied.
" Plainly " here does not mean in plain language, and easily

JOHN, CHAP. X. 209
understood, but openly, boldly, unreservedly, and without mys
tery.
25.— [Jesus answered...! told... ye believed not.] To what does our
Lord refer here ? I believe He refers to what he had said in the
flfth chapter before the Sanhedrim, and in the eighth chapter in
the discourse beginning, " I ara the Light," etc. The words
would be more literally rendered, " 1 ha\e told you, and ye do
not believe."
Henry observes, " The Jews pretended that they only doubted,
but Christ tells thera that they did not believe. Scepticism in
religion Is no better than downright infidelity."
Hengstenberg thinks that "I have told you " specially refers
to our Lord's recent proclamation of Himself as " the Good
Shepherd." To a Jewish ear it would sound like a claira to be
the Messiah.
[Tlie works.-.Father's name,.. .witness of me.] Here, as in other
places, our Lord appeals to His miracles as the grand proof that
He was the Christ. (Corapare iii. 2, and v. 36, and vii. 31, and
ix. 33, 34, and Acts Ii. 22.) It is as though our Lord said, "The
miracles I have done are more than sufficient proof that I am the
Messiah. Nothing can account for them but the fact that I aa
the promised Messiah."
We should observe that our Lord says, " The works which I do
In ray Father's name ;" that is, by my Father's commission and
appointment, and as His Messenger. Here, as elsewhere, He
carefully reminds the Jews that He does not act independently
of His Father,'but in entire harmony aud unity with Him. His
works were works which " the Father gave Him to flnisli."
We should observe how our Lord always aud confidently ap-l
peals to the evidence of His miracles. Those who try to depre
ciate and sneer at miracles, seem to forget how often they are
brought forward as good witnesses in the Bible. This, in fact,
is their great object and purpose. They were not so much
meant to convert, as to prove that He who did them was from
God, and deserved atteution.
" Of me," would be more literally rendered, " concerning or
about rae."
26. — [But ye believe not, because. ..not...sheep.] I doubt whether
the word " because " docs not put a raeaning on this verse which
it hardly bears in the Greek. It should rather be, " Ye neither
believe my words nor iny works, Fon ye are not in the nuraber
of ray sheep. If ye were ray sheep ye would believe : faith is
one of their raarks." Not being Christ's sheep was not the
CAUSE of tho uublief of the Jews; but their unblief was the ev
idence that they were not Christ's sheep.
Tyndale and others think that the full stop should be after the

210 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
•word " sheep," and that " as I said unto yon," should be taken
with the following verse ; but I see no necessity for this.
[As I said unto you.] t think these words refer to two sayings
of our Lord, which He had used in speaking to the Jews, one in
chap. viii. 47: "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye
therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God ; " and the
other at the third and fourth verses of this chapter : " The sheep
hear His voice " — " the sheep follow Him, for they know His
voice."
27. — [My sheep hear my voice, etc.] Having told the Pharisees that
they were not His sheep, our Lord goes on to describe the char
acter of those wlio were His sheep; that is, of H's own true
people and servants. This He does in a verse of singular rich
ness and fulness. Every word Is instructive.
Christ calls His people " sheep." He does so because they are
in themselves singularly helpless and dependent on their Shep
herd; because comparatively they are the most harmless and
helpless of animals ; because even at their best they are weal^
foolish, and liable to go astray.
Chemnitius gives thirteen distinct reasons why believers are
called sheep. They are too long to quote here, but will repay the
exaralnation of any one who has access to his commentary.
He calls them, " My sheep." They are His by God the Father's
gift,— His by redemption and purchase, — His by calling and
choosing, — His by feeding, keeping, and preserving,— and His
by their own consent and will. They are His peculiar property.
He says, " They hear ray voice." By this He raeans that they
listen to His invitation, when He calls them to repent, believe,
and come to Hini. This supposes that Christ first speaks, and
then they hear. Grace begins the work : they, through grace,
obey His calling, and willingly do as He bids them. The ears of
unconverted people are deaf to Christ's call, but true Christians
hear and obey.
He says, " I know them." This means that He knows thera
with a special knowledge of approbation, coraplacency, love,
and interest. (See the word "know "in Psalras i. 6, xxxi. 8,
Araos iii. 2.) Of course He knows the secrets of all men's hearts,
and all about all wicked people. But He knows with a peculiar
knowledge those who are His people. The world knows them
not, but Christ knows and cares for thera. (1 John iii. 1.)
He says, " They follow Me." This raeans that His people,
like sheep, obey, trust, and walk in the steps of their Divine
Master. They follow Him in holy obedience to His command
ments; they follow Him in striving to copy His example; and
they follow Him in trusting implicitly His providential leadings,
— going where Ho would have thera go, and taking cheerfully
all He appoints for them.

JOHN, CHAP. X. 211
. It is almost needless to remark that this description belongs
to none but true Christians. It did not belong to the Pharisees
to whora our Lord spoke. It does not belong to multitudes of
baptized people in our own day.
Luther says : " The sheep, though the most siraple creature,
is superior to all animals in this, that he soon hears his shep
herd's voice, and will follow po other. Also he is clever enough
to hang entirely on his shepherd, and to seek help from him alone.
He cannot help hiraself, nor flnd pasture for himself, nor heal
himself, nor guard against wolves, but depends wholly and
solely on the help of another."
In the Greek of this verse, there Is a nice distinction between
the number of the verb "hear" and the verb "follow," which
the English language cannot convey. It is as though our Lord
bad said. My sheep are a body, which "hears" ray voice, in
the singular; and of which the Individual members "follow"
Me, in the plural.
ii.—[And I give, etc.] From the character of Christ's sheep, the
Good Shepherd goes on to describe their privileges. He gives
to them eternal life, the precious gift of pardon and grace in
this world, and a life of glory in the world to come. — He says,
•' I give," in the present tense. Eternal life is the present pos
session of every believer. He declares that they shall never
perish or be lost, unto all eternity ; and that no one shall ever
pluck them out of His hand.
We have here the divinity and dignity of onr Lord Jesns
Christ. None but one who was very God could say, "I give
eternal life." No Apostle ever said so.
We have here the perpetuity of grace in believers, and the
certainty that they shall never be cast away. How any one can
deny this doctrine, as the Arminians do, aud say that a true
believer may fall away and be lost, in the face of tliis text. It Is
hard to understand. It is my own deliberate opinion that it
Would be almost impossible to imagine words in which a saint's
"perseverance" could be raore strongly asserted.
We have here a distinct promise, that "no one," man, angel,
devil, or spirit, shall be able to tear frora Christ His sheep. The
Greek literally is not " any raan," but ". any person, or any one."
The doctrine plainly taught in this text raay be called " Cal
vinism " by some, and of " dangerous tendency " by others. The
only question we ought to ask ifj, whether it is scriptural. The
simplest answer to that question is, that the words of the text.
In their plain and obvious moaning, canuot be honestly inter
preted in ajy other way. To thrust in, as some enemies of perse
verance do, the qualifying clause, " they shall never perish so long
as they continue my sheep," is adding to Scripture, and taking un
warrantable liberties with Christ's words.

212 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

So, again, Whitby's interpretation, " They shall never perish
through any defect on ray part," though they may fall away by
their ovrn fault, is a sad instance of unfair handling of Scrip
ture. Let it only be remembered that the character of those who
shall never perish is raost distinctly and carefully laid down in
this place. It is those who hear Christ's voice and follow Him,
who alone are " sheep : " it is " His sheep," and His sheep alone.
who shall never perish. The raan who boasts that he shall never
be cast away and never perish, while he is living in sin, is a mis
erable self-deceiver. It is the perseverance of saints, and not of
sinners and wicked people, that is promised here. Doubtless the
doctrine of the text may be misused and abused, like every other
good thing. But to the humble penitent believer, who puts his
trust in Christ, it is one of the most glorious and comfortable
truths of the Gospel. Those who dislike it would do well to study
the 17th Article of the Church of England, and Hooker's sermon
on the "Perpetuity of Faith in the Elect."
Let it be noted that the last clause of the text plainly implies
that many will try to pluck away Christians from Christ, iud
draw thera back to sin. To feel that something is always
"plucking" and "pulling" at us raust never surprise believers.
There is a devil, and saints will always feel and flnd his pres
ence. Let it be noted, that to be safe in Christ's hand, and so never
to perish, is one thing; but to feel that we are safe is quite
another. Many true believers are safe, who do not realize and
feel it.
Musculus observes that our Lord does not say iu this verse
that His sheep shall lose nothing in'lhis world. 'They may lose
property, liberty, aud life, for Christ's sake. But their souls
cannot be lo.st. He also observes that all Christ's sheep are in
Christ's hand. His hand holding them, and not their hand hold
ing Him, is the true secret of their safety and perseverance.
The importance of the doctrine contained In this text cannot,
in ray judgment, be overrated. The Christian who does uot
hold it is a great loser. It is one of the grand elements of the
good news of the Go.«pel. It is a safeguard against much
unsound doctrine. Perseverance can never be reconciled with
baptismal regeneration. The advocates of an extravagant
view of baptismal grace, it raay be observed, always have a
special dislike to the doctrine of this text.
Hengstenberg wisely reraarks : " It is cold consolation to say,
if and so long as they remain my sheep they are secure, and
shall never perish. The whole strength of our soul's desire is
for a guarantee against ourselves. That there is such a guar
antee is here assured to us."
29.— [My Father who gare, etc., etc.] Our Lord here strengthens

JOHN, CHAP. X. 213
the mighty proraise just made, by declaring that His sheep are
not His only, but His Father's : ilis F.ather gave thera to Him.
" My Father, He declares, is ' almighty,' or greater than all ; tho
Possessor of all power. No one is able to pluck anything out
of my Father's hand, so that ray sheep's safety is doubly
secured." Let it be noted that the word " them," iu the last
clause of our English version, is uot in the Greek.
It is probable that both in this verse and the preceding one,
there is a latent reference to the case of the man whora the
Pharisees had lately "cast out "of the Church, or excommuni
cated. Our Lord seeras to say, "You may cut off and tear
away from your outwitrd church-merabership whora you will:
but you can never pluck away any of my people from Me."
Let it be noted here that the Father Is just as rauch interested
In the safety of believers as the Son. To leave out of sight the
Father's love, in our zeal for the glory of Christ, is very poor
theology. Melancthon dwells on this promise In a passage of singular
beauty. He specially dwells on It as a ground of comfort
against the invasion of Europe by the Turks, the persecution
of truth by so-called Christian princes, and the llirious strifes
and controversies of teachers of the Church. There is a Church
which nothing can harm.
Calvin remarks : " Our salvation is certain, because it is in
the hand of God. Our faith is weak, and we are prone to
waver: but God, who hath taken ns under His protection is
sufiiciently powerful to scatter with a breath all the power of
onr adversaries. It is of great importance to 'turn our eyes to
this." Musculus observes that it is said the Father "gave" the
sheep to Me, in the past tense. Believers were given to Christ
before the foundation of the world.
80. — [land the father are one.] In order to explain how it is that
the Father should take as much interest in the sheep as the
Son, our Lord here declares, in the plainest and most explicit
terras, the deep truth of the essential unity between Himself
and His Father. Literally translated, tho sentence is, " I and
my Father are one thing." By this, of course. He did not mean
that His Father and He were one Person. This would over
throw the doctrine of the Trinity. But He did mean, " I and
my eternal Father, though two distinct Persons, and not to be
confounded, are yet one iu essence, nature, dignity, power,
will, and operation. Hence, in the matter of securing the
safety of my shetp, what I do, my Father does likewise. I do
not act independently of Him."
This is one of those deep and mysterious texts which we
must be content to receive aud believe, without attempting to
pry too curiously into its contents. The cautious and exact

214 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.'

words of the Athanasian Creed shonld be often remembered :
"Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance.
— There is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and
another of the Holy Ghost ; but the Godhead of the Father, of
the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all one, the glory equal, the
majesty coeternal."
Augustine reraarks that this text alone overthrows both the
doctrine of the Sabellians and the Arians. It silences the
Sabellians, who say there is only one Person in the Godhead,
by speaking of two distinct Persons. It silences the Arians,
who say the Son Is Inferior to the Father, by saying that Father
and Son are " one."
Let it be noted that the doctrine of this verse is precisely the
same that our Lord had maintained on a former occasion (in
the flfth chapter) before the Sanhedrira. There it was ex
pounded fully : here it is briefly asserted. And the interpreta
tion put on His meaning, in both cases, by the Jews, was ex
actly the same. They regarded It as a claim to be regarded as
"God." The practical use of the text to a believer in Christ is far too
much overlooked. It shows the entire childlike confldence
with which such an one may look at the Father. " He who
hath the Son hath the Father." The remark is only too true
that while some ignorantly talk of the Father, as if there was
no Christ crucified, others, with no less ignorance, talk of Christ
crucified as if there was no God and Father of Christ, who
loved the world 1
Chrysostom observes : " That thou mayest not suppose that
Christ is weak, and the sheep are in safety through the Father's
power. He addeth, ' I and the Father are one.' As though He
had said, I did not assert that on account of the Father no man
plucketh thera away, as though I were too weak to keep the
sheep. For I and the Father are one. He speaks here with
reference to power, for concerning this was all His discourse;
and if the power be the sarae, it is clear that the essence is
also." Ecolampadius reraarks : " He does not say we are one in the
masculine gender, — that is, one person ; but one in the neuter
gender, — that is, one in nature, power, and majesty. If you
were to say one Person, you would take away both, and leave
neither Father nor Son."
Maldonatus quotes a saying of Augustine's, — " that it Is inva
riably found in Scripture that things called • one ' are things of
the same nature." •
It is fair to admit that Erasmus, Calvin, and a few others
think the " oneness " here only means unity of consent and
will. But the vast majority of commentators think otherwise,
and the Jews evidently thought so also.

JOHN, CHAP. X.

215

JOHN X. 31-42.

SI Then the Jews took np stones
k^ia to etone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many gocd
vorks have I shewed you from my Fn-
ther; for which of those works do ye
etone mo 7
33 The Jews answered him, saying,
Poragood work we stone thee not;
but for blasphemy ; and because that
tbou, being a man, makest thyself
God. 34 Jesus answered them. Is it not
written in your law, I said Ye are
.gods? 35 If he called them godj, unto
whom the word of God came, and the
¦cripture cannot bo broken ;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father
bath sanctified, and sent into the world.

Thon blasphemest; because I said, I
am the Son of God ?
37 If I do not tbe works of my Fa
ther, believe me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe
not me, believe tbe works: that yo may
know, and believe, that the Father t»
in me, and I in him.
39 Therefore they sought again to
take him : but he escape(' out of tbeir
band. 40 And went away again beyond
Jordan into tbe place where John at
first baptized; and there he abode.
41 And many resorted unto him,
and said, John did no miracle: but all
things that John spak« of this man
were true.
42 And many believed od him there.

We should observe, in these verses, the extreme wicked'
ness of human nature. The unbelieving Jews at Jerusalem
was neither moved by our Lord's miracles, nor by His
preaching. They were determined not to receive Him as
their Messiah. Once more it is written that " they took
wp stones to stone Him."
Our Lord had done the Jews no injury. He was no
robber, murderer, or rebel against the law of the land. He
was one whose whole life was love, and who " went about do
ing good." (Acts x. 38.) There was no fault or inconsistency
in His character. There was no crime that could be laid to
His charge. So perfect and spotless a man had never
walked on the face of this earth. But yet the Jews hated
Him, and thirsted for His blood. How true are the words
of Scripture : " They hated Him without a cause." (John
XV. 25.) How just the remark of an old divine : " Uncon
verted men wonld kill God Himself if they could only gev
at Him."
The true Christian has surely no right to wonder if he
meets with the same kind of treatment as our blessed Lord.
In fact, the more like he is to his Master, and the more

216 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
holy and spiritual his life, the more probable is it that he
will have to endure hatred and persecution. Let him not
suppose that any degree of consistency will deliver him
from this cross. It is not his faults, but his graces, which
call forth the enmity of men. The world hates to see any
thing of God's image. The children of the world are vexed
and pricked in conscience when they see others better than
themselves. Why did Cain hate his brother Abel, and
slay him? "Because," says St. John, "his own works
were evil, and his brother's righteous." (1 John iii. 12.)
Why did the Jews hate Christ ? Because He exposed their
sins and false doctrines ; and they knew in their own hearts
that he was right and they were wrong. " The world,"
said our Lord, " hateth Me, because I testify of it, that the
works thereof are evil." (John vii. 7.) Let Christians
make up their minds to drink the same cup, and let them
drink it patiently and without surprise. There is One in
heaven who said, " If the world hate you, ye know that it
hated Me before it hated you." (John xv. 18.) Let them
remember this and take courage. The time is short. We
are travelling on towards a day when all shall be set right,
and every man shall receive according to his works. "There
is an end : and our expectation shall not be cut off." (Prov.
xxiii. 18.)
We should observe, secondly, in these verses, the high
honour that Jesus Christ puts on the Holy Scriptures. We
find Him using a text out of the Psalms as an argument
against His enemies, in which the whole point lies in the
single word " gods." And then having quoted the text.
He lays down the great principle, " the Scripture cannot be
broken." It is as though He said, " Wherever the Script
ture speaks plainly on any subject, there can be no more
question about it. The cause is settled and decided. Every
jot and tittle of Scripture is true, and must be received aa
conclusive."

JOHN, CHAP. X. 217
The principle here laid down by our Lord is one of vast
importance. Let us grasp it firmly, and never let it go.
Let us maintain boldljr the complete inspiration of every
word of the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. £et us
believe that not only every book of the Bible, but every
chapter, — aud not only every chapter, but every verse, —
and not only every verse, but every word, was originally
given by inspiration of God. Inspiration, we must never
shrink from asserting, extends not only to the thoughts and
ideas of Scripture, but to the least words.
The principle before us, no doubt, is rudely assaulted in
the present day. Let no Christian's heart fail because of
these assaults. Let us stand our ground manfully, and
defend the principle of plenary inspiration as we would the
apple of our eye. There are diflflculties in Scripture, we
need not shrink from conceding, things hard to explain,
hard to reconcile, and hard to understand. But in almost
all these difliculties, the fault, we may justly suspect, is not
so much in Scripture as in our own weak minds. In all
cases we may well be content to wait for more light, and to
believe that all shall be made clear at last. One thing we
may rest assured is very certain, — if the difficulties of
plenary inspiration are to be numbered by thousands, the
difficulties of any other view of inspiration are to be num
bered by tens of thousands. The wisest course is to walk
in the old path, — the path of faith and humility ; and say,
" I cannot give up a single word of my Bible. All Scrip
ture is given by inspiration of God. The Scripture cannot
be broken."
We should observe, lastly, in these verses, the importance
which our Lord Jesus Christ attaches to His miracles. He
appeals to them as the best evidence of His own Divine
mission. He bids the Jews look at them, and deny them
if they can. " If I do not the works of my Father, believe
10

218 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
me not. But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the
works." The mighty miracles which our Lord performed during
the three years of His earthly ministry are probably not
considered as much as they ought to be in the present day.
These miracles were not few in number. Forty times and
more we read in the Gospels of His doing things entirely
out of the ordinary course of nature, — healing sick people
in a moment, raising the dead with a word, casting out
devils, calming winds and waves in an instant, walking on
the water as on solid ground. These miracles were not all
done in private among friends. Many of them were wrought
in the most public manner, under the ej-es of unfriendly
witnesses. We are so familiar with these things that we
are apt to forget the mighty lesson they teach. They teach
that He who worked these miracles must be nothing less
than very God. They stamp His doctrines and precepts
with the mark of Divine authority. He onlj' who created
all things at the beginning could suspend the laws of crea
tion at His will. He who could suspend the laws of crea
tion must be One who ought to be thoroughly believed and
implicitly obej'ed. To reject One who confirmed His mis
sion by such mighty works is the height of madness and
folly. Hundreds of unbelieving men, no doubt, in every age,
have tried to pour contempt on Christ's miracles, and to
deny that they were ever worked at all. But they labour
in vain. Proofs upon proofs exist that our Lord's ministry
was accompanied by miracles ; and that this was acknowl
edged by those who lived in our Lord's time. Objectors
of this sort would do well to t-ike up the one single miracle
of our Lord's resurrection from the dead, and disprove it
if they can. If they cannot disprove that, they ought, as
honest men, to confess that miracles are possible. And
then, if their hearts are truly humble, they ought to admit

JOHN, CHAP. X. 219
that He whose mission was confirmed by such evidence
most have been the Son of God.
Let us thank God, as we turn from this passage, that
Christianity has such abundant evidence that it is a religion
from God. Whether we appeal to the internal evidence of
the Bible, or to the lives of the first Christians, or to prophe
cy, or to miracles, or to histor3', we get one and the same
answer. All say with one voice, " Jesus is the Son of
God, and believers have life through His name "
Notes. John X. 31— i2.
SI.— [Then the Jeios took up stones, etc.] The conduct of the Jews
is just the same as it was when our Lord said, " Before Abra-
has was I ara." (John viii. 69.) They regarded His words as
¦ blaspheray, and proceeded to take the law in their own hands,
^s they did In Stephen's case, and to inflict the punishraent due
to blaspheray. (See Lev. xxiv. 14—16.) " He that blasphem-
eth the narae. of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, aud
all the congregation shall certainly stone him." (So Num. xv.
86; 1 Kings xxi. 13.) The Jews of course had no power to put
any man to death, being under the dominion of the Romans,
and if they did stone any one it would have been a sudden
tumultuary proceeding, or act of Lyneh-law.
Let it be noted that the Greek word for " took up" here, is
not the sarae that is used at viii. 59. Here it rather means "they
carried." Parkhurst thinks this implies the great size of the
stones they brought. No doubt the stones used in stoning to
death, were not pebbles, but large stones. Yet I rather iuciine
to thiuk that it shows that they had to carry stones from sorae
little distance for their murderous purpose. We can hardly
suppose there were suitable stones lying about within an old
finished building like Soloraon's porch, though there might be
stones at a little distance ou account of the repairs of the
temple. Augustine remarks : " Behold the Jews understood what
Arians do not understand."
Maldonatus observes that " these stones cry out against the
Arians."
82. — [Jeius...many good worlcs... shewed. ..Father, etc.] Our Lord
here appeals to the many miracles He had publicly wrought
before the Jews, In discharging His commission as sent by the
Father to be the Messiah, all good and excelWnt works, iii
which none could flnd any fault, aud He asks whether they
proposed to stone Him for any of them. They had often asked

220 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

for signs and proofs of His being the Messiah. "Well, He had
wrought raany such signs. Did they really mean to kill H'm
for liis works? He had gone about only doing good. Did
they intend to stone him for this?
The expression, " I have shewed," is curious, and we should
have expected rather, " I have worked." It probably means,
" I have publicly exhibited before your eyes, and not in a cor
ner, but in such a manner as to court the fullest public obser
vation, many wonderful proofs of my Messiahship." (Compare
John ii. 18: " What sign she west Thou? ") So St. Paul says
that " God shall in His ovvn time shew the appearing of Jesus
Christ." (1 Tira. vi. 15.) The expression is probably a Hebra
isra. (Corapare Psalm iv. 6; Ix. 3; Ixxi. 20; Exod. vii. 9.)
The expression, "from my Father," points to the great truth
continually brought forward by our Lord in this Gospel: viz.,
that all His works as well as words wore given to Him by the
Father, to be worked and spoken in the world, and ought
therefore to be held in special reverence.
Hengstenberg observes, that the expression, "many good
works," evidently supposes that John knew of many other
miracles which he does not record, and that raany had been
done at Jerusalem beside the few that are recorded.
[For which...works... stone me.] This could be literally ren
dered, " On account of vvhich work of all these are you stoning
Me ? " Some, as Gualter and Tholuck, have thought that there
is a slight tinge of sarcasm about the question. " Is It so that
you are actually going to stone Me for good actions ? Are not
men generally stoned for evil doings? " Yet this seems an un
likely idea, and is needless. Is not the meaning made clear by
simply inverting the order of words? "For what vvork or
action are you going to stone Me? Justice requires that crimi
nals should be punished for doing evil works; but all the raany
wonderful works I have done among you have been good, and
not evil. You surely will not stone me for any of these ; reason
and your laws teach that this would be wrong. It Is not there
fore for my works and life that you are going to stone Me. I
challenge you to prove that I have done evil. Which of you
convicteth Me of sin? "
Taken in this view, the verse is simply a strong assertion,
raaoe by our Lord, of His own entire innocence of any crime
for which Ho could be stoned.
Hutcheson thinks that "sorae stones were already cast at
Christ, and therefore He says, Do you stone Me?" Yet this
seems needless. The present tense here irapiies only. Are ye
on the point of stoning Mo?
33.— [The Jews ansioered, etc.] Our Lord's confident challenge, as
in chap. viii. 46, seems to have been found unanswera'ole by the_
Jews. They could not prove any evil work against Him. They

JOHN, CHAP. X. 221
therefore reply that they do not propose to stone Hira for His
tooris, but-for having spoken blasphemous ?co)ds. The precise
nature of the blaspheray they say is, that " being nothing bnt a
mere man, Uo made Himself God, or spoke of illmself iu such
a way as showed that He claimed to be God."
This is a very remarkable verse. It is like chap. v. IS : " The
Jews sought to kill Hira, because He said that God was Ilis
Father, making Himself equal with God." It shows clearly
that the Jews in our Lord's time attached a rauch higher and
deeper sense to our Lord's frequently used language about God
, being His Father than raoderu readers are apt to do. In fact
they regarded it as nothing less than a claim to equality with
God. Modern Arians and Socinians, who profess to see noth
ing in our Lord's Sonship but a higher degree of that relation-
.ship which exists between all believers and God, would do
well to raark this verse. What they say they cannot see,
the Jews vvho hated Christ could see. This " cotemporaneous
exposition," to use a legal phrase, of our Lord's words, de
serves great respect, and carries with it great weight aud
antliority. As a man, our Lord was a Jew, educated and
trained among Jews. Common sense points out that the Jews
who lived in His time were more likely to put correct sense on
His words than modern Sociuians.
Gualter observes, how frequently wicked raen and persecutors
of Christ's people have affected a zeal for God's glory and pre
tended a horror of blasphemy. The accusers of Naboth and
Stephen are exaraples : so also the Spanish Inquisition.
A. Clarke observes : " That had the Jews, as many called
Christians do, understood onr Lord only to mean, by being
' one with the Father,' that He had unity of sentiment with the
Father, they would not have attempted to treat llim as a blas
phemer. In this sense Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, and all
the prophets were one with God. But what irritated thera was
that they understood him to speak of unity of nature. There
fore they say, ' Thou raakest Thyself God.' "
34. — [Jesus answered them, etc.] Our Lord's defence of his own
language against the charge of blasphemy is very remarkable.
It is an arguraent from a lesser to a greater. If princes, vvho are
merely men, are called gods. He who was the eternal Son of
the Father could surely uot be jnstly chargeable with blasphemy
for calling Hiraself the " Son of God."
The expression, " your law," raeans the Scriptures. Some
tiraes our Lord speaks of two great divisions into which the
Jews divided the Old Testament : viz., the law and the proph
ets. (As Matt. xxii. 40.) The "law" then included not the
books of Moses only, but everything down to the end of the
Song of Soloraon. Sometimes He distributes the Scriptures
into three parts : the law, the psalms, and the prophets. (As
in Luke xxii. 44.) Here He uses one word for all the Old Tes-

222 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

taraent, and calls it " the law." By saying " your law," onr
Lord reminds His hearers that He appeals to their own hononreA
sacred writings.
The expression, " I said ye are gods," is drawn frora the
82d Psalm, in which Asaph Is speaking of princes and rulers,
and their position and duties. Their elevation above other men
was so great, and their consequent responsibility for the st.atc
of nations so great, that compared to other men, it might
be said, "You are as gods." A king is called "the Lord's
anointed. " (2 Sam. i. 14.) So " Ye judge not for man, but for
the Lord." (2 Chron. xix. 6.) Princes and magistrates are
ordained of God, derive their power from God, act for God, and
stand between the people and God. Hence, in a sense, they are
called "gods." Those who wish to see this subject fully worked
out, will see it in Hall and Swinnock's Exposition of the 82d
Psalm. We should observe how our Lord appeals to Scripture as the
judge of controversy : " Is it not written? " A plain text ought
to settle eveiy disputed point, lie might have argued : He sim
ply quotes a text. By so doing He puts peculiar honour on
Scripture. Itis worth noticing that the Hebrew word rendered "judges"
in our version of Exodus xxii. 8, 9, might have been rendered
" gods." (Compare Exodus xxii. 28 ; xxi. 6.)
85. — [If he called them gods.] Here our Lord proceeds to show
what was the edge and point of His argument. All turned on
the use of the single word " gods " in one single verse of a
Psalm. It is not very clear what governs the word we render " called,'
in this sentence. Our translators evidently thought it meant
" God." But why should it not refer direct to "your law " in
the last verse : " If your own book of the law in the Psalm has
called certain persons gods."
Chiysostom observes : " What He saith is of this kind: 'If
those who have received this honour hy grace are uot found
fault with for calling themselves gods, how can He deserve to
be rebuked who hath this by nature.' " Theophylact says the
sarae. [To whom the word of God came.] This is a rather difficult
expression. Some, as Bullinger and Birgou, think that it re
fers to the commission frora God, which rulers receive: "they
are persons to whom God has spoken, and comraanded them to
rule for Hira."— Sorae, as Atford, think it siraply means, " if He
called them gods, to whom God spake in those passages." But
it raay justly be replieil that it does not say " God sp.ake ; " but,
" There was the word ol' God." Of tho two views the former
seeras best. The Greek is almost the same as that of Luke iii.
2 : " The word of God came to John," — meaning a, special com
mission.

JOHN, CHAP. X. 223
Heiusins suggests that the sentence means "against whom
the word of God was " spoken in the 82d Psalra : that Psalra
containing a rebuke of princes. But this seeras doubtful.
Pearce thinks that it means " with whom was the word of
judgment," and refers to the Septuagint version of 2 Chron.
xix. G.
It deserves notice that it is never said of Christ Hiraself, that
the " Word of God carae to Hira." He was above all other cora-
missioned judges.
[And the Scripture cannot be broken.] In this reraarkable pa
renthesis our Lord rerainds His Jewish hearers of their own ac
knowledged principle, that the " Scripture cannot be annulled or
broken:" that is, that everything which it says must be re
ceived reverently and unhesitatingly, and that not one jot or
tittle of it ought to be disregarded. Every word of Scripture
must be allowed its full weight, and must neither be clipped,
passed over, nor evaded. If the 82d Psalm calls princes who
are mere men "gods," there cannot be any impropriety in ap
plying the expression to persons commissioned by God. The
expression may seem strange at first. Never mind, it is in the
Scripture and it must be right.
Few passages appear to me to prove so Incontrovertibly the
plenary inspiration and divine authority of every word in the
original text of the Bible. The whole point of our Lord's argu
ment hinges on the divine authority of a single word. Was
that word in the Psalms? Then it justified the application of
the expression " gods " to men. Scripture cannot be broken.
The theories of those who say that the writers of the Bible were
inspired, bnt not all their writings, — or the ideas of the Bible
inspired, bnt not all the language in which these ideas are con
veyed, — appear to be totally Irreconcilable with our Lord's use
of the sentence before us. There is no other standing ground,
1 believe about inspiration, excepting the principle that it is
plenary, and reaches to every syllable. Once leaving that
ground, we are plunged in a sea of uncertainties. Like the care
fully composed language of wills, settlements, and conveyances,
every word of the Bible must be held sacred, and not a single
flaw or slip of the pen adraitted. -%
Let it be noted that the literal meaning of the word rendered
" broken " is loosed or untied.
Gill observes : " This is a Jewish way of speaking, much
used in the Talmud. When one doctor has produced an argu
ment, another says, ' It raay be broken,' or objected to, or re
futed. But the Scripture cannot be broken."
Hengstenberg says : " It cannot be doubted that the Scrip
ture is broken by those vvho assert that the Psalms breathe a
spirit of revenge — that Solomon's song is a coraraon Oriental
love song— that there are in the Prophets predictions never to

224 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
be fulfilled— or by those who deny the Mosaic authorship of the
Pentateuch."
86.— [Saj/ ye of him, etc.] Our Lord In this verse presses home on
the Jews the force of the expression in the 82d Psalra. "If
princes are called gods, do ye mean to call Me whora the Father
sanctified frora eternity to be Messiah, and sent into the world
in due time, a blasphemer, because I have said, I ara the Son of
God?" " Say ye of him " would have been better rendered, " Say ye
of Me." The Greek leaves it open.
The expression, " whora the Father hath sanctified," must
mean, " whom the Father hath set apart, and appointed from
all eternity in the covenant of grace, as a priest is sanctified and
set apart for the service of the temple." It cannot mean liter
ally " raade holy." It irapiies eternal dedication and appoint
ment to a certain ofiice. This is one of tho places which teach
the eternal generation of Christ. Long before He came into
the world, " the Father" (not God, observe) had sanctified and
appointed the Son. He did not become the Son when He en
tered the world : He was the Sou from all eternity.
The expression, " sent Into the world," means that mission
of Christ's to be the Saviour, which took place when he became
incarnate, and came araong us in the form of a man. He was
the Father's " sent One," the " Apostle " of our profession. (See
Heb. iii. 1; John iii. 17; and 1 John Iv. 14.) He that was so
" sanctified " and " sent," raight well speak of Hiraself as the Son
of God, and equal with God.
Calvin reraarks : " There is a sanctification that is common
to all believers. But here Christ claims for Himself soraething
far more excellent : namely, that He alone was separated from
all others, that the grace of the Spirit and majesty of God might
be displayed in Him ; as He said formerly, ' Him hath God the
Father sealed.'" (John vi. 27.)
87. — [If I do net theworks, etc.] Here our Lord once more appeals
to the evidence, of His miracles, and challenges attention to
them. " I do not ask you to believe that I am tho Son of God
and the Messiah, if I do not prove it by my works. If I did no
miracles, you might be justified in uot believing Me to be the
Messiah, and in calling Mo a blasphemer." ^
Here, again, we should observe how our Lord calls His mira
cles the " works of His Father." Thoy wore works given to Him
by His Father to do. They were such works as none but God
the Father could possibly perform.
Gualter observes, what a proof this verse indirectly supplies
of the nullity of the Pope's claim, to be God's vicegerent and
head of the Church ! What are i is works ? What evidence of a
divine mission does he give ?

JOHN, CHAP. X. 225
Muscnlus also remarks that the Pope's high clairas and great
sounding titles are useless, so long as his works contradict his
words.
38. — [But if I do though, etc.] Our Lord here concludes His
reply to the Jews : " If I do the works of my Father, thon,
though ye raay not be convinced by what I say, be convinced by
what I do. Though ye resist the evidence of my words, yield to
the evidence of my works. In this way learn to know and
believe that I and my Father are indeed one. He in Me, and I iu
Him, and that in claiming to be His Son I speak uo blas
phemy." We should note here, as elsewhere, our Lord's strong and
repeated appeals to the evidence of His miracles. He sent to
John the IJaptist, and desired him to mark His works, if He
would know whetlier He was "the coraing One," — " Go and toll
John what ye have seen and heard, the blind receive their sight,"
etc. Just so He argues here. (Matt. xi. 4.)
Let us note the close and intiraate union that exists between
the First and Second Persons of the Trinity : " The Father is in
Me, and I in Hira." Such language can never be reconciled with
the views of Socinians.
"By these words," says Bloomfleld, "our Lord meant com
munion of mind and equality of power. It Is plain that the Jews
clearly understood that He claimed and ascribed to Himself the
attributes of Godhead, and. raade Himself equal with the
Father." Chrysostom remarks, that our Lord seeras to say, " I am
nothing different frora what the Father is, so however as that I
reraain Son; and the Father is nothing different from what I
am, so however as that Ho reraains Father. He that knows Me
has known the Father, and learned the Son."
39.— [Therefore. ..sought. ..take him.] Here we see the utter insen
sibility of our Lord's hardened enemies to any argument or
appeal to their reason. In spite of what He had now said, they
showed a determination to go on with tlieir wicked designs, and
tried again to lay violent hands on Him. Nothing seems to
harden the heart, and take away the reasoning faculty, so com
pletely as obstinate resistance to plain evidence.
: [But he escaped. ..hand.] This would be literally rendered,
"And Ho came forth out of their hand," as in Luke iv. 30; and
at viii. 59 of this Gospel. The escape seems to have been effected
by miracle. A restraint was put on the hands of His eneraies,
and their eyes were temporarily blinded.
iO.— [Andwent.. .again. ..Jordan. ..John. ..baptized.] I know not to
what the expression " again " can refer here, except to the time
when onr Lord began His ministry by coming to be baptized by
John at Bethabara, beyond Jordan. (See John I. 28.) I do not
flnd that He had been there again during the three years ol Ills'

226 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

ministry. There is something touching and Instructive in tho
choice of this place. Where our Lord began His ministry,
there He resolved to enter it. It would remind His .Jewish
hearers th.at John the Baptist had repeatedly proclaimed Him as
" the Lamb of God," and they could not deny John's Divine mis
sion. It would remind His own disciples of the flrst lessons
which they learned under their Master's teaching, and recall old
things to their rainds. It is good to revisit old scenes sometimes.
The flesh needs many helps to meraory.
Henry makes the quaint remark, "The Bishop of our souls
came not to be fixed in one See, but to go about from place to
place doing good."
[And there he abode.] Our Lord must evidently have remained
here between three and four months, — from the feast of dedica
tion to the last passover when he was crucified; that is from
winter to Easter. Where precisely, and with whom he stayed,
we do not know. It must liave been a solemn and quiet season
to Himself and" His disciples.
Musculus observes that this verse teaches us that It is lawful
to regard localities in which great spiritual works have been
done with more than ordinary reverence and affection.
41. — [And many resorted, etc.] Our Lord's choice of an abode
seeras to have had an excellent effect. It was not so far from
Jerusalera but that " many " could come to hear Hira, as they
did to hear John the Baptist. There on the very spot where
John, now no longer living, used to preach to enorraous crowds,
and baptize, they could uot help being reminded of John's
repeated testimony to Christ. And the consequence was, that
they said, " John, whom we believe to have been a prophet,
certainly did no miracles, but everything that he said of this
Jesus as the coming One, whose slioes he was not worthy to
wear, was true. We believed John to be a prophet sent of God.
Much more ought this raan to be believed."
Let us olDsorve that John's preaching was not forgotten after
his death, though it seemed to produce little effect during his
life. Herod could ont short his ministry, put him in prison, and
havo him beheaded; but he could not prevent his words being
remembered. Sermons never die. The Word of God is not
bound. (2 Tim. ii. 9.)
We never read of any miracle or mighty work being performed
by John. He was only " a voice." Like all other ministers, he
had one great work, — to preach, and prepare the w:iy for Christ.
To do this is more lasting work than to perform miracles,
though it does not make so much outward show.
Besser remarks : " John is a type of every servant of Christ.
The gift of working miracles, imparted but to few, wo can do
wilhout, if only one hearer testify of us, 'All things that they
spake of Christ are true.' If only our preaching, though it may

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 227
last longer than, three years, is sealed i,s the tuie witness of
Christ, through the experience of those who believe and are
saved, theu we shall have done miracles enough."
i2.— [And many believed.. .there.] Whether this was head belief,
the faith of intellectual conviction, — orheait belief, the faith of
reception of Christ as a Saviour,— we are left In doubt. We have
the same expression viii. 30 and xi. 45. Yet we need not doubt
th.at very many Jews, both here and elsewhere, were secretly
convinced of our Lord's Messiahship, and after His resurrection
came forward aud confessed their faith, and were baptized. It
seems highly probable that this accounts for the great number
converted at once on the day of Pentecost and at other tiraes.
(See Acts Iv. 4; vi. 7; and xxi. 20.) The way had been pre
pared in their he:«ts long before, by our Lord's own preaching,
though at the tirae they had not courage to avow it. The good
that is done b3' preaching is not always seen immediately. Our
Lord sowed, and His Apostles reaped all over Palestine.
Chrysostom has a long and curious comment on this verse.
He draws from it the great advantage of privacy and quiet to
the soul, and the benefit that women especially derive from
living a retired life at home, compared to raen. His exhortation
to wives to use their advantages in this respect, and to help
their husbands' souls, is very singular, when we consider the
times he wrote in, and the state of society at Constantinople.
"Nothing," he says, " is raore powerful than a pious and sensi
ble woraan, to bring a raan into proper order, and to mould his
soul as she will."
Henry observes : " Where the preaching of repentance has
had success, there the preaching of reconciliation ancj Gospel
grace is most likely to be prosperous. Where John has been
acceptable, Jesus will not be unacceptable. The jubilee trumpet
sounds sweetest in the ears of those who. In the day of atone
ment, have afflicted their souls for sin."

JOHN XI. 1—6.

1 Now a certain man was sick, named
Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Ma
ry and her sister Martha.
2 (It was that Mary which anointed
the Lord with ointment, and wipf;d his
feet with her hair, whose brother Laza
rus was sick.)
3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him,
saying, Lord, behojd, he whom tbou
lovest is sick.

4 When Jesus heard that, he said.
This sickness is not unto death, but for
tlie glory of God, that the Son of God
might be glorified thereby.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her
sister, and Lazarus.
6 When he had heard therefore that
he was sick, ho abode two days still ia
the same place where he wad.

228 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Thk chapter we have now begun is one* of the most re
markable in the New Testament. For grandeur and sim
plicity, for pathos and solemnity, nothing was ever written
like it. It describes a miracle which is not recorded in
the other Gospels, — the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
Nowhere shall we find such convincing proofs of our Lord's
Divine power. As God, He makes the grave itself yield up
its tenants. — Nowhere shall we find such striking illustra
tions of our Lord's ability to sympathize with His people.
As man. He can be touched with the feelings of our infirmi
ties. — Such a miracle well became the end of such a min
istry. It was meet and right that the victory of Bethany
should closely precede the crucifixion at Calvary.
These verses teach us that true Christians may be sick
and ill as well as others. We read that Lazarus of Bethany
was one " whom Jesus loved," and a brother of two well-
known holy women. Yet Lazarus was sick, even unto
death ! The Lord Jesus, who had power over all diseases,
could, no doubt have prevented this illness, if He had
thought fit. But He did not do so. He allowed Lazarus
to be sick, and in pain, and weary, and to languish and
suffer like any other man.
The lesson is one which ought to be deeply graven in
our memories. Living in a world full of disease and
death, we are sure to need it some day. Sickness, in the
verj'^ nature of things, can never be anything but trying
to flesh and blood. Our bodies and souls are strangely
linked together, and that which vexes and weakens the
body can hardly fail to vex the mind and soul. But sick
ness, we must always remember, is no sign that God is
displeased with us ; naj', more, it is generally sent for the
good of our souls. It tends to draw our affections away
from this world, aud to direct them to things above. It
sends us to our Bibles, aud teaches us to pray better. It
helps to prove our faith and patience, and shows us tbe

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 229
real value of our hope in Christ. It reminds us betimes
that we are not to live always, and tunes and trains our
hearts for our great change. Then let us be patient and
cheerful when we are laid aside b}' illness. Let us believe
that the Lord Jesus loves us when we are sick no less than
when we are well.
These verses teach us, secondly, that Jesus Christ is the
Christian's best Friend in the time of need. We read that
when Lazarus was sick, his sisters at once sent to Jesus,
and laid the matter before Him. Beautiful, touching, and
"simple was the message they sent. They did not ask Him
to come at once, or to work a miracle, and command the
disease to depart. They only said, '• Lord, he whom Thou
lovest is sick," and left the matter there, in the fall belief
that He would do what was best. Here was the true faith
and humility of saints ! Here was gracious submission
of will !
The servants of Christ, in every age and climate, will
do well to follow this excellent example. No doubt when
those whom we love are sick, we are to use diligently every
reasonable means for their recovery. We must spare no pains
to obtain the best medical advice. We must assist nature in
every possible manner to fight a good fight against its
enemy. But in all our doing, we must never forget that
the best and ablest and wisest Helper is in heaven, at
God's right hand. Like afllicted Job our first action must
be to fall on our knees and worship. Like Hezekiah, we
must spread our matters before the Lord. Like the holy
sisters at Bethany, we must send up a prayer to Christ.
Let us not forget, in the hurry and excitement of our feel
ings, that none can help like Him, and that He is merciful,
loving, and gracious.
These verses teach us, thirdly, that Christ loves all who
are true Christians. We read that "Jesus loved Martha,
and her sister, and Lazarus." The characters of these

230 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
three good people seem to have been somewhat different.
Of Martha, we are told in a certain place, that she was
" careful and troubled about many things," while Mary
" sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His word." Of Lazarus we
are told nothing distinctive at all. Yet all these were
loved by the Lord Jesus. They all belonged to His family,
and He loved them all.
We must carefully bear this in mind in forming our
estimate of Christians. We must never forget that there
are varieties in character, and that the grace of God does not
cast all believers into one and the same mould. Admitting
fully that the foundations of Christian character are always
the same, and that all God's children repent, believe, are
holy, prayerful, and Scripture-loving, we must make al
lowances for wide varieties in their temperaments and habits
of mind. We must not undervalue others because they are
not exactly like ourselves. The fiowers in a garden may
diflTer widely, and yet the gardener feels interest in all.
The children of a family may be curiously unlike one
another, and yet the parents care for all. It is just so
with the Church of Christ. There are degrees of grace,
and varieties of grace ; but the least, the weakest, the
feeblest disciples are all loved by the Lord Jesus. Then
let no believer's heart fail because of his infirmities ; and,
above all, let no believer dare to despise and undervalue a
brother. These verses teach us, lastly, that Christ knows best at
what time to do anything for His people. We read that
" when He had heard that Lazarus was sick. He abode two
days still in the same place where He was." In fact. He
purposely delayed His journey, and did not come to Beth
any till Lazarus had been four days in the grave. No
doubt He knew well what was going on ; but He never
moved till the time came which He saw was best. For

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 231
the sake of the Church and the world, for the good of
friends and enemies, He kept away.
The chilrden of God must constantly school their minds
to learn the great lesson now before us. Nothing «o helps
ns to bear patiently the trials of life as an abiding convic
tion of the perfect wisdom by which everything around us
is managed. Let us try to believe not only that all that
happens to us is well done, but that it is done in the best
manner, by the right instrument, and at the right time.
We are all naturally impatient in the day of trial. Wa
are apt to say, like Moses, when beloved ones are sick,
" Heal her noiv. Lord, we beseech thee." (Num. xii. 13.)
We forget that Christ is too wise a Physician to make any
mistakes. Itis the duty of faith to say, "My times are
in Thy hand. Do with me as Thou wilt, how Thou wilt,
what Thou wilt, and when Thou wilt. Not my will, but
Thine be done." The highest degree of faith is to be able
to wait, sit still, and not complain.
Let us turn from the passage with a settled determina
tion to trust Christ entirely with all the concerns of this
world, both public and private. Let us believe that He by
whom all things were made at first is He who is managing
all with perfect wisdom. The afl'airs of kingdoms, families,
and private individuals are all alike overruled by Him.
He chooses all the portions of His people. When we are
sick, it is because He knows it to be for our good ; when
He delays coming to help us, it is for some wise reason.
The hand that was nailed to the cross is too wise and
loving to smite without a needs-be, or to keep us waiting
for relief without a cause.
Notes. John XI. 1—6.
The raising of Lazarus, described In this chapter, is one of
the most wonderful events recorded in the Gospels, and de
mands more than ordirary attention. In no part of our Lord's
liistory do we see Him so distinctly both man aud God at tha

232 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
sarae time, man in sympathy, and God in power. Like each
of the few incidents in our Lord's ministry related by St. John,
it is placed before us with peculiar minuteness and particu
larity. The story is singularly rich in delicate, tender, and
beautiful expressions. Before entering upon it, I venture to
offer the following preliminary remarks.
(a) The raising of Lazarus was manifestly intended to
supply the Jews with one more incontrovertible proof that
Jesus was the Christ of God, the promised Messiah. In the
tenth chapter, at the feast of dedication, Our Lord had been
asked, " If Thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." (John x. 24.)
In reply He had distinctly appealed to His " works," as the best
evidence of His Messiahship. He had deliberately challenged
attention to those works as witnesses to His commission.
And now, after a short interval, we find Hira for the last time,
within two miles of Jerusalera before many eye-witnesses,
doing such a stupendous work of Divine power that a raan might
have thought any sceptic would have been silenced forever.
After the raising df Lazarus, the Jews of Jerusalem at any rate
could never say that they were left destitute of proofs of
Christ's Messiahship.
(6) The raising of Lazarus was meant to prepare the minds
of tho Jews for our Lord's own resurrection. It took place
between Christmas and Easter, and probably within two
months of Ilis own cruciflxion. It proved incontrovertibly that
a person dead four days could be raised again by Divine power,
and that the restoration to life of a corpse was not an impossi
bility with God. I think it impossible not to see iu this a"
latent design to prepare the minds of tho .lews for our Lord's
own resurrection. At any rate it paved the way for men believ
ing the event to be not incredible. No one could say on Easter
Sunday, when the grave of Jesus was found empty, and the
body of Jesus was gone, that His resurrection was an impossi
bility. The mere fact that between winter and Easter iu th.at
very year a raan dead four days had been restored to life within
two railes of Jerusalera would silence such reraarks. Though
improbable, it could not be called impossible.
(c) The raising of Lazarus is of all our Lord's miracles the
one which is most thoroughly credible, aud supported by most
incontrovertible evidence. The man who disbelieves it may as
well say plainly that ho does not believe anything in the New
Testament, and does uot allow that a miracle is possible. Of
course there is no standing-ground between denying the possi
bility of miracles, aud denying the existence of a creating God.
If God made tho world, surely Me can change the course of
nature at any time, if He thinks fit.
The famous sceptic, Spiuosa, declared that if he could be
persuaded of the truth of the miracle before us, he would for
sake his own system, and emsrace Christianity. Yet itis ex
tremely difficult to see what evidence of a fact a man can desire.

