world to judge the world; but that the world through him might be 811.Vod." 1. JI was for 11,~ sa./vation of the world. (1) There was no longer a merely particulnrislic dispen~ntion, but one that included the whole race of man. (2) It was not a mere design to inclu<le the race within an area of religious privileges. (3) It was a design t.o save man (a) from the guilt of sin, (b) from the power of sin, (c) and to give him an eternal inheritance in glory. 2. It was not for the ;"udgment of the world. 'l'he Jews expected the kingdom for the Jew~, and judgment for the Gentiles. (1) The text does not imply that the Son of man will not judge the world in the great day. 'l'his will be bis personal act. (2) It implies that the advent of the Messiah would not, as the Jews fondly imaJsined, involve an immediato judgment of the Gentiles or nations, (3) But the salvation brought by the Messiah, though not including judgment, was, by the act of men themselves, a preparation for judgment. II. THE ACTUAL RESULT OF THE INCARNATION-A JUDGM:ENT. "To judge is to prove a man's moral state uy a detailed examination of his act.a." The jndgment is not condemnation, for it may be favourable or otherwise. 1. The application of the judgment. "He that believeth on him is not judged: but he that believeth not is judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (1) Jadgment does not touch the believer, because, being in Christ, there is no condemnation against him (Rom. viii. 1), The death of the Surety is his guarantee against judgruent. (2) Judgment rests on the unbeliever by the very fact of his unbelief. (a) The greatest sin is unbelief, because it is a rejection of God's dear Son, bis sacrifice, his work. (b) This unbelief reveals the moral tendency of the man. It is a mistake to think that unbelief is a purely intellectual act. It is moral as well as intellectual. 2. The peculiarity of the ;"udgment. "And this is the judg- ment, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light." The unbeliever unveils his moral state by rejecting Christ. (1) The light-which is Christ-is offered, setting forth the revelation of God in the clearest manner. In that light men might well see (a) themselves and (b) Christ. (2) 'l'he darkness is chosen bec:mse it is loved more than light. (a) It is hard to conceive of a rational creature loving darkness, walking in it, having fellowship with the works of darkness, because darkness sugs!;ests the idea (a) of stumbling, (fJ) of discomfort, (-y) of danger. (b) The reason of their choice. "Because their deeds were evil." (a) Thus the evil life reacts upon the mental judgment. (fJ) The unbeliever is resolved to continue in his evil, and therefore will not allow the light to fall upon him. Ifl. Tim CAUSE OF THIS SELF-EXECUTING RESULT. There is a twofold moral state. L Those who do evil hide from the light, because they dread its manifesting power. "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (1) This displays the cowardice of man in unbelief. He is afraid of himself. He is afraid to see himself as he really is in the sight of God's unerring Law. (2) It displays the folly of man, for there is a day coming in which the secrets of all hearts shall be made manifest. No sinner can escape from final judgment. (3) It shows how the principle of unbelief is more moral than intellectual. 2. The true believer sreks the light, because he sreks the manifestation of liis divinely done acts. "Ui"ht action is true thought realized" in the case of the "doer of truth." (1) He recog- nize~ the true source of all his holy deeds-they are "wrought in God; " for God works in him to will and to do of his good pleasure (Phil. ii 14, 15). (2) He seeks to give God the glory of his obedience (1 Cor. x:. 31). (3) The manifesting light is (a) lovely, (b) comfortiDg, (c) stimulating. Ver. 22.-The ministry of oor Lord in the country districts of Jt1n,1,Ba, I. MARK THE INCESSANT ACTIVITY OF OUR LORD. "After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judrea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized." 1. Be passed from tl~ city to the country, finding, perhaps, a happy change in the simplicity and dor:i'lity of the peasantry. If he is rejected in Jerusalem, he will appeal to the people of Jwhea outside the religious centre. He went about every day doing good. 2. He baptized disciple,s. (1) His baptism was preparatory to the establishment of his king- dom, like John's baptism. (2) The baptism waa administered by the disciples, yet by his authority. It was less ostentatious to employ the disciples, aa the ordinance involved th11 acceptance of himself as Saviour. orr. m. 1-30.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 141
II. MARK THE BUCOEBB 011' HIS COUNTRY :MINISTRY. The br1ptisrns implied that ho had collected disciples. "All men come unto him." 'l'he success that was denied to him in Jerusalem was most marked in the places where the representatives of the reigning Pharisaism had no place.