life through His Name." This expression seems to prove, that those persons are wrong, who suppose that S. John wrote his Gospel merely to supply the defects and omissions of the other Evangelists. The real difference between them is, that they wrote a history of our Saviour's life; but S. John of His Person and office. xix. 35.—Bp. Blomfield:

Mark and Luke wrote, but by report; and Matthew saw, but in part; but John writes what he had felt, heard, and seen himself (and he felt, heard, and saw more than they all); for he not only felt the Word of Life with his mortal hands, but the bosom of his Blessed Saviour, supporting the leaning burden of his own sinful body. He not only heard the voice of the Father at Jordan, but the cry also of the Son on the Cross; he not only saw Christ in glory on Mount Tabor, but in infamy on Mount Calvary, when all the rest were shifting for themselves. This admirable

historian begins his Gospel, beyond Moses, before the beginning of the world, and ends his Revelation, beyond all historians, with what shall be after the end of the world. This disciple was the beloved of his Master, and so loving to Him, that he equalled the love of women; for he was with them, the last at the Cross, and the first at the sepulchre; and outran Peter, for all his zeal. He was so full of charity, that to his care only our dying

Spirit, that, in love to the Truth, I may always believe what the Spirit of love hath indited, and the beloved disciple hath written. 1 S. John i. 1-4; Dan. ix. 23.— William Austin.

Matthew wrote for the Hebrews; Mark, for the Italians; Luke, for the Greeks; the great herald John, for all.-S. Greg. Nazianzen.

S. Luke's Gospel was addressed to Theophilus, a lover of God. A Divine love must qualify us, as it did him, to "Know the certainty of those things, wherein we have been instructed." So, in regard to every part of Scripture, love is the key of a right understanding, but, especially, in regard to the mysteries of Revelation; and therefore to this Gospel of S. John: For, as Jesus "is in the bosom of the Father" (i. 18), and as John "leaned on the bosom of Jesus" (xiv. 23), so must we have an endearing fellowship and communion with God, in order to penetrate into His heart, and draw out the hidden riches of His Word.-Let us, then, before we open this Blessed Book, hear the God of love saying unto us, through the disciple of love-"Lovest thou Me?" xxi. 15.-J. Ford.

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CHAPTER I.

VERSE 1.-It is an injury, common to all the Evangelists (as Irenæus notes) that all their Gospels were, severally, refused by one sect of heretics, or other; but it was proper to S. John alone to be refused by a sect (the Alogiani), that admitted all the other three Evangelists.

His whole Gospel is comprehended in the beginning thereof. In this first chapter is contracted all that, which is extensively spread and dilated through the whole Book. For the first part of the chapter is the manifestation of the Divine Nature of Christ, in His Eternity, in the distinction of Persons, in the Equality with the Father. The second part layeth down the Office of Christ, His Prophetical, His Priestly, His Royal office and then, the effect, the working, the application, of all; that is, Who were to preach all this, to the ends of the world-the calling of the Apostles.-Dr. Donne.

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What is said thus far seems, as if S. John was anticipating an inquirer, who might ask, for instance, when was the Word? In the beginning, that is, from eternitywhere was the Word? With God the Father-what is this Word? This Word is God. In this sense, Eternity answers to when; the Personal distinction from the Father to where; the sameness of Essence with the Father to what. He then gathers all these into one, adding, The same was in the beginning with God." Gen. xxxii. 29; Judg. xiii. 17, 18; Ex. iii. 13; Prov. xxx. 4.-Pompeo Sarnelli.

V. 2.-God, who is the living fountain of all perfections, spent an entire Eternity in the contemplation of His own excellencies, before any creature was made. In the moment, appointed by His wisdom, He gave the first being to the world. Three distinct orders of natures He formed; the one purely spiritual; the other purely material; and, between both, one mixed, which unites the extremes in itself. This is man, the abridgment of the universe, allied to the Angels in his soul, and to material things in his body, and capable of the happiness of both; by his internal faculties enjoying the felicity of the intellectual, and by his external tasting the pleasures of the sensitive world. Man's greatest excellency was a perfect conformity to the Divine pattern. "God created man in His Own Likeness; in the Image of God created He him." 1 Thess. v. 23; Ps. viii.-Dr. Bates.

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The

V. 3. The Heavens cry, that it was God, who bowed them, and came down to be a man for our sakes. Sun cries, "It was my Lord, who was crucified in the flesh, at the light of whose Divinity I was afraid and withdrew my beams." The earth cries, "It was He, that formed me, who suffered, which made me quake and tremble at the horrid catastrophe." The sea cries, “He was not my fellow servant, who walked with one of His disciples upon my back." The Temple cries, “He, that was worshipped here, is now blasphemed; and therefore I rend my garments." Nay, Hell cries, "He was not a mere man, who descended hither; for whom I received, as a captive, I found to be the Omnipotent God." And, if we ask the Heavenly powers, and desire the

Angels, and Archangels, and the whole host of Heaven to tell us "Who was He, that appeared on earth, and was crucified in the flesh?" they will all answer aloud, in the words of the Prophet David, "The Lord, the God of Hosts; He is the King of Glory; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."-Ps. xix. 1; ciii.

22.-Proclus.

V. 4.-Christ is not so little, as a name and notion. He is a Nature, and Spirit, and Life, in us. Heb. iv. 12, 13.-Dr. Whichcote.

We find in God all the excellencies of light, truth, wisdom, greatness, goodness, and Life. Light gives joy and gladness. Truth gives satisfaction. Wisdom gives learning and instruction. Greatness excites admiration. Goodness produces love and gratitude. Life gives immortality and insures enjoyment.—Wm. Jones.

Christ is "God manifest." He is the Word-God heard He is the Light-God seen: He is the LifeGod felt. 1 S. John i. 1-4.-C. Wolfe.

V. 5.—In this and at v. 10, we have the blindness of the Gentile; at v. 11, the blindness of the Jew, in its more aggravated form. Thus, "Scripture concludes all under sin." The doctrine of universal guilt, here simply stated, is expanded by the Apostle (Rom. i. and ii.) while in both cases, the statements are introductory to the preaching of the Gospel of the grace of God, the manifestation of "the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.” v. 29; Conf. Rom. iii..-J. Ford.

V. 7. All men. Such a Saviour, as is proclaimed "to