A Paraphrase on the New Testament, John · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
I Am the vine, and my Father is the huſbandman.
1. I am to you like the Vine that giveth forth her Vital juice for Mans life and delight: And my Father is as the Husbandman that planteth, owneth and diſpoſeth of the Vine and Fruit. Note, Whether Chriſt ſpake this before they roſe from Supper, or as they went by the way is uncertain.
2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away: and every branch that bareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
2. All that manifeſt themſelves Chriſtians, and are Baptized and Grafted into my Church, are to me as the Branches are to the Vine; as to Cove…ant-inſition. And every … …hriſtia… … is not ſincerely fruitful … ſuperfluous branch: And the ſincere and fruitful ſhall be pruned by Inſtruction, Diſcipline and Correction, that they may be yet more fruitful.
3. Now ye are clean through the word which I have ſpoken unto you. 4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of it ſelf, except it abide in the vine: no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
3, 4. You are now in ſome meaſure cleanſed and ſanctified by my Word and Grace: But do ye think that all your work is done, or all your danger over▪ it muſt be ſtill your care to abide in me by continued Faith and Love, and that I may abide in you by my Spirit and Grace: For as the branch can bear no Fruit of it ſelf, but by vertue communicated from the Stock, and therefore muſt abide in it: No more can you, except you abide in me.
5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the ſame bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
5. Your …tion and continuance in me, muſt make you fruitful. …or out of me and without my communicated Spirit of Grace, you can do nothing that will ſave you.
6. If a man abide not in me, he is caſt forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and caſt them into the fire, and they are burned.
6. He that being Grafted into my Church and me, and Apoſtatizeth, ſhall be damned. Queſt. Is this ſpoken of the ſincere or of the unſound and Hypocrites. If of the ſincere, do they fall away to Damnation? If of others, would they not be burned or damned if they ſhould perſevere, in their Hypocritical dead Profeſſion? Anſw. Firſt, Chriſt tells us how we may judge of them, We know them not to be Hypocrits till they fall off and then we may diſcern their miſery. Secondly, The Sincere that ſhall never fall quite away, have need of Promiſes, and Threatnings, Hopes and Fears to be the means of their perſeverance: For God fulfilleth his decrees by means. Thirdly, Whether there be not an initial unconfirmed degree of Grace (like Adams) which may be loſt, which elſe would ſave (though confirmed Grace be never totally loſt) is a Controverſie ſo ancient and among the wiſeſt and beſt of men, as that it requireth great modeſty in the Deciders.
7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye ſhall aſk what ye will, and it ſhall be done unto you.
7. If ye abide in me and my words abide practically in you, you ſhall be ſo accepted with God for your Union with me and Intereſt in me, that for my ſ…ke all your juſt …equeſts ſhall be granted: But this priviledge … interrupt.
8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, ſo ſhall ye be my Diſciples.
8. It is not your barren Profeſſion, but your greater Fruitfulneſs in doing good, which is the honouring of God who is the Author of Religion, and muſt prove you to be my true Diſciples.
9. As the father hath loved me, ſo have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
9. As God the Father hath ſet his ſpecial Love on me and ſent me on his work, ſo have I ſet my ſpecial Love on you, and choſen you for my Service: See that you forfeit not my Love by forſaking me, or being unfaithful in my Service.
10. If ye keep my commandments, ye ſhall abide in my love: even as I have kept my Fathers commandments; and abide in his love.
10. The way to continue in my Love, is to keep my Commandments; for thus I abide in my Fathers Love, even his Complacency in me as his Servant, by keeping his Commandments.
11. Theſe things have I ſpoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
11. My end in all this Counſel to you is but that I may ſtill have joy in your Fidelity and Fruitfulneſs, and you may have fulneſs of Joy in me, and in the Reward of your Fidelity.
12. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
12. The ſum of my Command and Doctrine is Love; even that in your entire Love to one another, and the Fruits and expreſſion of it, you inmitate my Love to you.
13. Greater love hath no man then this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
13. Mans love of Friendſhip hath no higher Expreſſion, than laying down ones life for his Friends.
14. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatſoever I command you.
14. I lay down my life for you, and that as for my beloved friends who ſhall enjoy my friendly Love for ever, if you prove my friends indeed: and that muſt be by doing whatſoever I command you, and not by bare words and boaſts of friendſhip.
