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
and Forty Nights not all the Time but very often in that Time Teaching us what we are to expect from Satan Temptations not a few he will not solicite us once but often and follow us with fresh Assaults but the only way to overcome him is as often to resist him Observe farther a special Aggravation of our Lord's Temptations in the Wilderness He was with the wild Beasts having no Comfort from Man but only wild Beasts for his Companions which were more likely to annoy and hurt him than any way to help and comfort him Here we have an Evidence of the Divine Power of Christ who as Lord of the Creatures can alter and change the Nature of the Creatures at his Pleasure restraining the most Savage and Hurtful Beasts from hurting either himself or any of his People Observe lastly The Supply sent in to Christ in the Hour of Temptation The Angels came and ministred unto him Food to his hungry Body and Comfort to his tempted Soul Learn thence that those who in the Hour of Temptation do hold out in resisting Satan shall find that the Power and Faithfulness of God will not be wanting to them to send in Succour and Relief at last Then the Devil leaveth him and behold Angels came and ministred unto him 14 Now after that John was put in prison Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God 15 And saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent ye and believe the gospel In this our Saviour's first beginning to preach the Gospel we have an Account of the Time when the Place where and the Sum of what he preached Observe 1. The Time when our Lord began to preach and that was after John the Baptist was cast into Prison Where Note 1. The undue Reward which the Ministers of God do sometimes meet with from a wicked World They are hated persecuted and imprison'd for their Courage in reproving Sin John for reproving Herod's Incest was put in Prison Note 2. John was no sooner in Prison and stopt and hindered from preaching but Christ began to preach See the Care and Kindness of God towards his Church in that he never leaves it wholly destitute of the Means of Instruction When some of his faithful Ministers are restrained from preaching he stirreth up others in their Rooms not suffering all their Mouths to be stopt at once Observe 2. The Place where our Lord first preached in Galilee The Land of Canaan in our Saviour's time was divided into three principal Provinces On the South Judea on the North Galilee in the midst Samaria Galilee was divided into the upper and lower Galilee the higher was called Galilee of the Gentiles because it was the outmost part of the Land and so next unto the Gentiles In this upper Galilee Capernaum was the Metropolis or Chief and Corazin a lesser City Now much of our Saviour's time was spent in Galilee he was conceived and brought up at Nazareth a City in Galilee he first preached at Capernaum in Galilee he wrought the first Miracle at Cana in Galilee His Transfiguration was upon Mount Tabor in Galilee and our Saviour's ordinary Residence was in Galilee he came into Judea and up to Jerusalem only at the Feasts and after his Resurrection he appoints his Disciples to meet him in Galilee Only his Nativity his Passion and Ascension were proper to Judea His Nativity at Bethlehem his Passion at Jerusalem and his Ascension upon Mount Olivet hard by Jerusalem Now all this demonstrates Christ to be the true and promised Messias for according to Prophecy the Messiah was to have his Presence and principal Abode in the Province of Galilee Isa 9. v. 1 2 3 c. yet because he was of Galilee the Jews would not believe him to be the Messiah saying in Scorn Can any good thing come out of Galilee Whereas our Saviour's Habitation and free Conversation there was a Proof unto them and ought to have perswaded them that according to Prophecy he was the very Christ Observe 3. The Sum of what our Lord preached namely a Doctrine and an Exhortation His Doctrine is That the Time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at Hand That is that the Time foretold by the Prophets when the Kingdom of the Messiah should begin was now come The Exhortation is Therefore Repent and Believe the Gospel From the former Note That the Messiah's coming or our Saviour's appearing in the Flesh was exactly at the time foretold by the Holy Prophets The time is fulfilled the Kingdom of the Messiah is at Hand Note 2. That the great Doctrines of Repentance and Faith are taught only in and by the Gospel and accordingly ought in a special Manner to be preach'd and insisted upon by the Ministers of the Gospel The Doctrine of Christ and his Ambassador is and ought to be the same they both teach the great Doctrines of Faith and Repentance to a lost World Repent and Believe the Gospel 16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishers 17 And Jesus said unto them Come ye after me and I will make you to become fishers of men 18 And straightway they forsook their nets and followed him 19 And when he had gone a little further thence he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother who also were in the ship mending their nets 20 And straightway he called them and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants and went after him In this History of our Saviour's calling the four