27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father--He does not say,
They are revealed--as to one who knew them not, and was an entire
stranger to them save as they were discovered to Him--but, They are
"delivered over," or "committed," to Me of My Father; meaning the whole
administration of the kingdom of grace. So in
Joh 3:35,
"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand"
(see on
Joh 3:35).
But though the "all things" in both these passages refer properly to
the kingdom of grace, they of course include all things necessary to
the full execution of that trust--that is, unlimited power. (So
Mt 28:18;
Joh 17:2;
Eph 1:22).
and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man
the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will--willeth
to reveal him--What a saying is this, that "the Father and the Son
are mutually and exclusively known to each other!" A higher claim to
equality with the Father cannot be conceived. Either, then, we have here
one of the revolting assumptions ever uttered, or the proper divinity of
Christ should to Christians be beyond dispute. "But, alas for me!" may
some burdened soul, sighing for relief, here exclaim. If it be thus with
us, what can any poor creature do but lie down in passive despair,
unless he could dare to hope that he may be one of the favored class
"to whom the Son is willing to reveal the Father." But nay. This
testimony to the sovereignty of that gracious "will," on which alone
men's salvation depends, is designed but to reveal the source and
enhance the glory of it when once imparted--not to paralyze or shut the
soul up in despair. Hear, accordingly, what follows:
JFB.
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