effects. Spirit. Such alfo is the influence of the Holy Nicodemus, ftill not understanding clearly these spiritual ideas, and continuing to exprefs his furprise, Jefus told him he had faid nothing but what the knowledge of the law might lead him eafily to understand; and that it was prejudice in himself, rather than the want of clearness in the doctrine, which withheld him from the truth. - But, added 9. .10. II. 12. 13. he, if you cannot receive these plainer parts of my doctrine, which relate to the things of this world, how will you be able to receive those parts of it, which are more immediately connected with the next? truths, which mere man cannot poffibly difcover; and which the Son of God came from heaven to reveal? Among thefe, in particular, is that 14.15.15. great truth, which fulfils one of the types of the law the lifting up of the brazen ferpent in the wilderness. As the brazen ferpent healed the bodily mischiefs of those who looked at it, fo fhall the Son of man's being lifted up heal the spiritual mifchiefs of all who believe on him. As the one procured temporal health, fo the other, through the kindness and love of God, fhall procure everlasting happiness. Man may turn the goodness of God either to his happiness or mifery. It was God's defign, not to condemn the world, but to fave it; and he who be 17. 18. the 10. Our Saviour might well wonder at Nicodemus's ignorance; as the circumcifion of the heart, Deut. x. 16. Deut. xxx. 6 renewal of a right fpirit, Pf. li. 10. - God's law in the inward parts, Jer. xxxi. 33. and many other passages, all feemed plainly to point out regeneration. 19. 20. 21. 22. lieves and obeys the gofpel, fhall, in the end, find the reward of his obedience. On the other hand, he who rejects this laft great offer of falvation to mankind, must expect the confequence: and the ground of his condemnation is, that fuch a person, from the wickedness of his life, loves darkness rather than light. The bad man naturally avoids the truth which condemns him: while the good man feeks it, as the ground-work and proof of his actions. After this, Jefus and his difciples went into Judea 23. 24. to preach and to baptize. At the fame time, John, who was not yet thrown into prifon, was baptizing at Enon, near Salim, where was a pool of water commodious for the purpose, 25. 26; 27. 28. About this time, a difpute arose between certain Jews and fome of John's difciples, about the efficacy of their master's baptifm. And the disciples, hurt with the thing, carried it to John. The ground of the dispute was, that as Jefus baptized more difciples than John, his baptifm feemed to be of a superior nature. John, with great humility, told his difciples, that every man what heaven had appointed. faid he, that I always fpoke μελα Ιησε. fhould be fatisfied with You are my witneffes, of my own inferiority to 25. Bowyer conjectures, that inftead of μila Iuda, the true reading fhould be la Ing. The fenfe would then be, 4 difpute A arofe between the difciples of John and thofe of Jefus; which would certainly be better, if it were well authorized. Christ, Christ, and confidered myfelf only as a meffenger fent before him. I am only the bridegroom's friend: it is my part barely to rejoice in his happinefs. My confequence is now over; his is increafing. His commiffion is of higher authority than that of any of the prophets, who, in comparison of him, fpeak only of earthly things. And fo far am I from being hurt by his fuperiority, that I am only grieved to fee you and others turn aside from fo divine à teacher. He who receives his doctrine, acknowledges the truth of God; for his doctrines prove their origin, and fhew, from the abundance of God's Spirit, which rests upon him, that he is the great redeemer of the world. The conclufion, therefore, is, that he who believeth and obeyeth him, fhall inherit eternal life: but he who obftinately rejects or impenitently dif obeys him, muft expect the confequences of the divine displeasure. After this, Jefus finding that his baptizing fuch numbers (though he baptized only by the hands of his difciples) began to give offence to the Pharifees, left Judea, and returned into Galilee. His road led through Samaria: and being near a town called 29. Rejoiceth becaufe of the bridegroom's voice; alluding to the nuptial fong, commonly fung on thefe occafions. Solomon's fong is a molt elegant fpecimen of the nuptial fong; and feems to be referred to Chrift and the church, merely because the church is fo often reprefented in fcripture under the idea of a bride. 5. Sychar was the ancient Sichem, Sychar, 6. 7. 8. 10. II. 12. 13. Sychar, he fat down to reft himself on Jacob's well, fo named from a piece of ground which that patriarch gave to his fon Jofeph. As he fat there, waiting for his disciples, whom he had fent into the town to buy provifions, a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jefus defiring her to give him fome of the water she had drawn, fhe feemed furprized at fuch a request from a Jew: for the Jews and Samaritans were at fuch variance, that although they had dealings with each other in trade, they had little intercourse of any friendly kind. Jefus told her, that if fhe knew the opportunity now in her hands, inftead of being furprised at his asking common water of her, she would have asked living water of him. The woman thinking he spoke of the water of fome other well, feemed zealous in vindicating the honour of this, which fhe faid had defcended to them pure from the days of Jacob. Jefus told her, that the water of that well, however 6. Jefus being wearied with his journey, fat thus on the well. It were better tranflated, fat therefore, or, accordingly on the well; that is, because he was fatigued. 10. The Jews ufed to call springing water by the name of living water. In Gen. xxvi. 19. the word Springing is thus tranflated literally in the margin. The woman's mistake therefore of Christ's words was very easy. The Roman's used the fame language : Donec me flumine vivo Abluero 11. The woman obferved he had nothing to draw with. It was a cuftom then in the east, and is ftill obferved, Thevenot informs us, for all travellers to provide themselves with fmall leathern buckets, because the wells in thofe parts were furnished with no apparatus for drawing water. pure, pure, afforded only a 14. 15. 16. 17 18. 19. 20. 21. The woman not yet comprehending his meaning, defired him to give her fome of that extraordinary water. Jefus turning to her, faid, Go, call your husband, and come hither. The woman anfwered, fhe had no husband. In that, faid Jefus, you speak the truth: but you have had five husbands. He indeed, with whom you now live, is not your husband. The woman, ftruck with this reproof, which he knew to be the truth, and conceiving him to be a prophet, introduced the great national question, Whether, Jerufalem or mount Gerizim were the more refpectable feat of worship? - Jefus told her, it was a queftion of little importance, as the time now approached when men fhould worship God neither in one place nor the other that although the Jewish worship was evidently of a superior kind to theirs, yet both fhould foon be abolished; and a purer worship established than either that the 23.24 pomp and ceremonies of the law fhould be laid afide; and that, as the nature of God would now be better understood, his holy fervants fhould of course be inftructed in a more fpiritual kind of worship. The woman told him, fhe knew, that when the - 22. 25. 20. The Samaritan's argument for mount Gerizim was, its being fuppofed to be the place where Abraham and Jacob wor fhipped. 24. In fpirit and in truth, fays the original. In fpirit, in oppofition to lifeless obfervances -in truth, in oppofition to thofe typical reprefentations which were then fulfilled." Meffiah |