Exposition on John 5, John 5 · Verses 6-7
Verſ. 6.
— hee ſaith vntounto him, Wilt thou bee made whole?
Verſ. 7.
The impotent man anſwered, Sir, I hauehave no man, when the water is troubled to put me into the Poole: but while I am comming, an other ſteppeth downe before mee.
THeſe words containe the fifth part of this miracle, viz. the Preparation to this miracle. How Chriſt prepareth this man, and the reſt there preſent, to the obſeruation of the miracle, it conſiſts in a conference betweene Chriſt and the man. Wherein obſerue, Firſt, Chriſt his Question. Secondly, The mans Anſwere.
Chriſts Queſtion is, Wilt thou be made whole? a ſtrange queſtion, may ſome thinke. For did not the man come hither for that purpoſe? and was Chriſt ignorant of that, or doth hee ſpeake it to gall and vexe him. No, but for theſe reaſons:
1. To ſhew, that it was not in this mans power to heale himſelfe; that be did it not voluntarily; that he lay ſo long heere, but of neceſſity, becauſe no man would helpe him.
2. To worke in him a deſire of cure, and likewiſe a hope to hauehave ſome helpe of Chriſt.
3. To moue the partie himſelfe to attend this worke that he meane to doe vponupon him; as alſo to moue the reſt of the company, and thoſe that were preſent to mark it. For they would thinke: Surely he meanes to doe ſome thing, that hee doth aske him this queſtion.
4. To ſhew indeed that he did take compaſſion on him, and did commiſerate his eſtate.
5. To manifeſt his owne preuenting grace, in that Chriſt ſought him, before he thought on Chriſt.
From all theſe doe ariſe ſeuerall inſtructions: as
1. That they who by neceſſity, by the hand of God, are brought into miſeries are eſpecially to be pittied; and not ſuch as for a little eaſe doe make themſelues miſerable, as doe many beggers.
2. That they who are brought to a ſight of their miſery, and a deſire and hope of comfort, are fit to receiue eaſe and comfort from Chriſt.
3. That Chriſt ſo ordered his great workes as moſt may take notice of them; and ſo we are to attend to the workes of God, that they be not lightly ouerſlipt.
4 That knowledge of our miſeries workes compaſſion in Chriſt.
5. that Chriſt thinkes of helping them, who thinke not of ſeeking of ſuccour from him. See Eſay 65.1. This is to be obſerued of vsus, becauſe it is verefied in the conuerſion of eueryevery one of vsus. As in the conuerſion of Adam; God ſought him, when he fled from God: ſo it is euer ſince: And this is to the end that we may giuegive all the praiſe of our conuerſion to him.
In the Anſwere of the man we note 1. The title He giues vntounto Chriſt. Secondly, the ſubſtance of his Anſwere.
1. Sir: A word giuen to men in occaſion of ſpeach, arguuing, Firſt, a reuerence that he gaue vntounto Chriſt. A point immitable of vsus, becauſe Chriſtianity doth not ouerthrow ciuilty, but eſtabliſh it; eſpecially, this is to bee vſed when a kindnes is offered; for this is a ſigne of gratefulneſſe, and the contrary of Ingratitude; as of Nabal to Dauid.
2. As this ſhewed his reuerence, ſo it argueth his ignorance of Chriſt, that he knew him not to be Chriſt; if hee had, hee would hauehave giuen him another title like Nathaneel, Ioh. 1.49. and hauehave deſired helpe of him rather, then ſhewed the reaſon why he was not helped before, as now he doth.
Doctrine. Ignorance of Chriſt his Power, his Goodnes, his Nature and Offices, make vsus backeward, and careleſſe in ſeeking thoſe good things at his hands, which otherwiſe we might receiue; Ioh. 4.10. for knowledge is the ground of all other graces, and without this we neuer ſeeke for them. Which condemneth the ignorance of men, and teacheth vsus to labour after this grace.
2. In the Subſtance of his anſwer conſider, Firſt, that although this man had a long time lien here in great miſery, yet hauing now occaſion to ſpeake of it, he murmures not againſt God, he is not bitter, hee enuieth not those that went in before him, but only maketh a plaine narration of the matter; which ſhewes his patience, otherwiſe then many, who if they finde no helpe will fret and fume, accuſe both God and man, &c. an example of ſuch murmurs: ſee 2. King. 6.33.
2. Marke the reaſon that ſhould moue him thus to declare his caſe vntounto Chriſt, it was, Firſt, becauſe he had a deſire that Chriſt ſhould helpe him into the Poole. Secondly, for that hee hoped that Chriſt would doe ſo. So that all this while hee thought of no other meanes of cure, but of the Poole. Where hauing ſeen many euidences of Gods power in curing of other, his minde is fixed vponupon it, only tying, the power of God vntounto this water, and not conſidering that he was able to cure him by other meanes. So the Iſraelites, Pſal. 78.20. and hence this is the fault of moſt, That we tie Gods power to thoſe meanes that he ordaines. Whereas we ſhould account of them but as of particular euidences of Gods Power in generall, whereby he is able to make other meanes effectuall.
More diſtinctly this anſwere doth ſet forth vntounto vsus. Firſt, the inhumanity of the Spectators and inhabitants about this place, that none would vouchſafe to helpe this poore man, ſo long and pittifully diſtreſſed to put him into the poole; eſpecially this being a place beſides the Temple: whether the Scribes and Phariſes, who made ſuch pretence of Piety, did dayly reſort: yet ſee what want of charity there was in them, which ſhewes their pietie was but hypocriſie. And we ſee that Chriſt doth many times taxe them of crueltie. So in the Parable of the Samaritane, Chriſt ſaith that it was the Prieſt and Leuite that were vnmercifull.
2. This ſhewes the deſire both of the man himſelfe, and alſo of all the reſt; that is, to be cured by the water; and for this cauſe, there was a great ſtrife among them to goe in firſt. The like deſire and endeauour ſhould be in vsus after the ſpirituall meanes of ſaluation.