included in this reproof of the Samaritans and commendation of the Jewes Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship To transgresse this rule and to take in any device of men in Gods worship doth in so farre make the true God an Idol as to imagine him to be such a one as will accept of such false worship 2. Christ as he took on the forme of a servant is content to rank himself with the true Church as a member to teach all to esteeme highly of such a society We saith he know what we worship 3. Not onely is worship devised by men not warrantable but it is not the way to heaven seeing there can be no salvation but in Gods institute way And the case of these who follow devised worship is so much the more dangerous if they want also the doctrine of salvation in matters of faith and manners Both these are included in this reason for salvation is of the Jewes that salvation was to be found in that Church their way of worship being appointed and approven of God and the saving doctrine and oracles of God concerning faith worship and manners being also committed to them and among them 4. It was the special priviledge of the Jewes and a testimony of Gods approving of them as his Church that the Saviour of sinners was to come of them and the doctrine of salvation pointing him out to sound from among them in all the earth so much also doth this reasoning import as hath beene explained Verse 23. But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth Christ returneth to enlarge and explain his first assertion and sheweth what is to come in place of the Jewish worship to be abolished to wit that the time was even at hand wherein not onely there should be no distinction of place or Nations in the matter of worship but in place of carnal and typical worship performed by the Jewes in one place all true worshippers in every place should worship in spirit and truth For which he giveth two reasons first that God requireth such worship secondly that this is most agreeable and pleasing to his spiritual nature As for these two properties of worship in spirit and truth they must be taken in opposition to the properties of the former worship and so they come to one in substance that in stead of external ceremonies which are called carnal Heb. 7.16 and 9.10 and shadowes Heb. 10.1 the Lord would have a spiritual worship and the truth of what was represented by these shadowes as Rom. 12.1 Heb. 13.15 16. And this agreeth well with the reasons subjoyned for however the Lord did require and was pleased with these external formes in the infancie of the Church yet he never did accept of them save in so farre as they led to this which is so agreeable to his nature and were not rested on by the worshipper But we may further extend these properties not onely to the matter of worship but to the manner of it also that the Lord who is a Spirit doth require that lawful worship should be performed in spirit as opposite to a formal way of worship and in truth as opposite to hypocrisie Not that God did approve of the want of these before but that by the removal of these external rites wherewith worshippers were much taken up and which the best saw not clearly enough through he was to discover this way more fully and make them more free to attend it and by pouring out of his spirit he was to work it more generally Doctr. 1. The correction and reformation of the worship of God was reserved for the dayes of the Gospel and to be brought about by Christ Therefore saith he the hour cometh and now is when this change shall be He saith Now is either because it was instantly approaching at his death or because he was even now beginning this reformation by his Ministry 2. They who professe themselves worshippers of the true God ought to performe it with humble and affectionate reverence and with subjection and submission to him considering his majesty and their owne vilenesse for so much doth the word rendered worshippers import being a similitude taken from dogs fawning and casting themselves down at their Masters feet 3. Albeit all who professe the true God and are not avowed Atheists will have some sort of worship yet all of them will not be found true and approven worshippers either for matter or manner Therefore are some called true worshippers by way of distinction from others 4. The true worship of God under the Gospel doth not consist in the external pomp of ceremonies and observations but is spiritual simple and substantial for they shall worship the Father in spirit and truth not in carnal shadowes which if being Gods own Ordinance yet did take up worshippers so through their own weaknesse as oft-times to keep them from minding this spiritual worship how much more may it be expected that the more external pomp there be of mens devising there will be the lesse spiritual truth 5. It is not sufficient to make an approven worshipper that they do not multiply rites and ceremonies but their worship must be chiefly inward flowing from grace engaging the heart in Gods service and from the breathing and influence of the spirit not resting on an external forme of lawful worship or any bodily exercise about it So much also are we taught from this that worship must be spirit or spiritual