The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 391

nnum, or from either lo Joruel\lom) not for tal,Je, to confirm by outward visilde si!s'Il or the food that is perishable, which soon loses seal, 11s one empowel'cd to d,J so D,vine 11 ite effect nnd must ho ronowcd, which is thing. Tho Father has made "the Son of col'ruptiblo nnd worLhlcss if not pnrtnken man" the stewar,l of his l,ounty. The Son of at once, whloh, like rno.nna, rnr1y breed of man has tho key to thid bnuu<lleas trca- worms, or vanish in tho eun ; lnbour not auro, this eternal blea,ing. lUon, however, for the morely outwnnl nnd vanishing nnd must labour to receive so grcnt a gift. It periehnble elements in my work. Christ will prove to bo a girt, even if they put forth did not mean thnt theso multitudes were tho moat strenuous cncrg-y lo receive it. not to toil for their daily broad, which could Thie first dio.logne contrairts tho cnmal au,! anly be eocurccl for them by labour and the spiritual reasons for acekin"' Jesus antl ewent of the brow; but to Jabour for the brings into sharp relief the Gnlilrean c~ncep- food whioh endureth (or, abideth) unto eter- tion of the Christ, RB llTiracle-worker tem- nal life (this lnst clause l\Ioulton wonhl poral Potentate, prophetic Leader or' some sepnrnte from the µlvovtrav, nnd considers to vast host of triumphant enthusiasts and relate to the principal verb of the sentence; conn:aste with it the ~ord's own conC.:ption i.e. "labour for the abiding food," tcilh a of himself ns the Giver, the l\Ieclium the mew to, 01' -unto, eternal life). The bread divinely nppointed Almoner of " spiritual that nbideth unto eternal life, however, cor- blessing, for which, while the Father-Goel responds very closely with the water of life freely o.nd lavishly gi'l'Cs it, the sons of men (eh. iv. 14), which, when once appropriated, must eagerly toil. The next question ancl flows and springs up with percnuinl energy answer bring out the moral condition on within the soul, conferring the consciouSDess which alone the gift can be dispensed. and the beginning of eternal life. There is Ver. 28.-They say unto him, What must 1 11 food which is imperishable and incorrup• we do, that we ma.y work the works of God 1 tible, feeding the heavenly life within the The works of God might bo, either works soul, and which, if once assimilated, becomes li.ko those which aro m-onght by God the Divine life itself. Labour for that life which Father, but this would be a very improbable the Son of man will give to you. This grand demn.nd; or "the wol'ks of God" may be idea, viz. tho gift of eternal life in and by those which God !,ns nssigned to man 113 Christ himself, wns one of the main themes of the conditions of his favour. There is a the Gospel of John. Christ 1.-new himself to breadth about the question that may cover be the Giver of otemo.l life-a life of perfect the ground involved in Christ's declaration, blessedness, irrespective of time, nod sense, but it reveals, at the same time, the self-com- and flesh, and the world, and death. The plncency, the carnal conception on the part Lord hero calls himself " Son of man," rather of theso Galiheans of their being able, com- than" Son of God." The whole of the sub- pcten t, to fulfil along certain lines to be sequent discourse expo.nds o.nd rests upon specified, nil the required conditions. But this gift of the perfect and blessecl life in we must not be too hard on these Gnlilrenns, ~ and by hie humanity. In tho previous chnp- brought up ns they were to beliern in the ter attention wns mlled to the Divine Son- efficacy of certain rounds of specific and ship and t:he Divine activity. Hero equal arbitrary duties, methods of purification, emphnsis wo.s laid upon the human eonship forms of service nncl of nb;tinence, pi][!Tim- and on the accoptanco o.nd assimilo.tion by ngcs nnd footings lllld feastingll, as w~ll us man of this supreme gift. The power or func- obedience to a specific moral code. Thev tion of tho Son of man to bestow this life is o.sk quite rat,ion:i.lly, "Whnt must we do?;, suetained by ithe nssertion, For him (this and in varions forms the same question very one) the Father, even God, hath sealed. bursts from the honrt of all who have, start- l4'pa")'l(<1v 1 (see oh. iii. 33) menns hero to ing from utter indifference, made 11ny pro- ratify and accredit as w01thy nnd competent gress townrds, or in the direction of, holy to discharge such duties, to render indubi- living or of Divine pleasing. Ver. 29.-Christ's reply re:i.Uy solvea the 1 Delitzsch npproves of the suggestion of great problem which hncl long perplexed the a Jewish correspondent (Old Test. St11clent, schools of Palestine, and often, ancl even to September, 1883) to the effect thnt one of the present hour, is dividing into two ho,tilo the methods of sealing wns the sto.mp camps the Christian Church. Jesns an• whioh the bo.lrer impressed upon bread, ewered and said to them, This ie the work In tho ' Miehna' the bo.lror is co.llcd cr-.i:,i, and Delitzsch translates ToiiTov ltrtpp4.")',tr~;, 1 no10,µ•v (R.T.) is tho rending of the prin- in his Hebrew tranelntion of the New oipal uncials, nncl 1rowiiµ•v that of G, with Testament, by 'lo~in (see "Drevio.," by numerous cursives, and wns adopted by editor of ~poailor, January, 1885). Thus Stephens. Italic nnd Vulgnte read "facie- the Father stamps his image on the Son mus" with ro,fiuol-'•" (of, AuthorizeJ. Yer- (Beb,_ i. 8). eion). JOITN, 9  258 TIIE GOSPEL ACCOilDING TO ST. JOHN. [en. v1. 1-'fl.