Disciples Peter and Andrew James and John Observe these Particulars Obs 1. The Meanness of the Persons whom he calls Illiterate Fishermen Christ took hereby effectual Care that his Gospel should be known to be the Power of God and not the Wisdom and Device of Man and that the Instruments should not carry away the Glory of the Work Obs 2. Christ called his Apostles by Couples Two and Two first Peter and Andrew then James and John thereby signifying to us that the Work of the Ministry requires the Concurrence of all Hands that are called to it All the Ministers of God should join their Hearts and Hands and set their Shoulders as one Man to this great Work and all little enough God knows to carry it on with Advantage and Success Obs 3. The Work which they are called from and called to from being Fishermen to be Fishers of Men from catching Fish with the Labour of their Hands to catch Men with the Labour of their Tongues Obs 4. Our Saviour's Command first to follow him before they be sent out by him Follow me and I will make you Fishers of Men. We must be Christ's Disciples before we are his Ministers his Followers before we are his Ambassadors We must learn Christ before we preach him otherwise we may fish for a Livelihood but
denounced against the Pharisees for cheating and deceiving the people with an outward shew and appearance of Piety and Religion They were like Graves and Sepulchres grown over with Grass which tho' they held dead mens Bones yet the putrefaction not outwardly appearing Men walked unawares over them and so were polluted by them intimating that the inward Rottenness and filthy Corruptions of the Pharisees not appearing unto Men the people were easily deceived by outward shews of Pharisaical Sanctity and so fell into a dangerous imitation of them Learn thence That the great design of Hypocrisy is to cheat the World with an empty shew of Piety the Hypocrites Ambition is to be thought good not to be so Learn 2. That nothing is more fatally dangerous to the Souls of Men and draws Persons to an admiration and imitation of hypocritical Professors like their outward shews of Sanctity and their extraordinary appearances of Devotion and Piety This it was that gained the Pharisees such a veneration and esteem among the people that it became a proverb amongst them If but two men went to Heaven the one must be a Pharisee but their counterfeit piety being double iniquity they did receive for it double Damnation 45 Then answered one of the Lawyers and said unto him Master thus saying thou reproachest us also 46 And he said Wo unto you also ye Lawyers for ye lade men with Burthens grievous to be born and ye your selves touch not the Burthens with one of your Fingers The former Woes were denounced by our Saviour against the Pharisees who had their Name from an Hebrew word which signifies to separate because they were persons separated and set apart for studying the Law of God and teaching it to others The next Wo is here denounced against the Lawyers that is the Scribes of the Law of which there were two sorts the Civil Scribe and the Ecclesiastical Scribe the Civil Scribe was a publick Notary or Register of the Synagogue employed in writing Bills of Divorce and Sentences in the Phylacteries The Ecclesiastical Scribe was an expounder of the Scripture an interpreter of the Law Men of great Learning and Knowledge whose Decrees and Interpretations the Pharisees strictly observed this Lawyer here insolently calls our Saviour's Reproof a Reproach however our Saviour who never feared the Face or regarded the person of any Man gives them their portion and lets them know wherein they were faulty as well as the Pharisees and accordingly pronounces a Wo unto them also for a threefold Crime 1. For their laying heavy Burthens upon others Shoulders which they would not touch with one of their own Fingers These Burthens in general were a rigid exaction of Obedience to the whole Ceremonial Law and in particular the Burthen of Traditions certain austerities and severities which they imposed upon the people but would not undergo any part of them themselves in vain do we hope to oblige our Hearers to follow those Rules of Life which we refuse or neglect to put in practise our selves 47 Wo unto you for ye build the Sepulchres of the Prophets and your fathers killed them 48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the Deeds of your fathers for they indeed killed them and ye build their Sepulchres 49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God I will send them Prophets and Apostles and some of them they shall slay and Persecute 50 That the blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the World may be required of this Generation 51 From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias which perished between the Altar and the Temple Verily I say unto you it shall be required of this Generation The second Crime which Christ reproves in these Men is their grand Hypocrisy in pretending great honour to the Saints departed building their Tombs and garnishing their Sepulchres declaiming against their Fathers impiety that had they lived in their days they would not have been partakers with them in their sins Now their Hypocrisâ— appeared in three Particulars 1. In that they continued in their own wickedness and yet