76 SECT. They call him a Samaritan, and say he is possessed. SECT. CV. Jesus promising immortality to his followers, and speaking of his own existence as prior to that of Abraham, the Jews in the temple attempt to stone him; but he miraculously escapes from their hands. John VIII. 48, to the end. JOHN VIII. 48. JOHN VIII. 48. NOW when the fews heard Jesus so ex- THEN answered pressly declaring that they were ignorant Jews, and John of God, and were the children, not of Abra- said unto him, Say viii.48 ham, but of the devil, they answered him there- thou art a Samaritan, we not well, that fore with great rage and contempt, and said and hast a devil ? unto him, Do we not well say, that thou, who speakest of Israelites in such language as this, art a Samaritan, rather than one of the holy seed, and art possessed by a demon, who hurries thee on to such outrage and madness?a 49 but I honour my But to this insolent charge Jesus meekly, 49 Jesus answered answered, It is plain, from the whole series of I have not a devil; my discourses and actions, that I am not a de- Father, and ye do moniac nor can any of you produce any thing dishonour me. in all that I have said or done which looks like lunacy or impiety; but the truth is, I honour my Father, by bearing a steady and consistent testimony to the doctrine he sent me to reveal to the world; and, because this is contrary to your corrupt prejudices and passions, therefore you dishonour me by such opprobrious reflections, in hope of discrediting my message. 50 But as for what personally relates to me I am 50 And I seek not little affected with it; for I seek not my own mine own glory: there is one that glory; nevertheless, I know there is one that seeketh and judgeth. seeketh, and will secure it, and who now judgeth of all that passes, and will at length evidently shew the exact notice he has taken of it, to my 51 honour and to your confusion. For God will 51 Verily, verily, not only finally glorify me, but will confer the I say unto you, If a highest honours and rewards on all my faithful man keep my say. ing, he shall never servants; and therefore, verily, verily, I say see death. unto you, If any one keep my word, he shall never see death, but shall assuredly be entitled Possessed by a demon, who hurries thee accounts, not only for this passage, and on to such outrage and madness.] See noted on John vii. 20, sect. xcix. He shall never see death.] The turn given to this expression in the paraphrase that in John xi. 26 (sect. cxl.) but for what is said of Christ's having abolished death (2 Tim. i. 10), having destroyed the devil (Heb. ii. 14), and raised up Christians He that keeps his word shall never see death. 52 Then said the death. : 77 to eternal life, and shall immediately be SECT. advanced to so glorious and happy a state, that CV. the dissolution of this mortal nature shall, with John respect to him, hardly deserve to be called death. viii.51 Then the Jews, thinking he had asserted that 52 Jews unto him, Now his disciples should be exempted from the comwe know that thou hast a devil. Abra- mon lot of mortality, said again to him in a reham is dead, and the proachful way, Now we assuredly know that thou prophets; and thou hast a demon dwelling in thee, which hurries sayest, If a man thee on to this madness and pride, otherwise keep my saying, he shall never taste of thou couldest never talk at this extravagant rate for Abraham, the friend of God, and the great founder of our nation, is dead; and all the holy prophets, whom God raised up in succeeding ages, were so far from being able to bestow immortality on their followers, that even they themselves are long since dead; and yet thou presumptuously sayest, If any one keep 53 Art thou greater my word, he shall never taste of death. What, 53 than our father art thou greater than that venerable patriarch dead? and the proph- our father Abraham, who is dead, and than all ets are dead: whom the most illustrious prophets, who are also dead? makesth thou thy Whom dost thou then pretend thyself to be, that thou shouldest thus assume such a distinguishing glory to thyself? Abraham, which is self? 54 Jesus answered, Jesus replied, If I only glorify myself, by high 54 series of my converse and miracles, compared with himself, and made them sit with him improper it would be to interpret the pre- Yet thou sayest, If any one keep my word, he shall never taste of death.] This is not the phrase which our Lord used, ver. 51, though perhaps its signification is nearly equivalent. But I think it shews how ceding words, avalovs un emphon ELS TOY a ava, He shall not see death for ever; as if they signified, He shall not die eternally for on this interpretation of the words there could have been no shadow of force in the argument they use, unless they had meant to assert that Abraham and the prophets were dead, εις τον αιώνα, for ever; than which nothing could be farther from the thoughts of any of the Jews, except the Sadducees, who do not seem to have been the persons speaking here. See notel on John iv. 14, Vol. I. p. 170. 