Expository Thoughts on the Gospels

81. — [Therefore, when...gone out, Jesus said.'] The withdrawal of Judas from the company of the disciples, at that point, forms a distinct break in the narrative. At once, from this time, our Lord seems to speak as one relieved by the absence of an uncongenial mind. There is a manifest alteration in the tone of all He says. It seems pitched in a higher key.

Bengel, at this point, interposes an entire interval of a night, and thinks that a new discourse begins here. It seems a needless view, and is very unnatural.

[Wow is the Son of Man glorified, etc., etc.] This is a deep Baying, and not least so because both the verbs are in the past tense. Literally rendered in each case, the verb should be " has been glorified." This is not an uncommon mode of speech. The glorification is so near, so certain, so complete, that it is spoken of as a thing accomplished, and even past. It was accomplished in purpose, and in a few hours would be accomplished in reality. (iSo John xvii. 4.) The meaning of our Lord may probably be paraphrased thus: " Now has the time come that I, the Son of Man, should be glorified, by actually dying as man's substitute, and shedding my blood for the sins of the world. Now has the time come that God the Father should receive the highest glory by my sacrifice on the cross."

Let it be noted that the Lord regards His own atoning death on the cross as the most glorious part of His work on earth; and that nothing so tends to glorify the Father's attributes of justice, holiness, mercy, and faithfulness to His promises, as the death of the Son.

Let it be noted that the Lord does not speak of His death as a punishment, or disgrace, or humiliation, but as an event most glorious, — glorifying both to Himself and to the Father. So Christians should learn to " glory in the cross."

If we do not take this view, and adhere to a strictly literal rendering of the verb glorified, as past, as Hengstenberg does, we must suppose it to mean, " Now at last, by my perfect righteousness in life and willingness to suffer in death, I, the Son of man, have received glory, and my Fatlier at the same time has received glory through Me." But the other interpretation, taking the past tense for the present or future, is better. "The sacrifice has begun. The last act of my redeeming work, — specially glorifying myself and my Father, — has actually commenced or is commencing."

Augustine and Ecolampadius hold that the expression, " Now is the Son of Man glorified," has a special reference to the glory which surrounds our Lord when the wicked are all put away from Him, and He is attended only by saints. This peculiar glory was on Him when Judas Iscariot went out, and left Him and His faithful disciples alone.

32. — [If God be glorified in 7iim, etc.] This verse may be paraphrased as follows: " If God the Father be specially glorified in all His attributes by my death, He shall proceed at once to place special glory on Me, for my personal work, and shall do it without delay, by raising Me from the dead, and placing Me at His right hand." It is like the famous passage in Philippians: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him." It is the same idea that we have in the seventeenth chapter more fully: " I have glorified Thee on the earth; — now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self." (Phil. ii. 9; John xvii, 5.)

If the Son, on the one hand, specially glorifies the Father's attributes of holiness, justice, and mercy, by satisfying all His demands with His own precious blood on the cross, so, on the other hand, the Father specially glorifies the Son, by exalting Him above all Kings, raising Him from the dead, and giving Him a name above every name.

*' In Himself" must refer to that special and peculiar glory which, in the counsels of the blessed Trinity, is conferred on the Second Person, on account of His incarnation, cross, and passion.

It is hardly needful to remind Christians that " if " does not imply any doubtfulness, but is rather equivalent to " since " as in Coloss. iii. 1: "If ye then be risen with Christ."

If any one wishes to adhere rigidly to the past tense in the first " glorified " of this verse, it undoubtedly makes excellent meaning. " If God the Father has been glorified on the earth by my life and perfect obedience to His law, He will also glorify Me in my own person, by raising Me from the dead, and placing Me at His own right hand, and that very soon." But I doubt this being the full meaning, for the reasons given in the preceding verse.

The perfect harmony and co-operation of the Persons in the blessed Trinity shine out here. The Son glorifies the Father, and the Father glorifies the Son, The Son shows the world by His death how holy and just is the Father, and how He hates sin. The Father shows the world, by raising and exalting the Son to glory, how He delights in the redemption for sinners which the Son has accomplished.