commended the Saints departed they magnify the Saints but multiply their sins and instead of imitating their Vertues they content themselves with garnishing their Sepulchres 2. In professing great Respect to the Dead Saints and at the same time Persecuting the Living Palpable Hypocrisy and yet as gross as it is it prevails to this day The Church of Rome who magnifies Martyrs Canonizes Saints departed have yet added to their number by shedding of their Blood 3. In taking false measures of their Love to the Saints departed from their Building their Tombs and garnishing their Sepulchres whereas the best Evidence of our Love to them is the imitating their Vertues and cherishing their Followers 'T is gross Hypocrisy to pay respect to the Relicks of Saints and Veneration to their Images and at the same time to persecute and hate their Followers From the whole Note 1. That the World has all along Loved dead Saints better than living ones Mortui non mordent the dead Saints Example how bright soever is not so scorching and troublesome at a distance and he himself stands no longer in other Mens Light whereas the Living Saints Example is a cutting Reproof to Sin and Vice Note 2. That there is a certain Civility in humane Nature which leads Men to a just Commendation of the Dead and to a due estimation of their Worth The Pharisees here tho' they persecuted the Prophets whilst alive yet did they pretend to a mighty Veneration for their Piety and Vertue after they were dead and thought no Honour too great to be done unto them Note 3. That it is the greatest Hypocrisy imaginable to pretend to love Goodness and at the same time to hate and persecute good Men. These Pharisees and Lawyers pretended high to Piety and Religion and at the same time killed the Prophets Note 4. That the highest Honour we can pay to the Saints departed is not by raising Monuments and Building Tombs to their Memory but by a careful imitation of their Piety and Vertue following the Holiness of their Lives and their Patience and Constancy at their Death Lastly Learn That it is a Righteous thing with God to punish Children for the impiety of their Parents when they walk in their ungodly Parents Footsteps upon you shall come the Blood of all the Prophets from the Blood of Abel to the Blood of Zacharias yet this must be understood of Temporal Evils not of Eternal Punishments no Man for his Fathers Sins shall lye down in Everlasting Burnings as our Fathers Faith will not let us into Heaven so neither will their Impiety shut us into Hell At the Day of Judgment every Man shall be separately considered according to his own Deeds 52 Wo unto you Lawyers for ye have taken away the Key of Knowledge ye entered not in your selves and them that were entering in ye hindered The last Wo pronounced by
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
Jews round about him and said unto him How long dost thou make us to doubt If thou be the Christ tell us plainly 25 Jesus answered them I told you and ye believed not the works that I do in my Fathers name they bear witness of me 26 But ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you In these Verses we have Recorded a new and fresh Debate betwixt our Saviour and the Jews and therein we have observable 1. The time of this Debate vâ—r 22. It was at the Feast of Dedication in the Winter Our Saviour taking that opportunity to publish his Doctrine when a concourse of People were gathered together at that Solemnity Observe 2. The place of this Debate in Solomon's-Porch Altho' the Temple and Porch buâ—h by Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonians yet when the Temple was rebuilt there was one like it which retained the Ancient name Observe 3. The Debate it self If thou be the Christ tell us plainly Not that they affected the Knowledge of the Truth but only designed to insnare him for if he had affirmed himself to be the Messias he had brought himself in danger of the Roman Governour because the Jews expected the Messias to be a Temporal Prince that should deliver them from the Roman Power Now if Christ had declared himself such a Messias as the Jews expected it might have cost him his Life Therefore his hour not being yet come he answers with his usual Prudence and wariness to their insnaring question Learn hence That Christ's Enemies are full of subtil policies and can turn themselves into all shapes that if possible they may intrap and ensnare him and accordingly they pretend here great earnestness of desire to be satisfied whether he were indeed the true and promised Messias when in truth they had another design Observe 4. The Wisdom and Caution of our Saviour's Answer he refers them to his Miracles The works that I do in my Father's Name they bare witness of me Our Saviour's miraculous works were sufficient for the Jews to have grounded and bottomed their Faith upon and to have confirm'd them in the belief that he was the promised and expected Messias had not Prejudice Obstinacy and Malice blinded their Eyes that they could neither see nor consider Observe Lastly How Christ points out to these Jews the true cause of their Infidelity which was not the obscurity of his Doctrine but their not being of his Sheep that is not as yet converted they not having the Properties of his Sheep which he sets down in the following