The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 375

man in order that man slwuld lie7p himself. He helperl this man and did for him what he himself could not do. He made him whole. He was then in a positinn anrl under an obligation to do something for himself. "Sin no more." 5. In order to keep away from sin, we sl1ould ever remember its terri'ble consquences and our gracious deliverances. We should be reminded of these, for we are very forgetful. There was a dnnger that this man should forget this between Bethesda and the temple· therefore the first thing Christ did was to remind him, "Thou hast been made," etc.-'n. T. Ver. 24.-Elernal life. Notice- I. ITS NATURE AND IMPORT. I. It is the spiritual life of the soul. It is called "eternal life," not merely as dislinguished from temporal and fa.ding, but also from material and carnal. The soul by sin has lost its spiritual life, its primitive purity, harmony and happiness arising from the peace and friendship of God. The soul left God like an erratic star from its central sun, and is truly described as being dead-dead to God and its highest interest. This life is the life of God within. His Law written in the heart, and his image restored in the soul. A life having its roots in God, its vitality from him, germinating and budding in the genial soil of his peace and friendship, growing and blooming in the sunshine of his love, and under the reviving dew of his presei:c& and influence. This is the highest life of which the soul is capable. It is its true life-real, and not a mere form. 2. This life is in and through Christ. Having lost our. spiritual life by sin, it is evident that we must have it from a Divine source, and through a Divine medium, and under a new and Divine arrangement. Christ is this Source and Medium. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. "I am come tha.t they might have life," etc. As we derive our natural life from Adam, we derive our spiritual life from Christ, the second Adam. 3. Th-is life is a blessing to be attained. It comes not with us into the world. We have many things in consequence of birth. We are born with all the privileges of manhood; but not with eternal life. This we must attain, and to attain it is the chief end of life. If we had eternal life simply as men, we would not be urged to get it, seek it, an<l make every effort to Jay hold of it. 4. It is to bc'liad on certain conditions. These conditions are as set forth here-know- ledge of and faith in the Divine Father and the Son: "He that hearetb my word," etc. Every life from the lowest to the highest has its conditions, and these must be com- plied with ere that life can be enjoyed. Eternal life has its conditions. To know and believe the Author, the Source, and the Giver of this life is essential to it.s enjoyment. 'fhis natural, reasonable, and gracious as the conditions are suitable, easy, and within the reach of all. 6. It is to be had· on these conditions now. As soon as its conditions are complied with, eternal life is begun in the soul. "Hath eternal life." Some speak of it as if it wero entirely future, whereas it must be bad in the present or never. This world is the only birthplace, and the season of s:tlvation is the only birthday of eternal life. All those who enjoy it in heaven found it on earth. 6. It can only be fully e'Tljoyed in the futul'e. Being eternal, it must have eternity to develop itself fully. Wbat is eternal in duration cannot reach maturity-in fan11; what is spiritual in nature cannot be fully enjoyed under material conditions. All term,trial life reaches a climax under terrestrial laws and circumstances; but spiritual life requires spiritual conditions, and naturally demands eternity in its foll length to expand and develop its beauty, fruitiou, and happiness. 7. It is a life without end. "Eternal life." Every life here has an end, but one-spiritual life-Christ-life in the soul. This is eternal, and worthy of being so. The life of the body has an end: and when '\\"e consider its vanity, emptiness, priva- tions, and sufferings, we nre glad that it has. There is nothing in it, as a whole, to make endlessness desirable. There is no life, but that of God in the soul, worthy of being qualified by the word "eternol;" this has all the elements to make it worthy of eternal continuance. Eternity in the possession of this life will make up the sum of nil the happiness man is capable of. II. ITS llLESSED RESULTS. 