know both who I am, and who my Father is. The miracles ac companying my death, my resurrection from the dead, the effu. sion of the Spirit on my disciples, and the destruction of your na tion, shall demonstrate that I am the light of the world, and that I do nothing by my own authority, but by my Father's direc tion; speaking such doctrines only as he has commissioned me to teach. Besides, my Father is always with me; for though I shall be crucified as a malefactor, that disaster will not come upon me because he has deserted me. In no period of my ministry, not even at my death, will my Father leave me; for I always act agreeably to his will. 29. And he that hath sent me is with me; the Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things that please him. 30. As he spake these words, many believed on him, believed him to be the Messiah. It would seem that by the lifting of him up, which he said would convince them that he was Messiah, they did not understand his crucifixion, but his exaltation to the throne and kingdom of David. Hearing him therefore speak of a temporal kingdom, as they supposed, they began now to think he entertained sentiments worthy of Messiah, and on that account acknowledged him as such, believ ing the doctrine he had delivered concerning his mission.

*

Jesus knowing that the thoughts and views of those who now believed on him, were for the most part carnal, judged it proper to undeceive them. John viii. 31. Then said Jesus to those Jerus which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: 32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free: If you persevere in the belief and practice of my word, ye are really my disciples, and have a title to that honourable appellation. Moreover, ye shall be fully instructed in every doctrine of the gospel, called here by way of eminence the truth. And so being related to me as my disciples, and understanding my gospel, ye shall be made free, not only from the slavery of sin and all its consequences, but from the ceremonial performances enjoined by Moses, under which at present you groan; nay, ye shall even have a just sense and high relish of civil liberty. Accordingly, it has ever been found in fact that those who understand the doctrines of Christianity best, are the greatest friends to the liberties of mankind. John viii. 33. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man. This, in the literal sense, was absolutely false, for at that very time they were in bondage to the Romans; and their ancestors had been slaves, first in Egypt, and afterwards in Assyria ́and Babylon. But the Jews meant to say, they never had been in spiritual bondage, knowing it was that only which Jesus spake

*

of,

Ver. 32. Know the truth.] The gospel here, and elsewhere, is called truth, particularly John i. 17. in opposition to the ceremonial law, which was only its shadow, or an emblematical representation of the gospel.

of, when he told them that the truth, which as his disciples they should be instructed in, would make them free. It was there fore a freedom by truth, or a freedom in respect of religion, which they now asserted. They were the descendents of a noble and illustrious stock, that during the worst times had preserved sentiments in religion and government worthy of the posterity of A braham, and had not by the hottest persecution of the Syrian kings, been compelled to embrace heathenism. In respect of truth, we were never in bondage to any man; how sayest thou then, Ye shall be made free? 34. Jesus answered them, Verily, ve rily, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin: There are no greater slaves than those who give themselves up to a vicious course of life, and to the gratification of their sinfal appetites. You yourselves therefore may judge whether or no ye be free. 32. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the Son abideth for ever: As a slave cannot be so assured of his master's favour, as to depend upon it that he shall never be turned out of the family, since it is always his master's right, and in his power to sell or keep him as he shall think fit, so my Father can, when he pleases, turn you who are habitual sinners out of his family, and deprive you of the outward economy of religion in which you glory, because through sin you have made yourselves bondmen to his justice. Whereas, if you will become God's children, you shall be sure of remaining in his family for ever. And the only way to arrive at the blessed relation, is to submit to the authority of his Son, believing his precepts; in which case, the Son will adopt you as co-heirs with himself. 36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed: Ye shall be free from the slavery of sin, free to do good, free in respect of your right to the inheritance, and free in your possession of present privileges, remaining in the house of God, without danger of being ever thrust out. John viii. 37. I know that ye are Abraham's seed, but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you: I know that ye are the seed of Abraham, by natural descent, but morally ye are the offspring

of

Ver. 34 Whosoever committeth sin, &c.] Ποιες αμαρτίαν, quorketh sim, Ruth . 19. is under a habit of sinning, Eph. iii 4, 8.

Ver. 36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, &c.] Dr Tillotson, vol. iii. p. 615. is of opinion, that there is here an allusion to a custom which prevailed in certain cities of Greece, where the son and heir had a right to adopt brothers, and give them the privileges of the family. But I rather imagine, that the allusion is to something more generally known. For as in all countries sons succeed their fathers in the possession of their estates, such slaves as gained the good will of the son, by their obliging behaviour during his minority, were sure to be well treated by him when he came to his estate; perhaps might in time obtain their freedom, and .even some small share of the inheritance itself.

Ver. 37. Hath no place in you.] Ou xage oven, w xęozotte, Non procedit in vobis, nibil profecit vobis.

of the devil; as is plain from this, that many of you are endea vouring to kill me, because I enjoin a greater degree of sancti ty than you are willing to acquire. In this however & resemble my Father, as in that you resemble yours. 38. speak that which I have seen with my Father, and ye do that which you have seen with your father. 39. They ansavered, and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye avère Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that huth told you the truth, which I have heard of God; this did not Abraham: If ye were the spiritual progeny of Abraham, ye would resemble that great and good man in his righteousness; and therefore instead of seek ing to take the life of one who is come to you from God with a revelation of his will, ye would believe on him, in imitation of Abraham, who for his faith in all the divine revelations, and his obedience to all the divine commands, however hard they were to flesh and blood, was ennobled with the grand titles of the fas ther of the faithful, and the friend of God. By your deeds ye shew whose children ye are. 41. Te do the deeds of your father Then said they unto him, We be not born of fornication, we have one father, even God. The Jews it seems perceived at length, that Jesus talked not so much of natural as of spiritual lineage, and replied, In that respect undoubtedly we are the children of God, as we be not born of fornication, alluding to the marriage-covenant, which in scripture is represented to have subsisted between God and the Jewish nation, and by which their obligation to reverence, love, and obey him, was held forth to them in a lively manner. We are neither idolaters ourselves, nor are we sprung of idola trous ancestors; and therefore, in respect of spiritual descent, we are, without dispute, the children of God. Accordingly, God himself calls all the Jewish males his sons, because he was the husband of their parents, Ezek. xxiii. 37. 42. Jesus said unto them, If God were your father, ye would love me, for I proceed ed forth and came from God, neither came I of myself, but he sent me: an outward profession of true religion signifieth nothing you must love it really, otherwise you are not the children of God; and if you love religion really, you will love me who am come forth from God to reveal it unto you. I assure you I came not of myself, but he sent me; as is evident from the many proofs of my mission which I am daily giving you. 43. * Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word: What is the reason that you do not comprehend the true meaning

