It is needless to say that the things asked in this prayer, both here and elsewhere, are very deep, and reach far beyond man's understanding. The glory which the Son had with the Father, in the time before the creation of the world, is a mat- ter passing our comprehension. But the pre-existence of Christ, tlie doctrine that Father and Son are two distinct per- sons, and the equal glory of the Father and the Son, are at any rate taught here very plainly. It seems perfectly impossible to reconcile the verse with the Socinian theory, — that Christ was a mere man, like David or Paul, and did not exist before He was born at Bethlehem.
Let us also learn the practical lesson, that a prayer for glory comes best from those who have done work upon earth for God. A lazy wish to go to glory without working is not ac- cording to Christ's example.
6. — [/ have manifested Thy name.] In this part of the prayer our Lord begins to speak of His believing people : directly of the eleven apostles, but indirectly and partially of all believers in every age. And the rest of the prayer from this point is en- tirely taken up with the case of the disciples.
The sentence before us means, " I have made known Thy- self, Thy character, and Thine attributes to my disciples." The word " name " is continually used in this sense in the Bi- ble. Thus : Psalm xxii. 22 ; lii. 9 ; cxix. 55 ; Is. xxvi. 8 ; Acts ix. 14 ; Prov. xviii. 10. A right knowledge of God the Father was the first thing which Christ revealed and taught to His disciples.
Burgon remarks, " The word name is here used in that large signification, so well known to readers of Scripture, whereby it is made to stand for God himself. (Psalm xx. I.) The evan- gelist says, " They shall call His name Emmanuel ;" meaning, that our Saviour would be what the name Emmanuel means : viz, ' God with us.' As often thus as our Lord made known to men the mind and will of the eternal Father, so often did He manifest His name."
Traill remarks, " What is the Father's name ? Many think they know it, to whom Christ never revealed it. If you ask them whether they know Christ's Father's name, they have a ready answer. He is the first Person in the Trinity. He is the Almighty, the maker and ruler of heaven and earth. Yes :. but this is tlie name of God only, and that in general ! The name of Christ's Father is that name and discovery of God wherein He stands related to the Son."
[ Unto the men...gavest them Me.] In this sentence our Lord describes His disciples. He calls them " men whom the Fa- ther gave Him out of the world, — men who were the elect chil- dren of the Father, and whom the Father committed and en- trusted to His care as to a good Shepherd." Lampe thinks