Exposition of John, Chapter 5 · Verse 10 – Verse 12
Verſe 20. For the Father loveth the Sonne, and ſheweth him all things that himſelfe doth: and he will ſhew him greater workes then theſe, that ye may marvaile.
This unity, and equality in operation, betwixt the Father and the Sonne, is againe repeated, confirmed and amplified, from ſeveral conſiderations. 1. That this unity floweth from, and is conjoined with the Fathers ſpecial love to the Sonne. 2. That this communication, of counſell, and power in operation, is univerſal, as he communicates his whole eſſence, and 3. He promiſeth more ample proofes of this equality, then they had ſeen in the late cure, though they ſhould make but little good uſe of it. This promiſe, of more ample proofes of his equality with the Father, though it be verified in all the following inſtances, to which this is a tranſition; Yet as to them, it is to be underſtood ſpecially of his great miracles wrought afterward, of, opening the eyes of the blind, raiſing the dead, &c. Whence learn. 1. There is true love betwixt the Father and the Sonne, accompanying their communion in eſſence and operation; And Chriſt is beloved of the Father, in a ſpecial manner, not only as Mediator and man, by vertue of the perſonal union, but as God, he is the object of his eternal love, as being the ſubſtantial image of himſelfe, and the ſplendor and brightneſſe of his glory; for, the Father loveth the Sonne, and ſheweth him, &c. See Prov. 8.30. And it teacheth us to tryſt with the Fathers love, by coming to the Sonne, to be aſſured of it in him; and as Chriſt is beloved, and therefore gets the Fathers counſels, ſo by ſtudying to be beloved of God, we are ſure to get his minde and ſecrets, in ſo far as is for our good, Joh. 15.15. 2. As the Father and the Sonne are alſufficiently bleſſed in themſelves with the holy Spirit, loving and delighting in one another, without needing of the creature: So it commends Gods love to ſinners, that he would ſend the beloved Sonne of his boſome to them, and Chriſts love, who would come out of the Fathers boſome, who would have his delights among the ſonnes of men alſo, and would purchaſe to himſelfe love, and an object of love from among them; And it ſhould teach all to love him who is the Fathers beloved, and in whom others are beloved: So much further may be gathered from this, the Father loveth the Sonne. 3. Gods love is communicative, and will manifeſt it ſelfe in effects, according to the capacity of the party beloved; ſo much appeareth in that unſpeakable love of the Father to the Sonne, the Father loveth the Sonne, and ſheweth him all things, &c. or, communicateth his nature, wiſdom, and power for operation with him; which is expreſſed in termes taken from among men, becauſe of our weakneſſe, and ought to be ſpiritually taken up, and not carnally conceived of; And therefore alſo theſe termes of the Fathers ſhewing, and the Sonnes ſeeing, are made uſe of, to prevent all carnal and groſſe conceptions of this inexpreſſible communication from the Father, and participation by the Sonne. 4. Chriſt, as he is, and knoweth, and worketh from the Father, ſo he is not poſterior, but coeternal with him in his nature and attributes, and worketh in the ſame time with him; for, he ſheweth him, not what he hath done, but what he doth, as being joynt with him in counſel and working, and at all times, and conſequently, in his being alſo. 5. It is a point to be much and often ſtudied, that the glory not onelyonly of the Father, but of Chriſt, as God, ſhineth in all the Fathers works, that ſo we may adore the infinite glory of our Head, and may ſee him in all that is done in the world; Therefore, is it again inculcate, that the Father ſheweth him all things that himſelf doth. 6 Chriſts omnipotency, working from the Father, is infinite, and when great things are done by him, it cometh farre ſhort of what omnipotencie can do, and will do as need requires; for, he will ſhew him, (or communicate with him in, and he, from the Father, will work before your eyes) greater things then theſe. 7. Albeit Chriſts works do ſpeak his praiſe, and his own will get good of them, and glorifie him for them; Yet moſt part of men (and eſpecially hardened enemies) will reap no ſaving benefit by them; Chriſt may convince them of his glory in his works, may daſh their unbelief, and make them wonder; but they go no further then ſtupid aſtoniſhment; for; he will ſhew him greater works, that ye may marvel. He ſpeaks of their wondring, as the Fathers end, and his, in theſe works, as to them, becauſe it is indeed his glory to convince them ſo farre, and put them to ſilence; and withal, it is his righteous judgment, to give them up, to reap no more fruit by his working.
Verſe 21. For as the Father raiſeth up the dead, and quickeneth them: even ſo the Sonne quickeneth whom he will.
