SERMONS VPON A PART OF THE FIRST CHAP. OF THE GOSPELL OF S. IOHN PREACHED BY ANTONY WOTTON in the Parish Church of Alhallowes Barking in London and now by him published 2. COR. 5. 20. Now then are wee Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God AT LONDON Printed by H. L. for SAMVELL MACHAM and are to be sould at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Bull-head An. 1609. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE AND OBEDIENCE I Haue at the last yeelded to the request of some friends for the publishing of those Sermons which I preached some yeeres since Of what vse they will proue to the Church of God his blessing vpon the carefull reading thereof will in time discouer For my part I haue laboured by the penning and setting of them foorth to bring some helpe to the better vnderstanding of the Gospell to cleere such matters as offer themselues to be considered and to furder all men that will vouchsafe the reading of them in the knowledge of the mystery of our redemption and in the fruits of true sanctification If any man that heard them deliuered by worde of mouth finde some difference betwixt that which then I spake and this which now I write it may please him to vnderstand that I had but some very short notes of my former Sermons and happely my second thoughts haue afforded me by the blessing of God some better knowledge of the Euangelists purpose and meaning Their extraordinary length must bee imputed to the swiftnesse of my speech If I go forward in the expounding of this Gospell it is my purpose to doe it rather by way of Commentary for instruction then by discourse for exhortation vnlesse it doe appeare that this manner of writing which I haue now vsed bee of greater profite to the Church of God to the seruice wherof I haue vowed my poore labours The same God of his infinite mercy vouchsafe his gratious blessing vpon them to the glory of his owne name the furdering of the saluation of his children and the increase of my comfort in the faithfull discharge of that duty which I am desirous to performe to the vttermost of my small power Aprill 11. 1609. Thine assured in the Lord Iesus ANTONY WOTTON THE FIRST SERMON vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Iohn Chapter 1. Ver. 1. 2. 1. In the beginning was the VVord the Word was with God and the VVord was God 2. The same was in the beginning with God c. 3. 4. 5. THE whole Scripture conteined in the bookes of the Olde and Newe Testament a 2. Pet. 1. 21 beeing penned by holy men as they were mooued by the holy Ghost must needs be in euery part of like authority and certainty For what difference in these points can there be reasonably imagined where one and the same Authour God himselfe giueth immediately both warrant to write and direction in writing Adde herevnto that the maine matter of both and the chiefe end of the Lord in both is all one namely the knowledge of our Redemption by the sacrifice of the promised Messiah Iesus Christ Onely herein doth the later excell the former that it b 2. Pet. 1. 19 deliuereth this great mysterie of Reconciliation more particularly and more cleerely In this respect is c Mat. 11. 11 the office of Iohn Baptist preferd before the calling of all the Prophets that went before him yet made inferior to the ministery of the Gospel that was to follow him Iohn was more then a Prophet yet he that is least in the kingdom of Heauen is greater then he Then are we vtterly without excuse if the measure of our knowledge in the doctrine of our euerlasting saluation be not answerable in some proportion to the meanes thereof in this cleere light of teaching Let vs therefore I beseech you with reuerence and good conscience stirre vp both our soules and bodies to the learning of that which doth so neerely concerne vs and is so plainly plentifully manifested by our Sauiour his Apostles in these books of the new Testament Of which that I may in this entrance to my labor say somewhat of them all in generall some are historicall some doctrinall The historicall books declare matters of fact the sayings and doings of God angells and men Some of them report of things past which is the proper office of an history And of this kind are the fiue first books the fowre Gospels containing the discourse of our Sauiour Christs life death resurrection and ascension one booke of the Acts or doings of the Apostles the other historicall book is the Reuelation wherin by way of prophecie concerning things to come the estate of the Church of Christ till the ende of the world is most truely wonderfully described Those treatises of the new Testament which I call doctrinall are such as were written by the Apostles for the instruction of the Church of God commonly called Epistles because they were sent sent I say to them who had already receiued and professed the Gospell But of these I shal say more if it please God in my exposition of the Epistle to the Romans 1. Now as for those bookes which we call the Gospells we are to vnderstand that the generall matter of them all fowre is an history of those things that Iesus did and taught while hee continued here in the world as it is euident by d Act. 1. 1 S. Luke and this our e Ioh. 20. 30. 21. 25 Euangelist But whereas they name expresly no more but his sayings and doings we must knowe that his sufferings or the things that befell him in this life are also comprised in them according to the course of an historie What is more common in the books of kings then such speeches as these f 1. King 14. 19 Ieroboams acts g 29. Rehoboams acts h 15. 31 The residue of the acts of Nadab and all that he did are they not written in the bookes of the Chronicles of the kings of Israell Yet who is ignorant that these histories containe also besides their deedes a rehearsall as of other matters concerning them so namely of their death either naturall or violent 2 But let vs come neerer to this our Euangelist First to the title of the book then to the historie it self Touching the former although i Tertullian lib. 4 contra Marcian cap. 2 I doe not holde all the titles of the books of the new Testament to be as those of the Psalms are parts of the Canonical Scripture endited by the holy Ghost but only directions added by men to giue notice of the Authours and to shew in generall of what kinde they are yet surely they are for the most part taken out of the books themselues The writings of the Apostles haue warrant of that name Epistles not onely because
