Exposition of John, Chapter 11 · Verse 30
Verſe 47. Then gathered the chiefe Prieſts and the Phariſees a counſell, and ſaid, What do we: for this man doth many miracles.
48. If we let him thus alone, all men will beleeve on him, and the Romans ſhall come and take away both our place and nation.
The ſecond conſequent of the miracle, is the carriage of the Rulers: being exaſperated upon this information. It contains foure particulars, The firſt whereof (in theſe verſes) is their conveening in council, and conſulting upon the matter; Wherein, they propound the caſe; that Chriſt did many miracles; and the danger that would enſue, if they took no courſe with him; that Chriſt being ſo popular, by reaſon of his miracles, will draw the people after him, and hereby will incenſe the Romans, and make them deſtroy the Temple and their Nation, ſeeing the people will be ready to move ſedition, and to cry up Chriſt as a King of Davids progeny. And therefore they wonder at one another that they do nothing in the matter, and enquire at one another what to do.
From ver. 47. Learn, 1. Chriſts enemies are very ready to receive delations againſt him, and the more they ſee or hear that his glory ſhines, they grow the worſe; for, when this is delated, they are in a rage. 2. It is no ſtrange thing to ſee authority and power againſt Chriſt; And to ſee even Churchmen in the judicatories appointed by him, plotting the ruine of him and his Kingdome; for, the chiefe Prieſts and the Phariſees gathered a counſel, (the Sanhedrim of old appointed by God) that they may deviſe means to deſtroy him. By this the Lord would diſcover, that there is no infallibility in men or judicatories; and would teach, that he can carry on his work, albeit authority and judicatories be againſt him; and that he oft-times doth ſo, that he alone may have the glory; whereas, otherwiſe, too much would be given to men. Theſe who met, or, at leaſt, gathered and conveened the council, are called the chiefe Prieſts, not only the High Prieſt and his deputy, or poſſibly alſo theſe who by courſes ſucceeded in the High-Prieſthood in that time of corruption, wherein that office was expoſed to ſale, as Hiſtories do record. But it comprehends alſo the heads of the twenty four orders of Prieſts inſtitute by David, 1 Chr. 24. To theſe are joined the Phariſees, which was the name of a Sect among them; And they are named, not becauſe none of theſe Preiſts were of that Sect, but to ſhew that other Phariſees who had place in the council did moſt frequently conveene, as being moſt bitter enemies to Chriſt. 3. Wicked perſecutors are ordinarily ſo far from repenting their cruelty, that they are angry they are ſo ſlow, and not more violent; for, notwithſtanding all their former violence againſt Chriſt, yet, what do we? ſay they, or, are we ſleeping? 4 The Lords power and wiſdome are ſo eminently employed about Chriſt, his truth and people, that when perſecutors have done their utmoſt, they will finde they have made ſmall progreſſe, as to gaining of their purpoſe; for, this, what do we? imports alſo, that however they had oppoſed him all along, had traduced him and his Miniſtry, baniſhed him, endeavoured to enſnare him, ſought to take him &c. yet in effect they had promoved nothing, as to hindering of him in his Miniſtry, or the ſucceſſe thereof. And it will be thus ſtill, even when they go a further length. See Exod. 1.12. 5. Albeit the wits of men may …uſtle one againſt another, yet all their wit ſhall have enough to do, when they employ it againſt Chriſt. And perſecution ſhall be a task to perplexe them, were they never ſo wiſe; for what do we? imports alſo an anxious perplexity and … reſolution what to do for the future, as may appear from Ca…aphas his …axing their Ignorance, ver. 49.50. See 1 Cor 1.5. Prov. 21.30. And albeit the Saints may be alſo perplexed in Gods way, for their humiliation, and that they may depend on God, 2 Chron. 20.12. Yet it is a judgment on wicked men in evil courſes. 6. Whatever the enemies of Chriſt and his people do ſay, and give out to the world; yet many of them may be, and are inwardly convinced in their conſciences, that theſe whom they perſecute, are innocent and doets of good; for, notwithſtanding their many cavillations in publike, againſt Chriſt and his miracles, yet here in their Cabin-council they are forced to acknowledge, he doth many miracles, and they have no evil to ſay of him. So …o Act. 4 16. Chriſt was indeed thus innocent, and all Chriſtians ought to ſtudy it, as being a great advantage to have ſuch a teſtimony in the boſome of enemies, whatever effect it take. 7. Whatever be the innocency of Chriſt and his followers, or the convictions of bloody perſecutors; Yet ordinarily they take little effect, they neither heighten their eſtimation of the innocent, nor abate their rage againſt them; for, though they acknowledge this, yet he is but this man, by way of contempt, and they go on in their bloody reſolutions againſt him.
