Exposition on John 5, Title page – John 5
AN EXPOSITION ON THE WHOLE FIFTH CHAPTER OF S. IOHNS GOSPELL: ALSO NOTES ON OTHER CHOICE PLACES OF SCRIPTVRE, TAKEN BY A Reuerend Diuine, now with God, and found in his Study after his death, written with his owne hand, viz.
An Expoſition on the fifth of Iohn.
Notes on Ioh. 3. verſ. 29. to 36.
Notes on certaine verſes of the firſt and ſecond of Marke.
Notes on Luk. 3. verſ. 19, 20.
Notes on Iam. 4. verſ. 7.
Notes on Gen. 2. verſ. 9. & 7. & 23.
Notes on Exod. 12. verſ. 8, 11, 14, 15, 16.
Notes on Pſal. 30.2.
An Expoſition on part of the fifth and ſixth Chapters of the Epheſians.
LONDON, Imprinted for Iohn Bartlett, and are to be ſold at the ſigne of the gilt Cup in the Goldſmiths Row in Cheapeſide. 1630.
AN EXPOSITION VPONUPON THE FIFT OF IOHN.
IOHN 5. VER. 1, 2.
After this there was a feaſt of the Iewes, and Ieſus went vp to Ieruſalem.
Now there is at Ieruſalem by the ſheepe-market, a poole, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Betheſda, hauing fiue porches.
THe foure Euangeliſts doe write the hiſtorie of Chriſt, which is of 4008. whereof 3974 are briefly paſſed ouer in his pedegree beginning at Adam, Luke 3. So that there is 24. remaining: And or theſe about 30. heſpent in priuate, the other foure in his publike miniſterie.
This Harmonie was firſt diuided into ſixe parts:
1. From the beginning of the Goſpell to Chriſts baptiſme.
2. From his baptiſme, which was his inſtallation into his miniſtrie, to the firſt Paſſouer, when hee began to manifeſt himſelfe plainly.
3. From the firſt Paſſouer to the ſecond.
4. From the ſecond to the third.
5. From the third to the fourth.
6. From the fourth to his aſcenſion.
This preſent hiſtory is the firſt hiſtory of the third part of the Harmonie, and of the ſecond yeare of Chriſt his publicke miniſtery.
The reaſon why wee doe end the firſt yeare with the former Hiſtory of Matthews calling, and begin the ſecond yeare with this, is
Becauſe there is no Hiſtory recorded after the former, but ſome circumſtance moueth vsus to thinke it was done after this Paſſouer.
2. That circumſtance which is ſet downe, Mar. 3.23. ſheweth that ſtory to be after this Paſſeouer: for corne was then ripe, which was about Pentecoſt , and therefore after the Paſſouer, which was about March: and that is the meaning of Luke, when he ſaith, Chap. 6.1. the ſecond Sabbath after the firſt, viz. the Paſſeouer.
But here a queſtion may be moued concerning Mathew his entertainment of Chriſt, which ſeemes to hauehave beene preſently after his conuerſion.
Anſw. If we conſider the circumſtances, we ſhall finde it otherwiſe; for Mat. 9.18 it is ſaid, While Chriſt ſpake theſe things &c. namely, while he was reaſoning and diſputing with the Phariſees & the diſciples of Iohn concerning companying with Publicans, and faſting, Then came Iairus the Ruler …nto him. Now he came not till a long time after this paſſeouer, as appeareth by Marke. 5. and Luke. 8. as we ſhall ſhew when we come to ſpeake of it, and therfore it followeth that the feaſt of Mathew, vponupon occaſion whereof that diſpute aroſe, was not till after this time.
But why then is Matthew's calling and his feaſt both ioyned together by the Euangeliſts?
Anſ. 1. There is no neceſſary connection.
2 It is becauſe of the matter, which, concerning o…e man, is alſo ſet downe together. So Iohn his impriſonment and beheading are put together: though hee were long time in priſon before he was beheaded.
This Hiſtory in generall ſheweth what Chriſt did at the Paſſouer in Ieruſalem the ſecond time of his comming thither: and it containeth,
1. A famous Miracle, from the beginning to …he fifteenth verſe.
2. A diſputation vponupon it, unto the end of the Chapter. In the Miracle are theſe branches.
1. The time. 2. The place. 3. The Party cured. 4. The occaſion. 5. The manner of working. 6. The manifeſtation of it to be a true Miracle. 7. The effects.
