And he said unto them, " These are the very things which I told with them; you when I was yet with you, that it was necessary for every thing to be fulfilled which had been written God.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE APOSTLE JOHN'.

N the beginning of the gospel in effect God was the Revealer of CHAP. dispensation was the Revealer the word, that is, it was not so esus and of the word, and the Revealer of properly he that spake to men, ohn de- the word was so with God, so as God that spoke to them by him. perfectly instructed by him, that He was in the beginning with 2

I That this gospel was written at Ephe-plicit upon some matters that had become
sus, A. D. 68, has been made to appear subjects of controversy and dispute. The
highly probable by learned men, who have general design with which he wrote, he has
examined these points with the greatest care, declared with that ingenuousness, and sim-
candour, and patience of enquiry. But whe-plicity, which are characteristic of his tem-
ther the apostle had any particular end in
view, or what that end was, has not been so
satisfactorily ascertained. Some have thought
that St. John's attention was principally di-
rected to certain wrong opinions, that were
beginning to prevail in the world towards
the latter part of his life; and that he wrote
to supply the deficiencies of the former gos-
pels; which he deemed not sufficiently ex-

1.

1.

and endowments, in proportion to CHAP.
the favour he received from God;
for the law was given by Moses, but 17
favour and truth were by Jesus
Christ. No one hath seen God at 18
any time, by being favoured with
such discoveries of his will as the
only begotten son who is in the
bosom of the Father, beloved by
him and receiving extraordinary
communications from him, and it
is he who hath declared him to us.
Of that son, John bare testimo- 15

6

which

self.

CHAP. God, all things relating to the gospel were by him, and without him, independently of his authority and direction, was not any thing 4 done that has been done. By him was the doctrine of eternal life, and the author of this doctrine of life 5 was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness hath not overtaken it, so 6 as to extinguish it. There was a 7 man sent from God, whose name was John; he came for a witness to bear testimony concerning the light,ny, and cried, saying, "This is Character that through him all might believe. he of whom I said, He, that is John gives 8 He was not the light here spoken coming after me is indeed before of Jesus of, but sent to bear witness of the me, for he was my principal." and him. 9 light. That person was the true And this is John's testimony. light, who having come into the When the Jews of Jerusalem sent 19 world, after John had prepared priests and Levites to ask him, his way, is enlightening every man, "Who art thou?" Then he con- 20 10 both Jews and Gentiles. He was fessed and denied not, but said in the Jewish world, and the world openly, "I am not the Christ." was made for him; the law and the And they asked him, "Who art 21 prophets speaking of him and lead-thou then?" "Art thou Elijah?" ing to him, yet the world knew and he saith, "I am not." 11 him not. He came into his own thou the prophet, who is expected country, and his countrymen in ge- to rise from the dead?" and he 12 neral received him not! But as answered, "No." Then said they 22 many as received him, to them he unto him, "Who art thou? that gave authority to be the children of we may give an answer to them God, even to those who believed in who sent us.' He said, "I am the 23 13 his name; who were not born of voice of one crying in the desert, blood, nor of the will of the flesh, Prepare ye the way of the Lord: nor of the will of man, but of God, as said the prophet Isaiah." Now 24 that is, were not entitled to the those who had been sent were of blessings of the gospel by natural the Pharisees. And they asked 25 descent, nor by marriage, nor by him, "Why baptizest thou then, proselytism, but by the pure good if thou art not the Christ, nor Eliwill of God, upon condition of their jah, nor the prophet." John an- 26 living, as the gospel required.swered them, saying, "I baptize 14 Nevertheless, the revealer of the with water, but there is one in the word was flesh, a mortal man, yet midst of you, whom ye know not, full of favour and truth he dwelt who cometh after me, but is 27 among us, and we beheld his glory' before me, whose shoe-string I as of an only begotten, much be- am not worthy to untie.". These 28 16 loved son of the Father. And of things were done in Bethabara by his fullness we have all received, the side of Jordan, where John even the favour of spiritual gifts, was baptizing.

1 My superior.

Art

CHAP.

John's

3

Nathanael.

