Exposition on John 5, John 5 · Verse 37
Verſ. 37.
And the Father himſelfe, which hath ſent me, beareth witnes of me. Ye hauehave not heard his voice at any time, neither hauehave yee ſeene his ſhape.
Verſ. 38.
And his word hauehave you not abiding in you: for whom he hath ſent, him yea beleeue not.
IN theſe words is layd downe the third teſtimonie, viz. the witneſſe of God the Father. Wherein obſerue:
1. How Chriſt doth plainly lay downe the teſtimonie.
2. How he reproues the Iewes vnbeleife.
In the former, we are to note,
1. The Party that giues this teſtimonie; who is deſcribed by a twofold relation to him, to whom the witnes is giuen.
1. Of Father. [The Father himſelfe:] ſhewing that this was the firſt perſon in Trinity.
2. Of ſending. Noting that Chriſt was come from the Father. So that this teſtimony of the Father is, That Chriſt is his Sonne.
2. The witneſſe it ſelfe [beareth witneſſe of me.] But when, and how was this teſtimonie giuen?
Anſw. God the Father giueth teſtimonie to his Sonne foure waies.
1. by his Prophets; Heb. 1.1. Act. 10.43. and 3.18.
2. By inward reuelation and inſpiration, when God by his Spirit aſſureth mens hearts, that Chriſt Ieſus is his Sonne; as he did to Peter: Mat. 16.17.
3. By the teſtimonie of Chriſt himſelfe; Ioh. 3.33. for in that Chriſt giueth teſtimonie of himſelfe, God the Father alſo doth it.
4. In his owne perſon by his voice. Firſt at his baptiſme; Mat. 3.17. [and at two other times, at his transfiguration: Mat. 17.5. and Ioh. 12.28.] And this is here principally meant: for the firſt, that is, the teſtimony of the Prophets, comes next to be handled; the ſecond is ſecret: now Chriſt would bring ſuch a teſtimony, as all might take notice of. And for the third that i… the point in queſtion to be proued.
Here, then we are diligently to weigh the greatnes of this teſtimonie and in it to note the great goodnes of God, and the care that he hath of vsus. For this being the ground of all the Articles of our Religion, viz. that Chriſt is the Son of God, without which there can be no comfort in beleeuing of any. God was not contented to hauehave declared this by his Prophets, yea or by Chriſt himſelfe; but himſelfe from Heauen in his owne perſon doth aſſure vsus of the truth of this ſo neceſſary an Article of Faith, that Chriſt Ieſus is his owne Sonne, in whom he is well pleaſed with vsus. And therefore of all teſtimonies of Scripture this among the reſt, and aboue all the reſt is to be regarded as a moſt ſure and ſtrong prop of our Faith. And this vſe Peter teacheth vsus to make: when from hence hee bringeth a ſtrong argument to confirme the truth of the Goſpell. 2. Pet 1.16, 17, 18.
The vſe is the ſame that is made, Mat. 17.5. Deut. 18.15. Act. 7.37. that therefore we do heare Chriſt, by attendi… vntounto his Word, which he hath cauſed to be written for the …uation of his Church. So much to the teſtimonie.
2. In his repoofe note, firſt, The fault for which he reproues them. The ground of this fault.
1. The fault is noted in theſe words [yee hauehave not heard his voice at any time neither hauehave yee ſeene his ſhape.] Which words may be taken, firſt, litterally: That they neuer heard the voice of the firſt perſon ſpeaking by himſelfe at any time, that is, at any other time, except then, and vponupon that occaſion when hee gaue teſtimonie to his Sonne. Neither yet did, or can any man behold God with carnall eyes. So that this, firſt, amplifies the greatneſſe of this teſtimony, that it is a matter of great weight, ſith neuer before, nor ſince, the like teſtimony hath been giuen. Secondly, it ſhewes what a great benefit it was, that Chriſt was incarnate, who is the character and ingraued forme of the Father, in whom we may ſee and behold him: Heb. 1.3.