In this signification when the matter is of beleeuing God to iustification saluation sometimes the word is vsed by it selfe sometimes it hath an other word which we call a preposition ioined with it Of the former sort these may be examples Ioh. 5. 24. Hee that heareth my word and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life What is this beleeuing but that which we heard of euen now out of the Apostle Hee that beleeueth in him that iustifieth the wicked and that Rom. 45. which we are to heare of if it please God in the course of this Gospell yee beleeue in God The like is to bee said Ioh. 14. 1. of that in the Acts of the Iaylor He reioiced that he with all his housholde beleeued God Would you knowe what Act. 15. 34. beleefe this was We may learne that out of the Apostles former instruction and exhortation Beleeue in the Verse 31. Lord Iesus Christ There is yet a plainer testimony then this if any thing can be plainer in the same book where S. Luke writing the history of Crispus and his conuersion to the faith speaketh thus And Crispus the cheefe ruer Chap. 18. 8. of the Synagogue beleeued the Lord. The Lord that is our Sauiour Christ had not spoken to him but the Apostle Paul had taught him the doctrine of the Gospel that he was to beleeue in Iesus Christ for saluation To this he obayed and therefore is said to beleeue the Lord that is to beleeue in him When the prepositions are added the signification of the word is more fully exprest The most common and vsuall whereof wee haue very many examples in this Gospell is In. His Disciples beleeued in him Trusted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 2. 11. Chap. 3. 16. to him as to the Messiah That whosoeuer beleeues in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting VVhosoeuer resteth vpon him for saluation Almost euery Chapter affords vs the like examples so do the other bookes of the newe Testament especially the Epistle to the Romans that I may spare time and labour and hasten to the other preposition which though it bee vsed more seldome yet is most significant It is as much in english as vpon or on It was known throughout all Ioppa and many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 9. 42. beleeued vpon or on him That is many rested vpon him for Saluation VVhat must I doe to bee saued saith Chap. 16. 30. Verse 31. the Iaylour Paul and Silas answered him Beleeue on or vpon the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued But no one place doth so plainely and fully expresse the nature of this phrase as that to the Romans Behold Rom 9. 33. I lay in Syon a stumbling stone and a rock of offence and euery one that beleeueth on it shall not bee ashamed Heere our Sauiour is compared to a Rocke at which many doe stumble not acknowledging him to bee the Messiah but seeking other meanes to saue themselues by This Simeon foretold of our Sauiour that hee should be an occasion of falling to many in Israell But Luk. 2. 34. they that shall settle themselues vpon that rocke and renounce all other causes and meanes of attaining to euerlasting life shall neuer be asham'd of that their trust in him but shall come to the ende of their hope euen the eternall saluation of their soules by him So that if any man be desirous or willing to vnderstand what it is to beleeue in Christ this one place may giue him ful satisfaction out of which as it hath beene shewed hee may learne that it is nothing else but to cast himselfe vpon Christ to bee iustified and saued by him Thevse of the worde being as hath beene said so diuerse in what sense shall we take it in this text That we shall knowe by vnderstanding what it was that Iohn laboured to perswade men to by his preaching For wee haue learned that his witnesse beareing was Teaching and wee see heere that the ende of his teaching was Beleefe that all men might beleeue What was this beleeuing Onely an aslenting to the truth of that which they heard Iohn deliuer If that had beene all surely hee would neuer haue taken so much paines and spent so much time in exhorting all men to consider their owne estate and in convincing them of sinne that they might finde in what neede they stood of deliuerance by the Messiah But that I may make as short as I can wee may fetch the aunswere to this doubt from the Apostle Paul who thus describes the office and doctrine of Iohn the Baptist Iohn verely baptized Act. 19. 4. with the baptisme of repentance saith the Apostle saying vnto the people that they should beleeue in him which should come after him that is in Christ Iesus So then whereas our Euangelist tells vs that the ende of Iohns comming was that all men shoulde beleeue hee giues vs to vnderstand that hee taught men the mystery of redemption by Christ though not so distinctly as it was afterwarde deliuered with a purpose and desire that they shoulde take our Sauiour CHRIST for the Messiah and rest vpon him that their sinnes might bee taken away Beholde saith hee the lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world It is true that beleeuing properly signifieth no more but giuing credit or assenting to the truth but seeing wee finde the ende of Iohns preaching to reach farder then so wee must needs hold that the other degrees of beleeuing are implied in this one and first step to faith by which we are iustified The like we are to conceiue of the word wheresoeuer in the new Testament wee finde that ascribed to beleeuing which cannot be attain'd to but by faith in Christ I wil indeavor to make this plaine by an example or two He Mark 16. 16. that beleeueth is baptized shall be saued What is meant here by beleeuing Nothing but assenting to that which the Apostles taught in regard of the truth thereof But that cannot bring saluation to any man which is not to be obtain'd without resting vpon Christ for iustification Therefore to beleeue in that text of Mark is as much as to beleeue in Christ or to rely vpō Christ for saluation Dost thou beleeue in the Sonne of God saith Ioh. 9. 35. our Sauiour to the man whome hee had before restored to his sight He answered and said Who is hee Lord that I may beleeue in him And Iesus said Both thou hast seene him he it is that talketh with thee Then he said Lord I beleeue What did he beleeue That Christ was the Son of God Was that all Our Sauiour asked him if hee did beleeue in the Sonne of God Had it beene sufficient for him to professe that he beleeued him to be the Sonne of God No sure But it behoued him for the answering of the question to affirme that he beleeued in him
that should be written VVhat worlde may bee said to containe or not to containe but the space of heauen and earth Sometimes it is taken more particularly for the earth where men liue and this Mat. 4. 8. is very common The Deuill shewed our Sauiour all the kingdomes of the world As long as I am in the worlde saith our Sauiour I am the light of the worlde Ioh. 9. 5. In what worlde was our Lorde when hee said so Heere on earth amonge men whose light hee vvas Into this worlde hee sent his disciples Goe into all Mat. 28. 15. the worlde that is into all partes and coastes of the earth To this signification of the worde belonges that in the verse next before and such other places Euery man that commeth into the world that is Verse 9. Ioh. 16. 21. borne In an other text it is more plaine A woman when shee is deliuered of child remembreth her anguish no more for ioy that a man is borne into the world These significations are common and well knowne as comming neere to the ordinary and first vse of the worde Besides these it is very often taken more especially or Men who are the principall parts of the world and for whome the whole was made VVhen the worlde 1. Cor. 1 21. in the wisedome of God knewe not God by wisedome Knowledge is proper to men and belongeth not to any other of these visible creatures God was in Christ 2. Cor. 5. 19. reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes To whome are sinnes forgiuen but to men Who are reconciled vnto God by Christ but men IIee tooke Heb. 2. 