A Paraphrase on the New Testament, John · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
THeſe things have I ſpoken unto you, that ye ſhould not be offended. 2. They ſhall put you out of the Synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whoſoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God ſervice.
1, 2. I foretell you what you muſt expect, that when it cometh you may not be ſcandalized and turned back. They ſhall caſt you out by Excommunication of their Sacred and Civil Aſſemblys, as a reproach, yea they that kill you ſhall do it as an acceptable offering or ſervice to God. Note, How little do the Religious pretenſes of Perſecutors deſerve regard.
3. And theſe things wil… they do unto you, becauſe they have not known the Father, nor me.
3. Did they know the Father and me, they would do otherwiſe: wilful Ignorance is the cauſe.
4. But theſe things have I told you, that when the time ſhall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And theſe things I ſaid not unto you at the beginning, becauſe I was with you.
4. Remember▪ I foretold you all this: which I ſaid not from the beginning, becauſe I was with you to incourage you, and your time of trial was not come and at firſt you could not ſo well bear it.
5. But now I go my way to him that ſent me, and none of you aſketh me whither goeſt thou? 6. But becauſe I have ſaid theſe things unto you, ſorrow hath filled your heart.
5, 6. But now I am going to him that ſent me, and though it be on your buſineſs and for your intereſt, you ask me not whither and for what I go? But ſorrow oppreſſeth you to hear of my departure.
7. Nevertheleſs, I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will ſend him unto you
7. Believe it, my departure is for your benefit: For the Holy Ghoſt whom I will then ſend will be better to you than my bodily preſence on Earth.
8. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of ſin, and of righteouſneſs, and of judgment: 9. Of ſin, becauſe they believe not on me; 10. Of righteouſneſs, becauſe I go to my Father, and ye ſee me no more; 11. Of judgement, becauſe the prince of this world is judged.
8, 9, 10, 11. And it will be his work effectually to plead my cauſe. And firſt to convince the World, of their ſin in accuſing, rejecting and murdering me, in whom they ſhould have believed, which he will do by his Gifts, Miracles, and inward Operations: And, Secondly to convince them of the Truth and Righteouſneſs of my Perſon and Doctrine, and my Right to be the Head of the Church, and the Righteouſneſs of my Government of it; Becauſe I go into Heaven to take fuller Poſſeſſion of my Plenipotency and Adminiſtration, and by my Spirit in you and on the Hearers, ſhall more effectually convince Men and gather my Church, than I did while I was with you: And Thirdly, He ſhall convince them that God hath Exalted me to the Power of Conquering Satan and his Kingdom, and puniſhing Rebellious Adverſaries, when they ſhall ſee that by my Spirit the Kingdom of Satan falleth, and the Powers that ſerved him are partly Converted, and partly confounded and deſtroyed.
12. I have yet many things to ſay unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
12. I have many things more to make known to you, which you are not yet prepared to receive.
13. Howbeit, when he the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he ſhall not ſpeake of himſelf; but whatſoever he ſhall hear, that ſhall he ſpeake: and he will ſhew you things to come.
13. But when the Holy Spirit of Truth is come upon you, he will make you capable, and will guide you into all Truth, (which you muſt Preach and Record for the Propagating and ordering my Church, Preaching to the Gentiles, laying by the Moſaick Law, &c.) For he ſhall ſpeak but that which is of God, and things to come, and which you are not yet fit to receive.
14. He ſhall glorifie me: for he ſhall receive of mine, and ſhall ſhew it unto you.
14. It is this Extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghoſt, which ſhall be my great convincing Witneſs in the World that ſhall prove me to be the Saviour: For it is from me that he is ſent, and my Word that he ſhall Teach you, whether it be Remembring or Expounding what I have already ſpoken or Teaching you more by Inſpiration. What he ſaith and doth in and by you my choſen Apoſtles that I do by him and you.
15. All things that the Father hath, are mine: therefore ſaid I, that he ſhall take of mine, and ſhall ſhew it unto you.
15. I ſay he ſhall take of mine: For the wiſdom Grace and Gifts that come from the Father, come from me; that which is his is mine, and the Spirit is ſent by the Father and by me.
16. A little while and ye ſhall not ſee me: and a…ain a little while and ye ſhall ſee me, becauſe I go to the Father.
16. As it is but a little while till I that am now with you▪ ſhall depart from your ſight, ſo it will be but a ſhort time till I ſhall return from Heaven to which I am Aſcending (or as ſome Expound it [I ſhall be a little while dead, and a little while with you after my Reſurrection.]
17. Then ſaid ſome of his Diſciples among themſelves, What is this that he ſaith unto us, A little while and ye ſhall not ſee me: and again, a little while and ye ſhall ſee me: and, Becauſe I go to the Father? 18. They ſaid therefore, What is this that he ſaith, A little while? we cannot tell what he ſaith. 19. Now Jeſus knew that they were deſirous to ask him, and ſaid unto them, Do ye enquire among your ſelves of that I ſaid, A little while and ye ſhall not ſee me and again, a little while, and ye ſhall ſee me?
