into a desart place and the people sought him and came unto him and stayed him that he should not depart from them 43 And he said unto them I must preach the kingdom of God unto other cities also for therefore am I sent 44 And he preached in the Synagogues of Galilee Observe here 1. The great work and business of our Saviour's Life to preach the Gospel I must preach the Kingdom of God for therefore came I forth Preaching was Christ's great work it is undoubtedly his Ministers Christ omitted some Opportunities of working Miracles that he might preach to other Cities This was his great Work Obs 2. It being Christ's great Design to plant and propagate the Gospel he would not confine his Ministry to one particular place no not to the great City of Capernaum but resolves to preach the word in smaller Towns and Villages leaving his Ministers herein an Instructive Example to be as willing to Preach the Gospel in the smallest Villages as in the largest and most populous Cities if God calls us thereunto Let the place be never so obscure and mean and the Congregation never so small and little and if God sends us thither the greatest of us must not think it beneath us to go and instruct an handful of People CHAP. V. 1 AND it came to pass that as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God he stood by the Lake of Genesareth 2 And saw two ships standing by the Lake but the fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their Nets 3 And he entered into one of the Ships which was Simons and pray'd him that he would thrust out a little from the Land and he sat down and taught the people out of the ship Here Observe 1. That our Saviour used the Sea as well as the Land in his passage from place to place to preach the Gospel and the reasons why he did so might probably be these 1. to shew Natures intent in making of the Sea namely to be Sailed upon as the Land to be walked upon 2. That Christ might take occasion to manifest his Deity in working Miracles upon the Sea namely by calming of the Waves and stilling of the Winds 3. It might be to comfort Sea-faring men in their Distresses and to encourage them to pray to such a Saviour as had an experimental Knowledge of the Dangers of the Sea it were well if Sailers would consider this and instead of inuring themselves to the Language of Hell when they go down into the deeps would direct their Prayer unto Christ and look up to him who now in Heaven has the remembrance of what he himself indured and underwent here on Earth and on the Sea Obs 2. The circumstance of time when Christ used to put forth to Sea it was usually after he had wrought some extraordinary Miracle which set them on admiring and commending of him as after he had fed so many thousands with a few Barley-Loaves and Fishes presently he put forth to Sea shunning thereby all popularity and vain-glorious Applause from the Multitude which he was never ambitious of but industriously avoided Obs 3. That after our Saviour's Resurrection we never find him Sailing any more upon the Seas For such a Fluctuating and Turbulent Condition which necessarily attends Sea-Voyages was utterly inconsistent with the constancy stability and perpetuity of Christ's estate when Risen from the Grave The firm Land better agreeing with his fixed State he keeps upon it till his Ascension into Heaven Obs 4. That Christ scruples not to preach to the People in and out of the Ship he sate down and taught the people out of the Ship Sometimes we find our Holy Lord preaching upon a Mountain sometimes in a Ship sometimes in an House as often as may be in the Synagogue He that laid hold on all Seasons for Preaching the Gospel never scrupled any place which conveniency offered to preach in well knowing that it is the Ordinance that Sanctifies the place and not the Place the Ordinance 4 Now when he had left speaking he said unto Simon launch out into the deep and let down your Nets for a Draught 5 And Simon answering said unto him Master we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing nevertheless at thy word I will let down the Net 6 And when they had this done they enclosed a great multitude of Fishes and their Net brake 7 And they beckned unto their partners which were in the other ship that they should come and help them and they came and filled both the ships so that they began to sink 8 When Simon Peter saw it he fell down at Jesus feet saying depart from me for I am a sinful Man O Lord. 9 For he was astonished and all that were with him at the draught of the Fishes which they had taken 10 And so was also James and John sons of Zebedee which were partners with Simon And Jesus said unto Simon fear not from henceforth thou shalt catch men 11 And when they had brought their ships to land they forsook all and followed him Observe here 1. Our Saviour having delivered his Doctrine to the People confirms his Doctrine with a Miracle and with such a Miracle as did at once instruct and encourage his Apostles the miraculous number of Fish which they caught did presage and prefigure their miraculous Success in preaching planting and propagating of the Gospel Obs 2. our Saviour's Command to Peter and his ready Compliance with Christ's Command Let down your Net for a Draught says Christ We have toiled all night says St. Peter and catcht nothing nevertheless at thy word we will let down the Net This Mystically represents to us 1. That that the Fishers of men may Labour all Night and all day too and catch nothing This is sometimes the Fisher-mens fault but oftner the Fishes 'T is the Fisher's fault that nothing is taken if he doth only play upon the Sands and not launch out into the Deep deliver some Superficial and less necessary Truths without opening to the people the great Mysteries of Godliness If they Fish with brokeh Nets either deliver unsound Doctrine or lead unexemplary Lives if they do not cast the Net on the right side of the Ship that is rightly divide the word as Workmen that need not to be ashamed And if they do not fish at Christ's Command but run a fishing unsent it is then no wonder that they Labour all their days and catch nothing But very often is it the Fishes Fault rather than the Fisher-mans Worldly men are crafty and cunning they will not come near the Net Hypocrites are slippery like Eels the Fisherman cannot long hold them but they dart into their holes priding themselves in their external Performances and satisfying themselves with a round of Duties The great men of the World break thro' the Net the Divine Commands cannot bind them Jer. 5.5 I will go to the great men and speak to them
fit for him to Appear so publickly because the Doctrine which he Taught was so odious to the Pharisees and the prevailing Power at Jerusalem he therefore Resolves to go up privately that he might not stir up the Jealousie of the Sanhedrim but for them they were out of danger of the Worlds hatred for being the Children of it the World would love its own but him it hated because he reproved its Sins Where we may Remark That tho' our Lord Jesus Christ was most freely willing and ready to lay down his Life for Sinners when the Time was come that God the Father call'd for it yet he would not expose his Life to hazard and danger unseasonably Teaching us by his Example as not to decline Sufferings when God calls us to them so not to Tempt God by running into them when we may inoffensively avoid them Your time is always ready mine is not yet come 10 ¶ But when his brethren were gone up then went he also up unto the feast not openly but as it were in secret 11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast and said Where is he 12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him for some said He is a good man others said Nay but he deceiveth the people 13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews Observe here 1. How our Blessed Saviour who came to fulfil the Law goes up to Jerusalem at the Jewish Feasts according to the Command of God Exod. 23. Three times a Year shall all the males appear before me Christ being made under the Law sheweth a punctual Obedience to the Law and fulfilled it in his own person Observe 2. The different Opinion which the Jews at Jerusalem do express concerning our Saviour some allowing him the Charitable Character of being a good Man others traducing him as being a deceiver of the People Our dear Lord we see when here on Earth passed through Evil Report and Good Report Is it any wonder to find the Friends of Christ branded with Infamy and Reproach when Christ himself passes under the Infamous Character of a Deceiver of the People Some allowed him to be a good Man but others said Nay he deceiveth the People 14 ¶ Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught 15 And the Jews marvelled saying How knoweth this man letters having never learned 16 Jesus answered them and said My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me 17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory but he that seekerh his glory that sent him the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him Observe here 1. Tho' Christ went up to Jerusalem privately lest he should stir up the Jealousie of the Pharisees against himself unseasonably yet he went into the Temple and Taught publickly his Example teaches us thus much That altho' the Servants of Christ may for a time and in some cases withdraw themselves from apprehended danger yet when God calls them to appear openly they must do it couragiously without shrinking tho the danger be still impending Jesus went up to Jerusalem entered the Temple and Taught Observe 2. So Admirable was our Holy Lord's Doctrine that the Jews marvelled how he should come to the Knowledge of such Divine Mysteries considering the meanness of his Education They were struck with Admiration but they wanted Faith whereas the least degree of Saving Faith is beyond all Admiration without it Observe 3. Our Lord vindicates his Doctrine telling the Jews that the Doctrine he delivered was not his own That is not of his own inventing and devising it was no contrivance of his nor was it Taught him by Men but received immediately from the Father whose Ambassadour and great Prophet he was Again when Christ says My Doctrine is not mine that is not only mine but my Father 's and mine For as he was God equal with the Father so he Naturally knew all his Counsels and as Man had Knowledge thereof by communication from his Godhead Learn hence That the Doctrine of the Gospel is a Doctrine wholly from God he contrived it and sent his own Son into the World to Publish and Reveal it Christ was sent and his Doctrine was not his own but his that sent him Observe 4. A double Rule given by our Saviour whereby the Jews might know whether the Doctrine he preached were the Doctrine of God First if a Man walks uprightly and doth the Will of God in the best manner according to his Knowledge If any Man will do his Will he shall know of my Doctrine whether it be of God There is no such way to find out Truth as by doing the Will of God The second Rule by which they might know that his Doctrine was from God was this because he sought his Father's Glory and not his own in the Delivery of it He that seeketh his Glory that sent him the same is True Hence Learn That the Nature and Scope of that Doctrine which Christ delivered Eminently tending not to promote his own private Glory but the glorifying of his Father is an undoubted proof and Evidence that his Doctrine was of God 19 Did not Moses give you the law and yet none of you keepeth the law Why go ye about to kill me 20 The people answered and said thou hast a devil who goeth about to kill thee 21 Jesus answered and said unto them I have done one work and ye all marvel 22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision Not because it is of Moses but of the fathers and ye on the sabbath-day circumcise a man 23 If a man on the sabbath-day receive circumcision that the law of Moses should not be broken are ye angry at me because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath-day Observe here 1. That our Lord having vindicated his Doctrine in the former Verses comes now to vindicate his practice in healing the Impotent Man on the Sabbath-day for which the Jews sought his Life as a violation of the fourth Commandment given by Moses Our Saviour tells them That notwithstanding their pretended Zeal for the Law of Moses they more notoriously broke the sixth Commandment by going about to kill him an Innocent person than he had broke the fourth Commandment by making a Man whole on the Sabbath-day Hence Learn That it is damnable Hypocrisie when Men pretend great Zeal against the Sins of others and do allow and tolerate worse in themselves This is for their practice to give their profession the Lye the Jews condemn our Saviour for a supposed Breach of the fourth Commandment whilst they are guilty themselves of a real Breach of the sixth Commandment Observe 2. The Ignominy and Reproach which the Jews fix upon our Blessed Saviour in the heighth of their Rage and fury against him Thou hast a
Death from which there is no Recovery unto Life Observe Secondly The grand Sin for which this great Punishment is threatned and that is the Sin of Unbelief If ye Believe not that I am he ye shall Die in your Sins Plainly intimating that of all Sins Infidelity or Unbelief is the grand damning Sin under the Gospel The Devil hath as great an advantage upon Men by making them strong in Unbelief as God hath by making his People strong in Faith Unbelief renders a Sinner's case desperate and incurable it doth not only procure Damnation but no Damnation like it 25 Then said they unto him Who art thou And Jesus saith unto them Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning 26 I have many things to say and to judge of you but he that sent me is true and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him 27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father 28 Then said Jesus unto them When ye have lift up the the Son of man then shall ye know that I am he and that I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me I speak these things The Jews hearing our Saviour denouncing such a terrible Threatning against them because they Believed not on him in the foregoing Verses Here they perversely ask him who he was Our Saviour replies That he was the same he was from the Beginning even the very Christ and that they were the very same they were also the mortal Enemies and opposers of the Truth But that the time was hastning when they should be fully convinced who he was Namely When they had lifted him upon his Cross when he was Risen again and ascended into Heaven and brought that destruction upon them which he had so often threatned Learn hence That the Sufferings of Christ were clear and convincing Demonstrations both who he was and what he was the darkning of the Sun the quaking of the Earth the rending of the Rocks the opening of the Graves were such convincing Proofs of his Deity that they could not but say Verily this was the Son of God 29 And he that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do always those things that please him That is he that sent and Commissioned me for the great work of Redemption he is continually with me both to assist and to accept me I doing every thing that is agreeable to his Holy Will and Pleasure Hence learn 1. That the work of Redemption in the hands of Jesus Christ was a work well pleasing to God the Father the work it self was highly pleasing to him and Christ's way of managing it was well pleasing also 2. That the Reason why it was thus pleasing to God was because he acted in a constant conformity to his Father's Will kept to his Father's Commission and executed his Father's Commands Doing always those things that pleased him Learn 3. That as the Father and Christ were inseparable in respect of the Unity of the Divine Essence So the Father was always with Christ as Mediatour both to support and to uphold him to accept and to reward him The Father hath not left me alone either in the doing of his Will or in the suffering of his Pleasure Learn 4. That those who desire the gracious and special presence of God with them in all Conditions particularly in times of Suffering and Trouble they must make it their care and study to please God and to observe his Will in all things Then God will be with them in his guiding presence in his strengthning presence in his comforting in his quickning in his sanctifying sympathising and accepting presence 30 As he spake these words many believed on him 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed 32 And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Observe here 1. The Blessed Fruit and Success of our Saviour's foregoing Discourse concerning his Person and Office As he spake these words many Believed on him Not by their own natural Power and Ability but by Christ's omnipotent and efficacious Grace he that spake to the Ear caused his word to reach the Heart Christ himself that planted and watred gave also the Encrease Observe 2. The Love and Care of Christ mentioned to these new Converts he watreth immediately these Plants with wholesome Advice and Counsel If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed Where Note It must be Christ's word the true Doctrine of the Gospel and this abided and continued in which will evidence our Discipleship Observe 3. A special priviledge which shall follow upon abiding in the Doctrine of Christ they shall increase in the Knowledge of it and be made free by it Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free Where Note That Man is naturally in Bondage and Captivity by blindness of Mind by hardness of Heart by rebellion of Will 2. That the means appointed by God for setting him at Liberty from this Captivity and Bondage is the word of Christ and the Doctrine of the Gospel The Truth shall make you free 33 ¶ They answered him We be Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any man how sayest thou Ye shall be made free 34 Jesus answered them Verily verily I say unto you Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth ever 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed Observe here How these Carnal Jews understand all that our Saviour said to be spoken in and after a Carnal manner when he spake to them before of eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood they understood it grosly of his natural Body When he speaks to them here of a Spiritual freedom from Sin they understand it of a Civil freedom from servile Bondage and Subjection Alledging They were Abraham's Seed and never in Bondage to any Which was a manifest untruth having been in Bondage to their Ancestors to the Egyptians and Babylonians and in their own persons to the Romans But this was not the Bondage that Christ meant but a Spiritual Slavery and Thraldom under the Dominion of Sin and Power of Satan For he that committeth Sin is the Servant of Sin That is whosoever doth habitually wilfully deliberately and constantly allow and tollerate himself in a sinful course he is under the Servitude and Thraldom of Sin Every Sinner is a Bondslave and to live in Sin is to live in Slavery And this every Man doth till the Son makes him free Then and not till then is he free indeed Learn hence That interest in Christ and continuance in his Doctrine sets the Soul at liberty from all that Bondage whereunto it was subject in its natural and sinful State Oh happy exchange from being the
