him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him That his gratious reguard of man whom the Lord sets in the next place to himselfe may the better appeare as the first worke of Creation was for his seruice so the second of Regeneration was for his saluation This wee learne of our Euangelist q Ioh. 20. 31. who tels vs that the ende of writing the Gospell was That wee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that by beleeuing wee might haue life through his name See I pray you how Saint Iohn hath loyned these two endes together the former is the glorifying of Iesus Christ as the Sonne of God the later the procuring life to men by faith in him According to these two endes the Euangelist hath framed this beginning of his Gospell First r Ioh. 1. 1. 2. he describes Iesus Christ vnto vs as hee is in himselfe God euerlasting Then hee shewes what hee is to vs. A creator of vs when wee were nothing a Sauiour to vs when Ver. 3. wee were worse then nothing Of the former points we haue heard out of the three former verses now of the Ver 4. 5. later out of these two that follow Whereof wee may sitly make these two parts a description of the Messiah as the aâ—tor of Life in the fourth verse and the former part of the fift His intertainment by men in the later part of the same verse In the description oâ—r Euangelist declareth first what hee was in the nature of his mediation verse 4. then what in regard of the effect verse 5. Concerning the nature of that his office two points are to bee considered First that In him was life 2. that That life was the light of men The effect is that The light shineth in darkenesse But how was this light intertaind Or rather this light found no entertainement The darkenesse comprehended it not Now for the better vnderstanding of these points First according to my custome I wil examine the words then expound the meaning of the Text. For the wordes in the first clause for I will take euery one seuerally by it selfe we must consider both what life the Euangelist speaks of and why hee speakes in that manner saying In him was life Why hee sayth In him was life rather then He was life why was rather then Is seeing it is as true and plaine that Hee is life as that life was in him But what is this life hee speakes of Looke not that I should trouble you or my selfe with refuting or so much as reciting the diuers strange interpretatioÌ„s of Heretickes foolishly grounded vpon that manner of reading which couples the former part of this verse with the later ende of the third That which was made was life in him I shewed in my last exercise that if this had beene intended by the Euangelist hee would rather haue said All things that were made were life in him Surely the manifold and different expositions that so many heretickes haue made of these wordes so read and the absurd errors and blasphemies they haue gathered from them may well seeme a sufficient reason to discredite such a kinde of reading as hath no better warrant then the coniectures of men Howsoeuer the vulgar Latine retaine it with the mislike of many learned Papists Å¿ August in Ioa. tract 1. Ambrosde fide lib. 3. cap. 3. and in Psal 36. Theophyl ad Ioa. 1. The Manichees deuis'd two senerall and almost contrarie interpretations of them The Arians a third The Macedonians a fourth Heracleon a fist and euerie one of these an erroneous doctrine sutable to his exposition Yea t Origen lib. 3 in Ioan. the best sense that is giuen of the words so read is so curious and sub till that it rather shewes the witte and learning of the Interpreters then the meaning of the Writer And perhaps it were but lost labor for the greatest part of this auditorie to take paines and spend time in striuing to make them vnderstand it Wherefore leauing those nice points to another kinde of exercise and auditorie let vs take the wordes plainely and simply as they offer themselues to bee conceiv'd of all men Who if they haue any knowledge at all of the Scripture or of religion by reading or hearing by this word life vnderstand one of these two things Either the naturall life whereby all liuing creatures are sayd to liue or the spirituall life by which they that are regenerate by the spirite of God liue spiritually in this world by grace and in the world to come by glorie Let vs see some examples of the word in these senses out of the Scripture For the naturall life wee haue the very beginning of it in Moses u Gen. 1. 20. God saide Let the waters bring foorth in abundance euerie creeping thing that hath life And afterward Let the earth bring foorth euerie liuing thing according Ver. 24. to his kinde Of man it is particularly written that x Gen. 2. 7. The Lord God breathed in his face breath of life and the man was a liuing soule So sayth y 1. Cor. 15. 45. the Apostle alluding to that place The first man Adam was made a liuing soule This is that life which the Lord threatned hee would take away by the floud Behold * Gen. 6. 17. sayth hee I will bring a floud of waters vpon the earth to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life vnder the heauen In this sense the word is not so common in the newe Testament I thinke not once in this whole Gospell in other places some times a Luk. 8. 15. Though a man haue abundance his life standeth not in his riches b Act. 17. 25. God giueth to all life and breath in all things c 1. Cor. 15. 19. If in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ And as this signification of life is rare in the new Testament so is the other for spirituall life in the old yet now and then vnder the title of this present life the life to come is also implyed Behold d Deu. 30. 15. 19. 20. sayeth Moses I haue set before thee this day life and good death and euill Afterward life and death blessing and cursing And in the next verse The Lord thy God is thy life and the length of thy dayes In the Psalme oftner and playner e Psal 16. 11. Thou wilt shewe mee the path of life f Psal 36. 9. With thee is the well of life So in g Pro. 2. 19. the Prouerbes All they that goe vnto her returne not againe neither take they hold of the wayes of life h Pro. 6. 23. Corrections for instruction are the way of life That one booke affordes vs more examples of this kinde then all the olde Testament beside But the new is full of them euery where i Mat. 7. 14. 18. 8. The way is narrow
long continued negligence To which purpose I haue especially made choice of this piece of Scripture If any man pretende the hardnesse of the matter what is more easie or more pleasant then a story If any man despise the plainenesse of it as a thing not worth his labour because a storie what is more strange or mysticall then such a Storie The Gospell is the easiest part of the Newe Testament But the Gospell of Saint Iohn is the hardest part of all the Euangelists writings yea I dare boldelie saie it because I am sure I shall speake it truely there is no one part of all the Scripture setting allegories and prophecies not fulfilled apart that conteines matters more needefull or more hard to be knowen then this present Gospell or message of ioyfull tydings brought to vs by the holy Euangelist the beloued Disciple of our Sauiour Christ 2. Of whome that I may speake a little for the farder inciting of vs to hearken diligently to that hee writes first I will entreat of his person then of his writing That which k 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 the Apostle Peter sayth of the olde Testament that no prophecie of the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation but that holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost is also to bee applied to the writings of the newe Testament which proceeded from the same spirit of God by the like inspiring and directing as it is confessed by all both Protestants and Papists that make any profession of Christian Religion For the Apostles of our Sauiour Christ were the Penners of all these books saue l The Gospells of S Marke and S. Luke and the Acts. three and m Ioh. 16. 13 to them the holy Ghost was both promised by him to leade them into all truth and n Act. 2. 3. 4 accordingly sent so that there can be no question but the new Testament as well as the olde is the certaine truth of God equall in authority superior in plainnesse knowledge of particulars belonging to euerlasting saluation But you wil demand perhaps how we may be assured that the Apostles were the immediate Authors of these books First we haue the same proof of the new Testament that wee haue of the Olde the ioynt consent of Christians in all ages from time to time Secondly who seeth not the admirable prouidence of God in preseruing these bookes in such glorious reputation maugre the power malice of the mighty ones of this world their great master Satan Thirdly who can be so shamlesse as to deny or suspect the credit of those auncient Christians who liuing in the Apostles times might did certainely knowe either by o Gal. 6. 11 Col. 4. 18. 2. Thes 3. 17 1. Cor 16. 21 the hand or by some marks which the Apostles vsed as it were signing and sealing or by enquirie of the Apostles themselues that those bookes were indeed of their writing From them this knowledge came to their next successors and successiuely to vs that now liue by such a generall consent of so many thousands in all ages that it were more then impudencie to make question of the matter howsoeuer our Papists in these dayes to make all men depende on them that they may shew themselues to be Antichristian will haue the assurance of this point as of all other matters of faith to be fetcht from them that now liue from the authority of the Church of Rome that now is I may say the like of those other 3. Bookes the Gospels of Mark and Luke and the Acts of the Apostles which were acknowledged by the first Christians to thaue been endited by the spirit of God and as p August prolog in Ioan. it is recorded by some to haue beene approued for such by the Apostle S. Iohn who doubtlesse liuing till after the decease of all them that are saide and belieued to be the writers of these and the other books of the new Testament would haue disclaim'd the authority of thē informed the Church against them if he had not certainly knowen that they were al the holy Ghosts owne enditing But it is not my purpose nor is it necessarie to that I haue in hand to dispute this question onely it seemed to me not amisse to speake thus much in this entrance as it were by the way to preuent such obiections as might perhaps disquiet the mindes of some not so thoroughly setled For whose better satisfaction I will add that which is of most importance namely the matter conteined in these books which is apparantly such for the substance of it as the heart and head of man were neuer able to deuise yea such witnesse q 1. Cor. 2. 9. 10 the holy Apostle Saint Paul as neither ey hath seene eare hath heard nor euer came into any mans heart But God hath reueiled it to vs by his Spirit which searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God This strangenesse of the matter is seconded in them that beleeue to saluation by an vnspeakeaioy and comfort in their soules conceiued vpon a feeling of the pardon of their sins and a certaine hope of euerlasting happinesse in the life to come In the last place comes the testimony of the spirit of God which as it were the broade seale makes vp the assurance both of the matter and the bookes in which it is comprised If you aske me how I can discern the witnesse of the Spirit from the illusion of Satan and the imagination of mine owne brain giue me leaue also to demand a like question of you How could the Prophets whose ministery it pleased the holy Ghost to vse from time to time make a difference betwixt the motions of the Lord himselfe and the suggestions you mention were they any more able to express this power of discerning then the faithfull now are I grant they could make proofe of their calling and the reuelations they had by a miraculous foretelling of things to come But neither were those prophesies any certaine proofes till the euent confirmed the truth of them and my question remaines still vnanswered How they could discerne that the things which they prophecied of were reuealed to them by God and not suggested by any deceitfull working of the diuel Beare with mee I beseech you if I a little forget my selfe in a matter of such importance and difficulty wherein I would be yet more bolde with your patience but that I trust and purpose to handle this point more at large vpon some iuster occasion hereafter The conclusion is that no reasonable man much more that no Christian may without great inciuility or weakenesse of faith make any question of the truth of these books which haue continued in estimation and authority by the space of so many hundred years in despight of so many so learned and so mighty enemies whereas the doctrine it self by which through the power of God it hath and doth
He that beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life And in the same Chapter afterward hee Ver. 40. reproues the Iewes because they would not come vnto him that they might haue life Whereas the ende of his comming was Å¿ Ioh. 10. 10. That they might haue life and haue it in abundance Therefore doth t Act. 3 15. the Apostle Peter call him the Lord of life But whome shoulde wee rather heare in this case then u 〈◊〉 the Euangelist himselfe expounding his owne meaning The life appeared and wee haue seene it and beare witnesse and shew vnto you that eternall life which was with the father and appeared vnto vs. Can any man doubt but the Euangelist speaketh of the same life in the beginning of his Epistle whereof he intreateth in his Gospell Compare them together and see if you can perswade your selues otherwise Will you heare him speake yet more plaine x 5. 11. This is the recorde that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne This later is called Eternall life in the wordes before Then surely the Euangelist speaketh in the Gospell also of eternall life which the Sonne of God bringeth as mediatator not of this transitorie life which hee giueth as Creator Now because this supernaturall life is double either of grace in this world or of glorie in the world to come I should farther inquire whether of these two is here meant or whether both be not meant But of that as also of the reason why our regeneration saluation is tearmed life I wil speake when I come to giue the meaning of the place In the meane while let vs goe forward in examining the words and first let vs see why he vseth this kinde of speech In him Why doth he not rather say as before by him doubtlesse hee might well haue sayde so For it is by him indeede that wee haue life y Rom. 5. 1. 2. By him wee haue peace toward God By him wee haue accesse through Ver. 11. faith vnto this grace wherein wee stand By him wee haue receiued the attonement But this manner of speech though it bee as true as the other yet it is not so fitte in this place nor so significant Not so fitte because the Euangelist would put a difference betwixt the Creator and the Mediator All things were made by him not in him though * Origen hon 2. â—n â—â—uers some would haue without to imply as much whome I aunswered the last day But our spirituall life is as by him so in him The things that are made by him howsoeuer they alwayes depend on him for the continuance of their being yet they are not one with him Is it so with them that receiue the life of grace from him No no They are ioyned close vnto him and the life that they haue is from that spirit by which hee liues Therefore is a Eph. 5. 3â— the Church flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone yea all the faithfull are members of his bodie himselfe being the head This neere coniunâ—ction with him could not bee exprest so significantly if the Euangelist should say By him was life as it is when hee sayth In him was life yet doth not say Hee was life which also is true because heâ— speakes of it not as it rests in him but as it is communicated by him to vs. But why sayes hee was and not rather Is in him Is there no life nowe to bee had Or is there any to bee had nowe but in hiâ— No surely There is no saluation in any other b â—â— 4. 12 For amonge men there is giuen no other name vnder heauen whereby â—ee must bee saued How then sayes the Euangelist that lâ—â—e was in him c Tolet. in â—â—â— innot 13. Wee may not imagine that â—ee meanes to shewe vs anye other way of attayning to life as if was excluded is No more then wee may conceiue that the Word is not GOD nowe because hee sayeth of him The Worde was God What may then bee the reason of this manner of speech It is thought to bee double either in reâ—uard of Gods eternall purpose or in respect of the â—mes before the comming of the Messiah The former wee must thus vnderstand that the Lorde God fore-seeing the fall of his creature man decreed in himselfe to recouer him by sending his Sonne to make satisâ—action for sin by sacrificing of himselfe vpon the altar of the crosse Of this saith d 2. Tim. 1. 9. the Apostle He hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs through Iesus Christ before the world was Therefore also sayth our Euangelist e 1. Ioh. 1. 2. other where that this life was with the Father and appeared vnto vs. When the fulnesse of time was come sayth Saint Paul God sent his Sonne What fulnesse of time was this but the very hower appointed by God So that Saint Iohn may well say In him was life Because euen before the foundations of the world were layd life was setled and shut vp in the person of the Sonne who was in due time to become the mediator of mankinde by taking the nature of man vpon him If there bee any man whome this aunswere doth not content it may bee the other coniecture will satisfie him Let vs not wearie our selues with looking so far as to the eternall decree of GOD but keepe our sight within the compasse of the worlde within that time also wee shall finde some reason of this speech When was life in him euer since there was any to whome that life might appertaine it was ready for him in the Sonne of GOD the promised Messiah f Gen. 3. 15. Where had our first parents Adam and Eue their spirituall life after the Curse but in him In whom was the couenant established with g Gen. 12. 3. Gal. 3. 8. Abraham but in his seede Iesus Christ What name I some speciall men Did not this life offer it selfe generally vnto all that came of Abraham Brethren I would not that you should bee ignorant sayeth h 1. Cor. 10. 1. 2. 3. 4. the Apostle that all our fathers were vnder the Cloude and all passed through the Sea And were all baptized vnto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea And did all eate the same spirituall meate And did all drinke the same spirituall drinke For they dranke of the same spirituall Rocke that followed them and the Rocke was Christ What though many thousandes dyed before the Sonne of God became men were they therefore without meanes of life and saluation Nothing lesse i Heb. 13. 8. Iesus Christ yester-day and to day and the same for euer They beleeued in Christ to come wee beleeue in him being come
death Do you perceiue that the Lord himlelfe hath giuen that condition of ours the name of death The olde Testament furnish â—th vs with many examples to precue the first sinne comâ—itted by vs in Adam cast vs all into the state of death â—ut this death so often there spoken of is partly the mortalitie of the body and partly the eternall punishment of the soule in hell fire the other death of sinnei â—eldome or I thinke neuer mentioned in any of those books The new Testament supplyes vs with very great plentie of example of both kindes Of the one I will say nothing at all because euery man continually obserueâ— them Of the other I must needes speak because perhaps they are not so ordinarily markt of all men q Mat. 8. 22. Let the dead bury their dead saith our Sauiour The dead to be buried are they whose carcases are left without life by the departure of the soules froÌ„ theÌ„ as the historie that place manifestly sheweth But who bee the dead that must bee the buriers of those corpses Who else buâ— they that are dead in sinne dead to righteousnessâ— and so looke after nothing that concernes euerlasting life any more then men naturally dead doe after the things of this present life So saith r Luk. 15. 32. the kind Father of the prodigal Sonne This thy brother was dead Dead The parable had said no such thing of him What theÌ„ was that death the Father speaks of Questionles the death of sin whereby he had liued lewdly wasted his goods with verse 13. riotousnesse and as his brother angerly obiected had deuoured them with harlots This the Apostle expresseth Verse 30. when speaking of vs all in our naturall estate before grace he f Epb. 2. 5. 7. saith that we were dead in sinnes and trespasses This may yet farder be manifested by the title that is giuen to that condition into which wee enter by regeneration First t Ioh. 3. 5. our Sauiour saith we must be borne againe what needs that if we were neuer dead And u Rom. 6. 2. the Apostle S. Paul affirmeth that they which are so borne againe are dead to sinne Then till they were so borne againe they liu'd in sinne The life of the one is alwaies the dea'h of the other If thou liue to sinne thou art dead to righteousnes If thou liue to righteousnes thou art dead to sinne Therefore x 1. Pet. 2. 24. S. Peter ioynes them both together That we being dead to sinne might liue to righteousnesse S. Paul hath the like speech in vnlike tearmes When y Rom. 6. 20. saith he yee were the seruants of sinne yee were freed from righteousnesse But now being freed from sinne Verse 22. made seruants vnto God Marke I pray you how one of these as it were destroies the other A naturall man without grace is free from righteousnesse yea as free as a dead man is from all matters of this worlde A spirituall man indued with grace is free from sinne yea as free as Lazarus was from all the cares of this worlde while he lay in his graue without life or breath But I may not forget my selfe too much The summe of all is this that our Sauiour Christ himselfe and by his example our Euangelist describeth the estate into which we are brought by becomming members of his body by the tearm of life because ourformer estate out of which he deliuered vs was in name nature an estate oâ— death Now hauing examined the words let vs come to the doctrine it selfe In him was life which is all one as if the holy Euangelist should haue said This word or promised Messiah of whom I haue begun to intreat and intend to write this story not only was eternall hauing his being before any thing created ever began to be that with God euen then when there was nothing beside God but was also himselfe very God From him al things that are or euer were had their whole being in him the spirituall life both of grace and glory was so plaÌ„ted that who soeuer desires to be partaker of it must haue it only as in him being come into the world This is that which we are to learne out of this place In the handling whereof I will first deliuer the doctrine that our spirituall life is by Christ then I will speake of the manner how it is by him Concerning the former point first I wil propouÌ„d it in general then I wil shew it in those particulars of holynes happynes The manner also hath 2. things to bee considered That this life was in Christ that it was in him eueÌ„ while he liued here vpoÌ„ the earth Touching the first point that our estate is to be recouered by our Sauiour Christ let me put you in mind of those places which I once before alleag'd which are indeed the very foundation of the Gospell By sinne the diuell got dominion ouer vs God in iustice leauing vs when we had forsaken him Satan iniustly seizing on vs as it were intruding himselfe into a house void of any owner to keepe possession But the Lord God though he would not presently thrust out by the head shoulders or pluck out by the eares that presumptuous intruder yet tels him that he should not imagin he had gotten or should hold quiet possession for euer I will put enmity * Gen. 3. 15. saith the Lord betwixt thee the woman between thy seed her seed What shall be the euent of this long doubtfull contention He shal breake thy head thou shalt bruise his beele Though Satan be strong armed by that meanes may seeme to keepe his palace without disturbance yet there comes a Luk. 11. 11. 22 a stronger then he that ouercomes him takes from him al his armoâ— wherin he trusted diuides his spoils This shews manifestly that the deuill shall lose his possession but perhaps he may reenter or if he do not yet are wee by this meanes rather freed from misery then restored to felicity Let vs go forward therfore and heare the promise that God makes to Abraham the Father of the faithfull b Gen. 12. 3. In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed c Gal 3. 16. S. Paul thus expounds To Abraham and his seedwere the promises made He saith not to the seeds as of many but to thy seed as of one which is Christ And this promise thus made the same Apostle cals the preaching of the Verse 8. Gospell The Scripture saith he foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles by faith preached before the Gospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall al the Gentils be blessed This belssing our Euangelist describes where setting downe the end of the Gospel he tels vs that d Ioh. 20. 31. by beleeuing we shal haue life through his name What shall I need to
heape vp any more testimonies in a matter nothing doubted of we haue found that we sought that life is to bee had in Iesus Christ See I pray you consider a little with me how many greate reasons we haue to bee inflamed with the loue of Iesus Christ If we regard excellency of nature in which respect e Velleius Epi cur apud Cicer. de nat deor l. 1. the graund Atheists of the worlde thought the heatheÌ„ imagined Gods worthy of honor seruice behold he is God If length of yeers he is eternall without beginning or ending But these things rather cause admiratioÌ„ then moue affection which is then most effectually stirred vp when the sense of some benefit receiu'd hath taken ful possession of our hearts If there be any man with whom these respects canot preuaile what is he but meerely senslesse neither knowing what he hath nor feeling what hee wantes What said I Not knowing what hee hath There needes not so much If no man can bee ignorant that hee is all men must need vnderstand that they are beholding to him by whome they are Looke not vpon the goodly feature of thy body think not on the excellency of thy soule vnderstand not that thou hast vnderstaÌ„ding forget that thou canst remember only deny not that thou art because thou prou'st it by denying it and thou hasâ— cause enough to loue the author of thy being Doth this benefit of thy naturall being somewhat affect thee Oh how wouldst thou bee rauisht if thou couldst see the blessednes of thy supernaturall estate I will not goe about to shew thee the misery in which thou art now by the corruption of thy nature I will not so much as say thou art miserable I reserue those points for some other opportunity the next verse will giue mee occasion to speake somewhat of them Only giue meeleaue to proclayme life in Iesus Christ Doost thou heare what I say I wil repeate it againe and that as loud as I can that all may heare it The Word the promised Messiah Iesus Christ the Sonne of God hath life in him for all that will be partakers of it Dost thou sit still at the hearing of this proclamation No maruaile How should a dead man stit Wouldest thou haue a better proofe that thou art dead indeed Well if there be no remedy but that thou wilt continue stil in death I wil leaue thee in it turne to them whom I see running vp and downe to seeke out this life Why do you vexe weary your selues with seeking that which is vnder your noses f Rom 10. 6. The righteousnesse of Verse 7 this faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heauen That is to bring Christ from aboue Or Verse 8. who shaldescend into deepe That is to bring Christ againe from the dead But what saith it The word is neere thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart g Gen. 21. 15. 16. When Agar being turned out of Abrahams house with her Sonne Ismaell had spent the bottle of water that she brought from home heleft her Sonne vnder a tree and went a bowe shoote off that she might not see him dy And yet as it appeared afterward she might hard by a well of water though shee knewe it not God opened her eies saith the text and she Verse 19. saw a well of water This is the case of those men to whoÌ„ I now speake Are yee turned out of doores from God your heauenly Father Doe you finde your selues out of all hope to recouer his fauour Are you dead and would you liue but that you can see no meanes of life Be of good comfort and cheere vp your selues The water of life is neerer then you are aware of You are in it and knowe it not It comes vp to your very lips Doe but open your mouths and it will run in Agar sate her downe and did not so much as looke about her to see if Verse 16. she could light vpoÌ„ any spring or pit of water to maintaine life in her Sonne and the Lord himselfe cald vnto her and fhew'd her where she might fill many bottels And will he suffer thee thinkst thou to wander from place to place to seeke life Behold it is in his Son Thou shalt not need to climbe vp to heauen h lib. 3. 13 Iesus Christ of his owne accord without thy desire or thought of any such matter came downe from thence brought life with him Sound not the depths to fetch it out from below i Luk. 24. 6. Euen from thence also the same Iesus Christ came vp with life Art thou dead There is life in him If thou wert not dead neither couldst thou receiue nor he bestow life vpon thee k Mat 9. 12. Can a whole man be cured or l Ioh. 8. 33. 34. a free man set at liberty Was m Ioh. 11. 6. 39. not Lazarus dead before he could be raised againe to life Therfore did our Sauiour stay in the place where he was 2. dayes after he had word of his sicknes that he might be dead and buried ere he should come to restore him to life againe Tell me not how long thou hast bin dead The strength of death growes not by continuance as sicknesse doth He that hath bin dead but one hower is as void of life as he that died a yeere ago When our Sauiour came to raise Lazarus he had bin dead 4 daies Lord said Martha he stinks by this time There wanted life and when that came neither continuance of time nor noysmnes of â—aâ—or nor the bands at his hands and feete were able to make any resistance for the detayning of the prisoner If the force of life be so greate that no contrary power is of strength to make head against it may it not well seem exceeding strange that so few recouer life or once looke after it n Ioh. 5. 39. 40. Our Sauiour complaines of the Iewes that although they search the Scripturs with an opinioÌ„ that euerlasting life was to be had out of them those Scriptures testified of him that he was the autor of that â—ife yet they would not come to him that they might haue life There is no reason that we should expect better intertainement then he found Hee that will not beleeue that the light shines when it is plaine to be seene wil hardly giue credit to him that tels him afterward it did shine Yet me thinks I cannot chuse but wonder that this life which is in our Sauiour should so generally be neglected I am loth to say despised or refused bâ—â— I must of necessity coÌ„â—ess it is not embraced as it shâ—uâ—d be Would you know what the reason of it is what â—â—e we vnwilling to haue life That is not possible seing our chiefest care is to maintaine life Doe wee despaire of means to come by it The least shew of