Chrysostom thinks, that " straightway glorify Him " must refer to the special signs and wonders which appeared from the very time that our Lord was on the cross. " So the sun was darkened, the rocks rent, the veil of the temple parted, many bodies of the saints arose, the tomb had its seal, the guards sat by, and while a stone lay on the grave, the body rose."

Musculus remarks, that here you have the great principle asserted which is always true: " Those who glorify God shall be glorified by God."

33. — [Little children.'] This is the only time our Lord ever calls His disciples by this name. It was evidently a term of atFection and compassion, like the language of a father speaking to children whom he is about to leave alone as orphans in the world. " My believing followers, whom I love and regard as my children."

Observe that the expression is not used till Judas has gone away. Unbelievers are not to be addressed as Christ's children.

[Yet a little wMle 1 am with you.] This seems to mean, " I am only staying a very little longer with you. The time is short. The hour approaches when we must part. Give me your best attention while I talk to you for the last time before I go."

[Ye sJiall seek Me.] It is not quite clear what this means. Of course it cannot refer to the time after the resurrection, when the disciples were fully convinced that " the Lord had risen." Much less can it refer to the time after the ascension. I can only suppose it means, " After my death ye shall be perplexed, amazed, and confounded for a little season, wanting Me, seeking Me, wishing for Me, and wondering where I am gone. The very moment the little child is left alone by mother or nurse, it begins to cry after her and want her. So will it be with you." ^

[And as 1 said unto the Jews, etc.] This sentence can only mean, " The words that I said to the Jews will soon apply to you also, though in a very different sense. Whither I am going you cannot follow Me. You will follow Me hereafter; but at present there is a gulf between us, and you will not see Me."

Of course the words applied to the Jews meant that Jesus was going to a place where spiritually and morally the Jews were unfit to go, and in their impenitent state could not go. The words applied to the disciples only meant that Jesus was going into a world where they could not follow Him till they died. They were remaining on earth, and He was going to heaven.

Hengstenberg observes, that this is the only place in which Jesus ever spoke to His disciples concerning " the Jews." Elsewhere He uses the expression in speaking to the Samaritan woman (John iv. 22) and before Caiaphas and Pilate.

34. — [A new commandment, etc.] The immense importance of Christian love or charity cannot possibly be shown more strikingly than by the way that it is urged on the disciples in this place. Here is our Lord leaving the world, speaking for the last tim.e, and giving His last charge to His disciples. The very first subject He takes up and presses on them, is the great duty of loving one another, and that with no common love; but after the same patient, tender, unwearied manner that He has loved them. Love must needs be a very rare and important grace to be so spoken of I The want of it must needs be a plain proof that a man is no true disciple of Christ. How vast the extent of Christian love ought to be! The measure and standard of it is the love wherewith Christ loved us. His was a love even to death.

Melancthon points out our Lord's great desire to promote unity and concord among professing Christians, by His dwelling so much on love before He left the world.

WIiv did our Lord call love a " new " commandment? Tliis is a rather difficult question, and has called forth great variety of opinions. One thing only is very clear. Jesus did not mean to say that " love " was a grace peculiar to the Gospel, and was nowhere taught in the law of Moses. To say this, is a mark of great ignorance. The point is set at rest by the words in Lev. xix. 18: " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." What then does this word " new " mean?

Some think, as Chrysostom, that our Lord refers to the degree with which Christians should love, — even as He had loved them. This was a new and higher standard than had been yet known. Hitherto, as Cyril says, men were to love others as themselves. Now they were to love them more than themselves.— Some think that our Lord refers to the great duty of Christians to love one another, aad cling to one another with a special and peculiar love, over and above the love they had generally to all mankind. This was in a sense a novelty. — Some think that our Lord only meant that He renewed and recreated the great law of love, and raised it to so much higher a position than it had ever held among the Jews, that it might be truly called a " new commandment." The parable of the good Samaritan shows how little the Jews realized the duty of loving their neighbors. He had in view the utter neglect into which the law of love had fallen among Jewish teachers like the Pharisees, and like Isaac digging the earth out of the old well, would give the law a second beginning, as if it were new.

