Jesus predicts]

18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these, things?

19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remem

[his resurrection. bered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men;

25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. (E)

bowl; but, when it is swallowed, these dissolve in the instant, and there remains bitterness, and the malignity of colliquintida (i. e. the wild cucumber, bitter and acrid in the extreme). Every sin smiles in the first advance, and carries light in the face and honey on the lip; but, when we have well drunk, then comes that which is worse,.... fears and terrors of conscience, and shame and displeasure, and diffidence [we might add, despair] in the day of death... [But] Jesus keeps the best wine till the last not only because of the direct reservation of the highest joys till the near approaches of glory, but also because our relishes are higher after a long fruition than at the first essays; such being the nature of grace, that it increases in relish as it does in fruition." (Life of Christ, Pt. 2, § 10.)

This is called "the beginning," or "first," of Christ's miracles, as Dr. Campbell renders it; for we pay no regard to the reports of the juvenile miracles which compose the pseudo-gospels of "the apocryphal New Testament:" and by this miracle he showed forth not only the glory of his power, but of his beneficence; and all his miracles were of the same benevolent cast. As he turned water into wine, so he turned pain into ease, darkness into light, and death into life: in this case also he kept the best wine till last.

(E) Ver. 12-25. Jesus purges the temple, and foretels his own death.-It seems evident, and is so generally understood, that our Lord twice, at least, cleansed the temple of these cattle-traders and mouey-changers. This, which was the first instance, must have happened soon after the miracle just related; the latter instance occurred near the close of his ministry, and is related by the three other Evangelists. (Matt. xxi. 12; Mark xi. 15; Luke xix. 45.)

To avoid repetition, we beg to refer our

readers to the observations offered by us on Matthew, so far as the circumstances agree; we add only a remark on the proneness there is in mere professors of religion to make a gain of godliness; and to pursue their own interests, under the pretence of serving God. For it was doubtless the pretence of these men, in bringing their cattle into the courts of the temple, to serve the convenience of those who wanted them for sacri

fice; and of the money-changers, to accommodate either buyers or sellers with exchange for money or drafts: but, careless as they were in religion, we cannot believe that the priests would have tolerated these excesses, had they not reaped advantages therefrom, either in the form of rentage for the ground, or fees for the privilege of their standing! Strong and severe as was the language of our Lord, relative to these guardians of the temple, we doubt not but that it was perfectly just; and we fear that there are few temples, few churches, few chapels, few religious institutions of any kind, in which his eyes, which are "as a flame of fire," do not discern some thieves who rob God and oppress his poor! Alas! if the sons of Aaron-if the sons of Eli, practised villany, we need not wonder to find the like in the degenerate days of Herod and Caiaphas. And when the Son of Man again "cometh, shall he find faith in the earth,”-fidelity in the church, or integrity in its ministers? (See Luke xviii. 8.)

It is not wonderful that the Jews, both priests and laymen, should be alarmed on this occasion. A Reformer comes among them, under the character of a Prophet, and by the zeal he manifests, they know not how far the reform may spread; aud every priest and every ruler, conscious of abuses, trembles lest it should extend to him; the more so as reformers are naturally sanctioned by the injured and oppressed. Certain Jews, therefore, probably

deputed by the Sanhedrim, demand of him a sign, or miracle, in proof of his divine authority as a Reformier: "What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?"

Jesus replied, no doubt with such an expressive action (pointing to himself) as might have led them to a just interpretation of his meaning: "Destroy this temple," meaning the temple of his body; "and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews, however, whether through inattention or perverseness, understood Jesus as speaking of the temple in which they then were; and, therefore, shocked with the impossibility of such a thing, they exclaim, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it in three days?" "But (says the historian) he spake of the temple of his body."

A difficulty has been felt in making out the "forty and six years" here mentioned, since, by the account of Josephus, it was built within eight or nine. Lardner remarks, however, that this refers to what Herod did at his own expense; but the Jews were continually adding improvements and embellishments, as late as A. D. 65, within a few years of its final destruction by Titus. Yet they, as well as the Christians, called this the second temple. (See Lard. Cred. i. ch. 11.)

Not only did the Jews misunderstand our Lord, as to the temple of which he spake, but his disciples appear not to have comprehended his meaning till after his resurrection:" then remembered they that

he had said this." So our Lord had promised, that after his resurrection the Holy Spirit should bring "all things to their remembrance" which he had said to them. (Ch. xiv. 26.)

In this, and in every instance in which the Jews demanded a miracle, our Lord constantly refused to gratify them, because his miracles were mostly designed to relieve the poor aud the distressed during the time of the Passover, however, Jesus remaining at Jerusalem, wrought many miracles, and those who saw them believed in him; but these people, though they actually witnessed many miracles of this nature, were always inquiring after othersprobably wishing to see some splendid exhibition of his power-such as that to which Satan tempted him (Matt. iv. 6), to cast himself down from a pinnacle of the temple, before all the congregation. But Jesus, though he never sent away a poor and miserable object in distress, never wrought a miracle merely to exhibit himself, or gratify curious hearers.

