Exposition of John, Chapter 5 · Verse 18 – Verse 19
Verſe 28. Marvel not at this: for the houre is coming, in the which all that are in the graves, ſhall heare his voice.
29. And ſhall come forth, they that have done good, unto the reſurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the reſurrection of damnation.
Hitherto Chriſt hath given divers proofes of his Godhead and equality with the Father, and amongſt the reſt, one from his quickening of thoſe who are ſpiritually dead; and hath declared his ſupreme authority to abſolve and condemne, and to governe and judge all, as God incarnate. Now finding the Jewes but amazed and aſtoniſhed at this doctrine, he labours to put them from that, by producing a new proofe of his power and Godhead to be ſhewed in the reſurrection, by quickening the dead, raiſing them up, bringing them to judgement, and ſentencing them according to their works. And by this inſtance, he confirmeth what he ſaid of his power to quicken dead ſoules, by a proofe which they would think more marvellous; and holds out a particular evidence of that authority, ver. 27. wherein in his humane nature he ſhould ſo be viſible Judge, as yet his procedure ſhould prove him to be true God alſo. Doctrine 1. Chriſts glory hath but little roome and place in our narrow hearts, when it is ſet before us; and in his humanity and ſtate of humiliation, hardly will men give unto him the glory of his God-head; for they but marvelled at theſe things, as that which their hearts could not receive. 2. As it is commendable for men, when Chriſt manifeſts himſelfe and his glory in the Word, to cloſe with it by faith, and beleeving, to admire, and wonder at that infinite depth of excellency in him, which cannot be comprehended; So to misbeleeve and wonder, and be aſtoniſhed at what Chriſt ſaith, becauſe we cannot comprehend it by ſenſe or reaſon, is the great and ordinary ſinne of too many hearers; for, ſuch was the fruit of the Jewes hearing, reproved by Chriſt, marvel not at this. 3. Chriſts power for quickening and converting ſinners, and his having authority to execute judgement, ſhould not be thought ſtrange of, conſidering what he is, and that wonders are ordinary with him; Marvel not at this, ſaith he. Chriſt hath ſtill more and more proofes of his God-head to let forth, if need be, and the proofe of his God-head and power in the general reſurrection, may ſtay our hearts from diſtruſtful wondering at what he declareth of himſelfe; for, Chriſt refutes their wondering at what he had ſaid, by this new proofe. Not that the reſurrection of the body is a greater proofe of power in it ſelfe, then the quickening of a dead ſoul, wherein all the powers and faculties of man, are prone to reſiſt Gods operation, whereas mens dead bodies have an obediential ſubjection to his power; But this proofe of his power is more viſible and obvious to mens ſenſes then the other, and more difficulty appears in the work, to carnal reaſon, which takes not up the power of ſpiritual death, and thinkes it eaſie to work on a man having a reaſonable ſoul and bodily ear, then on dead bodies having no ſenſe nor underſtanding to hear his voice; And therefore Chriſt proveth the one by the other. 5. How impoſſible ſoever it ſeem to carnal reaſon, yet it is clear from the word, that there will be a reſurrection of the dead, that both godly and wicked may receive a full recompence according to their wayes; and that for this end, there ſhall be a reuniting of the ſoul to the body in the grave, to make them living perſons againe; for, they that are in the graves, ſhall hear his voice, which preſuppoſeth that their ſouls ſhall be united to their bodies in their graves. 6. Albeit the time of the reſurrection, and general judgement, be unknown to any, ſave to God only, Matth. 24.36. Yet it is certainly coming, and all are bound to minde that it is ſo; for, the hour is coming, in the which they ſhall hear his voyce, &c. See Jam. 5.9. 7. This reſurrection will be univerſal, of all, whether dead ſooner or latter, none of the godly will be l…ſt, but will meet in that general aſſembly, nor ſhall any of the wicked ſhift this day of compe…rance; for, all that are in the graves ſhall hear his voice, &c. Whereby we are not to ſeclude thoſe who ſha…l be changed, 1 Cor. 15.51. as if no notice ſhould be taken of them in that day, though they need not a reſurrection; Nor yet are we to ſeclude others, who never got a grave, but were torne, drowned, burnt, or devoured by wilde beaſts and monſters; for, all will be delivered up, Rev. 20.13. Only under this, as the moſt uſual courſe taken with dead bodies, all the dead are comprehended, and by this evidience of power on them who are rotten and reſolved to duſt in their graves, proof is given how eaſie it is for him to raiſe up all. 8. This univerſal reſurrection will be of the ſame bodies that lived on earth, and were laid in grave, which as his omnipotencie can effectuate, ſo his juſtice, purchaſe and promiſe requires, that the ſame body ſhould receive the reward of its wayes, and that he ſhould not loſe his purchaſe; for, they that are in the graves or, the ſame body that lived, and was laid there, being dead, ſhall hear his voice, ſee Job 19.25, 26, 27. 9. The mean employed in the reſurrection, is the voice of Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall deſcend with a ſhout, 1 Theſſ. 4.16. and with the ſound of a Trumpet, ſounded by Angels, and backed with his authority, Matth. 24.31. which not onelyonly thoſe who remaine and are alive, but thoſe who are dead ſhall hear all the world over, (their ſouls having now re-entred into their b…dies) and ſhall call them out, to the terror of the wicked, and comfort of the godly; for, all that are in the graves, ſhall hear his voice. 10. The ſouls of men being united to their bodies, and their bodies endowed with qualities ſutable to the eſtate for which they are appointed, ſhall at the call of Chriſt riſe out of their graves, and be brought before the judgment ſeat of Chriſt, the godly rejoycing to go meet their bridegroome, and the wicked forced to appear, who could wiſh that hills and mountains would cover them; for, they ſhall hear his voice, and ſhall come forth. 