39. — l^TMs is the Father's luill ivliich hath sent me.] In this versa' and the following, Christ explains fully what was the Father's will concerning the Son's mission into the world. It was that He should receive all and lose none, that any one might come to Him, and that no comer should be lost. It is a cheering and pleasant thought, that free and full salvation, and the final per- severance of behevers, should be so expressly declared to be *' the wiU of the Father."
[Of all... given. ..lose nothing.] Here again there is the same form' of speech as in the thirty-seventh verse. Literally rendered, the sentence would be, — " that of the whole thing which He has given me, I should not lose anything out of it." The ' ' losing" must necessarily mean, that " I should let nothing be taken away by the power of Satan, and allow nothing to come to ruin by its own inherent weakness." The general sense of the sentence must be, " that I should allow no member of my mystical body to be lost."
We have in these words the doctrine of the final perseverance of true believers. It seems hard to imagine stronger words than these to express the doctrine. It is the Father's will that no one whom He has given to Christ should be lost. His will must surely take effect. True behevers may err and fail in many things, but they shall never finally be cast away. The will of God the Father, and the power of Christ the Son, are both engaged on their side.
We have in these words abundant comfort for all fearful and faint-hearted behevers. Let such remember tl^at if they " come" to Christ by faith, they have been " given " to Christ by the Father ; and if given by the Father to Christ, it is the Father's will that they should never be cast away. Let them lean back on this thought, when cast down and disquieted; — "It is the Father's wiU that I should not be lost."
[Should raise it up again at the last day.] We have in these words the Father's will that all Christ's members shall have a glorious resurrection. They shall not only not be lost and cast away while they live : they shall be raised again to glory after they die. Christ will not only justify and pardon, keep and sanctify. He will do even more. He will raise them up at the last day to a life of glory. It is the Father's will that He should do so. ^'he bodies of the saints are provided for no less than their souls.
The idea of some writers, which Bullinger mentions with some favour, that the " last day" means the day of each believer's death, and the " raising" his translation in the hour of death to paradise, seems to me utterly destitute of foundation.
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The words before us are a strong argument for the ' first resurrection," as a peculiar privilege of believers. It is said here that believers shall be "raised again/' as a special honour and mercy conferred upon them. Yet it is no less clearly said in the 5th chapter, verse 29, that "all that are in the graves shall Come forth,'^ both good and bad. It follows, therefore, that there is a resurrection of which saints alone are to be the partakers, distinct from the resurrection of the wicked. What can this be but the first resurrection ? (Rev. xx. 5.) — It must however in fairness be remembered that resurrection is sometimes spoken of in Scripture as if it was the peculiar privilege of believers, and a thing in which the wicked have no part. In the famous chapter in Corinthians, it is clear that the resurrection of the saints is the only thing in St. Paul's mind. (1 Cor. xv.) That the wicked will be raised again, as well as the righteous, is clearly asserted in several places. But it is sometimes a thing kept in the back- ground.
40. — [This is the will of him that sent me.'] These words are repeated in this verse, to show that it is no less the Father's will that Christ should receive sinners, than that Christ should preserve saints. Both things are alike the purpose and intention of God.
[Every onetuhich seeth the Son and believeth...life.] These words mean that " every one, without exception, who by faith looks to Christ and trusts in Him for salvation, is allowed by Grod the Father's appointment to have part in the salvation Christ has provided." There is no barrier, difficulty, or objection. " Every one," is the expression. jSTo one can say he is excluded. — " Seeing and believing,"' are the only things required. No one can say that the terms are too hard. Does he see and beheve ? Then .e may have everlasting life.
The expression " seeth the Son," in this sentence, must evi- dently mean more than mere seeing with the bodily eyes. It is the looking with faith at Christ. (See John xii. 45, where the same Greek word is used.) It is such a look as that of the Israelites, who looked at the brazen serpent, and, looking, were healed. (See John iii. 14, 15, and Num. xxi. 9.) I believe that this was in our Lord's mind when He spake the words of this verse. Just as every serpent-bitten Israelite might look at the brazen serpent — and, as soon as he looked, was cured, so every sin-stricken man may look to Christ and be saved.
[J luill raise Mm up at the last day.] These words are repeated, I believe, in order to make it sure that a glorious resurrection shall be Ihe portion of every one that only "looks" at Christ and believes, as weB as of those who enjoy the " assurance" that they are given to Christ and shall never be cast away. The
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