But these mē will not beleeue that there is any such life in Christ I would to God I were able to perswade thē but to make som litle trial O! if they would be cōtented but to rest vpō him for life how quickly should they find his promise true certain Be perswaded be intreated I beseech you by the loue of life which you so desire what shall you lose by it If that we preach be false yet shal the rest of your yeers be spent in more hope cōfort If you know any better waie to prouide for your selues in kindnes humanity impart that at knowledge to vs. If you do not in quilitie good manners cōdemne vs not till vpon triall you can disproue vs. Life you earnestly desire euen bodily life refuse it not when it is oftred you without any danger of losse if you should be deceiued I am come now at the last to the chiefe point of all which is life euerlasting begun as I said ere-while in this world by the forgiuing of sin perfited in the next by the giuing of glory Of which notwithstāding I intēd not to say much because being the maine matter of the Gospell euery chapter almost will afford me necessary occasion to intreat therof Shortly for the proofe of the point that eternall death and condemnation are compriz'd in that threating a Gen. 2. 17. Thou shalt die the death I appeale to the whole course of the scripture and the ioint consent of all that euer profest true religion Iewes Christians But it is manifest enough by the deliuerance wee haue through Christ that I may make one labour of two b Iob. 3. 17. God sent not his Sonne into the world that he should condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved He Ver. 18. that beleeueth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned already Yea such is the redemption which we haue by Iesus Christ c Iob. 5. 24. that he which beleeueth hath passed from death to life What is this passing from death to life but obteining forgiuenes of sinnes being reconciled to God whose wrath otherwise abideth in vs to condemnation God hath set forth Iesus Christ d Rom. 3. 25. saith the Apostle to bee apropitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenes of sinnes that are past e Rom. 5. 10. If when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more beeing reeonciled we shall be saued by his life But I forget my selfe in staying too long in this discourse wherein the new Testament is so plentifull and easie to bee vnderstood Neither is the point of euerlasting life either harder or rarer This one Gospell of S. Iohn hath not so few as twenty seuerall places to that purpose f 10. 3. 16. God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that who soeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting This is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the son beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life g Ioh. 6. 40. I will raise him vp at the last day Look not that I should go forward in this course or spēd time in amplifying the vnspeakable glory of that life For the one I refer al men to the reading of this gospel especially the chapters I named before and concerning the other all I can possibly say of it is lesse then nothing in comparison of the thing it selfe Therefore also I hold it in a manner needlesse to enter into any course of exhortation For who can hear of these kindes of life in our Sauiour and not be carried to him for the enioying of them with all speed and means he can possibly make Let it be a small thing for a man to bee dead in sinne because perhaps he feeles it not Let the life of righteousnesse be little accounted of ov reason of the pleasure we take in sinning Let vs despie bodily death as a common matter Let vs not reguard the resurrection of the flesh as long as the soul is immortall Shall not feare of damnation for euer in hel fire affright vs Shall not hope of eternall ioy in heauen delight vs Is it nothing to indure most horrible torments without ease or ende Is it nothing to be partaker of such pleasure as cannot be conceiu'd without danger or feare of change What is the immortality of the soule of which thou bragst but an immortall miserie The more thou art perswaded of the euerlasting continuance thereof the greater knowledge thou hast of thine owne endlesse calamitie Whereas if once thou come to bee ioined to Christ the farderthou seest into the continuance of thy life the more thou art inflamed with a delight to liue But now I haue brought thee where this life is to bee had I will shew thee how it is to bee attained In him was life Where though it may seeme that the Euangelist sayes no more but he is life or life is by him yet indeed the speech is more significant First in respect of life the manner of speaking makes difference in the thing For when the scripture saith that Christ is life the word is to be taken for the cause of life h Iohn 11. 25. I am the resurrection and the life saith our Sauiour and again I i Ioh. 14. 6. am the way the truth the life So speakes k Col. 3. 4. the Apostle of him When Christ your life shal appear Who see not that by life in these places the author of life or life as it is in the cause thereof is vnderstood But in the other phrase the same thing is noted as it is imparted by him to vs. l 1 Ioh. 5 11. God hath giuen vs euerlasting life and that life is in his sonne Wee haue example of both these in one place yee are dead saith m Col. 3. 3. 4. the Apostle and your life is hidwith God in Christ What life That same life which Christ hath communicated to you and by which you liue What followes When Christ your life shall appeare How is Christ their life By giuing them life And as in this kind of speech wee may easily discerne some reason of the difference that the scripture obserueth so may wee also in the other Sometimes n Cor. 1. 30. the holy Ghost saith that Christ is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse c. What is this els but that wee receiue these things from Christ as the autor and cause therof Somtimes life is said to be in him so we are said to bee in Christ Iesus o 1 Ioh 5. 11. yee are of him in Christ as in the place I named before p Rom. 8 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Now in these speeches and the like not onely
can doubt but life was always in him who only liues of himself giues life both tēporal spiritual to al euē to euery one that hath it But because this maner of giuing life is an effect of Godhead so common to him with the Father and the holy Ghost and not a matter belonging properly to his person nor any worke of his mediatorship I will leaue it as not intended in this place and come to a second consideration of life being in him from all eternity as in the mediator betwixt God and man In what respect then may it be truly and fitly said that life was in him from all eternity In respect of the eternall decree of God whereby he determined to restore to life those whome hee chose therevnto by the mediation of his Sonne the word of whom we speake Of this f Rom. 8. 29. 30 the Apostle speaks Those whom he knewe before he did also predestinate to bee made like to the image of his Sonne that he might bee the first borne among many children Vpon this predestination as the Apostle adds followeth calling iustifying and at the last glorifying which is the highest degree of the life that is in Christ But in g Eph. 1. 3. 4. an other place hee speakes more plainely Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ As he hath chosen vs in him be-before the foundation of the world Therefore doth the Apostle Peter ascribe the appointing of the meanes and the execution of it according to the appointment to the foreknowledge of God h Act. 2. 23. Him haue ye taken by the hands of the wicked being deliuered by the determinate counsaile and fore knowledge of God The same is acknowledged by the ioynt confession of the Apostles where they say that Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and the people of Israell gathered them selues together against the holy Sonne of 4. 27. 28. God Iesus whom God had annointed to doe what soeuer the hande and counsaile of the Lorde had determined afore to bee donne VVorthily then doth Saint Iohn avouch that life was in him yea before any time was life was in him i Gal. 4. 4. VVhen the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne Life did not then begin to be in him but to shew it selfe to be in him k Rom 3 25. God set him forth by his incarnation to be apropitiation Life was in him before in regard of Gods eternall counsaile but not discouered nor manifested to the world no nor those works of his which were to bring life performed Yet euen thē was life in him If it seeme to any man somewhat ouermuch to go so far for the Euangelists meaning let him shorten his iorney containe him selfe within the compasse of the world created Shal we not find sufficient reason of this speech In him was life though wee goe not out of the world yes out of doubt very sufficient For seeing many worthy Patriarchs and holy Prophets many true Israelits Sonns of Abraham by faith as well as by nature departed out of this worlde before our Sauiour came into it to performe the foreappointed worke of redemption either these must haue died without life so alwaies continue dead or there was life in him before he was incarnat l Luk. 10. 24. Many Prophets and Kings desired to see and heare him at the Apostles while hee liued heere saw and heard Surely then they were not ignorant of him and that life was in him But did they not see him By one iudge of the rest Your Father Abraham m Ioh. 8. 56. saith Christ reioyced to see my day and hee saw it and was glad And yet what name I one seeing wee haue a cloud of witnesses that compasseth vs round about n Heb. 11. 1. 2. 3. c. sounding out the same assurance of fayth that we now haue and looking for the same promises to bee fulfilled which wee beleeue and knowe to haue beene performed to the vttermost Was not our God o Mat 22. 32. the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Was not our Sauiour their Sauiour p Rom. 4. 11. Gal. 3. 16. Dooth not our interest wee haue in Christ depend vpon our being the children of Abraham q Heb. 13. 8. VVas not Iesus Christ yester-day is hee not to day shall hee not bee the same for euer Then may wee safely and truely conclude that there was life in him before he was in the nature of man But howsoeuer it be true certaine that life was in him both from all eternity in regard of the counsaile of God which is as ancient as himselfe in effect in respect of them that from time to time were partakers of it euen from Adam to Iohn Baptist yet it was then most properly in him when hauing taken our nature vpon him he ouercame death and him that had power ouer it the Deuill This was that which those Kings Prophets desired and longed to see This was that which good olde Simeon so reioyced at that he was ready to depart out of this life with full satisfaction and contentednesse when he had seene the promised Messiah in the nature of man Lord r Luk. 2. 29. 39 saith he now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eies haue seen thy saluation The holy man had a long time beleeu'd by faith that saluation was to come and in hope with patience waited for the comming of it but he neuer saw it til that time Indeed how should he For it was neuer to be seene till then How could it be For it neuer was fully perfitly till then It was not enough for the Son of God that he had infinite power as God to giue life to whom he would to repair the ruins of his image in man by clensing him frō sin cloathing him with righteousnes by raising him frō death as he first breath ed the soule of life into him by vouchsafing him a place in heauen which was at his command that had made it Al this I say would not serue the turne that the Euangelist might say as he doth In him was life For the Lorde God Father Son Holy ghost had appointed another course of giuing life another meanes of saluatiō not to be perform'd by the Son of God sitting in heauē but to be wrought here vpō earth in the same nature that had sind was dead He that made mā holy righteous at his creatiō could by the same powr haue restord to him his original righteousnes in a momēt But it pleas'd him to doe it after an other maner wherof more hereafter in due place To say al at once seing by man cam death God would haue life to come by mā no otherwise Let it be graunted may some man say that
there was no possibility of life but by the death of the Sonne of God and that the Sonne of God could not dye vnlesse he became man yet might the Evangelist haue wel said In him is life For since it is confest that hee tooke the nature of man and continues still in heauen in that nature surely life was no more in him while hee was heere then it is in him now he is gone from hence Why then saith S. Iohn In him was life I answere in one word though life be still in him yet it is in respect of that which he performed when he was here on the earth Here he tooke and sanctified our nature here hee bare the chastisement of our peace here he offred vp that invaluable sacrifice for the purging of our sinnes Here hee triumphed on the Crosse ouer all principalities and powers Heere hee rose out of the graue from death to life Only one thing which here possibly could not be don he hath done being gon from hence that is he hath taken possessioÌ„ of our inheritance in heauen waites there to receiue vs into his owne glory The Euangelist therefore writing the history of his life death while he was here in the world speaks of him as of one that was is not But of this enough before I should now proceed to the later part of this fourth verse And that life was the light of men But I find my self so much ouertaken by the time that it is in vain to meddle with it I will I therefore content my selfe with some word of exhortation whereby wee maie bee stirred vp to the embracing of that life which was in Christ To which purpose what shal I need to say much The mat ter dooth so highly commende it selfe that it refuseth to be entreated for Looke not therefore that I shoulde desire you to bee willing to liue Nay bee vnwilling if you can Doe but propound the matter to your own hearts and you will not choose but like of it And yet mee thinkes I see no man make any great haste Shall I wonder or complayne It is strange that life life euerlasting should bee so little set by It is lamentable that death eternall death should so little bee feared If it were any long Iorney or daungerous way if hard to come by or soone lost againe there might bee perhaps some colour of excuse for this backewardnesse But when the thing it selfe is neere at hand the way to it safe the meanes of attaining to it easie and the possession of it sure who can excuse himselfe to himselfe I say not to God if hee fayle of so glorious a treasure Do wee not beleeue the Euangelist that there is life in him Doe wee flatter our selues with a conceite that there is life in vs Why come wee to heare that which when wee haue heard wee will not credite why make wee a shew as if wee stood in need of life from Christ when wee thinke our selues sped of it already Perhaps it seemes the lesse worth because it is offered Who euer thought that the kindnesse of the giuer should abate the valew of the gift Condemne thy selfe for not seeking to him not him for seeking to thee That hee reueales to thee hee conceales from many That which thou vnthankefully refusest many thousandes would most thankefully receiue O the frowardnesse of the hearts of men O the blindnesse of their minds If this life were in God they would tremble to come neere him for it because of his dreadfull maiestie Now it is in a man least happely they should be too much afrayd they disdaine to take it of him by reason of his meanenesse Å¿ Mat. 11. 19. But wisedome is iustified of her children He is both God and man that thou maist neither feare nor despise him If thou wilt not liue to shew his mercie thou shalt die to set foorth his Iustice For to him belongeth all glorie both of mercy and Iustice for euer and euer Amen THE FIFT SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Verse 4. And that life was the light of men And the light shineth in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not THey that take vpon them to write the liues of famous men such as the world admires either for their goodnesse or greatnesse ordinarily deliuer some generall description of them in the beginning of their histories These descriptions vsually containe either a rehersal of their pedegree and descent together with the place time and other matters concerning their birth and such like or a commendation of them for some especiall vertues Wee haue examples of both these kindes in the Scripture t 1. â—â—â— 1. 1. 2 He that was the holy Ghosts Secretarie in penning the historie of Samuell begins his booke with a recitall of his genealogy a description of his parents and diuers other points touching his conception birth and education u Iob. 1. 1. 2. Another whome it pleased the same spirit of God to imploy in writing the life of Iob makes the entrance into his historie by commending him for an vpright and iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill Our Euangelist intending to set forth the life and death of our Sauiour Iesus Christ as the partie he writes of was extraordinarie so doth he extraordinarily ioyne both together And because two other Euangelists x Mâ—â— 1. 1. 2. 3. c. Saint Mathew y Luk. 3. 50. 31 c. Saint Luke had already set out his humane pedegree both for succession in the kingdom fornaturall descent Saint Iohn leauing them vntoucht betakes himself to the declaring of his diuine estate First what he was in himself eternall with God the Father himselfe very God Secondly what he was to vs a Creator in making all things for vs a Sauiour in giuing life euen spirituall life life of grace pardoÌ„ life of immortality glory So that whether we respect his greatnes or his goodnes neuer was any maÌ„ so worthy the writing of neuer any maÌ„ so worthy the knowing following His greatnesse was magnified in the power of creation his goodnesse shewes it selfe especially in the work of regeneration Wherein first the Euangelist declares what he is and doth then how he is intertaind In him was life and that life was the light of men What doth hee According to the nature of light Hee shines in darkenes But the darkenesse will not bee inlightned Of the first of these points concerning life in him I spake in my last Sermon now let vs proceede to that which followes touching light And therein keeping our former course of handling the Clauses seuerally as they lye wee must first labour to vnderstand the words then seeke out the Euangelists meaning The wordes direct vs to inquire what life it is that is heere spoken of to consider what is saide of it that it is light and the light of men For the first worde a little
In this signification when the matter is of beleeuing God to iustification saluation sometimes the word is vsed by it selfe sometimes it hath an other word which we call a preposition ioined with it Of the former sort these may be examples Ioh. 5. 24. Hee that heareth my word and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life What is this beleeuing but that which we heard of euen now out of the Apostle Hee that beleeueth in him that iustifieth the wicked and that Rom. 45. which we are to heare of if it please God in the course of this Gospell yee beleeue in God The like is to bee said Ioh. 14. 1. of that in the Acts of the Iaylor He reioiced that he with all his housholde beleeued God Would you knowe what Act. 15. 34. beleefe this was We may learne that out of the Apostles former instruction and exhortation Beleeue in the Verse 31. Lord Iesus Christ There is yet a plainer testimony then this if any thing can be plainer in the same book where S. Luke writing the history of Crispus and his conuersion to the faith speaketh thus And Crispus the cheefe ruer Chap. 18. 8. of the Synagogue beleeued the Lord. The Lord that is our Sauiour Christ had not spoken to him but the Apostle Paul had taught him the doctrine of the Gospel that he was to beleeue in Iesus Christ for saluation To this he obayed and therefore is said to beleeue the Lord that is to beleeue in him When the prepositions are added the signification of the word is more fully exprest The most common and vsuall whereof wee haue very many examples in this Gospell is In. His Disciples beleeued in him Trusted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 2. 11. Chap. 3. 16. to him as to the Messiah That whosoeuer beleeues in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting VVhosoeuer resteth vpon him for saluation Almost euery Chapter affords vs the like examples so do the other bookes of the newe Testament especially the Epistle to the Romans that I may spare time and labour and hasten to the other preposition which though it bee vsed more seldome yet is most significant It is as much in english as vpon or on It was known throughout all Ioppa and many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 9. 42. beleeued vpon or on him That is many rested vpon him for Saluation VVhat must I doe to bee saued saith Chap. 16. 30. Verse 31. the Iaylour Paul and Silas answered him Beleeue on or vpon the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued But no one place doth so plainely and fully expresse the nature of this phrase as that to the Romans Behold Rom 9. 33. I lay in Syon a stumbling stone and a rock of offence and euery one that beleeueth on it shall not bee ashamed Heere our Sauiour is compared to a Rocke at which many doe stumble not acknowledging him to bee the Messiah but seeking other meanes to saue themselues by This Simeon foretold of our Sauiour that hee should be an occasion of falling to many in Israell But Luk. 2. 34. they that shall settle themselues vpon that rocke and renounce all other causes and meanes of attaining to euerlasting life shall neuer be asham'd of that their trust in him but shall come to the ende of their hope euen the eternall saluation of their soules by him So that if any man be desirous or willing to vnderstand what it is to beleeue in Christ this one place may giue him ful satisfaction out of which as it hath beene shewed hee may learne that it is nothing else but to cast himselfe vpon Christ to bee iustified and saued by him Thevse of the worde being as hath beene said so diuerse in what sense shall we take it in this text That we shall knowe by vnderstanding what it was that Iohn laboured to perswade men to by his preaching For wee haue learned that his witnesse beareing was Teaching and wee see heere that the ende of his teaching was Beleefe that all men might beleeue What was this beleeuing Onely an aslenting to the truth of that which they heard Iohn deliuer If that had beene all surely hee would neuer haue taken so much paines and spent so much time in exhorting all men to consider their owne estate and in convincing them of sinne that they might finde in what neede they stood of deliuerance by the Messiah But that I may make as short as I can wee may fetch the aunswere to this doubt from the Apostle Paul who thus describes the office and doctrine of Iohn the Baptist Iohn verely baptized Act. 19. 4. with the baptisme of repentance saith the Apostle saying vnto the people that they should beleeue in him which should come after him that is in Christ Iesus So then whereas our Euangelist tells vs that the ende of Iohns comming was that all men shoulde beleeue hee giues vs to vnderstand that hee taught men the mystery of redemption by Christ though not so distinctly as it was afterwarde deliuered with a purpose and desire that they shoulde take our Sauiour CHRIST for the Messiah and rest vpon him that their sinnes might bee taken away Beholde saith hee the lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world It is true that beleeuing properly signifieth no more but giuing credit or assenting to the truth but seeing wee finde the ende of Iohns preaching to reach farder then so wee must needs hold that the other degrees of beleeuing are implied in this one and first step to faith by which we are iustified The like we are to conceiue of the word wheresoeuer in the new Testament wee finde that ascribed to beleeuing which cannot be attain'd to but by faith in Christ I wil indeavor to make this plaine by an example or two He Mark 16. 16. that beleeueth is baptized shall be saued What is meant here by beleeuing Nothing but assenting to that which the Apostles taught in regard of the truth thereof But that cannot bring saluation to any man which is not to be obtain'd without resting vpon Christ for iustification Therefore to beleeue in that text of Mark is as much as to beleeue in Christ or to rely vpō Christ for saluation Dost thou beleeue in the Sonne of God saith Ioh. 9. 35. our Sauiour to the man whome hee had before restored to his sight He answered and said Who is hee Lord that I may beleeue in him And Iesus said Both thou hast seene him he it is that talketh with thee Then he said Lord I beleeue What did he beleeue That Christ was the Son of God Was that all Our Sauiour asked him if hee did beleeue in the Sonne of God Had it beene sufficient for him to professe that he beleeued him to be the Sonne of God No sure But it behoued him for the answering of the question to affirme that he beleeued in him
part of men liuing when Iohn preached coulde not by any ordinary meanes so much as haue the least inkling of any such matter The time of his ministery exceeded not the compasse of 3 yeeres he trauailed not as the Apostles did afterward from Country to Country Luk. 3. 3. but keept himselfe within the bounds of the lande that God bestowed vpon the Iewes and there only imployed himself How then should al meÌ„ in the world take knowledge of his doctrine And how straungely did hee carry himselfe in the discharge of his duty if being sent to al men wheresoeuer he kept continually in the Country where hee was borne and bred Secondly the prophecies concerning Iohn are peculiar to the Iews and no mention in them of any other people Comfort yee my people Speake comfortably to Ierusalem Isai 40. 1. 2. 3 A voice crieth in the wildernesse There was his ordinary aboade till the time came saith Saint Luke that hee Luk. 1. 80. should shewe himselfe to Israell To whome dooth Malachy prophecy of his comming but only to the Iewes Mal. 3. 1. without any mention of the Gentiles which yet is not omitted where that which is prophecied of belongs Mal. 4. 5. 6. vnto them Behold I will send you the Prophet Eliah c. And he shall turne the hearts of the Fathers to the children Of what fathers to what children Is it not manifest that Luk. 1. 16. this is proper to the Iewes Many of the children of Israell saith the Angel to Zachary shall he turne to their Lord God And hee confirmes his speech by that testimony of Malachy Can you shew mee the like warrant or any at all concerning his conuerting of the Gentiles I doe not say that there was neuer a one of the heathen proselyte or other that had the vse and benefit of the Baptists ministery but this was extraordinary by an especial mercy of God to those men not by the generall intendement of the Lorde to all the Gentiles Thirdly we must remember that the ministery of Christ himselfe was confined to the land of Iury and not suffered to be common to all the world Therefore is hee called the minister of the circumcisioÌ„ his office therin Rom 15. 8. describ'd for the truth of God to confirme the promise to the fathers And accordingly he professed that hee was not Mat. 15. 24. sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell Not as if the benefit of his mediation and redemption were not coÌ„mon to the Iewes and Gentiles but for that his ministerie in his owne person was appointed only for the Israelits howsoeuer some one of the heathen heere and there might lay hold on him to saluation being conuerted by his preaching Iohn then who was to prepare the way for the Messiahs person had his commission accordingly not for all the worlde but for the Iewes only I might add many other proofs to the same purpose but these few are sufficient both to shewe their misvnderstanding of this place who would build the doctrin of vniuersall grace vpon it and to direct vs to the true meaning of the holy Ghost therein For the matter it selfe whether God haue made no difference touching election to everlasting life betwixt one man and an other but haue equally ordained all men therevnto or no I will not nor may vpon this occasion dispute only it was necessary for me to put you in mind that no such doctrine can be gathered out of this place The reason thereof is double as well because the ministery of Iohn is not appointed by God for the instruction of euery particular man in the worlde as also for that it is one thinge to say God affoordes all men the meanes of saluation supposing that to be true which I am out of doubt no man can proue another thing to affirme that God intends the saluation of euery â—euerall man whatsoeuer But of this enough for the present It remains that I deliuer the true meaning of these words All men which as I haue prou'd must bee particularly vnderstood of the Iewes This being granted there ariseth yet an other question whether vnder this All euery one of the Iewes be comprised or no. But me thinks this point should be out of questioÌ„ because many of the Iews were at that time scattered abroad in diuers Countries so that they could neither come to Iohn to receiue the word baptisme by his ministry nor could haue any such knowledge of that he taught as that by it they might be brought to belieue in Iesus Christ for saluation Some men therefore haue thought it most fit to ty this â—enerall word to all the elect amongst the Iews as if the Euangelist had inteÌ„ded to teach vs that the end of Iohns sending was that al those Iews whom God had ordained to euerlasting life might belieue And surely if it were the purpose of the holy Ghost to reueal vnto vs the secret counsaâ—l of God concerning the saluation of some certaine men there can be no doubt but the elect only are signified But this giue me leaue to speake plainlâ— what I think without preiudice to any mans iudgemeÌ„t seems to me not so agreeable to the EuaÌ„gelists purpose as to make the end of Iohns witnes-bearing as general as reasonably we may For it is somewhat liable to exception in the opinion of al men that shal read or heare this point to affirme that the Lord would haue so publike a ministery restrained to some few if he had bard a men saue some few from beleeuing Wherfore I had rather take it as in definitly spokeÌ„ without respect of these or those men that meÌ„ might beleeue yet stil with restrainâ— to the Iewes Which in the originall may more easily bee done because the word men being not exprest we may reasonably vnderstand in place of it the Iewes That all might beleeue namely that all the Iewes to whom only he was sent might beleeue And so may we also very well and fitly translate it leauing out men What then How shall we vnderstand the place First we must expound it of none but the Iewes because to them only Iohn was sent Secondly we must know that it concernes them all without exception one other Thirdly let vs remember that heere is no thought of Gods secret election but the ende of the ministery of Iohn propounded The meaning then is this that God sent Iohn to beare witnesse that Iesus was the light to the end that all to whom he was sent might acknowledge the Messiah and rest vpon him for saluation What Euery one of the Iewes I Euery one none excepted As concerning the preaching of Iohn had he any commission from God to deny any man his helpe in teaching and baptising Had any man charge from God not to heare or not to be baptised Did the Lord with hold any maÌ„ from beleeuing or comming to baptisme Did hee put
