Exposition of John, Chapter 7 · Verse 12 – Verse 13
Verſe 21. Jeſus anſwered, and ſaid unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
22. Moſes therefore gave unto you Circumciſion, (not becauſe it is of Moſes, but of the Fathers) and ye on the Sabbath day circumciſe a man.
23. If a man on the Sabbath day receive circumciſion, that the Law of Moſes ſhould not be broken, are ye angry at me, becauſe I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day?
Chriſt paſſeth over this calumny without a reply, and goeth on with his diſcourſe; Wherein he cleareth the multitude, what the quarrel was the Jewes had againſt him, and ſubjoyneth a ſecond reaſon for vindication thereof, taken from a parallel act approven by themſelves, The ſumme is, That however they marvelled at his deed, yet they had like practices among themſelves juſtified by the Law. For Moſes did give them a Law, received from the fathers, that Circumciſion ſhould be adminiſtred on the eighth day, and they did circumciſe on the Sabbath day, if it fell to be the eighth, without any ſcruple or violation of the Law; yea, in obedience to the Law. And therefore they had no cauſe to be angry at him becauſe he had healed a man both in ſoul and body on the Sabbath, The parallel here is not ſo much betwixt the perſon of Chriſt and Moſes, as betwixt the Ordinance enjoyned by Moſes, and practiſed by them, and Chriſts deed. For clearing whereof, Conſider, 1. The equality, or parallel, conſiſts in this, that, as Circumciſion was a work of piety, as being a Sacrament and Seal of the Covenant; So alſo it was a work of neceſſity, in reſpect of the precept, that the Law of Moſes might not be broken. And on the ſame grounds was Chriſts work to be juſtified, being a work of piety, to heal a mans ſoul, and a work of charity and neceſſity, to help a man who had been ſo long in diſtreſſe. We need not to inſiſt to enquire, why the Lord would have Circumciſion preciſely on the eighth day; whether, becauſe he would have the ſeventh day (which Phyſicians account a critical day) over, before this painful Sacrament were adminiſtred, but would have it delayed no longer; or, upon ſome other typical reaſon. It ſufficeth us, that Gods will is a ſufficient reaſon for his command. 2. There may alſo ſome diſparity be found betwixt theſe two, which pleads yet more ſtrongly for Chriſts practice, As, 1. In adminiſtring of Circumciſion, there was more pains and labour on the Sabbath, then in what he did, having with a word made the man whole. 2. Circumciſion, though an Ordinance of God, yet was painful, and for awhile hurtful to the body; He, on the contrary, healed him who had been long pained. 3. Albeit Circumciſion was a work of piety, becauſe it was a Seal of the righteouſneſſe which is by ſaith; yet many who received it, did not get their hearts circumciſed; And therefore his deed was much more a work of piety, having not onelyonly healed the mans body, but his ſoul alſo; for, ſo the parallel runs, and ſo theſe words are to be underſtood. I have made a man every whit whole, or, the whole man whole, and ſo appears in part from his adhering to Chriſts directions, when they are quarreled, chap. 5.10, 11. Doctrine 1. Chriſts followers ought to be deaf men to reproaches, and to carry themſelves modeſtly, when they meet with perſonal injuries and affronts; As here Chriſt by his practice doth teach, who never ſo much as owned their bitter reflection, verſe 20. 2. Men who are moſt wicked and lewd, may yet ſo far delude themſelves, or ſeek to deceive others, as they cannot look upon ſome ſuppoſed ills but with wonder and aſtoniſhment; for, theſe vile men did all marvel at this work of Chriſt, pretending to deteſt it as an horrid prophanation, When yet they were nothing affected with their own groſſe abuſes and violation of the Law. 3. It is great injuſtice, and want of charity, to ſtumble at one failing of a man (ſuppoſe it be real) who makes not an habit of it, but otherwiſe is blameleſſe; Therefore, ſaith he, I have done one work, and ye all marvel, wherein he not onelyonly oppoſeth his own work to their frequent circumciſing on the Sabbath, but ſheweth that it was a great teſtimony of his innocency, that they could object but that one work to him, and that it was great injuſtice to taxe him ſo hardly (though it had not been right,) ſeeing he had no cuſtome of ſuch tranſgreſſions. 4. The Lord, in his deep wiſdome, hath ſo contrived his Law, that albeit divers precepts concurring at one time, may ſeeme to croſſe one another; yet no man that is not under the power of an erring conſcience, (who, whatever way he turn him, doth either ſinne materially againſt the Law, or interpretatively againſt God, in going over the light of his conſcience:) will ever want a lawful out-gate, but may follow one command without violation of another: for, ſo doth Chriſts arguing teach; His inſtance of Circumciſion without prophanation of the Sabbath, and his arguing from thence to juſtifie his own practice, ſheweth, that theſe particular inſtances are grounded on a general rule, That in the concurrence of many ſeeming contrary precepts, it is the will of God, that one of them ſhould give place to the other for that time, and that without ſinne in him who doth ſo, Which may be branched out thus, 1. A general command gives way to a ſpecial precept, when both cannot be obſerved at one time; As here, the general command of ſanctifying the Sabbath, gives place to the command of Circumciſion on the eighth day, when that day fell to be the Sabbath. 