The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 435

boiBt.erou~ natures bo!ist of new-found light and liberty, But m1my gentle timid and refined spirits !Ire equRlly sincere And devout in their reserve, Men And w'.omen ihere RN' like her who "kept And tnwru.red these things in her heart." .A time there is in ChristiAn experience when feeling is too sAcred to he professed. 8. Distrust of self and Rn ewed sense of responsibility, 11Ccount for the bllCkwardness of mAny sincere di~ ciplee to 11vow their faith and love. What if they ahould profess to be Christ's and then aft~rwR.rds should prove ashamed of him, or ehonld discredit him by any wa~t of kyalty? The very fear lest this should be so leads to reticence and silence. 4, An inferior motive bu to be considered, viz. the fear of man. Some, especially amnng the youn~, fear the opposition or the ridicule or the reproach of their fellow-men, Such Wl\6 the case with Joseph. who foar8?- the Jews-dreaded lest he should, like Jesus, be pe!'6~uted, or le_st he s~01tld be ~~p1sed and hated. A member of a distinguished and pn'"IIE!f!ed clMs 1s peculiarly sensitive to the coldness, the contempt, or the ridicule of those whose opinion makes the public opinion which has most influence over him. ll. THERE IB :IDSOHIEF WROUGHT BY BEORET DISCIPLESHIP. When those who love Christ,. and make it their aim. to_ 8:8rve hiD:1, conceal their attachment and ~heir pious resolution, whether through tim1d1ty or distrust, harm follows. 1. The disciple who withholds or delays his open confession of the Saviour, by so doing thwarts hie own religious progrese and happiness. " With the heart man believeth unto righteoueness, and with the mouth confession is ma.de unto salvation." The very attitude of bold and ;iublic acknowledgment of faith in the Lord Jesue iB a means of spiritual confirmation and improvement. For such an attitude is the natural expression of faith, and attracts the countenance and sympathy of those who are like-minded. 2. The withholdin" of a confession of Christ is disobedience to Christ and to hie Spirit. If we learn of him, we are bound to obey him. And he has bidden ue take up our cross and follow him. He has bidden us observe the Lord's Supper in memory of his death. It is not honour- ing Christ to delay, without sufficient reason, such an avowal of onr faith in him as hie own Word justifies, and indeed requires. 3. Secrecy of discipleship is discouraging to the Church of Christ. That Church has many enemies; it has need of all its friends. It weaketl8 the forces of the spiritual host when those who should fall into the ranks stand aloof. 'l'here is a sense in which those who are not with Christ are against him. 4. 'l'he world is confirmed in error and unbelief when there is a disinclination on the part of Christi.an.a openly to avow themselves what they really are. It is natural enough for the world to interpret such conduct as indicating a want of heartiness and thoroughness in discipleship. Men ask whether those who stand outside are not in the same position u those who go up to the door, but do not enter in. fil THERE .ilLE OONBWll:RATIONS WllIOB KAY PBOTECT AGAINST THE TEMPTATION TO CONCEAL C.H:&IBnAN DI6CIPLESHIP. 1. The greatness of the Master to whom we owe allegiance. Christ is so great that none need feel any shame in belonging to him ; such a relation is the highest honour accessible to man. Christ is so great that none need feel any fee.r in openly avowing loyalty to him. None is so well able as the "Lord of all" to protect and deliver those who adhere to him. 2. It should be remembered by those who are in doubt whether or not to confess Christ, that a day is coming in which the real position of all men with regard to the Divine Redeemer must be made manifest. Of those who are ashamed of him before men the Lord Jesue will be ashe.med in the jndgment before hie Father and the holy angels.-T. Vera. 38-42.-TM lad stage of the Bawour, humiliation John, who presents to ns the most sublime views of the Divine nature and glory of the Christ, does not shrink from relating in this passage to how deep humiliation that Christ condescended. L TBB BIBTOBIOAL PURPOSE FULFILLED BY CBJUST'8 BUBUL. It is obeervable that all four evangelists record, and with many details, the interment of the Son of man. This is accounted for, not so much by any intrinsic ililportance belonging to burial, as by its intermediate position between the crucifixion and the resmTection of our Lord, 1. The bnria.l of Jeeua is of moment, as eetabliehing the fact of his actual death. It hBI been absurdly contended by some infidel theorizers, at a loss to know how to deal with the evidence for our L1>rd'11 eub&equent appearances, that he did not really die upon the cross, that he merely fell into a swoon, from which, under the care of his frienda, he recovered. H 81lch had beeil the case, the body could !lot havQ been laid in on. x1x. 1-42,] 'l'IIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 449