2. Metaphorically, and to this ſenſe I rather agree: and then it is a prouerbiall kind of ſpeech taken from men, whereby Chriſt doth taxe their ignorance and vnacquaintance with God. For men are knowne two wayes, by their ſpeech, and by their ſhape. Now they had neither heard the voice, nor ſeene the ſhape of God, and ſo were without all knowledge and acquaintance with him, and ſo in this reſpect like Heathen men. All the meanes that God affoorded for the declaration of his preſence among them, his voyce that hee cauſed to bee ſounded forth by the miniſtery of his Prophets, by Chriſt, yea by himſelfe extraordinarily, they regarded not, but ſtill remained ignorant. Like vntounto theſe Iewes, are many among vsus; that notwithſtanding the preaching of the Word, remaine ſtill in their ignorance, &c.
The ground of this ignorance is ſet downe in theſe words, [and his Word hauehave you not abiding in you.] This Chriſt ſaith to preuent an obiection which they might make, viz. That they had the Law, the Sacrifices, the Word preached in their Synagogues, &c. and therefore were not ſo ignorant as he blamed them.
Wherefore Chriſt taxeth in them two things, that the Word was indeed preached among them, and they heard, the ſound of it with their eares, but it went not vntounto their hearts. Secondly, that if at any time it peirced to the heart, yet it did not there abide.
Doct. It is not ſufficient to hauehave the Word amongſt vsus, to heare it, to talke of it, and the like, vnleſſe it be in our hearts, and abide there, all is worth nothing. Though Moſes were read eueryevery day in the Synagogue, it profited the Iewes nothing, becauſe they vnderſtood it not; they were not affected with it, vnleſſe for a ſhort time, they made it no rule of their life to walke by. See Luk. 11.28. Col. 3.16.
This ſhews we hauehave an honeſt and good heart, if the Word abides with vsus, and we practiſe it; and on the contrary ſide, an euill corrupt heart. Euen as it fares with a man of a good, or ill-affected ſtomack, that either retaines the meate, and digeſts it, or vomits it vp againe, or turnes it into humours.
Now that the VVord may abide with vsus, obſerue theſe rules drawne out of the Parable, Luk. 8.
1. That wee vſe the meanes to vnderſtand, and come to knowledge of the VVord. This was the fault of the firſt ground, the ſeed therein had no entrance at all.
2. That we louelove and delight in the VVord, that we make it our ioy, that we reliſh and affect it: for hauing knowledge, and feeling the ſweetneſſe of it, we ſhall be the more deſirous of it, without weariſomneſſe, without loathing. From the want of this, it is, that many men of great learning are yet carried away, becauſe their knowledge was onelyonly in the braine, and not rooted in the heart. Like the ſecond ground.
3. That we ſuffer the VVord to rule vsus wholy, and not entertaine our luſts, pleaſures, and worldly care together with it: for theſe will ſucke out the life of the VVord: ſo that it will not abide with vsus long; as in the third ſort of ground.
4. That we hauehave a care to make it a rule vntounto vsus, to ſquare our life according to it, then will it abide with vsus: for a good conſcience is the ſhip wherein Faith is preſerued from ſuffering wracke: 1. Tim. 1.19. and we ſee, that error in iudgement, and corruption in manners doe mutually infect one another.
The confirmation of this ground is expreſſed in theſe words [for whom he hath ſent, him yee beleeue not.
The VVord of God did not abide in them; and why? becauſe they did not beleeue in Chriſt the Sonne of God, whom he had ſent. The truth of this reaſon appeares in two reſpects;
1. Becauſe Chriſt, who was ſent of God, was the ſumme and ſubſtance of the VVord of God, both of the Law, and of the Prophets; Heb. 8.1. Act. 10.43. whom principally it aimed to declare. Now then how is it poſſible that they could hauehave the VVord abiding in them, who did not entertaine and beleeue in Chriſt when he was come.
2. Becauſe they receiued not Chriſt, who ſpake the words of God. Now if they had the Word of God abiding in them, they would hauehave beleeued in him, who had brought this Word vntounto them.
Doct. The Word abides in none that beleeue not Chriſt Ieſus. Which firſt, is againſt all ſuch as know not Chriſt, or deny him, or rely not vponupon him.
Secondly, it teacheth vsus to lay ſure hold on Chriſt.
Thirdly, it ſhewes that they that deſpiſe the Word, and the Miniſter thereof, hauehave it not abiding in them.