dead were raysed vp Neither were these things done once onely but often and ordinarily Some that were borne blinde had eyes and sight giuen them when Ioh 9 1. they were growen to mans estate Some that had Chap. 11. 39. 44 lyen in the graue till they were thought to bee putrified were quickned by his voyce and made to liue againe vpon the earth to the amazement of al that knew them I appeale now to the iudgement of all indifferent men What could the world imagine in this case To deme that such miracles were wrought it was absurd and senselesse Their owne eyes refuted them Should they haue excepted against the trueth of that which seemed to bee done Triall by sense would haue conuinced them Perhappes they might ascribe them to naturall causes All reason Physicke and Phylosophy disclayme that power Must wee not of necessitie confesse vnlesse we will bee altogether shamelesse that none but God was able to doe such wonders was it possible then hee should not bee knowne I see wee are all readie to inueigh against their blindnesse if they could not their peruersnesse if they would not knowe him And I confesse they deserue to bee infamous for it to all posteritie But it is more honour to rescue a friende then to kill an enemie More wisedome to looke that there bee nothing in our selues worthy or such iust blame then to reprooue the faults of otheâ— men It was the sinne and shame of those times that the Messiah liuing in that sort amongst men was acknowledged by fewe or none of them Are men in these dayes excusable you will say I. They are perswaded that Iesus is indeede the Sauiour of the world Whence aryseth this perswasion It is rather suckt in with our nurses milke then receiued by the instruction of our teachers Wee hould it because it is commonly beleeued not because it is certainely true Wee heare not of any other meanes and therefore wee are content to accept of these They are not chosen by vs vppon our owne iudgement but taken vpon common credite We follow the tyde and streame of the flood being readie to turne with the water whensoeuer it shall ebbe I would to God olde experience did not cause new doubt It is an imputation that lyes vpon our Nation generally as the writers of histories record that we coÌ„quer easily and loose as easily wee get many Townes and Forts yea sometimes Kingdomes but wee hold them not long God forbid it should bee so in religion Our acknowledging of the truth is not so commendable or blessed as our deniall would bee shamefull and cursed But I must remember not so much to what purpose I speake as what our Euangelist directes mee to speake yet I could not but touch here by the way though I bee bound for another place Let it bee my fault so it bee your benefitte I come now to the amplification of the worlds vnkindnesse and ignorance that it was made by our Lord and yet would not know him Wherein ere we meddle with the matter that is principally intended wee must cleere this doubt for the better vnderstanding of â—he text How the creation of the world can bee applied to argue the sinne of men in not acknowledging Ieus Christ for the Messiah This scruple hath made diuers writers expound this whole verse of the naturall knowledge which is to bee had by the consideration of the Creatures But there is no reason to leaue â—o many good proofes as drawe vs the other way to follow this one likelyhood in so vncertaine a path I might say so straying from the truth which is here propounded to all men For out of question as it hath beene shewed the world cannot iustly bee condemned for not knowing GOD because indeede they did knowe him in the creatures or for ignoraunce of the Messiah by those meanes which were neuer able nor intended to giue knowledge of him Therefore it is agreeable to reason and diuinitie rather to seeke how wee may aunswere this doubt then because of it to forsake a manifest truth in exposition First them wee say Saint Iohn condemnes the world of ignorance and vnkindnesse that they acknowledged not our Sauiour liuing amongst them conuersing with them though hee were indeede the verie maker of them and author of their being But you will aske me how they should discerne any such matter by his carriage and behauiour in the world Therefore I aunswere secondly to that point wherein the whole cause of doubting lyes that the miracles which our Sauiour wrought from time to time in the sight of all the world were euident proofes that hee could bee no other but the great Commaunder of heauen and earth Did hee not ouer rule the course of nature Did hee not giue sight hearing health and life by his bare worde Damsell I say vnto thee arise and straight way the Mat. 9. 41. mayden that was dead arose and walked Hee cried with a loud voyce to Lazarus Come forth Not as if hee could Ioh. 11. 43. make him that had lyen foure dayes in the graue heare without life but that all men present might knowe that hee vsed no other meanes to put life into him but his commandement onely Who could worke such wonders but hee that had power aboue and against the course of nature How could he by any meanes better assure them that it was he that made the world then by taking the same course in changing nature that hee had followed before in creating nature God sayd let Gen. 1. 3. there be light and there was light Young man sayeth Christ I say vnto thee arise and hee that was dead sate vp Luk. 7. 14. 15. and began to speake Might not these courses haue taught and assured the world that hee whom they sawe and heard commanding death it self and doing whatsoeuer it pleased him by his word was the same by whome all things were created Consider then the slouthfull carelesnesse or the wonderfull blindnesse of the worlde that knewe not him that had made them Why should they be so carried away with the vaine pleasures or toylesome businesse of this life as not to bestowe some little time in the consideration of so straunge and admirable a personage Say they might bee this day extraordinarily imployed in their worldly affayres that they could not haue a minutes leasure to bethinke themselues of the wonders wrought by him They sawe the like againe next day day after day for the space of three yeares together and vpwardes It was hard if in so long a time they could not steale one hower or two to aduise with themselues and their friendes of so extraordinarie a matter Well let vs yeeld so much to their manifolde occasions in their ordinary imployments What will they aunswere for themselues coÌ„cerning those miracles which our Sauiour wrought vpon their Sabbaths Will they saye they had no leasure from their businesse on those dayes For very
make thy darknes light Only be contented to be inlightned But alas we are not so affected We despise the light we delight in darknesse we hate him that should drawe vs out of it Neither can our owne misery driue vs nor his kindnesse allure vs to him O that wee woulde but a little consider how extraodinarily we are beholding to this light that shines in darknes Let vs take some view of it in a like matter Imagine that thou wert wandring thou knowst not whither all alone naked and comfortlesse the darknesse being so great that thou couldst not see thy hand the winde blowing through thee the raine powring downe vpon thee the colde striking to thy very heart the way so slippery that thou couldst not stande vpright so full of deepe holes that euery step thou shouldst bee in daunger of breaking thy leggs or armes at the end of thy trauaile when thou shouldst come to rest suppose there were al kinde of torments and tortures prepared for thee which thou couldst by no meanes escape tel mee now canst thou possibly conceiue how infinitly thou shouldst be bouÌ„d to him that should bring thee a light shewe thee the perils of thy iourney the certaine destruction in the end thereof that should set thee in a plaine easy path should cloth thee comfort thee keep thee company bring thee to a place or palace rather of al pleasure and happines What is that darknes to the blindnes of thy soule What comparison is there betwixt the danger of breaking an arm or a leg the hazard of falling