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V.1.

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they have not (0) known the "Father nor me. But these "things have I told you, that, "when the time shall come, ye may (p) remember that I told 66 you of them."

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WHIT-SUNDAY.
The Collect.

GOD, who as at this time didst

(m) "Offended," i. e. drawn off from your faith, deterred from acting as my soldiers.

(n) "Put you out," &c. Our Saviour had repeatedly apprized them that they would meet with the strongest opposition, would have to undergo the bitterest persecutions, and must give up all worldly prospects and attachments. When our Saviour sent out the twelve apostles two years before his death, he told them, "I "send you forth as sheep in the midst "of wolves. Beware of men, (i. e. the Jews), for they will deliver you up to "the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall "be brought before governors and kings "for my sake. And the brother shall "deliver up the brother to death, and "the father the child; and the children "shall rise up against their parents, and "shall cause them to be put to death; "and ye shall be hated of all men for "my name's sake." Matt x. 16. 17. 18. 21. 22. Again, in his famous prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem, he says, "then shall they deliver you up "to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and "6 shall be hated of all men for my ye "name's sake." Matt. xxiv. 9. So in Luke xiv. 26. he says, "If any come to 66 me, and hate not (i. e. when his reli"gion requires) his father and mother, "and wife and children, and brethren, " and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he

teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by the sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort, through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

For the Epistle. As ii. 1. WHEN the day of (q) Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound 2. from heaven as of a rushing

"cannot be my disciple. And whoso66 ever doth not bear his cross and come "after me, cannot be my disciple ;" and verse 33. "whosoever he be of you that "forsaketh not all that he hath, he can

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not be my disciple." See also Luke xii. 11. xxi. 12. 16. 17. and Matt. xvi. 24. Are these the prospects and language of an impostor? and what with these prospects could attach the apostles and disciples to Christ and his religion, but the full conviction that he was the Messiah, and that God was with him. That conviction was founded in his life time chiefly on the miracles they saw him do, and after his death on their own know. ledge that he had risen again, and on the powers conferred on them by the Holy Ghost the innocence of his life, and the purity of his precepts might also strengthen their conviction.

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of God, and knoweth God: he that "loveth not, knoweth not God.”

(p) "Remember," and therefore not v.4. be shaken in your faith. It was perhaps because they did not expect that our Saviour would be seized, crucified, &c. that they forgot for the time the mighty works. they had seen him do, and forsook him and fled.

(q)"Pentecost," i.e. the feast of weeks. v.1. This was the second of the three great

mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as (r) of fire, and it sat upon each of them: 4. and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other (s) tongues, as the 5. Spirit gave them utterance. And there were (t) dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every

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solemnities in which, according to Deut. xvi. 16. all the males were enjoined to appear before the Lord in the place which he should choose; which place was afterwards fixed to be Jerusalem. It was the fiftieth day after the feast of the passover. All the Jews therefore who had been at Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion, would be there again at the time of this great miracle, would have the opportunity of personally witnessing its effects, would naturally carry an account of it to their own homes, and so would be themselves in some degree prepared to receive the truths of the gospel when it should be preached amongst them, and would also prepare the minds of others for its reception. This is therefore an instance of God's wisdom in selecting the most appropriate times for accomplishing his purposes.

(r) "As of fire," "with the Holy "Ghost." The Baptist had declared, according to Matt. iii. 11. Luke iii. 16. that our Saviour should " baptize with "the Holy Ghost and with fire." This therefore was a fulfilment of that prediction, and a proof that God was with the Baptist, to whom this power of prophecy was given, as well as with our Saviour. Our Saviour also assured the apostles in his conversation at the last supper, and after his resurrection, that he would "send the Comforter unto them, even "the spirit of truth," that he would send "the promise of his Father unto "them," that "they should be endued "with power from on high," John xiv. 16. 26.—xv. 26.—xvi. 7.—Luke xxiv. 49.

