The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 394

even from worke. He ie eo intensely con- ment, or of epecinl providential edncation soioue of the Divine renlity himself, thnt anti training-, or of tcndcrnees of conecicn~e, he mnrvele nt the unbelief of hie henrera. or of II truthful and sincere nncl HTI'}Uenche,\ Let them think ne he dooe, and immediately deeire. Tho l<'athcr is tho Divine Cause. the lifelong hunger ond thirst of their souls "The giving" implies a. presout activity of would be snLisfled. Seeing, however, ie grace, not a foregone conclusion. All the.t mot believing in their oose ; nnd he hns whioh the Father giveth me shall reaoh me-- already urged them to consider this Iament- all souls touched by the Father in n thousan,, ablo spiritual blindness of theirs. The ex- we.ye to the point of making e. moral sur- clnmotion of this vc1·so recites the obvious render to my claim3, will reac-h me 1-and inforenco of the verses we hn ve referred to, him that is coming to me-i.e. is on the way condenses into o sentence the ~pirit of what to me, is drawing near to me-I for my part he hnd soid, <l,r• ( cf. I Cor. ii. 8). will not cast out. Thus authority to refuse Vera. 87-40.-(b) Episode 011 the blessed- is claimed by Christ, and power to exclude ness of those who " come" to Christ. from his fellowship and friernlship, from his Ver. 37.-Mony suppose a time of stillness, kingdom ancl glory (Matt. viii. 12 ; xxii. 13). n break in the conversation, " a significant Admission is not the working of some im- asyndeton," from the absence of all connection personal law, but the individual response or between this and the previous veree. Vere. him who has come down to give life. As 89, 40 would seem to have been addressed for as man is concerned, it turns on his more directly to the disciples, the less suscep- voluntary coming, on his bare willingness tible hearers retiring from him or engaging in to be fed with heavenly food. It is impos- eager conversation (cf. ver. 41). Neverthe- sible, so far as responsibility is concerned, less, the Lord takes up the continuous line of to get back of personal wish and individual his self-revelation, and ver. 87 clearly refers will. The process of genuine coming to the "non-coming" and "non-believing" in Christ docs show that the Father is therein their case to their moral obliquity, and to the giving such son! to his Son. Archdeacon apparent inadequacy of sufficient proof to Watkins says, "Men have now seized one and induce the faith which will satisfy spiritual now the other of these truths, and have built hunger. This spiritual dulness on the part upon them in separation logical systems of of all suggests some internal and necessary doctrine which are but half-truths. He condition, which is, though yet absent, (Jesus) states them in union. Their recon- not said to be inaccessible. Seeing ought ciliation transcends human reason, but is to issue in believing, but it does not; there- within the e:xperience of human life." The fore there is something more than the mani- greatness of the self-consciousness of Christ festation of the Christ absolutely necessary. appears in the further proof that he pro- To that Jesus now reverts. .All (,,.a,,, the ceeds to snpply of this relation to the Father. nenter is also used of persons in eh, iii. 6 Ver. 88.-Because I came down from and xvii. 2, used concerning the whole body heaven (cf. eh. iii. 18), not that I might of real believers, the whole mass of those do my own will, but the will of him that who, when they see, do come-the entire sent me (see eh. v. 19, 30, notes). The company of believers regarded as a grand practical, ethical force of this statement is unity, and stretching out into the future) to shape o.nd defend the previous :issnrance. all that whioh the Father giveth me. The Christ's grocious reception an,! benediction subsequent descliptions of the Father's grace is in willing harmony with, and not in oppo- (vers. 44, 45) throw light on this. The sition to, the Father's hee.rt. There is no "drawing of the Father," the "hearing and schism between the Father and Soo. A lea.ruing from the Father," are there declared separate will in and of itself assigned to the to be conditions of "coming to Christ." All Son is not inconceivable, nay, it is impera- those infiuences on the soul, all the new- tively necessary to posit, or we should oreo.ting and spi1·it-quickening energies of lose all distinctions whatever between tho tho Holy Ghost, the new heart o.nd tender Father o.nd Sou, bet1,een God and Christ. conscience, the honest, serious desire for But the very separateness of the wills givea holy things, o.re broadly described in this the greater significance to their moral one- passage o.s God's method and net of giving ness, "Not my will, but thine be done," to the Son of hie love. There is no neces- "Not ns I will, but as thou wilt," involve sity (with Augustin!') to suppose that our submission, voluntary surrender, to tho Lord refers to an absolute predestinating Father's will ; but hero the Lord insists decree. For if God has not yet given those on absolute harmony and free co-opero.tion. particulo.r mon to him, it docs not say thl\t he The bare idea of the Incarnation suggests will not and wny not do so yet. The.Father's 1 The~{ .. does menn more than h1.e6uETa.1· giving to the Son mny indeed assume many forms. It mo.y take tho character of originnl ~1r.,, equivalent to adsu111, adi·eniu; therefore constitution, of predisposition and tempera- more thon venio (eh. viii. 42; 1 John v. 20).  2G2 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. [en. VI.1-71.