The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-12-22

Sonuory H s1U8U-Omtuot tDo Stoo
Light-Jeha ls1-l<.
!Arrangea from Peloube<'s Select Notes.l
GOLDEN TExT.-In Him was hfe: and
the life vac the light Of men.-John Ia.
THE SECTION includee the whole pro-
hgue. John 1:l-lS
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
l. His Eternal Existence with God
and as God Before he Came Into This
World.-Vs. l, 2. /. I'm the beginning
was the Word" With evident allusion
10 the first word Of Genesis, the primal
beginning of things. But the Word
then already was He was also the ef-
fcient principle, the beginning of the
beginning.-Prof.M NJ. R. Vincent. And
the Word was with Gods" The Greek
proposition here translated with origi-
nally denote. motion towards. and
hence with as the result of the motion.
Not merely as being beside, but rs q
living union and communion; implying
the active notion of intercourse. "And
the Word was God:" This statement
annihilates two errors that might arise:
() That the Word. being with God,
might be inferior. No; He was God,
| none greater than he. (2) That IL equal
to God, there might be two Gods. No;
He Is not one Of two Gods He is God
himself, the One Eternal God.
II. His Previous Works.-V.a. "All
things were made by Him." Through
Him. Creation was His work. His de-
partment. In Genesis. in describing the
creation. the expression "And God Said"
is used eight times. "And without
Him" Apart from Him. "Was not
anything" No, not one mot even
one): stronger than nothing" THAT
was made:" Came into being. All
creation was a revelation of God.
III. The Nature of His Work-to
Give Life and Light-Vs, 4, 5. 4. I'm
Him was life:" He was the well-spring
from which every form of life-physic-
al. intellectual, moral. spiritual eternal
-flows.-Cambridge Bible. "And the
life was the light Of mer:" Life comes
! first. then light. According to Scrip
turc and according to the fastest sci
ence. some energy. some living force
first set tho patcles Of matter into mo-
ton. and the first result was light.
w. The Herald OF His Coming.-Vs.
GO. 8. "A man sent from Gods" AS an
envoy with special commission.
Hence Tie was prophet.
7. "The same came for Witness"
rather, a witnessing, for testimony 'to
bear" in order that he might bear "w1t-
ness OF the Light" because, the light
being spiritual, and mems eyes closed.
or intent on seeing worldly things, they
would not notice the light which shone
in the humble Jesus. THAT all men
through Him might believe" In the
light, first by His witness. and then by
seeing for themselves.
v. Purpose of His Work. To Make
Men the Children and Heirs of God.-
VS.. 1913. 10. He" the Word, the
Light. "Was in the world" In all the
past ages, in every manifestation Of
God. In the history Of the chosen ma
tion, but especially when He appeared
a. the man in Christ Jesus, the Saviour
of the world. This Is one reason why
tho world ought to receive Him, for He
was among men teaching, inviting and
helping them. "And the world was
made by Him.. This is a second rea-
son, for the world of people were His
creatures, made in his image, made to
be like Him in character and destiny,
and under the deepest obligations to
Him. And (yet) the world knew Him
not:" Did not recognize Him as their
Creator, Saviour and King.
II. HE came unto His own" His
own possessions, His inheritance. His
peculiar people, the Jews, whom He
had created whom He had chosen from
the rest of the world. whom He had
trained and cared for as His peculiar
people, and who were His brethren ac-
cording TO the flesh. 'IIis own (even
these) received Him not:" The Greek
word, according to De Wette, means
'to receive into the house."
12. "But as many as received Him."
Accepted Him as their Saviour and
King, acknowledged His claims, and
yielded obedience to His teachings.
"To them gave He power Or. ", the
righO:" The original word combines
the two ideas, both the right and the
power. ITO become the sons (better,
with Il. ", chldrcn) of God:" God
adopts us as children Rom. SIG, ~,
and makes us children by imparting
10 us His own life (John 3:3, 81. Even
to them that believe on His name:"
This shows how everyone may become
child of God. and guards against n
mistaken security, as of those who
might wrongly imagine that because
they were children Of Abraham, there
fore they were children of God.
VI. His Coming Into the World. The
Incarnatior.-V. IA. "And the Word:"
With all the powers and qualifications
described above. WAS made:" Be-
came. See Luke 1:2G-3S; Matt. 1:18-25.
"Flesh:" Human nature in and accord
ing to its corporal manifestation. And
dwelt among u.s." "Tabernacled'
among us, dwelt as in n tent, us the