Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/638

 He says  again:  “No  man  shall  pluck  My  sheep  out  of  My  Hand.” No one  is  stronger  than  He;  and  therefore  He  ascribes  to  Himself  a might  superhuman  or  divine.

He says,  lastly:  “I  and  the  Father  are  one”;  one  in  power,  one in nature. There are  two  Persons,  indeed,  I and  the  Father;  but  only One Being,  One  God. The same  truth  of  the  unity  of  nature  of  the Father and  the  Son  is  further  expressed  by  the  words:  “The  Father  is in  Me,  and  I in  the  Father.”  On  these  words  St.  Cyril  writes  thus:  “The effect of  this  unity  of  the  Divine  Nature  is  that  the  Son  is  in  the  Father, and the  Father  in  the  Son. Even as  the  sun  is  in  the  ray  which  proceeds from  it,  and  the  ray  is  in  the  sun  from  which  it  proceeds,  so  is the  Son  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  the  Son; and  they,  being  two Divine Persons,  are  One  God,  existing  for  and  in  one  another  by  the unity of  their  Divine  Nature.”

The Jews  understood  perfectly  well  that  by  these  words  our  Lord ascribed to  Himself  the  Divine  Power  and  Nature,  or,  in  other  words, that He  called  Himself  the  real  Son  of  God. They reproached  Him with making  Himself  God,  and  wished  to  stone  Him  as  a blasphemer. Had the  Jews  understood  His  words  wrongly,  He  would  have  said  “I am not  God”,  in  the  same  way  as  St.  John  the  Baptist  said  “I  am  not the Christ”  (chapter  XI). Jesus, however,  retracted  none  of  His  words, but, on  the  contrary,  reproached  the  Jews  for  not  believing  them.

2.  The testimony  of  our  Lord's  miracles. Our  Lord  appealed  to His  wonderful  works  as  a proof  of  His  divine  power,  and  as  a means whereby the  Jews  might  know  that  “the  Father  was  in  Him  and  He  in the  Father”. This shows  us  that  our  Lord’s  chief  aim  in  working miracles was  to  induce  men  to  believe  in  His  divine  mission  and  in the  truth  of  His  doctrine. Even as  He  spoke,  He  confirmed  His testimony by  a fresh  miracle,  disappearing  from  the  midst  of  His  infuriated enemies  when  they  were  on  the  point  of  laying  hands  on  Him.

3. The testimony  of  our  Lord's  holiness, which  was  a further  proof of the  truth  of  His  words,  and  therefore  of  His  divine  nature. Even His enemies,  who  hated  Him,  could  not  reproach  Him  with  any  evil deed, but  admitted  by  their  silence,  when  He  appealed  to  them,  that He had  never  done  anything  but  good.

Excite in  your  hearts  a living  faith  in  your Divine Saviour. He is  the  Eternal  Son  of  God,  who,  by  His Omnipotence, created  the  world,  and  for  love  of  you  became Man, and suffered  Himself  to  be  blasphemed  and  persecuted! Hold fast  to  Him,  and  you  will  not  be  lost,  but  will  attain  to everlasting  life. No power  in  the  world  can  snatch  you  from  Him, unless you  separate  yourself  from  Him  by  mortal  sin. Die rather than commit  a mortal  sin!