himself has declared, "Without me, ye can do nothing:" (John, xv. 5): he excludes, therefore, all possibility of our overcoming the world by procuring pardon of past sins and supplies of grace, -without his especial intervention. To the same purpose as our Saviour's declaration, we are assured that there is not salvation in any other; and that there is none other name whereby we must be saved, but the name of Christ (Acts, iv. 12): in this passage, by being saved, we are not to understand only our eternal salvation in heaven, but all things necessary in order to it; more especially our being saved from the guilt and strength of sin, contracted by yielding to an evil world. But for this very purpose Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity. For this purpose he was exalted, that he might be a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins. For this purpose, he ever liveth to make intercession for us that he may save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him. (Heb. vii. 25.) We cannot doubt, therefore, that by Christ, we may be enabled to overcome the world, and all things which impede our salvation. "Be of good cheer" (saith our Lord, in his present address, v. 33), “I have overcome the world." So that, under his banner, we fight against a conquered enemy; and therefore, we need not fear defeat, so long as we keep close to him who hath all power given him both in heaven and in earth; and is always ready to impart as much of it as our spiritual conflicts require: insomuch that as we can do nothing without him, there is nothing but we can do with him. St. Paul said, from his own experience, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil. iv. 13.)

As no man can overcome the world but only by Christ, so no man can overcome it by him, without faith in him. "This is the victory" (saith St. John, 1 Ep. v. 5) "that overcometh the world even our faith." Our Lord himself says, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered." (John, xv. 6.) It is by faith we are engrafted into Christ, and so partake of his Holy Spirit: and unless we believe in him, we can derive no more power from him, than if none resided in him. This belief implies a confidence in him as the Son of God. Thus St. John asks, "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"

If Christ be not God, what can he do for us? Can a creature appease the wrath, satisfy the justice, and defend us against the power of his and our Almighty Creator? What if Christ spent his life in doing good? That is the bounden duty of every man. What though he suffered a cruel death? If he was a mere human being, his sufferings terminate in himself. But when we obey his precept, Believe in God, believe also in me; and thus believe him to be God; then we may well believe in him for grace, and virtue, and for everything necessary for vanquishing the world. As we may well believe he can give it us, if he will, because he is God; so we may believe he will do it, if he can, because he is Man.

The practical efficacy of this faith in overcoming the world, is sufficiently proved by St. Paul, where he enumerates the triumphs of holy men. (Heb. xi.) It is faith which lowers the pride of human reason in obedience to the wisdom of God. It is faith which, appreciating the labours of Christ in redeeming the human soul, employs all strength and every motive to resist the flattery and temptations of an evil world. It is faith which under the pressure of persecution, hatred, and contempt, grasps the Cross of a suffering Redeemer as an anchor to the soul. It gives an insight into the invisible world, and prompts us to have our conversation in heaven. Now if victory be always attended with honour and applause, and if the height of human glory consists in conquering a small portion of earth, and in enslaving the bodies of men; a far greater triumph must await him, who hath vanquished the spiritual foes which this world presented in its terrors and in its snares. In the world, we must have tribulation: and he that has appointed it for us, knows that it is fit we should: but our faith in his compassion and succours will be a sustaining principle: and since Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, who was made perfect through sufferings, has overcome the world and disarmed it; let us seek that peace which he has established; and press on with a cheerful assurance, that, through the power of his grace and by following his example, the very least of his soldiers shall share in the honour and benefits of his victory. (BISHOP BEVERIDGE.)

28. Christ's last Prayer with his Disciples. Evening introducing the sixth day of the week.

JOHN, xvii. 1-26: JESUS spake these words (John, xiv.-xvi.) ; and then devoutly lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour of expiating the sins of the world is come: glorify thy Son by supporting his human nature to be a pattern of meekness and love and zeal under approaching sufferings, by his resurrection, and ascension, descent of the Holy Spirit; that thy Son also, in the series of his conduct, may glorify thee in the display of thy justice, truth, holiness, and mercy: 2, 3, since by the engagements of thy covenant of redemption thou hast given him the mediatorial power over all the human race, that he may give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him: 3, and this is the way to life eternal that they may know the perfections of thee, the only true God, to the exclusion of all idols,—and also know and believe in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent into the world, to reveal and merit this life for them.