15. Henceforth I call you not ſervants; for the ſervant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you.
15. Though you are my Servants, I have a higher name to call you by, even my Friends: For meer Service ſignifieth not that endeared intimacy which I have uſed with you. LOVE and Friendſhip is higher than meer Service and Obedience. I have made known to you the Myſteries of God, which ſignifie my Love of friendſhip.
16. Ye have not choſen me, but I have choſen you, and ordained you, that you ſhould go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit ſhould remain: that whatſoever ye ſhall aſk of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
16. You did not firſt begin in Love to me, and chooſe me for your Saviour, but I began in Love of benevolence to you, and choſe you to be my Friends the Objects of my Complacency: And ordained you to be my Apoſtles to Convert the World, that you may ſee the Catholick Church gathered as the ſetled fruit of your Labours. And that whatever Power you ask of God, by Miracles or other Gifts to promote your Labour he may give it you.
17. Theſe things I command you, that ye love one another.
17. I mention all this to you to enforce my laſt and great Command, that ye love one another. Note, Alas how far are the Accuſing, Slandering, Reviling, Backbiting and Perſecuting Teachers, Rulers and Sects, from the Nature and Practice of this Love, which Chriſt ſo vehemently urgeth.
18. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
18. When you meet with hatred from ungodly Men, remember that I that am the Son of God and never ſinned, was hated by them before you, and you do but follow me, and ſuffer for and with me.
19. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but becauſe ye are not of the world, but I have choſen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
19. If you were meer ungodly Wordlings or Infidels, the World would not hate you for Godlineſs or Faith, but love you for being like them. But they hate you for that Chriſtian Excellency in which my choſen ones excell them: And would you not be Better and Happier than they, though you be hated for it.
20. Remember the word that I ſaid unto you, The ſervant is not greater then the Lord. If they have perſecuted me, they will alſo perſecute you: if they have kept my ſaying, they will keep yours alſo.
20. If you take me for your Lord indeed, remember that I have told you that you are not greater than I, and look for no better uſage of the World than I have found: If they have Perſecuted me, they will Perſecute you: And if the unbelieving Part reject my Word, wonder not if they do ſo by yours, and if the choſen only do receive it.
21. But all theſe things will they do unto you for my names ſake, becauſe they know not him that ſent me.
21. It is for my ſake that they will Perſecute you, becauſe they know not God and his Teſtimony of me.
22. If I had not come, and ſpoken unto them, they had not had ſin: but now they have no cloke for their ſin.
22. If I had not ſpoken to them and confirmed my Word by my Works their ſin had not been ſo great, but had excuſe (Note, Here [not had Sin] a Poſitive is put for a Comparative): Or if I had not come with ſufficient evidence, it had not been their ſin not to believe me to be the Chriſt: But now their unbelief and Perſecution hath no pretence.
23. He that hateth me, hateth my Father alſo.
23. The hatred that is againſt me, is conſequently againſt God my Father, it being his Word, Works and Witneſs which they reject.
24. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had ſin: but now have they both ſeen, and hated both me and my Father.
24. They had not been bound to believe me to be the Chriſt, if I had not ſhewed Gods Atteſtation, ſuch works as no man elſe can do, or if any one had done the like. Note, Yet it is a falſe inference of the Infidels, that therefore none are bound to take him for the Chriſt, where he never came and did ſuch works: For Hiſtory may as infallibly tranſmit the notice of his Works, as Sight and Hearing could receive them.
25. But this cometh to paſs, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their Law, They hated me without a cauſe.
25. But the Word written in Pſal. 3.19. which in a large ſenſe is part of their Law is thus fulfilled.
26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will ſend unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which procedeth from the Father, he ſhall teſtifie of me.
26. But when the Holy Ghoſt my Advocate and your Comforter is ſent down upon you, whom after my Reſurrection I will ſend to you, for his Eminent ſignal Gifts, from the Father▪ even that Holy Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father, he ſhall be my great Prevailing Witneſs both to you, and by you to the World, and ſhall cauſe belief.
27. And ye alſo ſhall bear witneſs, becauſe ye have been with me from the beginning.
27. And you on whom this Spirit ſhall come down, ſhall by his operation be made my effectual Witneſſes, of what I have ſaid and done and ſuffered, becauſe you have been with me, as Eye and Ear Witneſſes from the beginning of my publick Miniſtration.