2. The Name is given or at least declared at the time of the Child's Circumcising and that by its Parents His Mother said he shall be called John But how did his Mother know That when her Husband was dumb Answ 'T is like her Husband Zachary had by Writing informed his Wife concerning the whole Vision and what Name was imposed upon him by the Angel therefore she says he shall be called John and Zachary ratifies it his name is John The Nomination was originally from the Angel the Imposition of the Name is now at Circumcision from the Parents Obs 3. How Ancient a Custom it has been to give Names to Children according to the Names of their Fathers or Kindred There is none of thy Kindred of this name say they The Jews made it a part of Religion to give suitable Names to their Children and significant Names Accordingly they either gave them Names to put them in remembrance of God's Mercy to them or of their Duty to him Thus Zachary signifies the Remembrance of God which name points at God's Mercy in remembring him and his Duty in remembring God Well then is it usual and useful for Parents to give significant Names to their Children then let Children have a Holy Ambition to make good the Signification of their Names Thus John signifies the Grace of God but how will that Gracious Name rise up in Judgment against that Child that is Graceless Obs 4. How Zachary's Speech is immediately restored to him upon the naming of his Child The Angel v. 20. told him he should be dumb till the things he told him should be performed and now that they were performed his Tongue is loosed and he praises God in a most Thankful manner Obs 5. The effect which all this had upon the Neighbourhood fear came upon all that dwelt round about them that is an awful and Religious fear of God occasioned by these miraculous operations and they laid up these sayings in their hearts that is considered of them and pondered upon them It argues a very vain Spirit and temper of Mind when we pass over the Observation of God's wonderful Acts with a slight Regard The true Reason why we do so little admire the wonderful Works of God is because we consider so little of them Obs 6. The special favour vouchsafed by God to this Child John The hand of the Lord was with him that is God was in a special manner present with him to direct and assist him to protect and prosper him The hand of God in Scripture signifies the help of God the strength and assistance of God The hand of Man is a weak and impotent hand a short and ineffectual hand but the hand of God is a strong hand an Almighty hand able to assist and help able to protect and preserve The hand of the Lord was with him that is the heart of God and the help of God the Love and Favour of God to support him and the Power and Providence of God to protect and preserve him Lord let our Hearts be with thee and then thy Heart and thy helping hand will be with us 67 And his Father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophecied saying 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people 69 And hath raised up an horn of Salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began 71 That we should be saved from our Enemies and from the hand of all that hate us 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fore-fathers and to remember his holy Covenant 73 The Oath which he sware to our father Abraham 74 That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear 75 In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life 76 And thou child shalt be called the prophet of the Highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way 77 To give knowledge of Salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins 78 Through the tender mercies of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet in the way of peace Here observe 1. That no sooner was Zachary recovered and restored to his Speech but he sings the Praises of his Redeemer and offers up a Thanksgiving to God The best Return we can make to God for the use of our Tongue for the giving or restoring of our Speech is to publish our Creator's Praise to plead his Cause and vindicate his Honour Obs 2. What it is that Zachary makes the subject matter of his Song What is the particular and special Mercy which he praises and blesses God for It is not for his own particular and private Mercy namely the Recovery of his Speech tho' undoubtedly he was very thankful to God for that Mercy but he Blesses and praises God for Catholick and Universal Mercies bestowed upon his Church and People He doth not say Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath visited me in Mercy that hath once more loosed my Tongue and restored my Speech but Blessed be God that has visited and redeemed his people Whence Learn that it is both the Duty and Disposition of a gracious Soul to abound in Praise and Thankfulness to God more for Catholick and Universal Mercies towards the Church of God then for any particular and private Mercies how great soever towards himself Blessed be God for visiting and redeeming his people Obs 3. In this Evangelical Hymn there is a Prophetical Prediction both concerning Christ and concerning John Concerning Christ he declares that God the Father had sent him of his free mercy and rich Grace yet in performance of his Truth and Faithfulness and according to his promise and Oath which he had made to Abraham and the Fathers of the Old Testament Where Note 1. he blesses God for the Comprehensive blessing of the Messiah Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited his people namely in his Son's Incarnation The Lord Jesus Christ in the Fulness of Time made such a visit to this sinful World as Men and Angels admired at and will admire to all Eternity Note 2. The special fruit and benefit of this gracious and merciful Visitation and that was the Redemption of a lost World he hath visited and redeemed his People This implies that miserable Thraldom and Bondage which we were under to Sin and Satan and expresses the stupendious Love of Christ in buying our Lives with his dearest Blood and both by price and power rescuing us out of the hands of our Spiritual Enemies Note 3. The Character given of This Saviour and Redeemer he is an Horn of Salvation that is a Royal and Glorious a Strong
with the elders and had taken counsel they gave large money unto the soldiers 13 Saying say ye His disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept 14 And if this come to the governours ears we will perswade him and secure you 15 So they took the money and did as they were taught and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day Observe here 1. How the Priests and Elders endeavour by a notorious Lie to hinder the Belief of our Lord's Resurrection they suborn and bribe the Soldiers to say that his Corps were stoln out of the Grave Lies have been an old Refuge which the Enemies of Christ have all along had Recourse unto â—â—lying is an ancient Device of Satan But Observe 2. What an improbable and unlikely Lie this was which they put into the Soldiers Mouths to vouch Say his Disciples came and stole him away while we slept If the Soldiers were asleep how could they discover the Disciples stealing away the Body If awake why did they not prevent their stealing it Besides how improbable was it that Christ's few and fearful Disciples should attempt to open the Sepulchre guarded by Soldiers And as unlikely was it that the Soldiers should be all asleep together and so fast asleep too that the great Stone at the Mouth of the Sepulchre should be rolled away and not one of the Soldiers awaked with the Noise Yet Observe farther That this incredible Falshood finds a fast and firm rooting in the Belief of the Jews to this Day Note thence That it is a Righteous Thing with God to deliver up to those strong Delusions even to the believing of notorious Lies who will not yield their Assent to Divine Truths upon the clearest Evidence and most convincing Demonstration How strange is it that such a Falshood as this should find Belief amongst the Jews to this Day But where Truth is obstinately rejected a Lie tho' never so improbable is received 16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them 17 And when they saw him they worshipped him but some doubted This Meeting of our Saviour and his Apostles upon a Mountain in Galilee was an appointed and general Meeting The Mountain is supposed to be that near Capernaum where he made that famous Sermon called the Sermon on the Mount and the Meeting is supposed to be appointed as a general Rendezvous for confirming the Faith of all his Disciples in the Certainty of his Resurrection Possibly our Lord appointed this Place in Galilee so far from Jerusalem that his Disciples might without Danger come thither to see their Saviour alive again after his Crucifixion This is judged to be that famous Appearance of which St. Paul speaks 1 Cor. 15.6 When he was seen of above Five Hundred Brethren at once And those that saw him worshipped him who before had doubted Learn hence That when Faith is once satisfied and sees Christ to be God it engages the Soul to worship him Divine Worship is due to Christ upon the Account of his Divine Nature No Creature can be the Object of Divine Worship therefore they that worship Christ by praying to him and yet deny him to be God are certainly Idolaters If Christ had had an Angelick Nature that had not made him capable of Divine Worship for Adoration is founded only in Divinity and what is but Humane or Angelical is not Adorable 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth 19 Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the world Amen Observe here 1. A Power asserted 2. An Authority delegated 3. A Command injoined 4. A Promise subjoined Observe 1. A Power and Authority asserted by our Saviour as belonging to himself All Power is given to me both in Heaven and in Earth 1. In Heaven which comprehends a Power of sending the Holy Ghost a Power over the Angels and all the Host of Heaven and a Power to dispose of Heaven to all that shall believe in him 2. In Earth which comprehends a Power to gather a Church out of all Nations and Authority to rule govern and defend the same against all its Enemies Learn hence That all Power and Authority concerning the Church of God was given unto Christ and conferr'd upon him upon the Account of his Meritorious Death and Triumphant Resurrection All Power is given to me That is as Mediator but this Power was inherent in him as God from all Eternity Observe 2. This Power delegated by Christ to his Apostles Go ye therefore and teach and baptize all Nations instructing them to observe all things whatsoever I command you Here is a threefold Power delegated by Christ to his Apostles 1. To congregate and gather a Church a Christian Church out of all the Heathen Nations throughout the World Before he had confined them only to Israel now they must travel from Country to Country and proselyte the Heathen Nations which before had been taught of the Devil and were led away by his Oracles and Delusions Go and disciple all Nations without any Distinction of Country Sex or Age whatsoever and make the Gospel Church as large as you can Thence Note That the Apostles and first Planters of the Gospel had a Commission from Christ to go amongst the Pagan-Gentiles without Limitation and were not to take up their settled Residence in any one Nation but to travel from Country to Country instructing them in the saving Mysteries of the Gospel The second Branch of their Power was to baptize in the Name of the whole Trinity Baptizing in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Where Observe That all adult and grown Persons are to be first taught and instructed before they be baptized But it follows not from hence that the Children of such Parents may not be baptized before they are taught for the Apostles were to baptize all Nations of which Children are a chief if not the chiefest part Besides those that were proselyted to the Jewish Religion tho' before they were circumcised themselves they were instructed in the Law of God yet when they were circumcised themselves their Children were not denied Circumcision at Eight Days old In like manner have we no Reason to deny the Children of baptized Parents who are in Covenant themselves the Sign and Seal of the Covenant which is Baptism God having assured his People that he will be the God of them and of their Seed If this Priviledge be denied the Children of Christian Parents are in a worse Condition than the Children of the Jews and consequently Infants are in a worse Condition since Christ's coming than they were before and the Priviledges
and I must disappear like the morning Star Not that John's Light was diminished but by a greater Light obscured only As all the Stars disappear at the appearance of the Sun Yet observe what matter of Joy it was to John to see himself out-shined by Christ Let him increase tho' I decrease That Minister has true Light in himself that can Rejoyce when he is out-shined by others Who is content to be abased and obscured if he may but see Christ dignified and exalted in the Lives of his People whoever the Person is whom God honours as his Instrument in that Service The fourth Difference wherein Christ excels John and all his Ministers is in the Divine Original of his Person v. 31. He that cometh from above is above all says John Now Christ is from above his Original is from Heaven I am from the Earth tho' I had my Commission from Heaven and accordingly my Words and Actions are Earthly My Master therefore infinitely surpasseth and excels me in the Dignity of his Person and in the Sublimity of his Knowledge From the whole Note How much it is the Desire and Endeavour of every Gospel-Minister to magnifie Jesus Christ to display his glorious Excellencies and Perfections before their People that they may reverence his Person revere his Authority and respect his Laws This was the Care of the Holy Baptist here and it will be the Endeavour of every faithful Minister of Christ that succeeds John to the end of the World 32 And what he hath seen and heard that he testifieth and no man receiveth his testimony 33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him Observe 1. Another great Difference which John the Baptist teacheth his Disciples to put betwixt his Testimony and Christ's To the intent that he might remove the Prejudice which was upon his Disciples Mind against the Messiah he shews them that his own Testimony which they so much admired was by Revelation only Christ's by immediate Intuition John testified only what he had received but Christ what he had seen lying in the Bosom of the Father What he hath seen and heard that he testifieth Learn hence That it is Christ's the great Prophet of his Church peculiar Prerogative to have the knowledge of Divine Truths immediately from the Father by special Communication and that all others receive their Knowledge from him by gracious Illumination only Observe 2. How sadly and sorrowfully the holy Baptist resents it that Christ's Testimony was no better received and entertained by the World He testifieth but no Man receiveth his testimony John's Disciples murmured that all Men came unto Christ v. 26. but John mourns that there came no more and complains that none that is very few received his Testimony Thence learn That it ought and will be matter of great Regret and Sorrow to all the Friends of Jesus Christ but especially to his faithful Ministers and Servants that his Doctrine is so ill received and entertained in the World It greatly affects and grievously afflicts them that when they testifie of Christ no Man that is comparatively very few Men receive their Testimony Observe 3. The Eulogy and high Commendation given of all true Believers they receive Christ's Testimony and thereby set to their Seal that God is true that is hath subscribed to and ratified the Truth of God that God in all his Promises of the Messiah under the Old Testament is faithful and true Learn hence The great Honour that God puts upon the Faith of Believers As Unbelief defames God and makes him a Lyer so Faith gives Testimony to the Truth of God and setteth its Seal that God is true He that receiveth his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true Observe 4. The Illustrious Character which the Holy Baptist gives of Christ his Master he is the Person whom God hath sent and unto whom God giveth not his Spirit by measure He whom God has sent that is immediately and extraordinarily from Heaven not as the Prophets and Apostles were sent but in a way peculiar to himself Having Authority for speaking not only from God but as being God himself And accordingly it is added that God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him that is the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit were poured forth upon Christ in a Measure far above and beyond all finite Creatures There being a double difference betwixt Christ's fulness of the Spirit and all other Persons whatsoever 1. In the Measure of it God did not give out the Spirit to Christ sparingly and with limitation as he did to the former Prophets and John the Baptist in proportion to what their Offices required but he was anointed more plentifully and abundantly with the Holy Spirit above and beyond his Fellows 2. In the manner of its working The holy Prophets that were filled with the Spirit according to their Measures yet could not do or declare all Things nor act upon all Occasions but sometimes the Spirit restrained them and sometimes departed from them But Christ had no limits put upon the Vigour of his Spirit but his own Will therefore could work what and when he pleased Learn from hence That Christ had an abundant fitness from God for the discharge of his Office and an abundant fulness for his People God did not measure to him a certain Quantity and Proportion of the Gifts and Graces of his Spirit but pour'd it forth upon him without Measure 35 The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand The Father loveth the Son from Eternity as he was his Son by eternal Generation and he loved him as Mediator by special Constitution he loves him as the Brightness of his own Glory and the express Image of his Person with an Essential Natural and Necessary Love And he loves him as Mediator for undertaking our Cause and interposing for our Peace Learn hence That God the Father had a special Love and Affection to Christ not only in regard of his Eternal Sonship but with respect to his Office of Mediatorship The Father loveth the Son It follows he hath given all things into his hand that is intrusted him with all things necessary to our Salvation Lord what a Privilege is this that our Happiness is in Christ's Hand not in our own without his Oh wonderful Goodness to put our Concerns into the sure Hands of his Son which were lost by the weak Hands of Adam 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Learn 1. That tho' all Power be given to Christ to dispense Grace here and Glory hereafter yet none must expect to enjoy it but upon Condition of believing in him and obeying of him For the Original Word
they have but would have had more to say in excuse or for a cover for their Sin than now they can But now they have no Cloak for their Sin That is they are totally inexcusable and have not the least colour or pretence for their obstinate unbelief Learn hence 1. That Sins of Ignorance are as it were no Sins compared with Sins committed against light and Knowledge 2. That Sins committed against Gospel-Light are of an heinous Nature and Aggravated Guilt as being committed against the very Remedy 3. That the Gospel where it is plainly preached doth take away all pretence and excuse from Sinners Now they have no Cloak for their Sin 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had not had sin but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father 25 But this cometh to pass that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law they hated me without a cause These words declare the heinous Nature of the Pharisees sin in hating and persecuting Christ who had done before their Eyes such Works as no Man besides him or before him ever did he acting by his own Power Peter healed the lame Man Acts 3. but it was in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth But Christ healed the sick and raised the dead in his own Name and by a special Word of Command I say unto thee Arise Yet did the Pharisees hate him and his Father according to the Prediction Psalm 35.19 They hated me without a cause Which being spoken of David in Type received a more eminent Accomplishment in Christ the Son of David Learn hence 1. That let Men pretend to never so much Holiness or Respect to God yet if they hate Christ and despise his Gospel they are haters of God who is One in Essence and Nature with his Son He that hateth me hateth my Father also Learn 2. That no Miracles wrought by mortal Men were ever comparable with the Miracles wrought by Christ the Son of God his did surpass them all in number kind and manner of doing them by his own Authority in his own Name and not as others who obtained their Power by Prayer from God I have done amongst them the works which none other man did Learn 3. That Christ's having confirmed his Doctrine by such unparallel'd Miracles as the World was never before acquainted with doth aggravate the sin of those that are Haters of his Person Despisers of his Doctrine and Reproachers of his Miracles It being just with God when Men obstinately shut their Eyes and will not see judicially to close their Eyes and say They shall not see 26 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me 27 And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning Here our Holy Lord Comforts himself that tho' he had lain then under many Aspersions and Scandals from the World yet all these should be done away by the coming of the Holy Spirit who should testifie of him and make his Person and Doctrine to be acknowledged in the World and that they themselves should bear witness of him who had been with him from the beginning that is since he first began to exercise his Prophetick Office Observe here 1. That Father Son and Holy Spirit are Three distinct Persons in the Godhead 2. That the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son Here the Son is said to send him and as to the Father he is said to proceed from him If the Holy Ghost doth not proceed from the Son why is he called the Spirit of the Son Gal. 4.6 Why is he said here to be sent by the Son The Comforter whom I will send unto you from the Father And if the Spirit doth not proceed from the Son what personal Relation can we conceive betwixt the Son and the Spirit Observe 3. That it is the high Dignity and Honour of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ that the Spirit beareth no Testimony unto Christ but with and according to the Testimony given by them for here it is conjoyned He shall testifie of me and ye also shall bear witness who have been with me from the beginning CHAP. XVI 1 THese things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service 3 And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me 4 But these things have I told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them And these things I said unto you at the beginning because I was with you In the close of the foregoing Chapter our blessed Saviour had acquainted his Disciples with the hatred and hard usage which they were like to meet with from the World and here he intimates to them the Reason why he did so much insist upon the Subject namely not to sadden their Hearts and grieve their Spirits before their Sufferings came but that they might not be offended discouraged or scandalized at them when they came but prepared for them and armed against them Hence Learn 1. That all Afflictions but especially Persecutions are so searching and trying that the best of Christians have need to be guarded against them that they may not be offended at them 2. That it was the great Design of Christ to Arm his Disciples against the Scandal of the Cross lest stumbling at that which they expected not they should fall from the Profession of Christianity These things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended Observe 2. How our Saviour instances in two particular sorts and kinds of Sufferings which his Disciples were to expect in the World and from the World namely Excommunication and Martyrdom ver 2. They shall put you out of their Synagogues that is exclude them from all their Assemblies both Civil and Religious and shall not only think it lawful but a very acceptable Service to God to put them to death Whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service Observe 3. How Christ discovers to his dear Disciples the Cause and Ground of the World's Hatred against them and Enmity towards them namely their Ignorance of the Father and himself ver 3. These things will they do because they have not known the Father nor me From whence we may Learn That all the Persecutions of the Saints do speak in Persecutors an Ignorance both of God the Father and of Jesus Christ his Son All Persecution springs from Ignorance as well as from Malice And Men who continue ignorant of God and Christ are in danger of turning Persecutors if they have a temptation to it Observe 4. How
23d Verse there seems to be a contradiction in the words Christ tells them in the former part of the Verse That they shall ask him nothing in that Day and yet promises that whatever they ask shall be given them in the latter part of the Verse To resolve this know that there is a twofold asking one by way of Question the other by way of Petition The former is asking that we may know or be informed in what we doubt the latter is asking that we may receive and be supplied with what we want now when Christ saith In that day ye shall ask me nothing it is as much as if he had said at present you understand but little of the Mysteries of Religion and therefore ye put Questions about many things But in that Day when the Comforter comes ye shall be so clearly inlightned by him that ye shall not need to ask me any more Questions But when Christ saith Whatever ye ask the Father in my name he will give it The meaning is In that day when I have left the World and ascended to my Father you shall not need to address your Prayers to me but to my Father in my name But what is it to pray in the name of Christ Answer It is more than to name Christ in Prayer it is easie to name Christ in Prayer but no easie thing to pray in the name of Christ To pray in the name of Christ is 1. To look up to Christ as having purchased for us this Priviledge that we may pray for it is by the Blood of Christ that we draw near to God and that a Throne of Grace is open for us 2. To pray in the name of Christ is to pray in the strength of Christ by the assistance of his Grace and the help of his Holy Spirit 3. To pray in the name of Christ is to pray by Faith in the Virtue of Christ's Mediation and Intercession believing that what we ask on Earth he interceeds for and obtains in Heaven To pray thus is no easie matter and unless we do pray thus we do not pray at all 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name That is explicitely and expresly in my name for the Saints of God under the Old Testament and the Apostles themselves under the New had hitherto put up all their Petitions in the name of the Messiah tho' not in the name of Jesus But now he exhorts them to Eye his Mediatory Office in all their Addresses to God and promises them that whatsoever he had purchased of the Father by his Sufferings and Satisfaction they should obtain it for the sake of his prevailing Intercession Learn hence That it is a mighty encouragement to Prayer that now under the Gospel the person of the Mediatour is exhibited in our Flesh has satisfied Divine Justice in in our Nature and in that Nature interceeds as a Mediatour for whatever he purchased as our Surety Hence is the encouragement Whatever ye ask the Father in my name he will give it you 25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs but I shall shew you plainly of the Father Here our Saviour tells his Disciples That although he had spoken many things to them in dark Parables and figurative Expressions yet now the time was approaching Namely The Comforter's coming when he would by the Holy Ghost clearly inlighten their Understandings in the Knowledg of Divine Mysteries and the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God and particularly in the Knowledge of God as his Father and their Father in him Hence learn 1. That the clearest Truths will be but Parables Proverbs and dark Mysteries even to Disciples themselves till the Holy Spirit inlightens their Understandings 2. That the clear and full manifestation of Divine Truth was reserved till the coming of the Comforter who did communicate it to the Apostles and by them to the Church or Body of Christians I by him will shew you plainly of the Father 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you 27 For the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God At that day shall ye ask in my name that is after I am Ascended into Heaven and have sent down the Holy Ghost upon you ye shall put up all your Prayers and requests to God in my name And I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you That is I need not tell you tho' I shall certainly do it that I will interceed with the Father for you for he of himself is kindly disposed and affected towards you for my sake When Christ says I do not say that I will pray the Father for you the meaning is not that he will lay aside his Office as Intercessour for Believers but that they had not only his Intercession but the Father's Love upon which to ground their hope of Audience Learn hence 1. That the Christians Prayers put up in Christ's name cannot fail of Audience and Acceptance for the sake of the Mediatour's Intercession and the Father's Love 2. That in our Prayers we ought so to eye and look up to Christ's Intercession as not to over-look or forget the Father's Love but ground our hopes of Audience upon both I say not that I will pray the Father for you tho' I shall assuredly do it for the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me 28 I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father 29 His disciples said unto him Lo now speakest thou plainly and speakest no proverb 30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things and needest not that any man should ask thee by this we believe that thou camest forth from God Here Observe 1. A proof of our Saviour's God-head He came forth from the Father into the World he came out from the Father in his Incarnation and came into the World to accomplish the work of our Redemption Learn thence That Jesus Christ is true God equal with the Father for he was not only sent by him but came forth from him I came out from the Father Observe 2. That it pleased Christ out of Love to his People to leave the Father and come into the World not by being separated from the Deity but by obscuring the Deity with the vail of our Flesh in order to the finishing the great and glorious work of Redemption for us I came forth from the Father and am come into the World Observe 3. That Christ having finished his Suffering work here on Earth Ascended into Heaven and sent down the Holy Spirit to apply unto his Church the Redemption purchased by his Blood Again I leave the World and go to the Father Observe lastly How the Apostles
humble himself that he needed to pray to his Father to bestow upon him the Glory which he wanted Namely The Glory of his Ascension and Exaltation Now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self 6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word By the name of God we are here to understand his Nature his Properties and Attributes his Designs and Counsels for the Salvation of Mankind Christ as the Prophet of his Church made all these known unto his People Learn thence That Jesus Christ has made a full and compleat Discovery of his Father's Mind and Will unto his People I have manifested thy name unto them which thou gavest me thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word Learn 1. That all Believers are given unto Christ as his Purchase and as his Charge They are given him as his Subjects as his Children as the Wife of his Bosom as the Members of his Body Learn 2. That none are given to Christ but those that were first the Fathers Thine they were and thou gavest them me Learn 3. That all those that are given unto Christ do keep his word they keep it in their understandings they hide it in their Hearts they feel the force of it in their Souls they express the power of it in their Lives They have kept thy word 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee Observe here 1. The faithfulness of Christ in revealing the whole Will of his Father to his Disciples 2. The proficiency of the Disciples in the School of Christ they knew all the things which Christ had told them Namely That whatsoever he had it was given him of the Father and that he had these things from him to be a Mediatour Learn hence That Christ hath approved himself a faithful Prophet to his Church a faithful Messenger from his Father to his People in that he hath added nothing to his Message nor taken nothing from it 2. That it is our duty to know and believe on Christ as the only Messenger and Mediatour sent of God Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me As if Christ had said The Message by thee my Father committed to me I have communicated to them my Disciples and they have received it and will communicate it from thee to the World being sufficiently assured that my coming and preaching was all by Commission from thee Hence learn 1. That the Doctrine of the Gospel which was revealed by Christ was received from the Father 2. That Faith is a receiving of the word of Christ and of Christ in and by the word Receiving is a relative term and presupposes an offer God offers on his part we receive on our part the whole word with the whole heart 3. That the Ministers of the Gospel are to preach that and only that which they have out of the word of God I have given them the word which thou gavest me 9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine That is I now offer up a Prayer particularly 1. For my Apostles designed to so great a work as the Preaching of the Everlasting Gospel to the obstinate Jews and obdurate Gentiles 2. I interceed also for all Believers at this time for their perseverance in the Faith and constancy in Persecution but I do not now interceed for the wicked and impenitent World they not being capable whilst such of these Mercies and Blessings though at other times we find him praying for the World yea for his very Crucifiers Father forgive them c. Nay in this very Prayer at the 20th Verse he Prays for the World that is for the Gentile World all those that by the preaching of the Apostles and their Successors should be brought to Believe on him to the End of the World Learn hence 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the Great and Gracious Intercessour 2. That all Believers all the Children of God in general are under the fruit and benefit of Christ's Intercession 3. That as all the Members of Christ in general so the Ministers and Ambassadours of Christ in special have a peculiar interest in Christ's Intercession and great are the Advantages of His Intercession for them 1. From the person interceeding Christ consider the Dignity of his Person God Man the dearness of his Person God's Son 2. From the manner of his Intercession not by way of entreaty but meritorious claim 3. From the sublimity of the Office our Intercessor is near to God even at his Right Hand 4. From the Fruits of his Intercession it procures the Acceptance and Justification of our Persons the hearing and answering of our Prayers the pardon and forgiveness of our Sins our preservation in Grace and our hopes of Eternal Glory 10 And all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them We may understand this two ways 1. Of all Persons all my Friends all my Disciples are thine as well as mine Thence learn That the Father and the Son have a like Share and Propriety in all Believers 2. The words in the Original being of the Neuter Gender signifie all thy things are mine and all my things are thine Christ and his Father are one and they agree in one they have the same Essence and Nature the same Attributes and Will Christ hath all things that the Father hath willeth all things that the Father willeth and doth all things that the Father doth he is therefore really and essentially God It followeth and I am glorified in them that is I am made glorious by their owning and receiving me by their believing in me and accepting of me for their Lord and Saviour Thence Note That the Lord Jesus Christ is eminently glorified in and by all those that believe in him and belong unto him 11 And now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee Holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are Here Observe 1. Our Saviour's present Condition I am no more in the World that is I shall continue on Earth but a small time longer and then ascend to my Father in Heaven Learn thence That Jesus Christ as he is Man is gone out of this lower World into the immediate Presence of his Father He had been abased before he must be exalted now He had no more Work to do on Earth but much to do in Heaven therefore he left this Earth to go to Heaven Observe 2.
