The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 305

WM at ,Tnc:,ob's W()ll, he could eee the n1ins when the rovolntion is oomplote, but the or tho C'dilke "·hf're eRcriftre and prnises hour is dmwing nt'ar, when neither ln thla WC're b()ing o1fen•d. Indeed, these hM·e mountain,' nor in J'erusalem, wlll ye wor- eontinul'<l 1o the present day. The oldest ship the Father. Christ did not sny that ehrino in the world for local WOl'llhip still either Sanmritnns or ,Tews we1·e oxolusively holds its own, hard by the very spot whore right in their preference for one loon! tlm most <'omplct.e overthrow of the prin- shrine or pince of snoriftoial worship; but ciple or 81\crro plnces fell in divinest words ho declared the sublime truth thnt the wor- from the lips of the Holy One. Our fathers ship of the Fnther would soon prove itselt worshipped in thia mountain - Gerizim, to be indC'pendcnt of both alike nnd of nil wlwre the ruins of the temple still nbide- the limitations of place and ooremony. and ye s:iy, that in J'erusalem is the plaoe Every pince would be as 81lcrcd and na where men must worship. Jerusalem is hallowed as these notable shrines, whon not mentionNI in their sncred books-Jeru- the full ohamcter and renl nntnro of the snlC'm. whose unity of snnctuary was recog- object of worship beoome fully known. nized nt length as the ..-oiros where the The Father wo.s e. nnme for God not un- Lord woul,l put his Name, nnd where alone 1..-nown to Jew or Gentile; but so overlo.id, the sacrifices could possess their historic suspected, defomed, forgotten, tho.t the em- nnd symbolic validity. Wbeneoever the phasis which Jesus laid upon it cnme with Ponto.tench mny have been finally edited, the force of a new revelntion of God's rela- nil critics will allow that, at the time of the tion to mnn. Man is born in the imo.~e of Lord, nnd in the Snmnrito.n Version of the God, and partakes of the no.ture o.nel es- Pentateuch, the idce. of such unity of sanc- sence of the Supreme Being, o.nd it is in God's tuary wru; a fixed principle. The Samari- true nature o.nd veritable relations with tans clo.imcd Gorizim, and the Jews Moriah, men that he will he eventually o.dored. as the pince where Abraham offered his When Christ speaks of "my Fo.ther" he typiool sac,·(fice., and both regarded the wor- refers to the specialty of revelntion of the ship celcbrnted in their fovourit.e shrine-the fatherhood in his own inco.rnation. The daily offering, the nnnuo.l fee..st.s (the Passo'l"er Father was only partio.lly known in o.nd espccially)-ns giving worthiness to ell the by all the dispensations of nature and graoe, prnyers and praises which they might be but he was especi11.lly revealed in the whole indnced to offer in nll places where they of the prolonged series of fncts and symbols might sojourn. The woman does not submit and prophetic teachings which constituted to our Lord that he may settle this great the religion of Israel ; and Christ will not question for her, bnt she makes it clear allow this grent revelntion of the Fnther to enough thnt she would like to know bis pass unaccredited or to be ignored by one verdict. The wors!,ip wns the sacrificial whom he essays to tench. worship where sin such as hers could alone Ver. 22-Ye worship that whioh (not be clcnnsed, and where her conscience could "him whom ") ye know not. " That which " be set free for calm and continuous com- points to the essence and inner character of munion with God. the object of their worship. They.gave him Yers. 21-24.-(d) 77.e q,irilual nature e. name, hut they were comparntively igno- of God and Ji.;g v,ors'Mp. ro.nt of, and confessedly hostile as a people Yer. 21.-J'eB'!lll 8&ith unto her, Woman, 1 to, the revelntion that the Father had mo.de. believe me--o unique expression of Jesus, They fell ho.ck on a past of rigid orthodoxy answering to the •A,,.~"• o.µ.~"• of many other but of limited range. They rejected every passages, "\\"here the acknow]edgment of his portion of the Old Testament with the ex- Divine commission had been virtually ceded; ception of the Pento.tench, i.e. the entire this expression is peculiarly suitable to the historico.l treatment of the primeval faith; occa&on-th.a.t an hour is coming. He does even tho.t very essence of it which involved riot add, u in ver. 23, "and now is." The the progressive and expo.nd.ing conception Divine order which links the events of of the chnrll('.ter of God-the perpetuity God's pro'l"idence together, has not made it and continuous renovntion of rel11tions, the poSl!ible as yet in it.a fulness, u it will do prophetic insight into providence, the sub- lime liturgy of o. cen;ieleSB worship, the pre- 1 T.R. rends, -y1,,,,., ,-/,rnvtrdJJ µ.o,, with a diction of a Messianic glory which, in the large number of uncie.Ia, and with Italic ~ud fulness of the times, should complete and Syrie.c Yeraions; but Tii!chendorf (8th edit.), complement all that preceded.. They were, Trerrellrs, and Revised Version, Westcott by their prejudices o.ud hostility, kept igno- e.nd"Hort, on the authority of N. B, C•, D, rant of and unncque.inted with the Nu.me L, 3, cursi ms, read, ,-{,,..,.,.,{ µ.o, -yt,,,a.,; the that was above every name. Iu contrad.ie- former implies a full and complete deference 1 See remarks at the oommenoement of the to tLt: Lord's authority, and seems most in harmony with the circwnstancea. chapter. CD, IV, 1-64.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN, 169