Exposition on John 5, John 5 · Verse 40 – Verse 42
Verſ 40.
But yee will not come to me that yee might hauehave life.
NOw followes the reproofe of theſe Iewes. which is in generall for their incredulity, in that they did not beleeue in him, whom the Scriptures declared. This their incredulity is generally laid downe, verſ. 38. aggrauated, firſt, by the cauſes thereof: firſt, ignorance, verſ. 37.38. Secondly, wilfulnes in this verſe. Thirdly, want of louelove, verſ. 42. Fourthly, ambition, v 44.
Secondly, by the Iſſue, viz. condemnation, verſ 45. &c.
In this verſe we hauehave to note, firſt a declaration of the ſinne it ſelfe, namely, obſtinacy [yee will not come to me.]
Secondly, an aggrauation of it, by the miſchiefe following vponupon it, namely loſſe of life [that yee might hauehave life.]
Note here firſt the inference of this vponupon the former. Wee hauehave heard that they thought well of the Scriptures, and looked in them to hauehave eternall life, yet we ſee they come not v… to Chriſt, in and by whom they might hauehave life. What is the reaſon of this? Surely their opinion was on a falſe ground, they looked for life by other meanes, then by Chriſt, as by their owne righteouſneſſe, &c. Hence note,
Doct. They that are perſwaded to attaine life by falſe meanes, will neuer be brought to ſeeke after the right meanes. Thus the Iewes, Eſay 30. and 31. truſting to Egypt, withdrew themſelues from the Lord, the onelyonly meanes of their ſafety. Thus did the Scribes and Phariſes, Luk. 7.30. deſpiſe the councell of God, whereas Publicans, Souldiers, Harlots, &c. came vntounto Chriſt. Why? Becauſe theſe had no other ground to truſt vntounto, whereby they might attaine to life. But the Phariſes were full of many falſe perſwaſions of attaining to it by other meanes: Mat. 21.30. Luk. 1.33.
Vſe is to teach vsus to take heed that our ſoules be not poſſeſſed with falſe perſwaſions.
The obſtinacy and wilfulneſſe of the Iewes appeares herein, that neither by the preaching of Iohn, nor by the witneſſe of God the Father giuen to Chriſt at his Baptiſme, nor yet by the teſtimony of the Scripture, they would be mooued to beleeue in Chriſt.
Doct. They that hauehave the Word preached, and yet beleeue not in Chriſt, are guilty of the ſinne of obſtinacy. They are ſcorners, Prou. 1.22. Reade Ezek. 2. and 3. Matth. 23.37. Act. 2….27.
For if a man hauehave eyes, and yet ſee not the Sunne when it ſhineth, ſhall we not thinke that he winketh of purpoſe.
Obiect. But the caſe is not ſo in ſpirituall things; Faith is not in our power; wee hauehave not theſe ſpirituall eyes to behold Chriſt of our owne. How then can it bee obſtinacy, if we doe not beleeue.
Anſw. 1. I anſwer, that there is no man that liues where the Goſpell is preached, and yet beleeues not, but he doth faile in doing of ſome things that hee might doe. So that though ſauing Faith be not in his power, yet doth he wilfully neglect to doe many things which are in his power, whereby he might attaine vntounto Faith: as neglect of comming to the Church, of attention to the Word, of Prayer, &c.
2. Howſoeuer we hauehave not free will to beleeue, yet can we reſiſt, and gaineſay the truth, and diſtruſt God from a freeneſſe of will, ariſing from the peruerſeneſſe of our corrupt nature.
So that both for wilfull neglect, and alſo repugnancy, and reſiſting of the Word, ſhall ſuch be condemned as obſtinate.
Vſe To condemne thoſe that liue vnderunder the Goſpell, and yet are not wrought vponupon by the Goſpell, whoſe caſe is worſe then that of Sauages and Infidels.
From the aggrauation of this fault we may learne, that
Doct. 1. They that are obſtinately ſet againſt Chriſt and …is Goſpell, by no promiſe, no reward can be moued to relent and yeeld vntounto Chriſt, no, not for life it ſelfe. Such obſtinacy was in Lots ſonnes in law, Gen. 19.15. in the Egyptians, Exod. 9.21. Pſal. 58.4, 5. Act. 13.45.
For obſtinacy doth ſo fill, and poſſeſſe the heart, that neither threats, nor promiſes can take any place.
Verſ. 41.
I receiue not the praiſe of men.
THis verſe is inſerted in policy to preuent an obiection that the Iewes might make. For whereas he had reproued them for not comming vntounto him, they might thinke thereupon, and ſay; O ſurely this man would hauehave many followers, he would that men ſhould praiſe and applaud him. Wherefore Chriſt tels them, that he ſeekes not, he hunts not after the praiſe of men; it is their ſaluation that he aimes at.