Perhaps there is something in each and all of these views. One thing is very certain: nothing could exalt the value of love so highly as to call it a " new commandment."

Scott observes that the law of love to others " was now to be

explained with new clearness, enforced by new motives and obligations, illustrated by a new example, and obeyed in a new manner.

85. — [Bi/ this shall all men know, etc.] There can be no mistake about these words. Love was to be the grand characteristic, the distinguishing mark of Christ's disciples.

Let us note that our Lord does not name gifts, or miracles, or intellectual attainments, but love, the simple grace of love, a grace within reach of the poorest, lowliest believer, as the evidence of disciple ship. No love, no grace, no regeneration, no true Christianity!

Musculus observes, with withering scorn, how little likeness there is between our Lord's mark of discipleship, and the dresses, beads, fastings, and self-imposed austerities of the Church of Rome.

Let us note what a heavy condemnation this verse pronounces on sectarianism, bigotry, narrow-mindedness, party-spirit, strife, bitterness, needless controversy between Christian and Christian.

Let us note how far from satisfactory is the state of those who are content with sound doctrinal opinions, and orthodox correct views of the Gospel, while in their daily life they give way to ill-temper, ill-nature, malice, envy, quarrelling, squabbling, bickering, surliness, passion, snappish language, and crossness of word and manner. Such persons, whether they know it or not, -are daily proclaiming thaf, they are not Christ's disciples. It is nonsense to talk about justification, and regeneration, and election, and conversion, and the uselessness of works, unless people can see in us practical Christian love.

Whitby remarks that in the primitive ages the mutual love of Christians was notorious among heathens. " See how these Christians love one another," was a common saying, according to Tertullian, Even Julian the apostate proposed them to the heathen as a pattern in this respect.

3G. — [Simon Peter...Lord, whitJier goest Thou.?] Here as elsewhere, the forward, impulsive spirit of Peter prompts him to ask anxiously what our Lord meant by talking of going: " Whither goest Thou? " Can we doubt however that in this question he was the spokesman of all?

How very little the disciples had ever comprehended our Lord's repeated saying that He must be taken prisoner, crucified, and die, we see in this place. Often as He had told them He must die, they had never realized it, and are startled when He talks of going away, it is marvellous how much religious teaching men may have, and yet not take it in, receive, or believe it, especially when it contradicts preconceived notions.

[Jesus answered Mm, etc.] Our Lord graciously explains here a part of His meaning. He does not explicitly tell Peter where He is going; but He tells him He is going to a place where Peter cannot follow Him now during his lifetime, but will follow Him after his death, at a future date. It is not unlikely, as Cyril observes, that these words, " Thou shalt follow Me," pointed to the manner of Peter's death by crucifixion. He was to walk in his Master's steps, and enter heaven by the same road.

37. — Peter said... Lord, why...follow 'fliee now, etc.] This question shows how little Peter realized what our Lord fully meant, and the nearness of His death on the cross. " Why cannot I follow Thee now? Where is the place Thou art going to on earth, where I am not willing and ready to follow Thee? I love Thee BO much, and am so determined to cling to Thee, that I am ready to lay down my life rather than be separate from Thee."

These words were well meant, and Peter never doubted, perhaps, that lie could stand to tliem. But he did not know his own heart. There was more feeling than principle in his declaration. He did not see all that was in himself.

Let us note the mischief of self ignorance. Let us pray for humility. Let us beware of over-confidence in our own courage and steadfastness. Pride goeth before a fall.

i. — [Jesus answered 7dm, Wilt thou, etc.] Our Lord's meaning appears to be, " Wilt thou really and truly lay down thy life for Me? Thou little knowest thy own weakness and feebleness. I tell thee in the most solemn answer, that this very night, before the cock crow, before sunrise, thou, even thou, wilt deny tliree times that thou knowest Me. So far from laying down thy life, thou wilt try to save thy life by cowardly denying that thou hast anything to do with Me."

