The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 180

voioe t "' If these were the musings of Nit- typo of the Jsrnclite home (1 Kings iv. 25: thanael-Rnd sure!'\" there is not a trace eof Zech. iii. 10). There, not in tlrn corners or unreRRon in anch 1neditations in the breast the street, was he Mcustomcd to medit11to of a disciple of the Baptist-the conversation and pray. The ~v,,-a clauso is in apposition which follows is more ensy to understand. with "•• and (though 11nother tmnslation is Ver. 47.-JeallS saw Nathanael ooming to grnmmatioe.l) suggests tlmt Christ s11w him him-for NRthe.n[l,01 at once obeyed the under conditions ,Yhich hnd nothing whRt- summons nf Philip-and ae.ith of him; not, e,·er to do with those under which Philip to i.,m-sRith in the l10aring of the unnAmed called him. El~&v is used for the most pnrt disciple. who oould not lce.rn his Master's of simple sight, 11nd need not nccesso.rily Elide. There are numerous indications in connote mimcu!ous penetration and recog- eh. i. and ii. of e. qualificRtion of Jesus nition of all that was passing in his mind. which, in eh. ii. 25, is described e.s knowing And yet the obvious intention of tho evo.n- whe.t was in man. He read the thought gelist is to convey more than casno.l obser- and character of Simon e,nd Philip, of vation. As Weiss says," What is mentioned N 11thanael, and of his mother; and here he is not one isolnted glanoe into the depths of makes nse of his Divine prerogative and, e.s the soul, but past events, along with their on a multitude of other occe.sions, penetrated outward circumstances, are known to Jesus." the surface to the inner motive and heart. " I saw thee "-I ho.ve not been ignoro.nt of llehold, an Israelite indeed ; one who fulfils thee; I WRtched and thought of thee. The the true idea of Israel, a prince with God, e. astonishing effect produced by this so.ying conqueror of God by prayer, and conqueror of the Lord has been variously conceived. of man by submission, penite11ce, and restitu- Some have surmised preternatural optical tion ; one who has renounced the spirit of powers exercised from a distance: others a supplanter and fa.ken that of penitent. simple observation without comment at the "Confident in self-despair," he has relin- time when our Lord wutched him in one of quished his own strength, e.nd lays hold of the plnces of retirement ee.crcd to solemn the strength of God, and is at peace. In meditations and instructions. It seems to whom is no guile; i.e. no self-deception, and me that the occasion to which our Lord no disposition to decei\'e others. The (Ps. referred must have been one of extreme ::axii 1, 2) description of the blessedness of spiritual interest and memorableness to .. the man whose transgressions are forgiven, N athane.el; some hour had passed of com- . . . and in whose spirit [LXX., •mouth'] manding infiuenoe upon his mind-one of there is no guile (~o>..os)," is the finest key to those periods of visitation from the living the significance of this pe.ssage. Christ does God, when lives are recommenced, when an not say that this mo.n is sfoless, but guile- old world passes away and a new one has less-tree o.nd full in his confession, knowing been made, of which the lips have never himself, and sheltering himself under no spoken, and whfrh e.re among the deepest devices or seeming shows. The publican secrets of the soul. It wo.s the conviction (it has been well said) we.s without guile that his secret meditation bad been sur- when he cried, "God be merciful to me a prised. that the unknown Stranger had sinner I" The Pharisee was steeped in self- fathomed the depth of his consciousness, deception and guile when he ee.id, "God, I which wrought and ,vrung the great confes- thank thee that I am not e.s olher men." sion of which we have here o. crisp outline. Sincerity, openness of eye, simplicity of I saw thee ; and by this implication I can llpCBCh, no wish to appear other th~ w!iat sympathize in all thy longings. [It is in- he is before God and man, affirms hIB gU1le- teresting to remember that Ro.bbi Akiba is lessness. Alas I the so-called Israelite has described as studying the Law under a fig widely departed from the fundamental idea. tree; and Augustine heard the voice which of such e. character, though not more eo than ruled hie subsequent life "under a fig tree" Christians have become unlike the ideal (' Conf.,' viii. 12, 28); and Buddha's most disciples of Jeans. wonderful convictions and resolves occurred Ver. 48.-Ifathanael aaith unto him, under the ho tree.] Whenoe knowest thou met Without any Ver. 49.-Nathe.nael was overcome by title of respect, or admission e.s yet of any irresistible conviction that here was the claims or right in him of whom Philip had Searcher of bee.rte, One gifted with stro.nge 11poken. There is, in this query, an abrupt- powers of sympathy, and with right to claim ness of blunt sincerity which to some extent obedience. Answered him •-now for the justifies the enlogiwn upon ~is innerm_ost 1 The omission of the ,c«I Al-yn a,i,,-tj is life. 1e1U11 answered and 1aid unto him, Before that l'hilip oalled thee-irrespective made by Westcott e.nd Hort, R. T., Alford, altogether of tl,e excitement he has stirred Tischendorf (8th edit.), 'l'regellee, eto, on the 1'ithi11 thee-when thou wast under the 11.g authority of B, L, 33. The omitted clause is ~eo, I 1&W thee "The fig tree " we.s the given differently in N, A, and other uncials, en. 1. 1-61.] 'l'HE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 41