11. In the day of the reſurrection, and general judgment: there will be onelyonly two ſorts of perſons, good, or evil, and all the godly will be reckoned to have done good, how ſmall ſoever the degree of their goodneſſe hath beene, and how many faults ſoever they have had, if their courſe and way hath aimed at good; yea, the evil deeds of ſuch as ſincerely cloſe with Chriſt, if it were but at their death, ſhall be forgotten: And on the other hand, all the wicked ſhall be accounted evil-doers, how many ſoever moral vertues they have had, or albeit they have beene painted hypocrite; and that becauſe they have not made their peace through Jeſus Chriſt: for, there ſhall be onelyonly then, they that have done good, and they that have done evil. 12. Albeit there may be many miſtakes in this world, and the godly may be miſconſtructed and ſlandered, and the wicked and hypocrites may be cried up, and ſeeme to be very good; yet in the day of judgment, mens wayes will appear in their true colours, and their actions and wayes ſhall be clearly known to the Judge, who will diſtinguiſh and rank them accordingly on his right and left hand, for then it will be clear, who have done good, and who have done evil 13. According as men live in this world, and die and go out of it, accordingly will they be found in the reſurrection and judgment, without any change; for, in that day, men are reckoned according as they have done good or evil, to wit, in this life. 14. Albeit Chriſt will not reward men for their good works, as he puniſheth them for their wickedneſſe, in the generall judgment; Yet he will proceed in that day according as their works ſhall evidence their ſtate, that they have been beleevers in Chriſt, or living in the bond of iniquity, to puniſh them for the one, and to reward them of free grace, according to the other; Therefore, will it be taken notice of in that day, who have done good, and who have done evil, See Matthew 25.34, — 45. 15. Albeit the Lord ſee it fit, for wiſe reaſons, to let common lots befall the wicked and the godly, within time, and albeit the wicked may proſper in the world, when the godly, holding faſt their integrity, are in deep diſtreſſe; Yet in the reſurrection and general judgment, God will give a full and final recompence to men according to their wayes; for, the Godly ſhall be raiſed up, and brought to judgment, that they may be entered into the poſſeſſion of a bleſſed and eternal life, wherein they ſhall enjoy God and Chriſt, and the company of Saints and Angels, and ſing Hallelujahs for ever: And the wicked, to get the ſentence of condemnation paſſed by the Law and Goſpel, execute upon them; and to be in the pit, tormented with the Devil and his Angels for ever; And they ſhall be raiſed by vertue of that ſentence, and by the power of the Judge, to have it executed, and not by vertue of Chriſts life and reſurrection, and their head, 1 Cor. 15.23. for, they ſhall come forth, they that have done good, to the reſurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the reſurrection of damnation.
Verſe 30. I can of mine own ſelf do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is juſt, becauſe I ſeek not mine owne will, but the will of the Father which hath ſent me.
This verſe is a concluſion of this part of Chriſts Apology, for his curing of the man, and commanding him to carry his bed on the Sabbath day, and for his aſſerting his unity and equality with the Father: Wherein, from the former purpoſe, he ſummes up theſe concluſions. 1. That he is inſeparable from the Father in operation, as verſe 19. having no private power of his own, (as they conceived of him as a meere man;) but the ſame in eſſence, power, and operation with him. 2. That he is on all the Fathers counſels, and hath the power of adminiſtration of all things, communicate to him from the Father; which is pointed out under the name of hearing, as it is verſe 19. by ſeeing, to hold forth the ſpirituality of the way of communicating, and his infinite comprehenſion of all that is communicate, as hearing and ſeeing all. 3. That his government and adminiſtration is moſt juſt, as ſeeking no ſatisfaction to any will of his owne, contrary to, or diverſe from the Fathers, as he is God; And that he doth this not onelyonly as God ſimply, but as God now incarnate alſo, being the ſame ſtill with the Father, and acting in all things according to the will of God. And though as man he have a will diſtinct from his will as God, and ſo diverſe from the Fathers will, yet that did act in ſubordination to the will of God, Matth. 26.39. Whence learn, 1. The divinity of Chriſt is a truth, that may no wayes be quarrelled, and doth call for our ſecond and ſerious thoughts; Therefore doth he recapitulate his Apology, that this truth may be inculcate. 2. Such is the ſtrict conjunction, and perfect unity of the Father and the Sonne, that the Sonne neither doth, nor can do any thing, without the fellowſhip of the Father; So that in all his working, the Father is to be ſeen and taken up; for I can of mine own ſelf do nothing, ſaith he. 3. Chriſt, in the adminiſtration of all things, and executing of his purpoſes in this life, and at the day of judgment, is upon the Fathers counſel, acting from him; and all Chriſts adminiſtrations are upon counſel and concluſion taken betwixt the Father and the Sonne; for, ſaith he, as I hear, I judge. 4. Chriſts adminiſtrations and ſentences are all juſt and right, doing injury and violence to no man, nor ought they to be ſtumbled at by any; for, my judgment is juſt, ſaith he. 5. The reaſon of the juſtice of Chriſts judgment, is, becauſe it is agreeable to the will of the Father, with whom he is one, and whoſe will is the rule of juſtice, as being ſupreme and abſolute Lord; Which will Chriſt, being incarnate and God-man, did conforme himſelf unto, in all things; for, my judgment is juſt, becauſe I ſeek not mine own will, (nor have any will contrary to, or diverſe from his, as hath been explained) but the will of the Father, which hath ſent me.