they have but would have had more to say in excuse or for a cover for their Sin than now they can But now they have no Cloak for their Sin That is they are totally inexcusable and have not the least colour or pretence for their obstinate unbelief Learn hence 1. That Sins of Ignorance are as it were no Sins compared with Sins committed against light and Knowledge 2. That Sins committed against Gospel-Light are of an heinous Nature and Aggravated Guilt as being committed against the very Remedy 3. That the Gospel where it is plainly preached doth take away all pretence and excuse from Sinners Now they have no Cloak for their Sin 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had not had sin but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father 25 But this cometh to pass that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law they hated me without a cause These words declare the heinous Nature of the Pharisees sin in hating and persecuting Christ who had done before their Eyes such Works as no Man besides him or before him ever did he acting by his own Power Peter healed the lame Man Acts 3. but it was in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth But Christ healed the sick and raised the dead in his own Name and by a special Word of Command I say unto thee Arise Yet did the Pharisees hate him and his Father according to the Prediction Psalm 35.19 They hated me without a cause Which being spoken of David in Type received a more eminent Accomplishment in Christ the Son of David Learn hence 1. That let Men pretend to never so much Holiness or Respect to God yet if they hate Christ and despise his Gospel they are haters of God who is One in Essence and Nature with his Son He that hateth me hateth my Father also Learn 2. That no Miracles wrought by mortal Men were ever comparable with the Miracles wrought by Christ the Son of God his did surpass them all in number kind and manner of doing them by his own Authority in his own Name and not as others who obtained their Power by Prayer from God I have done amongst them the works which none other man did Learn 3. That Christ's having confirmed his Doctrine by such unparallel'd Miracles as the World was never before acquainted with doth aggravate the sin of those that are Haters of his Person Despisers of his Doctrine and Reproachers of his Miracles It being just with God when Men obstinately shut their Eyes and will not see judicially to close their Eyes and say They shall not see 26 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me 27 And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning Here our Holy Lord Comforts himself that tho' he had lain then under many Aspersions and Scandals from the World yet all these should be done away by the coming of the Holy Spirit who should testifie of him and make his Person and Doctrine to be acknowledged in the World and that they themselves should bear witness of him who had been with him from the beginning that is since he first began to exercise his Prophetick Office Observe here 1. That Father Son and Holy Spirit are Three distinct Persons in the Godhead 2. That the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son Here the Son is said to send him and as to the Father he is said to proceed from him If the Holy Ghost doth not proceed from the Son why is he called the Spirit of the Son Gal. 4.6 Why is he said here to be sent by the Son The Comforter whom I will send unto you from the Father And if the Spirit doth not proceed from the Son what personal Relation can we conceive betwixt the Son and the Spirit Observe 3. That it is the high Dignity and Honour of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ that the Spirit beareth no Testimony unto Christ but with and according to the Testimony given by them for here it is conjoyned He shall testifie of me and ye also shall bear witness who have been with me from the beginning CHAP. XVI 1 THese things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service 3 And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me 4 But these things have I told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them And these things I said unto you at the beginning because I was with you In the close of the foregoing Chapter our blessed Saviour had acquainted his Disciples with the hatred and hard usage which they were like to meet with from the World and here he intimates to them the Reason why he did so much insist upon the Subject namely not to sadden their Hearts and grieve their Spirits before their Sufferings came but that they might not be offended discouraged or scandalized at them when they came but prepared for them and armed against them Hence Learn 1. That all Afflictions but especially Persecutions are so searching and trying that the best of Christians have need to be guarded against them that they may not be offended at them 2. That it was the great Design of Christ to Arm his Disciples against the Scandal of the Cross lest stumbling at that which they expected not they should fall from the Profession of Christianity These things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended Observe 2. How our Saviour instances in two particular sorts and kinds of Sufferings which his Disciples were to expect in the World and from the World namely Excommunication and Martyrdom ver 2. They shall put you out of their Synagogues that is exclude them from all their Assemblies both Civil and Religious and shall not only think it lawful but a very acceptable Service to God to put them to death Whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service Observe 3. How Christ discovers to his dear Disciples the Cause and Ground of the World's Hatred against them and Enmity towards them namely their Ignorance of the Father and himself ver 3. These things will they do because they have not known the Father nor me From whence we may Learn That all the Persecutions of the Saints do speak in Persecutors an Ignorance both of God the Father and of Jesus Christ his Son All Persecution springs from Ignorance as well as from Malice And Men who continue ignorant of God and Christ are in danger of turning Persecutors if they have a temptation to it Observe 4. How
