true nature and character of God, and the way of approach to his mercy seat; or to see the true nature of christian piety, the source and character of religious consolation; to have perpetually before him the purest model of character the world has seen, and to contemplate the purest precepts that have ever been delivered to man; he cannot better do it than by a prayerful study of the Gospel by John. It may be added, that this Gospel is, of itself, proof that cannot be overthrown of the truth of revelation. John was a fisherman, unhonoured and unlearned, Acts iv. 13. What man in that rank of life now could compose a book like this? And can it be conceived that any man of that rank, unless under the influence of inspiration, could conceive such sublime notions of God, such pure views of morals, and draw a character so inimitably lovely as that of Jesus Christ? To ask these questions is to answer them. And this Gospel will stand to the end of time as an unanswerable demonstration that the fisherman who wrote it was under a more than human guidance, and was, according to the promise that he has recorded, (xvi. 13, compare xiv. 26) guided into all truth.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN.

CHAPTER I.

1 IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

"In the beginning.' This expression is used also in Gen. i. 1. To that place John evidently has allusion here, and means to apply here to the Word,' an expression which is there applied to God. In both places it clearly means 'before creation," before the world was made,' 'when as yet there was nothing.' The Hebrews, by expressions like this, commonly denoted eternity. Thus the eternity of God is described, Ps. xc. 2: "Before the mountains were brought forth," &c. And eternity is commonly expressed by the phrase, before the foundation of the world. It is clear that the Word' had an existence before creation. It is not, then, a creature, or created being, and must be, therefore, uncreated and eternal. There is but one Being that is uncreated, and Jesus must be, therefore, Divine. Compare the Saviour's own declarations respecting himself in the following places: John viii. 58; xvii. 5; vi. 46, 62; iii. 13; viii. 14; xvi. 28. 'Was the Word.' A word, or that which is spoken, is that by which we communicate our will, the medium of communication with others. The Son of God may be called' the Word,' because he is the medium by which God promulgates his will, and issues his commandments. See Hebrews i. 1-3. This term was in use before the time of John. It was used in the Chaldee translation of the Old Testament. It was used by the Jews as appli cable to the Messiah. In their writings he was commonly known by the term 'Word;' and many of the interpositions of God in defence of the Jewish nation were declared to be by 'the Word of God.' It was important, therefore, that the meaning of the term should be settled by an inspired man; and accordingly John, in the commencement of his Gospel, is at much pains to state clearly what is the true doctrine respecting the Logos, or Word. 'Was with God.' This expression denotes intimacy, friendship. John affirms that he was with God in the beginning, that is, before the world was made. It implies, therefore, that he was partaker of the Divine glory; that he was blessed and happy with God. It implies that he was intimately united with the Father, so as to partake of his glory, and to be appropriately called by the name God. He has himself explained it. See John xvii. 5; i. 18; iii. 13. Compare Phil. ii. 6, 7. 'Was God. In the previous phrase John had said that the Word was with God. Lest it should be supposed that he was a different and inferior being, he here states that he was God. There is no more unequivocal declaration in the Bible than this, and there could

be no stronger proof that the sacred writer meant to affirm that the Son of God was equal with the Father. He had just used the word God as evidently applying to Jehovah, the true God; and it is absurd to suppose that he would in the same verse, and without any indication that he was using the word in an inferior sense, employ it to denote a being altogether inferior to the true God. The name God is elsew here given to him, showing that he is the supreme God. See Rom. ix. 5; Heb. i. 8—12; Ĭ John v. 20; John xx. 28.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

'The same.' The Word, or the Logos. Was in the beginning with God.' He had said that he was before creation, and that he was with God. He now assures us that union was not commenced in time, and which might be, therefore, a mere union of feeling, or a compact, like that between any other beings, but was one which existed in eternity.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

