which are not written in this book. The Ver. 31.-But, says he, these are written "many" and "other" refer to those signs with a special purpose. The author did "·ith whioh his readers may be familiar not intend to write a full history or a from other sources, and, as it St'ems to us, detailed biography; he avowed having made in other (/3,/Jll./a) books. We have seen a unique o.nd well-considered selection of tllroughout how thoroughly alive the "signs," which formed the theme of great cvo.ngelist is to the minutest details of the discourse, of " words" which revealed the synoptic narrative. The word "many" inner depths of that wondrous nature, and seems most accnrately t.o include more tha.n which, far from exhausting the theme, only the few appearo.nces after his resurrection touched its fringes : and he did this with a which are not mentioned by John, but distinct aim, in order that ye (he here whicll are recorded by the synoptists, and addresses the Churches already founded the "other" refers most probably to signs of and waiting for his legacy) might believe, a different clll.98 from those which he has Believe what? &imply in the fact of the selected. The " signs" written in this Re=ection? Certainly not; but that Jesllll, book are those central facts which formed the Man whose life has been enacted on the fueme and starting-points of his dis- this human stage, is the Christ, ho.a fulfilled courses. " Signs " do not neoessarily mean the eutire idea of the Messiah and is now the miraculous works ( ip-ya), but all "indica,. realization of the grandest theocratic hope; tious " or " tokens " of his higher nature and further, that he is the "Christ," been.use and Divine commi"8ion, such as his appear- he is none other than the Son ot God, the ance in the syna.gogne of N e.zareth ; the Revelation of the Divine nature, the Image cleansing of the temple, which had BO of the Father's substance, the Effluence of powerfully affected the mind of Nicodcmllll; his glory, seeing that his is the glory of the tile repeated aesertion of his pre-existence Only Begotten of the Father. Nor is this alL and eternal glory ; the feeling of the He adds, And that believing in this glory, officers of the Sanhedrin. that "never man in this reality, in this Christhood, in this spake like this Man; " the effect prod need Sonship, ye might have lite, the blessedness by his lofty claims to be "Lord of the of true being, the so.ered fellowship with the sabbath " and " greater than the temple; " Eternal, the hold upon FOR EVEB, the sanctity the arrogation of power to forgive sins; of" the life" that is "light," the everlasting life of tile aons of God. The prologue here 1 The airroii of the T.R. is rejected here finds its true and efficient complement. by 'Ii..t,cbendorf (8th edit.) and R.T., on the The purpose now betrayed expounds the authority of t(, B, E, K, S, .II., Syriae, etc., structure of the Gospel as a whole. The though very formidable authorities are apostle claims kinship with the central quoted on the side of its retention--t-t•, 0, apostole.te. The Hebrew prophet does not 1.1, G, H, et.c., Vulgate, Coplic, Armenian, disdain his true kindred. 1'Le evangelist lEthiopic, and numerous quotations. West- does not disclaim his predecessors. The cott alld Hort place it in. the margin. lover of soula discloses his lofty passion.
HOMILETICS. Veu. 1-10.-TM B«Nnedwn: Pet,er and John ae ehe upulchre. We approach an event which bespealus a new life for Chrut and a new life for man, ou. xx. 1-31.) THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 481
I. IT IS A WOMAN WHO IS FIRST AT THE TOMB ON TIIE IlEBURREO'rION MORN. "Thi} first day of tho week cometh Mary Mag<lalone euly, when it was yet dark, unto the eepulohre, and eeoth the stone taken away from the sepulchre." I. She e1ridently wa, riot alone during the whole scene, but she seems to have reached the sepulchre before the other women of her comr,e.ny (Matt. xxviii, 1). "Certain women of our company were early nt the sepulchre ' (Luke xxiv, 22, 23). 2. Mary's purpose wa., to embalm the body of Jesus, 'l'his implied thnt she had no more expecLation than the apostles of his approaching resurrection. 3, Ie was an act of great courage to go in the darknes.• and to confront, if nerasary, the rude watchmen. 4. It is suggestive of the loyalty of women to Jesus that" woman was last nt the cross, and first at the tomb." 5. Her discovery of the empty tomb was the first indication of a/act which is the =st furuia- mental in CJhristianity, II. THE VISIT OF PETER AND JOHN TO THE SEPULCHRE. 1, Mary ran in breathless haste to acq11,(J,int the two disciples with her discovery. "So they both ran together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and look.i.ftg in, se.w the linen clothes lyiog; yet went he not io." 2. John, as the younger man, outran Peter, but the eager haste of both disciples indicated their amaze- ment, their curiosity, their expectation. 3. The hesitating loolc of John, as he stooped down but did not enter the tomb, bespeaks the awe of bis deeply contemplative spirit. 4, The alacrity with which Peter entered the tomb without a pause, and de.,cried the e:mpty clothes, is characteristic of the impulsive and eager son of Jonas. 5. Both disciples believed, as the ejfect of their visit to the sepulchre. Yet there was an evident unreadiness on their part to believe in Christ's resurrection. " For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.n The condition in which they founcl the clothes would suggest that the body bad .o.ot been taken away by enemies. It was still less probable ihat friends had carried it away. 6. The two apostles left the tomb convinced that the Lord had risen, but still, no doubt, unable to fathom the mystery that underlay the transaction. "'l'hen the disciples went away again unto their own home" -one at least believing, the other meditating deeply, but awaiting the first persond interview with Jesus which dissipates all his doubts.