deRcent from Abraham, or from human parents in ·lirect de8cent, from the patriarch. 'l'he apostle says that believers are born: (1) "Not of blood." We speak of physical descent by this term, ns blood is the sent of natural Ii fe. (2) "Nor of the will of the flesh," as a factor in natural birth. (3) "Nor of the will of man,'' as representing a will more independent of nature. All believers know that grace does not run in the • blood, like the seeds of health or disease, Every godly parent who has ungodly children hns sad knowledge of the faot, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." (4) "But of God." He is the true Author of regeneration. We are born of the Spirit. '£his is the first place in which the new birth is opoken of by name in Scripture. The apostle guards, us against errors from different sides by showing what are not the sources of it, as well as what is its sole origin, It has no material origin; it springs not from human impulse or human will. 2. The evangeli,;al sonship is e[Jer,terJ, on man's part by faith in Ghrist. " Even to as many as believe in his Name." There are other testimonies to the fact. Believers become "children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. iii. 26). "Whosoever bclieveth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (1 John v, 1). There is no sonship to God without living faith in the Son of God, (1) Con- sider the nature of faith. (a) It is not a mere belief of the truth, though this is essentially implied in it, (b) Nor is it a belief of the fact that" Christ died for me," or any such proposition, (c) It is trusting in a Person, We believe on Christ for salvation. (2) Consider the object of faith. "Hfa Name." The name is not merely that by which a person is known; "it is the inmost P.ssence of the being in opposition to external manifestations," 'l'he Name is here the Word, that is, the Manifestation of the will and love of God. Ver. 14.-The reality ef the Incarnation. 'l'he apostle explains the saving effects just recorded by the historic fact that "the Word became flesh." I. THE NATURE OF THE INCARNATION. "The Word became flesh." The miraculous conception is implied, though not expressed, in these words. It is the last time that John uses the term "Word" about Christ in his Gospel. Henceforth the term is" Jesus," or " the Lord." The word "flesh" denotes human nature-the entire human person. 1. It is not said the Word became "body;" because the proper phrase would have been, "The Word took a body; " and why should Jesus in that case speak of his " soul" ? Yet the true doctrine of the Incarnation is that Christ took a human body and a human soul. The word "flesh " is not designed to express his visibility among men, but his entire human nature. 2. It implies that the Word did not become a man like .Adam before the Fall; for he was made in "the likeness of sinful flesh" (Rom, viii. 3). And "all flesh is grass." 3. It does not imply that the Word took upon J.im "peccable flesh;" for" he knew no sin" (2 Cor. v. 21). 4. it implies that he assumed the human nature common to all .Adam's descendants. Not that of any race, class, or family. He was to be Saviour for" all flesh." 5. lt implies that he became "flesh" in such a sense that he still retains the same nature. "Our nature is on the throne." 6. It implies that, though he "emptied himself" (Phil. ii. 7), he did not cease to be God; for the Word still existed. 7. it implies, in a word, the union of two perfect and distinct nat1,res in one Person. This doctrine is a great mystery. But it must be fi.rml_y held (1) against the Arians,:who denied his Divinity; (2) against the Apollinarians, who held that the Word became only a body, the Divinity supplying the place of a soul; (3) against the Ne.storians, who made the Godhead one Person, and the manhood another person; (4) against the Eutychians, who held that in the one Person there wa~ mixture of the natures so as to produce a third. 8. Consider the importance of this doctrine. If "the Word became flesh," (1) the union of the two natures was designed to give infinite value to Christ's atoning sacrifice; (2) it gives us a Saviour who cannot but be touched with a feeling of our infirmities (Heh. iv. 15); (3) who can give us a perfect human example of excellence; (4) who dignifies the human body, and places his disciples under the most awful obligations not to defile or dishonour it. II. THE HIBTORIOAL VISIBILITY OF THE INCARNATION, "And dwelt among us." The Word not merely entered human life, but remained in it for a time. 'l'he original word signifies " tabernacled," or "dwelt in a tent," implying: 1. The _tra7:sient nature of his visit to earth. 2. His detached eristfflce among men. Yet his v1s1t lasted for three and thirty years. 48 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. [OHe I, 1-61,
III. THE PER~0NAL WITNESS TO RIB GLORY, "We beheM his glory." Theapoetlo was among th0se who beheld it with wondering awe, on the Mount of Transfiguration nnd at the rn_rious scenes of. miracle in _hie life of service and suffering. He beheld it; for he speaks m his First Epistle of havrng heard and seen and handled the Word of life (1 John i. 1) IV. THE CHARACTER OF THE INCARNATE Woan. 1. It is that of the Only Begotten ?,f th_e Fathe,·. The "glo:y as of the Only Begotten of the Father." This expression 1111phcs the et.cmal generation of the Son from the Father; for if the Father was Father fror:n all eternity,_the Son must have been Son from all eternity. He sr_>oke of" a glory which he had with the Father before the world was" (eh. xvii. 6). There is no inferiority involved in this sonship. There is a necessary defectiveness in all analogies t:.ken from human parentage. Augustine said, "Show me and explain to me an ctemal Father, and I will show to you and explain to you an eternal Son." 2. It is the fulness of grace and truth. "Full of grace and truth." This docs not signify that his own life was filled with grace and truth, but that he is the Author of these two hlcssings, as we may infer from ver. 17, where" gracean<l trnth" are said to have come "by Jesus Christ." (1) Grace is the revelation of God's love (1 John iv. 8, 16), and the gospel of Christ is full of grace to lost sinners of mankind. (2) 'l'ruth is the reve- lation of God's light (1 John i. 5), for Christ made known to us the way of acceptance and salvation.