Doct. Chriſt in thoſe things that he did, did not ſeeke for his owne honour, reputation and glory, but to bring ſaluation vntounto others: and ſo many times when he had done a great work, he withdrew himſelfe, to take away all occaſion that people ſhould not talke of him; yea, hee forbad them to ſpeake of him.
For firſt, he needed not this popular applauſe and commendation, being the Sonne of God. Secondly, his works did commend themſelues. Thirdly, yea, praiſe followed him, where he fled from it. Fourthly, Chriſt did now abaſe himſelfe, and would now ſhew himſelfe a patterne of humility for our imitation; and therefore he did not ſeeke to extoll himſelfe, Ioh. 13.15. Mat. 20.27, 28.
Vſe. To ſet Chriſt before vsus, and to follow him; looking to our duty to doe, becauſe God hath laid it vponupon vsus, not becauſe of applauſe and commendation. And this, as it is to bee done of all, ſo eſpecially of Miniſters that ſtand in Chriſts ſtead, who looke that they draw people vntounto them for their good, and not for their owne praiſe: and ſo to preach, as not to preach themſelues, but for the edification of the people.
Verſ. 42.
But I know you, that yee hauehave not the louelove of God in you.
In this verſe is expreſſed the ſecond fault, for which hee reprooueth them, viz. their want of louelove; which is the ſecond cauſe of their incredulity. Here note, firſt, the ground of his reproofe. Secondly, the thing reprooued.
1. The ground, [I know you.] Whatſoeuer you pretend, I know that it is not for Gods honour and glory that you doe this &c.
Doct. Chriſt knoweth mans heart and diſpoſition, bee hee good, Ioh. 1.47. or bad, Ioh. 2.25.
Vſe, for terror, for Hypocrites and diſſemblers.
2. For incouragement to thoſe that are vpright and true-hearted.
Doct. 2. Here wee may note, how Chriſt doth rep…ooue …hem vponupon ſure ground and euidence. He neuer raſhly or vn…uſtly did reprooue any; and ſo when they were reprooued, their mouth was alwaies ſtopped, they had nothing to reply.
Vſe, For our imitation to goe vponupon ſure grounds, not vponupon euill ſurmiſes and ſuſpitions?
2. The fault for which they are reprooued, is want of the louelove of God. A ſtrange thing, if we conſider what great ſhewes theſe Iewes made of the louelove of God.
Doct. Many who ſeeme to ſtand for Gods glory, and fo… his ordinances, and make great pretences of zeale to him; yet if their hearts be knowne, they will be found not to hauehave one true ſparke of louelove in them; as in Corah and his company: Numb. 16. in all Heretikes, Papiſts and Idolaters. It is not for louelove, but for by-reſpects, ſome through enuy, ſome through ambition, ſome through couetouſneſſe, &c.
Wherefore we are to examine our ſelues, with what minde we doe thoſe things which we doe, whether out of a pure louelove of God, or no. This we ſhall know, by conſidering the nature and properties of this louelove.
1. LoueLove of God is a holy ſpirituall affection, whereby our hearts are ſo k…it vntounto him, that we do make him our ſummum bonum, chiefeſt good, whereon we doe reſt. And it manifeſts it ſelfe by theſe two properties: firſt, a care to pleaſe him, and to continue in his fauour; that is, when we delight in his Word, and obey his will and commandements. For in his Word is declared what things are pleaſing vntounto him. That this is a property of this true louelove appeares, Ioh. 14.23, 24. 1. Ioh. 2.5. 2. Ioh. verſ. 6. Whence followes another branch of this, namely, a feare to offend him, when wee are carefull to auoide all things that doe diſpleaſe him: Pſal. 97.10.
2. By a louelove of what and whom hee loueth: when for his ſake we louelove man, whom God hath made the chiefeſt obiect of his louelove: Ioh. 3.16. And as man in generall, ſo eſpecially thoſe on whom God hath placed his ſpeciall louelove, in regenerating, and begetting them againe to himſelfe: 1. Ioh. 5.1. Pſal. 16.3.
…y theſe properties we are to examine our ſelues: and hereby it appeareth, that the Iewes had not the louelove of God in them; for they delighted not in his Word, Ioh. 8.47. They kept not his Commandements, Matth. 15.8, 9. Neither louelove… they thoſe whom God loued; for Chriſt they hated, although they knew by the teſtimony of Iohn Baptiſt, and the witneſſe of God himſelfe, that he was the beloued of God: ſo did they likewiſe the Prophets, Apoſtles, and holy men: 1. Theſ. 2.15.