Exposition of John, Chapter 5 · Verse 9
Verſe 19. Then anſwered Jeſus, and ſaid unto them, Verily, verily I ſay unto you, The Sonne can do nothing of himſelfe, but what he ſeeth the Father do: For what things ſoever he doeth, theſe alſo doeth the Sonne likewiſe.
Chriſt inſiſteth in his Apology, to the end of the Chapter, and cleareth and confirmeth that which offended them in his diſcourſe, of his equality and conjunction with the Father, which doth inferre the juſtifying of his work on the Sabbath. For this end, he produceth many inſtances and arguments of his equality, to ver. 31. and then produceth many witneſſes teſtifying concerning him, whereof he maketh uſe, in the reſt of the Chapter. What Chriſt here ſpeaks of himſelfe, is to be underſtood of his Godhead, for divine nature, though he mention his commiſſion to come into the world, ver. 23. and bis becoming man. ver. 27. to ſhew that as he is man and Mediatour, that the Majeſty of his Godhead might not deterre ſinners from coming to him; ſo his condeſcendence did take away none of his glory, nor his equality with the Father, as God.
In proving this equality. 1. He inſiſts in general to prove his conjunction in operation with the Father, which he had aſſerted, ver. 17. promiſing further and greater manifeſtations of it, ver. 19, 20. 2. He produceth particular inſtances of this conjunction and equality, to ver. 31. And namely. That he is equal with the Father in quickening the dead. ver. 21. in the matter of judgement and authority, ver. 22. in being the object of divine honour, ver. 23. in giving eternal life to beleevers on his word, ver. 24. in quickening dead ſouls by his word, ver. 25. in having a fountaine of life, ver. 26. (which may be cleared by his authority as Mediatour alſo, ver. 27.) and in his power to be ſhewed in the reſurrection and general judgement, ver. 28, 29. all which is ſummed up by way of concluſion, ver. 30.
In this verſe after a grave aſſeveration, we have two aſſertions; in the firſt (which is negative) is declared, that what the Sonne doth, he doth it from the Father, and doth nothing ſeparate or divided from him, and ſo ſheweth that he doth only what the Father doth, though there be a diſtinction and order of his working from the Father. In the ſecond, (which is poſitive, and a confirmation of the former) is declared, that the Sonne doth all that the Father doth, and the Father doth nothing without him; and withall, that there is an unity and equality of the working of the Father and Sonne, both in matter and manner. Whence learn. 1. As truth is not to be quit and forſaken becauſe of oppoſition, ſo truth will loſe nothing by oppoſition; but Chriſt will take occaſion thereby to clear it more, and make it ſhine the brighter; for, notwithſtanding their rage, he inſiſts to inculcate and clear this truth the more. 2. The myſteries of Religion, eſpecially concerning God, and Chriſt as God, and plurality of perſons in the unity of eſſence, ought to be ſpoken of, heard, and thought upon, with much gravity, reverence and ſobriety; Therefore, doth he begin this doctrine with a grave eſſeveration, verilie, verilie. 3. Chriſts equality and unity with the Father, is a truth hardly received or believed by the hearts of men, as being a myſtery above the reach of natural reaſon, and yet it is worthy to be received, for ſetting forth of his greatneſſe, and the dignity of his perſon; for grounding our faith in him; and, for aſſuring us of the certaine ſucceſſe of his undertakings; Therefore, alſo it is inculcate with a verelie, verelie. 4. In takeing up divine and ſupernatural myſteries, we are to ſubmit unto, and acquieſce in divine revelation, what ever carnal reaſon ſuggeſt to the contrary; ſo much alſo doth his confirming this truth, and obviating all objections, with his aſſeveration, teach us. 5. As the Father and Sonne are one in nature and eſſence, ſo are they undivided and inſeparable in operation and working, and the Sonne worketh only what the Father worketh; for, the Sonne can do nothing of himſelfe, (or ſeperate from the Father) but what the Father doth; and that he cannot work otherwiſe, but in conjunction with the Father, doth not argue any impotency in him, but his ſtrait union with the Father. 6. Albeit the Father and Sonne be one in eſſence and operation, yet are they diſtinct perſons, and there is an order of ſubſiſtence and operation to be obſerved betwixt the Father and the Sonne; So much are we taught, in that the one is the Sonne, the other; the Father, and ſo diſtinct each from other, and in that the Sonne doth nothing of himſelfe, which doth not ſeclude Chriſts own proper power as God, but holds out (beſide his conjunction with the Father) that in order of working, he worketh from the Father; And it is yet further confirmed, in that he doth what he ſeeth the Father do; Which ſeeing, (as that ſhewing alſo ver. 20.) though it be an expreſſion fitted to our capacity, and borrowed from among men, who ſhew their children their skill by acting and practiſing thereof before them, that they may imitate it; Yet it is not to be underſtood, as if Chriſts work were poſterior to the Fathers work, and done in imitation of his, as is after cleared: But it points out that unſpeakable communication, whereby the Father communicates unto the Sonne his nature, will, wiſdome and power, and ſo the Sonne in order of ſubſiſtence is from the Father; and points out alſo, that the Sonne knoweth the Fathers working, becauſe he works the ſame work with him, and from him. 7. The Sonne is not only joint with his Father in working, or execution of his purpoſes, but is upon all his counſels alſo, and perfectly underſtandeth all his purpoſes; So much alſo may be gathered from his ſeeing what the Father doth, and the Fathers ſhewing, ver. 20. importing that he is conſcious to all his Fathers counſel and working, as having the ſame wiſedome communicate from the Father to him. 8. Chriſts workes are not only like unto the Fathers, but the ſame in ſubſtance, as flowing from one and the ſame eſſence and power; for, what he doth, theſe things alſo doth the Sonne. 9. Chriſt, in working with the Father, acts not as an inſtrument ſubordinate, but as there is an unity in the work, ſo alſo in the manner of it, by the ſame power, wiſdome, liberty, authority, &c. the order of operation being obſerved; for, theſe things alſo doth the Son likewiſe, or, in like manner. 10. Chriſt is joint with the Father, not in one or ſome only of his workes, but in all that he doth, for, whatſoever things he doth, theſe doth the Sonne likewiſe. 11. It is comfortable to the Church to be much in ſtudying Chriſts excellency, to look on his working as the work of God, who can effectuate what he will, and that the works which he works, they are the works of the Father alſo, and to ſee him on all the Fathers counſels and undertakings; whereby beleevers may ſee nothing contrived from all eternity, or acted within time, but what he, who is their Head and Mediatour alſo, hath an hand in; So much may be gathered from this doctrine, whereby he ſets out his own glory for our uſe.