for the manner of performance as well as for its nature in it self 6. God requires also in a worshipper that with avoiding of formality which is but a deceitful hypocritical shew of worship he studies sincerity and streightnesse of heart not dealing negligently or for by-ends in Gods service for worship must be in truth 7 It is the Lords will and appointment alone that can give a being to true worship and to this must all our reasonings about this matter be subject And therefore his enjoyning of spiritual substantial and sincere worship should commend it to his people So much doth the subjoyning of this reason for the Father seeketh such to worship him teach 8. All the true worship that God gets is of his own seeking and procuring and having wrought it he takes pleasure in it So much also may his seeking such import that he sent Christ to make a conquest of spiritual worshippers and seeketh such as being these he delighteth in 9. God in his nature is a most pure and simple substance free of all mixture and composition and infinite in perfections and he is to be conceived of spiritually avoiding all carnal and grosse conceptions for so much are we taught God is a Spirit infinitely above Angels or spirits of men who yer
the visible Church and professors are either idle or out of their way and in their greatest throng are but labouring in the very sire for vanity If we look upon the most part of those we will finde that being ignorant of their true good or not giving credit to what is revealed in the Word concerning it they do spend their strength in seeking after any good yea or any shew of it that hereby they may deceive and full themselves asleep and take the best course they can to skin over these wounds grievances and discontents which do attend miserable and fallen man the perfect cure whereof is onely to be found in Jesus Christ And that by seeking more then is to be expected in and from the creature they do not onely misse of their aime but deprive themselves of that good they might finde in the right use of the good creatures of God all the dayes of their life But it may further be regrated that the abuse of this mercy is more universal then that onely such should be charged with it Sad experience doth testifie how truly the Apostle did give warning that in the last dayes vilest abominations should mask themselves under a forme of godlinesse denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. and since the profession of Religion hath been in any reputation among us how frequently do we find men make use of a pretence of piety to render their vilest errors plausible Yea to carry on their selfish and carnal designes Whence it is come to passe that innocent and lovely holinesse suffers for their sake and the Name of God is blasphemed and holinesse so generally stumbled at through them Beside If we look upon those who fear God indeed How sadly may it be lamented that they are idle and turned off from their great work to needlesse diversions and distractions And among those who are most busie How few are to be found who follow a right method in their walking Many do covet more after what is adorning then after what is saving Some do earnestly desire after satisfaction to their sense in the wayes of God without acquainting themselves with the solid way of living by faith Some do habituate themselves to a trade of discouragements under which after they have wrestled awhile with anxieties and bitternesse they fall faster asleep in security then if they had a Delilah in their bosome And generally That Summary description of a Gospel way held out by the Apostle Phil. 3.3 is but the practice of very few Men do not worship God in the Spirit because they learn not to rejoyce in Christ Jesus and this they study not because they are not put from all confidence in the flesh or in any thing beside Christ And if they would begin at having no confidence in the flesh and look upon their being emptied of all things as a â—all not onely to close with but to rejoyce in Christ and his imputed righteousnesse they would finde vertue flowing from him daily to enable them to worship God in a lively and spiritual way and to order their conversation as becometh the Gospel As these considerations serve exceedingly to commend the patience and long-suffering of God who hath not removed his Candlestick from us notwithstanding our not walking in the light and our abuse of corrections which have been sent to chasten us for not entertaining the offer of salvation and to quicken us in our Christian course And as they ought to excite all in their stations to mourn before the Lord and to stand in the gap to make up the breach and Ministers in particular to be instant in season and out of season if so be there may yet be a returning to him who smiteth and we may become an afflicted and poor people trusting in the name of the Lord and he may delight in us and call us Hephzi-bah and our Land Beulah So it also hath prevailed with me to contribute my mite in this publick way beside my ordinary weak travels in my charge and to make offer of this Exposition on that rich Treasure of the Gospel written by John A subject though handled by me briefly and in much weaknesse full of the substance and marrow of Religion tending as John himself giveth an account of his scope in it Chap 20. 