into the pit of hel The glorious brightnes of the Sun doth not so â—xceed the dimme light of a watching rush candle as the knowledge of saluation by Christ excelleth all the â—arning and wisedome of the world And yet do wee â—â—rne away our faces from this brightnesse Doe wee â—hut our eies against this light I would this were the worst though it bee too too bad Nay we thrust it a way â—rom vs we run away from it we disdaine it we hate it we doe all that lies in vs to put it quite out But do what we can the light shines in darknesse As I said once beâ—ore in a former Sermon if wee will not bee inlightned yet shall our blyndnes and darknes bee discoueâ—ed whether wee will or no God his holy Angells and blessed Saintes shall see our shame and reiâ—â—ce at our iust confusion for continuing in wilfull blindnesse I 〈◊〉 slipt I knowe not how into the later part of this verse before I was aware concerning the intertainment that the light found in the worlde The darknesse comprehended it not The light shines and the darknesse wil not bee inlightned It will bee worth the dooing to consider the point more fully Which that we may lee the better somewhat must bee said of the wordes or rather of that one worde Comprehended For where-as some men seeke a new meaning of the worde Darknesse and wil not haue it taken in the sense it had in the former clause there is more curiosity then truth in their speculation VVho can imagine that the Evangelist woulde vse a worde in two diuerse senses without giuing any notice or inkling of such a chaunge Is it not contrary to the rest of his course wherein the same vvorde hath the same signification The VVorde was in the beginning The VVorde vvas vvith GOD The VVorde vvas GOD Still the same VVorde But I shewed this sufficiently before and there is no reason to be alleadged why S. Iohn should differ in this verse from the former al things agreeing so wel if we retaine the sense as it was formerly deliuered and vnderstood Wherefore vnderstanding by Darknesse man in his naturall estate without any supernaturall grace let vs enquire what the Euangelist meanes when he saith that the darknesse did not comprehend the light First what is it to Comprehend Variety of opinions breedes doubtfulnes in resoluing I will draw all to two principall heads and in the handling of them discharge my promise concerning the diuerse interpretations of the light The word that is heere vsed by the Euangelist signifies in the Scripture either an vnderstanding and attaineing to some thing for our owne knowledge or benefit or an apprehending taking of somewhat to the hurt or disgrace thereof Of the former signification is the word in this and such like places Of a truth I Act. 10. 34. vnderstand or perceiue that God is no accepter of persons That yee may be able with all Saints to conceiue or apprehend Eph. 3 18. what is the breadth and length and depth and height c The Gentiles which followed not righteousnes haue attained Rom. 9. 30. vnto righteousnes Of the later these may bee examples Ioh 8. 3. 12. 35. 1. Thesl 5. 4. The Scribes and Pharises brought unto him a woman taken in adultery Walke while yee haue the light least the darknesse come or seise vpon you Yee brethren are not in darknes that that day should come vpon you as it were a theefe According to these 2 significations so are the interpretations of the word in this Text. Some acknowledging the light to Greg. Naziac orat 4. Theol. Oâ—igen in Ioa. l. â— Chrysost in Ioa. hom 4. be in Christ will haue the darknesse to be the Deuill persecutioÌ„ which could not say they ouercome Christ But though they could not vtterly subdue him yet they did seise on him to his disgrace and death in the world which is as much as the signification of the worde wâ—lâ— Apud Theoâ—hilact ad huno ocum beare Other that will haue the light to signifiâ— Christ in respect of his diuine nature by Darknesse vnderstand his manhood which coulde not so obscure the other but that it still shined and shewed it selfe VVhere shall wee finde warrant for this interpretation of Darkenesse And what is this else but that which the Evangelist saith in the fourteenth verse at large The words became flesh and wee saw the glory thereof c. It is vsuall with the spirit of GOD in the Scripture to call man-kinde flesh because the body is one part whereof they consist but Darknesse it is neuer called vnlesse it bee with respect to the corruption thereof which our Sauiour tooke not with our nature FulgeÌ„t ad Tâ—â—asi lib. 2. The same answere may satisfie them who takeing light in the same sense for the diuine nature make all things else darknesse which say they coulde not taint or defile the light But where is the word Comprehended euer vsed so Therefore they also are deceiued Ma. bom 2. de pase hom â— de pentecost that thinke our Euangelist by not beeing Comprehended notes our Sauiours being free from sinne The worde hath no such signification any where Let vs come to the other meaning of it by which it signifies to vnderstand or attaine to somewhat for our knoweledge or benefite The light is Christ
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
the lesse because they are generally so well knowne to all men and describ'd somewhat largely in the hystorie of the creation Yet thus much I may and must say that if wee did more aduisedly consider either the whole frame of the world how each part serueth and beautifieth other or the particular creatures euerie one by themselues wee should discerne the power and wisedome of the Creator in a farre more excellent sort then euer yet wee sawe it But I will not enter into so large a fielde least the varietie of most admirable workemanshippe make mee forget my selfe and stay mee too long in the course of my present iorney to the ende of this whole verse Onely I will commend to your priuate meditation for this purpose the later ende of the booke of Iob from the beginning of Chapter 38. to the ende of 41. Where the Lord himselfe from heauen thunders out a wonderfull description of his diuine power and wisedome in the varietie of his workes and the incredible strength of some speciall creatures to the vtter confusion of m August de â—aeros cap. 46. the wicked Maniches who blasphemously gaue the glorie of these wonders to an Idoll of their owne senselesse deuising and setting vp But they that haue either the light of true reason or the direction of the holy spirit cleerly see and willingly acknowledge that the least and meanest creature in the world could neuer haue beene but by the infinit power of God and being is a sufficient proofe of that power by which it is This I speake the rather because n Aâ—crroes aly some learned fooles being inforced by the light of nature to discern the Creator in the creatures and yet being not willing to assent to the truth of Religion in the Scripture haue presumed to denie both the creation and prouidence of God in the smaller and inferiour creatures and in ordinary matters of no great moment Why so Because forsooth they were too base for God to make or meddle with O the nicenesse of vaine men As if the Sun that shineth out of the heauens were defiled or abased by casting of his beames vpon any place though neuer so homely or vncleanely But of the prouidence of God vpon some fitter occasion hereafter For the creation of such small and meane creatures wee haue authoritie of Scripture to assure vs they are GODS workemanshippe and strength of reason to proue that they are worthie to bee acknowledged for his And for Scripture what better warrant can wee desire then the testimony of the holy Ghost by o Gen. 1. 20. Moses in the report he makes of the first creation God said Ver. 24. Lette the waters bring foorth in aboundance euery creeping thing that hath life And of the earth afterward God said Let the earth bring foorth the liuing thing according to his kind cattell and that which creepeth There is not any creature in the Sea or on the Land of lesse woorth then that which creepeth Is it not a part of the Serpents punishment to go on his belly p Gen. 3. 