devote most of their time to reading, to prayer, or the hearing of sermons, should still put a watch over themselves, lest, by neglecting any of their active duties, they throw more than their share on others, and so tempt them to excessive absorption in practical business.

SECTION IV.

DISCOURSE IN THE TEMPLE-THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

"THEN

JOHN viii. 12-20.

HEN spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Our Lord was now in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, and it is probable that, as at a later period, He might frequent the city and temple in the day time, retiring in the evening to the quiet home of Bethany. At any rate we find Him in the temple at the Feast of Dedication* (x. 22); and it is probable that the

* The true position of that portion of St. John's Gospel contained between the fifth and eleventh chapters, relative to the other three Gospels is a point of extreme difficulty in all Harmonies. Dean Alford connects the discourse in the eighth chapter and its sequel with the Feast of the Tabernacles, but it appears to connect equally well with the Feast of Dedication, and the attempt at stoning, taken with the reference to it in ch. xi. 8, seems to assign it to a later period than that of the first-mentioned Feast.

discussions in the eighth chapter took place about the same time.

The Lord here plainly proclaims Himself to be the Light of the World—the Guide of Life. He opens the eyes to see the true relations between God and man, the true proportions of life and duty, the true needs of the heart and character. This is a Light which, if followed, infallibly leads to Life -spiritual, eternal life. The Pharisees, as may be supposed, were indignant at what appeared to them an undue assumption; they said unto Him, "Thou bearest record of Thyself; Thy record is not true," that is, not trustworthy, deserves no credit-it may be so, or it may not, your assertion does not prove the fact. "Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Though I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go."

The case was peculiar; our Lord, and He alone on earth, had a full comprehension of His own character and claims; they were incapable of judging them, for they had nothing but partial human knowledge to guide them.

"The question was one about His own personal consciousness, of which only Himself could bear witness." Lange, quoted by Stier, who goes on to say, even among sinful men it is only self-testimony that avails for internal matters. (I Cor. ii. 11.) He who is accused, and has against him the strongest apparent evidence of others' testimony, may assert his own innocence with such truth as the judge can scarcely withstand; the witnesses of a sin hear or see only the external part of it, the internal degree of guilt can only be arrived at by personal testimony. How much more does this hold good when impersonated Truth and Guiltlessness confronts, and exhibits Himself to, a world full of lying and guilt!"

"Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me." The Lord would not pronounce on them as individuals, as positively as they presumed to judge Him, and yet He might have done so, for He was supported by His Father. And then, referring back to their scornful rejection of His testimony to Himself, He tells them that He had the proofs which even the Law required, for His own testimony had been fully confirmed by the witness of His Father. "Then said they unto Him, 'Where is thy Father?" " Doubtless they knew well enough Who He meant, but pretended this ignorance in order to provoke Him to say something which they might lay hold on as blasphemous. Jesus would not give them the opportunity, but waived the question, answering, "Ye neither know Me nor my Father; if ye had known Me, ye should have known my Father also," and would have had no need to make such an inquiry. "These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no man laid hands on Him; for His hour was not yet come." There were yet some months to that last passover when the Lamb should be slain for the sins of the world, and till that time should come, hate Him as they might, a secret power restrained them from working out what was in their hearts.

SECTION V.

FURTHER DISCOURSE IN THE TEMPLE.

"THEN

JOHN viii. 21-29.

HEN said Jesus again unto them, 'I go my way, and ye shall seek Me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come." "

After some interval, perhaps on another day, the Lord seems to have renewed His conversation with these men. He was loth to give them up without another effort. He tells them that He should soon be beyond their reach, and then that they, having lost their opportunity, would perish in their sins. As a man who being dangerously ill, and rejecting medical aid, would inevitably die of his disease, so it would be with them-the sins from which they would not let Him deliver them would retain possession of them, and in this state of sin they would die, utterly ruined.

"Then said the Jews, 'Will He kill Himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.' And He said unto them, 'Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world." They were evermore widening the distance between Him and them, till at last finally rejecting Him, they would come to that point at which there is a great gulf fixed. "I said therefore unto you, That ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." This seemed to make some little impression on them, and they ask, "Who art Thou?' And Jesus

saith unto them, 'Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.' These words, in the original, mean rather, "essentially that which I speak unto you."* "He is the Word, His discourses are

the revelation of Himself."+

"I have many things to say and to judge of you : but He that sent Me is true, and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of Him.” "He is that which He speaks, and that He has received from the Father. He has His definite testimony to give, and His work to do; and therefore, though He has much that He could speak and judge about the Jews, He does it not, but overlooks their malice-not answering it, to go forward with the revelation of Himself."‡ "They understood not that He spake to them of the Father." We hardly know which is the most remarkable in this narrative, the impenetrable stupidity of the Jews, springing indeed from their hatred of the truth, or the inimitable patience with which it was met. Whenever we are similarly tried-and when we are, how apt are we to lose our tempers !-let us "consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest we be wearied and faint in our minds."

"Then said Jesus unto them, 'When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself . . . . and He that sent Me is with Me; the Father hath not left Me alone, for I do always those things that please

*See Alford in loco.

+ Alford.

+ Idem.