1. There is a wonderful imrminity. "Shall not come into judgment." Much of the blessings of redemption consist, not in what we shall enjoy, but in what we shall evade; and this will be a great evasion. "Shall not comet etc. And why? Becau~e it is passed. Eternal life and judgment are opposed to eacn other, and arc respectively the results of faith and no faith in Christ. J udgment is in the region of death, but the believer has come out of that. Th.:,re can be no re(l.1  240 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOIIN. [cu. v. 1-47. ----------------------- - - j udgment for the possessor o_f life. "Who can lay anything to tho charge of God's elect?" In this cA.Se the final examination is in the preliminary. Pass this, nnd you pass ell. 2. There is a wo11de1ful transition. "From death unto life." (1) 'l'his transition is wo11deifully great. Death and life are diametrically opposed. The moral diste.nce between them is immeasurable; the chan<>e involved is, therefore, great. There is a 0 change of nature, of condition, of sphere, of character, of prospects, of world. Tho passage from death unto life is morally long, and tho transition wonderful. (2) Tho transit.ion is Divine. Every one who undergoes this transition must undergo a Divine process. The voice of God alone can make the dead in trespasses and sins hear. His power alone ran bring them back to life. His infinite love can warm and quicken the eoul into spiritual ,·itality; cause the heart to beat, and the blood to course so as to result in a new and Divine life. What is human in tho process iM lost when compared with the Divine, and God is all in all. (3) The transition is real. It is not o. passing dream, but a glorious reality; a genuine passage of the soul from a state of spiritual death to that of spiritual life. That it is real is evidenced: (a) By the believer's experience and consciousness. He does not feel the same man. .And he is right ; for he is a new man. "I live, but not I," etc. His experience is quite different. "Who was before a blasphemer," etc. (b) There are the ordinary proofs of life. l t is not very difficult to distinguish between a dead and a living body, and not much more difficult is it to distinguish between a dead and a living soul. Mark the difference in the man-in his habits, his temper, his character, his language; they aro unmistakable evidence of the transition. (c) The emphatic testimony of Christ. "Verily, verily," etc. (4) The transition is free. It cost infinitely to God. Before a. single soul could be transmitted from death unto life, God's only begotten Son had to suffer the most ignominious death. But what we have to do in the transition is only to believe and submit; only to jump on board the ship of life, and the passage is free. (5) The transition, though great, is quickly made. We hear of quick passages made across the oceans, but they are all phy- sical distance. To the moral distance between death and life, they are the moral poles of the universe; but the passage is quickly made. Only believe in Christ. The quickest passage, perhaps, on record is that of the thief on the cross. In the morning and even at midday he was in the empire of death and one of its extreme regions; but by an act of faith in Christ he was, before the close of that day, with Christ in one of the regions of life-in Paradise. (6) The transition is a most happy one. "From death," etc. (a) The happiness of the greatest deliverance. (b) The happiness of the highest promotion. (c) The happiness of perfect safety. (d) The happiness of an ever-increasing enjoyment-the enjoyment of a holy, spiritual, and ever-young and growing life. (e) The happiness of a never-ending gratitude.-B. T. Vers. 28, 29.-~ two resurrections. 1. The effect of Cfhrist's pre~ding dis- course on his hearers was wonder. "They marvelled." 2. The teachings and deeds of Clirist were weU calculated to produce this emotion in all. 3. Each manijestation oj his power and glory was only introductory to something greater still. "Marvel not at this," etc. 'l'he two resurrections-the resurrection of life and that of judgment. Notice- !. THEIR SIMILABITY. 1. In the physical oondition supposed. The subjects of both are dead, and described as being in their graves, The good die as well as the bad. They lie down and sleep together; their graves are often in close proximity to each other, and their dust is mingled together. They are under the same physical condition, that of mortality and complete dissolution. 2. Both are similar in their wonderfuZ effects. Both are resurrections. There will be a quickeniug into life, into full conscious existence. There will be a reunion of body and soul after a long separation ; the physical effects will be similar in both. The good and the bad shall hear, and come forth. 3. Both are the result of the same Divine power. (1) The .Agent is the same in ooth. "The Son of God. n To raise the dead is the prerogative of Divinity, and by the power of the Son of God shall the good and the bad be r~ised: AB the re~urrection forms a most important part of the great scheme of redemption, 1t most befittwgly falls to the Redeemer's lot to do it. He has the right and the power; and it will be exercised , on this occasion on all, irrespective of character. (2) The process in both is the sa.me. ,. Shall hear the voice of the Son," etc. There will be Gn outward manifestation-a OH, V. 1-47.] THE GOSPEf, ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 241