Original or Parentage Art thou a Divine Person or not our blessed Saviour being unwilling to obstruct his own Sufferings or to discover any thing that might hinder Pilate from proceeding against him would give him no Answer having before made a reasonable and sufficient Defence Oh how ready was Christ to lay down his Life for Sinners and how willing to pay that Ransome for his People which the Justice of God required 10 Then saith Pilate unto him Speakest thou not unto me knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and have power to release thee 11 Jesus answered Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin Observe here 1. How offended Pilate was at Christ's silence and how unreasonably he boasts of his Power and Authority Have not I Power to Crucifie thee and Power to Release thee It is the great Sin and snare of Men in Power to forget from whom they derive their Power and to think that they may employ their Power as they please Observe 2. The Piety and meekness of our Saviour's Answer Thou couldst have no Power against me except it were given thee from above That is Thou hast no Power over me nor couldst thou inflict any punishment upon me were it not that my Father had in his great Wisdom Divine Counsel and for glorious Ends permitted it so to be Learn That Christ's being under the Power of any Man how great and eminent soever did flow from the peculiar Dispensation of God who in his wise and wonderful Counsel so ordered it and ordained it for the Redemption and Salvation of his People he was above all Humane Power as God and no ways obnoxious to Pilate's Power being a perfectly Innocent Man Observe 3. How Christ charges his Death more upon Judas and the Jews than upon Pilate and the Gentiles They that delivered me unto thee have the greater Sin Not that Pilate was excused from Sin in delivering Christ to be Crucified he sinned heinously in abusing his Power but Judas sinned more in delivering him up to the Chief Priests and the Chief Priests in delivering him up to Pilate than Pilate himself whom they made a Tool to serve their Malice and Revenge they had better means of Knowledge than he and so sinned against more Light than he and consequently their Guilt was greater and their Condemnation heavier than his Learn thence That the greater means of Light and Knowledge Persons Sin against the more aggravated is their Guilt and the more heigthned will be their Condemnation He that delivered me unto thee hath the greater Sin 12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him but the Jews cried out saying If thou let this man go thou art not Cesars friend whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cesar 13 ¶ When Pilate therefore heard that saying he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment-seat in a place that is called the Pavement but in the Hebrew Gabbatha Still Observe How unwilling Pilate was to put Christ to Death Conscience bids him spare Popularity bids him Kill how frequently and how fervently did he contend with the Jews till they make it a State-case and Tacitly Accuse him for a Traitour to the Roman Emperor if he released him If thou let this Man go thou art not Cesar's friend When Pilate heard that he delivers up the Innocent Jesus to be Crucified Learn hence That the Natural Consciences of Men and the Innate notions of Good and Evil may carry Men on a great way in opposing that which is a bare-faced Iniquity but at last either fear or shame will over-rule if there be not a Superiour and more noble Principle Though Pilate's Conscience acquitted Christ and his Mouth had declared that he found no fault at all in him yet fear of Cesar's displeasure causes him to deliver up to Death the Holiest and best of Men against his Judgment and his Conscience When Pilate heard that he brought Jesus forth unto them 14 And it was the preparation of the passover and about the sixth hour and he saith unto the Jews Behold your king 15 But they cried out Away with him away with him crucifie him Pilate saith unto them Shall I crucifie your king The chief priests answered We have no king but Cesar 16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified Observe here How careful the Holy Ghost is to Record and set down the Time when Pilate gave Sentence against Christ In general it was on the Day of the preparation for the Passover that is the Day immediately before it when they prepared every thing needful for the Solemnization and in particular it was about the sixth hour of that Day St. Mark calls it the third hour St. John the sixth but this is easily reconciled thus the Jews divided the Day into four quarters which they called hours the first was called the third hour which answers our ninth the second called the sixth hour answering our twelfth the third called the ninth hour answering our three in the Afternoon the fourth called the twelfth hour which was the time of their Retirement from Labour and beginning of the first Night watch Now the whole time from the third hour to the sixth that is from Nine to Twelve was called the Third Hour and the whole intervening time from the Sixth to the Ninth that is from Twelve to Three is called the Sixth Hour and so of the rest Now when St. John says it was about the Sixth Hour when Christ was condemned by Pilate and led away to be Crucified and St. Mark says it was the Third Hour we are to understand that St. Mark takes in the whole time of the Third Hour from Nine to Twelve and St. John saying it was about the sixth Hour implies that it was near Twelve so that between the Hours of Nine and Twelve our Lord was Sentenced and led away to his Cross about Twelve fastned to his Cross upon which he hung till the Ninth Hour that is till about Three in the Afternoon during which time there was such an Eclipse of the Sun as did occasion darkness over all the Earth Learn hence The great Love and Condescension of Jesus Christ in stooping so low to have his Sufferings lengthned out upon our accounts to expiate our Guilt which deserveth Eternal Sufferings that he might by his Example warn us to prepare for Trials of long continuance and Sanctifie a state of continual Affliction to us Behold the Son of God harassed all Night before he suffered hurried from place to place posted backward and forward from Pilate to Herod and from Herod to Pilate wearied scourged buffetted crowned with Thorns at last nailed to his Cross and hanging thereupon from about Twelve to Three in exquisit Torture of Body and under the sense of his Father's wrath in his Soul Oh Lord Thy kindness towards us is matchless
