Exposition of John, Chapter 1 · Verse 6
Ver. 6. There was a man ſent from God, whoſe name was John.
7. The ſame came for a witneſſe, to beare witneſſe of the Light, that all men through him might beleeve.
In the next branch of the firſt part of the Chapter, John having ſpoken of the manifeſtation of Chriſt before his incarnation, and how it did not ſuffice; he cometh to his more clear manifeſtation under the Goſpel, and beginneth (as the reſt of the Evangeliſts, and becauſe of that Prophecie, Mal. 4.5.) at John the Baptiſt, his forerunner, and by occaſion of him, ſpeaks yet more of Chriſt. Concerning this forerunner we have here held out, his calling, his name, and the ends of his calling and office, which were to point out and bear teſtimony concerning Chriſt, that men might be drawn to ſaith in him Doct. 1. A ſpecial mean and way whereby Chriſt ſhineth to the world, and helpeth the world to know him, is the Miniſtry of men; whereby he condeſcendeth to our weakneſſe, who could not endure more glorious inſtruments; he trieth our obedience, and acknowledgment of his authority in the weak meſſengers; and he maketh manifeſt that the excellency of the power whereby they do ſo great things, is of him; Therefore doth he bring in Johns Miniſtry, as a particular mean whereby he ſhined. 2. Miniſters of Chriſt muſt not run unſent, but ought to have a calling from God, either extraordinary (in extraordinary times and caſes) or ordinary; as being that which will afford them matter of courage in undertaking their work, of comfort under difficulties, and of hope of ſucceſſe; for, ſo John was a man ſent from God; to wit, in an extraordinary way, as Chriſts forerunner. 3. Albeit an unregenerate man may be a lawful Miniſter, yet they will in a moſt lively way proclaime that geace of God bringing ſalvation, who have themſelves obtained grace and favour by it: And it is a ſweet thing, when men prove anſwerable to theſe names and titles which Scripture giveth them, becauſe of their Chriſtian profeſſion; for, this forerunners name was John, a name given by the Angel, without the conſent of friends, Luke 1.13.59, 60. &c. which in the Hebrew ſignifieth, one that had obtained grace and favour, or, one to whom the Lord had been gracious that he might actively proclaime the ſame to others, and a name to which Johns carriage was anſwerable. He was one, in giving of whom the Lord ſhewed himſelf gracious to his parents, Luke 1.13. One, to whom the Lord was gracious, in ſanctifying of him from his mothers womb, and in making of him faithful and ſucceſſeful in his Miniſtry, Luke 1.15, 16, 17, 77, 78. 4. The chief and ſpecial end of a Miniſtry, is, to point out Chriſt in his excellencies and uſefulneſſe to loſt men, to declare him in his perſon, offices and benefits, how he ſhould be bebeleeved in, ſerved or ſuffered for; John came to beare witneſſe of the light, or of Chriſt in his glorious excellency, and as he is the light of dark man, in his comforts and directions. 5. Faithful Miniſters are to preach Chriſt as his witneſſes, with plaineſſe, with fidelity in not adding or diminiſhing, with boldneſſe and conſtancy; and as men by whom Chriſt (who nee…s not any teſtimony from men) doth temper and fit his light to our capacity, and who will be witneſſes one day againſt them who do not receive their doctrine; for, the ſame came for a witneſſe to beare witneſſe of the light. 6. The end and ſcope of a Miniſters witneſſing and preaching is, and ſhould be, to bring ſelf-condemned ſinne…s to beleeve in Chriſt; his preaching of the Law and wrath is in order to that, and to bring men to ſee their need of Chriſt, and ſhould be joyned with the doctrine of the Goſpel; His preaching of the doctrine of ſanctification and holineſſe ſhould be joyned with the doctrine of faith in Chriſt, from whom vertue floweth, for that end: And faithful Miniſters ſhould not be content that their excellent gifts lead men to eſteeme of themſelves; but it ſhould be their endeavour to lead men unto Chriſt; for, albeit John did threaten ſharply, and call them a generation of Vipers, and did preſſe repentance and renovation hard; yet the ſame came for a witneſſe, that men through him (or by his Miniſtry and his leading them not to reſt or doat upon himſelf) might beleeve. 7. No man is ſecluded from being allowed to beleeve in Chriſt, who hath the ofter, but every one of whatſoever condition or quality, who heareth the Goſpel, is bound to make this uſe of it, following the due order appointed for ſinners to come to Chriſt; And particularly, under the Goſpel, Chriſt is to be held forth as the common refuge of all his people of whatſoever kindred or Nation; for, John came for a witneſſe that all men might beleeve, not that all, even of Judaea, heard John, but that all who heard, were thus obliged, and all indifferently of any nation, were now allowed to come to Chriſt.