14. Because thou hast done this thou art accursed aboue all cattell and aboue euery beast of the field vpon thy belly shalt thou goe and dust shalt thou eate all the daies of thy life Is there any baserfood then the dust of the earth And yet that is the ordinary meate of such thinges as craul vppon the land As for those that creepe in the water mudde and slyme is their ordinary sustenance Yet are both the one and the other created by the Lorde Therefore also haue they their part in praising and magnifying their heauenly creator q Psal 148. 10. Beasts and all Cattell creeping things and feathered foules Yea they are not only the creatures of God but howsoeuer for a time they were ceremonially vncleane by nature cleane good So did the Lord himselfe teach and informe r Act. 10. 10. Peter by a voice from heauen The holy Apostle was hungry and while meate was dressing for him fell into a trance wherein he saw a vessell come downe from heanen in which were amongst verse 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. other creatures creeping things Then there came a voice to him willing him to kill and eate Is not this a sufficient proofe of their creation and cleanness They came now downe from heauen and Peter was will'd to eate of them But Peter remembring that they were forbidden to bee eaten as vncleane began to excuse himselfe The Lord to cut of all obiections answers him againe The thing that God hath purified pollute thou not This was so done thrice saith the Text. Why so often but that all doubt of their vncleannesse might be cleane taken away Well say you let them be cleane forvse especially in acase of necessity yet they are not worthy to be held for the creatures of God Not worthy and yet haue being mouing and life Any one of these were sufficient to make them shew some part of his greatnesse from whom they are Take the least of the 3. Is there not an infinit difference betwixt not being and being Or can any power lesse then infinit giue being where there is none Do not all things as it were speake sound out the excellency of being when they feare and striue against nothing more then least they should not bee What hath made some profane wretches that had no hope of life after their death in this world to wish that they might liue though it were but in the forme nature of Todes or Spiders It is an old and true obseruation euen of the heathen that euery thing is naturally desirous to continew its being by all meanes possible But these fond wise men shall be condemned by some like themselues Let vs heare Pharaohs in chaunters giue in their verdict When they all crauled with lice saw that God who had suffered the Diuel for a time to deceiue them with vaine shewes would no longer endure his and their damnable presumption they cried out to Pharaoh Å¿ 〈◊〉 3. 19. This is the singer of God Surely if making lice of dust be not dishonourable to God but the wretched sorcerers are inforced to acknowledge his power in them what madnes is it to deny him the creation of the smallest and meanest things Yet I would not be so vnderstood as if I thought that euery kinde of such creatures was made at the first creation within the compass of those six daies It is enough for vs to beleeue and acknowledge that all things had their being from God both for their nature and their properties and that no kind of creature hath bin is or shal be at any time bred but according to the appointment of the Lord and by the meanes which he from the beginning ordained fitted to that purpose Thence it is that diuerse liuing creatures are daily bred of dust mudd slyme and such like Not as if these
They saw him not but were perswaded hee should bee seene at the time appointed Neither haue wee seene him but are out of doubt that hee was seene while he liued here vpon the earth They trusted in him as the onely and all-sufficient meanes of life Is not our faith the same Therefore least any man should imagine that the Fathers which died before our Sauiour Christ was born were destitute of spirituall life our Euangelist assures vs that there was euen then life in him These reasons may giue some good satisfaction to them who desire rather to informe themselues to edification then to aime themselues for contention Giue me leaue also I pray you to propound to your consideration meditation at your better leasure what it hath pleased God I should conceiue of this matter would any man knowe of me why the Euangelist saith In him was rather then In him is life I think he may be fully satisfied if he do aduisedly consider that hee continueth the course which he begun in the first verse followed in the second and third In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God The same was By him were without him was Do not meruaile thē that the Euangelist sayth here In him was life Tell mee how hee could haue spoken more fitly Hee proceedes in the description of the Messiah touching his mediatorship whose Godhead he had before declared Could he doe better thē to hold on the same manner of speech But will you see yet a farther reason that nothing may be wanting which may helpe vou forward in the vnderstanding of this scripture Who knowes not that the Euangelist according to the ordinary course which they take that write the hystories of famous men settes downe in the beginning a briefe description of him of whom afterward hee is to intreat at large by shewing that in particular which was at the first deliuered in a generall sort This being so let vs remember that the historie is of him that is not now liuing amongst vs but departed out of this life from vs. Therefore it was necessarie for our Euangelist to speak of him as of one that had beene and now was not Not as if hee were not now at all but because hee is not now aliue in the world as hee was when those things were done the historie whereof is written in this Gospell So then we must conceiue that Saint Iohn in saying was hath respect to the time of our Sauiours being herein our nature and therefore not only might but ought also to say In him was rather then In him is life because he is totel vs what he did here in the world and not what hee doth now he is out of the world This the holy Ghost teacheth vs when he saith k Ioh. 20. 30. toward and l Ioh 21. 25. in the end of this Gospell Many other signes also did Iesus and there are also many other things which Iesus did Yet the ende of all is m Ioh. 20. 31. that wee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ and so that life is in him now for vs as well as it was for them that liued in his time The excellent comfort of this doctrine drawes mee to it with both the hands but that my promise holdes mee backe very strongly Let me first discharge this then I will bestowe my selfe wholly vpon the handling of that more at large I vndertooke to shewe these two thinges what spirituall life is here signified of grace or of glorie or of both why the tearme life is applyed to note that holinesse and happinesse I doubt not but euerie man perceiues already that by life I vnderstand as well our liuing righteously in this world as our liuing gloriously in the world to come How else could it note such holinesse and happinesse The reason perhaps is not so apparant I will doo my best endeuour to giue you satisfaction touching that also It is verie fitte if not necessarie to giue as large an extent to all texts of Scripture as the circumstances of the present place and the ordinarie vse of the wordes will beare least wee seeme to restraine the meaning of the holy Ghost more then wee are warranted by him to doe And therefore I could haue beene contented to haue stretched the worde euen to note the preseruing of naturall life but that I can finde no such vse of it in the Scripture neither will that sense well agree with that exposition which the light in the second clause seemes necessarily to require as I hope to make it appeare anone if God will But neither any circumstance of the place tieth life to the one or to the other and the word is diuers times taken in both senses Of eternall life what shall I need to bring many examples This Gospell is full of them I will giue you a taste by one or two Yee search the Scriptures n Ioh. 5. 