2. The moral duties of the firſt Table take place of duties of the ſecond Table, when they come in competition; Though a man be bound to provide for his family, to love his friends, wife, and children; yet all theſe muſt give place to his love to God and his truth, and he muſt forſake all theſe, yea, and (in ſome reſpect) hate them, when they would hinder him in his duty to God. 3. Ceremonial duties and external performances of the firſt Table, do give place to moral duties of the ſecond Table; And therefore Chriſt frequently juſtifieth his own and his diſciples practices on the Sabbath, by ſhewing that God required mercy, and not ſacrifice. Doctrino 5. Albeit it be the will of God, that his people do ſanctifie the Sabbath, by ceaſing from their ordinary imployments, yet ſeveral works may be done thereupon, without violation thereof; for, Chriſts inſtancing of Circumciſion on the Sabbath, without breaking of the Law of Moſes, and of his own fact, ſheweth, that theſe inſtances are grounded on this general rule, That the doing of every work upon the Sabbath, is not a violation thereof. And particularly, 1. Works of piety are the very ſanctifying of the Sabbath; as here, to adminiſtrate a Sacrament, and do good to a mans ſoul, and the Prieſts were blameleſſe in killing and waſhing ſacrifices on that day, Matth. 12.5. And we under the Goſpel, ſhould go about our work with more delight on that day, in regard it is more ſpiritual and eaſie, then formerly. 2. Some works, albeit they be not works of piety, yet are lawful, in ſo far us they are neceſſary means of, and have a tendency unto works of piety: So were they allowed a Sabbath dayes journey to go to their ſolemne meetings and worſhip, and the pains that men take in needful apparelling and refreſhing of their bodies, and going to the publike places of worſhip are no violation of the Sabbath, if they be done with a Sabbath dayes heart. 3. Works of mercy and charity are alſo lawful on the Sabbath; as here, it was lawful to relieve a miſerable man, ſo alſo Luke 14.5. providing they be ſuch works indeed, not onelyonly in the intention of the worker, but ſuch as in their own nature are neceſſarily required for performance of merciemercy and charity. 4. Works of neceſſity may lawfully be done on the Sabbath, though they were ſervile employments; as here Circumciſion was, in reſpect of the command, and his healing of the man. See Luke 13.15. Yet that we abuſe not this, and violate the Sabbath under a pretext of neceſſity, We ought, 1. To diſtinguiſh betwixt a neceſſity that is inevitable, into which providence caſts us, and a neceſſity that is only contracted through our own former negligence; The firſt doth warrand us to work what we are neceſſitate to do, but the other doth involve us in guilt, whatever may be done upon it. 2. We are to diſtinguiſh betwixt a neceſſity that is onelyonly imminent, or poſſible, and feared that it may come, and a neceſſity that is incumbent and preſent. The former cannot warrand a man to work on the Sabbath, but the latter doth. A man muſt not gather in his cornes upon the Sabbath, becauſe he fears it may raine the next day, or a ſtood may come and carry it away, but a man may recover and preſerve his cornes on the Sabbath from being carried away with a preſent inundation. 3. We are to diſtinguiſh betwixt the ceaſing of gain, by the intermiſſion of a lawful calling on the Sabbath, and an emergent damage, by reaſon of ſome providential diſpenſations. The former doth not warrand working on the Sabbath day, but the latter doth. Albeit it be neceſſary that a man improve his means in a lawful calling, for the maintenance of his family; Yet it is not lawful for him to continue his trade and calling on the Sabbath, upon pretence that he will be a loſer by the intermiſſion thereof. But a man may lawfully recover his means from fire, water, or other accidents, on that day. Doctrine 6. Men who are poſſeſſed with ſelf-love, and with prejudice againſt others, will readily count that a fault in their neighbours, which yet is no fault, and will allow that in themſelves, which they condemne in others; for, ſo doth Chriſts reaſoning, from their practice to his deed, import, that they did theſe things as approven ſervice, as they were, and yet when he did the like, they were angry at him. And ſo doth he elſewhere plead from the example of David, and of their Prieſts, Matth. 12.3, 4, 5. 7. Whatever perſecutors of Chriſt and his people do pretend, yet the riſing glory of Chriſt, and of his truth, is the true cauſe of their ſpleene; Therefore, albeit they made a noiſe about the mans carrying of his bed on the Sabbath, Chaper 5. 10. yet he tels them the true cauſe is, I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day, and …o am glorified. 