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 233
If he is not satisfied with the evidence that Lazarus really was
raised from the dead. But, jinhappily, none are so blind as
those who will not see.
The following passage from Tittman, the German Commenta
tor, is so sensible that I make no apology for giving it at
length, though somewhat condensed: "The whole story," he
says, "Is of a n.ature calculated to exclude all suspicion of
• Imposture, and to confirm the truth of the miracle. A well-
known person of Bethany, named Lazarus, falls sick in the
absence of Jesus. His sisters send a message to Jesus, an
nouncing it ; but while He is yet absent Lazarus dies, is buried,
and kept in the tomb for four days, during which Jesus is still
absent. Martha, Mary, and all his friends are convinced of his
death. Our Lord, while yet remaining in the place where He
had been staying, tells His disciples in plain terms that He
means to go to Bethany, to raise Lazarus frora the dead, that
the glory of God may be Illustrated, and their faith confirmed.
At our Lord's approach, Martha goes to meet Him, and an
nounces her brother's death, laments the absence of Jesus
before the event took place, and yet expresses a faint hope that
by some means Jesus might yet render help. Our Lord declares
that her brother shall be raised again, and assures hor that He
has the power of granting life to the dead. Mary approaches,
accompanied by weeping friends from Jerusalera. Our Lord
Himself is moved, and weeps, and goes to the sepulchre,
attended by a crowd. The stone is removed. The stench of
the corpse is perceived. Our Lord, after pouring forth audible
prayer to His Father, calls forth Lazarus from the grave, in tlie
hearing of all. The doad man obeys the call, comes forth to
public view In the same dress that he was buried in, alive and
well, and returns home without assistance. All persons
present agree that Lazarus is raised to life, and th.at a great
miracle has been worked, though not all believe the person who
worked it to be the Messiah. Some go away and tell the rulers
at Jerusalem what Jesus has done. Even these do -not doubt
the truth of the fact; on the contrary, they confess that our
Lord by Ills works Is becoraing every day more famous, and
that He would probably be soon received as Messiah by the
whole nation. And tlierefore the rulei's at once take counsel
how they may put to death both Jesus and Lazarus. The
people, iu the mean time hearing of this prodigious transaction,
flock in multitudes to Bethany, partly to see Jesus, and partly
to view Lazarus. Aud tbe consequence is that by and by, when
our Lord comes to Jerusalem, the population goes forth iu
crowds to meet Him and show Him honour, and chiefly because
of His work at Bethany. Now, if all these circumstances do
not establish the truth of the miracle, there is no truth iu his
tory."— I only add the remark, that when we consider tbe place,
the time, the circumstances, and the singular publicity, of tho
raising of Lazarus, It really seems to require more credulity to
deny it than to believe it. It is the unbeliever, and not the be-

234 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

liever of this miracle, who seems to me the credulous man.
The difficulties of disbelieving it are far greater than those of
believing it.
((Z) The raising of Lazarus is not raentioned by Matthew,
Mark, and Luke. This has stumbled mauy persons. Yet the
omission of the story is not hard to explain. Some have said
that Matthew, Mark, and Ltke purposely conflne theraselves to
miracles done in Galilee. — Some have said that when they wrote
their Gospels Lazarus was yet alive, and the mention of his
name would have endangered his safety. — Some have said that
It was thought better for the soul of Lazarus not to draw at
tention to hira and surround him with an unhealthy celebrity till
after he left the world. — In each and all of these reasons there is
sorae weight. But the best and simplest explanation probably
is, that each Evangelist was inspired to record what God saw to
be best and most suitable. No one, I suppose, iraagines that
the Evangelists record a tenth part of our Lord's miracles, or
that there were not other dead persons raised to life, of whom
we know nothing at all. " The dead are raised up," was onr
Lord's own message, at an early period of His ministry, to John
theBaptist. (Matt. xi. 5.) "If tho works that Jesus did shonld
be written every one," says John, " the world itself could not
contain the books that should be written." (John xxi. 25.) Let
it suffice us to believe that each Evangelist was inspired to re
cord exactly those events which were most likely to be profita
ble for the Church in studying his Gospel. Our Lord's ministry
and say ings at Jerusalem were specially assigned to John. What
wonder, then, that he was -appointed to record the mighty mira
cle which took place within two miles of Jerusalem, and proved
incontrovertibly the guilt of the Jerusalem Jews in not receiving
Jesns as the Messiah ?
Bucer remarks that there is a continually ascending greatness
and splendour in those miracles vvhich John was inspired tore-
cord in his Gospel, and that the raising of Lazarus was the most
illustrious of all. He also observes that our Lord specially chose
the great feasts at Jerusalem as occasions of working miracles.
Cheriinitius remarks : " There is not in the whole Evangelical
narrative a raore delightful history, and one more abundant both
in doctrine and consolation, than this of the raising of Lazarus.
It therefore ought to be studied most closely and minutely by all
pious minds."
,. — [Now a certainman.. .sick. ..Lazarus.] These simple words are
the key-note to the whole chapter. All turns ou the bodily illness
of au obscure disciple of Christ. How much in the history of
our lives hinges on little events, aud specially on illnesses!
Sickness is a sacred thing, and one of God's great ordinances.
This illness took place between winter and Easter, during the
tirae that our Lord was at Bethabara, beyond Jordan. The na
ture of the disease we are not told ; but i'rom its rapid course, it

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 235
Is not unlikely it Vvas a fever, such as is common even now in
Palestine. This is the first time that Lazarus is mentioned in the New
Testament, and we know nothiug certain of his history. Some
have conjectured that he was the young ruler who came to our
Lord, asking what he must do to obtain eternal life,— and
went away sorrowful at the time, but was afterwards converted.
—Some have conjectured that he is tho young man who followed
our Lord when he was taken prisoner, mentioned by St. Mark,
and fled avvay nalvod.— But these are mere guesses, and there Is
really no solid foundation for them. That he was not a poor
man, but comparatively rich, seems highly probable from the
"feast" in John xii., the nuraber of friends who came to mourn
him, the alabaster box of precious ointment used by his sister,
and the sepulchre hewn out of rock. But even this is only a
conjecture.
. The name '; Lazarus " no doubt is a Greek form of the He
brew narae " Eleazer." It is worth noticing, that it survives to
this day in the raoderu name of Bethany, " El-Azarizeh." (jStee
Smith's Biblical Dictionary.)
[Of Bethany. ..toron... Mary.. .Martha.] The word "town" in
this sentence woulcLhave been better translated " village," as it
Is in sixteen other texts in the New Testaraent. Bethiiny, in
truth, was only a small village, a short two miles from Jerusa
lera, on the cast side ; and its situation is perfectly known now.
It lies on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, on the road
to Jericho. Itis not once mentioned in the Old Testament, and
owes its fame to its being the place where Lazarus was raised,
— the place where our Lord rested at night just before the pas
sion, — the place from which He commenced His triumphant
entry into Jerusalem, — the place from which He finally ascended
into heaven, (Luke xxiv. 10,) and the dwelling-place of Mary
and Martha.
Let it be noted that the presence of God's elect children is the
one thing which makes towns and countries faraous in God's
sight. The village of Martha and Mary is noticed, while Mem
phis and Thebes are not named in the New Testament. A cot
tage where there is grace, is more pleasant In God's sight than a
cathedral town where there is none.
Let it be noted that this' verso supplies internal evidence that
St. John's Gospel was written long after the other historical
parts of the New Testament. He speaks of Martha and Mary
as persons whose names and history would be familiar to all
Christian readers.
There is a peculiarity in the Greek of this verse, which is
hardly conveyed in our English translation. Literally it would
be rendered, " Lazarus /roni Bethany, out of the town of Mary,"
etc. That " from " Bethany means exactly what we render it, is

236 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

clear from Acts xvii. 13 ; Heb. xiii. 24. But why " out of tha
villaj<e, or town of Mary," Is said, is not quite so clear. It is
open to the conjecture that it means " Lazarus was now a raan
of Bethany, but was originally out of the town of Mary and
Martha;" viz., sorae other place. But this seeras unlikely. — Web
ster suggests that " out of" is added by way of eraphasis, to
show that Lazarus not only lived there, but that it was also the
place of his nativity. Greswell says much the same. It is note
worthy that .John 1. 44 contains exactly the same form of expres
sion about Philip and Bethsaida.
It is noteworthy that Mary is named before Martha, though
Martha was evidently the older sister, and head of the house.
The reason, I suppose, is that Mary's name and character were
better known of the two.
Chemnitius thinks it possible that all Bethany belonged to
Martha and Mary, and that this accounts for the consideration
in which they were held, and the nuraber of raourners, etc. It
Is worth remembering that Bethany was a very small plact.
Yet Bethsaida was called the "town of Andrew and Peter,"
(John 1. 44,) and clearly did not belong to two poor fishermen.
!. — [/{ loas that Mary, etc.] This verse is a parenthetical explana
tion inserted by St. John after his manner, to make it certain
what Mary he refers to, as the sister of Lazarus. Christians
knew there were in our Lord's tirae no less than four Marios :
(1) The virgin raother of our Lord, (2) the wife of Cleophas, (3)
Mary Magdalene, (4) Mary the sister of Martha. To prevent,
therefore, any mistake, John says," It was that Mary who anoint
ed our Lord, whose brother Lazarus was dead."
Simple as these words seem, there is a singular diversity of
opinion as to the question who Mary the sister of Martha and
Lazarus was, and how many times our Lord was anointed.
(a) Some, as Chrysostora, Origen, and Cheranitius, raaintaln
that the anointing took place three times : once, in Luke vii., at
the house of Simon the Pharisee; once in Bethany, at the house
of Simon the leper; and once in Bethany, at the house of Mar
tha and Mary. Others, as Eerus, while agreeing with Chrysos
tom that our Lord was anointed three tiraes, think Mary was the
woman who twice did it.
(6) Some maintain that our Lord was anointed twice : once at
tho Pharisee's house, (^in Luke vii.,) aud once at Bethany, at the
^house of Simon tlie leper, where Martha and Mary and Lazarus
lived, for some cause which we do not know.
(c) Some, as Augustine, Bede, Toletns, Kightfoct, Maldonatus,
Cornelius a Lapide, and Hengstenberg, ma'intain that our Lord
was only once anointed,— that the narrative in Luke vii. was in
serted out of chronological order,— that Simon the Pharisee and
Simon the leper were the same person, and that the one anoint
ing took place at Bethany. Hengstenberg supports his theory

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 237
very Ingeniously, and boldly suggests th.at Simon the Pharisee
was .also called Simon tho leper, was the husband of Maitha,
and not friendly to Christ : — that tliis accounts for Martha being
more " careful and troubled," in Luke x. 41, than Mary, and for
unfriendly Pharisees being present at the raising of Lazarus; —
that Mary Magdalene was the same as Mary of Bethany, and
that Mary of Bethany vvas the " sinner," iu Luke vii.
Toletus frankly admits that the Romish Church holds that
there was only one anointing by one person, as it is plainly de
clared in one of her formularies : viz., the Breviary.
My own opinion Is decidedly against the last of these views.
I hold that there were at least two anointings, — one at a com
paratively early period of our Lord's ministry, and another at the
close of it, — one in the house of an unfriendly Pharisee named
Simon, and another at the house of Simon the leper, in Bethany,
— one by a woraan who had beenpre-eminently a sinner, another
by Mary the sister of Martha, against whose moral character we
' know nothing. — Why the house of Martha and Mary at Bethany
is called the house of Simon the leper, I admit I cannot explain.
I can only surmise that there was some relationship of which
we know nothing. But this difficulty is nothing iu ray eyes com
pared to that of supposing, with Augustine and his followers,
that the event described iu Luke vii. took place just at the end
of our Lord's ministry. There is strong internal evidence that
it did not, to my raind. Surely at the end of our Lord's ministry,
people would not have said-with wonder, " Who is this that for-
giveth sins? " Surely Mary would not be spoken of as a noto
rious " sinner."
On the other hand, if we hold the view that our Lord was only
anointed twice, once at the house of Siraon the Pharisee, and
once at Bethany, It raust be frankly adraitted that there is a very
grave difficulty to be got over. That difficulty is that St. Mark
says that a woraan anointed our Lord " two days " before the
Passover, and poured the ointment on His "head" while John
says He was anointed " six days before the passover," and the
ointment poured on His " feet." — I do not see how this difficulty
can be got over. If, however, we hold that our Lord was anoint
ed twice in the last week before He was crucified, once " six
days" before, and once " two days " before, and on each occa
sion by. a woman, the whole thing is clear. That such a thing
should be done more than once, in those days, does not strike
me as any objection, considering the customs of the age. That
our Lord's language in defence of the woman should on each
occa.sion be the same is somewhat remarkable. But it is only a
minor difficulty. On the whole, therefore, if I must give an
opinion, I incline to agree with Chrysostom, that there were
three anointings. I also think there is something in the view,
of Ferus, that Mary, sister of Lazarus, anointed our Lord twice,
once six days before the passover, and once again two days
before.

238 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

The use of the past participle in the verse before us seems to
me no difficulty at all. It is of course true that at this tirae Mary
had not anointed our Lord. But it is no less true that John evi
dently mentions it by anticipation, as an historical fact long past
and well known in the Church when he wrote his Gospel, which
his readers would understand. " It was that Mary which after
wards anointed Christ's feet."
Let ns note in this verse, that the good deeds of all Christ's
saints are carefully recorded in God's book of remembrance.
Men are forgetful and ungrateful. Nothing done for Christ Is
ever forgotten.
Let us note that sickness coraes to Christ's people as well as
to the wicked and worldly. Grace does not exerapt us frora
trial. Sickness, on the contrary, is one of God's raost useful
instruraents for sanctifying His saints, and making them bear
fruit of patience, and for showing the world that His people do
not serve Hira merely for what they get of bodily ease and com
fort iu this life. " Job does not serve God for nought," was the
devil's sneer, in the days when Job prospered. "Lazarus and
his sisters raake a good thing of their religion," — raight have
been said ,if they had had no trials.
prentius remarks : " God does not go away when bodily health
goes away. Christ does not depart when life departs."
S. — [Thereforehis sisters sent... say ing.] This Is an example of what
all Christians should do in trouble. Like Mary and Martha, we
should first send a raessage to Christ. By prayer we can do It
as really as they did. This is what Job did in his trouble : he
flrst of all "worshipped," and said, " Blessed be the name of the
Lord." This is what Asa did not do : " He sought not to the
Lord, but to the physicians." (Job I. 20; 2 Chron. xv. 12.)
¦ Let it be noted that the Greek would be more literally ren
dered "the sisters," and not "his." This raessage, from the
expression in next verse, " heard," would seem to have been a
verbal and not a written one.
[Lord.. .he whom thou lovest is sick.] This Is a very touching
and beautiful little message. — Its humble and respectful confi
dence is noteworthy, " He whom Thou lovest is sick." They
do not say, " do something," or " heal hira," or " come at once."
They siraply spread the case before the Lord, and leave Him to
do what He thinks wisest and best. It is like Hezekiah spread
ing Sennacherib's letter before God. (2 Kings xix. 14.)— The
narae given to Lazarus is noteworthy : they do not say "our
brother," or "thy disciple," or even " one who loves Thee," but
siraply " he whom Thou lovest," one whom Thou hast been
pleased to treat graciously and kindly as a beloved friend.
Christ's love to us, and not our love to Christ, is the blessed
truth which we ought continually to keep before our minds.
His love never changes : ours is wavering and uncertain.

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 239
The idea of some, that sending a message to Christ w,as a
mark of weak faith in the two sisters, as if it showed doubt of
Christ's omniscience, is absurd. At this rate we raight never
pray, and might say there is no need, because God knows all!
The word " behold "seeras either to indicate something "sud
den " in the illness of Lazarus, like Mark ii. 21, and to be used
adverbially; or else we must take it as an imperative verb.
" Behold a case of great affliction : look upon it and see : he
whora Thou lovest is sick." This would be like Hezekiah's
prayer: "Open Thine eyes and see." (2 Kings xix. 16.) We
can hardly suppose that such disciples as Martha and Mary
would think it a strange or surprising thing that a disciple of
Christ should be ill; yet It is possible they did. However,
Theophylact and Ferus suppose that "Behold" implies a degree
of wonder and surprise.
Rupertus remarks, on the message containing no request:
" To a loving friend it was quite enough to announce the fact
that Lazarus was sick." Affectionate friends are not verbose
or lengthy in descriptions.
Brentius remarks that the message is like all true prayer : it
does not consist in much speaking, and fine long sentences.
Musculus and Cheranitius both remark, that when a man's
• child falls into a well or pit, it is enough to tell a loving father
the simple fact, in the shortest manner possible, without dwell ¦
ing on it verbosely and rhetorically.
Rollock observes how useful it is to have praying sisters.
Let us note that Christ's friends may be sick' and ill, just like
other people. It Is no proof that they are not beloved, and
specially preserved and cared for by God. " Whora the Lord
loveth He chasteneth." The purest gold is raost in the fire ; the
most useful tools are oftenest ground. Epaphroditus and 'Tim
othy were both of weak health, and Paul could not prevent it.
4. — [When Jesus heard that, he said.] This verse seems to contain
the reply vvhich our Lord gave to the messenger. It was to
him probably, though in the hearing of all His disciples, that
He addressed the words which follow. It is as though He said,
" Go, return to thy mistress and say as follows."
[This sickness is not unto death, etc.] The meaning of this
sentence raust evidently be taken with qualification. Our Lord
did not raean that Lazarus would not in any sense die. It is as
though He said, " The end of this sickness is not Lazarus'
death and entire removal from this world, but generally the
glory of God, and specially the glorifying of Me, His Son, which
. will be effected by ray raising him again." Death's temporary
victory over us is not complete till our bodies perish and re
turn to dust. This was not allowed in the case of Lazarus, and
hence death had not full dominion over him, though he ceased
to breathe and became unconscious.

240 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

It is undeniable that there was something dark and mysterious
about our Lord's message. He might of course have said plainly,
" Lazarus will die, and then I will raise him again." Yet there
is a wonderful likeness between the style of his message and
raany au unfulfllled prophecy. He said enough to excite hope,
and encourage faith and patience and prayer, but not enough to
make Mary aud Martha leave off praying and seeking God. And
is not this exactly what we should feel about raany an unful
filled prediction of things to corae? Men complain that proph
ecies are not so literally fulfilled as to exclude doubt and un
certainty. But they forget that God wisely permits a degree
of uncertainty in order to keep us watching and praying. It Is
just what He did with Martha and Mary here.
Let us remember that the final result of Lazarus' sickness is
what we should desire as the result of any sickness that comes
on us and our families : viz., that God and Christ may be glori
fied in us. We cannot say, " It shall not end in death : " but
we can say, "By God's help. It shall be for God's glory."
Chrysostom observes : " The expression that in this passage
denotes not cause, but consequence. The sickness happened
from other causes. Christ used it for the glory of God."
Calvin remarks, that God wishes to be honoured by Christ
being glorified. " He who does not honour the Son does not
houour the Father." (John v. 23.)
1. — [Now Jesus loved Martha, etc.] This verse is meant to show
that all the merabers of the faraily at Bethany were disciples of
Jesus aud beloved by Him, .the brother as well as the sisters,
and one sister as well as the other. A happy family, Lampe
remarks. In which all the merabers were objects of Christ's
special love.
We know not where Lazarus was at the time when Jesus
stopped at Martha's house, in Luke x. : perhaps he was not con
verted at that time. But this is only conjecture.
Wc are generally apt to undervalue the grace of Martha and
overvalue that of Mary, because of what happened when Jesus
was at Martha's house before. Many foolish things are some
times liglitly said against mothers and mistresses as being Mar
thas, " C!ireful and troubled about many things." Yet people
should reraember that different positions call out different phases
of character. Mary certainly shines raore brightly than Mar
tha iu the 10th of Luke ; but it is a grave question whether Mar
tha did not outshine her in tho 11th of John. Active-rainded
Christians corae out better under some circumstances; quiet-
minded Christians, in others. Our Lord teaches us here that
He loves all who have grace, though their temperaments differ.
Let us learn uot to judge others rashly, and not to form hasty
estimates of ChrisLians, until we have seen thera under every
sort of circumstances, in winter as well as summer, in dark days
as well as bright.

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 241
Let it be noted that the Greek word here rendered "loved,"
is not tho same that is rendered "lovest," in the 3d verse.
The word describing the lovo of Jesus to the three in this verse
is a word expressing a high, deep, excellent, and noble affec
tion. It is the same as Mark x. 21, and John iii. 16. — The word
used in the raessage of the sisters is a lower word, such as Is
used to describe the affection between a parent and child, or
husband and wife. It is the word used for "kiss" in Matt.
xxvi. 43; Mark xiv. 44; and Luke xxii. 47. It is very noticeable
that this word is carefully avoided here, when the two sisters
are raentioned. The Holy Ghost inspired John to abstain even
from the appearance of evil. What a lesson this ought to be
tons! Let it be noted that we see hero an example of the broad dis
tinction that ought to be drawn between Christ's general love
of compassion which He feels towards all mankind, and His
special love of election which He feels towards His own mera
bers. He loved all sinners to whora He came to preach the Gos
pel, and He wept over unbelieving Jerusalera. But He specially
loved those who believed on Hira.
6.— [When he had heard therefore, etc.] It Is irapossible not to re
mark an intentional and raost instructive connection between
this verse and the preceding one. Our Lord loved the family of
Bethany, all three of thorn ; and yet when He heard Lazarus was
sick, instead of hastening at once to Bethany to heal hira. He
quietly remained at Bethabara for two days, without moving.
We cannot doubt that this delay was intentional and of pur •
pose, and it throws iraraense light on many of God's providen
tial dealings with His people. We know that the delay caused
Iramense mental pain and suffering to Martha and Mary, and
obliged Lazarus to go through all the agony of death, and the
sorrow of parting. We can easily imagine the grief and sus-
, pense and perplexity in which the household at Bethany raust
have been kept for four days, when their loving Master did not
appear; and we know that our Lord could have prevented It all,
but did not. But we know also that if He had at once hurried
to Bethany and healed Lazarus, or spoken a word from a dis
tance at Bethabara and commanded his healing, as in John iv.
60, tho mighty miracle of raising him would never have been
wrought, aud the wonderful sayings of Bethany would never
have been spoken. In short the pain of a few was permitted
for the benefit of the whole Church of Christ.
We have here the simplest and best account of the permission
of evil and suffering. God could prevent it. God does not love
to make his creatures sufl'er. But God sees there are lessons
which mankind could not learn unless evil was permitted;
therefore God permits it. The suFering of some tends to the
. good of raany. " He that believeth shall not raake haste."
We shall see at the last day that all was well done. Even the
delays and long intervals which puzzle us in God's dealings, aro
11

242

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

wisely ordered, and are working for good. Like children, wa
are poor judges of half-finished work,
Chrysostom says : " Christ tarried that none might be able
to assert that He restored Lazarus when not j'ot dead, saying it
was a lethargy, a fainting, a fit, but not death. He therefore
tarried so long that corruption began." /
Calvin observes : " Let believers learn to suspend their desires,
if God does not stretch out His hand to help as soon as they
think necessity requires. Whatever may be His delays, he never
sleeps and neverforgets His people."
Quesnel remarks : "God permits evil, that He may make the
power of His grace and the might of His love more conspicuous
in the conversion of a sinner."
Poole remarks : " We must not judge of Christ's love to us
by His mere external dispensations of providence, nor judga
that He doth not love us, because He doth not presently comeiu
to our help at our time, and in such ways and methods as we
think reasonabl(3."

JOHN XI. 7—16.

7 Then after that saith he to his dis
ciples. Let us go into Judaea again.
8 His disciples say unto him, Mas
ter, the Jews of late sought to stone
thee; and goest thou tbitber again '/
9 Jesus answered. Are there not
twelve hours in the day ? If any man
walk in tbe day, be stumbletb not, be
cause be seeth the light of this world.
10 But if a man walk in tbe night,
he stumbletb, because there is no light
in him.
11 These things said he: and after
that be saith unto them. Our friend
Lazarus sleepetb ; but I go, that I may
awake him out of sleep.

12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if
be sleep, be shall do well.
13 HowbeitJesusspakeofhisdeath:
but they thought that he had spoken of
taking of rest in sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them plain
ly, Lazarus is dead.
15 And I am glad for your sakes that
I was not there, to the intent ye may
believe; nevertheless let us go unto
him. 16 Then said Thomas, which is
called Didymus, unto his fellow-dis
ciples. Let us also go, that we may die
with him.

We should notice, in this passage, how mysterious are the
ways in which Christ sometimes leads His people. We are
told that when He talked of going back to Judaea, His dis
ciples were perplexed. It was the very place where the
Jews had lately tried to stone their Master: to return
thither was to plunge into the midst of danger. These

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 243
timid Galileans could not see the necessity or prudence of
such a step. " Goest Thou thither again?" they cried.
Things such as these are often going on around us. The
servants of Christ are often placed in circumstances just as
puzzling and perplexing as those of the disciples. They
' are led in ways of which they cannot see the purpose and
object; they are called to fill positions from which they
naturally shrink, and which they would never have chosen
for themselves. Thousands in every age are continually
learning this by their own experience. The path they are
Obliged to walk in is not the path of their own choice. At
present they cannot see its usefulness or wisdom.
At times like these a Christian must call into exercise
his faith and patience. He must believe that his Master
knows best by what road His servant ought to travel, and
that He is leading him, by the right way, to a city of habitat
tion. He may rest assured that the circumstances in which
he is placed are precisely those which are most likely to
promote his graces and to check his besetting sins. He
need not doubt that what he cannot see now he will under
stand hereafter. He will find one day that there was wis
dom in every step of his journey, though flesh and blood
could not see it at the time. If the twelve disciples had
not been taken back into Judaea, they would not have seen
the glorious miracle of Bethany. If Christians were allowed
to choose their own course through life, they would never
learn hundreds of lessons about Christ and His grace,
which they are now taught in God's ways. Let us remem
ber these things. The time may come when we shall be
called to take some journey in life -which we greatly dis
like. When that time comes, let us set out cheerfully, and
believe that all is right.
We should notice, secondly, in this passage, how tenderly
. Christ speaks of the death of believers. He announces the

244 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
fact of Lazarus being dead in language of singular beauty
and gentleness : " Our friend Lazarus sleepeth."
Every true Christian has a Friend in heaven, of almighty
power and boundless love. He is thought of, cared for,
provided for, defended by God's eternal Son. He has an
unfailing Protector, who never slumbers or sleeps, and
watches continually over his interests. The world may
despise him, but he has no cause to be ashamed. Father
and mother even may cast him out, but Christ having once
taken him up will never let him go. He is the "friend of
Christ" even after he is dead! The friendships of this
world are often fair-weather friendships, and fail us like
summer-dried fountains, when our need is the sorest ; but
the friendship of tlie Son of God is stronger than death, and
goes beyond the grave. The Friend of sinners is a Friend
that sticketh closer than a brother.
The death of true Christians is " sleep," and not annihi
lation. It is a solemn and miraculous change, no doubt,
but not a change to be regarded with alarm. They have
nothing to fear for their souls in the change, for their sins
are washed away in Christ's blood. The sharpest sting of
death is the sense of unpardoned sin. Christians have
nothing to fear for their bodies in the change ; they will rise
again by and bj', refreshed and renewed, after the image of
the Lord. The grave itself is a conquered enemy. It must
render back its tenants safe and sound, the very moment
that Christ calls for them at the last day.
Let us remember these things when those whom wc love
fall asleep in Christ, or when we ourselves receive our no
tice to quit this world. Let us call to mind, in such an
hour, that our great Friend takes thought for our bodies as
well as for our souls, and that He will not allow one hair
of our heads to perish. Let us never forget that the grave
is the place vvhere the Lord Himself lajr, and that as He
rose again triumphant from that cold bed, so also shall all

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 245
His people. To ii mere worldly man death must needs be a
terrible thing ; but he that has Christian faith may boldly
say, as he lays down life, " I will lay me down in peace,
and take my rest : -for it is Thou, Lord, that makest me
dwell in safety."
We should notice, lastly, in this passage, how much of
natural temperament clings to a believer even after conversion.
We read that when Thomas saw that Lazarus was dead,
and that Jesus w.as determined, in spite of all danger, to
return into Judaea, he said, " Let us also go, that we may
die with Him." There can onl3'- be one meaning in that
expression : it was the language of a despairing and de
sponding mind, which could see nothing but dark clouds in
the picture. The very man who afterwards could not be
lieve that his Master had risen again, and thought the news
too good to be true, is just the one of the twelve who thinks
that if they go back to Judaea they must all die !
Things such as these are deeply instructive, and are
doubtless recorded for our learning. They show us that
the grace of God in conversion does not so re-mould a man
as to leave no trace of his natural bent of character. The
san_guine do not altogether cease to be sanguine, nor the
'desponding to be desponding, when they pass from death
to hfe, and become true Christians. They show us that we
"must make large allowances for natural temperament, in
^forming our estimate of individual Christians. We must
not expect all God's children to be exactly one and the
same. Each tree in a forest has its own peculiarities of
shape and growth, and yet all at a distance look one mass
of leaf and verdure. Each member of Christ's body has
bis own distinctive bias, and yet all in the main are led by
one Spirit, and love one Lord. The two sisters Martha
and Mary, the apostles Peter and John and Thomas, were
certainly very unlike one another in many respects. But

246 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
they had all one point in common : they loved Christ, and
were His friends.
Let us take heed that we really belong to Christ. This
is the one thing needful. If this is made sure, we shall be
led by the right waj', and end well at last. We may not
have the cheerfulness of one brother, or the fiery zeal of
another, or the gentleness of another. But if grace reigna
within us, and we know what repentance and faith are by
experience, we shall stand on the right hand in the great
day. Happy is the man of whom, with all his defects,
Christ says to saints and angels, " This is our friend."
Notes. John XI. 7 — 16.
7. — [TTien after that saith... disciples.] The Greek words which be
gin this sentence raark an interval of tirae even more emphati
cally than our English version does. They would be literally-
rendered, " Afterwards, afterthis." The word translated " then",
is the same that is translated " after that" in 1 Cor. xv. 6 — 7.
[Let us go...Judoia again.] This is the language of the kind
and loving head of a faraily, aud the chief in a party of friends.
Our Lord does not say. " I shall go to," or, " Follow Me to Ju-.
daea, but, "Let us go." It is the voice of a kind Master and
Shepherd proposing a thing to His pupils and followers, as though
He would allow thera to express their opinions about it. How
rauch depends on the manner and language of a leader !
The familiar, easy raanner in which our Lord is said here to tell
His disciples what He proposes to do, gives a pleasant idea of
the terms on which they lived with Him.
8. — [His disciples say... Master.] The answer of the disciples is an
interesting illustration of the easy terms on which they were
with their Master. They tell him frankly aud unreservedly their
feelings and fears.
Let it be noted that the word rendered " Master" here is the
well-known word "Eabbi." The use of it shows that there is
nothing necessarily insulting, snfeering, or discourteous abouT
the term. It was tho title of houour and respect given by sH
Jews to their teachers. Thus John the Baptist's disciples said
to him, when jealous for 1ms honour, "Eabbi, he that was with^
thee," etc. (John iii. 26.)
[The Jews of late sought to stone tiice.] The "Jews" here
mean especially the leaders or principal persons araong the
Scribes and Pharisees at Jerusalem, as it generally does in St.
John's Gospel. The word rendered " of late " is generally trans-

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 247
lated " now," or " at this time." There is not at/other instance
of its being translated "of late " in the New Testaraent. Hence
the sentence would be more literally rendered, " The Jews even
now were seeking to stone Thee." They allude to the attempt
made at the feast of dedication a few weeks before. The at
terapt was so recent that it seemed "even now."
[And goest thou thither again?] This question indicates sur
prise and fear, — " Do we hear aright? Dost Thou really talk of
going back again to Judiea? Dost Thou not fear another as
sault on Thy life? " We can easily detect fear for their own
safety, as well as their Master's, in the question of the disciples :
yet they put it on " thee," and not on "us."
Let us note how strange and unwise our Lord's plans some
times appear to His short-sighted people. How little the best
can understand His ways !
9, 10. — [.lesus answered. Are there not twelve hours, etc.] The an
swer which our Lord makes to the remonstrance of His tiraid
disciples is soraewhat remarkable. Instead of giving them a di
rect reply, bidding them not to be afraid. He first quotes a pro
verbial saying, and then draws from that saying general lessons
about the time which any one who is on a journey will choose for
journeying. He draws no conclusion, and leaves the applica
tion to be raade by the disciples theraselves. To an English ear
the answer seems far more strange than it would to an Eastern
one. To quote a proverb is, even now, a common reply among
Orientals. To fill up the sense of our Lord's elliptical reply, and
draw the conclusions He meant to be drawn, but did not express,
is, however, not very easy. The following may be taken as a
paraphrase of it : —
" Are not the working hours of the day twelve ? You know
they are, speaking generally. If a man on a journey walks dur
ing these twelve daylight hours, he sees his road, and does not
stumble or fall, because the sun, which is the light of the world,
shines on his path. If, on the contrary, a man on a journey
chooses to walk in the unreasonable hour of night, he is likely
to stumble or fall, for vvaut of light to guide his feet. It is even
so with Me. My twelve hours of ministry, my day of work, is
not yet over. There is no fear of my life being cut ofl' before
the time : I shall not be slain till my work is done. Till mine
houriscome I ara safe, and not a hair of ray head can be touched.
I am like one walking in the full light of the sun, and cannot fall.
The night will soon be here when I shall walk on earth no long
er : but the night has not yet come. There are twelve hours in
my day of earthly ministry, and the twelfth with Me has not
arrived." This seems to rae substantially the correct explanation of our
Lord's meaning. Tho idea of ancient writers, as Hugo and Ly
ranus, that our Lord meant, by mentioning tho twelve hours of
the day, that men often change their minds as the day goes on,

248 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
and that the Jews, perhaps, no longer wished to kill Him, is very
improbable and unsatisfactory.
I grant that the conclusion of the tenth verse, " there Is no
light In him," presents some difliculty. The simplest explana
tion is, that It only means, " because he has no light."
Pearce conjectures that the clause shonld be rendered, "Be
cause there Is no light in it; viz., the world." The Greek will
perhaps bear this interpretation.
Let us note that the great principle underlying the two verses
is the old saying in another form, " Every man is imraortal till
his vvork is done." A recollection of that saying is an excellent
antidote against fears of danger. The missionary in heathen
lands, and the minister at home, pressed down by unhealthy cli
mate, or over-abundant work, may take comfort in it, after their
Lord's example. Let us only, by way of caution, raake sure that
our dangers meet us in the path of duty, and that we do not go,
out of the way to seek them.
Eupertus suggests that our Lord had in His mind His own
doctrine, that He was the Light and Sun of the world. Now
as the sun continues shining all tho twelve hours of the day, and
no mortal power can stop it, so He would have the disciples-
know that until the evening of His own course arrived, no
power of the Jews conld possibly check, arrest, or do Him harm.
As to the disciples, He seems to add, " So long as I am shining
on you with my bodily presence, you have nothing to fear, you
will not fall into trouble. When I am taken from you, and not
till then, you will be in danger of falling into the hands of per
secutors, aud even of being put to death." Ecolampadius takes
the same view.
Melancthon thinks that our Lord uses a proverbial mode of
speech, in order to teach ns the great broad lesson that we
must attend to the duties of onr clay, station, and calling, and
then leave tho event to God. In the path of duty all will turn
out right. Calvin, Bullinger, Gualter, and Brentius, take much
the same view.
Leigh remarks : " Christ comforts from God's providence. God'
made the day twelve hours. Who can make it shorter? Who
can shorten man's life ? "
Does It not come to this, that our Lord would have the disci
ples know that He Himself could not take harm till His day of
work was over, and that they could take no harm while He was-
v/ith them ? (Compare Luko xiii. 82, 33.) Bishop Elllcott sug
gests that this was the very time in our Lord's ministry when
He said to the Pharisee, " I do cures to-day and to-morrow, and
the third day I shall be perfected. Neverthelef s I must walk to
day and to-morrow and the day following." But I doubt this.
It is certain that there came a time when our Lord said, "This

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 249
is your hour, and the powerof darkness," to His enemies. Then
He was taken, and His disciples fied.
11.— [These things.. .our friend Lazarus... sleepeth.] In this verse
our Lord breaks the fact, that Lazarus is dead, to Ills disciples.
lie does it in words of inatchless beauty aud tenderness. After
saying "these things" about the twelve hours of the day, which
we have considered in the last verse, Ho seems to make a slight
pause. Then, "after that," coraes the announcement, which
would be more literally rendered, " Lazarus, the friend of us,
has been laid asleep."
The word "sleepeth" means, "is dead." It is a gentle and
pathetic way of expressing the raost painful of events that can
befall man, and a most suitable one, when we remeraber that
afterdeath coraes resurrection. In dying we are not annihilated.
Like sleepers, we lie down, to rise again. Estius well reraarks,
"Sleeping, in the sense of dying, is only applied to men, because
of the hope of the resurrection. We read no such thing of
brutes." The use of the figure is so coraraon In Scripture, that it Is
almost needless to give references. (See Deut. xxxi. IG; Dan
iel xii. 2; Matt, xxvii. 62; Acts vii. 60; xiii. 30; 1 Cor. vii. 30;
xi. 30; XV. 6—18 ; 1 Thess. iv. 13, 14.) But it is a striking fact
that the figiire Is frequently used by great heathen writers, show
ing clearly that the tradition of li life after death existed even
among the heathen. Homer, Sophocles, "Virgil, Catullus, supply
instances. However, the Christian believer is the only one who
can truly regard death as sleep, — that is, as a healthy, refreshing
thing, which can do him no harm. Many among ourselves, per
haps, are not aware that the figure of speech exists among us in
fliU force in the word " cemetery," applied to burial-ground.
That word is drawn from the very Greek verb which our Lord
uses here. It is literally a " sleeping-place."
The word " friend," applied to Lazarus, gives a beautiful idea
of the relation between the Lord Jesus and all His believing peo
pie. Each one is His " friend," — not servant, or subject only,
but "friend." A poor believer has no cause to be ashamed. He
has a Friend greater th.an kings and nobles, vvho will show Him
self friendly to all eternity. A dead saint lying in tho grave is
not cut ofif from Christ's love : even in his grave, he is still the
friend of Christ.
The expression " our," attached to friend, teaches the beauti
ful lesson that every friend of Christ is or should be the friend
of all Christians. Believers are all one family of brothers and
sisters, and merabers of one body. Lazarus was not " ray " friend,
but "our" friend. If any one is a friend of Christ, every other
believer should bo ready and willing to hold out his hand to him,
aiid say, " You are my friend."
When our Lord says, " I go that I may awaken him out of

250 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

sleep," He proclaims His deliberate Intention and purpose to raise
Lazarus from the dead. He boldly challenges the attention of
the disciples, and declares that He is going to Bethany, to restore
a dead man to life. Never was bolder declaration made. None
surely would make it but One vvho knew that He was very God.
" I go," is equivalent to saying, " I am at once setting forth on
a journey to Bethany." The expression, that " I ra.ay awake him
out of sleep," is one word in Greek, and is equivalent to " that
I may unslcep hira." What our Lord went to do at Bethany, He
' is soon coming to do for all our friends who are asleep in Christ.
H<» is coming to awaken them.
Some comraentators have thought that Lazarus died in the
very raoraent that our Lord said, *¦ Our friend sleepeth," and that
It raeans, "Lazarus has just fallen asleep and died." But this is
only conjecture, though doubtless our Lord knew the moment
of his decease.
Let it be noted that our Lord says, "I go," in the singular
nuraber, and not "Let us go." Does it not look as if He meant,
"Whether you like to go or not, I intend to go?"
Hall reraarks : " None can awaken Lazarus out of this sleep,
but He that raade Lazarus. Every mouse or gnat can raise us
up frora that other sleep ; none but an omnipotent power from
this."
12. — [ Then said...disciples...slee.p...ioell.] It seems strange that the
disciples should misunderstand our Lord's words, considering
how commonly death vvas called sleep. But their unwillingness
to go into Judsea probably made them shut their eyes to our
Lord's real meaning.
Most writers think that the disciples referred to the general
opinion, that sleep iu a sickness is a sign of amendment. Some,
however, suggest that they had gathered from the messenger
sent by Martha and Mary what vvas the precise nature of Laza
rus' illness, and therefore knew that it was one in which sleep
was a favourable symptora.
The Greek word for " he shall do well," is curious. It is the
same that is often rendered " sli.all bo made whole." Some
tiraes it Is " healed," and generally " saved."
The latent thought is manifest : " If Lazarus sleeps, he is get
ting better, and there is no need of our going to Judaea."
13.— [Howbeit Jesus spake, etc.] This verso is one of those ex
planatory glosses which St. John frequently puts into his nar
rative parenthetically. The throe first words of the yerse would
be more literally rendered, "But Jesus had spoken."
How the disciples could have " thought " or " supposed " that
our Lord raeant literal sleep, and not death, seeras strange,
when we remember that Peter, James, and John, had heard Him

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 251
nse the sarae expression after the death of the ruler's daughter !
, " The maid sleepeth." (Matt. ix. 24.) Two probable reasons
may be assigned : one is that they had heard frora the messen
ger that Lazarus' recovery turned on his getting sleep, and that
if he only got some sleep he might do well; the other is that
they were so afraid of returning to Judaea, that they determined
to believe Lazarus was getting better, and to construe our
Lord's words in the way most agreeable to their fears. It is
common to observe that men will not understand what they do
not want to understand.
Quesnel reraarks here : " The misunderstanding of the Apos
tles was a great instance of stupidity, and shows plainly how
sensual and carnal their minds still were. The knowledge of
this is useful in order to convince incredulous persons that the
Apostles were not of themselves capable either of converting
the world, or of inventing the wonderful things and sublime
discourses which they relate."
The readiness of the disciples to misunderstand figurative
language is curiously shown in two other places, where our
Lord spoke of "leaven" and "meat." (Matt. xvi. 6; John
iv. 32.)
14. — [TTien said.. . plainly. ..iMzarus... dead.] Here at last our
Lord breaks the fact of Lazarus' death to His disciples openly,
and without any farther reserve. He had approached the sub
ject gently and delicately, and thus prepared their minds for
soraething painful, by steps. First He said siraply, " Let us go
into JudiEa," without assigning a reason. Secondly He said,
"Lazarus sleepeth." Lastly He says, " Lazarus is dead." There
is a beautiful consideration for feelings iu these three steps. It
is a comfortable thought that our mighty Saviour is so tender
hearted and gentle. It is an instructive lesson to us on the duty
of dealing gently with others, and specially in announcing
afflictions. The word rendered "plainly" Is the same as in John x. 24.
'¦ Here, as there, it does not raean " in plain, intelligible language"
so much as " openly, unreservedly, and without mystery."
IS.— [And lam glad. ..not there. ..believe.] This sentence wonld be
more literally rendered, " And I rejoice on account of you. In
order that ye may believe, that I was not there." Our Lord
evidently means that He was glad that He was not at Bethany
when Lazarus became ill, and had not healed him before his
death, as in all probability He would have done. The result
now would be most advantageous to the disciples. Their faith
wonld receive an immense confirmation, by witnessing the stu
pendous miracle of Laz.arus being raised from the dead. Tlius,
great good, in one respect, would come out of great evil. The
announcement they had just heard raight be very painful and
: distressing, but He as their Master could not but be glad to
think how mightily their faith would be strengthened in the end.

