Exposition of John, Chapter 7 · Verse 27 – Verse 28
Ver. 50. Nicodemus ſaith unto them, (He that came to Jeſus by night, being one of them.)
51. Doth our Law judge any man before it heare him, and know what he doth?
While they are thinking to reclaime their Officers, a new confuſion ariſeth among them, and they are refuted in their proud brag concerning the unanimitie of their Rulers, by Gods ſtirring up of Nicodemus, who though he do not yet openly avow Chriſt, yet he pleads that he might have fair juſtice, and that they who taxe the people of ignorance of the Law, would not manifeſt their own ignorance, in condemning him unheard, and before they examined narrowly what he had done. Whence learn, 1. Chriſt, when he pleaſeth, can give perſecutors more work then they can overtake, and raiſe up ſo many witneſſes for himſelfe, that they will hardly know how to refute them all; for, before they have done with the officers, Nicodemus gives a new teſtimony. 2. God can turn perſecutors looſe, even where they think they are ſureſt, and raiſe difference of judgement, even where they bleſſe themſelves in their unitie; for, they uſe it as a ſtrong argument to their followers, ver. 48. that the Rulers are all againſt Chriſt, and now they are refuted by Nicodemus a Ruler. 3. Such as are but infirme and weak, may yet get courage in a time of need, to ſpeak for Chriſt; And albeit true faith may lie long lurking, when it is beſet with the centation of a great place; Yet Chriſt can draw it out when he needs it; for, Nicodemus, who came to Jeſus by night, (Chap. 3. 1, 2.) dare now ſay ſome-what in Council for him; and albeit yet he do not openly avow him, but only pleads for that which is due to the greateſt malefactour; yet it is taken by them as a teſtimony to Chriſt, and afterward we will finde him appear better. Chriſt will not want witneſſes, ſo long as there is a timorous Nicodemus, a politick Gamaliel, yea, or an Ethnick Pilate, to employ. 4. Albeit the hazard of ill company be but too diſcernably, in many who converſe with them; and albeit where the Lord gives a calling, the overcoming of that one difficulty of departing from reſpect and accommodations, would prevent many tentations that follow on ſtaying; Yet it is not the will of God, that men abandon a lawful ſtation, becauſe of the corruptneſſe of theſe who are employed with them in it; Nor yet that they ſhould quit their ſtation in a Church judica…ry, ſo long as that Church hath not received a bill of divorce, and the judicatory is in it ſelfe Gods ordinance, and the members, ſuch officers as are warranted by the word to be there, and not of mens deviſing, however they be corrupt; Therefore, it is marked of Nicodemus, without any blemiſh, that he was one of them, and now in Council with them. For this Council was Gods ancient Ordinance, and the Church of the Jewes was yet a true Church, and the Rulers, how corrupt ſoever, were men in lawful Eccleſiaſtical office. And elſewhere, it is not beleeving Rulers fault, that they were Rulers, but that they wronged Chriſt by their ſilence in their ſtation. See Joh. 12.42. 5. It is the lot of Chriſt and his followers, to meet with much partiality and foule play in the world, ſo that they will not be allowed the faire juſtice that is not denyed even to malefactours; for, ſo doth Nicodemus his Apology import, that they would judge him before they hear him, and know what he doth, which is not only contrary to the Word, but to all equity in any procedure, which requireth that Judges ſhould hear parties, and be clearly ſatisfied in matter of fact, before they proceed to ſentence. See Exod. 23.1. Lev. 19.15. Deut. 17.4. 6. Men may very readily fall in that fault which they will ſoon diſcerne in others; And they who taxe others of ignorance, may give proofe of much ignorance themſelves; eſpecially when they are blinded with paſſion; for, whereas they condemned the people as ignorant, ver. 49. Nicodemus findeth their practice leſſe aggreeable to the law, doth our law (given to us the Jewes, and of the knowledge whereof we the Rulers do glory) judge a man before it hear him, &c?
