"I will abundantly bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, He will give them the provisions that shall satisfy, "bread," the clothing that shall save, "salvation," the best enjoyment, "shout aloud for joy," the best prosperity, "make the horn (power) of David to lud.' HOMILETIC GLANCES AT THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN. [As our purpose in the treatment of this Gospel is purely the development, in the briefest and most suggestive form of Sermonic Outlines, we must refer our readers to the following works for all critical inquiries into the author and authorship of the book, and lso for any minute criticisms on difficult clauses. The works we shall especially consult are:-" Introduction to New Testament," by Bleek; "Commentary on John," by Tholuck; "Commentary on John," by Hengstenberg; Introduction to the Study of the Gospels," by Westcott; "The Gospel History," by Ebrard; "Our Lord's Divinity," by Liddon; "St. John's Gospel," by Oosterzee; "Doctrine of the Person of Christ," by Dorner, Lange, Sears. Farrer, etc., etc.] " No. CLI. The Moral Empire of Christ. "JESUS ANSWERED, MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD: IF MY KINGDOM WERE OF THIS WORLD, THEN WOULD MY SERVANTS FIGHT, THAT SHOULD NOT BE DELIVERED TO THE JEWS: BUT NOW IS MY KINGDOM NOT FROM HENCE. PILATE THEREFORE SAID UNTO HIM, ART THOU A KING THEN? JESUS ANSWERED, THOU SAYEST THAT I AM A KING. TO THIS END WAS I BORN, AND FOR THIS CAUSE CAME I INTO THE WORLD, THAT I SHOULD BEAR WITNESS UNTO THE TRUTH. EVERY ONE THAT IS OF THE TRUTH HEARETH MY VOICE.”—(John xviii. 36-37). EXPOSITION:-Ver. 36:-"Jesus answered.” "These words are the reply of Jesus to the question of Pilate, What hast "My thou done?" kingdom is not of this world." Η βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή. The “My here is emphatic:-q. d. This kingdom of Mine. He does not say it is not in or over, but, it is not of this world,ἐκ τοῦκόσμου,τούτου that is in its origin and nature, and so is no such kingdom as need give thee or thy master the least alarm." "If My kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews." Were it an organism like the Roman Empire or other political governments, military force would be employed. The political kingdoms of men are established, sustained, and defended by force. Probably He here makes an allusion to the scene of His arrest in the garden which had just occurred, when He bade Peter, who was in the act of employing force for His defence, to put up the sword. "But now is My kingdom not from hence." As if He had said the fact is, it has neither its origin or support from the world. It has been remarked that the word "My" here is emphatic, and occurs no less than four times in this one verse, thrice of His kingdom, and once of Himself. "My kingdom," "My servants," &c. It is in contradistinction to all worldly empires and ministries. Ver. 37:-" Pilate therefore saith unto Him, Art Thou a king then?" I see no reason to believe that there is any sarcasm or contempt in this interrogatory; it is rather the expression of surprise and inquiry. "Jesus answered, thou sayest that I am a king." Or, "Thou sayest it because I am a king." "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." "To be king have I been born, and to be a king came I into the world, in order that I may bear witness unto the truth." "Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice." All, in all times and lands, of a truthful loving spirit, that shall hear My voice, shall recognise it as the response to all earnest inquiries. HOMILETICS :-These words bring under our attention the moral empire of Christ, and there are three facts. concerning it : I. It is SPIRITUAL IN ITS NATURE AND MINISTRIES. First: It is "not of this world." This does not mean (1) That His empire should exert no influence on "this world." This would be contrary alike to Christ's teaching, for He taught that His principles were the "leaven," the "salt," the "light" of the world. And contrary also to fact, for His system has modified the political institutions of the world. Nor does it mean, (2) That His subjects have nothing to do with the political duties of the world. He does not interdict His disciple from the office of magistrate, statesman, king. Nor does it mean (3) That He Himself has no control over the kingdoms of the world. "He is exalted far above all principalities and