LECTURES

ON

THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.

LECTURE I.

JOHN XX. 31.

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.

THERE is scarcely any part of the sacred Volume, especially of the New Testament, how often soever he may have read it, which will not, upon a careful re-perusal, furnish a Christian with new matter of instruction and reflexion. If those persons, who have leisure and ability for the pursuit, would frequently read the Gospel History, each time with a view to some particular point of inquiry, they would find their

labour amply repaid, by a clearer insight into the force and consistency of all its parts. For instance, I would at one time study the narratives of the Evangelists, with a view to the peculiar opinions which the Jews entertained concerning their expected Messiah. I would read them again, with reference to the personal character and conduct of our Saviour; at another time, for the purpose of comparing all the parables which speak of the kingdom of heaven; at another, with an eye to the fulfilment, or abrogation, of the Mosaic law; and lastly, with a particular attention to that important and capital feature of the Gospel dispensation, the office and nature of our blessed Saviour. In pursuing our inquiries on this head, we shall find our attention particularly drawn towards the Gospel of St. John; which tells us a great many things, about which the other Evangelists are silent, and takes but little notice of others, upon which they enlarge.

I have selected this Gospel for the subject of my Lectures during the present season of Lent, intending to consider it, not so much in a historical point of view, as with reference to the great and sublime doctrines which it inculcates, of the divine nature, and mediatorial office of

Jesus Christ. It was in allusion to these doc

trines, that the Gospel of St. John was called by the ancient Christians, "the spiritual Gospel;" and to every mind, which is properly disposed to receive with humble thankfulness the revelation of the great mystery of godliness, or qualified to admire and reverence the unspeakable love, and piety, and condescension of the Redeemer, this Gospel is in the highest degree interesting and affecting. It is natural that it should be so. It was written by the disciple whom Jesus loved; whose head rested on his bosom; whom he vouchsafed to take with him as a witness of his transfiguration; and to whose care, upon his departure from the world, he commended his aged mother. No other disciple was likely to write with more warmth of affection, or a greater zeal for the honour of his Lord; or to give a more faithful transcript of the discourses of Him, who spake as never man spake.

The Gospel of St. John was written several years after those of the other Evangelists; and evidently with a different object. They relate the principal incidents of our Saviour's life; St. John is more diligent in recording his discourses. The other Evangelists enumerate a great variety of miracles; St. John describes

only a few of the most remarkable, which had a more immediate reference to the particular object of his Gospel. They repeat the discourses which Jesus held with the people, mostly in Galilee, in the form of parables and short moral sentences: John has preserved the longer and more argumentative conversations of our Saviour with the learned Jews, on the subject of the Messiah; and those in which he explained to his disciples the nature of his mission and office.

Now it is very plain, that whatever other objects St. John may have had in view, this was one, to convey to the Christian world just and adequate notions of the real nature, character, and office of that great teacher, who came to instruct and redeem mankind. For this purpose, he studiously selected for his narrative those passages of our Saviour's life, which most clearly displayed his divine power and authority; and those of his discourses, in which he spoke most plainly of his own nature, and of the efficacy of his death, as an atonement for the sins of the world. The object, which this Evangelist had in view, is very clearly stated in the words of the text. It was not to accumulate as many instances as possible of the miraculous power

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