8. Chriſts pleading for this, as a work of piety, as the parallel beareth, and hath been ſhewed in the Expoſition, doth import that Chriſt did heal this mans ſoul as well as his body. And ſo it teacheth, 1. As men have ſoul diſeaſes, as well as bodily, whereof they ſhould be chiefly ſenſible, and which, till they be cured, men are never compleatly whole: So it may be an encouragement to go to Chriſt with outward troubles, that in ſeeking help to theſe, men may get that, and ſpiritual mercies alſo; for, ſo dealt he with this poor man, whoſe great care was onelyonly to be healed of his long infirmity. 2. It is a very dangerous condition, to be ſent to Chriſt with outward trouble, and yet not get ſome ſpiritual and ſaving benefit from him, with their deliverance, before they come away; for, it was Chriſts way when perſons were brought to him with outward troubles, to cure their ſouls before they came away. It ſaith much to the incurableneſſe of mens ſpiritual condition, when they are afflicted, and make ſome faſhion of coming to Chriſt with it; yea, and are delivered, and yet continue unrenewed. Doctrine 9. His pleading this as a work of charity and neceſſity, teacheth, That mercy and compaſſion in Chriſt will omit no occaſion of ſhewing it ſelf comfortable to the miſerable, and them that are in neceſſity; for, he will not intermit to help them when he ſeeth them, even albeit it be the Sabbath. And this will yet further appear, if we conſider that one might object, that there was no ſuch neceſſity, but the man who had endured that infirmity thirty eight years, might endure it yet one day; whereas Circumciſion in reſpect of the command, could not be omitted. But the anſwer is eaſie, that not only the duty of charity requireth that the miſerable be preſently helped; but, however the man might have endured it, yet Chriſts love and pity laid on the neceſſity, and could not forbear. And albeit the man might be hardened in his trouble, by reaſon of long continuance; yet Chriſts pitie is as tender towards him as if it had been the firſt day; yea, ſo much the more, as he had endured it ſo long, albeit in deep wiſdome he reſerved the cure for his own hand. This may help to correct the jealous thoughts of Gods people, who complain that they are forgotten under their long continued trials. 10. In declaring that Moſes gave them Circumciſion, Chriſt adds a correction, not becauſe it is of Moſes, but of the Fathers, (as indeed it was given to Abraham long before, Gen. 17.10.) Whereby, 1. He would put them in minde that there was a covenant and promiſe made, and ſeals annexed to it, long before the giving of the law by Moſes, that ſo they might gather, that the law, which came after, could not make the promiſe void, as it is argued, Gal. 3.17. 2. Becauſe they doated ſo much upon Moſes, ye…, and eyed him more then God, in the ordinances they receiveed by his Miniſtry; Therefore Chriſt puts him in his own roome, and ſheweth, that precious Ordinances were given to others as well as to him. It teacheth, That when eminent inſtruments are too much doated on, and idolized by men, it provokes the Lord to debaſe them, and to let it be ſeen that they are but his inſtruments; As here he doth with Moſes.
Verſe 24. Judge not according to the appearance; but judge righteous judgement.
Unto this argument Chriſt ſubjoines an inference or concluſion, that it was their duty to judge righteouſly of his work, and not to be led by appearances, ſuch as, looking on the one part, to Moſes his authority, and on the other, to his baſeneſſe, and ſo to condemne him; but ſhould compare the one fact with the other, and ſee how they aggreed, and rather ſee a divine power ſhining in his works, ſetting forth his glory, and juſtifying them, then ſtumble at his works, by judging him, according to outward appearance, to be a meere man. Doctrine 1. Chriſt and the friends of truth deſire nothing but righteous judgement, and will not be affraid to go to the bar with their enemies, if they can get juſtice and equity; for, he deſires that they judge righteous judgement. He had already examined his own way, and found it to be right, and therefore feared no trial, and ſo ſhould his people ſit upon their own aſſize. 2. Men are oft-times ſo blinded with viſible appearances and maskes, with paſſions, intereſts, and prejudices; that they ſee not through cauſes as they are in truth, but do judge of them according as they are repreſented in a falſe mirrour, either judging of a cauſe as it is masked with pretences, or loaden with prejudices, or according as they eſteeme of the perſon that owns it; Therefore it is requiſite they be warned, that they judge not according to the appearance, or, according to external appearance or the outward view they take of perſons. 3. Whoſoever do condemne what is right, becauſe of their prejudice againſt perſons, or out of reſpect to perſons, do juſtifie what is wrong; and who ſo do raſhlie judge of things, without conſidering all circumſtances, do deal unrighteouſly before God; for, ſo much is here condemned by Chriſt, judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement. See Deut. 1.16, 17.