CHAP. III. Ver. 3. Except a man be born again. -Marg. "from above." So ver. 7. The Greek (anothen) is ambiguous, and means either" again," or" from above;" and some expositors prefer the latter interpretation, which it is clear the word beurs, both in ver. 31, of this chapter, and in ch. xix. 1. But that the commen version is here preferable (says Dr. Campbell), is evident from the answer given by Nicodemus, which shows that he understood it no otherwise than as a second birth. And let it be remembered that, in the Chaldee language spoken by our Lord, there is not the same ambiguity

which we find in the Greek." The oldest versions concur in the former interpretation, which is also clearly the sense of the word in Gal, iv. 9.

Ver. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit-i. e. Except a man be born not only of water, but also of the Spirit. Christian baptism, strictly speaking, was not yet instituted; the only baptism known to Nicodemus was that of Proselytism, which had been long practised by the Jews, and was now practised both by John and Jesus; but are the advocates of baptismal regeneration prepared to say, that John's baptism was attended with a regenerating

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the

Spirit is spirit.

[Regeneration.

is born of the Spirit. (F)

one that

CHAP. III.

(F) Ver. 1-8. Our Lord's discourse with Nicodemus.-The doctrine of Regeneration, or the new birth, is here proposed in terms so clearly indicative of its high importance, as to call for our particular attention. Ni codemus was not only a ruler, or magistrate of the Jews, but, from chap. vii. 50 of this gospel, has been generally considered as a member of the Sanhedrim, or great council of Jewish rulers. He came to Jesus by night, partly, perhaps, for the sake of privacy; and partly, because then less liable to be interrupted, either by his own friends, or Jesus's disciples. And though he had probably heard of his mean origin, he had heard also of his miracles and discourses, which marked him as the great prophet to be sent from heaven (Deut. xviii. 15), and consequently entitled to very high respect. He therefore addresses him by the title of Rabbi, which was always appropriated to their learned men, and considered as equivalent to Doctor, among ourselves. "We know," said he-that is, we rulers know, though few of us have the courage to coufess it" that thou art a teacher, come' express "from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." Under this impression, the Jewish ruler comes to make farther enquiries into the doctrines of Jesus, and into the religious system he was about to introduce among the people. Our Lord, meaning at once to direct him to the most important part of true religion, cuts off all farther enquiries by abruptly stating, but in the most solemn manner, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." By "the kingdom of God," it is admitted that our Lord must mean the gospel dispensation, which could neither be understood nor enjoyed without this indispensa ble qualification; but what can this being born again meau? Not, surely, moral reformation; for, whatever might be the case with others, this man's morals appear to

be irreproachable. Nor, 2, any merely outward rite; for after this solemn introduction, to make the great essential of Christianity consist merely in an outward rite, would be an instance of the bathos in Theology, which be far from our Redeemer! But to us it appears to be that same great point which is elsewhere repre sented, both by our Lord and his apostles, under images very similar. Thus, when his disciples discovered a spirit of pride and ambition (Matt. xviii. 3), he set a little child before them, and said, " Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." And what is this becoming as little children, but the being born again? It is to have the heart humbled by repent ance, and renewed by grace. So St. Peter, after the day of Pentecost, addresses the murderers of his Lord (Acts iii. 19)," Repent, therefore, and be converted [or become as little childreu], that your sins may be blotted out, when the tines of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord"—that is, when he shall come in the glory of his gospel kingdom. And the same apostle, speaking of persons thus converted, states, that they were "born again; not of corruptible seed," that is, of erroneous doctrines, "but of incorrupti ble, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Pet. i. 23.) So the apostle John, who relates this conversation with Nicodemus, tells us, that "whosoever [in his heart] believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God"-the very phrase used by our Lord, ver. 13; and that whosoever loveth his brother is "born of God and knoweth God, and doth not commit sin"-- that is, doth not live in its allowed practice. (See 1 John iii. 9; iv. 7; v. 1, 4, 18.) On a comparison of these passages, then, it appears to us, that the regenera tion of which the Scriptures speak, implies faith, repentance, and good works, or works meet for repentance." (Acts xxvi.ver. 20.)

For

power? or that it was necessary to salvation? our parts, without undervaluing any divine ordinance, we are far from thinking either of the Christian Sacraments by any means absolutely essential to salvation, though certainly highly important in their proper place. So are there many things highly important to our health and comfort in the present

life, which are by no means necessary to our existence.

Ver. 8. The wind bloweth.-Not only does the same word stand for both wind and spirit, in the Hebrew, as above noted, but also in the Greek and Latia. Where it listeth-i. e. chooseth.

