Exposition of John, Chapter 8 · Verse 19
Verſe 34. Jeſus anſwered them, Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, Whoſoever committeth ſinne, is the ſervant of ſinne.
35. And the ſervant abideth not in the houſe for ever, but the Sonne abideth ever,
36. If the Sonne therefore ſhall make you free, ye ſhall be free indeed.
Followeth Chriſts anſwer to this exception conſiſting of two branches. In the firſt whereof (in theſe verſes) he cleareth what is the great bondage of men, from which freedome is to be deſired, and is promiſed to the true children of Abraham. And albeit he might have reprehended them for their impudent lie, yet he chooſeth rather to informe them meekly. And, 1. That the ſad bondage whereof he ſpake, was ſpiritual, wherein all they are held who give up themſelves to a trade of ſinne, verſe 34. 2. That albeit ſuch as were ſlaves, in this reſpect, might enjoy the external priviledges of the Church, for a ſeaſon, (as a ſervant abides in his maſters houſe for a time) yet they would be caſt out at length, and ſeparated from him who is the natural Sonne, and from all the adopted children, for ever. And therefore they ought to think ſeriouſly of the danger that they may be excited to ſeek after freedome, verſe 35. 3. That the onelyonly way to attain to true freedome, is by coming to him, verſe 36. From verſe 34. Learn, 1. Whatever advantage wicked men think to reap by oppoſing of the truth, yet Chriſt will diſappoint them, and will take occaſion thereby to make truth ſhine more clearly; for, whereas before he had ſpoken of their freedome but in a word, now, by reaſon of theſe debates, he explains that point of bondage and freedome more fully. 2. The matter of our ſpiritual bondage and freedome is a point of very great importance, and neceſſary that we ſhould ſeriouſly ſtudy and be acquainted with it; And a point wherein we muſt ſubmit to Chriſts verdict, how contrary ſoever it be to our ſenſe and apprehenſion of our own condition: Therefore doth he prefix his ordinary aſſeveration, Verily, verily, to this doctrine. 3. Whatever be mens imaginations concerning their own condition; yet there is a more heavie bondage lying upon them, then any outward ſlavery that can befal them, even to be under the ſlavery and bondage of ſin; for, ſo doth Chriſt aſſert, that there are ſervants of ſinne, of whom he meant when he promiſed freedome. 4. Albeit all men by nature be borne ſlaves to ſin; yet conſidering that there is freedome offered by Chriſt, and that they who embrace this remedy, are not in this life fully freed from ſin; Therefore Chriſt will not reckon men ſlaves by their having of ſin in them, nor yet by their daily failings and infirmities, or by their falling now and then in ſoul faults, through the violence of tentation; unleſſe they make a conſtant trade of ſinne, and be under the dominion thereof, without controlement; for, of theſe Chriſt ſpeaks, when he ſaith, whoſoever commiteth ſinne, is the ſervant of ſinne. See Rom. 6.16. 2. Pet. 2.19. And this is the condition of natural men, who being free from the yoke of righteouſneſſe, Rom 6.20. do voluntarily, and without any oppoſition, (unleſſe it be ſome checks of a natural conſcience, ſtartling at ſome ſinne, or ſome thoughts of fear and ſhame) live in a trade of all ſinne, and under the ſlaviſh tyranny thereof, though this dominion appear more evidently in ſome ſinnes then others. And ſome of theſe who are unrenewed, are judicia…ly given up, to be more viſible under the dominion of ſinne, then others, not only as the juſt fruit of their voluntary living under that yoke, but that they may be be…co…s to the reſt of their woful ſlavery. As for renewed men, albeit they not only have ſinne in them, and do ſinne daily, but even have ſome particular evils that may be called predominants, in compariſon of others, (which may eaſily be diſcerned, by the great power and ſway that they bear, even in commanding other evils to be committed or forborne, according as may contribute to advance them; by violent and frequent relapſes of Saints into them; by their unwillingneſſe to admit of admonition and reproofe for them; and, by their falling in them out of an inward propenſitie, when outward tentations are weak, or none at all, or very few:) Yet ſince, as to the ſtate of their perſon; they are ſet at freedome; and ſince the dominion is not univerſal, as to all ſinnes, nor is it perpetual or compleat, even as to theſe prevailing evils; Therefore they cannot be called ſervants of ſinne as unrenewed men are: Yea, albeit in reſpect of degrees of mortification in Saints, ſome ſinnes are more predominant then others; ſome alſo are more ſtrong in them, becauſe they are the general evils of the time wherein they live, or becauſe by natural inclination and conſtitution, or by education, (all which may be a bridle to ſome evils;) they are left more obnoxious and open to them; and ſome are left to be an exerciſe and daily matter of humiliation to them: Yet I would not deny, but all the ſinnes of renewed men are their infirmities, not only in reſpect of Gods pitie, who will ſo account of them; but in reſpect of grace and the renewed parts ſuffering by them, which is greater under groſſer evils againſt light, then under ſinnes of ignorance and meer infirmity. However, this is to be ſo underſtood, that godly men are to watch eſpecially over theſe predominants, yet ſo as they take heed, leſt in watching over one of thoſe, many other evils that make leſſe noiſe, get liberty to grow up.