because I spake of it somewhat largely vpon the first occasion that offered it selfe in this Gospel at the seauenth verse That all men through him might beleeue The breefe oâ— Verse 7. that which then was deliuered touching this point is this that To beleeue is an action either of the vnderstanding or of the will The former that is Beleeuing as it hath place in the vnderstanding is either an holding of some point as a truth ingraffed in vs by nature as wee beleeue there is a God or an assenting to some thing reuealed vpon the credit of him that reueales it as wee acknowledge the Scripture to be the worde of God and euery thing in it to be sure and certaine according as wee are perswaded by the holy Ghost to whome wee giue absolute credit vpon his owne worde The other Beleeuing which is seated in the will and ariseth from the former in the vnderstanding is a resting vpon or trusting to some person or thing for some benefit to be obtained thereby So the Reubenites Gadites and the halfe Tribe of Manasseh when the Hagarenes made warre 1. Chr. 5. 18. 19 20. vpon them trusted to God for succour and were holpen against them with a glorious victory But the children of Israell would not trust to him or rely on him for food in the wildernesse Therefore fire was kindled in Iacob as it is in the Psalme and also wrath came vpon Psa 78 21 22 Israell Because they beleeued not in God and trusted not in his helpe Of this nature and meaning is the worde Beleeuing when it concernes iustification or saluation This may easily appeare by those kinde of phrases that the holy Ghost often vseth in this matter To beleeue in or vpon God and Christ Hee that beleeues Ioh. 6. 47. in mee saith our Sauiour Christ hath euerlasting life Beleeue on the Lorde Iesus Christ saye Act. 16. 31. Paul and Silas to the laylour and thou shalt bee saued And whereas sometimes in this very point of beleeuing to euerlasting life the worde is not so significant I shewed that the sense and purpose of the Spirite of God notwithstanding is all one It will not be amisse perhaps to make it plaine by an example or two First what is simply to beleeue in Ioh. 1. 7. this case Iohn was sent to beare witnesse that all through him might beleeue What beleefe was it that Iohn taught The Apostle Paul tells vs that they should beleeue in him Act. 19. 4. which should come after him that is in Iesus Christ Do you not see that vnder the bare word beleeuing faith in Christ is implyed Sometimes there is a little addition as Abraham is said not only to haue beleeued but to haue Rom. 4. 3. 4. beleeued God How doth the Apostle expound this beleefe By beleeuing on or vpon God What is that else but Verse 5. resting vpon God So the same Chapter teacheth vs to vnderstand that manner of speech which beleeue on him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead Verse 18. that is trust to him to be iustified and acquited of their sinnes Adde herevnto if you please that of the Apostle Peter out of the Prophet Isai Behold I put in Sion a cheefe corner-stone elect and pretious hee that 1. Pet. 2. 6 beleeueth theron shall not be ashamed How is this stone to be beleeued on but by a mans setling and reposing himselfe there vpon Therefore the Hebrew in the Prophet Isai 28. 26. is shall not make haste as if he should haue said shall cast himselfe vpon God to be succoured by him and wait with patience for the performance of his gratious promise The greeke expresseth the euent that shall insue vpon this beleeuing by a denyall of the contrary set out to our view by a tropicall speech of being a shamed For he that lookes for succour and by fayling of it is ouerthrowne vsually is ashamed both of his trust of his foile So shall not he be saith the Lord that resteth vpon Iesus Christ as vpon the rock of saluation This also the Chalde paraphrase expresseth shall not be moued Paraph. Chald. ad Isai 28. 16. Mat. 7. 25. being built as our Sauiour saith in the Gospell vpon a Rock against which the windes waues beat in vain making a great noise but doing no hurt at all because the house is grounded vpon a Rock But you will say There are diuers places of Scripture where that faith by which wee are iustified anâ— saued is confined to the vnderstanding and signifie no more but an assent to the truth of that which is deliuered by God to be beleeued Such is that touching Abrahams faith which was imputed to him for righteousnes First he is said not to haue bin weake in faith not to haue considered the deadnesse of his owne or his wife Sarahs Rom. 4. 3. 23. body not to haue doubted of the promise of God through vnbeleefe c. Then this faith or beleeuing is exprest to haue beene a full assurance that he which had promised was Verse 21. also able to do it What is there in all this great commendation of Abrahams faith but only an amplification of his beleeuing God that he had promised him no more then he was well able to performe So in the Epistle to Heb. 11. 3. the Hebrewes wee are said by faith to vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God and yet all men graunt as also the former Chapter euidently sheweth Chap. 10. 38. 39 that the Apostle speakes of such a faith as the iust liue by It is not my purpose to enter into a full disputation or discourse of faith which I reserue for my exposition of the Epistle to the Romans yet I may not leaue these doubts vnsatisfied nor the nature of faith vnknowne Therefore to these and such like places of Scripture and obiections from them I answere first in generall that beleeuing as it belongs to the vnderstanding is sometimes mentioned alone because it is the roote and fountaine from which the other doth spring and flow For it is vnpossible that any man should rely vpon God for the performance of that which he doth not beleeue he hath promised or doubts whether he be able to doe or no. Yea I say farder that such a beleefe in the minde is signified in all such places as is alwaies necessarily accompanied with trusting to God for that which wee beleeue hee can bring to passe If you demaund farder why I should not content my selfe with the former faith only seeing it is diuers times set alone in the point of Iustification I answere that therefore I take the other also to bee implyed in it because I find it very often exprest in the Scripture and a new kind of speech as it were purposely deuised by the holy Ghost to make vs the more easily and fully vnderstand what faith hee meanes
the other three Euangelists euen to the height of the Godhead and that vnsearchable mystery of the most glorious and blessed Trinitie There is indeede some diuersitie of opinions amongst the Latin Fathers to which of the Euangelists the other 3. beasts Å¿ Ezech. 2. 5 Reuelat. 4. 6. Ezech. 2. 5. Reuel 4. 6. should be seuerally referred but it t Although Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 11. makes Iohn the Lion and Marke the Eagle is generally agreed vpon that the Eagle belongs to Iohn for the reason aboue named Art thou then desirous ro vnderstand the great high points of diuinitie Cast thy selfe vpon the wings of this Eagle who wil cary thee vp as it were into the bosome of God and acquaint thee with such matters as but by reuelation from God himselfe could neuer possibly haue bin discouered or imagined And that we may the more be rauisht with the loue of this holy Gospell let me put you in minde of that variety the mother of delight which is easie to bee seene therein How sweetly hath our Euangelist tempered and as it were allayed the hard points of profound knowledge with enterlacing of delightfull Histories If at any time he soare aloft that he may seem to be almost out of sight for the height of those admirable mysteries of our Sauiours diuinity he comes down againe ere long and feedes our eyes with making vs see the vse and comfort of those glorious instructions And besides this varietie of matter which shineth in comparing one part of this Gospel with another there is yet a farther consideration to the singular commendation thereof Who is there if hee haue anie sense of Gods mercy in Christ but takes great pleasure to reade one and the same thing diuersly recorded by the other three Euangelists And what meruaile Seeing it is euen in prophane histories a matter of no small vse and delight to haue the memorie renewed and the affection quickned by the varietie of discourse as it vvere by the diuerse cooking of some one daintie kinde of meat But our Euangelist to the diuersitie of handling hath added also great store of newe matter not once touched by any one of the other the LORD hauing reserued for him the perfecting of that knowledge which the rest did beginne and further Manie excellent things are recorded by Saint Mathew Saint Marke S. Luke concerning the Sermons and miracles of our Sauiour yet are there but fewe of these proper to any one of them Only S. Iohn affords vs as in so short a Treatise great plenty of new and vnknowen variety u Piscator in prooem ad Ioan. 10. Sermons fowre miracles and that zealous prayer full of loue and comfort The sermons that I may speake a word or two of euery one of them in particular are these First x Iob. 3. 1. 2. c that kinde dialogue with Nicodemus and those worthy instructions concerning regeneration whereby wee are taught that our naturall estate is fleshly and vncapable of grace and glorie till the spirit of God by the waters of the Scriptures haue bredde in vs a newe and heauenly conception In the second place followeth y Ioh. 4. 7. 8. c. that sweete and comfortable discourse with the Woman of Samaria concerning the water of life which beeing once receiued into the soule turnes into a spring that can neuer bee dryed vp but sends forth continually aboundance of fresh liquor to coole and moysten the heart in all heate of tentations * Ioh. 5. 19. 20 c. The next Chap presents vs with the third Sermon wherein vpon occasion of the stiffe-necked Iewes murmuring against our Sauiour for willing the man whom hee had cured hauing beene thirtie-eight yeares bed-rid to take vp his bedde and walke though it were the Sabbath daie wee haue a glorious assurance of our Lords eternall God-head and equalitie with God his Father But that which exceedes in all heauenly comfort is a Ioh. 6. 26. 27. the fourth Sermon in which our blessed Sauiour as it were thrusts himselfe into our mouthes to bee eaten and drunke giuing vs full assurance that the eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud that is belieuing in him shall feede vs without hungring or thirsting any more to euerlasting life which he according to his Fathers will and charge shal most certainely bestowe vpon all them that by true faith become one with him The b Ioh. 8. 3. 4. c. fift Sermon affordes vs a worthie example of our Lord and masters wisedom and authoritie to discerne and confound the subtill malice of his wilfull enemies With what diuine iudgement dooth hee looke into the depth of the Pharisies deceite who sought to entrappe him about the woman taken in adulterie With what admirable discretion dooth hee driue them away to their perpetuall shame and dishonour With what a maiestie doth he a little after conuince and reprooue them for their wilfull blindnesse and proude conceit of the knowledge they bragged of but had not Let vs come c Ioh. 10. 1. 2. c. to the sixt of those Sermons which our Euangelist only hath recorded In no place doth our Sauiour more plainly avow himselfe to bee the Messiah where haue wee the like certainty of his care and loue deliuered Hee giues his life for his sheep and casts himselfe into the very iawes of the Wolfe that his mouth might be stopped And to the singular comfort of vs that are not by nature Iews hee tells vs that wee also belong to his sheepfold Into which when wee once are receiued and acknowledged for sheepe no power of sinne Satan or death shall bee able to wring vs out of his hands because the Father with whom he is in nature all one is stronger then all The former sixe Sermons containe especially those benefites whereof wee are made partakers by our Sauiour Christ in this life but d Ioh. 11. 25. 26 c the seauenth expresseth our finall triumph ouer our last and greatest enemie Death himselfe Those helpe both to arme vs to the fight and to encourage and further vs in fighting but this crownes vs after victory If the body shall rise againe to glorie we may truely and safelie challenge Death and saâ—e e 1. Cor. 15. 55 Oh Death where is thy sting oh Graue where is thy victorie For if our bodies bee made immortall where is the power of Death become Who then can faint in a battaile the issue whereof will bee so certaine and happy especially if hee remember what gracious promises he hath from God in f Ioh. 14. 15. 16. the eight Sermon of the continuall assistance of the holy Ghost For howsoeuer those glorious matters principally concerne the Apostles yet hath euery Christian his interest in them according to a certaine proportion The Apostles coulde not erre in anie matter of Doctrine No true Christian shall so erre in matters necessarie to his saluation that hee shall
bee cut off from beeing a member of IESVS CHRIST but shall haue his measure of Instruction Peace and Comfort according to the trialls that his heauenlie Father hath appointed to make of him The two last Sermons do especially concerne two of the Apostles but were written for our learning and consolation In g Ioh. 20. 26. 27. c. the former our Sauiour instructeth Thomas with a milde reproofe of his not beleeuing and a sensible demonstration of that he doubted of To which he addes to our vnspeakeable comfort that h Verse 29 all they which hauing not seene nor felt as THOMAS then did yet beleeue are trewlie blessed Neyther is i Ioh. 21. 15. 16 the later of the two so appropriated to Saint Peter but that it affordes vs also this excellent lesson that the strongest proofe of euery Ministers loue to his Lord and master Iesus Christ is the faithfull and carefull feeding and directing of the sheepe and lambes committed to his charge And these are the tenne Sermons which none of the Euangelists but Iohn only hath mentioned I deny not that the points of diuinity contained in them may bee gathered more or lesse out of the other three but neither are the Sermons recorded by them nor the matters therein deliuered so plainely and fully handled as in this Gospell Wherefore as if we come to a Faire to buy any commoditie which wee neede or desire wee content not our selues to staie in such a shop or booth as can shew vs only one peece and that made vp so close that wee can hardly looke into it but seeke thither vvhere wee may haue choise and see the wares opened to our full view So let vs make haste to this Gospell in which many and so goodly matters are vnfolded and eueâ—ory bolte and pleight layd open As for the miracles whereof I will say verie little they are such as are not once pointed at nor signified by anie other Euangelist Who besides k Ioh. 2. 3. 4. c. Saint IOHN giues vs anie the least inkling of water turned into wine at a marriage by our Sauiour CHRIST Had not l Ioh. 5. 5. 6. c. that famous miracle by which the man that had lyen bed-rid xxxviij yeares was cured so that he presently rose and carried awaie his bed been altogether vnknowen and vnheard of if our Euangelist had not committed it to writing None but he tells vs of m Ioh. 9. 1. 2. c. the man that beeing borne blinde and hauing continued so manie yeares had sight giuen him by such a meanes as in mans reason was fitter to haue put out his eyes if hee could haue seene But hee that made dust and spittle can by dust and spittle doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him The n Ioh. 11. 38. 35 c. last miracle is the raysing of LAZARVS from the dead not as o Marke 5. 42 IAIRVS daughter was restored to life lying in her bedde after the breath vvas departed from her nor as p Luke 7. 15 the VVidowes sonne had life put into him againe as hee vvas carrying to be buryed but euen then when he had continued till the fourth daie in the graue and in his most kind sisters iudgement could not chuse but stinke Admirable and glorious are these miracles and such as ought to assure vs of his diuine power who was able to do things so vnpossible to men and Angels But as q 1. Cor. 2. 2 the holy Apostle Paul preferred the knowledge of Christ crucified before all other glorious mysteries because therein properly stands the iustification of a sinner so haue we very good cause to valew r Ioh. 17. 1. 2 c. that louing and feruent prayer of our Sauiour aboue all his miracles whatsoeuer For if euer his loue and care of vs appeared in anie thing hee did or spake except his passion in that it shines and shews it selfe most cleerely s Verse 20 With what zeale doth hee commend euery one that at any time beleeues in him to God his Father t Ver 21. 22. 23 How doth he repeate and double his request to God that wee may be made one with God But I may not stand long vpon these points especially since they are to be expounded at large hereafter if it please God Now the summe of all is this that seeing it hath pleased the Lord so graciously and plentifully to vouchsafe vs the certaine knowledge of such excellent mysteries and that by one so highly in the fauour of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and so assuredly directed by the holy Ghost wee in like sort should bestowe all paines and diligence that this knowledge may bee rooted in our hearts and bring forth abundance of fruite in our whole conuersation to the glorie of his Name and our endlesse comfort in the same our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Neither let it discourage or offend anie man that our Euangelist was no learned Diuine trayned vp in anie Vniuersitie nor fitted for such a peece of work by any extraordinary parts of nature or study Yea rather let it encourage and strengthen him in faith considering how vnpossible it is that a poore Fisherman should haue the head to conceiue and the heart to vtter such mysteries with confidence and assurance against the iudgement liking of almost all the learned and mighty of the world Could these admirable mysteries be of a Fishermans deuising What is there in Aristotle Plato Pythagoras or any of the great learned Philosophers so strange or profound as manie points that are common in this Gospell which of the heathen writers euer spake so boldly or with such authority as our Euangelist how doubtfully and vncertainly doth the u In Apolog. Socrat. Plato in Timaeo passim learnedst of them write when he coms to deliuer matters that concern God religion Surely he that wisely heedfully considers the discourses of the best Philosophers touching these points shal plainly discern that they labored to make other men belieue those things whereof they were not able to perswade themselues rather meant to assay whether they could drawe men to such opinions then to enioy the belief of them as a certaine truth But our Euangelist thunders out most admirable secrets that without all doubting in himself of the truth therof threatens assured damnation to all them who refuse to giue absolute credit to whatsoeuer he hath deliuered What remains then but that with all assurance and reuerence wee addresse our selues to the learning doing of those things which we find to be taught commanded in this Gospell In the expounding whereof that wee may proceede the more orderly wee must diuide the whole Gospell into certaine parts for the helpe both of vnderstanding and memory But may some man say Wil you not first deliuer the generall argument of the booke and purpose of the Writer If that which hitherto hath beene spoken touching these points
either were not vnderstood or be not remembred in effect it was this that our Euangelist vndertook the penning of this Gospell partly that hee might finish and perfect the History of our Sauiour Christs dooings sayings and sufferings all the time of his abode heere vpon the earth partlie that hee might confirme the Faithfull in the true Doctrine of his God-head and leaue his Gospell as a preseruatiue against the poyson of blasphemous hereticks So was it intended by him so it is to be vsed by vs that as hee comfortably speaketh x Ioh. 20. 31 1 We may beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and beleeuing haue life through his Name Novv let vs returne to the diuiding of this Gospell Whereof wee may reasonablie and fitly make these two parts the former Saint Iohns description of â— Ioh. 1. 29 to he end of the Gospell our blessed Sauiour IESVS CHRIST whose Historie hee vndertakes to penne y Ioh. 1. to verse 29 from the beginning of the fift Chapter to the 29. ver of the same the later * The History it selfe in the rest of that Chapter and all the other to the end of the Gospell In the description our Sauiour is set out partly by a Our Sauiour described 1. by â—hings propre to in 2. by the tetimony of Iohn certaine things that properly belong vnto him partly by an outward testimony of Iohn the Baptist The former are b His natures Diuine ver 1. 2 Humane verse 14 either his natures diuine ver 1. 2. humane ver 14. or c His actions of his Godhead His mediatorship 2 his actions His actions proper to his Diuine nature as those of creation ver 3. or common to both as those of mediation verse 4. 5. d Iohns testimony signified ve 6 Exprest ver 15 16. c. Iohn the Baptists testimony is first signified v. 6. Afterwarde exprest verse 15. 16. 19. As for the other verses from the 6. to the 14. and from the 16. to the 29. they containe certaine explications which the Euangelist ads vpon occasions and belong to som one part or other of the former diuisions as in due place shall appeare The History it selfe is partly e The former part of the History from chap 1. 29. to chap. 19. 31. a discourse of such things as IESVS did spake or suffered before his death and to the time of his death from the first Chapter Verse 29. to Chapter 19. Verse thirtie one f The later part from thence to the end and partlie a report of those matters that are to be knowen and beleeued to haue bene done or sayd after his death from Chapter 19. verse 31. to the ende of the Gospell g Irenaeus lib. 2. cap. 39. sed praecipue 1. Chemnitius prolegom in harmon cap. 3. Now the historie it selfe cannot bee better diuided then h Diuision of the history according to the yeres of our Sauiours preaching after his baptisme according to the yeeres of our Sauiour after his baptisme and the beginning of his ministerie Whereunto it may well bee thought the Euangelist himselfe as it were leades vs by the hand because hee dooeth so particularly mention the feast of Passe-ouer from yere to yere The first Passe-ouer after our Sauiors Baptisme is named in i Iohn 2. 13. the second Chapter k Chap. 5. 1. the second in the fift For it shall appeare when I come to expound the place that there is great reason why we should take that feast to bee the Passeouer l Chap. 6. 4. The third we haue in the beginning of the 6. Chap. and that in expresse words m Chap. 13. 1. 2 The fourth and last was as euery man knoweth at the time of his death Chapter 13. So that I thinke it best thus to diuide the whole historie Our Sauiour at his baptisme as we learne out of n Luke 3. 23 Saint Luke was newly entred into the thirtieth yeere of his age and beganne his ministerie with the beginning of that 30. yeere more or lesse o The 30. yere of Christs age the first of his preaâ—hing froÌ„ cha 1. 29. to chap. 4. 1. The first part therfore of this Gospell for the history it selfe begins at the 19. verse of the first Chapter and continues to the beginning of the fourth conteining the 30. yeere of our Sauiours life p The 31 and 2. from thence to chap. 6. 1. There begins the 31. yere and second part of this Gospell which endeth at Chap. 6. q The 32. and 3. to chap. 10. 22 From whence we reckon the third part and 32. yeere to Chap. 10. verse 22. r The 33. and 4. to chap. 19. 31 where the fourth part 33. yere take beginning and end with the life of our Sauiour Chap. 19. 30. But this 33 yere was cut off in the midst according to Å¿ Dan. 9. 27. Daniels prophecie reueald vnto him by the Angel Gabriell that the Messiah in the midst of the 62. week shuld cause the sacrifice the oblation to cease Namely by offring vp the true sacrifice his own body wherof the sacrifices of the law were but shadows could haue no loÌ„ger vse nor place when the body it selfe was sacrificed as the Apostle proueth at large in t Heb. 10. 12. the Epistle to the Hebrewes The things that hapned after our Sauiours death and are to be knowen and beleeued by vs are either his buriall Chap. 19. vers 31. to the end or his Resurrection manifested and prooued diuers wayes Chap. 20. and 21. The particular distributions I reserue to their seuerall places now to the text 1. In the beginning was the word and the word was with Vers 1. 2. God and the word was God The same was in the beginning with God u Cyrill prolog in Ioan. All that come vp out of diuers Shires and Countries to London enter here into one and the same Citie and haue the generall view of it and the places of account therein yet are some more easily and daintily lodg'd and dieted then other admitted to a more particular sight of the principall buildings and goodly ornaments of it yea perhaps made acquainted some what more specially with the estate and gouernement thereof In like manner whosoeuer readeth or hearetlâ— any one of the foure Gospels is vouchsafed the knowledge of the same historie of our Sauiors life death the same doctrine of saluation by him But he that bestowes his time and paines in this Gospell of our Euangelist Saint Iohn is as it were entertained in a more stately and beautifull lodging and admitted to the hearing and vnderstanding of the very secrets both of his nature and office touching his owne Being and our redemption This appeares plainely in the very beginning of the Gospell where the great mysteries of Christian religion are deliuered These two first verses conteine a description of our Sauiours diuine nature
often as there is any mention of Gods speaking to man helping man or being conuersant with him but he neither brings example of it nor quotes any place onely hee boldly auoucheth that the learned shall finde it to be so euery where and the vnlearned must take it vpon his word and knowledge They that will may giue credit to his report but I am sure he that will compare the Originall Hebrew and the Chalde Paraphrase together shall not finde one place in 20. so translated if any at all be It is vsuall with the Paraphrast to put w for Iehouah not Memar I thought good to note this by the way that all men may know what credit such authors deserue vpon their word and yet he is otherwise one of the best interpreters that I haue read of the Papists But though the Chalde Paraphrast doe not alwayes nor perhaps often or euer so translate the word Iehouah yet he puts Memar sometime where God perchance the second person is signified x Gene. 22. 16 By my selfe haue I sworne saith God to Abraham The Hebrew is so and so the Apostle expoundeth it y Heb. 6. 13. when God made the promise to Abraham because he had no greater to sweareby hee swore by himselfe Here the Paraphrast hath Binenni by my word In an other place where the Lord assureth Iacob that * Gene. 28. 15 he will be with him and keepe him the Chalde hath My word shall be thy helpe A gaine when Laban pursued Iacob Moses tels vs that a Gene. 31. 24 God came to Laban the Aramite in a dreame by night said The Chalde saith Memar The or rather a word came from the face of God But none of these places vnles perhaps the 2. need to be or may be expounded of the 2. Person in the Trinity our Sauiour Iesus Christ There remaines the last not the most vnlikely reason why our Sauiour should be called the Word namely because he was so often spoken of promised by the Lord. Now a promise as in our ordinary speech so in the Scripture is cōmonly called a word the septuagint translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the name our Euangelist here vseth b Psal 105. 8. He hath remembred his couenant c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his word that he made to a thousand generations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in d Psal 119. 25. 119. Psal often Quicken me according to thy word e Verse 49. Remember the promise or word made to thy seruant f Verse 65. Thou hast dealt gratiously with thy seruant according to thy word g Verse 74. I haue trusted in thy word h Verse 76. According to thy word to thy seruant Where the Chalde hath the very word i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Memar So k psal 130. 5. Ps 130. I haue trusted in thy word The main promise thē being the Messiah that indeed wherupon al other that are truly blessings fauours depend it is no meruaile that the Iewes should speake ordinarily of our Sauiour as of him that was promised by the name word or that the holy Ghost should direct our Euangelist to make choice of that title for him by which the Iews that translated the old Testament out of Hebrew into Greeke so often expressed the promises of God Hereupon it followes that although diuers l Tertullian de Trinit saepe Cipria ad Quirin lib. 2. cap. 3. 6. Hilar. de Trinit lib. 2. Erasm Caloni Beza c. ancient later Diuines haue translated the Greek by the Latin Sermo speech yet it seemes better to cal it Verbū the word For a mans promise is not tearmed his speech but his word But this reasō of the name is excepted against by m Maldonatus ad hunc locum a learned Papist as well because of the authors therof who in his Pharisaicall censure are heriticks as also for that it hath in it no liklihood of truth if al that he speaks be oracles Let his slander go let vs heare his reason If the Son saith he be called the word because he was promised in the beginning he was not the word because he was not promised As if our Euangelist said He was the word in the beginning not rather The word was in the beginning that is as I will say anon whē I deliuer the sense of the Text He that was promised for the Messiah had already his being when all created things began first to be Therfore wee may boldly cōclude that this respect of the promise is either the true or at least a likely reason of the name whosoeuer mislike or cōdemn it If any mā be of opiniō that the Greek should rather be trāslated Wisdome or Reason thē word as indeed it signifieth the one as well as the other n Michael de Palatio in Ioan. cap. 1. enarrat 1. we may think that S. Iohn in this place alludes to that in the o Prou. 8. 22. Prouerbs where the Sonne of God is brought in vnder the name of wisdom speaking in this sort The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set vp from euerlasting from the beginning before the earth c. This may seeme the more likely because as here so there also after the description of the word wisdome followes a discourse of the creation Here it is said that p Ioh. 1. 3. all things were made by the word q prou 8. 27. There Wisdome affirmes that she was present whē God prepared the heauens set the compasse vpon the deepe Neither only was she with him but as r Verse 30. a nourisher she maintained preserued all things which effect of preseruing nourishing diuers interpreters thinke to be signified in this chap. by those words ſ Iohn 1. 4. In it was life All which notwithstanding I had rather follow the translatiō which is most generally receiued especially since it is grounded vpon such great likelihood of reason that the Son may wel be signified to be the wisdom of God because he is the word of God both conceiued in the Father as the word t Isai 9. 6. reuealing to vs the wisdome of the Father promised u 8. Cor. 1. 30. made to be wisedome to vs. Therefore then is the Messiah fitly called the Word because he is in God as our inward conceptiō in vs because he hath declared vnto vs the wil of his Father and whatsoeuer else it seemeth good to the Lord to acquaint vs withal as it is manifest in this Chapter x Iohn 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time but the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him And lastly because he is the promised seede of whom as it is also in y Iohn 1. 45 this Chapter Moses and the Prophets