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
and such Persecution as will Afford a Man Solid Comfort and Entitle him to Real Blessedness must be endured and undergone for Righteousness sake 4. That it is the Will and Command of Christ that those which Suffer for Him and for Righteousness-sake should not only be Meek and Patient but Joyous and Chearful Rejoice and be exceeding glad 5. That such a patient and chearful Suffering of Persecution for Christ in this Life shall certainly be Rewarded with the Glory and Blessedness of the Life that is to come Great is your Reward c. 13 Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt have lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be troden under foot of men Our Saviour compares Christians in general and his Ministers in particular unto Salt for a double Reason First Because it is the nature of Salt to preserve things from Corruption and Putrefaction and to render them savoury and pleasant Thus are the Ministers of the Gospel to labour and endeavour by the Purity of their Doctrine to sweeten putrefying Sinners that they may become savoury to God and Man and may be kept from being Fly-blown with Errours and False Doctrine Secondly Because Salt has a piercing Power in it which subdues the whole Lump and turns it into its own nature Such a piercing Power is there in the Ministry of the Word that it subdues the whole Man to the Obedience of it self 14 Ye are the light of the world A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house 16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Obs here 1. Our Saviour's Doctrine 2. The Inference which he draws from it by way of Application The Doctrine delivered is this That Christians in general and the Ministers of the Gospel in particular are the Light of the World But how Not Originally but Derivatively not Efficiently but Instrumentally Christ himself is the Light of the World by way of Original his Ministers are Lights by way of Derivation and Participation from him Farther Christ teaches them the End why he communicated Light unto them namely to inlighten direct and quicken others Even as the Sun in the Firmament and a Candle in the House diffuses and disperses its Light to all that are within the reach of it so should all Christians and particularly Christ's Ministers by the Light of Life and Doctrine direct People in their Way towards Heaven Obs 2. The Inference which our Saviour draws from the foregoing Doctrine Ye are the Light of the World therefore Let your Light shine before Men. Where Note 1. That our Good Works must shine but not blaze all Vain-glory and Ostentation must be avoided in the Good Works we do 2. Altho' we must abound in Good Works that Men may see them yet not to be seen of Men. 3. That the Glorifying of God and doing Good to Mankind must be the great End we propound in all the Good Works which we perform 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfil Our Saviour here informs his Followers That he had no Design to Abrogate any part of the Moral Law or to Loose Mankind from the least Measure of their Duty either towards God or Man but that he came To Fulfil it 1. By yielding a Personal Obedience to it 2. By giving a fuller and stricter Interpretation of it than the Pharisees were wont to give for they taught that the Law did only reach the outward Man and restrain outward Actions Learn That the Law of God is such a perfect Rule of Life that Christ Added no new Precept or Duty to it much less intended to Abrogate or Abolish any Part or Precept of it 18 For verily I say unto you Till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled Another Reason is here given by our Saviour why he had no intention to Abrogate or Abolish the Law and that is drawn from the Duration and Perpetuity the Vnchangeableness and Immutability of the Law Sooner shall Heaven and Earth be abolished than the Authority and Obligation of the Moral Law be dissolved Learn That the Law of God is an Eternal and Unchangeable Rule of Life and Manners and is to stand in Force as long as the World stands and the Frame of Heaven and Earth endures 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven To evidence yet farther that the Moral Law is a perfect Rule of Life our Saviour tells his Disciples That if any of them did either by their Doctrine or Practice make void any one of the least of God's Commands either by allowing themselves in the Omission of any known Duty or in the Commission of any known Sin he should never enter into the Kingdom of God Learn That such a Professor of Christianity as allows himself in the least Voluntary Transgression either of Omission or Commission and encourages others by his Example to do the like is certainly in a State of Damnation 20 For I say unto you That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Observe here 1. A Glorious Prize or Reward set before the Christian as Attainable namely The Kingdom of Heaven 2. The Means required in order to our obtaining of this Prize and laying hold of this Reward we must be Holy and Righteous Persons Heaven is the Reward of Righteousness a Reward conferred only upon Righteous Persons 3. Here is the Special Qualification of that Righteousness expressed which will Intitle us to Heaven and Salvation It must be a Righteousness which Exceeds the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees and that these Three Ways 1. In its Principle and Motive Love to God and Obedience to his Command not the Applause and Commendation of Men. 2. In its Aim and End The Pharisees made Themselves their own Credit and Esteem their Wordly Gain and Interest their Ultimate End and not God's Glory their supreme Aim 3. In the Manner of Performance the Pharisees Duty wanted that Purity and Spirituality which the Law of God required they had respect only to the Outward Action without any regard to the Inward Intention and to that Purity of Heart which God required Learn That such a Holiness of Heart and Righteousness of Life as the Spirituality of God's Law requires of us is absolutely and
their Sins and his Sociable Disposition Loosness and Luxury Learn hence 1. That the faithful and zealous Ministers of GOD let their Temper and Converse be what it will cannot please the Enemies of Religion and the Haters of the Power of Godliness neither John's Austerity nor Christ's Familiarity would gain upon the Pharisees It is our Duty in the Course of our Ministry to seek to please all Men for their Good But after all our Endeavours to please all we shall please but very few but if God and Conscience be of the Number of those Few we are Safe and Happy Obs 2. That it has been the old Policy of the Devil that he might hinder the Success of the Gospel to fill the Minds of Persons with an Invincible Prejudice against the Ministers and Dispensers of the Gospel Obs 3. That after all the Scandalous Reproaches cast upon Religion and the Ministers of it such as are Wisdom's Children wise and good Men will justifie Religion that is Approve it in their Judgments Honour it in their Discourses and Adorn it in their Lives Wisdom is justified of her Children 20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not 21 Wo unto thee Chorazin wo unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes 22 But I say unto you It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you Our Saviour having gone thro' the Cities of Galilee Preaching the Doctrine of Repentance and Confirming his Doctrine with Miracles and finding multitudes after all his Endeavours remaining in their Impenitency he proceeds to upbraid them severely for that their Contempt of Gospel-Grace Then began he to upbraid the Cities c. Where Observe 1. The Cities upbraided Chorazin Bethsaida and Capernaum in their Pulpits he daily Preacht and those Places were the Theatres upon which his Miracles were wrought other Cities only heard these saw but where he Preached most he Prevailed least Like some Fisher-men he catcht least in his own Pond Obs 2. What he upbraids them for not for Disrespect to his Person but for Disobedience to his Doctrine Because they repented not The great Design of Christ both in the Doctrine which he preached and in the Miracles which he wrought was to bring Men to Repentance that is to forsake their Sins and Live well Obs 3. Whom he upbraids them with Tyre and Sidon Sodom and Gomorrah Nations rude and barbarous out of the Pale of the Church ignorant of a Saviour and of the Way of Salvation by him Therefore instead of Wooing them he denounces Woes against them Learn That the higher a People rise under the Means the lower they fall if they miscarry They that have been nearest to Conversion and yet not converted shall have the greatest Condemnation when they are judged Capernaum's Sentence shall exceed Sodom's for Severity because she exceeded Sodom in the Enjoyment of Means and Mercy 23 And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven shalt be brought down to hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this day This City lying under greater Guilt than the rest Christ names it by it self without the rest nay he doth not only name it but notifie it as being lifted up to Heaven by Signal Favours and Priviledges namely Christ's Presence Chnst's Preaching and Miracles Obs 1. Capernaum's Priviledge injoyed tho' a poor obsecure Place in it self yet she was by the Person Ministry and Miracles of Christ lifted up to Heaven Learn thence That Gospel-Ordinances and Church-Priviledges enjoyed are a mighty Honour and Advancement to the poorest Persons and obscurest Places Obs 2. An heavy Doom denounced Thou shalt be brought down to Hell that is thy Condition shall be as sad as that of the worst of Men for thy Non-proficiency under the Means injoyed Learn thence That Gospel-Ordinances and Church-Priviledges injoyed but not improved provoke Almighty God to inflict the sorest of Judgments upon a People Thou Capernaum exalted to Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell 24 But I say unto you That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee Observe here 1. That there shall be a Day of Judgment 2. That in the Day of Judgment some Sinners shall fare worse than others there are Degrees of Punishment among the Damned 3. That the worst of Heathens who never heard of a Saviour nor ever had an Offer of Salvation by him shall fare better in the Day of Judgment than those that continue impenitent under the Gospel CHRIST here avouches that Capernaum's Sentence shall exceed Sodom's for Severity 25 At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes 26 Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight In these Verses our Saviour glorifies his Father for the wise and free Dispensation of his Gospel-Grace to the meanest and most ignorant whilst the Great and Learned Men of the World undervalued and despised it Learn 1. That till GOD reveals himself his Nature and Will no Man can know either what he is or what he requires Thou hast revealed 2. That the Wise Men of the World have in all Ages despised the Mysteries of the Gospel and have therefore been Judicially given up by GOD to their own wilful Blindness Thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent 3. That the most Ignorant and most Humble not the most Learned and most Proud do stand ready to receive and embrace the Gospel-Revelation Thou hast revealed them unto Babes 4. That this is no less pleasing to Christ than it is the Pleasure of the Father Even so Father as it seemed good in thy sight As if Christ had said Father thy Election and Choice pleases me as being the Choice and Good Pleasure of thy Wisdom 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him In this Verse our Saviour opens his Commission and declares 1. His Authority that all Power is committed to Him as Mediator from God the Father 2. His Office to reveal his Father's Mind and Will to a Lost World No Man knoweth the Father but the Son That is the Essence and Nature of the Father the Will and Counsel of the Father only as the Son reveals them Learn That all our Saving Knowledge of God is in and thro' Jesus Christ he as the Great Prophet of his Church reveals the Mind and Will of GOD unto us for our Salvation and no Saving Knowledge without him 28 Come unto me all ye
have mercy and not sacrifice ye would not have condemned the guiltless Learn hence That the Law of Mercy is much more excellent than the Law of Ceremonies and where both cannot be observed the less must give place to the greater God never intended that the Ceremonies of his Service in the First Table should hinder Works of Mercy prescribed in the Second Table All GOD's Commands are for Man's Good Where both cannot be obeyed he will have the Moral Duty performed and the Ceremonial Service omitted He will have Mercy and not Sacrifice that is he will have Mercy rather than Sacrifice where both cannot be had 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath-day As if Christ had said I who am Lord of the Sabbath declare to you that I have a Power to dispence with the Observation of it and it is my Will that the Sabbath which was appointed for Man should yield to Man's Safety and Welfare Christ the Son of Man was really the Son of GOD and as such had Power over the Sabbath to dispence with it yea to abrogate and change it at his pleasure 9 And when he was departed thence he went into their synagogue 10 And behold there was a man which had his hand withered and they asked him saying Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath-days that they might accuse him 11 And he said unto them What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath-day will he not lay hold on it and lift it out 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath-days Here we have another Dispute betwixt our Saviour and the Pharisees concerning the Sabbath Whether it be a Breach of that Day mercifully to Heal a Person having a withered Hand Christ confutes them from their own Practice telling the Pharisees that they themselves judg'd it Lawful to help out a Sheep or an Ox if faln into a Pit on that Day How much more ought the Life of a Man to be preferr'd Here we may remark how Inveterate a Malice the Pharisees had against our Saviour when they could find no Crime to charge him with they blame him for working a merciful and miraculous Cure upon the Sabbath-Day When Envy and Malice which are evermore quick-sighted can find no Occasion of Quarrel it will invent one against the Innocent 13 Then saith he to the man Stretch forth thine hand and he stretched it forth and it was restored whole like as the other 14 Then the pharisees went out and held a council against him how they might destroy him 15 But when Jesus knew it he withdrew himself from thence and great multitudes followed him and he healed them all 16 And charged them that they should not make him known Obs 1. The merciful and miraculous Cure wrought by our Saviour's Power upon the Impotent Man He said unto him Stretch out thine Hand and his Hand was restored Obs 2. What a contrary Effect this Cure had upon the Pharisees instead of convincing them they conspire against him Christ's Enemies when Arguments fail fall to Violence Obs 3. The prudent Means which our Saviour uses for his own Preservation He withdrew himself Christ's Example teaches his Ministers their Duty to avoid the Hands of Persecutors and prudently to preserve their Lives unless when their Sufferings are like to do more good than their Lives Obs 4. The great Humility of Christ in concealing his own Praises he had no Ambition that the Fame of his Miracles should be spread abroad for he sought not his own Glory neither would he by the Noise of his Miracles enrage the Pharisees against him to take away his Life knowing that his Time was not yet come and he had much Work to do before his Death 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet saying 18 Behold my servant whom I have chosen my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased I will put my Spirit upon him and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles 19 He shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man hear his voice in the street 20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment unto victory 21 And in his Name shall the Gentiles trust That is our Blessed Saviour did those Good Acts before spoken of that it might appear that he was the True Messias prophesied of by Isaias the Prophet Chap. 42.1 2. Behold my Servant whom I have set apart for Accomplishing the Work of Salvation for a Lost World he by the Fulness of my Spirit shall Teach the Nations the Way of Truth and Righteousness He shall not subdue Men by Force and Violence but as the Prince of Peace shall deal gently with the Weak and cherish the Least Measures of Grace and Degrees of Goodness Obs here 1. A Description of Christ as Mediator he is God the Father's Servant imployed in the most Noble Service namely that of the Instructing and Saving a Lost World Obs 2. With what Meekness and Gentleness Christ sets up his Spiritual Kingdom in the World he doth not with Noise and Clamour with Force and Violence Subdue and Conquer but with Meekness and Gentleness gains Persons Consent to his Government and Authority Observe 3. The Gentle Carriage of Christ in Treating those of Infirmer Grace he doth and will graciously preserve and tenderly cherish the smallest Beginings the Weakest Measures and the Lowest Degrees of Sincere Grace which he observes in any of his Children â—nd People 22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil blind and dumb and he healed him insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw 23 And all the people were amazed and said Is not this the son of David 24 But when the Pharisees heard it they said This fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils As a farther Instance of Christ's Miraculous Power he Healeth one whom the Devil had cast into a Disease which depriv'd him both of Speech and Sight At this Miracle the Multitude wonder saying Is not this the Son of David That is the promised Messias The Pharisees hearing this with great Bitterness and Contempt said This Fellow casteth out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils Observe from hence How Obstinacy and Malice will make Men misconstrue the Actions of the most Holy and Innocent CHRIST Casteth out Devils say the Pharisees by the help of the Devil There never was any Person so Good nor any Action so Gracious but they have been subject both to Censure and Misconstruction The best Way is to square our Actions by the Right Rule of Justice and Charity and then let the World pass their Censures at their Pleasure When the Holy and Innocent JESUS was thus assaulted what Wonder is it if we his Sinful Servants be Branded on
Glory of after his Resurrection in which there should be distinct Places of Honour and Offices one above another and accordingly at this time the Ambition of the Disciples led them to enquire of our Saviour who should have the chief Place of Honour and Dignity under him in that his Kingdom Learn hence That the best and holiest of Men are too subject to Pride and Ambition to court Worldly Dignity and Greatness to affect a Precedency before and a Superiority above others The Disciples themselves were tainted with this Itch of Ambition which prompted them to enquire of their Master Who should be greatest in the Kingdom of his Church 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them 3 And said Verily I say unto you Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven Our Saviour intending to cure this Pride and Ambition in his Disciples first preaches to them the Doctrine of Humility and to inforce his Doctrine he sets before them a little Child the proper Emblem of Humility assuring them that unless they be converted or turned from this Sin of Pride and Ambition and become as a little Child in Lowliness of Mind and Contempt of Worldly Greatness they cannot be saved Learn hence 1. That no Sins are more odious and abominable in the Sight of God than Pride and Ambition especially amongst the Ministers of the Gospel Learn 2. That Persons already converted do stand in need of farther Conversion They that are converted from a State of Sin may want to be converted from a particular Act of Sin This was the Disciples Case here they were turned from a Course of Sin but they wanted a Conversion from a particular Act of Sin to wit from Ambition 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven As if our Lord had said That Apostle or that Minister who thinks as meanly of himself as a little Child and is humble and lowly in his own Esteem he deserves the highest Place of Dignity and Honour in my Church Note That the truly humble Person who is freest from affecting Preheminency is most worthy of the highest Dignity and Eminency in the Church of God and in the Account of Christ The way to be Honourable is to be Humble Before Honour is Humility 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my Name receiveth me 6 But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea Our Saviour having declared that the humblest Persons should be always highest in his Esteem he next declares how exceeding dear and precious such Christians are to him who resemble little Children in Humility of Heart and Innocency of Life Assuring the World that whatever Kindness and Respect is shewed to such for his sake he reckons shewn to himself and all that Disrespect and Unkindness which is offered to them he accounts as done unto himself So near is the Union and so dear the Relation betwixt Christ and his Members that whatever Good or Evil is done to them he reckons as done unto himself 7 Wo unto the world because of offences for it must needs be that offences come but wo to that man by whom the offence cometh Two things are here Observable 1. The Necessity of Scandalous Offences It must needs be that Offences come 2. The Misery and Mischief that comes by them Wo unto the World because of Offences Wo to such as give Offence this is Va Indignantis the Wo of one Denouncing and Wo to such as Stumble at Offences given this is Vae Dolentis the Wo of one Lamenting From the whole Note 1. That Scandals or Offensive Actions in the Church of Christ will certainly fall out amongst those that profess Religion and the Name of Christ Offences will come Their necessity is partly from the Permission of God partly from the Malice of Satan partly from the Wickedness and Deceitfulness of Mens own Hearts and Natures 2. That Scandalous and Offensive Actions from such as profess Religion and the Name of Christ are Baneful and Fatal Stumbling-Blocks to wicked and worldly Men. 3. That the Offence which wicked Men take at the Falls of the Professors of Religion to the hardning of themselves in their wicked Practices is Matter of just and great Lamentation Wo unto the World because of Offences 8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire 9 And if thine eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire This Command of Christ is not to be understood Literally as if it were our Duty to Maim our Bodily Members but the Exhortation is to cut off all Occasions that may betray us unto Sin and to mortifie our darling and beloved Lusts tho' as dear to us as our right Eye Learn 1. That Sin may be avoided it is our Duty to avoid whatever leads unto it or may be the Instrument or Occasion of it 2. That the best way to be kept from the Outward Acts of Sin is to mortifie our Inward Affection and Love to Sin If our Love and Affection to Sin be mortified our Bodily Members may be preserved for they will no longer be Weapons of Sin but Instruments of Holiness 10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the Face of my Father which is in heaven Obs here 1. A cautionary Direction given by Christ to the Men of the World concerning his Members Take heed that ye offend not one of my little ones that is that ye do not undervalue and neglect much less injure and afflict them 2. A Reason assigned Because their Angels being constantly and immediately in the presence of God are perpetually ready to execute his Will by revenging any Wrongs and Injuries done unto his Friends and Children Learn 1. What is the Office and Employment of the Glorious Angels namely to be the immediate Attendants upon the Royal Person of the Supreme King and Sovereign of the World Learn hence 2. In what Esteem good Men are with God and what a mighty Regard he has for the meanest of his Children in that he commits the Care and Preservation of them to the Holy Angels who are nearest to him and in highest Favour and Honour with him 11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost 12 How think ye If a man have an hundred sheep and
one of them be gone astray doth he not leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray 13 And if so be that he find it verily I say unto you he rejoyceth more of that sheep then of the ninety and nine which went not astray 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish Here our Saviour continues his Argument against giving Offence to his Children and Members he came into the World to redeem and save them therefore none ought to scandalize and offend them And to illustrate this he comparts himself to a good Shepherd who regards every one of his Sheep and if any wander or go astray he seeks to recover it with Desire and Joy Learn 1. That the natural Condition of Mankind is like that of wandring Sheep they err and go astray from God their chief Good and the Object of their compleat Happiness 2. That it was the Work and Business the Care and Concern of Jesus Christ to seek and recover lost Souls as the Shepherd doth his lost Sheep 3. That the Love and Care of Christ towards his â—heep in seeking to save and to preserve them is a forcible Argument unto all not to scandalize and offend much less to persecute and destroy them 15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother 16 But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the church but if he neglect to hear the church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican In these Words our Saviour gives us an excellent Rule for the Duty of Fraternal Correption or Brotherly Admonition Where Note 1. That Brotherly Reproof and Admonition is a Duty incumbent upon Church-Members 2. That it may be administred successfully it must be administred privately and prudently 3. When private Admonition prevails not Christ has appointed Church-Governours to execute Church-Censures on the obstinate and irreclaimable 4. Persons justly falling under the Censures of the Church and rightly excommunicate are to be look'd upon as Contumacious and Stubborn Offenders and the Members of the Church to shun Society and Conversation with them If he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican 18 Verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven That is whomsoever the Officers of my Church shall justly excommunicate upon Earth shall without Repentance be shut out of Heaven and whosoever upon their true Repentance shall be absolved on Earth shall be absolved in Heaven Learn That Christ will ratifie in Heaven whatsoever the Church assembled doth in his Name upon Earth whether to the censuring of the Guilty or absolving of the Penitent this Power of binding and loosing is by Christ committed to his Church 19 Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Here we have a Gracious Promise made by Christ of his Presence with all his Members in general and with his Ministers in special Whenever they meet together in his Name that is by his Authority in Obedience to his Command and with an Eye at his Glory Whenever they celebrate any sacred Institution of his or execute any Church-Censures he will be iâ— the midst of them to quicken their Prayers to guide their Counsels to ratifie their Sentence to accept their Endeavours Learn 1. That Christ will be graciously present with and amongst his People whenever they assemble and meet together in his Name be it in never so small a number 2. That Christ will in a special manner be present with the Guides and Officers of his Church to direct their Censures and to confirm the Sentence paâ—â—ed in his Name and pronounced by his Authority upon obstinate Offenders 21 Then came Peter to him and said Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times 22 Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee Until seven times but until seventy times seven Here St. Peter puts a Question to our Saviour how often Christians should forgive Offences to their Brethren professing Repentance Christ answers That there should be no end of our mutual forgiving one another but we are to multiply our Pardon as our Brother manifests his Repentance Not that we are hereby obliged to take the frequent Offender into our Bosom and to make him our Intimate but to lay aside all Malice and all Thoughts and Desires of Revenge and to stand ready to do him any Office of Love and Friendship Learn 1. That to fall often into the same Offence against our Brother is a great Aggravation of our Offence 2. That as the Multiplication of Sin is a great Aggravation of Sin so the Multiplication of Forgiveness is a great Demonstration of a Godlike Temper in us He that multiplies Sin doth like Satan Sin abundantly and he that multiplies Pardon doth like God pardon abundantly 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king which would take account of his servants 24 And when he had begun to reckon one was brought unto him which ought him ten thousand talents 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay his lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and children and all that he had and payment to be made 26 The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him saying Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the debt 28 But the same se vant we t out and found one of his fellow-servants which ought him an hundred pence and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying Pay me that thou owest 29 And his fellow servant fell down at his fâ—et and besought him saying Have patience with me and I will pay thee all 30 And he would not but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt 31 So when his fellow-servants saw what was done they were very sorry and came and told unto their lord all that was done 32 Then his lord after that he had called him said to him O thou wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on
