Notes. John XII. 27—33.
27.— [Now is my soul troubled, etc., etc.] This remarkable verse 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 Him. — 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 has been endured for weeks by many a martyr, and even b;> 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 Him downward, and made Him cry, " Now is my 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 anticipated or felt, but our sins, 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 time most deeply. (Gal. iii. 13; 2 Cor. v. 21.) Those who deny the doctrine of substitution, imputation, and atonement can never explain the expressions before us satisfactorily.
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 Him had offended God. We are afraid of our eternal condemnation; He was only afraid by a natural fear of death, which naturally riseth higher according to the kind of death we die. — Our troubles have mixture of despair, distrust, sinful horror; there was no such thing in His trouble. — Our troubles, in their natural teudency, are killing and destroying; only by accident and the wise ordering of Divine providence do they prove advantageous, and lead us to Him; His trouble, in the very nature of it, was pure, and clean, and sanative, and 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 remember and admire the prayer in the Litany of the Greek Church, — "By Thine unknown sufferings, good Lord, deliver us."
Rollock 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 itself 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 Him, in order that we might have peace, then in Him must have been concentrated all the horror of dea h. He bore the sin of the world, and the wages of that sin was death. Death therefore must to Him assume 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 Him from 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 Calvary.
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 time, my soul has begun to be specially troubled."
[.And what shall I say?} These words are thought by some, as Theophylact, Grotius, Bloomfield, and Barnes, to be wrongly translated in our English version. They would render them, "And what? What is my duty? What does the hour require of Me? Shall I say, Save Me," etc., etc. — I much prefer our English version as it is. I believe the question is strongly significant 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 human nature bids me say one thing, acting alone and urging me alone. My knowledge of the purpose for which I came into the world bids me say another thing. What, then, shall I say?" Such a question as this is a strong proof of our Lord's real, true humanity.
Bollock 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 my 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 unmistakably our Lord's true humanity. There, on the other hand, we see no less plainly His divinity. Here He speaks as man; 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 humau nature, which, though sinless, could suffer, and instinctively shrank from suffering. 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 from me." (Matt. xxvi. 39.)
Let us learn from 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. Theie is nothing wrong in a sick person's saying, " Father, make me well," so long as the prayer is offered with proper qualification
Bollock observes: " In agonv there is a certain forgetfulness
of all things except present pain. This seems the case of onr 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 times 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 am willing to drink it. Only I tell Thee my feelings, with entire submission to Thy will."
We may surely learn from the whole verse that Christians have no cause to despair because they feel trouble of soul, — because 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 Him was no sin.
Rollock says: " This is the language of one recollecting himself, and collecting his thoughts to remember something besides his agony and pain."
[Father, glorify thy name.'] This passage seems the conclusion of the strife and agony of soul which came 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 even unto the bearing of the world's sins."
I see in the whole event here described, a short summary of what took place afterwards more fully at Gethsemane. There is a remarkable parallelism at every step.
(a) Does our Lord say here, " My soul is troubled"? Just so He said in Gethsemane, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, 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.)
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 will of a believer is to be able to say always, "Father, glorify Thy name in Me. Do with Me what Thou wilt, only glorify Thy name." The glory of God after all is the end for which all things were created. Paul's joyful hope, he told the Philippiaus, 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 much the same. For a time they forget everything but present pain. By and by they rise above their sufferings, and remember only God's glory.
[Then came there a voice from heaven.'] This voice was undoubtedly a great miracle. God the Father was heard speaking audibly with man's voice to the Son. Three t'mes in our Lord's ministry this miracle took place: first, at His baptism; secondly, at His transfiguration; thirdly, just before His crucifixion. Rarely has the voice of God been heard by large crowds of unconverted men. Here, at Mount Sinai, and perhaps at our Lord's baptism, are the only three occasions on record.