16. not the Angells who shall euer remaine vnreconciled But hee tooke the seede of Abraham Thus the world signifieth in generall all kinde of men whatsoeuer But because that naturally men are naught and wickked the worde is sometimes put in particular for the wicked and almost for wickednesse You are of the world saith our Sauiour to the Iewes that woulde Ioh 8. 23. 77. not beleeue I am not of this worlde The worlde cannot hate you saith hee in an other place but mee it hateth They are of the worlde saith Saint Iohn of tâ—e false teachers that denyed Iesus to bee come 1. Ioh. 4. 5 in the flesh Therefore speake they of the vvorlde and the world heareth them In this respect is the Deuill called the Prince of the worlde Yea the world is as it Ioh 12. 31. 1. Ioh. 2. 16. were the fountaine of naughtinesse All that is in the worlde saith Iohn as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the worlde I may adde in the last place that the riches honours pleasures and such like that the worlde affordes are tearmed sometimes by the name of the worlde though they bee not so much partes as appurtenances thereof VVhat should it profit a man though he should winne the whole worlde if hee lose his owne Mar. 8. 36. soule VVhat is this whole worlde but the honours pleasures and riches of the world But I haue stood too long vpon this matter Let vs now apply it to our present purpose for the vnderstanding of the holy Ghosts meaning But we cannot certainely determine in what sense the world is here spoken of till we knowe of what being in the world the Euangelist is to be vnderstood Now our Lord may be said to haue beene in the worlde in two respects either as he was God or as he was the Messiah In the former sense he was alwaies and is still and euer shall bee after the same sort in the world In the later he was not in the world till he tooke flesh of the Virgin his mother nor since his ascension into heauen As God by his prouidence power and wisdome he maintaines and gouernes al things As the Messiah he taught and informed the world of his Fathers will touching the saluation of mankind His being in the world as God was and is for the preseruation of naturall life His presence as Messiah was to bring supernaturall life by the light of grace Whether of the two is it moâ—e likely the holy Ghost meaneth in this place If we vnderstand it of the former seeing hee speakes not of the nature of the Godhead which is the same in all three persons but of the person of the Sonne how can the world be iustly condemned for not knowing him wheÌ„ he was present For it is a rul'd case in diuinity that the mystery of the Trinity cannot bee discerned by the light of nature or gathered from any contemplation of the creatures It is true indeed that since it pleased God to reueale this incomprehensible secret many men haue labored to set forth the point by similitudes and to apply somethings in the creatures to the manifesting of the trinity in vnity But all the light they bringe to this point is such as rather shewes that themselues were perswaded of that truth then is of force to conuince their Iudgement that will not beleeue In one worde they giue vs to vnderstand that such a thing in likelyhood maye bee they doe not demonstrate that of necessity it must bee As for those shadowes of this mystery which seeme toly hid heere and there in the writinges of some Philosophers neither are they sufficient to argue that the penners of those books acquainted with the doctrine of the Trinitie and they are so sparingly and fearfully deliuered that a man may easily see they were altogether vncertaine of the truth and almost of the meaning of that they writ And in what authors doe wee meete with any shewe of these matters but onely in theÌ„ who profess they receiued their instruction from the Egyptians and Chaldeans who learned those points by Tradition from Noah and so from Adam to whom God reuealed the knowledge thereof or else are knowne to haue beene the Schollers of the Hebrewes from time to time Neither doth it suite well with the course of our Euangelists writing to expound this being in the world of such naturall maintaining thereof For the whole discourse from the beginning of the fourth verse as I haue shewed is a description of the Messiah Such was the life that wee haue in him such the light wee receiue from him wholly supernaturall Of that Iohn beares witnesse not of his creating or preseruing all thinges That was it which he laboured to haue all men beleeue That is the thing which our Euangelist denies of the Baptist Hee was not the light In regard of that is our Sauiour called the true light Who shall perswade mee then to apply this verse to his diuine power of preseruation and not to the gratious worke of his medâ—ation especially considering the next verse is generally for the most part so interpreted and as it is apparant by the verse following ought to be Wherfore I willingly subscribe
long continued negligence To which purpose I haue especially made choice of this piece of Scripture If any man pretende the hardnesse of the matter what is more easie or more pleasant then a story If any man despise the plainenesse of it as a thing not worth his labour because a storie what is more strange or mysticall then such a Storie The Gospell is the easiest part of the Newe Testament But the Gospell of Saint Iohn is the hardest part of all the Euangelists writings yea I dare boldelie saie it because I am sure I shall speake it truely there is no one part of all the Scripture setting allegories and prophecies not fulfilled apart that conteines matters more needefull or more hard to be knowen then this present Gospell or message of ioyfull tydings brought to vs by the holy Euangelist the beloued Disciple of our Sauiour Christ 2. Of whome that I may speake a little for the farder inciting of vs to hearken diligently to that hee writes first I will entreat of his person then of his writing That which k 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 the Apostle Peter sayth of the olde Testament that no prophecie of the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation but that holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost is also to bee applied to the writings of the newe Testament which proceeded from the same spirit of God by the like inspiring and directing as it is confessed by all both Protestants and Papists that make any profession of Christian Religion For the Apostles of our Sauiour Christ were the Penners of all these books saue l The Gospells of S Marke and S. Luke and the Acts. three and m Ioh. 16. 13 to them the holy Ghost was both promised by him to leade them into all truth and n Act. 2. 3. 4 accordingly sent so that there can be no question but the new Testament as well as the olde is the certaine truth of God equall in authority superior in plainnesse knowledge of particulars belonging to euerlasting saluation But you wil demand perhaps how we may be assured that the Apostles were the immediate Authors of these books First we haue the same proof of the new Testament that wee haue of the Olde the ioynt consent of Christians in all ages from time to time Secondly who seeth not the admirable prouidence of God in preseruing these bookes in such glorious reputation maugre the power malice of the mighty ones of this world their great master Satan Thirdly who can be so shamlesse as to deny or suspect the credit of those auncient Christians who liuing in the Apostles times might did certainely knowe either by o Gal. 6. 