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
Light of Nature must give an Account for that One Talent as well as Christians that have Five must account for Five Obs 2. The slothful Servant's Allegation I knew thee to be an hard man and I was afraid Where Note His Prejudice against his Master and the effect of that Prejudice he was afraid and the Fruit of his Fear He hid his Talent in the Earth Learn hence That Sinners entertain in their Minds very hard and unkind Thoughts of God they look upon him as an hard Master rigorous in his Commands and difficult to be pleased Learn 2. That such hard Thoughts of God do naturally occasion slavish Fear which is a great Hinderance to the faithful Discharge of our Duty to God Obs 3. The Master's Reply to the slothful Servant's Allegation which contains an Exprobation or upbraiding of him for his Sloth and Negligence Thou wicked and slothful Servant Where Note 1. That the slothful Servant is a wicked Servant as well as the unfaithful Servant 2. That wicked and slothful Servants to excuse themselves will not stick to charge their Miscarriages upon God himself Thou wert an hard Man 3. That no Excuses whatsoever shall serve either the slothful or unfaithful Servant at the Bar of Christ 28 Take therefore the talent from him and give it unto him which hath ten talents 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth These Words contain the Sentence denounced by Christ upon the slothful Servant his Punishment is first a Punishment of Loss Take the Talent from him Learn thence That not improving the Gifts of God given as Talents to us provokes God to take them from us as well as mis-improving From him that hath not that is from him that improveth not shall be taken from him that which he hath 2. Follows the Punishment of Sense Cast him into utter Darkness where is weeping and gnashing of Teeth Learn thence That Hell is a Place and State of inexpressible Misery and Torment A dismal Place as being deprived of the Sight and Enjoyment of God of Christ of Saints and Angels A doleful Place full of overwhelming Sorrow and despairing Grief The gnashing of their Teeth signifies their being full of Rage and Indignation against God against the Saints and against themselves 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left From hence to the end of the Chapter we have a Draught and Scheme of the general Judgment Where Observe the Person judging the Son of Man the Persons judged Good and Bad the one called Sheep for their Innocency and Meekness the other Goats for their Unruliness and Uncleanness Observe also the manner of his coming to Judgment most August and Glorious Glorious in his Person glorious in his Attendants Learn That Christ's Appearance at the great Day to the judging of the World it will be a splendid and a glorious Appearance He will come with Power and in great Glory in regard of the Dignity of his Person and the Quality of his Office and the Greatness of his Work He will appear as a King in the midst of his Nobles to take off the Scandal and Ignominy of the Cross and as a Recompence for his Abasement and Humiliation To strike the Hearts of his Enemies with Dread and Fear and to fill the Souls of his People with Joy and Confidence Let us therefore propound it to our Faith to believe it to our Fear to tremble at the Thoughts of it to our Hope and Love that we may expect and wait look and long for it Observe farther the Work of this Judge first to congregate secondly to segregate He shall first gather all Nations Learn That at the general Judgment all that have lived shall be summoned to the Bar of Christ Persons of all Sexes of all Ages of all Nations of all Conditions having gathered them together he shall next segregate and separate them as a Shepherd his Sheep Thence Learn That tho' there be a Mixture and Confusion of the Godly and the Wicked here yet at the Day of Judgment there will be a Separation made betwixt them and they shall never come together more 34 Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Here follows the Sentence which Christ will pronounce upon the Righteous and the Wicked at the great Day first the Sentence of Absolution upon the Righteous then the Sentence of Condemnation upon the Wicked Learn thence That at the Day of Judgment the Godly shall be absolved before the Wicked are condemned The Reasons are because 't is more delightful to God to reward than to punish to save than to destroy because 't is suitable to Christ's Love to begin with his Saints and to be admired by them Also to put his Saints out of Fear as to their Eternal Condition and to bring them near to himself and to set them upon the Throne with himself as Assessors and Judges of the wicked World 1 Cor. 6.3 Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the World Lastly With respect to the Wicked that they may be the more affected with their Loss and have a vexatious and tormenting Sense of that Happiness which they have refused Observe next the joyful Sentence pronounced Come ye Blessed of my Father Where Note 1. The joyful Compellation Ye Blessed Which Term is opposed to these Two Things 1. To the Worlds Judgment of them which accounts them vile and accursed Here is an Absolution from their unjust Censures 2. To the Sentence of the Law which pronounces all its Transgressors accursed Gal. 3.10 but says Christ I that have redeemed you from the Curse of the Law pronounce you Blessed But why Blessed of my Father 1. To point out the Fontal Cause of all our Happiness the Love of the Father This prepared the Kingdom 2. This Expression shews how the Divine Persons glorifie one another As the Spirit glorifies the Son so the Son glorifies the Father and referrs all to him Therefore Christ says not Come my redeemed ones but Come ye blesled ones not Come you that were redeemed by me but Come ye blessed of my Fathee 't is his good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom Learn hence That the Lord Jesus Christ at his second Coming will adjudge all his People unto a State of glorious and everlasting Happiness which his Father has prepared and
as well as Sins of Commission Consider it 2. In its specifical Nature 't is a Sin of Unmercifulness or Want of Love to Christ and his Members Learn thence That one reigning Sin one prevailing Corruption is enough to damn a Person because it deprives a Man of the Grace of the Gospel and excludes him from all the Benefit of the Promises Note Lastly If such as do not give to Christ in his Members shall be miserable at the great Day what will the Condition of them be that take from them who strip and starve them who persecute and hate them Who imprison or banish them If the Uncharitable shall scarcely be saved yea shall certainly be damned where shall the Unmerciful and Cruel appear 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal Observe here 1. That tho' the Righteous are first judged yet the Sentence is first executed on the Wicked These shall go into everlasting Punishment Obs 2. That Men's States and Conditions in another World will be different as their Ways and Doings have been in this World 3. That everlasting Life shall be the Portion of the Godly and everlasting Punishment the Portion of the Wicked God grant that the Horrors of eternal Darkness and the dismal Thoughts of a miserable Eternity may effectually discourage every one of us from a wicked and impenitent Course of Life for who can dwell with the devouring Fire Who can dwell with everlasting Burnings CHAP. XXVI 1 AND it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings he said unto his disciples 2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passeover and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified 3 Then assembled together the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the people unto the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas 4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty and kill him 5 But they said Not on the feast day lest there be an uproar among the people Several things are here Observeable as 1. The Persons conspiring against our blessed Redeemer's Life namely the chief Priests Scribes and Elders that is the whole Sanhedrim or general Council These lay their malicious Heads together to contrive the Destruction of the innocent Jesus Learn thence That general Councils have erred and may err Here was a general Council consisting of Priests Doctors and Elders with the High Priest their President yet erring in a Point of Doctrine concerning the Messiah not believing Jesus to be the Son of God notwithstanding all the convincing Miracles which he had wrought before them Obs 2. The manner of this Conspiracy against our Saviour's Life it was clandestine secret and subtil they consulted how they might take him by Subtilty and kill him Learn thence That Satan makes use of the Subtilty of crafty Men and abuseth their Parts as well as their Power for his own Purposes Satan never sends a Fool of his Errand Obs 3. The Time when this Conspiracy was managed at the Time of the Passover Indeed at first the chief Priests did not incline to that time fearing a Tumult and Vproar among the People but Judas presenting them with a fair Opportunity to apprehend him they changed their Purpose and accordingly at the Feast of the Passover our Saviour suffered This was not without a Mystery that Christ the true Lamb of God whom the Paschal Lamb typified and represented should be offered up at the Feast of the Passover Signifying thereby that he was the true Paschal Lamb and that the Legal Shadow ought to cease in the Exhibition of him Learn hence That not only the Death of Christ in general but all the Circumstances relating to it were fore-ordained by God himself as the Place where at Jerusalem the Time when at the Feast of the Passover that Time did God devise best for this Lamb to be a Sacrifice 6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment and poured it on his head as he sat at meat This Woman St. John says was Mary the Sister of Lazarus who to shew her Love to Christ and put Honour upon him took a precious Box of Ointment and poured it upon our Saviour's Head according to the Custom of the Eastern Countries who used so to do at their Feasts and Banquets to which David alludes Psal 23.5 Learn hence 1. That where true Love to Christ prevails in the Heart nothing is adjudged too dear for Christ This Box of Ointment murmuring Judas valued at 300 Pence which reckoning the Roman Penny at Seven Pence Halfpenny makes of our Money Nine Pounds Seven Shillings and Six Pence Love we see spares for no Cost but where the Esteem of Christ is high the Affection will be strong Note 2. That where strong Love prevails towards Jesus Christ it suffers not it self to be outshined by any Examples The weakest Woman that strongly loves Jesus Christ will piously strive with the greatest Apostle to express the Fervour of her Love unto him I do not find any of the Apostles at thus much Cost to put Honour upon Christ that this poor Woman was at Love knows no Bounds no Measures 8 But when his disciples saw it they had indignation saying To what purpose is this waste 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor That is when Judas and some other Disciples whom he had influenced saw this Action they murmured particularly Judas blamed this holy Woman for needless Prodigality and did tacitly reflect upon Christ himself for suffering that wasteful Expence Oh how doth a covetous Heart think every thing too good for Christ He that sees a pious Action well done and seeks to undervalue it shews himself possess'd with a Spirit of Envy Judas his invidious Spirit makes him censure an Action which Christ highly approved Learn thence That Men who know not our Hearts may thro' Ignorance or Prejudice censure and condemn those Actions which God doth commend and will graciously reward Happy for this poor Woman that she had a more righteous Judge to pass Sentence upon her Action than wicked Judas 10 When Jesus understood it he said unto them Why trouble ye the woman for she hath wrought a good work upon me 11 For ye have the poor always with you but me ye have not always 12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body she did it for my burial Observe here How readily our Lord vindicates this good Woman She says nothing for her self nor need she having such an Advocate 1. Christ rebukes Judas why trouble ye the Woman Plainly intimating that it is no small Trouble to a Gracious Spirit to find their good Works misinterpreted and misrepresented next he defends the Action calling it a good Work because done out of a Principle of Love to Christ she hath
some Satisfaction and Restitution for the Wrong and Injury done by it They that mourn for Sin as Sin They that mourn more for the intrinsical Evil that is in Sin than for the Penal and Consequential Evils that follow Sin They that confess Sin voluntarily and freely particularly penitently believingly with an Eye of Sorrow upon their Sin and an Eye of Faith fixt upon their Saviour They that make Restitution as an Act of Obedience to the Command of God and as an Act of Justice and Righteousness to their Neighbour such Persons Repentance shall find Acceptance with God Obs 3. The Answer and Reply which the wicked high Priests and Elders make to despairing Judas 1. They excuse themselves What is that to us 'T is natural to all Sinners to shift Sin from themselves and to lay it at any Door rather than their own Those that have had a Share in the Pleasure and Profit of Sin are yet very desirous to throw the Odium and Guilt of it upon others What is that to us say these Monsters in Sin 2. As they excuse and acquit themselves so they load and burthen him Look thou to that Lord what miserable Comforters are Companions in Sin to one another when Distress and Sorrow comes upon them When Sin comes to be question'd in order to its being punish'd every Sinner is for shifting for himself and leaves his Fellow in the Suds Let us then remember the Words of the Holy Ghost He that walketh with wise Men shall be wiser but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed Obs 4. The sad and fatal End of Judas he went forth and hang'd himself Horror and Despair took hold upon him and seized his Conscâ—ence which was so intolerable that he ran to the Halter for a Remedy Learn hence 1. That Conscience is a powerful tho' invisible Executioner the Wrath of Man may be endured but the Wrath of God is insupportable and the Eruptions of Conscience are irresistible Oh how intolerable are those Scourges that lash us in this tender and vital Part Judas awakened with the Horror of his Fact Conscience begins to rouze and the Man is unable to bear up under the furious Revenges of his own Mind Learn 2. That there is an active Principle in Mens Breasts and Bosoms which seldom suffers daring Sinners to pass in quiet to their Graves Guilt is naturally troublesome and uneasie it disturbs the Peace and Serenity of the Mind and fills the Soul with Storms and Thunder both in Life and Death How vainly did Judas hope to take Sanctuary in a Grave and to meet with that Ease in another World which he could not find in this Thus ended this miserable Man Judas Lord how earnest ought we to be for thy persevering Grace when neither the Presence the Miracles the Sermons the Sacraments of Christ could preserve and secure a Professor a Disciple an Apostle from the fatal Mischief of a ruinous Apostacy 6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury because it is the price of blood 7 And they took counsel and bought with them the potters field to bury strangers in 8 Wherefore that field was called The field of blood unto this day 9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet saying And they took the thirty pieces of silver the price of him that was valued whom they of the children of Israel did value 10 And gave them for the potter's field as the Lord appointed me Observe here 1. The Niceness and Scrupulosity of these Hypocrites they made no Scruple to give Money to shed Blood but they scruple the putting that Money into the Treasury which was the Price of Blood They are afraid to defile their â—reasury but are not afraid to polute their Souls Thus Hypocrites strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel scruple a Ceremony but make no Conscience of Murther and Perjury Observe 2. The use which they put this Money to which Judas brought them they bought with it a Field to bury Strangers in Thus Christ who was himself a Stranger in a borrow'd Grave by the Price of his Blood being Thirty Pieces of Silver conferred Graves on many Strangers Observe Lastly How the Wisdom of God order'd it that hereby a Scripture-Prophecy was fulfilled Zach. 11.13 They weighed for my Price Thirty Pieces of Silver and I took and cast them unto the Potter Whence Learn That all the Indignities and debasing Sufferings which the Lord Jesus underwent were not only fore-ordain'd by God but also foretold by the holy Prophets His being Scourged Buffetted Spit upon and here his being sold for Thirty Pieces of Silver 11 And Jesus stood before the governour and the governour asked him saying Art thou the king of the Jews And Jesus said unto him Thou sayest 12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders he answered nothing 13 Then saith Pilate unto him Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee 14 And he answered him to never a word insomuch that the governour marvelled greatly Observe here 1. That our Saviour readily answers Pilate but refuses to answer the chief Priests before Pilate Pilate asks him Art thou the King of the Jews Jesus readily answers Thou sayest or it is as thou sayest But to all the Accusations of the chief Priests and to all that they laid to his Charge before Pilate our Saviour answers never a Word probably for these Reasons Because his Innocency was such as needed no Apology because their Calumnies and Accusations were so notoriously false that they needed no Confutation To shew his Contempt of Death and to teach us by his own Example Patience and Silence when for his sake we are slandered and traduced Learn hence That altho' we are not obliged to answer every captious and ensnaring Question nor to refute every Slander and false Accusation yet are we bound faithfully to own and confess the Truth when we are solemnly called thereunto Our Saviour as a deaf Man hears not answers not the Calumnies of the chief Priests but when Pilate asks him Art thou the King of the Jews Or as St. Mark has it Art thou the Son of the Blessed Jesus said I am tho' he knew that Answer would cost him his Life Hence the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.13 says That Christ before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good Confession Teaching us Sometimes to hold our Peace when our own Reputation is concerned but never to be silent when the Honour of God the Glory of his Truth the Edification and Confirmation of others may effectually be promoted by our open Confession Then must we with Christ give a direct plain and sincere Answer For whoever denies him or any Truth of his knowingly and wilfully him will Christ deny in the Presence of his Father and before all his Holy Angels 15 Now at that feast the governour was wont to release unto the people a prisoner whom they would 16
with our Return to Nazareth as with our going up to Jerusalem Observe further tho' Joseph and Mary returned home the Child Jesus unknown to them stays behind Their back was no sooner turn'd upon the Temple but his Face was towards it Christ had Business in that place which his Parents knew not of They missing him seek him in the company concluding him with their Kinsfolk and Acquaintance from whence we may gather that the Parents of Christ knew him to be of a sweet and sociable of a free and Conversative not of a sullen and morose Disposition They did not suspect him to be wandered into Fields or Deserts but when they mist him sought him among their Kinsfolk had he not wonted to converse formerly with them he had not now been sought amongst them Our Blessed Saviour when on Earth did not take pleasure in a wild retiredness in a froward austerity but in a mild affability and amiable Conversation and herein also his Example is very instructive to us 46 And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers At Twelve years old our Saviour disputes in the Temple with the Doctors of the Law Never had those great Rabbies heard the voice of such a Tutor Thus in our Saviour's Non-age he gives us a proof of his Proficiency even as the Springs shews us what we may hope for of the Tree in Summer Our Saviour discovered his Accomplishments by degrees had his Perfections appeared all at once they had rather dazled then delighted the eyes of the Beholders even as the Sun would confound all eyes should it appear at its first Rising in its full strength Christ could now have taught all those great Rabbies the deep Mysteries of God but being not yet called by his Father to be a publick Teacher he contents himself to hear with Diligence and to ask with Modesty Learn hence That Parts and Abilities for the Ministerial Function are not sufficient to warrant our Undertaking of it without a regular Call Christ himself would not run no not of his Heavenly Fathers Errand before he was sent much less should we 48 And when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him son why hast thou thus dealt with us Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing Without doubt it was impossible to express the sorrow of the holy Virgin 's Soul when all the search of three days could bring them no tidings of their Holy Child How did she blame her Eyes for once looking off this Object of her Love and spend both days and nights in a passionate bemoaning of her Loss O Blessed Saviour who can miss Thee and not mourn for Thee Never any Soul conceived Thee by Faith but was apprehensive of thy worth and sensible of thy want What Comforts are we capable of while we want Thee and what relish can we taste in any earthly Delight without Thee 49 And he said unto them how is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my fathers business Observe here That Christ blames not his Parents for their sollicitous care of him but shews them how able he was to live without any dependency upon them and their care and also to let them understand that higher respects had called him away that as he had meat to eat so had he work to do which they knew not of For says he Wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers Business as if he had said Altho' I owe respect to you as my natural Parent yet my Duty to my Heavenly Father must be preferred I am about his work promoting his Glory and propagating his Truth We have also a Father in Heaven oh how good is it to steal away from our earthly Distractions that we may imploy our selves immediately in his Service that when the World makes inquiry after us we may say as our Saviour did before us wist ye not that I must be about my fathers business 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them 51 And he went down with them and went to Nazareth and was subject unto them but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart 52 And Jesus encreased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man The most material passage of our Saviour's Life for the first twelve years is here Recorded namely his disputing with the Doctors in the Temple how he spent the next eighteen years namely till he was Thirty the Scripture doth not mention It is here said that he lived with and was Subject to his Parents obeying their commands and as it is believed following their employments working upon the Trade of a Carpenter as was observed Mark 6.3 doubtless he did not live an idle Life and why should he that did not abhor the Virgins Womb a Stable and a Manger be supposed to abhor the works of an honest Vocation Observe farther What a singular pattern is here for Children to imitate and follow in their Subjection to their Parents If the greatest and highest of mortals think themselves above their Parents commands our Saviour did not so he pay'd Homage to the Womb that bare him and to his supposed Father that provided for him Let a person be never so high above others he is still below and inferiour to his Parents Jesus dwelt with his Parents and was subject to them Obs Lastly a farther Evidence of our Saviour's Humanity with respect to his Humane Nature which consisted of Body and Soul he did Grow and improve his Body in Stature his Soul in Wisdom and he became every day a more eminent and illustrious Person in the eyes of all being highly in favour both with God and man CHAP. III. 1 NOW in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar Pontius Pilate being Governour of Judea and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the Region of Trachonites and Lysanias as the Tetrarch of Abilene Annas and Caiaphas being the High-priests the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness The two foregoing Chapters gave us an Account of the Birth of our Saviour Christ and of John the Baptist The Evangelist â—ow leaving the History of our blessed Saviour for eighteen years namely till he was thirty years old the Holy Ghost having thought sit to conceal that part of our Saviour's private Life from our knowledge he begins this chapter with a relation of the Baptist's Ministry acquainting us with the time when and the place where and the Doctrine which the Baptist taught Obs 1. The time described when St. John began his publick Ministry namely when Tiberius was Emperour and Annas and Caiphas High-priests 1. in the fifteenth year of Tiberius when the Jews were intirely under
