22 fins : whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said

the Jews, Will he kill himself (0) ? because he faith, 23 Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto

them, Ye are from beneath, I am from above: ye 24 are of this world, I am not of this world. I said

therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your fins : for if

ус believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your 25 fins. Then faid they unto him, Who art thou? And

Jefus faith unto thein, Even the fame that I said unto 26 you froin the beginning (k). I have many things to

say, and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true;

and I speak to the world those things which I have 27 heard of him (?). They understood not that he spake 28 to them of the Father. Then said Jefus unto them, When

ye
have lift

пр the Son of man (m), then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of my

self; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these 29 'things. And he that sent me, is with ine : the Fa

ther hath not left me alone : for I do always those 30 things that please him. As he spake these words,

many believed on him. 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him,

If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples in32 deed ; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall 33 make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's

feed, and were never in bondage to any man: how fayest 34 thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Whosoever committeth

I

(i) Surely if he be alive and in Judea, we can reach him.

(k) The same that I said from the beginning of my ministry, and have just now told you ; the light and the life of the world; Verse 12.

(1) But at present I shall only in fist upon this, that he who fent me is true; and as he cannot countenance any insincerity or deceit, the gospel which I deliver in his name demands your most serious attention, and most thankful aslent. (m) When

ye shall have lift up the Son of Man on the crofs. See Chap. iii. 14. xviii. 32,

35 fin,

35 fin, is the servant of fin (n). And the servant abi- .

deth not in the house for ever (0) : but the Son abi36 deth ever. If the Son therefore fhall make you frec, 37 ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abra

ham's feed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word 38 hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen

with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen 39 with your Father.

Father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our Father (p). Jefus faith unto

them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do 40 the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me,

a man that hath told you the truth, which I have 41 heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the

deeds of yoаr father. Then said they to him, We

be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even 42 God (9). Jesus said unto them, If God were your

Father, ye would love me : for I proceeded forth,

and came from God: neither came I of myself, but 43 he fent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? 44. even because (*) ye cannot hear my word.' Ye are

of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do: he was a murderer from the beginning,

(n) You misunderstand me: I speak not of bodily freedom, but of spiritual freedom ; freedom from the worst of all slavery, that of obstinacy, prejudice, and wilful sin.

(0) You think yourselves free, as being descended from Abraham, and living under the law of Moses. But whilft you live in fin, that freedom cannot avail you. Besides that Abraham and Moses were themselves but fervants, whose authority is now at an end; whereas the authority of the Son is for ever, and he only can give perfc&t freedom.

(0) Though you are descended from Abraham, you do not act as Abraham would have done ; instead of going about to kill me,

he would reverence me. He foresaw the time of my coming, ard gave glory to God with great joy. Perfe 56.

19) We are not descended from a race of idolaters, but of true believers in one God.

(r) Because your prejudices and lusts will not suffer you to aitend to my doctrine.

and abode not in the truth, because , there is no truth

in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his 45 own: for he is a liar, and the father of it is). And be: 46 cause I tell

уои the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of fin? And if I say the truth, 47 why do ye not believe me? He that is of God, hear

eth God's words : ye therefore hear them not, because 48 ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews and said

unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samari. 49 tan (t), and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not

a deyil, but I honour my Father (u), and ye do dif50 honour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there 51 is one that seeketh and judgeth (w). Verily, verily

I say unto you, If a man keep my faying, he fhall 52 never (*) lee death. Then said the Jews unto him,

Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is

dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man 53 keep my saying, he shall never taste of death (y). Art

thou greater than our father Abraham, which is

dead and the prophets are dead: whom makest 54 thou thyself? Jesus answered, If 'I honour myself,

my honour is nothing; it is my Father that honour55 eth me, of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet

ye have not known him ; but I know him: and if I

Thould say, I know him not, I should be a liar like un56 to you: but I know hini, and keep his saying. Your

father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw

(s) The first author of a lie, by which he fatally deceived Eve. Gen, iii. 4.

(t) An enemy (as the Samaritans are) to our nation. To have a devil, is to be mad. Chap. vii. 2o.

(u) Í am fo far from wishing ill to the Jews, that what I do is for the glory of God, and their benefit.

(w) li is my Father that desires my glory, and will judge them who despise and defame me.'

(x) Never signifies not for ever. He shall not die eternally. He shall not be subje&t to the pains of eternal death or damnation.

(y) This is meant of spiritual, eternal death, not of temporal and natural death, as the Jews underllood it.

1

57 it, and was glad (2). Then said the Jews unto him,

Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen 58 Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I 59 say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am (aa). Then

took they up stones to cast at him (bb): but Jesus hid himself(cc), and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so pasied by:

1 A

ND as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was 2 blind from his birth. And his difciples asked him,

saying, Master,who did fin, this man, or his parents (a), 3 that he was born blind (b)? Jesus answered, Nei

ther hath this man finned, nor his parents : but

that the works of God should be made manifest in 4

him (c). I must work the works of him that sent me,

while it is day: the night cometh when no man can 5 work(d). As long as I am in the world, I am the light 6 of the world (e). When he had thus spoken, he spat

on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he

(2) The faith of Abraham was an earneft'expectation of the Melsiah, which was supported by special revelation, that filled him with joy.

(aa) You take me for a mere man; whereas I am from all eter-nity. Chap. ii 1.

(bb) Because he had applied to himself the very expression by which the Lord Jehovah distinguished himself to Mofes at the bush': LAM. (cc) Miraculously rendered himself invisible, as in Luke iv. 30.

la) It was a notion of the Pharifees, that a person might have committed sin in some former ftate before he was born..

(b) See Luke xiii. 2.

(c). This man's blindness is appointed by God for an occasion of making his power and glory the more manifest, by the miracle which I am now going to perform.

(d) I must make use of the opportunity whilft I can.. I shall not enjoy it long; for I shall soon be put to death. (c) By curing both bodily and spiritual blindness. O 5

anointed

.

1

anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And said unto him, Go wash in the pool of Siloam (f)

(which is by interpretation, Sent). He went his way

therefore, and waihed, and came feeing. 8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before

had seen him, that he was blind, faid, Is not this he 9 that fat and begged? Some said, This is he : others 10 faid, He is like him: but he said, I am be. There

'fore said they unto him, how were thine eyes openi ed? He answered and said, A man that is called

Jefus, made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said

unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash : and 12 I went and washed, and I received fight.. Then said.

they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. 13

They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime 14 was blind. And it was the fabbath-day (8) when 15 lesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then

again the Pharisees also asked him how he had re

ceived his fight. He said unto them, He put clay 16 upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. There

fore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of
God, because he keepeth not the fabbath-day. Others
faid, How can a man that is a sinner do such mi-

racles? And there was a division among them. 17 They say unto the blind inan again, What fayeft thou

of hin,' that he hath opened thine eyes (6)? He 18 faid, He is a prophet. But the Jews did not believe

concerning him, that he had been blind, and receive

ed his fight, until they called the parents of hin 19

that had received his fight. And they asked them,

faying, Is this your son, who ye fay was born blind? 20 hów then doth he now fee? * His parents answered

1

(f) Siloam is the same as Shiloh, that is fent, by. which name Christ was foretold by Jacob. Gen. xlix. 10.

(8) Observe how frequently our Saviour performed his miracles on the fabbath-day, in order to cure the Jews of the false and super Hitious notions they had of it. See Chap. v. 17. (h) Because he hath opened, or for having opened, thipc eyes.