HOMILETIC GLANCES AT THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.

[As our purpose in the treatment of this Gospel is purely the development, in the briefest and most suggestive form of Sermonic Outlines, we must refer our leaders to the following works for all critical inquiries into the author and authorship of the book, and lso for any minute criticisms on difficult clauses. The works we shall especially consult are:-"Introduction to New Testament," by Bleek; "Commentary on Johu," by Tholuck; "Commentary on John," by Hengstenberg; "Introduction to the Study of the Gospels," by Westcott; "The Gospel History," by Ebrard; "Our Lord's Divinity," by Liddon; St. John's Gospel," by Oosterzee; Doctrine of the Person of Christ," by Dorner, Lange, Sears, Farrer, etc., etc.]

No. CXXV.

The Apostolic Community.

GAVEST ME," &c.-John xvii. 6-8.*

"I manifested Thy name unto the men whom Thou gavest me out of the world: Thine they were and Thou gavest them to me, and they have kept Thy word. Now they know that all things whatsoever Thou hast given me are from Thee for the words which Thou gavest me I have given unto them, and they received them and knew of a truth that I came forth from Thee, and they believed that Thou didst send me."-Revised Version.

all things, and needest not that any man should ask Thee" (chap. xvi. 30). He acknowledges their faith, feeble as it was.

Ver. 8. "For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send me." From their perception of the absolutely divine character of His word, they had risen to that of the divine origin of His person and of His mission. These sayings also breathe that sentiment of inward joy and lively gratitude which Jesus had

but a few moments since ex-
perienced; for it was but
quite recently that the glori-
ous result for which He gave
thanks to His Father had
been obtained (xvi. 29-31).
The harvest seemed un-
doubtedly scanty: eleven
Galilean peasants after three
years' labour ! But it is
enough for Jesus, for in these
eleven He beholds the pledge
of the continuance of God's
work upon earth.
"They
have received," upon
upon the
authority of My testimony;
"they have known" by their
Own moral discernment;

HOMILETICS :-Christ here states two great facts in relation to the apostolic community, the college or training school which He had established for the diffusion of His doctrines and Spirit. A school infinitely superior to the schools established by Epicurus or Zeno, or by any other philosopher of ancient or modern times. He states the fact

I. That THEY WERE GIVEN TO HIM BY THE FATHER. "I have manifested Thy name unto the men whom Thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and Thou gavest them me." What is the meaning of these words? The answer by a certain-and, alas, a popular school of theology, is that far back in the "counsels of eternity (as the phrase is) the Absolute One gave over to Christ a certain number of human souls to be saved, on the

condition that He would become their Substitute, and endure all the penalties attached to the laws which they had broken. This is called the covenant of redemption. I confess that such a covenant I have been unable to discover in any part of the sacred writings, and it seems to me derogatory to the Infinite Father of souls, who Himself is love. It is a mere theological fiction, a fiction, I fear, that has wrought immeasurable spiritual mischief. Whatever is meant by God giving men to Christ, it cannot mean the three following things:

FIRST It cannot mean that men are so given to Christ as to interfere in any measure with their perfect freedom as responsible beings. To give a man is to give a being whose very essence is freedom. Take away his liberty of action, and you take away his humanity; and at best he is a mere animated machine, he is not a man. SECONDLY: It cannot mean that men are so given to Christ as to lessen to the smallest extent God's claim upon them. When we, in good faith, bestow any object unconditionally on another, we sink our claim to it; the thing given is no longer ours, it is the property of the recipient. God's claim to the supreme love and service of all moral intelligences can neither be abrogated or lessened. THIRDLY: It cannot mean that men are given to Christ in such a way as to render their salvation absolutely certain. The expression-"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me," has been so interpreted as to favour this absurdity. If the Father has given them to Christ they shall come to Him, it matters not where they live, when they live, or how they live; they shall come. But the very language of Christ in the context shows that such an idea as this is inadmissible to the last

degree. If their salvation is certain, why does Christ here pray for them? Why does He say, "Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given me?" Moreover, why does He say that Judas, who had been given Him, was lost, and had become the "son of perdition?" Denying all these ideas, I can attach a sublimely impressive meaning to these words; Christ, as the Model of piety, ascribes everything He has to His Father. It is the instinct of piety to trace all things up to the primal source-God. Indeed, even sufferings He regarded as the gift of God. The political power of Pilate to condemn Him He regarded as the gift of God. "Thou couldst have no power to condemn me, except my Father gave it." The cup of suffering He drank in the garden of Gethsemane He traced up to His Father as His gift. "The cup which my Father has given me shall I not drink ?"

Christ traced everything, but sin, up to the Father. He says, "All things are given unto me, "" All power is given unto me." Piety always does this. A Church has been deprived of its minister, another has come to occupy his place whom the Church considers pre-eminently suitable, the piety of the Church says God has given us another pastor. A godly man is in great distress, a man visits him in his sufferings who heartily sympathises with him, alleviates his anguish, and removes his burden, and he says, God has given me a friend. The words of Christ must, therefore, be taken not as the language of theology, but as the natural expression of the highest piety. "God is all in all."

Christ states the fact

II. THAT THEY ARE BELIEVERS IN THE FATHER THROUGH

HIM.

"They have believed that Thou didst send me."

First They believed in the Father so as to obey His will. "And they have kept Thy word." "Though it is still necessary that they should be sifted, they have stood the main test, and have not suffered themselves to be entangled in the apostacy of Judas. To Christ's eyes they do already issue victorious out of temptation (see chap. viii. 51)."-Lange. Secondly: They believed in the Father so as to accept Christ as His Messenger. "For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send me." They were led to regard Christ as the Administrator of the Father's blessings and the Revealer of the Father's character. Through Christ they heard the Father, they saw the Father. "Have known surely that I came out from Thee." They were thoroughly convinced of this fact.

CONCLUSION-Profoundly interesting are those facts connected with the members of that training school which Christ established, a school which teaches the sublimest doctrines which can engage the thoughts of men, and the most elevated ethics, congruous at once with reason and with conscience; ethics embodied in a spotless life. Oh! that all men were disciples in this school! "There is but one apostolic Christianity, and none besides; whoso will not have that has none. That unity of the Father and Son is, therefore, not simply a type, but a true and effective cause of the oneness of Christianity. If the Church of Christ stood forth as a harmonious community of brethren, where nought but order and love ruled, it would be so unique a phenomenon that every one would be forced to acknowledge that here was divine work. All doubts as to, and accusations against, Christianity must perforce hold their peace." -Heubner.