17, 18, 19. Jeſus perceived that they underſtood him not.
20. Verily verily I ſay unto you, that ye ſhall weep and lament, but the world ſhall rejoyce: and ye ſhall be ſorrowful, but your ſorrow ſhall be turned into joy. 21. A woman when ſhe is in travail, hath ſorrow, becauſe her hour is come: but as ſoon as ſhe is delivered of the child, ſhe remembreth no more the anguiſh, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22. And ye now therefore have ſorrow; but I will ſee you again, and your heart ſhall rejoyce, and your joy no man taketh from you.
20. You ſhall have a time of ſuffering Sorrow, while bad Men are triumphing over you and rejoycing; but your Sorrow ſhall be turned into Joy; in the ſenſe of my Reſurrection and the Comforts of the Holy Ghoſt, and the ſucceſs of your labours, and your own Salvation. As a Woman delivered hath joy in her Birth, inſtead of the ſorrows of her Travail. I my ſelf will again ſee you, when I am Riſen, and finally glorifie you: And then you ſhall have a Joy which none can deceive you of or diminiſh.
23. And in that day ye ſhall ask me nothing: Verily verily I ſay unto you, Whatſoever ye ſhall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye ſhall receive that your joy may be full.
23, 24. You ſhall not then learn by asking me queſtions, as now: But you ſhall Petition the Father in my Name, and he will give you what you need both for your own Inſtruction and for your Miniſtry. You have not hitherto underſtood and uſed my Interceſſion ſo fully as you muſt do hereafter, and have nor uſed to ask in my Name ſo explicitely as you muſt do. But he…er…after you muſt ask in my Name to be heard for my Merits and ſake as your Interceſſor: As thus by fervent Prayer, and fuller anſwers and gifts ſhall cauſe your fuller Joy.
25. Theſe things have I ſpoken unto you in proverbs: the time cometh when I ſhall no more ſpeak unto you in proverbs, but I ſhall ſhew you plainly of the Father.
25. I have hitherto ſpoken to you in Parables, letting in the Light by ſuch degrees as you were fit to bear. But when I ſend you the Holy Ghoſt, you ſhall know more plainly the Myſteries of God.
26. At that day ye ſhall ask in my name: and I ſay not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27. For the Father himſelf loveth you, becauſe ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
26, 27. You ſhall then put up all your Prayers in my Name, which I would not have you ſo to underſtand, as if the Father himſelf did not Love you, but muſt be moved to it by me: I ſay more than that I will Pray for you; even that the Father himſelf, loveth you, becauſe ye have loved me, and believed in me, &c. Note, Firſt, I ſay not that I will Pray, is but Chriſts ordinary uſe of a Poſitive phraſe for a Comparative: it is, I ſay not this only, but more. Secondly, Our Love to Chriſt as well as our Faith is called the cauſe why God loveth us. Thirdly, But this [Becauſe] ſignifieth no efficient cauſe of any thing in God, but a Moral Qualification of the receiver, called a Material diſpoſitive receptive Cauſe.
28. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again I leave the world, and go to the Father.
28. Note, I have before ſhewed that this coming from the Father, ſignifieth not any local removal of of the Deity, but its Conjunctive Operation on the humane Nature and its miraculous Conception or Production.
29. His Diſciples ſaid unto him, Lo, now ſpeakeſt thou plainly, and ſpeakeſt no proverb. 30. Now are we ſure that thou knoweſt all things, and needeſt not that any man ſhould ask thee: by this we believe that thou cameſt forth from God.
29, 30. We now perceive that thou knoweſt the ſecrets of our hearts, and what thoughts and doubts they were that troubled us; which thou haſt now plainly reſolved: Therefore we believe thou comeſt from God.
31. Jeſus anſwered them, Do ye now believe? 32. Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye ſhall be ſcattered, every man to his own, and ſhall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, becauſe the Father is with me.
31, 32. As confidently as you ſpeak, I tell you the hour is now at hand, in which you ſhall every man be afraid to own me, and ſhall ſhift for your ſelves and fly to your Houſes, and ſhall leave me forſaken of you all alone: But I will not call it alone; for the Father will not forſake me.
33. Theſe things I have ſpoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye ſhall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
33. I have told you what is to befal you hereafter, that though you will be grieved at my departure, you may fetch your Peace and Joy from the Aſſurance of what I will do for you after my Reſurrection. You ſhall have Tribulation to the fleſh in the World: But let not that diſmay you; but take comfort in me, who have overcome the World, even its flattering Tempations, and its malicious Proſecutions. And my Victory is virtually yours, who ſhall overcome by my Interceſſion, Spirit and Graces.