(s)" Other tongues." This wonderful gift would naturally rivet the faith of those on whom it was conferred, because nothing but a preternatural power could have bestowed it, and it could not be the

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effect of delufion or deceit. They must have known with positive certainty whether they had this gift or not, and their conviction that they had it accounts for their subsequent exertions and constancy in preaching the gospel, and defying all danger and opposition. This miracle too was calculated to have a powerful effect on the persons who witnessed its effects; and we are told accordingly, that on the same day there were added to the faith three thousand souls. Acts ii. 41. It was not however merely for these effects upon those who received it, and upon those who witnessed its operation, that this miracle was performed; the gift of tongues was essential to enable the apostles to preach the gospel, as our Saviour had commanded them, to all na tions. According to Matt. xxviii. 19. he told them to " go, and teach all na"tions." According to Mark xvi. 15. go into all the world, and preach "the gospel to every creature ;" and see Luke xxiv. 49. According to Acts i. 8. he told them they should be "witnesses "unto him, both in Jerusalem, and in "all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto "the uttermost part of the earth." They could not therefore have fulfilled these directions, unless they had been able to speak the languages of the persons to whom they preached. It may be remarked, that as the confusion of tongues was commanded, in order to stop the progress of sin, the knowledge of all languages was given to advance the progress of righteousness.

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(t)" Dwelling," rather "sojourn ing," abiding during the feast. (u)"Confounded." What would be our feelings and convictions were we to witness such a miracle? Could we hesi tate for a moment in acknowledging it to be the work of God?

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(x) This is part of our Saviour's discourse at the last supper the night he was betrayed. St.John was present, and sat next him.

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(y) “ Keep," &c. Obedience is the . 15. test God requires. So Samuel told Saul, 1 Sam. xv. 22: "To obey is better than "sacrifice," &c. And Ps. xcvii. 10. "Ye that love the Lord, see that ye hate "the thing that is evil." And St. John in his epistles (perhaps from a recollection of this discourse) repeatedly presses obedience to God's commandments as the only true criterion of love to God. Thus, 1 John ii. 5. "Whoso keepeth his (i.e. God's) "word, in him verily is the love of God perfected." So 1 John v. 3. "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." And 2 John i. 6. This is love, that we walk after "his commandments." Again, 1 John iii. 17. "Whoso hath this world's good, "and seeth his brother have need, and "shutteth up his bowels of compassion " from him, how dwelleth the love of "God in him?" The similarity of sentiment, &c. in St. John's gospel and epistles affords an argument that they are rightly ascribed to the same person.

(z)" The spirit of truth," i. e. the . 17. Holy Ghost, or Spirit.

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(a)" The world," i. e. "the worldly "minded," such as are wholly taken with worldly pursuits, setting their whole affections upon things below. So I John ii. 15. "If any man love the world, the "love of the Father is not in him." And agreeably to this is what our Savi

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give you another Comforter, "that he may abide with you "for ever; even the (z) Spirit 17. "of truth; whom the (a) world "cannot receive, because it seeth " him (b) not, neither knoweth "him: but ye know him ; (c) for "he dwelleth (d) with you, and "shall be in you. I will not 18. "leave you comfortless: I will 19. 66 come to you. Yet a little "while, and the (e) world seeth

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our says in his sermon on the mount, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matt. vi. 24.

(b) "Seeth him not," &c. i. e. has not a disposition to see or know him.

(c) Instead of "for" the reading v. 17. should be "therefore" his dwelling in them is the consequence of their knowing him, not the cause.

(d)" Dwelleth with you." The spirit of holiness may be considered as dwelling within us, when all our thoughts and actions are such as he would dictate, and when our desire is to make our thoughts and actions conformable to God's will. In every thought and action it would be well for us to put to ourselves this question, Is this the thought or action of one in whom Christ or the spirit of truth is dwelling? Can Christ or the spirit of truth be considered as animating us, or dwelling in us, whilst we so act or think? St. Paul calls our bodies " the temple of "God," 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17.-vi. 19. and 2 Cor. vi. 16. to press upon their minds that God was to be considered as an inmate in their breasts, that their bodies were dedicated to his service, and to restrain them therefore from acts which he could not approve, or which they could not dare to do if his presence were visible.

(e) "The world." The meaning perhaps is, I shall no longer be visible to the human eye. I shall only be visible in my effects. My influence shall be perceivable by my followers, though they no longer see my person.

v. 17.

v. 17.

v. 19.

"because I live, ye (f) shall live 20. ❝ also. At that day ye shall

"know that I am (g) in my Fa❝ther, and you in me, and I in 21. "you. He that hath my com"mandments, and keepeth them, ❝he it is that loveth me: and he "that loveth me shall be loved " of my Father; and I will love "him, and will (b) manifest my22. "self to him." Judas saith unto

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him (not Iscariot), "Lord, how "is it that thou wilt manifest "thyself unto us, and not unto "the world ?" Jesus answered and said unto him, "If a man "love me, he will keep my "words: and my Father will "love him, and we will (i) come "unto him, and make our abode "with him. He that loveth me "not, keepeth not my sayings: "and the word which ye hear, " is not mine, but the Father's 25." which sent me. These things "have I spoken unto you, being 26. " yet present with you. "the Comforter, which is the

24.