ACCORDING TO S T. MATTHEW ACTS xvii Ver. 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all Readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so A PRAYER Before the Reading of the Holy Scriptures ALmighty God and Merciful Father who hast appointed thy Word to be a Light to our Feet and a Lamp unto our Paths and caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our Learning Grant us the Assistance of thy Holy Spirit that we may in such wise Read Mark Learn and inwardly Digest them that by Patience and Comforâ— of thy Holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the Blessed Hope of Everlasting Life which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ And seeing of thy tender Love to Mankind thou hast given thy Dear and Only Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin and also an Example of Godly Life give us Grace that we may always most Thankfully receive this His Inestimable Benefit and also daily endeavour our selves to follow the Blessed Steps of His most Holy Life who Liveth and Reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost ever One God World without end Amen EXPOSITORY NOTES WITH PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS UPON The Holy Gospel ACCORDING TO S T. MATTHEW The HOLY BIBLE contains the whole Revelation of the Will of GOD to the Children of Men This Sacred Book is usually divided into the Old and New Testament The Old Testament contains the Law and the Prophets The Writings of the New Testament are either Histories or Epistles the Histories are the Four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles The Four Gospels were written by the Four Evangelists whose Names they bear of whom St. Matthew and St. John were Eye-Witnesses of what they wrote but St. Mark and St. Luke had what they wrote from the Relation of others This Gospel before us of St. Matthew contains an History of the Birth Life Miracles Death and Resurrection of the Holy JESUS All which are the most Stupendious and Amazing Matters as well as the most Necessary Truths to be Known and Believed in the World And This Chapter before us contains the Genealogy or Pedigree of our Saviour JESUS CHRIST as he was Man unto Vers 17. and then relates the Fact of his Wonderful Incarnation to the End of the Chapter CHAP. I. 1 THE book of the generation of Jesus Christ the son of David the son of Abraham Our Evangelist designing to write a Narrative of our Saviour's Life begins with his Pedigree and Genealogy and shews whom he descended from namely from David and Abraham Where Observe 1. That David is named before Abraham because he being a King and an Illustrious Type of the Messias the Jews expected and do to this day expect that the Son of David should reign over them and that they should enjoy a Temporal Kingdom by him Observe 2. The Names given to our Blessed Saviour Jesus and Christ Jesus is his Hebrew Name and signifies a Saviour Christ is his Greek Name and signifies Anointed From whence some do inferr an Intimation and Encouragement that both Hebrews and Greeks both Jews and Gentiles may alike come unto Christ for Life and Salvation he being the common Saviour of both according to that of St. John Epist. 1. ch 2. ver 2. He is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World 2 Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat Jacob and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren 3 And Judas begat Pharez and Zara of Thamar and Pharez begat Esrom and Esrom begat Aram. 4 And Aram begat Aminadab and Aminadab begat Naasson and Naasson begat Salmon Both the Evangelists St. Matthew and St. Luke make mention of our Saviour's Pedigree the former by his reputed Father's Side the latter by his Mother's Side the design of both was to present us with a general Draught of our Lord's Pedigree and Descent and not to be strict and accurate in enumerating every individual Person This should teach us not to be over-curious in scanning the Parts of this Genealogy much less captiously to object against it For if the Evangelists were not critical and exact in composing this Genealogy why should we shew our selves so in examining of it Rather let us attend to the Design of the Holy Ghost in Writing of it which was twofold First For the Honour of our Saviour as Man shewing who were his Noble and Royal Progenitors according to the Flesh Secondly For the Confirmation of our Faith touching the Reality of our Redeemer's Incarnation The Scripture making mention of all his Progenitors from the first Man Adam to his reputed Father Joseph will not suffer us to doubt either of the Truth of his Human Nature or of the Certainty of his being the promised Messias Learn hence That the Wisdom of God has taken all necessary Care and used all needful Means for the satisfying the Minds of all unprejudiced Persons touching the Reality of Christ's Human Nature and the Certainty of his being the promised Messias For both these Ends is our Saviour's Genealogy and Descent recorded in the Holy Scriptures 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab and Booz begat Obed of Ruth and Obed begat Jesse 6 And Jesse begat David the king and David the king begat Solomon of her that had beeâ— the wife of Urias 7. And Solomon begat Roboam and Roboam begat Abia and Abia begat Asa 8 And Asa begat Josaphat and Josaphat begat Joram and Joram begat Ozias 9 And Ozias begat Joatham and Joatham begat Achaz and Achaz begat Ezekias 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses and Manasses begat Amon and Amon begat Josias 11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren about the time that they were carried away to Babylon 12 And after they were brought to Babylon Jechonias begat Salathiel and Salathiel begat Zorobabel 13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud and Abiud begat Eliakim and Eliakim begat Azor. 14. And Azor begat Sadoc and Sadoc begat Achim and Achim begat Eliud 15 And Eliud begat Eleazer and Eleazer begat Matthan and Matthan begat Jacob 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations Observe Here are several Women mentioned in our Saviour's Genealogy and all or most of them have a Brand of Infamy upon them Thamar was one with whom her Father-in-Law Judah committed Incest Rachab is called an Harlot Ruth came of Moab whom Lot begat of his own Daughter and Bathsheba the Wife of Vriah was one with whom David had committed Adultery Now the Wisdom of God has thought fit to leave all this upon Record for several Ends and Purposes 1. To denote the Freeness of God's Grace which extends it self in the Saving Effects
all sides by Reviling Tongues Why should we expect better Treatment than the Son of GOD 25 And Jesus knew their thought and said unto them Every kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against it self shall not stand 26 And if Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself how shall then his kingdom stand 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils by whom do your children cast them out therefore they shall be your judges 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God then the kingdom of God is come unto you 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods except he first bind the strong man and then he will spoil his house 30 He that is not with me is against me and he rhat gathereth not with me scattereth abroad Our Blessed Saviour to clear his Innocency and to convince the Pharisees of the Unreasonableness of this their Calumny and False Accusations offers several Arguments to their Consideration 1. That it was very unlikely that Satan should lend him this Power to use it against himself As Satan has a Kingdom so he has Wit enough to preserve his Kingdom and will do nothing to weaken his own Interest Now if I have received my Power from Satan for Destroying him and his Kingdom then is Satan divided against himself 2. Our Saviour tells them they might with as much Reason attribute all Miracles to the Devil as those that were wrought by Him There were certain Jews amongst themselves who cast out Devils in the Name of the GOD of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Christ asks the Pharisees By what Power these their Children Cast them out They acknowledged that those did it by the Power of GOD and there was no Cause but their Malice why they should not acknowleledge that what he did was by the same Power If I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God then the Kingdom of God is come unto you that is the Messias is come because he wrought these Miracles to prove that he was the Messias 3. Another Argument to prove That the Miracles which Christ wrought were by the Power of God and not by the Help of Satan is this The Devil is very strong and powerful and there is no Power but God's only that is stronger than his Now says Christ if I were not assisted by a Divine Power I could never cast out this strong Man who reigns in the World as in his House It must be a stronger than the strong Man that shall bind Satan and who is he but the GOD of Strength 31 Wherefore I say unto you All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come Obs 1. How our Saviour makes a Difference betwixt speaking against the Son of Man and speaking against the Holy Ghost By Speaking against the Son of Man is meant all those Reproaches which were cast upon our Saviour's Person as Man without reflecting upon his Divine Power as GOD which he testified by his Miracles Such were their reproaching him with the Meaness of his Birth their censuring him for a Winebibber and a Glutton and the like But by Speaking against the Holy Ghost is meant their Blaspheming and Reproaching that Divine Power whereby he wrought his Miracles which was an immediate Reflection upon the Holy Spirit and a Blaspheming of him Observe 2. The Nature of this Sin of Speaking against the Holy Ghost It consisted in this that the Pharisees seeing our Saviour work Miracles and cast out Devils by the Spirit of God contrary to the Conviction of their own Minds they maliciously ascribe his Miracles to the Power of the Devil charging him to be a Sorcerer and Magician and to have a Familiar Spirit by whose Help he did those Mighty Works when in truth he did them by the Spirit of God Observe 3. That this Sin above all others is called Unpardonable and upon what Account it is so The Case of such Blasphemers of the Holy Spirit is not only dangerous but desperate because they resist their last Remedy and oppose the best Means for their Conviction What can God do more to convince a Man that Jesus Christ is the True Messiah than to work â—â—â—â—cles to that purpose Now if when Men see plain Miracles wrought they will say it is not God that works them but the Devil as if Satan would conspire against himself and seek the Ruin of his own Kingdom There is no way left to convince such Persons but they must and will continue in their Opposition to Truth to their inevitable Condemnation 33 Either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for the tree is known by his fruit These Words may either referr to the Pharisees or to Christ himself If to the Pharisees the Sence is You hypocritical Pharisees shew your selves what you are by your Words and Actions even as the Fruit sheweth what the Tree is If they referr to Christ then they are an Appeal to the Pharisees themselves to judge of our Saviour and his Doctrine by the Miracles which he wrought If he wrought by the Devil his Works would be as bad as the Devil 's but if his Works were good they must own them to be wrought by the Power of God The Expression implies That a Man may be known by his Actions as a Tree may be judged by his Fruit yet not by a single Action but by a Series of Actions not by a particular Act but by our general Course 34 O generation of vipers how can ye being evil speak good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Note here 1. The Fervency and Zeal of our Saviour's Spirit in the Compellation given to the Pharisees he calls them a Generation of Vipers intimating that they were a venemous and dangerous sort of Men. Learn thence That it is not always Railing and Indiscreet Zeal to call Wicked Men by such Names as their Sin deserves Obs farther From our Saviour's Saying that Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh that the Heart is the Fountain both of Words and Actions and according as the Heart is so are the Current of Mens Words and Actions either good or evil 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things Obs here A double Treasure discovered in the Heart of Man 1. An Evil Treasure of Sin and Corruption both Natural and Acquired from whence proceeds Evil Things Now this is called a Treasure not for
kind and gracious Answer You that have left all to follow me shall be no Losers by me For in the Regeneration that is at the Resurrection when Believers shall be perfectly renewed both in Soul and Body and shall enjoy my Kingdom then as I sit upon the Throne of my Glory so shall you sit with me in an higher Degree of Dignity and Honour Judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel that is the Jews first for their Unbelief and then all other Despisers of Gospel-Grace and Mercy Learn 1. That such Ministers as do most Service for Christ and forsake most to follow him shall in his Kingdom partake of most Honour and Dignity with him and from him 2. That as the Ministers of Christ in general so his Twelve Apostles in particular shall set nearer the Throne of Christ and have an higher place in Glory at the great Day than ordinary Believers 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my Names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life The foregoing Promise v. 28. respected the Apostles this all Christians who forsake their dearest Enjoyments for Christ He assures them they shall be recompensed in this Life an Hundred fold How Non formaliter sed eminenter Not in Specie but in Valore not in Kind but in Equivalency Not an Hundred Brethren or Sisters or Lands but first he shall have that in God which all Creatures would be to him if they were multiplied an Hundred times 2dly The Gifts and Graces the Comforts and Consolations of the Holy Spirit shall be an Hundred-fold better Portion than any thing we can part with for the sake of Christ and his Gospel here Learn hence That tho' we may be Losers for Christ yet shall we never be Loosers by him 30 But many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first A twofold Sense and Interpretation is given of these Words The First respects the Jews and Gentiles in general the Second all Professors of Christianity in particular The Jews as if Christ had said Look upon themselves as first and nearest to the Kingdom of Heaven but for their Infidelity they shall be last in it That is shall never come there And the Gentiles who are look'd upon as Dogs and farthest from Heaven shall be first there upon their Conversion to me and Faith in me As the Words respect all Professors the Sense is Many that are first in their own Esteem and in the Opinion of others and forward in a Profession of Religion yet at the Day of Judgment they will be last and least in mine and my Father's Estimation and Account And many that were little in their own and less in the Esteem of others who had a less Name and Vogue in the World shall yet be first and highest in my Favour Learn hence That the Day of Judgment will frustrate a great many Persons Expectations both as touching others and concerning themselves Many will miss of Heaven and be last which look'd upon themselves to be first And many will find others in Heaven whom they least expected there The Lord judgeth not as Man judgeth We judge of Men by outward Appearances but we are sure that the Judgment of God is according to Truth He can neither be deceived nor yet deceive CHAP. XX. 1 FOR the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an housholder which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day he sent them into his vineyard 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market-place 4 And said unto them Go ye also into the vineyard and whatsoever is right I will give you And they went their way 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour and did likewise 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle and saith unto them Why stand ye here all the day idle 7 They say unto him Because no man hath hired us He saith unto them Go ye also into the vineyard and whatsoever is right that shall ye receive A twofold Sence and Interpretation is given of this Parable The one Literal the other Analogical The Historical and Literal Sence relates to the calling of the Gentiles The Jews were the first People that God had in the World they were hired into the Vineyard betimes in the Morning the Gentiles not till the Day was far spent yet shall the Gentiles by the Favour and Bounty of God receive the same Reward of Eternal Life which was promised to the Jews who bare the Heat of the Day while the Gentiles stood idle In the Analogical Sence we may understand all Persons indefinitely called by the Gospel into the visible Church those that are called last shall be rewarded together with the first and accordingly the Design and Scope of this Parable is to shew the Freeness of Divine Grace in the Distribution of those Rewards which the Hand of Mercy conferrs upon God's faithful Servants The Vineyard is the Church of God the Husbandman is God himself the Labourers are particular Persons God's going at divers times into his Vineyard imports the several Ages of Man's Life some are called early in the Morning some at Noon others at Night Now when God comes to dispence his Rewards those that entered first into the Vineyard and did most Service for God shall be plentifully rewarded by him and such as came in later but did faithful Service shall not miss of a merciful Reward Learn 1. That so long as a Person keeps out of Christ's Vineyard and Service he is Idle Every unregenerate Man is an idle Man 2. That Persons are called by the preaching of the Gospel at several Ages and Periods of Life into God's Vineyard that is into the Communion of the visible Church 3. That such as do come in tho' late into God's Vineyard and work diligently and faithfully shall not miss of a Reward of Grace at the Hand of free Mercy 8 So when even was come the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward Call the labourers and give them their hire beginning from the last unto the first 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour they received every man a penny 10 But when the first came they supposed that they should have received more and they likewise received every man a penny 11 And when they had received it they murmured against the good man of the house 12 Saying These last have wrought but one hour and thou hast made them equal unto us which have born the burden and heat of the day 13 But he answered one of them and said Friend I do thee no wrong didst thou not agree with me for a penny 14 Take that thine is and go thy way I will give
the head of the corner this is the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to powder These Words are taken out of the 118th Psalm which the Jews understood to be a Prophecy of the Messiah and accordingly Christ applies them to himself The Church is the Building intended Christ himself the Stone rejected The Rejecters or the Builders Rejecting were the Heads of the Jewish Church that is the chief Priests and Pharisees God the great Master-Builder of his Church takes this precious Foundation Stone out of the Rubbish and sets it in the Head of the Corner Nevertheless there are some who stumble at this Stone Some thro' Ignorance others thro' Malice stumble at his Person at his Doctrine at his Institutions These shall be broken in pieces But on whomsoever this Stone shall fall it will grinde them to Powder That is Christ himself will fall as a burthensome Stone upon all those that knowingly and maliciously oppose him and particularly upon the Jews who not only rejected him but persecuted and destroyed him Thus Christ tells the chief Priests and Pharisees their own particular Doom and also declares what will be the fatal Issue of all that Opposition which is made against himself and his Church It will terminate in their inevitable and irreparable Destruction Whosoever shall fall on this Stone shall be broken and on whomsoever it shall fall it will grinde them to Powder 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables they perceived that he spake of them 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him they feared the multitude because they took him for a prophet When the chief Priests came to understand that these Parables were all applied to them that they were the Murtherers of the King's Son That they were the Builders that rejected the chief Corner-stone they are enraged at the close Application made to themselves and had not Fear restrain'd them would have laid violent Hands upon him Learn thence That nothing doth more provoke and exasperate unsound Hypocrites than the particular Application and close coming home of the Word of God unto their Hearts and Consciences So long as the Truths of God are generally delivered Sinners are easie looking upon themselves as unconcern'd but when the Word of God comes close to them and says Thou art the Man This is thy Wickedness They are angry at the Message and rage at the Messenger CHAP. XXII 1 AND Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables and said 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his Son 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come 4 Again he sent forth other servants saying Tell them which are bidden Behold I have prepared my dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready come unto the marriage 5 But they made light of it and went their ways one to his farm another to his merchandise 6 And the remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them 7 But when the king heard thereof he was wroth and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their city 8 Then saith he to his servants The wedding is ready but they which were bidden were not worthy 9 Go ye therefore into the high ways and as many as ye shall find bid to the marriage 10 So those servants went out into the high ways and gathered together all as many as they found both bad and good and the wedding was furnished with guests 11 And when the king came in to see the guests he saw there a man which had not a wedding garment 12 And he saith unto him Friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment and he was speechless 13 Then said the king to the servants Bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The Design and Scope of this Parable of the Marriage-Supper is to set forth that Gracious Offer of Mercy and Salvation which was made by God in and thro' the preaching of the Gospel to the Church of the Jews The Gospel is here compared to a Feast because in a Feast there is Plenty Variety and Dainties Also to a Marriage-Feast being full of Joy Delight and Pleasure And to a Marriage Feast made by a King as being full of State Magnificence and Grandeur To this Marriage-Feast or Gospel-Supper Almighty God invited the Church of the Jews and the Servants sent forth to invite them were the Prophets and Apostles in general and John the Baptist in particular whom they entreated spitefully and slew The making light of the Invitation signifies the Generality of the Jews Refusal and careless Contempt of the Offers of Grace in the Gospel By the Armies which God sent forth to destroy those Murderers are meant the Roman Soldiers who spoiled and laid waste the City of Jerusalem and were the severe Executioners of God's Wrath and Judgment upon the wicked Jews The High Ways signifie the despised Gentiles who upon the Jews Refusal were invited to this Supper and prevailed with to come in The King 's coming in to see his Guests denotes that Inspection which Christ makes into his Church in the times of the Gospel By that Man without the Wedding-Garment understand such as are destitute of true Grace and real Holiness both in Heart and Life in the Examination of him Christ says Friend how camest thou in hither Not Friends why came you along with him Teaching us That if unholy Persons will press in to the Lord's Supper the Sin is theirs but if we come not because they will come the Sin is ours The Presence of an unholy Person at the Lord's Table ought not to discourage us from our Duty or cause us to turn our Back upon that Ordinance The Command to bind the unqualified Person Hand and Foot and to cast him into utter Darkness plainly intimates that the Condition of such Persons as live under the Light and enjoy the Liberty of the Gospel but walk not answerably to their Profession is deplorably sad and doleful They do not only incur Damnation but no Damnation like it Bind him Hand and Foot and cast him into utter Darkness From the whole Note 1. That the Gospel for its Freeness and Fulness for its Varieties and Delicacies is like a Marriage-Supper 2. That Gospel Invitations are mightily disesteem'd 3. That the Preference which the World has in Men's Esteem is the great cause of the Gospel's Contempt They went one to his Farm and the other to his Merchandise 4. That such as are Careless in the Day of Grace shall undoubtedly be Speechless in the Day of Judgment 5. That Christ takes a more particular Notice