11 Col. 4. 18. 2. Thes 3. 17 1. Cor 16. 21 the hand or by some marks which the Apostles vsed as it were signing and sealing or by enquirie of the Apostles themselues that those bookes were indeed of their writing From them this knowledge came to their next successors and successiuely to vs that now liue by such a generall consent of so many thousands in all ages that it were more then impudencie to make question of the matter howsoeuer our Papists in these dayes to make all men depende on them that they may shew themselues to be Antichristian will haue the assurance of this point as of all other matters of faith to be fetcht from them that now liue from the authority of the Church of Rome that now is I may say the like of those other 3. Bookes the Gospels of Mark and Luke and the Acts of the Apostles which were acknowledged by the first Christians to thaue been endited by the spirit of God and as p August prolog in Ioan. it is recorded by some to haue beene approued for such by the Apostle S. Iohn who doubtlesse liuing till after the decease of all them that are saide and belieued to be the writers of these and the other books of the new Testament would haue disclaim'd the authority of thē informed the Church against them if he had not certainly knowen that they were al the holy Ghosts owne enditing But it is not my purpose nor is it necessarie to that I haue in hand to dispute this question onely it seemed to me not amisse to speake thus much in this entrance as it were by the way to preuent such obiections as might perhaps disquiet the mindes of some not so thoroughly setled For whose better satisfaction I will add that which is of most importance namely the matter conteined in these books which is apparantly such for the substance of it as the heart and head of man were neuer able to deuise yea such witnesse q 1. Cor. 2. 9. 10 the holy Apostle Saint Paul as neither ey hath seene eare hath heard nor euer came into any mans heart But God hath reueiled it to vs by his Spirit which searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God This strangenesse of the matter is seconded in them that beleeue to saluation by an vnspeakeaioy and comfort in their soules conceiued vpon a feeling of the pardon of their sins and a certaine hope of euerlasting happinesse in the life to come In the last place comes the testimony of the spirit of God which as it were the broade seale makes vp the assurance both of the matter and the bookes in which it is comprised If you aske me how I can discern the witnesse of the Spirit from the illusion of Satan and the imagination of mine owne brain giue me leaue also to demand a like question of you How could the Prophets whose ministery it pleased the holy Ghost to vse from time to time make a difference betwixt the motions of the Lord himselfe and the suggestions you mention were they any more able to express this power of discerning then the faithfull now are I grant they could make proofe of their calling and the reuelations they had by a miraculous foretelling of things to come But neither were those prophesies any certaine proofes till the euent confirmed the truth of them and my question remaines still vnanswered How they could discerne that the things which they prophecied of were reuealed to them by God and not suggested by any deceitfull working of the diuel Beare with mee I beseech you if I a little forget my selfe in a matter of such importance and difficulty wherein I would be yet more bolde with your patience but that I trust and purpose to handle this point more at large vpon some iuster occasion hereafter The conclusion is that no reasonable man much more that no Christian may without great inciuility or weakenesse of faith make any question of the truth of these books which haue continued in estimation and authority by the space of so many hundred years in despight of so many so learned and so mighty enemies whereas the doctrine it self by which through the power of God it hath and doth
him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him That his gratious reguard of man whom the Lord sets in the next place to himselfe may the better appeare as the first worke of Creation was for his seruice so the second of Regeneration was for his saluation This wee learne of our Euangelist q Ioh. 20. 31. who tels vs that the ende of writing the Gospell was That wee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that by beleeuing wee might haue life through his name See I pray you how Saint Iohn hath loyned these two endes together the former is the glorifying of Iesus Christ as the Sonne of God the later the procuring life to men by faith in him According to these two endes the Euangelist hath framed this beginning of his Gospell First r Ioh. 1. 1. 2. he describes Iesus Christ vnto vs as hee is in himselfe God euerlasting Then hee shewes what hee is to vs. A creator of vs when wee were nothing a Sauiour to vs when Ver. 3. wee were worse then nothing Of the former points we haue heard out of the three former verses now of the Ver 4. 5. later out of these two that follow Whereof wee may sitly make these two parts a description of the Messiah as the aâ—tor of Life in the fourth verse and the former part of the fift His intertainment by men in the later part of the same verse In the description oâ—r Euangelist declareth first what hee was in the nature of his mediation verse 4. then what in regard of the effect verse 5. Concerning the nature of that his office two points are to bee considered First that In him was life 2. that That life was the light of men The effect is that The light shineth in darkenesse But how was this light intertaind Or rather this light found no entertainement The darkenesse comprehended it not Now for the better vnderstanding of these points First according to my custome I wil examine the words then expound the meaning of the Text. For the wordes in the first clause for I will take euery one seuerally by it selfe we must consider both what life the Euangelist speaks of and why hee speakes in that manner saying In him was life Why hee sayth In him was life rather then He was life why was rather then Is seeing it is as true and plaine that Hee is life as that life was in him But what is this life hee speakes of Looke not that I should trouble you or my selfe with refuting or so much as reciting the diuers strange interpretatioÌ„s of Heretickes foolishly grounded vpon that manner of reading which couples the former part of this verse with the later ende of the third That which was made was life in him I shewed in my last exercise that if this had beene intended by the Euangelist hee would rather haue said All things that were made were life in him Surely the manifold and different expositions that so many heretickes haue made of these wordes so read and the absurd errors and blasphemies they haue gathered from them may well seeme a sufficient reason to discredite such a kinde of reading as hath no better warrant then the coniectures of men Howsoeuer the vulgar Latine retaine it with the mislike of many learned Papists Å¿ August in Ioa. tract 1. Ambrosde fide lib. 3. cap. 3. and in Psal 36. Theophyl ad Ioa. 1. The Manichees deuis'd two senerall and almost contrarie interpretations of them The Arians a third The Macedonians a fourth Heracleon a fist and euerie one of these an erroneous doctrine sutable to his exposition Yea t Origen lib. 3 in Ioan. the best sense that is giuen of the words so read is so curious and sub till that it rather shewes the witte and learning of the Interpreters then the meaning of the Writer And perhaps it were but lost labor for the greatest part of this auditorie to take paines and spend time in striuing to make them vnderstand it Wherefore leauing those nice points to another kinde of exercise and auditorie let vs take the wordes plainely and simply as they offer themselues to bee conceiv'd of all men Who if they haue any knowledge at all of the Scripture or of religion by reading or hearing by this word life vnderstand one of these two things Either the naturall life whereby all liuing creatures are sayd to liue or the spirituall life by which they that are regenerate by the spirite of God liue spiritually in this world by grace and in the world to come by glorie Let vs see some examples of the word in these senses out of the Scripture For the naturall life wee haue the very beginning of it in Moses u Gen. 1. 20. God saide Let the waters bring foorth in abundance euerie creeping thing that hath life And afterward Let the earth bring foorth euerie liuing thing according Ver. 24. to his kinde Of man it is particularly written that x Gen. 2. 7. The Lord God breathed in his face breath of life and the man was a liuing soule So sayth y 1. Cor. 15. 45. the Apostle alluding to that place The first man Adam was made a liuing soule This is that life which the Lord threatned hee would take away by the floud Behold * Gen. 6. 17. sayth hee I will bring a floud of waters vpon the earth to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life vnder the heauen In this sense the word is not so common in the newe Testament I thinke not once in this whole Gospell in other places some times a Luk. 8. 15. Though a man haue abundance his life standeth not in his riches b Act. 17. 25. God giueth to all life and breath in all things c 1. Cor. 15. 19. If in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ And as this signification of life is rare in the new Testament so is the other for spirituall life in the old yet now and then vnder the title of this present life the life to come is also implyed Behold d Deu. 30. 15. 19. 20. sayeth Moses I haue set before thee this day life and good death and euill Afterward life and death blessing and cursing And in the next verse The Lord thy God is thy life and the length of thy dayes In the Psalme oftner and playner e Psal 16. 11. Thou wilt shewe mee the path of life f Psal 36. 9. With thee is the well of life So in g Pro. 2. 19. the Prouerbes All they that goe vnto her returne not againe neither take they hold of the wayes of life h Pro. 6. 23. Corrections for instruction are the way of life That one booke affordes vs more examples of this kinde then all the olde Testament beside But the new is full of them euery where i Mat. 7. 14. 18. 8. The way is narrow
there was no possibility of life but by the death of the Sonne of God and that the Sonne of God could not dye vnlesse he became man yet might the Evangelist haue wel said In him is life For since it is confest that hee tooke the nature of man and continues still in heauen in that nature surely life was no more in him while hee was heere then it is in him now he is gone from hence Why then saith S. Iohn In him was life I answere in one word though life be still in him yet it is in respect of that which he performed when he was here on the earth Here he tooke and sanctified our nature here hee bare the chastisement of our peace here he offred vp that invaluable sacrifice for the purging of our sinnes Here hee triumphed on the Crosse ouer all principalities and powers Heere hee rose out of the graue from death to life Only one thing which here possibly could not be don he hath done being gon from hence that is he hath taken possessioÌ„ of our inheritance in heauen waites there to receiue vs into his owne glory The Euangelist therefore writing the history of his life death while he was here in the world speaks of him as of one that was is not But of this enough before I should now proceed to the later part of this fourth verse And that life was the light of men But I find my self so much ouertaken by the time that it is in vain to meddle with it I will I therefore content my selfe with some word of exhortation whereby wee maie bee stirred vp to the embracing of that life which was in Christ To which purpose what shal I need to say much The mat ter dooth so highly commende it selfe that it refuseth to be entreated for Looke not therefore that I shoulde desire you to bee willing to liue Nay bee vnwilling if you can Doe but propound the matter to your own hearts and you will not choose but like of it And yet mee thinkes I see no man make any great haste Shall I wonder or complayne It is strange that life life euerlasting should bee so little set by It is lamentable that death eternall death should so little bee feared If it were any long Iorney or daungerous way if hard to come by or soone lost againe there might bee perhaps some colour of excuse for this backewardnesse But when the thing it selfe is neere at hand the way to it safe the meanes of attaining to it easie and the possession of it sure who can excuse himselfe to himselfe I say not to God if hee fayle of so glorious a treasure Do wee not beleeue the Euangelist that there is life in him Doe wee flatter our selues with a conceite that there is life in vs Why come wee to heare that which when wee haue heard wee will not credite why make wee a shew as if wee stood in need of life from Christ when wee thinke our selues sped of it already Perhaps it seemes the lesse worth because it is offered Who euer thought that the kindnesse of the giuer should abate the valew of the gift Condemne thy selfe for not seeking to him not him for seeking to thee That hee reueales to thee hee conceales from many That which thou vnthankefully refusest many thousandes would most thankefully receiue O the frowardnesse of the hearts of men O the blindnesse of their minds If this life were in God they would tremble to come neere him for it because of his dreadfull maiestie Now it is in a man least happely they should be too much afrayd they disdaine to take it of him by reason of his meanenesse Å¿ Mat. 11. 19. But wisedome is iustified of her children He is both God and man that thou maist neither feare nor despise him If thou wilt not liue to shew his mercie thou shalt die to set foorth his Iustice For to him belongeth all glorie both of mercy and Iustice for euer and euer Amen THE FIFT SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Verse 4. And that life was the light of men And the light shineth in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not THey that take vpon them to write the liues of famous men such as the world admires either for their goodnesse or greatnesse ordinarily deliuer some generall description of them in the beginning of their histories These descriptions vsually containe either a rehersal of their pedegree and descent together with the place time and other matters concerning their birth and such like or a commendation of them for some especiall vertues Wee haue examples of both these kindes in the Scripture t 1. â—â—â— 1. 