39. 40. sayth our Sauiour to the Iewes for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee Yet yee will not come to mee that yee might haue life That which in the former verse hee nameth eternall life in the later hee calleth simply life The Ver. 24. like wee haue in the same Chapter not very many verses before Hee that beleeueth in him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life To what life Euen to euerlasting life which he was sayd before to haue The other life grace in this world both is implyed oftentimes in the life of glorie whereof also it is a part the Image of God in vs being renewed by it and is manie times spoken of by it selfe as I shewed at large before out of o Eph. 4. 24. diuerse places of Scripture It is needlesse to repeate them or to adde more to them What should hinder vs then frō expounding this life so largely as wee haue done Nave might wee not be thought iniurious to the holy Ghost if wee should leaue out either of them By life then wee vnderstand that spirituall estate of righteousnesse and glory of which all that beleeue in Christ are made partakers by beeing ingraffed into his mysticall bodie Would any man knowe why this estate into which wee are restored by our Sauiour should be tearmed life I aunswere him in a word because the miserable estate into which wee fell by sinne was called by the name of death It will not bee vnworthy our labour to consider this point a little When the Lord God had made our first parents and placed them in that palace of pleasure the garden of Paradise p Gen. 2. 8. Hee charged them to forbeare to eate of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill threatning them that if they brake his commaundement that day that they ate thereof Ver. 17. they should dye the
was in Christ indeede because no man euer had it that was not in him many haue had haue it in abundance by depending wholy vpoÌ„ him The principal point is yet behind coÌ„cerning the life of glory Which though it properly belong to the world to come yet there is one chiefe thing apperteining therunto which is to be had in this world as an entrance to the other The death that insued vpon the breach of that charge * Gen. 2. 17. Thou shalt not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good euill was the estate of mortalitie to the body and of condemnation both to body and soule Therefore the life that was in Christ must needs affoord vs remedy against both these Let vs take them in their order And first that by death the separation of the soule and body was signified it may euidently appeare as by the words themselues in their proper sense so also by the sentence of the Lord pronounced after the sinne according to the penalty before threatned In a Gen 3. 19. the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou returne to the earth for out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne Adam indeede liued many hundred yeeres after this sentence but at last the execution of it came b Gen. 5. 5. All the daies that Adam liued were 930. yeeres and he died But this is so well knowne and generally confest that it needs no furder proofe Let vs shew that there is life in Christ to destroy this death Ne ther neede wee goe farre to seeke for that matter Remember c Gâ—n 3. 15. what was threatned the diuell that the seed of the woman should bruse his head d Heb. 2. 14. If the diuell bee subdued who hath the power of death as the Apostle tells vs what shall become of death that is vnder his power The Lord himselfe tells thee by e Heb. 2. 14. his Prophet e Ose 13. 14. where he triumpheth ouer death trampling him vnder his feete O death I will be thy death Oh graue I will bee thy destruction But this was rather a discouragement of death then a destruction Heare f 1 Cor. 15. 54. the Apostle proclaiming the victory after the fight was ended Death is swalowed Verse 55. vp in victory He proceeds to insult ouer him O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory The Verse 56. 27. sting of death is sin and the strength of sinne is the law But thanks be vnto God who hath giue vs victory through I. Chr. Verse 21. 22. our Lord. GiueÌ„ vs victory How doth that appear For since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead For as in AdaÌ„al meÌ„dy so in Christ shal albe made aliue 2. Tim 1. 10. through Christ I say gwho hath abolished death hath brought life immortalitie to light through the Gospell I wish it were so may some men say that death were indeede destoried that we need no longer stand in feare of him But what credit may be giuen to that which is refuted by sense in daily and hoverly experience Did not Aâ—aÌ„ die Are not Abraham Isaak Iacob al the prophets and Patriarchs dead Is not there proofe enough in the scripture that euery man must die h Psal 89. 48. What man liueth and shall not see death The Apostle seconds the Prophet i Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed to men that they shal once die What say you to that great conquerour of death himselfe The two tneeues that were executed with him withstood death longer theÌ„ he did The Souldiers came k Ioh. 19. 32. Ver 33. saith the Euangelist and brake the legges of the first and of the other which was crucified with Iesus But when they came to Iesus and saw that he was dead already they brake not his legges See I pray you the champion that should ouercome death is sooner subdued by death then either of these two ordinarie fellowes It was no wonder though the Iewes vpbraided him when he hung vpon the Crosse He saued others quoth they but he cannot saue himselfe Is it possible l Mat. 27. 42. to beleeue that there was life in him whose death his best friends coÌ„fesse Doth this seeme vnpossible to thee What wilt thou say then if I tell thee of a greater matter Hee ouercame death by dying The same stroke that tooke life from him through him m Heb. 2. 14. slew death himselfe him that had power over death euen the diuell Would you know more particularly how that could bee I may not enter into any large discourse of the point In one word it was thus The sting of death as the Apostle taught vs is sinne By which the diuell preuailed to the destruction of them that had sinned This sting was not onely blunted and rebated but pluckt out and cast away by our Sauiour For his death being a sacrifice for sin tooke sinne quite away n Iob. 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world So that now the name of death is more terrible then the thing there is more feare then hurt in it Tell me what it could indanger or indamage thee to haue a snake creepe vpon thee yea if it were into thy bosom so the sting teeth and whatsoeuer els it hath power to hurt withall were first pulled out It might perhaps scarre thee or make thee start as a litle cold water will doe if it be cast vpon a sodaine in thy face but that is all the harme thou couldest haue by it Death then is thus disarmd by our Sauiour Christ but the destructioÌ„ of him is by his resurrection If thou wouldest see death dead indeed look into the graue where Iesus thy sauiour was laid There shewd death the vttermost of his power He thought himselfe sure enough of the victory when he had shut him vp without life in the sepulchre rolled a great stone to the mouth of it and saw a guard of souldiers set to watch him well there hee keeps him in that estate the same day he was crucified all the next and the beginning of the third What ensued Surely if hee had bin put in aliue hee would haue bin dead by that time There is no question then but that wee shall finde him dead in the graue So though his disciples Who the next day after the Iewes Sabboath o Luke 24. 1. Early in the morning came vnto the Sepulchre and brought the odors which they had prepared to embalme his body withall They made no doubt but they should finde him p Mark 16. 1. Mark 15. 47. where they had seene him laid For dead men are no starters Onely their feare was that they should not be able to roule away the stone from the doore of the Sepulchre
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