Let us note the wonderful foreknowledge of our Lord. What an unlikely thing it seemed that such a professor should fall so far and so soon. Yet our Lord foresaw it all!

Let us note the wonderful kindness and condescension of Jesus. He knew perfectly well the weakness and feebleness of His chief disciple, and yet never rejected him, and even raised him again after his fall. Christians should be men of very pitiful and tender feelings toward weak brethren. Their inconsistencies may be very great and provoking, but we must never forget our Lord's dealing with Simon Peter.

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In ray father's house are many mausions: if it were not so, I would

have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself: that where I am, there ye may be also.

The three verses we have now read are rich in precious truth. For eighteen centuries they have been peculiarly dear to Christ's believing servants in every part of the world. Many are the sick rooms which they have lightened! Many are the dying hearts which they have cheered! Let us see what they contain.

We have, first, in this passage a precious remedy against an old disease. That disease is trouble of heart. That remedy is faith.

Heart-trouble is the commonest thing in the world. No rank, or class, or condition is exempt from it. No bars, or bolts, or locks can keep it out. Partly from inward causes and partly from outward, — partly from the body and partly from the mind, — partly from what we love and partly from what we fear, the journey of life is full of trouble. Even the best of Christiana have many bitter cups to drink between grace and gloly. Even the holiest saints find the world a vale of tears.

Faith in the Lord Jesus is the only sure medicine for troubled hearts. To believe more thoroughly, trust more entirely, rest more unreservedly, lay hold more firmly, lean back more completely, — this is the prescription which our Master urges on the attention of all His disciples. No doubt the members of that little band which sat round the table at the last supper, had believed already. They had proved the reality of their faith by giving up everything for Christ's sake. Yet what does their Lord say to them here? Once more He presses on them the old lesson, the lesson with which they first began: " Believe! Believe more! Believe on Me! " (Isai. xxvi. 3.)

Never let us forget that there are degrees in faith, and that there is a wide difference between weak and strong believers. The weakest faith is enough to give a man a saving interest in Christ, and ought not to be despised, but it will not give a man such inward comfort as a strong faith. Vagueness and dimness of perception are the defect of weak believers. They do not see clearly what they believe and why they believe. In such cases more faith is the one thing needed. Like Peter on the water, they need to look more steadily at Jesus, and less at. the waves and wind. Is it not written,

" Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee"? (Isai. xxvi. 3.)

"We have, secondly, in this passage a very comfortable account of heaven^ or the future abode of saints. It is but little that we understand about heaven while we are here in the body, and that little is generally taught us in the Bible by negatives much more than positives. But here, at any rate, there are some plain things.

Heaven is " a Father's house," — the house of that God of whom Jesus says, " I go to my Father, and your Father." It is, in a word, home: the home of Christ and Christians. This is a sweet and touching expression. Home, as we all know, is the place where we are generally loved for our own sakes, and not for our gifts or possessions; the place where we are loved to the end, never forgotten, and always welcome. This is one idea of heaven. Believers are in a strange land and at school in this life. In the life to come they will be at home.

Heaven is a place of " mansions," — of lasting, permanent, and eternal dwellings. Here in the body we are in lodgings, tents, and tabernacles, and must submit to many changes. In heaven we shall be settled at last, and go out no more. " Here "we have no continuing city." (Heb. xiii. 14.) Our house not made with hands shall never be taken down.

Heaven is a place of " many mansions," There will be room for all believers and room for all sorts, for little saints as well as great ones, for the weakest believer as well as for the strongest. The feeblest child of God need not fear there will be no place for him. None will be shut out but impenitent sinners and obstinate unbelievers.