Pharisees and Sadduces whom he gives first a quick and cutting compellation oh Generation of Vipers then a sharp and severe Reprehension who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come And last of all a seasonable Exhortation bring forth therefore fruits meet for Repentance As if he had said O ye Pharisees and worst of Men I perceive by your coming hither some body has Alarm'd you with the Notices of that dreadful Vengeance that is coming upon this Generation to prevent which you pretend Repentance of your Sins but let me see by your Actions that you are not only demure but sincere Penitents let me see the Fruits of your Repentance in the daily Course of your Conversations Learn here 1. That the Condition of proud Pharisees pretending and false hearted Hypocrites tho' very dangerous yet is not hopeless and desperate and their Salvation tho' the worst of Men must not be despaired of St. John reproves them for their Sin but yet encourages their Repentance 2. That sincere Repentance is not a barren thing but does constantly bring forth Fruits answerable to its Nature as Faith without Works so Repentance without Fruits is dead also The genuine Fruits of Repentance are humility of Heart and holiness of Life Obs Lastly The cautionary Direction which he gives to these Hypocrites not to rest in their external Priviledges Think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father glory not in this that you are the only visible Church that God has upon Earth for God can out of the obdurate Gentile World raise up a People to himself take them into Covenant with himself and cast you out Learn hence 1. That men are exceeding apt to boast of and glory in their external Priviledges and to place Religion most in those things wherein God places it least How did the Jews Glory in their fleshly descent from Abraham as if God were ty'd to Abraham's Line and could have no People if he had not them for his People 2. That it is a vain thing to expect exemption from the Judgments of God because of outward Priviledges enjoyed by God If we be not born again of the Spirit it will avail us nothing to be Born of Abraham's Flesh If Abraham's Faith be not found in our Hearts it will be no advantage to us that Abraham's Blood is running in their Veins Think not to say we have Abraham to our Father 9 And now also the Ax is laid unto the root of the trees every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire St. John having preacht the Doctrine of Repentance in the foregoing Verses he backs it with a powerful Argument in this Verse drawn from the certainty and severity of that Judgment which would come upon them if they continued in their sins Now is the Ax laid to the root of the Tree Learn 1. That it is not unsuitable for Gospel-preachers to press Repentance and Holiness of Life upon their Hearers from Arguments of Terrour John does it here and Christ elsewhere 2. That those whose Hearts are not pierced with the Sword of God's Word shall certainly be cut down and destroyed by the Ax of his Judgments Observe further that forasmuch as the sin here specified is a Sin of Omission every Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit as well as that which bringeth forth evil Fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire We learn that Sins of Omission are certainly damning as well as Sins of Commission The neglects of Duty are as dangerous and damnable as the Acts of Sin Such Trees as stand in God's Orchard the Church and bring forth no good Fruit are markt out as Fewel for the Devil's Fire 10 And the people asked him saying What shall we do then 11 He answereth and saith unto them he that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none and he that hath meat let him do likewise The Baptist having prest his Hearers to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance here they inquire of him what Fruits they should bring forth he tells them first the fruits of Charity and Mercy he that hath two Coats let him give to him that hath none This is not to be understood strictly as if the Command required us to give the Cloaths off our Back to every one that wanted them But it directs those that have the things of this Life in abundance to distribute and communicate to those that are in want Learn hence that an extensive Liberality and diffusive Charity in distributing such things as we can well spare towards the Relief of others Necessities is an excellent fruit of Repentance and a good proof and evidence of the truth and sincerity of it Let him that hath two Coats impart to him that hath none 12 Then came also Publicans to be baptized and said unto him master What shall we do 13 And he he said unto them exact no more then that which is appointed you The Publicans were Persons imployed by the Romans to gather the Tax or Tribute among the Jews who were now Tributaries to the Romans and paid them a publick Revenue These Publicans were great Oppressers exacting more then was the Emperor's due therefore we find Publicans and Sinners so often joyned together in the Gospel These men inquiring what Fruits of Repentance they should bring forth St. John directs them to acts of Justice â—xact not Where Note 1. That acts of Justice and Righteousness as well as of Charity and Mercy are real Fruits of sincere Repentance Obs 2. John doth not condemn the Office but caution the Officer If Magistrates may impose Taxes they may doubtless appoint Officers to Collect those Taxes Christian Charity then must always teach us to distinguish betwixt Calling and the Crime We must not Censure any Officer either in Church or State for the sake of their Male-Administration who are imploy'd in that Office 14 And the Soldiers also demanded of him saying and what shall we do and he said unto them do violence to no man neither accuse any falsely and be content with your Wages Observe here what a general Resort there was of all sorts of Persons to John's Ministry Pharisees Sadduces Publicans Soldiers these last here inquire of him what they should do to gain Acceptance with God he answers do no violence defraud no man of his own by false Accusation but be content with the Allowance assigned for your Maintenance Where it is 1. strongly supposed that Soldiers are insolent Oppressors making no conscience of injustice false Accusation and violent Oppression yet 2. the Office and Employment of a Soldier is not condemned but regulated he does not bid them cast away their Arms abandon War appear no more as Military Men in the Field but manage their Employment inoffensively Whence we Learn That in some Cases and under some Circumstances for Christians to make War is both lawful and necessary To make a War Lawful
Flesh the Mighty the Noble the great and Honourable these despised our Saviour's Person slighted his Ministry yea sought to take away his Life Thus from the first Plantation of the Gospel to this day the pooâ—â—r and meaner sort of People have entertained the glad Tidings of Salvation it is a sad but a certain Truth that Heaven is a place where few comparatively but very few of the great Men of the World are like to come Their Temptations are many their Corruptions strong and their great Estates thro' their own abuse become fewel to to their Lusts Lord how rare is it to find those that are Eminently Great Exemplary Good Observe 3. The Nature of our Saviour's Miracles Moses's Miracles were as great Judgments as Wonders but Christ's Miracles were as great Mercies as Wonders they were salubrious and healing there went Vertue out of him and he healed them all Christ's Miracles were like the Author of them full of Goodness yet would not the obstinate pharisees be convinced either by the Goodness that was in them or by that omnipotent power which wrought them All our Saviour's Miracles were wonderful but Wonders of Love and Mercy 20 And he lifted up his eyes on his Disciples and said Blessed be ye poor for yours is the kingdom of God As our Saviour's Condition in this World was very poor so was his Disciples condition also therefore to relieve them against their poverty and low estate in the World he thus bespeaks them Blessed be ye poor you that believe in me and follow me are in a happier condition then those that are rich and received their consolation for yours is the kingdom of Heaven Christ was the poor man's preacher and the poor man's comforter yet a bare outward Poverty or an avowed voluntary Poverty will entitle none to the Blessing 'T is not a Poverty of Possession but a poverty of Spirit that makes us members of the Kingdom of Grace and heirs of the Kingdom of Glory 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now for ye shall be filled Hunger and Thirst are not Blessings in themselves nor yet are they curses in themselves sanctified hunger is a far greater Blessing then surfeiting Fulness St. Matthew therefore adds Ch. 5. v. 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness Learn thence 1. That such as spiritually hunger and thirst after Christ and his Righteousness are certainly in an Happy and Blessed Condition 2. That the Happiness of those who do hunger and thirst after Righteousness consists in being filled 21 Blessed are ye that weep now for ye shall laugh As if Christ had said you my Disciples that are now in a sad mournful and afflicted State are Blessed for there will come a time when ye shall be Comforted a time when God shall wipe away all Tears from your Eyes yet must we not think that we have nothing to do but to mourn there is a time to Rejoyce as well as to Mourn nor that bare Mourning and Weeping is in it self and for its own sake acceptable unto God But when we mourn rationally for our own Sins and the sins of others God will comfort us in this World by his Word and Spirit and in the World to come with the sight of himself 22 Blessed are ye when Men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from their Company and shall Reproach you and cast out your name as evil for the Son of man's sake 23 Rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in Heaven for in like manner did their fathers unto the prophets Observe here 1. The Sufferers described the Disciples and their Sufferings foretold ye shall be hated separated and reproached Hatred of Christ's Disciples is the bitter Root from which Persecution grows where there is Hatred in the Heart no wonder that Reviling is in the Lips Those that are Hated are sure to be reproached Excommunicated from the Church of Christ having their names cast out or blotted out of the Rolls of the Church Obs 2. For what cause they suffer all this For the Son of man's sake for their respect to Christ and his Holy Religion for their regard to his Worship and holy Institutions Learn hence That such Disciples as will cordially embrace and stedfastly hold fast the Faith delivered by our Saviour must expect and prepare for hatred and persecution to be separated from civil Society excommunicated from Church-fellowship and all this by them who shall call themselves the Guides and Governours of an Infallible Church 24 But wo unto you that are rich for ye have received your Consolation 25 Wo unto you that are full for ye shall hunger wo unto you that laugh now for you shall mourn and weep 26 Wo unto you when all Men shall speak well of you for so did their fathers to the false prophets Observe here 1. that tho' St. Luke omits divers of the Beatitudes mentioned by St. Matthew ch 5. yet he reciteth the Woes which St. Matthew omitteth If we will understand our Saviour's Doctrine fully we must consult all the Evangelists thoroughly Observe 2. These Woes are not to be understood absolutely but restrainedly the Wo does not belong to Men because they are Rich because they are full because they do laugh but because they place their happiness in these things take up with them for their portion rejoyce in them as their chief Good Valluing themselves by what they have in hand not by what they have in hope He that is Rich and Righteous he that is Great and Gracious he that has his hands full of this World and his heart empty of pride and vain Confidences he that laughs when God smiles he that expresses himself joyfully when God expresses himself Graciously such a man is rich in Grace who is thus gracious in the midst of Riches for to be Rich and Holy argues much Riches of Holiness 26 Wo unto you when all men shall speak well of you for so did their fathers to the false prophets Our Saviour's design in these Words is not to condemn any of his Disciples or Ministers who have by doing their Duty gain'd a fair Reputation amongst the men of the World but to let us understand how rarely and seldom it is attained for usually the best men are worst spoken of neither the Prophets of the Old Testament nor John Baptist the Prophet of the New Testament nor Christ himself nor his Apostles did ever gain either the good Will or the good Word of the Men of that Generation in which they Lived The Applause of the Multitude that contingent Judge of Good and Evil rather attends the vain then the vertuous None have ever been so much reproached by man as the Faithful Ministers of God who have learnt to take pleasure in Reproaches For tho' Grace does not bid us invite Reproaches yet it teaches us to bid them welcome The World has all along taken effectual care by their cruel
written in this Book 3. That Persons may know that their Names are written in that Book otherwise they could not rejoyce for no Man can rejoyce in an unknown good 4. That it is greater matter of Joy and Rejoycing to know that our Names are written in Heaven then to have a Power to cast out Devils here on Earth A Man may have Power to cast forth Devils out of others and yet at the same time the Devil may have Power in and over himself Therefore in this rejoyce not that the Devils are subject unto you But rather rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven If you say With what spectacles shall we read that at such a Distance Who will ascend up into Heaven to see whether his Name be written there Or who can send a Messenger thither to search the Records I Answer Turn thine Eyes inward if the Name of God be written in thy Heart thy Name is certainly written in Heaven if you in your daily Actions write out a Copy of God's Book the Blessed Bible here below assure your selves the hand of God has written your Names in his Book above that is you shall certainly be saved 21 In that Hour Jesus rejoyced in Spirit and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight 22 All things are delivered to me of my father and no man knoweth who the Son is but the Father and who the Father is but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Here we find our Saviour glorifying his Father and magnifying himself 1. He glorifies his Father for the wise and free Dispensation of his Gospel-Grace to the meanest and most ignorant Persons whilst the Great and Learned Men of the World undervalued and despised it I thank thee Father that thou hast revealed these things to Babes Learn hence 1. That till God reveals himself his Nature and Will no Man can know either what he is or what he requires Thâ—u hast revealed 2. That the wise and knowing Men of the World have in all Ages despised the Mysteries of the Gospel and have therefore been judicially blinded by God Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent When Men shut their Eyes against the clearest Light and say they will not see God closes their Eyes and says they shall not see 3. That the most ignorant if humble and desirous of spiritual Illumination are in the readiest disposition to receive and embrace the Gospel Revelation Thou hast revealed them unto Babes 4. That this is not more pleasing to Christ then it is the pleasure of his Father even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Observe 2. our Saviour magnifies himself 1. His Authority and Commission All things are delivered unto me that is all Power is committed to me as Mediator from God the Father 2. His Office to reveal his Father's Will to a lost World No man knoweth the Father but the Son or the Son but the Father That is no Man knoweth their Essence and Nature their Will and Pleasure their Counsel and Consent their mutual Compact and Agreement betwixt themselves for saving a lost World but only themselves and those to whom they reveal it Learn thence That all saving Knowledge of God is in by and thro' Christ he as the great Prophet of his Church reveals unto us the Mind and Will of God for our Salvation None knoweth but he to whom the Son revealeth 23 And he turned him to his Disciples and said privately Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see 24 For I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them From the very first giving out of the Promise of Christ to Adam after the Fall Gen. 3.15 There was in all good Men a longing Desire and Expectation to see that Person who should be so great a Blessing to Mankind Prophets and Kings desired to see the promised Messiah Now says our Saviour to his Disciples Blessed are you for you have seen with the Eyes of your Body what others only saw with the Eyes of their Mind with your Bodily Eye you have seen the Promised Messias coming in the Flesh and also the Miracles to confirm you that I am He have been wrought before your Eyes therefore Blessed are the eyes of your Body which have beheld me corporally and blessed also are the eyes of your Mind which have beheld me Spiritually A sight of Christ by a Believing eye much more by a glorified eye is a blessed Sight Blessed are those eyes which see Christ in his Dispensations of Grace here they shall certainly see him in his manifestations of Glory hereafter 25 And behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master What shall I do to inherit eternal Life 26 He said unto him What is written in the Law How readest thou 27 And he answering said Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self 28 And he said unto him Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live Here we have a Lawyer that is an Interpreter and Expounder of the Law of Moses tempting our Saviour that is making tryal of him whether he would deliver any Doctrine contrary to the Law of Moses he propounds therefore a question What he should do to inherit eternal Life Where Note 1. He Believed the certainty of a future State 2. he professes his desire of an Eternal Happiness in that State 3. He declares his Readiness to do something in order to the obtaining of that Happiness Hence Learn That all Religion both Nâ—tural and Revealed teaches Men that good Works are necessary to Salvation or that something must be done by them who desire to enter into Life What shall I do to inherit eternal Life It is not talking well and professing well but doing well that entitles us to Heaven and Eternal Salvation and this the very Light of Nature teaches Observe 2. Our Saviour's Answer What is written in the Law how readest thou intimating to us that the Word and Law of God is the Rule and measure of our Duty our Guide to direct us in the way to Eternal Life The Man Replies That the Law of God requires That we love God with all our heart soul and strength and our Neighbour as our selves Where Note 1. That the fervour of all our Affections and particularly the Supremacy of our Love is Required by God as his Right and Due Love must pass thro' and possess all the Powers and Faculties of our Souls The Mind must meditate upon God the Will must choose and embrace
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
from our selves Note 3. That God is just and will be eternally justified in denying his special Grace to those who do not make use of his common Gifts would Men be Faithful in improving a little GOD would intrust them with more did they not abuse the Trust of his common Gifts he would not deny them the Treasure of his Saving Grace called here the true Riches 13 No servant can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon Observe here a Two-fold Master spoken of GOD and the World GOD is our Master by Creation Preservation and Redemption he has appointed us our Work and secured us our Wages the World is become our Master by Intrusion Usurpation and a general Estimation too many esteeming it as their chief Good and delighting in it as their chief Joy Observe 2. That no Man can serve these two Masters who are of contrary Interests and issue out contrary Commands when two Masters are Subordinate and their Commands subservient each to other the difficulty of serving both is not great But where Commands interfere and Interests clash it is impossible no Man can serve GOD and the World but he may serve GOD with the World we may be served of Riches and yet serve God but we cannot serve Riches but we must disserve God we cannot serve GOD and the World both and seek them as our chief Good and ultimate End because no Man can divide his Heart betwixt GOD and the World Learn hence That to Love the World as our chief Good to seek it as our highest Interest and to serve it as our chief Commander cannot stand with the Love and Service which we bear and owe to God our Maker The World's Slaves whilst such can be none of God's free Men. 14 And the Pharisees also who were Covetous heard these things and they derided him The Pharisees were notoriously addicted to the sin of Covetousness accounting no Men happy but them that were rich and because the Promises made to the Jews were generally tho' not only of Temporal Blessings they look'd upon Poverty as a Curse and esteemed the Poor Accursed John 7.49 These Pharisees hearing their Covetousness reproved and the Doctrine of Charity and Alms preached and enforced by our Saviour they derided him in the shamefullest manner with the highest degree of Contempt and Scorn wringing the Nose and making Mouths at him as the Original Word seems to import Learn hence 1. That Sinners grow very angry and impatient under the Ministry of the Word when they hear their darling sin their beloved Lusts struck at and sharply reproved 2. That Covetous Men who make Wealth their Idol when they hear the Doctrine of an Holy Contempt of the World Preached and the great Duty of Alms-giving Urged and Enforced they make it the matter of their Contempt and Derision The Pharisees heard and derided him 15 And he said unto them Ye are they which justify your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God Here our Saviour sharply reproves the Pharisees for their horrible Pride their Self-justification and vain Affectation of the Opinion and esteem of others as if Christ had said You bear up your selves and take a pride in this that Men know no ill by you that no Man can say Black is your Eye but God can see that black is your Heart Learn That no Man ought to think himself approved of God barely because he is approved by himself for all who justify themselves upon the goodness of their Works are not good 16 The Law and the Prophets were until John since that time the kingdom of God is preached and every man presseth into it 17 And it is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass then one Tittle of the Law to fail 18 Whosoever putteth away his Wife and marrieth another committeth Adultery and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her Husband committeth adultery Our Saviour in these words gives the Pharisees to understand that their contempt of his Person and Doctrine was the more inexcusable because they lived in and under the clearest Light of the Gospel The Preaching of the Law and the Prophets continued but till John the Baptist came amongst you since which time the Gospel has been clearly Preached both by him and my self unto you and it has pleased God to give my Doctrine great acceptation in the World tho' you Pharisees reject it yet every one that is very many press into it so that the Doctrine which you mock the Holy Doctrine of the Gospel others will embrace yet lest whilst Christ spake thus highly of the Gospel the Pharisees should reproach him as a Destroyer of the Law he shews that the Obligation of the Moral Law was of Eternal Force and that Heaven and Earth should sooner pass then the Obligation of that Law cease which yet the Pharisees most shamefully violated particularly the Seventh Commandment which they break by permitting and practising Divorces upon unjustifiable Grounds Learn hence That the Moral Law in all the Branches of it which is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments is an Eternal Rule of Life and Manners which is to stand in force as long as the World stands and the frame of Heaven and Earth endures 19 There was a certain rich man who was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day 20 And there was a certain Beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of Sores 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans Table moreover the Dogs came and licked his Sores Our Saviour in this Parabolical History of Dives and Lazarus instructs us concerning the right use of Riches which is to capacitate us to do good to others declaring that in the Life to come the pious poor man shall be eternally Happy whilst the unmerciful rich Man shall be intolerably miserable Here Observe 1. That our Saviour did not censure the Rich Man for being Rich but for being sensual not for wearing costly Apparel and keeping a plentiful Table which if managed according to Mens Qualities and Estates is a commendable Vertue but his Sensuality and Luxury and forgetting to feed the Hungry with the Superfluities of his Table these are the things for which he is Censured From whence me may Learn That Pride and Luxury Intemperance and Sensuality are such abuses of Worldly Riches as Worldly Men are very prone and incident to Rich Men too often make their Back and their Belly their God Sacrificing and Devoting all they have to the Service of those Idols Observe 2. That a poor and mean Condition is the Lot of many nay perhaps of the most in this World 3. That a Man may be poor and miserable in this World and yet be very dear to
46 And when Jesus had cryed with a loud Voice he said Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit And having said thus he gave up the Ghost 47 Now when the Centurion saw what was done he Glorified God saying Certainly this was a Righteous Man 48 And all the People that came together to that sight beholding the things which were done smote their Breasts and Returned 49 And all his Acquaintance and the Women that followed him from Galilee stood afar off beholding these things Observe here 1. What Prodigies in Nature happened and fell out at the Crucifixion of our Saviour The Sun was Darkened at the Setting of the Son of Righteousness And the Veil of the Temple was Rent signifying That God was now about to Forsake his Temple that the Ceremonial Law was now Abolishing and the Partition-Wall betwixt Jew and Gentile being now pulled down all may have Access to God through the Blood of a Mediator Observe 2. The last Prayer of our Saviour before his Death Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit They are words full of Faith and Comfort fit to be the last Breathings of every Gracious Soul in this World Learn hence That Dying Believers are both Warranted and Encouraged by Christ's Example Believingly to Commend their precious Souls into the Hands of God as a Gracious Father Father into thy Hands Observe 3. What influence our Saviour's Death had upon the Centurion He Glorified God saying Verily this was a Righteous Man Here Note That Christ had a Testimony of his Innocency and Righteousness given unto him from all sorts of Persons whatsoever Pilate and Herod pronounced him Innocent Pilate's Wife proclaimed him a Righteous Person Judas the Traitor declared it was innocent Blood the Thief on the Cross affirmed he had done nothing amiss and the Centurion owned him to be a Righteous Man yea the Son of God Mark 15.39 only the Pharisees and Chief Priests which were Teachers of others not Ignorance but Obstinacy and Malice Blinded and Hardned them to their Ruine and Destruction instead of Owning and Receiving him for their Saviour they Ignominiously put him to Death as the vilest Impostor 50 And behold there was a Man Named Joseph a Counsellor and he was a good Man and a just 51 The same had not consented to the Counsel and Deed of them he was of Arimathea a City of the Jews who also himself waited for rhe Kingdom of God 52 This Man went unto Pilate and begged the Body of Jesus 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in Linnen and laid it in a Sepulchre that was hewn in Stone wherein never Man before was laid 54 And that Day was the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on 55 And the Women also which came with him from Galilee followed after and beheld the Sepulchre and how his Body was laid 56 And they Returned and prepared Spices and Oyntments and rested the Sabbath-day according to the Commandment The Circumstances of our Lord's Funeral and Honourable Interrment are here Recorded by our Evangelist such a Funeral as never was since Graves were first Digg'd Where Observe 1. Our Lord's Body must be Begg'd before it could be Bury'd The Dead Bodies of Malefactors being in the Power and at the Disposal of the Judge that Condemns them Observe 2. The Person that Begg'd this Body and bestowed a Decent and Honourable Buryal upon it Joseph of Arimathea a worthy though a close Disciple Grace doth not always make a publick and open Shew where it is But as there is much secret Riches in the Bowels of the Earth though unseen so is there much Grace in the Hearts of some Saints which the World takes little Notice of Observe 3. The Mourners that followed our Saviour's Hearse to the Grave The Women which came out of Galilee a poor Train of Mourners The Apostles who should have been most officious to bear his Holy Body to the Ground were sometime since all Scattered afraid to own their Master either Dying or Dead Funeral Pomo had been no way suitable either to the End or Manner of our Lord's Death and accordingly here is is nothing like Observe 4. The Grave or Sepulchre in which our Holy Lord lay it was in a Sepulchre Hewn out of a Rock That so his Enemies might have no occasion to say that his Disciples stole him away by secret Holes and unseen Passages under Ground It was in a New Sepulchre Wherein never Man was laid before lest his Adversaries should say it was another that was Risen who was Bury'd there before him And has Buryed in a Garden As by the Sin of the first Adam we were driven out of the Garden of Pleasure the Earthly Paradise so by the Sufferings of the Second Adam who lay Buryed in a Garden we may hope for Entrance into the Heavenly Paradise Observe 5. The manner of our Lord's Funeral it was Hasty Open and Decent Hasty because of the Preparation for the Sabbath Open that all Persons might be Spectators and none might say He was Buryed before he was Dead Decent being wrapt in fine Linnen and Perfumed with Spices Observe 6. The Reasons why our Lord was thus Buryed Seeing he was to Rise again in as short a Time as other Men lye by the Walls doubtless it was to declare the Certainty of his Death to Fulfil the Types and Prophecies which went before of him As Jonas being Three days and three nights in the Whales Belly He was also Bury'd to Compleat his Humiliation This was the lowest step to which he could Descend in his Abased State In a word Christ went into the Grave that he might Conquer Death in its own Territories and Dominions Observe 7. Of what Use our Lord's Buryal is to us his Followers it shews us the amazing Depths of his Humiliation from what and to what his Love brought him even from the Bosom of his Father to the Bosom of the Grave It may Comfort us against the fears of Death and the Terrors of the Grave The Grave could not long keep Christ it shall not always keep Christians It was a Loathsome Prison before it is a Persumed Bed now He whose Head is in Heaven need not fear to put his Feet into the Grave Awake and Sing thou that dwellest in the Dust for the Enmity of the Grave is slain by Christ CHAP. XXIV This Last Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel contains the History of our Saviour's Resurrection and gives us an Account of what he did upon Earth between the Time of his glorious Resurrection and Triumphant Ascension 1 NOW upon the first day of the Week very early in the Morning they came unto the Sepulchre bringing the Spices which they had prepared and certain others with them 2 And they found the Stone Rolled away from Sepulchre 3 And they entered in and found not the Body of our Lord Jesus 4 And it came to pass as they were much perplexed thereabout Behold Two Men stood by them in shining Garments 5 And
