A Paraphrase on the New Testament, John · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
NOW a certain man was ſick, named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her ſiſter Martha. 2. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whoſe brother Lazarus was ſick). 3. Therefore his ſiſters ſent unto him, ſaying, Lord, behold, he whom thou loveſt is ſick.
N. 1. It's a doubt whether Bethany be the name of a Town, or only of a tract of ground where the Town was. 2. It is like that this Mary is not the ſame with Mary Magdalen. 3. It is a word of comfort in all troubles, if we can ſay, it is on one that Chriſt loveth.
4. When Jeſus heard that, he ſaid, this ſickneſs is not unto death, but for the glory of God: that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
4. Gods end in this ſickneſs of Lazarus, is not to remove him by death from this world, but to prepare an advantage for the glorifying of himſelf in me.
5. Now Jeſus loved Martha, and her ſiſter, and Lazarus. 6. When he had heard therefore that he was ſick, he abode two days ſtill in the ſame place where he was. 7. Then after that ſaith he to his diſciples, Let us go into Judea again.
5. His love to them inclined him to help them: yet he moved not that his advantage might be the greater, to ſhew his Love and Power by raiſing the dead (N. We muſt not miſinterpret Gods delays).
8. His diſciples ſay unto him, Maſter the Jews of late have ſought to ſtone thee, and goeſt thou thither again? 9. Jeſus anſwered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he ſtumbleth not, becauſe he ſeeth the light of this world. 10. But if a man walk in the night, he ſtumbleth, becauſe there is no light in him.
9. As a man that walketh in the twelve hours of day light is kept from ſtumbling by that light: So while my day of work continueth I am ſafe.
11. Theſe things ſaid he, and after that he ſaith unto them; Our friend Lazarus ſleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of his ſleep. 12. Then ſaid his diſciples, Lord, if he ſleep, he ſhall do well. 13. Howbeit Jeſus ſpake of his death: but they thought that he had ſpoken of taking of reſt in ſleep. 14. Then ſaid Jeſus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15. And I am glad for your ſakes, that I was not there (to the intent ye may believe) nevertheleſs, let us go unto him.
15. To raiſe him will more convince you, than it would have done, meerly to cure him.
16. Then ſaid Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow-diſciples, Let us alſo go, that we may die with him.
16. Whether Thomas ſpake this in meer paſſion, [Let us die with grief] or as expecting Chriſts death and theirs by the perſecuting Jews, is to us uncertain.
17. Then when Jeſus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 18. (Now Bethany was nigh unto Jeruſalem, about fifteen furlongs off). 19. And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
18. N. A furlong is ſix hundred foot.
20. Then Martha, aſſoon as ſhe heard that Jeſus was coming, went and met him: but Mary ſat ſtill in the houſe. 21. Then ſaid Martha unto Jeſus, Lord, if thou hadſt been here, my brother had not died. 22. But I know, that even now whatſoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
21, 22. N. She believed that Chriſt could have prevented his death, and could yet raiſe him. 2. And that it muſt be by prayer to God.
23. Jeſus ſaith unto her, Thy brother ſhall riſe again. 24. Martha ſaith unto him, I know that he ſhall riſe again in the reſurrection at the laſt day.
23. N. The Reſurrection of the Body was then believed as an undoubted truth.
25. Jeſus ſaid unto her, I am the reſurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet ſhall he live: 26. And whoſoever liveth, and believeth in me, ſhall never die. Believeſt thou this?
25. I am the principle and cauſe of Life and Reſurrection. The dead that believe in me ſhall be raiſed: And the living that believe in me ſhall live for ever, their Souls firſt and their Bodies after raiſed to bleſſedneſs.
27. She ſaith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Chriſt the Son of God which ſhould come into the world.
27. Yea for I believe that thou art the Chriſt, and herefore haſt power of life and death.
28. And when ſhe had ſo ſaid, ſhe went her way, and called Mary her ſiſter ſecretly, ſaying, The Maſter is come and calleth for thee. 29. Aſſoon as ſhe heard that, ſhe aroſe quickly, and came unto him. 30. Now Jeſus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. 31. The Jews then which were with her in the houſe, and comforted her, when they ſaw Mary that ſhe roſe up haſtily, and went out, followed her, ſaying, She goeth unto the grave, to weep there.
29. N. Faith, Love, and Neceſſity will make all haſt.
32. Then when Mary was come where Jeſus was, and ſaw him, ſhe fell down at his feet, ſaying unto him, Lord, if thou hadſt been here, my brother had not died. 33. When Jeſus therefore ſaw her weeping, and the Jews alſo weeping which came with her, he groaned in the ſpirit, and was troubled. 34. And ſaid, Where have ye laid him? they ſay unto him, Lord, come and ſee. 35. Jeſus wept.
32, 35. N. Chriſt wept in compaſſion with his ſervants ſorrows: And he loveth us no leſs now, than when he wept with mourners.
36. Then ſaid the Jews, Behold how he loved him.
36. Love can expreſs it ſelf by grief for the hurt of thoſe whom we love.
37. And ſome of them ſaid, Could not this man which opened the eyes of the blind, have cauſed that even this man ſhould not have died? 38. Jeſus therefore again groaning in himſelf, cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a ſtone lay upon it. 39. Jeſus ſaid, take away the ſtone. Martha, the ſiſter of him that was dead, ſaith unto him, Lord, by this time he ſtinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
39. N. How vile a thing will leſs than four days, ſhew the body of man to be? Is pride and vain pampering fit for ſuch a body?
