The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 346

all things through tho Aoro::s, tho MONO- where the author uses thiR nnriet, My Father rENHl, It oppcnrs to us tbnt precisely the worketh hitherto; i.e. until nri,o; hae not, same truth is tnught here, but it is tooght in hos never, ceneed from working. Somo CTitics, eager for disparaging comment, hnvo terms derived from the consciousness of tho said •• this is point-blank denial of tho Logos incnrnnto, nnd with reference to a po.rt sabbath-rest of the Crentor as exhibited in only of the operntions of the Logos, viz. in Gen. i., ii., and Exod. xx. But, on the con- the pl'Ovidentinl, redeeming, and quickening trary, it is the true exposition of those grand worlc of the Son. This narrative shows h()w ntternncee. God through his Logos, the ootuol revelntions of the Logos were J.Onde Father through his Son, did bring his etrictly creati1Je works to an end with the six daye ; through tho humnn consciousness of him who bnt then he entered on the seventh day, the was lifted up into the being of the Son of rest of his preserving, protective, reproduc- God, ond who became the Interpreter of the tive energy ; then he began to pursue his Son to men. The prologue is built upon the redeeming and quickening operations in all discour,e-is on inspired and transceudental regionsofhie dominion. My lt'ather worketh, energizes, until now. Hfa ''rest" is an generalization of the truths hero ~nd elsc- infinite activity of wisdom and power, of whol'e announced. The discourse is the righteousness and mercy. The true rabbath basis of the prologue in the thought of the is this rest of Gou.. lllan has to enter into evangelist. The originality of the discourse this rest, and co-operate with nnd utterly is conspicuollll. Its theme shows it to be abandon himself to the will of God. Sabbath- keeping is the great symbol of such entire closely nllied with the discussions which satisfaction with God. The activities from shortly e.rter this created such fierce ani- which man has to cease on the holy day are mositieB in the synagogues of Ge.liloe, whither man's own, man's self-centred labours; bnt his J eruse.lem enemies pursued him. We he, too, may combine the highest activity ahnU find that there Jesus declared that with profound repose. "ltly Father u:orketh until n010, and I u:ork-1, who am hi11 .. the Son of mo.n was Lord of the se.bbath," Instrument, his Word,his Manifestation, his and was competent in that capacity to assert Messenger, abstaining from all mere self. what was contained and involved in the originated, self-poised, self-centering toil, I so.bbath. On another occasion he vindicnted work with him,for him. I work obvionsly for bis disciples tho 1·ight to food on the and visibly that yon may see for yourselves sabbath (l\Io.rk ii 23-28), (1) on the historio what he has ever been doing silently nud unobserved." Philo bad snid (' Leg. AU.,' i. ground that.the l'Dyal hero of the Old Testa- 3) "that God never cee..,,es to create, nor ment was nt libel'ty, in dire emergency, to takes a holiday from his works; " and the ent the priest's shewbree.d, whioh narrow nuthor of the Epistle to the Hebrews (iv.) ritualism would have refused to starving had grasped, as an echo of Christ's owu lnymen: (2) that his Person was a temple, teaching, the perpetuity of Divine rest through all the ages of work; but the naked and his service e. temple-service, which would thought here soars fur above them both. be e. further justification of the conduct of 'fhe dawning of every i;loy, the opening of the disciples, as priests in the temple, in their the flowers, the flowing of the rivers, the submission to the higher law of duties," pro- sustenance of vegetable, animal, and human fane the sabbnth and ore bb.meless." The life, reveal through every moment of the agelong se.bbath-rest, a.nd on every sabbntb.- oures he persistently wrought on the se.bbe.tb. day, his intense and constant nctivity. were justified by the principle that it is law- Ver. 18.-0n this account (the B111 TovTo ful to do e.ots of kindnes:3, to save life, to is still further defined by the on) therefore release the sin- and So.tan-bound daughter of the Jews were seeking the more (µa>v\ov, Abraham on tho sabbath: nncl tbnt such i.e. more than t!J.ey had sought beforo he made use of this sublime expre,sion) to slay sabbath-keoping wns part of the original him; because not only in their opinion, though eignifice.nce of the day. Hore the Lord very folsely, he was viola.ting ( i.e. dissolving takes the higher ground that he and the the authority of) the Hbbath. Jesus was Fo.ther, in works of providence, healing, e.otually placing the sabbatic law where it and life-giving, nro one. has remained ever since, giviug it sanctions, beauty, and hold on conscience it had never Vers. 17, 18.-{a) Th( claim of special known before. He was abrogating the petty relation witli the FatJ..er. restrictions and abolishing the unspirituul Vor. 17.-But Jes118 answered them (ci1n- somuolence by which it had been oharaoter- ~plvC1To i hero and \'er. 10 nre tho only plnces izcd tt111l misunllerstoud. But tlicre W1li!  THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. [oR. V. ]--47.