Heaven is a place where Christ Himself shall be present. He will not be content to dwell without His people: — " Where I am, there ye shall be also." We need not think that we shall be alone and neglected. Our Saviour, — our elder Brother, — our Redeemer, who loved us and gave Himself for us, shall be in the midst of us forever. What we shall see, and whom we shall see in heaven, we cannot fully conceive yet, while we are in the body. But one thing is certain: we shall see Christ.

Let these things sink down into our minds. To the worldly and careless they may seem nothing at all. To all who feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of God they are full of unspeakable comfort. If we ho2:)e to be in heaven it is pleasant to know what heaven is like.

We have, lastly, in this passage a solid ground for expectinq good things to come. The evil heart of unbelief within us is apt to rob us of our comfort about heaven. " We wish we could think it was all true." — " We fear we shall never be admitted into heaven." — Let us hear what Jesus says to encourage us.

One cheering word is this, — " I go to prepare a place for you." Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people: a place which we shall find Christ Himself has made ready for true Christians. He has prepared it by procuring a right for every sinner who believes to enter in. None' can stop us, and say we have no business there. — He has prepared it by going before us as our Head and Representative, and taking possession of it for all the members of His mystical body. As our Forerunner He has marched in, leading captivity captive, and has planted His banner in the land of glory. — He has prepared it by carrying our names with Him as our High Priest into the holy of holies, and making angels ready to receive us. They that enter heaven will find they arc neither unknown nor unexpected.

Another cheering word is this, — " I will come again and receive you unto myself." Christ will not wait for believers to come uj) to Him, but will come down to them, to raise them from their graves and escort them to their heavenly home. As Joseph came to meet Jacob, so will Jesus come to call His people togetliei and guide them to their inheritance. The second advent ought never to be forgotten. Great is the blessedness of looking back to Christ coming the first time to suffer for us, but no less great is the comfort of looking forward to Christ coming the second time, to raise and reward His saints.

Let us leave the whole passage with solemnized feelings and serious self-examination. How much they miss who live in a dying world and yet know nothing of God as their Father and Christ as their Saviour! How much they possess wlio live tlie life of faith in the Son of God, and believe in Jesus! With all their weaknesses and crosses they have that which the world can neither give nor take away. They have a true Friend while they live, and a true home when they die.

1. — [Let not...7ieart...be troubled.'] We must carefully remember that there is no break between the end of the thirteenth and beginning of the fourteenth chapters. Our Lord is continuing the discourse He began after the Lord's Supper and the departure of Judas, in the presence of the eleven faithful disciples. A slight pause there certainly seems to be, since lie turns from Peter, to whom He had been speaking individually, to the whole body of the Apostles, and addresses them collectively. But the place, the time, and tlie audience are all one.

Our liord's great object throughout this and the two following chapters seems clear and plain. He desired to comfort, etablish, and build up His downcast disciples. He saw their " hearts were troul>led " from a variety of causes, — partly by seeing their Master "troubled in Spirit" (xiii. 21), — ])artly by hearing that one of them should betray Him, — partly by the mysterious departure of Judas, — partly by their Master's announcement tliat He sliould only be a little time longer with them, and that at last they could not come with Him, — and partly by the warning addressed to Peter, that he would deny his Master thrice. For all these reasons this little company of weak believers was disquieted and cast down and anxious. Their gracious Master saw it, and proceeded to give them encouragement: " Let not your heart be troubled." It will be noted that He uses the singular number " your heart," not " your hearts." He means " the heart of any one of you."

Hengstenberg gives the following list of the grounds of comfort which the chapter contains, in systematic order, which well deserves attention, (a) The first encouragement is, that to the disciples of Christ heaven is sure (v. 3, 3). (6) The second encouragement is, that disciples have in Christ a certain way to heaven (v. 4 — 11). (c) The third encouragement is, that disciples need not fear that with the departure of Christ His work will cease (v. 12 — 14). {d) The fourth encouragement is, that in the absence of Christ disciples will have the help of the Spirit (v. 15 — 17). (e) The fifth encouragement is, that Christ will not leave His people for ever, but will come back again (v. 18 — 24). (/) The sixth encouragement is, that the Spirit will teach the disciples and supply their want of understanding when left alone (v. 25, 26). (g) Finally, the seventh encouragement is, that the legacy of peace will be left to cheer them in their Master's absence (v. 27.) These seven points are well worthy the attention of all believers in every age, and are as useful now as when first pressed on the eleven.