I was before hee was or before him And I am before him but I am before hee was passeth my vnderstanding Yet by this our Sauiour would teach vs that in respect of his nature he is alwayes one and the same not like vs first Infants then Children afterwardes youthes in the strength of our age and life men in the decay of it old men and at last no men Thy yeeres ô my God f Psal 102. 24 saith the Prophet are from generation to generation Thou hast afore time laide the foundation of the Earth and the Heauens are the workes of thy hands They shall perish but thou shalt indure euen they all shall waxe olde as dooth a garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall bee changed But thou art the same and thy yeeres shall not fayle That this is spoken of our Sauiour Christ g Heb. 1. 10 the Apostle sheweth by proouing his God-head from that place To speake truely and properly we can not say of God either that Hee was or that hee is to come but onely that He is Therfore when Moses would needes knowe his name God answered h Exod. 3. 14 So rather then by the future I AM that I AM. Also hee sayd Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israell I AM hath sent mee to you It is hee onely that is as well because hee is of himselfe without dependance vpon anie other as also for that hee is absolutely without any change in himselfe whatsoeuer As for vs wee so are that in a manner wee are not because we neuer continue any time in the same estate without some alteration If we could as plainly see and as certainely iudge of the inward parts of a man as wee can of his outward countenance we should soone perceiue that hee is continually waxing or waning so that hardly can we thinke of any man that He is but while wee are thinking hee is not in the ende of our thought as short a moment as it is altogether the same that he was in the beginning thereof But our most glorious Sauiour IESVS CHRIST being eternall without beginning without middle without end is alwaies most perfectâ—y the same was is and is to come are in him without all kind of difference though to our weake capacitie it hath pleased him to vouchsafe so to speake of himselfe for our better instruction Come now thou that desirest to be for euer ioyne thy selfe to him of whose daies there shall neuer be end They that by faith become one with the Lord Iesus shall be sure to bee one with him in continuance look not back what thou hast not been heretofore but look forward what thou shalt be hereafter Father i Ioh. 17. 24 saith the sameour Sauiour I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am But where was he when he spake this In his humane nature vpon earth And there the Disciples at that time were as well as he But by his God-head he was euen then also in heauen where hee will haue all to be with him who beleeue in him k Ioh. 3. 16 that they may not perish but haue life euerlasting This testimony of the Euangelist concerning our Sauiours eternity was sufficient to stop the mouthes of those first Heretickes and to settle the faithfull in the true beliefe therof But Satan not discouraged by this fayle l Anno. 290 som 200. years after stirred vp the turbulent pestilent spirit of Arius a man of Alexandria in Egypt to call the Godhead of our Sauiour again in question It is Father The Word that became flesh shewed himselfe by his glory to be the Sonne of God Is it not the VVord of whom it followeth The onely begotten Sonne Verse 18. which is in the bosome of the Father hath manifested God Verse 3. vnto vs By the VVord all things were made By the Sonne u Heb. 1. 1. 3 sayth the Apostle He made the world And againe x Col. 1. 16 By him were al things created which are in heauen which are in earth What neede more words Our Euangelist sheweth through the whole Gospel that he speaketh of no other word then the Sonne of God These things are written y Ioh. 20. 31 sayth hee that ye might beleeue that IESVS is the CHRIST the Sonne of God Leaue we therfore these shifting blasphemies let vs labour to settle our harts in the assured belief of our Sauiour Christs diuine eternity To which purpose it shal be sufficient for vs to remeÌ„ber that which we heard ere while out of the * Psal 102. 27 Psalme Thou art the same and thy yeares shall not faile that testimony of Christ himself a Reuelat. 1. 8 I am A Ω the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come euen the Almighty What can the sottish heatheÌ„ the stubborn Iews or the brutish Turks now say Come ye that deride and persecute the true religion of the Lord Iesus you great wisards that despise all men as barbarous in comparison of your selues Are not you they that worship stocks and stones instead of the true God Are not the Parents of your greatest and auntientest gods easily to be knowen named I am ashamed to speak it but your folly wil not suffer it self to be hidden b Tertullian in Apolog. cap. 25 Were not the sepulchers graues of your soueraign god Iupiter the rest to be seene for many years by all men when you sottishly honoured them for gods in heauen whose carcases lay rotting amongst you in the earth But our God is eternall without beginning without middle without ending He became man in time he was God before all time he died was buried But he ouercame death rose again ascended in his body visibly vp to heauen Look not my brethren that I should discourse at large of these matters I haue bin too long already and I shall haue fitter opportunitie hereafter if God wil. Let the Iewes with all their malice the Romans with all their power deuise what vntruths practise whatsoeuer cruelty they are able our God sitteth in heauen and laugheth them to scorne causing his religion to continue in despight of both and thereby assuring vs of his owne eternall being for euer and euer As for the Mahometan though hee be incredibly shamelesse in lyes blasphemies yet hee is driuen to confesse that often in his sensless Alcoran that Iesus our God was holy vertuous wonderful in miracles a great Prophet of the Lord. Would the wretch Mahomet haue yielded so much to our Sauiour if euidence of truth coÌ„tinued so powerfully had not wruÌ„g it out of him But how could he be holy or not most prophane if hee made himselfe the Sonne of God and were not we should be as voide of sense as his absurde Alcoran if wee should
of whose punishment we are so affraid And yet what was this extremity in comparison of the intolerable wrath of God in the fire of hel where there is neither ease of pain nor end of misery f Psal 2. 12. O kiss the Son least he be angry and ye perish in the way g 1. Cor. 10. 22 Doe we prouoke the Lord to anger Are we stronger then he h Reuel 6. 15 Doe not the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men hide themselues in dens and among the rockes of the mountaines Doe they not Verse 16 crie out most lamentably to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb Oh miserable comfortless wretches Flee you from the Lamb It is hee i Ioh. 1. 29 that taketh away the sins of the world If there be ny drop of mercy it is by the bloud of the Lamb if there be any hope of comfort it is in the gentlenesse of the Lamb. They are absolutely without al possibility of the least relief that can find no fauor at the hands of the Lamb. If the Lamb frown who wil look cheerfully vpon vs And dare any wretched miscreant nourish in his heart doubtfull thoughts of our blessed Sauiours eternall God-head For it is almost incredible that any man should be so desperate as blasphemously to denie it If we could heare but as it were a far off the hideous shreeks and most wofull lamentations of that wretch I spake of ere while our haire would stand vpright on our heads with horror and our hearts sink in our bodies for feare k Ioh. 5. 22 Hath not the Father committed all iudgement vnto him Must we not all stand before his throne to receiue sentence from him either of life or death Oh I where wilt thou bestow thy self poor naked miserable distressed soule It is vnpossible for thee to hide thy selfe To behold the wrathfull countenance of the Iudge it is intolerable Oh! how wilt thou tremble when thou shalt heare that dreadful voice l Luk. 19. 27. Those mine enimies that would not that I should raigneouer them bring them hither slaie them before my face Slay them I but so that they shal alwaies be dying and neuer dye For so is that â—eatefull â—entence which will loose the ioints make the knees knock together when it shall be heard m Mat. 25. 41 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angells Is it not better for vs then to acknowledge Iesus Christ to be God while we liue here may learn it then to be driueÌ„ to confess it when it shal auaile vs to nothing but to increase our iust damnation I am sory a sham'd that in this cleere sun-shine of the Gospell any man making profession of Christian religion should make doubt of so main a ground therof Neither would I haue wearied you my selfe with so large an exhortatioÌ„ but that I know too wel there is too iust occasion of it Yet I may not forget my selfe too much That which hath bin said is sufficient with the blessing of God without it nothing that can be say de Let vs now come neerer home and betake our selueâ— to that which is more proper to our calling For as the Angells that are ministring spirits though they be faine oftentimes to oppose themselues against the malice and fury of satan his instruments yet haue not this office properly assign'd vnto them but as it furthereth their principle charge to helpe them forward which shall be heires of saluation so the ministers of the Gospel must account it their especial duty to instruct comfort them that are the true members of the body of Iesus Christ To you therfore beloued in the same our Sauiour will I now addresse my speech euen to all you that beleeue in Christ to iustification Haue you learned that the Messiah your Sauiour is God almighty Do you firmly and stedfastly beleeue this without wilfull gain-saying or doubting Assure your selues the holy Ghost hath set you in the waie to euerlasting life But me thinkes I heare some poore soule sighing in himself striuing if it were possible to conceale his own thoughts from his own heart What is it thou dost so labour to suppresse what art thou so affray de to be knowen of Be not dismaied nor discouraged If thou tremble like n Marke 5. 33. her that heard our Sauiour aske who hath touched him remember with what ioy to her selfe she was discouered Promise thy selfe no lesse from him who will certainly o Mat. 11. 28 refresh all them that being heauy laden come vnto him What Those that haue now and then some doubt in them of his eternall God-head I euen those in despight of Satan and all his treacherie Let mee reason with thee a little Dost thou not beleeue that the scripture is the vndoubted word of God yes thou doost Art thou not perswaded that the same Scripture teacheth thee that thy Sauiour Christ is very God Thou art But thou hast many times some doubting of the point within thy heart What Dost thou doubt willingly as one that either thinkes it not to be so or at the least that was neuer resolutely perswaded that it is so Let me say more to thee Wouldst thou haue him bee God or no If thy affection desire to honour him all that may be if thy weake faith labour to ouercome this doubting Satan would haue thee doubt makes thee afraid thou doubtest but indeed thou dost beleeue It is not a property of the most sanctified men to bee without tentations but not to yeelde to them with ioy and liking True faith may be weake though perfect faith cannot Weaknes of faith wil admit occasion of doubting but not giue place to doubting Doost thou not finde it in thy selfe thy doubting neither brings forth denying nor receiues any kinde entertainement at thy hands then art thou wholly free from wilfull gainesaying or doubting Satan can not make thee beleeue that thy Sauiour is not God Only he makes thee afraid least he should not be God And how comes hee to this aduantage Surely by no other meanes but by driuing thee to examine the point by reason There can be but one God which is he that sent Iesus Christ into the world and not Iesus himselfe If thou tell him of the three persons hee demaunds further how thou canst conceiue that there should be three such persons and all they but one God As if p 2. Cor. 5. 7. wee walkt heere by sight and not by faith I know it is possible to beate the Deuill at his owne weapons and by the force of reason to maintaine against him that there is a Trinity of persons though that mystery by discourse
stretcht those words farder then they would reach so on the contrary side other Hereticks drew them into a narrower roume then they could endure For whereas by by all things we must vnderstand whatsoeuer had any beginning of being whether it be visible as the heauens the Earth the Sea men beasts fowles fishes or inuisible as the Angells and spirites some Hereticks denied that the one of these kinds was created by the Word some that the other The Valentinians were content to grant that hee made all things that are bodily and subiect to sense yea perhaps the soules of men too the Angells but yet for sooth they dreamt of I knowe not what e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Iren. lib. 1. cap. 1. 2. 3. other conceits which were not created by him The Manichees allowed God the creation of all inuisible spirits but they thought the world and the creatures in it too base a peece of worke for so glorious a worke-master not perceiuing ignorant wretches as they were that the making of the least creature requires infinite wisdome power But what should I enter into any refutation of these Heretickes All I meane to doe in such cases is to cleare the Text from such errors as they loade it withall Therfore it shall be sufficient against the one and the other that the Euangelist not only speakes so generally All things but also adds to take away all manner of cauills that nothing or not one thing was made without him Neither will it serue the Valentinians turne to say that their fancies were not made because whatsoeuer is not God had certainely a beginning of being from and by the Sonne and therefore those multitudes of their Aeones as they call them must needes bee made For being so many and so diuerse in nature it is not possible they hould be God as themselues also grant And for the first clause By him were all things made this may suffice I come to the second And without him was nothing made that was made Here because there is some variety in ioyning or sâ—uering the words which makes a difference in the meaning of the Euangelist it behoues vs first to seeke out the true pointing of the sentence and then wee may readily proceed to enquire after the sense thereof Some mingle part of this verse and part of the next together reading it thus Without him was made nothing that was made in him taking the two last words In him from the verse that followeth But this hath so little shew of reason in it that to rehearse it is to refute it For how idle a speech is it to say that nothing was made without him that was made in him that is by him As if any reasonable man could imagin that somthing was made by him which was made without him If any man wil interpret In him as the words properly signify it is yet more absurd For neither are al things f Tertull. contra Herâ—â—g cap. 2c in the Word taking In Properly and it is a manifest contradiction to say that a thing is made in this or that and yet made without it that is not within it g August an Ioa. tract 1. Other thrust the later part of this verse to the fourth and make it part thereof in this sort That which was made in him was life And so our Rhemists traÌ„slate the place following the vulgar Latin But there is more curiosity in this reading then truth For who can beleeue that the Euangelist would trouble them that should reade or heare this Gospel with such a subtility as few men are able to vnderstand that all things which which were made before their making were life in God because they were God himself as they theÌ„ were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore life because his knowledge by which they were is his essence and so life These conceipts may perhaps be admitted in the shooles to exercise schollers witts withal but they can haue no place in the Scripture which is appointed for the instruction of the weakest capacities Besides in al likely hood if the EuaÌ„gelist had purposed to giue vs notice of that matter he would not haue said as he doth That which was made c. but rather Those or All things that were made were life in him I deny not that this translation hath some authoritie from antiquity But surely not so much as is commonly thought the very euidence of truth hath made some later Papists also reiect it The truest plainest course is to reade it as we commonly doe following the generall consent of almost al the auncient greeke writers sure the learnedst and soundest VVithout him was made nothing that was made Let no maÌ„ trouble himselfe with deuising what the reason should be why the holy Ghost adds this clause seeing hee had spoken sufficient in the former I will if it please God satisfy this doubt when I haue expounded the words and come to deliuer the meaning of the Euangelist in them Now the words are plaine enough in themselues but that the curiosity of some men and the crafty malice of Satan hath made them doubtfull yet the doubtes are neither many nor hard First by without h Origen in Ioa. lib. 3. some men will needes vnderstand that which before I noted as if the Euangelists meaning were that the word contained al things in him as the preseruer oâ— them by his infinit power and being The doctrine is true but nothing to the purpose It is easie for euery man to discerne that without him signifies no more buâ— that which was said in the former part of the sentence By him the one affirming the other denying If the Euangelist had said within him were al things theÌ„ there had bin god reason to expound without as these men doe But since he puts By him in the first part surely in the later without must haue such a sense as best agrees with that Tel me how you would vnderstand my words if I should speake thus Dauids battailes were all fought by Ioab and without him there was none fought So speaketh S. Iohn and so he is to be vnderstood But in the word without only the curiosity of men was to be blamed in the exposition of the other worde Nothing wilful ignorance and malitious peruerting of the holy Ghosts meaning bewary themselues If I should aske any reasonable man how he thinkes those wordes without him was nothing made are to bee vnderstood would he not answere me readily and plainely that the Euangelist meant to tell vs that There was not any thing made but by him Surely thus would a reasonable man answere if hee would answere like a reasonable man But i Manich. apud August de naturâ— boni cap. 25. the men of whome I speake will haue Nothing to be something And whereas S. Iohn would teach vs that whatsoeuer was made was made by him they would make him say
that there was a thing yea many hundred or thousand things that were not made by him Nothing was made without him That is say the Manichees hee was not the maker of Nothing but that was made without him Could a man deuise to speake more contrary to the holy Ghost if the would set himselfe to it neuer so earnestly But what is this nothing No lesse then the heaueÌ„ the earth the sea and whatsoeuer is contained in al these except spirits They might better call these All things then Nothing Sure it is a farre easier matter to perswade men to be Sadduces and thinke there are no spirits at al then to make them beleeue that all these bodily things are nothing They are nothing say they because they are naught and made by the deuill Away with these horrible blasphemies and absurdities Is the world euill by creation and not rather wholly by corruption Or is there any thing in the worlde so euill that it hath not some good profitable vse Is it possible any thing should haue a being but from Iehouah the author of all being But I knowe not how I am almost slipt into a refutation of that which deserues rather to be reiected with detestation then refuted by reason especially seeing the ground of this their building is so sleight and sandy What colour is there for this interpretation of theyrs If wee take the words in the plaine sense they afford vs they containe neither impietie nor absurdity What then Doth the circumstance of the place require anye such exposition Nay rather ot confutes it as I haue shewed Neither doe they brag of any speciall reuelation for the vnderstanding of it What should then be their reason for it Imagin what you will or can their conceit passeth all absurdity Forsooth the Euangelist hath set nothing in the last place after was made O incredible shall I say ignorance or wilfull blindnesse As if for the sense it were not all one to say without him was made nothing and without him nothing was made In English the later kind of speech is more agreeable to the nature of the toong in greeke it is not so but the sense euen in the English is all one though the words be not so well placed But let vs leaue these absurdities vpon which wee haue dwelt too long a great deale longer then I purposed and betake our selues to the matter Yet perhaps it will not be amisse to adde a worde or two first for the remouing of a doubt that may arise in some mans minde who cannot satisfy himselfe concerning it And surely I am the bolder to spende the more time and labour in expounding the text and making al things as plaine as I can because I knowe that one of Satans meanes to discredit the doctrine and make the exhortation out of any palce of Scripture lesse effectuall is to cast some doubtes into mens heartes about the true sense of the text expounded If hee can shew any likely hood of some other interpretation then was giuen he makes accompt he hath aduantage enough to perswade vs not to regard what was taught vs what we were exhorted to For if the foundation bee weake how should the building be but ruinous So likewise if he cannot reasonably obiect against the expounding of the place yet if hee can raise some doubts which were not satisfied he will imploy men therein and so drawe them away from the meditation and practise of that which was deliuered The doubt vpon this place is in the later part of this clause why the Euangelist should add these words without him was made was it not sufficient to haue said All things were made by him yes surely it was very sufficient both for the truth of the thing and also for the vnderstanding of it What vse is there then of this repetition It helpes the memory and as it were stirs vs vp to greater atttention But the true reason of it as I conceiue is that the Euangelist followeth the Hebrew phrase very commonly in which it is ordinary to double that by a negation or deniall of the contrary which before was affirmed So k I say 39. 4. 2. King 20. 15. speaketh Hezekiah to the Prophet I sai All that is in my house they haue seene there is nothing among my treasures that I haue not shewed them So l Ier. 42. 4. Ieremie to â—ohanan and the people What soeuer thing the Lorde shall aunswere you I will declare it to you I will keepe nothing backe from you Of this kinde there are many speeches of our Sauiour recorded in the Gospell that it may appeare it was ordinarie with him so to set out that hee spake by affirming or denying the contrary m Ioh. 8. 29. Hee that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone n Ioh. 3. 17. God sent not his Sonne into the world that he should condemne the world but that the world through him might be saued This later Clause indeede hath somewhat more in it then the former but it was implyed in it So in the verse going before ver 16. should not perish but haue euerlasting life o Ioh. 10. 18. Ver. 28. No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I giue them eternall life and they shall neuer perish This custome of speech vsed also by his Lord and Master did our Euangelist followe that wee might the rather beleeue and remember that he writ Thus by the examining of the words wee are come at the last to vnderstand the Euangelists meaning which is this that all things whatsoeuer which had any beginning of being as all things had except God onely had that beginning and being of theirs from the word or Sonne of God There is nothing so glorious in heauen aboue nothing so meane on earth belowe nothing so hidden vnknowne in the depth of the Sea but had his whole being from our Sauiour Christ From him they all receiv'd their substance and nature from him they had their qualities and properties by him all things liue that haue life by him all things moue that haue motion by him all things are that haue any being But let vs consider these matters more attentiuely First in generall then particularly And because I haue once or twice already made mention of a place in the Prouerbes where this Sonne of God is brought in by Salomon calling himselfe by the name of wisedome and shewing his admirable wisedom by the workes of the Creation I will begin with his owne report as it is there described VVhen hee that is God the Father prepared the heauens I was there p Pro. 8. 27. sayth this diuine wisedome when he set the compasse vpon the deepe when hee established the Cloudes aboue when he confirmed the Fountaines of the deep Ver 28. When he gaue his decree to the Sea that the waters should not Ver. 29. passe his
commandement when hee appointed the foundations of the earth Then was I with him a nourisher and I was Ver. 30. dayly his delight reioycing alway before him But least any man should be so obstinate that this testimonie cannot resolue and satisfie him I will adde hereunto the witnes of q Psal 102. 25. another Prophet who calling vpon the Sonne of God speaketh thus of him Thou hast afore time layd the foundation of the earth and the heauens are the worke of thy hands If you doubt whether this bee spoken of the Sonne or no the holy Ghost shall assure you that it is by the pen of Saint r Hâ—b 1. 10. Paul who alleageth this place and applyeth it to our Sauiour Christ Of whome also hee had affirm'd a little before that God made the world by him It may be some man would knowe the reason why our Euangelist being to describe our Sauiour as the Creator of the world doth not vse the same kinde of speech which Moses doth and which also is common in the Scripture to that purpose Why doth hee not more particularly recite the things that were created by him and set out his glory therein at large as Moses doth I will tell you in as few words as I can And first I say of both questions together that therefore Saint Iohn did not speake either so or so largely as Moses had done before because Moses had so done and his purpose was not the same that Moses had in his writing More particularly and more plainely I say farther of the former doubt first that it is true and manifest that whereas Å¿ Gen. 1. 1. Moses named expresly the heauen and the earth our Euangelist sayeth in generall All things It is also cleere and certaine that ordinarily in the Scripture where God is spoken of as a Creator there the same things are mentioned Wee heard erewhile seuerall places to that purpose you may finde more at your leasure Wee preach vnto you sayth t Act 14. 25. the Apostle Paul to the men of Listra That yee should turne from these vaine things to the liuing God which made heauen and earth So u Isay 37. 16. sayth Hezekiah Thou art God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made the heauen and the earth So x Ier. 32. 17. Ieremiah Thou hast made the heauen and the earth by thy great power yet saith our Euangelist By him were all things made Why so As well because by these words all that Moses sayd might and would easily be conceiv'd as also for that he would haue euen those things to be vnderstood whereof Moses had made no expresse mention Therefore also doth y Col. 1. 16. the Apostle Paul speake otherwise of the creation then Moses where hee sayth of our Sauiour Christ By him were all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible whether they bee Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers then follow the very wordes of our Euangelist All things were created by him Thus hath Saint Paul taught vs how to expound Saint Iohn All things visible and inuisible Of the later Moses sayth nothing expresly but rather by his particular description of the visible parts of the world seemes to tell vs that hee spake of them onely So might our Euangelist also haue been vnderstood if hee had so spoken whereas now wee are to expound him of both according as the Apostle directs vs. But why doth not Saint Iohn as the least follow Moses course and describe the particulars at large Because Moses was the first that euer writ that historie of creation and writ it of purpose to giue knowledge of it to all posteritie But our Euangelist neither needed doe that which which was perform'd so excellently so long before by another and intended not to set out the historie but rather to apply it to the present occasion Hee had also a more worthy matter to handle whereunto hee hasted the redemption of the children of God by the promised Messiah our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Giue mee leaue I pray you a little to consider the glorie of our heauenly redeemer and to insult ouer all such miscreants Iewes and Turkes as despise his gratious offer of saluation and refuse him as not worth the trusting in Whom dost thou contemne whose helpe doest thou thinke scorne of Canst thou not beleeue in him when thou considerest him in the Virgins wombe yet beleeue in him when thou beholdest him in the bosome of God what could he be but mortall that was made of mortall flesh Nay rather what could hee bee but immortall that made both flesh and spirit Thou sayest Hee is accursed that maketh flesh his arme and can hee be blessed thinkest thou that refuseth to make God his strength Shall the clay say to the potter Thou art of no power Shall not so presumpâ—uous a Clod of bak't earth bee broken all to peeces and beaten to dust That thou liuest mov'st breath'st that thou art that thou canst bee thus vnthankefull it is his and only his goodnes What doost thou plotting and deuising to ouerthrow his religion Beholde hee will take a way thy breath from thee and then all thy thoughts shall perish Doest thou not quake and tremble at the fearefull sound of the thunder that hee made Doest thou not flee away hide thy face from the flashes of lighting that come from him * Osc 2. 8. Doost thou not knowe that it is hee that giues thee Corne and Wine and Oyle and multiplies thy siluer and thy golde which thou wastest in making warre against him How long wilt thou proceed to harden thy wicked heart to thine owne destruction The weakest and meanest of his creatures a Exod. 8. 19. 25. Flies and Lice are stronger then all thy bandes of Ianizaries If the meditation of our Sauiour Christs Almightie power in creating all things will preuayle nothing at all with them but to 〈◊〉 urage them the more let vs leaue them to his iust indignation and apply the knowledge of this doctrine to the encrease of our owne faith and comfort And first let vs hearten our selues against the reproches and scornes of the weake and ignorant world They beleeue not in Iesus Christ Noe maruaile For they see him not but in the wombe in the manger on the Crosse in the graue They see but a peece a it were or rather the bark only of the tree of life But we to whom the same Lord that created the eyes of our bodies the naturall light of our vnderstanding hath giuen also the supernaturall light of faith beholde him a farre off euen beyond the beginning of the world and looking through the rinde of his humane nature see the pith and substance of his euerlasting Godhead not what it is but that it is Why shuld it be thought strange for men to relie wholly vpon him that made them Let me
