On this page
-
Text (1)
-
Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
the Gentiles . By this mankind were turned from the acknowledgment , obedience and worship of the One True God , to the worship of demons , and every species of false and imaginary deities . Agreeably to this , when the Apostle Paul was commissioned to propagate the gospel among the Gentiles , it was to this effect , "to open men ' s eves , and turn them from darkness to light , and from the power of Satan unto God , ' * that is , from
idolatry to true religion . In these words , therefore , our L . ord seems to foretel the suppression of the whole system of idolatry , and that this was shortly to take place : ** now shall the prince of this world be cast out : " he adds , " and I , if I be lifted up from the
earth , will draw all men unto me /' What our Lord meant by being lifted up from the earth the Evangelist himself explains in the words immediately following , " this he said signifying what death he should die . " But per * haps it will be no rashness to suppose , that our JLord had a reference also to
his subsequent ascension , and exaltation to glory and dominion over his church , conferred oti him in reward of his obedience even to death on the cross . However , upon the whole it is plain , that in this text our Lord
foretels a grand crisis iu the state of the religious and moral world , a general extirpation of idolatry , and propagation of and success to the gospel revelation , in consequence of his death upon the cross ; and all these grand events very soon to take place .
Thus I have endeavoured to illustrate the connexion , and explain the particulars of the whole passage connected with these words . I shall not detain the reader at present further than while I briefly hint a remark or two on what has already been observed .
First , it isr obvious to take notice of the admirable spirit , the exemplary disposition and true dignity of our Saviour ' s character , aa manifested on this occasion . It has been justly observed , that sudden incident * , and
the little circumstances of life , more thoroughly discover the real temper ttd genuine character of any person , thin the more important events and brilliant scenes , which the auctor * have fey * long expecting , and for which
Untitled Article
there has been time for preparation . In these cases men are commonly recollected , and on their guard ; in the other , they discover their tempers and hearts more freel y > and act from undisguised nature . Now in this incident of a few Greeks desiring to
sec him , which seems a very inconsiderable one , we see how recollected and habitually thoughtful our Lord was to improve the minutest things into important reflections , and to pur * sue every subject into various views , and to its utmost extent ; especially where he himself , and his own
conduct , were concerned , or am opportunity offered to convey instruction or improvement to others . We see , also , that our Lord did not disown , or attempt to eradicate the tender and painful sensibilities common to the human heart : he even seems to have
been subjected to them in a very great degree . In him we see nothing of the proud and self-sufficient philosophy of the Stoics , who pretended it to be the perfection of wisdom and virtue to extirpate the natural affections . Our Lord freely owned this , his soul was much troubled with the
apprehensions of suffering and death : but then , how truly great and amiable does he appear , in supporting the dominion of reason and the influence of the religious principles in such a situation ! In his troubled hour he
looks up to God , resigns himself absolutely to his will , attends to the purposes for which he came into the world , makes it his supreme desire that God may be glorified , and the salvation of men effected , by what he was to suffer , and encourages himself by the prospect of the glory which he was to receive . Such wag Jesus
in the hour in which his soul was troubled . These were the principles which enabled him to look forward with a steady eye to the dreadful season near at hand , although the prospect made such deep impressions on his extremely sensible heart .
Secondly , as this incident of the request of these Greeks to see Jesus , and their probable introduction to him in consequence of it , seems to be the first dawning of the gospel on the Gentiles , it deserves to be remarked , that on this occasion , Jesus was attested # 0 be a divinely commissioned
Untitled Article
$ 6 $ ' Biblical Critieisnu- ~ 4 > n > John xii . 81 , S 2 »
-
-
Citation
-
Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1818, page 268, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2475/page/44/
-