Lightfoot thinks one principal cause of the disciples' trouble, was their disappointment at seeing their Jewish expectations of a temporal kingdom under a temporal Messiah failing and coming to an end.

[Ye belieDe...Ood...delieve...Me.] The Gospel words rendered " Ye believe," and " believe," in this place, admit of being differently translated; and it is impossible to say certainly whether our English version is right. Some, as Luther, think both words should be indicative: " ye believe and ye believe." Some think both should be imperative: " believe and believe." My own opinion is decided, tliat the English version is right. It seems to me to express exactly the state of mind in which the disciples were. They did, as pious Jews, believe in God already. They needed, as young Christians, to be taught to believe more thoroughly in Christ.

Among those who think that both verbs are imperative are Cyril, Augustine, Lampe, Stier, Hengstenberg, and Alford. Among those who adhere to our English version, and make the first " believe " indicative, and the second imperative, are Erasmus, Beza, Grotius, and Olshausen.

Let us note that faith, and specially more strong and distinct faith in Christ, is the truest remedy for trouble of heart. But we must never forget that true faith admits of gro-wth and degrees. There is a wide gulf between little and great faith.

Ferus remarks that our Lord does not say " Believe my divinity," but. Believe personally in Me.

Toletus observes that our Lord here teaches that Jewish faith was somewhat distinct from Christian faith. The Jew, not seeing clearly the Trinity, dwelt chiefly on the unity of God. The Christian was intended to see three Persons in the Godhead.

Wordsworth remarks that the verb " to believe," followed by a preposition and an accusative, is never applied to any but God in the New Testament.

2. — [In my Father's housed This phrase can bear only one meaning. It is my Father's house in Heaven: an expression accommodated to our weakness. God needs no literal house, with walls and roof, as we do. But where He dwells is called His house. (See Deut. xxvi. 15; Psalm xxxiii. 14; 2 Chron, xxxviii. 27; 2 Cor. v. 1.) There is something very touching and comforting in the thought that the heaven we go to is " our Father's house." It is home.

[There are many mansions.'] The word rendered " mansions " means literally " abiding-places." It is only used here, and in the twenty-third verse of this chapter, " abode." We need not doubt that there is an intentional contrast between the un changing, unvarying house in heaven, and the changing, uncer tain, dwellings of this world. Here we are ever moving: there we shall no more go out. (See also Heb. xiii. 14.)

Our Lord's intention seems to be to comfort His disciples by the thought that nothing could cast them out of the heavenly house. They might be left alone by Him on earth; they might be even cast out of the Jewish Church, and find no restingplace or refuge on earth; but there would be always room enough for them in heaven, and a house from which they would never be expelled. " Fear not. There is room enough in heaven."

Chrysostom, Augustine, and several other ancient writers think the " many mansions " mean the degrees of glory. But the argument in favor of the idea does not appear to me satisfactory. Bishop Bull, Wordsworth, and some few modern writers take the same view. That there are degrees of glory in heaven is undoubtedly true, but I do not think it is the truth of this text.

The modern idea, that our Lord meant that lieaven was a place for all sorts of creeds and religions, seems utterly unwarranted by the text. From the whole context He is evidently speaking for the special comfort of Christians.

Lightfoot's idea, that our Lord meant to teach the passing away of the Jewish economy, and the admission of all nations into heaven by faith in Christ, seems fanciful.

[7/* it were not so...told you.] This is a gracious way of assuring the disciples that they might have confidence that what their Lord said was true. It is the tender manner of a parent speaking to a child. " Do not be afraid because I am leaving you. There is plenty of room for you in heaven. You will get there safe at last. If there was the least uncertainty about it, I would tell you." We may remember that our Lord called the Apostles " little children " only a few minutes before. (John xiii. 33.)

