disciples to himself. While Peter was drawn to him by Andrew, Philip was "founrl" by Christ himself without any human intervention,ju8t as he finds all who are honeetly seeking after the way of life. 3. The comma;nd of Ghrist is urgent. "Follow me.'' There is no preface, or promise, or explanation. The command implie8: (1) That Philip was to throw in his lot with Christ, as Ruth did with Naomi. (2) That he was to follow him as a servant obeys a master," doing hie will from the heart," as a learner follows a teacher; like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. (3) That he was to walk in hie steps and conform to his example. II. PmL1p's ANSWER TO THE CALL. 1. There is 11,0 recurded an3Wer in words. Bnt his obedience wns very prompt. There was a slowness of apprehension in Philip observable in later times, which shows that he needed a prompt anrl sudden call. 2. His response to the call is implied in the words he addresses immediately after to Nathanael. "We have found him, of whom Moses in the Law, and the prophets, dirl write, Jesus of Nazareth, the Sc,n of Joseph." (1) This implies that be was an habitual student of the Old Testament, for he quite understood that the Redeemer was foretold by Moses and the prophets. "They are they," says Jesus himself, "which testify of me." We ought not to despise the Old Testament, for there is much of Christ in it. (2) It implies that he had some personal knowledge of Christ, for, as a native of the Bethsaida district, he must have known Nazareth, and, perhaps, had often seen" the Son of Joseph." (3) It was the instinct of grace that led him to bring Nathanael to Christ. Perhaps Nathanael was a relative; he was at least a neighbour, for Cana was near to the city of Andrew and Peter. Vers. 45-51.-The calling of Nathanael. After Jesus finds Philip, Philip finds Nathanael. "One lighted torch serves to light another, and thus faith is propagated." I. THE CHARACTER OF NATHANAEL, OR BARTHOLOMEW. He was a devout Jew, a student of Scripture, of a thoughtful temper, and of prayerful habits. He was above all a guileless Israelite: "An Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." II. THE DIFFICULTIES OF NATHANAEL. "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth ?n 1. A guileless man may have pre,judices as well as diffir:u.lties; but in this case the difficulties were of more account than the prejudices, because they may have been grounded upon the fact that there was no prediction of a Messiah issuing from Naza- reth. 2. It is not inconsistent with his guileless character that he should refuse to be satisfied without sufficient reason, Nathanael was not a simpleton, to be carried about by every wind of doctrine or by every false Christ. 3. It is a proof of a genuinely sincere and straightforward nature that sufficient evidence brings full persuasion to his mind. It is not,enough that Jesus. unveils his character; he must also give him evidence ofa power to know all that Nathanael did as well as thought. "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." III. CONSIDER HOW CHRIST DEALS WITH A GUILELES8 MAN. Our Lord uses many tests according to the different characters of men. 1. There is no test like that of personal experience. "Come and see," said Philip. It is impossible to conceive of wiser counsel. Few doubters are influenced by reasoning and argument. Philip says to Nathanael, "I have found a Saviour: come and see him for yourself." 2. Christ welcomes the guileless inquirer. This is evident from the encouraging insight expressed, in the words, " Behold an Israelite indeed I" 3. Christ satisfies him,for he wins his faith. Nathanael utters the emphatic testimony: "'l'hou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel "-a testimony at once to Christ's Divinity and his Messiahship. 4. Christ promises a still fuller sati.-Jaction to the intellect and heart of all disciples. "From henceforth ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." (1) '!'his does not refer to the Transfiguration, wbic,h was not witnessed by all to whom these words were addressed; (2) nor to the Ascensioc, for the heavens were not opened and angels were not seen on that occasion; (3) nor to the ministry of angels as they waited on Jesus at the various stages of bis trial; (-1) it refers to Jacob's ladder, which signified the opening up of a new and living way into the holiest of all" by Christ's flesh," in virtue of which not only greater proofs, in the shape of miracle and signs, would be given to the sonship of Jesus thm1 any they had yet witnessed, but a constant communication would be kept up between heaven and earth, even after the Son of man should have left the world, through virtue of his 54 'l'HE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. [err. 1. 1-51,
'!'lediatorship. TI1e ~ngels_are the messengers of the Redeemer's will, constnntly ascend- mg and descendmg in the1r errands of mercy and love. 6. Chri-st ,·eveaJ,s himself to the tvhole rnce of man as th,e Son of man. This chapter is singnlarly rich in the names that are a~cribcd to Christ. It contains no less than twenty-one n1\mes or titles or him. But the most precious to the believer's heart, in the lonaing 0 for sympathy, is that which Uhrist only applies to himself, " the Son of man."