meeting friends and mixing in a crowd, and him who had the straitening consciousness of a message which he must bear, of a baptism which he must be baptized with.”--(_Maurice._)--=The world cannot hate you=, etc. Comp. chaps. 15:18; 17:14; 1 John 3:13; Luke 6:26. He that would preach the gospel of salvation to the world must first testify of it that its deeds are evil. The Holy Spirit convinces the world of righteousness only after convincing it of sin (John 16:8, 9). For illustrations of Christ’s preaching against the works of the world, see Matt. 5:20; 6:1, 2, 5, 16; 7:22; 11:16-24; 12:39-15; Luke 6:46; 10:12-16; 11:45-54; 12:54-57, etc. A study of the preaching of Christ and the apostles, and of the writings of Paul, will show that the divine method is always to convince of sin as a preparation for proclaiming the good news of salvation from it.--=I go not unto this feast.= The word yet is not in the original, though it probably correctly interprets the real meaning of Christ’s answer. This was not, =I shall not go= (future), but, =I am not now going= (present). Perhaps Christ did not know whether he should go or not; he who acted constantly under the guidance of the Divine Spirit may not have received guidance on this point. It would at all events have defeated his purpose to have gone up with those who were determined that he should make an exhibition of himself and his work. There is no ground for either the reproach that he deceived his brethren, or that he acted in a fickle manner in subsequently going up to the feast. 10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then[264] the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? [264] ch. 11:56. 12 And[265] there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. [265] ch. 9:16. 13 Howbeit, no man spake openly of him, for fear of the Jews.