They saw him not but were perswaded hee should bee seene at the time appointed Neither haue wee seene him but are out of doubt that hee was seene while he liued here vpon the earth They trusted in him as the onely and all-sufficient meanes of life Is not our faith the same Therefore least any man should imagine that the Fathers which died before our Sauiour Christ was born were destitute of spirituall life our Euangelist assures vs that there was euen then life in him These reasons may giue some good satisfaction to them who desire rather to informe themselues to edification then to aime themselues for contention Giue me leaue also I pray you to propound to your consideration meditation at your better leasure what it hath pleased God I should conceiue of this matter would any man knowe of me why the Euangelist saith In him was rather then In him is life I think he may be fully satisfied if he do aduisedly consider that hee continueth the course which he begun in the first verse followed in the second and third In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God The same was By him were without him was Do not meruaile thē that the Euangelist sayth here In him was life Tell mee how hee could haue spoken more fitly Hee proceedes in the description of the Messiah touching his mediatorship whose Godhead he had before declared Could he doe better thē to hold on the same manner of speech But will you see yet a farther reason that nothing may be wanting which may helpe vou forward in the vnderstanding of this scripture Who knowes not that the Euangelist according to the ordinary course which they take that write the hystories of famous men settes downe in the beginning a briefe description of him of whom afterward hee is to intreat at large by shewing that in particular which was at the first deliuered in a generall sort This being so let vs remember that the historie is of him that is not now liuing amongst vs but departed out of this life from vs. Therefore it was necessarie for our Euangelist to speak of him as of one that had beene and now was not Not as if hee were not now at all but because hee is not now aliue in the world as hee was when those things were done the historie whereof is written in this Gospell So then we must conceiue that Saint Iohn in saying was hath respect to the time of our Sauiours being herein our nature and therefore not only might but ought also to say In him was rather then In him is life because he is totel vs what he did here in the world and not what hee doth now he is out of the world This the holy Ghost teacheth vs when he saith k Ioh. 20. 30. toward and l Ioh 21. 25. in the end of this Gospell Many other signes also did Iesus and there are also many other things which Iesus did Yet the ende of all is m Ioh. 20. 31. that wee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ and so that life is in him now for vs as well as it was for them that liued in his time The excellent comfort of this doctrine drawes mee to it with both the hands but that my promise holdes mee backe very strongly Let me first discharge this then I will bestowe my selfe wholly vpon the handling of that more at large I vndertooke to shewe these two thinges what spirituall life is here signified of grace or of glorie or of both why the tearme life is applyed to note that holinesse and happinesse I doubt not but euerie man perceiues already that by life I vnderstand as well our liuing righteously in this world as our liuing gloriously in the world to come How else could it note such holinesse and happinesse The reason perhaps is not so apparant I will doo my best endeuour to giue you satisfaction touching that also It is verie fitte if not necessarie to giue as large an extent to all texts of Scripture as the circumstances of the present place and the ordinarie vse of the wordes will beare least wee seeme to restraine the meaning of the holy Ghost more then wee are warranted by him to doe And therefore I could haue beene contented to haue stretched the worde euen to note the preseruing of naturall life but that I can finde no such vse of it in the Scripture neither will that sense well agree with that exposition which the light in the second clause seemes necessarily to require as I hope to make it appeare anone if God will But neither any circumstance of the place tieth life to the one or to the other and the word is diuers times taken in both senses Of eternall life what shall I need to bring many examples This Gospell is full of them I will giue you a taste by one or two Yee search the Scriptures n Ioh. 5. 39. 40. sayth our Sauiour to the Iewes for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee Yet yee will not come to mee that yee might haue life That which in the former verse hee nameth eternall life in the later hee calleth simply life The Ver. 24. like wee haue in the same Chapter not very many verses before Hee that beleeueth in him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life To what life Euen to euerlasting life which he was sayd before to haue The other life grace in this world both is implyed oftentimes in the life of glorie whereof also it is a part the Image of God in vs being renewed by it and is manie times spoken of by it selfe as I shewed at large before out of o Eph. 4. 24. diuerse places of Scripture It is needlesse to repeate them or to adde more to them What should hinder vs then frō expounding this life so largely as wee haue done Nave might wee not be thought iniurious to the holy Ghost if wee should leaue out either of them By life then wee vnderstand that spirituall estate of righteousnesse and glory of which all that beleeue in Christ are made partakers by beeing ingraffed into his mysticall bodie Would any man knowe why this estate into which wee are restored by our Sauiour should be tearmed life I aunswere him in a word because the miserable estate into which wee fell by sinne was called by the name of death It will not bee vnworthy our labour to consider this point a little When the Lord God had made our first parents and placed them in that palace of pleasure the garden of Paradise p Gen. 2. 8. Hee charged them to forbeare to eate of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill threatning them that if they brake his commaundement that day that they ate thereof Ver. 17. they should dye the
hope will make a man try any course that shall be directed him It is a rare thing to find any man so void of hope to liue that he will not take whatsoeuer is offered him to continue life Is the remedy more greeuous then the disease what is easier in the opinion of ordinary men then to belieue Shall I tell you what I conceiue of the matter There are 2 lets that stay vs commonly from the seeking and embracing of this life Either we are too wel coÌ„ceited of our selues or not well enough perswaded of him in whom this life is Would you haue me seeke for life Let them looke after it that lack it I haue life already in my selfe and need not depend vpon any other for it I am rich and increased with goods and haue neede of nothing o Reu. 3. 17. saith the Church of Laodicea and yet indeed as our Sauiour there tells her She was wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked This conceipt naturally possesseth all men and where this is rooted and flourisheth there is neither roome for spiritual life to grow nor will to plant it But this because it is so agreeable to the pride of our corrupt nature is the lesse to bee wondred at The other hinderance whereby wee are helde backe from this life is more strange and lesse excuseable There are many that make open profession to all the world that they knowe themselues to be naturally dead and to stand in neede of life to quicken them yea they goe farder and in wordes acknowledge that the life they want is in Christ and yet like those Iewes I spake of ere-while they care not to ioyne themselues to Christ that they may be made partakers thereof This I take to be generally the estate of most of vs that are called Christians Do we not all professe beleefe in Iesus Christ Do we not thereby acknowledge that we are dead in our selues and looke to receiue life from him And yet how few of vs are there that indeed are so perswaded Thinke not much that I make this greeuous coÌ„plaint If we did truely beleue that in heart which we confesse from the teeth outward were it posssible we should be so carelesse where can you find me one amoÌ„gst a greate many that either knowes or cares to knowe how this life is to be come by Doth thy hart leap within thee for ioy as oft as thou hear'st that there is life to be had in Iesus Christ p Gen. 42. 2. When Iacob in a time of famin heard that there was food in Aegypt hee sent his Sâ—nns thither with all speed to buy some How far would they haue gon for life that trauailed into Aegypt for meate Thou hast heard there is life in Christ for â—ll that sitst stil thy house I should say ly'st stil in thy graue and thinkest it enough for thee to haue heard of it Thou doost but deceiue thy owne wretched poore soule What could it haue auailed Iacob that hee heard where there was corne to be bought if hee had not sent his Sonnes to fetch it But perhaps thou mak'st accouÌ„t â—hat thou hast it sure If I should aske thee when or how thou camst by it I doubt me thy answere woulde bee to seeke Go to I will not presse thee so far though well I might For this life we speake of doth not steâ—le into a man while he lies a-sleeping but is followed and sought for before it be obtained But I will only demaÌ„d this one questioÌ„ of thee Hast thou indeed found life in Iesus Christ Oh that it were as â—ruly as it is commonly spoken I will not examin thee vpon any Interrogatories Let thine owne soule tell thee in secret betwixt it and thee whether thy affection to this autor of life bee such as the feeling of so greate a blessing can not possibly chuse but make it He that saith he beleeues there is life in Christ and vseth no meanes to become partaker of it either thinkes he hath no neede thereof or accouÌ„ts it not worth the hauing or saith he knoweth not what deceiuing himself with an empty shadow the substance whereof he neither hath nor careth for What shall I say of him who brags he is possest of life in Christ yet neither honors Christ nor reioyceth in his own happines What else But that his heart beleeues not what his toong auoucheth But I dwel too long in the general Let vs come now to the particulars and first to the life of holynes which is so absolutely from Christ that the Apostle saith it is not himselfe that liueth but Christ that liueth in him Will you heare him speake I through the lawe q Gal. 2. 19. 20. saith S. Paul am dead to the law and that I might liue vnto God I am crucified with Christ Thus I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me For the spirit by which wee liue is r Eph. 4. 15. 16. the spirit of Christ resting in him as in the head and spreading himselfe abroad into euery one of the members to giue them their proportion of life and growth This is that which Å¿ Rom. 8. 2. in another place is call'd the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus and which is there said to haue freed vs from the law of sinne The Iewes bragd they were free by nature because they were Abrahams children t Ioh. 8. 33. 34. But our Sauiour aunsweres them that they were the seruants of sinne because they committed sin and could not be made free indeede but by the sonne Ver. 36. onely This our Baptisme teacheth vs as u Rom 6. 2. 3. 4. the Apostle sheweth at large The summe is that we are buried by Baptisme into the death of Christ that sinne may be slaine Ver. 11. in vs and raised againe by the power of his resurrection that righteousnes may liue and grow in vs. The conclusion is this Make account saith the holy Apostle that yee are dead to sinne but are aliue to God in Iesus Christ our Lord. x Eph. 2. 5. In whom wee were quickened when wee were dead in sinnes For y 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ Iesus is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Where are they now who finde themselues so perplexed with the sight and sense of that their naturall corruption Me thinkes I heare the sighes and grones of a poore soule lamentably complaining that shee can finde no ende of her wretchednesse no bottome of her running sore If she heale vp one two breake out for it If she make head against pride couetousnesse setts vpon her behinde her backe While she is busie with all the force she can make to withstand the lusts of the flesh that outwardly assault her her owne thoughts inwardly commit fornication Though shee keepe her hands from murder yet her tongue wounds deepely and deadly with euill speeches To conclude when shee
was in Christ indeede because no man euer had it that was not in him many haue had haue it in abundance by depending wholy vpoÌ„ him The principal point is yet behind coÌ„cerning the life of glory Which though it properly belong to the world to come yet there is one chiefe thing apperteining therunto which is to be had in this world as an entrance to the other The death that insued vpon the breach of that charge * Gen. 2. 17. Thou shalt not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good euill was the estate of mortalitie to the body and of condemnation both to body and soule Therefore the life that was in Christ must needs affoord vs remedy against both these Let vs take them in their order And first that by death the separation of the soule and body was signified it may euidently appeare as by the words themselues in their proper sense so also by the sentence of the Lord pronounced after the sinne according to the penalty before threatned In a Gen 3. 19. the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou returne to the earth for out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne Adam indeede liued many hundred yeeres after this sentence but at last the execution of it came b Gen. 5. 5. All the daies that Adam liued were 930. yeeres and he died But this is so well knowne and generally confest that it needs no furder proofe Let vs shew that there is life in Christ to destroy this death Ne ther neede wee goe farre to seeke for that matter Remember c Gâ—n 3. 15. what was threatned the diuell that the seed of the woman should bruse his head d Heb. 2. 14. If the diuell bee subdued who hath the power of death as the Apostle tells vs what shall become of death that is vnder his power The Lord himselfe tells thee by e Heb. 2. 14. his Prophet e Ose 13. 14. where he triumpheth ouer death trampling him vnder his feete O death I will be thy death Oh graue I will bee thy destruction But this was rather a discouragement of death then a destruction Heare f 1 Cor. 15. 54. the Apostle proclaiming the victory after the fight was ended Death is swalowed Verse 55. vp in victory He proceeds to insult ouer him O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory The Verse 56. 27. sting of death is sin and the strength of sinne is the law But thanks be vnto God who hath giue vs victory through I. Chr. Verse 21. 22. our Lord. GiueÌ„ vs victory How doth that appear For since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead For as in AdaÌ„al meÌ„dy so in Christ shal albe made aliue 2. Tim 1. 10. through Christ I say gwho hath abolished death hath brought life immortalitie to light through the Gospell I wish it were so may some men say that death were indeede destoried that we need no longer stand in feare of him But what credit may be giuen to that which is refuted by sense in daily and hoverly experience Did not Aâ—aÌ„ die Are not Abraham Isaak Iacob al the prophets and Patriarchs dead Is not there proofe enough in the scripture that euery man must die h Psal 89. 48. What man liueth and shall not see death The Apostle seconds the Prophet i Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed to men that they shal once die What say you to that great conquerour of death himselfe The two tneeues that were executed with him withstood death longer theÌ„ he did The Souldiers came k Ioh. 19. 32. Ver 33. saith the Euangelist and brake the legges of the first and of the other which was crucified with Iesus But when they came to Iesus and saw that he was dead already they brake not his legges See I pray you the champion that should ouercome death is sooner subdued by death then either of these two ordinarie fellowes It was no wonder though the Iewes vpbraided him when he hung vpon the Crosse He saued others quoth they but he cannot saue himselfe Is it possible l Mat. 27. 42. to beleeue that there was life in him whose death his best friends coÌ„fesse Doth this seeme vnpossible to thee What wilt thou say then if I tell thee of a greater matter Hee ouercame death by dying The same stroke that tooke life from him through him m Heb. 2. 14. slew death himselfe him that had power over death euen the diuell Would you know more particularly how that could bee I may not enter into any large discourse of the point In one word it was thus The sting of death as the Apostle taught vs is sinne By which the diuell preuailed to the destruction of them that had sinned This sting was not onely blunted and rebated but pluckt out and cast away by our Sauiour For his death being a sacrifice for sin tooke sinne quite away n Iob. 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world So that now the name of death is more terrible then the thing there is more feare then hurt in it Tell me what it could indanger or indamage thee to haue a snake creepe vpon thee yea if it were into thy bosom so the sting teeth and whatsoeuer els it hath power to hurt withall were first pulled out It might perhaps scarre thee or make thee start as a litle cold water will doe if it be cast vpon a sodaine in thy face but that is all the harme thou couldest haue by it Death then is thus disarmd by our Sauiour Christ but the destructioÌ„ of him is by his resurrection If thou wouldest see death dead indeed look into the graue where Iesus thy sauiour was laid There shewd death the vttermost of his power He thought himselfe sure enough of the victory when he had shut him vp without life in the sepulchre rolled a great stone to the mouth of it and saw a guard of souldiers set to watch him well there hee keeps him in that estate the same day he was crucified all the next and the beginning of the third What ensued Surely if hee had bin put in aliue hee would haue bin dead by that time There is no question then but that wee shall finde him dead in the graue So though his disciples Who the next day after the Iewes Sabboath o Luke 24. 1. Early in the morning came vnto the Sepulchre and brought the odors which they had prepared to embalme his body withall They made no doubt but they should finde him p Mark 16. 1. Mark 15. 47. where they had seene him laid For dead men are no starters Onely their feare was that they should not be able to roule away the stone from the doore of the Sepulchre
neither auailes But if that life be the light of men both the end and the way are ready for vs and open to vs. Refine thy thoughts to meditate on so high a fauour Inlarge thy heart to conceiue so great a kindness Was it not enough for IESVS CHRIST to bring life into the world but that hee must also light vs the way to finde it Had it not bin more then extraordinary loue to lay it before vs though hee had not as it were thrust and forced it vpon vs Must hee giue thee both meate to feede thee and stomack to eat it O incredible fauour O more then admirable kindness Hee offers thee life Thou neither regardest it nor seest it I would we did not turne away our faces from it He opens thine eyes and makes thee see it Wilt thou shut them againe and bee wilfully blind Sâ—y not in thy wretched vnthankfull heart Who will shew me the way to life Behold the autor of life spreads the beames of light round about thee The darknes is great and thick but the light doth pearce and scatter it There is nothing wanting but a willingnes to see What if it were farre off that it could hardly bee discerned Couldest thou reasonably excuse thy selfe by a feare of ouer-strayning thy sight It is life thou lookest at If thou shouldest breake thine eye-strings with thy earnestness in looking would any man say it was not worth the venturing It is better to goe blind into heauen then hauing full sight of both eyes to be cast into hell fire I was purposed to haue spent this exhortation in kindling or inflaming our affection if I could with the loue of him that hath so carefully gratiously and bountifully prouided for vs and must I bee faine to bestow my time and paines in perswading you to accept of so rare a courtesie But what say I curtesie Kindnes fauour loue the most affectionate and forcible words that can be deuised are too cold and weake to signifie I will not say to expresse such vnspeakable bounty But let vs make as light reckoning as possibly we can of being inlightened Let vs account it a small fauour to see that wee are guided in the way to happiness Let vs despise the pleasure we may take by knowing what wee haue escap't and what wee shall come too At the least though we care not to know our happiness ver let vs not bee so senseless as not to care whether we be hapâ—ie or no. The life which we can not choose but desire is not found but by the light which we looke not after He that walkes in the darke knowes not whither he Ioh. 12. 36. goes Yet perhaps he may light vpon the place hee seekes â—or O miserable hazard will any man so aduenture his eternall saluation How shall hee know it when hee comes to it Hee may ouer-shoote his Port. Hee may fall short of it Hee may bee caried captiue into samaria â— King 6. 13. 19. while hee puzzles in the darke to beleger Dothan Beside if hee were sure to arriue at the place hee goes for he may haue exceeding much foule wether that hee shall neuer know where is nor beleeue that which at his first putting to Sea hee seemed to bee assured of If a man walke in the night saith our Sauiour hee stumbleth Well let all this bee nothing though hee can be no wise man that will beare such an aduenture when he need not But let it as I said be nothing It is somthing to lose or misse of felicitie and life howsoeuer the danger of losing or missing it may be thought a matter of small importance So a man haue it at the last it skills not perhaps how hardly or slowly he come by it Be it so But what if it will not bee had at all without light While ye haue light beleeue in the light that ye may be Ioh. 12. 35. the children of the light Marke ye what he saies that hath life in him Ye must be children of the light by beleeuing in the light how shall that bee if yee despise the light Would you attaine to life Take the light with you that may shew you where it is The first step to life is turning from darknes to light The Lord sends the Apostle Paul to the GeÌ„â—ils that by his ministery they may be brought â—o life How is the course of this work described He must Act. 26. 18. open their eies that they may turne from darknes to light from the power of Satan to God While we are in darkness we are also in the power of Satan when we approche to God we come out of darknes After that followes forgiuenes of sinnes that is life in this world and in heritance among them which are sanctisied by faith in Christ that is glory in the world to come Knowledge enters vs into the way of life faith settles our steps in it that we neither turne aside out of it nor run backward whence we came He that neuer sets foote in the way can not goe forward in it He that knowes not what is to be beleeued can not beleeue Let a man runne neuer so hard if he be out of the race he shall neuer come to the gole Look vpon the Apostle Phil. 3. 5 6. Paul see what paines he takes how temperately he liues how religiously he worships how zealously he pursues Act. 26 9. 10. 11. persecutes theÌ„ whoÌ„ in his ignorance he took to be enemies to God At your leasure consider his behauiour as himselfe hath set it out What was he the neerer to true happiness for al this adoe He found at the last that his best righteousnes was no better theÌ„ dung al the reward his zelous persecuting could procure him was faine to be giueÌ„ ouer for the purchase of the pardon therof So little can it auaile a maÌ„ to make al the speed that may be wheÌ„ he is out of the way Therfore if any man be desirous to become partaker of the life which is in Christ he must of necessity be directed guided by the light that from him shines vnto vs. If thou wilt liue thou must be inlightned Will life think'st thou be found in darknes no more theÌ„ light is in death Is it not strange then yea admirable incredible that they which professe they seeke for life should wilfully coÌ„tinue in darknes And yet me thinks it is more strange if more may be that those meÌ„ should perswade theÌ„selues they are in possessioÌ„ of life who feel theÌ„ selues shut vp fast in darknes Who is ther in this coÌ„gregation I had almost said in this whole nation that doth not flatter his own hart with an opinioÌ„ of life by Christ That life is the light of men Giue me leaue now after loÌ„g time of error to aduise with thee of that which thou shouldest haue bin fully resolvd of a gret while since Thou saist the life
that is in Christ hath quickened thee Thou art questionless inlightened Shall I make bold to aske thee a â—ew questions concerning the mysterie of thy redemption the roote whereon the life thou talkest of groweth Wilt thou not abide to be questioned with of these points Heare me a little I doe it not to appose thee but to instruct thee At the least if thou wilt not answere mee yet giue mee the hearing while I open this great secret vnto thee Not that neither Shall thy pleasure lull thee a sleepe that thou canst not heare Shall thy profit carry thee away that thou wilt not see I were as good hold my peace as speake and not bee heard All men are willing and ready to conser of that whereof they haue skill and experience Thou canst not doe a souldiour a greater pleasure then to put him into some discourse of warre How gladly doth a Mariner take occasion to intreat of nauigation So all professions and trades easily fall into speech of that wherein they haue best knowledge Onely in the profession of christianitie the case is otherwise You shall finde many a one I would I might not truely say very many I am sure I may say ouer many that can not indure to speake themselues or heare other men enter into any discourse of life in CHRIST Tell me I pray you what is the reason why other sorts of professions are so forward in talking of their artes and trades Is it not because they make account they haue some good skill in them Could Christians be so backward to reason of matters touching their saluation but that they are priuie to their owne ignorance in such cases Shall a smith or a shoomaker delight to speake of his craft because he is skilfull in it and shal we hold off and shunne speech of our glorious redemption because but I will say no more for very shame of the world It were not possible we should auoide such communication if we knewe how to carry our selues in it without bewraying our ignorance How then stands the case with vs Are wee not inlightened Then are we not quickened If wee bee in darkenesse we are in death too This this it is be feared is the case of many of vs. There is no life in vs because there is no light in vs With this light wee may search our hearts and discerne whether we be indeede aliue or dead What know I concerning mine owne naturall estate What haue I learned of my first transgression in Adam What feeling am I come to of the horrible corruption where with my soule and body are defiled What vnderstand I of Iesus Christs natures and offices Haue I considered the infiniteness of the loue of God in sending his owne and onely sonne to be my sauiour Am I well instructed in the doctrine of his sufferings Is the value of his inualuable sacrifice magnified by me though not comprehended Let me yet come a little neerer How many are there that do not so much as know what Iesus Christ was what it is to bee iustified what it is to beleeue We are buried in the darknesse of death hauing nothing in vs but the bare conceipt of life I appeale to thine owne soule whosoeuer thou art that wouldest be saued I desire thee not to let mee see the light that is in thee but to looke into thine owne heart whether therebe any there or no. The triall is betwixt God and thee It is in vaine to say thou art inlightened For he knows what is in thee better then thou doost thy selfe And there is no greater argument of thy blindnesse then that thou doost not see it He that begins to see perceiues hee wants a great deale of seeing perfectly But he that was borne blind and continues so knows not that there is any such thing as sight to bee had but onely as hee heares other men talke of it Such is the estate of many professed Christians They haue heard I know not what rumours of Adam and his fall of CHRIST and his death and such other matters But they know no one point or other soundly and throughly either to their humiliation or consolation And yet for I must repeate it againe and often without light there is no life to be had in Iesus Christ How long then will you wander in darknesse When will you approche to life Let it suffice vs that we haue hitherto continued in ignorance yet the light shines vnto vs. Who can tell how soone the Lord will bee weary of waiting on vs and holding out the light of saluation to them that will not see Deceiue not your owne selues with a vaine hope of life as if it could be seized on by groping in the darke Be not wanting to your selues and assuredly yee shall be saued Christ Iesus hath prouided life sor you The same Christ Iesus is ready to shew you the way to it nay hath shewed it to you already if you would haue vouchsaf't to looke toward it And because you are not blind onely but dead also he hath sent vs his seruants and ministers to call vpon you to cry out vnto you to intreat you that you would open your eies and see the light It lies shining vpon your eie-liddes do but lift them vp and it will enter What shall you lose by receiuing sight What will it hurt you to be saued Is any man so hardly intreated to his owne good You shall not trauaile alone in the way to life Behold heere is company on euery side I and my brethren the Ministers will carry the light before you do but follow it and the light will bring you to life If any man for all this will roust in darknesse though hee refuse to see the light yet shall that discouer him both to God and men Art thou not ashamed to know that so many see thy blindnesse Art thou not affraid that the Lord himselfe will cast thee into eternall darknesse since thou takest no pleasure in light Rowse vp thy selfe and shake off this drowsinesse that CHRIST IESVS may giue thee light If thou wilt not neuer presse into this and the like places God is not deceiued Thou makest a shew of loue to the light when thou comest hither where it shines Is thy sight dim The light will cleere it Hast thou no sight at all The light will giue thee eies to see withall The light of the sunne appeares not but where there are eies alreadie and those open too But the light of life which is in CHRIST makes eies where it is desired and causeth life in all that are willing to haue it Whereof if any man doubt let our Euangelist resolue him who proceeding to shew vs the effect of the light tells vs that it shines in darknesse as it were offring it selfe to disperse and scatter whatsoeuer hindereth or staieth our full inlightning For though it follow in the later part of the verse that the darknesse comprehends it
