The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 358

was II skotch 01 portmHuro drown in suo- have not done in it?" "I ea.lied, o.nd y13 re- oesslve ngos and on vnrious material of him- fused;" "I wrote the great things of my self-tlmt it wns nn outline of gre11t princi- Lnw; ye h11vo counted them os strange ples whioh ho WRB CLbout, not to rub out, hut things." Our Lorri proceed~ in the closing to fill in, not "to destroy, but to fulfil." worr!s to IICCount in some respects for this 'fho histories, the experiences, the cere- unwillingness. I receive not glory from men, moniCLl, the dynnsties, the offlooe, the songs but I know you (t-yvc.,1ta, I ha.ve come by ex- and prCLyera, the prediotive and typiml perience 01 intuition to such knowledge of sorrows there depioted, were CLll prelibatione you), that you have not the love of God in CLnd uncoueoious prophecies of himself. you. The love of Goel is the principle of '' They testify ooncernin~ me,'' and, together all obedience; and Christ elsewhere declares with my works and with my forernnlle1, it to be the first and greo.t commandment of and, more than o.ll, with my Father's own the Law. But love is the principle of 1111 voice speaking and my Father's own face knowledge. "He that loveth not knoweth shining through 1111, they complete the not." This principle reaches its fullest ex- manifold testimony to the fact tho.t I have pression when we le.~rn the greater troth come to do his will, to wo1k with him, to tho.t " God is love." It is true of all objects deliver, to restore, to give life, e.nd to execute of love, the highest kind of knowledge is judgment also, when my hour is come; If not possible without love. This is pre-emi- this be so, then stmnge, inconsistent, e.nd nently the case when we think of knowing tr11gio is the ultima.te issue- God. Since God is essential Love, without ex- Ver. 40.-And ye will not come to me, the.t periencing love we cannot realize that Divine ye me.y he.ve life. 'fhis fearful conolusion essence. Again, there is 11n elementary faith of the 'IVhole matter is cho.rged upon the re- that precedes elementary lo,e, but when love sponsibility of mnn. Doubtless, elsewhere, is once o.w11kened, faith again deepens, and the will is described· 11s itself made willing love grows by who.t it feeds upon, until the by the Divine attra.ction, by the gro.ce of the faith becomes vision o.nd the love rapture. Fa.ther. "He that hath seen and heard of But why the opening words, I recei1Je not th6 FatlillT' (seen, i.e. his shape and heard gwry from men 1 Probably they intimate his voice-seen his shape and heard his opposition and questioning to some such voice in my ministry e.nd me.nifest11tion], effect 11s this : " 'l'hou hast declared thyself cometh -unto me." Yet the grace of God the Giver of life and resurrection, and working-directly on character or indireotly charged our le.ck of spiritual life upon onr by other revelations, never obliterates the unwillingness to believe these claims e.nd sense of responsibility. The o.ppee.l of God to submit ourselves to these exalted RSsump- is made to the will of man, whether we con- tions or to go to thee for life. Thou art sciously or unconsciously are me.de "willing eager, after all, for our approval and glory." in the day of his power" (cf. eh. vii. l7 : To this Christ replied, " GloMJ from tnen I vi. 44, 67·; viii. 44). The sad tone of this receive 1iot. It is not for my sake, but for solemn charge c01·responds with and does yours, I so.y, 'Come unto me and live;' but, much to explain the pathetic cry, "0 alllB I having searched you through and Jerusalem . . . how often would I have through, I discern no love, none of the gathered thy children . . . o.nd ye woul<l spirit out of which tJ.1e forces of fe.ith co.n not I" while the entire pa.ssage suggests that be evolved. The reason why you a.re nn- this appeal was only one specimen out of willing to come to me for life is tho.t you many such disoourses, one hint of the are measuring me by yourselves, and have nnmerous sayings nnd self-manifestations, not that self-emptying o.nd abnegation e.nd one of many accumulated proofs of his distrust out of which faith and love, love o.nd Divine commission, out of which the belief faith, must ever spring." of the evangelists and the invincible assent Ver. 43.-1 have come ill the name (i.e. iu of the Church arose, that he w11s indeed the power, with the credentials, with the '· the Word made flesh,"" the Only Begotten encompassing revelation) of my Father, and of tile Father, full of gro.ce 11nd truth." ye receive me not. Your idea of the Vere. 41-¼7.-(d) The effect of the re-ve- Father's glory is so profoundly different latio11 of the Son upon the Jews. from the reo.lity, that you do not recognize Vere. 41, 42.-This appeal to the will of it when it is offered you o.nd shining over man we.s appo.rently entirely misunderstood, you. Christ did not profess to have come and ended for the time in failure. " They in his own name. He was not II mere e,o- would not oome." Everything was pre- lntion of humanity, or of Israel, or of the pared, but none wers rendy or willing· to house of David. He was the Ouly Begotten aooept even so rich n blcssiug o.s li:fe itself. of the Father, born from above, sent down This is the refrain of the whole Bible: "Ye from heaven. The lnngunge of the world will not:" "Ye would not: " "What could was, "This is not Divine ; " " It id too ll11ve been done more to my viuey11r<l, that I gentlo, too groeious, too sympathetio for  224 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN, [on. v. l-47