insensible Passage of our Time the Person sleeping shall certainly awake either in this World or in the next It will be our Wisdom to prepare for the Bed of the Grave and so to live that when we lye down in it there may be nothing to disturb our Rest Observe next The Words which our Saviour used at the raising of the Damsel Talitha Cumi Syriack Words to shew the Truth of the Miracle not like a Conjurer murtering a Charm in unknown Words to himself and also to shew the Greatness of the Miracle that he was able to raise her by a Word speaking Observe lastly The Charge given by our Saviour not to divulge this Miracle He charged them straitly that none should know it That is not to divulge it imprudently to such of the Scribes and Pharisees as would not be convinced by it but only cavil at it and be the more enraged against him and seek his Death before his time was come Also not to divulge it unseasonably and all at once but gradually and by degrees for it was the Will of God that the Divine Glory of Christ should not be manifested to the World all at once and on the sudden but by little and little during his State of Humiliation for his Resurrection was the Time appointed for the full Manifestation of his Godhead Rom. 1.4 Declared to be the Son of God with Power by the Resurrection from the Dead CHAP. VI. 1 AND he went out from thence and came into his own country and his disciples follow him 2 And when the sabbath day was come he began to teach in the synagogue and many hearing him were astonished saying From whence hath this man these things and what wisdom is this which is given unto him that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands 3 Is not this the carpenter the son of Mary the brother of James and Joses and of Juda and Simon and are not his sisters here with us and they were offended at him 4 But Jesus said unto them A prophet is not without honour but in his own country and among his own kin and in his own house 5 And he could there do no mighty work save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief And he went round about the villages teaching Our Blessed Saviour having in the former Chapter wrought two famous Miracles in curing a Woman of her Bloody Issue and raising Jairus his Daughter from Death we find him here in the beginning of this Chapter passing into his own Country that is to the City of Nazareth in Galilee called his own City and Country because he was there conceived there brought up there Joseph and Mary and his Kindred dwelt and Christ with them during his private Life which was till he was Thirty Years of Age. Now our Saviour being come into his own Country Obs 1. What his imployment was he preach'd in their Synagogues and held Communion with the Jewish Church altho' she had many Corruptions in her Teaching us by his Example not to desert and forsake the Communion of such a Church in which there is found neither Heretical Doctrine nor Idolatrous Worship altho' many things be found in her culpable and blame-worthy The Jewish Church was certainly such and yet our Saviour maintained not occasional only but constant Communion with her Obs 2. The Influence and Effect which our Saviour's preaching had upon his own Countrymen the People of Nazareth it did work Admiration in them but not Faith they were astonished but did not believe Men may be mightily moved and affected by the Word and yet may never be converted by it the Men of Nazareth wondered and yet were offended they did not believe in him but were offended at him Obs 3. The Ground and Cause of this their Offence and that was the Meaness of his Extraction and the Poverty of his Condition Is not this the Carpenter From whence the ancient Fathers particularly Justin Martyr concluded that our Saviour did work upon his Father Joseph's Trade during his Father's Life and thence was called the Carpenter's Son and when Joseph was dead which was before Christ was Thirty Years old when he entered upon his Publick Office he was then called the Carpenter The Antients say he spent his time in making Ploughs and Yoaks and that thence it was that he drew so many Similitudes in his Preaching from the Yoak and the Plough This we are sure of that our Lord lived not Thirty Years before his Manifestation idly and unprofitably It is most probable that he followed his Father's Calling and wrought under him it being said that he was subject to him Luke 2.15 as a Child to a Parent and as a Servant to his Master Indeed after he entred upon his Prophetick Office he no longer followed Joseph's Calling but apply'd himself wholly to the Work of the Ministry He made no more Ploughs but one to break up hard Hearts no more Yoaks but one for the Devil's Neck However in regard of our Saviour's low Extraction and mean Education His Countrymen were offended at him Learn hence That the Poverty and Meaness of Christ's Condition was that which Multitudes stumbled at and which kept many yea most from believing on him None but a Spiritual Eye can discern Beauty in an humbled and abased Saviour Learn 2dly That it is the Property and Practice of prophane Men to take occasion from the outward Quality and Condition of God's Ministers both to despise their Persons and to reject their Doctrine Obs 4. The Reason assigned by our Saviour why the Men of Nazareth despised him and set him at nought because he was their Countryman and Acquaintance their Familiarity bred Contempt Teaching us That very often the faithful Ministers of God are most contemned and dishonoured where they are most familiarly known Sometimes the Remembrance of their mean Original and Extraction sometimes the Poverty of their Parent 's Condition sometimes the Indecencies of their Childhood sometimes the Follies of their Youth are ript up all which are Occasions of Contempt and gave Ground for this proverbial Saying That a Prophet is not without Honour save in his own Country Which like other proverbial Speeches holds true in the general that for the most part it is so but it is not universally true in all Persons and Cases However this good use may be made of our Saviour's Observation to teach his Ministers to be wise in conversing with their People not to make themselves cheap and common in every Company nor too familiar with all sorts of Persons nor to be light and vain in any Company for this will certainly breed Contempt both of their Persons and Ministry Our Duty is by Strictness and Gravity of Deportment to maintain our Esteem in the Consciences of our People and to temper Gravity with a Condescending Affability That Minister which prostitutes his Authority frustrates the Ends of
Gentiles Christ is a light to the one and the glory of the other a light to the blind and dark Gentiles and the Glory of the Renowned Church of the Jews The Messias being promised to them born and bred up with them living amongst them preaching his Doctrine to them and working his Miracles before them and thus was Christ the Glory of his people Israel 34 And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against 35 Yea a sword shall pass thro' thine own Soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed Two things are here observed Simeon's Blessing and Simeons Prediction he blessed them that is the Parents and the Child Jesus not Authoritatively but Prophetically declaring how God would bless them his Prediction is Twofold 1. concerning Christ 2. concerning his Mother concerning Christ Simeon declares that he should be for the rise of many in Israel namely all such as should embrace and obey his Doctrine and imitate and follow his example and for the fall of others that is shall bring punishment and ruine upon all obdurate and impenitent Sinners and a Sign to be spoken against that is he shall be as a mark for obstinate Sinners to set themselves against Christ himself when here in the World was a stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence to the men of the World enduring the contradiction of Sinners against himself both the virulence of their Tongues and the violence of their hands 2. Concerning the Mother of Christ Simeon declares that the sight of her Son 's bitter Sufferings would like a Sword pierce through heâ— Heart for tho' he might be born yet should he not dyâ— without the pains of his Mother as if the Throws suffered by other Women at the Birth were reserved for her to endure at the death of her Son The Sufferings of the Holy Jesus on the Cross were as a Sword or dagger at the Heart of the Holy Virgin and she Suffered with him both as a tender Mother and as a Sympathizing Member of his Body 36 And there was one Anna a prophetess the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asser she was of a great Age and had lived with an husband seven years from her Virginity 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years which departed not from the Temple but served God with fastings and prayers night and day 38 And she coming in at that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Israel Simeon is seconded by Anna a Prophetess she also declares that the child Jesus was the promised and expected Messias and thus Christ was proclaimed in the Temple by two Heralds of different Sexes Concerning this Aged Woman Anna it is said that she departed not from the Temple night nor day not that she lived and lodged there but by her never departing from understand her daily repairing to the Temple that which is often done is said in Scripture to be always done we are said to do a thing continually when we do it seasonably Thus we pray continually when we pray as often as duty requires us to pray Learn hence That such duties as a Christian performs out of Conscience he will perform with Constancy and Perseverance Nature will have her good Moods but Grace is steady The devotions of a pious Soul like Anna's are as constant but more frequent then the returns of day and night 39 And when they had performed all things according to the Law of the Lord they returned into Galilee to their own city Nazareth 40 And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the Grace of God was upon him Here we see the truth and reality of Christ's Humane Nature he grew as we do from Infancy to Childhood from Childhood to Youth and Manhood To his divine Nature no accession or addition could be made for that which is infinite cannot encrease The deity was infinite in Christ so was not the Humanity but capable of additions and accordingly as Christ grâ—w up the Stature of his Body and the faculties of his mind encreased thro' the Grace and Power of God's Spirit upon him 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every Year at the feast of the passover 42 And when he was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast Observe here the persons making this yearly Journey to Jerusalem our Saviour's Parents and himself 1. Joseph who is called Christ's Father not that he was his natural Father for Christ had no Father upon Earth but Joseph was his Reputed and supposed Father his nursing Father who by the appointment of God took a Fatherly care of him and and his Father in Law being Husband to Mary 2. Mary the Mother of Christ went up to Jerusalem with her Husband and her Son God commanded only the Males to go up to Jerusalem the weaker Sex were excused but the Holy Virgin well knowing the spiritual profit of that long Journey would not stay at home Such as will go no farther than they are dragged in Religious Exercises are Strangers to the Virgins Piety and devotion But 3. the child Jesus in his Minority goes up with his Parents to this holy Solemnity thereby no doubt intending our instruction when we are young to give God an early possession of our Souls to consecrate the Virgin Operations of our minds to him and in our Youth to keep close to the Worship and Service of God when we are so importunately courted by the World Obâ—erve farther This holy Family came not to look at the Feast and be gone but they duly stay'd out all the appointed time â—â—seph's Calling and the Virgins Houshold Business could â—either keep them at home nor hasten them home before the publick Duties in the Temple were dispatcht and ended All worldly Business must give place to Divine Offices and we must attend God's service to the end except we will depart unblest 43 And when they had fulfilled the days as they returned the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his mother knew not of it 44 But supposing him to have been in the company went a days journey and they sought him amongst their kinsfolk and acquaintance 45 And when they found him not they turned back to Jerusalem seeking him The Service of the Temple being ended they return home to Nazareth Religious Duties are not to be attended to the prejudice and neglect of our particular Callings God calls us as well from his House as to his House They are much mistaken who think God is pleased with nothing but Devotion he that says be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord says also be not slothful in business Piety and Industry must keep pace with one another God is as well pleased
the power of the Romans who set four Governours over them called Tetrarchs so named from their ruling over a fourth part of the Kingdom From hence the Jews might have observed had not prejudice blinded their Eyes that the Scepter being thus departed from Judah according to Jacob's Prophecy Gen. 49. Shilo or the Messias was now come Again the time when St. John began his Ministry was when Annas and Caiphas were High-priests under the Law there were three sorts of Ministers that attended the Service of the Temple namely Priests Levites and Nethenims over these the High-priest was chief who by God's command was to be the first born of Aaron's Family But how came two High-priests here seeing God never appointed but one at a time In answer to this say some the power and covetousness of the Romans put in High-priests at pleasure to officiate for gain say others the High-priest was allowed his Assistant or Deputy who in case of his pollution or sickness did officiate in his place But that which we may profitably observe from hence is this The exactness and faithfulness of this Historian St. Luke in relating the Circumstances of our Saviour's Nativity and the Baptists Ministry that the Truth might evidently appear he is exact in Recording the Time 3 And he came into all the country about Jordan preaching the baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight 5 Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be laid low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough way shall be made smooth 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God Observe here 1. The place where the Baptist exercised his Ministry in the Wilderness of Judea where were some Cities and Villages tho' thinly inhabited Note here the great Humility of the Baptist in preaching in an obscure place and to a small handful of people Jerusalem some might think a fitter place for so celebrated a Preacher but God had called him to preach in the Wilderness and there he opens his Commission Learn hence that the most eminent of God's Ministers must be content to execute their office and exercise their Ministry where God calls them be the place never so mean and obscure and the people never so rude and barbarous In the place where God by his Providence fixes us we must abide till he that called us thither removes us thence And this was the Baptist's case here He leaves the Wilderness at God's command and comes to more Inhabited places he came into the Country about Jordan preaching It is not only lawful but a necessary Duty for the Ministers of God to remove from one Place and People to another provided their Call be clear their way plain the good of Souls their Motive and the Glory of God their end Obs 2. The Doctrine which the Baptist preached namely the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of Sins that is the Doctrine of Baptism which sealeth Remission of Sins to the party Baptized Learn hence that the preaching of the Doctrine of Repentance is the indispensable Duty of every Gospel-Minister John the Baptist preacht it our Saviour preacht it his Apostles preacht it they went out every where preaching that men should Repent Till we are in a State of Sinless Perfection the Doctrine of Repentance must be preacht unto us and practised by us Obs 3. The Motive and Inducement which prompted the Baptist to his Duty which was to fulfil the Prophecies that went before of him as it is written in the Book of the Prophets The voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight every valley shall be filled c. Where Note 1. The title given to John the Baptist a Voice a crying voice This implies both his vehemency and earnestness and also his freedom and boldness in delivering of his Message when a minister's own Heart is warmly affected with what he preach he may hope to affect the Hearts of others Note 2 The Sum and Substance of what he cryed Prepare ye the way of the Lord c. that is make your selves ready to receive the Messiah to embrace and entertain his Doctrine As loyal Subjects when their Prince is coming near their City they remove every thing out of the way that may hinder his Progress all Annoyances and all Impediments In like manner the preparatory Work of the Gospel upon the Hearts of Sinners lies in pulling down Mountains and filling up Valleys that is in humbling the proud Hearts of Sinners puft up as the Pharisees were with a conceit of their own Righteousness who would be their own Saviours and not beholding to Christ and his free Grace for Salvation Learn hence 1. That man's heart is naturally very unfit to receive and entertain the Lord Jesus Christ and his Holy Doctrine we have naturally no sitness no inclination nor disposition to believe in him or submit unto him 2. That if ever we desire to entertain Christ in our Hearts we must first prepare and make ready our Hearts for the receiving and embracing of him For tho' the preparation of the heart be from the Lord yet he requires the exercise of our Faculties and the use of our Endeavours he prepares our hearts by enabling us to prepare our own Hearts by getting a sight of the Evil of Sin and a sense of our Misery without Christ an hungring desire after him and a lively Faith in him God does not work upon Man as Masons work upon Stone what he doth in us and for us he doth it by us he works by setting us to work therefore says the Holy Baptist Prepare ye the way of the Lord make c. The Act of Endeavour is ours the Aid and Assistance is God's Obs Lastly The encouragement which the Baptist gives to Persons to prepare the way of the Lord for says he all flesh shall see the Salvation of God that is now is the time that all Persons Jew and Gentiles may see the Author of Salvation whom God has promised to the World and may by Faith be made partakers of that Salvation which the Messiah shall purchase for them and in his Gospel tender to them The great End of Christ's coming into the World was to purchase Salvation for all Flesh willing to be Saved by him 7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him O generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of Repentance and begin not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham St. Matthew Ch. 3.7 8. says that the Baptist spake these words to the