1. 2 He that was the holy Ghosts Secretarie in penning the historie of Samuell begins his booke with a recitall of his genealogy a description of his parents and diuers other points touching his conception birth and education u Iob. 1. 1. 2. Another whome it pleased the same spirit of God to imploy in writing the life of Iob makes the entrance into his historie by commending him for an vpright and iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill Our Euangelist intending to set forth the life and death of our Sauiour Iesus Christ as the partie he writes of was extraordinarie so doth he extraordinarily ioyne both together And because two other Euangelists x Mâ—â— 1. 1. 2. 3. c. Saint Mathew y Luk. 3. 50. 31 c. Saint Luke had already set out his humane pedegree both for succession in the kingdom fornaturall descent Saint Iohn leauing them vntoucht betakes himself to the declaring of his diuine estate First what he was in himself eternall with God the Father himselfe very God Secondly what he was to vs a Creator in making all things for vs a Sauiour in giuing life euen spirituall life life of grace pardoÌ„ life of immortality glory So that whether we respect his greatnes or his goodnes neuer was any maÌ„ so worthy the writing of neuer any maÌ„ so worthy the knowing following His greatnesse was magnified in the power of creation his goodnesse shewes it selfe especially in the work of regeneration Wherein first the Euangelist declares what he is and doth then how he is intertaind In him was life and that life was the light of men What doth hee According to the nature of light Hee shines in darkenes But the darkenesse will not bee inlightned Of the first of these points concerning life in him I spake in my last Sermon now let vs proceede to that which followes touching light And therein keeping our former course of handling the Clauses seuerally as they lye wee must first labour to vnderstand the words then seeke out the Euangelists meaning The wordes direct vs to inquire what life it is that is heere spoken of to consider what is saide of it that it is light and the light of men For the first worde a little
they haue in the originall he shall not follow therin the direction and practise of the holy Ghost but his owne conceit and perswasion Doe I then say it is vnlawfull to note the sounds of such names that their interpretations may be knowne Nothing lesse But as the Iewes in the old Testament haue some thousands of 8000. words which they vse for expounding the other in the text whether by their own direction or by the direction of the spirit of God as some thinke I will not dispute which yet they place in the margin of their bookes So perhaps it were not vnfit to set these Hebrew and Greek names in the side following in the scripture it selfe the ordinarie course which the Lord vseth to frame the words according to the nature of the tongue in which he writes How far then ought we al to be from condemning one another either of ignorance or carelesness for not following the sounds of the originall languages But I will not presse this too much till I haue some farder occasion giuen me in the expounding of this Gospell Yet howsoeuer I see no necessitie nor conuenience for any such strictness in translating proper names I deny not that it is fit and needfull to vnderstand their significations especially in such of them as were purposely giuen by direction from God himselfe For they haue alwaies some instruction ioined with them concerning somwhat that is past as Isack of sarahâ— laughing Gen. 18. 12. 17. 19. or touching some action or office to bee performed or some fauour that hee particularly intends Of the later kinde is this name Iohn whereby the Lord would haue his people the Iewes to know and consider that hee would now visit and redeeme them as Zacharie prophecied at the circumcising of him The name signifieth as it were grace and fauour which God vouchsafed the people by sending first this second Eliah to prepare the way of the Lord and then the Messiah himfelfe to performe the worke of redemption This gracious mercy of God Iohn was appointed to preach and publish extraordinarily called as to that office so by that name the end that men might looke for some extraordinarie matter of fauour by his ministerie This vse both the Iewes then and wee now are to make of the name not as if it had bin appointed vpon any humour but as intending a help to that preparation which was to follow This was one reason why it seemed good to the holy Ghost that our Euangelist should set downe his name that with the report of his being sent from God the nature of his message might in a generall sort be conceiued Especially if we remember withall as we cannot almost chuse but doe that the name was enioined before his conception by order from God himselfe Doth the Euangelist tell me that his name was Iohn Surely though he writ not the historie at large yet he would haue mee consider that his name was of Gods appointing therefore of some extraodinarie signification vse that wee may enter into such a consideration of him as they did that dwelling neer to his father heard how matters had passed at his birth concerning this name They laid vp those things in their hearts saith Saint Luke saying what Luke 1. 66. manner of child shall this bee If the like should be done in this our time it would fill all mens mouthes and eares though they found it did little or nothing coÌ„cerne them And shall we passe ouer without due regard a thing that doth so much import vs Will neither the signification of the worde so sweet and comfortable delight vs nor the manner of imposing the name so extraordinarie and wonderfull stirre vs vp to consider it nor the autoritie of him that appointed it cause vs to aduise better of it Let vs take heed that this carelesnes be not a shreud signe that we little esteeme the grace it selfe which the name shadoweth out vnto vs. The last reason why the name is mentioned is the nature of the writing which beeing an Historie requireth that the names at the least of all principall men in it should bee recorded This course our Euangelist heere followes the rather that all men may certainly know whom hee meanes this description What remaines the words being expounded but to deliuer the meaning of the Euangelist which can not well be done till wee vnderstand what his purpose is in that hee sayth Now of that there are diuers opinions all reasonable and of some likelihood Wee may draw them to these heads the course of the historie and the amplifying of the matter that concernes our Sauiour Christ They that referre it to the course of the Historie say no more of it but that the Euangelist hauing spoken of our Sauiours diuine nature in the former Chrysost in Ioa. hom 4. August in Ioa. tract 2. Theophil in Ioa. verses and beeing to speake of his humane afterward interlaceth this discourse of Iohn who was appointed to bee as it were his vsher and did preach of him before the manifestation of him to the world But this seemes be som what too slight an occasion of this discourse especially seeing the Euangelist speakes so much of Iohn after the report of our Sauiours incarnation 〈◊〉 1. 