78 John viii.55 I know him and if : Abraham desired to see his day, and saw it, and rejoiced. SECT. testimony. And, notwithstanding all your 55 Yet ye have cv. boasts, yet nevertheless you have not truly not known him; but known him; but I well know him and if II should say, I know should deny it, and say that I know him not, or him not, I shall be. retract my pretensions to that peculiar and inti- a liar like unto you: mate knowledge of him which I have so often keep his saying. but I know him, and professed, I should be a liar like you: but I repeat it again, notwithstanding all your enmity and your scorn, that I perfectly know him, and continually keep his word in its fullest extent 56 and exactest purity. And I will tell ther, that though you despise me, as unworthy Abraham rejoiced to faryou of your notice, your father Abraham himself see my day and was even transported with a joyful desire that he might see my day, or the time of my appearance and glory; and in some degree he saw [it] by faith, and rejoiced in the distant and imperfect view, thankfully receiving every intimation of the purposes of my coming which God was pleased to give him. 57 d 56 Your father he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Then the Jews said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou, who but half a Jews unto him, Thou century ago was not in being, any room to old, and hast thou art not yet fifty years pretend that thou hast seen and conversed with seen Abraham ? & Was even transported with a joyful desire that he might see my day: annisalo ve in Thy nepav Tav env.] It is necessary to translate the word nyal thus, not only to avoid the tautology which our translation occasions, but also to preserve the force of the words we dn. And indeed the expression may with the strictest propriety signify leaping forward with joy to meet the object of our wishes, as well as exulting in the possession of it. See Blackw. Sacred Classics, Vol. I. p. 46-48. He saw it by faith, and rejoiced in the view. I cannot think with Mr. Fleming (Christology, Vol. I. p. 221), that the appearance of Christ to Abraham (Gen. xviii. 1) could with any propriety be here referred to as Christ's day. It seems much more reasonable to conclude with Dr. Scot and Mr. Henry, that it intimates some peculiar discoveries which the Spirit of God might make to Abraham for his own private consolation, though not expressly recorded in scripture. And thus, with regard to him, as well as many other saints under that dispensation, the secret of the Lord might in an extraordinary manner be with them, and he might shew them much more of his covenant than they could have discovered without such extraordinary assistance. Compare Psalm xxv. 14, and see Dr. Scot's Christian Life, Vol. V. p. 194. Since I drew up this note, the reverend and learned Dr. Warburton has shewn that there is great reason to believe our Lord here particularly refers to a special revelation made to Abraham, when he received that command from God to offer up Isaac, by which he was informed that the sacrifice then enjoined him was a symbol of the method which God would really take death and resurrection of his own Son. See for the redemption of sinful men, by the Divine Legation, Vol. II. p. 589-627, and the vindication of it, in the second volume of Occasional Remarks. was not now five and thirty; but Erasmus Thou art not yet fifty years old.] Christ thinks that, worn with labours, he might appear older than he was. agines, that as the Levites were discharged Lightfoot imfrom the temple service at fifty (compare Numb. iv. 3, 23), that age was proverbially used; as I think it might have been, without any such institution relating to them. It is little to the credit of Ireneus's judg ment to have inferred from hence, or admitted on an uncertain tradition, fathered on St. Luke, that Christ was now turned of forty. See Iren, lib. ii. cap. 39, 40. 79 He miraculously escapes when they would have stoned him. Abraham, who has been dead more than two sect. thousand years? CV. 58 Jesus said unto Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto John them, Verily, verily, you, and solemnly affirm it as a most certain viii.58 I say unto you, Be- truth, how incredible soever it may seem, that before Abraham was born,s I had a glorious existence with the Father, and I am still invariably the same, and one with him.h fore Abraham was, I am. himself, and went 59 Then took they This appeared to them so direct a claim to the 59 up stones to cast at name and properties of the eternal JEHOVAH, him but Jesus hid that, being ignorant of the divine nature of out of the temple, Christ, they