13. reserued the blacknes of darkenes for euer When the word is vsed for sinne it signifieth either the ignorance of the minde and vnderstanding or the Rom. 2. 19. wickednes of the heart and conuersation Thou perswadest thy selfe sayth the Apostle to the Iewes that thou art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darknes namely in ignorance To this purpose the same Apostle sayth of the Ephesians before they had been taught by Eph. 4. 18. the Gospell that Their cogitation was darkened This is Mat. 4. 16. that Darkenes in which the people sate til by our Sauiours preaching as Saint Mathew tels vs They came to see light That the wickednes of our heart and the leudnes of our actions are signified by the same word it may Rom. 13. 12. appear by these places Let us cast away the works of darknes and let us put on the armor of light What these workes of darknes are the Apostle sheweth in the next verse Ver. 13. Gluttony drunkennes chambering wantonness strife and enuying and generally in the verse following To fulfill the Ver. 14. Ephe. 5. 8. lusts of the flesh In this respect he tels the Ephesians that they were once darkenes And a little after hee forbids them Ver. 11. to haue any fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknes But no man speakes more plainely or more fully to this purpose then S. Iohn himselfe God is light and in him is no 1. Ioh. 1. 5. darknes that is no kind of euill If we say that we haue fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse wee lye and do ver 6. 2. 11. not truely He that hateth his brother is in darkenes walketh in darknes is in the corruptioÌ„ of nature behaues himselfe according therunto And of the word this may suffice coÌ„cerning the ordinary vse of it in the Scripture For this place wee must needes take it generally as wee did light and so apply it to the particular in hand The light naturally shines in darkenes and bodily light in bodily darkenesse the spirituall in spirituall So did the Messiah shine in the ignorance and wickednesse of men So did the doctrine of saluation shew it selfe in the blindnesse and naughtinesse of the world The former point of the natural bodily light shining in darkenes is not any matter of diuinity besides so well knowne to children that it were lost labour to say any thing of it Let vs keepe our selues to the Euangelists meaning and after wee haue a little proued the doctrine consider the matter for our farther instruction and edification And that the truth may the rather bee acknowledged let vs call to minde that the Prophet Isay many hundred yeâ—res before gaue notice of this light and the shining thereof and not of the shining onely but also of a farther effect the inlightning of them that were in darkenesse Let vs heare himselfe speake The people that walked in darkenesse haue seene a Isay 9. 2. great light they that dwelt in the Land of the shadowe of death vpon them hath the light shined My warrant to expound this prophecy of the light in the ministery of our Sauiour Christ is from the authoritie of the holy Ghost in Saint Mathewes Gospell Iesus leauing Nazareth Mat. 4. 13. 14. 15 went and dwelt in Capernaum which is neere the Sea in the borders of Zabulon the Land of Nepthalyn by the way of the Sea Galilee of the Gentiles The people which sate in darkenesse c. I spake of this before in expounding the words the naming of it this second time is sufficient Let me second it with an other prophecy out of the new Testament Olde Zacharie the Father of Saint Luk. 1. 67. Iohn Baptist being filled with the holy Ghost foretold this shining Through the teÌ„der mercie of our God the day-spring Ver 78. Ver. 79. sayth hee from an high hath visited vs to giue light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace This day spring Simeon in few words tearmeth alight to bee reuealed to the 2. 32. Gentiles He mentioneth not the darkenes True but we haue learned that the Gentiles were in darknes as wel by that of Esay as by the testimony of Saint Paul Walke not sayth he to the Ephesians turned from Gentilisme as other Gentiles walked hauing their cogitation darkened Eph. 4. 17. 18. and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hart But the brightnes of this light and the glorious shining thereof is no where more cleerely to be discernd then in the course of this Gospell wherein so many secrets of God of the Messiah of the holy spirit and comforter of freedome from sinne of deliuerance from damuation and of euerlasting life are set foorth commended to vs. The doctrine then is easie and certaine that our Saâ—iour being the supernaturall light shined to the world and shineth still and euer in the knowledge of eternall saluation Let not the manner of speech trouble any maÌ„ because the Euangelist sayeth that The light shineth in darkenesse You will aske me how this can be If the light shine there is no darkenes It there bee darknesse the light shines not How then can the light shine in darkenesse Is it all one as if hee should haue sayde The Ma'd â—nat ad hunc lo cum light inlightneth the darkenesse scattering and dispersing it But shining and inlightning as I shewd before are diuerse the former respeâ—ting the nature of the light the other a second arie effect of the light in things inlightned Neither may wee forget that the darkenes was not inlightned The darkenesse sayth Saint Iohn omprehended it not How then doth the light shine in â—â—rkenesse Surely as the Sunne in the firmament shines â—â—ongst a company of blind men The Sunne indeede â—â—â—nes but the darkenesse to blinde men is neuer a whit â—he losse So our Lord his doctrin shined most brightly in the midst of the blind Scribes and Pharises yet were they still in darkenesse The naturall light doth his office shewes his nature by spreading his beams all about that all men may see so doth the supernatuâ—al light deliuering the knowledge of God Christ to saluatioÌ„ yet to the blind the darknes coÌ„tinues thoghâ— the darknesse continue yet the light shines so the light shines in darknesse The ligh in darknesse what light What darknesse Is not the light you speake of a dim glimmering or rather is it not as a candle wasted and spent to nothing Is not Christ the light you brag of Is not this light put out You preach Christ crucified What light is there in death What shining when the Sun is set Where is the darknesse you vpbrayd the world withall Is not this Chr. crucified which in your
where as in ordinarie proofes wee regard what is sayde rather then who sayth it in this witnesse bearing the man is first respected and then the matter Our Euangelist therefore being to alleage the deposition of Iohn the Baptist beginnes with a discription of his person There was a man Where by the manner of the Euangelists Cyril in Ita. lib. 1. cap. 7. speech There was some think an especial difference betwixt our Sauiour and him is noted as if the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erat. Fuit word did note the eternitie of the one and the beginning of the other We heard of the like curious obseruatioÌ„ before at the first verse In the beginning was the word But it appeared to haue more shew then substance The diuersitie in that place was to bee drawn from the tense or time of the Verb wheras in the originall Greek there is no such varietie and in the Latine vpon which many ground no certainty for the proofe of such a difference either in the nature or vse of the two wordes as I then shewed more at large Heere there seemes to bee more aduantage because Saint Iohn vseth another worde and that such a word as indeede is neuer applyed but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those things which haue some beginning of their being Yet may wee not thereupon conclude that wheresoeuer wee finde the worde there such a difference is implyed or noted For it is verie cleare that it may and must bereferred to that which followes touching his Chrysost in Ioâ— hom 5. being sent There was a man sent not There was a man but was sent So haue wee the worde vsed in other places Iohn was baptizing in the Wildernesse Where Mar. 1 4 wee may not seuer was from baptizing The sense being no more but as it is well translated in English Iohn did baptize or baptized And there was a 9. 