15. 15. c. 3. 27. 28. c. both in this and the third Chapter and that the other three had deliuered those matters at large that concerne the birth and ministerie of Iohn Neither is that coniecture Masculas ad 〈◊〉 locum more likely which imagins that therefore mention is here made of Iohn because the Messiah began not to bee knowne till the time that Iohn baptized What worde hath the Euangelist of Iohns baptizing It is cleere that hee passed it ouer without any touch till hee came almost to the end of the third Ioh. 3. 23. Chapter Yet if he spake any thing in those verses of our Sauiours beeing famous there might bee some place perhaps for that couecture But since hee doth not I see no great likelihood to approue thereof cheefely when there are other opinions of more probabilitie The former whereof will haue this brought in as a Aegid Henniâ—â—â— bunc locum comparison of the lesse where by the excellencie of our Sauiours person is set out in that hee is preserred before Iohn Baptist For such and so great was the opinion which the Iewes had of Iohn that hee must needs be a man of extraordinarie worth to whom Iohn should Luke 1. 66. be thought inferior Wee heard erewhile that some great matters were lookt for of him when hee was newly borne What manner of child shall this bee When Mat. 3. 5. 6. hee began to exercise his ministerie There went out to him Ierusalem and all Indea and all the region round about Iordan Neither went they out onely but submitted themselues to bee taught and baptized by him Ver. 7. and that not
amplyfied then by propounding the chiefest of all the blessinges whereof wee are made partakers by him And what one is comparable to this The sauing vs from our sinnes to speake properly rather frees vs from miserie then brings vs to happinesse Sanctification doth no more but refresh the image of God in vs which was decayed or restore it being lost which can make vs but good seruants at the best If any man thinke that to bee an heire is a degree aboue being a sonne he must vnderstand that this implyes that Christ makes none sonnes but hee makes them heyres too by the same Kom 8. 17. title And therefore questionlesse there is no blessing obtained by him that may stand in comparison with this To bee the sonnes of God I deny not then but that this might bee respected of our euangelist in his choise of this benefit but I thinke there were also other reasons of it Hee spake immedately before of the Iewes not receiuing of the Messiah Now the Iewes were the men that held themselues onely to be the sonnes of God by reason of Abraham from whom they were descended Therefore the Lord challengeth them by the Prophet Mal. 1. 6. that they did not honour him A sonne honoureth his father If I bee a father where is mine honour Contrarie to this conceite of theirs the holy Ghost giues them to vnderstand that the honour to bee the sonnes of God is not appropriated to the Iewish nation as they falsely imagined but is common to all the Gentiles that will beleeue As for them their refusall to beleeue in him made them wholly destitute of that prerogatiue What other blessing afforded vs by Christ would so fittely haue met with that proud conceite of the vnbeleeuing Iewes Forgiuenesse of sinnes they little or not at all regarded being puft vp with an ouer weening of their owne righteousnesse They lookt for rewarde not Cyril in Ioan lib. 1. cap. 13. for pardon Fitly therefore to abate this pride doth Saint Iohn put them in minde of other sonnes of God Ambros de fide lib. 4. cap. 4 August in tract in Ioa 2. Bed ad huÌ„c loc such as they knew themselues not to bee for all their bragging Another reason is added and may be admitted that this was therefore especially named because it is that which being proper to Christ hee and hee onely could giue that it may appeare hee hath wholly communicated himselfe vnto vs if hee haue imparted that which was so truely and neerely his owne Ought wee not then to bee so much the more carefull both to knowe and obtayne so incomparable a fauour Can we content ourselues to be ignoraÌ„t of it Can wee indure one hower to be without it Had we rather bee seruants then sonnes First let vs vnderstand what it is to bee a sonne of God A matter easily knowne will some man say For what is it else but to haue our beginning and as it were birth from GOD So is Adam sayde to bee the Luk. 2. 10. Mal. 2. 10. sonne of God So speaketh Malachy of the Iewes Haue wee not all one Father hath not one God made vs If this bee all To be a sonne is no more then to be a creature or at the most such a creature as is made after the image and likenesse of God But this wee haue by nature in our creation not by grace in regeneration This they haue that are borne after the ordinary course of men of bloud of the will of the flesh of the will of man So are not they borne of whome our Euangelist heere intreateth Not of bloud sayth hee but of God That manner of birth is common to all men in all times and places this is a priuiledge voutchsaft to some onely The former was already bestowed vpon the Iewes in that they were men The later was to be receiued by the gift of Christ by their becomming faithfull or beleeuing men To conclude if the holy Ghost had meant such kinde of sonnes he would neuer haue required faith in the name of Christ What is it then To be the sonne of God The Euangelist aunsweres in the next verse To bee borne of God And are they to whome our Lord giues this honour of being sonnes Borne of God It should seeme then they are the naturall sonnes of God For what is it to be the naturall sonne of any man but to bee borne of him but this is meerely impossible Because our Sauiour Christ is the onely begotten or borne sonne of GOD and is thereby equall to his father both in time and dignitie whereas these sonnes haue their beginning in time and are no way comparable to God in any degree Therefore wee may not at any hand when wee read or heare of this birth whereof more hereafter in the next verse and especially in the thirde Chapter once imagine that we are properly sayd to be borne of God but that the speech is tropical that is to say turned from the naturall signification and applyed to another by way of similitude or likenesse I wil Mâ—taphora speake no more of the point at this time then is needefull for our vnderstandinge of the matter For the helpe whereof let vs consider how God is our father and wee his sonnes in respect of our naturall being by creation Euery man knowes that he is not properly our father no nor was Adams For then must he needs haue beene God by nature and God hauing begotten him as his naturall sonne must of necessitie haue beene such as Adam was and we all now are How then is God Adams father I confesse he is so though I doe thinke that Saint Luke is not so to bee vnderstood in the place formerly Luk. 3. 38. alleaged where those words the sonne of God seem rather to belong to Iesus then to Adam Well yet is Adam the sonne of God and not the natural sonne What sonne then If I shall aunswere directly to the question I say hee is the Tropicall and in particular the Metaphoricall sonne of God To speake to the capacitie of the meanest and simplest who haue as much interest to this knowledge reuealed by God for our instruction as the noblest and wisest Adam is the sonne of God by a borrowed speech For as men are naturally the fathers of them who haue their being in particular from them so is Adam so are all men the sons of God because they haue their first originall from him Adam also may bee sayde somewhat more particularly to bee the sonne of God because hee was fashioned and formed by him of the dust of the ground without any other meanes then the will and word of God himself And in this respect may an Image cut cast or painted by any man â—e called the sonne of him that was the maker of it So may the bookes that men write be tearmed their children And as all men in this sense are the Sonnes of God touching
