I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word:

That they also may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee: that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them that they may be one, even as we are one.

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I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved

me.

Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am: that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

"In the last section we beheld our LORD, like a dying father in the midst of his family, mingling consolation with his last instructions. When he had ended his discourse to them, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and began that solemn prayer of intercession, which closed his ministry. He saw his mission on the point of being accomplished. He had the full prospect before him of all that he was about to suffer. Father! the hour is come. This was the hour in which CHRIST was glorified." The sublime prayer he at this time offered up deserves our most serious examination, since it shews the dignity of our LORD's character, the purport of his mission, and his love for the apostles in particular, and his church in general. It is perfectly suitable to the idea of a MEDIATOR, who had a view both to the glory of GoD and the instruction of mankind; for each petition of it reflected honour on the SUPREME BEING, and taught his disciples some important truth, therefore he offered it up publicly and it was recorded by the Evangelist, that all future Christians might know what their Redeemer was, why he came into the world, how entirely he submitted to the Divine will, and how fer. vently he loves all those who sincerely profess his holy religion.

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Our LORD first prayed for himself, but for no private end; his motive for desiring glory was, that he might by his death, resurrection, and ascension, accomplish the Divine purposes respecting the salvation of mankind. He mentioned his performance of his part of the Covenant which subsisted between him as the MESSIAH, and Gop, that his disciples might understand the con

* See Dr. Blair's Sermon on the Death of CHRIST, in Vol. I

ditions

ditions of it; namely, that he should conform his will to the will of GOD: and GOD, bn his part, gave him power over all mankind, to dispense eternal life to every one who should believe and confess that He was the only true GOD, and his Son JESUS CHEIST the MESSIAH.

In his hour of trial our LORD reflected, with unutterable pleasure, that he had faithfully discharged the trust reposed in him, and by his doctrines and ministry. glorified GoD on earth.

His petition, "And now, O Father, glorify me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was," relates to the pre-existence of the DIVINE WORD, who, from this text we understand, had eternal glory with the Father. Of this glory we can form no perfect idea, any more than we can of the union of the Divine and human natures; but from the Old Testament we learn (as has been already shown,) that there was a Being who appeared from the beginning of the world as the LORD, with all the marks of omnipotence, though not in the fulness of Divine Majesty and St. John declared, that this LORD, or the WORD, who was really one with GOD, and neither a separate Deity, nor a Creature, took our nature upon him, and dwelt on earth. Our SAVIOUR proved himself to be more than Man, and asserted, that his Divine nature was one with the FATHER: and it seems to have been with a view of establishing the belief of this mystery, that he publicly prayed THE FATHER to glorify him with the heavenly glory, which, as the WORD, he originally possessed with Him before the creation of the world.

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By manifesting the name of his FATHER, our LORD may be understood to mean, that he had given clearer

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notions

notions respecting the nature and attributes of the SuPREME BEING than mankind had before received.

The men who were given him out of the world, as attendants on his ministry, were the apostles: these, we may judge from their readiness to receive the Gospel, were men of religious dispositions, who were God's servants before they were CHRIST's apostles. To them our LORD particularly revealed the will of God, because they received his doctrine as the word of God, and be. lieved what he declared concerning his own nature and office. To testify his love for his apostles, our LORD did not only include them in a prayer før the world in general, but even gave them a distinguished preference to the rest of his disciples.

Though his FATHER had given the apostles to our LORD as members of his mediatoral kingdom, they were still the servants of God; for their duty and alle. giance to the MESSIAH had a constant reference to the union which subsisted between GOD THE FATHER and CHRIST.

By the effect which his doctrine had on their lives and conversations, and the testimony they bore to him, our LORD was glorified in his apostles.

The son of perdition was Judas Iscariot; he was lost through his own vices, and not by any neglect of his Divine Master. JESUS knew from the beginning that he would betray him, but admitted him into his society, as it was the will of the FATHER that he should do so, and also to do the utmost for his reformation. If Judas was so wicked with such advantages for goodness, he would undoubtedly have been sordid and impious in any situation; and his example justified GoD in leav ing very bad people to themselves, since it is evident, that there are some persons whom nothing will reform.

How

How admirably did our LORD at once express his own good will, and teach his disciples what kind of blessings they should themselves pray for !

By imploring THE FATHER to give them joy in the discharge of their duty, such as he himself felt, our LORD taught his disciples to fortify their minds against the hatred of the world; that, instead of wishing for death, they might be able patiently to endure life, however persecuted. His petition to THE FATHER, that he would sanctify the apostles with the HOLY SPIRIT, as he had promised, instructed them always to consider themselves as separated from the world for the peculiar service of God; and to remember, that they were sent by their LORD to preach for the same purpose, as he had been before sent by his FATHER. That the apostles might not forget to be thankful for their own salvation whilst they were promoting that of others, they were reminded, that it was for their sakes, as well as for mankind in general, CHRIST undertook his ministry; and that the doctrine which he delivered to them was the TRUTH.

Our LORD having by this excellent prayer pointed out to his apostles what was particularly necessary for them to believe and teach, and also besought his FATHER to give them grace to practise it, offered up his intercession in behalf of all who should at any time be lieve on him; that as they through faith and Divine. grace were united to GoD and CHRIST, they might through love and good works be united to each other; and by means of their union, confirm men in the belief of his mission, and the Divine origin of his religion.

It appears in the beginning of his prayer, that our LORD sought no glory separate from GOD: in the concluding part he promises, that whatever honour shall be put upon his human nature, his faithful followers