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SECT.

John

16 Ye have

not

The world would hate them, as it hated him. Remember that you have not first chosen me, clxxvi. but I by my sovereign and effectual grace have chosen me, but I have chosen you, and orchosen to the honourable office of my apos- dained you, that ye you XV. 16. tles and ambassadors; and have appointed and should go and bring ordained you, that you should go and publish what forth fruit, and that your fruit should reyou have heard from me to all the world, and main: that whatsoever be so qualified and assisted, that you may bear ye shall ask of the Faabundant fruit in the most distant countries, and ther in my name, he may give it you. [that] the blessed effect of your fruit should continue even to the remotest generations: yea, I have also raised you to such a happy circumstance, and made you so eminently the favourites of heaven, that, as I lately told you (ver. 7), whatever you shall ask the Father in my name, he may perform it for you; and you may certainly depend upon it he will give it you.

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18 If the world hate

But then again I would remind you, that if 17 These things I you would continue thus the objects of these his command you, that ye gracious regards, you must carefully practise love one another. your duty to each other as well as to him; for these things I command you, that ye love one another; and this you should the rather do, as you will be the mark of common hatred and persecu18 tion. Yet if you find the world hate and injure you, you have no reason to be offended you, ye know that it hated me before it or surprised at this; for you know, that mild and hated you. benevolent as my conduct has always been, yet it has hated me your Chief and Lord, before it discharged its venom and malignity on you. 19 Indeed if you were like the rest of the world, and your doctrines and practice were conformable to its customs and maxims, the world is so generally under the power of selfish prejudices, that it undoubtedly would love its own, and vou might expect much better treatment from it: but because

c That you should go and bear fruit, &c. This was a security to them that they should be preserved from immediate dangers, and that their life shou'd be guarded by Providence till some considerable services had been accomplished by their means. When our Lord adds, that your fruit should continue, he may allude to the custom of keeping rich and generous wines a great many years, so that in some cases (which was especially applicable to the sweet eastern wines) they ight prove a cordial to those who were unborn when the grapes were produced. In this view there is a beautiful propriety in the representation, which I hope will be particularly felt when these reviving chapters are read.

"

d It has hated me your chief.] The

this

19 If ye were of the

world, the world would cause ye are not of the

love his own: but be

world,

words in the original ( wewlov vpar

unr), which we render, It hated me before it hated you, may (as Dr. Lardner well observes) be more literally rendered, It hated me your Chief; which makes the expression more lively and exactly parallel to Mat, x. 24, 25, sect lxxv. (See Lord Credib. part i. Vol. II. p. 693.) Thus wy togu u yw (1 Tim. i. 15.) is well translated, of whom I am chief.

e If you were of the world, the world would love its own.] This seems to me a strong intimation, that even in nations which profess Christianity, if true religion fall, as it very possibly may, to a very low ebb, they that exert themselves remarkably for the revival of it, must, on the very principle here laid down, expect

hatred

The Jews were inexcusable in their hatred of him.

313

world, but I have cho- this is not vour character, and you are not thus SECT. world, therefore the of the world, but I have chosen you out of the

sen you out of the

world hateth you.

20 Remember the

you, The servant is not

clxxvi.

world, not only to separate from, but to oppose John
its vices and enormities, and even to be leaders XV. 19.
in that holy and necessary opposition, it is no
wonder that upon this account the world hateth
you, though the cause in which you are engaged
be indeed so honourable, and your lives so use-
ful and beneficent.

Remember, and recollect upon this occasion, 20 word that I said unto the word which I spake to you some time ago greater than his lord. (Mat. x. 24. and Luke vi. 40), and which I If they have persecuted have but lately repeated (John xiii. 16), The me, they will also per- servant is not greater than his lord, nor the secute you: if they have kept my saying, messenger greater than him that sent him: if they will keep yours therefore they have persecuted me, and provi

also.

