"lilee, and defired him, faying, Sir, we "would see Jesus.

"22. Philip cometh and telleth An"drew and again Andrew and Philip "tell Jefus.

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23. And Jesus answered them, fay"ing, The hour is come, that the Son of "man should be glorified.

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24. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the

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ground, and die, it abideth alone: but "if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 66 25. He that loveth his life fhall lofe "it; and he that hateth his life in this "world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26. If any man ferve me, let him fol"low me; and where I am,

"alfo my fervant be: if

there fhall

any man serve 66 me, him will my Father honour."

These Greeks are supposed by some to have been dispersed Jews; but by others, with more probability, Gentiles, who, by converfing with the Jews, had learned the worship of the true God; and though that knowledge

knowledge would teach them that God is every where, and that he must be worshipped in spirit and in truth, yet they might find ftrong reafons to induce them to go to Jerusalem: we may find one in Exodus, (chap. xx. ver. 24.) where the Lord promiseth, "In all places where I "record my name, I will come unto thee, " and I will blefs thee." Another might be, that, by going to worship at Jerufalem, they made the most public acknowledgement of their faith, and manifefted their reverence in him to all the world.. Strangers frequently came from different parts of the world, upon the fame errand. In the eighth chapter of The Acts of the Apostles, we have an account of an eunuch of great authority and confequence, who came from Ethiopia to worship at Jerufalem neither the distance nor fatigue of fo great a journey could affright him from his duty we may fee by perufing the account, how greatly his pious zeal was rewarded, by admiffion into the Chriftian faith. From the earnest and eager Hhh 2 defire

defire he fhewed immediately to embrace Christianity, we have every reason to suppose that he was one of its earliest and brightest ornaments in his own country. There can be no doubt but he endeavored

to make himself perfectly acquainted with the new religion he had embraced: and the more it is known, the more lovely and defirable will it appear. Zephaniah prophefies of fuch journies, chap. iii. ver. 1ð. "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopía,

my fuppliants, even the daughter of "my difperfed, fhall bring mine offering."

Neither Philip nor Andrew chofe to introduce thefe Greeks to their master, until they had firft acquainted him who they were that defired admittance: this adds ftrength to the fuppofition of their being Gentiles: Chrift's death and refurrection were to be glorified by the Gelltile world as well as by the Jews.

Nothing can be more apt or impreffive than the fimile our Lord here makes ufe of, to thew the benefit to be derived to mankind by his death. Acorn of wheat' produceth

produceth no fruit, except it die; but if it die, produces abundantly: fo the death of Christ was neceffary to remove the wrath of God against finners, and to reflore them to the capacity of enjoying that state of happiness originally intended for them by their gracious Creator:-I fay to the capacity; because it must still depend upon themselves whether they will benefit by the proffered grace; as we are told, in the following verfes, He that preferreth the goods of this life to his immortal happiness, will furely forfeit all claim to the latter; whilft he who despiseth them, nay, even life itfelf, when fet in competition with his eternal welfare, will enfure to himfelf the promised reward. Our Lord has affured us, that, if we endeavor to the utmost of our power to follow the example he has left us (and the best amongst us must fall infinitely fhort of the bright original), we shall be honored of the Father, and obtain a place in our Saviour's kingdom.

"27. Now is my foul troubled; and "what fhall I fay? Father, fave me from "this hour: but for this caufe came I

unto this hour.

"28. Father, glorify thy name.

Then "came there a voice from Heaven, faying, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify " it again.

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29. The people, therefore, that ftood

by, and heard it, said, that it thun"dered: others faid, An angel fpake to ❝ him.

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30. Jefus answered and faid, This "voice came not because of me, but for your fakes."

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Our Saviour was troubled' when the time drew near that he, in our nature and flead, was to fuffer for the fins of the whole world; for though he willingly offered himself as our atonement, yet, having all the infirmities of our nature, (fin, only, excepted) the fufferings that awaited him in that nature must have been a burden which no lefs a perfon than the Son

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