wishes, and to express all their feelings. Jesus regards the first inclinations of the soul to follow him. He turned towards these disciples, and he will incline his ear to all who begin to approach him for salvation. Ministers of the gospel, and all other christians, should be accessible, kind, and tender, towards those who are inquiring the way to life. 'Rabbi.' This was a Jewish title meaning literally, master. Our Saviour solemnly forbade his disciples from seeking to be thus distinguished above others, Matt. xxiii. 8. 'Where dwellest thou? They wished to be with him, and more fully to listen to him than they could now by the wayside. Religion teaches us to desire to be with Christ, to seek every opportunity of communion with him, and chiefly to desire to be with him where he is when we leave this world. Compare Phil. i. 23.

39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

'Come and see.' This was a kind and gracious answer. He did not defer them to some future period. Jesus is ever ready to admit those who seek him to his presence and favour. Abode with him.' Remained with him. This was probably the dwelling of some friend of Jesus. His usual home was at Nazareth. "The tenth hour.' The Jews divided their day into twelve equal parts, beginning at sunrise. If John used their mode of computation, it was about four o'clock in the afternoon.

40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, The Christ.

'He first findeth.' He found him and told him about Jesus before he brought him to Jesus. We have found the Messias.' They had learned from the testimony of John, and now had been more fully convinced from conversation with Jesus, that he was the Messiah. From the conduct of Andrew we may learn that the friends of Christ should recommend him to others, and should not wait for them to come, but go to them, seek them out, and tell them that a Saviour is found. Young converts should seek to be useful to their relativcs, friends, and neighbours, and tell them of a Saviour.

42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is, by interpretation, A stone.

'Cephas.' This is a Syriac word, meaning the same as the Greek word Peter, a stone. See note, Matt. xvi. 17. The stone, or rock, is a symbol of firmness and steadiness of character; a striking trait in Peter's character after the ascension of Jesus. Before, he was rash, headlong, variable; and it is one proof of the omniscience of Jesus that he saw that Peter would possess a character that would be expressed appropriately by the word 'rock.'

43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

'Would go forth.' Was about to go. Into Galilee.' He was now in Judea, where he went to be baptized by John. Findeth Philip.' This does not refer to his calling these disciples to be apostles, for that took place at the sea of Tiberias. Matt. iv. 18. But it refers to their being convinced that he was the Christ. Matthew states the time and occasion in which they were called to be apostles. John, the time in which they first became acquainted with Jesus.

44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

'Of Bethsaida.' See Matt. xi. 21. The city of.' The place where Andrew and Peter dwelt.

45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

"Moses, in the law.' Moses, in that part of the Old Testament which he wrote, called by the Jews, the law.' See Deut. xviii. 15, 18; Gen. xlix. 10 iii. 15. 'And the prophets.' Isa. liii. ix. 6, 7. Dan. ix. 24-27. Jer. xxiii. 5, 6, &c. 'Jesus of Nazareth,' &c. They spoke of him as the son of Joseph, because such he was commonly supposed to be.

46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

The character of Nazareth was proverbially bad. To be a Galilean, or a Nazarene, was an expression of decided contempt. John vii. 52. Note Matt. ii. 23. This was a mode of judging in the case not uncommon. It is not by examining evidence, but by prejudice. Many persons suffer their minds to be filled with prejudice against religion, and then pronounce at once without examination. Come and see.' He did not sit down to reason

with him, but asked him to go and examine for himself, to see the Lord Jesus, to hear him converse, to lay aside his prejudice, and to judge from a fair and candid examination. So we should beseech sinners to lay aside their prejudices against religion, to come to Jesus, to trust in him, and then all their objections against religion will vanish. They will be satisfied from their own experience that it is true.

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

'An Israelite indeed.' One who is really an Israelite, not by birth only, but one worthy of the name. Compare Rom. ix. 6; ii. 28, 29. 'No guile.' No deceit, no fraud, no hypocrisy. He is really what he professes to be, a Jew, a descendant of the patriarch Jacob, fearing and serving God. He does not say that Nathanael was without guilt or sin, but that he had no disguise, no deceit. He was sincere and upright.

48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee.

