"Show us the Father "-"How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world?" The disciples very probably wondered why their Master should say so many things to them, to which they could attach no definite meaning. The words before us meet this state of mind. It is as if our Lord had said, 'These statements which seem so strange to you, will be plain by and by. They will ere long serve an important purpose, which could not otherwise have been served. It is necessary that they should be made; and the reason why they are made, will soon be apparent. "I tell you these things now, before they come to pass, that when they come to pass you may believe." The question naturally occurs, Believe what? That question is answered by referring to the parallel statement in reference to the treason of Judas just quoted, "That ye may believe that I am HE,” that I am the Messiah,—the divinely appointed, qualified, promised, accredited Saviour-the divine Saviourand of course, that all I have taught you is indubitably true; and all I have promised to you absolutely certain.' disciples did believe this, but their faith was feeble; it required confirmation. It was to be exposed to severe trials, and needed support; and the declaration by him of these events before they took place, was of all things the best fitted for giving their faith that requisite confirmation and support. The word. believe seems to be used here in the same way as the evangelist employs it, when he says, that after the miraculous conversion of water into wine at Cana, our Lord's disciples believed in him,—i.e., had their faith confirmed and strengthened, for it is plain that before this they had believed in him, and made profession of their faith; Andrew had said, "We have found the Messiah,”—Philip had said, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write,"-and Nathaniel had said, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of

2

The

1 John xiii. 18.

2 John ii. 11.

Israel." Some of the events predicted by our Lord were in their own nature fitted to stumble and confound the disciples; to shake their faith even to dissolution. The going away at all was not what they expected--they thought they had read in the law, that Christ abideth for ever; and still less did they expect him to go away as he did. The treason of Judas, the condemnation by the Sanhedrim, the crucifixion by the hands of the Gentiles, were events which, had they come on them unwarned, would have gone far to have convinced them, that Jesus, whoever he was, could not be the Christ. Distinctly predicted by him, those very events which would have been evidence against him, became evidence in his favour. Under the influence of the Spirit, this prevented them-even stunned and stupified as they were by amazement and sorrow,—from making shipwreck of faith altogether, in that season of extreme trial which elapsed between their Lord's betrayal in the garden, and his return to them after his resurrection. And if it saved them from apostacy then, how, in connection with the fulfilment of the other predictions respecting the resurrection, and the giving of the Holy Spirit, and the success of the Gospel, did it afterwards confirm their faith,—make them strong in faith,-stedfast and immoveable? Most of these events, being miraculous, would, in themselves, have been convincing evidence of our Lord's divine mission; but their force, as evidence, was greatly increased by their having been predicted, not only by the ancient prophets, but by himself.

There is a general truth of some importance suggested to us by this passage, which we may notice in passing. We are not to suppose that any word of Christ is unworthy of our closest attention, and of being treasured in our memory, because we do not at the time distinctly perceive its meaning, or see the purpose which it is calculated and intended to serve. Such truths as we cannot at present turn to any account, may, at some future period of our life, prove very

useful to us, and we may have cause to bless God for putting them in his word, bringing them to our knowledge, and sending his Spirit to recal them to our remembrance. Every word of God, then, should be treasured up in our minds, though we may at present but imperfectly understand it, and though we may not at all perceive our own individual concern in it. The providence of God may place us in circumstances which will give a new light to it, and make us feel that it has a value in itself, and a suitableness to us that we little dreamt of.

XVI. THE APPROACHING, BUT VAIN, ASSAULT OF THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD, AND OUR LORD'S READINESS

TO MEET IT.

JOHN XIV. 30, 31.-" Hereafter I will not talk much with you; for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

The words, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you," seem intended to impress on the minds of the disciples, the importance of their deeply pondering what he had said, and was about to say to them. They were to be among the last words he should speak to them in his humbled state; and they would all be needed to sustain their fainting faith, till he met them again in greatly altered circumstances. It was a consideration well fitted to serve its purpose. What an interest would we take in everything said by a dear friend, if we were aware at the time that we were to see his face and hear his voice no more! How attentively would we listen to a discourse which we knew, or even suspected, to be the last we should ever hear from the lips of a revered and beloved minister of Christ! How powerfully, then, must these words have arrested the attention of the disciples, "Henceforth I will not talk much with you!" The sweetest enjoyments we experience, the most valuable privileges

we possess here, are transitory and uncertain; and the thought should induce us to improve them to the utmost during their continuance.

The reason why our Lord was henceforth, during his continuance on earth, to have but little conversation with his disciples, is specified in the words that follow: "For the prince of this world cometh." Our Lord was now about to be otherwise and fully engaged.

When expounding the thirty-first verse of the twelfth chapter of this gospel, I had an opportunity of illustrating at full length, the reference and the meaning of this remarkable appellation, "the prince of this world." It is one of the names of the chief of the angels who sinned; and indicates the extensive influence he possesses over fallen man.

Taking for granted that you have not forgotten what was then said, I proceed to inquire, What we are to understand by this powerful and malignant spiritual being coming to our Lord? I apprehend, under this comprehensive and most emphatic expression, our Lord meant to describe the whole of the bodily and mental sufferings which the evil one, whether directly or indirectly, was about to bring upon him, for the purpose of shaking his confidence in his Father, and leading him to deny the truth, and abandon the great work of human salvation entrusted to him. Satan had entered into Judas, and the foul treason was fully ripe for execution. Under diabolical influence, the Jewish Sanhedrim and the Roman governor, the chief priests, and the people, and the Roman soldiers, were all prepared for their various parts in the fearful tragedy. Satan himself, and all his hosts, were ready to do the utmost that infernal craft, malignity, and power, could do, to foil the God-man in the mysterious conflict, by which he was to accomplish man's deliverance. What a scene must have been before the mind of our Lord, when he uttered these words! The apostate angel, at the head, as it were, of all the powers of evil on earth and in hell, was seen approaching him;

and whatever created depraved intelligence and power could do, in opposition to the mighty cause of Jehovah's glory and man's salvation, was now about to be done. Now was about to take place the decisive struggle, for which he -the man, God's fellow-had been made strong. Once engaged in this, there was to be no farther opportunity of talking with his disciples. He must be separated from them —-deprived even of the expression of their sympathy—and go forth alone to the conflict with the great adversary of God and man. He saw, as it were, the king of the bottomless pit assembling his legions; he saw the spiritual wickednesses mustered and set in array for the onset, and their human instruments ready to perform their work, in the dreadful assault to be made on him. "The prince of this world cometh "-cometh against me.

He

But he does not fail, neither is he discouraged. does not sink in despair. He does not even consider the struggle, however severe, as of doubtful issue. He "sets his face as a flint:" "HE has," he says, "nothing in me." The precise force of these words it is not very easy to apprehend; but the general meaning is plain enough. There is nothing in my nature or character-nothing in me or about me-by means of which he can obtain the victory over me.'1 There was no personal guilt-there was no inherent depravity-in him.

This was not the first coming of the prince of this world to our Lord. He had come to him in the wilderness, as the cunning old serpent; but all his arts were met, and baffled, by a superior wisdom. He found he had nothing in him. He retired, but it was but for a season. During the whole of our Lord's ministry, Satan was on the prowl, lurking in secret places, and bearing, as he best might, the dislodgment, by his mysterious opponent, of his emissaries from the bodies and minds of their victims. But

Brown Patterson,