his History primarily for the Jews proves him to be the Son of Abraham and David for their comfort St. Luke designing the information and comfort of the Gentiles derives our Lord's Pedigree from Adam the common Parent of mankind to assure the Gentiles of their possibility of an Interest in Christ they being Sons of Adam Neither of these Evangelists are strict and accurate in enumerating every individual person which should Teach us not to be over-curious in scanning the parts of this Genealogy much less captiously to object against it because of some seeming contradictions in it For if the Evangelists were not nice and critical in composing this Genealogy why should we be so in examining of it Let us rather attend the design of the Holy Ghost in Writing of it which was Twofold 1. for the honour of our Saviour as Man shewing who were his Noble and Royal Progenitors according to the Flesh 2. For the confirmation of our Faith touching the Reality of our Saviour's Incarnation the Scripture making mention of all his Progenitors from the first man Adam to his Reputed Father Joseph we cannot reasonably doubt either of the truth of his humane Nature or of the certainty of his being the promised Messias Hence we may Learn That the wisdom of God has taken all necessary care and used all needful Means for satisfying the minds of all unprejudiced Persons touching the Reality of Christ's humane Nature and the certainty of his being the promised Messias for both these Ends is our Saviour's Genealogy Descent and Pedigree Recorded in Holy Scripture CHAP. IV. 1 AND Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness At the 22 Verse of the foregoing Chapter we find the Holy Ghost descending in a bodily Shape like a Dove upon our Saviour in this verse we find the extraordinary effects and fruits of the Holy Ghost's Descent upon our Saviour he was filled with all the Gifts and Graces of the Blessed Spirit to fit and furnish him for that ministerial Service which he was now entring upon But observable it is that before our Saviour undertook the ministerial Office he is led by the Spirit into the Wilderness and there furiously assaulted with Satan's Temptations Temptation Meditation and Prayer says Luther make a Minister great Temptations from Satan do fit us for greater Services for God And whereas it is said that Christ was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil by the Spirit we must understand the Holy Spirit of God for the Devil I think is never called the Spirit but has always a brand of Reproach annext as the evil Spirit the unclean Spirit and the like By his being led by the Spirit St. Mark says he was drove by the Spirit we must not understand any violent motion but a potent and efficacious perswasion he was carried by a strong impulse of the Spirit of God or as the Learned Lightfoot thinks Christ was bodily caught up by the Holy Spirit into the Air and carried from Jordan where he was Baptized into the Wilderness where he was tempted God had put Great honour upon Christ at his Baptism declaring him to be his well-beloved Son in whom he was pleased and the next News we hear is the Devil 's assaulting him with his Temptations Learn thence that the more any are beloved of God and dignified with more eminent Testimonies of his Favour so much the more is the Devil enraged and maliciously bent against them 2 Being forty days tempted of the Devil and in those days he did eat nothing and when they were ended he afterward hungred Obs here how the Divine Power upheld Christ's humane Nature without Food What Moses did at the giving of the Law Christ doth at the beginning of the Gospel namely Fast forty days and forty nights Christ hereby intended our Admiration rather than our imitation or if our Imitation of the Action only not of the Time From this Example of Christ we Learn that it is our Duty by fasting and Prayer to prepare our selves for a Conflict with our Spiritual Enemies as Christ prepared himself by fasting to grapple with the Tempter so should we 3 And the Devil said unto him if thou be the son of God command this stone that it be made Bread Obs here 1. The occasion of the Temptation and 2. the Temptation it self The occasion of the Temptation was our Saviour's hunger and want of Bread Learn thence That when God suffers any of his Children to fall into want and to be straightned for outward things Satan takes a mighty advantage thereupon to tempt and assault them Obs 2. What Sin it is he tempts our Saviour to it is the sin of Distrust to call in question his Sonship if thou be the Son of God and then to distrust God's Providence and care command that these Stones be made Bread It is the grand policy of Satan first to tempt the Children of God to doubt of their Adoption next to distrust God's fatherly care and provision and last of all to use unwarrantable means to help themselves Thus Satan dealt with Christ and thus he deals with Christians for to work a Miracle at Satans Direction was not a lawful means of providing food for himself 4 And Jesus answered him saying It is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God Note first That tho' the Devil abused Scripture yet Christ uses it Good things are never the worse for being abused by Satan and his Instruments Note Secondly the weapon which our Saviour made use of to vanquish Satan it was the word of God it is written says Christ Learn thence That the Scripture or the written word of God is the only sure Weapon wherewith to vanquish Satan and beat back all his fiery Temptations The Scripture is God's Armory out of which all our Weapons of War must be taken for managing our Conflict with Sin and Satan 5 And the Devil taking him up into an high mountain sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the world in a moment of time 6 And the Devil said unto him all this power will I give thee and the glory of them for this is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me all shall be thine 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him Get thee behind me Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve The next Sin which Satan tempts our Saviour to is the Sin of Idolatry even to worship the Devil himself Oh thou impudent and foul Spirit to desire thy Creator to Worship thee an Apostate Creature Doubtless there is no sin so black and foul so horrid and monstrous but the Christian may be tempted to it when Christ himself was tempted to Worship the Tempter even the Devil himself St. Matthew reads it If thou wilt Worship
him because of their former vicious Course of Life it is not what we formerly were but what now we are that Christ considers it is a Glory to him to have great and notorious Sinners brought to a closure and compliance with him The Reproach is not that they have been Sinners for Christ did not give himself for a people that were pure and holy without spot or wrinkle but to make them so by his Word and Spirit Eph. 5.26 Christ is only ashamed of those that eat of his Bread and lift up the Heel against him 4 And when much people were gathered together and were come to him out of every quarter he spake by a Parable 5 A sower went out to sow his Seed and as he sowed some fell by the ways side and it was trodden down and the Fowls of the air devoured it 6 And some fell upon a Rock and as soon as it was sprung up it withered away because it lacked moysture 7 And some fell among Thorns and the Thorns sprang up and choaked it 8 And others fell upon good ground and sprang up and bear fruit aâ— hundred fâ—â—d and when he had said these thiâ—â—â— be cryed he that hath ears to hear let him hear 9 And his Disciples asked him saying What might this Parable be 10 And he said unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God but to others in Parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand The Design and Scope of this Parable is to shew what are the Causes of Mens improving or not improving under the Hearing of the Word and to let us know that there are three sorts of bad Hearers and but one good one The câ—reless and inconsiderate Hearer is like the High-way Ground where the Seed is trodden down and trampled upon Hard-hearted Sinners whom the mollifying word doth not soften These are like Stony-ground where the Seed takes no Root the word makes no impression Those whose heads and Hearts are stuft with the Cares of this World are like the Thorny-ground in which the Seed is choaked which should fructify to an holy immortality This is the Scope of the Parable Now from the Subject-matter of it Learn 1. That by the Sower you are to understand Christ and his Apostles and their Successors the Ministers of the Gospel Christ the principal Sower they the Subordinate Seeds-men Christ Sows his own Field they Sow his Field he sows his own Seed they his Seed Wo unto us if we sow our own Seed and not Christs Learn 2. The Seed sown is the Word of God Fabulous Legends and unwritten Traditions which the Seeds-men of the Church of Rome Sow these are not Seed but Chaff or if Seed for they fructify too fast in the minds of their People their own not Christ's Our Lord's Field must be all Sown with his own Seed with no mixt Grain Learn then That the Word Preach'd is like the Seed Sown in the Furrows of the Field Seed has a fructifying growing and encreasing Nature it has in it an active Principle and will spring up if not kill'd by Accidental Injuries such a quickning Power has the Word of God to regenerate and make alive dead Souls if we suffer it to take Rooting in our Hearts yet is not this Seed alike fruitful in every Soil all Ground is not alike neither doth the Word fructify alike in the Souls of Men there is a difference both from the Nature of the Soyl and the influence of the Spirit for tho' no Ground is naturally good yet some is worse then other nay even the best Ground doth not bring forth Encrease alike Some good Ground brings forth an hundred fold others but sixty and some but Thirty in like manner a Christian may be a profitable Hearer of the Word altho' he doth not bring forth so great a Proportion of Fruit as others provided he bring forth as much as he can 9 And his Disciples asked him saying What might this Parable be 10 And he said To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God but to others in Parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand Here we have the Disciples Question and our Saviour's Reply their enquiry is concerning the sense and signification of the Parable they own their Ignorance and desire better information It is no shame for the Best of Ministers yea for the best of Men to acknowledge their own ignorance in the Mysteries of Religion and to attend upon the means of instruction in order to their farther Information In our Saviour's Answer To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God c. Observe 1. That the Doctrine of the Gospel are great Mysteries 2. That it is an invaluable Priviledge rightly to understand and know Gospel-Mysteries 3. That this Priviledge all are not sharers in and Partakers of but only those to whom it is given 4. That it is a Righteous thing with God to give such Persons over to farther Blindness and ignorance in Spiritual Things who wilfully reject the Truth and shut their eyes against the evidence of it The Pharisees had all along shut their Eyes and said they would not see and now Christ closes their Eyes Judicially and says they shall not see 11 Now the Parable is this the seed is the word of God 12 Those by the way-side are they that hear then cometh the Devil and taketh the word out of their hearts lest they should believe and be saved 13 They on the Rock are they which hear and receive the word with joy and these have no root which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away 14 And that which fell among Thorns are they which when they hear the word go forth and are choaked with cares and riches and pleasures of this Life and bring no fruit to perfection 15 But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience Here our Saviour applies himself to interpret and explain the foregoing Parable to his Disciples he tells them The Seed is the Word the Sower is the Preacher the Soyl or ground is the Heart and Soul of Man some Hearers he compares to the high-way Ground in which the Seed lies uncovered for want of the Harrow of Meditation others to stâ—ny Ground in which the Word has no Root no Root in their Understandings no Root in their Memories in their Wills or in their Affections but they are instantly offended either at the depth and profoundness of the Word or at the sanctity and strictness of the Word or else at the plainness and simplicity of it Again some Hearers our Lord compares to Thorny-ground Worldly desires and inordinate cares for the things of this Life choak the Word as Thorns over-shadow the Corn draw away the Heart of the Earth from it
of him that is not commonly to Publish and openly to declare him to be the Son of God because being in his State of Humiliation the Glory of his Divinity was to be concealed till his Resurrection He was then declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.4 Observe Lastly The great Wisdom of our Saviour in acquainting his Disciples with the near approach of his Death and Sufferings The Son of Man must suffer many things c. This our Saviour did 1. To prevent that Scandal and Offence which otherwise they might have taken at his Sufferings 2. The better to fit and prepare them to bear that great Tryal when it did come 3. To correct the Error which they had entertained concerning the Temporal Kingdom of the Messias and that he was to be a great and mighty Prince here upon Earth for these Reasons did Christ frequently acquaint his Disciples with his Sufferings 23 And he said to them all if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me 24 For whosoever will save his Life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his Life for my sake the same shall find it Observe here 1. How our Saviour recommends his Religion to every Persons Election and Choice not compelling any one by force and Violence to embrace or entertain it If any man will be my Disciple that is if any Man chooses and resolves to be a Christian Observe 2. Our Saviour's Terms propounded namely Self-denial Gospel-suffering and Gospel-service 1. Self-denial Let him deny himself by which we are not to understand either the denying of our Senses in matters of Faith or the Renouncing of our Reason in matters of Religion but a willingness to part with all our Earthly Comforts and Temporal Enjoyments for the sake of Christ when called thereunto 2. Gospel-suffering He must take up his Cross daily an allusion to a Roman Custom when a Malefactor was to be Crucified he took his Cross up upon his Shoulder and carried it to the place of Execution Here Note That not the making of the Cross but patient bearing of it when God has made it and laid it upon our Shoulder is the Duty injoin'd Let him take up his Cross 3. Gospel-service Let him follow me says Christ that is obey my Commands and imitate my Example he must set my Life and Doctrine continually before him and be daily Correcting and Reforming of his Life by that Rule and Pattern Observe 3. The Arguments urged by our Saviour to induce Men to a willingness to lay down their Lives for the sake of Christ and his Holy Religion He that will save his Life shall lose it and he that is willing to lose his Life for the sake of the Gospel he shall find it intimating to us 1. That the Love of this Temporal Life is a great Temptation to men to deny Christ and to renounce his Holy Religion 2. That the surest way to attain Eternal Life is cheerfully to lay down our Temporal Life when the Glory of Christ and the Honour of Religion requires it at our hands 25 For what is a man advantaged if he gain the whole world and lose himself Here our Saviour goes on to shew the Folly of those that for saving their Temporal Lives will expose their Eternal Life or the Life of their Souls to hazard and danger yea sometimes by refusing to lay down our Temporal Life for Christ we lose that also which renders it the greatest folly in the World to refuse to part with any enjoyment even Life it self at the Call and Command of Christ 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own Glory and in his Fathers and of the Holy Angels That is whosoever shall deny and disown me either in my Person in my Doctrine or my Members for any fear or favour of Man he shall with shame be disowned by me and rejected of me at the Great Day There are two Passions which cause Men to disown Christ in the day of Temptation namely fear and shame Many good Men have been over-come by the former as St. Peter and others but we find not any good Man in Scripture guilty of the latter namely that denied Christ out of shame this argues a rotten unsound and corrupt Heart If any Man thinks it beneath his Honour and Quality to own the opposed Truths and despised Members of Christ Christ will think it beneath him to own such Persons at the Great Day Learn hence 1. That such as are ashamed of Christ's Doctrine or Members are in God's Account ashamed of Christ himself 2. That such as either for fear dare not or for shame will not own the Doctrine and Members of Christ now shall certainly find Christ ashamed to own and confess them at the Great Day 27 But I tell you of a truth there be some standing here which shall not taste of Death till they see the Kingdom of God There is a Threefold sense and interpretation of these Words given by Expositors 1. Some refer the Words to the Times of the Gospel after Christ's Resurrection and Ascension when the Gospel was Propagated far and near and the Kingdom of God came with Power Learn thence That where the Gospel is powerfully preached and chearfully obey'd there Christ cometh most gloriously in his Kingdom 2. Others understand these Words of Christ's Coming and Exercising his Kingly Power in the Destruction of Jerusalem which some of the Apostles then standing by Lived to see 3. Others as most agreeable to the Context understand the words with Reference to our Saviour's Transfiguration as if he had said Some of you meaning Peter James and John shall shortly see me upon Mount Tabor and that in such splendour and Glory as shall be a Preludium a shadow and Representation of that Glory which I shall appear in when I shall come with Power to judge the World at the great Day And whereas our Saviour saith not there are some standing here which shall not dye but which shall not taste of Death till they had seen this glorious sight This implies two things 1. That after they had seen this Transfiguration they must taste of Death as well as others 2. That they should but taste of it and no more From whence Learn 1. That the most Renowned Servants of Christ for Faith Holiness and Service must at length in God's appointed time taste and have experience of Death as well as others 2. That altho' they must taste yet they shall but taste of Death they shall not drink off the Dregs of that bitter cup tho' they fall by the hand of Death yet shall they not be hurt by it but in the very fall be victorious over it 28 And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings he took Peter and John and James and went up into a mountain to
Necessity calls for it we be found willing to part with any thing we have for the Relief of Christ in his Members Observe also the Argument used to excite to this Duty of Alms-giving hereby we lay up our Treasure in a safe hand even in God's who will reward us openly The Bellies of the Poor are bags that wax not old what is lodged there is laid up securely out of the reach of danger we imitate the wise Merchant in Transmitting our Estates into another World by Bills of Exchange where we are sure to receive our own with Usury 35 Let your Loyns be girded about and your Lights burning 36 And ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately The next Duty Christ exhorts his Disciples to is that of Watchfulness with Reference to his Second Coming Let your Loyns be girded and your Lights burning the words may be understood two ways spoken either in a martial phrase as to Soldiers or in a Domestick as to Servants if as to Soldiers then let your Loyns be girded and your Lights burning is as much as that we should be always ready for a March having our Armour on and our Match Light ready to give fire at the first Alarm of Temptation If the words are spoken as to Servants then our Master bids us carefully expect his Second Coming like a Lord 's returning from a wedding Supper which used to be Celebrated in the Night that they should not put off their Cloaths nor put out their Lights but stand ready to open tho' he comes at Midnight when Christ comes that Soul only shall have his Blessing whom he finds watching 37 Blessed are those Servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them 38 And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third Watch and find them so Blessed are those Servants 39 And this know that if the good man of the house had known what hour the Thief would come he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken up 40 Be ye therefore ready also for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not Here our Saviour makes use of several Arguments to enforce the Duty of Watchfulness upon his Disciples the first is drawn from the transcendent Reward which Christ will bestow upon his watchful Servants He will gird himself make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them a very high metaphorical Expression as if a Master should be so transported with the diligence and faithfulness of his Servant as to vouchsafe not only to let him sit down to meat in his presence but to take the Napkin upon his Arm and wait upon him himself at his Table Lord how poor and inconsiderable is that Service which the best of us do for thee and yet thou speakest of it as if thou wert beholding to us for it Thou dost not only administer to us a Supper but thou Ministerest and waitest upon us at Supper he will gird himself and serve them The Second Argument to excite to watchfulness is drawn from the Benefit which we shall receive by watching in this Life that let the Lord come when he will whether in the Second or Third Watch they shall be found ready and in a blessed Condition who are found diligent in his Service and waiting for his Appearance Note here 1. The Son of Man will certainly come at one hour or other 2. at what Hour the Son of Man will come cannot certainly be known 3. That there is no hour wherein we can promise our selves that the Son of Man will not come 4. Very joyful will the Coming of the Son of Man be if we be found upon our watch and ready for his coming Be ye therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not 41 Then Peter said unto him Lord speakest thou this Parable unto us or even unto all 42 And the Lord said Who then is that faithful and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his houshold to give them their portion of meat in due season 43 Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing 44 Of a truth I say unto you that he will make him Ruler over all that he hath These words may be applied these two ways first to all the Faithful Servants of God in General and then the Note is this that for a Christian to spend and end his days in the Service of Christ and doing his Will gives good assurance of a happy and blessed Condition Blessed is that Servant Secondly These words may be applied to the Ministers of the Gospel in special and then Observe 1. The Character and Duty of a Gospel-Minister he is the Steward of Christ's Houshold to give them their Meat in due Season 2. A double qualification requisite in such Stewards namely prudence and faithfulness who then is that faithful and wise Steward Observe 3. The Reward insured to such Stewards with whom are found these Qualifications Blessed is that Servant Learn hence 1. That the Ministers of the Gospel are in a spiritual sense Stewards of Christ's Houshold 2. That Faithfulness and prudence are the indispensable Qualifications of Christ's Stewards 3. That where these Qualifications are found Christ will graciously and abundantly Reward them Our Faithfulness must respect God our Selves and our Flock and includes integrity of Heart purity of intention industry of Endeavour and impartiality in all our Administrations Our prudence must appear in the choice of suitable Subjects in the choice of fit Language in exciting our own affections in order to the moving of our Peoples Ministerial Prudence also must teach us by the strictness and gravity of our Deportment to maintain our Authority and keep up our esteem in the Consciences of our People it will also assist us to bear Reproach and direct us to give Reproof he that is silent cannot be innocent reprove we must or we cannot be Faithful but prudently or we cannot be successful 45 But and if that servant say in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to beat the men servants and maidens and to eat and drink and to be drunken 46 The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looked not for him and at an hour when he is not aware and will cut him in sunder and will appoint him his portion with unbelievers 47 And that servant which knew his Lord's will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes 48 But he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes for unto whomsoever much is given
