1 It is not eaſſe to be determined what theſe Greeks were, whither Jews, who being ſcattered in the Grecian Country upon the Con- queſts which the Grecians had made upon the Fews under Alexander the Great, and thoſe who ſucceeded him, ſtill remaned in thoſz Countries, bur kept ſo much of the Religion of their Country, as to come up to the Paſſover, or Gentiles, which ate ordinarily called Greeks incontradiftion to the Fews, As 14. r. and 16. r. and 18.17, Rom. 1.15. 1 Cor.1423,24. Gal.3.28, But itis moſt probable that they were Gentiles; for tho' ſome ſay, that the Jews would never have ſuffered the Gentiles ro have come into the Temple to Worſhip yetthe contrary is plain from the inſtance of the Eunuch, .4#s 8.27. who wasan Heazhen, and came to Feruſalem to Worſhip, And 4s 17. 4. We read of a great multitude of devour Greeks, in the Greek the word is osBomeywy, Worlbirping Greeks; and it is plain from the beginning, that there was a liberty for Srrangers, not of Iſrael, but ſuch as came our of a far Country, for the Lords Name ſake : And Selemen prayeth at the Dedication of the Temple, That the Lord would hear them : And there was belonging to the Temple, a Court of the Gentiles for that purpoſe ; It is called the Court with- out the Temple, Rev 14. 2. What Worſhip they there performed, :S a greater queſijor,: Some think they only prayed ; others think they offered Sacrifices in that Court ; from 2 Mac. 2. 35. but certain it is, that there were divers of the Gentiles devourly difpoſed, thar hearing of the Jewiſh Temple, and the ſolemn Worſhip performed chere, at their ſolemn Feaſts ; came, ſome as SpeQators at thoſe great OY others with a true deſign to Worſhip the God of the
ewWF.
21 The ſame therefore came to Philip *, which was of Bethſaiday of Galilee m,, and deſired him, ſaying, Sir, we would ſee Jeſus 7.
* If theſe Grz-cians (as is probable) were Syrophenicians, their Country was fo near to Berhſaida of Galilee, which was Phrlips Town, that it is probable they might have ſome knowledge of him. and that might bring them to him to be ſpokeſman ; » bur ir ſhould ſeem they came only to ſatisfie their curioſity, for they ask for no more, than that they might ſee Jeſus.
22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew : and again Andrew and Philip tell Jeſus o.
o The news of their coming, and their Errand,is brought to Chriſt by Philip and Andrew, who poſſibly might ſtumble art it, becauſe they were Genti/es, and Chrift had forbidden them to go into the way of the Gent:les ; they therefore firſt acquaint him with the deſire of thoſe Greebs, before they bring them to Chriſt.
23 q And Jeſus anſwered them, ſaying *, The hour * J2 & 7. Is
1s come, that the Son of man ſhould be glorified p.
? Chriſt replies, that the time was now come, when he (who was the Son of God) ſhould be glorified ; that is, by the Gentiles re- ceiving of the Goſpel, according to the many Prophecies of ir in = Oid Teſtament ; bur he goeth ov, telling them that he muſt firſt
ies
24 Verily, verily, I ſay unto you *, Except a corn *
of wheas fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone ;
but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit 4
q Look as you fee in your ordinary. Husbandry, the grains of Wheat are firſt buried in the Earth, and loſe their form, before they ſpring and ſhoot up again, and bring forth fruit; ſo ir muſt be with me; I muſt be fit lifted up, before ! ſhall draw men after me ; I muſt firſt be crucified, before my Goſpel ſhall be preached to all Na- tions, and the fulneſs of the Genzzles ſhall come : bur if I have once _ and riſen again from the dead, then you ſhall ſee this abundant
uit.
25 * He that loveth his life, ſhall loſe : and he *
that hateth his life in this world, ſhall keep it unto life
eternal r, |
» We had much the ſame in the other Evangeliſt, Mar. .1o. 37. Luke 14+ 26. Some think that our Saviour repeateth it here, to ſhew, that as Chriſt firſt ſuffered, and then entred into his glory, fo his Diſciples muſt alſo lay the foundation of their glory in theirſuſſerings, and by much tribulation enter into the Kingdom: of Goa : Oc what if we ſhould ſay, That our bleſſed Lord doth here Prophecy, what ſufferings would attend the firft Preaching of the Goſpch, and incourage his Diſci- ples to what he knew they muſt meer with and undergo, by lerting them know, thar the ready way to loſe their ſhare in Life Eternal, was ro be ſo fond of this Life, and the comforts of it, as not to be ready to lay them down for him : bur if any perſon hated, that is, leſs lov- ed his life, and a]Jl that in this Worid is dear ro him, than Chrift and his ſervice, he ſhould, if not be preſerved from enemies rage, yet moſt certainly be recompenced with eternal Life,
Chap. XII.
Ch. r3.
1Cor.ls, 6.
Var. 16, 5.
Mar.8.36, Luk. 9.24.
26 If any man ſerve me, let him follow me s, and «q ,,_. * where I am, there ſhall alſo my ſervant ber: and it & 1. a,
any man ſerve me, him will 7zy Father honour. |
5 This is much the ſame with that Mar. 16. 24. unleſs folow- ing here, be more reſtrained to ſufferring, let him follow me to »y Groſs ; for otherwiſe it ſeemeth the ſame with ſerving. We muſt not be ready only to do, bur alſo to die for Chriſt, co follow him to the Croſs if he calleth us to it. £ And if any man fo {erveth ne. he ſhall be in Heaven where 1 am, Roz. 8. 17. If we ſuffer with him,
we ſhall alſo be glorified together. _ my Father with who:n 1 am ; f one
Chap. XIL _ S. FOHN. Ch one in Nate, and Efſexce, will honour thoſe that are my ſervants; 29. The people therefore that ood hs. _ ; ear
ſo great a thing it is to be a ſervant tothe Son of God. The Father| ;- {aj : _ , will honour thoſe that are ſo, and eſpecially thoſe who are ſoin ſuf = _ oy It thundred a: Others laid, An angel ſpake