The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 307

cemlng hirMe7f. Jesus had uttered l1mgne.ge which both perplexed e.nd distressed his frienda. He he.d spoken of his Bpproeching depe.rture-e. prospect which could not but grieve, e.nd _which olee.rly did depres~ his hee:re~. Their life we.s bound up in his life, e.nd sepe.rat1on could not be faced without sinking of heart, 2. Concerning them, the Lord had opened up e. prospect which dismayed, or e.t least disconcerted, them, He hRd plainly told them that they should be both hated and persecuted. Such an outlook ae this was very gloomy. They were not prepared to endure such tribulation, eepecio.lly when deprived of the presence and support, visible and tangible, of their Chief. Il. THE EFFECT OF THFllE REVELATIONS UPON THE WNDS OF THE APOSTLES. "Sorrow," Mid Jesus, "bath filled your heart." He ha.d opened the oonversation by bidding them trust in him, anrl dismiss fear and trouble from their mind. And he had given them reasons for confidence, grounds for hope, motives to peace. But they were conscious of their feebleness, their dependence. They ha.d accordingly no thought but for themselves. Ae they looked one at e.nother, they must have felt tliat there was among them no one upon whom they oould lean in the absence of their Lord. And he wa.s going, and going soon. How were they to keep together? And if they should keep together, what wo.s there for them to do? Had not the Master done everything? Without him, where would be the meaning of their fellowship-the purpose of their life? It is a proof of the reality of their attachment to Jesus, of the bitterness of their disappointment at his departure, that in this hour their souls should be burdened, and all but overwhelmed with grief. !IJ. THE EFFECT OF SORROW TO TURN AWAY THE HIND FROM INQUIRIES WHI0B MAY LEAD TO CONSOLATION. The apostles were abRorbed in their own grief and trouble. Hence they were prevented by their own depression from inquiring further into the Lord's departure. Not that they were altogether incurious and careless concerning this; some of them had put questions suggested by the Lord's words. But they sank back at once upon their own condition a.nd prospects. If they had turned a.way from their own loss, if they bad followed Christ's declarations concerning himself with interest and faith, if they had asked fqr further revelations, they would both have forgotten their personal distress, and they would have received inspiration and fortitude as they realized the victory which should follow the Saviour's humiliation, and as they understood that in that victory they themselves should share. . IV. THE GE!.'ERAL PRINCIPLE 18 THUS BEACHED, THAT THE BEST AND MOST HELPFUL HA.BIT OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE 18 THE CONCENTRATION OF THOUGHT AND FEELING RATHER UPON OUR SAVIOUR THAN Ul'ON OURSELVES. Experience has shown that it is a most deleterious practice to direct thought too much inwardly upon our own sorrows and perplexities, or even upon our joys and comforts. Religious progress is made by fixing the gaze of the heart upon him who is infinite Excellence a.nd infinite Faithfulness. Let our chief interest, our most earnest questioning, our most ardent affection, be directed towards him ; and then sorrow will vanish and peace will reign.-T. Ver. 7.-The advantagea of Ohrist's departure. The world enjoyed many benefits by reason of Christ's presence: he healed the sick, and taught the ignoran~, a?d was a kind, wise, and faithful Friend to all men. How much more we~e the d1sc!ples of Jesus indebted to that presence I His intimate friends owed their all, their very selves, to him, and oould not look forward to losing him without disma.y. "My Saviour, can it ever be, That I 1hould gain by losing thee?" Yet our Lord taught that it was really for his people's good that he should leave them, and the experience of the Christian centuries has proved the wisdom of his teaching. !. THE DISPENSATION OF PERSONAL PBESEN0E WAS TBUB SU00EEDED BY THE DISPENSATION OF SPIRITUAL POWER. The ascension of Christ was the occasion of the descent of the Comforter. The Holy Spirit was indeed no stranger to our humanity even before our Lord's cowing, but his influences were to be mor~ widely diffu~~d and more powerfully active than in the earlier ages. Why the cornlllg of the Spmt was me.de, in the wise counsels of God, dependent upon the departure of J ~~u_s, we cn1;1 only p:i.rtially under11tand. But the events of Pentecost are matter of Srnpture history, oil. xvr. 1-38.] THE GOSPEL .A.CCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 317