John and his colleagues bore witness thnt they recognized their Master's "gl0ry." Why is such lnngnnge used? Why his "glory"? He was a peasant woman's Son, nnd remained in the condition of life to which he was born. There was nothing in bis garb, his appearance, bis neaociations, the outward circumstances of his lot, which, in the view of men generally, could justify such an expression. These men must have had their own conception of "glory." As spiritual Hebrews, they bad a noble idea of the majesty, the righteousness, the purity of God, and also of the moral splendour of the Divine Law. Thus it came to pass that, enlightened by the Spirit, they discerned glory where to the eyes of others there was only humiliation. They saw the 17Wf'al glory of purity and benevolence in the Lord's Person and character, in the "grace" which he displayed in dealing with suppliants and penitents, in the" truth" which he uttered and embodied. They could not fail to remark the glory of his miracles, of his transfiguration, of his victory over death, of the manner in which he quitted the earth in which he had sojourned. All this, as intelligent and sympathetic witnesses, John and his companions beheld, and to this they testified. II. TnE INFERENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN. The glory was "of the Only Begotten of the Father." They knew well that the world to which Jesus came needed a Divine Saviour. Snch a Saviour they were encouraged by the word of prophecy to expect. And their familiarity with the character and the mission of Jesus Jed them to bail the Son of man as Son of God. If Jesns were not the Only Begotten of the Father, how could they account for the facts of his ministry, for the authority be wielded, the claims he made? He bad called himself the Son of God; be bad lived like the i:lon of God; he had wrought the works of God. He bad been addressed as the Son of the living God, and had accepted the appellation. Were the disciples to forget all this; to persuade themselves that they had been in a mist of bewilderment; to give up their deepest convictions, their purest and most ennobling beliefs? If not, then they must needs assert their belief that the glory they had seen was that of the Only Begotten of the Father. The same inference is binding upon us. To deny of Jesus what John here affirms of him is to leave the Church without a foundation, the heart without a refnge, the world without a hope. If Christ be not what John represents him as being, then the world can never know and rejoice in II full and personal revelation of the supreme mind and heart and will. It may be said that this is the misfortune of humanity, and that it must be accepted as inevitable. But the text points out to us a better way. 'l'he sincere and impressive language of John encourages ns first to realize to ourselves the unique moral majesty of Jesus, and then to draw from this the inference which he and other witnesses of Jesus' character and life drew so.firmly and conclusively-the inference, namely, that he was none other than the Son of God, deserving of human reverence and faith, love and devotion. The witness of Christ's companions we cannot reject. Their convictions concerning their Master and Friend we are abundantly justified in sharing. If we have a heart capable of appreciating the Saviour's moral glory, we shall not be without guidance in estimating the justice cf his claim to superhuman dignity-to Divine authority.-T.
Vers. 19-28.-.A disclaimer and a claim. When our Lord Jesus came into this world, he did not come as one isolated from the race he designed to save. He conde- scended to take his place-the most honourable place-in a long and illustrious succession. He superseded the last prophet of the old dispensation; he commissioned the first prophets of the new. The herald and forerunner of our Lord perfectly comprehended his own relation to his Master, and felt it a dignity to occupy a position of Divine appointment, although a position of inferiority, in respect to him. The query put to John by the leaders of the Jewish Church at Jerusalem was natural and proper; it was evidence of the interest which John's mission was exciting in the land; and it gave the Baptist an opportunity of both declaring himself and witnessing to bis Lord. I. JoHN'B DIB0LAIMER. No doubt there was an expectation, general and eager, of One who, in accordance with Hebrew prophecy, should ho the Deliverer and Ruler of God's people Israel. From varying motives-in some cases with spiritual yearning, ~ other cases with political expectation-the Jews turned anxiously towards every persona«e of distinction and influence who arose among the people. Thus they turned to John': whose character was austere and inflexible as that of a Hebrew seer, nnd 68 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN, LCH, J, 1-51,