From ver 48. Learn, 1. When Chriſts Kingdome begins to flouriſh in any meaſure, it is to be expected, that carnal men, and eſpecially corrupt Church men will raiſe a fire of perſecution, as the only remedy they know to blaſt it; for, ſay they, If we let him thus alone all will go to ruine, and therefore they muſt perſecute. 2 When Chriſts enemies are pleaſed to ſpeak out their mindes plainly, it will be found that their intereſts and worldly ſtate is their great Idol, and that which drives them to perſecute Chriſt; for, this is their fear it ſubſtance, that they will loſe their reputation, by the peoples leaving them, and following of him, and that if their Nation ruine, their power will be gone. 3. Perſecutors do look on Chriſts ſucceſſe with an envious eye, and in a multiplying glaſſe, that ſo it may whet their malice againſt him; for, when ſome few have beleeved, they take them up as ſo many, that if he continue a while, all men will beleeve on him, in which, experience proved there was but too little truth. 4. Whatever be the real Idols and Intereſts of Perſecutors; Yet they will labour to cover them with pretences of publike good and ſafety; for, albeit their own reputation and places ſweyed moſt with them, yet they give out this for their colour, The Romans ſhall take away bath our place, (the Temple that is dear to us, as what is our own) and Nation. 5. It is the uſual policy of Perſecutors, to decline, by all means, to oppoſe Chriſt in his Kingdome as Chriſt, and truth as truth; But they labour to colour the quarrel with ſome ſpecious pretences, that ſo they may hide the odiouſneſſe of their courſe from others, and blinde their own eyes, that they may not ſee they are fighting againſt God; for, …hey will perſecute Chriſt, not as the Meſſiah, but as one who would bring ruine upon them by the Romans. As Chriſt was called a Samaritane, a blaſphemer, and one that had a devil, and then they did perſecute him as ſuch a one; And as of old Chriſtians were covered with …he skins of wilde-beaſts, that dogs and Lions might tea…e them more greedily: So is it ſtill with Chriſtians and truth, they ſuffer under odious imputations, that it may ſeem more juſt to perſecute them: They are called hypocrites, and under that cloake, pittie is hated, truth is called errour, treaſon, and what not? and then ſuppreſſed. 6. It is the unjuſt prejudice and erronious principle of many, (and eſpecially of Stateſmen and Rulers) againſt Chriſt and his Kingdome, that it is inconſiſtent with the ſafety of the Nation and State where it is admitted; And the pretence of a neceſſity and intereſt of State, is an old engine for bearing down of Chriſt and Religion: for, this in particular, is their pretence of not …etting Chriſt alone. All men will beleeve on him, and the Romans ſhall come and take a…ay both our place and Nation. 7. It is hel…ſh injuſtice againſt Chriſt, and his Kingdome, to father any miſeries of a Nation where he is received, on him or it: or to cut and carve upon Religion and his Kingdome, …o as men think may beſt contribute to the ſafe…ie of their worldly intereſts; for, in both theſe they enjure him. His doctrine allowed of no ſedition, nor did he claime to a worldly Kingdome; the receiving of him, by whom Kings reign, is the way to uphold States and Nations; and, any calamities that follow upon the Goſpel, are not the fruits of the Goſpel, but of mens own ſins, who make not uſe of ſuch a jewel. And on the other hand, it is their unjuſtice, that they will not conſult what is right or wrong, dutie or ſinne, in this matter, but what is profitable or hurtful; and, that they will not admit of Chriſt, if he contribute not to their ſtanding. Whereas, though the Romans ſhould have deſtroyed them upon that account, yet what was that, if it were their duty, and they were in the way of God? 8. Such as bend their wits to finde out indirect and ſinful courſes, whereby they may avoid feared trouble, and eſtabliſh themſelves, it is righteous with God, to make theſe ſame courſes bring their fear upon them; And particularly, they who ſeek to eſtabliſh their own eſtate and power by the overthrow of Chriſts Kingdome, do take the compendious way to eſtabliſh his Kingdome, and overthrow their own; for, they know no way to ſuppreſſe Chriſt, and ſave themſelves from the Romans, but to perſecute him; and in the iſſue this advanced Chriſts intereſt, and in Gods righteouſneſſe, drew the Romans upon them ſome few years thereafter.