and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

:

7 If ye had known me, ye

or indeed going to any place, where they were not able to follow him at once, John xiii. 36. How can we know the way? This difficulty was necessarily connected with the other. Ignorant of his destination, they were of course unable to comprehend what he intended by the way to attain it, or by which they should follow him.

6. I am the way, and the truth, and the life. Some understand this as a Hebraism, meaning the true and the living way. Or we may understand that Jesus was the way, because he would raise men up at the last day, and because, both by example and precept, he pointed out the way of holiness which alone prepares us for spiritual communion with God here or hereafter he was the truth, because he bore an open and undisguised testimony to the truth, John xviii. 37; he was the life, because he communicated that which giveth life, and because he is commissioned to raise mankind from death to immortality. See notes on John iii. 15; vi. 39; xi. 25. No man cometh, &c. Jesus alone taught the true way of holiness, and made known the purpose of God to turn his children from ungodliness to holiness. No man can attain that intimate spiritual communion with God, which is the portion of true disciples here, much less that state of perfect and sensible communion which is reserved in heaven, except through the influence of those pure principles of holiness which were first distinctly developed to the world in the doctrine and the life of Jesus. Although men are to some extent active in profiting by the influences of this spirit, yet it should not be forgotten that both the means and the ability to profit are given us by God our Father, who sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world by purifying men from sinfulness. Tit. iii. 4-7; 1 John iv. 14.

7. If ye had known me, &c. If ye had understood my true character, and realized the extent in which the divine spirit dwelleth in me, ver. 9. It is supposed that Jesus here refers specially

should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

to the Father's design concerning his death and resurrection. He had frequently foretold these events; but his disciples did not comprehend his meaning, and when one of them caught a glimpse of his meaning, be remonstrated with such earnestness and violence, that he was rebuked as an opposer of the divine will. Matt. xvi. 21-23. But had they understood the true character of their Master, they would also have realized the propriety of the divine plan concerning him, and would have been satisfied that he spake in all things according to the will of God.

8. Show us the Father. That is, visibly. This was much like the request of the Jews that they might see a sign from heaven. Matt. xii. 38; xvi. I. Such signs the ancient prophets had been accustomed to exhibit. Exo. iv. 1-9; 1 Kings xviii. 36-39. One would suppose that the miracles already wrought by our Lord might have convinced his disciples that God was with him, and that divine power was exhibited in his works. But their Jewish prejudices were very strong, and were overcome with the utmost difficulty.

9. So long time, &c. It is generally supposed that our Lord's public ministry on earth continued about three years, or, as some say, three years and a half. Philip was one of the earliest disciples, John i. 43, and had thus for a long season heard the instructions and witnessed the works of the Master; and surprise is expressed, that he did not yet comprehend his true character. We are not here to understand that Philip did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah; for all the apostles had solemnly professed their belief; and there is no good reason to doubt their sincerity. But they so widely mistook his character and the nature of his mission and kingdom, that they were troubled and grieved whenever he alluded to his death and departure from them, which was utterly inconsistent with their expectations concerning the Messiah. And they had not sufficiently realized that he was the express image of the divinity, and that

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself: but the Father, that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also ; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the

his works were performed by the divine energy dwelling in him. ¶ Hath seen | the Father. Not visibly and personally, in his very essence or substance. But they had seen a visible manifestation of his glorious attributes, power, wisdom, love, kindness, and holiness. Having seen this, and having heard the divine will distinctly announced, it might with propriety be said they had seen the Father, and known his will. So close was the moral resemblance between the Father and Son, that Jesus said they were one, John x. 30, though he acknowledged the Father's superiority, To see the one was therefore substantially to see the other. How sayest thou, &c. As much as to say, Your request is utterly unreasonable. You have already had so much evidence, that more would be superfluous.

ver. 28.

10. I am in the Father, &c. See note on John x. 38. I speak not of myself. See notes on John vii. 16; viii. 28; xii. 49. He doeth the works. That is, the miracles, by which the mission of Jesus was attested and confirmed. See notes on John iii. 2; v. 19; x. 25.