*Ver. 43. Why do ye not understand, &c.] The latter clause of this verse may likewise be pointed and translated interrogatively, Why do ye not understand my speech ? Andy, the spiritual style that I make use of Is it because you cannot hear my word? cannot give obedience thereto, it being contrary to your lusts?

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meaning of the things which I have spoken to you? I will tell you plainly it is because the wickedness of your heart is such as renders you incapable of obeying my precepts. (See verse 31.) 44. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abade not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speak eth a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it: Ye inherit the nature of your father the devil, and therefore ye will gratify the lusts which ye have derived from him: he was the enemy and murderer of mankind from the beginning, and ever since has endeavoured to work their ruin; sometimes by seducing them into sin with his lies, and sometimes by insti gating them to skill those whom God sends to reclaim them. Withal, having early departed from holiness and truth, a habit of lying is become perfectly natural to him. Wherefore, being arhiar, and the father of it, i. e. the first and greatest liar, when he speaketh a die, he speaketh what is proper to himself. And ye his children disbelieve me, because instead of soothing you in your sins, and flattering you with lies, I tell you the truth, which like your father ye are utterly averse to John viii. 45. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46. Which of you convinceth me of sin, sxsxe us maçı aragzins, convicteth me of sin? Is there any of you able to shew, that I have not received my commission from God, or that I have done any thing to render me unworthy of unbelief? Can you shew that I have taught false doctrine, reproved you unjustly for your actions, or committed sin myself? If you cannot, but must acknowledge that my doctrine and life are such as become a messenger of God, what is the reason that you do not believe me? And if, in affirming that I am perfectly free from sin, I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47. He that is of God, heareth God's words: he that is a child of God, humbly receiveth the revelations which God makes of himself by his messengers, and obeys his commandments with pleasure. Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God: Ye reject the revelations and commandments of God delivered by me his messenger, for no other reason but that ye are not the children of God. See ver. 41. 48. Then answered the Jews and said unto him, Say we not well that * thou art

a Sa

• Ver. 48. Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil.] The Jews and Samaritaus bare a mortal haired to one another on account of religion. Hence it came to pass, that in common language Couthi, or Samaritan, was used to signify not merely a Samaritan by country, but one by principle and disposition, and so denoted oft-times an inveterate enemy to the Jewish nation and religion, and a man of wicked morals. Thus in our own language, a Turk signifies one of a barbarous disposition, and a Jew one who is covetous and rich. Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil. Demeniac and madman, in the dialect of Judea, were sometimes phrases of one

and

1

a Samaritan, and hast a devil? alluding to what they had said, chap. vii. 20. §.76. Thou who callest the children of Abraham the children of the devil, art a most profligate wretch, and either raving mad, or thou must be instigated by some evil spirit to speak as thou dost. 49. Jesus answered, I have not a devil, but I honour my Father, and ye dishonour enes 50. And I seek not mine own glory, there is one that serketh and judgeth: I am neit ther mad nor actuated by a devil, but I honour my Father by speaking the words of truth, which he has sent me to deliver, and therefore ye defame me, in judging and calling me possessed. However, as I do not court applause, your reproaches hurt me not. But, at the same time, I must tell you, that there is one concerned to vindicate my honour, who will punish all who at tack it. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death: Whosoever, obeys my precepts, shall never fall under eternal damnation, (called elsewhere the second death.). And this I declare, that you may be excited to repent; for I earnestly desire your salvation, notwithstanding you have done me the greatest injury, in seeking my life, and calling me apostate, demoniac, and madman. John viii. 52. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abra ham is dead, and the prophets, and thou savest, If a man keep my sayings, he shall never taste of death. We know now for cer tain that thou art mad; for the most righteous persons that ever lived, persons who kept the commandments of God as perfectly as it is possible for men to do, are dead, even Abraham and the prophets, yet thou hast the impudence and folly to affirm, that he who keeps thy precepts shall never die. 53. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead; whom makest thou thyself? Art thou more in favour with God than Abraham and the prophets were, who though strict observers of all the divine precepts, were not able to procure an immunity from death for themselves, far less for their followers, 54. Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: If I should speak in praise of myself, you would call it vain and foolish, and say to me as the Pharisees did lately, ver.-13. «Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true." Wherefore, instead of giving a full description of my dignity, I shall only

tell

and the same import. Thus, John x. 20. desearov exe, is explained by pliver. Yet I will not deny, that our Lord's hearers might mean that he spake by the instigation of some evil spirit, for, on other occasions, we find them attributing his miracles to beelzebub. However, as it was highly provoking to Israelites to be told, that they were not the children of God, and as Jesus had often, in the course of this conversation, divested them of that glory, nay, had expressly called them the children of the devil, it is no wonder, considering the passions of evil men, that they now fell into a downright rage, and reviled him with the most opprobrious language.