or no. Let mee reason against thee as thy selfe didst ere while God will not haue all men to bee Schollers Therefore will I neuer bestow any paines in study I may say the like of Marchants Marriners Mercers Grocers and of euery trade So that by this gay reason no man shoulde euer betake himselfe to any course of life but wander idly vppe and downe or rather lye still and sterue And yet such are the goodly argumentes by which prophane men blaspheame the vnsearchable counsails of God and procure iust damnation to their own soules That which they may cleerely see they will not looke vpon That which they cannot possibly discerne they wil be alwaies gasing on They are curious to search out what God hath determined of them in himselfe Careless to vnderstand what he hath appointed for theÌ„ in his word It is set downe in plaine words and often that God will haue all men to bee saued and to come to the â— Tim. 2. 3. Tit. 2. 11. knowledge of his truth that the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared The Scripture is full of such speeches All these are past ouer as many anâ— as plaine as they are and wretched men to cloake their owne wickednesse wil heare and thinke of nothinge but Gods secret predestination I haue been too long in this point already let me conclude in one worde where the light shines if any maÌ„ be not inlightned it is because he cares not for the light not that the light hides it selfe from him Then maist thou conceiue good hope that sighest gronest vnder the burden of thine ignorance seeking by al meanes to come to knowledge VVill hee thinkst thou that offereth his light where it is refus'd despised withdraw it where it is desired and sought for He came as himselfe professeth to seeke and to saue Mat 18. 11. 12. 28. that which was lost And wil he cast away those that seek to him Com to me al ye that labour are heauy laden Doth he cal them to him that he may beat them away when come No no the promise followes And I will refresh you Him that comes to mee I cast not away saith hee in another Iâ—h 6. 37. place But I cannot come to him saist thou for want of knowledge Nay say I thou wouldst not come to him but that thou hast knowledge knoweledge that thou art a sinner knowledge that hee is a Sauiour Art thou not inlightned The darknesse doth not comprehend him No man acknowledgeth him truly to be the Lorde of life but hee that hath learned of God that hee is so It fares with thee as it did with Peter when the Angell brought him out of prison Hee rose and followed the Angell and knewe not that it was true Act. 12. 9. which was done by the Angell but thought it had beene a vision And it is said of the Iewes in the Psalme that they Psal 126. 1. were like men that dreamt when the Lord brought againe the captiuity of Sion Thy case is much like these mens Thou hast receiued light and knowst it not But admit thou wert not inlightned Surely thou maist bee if thou wilt The light thou seest shines all about thee wherefor but to bee seene and receiued why not by thâ—â— aswell as by an other It lights it inlightneth euery man Plucke vppe thy hearte wipe the teares from thine eies that dymme thy sight Doe not thinke thou hast no light because a farre of thou seest a greater then thine is If an other man haue a Torch or a Cresset to light him and thou but a candle to shewe thee the way yet thou art not without light Perhaps he hath farder to goe perhaps his way is more daungerous It may bee if thy light were greater thy care and heedfulnesse would be lesse God hath proportioned out thy light according to thy need thou hast light though not so much as thou wouldst haue If thou haue none thou shalt haue He inlighttens Act. 12. 9. Psal 126. 1 euery man that commeth into the world Such is the effect of the light in its owne nature such would it be in the hearts of men if it were receiued as it desires and ought to bee The Evangelist told vs before that the light shineth in darknesse but without any good intertainement The darknesse comprehended it not Those two points he amply fieth farder in these verses first the offer which the light makes of it selfe Hee was in the world He came to his owne Then the refusall of that offer the world knewe him not His owne receiued him not I will handle the verses as they ly and speak seuerally of His being in the world and not being knowne of his comming to his owne and not being receiued by them So that each verse hath two partes our Sauiour Christs kindnesse in offering and mens vnkindnesse in refusing In the former verse the offer is in these wordes Hee was in the world the refusall in the rest For the vnderstanding of the offer we must consider these 2 things what is meant by the world what by being in the world is signified The knowledge of these two points will discouer the Euangelists meaning First therefore of the world which hath diuers significations in the Scripture as this oneverse may teach vs where it is taken in two different senses at the least if not in 3. That I may speake of it as orderly and as plainly as I can wee are to vnderstand that The world generally signifies the whole creature or whatsoeuer was created The inuisible things of God saith the Apostle are seene by the creation of the world This is that Rom. 1. 20. world which in this verse is said to haue beene made by Christ The same a little before was called All things By him were all things made Only it may Verse 3. well be thought that in the former place the Angells are not signified because Saint Paul speakes of the knowledge of God by the light of nature which perhaps will not serue to shew vs the Angels In this sense also it is to be vnderstood wheresoeuer there is speech of the beginning or foundation of the world As hee hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world Eph. 1. 4. that is before any thing was created All other significations of the worde flowe from this one which is the first and principall varyed as necessity required or delight perswaded The next most generall obseruation is this that the worde is put for some part or member of the whole Sometimes for the whole frame compasse of heauen and earth wherein the rest of the creatures are contained So speakes the Apostle God Act. 17. 24. that made the worlde and all things that are therein If euery thing that Iesus did should bee written I suppose saith Saint Iohn the world would not containe the books Ioh. 21. 25.