not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7. The world can not hate you, but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. It is not proper for me to go up till the feast is about to begin, but ye may go up at any time you please, since you have done nothing to make the Jews unfriendly to you, as I have done, who, by the purity of my doctrine, and the freedom of my reproofs, have provoked their malice to the highest pitch. 8. Go ye up unto this feast; I go not up yet unto this feast, for my time is not yet full come the time of his sufferings, which the evangelist calls his hour, ch. viii. 20. or the time of his going up to the feast. 9. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. 10. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it avere in secret. This suggests another reason for our Lord's delay. Had he taken his journey at the usual time, the multitudes that were on the road gathering round him, and accompanying him to Jerusalem, might have given fresh matter of offence to his enemies; for which reason he did not set out till the bulk of the people were gone, and then he went up, not openly, but as it were in secret; that is, he neither preached, nor wrought miracles by the way, nor had any crowd attending him.

Jesus did not appear publicly immediately on his arrival in Jerusalem, which occasioned the Jews to dispute his character. Some affirmed that he was a true prophet, and that his not at, tending the feast might be owing to several accidents. Others affirmed that he was a deceiver, who paid no regard to the divine institutions. However, his friends defended him only in private, not daring to speak openly in his behalf, for fear of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. John vii. 11. Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 12. And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man; others said, Nay, but he deceiveth the people. 13. Howbeit, no man spake openly in defence of him, for fear of the Jews. At length, about the middle of the feast, Jesus came into the temple, and preached many important doctrines of true religion, with such strength of reason, clearness of method, and elegance of expression, that his enemies themselves were astonished, knowing that he had not the advantage of a liberal education. 14. Now, about the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 15. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 16. Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me: The doctrine which I teach you is not the product of human wisdom. I have neither been taught it by masters, nor have I acquired it by my own study; but it is the doctrine of God who has inspired me with it, because I am his messenger. He

told

told them likewise, that they could be at no loss to know from whence he, or any teacher, derived his doctrine, provided they were themselves virtuous persons, had laid aside their prejudices, and were resolved to do the will of God, how contrary soever it might prove to their own inclinations. 17. If any man will do his will (Beλn to deλaua duty Tour, is de irous to do his will) he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. Good men can easily judge of any teacher, whether he and his doctrine come from God, not only because the divine wisdom and goodness are interested to secure such from capital errors, but because they themselves have no predominant evil inclinations to prejudice them against the truth, when it appears; and because they can discern how far any doctrine is conformable to the principles of virtue, which they possess. Hence, if one teaches what makes for the advancement of his own worldly interest, or for the gratification of his pride, or any other evil passion, the doers of the will of God will immediately know that such a teacher is an impostor. 18. He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own glory. Whereas if a prophet proposes doctrines, which have a tendency to reform men and to advance the glory of God, without regard to the opinion of the world or to his own interest, he must certainly be sent of God, and should not by any means be suspected of imposture; but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him: no falsehood, no design to deceive the world.19. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? There is a remarkable beauty in this sudden turn of the sentiment. Some of the Jews called Jesus a false prophet, because on the Sabbath he had healed the paralytic, who lay in one of the porticos of Bethesda, (John v. 9.) pretending that it was a gross violation of the law of Moses, which no good man, far less a prophet, would be guilty of. In answer to these evil surmises, he told them plainly, that however much they pretended to reverence the authority of Moses in his law, they made no scruple to violate the most sacred of his precepts; they had entered into á resolution of murdering him, directly contrary to every law of God and man, and for the same end were laying secret plots against his life. This reproof came in with singular propriety and force, immediately after Jesus had, by the most convincing arguments, proved his mission from God. John vii. 20. The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil; either thou art mad, or thou art actuated by the malice of the devil, (see on chap. viii. 48. § 77.) who goeth about to kill thee? 21. Jesus answered and said unto them, * I

have

Ver. 21. I have done one work, and ye all marvel.] With this clause should be joined the words die T&T, in the beginning of the next verse, if

We

have done one work, and ye all marvel: I have done a miracle of an extraordinary kind on the Sabbath, which ye think inconsistent with the character of a good man, and therefore ye wonder how I have performed it; but I can easily vindicate my character by an argument, which it is not in your power to gainsay. 22. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision, the law of circumcision, (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers) and ye en the sabbath day circumcise a man. The sentence should be construed thus : και εν σαββάτω περιτέμνετε ανθρωπον εχ ότι εκ τε Μωσεώς $n, αλλο EX TWY TαTEZUV, and on the sabbath ye circumcise a man, not because it is a precept of Moses only, (see on Luke xiv. 12. § 92.) but of the fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 23. If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken, are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every hit whole on the sabbath day ? ότι όλον ανθρωπον ύψιν εποίησα caboutw; because I have made a whole man, or the whole of a man sound on the sabbath day: Since ye think yourselves bound to dispense with the strict observation of the sabbath for the sake of another precept, which is only of a ceremonial nature, how can ye be angry with me, because, in pursuance of the great end of all the divine laws, I have cured a man who was infirm in all his members, and that with far less bodily labour than you perform the ceremony of circumcision, and cure the wound that is made by it? 24. Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment: Consider the nature of the things, and judge impartially, without regard to your own prejudices, or to the superstition of your teachers. 25. Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he whom they seek to kill? 26. But lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him; do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? The inhabitants of Jerusalem, always Christ's bitter enemies, asked with surprise and irony, if our Lord's boldness, and the silence of the rulers, proceeded from their having acknowledged him as the Messiah. At the same time, in derision of his pretensions, they added, John vii.