7. Cloude that shaddowed them There may seeme to bee more reason in this text to part the wordes but the Greeke will not beare it which is worde for worde There was a Cloude shaddowinge them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a Cloude shaddowed them But let vs graunt which is not ture that the worde signifies a beginning yet not simply a beginning but onely of that which is so spokeÌ„ of So that the beginning must belong not to his being absolutely but his being sent So saith our Euangelist afterward The Word became flesh not began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee as if before it had not beene at all but onely became flesh I am not afrayd therefore of being accused to haue omitted something which the holy Ghost intended to teach vs though I say nothing of that difference betwixt Christ and Iohn concerning the eternall being of the one and the others beginning to bee in time Neither doe I see any necessitie the of expounding the worde as some other men take it to note the extraordinarie conception and eduction of the Baptist which either are not toucht by our Euangelist or if they bee are to be deliuered in that point of his sending As for the word was I hope I haue made it plaine that it belongs to his being sent and hath no especiall signification by it selfe The like in my poore opinion may truely be sayd of the other word Man that it is indefinitly taken for One as wee commonly speak in English There was one sent Of the likelihood of this interpretation by and by it first you will giue mee leaue to speake a word or two of that which is generally conceiued by it Which is that by Man the nature of Iohn is signified To what ende partly that the former difference betwixt Christ and him might bee more exprest partly that no man might take him for an Angell though he be so called by Malachy But neither of these sauing their better judgement that are of a contrary opinion seemes to bee any sufficient reason of such an exposition First the difference they ayme at is as plaine and as great as may be The one was in the beginning was with God was Ioh. 1. 1. 2. Ver. 6. Ver. 4. 5. Ver. 8. God The other was sent by God and no farther matter auoucht of him The one had life in him and was the light of men The other was not the light but came to beare witnes of the light Secondly the auouching of him to bee a man doth not expresse that difference For our Sauiour was also a man as truely and naturally as he The worde became flesh As by a man came death so by a man Ver. 14. 1. Cor. 15. 20. came the resurrection from the dead yea hee is called the man whom God appointed to iudge the world by If Act. 17. 31. you say Christ is not onely a man neither doth the Euangelist a affirme any such thing of Iohn by that word There was a man Thirdly who tooke Iohn to be any other then a man The Iewes indeed many of them helde him for a Prophet but none of them euer denied Ioh. 1. 21. him to bee a man Therefore also the second respect in which hee is called a man is not much to Mat. 21. 26. bee respected The Prophet Malachy you say calls Mal. 3. 1. him an Angell Behold I send mine Angell before thy face What of that Was it therefore to bee feared that some men woulde thinke him to bee an Angell by nature Neither doth Malachy so say but rather shewes that hee speakes of his office because hee giues the same title to the Messiah though with an additon The Angell of the Couenant and who but those that beleeued the Gospell acknowledged Iohn to bee he of whome that was written by the Prophet Besides his parents and kindred were well knowne and his birth was extraordinarily famous yea the whole course of his life his preaching and his death were matters commonly talkt of among the Iewes There was little reason then why the Euangelist should giue any especiall notice of his nature in eitheâ— of the respects aboue mentioned It is more likely as I noted before that he vsed the worde in a generall senseâ— as we doe when we say There was a man or there was one That we may the rather be perswaded hereof let vs con sider the like vse of the worde in other places of the scripture Man liueth not by bread only Which we would Mat. 4 4. 12. 20. Luke 2. 25. thus expresse in our tongue A man or one liueth not There was a man which had his hand dried vp There was a man in Ierusalem And this manner of speech is very vsuall in the beginning of an historie or parable There was a man 1. Saâ— 1. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 S â—n 9. 1. of the two Ram â—thaim Zophim Where in the Greeke 〈◊〉 be very wordâ— that our Euangelist here vseth So of Sauls
strange in it and which but by reuelation from God could not possibly bee knowne or thought on Behold sayth hee a Virgin shal Isay 7. 14. beare a Sonne Neither doth hee onely prophecie of his miraculous conception but also hee signifies the great mystery of his person consisting of two natures diuine and humane She shall call his name Emanuell Which is Mat 1. 23. by interpretation sayeth Saint Mathewe God with vs. His life and death is shortly but verie liuely described by the same Prophet Hee shall growe up before him as Iâ—ay 53. 2. a braunch and as a roote out of a dry ground c. Hee was cut out of the Land of the liuing Yea hee addes Ver. 8. to this the maine point of Redemption forgiuenesse of sinnes by his sufferings and death Hee was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastâ—sement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes wee are healed Daniell describes the verie time Dan. 9. 25. and settes downe an exact computation by the direction of the Angell Gabriell till the death of the Messiah and withall preacheth forgiuenesse of sinnes by him Were not these witnesses were they not sent from GOD to beare witnesse of the Messiah What though they were also imployed in other matters of renroofe and instruction So was Iohn too as it is manifest by all the other 3. Euangelists Mat. 14 3. 4. Mat. 6. 17. 18. Luk. 3. 19. who shew that the occasion of his death was the rebuking of Heroa for taking his brother Philips wife But the Prophets only spake of such an one that was to come they did not witnesse that hee was come they did not shew which was he they did nor say Beholde the lamb of God This is hee as Iohn did Therefore is his ministery in this respect preferr'd far before theirs by our Sauiour Christs owne iudgement Iohn was more then a Mat. 11. 9. 11. Prophet Among them that are begotten of women arose there not a greater then Iohn Baptist Well let him haue the name of a witnesse aboue all the Prophets that went before him yet the Apostles haue that title giuen them by Christ himselfe aswell as hee yee shall be witnesses to me saith our Sauiour in Ierusalem Act. 1. 8. and in all Iudea and in Samaria and wherein their commission went beyond Iohns vnto the vttermost part of the earth And Iohn himselfe though he were magnified aboue the former Prophets in regard of his ministery Yet is he euen therin made inferior to the Apostles Mat. 11. 11. He that is least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he It is not to be denied but that the Apostles were witnesses in a very extraordinary sort being chosen before to giue notice of such things as should befall our Sauiour to all the world Therefore to them did hee appeare after his resurrection Him saith Peter God caused to bee Act. 10. 40. 41. showne openly Not to all the people but to witnesses chosen before of God to vs which did eate and drinke with him after he was risen from the dead Notwithstanding the witnesse of Iohn was of an other kinde then either the Prophets or Apostles For the one foretold that hee should come into the world the other affirmed that he had bin in the world Only Iohn was hee that shew'd him while hee was in the world who was long before prophecied of for an immediate forerunner of him at his comming Luk. 1. 