21 But all these things will they do un

to you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent

me.

dence has permitted them to do it, you may reasonably conclude they will also persecute you, and cannot justly complain if you have your share of sufferings; and if you have seen that they have generally kept my saying, I will give you leave to suppose they will also keep yours. But when you see, as you very quickly will, not 21 only my doctrine rejected, but my person assaulted, abused, and murdered, it must be a sensible warning to you to prepare for the like usage; and all these things they will in fact do to you for my name's sake, because they do not know him that sent me; for their ignorance of that God to whom they boast so near a relation does indeed lie at the bottom of all their opposition to me. And a dreadful account they will have to give 22 for it; for if I had not come and spoken thus but plainly to them, they would comparatively have

22 If I had not come, and spoken unto them, they had not had sin :

hatred and opposition; and that the passages in scripture relating to persecution are not so peculiar to the first ages, or to Christians living in idolatrous countries, as some have supposed. Would to God, the malignity to be found in some of us against our brethren, did not too plainly illustrate this remark! Men will probably experience the truth of it, in proportion to the degeneracy of those around them, and to the vigour and resolution with which they bear their testimony against prevailing errors and vices. Yet it is certain, that the impr dence and bigotry of some very good men has sometimes made matters worse than they would otherwise have been, and perhaps has irritated the vices of their enemies, so as in part to

had

have been accessary to their own damage,
and the much greater mischief of those that
have injured them.

If they have kept my saying, &c] I
am surprised that such a multitude of learn-
cd commentators, and among the rest Gata-
ker and Knatchbull, should contend that

gay Ayov should here be understood of observing a person's discourse with a malignant design to carp at it. (See Wolfius, in loc.) Ilagalpur has indeed that sense, Mark iii. 2. Luke vi. 7. xiv. 1. xx. 20.) But no certain argument can be drawn from hence, especially considering how constantly the phrase before us is taken in a good sense, for an obedient regard, in this very discourse, in which it often occurs. See John xiv. 15, 21, 23. xv. 10. xvii. 6.

& They

320

clxxvi.

The Spirit, when he comes, will testify of him.

SECT. had no sing; but now they have no excuse or pre- but now they have no tence for their sin, but, being committed against cloak for their sin. so clear and strong a light, it stands exposed in XV. 23, its most odious colours: Yea, it appears re

John

23 He that hateth

also.

24 If I had not done

which none other man

bellion against God, as well as ingratitude to me, hateth my Father me; for he that hateth and opposeth me, hateth and opposeth my Father also, whose commission I bear; and this is what they have done, after all reasonable methods have been taken for 24 their conviction. If I had wrought no miracle at all, nay, if I had not done among them among them the works such extraordinary works as no other man ever did, they had not had did, not even their prophets, or Moses himself, sin: but now they they had not had any degree of sin, comparable hated both me and my have both seen, and to that which they are now under; but now, as Father. they have rejected my superior miracles, which they have seen with their own eyes, at the same time that they own the evidence of those which Moses wrought, of which they have heard only by distant report, they manifest such an obstinate perverseness of temper, that I may truly say, they have both seen, and hated both me and my Father; and God himself will justly resent and punish it, as an indignity that shews their 25 enmity to him. But [this is all permitted], that the word which is written in their law, or in their sacred volume, concerning David (Psal. xxxv. 19), might eminently be fulfilled in me, as many ancient prophecies foretold that it should," Surely they have hated me without a cause."

26

I

25 But this cometh to pass, that the word written in their law, might be fulfilled that They hated me without a cause.

is

26 But when the Comforter is come,

But when the Comforter is come, whom, as told you (chap. xiv. 26), I will shortly send to whom I will send un

8 They would have had no sin.] It is so evident from the word of God (see Rom. i. 20, 21. and ii. 12-15), as well as from the reason of things, that sin may be imputed to those who have no revelation, that it is most evident this is only a hebraism; as when, according to the pathetic manner of speaking, especially in use among the eastern nations, that is said to be nothing at all which, when compared with something else, is inconsiderably small. See Psal. xxxix. 5. Isa. xl. 17. Í Cor. i. 28. iii. 7. and compare John ix. 41.

h Hateth my father also.] How much it is to be wished that those who make light of Christ, while they pretend a great veneration for the Father, would seriously attend to this weighty admonition, lest haply they be found even to fight against God! (Acts v. 39.)

yout

to

i They have hated me without a cause.] It appears to me very evident that Psal. xxxv. cannot be, strictly speaking, a prophecy concerning the Messiah, especially from ver. 13, 14, which represent a person incapable of helping others in their sickness, otherwise than by fasting and prayer, whereas Christ (and, so far as we can find, be alone) had a power of working miracles whenever he pleased. Nevertheless, that the enemies of the Messiah should hate him without a cause was expressly foretold (Isa. liii. 3-9. Dan. ix. 26. and Zech. xii. 10.) not to mention the argument arising from comparing all the places in which his innocence and holiness are described, with those which refer to his sufferings. So that I apprehend the turn given in the paraphrase sufficiently justified.

1

Reflections on the world's hatred of Christ, &c.

321

clxxvi.