40. Jeſus ſaith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldſt believe thou ſhouldſt ſee the glory of God.
40. N. The effect of Gods power is the Glory; and unbelief hinders the effect in us.
41. Then they took away the ſtone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jeſus lift up his eyes, and ſaid, Father, I thank thee that thou haſt heard me. 42. And I knew that thou heardſt me always: but becauſe of the people which ſtand by, I ſaid it, that they may believe that thou haſt ſent me.
41, 42. He looked up towards Heaven as the place of Gods glory, the ſpring and end of earthly bleſſings: N. Chriſt knew before that God would do this Miracle by him: but begg'd it by prayer to convince the hearers that it was of God. 2. It's our comfort that Chriſts interceſſion is always heard:
43. And when he thus had ſpoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth. 44. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave cloths: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jeſus ſaith unto them, Looſe him, and let him go.
43. N, It was not the lowd voice, but the inviſible power that revived him: yet Chriſt would ſuit his voice thereto. 2. It's vain to ask, how could he go when his feet was bound? As if all ſort of binding diſabled from riſing, or Chriſt could not enable him who revived him.
45. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had ſeen the things which Jeſus did, believed on him.
45. This Miracle convinced many (and it's ſtrange that it convinced not all.)
46. But ſome of them went their ways to the Phariſees, and told them what things Jeſus had done.
46. Some hardened Spectators turn'd all this but to information againſt him to the Phariſees.
47. Then gathered the chief Prieſts and the Phariſees a councel and ſaid, what do we? for this man doeth many miracles. 48. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him; and the Romans ſhall come and take away both our Place and Nation. 49. And one of them named Caiaphas, being the high prieſt that ſame year, ſaid unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50. Nor conſider that it is expedient for us, that one man ſhould die for the people, and that the whole nation periſh not.
47. N. 1. The greater Chriſts Miracles were the more they thought they ought to deſtroy him, becauſe the people would the more follow him: And ſtill the wiſer and better any Miniſter of Chriſt is the mo… worldly wicked men endeavour to deſtroy them, becauſe the people follow them. 2. The fear of great Mens power more than Gods cauſeth wicked Polititians to deſtroy the beſt. 3. But thereby they bring on themſelves that very deſtruction which they thought to avoid.
51. And this ſpake he not of himſelf: but being high Prieſt that year, he propheſied that Jeſus ſhould die for that nation: 52. And not for that nation only, but that alſo he ſhould gather together in one, the children of God that were ſcattered abroad.
51. And though he meant this of ſaving them from the Romans though by injuſtice, yet he being Prieſt that year (though by unlawful entrance by the Roman Power) God honoured the office ſo far as to make him utter thoſe words, which ſhould be a juſt Propheſie as meant by God, though not by him: And ſhould ſignifie that Chriſts death ſhould tend to the converſion alſo the choſen people of God in all the Gentile world, who ſhould thereby be made his Children, and one Church.
53. Then from that day forth, they took counſel together for to put him to death.
53. The greateſt Miracle and good Work of Chriſt fixed their reſolution to murder him.
54. Jeſus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderneſs, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his diſciples.
54. N. Chriſt yet fled from perſecution, and ſpent moſt of the three years and a half of his publick Miniſtry among remote poor people in Galilee or near the Wilderneſs.
N. Qu. It's ſtrange that Matthew, Mark and Luke ſay nothing of this great Miracle.
Anſ. 1. No one was to ſay all: but altogether to ſay ſufficient. 2. And John tells us that even altogether, have ſaid but little of all that Chriſt ſaid and did: but only ſo much as ſhould be enough to convince unbelievers.
Qu. Where was Lazarus's ſoul while he was dead? If in heaven, was it not a wrong to him to come thence? And did he remember what he ſaw there? and tell it to any? If not, doth it not make for the ſleepy inactivity of Souls departed? Anſ. Souls go not to Heaven, by neceſſitation, as a ſtone deſcendeth; but are diſpoſed of by God as the Supream Governour; thoſe that are for Heaven to Heaven, and thoſe that ſerve Devils to the Devils: and thoſe that are not yet judg'd to either, but are to live preſently again on earth (as Lazarus and others raiſed) are reſerved by God accordingly, whether yet in the body (as in a ſwoun) or near it, or where God pleaſed, and vouchſaſed no other knowledg and memory than is meet for ſuch as are to revive and live yet on Earth.
55. And the Jews paſſover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jeruſalem before the paſſover, to purifie themſelves.
55. The legally unclean were not to celebrate the Paſſover.
56. Then ſought they for Jeſus, and ſpake among themſelves, as they ſtood in the Temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feaſt?
56. For all were bound to come to it, that were not unavoidably hindered.
57. Now both the chief Prieſts and the Phariſees had given a commandment, that if any man knew where he were, he ſhould ſhew it, that they might take him.
57. N. 1. Chriſts Miniſters uſe Gods Ordinances to ſave men, and the Devils Clergy uſe them for ſnares, miſchief and murder. 2. They will not let the people be neuters between God and the Devil, but force them to be informing Perſecutors.