should m live by him; the evangelist relates that

many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying, who can hear it ?" But "when Jesus" knew in himself," and not by human means, "that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?" Then you may be convinced how truly I asserted that I came down from heaven. It is the spiritual part, both in the teacher and hearer, that giveth life : the flesh, or body, profiteth nothing as a source of life even my oblation of my body on the cross will be of no avail, but to such as are duly influenced by considering the purposes which it serves: the words which I speak unto you, the truths which I teach and which I shall confirm by my death, are a lifegiving principle, and the source of eternal life in an "But honest and good heart sanctified by them.

Р

there are some of you that believe not.

r

For Jesus

knew from the beginning who they were that be

lieved not.

m So magnificent a promise as living by Christ, living for ever, having eternal life, and being raised up at the last day, v. 57, 54. cannot be given to eating and drinking bread and wine representing the flesh [or body] and blood of Christ in the Lord's supper. Such a promise can only be made to faith productive of good works. v. 61, 2, 3 . John vi. 64.

• v. 58, 51, 33.

P v. 68.

John xvii. 17.

58. as ap

In this difficult chapter, v. 51, 53-7. are explained by pears by the annexed promise of living for ever. But v. 58. is equivalent to v. 35. and v. 35. is explained by v. 40. where we should read ag for . Again v. 35. is parallel to v. 48. and v. 48. is expressed, without a figure, in v. 47. Observe that duru, will give, occurs v. 27; and Show, I will give, v. 51: whence it follows that Jesus had in view his

[When a certain man thus accosted him, "Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest," Jesus thus addressed his secret prejudices as to the temporal grandeur of the Messiah: "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head." Grotius observes that Christ paupertatem suam profitens ipsum hominis ulcus tetigit.

* Jesus wisely declined working a miracle for the woman of Canaan who implored his assistance to heal her daughter; because he "was a minister" of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." But when he rejected her importunity in the following strong proverbial form, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs," he made use of the expression to prove her faith, knowing that he should have an opportunity to commend and reward it.

W

doctrine sealed by his blood; which doctrine whosoever so imbibed and digested as to allow it a proper effect on his conduct, should have eternal life. By this highly figurative language, though carefully explained by him, Jesus checked the ardour of the multitude, . 15; and exercised the faith of his hearers, separating the worldly minded from the sincere. Randolph says, View, &c. p. 150, 151: "By giving his flesh for the life of the world, he plainly alludes to his passion; and by eating his flesh and drinking his blood, he means, as he himself hath explained it, v. 29, 35, 47. believing on him: though I doubt not but the words carry a farther allusion to the sacrament, which he should af terwards institute."

• See Randolph's View, &c. p. 185. * See Matt. viii. 7. John iv. 16. vi. 6.

u Rom. xv.

8.

w Matt. xv. 26,

a

'They that received the didrachm, annually given to the High Priest for the service of the temple, asked Peter in Capernaum whether Jesus did not submit to that tribute as well as other Jews. When Peter returned to the house where our Lord was, Jesus shewed his knowledge of this transaction by preventing Peter who was about to relate it, and intimated that as the Son of God, and as the lineal b descendant of David, he might plead an exemption from it.

d

At the same time, Jesus took another occasion of shewing that no remote or secret occurrence could be concealed from him. As they journied, the disciples had disputed among themselves which should be the greatest. Jesus saw the thought of their heart, asked them the subject of their debate, on their silence advanced this maxim, "If a man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all;" and when, conscious of a discovery, they still requested a decision of the point, taught them that the way to exaltation in his kingdom was to imitate the 'humility of children.

We read that the Pharisees and Chief Priests sent officers to take Jesus at the feast of tabernacles, about six months before his crucifixion. It is probable that our Lord, engaged in teaching the people, immediately diverted his discourse, and, with a piercing and

y Matt. xvii. 24, &c. Grot. and Diod. Sic. p.

a See

z In value about fifteen pence. 1082. 1. 80. and the note: ed. Wesseling. Perhaps this circumstance is introduced, because, immediately before, the disciples had been much depressed by our Lord's prophecy

of his death, v. 23.

• Mark ix. 35.

See Bishop Pearce.

f Mark ix. 33-7. and p. p.

d Luke ix. 47.

g

commanding look, addressed them to this effect: "My purpose is to continue with you only a short time my departure to him that sent me is at hand. The time of distress will come on you, when ye shall in vain h seek me as your deliverer: for I go whither ye cannot follow me." This reasoning against their covert design could not but create wonder and awe; and the discovery of their thoughts seems to be a principal reason why they declared at their return that "never man spake like this man."

k

"The' woman taken in adultery was brought before Jesus with a view to entrap him, that by a judicial decision he might declare himself a king. But Jesus wisely eluded their malice; knowing their heart."

* Zaccheus was a stranger to the person of Jesus; and therefore our Lord, by m selecting him from a great multitude to be his host, shewed an extraordinary knowledge of his character and good disposition towards him.

When certain proselytes to Judaism among the Asiatic Greeks desired to see Jesus, and Andrew and Philip informed him of it, we shall not rightly understand our Lord's " abrupt reply about the near approach and consequences of his death, and about the

8 Paraphrase of John vii. 33, 34.

h Matt. xxiv. 23.

i Dr. Clagett in his paraphrase on v. 33. says, “ When they were come, Jesus, knowing their business, thus spake unto them. It did without question startle the officers to hear our Saviour reflect so plainly upon the business for which they were sent ; this arguing him to be a prophet. Something like this we find 1 Kings xiv. 6. and John i. 48.

vii. 46.

viii. 3, &c.

k John

1 Locke's Reas. of Christianity, Svo. p. 60, ed. 1736. John

temporal danger of professing the gospel, unless we consider that he addresses himself to the prejudices of his hearers supernaturally known to him, and that he was rectifying their mistaken expectations of a splendid worldly kingdom shortly to be erected by him.

When our Lord's disciples reasoned among themselves about his declaration, "A P little while and ye shall see me, and again a little while and ye shall not see me, because I go to the Father;" when they said among themselves, "What is this that he saith unto us? we cannot tell what he saith;" Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and graciously solved those doubts which had passed among them apart from him, and which no mere man could have known : "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world and go to the Father." Upon which knowledge of their private reasonings his disciples made this declaration; "Now we are sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God."

St. John observes that Jesus ginning who should betray him.

knew from the be

And again: "He therefore said he

[when he was about to wash the feet of the disciples] Ye are clean, but not all."

* Judas had given a sign to the band who came with him to seize Jesus, "Whomsoever I shall kiss,

• See a like instance Luke xiv. 25, 6, &c. and, as Dr. Benson thinks, Luke ix. 57, 58. P John xvi. 17, &c. 9 John vi. 64. Mark xiv. 44.

* John xiii.