I My peace give 1 unto you.] The expression " my peace," Beems to indicate something peculiar in the gift here promisee Does it not mean " a sense of that peace with God which I am^ purchasing with my blood, — that inward calm and rest of soul which faith in Me procures for believers, — that peace which it is my special prerogative to give to my people " f
[Not as. ..world giveth...I...you.'\ The first and fullest meaning of this sentence seems to lie in the kind of things which Christ gives : " I give you possessions which the world cannot give, because it has not got them to give." The world can give tem- porary carnal satisfaction and excitement, and can gratify the passions and affections and pride of the natural man. But th© world cannot give inward peace and rest of conscience.
Some, however, think that the point of the sentence lies ia the manner of the world's giving, — temporarily, defectively, imperfectly, grudgingly, and the like. But, however true thia may be, I prefer the view that the chief point is in the nature of the world's gifts compared to Christ's.
[Let not your heart he troubled.] This is a repetition of the words which began the long list of consolations in this chapter "Once more I say to you, in view of the many grounds of com- fort which I have just named, do not give way to trouble of heart."
[Neither let it he afraid.] These words are added to the open- ing charge, not to be " troubled." They point to a frame of mind which our Lord saw creeping over the disciples : " Let not your heart give way to cowardice. Let it not be fearful." It is the only j^lace in the New Testament where this word ia used.
We need not doubt that the whole of this consoling verse is meant to be the property of all believers in every age.
28. — [ Te have heard...said...go away.] This sentence must refer to ch. xiii. 33 — 36, and xiv. 2, 3, 13. The disciples seem to have understood clearly that our Lord was leaving them, and that seems to have been one chief reason of their trouble and dis- tress.
[And come.. .to you.] I must retain the opinion that this com- ing refers to the second advent, and not to the resurrection of Christ. " My leaving the world until my second advent, you have heard me plainly teach and declare."
[If ye loved. ..rejoice.. .go. ..Father.] These words mean, — " if you really loved Me with an intelligent love, and thoroughly understood my person, nature, and work, you would rejoice to hear of my leaving the world and going to the Father, because you would see in it the finishing and completion of the work which the Father sent Me to do," Our Lord cannot of course mean that the disciples did not " love " Him at all, but that they
JOHN, CHAP. XIV. Qi
did not rightly and intelligently love Him ; otlierwise tliey would have rejoiced at His completion of His work.
[For my Father is greater than i.] This famous sentence haa always been an occasion of controversy and dispute. It presents two difficulties.
{a) What did our Lord mean by saying, " My Father is greater than I " ? I answer that the words of the Athanasian Creed contain the best reply. Christ is no doubt "equal to the Father as touching His Godhead', and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood." This we may freely and fully admit, and yet not give up a hair's breadth to Arians and Socinians, who al- ways throw this text in our teeth. The enemies of the doc- trine of Christ's divinity forget that Trinitarians maintain the humanity of Christ as strongly as His divinity ; and never shrink from admitting that while Christ as God is equal to the Father, as man He is inferior to the Father. And it is in this sense that He here says truly, " My Father is greater than 1." It was specially spoken of the time of His incarnation and hu- miliation. When the Word was " made flesh " He took on Him " the form of a servant." This was temporary inferiority. (Phil. ii. 7.)
(6) But what did our Lord mean by saying that the disciples ought to rejoice at His going to the Father, because " the Father is greater than I"? This is a hard knot to untie, and has re- ceived diflferent solutions. My own impression is that the mean- ing must be something of this kind : — "Ye ought to rejoice at my going to the Father, because in so going I shall resume that glory which I had with Him before the world was, and which I laid aside on becoming incarnate. Here on earth, during the thirty-three years of my incarnation, I have been in the form of a servant, and dwelling in a body as one inferior to my Father. In leaving this world I go to take up again the equal glory and honor which I had with the Father before my incarnation ; and to lay aside the position of inferiority in which I have taber- nacled here below. I go to be once more Almighty with the Almighty, and to share once more my Father's throne, as a Per- son in that Trinity in which ' none is afore or after other, none is greater or less than another.' I go to receive the kingdom and honor which in eternal counsels the Father has prepared for the Son ; and on this account, if you really knew and un- derstood all, you would rejoice at my going. If I had not vol- untarily placed myself in a position of inferiority to the Father by becoming man for man's sake, you would have no hope for your souls. But now the work is finished. I return to the Father, and leave my position of inferiority and humiliation, and you ought to rejoice and be glad."
29. — [And now...told...hefore...to pass, etc.] This seems to refer to our Lord's going away. " I have told you plainly that I am leaving you and about to die on the cross, in order that when I