Exposition of John, Chapter 7 · Verse 24
Ver. 40. Many of the people therefore, when they heard this ſaying, ſaid, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
41. Others ſaid, This is the Chriſt. But ſome ſaid, Shall Chriſt come out of Galilee?
42. Hath not the Scripture ſaid, that Chriſt cometh of the ſeed of David, and out of the towne of Bethlehem, where David was?
43. So there was a diviſion among the people becauſe of him.
44 And ſome of them would have taken him, but no man laid hands on him.
In theſe verſes, we have the effects of this Sermon among the hearers, ſome are ſo affected with it, that they acknowledge him to be that great Prophet promiſed to Iſrael, Deut. 18.18. whom they underſtood to be another then the Meſſiah; Others do confeſſe him to be the Chriſt; but others oppoſe againſt that, that he (as they ſuppoſed came out of Galilee, whereas according to the Scriptures, the Meſſiah was to come out of Bethlehem; And upon this diverſitie of opinions, there ariſeth a ſchiſme and diviſion among them: But there are ſome ſo violent, that they will diſpute none but with their hands, and yet are impeded. Doctrine, 1. Chriſts doctrine will not want effects among hearers, but will either gain ground upon them, or put them to diſquiet, debate, and vexation. As here we ſee. 2. Schiſme and diviſion is an ordinary conſequent that followes upon the preaching of the Goſpel; Not through the Goſpels fault, but by reaſon of the divers tempers of men, unto whom it is preached; for, there was a diviſion among the people becauſe of him. 3. Diverſity of opinions in matters of Religion, is a mean and occaſion of diviſions and rentings among a people; for, it was upon their different apprehenſions concerning him, that this diviſion aroſe among the people. 4. Mens ignorance, or not right underſtanding or taking up of the truth, and one of another, may breed diviſion, whereas otherwiſe there would be an agreement; for, they who ſaid, of a truth this is the Prophet, and they who ſaid, this is the Chriſt, did in effect agree; for he is a Prophet, and that is one of his offices as Meſſiah, to be that great Prophet of whom Moſes ſpake, Deut. 18. And yet their own miſtakes, in conceiving that theſe two were different, bred a diviſion betwixt them. 5. Men may be much affected with Chriſt and his excellency, who yet come far ſhort of the truth of what is in him, and who do not come to him as a Saviour; for, when they are affected with him as a Prophet, yet they come far ſhort, and do not ſee him to be the Chriſt. 6. As for theſe who acknowledged him to be the Chriſt, we may either conceive that they did but ſee him to be ſo, but yet made no uſe of him; As indeed, the conviction of many doth produce but ſmall, or no effects: Or, that they were indeed ſincere, and yet no more mention is made of them; For the Lord ſeeth it ſitting, oft-times, to bury the memory of many of his dear children in ſilence, who yet are no leſſe honeſt then theſe who are more famous. Thus albeit the Lord did chooſe Matthias, Act. 1.23, 26. and that rather then Joſeph, whom it ſeems the Apoſtles preferred to him, and therefore mention him firſt; Yet it pleaſed him never to regiſtrate a word more of him. And by this he would teach, That to be famous, and in an account in the world, or noted among profeſſours, is not the great buſineſſe in Religion, nor that which the truely ſincere will make much account of. 7. Miſtakes and ignorance are a great impediment, to the ſucceſſe of the Goſpel; This appears not only in them who miſtooke the prediction concerning the Prophet, as if he were to be another then the Meſſiah; But in theſe alſo (either the ſame or other perſons) who being indeed acquainted with the Scriptures which make mention of Chriſts linage, and the place of his birth, are yet ignorant of the truth about Chriſts nativity, ſuppoſing that he was of Galilee, becauſe he was educate and reſided moſt there: Shall Chriſt come out of Galilee? Hath not the Scripture ſaid that Chriſt cometh of the ſeed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was, which indeed was true in it ſelfe, and true of Chriſt, Matth. 2.1. though they were ignorant and miſtook him. 8. Men are oft-times exceeding guilty in the matter of their own ignorance, becauſe they do ſo affect it, and do not ſearch for knowledge, but rather delight to have ſomewhat to cavil at; for, ſuch was their way here; as they knew from Scripture where Chriſt ſhould be borne, ſo they might eaſily have been cleared of their doubt, if they had enquired at himſelf, his mother, or diſciples, but they deſire to cavil and ſhew their wit againſt him, 9. There are ſome men ſo brutiſh in their violence againſt Chriſt, that his faireſt offers, and his reſpect among others, do but ſet them on edge againſt him; for, after this ſweet preaching, and after that ſome were affected, ſome of them would have taken him. 10. The Lord, in his wiſe providence, doth ſo order, that many who are very eager to wrong Chriſt and his followers, ſhall yet want power to do it; for, but no man laid hands on him, which followed not from any natural conſcience or reverence in them toward him, but from the overruling and reſtraining power of God.