"All things. The universe; all the vast masses of material worlds; and all the animals and things, great or small, that compose those worlds. See Rev. iv. 11; Heb. i. 2; Col. i. 16. Were made by him.' In this place it is affirmed that creation was effected by the Word, or the Son of God. In Gen. i. 1, it is said that the being who created the heavens and the earth was God. The Word, or the Son of God, is therefore, appropriately called God. The work of creation is ascribed in the scriptures to the second Person of the Trinity. See Col. i. 16; Heb. i. 2, 10. By this is meant, evidently, that he was the agent, or the efficient cause, by which the universe was made. There is no higher proof of Omnipotence than the work of creation; and hence God often appeals to that work to prove that he is the true God in opposition to idols. See Isa. xl. 18-28; Jer. x. 11-16. The work of creation is also ascribed to God, and is a work which cannot be delegated to a creature, Ps. xxiv. 2; lxxxix. 11; civ. 5; cxix. 90; Job xxxviii. 4; Prov. iii. 19. The Being who created all things must be Divine; and as this work is ascribed to Jesus, and as it is uniformly in the scriptures declared to be the work of God, Jesus Christ is, therefore, equal with the Father. "Without him.' Without his agency; his notice; the exertion of his power. Compare Matt. x. 29. This is a strong way of speaking, designed to confirm, beyond the possibility of doubt, what was just said in the first verse. Christ was not merely called God, but he did the works of God; and, therefore, the name is used in its proper sense as implying supreme divinity. To this same test Jesus himself appealed as proving that he was Divine, John x. 37; v. 17.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. "In him was life.' God is declared to be life, or the living God, because he is the source or fountain of life. This attribute is here ascribed to Jesus Christ. He not merely made the material worlds, but he also gave life. He was the agent by whom the vegetable world became animated; by whom brutes live; and by whom man became a living soul, or was endowed with immortality. This was a higher proof that the Word was God,' than the creation of the material worlds. But there is another sense in which he was life. The new creation, or the renovation of man, and restoration from a state of sin, is often compared to the first creation; and as the Logos was the source of life then, so in a similar, but higher sense, he is the source of life to the soul dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. ii. 1. And it is probably in reference to this, that he is so often called 'life' in the writings of John. See John v. 26; vi. 33; xi. 25. 1 John i. 1,2; v.11-20; Acts iii. 15; Col. iii. 4. The meaning is, that he is the source or the fountain of both natural and spiritual life. The life was the light of men.' Light is that by which we see objects distinctly. It is in all languages, therefore, put for knowledge, for whatever enables us to discern our duty and the path of safety, and saves us from the evils of ignorance and error, Eph. v. 13; Isa. viii. 20. The Messiah was predicted as the light' of the church. Isa. ix. 2, compared with Matt. iv. 15, 16; Isa. lx. 1; John viii. 12; xii. 35, 36, 46. The meaning is, that the Logos or Word of God is the instructor or teacher of mankind; by his direct agency in giving man reason or understanding; by his personal ministry when on earth, Heb. i. 1 ; by his Spirit, John xiv. 16, 26; and by his ministers since, Eph. iv. 11; Cor. xii. 28. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

"The light shineth in darkness.' Darkness, in the Bible, constantly denotes ignorance, guilt, or misery. See Isa. ix. 1 2; Matt. iv. 16; Acts xxvi. 18; Eph. v. 8, 11; Rom. xiii. 12. It refers here to a wicked and ignorant people. When it is said that the light shineth in darkness, it is meant that the Lord Jesus came to teach an ignorant, benighted, and wicked world. 'Comprehended it not." These words mean admitted it not, or received it not. The darkness did not receive or admit the rays of light; or, to drop the figure, men were so ignorant, so guilty, and debased, that they did not appreciate the value of his instructions; they despised and rejected him. Sin always blinds the mind to the beauties and excellency of the character of the Lord Jesus. It indisposes the mind to his instructions, just as darkness has no affinity for light, and if the one exists, the other must be displaced.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

A man sent from God.' See Matt. iii. The evangelist proceeds now to show that John was not the Messiah, and to state the true nature of his office. And this might have been at that time an important object. John made many disciples, Matt. iii. 5. Many persons supposed that he might be the Messiah, Luke iii. 15; John i. 19. On these accounts, it was important for the evangelist to show that John was not the Christ, and to show also that he, who was extensively admitted to be a prophet, was an important witness, that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

'For a witness.' To give testimony. He came to prepare the minds of the people to receive him, Matt. iii; Luke iii; to lead them by repentance to God, and to point out the Messiah to Israel when he came, John i. 31. "Of the Light.' That is, of the Messiah. Compare Isa. Ix. 1. That all men,' &c. This was the design of John's testimony, that all men might believe. He designed to prepare them for it; to announce that the Messiah was about to come; to direct the minds of men to him, and thus to fit them to believe when he came. See Acts xix, 4. The testimony of John was peculiarly valuable, as it was that of a man acknowledged by all to be a prophet of God, Matt. xxi. 26. It was also disinterested. He was himself extremely popular. It was evidently in his power to form a large party, and to be regarded extensively as the Christ. This was the highest honour to which a Jew could aspire; and it shows the value of John's testimony, that he was willing to lay all his honours at the feet of Jesus, Matt. iii. 11. Through him. Through John, or by means of his testimony. Was not that light. Was not the Messiah. This is an explicit declaration designed to satisfy all the disciples of John. The evidence that he was not the Messiah, he states in the following verses.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

"That was the true Light.' Not John, but the Messiah. A true light is one that does not deceive us, as the true beacon may guide us into port, or warn us of danger. Christ leads none astray. That lighteth.' That enlightens. He removes darkness, error, ignorance, from the mind. Every man.' The whole human race-Jews and Gentiles. John preached to the Jews. Jesus came to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the glory of the people of Israel, Luke ii. 32. 'That cometh into the world. Meaning the true light was He who, coming into the world, enlighteneth every man. Christ may be said to do what