The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 208

clernRl disgrace and ruin-from shRring the fate of tboso who rejected him. 5. We fihould be infinit&y m-0re thankful, to the Savioui· that he did not leave the world in dug,u;t and vengeance when rejected by Ms own. But inspired by infinite love, ho turned his face to tbo l\'orld at large, stood by tbo minority, and the minoriLy stood by hirn. The river or God's eternal purposes cannot be ultimately checked. If checked in one direction, it will take another, and the result will be more glorious. Christ comes to ~s every day. Do we receive him? Our obligations are infinile.-Il. 'I'. Yer. 18.-~e Divine Revealer. We have here- I. CnnrsT AS THE REVEALER OF Goo. " He hath -declared him." 1. He brought much that was 1.-nown of God into a clearer light. In this respect his revelation (1) was con6rmati,·e, confirming people in their notions of God RB far as they were right. (2) It was correct.ive-corrccting the false notions or heathenism and Judaism, so that the God of Christ is very different from and far superior to that or the heathen and even that or the Jews. 2. He revealed much that wa.s new, which was not known before. Such as: (l) 'l'he spiritual,ity of God. (2) His fatherhood. (3) His gracious will to fallen humanity in the great scheme of redemption which Christ c.-ime, not only to reveal; but to work out in his Divine-human life and death. (4) The way of access to and rewncuiation with God. (5) His spiritual reign in his people on earth, and thev with and in him for over in heaven. ii. CHRIST AS A PERFECT REVEALER OF Gon. "He hath declared him." 1. Yerfect in tM character of his knowledge. (1) His knowledge was direct. Not borrowed or derived; but as the Son of God, and God himself, it ~as relationally direct and pexsonally intuitive. He was not only the Channel, but the Fountain. (2) His know- ledge was absolute and =et. In this respect he was the truth itself. He could speak, not about something he had seen some time, but about what was actually present to him then; was not dependent upon memory and association, but on his present vision and personal consciousness. (3) His knowledge was full, covering his subject in all its vastness and meaning, its fathomless depths, its dizzy heights, and boundless breadth. 2. Perfect in his revealing qualifications. In a perfect revealer of God to man there must be : (1) Oneness of 'IULture with both parties. Mere man or angel would be deficient. But Christ is perfectly qualified in this respect, being the Son of God and the Son of man, the Eternal Word which was God, but which "became flesh." An inferior mind cannot interpret a superior one. 'rhe bed of a brook cannot contain the Amnzon. Christ being equal with God, and having assumed human nature, was in a position to reveal God perfoctly to the human race; being God-Man, he could speak of God as man to men. in their nature and language. (2) Intimate feUowship with both parties. Christ was in the bosom of the Father-a position of the most intimate fellowship; and not merely "he became flesh," but also "dwelt among us," lived in the closest fellow- ship with the human family, and was most intimately acquainted with all their wants, weaknesses, peculiarities, and difficulties. (3) Thorough sympathy with both parties. This Jesus pre-eminently possessed. Being "the only begotten Son in the bosom of the Father "-a position, not merely of the closest fellowship, but also of tenderest affection and mutual sympathy-his heart and will were tenderly sympathetic with the heart of God, and with the saving purposes of his love with regard to the human family. And as the "Word made flesh," he was in tenderest sympathy with mankind-with all their spiritual wants and aspirations; the faintest sigh for God would find in him a most ready and helpful response. 3. Peifect in Ms mode of revelation. 'l'hink of: (1) Its cZear11ess. It is clearly simple and simply clear, so that a .::bild can understand it, and the blind almost see it. He would talk of God with the same ease and simplicity as he would talk of an object really present to him. (2) Its suggestiveness. It stirs up the latent aspirations and powers of man to seek for and receive the knowledge of God. (3) The prominence he gave to his Bubject. He declared God in all he said, kept him continually before the minds of his hearers; be kept himself in the background, and. as a Telleber, made himself of no reputation, that God his Father and our Father might be known. (4) Its eumplification. He declared God, not only by precept, but by example. He used homely illustrations from nature, but found the homeliest illustration of God in hie own Persou and life, so that he could say, " Ho that bath seen_ mf;," etc. And he shirked not even from dying in order to declare God, so that in hie on. 1. 1-61.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 69