their Obstinacy and Infidelity which he aggravates from the Example of the Queen of the South and the Men of Nineveh From hence Learn That the sins of infidelity and impenitency are exceedingly heightned and their guilt aggravated from the Means afforded by God to bring Men to Faith and Obedience The sin of the Pharisees was infinitely greater in rejecting the Evidence of Christ's Miracles than the sin of the Ninevites would have been in refusing to hearken to Jonas his Ministry therefore the Ninevites shall condemn the Pharisees 33 No man when he hath lighted a Candle putteth it in a secret place neither under a Bushel but on a Candlestick that they which come in may see the Light 34 The light of the body is the eye therefore when thine eye is single thy whole body also is full of Light but when thine eye is evil thy body also is full of darkness 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness 36 If thy whole body therefore shall be full of light having no part dark the whole shall be full of light as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light Our Saviour in these words does these two things 1. he declares that altho' his Ministry had no effect upon the proud and obstinate Pharisees yet he would not hide the light which he came into the World to bring nor conceal that Heavenly Doctrine which his Father had committed to him to Communicate to the Children of Men teaching us That such as are enlightned by God with the Knowledge of his Word and Will ought not to conceal and hide this Knowledge within themselves but communicate it to others and improve it for the good and benefit of others No man that lighteth a Candle putteth it under a Bushel 2. Our Saviour here discovers the Reason why the Pharisees continued blind under so clear a light as that of his Ministry namely because the eye of their Understanding was darkned not so much with Ignorance as with Prejudice whereby they opposed Christ and his Holy Doctrine for if the Mind be clearly enlightned by the Word and Spirit of God that Light will diffuse and spread it self in the Soul as the bright shining of a Candle doth in the House enlightning all the inward Faculties and directing all the outward Actions and communicating its Light also to the enlightning of others 37 And as he spake a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him and he went in and sate down to meat 38 And when the Pharisee saw it he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner 39 And the Lord said unto him now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness 40 Ye fools did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also Observe here 1. The free Conversation of our Blessed Saviour how readily he complies with the Pharisees Invitation to dine with him I do not find that when Christ was invited to any Table that ever he refused to go if a Pharisee if a Publican invited him he constantly went not so much for the pleasure of eating as for the opportunity of Conversing and doing good Christ feasts us when we feed him He says of himself that he came eating and drinking that is allowing himself a free tho' innocent Conversation with all sorts of Persons that he might gain some Observe 2. The Exception which the Pharisee takes at our Saviour's not washing his hands before Dinner This they made but without any warrant for it a Religious Act abounding in external washings but neglecting the inward Purgations of their Hearts and Consciences from Sin and Uncleanness Thus Pharisaical Hypocrisy puts God off with outward cleansing instead of inward Purity regarding more the outward cleanness of the hand than the inward Purity of the Heart Observe 3. Our Blessed Saviour does not condemn any external Decency and cleanliness in Conversation but his design is to shew the vanity of outward Purity without inward Sanctity and to convince them of the Necessity of cleansing the Heart in order to the purifying and Reforming the Life The Pharisee washt his hands clean but left his Soul full of uncleanness not considering that he that made the Soul as well as the Body requires that both should be kept pure all the impiety of mens Lives proceeding from the impurity of their Hearts and Natures 41 But rather give alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you As if Christ had said the way to purify your Meats and Drinks and Estates from all pollution cleaving to them and to have them Sanctified Blessings to you is in Conjunction with other Graces by doing Works of Mercy and by liberal Alms-giving according to your Ability Learn that Charity and Alms-giving according to our ability and opportunity is a special means to sanctify our Estates to us and to cause us holily and comfortably to enjoy whatever we do possess Give Alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you 42 But Wo unto you Pharisees for ye Tythe Mint and Rue and all manner of Herbs and pass over judgment and the love of God these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Our Saviour here denounces a Wo against the Pharisees for their strict and scrupulous observing the lesser things of the Law as Tything Mint and Rue whilst they were regardless of the principal and substantial Duties which they owed both to GOD and Man Learn hence That altho' some Duties are of greater moment and importance than others yet a good Man will omit none but make Conscience of all both great and small in obedience to the Command of God there is no Duty so little as to be neglected no Command so small as to be disobeyed but yet there is a difference in Duties and our first regard ought to be to the greater then to the less Christ doth not condemn them for Tything Mint and Rue but for passing over judgment and the love of God 43 Wo unto you Pharisees for ye love the uppermost seats in the Synagogues and greetings in the Market-place The next Wo denounced against the Pharisees is for their Ambition Pride and Popularity affecting the uppermost Seats in the Synagogues and Salutations in the Markets where their fault was not in taking but in affecting these uppermost places God is the God of Order there may and ought to be a precedency amongst Persons honour is to be given to whom honour is due and that by God's Command But Pride and Ambition are detestable Vices especially in such as are Preachers and ought to be patterns of Humility 44 Wo unto you Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites for ye are as Graves which appear not and the men that walk over them are not aware of them Another Wo is here