11. Believe me. Believe my testimony, that such a union exists between my Father and myself. He had a right to demand implicit belief on the part of his disciples, not only because he knew that his testimony was true, but because he had given them abundant evidence of his veracity. He had no guile in his mouth, 1 Pet. ii. 22; but he spake always the truth in sincerity. Or else, &c. That is, if you will not believe my testimony, then regard the higher testimony of the divine power itself. T Very works' sake. It is observable, that Jesus so often appealed to his miracles as the highest evidence

that God was with him. They who rejected this evidence were pronounced inexcusable. John xv. 24.

12-14. He that believeth, &c. There is doubtless a special reference here to the apostles and early disciples. The gift of miracles has ceased. But in the early age of the church, the apostles and other chosen servants of God" went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." See notes on Mark xvi. 17-20. The works, &c. Miracles, similar to those which Jesus wrought. This promise was fulfilled. See Acts iii. 1-8; ix. 36-41; xiv. 8-10; xix. 11, 12; xx. 9, 10. Greater works. Not works requiring a more magnificent display of power than those which Jesus performed. To raise the dead, as much power was necessary, as to perform any miracle wrought by the apostles; in this sense, the apostles did not perform greater works than their Master. By the greater works, some understand speaking with tongues, Acts ii. 4; some, the power of healing, even by their shadow or by garments which had touched them, Acts v. 15; xix. 12. But a more probable interpretation is this: ye shall perform more effectual miracles; or, in other words, your preaching and miracles shall produce a more visible and widely-extended effect upon the people, than mine. Very few had been fully converted by the teaching of Jesus. All who could be gathered after his ascension was "about a hundred and twenty," Acts i. 15. Yet on the day of Pentecost, fifty days only after the crucifixion, the apostles having received the gift of tongues and of the Holy Ghost, Peter addressed the people, and

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15¶If ye love me, keep my commandments:

"about three thousand souls" were converted to the truth, Acts ii. 41; and shortly afterwards, in consequence of a miracle of healing, and of another address by Peter, "about five thousand" men believed, Acts ch. iii., iv. 4. And before the apostles closed their ministry, the gospel had been preached and believed in almost every nation of the world. Because I go unto my Father. Campbell renders the passage thus: "Nay, even greater than these he shall do, because I go to my Father, and will do whatsoever ye shall ask in my name." He adds, that the common "rendering is deficient both in perspicuity and in connexion. Yet, except in the pointing, I have made no change on the words of the evangelist. Our Lord's going to his Father, considered by itself, does not account for their doing greater works than he had done, but when that is considered, along with what immediately follows, that he will do for them whatever they shall ask, it accounts for it entirely. When the twelfth verse is made, as in the English translation, a separate sentence, there is little connexion, as well as light, in the whole passage. The propriety of reading the words in the manner I have done, has been justly observed by Grotius and others." Yet if the division of sentences be retained, it may be observed, that there is a sense, and an important one, in which the departure of Jesus to the Father was conducive to this accession of apostolic power. They proclaimed his resurrection from the dead, as proof of his divine mission and of the truth of his gospel. Their testimony on this point was incontrovertible and irresistible. Their success, therefore, was far greater than it otherwise could have been, except by a direct miracle wrought upon the minds of men. Whatsoever ye shall ask, &c. See notes on Matt. xviii. 19, 20. That the Father may be glorified in the Son. That he may be honored in the person of his representative. The apostles uniformly ascribed their miraculous power to God, communicated through his Son. Acts ii. 22-36; iii. 12-16;

iv. 10.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

The

15. If ye love me, keep, &c. only proper evidence of love to Christ, is a careful obedience to his will, as made known in his commandments. It is of little service, to be excited even to tears of joy or sorrow, if the excitement produce no permanent effect on the heart. It is useless to refer to former transports of feeling, in proof that we are friends of Christ. We may have wept over the affecting narrative of his sufferings and death; we may have been excited to the highest pitch of enthusiasm at the contemplation of his wisdom and power, and his gracious mission on behalf of mankind; nevertheless, if we live in habitual disobedience to his commandments, if we forget God and injure men, we have not the slightest reason to account ourselves his friends, and all our professions of love are hollow and unfounded.

