Exposition of John, Chapter 5 · Verse 13
Verſe 23. That all men ſhould honour the Sonne, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Sonne, honoureth not the Father, which hath ſent him.
The end of this communication with the Sonne, (and a third proof of his equality with the Father) is, Ch…iſts participation in divine honour with the Father, which whoſoever deny to him, they deny it alſo to the Father. Whence learn, 1. There is an honour due to God onelyonly, and not to be given to any other; conſiſting in the admiring and publiſhing of his infinite excellencie and perfection; in ſubjecting our ſelves to him, with abſolute ſubmiſſion; and, in offering up religious worſhip and homage to him; Therefore doth Chriſt prove his equality with the Father, by partaking of the ſame honour with him. 2. Gods glory and the manifeſting thereof, is his ſupreme end in all his works in the world; which we ſhould ſet before us in all our wayes, and ſubmit in every diſpenſation whereby he is glorified; for he judgeth, and committeth judgement to the Sonne, That all men ſhould honour the Sonne, &c. See Prov. 16.4. John 12.28. 3. The glory of the excellencie of wiſdome, ſovereignty, alſufficiencie, power, and every other attribute, is due to God from men, in his adminiſtration of the world: And men ought rather to ſtudy matter of his praiſe, then of complaining and quarrelling, therein; for, it is the very end of his adminiſtration of all, by his Sonne, that all men ſhould honour the Sonne, &c. 4. Chriſt is equal with the Father in participating of divine honour; As he hath the ſame throne, and power of adminiſtration with him; ſo no leſſe glory is due to him, then is due to the Father; for, all men ſhould honour the Sonne, even as they honour the Father. See John 17.5. He is to have the ſame glory of beleeving in him, John 14.1. of love, fear, invocation, bowing of the knee, &c. with the Father. 5. As no man hath, or enjoyeth, or acknowledgeth the Father, but he who acknowledgeth the Sonne, and the Father in and through him, 1 John 2.23. So, however men do pretend to acknowledge one true God; yet, they cannot withdraw honour from the Sonne, but they deny it to the Father, who will not be honoured, but in and through the honouring of the Sonne; for, he that honoureth not the Sonne, honoureth not the Father. 6. Chriſt, as he is true God, equal with the Father, ſo he ſuſtaines the relation alſo of being the Fathers Ambaſſadour, ſent into the world, for the redemption of loſt man, by the exerciſe of his Mediatory office; for, ſo is imported here, that the Father hath ſent him. And this he takes delight to ſpeak of in the midſt of his divine glory, that the Jewes might not ſtumble at that condeſcendence, wherein he delighted ſo much. 7. Chriſts condeſcendence to come into the world as Mediator of ſinners, dimineſheth nothing of his divine glory, but in the ſame perſon he remains true God, to be equally honoured with the Father; for, though he be ſent, yet he is to be honoured, even as the Father. He is an Ambaſſadour whoſe honour ceaſeth by the preſence of the King, but remaineth equal with the Father, though in reſpect of that voluntary diſpenſation, as God-man, he is inferiour. 8. As the Father is honoured in and through the honour given to the Sonne, as God equal with him; So alſo is he honoured in his authority, by mens acknowledging of Chriſt, as ſent of him into the world; And whoever deſpiſe Chriſt, they offer injury unto God, in both theſe reſpects; ſo much alſo may we gather in that, he that honoureth not the Sonne, honoureth not the Father which hath ſent him.