it and the man of the world. Wherever the gracious Saviour of sinners sees true faith in Himself, however feeble, He looks with compassion on many infirmities, and passes by many defects. It was even so with the eleven apostles. They were weak and unstable as water ; but they believed and loved, their Master when millions refused, to own Him. And the language of Him who declared that a cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple should not lose its reward, shows clearly that their constancy was not forgotten.
The true servant of God should mark well the feature in Christ's character which is here brought out, and rest his soul upon it. The best among us must often see in himself a vast amount of defects and infirmities, and must feel ashamed of his poor attainments in religion. But do we simply believe in Jesus ? Do we cling to Him, and roll all our burdens on Him ? Can we say with sincerity and truth, as Peter said afterwards, " Lord, Thou knowest all things: Thou knowest that I love Thee ? " Then let us take comfort in the words of Christ before us, and not give way to despondency. The Lord Jesus did not despise the eleven because of their feeble- ness, but bore with them and saved them to the end, because they believed. And He never changes. What He did for them. He will do for us.
Notes. John IlVii. 1—8.
l.--[These words spake Jesus.'] The chapter we have now begun is the most remarkable in the Bible. It stands alone, and there is nothing like it. A few introductory remarks will not be out of place.
Henry remarks that this was a prayer after sermon, a prayer after sacrament, a family prayer, a parting prayer, a prayer be- fore a sacrifice, a prayer which was a specimen of Christ's in- tercession.
We have here the only long prayer of the liord Jesus, which the Holy Ghost has thought good to record for our learning.
JOHN, CHAP. XVTI. 17j^
That He often prayed we know well ; but this is the only prayer reported. We have many of His sermons, parables, and con versatious ; but only this prayer.
We have here the prayer of one who spake as never man spake, and prayed as never man prayed, — the prayer of the second Person in the Trinity to the Father : the prayer of one whose office it is, as our High Priest, to make intercession for His people.
We have a prayer offered up by the Lord Jesus on a specially interesting occasion, — just after the Lord's Supper, — just after a most striking discourse, — ^just before His betrayal and cruci- fixion,— ^just before the disciples forsook Him and fled, — just at the end of His earthly ministry.
We have here a prayer which is singularly full of deep and profound expressions ; so deep, indeed, that we have no line to them. The wisest Christian will always confess that there are things here which he cannot fully explain.
The Bible reader who attaches no weight to such considera- tions as these must be in a very strange state of mind.
Augustine remarks, " The prayer which Christ made for us. He hath also made known to us. Being so great a Master, not only what He saith in discoursing to the disciples, but also what He saith to the Father in praying for them, is their edifi- cation."
Calvin remarks, " Doctrine has no power, unless efficacy is imparted to it from above. Christ holds out an example to teachers, not to employ themselves only in sowing the Word, but by mingling prayers with it, to implore the assistance of God, that His blessing may render their labor fruitful."
Bullinger remarks that it was the duty of the Jewish priest to pray for the people, as well as to offer sacrifice for them.
About the place where this prayer was offered we know nothing certain. Some, as Alford, have conjectured that it was in the upper room where the Lord's Supper was held. This, how- ever, seems inconsistent with "Arise, let us go hence." (Ch. xiv. 3L) It seems more likely that it was prayed in some quiet place outside the walls, before our Lord " crossed the brook Cedron." (John xviii. 1.) One thing at least is almost certain. It is a totally different prayer from that which our Lord prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, although Rupertus asserts it was the same.
About the hearers of this prayer, there seems no reason to doubt that all the eleven apostles were present, and all heard it. All heard the discourses of the last three chapters, and I cannot see why all should not have heard the concluding prayer.
172 EXPosrroEY thoughts.
About the general plan and order and arrangement of the prayer, I decline to express any opinion, thinking it more rev- erent not to define too closely such a matter. We can all see at a glance that our Lord prays about Himself, prays about the disciples, and prays about those who were after to be disciples. But it is best to pause here, and not to dissent and analyze and systematize too minutely such a prayer. One tiling only may be remarked, and that is, the singular frequency with which " the world " is mentioned. The phrase occurs no less than nineteen times.
I conclude these introductory observations by advising all who wish to study thoroughly this wonderful chapter of Scrip- ture, to consult, if they can, the following works specially de- voted to the elucidation of it : viz., " Manton's Sermons on Seventeenth John," 400 folio pages ; " George Newton's Expo- sition of Seventeenth John," 560 pages folio ; and " Burgess's Expository Sermons on Seventeenth John," 700 pages folio. These three books, having been written by Puritans 200 years ago, are ignored by some and despised by others. I simply venture the remark, that he who cares to examine them will find that they richly repay perusal. Manton's work especially will bear a comparison with anything written on this chapter since his days. It is curious that the other prayer, commonly called the " Lord's Prayer," has been frequently made the sub- ject of books and expositions, while this much larger " prayer" has been comparatively little handled.
Melancthon says, " There is no voice which has ever been heard, either in heaven or earth, more exalted, more holy, more fruitful, more sublime, than this prayer.
Luther says, " In proportion as this prayer sounds plain and simple, it is in reality deep, rich, and wide, that which none can fathom."
[And lifted up His eyes to heaven.] This sentence shows that bodily gestures in prayer and worship of God are not altogether to be overlooked as unmeaning. There is a decent and reverent manner aud gesture which suits the action of addressing God. It also seems clearly to show that the prayer was prayed before witnesses. John writes as one describing what he saw and heard. It is perhaps too much to say that the expression proves tlie prayer to have been in the open air. A person may look upward and heavenward even in a room. Yet it certainly rather increases the probability that our Lord was in the open air.
Calvin says, " If we desire to imitate Christ, we must take care that our outward gestures do not exj^ress more than is in our mind, but that inward feeling shall direct the eyes, the hands, the tongue, and everything about us."