16. I will pray the Father. Here, as in numberless passages, Jesus acknowledges the superiority of his Father, and represents him as the original source of all blessings. Another Comforter. Commentators differ in interpreting the word paraklētos, (παzλntos,) here rendered comforter. Some understand it to indicate the "Third Person in the Trinity;" for such they suppose to be the character of the "Holy Ghost," ver. 26. The following interpretation is more correct. "The original word, Paraclete, signifies advocate, teacher, monitor, comforter; and it is difficult to decide with precision what is the best term to be used. One epithet of the Messiah, among the Jews, was Menahem, in reference to his being a consoler, a comforter. Luke ii. 25. The term advocate, or intercessor, is applied to Jesus in 1 John ii. 1. The same terms are equally applicable to that which would come after Christ on the day of Pentecost, as he speaks of it as another comforter or advocate, that is, another in relation to himself. The divine influence which would soon descend on the apostles, after the ascension of their Master, is here personified under the name of Paraclete, as we personify Nature and Providence in common conversation, and as Wisdom, as

21 He that hath my commandments, 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 manifest myself to him.

22 Judas saith unto him, (not

and grace dwelling in them, cheering and encouraging their hearts, and enabling them to perform miracles and to speak "in demonstration of the spirit and of power." 1 Cor. ii. 4. ¶ Because I live, &c. This may be understood of that spiritual life which results from faith in Jesus as the Son of God, John iii. 15; v. 24; in which case the meaning is, that because he entered into the enjoyment of felicity with his Father, they should experience "all joy and peace in believing," Rom. xv. 13. Or, he may be understood to refer to the enjoyment of endless life and blessedness after death, and to assure them that they might regard his resurrection as a pledge of their own; in which case the meaning is similar to that of the apostle, 1 Thess. iv. 14.

20. At that day. At that time; referring to the time when the Comforter, or the spirit of truth, should be received by them. Ye shall know, &c. The unity of the Father and Son is here illustrated incidentally by the unity of the disciples with their Master. The Father dwelt in the Son by the influence of his spirit; and the Son, in his disciples, in like manner. Of this fact, the communion or in-dwelling of the spirit, the disciples should have no doubt. They should know it. Accordingly we find them asserting the fact with all boldness and confidence, appealing, in evidence of the fact, to the miracles which they performed in the name of Jesus, by the power of the Father. From that time forth, there was no indecision or wavering in them. They as firmly believed the spirit of their Master was with them, and that God had manifested himself in him, as they believed their own existence. They had full assurance of faith.

21. He it is that loveth me. See note on ver. 15. Shall be loved, &c. God is the Saviour of all men; but especially

23 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 come unto him, and make our abode with him.

24 He that loveth me not, keepof believers; that is, he gives them a present enjoyment of salvation. 1 Tim. iv. 10. In like manner, he loveth all men, even sinners, Matt. v. 43-48; Rom. v. 8; 1 John iv. 16; but the obedient experience a more sensible enjoyment of his love than others; and while they have consciences void of offence, they are conscious of his approval, and have "confidence towards God." 1 John iii. 21. Manifest myself, &c. Make you sensible of my presence. See ver. 23.

22. Judas. The same as Lebbeus, or Thaddeus. See note on Matt. x. 3. He was brother of James the Less, and author of the Epistle of Jude. Luke vi. 16. How is it, &c. Judas evidently contemplated a bodily manifestation, and could not understand how it should be given exclusively to the disciples.

23. If a man love, &c. See note on ver. 15. Obedience, which is there proposed as a test of love, is here announced as its certain fruit or result. ¶ Father will love him. See note on ver. 21. ¶ Make our abode with him. "He who acts out the commandments of Jesus from the heart, elevates and purifies his moral sense. He discerns the moral significance of things. He sees the Father and the Son; they come to him, not personally, in visible shapes, but they are manifested in the brightness of their moral being, present to his heart. They not only come to him, but they are in him, and he is in them. A far more intimate acquaintance, a far closer and more inspiring union, takes place, than could be formed by mere personal intercourse."-Furness. Such is the spiritual communion which believing and obedient disciples shall enjoy, while on earth. But this coming and dwelling with them here, seems to be different from the coming and receiving them to himself, which our Lord mentions in ver. 3.