intimate Friend he has in the World should be with him to hear what passes in Secret betwixt him and his God Again 2. it was an humble Prayer that appears by the Postures in which he cast himself sometimes kneeling sometimes lying Prostrate upon his Face he lyes in the very Dust and lower he could not lye and his Heart was as low as his Body 3. It was a vehement fervent and importunate Prayer Such was the Fervour of his Spirit that he Prayed himself into an Agony Oh let us blush to think how unlike our Praying-frame of Spirit is to Christ's Lord What Coldness Deadness Drowsiness Formality and Laziness is found in our Prayers how often do our Lips move when our Hearts stand still Observe 4. The Posture which the Disciples were found in when our Lord was Praying in his Agony they were fast asleep Good God! Could they possibly sleep at such a time as this When Christ's Soul was exceeding sorrowful could their Eyes be thus heavy Learn thence That the very best of Christ's Disciples may be and oft-times are overtaken with great Infirmities when the most important Duties are performing Then cometh he to his Disciples and findâ— them Sleeping Observe 5. The Mild Meek and Gentle Rebuke which he gives his Disciples for their Sleeping he said unto them Why sleep ye could you not Watch with me one hour What not Watch when your Master was in such Danger Could you not Watch with me when I am going to lay down my Life for you What not one hour and that the parting Hour too Learn hence That the holiest and best Resolved Christians who have willing Spirits for Christ and his Service yet in regard of the Weakness of the Flesh and frailty of Humane Nature it is their Duty to Watch and Pray and thereby Guard themselves against Temptations Rise and pray lest ye enter into c. 47 While he yet spake Behold a Multitude and he that was called Judas one of the Twelve went before them and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him 48 But Jesus said unto him Judas Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a Kiss 49 When they which were about him saw what would follow they said unto him Lord Shall we smite with the Sword 50 And one of them smote the Servant of the High-priest and cut off his right Ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said Suffer ye thus far and he touched his ear and healed him 52 Then Jesus said unto the Chief Priests and Captains of the Temple and the Elders which were come to him Be ye come out as against a Thief with Swords and Staves 53 When I was daily with you in the Temple ye stretched forth no hands against me But this is your Hour and the Power of Darkness It was the Lot and Portion of our Blessed Redeemer here we find to be Betrayed into the hands of his Mortal Enemies by the Treachery of a false and dissembling Friend And in this sad Relation before us we have Observable The Traitor the Treason the Manner how and the Time when this Treasonable Design was Executed Observe 1. The Traitor Judas all the Evangelists carefully Describe him by his Name Judas Judas Iscariot lest he should be mistaken for Jude the Brother of James and by his Office one of the Twelve Lord How ought the greatest Professors to look well to themselves and to the Grounds and Principles of their Profession For a Profession begun in Hypocrisy will certainly end in Apostacy Observe 2. The occasion of the Treason Covetousness or the inordinate Love of Worldly Wealth and accordingly the Devil lays a Temptation before him exactly suited to his Temper and Inclination and it instantly over-came him Learn hence That Persons are never in such imminent danger of falling into Sin as when they meet with Temptations exactly suited to their Master Lusts Oh pray we That God would keep us from a Temptation suited to our predominant Lust and Corruption Observe 3. The Treason of Judas He led on an armed Multitude to the place where Christ was gave them a signal to discover him by and bids them lay hands upon him and hold him fast Which Treason of Judas was attended with these black and hellish Aggravations He had been a Witness of our Saviour's Miracles an Hearer of our Holy Lord's Doctrine What he did was not by Sollicitation the Chief Priests did not send to him but he went to them Lord How dangerous is it to allow our selves in any Secret Sin none can say how far that one Sin may in time lead us Should any one have told Judas that his Covetousness would at last make him deny his Master and Sell his Saviour he would have said with Hazael Is thy Servant a Dog that I should do this thing Observe 4. The Endeavours used by the Disciples for their Master's Rescue One of them St. Matthew says it was Peter drew a Sword and cut off the Ear of Malchus But why not the Ear of Judas rather Because though Judas was most Faulty yet Malchus might be most forward to Arrest and carry off our Saviour Oh how does a pious Breast boyl with Indignation at the sight of any open Affront offered to its Saviour Yet tho' St. Peter's Heart was sincere his hand was too rash good Intentions are no warrant for irregular Actions and accordingly Christ who accepted the Affection reproved the Action To resist Authority even in Christ's own Defence is rash Zeal and discountenanced by the Gospel Peter did well to ask his Master If he should smite with the Sword but he ought to have stayed his hand till Christ had given him his Answer 54 Then took they him and led him and brought him into the High-priests House and Peter followed afar off 55 And when they had kindled a Fire in the midst of the Hall and were set down together Peter sate down amongst them 56 But a certain Maid beheld him as he sate by the fire and earnestly looked upon him and said This Man was also with him 57 And he denied him saying Woman I know him not 58 And after a little while another saw him and said Thou art also of them And Peter said Man I am not 59 And about the space of an hour after Another confidently affirmed saying Of a truth that fellow also was with him 60 And Peter said Man I know not what thou sayest and immediately the Cock Crew while he yet spake 61 And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter And Peter remembred the word of the Lord how he said unto him before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice 62 And Peter went out and wept bitterly This Paragraph of the Chapter gives us an account of the Fall and Rising of Peter of his Sin in denying his Master and of his Recovery by Repentance both must be considered distinctly First touching his Sin and Fall there are Four Particulars Observable relating thereunto namely the Sin it self the Occasion
as they were afraid and bowed down their Faces to the Earth they said unto them Why seek ye the Living among the Dead 6 He is not here but is Risen Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee 7 Saying The Son of Man must be delivered into the Hands of Sinful Men and be Crucified and the Third day Rise Again 8 And they Remembred his Words 9 And Returned from the Sepulchre and told all these things unto the Apostles and to all the Rest 10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the Mother of James and other Women that were with them which told these things unto the Apostles 11 And their words seemed to them as Idle Tales and they believed them not 12 Then arose Peter and ran unto the Sepulchre and stooping down he beheld the Linnen Cloaths laid by themselves and departed wondering in himself at that which was come to pass The Lord of Life who was put to Death upon the Fryday was Buryed in the Evening of the same Day and his Holy Body Rested in the silent Grave all the next Day being the Jewish Sabbath and some part of the Morning Following Thus Rose he again the Third Day according to the Scriptures neither sooner nor later Not sooner lest the Truth of his Death should have been questioned that he did not Dye at all not later lest the Faith of his Disciples should have failed Accordingly when the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalene getting the other Women together she and they set out very early in the Morning to Visit the Holy Sepulchre and about Sun-rising they get to it intending with their Spices and Odours farther to Embalm their Lord's Body Observe here 1. That although the Hearts of these Holy Women did burn with an Ardent Zeal and Affection to their Crucified Lord Yet the Commanded Duties of the Sabbath are not omitted by them they keep close and silently spend that Holy Day in a Mixture of Grief and Hope A good Pattern of Sabbath-Sanctification and worthy of our Christian Imitation Observe 2. These Holy Women go but not empty-handed She that had bestowed a costly Alablaster upon Christ whilst alive prepares no less Precious Odours for him now Dead thereby paying their last Homage to our Saviour's Corpse But what need of Odours to perfume a precious Body which could not see Corruption True his Holy Body did not want them but the Love and Affection of his Friends could not withhold them Observe 3. How great a Tribute of Respect and Honour is due and payable to the Memory of these Holy Women for their great Magnanimity and Courage They followed Christ when his Cowardly Disciples left him they accompanied him to his Cross they attended his Herse to the Grave when his Disciples did not durst not appear And now very early in the Morning they Visit his Sepulchre Fearing neither the Darkness of the Night nor the Presence of the Watchmen though a Band of rude Soldiers Learn hence That Courage and Resolution is the special Gift of God if he gives it to the feebler Sex even to timerous and fearful Women it shall not be in the power of Armed Men to make them afraid But to come to a close Consideration of the several Circumstances relating to the Resurrection of our Holy Lord. Note 1. With what Pomp and Triumph our Holy Lord Arises Two Men that is Two Angels in the Shape of Men V. 4. are sent from Heaven to roll away the Stone But could not Christ have Risen then without the Angels help Yes doubtless he that Raised himself could easily have Rolled away the Stone himself But God thinks fit to send an Officer from Heaven to open the Prison-door of the Grave and by setting our Surety at Liberty proclaims our Debt to the Divine Justice â—â—â—y Satisfied Besides it was fit that the Angels who had been Witnesses of our Saviour's Passion should also be Witnesses of his Resurrection Note 2. our Lord's Resurrection declared He is Risen he is not here Almighty God never intended that the Darling of his Soul should be left in an obscure Sepulchre He is not here said the Angels where you laid him where you left him Death has lost its Prey and the Grave has lost its Prisoner Note 3. It is is not said He is not here for he is Raised but he is Risen V. 6. The Original Word imports the Active Power of Christ or the Self-quickning Principle by which Christ Raised himself from the Dead Acts 1.3 He shewed himself alive after his Passion Hence Learn That it was the Divine Nature or God-head of Christ which Raised the Human Nature from Death to Life others were Raised from the Grave by Christ's Power but he Raised himself by his own Power Note 4. The Persons to whom our Lord's Resurrection was first declared and made known to Women to the two Mary's But why to Women and why to these Women To Women first because God sometimes makes choice of weak Means for producing great Effects knowing that the weakness of the Instrument Redounds to the greater Honour of the Agent In the whole Dispensation of the Gospel God intermixes Divine Power with Humane Weakness Thus the Conception of Christ was by the Power of the Holy Ghost but his Mother a poor Woman a Carpenter's Spouse So the Crucifixion of Christ was in much Meanness and outward Baseness being Crucified between two Thieves But the Powers of Heaven and Earth Trembling the Rocks Rending the Graves opening shewed a mixture of Divine Power Thus here God Selects Women to declare that he will Honour what Instruments he pleases for the Accomplishment of his own Purposes But why to these Women the two Mary's is the first Discovery made of our Lord's Resurrection Possibly it was a Reward for their Magnanimity and Masculine Courage These Women cleave to Christ when the Apostles forsook him They Assisted at his Cross they Attended at his Funeral they Waited at his Sepulchre These Women had more Courage than the Apostles therefore God makes them Apostles to the Apostles This was a Tacit Rebuke a Secret Check given to the Apostles that they should be thus out-done by Women These Holy Women went before the Apostles in the last Services that were done for Christ and therefore the Apostles here come after them in their Rewards and Comforts Note 5. The quick Message which these Holy Women carry to the Disconsolate Disciples of the Joyful news of our Saviour's Resurrection They Returned from the Sepulchre and told all these things to the Eleven Verse 9. And the other Evangelists say That they were sent and bidden to go to the Apostles with the Notices of the Resurrection Go tell the Disciples says the Angel Matthew 28.7 Go tell my Brethren says Christ Verse 10. A most endearing Expression Christ might have said Go tell my Apostate Apostles my Cowardly Disciples that left me in my Danger that durst not own me in the High Priest's Hall
as is the Parent and Principle of Obedience to him Note 2dly That it is the high honourable Privilege of all such as receive Christ by Faith to become the Sons of God by Adoption This is a precious Privilege a free Privilege an honourable Privilege an abiding Privilege and calls for all possible Returns of Gratitude and Thankfulness of Love and Service of Duty and Obedience of Submission and Self-Resignation 13 Which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Because the bragging Jews did much boast of their Natural Birth and Descent from Abraham as being his Blood and Off-spring Therefore it is here asserted that Men become not the Children of God by Natural Propagation but by Spiritual Regeneration They are not born of Blood Grace runs not in a Blood Piety is not Hereditary Religious Parents propagate Corruption not Regeneration Were the Conveyances of Grace Natural good Parents would not be so ill suited with Children as sometimes they are No Person then whatsoever has the gracious Privilege of Adoption by the first Birth They are not born of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man that is no Man by the utmost Improvement of Nature can raise himself up to this Privilege of Adoption and be the Author and Efficient Cause of his own Regeneration Learn hence That Man in all his Capacities is too weak to produce the Work of Regeneration in himself They says Dr. Hammond who by the influence of the highest Rational Principles live most exactly according to the Rule of Rational Nature that is of unregenerate Morality are the Persons here described Learn 2. That God alone is the Prime Efficient Cause of Regeneration He works upon the Understanding by Illumination and upon the Will by Sanctification Which were born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God 14 And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth The Evangelist having asserted the Divinity of Christ in the foregoing Verses comes now to speak of his Humanity and Manifestation in our Nature The Word was made Flesh Where Note 1. Our Saviour's Incarnation for us 2. His Life and Cenversation here among us He dwelt or tabernacled for a Season with us In the Incarnation or Assumption of our Nature Observe 1. The Person Assuming The Word that is the Second Person subsisting in the glorious God-Head Obs 2. The Nature Assumed Flesh that is the Humane Nature consisting of Soul and Body But why is it not said The Word was made Man but The Word was made Flesh Answ To denote and set forth the wonderful Abasement and Condescension of Christ there being more of Vileness and Weakness and Opposition to Spirit in the Word Flesh than in the Word Man Christ's taking Flesh implies that he did not only take upon him the Humane Nature but all the Weaknesses and Infirmities of that Nature also sinful Infirmities and personal Infirmities excepted he had nothing to do with our sinful Flesh Tho' Christ loved Souls with an infinite and insuperable Love yet he would not sin to save a Soul And he took no personal Infirmities upon him but such as are common to the whole Nature as Hunger Thirst Weariness c. Obs 3. The Assumption it self He was made Flesh that is he assumed the Humane Nature into an Union with his God-head and so became a True and Real Man by that Assumption Learn hence That Jesus Christ did really assume the true and perfect Nature of Man into a personal Union with his Divine Nature and still Remains True God and True Man in one Person for ever Oh blessed Union Oh thrice happy Conjunction As Man Christ has an experimental Sense of our Infirmities and Wants As God he can support and supply them All. Note farther 2. As our Saviour's Incarnation for us so his Life and Conversation among us He dwelt or tabernacled amongst us The Tabernacle was a Type of Christ's Humane Nature 1. As the out-side of the Tabernacle was mean made of ordinary Materials but it 's inside glorious so was the Son of God 2. God's special Presence was in the Tabernacle there he dwelt for he had a delight therein In like manner dwelt all the fulness of the God-head bodily in Christ and the glory of his Divinity shined forth to the Eye and view of his Disciples for they beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only Begotten of the Father that is whilst Christ appeared as a Man amongst us he gave great and glorious Testimonies of his Being the Son of God Learn hence That in the Day of our Saviour's Incarnation the Divinity of his Person did shine forth through the Vail of his Flesh and was seen by all them that had a Spiritual Eye to behold it and a mind disposed to consider it We beheld his Glory as the Glory of the only Begotten of the Father ¶ 15 John bare witness of him and cried saying This was he of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me 16 And of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace 17 For the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ 18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten son which is in the bosom of the father he hath declared him Here we have John Baptist's first Testimony concerning Christ the promised Messiah And it consists of four Parts 1. John prefers Christ before himself as being surpassingly above himself He that cometh after me is preferred before me that is in the Dignity of his Person and in the Eminency of his Office as being the eternal God Now amongst them that were born of Women there was not a greater than John the Baptist If Christ then was greater than John it was in regard of his being God He is therefore preferred before him because he was before him as being God from all Eternity Learn hence That the Dignity and Eternity of Christ's Person as God sets him up above all his Ministers yea above all Creatures how excellent soever He that cometh after me in Time is preferred before me in Dignity for he was before me even from all Eternity 2. John prefers Christ before all Believers in Point of Fulness and Sufficiency of Divine Grace Of his Fulness do they receive They have their Fillings Christ has his Fulness theirs is the fulness of a Vessel his is the Fulness of a Fountain their fulness is Derivative his Fulness is Original yet also Ministerial on purpose in him to give out to us that we may receive Grace for Grace that is Grace answerable for Kind and Quality though not for Measure and Degree As a Child in Generation receives from its Parents Member for
