The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 262

the ,l!flf'ld. This jnilg-n1ent is not the end in the coming of the Christ. He was sent of his mnnif<'stAlion. This stntemont is not to snvo. wit.hnut difiknltv, bC'Muse we 11.>arn from eh. Ver. 18.-Snlvntion is the Divine rosnll v. 27, 2S nncl xh. 48 that there is a groat of believing on him, nnd snlvntion lifts the function of jndgment which will ultimately s1wcd mnn from the necessity of the juclg- be dischnrgt>d by him, and which docs, ment, of the moml disorimino.tion whioh ,ndeecl, follow from the contact of nil men awaits every mnn, and is pnssed upon every with his truth and light. This is CDnfirmed man by his own conscienoe nnd by the by the declarations of our Lord in Matthew providence of God. The word ttplvw doos (xiii. 24~~0, 47), thnt the judgmeut would not necessarily menn '' to condemn" (see ver. be delayed till the consummation of his 17), and whensoever the unfavourable issue work, but would then be most certain (see of judgment is empho.ticnlly referred to, then Matt. xxv.). Bat jndgment is not the end 1eara,cp(vc., is used (Rom. ii. l ; viii. 3 ; 1 Cor. or purpnse of his mission. J udgment, dis- xi. 32; Mntt. xxvii. 3). Still, this first olaus;:i ~riminatioa of the moml character of men, shows that the predominnnt sense in which is a consequence, but not the prime nor the it is used throughout the passago is con- immediate purport of his coming. Nume- demnatory. He that believeth on him-i.e. rous passnges from the Book of Enoch and whoso submits and yields to the truth con- the Fourth Book of Esdras, and the liternl fessed and conspicuous in the Christ-he interpretation of Ps. ii. 9; Mai. iv. 1, etc., who accepts the mission of the Logos, both may be quoted to show the Jewish preju- before and after the Incarnation ( see notes dices agninst which onr Lord here pro- on eh. i 12-14)-is not judged. If there be tested. Ent God sent his Son that the a judgment, it is one of acquittnl. In his world through him may be saved. " Saved " case judgment is salvation, salvation is the is here the analogue and interpretation of judgment. Faith, affectionate confidence the not perishing and the having of eternal in the supreme Judge, transforms the judg- life. Christ is "the Saviour of the world" ment into meroy, anticipates the Divine and (eh. iv. 42). Hengstenberg says truly," The gTRcious result. Bnt he that believeth not Old Testament basis for the words is found (subjective negative) has been already in Isa. Iii. 10, • A.nd all the ends of the judged, and is now so e.djndged (here the earth shall see the salvation of our God.'" word seems necessarily to assume a condem- His coming will, as he goes on to say, exer- natory character) that he hath not believed cise a discriminating process and a saving on the Name of the only begotten Son of energy. There will occnr a further advent, God. Such non-belief reveals insensibility when he will consummate both his judgment to truth, indifference to the reality of things, and his mercy. •· In the Old Testament," unsusceptibility to the light, and a moral says Lange," the Judge becomes Redeemer perversity which has been persisted' in. by judging; in the New Testament, the The approach to such a one of the Eternal Redeemer becomes Judge by his redeem- Logos did not move him, the unveiling of ing." Through him the world may be the Divine face did not awe him into re- sa.ved from its ruin, by reason of individuals verence. The sin of his life had blinded nccepting his gre.ce. The saving of hu- his eyes, closed his ears, hardened his heart, manity as o. whole iBBUes from the believing and the consequence was that when the and living of men. God's love of the world Na.me of the only begotten Son was made and his stnding of his Son aim at the saving known to him, like all previous Divine of the world as their Divine end. Salvation self-revelations, it exercised no commanding (u.,.,.11pia) is the largest of all the famous influence opon him, no convincing power, biblical terms which denot.c the restoration no saving grace. To refuse Christ, to mani- and blessedness of man. It means all that fest unbelief under suoh circumstances, is elsewhere denoted by "justification." but proves that the laws of Divine judgment much more than that. It connotes all that which are always going on have already is included in "regeneration" and "sancti- enacted themselves. He has been (and i~) fication," but more than these terms taken condemned. He is "judged already," and by themselves. It includes all that is in- the unbelief is the judgment which the self- volved in "redemption" end "e.doption" e.cting moral laws, or rather which the and the "full assurance," e.ud also the con- Logos e.ctively at work in every humau ditions of "appropriation "-the subjective being, pronounces upon him. The manner et.ates which an the !iuman antecedents of in which any mrLn receives Divine revela- grace received, euch as " faith " and " re- tion is the judgmont passed upon his entire pen tance,' • with all the" fruits of the Spirit." life up to that moment by the unerring nnd TLetie Divine blessings originated in the infalliLlc wisdom of the supreme Judge. ho&olll of the :Father, 'Vherc the only begotten The fine.I judgment is thus e.nlicipa.ted, Lut Son for evermore abides, and they are all it is not irreversible, and, should 1·epentance poured forth through tho Son upoa tae world and faith supervene by Divine grace on this OH, Ill, 1-36.] 'fHE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN, 12:5