From ver. 35. Learn. 1. Such as will not be moved to conſider the ſinfulneſſe of their ſpiritual bondage, that they may be rid of it, ought, at leaſt, to conſider of the danger that followeth upon it, to ſee how that will affect them. Therefore doth Chriſt ſubjoyne that conſideration here, to excite them to employ him for their liberty. 2. The true difference betwixt ſpiritual ſlaves, and theſe who are made free, cannot be drawn from the enjoyment of external priviledges of the Church, which the one may partake of as well as the other; for, it is imported that ſervants, as well as ſons may be in the houſe. As an houſholder hath in his family, not only children, but ſervants for ſeveral uſes, ſo hath the Lord alſo in the Church (which is his houſe, where he dwels and affords, his ſpecial preſence, and layeth up his ſpecial furniture) veſſels of diſhonour, as well as veſſels of honour, 2 Tim. 2.20. 3. Whatever external priviledges the ſlaves of ſinne enjoy, yet at laſt they will be caſt out of all, and a ſeparation will be made betwixt them and the children who are made free; for, the ſervant abideth not in the houſe for ever, as the Sonne doth. He inſiſts in the metaphor of a family, wherein ſervants have tearme-dayes, and may be thruſt away for faults, and are laid aſide when the heritage cometh to be divided, as Iſhmael the ſon of the bond-woman was, after a long ſtay in Abrahams houſe, Gal. 4.30. 4, It is the great advantage of theſe who flee to Chriſt, to be freed from the ſlavery of ſinne, that not only do they get their liberty, but are made ſonnes and children alſo; Therefore is he who is not the ſervant, called the Sonne; whereby we are not only, or ſo much, to underſtand Chriſt, (though he be indeed the natural and only begotten Sonne, through whom all the reſt are made ſonnes) as the adopted children. 5. Such as are partakers of ſpiritual liberty, and of adoption, have not only the rich priviledge of ſpecial and intimate fellowſhip with God, and of being under his ſpecial protection and care, and provided for by him, as children in their fathers houſe; But this happy eſtate is enſured to them; ſo that though they offend, and may be corrected, yet they will not be turned out of doores, as ſervants are; the doores are patent to let them in, when, like the prodigal, they have run away: And when they have been bred a while in the Church, which is the lower roomes of this houſe, and have fed upon the hope and firſt fruits of their inheritance, they will be carried up to the upper roomes of the Church triumphant, there to get full poſſeſſion, and to enjoy God and his preſence immediatly and for ever; for, the Son abideth in the houſe for ever.
From ver. 36. Learn, 1. Albeit ſpiritual bondage be ſuch as we cannot ſhake it off, though we would; Yet loſt man hath this encouragement, that his freedome is not impoſſible; for, here it is held out as a thing poſſible, upon ſome conditions, ye ſhall be free. 2. Spiritual bondage is ſo great a miſery, and deliverance from it ſo rich a mercy, that men would not dedelude themſelves, either with a conceit of any thing that may compenſe the want of it, or with an imagination that they are free, when they are not; Therefore doth Chriſt excite them to uſe means that they may be free indeed, or, really, not contenting themſelves with outward freedome, as if that were enough, nor with an imagination of ſpiritual freedome, while as they remain real ſlaves. 3. Chriſt is the heir of the family, having power to make free what ſervants he pleaſeth, and none can ever partake of ſpiritual liberty, but they who flee to him, and receive it from him; for, if the Sonne ſhall make you free, ye ſhall be free indeed, otherwiſe not. Albeit all the freed men be made ſonnes, yet Chriſt here gets the name by way of excellency, as being the only Sonne by eternal generation, and he by whom all the reſt are made ſonnes.