and it is on many accounts the most difficult of all the books of the New Testament to interpret. It contains more about Christ, his person, design, and work, than any of the other gospels. The other evangelists were employed more in recording the miracles, and giving external evidence of the divine mission of Jesus. John is employed chiefly in telling us what Christ was, and what was his peculiar doctrine. His aim was to show, 1. That Jesus was the Messiah. 2. To show, from the words of Jesus himself, what the Messiah was. The other evangelists record the parables of Christ, his miracles, his debates with the scribes and Pharisees; John records chiefly his discourses about himself. If any one wishes to learn the true doctrine respecting the Messiah, the Son of God, expressed in simple language, but with most sublime conceptions; to learn the true nature and character of God, and the way of approach to his mercy-seat; to see the true nature of christian piety, or the source and character of religious consolation; to have perpetually before him the purest model of character the world has seen, and to contemplate the purest precepts that have ever been delivered to man; he cannot better do it than by a prayerful study of the Gospel by John. It may be added, that this Gospel is, of itself, proof that cannot be overthrown of the truth of revelation. John was a fisherman, unhonoured and unlearned. Acts iv. 13. What man in that rank of life now could compose a book like this? And can it be conceived that any man of that rank, unless under the influence of inspiration, could conceive so sublime notions of God, so pure views of morals, and draw a character so inimitably lovely and pure as that of Jesus Christ? To ask these questions is to answer them. And this gospel will stand to the end of time as an unanswerable demonstration that the fisherman who wrote it was under a more than human guidance, and was, according to the promise that he has recorded (ch. xvi. 13, comp. ch. xiv. 26), guided into all truth. It will also remain as an unanswerable proof that the character which he has described, the character of the Lord Jesus, was real. It is a perfect character. It has not a flaw. How has this happened? The attempt has often been made to draw a perfect character, and as often, in every other instance, failed. How is it, when Homer, and Virgil, and the ancient historians have all failed to describe a perfect character, with the purest models before them, and with all the aid of imagination, that in every instance they have failed? How is it that this has at last been accomplished only by a jewish fisherman? The difficulty is vastly increased if another idea is borne in mind. John describes one who he believed had a divine nature. Ch. i. 1. It is an attempt to describe God in human nature, or to show how the divine being acts when united with man, or when appearing in human form. And the description is complete. There is not a word expressed by the Lord Jesus, or an emotion ascribed to him, inconsistent with such a supposition. But this same attempt was often made, and as often failed.

Homer and Virgil and all the ancient poets have undertaken to show what the gods would be if they came down and conversed with man. And what were they? What were Jupiter, and Juno, and Venus, and Mars, and Vulcan? Beings of lust, and envy, and contention, and blood. How has it happened that the only successful account which has been given of the divine nature united with the human, and living and acting as became such a union, has been given by a jewish fisherman? How, unless the character was real, and the writer under a guidance far superior to the genius of Homer, and the imagination of Virgil the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

CHARACTERISTICS

OF

JOHN'S GOSPEL.

THE ancients, it has been said, regarded the gospel of John as of pre-eminent value, denominating it the "spiritual gospel," and, "the heart of Christ." They regarded it thus, on account of its consisting so largely of the discourses of the Saviour; some delivered to the Jews generally; some to his most bitter adversaries among the Jews, and some, and those not the least precious parts of the book, to his intimate friends and followers. The most cursory reader will easily distinguish these several discourses.

It has been thought that in writing his gospel, John had a special reference to the errors of certain theosophists, comprising professed Christians as well as heathens, and usually known as Gnostics; a widespread sect who, during the decline and fall of the Greek philosophy, mingled its dogmas, together with parts of other philosophic systems, with oriental mysticism; constructing a system by this means, partly philosophical, partly religious, stranger and sadder than the world had ever seen. A full account of this system may be seen in Dr. Edward Burton's Bampton Lectures, 1829; and in Kitto's Biblical Cyclopædia, under the word Gnosticism. This supposed reference of John has, however, been doubted: "Why," it has been asked, "need we suppose the evangelist writes with any other design than that which the preeminent importance of the doctrines respecting Christ's person readily supplies? If the views which he expounds be regarded as essential to Christianity, what is the propriety of supposing that they must be forced upon our attention by antagonistic influence? John himself gives a very different reason for the compilation of his own work." Ch. xx. 31.