Chriſt produceth ſeveral inſtances and proofs of his conjunction and equality with the Father, which are greater then that of the cure wrought on the man. Whereof the firſt is the quickening of the dead, and raiſing them up, wherein he worketh as the Father worketh; Not that he quickeneth ſome and the Father others, but that he is joynt with the Father in theſe works, and equal with him in doing them, working even ſo, as the Father worketh them; not as an inſtrument, but whom he will, that is, as a principal agent, by the ſame authority, and abſolute freedome of will, with the Father. This quickening and raiſing may very ſafely be underſtood both of quickening theſe who are dead in ſinne, and of raiſing up of all at the laſt day, of both which he ſpeaks more diſtinctly, verſe 25, 28. not excluding alſo his miraculous quickening and raiſing up of particular perſons, (ſuch as Lazarus, &c.) as a proof of what he had foretold to the Jewes, verſe 20. Nor is this conjunction of the Father and Sonne in this work to be underſtood, as excluding the Holy Ghoſt, who works from the Father and the Sonne, in this operation, Rom. 8.11. 1 Cor. 12.10, 11. But Chriſt here ſpeaks to the preſent point in controverſie, which the Jewes denied, Doctrine 1. Quickening and raiſing of the dead, whether bodily or ſpiritually, is an act of omnipotencie, and proper to God onelyonly; Therefore doth Chriſt ſet it out as his Fathers prerogative, and his, as equal with him, to raiſe up the dead and quicken them. See Deut. 32.39. 1 Sam. 2.6. Pſal. 68.20. 2. As Chriſts power to quicken the dead, is a proof of his equality with the Father, and ſheweth the infiniteneſſe of the power communicated from the Father to him: So this proof of his Godhead, and of the Fathers alſo, doth give to them who come to God through him, ſufficient ground of confidence in leſſer difficulties; may eſtabliſh their hearts, when nothing but omnipotencie can effectuate what they need, and is promiſed to them; and, may give theſe who have found his quickening vertue, confidence in coming to him, to recover their decayed ſpiritual condition: ſo much may faith gather from this, as the Father raiſeth up the dead, and quickeneth them, ſo the Sonne quickeneth. See Rom. 4.17 3. Chriſt in his working, is abſolute, ſovereigne and independent, as the Father is, for, he quickeneth whom he will, and hath the diſpenſation of his power abſolutely in his own hand: Which as it is verified in ſpiritual renovation, and in miraculous raiſing up of ſome, ſo in all his actions, to deny him abſolute ſovereignty to work as he pleaſeth, is to deny him to be God, Pſal. 115.3. Though his people have this comfort, that what is his will, is their will.
Verſe 22. For the Father judgeth no man: but hath committed all judgement unto the Sonne.
A ſecond inſtance of this equality, (which is alſo a proof of the Sonnes abſolute power and Sovereignty, in quickning the dead, whom he will, verſe 21.) is, the judging of all things, communicate to him from the Father, who judges none without him, but by him. By judgement, we are to underſtand, an abſolute dominion and ſoverignty over men, and all the creatures. In the firſt part of the verſe indeed, it is reſtricted to men, and holds out Gods dominion and divine authority in abſolving or condemning them, in adjudging them to live or die, as a confirmation of what was ſaid, verſe 21. But in the ſecond part of the verſe it is to be taken more largely, for the government and adminiſtration of all things in heaven and earth; and ſo it is a confirmation of the former part, importing, that the Father doth not any particular act of government without the Sonne, becauſe he hath committed the adminiſtration of all acts of government to the Sonne, by whom, as God, he executeth them; beſide that he hath given to him dominion over all things as Mediatour, for the Churches behoof, of which elſewhere, Matth. 11.27 and 28.18. And while he ſaith, the Father judgeth no man, it is ſpoken according to the Jewes conception, who did ſeparate him from the Father, and the meaning is not, that the Father hath ſo given up the government of all to the Sonne, as to diveſt himſelf of it, for that is contrary to verſe 17, 19, 20, 21. and multitudes of Scriptures: But that he doth not judge any alone, or ſeparate from the Sonne, but in and by him; and ſo the Sonne alſo doth not judge his alone, verſe 30. for the Father doth ſo communicate all to the Son, as yet he hath all. Doctrine 1. There is a dominion and ſovereignty exerciſed in the world, and over men and all creatures therein, whereby they are not left to their own arbitriments, or to uncertain contingencie, but are under the government of a ſupreme providence; for, ſo is imported, that there is a judging of men, and all judgement. 2. It is the prerogative of God onelyonly to be ſovereigne Judge and Governour of the world, who having created men and all things, may diſpoſe of them at his pleaſure; who is every where preſent in heaven and earth to governe all things; whoſe omniſcience taketh up all things, even the ſecrets of hearts; whoſe providence extendeth to all; and, whoſe power is infinite, to execute the pleaſure of his will; for, ſo is here held out, as a proof of Chriſts equality with the Father, that he hath all judgement from the Father. 3. Chriſt, as God, hath the government of the world communicated to him from the Father; he hath power of life and death, of abſolution and condemnation, and the adminiſtration of all things in his hand: So that we are to look on nothing in the world, as done by the Father alone, or ſeparate from the Sonne; but that all is done by him, who is alſo the Churches Head, for, ſo much are we taught, in that the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed, (or, given) all judgement to the Sonne, as is before explained. Which giving, on the Fathers part, and receiving by Chriſt, is not out of his indigencie, or to ſupply his defects (which is an imperfection, Acts 20, 35.) but it is given and received by communication and participation of the ſame eſſence.