Verses Learn hence That Mens final unbelief under the means of Faith is a clear Evidence of their being in a lost and perishing condition Infidelity is the Sin that doth consign a Man over to Damnation and to such as set under the Gospel doth not only procure Damnation but no Damnation like it 27 My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Here observe 1. That all sincere and faithful Christians are Christ's Sheep and he is their great and good Shepherd This Relation implies tender Affection powerful Protection plentiful Provision The tenderness of Christ's Affection towards his Sheep appears by pitying their Infirmities by having a Fellow-feeling with them in their Sufferings by suiting their Temptations to the Degrees of their Graces His Care in providing for them appears in affording to them the Holy Scriptures the Ministry of the Word the Administration of the Sacraments and the Operation of his Holy Spirit to make all efficacious and effectual to them His Protection of them discovers it self by preparing them for Tryals by supporting them under them and by delivering them out of them and by sanctifying all to them causing them to work together in subserviency to his own Glory and his People's Good Observe 2. That Christ's Sheep hear Christ's Voice and answer the Call of their great Shepherd They hear the Voice of Christ speaking to them in the Scriptures in the Ministry of the Word in their own Consciences in Providences and they hear Christ's Voice speaking to them in and by his Holy Spirit and as they hear Christ's Voice so do they answer his Call now the right Answer to the Call of Christ in the Gospel is a present Answer a willing Answer and an abiding Answer Obs 3. That all Christ's Sheep do follow him their Shepherd They follow him 1. In his Doctrine And 2. In his Example In his Contempt of the World in his Freedom in reproving Sin in the Holyness and heavenly-mindedness of his Conversation in his Meekness and Patience in Charity and Universal Goodness and as he was a mighty Pattern of Prayer Observe 4. That Christ the great and good Shepherd knows all his Sheep My Sheep hear my Voice and I know them He knows them so as to distinguish them so as to observe and take Notice of them so as to own and approve them so as to take Care of them and provide for them And as the Lord knoweth who are his so he knoweth who are not his too As he knows his Sheep so he knows the Goats also and their Place will be at his left Hand My Sheep hear my Voice and I know them 28 And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand 29 My Father which gave them me is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Observe here 1. The Promise made by Christ unto his Sheep namely the Promise of Eternal Life and of Perseverance in Grace till they come to the full Fruition of it in Glory I give unto them eternal Life and none shall pluck them out of my Hand Obs 2. The Confirmation he gives of this from his own and his Father's power which is employed engaged and concerned for them and for their perseverance and preservation notwithstanding all Opposition to the contrary My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no Man is able to pluck them out of my Father's Hand Learn 1. That eternal Life is the portion of Christ's Sheep 2. That eternal Life is the Gift of Christ 3. That eternal Life is now given to Christ's Sheep they have it now in the purchase in the promise and in the first Fruits 4. That all Christ's Sheep are put by God the Father into Christ's Hand for Security My Father hath given them me 5. The Father doth so intrust Christ with his Sheep as yet to take Care of them himself they are in the Father's Hand as well as in the Sons and their being in the Hands of both doth assure them of the certainty of their Perseverance None shall pluck them out of my Hand None shall be able to pluck them out of my Father's Hand implying that there are many that would pluck them out of their Hands Sin Satan the World c. but They shall be kept by the Almighty
but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not 19 This spake he signifying by what death he should glorifie God And when he had spoken this he saith unto him Follow me In these words our Saviour forewarns Peter of his future Sufferings intimating that he should prove more stout than in his former Trial when he was young and unexperienced he enjoyed his Liberty but when he was grown older in Years and stronger in Grace he should willingly stretch forth his Hands and quietly suffer himself to be bound to the Cross for Peter say some was not nailed but tied and bound to the Cross only and so as a Martyr or Witness for the Truth of Christ glorified God by his Death Learn hence 1. The Ministers of Jesus Christ when they undertake the charge of his Flock must prepare for suffering work and lot upon it Therefore is this Prediction of Peter's sufferings joined with the former injunction feed my Sheep 2. That Humane Nature in Christ's Ministers as well as in other Men reluctates Sufferings has an antipathy against a violent Death They shall carry thee whither thou wouldest not 3. From the time of Peter's sufferings when he is old Learn That the timing of the Saints Sufferings is in Christ's Hands he can and when he pleaseth doth screen them from suffering till old