John

to you from the Father, you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, SECT. even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, and is to reside which proceedeth from the Father, he shall in my church, he shall bear a convincing testitestify of me. mony to me, to vindicate my character from all XV. 26. the infamy they are maliciously attempting to 27 And ye also shall throw upon it. And you also, weak as you 27 now appear, shall by his powerful assistance bear a courageous and convincing testimony to me, because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry, and therefore are the best qualified to give an account of my whole conduct; which the better it is known, the more it will justify my cause, and expose the wickedness of those that rise up against me.

bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

IMPROVEMENT.

THE Son of God condescends to speak under the character of Ver. a Friend; and with what humble gratitude should we attend to 15 his words! He lavs aside the majesty of a sovereign to assume this more tender relation; and surely our overflowing hearts must inquire, blessed Jesus, what shall we do to express the friendship on our side? Let us observe what he has here declared, Ye are my 14 friends indeed, if ye do whatever I command you. Lord, we will run the way of these thy commandments, when on this noblest principle thou shalt enlarge our hearts! (Psal. cxix. 32.)

He has loved us with an unexampled affection, which has ap- 12, 13 proved itself stronger than death; and, in return, he requires us to love one another. How gracious a command How merciful to our fellow-creatures and to ourselves, who should infallibly feel the benefit of the practice of it, both in the delight inseparable from benevolent affections, and in the circulation of kind and friendly offices, which, degenerate as human nature is, few are so abandoned as not to endeavour to repay! Who would not imagine that the whole world should feel and obey the charm? And yet, instead of this, behold, they hate Christ, and his ser- 18, 25 vants for his sake, though without a cause, and against the strongest engagements. Miserable creatures! who by a necessary consequence, whatever they may fondly imagine, hate the Father also, 23, 24 and stand daily and hourly exposed to all the dreadful térrors of an alinighty enemy.

Let us not wonder if the world hate us; nor greatly regard if 19, 20 it injure us. We are not of the world, nor is the servant greater than his lord: but surely the opposition which the gospel brings along with it, is nothing when compared with those blessings which it entails on all who faithfully embrace it. Were the suf

ferings

322

Christ warns his disciples to expect persecution.

SECT. ferings and difficulties a thousand times greater than they are, we clxxvi. ought to esteem the Pearl of price, the most happy purchase at any Ver. rate; and to be daily returning our most thankful acknowledg

ments, that Christ sent forth his apostles, qualified with such a knowledge of himself, and assisted by such power from his Spirit, 26 appointing them to go and bring forth fruit, even fruit which should remain to the remotest ages. Through his guardian care it still remains in the world: Oh may it flourish more abundantly among us! and may its efficacy on our hearts and lives be more apparent! And may Divine Grace convince those who now reject and oppose it, that in the midst of such various evidence of 22 his having come and spoken to them, they have no cloak for their sin! but with whatever fond excuses they may amuse themselves and others, it will quickly appear, that the bed is too short to stretch themselves on it, and the covering too narrow to wrap themselves in. (Isa. xxviii. 20.)

SECT. CLXXVII.

Christ warns his disciples of the sufferings they must expect, and labours to reconcile them to the thoughts of his remove, as what would on the whole be advantageous to them, as the occasion of sending the Spirit, which would be so great a support to them and their cause. John XVI. 1—15.

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spoken unto you,

SECT. CHRIST farther added in his discourse to his THESE things have I elxxvii. disciples, These things I have spoken to you that ye should not be concerning the opposition which you are to ex-offended. XVI. 1. pect from the world, and the proportionable

John

supports you will receive from the Spirit, that when the storm arises, you may not be offended and discouraged, and much less be drawn to renounce your profession, in order to avoid the 2 danger. They shall indeed excommunicate, or cast you out of the synagogues; yea, that is not all, for the hour is shortly coming, that whosoever that whosoever killeth killeth you, shall think that he offers [an accept

a Whosoever killeth you.] As the lower kinds of excommunication among the Jews were attended only with separation from synagogue worship, and from familiar converse (Luke vi. 22), or, in cases of greater guilt, with confiscation of goods and forfeiture of all their substance (Ezra x. 8), the highest kind of it was a capital sentence (Lev. xxvii. 29); the execution of which, when regu

able]

2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh,

you,

larly pronounced, was indeed an act of duty and obedience to God, while they had the power of life and death in their hands: but after it was wrested from them some might perhaps think it an act of very acceptable piety and zeal to attempt such executions, though at the hazard of their own lives (of which the forty conspirators against Panl do therefore so boldly avow a design, even

to

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