252 EXPOSITORY THOUGIirS.

Let us note that our Lord does not say, " I ara glad Lazanis
is dead, but I am glad I was not there." Had He been there,
He seems to say. He could not have refused the prayer of
Martha and Mary to heal His friend. We are not intended to
be so unfeeling as to rejoice in the death of Christian friends ;
but we may rejoice In the circumstances attending their deaths,
and the glory redounding to Christ, and the benefit accruing to
saints from them.
Let us note that our Lord does not say, " I am glad for tho
sake of Martha and Mary and Lazarus that I am not there, but
for j'our sakes." It is no pleasure to Hira to see His individual
merabers sufi'ering, weeping, and dying; but He does rejoice
to see the good of raany spring ont of the suffering of a few.
Hence He perraits sorae to be afflicted, in order that many may
be instructed through their afllictions. This is the key to the
permission of evil in the world ; it Is for the good of the many.
When we ourselves are allowed of God to sufl'er, we must re
raember this. We must believe there are wise reasons why
God does not come to our help at once and take the sufi'ering
away. Let us note onr Lord's desire that His disciples "may be
lieve." He did not mean that they might believe now for the
first tirae, but that they raight believe raore firraly, heartily, and
unhesitatingly ; that their faith, in short, raight receive a great
increase by seeing Lazarus raised. We see here the iraraense
iraportance of faith. To believe on Christ, and trust God's
word. Is the first step towards heaven. To believe raore and
trust raore, is the real secret of Christian growth, progress,
and prosperity. To raake us believe more is the end of all
Christ's dealings with us. (See John xiv. 1.)
[Nevertheless let us go unto him.] The first word here would
be raore literally rendered "But." It is as though our Lord
said, " But let us delay no longer : let us cast aside all fears of
danger; let us go to our friend."
It is noteworthy that our Lord says, "let us go to Lazarus,"
though ho was dead, and would be buried by the time they
reached Bethany. Can it be that the disciples thought He had
David's words about his dead child in His mind, " I shall go to
hira " ? The words of Thomas, in the next verse, seera to make
it possible.
We may notice three gradations in our Lord's language about
going to Bethany. Thefirst, iu the 7th verse : there He says
in the plural, " Let us all go into Judaea." — The second, in verse
11: there He says in the singular, "I go to awake hira; "as
though He was ready to go aloue.— The third Is here in the
plural, " Let us al' go."
Toletns thinks that by these words our Lord meant to hint
His intention of raising Lazarus.

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 253
Burkitt remarks: "O love, stronger than death! Thi? grave
cannot separate Christ and his friends. Other friends ac
company us to the brink of the grave, and then they leave us.
—Neither life nor death can separate from the love of Christ.
Bengel remarks: "It is beautifully consonant with Divine
propriety, that no one is ever read of, as having died while the
Prince of Life was present."
16. — [Tlien said Tliomas...go...die with him.] The disciple here
named is also mentioned in John xiv. 5, and John xx. 24, 26, 27.
Ou each occasion he appears in the same state of mind, — ready
tolook at tho black side of everything, — taking the worst view
of the position, and raising doubts and fears. In John xiv. 5,
he does not know vvhere our Lord is going. In John xx. 25, he
cannot believe our Lord has risen. Here he sees nothing but
danger and death, if his Master returns to Judjea. Yet he is
true and faithful nevertheless. He will not forsake Christ,
even if death is in the way. " Lot us go," he says to his fellow-
disciples, " and die with our Master. He is sure to be killed
if He does go; but we cannot do better than be killed with
him." Some, as Brentius, Grotius, Leigh, Poole, and Hammond,
think that " with him," refers to Lazarus. But most commenta
tors think that Thomas refers to our Lord ; with thera I entirely
agree. Let it be noted that a man may have notable weaknesses and
infirmities of Christian character, and yet be a disciple of
Christ. There is no more coraraon fault among believers,
perhaps, than despondency and unbelief. A reckless readiness
to die and make an end of our troubles is not grace but impa
tience. L^t us observe how extremely unlike one another Christ's
disciples were. Peter, for instance, overrunning with zeal and
confldence, was the very opposite of desponding Thomas. Yet
both had grace, and both loved Christ. We must not foolishly
assume that all Christians are exactly like one another in de
tails of character. We raust make large allowances, when the
main features are right.
Let us remeraber that this same Thomas, so desponding in
our Lord's life-time, was afterwards tho very Apostle who first
preached the Gospel in India, according to ecclesiastical liis-
tor", .and penetrated further East than any whose name is re-
coraed. Chrysostom says, " The very man who dared not go
to Bethany in Christ's corapany, afterwards ran alone through
the world, and dwelt in the midst of nations full of raurder and
ready to kill hira."
Sorae have thought that his Greek narae " Didymus," signify
ing " two " or " double," was given him because of his character
being double, viz., part faith and part weakness. But this is

254

EXPOSITORY THOLGHTS.

very doubtful. In the first three Gospels, in the catalogue of
the twelve, he is always named together with Matthew the
publican. But why we do not know.
The Greek word for " fellow-disciple " is never used in tho
New Testament excepting here.

JOHN XI. 17—29.

17 Then iihen Jesus came, he found
that he had lain in the grave four days
already. 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Je
rusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19 And many of the Jews came to
Martha and Mary, to comfort them con
cerning their brother.
20 'fhen Martha, as soon as she heard
that Jesus was coming, went and met
him: but Mary sa.tstiU in tho house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus,
Lord, if thou hadst been here, my
brother had not died.
22 But 1 know, that even now, what
soever thou wilt ask of Ood, God will
give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother
Bhall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know

that be shall rise again in the resar
rection at tbe last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the
resurrection and the life: he that be
lieveth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth, and be
lieveth in me shall never die. Be-
lievest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I
believe that thou art the Christ, the
Son of God, which should 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,
29 As soon as she heard that, she
arose quickly, and came unto him.

There is a grand simplicity about this passage, which is
almost spoilt by any human exposition. To comment on it
seems like gilding gold or painting lilies. Yet it throws
much light on a subject which we can never understand too
well ; that is, the true character of Christ's people. The
portraits of Christians in the Bible are faithful likenesses.
They show us saints just as they are.
Wc learn, firstly, what a strange mixture of grace and
weakness is to be found even in the hearts of true believers.
We see this strikingly illustrated in the language used
b}' Martha and Mary. Both these holy women had faith
enough to say, " Lord, if Thou hadst been here, mj' brother
had not died." Yet neiCher of them seems to have re-

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 255
membered that the death of Lazarus did not depend on
Christ's absence, and that our Lord, had lie thought fit,
could have prevented his de.tth with a word, without com
ing to BethanJ^ — Martha bad knowledge enough to say,
" I know, that even now, whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God,
God wilt give it Thee, — I know that my brother shall rise
again at the last day, — I believe that Thou art the Christ,
the Son of God." — Bnt even she could get no further. Her
dim eyes and trembling hands could not grasp the grapd
truth that He who stood before her had the kej's of life and
death, and that in her Master dwelt " all the fulness of the
Godhead bodil}-." (Colos. ii. 9.) She saw indeed, but
through a glass darkly. She knew, but only in part. She
believed, but her faith was mingled with much unbelief.
Yet both Martha and Mary were genuine children of God,
and true Christians.
These things are graciously written for our learning. It
is good to remember what true Christians really are. Many
and great are the mistakes into which people fall, by form
ing a false estimate of the Christian's character. Manj'
are the bitter things which people write against themselves,
by expecting to flnd in their hearts what cannot be found
on this side of heaven. Let us settle it in our minds that
saints on earth are not perfect angels, but onh' converted
sinners. They are sinners renewed, changed, sanctified,
no doubt ; but they are yet sinners, and will be till they
die. Like Martha and Mary, their faith is often entangled
with much unbelief, and their grace compassed round
with much infirmity. Happy is that child of God who
understands these things, and has learned to judge rightly
both of himself and others. Rarely indeed shall we find
the saint who does not often need that prayer, "Lord, I
believe : help Thou mine unbelief."
We learn, secondly, what need many believers have
of dear views of Christ's person, office, and poiver. This

256 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
is a point which is forcibly brought out in the well-known
sentence which our Lord addressed to Martha. In reply
to her vague and faltering expression of belief in the
resurrection at the last day. He proclaims the glorious
truth, " I am the resurrection and the life ; " — " I, even I,
thy Master, am He that has the keys of life and death in
Ili-e hands." And then He presses on her once more that
old lesson, which she had doubtless often heard, but never
fully realized : " He that believeth in Me, though he were
dead, j'et shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth
in Me shall never die."
There is matter here which deserves the close consider
ation of all true Christians. Many of them complain of
want of sensible comfort in their religion. They do not
feel the inward peace which they desire. Let them know
that vague and indefinite views of Christ are too often the
cause of all their perplexities. They must try to see more
clearly the great object on which their faith rests. They
must grasp more firmly His love and power toward them
that believe, aud the riches He has laid up for them even
jiow in this world. We are many of us sadly like Martha.
A little general knowledge of Christ as the only Saviour
is often all that we possess. But of the falness that dwells
in Him, of His resurrection, His priesthood, His interces
sion, His unfailing compassion, we have tasted little
or nothing at all. They are things of which our Lord
might well say to many, as he did to Martha, " Believest
thou this?"
Let us take shame to ourselves that we have named
the name of Christ so long, and yet know so little about
Him. What right have we to wonder that we feel so little
sensible comfort in our Christianity? Our slight and
imperfect knowledge of Christ is the true reason of our
discomfort. Let the time past suffice us to have been
lazy students in Christ's school ; let the time to come find

JOHN,, CHAP. XI. 257
ns more diligent in trying to " know Him and the power
of His resurrection." (Philip, iii. 10.) If true Christians
would only strive, as St. Paul says, to " comprehend what
is the treadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to
know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge," they
would be amazed at the discoveries they would make.
-They would soon find, like Hagar, that there are wells of
water near them of which thej' had no knowledge. They
would soon discover that there is more heaven to be enjoj-ed
on earth than they had ever thought possible. The root
of a happy religion is clear, distinct, well-defined knowl-
.edge of Jesus Christ. More knowledge would have saved
Martha many sighs and tears. Knowledge alone no doubt,
if unsanctified, only "puffeth up." (1 Cor. viii. 1.) Yet
without clear knowledge of Christ in all His oflSces we
cannot expect to be established in the faith, and steady in
the time of need. Notes. John XI. 17—29.
17.— [Then when Jesus came.] 'We are left entirely to conjecture
as to the tirae spent by our Lord in His journey from Bethabara
to Bethany. We do not know anything certain of the place where
He w.as abiding, except that it was beyond Jordan. Probably it
was between twenty and thirty miles frora Bethany, and this
distance, to those who travel ou foot, would be at least a day's
journey. [He found.. .lain.. .grave.. .four days already.] The Greek forra
-^ of language here Is peculiar, and a literal translation would be
irapossible. It would be, "He found him being already four
days in the grave." It is highly probable that Lazarus was
buried the same day that he died. In a country like Palestine,
with a hot climate, it is quite impossible to keep corpses long
nnbnried, without danger and discomfort to the living. A man
may talk to his friend one day, and flnd him buried the next
day. One thing is abundantly proved by this verse. Lazarus must
certainly have been dead, and not in a trance or swoou. A per
son lyiug in a grave for lour days, all reasonable people would
admit, must have been a dead man.
Tho various fo^'ms of death which our Lord is recorded to
have triumphed c rer should not be forgotten. Jairus' daughtet

258 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
was just dead ; the son of the widow of Nain was being carried
to the grave ; Lazarus, the most extraordinary case of all, had
been four days in the tomb.
The expression, "He found," In this verse, must not be
thought to imply any surprise. 'We know that our Lord begun
His journey fjora Bethabara with a full knowledge that Lazarus
was dead. What " He found " applies to Lazarus therefore, and
to the precise length of time that he had been in the grave. He
was not only dead, but buried.
We can well imagine what a sorrowful time those four days
must have been to Martha and Mary, and how many thoughts
must have crossed their rainds as to the reason of our Lord's!
delay, as to the day He would come, and the like. Nothing so
wears us down as suspense and uncertainty. Yet of all graces
there is none so glorifying to God and sanctifying to the heart
as that of patience or quietly waiting. ' How long Abraham,
Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and David were kept waiting! Jesus
loves to show the world that His people can wait. Martha and
Mary had to exemplify this. Well if we can do likewise !
Goraarus discusses at length the curious question, where the
soul of Lazarus was during those four days. He disraisses as
unscriptural the idea that it was yet in the body, and seems to
hold that it was in Paradise.
The " four days " are easily accounted for. If we remember
the time occupied by the raessenger from Bethany, the two days'
delay at Bethabara, and the journey to Bethany.
18. — [Now Bethany. ..nigh.. .Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off.]
This verse shows that John wrote for readers who were not ac
quainted with Palestine. According to his manner he gives a
. parenthetical description of the situation of Bethany, partly to
show how very near to Jerusalem the wonderful rairacle he re
lates was worked, — within a walk of the temple, and alraost
within view ; and partly to account for the nuraber of the Jews
who came from Jerusalem to comfort Martha and Mary.
The distance, fifteen furlongs, is rather less than two miles.
The use of the expression, "about," shows that the Holy Ghost
condescends to use man's coraraon forra of language in describ
ing things, and that such expressions are not inconsistent With
inspiration. (See John ii. 6, and vi. 19.)
19. — [And many Jews.. .came. ..Mary.] This sentence would be
more literally rendered, " Many frora araong the Jews had corae
to those around Martha and Mary." Who these Jews were it Is
impossible to say, except that they evidently carae frora Jerusa
lem. One can hardly suppose that they were the leaders and
rulers of the Pharisees. Such men would not be likely to care
for friends of Jesus, and would hardly have condescended to
visit Martha and Mary, who were doubtless known to be His
disciples. Of course it is possible that Simon the leper, in

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 259
whose house Lazarus died, may have been a man of considera
tion, and that the Jews may have corae out of respect to hira.
At any rate it is clear that those vvho saw the stupendous mira
cle of this chapter were Jerusalem Jews, and were " raany," and
not few. — The expression, "Those around Martha and Mary,"
is a forra of language not uncommon in Greek, and is probably
rightly translated in our version. It can hardly mean, " the
women who had corae to mourn with Martha and Mary," though
it Is well known that women were the chief raourners at funer
als. It is, however, only fair to say that Beza decidedly holds
that the women and female friends who had come to mourn with
Mary and Martha are meant in this verse.
[To comfort them concerning their brothe.};] This appears to
have been a coraraon practice araong the Jews. When any one
died, friends and neighbours assembled for several days at the
house of the deceased, to mourn with and corafort the relatives.
Lightfoot specially mentions it. The same custom prevails in
many parts of the world at the present day: Hindostan and
Ireland are instances.
We cannot doubt that many of these Jews came to Martha
and Mary from forra and custom, and not from any genuine
sympathy or kind feeling, much less frora any unity of spiritual
taste. Ifet it is striking to observe how God blesses even the
semblance of sympathy. By coming they saw Christ's greatest
miracle. If unbelief can sympathize, how much more should
grace. One thing at any rate seems veiy clearly proved by this
verse. Whatever was the rank or position of Martha, Mary,
and Lazaras, they were well-known people, and anything that
happened in their house at Bethany was soon public news in
Jerusalem. Had they been strangers frora Galilee, the thing
named in this verse wonld not have been written.
Chiysostom thinks the Evangelist mentioned the Jews
coming to comfort Martha and Mary, as one of tlie many cir
cumstances proving that Lazarus was really dead. They evi
dently thought him dead, or they would not have come.
Lightfoot gives a long and curious account of the customs of
the Jews about coraforting mourners. He says that " thirty
days were allotted for the time of mourning. The three flrst
days were for weeping ; seven days for lamentatiou ; and thirty
days for intermission from washing or shaving. The beds in
the house of mourning were all taken down and laid on the
ground, as soon as the coflTin left the house. The comforter sat
on the floor; the bereaved sat chief. The comforter raight not
say a word till the chief raourner broke silence."
Poole observes that the raonrning for Jacob was forty days,
for Aaron and Moses, thirty days. (Gen. 1. 3 ; Num. xx. 29 ;
Deut. xxxiv. 8.)

260 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
20.— [Then Martha.. .heard.. .Jesus.. .coming. ..met him.] The Greek
word for '• vvas coming," would have been more literally trans
lated, " is coming," or, " comes," in the present tense. It then
gives the idea that Martha received from some friend, servant,
or watchman, vvho was on the lookout on the road from Jor
dan, the message long looked for, " Jesus is in sight:" "He is
coraing." She then hurried out, and met our Lord outside the
village. The Greek is simply, "met Hira;" and "went" is
needless. Bullinger thinks that Martha, with characteristic activity,
was bustling after domestic duties, and heard from some one'
that Jesus was comiug, aud ran to meet Hira, without going to
tell Mary.
[But Mary sat still.. .house.] While Mi.rtlia hurried out to
meet Jesus, Mary continued sitting in the house. Martha's
" met " Is a perfect tense ; Mary's " sat " Is an imperfect. It is
Impossible not to see the characteristic temperament of each
sister coming.out here, and doubtless it is written for our learn
ing. Martha — active, stirring, busy, demonstrative— cannot
wait, but runs impulsively to meet Jesus. Mary — quiet, gentle,
pensive, meditative, contemplative, meek — sits passively at
home. Yet I venture to think that of the two sisters, Martha
here appears to most advantage. There is such a thing as
being so crushed and stunned by our afiliction that we do not
adorn our profession under it. Is there not soraething of this
in Mary's conduct throughout this chapter? There is a time to
stir, as well as to sit still ; and here, by not stirring, Mary cer
tainly missed hearing our Lord's glorious declaration about
Hiraself. I would uot be mistaken in saying this. Both these
holy women were true disciples; yet if Mary showed raore
grace on a former occasion than Martha, I think Martha here
showed more than Mary.
Let us never forget that there are differences of temperament
among believers, and let us make due allowance for others if
they are not quite like ourselves. There are believers who are
quiet, passive, silent, aud meditative; and believers who are
active, stirring, and demonstrative. 'The well-ordered Church
raust find room, place, and work for all. We need Marys as well
as Marthas, and Marthas as well as Marys.
Nothing brings out character so much as sickness and
affliction. If we would know how much grace believers have,
we should see them in trouble.
Let us remember that "sitting" vvas the attitude of a
mourner, among the Jews. Tluis Job's friends " sat down with
him ou the ground." (Job il. 13.)
Henry remarks : " In the day of affliction Mary's contem
plative and reserved temper proved a snare to her, made her
less able to grapple with grief, and disposed her to melancholy.

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 261
It will be our wisdom to watch against the temptations, and
improve the advantages of our natural temper."
2h— [Then said Martha. ..if thou. ..not died.] This Is the flrst ac
count of Martha's feelings. It was the uppermost thought in
her mind, and with honest impulsiveness she brings it out at
once. It is easy to detect in it a strange mixture of emotions.
Here is a passion, not unmixed with a tinge of reproach. "I
wish you had been here: vvhy did you not come sooner? You
might have prevented my brother's death."
Here is love, confidence, and devotion creeping out. " I wish
yon had been here. We loved yon so much. "VVe depended so
entirely on your love. We felt if you had been here all wonld
be ordered well."
Here is faith. " I wish you had been here. I believe yon
could have healed my brother, and kept death from hira."
Nevertheless there is something of unbcliefat bottom. Martha
forgets that the bodily presence of Jesus vvas not necessary in
order to cure her brother, or to prevent his death. She raust
have known what onr Lord did for the centurion's servant, and
the ruler of Capernaura. Ho had but to speak the word any
where and Lazarus would have recovered. But memories often
fail in time of trouble.
Ferus remarks how apt we all are to say, as Martha, "If God
had been here, if Christ had been present, this would not have
happened; as if Christ was not always present, and everywhere
near His people ! "
Henry remarks that in cases like Martha's, " we are apt to add
to our trouble by fancying what raigbt have been. If such a
method had been taken, such a physician employed, my friend
had not died ! which is more thau we know. And what good
does it do ? When God's will is done, our business is to submit."
22.— [But Iknow... even now. ..ask.. .give it thee.] In these words poor
Martha's faith and hope shine clearly and unmistakably, though
not without serious blemishes. " Even now," she says, " though
my brother is dead and lyiug in the grave, I know, and feel con
fident, from the mauy proo.»'s I have seen of Thy power, that
whatsoever things Thou raayest ask of God, God will give them
to Thee. I must therefore even now cling to the hope that in
some way or other Thou wilt help us."
The faith of these words is pla'n aud unraistakable. Martha
hopes, desperately against hope, that somehow all will be right,
.though she knows not how. She has strong confldence in the
efficacy of our Lord's prayers.
The presence of dim views and Indistinct apprehensions of
Christ in Martha's mind is as evident as her faith. She speaks
as if our Lord was a human prophet only, and had no independent

262 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

power of His own, as God, to work a miracle, and as if He conld
not command a cure, but must ask God for it, as Elisha did. She
must have strangely forgotten the raanner in which our Lord
had often worked His miracles. Chrysostom reraarks, that she
speaks as if Christ was only " some virtuous and approved mor
tal." Let us note here that there raay be true faith and love toward
Christ iu a person, and yet much dimness and ignorance mixed
np with it. Love to Christ, in Christian women especially, is
often rauch clearer than faith and knowledge. Hence women
are more easily led astray by false doctrine than men. It is of
the utmost iraportance to reraeraber that there are degrees of
faith and knowledge. How small a degree of faith raay save,
and how much of Ignorance may be found even in one who is on
the-way to heaven, are deep points which probably the last day
alone will fully disclose.
Let us do Martha the justice to observe that she shows great
confidence in the value and efficacy of prayer.
23. — [Jesus saith.. .brother. ..rise again.] These words, the flrst
spoken by our Lord after arriving at Bethany, are very remark
able. They sound as if He saw the vague nature of Martha's
. faith, and would gradually lead her on to clearer and more dis
tinct views of Himself, His office, and Person. He therefore
begins by the broad, general promise, " Thy brother shall be
raised up." He does not say when or how. If his disciples
heard hira say this, they might have some clue to his meaning,
as He had said, " I go that I may awake him out of sleep." But
Martha had not heard that.
Let us note that our Lord loves to draw out the faith and knowl
edge of His people by degrees. If He told us everything at
once, plainly, and without any room for misunderstanding, it
would not be good for us. Exercise is useful for all our graces.
Eollock sees in this verse a signal exaraple of our Lord's
unwillingness to "break the bruised reed, or quench the smoking
flax." He nourishes and encourages the little spark of faith
which Martha had.
24. — [Martha.. .Iknow...resurrection... last day.] Martha here reveals
the extent of her faith and knowledge. She knows and feels
sure that her brother will be raised again frora the dead In the
last day, when the resurrection takes place. This, as a pious
Jewess, she had learned frora the old Testament Scriptures, and
as a Christian believer, she had gathered even raore distinctly
from the teaching of Jesus. But she does not say, " I know
and feel confident " of anything more. She raay perhaps have
had sorae gliinraerlng of hope that Jesus would do something,
but she does not say, "I know." General faith is easier than
particular. We see from this verse that the resurrection of the body

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 263
formed part of the creed of the Jewish Church, and of the faith of
our Lord's disciples. Martha's " / know," sounds as if she re
membered the words of Job, " I know that my Redeemer liveth."
What she did not understand, or had failed to remeraber, was our
Lord's peculiar office as Lord of the resurrection. We cannot
now understand how she can have failed to hear what our Lord
had said before the Sanhedrira. (John v. 25 — 29.) If she had, she
evidently had not coinprehended it. Even our Lord's teaching
was often not taken in by His people! How much less raust
His ministers expect all their sermons to be understood !
To my eyes there Is au evident tone of disappointment about
Martha's speech. It is as though she said, " I know, of course,
-that he will rise again at last; but that Is cold corafort. It is a
far-distant event. I want nearer and better consolation."
Hutcheson reraarks : " It Is no uncomnion thing to see raen be
lieving great things that are far oflT, and about which they have
no present exercise, when yet their faith proves weak in the mat
ter of a present trial, though less difficult than that which they
profess to believe."
25. — [Jesas said...! am.. .resurrection.. .life.] In this and the follow
ing verses, our Lord corrects Martha's feeble and inadequate
notions, and sets before her more exalted views of Hiraself.
As Chrysostom says, " He shows her that He needed none to
"help Him." He tells her that He is not merely a human teacher
: "of the resurrection, but the Divine Author of all resurrection,
whether spiritual or physical, and the Root aud Fountain of all
life. " I ara that high aud holy One who, by taking raan's nature
upon Me, have ennobled his body, and raade its resurrection
possible. I am the great First Cause and Procurer of raan's
- resurrection, the Conqueror of death, and the Saviour of the
body. I ara the great Spring and Source of all life, and what
ever life any one has, eternal, spiritual, physical, is all owing to
Me. All that are raised frora the grave will be raised by Me.
All that are spiritually quickened are quickened by Me. Sep
arate frora Me there is no life at all. Death came by Adam : life
comes by Me."
All must feel that this is a deep saying, so deep that we se«
but a little of it. One thing only is very clear and plain : none
could use this language but one who knew aud felt that He was
very God. No prophet or Apostle ever spoke in this way.
I do not feel sure that the two first words of this verse do not.
_ contain a latent reference to the great title of Jehovah, "I am."
The Greek quite permits it,
[He that believeth...me... dead... live.] This sentence receives
two interpretations. Some, as Calvin and Hutcheson, hold that
' " dead" here means spiritually dead. Others, as Bullinger, Gual
ter, Brentitus, Musculus, hold tlLit " dead " means bodily dead.—
' With these last I enlirelv agree, partly because of the point that
our Lord is pressing on Martha, partly because of the awkward
ness of speaking of a believer as " dead." Moreover, tne ex-

264 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

pression is a verb, — "though he has died," and not an adjec-,
tive, — " is a dead person." The sense I believe to be this : " IJe
that believes in Me, even if he has died, and been laid in the
grave, like thy brother, shall yet live, and be raised again through
my power. Faith in Me unites such an one to the Fountain of
all life, and death can only hold him for a short time. As sure
ly as 1, the Head, have life, and cannot be kept a prisoner by the
grave, so surely all my members, believing in Me, shall live
also."
26. — [And whosoever liveth.. .believeth...never die.] In this verse our
Lord seeras to me to speak of living believers, as in the last
verse He had spoken of dead ones. He're, then. He makes the
sweeping declaration, that " every one who believes iu Him
shall never die : " that Is, he " shall not die eternally," as the
Burial Service of the Church of England has it. The second
death shall have no power over him. The sting of bodily death-
shall be taken aw.ay. He partakes of a life that never ends,
frora the moment that he believes in Christ. His body may be
laid in the grave for a little season, but only to be raised after a
while to glory; and his soul lives on uninterruptedly forever-
more, and, like the great risen Head, dieth no more.
That there are great depths in this and the preceding sen
tence, every reverent believer will always admit, '^''e feel that
we do not see the bottom. The difficulty probably arises from
the utter inability of our gross, carnal natures to coraprehend
the mysteries of life, death, and resurrection of any kind. One
thing is abundantly clear, and that is the importance of faith in
Christ. " He that believeth " is the man who though dead shall
live, and shall never die. Let us take care that we believe, and
then all shall chic day be plain. Tho simple questions, " What is
life, and what is death ? " contain enough lo silence the wisest
philosopher. [Believest thou this?] This searching question is the applica
tion to Martha of the great doctrines just laid down. " Thou
believest that the dead will rise. It is well. But dost thou be
lieve that I am the Author of resurrection, and the source of
life? Dost thou realize that I, thy Teacher and Friend, am very*"
God, and have the keys of death and the grave in ray hands?
Hast thou yet got hold of this? If thou hast not, and only,
knowest rae as a prophet sent to teach good and comfortable
things, thou hast only received half the truth."
Home questions like these are very useful. How little we
raost of us know what we really believe, and what we do not;
what we have grasped and made our own, and what we hold
loosely ! Above all, how little we know what we really believe
about Christ !
Melancthon points out how immensely important it is to
know whether we really have faith, and believe what we hold.
27.— [She saith.. .Tea, Lord; I believe ] Poor Martha, pressed

265
home with the mighty question of the last verse, seems hardly
able to give any but a vague answer. In truth, we cannot ex
pect that she would speak distinctly about that Which she only
understood imperfectly. She therefore falls b.ack on a general
answer, in which she states simply, yet decidedly, what was the
extent of her creed.
Onr English word, " I believe," hardly gives the full sense
of the Greek. It would be literally, " I have believed, and do
believe." TWs Is ray faith, and has been for a long tirae.
Augustine, Bede, Bullinger, Chemnitius, Gualter, Maldonatus,
Quesnel, and Henry, think that the first word of Martha's reply
is a full and explicit declaration of faith in everything our
itord had just said. "Yes, Lord, I do believe Thou art the
resurrection and the life," etc. I cannot see this myself. The
idea seeras contradicted by Martha's subsequent conduct at the
grave. Musculus strongly maintains that Martha's confession, good
as it was, was vague and imperfect. Lampe takes much the
same view.
[Thou art the Christ... Son of God... came.. .woi-ld.] Here is
Martha's statement of her belief. It contains three great
points : (1) that Jesus was the Christ, the anointed One, the
Messiah ; (2) that He was the Son of God ; (3) that He was
the promised Redeemer, who was to come Into the world. She
goes no further, and probably she could not. Yet considering
the time she lived in, the universal unbelief of the Jewish
nation, and the wonderful difference In the views of believers
before the cruciflxion and after, I regard it as a noble and
glorious confession, and even fuller than .Peter's, in Matthew
xvi. 16. Melancthon points out the great superiority of
Martha's faith to that of the most intellectual heathen, in a long
and interesting passage.
It is easy to say that Martha's faith was rather vague, and
that she ought to have seen everything more clearly. But we
at this period of time, and with all our advantages, are very
poor judges of such a matter. Dark and dim as her views
were, it was a great thing for a solitary Jewish woman to have
got hold of so much truth, when within two miles, in Jerusalera,
all who held such a creed as hers were excomraunicated and
persecuted. Let us note that people's views of truth may be very defec
tive on some points, and yet they raay have the root of the
matter in thera. Martha evidently did not yet fully realize that
Christ vvas the resurrection and the life : but she had learned
the alphabet of Christianity,— Christ's Messiahship and Divin
ity, and doubtless learned more in time. We must not con
demn people hastily or harshly, because they do not see all at
once. 12

266 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Chrysostom says : " Martha seems to rae not to understand
Christ's saying. She was conscious it was some great thing,
but did not perceive the whole raeaning, so that when asked
one thing she answered another."
Toletus remarks : " Martha thought she believed everything
Christ said, while she believed Him to be the true promLscd
Messiah. And she did truly believe, bnt her faith was implicit
and general. It is just as if some rustic, being questioned
about sorae proposition of faith which he does not quite cora
prehend, replies, ' I believe in the Holy Church.' So here
Martha said, ' I believe. Lord, that Thou art the true Christ,
and that all things Thon sayest are true ; ' and yet she did not
distinctly perceive thera." This is a remarkable testimony from
a Romanist. Ought we not, perhaps, to make sorae allowance for the distress
and affliction in which Martha vvas when she raade her confession ?
Is it fair to expect a person in her position to speak as distinctly
and precisely as one not in trouble ?
28. — [And when she had said this, etc.] The aflfection of Martha for
her sister appears here. Once assured that her Master was
come, and perhaps soraewhat cheered by the few words He spoke,
she hastens horae to tell Mary that Jesus was come, and had
called for her. We are not told expressly that Jesus had men
tioned Mary, but we may suppose that He did, and had asked
where she was.
The word " secretly" may be applied to the word which fol
lows, if we like, and it would then mean that " Martha called
Mary, saying secretly." This is probably the correct rendering.
The word rendered " is come" would be more literally trans
lated, " is present : is actually here."
The expression, "the Master," is probably the name by which
our Lord was familiarly known by the family at Bethany. It is
literally, " the Teacher."
Bullinger remarks that the word " secretly " Is purposely in
serted, to show that the Jews who followed Mary had no idea
that Jesus was come. Had they known it, he thinks, they would
not have followed her, and so would not have seen the rairacle.
Hall evidently thinks that Martha told Mary " secretly," for
fear of the unbelieving Jews who were among the coraforters
He reraarks : " Christianity doth not bid us abate anything of
• our vvariuess and honest policy : yea, it requires us to have no
less of the serpent thau of the dove."
29. — [As soon as she heard, etc.] The two last words In this sen
tence are both in the present tense. It would be more literally
rendered, " She, when she heard, arises quickly and comes to
Him." It is evident, I thiuk, that the sudden movement of Mary

JOHN, CHAP. XI.

267

was not caused by hearing that Jesus was come, but that Jesus
called for her.
It is not unlikely, from the word "arose," that Mary was
lying or sitting prostrate on the ground, under the pressure of
grief. We may also well suppose that our Lord, who doubtless
knew her state, asked for her, in order to rouse her to exertion.
When David heard that his child was dead, and nothing left for
him to do but to be resigned, he " arose from off the earth." (2
Sam. xii. 20.)

JOHN XI. 30—37.

30 Now Jeans was not yet come into
the town, but was in that place whero
Martha met him.
31 The Jews then which were with
her in the house, and comforted her,
when, they saw Mary, that she rose up
hastily and wentout, followed her, say
ing. She goeth unto the grave to weep
there. 32 Then when Mary was come where
Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down
at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if
thon hadst been here, my brother had
not died.

33 When Jesus therefore saw her
weeping, and tbe Jews also weeping,
which came with her, he groaned in the
spirit, and was troubled.
34 And said. Where have ye laid
him? They said unto him, Lord, come
and see.
35 Jesus wept.
3G Then said the Jews, Behold how
he loved him !
37 And some of them said, Could not
this man, which opened the eycsof the
blind, hare caused that even this man
should not have died 7

Not many passages in the New Testament are more won
derful than the simple narrative contained in these eight
verses. It brings out, in a most beautiful light, the
sympathizing character of our Lord Jesus Christ. It
shows us Him who is " able to save to the uttermost all
who come to God by Him," as able to feel as He is to
save. It shows us Him who is One with the Father, and
the Maker of all things, entering into human sorrows, and
shedding human tears.
We learn, for one thing, in these verses, how great a
blessing Ood sometimes bestows on actions of kindness and
sympathy. It seems that the house of Martha and Mary at Bethany
was filled with mourners when Jesus arrived. Many
of these mourners, no doubt, knew nothing of the inner

268 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
life of these holy women. Their faith, their hope, their
love to Christ, their discipleship, were things of which
they were wholly ignorant. But they felt for them in their
heavy bereavement, and kindly came to offer what comfort
they could. By so doing they reaped a rich and unexpected
reward. They beheld the greatest miracle that Jesus ever
wrought. They were eye-witnesses when Lazarus came
forth from the tomb. To many of them, we may well be
lieve, that day was a spiritual birth. The raising of Laza
rus led to a resurrection in their souls. How small some
times are the hinges on which eternal life appears to depend I
If these people had not sympathized they might never
have been saved.
We need not doubt that these things were written for
our learning. To show sympathy and kindness to' tho
sorrowful is good for our own souls, whether we know it or
not. To visit the fatherless and widows in their afiliction,
to weep with them that weep, to try to bear one another's
burdens, and lighten one another's cares, — all this will
make no atonement for sin, and will not take us to heaven.
Yet it is healthy employment for our hearts, and emploj'ment
which none ought to despise. Few perhaps are aware that
one secret Of being miserable is to live only for ourselves,
and one secret of being happy is to try to make others
happy, and to do a little good in the world. It is not
for nothing that these words were written by Solomon,
" It is better to go to tlie house of mourning than to the
house of feasting." — " The heart of the wise is in the
house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house
of miuth." (Eccl. vii. 2, 4.) The saying of our Lord is
too much overlooked : " Whosoever shall give to drink to
one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name
of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose
his reward." (Matt. x. 42.) The friends of Martha and
Mary found that promise wonderfully verified. In an

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 269
age of peculiar selfishness and self-indulgence, it would
be well if they had more imitators.
We learn, for another thing, what a depth of tender sym
pathy there is in Christ's heart towards His people. We
read that when our Lord saw Mary weeping, and the Jews
also weeping with her, " He groaned in the spirit and
was troubled." We read even more thau this. He gave
outward expression to His feelings : He " wept." He
knew perfectly well that the sorrow of the family of
Bethany would soon be turned into joy, and that Lazarus
in a few minutes 'would be restored to his sisters. But
though he knew all this, he " wept."
This weeping of Christ is deeply instructive. It shows
us that it is not sinful to sorrow. Weeping and mourning
are sadly trying to flesh and blood, and make us feel the
weakness of our mortal nature. But they are not in
themselves wrong. Even the Son of God wept. — It shows
us that deep feeling is not a thing of which we need be
ashamed. To be cold and stoical and unmoved in the
sight of sorrow is no sign of grace. There is nothing
unworthy of a child of God in tears. Even the Son of
God could weep. — It shows us, above all, that the Saviour
in whom believers trust is a most tender and feeling
Saviour. He is one who can be touched with sympathy
for our infirmities. When we turn to Him in the hour of
trouble, and pour out our hearts before Him, He knows
what we go through and cdn pity. And He is One who
never changes. Though He now sits at God's right hand
in heaven. His heart is still the same that it was upon
earth. We have an Advocate with the Father, who, when
He was upon earth, could weep.
Let us remember these things in daily life, and never
be ashamed of walking in our Master's footsteps. Let us
strive to be men and women of a tender heart and a sym
pathizing spirit. Let us never be ashamed to weep with

270 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
them that weep, and rejoice with them that rejoice. Well
would it be for the Church and the world if there were
more Christians of this stamp and character ! The Church
would be far more beautiful, and the world be far more
happy. Notes. John XI. 30—37.
80. — [Noio Jesus loas not yet come, etc.] The Greek word for
" corae " is in the preterperfect tense. The sentence, translated
literally, wonld be, " Jesus had not yet come into the town,"
when Martha left Hira to tell Mary, but was still waitin.g or re
maining in the place outside Bethany, where Martha at flrst met
Him. The word "town" would be more correctly rendered
" village," according to our present acceptation of the word.
Yet it is fair to reraember that words change their raeaning with
lapse of tirae. Even at this day a little Suffolk village of 1,400
people, is called a " town" by many of its inhabitants.
Calvin thinks that Jesus remained outside Bethany by Mar
tha's request, that His life might not be endangered.
81. — [The Jews then.. .comforted her.. .saw Mary. ..followed her.] It
is probable that the persons here mentioned formed a consider
able nuraber, — as many as could crowd into the house. " Com
forted " in the Greek is the present participle, and implies that
they were actually employed in comforting Mary. Concerning
the mauner of coraforting on such occasions, we know nothing
certain. People who only talk common places are miserable
coraforters, and far worse than Job's friends, who sat for seven
days saying nothing at all. It raay be that among the Jews the
mere presence of courteous and sympathizing people was
thought a kind attention, and soothed the feelings of the be
reaved. The customs of nations differ widely in such raatters.
It is evident these Jews did not hear Martha's mess.age, and
knew nothing of Jesus being near. Sorae of them, perhaps,
had they known it, would not have followed Mary; not know
ing, they all followed without exception, aud unexpectedly
became eye-witnesses of a stupendous rairacle. All they knew
was that Mary went out hastily. They followed in a spirit of
kind sympathy, and by so doing reaped a great blessing.
Eupertus shrewdly remarks that the Jews did not follow
Martha, when she ran to meet Jesus, but did follow Mary. He
conjectures that Mary's affliction was deeper and more over
whelming than Martha's, and her friends devoted themselves
more to comfort her, as needing raost consolation. Yet the
simpler reason seems to be that when both sisters had left the
house, the friends could harily do anything else but go out and
follow.

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 27]
[She goeth. .grave.. .weep there.] We must suppose from this
sentence, tha ; weeping at the grave of dead friends was a
custora araoig the Jews in our Lord's time. In estimating
such a custom, which to most thinking persons may seem as
useless as rubbing a wound, and very likely to keep up pain
witliout healing, it is only fair to remember that Old Testament
views of the state after death were not nearly so well lighted
and comfortable as ours. The removal of death's sting, the
resurrection and paradise, were things uot nearly so well
understood even by the best saints before Christ, as they were
after Christ rose again. To raost of the Jews, in our Lord's
tirae, we can well believe that death was regarded as the end
of all happiness and corafort, and the state after death as a
dreary blank. When Sadducees, who said there was " no
resurrection," wete chief rulers and high priests, we may well
suppose that the sorrow of many Jews over the death of friends
was a " sorrow without hope." Even at this day, " the place
of wailing " at Jerusalem, vvhere the Jews assemble to weep
over the foundation-stones of the old temple, is a proof that
their habit of weeping over crushed hopes is not yet extinct.
82.— [That when Mary, etc.] We see in this verse that as soon as
Mary met our Lord, the first thing she said was alraost exactly
what Martha had said in the twenty-first verse, and the remarks
made there need not be repeated. The similarity shows, at
any rate, that throughout the Illness of Lazarus, the thoughts
of the two sisters had been running in one and the sarae
direction. Both had built all their hopes on Jesus coraing.
Both had felt confldence that His coming would have saved
their brother's life. Both were bitterly disappointed that He
did not come. Both had probably kept saying the same words
repeatedly, " If our Master would only come, Lazarus would
not die." There are, however, one or two touches of differ
ence between the two sisters, here as elsewhere. Let us note
them. Mary " fell down " at onr Lord's feet, and Martha did not.
She was made of softer, feebler character than Martha, and was
more completely crushed aud overcome than her sister.
Mary fell down at our Lord's feet when she " saw" Hira. Up
to that raoraent probably she had borne up, aud had run to the
place where Martha told her Jesus was waiting. But when she
actually saw her Master, and remembered how she had longed
for a sight of Hira for sorae days, her feelings overcame her,
and she broke down. The eyes have a great effect ou the feel
ings of the heart. People often bear up pretty well, till they
see soraething that calls up thoughts.
I do not perceive any ground for thinking, as Calvin does,
that this " fa ling at our Lord's feet " vvas an act of worship, a
recognition of our Lord's divinity. It is much more natural and
reasonable to regard it as the mere expression of Mary's state
of feelings.

272 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Trapp remarks that the words of Mary in this verse and of
Martha in the former one show that we are all naturally dis
posed to raake too much of Christ's bodily presence.
83. — [When Jesus therefore saw her, etc.] This is one of those
verses which bring out very strongly the real humanity of our
Lord, and His power to sympathize with His people. As a real
man, He was specially moved when He saw Mary and the Jews
weeping. As God, He had no need to hear their plaintive
langua.ge, and to see their tears, In order to learn that they
were afflicted. He knew perfectly all their feelings. Yet as
man He was like ourselves, peculiarly stirred by the sight of
sorrow; for human nature is so constituted that grief is
eminently contagious. If one in a corapany is deeply touched,
and begins to weep, itis extreraely likely that others will weep
also. This power of syrapathy our Lord evidently had in full
possession. lie sow weeping and He wept.
Let us carefully reraark that our Lord never changes. He did
not leave behind Him His human nature when He ascended up
into heaven. At this moment, at God's right hand. He can be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and can understand
tears as well as ever. Our great High Priest is the very Friend
that our souls need, able to save as God, able to feel as man.
To talk of the Virgin Mary feeling for sinners more than Jesus
is to say that which is ignorant and blasphemous. To teach
that we can need any other priest, when Jesus is such a feeling
Saviour, is to teach what is senseless and absurd.
[He groaned in spirit.] There Is considerable difficulty about
this expression. The word rendered " groaued," is only used
five times in the New Testaraent. In Matt. ix. 30, and Mark I.
43, it is "straitly charged." In Mark xiv. 5, it is "raurraured."
Here, and at the thirty-eighth verse above, it is "groaned."
Now what is precisely meant by the phrase ?
(a) Sorae, as Ecolarapadius, Brentius, Cheranitius, Elacius,
and Ferus, maintain firraly that the notion of anger, incli,gnation,
and stern rebuke, is inseparable from the word " groaned."
They think that the latent idea is the deep and holy indignation
with which our Lord vvas moved at the sight of the rava.ges
which death had made, and the raisery sin and the devil had
brought into the world. They say It implies the stern and
righteous wrath with which the deliverer of a country tyran
nized over and trampled down by a rebel regards the desolation
and destruction which the rebel has caused.
(6) Some add to this view the idea that " in spirit " raeans
that our Lord groaned through the Holy Ghost, or by the
Divine Spirit which dwelt in Uim without measure, or by the
power of His Godhead.
(c) Some, as Chrysostora, Theophylact, and Euthymius,
think " groaned in spirit " means that Christ rebuked His own

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 273
natural feelings by His Divine nature, or restrained His trouble,
and iu so doing vvas greatly disturbed.
{d) Sorae, as Gom.arus and Lampe, consider that our Lord
was moved to holy sorrow and indignation at the sight of the
unbelief even of Martha and Mary, (expressed by their immod
erate grief, as if the case of Lazarus was hopeless,) as well as
at the sight of the unbelief of the Jews.
(e) Some, as Bullinger, Gualter, Dlod.ati, Grotius, Maldona
tus, Jansenius, Rollock, and Hutcheson, consider that the
phrase siraply expresses the highest and deepest kind of inward
agitation of raind, an agitatiou in which grief, corapassion, and
holy detestation of sin's work in the world were all mingled
and combined. This agitation, however, was entirely inward
at present: it was not bodily, but spiritual; not in the flesh, but
in the spirit. As Burgon says, the " spirit " here means Christ's
inward soul. I prefer this opinion to the forraer one, though I
fully admit it has difficulties. But it is allowed by Schleusner
and Parkhurst, and seems the view of Tyndall, Cranmer, and
ie Geneva version, as well as of our own.
[And was troubled.] This expression is to my raind even
more difficult than the one which iraraedlately precedes it. It
would be literally translated, .as our marginal reading has it,
" He troubled hiraself." In fact, Wycliffe translates it so. Now
what can this raean ?
Sorae maintain that in our Lord's mysterious Person the human
nature was so entirely subordinated to the Diviue, that the
human passions and affections never moved unless influenced
and actuated by the Divine nature, and that here, to show His
sympathy. He "troubled Illmself." Thus Rupertus remarks
that " if He had not troubled Himself, no one else could have
troubled Him." I confess that I regard this view with a little
suspicion. It seems to me to imply that our Lord's human
nature was not like ours, and that His humanity was like an
instrument played upon by His divinity, but in itself dead and
passive until its music was called out. To my mind there is
something dangerous in this.
I prefer to think that our Lord as man had all the feelings,
passions, and affections of a man, but all under suchperfectcon-
trol that they never exceeded as ours do, and were never even
very deraonstrative, excepting on great occasions. As Beza
says, there vvas no "disorder" in His emotions. Here 1 think
He saw an occasion for exhibiting a very deep degree of sorrow
aud sympath5', partly from the sorrowful sight He beheld, and
partly from His lovo to Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Therefore
He greatly disturbed and " troubled Himself."
It still admits of a question whether the phrase may not be
simply a Hebraisra for " He was troubled." (Compare 1 Sam.
xxx. 6, and 2 Sam. xii. 18.) Hammond says it is a Hebrew
idiom.