1. The Time is ſet downe indefinitely: There was a feaſt of the Iewes: whereupon ſome doubt is made what Feaſt it was. Some ſay it was the feaſt of T…bernacles, and ſome Pentecoſt. But to omit the anſwering of their reaſons, which themſelues confeſſe to be but coniecturall▪ it will appeare plainely that this was the Paſſeouer. Iohn 2.14. there is mention made of a Paſſ…ouer, after which Chriſt preached in Iudaea, and there …e paſſed ouer the Feaſt of Tabernacles and Pentecoſt. For Ioh. 4, 55▪ Chriſt ſaith there were foure moneths to harueſt, which was about our Whitſontide: therefore Chriſt ſpake that betweene December an… Ianuary, and the feaſt of Tabernacles was in September: and ſo Whitſontide or Pentecoſt was paſt long before.
Moreouer the Paſſeouer is called foreign, by a propriety, a …ea…t, thirteene times in the new Teſtament; by the Euangeliſts twelue times, and once Act. 18.21. and it was the principall feaſt, becauſe it was the firſt, and was inſtituted for the remembrance of the greateſt benefite, and alſo was the moſt liuely type of Chriſt his ſacrifice.
Now in that Chriſt went to Ieruſalem to celebrate his Paſſeouer, we learn, That Chriſt was conſcionable in keeping all the ordinances of God, and that according to the m…nner preſcribed by God. He went to Ieruſalem, and kept not this feaſt in Galilee: wherein wee ought to imitate Chriſt.
2. The occaſion in generall is laid downe, v. 6. in which we …ay conſider theſe parts. 1. The place. 2. The party cure… 3. The occaſion it ſelfe. 4. A conference that Chriſt had with the man.
1. The place is deſcribed, 1. By the ſituation of it. 2. The name. 3. The roomes of it. 4. The company.
1. Th… Situation in generall is in Ieruſalem, a famous City, wh…ther all the Tribes reſorted thrice in a yeare, as alſo the diſperſed Iewes among the Gentiles, and moreouer many Proſelites of all nations.
Doct. God doth by his wiſdome and prouidence ſo diſpoſe of his great workes, as they may be moſt famous: thus he ſent th… holy Ghoſt, Act. 2. when ſuch a multitude of all nations were come vp to Ieruſalem, &c. ſo were the Churches plan…ed firſt in moſt famous Cities, as Corinth. &c. For firſt, hereby Gods Name comes to be more known, & he gets the greater glory: ſecondly, the Church is the more edified.
In Particular it i… noted to be by the place of the ſheepe, foreign, ſome vnderſtand foreign market, ſome ſay the ſheep-gate; wh…ch is moſt probable, becauſe mention is made of ſuch a gat… nigh the Temple, Neh. 3.1. where the Seuentie tranſlate …t ſo, vſing the ſame word. Howſoeuer, it was a place where ſheep were kept for ſacrifice. And this ſheweth the reaſon why there was a poole there, viz. to waſh and water the ſheepe that were brought thither: which was done in a pious and religious reſpect to the ſacrifice of God, although afterwards through couetouſneſſe it grew to ſuch exceſſe, that they did ſell for gain in the verie Temple. And thus ſhould they that hauehave authoririe be carefull to prouide ſuch things as are fit in the Church &c. for the ſetting forth of the worſhip of God.
2 The Name: Betheſda, a houſe of pouring out; wherby it ſhould appeare, that the poole was not of ſtanding water, but ſuch as came running in, in great abundance from ſome Spring head: but in the Syriack it is called Betheheſda, by adding foreign, and it is a vſuall thing in tranſlating of ſuch words as hauehave foreign in them, into Greeke, to leaue out that letter. This ſignifieth a houſe of merciemercy; which name might be giuen vntounto it in remembrance of this gracious worke of the Lord, in giuing ſuch vertue to this water: and this ſhewes the care of the people, to retaine in memorie the workes of the Lord. Thus did Abraham, for the ſauing of his ſonne Iſaac, Gen. 22.14. and Iacob, Gen. 28.19.
3 The Roomes. Fiue Porches or Galleries, foreign: it ſignifieth a ſpacious place to walke in. Theſe were made for the reliefe and good of thoſe poore people, that they might be drie from winde and weather, becauſe they were to tarrie a great while before they could be healed; and according as the number of them did increaſe, ſo they builded mo porches. There were fiue porches. This is recorded as a commendable worke of charitie, for our imitation, that God hauing giuen vsus abundance, we ſhould in thankfulneſſe to him, and charitie to relieue them that want, beſtow ſomething on the poore.