The next day, as John saw Je- of Jonah: thou shalt be called CHAP. sus coming to him, he saith, " Be- Cephas, (which means a stone)." Design of hold the Lamb of God, who 'tak- The day following, Jesus pur- 44 eth away the sin of the world. posed to go into Galilee, and find- as do baptism. This is he of whom I said, "Aing Philip, saith unto him, "Come Philip and with me." Now, Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, 45 and saith unto him, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

become

30 man is coming after me, who is indeed before me, for he is greater than 31 I. And I knew him not, but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might hence be made 32 manifestunto Israel." John also gave this testimony, saying, "I saw the spirit come down from heaven as a 33 dove, and remain upon him. And I knew him not, but he who sent me to baptize with water, had said unto me,Upon whom thou shalt see the spirit descend, and remain, that is he who baptizeth with a ho34 ly spirit.' And I saw it, and testify that this is the son of God."

And Nathanael saith 46

Na-49

unto him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip saith unto him, "Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to 47 him, and said of him, "Behold! an Israelite indeed, in whom is no fault." Nathanael saith unto him, 48 "Whence knowest thou me ?" Je35 On the next day, John was there sus answered, "Before Philip callAndrew again, and two of his disciples, and ed thee, when thou wast under the and Peter looking earnestly upon Jesus, as fig-tree, performing an act of pridisciples he was walking, saith, "Behold vate devotion, I saw thee.' of Jesus; the Lamb of God!" And the two thanael answered, "Master, thou 37 disciples heard him speak, and fol-art the son of God: Thou art the 38 lowed Jesus. Then Jesus turning, king of Israel." Jesus replied, 50 and seeing them following, saith" Because I said unto thee, I saw 39 unto them, "What seek ye?" thee beneath the fig-tree, dost thou And they said unto him, "Rabbi, believe? Thou shalt see greater (which means, Master) where things than these." He further 51 40 dwellest thou?" He saith unto saith unto him, "Verily, verily, I them, "Come and see. So they say unto you. Ye shall see heawent, and saw where he dwelt, and ven opened, and the angels of God abode with him that day; now it ascending from and descending to 41 was about the tenth hour. One the son of man." of the two, that heard what John On the third day, there was a CHAP. II. said, was Andrew, Simon Peter's marriage feast in Cana, a town of 42 brother. He first findeth his own Galilee, and the mother of Jesus Miracle of brother, Simon, and saith unto was there. Now, both Jesus, water turnand him, "We have found the Mes- his disciples had been invited to the wine. siah, (which means the Christ). feast. And when wine failed, the 3 And Andrew bringeth him to Je-mother of Jesus saith unto him, sus, who looking earnestly upon" They have no wine." Jesus 4 him, said, “Thou art Simon, son saith unto her, "Woman, what

2

By his mild and gentle, but persuasive inducements to love and obey God.

• Ten o'clock in the morning. John. uses the Roman method of counting the hours, which is the same as ours.

4

3 Intimating that he would be a principal support of his future church.

4 Proofs of an intercourse between heaven and the son of man, in the miracles which he should perform.

ed into

5

4

III.

Ixix. 9.

of my Father, a house of merchan- CHAP. dise." Then his disciples called to mind this scripture, "My zeal for Psalm thine house consumeth me." Then the Jews said unto him, "What 18 sign shewest thou unto us, since thou doest these things." Jesus an- 19 swered, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' "Then said the Jews, "Forty and 20 six years hath this temple been in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days." But he was speaking 21 concerning the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from 22 the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture, and the words which Jesus had spoken.

CHAP. hast thou to do with me. My ' time is not yet come." His mother saith unto the servants, "Whatsoever he shall tell you, do 6 it." Now six water-pots of stone were standing there agreeably to the manner of washing among the Jews, each containing two or three 7 firkins. Jesus saith unto them, "Fill the water-pots with water;' and they filled them up to the 8 brim. And he saith unto them, "Draw out now, and carry some 9 to the governor of the feast." And they carried some. But when the governor of the feast had tasted the water, which was made wine, not knowing whence it was (but the servants who had drawn the water knew) he calleth to the bridegroom, 10 and saith unto him, "Every man usually setteth before his guests the best wine first, and when they have drunk a good deal, the worse; but thou hast kept the best wine 11 until now." This beginning of 'miracles Jesus made in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed on him.

