Exposition on John 5, John 5 · Verse 20 – Verse 20
Verſe 20.
For the Father loueth the Sonne and ſheweth him all things that himſelfe doth,—
IN theſe words are layd downe the Cauſes of the former effects; they are twofold. Firſt, Partly the LoueLove of the Father Secondly, Partly that the Father doth communicate all things to the Sonne.
The Father loueth the Sonne.] This is here expreſſed by a kind of propriety, foreign, he loueth him alone, none like him, him in, and for himſelfe, vid. Col. 1.13. Epheſ. 1.6. Matth. 3.17. foreign, a word that ſignifieth one, that onelyonly, and wholly beloued.
Reaſon of this is not grace and fauour, but Nature, becauſe Chriſt is his Sonne: as earthly men doe louelove their children, becauſe they come from themſelues, and are of their ſubſtance. vid. Pro. 8.30. Heb. 1.2. Now according to the greatneſſe of the perſons louing and loued, ſo is the louelove, viz. eueryevery way infinite, the like whereof is not in the World to be found. So that Chriſt is hee in whom is the beginning of Gods louelove, and on whom it doth reſt, and from whom it is conueyed to all other. This, firſt, doth greatly amplifie the louelove of God, that hee would giuegive the Sonne of his louelove to vsus: and of Chriſt, that being his Fathers delight, hee would come from his boſome for our ſakes. How great a louelove were it for a King to giuegive his onelyonly ſonne for a poore Captiue. This thing was ſo highly accepted of God in Abraham, that hee did not ſpare his onelyonly ſonne, that it was an occaſion why God did ſweare ſo to bleſſe his poſterity: Gen. 22.16, 17.
2. This is a maine ground to ſtrengthen our faith, in the interceſſion of Chriſt, to come vntounto the Throne of Grace with confidence and boldneſſe. For is Chriſt the Sonne of Gods louelove? and will he then deny vsus any thing that we ſhall aske in his Name? And for this cauſe wee ought to hold vsus cloſe to Chriſt, and to ſticke wholly to him.
Further, this louelove muſt be conſidered not onelyonly as a thing proper to Chriſt, but alſo as an euidence of Gods louelove vntounto vsus, that we may gather from hence, that we are loued. For Chriſt hauing vnited vsus vntounto himſelfe, wee may be aſſured, that God who ſo greatly loueth the Head, will alſo louelove the Members: Ioh. 17.23. And this is meant, Matth. 3.17. God is well pleaſed in Chriſt, not onelyonly with him, but with whomſoeuer he beholds in him; as Epheſ. 1.6. ſo that none are loued but in Chriſt, and all in Chriſt are loued.
So much for this firſt Cauſe, ſimply conſidered in himſelfe: Now we come to conſider it in the reference thereof, viz. as it is to ſhew the ground of that power, authoritie, dignitie, excellency, and equality which Chriſt hath with his Father. Whence we learne, that Chriſt did not vſurpe theſe things, bu… God did freely and willingly beſtow th…m on him.
Vſe. 1. Further to ſtrengthen ou… confidence in him, to repoſe our ſelues vponupon his redemption, mediation, &c. Secondly, it ſerues for the terror of thoſe, that oppoſe themſelues againſt this dignitie and equality of Chriſt: for they prouoke God, and are fighters againſt him, who hath in louelove communicated theſe things to Chriſt. Thus did the Iewes, becauſe they would hauehave none to be equall to God, oppoſe againſt the authoritie of Chriſt: and this likewiſe is ſpoken to aggranate their malice.
The ſecond Cauſe whereby it comes to paſſe, that Chriſt doth the ſame workes with his Father, is, becauſe the Father ſheweth him all things. Which is not to bee taken for a bare relation, or an inſtruction; or that the Father doth them only in the preſence of the Sonne, as one man may doe a thing in preſence of another; or that he ſets them before him, as in a Mappe or Table: but for a communication that the Sonne doth participate of the Wiſedome, Power, and whatſoeuer elſe the Father hath, together with his Eſſence. Secondly, that the Father doth ſo ſet forth himſelfe in his Sonne, that he may be ſeene in him▪ and who ſo knoweth the Sonne, may know the Father, as Ioh. 14.9. And this is a further argument to proue the equality, becauſe God cōmunicates all things to him.