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
thirty eight Years so Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay him Yet observe the Cloak and Pretence they have for their malicious Persecution of our Saviour namely the supposed Violation of the Sabbath-day They sought to slay him because he had done these things on the Sabbath-day Learn hence That great Cruelty against Christ and his Members has always been and still is masked and disguised with a fair Pretence of Zeal for God and his Commands The Pharisees mortally hated our Saviour therefore to cover their Malice they traduce him as a Prophaner of the Sabbath and seek to take away his Life 17 ¶ But Jesus answered them My Father worketh hitherto and I work From this Verse to the End of the Chapter we have our Saviour's Apology for his working the foregoing Cure on the impotent Man on the Sabbath-Day And the chief Argument he insists upon is drawn from his Unity and Equality in Nature and Operation with his Father As the Father worketh says he so I work Here he speaks of himself not as a Servant or Instrument in his Father's Hand but as a Fellow-Worker with the Father both in the Works of Creation and in the Works of Providence and Preservation also Learn hence 1. That although Almighty God has long since ceased from the Works of Creation yet not from the Work of Preservation My Father worketh hitherto not by creating new Kinds of Creatures but by upholding and preserving what he has already created Learn 2. That Christ the Son of God is joyned with and undivided from the Father in Working As the Father created all things by him not as a Man and as an Instrument in the Father's Hand for then he was not such but as his Fellow-Worker being equal in Nature and Power with the Father in like manner as the Father preserveth sustaineth governeth and upholdeth all things so doth Christ the Father's Actions and his being the same My Father worketh hitherto and I work 18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him because he not only had broken the sabbath but said also that God was his Father making himself equal with God 19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them Verily verily I say unto you The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do for what things soever he doeth these also doeth the Son likewise Observe here the Jews instead of being satisfied were the more enraged not only because he had violated the Sabbath as they pretended by healing the Cripple on the Sabbath-Day but because Christ had asserted that God was his Father in a peculiar manner and made himself equal with God Our Saviour therefore goes on to assert his Equality and Conjunction with the Father in his Operations and Workings which doth at once justify his Work on the Sabbath-day and prove him to be truly and really God Now our holy Lord to prove himself equal with God the Father produces first many Arguments to v. 31. and then alledges the Testimony of many Witnesses to the end of the Chapter Our Saviour's first Argument to prove himself equal with the Father in Essence and Nature is this That the Father and he are equal in Operation in Will and Consent for Working that the Son doth all that the Father doth and the Father doth nothing without the Son v. 19. The Son can do nothing of himself that is as Man as the Messias and as Mediator he could do nothing of himself His perfect Obedience to and Complyance with the Will of his Father that sent him would not suffer him to do any thing without him But as God he could do all things of himself Learn hence That it is an undeniable Proof that the Father and Son are one in Nature Essence and Being in that they are inseparable and undivided in Operation and Working What things soever the Father doth these also doth the Son likewise and the Son doth nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do Therefore Father and Son being equal in Operation and Working are equal in Nature and Being and consequently both essentially truly and really God Therefore the Arians of old and the Socinians at this Day are wide when they produce this Text The Son can do nothing of himself to prove that Christ is not equal with God the Father They forget or neglect to distinguish betwixt his Divine Nature which could do all things and his Mediatorial Office which could not do but what the Father that sent him had appointed him to do 20 For the Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doeth and he will shew him greater works then these that ye may marvel The second Argument which our Saviour produces to prove his Unity in Nature and Equality in Operation with the Father is drawn from that special Love which the Father beareth to the Son which inclines him to communicate all things to him by a Divine and Ineffable Communication Learn hence 1. That God the Father loveth Jesus Christ his Son with an Essential Natural and Necessary Love as being the Substantial Image of himself and the Splendor and Brightness of his Glory The Father loveth the Son that is with an Essential Eternal and Ineffable Love 2. That the Father's Love to Christ was Communicative the Father communicated his Essence and Nature his Wisdom and Power for Operation to the Son The Father sheweth the Son all things that himself doth namely by a Divine Inconceivable and Unspeakable Communication 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them even so the Son quickneth whom he will A third Argument proving Christ to be God and equal with the Father is here produced namely his raising of the dead He is jointly with the Father in that Work and equal with him As the Father quickneth whom he please so doth the Son quicken whom he will that is not as the Father's Instrument but as a principal Agent by the same Authority and with the like absolute Freedom of Will which the Father uses being a Sovereign and Independent Being as the Father is As the Father raiseth the dead and quickneth them so the Son quickneth whom he will Learn hence 1. That quickning and raising of the dead is an Act of Omnipotency and proper to God only The Father raiseth the dead and quickneth them 2. That Christ's Power to raise the dead as well as his Father is a Proof of his Equality with his Father and an Evidence of his being truly and really God the Son quickneth whom he will 22 For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son 23 That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him A fourth Instance of Christ's God-head and proof of his Equality with the Father is That it is his Work to judge the World The Father says Christ judges
no Man that is no Man without me but all Men by me to this intent That all Men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father that is honour him with the same Faith Love Fear Worship that is due and payable to God the Father Hence learn 1. That Christ as God hath the absolute Power of Life and Death of Absolution and Condemnation which he executes in Conjunction with his Father 2. That Christ having this Power of judging the World with the Father doth shew that the same Glory is due to him which is due unto the Father All Men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father 3. That such as pretend to honour Christ but deny him to be God equal with the Father They withdraw the highest Honour from him and such as withdraw Honour from the Son deny it to the Father who will not be honoured but in and through honouring of the Son This Text speaks dread and terror to the Socinians who pretend to Honour Christ but not with the same Honour with which they pretend to honour the Father in God's Account they honour him not at all For he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father 24 Verily verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life 25 Verily verily I say unto you The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live 26 For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of man Here we have a fifth Evidence of Christ's God-head and Equality with the Father namely that he is the Author of Spiritual and Eternal Life to all that believe on him He that was a Fountain of Life equal with the Father and communicated to him from the Father is God But Christ hath this v. 26. For as the Father hath Life in himself so he has given to the Son to have Life in himself Again he that hath Authority to execute Judgment upon Angels and Men is God but Christ hath such Authority v. 27. He hath given him Authority to execute Judgment Farther he that with his Voice quickneth and maketh alive them that hear it is God but Christ doth this v. 25. The dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and live The Dead that is 1. The Spiritually dead such as are dead in Trespasses and Sins These hearing the Voice of Christ in the Ministry of the Word shall live a Life of Grace on Earth and a Life of Glory in Heaven 2. Such as are Corporeally dead also these are likewise quickned and raised by Christ as God Learn hence 1. That God the Father hath communicated to Christ his Son a Power to quicken and enliven such as are Spiritually and Corporally dead 2. That the Father's communicating this Power to the Son argues no Inequality nor Inferiority in the Son but he hath the same Life infinitely independently and equally with the Father as the Father hath it so hath the Son the Father hath it in himself and so hath the Son also therefore the Son as well as the Father is essentially and truly God 28 Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice 29 And shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Our Saviour finding the Jews amazed and astonished at his declaring his Sovereign and Supreme Authority and Power to quicken and raise whom he pleased from the dead doth in these Verses assure them that there should be a general Resurrection and an universal Day of Judgment both of the Righteous and the Wicked and a future Distribution of Rewards and Punishments in another Life according to Men's Actions here in this Life All that are in the Graves shall hear my Voice and shall come forth Here observe 1. The Certainty and Universality of the Resurrection of the dead declared The Hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall come forth Obs 2. The powerful and efficacious Means by which this great and sudden Change shall be effected and accompliished in the Morning of the Resurrection namely the omnipotent Voice or Christ All that are in the Graves shall hear his Voice and shall come forth 3. Here are the different ends of the Resurrection declared according to the Difference of Persons which shall then be raised Good and Bad Those that have done good to the Resurrection of Life and those that have done evil to the Resurrection of Damnation Learn 1. That there shall certainly be a Resurrection of the Body 2. That all in the Graves shall be raised though not all alike the Wicked shall be raised by the Power of Christ as their Judge the Righteous shall be raised by Virtue of their Union with Christ as their Head 3. According as Men live in this World and go out of it so will they be found at the Resurrection without any Change of their State there will then be only two sorts of Persons Good and Bad. All that have done Good how small soever the Degree of their Goodness hath been shall be rewarded And all that have done Evil shall be everlastingly punished For all Persons shall be eternally Happy or intollerably Miserable in the other World accordingly as they manage their Deportment and Behaviour in this Life They that have done Good shall go c. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgment is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which hath sent me Here Christ declares to the Jews and in them to all Mankind that they might assure themselves his Judgment would be exactly Righteous because he had no private Will or Power of his own contrary to or different from his Father Learn hence That the Lord Jesus Christ being the same in Essence and Nature in Power and Operation with the Father had no private Will or Interest of his own but acted all things as God in Co-ordination with the Father and as Man in Subordination to him I can of my own self do nothing that is neither as God nor as Mediator not as God for God the Father and Christ being one equal in Power what one Person did the other doth not as Mediator for so Christ finished the Work which his Father gave him to do the Will of the Father and the Will of Christ being both one 31 If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true 32 ¶ There is another that beareth witness of me and I know that the witness which he
witnesseth of me is true Our Blessed Saviour having produced these five foregoing Arguments to prove his Unity in Essence and his Equality in Power with the Father comes now to the end of the Chapter to produce several Testimonies for the Proof of it and the first of them is the Testimony of God his Father There is another that beareth witness of me whose witness is True Now the Father had lately at Christ's Baptism by a Voice from Heaven declared him to be his beloved Son in whom he was well-pleased which illustrious Testimony given to Christ they had not regarded Learn hence That as Christ came into the World in Obedience to his Father and to bear witness to him so did the Father honour him and bear witness of him and his Testimony concerning his Son is undoubtedly True and to be depended and rested upon for we make the Father a Lyar if we do not depend upon the Record which he has given of his Son 33 Ye sent unto John and he bare witness unto the truth 34 But I receive not testimony from man but these things I say that ye might be saved The second Testimony to prove Christ to be the Messias was that of John the Baptist We read John 1.19 how the Jews sent to inquire of him whether he were the Christ or not and he denied it and pointed at Jesus saying Behold the Lamb of God yet would not the Jews abide by this Testimony of John concerning the Messias Nevertheless says Christ I receive not testimony from John that is John by his Testimony addeth nothing to me I was what I was and I am what I am before John testified of me and since Learn hence That the Divinity of Christ's Person and the Verity of his Doctrine needs no Man's Testimony for the Confirmation of it being sufficiently confirmed by Christ's own Authority and his Father's Testimony I receive not Testimony from Man that is I need it not I desire it not upon my own Account but upon yours only that upon the Credit of John's Testimony ye might believe on me and be saved by me These things I say that ye might be saved 35 He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light Observe here John's Character and the Peoples Carriage 1. John's Character he was a Light a burning and a shining Light He had in him a Light of Knowledge to enlighten direct and comfort others and this his Knowledge was accompanied with Zeal he was a burning Light in his Doctrine and a shining Lamp in his Conversation He had the Light of Knowledge in his Head the Warmth of Zeal in his Heart and the Influence of both in his Life Learn hence 1. That those whom God calls to the Office and Work of the Ministry he furnishes with Abilities and Endowments suitable to their great Employments he endues them with a Light of Knowledge which is animated with the Heat and Warmth of Zeal 2. That Ministerial Gifts and Abilities are not bestowed alike upon all but dispersed variously All are Lights according to their Measure but all are not equally burning and shining Lights for Proportion and Degree 3. That the brightest burning and clearest shining Lights in the Church of Christ have but their time in this World they are subject as well as other Men to the common Condition of Mortality and the Lamp of their Lives burns out the faster by lighting others to Heaven John was a burning and a shining Light but now is put out and gone Observe 2. As John's Character so the Peoples Carriage ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his Light Here is a threefold Gradation they rejoyced They rejoyced in his Light and they rejoyced for a season 1. They rejoyced The word signifies they leaped for Joy and danced about him as Children do about a Bonfire when he first began his Ministry amongst them Oh how warm are the Affections of a People when a pious and zealous Minister comes first among them 2. They rejoyced in his Light not in his Heat Or they rejoyced in John's Light not in Christ's For when they found that John bare Record to Christ they soon grew cold in their Affections towards John 3. They rejoyced only for a season for an hour as the word signifies For a short time John's Ministry was acceptable Learn hence 1. That it has been an old Practice amongst Professors not to like their Pastors long though they have been never such burning and shining Lights John was not changed but his Hearers were changed he did burn and shine in the Candlestick of the Church with equal Zeal and Lustre to the last but they had changed their Thoughts of him and lost their Esteem for him Learn 2. That as nothing in general is so mutable as the Mind of Man so nothing in particular is so variable as the Affections and Opinions of People towards their Ministers The Lamp of John's Ministry was always alike burning and shining his Oil did not waste but his Hearers Zeal wasted and their Affections cooled Those whose Gifts are not at all abated may yet find a great abatement in the acceptation of their Gifts Therefore let no Men live upon the Breath of Men least of all let Ministers live upon the popular Air or the Speech of People Oh let us live upon the Credit which we have with God and rejoyce chiefly in his Esteem If our Performances find acceptance with God we are safe and happy tho' they fall under Contempt with Men. 36 ¶ But I have greater witness then that of John for the works which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me The third Testimony produced by Christ to evidence and prove himself to be the promised Messias and Saviour of the World is that of his Miracles which by an Omnipotent Power as God he was enabled to work Christ's Miracles were speaking Testimonies of his Unity with the Father and of the Divinity of his Person Not so the Miracles of his Apostles for he wrought his Miracles in his own Name and by his own Power and Authority but the Apostles expresly declared the contrary Acts 3.12 16. Why look ye so stedfastly on us as if we by our own power had made this Man whole His name through faith in his name hath made this Man strong Learn hence That the Testimony of Christ's own Works his Miracles wrought in his own Name and by his own Authority and Power is a clearer Confirmation of his Godhead Office and Doctrine than the best of Mens Testimonies yea than John Baptist's own Testimony That he saw the Spirit descending on him 37 And the Father himself which hath sent me hath born witness of me Ye have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you for whom he hath
are all perishing but for Bread for your Souls to live eternally by even for the Food of my heavenly Doctrine which will make them that feed upon it Immortal and this the Son of Man stands ready to give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed that is by a Special Commission and Authority hath impowered him to dispense all Spiritual Blessings to them that want and crave them Learn hence 1. That all the Things of this Life are perishing and fading The best of outward Comforts and Enjoyments are Meat that perisheth 2. That it is the greatest of Follies to labour intensely and inordinately for and to set our selves with all our might and strength to persue and follow after perishing things 3. That Jesus Christ his Holy Doctrine his heavenly Grace is Food which neither perisheth nor diminisheth how many soever partake of it but makes all that partake thereof to be Partakers of Eternal Life therewith 4. That Jesus Christ is authorized sealed and commissioned by his Father to give eternal Life to such as industriously labour after him and will not be satisfied without him Him hath God the Father sealed That is Jesus Christ was sealed to the Office of a Mediator by God the Father Christ was sealed at his Baptism sealed by his Doctrine sealed by his Miracles sealed by his Resurrection sealed by his Unction or Supereminent and Unparalleled Sanctification Lord where will the Rejecters of Christ then appear at the great Day who have despised the Authority of him whom the Father commissioned to give eternal Life to whom soever he pleaseth 28 Then said they unto him What shall we do that we might work the works of God 29 Jesus answered and said unto them This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Here the Jews who were strict Observers of the Ceremonial Law of Moses and rested thereupon for Salvation inquire of our Saviour what they should do that they might please God Christ directs them to the great Duty of believing on himself to own and acknowledge him to be the True Messias and as such to rely upon him alone for Salvation This is the work of God that ye believe c. Learn hence That for a penitent humbled Sinner to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ it is a work highly pleasing and acceptable unto God Christ calls Faith the work of God upon a threefold Account it is the Work of his Efficiency and Operation 't is the work of his commanding and 't is the work of his Approbation and Acceptation a work that God is highly pleased with and greatly delighted in This is the work of God 30 They said therefore unto him What sign shewest thou then that we may see and believe thee what dost thou work 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert as it is written He gave them bread from heaven to eat Here the Jews tell our Saviour that before they will believe in him they must see some Sign from him to confirm his Doctrine and prove him to be the Messias They acknowledge Christ had wrought a great Miracle in feeding five thousand Persons with five Barley Loaves but Moses fed their Fathers in the Wilderness who were no less than six hundred thousand Persons with excellent Manna from Heaven and this for forty Years together from whence they would seem to conclude that they had more reason to believe Moses than Christ not considering that Moses was but an Instrument to obtain by Prayer the Manna at the Hands of God but Christ was an Agent and that by a creating Power inherent in himself he multiplied the five Loaves to the feeding of five thousand Note here 1. From the Jews requiring a Sign before they would believe That he who publishes a new Doctrine to the World ought to confirm his Mission by some Miraculous Operation 2. That God honoured Moses his Messenger very much and Christ his Minister much more in that both of them wrought great and special Miracles for the Confirmation of their Mission 3. That the Jews not believing Christ to be the true Messias upon so many Attestations and after his Divine Mission was confirmed by such Miraculous Operations rendered their Infidelity inexcusable and their Obstinacy invincible 32 Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Moses gave you not that bread from heaven but my father giveth you the true bread from heaven 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world Upon the Jews mentioning Manna to our Blessed Saviour he takes occasion to make a Comparison betwixt himself the Bread of Life and Manna the Bread of Moses and that in three Particulars 1. It was not Moses that gave the Israelites that Manna it was God at the Prayer of Moses but it was God that now offered them the Bread of Life were they willing to accept it 2. The Manna was not given from Heaven that is from the Coelestial Heaven but only from the Air and Clouds which frequently in Scripture is called Heaven But Christ the Bread of Life was given and sent by the Father from the highest Heaven even the Heaven of Glory 3. Manna was not true Spiritual Food effectively and of it self but bodily Food only but Christ is Real and Spiritual Bread which gives Life to lost and dead Men which Manna did not could not do And whereas Manna was peculiar to Israel only Christ gives Life to all sorts of Persons Gentiles as well as Jews The Bread of God giveth Life unto the World Learn hence That as Christ is the Truth and Substance of all the Types in the Old Testament so particularly the Manna was an illustrious Type of Christ In many things they agree and in some they differ They agree in their Original Manna came down from Heaven so did Christ Manna was freely given so is Jesus Christ the free Gift of God Manna was not fit to be eaten as it lay in the Field but must be ground in a Mill or beaten in a Mortar and baked in an Oven before it was fit for Food Christ was ground by his Sufferings bruised on the Cross scorched in the fiery Oven of his Father's Wrath that he might become a fit Saviour for us Again as the Manna was gathered by the Israelites daily and equally it was rained down about their Tents and every Man had his Omer Thus is Christ in the Ministry of the Word daily offered to a lost World and all that believe in him shall share alike in the Benefits of Justification Sanctification and Glorification from him But now the Manna and Christ differ in this and the Truth excells the Type thus There is a quickening inlivening Vertue a Life-giving and a Life-upholding Power in Christ the Bread of Life which was never found in Manna the Bread of Israel And wheras Manna only fed the Body the Body of an Israelite and this only for a
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
