It is undoubtedly right to connect the beginning of this chapter with the latter verses of the preceding one. '_Now when He was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in man._' I must ask you here, as everywhere else in St. John, to substitute the word _signs_ for _miracles_. Our unfortunate adoption of this last word--which cannot be referred, as some of our careless translations may be, to the following of the Vulgate, for it has _signs_--has sadly weakened and perplexed the Evangelist's statements. _Here_, for instance, he does not tell us _what_ the acts of Christ were which were done at the passover. He does not say whether He healed the sick, or cast out devils. He fixes our attention on this point,--that the acts were received by many of those who were gathered at the feast as signs. '_They believed on His name._' The word _name_, in every part of Scripture, expresses that which is invisible. It is the contrast to an idol, or that which may be seen. Even idolaters recognised the _name_ of the god as that which was expressed by the outward image, as that which only the mind could recognise. We cannot, then, give less force to the phrase, '_They believed on His name_,' than this,--they confessed a power within Him which put forth these outward manifestations of itself. We should not try to be more definite when we are describing the vague feelings of a people. One moment they might think, '_Some_ divine power is at work in Him; He is _a_ Prophet.' At another, 'He is _the_ Deliverer, the King we are looking for.' The passover was a time at which such opinions were most likely to be discussed, when parties were most likely to be formed about any new leader. The words which follow, '_But Jesus did not commit Himself to them_,' indicate, I think, that such a party was ready to gather itself round Him. He did not covet their support. He did not show the least desire to make use of their services, as one claiming to be the Christ might have done. But the language was capable of another sense. It might denote the caution of a chieftain who was waiting till he had sounded the dispositions of his followers, till he had assurance from some competent witnesses of their fidelity. The notion of such prudence in One who came to give His life for the world, of such need of information in Him whose life was the light of men, was utterly revolting. St. John adds, that the reason of His not committing Himself to this party was, '_that He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify concerning Man: for He knew what was in Man_.' They were not to discern and choose Him; He was to discern and choose them. He was not a King that a faction was to set up; He was the original Lord of men--ruling them not as a stranger, not as one who is