which, on the night before their election, he put up to God for direction in this important affair, Luke vi. 12. § 37. See verse 9, 10. 7. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me, are of thee: These men are fully persuaded, that the commission whereby I act, the doctrine of salvation which I teach, the miracles which I perform, and the authority with which I am clothed, are all really derived from thee. In this, indeed, they have acted upon the surest evidence; for I have taught them no other doctrine but that which thou gavest me to teach. Accordingly, being fully sensible that my doctrine is in all points agreeable to thy blessed nature and perfections, they have received it as such, and have known assuredly that I am no impostor, but a prophet truly commissioned by thee; wherefore, on all occasions, they have openly declared their belief that thou hast sent me. 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. 9. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. The persons here prayed for, are not good men in general, in opposition to the bad, who are often called the world; but those good men in particular, who were given to Jesus by the Father to be his apostles; and who by that office were distinguished from the rest of his disciples. This appears from ver. 12. where he says kept all the persons he was praying for in the faith and practice of true religion, except the son of perdition; and from verse 18. where he says he had commisioned them to go forth into the world, for the same purpose that the Father had sent him into the world; and from verse 20. where he expressly distinguishes the persons he was praying for, from all other believers whatever. The reason assigned for making them the subject of his prayers at this time is remarkable, For they are thine; I employ the last moments of my life in praying, particularly for my apostles, because they are more especially thy servants, destined for that work which is the great object of thy attention, the instruction and salvation of the world. 10. All mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. All my servants are thy servants; that is, whosoever assists me in my work, serves thee in thy great designs of love and mercy to men. For the same reason, thy servants are my servants. Every one who really serves God, must join issue with me, and assist me in my work. And by the zeal, faithfulness, and success of my servants, in converting the world, I am greatly honoured. 11. And norv I am no more in the world; having finished the work thou gavest me to do, I am no longer to continue in the world: but these are in the world; my apostles are to continue in the world to carry on this gracious design; and I am come to thee; I return to thee by VOL. II. whose

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he had

whose appointment I came. Holy Father, preserve, through thy own name, these whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are *: 0 thou, who art the source of all truth and righteousness, let those men whom thou hast given me for assistants, be for ever preserved by thy power, in the firm faith of the doctrines I have taught them, and in the uninterrupted practice of the precepts I have delivered unto them; that when they go abroad into the world, they may teach the same things, and be ever united in the same blessed design; after the pattern of that most perfect union of counsels and designs which subsists between thee and me. 12. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name; those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. During my personal abode with them, I kept them in the firm faith, and in the stedfast practice of the precepts of my religion, so far as I revealed these unto them. I say, the twelve men whom thou gavest me for apostles, I have thus kept; insomuch that none of them has apostatized but Judas Iscariot, that wicked person, who deserves perdition; see chap. xviii. 8, 9. And his apostasy has happened, not through any defect in my care, but in conformity to thy will, permitting his perfidy for the wisest reasons, (see on John vi. 30. § 62.) and therefore it was long ago predicted in the scripture, particularly Psalm cix. 8. See John xiii. 19. § 127. John xvii. 13. And now I come to thee, and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I am now about to return to thee, having finished my work; yet, before I leave the world, I offer this prayer in behalf of my apostles, with this intention, that being heard for them, they may receive all the endowments necessary to qualify them for converting the world, and be filled with my joy, the great joy I have in being the instrument of saving mankind. See chap. xv. 11. 14. I have gi ven them thy word, and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I have omitted nothing that on my part was necessary to fit them for converting the world, and for partaking of my joy; for I have delivered to them the doctrine which thou gavest to me. The world indeed hateth them, and will persecute them, because they

are

Ver. 11. That they may be one as we are.] The unity which Jesus here claims with the Father, is by no means a personal union, for no such thing could subsist between Christ's disciples; but it is an union of coun sels and designs. This appears likewise from ver. 12. where he says, that during his personal abode with them, he had kept them all in the Father's name, except the son of perdition.

+ Ver. 12. The son of perdition.] As the phrase, son of death, 2 Sam. xii, 5. (see the Hebrew), signifies one who deserves death; and Matt. xxi. 35. a child of bell, signifies one who deserves hell; so here son of perdition signifies a person who deserves perdition.

are neither animated by their principles, nor conformable to them in their practice, in which respect they resemble me. These persecutions which shall befal them, while executing the duties of their ministry, is another great reason why I offer up this prayer for them. Nevertheless, my meaning is not, that, on account of these difficulties thou shouldest remove them out of the world by death, but only that thou shouldest grant them the direction of thy Spirit, and the protection of thy providence; whereby they will be preserved both from the evil of sin and of temptation. John xvii. 15. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil. 16. They are not

of the world, even as I am not of the world. It is with great pleasure that I reflect on their being separated from the world, both in principles and practice, and that in this respect they so nearly resemble me; hence I am the more solicitous that they be preserved untainted and blameless after my departure. Wherefore I pray, that through the influence of thy truth upon their minds, thou wouldst give them such a strong inclination to the work of the ministry, that they shall wholly devote themselves to it, whatever difficulties it may expose them to. Do this, I beseech thee, for the effectual spreading thy word which I have commissioned them to preach as the truth itself. 17. * Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth. 18. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. I beseech thee sanctify them by thy truth, because I have sent them into the world to prosecute that great and good design upon which thou sentest me into the world. 19. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through thy truth. The chief thing I had in view when I entered on my ministry, was, that my apostles might be prepared for the work of the ministry by the truths I was to teach, and by the miracles I was to perform before them in the course of my ministry. It is likewise one of the ends for which I now devote myself to death; inasmuch as the doctrines I have taught them, and which they are to preach, being thus sealed with my blood, will be offered to the world with the strongest evidence; not to mention that my resurrection from the dead will be a strong proof, first, of my mission from God, and, next, of theirs who act by authority from me.