17. and to make ready a people for him We see of what kinde his testimony was Iohn came and preached in the Wildernesse of Iudaea let vs now inquire what it was that hee witnessed Whereof I shall neede to say verie little because I spake of it in handling the former point In one worde the summe of his testimonie was this first that the kingdome of Mat. 3. 2 heauen was at hand that is as Saint Luke expresseth the matter He preachedthe baptisme of repentance for the remission Luk. 3. 3 of sinnes Hee testified to all the Iewes and to al that heard him that there was no means nor hope of saluation but by repentance of their sinnes and resting vpon the Messiah who was now amongst them though they knewe him not for pardon therof by his death and sacrifice The second and most proper part of his testimony was the pointing out and shewing of him that was the Messiah that all men might knowe and embrace him Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world This was the testimony of Iohn But that which principally concerneth the reason why our Euangelist mentions his bearing witnesse is to bee fetcht out of the third Chapter of this Gospell where a Sermon of his is recorded in which he commends our Sauiour to all meÌ„ as him who being sent froÌ„ God to be the Messiah speaketh Ioh. 3. 34. the words of God so that by him all other are inlightned who are of the earth and speake of the earth wheâ—eas Ver. 31. 32. he testifieth nothing but that which hee had seene and heard Truely therfore he is called the light who being in the bosome of his father reueales to men the secrets of his rather touching their redemption which no man euer knew or can knowe but from and by him What vse then was there of any witnesse If neither Iohn had any knowledge but from him and hee onely was able to inlighten whom hee would why did God end the Baptiâ— to beare witnesse of the light Needes â—â—e Sunne the day starre to shewe him to the world This was a meanes likelier to make Iohn bee for Ioh. 1. 19. 20. the Messiah then to credite the Messiah by his reportâ— as wee see also it came to passe whereof hereafter But that no man may either conceiue amisse or bee euer-much troubled with this doubt let vs take a shorte viewe of the purpose of GOD herein The ende of all teaching and preaching concerning Christ is to bring men to beleefe in him This was first to bee done amongst the Iewes For the better performing whereof it pleased God to deale gratiously and bountifully with them in affording many and diuers meanes by which they might bee moued and perswaded to beleeue Among the rest this was one whereof the Lord thought good to make choyse euen to send them a man after so extraordinary a manner who being in especiall credite and fauour with them by his authoritie and gratiousnesse might draw them to beleefe Coulde there anye more likely meanes bee deuised to perswade them He was lookâ— after as one that would prooue some rare man from his very Cradle His course of lise was such as might yet procure more admiration When hee came to the execution of his ministerie how powerfully did hee worke vpon the hearts of them that heard him what a fame went there of him farre and neere what
hee might haue said The true light then which what can bee said more All this contented not the holy Ghost but that he might rauish vs with the loue and admiration of this light hee calls it The light the true light Some apply it more particularly and pâ—ecisely to our Sauiour in these two considerations The light say they with an Article to note the excellencie of the Person The true light with the same Article repeated to signifie the glorie and brightness of that knowledge which flowes to men from that light I deny not but the Euangelist comprizeth both vnder these wordes I doubt whether hee intended to giue vs notice of them so distinctly by the repetition of the Article or no. It remaines that I deliuer the plaine meaning of the Euangelist and declare the Doctrine conteyned in it Wherein I may and will bee the shorter because somwhat hath bin said already of each in examining the former points What then meanes Saint Iohn by these wordes That was the light c. Hee had told vs in the last verse that Iohn the Baptist was not the light but was sent before as a seruant to giue notice and to beare witness of the light Now hee proceedes to shew vs the excellencie of that light in respect of whom Iohn though hee were of so rare giftes and highe account was no body Looke vpon the Moone in the night time when shee is at the full and you would thinke you had light enough Surely hee that had neuer seene the Sunne would easily bee perswaded to take the Moone for the Well or spring of light But if hee should once come to see the beauty and brightness of the sunne hee would be ashamed of his former childishness and ignorance that thought that to bee all which in a manner was nothing at all The Doctrine is as plaine and was handled more largely at the 4. and 5. verses CHRIST is the true light There are candles and torches here on earth men that haue discouered some truth concerning God There are Starres and Moones shining from heauen Such as by supernaturall illumination haue reuealed many and great mysteries concerning our redemption and saluation by IESVS CHRIST But all these are nothing to him If it were possible to ioine all the lights I spake of together would they match the brightnes of the sunne How much lesse can these torches and starres which haue all their light from the Sonne of God equall the autor and giuer of that light Let the light they giue bee as great as it can reasonably bee imagined to bee yet are they not the true light what doe wee then gazing and gaping vpon Men as if there were no light but in them If any man haue a little more knowledge then others that hee can teach vs somewhat which euerie one is not acquainted withall wee wonder at him as the onely light Yea wee are oftentimes so carried away with a conceite of his brightness that the light it selfe is either despised or forgotten in comparison of him It was somwhat more excusable in the Iewes though it were intollerable to preferre Iohn before CHRIST because they had settled a reuerend opinion of him in their hearts when they had no thought of any other Messiah But how shall wee bee excused that know who is the light and yet dote vpon other so much that wee hardly thinke on him Hee that fits our humour either with some point of Diuinitie which wee knew not or with some worde of exhortation that wee desired is so admired and followed that wee are ready to receiue any thing hee will deliuer vnto vs for truth without viewing it by the true light I speake not this to disgrace Iohn but to magnifie Christ Iohn was a light but not the light To speake truely and plainely Iohn was no light at all as our Euangelist affirmed in the former verse Hee was a candlestick or a torch-bearer to holde out and shew the light but the light hee was not Hee glistered in the eyes of men as a peece of glasse or any burnisht metall doth vpon which the sunne or some other light beates which is not seene of vs but by reflexion at the second hand To conclude that which the Euangelist saith here of our Sauiour is the very same that the Baptist woulde teach his disciples whome hee sent to Iesus saying Art thou he that should come or shall we looke for an other Iohn knew well enough that Iesus was the Sauiour as hee testified at the time of his baptisme and Mat. 11. 2. 3. afterward but his Schollers were not so perswaded Therefore hee sends them on such a message that they might themselues discerne him to bee the light This is that which the Apostles auouched after his death that There is no other name vnder heauen by which we Act. 4. 