Devil the King of Saints in Heaven as well as the whole Host of Saints on Earth hath been frequently smitten and deeply wounded with reproach Christ was reproached for our sake and when we are reproached for his sake he takes our reproach as his own Moses his reproach was the reproach of Christ Heb. 11.26 And he esteemed it a Treasure which did more inrich him with its worth than press him with its weight Esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt Observe 3. The wonderful meekness of Christ in passing over this Reproach and Calumny without one word of Reply Guilt is commonly clamorous and impatient but Innocence is silent and regardless of misreports Our Saviour is not at the pains of a word to vindicate himself from their impotent censure but goes on with his Discourse and justifies his own Action in healing a Man on the Sabbath-day from the Jews own practice in circumcising their Children on that day if it hapned to be the Eighth day And the Argument runs thus If Circumcision may be Administred to a Child on the Sabbath-day which is a servile kind of Work and Bodily Exercise without blame or censure why must I fall under Censure for healing a Man on the Sabbath-day thoroughly and perfectly only by a word speaking Hence Learn That the Law of doing good and Relieving the miserable at all Times is a more ancient and excellent Law than either that of the Sabbath Rest or of Circumcision upon the Eighth day A Ritual Law must and ought to give place to the Lâ—w of Nature which is written in every Man's heart As if our Lord had said If you may wound a Man by Circumcision on the Sabbath-day may not I heal One if you may heal on that Day one Member of the circumcised may not I make a Man whole every whit if you be at pains to cure such a one with your hand may not I without pains cure a Man with the word of my Mouth 24 Judge not according to the appearance but judge righteous judgment From the foregoing Argument Christ draws an Inference or Conclusion that there is no making a judgment according to the first Appearance of Things and that Suddenness or Rashness Prejudice or Partiality in judging overthrows Righteous Judgment This is the general Application of what Christ had said before and the particular Application of it as to himself comes to this Judge not according to Appearance but judge Righteous Judgment As if Christ had said Lay aside your prejudices against my Person and compare these cases attentively and impartially with one another and then see whether you can justly condemn me as a Sabbath Breaker and acquit your selves Such was the perfect Innocency of our Saviour's Actions that he could and did submit them to the Reason and Judgment of his very Enemies 25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem is not this he whom they seek to kill 26 But lo he speaketh boldly and they say nothing unto him do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ 27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is but when Christ cometh no man knoweth whence he is 28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught saying Ye both know me and ye know whence I am and I am not come of my self but he that sent me is true whom ye know not 29 But I know him for I am from him and he hath sent me 30 Then they sought to take him but no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come 31 And many of the people believed on him and said when Christ cometh will he do mo miracles then these which this man hath done Our Blessed Saviour having vindicated both his Doctrine and Practice and appeared publickly in the Temple and speaking boldly there the People of Jerusalem knowing the hatred and enmity of the Chief Priests and Rulers against him do wonder that they did not apprehend him Learn Almighty God doth and can preserve his own in the faithful discharge of their Duty in such an admirable manner that even their Enemies themselves may wonder at it and be Astonisht with it Observe 2ly The Argument which the Jews urged against our Saviour's being Christ and the promised Messias Namely That they knew whence he was whereas when the Messias cometh no man will know whence he is now herein they Assert a manifest untruth for tho' Christ in respect of his Godhead was prefigured by Melchisedeck who was without Father or Mother without descent that is without any that the Scripture mentions yet in respect of his humane Nature the Jews might know whence he was for the Scripture plainly pointed out the Tribe the Family the Lineage and the place of his Birth Observe 3. That Christ being grieved at this impudent Cavil doth reply unto it with much boldness and Zeal he cried saying ye both know me and know whence I am but the Father that sent me ye know not That is you know me as Man where I was Born and of what Family I am but you know not my Divine Nature nor the Father from whom I am by Eternal Generation and who hath sent me into the World Observe 4. What causeless Rage appeared in these Men against Christ for declaring the Truth unto them they would have taken him by Violence had not the Power and Providence of God restrained them for the present because his time to Suffer was not yet come Hence Learn That Violence and Persecution against the Faithful Dispensers of the Truths of God have been the Lot and Portion of such in all Ages and Generations Christ experienced it let his Ministers expect it Observe 5. That altho' the Rulers at Jerusalem were Angry and enraged yet the meaner and inferiour sort of People Believed on him being convinced by the wonderful Miracles which he had wrought amongst them that he was the True and promised Messias For say they when ever the Messias come he cannot do greater and more Evident Miracles then this Man hath hath done Learn hence That altho' the Grace of God be not ensured to or entailed upon any sort of People yet ordinarily it is the meaner sort of People with whom it prevails most Many of the common People at Jerusalem were Believing when the Rulers there were Persecuting Men that live in Pleasure and at Ease see no need of dependance upon God have little inclination or desire to farther the Gospel and to encourage either the Dispensers or Professors of it nay it is well if they do not turn Persecutors ¶ 32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him 33 Then said Jesus unto them Yet a little while am I with you and then I go unto him that sent me 34 Ye shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am thither ye cannot come 35 Then said the Jews
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
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
a Corn of Wheat fall into the Ground and die it abideth alone That is as Corn unsown lodg'd in the Barn or laid up in the Chamber never multiplies nor encreases but sow it in the Field and bury it in the Earth and it multiplies and encreases and brings forth a plentiful crop So if Christ had not died he had remained what he was the Eternal Son of God but he had had no Church in the World Whereas his Death and Sufferings made him fructifie That brought a plentiful Encrease of exaltation to himself and Salvation to his People Observe 3. How plainly our Saviour dealt with his Followers he did not deceive them with a vain hope and expectation of Temporal Happiness but tells them plainly that all that will be his Disciples must prepare for Sufferings and not think their Temporal Life too dear to lay down for him when he calls them to it this being the surest way to secure unto themselves Life Everlasting He that loveth his life shall lose it but he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal Learn hence That the surest way to attain Eternal Life is chearfully to lay down our Temporal Life when the Glory of Christ and the Honour of Religion requires it at our hand 26 If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be if any man serve me him will my Father honour That is if any Man assumes the Title and enters into the sacred engagement of being Christ's Servant let his Conversation correspond with his Profession and let him be willing to follow him in the Thorny path of Affliction and Sufferings from this Assurance that all his grievous Sufferings shall end in Eternal Joys Where I am there shall my Servant be and him will my Father honour Learn hence 1. That all that will be Christ's Servants must be his Followers they must obey his Doctrine and imitate his Example 2. That Christ's Servants must not expect better usage at the hand of an unkind World than he their Master met with before them 3. That such as serve Christ by following of him shall at Death see him as he is and be with him where he is Where I am there shall also my Servant be 4. That God will crown the fideliâ—y and constancy of Christ's Servants with the highest Dignity and Honour If any Man serve me him will my Father honour 27 Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour 28 Father glorifie thy name Then came there a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again Whilst our Saviour was thus preaching of his own Death and Sufferings a Natural horror of his approaching Passion tho such as was without Sin seizes upon him his Father giving him a Taste of that wrath which he was to undergo upon the Cross for our Sins Hereupon he betakes himself to Prayer Father save me from this hour this was the harmless inclination of his sinless nature which abhorred lying under wrath and therefore prays against it yet as it were recalling himself he submits to what his office as our surety required of him and prays again unto his Father to dispose of him as may most and best conduce to the purposes of his Glory Father glorifie thy name Learn hence 1. That meer Trouble is no Sin Christ's Soul was troubled Christianity doth not make Men Senseless Grace introduceth no stoical Stupidity 2. That fear of death especially when accompanied with apprehensions of the wrath of God is most perplexing and Soul-amazing My Soul is troubled and what shall I say 3. No extremity of Sufferings ought to discourage us from laying claim to that Relation which God stands in to us as a Father Our Saviour in the midst of his distress calls God Father Father save me from this hour 4. In the extremity of our Sufferings we may be importunate but must not be peremptory in our Prayers as Christ in his Agony prayed more earnestly so may we in ours but always submissively Father Save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour 5. That our exemption from Suffering may sometimes be inconsistent with the Glory of God Father save me from this hour Father Glorifie thy name Observe lastly The Father's Answer to the Son's Prayer There came a voice from Heaven saying I have glorified it and will glorifie it again That is as God the Father had been already glorified in his Son's Life Doctrine and Miracles so he would farther glorifie Himself in his Death Resurrection and Ascension as also by the Mission of the Holy Ghost and the Preaching of the Gospel for the Conversion of the Gentiles to the ends of the Earth Learn hence That the whole work of Christ from the lowest degree of his Humiliation to the highest degree of his Exaltation was a glorifying of his Father he glorified his Father by the Doctrine which he Taught he glorified his Father by the Miracles which he wrought by the unspotted Innocency of his Life and by his unparallel'd Sufferings at his Death by his Victorious Resurrection from the Grave and by his Triumphant Ascension into Heaven 29 The people therefore that stood by and heard it said that it thundred others said An angel spake to him 30 Jesus answered and said This voice came not because of me but for your sakes 31 Now is the judgment of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out 32 And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me 33 This he said signifying what death he should die Observe here 1. The way of God in speaking to his People by a Voice in Thunder for the greater declaration of his Glory and Majesty Thunderings and Lightnings usually attended the voice of God even in Consolations and when he spake comfortably to his own Servants Oh how dreadful and terrible then must the Voice of God be to his Enemies when he shall come in flaming Fire to render vengeance to them If there was such Dread and Terrors such Thunderings and Lightnings at the giving of the Law Lord What will there be another Day when thou comest to punish the violation of that Law Observe 2. The end why God the Father now spake with an Audible Voice to Christ his Son it was for his Consolation and the Peoples Confirmation His Soul being troubled he stood in need as Mediatour of comfort from his Father and the People had here a farther and fuller Confirmation of his being the promised and true Messias that so they might Believe in him This voice came not because of me That is not only or chiefly because of me but to confirm your Faith in the Belief of this great Truth that I am the Son of God by whom the Father hath glorified and will farther
has the offer of Christ in the Gospel met with from the first Original Tender to this Day Obstinate Infidelity and cursed Hypocrisie draw more Souls to Hell than all the Devils in Hell Observe 2. How the present Infidelity of these unbelieving Jews was long before foretold and Prophesied of by the Prophet Esaias ch 53. 1. Lord who hath believed our report that is our Preaching Where Note That Isaias's Complaint of the small success of his Preaâ—hing was a Prophesie and Prediction of the like success that Christ and his Ministers should have under the Gospel Learn hence That the Gospel in all Ages has met with more that have rejected it by unbelief than have savingly entertained it by Faith Isaias complained before Christ and his Apostles and Ministers in every Age since that few have believed their Reports Observe 3. That tho' the present unbelief of the Obstinate Jews was long foretold by the Prophets of God yet the Prophets Prediction was no cause of their unbelief or that which laid them under an impossibility of believing but the fault lay in their own Obstinate Wills with respect to which by the just judgment of God they were blinded and hardned for their contempt of Christ the promised Messias When Men close their Eyes wilfully and say they will not see it is just with God to close their Eyes judicially and say they shall not see He hath blinded their Eyes and hardned their hearts c. 42 ¶ Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the synagogue 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God Observe here 1. That altho' the generality of the Jews were thus hardned under Christ's Ministry and Miracles yet there were some and those of the chief Rank even Rulers that did believe on him That is they were under strong and powerful convictions that he was the true and expected Messias even in times and places where obstinacy and infidelity most prevails the Ministry of the word shall not be altogether without its fruit Christ here had some and those of the Rulers too who believed on him when others under the same word were hardned Nevertheless among the chief Rulers also many believed on him Observe 2. That tho' many of the chief Rulers had a secret Belief or an inward Perswasion that Christ was the promised and expected Messias yet it was not sufficient to make them openly own confess and avow him to be such for fear of Excommunication from the Pharisees They did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue Slavish fear of Men and suffering by them has hindred many from believing on Christ and kept more from an open owning and confessing of him Because of the Pharisees they did not confess him Observe 3. As the fear of Suffering on the one hand so the Love of Reputation on the other kept them from owning and confessing Jesus to be the Christ They loved the praise of Men more than the praise of God That is They valued Honour and Applause from Men more than God's honouring and approving them There is no greater snare to draw persons from their Duty than inordinate Love and Affection to their own Credit and Reputation Oh how often is the Applause and Commendation of Men preferred before the Testimony and Approbation of God! Here was their snare They loved the praise of Men more than the praise of God 44 ¶ Jesus cried and said he that believeth on me believeth not on me but on him that sent me 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me 46 I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness 47 And if any man hear my words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to judge the world but to save the world 48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day 49 For I have not spoken of my self but the Father which sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting whatsoever I speak therefore even as the Father said unto me so I speak In these Verses we have our blessed Saviour's farewel Sermon to the Jews concerning his Person Office and Doctrine as touching his Person he acquaints them with his Divine Nature his oneness and equality with the Father and accordingly challenges not only the Assent but also the Obedience and Adoration of their Faith Jesus cried saying he that believeth on me believeth not on me but on him that sent me That is He that believeth on me doth not believe on a meer Man but on him that is truly and really God as well as Man and therefore he being true God one in Essence and equal in Power and Glory with the Father their believing in him was believing in God the Father that sent him Observe 2. The Argument which our Saviour uses to prove that Believers in Christ do Believe in the Father He that seeth me seeth him that sent me That is He that seeth me Spiritually and by Faith seeth my Father to be one with me in Essence tho' not in person and he that seeth me in my Miraculous works which I do seeth him also that sent me by whom I do these mighty works Learn hance 1. That we do not see Christ aright by the Eye of our Faith unless we see him and Believe him to be truly and really God one with and equal to the Father he that seeth me seeth in me him that sent me Learn 2. That the Father is not to be seen but in the Son nor can Believers know what the Father is but by seeing what the Son is and what they see the Son to be that the Father is in him For he that seeth me seeth him that sent me Observe 3. The dreadful judgment which Christ denounces against all Unbelievers and such as reject him by rejecting of his Gospel for tho' at Christ's first coming his errand was not to judge the World but to save the World that is to offer the tenders of Salvation to lost Sinners yet at his second coming he would judge them at the last Day when the Word preached to them and rejected by them will give a judicial Testimony against them Learn hence 1. That Christ and his Doctrine are inseparable to receive his Doctrine is to receive him and to reject his Doctrine is to reject him 2. That such rejecters of Christ and the Doctrine of the Gospel shall not escape the judgment of Christ at the great Day 3. That at the great Day were there no other witness against the rejecters of Christ and his Gospel but the Word preached yet that alone will be
sufficient both for their Conviction and Condemnation The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day Observe 4. The Argument and Reason which our Saviour produces to prove that the Word of God and the Doctrine of the Gospel slighted and rejected should condemn Sinners at the great Day Namely From the Divine Authority of his Doctrine for albeit his Doctrine was his own as he was true God yet as Man and as Mediatour it was not his own but the Father's which sent him so that his Word and Doctrine being Divine and the Father 's as well as his for he did not speak of himself that is of himself alone and without the Father it is sufficient to Judge and Condemn all the rejecters and despisers of it Learn hence 1. That tho' the Doctrine of the Gospel be Christ's own as he is truly and really God yet it was not his own as meer Man exclusive of the Father who is one God with him and who gave him a Commission and Instructions as Mediatour to Preach and Publish the glad tidings of the Gospel for says he I have not spoken of my self but the Father which sent me gave me a Commandment 2. That the Doctrine which Christ delivered by command from the Father doth point out the way to Eternal Life and will bring lost Sinners thereunto if they sincerely believe it and obey it I know that his Commandment is Life everlasting 3. That therefore Sinners who reject the Doctrine of Christ contained in the Gospel do highly Dishonour Offend and Affront both the Father and Son and bring upon themselves a just and righteous judgment and expose themselves to unutterable and inevitable condemnation The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last Day CHAP. XIII 1 NOW before the feast of the passover when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end 2 And supper being ended the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simons son to betray him 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God In this Chapter is Recorded the History of our Saviour's washing his Disciples Feet an Action full of Humility and Condescension and propounded to his followers Imitation The Circumstance of Time is here noted when this Act was done Namely At the Feast of the Passover when the time of our Saviour's departure was at hand and having constantly and immutably loved his own he expresses the permanency of his Love towards them to the end by this Action of his in washing their Feet Here Note How Christ chose the Time of the Jewish Passover to suffer in that he might prove himself to be the substance of that Type that he was the true Pascal Lamb who by the Sacrifice of his Death did attone Divine displeasure and taketh away the Sins of the World Observe 2. The means which the Wisdom of God permitted to bring the Lord of Life to his Ignominious Death And that was the Treason and perfidiousness of one of his own Disciples Judas Iscariot Where Observe 1. The person betraying Judas Judas a Professor Judas a Preacher Judas an Apostle being one of the Twelve whom Christ had chosen out of all the World to be his dearest Friend Can we wonder to find Friends unfriendly or unfaithful towards us when our Saviour had a Traytor in his own House Observe 2. The heinousness of Judas Sin in betraying Christ he betrayed Christ Jesus a Man Christ Jesus his Master Christ Jesus his Maker the first was Murther the second Treason Lord It is no strange or uncommon thing for the vilest of Sins and most horrid impieties to be acted by persons making the most eminent profession of thy holy Religion Observe 3. What hand the Devil had in the Sufferings of our Saviour He put it into Judas's heart to betray Christ that is he did suggest and inject such thoughts into his mind which Judas instantly closed with The Devil being a Spirit has a quick access to our Spirits and can instill his suggestions into them as Christ did breath upon his Disciples and they received the Holy Ghost and were filled with the Spirit so Satan breaths filthy suggestions into the Spirits of Men and fills them with all manner of wickedness even with the Spirit of Hell it self The Devil put it into Judas heart to betray him 4 He riseth from supper and laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself 5 After that he poureth water into a bason and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded Observe here The admirable humility and great self-denial of our Lord and Master he arises from Supper whilst his Disciples sate still and he that came in the form of a Servant performs all the offices of the meanest Servant to his Disciples he lays aside his upper Garments he girds himself with a Towel pours Water into a Bason and begins to wash and wipe their Feet which lay out behind them as they leaned at the Table all which was a most servile imployment Learn hence That the wonderful humility of Jesus Christ inclined him to do the meanest offices of Service unto his People even to become a Servant to them in the Day of his Humiliation and tho' now glorified in Heaven he retains the same Compassionate Heart towards them as when here on Earth 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him Lord dost thou wash my feet 7 Jesus answered and said unto him What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter 8 Peter saith unto him Thou shalt never wash my feet Jesus answered him If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me 9 Simon Peter saith unto him Lord not my feet onely but also my hands and my head 10 Jesus saith to him He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit and ye are clean but not all 11 For he knew who should betray him therefore said he ye are not all clean Observe here 1. How Simon Peter refuses to admit of such a condescending act from Christ his Lord and Master as the washing of his Feet Lord Thou shalt never wash my Feet it is a sinful humility to refuse the offered favours of Christ because we are unworthy to receive them Tho' we are not worthy of Christ and of his Love yet Christ is worthy of us and of our Faith Observe 2. Our Saviour's Reply to Peter's refusal 1. He tells him that there was more in it than the bare act of washing did at first sight import and that he should know hereafter what he did not understand now What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter
that time when he had with an unbelieving Heart and an unthankful Spirit been eating the Passover which was a Type of Christ Now Satan enters into him that is takes fuller possession of him and he gives up himself more freely and fully to the Devil's conduct and suggestions Satan gets possession of wicked Men gradually and by degrees not all at once the only way to be safe is to resist the beginnings of Sin for when Satan once gets footing it is hard to prevent a more full possession Observe 4. The place where Judas now was Namely at Bethany some Miles from Jerusalem and it was now Night yet so intent he was upon the Devil's work that away he trudges to Jerusalem and at that time of the Night repairs to the high Priests and sells his Saviour into their hands Oh what a warmth and zeal was here in the Devil's cause Men given over by God possest by Satan are so restless and unwearied in Sin that neither by day nor by Night can they cease from the contrivance and execution of it 31 ¶ Therefore when he was gone out Jesus said Now is the son of man glorified and God is glorified in him 32 If God be glorified in him God shall also glorifie him in himself and shall straightway glorifie him Observe here 1. Our blessed Lord calls his Death his glory Now is the Son of Man glorified That is now is the time at hand when I am to die and shall by my Death finish the work of Man's Redemption and thereby eminently glorifie God God the Father was eminently glorified in the Obedience and Sufferings of his dear and only Son It is true that the Sufferings of Christ were Ignominious in themselves yet were they the way to his own Glory and his Father 's also for by them he redeemed a lost World trampled upon Satan triumphed over Sin And the Father was exceedingly glorified by the Son 's giving Obedience to his Will and so chearfully Suffering Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him 33 Little children yet a little while I am with you Ye shall seek me and as I said unto the Jews Whither I go ye cannot come so now I say unto you Observe here An indearing compellation a sweet Title given by Christ to his Disciples Little Children intimating that tender Affection which he bare unto them tho' now upon the point of departing from them Learn thence That whatever Christ's dealings are or may be with his People in respect of his removing and withdrawing from them yet he still retains the relation of a Father to them and will in his absence from them exercise such a care over them as Parents have of their young and tender Children so much doth the Title of Little Children imply and import Observe farther The plain intimation which our Saviour gives to his Disciples of his death being very nigh for it was the very next day he tells them he was going to Heaven and whither he went they could not come that is not presently they should follow him their forerunner afterwards but at present he had a great deal of work for them to do tho' his own work was done and till they had finished their work Whither He went they could not come Learn hence That tho' it be Rest which the Saints may lawfully desire an everlasting rest with Christ in glory yet must they not refuse to labour whilest their Lord will have it so Till their work be done whither Christ is gone they cannot come Ye shall seek me but whither I go at present ye cannot come 34 A new commandment I give unto you That ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another Our Saviour having mentioned his departure from his Disciples in the former Verse I go away and whither I go ye cannot come In this and the following Verses he gives them a strict charge that in his absence they should love one another This he calls a new Commandment not that it was new in regard of Institution but of Restitution not new in regard of the Substance of it for it was a Branch of the Law of Nature and a known precept of the Jewish Religion But he calls it a new Commandment 1. Because purged from the old corrupt glosses of the Pharisees who had limited this duty of Love and confined it to their own Country-men whereas Christ enlarges the object and obliges his Disciples to love all mankind even their very Enemies 2. Because this Duty of Love was so greatly advanced and heightned by our Saviour as to the measures and degrees of it even to the laying down of our Lives one for another 3. It is called a new Commandment because urged from a new Motive and enforced by a new Example As I have loved you that ye also love one another never was this Duty so effectually taught so mightily encouraged so much urged and insisted upon by any Teacher as our Saviour and never was there such an Example given of it as his own 4. 'T is a new Commandment because with the rest it was never to wax old but to be always fresh in the memory and practice of Christ's Disciples to the end of the World 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another To recommend the foregoing Duty of loving one another with the greater advantage our Saviour tells us here that it will be the best Evidence of our Relation to him as sincere Disciples By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples Where Observe 1. Our Saviour doth not say by this Men shall conjecture and guess that you belong to me as being my Disciples but they shall certainly know it 2. He doth not say by this shall you know your selves to be my Disciples and one another to be so but by this shall all others know it as well as your selves 3. He doth not say by this shall all Men know that you look like my Disciples but that you are indeed what you pretend to be Namely By your loving one another 4. Christ doth not say by this shall the World know that you are my Disciples Namely By your assembling often together in my House of Prayer by your frequent fastings by your reading the Scriptures Daily by your hearing Sermons Weekly by your Receiving Sacraments Monthly all these put together will be no sufficient evidence of your Disciple-ship if you keep up a secret grudg in your Hearts one against another But by this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Learn hence That one of the best Proofs and Evidences we can have of our relation to Christ as his sincere Disciples is an hearty love and good will one towards another 36 ¶ Simon Peter said unto him Lord whither goest thou Jesus answered him Whither I go thou canst not follow me now but thou shalt
