Exposition of John, Chapter 1 · Verse 28
Verſe 47. Jeſus ſaw Nathaneel coming to him, and ſaith of him, Behold an Iſraelite indeed, in whom is no guile.
48. Nathaneel ſaith unto him, Whence knoweſt thou me? Jeſus anſwered, and ſaid unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou waſt under the fig-tree, I ſaw thee.
49. Nathaneel anſwered, and ſaith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Iſrael.
Nathaneel being perſwaded to come to Chriſt by Philip, Chriſt by commending the ſincerity of his heart, and (when Nathaneel wonders at Chriſt for knowing that) by de…l…ing unto him where he had been; doth diſcover his Godhead unto him, which to worketh, as to draw Nathaneel to a confeſſion of his Godhead and Office. Whence learn, 1. Chriſt will in mercy paſſe over the faults, prejudices and miſtakes of theſe who do not perſiſt in them, but come to him; for, Chriſt welcometh and receiveth Nathaneel, even while he is coming, and taketh notice of him when he minded it not, and ſpeaks of him, and not to him. 2. Chriſt is an exact diſcerner of men, both their inſide and outſide, and the knowledge of this ſhould draw men to him, for, Chriſt gains ground on Nathaneel, by diſcovering how exactly he know him. 3. Albeit all who came of Jacob after the fleſh, were Iſraelites in the external Court, yet all that were ſo by viſible Covenant, were not ſuch inwardly, and in the inward Court of God; And Chriſt is a diſcerner both of the one and the other, who cannot be deceived; Therefore, ſaith he of Nathaneel Behold, an Iſraelite indeed, or truly, importing that many were not truly ſuch, or in the ſpirit. 4. The true mark of a true Iſraelite in the ſpirit, is, not perfection or ſinleſneſſe, but ſincerity, whereby men having gotten grace, and cloſed with Chriſt, and applied the vertue of his blood, are enabled to ſerve God from right principles, and for right ends; and are in ſo far purged from hypocriſie and diſſimulation, that it doth not reigne in them, but they love truth, and hate guile, they labour to be in reality and in ſecret, what they ſeem to others to be, they are jealous of the unſoundneſſe of their own hearts, and daily vexed with it; they ſet againſt all by ends in Religion, and aime at perfection in it; Thus was Nathaneel, an Iſraelite indeed, in whom is no guile, to wit, reigning or approven. 5. Albeit Chriſt be the Authour of every grace men have, yet he will not ſpare to commend it in them; and particularly, he is a notable commender of ſincerity, where he findeth it, and that ſo much the more as men are ſincere in a corrupt time; for, he commends Nathaneel, a ſincere man in that time. Behold an Iſraelite indeed, in whom is no guile. Men need not ſeek themſelves, for ſuch as are ſincere, Chriſt will commend them 6. The practical knowledge of Chriſt, and particularly, that he is a ſearche… of hearts, is ſuch as will ſtrike theſe who attain unto it, with admiration and wonder; for, ſaith Nathaneel, ſurprized with this encounter; Whence knoweſt thou me? as little dreaming how Chriſt could know him, and eſpecially his heart and inſide, ſeeing he had never ſeen him before. 7. Confuſed and ſurprizing thoughts concerning Chriſt, ought not to be reſted on, but the knowledge of him ought to be dived further into, till we get diſtinct ſatisfaction; for, Nathaneel doth not reſt here, but dives into the matter, Whence knoweſt thou me? that he might know whence this knowledge came, and how he ſhould be affected with it; and Chriſt anſwereth him, to give proof of his willingneſſe to ſatisfie modeſt enquiries. 8. Chriſts Omniſcience and perfect knowledge of all things, particularly, theſe things that concern his people; is ſuch, as when he hath diſcovered ſo much as may make men wonder, he hath yet more to diſcover if he pleaſe; for, Chriſt tells Nathaneel how he knew yet more of him, Before that Philip called thee, &c. A ſight of this did overcome David, Pſal. 139.1.— 6. 9. Chriſt hath an eye upon his people, before that any inſtrument deal with them, to draw them unto him, from whence it is that inſtruments fall upon them and are ſucceſſeful; for, Chriſt condeſcends particularly on this to Nathaneel before that Philip called thee, I ſaw thee. 10 Chriſts Omniſcience as God, and his Providence about all things, particularly, about his people, doth condeſcend to very meaneſt things, even poſtures of the body, circumſtances of time and place, and by this he would aſſure them of his taking notice of greater things that may concern them; for, ſaith he, Before that Philip called thee, when thou waſt under the fig-tree, I ſaw thee 11. As a ſincere heart, through Gods bleſſing, will eaſily receive ſatisfaction concerning Chriſt, and be gained to him; ſo the kindly fruit of ſuch a work, is, to beget an high eſtimation of Chriſt; for, Nathaneel is ſatiſfied, and his ſatisfaction brings out a faire confeſſion and commendation of Chriſt. 12. The more a ſoul know of Chriſt, it will not only eſteem him, but think and ſpeak the more reverently of him and to him; therefore doth Nathaneel call him Rabbi, which he did not before. 13. Chriſts All-ſeeing eye is an infallible proof of his Godhead, whereby he knoweth all things of himſelf, which every one would ſtudie who embrace and cloſe with him; for, whereas Philip had called him, the ſon of Joſeph, v. 45. Nathaneel is convinced of more from what he heard; Thou art the Son of God, and as ſuch a one cloſeth with him. 14. That which maketh Chriſts Godhead comfortable to his people, is that as Mediatour, and by vertue of his offices they have a peculiar intereſt in him; and particularly that he is a King unto them, who will employ his divine power to ſubject them to his Government, and to protect and defend them, therefore Nathaneel ſubjoyneth, Thou art the King of Iſrael. We need not enquire whether by Iſrael he underſtand the Nation of Iſrael only, being yet ignorant of the extent of Chriſts Kingdom, or all the Iſrael of God alſo, ſeeing the truth in that point is elſewhere ſufficiently cleare to us.