274 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
'Wlien all has been said, we raust not forget that tho phrase
touches a very delicate and raysterious subject : that subject la
the precise nature of the union of two natures in our Lord's
Pcrsou. That He was at the sarae time perfect God and perfect
Man is an article of the Christian faith ; but how far the Divine
nature acted on the human, and to what extent it checked and
influenced the action of human passions and feelings, are very
deep points, which we have no line completely to fathom.
After all, not the least part of our difficulty is that we can form
no clear and adequate conception of a human nature entirely
without sin.
One thing, at any rate, is abundantly clear from this passage:
there is iiOthiug wrong or wicked iu being greatly moved by the
sight of sorrow, so long as we keep our feelings under control.
To be alvvays cold, unfeeling, and uusyrapathizing raay appear
to some very dignified and philosophical. But though it may
suit a Stoic, it is not consistent with the character of a Chris
tian. Sympathy is not sinful, but Christ-like.
Theophylact observes that Christ "teaches us by His own
example the due measure of joy and grief. The absence alto
gether of sympathy and sorrow is brutal: the excess of them is
womanly." Melancthon observes that none of Christ's miracles seem to
have been done without some great mental emotion. (Luke viii.
4C.) He supposes that here at this verse, there vvas a great
confiict with Satan in our Lord's raind, and that He wrestled
in prayer for the raising of Lazarus, and then thanked God
afterwards that the prayer was heard. Calvin takes much the
same view.
Ecolampadius observes that we raust not think Christ had a
human body only, aud not a human soul. He had a soul like our
ovvn in all things, siu only excepted, and capable of all our feel
ings and emotions.
Piscator and Trapp compare the trouble of spirit which our
Lord went through, to the disturbance and agitation of perfectly
clear water in a perfectly clear glass vessel. However great the
agitatiou, the water remains clear.
Musculus reverently remarks that after all there Is something
about this "groaning in spirit aud troubling Himself," which
canuot be fully explained.
34. — [And said. Where have ye laid him?] We cannot suppose
that our Lord, vvho knew all things, eveu to the raoraent of
Lazarus' death could really need to be informed where Lazarus
was buried. He asks what He does here partly as a kind friend
to show His deep sympathy and interest in the grave of His
friend, and partly to give further proof that there w.as no collu
sion in the matter of Lazarus' burial, and that He had nothing
to do with the choice of his tomb, in order to concert an irapos-

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 275
ture abont raising him. In short, those who heard Hira pub
licly ask this question would see that this was no prearranged
and precoutrived miracle.
Quesnel remarks : " Christ does n »t ask out of ignorance,
any raore than God did when he said, 'Adam, where art
thou ? ' "
[They said... Lord, come and see.] Who they were that said
this, we do not exactly know. It was proba'oly the common
saying of all the party of mourners who stood around while
Jesus talked with Mary. They did not know ^vhy our Lord
wished to see the grave. They raay possibly have supposed
that He wished to accompany Mary and Martha, and to weep at
the grave. At any rate the question and answer secured a large
attendance of corapanions, as the disciples and our Lord went
to the plixce where Lazarus vvas buried.
83. — [Jesus wept.] This wonderful little verse has given rise to an
enormous amount of comment. The difficulty is to select
thoughts, and not to overload the subject.
The Greek word rendered " wept " is not the sarae as that
used for " weeping" in the thirty -third verse, but totally differ
ent. There the weeping is a weeping accompanied by demon
strative lamentation. Here the word would be raore literally
and accurately rendered " shed tears." In fact it is the only
place in the New Testaraent where this word for " weep " is
used. There are three occasions where our Lord is recorded to have
wept, in the Gospels : once when he beheld the city, (Luke xix.
41,) once in the garden of Gethseraane, (Matt. xxvi. 39, and
Heb. vi. 7,) and here. We never read of His laughing, and
only once of His rejoicing. (Luke x. 21.)
The reasons assigned by coramentators why our Lord wept
here, before' He raised Lazarus, are various aud curious.
(a) Sorae think that he wept to see the ravages made by
death and sin.
(6) Some, as Hilary, think that He wept to think of the
unbelief of the Jews.
(c) Some think that He wept to see how weak and feeble
was the faith of Mary and Martha.
(d) Some, as Jerorae aud Ferns, think that He wept at the
thought of the sorrow Lazarus would go through by returning
to a sinful world.
(e) Some think that He wept out of syrapathy with the
. affliction of His friends at Bethany, in order to give an eternal
, proof to His Church that He can feel with us and for us.
I believe '.his last opinion is the true one.

276 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

We learn the great practical lesson, frora this verse, that
there is nothing unworthy of a Christian in tears. There is
nothing unraanly, dishonourable, unwise, or feeble, in being full
of syrapathy with the afflicted, and ready to weep with them
that weep. Indeed, it is curious to gather up the many instan
ces we have in Scripture of great men weeping.
We raay draw great corafort frora the thou.ght that the
Saviour in whom we are bid to trust is one who can weep,
and is as able to feel as He is able to save.
We may learn the reality of our Lord's humanity very
strongly frotn this little verse. He was one who could hunger,
thirst, sleep, eat, drink, speak, walk, groan, be wearied, wonder,
feel indignant, rejoice, like any of ourselves, and yet without
sin; and, above all, He could weep. I read that there Is "joy
in the presence of the angels of God," (Luke xv.,) but I never
read of angels weeping. Tears are peculiar to flesh and
blood. Chrysostom remarks that "John, who enters Into higher
statements about our Lord's nature than any of the evangelists,
also descends lower than any In describing his bodily affec
tions."
86. — [Then said.. .Jews.. .Behold.. .loved him.] This sentence is the
expression partly of surprise, which comes out in the word
" behold ; " and partly of admiration, — what a loving and tender
hearted Teacher this is ! It gives the idea that those who said
this were the few unprejudiced Jews who had come to Bethany
to comfort Mary and Martha, and afterward believed when they
saw Lazarus raised.
Let us observe that of all graces, love is the one which most
arrests the attention and influences the opinion of the world.
87. — [And some of them said, etc.] This sentence sounds to me
like the language of enemies determined to believe nothing
good of our Lord, aud prepared to pick a hole or find a faultif
possible, in anything that He did. Does not a sarcastic sneer
ringthroughout.it? "Could not this Man, if He really did
open the eyes of that blind person at Jerusalem last auturan,
have prevented this friend of His from dying? If He really is
the Messiah and the Christ, and really does work such wonder
ful works, why has He not prevented all this sorrow? If He
really loved Lazarus and his sisters, why did He not prove His
love by keeping him back from the grave? Is it not plain that
He is. not Almighty ? He cannot do everything. He could open
the eyes of a blind man, but He could not prevent death carry
ing off His friend. If He was able to prevent Lazarus dying,
why did He not do it? If He was not able, it is clear there are
some things He cannot do."
We should note that "the blind" is a word in the singular
nuraber. It is evidently the blind man at Jerusalem whose case
is referred to.

JOHN, CHAP. XI.

277

Let ns note that nothing will convince, or satisfy, or silence
some wicked men. Even when Christ is before them, they are
cavilling, and doubtiug, and finding fault. What right have
Christ's ministers to be surprised if they meet with the sarae
treatment f
Musculus remarks on the Satanic malice which this sentence
displays. It is the old sceptical spirit of cavilling and ques
tioning. Unbelief is always saying why? and why':' aud why?
" If this Man was such a friend of Lazarus, and loved hira so
much, why did He let him die ? "

JOHN XI. 38—46.

38 Jesns therefore again groaning in
himself cometli to the grave. It was a
cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39 Je.«u3 said, Take ye away the
stone. Martha, the sister of him that
was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this
time he stiuketh : for he hath been dead
four days.
iO Jesus saith unto her, Said I not
unto thee, that, if thou wouldost be
lieve, thou sbouldest see the glory of
God? 41 Then they took away the stone
ffom the place where the dead was laid.
And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank thee that thou hast
beard me.
ii And I knew that thou bearest me

always : but because of tbe people which
stand by I said it, that they may be
lieve that thou hast sent me.
43 And when be. thus had spoken,
he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus,
eome forth.
44 And be that was dead came forth,
bound hand and foot witii graveolothcs:
and his face was bound about with a
napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose
him, and let him go.
45 Then many of tbe Jews which
eame 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.

These verses record one of the greatest miracles the
Lord Jesus Christ ever worked, and supply an unanswerable
proof of His divinity. He whose voice could bring back
from the grave one that had been four days dead, must
indeed have been very God I The miracle itself is described
in such simple language that no human comment can
throw light upon it. But the sayings of our Lord on this
occasion are peculiarly interesting, and demand special
notice. We should mark, first, our Lord's words about the stone
which lay upon the grave of Lazarus. We read that He

278 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
said to those aiound Him, when he came to the place of
burial, " Take ye avvay the stone."
Now why did our Lord say this? It was doubtless
as easy for Him to command the stone to roll awaj' un
touched as to call a dead body from the tomb. But such
was not His mode of proceeding. Here, as in other cases,
He chose to give man something to do. Here, as elsewhere,
He taught the great lesson that His almighty power was
not meant to destroy man's responsibility. Even when He
was ready and willing to raise the dead. He would not
have man stand by altogether idle.
Let us treasure up this in our miemories. It involves a
point of great importance. In doing spiritual good to
others, — in training up our children for heaven, — in follow
ing after holiness in our own dail}' walk, — in all these
things it is undoubtedly true that we are weak and help
less. " Without Christ we can do nothing." But still we
must remember that Christ expects us to do what we can.
" Take ye away the stone " is the daily command which
He gives us. Let us beware that we do not stand still in
idleness, under the pretence of humility. Let us daily try
to do what we can, and iu the trying Christ will meet us
and grant His blessing.
We should mark, secondly, the words which our Lord
addressed to Martha, when she objected to the stone being
removed from the grave. The faith of this holy woman
completely broke down, when the cave where her beloved
brother lay was about to be thrown open. She could
not believe that it was of any use. " Lord," she cries,
" by this time he stinketh." And then comes in the solemn
reproof of our Lord : " Said I not unto thee that if thou
wouldest believe thou shouldest see the glory of God? "
That sentence is rich in meaning. It is far from un
likely that it contains a reference to the message which
had been sent to Martha and Mary, when their brother

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 279
first fell sick. It maj' be meant to remind Martha that her
Master had sent her word, " This sickness is not unto
death, but for the glory of God." But it is perliaps more
likely that our Lord desired to recall to Martha's mind the
old lesson He had taught her all through His ministry, the
duty of always believing. It is as though He said, " Mar
tha, Martha, thou art forgetting the great doctrine of
faith, which I have ever taught thee. Believe, and all
will be well. Fear not : onl}' believe."
The lesson is one which we can never know too well.
How apt our faith is to break down in time of trial ! How
easy it is to talk of faith in the days of health and pros
perity, and how hard to practise it in the days of dark
ness, when neither sun, moon, nor stars appear ! Let us
lay to heart what our Lord saj-s in this place. Let us
pray for such stores of inward faith, that when our turn
comes to snff'er, we may suffer patiently and believe all is
well. The Christian who has ceased to sa)% " I must see,
and then I will believe," and has learned to say, " I believe,
and by and by I shall see," has reached a high degree in
the schooj of Christ.
We should mark, thirdly, the words which our Lord
addressed to God the Father, when the stone was taken from
the grave. We read that He said, " Father, I thank Thee
that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou bearest
Me always: but because of the jieople which stand by I
said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me."
This wonderful langu.ige is totally unlike anything said
by Prophets or Apostles, when they worked miracles. In
fact, it is not prayer, but praise. It evidently implies a
¦constant mysterious communion going on between Jesus
and His Father in heaven, which it is past the power of
man either to explain or conceive. W^e need not doubt
that here, as elsewhere in St. John, our Lord meant to
teach the Jews the entire and complete unity there was

280 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
between Him and His Father, in all that He did, as well as
in all that He taught. Once more He would remind them
that he did not come among them as a mere Prophet,
but as the Messiah who was sent by the Father, and who
was one with the Father. Once more He would have them
know that as the words which He spake were the very words
which the Father gave Him to speak, so the works which He
wrought were the very works which the Father gave Him
to do. In short, He was the promised Messiah, whom the
Father always hears, because He and the Father are One.
Deep and high as this truth is, it is for the peace of our
souls to believe it thoroughly, and to grasp it tigntly. Let
it be a settled principle of our religion, that the Saviour in
whom we trust is nothing less than eternal God, One whom
the Father hears always. One who in very deed is God's
Fellow. A clear view of the dignity of our Mediator's
Person is one secret of inward comfort. Happy is he who
can say, " I know whom I have believed, and that He is
able to keep that which I have committed to Him." (2
Tim. i. 12.)
We should mark, lastly, the words which qur Lord
addressed to Lazarus when he raised Jiim from the grave.
We read that " He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come
forth ! " At the sound of that voice, the king of terrors at
once yielded up his lawful captive, and the insatiable grave
gave up its prey. At once " He that was dead came forth,
bound hand and foot with grave-clothes."
The greatness of this miracle cannot possibly be ex
aggerated. The mind of man can scarcely take in the
vastness of the work that was done. Here, in open day,
and before many hostile witnesses, a man, four days dead, .
was restored to life in a moment. Here was public proof
that our Lord had absolute power over the material world !
A corpse, already corrupt, was made alive ! — Here was
public proof that our Lord had absolute power over the

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 281
world of spirits ! A soul that had left its earthly tene
ment was called back from Paradise, and joined once more
to its owner's body. — Well may the Church of Christ main
tain that He who could work such works was " God over
all blessed forever." (Rom. ix. .5.)
Let us turn from the whole passage with thoughts of
comfort and consolation. Comfortable is the thought
that the loving Saviour of sinners, on whose mercy our
souls entirely depend, is one who has all power in heaven,
and earth, and is mighty to sav^e. — Comfortable is the
thovight that there is no sinner too far gone in sin for
Christ to raise and convert. He that stood by the grave
of Lazarus can say to the vilest of men, " Come forth :
loose him, and let him go." — Comfortable, not least, is the
thought that when we ourselves lie down in the grave, we
may lie down in the full assurance that we shall rise again.
The voice that called Lazarus forth will one day pierce our
tombs, and bid soul and body come together. "The
trumpets shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incor
ruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor. xv. 52.)
Notes. John XI. 38—46.
38. — [Jesus. ..groaning. ..cometh.. .grave.] The word here rendered
"groaning" is the same that was used at 32d verse, and the
same remarks apply to it. The only difference is that here it is
"groaning in Himself," and there "groaning in the spirit."
This, however, confirms my impression that in the former verse
" in the spirit" simply means "inwardly aud spiritually," and
that the general idea is " under the influence of very strong
inward emotion."
The situation of the grave, we need not donbt, was outside
the village of Bethany. There was no such thing as interment
within a town allowed among the Jews, or indeed among ancient
nations generally. The practice of burying the dead among the
living is a barbarous modern innovation, reflecting little credit
on Christians.
Calvin remarks : " Christ approaches the sepulchre as a cham
pion preparing for a contest; and we need not wonder that He
groans, as the violent tyranny of death, which He had to con
quer, is placed before His eyes."

282 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Ecolamp.idius and Musculus think that the unbelieving,
sneering reraarkof the Jews in the preceding verse is the reason
why our Lord "again groaned." Bullinger thinks that the
renewed eraotion of our Lord was simply occasioned by the sight
of the grave.
[It loas a cave, and a stone lay upon it.] Graves among the
Jews seem to have been of three kinds. (1) Sometimes, but
rarely, they were holes dug down into the ground, like our own.
(See Luke xi. 44.) (2) Most frequeutly they were caves hewn
horizontally into the side of a rock, with a stone placed against
the raouth. This was raost probably the kind of new tomb in
which our Lord was laid. (3) Sometimes they were caves in
which there was a sloping, downward descent. This appears
to have been the description of grave in which Lazarus was
buried. It says distinctly that " a stone lay upon it."
No doubt these particulars are specified to supply Incidental
proof of the reality of Lazarus' death and burial.
89. — [Jesus said. Take ye away the stone.] The expression here
conveys the idea of " lifting up" to take away. It is the same
word that is rendered " lifted up " in 41st verse.
The nse of this word greatly strengthens the idea that the
grave was a descending cave, and not a horizontal one. When
our Lord rose again, the stone was " rolled away from the door,"
and uot lifted up. (Matt, xxviii. 2.)
By calling on the crowd of attendants to take away the stone,
our Lord effected two things. Firstly, He impressed on the
mind of all engaged the reality .and truth of the miracle He was
about to perform. Every one who lent a hand to lift the huge
stone and remove it would remeraber it, and become a witness.
He would be able to say, " I myself helped to lift up the stone.
I myself am sure there was no imposture. There was a dead
body inside the grave." In fact, we canuot doubt that the smell
rising from the bottom of the cave would tell any one who
helped to lift the stone what there was there. — Secondly, our
Lord teaches us the simple lesson that He would have man do
what he can. Man cannot raise the soul, and give life, but he
cau often remove the stone.
Elacius points out the likeness between this command and
the command at Cana to fill the water-pots with water. (John
ii. 7.)
That the stones placed at the mouth of graves in Palestine
were very large, and not easily moved, we raay see frora Mark
xvi. 3.
[Martha, the sister of him, etc., etc.] This is a remarkable
sentence, and teaches several important th'n"-s.
(a) It certifies, for the last time, the reality of Lazarus'
death. He vvas not in a swoon or a trance. His own sister, who
had doubtless seen him die, and closed his eyes, declares before

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 283
the crowd of lookers-on, that Lazarus had been dead four days,
and vvas fiist going to corruption. This we may well believe in
such a climate as that of Palestine.
(6) It proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that there was no
imposture, uo collu.'^ion, no concerted deception, arranged be
tween the family of Bethany and our Lord. Here is the sister
of Lazarus actually questioning the propriety of ourLord's order,
and publicly saying In effect that it is no use to move the stone,
that nothing can now be done to deliver her brother from the
power of death. Like the eleven Apostles, after Jesus Hiraself
rose, Martha was not a willing and prepared witness, but a
resisting and unwilling one.
(c) It teaches, not least, how much unbelief there is in a
believer's heart at the bottom. Here is holy Martha, with all
her faith in our Lord's Messiahship, shrinking and breaking
down at this most critical point. She cannot believe that there
is any use in removing the stone. She suggests, impulsively
and anxiously, her doubt whether our Lord remembers how long
her brother has been dead.
It is not for nothing that we are specially told it was " Mar
tha, the sister of him that was dead," who said this. If even
she could say this, and raise objections, the idea of imposture
and deception becomes absurd.
Sorae writers object to putting the full literal meaning on the
Greek word rendered " stinketh; " but I can see nothing in the
objection. We need not suppose that the body of Lazarus was
different toother bodies. Moreover, it was just as easy to our
Lord to raise a corpse four days dead, as one only four hours
dead. In either case, the grand difficulty to be overcome would
be the sarae : viz., to change death into life. Indeed, it is worth
considering, whether this fact about Lazarus is not specially
mentioned in order to show our Lord's power to restore man's
corrupt and decayed body at the last day, and to raake it a glori
ous body.
Let us note here what a humbling lesson death teaches. So
terrible and painful is the corruption of a body, when the breath
leaves it, that even those who love ns most are glad to bury us
out of sight. (Gen. xxiii. 4.)
Musculus suggests that Martha had so little Idea what our
Lord was going to do, that she supposed He only wanted to see
Lazarus' face once more. This is perhaps going too far.
The Greek for "dead four days," is a singular expression, and
one that cannot be literally rendered in English. It would be
"He i^ a person of four days," and it may possibly raean, " He
has been buried four d.ays." Raphelius gives exaraples from
Herodotus and Xcnophon, which make it possible tliat it means
either dead or buried.
Lightfoot mentions a very curious tradition of the Jews:

284 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
" They say after death the spirit hovers about the sepulchre,
waiting to see if it raay return to the body. But when it sees
the look of the face of the corpse changed, then it hovers no
more, but leaves the body to itself." He also adds, " They do
not certify of the dead, except within three days after decease ;
for after three days the countenance changes."
40. — [Jesus saith, said I not, etc.] This gentle bnt firm reproof
is reraarkable. It is not clear to what our Lord refers in the
words, " Said I not."
(a) Sorae think, as Rupertus, that He refers to the message
He sent at the beginning: '•This sickness is not unto death,
but for the glory of God."
(6) Some think that He refers to the conversation He had
With Martha when she first met Him outside Bethany.
(c) Some think that He refers to words He had often used in
discoursing with Martha and Mary, on forraer occasions.
The point is one vvhich must be left open, as we have no raeans
of settling it. My own irapression is that there is probably a
reference to the message which our Lord sent b.ack to the sis
ters at first, when Lazarus was sick. I fancy there must have
been something more said at that time which is not recorded,
and that onr Lord reminded Martha of this. At the same tirae
I cannot doubt that our Lord constantly taught the faraily of
Bethany and all His disciples, that believing is the grand secret
of seeing God's glorious works. — " If thou canst believe, all
things are possible to hira that believeth." — " He did not raany
mighty works, because of their unbelief." (Mark ix. 23; Matt.
xiii. 58.) Unbelief, in a certain sense, seems to tie the hands and
limit the power of omnipotence.
Let us note that if we would see much we raust first believe.
Man's natural idea is just the reverse: he would first see, and
then believe.
Let us note that even the best believers need reminding of
Christ's sayings, aud are apt to forget thera. " Said I not unto
thee." It is a little sentence we should often call to mind.
41. — [Then they took away. ..stone. ..laid.] Martha's interruption
seems to me to have caused a little pause in the proceedings.
She being the nearest relative of Lazarus, and having probably
arranged everything concerning his burial, and provided his
tomb, we may well believe that her speech made the bystanders
hesitate to move the stone. When, however, they heard onr
Lord's solemn repl.v, and observed that she was silenced, and
made no further objection, " then" they proceeded to do what
our Lord desired. •
Hall remarks : " They (hat laid their hands to the stone doubt
less held still awhile, wl en Martha spoke, and looked one while
on Christ, another while on Martha, to hear what issue of reso
lution wonld follow so important an objection."

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 285
[And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said.] We now reach a point
of thrilling and breathless interest. Tho stone had been re
moved from the mouth of the cave. Our Lord stands before the
open grave, and the crowd stands around, awaiting anxiously to
see what would happen next. Nothin.g appears from the tomb.
There is no sign of life at present; but while all are eagerly
looking and listening, our Lord addressed His Father in heaven
in a mo.st solemn manner, lifting up His eyes, and speaking au
dibly to Him in the hearing of all the crowd. The reason He
explains in the next verse. Now, for the last tirae, about to
work His mi.ghtiest rairacle, He once more makes a public dec
laration that He did nothing separate from His Father in heaven,
and that in this and all His works there is a raysterious and in
timate union between Himself and the Father.
Wo should note how He suits the action to the word. "He
lifted up His eyes." (Compare John xvii. 1.) He showed that
He was addressing an unseen Father in heaven.
[Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.] This is a re
markable expression. Our Lord begins with " thanks," when
man would have expected Him to offer prayer. How shall we
explain it?
(a) Some think that our Lord refers to prayer He had pnt
np to the Father concerning the death of Lazarus, from the
moment that He heard of his illness, and to His present firm
coflviction that those prayers had been heard, and were going
to receive a public answer.
(&) Others think that there Is no reason to suppose that our
Lord refers to any former and remote prayer, — that there was a
constant, hourly, minutely communication between Himself
and His heavenly Father, — and that to pray, and return thanks
for the answer to prayer, were actions which in His experience
were very closely connected.
The subject is a deep and mysterious one, and I shrink from
giving a very positive opinion about it. "That our Lord con
stantly prayed, on all occasions, we know from the Gospels.
That He prayed sometimes with great agony of raind and with
tears, we also know. (Heb. v. 7.) But how far He could know
anything of that peculiar struggle vvhich we poor sinners have
to carry on with doubt, fear, and anxiety, in our prayers is
another question altogether, and very hard to answer. One
might suppose that One who was as man, entirely lioly, humble,
and without sin, might be able to thank for prayer heard,
almost as soon as prayer was offered. Upon this theory the
sentence before us would be plain : " I pray that Lazarus may
be raised ; and I thank Thee at the same time for hearing my
prayer, as I know Thou dost."
And yet we must not forget two of our Lord's prayers not
granted, apparently: "Father, save Me from this hour;"—

286 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

"Father, let this cup pass from Me." (Johu. xii. 47, and Mark
xxvi. 29.) It is, however, only fair to say that the first of
these prayers Is greatly qualified by the context, and the second
by the words, "If it be possible."
We may note here, as elsewhere, what an example of thank
fulness, as well as prayerfulness, our Lord always supplies.
Well if It was followed ! His people are always more ready to
ask than to thank. The more grace in a heart the more humil
ity, and the more humility the raore praise.
Chrysostora remarks : " Who now ever prayed in this man
ner? Before uttering any prayer. He saith, ' I thank Thee,'
showing that He . needed not prayer." He also says that the
real cause of our Lord saying this was to show tho Jews He
was no enemy of God, but did all His works according to His
will. Origen observes : " If to those who pray worthily is given the
promise in Isaiah, ' Thou shalt cry, and He shall say. Here I
am,' what answer, think we, could our Lord receive? He was
about to pray for the resurrection of Lazarus. He was heard by
the Father before He prayed ; His request was granted before
it was made ; and, therefore. He begins with thanks."
Musculus, Flacius, and Glassius, think that our Lord refers to
prayer He had been putting up secretly when He was " groan
ing in spirit and troubled," and that He was then wrestling and
agonizing in prayer, though those around Hira knew it not. We
may remeraber that at the Red Sea we are not told of any audi
ble prayer Moses offered, and yet the Lord says, "Wherefore
criest thou unto Mef " (Exodus xiv. 15.)
Quesnel observes : " Christ being about to conclude His pub
lic life and preaching by the last and most illustrious of His
miracles, returns solemn thanks to His Father for the power
given to His human nature to prove the authority of His mis
sion by miracles."
Hall observes: "Words express our hearts to raen, thoughts
to God. Well didst Thou know. Lord, out of the self-sameness
of Thy will with the Father's, that if Thou didst but think in
Thy heart that Lazarus should rise, he was now raised. It was
not for Thee to pray vocally and audibly, lest those captious
hearers should say. Thou didst all by entreaty, and nothing by
power."
42. — [And I knew that Thou hearest, etc.] This verse is so ellipti
cal that the meaning can hardly be seen without a paraphrase.
" I do not give Thee these thanks as if I had ever doubted Thy
willingness to hear Me ; on the contrary, I know well that Thou
always hearest Me. — Thou dost not only hear all ray prayers as
Man, both for rayself and my people ; Thou dost also ever
hear Me, even as I hear Thee, frora the mystical union there is
between the Father and the Son. But I have now said this

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 287
publicly, for the benefit of this crowd of people standing by tho
grave, in order that they may see and believe for the last time
that I do no rairacle without Thee, and that I ara the Messiah
whpra Thou hast sent into the world. I would have them pub
licly hear Me declare that I work this last great work as Thy
Sent One, and as a last evidence that I am the Christ."
I cannot bnt think there Is a deep raeaning about the expression,
" Thou hearest Me alway." (Compare John v. 30.) But I
admit the difliculty of the phrase and would speak with diffidence.
It is irapossible to imagine a more thorough open challenge to
the attention of the Jews, than the language which preceded the
raising of Lazarus. Before doing this stupendous work, our
Lord proclalras that He Is doing anJepeaking as He does to sup
ply a proof that the Father sent and coraraissioned Him as the
Christ. Was He the " Sent One," or not? This, we must alwaj'S
remeraber, was the great question, of which He undertook to
give proof. The Jews, moreover, said tliat He did His miracles
by Beelzebub: let them hear that He did all by thepowerof God.
Bullinger remarks that our Lord seeras to say, "The Jews do
not all understand that union and communion between Me and
Tliee, by which we are of the sarae will, power, and substance.
Some of thera even think that I work by the power of the devil.
Therefore that all may believe that I corae frora Thee, ara sent
by Thee, am Thy Son, equal to Thee, light of light, very God of
very God, I use expressions of this sort."
Poole remarks: "There Is a great difference between God's
hearing of Christ and hearing us. Christ and His Father have
one essence, one nature, and one will."
The following miracles were wrought by Christ without audi
ble prayer, and with only an authorftative word, Matt. viii. 3 ;
ix. 6 ; Mark v. 41 ; ix. 25 ; Luke vii. 14.
Wordsworth observes : " Christ prayed to show that He was
not against God, nor God against Hira, and that what He did was
done with God's approval."
is.— [And lohen... cried.. .come forth.] In this verso we have the last
and crowning stage of the miracle. Attention was concentrated
on the grave and our Lord. The crowd looked on with breath
less expectation ; and then, while they looked, having secured
their attention, our Lord bids Lazarus come forth out of the grave.
The Greek word for "He cried," is only in this place applied to
^any voice or utterance of our Lord. In Matt. xii. 19, it is used,
where it is said of our Lord, " He shall not cry." Here it is evi
dent that He purposely used a very loud, piercing cry, that all
around raight hear and take notice.
Theophylact thinks that Jesus "cried aloud to contradict the
Gentile fable that the soul remained in the tomb with the body.
Therefore the soul of Lazarus is called to as if it were absent,

288 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

and a loud voice were necessary to summon it back." Euthyraius
suggests the sarae reason. Tliis, however, seems an odd idea.
On the other hand, Brentius, Grotius, and Lampe suggest
that Jesus " cried with a loud vc.ice," to prevent tho Jews from
saying that He muttered or whispered sorae magical form, or
words of enchantment, as witches did.
Ferus observes that our Lord did not say, "In the name of my
Father come forth," or " Raise Him, O my Father," but acts by
His ovvn authority.
ti.—[And He that was dead came forth.] The effect of our Lord's
words was seen at once. As soon as He " cried," Lazarus was
seen coming up out of the cave, before the eyes of the crowd. A
more plain, distinct, and-unraistakable miracle it would be ira
possible for man to iraaglne. That a dead man should hear a
voice, obey it, rise up, and move forth from his grave alive is
utterly contrary to nature. God alone could cause such a thing.
What first began life iu him, how lungs and heart began to act
again, suddenly and instantaneously, it would be vvaste of time
to speculate. It vvas a miracle, and there we must leave it.
The idea of some, that Lazarus moved out of the grave with
out the use of his legs, passing through air like a spirit or ghost,
seems to rae needless aud unreasonable. I agree with Hutche
son, Hall, and Pearce, that though " bound hand and foot," there
is no certain proof that his legs were tied together so tightly
that he could uot move out of the grave, though slowly and with
difficulty, like one encumbered, on his own feet. The tardy,
shuffling action of such a figure would strike all. Pearce re
raarks, " He raust have corae forth crawling on his knees." We
are surely not required to multiply miracles. — Yet the idea that
Lazarus carae out with a supernatural motion seeras to be held
by Augustine, Zwingle, Ecolampadius, Bueer, Gualter, Toletus,
Jansenius, Lampe, Lightfoot, and Alford, who think it part of
the miracle. 1 would not press my opinion positivelj' on others,
though I firmly mantain it. My ovvn private feeling is that the
slow, gradual, tottering raoveraents of a figure encumbered by
grave-clothes would impress a crowd far more than the rapid,
ghost-like gliding out in air of a body, of vvhich the feet did uot
move. [His face bound about... napkin.] This is mentioned to show
that he had been really dead, and his corpse treated like all
other corpses. If not dead, he would have been unable to
bieathe through the napkin for four days.
[Jesus saith.. .Loose him.. .let him go.] This command was
given for two reasons : partly that many around might touch
Lazarus and see for themselves that it was not a ghost, but a
real body that was raised ; partly that he might be able to
walk to his own house before the eyes of the multitude as a
living raan. This, until he was freed from grave-clothes andhis
eyes were unbandaged, wonld have been impossible.

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 289
¦Very striking is it to remark how in the least minute particu
lars the objections of infidels and sceptics are quietly fore
stalled and met in Gospel narrative ! Thus Chrysostora reraarks
that the command to " loose hira " would enable the friends who
bore Lazarus to the grave, to know from the grave-clothes that
it was the very person they had buried four days before. They
would recognize the clothes; they could not say, as sorae had
said in the case of the blind raan, " This is not he.'' He also
remarks that both hands, eyes, ears, and nostrils would all con
vince the witnesses of the truth of the miracle.
45. — [Then many of the Jews. ..believed on him.] This verse
describes the good effect which the raising of Lazarus had on
many of the Jews who had come from Jerusalem to comfort
Mary and Martha. Their remaining prejudices gave way. They
were unable to resist the extraordinary evidence of the miracle
they had just seen. From that day they no longer denied that
Jesus was the Christ. Whether their belief was faith unto
salvation may well be doubted ; but at any rate they ceased to
oppose and blaspheme. And it is more than probable that on
the day of Pentecost many of those very Jews whose hearts had
been prepared by the miracle of Bethany came boldly forward
and were baptized.
We should observe in this verse what a signal blessing God
was pleased to bestow on sympathy and kindness. If the Jews
had not corae to corafort Mary under her afiliction, they would
not have-seen the mighty miracle of raising Lazarus, and per
haps would not have been saved.
Larape remarks on these Jews : " They had come as the mer
ciful, and they obtained mercy."
Besner observes the beautiful delicacy with which St. John
draws a veil over the effect on Martha and Mary of this miracle,
while he dwells on the effect it had on strangers.
is.— [But some of them went.. .Pharisees, etc.] We see in this verse
the bad effect which the raising of Lazarus had on some who
saw It. Instead of being softened and convinced, they were
hardened and enraged. They were vexed to see even more un
answerable proofs that Jesus vvas the Christ, and irritated to feel
that their own unbelief vvas more than ever inexcus.able. They
therefore hurried oft" to the Pharisees to report what they had
seen, and to point out the progress that our Lord was making
in the immediate neighborhood of Jerusalera.
The amazing wickedness of human nature is strikingly illus
trated in this verse. There is no greater mistake than to sup
pose that seeing miracles will necessarily convert souls. Here
is a plain proof that it does not. Never was there a raore re
markable confirraation of our Lord's words in the parable of the
Rich Man and Lazarus, "If they believe not Moses and the
Prophets, neither will they be pe: suaded, though one rose from
the dead." 13

290 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Musculus observes what a wonderful example we h.ave here
of the sovereign grace of God, choosing sorae, and leading them
to repentance and faith, and not choosing others. Here is the
same miracle, seen under the same circumstances, and with the
same evidence, by a large crowd of persons ; yet while some
believe, others believe not I It is like the case of the two thieves
on the cross, both seeing the sarae sight, one repenting and the
other impenitent. The same fire which melts wax hardens
clay. In leaving this wonderful rairacle, there are three things
which demand special notice.
(a) We should observe that we are not told of anything that
Lazarus said abont his state while in the grave, and nothing of
his after history. Tradition says that he lived for thirty years
after, and was never known to smile ; but this is probably a
mere apocryphal invention. As to his silence, we can easily
see there is a Divine wisdom about it. If St. Paul " could not
utter" the things that he saw in the third heaven, and called
thera "unspeakable things;" It is not strange that Lazarus
should say nothing of what he saw in Paradise. (2 Cor. xii. 4.)
But there may be always seen in Scripture a striking silence
about the feelings about men and women who have been the
subjects of remarkable Divine interposition. God's ways are
not man's ways. Man loves sensation and excitement, and
likes to make God's work on his fellow-creatures a gazing-stock
and a show, to their great damage. God almost always seems
to withdraw them from the public, both for their own good and
His glory.
(6) We should observe that we are told nothing of the feel
ings of Martha and Mary, after they saw their brother raised to
life. The veil is drawn over their joy, thongli it was not over
their sorrow. Affiction is a more profitable study than re
joicing. (c) We should observe, lastly, that the raising of Lazarus Is
one of the most signal instances in the Gospels of Christ's
Divine power. To Him who could work such a miracle nothing
is impossible. He can raise frora the death of sin any dead
soul, however far gone and corrupt. He will raise us from the
grave at His own second appearing. The voice which called
Lazarus from the tomb is alraighty. " The dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of Man, and they that hear shall live." (John
V.26.)

JOHN, CHAP. XI.

291

JOHN XI. 47—57.

47 Then gathered the chief priests
and the Pharisees a council, and said.
What do we 7 for this man doeth many
miracles. 48 If we let him thus alone, all men
will believe on him : and tbe Romans
shall come and take away both our
place and nation.
49 And one of them nameii Caiaphas,
being the high priest that same year,
said onto them. Ye know nothing at all,
50 Nor consider that it is expedient
for ns, that one man should die for the
people, and that the whole nation perish
not. 51 And this spake he not of himself :
bnt being high priest that year, be
prophesied that Jesas should die for
that nation :
62 And not for that nation only, but
that also he should gather together in
one the children of God that were scat
tered abroad.

53 Then from that day forth they
took counsel together for to put him to
death. 64 Jesus therefore walked no more
openly among the Jews; but went
thence unto a country near to the wil
derness, into a city called Ephraim, and
there continued with his disciples.
55 And the Jews' passover was nigh
at hand : and many went out of the
country up to Jerusalem before the
passover, to purify themselves.
56 Then sought they for Jesus, and
spake among themselves, as thoy stood
in the temple, What think yo, that he
will not come to the feast ?
57 Now both the chief priests and
the Pharisees had given a command
ment, that, if any man knew where he
were, he should shew it, that they
might take him.

These concluding verses of the eleventh chapter of St.
John contain a melancholy picture of human nature. As
we turn away from Jesus Christ and the grave at Bethany,
and look at Jerusalem and the rulers df the Jews, we may
well say, " Lord, what is man ? "
We, should observe, for one thing, in these verses, the
desperate wickedness of man's natural heart. A mighty
miracle was wrought within an easy walk of Jerusalem.
A man four days dead was raised to life, in the sight of
many witnesses. The fact was unmistakable, and could
not be denied ; and yet the chief priests and Pharisees
woald not believe that He who did this miracle ought to
be received as the Messiah. In the face of overwhelming
evidence they shut their eyes, and I'efused to be convinced.
" This man," they admitted, " does many miracles." But
so far from yielding to this testiraony, they only plunged
into further wickedness, and " took counsel to put Him to
death." Great, indeed, is the power of unbelief 1

292 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Let ns beware of supposing that miracles alone have
any power to convert men's souls, aud to make thera
Christians. The idea is a complete delusion. To fancy,
as some do, that if they saw something wonderful done
before their eyes in confirmation of the Gospel, they
would at once cast off all indecision and serve Christ,
is a mere idle dream. It is the grace of the spirit in
our hearts, and not miracles, that our souls require. The
Jews of our Lord's day are a standing proof to mankind
that men may see signs and ¦wonders, and yet remain
hard as stone. It is a deep and true saying, " If men
believe not Moses and the Prophets, neither would they
be persuaded though one rose from the dead." (Luke
xvi. 31.)
We must never wonder if we see abounding unbelief
in our own times, and around our own homes. It may
seem at first inexplicable to us, how men cannot see the
truth which seems so clear to ourselves, and do not re
ceive the Gospel which appears so worthy of acceptation.
But the plain truth is, that man's unbelief is a far more
deeply seated disease than it is generally reckoned. It
is proof against the logic of facts, against reasoning,
against argument, against moral suasion. Nothing can
melt it down but the grace of God. If we ourselves
believe, we can never be too thankful. But we must
never count it a strange thing, if we see many of our
fellow-Christians just as hardened and unbelieving as
the Jews.
We should observe, for another thing, the blind igno
rance with which God's enemies often act and reason. These -
rulers of the Jews said to one another, " If we let this
Christ alone we shall be ruined. If we do not stop
His course, and make an end of His miracles, the
Eomans will interfere, and make an end of our nation."
Never, the event afterward proved, was there a more

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 293
short-sighted and erring judgment than this. They
rushed madly on the path they had chosen, and the very
thing ithey feared came to pass. They did not leave
our Lord alone, but crucified and slew Him. And what
happened then? After a few years, the verj' calamity
they had dreaded took place : the Roman armies did
come, destroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple, and car
ried away the whole nation into captivity.
The well-read Christian need hardly be reminded of
many such like things in the history of Christ's Church.
The Roman emperors persecuted the Christians in the
first three centuries, and thought it a positive duty not
to let them alone. But the more they persecuted them,
the more they increased. The blood of the . martj'rs
became the seed of the Church. — The English Papists,
in the days of Queen Mary, persecuted the Protestants,
and thought that truth was in danger if they were let
alone. But the more they burned our forefathers, the
more they confirmed men's minds in steadfast attachment
to the doctrines of the Reformation. — In short, the words
of the second Psalm are continually verified in this
world : " The kings of the eartli set themselves, and the
rulers take counsel together against the Lord." But
" He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh ; the Lord
shall have them in derision." God can make the
designs of His enemies work together for the good of
His people, and cause the wrath of man to praise Him.
In days of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy, believers
may rest patiently in the Lord. The very things that at
one time seem likely to hurt them, shall prove in the end
to be for their gain.
We should observe, lastly, wliat importance bad men
sometimes attach to outward ceremonial, while their hearts
are full of sin. We are told that many Jews " went up
out of the country to Jerusalem, before the Passover, to

294 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
purify themselves." The most of them, it may be feared,
neither knew nor cared anything about inward purity
of heart. They made much ado about the washings,
and fastings, and ascetic observances, which formed the
essence of popular Jewish religion in our Lord's time ;
and yet they were willing in a very few days to shed
innocent blood. Str.ange as it may appear, these very
sticklers for outward sanctification were found ready to
do the will of the Pharisees, and to put their own Mes
siah to a violent death.
Extremes like this meeting togethei; in the same per
son are, unhappily, far from uncommon. Experience
shows that a bad conscience will often try to satisfy itself
by a show of zeal for the cause of religion, while the
" weightier matters " of the faith are entirely neglected.
The very same man who is ready to compass sea
and land to attain ceremonial purity is often the very
man, who, if he had fit opportunity, would not shrink
from helping to crucify Christ. Startling as these asser
tions may seem, they are abundantly borne out by plain
facts. The cities where Lent is kept at this day witb
the most extravagant strictness are the very cities where
the carnival after Lent is a season of glaring excess
and immorality. The people in some parts of Chris
tendom, who make much ado one week about fasting
and priestly absolution, are the very people who another
week will think nothing of murder ! These things are
simple realities. The hideous inconsistency of the Jewish
formalists in our Lord's time has never been without
a long succession of followers.
Let us settle it firmly in our minds that a religion
which expends itself in zeal for outward formalities is
utterless worthless in God's sight. The purity that God
desires to see is not the purity of bodily washing and
fasting, of holy water and self-imposed asceticism, bat

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 295
purity of heart. "Will-worship and ceremonialism may
" satisfy the flesh," but they do not tend to promote real
godliness. The standard of Christ's kingdom raust be
sought in the sermon on the Mount : " Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matt. v. 8 ;
CoL ii. 23.) Notes. John XI. 47 — 57.
47. — [Then gathered... priests.. .Pharisees...council.] This council
was probably the great sanhedrira, or consultative assembly of
the Jewish Church. It was for purely ecclesiastical, and not
for civil or political purposes. It is the sarae assembly before
which, it is conjectured with much show of reason, our Lord
made His defence, in the flfth chapter of this gospel. On re
ceiving the tidings of the astounding miracle which had been
wrought at Bethany, our Lord's bitterest eneraies, the chief
priests and Phai;i»(:es, seem to have been alarmed and enraged,
and to have felt *%k».bsolute necessity of taking decided raeas-
ures to check our Lord's progress. Ecclesiastical rulers, un
happily, are often the foreraost enemies of the Gospel.
[And said, Wliat do we?] This question indicates perplexity
and irritation. "What are we about? Are we going to sit
still, and let this new Teacher carry all before Him? What is
the use of trifling with this new lieresy ? We are doing noth
ing effectual to check it. It grows; and we let it alone."
[For this man doeth many miracles.] This is a marvellous
admission. Even our Lord's worst enemies confess that our
Lord did miracles, and many miracles. Can we doubt that they
would have denied the truth of His ralracles, if they could?
But they do not seera to have atterapted it. They were too
many, too public, and too thoroughly witnessed, for them to
dare to deny them. How, in the face of this fact, modern infi
dels and sceptics can talk of our Lord's miracles as being im
postures and delusions, they would do well to explain! If the
Pharisees who lived in our Lord's time, and who moved heaven
and earth to oppose His progress, never dared to dispute the
fact that He worked miracles, it is absurd to begin denying His
miracles now, after eighteen centuries have passed away.
Let us note the desperate hardness and wickedness of man's
heart. Even the sight of miracles will not convert any one,
Without the renewing grace of the Holy Ghost.
Brentius remarks that the simple answer to the question of
this verse ought to have been, " Our duty is to believe at once
that this worker of- many miracles is the Christ of God."
i8.— [If we let him thus alone.] This raeans, " If we continue to
treat Him as we do now, and take no raore active measures to

296 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

put Him down, — if we only dispute and reason and argue and
cavil and denounce Him, but let Hira have His liberty, let Hira
go where He pleases, let Him do what He pleases, and preach
what He pleases."
" Thus " can only mean " as at present, and hitherto."
[All men loill believe on him.] This means the bulk of the
population will believe that He is what He professes to be, — the
promised Messiah. The nuraber of His adherents will increase,
and faith In His Messiahship wiU become contagious, and
spread all over Palestine.
The word " all," in this sentence, must evidently not be
taken literally. It only raeans " the great mass of the people."
It is like " all raen come unto Him," said by the angry disciples
of John the Baptist about Christ. (John iii. 3G.) When men
lose their tempers, and talk in passion, they are very apt to use
exaggerated expressions.
[The Eomans come.. .take away. ..place. ..nation.] The process
of reasoning by which the Pharisees arrived at this conclusion
was probably something of this kind. " This man, if let alone,
will gather round Him a crowd of adherents, who will proclaim
Him a Leader and King. This our governors, the Romans, will
hear, and consider it a rebellion against their authority. Then '
they will send an army, deal with us as rebels, destroy Jerusa
lem and the temple, and carry away the whole Jewish nation,
as the Babylonians did, into captivity."
In this wretched argument it Is difficult to say which appears
most prominent, ignorance or unbelief.
It was an ignorant arguraent. The Pharisees ought to have
known well that nothing was further from our Lord's teaching
than the idea of an^earthly kingdom, supported by an armed
force. He always proclaimed that His kingdom was not of this
world, and not temporal, like Solomon's or David's. He had
never hinted at any deliverance from Roman authority. He
distinctly taught raen to render to Csesar the things that were
Caesar's, and had distinctly refused, when appealed to, to be "a
Judge or divider" among the Jews. Such a person, therefore,
was not the least likely to- excite the jealousy of the Ro-
raans. It was an unbelieving argument. The Pharisees ought to have
believed that the Romans could never have conquered and put
down our Lord and His adherents, if He really was the Messiah,
and could work miracles at His will. The Philistines could not
overcome David, and the Roraans could not have overcome
David's greater Son. By their own showing, the Jewish nation
would have had protection enough in the rairacle-working
power of onr Lord.
Thatthere vvas an expectation throughout the East,atthe time
of our Lord's ministry, that some remarkable person was

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 297
about to arise, and become a great leader, is mentioned by
Roman historians. But there is no evidence that the Roman
governraent ever showed jealousy of any one who was merely
a religious teacher, like our Lord, and did not interfere with the
civil power.
The plain truth is, that this saying of the Pharisees looks
like an excuse, caught up as a weapon against our Lord, aud a
pretext for stirring up enmity against Hira. What they really
hated was our Lord's doctrine, which exposed their own sys
tem, and weakened their authority. They felt that their craft
was in danger; but not daring to say this publicly, they pre
tended a fear that He would excite the jealousy of the Romans,
and endanger the whole nation. They did just the same when
they finally accused Him to Pilate, as One that stirred up sedi
tion, and raade Hiraself a King. It is no uncommon thing for
wicked people to assign very untrue reasons for their conduct,
aud to keep back and conceal their true motives. Demetrius,
aud his friends at Ephesus, said that the teraple of the great
goddess Diana was in danger, when in reality it was their own
craft and their own wealth. The Jews at Thessalonica who
persecuted Paul, pretended great zeal for " the decrees of
Csesar,'" when their real motive was hatred of Christ's Gospel.
The Pharisees here pretended fear of the Romans, when in
reality they found the growing infiuence of Jesus pulling down
their own power over the people.
Calvin observes : " They double their wickedness by a plausi
ble disguise, — their zeal for the public good. The fear that
chiefly distressed thera was that their own tyranny should be
destroyed; but they pretend to be anxious about the temple
and worship of God."
Bucer corapares the Pharisees' pretended fear of the Roraans
to the absurd fears of the consequence of printing and literature,
which the Papists used to express at the period of the Reforraa*
tion. Flacius reraarks that " through fear of Csesar, God is de
spised and His Son crucified, and this under pretext of preserv
ing religion, the temple, and the nation. Huraan wisdom
preserves itself by appeasing man and offending God I "
Ferus remarks that the council entirely forgot that "rulers,
whether the Eomans or any others, are not a terror to good
works, but to evil. If the Jews had believed and obeyed God,
they had nothing to fear."
That the leading Jews at Jerusalera had a strong suspicion
that Jesus really was the Messiah, in spite of all the'r out-
r.ageous enraity and unbelief, is evident not only from compari
son of other places, but frora their nervous anxiety to get rid
of Hiin. They knew that Daniel's seventy weeks were run out.
They could not deny the raii-acles that Jesus did. But they
dared not follow out their convictions, and draw the conclusion

298 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
they ought to have drawn. They willingly shut their eyes
against light.
How miserably mistaken the policy of the Pharisees proved
to be, it is needless to say. If they had let Jesus alone, and
allowed His Gospel to be received and believed, Jerusalera,
-humanly speaking, might have stood to this day, and the Jews
might have been raore raighty and prosperous than in the days
of Solomon. By not letting Jesus alone, and by killing Him,
they filled up the raeasure of their nation's sin, and brought
destruction on the temple, and scattering on the whole people.
" Take away," applied to place here, must mean " destroy."
Thus Matt. xxiv. 39 : " The flood took thera all away."
Some, as Ileinsius and Bloomfleld, think that "our place"
means the city, Jerusalem.
Sorae, as Olshausen and Alford, think that " our place " means
"our country."
Others, as Maldon.itus, Hutcheson, Poole,' and Hammond,
with whom I entirely agree, think "our place" means the
temple. (Corapare Acts vi. 13, 14.) Lampe thinks this view
is pioved by Micah i. 3.
Calvin observes, how raany people in his day were always
hanging back frora helping the Protestant Reformation, frora
the very sarae motives as these Jews, — the fear of consequences.
" We raust consult public tranquillity. There are dangers in the
way."
49. — [And one of them, named Caiaphas.] This man, by comparing
Acts V. 17, would seem to have been of the sect of the Saddu
cees. We also know that he was son-in-lavv to Annas, of whom
Josephus specially mentions that he was a Sadducee. If this
• view be correct (and Guyse, Gill, Scott, and Larape agree with
me In it), it rather accounts for the contemptuous way in which
he seems to speak in replying here to the saying of the Pharisees.
It is remarkable, however, to observe how Pharisees and
Sadducees, who disagreed on so many points, were agreed in
hating and opposing Christ. Formalists and sceptics, in all
ages, raake coraraon cause against the Gospel.
[Being. ..high priest.. .same year.] This expression shows the
disorder and irregularity which prevailed in the Jewish Church
in onr Lord's time. According to the law of Moses," the office
of high priest was tenable for life. In the last days of the
Jews the office seems to have been obtainable by election, and
to have been held with great variety of term. Caiaphas was high
priest when John the Baptist began his ministry, and Annas
wiihhira. (Luke iii. 2.) He was also high priest after the Day
of Pentecost, and be/ore the persecution of Stephen. No
wonder St. Paul says, on a subsequent occasion, of Ananias, "I
wist not that he was the high priest." (Acts xxiii. 2.)