Eternal All Believers have and shall experience the healing Power of our Redeemer's Death to the end of the World Lastly The Israelites that were cured by looking up to the brazen Serpent dyed afterwards some Distemper or other soon carried them to their Graves but the Soul of the Believer that is healed by Christ shall never dye more Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal Life 16 ¶ For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Here observe 1. The Orignal Source and Fountain of Man's Salvation and that is God's free and undeserved his great and wonderful Love God so loved the World he doth not say how much but leaves it to our most solemn raised Thoughts it is rather to be conceived than declared and admired rather than conceived God so loved the World Hence Note That the Original Spring and first Cause of our Salvation is the free Favour and meer Love of God Observe 2. The Greatness of the Gift by which God evidenced and demonstrated the Greatness of his Love to a lost World He gave his only begotten Son that is he deliver'd him up from out of his own Bosom and everlasting Embraces Now this will appear a stupendious Expression of God's Love if we consider that God gave Him for us who was not only the greatest but the dearest Person to him in the World even his own Son That he gave him for Sinners That he gave him for a World of Sinners That he gave him up to become a Man for Sinners That he gave him up to become a miserable Man for Sinners That he gave him up to be a Sacrifice for the Sin of Sinners Observe 3. The Gracious end for which God gave this great Gift of his Love to lost Sinners That whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal Life Where Note 1. The gentle and merciful Condition upon which Salvation depends Whoever believeth on Christ shall not perish 2. The infinite Goodness of God in proposing such a vast Reward unto us upon our performing of this Condition He shall have everlasting Life Learn hence That Faith is the way which God hath appointed and the Condition which God has required in order to our obtaining Salvation by Jesus Christ This Faith consists in the assent of the Understanding That Jesus is the Saviour of the World In the Consent of the Will to accept of Jesus freely and voluntarily deliberately advisedly and resolvedly for our Saviour in accepting the Merit of his Blood and submitting to the Authority of his Laws it being in vain to expect Salvation by Christ if we do not yield Subjection to him He that thus believes on Christ that submits himself to his ruling Power as well as commits himself to his saving Mercy shall not perish but have everlasting Life 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved 18 ¶ He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begoten Son of God Observe here That the Salvation of Sinners was the intentional End and the Condemnation of them only the accidental Event of Christ's coming into the World The Design of Christ's first coming into the World was to save it The End of his second coming will be to judge the unbelieving Part of it Observe Secondly That Unbelief is the formal Cause of the Sinner's Damnation it is that sin which doth bind all other sins upon the sinner and consign him over to Damnation it is that sin which doth not only procure Damnation but no Damnation like it which is intimated in the next Verse 19 And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Observe here 1. The Worth and Dignity of a choice and invaluable Priviledge declared Light is come into the World A Personal Light Christ a Doctrinal Light the Gospel 2. Observe the Unworthiness Abuse and great Indignity which the World through Infidelity offers to this Benefit they reject it and love Darkness rather than Light Obs 3. The dreadful Sentence of Wrath which the Rejection of this Benefit and the Abuse of Christ brings upon the impenitent and unbelieving World It terminates in their full and final Condemnation This is the Condemnation That is 't is a just and righteous Condemnation 't is an inevitable and unavoidable Condemnation 't is an heightened and aggravated 't is an accelerated and hastned an irrevocable and eternal Condemnation Learn hence That the greater and clearer the Light is under which the unregenerate and impenitent do live in this World so much the heavier will their Condemnation and Misery be in the World to come if they wilfully and finally reject it 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God In these Words our Saviour acquaints us with the different Nature of Sin and Holiness It is the Nature of Sin and the Property of Sinners to hate the Light because it discovers the Evil and Sinfulness of their Ways unto them and condemns them for them as the Ethiopians are said to curse the Sun for its bright and hot shining whereas holy and gracious Persons that walk uprightly do love the Light that is they delight to have their Thoughts Words and Actions tried by the Light of the Word because they are wrought in God that is performed as in the sight of God According to the Direction of the VVord of God and with a single Eye and sincere Aim at the Glory of God Learn hence 1. That the Word of God or the Gospel of Jesus Christ it has all the Properties of a Great and True Light It is of a pure and purifying Nature it is manifestative and of a discovering Nature It has a piercing Power and penetrating Vertue It enters the darkest Recesses of the Soul and detects the Errors of Mens Judgments as well as discovers the Enormities of their Lives Learn 2. That nothing is so hateful to and hated by a wicked Man as the discovering and reproving Light of the Word of God for at the same time that it discovers the sin it condemns the Sinner Learn 3. That a truly gracious Person who acteth agreeably to the Will of God is not afraid to examine his Actions by the VVord of God but desires and delights that what he does may be made manifest both to God and Man He that doth Truth cometh to the Light and rejoyceth that his Deeds may be made manifest because they are wrought in God 22 ¶ After these things came Jesus and his
in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father 22 Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews 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 Here we have our Saviour's Answer to the foregoing Question which consists of two Parts 1. Concerning the Place of Worship 2. Concerning the Worship it self As to the Place of Worship our Saviour tells her that though the Jews had heretofore by warrant of God's Word regularly worshipped at Jerusalem and the Samaritans superstitiously worshipped at Mount Gerizim yet the Hour was coming namely at his Death when all difference of Places for God's Worship should be taken away and therefore she need not trouble her self about the Place of God's Worship to know whether of the two Places were holier and the better to serve God in for ere long the Service of God should not be confined more to one Place than another Hence learn That since the death of Christ the Religious Difference of Places is taken away and the Worship of God not confined to any one particular Place or Nation 2. Our blessed Saviour resolves her concerning the Worship it self namely that the Ceremonial Worship which the Jews and Samaritans used should shortly be abolished and instead thereof a more spiritual Form of Worship should be established more suitable to the Spiritual Nature of the great and holy God and containing in it the Truth and Substance of all that which the Jewish Ceremonies prefigured and shadowed forth Learn hence That the True Worship of God under the Gospel doth not consist in the external Pomp of any outward Ceremonies but is Spiritual and Substantial No Worship is acceptable to him that is the Father of Spirits but that which is truly Spiritual 24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth God is a Spirit that is he has no Body nor bodily Parts He is not a bare spiritual Substance but a pure and perfect Spirit and therefore his Worshippers must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Where Spirit is opposed to the Legal Ceremonies and Truth to the Jewish Rites not to Hypocritical Services for the old Patriarchs did worship God in Spirit and in Truth As Truth is taken for Sincerity they served him with a sincere Conscience and with a single Heart But our Saviour's Business is to shew That a Worship without Legal Rites and Jewish Ceremonies is proper to the times of the Gospel In the Words Observe 1. The Nature of God declared God is a Spirit 2. The Duty of Man inferred therefore they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth From the whole Note 1. That God is a pure Spiritual Being When bodily Parts Hands and Eyes c. are ascribed to him it is only in Condescension to our weakness and to signifie those Acts in God which such Members do perform in us Note 2. That the Worship due from the Creature to God is spiritual Worship and ought to be spiritually performed The Jewish Ceremonial Worship was abolished to promote the Spirituality of Divine Worship yet must not this be so understood as if God rejected bodily Worship because he requires spiritual under the Gopsel for Jesus Christ the most spiritual Worshipper worshipped God with his Body Besides God has appointed some Parts of Worship which cannot be performed without the Body as Sacraments In a Word God has created the Body as well as the Soul Christ has redeemed the Body as well as the Soul and he will glorify the Body as well as the Soul therefore it is our Duty to worship and glorify God with our Bodies and with our Spirits which are his 25 The woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things 26 Jesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he Observe here 1. What a General Expectation there was in the Minds of all Persons at the time of our Saviour's appearing of one whom the Jews called the Messiah I know that Messiah cometh This Woman though a Samaritan yet knew that the Messiah should come and that he was now expected Observe 2. What the Work and Office of the Messias was apprehended and believed to be namely to reveal the whole Mind and Will of God to a lost World When the Messias is come he will tell us all things Learn thence That the Lord Jesus Christ the promised and true Messias being called and appointed by God to be the great Prophet of his Church hath fully and perfectly revealed all things needful to be known for our Salvation John 15.15 All things that I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you Observe Lastly How freely and fully Christ reveals himself to this poor Woman he tells her plainly that he was the Messias When the Jews asked him John 10.24 If thou be the Christ tell us plainly Christ did not in plain Terms tell them who he was Nay when John Baptist sent two of his Disciples to ask him whether he were He that should come he gave them no direct Answer Yet behold he makes himself plainly known to this poor Woman he discerning her Humility and great Simplicity that she was willing to be instructed by him and did not come to him as the Jews and Pharisees did captiously with a design to entangle and enspare him Hence learn That the Lord Jesus Christ delights to reveal himself and make known his Mind and Will to such as with an humble Mind and an honest Simplicity of heart do desire to know him and understand their Duty to him 27 ¶ And upon this came his disciples and marvelled that he talked with the woman yet no man said What seekest thou or Why talkest thou with her 28 The woman then left her water-pot and went her way into the city and saith to the men 29 Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ 30 Then they went out of the city and came unto him Observe here 1. How the Providence of God so ordered and disposed of things that the Disciples did not return to Christ till he had finisht his Discourse with this poor Woman An humbled sinner may meet with such Satisfaction and sweet Refreshment in Christ's Company that the presence even of Disciples themselves the best and holiest of Saints may be lookt upon as injurious to it and an interruption of it This poor Woman had so sweet a time with Christ that an end being put to the Conference by the coming of the Disciples might be Matter of Grief and Resentment to her Yet the Providence of God so ordered that the Disciples did not come to break off the Conference till Christ had made himself known as the Messias to this
yet this must not be understood absolutely but comparatively Not as if the Prophets reaped nothing converted none but that their Fruit was small in comparison of the Success which the Apostles found Nor is it to be understood as if the Apostles took no pains at all but that the Prophets greater pains rendred the Apostles Labours Successful who took less pains Learn hence 1. That the Wisdom of God sees it fit that all his Servants in the VVork of the Ministry do not meet with the same Difficulties nor enjoy the same Success Some are laborious Sowers others are joyful Reapers some labour all their Days with little visible Success others bring in many to Christ perhaps by a single Sermon some labour even with Weariness and reap little others enter into their Labours and reap much 39 ¶ And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman which testified He told me all that ever I did 40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him they besought him that he would tarry with them and he abode there two days 41 And many mo believed because of his own word 42 And said unto the woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world Here an Account is given of the Conversion of more of the Samaritans from the City Sychar Some believed on him upon the full Report which the VVoman had made That he had told her all that ever she did But others were brought to believe by his own Word Now from the VVomans being an Instrument to bring her Acquaintance to Christ by her own Experience of what she had heard from him Learn 1. That very weak Instruments when they employ themselves for Christ desiring to extol his Praise and set forth his Glory are sometimes richly blessed with great Success Many of the Samaritans believed for the Saying of this poor Woman Learn 2. That when a Person can say but little of Christ yet if it be spoken from Experience and sensible Feeling it will be more Successful and Persuasive than much more that is spoken from Notional Knowledge Such was this Womans Testimony concerning Christ Come see a Man that told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ She spake what she found yea what she felt within her self and speaking her own Experience many believed on him for her Saying But further these Samaritans believed Christ to be a Prophet upon the Testimony of this Woman But they believed him afterwards to be the Messias or the Saviour of the World upon the Credit and Authority of his own Word v. 41. And many more believed because of his own Word Thence Learn That although Instruments speaking may be a means to draw Persons to give some assent to Truth yet it is Christ himself that must work a full Persuasion and his own Word is the surest Foundation for Faith to build and depend upon Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves 43 ¶ Now after two days he departed thence and went into Galilee 44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet hath no honour in his own countrey 45 Then when he was come into Galilee the Galileans received him having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast for they also went unto the feast Our Blessed Saviour having spent two days with the Samaritans as an Introduction to the calling of the Gentiles he goes forward towards Galilee the Place which he was pleased to make choice of for the Exercise of the greatest Part of his Ministry Coming into Galilee he passeth by the City of Nazareth where he had had his Education knowing what little Respect he was like to find there A Prophet ordinarily having little Honour in his own Country Therefore shunning Nazareth he goeth to Cana where he had done his first Miracle Learn hence 1. That there is a real Tribute of Honour due unto every Prophet and Minister of God which ought to be testified by Reverence to their Persons by a due Estimation of the Dignity of their Calling by Obedience to their Doctrine and by an honourable Maintenance A Prophet should have Honour and Honour includes all these 2. It is very usual and ordinary for the Prophets of God to meet with least Respect where they are most known their nearest Neighbours their nearest Relations their nearest Acquaintance are oft-times farthest off from giving them that Honour that is due unto them Learn 3. That the true Prophets and Messengers of God shall be sure to find some that will entertain their Persons and embrace their Ministry though they be disesteemed and rejected by others Tho' our Saviour had no Honour at Nazareth yet he found Entertainment amongst the rest of the Galileans 46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee where he made the water wine And there was a certain noble man whose son was sick at Capernaum 47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee he went unto him and besought him that he would come down and heal his son for he was at the point of death 48 Then said Jesus unto him Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe 49 The noble man saith unto him Sir come down ere my child die 50 Jesus saith unto him Go thy way thy son liveth And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him and he went his way 51 And as he was now going down his servants met him and told him saying Thy son liveth 52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend and they said unto him Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in the which Jesus said unto him Thy son liveth and himself believed and his whole house 54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did when he was come out of Judea into Galilee In this last Paragraph of the Chapter we find our blessed Saviour performing a second Miracle in Cana of Galilee curing a noble Man's Son that was sick of a Fever This noble Man apprehended Christ to be a Prophet and believed that if he were bodily present with his Son he might possibly cure him but he did not believe him to be the Messias who was true God and every where present Therefore to give him an infallible Proof that he was so he tells him his Son was cured by the Word of his Mouth even at that distance By which Miracle he cured not only the Child of his Fever but the Father of his Unbelief From the whole we Note 1. The Person that here applies himself to Christ A noble Man We do not find Christ oft attended with Nobility Have any of the Rulers believed on him Yes here is one The Sovereign Grace of God is free and he
believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God 70 Jesus answered them have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon for he it was that should betray him being one of the twelve Our Saviour finding many of his nominal Disciples forsaking him and departing from him Asks his Apostles the Twelve whether they would also go away intimating that their Departure would go nearer to him than the departure of all the rest The nearer they are from whom we receive unkindnesses the nearer do those unkindnesses go to our Hearts Will you of the Twelve also go away Peter as the mouth and in the name of the Rest Answers That they knew none besides to whom they could go and expect that happiness which they did from him They that go from Christ can never hope to mend themselves let them go whither they will therefore 't is as irrational as it is sinful to depart from Christ who hath the words that is the promise of Eternal Life Observe Lastly St. Peter having made this profession for himself and the rest of the Twelve that they would not depart from Jesus whom they believed to be the True Messias the Son of God Christ intimates to Peter that his Charity was something too large in promising so much for them all for there was one Traytor among them whose heart was as open to Christ as his face was to them he meant it of Judas Iscariot of whose perfidiousness he gave them warning at this Time Learn hence That the better any Man is in himself the more charitable is the opinion which he has of others Charity inclines to believe others good till they discover themselves to be bad Learn 2. That Christ doth approve of our charitable judgment of others sincerity according to what we hope and believe tho' we happen to be mistaken and our judgment is not according to Truth Christ knew Judas to be an Hypocrite at this time but doth not Reprove Peter for having a better opinion of him than he deserved 'T is far better to Err on the Charitable than on the Censorious hand 't is less offensive to Christ and less Injurious to our selves CHAP. VII 1 AFter these things Jesus walked in Galilee for he would not walk in Jewry because the Jews sought to kill him Our Blessed Saviour knowing that the Rage of the Chief Priests and Pharisees in Judea and at Jerusalem was grown to that height that they were resolved to kill him to avoid their fury he resolves to continue in Galilee and would not come into Judea at present nor go up to Jerusalem into the mouth of his Enemies his hour not being yet come Learn hence That so long as it was necessary for Christ to save and preserve himself from danger he was pleased to use the ordinary means for his own preservation Namely Retirement and withdrawing himself Christ as God could have rid himself out of the hands of his Enemies by a miraculous preservation but he uses the ordinary means when they would serve the turn and as he would not decline danger when his hour was come so would he not run into danger before it was come but used all prudential means and methods for his own safety and preservation He would not come into Judea because the Jews sought to kill him 2 Now the Jews feast of tabernacles was at hand There were Three great Feasts which the Jews celebrated every Year Namely The Feast of the Passover the feast of Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles This last was observed in the Month of September after they had gathered in the Fruits of the Earth whence it was also called the Feast of Ingathering At this Feast they went out of their Houses and dwelt in Booths Seven Days in Remembrance of their living in Tents of Booths in the Wilderness for Forty Years together before they came to Canaan Now the Institution of this Feast being to call to the Israelites Remembrance their former condition in the Wilderness Teaches us how prone and ready we are to forget our Troubles and the Mercies wherewith our Troubles have been sweetned when once they are past and over The Jews when settled in Canaan going out of their Houses Yearly and dwelling in Booths did thereby testifie that present Mercies had not made them forget former Tryals and Troubles 3 His brethren therefore said unto him Depart hence and go into Judea that thy disciples also may see the works that thou dost 4 For there is no man that doth any thing in secret and he himself seeketh to be known openly If thou do these things shew thy self to the world 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him Observe here 1. The Advice which Christ's Brethren that is his Kindred gave him to render himself more famous and publickly known to the World they Advise him not to tarry any longer in Galilee an obscure place but go into the more Noble and Populous Country of Judea and work Miracles there But what high presumption was this in Creatures to prescribe to Christ and direct him whither to go and what to do Observe 2. The Reason they offer for their Advice for no Man that seeketh to be known openly will do any thing in secret that is if thou wilt be thought to be the Messias by thy working Miracles do them not in a Corner but go up to Jerusalem with us at this next Feast that the Great Men may take notice of them Such as hunt after Reputation themselves and are Ambitious of vain Glory and Commendation from Men they measure others even the most Holy and Religious by their own Inclinations and dispositions and wonder that others do not follow their measures for gaining Reputation and Respect Thus did our Lord's Brethren here but the Wonder ceases if we consult the following words Neither did his Brethren Believe in him It is no new Thing for the Holiest Servants of God to meet with great Trials from their graceless Friends Christ met with this before us his Kindred according to the Flesh not believing in him were a sore Trial and Temptation to him Some Martyrs have confest that the hardest works they have met withal have been to withstand the Temptations the Tears and Entreaties of their dearest and nearest Relations 6 Then Jesus said unto them My time is not yet come but your time is alway ready 7 The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil 8 Go ye up unto this feast I go not up yet unto this feast for my time is not yet full come 9 When he had said these words unto them he aboad still in Galilee Here we have Christ's Answer and Refusal returned to his Brethrens desire he tells them they might go up to the Feast at Jerusalem when they pleased and as publickly but it was not
