cover so completely the insufficiency of all human language to express ^' the deep things of God." Men are often saying they wnnt explanations of the mysteries of the Christian faith, the Trinity, the Incarnation, the person of Christ, and the like. Let them just observe, when we do find a passage full of expla- natory statements on a deep subject, how much there is that we have no line to fathom and no mind to take in. " I want more light," says proud man. God gives him his desire in this chiipter. and Hfts up the veil a little. But behold 1 we are daz- zled by the very light we wanted, and find we have not eyes to take it in.
It has always been thought by many commentators that this solemn discourse of our Lord's was delivered before the Sanhe- drim, or general Ecclesiastical Assembly of the Jews. They regard it as a formal defence of His Divinity and Messiahship, and a statement of evidence why He should be received, before a regularly constituted ecclesiastical court. — It may be so. Pro- babilities seem in favour of the idea. But it must be remem- bered that we have noth'ng but internal evidence in favour of the theory. There is not a word said to show that our Lord was formally brought before the Sanhedrim, and made a formal defence. — Some writers lay much stress upon the opening words of the 19th verse, — " Then answered Jesus and said," — and con- sider that these words imply a formal charge in court, and a formal reply from our Lord. It may be true. But we must remember that it is only a conjecture.
One thing only is certain. Nowhere else in the Gospels do we find our Lord making such a formal, systematic, orderly, regular statement of His own unity with the Father, His Divine commission and authority, and the proofs of His Messiahship, as we find in this discourse. To me it seems one of the deepest things in the Bible.
[Verily, verily, I say unto you.'] Here, as elsewhere, the re- mark applies, that this form of expression always precedes some statement of more than ordinary depth and importance.
[The Son can do nothing of himself, &c.] This opening verse declares ihe complete unity there is between God the Father and God the Son. The Son, from His very nature and relation to the Father, "can do nothing" independently or separately from the Father. It is not that He lacks or luants the power to do, but I hat He unU not do. (Compare Gen. xix. 22.) When the angel said, " I cannot do anything till thou be come thither;" it means of course "'I will not do." — "Of himself" dees not mean without help, or unassisted, but "from himself," from His own independent will. He can only do such things as, from His unity with the Father, and consequent ineffable knowledge, He