where as in ordinarie proofes wee regard what is sayde rather then who sayth it in this witnesse bearing the man is first respected and then the matter Our Euangelist therefore being to alleage the deposition of Iohn the Baptist beginnes with a discription of his person There was a man Where by the manner of the Euangelists Cyril in Ita. lib. 1. cap. 7. speech There was some think an especial difference betwixt our Sauiour and him is noted as if the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erat. Fuit word did note the eternitie of the one and the beginning of the other We heard of the like curious obseruatioÌ„ before at the first verse In the beginning was the word But it appeared to haue more shew then substance The diuersitie in that place was to bee drawn from the tense or time of the Verb wheras in the originall Greek there is no such varietie and in the Latine vpon which many ground no certainty for the proofe of such a difference either in the nature or vse of the two wordes as I then shewed more at large Heere there seemes to bee more aduantage because Saint Iohn vseth another worde and that such a word as indeede is neuer applyed but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those things which haue some beginning of their being Yet may wee not thereupon conclude that wheresoeuer wee finde the worde there such a difference is implyed or noted For it is verie cleare that it may and must bereferred to that which followes touching his Chrysost in Ioâ— hom 5. being sent There was a man sent not There was a man but was sent So haue wee the worde vsed in other places Iohn was baptizing in the Wildernesse Where Mar. 1 4 wee may not seuer was from baptizing The sense being no more but as it is well translated in English Iohn did baptize or baptized And there was a 9. 7. Cloude that shaddowed them There may seeme to bee more reason in this text to part the wordes but the Greeke will not beare it which is worde for worde There was a Cloude shaddowinge them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a Cloude shaddowed them But let vs graunt which is not ture that the worde signifies a beginning yet not simply a beginning but onely of that which is so spokeÌ„ of So that the beginning must belong not to his being absolutely but his being sent So saith our Euangelist afterward The Word became flesh not began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee as if before it had not beene at all but onely became flesh I am not afrayd therefore of being accused to haue omitted something which the holy Ghost intended to teach vs though I say nothing of that difference betwixt Christ and Iohn concerning the eternall being of the one and the others beginning to bee in time Neither doe I see any necessitie the of expounding the worde as some other men take it to note the extraordinarie conception and eduction of the Baptist which either are not toucht by our Euangelist or if they bee are to be deliuered in that point of his sending As for the word was I hope I haue made it plaine that it belongs to his being sent and hath no especiall signification by it selfe The like in my poore opinion may truely be sayd of the other word Man that it is indefinitly taken for One as wee commonly speak in English There was one sent Of the likelihood of this interpretation by and by it first you will giue mee leaue to speake a word or two of that which is generally conceiued by it Which is that by Man the nature of Iohn is signified To what ende partly that the former difference betwixt Christ and him might bee more exprest partly that no man might take him for an Angell though he be so called by Malachy But neither of these sauing their better judgement that are of a contrary opinion seemes to bee any sufficient reason of such an exposition First the difference they ayme at is as plaine and as great as may be The one was in the beginning was with God was Ioh. 1. 1. 2. Ver. 6. Ver. 4. 5. Ver. 8. God The other was sent by God and no farther matter auoucht of him The one had life in him and was the light of men The other was not the light but came to beare witnes of the light Secondly the auouching of him to bee a man doth not expresse that difference For our Sauiour was also a man as truely and naturally as he The worde became flesh As by a man came death so by a man Ver. 14. 1. Cor. 15. 20. came the resurrection from the dead yea hee is called the man whom God appointed to iudge the world by If Act. 17. 31. you say Christ is not onely a man neither doth the Euangelist a affirme any such thing of Iohn by that word There was a man Thirdly who tooke Iohn to be any other then a man The Iewes indeed many of them helde him for a Prophet but none of them euer denied Ioh. 1. 21. him to bee a man Therefore also the second respect in which hee is called a man is not much to Mat. 21. 26. bee respected The Prophet Malachy you say calls Mal. 3. 1. him an Angell Behold I send mine Angell before thy face What of that Was it therefore to bee feared that some men woulde thinke him to bee an Angell by nature Neither doth Malachy so say but rather shewes that hee speakes of his office because hee giues the same title to the Messiah though with an additon The Angell of the Couenant and who but those that beleeued the Gospell acknowledged Iohn to bee he of whome that was written by the Prophet Besides his parents and kindred were well knowne and his birth was extraordinarily famous yea the whole course of his life his preaching and his death were matters commonly talkt of among the Iewes There was little reason then why the Euangelist should giue any especiall notice of his nature in eitheâ— of the respects aboue mentioned It is more likely as I noted before that he vsed the worde in a generall senseâ— as we doe when we say There was a man or there was one That we may the rather be perswaded hereof let vs con sider the like vse of the worde in other places of the scripture Man liueth not by bread only Which we would Mat. 4 4. 12. 20. Luke 2. 25. thus expresse in our tongue A man or one liueth not There was a man which had his hand dried vp There was a man in Ierusalem And this manner of speech is very vsuall in the beginning of an historie or parable There was a man 1. Saâ— 1. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 S â—n 9. 1. of the two Ram â—thaim Zophim Where in the Greeke 〈◊〉 be very wordâ— that our Euangelist here vseth So of Sauls
without consossing their sinnes What speak I of the common sort Many of their great Doctors Pharises Ioh. 1. 19. 20. and Sadduces were glad to receiue baptisme at his hands Yea the rules of the lewes sem an embassage to him of no meane men Priests and Leuites being Pharises as it were being ready and in a manner offring to acknowledge him for the Messiah Iudge then what reconing hee must bee of among the Iewes that was of greater dignitie and excellencie then a man of such estimation as Iohn the Baptist Surely I can not easily discerne what could be written more to the commendation and honor of CHRIST after the former points of his diuine nature and mediatorship then this comparison by which hee is magnified aboue Iohn And there fore wee may well allow this exposition a place amongst them that are best to bee liked Which Iam the willinger to doe because it agreeth also with an other that is of good likelihood I shewed euen Rollochus ad hunc locum now that the Iewes generally rulers and people had no small opinion of Iohn Baptist This perhaps might preiudice our Sauiour CHRIST as wee see it did with the disciples of Iohn who came to their maister and complained of CHRIST that he had tooke Ioh. 3. 26. vpon him to baptize and was followed by all men To take away this doubt it is thought by some that our Euangelist brings in this discourse wherein he makes Iohn inferior to Christ and as it may seeme not without neede because ordinarily he that comes to Chrysost in Ioan. hom 4. beare witnes of any mans credit or autority is of greater or as grear reputation as himselfe These might bee some reasons why our Euangelist makes mention of Iohn but me thinkes it may farder bee added that hee doth apply this testimonie to the confirmation of that he had formerly deliuered concerning our Sauiours being the light Therefore saith he in particular that Iohn came to beare witnes of the light not onely to testifie that our Sauiour was the Messaih Not withstanding I would not haue any man think it is my meaning to restraine the testimony of Iohn to this particular of the light where of hee makes no especiall mention by any record of this or the other Euangelists but this I say that therefore this witnes of Iohn is alledged because the Iewes hauing so high a conceit of Iohn could not reasonably choose but be extraordinarily well perswaded of him for his power to inlighten the world whom Iohn their famous Prophet preferred in all his Sermons so farre before himselfe Iohn was as the day sfarre whose appearance giues notice of the sunnes approach Hee is a light that brings the dawning of the day but hee is not that light which shines to the inlightning of the world as the sunne doth who is truly and properly called the light of the world I had rather therefore take this place as a testimonie of Christ by Iohn then as a comparison betwixt him and Iohn As if our Euangelist should haue said That which I haue auouched of him whome wee set before you to bee beleeued in as the Messiah is no more then was affirmed by no meane man Iohn the Baptist sent from God to beare witnesse of him that from him onely life and light was to bee receiued Hee came to beare witnesse of the light that all men through him might beleeue He was not the light but the forerunner of the light to shew the comming of it Thus then is the Euangelist to be vnderstood that in this verse and the two next he confirmes that which he from the beginning had affirmed that our Sauiour of whom hee writes this Gospell was the Messiah His autoritie was sufficient as being the worde of an Apostle but that all excuse might be taken away from peruerse vnbeleeuing mē he addes the testimonie of one whose memory when Iohn penned this history was fresh and famous yea of such account amongst al that knew him by their owne experience or report of others that hee must needes bee held to bee very vnciuill in the opinion of ordinarie men and impious in the iudgement of as many as were religious that would call the credit of his testimonie into question as if hee would haue spoken either rashly of that hee knew not or deceitfully against his knowledge Hee was sent from GOD. Can you suspect him of falshood whom God imploies in witnessing the truth Can you require more Autoritie in any man then to haue him sent from God With what other commission did euer any of the Prophets come If he send them we are bound to heare them If he giue them instructions they need no farder teaching How can this be saith one that his sending from God should autorize him to speake what he list and enjoyne vs to beleeue whatsoeuer he speakes Are not our ministers now adaies sent from God Are we tyed to like obedience what is this els but to make men Lords of our faith Why haue wee renounced Popery if wee haue changed not our estate but our maisters onely Were we not better to rest vpon the faith of the church in generall then to subiect our selues to euery particular mans autoritie by giuing credit to euery point hee deliuers This complaint will easily bee satisfied if wee rightly informe our selues concerning the difference of sending All true Ministers are sent by or from GOD but not all alike Some imediately without the ordinary ministerie of men MOSES and all the Prophets and Apostles Some by the iudgement and discretion of men according to warrant giuen by GOD in the Scriptures to that purpose The former haue as their calling so their direction from GOD that sends them in such sort that they cannot erre or stray from their commission The later as they get the knowledge of that they are to teach not by reuelation of God to them but by their prayer to God and study in the scriptures So they haue no further assurance of being preserued from errour then as they faithfully indeauour to perfect their knowledge by the same meanes whereby they attained to the beginnings thereof So it comes often to passe by our want of zeale and faith in prayer by our negligence in studie and by our naturall dulness to conceiue that wee mistake the matters whereof wee labour to informe our selues and other I say nothing of our corrupt affections by which wee are somtimes drawne away from seeing that wee see and driuen to speake that wee would haue true not that wee know to be true of which passions in regard of the euent men so especially guided by the spirit of God as the Prophets and Apostles were are wholly freed As for our witnes Iohn Baptist what could there bee extraordinarie in any mans sending that was wanting in his Doe not put me to repeat that I deliuered before of his birth bringing vp and calling Onely take
heapes of all sorts of people slocked to him The couetous Luk. 3. 12. 14. Publicans were content to heare him reprooue their greedinesse and extor ion The desperate souldiers trayned vp in violence and insolencie submitted themselues to his instruction and baptisme What should I speake of the proud Pharises who had bewitcht all Mat. 3 7. men with an opinion of their purity and holinesse and none more then themselues yet were they glad to come to Iohn to be washed and purified by his Baptisme The Sadduces were little better theÌ„ professed Atheists Act. 23. 8. saving There is no resurrection neither Angell nor spirit What neede these men care for sinne or damnation And yet the ministerie life doctrine of Iohn the Baptist was such that euen these Miscreants were drawne to seeke to him I say nothing of Herod because I signified before that hee reuerenced Iohn and heard him gladly and followed his doctrine in many things Tell mee Mark 6. 20. now what you could desire more I had almost sayd what you canne imagine more in any man to make him of credite and authoritie that hee may bee beleeued in that hee constantly affirmes If the Lord should haue made a man in Heauen as hee did Adam heere on earth and haue sent him into the world in the sight of all men hee could not haue beene of more estimation then Iohn Baptist was And was not this a meruailous likely meanes to begette faith in the Iewes that such a man so extraordinarily sent so admirable in his bringing vppe so vnblameable in his life so sound in his doctrine and which is all in all to this purpose of such reputation for his sinceritie and precisenesse so plainely and constantly protested that Iesus was the Sauiour of the worlde and himselfe no better then his vnworthie seruant â—oh 1. 27. I am not worthy sayde Iohn to vnloose his shooe latchet Let vs therefore acknowledge the goodnesse of God who voutchsafed to vse such meanes for the teaching and perswading of so vnkinde and vnthankfull a people But the necessitie of sending Iohn and the kindnesse of the LORD in sending him will the more appeare if wee aduisedly consider both the ignoraunce of the Iewes and the meanenesse of our Sauiours estate while hee was in the Worlde It is true that the LORD had from time to time giuen notice and made many promises of the comminge of the Messiah It is as true that the sette time of his comminge was foretoulde and cast vp by Daniell insomuch that olde Symeon and Luk. 2 25. 26. in all likelihood some others vnderstood that the time of his appearance was come and with the good Widowe Anna looked for it euery moment But alasse Ver. 36. 37 how few of these were to bee found The people generally as it is now amongst vs had little knowledge of the Scriptures They heard them read and many times expounded in their Synagogues as wee â—ow doe in our Churehes but they were as farre from the true vnderstanding of them as wee commonly now â—â—e Daniels weekes were as great mysteries to them â—â— the Reuelation of Saint Iohn is to vs so that they â—ereâ—n table to compare his prophecie with the Eâ—ents that had fallen out and to subduct the time â—hat was past that they might see what the rest was And this I speake of the better sort of the common people The worst and greatest part had seldome aâ—y thought of these matters no more then wee now ordinarily haue of the last day of Iudgement Beâ—ides the most part of them that desired his comming â—ookt for another manner of deliuerance by him then our Sauiours estate in the World was likely to afford And this conceite had taken such roote in their hearts that our Sauiour Christs owne Disciples held it fast in them euen till the very time of his Ascension Act. 1. 6. Lord say they wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israell It was an outward freedome and glorious estate in this life which the Iewes promised theÌ„selues by the comming of the Messiah What was there in our Sauiours parentage bringing vp or course of life that could feed this hope His supposed Father Mat. 13. 55. a poore Carpenter vnder whome hee was imployed â—â—mselfe in the same trade and therefore is called a Carpenter Is not this the Carpenter Maries sonne And Mat. 6. 3. what was his life hee wandred from place to place noâ—ieâ— â—ng armâ—es not mustring souldiers not perswading any man to take vppe armes but disclaiming all worldly autority Who made me a Iudge or a diuider ouer you inioyning obedieÌ„ce to Princes rulers Giue vnto Luke 12. 14. Maâ— 22. 21. 20. 28. Caesar the things that are Caesars Yea professing that hee came to serue and not to be serued This being at the time of our Sauiours comming the estate of the lewes they either carelesse of â—is assistance or ignorant of the nature thereof his owne condition also being so meane and contemptible was it not gratiously done of God and in respect of the people necessarily to send one of such credit and autority to assure them that Christ was the Messiah in whom they ought to trust and to teach them what deliuerance they were to looke for by him Christ needed no testimony of any man But the Iewes stood in great need of Iohn to informe them concerning him It were not lost labour to bestow some time in the consideration of the goodnesse of God in yeelding so much to the Iewes weaknesse or râ—ther in striuing with such patience and bounty against their obstinat wilfulnesse I might also take occasion to stirre vp our selues to trust in God of whose kindnesse wee haue so plaine and so great experience But I am willing to forbeare both these points till I come to some other place where they are more directly intended by the purpose of the Euangelist In the meane while let vs go forward with the expounding of this Scripture wherein as we haue heard the office of Iohn is amplified in this verse by the ende of it That all men through or by him might beleeue Whereof that I may speake the more plainely and certainely I will first examin what this ende is To beleeue by him Secondly I will consider the quality of it or who they were that should beleeue The former hath these two doubts what is here meant by belieuing to whom this Him must be reffer'd whether to Iohn the witnesse or to the light of which he bears witnes might beleeue through him Now because Beleeuing is a word of so common great vse in the Scriptures and that this is the first place where it is mentioned in this Gospell I hold it not only requisit but necessary for me to speake of it somwhat more at large To beleeue in matter of religion is commonly taken to signifie 3 things The acknowledging of Gods being Credere Deum
It is needlesse to heape vp any more examples These fewe may serue to teach vs that beleeuing is sometimes put for beleeuing in Christ. If it please you to take a view of other places of the same kind I doubt not but you will bee confirmed in the truth of this obseruation The ende then of Iohns bearing witnesse was that all men through him might beleeue in Iesus Christ to saluation There is yet an other doubt who it is that the Euangelist meanes by Him through him Through whome For the word in the Greeke may agree either to Iohn the witnesse or to the light whereof hee beares witnesse though in our English there is a plaine difference because if we would haue it vnderstood of Iohn wee must translate the word as we do Him but if we referre it to the light we must say It that all men by it might beleeue Let vs see now to whether of the 2 the worde must belong By light as it is apparant our Sauiour Christ is signified so that if we vnderstand it of the light the meaning is that all men should beleeue by Christ But this is a strange kind of speech without al warrant of example from the Scripture concerning him To beleeue Christ To beleeue in or on Christ are vsuall and ordinary but to beleeue by Christ is a phrase with which the Scripture is not acquainted And whereas some men would defend the applying of this to the light by expounding it that men through Christ might beleeue in God they affirme that of Chr. which the Scripture neuer speaketh of him Where is it said of him that he taught men to beleeue in God Once in this Gospell hee mentions beleeuing in God but as a thing to which they needed no instruction of his because they did already performe that duty Ye belieue in God saith hee Beleeue also in mee I deny not that Ioh. 14. 1. the Iewes needed to be taught by our Sauiour how they ought to belieue in God but I cānot see why we should imagin that the Euangelist woulde in this place speake of such a point as he no where toucheth in any other part of his Gospell It is best therefore to translate as we read it and to vnderstand it not of Christ but of Iohn who was sent to beare witnesse of the light to assure the Iewes that Iesus was he by whom they were to receiue life and light that they being thus instructed and perswaded by him might beleeue in Christ to the obtaining of euerlasting life and this was the ende of Iohns ministery For the farder commēdation wherof some alleage the generality of it that it belongd to all Iewes Gentils one and other without exception as the words they say manifestly proue that all men through him might beleeue It is not my desire nor purpose to speak any thing that may darken the glory of so honorable a calling as Iohns was as it might and I hope did appeare when I handled the point of his witnes-bearing But But I am now to seeke out the meaning of that which our Euangelist heere reporteth not to apply my selfe to set forth the largenesse of Iohns commission or the excellency of his office The question is how far these wordes All men are to be stretcht according to the true intent and meaning of the Euangelist What needs any question of this matter saith one The Euangelist hath spoken plaine enough Let the wordes haue their full course and restraine not that to some which is imparted to all If the like speeches were alwaies in Scripture of as large extent in the holy Ghosts meaning as they are in their owne nature there might be no question made but that in this place they were so to be taken But who is ignorant that often times in Scripture the generall sense of the worde must bee limitted to some particulars For example in this very case concerning the ministery of Iohn Saint Mathew saith That All Iudea and all the Region about Iordan went out to him Mat 3 5. VVho is so vnreasonable as to expound this All of all men woemen and children Yea who dare avouch it of all men or precisely of the greater part The holy Ghost followeth the ordinary custome of mens daily speech who to signifie a great number are wont to say All Such is that common phrase All men or all the world knowes it And of the same kind is that in the Gospell though not so large All holde Iohn as a Prophet Mat. 21. 26. and yet there might be many that perhaps had scarsly heard of him but generally hee was taken to be a Prophet Shall I alleage a straunger kind of speech for proofe of that I haue affirmed As in Adam all men dy So in 1. Cor. 15. 22. Christ shall all bee made aliue Here is the very same worde twice vsed and yet diuersly All in the first part of the verse signifies euery man woman and child that came from Adam by naturall propagation But in the later part it is restrained to certaine men as the next verse makes it plaine But euery man in his Verse 23. order The first fruites is Christs afterward they that are Christs Those All are no more but such as are Christs For none but they are made aliue in Christ that is as members of his body whereof he is the head If you presse mee with the opposition betwixt Adam and Christ to conclude from thence that All must bee as generall in the later clause as in the former first we haue heard the Apostles limitation They that are Christs Secondly consider the similitude of the first fruites which sanctifie none but their owne lumpe and the wicked are not one lumpe with Christ no more then they are part of his body Lastly conceiue also the reason of this diuersity and the opposition will stand for all this restraint In Adam all men dy simply all men not one excepted of any age sex or condition Why so Because euery man woman and child was in Adam when hee sinned and is naturally descended from Adam Shall all men in like sort be made aliue in Christ Not simply all because all are not Christs as all were Adams yet is there a fit comparison of contraries For as all Adams dy in Adam So all Christs liue in Christ Seeing it is so cleere that the word All neither must nor may alwaies be extended to the vttermost of the proper signification thereof I trust no man wil rashly condemne me If I make inquity whether it be so generall in this place or no VVould you knowe why I doubt You haue heard the generall reason thereof I will come to some particulars Frst there is no remedy but it must be some what restrained because there were many thousands in the worlde that could not possibly come to any knowledge of Iohn or his testimony Yea I may truly and therefore boldly say that the hundreth