31 to point out Christ the true remedy for sinne in his person and offices and to direct us how to attaine salvation through faith in him Which being to come to publick view I have made bold to present it to the world under your Honourable Names and to joyne you together in this Dedication whom God hath conjoyned in the strict bond of nature which is daily confirmed by that mutual respect tendernesse and affection which You bear one toward the other It is not much my way and I know Your Honours do not expect it that I should stuffe this Application with large commendations of You or with acknowledgments of your respects to my self and Your kindnesses towards others of my Relations My great scope in it is As to encourage You in the good way wherein both Your Honours are engaged in Your several measures So to excite and engage You yet more to emprove Your eminency as You are or may be capable of this service for the advancement of Christs interests in this back-sliding and degenerate time Not that Christ needeth any such help who by weak things can confound the mighty and by things that are not bring to naught things that are But that it is Your own true honour and interest not to be among those Nobles of Tekoa who put not their necks to the work of the Lord but to subject Your selves unto him and lay out Your selves in Your stations for promoving his Kingdome and the advancement of piety and the work of the Gospel As for your Honour my Lady Weems all the lovers of Christ in Scotland do with thankfulnesse remember their obligations to Your late Father The Right Honourable Earle of Rothes of precious memory whom the Lord raised up to be a prime Instrument in the late Reformation and who spent himself till his last breath in that publick service And those who know Your Ladiship best will bear witnesse that you have endeavoured in your Sphere to trace his steps not onely in Your private and secret practice but in your open countenancing and encouraging of godlinesse and honest Ministers of the Gospel at all occasions Wherein I trust You shall be helped to persevere and abound unto the end Your Honour hath received many favours from the Lord particularly that he hath made you a joyful Mother of children who are the Lord continuing their life for which I pray to succeed in several Honourable families of the Land beside those of them who are or may be placed in other families by marriage Which I doubt not You look upon as a strong obligation to lay forth Your self that they may prove friends to
on truths side against all delusions and be made partakers of the sweet refreshments that flow therefrom Therefore it is held out as a rich encouragement ye shall know the truth 12. Proficiency in knowledge and the effects thereof is not only beleevers dutie which they should labour for but it is Gods promiâ—e to work it who should be depended on for that effect for it is his promise to true disciples ye shall know the truth 13. Whatever be the weaknesse ignorance and wants of weak beginners and how little soever refreshment they finde in the truths of the Gospel Yet by perseverance and continuance all this will be helped and they will still know more and more of the truth and the consolations thereof for If ye continue ye shall know the truth 14. Since the â—all of Adam there is no man but â—e is bâ—â—n a spiritual slave without freedome under the dominion and power of sinne and Satan and under the curse of the Law for so is here imported in that they need to be made free 15. Such as do embrace Christ and persevere in obedience to his Word albeit they be not loosed from that due subjection which in their several stations they owe to Superiours 1 Cor 7.20 21 22. yet they are made partakers of true Christian liberty and are delivered not onely from the bondage wherein they were held by nature when they were slaves to sinne and Satan and under the condemning and cursing power of the Law and from the external bondage of an yoke of Ceremonies imposed upon the Jewes and of humane precepts in things indifferent in Gods worship But also from that spirit of bondage which he lets out at first upon his own in order to their future freedome Rom 8.15 Therefore saith Christ the truth shall make you free And albeit beleevers and they who continue in Christs Word do not alwayes enjoy the possession and use of this liberty but may be under bondage terrour and fear Yet that is not their allowance but flows from their own we knesse which apprehends all their bonds to be being on when really they are freed from them And therefore they should complain of themselves to God and strive for the use of what is their right by walking familiarly with God and chearfully and comfortably in his seâ—vice and by making their liberty a Law to binde themselves more strictly to his obedience 16. This making them free is here attribute to the truth whereas Christ onely is the cause of our liberty verse 36. But these are not inconsistent for it is Christ indeed who purchaseth and applyeth this liberty Christ and this his purchase and offer are hâ—ld out in the Word to be laid hâ—ld on there by faith and so the beleever comes to get the right and application of it and he living by faith the Spirit of Adoption comes and seals up this liberty Ephes 1.13 Gal 4.6 So is this to be understood the truth shall make you free Verse 33. They answered him We be Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any man how sayest thou Ye shall be made free The contentious Jewes do here again interpose And 1. They debate about thâ—ir freedome and parentage and Christ refutes their conceits to verse 48. 