12

and sellers

After this, he, and his mother, Jesus puts and his brethren, and his disciples the buyers went down to Capernaum, but conout of the tinued not there many days, for the temple ; passover of the Jews was nigh, and 14 Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple some persons selling of cattle, and sheep, and pigeons; and the money-changers 15 sitting there; and he made a scourge of ropes, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen, and poured out the changer's money, and overthrew 16 their tables; and saith unto those who sold pigeons, "Take these things hence; make not this house

Now, while Jesus was at Jeru- 23 salem, during this festival of the distrusts passover; many believed on his many who professed name, when they beheld the mira- to believe cles which he did. But Jesus did in him. not trust himself to them, because 24 he knew all of them, and because 25 he needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man, how uncertain and little to be relied on.

III.

demus.

Now, one of the Pharisees, Ni- CHAP. codemus by name, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night, and Dialogue said unto him, "Master, we know with Nico that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these mi- 2 racles which thou doest, unless God be with him. Jesus, that he 3 might correct the wrong notions which the Pharisee entertained of his kingdom, answered, "Verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus 4 saith unto him, "How can a man be born, when he is old? Can he

The time of drawing the attention of the
Jews, by a series of miracles.

2

Miracles publicly performed.

3 Within the outward enclosure, or in the courts of the temple.

It is probable that Jesus pointed to his
own body, when he said this.

• Understood it in its proper sense.
6. Resolve to become a new man, by a
moral and spiritual reformation.

III.

1

3

III.

Christ.

CHAP. go a second time into his mother's
womb, and be born." Jesus an-
5 swered, "Verily, verily I say un-
to thee, Unless a man be born of
spirit, as well as water, he can-
not enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is
flesh, weak, ignorant, and mortal;
and that which is born of the spirit
is spirit, holy, and fitted for im-eth not, is already condemned, for
7 mortality. Wonder not at my not believing on the name of the
telling thee, ye must be born again. highly beloved son of God. And 19
8 The wind bloweth where it will, this is the ground of men's con-
and thou hearest its sound, but demnation, that light is come into
knowest not whence it cometh, and the world, and yet men have loved
whither it goeth. So is every one darkness rather than light. For 20
9 that is born of the spirit." Nico- every one who doeth evil, hateth the
demus, answered, "How can these light, and cometh not to the light,
10 things be?" Jesus answered, "Art lest his deeds should be discovered.
thou a teacher in Israel, and know- But he who doeth the truth, cometh 21
est not these things? Thou hast to the light, that his deeds n ay
be
no cause however to doubt the truth made manifest, because they are
of what John and myself have wrought in obedience to the will of
11 said upon this subject. For veri- God.
ly, verily, I say unto thee, We After these things Jesus and his 22
speak that which we know, and disciples went into the country of Jesus's
testify that which we have seen,Judea, and he continued there with disciples
and perfectly understand; though them baptizing. And John also baptize.
you and your brehren receive not was baptizing in Enon, near Salim, 23
12 our testimony. If I have told you because much water was there, and
earthly things, and ye believe not, the people came and were baptiz-
how will you believe if I tell you ed; for John was not yet cast into 24.
13 heavenly things? (Now no one prison. Then a question arose be- 23
goeth up to heaven, except he who tween some of John's disciples and
afterwards, in the descent of the a Jew about baptizing. And John's 26
holy spirit, came down from hea-disciples went to him, and said,
ven, even the son of man, who," Master, he that was with thee by
though of low condition when he the river Jordan, to whom thou
was upon earth, is now in heaven.) gavest testimony, behold! he 3 bap-
14 Yet as Moses set on high the ser-tizeth, and great numbers come to
pent in the wilderness, so must the
15 son of man be set on high, that he
who believeth on him may not
perish, but have everlasting life."

hath so loved the world as to give CHAP.
his well beloved son, that he who
believeth on him should not perish, Sin of dis-
but have everlasting life; for God believing
hath not sent his son into the world
to condemn the world, but that the 17
world through him might be saved.
He who believeth on him, will not 18
be condemned; but he who believ-.

16

Now there is no reason to doubt of what Jesus hath said; for God

I Made a new creature, by change of heart and life.

2 Natural birth.

5

and John

him." John answered, "A man 27
can receive nothing, either to ac-
complish the predictions he hath
uttered, or to justify a firm reli-
ance on their accomplishment, but
what is given him from heaven,

4 This must be read in connection with the 12th verse, the 13th being the words of the evangelist, and contained in a paren

3 His new birth will be best judged of by thesis. its effects on his future life and conduct.

By means of his disciples.

P