Vſe. 1. It ſhewes vntounto vsus, how the vnſearchable myſteries, and depth of Gods wiſedome come to our knowledge, and to be reuealed vntounto vsus. God hath communicated them to Chriſt, and Chriſt hath declared them to vsus. See Reuel. 5.5. &c. And this ſhewes a reaſon of that phraſe, that Chriſt is called the Word, becauſe he hath vttered the will of his Father, and hath declared the ſecret Councels of God, Therefore are wee to heare him, Matth. 17.5. as the old World was to hearken vntounto him, ſpeaking by his Prophets, and the Iewes to himſelfe when hee was on earth, and the Church afterward when hee ſpake by his Apoſtles; ſo are wee now to hearken to him ſpeaking in his Miniſters, who declare to vsus the will of God. So much for theſe cauſes conſidered ſeuerally in themſelues.
Now conſider them ioyntly, as, the louelove of the Father is made the ground of communicating all things to the Sonne. Whence obſerue, that
1. All that Chriſt hath from his Father, it come from louelove, then how much more doth all that which is in vsus come of louelove.
2. According to the louelove that the Father did beare vntounto the Sonne, accordingly did he beſtow the Spirit: Ioh. 3.34. alſo dignitie and honour vponupon him.
Vſe. So likewiſe learne we by Grace to iudge of Gods louelove towards vsus, if we find that we are regenerated and ſanctified, to be perſwaded of Gods louelove. And further, by the meaſure of grace, to hope for the meaſure of glory: for the more grace wee hauehave, the more God loues vsus; the greater is his louelove, the greater will be our glory.
3. It is a fruit and token of louelove, to enuie no skill, knowledge, dignity, honour, &c. but to be ready to communicate all things. So ſaith Chriſt to his Diſciples; You are my friends, I hauehave ſhewed you all things. And herein eſpecially is that ſaying true, Among friends all things are common. And this may bee a triall for Parents if they louelove their children, for Schoolemaſters if they louelove their ſcholers, and for all friends if they louelove one another.
Verſ. 20.
—and he will ſhew him greater workes then theſe, that yee may maruell.
NOw we come to conſider the particular euidences of this equalitie: but before we come to ſpeake of them, wee muſt conſider the tranſition from the former generall points vntounto thoſe that follow, here laid downe by Chriſt in theſe words. Which is done, firſt, to preuent a ſecret obiection which the Iewes might make: For it is ſo, that what the Father doth, thou doeſt; and what thou doeſt, the Father doth; can the Father then doe no more, then that which thou haſt done, …iz. to cure the ſicke, giuegive ſight to the blinde? &c. Chriſt anſwereth; God can doe more: theſe are but ſmall euidences of his almighty power, but hee will manifeſt vntounto his Sonne greater workes, whereby it ſhall be declared, that hee is the Sonne of God. Secondly, to ſtirre vp attention, becauſe the things which Chriſt had yet done, were lightly eſteemed, and oppoſed againſt, now therefore God would ſhew ſuch great workes, that their hearts ſhould be amazed and aſtoniſhed at.
In this tranſition are two points; firſt, the extent of Chriſts power [greater workes.] Secondly, the euent of it, [they ſhould maruell.]
For the former, it hath reference to the miracles which Chriſt had before time done. Whence the Doctrine is, that Chriſts miracles which hee did, were but euidences of a farre greater, and more almighty power; as his miracles of healing the ſicke, of power to cure our ſinnes, of reſtoring ſight to the blinde, of power to illighten our minds, of caſting out of diuels, of his power of ſubduing the Diuell, and deliuering vsus from his bondage, and the like. And this vſe ought we to make in reading the miracles of Chriſt.
2. Yee ſhould maruell. Yee, mine enemies.
Doct. Such is the euidence of Chriſts power, that it maketh all aſtoniſhed: as we may reade at the working of moſt of his miracles, and at his reſurrection, how greatly the Iewes were aſtoniſhed. And at the day of Iudgement, all ſuch as hauehave oppoſed againſt him, ſhall tremble and quake. Now this aſtoniſhment at the power of Chriſt is, that wherein we muſt reſt, it being an argument rather of Chriſts power, then of our faith in him. But we muſt conſider the end of this power, for which it was giuen him, viz. that hee hath it for our good, that hee might ſaue vsus; and then his power will be a ground of our faith, to make vsus to ſhroud our ſelues vnderunder him.