Verſe 52. They anſwered, and ſaid unto him, Art thou alſo of Galilee? Search and look: for out of Galilee ariſeth no Prophet.
53. And every man went unto his own houſe.
Followeth their reply to Nicodemus, with the concluſion of their whole conſultation. Albeit Nicodemus ſpake but very little, and that which might have been ſaid for any delinquent, yet he meeteth with as hard a rub as if he had ſaid more. They do upbraid him with Galilee, and do aſſert that they are ſo ſure that Chriſt, who came (as they ſuppoſed) out of Galilee, is not ſo much as a Prophet, that if he were alſo of Galilee, they would reſpect him the leſſe. And therefore they bid ſearch and look, not ſo much if Nicodemus were a Galilean, as if he could produce any record, teſtifying that ever a Prophet had riſen out of Galilee. Yet it is remarkable, that however they were thus more and more enraged, yet they ſcatter without any concluſion againſt Chriſt. Whence learn. 1. Perſecutors are ſo furious, that if a man ſpeak but mildly and equitably in Chriſts cauſe, and do not oppoſe him as furiouſly as themſelves, they will be ſure to account him an enemy; for, ſo do they deal with Nicodemus, who ſpake nothing but what juſtice requireth, even though the party pleaded for deſerved to be condemned. 2. It is a token of fury in men, and of their rage againſt Chriſt, that when any plead for him, they are not anſwered in reaſon, but their perſons are reflected on; for, ſo do they anſwer Nicodemus his rational exception, Art thou alſo of Galilee? 3. It is alſo the way of perſecutors, to bear down truth, by making falſe and untrue grounds paſſe for currant; for, ſuch are their reaſonings here, Search and look, for out of Galilee ariſeth no Prophet. Where they lay down two falſe principles; one was, that Chriſt came out of Galilee, whereas indeed he was born in Bethlehem; and the other was, that ſuppoſe it had been true that no Prophet had hitherto ariſen out of Galilee; yet it would not follow that none ſhould ever ariſe out of it. 4. It is very great injuſtice, to rub reproaches upon whole provinces of people within the viſible Church, and particularly, to account of them as ſecluded from the participation of the gifts of Gods grace, which are freely beſtowed according to his pleaſure; for, herein they ſaile, not only that they reproach the whole province of Galilee, (a practice like to which did once breed great trouble, Judg. 12.4.) but that they would ſeclude all of them from being ever capable of that gift of prophecy. 5. There is no council nor underſtanding againſt Chriſt, but when he pleaſeth, he can diſſipate all of it; for, here, every man went to his own houſe, without doing any thing. And albeit he take not alwayes this mean of making their councils diſſolve without concluſion; yet we may be certain that if they get permiſſion to conclude, yet they ſhall never get their concluſions, put in execution; or if they do execute them, yet they ſhall be far from the end which they propoſe to themſelves to attain thereby, which is, the ſubverſion of Chriſt, his Kingdome, and truth. 6. When God hath the conſpiracies of men againſt Chriſt to diſſipate, he needs not many probable means to effectuate it, but can cauſe the ſpeaking of one word ſerve the turne, to break the ſnare; for, upon Nicodemus word, this followeth, every man went to his own houſe.
CHAP. VIII.
IN this Chapter John continueth the Narration of Chriſts proceedings and doctrine at Jeruſalem, after the feaſt of Tabernacles. And in it we have, 1. The history concerning the woman taken in adultery; & Chriſts proceeding with thoſe that brought her to him, and with her ſelfe; to ver. 12. 2 Chriſts preaching and offer to the Jewes, ver. 12. with his juſtifying of his own teſtimony againſt them who contradicted it, ver. 13.—20. His threatning of them with his departure, and that they ſhall be forced to ſee his glory, ver. 21.—29. His preaching to them who beleeved on him, ver. 30, 31, 32. His refuting of the Jewes, who boaſted of their freedome and parentage, ver. 33.—47. and railed at his perſon, oppoſing what he ſaid of himſelfe, ver. 48.— 58. And, his eſcaping of their fury, ver. 59.