to his incarnation, we should feel many misgiving thoughts respecting the acceptance of his sacrifice, and the efficacy of his mediation. But when he is restored to that glory which for our sakes he had laid aside, we cannot entertain a doubt respecting his sufficiency for our full and complete salvation. Though by dying on the cross he appeared unable to save him- self, yet, by his ascending to heaven afterwards, we are assured of his power to save us : because he raised up himself, we know he can raise up us ; and, " because he liveth, we trust assuredly that we shall live also." Nor are we left to conclude this from uncertain reasonings ; for St. Peter expressly tells us, that " God raised him up, and gave him glory that our faith and hope might be in God."]
To obtain a just view of our Lord's address, it will be proper to notice,
III. The peculiar force of his appeal —
There is a very striking energy in the text, as connected with the preceding and following verses: it intimated,
1. That they ought to have been better acquainted with the Scriptures —
[The Jews had the sacred oracles read and expounded to them every Sabbath-day ; and therefore they were inexcusable in not being well acquainted with their contents, especially with those great truths which related to their Messiah. And the Apostles, above all, were blame-worthy, because they had enjoyed the ministry of our Lord himself. How blameable then are we, if we are ignorant of that which relates to Christ ; we, who have all the light of the New Testament as well as of the Old ; we, who can compare the prophecies with the history of their accomplishment; we, to whom the Bible is accessible at all times; and who have its contents statedly and plainly opened to us! We are apt to think our ignorance of the Scriptures excusable, because we are not scholars, or because we must attend to our worldly callings : but the Disciples were poor fishermen, and therefore as excusable as any persons upon those grounds ; yet our Lord justly and severely reproved their ignorance : and most assuredly he will reprove us also in the day of judgment, for not using better the means of instruction which he has afforded us, unless we search the Scriptures, and labour diligently to acquaint ourselves with the things belong- ing to our peace.]
2. That the Scriptures, whether men be acquainted with them or not, shall surely be fulfilled —