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 299
Poole remarks : " After Herod's time tbsre was no regard to
-the family of Aaro-n, but the Romans made what high priests
they pleased. Josephus tells us that the Jews had thirteen
high priests from Aaron to Solomon, which was 612 years;
eighteen frora Solomon to the Ba'oylonian captivity, which was
4G0 years ; fifteen frora the captivity to Antlochus, which was
414 years : but they had no less than twenty-eight between the
tirae that Herod began to reign and Jerusalem was destroyed,
which was less than a century."
[Said...Te know nothing at all.] The word rendered "ye" is
here emphatic in the Greek. It seeras not unlikely that it ex
presses Caiaphas' conterapt for the ignorance and helplessness
of the Pharisees' question. "You and all your party do not
understand what the situation of things requires. You are
wasting tirae in coraplaints and expressions of vexation, wlieu
a sterner, severer policy is Imperatively demanded."
Chrysostora reraarks, " What others made matter of doubt,
and put forth in the way of deliberation, this man cried aloud
shamelessly, openly, and audaciously. One must die."
Pearce thinks that some of the Jews in council raust have
talked of only putting a stop to Christ's preaching, as they after
wards tried to stop tlie Apostles, (Acts iv. 18.) but that Caiaphas
ridiculed such weak counsel, and advised raore violent raeasures.
May we not suppose that Nicodemus and others spoke in favour
of our Lord?
60. — [Nor consider.] The word thus rendered is almost always
translated " reason," and is nowhere " consider," except here.
It seeras to imply that Caiaphas wished the Pharisees to know
that they had not reasoned out and properly weighed the right
thing to be done. Hence this perplexity. He would not show
them the conclusion they ought to have come to.
[Itis expedient... one.. .dic.whole... perish not.] Caiaphas' con
clusion is short and decisive. He gives it elliptically. " This
Man must die. It is far better that one should die, whether in
nocent or not, for the benefit of the whole nation, than that the
whole nation should be brought into trouble and perish. You
are thinking that if we do not let this Mau alone, and interfere,
we are injuring an innocent person. Away with such childish
scruples. Let Him be put out of the way. It is expedient to
kill Hira. Better He should die to save the nation from further
trouble, than live, and the nation be brought into trouble by
Him." I cannot suppose that Caiaphas meant anything more than this.
He simply argues that Christ's death would be a public benefit,
and that to spare Him raight bring destruction on tlie nation.
Of the full raeaning that His words were capable of bearing I
do not believe he had the least idea.
Let us carefully note here what crimes and sins raay be com

300 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
mitted on the .ground of expediency. None are so likely to be
tempted to commit such sins as rulers and governors. None
are so likely to do things unjust, dishonest, aud oppressive, as a
Government under the pressure of the spurious argument that
it is expedient that the few should sufi"er, rather than the many
should take harm. For political expediency Christ vvas crucified.
What a fact that is ! Ought we not rather to ask always what is
just, what is right, what is honourable in the sight of God?
That which is morally wrong can never be politically right. To
govern only for the sake of pleasing and benefiting the majority,
without any reference to the eternal principles of justice, right,
and mercy, may be expedient, and please man ; bnt it does not
please God.
Calvin observes : " Let us learn never to separate what is use
ful and expedient from what is lawful, since we ought not to
expect any prosperity and success but from the blessing of God."
Ecolampadius remarks that we raust never do evil that good
may corae. "If you could, by 'the slaying of one good man,
work the saving of many, it would be unlawful."
Poole observes : "Never was anything spoken more diaboli
cally. Like a wretched politician, concerned for nothing but the
people's safety, Caiaphas saith not it is lawful, but it is expedi
ent for us that one Man, be He never so good, never so innocent
and just, should die."
Doddridge remarks : " When will the politicians of this world
learn to 1 rust God in His own ways, rather than to trust thera
selves and tlieir own wisdom, in violation of all rules of truth,
honour, and conscience? "
Bl, 52. — [And this spake he not of himself , etc.] These two verses
contain a parenthetical comment by St. John, on the address of
Caiaphas to the Pharisees. It is a peculiar passage, and uot
without difficulty. That a mau like Caiaphas should be said to
prophesy, aud that his prophecy should be of so wide and exten
sive a character, is undoubtedly strange. I off^er a few reraarks
that may help to throw light on the passage.
That God can employ a wicked man to declare prophetical
truth is clearly proved by the case of Balaam. But the po
sitions of Balaam and Caiaphas were very difi'erent.
That the Jewish high priest at any time possessed, by virtue
of his office, the power of predicting thiiig.-i to corae, I can no
where flnd. David certainly speaks of Zadok as " a seer."
(2 Sara. XV. 27.) The high priest's ephod conveyed a certain
raysterious power to the wearer, of foiseein,g things iraraedlate
ly near. (1 Sam. xxiii. 9.) The " urim and thummln," whatever
they were, which dwelt in the breastplate of the high priest,
appear to have given the wearer peculiar powers of discern
ment. But even they were withdrawn at the destruction of the
flrst teraple. In short., there is an utter absence of proof that a

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 301
Jewish high priest, in the time of our Lord, had any power of
prophesying. I believe that the verses before ns are very elliptical, and re
quire much to be supplied in order to convey the meaning of St.
John. The only satisfactory sense I can put upon the passage
will be found in the following free paraphrase.
[Tliis spake he not of himself] He spoke these words, though
he was not aware of it, under the infiuence of an overruling
power, raaking him say things of far deeper meaning than he was
conscious of himself. As Ecolampadius says, " God used him
as an instrument." (See Isa. x. 15.)
[Bnt being high priest that year, he prophesied.] He spoke
words which, as the event showed afterwards, were eminently
prophetical ; and the fact that they fell frora his lips when he was
high priest made them more remarkable, when afterwards
remerabered and noted.
[That Jesus should die for that nation.] He actually foretold,
though the fulfilraent was in a manner very difi'erent from his
intentions, that Jesus would die for the benefit of the Jewish
nation. [And not for that nation only, etc.] And He also foretold what
was practically fulfilled afterwards, though in a way marvellous
ly unlike what he thought, — that Jesus would not only die for tlie
Jewish nation, but for the benefit of all God's children at pres
ent scattered all over the world.
The utmost, in fact, that I can make of John's explanatory
comment, is that he remarks on the extraordinary raanner in
which Caiaphas' words proved true, though in a way that he
never intended, wished, or expected. He lets fall a saying on a
great public occasion, which comes from his lips with great
authority, ou account of his office as high priest. That saying
was afterwards fulfilled in the raost raarveUous raanner by the
overruling providence of God, but in a way that the speaker
never drearaed of. The thing vvas afterwards remembered and
remarked on; and it seemed, says St. John, as if being high
priest that year, he was miraculously compelled by the Holy
Ghost to prophesy the redemption of mankind, at the very time
that he thought he was only speaking of putting Christ to death.
Caiaphas, in short, meant nothing but to advise the murder of
Christ. But the Holy Ghost obliged him unconsciously to use
words vvhich were a most remarkable prediction of Christ's
death bringing life to a lost world.
The Greek word rendered " should die," would be more
literally, "was about to die." It simply expresses a future
coraing event.
The "children of God scattered abroad," I believe, mean
the elect of God araong the Gentiles. They are put iu contrast

302 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
with " that natiou," or " the nation," as it would be more liter
ally rendered.
The " gathering together in one," I believe to be that final
gathering of all Christ's members vvhich is yet to come at His
second advent. (See Eph. 1. 10; John xii. 32; Gen. xlix. 10.)
Lightfoot says, the Jews thought the greatest work of Mes
siah was to be the " reduction, or gathering together of the cap
tivities." I leave the passage with a very deep sense of its difficulty,
and desire not to press my views on others dogmatically, if they
are not satisfied with them.
Chrysostora remarks, " Caiaphas prophesied, not knowing
what he said; and the grace of God merely made use of his
mouth, but touched not his accursed heart." ,
Musculus and Ferns remark how striking the reserablance is
between Caiaphas unintentionally using language fulfilled in a
sense totally unlike what he raeant, and the Jews saying of
Christ to Pilate, " His blood be on us and on our children."
They little knew the awful and tremendous exteut of the
saying. The absurdity of the Roman Catholic claim, that the Pope's
words and decrees are to be received as partially inspired he-
cause of his office, on the ground of this passage, is noted and
exposed by all the Protestant commentators of the seventeenth
century. Lightfoot thinks we should lay great emphasis on the expres
sion, "that same year," and justly so. — He observes that it was
the very year when the high priest's office ended, and the veil
was rent, and the Jewish dispensation wound up, and the Mosaic
priesthood abrogated by Christ's becoming manifestly our
Priest. — He thinks St. Paul, in Acts xxiii. 5, " I wist not that
he was the high priest," may have meant " that he did not know
there was any high priest at all." He also observes that this
very year at Pentecost, the Holy Ghost was poured out as the
spirit of prophecy and revelation iu an extraordinary measure.
What wonder if " that year " the last high priest, like Balaam,
should prophesy.
63. — [Then from that day. ..counsel.. .death.] We see here the re
sult of Caiaphas' counsel. His stern, bold, outspoken proposal
carried all the council with hira, aud even if Garaaliel, Nicode
mus, and Joseph were there, their voices were silenced. From
that very day it became a settled thing with the Jewish leaders
at Jerusalera, that Jesus was to be put to death. The only
difficulty was to flud the way, the time, and the raeans of doing
it without creating a tumult. The great miracle just wrought
at Bethany would doubtless increase the number of our Lord's
adherents, and make it necessary to use caution in carrying out
the murderous plan.

JOHN, CHAP. XI. 303
The conclusions of great ec^.lesi.astical councils are seldom
wise and good, and sometimes are wicked and cruel. Bold,
forward, unscrupulous meu, like Caiaphas, generally silence the
quieter members, and carry all before them.
64. — [Jesus therefore walked.. .Jens.] Frora this tirae our Lord
found it necessary to give up appearing openly at Jerusalem,
and came there no more till the week of his cruciflxion. Ho
knew the result of the council just held, either from His ovvn
Divine knowledge, or frora the inform.ation of friends like
Nicoderaus ; and as His time was not fully come, he retired
from Judiea for a season.
The expression, " no more," is literally " not yet." It must
mean " no more at present."
May we not learn frora our Lord's conduct, that it may be a
duty sometimes not to court danger or death? There are sea
sons when it is a duty to retire, as well as seasons for going for
ward. There are tiraes to be silent, as well as tiraes to speak.
Hutcheson reraarks : " It is lawful for Christ's servants to
flee when their death is decreed by enemies, and the persecution
is personal."
[Went thence... wilderness.. .Ephraim...disciples.] Nothing what
ever is known for certain of the distinct locality to which our
Lord retired, or of the city here naraed. It seeras, purposely,
to have been a quiet, isolated, .and little frequented place. The
probability is that it was beyond Jordan, in Perea, because
when our Lord came to Jerusalera the last time He passed
through Jericho.
Elllcott suggests that Ephraim was a town called also Ophrah,
dbont twenty miles north of Jerusalem, ou the borders of Sama
ria. He also thinks that on leaving Ephraim those words of
St. Luke (chapter xvii. 11) come in, which say, that our Lord
"passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee." After
that he thinks He went through Perea, to Jericho. But I am not
satisfied that he proves these points.
It is worth noticing that onr Lord chose a scene of entire
quiet and seclusion as His last abode, before going up to His
last great season of suffering at the crucifixion. It is well to
get alone and be still, before we take in hand any great work
for God. Our Saviour was not above this. How much raore
should His disciples remember it ! In saying this, I would not
be thought to coraraend the ostentatious " retreats " of the
Roraish Church and its followers. It is of the very essence of
Christian retirement, if it is to be profitable, that it should be
without parade, and should not attract the notice of raen. The
life of the Eremite has no warrant in Scripture.
When it says that our Lord continued or tarried at Ephraim
"With His disciples," it is worth noticing that we do not hear a
word of any public works that he did there. It looks as if He

304 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

devoted the last few quiet days that remained before His cruci
fixion, to uninterrupted communion with the Father, and pri
vate instruction of His disciples.
65. — [And.. .Jews' passover... nigh at hand.] This expression, like
many others in John's Gospel, shows that he wrote for the
Church generally, and for many readers who were uot familiar
with Jewish feasts and customs.
[And many went.. .country. ..before. ..passover.] This seems
mentioned as a siraple matter of custora among the Jevvs, and
not as a thing clone this year more than any other. They always
did so ; and thus drew together, for seven days before the pass-
over, a larger collection of people at Jerusalem than at any
other time of the year. Hence the crowds and expectation
when our Lord appeared. He had been talked of by people
from all parts of Palestine.
[To purify themselves.] This refers to the ceremonial wash
ings, purifications, and atonements for ceremonial uucleanness,
which all strict Jews were careful to go through before eating
the passover. (See 2 Chron. xxx. 18, 19.) It is impossible to
read the book of Leviticus carefully, and not to be struck with the
almost endless number of ways in which an Israelite could be
come cereraonially unclean, and need going to the priest to
have an atoneraent raade. (See Numbers ix. 6 — 11.) That the
Pharisees, in such matters, added to legal strictness by their
absurd scrupulosity, such as " straining at a gnat," we cannot
doubt; but the siraple law as it stood was a yoke that was very-
hard to bear. No wonder that thousands of devout Jews came
anxiously before the passover, to Jerusalem, to be made ceremo
nially clean and fit for the feast.
It Is worth noting how singular particular men are some
times about forms and cereraonies, and outward correctness,
while they coolly plan and execute enormous crimes. The Jews,
zealous about " purifying " themselves while they were planning
the murder of Christ, have had imitators and followers Iu
every age of the Church. Strictness about forms and ceremo
nies, and utter recklessness about gross siu, are found quite
compatible in many hearts.
56. — [Then sought they. ..Jesus, and spake, etc., etc.] The persons
here mentioned seem to mo to have been the Jevvs from all
parts of Palestine, mentioned in the last verse, who had come
up to prepare for the passover. The fame and history of our
Lord were probably so great throughout Palestine, that one of
the first inquiries the coraers would make of one another would
be about Hira. And as they stood in the temple court, waiting
for their turn to go through ceremonial puriflcation,.or talking
with old friends and acquaintances vvho had come up, like thera
selves, from the country, Jesus would probably be a principal
topic of conversation.
[ffTiat think ye.. .that.. .not come... feast.] This is mentioned as

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 305
one of the principal inquiries raade by the Jews of one another.
Our Lord, on a forraer occasion, had not come up to the pass-
over. (See Johu vi.) They miglit, therefore, naturally feel
doubtful whether He would come uow.
It is noteworthy that the question admits of being taken as
one, or divided into two distinct ones.
Some think that it means, " What think ye of the question,
whether He will come to the feast or not?"
Others hold that it means, " What think ye of Christ, and
especially of His position at this tirae? Do you think that He
will not corae to the feast ? " I myself prefer this view.
It is noteworthy that the very question with which our Lord
confounded the Pharisees a few days after, as recorded in St.
Matthew xxii. 42, begins with precisely the sarae Greek words
as those here used, " What thiuk ye of Christ?"
57. — [Now both.. .priests.. .Pharisees, etc., etc.] This verse shows
the first steps which had been taken after the session of the
council which adopted the advice of Caiaphas to kill Jesus. A
general order had been given that if any raan knew where
Jesus lodged in Jerusaleni, he was to give information, in order
that He raight be apprehended.
I cannot help thinking rayself that this order must only have
referred to Jerusalem, and the house where our Lord might
lodge when He carae to the passover, if He did corae. I cannot
suppose that our Lord's enemies could be ignorant where He
was between the rairacle of Bethany and the passover. But I
faucy they dared not run the risk of a tumult or rebellion, vvhich
might be caused if they sent into the rural districts to appre
hend Him. Indeed, it is doubtful whether the jurisdiction of
the priests and Pharisees extended beyond the walls of Jerusa
lem, and whether they could lay hands upon our Lord anywhere
outside the city. This might have been the reason why He
often lodged at Bethany.
Museiilus here discusses the question, whether obedience
to the powers that be obliges us to give up a raan to those who
_are seeking to apprehend him. He answers, "Decidedly not;
if we believe him to be an innocent man."

JOHN XII. 1—11.

1 Then Jesns six days before the
passover oame to Bethany, where Laz
arus was which had been dead, whom
he raised from the dead.
2 There they made him a supper;

and Martha served: bat Lazarus was
one of them that sat at the table with
him. 3 Then took Mary a pound of oint
ment of spikenard, very costly, and

306

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

anointed the feet of Jesns, and wiped
his feet with her hair: and the house
was filled with the odour of the oint
ment. 4 Then saith one of his disciples, Ju
das Iscariot, Simon's son, which should
betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold
for three hundred pence, and given to
the poor ?
6 This he said, not thathe cared for
the poor; but because he was a thief,
and had the bag, and bare what was
put therein.
7 Then said Jesus, Let ber ivlone:

against the day of my burying hath
she kept this.
8 -For the poor always ye have with
you; but me ye have not always.
9 Much people of tbe Jews therefore
knew that he was there: and they oame
not for Jesns' sake only, but that they.
might see Lazarus also, whom he had
raised from the dead.
10 But the chief priests consulted
that they might put Lazarus also to
death ;
11 Because that by reason of him,
many of the Jews went away, and
believed on Jesus,

The chapter we have now begun finishes a most im
portant division of St. John's Gospel. Our Lord's public
addresses to the unbelieving Jews of Jerusalem are here
brought to an end. After this chapter, St. John records
nothing but what was said in private to the disciples.
We see, for one thing, in this passage, what abounding
proofs exist of the truth of our Lord's greatest miracles.
We read of a supper at Bethany, where Lazarus " sat
at the table " among the guests, — Lazarus, who had been
publicly raised from the dead, after lying four days in
the grave. No one could pretend to say that his resur
rection was a mere optical delusion, and that the eyes of
the bystanders must have been deceived by a ghost or
vision. Here was the very same Lazarus, after several
weeks, sitting among his fellow-men with a real .material
body, and eating and drinking real material food. It
is hard to understand what stronger evidence of a fact
could be supplied. He that is not convinced by such
evidence as this may as well say that he is determined to
believe nothing at all.
It is a comfortable thought, that the very same proofs
which exist about the resurrection of Lazarus are the
proofs which surround that still mightier fact, the resar-
rcetion of Clirist from the dead. Was Lazarus seen for
eeveral weeks by the people of Bethany, going in and

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 307
coming out among them? So was the Lord Jesus seen
by His disciples. — Did Lazarus take material food before
the eyes of his friends? So did the Lord Jesus eat and
drink before His ascension. — No one, in his sober senses,
who saw Jesus take " broiled fish and a honeycomb,'.'
and eat it before several witnesses, would doubt that
He had a real body. (Luke xxiv. 42.)
We shall do well to remember this. In an age of
aboundtng unbelief and scepticism, we shall flnd that
the resurrection of Christ will bear any weight that we
can lay upon it. Just as He placed beyond reasonable
doubt the rising again of a beloved disciple within two
miles of Jerusalem, so in a very few weeks He placed
beyond doubt His own victory over the grave. If we
believe that Lazarus rose again, we need not doubt that
Jesus rose again also. If we believe that Jesus rose
again, we need not doubt the truth of His Messiahship,
the reality of His acceptance as our Mediator, and the
certainty of our own resurrection. Christ has risen
indeed, and wicked men may well tremble. Christ has
risen from the dead, and believers may well rejoice.
We see, for another thing, in this passage, what unkind-
ness and discouragement Christ's friends sometimes meet
with from man.
We read that, at the supper in Bethany, Mary, the
sister of Lazarus, anointed the feet of Jesus with pre
cious ointment, and wiped them with the hair of her head.
Nor was this ointment poured on with a niggardly hand.
She did it so liberally and profusely that " the house
was filled with the odour of the ointment." She did
It under the influence of a heart full of love and
; gratitude. She thought nothing too great and good to
bestow on such a Saviour. Sitting at His feet in days
gone by, and hearing His words, she had found peace
for her conscience, and pardon for her sins. At this

308 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
very moment she saw Lazarus, alive and well, sitting by
her Master's side, — her own brother L.azarus, whom He
had brought back to her from the grave. Greatly loved,
she thought she could not show too much love in return.
Paving freely received, she freely gave.
But there were some present who found fault with
Mary's conduct, and blamed her as guilty of wasteful
extravagance. One especially, an apostle, a man of
whom better things might have been expected, declared
openly that the ointment would have been better era-
ployed if it had been sold, and the price " given to the
poor.'' The heart which could conceive such thoughts
must have had low views of the dignity of Christ's
person, and still lower views of our obligations to Him. A
cold heart and a stingy hand will generally go together.
There are only too many professing Christians of a
like spirit in the present day. Myriads of baptized
people cannot understand zeal of any sort for the
honour of Christ. Tell • them of any vast outlay of
money to push trade or to advance the cause of science.
and they approve of it as right and wise. Tell them of
any expense incurred for the preaching of the Gospel
at home or abroad, for spreading God's Word, for extend
ing the knowledge of Christ ou earth, and they tell
you plainly that they think it waste. They never give
a farthing to such objects as these, and count those
people fools who do. Worst of all, they often cover
over their own backwardness to help purely Christian
objects, by a pretended concern for the poor at home.
Yet thej' flnd it convenient to forget the notorious fact
that those who do most for the cause of Christ are pre
cisely those who do most for the poor.
We must never allow ourselves to be moved from
" patient continuance in well-doing," by the unkind re
marks of such persons It is vain to expect a man to do

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 309
much for Christ, when he has no sense of debt to Christ.
We must pity the blindness of our unkind critics, and
work on. He who pleaded the cause of loving Mary,
and said, " Let her alone," is sitting at the right hand of
God, and keeps a book of remembrance. A day is soon
coming when a wondering world-will see that every cup
of cold water given for Christ's sake, as well as every
box of precious ointment, was recorded in heaven, and
has its rewards. In that great day those who thought
that any one could give too much to Christ will find
they had better never have been born.
We see, lastly, in this passage, what desperate hardness
and unbelief there is in the heart of man.
Unbelief appears in the chief priests, who " consulted
that they might put Lazarus to death." They could not
deny the fact of his having been raised again. Living,
and moving, and eating, and drinking within two miles
of Jerusalem, after lying four days in the grave, Laza
rus was a witness to the truth of Christ's Messiahship,
whom they could not possibly answer or put to silence.
Yet these proud men would not give way. They would
rather commit a murder than throw down the arms of
rebellion, and confess themselves in the wrong. No won
der that the Lord Jesus in a certain place " marvelled"
at unbelief. Well might He say, in a well-known parable,
"If they believe not Moses and the Prophets, neither
will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead."
(Mark vi. 6 ; Luke xvi. 31.)
Hardness appears in Judas Iscariot, who, after being
a chosen Apostle, and a preacher of the kingdom of
heaven, turns out at last a thief and a traitor. So long
as the world stands this unhappy man will be a lasting
proof of the depth of human corruption. That any
one could follow Christ as a disciple for three years, see
all His miracles, hear all His teaching, receive at His

310 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
hand repeated kindnesses, be counted an Apostle, and
yet prove rotten at heart in the end, all this at first
sight appears incredible and impossible ! Yet the case of
Judas shows plainly that the thing can be. Few things,
perhaps, are so little realized as the extent of the fall
of man.
Let us thank God if we know anything of faith, and
can say, with all our sense of weakness and infirmity,
"I believe." Let us pray that our faith may be real,
true, genuine, and sincere, and not a mere temporary
impression, like the morning cloud and the early dew.
Not least, let us watch and pray against the love of the
world. It ruined one who basked in the full sunshine
of privileges, and heard Christ Himself teaching every
day. Then " let him that thinketh he standeth take heed
lest he fall." (1 Cor. x. 12.)
Notes. John XII. 1— II.
1. — [Then Jesus six days...passover... Bethany.] Every intelligent
reader of the Gospel will see that John purposely omits at this
point certain events which are recorded by Matthew, Mark, and
Luke. He passes at once from our Lord's retlreraent to the city
called Ephraim to His return to Bethany for the last time. In
this interval will be found the things related in Matthew x. 17
— 34; Mark X. 32 — 52; Luke xviii. 31, to xix. 1—28. In whatever
part of Palestine this city Ephraim was, it is almost certain that
between it and Bethany Jesus passed through Jericho, healed
two blind raen there, converted the publican Zaccheus, and
spoke the parable of the nobleraan who went into a far country,
after giving to his ten servants ten pounds.
"Why St. John did not record these facts we do not know, and
it is mere waste of tirae to inquire. A reverent raind will be con
tent to reraeraber that John wrote by inspiration of God, and
was guided by infallible direction, both as to what he recorded
and what he did not record. Reason and common sense, more
over, tell us that if the four Evangelists had all narrated exactly
the same things, their value as independent witnesses would
have been greatly damaged. Their variations and diversities are
a strong indirect proof of their credibility. Too close an agree
ment would raise a suspicion of collusion, and look like an at
terapt to deceive.
The expression, "six days before the passover," is remarkable,

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 311
because at first sight it seeras to contradict Mark's narrative of
the anointing, which Mark expres.sly says was "two days before
the passover." (Mark xiv. 1.) Hence sorae maintain that the
Greek words should be translated, " Before the six days of tlie
passover feast," leaving the precise day indefinite and uncertain.
'To this, however, it is reasonably objected that the passover
feast was more than six days, and4.hat the proposed translation
is not a probsible rendering of the Greek words. — To this I must
add, that in my opinion there seems no necessity for departing
from the English version. It is not only possible, but probable,
as Lightfoot maintains, that there were two distinct anointings
of our Lord, one six days before the passover, and the other two
days before. [The reader is requested to refer back to the notes
on John ii. 2, where he will find this point fully discussed.]
The passover was slain on the Thursday evening. At this rate
onr Lord raust have arrived at Bethany on Friday, the afternoon
or evening before the Sabbath. Thus he must have spent His
last earthly Sabbath with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, at Beth
any. That the disciples must have journeyed to Bethany with a full
Impression that a great crisis was at hand, and the end of their
Master's ministry approaching, one can hardly doubt, after read
ing the plain warnings recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
But whether they really thought their Master would be put to
death, or whether they did not secretly expect He would soon
manifest His Divine power, take His kingdom and reign, is more
than questionable.
A more deliberate, voluntary, calm walking up to death than
onr Lord's last journey into Judsea, it is irapossible to conceive.
[Where Lazarus... been dead.. .raised from the dead.] These
words seera to show that Lazarus lived at Bethany, and was not
merely a visitor or lodger there. They also show the iraraense
importance of the rairacle wrought on him. Within two railes
of Jerusalem and the temple, there lived for weeks, if not for
months, a man well known to many Jews, whohadbeen actually
raised from his grave after being four days buried. He had not
been raised only, aud then disappeared frora public notice, but
he lived where He was raised.
Lightfoot draws out the following Interesting scheme of our
Lord's disposal of time during the last six days before His cruci
flxion: (1) On Saturday He snpped with Lazarus. (2) On Sun
day He rode into Jerusalem publicly on an ass. This was the
day when the Jevvs used to take out a lamb from the fiock, for
each family, and to keep it separate for the passover. On this
day the Lamb of God publicly presented Hiraself in Zion. (3)
On Monday He went to Jerusalem again, and cursed the barren
fig-tree on the way. (4) On Tuesday He went again to Jerusa
lem, and spoke for the last time to tbe people. Eetnrning, He
eat on the Mount of Olives and dehvered the famous prophecy

312 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

of Matthew xxiv. and xxv., and supped that night with Simon
the leper. (5) On 'Wednesday He tarried In Bethany. (6) On
Thursday He went to Jerusalem, ate the passover, appointed the
Lord's Supper, and the same night was taken before the priests
as a prisoner. (7) On Friday He was crucified.
2. — [There they made him a supper.] These words show thejoyful
hospitality with which the Master was received by the disciples.
The expression, " they," may perhaps be used indefinitely, ac
cording to a coraraon Hebraisra. (Compare Matthew v. 15; x.
10; xiii. 48, and John xv. 6.) It then simpjy raeans, " a supper
was made." If not so used, it evidently can apply to none but
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. — 'Whether the supper was on Friday
evening, when our Lord arrived, after the Sabbath began, or on
the Saturday, or the Sabbath Day, is immaterial. It is evident
that hospitality was thought no breach of the Sabbath among
the Jews.
Lightfoot says the feast of the Jews, on this particular day,
six days before the passover, was always peculiarly liberal and
sumptuous. Hutcheson observes : " Itis not unlawful at some times to enjoy
the liber.al use of the creatures in a sober raanner. Christ doth
not decline this supper; sometimes He went to the feasts of
Pharisees, and sometimes of Publicans." (Luke vii. 3G ; Matt.
Ix. 11.)
[And Martha served.] The natural temperament of this good
woman comes out here as elsewhere. She could not sit still and
do nothing while her Lord was In her house. She must be
actively stirring and trying to do something. Grace does not
take away our peculiar characteristics.
[But Lazarus. ..sat at the table with him.] This appears to most
comraentators, frora Chrysostora downwards, to be purposely '
mentioned, in order to show the reality of Lazarus' resurrection.
He was not a ghost or a spirit. He had really been raised to life
with a real body, and flesh and bones, and all the wants and .
conditions of a body. Thus we are practically taught that though
a raan's body dies, it may yet live again.
Is not this feast a faint type of the Marriage Supper of the
Lamb? Jesus Christ will be there; those believers who died
aud are raised again at His second advent will be there; and
those who never died, bnt are found alive aud believing when
He comes, wUl be there. Then the number of guests will be
complete.
8. — [Then took Mary. ..ointment.. .anointed.. .feet.. .Jesus, etc., etc.]
This reraarkable action of Mary, which, according to our Lord's
saying in Matthew and Mark, is related all over the world, de
serves our special consideration.
The action itself was not an uncommon one in Eastern coun
tries, where the heat is very great, and the feet exposed to it by

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 313
wearing sandals are liable to suffer much from dryness and
scorching. There was nothing, moreover, out of the common
way in a woraan doing this service. To " wash the saints' feet,"
St. Paul naraes among the good works of a Christian widow.
(1 Tim. V. 10.)
The motive of Mary, In doing what she did, was evidently
strong and grateful love to her Lord and Saviour. Not only
from what she had learned from Him for her own spiritual bene
fit, but also for what He had done for her brother Lazarus, she
felt there was nothing too great or too good to do for Hira. Her
feelings raade her anxious to do her Master the highest honour,
regardless of expense, and indifferent to any remark that wit
nesses might raake.
The extent of her gratitude is shown by the lavish profuseness
with vvhich she used the ointraent on this occasion, although it
was very costly. This seeras indicated by her " wiping our
Lord's feet with her hair," having poured on them so much oint
ment that they needed wiping; and also by the "house being
filled with the odour of the ointment." She poured out so much
ointraent that the scent of It filled the whole apartment and the
whole house where the guests were. Any one who knows the
powerful odour of otto of roses, in the present day, will easily
understand this.
'What this " ointraent of spikenard " was has puzzled the com
mentators in every age, as the Greek word throws no certain
light on the question. Some think that it means " potable " oint-
meut, that might be drunk ; some that it means perfectly " pure "
ointraent, that might be trusted as genuine and unadulterated.
Augustine thinks that the expression denotes the place from
which the ointment came. The question is of no iraportance,
and must be left unexplained for want of materials to explain it.
Enough for us to know that it was something very valuable and
costly. How costly an ointment might be, any one can guess
who knows the value of pure otto of roses.
I can only repeat the opinion already expressed, that this
auointing was certainly not the anointing which is described in
Luke vii.; and most probably was not the anointing of Mark
xiv. The anointing in Mark was two days before the passover,
while this was six. In Mark the ointraent was poured on the
head, aud here it was poured on the feet. In Matthew and Mark
several "disciples" murmured, but here only Judas is named.
These discrepancies, in ray judgraent, are insuperable, and raake
it necessary to believe that there were two distinct anointings
at Bethany during the last six days preceding the cruciflxion. I
grant that it Is a choice between difficulties, and that there are
difliculties in the view I maintain. But I do not think them so
weighty as those of the other view. At any late, I am sup
ported by the great authority of Chrysostora, Chemnitius, and
Lightfoot, as weU as of 'Whitby and Henry.
14

314 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

What the significance of Mary's wiping our Lord's feet with
the hairs of her head may he, is a difficult question. Perhaps,
frora onr ignocance of Eastern customs in the days of ourLord's
earthly ministry, we aro hardly qualified to give an opinion about
it now. On points like these, where we are ignorant, it is wisest
not to conjecture.
Calvin says : " The usual practice was to anoint the head, and
on this account Pliny reckons it an instance of excessive luxury
that some anointed the ankles. What John says about the feet
araounts to this, that the whole body of Christ, down to the feet,
was anointed."
Eollock observes that at this time Mary seeras to have had a
deeper and more intimate perception of what there was in Christ,
and of the real dignity of His person, than any of His disciples.
4. — [Then saith. ..Judas Iscariot, Simon's son.] We know nothing
of this Simon, who he was, or why he is specially mentioned
here. It is worth notice, that hardly any name occurs so fre
quently In the New Testaraent as this. We have the follow
ing:— 1. The Apostle Simon, called also Peter.
2. The Apostle Simon, called also Zelotes, and the Canaanite.
3. Simon the brother of our Lord, raentioned with James
and Joses. (Matt. xiii. 55.)
4. Siraon the leper, in whose house the anointing took place.
(Matt. xxvi. 6.)
5. Siraon the Cyrenian, who carried the cross. (Matt, xxvii.
32.) 6. Simon the Pharisee. (Luke vii. 40.)
7. Simon the sorcerer at Samaria. (Acts viii. 9.)
8. Simon the tanner. (Acts ix. 43.)
It would, of course, be Interesting to know if Judas Iscariot
was son of any of these. But we have no clue to guide us.
Wordsworth sees in the mention of Judas by narae a strong
internal evidence of the late date of St. John's Gospel. Cora
pare with this the fact that John aloue mentions Peter and Mal-
chus by narae. (John xviii. 10.)
[Which should betray him.] These words would be raore lit
erally rendered, " the one who was about to betray Hira."
On the occasion of the anointing related in Matt. xxvi. and
Mark xiv., it is worth noticing that "some of the disciples,"
and not Judas only, found fault with the action. It rather adds
probability to the theory that there were two anointings at
Bethany.

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 315
remarks, that Jesus knew from the beginning
tuat judas was a traitor, and often rebuked him with such
words as, " One of you is a devil." (John vi. 64.) Augustine
also remarks that we must not suppose Judas never fell till he
received money frora the Jews. He w.as false from the begin
ning. He also says that he was present at the Institution of the
Lord's Supper, and was a coraraunicant.
8. — [Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pience... poor?]
This Ciirping question is a specimen of the way in which wicked
men olten try to depreciate a good action, and specially in the
matter of giving raoney. When the deed is done they do not
say downright that it ought not to have been done, but suggest
that soraething better might have been done ! Those who do
good must be prepared to find their actions carped at and their
motives depreciated, and themselves charged with neglecting
one class of duties in over-zeal for doing others. If we do
nothing until everybody commends and praises us, we shall nev
er do any good in the world.
We raay learn frora this verse the costly nature of Mary's oint
ment. If workmen's wages were "a penny a day," (Matt. xx.
2,) about 74d. of our money, this holy woman must have poured
on ourLord's feet what was worth between £9 and £10 of our
money, according to the estimate of Judas. But allowances
must perhaps be made for an exaggerated statement being made
by an envious and wicked raan.
We may note here that giving to the poor was evidently as
sumed to be a part of every Christian's duty. Compare this
with Gal. ii. 10. In a country like England, where tliere is a
poor law. Christians are sadly apt-to forget this. The duty of
" giving to the poor," and not merely paying rates in obedience
to law, is just as obligatory now as it was 1800 years ago.
Ecolampadius reraarks that the raore wicked and graceless
people are, the more ready they are to find fault with and blarae
osiers, and to see no beauty in what they do.
Quesnel remarks, that Judas raade a great ado about 300
pence, — viz., £10, and a little ointment, when he vvas about to
sell the Son of God for 30 pieces of silver, — viz., £3 15s.
Henry observe, "Coldness of love to Christ, and a secret
contempt of serious piety, when they appear in professors of
religion, are sad presages of final apostasy."
Stier remarks : " We have in the words of Judas an exaraple
of those judgraents which have their foundation in the favourite
principles of utilitarianisra, and which may too often be applied
falsely, to the wounding of pious hearts." — "This lays bare the
root of that suspicion with which missionary ofl'erings for the
extension of Christ's kingdom are looked at, ijecause of the poor
whora we have at home." — " We liave here, furthermore, an ex
ample of all cold judgments passed ou the virtuous emotions of

316 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

warm hearts, of all raore or less conscious or unconscious cen
sures of the artless outgoings and acts of honest feelings, and
of all narrow-hearted criticism of others according to our Own
mind and teraper."
6. — [This he said not... cared for the poor.] This Is one of those
parenthetical explanations or glosses, which are so frequent in
St. John's Gospel. The Evangelist tells us the true character
of Juda.s, and the reason he said what he did. He did not really
care about the poor, but put their interest forward as a special
and plausible argument for depreciating Mary's action, and dis
couraging such actions in others.
There is something very instructive in this. The arguraent
of Judas is frequently reproduced in the present day. Hundreds
of people excuse themselves from one class of duties by pre
tended zeal for others, and compensate for neglecting Christ's
cause by affecting great concern for the poor. Yet in reahty
they care nothing for the poor, and only want to save their own
money, and to be spared contributing to religious objects.
Sorae, for instance, will never give raoney to benefit the souls
of their fellow-countrymen, and tell us we raust flrst relieve
their property and feed their bodies. — Some again will give
nothing to help raissions abroad, and tell us we must flrst raind
the poor at home. — Even the shareholders of some great joint
stock companies have been known to express great concern for
the poor and working-classes, as an excuse for carrying on their
business on Sundays. — The language of St. John about Judas
Iscariot shows us that this apparent zeal for the poor should
always be regarded with suspicion, and submitted to close
analysis and cross-examination. He talked brave words about
the poor, as if he cared more for them than any one! Yet there
is not the slightest proof in the Gospels that he cared more for
thera thau others. Above all, the concliwiion of the verse lets
out the truth, and the unerring pen of inspiration reveals the
man's true motives. These thiugs are written for our learniug.
There are few greater impostors in the world than sorae, of
those vvho are pretendin,g perpetually to care about the poor.
The truest and best friends of the working-classes and the poor,
the people who give most and do most for them, will alvvays be
found among those vvho do most for Christ. It is the succes
sors of Mary of Bethany, and not of Judas Iscariot, who really
" care for the poor." But they do not talk about it. While
others talk and profess, they act.
[But because he was a thief] This is strong language, and a
very heavy accusation. It seems to indicate that this was the
habitual character of Judas. He always had been, and always
was, a dishonest man. So says an inspired Apostle. In the face
of tills expression, it appears to me impossible to prove that
Judas ever had the grace of God at any time, and that he only
fell away at last. He was inwardly wrong at heart all the way
through. Again, I flud it impossible to believe that Judas was

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 317
a high-^souled and noble-rainded, though greatly erring man,
and that his motive in betraying his Lord was to hasten His
kingdom, and to cut short the period of his humiliation. I
cannot reconcile this with the word "thief."
Let us note here how far a man may go iu Christian profes
sion without any inward grace. There is no evidence that
Judas up to this time was unlike other Apostles. Like them
he had seen all Christ's miracles, heard Christ's teaching, lived
In Christ's company, and had himself preached the kinsdom of
God. Yet he was at bottora a graceless man. Privileges alone
convert nobody.
Ferus reraarks: " Let us never put confidence in man, or In
any sanctity of position, office, or dress. If apostleship did not
make Judas a saint, neither will position, office, or dress make
thee a saint. In fact, unless you first have inward holiness,
and have sought it from God, it may be that your office may
render you more wicked."
Let us note the amazing power of the love of money. No be
setting sin seeras so thoroughly to wither up and bli.ght and
harden the heart. No wonder it is called "the root of all evil."
(1 Tira. vi. 10.) However many the faults and iiilirraities re
corded of saints in the Bible, we have not a single exaraple of
one that was covetous.
Chrysostom observes : " A dreadful thing is the love of
money! It disables both eyes and ears, and raakes man worse
to deal with than a wild beast, allowing a man to consider
neither conscience, nor friendship, nor fellowship, nor salva
tion." Quesnel observes that " Christ allows His money to be taken
from Him, but never His sheep."
[And had the bag.] The Greek word rendered "ba.g"is a
curious one. The original idea is that of a bag in which
musicians kept the mouthpieces or reeds of their instruments.
From that, the idea evidently was attached to it, of a bag carried
about by any meraber of a company, such as that of the dis
ciples, on behalf of his companions. Whether the common
stock of provisions as well as of raoney was not kept iu this
bag perhaps admits of a question.
Theophylact says, that sorae thiuk that Judas was trusted
with the care of the raoney as one of the meanest and most in
ferior of Christian duties. Thus iu Acts, the Apostles would
not " serve tables." (Acts vi..2.)
[And hare what was put therein.] The last words would be
more literally rendered, "the things put therein." Some, as
Origen, Theophylact,' Pearce, Lampe, Tittraan, Bloomfleld, and
Clarke, have thought that the word " bare" means " took away,
carried off,, stole, secreted, or set apart for himself."— 1 doubt

318 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

this. I prefer the siraple idea of " carrying about." It was the
office of Judas to be the purse-keeper of the little corapany of
disciples. The contributions In raoney and provisions of those
friends who ministered to our Lord, such as "Joanna, Susann.a,
and many others," (Luke viii. 3,) were probably meant by the
things here raentioned. It is clear that our Lord had no
earthly wealth, nor His disciples. It is equally clear that His
friends, scattered all over Palestine, raust have thought it a
privilege, whenever He carae among them, to contribute to His
maintenance and support. Of these contributions in all proba
bility Judas was treasurer.
Let professing Christians note that to have money passing
through their hands is a snare and a temptation. It is a snare
by which many in every age have been cast down.
'. — [Then said Jesus, Let her alone.] This is unquestionably a re
buke to Judas, and a soraewhat sharp one. It shows how
jealously our Lord regards any atterapt to hinder, check, or
discourage the zeal of His own people. Even uow, when some
of His weak disciples undertake work which calls forth enmity
and opposition. He can make all difficulties vanish, and say, " Let
them alone."
[Against the day... burying... kept this.] The first word here
would be raore literally rendered, " for " the day. I believe we
raust not interpret this sentence as if our Lord meant that Mary
really knew that our Lord's burial was at hand. I think it
rather signifies, " The ointment which Mary has poured on my
feet, though she meant it only as a mark of houour, happens to
be a raost suitable thing, as ray death and burial are approach
ing. She little knew, in doing what she did, the nearness of my
death; but, as it happens, her action is most seasonable."
Sorae, as Chrysostom, think that our Lord intended to prick
the conscience and soften the feelings of Judas by talking of His
" burial," and by the language of the next verse, " Me ye have
not always." It may possibly be so. But 1 rather think that
in both Instances He intended to direct the minds of all around
Him, as He had evidently been doing for some weeks, to His
approaching death aud the conclusion of His ministry. He
brings that conclusion in at every turn now.
Some think that the word "kept" refers to the ointment
having been originally got by Mary for her brother Lazarus,
and that there had been a long hoarding up of it from the day
when Lazarus died, and that Judas blamed Mary for having
"kept'' it so long, and not having sold it. But this is purely
conjectural. M-ay we not learn, frora ourLord's words here, that Christians
do not always know the full raeanlngof \vhat they do? God uses
them as His instruraents, witliout their being aware of it at the
time. (Compare John xii. 16.)