powers," &c. But it means that His kingdom is not like worldly kingdoms, built on compromise and force, and sustained in the same way. His empire was an empire over minds and hearts, over thoughts and feelings, and volitions. Secondly: It does not employ violence. "If My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight." Christ's language merely states the well-known fact of national wars, He does not sanction them. Christ's empire is not only foreign, but hostile, to all violence. He condemns the sword to the scabbard, His weapons are not carnal. His battles are fought, not against the lives and rights of men, but against their crimes and curses, against falsehood and oppression. Another fact concerning this moral empire of Christ is― II. It is WON BY THE TRUTH, OF WHICH HE WAS A WITNESS. What do we mean by "truth?" Truth may be regarded in two aspects, as an absolute reality, and as a relative experience. As an absolute reality, its seat is in God Himself, it underlies the universe, the soul and substance of all, it is independent of all minds, yet that for which all minds naturally hunger and thirst. "Where shall wisdom be found?" &c. As a relative experience, it is conformity in thought and speech and life to the absolute truth. The man who thus conforms to the great reality is "of the truth" is a true man. There is truth of sentiment, conformity of thought to the reality, there is truth of speech, conformity of language to the inner sentiment, there is truth of life, conformity of the man's character in all his thoughts, utterances and actions, to the eternal reality. In this form truth appeared in Christ, hence He is called "the truth." Two thoughts here are worth note, and are suggested. First: That the world is under the rule of falsehood. Men live in fictions, fallacies fill the atmosphere, the father of lies rules the world. Men live in a wilderness of phantoms. Observe, Secondly: The grand object of Christ's mission was to bring man under the reign of reality. "To this end was I born." Christ says His mission is to "bear witness to the truth," to shatter shams, to make men real. How directly was His teaching against the popular ideas and feelings of mankind concerning greatness, happiness, worship. He taught that happiness is not in what a man has, but what he is. He taught that greatness is not in commanding but in serving, that worship is not an occasional service but a living spirit. Thus He bore "witness to the truth." Thus He builds up His empire and explodes the reign of fiction. The other fact concerning this moral empire of Christ is III. It HAS AMONGST ITS NUMBERS ONLY THE CHILDREN OF THE TRUTH. "Every one that is of the truth, heareth My voice." First: There are men "of the truth." Men to whom truth is everything, over whom fictions, either social, theological, or religious, have no power. These men are the "salt of the earth." Secondly: These men "of the truth" recognise Christ's voice. He speaks to their common sense, their deep spiritual wants, and they respond to His call. Hence it was not from the conventional religionists and theologues that Christ won His disciples, it was from the unsophisticated people, the "common people heard Him gladly.” CONCLUSION:- Mark that none are subjects of this glorious and ever-growing empire of Christ but true men. It does not embrace charlatans, hypocrites, men of pretence or sham, but men practically loyal to the real. You are not to estimate their number by those enrolled in Church books, but by those who follow truth to whatever Calvaries it may conduct. No. CLII. A Powerful Vindication of Christ, a Reprehensible Treatment of Conscience, and a Scandalous Popular Election. “PILATE SAITH UNTO HIM, WHAT IS TRUTH? AND WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS, HE WENT OUT AGAIN UNTO THE JEWS, AND SAITH UNTO THEM, I FIND IN HIM NO FAULT AT ALL. BUT YE HAVE A CUSTOM, THAT I SHOULD RELEASE UNTO YOU ONE AT THE PASSOVER: WILL YE THEREFORE THAT I RELEASE UNTO YOU THE KING OF THE JEWS? THEN CRIED THEY ALL AGAIN, SAYING, NOT THIS MAN, BUT BARABBAS. NOW BARABBAS WAS A ROBBER EXPOSITION:-Ver. 38.-"Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth?" Lord Bacon and others see a jesting spirit in these words. "What is (John xviii. 38-40). truth? says jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer." Others see an earnest inquiry in these words. In his experience as |