Exposition of John, Chapter 5 · Verse 26 – Verse 27
Verſe 37. And the Father himſelfe which hath ſent me, hath borne witneſſe of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor ſeen his ſhape.
38. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath ſent, him ye beleeve not.
The third particular teſtimony, is that of the Father, which is neither to be underſtood of that in the Scriptures, of which verſe 39. nor yet of any internal revelation of Chriſt, as Matth. 16.17. But of his immediate teſtimony to Chriſt; that as he had deſcribed him of old to be ſuch a one as he was found, Iſa. 42.1, 2, &c. and chap. 53. Zech. 9.9, &c. and elſewhere; ſo he had given him an immediate teſtimony at his Baptiſme, Matth. 3.17. as afterward in his transfiguration, Matth. 17.5. of which 2 Pet. 1.17. That which is ſubjoyned in the end of verſe 37. may be looked on, as pointing at the unuſualneſſe of ſuch a manifeſtation of God, they never having heard a voice from heaven in their time, nor ſeene any viſible ſigne, (not to repreſent Gods eſſence, but to aſſure them of his preſence,) but when God owned Chriſt by a voice from heaven, and when the likeneſſe of a D…ve, was the ſigne of the ſpirits coming on him; and therefore this teſtimony was the more to be regarded. But the following verſe, and Chriſts way of ſubjoyning reproofs to his teſtimonies, leads us rather to underſtand it, as a reproof of their ignorance of the Father, of whom they glorified ſo much; For, whereas they were much puffed up, and might readily oppoſe this unto that immediate teſtimony given unto Chriſt, that they were the people, whoſe fathers had heard the voice of God, Exod. 20.18, 19, 22. Deut. 4.12. and with whoſe Prophet Moſes, God had ſpoken familiarly, and given him a very neare manifeſtation of himſelf, Num. 12.8. (not in a bodily way, Deut. 4.12. but ſpiritual and intellectual of his back-parts, Exod. 34.6.) Chriſt ſheweth them, that all this was nothing to them, they neither had, nor looked like any ſuch manifeſtations, but were deaf and blinde to them, verſe 37. And whereas they might object, that though ſuch manifeſtations were gone, yet they had the Word, which was delivered by the Miniſtry of Moſes, to their fathers, and in them, to their ſucceſſors and children: Chriſt anſwers, that it had not its due place with them, ſince they beleeved not in him, verſe 38. Doctrine 1. God is ſo faithful to them whom he employes in his work, that they ſhall not want his teſtimony and approbation; to beare them out againſt all oppoſition and contradiction of men; Of this, his carriage toward his Sonne, is a ſpecial inſtance, and a pledge to his own, of what they may expect in their own meaſure: the Father which hath ſent me, hath borne witneſſe of me. 2. The Fathers immediate teſtimony of Chriſt, is eſpecially to be taken notice of, as being a witneſſe above all doubt, 1 John 5.9, 10. and ſhewing that Chriſt is famous and excellent in heaven, whatever eſteeme men have of him on earth; Therefore, that the Father himſelf, hath borne witneſſe of him, is ſuperadded as greater then the teſtimony of his works, which yet was a greater witneſſe then that of John, verſe 36. And indeed, the preſence of the glorious Trinity made that witneſſe moſt ſolemne, and the opening of heaven, ſhewed that, through him, heaven was propitious to ſinners on earth. 3. Men may be ready to delude themſelves, becauſe of great things of God manifeſted to the Church and Nation whereof they are, and to their progenitors, who yet themſelves come farre ſhort, and are nothing like theſe things; for, ſo did the Jewes upon what Moſes and their fathers had found, when yet ſaith he, ye have neither heard his voice at any time, not ſeen his ſhape, that is, not onelyonly had they none of theſe extraordinary manifeſtations, which are not uſual in declining times, but they had not knowledge of God like to that, which may be attained; which is a clear, ſolid and ſatisfactory knowledge of God, as of one whom we know by ſeeing and hearing. This they wanted, and ſo proved that they were not Moſes diſciples, nor looked like that people whoſe progenitors had ſeene ſo much of God 4. The Word of God is ſufficiently able to compenſe and make up the want of any extraordinary manifeſtation; for, ſo is implyed here in that which Chriſt meets with, that they had the Word from their progenitors, to make up the want of thoſe manifeſtations; Which Chriſt doth not refute, ſeeing the Word is the ordinary and ſure way for attaining the knowledge of God, See 2 Pet. 1.17, 18, 19. 5. It is not enough to prove men to be in a good eſtate, that they have the Word, unleſſe by faith it get acceſſe into the heart, and it be faſtened and kept there, as a treaſure, and as ſeed to bring forth fruit; And this may be wanting in them who pretend to much eſtimation of the Word; for, ſo ſaith Chriſt unto the Jewes, ye have not his Word abiding in you, it muſt be an engraffed Word, where it doth any good, James 1.21. 6. Where Chriſt is not beleeved in, and received as ſent of the Father, there the Word is not rooted, nor is there any ſaving knowledge of it: And particularly, the Jewes who did not, or yet do not receive Chriſt now exhibited under the New Teſtament, nor are led by the Old Teſtament to him, they have not one word ſavingly of it; for, this is the reaſon of the former chalenge, for whom he hath ſent, him ye believe not.