Devil's Slaves to become Christ's Free Men. 37 I know that ye are Abrahams seed but ye seek to kill me because my word hath no place in you 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father and ye do that which ye have seen with your father 39 They answered and said unto him Abraham is our father Jesus saith unto them If ye were Abrahams children ye would do the works of Abraham 40 But now ye seek to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which I have heard of God this did not Abraham The Jews boasting again that they were Abraham's Seed and bearing themselves much upon it our Saviour tells them he knew they were so his natural Children according to the Flesh but not his genuine Children according to the Spirit This he proves because they did not tread in Abraham's steps and do his works for if either the Temper of their Minds or the Actions of their Lives were agreeable to Abraham they would not seek as they did to destroy and kill him only for bringing the Doctrine of Salvation to them which he had heard and learned of the Father Hence learn 1. How prone we are to glory in our outward Priviledges and to reâ—y upon them Whereas these are Arguments of God's goodness towards us but no evidences of our goodness towards him 2. That it is very dangerous and unsafe to pride our selves in and depend upon any external priviledges and prerogatives whatsoever As our being Born within the pale of the visible Church our descending from Pious Parents and Holy Progenitors for unless we be followers of their Faith admirers of their Piety and imitate their Example we are none of their Children but belong to another Father as our Saviour tells the Jews in the next Verses 41 Ye do the deeds of your father Then said they to him We be not born of fornication we have one Father even God 42 Jesus said unto them If God were your Father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my self but he sent me 43 Why do ye not understand my speech even because ye cannot hear my word 44 Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own for he is a liar and the father of it In the former Verses the Jews made their Boast that they were the Children of Abraham in these that they are the Children of God We have one father even God This our Saviour disproves Telling them that if God were their Father they would love him as proceeding from him by eternal Generation and in his Office imployed by him as Mediatour Also if God were their Father they would understand him speaking from God whereas now they were so transported with Malice that they could not endure his Doctrine with patience tho' it came from God All which were undeniable proofs that they were not the Children of God Hence learn That none can justly pretend any Interest in God as his Children but they that love Christ as being the Express Image of his Father's Person and do hear and receive his Doctrine as coming from God This the Jews did not do therefore says Christ They are not the Children of God Observe farther Having told them whose Children they are not our Saviour tells them plainly whose Children they were Ye are of your father the Devil This appears by their being Acted by him by their Resembling and Imitating of him their Inclinations Dispositions and Actions being all to fulfil the Lusts of the Devil Now as his Servants we are whom we obey so his Children we are whom we resemble Learn hence That Men's sinful Practices will prove them to be Satan's Children let their Profession be what it will if in the Temper of their Minds and in the Actions of their Lives there be a Conformity to Satan's Disposition and a ready Compliance with his Temptations they are certainly his Children what pretences soever they make of being the Children of God None could pretend higher to the Relation of God's Children than these Jews did yet says Christ Ye are the Children of the Devil for his workâ— ye do 45 And because I tell you the truth ye believe me not 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin And if I say the truth Why do ye not believe me 47 He that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God 48 Then answered the Jews and said unto him Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil 49 Jesus answered I have not a devil but I honour my Father and ye do dishonour me 50 And I seek not mine own glory there is one that seeketh and judgeth Here Observe 1. The free Reproof which Christ gave the Jews for their obstinate Unbelief Because I tell you the Truth ye Believe me not 2. The Challenge which he gives the worst of his Adversaries Which of you convinceth me of Sin So perfectly pure Innocent and Spotless was the Doctrine and Life of Christ That altho' his Enemies loaded him with Slander and false Accusation yet none of them could justly convince him of much less condemn him for the least known Sin Observe 3. The Jews being enraged at this free Reproof fell a railing at his Person charging him with being a Samaritan possessed with an Evil Spirit Our Saviour meekly replies That he did not deal with the Devil but was honouring his Father in what he did and said And therefore his Father would take care of his honour and judge between him and them Here Note That tho' Christ used some sharpness in Reproving the Jews and Representing them to themselves yet he answers with wonderful mildness and meekness when he discovers his Resentments of his own Reproaches How cool was Christ in his own Cause but hot enough in Gods 51 Verily verily I say unto you If a man keep my saying he shall never see death 52 Then said the Jews unto him Now we know that thou hast a devil Abraham is dead and the prophets and thou sayest If a man keep my saying he shall never taste of death 53 Art thou greater then our father Abraham which is dead and the prophets are dead whom makest thou thy self 54 Jesus answered If I honour my self my honour is nothing it is my Father that honoureth me of whom ye say that he is your God 55 Yet ye have not known him but I know him and if I should say I know him not I shall be a liar like unto you but I know him and keep his saying Observe here 1. The blessed Fruit and effect of observing our Saviour's Doctrine He that keeps my saying shall never see Death that is Shall be secured from Eternal Misery and enjoy Eternal
Power of God through Faith unto Salvation for who can be too strong for omnipotent Power 30 I and my Father are one That is one in Essence and Nature one in Authority and Power and not barely one in Will and Affection or one in Concord and Consent That this is the Genuine Signification of the Words appears by a threefold Argument 1. From the Original Words it is not said I and my Father are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Person in the Masculine Gender but in the Neuter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I and my Father are one thing Now if that Thing be not the Divine Being they cannot be one for since the Father is confessed to be God the Son cannot be one thing with the Father if he be not God too 2. It appears from the Context our Saviour in the preceding Verses ascribed the Preservation of his Sheep to the Power of his Father None can pluck them out of my Father's Hand and he ascribes it also to his own Power None shall pluck them out of my Hand plainly intimating that his Sheep were equally safe in his own Hand as well as in his Father's for says he I and my Father are one that is one in Power and if they be one in Power they must be one in Nature unless we make an Almighty Creature which is a Contradiction 3. It appears evidently by what Follows in the next Verse that the Jews understood our Saviour in this Sense why else did they take up Stones to stone him We stone thee say they for Blasphemy because thou being a Man makest thy self God The Jews took up our Saviour's meaning aright and were satisfied that when he said I and my Father are one he asserted himself to be God and deserved to dye and well he had deserved it if he had not been God The Adversaries of our Saviour's Divinity to elude the Force of these Words which make so much against them interpret the Words thus I and my Father are one that is say they we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one in Will and Affection one in Concord and Consent This is a Truth but not the great Truth contained in these Words for thus Believers are one with God and one with another Namely by an Harmony of Wills and Desires so far as they are regenerated God's Will and theirs are Unisons they will and desire the same thing and are of one Heart and of one Mind But God and Christ are one in a much higher Sense than Christ and Believers are one namely one in Essence and Nature one in Authority and Power being Consubstantial with God Learn hence That the Lord Jesus Christ is for Nature Coessential for Dignity Coequal and for Duration Coeternal with the Father 2. That although Christ be one in Essence with the Father yet are they distinct Persons one from Another I and my Father we are one 3. Learn hence That the Son being one in Essence one in Power one in Consent and Will with the Father they are both equally concerned for the Perseverance of the Saints for preserving them in Grace and for bringing them to Glory None shall pluck them out of mine or my Father's Hand for I and my Father are One. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him 32 Jesus answered them Many good works have I shewed you from my Father for which of those works do ye stone me 33 The Jews answered him saying For a good Work we stone thee not but for blasphemy and because that thou being a man makest thy self God Observe here 1. How the Jews understood our Saviour affirming that he and his Father were one that is one in Essence and Nature and himself a Person equal with God This they lookt upon as Blasphemy in him to arrogate to himself what is proper to God only Observe 2. That the Jews lookt upon it as a Piece of Justice in them to stone Christ for this apprehended Blasphemy Then the Jews took up Stones to stone him According to the Law of God the Blasphemer was to be stoned to death but then he was first to be judicially tryed and judged But such was the furious and fiery Zeal of these Jews that in a tumultuous Manner they attempt to stone him to death Lord how far doth the fury of Men in opposing Truth out-strip the True Zeal of thy faithful Servants in defending Truth Obs 3. With what Meekness our Lord receives this horrid Indignity of stoning for it is probable that some Stones were cast at him he saying For which of these Works do you stone me He clears his own Innocency and expostulates with them for rewarding him Evil for Good Many good Works have I shewed you from my Father that is by my Father's Authority and Commission I have been sight to the Blind Feet to the Lame a Tongue to the Dumb and Hearing to the Deaf Do any of these Works deserve such Usage as stoning at your Hands Learn hence That such was the perfect and spotless Innocency of Christ in all his Actions that he durst and did appeal to the Consciences of his most inveterate Adversaries For which of these Works do you stone me 34 Jesus answered them Is it not written in your law I said Ye are gods 35 If he called them gods unto whom the word of God came and the scripture cannot be broken 36 Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God Here our Saviour by a twofold Argument vindicates himself from the Imputation of Blasphemy in asserting himself to be God 1. Because the Old Testament gave to Magistrates and Judges the Title of Gods as Psa 82.6 I have said Ye are Gods Now Christ argues strongly from the less to the greater thus If Judges and Magistrates may be called Gods because they are commissioned by him and derive their Authority from him how much more is that Title due to me who was sanctified separated and ordained for a Mediatour and appointed to the Work of Redemption before I came into the World and consequently was God from all Eternity This Place the Socinians those professed Adversaries of our Saviour's Godhead produce to prove That Christ was not God by Nature but only in respect of his Sanctification and Mission It is a certain Truth That he that was sanctified and sent was the Son of God but he was not therefore the Son of God because sanctified and sent His Sanctification was not the Ground of his Sonship but his Sonship was the Cause of his Sanctification Christ was not therefore God's Son because he was sanctified and sent but he was therefore sanctified and sent because he was his Son He was a Son before he was sent even from Eternity otherwise it must have been said That God sent him to be his Son and not that God sent his Son This supposes him before he was sent to have
understand these things clearly 21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Our Blessed Saviour in these words repeats what he had before injoined at Verse 15. Namely to evidence the sincerity of our Love to him by the Universality of our Obedience to his Commands He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Where Note 1. The Necessity of Knowledge in order unto Practice 2. The Necessity of Practice in order unto Happiness we must first have Christ's Commandments before we can keep them we must have them in our Understandings and Judgments in our Wills and Affections not have them only in our Eyes to read in our Ears to hear or in our Mouths to talk of them but to hide them in our Hearts that we may not Sin against Christ in the wilful violation of them Farther we must keep as well as have these Commandments This denotes an universal diligent and persevering Obedience to them Hence Learn That altho' many loose Professors pretend love to Christ because they hear read know and can talk of his Commandments yet in Christ's Account none do truly love him but those who make Conscience of their Obedience to him He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Observe next The gracious Promise of Christ to such as thus express their Love unto him 1. He shall be loved of my Father and of my self And shall he not be loved of the Holy Ghost too Yes no doubt But why is not he named then Because the Son dwelleth in us by the Spirit and sheds his Love abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost 2. I will manifest my self unto him that is such Obedient Christians shall not only injoy the Fruit and Benefit of my Love but they shall injoy the Sense of my Love and experience the sensible manifestations and inward diffusions of my Love in their own Souls Learn hence That the only way to have Christ Love us and to let out his Love upon us and to know that he Loves us is to look diligently to our Obediential walking with him and before him We may as rationally think to nourish our Bodies with Poison as to injoy the manifestations of Christ's Love in a way of Sin 22 Judas saith unto him not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Some understand these words of a Temporal manifestation and think that Judas the Brother of James who spake them still expected that Christ should be a Temporal Prince and have such a Kingdom as should be Conspicuous to all the World and therefore puts the question how he could possibly shew himself to his Disciples and the World not see him Others understand it of a Spiritual manifestation as if he had said Lord who or what are we thy Disciples that we should enjoy more special manifestations of thy Love to us than to the rest of the World why should we be dignified with such distinguishing favours above others Learn thence 1. That there is a real difference put by Christ betwixt his own Children and the World in the matter of special Manifestations 2. That there being no cause from the Creature why Christ should make this difference his discriminating Grace is matter of just and great Admiration well might the Apostle out of a deep Admiration say Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the World 23 Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings and the word which you hear is not mine but the Fathers which sent me Observe here How our Saviour still goes on to direct and encourage his Disciples to evidence the sincerity of their Love to his Person by the universality of their Obedience to his Commands and tells them how great their Advantage would be by so doing For First the Father will love them that is manifest his favour to them in farther dispensations of Grace and Comfort Learn thence That all the Manifestations of Divine Love to the Souls of Believers depend upon their close walking with God in the paths of Holiness and strict Obedience Secondly We will make our abode with him He shall have Father and Son's Company an Allusion to a Parent that has many Children he will be sure to live with them that are most Dutiful to him and most observant of him The expression of making their abode with us denotes that sweet and intimate fellowship which shall be betwixt God and us and the perpetuity and constancy of it at all times till we are taken up by him into Heaven he will make his abode with us by the indwelling presence of his Holy Spirit the Graces and Comforts whereof shall abide with us for ever 25 These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you 26 But the Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you Here we have a repeated Promise of the Mission of the Holy Ghost called the Comforter and his special Office declared Namely To teach and to bring to remembrance what Christ had taught He shall teach you all things As the Spirit of God is the great Comforter so he is the special Teacher of his Children he Teacheth condescendingly stooping to the meanest capacities he Teacheth efficaciously inclining the Heart to receive Instruction as well as opening the Ear to hear it he Teacheth plainly and â—learly unerringly and infallibly he is Truth it self and therefore his teachings are most True And as the Holy Spirit is the Saints Teacher so is he also their Remembrancer He shall bring all things to your Remembrance that is all Truths needful to be known and necessary to Salvation Here Note That the Holy Spirit Teaches nothing but what Christ himself Taught the Spirit Teaches in the word and by the word but never Teaches any thing contrary to the word He shall Teach and bring to Remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you 27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid As if our Lord had said Whatever outward Trouble the World gives you be not afraid of it before it comes nor troubled at it when it is come for I will give you inward Peace in the midst of all your outward Troubles Not as the world giveth give I unto you Where Note That Christ's Peace is vastly different from that Peace which is given or enjoyed