Having

Ver. 17. Sanctify them through thy truth.] ayiacov auT8s By TR «λndex 8. This Whitby would have translated, Sanctify them for thy truth, i. e. for the propagation of it. To sanctify, signifies not only to make holy in the moral sense, but to dedicate and set apart for religious uses. Thus the word is used often in the Old Testament, and this sense the connection directs us to put upon it here, though at the same time it must be acknowledged, that were we to consider the passage separately, the ordinary sense would be extremely just; the word of God which itself is truth, being the great means of the sanctification of men,

Having thus prayed for his apostles, that in the great duties of their office they might ever be under the direction and protection of God. Jesus proceeded to ask blessings for all believers whatsoever. John xvii. 20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also that shall believe on me through their word: I do not make my apostles the only subjects of this my last prayer; I pray likewise for all such as shall, by their preaching, be brought to believe on me. 21. That they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. For those who shall be converted by my apostles, I beg the gracious influences of thy Spirit, whereby they shall maintain the unity of the faith, and all agree in one doctrine; that as in this great design of instructing, converting, and saving the world, there subsisteth a most perfect union between thee and me, they also may be taken into the union, and agree as perfectly with us, and among themselves, as thou art in me, and I in thee; the effect of which will be, that the world discerning their agreement among themselves, and with God, will believe that I, their Master, have been sent into the world by God. The propriety of this request will appear to all who consider, that many of those who were converted by the apostles, applied themselves to preach and propagate the gospel. Moreover, the glory of inspiration, of a divine mission, and of the power of miracles to confirm that mission, which thou gavest unto me, I have bestowed on my apostles, and on those who shall be converted by them and employed to preach the gospel to the world; in order that, being commissioned by the same authority, and illuminated with one spirit, they may fully agree in their doctrine, and their labours tend to one end. John xvii. 22. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. 23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me. Grant that my power working in them may inspire them with all knowledge and utterance, and enable them to perform miracles, even as thy power and inspiration have heretofore wrought in me; that so agreeing in one scheme of religion, they may become worthy messengers of the true God; and that the world may know, both that thou hast sent me their Master, and that thou approvest of them and of their undertaking, even as thou hast approved of me. This branch of our Lord's prayer was extremely necessary; for if the first preachers of the gospel had differed in their accounts of the life and doctrine of Christ, or in the representation which they gave of the Christian scheme, they would have given rise to many different sects, which would have endangered the very being of Christianity itself; and mankind would have been altogether at

a loss

a loss to know which was the true doctrine of Jesus Christ. How fully this prayer for the unity of the first preachers of the gospel was answered, we learn from the history of the Acts; and their unity must appear quite remarkable, when it is considered what vast numbers were employed in preaching the gospel up and down the various countries of the world. Nevertheless, our wonder will cease, when we call to mind that all who possessed the power of miracles, and preached with any authority, were inspired by the same Spirit of God, so could not but all agree in one scheme of religion. 24. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me. (See verse 5.) With respect to those in every age and country, who shall sincerely believe and obey me, my will is, that after their work here is over, they may be with me in heaven, whither I am going, (verse 11.) that they may behold the full splendour of the glory which thou hast given me, and be made happy with seeing me so. For thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world: As thou lovedst me before I came into the world, even before the world was, I shall not be less the object of thy love, now that I have accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do. My disciples, therefore, in beholding the glory which thou wilt bestow upon me, shall be happy, both as it will shew them how much thou approvest my design, and how happy I am made thereby. 25. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and those have known that thou hast sent me: O Father, who art the author of all righteous designs, and the lover of righteous men, the world, ignorant of thy nature and perfections, and of thy gracious counsels for men's salvation, has rejected me, notwithstanding I have every where demonstrated that I am fully acquainted with these thy counsels. But my disciples knowing that thou hast sent me, have believed in me as Messiah, which is the reason I am so solicitous that they should behold the glory thou hast given me. 26. And I have declared to them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me might be in them, and I in them: Because my disciples have be lieved in me as thy messenger, I have with the greatest care taught them thy nature, perfections, and counsels. Nevertheless, being now incapable, by reason of their prejudices, of receiving full information on these points, I will instruct them afterwards by the illumination of my Spirit, that the love which thou hast borne to me as thy messenger, may be shewed to them as thy messengers likewise, and that being inspired by my Spirit, they may have me as it were dwelling within them, so as always to act by my authority. § CXXXIV.