Of course we can no more explain this wonderful miracle than any other miracle in God's Word. We can only reverently believe and admire it. The intimate nearness of the Father to the Son, all through His ministry, is one of the many thoughts which may 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, common sense seems 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 voice from heaven. Burkitt also seems to think the same, and compares it to the thunder which accompanied 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 than it can possibly be made in our translation — admits, as Augustine says, of being interpreted two ways.
(a) It may be applied solely and entirely to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It would then be a special declaration of the Father to the Son: " I have glorified my name in Thy incarnation, 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 name in the victory Thou formerly didst obtain over Satan's temptation in the wilderness. I will glorify my name again, 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 declaration of the Father: "I have continually glorified my name in all the dispensations which 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 redemption."
Which of these views is the true one, I 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.
29. — [The people therefore, 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 some little distance, and were not listening very attentively, said it thundered. Others, who were standing close by, and paying great attention, declared that an invisible being, an angel, must have spoken. Both parties entirely agreed on one point. Something uncommon had happened. 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 must 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 a« 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.
80. — [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 Him and help Him,' but for their sakes,— to be a sign and a witness to them. The voice could tell Him nothing that He did not know. It was meant to show them what they did not know, or doubted. The sentence would be more literally rendered, " Not on account of Me was this voice, but on account of you." It was just one more 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 last a voice just before His crucifixion.
Augustine remarks: "Here Christ shows that his voice was not to make known to Him what He already knew, but to them to whom it was meet to be made known."
1. — [iYow is the judgment of this world.] This is undeniably a difficult saying. The difficulty lies principally in the meaning 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 our Lord'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 mean?
(6) Some, as Theophylact and Euthymius, think it means, "Now is the vengeance of this world." — "I will cast out him by whom the world has been enslaved." — I doubt this also.
(c) Some, as Zwingle, think that "judgment" means the discrimination or separation between the believing and the unbelieving in the world. (^Compare John ix. 39.)
(d) Some, as Calvin, Brentius, Beza, Bucer, Hutcheson, Flacius, andGualter, think that "judgment" means the reformation, or setting in right order of the world.
(/) Some, as Pearce, think it means, " Now is the Jewish world or nation about to be judged or condemned for rejecting Me."
(g) Some, as Bengel, think it means, "Now is the judgment concerning this world, as to who is hereafter to be the rightful possessor of it."
I take it that the word we render "judgment " can only mean condemnation, and that the meaning of the sentence is this: " Now has arrived the season when a sentence of condemnation shall be passed by my death on the whole order of things which has prevailed in the world since the creation. The world shall no longer be let alone, and left to the devil and the powers of darkness. I am about to spoil them of their dominion by my redeeming work, and to condemn and 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 crucifixion, the religious systems of the world shall receive a sentence of condemnation." This seems Bullinger and Rollock's view, and I agree with it.
In order to realize the full meaning of this sentence, we must call to mind the extraordinary condition of all the world, with the exception of Palestine, before Christ's death. To an extent of which now we can form no conception, it was a world without God, plunged iu idolatry, worshipping devils, — in open rebellion against God. (Compare 1 Cor. x. 20.) When Christ died, this order of things received its sentence of condemnation.
Bollock f ays: "I understand, by this judgment, the condemnation of that sin of which the world was so full when Christ came, and which had reigned from Adam to Moses." Of this undisturbed reign of idolatry Christ's advent made an 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 resurrection, through His blood shed for the remission of sins, thousands 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 members, under so great a Head. This it was that He called judgment."
[Now shall... prince of this world...cast out.'] In this remarkable sentence there can be no doubt that Satan is meant by the "prince of this world." Up to the time of our Lord's redeeming work, the entire world was in a certain sense completely under his dominion. 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 thousand years, because undisturbed. In a wonderful and mysterious manner Christ on the cross "spoiled principalities aud powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them." (Coloss. ii. 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 more. That will be done at the second advent, we know from Rev. xx.; but it was not clone at the first. It only means that he should be cast out of a large portion of the dominion, and power, and undisturbed 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 Satan carried his dominion over men's souls before the " kingdom of heaven " was set up. Bodily possession, familiar 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 not yet been cast out. He had a power over men's bodies and minds far greater than he has now. When Christ came to the cross He did battle with Satan, won a victory over him, stripped him of a large portion of his authority, and cast him out of a large portion of his dominion. 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 6uch expressions as " the prince of this world," is strange. How any one can scoff and think lightly of a being of such mighty power, is stranger still. The true Christian, however, may always take comfort in the thought that Satan is a vanquished enemy. He was stripped of a large part of his dominion at Christ's first advent. He is still "going to and fro,'- seeking whom he may devour; but he shall be completely bound at the second advent. (1 Pet. v. 8; Rom. xxvi. 20; Rev. xx. 2.)