[I go...prepare...place...you.l This sentence is meant to be another ground of comfort. One of the reasons why our Lord went away. He says, was to get ready a dwelling-place for His disciples. It is like the expression in the Hebrews, " the forerunner." (Heb. vi. 20; see also Num. x, 33.)

The manner in which Christ prepares a place for His people is mysterious and yet not inexplicable. He enters heaven as their High Priest, presenting the merit of his sacrifice for their sins. He removes all barriers that sin made between them and God. He appears as their proxy and representative, and claims a right of entry for all His believing members. He intercedes continually for them at God's right hand; and makes them always acceptable in Himself, though unworthy in themselves. He bears their names mystically, as the High Priest, on His breast; and introduces them to the court of heaven before they get there.

That heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people is a very cheering and animating thought. When we arrive there we shall not be in a strange land. We shall find we have been known and thought of before we got there.

8. — [And if I go...come again...receive...myself.] These words contain another strong consolation. Our Lord tells the disciples that if He does go away, they must not think it is forever. He means to come again and take them all home, and gather them round Him in one united family to part no more.

Poole remarks " the particle ' if ' in this place denotes no uncertainty of the thing, but hath the force of although, or after that." (See also Col. iii. 1.)

Many think, as Stier, that the " coming again " here spoken of means Christ's coming to His disciples after His resurrection, or Christ's coming spiritually to His people in comfort and help even now, or Christ's coming to remove them at last by death, I cannot think so. I believe that, as a rule, when Christ speaks of coming again, both here and elsewhere, He means His own personal second advent at the end of this dis- pensation. Tlie Greek word rendered " I will come," is in the present tense, and the same that is used Id Rev. xxii, 20: " I come quickly." The first and second advents are the two great events to which the minds of all Christians should be directed. This is Cvril's view of the passage, and Bishop Hall's.

{That loliere I am...ye...also.] Here is one more comfort. The final end of Christ's going away and coming again is, that at last His disciples may be once more with Him, and enjoy His company forever. " We part; but we shall meet again, and part no more."

Let us note that one of the simplest, plainest ideas of heaven is here. It is being " ever with the Lord." Whatever else we see or do not see in heaven, we shall see Christ. Whatever kind of a place, it is a place where Christ is. (Phil. i. 23. 1 Thess. iv. 17.)

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man Cometh unto the Father, but by me.

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth

9 Jesus saith unto him. Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou thenj Show us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwellethiu me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works'

We should mark in these verses hoio much better Jesus speaks of believers than they speak of themselves. He says to His disciples, "Ye know whither I go, and ye know the way." And yet Thomas at once breaks in with the remark, " We know neither the whither nor the way." The apparent contradiction demands explanation It is more seeming than real.

Certainly, in one point of view, the knowledge of the disciples was very small. They knew little before the crucifixion and resurrection compared to what they might have known, and little compared to what they afterwards knew after the day of Pentecost. About our Lord's purpose in coming into the world, about His sacrificial death and substitution for us on the cross, their ignorance was glaring and great. It might well be said, that they " knew in part " only, and were children in understanding.

And yet, in another point of view, the knowledge of the disciples was very great. They knew far more than the great majority of the Jewish nation, and received truths which the Scribes and Pharisees entirely rejected. Compared to the world around them, they were in the highest sense enlightened. They knew and believed that their Master was the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God; and to know Him was the first step towards heaven. All things go by comparison. Before we lightly esteem the disciples because of their ignorance, let us take care that we do not underrate their knowledge. They knew more precious truth than they were aware of themselves. Their hearts were better than their heads.

The plain truth is, that all believers are apt to undervalue the work of the Spirit in their own souls, and to fancy they know nothing because they do not know everything. Many true Christians are thought more of in heaven while they live than they think of themselves, and will find it out to their surprise at the last day. There is One above who takes far more account of heartknowledge than head-knowledge. Many go mourning all the way to heaven because they know so little, and fancy they will miss the way altogether, and yet have hearts with whicli God is well pleased.

