I SEND forth the volume now in the reader's hands, wifh much diffidence, and a very deep sense of responsibility. It is no light matter to publish an exposition of any book in the Bible. It is a peculiarly serious undertak- ing to attempt a Commentary on the Gospel of St. John.
I do not forget that we are all apt to exaggerate the difficulties of our own particular department of literary labour. But I think every intelligent student of Scrip- ture will bear me out when I say, that St. John's Gospel is pre-eminently full of things " hard to be understood." (2 Pet. iii. 16.) It contains a large portion of our Lord Jesus Christ's doctrinal teaching. It abounds in " deep things of God," and " sayings of the King," which we feel instinctively we have no line to fully fathom, no mind to fully comprehend, no words to fully explain. It must needs be that such a book of Scripture should be difficult. I can truly say that I have commented on many a verse in this Gospel with fear and trembling. I have often said to myself, " Who is sufficient for these things ?" — " The place whereon thou standest is holy ground." (2 Cor. ii. 16 ; Exod. iii. 5.)
The nature of the work now published, requires a few words of explanation. It is a continuation of the " Expo- sitory Thoughts on the Gospels," of which four volumes, comprising the first three Gospels, have been already Bent forth. Like the volumes on St. Matthew, St. Mark