Exposition on John 5, John 5 · Verse 19
Verſ. 19.
Then anſwered Ieſus, and ſayd vntounto them, Verily, verily, I ſay vntounto you, The Sonne can doe nothing of himſelfe, but what he ſeeth the Father doe: For whatſoeuer things he doth theſe alſo doth the Sonne likewiſe.
IN this verſe beginneth a confirmation of the former Apology, with the Amplification of it vntounto the end of the chapter. The whole Summe of all, is to ſhew, that Chriſt is the true Sonne of God, equall with the Father. We may obſerue in it three parts.
1. Certaine Effects for the proofe of it, from the 19. to the 31. verſe.
2. Certaine Teſtimonies to confirme it, from the 31. to the 40.
3. A reproofe of the Incredulity of the Iewes, from the 40. verſe to the end.
The Effects whereby his Deitie is proued are, Firſt, Generally propounded. Verſ. 19. Secondly, Generally Repeated verſe 30. And as they are generally propounded, ſo are they particularly confirmed from the 21. verſ to the 30.
The Effects verſ. 19. are laid downe, Firſt, Negatiuely. Secondly, Affirmatiuely. The ſonn… can doe nothing without the father. And what the father doth, that doth the ſonne. But before we come to handle theſe points, ſome generall inſtructions are to be deliuered out of the words before going.
1. In that Chriſt anſwered againe, we learne, That Chriſt ſtill continues in his goodnes, though his enemies were more and more incenſed and inraged againſt him.
Vſe is, as for our Imitation; ſo for our comfort, that if Chriſt be of ſo long patience towards his enemies, how much towards them that louelove him, though they offend often againſt him.
2. The Preface declares, Firſt, the truth of the matter, Verily, verily. Secondly, the authority of him that ſpeaketh it, I say vntounto you.
Verily, &c.] This ſhewes, that it was not a matter that fell from him by chance, but that it was ſuch a truth hee would ſtaid to it; a truth whereof he was ſure and certaine.
I ſay vntounto you.] a ſpeech proper to Chriſt, who being the Sonne of God, might auouch a thing vponupon his owne authority. Furthermore, theis ſhewes Chriſts earneſtneſſe towards the good of theſe men And Secondly, that was a matter of great weight and moment. Thirdly, that he was ſo farre from ſhrinking from the truth, becauſe of their oppoſition, that hee is the more earneſt in ſtanding for it. Which ſhould teach vsus to doe the like.
Now come we to the meaning of the words·
The Sonne] the ſecond Perſon in Trinity, &c.
Of himſelfe] alone without his father, as ſeparate from him, hauing no communication with him.
Can doe nothing] this implies not any reſtraint, or inability, but an abſolute neceſſity and impoſſibility that the Son ſhould doe any thing, which the Father doth not. So that this Implies a vnion in nature, and Eſſence; becauſe though both hauehave ability of themſelues, yet neither can doe any thing without the other. Whereas in nature, things therefore cannot worke one without the other, becauſe they hauehave not ability in themſelues, without the helpe of one another.
But what he ſeeth, &c.] This is ſpoken according to the capacity of the Iewes, it implies a taking of councell together, as Ioh. 1.18. Gen. 1.26. nor is it a word of ſpeculation of Efficacy, implying a communication of knowledge.
For whatſoeuer thinges, &c.] Here are three points
1. The Sonne doth not only nothing alone without the Father, but doth ioyntly with the Father what the Father doth.
2. That this communication is not in ſome things, but in all things.
3. That as the Sonne doth the ſame things, ſo he doth them after the ſame manner, by the ſame authority, to the ſame end &c. [foreign, likewiſe.]
So that here in this 19. Ve. is contained a proof of the equality of the Sonne with the Father, becauſe the ioynt effects of both are one and the ſame.
The myſtery and maine point here to be noted is,
That Chriſt is true God of the ſame eſſence with the Father, and eueryevery way equall vntounto him. Becauſe, Firſt, he can doe nothing of himſelfe without the Father, but as he doth all things originally from the Father, ſo he doth them ioyntly with him. Secondly, yea he can doe nothing: implying a neceſſity and impoſſibility. Thirdly, becauſe he is in the boſom of the Father. Seeing [ſaue what he ſeeth] the councels of his father and communicating him, which none but Chriſt hath done. Fourthly, againe what the Father doth, that he cannot but do. Fiftly, becauſe this concurrence is in all things. Sixthly and laſtly, hee doth eueryevery thing after the ſame manner with the Father. All theſe ſhew an Identity, Samenes and Equality, between Chriſt and God the Father. Some illuſtrate this by examples, as if a thing burne, and cannot chuſe but burne, and burne alwaies, we ſay, that it is fire: ſo Chriſt, doing diuine workes, and the ſame with his Father, and that hee cannot but doe them, and doth them after the ſame manner that his Father doth, hee muſt needs be God. Some Hereticke hauehave obiected againſt this place, that Chriſt doth theſe things by imitation; and this they ſay is, meant by [ſeeing and ſhewing.]
Anſwer. It is falſe, becauſe he doth theſe things by the ſame authority and power, that the Father, hauing life and power in himſelfe, as verſ. 26. and becauſe he doth them after the ſame manner that the Father doth.
As touching the Phraſes of ſeeing on the Sonnes part, and ſhewing on the Fathers part: theſe are ſpoken, Firſt, in regard of our conceit. Secondly, to ſhew the diſtinction betweene the Perſons; the Father being the Fountaine of the deity, ſheweth; and the Sonne, the ſecond perſon, is ſayd to ſee.
3. This may be interpreted of the humane Nature of Chriſt.
Vſe. 1. Seeing Chriſt proues his equality with the Father, in regard of the effects common to both, we muſt learne to account of all things done and ſpoken by Chriſt, as done and ſpoken by God the Father; and ſo to giuegive credence, reuerence, and obedience accordingly to the ſame.
2. As to account of the doing of Chriſt, as done by God, ſo likewiſe when we behold the workes of God the Father; as the frame of the World, and the things therein and doe conſider in them the glory and Maieſty of God; to conſider alſo in, and by them, the glory and excellent Maieſty of Chriſt: and in this we goe beyond the Iewes, Turks and Heathen, who in the creatures cā behold the Maieſty, of God the Father only.
3. In the workes of redemption, which ſet forth the louelove, mercy, and goodnes of Chriſt towards vsus to obſerue the louelove and mercy of God.
4. That what Chriſt doth by Neceſſity, though not of compulſion, but of nature and eſſence, we ſhuld endeuor to do, ſtriuing …o do …he will of God, and to doe nothing but what we hauehave a warrant for out of the reuealed wil of God. So like wiſe to be like to him in all things, viz. in kindnes, in goodnes, in honeſſe, and ſuch like vertues, which are layd downe in the Word, as a rule for vsus to walke by, and wherein he hath ſet himſelfe forth as a patterne for vsus to follow. For a ground of this, note that prayer of Chriſt, Ioh. 17.21. we are all one] not in eſſence, but miſtically hauing the ſame Spirit. Wherefore wee ſhould labour as truly to initate God as Chriſt though not as equally. And as Chriſt did his eſſentiall vnion by effects equall with thoſe of his Father, ſo wee to ſhew our ſpirituall vnion by like effects.