This gospel may perhaps be regarded as supplementary to the accounts given by the other evangelists. Such is the opinion of many of the soundest critics. Internal evidence of this character of the gospel is not wanting. John pre-supposes an acquaintance with the history of the Redeemer. Compare ch. i. 32, 33, with Matt. iii. 16, 17; Mark i. 10, 11; Luke iii. 22. Ch. i. 45, with Matt. ii. 23; Luke ii. 4. Ch. xv. 20, with Matt. x. 24; Luke vi. 40. With the exception of the account of the passion and of the resurrection of

Christ, there are only two sections in which John coincides with other gospels, ch. vi. 1-21, and ch. xii. 1. He omits the baptism of Jesus, the history of his temptation and transfiguration, the institution of the supper, and the internal conflict at Gethsemane; all proving that he intended to confine himself to such communications as were wanting in the other evangelical narratives.

Among the peculiarities of this gospel, the inculcation of the four following doctrines rank as the chief.

I. The mystical relation of the Son to the Father.

II. The mystical relation between the Redeemer and believers. III. The character and office of the Holy Ghost or Comforter whom Christ would send that he might abide ever with his servants, to guide them into all truth." And,

IV. The peculiar importance ascribed to love.

It is not intended to intimate that these subjects are left untouched by other evangelists and writers in the New Testament. Matthew adverts to the first of these four topics, ch. xi. 27; and to the second, ch. xxviii. 20. Luke speaks of the effusion of the Holy Spirit to perfect the disciples for their work, ch. xxiv. 49. Paul's doctrine as to love, 1 Cor. xiii. resembles that which John reports as taught by the Saviour. Nevertheless, these particular topics are so largely and distinctly exhibited by John as to give a special character to his gospel.

John writes, not a mere collection of memorabilia without definite design. His paragraphs and sentences are the gushings forth of truth and love, diffusing holy light and warm affection through the reader's heart. He evidently designs to represent Christ as the Son of God, in whom deity and humanity are combined, in order to the salvation of sinners. With this purpose in view, he selects those discourses of Jesus in which the Saviour spoke of his person and work. John's references to the miracles of Christ are made with the same object in view. In the healing of the blind, Jesus appears as the light of the world. In the feeding of the multitude by miracle, Jesus showed that he was the heavenly manna. The turning of water into wine is a symbol of the ennobling of the church through Christ. The resurrection of Lazarus made manifest that Christ is the life of men. John does not notice the institution of the sacraments, since this was a matter well known, but he explains their nature and design. The last discourse and death of the Saviour are given at great length, because this was of the utmost importance in the successful prosecution of the evangelist's plan.

"One of the peculiarities of John," says a learned writer in Dr. Kitto's Cyclopædia, "is, that in speaking of the adversaries of Jesus, he always calls them oi 'Icudaior. This observation has, in modern times, given rise to a peculiar opinion concerning the plan of John's gospel; namely, that the evangelist has from the very beginning of the gospel the following theme before his eyes: The eternal combat

between divine light and the corruption of mankind, exemplified by the mutual opposition subsisting between the hostile jewish party and the manifestation of the Son of God, which combat terminates in the victory of light." Whether this opinion be well founded or otherwise, we cannot determine; the parallelism as to both Christ's conflict and its issue is suggestive, and will augment the delight and benefit with which this gospel repays every careful and devout perusal. It has been described as a calm, deep sea. Calm, indeed, with the peace of heaven; deep, indeed, with the depth of Godlike love. The divine Saviour is followed from the bosom of his Father; he is seen in his wondrous works, in his touching sympathy, in his loving discourses; he is beheld on the cross, blessing while he groans, and saving while he dies. Entwined in all are the innocent sensibilities of human nature with the sublime, unfathomable, and harmonious perfections of the Godhead. Tears and prayers, love and adoration, may well be called forth by the several parts of this divinely-inspired account of the conflict and triumph of the great Captain of our salvation, who, made perfect by sufferings, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, expecting thenceforth till all his enemies be made his footstool.

S. G.