chearful Obedience a pleasing and an acceptable Obedience A constant and Abiding Obedience All other motives without Love are servile and base and beget in us the drudgery of a Slave but not the Duty of a Son he that fears God only is afraid of smarting but he that Loves God is afraid of offending Learn hence That the best and surest evidence we can have of our Love to the Lord Jesus Christ is an humble chearful universal and persevering Obedience to his commands keep my Commandments that is endeavour it without reserve for tho' we cannot keep the Commandments to a just satisfaction yet we may perform them to a gracious acceptation And the Word My My Commandments is a sweetning and alleviating Word Moses's Law an unsupportable Load but Christ's Law an easie Burthen The Law from Sinai dreadful the Law from Sion Gracious it pardons weakness and accepts sincerity 16 And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever 17 Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Christ comforteth his Disciples here with a promise of the Mission of the Holy Spirit to supply the want of his Bodily presence Where Observe The procurer of this Blessing 1. And that is Christ by his prevailing Prayer and powerful Intercession I will pray it runs in the future Tense and so 't is a promise of Christ's continual Intercession As long as Christ is in Heaven a Christian shall not want a supply of Comfort and Consolation here on Earth Observe 2. The Author and Donour of the blessing and that is God himself I will pray the Father and he shall give The Father that is my Father your Father and he that is the Father of Comfort and all Consolation I will pray and he will give 'T is an expression of great assurance Observe 3. The blessing it self the Holy Ghost called here Another Comforter Where note 1. The Divinity of the Holy Ghost he that will supply the Comforts of Christ's presence must be as Christ is the God of all Comfort Note 2. The person of the Holy Ghost he is a Divine person not a Divine quality or operation then we might call him a Comfort but not a Comforter Note 3. The Office and Imployment of the Holy Ghost He is a Comforter that is an Advocate and Intercessour to sue for us an Encourager and one that Administers Consolation to us and as he is an Holy Spirit so are his Comforts Holy Comforts Observe 4. The stability of this Blessing That he may abide with you for ever The best of our outward Comforts are sudden flashes not lasting flames but the Consolations of the Holy Spirit are strong Consolations they are abounding Consolations and everlasting Consolations especially the Holy Spirit will be the Comforter of good Men in the day of Affliction in the day of Temptation and at the hour of Death when all other comforts flag and fail Observe lastly The additional Title given to the Holy Ghost he is called the Spirit of Truth partly in opposition to Satan who is called a Lying Spirit partly because he teacheth and revealeth the Truth leadeth his People into all Truth and sealeth and confirmeth Truth to the Souls of Believers he is the Spirit of Truth both in his Essence and in his Operations Learn hence That as the Holy Spirit is True in his Essence and Nature so is he True in his Office as a Comforter to good Men. All his Consolations being real and solid and free from imposture and delusion 18 I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you Here Observe 1. The Condition which the Disciples were in upon the account of Christ's removal from them and that was sad and Comfortless Fatherless or Orphans as the word signifies Hence learn That Christ's Departure or the loss of his gracious Presence is very sad and Comfortless to a Pious Soul well might the Disciples here lament and mourn upon the occasion of Christ's leaving of them seeing thereby they should be deprived of his Doctrine and Instructions of his Advice and Counsel and of the Benefit of his Holy and Instructive Example Observe 2. The care of Christ for his Disciples in reference to this their sad and disconsolate Condition He would not leave them Comfortless Where Note He doth not say I will not suffer you to be comfortless but I will not leave you so that is he will not desert or disown them in their comfortless Condition he will not leave them either in point of Affection or in point of Activity he will not cease to Love them nor cease to bestir himself for them Learn hence That Christ will not leave his Friends in a sad and Comfortless state and Condition tho' for a time they may be brought into it I will not leave you Comfortless I will come unto you Christ's coming here unto them is to be understood of his coming to them by his Holy Spirit in the Gifts of it in the Graces of it and in the Comforts of it thus he did not long leave them Comfortless but at the Feast of Pentecost came again to them 19 Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more but ye see me because I live ye shall live also 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Here our Saviour foretels his approaching Death that within a little time the Men of the World should see him no more for tho' he arose again the World saw him no more after his Death for we Read of no Appearances of him after his Resurrection to any but to his Disciples only indeed the hour is coming when the World shall see him again Namely At the Day of Judgment when every Eye shall behold him with Terror and Amazement Observe farther The Consolation given to his Disciples Ye shall see me and because I live ye shall live also Because I am raised from the Grave I will quicken your Dead Bodies in the Grave and ye shall live also and as I live by my Ascension into Heaven so shall you my Disciples live a Life of Grace here and a Life of Glory with my self hereafter Learn hence That a Believer's Spiritual Life is derived from Christ who by his Spirit Communicates a quickening vertue to all his Members because he lives they shall live also Observe lastly A farther priviledge ensured to Believers after Christ's Ascension and the Spirits Mission they should more perfectly understand the Essential union betwixt Christ and the Father and the Mystical Union betwixt Christ and his Members At that Day ye shall know that I am in my Father c. The knowledge which the Saints now have of the Mysterious and Mystical Union is but dark and imperfect but in Heaven they shall
by the World the World may wish Peace yet never intend it or they may wish it yet not be able to give it but Christ's Peace is real and effectual solid and substantial the World's Peace is only a freedom from outward trouble but Christ's Peace is a deliverance from inward guilt and tho' it doth not give us an exemption from outward Troubles yet it gives us a sanctified use and improvement of them and assures us of a Joyful Issue and deliverance out of them 28 Ye have heard how I said unto you I go away and come again unto you If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. That the Disciples of Christ might neither be overset with fears nor overwhelm'd with grief he tells them that they ought to entertain the news of his departure rather with joy and exaltation than with sorrow and dejection If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I go to the Father True Love to Christ will make us rejoyce in his Advancement and Exaltation altho' it be to our own disadvantage Those words my Father is greater then I must be understood with reference to his Humane Nature as Mediatour for so he was the Father's Servant and the Father as God was greater than he as Man again the Father may be said to be greater than Christ in regard of his Paternity as being the fountain of the Deity the Father is of himself but the Son is begotten of the Father but being of the same Substance with the Father he is consequently God as the Father is God for the inequality arises not from the Essence but from the order and manner of Subsistence Thus the Father was greater than He. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass that when it is come to pass ye might believe 30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you for the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father gave me commandment even so I do Arise let us go hence The time of our Saviour's Death now nearer and nearer Approaching he prepares the expectation of his Disciples for it because evils that surprize us suddenly do sink our Spirits sadly whereas what we fear for that we prepare Accordingly our Lord arms his dear Disciples against all disquietude and over-whelming sorrow for his Departure from them I have told you before that when it comes to pass ye might believe that is be assured that I am not meer Man but truly and really God and depend upon me for Life and Salvation Observe 2. How our Saviour points out the cause of his Sufferings Namely Satan and his Instruments The Prince of this World cometh that is by Judas the Soldiers and the High Priests but he has nothing in me that is he will find no Sin or Corruption in me to side with his Temptations or no guilt upon me to give him any Advantage against me for I shall Die as a perfectly Innocent person Christ in Suffering for our Sins did not only conflict with the wrath of God but with the rage of Men and Devils yet all the power and policy all the malice and cruelty of Satan cannot prevail against Christ any further than he voluntarily yields and submits himself unto it The Prince of this World cometh but hath nothing in me Observe 3. That it was Christ's Love and Obedience to his Father that carried him forth so chearfully to the work of Sufferings supported him under it and carried him thorough it That the World may know that I love the Father and as the Father gave me Commandment even so I do True Love to God will draw Men to Obedience in the hardest Services and Sufferings the grand motive of Christ's Sufferings was Love to his Father Obedience to his Commands and a regard to his Glory Lord Let thy Love and Obedience to thy Father in all thy Sufferings be the subject of our Admiration and the matter of our Imitation also As the Father gives us Commandment so let us always do CHAP. XV. 1 I Am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Observe here How our blessed Saviour under the Metaphor of a Vine elegantly sets forth himself in his relation to his visible Church shewing under that similitude what his Father meant to do with Judas and with all unfruitful Branches like unto him even take them away cut them off and throw them into the Fire but such as are fruitful he purges by his Word and Spirit by Ordinances and Providences by Mercies and Afflictions that they may be more aboundingly and abidingly fruitful Learn hence 1. That Jesus Christ in his offices for and relation to his People doth most fitly resemble a Vine As the Vine is weak mean and small in outward appearance not like the Cedar for heighth or like the Oak for strength so was Christ in his state of humiliation there was no beauty in him Isa 53. As the Vine is a fruitful Plant tho' it has little pomp yet has it much plenty and is only useful for fruit-bearing and brings forth both plenty and variety of sweet fruit to make glad the Heart of Man thus the fruits of Christ's Death Resurrection Ascension and Intercession are many and great delightful and sweet In a word as the fruit of the Vine is pressed that it may be Drink unto Men so Christ submitted to be Trod in the Wine-press of God's Wrath that thereby the sweetest fruit and benefit might redound to his People Finally as the Vine is the Root from which all the Branches derive their nourishment and fruitfulness in like manner is Christ the Stock into which all his Members are ingrafted the Root in which they all subsist and the fountain from whence their spiritual Life and Fruitfulness doth proceed and flow Learn 2. That as Christ is the Vine so his Father is the Husbandman he ingrafts and implants all the Branches into this Vine the Plants of Righteousness are of his own planting he takes notice what store of Fruit every Branch doth bring forth and it is his daily care to dress and dung to purge and prune to support and shelter his Vineyard that it may bring forth Fruit abundantly Learn 3. That there are two sorts of Branches in this Vnie some fruitful others unfruitful some have the visibility but not the reality of Branches some are branches only by external profession others are so by real implantation Learn 4. That the true Touchstone whereby to discern one sort of Branches from another is not by the fair Leaves of Profession but by the substantial Fruits of an Holy and Righteous Conversation Learn 5. That in the most fruitful Branches in the best
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
the Apostles as well as Peter nay not only to the Apostles but to all their Successors yea not to the Apostles only and their Successors but to all Believer also for they are led by the Spirit of God and that into all Truth too not absolutely but into all necessary Truth And so far as a private Christian follows the Conduct and Guidance of the Divine Spirit he is more infallible than either Pope or Council who follow the Dictates and Direction of their own Spirits only 13 For he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come That is he shall not teach you a private Doctrine or that which is contrary to what ye have learned of me but whatsoever he shall hear of me and receive from me that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come This affords an Argument to prove the Holy Spirit to be God He that can shew us things to come he that clearly foreseeth and infallibly foretelleth what shall be before it is is certainly God But this the Holy Spirit doth he will shew you things to come Men and Devils may guess at things to come but none can shew things to come but he that is truly and really God therefore the Spirit is so 14 He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you 15 All things that the Father hath are mine therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you Here Christ shews the Advantage which would redound to himself by the coming of the Comforter he declares that the Spirit should glorifie him by his Testimony Gifts and Miracles and shall in all things accord with him and thereby evidence that he hath his Mission from him He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you And all things that the Father hath are mine Hence learn That although the Union in Essence amongst the Persons in the Trinity is the same yet the Order of their Subsistence and Operation is distinct the Son being from the Father and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son For all things that the Father hath are mine And the Spirit shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you 16 A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me because I go to the Father 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves What is this that he saith unto us A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me and Because I go to the Father 18 They said therefore What is this that he saith A little while we cannot tell what he saith 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him and said unto them Do ye enquire among your selves of that I said A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me 20 Verily verily I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoyce and ye shall be sorrowful but your sorrow shall be turned into joy 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come but assoon as she is delivered of the child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you In these Words our Holy Lord proceeds to comfort his Disciples with a Promise That however he was now to be removed from them yet they should shortly see him again namely after his Resurrection it being impossible that he should be held by Death but must arise and go to his Father His Disciples not understanding what he meant but labouring under the Prejudices of their national Errors concerning the Temporal Kingdom of the Messias knew not what to make of those Words A little while and ye shall not see me Our Saviour therefore explains himself to his Disciples telling them that they shall have a time of sad sorrow and grief of Heart during the time of his suffering and absence from them but their Sadness should soon be turned into Joy when they shall see him alive again after his Resurrection This he illustrates by the Similitude of a travailing Woman who soon forgets her Sorrow after she has brought forth a Child Thus will their Hearts revive upon the sight of him risen from the Grave and no Man shall be able to take their Joy away from them because he shall die no more but go to Heaven and there live for ever to make Intercession for them Learn hence 1. From the Apostles not understanding Christ's Words concerning his Departure tho' so often inculcated upon them A little while and ye shall not see me because I go to the Father Hence Note How unreasonable it is to arrogate to Man's understanding a Power to comprehend Spiritual Mysteries yea to understand the plainest Truths till Christ enlightens the Understanding let the Doctrine be delivered never so plainly and repeated never so frequently yet will Men continue ignorant without Divine Illumination How often had this plain Doctrine of Christ's departure to the Father been preached to the Disciples by Christ's own Mouth yet still they say What is this he saith We cannot tell what he saith Learn 2. From the different Effects which Christ's absence should have upon the World and upon his Disciples The World will rejoyce but ye shall weep and lament Note 1. That it is the wretched Disposition of the World to rejoyce in the absence and want of Christ out of the World When I am gone the World will rejoyce 2. That nothing is the cause of so much Sorrow and Sadness to sincere Disciples as Christ's absence and removal from them Such is their Estimation of the worth of him so great is their Apprehension of the want of him that there is no loss comparable to his absence and removal from them ye shall weep and lament at my departure tho' the World will rejoyce Learn 3. That the Believers Sorrow for Christ's absence tho' it be very great yet it shall not be perpetual Ye have now sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you The Joy of the Saints may be interrupted it shall never be totally extinguished it is a permanent Joy of which they shall never be totally deprived till they enter into the Ocean of eternal Joy Your Joy no Man taketh from you 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing Verily verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full At the first reading of the
argue from the Knowledg of Christ's Omnisciency to the certainty of his Divinity Now are we sure that thou knowest all things by this we believe that thou camest forth from God The Knowledg and Experience of Christ's Omnisciency may and ought fully to confirm us in the Belief of his Deity 31 Jesus answered them Do ye now believe 32 Behold the hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me In the foregoing Verse the Apostles made a full profession of their Faith in Christ's Divinity and in Christ's Omnisciency Now are we sure that thou knowest all things and that thou camest forth from God In this Verse Christ intimates to them that their Faith should be put upon a great Tryal very shortly Namely when his Sufferings came on and that then they should all forsake him and take care of themselves Ye shall be scattered and leave me alone Learn hence 1. That Christ was forsaken and left alone by his own Disciples in the Day of his greatest Distress and Danger 2. That when the Disciples left Christ they were scattered every one to his own 3. That when all forsook Christ and left him alone he was far from being simply alone because God was with him Ye shall leave me alone and yet am I not alone because the Father is with me God was with Christ and will be with Christians in a Suffering hour in his Essential presence in his Gracious and supporting presence He that sent me saith Christ is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do always those things that please my Father 33 These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world These words are the Conclusion of our Saviour's farewel Sermon to his Disciples in which he declares to them 1. The inevitable necessity of the World's Trouble In the World ye shall have Tribulation that is while ye have to do with the Men of the World while you have any thing to do with the things of the World nay while you have a being in the World you must look for Trouble both from within and from without from Friends and Foes in Body Soul Name Estate Heart-breaking Troubles Soul-rending Troubles such Troubles as will make the Heart to break and the Back to bend and you my Disciples must expect it as well as others In the World ye shall have Tribulation Hence learn That the Disciples of Christ in this World may yea must expect and look for Trouble Observe 2. The Remedy provided by Christ against this Malady In me ye shall have Peace when in the World ye have Tribulation Ye shall have Peace that is serenity of Mind a quiet and calm Temper of Spirit within when the World like a Tempestuous Air is full of Storms without Learn thence That though in the World Christ's own Disciples must look for and expect Troubles yet he has taken effectual care that amidst all their Troubles in him they may have Peace Christ's Blood has purchased Peace for them his Word has promised it to them and his Spirit seals it up to their Souls Observe 3. The Cordial provided by Christ for the support of his Disciples Spirits under the sinking Burthen of the World's Tribulations and Troubles But be of good cheer I have overcome the World I have taken the Sting out of every Cross and the Venom out of every Arrow Learn hence That it is a great Comfort to a Christian under all the Troubles of this World to consider that Christ has overcome the World That is all things in the World which may hinder his Peoples Comfort and Consolation here and their Eternal Happiness and Salvation hereafter As Namely the Prince of the World the Rulers of the World the wicked Men of the World the Troubles of the World the Temptations of the World the Corruptions that are in the World through Lust Now Christ having overcome the World all persons and things in it are at his disposal and can do nothing but by his permission and as he has overcome the World himself so he will enable us through Faith in him to overcome it also 1 John 5.4 This is the victory over the World even our Faith CHAP. XVII 1 THese words spake Jesus and lift up his eyes to heaven and said Father the hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee Our blessed Saviour having ended his Consolatory and Valedictory Sermon contained in the Three foregoing Chapters in this Chapter we have Recorded his last Prayer with and for his Disciples before he left the World which is a Copy left upon Earth of what he doth now interceed for as an Advocate in Heaven It is good saith one to compare Scripture with Scripture but not to prefer Scripture before Scripture all Scripture being written by Inspiration of God but if any part of Scripture be to be magnified above another this Chapter claims the preheminence it contains the breathings out of Christ's Soul for his Church and Children before his Departure not for his Disciples only but for the succeeding Church to the end of the World In the Verse before us Observe 1. The order of our Saviour's Prayer These words spake Jesus that is after he had finished his Excellent Sermon he closes the Exercise with a most fervent and affectionate Prayer teaching his Ministers by his Example to add Solemn Prayer and Supplication to all their Instructions and Exhortations if every Creature of God be to be Sanctified by Prayer much more the word of God which works not as a Natural Agent but as a moral Instrument in God's hand Now as God sets the Word on work so it is Prayer that sets God on work Observe 2. As the order of Christ's Prayer so the gesture in which he prayed He lifted up his Eyes to Heaven as an indication of his Souls being lifted up to God in Heaven to signifie his Reverence of God whose Throne is in Heaven and to denote his confidence in God and raised expectation of aid and help from God and not from any Creature Learn That the gestures which we use in Prayer should be such as may best express our Reverence of God and denote our Affiance and Trust in him Observe 3. The Person prayed to God under the Appellation of a Father it intimates a sweet Relation 't is a word of endearing Affection and implies great Reverence towards God and great confidence and trust in him Learn It is very sweet and comfortable in Prayer when we can come and call God Father Observe 4. The Mercy prayed for The hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee the hour is come that is the hour of my Sufferings and thy Satisfaction the hour of