4. I have glorified thee on earth by my obedience, doctrines, and miracles: I shall have finished by my sufferings and death the work of the Messiah which thou gavest me to do.

5. And now, O Father, do thou glorify me in thine own presence with the glory, which, in my divine nature, I originally possessed with thee before the world was created.

6. I have manifested thy name, perfections, and purposes, to the disciples whom thou gavest me out of the world: they were originally thine by creation, and by thy full right to do with thy creatures as seemeth thee best. Thou gavest them to me as my disciples and they have received and retained thy word and doctrine.

[V. 6: Thine they were: as sincere disciples of the dispensation which God had given by Moses: MACKNIGHT. By creation and preservation: BLOOMFIELD; HOLDEN. The objects of thy choice, even before they were converted: SCOTT. Objects of thy choice: A. CLARKE. Thine they previously were by faith in thee: WHITBY. Thine by electing grace: GILL. Cultores tui ingenui, jam antequam accederent ad te: TITTMANN.]

7. Now they have understood and are assured, that all things whatsoever thou hast given me in commission, proceed from thee in

their origin, and tend to thy glory. 8. For I have declared unto them the doctrines which thou gavest in commission to me; and they have received them with faith and love; and have surely known that I came out from thee, and have believed that thou didst send me.

9. I, therefore, pray for them as believers: I pray not for the rebellious and unbelieving Jews, but for them whom thou hast given me as my apostles: and my prayer will not be in vain: for they are thine.

10. And indeed by our perfect union of essence, all my things are thine, and all thine are mine; and I, equally with thyself, am glorified in them, with the same honour and worship. 11. And now I am no longer in the world, as to personal presence in human nature: but these are yet in the world: and I am coming to thee. While I am separated from them, do thou, O Holy Father, keep them whom hast given me, in thy name, in the faith and practice of thy Gospel; that they may be one thing in love and doctrine and labours, even according to the union by which we are one person in the Godhead. 12. While I was with them in the world, I preserved them in thy name, and through the influences of thy grace: those whom thou gavest me as apostles, I have kept; and no one of them is lost but the son of perdition, one justly obnoxious to death; who has been left to perish: thus the predictions of Scripture are fulfilled in him. (Psalm cix. 8; Acts, i. 20.)

13. And now, O Father, I come unto thee: and these words of exhortation and intercession I speak in the hearing of my disciples while I am in the world; that they may have my joy, the joy which they have derived from my presence, abundantly completed in them by the joy which will henceforth be derived in my absence, from the presence of the Comforter.

14. They will greatly need the support of this joy: I have given them thy doctrine, to be preached by them: and the sinful world [the unbelieving Jews] hath already hated them, and will persecute them, because they are not of the world [the unbelieving Jews] in principle and practice; even as I am not of the world.

15. I pray not, however, that thou shouldest remove them from among unbelievers, whom they are appointed to convert;

but that thou shouldest preserve them from Satan, the evil one, who has already entered into Judas, and will not spare them.

16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. But as they need to be completely purified for their great work, 17, consecrate them by the purifying influences of thy Holy Spirit, to the ministry of thy truth: that excellent word of thine is truth. 18. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19. And for their sakes, I devote and consecrate myself as a victim for the approaching sacrifice; that they also may be consecrated to maintaining the truth of the Gospel, even unto death itself.

20. Neither pray I for these alone my apostles; but for them also who, through all ages, believe on me through their word; 21, that they all may be truly and intimately one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us ; that so the world [or, Jewish people] seeing their charity and joy, may believe that thou hast sent me; and that a religion, thus productive of the rare amiable virtues, is indeed of a divine origin.

22. And the future glory and happiness which thou gavest me (v. 24) I shall communicate in part to them that they may be one in unity and blessedness, even as we are one.

23. I, in them; and thou, in me; that they may be perfected so as to be one; and that the world may know and acknowledge that thou hast sent me (v. 21); and that thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24. Father, I would that they also whom thou hast given me, even all thy chosen and sanctified people, may be with me, where I am; that they may contemplate the glory (v. 22) which thou hast given to me their friend and brother; for thou lovedst me, before the foundation of the world.

25. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee and laboured for thy glory: and these my disciples have known that thou hast sent me.

26. And I have declared thy name to them, and will declare it by my instructions (Acts, i. 3) and by sending the Comforter (John, xvi. 13, 25): that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them; and I, in them by my spiritual presence.