We should mark, secondly, in these verses, what glorious names the Lord Jesus gives Himself. He says,

"I am the way, the trutli, and the life." The fulness of these precious words can probably never be taken in by man. He that attempts to unfold them does little more than scratch tlie surface of a rich soil.

Christ is " the way," — the way to heaven and peace with God. He is not only the guide, and teacher, and lawgiver, like Moses; He is Himself the door, the ladder, and the road, through whom we must draw near to God. He has opened the way to the tree of life, which was closed when Adam and Eve fell, by the satisfaction He made for us on the cross. Through His blood we may draw near with boldness, and have access with confidence into God's presence.

Christ is " the truth," — the whole substance of true religion which the mind of man requires. Without Him the wisest heathen groped in gross darkness and knew nothing about God. Before He came even the Jews saw " through a glass darkly," and discerned nothing distinctly under the types, figures, and ceremonies of the Mosaic law. Christ is the whole truth, and meets and satisfies every desire of the human mind.

Christ is " the life," — the sinner's title to eternal life and pardon, the believer's root of spiritual life and holiness, the surety of the Christian's resurrection life. He that believeth on Christ hath everlasting life. He that abideth in Him, as the branch abides in the vine, shall bring forth much fruit. He that believeth on Him, though he were dead, yet shall he live. The root of all life, for soul and for body, is Christ.

Forever let us grasp and hold fast these truths. To use Christ daily as the way, — ^to believe Christ daily as the truth, — to live on Christ daily as the life, — this is to be a well-informed, a thoroughly furnished and an established Christian.

pressly the Lord Jesus shuts out all ways of salvation hut Himself. " No man," He declares, " No man cometh unto the Father but by Me."

It avails nothing that a man is clever, learned, highlygifted, amiable, charitable, kind-hearted, and zealous about some sort of religion. All this will not save his soul if he does not draw near to God by Christ's atonement, and make use of God's own Son as his Mediator and Saviour. God is so holy that all men are guilty and debtors in His sight. Sin is so sinful that no mortal man can make satisfaction for it. There must be a mediator, a ransom-payer, a redeemer, between ourselves and God, or else we can never be saved. There is only one door, one bridge, one ladder, between earth and heaven, — the crucified Son of God. Whosoever will enter in by that door may be saved; but to him who refuses to use that door the Bible holds out no hope at all. Without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Let us beware, if we love life, of supposing that mere earnestness will take a man to heaven, though he know nothing of Christ. The idea is a deadly and ruinous error. Sincerity will never wipe away our sins. It is not true that every man will be saved by his own religion, no matter what he believes, so long as he is diligent and sincere. We must not pretend to be wiser than God. Christ has said, and Christ will stand to it, " No man cometh unto the Father but by Me."

We should mark, lastly, in these verses, how close and mysterious is the union of God the Father and God the Son. Four times over this mighty truth is put before us in words that cannot be mistaken. " If ye had known Me, ye would have known my Father." — " He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." — " I am in the Father, and the Father in Me." — "The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works."

Sayings like these are full of deep mystery. We have no eyes to see their meaning fully, — no line to fathom it, — no language to express it, — no mind to take it in. We must be content to believe when we cannot explain, and to admire and revere when we cannot interpret. Let it suffice us to know and hold that the Father is God and the Son is God, and yet that they are one in essence though two distinct Persons, — ineflably one, and yet ineffiibly distinct. These are high things, and we cannot attain to a full comprehension of them.

Let us however take comfort in the simple truth, that Christ is very God of very God; equal with the Father in all things, and One with Him. He who loved us, and shed His blood for us on the cross, and bids us trust Him for pardon, is no mere man like ourselves. He is " God over all, blessed for ever," and able to save to the uttermost the chief of sinners. Though our sins be as scarlet, He can make them white as snow. He that casts his soul on Christ has an Almighty Friend, — a Friend who is One with the Father, and very God.