Nathanael was not yet acquainted with the Divinity of Christ, and supposed that he was quite a stranger to Christ. His conscience testified to the truth of what Jesus said, that he had no guile, and he was anxious to know whence he had learned his character. 'When thou wast under the fig-tree.' It is evident that it was from something which occurred under the fig-tree that Jesus judged of his character. What that was is not recorded. It is not improbable that Nathanael was accustomed to retire to the shade of a certain tree, for the purpose of meditation and prayer. Our Saviour also worshipped in such places. Compare John xviii. 2. Luke vi. 12. I saw thee.' It is clear from the narrative that Jesus did not mean to say that he was bodily present with Nathanael, and saw him; but he knew his thoughts, his desires, his secret feelings. In this sense Nathanael understood him. We may learn, 1. That Jesus sees in secret, and is therefore Divine. 2. That he judges of our character chiefly by our private devotions. Those are secret; the world sees them not; and in our closets we show what we are. How does it become us, therefore, to seek that our secret prayers and meditations be without guile and hypocrisy, and such as Jesus approves.

49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Rabbi.' Master-applied appropriately to Jesus, and to no one else. Matt. xxiii. 10. 'The Son of God.' By this title he

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doubtless meant that he was the Messiah. "The King of Israel.' This was one of the titles by which the Messiah was expected. This case of Nathanael John adduces as another evidence that Jesus was the Christ. A case where Jesus searched the heart, and where his knowledge of the heart convinced a pious Jew that he was the Christ, is very properly adduced as an important testimony.

50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

'Greater things.' Fuller proof of his Messiahship-particu larly what is mentioned in the following verse.

51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son

of man.

'Verily, verily.' In the Greek, Amen, amen. The word amen means truly, certainly. When repeated, it expresses the speaker's sense of the importance of what he is about to say, and the 'Ye shall see.' Not, percertainty that it is as he affirms. haps, with the bodily eyes, but you shall have evidence that it is so. Heaven open. This is a figurative expression, denoting "He opened the the conferring of favours. Ps. lxxviii. 23, 24; Also it denotes that doors of heaven, and rained down manna." God was about to work a miracle in attestation of a particular thing. See Matt. iii. 16. In the language here, there is an evident allusion to the ladder that Jacob saw in a dream, and to the angels ascending and desending on it, Gen. xxviii. 12. 'Angels of God.' Those pure and holy beings who dwell in heaven, and who are employed as ministering spirits to our world, Heb. i. 14. Good men are represented in the scriptures as being under their protection, Ps. xci. 11, 12. Gen. xxviii. 12. They are the agents by whom God often expressed his will to men, Heb. ii. 2. Gal. iii. 19. They often appeared to Jesus, and are represented as strengthening him and ministering unto him. See Mark i. 13. Luke xxii. 43. By their ascending and descending upon him he probably meant that Nathanael would have evidence that they came to his aid, that he was under the special care of God, and that he would have the kind of protection and aid from God which would show more fully that he was the Messiah. 'The Son of man.' A term by which he often describes himself. It shows his humility, his love for man, his willingness to be esteemed as a man, Phil. ii, 6, 7.

CHAPTER II.

1 AND the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

'And the third day.' On the third day after his conversation with Nathanael. 'Čana.' This was a small town a few miles north of Nazareth. It is still a neat but poor village. It was called Cana of Galilee, to distinguish it from another Cana in the tribe of Ephraim. This was the native place of Nathanael, John xxi. 2.

2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

'His disciples.' Those that he had made when in Judea. These were Peter, Andrew, Philip, and Nathanael. They were not yet called to be apostles, but they believed that he was the Messiah.

3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

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They have no wine.' It would seem that Mary had a belief that he was able to supply it, though he had as yet worked no miracle.

4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

'Woman.' This term, as used here, seems to imply reproof, as if she was interfering in that which did not properly concern her. But it is evident that no such reproof or disrespect was intended. It is the same term by which Jesus tenderly addressed Mary Magdalene after his resurrection, ch. xx. 15, and his mother when he was on the cross. Ch. xix. 26. Compare also Matt. xv. 28; John iv. 21. 'What have I to do with thee?" See note, Matt. viii. 29. This expression is sometimes used to denote indignation or contempt. See Judges xi. 12. 2 Sam. xvi. 10. 1 Kings xvii. 18. But it is not probable that it denoted either in this place. The words sound to us harsh, but they might not have been intended as a reproof. It is clear that Jesus did not intend to refuse to provide wine, but only to delay it a little. And the design was, therefore, to compose the anxiety of Mary, and to prevent her being solicitous about it. It may, then, be thus expressed: "My mother, be not anxious. To you and to me this should not be a matter of solicitude. The proper time for my interfering has not yet come. When that is come, I will furnish a supply." Thus understood, it was a mild exhortation for her to dismiss her fears, and to put proper trust in nim. 'Mine hour,' &c. My time. The proper time for my interposing.