we may trust the judgment of Henry Stephens, Casaubon, Beza, Bois, Knatchbull, Homberg, Mills, &c. I have done one work, and we all marvel at it. And it must be acknowledged, that we have precisely the same construction, Mark vi, 6. xa. stavμage dia tηv axisiav dutwy, be marvelled at their unbelief. All the versions, however, retain the common pointing. * Ver. 22. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision, &c] Aa T8TO Μωσης δέδωκεν Ce qui Tay TigiTony, &c. If the common pointing of this passage is retain. d, the translation must run thus: Bee use that Moses gave you the precept concerning circumcision, ye circumcise a man even on the Sabbath. But the correction proposed by the critics mentioned above, makes the sense more clear and elegant; thus, 22. Moses gave you the law of circumcision, and on the Sabbath ye circumcise a man, not because it is a precept of Moses only, but of the fathers. 3. If a man receive circumcision on the Sab bath, in order that the law of Moses be not broken, are ye angry with me because I have made the subole of a man sound on the Sabbath?

vii. 27. Horbeit, we know this man whence he is? i. e. we know his parents and relations, (John vi. 42.) but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is, alluding to the obvious popular sense of Isa. liii. 8. "who shall declare his generation?" 28. Then cried Jesus in the temple, as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and whence I am and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom you know not: Though you pretend to know me, and whence I am, it does not follow that I am destitute of the prophetical characters of Messiah, and an impostor come to you of my own accord. I am really sent to you by God, who is true in all the prophecies he uttered by his servants, concerning Messiah, for they are all fulfilled in me; but you are wholly ignorant of his blessed perfections and gracious counsels, and have no inclination to obey his will. 29. But I know him, for I am from him, and he hath sent me. Were you acquainted with what the prophets have said concerning Messiah, as you pretend to be, you would know this to be one of his principal characters, that he is to understand the perfections and will of God more fully, and to explain them unto men more clearly, than any messenger from God ever did before. Withal, by considering the nature of my doctrine, you would see this character remarkably fulfilled in me, and thereby would be sensible that I am from God, and that he hath sent me.

This defence did not pacify his enemies, for some of them would gladly have apprehended him; however, none of them had the courage to lay hands on him, being restrained by Providence, because the season of his sufferings was not yet come. John vii. 30. Then they sought to take him; but no man laid hands on him, because his hour avas not yet come. In the mean time, the miracle which he had lately performed on the infirm man, was so great, and so well known, and this defence by which he justified himself so clear and so convincing, that many of the people believ ed on him, publicly affirming that he was Messiah. 31. And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? The attachment

• Ver. 27. No man knoweth avhence he is] That this is not meant of the place of Messiah's birth, as the author of the Literal Scheme would have us to believe, but of his particular parents and relations, is plain from the following verse 42. where the people who spoke the above declare their knowledge of the place of Messiah's birth, and of the family from which he was to spring. 41. Hath not the Scripture said, that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was? That the Jews knew the place of Messiah's birth, is evident likewise from the answer which the chief priests and Pharisees returned to Herod, who demanded of them where Christ should be born. Matt. xi. 4. And when he had ga thered all the chief priests and .cribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born, 5. And they said unto him, in Bethlehem of Juda; for thus it is avritten by the prophet. 6. And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judea, &c.

attachment of the common people to Jesus, greatly incensed the chief priests and Pharisees, with all their adherents; and therefore, on the last and great day of the feast, being met in council (as appears from ver. 32, 45, 50, 53. compared) they sent their officers to apprehend him, and bring him before them, thinking to confute his pretensions, and punish him. 32. The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

While these things were doing in the council, Jesus was preaching to the people concerning the improvement which it became them to make of his ministry among them. John vii. 33. Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while I am with you, and then I go unto him that sent me, see ver. 29. My ministry among you is drawing towards a conclusion; you ought therefore, while it lasts, to make the best possible improvement of it, particularly you should listen to my sermons with great attention, that you may have your minds stored with the truths of God, before I go away; for after I am gone, you shall earnestly desire my presence with you, but shall not obtain it. 34. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me. This seeking for the Christ, or Messiah, was general through the nation, during the calamities in Judea, occasioned by Titus and his armies; and has continued among the Jews ever since, in all the countries where they have been dispersed, but to no purpose, for their Messiah having already appeared, it is in vain to expect another. By thus predicting his own death, our Lord insinuated, that he both knew the present disposition of the council, and foresaw that they would soon put an end to his ministry, by taking away his life. And * where I am, thither ye cannot come: Ye cannot come to heaven where I am soon to be. The reason mentioned in the parallel passage, shews this to be our Lord's meaning, chap. viii. 21. "I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins, whither I go, ye cannot come ;" because ye shall die in your sins, or, as it is expressed in this discourse, because ye shall not find me, you cannot come to heaven. 35. Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? Jesus spake concerning his death, resurrection, and ascension; but the Jews did not understand him, for they imagined, that he threatened to leave them,

Ver. 34. Where I am, &c] Henry Stephens, Casaubon, Tanaquil, Faber, and Pearson were of opinion, that for where I am (sipi, sum) we should read where I go, (simi, eo, changing the accent) as it is expressed in the parallel passage, chap. viii. 21. The common reading, however, is justly defended by Grotius, who observes, that sur, eo, is a poetical word, sei lom used by prose writers. Nor is there the least necessity for the alteration proposed; our Lord's declaration, and the answer which the Jews made to it, being perfectly coherent according to the common reading: ye shall seck me, and shell not find më; and where I am, namely, when ye seck .e, thither ye cannot cone,