my Victory and of thy Glory the hour the sad hour determined in thy decree and purpose no calamity can touch us till God's hour is come and when the sad hour is come the best remedy is Prayer and the only person to fly unto for Succour is our Heavenly Father Father the hour is come the doleful hour of my Death and Passion Glorifie thy Son Glorifie him at his Death by manifesting him to have been the Son of God Glorifie him in his Death by accepting it as the Death of thy Son for the Sins of the World Glorifie him after his Death by a speedy Resurrection from the Grave and a Triumphant Exaltation at thy Right Hand Here note How the Glory of the Father and the Son are inseparably link'd together it was the Father's design to Glorifie the Son and it was the Son's desire to have Glory from the Father for this end that he might bring Glory to the Father Glorifie thy Son that thy Son may Glorifie thee 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Observe here 1. The Dignity which Christ was invested with Power over all flesh that is Authority to Judge and Sentence all Mankind Observe 2. How Christ came to be invested with this Power it was given him by his Father Thou hast given him power over all flesh Hence the Socinians would infer that he was not God because he received all from God but the Text speaks not of his Divine Power as God but of his Power as Mediatour and the Note is That all Mankind is under the Power and Authority of Jesus Christ as Mediatour he has a Legislative Power or a Power to give Laws to all Mankind and a Judiciary Power or a Power to execute the Laws that he hath given Observe 3. The end for which Christ was invested with this Power That he might give Eternal Life to as many as God had given him Here Note 1. That all Believers that is all sincere and serious Christians are given by God the Father unto Christ they are given to him as his Charge to Redeem Sanctifie and Save and as his Reward Isa 53.10 2. All that are given to Christ have Life from him a Life of Justification and Sanctification on Earth and a Life of Glory in Heaven 3. The Life which Christ gives to them that are given him is Eternal Life 4. That this Eternal Life is a free Gift from Christ unto his People though they do not work for wages yet they shall not work for nothing I give unto them eternal Life John 10. 3 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent That is This is the way and means to obtain Eternal Life Namely By the true knowledge of God the Father and of Jesus Christ the Mediatour who was commissioned and sent by his Father to accomplish the work of Redemption for a lost World Here Observe Christ calls God the Father the only true God not in opposition to the Son and Holy Ghost who being one in Essence with the Father are truly and really God as well as the Father but in opposition to Idols and false Gods there is a great difference betwixt these two Propositions the Father is the only true God and the Father only is true God Christ saith the former This is Life Eternal to know thee the only true God The Socinian saith the latter This is Life Eternal to know only thee to be the true God and that neither Jesus Christ nor the Spirit are God but the Father only But how comes Eternal Life to depend as well upon the Knowledge of Jesus Christ as of God the Father if Jesus Christ be only Man and not truly and really God For thus our Saviour affirms this is Life Eternal to know thee and Jesus Christ Whence learn 1. That the beginning encrease and perfection of Eternal Life lyeth in Holy Knowledg 2. That no Knowledg is sufficient to Eternal Life but the Knowledg of God and Jesus Christ who is also God for who can think that the Knowledg of a mere Creature should be accounted equally necessary to Salvation with the Knowledg of the Great and Mighty God Surely if our Happiness consists equally in the Knowledg of God and Christ then God and Christ are of the same Nature equal in Power and Glory The comprehensive sense of the words seems to be this That the Knowledge of the only true God and of Jesus Christ the Mediatour is the Life of Grace and the necessary way to the Life of Glory 4 I have glorified thee on the earth Learn hence That the whole Life of Christ when here on Earth it was a glorifying of his Father he glorified his Father by the Doctrine which he preach'd he glorified his Father by the Miracles which he wrought he glorified his Father by the unspotted Purity and Innocency of his Life and by his unparallel'd Sufferings at his Death 4 I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do That is I am now about to finish it he speaks of what he was resolv'd to do as already done Here Note 1. That 't is work that glorifies God 2. That every Man has his work his proper work assigned him by God 3. This work must be finished here upon Earth 4. That when we have done our proportion of work we may expect our portion of wages 5. That it is a blessed thing at the hour of Death to be able to say in sincerity and uprightness that we have glorified God in the World and have finished the work which he appointed us to do Father I have glorified thee on the Earth and have finished the work which thou gavest me to do 5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was From the Connexion of this with the foregoing Verse Learn 1. That who ever expect to be glorified with God in Heaven must glorifie him first here upon Earth 2. That after we have glorified him we may expect to be glorified with him and by him I have glorified thee now O Father glorifie thou me it follows with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was Hence Note 1. That Christ as God had an Essential Glory with God the Father before the World was he had this Glory not in the purpose and decree of God only as the Socinians would have it for he doth not say Glorifie me with the Glory which thou didst purpose and prepare for me before the World was but which I had and enjoyed with thee before the World was by which words our Lord plainly asserts his own Existence and Being from Eternity and prays for a Re-exaltation to that Glory which he enjoyed with his Father before his Incarnation Note 2. That Christ as Mediatour did so far
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
with an unchangeable Love with an Everlasting Love so doth he Love Believers also Observe 5. That Christ would have the World know that God the Father loveth the Children of Men as well as himself Christ is not ambitious to ingross all our Love unto himself but would have the World take notice of the good Will of his Father as well as of himself to lost Mankind of the Father's Love in sending him as well as of his own Love in coming That the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me 24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world Our Saviour had prayed for his Disciples Sanctification before here he Prays for their Glorification 1. That they may be where he is now Christ is with them in his Ordinances in his Word and at his Table ere long they shall be with him as his Friends as his Spouse as his Companions in his Kingdom 2. That they may be with him where he is this is more than the former a Blind Man may be where the Sun is but not with the Sun because he doth not injoy the light and benefit of it To be with Christ where he is imports Union and Communion with him 3. That being with him where he is they may behold his glory that is so see it as everlastingly to possess and injoy it Learn 1. That all those that are given to Christ as his Charge and as his Reward shall certainly come to Heaven to him Father I will that they be with me because I have merited that they should be with me I will that they behold my Glory because I have purchased it at so dear a rate Learn 2. That the work and imployment of the Saints in Heaven chiefly consists in seeing and injoying Christ's Glory for it will be a possessive sight the language of every look will be This Happiness is mine this Glory is mine 3. That the top and height of the Saints happiness in Heaven consists in this That they shall there be with Christ Father I will that they may be with me to behold my Glory 25 O righteous Father the world hath not known thee but I have known thee and these have known that thou hast sent me Observe here 1. The Appellation given to God O Righteous Father This is the Sixth time that Christ in this Prayer has called God Father it being so sweet a Relation and producing all Love Delight Joy and Confidence in God by him that practically improves it But Observe That at Verse 11 When Christ prayed for his Peoples Sanctification he said Holy Father making use of that Attribute which is the cause of all Holiness in the Creature but now praying for their Glorification he says O Righteous Father Righteous in making good thy promises both to me and them Observe 2. What it is that our Saviour affirms concerning the wicked and unbelieving World that they have not known God the World hath not known thee not as if the World had not known him at all but not known him aright the unbelieving and unsanctified part of the World have no saving knowledge of God not living answerably to what they know to be their Duty Observe 3. What Christ affirms concerning himself But I have known thee and these have known thee Intimating thus much unto us That Jesus Christ alone knows God immediately and all others know him by the means of Christ Christ is the Original and fontal cause of all the saving knowledg that Believers have of God There is not the least Ray of saving Illumination that doth not descend from Christ and the Spirit of Christ I have known thee and these have known that thou didst send me 26 And I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it That is I have made known unto them thy Nature Attributes Counsels Will and Commands and I will continue the manifestation of the same to the End Learn thence That the saving knowledg of God was not attainable by natural Abilities but cometh to us by the special Revelation of Jesus Christ I have declared unto them thy name Learn 2. That they that have the Name of God his Nature and Will savingly declared to them do stand in need of farther declarations and discoveries of God's Nature and Will to be made unto them I have declared to them thy name and I will declare it 26 That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them That is That the Love which is Originally in thy self as the fountain of all Grace may be communicated and dispensed from thee to them and become inherent in them Learn hence That it is not enough for the People of God that they are beloved of him and that his Love is towards them but they must endeavour to have it in them that is experience it in the effects of it and in the sense and feeling of it in their own Souls The safety of a Christian lies in this that God loves him but the Joy the Comfort and Happiness of a Christian consists in the Knowledg in the sensible Apprehension and feeling of this Love therefore Christ closeth his Prayer for his Members with this Affectionate and Comprehensive Petition Let the Love wherewith thou hast loved me be in them and I in them CHAP. XVIII 1 VVHen Jesus had spoken these words he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron where was a garden into the which he entred and his disciples 2 And Judas also which betrayed him knew the place for Jesus oft-times resorted thither with his disciples No sooner had our dear Lord ended his Divine Prayer Recorded in the foregoing Chapter but he goes forth to meet his Sufferings with a willing chearfulness He retires with his Disciples into a Garden not to hide and shelter himself from his Enemies for if so it had been the most improper place he could have chosen it being the accustomed place where he was wont to Pray and a place well known to Judas who was now coming to seek him Judas which betrayed him knew the place for Jesus oft-times resorted thither with his Disciples So that Christ repaired to this Garden not to shun but to meet the Enemy to offer himself as a prey to the Wolves which in the Garden hunted him and laid hold upon him he also resorted to this Garden now for privacy that he might freely pour out his Soul to God Learn hence That the Lord Jesus Christ was praying to his Father in the Garden when Judas with his Bla k-Guard came to apprehend him 3 Judas then having received a band of men and Officers from the chief priests and Pharisees cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons Observe 1. What a multitude were here imployed by the
am ascending to my Father and must be injoyed no longer after a Corporal but Spiritual manner Learn hence That our Love to Jesus Christ is best shewn not by our Humane Passionate Affections to his bodily Presence but by our Spiritual Communion with him by Faith here on Earth in order to an immediate Communion with him face to face in Heaven Christ now after his Resurrection was advanced to a more Spiritual Condition therefore refuses at Mary's Hand the Offices of Humane Conversation but expects of her the Duties and Services of Spiritual Devotion Obs 2. Christ's Injunction But go to my Brethren and say I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Where Note The endearing Title given to the Disciples My Brethren he had before his Death called them his Servants his Friends his Children but now after his Resurrection he calls them his Brethren he became our Brother by assuming our Nature in his Incarnation he continues our Brother by resuming that Nature at his Resurrection Note farther That Christ calls his Disciples Brethren after his Exaltation and Resurrection thereby shewing that the change of his condition had wrought no change in his Affection towards his poor Disciples but those that were his Brethren before in the time of his Humilition and Abasement are so still after his Exaltation and Advancement Go to my Brethren and say Humility doth not only go before Honour but it dwells with Honour and doth ever more accompany it Observe lastly The good News or Message of Joy which Christ sends by Mary to his dear Disciples say I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God as if Nature and Adoption gave the same Interest Christ calls God his God and his Disciples God his Father and their Father first his and then theirs and therefore theirs because his Learn hence That God for Christ's sake hath dignified Believers with that near and dear Relation of his being a Father to them in and through his Son so that as they ought to carry it towards him like Children by Obedience Subjection and Resignation so they may expect he will retain a Fatherly Affection towards them and they may expect from him Fatherly Compassion Provision Protection Correction and all things needful 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her 19 ¶ Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them Peace be unto you 20 And when he had so said he shewed unto them his hands and his side Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Our blessed Saviour's first appearing after his Resurrection having been to Mary Magdalen as the former Verses acquainted us The same Day at Evening when the Doors were shut for fear of the Jews Jesus miraculously and as to the Disciples insensibly opens the Doors and stands in the midst of them and says Peace be unto you and shews them his Hands and his Side Where Note 1. That it has been no strange thing in the Church that the best Members of it have been put to frequent their Assemblies with great fear and been forced to meet in the Night with great Caution because of the Fury of the Persecutors Here Christ's own Disciples were forced to get together in the Night the Doors kept shut for fear of the Jews Note 2. Let Christ's Disciples meet together never so privately and with never so much hazard and jeopardy they shall have Christ's Company with them neither Bolts nor Locks nor fastned Doors shall hold Christ from them When the Doors were shut Jesus came and stood in the midst of them Observe lastly The Evidence which our Saviour offers to evince and prove the certainty of his Resurrection he shewed his Disciples his Hands and his Feet Christ appealed to and admitted of the Judgment of their Senses to assure them that it was his real Body And if we must not be allowed to believe our Senses as the Romish Synagogue would persuade us we shall want the best external Evidence we can have to prove the Truth of the Christian Religion namely the Miracles of our Saviour For how can we be assured that those Miracles were true but by the Judgment of our Senses Now as our Senses tell us that Christ's Miracles were true so they assure us that the Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation is false 21 Then said Jesus to them again Peace be unto you as my Father hath sent me even so send I you 22 And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the holy Ghost 23 Whos 's soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Observe here 1. The Repetition of our Saviour's endeared Salutation to his Disciples Peace be unto you Peace be unto you This was no more than might be needful to signifie his firm Reconciliation to them notwithstanding their late Cowardize in forsaking of him and flying from him when the Storm fell upon him Observe 2. How Christ doth renew his Disciples Commission for the Work of the Ministry who possibly were much discouraged with the remembrance of their faint-heartedness in the time of his Sufferings he doth therefore anew Commissionate them and sends them forth in these Words As my Father sent me that is to preach plant and propagate the Gospel so send I you By the same Authority and for the same Ends in part for which I was sent by my Father do I send you namely to gather to govern and instruct my Church Learn hence That when Christ left the World he did not leave his Church destitute of a Gospel-Ministry which shall continue to the end of the World As Christ was sent by the Father so are his Ministers sent by him and they may expect having the same Authority and Commission the same Success and Blessing and the Contempt cast upon them and their Message ultimately reflects upon God and Christ whose Messengers they are Observe 3. How Christ that sends them forth doth furnish them with the Gifts of the Spirit for their Office He breathed on them and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost that is the Gifts of the Holy Ghost They had received the Holy Spirit before as a Spirit of Sanctification here they receive it in its extraordinary Gifts to fit them for their Office And Christ's conferring the Holy Ghost by breathing upon them shews that the Holy Spirit proceeds as well from the Son as from the Father And as by God's breathing the first Man was made a living Soul so by Christ's breathing on the Apostles they were quickened and extraordinarily enabled for the Service they were called to Learn hence That when Christ sends forth any about his
order to our Improvement in Faith and Holiness If then after all the Revelation and Discovery which God has made of his Son Christ Jesus and of the Way that leads to eternal Salvation by him Persons remain willingly ignorant of him and their Duty to him Where shall they appear And how shall they escape Revel 1. Verse 5 6. Now unto him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father To Him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen The CLOSE THE design of the foregoing Notes upon the Holy Evangelists being to recommend the Instructive Life of our blessed Redeemer to our Observation and Imitation Altho' I have upon all occasions propounded his Example to be followed by us in all the steps of an Imitable Vertue as the matter every where occur'd yet adjudging it may be profitable to sum up together the several Graces and Vertues which were so Orient in the Life of Christ that having them daily before our Eyes we may be continually correcting and reforming of our Lives by that blessed Pattern I shall therefore briefly offer at it Because Nothing is so proper to form us to Holiness as the Example of the Mediatour it being absolutely perfect and thoroughly Accommodate to our present state there is no Example of any meer Man that is to be followed without limitation But the Life of Christ was as the purest Gold without the least Allay His conversation was a living Law and Christianity which is the Best and Holiest Institution in the World is nothing else but a Conformity to his Precepts and Pattern The Universal Command of the whole Gospel is this To walk as Christ walked This denotes a sincere intention design and endeavour to imitate and follow him in all the paths of Holiness and Obedience Particularly let us imitate Jesus I. IN his early Piety We find him at Twelve Years Old about his Father's Business sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing and asking them Questions See on St. Luke 2.46.47 An early Piety gives both the Person and the Service a peculiar preheminency no Comfort in Life no Happiness in Death like the Happiness and Comfort of being good betimes II. In his Obedience to his Earthly Parents See on St. Luke 2.51 He went down to Nazareth and was subject to them He paid Homage to the Womb that bare him and to his supposed and reputed Father that provided for him let a Person be never so high above others he is still below his Parents if the Highest upon Earth think their Parents beneath them and themselves above their Parents Commands Our Saviour did not so what shall we think of those Monsters of Ingratitude the Reproach of Humane Nature who are ashamed to own their Parents because of their Poverty or despise them because of the Infirmities of their Age. Prov. 23.22 Hearken to thy Father that begat thee and despise not thy Mother when she is old III. In his unwearied Diligence in doing Good Acts 10.38 Who went about doing good This was his Meat and Drink by Day his Rest and Sleep by Night He fed the Hungry cloathed the naked visited the Sick was Eyes to the Blind Feet to the Lame and Administred to such as were in Necessities and Streights And he has declared that he will Judg us at the great Day according to our imitation of him in doing good to all Mankind See the Notes on S. Math. 25. Ten last Verses IV. In his Humility and lowliness of Mind Math. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart witness his stooping to the meanest Office even that of washing his Disciples Feet S. John 13.5 He that came in the form of a Servant performs the Office of the meanest Servant to his Disciples And all this was to set us an Example of mutual Condescension each to other if I your Lord and Master have washed your Feet you ought also to wash one anothers Feet which Precept tho' it doth not bind us to the same Action yet it obliges us to the same Condescension Namely to think no Office of Love beneath us which the necessities of our Brother call for from us V. In the Vnblameableness and Inoffensiveness of his Life and Actions He injured none and justly offended none but was Harmless as well as Holy he wrought a Miracle to pay Tribute Money rather than give occasion of Offence to the Government See on Math. 19.27 Accordingly let us be Harmless and Blameless Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves Piety without Policy is too simple to be safe Policy without Piety is too subtile to be good VI. In his Eminent Self-Denial He emptied himself and became poor when he was Rich as God from all Eternity He impoverish'd himself by becoming Man Oh! what did he not deny when he left the Bosom of his Father with the ineffable Delights and Pleasures which he there enjoyed from all Eternity And instead thereof to Drink the Cup the Bitter Cup of his Father's wrath for our sake Lord how can we enough abase our selves for thee who thus deniedst thy self for us VII In his contentment in a low and mean Condition in this World Yea in a Suffering and Afflicted Condition he would not honour the World so far as to have any part of it in his own hand was therefore of himself less provided of comfortable accommodations than the Birds of the Air or the Beasts of the Field See Luke 9.58 The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the Air have nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head Let us learn from him to manage an afflicted Condition with a contented Spirit let there be no murmurings complaints or foolish chargings of God heard from us whatever straits or Troubles we may be brought into but in whatsoever state we are let us be therewith content Phil. 4.11 VIII In his frequent performance of the Duty of private Prayer and Fasting he sometimes spent a whole Night in Prayer Luke 6.12 He went into a Mountain to Pray and continued all Night in Prayer to God And Mark 1.35 In the morning rising up a great while before Day he went into a solitary place and prayed It is certain we have much more business with Almighty God in Prayer than Christ had he had no Sins to Confess no wants of Grace to make known yet did he delight with frequency and fervency to perform this Homage to his Heavenly Father Lord how doth thy Zeal and forwardness condemn our remisness and lukewarmness in praying to our heavenly Father IX In his Affectionate performance of the Duty of Praise and Thanksgiving Our blessed Saviour was a great Pattern of Thankfulness Matth. 11.25 I thank thee Oh Father Lord of Heaven and Earth c. John 11.41 Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me when he was to eat common Bread he received it with Thanksgiving What
glorifie his Name Observe 3. Our Saviour declares a double effect and fruit of his Death and Passion 1. The judgment of this World Now is the judgment of this World now shall the Prince of this World be cast out That is my Death will be the Devil's overthrow will bring down Sin and deliver the World from the Tyranny and Dominion of Sin and Satan Learn hence 1. That Satan is the Prince and Ruler of all those who live in Sin not a Prince by Legal Right but by Tyrannical Usurpation 2. That this Usurper Satan will not quit his Possession unless he be cast out 3. That Christ by his Death has cast out Satan dethroned him and deprived him of his Tyrannical Usurpation Now is the Prince of this World cast out That is I will shortly by my Death deliver the World from the slavery of Sin and Dominion of Satan and particularly from that Idolatry which the greatest part of the World were then in slavery under The second effect and fruit of Christ's Death which is here declared is his drawing all Men unto him When I am lifted up from the Earth I will draw all Men unto me There is a twofold lifting up of Christ the first Ignominious when he was hung upon the Cross the second Glorious in the Preaching of the Gospel by this he draws all Men unto him that is by the Preaching of the Gospel he calls and invites all persons to himself he offers the Benefits of his Death to all and gathered a Church to himself out of the Gentile as well as the Jewish World Learn 1. That all persons are naturally unwilling to come to Christ they must be drawn 2. That Christ meritoriously by his Death and instrumentally by the Preaching of the Gospel draws Sinners unto himself 3. That it is not a few or small number but a very great number consisting both of Jews and Gentiles Bond and Free persons of all Nations Sexes Ages and Conditions whom Christ draweth Not that all are effectually drawn to Christ so as savingly to Believe in him but by the Preaching of the Gospel they are called and invited to him and the Benefits of his Death are offered to them Thus Christ being lifted up upon his Cross and on the Pole of his Gospel draws all Men unto him 34 The people answered him We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever and how sayest thou The Son of Man must be lift up who is this Son of Man 35 Then Jesus said unto them Yet a little while is the light with you walk while ye have the light lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth 36 While ye have light believe in the light that ye may be the children of light These things spake Jesus and departed and did hide himself from them Observe here 1. Tâ—â— Objection which the Jews make against our Saviour's being the True Messias Their Argument runs thus It was foretold under the Law that Christ or the Messias abideth for ever but thou sayest the Son of Man must be lift up and die How then canst thou be the promised Messias The Answer is in his state of Humiliation unto Death he was lifted up but in his state of Exaltation he abideth for ever Learn hence That Christ's lifting up by Death and his abiding for ever do very well consist together for both are true of him The one in his state of Humiliation the other in his state of Exaltation Observe 2. Our Saviour returns no Answer to their cavilling Objection nor doth he undertake to demonstrate how his Sufferings and his abiding for ever are consistent but gives them intimations that he was the Light of the World and advises them whilst they had the Light with them to prize it highly and improve it faithfully Yet a little while is the Light with you walk whilst ye have the Light lest Darkness come upon you Note here 1. A choice and singular Priviledge injoyed the Light is with you a personal Light Christ a Doctrinal Light the Gospel Both these brought with them a Light of Knowledge answering our Darkness of Ignorance a Light of Grace and Holiness answering our Darkness of Sin which we had brought upon our selves and a Light of Joy and Comfort answering the Darkness of Misery and Horror which we lay under by reason of our guilt Note 2. The time of injoying this priviledge limited yet a little while is the Light with you The time of a Peoples injoying the Light and Liberty of the Gospel it is a limited time it is a short time Note 3. A Duty injoined by Christ answerable to the priviledge injoyed by us Walk whilst ye have the Light An uniform and constant course of Holy walking according to the Rule of the Gospel is the indispensable Duty and Obligation of all those that injoy the Light and Liberty of the Gospel Namely To walk according to the precepts and commands of the Gospel answerable to the Priviledges and Prerogatives of the Gospel answerable to the helps and supplies of Grace which the Gospel affords and answerable to the glorious hope and expectation which the Gospel raises us unto Note 4. A danger threatned to the neglecters of this Duty lest Darkness come upon you Namely A Darkness of Ignorance and judicial Blindness a Darkness of Error and Seduction a Darkness of Horror and Despair and the fatal and final Darkness of Death and Hell for all contemners of Gospel Light there is reserved the Blackness of Darkness for ever where Sin and Torment run parallel their Torment makes them Sin and their Sin feeds their Torment 37 ¶ But though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him 38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled which he spake Lord who hath believed our report and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed 39 Therefore they could not believe because that Esaias said again 40 He hath blinded their eyes and hardned their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them 41 These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him Observe here 1. The astonishing Infidelity and unbelief of the Jews who heard our Saviour's Doctrine and were Eye-witnesses of his Miracles Tho' he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him Let not the faithful Ministers of Christ be discouraged and over much dejected at their want of success in dispensing of the Gospel when they observe and consider the small success of our Saviour's own Ministry in the Hearts and Lives of his hearers Yea tho' his Ministry was accompanied with Miracles and tho' his Miracles were many in number mighty in nature clear and obvious to Sense being wrought before their Eyes yet his Ministry succeeded not and his Miracles prevailed not Lord what little success