2. They fall a railing at his person and contradict what he asserts of himself and he doth vindicate himself and his doctrine verse 48 58. 3. They joyne violence with their railing which he avoids verse 59 I shall take up the method and parts of the first branch of this debate in this order 1. They excepting against the immediately preceeding doctrine and boasting of their own freedome as being Abrahams children verse 33. Christ cleareth what is the great bondage of men and how to be free from it verse 34 35 36. And showeth that their being Abrahams seed after the flesh could not avail since their malicious carriage and contempt of his divine Word did evidence they had another original and Father verse 37 38. 2. They again laying claime to their descent from Abraham he sheweth that in their carriage they were not like him and so behooved to father themselves upon another in that respect verse 39 40 41 And 3. When they perceiving that he spake not of their carnal descent but of their spiriual original do assert that God is their Father verse 41. Christ evinceth the contrary from their want of love to him verse 42. and from their not understanding his preaching verse 43. And asserteth that they are of Satan whom they imitate in lying and murdering verse 44. â— 45. For he being sinlesse and a true teacher ver 26. their not hearkning nor beleeving in him did evince that they were not of God verse 47. In this verse some Jewes not they who beleeved but others do except against his former doctrine alledging that they being Abrahams children and having never been in bondage to any man it was needlesse to feed them with hopes of being made free As for the grounds of their objection it is nothing strange to see them deluded with a conceit of being Abrahams children but it may seem strange they should say they were never in bondage when yet they were bond-men in Egypt and in Babylon and frequently and at this time they were under the power of the Romans But we are to conceive that either they stood not upon an an impudent lie to make good their point or their meaning is that however they were actually in bondage yet by right and according to the promise they were free and expected to be vindicate into outward liberty by the Mâ—ssiah and therefore they would not willingly take with being in a condition of bondage Doctrine 1. Such as would embrace Christ and a course of godlinesse may expect that beside tentations and discouragements from within they will meet with oppositions and shakings without from these who cannot endure that any should be better then themselves for here these Jewes fall a carping at Christs offers that they may discourage these beginners See Matth. 23.13 2. Mâ—n in opposing of Christs offers are very subtil and will be prompted by Satan to manage it so so as may render them most invidious for so it appears in these men who do not at all meddle with what he spake of the truth but onely with the point of liberty as knowing it was most invidious to insinuate to this people who gloried so much in their liberty that they were in bondage 3. The most part of men are so carnal and blinde that they see no farther then their outside and their outward condition and so neglect their inward spiritual estate for this was the occasion of all their caâ—ping that they understand Christ to speak onely of bodily freedome and bondage as knowing no other as appears from the rest of their discourse 4. Albeit spiritual bondage be in it self so sad and heavy that to be free of it might make all other bondage
but his naked word to uphold and assure their hearts in greatest extremities for this was also a reason why he would exempt them at this time That the saying might be fulfilled which he spake Of them which thou gavest me I have lost none 8. What Christ hath done for his people may be looked on as a pledge of what he will still do according as they need for that account which Christ makes of his by-past diligence ch 17.12 is here looked on as a promise to be fulfilled in their preservation at this time also And that not only because in that passage he gave an account of his whole care till his removal from them and so of this also though not yet manifested but also that we may be assured that he will never change his way with his people so long as they need it 9. That sweet word chap. 17.12 is here applied to bodily preservation from an outward trouble though it chiefly point at their souls preservation from the evil as he explains it chap. 17.15 when he prayes for the continuance of that preservation from the Father because that not only during the time of his being with them he did indeed hide them from outward troubles as here was verified But further in sparing them outwardly at this time he had also a respect to their souls which might have been crushed had they been engaged in trial as Peters experience makes evident And so it teacheth That as to tender the body and outward man with prejudice to the soul is great cruelty so where Christ vndertakes the charge of mens soule he will also have a care of their body and outward condition in subserviencie to their soules welfare He will respect their very bodies and outward man and will not expose them to hazards save when it is for their souls good and when he is to get service thereby And he will make it evident at last that he is not prodigal of their bodies nor casts them away when he exposeth them to suffering Verse 10. Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it and smote the high Priests servant and cut off his right eare the servants name was Malchus 11. Then said Jesus unto Peter Put up thy sword into the sheath the Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it The third thing premitted to Christs taking and binding is his reprehension of Peters rash behaviour Christ being a taking as it is Mark 14.46 47. the disciples enquire if they should fight and before Christ return an answer Peter in his furious zeal breaks forth Luke 22.49 50. and cuts off the right ear of one of the servants of the High Priest whose name is here recorded for further confirmation of the truth of the History This carriage Christ reproves bidding Peter put up his sword not to be reserved for a fitter time to be employed in any Church-mans hands but to teach him that these were not his weapons And whereas the other Evangelists record several reasons of this reproof and command Namely that this fact was without the bounds of his calling That he needed not such poor shifts having other help enough if it were needful That he would not have the Scripture made a liar and That he ought to suffer this far being not yet hardly handled or suffer them to go so far as God hath permitted them all which are held out Matth. 26.52 53 54. Luke 22 51. The beloved disciple takes most notice of that reason wherein love shined so conspicuously That he would drink that cup of affliction which the Father had given him to drink for the good of his people From v. 10. Learn 1. Men may do things which seem to speak much zeal and affection to Christ which yet are full of drosse and reprovable before him for albeit it was great stoutnesse in the disciples to offer their service to Christ against the whole band with their two rusty blades and in Peter to hazard his life among them yet Christs entertainment of this offered service sheweth how unsavoury it was 2. It is a great fault in men to run upon a service to which they have no calling did the service seem to speak never so much zeal for it was Peters fault being a private man to run to a sword to fight for his Master 3. It is a great blemish in men not to be solid but full of flashes and sudden violent resolutions and actings which as they ordinarily drive men to debord in going about that which is right so they oft-times end in as great an extremity of turning their back on what is right for this was also Peters fault Others of them no doubt had as much love to Chrâ—st and as much valour as he had they been called to shew it But he was a rash and forward man soon set on foot to what seemed good but with much of his own spirit and wrath which worketh not the righteousnesse of God and assoon driven to an extremity of fear and fainting as afterward we will finde 4. Men cannot go right whatever their way or zeal in it seem to be who wait not upon direction but either neglect to seek it or having sought it do neglect to wait for his light and run the way unto which their own spirits encline for so also did Peter here all of them having enquired at Christ he prevents an answer by following his own inclination Luke 22. 5. It is a great evidence of mens distempers when they will not learn to overcome by suffering but would repel one injury with another when all the out-gate of trials they look for is how to bear them down or fall upon the inflicters of them but know not that to suffer and stoop is an out-gate Rom. 12.19 20 21. for this also was Peters fault that he could fight but not suffer From v. 11. Learn 1. It is a great signe of Christs love that he reproves his people for their faults for he reproves not Judas and the band so sharply though he give them a check Luke 22.53 as he doth Peter Then said Jesus unto Peter put up thy sword into the sheath c. 2. Afflictions are measured by God to his people both for quantity and quality Therefore are they called a Cup which as it is a comfort to the godly that their lot is in a friends hand so it may terrifie the wicked whose lot is also carved out and who will not get so much affliction as they please but so much as the justice of God seeth meet to measure out unto them Psal 75 8. 3. It may sweeten the lot of Christ and his followers that even the bitterest potions come not from God as a Judge but as a Father for even all that Christ drank and it was very bitter was the Cup which my Father hath given me 4. Subjection unto God doth well become his people and to see them endure that willingly which he calls them