Verſe 39. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which teſtifie of me.
The fourth particular witneſſe is that of the Scriptures, which (by occaſion of the former chalenge) he exhorts them to ſearch into, as being high in their eſtimation, and that deſervedly, and as bearing witneſſe unto him. Whence learn, 1. The Lord, in deep wiſdome and love, hath prevented all occaſion of deluſion, and hath made his peoples way clear and ſure, by ſetting down his minde in holy Writ, which is his infallible Word, and the rule for finding out truth, and deciding all controverſies in Religion; Therefore, doth Chriſt remit them to the Scriptures, or written word, as to Gods rule in this controverſie. 2. The way of ſalvation, and all things needful for attaining there; of, are fully revealed in Scripture, and was held forth even in the Old Teſtament, much more now both in Old and New; for, ſaith he, in them ye think ye have eternal life, which was a true thought; as to the Scriptures pointing out of the way, though they might be deluded in their application as to themſelves, or thinking to be ſaved by the having or reading of it. See 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. 3. Albeit the Scriptures be plaine and clear in all things neceſſary to ſalvation, and the entrance thereof give light, Pſal. 119.130. Yet they are a depth not ſoone comprehended, or by ſuperficial ſearch, but are a treaſure in a Mine, to be found out, by digging and painful pondering of every word and ſentence, (none whereof are expreſſed in vaine, or at randome, but all divine) by conſidering of the ſcope and dependance, and comparing Scripture with Scripture, and humble and ſingle dependance upon God; for, he recommends the Scriptures to be ſearched. 4. This treaſure will be found out by the painful ſearcher, and it is the common duty of all the viſible Church to read and ſearch into the Scriptures, that they may finde it; Therefore doth he enjoyne this ſearch, as a thing poſſible, and enjoyneth it to the Jewes in common, who were his hearers at this time, ſee Acts 17.11. 5. As men, yea, and a viſible Church may be very corrupt, and yet pretend to eſtimation of the Scriptures, and allow people the uſe thereof, And may be oppoſing Chriſt, and yet dreame of ſalvation by the Scriptures: (for, both theſe are true of the Jewes here) So men who profeſſe hope of ſalvation that way, ought to prove the reality of it, by their being much in the ſtudy of the Scripture…, that they be not deluded in their hope, and may feed on it, and finde the comfort of what they ſolidly gather from it; for, Chriſt makes uſe of their granted principle to preſſe this ſearch: Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think to have eternal life. 6. The ſcope of the Scriptures, and particularly, of the old Teſtament, is, to point out and beare witneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt, of his perſon, natures, and offices, of his birth, life, death, ſufferings, and the glory that ſhould follow, and of the benefits that come through him: And it ſhould be our aime in ſearching of the Scriptures, to finde out Chriſt in them, and what they witneſſe of him; without which our ſtudy is to little purpoſe; Search the Scriptures, ſaith he, and they are they which teſtifie of me. See Acts 3.22, 23, 24.