And what was the answer but a reproof, that to discern nothing more than mortal in the Son was not to know the Son; and that to descry the divine under the veil of his human nature, was to see the Father in the Son. "Have I," saith he, "been so long with thee, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?" Dost thou not see the brightness of the Father shining in me, and behold the divine power, and wisdom, and goodness? He that is to mortal eye invisible, is no otherwise to be known than as he stands revealed in me and by me, and "he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father."

It might seem of itself an inconceivable, but why should it be thought "a thing incredible," with you? Does not St. John, in his first chapter, say, "All things were made by Him; and without him was not any thing made that was made?" Doth not the apostle describe him as "the only-begotten of the Father, the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person?" And doth not our Lord himself explain it in the same manner upon another occasion, "I 6 Verse 9. 7 Hebrews i. 3.

and the Father are one?" believe me, saith he, upon my own word, "that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the

very works' sake:"8 my works are his-my words are his; by me the world was made-by me all things are upheld; and, as a proof of this, he adds, "after I am ascended to the Father, you shall be enabled to do even greater works than what you have seen (alluding to the power of preaching the word everywhere, which they should receive from on high)

nay, whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do."

The mystical union of the persons in the godhead can hardly be more fully expressed; and the words seem repeated, as if the more strongly to impress it, and to remove all doubts of his having the same essence and power with God himself: "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."

Assurances of such sort, scattered casually, as it were, throughout the scriptures, are a strong confirmation of the belief which a Christian ought

to have, and might serve to increase both his humility and his adoration; for in the nature, as well as in the ways of God "he knoweth not now, but he shall know hereafter," and on the word of God he may for the present be content to rely; he may not (we are told that angels do not fully) know all the mysteries of redemption; he may not know how Christ was in the Father and the Father in Him; nor all the reasons or modes of his being "the advocate with the Father,' any more than "the propitiation for our sins;" but, believing that upon these depend the means of his salvation, even in their awful obscurity he may find fresh cause for silent and devout thankfulness (and for earnestness, too, to be a partaker of their mercies), and he may learn from them two of the most important lessons, viz. the vanity of our presumptuous reasonings, and the grandeur of our destiny.

But these great truths our Saviour relieves, as it were, and turns the attention of his disciples to their practical inference (enough for man to know, and in following which he cannot err), and the infinite condescension and love of

E

that Being, whose nature is so incomprehensible, are urged as the prevailing motive for our obedience-" if ye love me, keep my commandments;"10 this will be a surer test, and a more acceptable expression of your regard to me than any trouble or concern at parting with me, and it will ensure you a blessing after I am gone, for "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter (which shall not leave you as I do, but) which shall abide with you for ever."

This was the aid wherewith the apostles were endued, when, on the day of Pentecost, it visibly descended on them, and whereby they were enabled to "go forth and preach the word every where," founding the Church of Christ.

But it is an aid which is also given to every true believer; which we are instructed to ask for in prayer; and which still is promised as a necessary and an effectual support in all our dangers and adversities-for what he saith to his disciples he saith to every Christian that asks for it, "I will not leave you comfortless, but I

will come unto you,' "12 (by my spiritual presence) and make you my peculiar care: “yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more, 13 but with you I shall always continue to live-you shall see me with the eye of faith—you shall find my divine spirit going with you, enlightening your path, and enabling you to go on in it rejoicing; for he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him."14

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Of the sensible manifestations of the Deity to our souls, of the modes by which he imparts his Spirit, or the degree in which he does so, it might be neither wise nor possible for us to judge that he does so, is plain, and we can no more doubt this agency than we can his power or providence; and as there seem sometimes manifest and merciful interpositions of his providence and power, so may there, for the purposes of Almighty wisdom, be of his spirit; but in these, in claiming, or in waiting for experiences of these, or in declaring that we have had them, we should be careful lest we deceive ourselves,