9¶ Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up;

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

[of infidelity.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be

But what has chiefly led to a different interpretation seems to be, that these perSOLS are said to be born both "of water and the spirit." With respect to the latter, there can be no difficulty in believing that spiritual regeneration is the work of God's Holy Spirit; but what is it to "be born of water?" This is generally understood of baptism, considered as a sign or emblem of true regeneration, rather than the thing itself: and so it seems to be considered by St. Paul. Writing to the believing Romans (ch. vi. 3, 4), he says، Know ye not, that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death ?” that is, into the belief of his death and atonement on our behalf. "Therefore," adds he, in allusion to what then seems to have been the usual mode of baptism, "we are buried with him by baptism into death"-dying to sin as he did to the world; "that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." And again (1 Cor. v. 17), "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature;" which corresponds with the spiritual regeneration inculcated by our Lord. That baptism, or the being "born of

water," stands connected with regeneration, or being "born of the spirit," as its sign or emblem, is freely admitted, and for that reason also, as we humbly conceive, it cannot be the thing signified. It was this similarity, however, as we suppose, which led the Greek and Latin fathers to call baptism by the names of regeneration, illumination, &c.; in consequence of which, this became the doctrine of the Greek and Latin Churches, from the latter of which it has been adopted by many Protestant divines, under different modifications of opinion, or expression, which we are not called upon to examine. The fatal mistake against which we wish to guard our readers, is, that true Christianity consists merely in outward rites and forms, rather than in "au honest and good heart," derived not by natural generation from our depraved first parents, but renewed by God's Spirit, and filled with holy dispositions and desires, which necessarily produce good works, and a virtuous conversation.

That this is not, and cannot be, effected by any outward form or ceremony, is, we think, abundantly evident from our Lord's own words "That which is born of the

Ver. 10. Art thou a Master. Camp. "THE Teacher (didaskalos) of Israel," intimating, by the emphatic article in Greek, that he was eminent for learning and talent, as a teacher of religion.

Ver. 13. Which is in heaven.--Camp, "Whose abode is heaven."

Ver. 20. Reproved.-Marg. " discovered."

Ver. 21. He that doeth truth.-Doddr. 66 practiseth." See chap. vii. 17.—Wrought in Godi, e. in the strength of God, or by divine assistance. But Camp. and others render it, "Wrought according to God," or according to the divine will,

John, baptizing]

[at Enon,

22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.

23 And John also was baptizing in Enon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

24 For John was not yet cast into prison.

25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

26 And they came unto John, and

with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

flesh is flesh," that is, merely carnal aud corrupt; but that which is born of the Spirit" of God is purely "spiritual," both in its nature and effects. Nor is it certain that material water is at all meant, any more than material fire was intended by the fiery baptism which our Lord promised to his disciples, Luke iii. 16. Water, and fire, and air, the great purifying agents in Nature, are all used as emblems of the Spirit's influences ou man; so "the washing of water by the word," and " the washing of regeneration," are explained by some of our best commentators and divines, of the purifying influences of the Spirit, by means of the written or preached word. (See Ephes. v. 26; and Titus iii. 5.)

Our Lord proceeds to illustrate this by the operation of the air or wind: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof; but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the spirit." This verse is thus illustrated by Dr. Campbell:-" Nor is there (as if he had said) any thing in this either absurd or unintelligible. The wind, which in Hebrew is expressed by the same word as spirit, shall serve for an example. It is invisible; we hear the noise it makes, but cannot discover what occasions its rise or its fall. It is known to us solely by its effects. Just so it is with this second birth. The Spirit himself, the great agent, is invisible; his manner of operating is beyond our dis

covery; but the reality of his operation is perceived by the effects produced on the disposition and life of the regenerate."

We shall conclude this section with another admirable extract from Bishop Taylor :-" This was strange philosophy to Nicodemus; but Jesus bade him not to wonder; for this is not a work of humanity, but a fruit of God's spirit, and an issue of predestination. For the Spirit bloweth where it listeth, and is, as the wind, certain and notorious in its effects; but secret in the principle, and in the manner of production; and, therefore, this doctrine was not to be estimated by any proportious to natural principles, and experiments of sense, but to the secrets of a new metaphysics, and abstracted separate speculations. Then Christ proceeds in his sermon, telling him that there are yet higher things for him to apprehend and believe; for this, in respect of some other mysteriousness of his gospel, was but as earth in comparison of heaven. Then he tells of his own descent from heaven, foretells his death and ascension, and the blessing of redemption, which he came to work for mankind; he preaches of the love of the Father, the mission of the Sou, the rewards of faith, and the glories of eternity." (Life of Christ, Part ii. p. 22.)

(G) Ver. 9-21. Our Lord's discourse with Nicodemus continued.—Dr. Campbell here remarks "The reproof conveyed in

Ver. 25. And the Jews.-Camp. says, "Though the common editions read Jews, the greater number of MSS., among whom are some of the most va luable, the Syriac, some ancient expositors also, and critics, read in the singular-" John's disciples had a dispute with a Jew," or "one of the Jews."About purifying, i. e. about baptism, and other ab

Jutions. So also Doddridge.

Ver. 27. A man can receive.-Marg. "Take unto himself," &c.

Ver. 28. Ye yourselves bear me witness.-See chap. i. 20.

Ver. 29. He that hath the bride, &c.—Doddr. “It is the bridegroom that hath the bride."