tliey now are, if they had not seen my miracles as well as heard my words. But now they have both seen and heard over- whelming proofs of my Divine mission, and yet remain unbe- lieving. They have had the clearest evidence that could be given — the evidence of works and words ; and yet they have persisted in hating both Me and the Father which sent Me."
Burgon here remarks, " It is not meant that every single miracle which our Lord performed, surpassed in wonder any single miracle recorded of Moses, Elijah, or Elisha ; for that would not be trae. But Christ's works were made so great by the way He wrought them. Without effort, by a mere word, He showed that ail creation was obedient to His will."
Let us carefully observe how our Lord appeals to His mira- cles as a proof of His Messiahship, which ought to have con- vinced the Jews. They are a part of the evidences of Chris- tianity which ought never to be kept back or omitted.
25. — [But this cometh to pass, etc.] The manner in which our Lord quotes Scripture here is so common in the Gospels that it needs little remark. The things He mentions did not happen in order that Scripture might be fulfilled, but by their happen- ing Scripture was fulfilled.
" Their law " here is a general expression denoting the Old Testament Scripture.
" Without a cause " means literally " gratuitously, as a free gift." The word occurs only nine times in the New Testa- ment. Six times it is rendered "freely," once "in vain," once " for nought," and once " withoat a cause."
What precise text our Lord had in view is not quite clear, and some have thought that He only referred generally to Scripture testimony, like Matt. ii. 23. Others however point to Psalm xxxi. 19, and Psalm Ixix. 4.
Let us note that gratuitous, ceaseless hatred* was our Lord's portion on earth ; and His true disciples in every age must never wonder if they share His lot.
26. — [But when the Comforter, etc.] The object of this verse ap- pears to be the encouragement of the disciples. They were not to despond or feel hopeless because of the unbelief and hard- ness of the Jews. A witness would be raised up by and by, whose evidence the Jews would not be able to resist. There would come One who would give such testimony to the Divine mission of Christ, that even the wicked Jews would be silenced and crushed, although unconverted. Who was this promised witness ? It was the Holy Ghost, who was to come forth with peculiar power in the day of Pentecost, and to abide in the early Church. The second chapter of Acts was the first fulfil- ment of the verse. The irresistible influence which the Gos- pel obtained in Jerusalem, in spite of all the efforts of scribe