Exposition of John, Chapter 7 · Verse 1
Ver. 1. AFter theſe things, Jeſus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jury, becauſe the Jewes ſought to kill him.
In this ver. it is ſhewed that after theſe things which are mentioned in the former Chap. Chriſt abode ſtill in Galilee, avoiding the fury of theſe in Judea, who ſought to ſlay him, becauſe of that work he had long ſince done, in curing the impotent man on the Sabbath day, Chap. 5. as appeares from ver. 19. and 23. of this Chap. So the ver. ſheweth the connexion of the Hiſtory, that Chriſt ſtayed away from that paſſover mentioned, Chap. 6. 4. and continued in Galilee till the feaſt of Tabernacles, of which ver. 2. And it contains alſo a briefe tranſition of what occurred betwixt the former Sermon and that feaſt, wherein John briefly paſſeth over many things, which are recorded at length by other Evangeliſts, that he may dwell on theſe things which they had omitted. Doctrine. 1. Chriſt is not bound to any place, were it never ſo eminent, but he may abandon it, and betake himſelfe to another, according as he ſeeth cauſe; for, he forſakes eminent Jury, and betakes himſelfe to baſe Galilee; And the reaſon why he ſtayed there when he left Jury, was, becauſe he was the Miniſter of the Circumciſion, and therefore behooved to be ſtill in ſome of the places where Iſrael dwelt, ſuch as Galilee was. 2. Whatever may be the ſuſpitions of men concerning Chriſts proceedings; yet he hath wiſe reaſons, which may and will juſtifie them all; for, whereas it ſhould ſeeme that he ſhould rather have converſed where the learned Rabbi's were, then among the ſimple Galileans, and his remaining in corners might give men occaſion to ſuſpect the candor of his proceedings; yet the reaſon he giveth being conſidered, doth ſufficiently evince that he had juſt cauſe for what he did. 3. A violent death is the leaſt that Chriſt and his faithful ſervants may expect, for their good offices to a wicked world, if it were not prevented; for, the Jewes (or, men of Judea, and eſpecially their Rulers) ſought to kill him. 4. The rancour and malice of wicked men againſt Chriſt, is ſo inveterate, that no length of time will mitigate or allay their fury; for, although that work was long ſince done, yet they ſtill ſought to kill him. 5. Albeit Chriſt will not take away his preſence and ordinances from a people, becauſe of every ſinne, but doth rather offer himſelfe to ſinners, as a Phyſician to the diſeaſed; Yet cruelty and perſecution is a juſt cauſe, and forerunner of his departure: And faithful Miniſters may for a time, withdraw themſelves, being threatned with perſonal hazard, if they may conveniently get it done. Both theſe are imported in this reſolution, he would not walk in Jury, becauſe the Jews ſought to kill him. 6. Albeit Chriſts ſervants may warrantably, in ſome caſes, withdraw from perſonal danger; yet they would beware of diſhonouring God, by doing it out of ſlaviſh feare, or in a timerous way, but would uſe that mean of ſelfe preſervation, as a dutie commanded; for, ſo much doth his own practice teach, of whom it is not ſaid, he durſt not, but he would not walk in Jury, becauſe he was cammanded to preſerve himſelfe till his hour came. 7. Albeit Chriſt knew that his hour was not come, and ſo needed not feare them, though he were in the midſt of them; yea, being God, he could reſtrain them, or rid himſelfe out of all their hands, as oft-times he did: Yet it pleaſed him to uſe this mean, of retirement and withdrawing of himſelfe, for his own preſervation; Not only, that, as ſometime he proved himſelfe God, by miraculous preſerving of himſelfe; ſo, he might alſo temper theſe manifeſtations, that they might not be kept back from doing that which he came into the world to ſuffer; But further alſo; that he might give proofe of his deep humiliation and abaſement, for our ſake; that he might, in his own perſon, ſanctifie ſuch a lot to his people; and, that he might teach them to expect Gods providence about them, for their preſervation, in the uſe of lawful means. 8. As Chriſt and his ſervants will not want employment in ſome places of the world, however they be entreated in others; So albeit they may be ſecluded from many places and parts of their calling, yet they have no warrant to be idle, but ought ſtill to be doing good, as they may; Therefore, albeit he ſtayed in Galilee, yet he did not lurk there, but walked in Galilee, or, went about from place to place, preaching and working miracles, as was his way, Act. 10.38. 9. Chriſt is not only tender to ſuch as come to him, but will alſo be at pains to ſeek them who have need of him, to do them good; for, he walked in Galilee, he ſtayed not in one place, that any who had need, might come to him, but he walked about, to ſeek them.