marginal reading of the English version. It beautifully de- Bcribes the helpless, solitary, friendless state, by comparison, in which the disciples of Christ were left, when He died and was withdrawn from their bodily eyes. " In that condition," says Jesus, " I will not leave you. You shall not always be orphans." It adds to tlie beauty of the expression to remember that He had already called them " little children : " hence there was a special fitness in the word " orphans."
\^I will come to you.'] The verb here is in the present tense ; " I do come." About the meaning of the sentence there is much difEerence of opinion. Even the Fathers, as Burgon says, *' explain the words diversely." There is no more unanimity, we must remember, among the Fathers than among modern divines. The " consent of Catholic antiquity," about which many make so much ado, is more imaginary than real.
Some think, as Chrysostom, that the " coming " means only the reappearing of Christ after His resurrection from the grave on the third day.
Others think, as Hutcheson, that our Lord only means His coming by His Spirit, as a pledge of his presence.
Others think, as Augustine and Bede, that our Lord looks far forward to His second coming at the end of the world, and speaks the words to the whole company of believers in every age : " I am coming again. I come quickly."
I decidedly prefer this last view. The first and second seem to me to cramp, narrow, and confine our Lord's promise. The last is in harmony with all His teaching. The second advent is the great hope of the Church. In the last chapter of the Bible, the Greek for " I come quickly," is precisely the same verb that is used here. (Rev. xxii. 20.)
In saying this I would not be mistaken. I admit fully that Jesus came to His Church after His ascension, invisibly, does come to His Church continually, is with His Church even to the end of the world. But I do not think this is the meaning of the text.
.19. — [Yet a little io?dle...ye see Me!] Again the meaning of our Lord is somewhat obscure. I think He must mean, "Very shortly the wicked unbelieving world will no longer behold and gaze on Me, as I shall be withdrawn from it, and ascend into heaven. But even then ye see Me, and will continue see- ing Me with the eyes of faith." I cannot think that the present tense here, " Ye behold Me," can apply to the second advent. It must surely refer to the spiritual vision of Christ wliich believers would enjoy. The world could not prevent them seeing Him. The Greek word for " ye see " implies a fixed, steady, habitual gaze.
Bishop Hall says, " Ye by the eye of faith shall see and acknowledge Me."