12. can be saued Miserable then and damnable is the case of those men who for any benefit and commoditie in this world or for any paine and torment that can be here indured for a time renounce the Sauiour of their soules and light of eternall life Iesus Christ Doe you maruell brethren what should make me breake out into such a speech in this Auditorie All of vs professe beleefe in Christ we haue all bin baptized wee haue all bin taught Put case wee did all beleeue indeede for the perswasion of the truth wee now maintaine as wee haue bin taught were it therefore needeless to vse any word of exhortation to confirme vs in the truth Is not our Faith nourisht and strengthened in vs by the same meanes by which it is begotten I say nothing of our naturall ignorance which had neede of much teaching I let passe our shuttle memories which easily forget that wee haue learned Let mee omitt our vnruly affections which draw vs away from the meditation of those things that concerne saluation Shall I tell you in one worde why I haue entred into this course vpon a point so well knowne and generally resolued of Did none of you euer heare of any Christians of any Euglishmen that haue denied the faith of CHRIST and become Renegados I must needes confesse I speake vpon report not vpon sight or experience but yet vpon such report as I haue good cause to credit both for the honestie and the number of the reporters It hath come to passe my heart bleeds within mee to thinke and vtter it yea it doth fall out daily a great deale too often that men trained vp here amongst vs in the religion of IESVS CHRIST for some worldly respects without conscience of their profession without care of their soules without regard of their credits without feare of damnation haue blasphemed the Lord IESVS CHRIST that died for them and turned Turkes O the weakness of our faith O the strength of our corruption O the hypocrisie of our hearts That which happeneth to one man may happen to any man Doest thou beleeue So they
signifies the earth the place where men ordinarily liue abide so that by Christs being in the world as I sayd his conuersing and liuing vpon the earth among men was noted In the second part The worlde was made by him that I may dispatch this point at once the worde is taken in the most generall sense for all thinges created heauen and earth and whatsoeuer is contained in them This last clause affordes vs a third signification of the worde more particularly then either of the other The world knewe him not It was not required nor could bee lookt for that the frame of the heauens or the Globe of the earth that the Sunne Moone or Starres that the beasts of the fielde the foules of the ayre or the fishes of the Sea shuld take knowledge of the Messiah None but such creatures as were indued with reason could bee capable thereof The Angells it concerned not neither are they at any time called the world It remaines then that by the world men onely are signified And of them it is sayd that They knew not Christ In what respecft did they not knowe him As hee is God Almightie the Creator and preseruer of all things he was generally acknowledged through the world For there neuer was any people so rude or barbarous but they had a perswasion that there was a God and that hee was to bee worshipt But herein as the Apostle sayth They are without excuse because knowing God they Rom. 1. 21. do not glorifie him as God neither are thankefull yea as it followeth afterwards they turne the truth of God into Ver. 25. a lye and worshippe and serue the creature rather then the Creator By which it is manifest that the Euangelist doth not speake heere of our Lords being in the world by his continuall prouidence and gouernment as I noted before Neither may wee vnderstand it of the Person which by no light of nature either bred in the soule or receiued from the creatures could possibly be descryed Therefore wee must needes interpret this knowledge of acknowledging our Sauiour for the Messiah and resting vpō him accordingly for spiritual deliuerance frō sinne death and damnation It is further to bee obserued in this part of the verse that the Euangelist chaungeth his speech and whereas before hee had spoken the light to which It should aunswere now in steede of that hee sayth him The worlde knewe him not Whome did not the worlde knowe In the next verse before hee mentioned the light Therefore he should now haue sayde The worlde knewe it not The Greeke expresseth neither It nor him in the two former clauses but because in this last the Euangelist expoundes himselfe saying him and not it therefore wee supply that worde in both the other As for the reason why Saint Iohn vseth the vseth the worde him wee must remember that hee speakes of the person of the Messiah howsoeuer hee describe him by calling him the life and the light Now to the person Hee and Him agree verie fitly In the Originall The Word is of the same gender that hee is of yet might wee not so speake of it in English but that wee haue respect in our speech rather to the person then to any titles by which he is described to vs. Thus then wee are to conceiue the Euangelists meaning that to amplifie the kindnesse of our Sauiour in offering saluation to the worlde hee sets foorth the great and incredible vnkindenesse of men who would not or at the least did not acknowledge him that they might bee saued But you will say This complaint is too generall against the world seeing it is well knowne euen by record in the Gospell it self that from time to time many beleeued in him This some men discerning restraine the worlde to the wicked of the Chrysost hom 7. in Ioan. world who refused to beleeue But the accusation in the Euangelist is all one though wee so expound it The worlde sayeth hee knewe him not And I thinke wee shall hardly finde the worlde anye where in Scripture taken for the wicked but where there is some opposition exprest or signified betwixt them and the godly I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast giuen mee out of the world Ioh 17 9 Who sees not that in this sentence the world or wicked are opposed to the godly whome the Lord hath chosen out of the world And yet euen in this and the like examples we may very well by the world vnderstand men in generall The worlde cannot hate Chap 7 7. you but mee it doth hate What is that else but as if our Lord should haue sayde men cannot hate you but they hate me It is true indeede that the reason of this hatred is the wickednesse of men but this wickednesse is so generall that it may truly be affirmed of the world in such generall tearmes The fore although some few whose hearts it pleased God extraordinarily to inlighten and incline did confesse him to bee the Messiah yet generally the world did not know him as Saint Iohn not without cause complaynes For to whome may it not worthily seeme strange that a personage of such worth excellency should make himselfe knowne to men in such a wonderfull sort and yet not bee acknowledged to bee such an one as apparantly he was The fame of his doctrine spred it selfe abroade in all places in so much that it was knowne in Rome The light of his glorious miracles shone farre and neere to all the Countries that bordered vpon Iewrie or had any ordinarie traffick with the Iewes in those parts Paul and Barnabas hauing wrought a miracle vpon a poore Cripple at Listra the people lifted vp their voyces saying in the Lycaonian tongue Gods are Act. 14. 11. come downe to vs in the likenesse of men Yea this opinion rested not among the common sort but stretched to the wise and learned in so much that Iupiters Priest Ver. 13. brought Bulles with Garlands and would haue sacrificed with the people Behold I pray you what effect one miracle was able to worke in the hearts of so great a multitude The workers of it were taken for Gods and those none of the meanest They called Barnabas Iupiter Ver. 12. and Paul Mercurie Iupiter was the chiefe of the Heathen Gods and Mercurie his sonne of especiall imployment in all matters of importance Neither stayed they here but prepared their sacrifices in the best manner Bulles with Garlands and brought them to bee offered vp Compare our Lords manie and admirable miracles with this one worke of the Apostles supposing it had beene done by their owne power and vertue Looke not that I should stand to reckon vppe the particulars take a viewe of them in grosse as they are reheaised to Iohns Disciples The blind receiued sight the halt were made able to goe the lepers Mat. 11 5. were cleansed the deafe had their hearing the