The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 143

but on him that 1ent me; and he that into the world, and my object has been and beholdeth me, beholdeth him that ■ent me. ie that who■oever believeth on me-whoso- Those words do not oocur before, but in ever eeee by the inward eye that which I c>very form our Lord had exalted "him ree.lly am, eees how my life ete.nde related to that sent him." Hie doctrine or teach- the Father, whosoever aeeonte to the now ing, hie purpose in manifestation, the secret revelation thus given, even over and above food that euete.ined him, the Divine pre- the" inward light" of the Logos-should not i,enre that never left him alone, the ontire abide in the darkne11 which enwrops all be.ckgrc,und of the mission of hie human souls: for,e.e said in the prologue, "the Light" will and life int.o the world, the object of (the arohetypal Light) 11hineth upon the faith to men e.s revealed in hie humanity, darkness of human nature, and the darkness and that which the spiritual eye ought to oomprehendeth it not.'' It should be especi- 806, nay-if the beholder did but know it does' ally noticed that in 2 Cor. iv- 6 St. Paul &ee, constitute an unveiling of the eternal had grRBped e.nd uttered the fulneee of this Fatbor whoeenthim into the world (eeech. iv. thought. 34; v. 36; vi. 38; vii. 17, 18, 29; viii. 28, 42; Ver. 47.-If any one shall have heard my x. SS; of. also eh. xiv. 1, 9, 24). It becomes, &&yinga, and have (guarded) kept I them not. then, of high ve.lue to gre.ep the truth. We Here our Lord passee from the effect of his nctually believe in God when believing in earthly life, which is light, to that of the him. His mission is lost in the glory of God tnorda 011µ.d-ra) by which the whole future who e.ppea.n! in him. So fe.r e.e he is sent, of mankind will be affeoted, and one is re- he wa,a neceese.rily of lower order e.nd rank minded of the close of the sermon on the the.n he who eent him. Hie hume.nity began mount, where the condition of thot man is to be in time; it we.a generat.ecl in the womb portrayed who hears the >..&-yovs of Christ of the Virgin ; it we.a sanctified e.nd sent into and doeth them not, whose destiny will be the world; e.nd yet through it there we.s the determined by the notural course of things highest revelation of the Fe.ther, We ce.n- (eee Mott. vii. 26, 27). Keep (guard) Ui.em' not attribute eo stupendous e. thought to the not (see Matt. xiL 20). The "hearing" is eve.ugelist, and e.t the same time we admit clearly not identical with spiritual occept- ihe portentous singularity e.nd uniqueness ance, but ie restricted to the awful obarge of the consciousness which oould thus aver of responsibility that comes upon every man identity of ne.ture with God e.nd the com- who simply heo.re, knows what Christ's pleteness of revelation the.t the Speaker we.e words are, o.nd then " keeps" them not eo me.king in himself of the Father. e.e to fulfil their intention. Christ says, I Ver_ 46.-The revelation of God becomee judge him not. I am not now pronouncing the light of the soul and the light of the R sentence upon him; I am hie Saviour; but world_ The evangelist had said, in his pro- this ie his condemnation, that he believes logue, "In him we.a life," and the Life (the not, etc. (eh. iii.17-19). Our Lord claimed, eternal Logos of life) we.a "the Light of in the sermon on the mount, to be the men-'' All true understanding, all purifying, Executer of a judgmeut, and in eh. v. 22-29 gracious in.fl.uenoe shed on human e.ffa.irs, he declared that he would be ae Son of nature, or destiny, e.re the i.tisue e.nd result of me.n, the final Adjudice.tor of doom on the the Divine Life whioh, under every diepenee.- disobedient (cf. Mo.tt. :u:v.), and in many tion, has wrought in humanity_ Above all, placcs he made this thought even more "the Light the.t lighteth every man," namely, solemn by speaking of himself on that the.t which has o.lways and which ever will occe.eion, not as the compa.esionate Saviour, n.die.te from the life conferred on our hu- but the Administrator of an inviolable law, manity by the Logos, the life of God in which cannot be swayed by immediate mind and conscience, "came into the world" emotion, but will effectuate itself on eternal --came, the.t is, in e. new and more effective e.nd unswerving principles. The Le.w e.o- form, came in the radiance of a perfect cuees-the old Le.w (eh. v. 45)-but I judge hnme.n life. The evangelist he.a sUBtained him not; for I came (,J>..60,,) not to judge, his teaching by quoting the solemn words of but to ae.ve the world, referring to the In• Jesus in eh. iii 19; viii 12; also eh. ix. 5, ca.rnation in its purport and supreme motive. where a specie.I narrative of miraculous love Ver. 48.-He that rejecteth me, and re- typified both the need in which the human oeiveth not my BByingB (~~µ.a-rd.), bath one family, the se.cred Israel, and even his own that judgeth him-perhaps, that tnhiah diBciple&, stood of light, and of the light 1 "·hich he could pour upon the sightless eye- The T.R. reads rur,,.•61Tp, with E, F, G, balls. And now the connection of this pas- H, M, S, and many other authorities; but ae.ge is-You could not behold me if light did ~u>.d.{p is the reeding of K, A, B, D, K, L, not stream forth from me_ I have oome, and 1, 13, 33, numeroUB versions, and is preferred am oome (ill.fl>..u6a, ihie has been e.nd is my by Tischeudorf(Bth edit.), Tregelles, West- abiding purpose; of-eh,. v.4:J; 'rii 28)a Lisht cott and ll!>rl, Godel, Meyer, e,nq R,1', otl. xri. l-"-60.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOftN. 149