last longer than three years, is sealed ts the tifie witness of Christ, through the experience of those who believe and are saved, then we shall have done miracles enough."
42. — [And many believed... there.'] Whether this was; head belief, the faith of intellectual conviction,— or heart belief, the faith of reception of Christ as a Saviour, — we are left in doubt. We have the same expression viii. 30 and xi. 45. Yet we need not doubt that very many Jews, both here and elsewhere, were secretly couvinced of our Lord's Messiahship, and after His resurrection came forward and confessed their faith, and were baptized. It seems highly probable that this accounts for the great number converted at once on the day of Pentecost and at other times. (See Acts iv. 4 ; vi. 7 ; and xxi. 20.) The way had been pre- pared in their hearts long before, by our Lord's own preaching, though at the time they had not courage to avow it. The good that is done by preaching is not always seen immediately. Our Lord sowed, and His Apostles reaped all over Palestine.
Chrysostom has a long and curious comment on this verse. He draws from it the great advantage of privacy and quiet to the soul, and the benefit that women especially derive from living a retired life at home, compared to men. His exhortation to wives to use their advantages in this respect, and to help their husbands' souls, is very singular, when we consider the times he wrote in, and the state of society at Constantinople. "Nothing," he says, " is more powerful than a pious and sensi- ble woman, to bring a man into proper order, and to mould his soul as she will."
Henry observes : " Where the preaching of repentance has had success, there the preaching of reconciliation and Gospel grace is most likely to be prosperous. Where John has been acceptable, Jesus will not be unacceptable. The jubilee trumpet sounds sweetest in the ears of those who, in the day of atone- ment, have afflicted their souls for sin."