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 319
Calvin says ; " Those are absurd interpreters who infer from
Christ's reply, that costly and magniflcent worship is pleasing to
God. He rather excuses Mary, ou the ground of her having
rendered au extraordinary service, which ought uot to be regard
ed as a perpetual rule for the worship of God."
8.— [For the poor always. . .with you.] It is clear frora these words.
that poverty will alvvays exist; and we need not wonder. So
long as huraan nature is what it is, some will always be rich and
some poor, because some are diligent and sorae idle, some are
strong and some weak, sorae are wise and some foolish. We
need never dream that by any arrangement, either civil or
ecclesiastical, poverty can ever be entirely prevented. The ex
istence of pauperism is no proof whatever that States are ill
governed, or that churches are not doing their duty.
Ecolarapadius thinks that our Lord here refers to the poor as
being His members, and that there is a latent reference to the
language of the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, about works
of mercy being regarded as works done to Christ's brethren and
to Christ Himself. (Matt. xxv. 40.)
It is noteworthy that Jesus in this sentence passes from a
singular verb to a plural one, and seems to address not Judas
only, but all present.
[But me ye have not always.] These words show, for one thing,
that our Lord's bodily presence on earth was a great and mirac
ulous event, and as such deserved to be marked with peculiar
honour; and for another thing, that His departure was at hand,
so that the opportunities for doing Ilira honour were becoming
very few. Moreover, if words mean anything, the sentence
completely overthrows the whole theory of Christ's body being
present under the forms of bread and wine, in the Lord's Supper.
That favourite Romish doctrine can never be reconciled with
" Me ye have not alvvays."
We raay surely learn, frora this verse, that relieving the poor,
however good a work, is not so important a work as doing honour
to Christ. In times like these it is well to remeraber this. Not
a few seera to think all religion consists in giving temporal help
to the poor. Yet there are evidently occasions when the relief
of the poor must not be allowed to supersede the direct work
of honouring Christ. Doubtless it is well to feed, and clothe,
and nurse the poor; but it is never to be forgotten, that to
glorify Christ among thera is far better. Moreover, it is rauch
easier to give teraporal than spiritual help, for we have our re
ward in thanks, and gratitude, and the praise of man. To hon
our Christ is far harder, and gets us no praise at all.
Augustine reraarks: "In respect of the presence of His
Majesty, we have Christ always; in respect to the presence of
the flesh, it was rightly said, 'Me ye will not have always.'
'The Church had Hira in respect of the flesh for a few days;
now by faith it holds, not with eyes beholds Hira."

320 ' EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Zwingle observes that this sentence " excludes Christ's
corporal presence from the Lord's Supper. According to His
Divine nature, Christ is always present with His people. Ac
cording to His huraan nature. He is in one place in heaven, at
the right hand of God." Most of the other reforraers raake
the sarae comment.
Eollock remarks, that our Lord's defence of Mary in this
passage must not be alleged as a warrant for extravagant and
profuse expenditure in the public worship of Christians.
Jesus Himself points out that the occasion was extraordinary
and singular; viz., on the eve almost of His burial, an occasion
which could only happen once. This seems to imply that on
ordinary occasions such an expenditure as that of Mary would
not have been justifiable.
9. — [Much people.. .Jcnew. ..there.] We need not doubt that the
news of our Lord's arrival at Bethany would soon spread, like
lightning, partly because Bethany was so near Jerusalera, partly
because of the recent rairacle wrought there, partly because of
the order of the rulers to give information where Christ was,
partly because of the approach of the Passover, and the crowds
assembling all around Jerusalera.
[They come.. .not.. .Jesus' sake. ..see Lazarus. ..dead.] This sen
tence is a genuine exhibition of human nature. Curiosity is one
of the raost coraraon and powerful raotives in man. The love
of seeing soraething sensational and out of the commou way is
almost universal. When people could see at once both the
subject of the rairacle and Hira that worked the mir.acle, we
need not wonder that they resorted in crowds to Bethany.
Yet withiu ten days a far greater rairacle was to take place, viz.,
our Lord's own resurection.
10. — [But the chief priests consulted.] It admits of doubt whether
the word rendered " consulted " would not be better rendered
"purposed" or " determined," as in Acts xv. 37; xxvii. 39; 2
Cor. i. 17. This is the view of Schleusner and Parkhurst.
[That they might put Lazarus... death.] It is dlflicult to con
ceive a greater proof of hardened and incorrigible wickedness
of heart than this sentence exhibits. The chief priests could
not possibly deny the fact of Lazarus having been raised, or ex
plain it away. He was a witness whose testimony against their
unbelief was overwhelming. They raust therefore stop his raouth
by killing hira. And these were the chief ecclesiastical leaders
of Israel ! — Moreover Lazarus had doue them no harm. .Though
a disciple, there is no proof that he was a leading follower of
Christ, much less a preacher of the Gospel. But he was an in
convenient standing evidence, and so he must be removed!
11. — [Because...many...Jews went away.] This sentence shows the
immense effect that the raising of Lazarus had on the public
mind, in spite of all the priests could do to prevent it. Iu every

JOHN, CHAP. XII.

321

age people will think for themselves, when God's truth comes
into a land. Prisons and threats aud penalties cannot prevent
raen thinking. Mind and thought cannot be chained. When
ecclesiastical tyrants burn martyrs, and destroy Bibles, and si
lence preachers, they forget there is one thing they cannot do.
They cannot stop the inward machinery of people's thoughts.
The expression, " went away," will hardly bear the sense put
on it by Pearce, of "withdrawing themselves from the service
of the synagogue." It probably only means " went to Bethany."
Bloomfleld says, " it denotes their ceasing to pay that regard to
the teaching of the Scribes, which they forraerly had done."
[And believed in Jesus.] I dare not think that this " believing "
means more than intellectual conviction that Jesus must be the
Messiah. I see no evidence that it means the faith of the heart.
Yet it is probable this was exactly the state of mind in which
many hundreds or thousands of Jews were before the cruciflxion,
the resurrection, and the day of Pentecost, convinced but not
converted, persuaded that Jesus was the Christ of God, but
afraid to confess Hira. Hence on the day of Pentecost we can
not doubt that many hundreds of Peter's hearers were prepared
to believe. The stony grouud of prejudice and ignoraut adhe
sion to Judaism had been broken to pieces, and the seed fell in
to soil prepared for it.
Poole thinks that Lazarus after his marvellous resurrection,
"possibly spake of it, to the honour aud glory of God," and
ths^tihis excited the special anger of the priests.

JOHN XII. 12—19.

12 On the next day much people that
vrere come to the feast, when they
heard that Jesus was coming to Jeru
salem, 13 Took branches of palm trees, and
went forth to meet him, and cried, Ho-
sanna: Blessed is the King of Israel
that Cometh in the name of the Lord.
14 And Jesus, when he had found a
young .iss, sat thereon ; as it is written,
1.) Pear not, daughter of Sion: be
hold, thy King cometh, sitting on an
ass's colt.
16 These things understood not his
disciples at the first: but when Jesus

was glorified, then remembered they
that these things were written of him,
and that they had done these things
unto him.
17 The people therefore that was
with him when he called Lazarus out
of his grave, and raised him from tho
dead, bare record.
18 For this cause the people also met
him, for that they board that he had
done this miracle.
ID The Pharisees therefore said
among themselves. Perceive yo how
y c prevail nothing? behold, tbe world ia
gone after him.

A CAKEFUL reader of the Gospels can hardly fail to
observe that our Lord Jesus Christ's conduct, at this

322 EXPOSITORY THOTGHTS.
stage of His earthly ministrj'', is very peculiar. It is
unlike anything else recorded of Him in the New Tes
tament. Hitherto we have seen Him withdrawing^ as
much as possible from public notice, retiring into the
wilderness, and checking those who would have brought
llim forward and made Him a king. As a rule He did
not court popular attention. He did not " cry or strive,
or cause His voice to be heard in the streets." (Matt.
xii. 19.) Here, on the contrary, we see Him making
a public entry into Jerusalem, attended by an immense
crowd of people, and causing even the Pharisees to say,
"Behold, the world has gone after Him."
The explanation of this apparent inconsistency is not
hard to flnd out. The time had come at last when
Clirist was to die for the sins of the world. The time
had come when the true passover Lamb was to be slain,
when the true blood of atonement was to be shed, when
Messiah was to be "cut off" according to prophecy,
(Dan. ix. 26,) when the waj'' into the holiest was to
be opened by the true High Priest to all mankind.
Knowing all this, our Lord purposely drew attention
to' Himself. Knowing this, He placed Himself promi
nently under the notice of the whole Jewish nation. It
was onljr meet and right that this thing should not be
" done in a corner." (Acts xxvi. 26.) If ever there
was a transaction in our Lord's earthly ministry which
was public, it was the Sacrifice which He offered up on
,he cross of Calvary. He died at the time of year when
ill tlie tribes were assembled at Jerusalem for the pass-
-)\er feast. Nor was this all. He died in a week when,
by His remarkable public entry into Jerusalem, He had
caused the eyes of all Israel to be specially fixed upon
Himself. We learn, for one thing, in these verses, how entirely
voluntary the sufferings of Christ were.

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 323
It is impossible not to see in the history before us
that our Lord had a mysterious influence over the minds
und wills of all around Him, whenever He thought fit
lo use it. Nothing else can account for the eflTect vvhich
His approach to Jerusalem had on the multitudes which
nccompanied Him. They seem to have been carried for
ward by a secret constraining power, which they were
obliged to obey, in spite of the disapproval of the leaders
of the nation. In short, just as our Lord was able to
make winds, and waves, and diseases, and devils obey
Him, so was He able, when it pleased Him, to turn
the i^inds of men according to His will.
For the case before us does not stand alone. The
men of Nazareth could not hold Him when He chose
to " pass through the midst of them and go His way."
(Luke iv. 30.) The angry Jews of Jerusalem could
not detain him when they would have laid violent
hands on Him in the Temple ; but, " going through the
midst.of them, He passed by." (John viii. 59.) Above
all, the very soldiers who apprehended Him in the garden,
at first " went backward and fell to the ground." (John
xviii. 6.) In each of these instances there is but one
explanation. A Divine influence was put forth. There
was about our Lord during His whole earthly ministry
a mysterious " hiding of His power." (Hab. iii. 4.) But
He had almighty power when He was pleased to use
it. Why, then, did He not resist His enemies at last?
Why did He not scatter the band of soldiers who came
to seize Him, like chaff before the wind? There is but
one ansvver. He was a willing Sufferer in order to pro
cure redemption for a lost and ruined soul. He had
undertaken to give His own life as a ransom, that we
miglit live forever, and He laid it down on the cross
with all the desire of Hi'; heart. He did not bleed and

324 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS. i
suffer and die because He was vanquished by superior
force, and could not help Himself, but because He loved
us, and rejoiced to give Himself for us as our Substitute.
He did not die because He could not avoid death, but
because He was willing with all His heart to make His
soul an offering for sin.
Forever let us rest our hearts on this most comfort
able thought. We have a most willing and loving Sav
iour. It was His delight to do His Father's will, and
to make a way for lost and guilty man to draw near to
God in peace. He loved the work He had taken in hand,
and the poor sinful world which He came to save. Never,
then, let us give way to the unworthy thought that
our Saviour does not love to see sinners coming to Him,
and does not rejoice to save them. He who was a most
willing Sacrifice on the cross is also a most willing
Saviour at the right hand of God. He is just as willing
to receive sinners who come to Him now for peace, as
He was to die for sinners, when He held back His power
and willingly suffered on Calvary.
We learn, for another thing, in these verses, hoto mi
nutely the prophecies concerning Christ's first coming were
fulfilled. The riding into Jerusalem on an ass, which is here
recorded, might seem at first sight a simple action, and
in no way remarkable. But when we turn to the Old
Testament, we find that this very thing had been predicted
by the Prophet Zechariah five hundred years before.
(Zech. ix. 9.) We find that the coming of a Redeemer
some day was not the only thing which the Holy Ghost
h8,d revealed to the Fathers, but that even the least
particulars of His earthly career were predicted and
written down with precise accuracj'.
Such fulfilments of prophecy as this deserve the special
attention of all who love the Bible and read it witb

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 325
reverence. They show us that every word of Holy Scrip
ture was given by inspiration of God. They teach us to
beware of the mischievous practice of spiritualizing and
explaining away the language of Scripture. We must
settle it in our minds that the plain, literal meaning of ,
the Bible is generally the true and correct meaning..;
Here is a prediction of Zechariah literally and exactly
fulfilled. Our Lord was not raerely a very humble person,
as some spiritualizing interpreters would have explained
Zechariah's words to mean, but He literally rode into
Jerusalem on an ass. Above all, such fulfilments teach
us what we may expect in looking forward to the second
advent of Jesus Christ. They show us that we must
look for a literal accomplishment of the prophecies con
cerning that second coming, and not for a figurative and
a spiritual one. Forever let us hold fast this great prin- I
ciple. Happy is that Bible-reader who believes the words
of the Bible to mean exactly what they seem to mean. J
Such a man has got the true key of knowledge in looking
forward to things to come. To know that predictions
about the second advent of Christ will be fulfilled literally,
just as predictions about the flrst advent of Christ were ful
filled literally, is the first step towards a right understand
ing of unfulfllled prophecy.
Notes. John XII. 12—19.
12.— [On the next day.] This day must have been the Sunday
before Easter, which is commonly known in England as " Palm
Sunday," from the circumstance here related.
[Much people.. .come to the feast.] This must include many of
the Jews who had corae up to the passover from Galilee, and
were doubtless well acquainted with our Lord's ministry and the
numerous miracles He had wrought in Galilee. Some of them
in all huraan probability had formed part of the multitude
whora He fed with a few loaves in the wilderness.
[When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.] We
must suppose that by sorae raeans our Lord's intention ol
coming to Jerusalem must have become known, either by Him-

326 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

self communicating it, or by His disciples learning It and telling
others. This information would be carried back to the city by
those vvho came from thence to Bethany on Saturday. Bethany,
however, was on the direct road from Jericho to Jerusalera, and
the tidings of our Lord's approach may have travelled before
Him for some days.
Bollock tliinks this multitude must have been chiefly com
posed of Jews not residing in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Jews,
he thinks, are an instance of the old proverb, which he quotes,
"The nearer the Church the further from God."
13. — [Took branches of palm-trees, and went. ..meet him.] The pre
cise motive of this action we are left to conjecture. Palm
"j branches were carried by processions attending kings or victo-
rious generals on public occasions. The triumphant host iu
heaven, which John saw in vision, was composed of persons
having " palms in their hands." (Rev. vii. 9.) It raay be that
sorae of the crowd on this occasion believed that Jesus was the
Messiah. Others, we raay be sure, did what the rest did, without
any special motive at all. At most we can only suppose that
the multitude had a vague idea that Jesus was somebody very
remarkable, a prophet, or sorae*one raised up by God, and as
such did Hira honour.
Rollock thinks the custom of carrying branches at the feast
of tabernacles, as the expression of joy, was the motive of the
crowd here.
[And cried, Hosanna.] This Hebrew word is taken from
Psalm cxviii. 25, and signifles " Save now, we beseech thee."
Calvin thinks this phrase testifled that they acknowledged
Christ to be the Messiah, and considers that the cxviii. Psalm
had special reference to Messiah's coming.
[Blessed.. .King of Israel that cometh.. .name.. .Lord.] This
sentence would be raore literally rendered " Blessed is He that
cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel." It is
partly taken from Psalm cxviii. 26 ; but there the words are
simply " Blessed be He th.at cometh in the name of the Lord,"
and no mention is made of " the king." — We can only con
jecture that some of the raultitude had a vague idea that Jesus
h:id come to be a temperal King, and a conquering Messiah.
who would set Israel free frora all foreian dominion. These
few caught up the words of the Ps.alm, and their cry was taken
up by the many around them, perhaps without knowing dis
tinctly what they did or said. Nothing is so soon caught up as
a popular cry. From "Hosanna " to " Crucify Him " there was
only an interval of a very few days! Nothing is so worthless
as popular applause.
Theophylact holds decidedly that the multitude honoured oui
Lord as God. But I cannot think It,

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 327
14. — [And Jesus. ..found.. .ass, sat thereon.] That ther-3 was no
chauce or'accident in the ass being found, we know from St.
Matthew's Gospel, vvhere we read that the disciples were sent
to get the ass ready. (Matt. xxi. 7.) Every step of this tri
umphal progress into Jerusalem was prearrauged.
To ride upon an ass, we must always, remember, was not so
low and ignominious a mode of travelling as it raay seem to
us. The Eastern ass is a very different creature to the English
ass, larger, stronger, and far more valuable. As.ses are
specially naraed as part of the wealth of Abriiliam, Jacob, and
Job. (Gen. xii. 16; xxx. 43; Job xiii. 12.) Soloraon had an
officer specially over the asses. (1 Chron. xxvii. 30.) Abra
ham, Balaam, Achsah, Abigail, and the Shunamite rich woman,
all rode on asses. To ride on white asses was a mark of great"'
men in the days of the Judges. (Judges v. 10.) The idea;
therefore of anything degrading in riding on an ass raust be
entirely dismissed from our minds.
On the other hand. It is undeniable that the ass is not the
animal that a king or ruler, in any age, has ever chosen to use,
on public occasions, in heading a procession. The horse has
alvvays been preferred. The u.se of an ass, we cannot doulit,
was raeant to show that our Lord's kingdom was utterly unlike
the kingdoms of this world. No Roman soldier in the garrison
of Jerusalem, who, standing at his ppst or sitting in his bar
rack-window, saw our Lord riding on an ass, could report to
his centurion that He looked like one who came to wrest the
kingdom of Judaea out of the hand of the Romans, drive out
Poutius Pilate and his legions from the tower of Antonia, and
achieve independence for the Jevvs with the sword !
The Greek word rendered " young ass " here, is a diminutive,
and seems used Intentionally to show that it was a very young
or small ass.
[As it is written.] By riding on an ass our Lord had fulfllled
the prophecy of Zechariah, In which, 500 years before, the prophet
had foretold that the King of Zion would one day appear " riding
upon an ass." At the time when he prophesied this, there were
no kings In Jerusalem. The kingdom had ceased at the captivit.y.
'We cannot doubt that this prophecy was well known among the
Scribes and Pharisees, and taken together with the fact that
Daniel's 70 weeks were expiring, ourLord's entry into Jerusalera
in this fashion raust have raised many thoughts in their hearts.
Let it be noted that many like- events in our Lord's earthly
ministry were foreknown and foretold long before they happened,
and with increasing minuteness and particularity as the roll of
prophecy drew near to an end.
\5.—[Fear not, daughter of Sion, etc.] It will be observed, of course,
that John does not quote literally and exactly all that Zechariah
said. He omits several words. The explanation is siraple.

328 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

He did not quote from raemory only, and so forget part; but he
purposely only quoted that part of the prediction which was now
specially fulfllled; viz., "the riding on the ass." The object
of the prophecy, when It was flrst delivered, was to comfort
the Jews in their low and decayed state, after their return from
Babylon, by a promise of Messiah. Therefore Zechariah was
taught by the Holy Ghost to say things which raay be paraphrased
as follows: "Fear not; be not cast down or depressed, O
daughter of Sion, or inhabitants of Jerusalera. Low and de
pressed as your condition may be now, there will be a day
when you shall have a King again. There shall come One who
will ride on a certain public occasion iuto thy gates, — a King
on an ass's colt, not as a warrior, with a sword in hand, but as
a peaceful Prince, a just and holy King, better even than David,
Solomon, Hezekiah, or Josiah, and bringing with Him salvation
lor souls. Therefore thiuk not thyself forsaken, because thou
art poor now, and hast no king. Look forward to thy coming
King."" Let it be noted that Christ's coming, first or second, is always
the great topic of comfort in prophetical writings.
16. — [ Tliese things understood not.. .disciples.. .first.] It is clear from
this and other kindred passages, that our Lord's ovvn immediate
followers had a very imperfect kuowledge of our Lord's
Person and work, and of the fulfilment of Scripture which was
going on around them. Brought up amidst Jewish notions of a
glorious temporal Messiah, they failed to see the full raeaning
of many of our Lord's doings.
Let us never foi-get that raen may be true Christians, and
right hearted, and yet be very ignorant on some points.
"Faith," says Zwingle, on this verse, " admits of degrees and
increase." In estimating others, we must make great allowauce
for early training and associations.
[But when Jesus was glorified.] This must mean, as Theophy
lact says, our Lord's ascension. After that time, and the day
of Pentecost, the minds of the disciples were greatly enlight
ened. Compare John vii. 39 :" The Holy Ghost was uot yet given,
because Jesus was not yet glorified."
[Then remembered.. .these things... written of him.] The power
of memory to see things, long after they happen, in a nevv 1-ight,
and llwu to recollect thera vividly, is very remarkable. In no
case does it appear more curiously th.-m in the rising again iu
our minds of texts and sermons heard long ago, wliich at the
time apparently left no impression on us. Preachers and
teacheris^may take corafort in tjis. All is uot lost that they say,
although their hearers aud scholars may seem at the time to
pay no attention. Their words in many ca.«es shall have a
resurrection. One great cause of this is, that it is part i)f the
Holy Ghost's office " to bring things to remembrance." (John
xiv. 26.)

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 329
[And.. .they. ..done these things. ..him.] The disciples found,
long after the triumphant entry iuto Jerusalem, that they had
been unconscious actors in a mighty accomplishment of Scrip
ture. This is a thought for us all. We have not the least idea,,
during the greater part of our lives, how much of God's great'
purposes on earth are being carried on through us and by us,)
without our being conscious of it. The full extent to which
they are carried on we shall never know till we wake up in
another world. We shall then discern with wonder and amaze
ment the full meaning of m.any a thing in which we were
uuconscious agents during our lives.
Calvin reraarks : "Then, after the ascension, did it occur to
thed'sciples that Christ did not do these things rashly, and that
these men were not employed in idle amusement, but that the
whole transactiou had been regulated by the providence of
God." Poole observes, that here St. John " confesseth his own igno
rance." He was present, and saw all that was done, but did not
understand it at the time.
17.— [The people therefore.. .Lazarus. ..bare record.] Ifeel no doubt
that this verse describes one part of the multitude vvhich met
our Lord, and the following verse describes another part. One
part, aud of course a small one, consistetl of those who had
seen the raising of Lazarus. The other, and a much larger one,
consisted of those .who hiid only heard the report.
That there must have been a very lar.sje number of persons
present at the rairacle of Bethany is, I think, indirectly proved
by the expression here used, " people that we.fe with Him."
The words, " bare record," must mean that they testifled that a
great miracle really had been wrought, and that this same Jesus,
now riding on an ass before the eyes of the people, was that very
Person who had wrought it. I do not see that we can possibly
get more out of the expression, and I cannot suppose that these
people testified their belief in Christ's Messiahship.
The donble expression, " called out of his grave," and " raised
from the dead," deserves notice. It is doubtless meant to keep
before our minds the mighty .simplicity of the means used by
our Lord. He spoke, and it. was done. He "called" to Laza
rus to come forth, and he was " raised " at once.
18. — [For this cause.. .people met him, etc.] This verse describes
the state of mind of the larger part of the multitude which sur
rounded our Lord at His entry into Jerusalem. It consisted of
those who had heard the report of His raising Lazar^is, — a
story magnified, no donbt, in the telling. Strong curiosity to
see the Person who had done such a miracle would call forth
an immense crowd in any city. But among Jews, familiar with
Old Testament miracles, assembled in enormous numbers lor
the Passover, excited by the rumour of Messiah coining,—

330 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
araong such we may well believe that the report of .Tesus com
ing in from Bethany would draw together many myriads of
spectators to meet Him.
The Greek words, " for this cause," here seera to refer for
ward to the latter part of the verse, and not backward to the
preceding verse. Compare x. 17, where the same forra of lan
guage is used.
19.— [The Pharisees. ..said.. .prevail nothing.] This is the language
of men baffled, angry, and at their wits' end frora vexation, to
sec their plans defeated. Instead of finding people willing to
lay hands on Jesus as a raalefoctor, and to deliver Hira up into
their power, they bencld a large multitude surrounding Hira
with joyful acclaraatious, aud saluting Hira as a King! Of
course they could do nothing but sit still aud see it. The least
atterapt to use violence against our Lord would have raised a
tumult, and endangered their own lives. So that they were
obliged to see their most hated enemy entering Jerusalem in
triumph, like Mordecai led by Hainan. (Esther vi. 11.)
"Perceive ye," I believe, should be taken as an imperative,
and not as an interrogative Indicative. It sounds like the lan
guage of men looking on frora the city walls or the temple courts,
as the huge procession wound -slowly through the gates of the
city. " Behold this sight! Beliold how you do nothing efTect-"
ual to stop this fellow's course! Your order lo denounce
Him, and have ilira apprehended, is utterly useless and unprofit
able." Chrysostom and Theophylact think that those vvho said this
had somo faith and felt rightly, but had not courage enough to
confess Christ. But I cannot agree with them. Calvin aud
other reformers think, on the contrary, that it was the language
of Christ's enemies.
Bullinger observes that wicked men show their wickedness
especially by their dislike of true religion, and their annoyance
when, as in the case before us, it seems to enjoy a temporary
popularity. For neglect and contempt of religion they show
no concern at all.
[Behold.. .world.. .gone after him.] Sorae allowance of course
must be made for the exag.ijerated language which angry and
disappointed men use under the influence of passion. Neverthe
less the word " world " ra.ay uot be really so extravagant as it
appears at first, when wo consider the iraiiieuso number of Jews
who attended tlie pa.ssover feast. According to a computatiou
made by Jo.scplius there were nearly throe millions of people as
sembled on such occasions at Jerusalem. At this rate we can un
derstand that the crowd drawn together by our Lord's public en-
tr.v niiffht well be so large as to warrant the saying, "Theworld
is gone iil'tcr lilin." Most of the crowd, it may be remerabered,
were not dwellers in Jerusalem, but strangers, who were only

JOHN, CHAP. XII.

331

visitors or sojourners, absent frora home, and would materially
swell a crowd.
In leaving this passage it is Irapossible not to feel that there
must have been an overruling, constraining influence on the
minds of the Jewish people on the occasion of ourLord's trium
phant entry into Jerusalem. This, no doubt, vvas an influence
miraculously exercised by our Lord in order to draw all men's
attention to Hiraself, and to make His approaching Sacrifice on
the cross as public an event as possible. ^
Eollock observes : " A secret power of royal authority stirred
np the minds of the raultitude to receive Christ as a king." He
also observes that it is the same power which Christ will put
forth when He comes at the last day to judge the world.

JOHN XII. 20—26.

20 And there were certain Greeks
among them that came up to worship
Bt tho feast:
21 The same camo therefore to Phil
ip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee,
and desired him, saying, Sir, we would
see Jesus.
22 Philip cometh and telleth An
drew: and again Andrew and Philip
tell Jesus.
23 And Jesus answered them, saying
.The hour is como, that the Son of man
should be glorified.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you.
Except a corn of wheat fall into the
ground and die, it abideth alone: but
if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25 He that loveth his life shall loso
it; and he that hateth his life in this
world shall keep it unto life eter
nal. 26 If any man serve me,let him fol
low me; and where I am, there shall
also my servant be: if any man serve
me, him will my Father honour.

TEffiRE is more going on in some people's minds than, we are
aware of. The case of the Greeks before us is a re
markable proof of this. Who would have thought
when Christ was on earth, that foreigners from a distant
land would have come forward in Jerusalem, and said,
" Sir, we would see Jesus " ? Who these Greeks were,
'What they meant, why they desired to see Jesus, what
their inward motives were, — all these are questions we
cannot answer. Like Zaccheus, they may have been
influenced by curiosity. Like the wise men from the
East, they may have surmised that Jesus was the prom
ised King of the Jews, whom all the eastern world was

332 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
»
expecting. Enough for us to know that they showed
more interest in Christ than Caiaphas and all his com
panions. Enough to know that they drew from our
Lord's lips sayings which are still read in one hundred
and fifty languages, from one end of the world to the
other. We learn, foi*one thing, from our Lord's words in this
passage, that death is the way to spiritual life and glory.
" Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, it abideth
alone ; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
This sentence was primarily meant to teach the wonder
ing Greeks the true nature of Messiah's kingdom. If
they thought to see a King like the kings of this world, they
were greatly mistaken. Our Lord would have them know
that He came to carry a cross, and not to wear a crown.
He came not to live a life of honour, ease, and magnifi
cence, but to die a shameful and dishonoured death. The
kingdom He came to set up was to begin with a cruci
fixion, and not with a coronation. Its glory was to take
its rise not from victories won by the sword, and from
accumulated treasures of gold and silver, but from the
death of its King.
But this sentence was also meant to teach a wider
and broader lesson still. It revealed, under a striking
figure, the mighty foundation truth, that Christ's death
was to be the source of spiritual life to the world. From
His cross and passions was to spring up a mighty harvest
of benefit to all mankind. His death, like a grain of
seed-corn, was to be the root of blessings and mercies
to countless millions of immortal souls. In short, the
great principle of the Gospel was once more exhibited, —
that Christ's vicarious death (not His life, or miracles, or
teaching, but His death) was to bring forth fruit to the
praise of God, and to provide redemption for a lost
world.

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 333
This deep and mighty sentence was followed by a prac
tical application, which closely concerns ourselves. " He
that hateth his life shall keep it." He that would be saved
must be ready to give up life itself, if necessary, in order
to obtain salvation. He must bury his love of the world,
with its riches, honours, pleasures, and rewards, with a
full belief that in so doing he will reap a better harvest,
both liere and hereafter. He who loves the life that now
is so much that he cannot deny hiraself anything for the
sake of his soul, will find at length that he has lost
everything. He, on the contrary, who is ready to cast
away everything most dear to him in this life, if it stands
in the way of his sonl, and to crucify the flesh with its
affections and lusts, will flnd at length that he is no loser.
In a word, his losses will prove nothing in comparison
to his gains.
Truths such as these should sink deeply into our hearts,
and stir up self-inquiry. It is as true of Christians as it
is of Christ, — there can be no life without death, there
can be no sweet without bitter, there can be no crown
without a cross. Without Christ's death there would
have been no life for the world. Unless we are
willing to die to sin, and crucifj' all that is most dear
to flesh and blood, we cannot expect any benefit from
Christ's death. Let us remember these things, and take
up our cross dailj-, like men. Let us for the joy set
before us endure the cross and despise the shame, and
in the end we shall sit down with our Master at God's
right hand. The way of self-crucifixion and sanctifica
tion may seem foolishness and waste to the world, just
as burying good seed-corn seems waste to the child and
the fool. But there never lived the man who did not find
that, by sowing to the Spirit, he reaped life everlasting.
We learn, for another thing, from our Lord's words,
that if we profess to serve Christ, we must follow Him,

334 EXPOSITOPvY THOUGHTS.
" If any man serve Me," is the saying, " le* him follow
Me."
That expression, " following," is one of wide signifi
cation, and brings Viefore our minds many familiar ideas
As the soldier follows his general, as the servant follows
his master, as the scholar follows bis teacher, as the sheep
follows its shepherd, just so ought the professing Chris
tian to follow Christ. Faith and obedience are the leading
marks of real followers, and will always be seen in true
believing Christians. Their knowledge may be very small,
and their infirmities very great ; their grace very weak,
and their hope very dim. But they believe what Christ
says, and strive to do what Christ commands. And of
such Christ declares, " They serve Me, they are mine."
Christianity like this receives little from man. It is too
thorough, too decided, too strong, too real. To serve
Christ in name and form is easy work, and satisfies most
people, but to follow Him in faith and life demands more
trouble than the generality of men will take about their
souls. Laughter, ridicule, opposition, persecution, are
often the only reward which Christ's followers get from
the world. Their religion is one, " whose praise is not of
men, but of God." (Rom. ii. 29.)
Yet to him that followeth, let us never forget, the Lord
Jesus holds out abundant encouragement : " Where I
am," He declares, " there also shall my servant be ; if
any man serve Me, him will my Father honour." Let us
lay to heart these comfortable promises, and go forward
in the narrow way without fear. The world may cast out
our name as evil, and turn us out of its society ; but when
we dwell with Christ in glory, we shall have a home from
which we can never be ejected. — The world may pour
contempt on our religion, and laugh us and our Chris
tianity to scorn ; but when the Father honours us at the

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 335
last day, before the assembly of angels and men, we shall
find that His praise makes amends for all.
Notes. . John XII. 20—26.
20.— [And there were certain Greeks, etc., etc.] Who these Greeks
were has exercised the conjectural ingenuity of commentators.
They were not downright heathens, it is clear, from the expres
sion that they were of those " that came to worship " .at the
feast. No heathen would be admitted to the passover. — They
were not in ray judgment Jews vvho had lived among Greeks
until they were more Grecian than Jewish in their languag-e.
The word we have rendered " Greeks " seems to me to make
that impossible. — I believe they were raen who were by birth
heathens, but had become proselytes to Judaism, and as such
were regular attendants on the Jewish feasts. That there were
many such proselytes wherever Jews lived, is a simple matter of
fact. So in Acts xvii. 4, we read of " devout "or " worshipping "
Greeks. The leavening influence of Judaism, in every part of
the heathen world where the scattered Jevvs dwelt, before the
coming of Christ, vvas probably very considerable. It is worth
notice that as Gentiles, the wise men frora the East, were among
the flrst to honour our Lord when He was born, so Gentiles were
araong the first to show interest in Hira just before His cruci
flxion. Whether the circumstance recorded in the passage before us
took place the sarae day that our Lord rode in triumph into Jeru
salem, or whether there was not a break or interval of a day or
two, admits of question. Judging from the inquiry of the Greeks,
" We would see Jesus," it seeras unlikely that it happened the
same day. It stands to reason that our Lord, at a time when He
was riding Into Jerusalem on an ass, and vvas the object of
popular enthusiasra, would easily have been distinguished and
recognized by the Greeks. Moreover, one cai.not suppose that
the words spoken in the following verse, and the miracle of the
voice from heaven, belong to a time of noise, shouting, aud popu
lar acclamation, such as there raust have been during the pro
cession. For these reasons I incline to the opinion that we
must suppose an interval of a day or two between this verse and
the preceding one.
21.— [The same came. ..Philip.. .Bethsaida.. .Galilee.] Why the
Greeks carae to Philip raore than any other disciple we do not
know. It is conjectured that Philip, beiug an inhabitant of a
town in North Galilee, vvas raore likely than the other disciples
to be acquainted with Greeks, from being near Tyre and Sidou.
But this reason applies quite as much to Andrew, Peter, .James,
and John, who were all Galileans, as it does to Philip. — Is it not
worth noticing that Philip's name is a raore purely Greek name
than that of any of the apostles? Does not this indicate that ha
. probably had Greek relatives and connections?

336 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

The mention of Bethsaida accounts for Philip speaking to
Andrew, in the next verse. Bethsaida was the native place of
Andrew and Peter, and Philip therefore was their fellow-towns
man. [And desired him, saying, Sir.] The Greek word rendered
" desired " is raore frequently translated, "asked," " besought,"
" prayed." It irapiies the desire of an inquirer who expresses a
Wish for a thing, and asks whether it is possible for him to have
it. The word we render " sir " Is almost always rendered "lord."
When rendered " sir " it is addressed by an inferior to a superior.
Thus the servant of the householder says, " Sir, didst thou not
sowgoodseed? !' (Matt. xiii. 27.) The Pharisees said to Pilate,
" Sir, werememberthatdeceiversaid." (Matt, xxvii. 63.) The
Saraaritan woraan says to Jesus three times, " Sir." (John Iv.
11, 13, 19.) Here the nse of the word raarks the respect of the
Greeks for our Lord and His apostles.
[We loouldsee Jesus.] The English here fails to express the
Greek fully. It is literally, " we wish, we desire to see."
Concerning the raotive of the Greeks, in asking to see our
Lord, we know nothing certain. It may have been nothing bu
curiosity, like that of Zaccheus, aroused by heariug rumours
about Jesus, and sharpened by seeingthe procession of the palm-
bearing multitude at His entry into the city. This alone was
euough to excite the attention of Greeks accustomed to the
demonstrations of their own countrymen on public occasions.—
It may possibly be that, like the Canaanitish woman, the cen
turion of Capernaura, aud Cornelius, they had, as proselytes, got
hold of the great truths which underlaid Judaism, and were
actually looking for a Redeemer. But we do not know.
Bengel thinks that at this moment " Jesus was engaged in the
inner part of the temple, to which an entrance vvas not open to
the Greeks," and for this reason the Greeks could not get at Him,
aud have a personal interview.
These Greeks, we should note, sought to see Jesus at the very
time when the Jews sought to kill Him.
22. — [Philip cometh and telleth Andrew.] This expression seems to
favour the idea that this whole transactiou was not on the same
day that Jesus entered Jerusalem. On such a day there would
hardly be an opportunity for one disciple coming quietly and
telling a thing to another. Why Philip chose to tell Andrew
wc have seen. He was His fellow-townsman.
[And again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.] This expression
scorns to imply that the two Apostles consulted together before
they told our Lord. Perhaps, as thorough Jevvs, they did not
foel sure that our Lord would care to give an interview to Gen
tiles, and at first hesitated about telling Hira. They remembered

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 337
that atone time Jesus had said, "Go not into the way of the
Gentiles." (Matt. x. 5.) On reflection they probably reraem-
bered our Lord's kindness to the Canaanitish mother, and the
Roman centurion, aud resolved to tell Him.
Of course it is possible that the Greeks only wanted to look at
onr Lord and see what He was like, and not to converse with
Him. If this was all, the disciples may have doubted whethei
it was worth mentioning to Jesus.
23.— [And Jesus answered them, saying.] It is doubtful whether
this was spoken to the two disciples only, — or to thera and the
Greeks before raentioned, — or to the twelve alone. I incline to
think it must mean to the twelve, and specially to Andrew and
Philip. [The hour is come.. .Son of man... glorified.] The true key-note
to this verse, and the two which follow, is probably this. Our
Lord saw the state of raind in which His followers were. He
saw thera excited by His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and
the desire of strangers like the Greeks to see their Maciter. He
saw they were secretly expecting a glorious kingdom to be
immediately set up, in which they would have chief places, pow
er, and authority. He proceeds to rectify their conceptions, and
to reraind thera of what He had repeatedly told them. His own
death. The hour has certainly arrived for my being glorified. I am
about to leave the world, ascend up to my Father, finish the
work I came to do, and be highly exalted. My earthly inlnlstry
of humiliation is ending, and my time of glory is drawing nigh..
But all this is to be brought about In a way very diflferent from
that which you are thinking about. I ara going to a cross first,
and not a throne. I ara going first to be condemned, crucified,
and slain.
That "glorified" raeans "to be crucified," I cannot admit,
with such texts as John vii. 39 and xii. 16 before me. That the
cross led to glory, and that through the cruciflxion carae the
gloriflcation, I believe firmly. But the glory came after the
suffering. (Luke xxiv. 26.)
Let us note that " the hour " or season for Christ to finish His
ministry was fixed and appointed. Till it carae the Jews could
do nothing to stop His preaching or harm His person. Just so
it is with His people in one sense. Each is imraortal till his
work is done.
Does it not seem that the inquiry of tbe Greeks has ranch to
do with our Lord's opening words? — "The Gentiles are begin
ning to inquire after Me. Thus the hour is manifestly come that
my work should be finished, and my kingdom fully set up in the
world, by my crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension."
24. — [ Verily, verily I say unto you.] This is one of those soleran
15

338 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

prefaces which are so frequent in John's Gospel, and indicate
sorae very weighty truth coming. I think " to you " raust surely
include not only Andrew and Philip, but all the company around
our Lord.
[Except a corn of wheat, etc., etc.] Our Lord here illustrates
a great Scriptural truth by a very familiar fact in nature. That
fact is, that in plants and seeds life coraes by death. The seed
must be put into the ground, must rot, decay, and die, if we
want It to bear fruit and produce a crop. If we refuse to bury ,
the seed, and will keep it without sowing it, we shall never reap
any harvest. We must be content to let it die if we want corn.
The wealth of spiritual truth which this beautiful figure un
folds is very great. The decth of Christ was the life of the
world. Prom it, as a most proliflc seed, was to spring an enor-,
mous harvest ofblessing to souls, and of glory to God. His substi
tution on the cross. His atoning death, were to be the beginning
of untold blessings to a lost world. To wish Him not to die, to
dislike the idea of His death, (as the disciples evidently did,)
was as foolish as to keep seed-corn locked up in the granary, and
to refuse to sow it. " I ara the com of wheat," Jesus seeras to
say. " Unless I die, whatever you in your private opinion may
think, ray purpose in coraing into the world vvill not be accom
plished. But if I die, multitudes of souls will be saved."
Let us carefully mark here the iraraense importance which
our Lord attaches to His death. Nothing can explain this but
the old foundation doctrine of the Bible, that Christ's sacrificial
death on the cross is the only satisfaction aud atonement for
the sin of the world. A passage like this can never be thor
oughly explained by those who regard Christ's death as nothing
' more than a martyrdora or an example of self-denial. It was
' soraething far greater and raore important than this. It was
the dying of a corn of wheat, in order that out of its death
. should spring np an enormous spiritual harvest. Christ's vica
rious death is the world's life.
Let us notice here, as elsewhere, the Divine wisdom with
which our Master illustrated spiritual truth by earthly figures. -
Illustrations, fitly chosen, strike men much more than abstract
arguments. Ministers and teachers of religion shonlii study to
"use similitudes."
Theophylact thinks our Lord meant, by this beautiful flgure, to
encourage His disciples not to be offended and shaken in mind
by His coraing death. In His case, as in the natural world, they
must remember life coraes through death.
Zwingle thinks that as with the corn, when sown, so it is
with the body of Christ. It does us good by dying for us, and
not by our eating it.
Gill reraarks, that by " abiding alone," in this simile, Christ
meant that if He did not die. He would be "alone "in heaven

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 33&
.  ..or and the elect angels, but without any of tho
sous of raen. Scott says the same.
5.— [He that loveth his life, etc.] There are few of onr Lord's say
ings more frequently recorded by the Holy Ghost than this pair
of paradoxes. The repetition shows its great iraportance. It
will be found in Matt. x. 39 ; xvi. 25 : Mark viii. 35 ; Luke Ix. 24;
xvii. 33 ; as well as here.
The meauing is plain : " He that loves his life, or thinks more
of the life that now Is than that which is to come, shall lose thit
which is the best part of his life, his soul. He that hateth his
life, or cares little for it compared to the life to come, shall pre
serve to eternal glory that which is the best part of his life, to
wit, his sonl."
One object of our Lord in saying these words was evidently
to prevent His disciples looking for good things in this life, if
they followed Hira. They must give up their Jewish ideas about
temporal rewards and honours In Messiah's service. They must
understand that His kingdom was entirely spiritual, and that if
they were His disciples they must be content to lo.se much in
this life, in order to gain the glory of the life to come. So far
frora promising them teraporal rewards. He would have them
distinctly know that they raust give up rauch and sacriflce ranch,
if they wanted to be saved.
The other object our Lord had in view in saying these words
was to teach all Christians in every age, that like Hira they must
make up their minds to sacriflce much, and to die to the world,
in the hope of a harvest of glory in a world to come. Through
death we must seek life. Eternal life must be the great end a
Christian looks to. To attain it he raust be willing to give up
everything. The practical condemnation which this verse passes on the life
lived by many should never be overlooked. How few hate their
hves here I How many love them, and care for nothing but how
to make them comfortable and happy ! The eternal loss or the
eternal gain are often entirely forgotten.
Augnstlne gives a wise caution : " Take heed lest there steal
upon thee a will to make away with thyself, while thou takest in
the sense that it is a duty to hate thine own life in this world.
Hence certain malignant and perverse men give theraselves to
the flames, choke themselves in the water, dash themselves in
pieces, and so perish. Christ taught not this. Not by hiraself,
but by another, must that man be put to death who would follow
in Christ's footsteps."
The word " hate " here raust be taken comparatively. It is a
Hebraism, like " Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated."
" Your appointed feasts ray soul hateth." (Rora. ix. 13 ; Isai. i.
14.) Scott thinks this verse was meant to teach the Greeks and all

340 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

the disciples to arm theraselves with a mind like their Master's
if they wanted to follow Hira.
26. — [If any man serve me.. .follow me.] This verse seems spoken
for the benefit and inforraatiou of the Greeks who sought to see
Jesus, and of all who desired to becorae His disciples. If any
man desires to serve Christ, and be a Christian, he mast be con
tent to follow His Master, walk in His footsteps, share His lot,
do as He did, aud partake of His Master's inheritance in this
world. He must not look for good things here, — for crowns,
kingdoms, riches, honours, wealth, and dignity. Like His Mas
ter, he must be content with a cross. He must, in a wond
"take up his cross and follow Me." (Matt. xvi. 24.) As St.
Paul says, "we are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified
together." (Rora. viii. 17.)
[And where I am, there.. .my servant be.] This is the flrst thing
that Christ promises to those who follow Him. They shall be
with Christ wherever He is, in paradise, and in His glorious
kingdora. He aud His servant shall not be parted. Whatever
the Master has, the servant shall have also.
It is a comfortable thought, that however little we know of
the life to come and the state after death, we do know that we
shall be " with Christ, which is far better." (Phil. 1. 23.)
[If any man serve me.. .my Farther honour.] This is the second
thing which Jesus proraises to His disciples. The Father shall
give, to those who love Christ, such honour as eye hath not seen
nor ear heard. Honour frora the men of this world they may'
not have. Honour frora the Father shall raake amends for all.
It is impossible not to see throughout this verse that our
Lord's intention is to discourage the carnal and earthly expecta
tion of .His Jewish followers, and yet to encourage them by
showing what they might confidently look for. They must fol
low iu His steps if they were his true servants, and in so follow
ing they would flnd a cross, and not a crown, whatever they
raight be thinking, at that moment, while the hosannas of an
excited croud were sounding in their ears. Bnt though they
had a cross, they should not miss a reward finally, vvhich would
make amends for all. They would be with Christ in glory.
They would be honoured by God the Father.
The words, "Him will ray Father honour," of course admit
of being applied to this life in a certain sense : " Thera that
honour Me I will honour." (1 Sam. ii. 30.) But it is much raore
agreeable to the context, I thiuk, to apply thera to the honour
which shall be given iu another world.
The clearest conception we can form of heaven is that which
Is here stated. It is being with Christ, and receiving honour
. from God. Heaven is generally described by negatives. This ^

JOHN, CHAP. xn.