The whole verse appears to me inexplicable, unless we receive aud hold the doctrine of Christ's death being an atonement and satisfaction for man'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-sacrifice 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 was the payment of man's debt, and the redemption of man's soul from the power of sin aud the 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 aud glorifying, throughout the whole world many a people would believe, within whose hearts the devil once was. whom wheu by faith they renounce, then is he cast out." He also says that what
formerly took place in a few hea:.*ts, like those of the patriarchs and prophets, or very few individuals, is now foretold as about to take place in many a great people.
Euthymius remarks, that as the first Adam by eating of the tree was cast out of Paradise, so the second Adam by dying on the tree cast the devil out of his usurped dominion 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 comes upon him and spoils him. (Luke xi. 21, 22.)
82. — [And I... lifted up... draw all men unto me.~\ In this remarkable verse our Lord plainly points to His own crucifixion, or being lifted up on the cross. It is the same expression that He used to Nicodemus: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." (John iii. 15.)
The promise, " I will draw all men unto Me," must, I think, meau that our Lord after His crucifixion would draw men of all nations and kindreds and tongues to Himself, 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 him. After Christ's crucifixion 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 crucified 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 salvation. We must not suppose them to mean that all men shall be actually saved by Christ's crucifixion, any more than we must suppose that Christ actually "lights" everyone iu the world. (See John i. 9.) The analogy of other texts shows \ plainly that the only reasonable sense is, that Christ's cruci- I fixion would have a " drawing " influence on men 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 same that is used in John vi. 44: " No man cau come to Me except the Father draw him." 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 Him and believe. The subjects of either " drawing " ar \ the same men and women, and the drawing in either case is irresistible. All who are drawn to believe are drawn both t y the Father and the Son. Without this drawing no one would ev er come to Christ.
The idea of some, 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 centurion.
S3. — [This he said...what death...die.'] This explanatory comment of St. John on our Lord's words is evidently intended to make His meaning plain. He spoke of " being lifted up " with a special reference to His being lifted up on the cross. — Of course it is just possible that the reference is to the drawing all men, and that it means, " 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 men." But I doubt this being so correct a view as the other.
It is curious that, in the face of this verse, some, as Bucerand Diodati, maintain that our Lord by " being lifted up," refers to His exaltation into heaven after His resurrection. They think that then, and 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 men. That "lifting up " means crucifixion is, in my judgment, plainly taught by John iii. 15.
34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abide th forever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
33 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walkcth in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children 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 the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believod 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 their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
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 For 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 uncleanness 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 congregations, 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 opportunities have not been buried in the ground?" — Such questions may well humble us, when we look, on one side, 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 have 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 on 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 hearers 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 wonderful things will ever convert souls. 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 new nature implanted in us by the Holy Ghost, will ever make us real disciples of Christ. Without this, a miracle might raise within us a little temporary excitement; but, the novelty once gone, we should find ourselves just as cold and unbelieving as 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 deceitfulness. Let us read our Bibles more attentively, and search their contents more carefully. Even when Christ wrought miracles and preached sermons, there were numbers 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 find 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, u Who hath believed? " (Isai. liii. 1.)
We may learn, 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; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, 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. Reason, 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 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 know they ought to come forward as decided Christians. They know that 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 societj^, 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 religion to be happy in the world, and clinging too much to the world to enjo}^ 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 daily 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.