demned of the Lord. Let us so speak and so act as men who will be judged by the law of liberty. Let us make conscience of all our hourly conduct, and never forget that for every idle word we must give account at the last day. In a word, let us live like those who believe in the truth of judgment, heaven, and hell. So living, we shall be Chris- tians indeed and in truth, and have boldness in the day of Christ's appearing.
Let the judgment-day be the Christian's answer and apology when men ridicule him as too strict, too pre- cise, and too particular in his religion. Irreligion may do tolerably well for a season, so long as a man is in health and prosperous, and looks at nothing but this world. But he who believes that he must give account to the Judge of quick and dead, at His appearing and kingdom, will never be content with an ungodly life. He will say, " There is a judgment. I can never serve God too much. Christ died for me. I can never do too much for Him."
Notes. John XII. 44 — 50.
44.— [Jesus cried and said.] The connection between the address which begins here and the preceding verse is not very plain or easy to understand.
Some think that it is a continuation of the address which ended at the thirty-sixth verse, and that John's comment and explanation in the last seven verses must be regarded entirely as a parenthesis. This is rather an awkward supposition, when we look at the thirty-sixth verse, and see at the end, " These words spake Jesus and departed, and did hide Himself." Unless we suppose that as He was walking away, " He cried and said, He that believeth on Me," etc., the connection seems incapable of proof. Yet it appears most unlikely that our Lord would have said such things as he was departing.
Others, as Theophylact, think that the address before us is an entirely new and distinct one, and delivered on a different day from that ending at the thirty-sixth verse : viz., on the Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, in Passion Week. This certainly ap- pears to me the least difficult view of the subject. It would then mean that the day after the miracle of the voice from heav- en, Jesus appeared again publicly in Jerusalem, and "cried and said."