341

Is, however, an exceptional positive. It is being " with Christ."
(Compare John xiv. 3; xvii. 24; 1 Thess. iv. 17.)
Let us note how wisely and raercifully our Lord always damped
and checked the unscriptural expectations of His disciples.
Never on any occasion do we flnd Him keepina- back the cross,
or bribing men to follow Him, as Mahoraet did, by promising
temporal comfort and happiness.

JOHN XII. 27—33.

87 Now is my soul tronbled: and
Dliat shall I say? Father, save me
from this hour: butfor this cause came
I onto this hoar.
28 Father, glorify thy name. Then
came there a voice from heaven saying,
I havo both glorified it, and will glo
rify it again.
29 The people therefore, that stood
by, and heard it, said that it thundered :
ptbers said. An angel spake to him.

30 Jesas answered and said. This
voice came not because of me, but for
your sakes.
31 Now is the judgment of this
world: now shall the princo of this
world be cast out.
32 And 1, if I be lifted up from the
earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what
death he should die.

These verses show us what St. Peter meant, when he said,
" There are some things hard to be understood " in Scrip
ture. (2 Pet. iii. 16.) There are depths here which we
have no line to fathom thoroughly. This need not surprise
ns, or shake our faith. The Bible would not be a book
" given by inspiration of God,'' if it did not contain many
things which pass man's finite understanding. With all
its diflflculties it contains thousands of passages which the
most unlearned may easily comprehend. Even here, if we
, look steadily at these verses, we may gather from them
lessons of no mean importance.
We have, first, in these verses, a great doctrine indirectly
proved. That doctrine is the imputation of man's sin to
Christ. We see the Saviour of the world, the eternal Son of
God troubled and disturbed in mind : " Now is my soul
troubled." We see Him who could heal diseases with a

342 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
touch, cast out devils with a word, and command the
waves and winds to obey Him, in great agony and conflict
of spirit. Now how can this be explained?
To saj', as some do, that the only cause of our Lord^s
trouble was the prospect of His own painful death on the
cross, is a verj' unsatisfactory explanation. At this rate it
might justly be said that many a martyr has shown more
calmness and courage than the Son of God. Such a con
clusion is, to saj' the least, most revolting. Yet this is the
conclusion to which men are driven if they adopt the mod
ern notion, that Christ's death was only a great example
of self-sacrifice.
Nothing can ever explain our Lord's trouble of soul,
both here and in Gethsemane, except the old doctrine, that
He felt the burden of man's sin pressing Him down. It
was the mighty weight of a world's guilt imputed to Him
and meeting on his head, which made Him groan and
agonize, and cry, " Now is my soul troubled." Forever
let us cling to that doctrine, not only as untying the knot
of the passage before us, but as the only ground of solid
comfort for the heart of a Christian. That our sins have
been really laid on our Divine Substitute, and borne by
Him, and that His righteousness is really imputed to us
and accounted ours, — this is the real warrant for Christian
peace. And if any man asks how we know that onr sins
were laid on Christ, we bid him read such passages as that
which is before us, and explain them on any other prin
ciple if he can. Christ has borne our sins, carried our sins,
groaned under the burden of our sins, been " troubled"
in soul by the weight of our sins, and really taken away
our sins. This, we may rest assured, is sound doctrine :
this is Scriptural theology.
We have, secondly, in these verses, a great mystery
unfolded. That mystery is the possibility of much inward
conflict of soul without sin.

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 343
We cannot fail to see in the passage oefore us a mighty
mental struggle in our blessed Saviour. Of its depth and
intensity we can probably form very little conception. But
the agonizing cry, "My soul is troubled," — the solemn
question, " What shall I say ? " — the prayer of suflfering
flesh and blood, "Father, save Me from this hour," — the
meek confession, '• For this cause came I unto this hour,"
— the petition of a perfectly submissive will, " Father,
glorify Thy name," — what does all this mean? Surely
there can be only one answer. These sentences tell of a
struggle within our Sa'viour's breast, a struggle arising
from the natural feelings of one who was perfect man, and
as man could suffer all that man is capable of suffering.
Yet He in whom this struggle took place was the Holy Son
of God. " In Him is no sin." (1 John iii. 5.) There is
a fountain of comfort here for all true servants of Christ,
which ought never to be overlooked. Let them learn from
their Lord's example that inward conflict of soul is not
necessarily in itself a sinful thing. Too many, we believe,
from not understanding this point, go heavily all their
days on their way to heaven. They fancy they have no
grace, because they find a fight in their own hearts. They
refuse to take comfort in the Gospel, .because they feel a
battle between the flesh and the Spirit. Let them mark
the experience of their Lord and Master, and lay aside
their desponding fears. Let them studj' the experience of
His saints in every age, from St. Paul downwards, and
understand that as Christ had inward conflicts, so must
Christians expect to have them also. To give way to
doubts and unbelief, no doubt is wrong, and robs us of
our peace. There is a faithless despondency, unques
tionably, which is blameworthy, and must be resisted,
tepented of, and brought to the fountain for all siu, that it
may be pardoned. But the mere presence of fight and
strife and conflict in our hearts is in itself no sin. The

344 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
believer may be known by bis inward warfare as well as by
his inward peace.
We have, thirdly, in theue verses, a great miracle exhib
ited. That miracle is the heavenly Voice described in this
passage, — a voice which was heard so plainly that people
said it thundered, — proclaiming, "I have glorified my
nam^, and will glorify it again."
This wondrous Voice was heard three times during our
Lord's earthly ministry. Once it was heard at His
baptism, when the heavens were opened and the Holy
Ghost descended on Him. Once it was heard at His
transfiguration, when Moses and Ellas appeared for a
season with Him, before Peter, James, and John. Once it
was heard here at Jerusalem, in the midst of a mixed
crowd of disciples and unbelieving Jews. On each occa
sion we know that it was the Voice of God the Father.
But why and -vvherefore this Voice was only heard on these
occasions we are left to conjecture. The thing was a deep
mystery, and we cannot now speak particularly of it.
Let it suffice us to believe that this miracle was meant to
show the intimate relations and unbroken union of God the
Father and God the Son, throughout the period of the Son's
earthly ministry. At no period during His incarnation
was there a time when the eternal Father was not close to
Him, though unseen by man. — Let us also believe that this
miracle was meant to signify to bystanders the entire
approval of the Son by the Father, as the Messiah, the
Redeemer, and the Saviour of man. That approval the
Father was pleased to signify by voice three times, as well
as to declare by signs and mighty deeds, performed by the
Son in His name. These things we may well believe.
But when we have said all, we must confess that tho Voice
was a mystery. We may read of it with wonder and awe,
but we cannot explain it.
We have, lastly, in these verses, a great prophecy

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 345
delivered. The Lord Jesus declared, "I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all men unto me."
Concerning the true meaning of these words there can
be but one opinion in any candid mind. They do not
mean, as is often supposed, that if the doctrine of Christ
crucified is lifted up and exalted by ministers and teachers,
it will have a drawing effect on hearers. This is un-
/deniably a truth, but it is not the truth of the text. They
simply mean that the death of Christ on the cross would
have a drawing effect on all mankind. His death as our
Substitute, and the Sacrifice for our sins, would draw mul
titudes out of every nation to believe on Him and receive .
Him as their Saviour. By being crucified for us, and not
by ascending a temporal throne. He would set up a king
dom in the world, and gather subjects to Himself.
How thoroughly this prophecj' has been fulfilled for
eighteen centuries, the history of the Church is an abun
dant proof. Whenever Christ crucified bas been preached,
"and the story of the cross fully told, souls have been con
verted and drawn to Christ, just as iron-filings are /drawn
to a magnet, in everj' part of the world. ' No truth so ex-
actlj' suits the wants of all children of Adam , of every col-
pur, climate, and language, as the truth about Christ
crucified. And the prophecy is not yet exhausted. It shall yet re
ceive a more complete accomplishment. A day shall come
when every knee shall bow before the Lamb that was slain,
and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of
God the Father. He that was " lifted up " on the cross
shall yet sit on the throne of glory, and before Him shall
be gathered all nations. Friends and foes, each in their
own order, shall be " drawn " from their graves, and ap
pear before the judgment-seat of Christ. Let us take
heed in that day that we are found on His right hand I

846 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Notes. John XII. 27—33.
27. — [Now is my soul troubled,. etc., etc.] This remarkable versa
comes in somewhat abruptly. Yet the connection is not hard
to trace. Our Lord had just been speaking of His own atoning
death. The thought and prospect of that death appears to
draw from Him the expressions of this verse, which I will now
examine in order.
[Now is my soul troubled.] This sentence implies a sudden,
strong mental agony, which came over our Lord, troubling,
distressing, and harassing Hira. — What was it from? Not from
the mere foresight of a painful death on the cross, and the
bodily suffering attending it. No doubt human nature,' even
when sinless, naturally revolts from pain and suffering. Yet
mere bodily pain hat been endured for weeks by many a
martyr, and even bj heathen fanatics in India, without a groan
or a murmur. — No! it was the weight of the world's imputed
sin laid upon our Lord's head, which pressed Hira downward,
and raade Him cry, " Now is ray soul troubled." It was the
sense of the whole burden of man's transgression imputed to
Him, which, as He drew near to the cross, weighed Him down
so tremendously. It was not His bodily sufferings, either an
ticipated or felt, but our sius, which here, at Gethsemane, and
at Calvary, agonized and racked His soul.
Let us notice here the reality of Christ's substitution for us.
He was made " a curse " for us, and sin for us, and He felt it
for a tirae most deeply. (Gal. iii. 13 ; 2 Cor. v. 21.) Those
who deny the doctrine of substitution, imputation, and atone
ment . can never explain the expressions before us satisfac
torily. Poole remarks : "There is a vast difference between this
trouble of spirit in Christ, and that which is in us. Our
troubles are upon reflection for our own sins, and the wrath of'
God due to us therefor; His troubles, were for the wrath of
God due to us for our sins. — Our troubles are because we have
personally grieved God ; His were because those given to Hira
had offended God. We are afraid of our eternal condemnation ;
He was only afraid by a natural fear of death, which naturally
riseth higher accordiug to the kind of death we die. — Our
troubles have mixture of despair, distrust, sinful horror; there
wa.s no such thiug in His trouble. — Our troubles, in their natu
ral tendency, are killing and destroying ; only by accident and
the wise ordering of Diviue providence do they prove advanta
geous, and lead us to Him; His trouble, in the very nature of
it, vvas pure, and clean, and sanative, aud healing. — But that He
was truly troubled, and that such a trouble did truly agree to
His office as Mediator, and is a great foundation of peace, quiet,
and satisfaction to us, is out of question. By some of these
stripes we are healed."
We should reraeraber and admire the prayer In the Litany of

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 847
the Greek Church,—" By Thine unknown sufferings, good Lord,
deliver us."
KoUock observes here, "If 'you ask me what the Divine
nature in Christ was doing when He said, 'My soul is
troubled,' and whether it was divided asunder from His human
nature, I reply that it was not divided, but contained itself, or
held itseK passive, while the human nature was suffering. If
it had exercised itself in Its full power and glory, our Lord
could not possibly have suffered."
(The whole of Rollock's remarks on this difficult verse are
singularly good, and deserve close study.)
Hutcheson observes : " The rise and cause of this trouble was
thus : the Godhead hiding itself from the humanity's sense, and
the Father letting out not only an apprehension of sufferings to
come, but a present taste of the horror of His wrath due to
man for sin. Christ was amazed, perplexed, and overwhelmed
with it in His humanity. And no wonder, since He had the
sins of all the elect laid upon Him, by Imputation, to suffer
for." Hengstenberg remarks : " The only solution of this extreme
trouble is the vicarious significance of the sufferings and death
of Christ. If our chastisement was upon Hira, in order that we
might have peace, then in Hira raust have been concentrated all
the horror of dea ii. He bore the sin of the world, and the
wages of that sin was death. Death therefore must to Him
assurae its most frightful form. The physical suffering was
nothing compared to the immeasurable suffering of soul which
Impended over the Redeemer, and the full greatness and depth
of which He clearly perceives. Therefore, in Heb. v. 7, 'a
fear' is described as that which pressed with such awful weight
upon our Lord. When God freed Hira frora that. He saved Him
from death. Thus, when the suffering of Christ is apprehended
as vicarious and voluntary, all the accompanying circumstances
can be easily understood."
Let us note the exceeding guilt and sinfulness of sin. The
thing which made even God's own Son, who had power to work
works that none else did beside Him, groan and cry, " My soul
is troubled," can be no light thing. He that would know the
full measure of sin and guilt should mark attentively this verse,
and the expressions used by our Lord at Gethsemane and Cal
vary. It Is worth noticing that this verse. Matt. xxvi. 38, and Mark
xiv. 34, are the only three places in the Gospels where our Lord
speaks of " My soul."
The word " now," I suspect, is emphatic : " Now, at this
special tirae, my soul has begun to be specially troubled."
[And what shall I say?] These words are thought by some,

348 EXPOSITOIIY THOUGHTS.

as Theophylact, Grotius, Bloorafleld, and Barnes, to be wrongly
translated in our ^English version. They would render them,
"And what? What is ray duty? What does the hour require
of Me? Shall I say. Save Me," etc., etc. — I rauch prefer our
English version as It is. I believe the question is strongly sig
nificant of the agony and conflict through which our Lord's soul
was passing.-*-" What shall I say under this sense of pressing,
overwhelming trouble? My huraan nature bids rae say one
thing, acting alone and urging rae alone. My knowledge of the
purpose for which I came into the world bids rae say another
thing. What, then, shall I say?" Such a question as this is a
strong proof of our Lord's real, true humanity.
E9llock observes : " ' What shall I say ? ' is the language of
the highest perplexity and anxiety of mind. In the height of
anguish is the height of perplexity, so that a man knows not
what to say or do. The Lord found deliverance in prayer. But
the perpetual cry of the lost will be, ' What shall I say? What
shall I do ? ' From that perplexity and anguish they will never
be delivered."
Bengel remarks : " Jesus says, ' What shall I say ? ' not. What
shall I choose ? Compare with this the different expression of
St. Paul, ' What I shall choose I wist not, for I am in a strait
betwixt two, having a desire to depart.' " (Phil. i. 22.)
Ecolampadius thinks the question means, "In what words
shall I unfold ray pain, or the bitterness and ingratitude of the
Jews?" I prefer taking it as the language of perplexity and
distress. The presence of two natures, in our Lord Jesus Christ's
person, seems clearly taught, when we compare the language
used by our Lord in this verse, with the language of the fifth
and seventeenth chapters of this Gospel. Here we see unmis
takably our Lord's true humanity. There, on the other hand, we
see no less plainly His divinity. Here He speaks as raan; there
as God.
, [Father, save me from this hour.] This is undoubtedly a
prayer to be saved from, or delivered from, the agony and
suffering of this hour. It is the language of a human nature,
which, though sinless, could suffer, and instinctively shrank
from sufl'ering. It would not have been real human nature if it
had not so shrunk and recoiled.
The idea of the prayer is just the same as that of the prayer
in Gethsemane, — " Let this cup pass frora me." (Matt. xxvi. 39.)
Let us learn frora our Lord's example that there is nothing
sinful in praying to be delivered from suffering, so long as we
do it in submission to the will of God. The: e is nothing wrong
in a sick person's saying, "Father, make rat well," so long as
the prayer Is offered with proper qualiticatioE
Rollock observes : " In aaonv there is a certain forgetfulness

JOHN, CHAP. XII. • 349
of all things except present pain. This seems the case of our Lord
here. Yet even here He turns to His Father, showing that He
never loses the sense of the Father's love. The lost in hell will
never turn to the Father."
It is worth noticing that our Lord speaks of " the Father " and
"My Father" at least one hundred and ten tiraes in John's Gospel.
[But for this cause came I unto this hour.] This sentence is an
elliptical way of declaring our Lord's entire submission to His
Father's will, in the matter of the prayer He had just prayed.
" But I know that for this cause I came into the world and have
reached this hour, to suffer as I am now suffering, and to
agonize as I am now agonizing. I do not refuse the cup. If it
be 'Thy will, I ara williug to drink it. Only I tell Thee my
feelings, with entire submission to Thy will."
We may surely learn frora the whole verse that Christians
have no cause to despair because they feel trouble of soul, — be
cause they feel perplexed, and know not what to say in the
agony of Inward conflict, — because their nature shrinks from
pain, and cries to God to take it away. In all this there is
nothing wicked or sinful. It was the expression of the human
nature of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and in Hira was no sin.
Rollock says : " This is the language of one recollecting hira
self, and collecting his thoughts to remember something
besides his agony and pain."
[Father, glorify thy name.] This passage seems the conclu
sion of the strife and agony of soul which carae over our Lord
at this particular period. It is as though He said, "I leave the
matter in Thy hand, O My Father. Do what Thou seest best.
Glorify Thy name and Thy attributes in Me. Do what is meet
for setting forth Thy glory in the world. If it be for Thy
. glory that I should suffer, I am willing to suffer eyen unto the
bearing of the world's sins."
I see In the whole event here described, a short suraraary of
what took place afterwards more fully at Gethsemane. There
is a remarkable parallelism at every step.
(o) Does our Lord say here, " My soul is troubled"? Just
BO He said in Gethsemane, "My soul is exceeding sorrowfhl,
even unto death." (Matt. xxvi. 38.)
(6) Does our Lord say here, " Father, save Me from this
hour "? Just so he says In Gethsemane, " O my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from Me." (Matt. xxvi. 39.)
(c) Does our Lord say here, " For this cause came I unto
this hour"? Just so he says in Gethsemane, " If this cup may
not pass away from Me except I drink It, Thy will be done."
(Matt. xxvi. 42.)
(d) Does our Lord say, finally, " Father, glorify Thy name " ?

350 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
• Just so our Lord says, lastly, " The cup which my Father hath
given Me, shall I not drink it ? " (John xviii. 11.)
The brief prayer which our Lord here offers, we should
remember, is the highest, greatest thing that we can ask God
to do. The utmost reach of the renewed vvii; of a believer is
to be able to say alvvays, "Father, glorify Thy name in Me.
Do with Me what Thou wilt, only glorify Thy narae." The
glory of God after all is the end for which all things were created.
Paul's joyful hope, he told the Philippians, when' a prisoner at
Rome, was " that in all things, by life or by death, Christ might
be magnified in his body." (Philip i. 20.)
Rollock says : " This is the language of one who now forgets
the agony and pain, remembers only His Father's glory, and
desires it even together with His own passion and death."— He
also remarks that the experience of God's saints in great trouble,
is in a sense rauch the sarae. For a time they forget evei-y-
thing but present pain. By and by they rise above their suffer
ings, and reraember only God's glory.
[Then came there a voice from heaven.] This voice was un
doubtedly a great rairacle. God the Father was heard speaking
audibly with raan's voice to the Son. Three t'mes In ourLord's
ministry this miracle took place : first, at His baptism ; secondly,
at His transfiguration; thirdly, just before His cruciflxion.
Rarely has the voice of God been heard by large crowds of un
converted raen. Here, at Mount Sinai, and perhaps at our
Lord's baptisra, are the only three occasions on record.
Of course we can no raore explain this wonderful miracle
than any other rairacle in God's Word. We can cmly reverently
believe and adraire it. The intimate nearness of the Father to
the Son, all through His ministry, is one of the raany thoughts
which raay occur to our minds as we consider the miracle.
Our Lord was never left alone. His Father was alway with
Him, though men knew it not. How could It be otherwise?
So far as concerned His Divine nature. He and the Father were
" one." How any one, in the face of this passage, can deny that the
Father and the Son are two distinct Persons, it is very hard to
understand. When one person is heard speaking to another,
coraraon sense seeras to point out that there are two persons,
and not one.
Hammond maintains that there really was a loud clap of
thunder, as well as a vojce from heaven. Burkitt also seems to
think the same, and corapares it to the thunder which accompa
nied the giving of the law at Sinai.
[I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.] This solemn
sentence — far more solemn in the pithy and expressive Greek
language thau it can pos.sibly be made in our tr.in.slation —
admits, as Augustine says, of being interpreted two ways.

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 351
(a) It may be applied solely and entirely to the Lord Jesus
Chri.st Himself. It would then be a .special declaration of the
Father to the Son : " I have glorified my name in Thy incarna
tion. Thy miracles. Thy words. Thy works. I will yet glorify
it again in Thy voluntary suffering for mankind. Thy death. Thy
resurrection, and Thy ascension."
Lightfoot thinks there is a special reference to our Lord's
conflict with the devil. "I have glorified my narae in the vic
tory Thou forraerly didst obtain over Satan's teraptation in the
wilderness. I will glorify ray name .igain, in the victory Thou
shalt have in this conflict also."
(6) It may be applied to the whole course of God's dealings
with creation from the beginning. It would then be a declara
tion of the Father: "I have continually glorified ray narae ip
all the dispensations vvhich have been, — before the flood, in the
days of the patriarchs, in the time of Moses, under the law,
under the judges, under the kings. I will yet glorify it once
more at the end of this dispensation, by finishing up the types
and figures, and accomplishing the work of man's redemp
tion." Which of these views is the true .one, T cannot pretend to
decide. Either makes excellent divinity, and is reasonable
and consistent. But we have no means of ascertaining which
is correct. If I have any opinion on the point, I lean to the
. second view.
J9. — [The people tlierefore, etc.] This verse apparently is meant
to describe the various opinions of the crowd which stood
around our Lord, about the voice which spoke to Him. Some,
who were standing at sorae little distance, and were not listen
ing very attentively, said it thundered. Others, who were
standing close by, and paying great attention, declared that an
Invisible being, an angel, raust have spoken. Both parties en
tirely agreed on one point. Something uncoraraon had hap
pened. An extraordinary noise had been heard, which to some
' sounded like thunder, and to others like words. But nobody
said they heard nothing at all.
That the voice raust have been very loud, seems proved by
the supposition that it was " thunder." That the reality and
existence of angels formed part of the popular creed of the
Jews, seems proved by the readiness of some to take up the
idea that an angel had spoken.
Some think that the Greeks before mentioned, not knowing
the Hebrew language In which probably the voice spoke, fancied
the voice was thunder, and the Jews of the crowd thought it
an angel's voice.
SO.— [Jesus answered... This voice. ..not. ..me. ..your sakes.] In this
verse our Lord tells the Jews the purpose of this miraculous
¦voice. It was not for His sake,— to comfort Hira and help^Him ;

352 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS,
but for their sakes, — to be a sign and a witness to thera. The
voice could tell Him nothing that He did not know. It was
raeant to show them what they did. not know, or doubted.
The sentence would be raore literally rendered, " Not on ac
count of Me was this voice, but on account of you." It was ,
just one raore public miraculous evidence of His Divine mission,
and apparently the last that was given. The first evidence was
a voice at His baptism, and the la.st a voice just before His
crucifixion. Augustine remarks : " Here Christ shows that his voice was
not to make known to Hira what He already knew, but to them
to whom it was raeet to be raade known."
1. — [Now is ihe judgment of this toorld.] This is undeniably a
difficult saying. The difficulty lies principally in the raeaning of
the word "judgment."
(a) Some, as Barnes, think that It means, "This Is the crisis,
or most important time in the world's history." I cannot receive
this. I doubt whether the Greek word used here, will ever bear
the signification of our word " crisis." That ourLord's atoning
death was a crisis in the world's history, is undoubtedly true.
But that is not the question. The question is, what do the Greek
words raean?
(6) Some, as Theophylact and Euthymius, think it means,
"Now is the vengeance of this world." — " I will cast out hiin^
by whora the world has been enslaved." — I doubt this also.
(c) Sorae, as Zwingle, think that " judgraent " raeans the dis-
crlraination or separation between the believing and the unbe
lieving in the world. (Compare John ix. 39.)
(d) Some, as Calvin, Brentius, Beza, Bucer, Hutcheson,
Flacius, and Gualter, think that "judgment" means thereforma-
tiou, or setting in right order of the world.
(e) Sorae, as Grotius, Gerhard, Poole, Toletus, and a Lapide,
think "judgment" means the deliverance, and setting free from
bondage, of this world.
(/) Sorae, as Pearce, think It means, " Now Is the Jewish
world or nation about to be judged or condemned for rejecting
Me." (jr) Some, as Bengel, think It raeans, "Now is the judgraent
concerning this world, as to who is hereafter to be the rightful '
possessor of it."
I take it that the word we render "judgraent " cau only raean
condemnation, and that the meaning of the sentence is this :
" Now has arrived the season when a sentence of condemnation
shall be passed by ray death on the whole order of thiugs which
has prevailed in the world since tho creation. The world shall
no longer be let alone, and left to the devil and the powers of

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 353
darkness. I ara about to spoil them of their dominion by my
redeeming work, and to condemu aud set aside the dark, godless
order of things which has so long prevailed upon earth. It has
been long winked at and tolerated by my Father. The time has
come when it will be tolerated no longer. This very week, by
my cruciflxion, the religious systems of the world shall receive
a sentence of condemnation." This seeras Bullinger and Rol
lock's view, and I agree with it.
In order to realize the full raeaning of this sentence, we must
call to raind the extraordinary condition of all the world, with
the exception of Palestine, before Christ's death. To an extent
of which now we can forra no conception, it was a world without
God, plunged in idolatry, worshipping devils, — in open rebel
lion against God. (Compare 1 Cor. x. 20.) 'When Christ died,
this order of things received Its sentence of conderanation.
Eollock fays : "I understand, by this judgment, the condera
nation of that sin of which the world was so full when Christ
came, and which had reigned frora Adam to Moses." Of this
undisturbed reign of idolatry Christ's advent raade au end.
Augustine, on this verse, says: "The devil kept possession
of mankind, holding men as criminals bound over to punishment
by the handwriting of their sins, having dominion in the hearts
of the unbelieving, dragging them, deceived and captive, to the
worship of the creature, for which they had deserted the Creator.
But by the faith of Christ, confirmed" by His death and resur-'
rection, through His blood shed for the remission of sins, thou
sands of believing persons obtain deliverance from the dominion
of the devil, are joined to the body of Christ, and quickened by
His Spirit as faithful merabers, under so great a Head. This it
was that He called judgment."
[Now shall... prince of this toorld. ..cast out.] In this remark
able sentence there can be no doubt that Satan is meant by the
"prince of this world." Up to the time of our Lord's redeem
ing work, the entire world was in a certain sense completely
under his dorainion. When Christ came and died for sinners,
Satan's usurped power was broken, and received a deadly blow.
Heathenism, and idolatry, and devil-worship no longer governed
all the earth except Palestine, as they had done for four thou
sand years, because undisturbed. In a wonderfiil and raysteri
ous manner Christ on the cross " spoiled principalities and
powers, and made a show of thera openly, triumphing over
them." (Coloss. 11. 15.) To this victory our Lord clearly refers.
"Now in this week, by my vicarious death as man's Redeemer
on the cross, Satan, the Prince of this world, shall receive a
deadly blow, and be dethroned from his supremacy over man,
and cast out. The head of the serpent shall be bruised."
Of course our Lord did not mean that Satan would be "cast
out" of this world entirely, and tempt it no raore. That will be
done at the second advent, we know from Eev. xx. j but it vvas

354 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

not done at the first. It only means that he should be cast ont
of a large portion of the dominion, and power, and undLsturbed
authority he had hitherto exercised over men's souls. — The
result of the change which took place In this respect, when
Christ died, is perhaps not enough considered by Christians.
We probably have a very inadequate idea of the awful extent to
which S.itau carried his dominion over men's souls before the
"kingdom of heaven" was set up. Bodily possession, familkir
spirits, wizards, heathen oracles, heathen mysteries, — all these
are things which before the crucifixion of Christ were much
more real and powerful than we suppose. — And why ? Because
the " prince of this world " had Lot yet been ca.'st out. He
had a power over men's bodies and minds far greater than he
has now. When Christ carae to the cross He did battle vvith
Satau, won a victory over him, stripped hira of a large portion
of his authority, and cast him out of a large portion of his do
minion. Does not the whole of the vision in Rev. xii. 7 — 17,
point to this ? This view is supported by Lightfoot.
This sentence shows clearly the reality and power of the
devil. How any one can say there is no devil, in the face of
such expressions as " the prince of this world," is strange.
How any one can scoff and thiuk lightly of a being of such
raighty power, is stranger still. The true Christian, however,
may alvvays take corafort in the thought that Satan is a van
quished enemy. He was stripped of a large part of his domin
ion at Christ's first advent. He is still "going to and fro,'-
seeking whora he may devour; but he shall be completely bound
at the second advent. (1 Pet. v. 8 ; Rora. xxvi. 20 ; Rev. xx. 2.)
The whole verse appears to me Inexplicable, unless we receive
and hold the doctrine of Christ's death being an atonement and
satisfaction for raan's sin, and a payment of man's debt to God.
That thought underlies the deep statement here made of the
mighty work about to be done by our Lord, in the week of His
crucifixion, against the prince of this world. Once adopt the
modern notion that Christ's death was only a beautiful example
of self-sacrlflce and martyrdom for truth, like that of Socrates,
and you can make nothing of this verse. Hold, on the other-
hand, the old doctrine that Christ's death vvas the payment of
man's debt, and the redemption of man's soul from the power
of sin aud tho devil, and the whole verse is lighted up and made
comparatively clear.
Augustine observes: "The Lord in this verse was foretelling
that which He knew, — that after His passion and glorifying,
throughout the whole world many a people would believe,
witliiu vvlio.'ie hearts the devil once was, whom when by faith
they renounce, then is he cast out." He also says that what
formerl.v took place iu a few hea -ts, like those of the patriarchs
and prophets, or very few indiviiluals, is now foretold as about ¦
to take place iu many a great people.
Euthymius reraarks, that as the flrst Adam by eating of tba

JOHN, CHAP. XII. S55
tree was cast out of Paradise, so the second Adara by dying on
the tree cast the devil out of his usurped dorainion in the world.
Bucer thinks there is a latent reference to our Lord's former
Words about the " strong man armed keeping his house," till a
stronger coraes upon hira and spoils hira. (Luke xi. 21, 22.)
S2.—[AndI..:liftedup...drawall men unto me.] In this reraark
able verse our Lord plainly points to His own crucifixion, or
being lifted up on the cross. It is the sarae expression that He
used to Nicoderaus: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." (John
Hi. 16.)
The promise, " I will draw all men unto Me," must, I think,
mean that our Lord after His crucifixion would draw raen of all
nations and kindreds and tongues to Hiraself, to believe on
Him and be His disciples. Once crucified. He would become a
great centre of attraction, and draw to Himself, and release
from" the devil's usurped power, vast multitudes of all peoples
and countries, to be His servants and followers. Up to this
time all the world had blindly hastened after Satan and followed
hira. After Christ's cruciflxion great numbers would turn
' away from the power of Satan and become Christians.
The promise doubtless looks even further than this. It points
to a time when every knee shall bow to the ci-uclfled Son of
God, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Lord. The
whole world shall finally become the kingdom of our God and
of His Christ.
Of course the words must not be pressed too far. We must
not think that they support the deadly heresy of universal sal
vation. We must not suppose thera to raean that all men shall
be actually saved by Christ's cruciflxion, any more than we
must' suppose that Christ actually " lights" every one in the
world. (See John i. 9.) The analogy of other texts shows
plainly that the only reasonable sense is, that Christ's cruci
flxion would have a " drawing" influence on raen of all nations.
Gentiles as well as Jews. Scripture and facts under our eyes
both show us that all persons are not actually drawn to Christ.
Many live and die and are lost in unbelief.
The word " draw " is precisely the sarae that is used in John
vi. 44 : " No raan can corae to Me except the Father draw hira."
Yet I doubt whether the meaning is precisely the same. In the
one case it is the drawing of election, when the Father chooses
and draws souls. In the other case, it is the drawing influence
which Christ exercises on labouring and heavy-laden sinners,
. when He draws them by His spirit tc come to Hira and believe.
The subjects of either " drawing " ar ( the same men and women,
and the drawing in either case is irresistiole. All who are
drawn to believe are drawn both 1 y the Father and the Son.
' 'Without this drawing uo one would ev er come to Christ.

356

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

The idea of sorae, that the verse may be applied to the lifting
up or exalting of Christ by ministers in their preaching, is utterly
baseless, and a mere play upon words. That the preaching, of
Christ will always do good, more or less, and draw souls to
Christ by God's blessing, is no doubt true. But it is not the
doctrine of this text, and ought to be dismissed as an unfair
accommodation of Scriptural language.
Euthymius observes that the mission of Christ began to draw
souls at once, as in the case of the penitent thief and the cen
turion.
3. — [This he said.. .what death.. .die.] This explanatory comraent
of St. John on our Lord's words is evidently intended to make
His meaning plain. He spoke of " being lifted up " with a spe-'
cial reference to His being lifted up on the cross. — Of course it
is just possible that the reference is to the drawing all raen, and
that it raeans, "He spoke of drawing all men, with a reference
to His death being a sacrificial and atoning death, which would
affect the position of all meu." But I doubt this being so cor
rect a view as the other.
" He should die," is literally. He was " about to die."
It is curious that, in the face of this verse, some, as Bucer and
Diodati, maintain that our Lord by " being lifted up," refers to
His exaltation into heaven after His resurrection. They think-
that then, aud not till then, could He be said to " draw " men.
I cannot see anything in this. Our Lord appears to me to teach
plainly, that after His crucifixion, and through the virtue of His
crucifixion, He would draw raen. That "lifting up " means cru
cifixion is, in my judgraent, plainly taught by John iii. 15.

JOHN XII. 34-43.

34 The people answered him, We
have heard out of the law that Christ
abideth forever: and how sayest thou.
The Son of mau must be lifted up ?
who is this Son of man ?
j5 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a
little while is the light with you.
Walk while ye havo the light, lest
darkness come upon you; for he that
walketh in darkness knoweth not
whither he goeth.
36 While ye have light, believe in
the light, that ye may be the ehildren
of light. These things spake 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 tho
prophet might be fulfilled, which he
spake. Lord, who hath believed our
report? and to whom hath the arm of
the Lord been revealed ?
39 Therefore they could not believe,
because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and
hardened their heart ; that they should
not see with their eyes, nor understand'
with thnr heai't, and be converted, antt
I should heal them.

JUHiV, CHAP. XII.

357

41 These things said Esaias, when
he saw his glory, and spake of him
42 Nevertheless among the chief
rulers also many believed on him: but
because of the Pharisees they did not

confess him, lest they should be put
out of the synagogue :
43 Por they loved the praise of men
more than the praise of God.

We may learn, from these verses, the duty of using present
opportunities. The Lord Jesus says to us all, " Yet a
little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have
the light, lest darkness come upon you. — While ye have
light believe in the light." Let us not think that these
things were only spoken for the sake of the Jews. They
were written for us also, upon whom the ends of the
world are come.
The lesson of the words is generally applicable to the
whole professing Church of Christ. Its time for doing
good in the world is short and limited. The throne of
grace will not always be standing : it will be removed one
.day, and the throne of judgment will be set up in its
place. The door of salvation by faith in Christ will not
always be open : it will be shut one day forever, and the
number of God's elect will be completed. The fountain
for all sin and uucleanness will not always be accessible ;
the way to it will one day be barred, and there will remain
nothing but the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.
These are solemn thoughts ; but they are true. They
cry aloud to sleeping Churchmen and drowsy congrega
tions, and ought to arouse great searchings of heart.
" Can nothing more be done to spread the Gospel at home
' _and abroad ? Has every means been tried for extending
the knowledge of Christ crucified ? Can we lay our hands
on our hearts, and say that the Churches have left nothing
undone in the matter of missions ? Can we look forward
to the Second Advent with no feelings of humiliation, and
say that the talents of wealth, and influence, and oppor-
1 tunities have not been buried in the ground ? " — Such
questions may well humble us, when we look, on one side,

358 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
at the state of professing Christendom, and, on the other,
at the state of the heathen world. We must confess with
shame that the Church is not walking worthy of its
light. But the lesson of the words is specially applicable to
ourselves as individuals. Our own time for getting good
is short and limited ; let us take heed that we make
good use of it. Let us " walk while we bave the
light." Have we Bibles? Let us not neglect to read them.
— Have we the preached Gospel? Let us not linger
halting between two opinions, but believe to the saving
of our souls. — Have we Sabbaths? Let us not waste
them in idleness, carelessness, and indifference, but throw
our whole hearts into their sacred employments, and turn
them to good account. — Light is about us and around us
and near us ou every side. Let us each resolve to walk
in the light while we have it, lest we find ourselves at
length cast out into outer darkness forever. It is a true
saying of an old divine, that the recollection of lost
and misspent opportunities will be the very essence of
hell. We may learn, secondly, from these verses, the desperate
hardness of the human heart. It is written of our Lord's
bearers at Jerusalem, that, " though he had done so
many miracles before them, yet they believed not on
Him." We err greatly if we suppose that seeing wonderfiit
things will ever convert soul.'}. Thousands live and die
in this delusion. They fancy if they saw some miraculous
sight, or witnessed some supernatural exercise of Divine
grace, they would lay aside their doubts, and at once
become decided Christians. It is a total mistake. Nothing
short of a new heart and a mew nature implanted in ns
by the Holy Ghost, will ever make us real disciples of
Christ. Without this, a miracle might raise within us a

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 359
little temporary excitement ; but, the novelty once gone,
we should find ourselves just as cold and unbelieving aa
the Jews.
The prevalence of unbelief and indifference in the
present day ought not to surprise us. It is just one of
the evidences of that mighty foundation-doctrine, the total
corruption and fall of man. How feebly we grasp and
realize that doctrine is proved by our surprise at human
incredulity. We only half believe the heart's deceitful-
ness. Let us read our Bibles more attentively, and
search their contents more carefully. Even when Christ
wrought miracles and preached sermons, there were num
bers of His hearers who remained utterly unmoved.
What right have we to wonder if the hearers of modern
sermons in countless instances remain unbelieving? "The
disciple is not greater than his Master." If even the
hearers of Christ did not believe, how much more should
we expect to flnd unbelief among the hearers of His
ministers ! Let the truth be spoken and confessed. Man's
obstinate unbelief is one among many indirect proofs that
the Bible is true. The clearest prophecy in Isaiah begins
with the solemn question, " Who hath believed ? " (Isai.
liii. 1.)
We may leam, thirdly, from these verses, the amazing
power which the love of the world has over men. We read
that " among the chief rulers many believed on Christ ;
bnt because of the Pharisees they did not confess Hira,
lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they
loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
These unhappy men were evidently convinced that
Jesus was the true Messiah. Eeason, and intellect, and
mind, and conscience, obliged them secretly to admit that
no one could do the miracles which He did, unless God
¦was with Him, and that the preacher of Nazareth really
was the Christ of God. But they had not courage to

360 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.-
confess it. They dared not face the storm of ridicule, if
not of persecution, which confession would have entailed.
And so, like cowards, they held their peace, and kept
their convictions to themselves.
Their case, it may be feared, is a sadly common one.
There are thousands of people who know far more in
religion then they act up to. They knovv they ought
to come forward as decided Christians. They knowihat
they are not living up to their light. But the fear of
man keeps them back. They are afraid of being laughed
at, jeered at, and despised by the world. They dread
losing the good opinion of society, and the favourable,
judgment of men and women like themselves. And so
they go on from to year to year, secretly ill at ease and
dissatisfied with themselves, — knowing too much of re
ligion to be happy in the world, and clinging too much
to the world to enjoj'' any religion.
Faith is the only cure for soul ailments like this.
A believing view of an unseen God, and unseen Christ
an unseen heaven, and an unseen judgment-day, — this is
the grand secret of overcoming the fear of man. The
expulsive power of a new principle is required to heal
the disease. " This is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith." (1 John v. 4.) Let us pray
for faith, if we would conquer that deadly enemy of
souls, the fear of man and the love of man's praise. And
if we have any faith, let us pray for more. Let our
dally cry be, " Lord, increase our faith." We may easily
have too much money, or too much worldly prosperity ;
but we can never have too much faith.
Notes. John XII. 34—43.
3i.—[The people answered, etc.] This verse supplies a remarkable
instance of the perverse and hardened blindness of the Jews in
our Lord's time. They pretended to be unable to reconcile the
Lord's language about being " lifted np," with the Old Test*-

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 361
ment prophecies abouttheeternity and never dying of Christ.—
That "lifted up" meant being put to death on the cross, they
seera to have understood. That our Lord, or the Son of man, as
He called Himself, claimed to be the Christ, they quite under-'
stood. 'What they stumbled at vvas the idea of the eternal Christ
being put to death. They had got hold of the idea of a glorious,
eternal Messiah. They had not got hold of the idea of a suffer
ing, dying Messiah.
Of course they were right In holding that " Christ abideth for
ever." It Is the universal doctrine of the Old Testament. (Com
pare Isai. Ix. 7; Psalra ex. 4; Ezek. xxxvii. 25; Daniel vii. 14;
Micah iv. 7.) Our Lord had never for a moment denied this.
He was the promised Saviour, who, as Gabriel said to Mary, was
to "reign over the house of Jacob forever." (Luke i. 33.)
Ou the other hand, they were entirely wrong in not under
standing that Christ had to suffer before He reigned, and to go to
the cross before He wore the crown. They were wrong in not
seeing that His sacriflce as our Substitute and our Passover was
the very corner-stone of revealed religion, and that the very
"law" of which they made so much, pointed to His sacriflce as
¦ clearly as to His eternal glory. They forgot that Isaiah says that
Messiah is to be " brought as a lamb to the slaughter," and that
Daniel speaks of His being " cut off." (Isai. liii. 7 ; Dan. Ix. 26.)
The words "we" and "thou," in this verse. In the Greek are
emphatic. "'We Jews have always been taught to believe the
eternity of Messiah. Thou, on the other hand, sayest that Mes- "
siah raust be put to death, and lifted up on the cross. How is
this ? How are we to understand it ? "
" The law," in this verse, raust evidently be taken for the
whole of the Old Testament Scriptures.
It is worthy of remark that the Jews charge our Lord with
saying "the Son of Man must be lifted np." Yet our Lord in
tho last verse but one had not mentioned the Son of raan, but
had only said, "I, if I be lifted up." — It is also singular that
onr Lord nowhere uses the expression " lifted up " except in His
conversation with Nicoderaus, in John iii. 14. We raust there
fore either suppose that the Jews referred to the saying of
Christ when He spoke to Nicoderaus, (which is very unlikely;) —
or else that the expression, "The Son of raan raust be lifted
up," was so frequently on our Lord's lips, that the Jews caught it
up and pres,sed it on Hira here;— or else that our Lord so fre
quently spoke of Hiraself as the Son of man, that when He
said, "If I be lifted up," the Jews thought it equivalent to say
ing, " If the Son of raan be lifted up."
The question "Who is this Son of man?" can hardly imply
that the Jews did not kuow that Christ was speaking of Him
self. Does It not rather mean, " Who, and what kind of a per
son dost Thou claim to be, calling Thyself the Son of man, and
yet talking of- being lifted up on the cross? Dost Thou really
16

