Agent; "the Way, the Truth, and the Life;" not only the medium, but the Mediator; not only the path, but the Guide; not only the announcer of holy and immortal life, but the Giver of that blessing by bringing men to reconciliation and moral union with its Heavenly Fountain.

3. He proceeds to represent that the knowledge of HIMSELF, which had already been in part communicated to his disciples, and should shortly be so more fully, was in effect the very knowledge of the Father of which he had been speaking: "He who hath seen me, "hath seen the Father." Our Lord could not intend natural vision: for, in that sense, "no man hath seen "or can see the King eternal, immortal, invisible;" and many had enjoyed an ocular, frequent, and intimate sight of Jesus Christ, who remained totally insensible to his glory and the glory of God in him. He must, therefore, have meant such a mental perception of his moral excellency and worth as would lead to correspondent affections towards him and his words imply that those affections exercised towards himself were, as really and by the very act, exercised towards God. Thus our Lord bears testimony to the same truth which was afterwards expressed by his inspired servant, as "the enlightening of the know

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ledge of the glory of God in the person of Jesus "Christ," who is "the refulgence of his glory, and "the exact impression of his manner of existence." 44

4. He then asserts the same fact in another form, a form which he had used on preceding occasions, and which was peculiarly striking and sublime—a mutual

44 2 Cor. iv. 6. Heb. i. 3. See the remarks on these passages in the ensuing volume.

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inhabitation of the FATHER and the SON: "I am in "the Father, and the Father is in me." The reader is requested to turn to the observations made in a former Section on the meaning and application of this phrase. The reference, in the present instance, evidently is to THAT in Christ which was an exhibition of the Father, and an exhibition so perfect, that “he who "had seen him, had seen the Father." But our Lord does not stop at this point: he goes on to apply the idea to his works of power, and appeals to those works as a demonstration of this union and mutual inhabitation. Thus the oneness assumed is shown to be both that of moral excellencies and that of efficient operation in each respect, whosoever had seen or known the Son had so seen or known the Father ; the doctrine taught, the miracles performed, the spiritual excellence and glory displayed, by the Son, are identically those of the Father: they are the doctrines, the works, the glory, of God. In a word; the perFECTIONS of the Father are the perfections of the Son.

5. Hence light is cast upon our Lord's expressions before adduced: "I speak not from myself; my doc"trine is not mine; I do nothing from myself:" as if he had said, "I do not proceed upon any authority or power distinct from that of my Father: my plans and actions are inseparable from his: my doctrine and works and glory are his, and his are mine: the union between the Father and the Son is intimate, perfect, and incapable of dissolution: I and the Father are ONE, in mind and counsel, and in efficiency of operation."—It seems a reasonable inference, from Pages 89-97 of this volume.

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such a singular and perfect oneness of attributes, that there is a oneness also of NATURE in the Father and the Son.

6. With these declarations the Saviour connects language which seems to put himself on a level with his disciples, or even on an inferior degree; but a closer examination will correct this surmise. "He "who believeth on me shall do the works which I do "-and greater." It cannot be questioned that the designation," he who believeth on me," must be taken in a very limited sense; as referring only to that confidence in the power of Christ with which his apostles, and some others of his immediate followers, were endowed, and by which they wrought miracles in his name. The equality, or superiority, of the miracles wrought by the apostles and their coadjutors, cannot refer to their number or to their kind; for, probably in the former respect, and beyond all doubt in the latter, the miracles of the Lord Jesus were far transcendent. The reference must have been to the effects produced by the ministry and miracles of the inspired teachers of Christianity, in the extensive conversion of men to truth and holiness; effects which far exceeded the actual and present success of our Lord's own ministry. Now be it observed what our Lord assigns as the cause, which would insure those wondrous effects. It is HIS OWN POWER, exercised in his glorified state: "Because I go to my Father; and "whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that I WILL "DO: that the Father may be glorified in the Son." Thus it proves, in the issue, that HE who had withheld, and as it were confined, the manifestations of his power and glory, with regard to the success of his

own labours, was the Cause and Author of those more splendid effects which followed the gospel in the hands of powerless and sinful men. At the same time, all this honour and majesty is laid at the feet of the Eternal Father, "OF WHOM and TO WHOM are all things." The Father is glorified in the Son.

7. In reference to THIS glory, Jesus further declares the equal possession and honour of both the Father and the Son. "The Spirit of truth shall glorify ME; "He shall take of that which is mine and shall declare "it unto you; ALL THINGS that the Father hath are "MINE." Universal terms must be understood according to the nature of the things spoken of. The "all things," therefore, here mentioned, must be those objects which, on being made known to intelligent and virtuous minds, will excite the emotions which the Scriptures imply in the frequent phrase, giving glory to God. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ by the manifestation of that in the person, character, and work of Christ which is, in a moral sense, lovely and worthy of being honoured by holy beings. What is THAT in the All-perfect God, which is thus excellent and honourable?-It is his WHOLE MORAL GREATNESS, the sum of his wise and holy, righteous and benignant attributes, what the Scriptures call HIS GREAT NAME. This it is which makes him the infinitely worthy Object of admiration, love, and all possible homage: -and of this, our Blessed Lord says, "ALL THINGS "which the Father hath are mine."

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE TO CAPITULE VIII.

Note [A], page 296.

“THE manner in which the Saviour called his disciples is altogether peculiar it was not done by persuasion; not by unfolding to them his plans; not by making them parties to his designs; all this is evident, not only from their mistakes, but also from the frankness with which their mistakes are made known.

"The disciples were called in a manner the most sudden and unexpected; and their instant and unhesitating compliance with the call, is one of the singularities of the New Dispensation. That they should obey such a call, and obey so promptly, is a wonder of wonders, if their Master possessed only human power and influence.

"The manner in which the Saviour employed his disciples is equally singular. They were never used as helps; were never even consulted, as though their advice was likely to be of service; never afforded the least aid in what might be termed cases of emergency and difficulty. They moved and acted solely as directed and empowered by their Master. On a few occasions, indeed, as when two of their number wished to call down fire from heaven, and when Peter smote the servant of the high priest, we see the exertion of an authority independent of their Master: yet here it is most evident, that when they acted without Him, they acted wrong. In the developement, the progress, and the completion of the great plan, Christ was the sole mover. His disciples were witnesses, learners, agents; but not designers, not even coadjutors. They were never treated, never spoken to or of, as though they had any thing approaching to a parity of power and of influence with their Master. Yet they were in every case as fully disposed, as completely qualified to obey Christ subsequent to their being called by him, as they were prompt in yielding to his call in the first instance.

"When the former Dispensation was introduced, Moses alone was not competent to the work: nay, he avowed reluctance as well as incompetency. Aaron was appointed to assist him; but Jehovah himself, not Moses, made the appointment: see Exod. iv. 10-16; vii. 19, 20. And it is equally interesting to notice, that when Joshua was to take the place of Moses, the appointment was from