after all, " To whom shall we go," if we give up our reli- gion ? Where shall we find such peace, and hope, and solid comfort as in serving Christ, however poorly we serve Him ? Can we better ourselves by turning our back- on Christ, and going back to our old ways ? "We cannot. Then let us hold on our way and persevere.
Let us mark, lastly, in this passage, what little benefit some men get from religious privileges. We read that our Lord said, " Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil." And it goes on, "He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon."
If ever there was a man who had great privileges and opportunities, that man was Judas Iscariot. A chosen dis- ciple, a constant companion of Christ, a witness of His miracles, a hearer of His sermons, a commissioned preach- er of His kingdom, a fellow and friend of Peter, James, and John, — it would be impossible to imagine a more fa- vourable position for a man's soul. Yet if anyone ever fell hopelessly into hell, and made shipwreck at last for eter- nity, that man was Judas Iscariot. The character of that man must have been black indeed, of whom our Lord could say he is " a devil."
Let us settle it firmly in our minds, that the possession of religious privileges alone is not enough to save our souls. It is neither place, nor light, nor company, nor opportuni- ties, but grace that man needs to make him a Christian. With grace we may serve God in the most difficult posi- tion,— like Daniel in Babylon, Obadiah in Ahab's court, and the saints in Nero's household. Without grace we may live in the full sunshine of Christ's countenance, and yet, like Judas, be miserably cast away. Then let us never rest till we have grace reigning in our souls. Grace is to be had for the asking. There is One sitting at the right hand of God who has said, — " Ask, and it shall be given you." (Matt. vii. V.) The Lord Jesus is more willing to
18*
ilS EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
give grace than man is to seek it. If men have it not, it is because they do not ask it.
Notes. JoHxN YI. 66—71.
66. — [From that time.] It is doubtful whether the Greek words here might not have been better translated, "Upon this," — " After this conversation."
[Many of his disciples.] This expression shows that the num- ber of persons who followed our Lord about, and professed them- selves His disciples, must have been large.
[ Went hackward.] Thie is a metaphorical expression, signifying "retreat, desertion, forsaking a position once occupied." It is the same that is rendered in the account of the Jews coming to take our Lord in the garden, " they went backward, and fell to the ground." (John xviii. 6.)
[ Walked no more with him^ The simplest view of this expres- sion is, that these deserters from our Lord walked no longer in His company as He went about teaching, as they had done, but re- turned to their own homes. No minister of the Gospel should feel surprised if the same thing happens to him.
Not a few of these very " disciples," probably, had been for- ward in wishing to make our Lord a " king," the day before. Such is popularity, here to-day and gone to-morrow !
67. — [Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?] We cannot suppose that our Lord asked this, as if He did not know what the Apostles were going to do. We may be sure that He who " knew from the beginning who they were that beheved not" (verse 64), knew the hearts of His Apostles. The question was evidently asked to prove His chosen followers, and to draw forth from them an expression of feehng. (See John vi. 6.)
The word "will" here, would be more accurately rendered. " Do you wish ?" " Have you a will?"
We should note that this is the first time St. John speaks of "the twelve." We know from the other Gospels, that "the twelve " were em[)loyed in distributing the loaves and fishes to the five thousand. (Luke ix. 12, 17.)
C8. — [Then Simon Peter answered him.] The fervour and impetu- osity of Peter's character come out here, as in other places in the Gospels. He is the first to speak, and to speak for his brethren as Avell as himself. Only the night before this very scene, he had been the first, in the storm on the lake, to say, " Lord, if it be thoii, bid me to come unto thee on the water." (^fatt. xiv. 28.) And here, in like manner, he is the first to profess loudly his determination not to go away, and his faith in Christ.
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[To whom slidll we go ?] This question is a strong burst of feeling " To wliat teacher, to what master, to what leader shall we go, if we leave thee ? Where are we to find any one like thee ? What could we gain by leaving thee ?" The question was one which might well be asked, when we remember the state of the Jewish nation, and the universal prevalence of Pha- risaism or Sadduceeism. But this is not all. It may always be asked by true Christian men, when tempted to give up Christ's service. True Christianity undoubtedly has its cross. It entails trial and persecution. But to whom shall we go, if we give up Christ? WiU Infidelity, Deism, Socinianism, Romanism, For- malism, Rationalism, or Worldliness give us anything better? There is but one answer 1 They cannot.
[Thou hast the words of eternal life.] This would be more literally rendered, " thou hast words of eternal life." " Thou possessest instruction about everlasting life, such as we can hear nowhere else, aud such as we find soul-comforting and edifying. The sayings that fall continually from thy lips, about eternal life, are such as we cannot leave." Our Lord's expression should be remembered, " I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me." (John xvii. 8.)
69. — [And lue believe and are surei] This would be more literally rendered, " we have beheved and have known." Moreover, the " we" is emphatic. — " Whatever others may please to think, however many may go away and forsake thee, after following thee for a little, it is not so with us. We have beheved and known, and do beheve and know."
[Thou art that Christy the son of the living Godi] This might equally well have been rendered, *' Thou art the Clirist." The sentence is a noble confession, when we remember the time in which it was made, and the universal unbelief of the leaders of the Jewish nation. We may remember, that it is precisely the same confession that is recorded to have been made by Peter, after our Lord said to him, " Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven," (Matt. xvi. 17.)
We must not, however, misunderstand the extent of Peter's confession. He declared his faith that our Lord was the Anointed Messiah, the Son of the living God. The Messiahship and divinity of Christ, were the points on which he and the other apostles laid firm hold. But the sacrifice and death of Christ, and His substitution for us on the cross, were not things which he either saw or understood at present. (See Matt. xvi. 22, 23.)
(a.) We should notice, that a man's heart may be right to- wards God, while he remains very ignorant of some great doc-