362 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

mean that one and the same perfson can he a dying person, and
yet also the eternal Christ? Dost Thou claim to be the eternal
Christ, and yet talk of being lifted np on a cross ? Explain this
apparent contradiction, for we cannot understand it." — It is jo.st
the old story over again. The Jevvs could not and would not
understand that Messiah was to suffer as well as to reign, to die
as^ a Sacriflce as well as to appear in glory. They could not and
would not see that the two things could be reconciled, and could
meet in one person. Hence their perplexity exhibited in the
question of the text.
The title, " Son of man," is first found applied to Messiah in
Daniel vii. 13. We cannot doubt that the Jews understood and
remembered that passage.
Let us note that a half knowledge of Scripture, a suppression
of some texts, and a misapplication of other texts, will account
for a large portion of mistakes in religion. In this way people
get a heresy or a crotchet into their heads on some doctrinal
point, and seera blind to the truth. No heresies are so obsti
nately defended, and so difllcult to meet, as those which are
based on a perverted view of sorae portion of Scripture. In
reading our Bibles, we must be careful to give every part and
portion its due weight.
Let ns remember, before we judge the blindness of the Jews
too severely in this place, that mauy Christians are just as slow
to see the whole truth about the second advent of Christ and
His coming glory, as the Jews were to see the whole truth abont
the first advent and the cross. Multitudes apply texts to the flrst
advent which only belong to the second advent, and are just as
much prejudiced against the second personal coming of Christ
to reign, as the Jews were against the first personal advent to
suffer. Not a few Christians, I fear, are ready to say, " We have
heard out of the Scriptures that Christ was to come in humilia
tion to be cruclfled ; and how say ye, then, that Christ must
come in power to reign ? "
The expression, " this," is rather eraphatic, and has something
contemptuous about it. " We have heard of a Son of man who
is eternal. Who is this Son of man about to be lifted up on the
cross, of whora you speak? "
S5. [Then Jesus said unto them..light with you.] It is noteworthy
that our Lord makes no direct answer to the question of the
Jews. He only warns them, in a very soleran manner, of the
danger they were in of letting their day of grace slip avvay un
improved. He draws a figure frora the light of day, and the
acknowledged iraportance of walking and journeying while we
have the light. By " the light" Ho evidently raeans Himself.
" I, the Light of the world, am only going to be with you a very
little longer. My day is drawing to a close. The sun will soon
set." (Compare Jer. xiii. 15.)
Here, as elsewhere, we see how clearly and distinctly our

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 363
Lord saw His own approaching death and withdrawal from the
world. Ecolampadius thinks that there is a latent connection between
this verse and the question of the Jews. " You ask who is this
Son of man? I reply that He is the Light of the world, as I
have often told you. Like the sun. He is about to be eclipsed,
or withdrawn frora your eyes very shortly. Make haste, and
delay not to believe on Hira."
Gerhard justly reraarks on this sentence, how far from Infal
libility the best of the Fathers were. Even Augustine, frora his
slight acquaintance with Greek, renders the sense, " There is
yet a little light in your liearts I "
A German comraentator remarks, that Christ seems here to
rebuke this quibbling and questioning about phrases. " There
was no time now for sophistry and circumlocution. It was a
solemn matter. How differently ought they to deraean thera
selves in their little residue of tirae, and not to fritter it avvay
with affected contradictions I How earnestly they ought to seek
at once for refuge to the light, and shield themselves against
comiug darkness 1 "
[Walk while ye have the light.] This solemn exhortation was
meant to urge the Jews to do for their souls' safety, what a wise
traveller would do to get safely to his journey's end. " Enter
in at the strait gate : walk in the narrow way : fiee frora the city
of destruction : set out on your journey towards eternal life :
rise, and be raoving, while I and my Gospel are close to you,
shining on you, and within your reach."
Hengstenberg reraarks, that " walking here denotes activity,
and stands opposed to an Idle and indifferent rest."
[Lest darkness come upon you.] Our Lord here warns the
Jews of the things to be feared, if they neglected His advice.
Darkness would overtake, catch, and corae upon thera. He
would leave the world, and return to His Father. They would
be left in a state of judicial darkness and blindness as a nation,
and, with the exception of an election, would be given over to
untold calamities, scattering, and misery. How true these
words were, we kuow from the history of the Jews, written by
Josephus, after our Lord left the world. His account of the
extraordinary state of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, daring the
siege of the city by Titus, is the best commentary on the text
before us. The state of the Jevvs, as a nation, during the last
days 'of Jerusalem, can only be described as "darkness that
might be felt."
[For he. ..darkness.. .knoweth not., goeth.] This is an argu
ment drawn frora the acknowledged helplessness of one who
attempts a diflacult journey in a dark night. He cannot see his
way. He only gets into trouble, and perliaps loses his life. This.
was exactly the case of the Jewish nation, af'ier our Lord left

364 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

the world. Up to the time of the destruction of the temple,
they seemed like a nation of madmen, and a people judicially
blinded, — conscious that they were in a wrong position, strug
gling furiously to get out of it, and yet only plunging deeper
into the mire of hopeless misery, till Titus took the city, and
carried the whole race into captivity. They had put out their
own eyes by rejecting Christ, and were like a stroug raan
blinded, maddened by a sense of his ovvn raisery, and yet im
potent to get out of it.
86. — [fVhile light.. .believe.. .children of light.] This sentence would
have been more accurately rendered, " While ye have the
Light;" that is, "while ye have Me, the Light of the world,
with you." It Is a final, affectionate entreaty to the Jews repeat
ing in more plain words the exhortation of the last verse, " To
walk in the light." It is as though our Lord said, " Once more
I beseech you to believe in Me as the Light of the world, while
I am with you." The end and object for vvhich they are to be
lieve is also added, " That ye may becorae my children, have
light in your hearts, light in yonr consciences, light in your
lives, light on your present path, light in your future pros
pects." There can be no doubt that the expression "children
of light " Is a Hebraism, signifying " to be brought in close
connection with or under the full influence of light."
Let us note that here, as elsewhere, believing is the first step,
the one thing needful. The exhortation is still to be offered
to every sinner directly and personally, — "Believe, that thou
maj'cst bo a child of light."
[Tliese things... spake.. .departed...hide...them.] We know not
exactly on what day in the last week of our Lord's life the words
just recorded had been spoken. The sentence before us cer
tainly seeras to mark a break and iuterval, and we can hardly
suppose that the short address from the forty-fourth verse to
the end of the chapter vvas spoken the same clay, or was contin
uously connected with the discourse ending in this verse.
To rae it seeras probable that our Lord " departed " to Beth
any after the rairacle of the 'Voice from the heavens, and the
comraotion that followed it. — The words of our English version
" Did hide Himself," seem to me rather stronger than the Greek
warrants. It would be more literally, "Was concealed from
them." Whether this was by rairacle, as on other occasions, is
not clear.
Calvin seems to think that our Lord only departed from the
hearers immediately round Him, and went to the temple, where
He met with another audience, of a more believing kind. Flacius,
too, thinks it was only a short and temporary withdrawal. Poole,
on the contrary, takes the view fnat I adopt, and says that our
Lord withdrew to Bethany.
87. — [But though.. .so many miracles. ..them.] This verse begins a
long parenthetical comment, which John was inspired to make

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 365
at this point, on the peculiar unbelief of the Jerusalera Jevvs.
He remarks on the singular hardness of this section of the na
tion. In the face of the singularly strong evidence which they
enjoyed of Christ's Messiahship.
The expression, " So many miracles," seems to point out that
the miracles recorded by St. John are by no means all the miraT
cles that our Lord performed in and near Jerusalera. Beside
the purifying of the teraple, John only records three : the healing
of the impotent man, the healing of the blind, and the raising of
Lazarus. (John v., ix., xi.) Yet John expressly speaks of
miracles, (both here, and in John ii. 23,) aud the Pharisees say,
" This Man doeth many ralracles." (John xi. 47.)
The Greek word rendered " before," is very strong. It is the
same that is " In the sight of," in 1 Thess. i. 3 ; and " In the pres
ence of," in 1 Thess. ii. 19.
[Tet they believed not on him.] In estimating the peculiar
hardness and unbelief of the Jews at Jerusalem, it is worth
remembering that all experience proves that where there is the
greatest quantity of the form of religion, there Is often the great
est proportion of formality and unbelief. The places where men
become raost familiar with the outside and ceremonial of
Christianity are precisely the places vvhere the heart seems to
become raost hard. Witness the state of Rome at this clay.
Witness too often the state of cathedral cities in our own land.
We need not wonder that the city in which vvas the temple, the"
dail3' sacrifice, and the priesthood, was the most unbelieving
place in Palestine.
88. — [That... saying. ..Esaias...fulfilled... spake.] We raust not sup
pose this means that the Jevvs did not believe, in order that the
prophecy of Isaiah might be fulfilled. This wonld be teaching
sheer fatalism, and would destroy man's i-esponsibility. The
true meaning is, " So that by this unbelief the saying of Isaiah
was fulfllled." (See John v. 20; Rora. v. 20; 2 Cor. i. 17.)
Chrysostora observes : "It was not because Isaiah spake that
they believed not, but because they were not about to believe,
that he spake."
Augustine says : " The Lord, by the prophet, did predict the
unbelief of the Jews, — predict, however, not cause. It does not
follow that the Lord compels any man to sin, because He knows
men's future sins."
Theophylact and Euthymius say much the same.
[Lord, who. ..believed our report.] This question begins the
well-known flfty-third chapter of Isaiah, which describes with
such extraordinary accuracy our Lord's sufferings. It is cer
tainly a raost singular fact, that the very chapter which the Jews
in every age have been mo.st obstinately unwilling to believe,
should begin with this question, it is a Hebraism, tantamount
to saying, " Nobody believes our riipoit." Tho uubellef of the

366 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Jews was a thing as clearly foretold in Scripture as the suffer
ings of Christ. If they had not been unbelieving, the Scriptures
would have been untrue.
[To iohom...arm of. .Lord revealed.] The expression, " Aim
of the £ord," is thought by Augustine to raean Christ Hiraself.
It may be so. If not, it must mean, "To whom is the Lord's
power in raising up a Redeemer and an atoning sacriflce re
vealed? " That is, the Lord's power is revealed to and received
by none. The question here again is a Hebraisra, equivalent to
an assertion.
Bullinger observes, that " sorae raight perhaps wonder that
the Jews did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah. To this John
replies, that Isaiah long ago foretold that they would prove an
unreasonable and unbelieving nation."
The quotation of Isaiah In this place is strong evidence that
the flfty-third chapter of this prophecy applies to Christ, and
none else.
89. — [Therefore they could not believe, because, etc.] This is un
deniably a difllcult verse. It cannot of course mean that the
Jews were unable to believe, although really desirous to do so,
and were prevented by the prophecy of Isaiah. What, then,
can it raean? The following paraphrase is offered : "This was
the cause why they could not believe, — they were in that state
of judicial blindness and hardness which Isaiah had described.
They were justly given over to this state, because of their many
sins, and for this cause they had no power to believe."
" Therefore," is literally, " on account of this." It cannot,
I think, look backward, but forward. (Compare x. 17, and xii.
18.) "They could not," is literally, "they were not able." It
precisely describes the moral inability of a thoroughly hardened
and wicked man to believe. He is thoroughly under the mastery
of a hardened and seared conscience, and has, as it were, lost
the power of believing. — They had no will to believe, and so
they had no power. They could have believed if they would, but
they would not, and so they could not. The expression is
parallel to the well-known words, " No man can come to Me,
except the Father which hath sent Me draw hira." There the
meaning is, " No man has any will to com^-unless he Is drawn,
and so no man can corae."
Even in our own English language the expression, " could
not, "is soraetiraes used in the sense of "would not." Thus
the brethren of Joseph "hated him, and could not speak
peaceably of him." (Gen. xxxvii. 4.)
The word "because " is a needlessly strong rendering of the
Greek. It would be just as correctly translated "for."
Chrysostom observes : " In many places Christ is wont to term

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 367
choice power. So, " The worid cannot hate you, bnt Me it
hateth." So in common conversation a man says, "I cannot
love this or that person, calling the force of his will power."
Augustine says : " If I be asked why they could not believe, I
answer in a word. Because they would not." — He also says, "It
is said of the Omnipotent, He cannot deny Hiraself : and this is
the power of the Divine will. So ' they could not believe ' is
the fault of the human will."
Zwingle also says that " could not " means " would not."
Ecolampadius observes : " They would not, and therefore they
could not believe. God is wont to punish those who commit
some sin by giving them up to other sins." This, he remarks,
is the heaviest judgment to which we can be given up, — to have
sins punished by sins, that is, by being let alone to commit thera.
Bishop Hall says : " They could not believe, because, as Isaiah
says, in a just puuishment for their maliciousness aud contempt,
God had stricken them with a reprobate sense, so that their eyes
were blinded."
Qnesnel says here : " Let ns bewail this inability of vyill with
which, by means of Adam's sin, we are all born, and which, by
our own sins, we daily Increase. Let us continually have re
course to Him who said, ' without Me ye can do nothing,' and,
' No man can come to Me, unless the Father draw hira.' "
40. — [He hath blinded their eyes, etc.] This quotation is a free
paraphrase of the general view of a verse in Isaiah vi. 9, 10. I
think it can only have one raeaning. That raeaning is, that
"God had given over the Jews to judicial blindness, as a
punishment for their long-continued and obstinate rejection of
His warnings." That God does in some cases give people over.
as a punishraent for obstinate unbelief, and that He may be
justly termed the cause of such unbelief, is I think, quite plain in
Scripture. Pharaoh is a case In point. He obstinately refused
God's warnings, and so at last He was given over, aud God is
said to have " hardened his heart." Corapare Joshua xi. 20:
" It was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should
come against Israel in battle, that He might destroy them."
(So Deut. ii. 30; 1 Sara. ii. 25; Rom. ix. 18.)
This is no doubt a very soleran and awful subject. It seems
at first sight to make God the author of man's destruction. But
surely a moment's reflection will show us that God is a Sovereign
in punishing, aud may punish in any way he pleases. Sorae He
cuts off suddenly the raoraent they sin. Others He -gives over
to judicial blindness, and ceases to strive with their consciences.
" The Judge of all the earth will certainly do right." Those
whom He is said to " harden and blind " will always be found to
be persons whora He had previously warned, exhorted, and
constantly suraraoned to repent. And never is He said to
harden and blind, and give meu up to judicial hardness and

368 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

blindness, till after a long course of warnings. This was
certainly the case with Pharaoh and with the Jews.
The consequence of God blinding and hardening a person is
that he does not "see " his danger with his eyes, or " under
stand " his position with his heart. The result is that he holds
on his way unconverted, and dies without his soul's disease
being healed. — "Seeing" and "understanding" are essential
parts of conversion. No simpler reason can be given why
myriads of church-goers continue careless, unaffected, un
moved, and unconverted: they neither "see" nor "under
stand." God alone can give them seeing eyes and understanding
hearts, and ministers cannot. And one soleran reason why
mauy live and die in this state Is, that they have resisted God's
warnings, and are justly punished already with a judicial blind
ness and hardness, by Him whora they have resisted.
The key to the whole difficulty, after all, lies in the answer
we are prepared to give to the question, "Is God just in'
punishing the sinner?" — The true Christian and honest Bible
reader will find no diflaculty in answering that question in the
affirmative. Once grant that God Is just in punishing the un
godly, and there is an end of the problem. God may punish by
giving over the obstinate sinner to a reprobate mind, as really
as by sentencing him to everlasting fire at the last day.
One thing only raust never be forgotten. God " willeth not the
death of any sinner." He is willing to soften the hardest heart,
and to open the blind eyes of the greatest sinner. In dealing
with men about their souls we must never forget this. We may
well reraind them that by hardened impenitence they may pro
voke God to give them up. But we must also press on thera
that God's mercies in Christ are infinite, and that, if they are
flnally lost, they will have none but themselves to blame.
Burgon thinks that the nominative to "blinded" at the be
ginning of the verse Is not God, but " the Jewish people ; " and
that the meaning is, " This people hath blinded their own
eyes." But I cannot see that this idea can be supported by ref
erence to Isaiah, and though it smooths over difliculties, I dare
not receive it.
Calvin thinks that the passage applies to the hardness by
which God punishes the wickedness of an ungrateful people.
They are given over justly to an unbelieving and judicially
blinded state of mind.
Poole observes: "We have this text, than which there is
none more terrible, no less than six times quoted in the New
Testament. In all places it is quoted and given as a reason for
the Jews' unbelief in Christ. (Matt. xiii. 14, 15; Mark iv. 12;
Luke viii. 10 ; Acts xxviii. 26, 27 ; Rom. xi. 8.) It is not quoted ,
alike in all places, but for substance It Is the same. In the
original, Isaiah is made the instrumental cause. Matthew and
Luke, in Acts, mention the people themselves as the cause.

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 369
All the other texts speak of it ns God's act. The thing is easily
reconciled."— He then says : " The Jews first shut their own
eyes, and hardened their own hearts. Thus behaving thera
selves, God judicially gave them up to their ovvn lusts, per
mitted their hearts to harden, and suffered them to close their
own eyes, so that they could not repent, believe, or return. God
did not infuse any malice into their hearts, but withdrew His
grace frora thera."
Rollock raakes the wise and deep reraark, that "Darkness
does not blind men so much as light, unless God renews their
minds by His Spirit."
It is of course noteworthy that this quotation is not given
literally and exactly as it stands in the Old Testament. But it
is particularly mentioned by Surenhusine, in his book upon the
quotations in the Nevv Testament, that It was a common thing
with tho Hebrew doctors to abbreviate texts in quoting them,
aud to be content with giving the general sense. The abbrevi
ation, therefore, in the text quoted before us, would not strike
John's coteraporaries as at all extraordinary.
Let us not fail to reraark how "seeing, understanding, being
converted, and being healed," are linked together.
41.— [These things.. .Esaias. ..his glory. ..him.] To see the full force
of this verse we should read the sixth chapter of Isaiah in Its
entirety. We should there see a raagnificent description of the
Lord's glory, before which even the seraphira veiled their facns.
We should observe their cry, "Holy, holy, is the Lord of
Hosts!" We should mark how Isaiah says, "My eyes have
seen the King, the Lord of Hosts." And then let ns reraeraber
that John says, " Esaias saw Christ's glory, and Spake of
Christ!" — How any one, in the face of this evidence, can say
that Jesus Christ Is not very God, It seeras hard to under
stand. Lightfoot thinks that Isaiah in this chapter had a view of the
glory which our Lord would have when He came to punish the
Jewish nation. He thinks this is pointed out hy "the posts of
the door being shaken;" by "the teraple being filled with
smoke ; " and by " the cities being wasted." (See Isaiah vi.)
42. — [Nevertheless. ..rulers. ..many believed him.] Here St. John
mentions a fact which he would havo us take together with his
account of the hardened unbelief of most of the Jews. There
were sorae who were not so utterly hardened as the rest. They
were in a different state of mind: not blind, but convinced; not
hardened against our Lord, but secretly persuaded that He was
the Christ. Man.v eveu of the chief people at Jerusalem be
lieved, in their own secret minds, that Jesus was the Christ.
This faith no doubt w.as only the firith of the head, and not of
the heart. But they did believe.
Let us note that there is often far more going on in people's

370 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

minds than preachers are aware of. There is much secret con
viction. [But because. ..Pharisees. ..not confess him.] They dared not
openly confess their faith in our Lord, for fear of the persecu
tion of the Pharisees. They were cowards, and influenced by
the fear of man. No wonder that our Lord spoke so strongly
in other places about the duty of confessing Him.
[Lest. ..put out of. .synagogue.] The thing that they feared
was excommunictitioii. Wo can have little idea perhaps of the
extreme dread with which a Jew regarded exclusion from the
visible Jewish Church. Unlike ourselves, he knew no other
Church in the whole world. To be shut out of this Church vvas
equivalent to being shut out of heaven. The dread of excom
munication in the Irish Catholic Church is perhaps the near
est thing to it in our days.
43. — [For. ..loved. .praise.. .man more. ..God.] St. John here tells us
plainly the prevailing motive in the rainds of the cowardly
Jews. They loved above everything to be well thought of by
tlieir fellow-men. They thought more of having the good
oijiniini of man than the praise of God. They could not bear
the idea of being laughed at, ridiculed, reviled, or persecuted
by their fellow-men. To keep in with them and have their
praise, they sacrificed their own convictions, and acted contrary
to their conscience. Hovv rauch this feeling Injures the soul is
shown by our Lord's words in a former place: "How can ye
believe which receive honour one from another?" (John v.
44.) Let ns remember that all over the world the same miserable
motive is still ruining myriads of souls. "The fear of man
bringeth a snare." (Prov. xxix. 25.) Nothing seeras so diffi
cult to overcorae as the desire of pleasing man, keeping in with
raan, and retaining raan's praise. Nothing will overcorae it but
thorough faith. "This is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith." (1 John v. 4.) The expulsive power
of a new principle, ra.aking us see God, Christ, heaven, hell,
judgment, eternity, as realities, is the grand secret of getting
the victory over the fear of raan.
Poole says : " They were not willing to part with their great
places in the raagistracy, which brought them respect, honour,
and applause from raen. They valued this more than God's
praise."

JOHN, CHAP. XII.

371

JOHN XII. 44-50.

44 Jesus cried and said. He that be
lieveth on me, believeth not on me,
but on him that seat me.
4.» And he that seeth me seeth him
that sont me.
4G I am come a light into tho world
that whosoever believeth on me should
not abide in darkness.
47 And if any man hear my wards,
and believe not, I judge him not: for
I came not to judge the world, bat to
tave the world.
48 He thatrejectethme, and receiv

eth not my words, hath one that judg
eth him: the word that 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, what 1 should say,
and what I should speak.
60 And Iknow that his command
ment is life everlasting: whatsoever I
speak therefore, even as the Father
said unto me, so I speak.

These verses throw light on two subjects which we can
never understand too well. Our daily peace and our prac
tice of daily watchfulness over ourselves are closely con
nected with a clear knowledge of these two subjects.
One thing shown in these verses is, the dignity of our
Lord Jesus Christ. We find Him saying, " He that seeth
Me, seeth Him that sent Me. I am come a Light into the
world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in
darkness." Christ's oneness with the Father, and Christ's
oflBce, are clearly exhibited in these words.
Concerning the unity of the Father and the Son, we must
be content to believe 'reverently what we cannot grasp
mentally or explain distinctly. Let it suflSce us to know
that our Saviour was not like the prophets and patriarchs,
a man sent by God the Father, a friend of God, and a wit
ness for God. He was something far higher and greater
than this. He was in His Divine nature essentially one
with the Father : and in seeing Him, men saw the Father
that sent Him. This is a great mystery ; but a truth of
vast importance to onr souls. He that casts His sins on
Jesns Christ hy faith is building on a rock. Believing on
Christ, he believes not merely on Him, but on Him that
sent Him.
Concerning the office of Christ, there can be little doubt

372 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
that in this place He compares Himself to the sun. ' Like
the sun, He has risen on this sin-darkened world with heal
ing on His 'wings, and shines for the common benefit of all
mankind.' Like the sun. He is the great source and centre
of all spiritual life, comfort, and fertility.' -^ 'Like the sun.
He illuminates the whole earth, and no one need miss the
way to heaven, if he will only use the light ofiered for his
acceptance. Forever let us make much of Christ in all our religion.
We can never trust Him too much, follow Him too closely,
or commune with Him too unreservedly. He has all power
in heaven and earth. He is able to save to the uttermost
all who come to God by Him. None can pluck us out of
the hand of Him who is one with the Father. He can
make all our way to heaven bright and plain and cheerful,
like the morning sun cheering the traveller. Looking unto
Him, we shall find light in our understandings, see light
on the path of life we have to travel, feel light in our
hearts, and find the days of darkness, which will come
sometimes, stripped of half their gloom. Only let us abide-
in Him, and look to Him with a single eye. There is a
< mine of meaning in His words, " If thine eye be single,
/ thy whole body shall be full of light." (Matt. vi. 22.)
Another thing shown in these verses is, the certainly of a
judgment to come. We find our Lord saying, " He that
rejecteth Me, and receiveth not my words, hath One that
judgeth llim : the word that I have spoken, .the same shall
judge him in the last day."
There is a last day ! The world shall not always go on
as it does now. Buying and selling, sowing and reaping,
planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage, —
all this shall come to an end at last. There is a time ap
pointed by the Father when the whole machinery of crea
tion shall stop, and the present dispensation shall be
changed for another. It had a beginning, and it shall also

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 373
have an end. Banks shall at length close their doors for
ever. Stock exchanges shall be shut. Parliaments shall
be dissolved. The very sun, which since Noah's flood has
done his daily work so faithfully, shall rise and set no
more. Well would it be if we thought more of this day !
Rent-days, birth-days, wedding-days, are often regarded
as days of absorbing interest ; but they are nothing com
pared to the last day.
There is a judgment coming ! Men have their reckon
ing days, and God will at last have His. The trumpet
shall sound. The dead shall be raised incorruptible. The
living shall be changed. All, of every name and nation,
and people and tongue, shall stand before the judgment-
seat of Christ. The books shall be opened, and the evi
dence brought forth. Our true character will come out
before the world. There will be no concealment, no eva
sion, no false colouring. Every one shall give account of
himself to God, and all shall be judged according to their
works. The wicked shall go away into everlasting fire,
and the righteous into life eternal.
These are awful truths ! But they are truths, and ought
to be told. No wonder that the Eoman governor Felix
trembled when Paul the prisoner discoursed about " right
eousness, temperance, and judgment to come." (Acts
xxiv. 25.) Yet the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has
no cause to be afraid. For him, at any rate, there is no
condemnation, and the last assize need have no terrors.
Tho bias of his life shall witness for him ; while the short
comings of his life shall not condemn him. It is the man
who rejects Christ, and will not hear His call to repentance,
— he is the rr.an who in the judgment-day will have rea
son to be cast down and afraid.
L6t the thought of judgment to come have a practical
eflfect on our religion. Let us daily judge ourselves with
righteous judgment, that we may not be judged and con-

374 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
demned of the Lord. Let us so speak and so act as men
who will be judged by the law of liberty. Let us make
conscience of all our hourly conduct, and never forget that
for every idle word we must give account at the last day.
In a word, let us live like those who believe in the truth of
judgment, heaven, and bell. So living, we shall be Chris
tians indeed and in truth, and have boldness in the day of
Christ's appearing.
Let the judgment-day be the Christian's answer and
apology when men ridicule him as too strict, too pre
cise, and too particular in his religion. Irreligion may do
tolerably well for a season, so long as a man is in health
and prosperous, and looks at nothing but this world. But
he who believes that he must give account to the Judge of
quick and dead, at His appearing and kingdom, will never
be content with an ungodly life. He will say, " There is
a judgment. I can never serve God too rauch. Christ
died for me. I can never do too much for Him."
Notes. John XII. 44—50.
ii.— [.lesus cried and said.] The connection between the address
which begins here and the preceding verse is not very plain or
easy to understand.
Sorae think that it is a continuation of the address which
ended at the thirty-sixth verse, aud that John's coraraent and
explanation in the last seven verses raust be regarded entirely
as a parenthesis. This is rather an awkward supposition, when
we look at the thirty-sixth verse, and see at the end, " These
words spake Jesus and departed, and did hide Hiraself." Unless
we suppose that as He was walking away, " He cried and said.
He that believeth ou Me," etc., the connection seeras incapable
of proof. Yet it appears most unlikely that our Lord would
have said such things as he was departing.
Others, as Theophylact, think that the address before us is an
entirel.y new and distinct one, and delivered on a difl'erent day
from that ending at the thirty-sixth verse : viz., ou the Tuesday,
Wednesday, or "Thursday, iu Passion Week. 'This certainly ap
pears to rae the least dlflScult view of the subject. It would
then mean that the day after the rairacle of the voice frora heav
en, Jesus appeared again publicly in Jerusalera, and "cried
aud said."

JOHN, CHAP. XII. 375
However, it is useless to deny that the abrupt manner in
which the verse before us and the following verses come in is
a dilficulty, and one which we know not exactly hovv to explain.
One thing only is very clear : this was probably one of the last
public discourses vvhich our Lord delivered in Jerusalem, and
forms a kind of conclusion to His niini.stry in that city. It is a
short but solemn winding np of all His public testimony to the
Jews. It deserves notice, that some, as Tittman, Stier, Olshausen,
Tholuck, Bloomfleld, and Alford, consider the whole of the pas
sage, from verse forty-four to the end of the chapter, to be not
the words of Jesus Christ, but a statement of John the Baptist
himself, concerning the doctrine Jesus taught throughout His
ministry, and specially at Jerusalera. From this view, however,
I strongly dissent. 'The beginning, " Jesus cried," etc., seems
utterly iuconsistent with the theory. There seems no special
necessity for adopting it. A plain reader of the ch.apter would
never dream of it.
It is worth remarking, that the Greek expression, " He cried,"
is very seldom applied to our Lord in the New Testament. It is
found in Matt, xxvii. 50; Mark xv. 30; John vii. 28 — 37, and
here. In every instance it raeans a loud cry, such as any one
uses to call attention to what he ha.s to say.
Flacius thiuks that the address beginning here is a kind of
peroration and summing up of all our Lord's public teaching to
the Jews. In it He repeats the proclamation of Hia own Divine
office and dignity, — the purpose for which He came, to be a
" light," — the danger of neglectiug His testimony, — the certainty
of a final judgment, — and the direct procession of His doctrine
from the Father.
[He that believeth.. .me.. .Him thai s.-nt me.] This remarkable
expression seems meant to proclaim, for the last time, the great
truth so often insisted on by our Lord, — the entire unity between
Himself and the Father. Once more Jesus declares that there
is such a complete and mysterious oneness between Himself and
the Father, that he who believes on Him believes uot only ou
Him, but on Him that sent Him. — Of course the sentence cannot
literally mean that the man who believes on Chiist does not
believe on Christ. But according to a mode of speech not un
coraraon in the New Testaraent, our Lord taught that all vvho
in obedience to His call put their trust in llim, would find that
they were not trusting in the Son only, but in the Father also.
In short, to trust in the Son, the sent Saviour of sinners, is to
trust also in the Father, who sent Him to save. The Son and
the Father cannot be divided, though they are distinct Persons
in the Trinity; and faith in the Son gives an interest in the
Father. (Compare John v. 24 : " He that heareth my word,
and believeth on Hira that sent Me." And 1 Peter 1. 2) : " Who
by Him do believe in God.")

376 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

"To draw a wide line of separation between the Father and *he
Son, as some do, and to represent the Father as an angry Beiug
whora the Son appeases, is very poor theology, and the highroad
to Tritheisra. 'The true doctrine is that the Godhead of Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost is one, and that in thouuity of the Godhead
there are three Persons, and yet that there is such entire unity
between tho Persons, that He who believes in the Son believes
also in the Father.
Zwingle thinks the latent idea is, "Do not think it is a sraall
and insignificant thing to believe on Me. To believe on Me is
I the sarae thing as believing on God the Father, and to know Me
is to know the Father."
Bucer seeras to think that the address in this verse was raeant
to encourage those who believed Christ to be the Messiah, but
were afraid of confessing Him, to corae forward boldly, and ac
knowledge their belief.
Poole says, that in like raanner God says to Sarauel, "They
have not rejected thee, but have rejected Me," meaning not theS
alone. (1 Sam. viii. 7.)
46. — [And he.. .seeth me seeth him that sent me.] This deep and
raysterious verse proclaims even more distinctly than the last
verse the unity of the Father and the Son. It cannot mean
that any one who saw Christ with his bodily eyes, did, in so
seeing, behold the First Person in the Triulty. Such beholding
we are distinctly told is impossible. He is one " whom no man
hath seen or cau see." (1 Tim. vi. 16.) What our Lord seems
to mean is this : " He that seeth Me seeth not Me only, as an
ordinary man or a Prophet, like John the Baptist. In seeing
Me he beholds one who is one with the Father, the brightness
of His glory, and the express image of His Person." (Heb. i.
3.) Of course our Lord did not literally mean, " He that sees Me
does not see Mo." But He meant, " He that sees Me sees not
only Me, but through Me and by Me he sees Him that sent Me,
for we cannot be divided."
The divinity of Jesus Christ seeras Incontrovertibly proved
by this verse and the preceding one. If to believe in Christ is
to believe in the Father, and to see Christ is to see the Father,
then Jesus Christ must be equal with the Father, — very and
eternal God.
The supposition of some, that the flrst " seeth" in this verse
means nothing more than " seeth by faith," appears rather in
credible. At this rate the verse would be only a repetition of
the one preceding it. I prefer the idea that " seeth " means liter
ally, " Sooth with his bodily eyes." Yet Bengel says that
" seeth " refers to that vision vvhich faith accompanies, and cora
pares it to John vi. 40.
The object our Lord had in view in this and the preceding
verse appears to have been twofold. It was partly to proclaim

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 377
once more the unity of Himself aud the Father. It was partly
to encourage all believers iu Himself, for the last time, before
He was cruclfled. Let them know that in resting their souls on
Hira, they were resting not on Him alone who died on
Calvary, but on one who was one with the Father, and there
fore were resting on the Father.
Chrysostom observes on the expression " seeth Him that sent
me," — "What then? Is God a body? By no means. The see
ing of which Jesus here speaks is that of the mind, thence show
ing the consubstantiality."
Barnes observes, that this language conld not have been used
about any mere man. To say it of Paul or Isaiah would have
been blaspheray.
46.-^[Iam come a light into the world, etc.] In this sentence our
Lor(5 proclalras once raore the great end and object of His cora
ing into the world. He does it by using His favourite flgure of
light, and compaiing Himself to the sun. — " I have come into a
world full of darkness and sin, to be the source and centre of
life, peace, holiness, happiness to mankind, so that every one
who receives and believes in Me may be delivered from dark
ness and walk in full light."
Let us note that the form of language used here seems to teach
that our Lord existed before Ho entered the world; The saints
" are the light of the world," but they do not " come a light into
the world." This could only be said of Christ, who was light
before His incarnation, just as the sun exists and shines before
it rises above the eastern horizon.
Let us note that our Lord's language seems to teach that He
came to be a coraraon Saviour and Messiah for all raankind,just
as the sun shines for the good of all. It is as though He said,
" I have arisen on the world like the sun in the firmament of
heaven, in order that every one who is willing to believe in Me
should be delivered from spiritual darkness, and be enabled to
walk in the light of spiritual life."
Once more we raay remeraber that none could give such a
majestic description of His mission, but one who knew and felt
that He was very God. We never flnd Moses, or John the Bap
tist, or Paul, or Peter, using such language as this.
The quantity of precious truth taught and implied in this verse
is very noteworthy. — The world is in darkness. — Christ is the
only light.— Faith is the only way to have interest in Christ. —
He that believeth no longer abides in darkness, but has spiritual
light.— He that does not believe remains and continues in a state
of darkness, the prelude to hell.
The expression, " not abide in darkness," seems to have a la
tent reference to those Jews who were convinced of Christ's
Messiahship, but were afraid to confess Him openly. Such per-

378 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

sons are here exhorted not to remain, stick fast, and continue !o
darkness. Burgon reraarks on this verse: "This verse shows that (I)
Christ existed before His Incarnation, even as the sun exists be
fore it appears above the eastern hills ; (2) that Christ is the
one S.aviour of the world, even as there is only one sun ; (3)
that He came not for one nation, but for all, as the sun shines
for all the world."
47. — [And if any. ..hear.. .believe not.] Having shown the privilege
of those who believe iu Him, our Lord now shows the danger
and ruin of those who hear His teaching and yet believe not.
[I judge him not.] These words can only raean, " I judge hira
not now." To put more on thera would contradict the teaching
of other places, vvhere Christ is spoken of as the Judge of all at
the last day. Our Lord's raeaning evidently is to teach that His
First Advent was not for judgraent, but for salvation,' not to
punish and sraite as a conqueror, but to heal and save as a phy
sician. [For I am not.. .judge. ..save the world.] These words are an
expansion and explanation of the preceding sentence, "I judge
him not." They are evidently raeant to correct the Jewish im
pression that Messiah was to corae only to judge, to execute ven
geance, to sraite down His eneraies, and to punish His adver
saries. This irapression arose frora misapplied views of the
Second Advent and the judgraent yet to corae. Our Lord, for
the last tirae, declares that He carae for no such purpose.
Wicked as unbelief was, He did not corae to punish it now. He
carae not as a judge at His First Advent, but as a Saviour.
We raust lake care, however, that we do not misinterpret this
sentence. It aflbrds no countenance to the dangerous doctrine
of universal salvation. It does not mean that Christ came in
order to actually save frora hell all the inhabitants of the whole
world. Such a raeaning would flatly contradict mauy other
plain passages of Scripture. What, then, does it raean ?
It means that our Lord came at His First Advent not to be a
judge, but a Saviour not to inflict punishment, but to provide
mercy. He came to provide salvation for all the world, so that
any one iu the world may be saved. But no one gets any
benefit from this salvation excepting those that believe. — The
true key to the meaning of the sentence is the contrast between
Christ's flrst coming and His second one. The flrst vvas to set
up a throne of grace : the second will be to set up a throne of
judgment. The expression in John iii. 17 1s precisely parallel,
— " God sent not His Son into the world to conderan the world,
but that the world through Hira raight be saved." If it were
lawful to coin a word, the true exposition of the sentence would
be, " I carae that the world might be .xalvable."
But while I say all this, I am unable to see how snch ex-

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 379
pressions as this, and John iii. 16, 17, can possibly be reconciled
with an extreme view of particular redemption. To say, on the
one hand, that Christ's death is efficacious to none but the elect
and believers, is strictly true. Not all men are flnally saved by
Christ. There is a hell, and unbelievers and impenitent people
will be found there. — But to say, on the other hand, that in no
sense did Christ do anything at all for the whole world, but
that He did everything for the elect alone, seems to rae utterly
irreconcilable with this text. Surely Christ carae to provide a
salvation sufficient for the whole " world."
I ara aware that the advocates of an extrerae view of particu
lar redemption say that " the world " here does not mean " the
world," bnt the elect of all nations, as compared to the Jews.
But this view is not satisfactory, and looks very like an evasion
of the plain raeaning of words.
Why the sarae Greek word Is rendered by our English trans
lators, "judge" in this verse, and " conderan " in the parallel
place in John iii. 17, it is not easy to see.
ii.—[He that rejecteth me.. .receiveth not my words.. .judgeth him.]
In this verse our Lord declares positively the future judgment
and conderanation of those who reject Him, and refuse to
believe His teaching.
The word we render " rejecteth " is only used here in St.
John's Gospel. The idea is that of " despising, setting at
naught." (See Luke x. 16.) The person described is one who
despises and sets at naught Christ Himself, after seeing Him,
and deliberately refuses to acknowledge Him as the Messiah, in
spite of all the evidence of His miracles. He is also one who
will not receive and take into his heart the doctrines preached
by Christ. In short, he despises His person, and refuses to
believe His teaching. — " Such a man will flnd at last, though I
punish him not now, that there is a judgment and conderanation
of hira. He will not flnd that rejection of Me, and his unbelief,
will go unpunished. He has a Judge prepared already. There
is one already, though he knows it not, who will witness
against him and condemn him."
[The word...! have spoken.. .judge him.. .last day.] Our Lord
here declares that the things He publicly preached to the Jews
while He was upon earth would witness finally against those
who did not believe, at the last day, and be their condemnation.
They will not then be able to deny that they were words of
wisdom, words of mercy, words subversive of their false views,
words fully explaining Christ's kingdom, words entirely in ac
cordance with the Scriptures. And tho result will be that they
will be speechless. The witness of Christ's words will be un
answerable, and in consequence of that witness they will be
conderaned. We see here that the words of those who speak for God are
not thrown avvay, because they seem not believed at the time.

380 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

Christ's words, though despised and rejected by the Jews, did
not fall to the ground. Those whom they did not save they will
condemn. There will be a resurrection of all faithful sermons
at tho last day. — Great is tho responsibility of preachers 1 Their
words are alvvays doing good, or adding to the conderanation
of the lost. They are a savour of life to sorae, and of death to
others. Great is the responsibility of hearers ! They may
ridicule and despise sermons ; but they will flnd to their cost
at last that they must give account of all they hear. The very
serraons they now despise may be witnesses against them to
their eternal ruin.
Let ns note that our Lord speaks of judgraent and the last
day as great realities. Let us take care that we always account
thera such, and live accordingly. Tho Christian's best answer
to those who ridicule his religion is to say, "I believe in a
judgment and a last day."
Let us note that condemnation is taken for granted, if not
directly expressed, as the portion of somo at the last day.
Then lot us not listen to those who say that there is no future
punishment, and that all persons of all characters, both good
and bad, are at last going to heaven.
Zwingle reraarks that the expression, " M.v word shall judge,"
Is parallel to such expressions as, " The law puts a man to death,"
though it is not actually the law, but the executioner that does
it. Tho law only shows him to be worthy of death. So
the works and words of Christ will show the unbelieving to be
worthy of judgment and condemnation.
49. — [For I have not spoken of myself] In these words our Lord
once more, as if for the last time, declares that mighty truth
which we find so often in St. John, — the intimate union between
Himself and His Father. " I have not spoken of rayself, of my
o'wn Independent mind, and without coucert with ray Father in
heaven." The object of saying this is evident. Our Lord would have the
Jews know what a serious sin it was to refuse His words, and
not believe them. In so doing men did not refuse the words of
a mere man, or a prophet, like Moses or John tho Baptist. They
were refusing tho words of Him who never spake alone, but
always in closest union with tho Father. To refuse to receive
the words of Christ vvas to reject not raerely Ilis words, but
the words of God the Father.
Here, as in mauy other places in St. John's Gospel, tho Greek
does not mean, " I have not .spoken concerning myself, but out
of or from myself."
[But the Father. ..gave. ..commandment. ..speak.] Here our
Lord explains and enforces more fnlly what lie said of " not
speaking from Himself." He declares that vv'icn Ho came iuto
the world, tho Father gave Him a "coraraandment" or a

JOHN, CHAP. xn. 3dl
commission, as to what He should say and speak to men. The
things that He had spoken were the result of the eternal
counsels of the ever-blessed Trinity. The works that He had
done were works which the Father gave Him to do. The words
which He spoke were words which the Father gave Him to
speak. Both in His doing and speaking nothing was left to
chance, unforeseen, unprovided, or unpremeditated. All was
arranged by perfect wisdom, both His words and His works.
When we read of the Father "sending" Christ, and giving
Christ a "commandment," we raust carefully dismiss from our
minds all idea of any inferiority to God tho Father on the part
of God the Son. The expressions are used in condescension to
our weak faculties, to convey the Idea of perfect oneness. We
are not speaking of the relation that exists between two human
beings like ourselves, but between the Persons in the Divine
Trinity.— The " sending " of the Sou was the result of the eternal
counsel of that blessed Trinity, in which Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost are co-equal and co-eternal. The eternal Son was as
wilUng to be " sent " as the eternal Father was to " send "
Hira.— The " commnjM^menr' given by the Father to the Son as
to what Ho should teach and do, was not a coraraandment in
which the Son had no part but to obey. It was siraply the charge
or commission arranged in the covenant of redemption, by all
three Persons in the Trinity, which the Son was as willing to
execute as the Father was willing to give.
The distinction between " say " and " speak " in the Greek is
not very clear. Burgon thinks the phrase is meant to include
"every class of discourse; as well the words of familiar inter
course, as the grave and soleran addresses." But I ara not satis
fied that this can be proved,— " A. Lapide" says that " to say is
to teach, aud publish a thing gravely, and to speak is to utter a
thing familiarly."— Bengel, however, distinguishes thera in pre
cisely the contrary way !
There certainly seems to be an intention In the verse to refer
the Jews to the well-known words of Deuteronomy, concerning
the Prophet like uuto Moses. " I will raise up a Prophet from
among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words into
His mouth, and ho shall speak unto them all that I shall com
mand Him." Our Lord's hearers, familiar frora their infancy
with Scripture, would see at once that Jesus clairaed to be the
promised Prophet. The Father's words were in His month.
He spoke what was commanded Him. (See Deut. xviii. 18.)-
50.— [And I know...his commandment... life everlasting.] The
meaning of this sentence seems to bo,—" I know, whether you
like to believe it or not, that this message, coraraandment, or
commission, which I have from ray Father, is life everiasting to
all who receive it, and believe. You, in your blindness, see no
beauty or excellence in the message I bring, and the doctrine 1
preach. But I know that in rejecting it you are rejecting We

382 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
everlasting." — Thus Peter says to our Lord, "Thou hast the
words of eternal life," (John vi. 68 ;) that is, we know Thou hast
a commission to proclaim aud publish eternal life. — Thus our
Lord says, " The words that I speak are spirit and life." (John
vi. 63.)
Poole and others say this sentence means, " I know that the
way to life everlasting is to keep His commandments." But I
cannot think this is the meaning.
Hall paraphrases the sentence, " The doctrine which by His
coraraandraent I preach unto you, is that which will surely bring
you to everlasting life."
[Whatsoever I speak...as Father...so I speak.] This sentence
seems intended to wind up our Loi'd's public discourses to the
unbelieving Jews at Jerusalem. " Whatsoever things I am
teaching now, or have spoken to you all through my ministry, are
things which the Father gave to Me to speak to you. I am only
speaking to you what the Father said to Me. If therefore you
reject or refuse my message, know once raore, for the last
tirae, that you are rejecting a raessage from God the Father
Himself. I speak nothing but what the Father said to Me. If
you despise it, you are despising the God of your fathers, the
God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob."
Let us reraember that the holy boldness of this last verse
should be a pattern to every rainister and preacher of the Gospel.
Such a raan ought to be able to say confidently, " I know and
am persuaded that the message I bring is life everlasting to all
who believe it ; and that, in saying what I do, I say nothing but
what God has showed me in His Word."

END or vou n.

YALE UNIVERSI-TY LIBRARY

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