27.

v. 19.

v. 20.

V. 21.

V.23.

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But

Holy Ghost, whom the Father "will send in my name, he "shall teach you all things, and

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bring (k) all things to your re"membrance, whatsoever I have. "said unto you. Peace I leave "with you, my peace I give

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66 unto you: not as the world "giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, "neither let it be afraid. Ye "have heard how I said unto cc you, I go away, and come "again unto you. If ye loved

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me, ye would rejoice, because "I said, I go unto the Father: "for my Father is greater than I. "And now I have told you be "fore it come to pass; that "when it is come to pass, ye "might (1) believe. Hereafter I "will (m) not talk much with 66 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 66 gave me commandment, even so I do."

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Monday in Whitsun Week. For the Epistle. Acts x. 34. (n) THEN Peter opened his mouth, and said, "Of a truth I perceive "that God is no respecter of "persons: but in every nation. "he that feareth him, and work"eth righteousness, is accepted "with him. The word which 3 "God sent unto the children

()" Bring," &c. There were many things which our Saviour said unto them before his crucifixion, which they did not understand at the time, the force of which they might afterwards see. See ante 133. note on Luke xxiv. 45. and 147. note on John xvi. 6.

(2) "Might believe." See ante 153. note on John xvi. 4.

(m) For "will" the reading should perhaps be "shall."

(n) See Easter Monday, where this portion of scripture also occurs, and is commented upon,

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"of Israel, preaching peace by "Jesus Christ; (he is Lord of

all;) that word, I say, ye "know, which was published

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throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the "baptism which John preached: "how God anointed Jesus of "Nazareth with the Holy Ghost "and with power; who went "about doing good, and healing "all that were oppressed of the "devil: for God was with him. 39. "And we are witnesses of all things which he did, both in "the land of the Jews and in "Jerusalem; whom they slew " and hanged on a tree. Him "God raised up the third day, " and shewed him openly; not "to all the people, but unto "witnesses chosen before of God, 66 even to us, who did eat and "drink with him after he rose "from the dead. And he com"manded us to preach unto the "people, and to testify that it "is he which was ordained of "God to be the Judge of quick

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(0)." Remission," &c. The true Christian doctrine is this: that the sins of those who are conscious of their own unworthiness, who acknowledge that they have no colour to claim any recompence from God as matter of right, who are sensible that they have sinned, and who humbly look up for pardon through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, will be forgiven; that their sins will not be imputed to (or brought into account against) them. Rom. iv. 8. According to Luke xvii. 10. "When we have done "all those things which are commanded "us," (and who is there that has ?) still "we ought to say, we are unprofitable "servants; we have (only) done that "which was our duty to do." And according to Rom. iii. 23. "All have "sinned, and come short of the glory of "God." So 1 John i. 8. "If we say

"and dead. To him give all 43. "the prophets witness, that "through his name whosoever "believeth in him shall receive "remission (o) of sins." While 44. Peter yet spake these words, the Holy (p) Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And 45. they (q) of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost; for they heard them speak with 46. tongues (r), and magnify God. Then answered Peter," Can any 47. "man forbid water, that these "should not be baptized, which "have received the Holy Ghost "as well as we?" And he com- 48. manded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

The Gospel. John iii. 16. GOD So loved the world, that he (s) gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in

"that we have no sin, we deceive our"selves," &c. It is in the humble, who feels the necessity of an Intercessor, that the true spirit of Christianity is to be found, not in the self-sufficient, who thinks he can stand upon his own merits. See post, Luke xviii. 9 to 14. (p) "Ghost," i. e. Spirit. (9) "They of the circumcision," i. e. v. 45. the Jews.

v. 44.

(r)" Tongues," i. e. languages they v.46. never learnt.

(s) "Gave," &c. God shewed his v. 16 abhorrence of sin, by requiring such a sacrifice; and he evinced his regard for man's salvation, by furnishing the victim, and accepting it as an atonement. According to the noted prophecy, Isaiah liii. 5. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our in"iquities: the chastisement of our peace

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