by Christ to his Church he being constituted by God the Father to be the great Prophet and Instructer of it All things that I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you 16 Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name he may give it you Here our Saviour gives another Instance and Evidence of his Love to his Disciples He tells them that his mercy and free goodness had prevented them in their election to Eternal Salvation and in their vocation unto the Office of Apostleship Ye have not chosen me to be your Master and Lord but I have chosen you to be my Disciples Friends and Servants 2. He acquaints them with the end design and intention of his in chusing of them Namely That they bring forth fruit and persevere therein even in all the Fruits of Holiness and Obedience which are to the Praise and Glory of God by Jesus Christ I have ordained you that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should Remain 3. He directs them that in order to their being fruitful they should have access to the Father through him for whatever they wanted and stood in need of Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Learn hence That all those whom God hath chosen and called to the knowledge and Service of Jesus Christ do and will make it their chief care and endeavours to bring forth Fruit and to persevere therein to their Lives end I have chosen you that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain 17 These things I command you that ye love one another 18 If the world hate you ye know that it hated me before it hated you 19 If ye were of the world the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you 20 Remember the word that I said unto you The servant is not greater then the lord If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you if they have kept my saying they will keep yours also 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my names sake because they know not him that sent me Observe here 1. With what frequency and importunity our Lord inculcates and presses the Duty of mutual Love upon his Disciples I command you to love one another It denotes the great importance of the Duty and the great aversness and backwardness of our Hearts to the performance of it And if we consider the Disciples as Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel it intimates to us the necessity of mutual Love amongst the dispensers of the Gospel as conducing exceedingly to the welfare and benefit of the Church of God over which he hath set them Observe 2. The Argument which our Saviour makes use of to press his Disciples in general and his Ministers and Ambassadours in particular to love each other and that is because the World would certainly hate them Learn hence That the World's hatred of the Members and Ministers of Christ is and ought to be esteemed by them a strong Argument to excite and persuade them to Love one another for this is subjoined as an Argument to press mutual Love that we are sure to meet with the World's hatred Observe 3. The several Arguments by way of encouragement which Christ propounds to Comfort his Members and Ministers against the World's hatred 1. Argument is taken from his own Lot and usage when here in the World he met with the very same before them The World hated me before it hated you Learn hence That Hatred and Persecution from the World need not seem hard to the Saints if they consider what a shock Christ before them had upon him he is the prime Object of the World's Hatred and they who hate his Members much do hate him more because of their likeness to him and resemblance of him A second Argument of Comfort under the World's Hatred is this That it will evidence they are not of the World but chosen out of the World v. 19. Because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hates you Hence learn 1. That the Children of God though in the World yet they are not of the World they have not the Spirit of the World in them nor is the Conversation of the World led by them 2. That the difference betwixt them that are of the World and those that are chosen out of the World is of God's making I have chosen you out of the World 3. That such Christians as are separated from the World in Judgment Affection and Practice must for that reason expect to be Hated and Persecuted by the World Because ye are not of the World therefore the World hates you The Third Argument for Consolation and Support under the World's hatred is taken from our Relation to Christ as Servants to a Master v. 20. Remember the Servant is not greater than his Lord. As if Christ had said is it equal That you should expect better Treatment than my self either as to your Persons or Ministry or that you should expect that the World should better Receive your Doctrine than it did mine before you Learn hence That neither the Members nor Ministers of Christ can nor ought to expect better Entertainment in and from the World than he their Master found before them The Servant is not above his Master nor greater than his Lord. A Fourth Argument to support them under the Burthen of the World's Hatred is taken from the goodness of the Cause for which they were to Suffer Namely For Christ's Name sake v. 21. All these things will they do unto you for my name sake Hence learn 1. That it is the Duty of all but especially the Ministers of Christ to own the Name of Christ to stand up in defence of his Name and Truth his Glory and Honour what opposition soever they meet with for the same Learn 2. That the great quarrel of the World against the Disciples of Christ is for the Name of Christ whatever may be pretended this is the ground of the quarrel 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloke for their sin These Words are not to be understood Absolutely but Comparatively as if Christ had said had not I come amongst them in my Incarnation and Preached personally to them the Doctrine of Salvation and confirmed that Doctrine by miraculous operations they might have pleaded Ignorance in some measure and they had not had sin that is they had not had the Sin of Unbelief and Gospel-Contempt to Answer for or had not had so great a measure of any kind of Sin to Answer for as now