our Lord again forewarns his Disciples of their approaching Sufferings to the intent that they might remember that he had foretold them of them and would not fail to support them under them He had often told them in general of Persecutions and Troubles which they must expect to meet with but did not till now intimate the kinds and degrees of those Sufferings with respect to their Weakness and because whilst he was with them he himself bear the brunt of all the Worlds Rage falling upon him letting them along But after his Ascension when the Malice of Satan and wicked Men could not reach him then did the Storm fall upon them Hence learn 1. That Christ is so tender of his Disciples Weakness that he will not put them upon the hardship of Sufferings till they be trained up and prepared for them 2. That it may encourage the Saints in and under their Sufferings that Christ himself is the great Object of the Persecutors Malice and they only so for his sake for could they reach him they would not concern themselves with them Learn 3. That the Saints of God after long Exemption and Freedom from Sufferings must expect that Storms will arise Clouds gather thick and Trials come on a pace and their being under one Trial will not hide or shelter them from another 5 But now I go my way to him that sent me and none of you asketh me Whither goest thou 6 But because I have said these things unto you sorrow hath filled your heart Observe here How our Saviour again intimates to his Disciples his speedy departure from them and reproves them for being so sadded as it and concerned for it without considering the End and Design of it and the Benefit and Advantage they were to receive by it Here we see how the Disciples Thoughts were wholly taken up about themselves what they should do for want of Christ's bodily Presence without being instant with him to know whither he was going and what Benefit he should reap and they might expect from his departure Learn hence That Christ's Disciples ought not so much to have lamented the loss of his bodily Presence as to have rejoyced in his Glorious Exaltation and in their own Advantages by his Death Resurrection and Ascention None of you ask me Whither goest thou But sorrow hath filled your heart 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you In these words our Saviour urges his Disciples to submit to his Departure as that which would make way for his sending the Comforter to them which he assures them would be of more Advantage to them than his own stay and continuance amongst them Thence learn That the Presence of the Holy Spirit with us is a greater Comfort and Advantage to us than the Presence of Christ in the Flesh amongst us Christ's bodily Presence was comfortable but the Spirit is more intimately a Comforter than Christ in his fleshly Presence Because the Spirit can comfort all Believers at once in all Places but Christ's bodily Presence can comfort but few and that in one Place only at once Christ did converse with his Disciples outwardly but the Spirit possess'd himself of their Hearts inwardly Now for the Spirit to dwell in us is more advantagious than to have Christ dwell in the Flesh amongst us The Benefit of Christ's Conversation was great but the Advantage of the Spirit 's Renovation and holy Inspirations is much greater The one encourages and excites us to be Holy but the other quickens and enables us to be Holy Therefore well might Christ say It is expedient or highly necessary and advantagious for you that I go away He subjoyns a Reason If I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him to you Whence we learn That Christ's Ascension was indispensably necessary in order to the Spirit 's Mission the Spirit could not have descended if Christ had not first ascended the Spirit could not come but by the Gift and Mission of the Mediator Now the sending of the Spirit being a part of Christ's Royalty as Mediator it was not convenient that the Spirit should be sent till Christ was Crowned and sate down on his Throne in his Kingdom then the Spirit was to make Application to us of the Redemption purchased for us 8 And when he is come he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment 9 Of sin because they believe not on me 10 Of righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more 11 Of judgment because the prince of this world is judged In these and the following Verses our Saviour acquaints his Disciples with the Advantages that will redound by the coming of the Comforter First The Advantage to the World Secondly To the Apostles And Thirdly To himself To the World 1. He shall convince them of Sin Righteousness and Judgment Of Sin that is of their sinful State and Nature of the large extent of Sin and particularly of the sin of Unbelief Learn hence 1. That the Spirit of God is the Author of Conviction of Sin and that all Convictions of Sin do either mediately or immediately flow from him 2. That Unbelief is a Sin of the greatest malignity against Christ and of greatest danger to a Christian's Soul He shall convince the World of Sin because they believe not on me Secondly Of Righteousness that is of the insufficiency of all humane Righteousness and of the necessity of the Righteousness of a Mediator by which alone we are to expect acceptance with God Thirdly Of Judgment that is the Spirit shall convince the World that Jesus is both Lord and Christ that he had a Power to judge Satan the Prince of the World and that he did by his Death put down the Kingdom of Darkness Learn hence 1. That Satan is a Prince who by unjust Usurpation and the Sinners voluntary Consent has exercised a Tyrannical Power over the World 2. That Christ by his Death did judge condemn and overcome this mighty Prince and hath made his Conquest evident to the Consciences of Men by the Convictions of his Holy Spirit The Spirit shall convince of Judgment that is that Satan the Prince of this World is judged 12 I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now 13 Howbeit when he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth The second Benefit which our Saviour declares was to be expected by the coming of the Holy Spirit relates to the Apostles themselves He shall guide you into all Truth that is into all Truth necessary for you to know in order to Salvation This is a principal Text which the Papists bring for their Doctrine of Infallibility but groundlesly For this Promise was made to all
Our Saviour's Prayer to his Father for his Apostles before he left the World Holy Father keep them that is preserve them by thy Divine Power and Goodness for the Glory of thy Holy Name Here Note 1. The Title and Appellation given to God Holy Father Thence Learn That when we go to God in Prayer especially for Grace and Sanctification we must look upon him as an Holy Father as essentially and originally Holy as infinitely and independently Holy Note 2. The Supplication requested of God Keep through thy name those whom thou hast given me Thence Learn That the Perseverance of the Saints in a state of Grace is the sweet Effect and Fruit of Christ's Prayer Christ has begged it and it cannot be denied there being such an Harmony and sweet Consent betwixt the Will of the Father and the Will of the Son Three things concur to the Believer's Perseverance On the Father's Part there is everlasting Love and all-sufficient Power On the Son's Part there is everlasting Merit and constant Intercession On the Spirit 's Part there is a perpetual Inhabitation and continued Influence Observe 3. The End of Christ's Supplication on behalf of his People that they may be one as we are one Here Note 1. That the Heart of Christ is exceedingly set upon the Unity and Oneness of his Members 2. That the Believers Union with Christ their Head and one with another has some resemblance to that Unity that is betwixt the Father and the Son For 't is an holy and spiritual Union a close and intimate Union an indissoluble and inseparable Union 12 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled Observe here 1. That those which shall be saved are given unto Christ and committed to his Care and Trust 2. That none of those that are given unto Christ as his Charge and committed to his Care and Trust shall be finally lost Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost It follows but the Son of Perdition A Person may be said to be a Son of Perdition two ways Actively and Passively Actively he is so who makes it his Work and Business to destroy others Passively he is a Son of Perdition who for his Wickedness in destroying others is destroyed himself Judas was a Son of Perdition in both these Senses his Heart was maliciously set upon destroying Christ and wilfully set upon his own destruction His Covetousness and Hypocrisie prompted him to betray our Saviour his Despair provoked him to destroy himself 13 And now come I to thee and these things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves In these Words our Saviour declares the great Reason why he did at this time so publickly and solemnly pray for his Disciples it was to fill them with Joy and Comfort that their Joy might not be diminished by Christ's departure but rather encreased by the coming of the Comforter That they may have my Joy fulfilled in them that is the Joy which they take in me and the Joy which they have from me There is a double Care which Christ takes of his People namely a Care of their Graces and a Care of their Joy and Comfort How solicitous was he to leave his Disciples joyful before he departed from them He delights to see his People chearful and he knows of what great Use spiritual Joy is in the Christian's Course both to enable us for Doing and to fit us for Suffering Learn hence 1. That Christ is the Author and Original of the Joy of his People My Joy 2. That it is Christ's Will and Desire that his People should be full of holy Joy That my Joy may be fulfilled in them 3. That the great End of Christ's Prayer and Intercession was and is that his Peoples Hearts might be full of Joy These things I speak in the World that they might have my Joy fulfilled in themselves 14 I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world I have given them thy Word partly by external Revelation and partly by internal Illumination and for thy Word sake the World hates them as also because they are not of the World Learn 1. That Christians especially Ministers to whom Christ has given his Word must expect the World's hatred Few of the Prophets or Apostles died a natural death As their Calling is Eminent so must their Sufferings be Exemplary The best Ministers and the best Men are usually most hated There is an Antipathy against the Power of Godliness or a cruel causeless implacable and irreconcilable hatred against the Saints because of their strictness in Religion and contrariety to the World 2. That it is the Honour of Believers that they are like unto Christ in being the Objects of the World's hatred The World hates them because they are not of the World as I am not of the World This Christ adds both for Information and Consolation for Information that they should look for such Hatred Misery and Trouble as they saw him grapple with and for Consolation to think that the World can never hate us so bad as it hated Christ 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil 16 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world Here Observe 1. That the Wisdom of Christ sees it fit to continue his Children and People in the World notwithstanding all the Perils and Dangers of the World He has Work for them and they are of Use to him for a time in the World and till their Work be done Christ's Love will not and the World's Malice cannot remove them hence Yet Christ prays that his Father would keep them from the Evil that is from the Sins Temptations and Snares of this wicked World Thence Note That a spiritual Victory over Evil is to be preferred before a total exemption from Evil it is a far greater Mercy to be kept from sin in our Afflictions than from the Afflictions themselves 17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth Sanctifie them not initially for so they were sanctified already but progressively let them increase more and more in Grace and Holiness Learn hence 1. That such as are already sanctified must labour and ought to endeavour after further Measures and higher Degrees of Sanctification The most Holy may yet be more Holy 2. That the Word of God is the great Instrument in God's Hand for his Peoples Sanctification 3. That the Word of God is the Truth of God Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth The Word of God is a Divine Truth an Eternal Truth an Infallible Truth an Holy Truth 18 As thou hast
sent me into the world even so have I also sent them into the world Observe here 1. Christ's Mission The Father sent him into the World Christ's sending implies the Designation of his Person his Qualification for the Work his Authority and Commission Learn hence That Christ himself did not of himself undertake the Office of a Mediator but was sent that is authorized and Commissioned of God so to do Thou hast sent me into the World Observe 2. As Christ's Mission so the Apostles Mission As thou hast sent me so have I sent them Learn thence That none may or ought to undertake the Office of the Ministry without an Authoritative sending from Christ himself not immediately and extraordinarily by Voice or Vision but mediately by the Officers of the Church And such as are so sent are sent by Christ himself and if so it is the Peoples Duty to reverence their Persons to respect their Office to receive their Message As thou hast sent me so have I sent them 19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth The word Sanctifie here is not to be taken for the Cleansing Purifying or making Holy that which before was Unclean But Christ's sanctifying himself imports 1. His separation or setting himself apart to be a Sacrifice for Sin 2. His Consecration or Dedication of himself to this Holy Use and Service Hence learn That Jesus Christ did dedicate and solemnly set himself apart to the great Work and Office of a Mediator Learn 2. That the great End for which Christ did thus sanctifie himself it was that he might sanctifie his Members therefore did he consecrate and set himself apart for us that we should be consecrated to and wholly set apart for him 20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word Hitherto our Saviour had been praying for himself and his Apostles now he prays for all Persons both Jews and Gentiles that should believe in him throughout the World by the preaching of the Gospel Hence learn That all Believers have a special Interest in Christ's Prayer 2. That in the Sense of the Gospel they are Believers who are wrought upon to believe in Christ thro' the Word 3. That such is Christ's Care of and Love to his own that they were remembred by him in his Prayer even before they had a Being I pray not for them alone but for all that shall believe in me 21 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me The special Mercy and particular Blessing which Christ prays for on the behalf of Believers is a close and intimate Union betwixt the Father Himself and Them and also betwixt one another such an Union as doth in some sort resemble that Union which is betwixt God and Christ not an Unity of Essence and Nature but of Wills and Affections Hence Note 1. That the mystical Union betwixt Christ and his Members carrieth some resemblance with that Union which is betwixt the Father and the Son 2. That Union amongst the Ministers and Members of Jesus Christ is of so great Importance Necessity and Consequence that he did in their behalf principally and chiefly pray for it An Unity of Love and Affection of Faith and Profession and Unity of Practice and Conversation are Mercies which Christ earnestly prayed for and has dearly paid for and nothing is more desired by him now in Heaven than that his Disciples should be One among themselves here on Earth Father may they be one as we are one That the World may believe that thou hast sent me Here Christ intimates one special Advantage that would redound to the World by this desirable Union betwixt the Ministers and Members of Christ it will if not Convert yet at least convince the World that I and my Doctrine came from God Thence Note That Union amongst Christ's Disciples is one special means to enlarge the Kingdom of Christ and to cause the World to have better thoughts of him and his Doctrine By their being one as we are one the World will believe that thou didst send me 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one Here Observe 1. Christ's Communication of that Glory to Believers which he had received from the Father that is not his essential Glory but his mediatorial Glory The Glory which thou gavest me Now Christ hath no Glory given him as God but much Glory bestowed upon him as Mediatour Observe 2. The end of this Communication why he gave his Disciples that Glory which the Father had given him Namely That they might be one Learn 1. That God the Father hath bestowed much Glory on Christ his Son as he is Man and Mediatour of the Church 2. That the same Glory for Kind and Substance though not for Measure and Degree which Christ as Mediatour has received from the Father is communicated to true Believers 3. That the great End of this Communication was and is to oblige and enable his People to maintain a very strict Union amongst themselves The Glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one 4. That Unity amongst Believers is part of that Glory which Christ as Mediatour hath obtained for them 23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Observe here 1. That as the Father is in Christ so is Christ in Believers and they in him the Father is in Christ in respect of his Divine Nature Essence and Attributes and Christ is in Believers by the inhabitation of his Holy Spirit Observe 2. That the Believers happiness consisteth in their oneness in being one with God through Christ and one amongst themselves That they may be made perfect in one Observe 3. That God the Father loveth Christ his Son Thou lovest them as thou hast loved me God loveth Christ first as God so he is Primum Amabile the first object of his Love as representing his Attributes exactly Secondly as Mediatour John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my Life for my Sheep Observe 4. That God the Father loves Believers even as they loved Christ himself that is he loves them upon the same grounds that he loved him Namely For their nearness and for their likeness to him 1. For their nearness and relation to him he loveth Christ as his Son Believers as his Children 1 John 3.1 Behold what manner of Love the Father bestoweth upon us that we should be call'd the Sons of God 2. The properties of the Father's Love towards Christ and Believers are the same Doth he Love Christ with a tender Love
Pomp but a Spiritual King in and over his Church only to order the Affairs and look after the Government thereof Learn hence That Christ as God hath an Universal Kingdom of Power and Providence even over the highest of Men and as Mediatour hath a Spiritual Kingdom in and over his Church 2. That it is a clear Evidence that Christ's Kingdom is Spiritual in as much as it is not carried on by violence and force of Arms as worldly Kingdoms are but by Spiritual means and methods If my Kingdom were of this World my Servants would fight for me but now is my Kingdom not from hence 37 Pilate therefore said unto him Art thou a king then Jesus answered Thou sayest that I am a king To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness unto the truth Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice Pilate asks him again directly and expresly Art thou a King or not Our Saviour Answers Thou sayest that I am a King and so it is indeed as thou sayest I am a King and the King of the Jews too but not a Temporal King to Rule over them after the manner of Earthly Kings with Temporal Power and Worldly Pomp and Splendour but I am a Spiritual King to Rule and Govern not only the Jews but my whole Church consisting both of Jews and Gentiles after a Spiritual manner Observe here 1. The Dominion and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ he has a Kingdom My Kingdom Observe 2. The Condition and Qualification of this Kingdom Negatively exprest My Kingdom is not of this World Observe 3. The Use and End of this Kingdom that the Truth may have place among the Children of Men for their Salvation To this end was I Born and came into the World to bear witness unto the truth Observe 4. The Subjects of Christ's Kingdom declared Every one that is of the truth heareth my Voice That is Every one who is by Divine Grace disposed to believe and love the Truth will hear and obey Christ's Doctrine 38 Pilate saith unto him What is truth And when he had said this he went out again unto the Jews and saith unto them I find in him no fault at all 39 But ye have a custom that I should release unto you one at the passover will ye therefore that I release unto you the king of the Jews 40 Then cried they all again saying Not this man but Barabbas Now Barabbas was a robber Observe here 1. The Question Pilate put to Christ What is Truth a most noble and important Question had it been put forth with an honest Heart with a Mind fairly disposed for Information and Satisfaction but it is evident Pilate's enquiry was not serious nay it is generally thought that Pilate ask'd this Question in Scorn Contempt and Derision for he stays not for our Lord's Answer but as soon as he startled this Query went oft the Bench in haste Learn hence That this Question What is Truth or how may we come to the Knowledg of the Truth is of unspeakable use and importance and a Question whereon the whole frame and Constitution of Religion depends Because Truth is claimed by all Parties of Men by all Professors of Religion Ask the different Parties from the Old Gentleman at Rome to the poorest Quaker and Muggletonian where is Truth and they will all tell you they are in the possession of it every Sect has thus much of Popery with it that the professors of it think themselves Infallible and every one cries out Here is Truth But God has given us a two-fold Light to search for Truth by Namely The Light of Reason and the Light of Scripture and Divine Revelation The former Solomon calls the Candle of the Lord set up in our Breasts by God on purpose to discover Truth unto us God allows us yea injoyns us the free and impartial use of our Understandings and Judgments in order to the finding out of Divine Truth but because Nature's Light or the Light of Natural Reason is not clear and bright enough to give us a prospect of supernatural Truths for Nature and Reason can never dictate those things which depend wholly upon God's free Grace and good Pleasure such are the Doctrine of a Saviour and Redeemer and the method of Man's Salvation by the Sufferings of the Son of God it had been Blasphemy once to have supposed such things had not God revealed them in Scripture Therefore the Second Standard of Divine Truth is the infallible Word of God The Gospel of Christ is the way and the Truth Truth came by Jesus Christ and would Men be ruled and conducted by these unalterable Standards of Truth namely Right Reason and Divine Revelation they would easily agree in their Judgments what is to be believed and all Disputes and Controversies would vanish right Reason and Inspired Scripture are the best Judges of Controversies they being the fixed Standards and Measures of Divine Truth can best Resolve Pilate's Question here and tell us What is Truth Observe 2. How unwilling how very unwilling Pilate was to be the Instrument of our Saviour's Death He came forth three several times and tells the Jews that he finds no fault in him he bids them take him and judg him according to their Law Pilate a Pagan Absolves Christ whilst the Hypocritical Jews that heard his Doctrine and saw his Miracles do Condemn him Observe 3. Pilate having absolved Christ I find no fault in him endeavours next to Release him and takes occasion from their Custom of having a Prisoner released to them at their Feast to insinuate his Desire that they should chuse Christ Ye have a custom that I release unto you one at the Passover Observe lastly How the Jews prefer Barabbas a Robber before the Holy and Innocent Jesus They all cried out saying not this Man but Barabbas Learn hence That no Persons how wicked and vile soever are so odious in the Eyes of the Enemies of God as Christ himself was and his Friends and Followers now are Christ did find it thus in his own Person when on Earth Barabbas a Robber was preferr'd before him and now he is in Heaven he suffers in his Members the filth of the World being preferred before them CHAP. XIX 1 THen Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him Observe here 1. That as the Death of the Cross was a Roman Punishment so it was the manner of the Romans to whip their Malefactors before they Crucified them Accordingly Pilate took Jesus and scourged him Observe 2. How unwilling how very unwilling Pilate was to be the Instrument of our Saviour's Death it is very evident that he had a mind to Release him and it is concluded that Pilate was thus forward to Scourge Christ hoping that the Jews would have been satisfied with this lighter Punishment and so have dismist him From this instance we may gather That Hypocrites within the pale of the