the worde in common speech where the patterne or a thing it selfe that is inutated or counterfetted is called the Truth The truth Vritas vincit iantationem excelleth the imitation So the Lord is named the true God This is euerlasting life to know thee the onely true God Ioh 17. 3. Some thinke that by this truth or trueness the light is signified to bee such by nature and of it selfe not by Ciril in Ioa. lib. 1. cap. 9. grace or participation And so may the Lord bee called the true beeing because he is so naturally and imparts to all things such being as they haue But of this signification I thinke there is no example to bee found in Scripâ—ure The two former agree very well to our Sauiour who is indeede the true light without any darkness of error or falshood in him Hee whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God for God giueth him not the spirit by measure Ioh. 3. 34. And of him were all the ceremonies of the lawe shadowes and figures as the Apostle hath shewed at large in the Epistle to the Hebrewes especially in the ninth and tenth Chapters But the best way to vnderstand the true sense of the worde is to compare it with other of the same kinde in the Scripture For which purpose what shall wee neede to goe any farder then this Gospell Wherein wee haue two like speeches vttered by our Sauiour of himselfe My father saith hee giueth you the true Ioh. 6. 32. bread from Heauen What true bread was this It is euident that hee speaketh it of himselfe whom a little before hee had called the meate that indureth to euerlasting Verse 27. life Heere he compares himselfe with that Manna whereof the Iewes boasted and wherewith they say Moses fed them euen with bread from Heauen To this our Sauiour answereth that Moses gaue them not bread from heauen but my father giueth you saith he the true bread from Heauen They had bread from heauen by the ministerie of Moses as they proued by the place Psal 78. 24. of the Psalme He gaue them bread from heauen How then saith our Sauiour that Moses gaue them not bread from heauen and that his father giues them the true bread Surely that bread which they had by the meanes of Moses was true bread and did truely the office of bread to feed their bodies What then Doth he meane that it was but a figure of the heauenly bread which God was to giue and now in and by him did giue them This was true indeede but not so much to purpose as our Sauiours speech was beeing rightly vnderstood Hee Ver. 27. had perswaded them before to labour for the meat that endureth to euerlasting life They would needes haue Ver. 30. Ver. 31. him shew them some signe that is worke some miracle whereby they might be occasioned to beleeue him that there was better bread then such as their fathers had eaten in the Wildernes To this our Lord answeres that Moses gaue them not bread from heauen namely no such Ver. 32. bread as could endure to life eternall That bread that could so feede them was the true bread and was giuen by his father in comparison whereof the other was not worthy the name of bread The vse of the bread is to nourisn and continue life and that bread which can not worke such an effect in him that eates it is not true bread Your fathers saith he afterward dideate Manna in the Wildernes and are dead How Ver. 49. Ver. 50. then was that true bread This is the bread that came downe from heauen that hee which eateth of it should not die Loe heere we haue the true bread which performes that in truth to the soule that the other doth but as it were offer to the body Therefore also he tells them a little after that his flesh is truely meate and his bloud truly Ver 55. drink A like place we haue in the same Gospell where he tearmes himselfe the true Vine I am the true Vine Why is Ioh. 15. 1. he the true Vine Because hee doth indeede truely and effectually nourish comfort susteine those that cleaue to him by faith whereas the best Vine in the world hath somtimes dead branches and at the last dieth it selfe Now then if any man demaund in what sense Christ is the true light in the very same say I in which hee doth affirme that he is the true bread and the true Vine The Sonne which is the fountaine of this visible light doth not so truely shine and giue light to the eyes of the body as Iesus Christ doth inlighten the vnderstanding which is the eye of the Soule Iesus Christ may Ambros de fide contra Arian cap. 3. some man say Why not rather God the Father or at least the whole Trinitie whose ioint action it is to inlighten and not the Sonnes alone These obiections are easily answered For it is more then plame that our Euangelist speakes only of the Sonne in this whole description What reason is there then to vnderstand this one verse of any other but of him alone How should this point applied either to the Father or to the Trinitie haue any due place in this discourse Is it not also apparent that the light here spoken of is the same whereof Iohn bare witness and which is said in the verses following to haue come vnto his owne and to haue giuen the priuiledge to men of becomming the sonnes of God Consider yet farder how vnfit it had bin for Saint Iohn hauing called the Worde by the name of the light in the former verses here vpon a sodaine to giue the same title to any other of the persons or the Godhead Will any man take the worde in such diuers sort if hee bee not constrained to doe so by cleere euidence of the Text But so to vnderstand it were to couer the place with darknesse not to make the sense of it cleere and euident But the action of inlightening is common to all three Persons So are all actions of any person of the three which concerne any other beside the Persons themselues To choose to iustifie to sanctifie to redeeme to instruct to inspire to comfort c. are all common workes of the Diuine nature Yet are they appropriated in the Scripture seuerally to the seuerall persons as all men know and as I must shew particularly when I come to the 33. verse In the meane while let vs goe forward with the exposition of this verse wherein we are next to consider what the doubling of the article may teach vs. The light the true light was it not enough to haue said The light For surely that implies an especiall excellencie of the light wee meane There bee perhaps many candles torches starres and moones but the sunne onely is the light They are lights but not the light If that would not serue the turne
to their opinion who vnderstand this place of Gaudentius in Euang. tract 12 our Lords being in the world all the time he liued here â—pon earth in the nature and shape of man The reasons whereby some men would prooue the contrarie are of no great force They say Saint Iohn would cleere our Sauiour from being thought to haue beene in fault that men did not beleeue and from being supposed to bee a creature But both these doubts were satisfied before more sufficiently and the later ariseth onely from that which is heere affirmed Hee was in the world as if the Euangelist had made himselfe more worke then needed It was sayde before that the light shineth in darkenesseâ— that it lighteth or inlightneth euerie man Yea the fault of not beleeuing was layde where it is The darkenesse comprehended it not How then could the light bee suspected Or how should hee bee taken to bee a creature but in regard of his manhood which is no error nor inconuenience Hee was auoucht before to be God and to haue made all things none excepted Now then seeing wee haue found that This being in the world is to bee vnderstood of our Sauiours conuersing with men here in the flesh it is no hard matter to know what is meant by the world from thence to gather the meaning of the Euangelist What is the world what else but the earth Therefore when the Euangelist saith He was in the world his meaning is that the Messiah of whom he hath spoken so much was conuersant here vpon earth amongst men This he deliuereth here in this general descriptioÌ„ before he come to the history it self which setteth out the course of his life and carriage at large It is needlesse to say any thing in proofe of this matter I shall haue necessarie occasion to handle it at the foureteenth verse the whole Gospel is of nothing else Yet I may not forget to note in a word how gratiously it pleased the Son of God to deale with the world He liued amongst men he kept company with men he came as himselfe speaketh eating and drinking He was Luk. 7. 34. familiar with men hee applyed himselfe to their customes and fashions in all thinges lawfull and as a worthy Scholler of so excellent a Maister sayth of himselfe Hee became all things to all men that hee might by 1. Cor. 9 19 all meanes saue some Iohn Baptist as it was fitte for him led an austere life withdrawing himselfe from the company of men abstayning from the lawfull vse of that varietie both in diet and apparayle which the Lord of his rich bountie hath afforded to men They that would in any thing vse his ministerie either for instruction or baptisme were fayne to come to him and attend vpon him Our Sauiour was ready ordinarily at euery mans call Who euer came with petition to him and went away vnsatisfied Sometimes hee deferred Ioh. 4. 49. the matter and would make as if hee hearde not yea sometimes hee seemed to aunswere somewhat roughly as to the woman of Canaan but it was Mat. 15. 21. not to deny their requests but to encrease their faith He meant not by such delayes to continue their paine or trouble but to double his mercy both vppon their bodies and vpon their soules Where hee sawe neede of helpe and want of meanes to begge it by reason of ignoraunce or some other infirmitie hee most kindly offred himselfe and his seruice Wilt thou be made whole sayth he to the man that had lyen 38 yeares Ioh. 5. 6. bed-red To conclude such was the conuersation of our Sauiour vpon earth that nothing wanted to shewe who hee was nothing hindred men commonly from comming to him but that which in all reason should haue allured them so great maiestie with so great meekenesse such power to helpe with such readinesse to bee imployed O the blindnesse of men sayth one O the pride and frowardnesse sayth another They worthily perished that made themselues vnworthie of such vndeserued kindnesse What would they haue had more then was offered them yea they could neuer haue desired so much as was afforded them And could they bee so vnkinde shall I say or vnwise and wilfull as to make light account of stay your sentence a little we are not come to that point Take heede least by reprouing of other you condemne yourselues What want you except the bodily presence of Christ that they had No one man sauing those Disciples that continually followed him heard so many of his Sermons sawe so many of his miracles knew so much of his kindnesse as wee all doe or may doe That which they might heare in a long time by peecemeale wee may read in a few howers altogether before occasions of manifold busines distract the mind and confound the memory Wee see not the blind restored to sight the lame made to goe the dead raysed to life What could wee haue seene There was seldome aâ—y outwarde meanes vsed to these purposes by which â—he eyes of men might bee fed If they heard him speak to signifie that he would haue such or such a thing done and sawe the effect ensue accordingly it was all the aduantage they had of vs that now liue and euery day may heare and read the historie of these thinges recorded If hee were then amongst men in his person hee is now amongst them in his word I wil say nothing of the difference betwixt these two meanes of bringing men to beleefe Let the euent speake It is manifest by the historie of the acts that more were conuerted to the faith in one yeare after our Sauiours death by the ministery of the word in the mouthes of the Apostles then in all the three yeares and vpwarde of his preaching and working miracles The vse of this later was but to credit the persons that their doctrine might bee receiued Wee professe that wee are resolued of the trueth of all things deliuered in the Scriptures Then certainely our Lord is amongst vs in these dayes though not in the same maÌ„ner yet in as great measure for means of knowledge and beleeuing What intertainement had hee then by them hath he now by vs The former wee must learne of the Euangelist of the later wee shall heare more anone Concer-cerning the people that liued in our Sauiour Christs time and heard and sawe what he spake and did what would any reasonable man looke for but that they should acknowledge him and honour him as the Messiah by trusting in him So they should haue done And did they so Read the record The world knewe him not Is it possible there should bee such blindnesse where there was so good light Could the light bee vnseene that shone so brightly It is woorth the doing to consider this point a little better And first let vs examine the wordes what is meant by the world what by not knowing The world in the first part of this verse
his power and skill to mine own helpe It is all one as if I had a boxe of most precious oyntment in my hand which I knew to bee very soueraigne but vnderstood not how it is to be applyed To shut out this excuse remember what Iohn Baptists office was He was sent to beare witnes of the light that all men through him might beleeue Cal to minde how faithfully Ioh. 1. 7. Act. 19. 4. he demean'd himselfe in it Iohn verily baptized with the baptisme of repentance saying vnto the people that they should beleeue in him which should come after him that is in Iesus Christ This being the estate of matters among the Iewes while our Lorde was here vpon the earth were they not iustly to be blam'd for not beleeuing Or could they plead ignoraÌ„ce for excuse It is true indeed that they knewe him not to bee the Lorde of life But this ignorance proceeded of wilfulnesse and preiudice What can they say for themselues Did they not knowe such an one was to come They had it continually in their mouths it was the hope of their life the ioy of their heart the glory of their nation whereof they were not a little proude But they knewe not that this was hee But they might haue done nay they could not haue chosen but haue knowne if they had not wilfully shutte their eies against the light of his miracles and stopt their eares against Iohns testimony of him Therefore doth our Euangelist worthily charge them with not beleeuing in his name whom Iohn testified and his owne works declared to be the Sauiour that was promised to Israell This then is the point that the Euangelist offers to our consideration in these wordes that the Iewes beeing the peculiar people of GOD to whome the Redemption that was to bee wrought by the Messiah first and principally appertained refused to accept him for their Sauiour It were infinite almost I will not say to set out but to set downe the seuerall iniuries they did him the indignities they offered him through the whole course of his life and ministerie amongst them His daily working of miracles was imputed to vaine glorie as if hee sought by them to make himselfe famous in the eies of the world This vile conceite his owne kinsmen had of him Depart hence say they and goe into Iudea Ioh. 7. 3. 4. that thy Disciples may see the workes that thou doest For there is no man that doth any thing secretly and he himselfe seeketh to bee famous If thou doe these things shew thy selfe to the world Yea that diuine power by which hee cast out Diuels was maliciously absurdly and impiously Mat. 12. 24. ascribed to Beelzebub the Prince of the Diuels His familiaritie and kindnes in conuersing with them and applying himselfe to their humours as farre as lawfully hee might was laden with the reproach of gluttony and drunkenness Behold a man which is a Luke 7. 34. glutton and a drinker of Wine a friend of Publicans and sinners What should I speake of the monstrous blasphemies they often vttered against him That Hee was a Samaritan that hee had a Diuell Yea they Ioh. 8. 48. were not ashmed nor affraide O the admirable patitience of God waiting for their repentance to iustifie themselues to his face in such horrible profaneness Say wee not well I quake to repeat it that thou art a Samaritan ver 52. and hast a Diuell And least any thing should bee wanting to the height of all impretie they adde by and by after Now know we that thou hast a Diuell The Diuell himselfe his profest enemie that coÌ„fest he knew him to be the Son of God His owne people for whose sake he came into the world knew that hee had a Diuell What should I say or imagine Whence should so deâ—estable damnable a speech proceed Are men Are the Iewes Are Christs owne people worse then the Diuell But I will not presse these things too farre because they are a degree beyond the not receiuing of him whereof the Text speakes If they had behaued themselues toward him in generall as kindely and dutifully as some in particular did now and then vpon occasion all had bin nothing as long as they receiued him not by beleeuing in his name Saul woulde haue offered sacrifice to God I take it at the best of the fattest and fairest of the Amalakites cattell But obedience is better then sacrifice He should haue hearkened 1. Sam. 15. 22. to the voice of the Lord by Samuel and haue slaine them all What shall wee giue the Lord say the people Thousands of Rammes ten thousand riuers of Oyle The first borne the first fruit of our bodies Doe iustly saith the Mic. 6. 7. 8. Prophet Loue mercie So much doth it concerne a man to humble himselfe to the will of God But this beleeuing was a matter of very great importance because vpon it depended all hope of deliuerance by the Messiah All disobedience and sinne is liable to damnation but yet there is possibilitie of forgiueness though the transgression bee exceeding great Onely this one sinne of not beleeuing makes a man vtterly vncapable of any Ioh. 3. 29. fauour as long as hee continues in it In the maladies of the bodie though the meanes of Physick be not vsed yet oftentimes the strength of nature ouercomes the malice of the humour and recouereth the Patient It is not so in the diseases of the soule where the corruption euery day increaseth the fault once coÌ„mitted as it were the hurt receiued admits no cure but by pardon An easie cure I confesse a ready So much the greater was their obstinacie and folly that I may speake of them as fauourably as may be that would not imbrace so certaine and so present a remedy But this will the better appeare when wee vnderstand more fully what it is to beleeue in Christ In the meane while I will onely put you in minde to consider a little with your selues of this matter I am out of doubt euery one of vs condemnes the Iewes and not withouâ— cause Let vs take heede that we giue not an heauy sentence against our owne selues thereby We haue offer of saluation by the same meanes wee doe or may know more then they could of the particulars thereto belonging and namely of that which is required on our part to beleeue in his name It is not our assenting to the truth of the doctrine in generall our particular knowledge oâ— the course of mans redemption our magnifying the ministers of the Gospell as the Iewes did Iohn Baptist our mislike detestation of Popery that can be sufficient to the sauing of our soules I grát we go beyond the Iews in acknowledging thus much in approuing of it But there is more required to the pardon of our sins obtaining a right to heaueÌ„ We must beleeue in the name of Chr if we do not it shall profit
vs little that we know so much The Luke 12. 48. seruaÌ„t that knoweth his maisters will doth it not shal be beaten with many stripes What haue we but a bare knowledge of the Gospel Yes you wil say we beleeue too Do we indeed beleeue that there is no life nor saluation but by faith in Christ and yet beleeue not in him that we may be partakers of them What Doe we not care whether we be saued or no It is impossible we should be so desperate Questionless howsoeuer we deceiueour selues we do not so much as giue credit to the truth of the Gospell But of this too much beeing not intended by the Euangelist It followeth But to as many as receiued him to them Verse 12. he gaue Prerogatiue c. Great was the Iewes vnkindness that reiected our Sauiour Christ when hee offered himselfe so friendly to them for the procuring of their saluation Hee came to his owne and his owne receiued him not Was he therefore vtterly refused by all Our Euangelist in these verses implyes the contrarie shewing what priuiledge they got who receiued and entertained him by faith They became the sonnes of God by beleeuing in his name Being borne not of bloud c. but of God So that the former of these two verses sets downe the estate of them that receiued him that they were the sonnes of God The later sets forth the point more at large declaring their birth to bee of God In the handling of them I will keepe mine ordinarie course First to speake of the wordes as neede requires then to deliuer the Euangelists meaning Concerning the wordes I am in the first place to examine the translation of some of them Secondly to search out their signification The translation that affords some cause of doubt is of two words in the middle of the verse Prerogatiue and to bee Not Prerogatiue say our Rhemists but Power not to bee but to bee made and vpon these wordes so interpreted they build the Doctrine of free will Besides these two there are also two oother wordes which are somewhat doubtfull for their significations in the later part of the verse What it is To beleeue in what is meant by his name For the better conceiuing of the Euangelists meaning I will first inquire how these verses depend vpon the former Secondly what it is that Saint Iohn would teach vs by them Of translations a man may say as of potions that if they bee not carefully and faithfully prepared they may kill in stead of curing For although somtimes a man of a strong constitution by the benefit of nature ouercomes the danger of such an accident yet where one escapeth many perish Iâ—falls out so in erronious translations some by skill in the Originall can correct the error when they reade other though but a few discerning some contrarietie betwixt some one or two places and the generall course that is helde in the scripture can with wisdome reiect that which with reason they cannot receiue Those whom God wil haue especially preserued haue also a farder teaching of the spirit by which they are kept from approbation of that which might ouerthrow their beliefe and saluation All these are but a small number in comparison of the multitude of them who like fishes swallow vp the hooke with the baite and feede on Rats-bane as if it were sugar Vpon such our Rhemists ordinarily worke by that corrupt and poison-full translation of the new Testament wherein either they take aduantage of former errors where they finde any to continue them or if they find none breed some The vulgar Latin and our old English translation before that which was printed at Geneua expresse the worde that our Euangelist here vseth by Potestatem Power This interpretation the Rhemists willingly embrace thrust it vpon their followers and commend it to all that will beleeue them that they may thereby lay a foundation for free will to stand vpon Neither are they contented heerewithall but in the second edition of their said Testament printed at Antwerpe Anno 1600. after their returne to Doway they condemne the Truth to establish their Error For in the margin at this verse thus they write Bezafalsely translateth dignitatem for potestatem I wonder and can not certainely resolue what the reason should bee why these English Papists should forbeare to finde fault with our English later translations and lash out so against Beza He translates Dignitatem we prerogatiue Doth it more concerne your ignorant Lay English to know what is amisse in Beza whome some of them perhaps neuer heard of fewe of them are able to vnderstand none of them almost will vouchsafe to reade or may without leaue then to be taught what is faulty in the English which is in euery mans hand and sight But Protestants make great account of Bezas translation And great cause they haue so to doe For although it bewray the infirmitie of man in some places yet it hath brought exceeding great light to the true vnderstanding of the Scripture Could you hope that any Protestant woulde bee so simple as to condemne a man so famous in the Church of GOD for his learning and pietie vpon the bare word of a few Popish Priests They that are able to examine the matter will cleere him and cast you They that haue no such skill must needes bee voide not of grace onely but of reason too if they will bee perswaded against the truth commonly helde in all protestant Churches by a simple affirmation of men whome they know not who neither can nor offer to bring any proofe of that which they confidently auouch But it is not my purpose to enter into any commendation or defence of Beza farder then it concernes our owne translation which can not bee iustified if his bee condemned You say Beza translates falsely because hee interprets the Greeke Worde dignitatem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the translation bee false in Beza or our English it is either because the worde will not beare it or for that it will not stand with the sense of the holy Ghost in this place For if it agree with both out of doubt the translation is warrantable Now what doth Beza meane by Dignitie or wee by Prerogatiue but an Honour and Autoritie or Right by which wee are the sonnes of God So did Erasmus expound it before Beza Erasmus in Paâ—aphrasi â—d hunâ— locum Immanuell Saaâ—n Ioa. annot ad hunc locum Rom. 13. 1. a man of no meane skill in the Greeke tongue So since Beza one of your owne side a famous Iesuite Immanuell Saa Autoritie Dignitie Preheminence and for proofe of his interpretation he brings that place of Saint Paul Let euery soule be subâ—ect to the higher Powers for there is no power but of GOD. Heere the worde translated Powers and Power in his Iudgement signifies Autoritie or Dignitie and by a trope them Metonymia Adiuncti that
their naturall being So are some euen as many as beleeue in Christ his sonnes concerning their spirituall beeing For it is God that creates as it were new hearts in them that restores that image of his which they had lost that giues them spirituall life and motion to all righteous and holy actions I do but name the things according to the present occasion leauing the handling of them to more fit opportunitie in the next verse It is enough that we vnderstand in what meaning wee are the Children of Godâ— because wee are borne of him and yet not his Sonnes by nature But is this that which the holy Ghost intendeth in this place to signifie that Christ is autor of regeneration to all them that beleeue I suppose this is not all For it is easie for euery man to discerne that the Text speaketh of such a being sonnes as followeth faith and beleeuing whereas the birth that is mentioned in the verse following goeth before faith which is one of those â—â—â—ces that are formed in vs and brought forth by that â—irth This is that the Apostle saith other where Ye are Gal. 3. 26. ill the Sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ First wee beleeue and then by beleeuing we are the sonnes of God This is as it were the second birth the first is that which necessarily must bee had before a man can haue any â—pirituall life in him For as our Sauiour tells Nicodemus That which is borne of flesh is flesh and that that is Iohn 6. borne of the spirit is spirit No man can possibly haue â—aith of the flesh but the spirit must beget a faithfull man There is no remedy then but wee must seeke for â—ome other being sonnes or that I may speake more â—hortly Sonne-ship Giue mee leaue to vse the worde because it is fit though somwhat harsh till it be worne smooth with often vsing Where shall wee finde that Sonne-ship wee inquire for Let vs examine what and how many kindes of Sonnes wee know amongst men not speaking of these which are made sonnes by alliance who is ignorant that there are two kindes of Sonnes by nature and by adoption The one is borne the other is chosen a Sonne The former kinde is so well knowne that it were idle to say any thing of it Of the later we haue small knowledge amongst vs by experience saue only in them who by their last Will and Testament make them their Heyres that haue no interest to their estate but onely by the fauour and appointment of the Testator Among the old Romans it was very ordinary as their histories lawes in that case prouided euidently pleÌ„tifully shew The scripture affords vs few or none examples of this kinde Wee haue a shadow of it in the course that Iacob tooke with Iosephs two sonnes Manasses Ephraim They were indeede his grand children or nephewes by nature But by fauour hee made theÌ„ equall to the rest of his sons their vncles so that they make two of the 12. Tribes Let my name Gen. 48. 16. saith Iacob be named vpon them that is Let them be accounted my sonnes as if they had bin begotten of my body The like may be said of Moses and Esther who were after a sort the adopted Children of Pharaohs daughter and Mordecai Of him the Text saith that his mother after shee had weaned him brought him to Pharaohs daughter and he was as her Sonne Which Exod. 2. 10. Heb. 11. 24. is farder proued by the Epistle to the Hebrewes that he refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter Of her it is recorded in the history that after the death of her father and her mother Mordecai who was her cosin Germane Est 2. 7. tooke her for his owne daughter By this Son-ship the partie thus adopted obtaines a title and interest to the estate of him that hath adopted him as if hee were his naturall child Of this sonne-ship by Adoption from God there are 〈◊〉 in loa lib 1. cap. 10. two kindes in the scripture the one a figure and resemblance of the other When the Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh for the deliuerance of the children of Israell hee gaue him this instruction for the discharge of his Embassage Thou shall say to Pharaoh Thus sayth the Lord Exod. 4. 22. Israell is my sonne my first borne Would you know what sonneship this was The Apostle wil resolue you where speaking of the prerogatiue that God vouchsaf't the Iewes he reckens among other blessings the Adoption Rom. 9. 4. what was that else but a choosing of that people out of all the nations in the world to be his peculiar vnder his protection The Lord sayth Moses set his delight in thy fathers to loue them and did choose their seede after them euen Deut. 10 15. you aboue all people Therefore did hee bestow vpon them the Land of Canaan a land especially furnisht by him with the blessings of this present life Flowing with milke and honey Glorious was this estate of theirs their Exod 33. 3. adoption full of fauour to the enuie of all the world their owne happy securitie But as glorious and bountifull as it was it was for all that but a shadow of the spirituall sonneship There is another manner of Adoption mentioned in the new Testament and imparted to them that beleeue in Iesus Christ When the fulnesse of time was come sayth Galat. 4. 4. 5. Saint Paule God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman made vnder the law That hee might redeeme them which were vnder the law that wee might receiue the adoption of sonnes According as he had predestinated vâ— saith the same Eph. 1. 5. Apostle to be adopted through Iesus Christ To vs thus adopted he giues the spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Rom. 8. 15. father This is the sonneship the Euangelist speakes of in this place This is that spirituall Adoption by which wee are truely made the sonnes of God I shall not need to adde any farther proof of the matter because it hath appeared already that none of the other Sonneships can agree with that which is here auouched For to none of them is beleeuing required especially beleeuing in Iesus Christ but to this only To that Sonneship which is by creatioÌ„ it is neither lookt for nor possible that wee should bring faith For wee must needes be eâ—e wee can beleeue and our very being is our being sonnes So the Iewes vpon that promise of God to their father Abraham were borne not made sonnes their Adoption consisted not in the seuerall choyse of particular men but in separating the seede of Abraham Isaac and Iacob from all families and nations in the world whatsoeuer Neither is our spirituall sonneship of the former kinde attained to by faith but by it we are made faithfull Therefore to be sonnes is to be adopted by God for his children in Christ I will make
