to honour Him; and the more we study to do that, the lower are our souls apt to sink under the due apprehension of our own meanness. i. 26, 27; Gen. xviii. 27; Job xlii. 5, 6; Isa. vi. 5; S. Luke xxiii. 41.-Pelling.

V. 33.-God is true. It is considerable, that the Scripture, in delivering supernatural truths, produces God's Authority, as their only proof, without using any other way of arguing: but, although we cannot demonstrate these mysteries by reason, yet we may give a rational account why we believe them. i. 51; iii. 3; Rom. iii. 4.-Dr. Bates.

V. 34.-By measure. As a Prophet, Christ did not receive this, or that, particular revelation from God; but "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" were laid up in Him; and He knew the whole mind and counsel of God, as coming forth from His Divine bosom. Ver. 11; i. 4, 9; viii. 2; Col. ii. 3; Isa. xi. 2.—Dr. Owen.

The fullness, that is in Christ, is a ministerial fullness; as the clouds carry rain, not for themselves, but the earth, so doth Christ the fullness of grace for thee. ii. 8.Gurnall.

V. 35. Touching union of Deity with manhood, it is by grace; because there can be no greater grace, shown towards man, than that God should vouchsafe to unite to man's nature the Person of His only Begotten Son. Because the Father loveth the Son, as man, He hath, by uniting Deity with manhood, given all things into His hands. "It hath pleased the Father that in Him all

fullness should dwell." The Name, which He hath above all names, is given Him. As the Father hath life in Himself, the Son in Himself hath life" also, by the gift of the Father. The gift, whereby God hath made Christ a fountain of life, is that conjunction of the nature of God with the nature of man in the Person of Christ, which gift (saith Christ to the woman of Samaria), “if thou didst know," and, in that respect, understand, "Who it is, which asketh water of thee, thou wouldst ask of Him, that He might give thee living water." The union therefore of the flesh with Deity is to that flesh a gift of principal grace and favour. For, by virtue of this grace, man is really made God; a creature is exalted above the dignity of all creatures, and hath all creatures else under it. This admirable union of God with man can enforce, in that higher nature, no alteration; because unto God. there is nothing more natural, than not to be subject to any change. iv. 10; v. 26; xvii. 21, 22.-Hooker.

V. 36. He does not say, "shall come," but "abideth on him." For in this wrath every man is born (Eph. ii. 3). But, when God is said in Scripture to be angry, no perturbation in Him is meant, such as affects the minds of men in a state of anger; but the term is transferred from its application to human feelings; and so His vengeance, which cannot but be just, hath received the appellation of anger.-S. Augustine.

Hath. Every nature hath its proper centre, which it hastens to. Sin and wickedness is within the attractive power of hell, and hastens thither; grace and holiness is

within the central force of Heaven, and moves thither. It is not the speculation of Heaven, as a thing to come, that satisfies the desires of religious souls, but the real possession of it, even in this life. Men are apt to seek after assurance of Heaven, as a thing to come, rather than after Heaven itself, and the inward possession of it here. Verse 6; vi. 54; 1 S. John v. 11, 15; Phil. iii. 20.— John Smith.

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CHAPTER IV.

VERSE 1, 2.-Why did Jesus not baptize? The Baptist had said before, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." Now He had not yet given the Spirit; and it was therefore with good cause, that He did not baptize. vii. 39; S. Luke xxiv. 49.-S. Chrysostom.

Let none be disturbed in their minds, because Jesus Himself baptized not. For whereto should He baptize? To repentance? To what end then his forerunner? To the remission of sins-which He gave with a word? To Himself whom in humility He concealed? To the Holy Spirit-who has not yet descended from the Father? Into the Church-which the Apostles had not yet founded? So then His disciples baptized, as ministers, as did John before, as forerunner, with the same baptism of John, and no other; since there is no other, but that afterwards of Christ; which could not be yet given by the disciples, inasmuch as the glory of the Lord was not yet completed, nor the efficacy of the bath (Titus iii. 5), prepared through the Passion and Resurrection; for, neither could our death be destroyed, but by the Passion of the Lord; nor life be restored without His Resurrection. -Tertullian.

V. 4. Not only because it was in the direct way, but for the higher purpose of accomplishing His grace and

mercy for He knew that He had "much people there" (v. 35, 41; Acts xviii. 10), and now, as the true Jacob, fainting under the toils of His pastoral life, He could say, "In the day the drought consumed Me;" for it was about the sixth hour. Gen. xxxi. 40; Ezek. xxxiv. 11, 12.-J. Ford.

V. 5.-Look in the history of Joseph again and again, and the more you meditate of him, the more is the Lord able to make his example profitable to you. His life is as the sky, and his virtues as the stars. Towards God, you see in him holy fear and piety; towards his Master, faithfulness, gratitude, and integrity; towards his Mistress, modesty, shame-facedness, and chastity; towards himself, spiritual wisdom and sound resolution. You see in him strength invincible against the sugar-baits of deceiving sin; patience and courage to abide for innocency such unjust adversity, as slander and credulity cast him into. Heb. xi. 22.-Bp. Babington.

V. 6. He was oppressed with hunger; but He feeds the thousands in the desert, and He is the Living and celestial Bread. He was parched with thirst; but He cried aloud, "If any one thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink;" and He promised to be a fountain unto believers. He was weary; but He was the rest of those, who are "weary and heavy laden." He was weighed down with sleep; but He walked lightly on the wave, and He rebuked the winds, and He bare up Peter from the rolling billows. If the things, which evince

His Humanity, have afforded thee a pretext for error, let