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f His disciples: —

I. HE FREQUENTLY OCCASIONS THEM. He did so here, and He did so elsewhere, by His symbolical and enigmatical language. We see good reasons for this. It would serve —

1. To impress them with their ignorance — the first step to knowledge.

2. To stimulate their thoughts. It would break the monotony of their minds, and urge them to inquiry. Difficulties are essential to educational work. A school-book mastered becomes obsolete.

II. HE IS ALWAYS ACQUAINTED WITH THEM (ver. 19). No other teacher had such a thorough acquaintance with the unspoken thoughts which coursed through the minds of His hearers. This fact —

1. Should encourage us to search the Scriptures. Our difficulties in understanding ancient authors are not known to them, nor have they the power to help us. But Christ is ready, if we ask Him to yield a satisfactory solution when we study the problems of His Word,

2. Urge us to cultivate sincerity in our thoughts. For us to profess to know things of which we am ignorant, to believe in things of which we are sceptical, is to insult His omniscience. Our prayer should be: "Teach me, O God, and know my heart," &c.

III. HE WILL FURNISH A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION OF THEM IF DESIRED. Because desirous, He gives the disciples the explanation of vers. 20-24; viz. —

1. That His departure would involve them in great sorrow, whilst the world would be rejoicing.

2. That His return will change their sorrow into high joy. That joy —

(1) Will be intensified by their previous distress (ver. 21).

(2) It will be beyond the power of man to take away. A man may take away your property, health, life, but your joy never.

(3) It will be associated with the power of obtaining all spiritual blessings from the Father.

(D. Thomas D. D.)

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KJV: A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

WEB: A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me."