of the sonnes of the Diuell his owne children and giuing vs a sound and certaine title thereby to the inheritance of his glory in heauen And shall I neede to vse many words in amplifying so rare a kindnes in setting out so inestimable a benefitte Small fauours require inlarging infinite blessings will not admitte it They by amplification may bee made greater then they are these the more you speake of them the lesse you make them For what is it but a diminishing of that which is infinite to atteÌ„pt in any kind of manner I say not to inlarge but euen to expresse it He that striues to speake much and almost makes no ende of commending that which is excellent seemes to haue perswaded himselfe and to desire that other men should beleeue that hee hath spoken all that can be said in the matter As for me I professe the contrary assuring my selfe and you that when I haue said all that possibly I can deuise I shall be as farre from the infinitnesse of the benefit as when I first began to speake of it Yet may it somewhat helpe our conceyt of the matter though it cannot come neere the excellency of the thing And with this perswasion let vs a little consider the prerogatiue of this Son-ship There is a great opinion and not without good cause of the estate of our first paâ—â—nts Adam and Eue while they were in Paradise before their fall They had the image of God wherein they were created shineing Gen. 1. 26. in them so gloriously that all the fishes in the sea the foules in the aire the beasts in the earth and euery thing that moueth and creepeth on the earth were subiect and obedient to them What adoe haue wee in our estate as now it standeth to make not Beares or Lions but those of whome we haue necessary and continuall vse horses and other cattle to performe any kind of seruice to vs The whip the goad the wand the spur the yoke the bit all the meanes of terror and extreamity that wee can possibly deuise cannot preuaile so much against these tame creatures as autority and maiestie did in them with those beasts that are now most fierce and cruell The Prophet Dauid though he were a King of great command ouer Gods owne free people yet when he considered those little poore seruices which the creatures in our present estate such as it is ordinarily doe vs and the gouernement wee haue ouer them breaks out into an exclamation of wonder What is man saith he to the Lord that thou art mindfull of him and Ps 8. 4. the Sonne of man that thou visitest him How would hee haue esteemed Adams rule ouer the creatures that values our gouernement of them so highly What should I speake of their familiarity with God who vouchsaf't himselfe to talke with them to informe and direct them It is recorded as a singular fauour and honour done to Moses that the Lord spake vnto him face to face as a Exod 33. 11. man speaketh to his friend How were our first Parents fauoured honoured that were to haue ordinary conference with him from time to time But to come to the point for which al this is alledg'd what was their estate for all these honors fauors but the condition of seruants They were threatned with death death both of body and soule if they transgrest the bounds that were set them Of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate of it for in the day thou Gen. 2. 17. eatest thereof thou shall dy the death Put case they had coÌ„tinued in obedience to God their Creator according to their allegeance duty What could they haue lookt for but either a confirmation of that estate which they then inioyed or at the most the reward of their seruice the wages for their worke They could neuer haue attained to this dignity To be the Sons of God And is it not a prerogatiue trowe you to be brought by Christ into a more excellent estate then that which Adam in his innocency and glory had iust cause to wonder at Blessed may we say was the day and houre Oh the goodnesse power of God that brings light out of darknes that euer Adam harkened to the voice of his wife perswading him to eate of the forbiddeÌ„ fruit Not that either the sin was small to transgress the commandement of God or that it was the purpose of Adam in sinning to be occasion of so great a blessing But for that the Lord of his meere affection loue according to his owne former counsaile predestination turned misery to happines death to life We were seruants to a bountiful and gratious Lord we are made Sons to a most kind louing Father Our seruice if it had beene neuer so good could haue procured no more but wages Our Son-ship conveies vnto vs assurance of a goodly inheritance There is no seruant though hee bee put in neuer so great trust haue neuer so much autority bee neuer so highly in the Princes fauour like Daniell in the prouince Dan. 2. 48. of Babell or Ioseph in the Kingdome of Aegypt but is many degrees inferiour to the Kings Sonne Gen. 41. 40. Moses was a most faithfull seruant in the house of the Lorde and disposed of all things after the direction and to the especiall liking of his master Such as his seruice was such was his honor He had the gouernmeÌ„t of the people of God committed to him no man might refuse Heb. 3. 5. to yeeld obedience or demaunde a reason of that which hee commaunded VVas hee therefore comparable to Christ who ruled as the Sonne ouer his owne Verse 6. house VVhat was Abrahams eldest seruant to his youngest Sonne VVhat was Ioab to Salomon Dauid was a man of no meane imployment vnder Saul of no small desert toward him and his whole estate yet when he was earnestly perswaded by his fellow seruants to enter into the Kings alliance by marriage what answere made hee Seemeth it to you a light thing saith Dauid to bee a Kings Sonne in lawe Did it seeme so 1. Sam. 18. 23. great a matter to so worthie a seruant to become Son in law to a King and can wee thinke it a little honour to bee made the Sonnes of God Saul though hee were a King was but a man Dauid though hee were a seruant in condition was a King in true vertue Wee are men nay wretches wormes nothing Hee that will adopt vs is God most mightie most glorious euen Iehouah himselfe Dauid though hee should become Sonne in lawe to the King could haue no title to the Kingdome by that aduancement Our Son-ship makes heauen Gauel kind giues euery one of vs a ful intrest to the inheritaÌ„ce If yee bee Sonnes yee are heyres Moses could not looke for any Rom. 8. 17. such preferment though Pharaohs daughter tooke him for her Son And yet it is
bee ignorant that hath had any desire to learne vnlesse like a man that lyeth in a ditch and streâ—cheth out his hands calling for helpe to all them that passe by hee refuse to set one finger to the ground for the raysing of himselfe Doo wee then despise so great an happinesse Though wee could bee so vnthankefull to God and yet that were monstrous yet howe canne wee bee so iniurious to our selues What shall I say Or vpon what shall I lay the blame It would bee verie strange and haâ—sh to most men if I should accuse them of not beleeuing Who would not be foreman of the Iurie to finde him guilty who would make daintie to giue sentence against his life that doth not beleeue whatsoeuer is deliuered in the Gospell Not beleeue sayeth one Hee is worse then a Turke or a Iewe that beleeues not I confesse it seemes scarcely credible to my selfe that any man professing religion should not beleeue But I holde it altogether vnpossible that a man should indeede bee perâ—waded in his heart that by beleeuing in Christ hee shall become the sonne of God and yet should bee altogether carelesse of beleeuing It is not vnlikely that wee haue a generall opinion of the â—uth of the Scripture but either wee neuer markt or neuer considered this and such like points that we might be throughly rooted and grounded in the bleefe therof O that I might intreat so much of you all and euery one as that you wold be pleased to bestow a little time â—n the meditation of this prerogatiue I make no question but if once you did stedfastly beleeue it you would neuer giue ouer till you had made your selues sure of so happy and blessed an estate The Prophet Esay considering a little the backewardness of the Iewes in receiuing saluation by the promised Messaih and a great forwardness to other matters reproues them for it in this sort Wherefore doe yee lay out siluer saith hee and not for Isay 55. 2. bread And your labour and are not satisfied May not we insâ—ly take vp the like complaint against the peruersenesse and vnto wardnesse of this age Doe not men beate their braines spend their spirits breake their sleepe wast their time shorten their liues by carking caring for the momentary trash of this world We rise erly we go late to bed we fare hardly we cloth our selues simply we toile moile like horses al for nothing What is all the wealth in the world to the riches in heauen What are all the possessions of the earth to the inheritance of that kingdome What is all the honor that the world can heape vpon a man in comparison of being the Sonne of God If it continue with thee as long as thou continuest aliue yet leaues thee when thou diest whereas that heauenly preferment abides with thee attends vpon thee after death or rather lifts thee vp and carries thee aliue to heauen For what though this sinfull earthly carcasse be destroyed yet the soule mounts immediatly vp to heauen taking possession of that inheritance and inioying it with al freedome comfort in assured expectation of proportionable glory wherewith the body in due time shall be clothed and beautifyed And doe wee still lie groueling vpon earth Wee shewe thereby whose children wee are vpon thy belly shalt thou goe said the Lorde to the olde serpent the Diuell and dust shalt thou eate all the daies of thy life See Gen. 13. 14. if wee doe not as much as may bee resemble him in this curse Wee roote and digge into the earth like Moles and feed vpon the white and yellow clay which with infinite labour and no small daunger we rent out of the very bowells thereof yea a shame to bee spoken though wee are not ashamed to doe it our immortall soule that hath nothing in it of any affinity with earth imploies her vnderstanding bestowes her affections perswades incourages strengthens thrusts forward her seruant body to so wearisome and so fruitlesse a labour Think you that a miserable wretch wheÌ„ he sits in his counting house looking ouer his bonds when his vsury mony will come in let them be as many thousand pouÌ„ds as they are hundred pence can take half that comfort in his trash that a poore Christian doth in his meditation when hee finds himselfe to be the Sonne of God Set thy selfe vp to the chin in the heapes of thy gold tumble and wallow in the midst of all thy pe lfe shouell it vp by bushells into quarter sacks stuff thy chists as full as thou canst till the sides and bottome are ready to fly out reccon vsury vpoÌ„ vsury to the vtmost farthing but heark doost thou not heare a fearfull voice that cries out vnto thee O foole this night they shall fetch away thy soul from thee then whose shal these Luk. 12. 20. treasures be that thou hast prouided What a man of thy state and aboundance in a moment come to nothing quaking and trembling at the very thought of it in the midst of al thy wealth Wouldst thou do so couldst thou do so if thou knew'st thou wert going to a most glorious kingdome in heauen Is it possible any man of indifferent discretion should be loth to change a Chamber in an other manâ— house for a royal palace in his own Realme and gouernment But why should I so much distrust your capacities or suspect your aflections I see you are able to compass great matters and haue strong desires to those things you like if I may but entreate so much of you as to vouchsase a little time to the meditation of this prerogatiue I make no doubt but you will both conceiue and affect it I doe not goe about to depriue you of any naturall faculty but as it were to lead you to the right vse of it I seeke not to roote out your affections but to grift vpon them such seions as may bring forth pleasant and lasting sruit Is thy vnderstanding great Here are greate mysteries in the search whereof thou maist imploy it For what wit what iudgement what conceit is able to sound the depth or valew the worth or comprehend the extent of this honour To bee the Sonne of God Is thy capacity but weake What is plainer what is easier then to vnderstand that by beleeuing in Christ thou shalt bee made the Sonne of God and ioynt heire of heauen with Christ Yea this doctrine wil teachthee how to satisfy thy most insatiable desires Doth ambition prick thee forward with loue of honour Why wilt thou not set thy minde on that which is true honour indeed The foolish vanity of men hath bewrayed itselfe that the conquest of the whole world would not suffice them All the autority and glory that the Emperours of Rome attain'd to could not quench their thirst of honour but that some of them would needes be worshipâ— as Gods If they could once haue attained the dignity of being the
you marke how Saint Paul layes out the point in diuers particular differences that hee may take away all exception and doubt Looke but two verses before and you shall see he speakes of the matter wee haue now in hand of beeing the Sonnes of God for yee are all saith hee to the Galathians Ver. 26. that belieued in CHRIST the Sonnes of GOD by faith in CHRIST IESVS Who may shut out any where the Apostle sets open the doore to euery one Me thinkes if any sort were to be excepted against seruants especially should bee excluded The Apostle naming seruants meanes not such as wee haue among vs which serue for wages or be apprentices for tearme of yeeres but bondslaues who were wholly their maisters and reckoned as part of their substance to bee employed and disposed of by sale or otherwise as it pleased them whether themselues woulde or no. Euod 21. 21. This the Apostle himselfe knew very well and therefore he forgets not to mention seruants where hee hath occasion to intreate of these differences By one spirit 1. Cor. 12. 13. saith he are wee all baptized into one body whether wee be bond or free Know ye that what good thing so euer any man doth saith the same Apostle other where that same Eph. 6. 8. shall hee receiue of the Lord whether hee be bond or free These are still remembred because by reason of their meane account in the world they might bee much doubted of That appeares by an other place of Saint Paul where hee doth especially apply himselfe to assure seruants that beeing in CHRIST they are safe and well enough though they contitinue slaues still Art thou called saith hee beeing 1. Cor. 7. 21. 22 a seruant care not for it yet if thou maist bee free vse it rather Hee that is called in the Lord beeing a seruant is the Lords free man It is euident then that the condition of a mans life bee it neuer so base cannot keepe him from this Prerogatiue of beeing the Sonne of GOD if hee beleeue in Christ Is it not an admirable kindness an incredible fauour that bondslaues whome the World accounts of as they doe of their cattle and housholde stuffe should be vouchsaf't the honour to become the sonnes of God Hee that would esteeme it a great part of happiness to bee made a free man in the world hath offer made him of beeing the Sonne of God That which I say of this one kinde of difference the baseness whereof seemes to hinder a man from beeing made the Sonne of God I beseech you conceiue and apply to all other like matters which bring contempt or neglect of men in the world Pouertie lameness blindness deformitie meaneness of parentage simpleness of capacitie and all other naturall Chrysost in Ioa. â—omil 9. imperfections and infirmities whatsoeuer are couered with the riches beauty nobilitie and wisdome of Christ in as many as trust in him Goe out quickly Luke 14. 21 into the streets and lanes of the Cittie saith the Lord that made a great supper and bring in hither the poore and the maymed the hault and the blind What doest thou vexing thy selfe with the consideration of thy meane estate Set thy thoughts vpon the honour thou mayest attaine to Lift vp thine eyes that are cast downe vpon thy bodily imperfections and feede thy selfe with the sight of heauen that is offered thee Art thou ashamed because thou bearest no armes to make thee a gentleman Throwe thy selfe into his armes who will make thee the Sonne of the most high Poore and miserable men most miserable because they refuse to be happy sit without the church doores begging of an halfe-penny whereas they might come in and obtaine a Kingdome For as many as receiue him haue a Prerogatiue to bee the Sonnes of God We finde euery day by common experience in our selues and others that if a man haue a Sonne that is blinde lame deafe dumbe or any other way deformed hee will bee ready and desirous to take some course if hee be his heyre to settle his inheritance vpon some other of his Children Surely I thinke the man is hardly to bee found that if hee had no heyre would adopt such a one for his Sonne to succeede him in his Inheritance How should wee then valewe the inestimable fauour of God that makes offer of an Adoption and Inheritance to the most contemptible wretches that liue vpon the face of the earth Heere is loue heere is bounty The fauours of the greatest Princes are but fancies not so much as shadowes if you compare them with the kindness of God I confesse they had neede to looke to their owne estate Their Dominions and their treasures are finite The greatest Monarchy that euer was diuided amongst as many as woulde accept of it could afford but very small shares to euery one Oh that all men would receiue Iesus Christ There is roome enough wealth enough in heauen to giue full content to as many as can desire it Come then I beseech you let vs settle forward to meete Iesus Christ that wee may receiue him Let Non magna relinquam Magna sequar-Ouid metamorph lib. 7. not Farmes Oxen or wiues holde vs backe They are no great matters wee shall leaue They are infinitly great wee shall attaine to Is it not better to exchange them now while wee may doe it with such profit then to forgoe them no man knowes how soone when wee can make nothing of them What is it wee mislike To be Sonnes No man is so base or so foolish as to thinke bondage better then freedome To bee the Sonnes of God It were against reason and nature not onely against Religion to refuse such an honour What should I say Eyther wee beleeue not that there is any such Prerogatiue to bee had or wee thinke it is not worth the paines we must take to get it Wee dare not bee knowne of the former for the very shame of the world seeing we professe Christian Religion If wee pleade the later our owne heart will condemne vs which if wee bee once perswaded that there is any such thing esteemes of eternall glorie in heauen as the greatest happiness that can bee obtained or imagined But what if the paines bee nothing in comparison of the courses that wee would set our selues to the obtaining of this honour let vs see what they are and then iudge What is then required of vs that wee may become the Sonnes of God The holy Euangelist hath answered vs that Beleeuing in CHRIST will make vs the Sonnes of GOD. What it it to beleeue in CHRIST To trust in him or to rest vppon him For as we haue learned out of this twelfth verse As many as receiue Christ by beleeuing in his name haue the Prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God Can any man looke for I will not say such a Kingdome but the least kindness that may bee vpon easier or better conditions
language may suite with their strange and new Religion English eares mislike the manner of their speech as Christian hearts doe the points of their doctrine Wee commonly translate the words for a witnes fitly in regard of the sense and easily for all mens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In testimonium vnderstanding This same came for a witnes that is This man who I said was sent from God came to bee a witness The Euangelists manner of speech is not fully deliuered who according to the custome of the tongue hee writ in saith worde for word he came to testimonie namely to giue testimonie which the Latin also followes though that language doe scarce beare it so well as the Greeke doth To draw into English such kinde of phrases is not to inrich the tongue but to corrupt it Wee haue no way to expresse the Euangelists speech and meaning in English but to say To giue or beare testimonie or witness This was then the office of Iohn Baptist To be a witness Now the vse of witnesses is for the confirmation of some truth or for manifestation of it For where there is no doubt nor question howsoeuer perhaps in forme of Lawe there may bee witnesses required yet indeede there needes none Where there is neede of them there the matter is not plaine in it selfe or at the least not acknowledged to bee true So that the point for which Iohns testimonie is to bee had hath of its owne nature or by the ignorance or peruerseness of men somthing not cleere or not confest What if it haue Could not God haue made it manifest by some testimonie from himselfe without such an extraordinarie course ossending a witnes as it were downe from heauen Yes out of doubt He that made the vnderstanding of man can make man vnderstand what pleaseth him He that framed the heart can perswade and incline it to what himselfe list But all such courses of reuelation from God were as extraordinarie as such a kind of birth and message and both the one and the other little enough in this case as the euent shewed For although the Lord testified of his sonne by his owne voice from heauen and by Iohn vpon earth yet was he scarcely acknowledged by any man As for the work of Gods mighty power in the soules of them that come to beleefe in Christ it was not wanting to any of these Iewes who aduisedly religiously gaue credit to the testimonie of Iohn the Baptist or set themselues to consider of it as they ought to haue done which if they had done it was not possible but they should haue seene both the loue of God in sending them such worthy meanes of instruction and the truth of that which Iohn deliuered by commission from him Doost thou wonder at the blindnes and frowardnes of the Iewes whome the testimony of a man in their owne iudgement not to bee excepted against could not moue to beleeue View thy self in this glasse and consider whether more witnesses acknowledged by thee to be sent from God to speake according to the truth of God be not of as small credit with thee in many points wherein thy obedience is required But of this more anone when wee haue a little better examined of what kinde this testimony of Iohn was That he might beare witnesse of the light The words haue beene all expounded already in the matter there are these two thinges to bee considered what manner of testimony it was that Iohn gaue what it was that he testified A testimony as all men knowe is ordinarily giuen by word of mouth wherein some matter in question is either affirmed or denied and they that giue these testimonies are called witnesses Amongst Christians there is another kinde of witnesses tearmed Martyrs by the Greeke name which is common to all that testifie any thing especially in matters of Law and iudgement The same word is heere vsed to signifie the witnesse that Iohn bare Those whome wee call Martyrs are such as by their death beare witnesse to some truth of God reuealed in his word suffering themselues to bee tormented and murthered rather then they will denie or not confesse a knowne truth of God when they are lawfully demanded of it Such was Stephen and so is hee called by Paul When the bloud of thy Act 22. 20 Martyr Stephen was shed The same title is giuen Reuel 2. 13. to Antipas whome our Sauiour calles his Martyr when Antipas my faithfull Martyr was staine among you For this cause Christ himselfe is named a Martyr from Iesus Christ which is a faithfull Martyr or witnesse and the first begotten of the dead As for Iohn who knowes not that hee was put to death by Herod for dooing his dutie in witnessing a trueth of GOD Yet hee is not thought to bee any of the Martyrs that giue witnesse by their death because it is commonly helde that the dying for no trueth makes a Martyr vnlesse the trueth concerne somewhat belonging to the profession of the Gospell so that neither Isay nor any of the Prophets are properly to be tearmed Martyrs I will not striue about the point especially since I doe but touch this by the way onely for Iohn I thinke hee is not properly to bee reckoned in the number of the Martyrs not so much because the matter for which hee reprooued Herod did not appertaine in any particular sort to the Gospell as for that he was not executed professedly for that he had sayde and did constantly mainetaine but for satisfying of the Kings promise and Horodias malice but whether that bearing witnesse could make him a Martyr or no questionlesse it was not that which our Euangelist here speakes of for it was not any testimonie of the Light How then did Iohn beare witnesse By preaching of Christ and auowing that hee was the Messiah ordayned and sent for the saluation of them that would beleeue in him This may some man say was common to him with the Prophets at the least with many of them and with all the Apostles that succeeded him who also therefore are called in the scripture by the name of witnesses Let vs make that wee say apparant to all men First for them all in generall Zachary the Father of Iohn Baptist speaking of our Sauiour and redemption by him sayeth that God spake of him and his comming to that purpose By the mouth of his holy Prophets Luk. 1. 70. which were since the world beganne And the Apostle telles vs that God had promised the sending of his Sonne afore by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures Rom. 1. 2. In particular I will make choyse of two onely Isay and Daniell Of which the former is ordinarily called the Euangelicall Prophet as if he had written the Gospell in his Prophecie And that not without cause For hee hath spoken very plainely of the birth life and death of our Sauiour Concerning his birth hee noteth that which was most
strange in it and which but by reuelation from God could not possibly bee knowne or thought on Behold sayth hee a Virgin shal Isay 7. 14. beare a Sonne Neither doth hee onely prophecie of his miraculous conception but also hee signifies the great mystery of his person consisting of two natures diuine and humane She shall call his name Emanuell Which is Mat 1. 23. by interpretation sayeth Saint Mathewe God with vs. His life and death is shortly but verie liuely described by the same Prophet Hee shall growe up before him as Iâ—ay 53. 2. a braunch and as a roote out of a dry ground c. Hee was cut out of the Land of the liuing Yea hee addes Ver. 8. to this the maine point of Redemption forgiuenesse of sinnes by his sufferings and death Hee was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastâ—sement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes wee are healed Daniell describes the verie time Dan. 9. 25. and settes downe an exact computation by the direction of the Angell Gabriell till the death of the Messiah and withall preacheth forgiuenesse of sinnes by him Were not these witnesses were they not sent from GOD to beare witnesse of the Messiah What though they were also imployed in other matters of renroofe and instruction So was Iohn too as it is manifest by all the other 3. Euangelists Mat. 14 3. 4. Mat. 6. 17. 18. Luk. 3. 19. who shew that the occasion of his death was the rebuking of Heroa for taking his brother Philips wife But the Prophets only spake of such an one that was to come they did not witnesse that hee was come they did not shew which was he they did nor say Beholde the lamb of God This is hee as Iohn did Therefore is his ministery in this respect preferr'd far before theirs by our Sauiour Christs owne iudgement Iohn was more then a Mat. 11. 9. 11. Prophet Among them that are begotten of women arose there not a greater then Iohn Baptist Well let him haue the name of a witnesse aboue all the Prophets that went before him yet the Apostles haue that title giuen them by Christ himselfe aswell as hee yee shall be witnesses to me saith our Sauiour in Ierusalem Act. 1. 8. and in all Iudea and in Samaria and wherein their commission went beyond Iohns vnto the vttermost part of the earth And Iohn himselfe though he were magnified aboue the former Prophets in regard of his ministery Yet is he euen therin made inferior to the Apostles Mat. 11. 11. He that is least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he It is not to be denied but that the Apostles were witnesses in a very extraordinary sort being chosen before to giue notice of such things as should befall our Sauiour to all the world Therefore to them did hee appeare after his resurrection Him saith Peter God caused to bee Act. 10. 40. 41. showne openly Not to all the people but to witnesses chosen before of God to vs which did eate and drinke with him after he was risen from the dead Notwithstanding the witnesse of Iohn was of an other kinde then either the Prophets or Apostles For the one foretold that hee should come into the world the other affirmed that he had bin in the world Only Iohn was hee that shew'd him while hee was in the world who was long before prophecied of for an immediate forerunner of him at his comming Luk. 1. 17. and to make ready a people for him We see of what kinde his testimony was Iohn came and preached in the Wildernesse of Iudaea let vs now inquire what it was that hee witnessed Whereof I shall neede to say verie little because I spake of it in handling the former point In one worde the summe of his testimonie was this first that the kingdome of Mat. 3. 2 heauen was at hand that is as Saint Luke expresseth the matter He preachedthe baptisme of repentance for the remission Luk. 3. 3 of sinnes Hee testified to all the Iewes and to al that heard him that there was no means nor hope of saluation but by repentance of their sinnes and resting vpon the Messiah who was now amongst them though they knewe him not for pardon therof by his death and sacrifice The second and most proper part of his testimony was the pointing out and shewing of him that was the Messiah that all men might knowe and embrace him Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world This was the testimony of Iohn But that which principally concerneth the reason why our Euangelist mentions his bearing witnesse is to bee fetcht out of the third Chapter of this Gospell where a Sermon of his is recorded in which he commends our Sauiour to all meÌ„ as him who being sent froÌ„ God to be the Messiah speaketh Ioh. 3. 34. the words of God so that by him all other are inlightned who are of the earth and speake of the earth wheâ—eas Ver. 31. 32. he testifieth nothing but that which hee had seene and heard Truely therfore he is called the light who being in the bosome of his father reueales to men the secrets of his rather touching their redemption which no man euer knew or can knowe but from and by him What vse then was there of any witnesse If neither Iohn had any knowledge but from him and hee onely was able to inlighten whom hee would why did God end the Baptiâ— to beare witnesse of the light Needes â—â—e Sunne the day starre to shewe him to the world This was a meanes likelier to make Iohn bee for Ioh. 1. 19. 20. the Messiah then to credite the Messiah by his reportâ— as wee see also it came to passe whereof hereafter But that no man may either conceiue amisse or bee euer-much troubled with this doubt let vs take a shorte viewe of the purpose of GOD herein The ende of all teaching and preaching concerning Christ is to bring men to beleefe in him This was first to bee done amongst the Iewes For the better performing whereof it pleased God to deale gratiously and bountifully with them in affording many and diuers meanes by which they might bee moued and perswaded to beleeue Among the rest this was one whereof the Lord thought good to make choyse euen to send them a man after so extraordinary a manner who being in especiall credite and fauour with them by his authoritie and gratiousnesse might draw them to beleefe Coulde there anye more likely meanes bee deuised to perswade them He was lookâ— after as one that would prooue some rare man from his very Cradle His course of lise was such as might yet procure more admiration When hee came to the execution of his ministerie how powerfully did hee worke vpon the hearts of them that heard him what a fame went there of him farre and neere what