thought it intolerable blasphemy; going through the and though he was then discoursing in so sacred midst of them, and a place as the temple, they immediately took up so passed by. some loose stones, with which they were repair- IMPROVEMENT. WITH what patience did our blessed Redeemer bear, and with ver. what meekness of wisdom did he answer, the most virulent and 48, 49 opprobrious language? When he was rudely charged with being a Samaritan, and having a demon, he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself (Heb. xii. 3); and being thus reviled, he reviled not again (1 Pet. ii. 23). And shall we too keenly resent the reflections which are thrown upon us! May but our conscience witness for us, and we need not fear all that are against us! Took up some loose stones, with which they were repairing, &c.] See Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr. on this place; and note on John ii. 20, Vol. I. p. 144. Before Abraham was born.] Erasmus so nearly bordering on blasphemy, or obser es, that this is the meaning of have permitted his beloved disciple so y; and Raphelius abundantly justifies dangerously to disguise his meaning. the interpretation. Annot. ex. Xen. p. 133. I am invariably the same, &c.] Compare Heb. xiii. 8. I have long (with Chrysostom and many others) looked on this text as at least a strong intimation of the Deity of Christ, nearly parallel to Heb. 1. 12, ou de o avlosu, thou art the same. I cannot apprehend that you is ever used for I was; nor imagine that if our Lord had been a mere creature, he would have ventured to express himself in a manner 12 VOL. 2. * Going through the midst of them.] The omission of these words in this passage, as quoted by Chrysostom and Augustin, as well as in some manuscripts, has led some to suspect they were added from Luke iv. 30. See Vol. I. sect. xxxii. note P, p. 188. 80 ЗЕСТ. CV. ver. 49,50 Reflections on Christ's promise to deliver us from death. Christ honoured his Father, and sought not his own glory. So may we be careful of the honour of God, and cheerfully commit to him the guardianship and care of our reputation! And we shall find there is one that seeketh, and judgeth in our favour. 51 It is a great and important promise which our Lord here makes, If any one keep my word, he shall never see death. Sense seems to plead against it; but he is the resurrection and the life,. and hath assured us he will make it good. Let us therefore be 52 strong in faith, giving glory to God; (Rom. iv. 20.) Though not only Abraham and the prophets, but Peter and Paul, and the other apostles, are dead, yet this word shall be gloriously accomplished. Still they live to him, and shortly shall they be for ever recovered from the power of the grave; so that death is to them comparatively as nothing. With them may our final portion be, and we may set light by the reproaches, clamours, and accusations of prejudiced, ignorant, and sinful men ! Adored be that gracious Providence that determined our existence to begin in that happy day which prophets and patri56 archs desired to see, and in the distant view of which Abraham rejoiced! Let it be also our joy; for Jesus Christ is the same 58 yesterday, today, and for ever; nor could the heart of those holy men fully conceive those things which God had prepared for them that love him, and which he has now revealed unto us by his Spirit. (1 Cor. ii. 9, 10.) SECT. CVI. Luke SECT. CVI. The seventy disciples return with joy Christ foretells the greater success of his gospel, and praises his heavenly Father for the wise, though mysterious dispensation of it. Luke X. 17—24. A returned again FTER these things, Jesus determined to AND the seventy take his last, and, as it seems, his most with joy, saying, successful, circuit through Galilee ; and, before he set out upon it, the seventy disciples, who had been sent before him as his harbingers (sect. xcvii. p. 37), returned to him again with His last circuit through Galilee.] St. Luke has given us a large account of sev. eral occurrences in it, omitted by all the other evangelists; and I think there can be no doubt but it must come in here. It was dispatched between the feast of tabernacles and the dedication (mentioned John x. 22, sect. cxxxiv), or between the months of September and December. I call it his last circuit through Galilee, because it is strongly intimated, that after the conclusion of it he returned thither no more before his crucifixion. (See Luke xiii 31-33, and John x. 40-42-Quickly after his resurrection, which was the next spring, we find five hundred brethren in Galilee. (1 Cor. xv. 6) It is probable most of them might be converted in this journey; for we never find him attended by greater multitudes, nor his enemies inore alarmed, than about this time. The seventy disciples returned to him again.] I presume not to determine where |