Age when their work is almost done for God they close their Days with suffering for him When thou art old thou shalt stretch forth thine Hands and another shall gird thee Learn lastly That the sufferings of the Saints in general and of the Ministers of Christ in particular do redound much to the Glory of God which is a consideration that ought to reconcile them to the Cross of Christ and support them under it This spake he signifying by what Death he should glorifie God 20 Then Peter turning about seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following which also leaned on his breast at supper and said Lord which is he that betrayeth thee 21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus Lord and what shall this man do 22 Jesus saith unto him If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Follow thou me Our Saviour having foretold the manner of Peter's Death in the foregoing Verses here in these Peter is inquisitive after and very solicitous for the Knowledge of what kind of Death St. John should die Christ cheeks him for his Curiosity as meddling with that which did not concern him yet intimates to him That John should live till he came to take Vengeance on the Jews and destroy Jerusalem If I will that he tarry till I come that is till I come to execute Judgment upon Jerusalem Here we may Note There are two great Vanities in Men with reference to Knowledge the one a Neglect to know what is our Duty to know the other a Curiosity to know what doth not belong to us to know Christ tells Peter it was none of his Business to inquire what John should do But he ought rather to be preparing for what he himself should suffer If I will that he tarry what is that to thee 23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren that that disciple should not die yet Jesus said not unto him He shall not die but If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Here Observe How strangely our Saviour's Words were mistaken and misunderstood by his own Disciples They apprehend presently that John should not die And so it passed current among them From hence we may Note How much the Wisdom of God is and ought to be admired in giving us a written Word and tying us to it when we see erroneous Traditions so soon on foot in the World and our Saviour's own Speeches so much mistaken and that by wise and holy Men themselves in the purest Times Much more may the Words of others be misreported and wrested contrary to their sense and meaning How great then is the Vanity and Uncertainty of Oral Tradition Men are naturally prone to mistake to mistake themselves and to mistake one another The more to be admired is their over-daring Ignorance who think they cannot err Such an haughty Opinion of a Man's self concludes him to be neither good nor wise 24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things and wrote these things and we know that his testimony is true The great Modesty of the holy Evangelist St. John is all along throughout his Gospel very observable he mentioneth himself hitherto under a third Person he calleth himself a Disciple a Learner who excelled the most accomplish'd Doctors of the Ages ever since Here he speaks more plainly and expresly concerning himself declaring that he was an Eye-witness and an Ear-witness of what he wrote for the greater certainty thereof And this Protestation here made by the Evangelist of the Truth of what he wrote was highly necessary lest any should think that Christ's extraordinary Love and Affection to him he being the beloved Disciple should move him to exceed as we are prone to do in writing the History of their Lives who are dear to us and we to them Learn hence That this Gospel was written by John the beloved Disciple and the Narration is of Divine Truth worthy to be embraced and received by us as a perfect Rule of Faith and Life We know that his Testimony is true 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be written every one I suppose that even the world it self could not contain the books that should be written Amen John being about to conclude the History of our Saviour's Life asserts that there were many other Miracles and special Deeds done by Christ both before and after his Passions which he had not recorded or set down because should all that Christ did and said be committed to Writing it would even fill the World the Volumes would be so many From hence we gather 1. The wonderful Activity Industry and Diligence of the Lord Jesus Christ that he was never Idle but that his whole Life was spent in doing Good because should all the particular Instances have been recorded it would amount to an incredible Bulk Learn 2. That it is impossible to get all said which might be said of Christ and in his Commendation such is the transcendent Excellency of his Person and the Weakness of our Apprehensions and Judgments that if all were written which might be written concerning him the World it self could not contain the Books which should be written Learn lastly That although many of Christ's Sermons Conferences Miracles and Actions be not Recorded yet it doth not follow nor can it be inferr'd from thence That any necessary Doctrine is omitted or not sufficiently confirmed There being so much written as it pleased God we should know and was necessary for us to know in