Exposition of John, Chapter 8 · Verse 32
Verſe 54. Jeſus anſwered, If I honour my ſelf, my honour is nothing: It is my Father that honoureth me, of whom ye ſay that he is your God.
55. Yet ye have not known him, but I know him: and if I ſhould ſay, I know him not, I ſhall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his ſaying.
Followeth Chriſts anſwer to this exception, And, 1. In general (in theſe verſes) he … himſelf of any ambition in this matter, and p…ves them guilty of it. Whereas, in their exception, they thought it great ambition in him, to preferr… himſelf to Abraham and all the Prophets; …e anſwers (by way of conceſſion) that it he himſelf, and of himſelf, did take this honour on him, it were of no worth; but he hath it of the Father, who doth allow and conferre it on him. And whereas they might except, that if this Father of whom he boaſted ſo much, be the true God, they had greater cauſe to lay claime to him then he had; He anſwers, that this proves them really guilty of that ambition wherewith they charge him; For they boaſt of him while as they have no ſaving knowledge of him; But he knows him, and would be a liar, like unto them, if he ſhould ſay that he knew him not, ſeeing he gives real proof of knowing him; by keeping his word. Doctrine 1. Such as hunt after vain-glory, and ſeek after reſpect and eſtimation otherwiſe then God alloweth and approveth of, they do hunt a ſhadow, and that which really is of no worth; for, this is of general verity, If I honour my ſelf my honour is nothing. See 2 Cor. 10.18. 2. Chriſt ſeeketh no glory but what the Father alloweth on him; And as he is God over all, bleſſed and honoured for ever, and as his humane nature is honoured, by being exalted to a perſonal union with the Godhead; So whoever diſhonour Chriſt, yet the Father alloweth and hath conferred honour on him as Mediatour, to be a teſtimony how well he is pleaſed with the redemption of loſt man, performed by him; and to be matter of comfort to all them who ſeek to this exalted Prince, and matter of terrour to all his and their enemies: For, ſaith he, if I honour my ſelf, my honour is nothing, it is the Father that honoureth me. 3. What men have received from God with his approbation, and have his teſtimony for it, they may avow and maintain it againſt all oppoſition; Therefore doth Chriſt not deny that honour they alledged he took to himſelf, but he avows it on this ground, It is my Father that honoureth me. 4. Albeit Chriſt be in himſelf God alſufficient, and ſo is not capable of any acceſſe of glory: Yet it pleaſed him to condeſcend ſo farre, as to obſcure his own glory under the vail of his fleſh and ſtate of humiliation, till he had perfected the work of Redemption; and to account of his office of Mediatour, and the dignity accompanying it, as great honour conferred upon him by the Father; Therefore, ſaith he, my Father honoureth me, above Abraham and the Prophets, that I can give life to them that keep my ſayings. 5. Chriſts greateſt enemies may yet be ſo preſumptuous and deluded, as to ſooth up themſelves, with a conceit of a ſpecial intereſt in God; for, the Father, is he, of whom ye ſay that he is your God. 6. Perſecutors, pretending to intereſt in God, do but proclaim their own carnal ambition and ſelfe-ſeeking, and that they do but lye and deceive themſelves; for, he brings this as a proofe of their ambition, and aſſerts that they were liars in ſo ſaying, I ſhall be a liar like unto you. 7. As none are more ready to boaſt of an intereſt in God, then they who know leaſt of him; ſo none can prove an intereſt in him, but they who know and acknowledge him as he is revealed in Chriſt by the Goſpel; for, ſaith he, ye ſay that he is your God but (to refute that) ye know him not, to wit, ſavingly, in ſo far as they knew not him as Father to his Sonne whom he had ſent, and acknowledged not the Goſpel to be his revealed will. 8. It is not ſufficient for proving an intereſt in God, that men do acknowledge God as he reveals himſelfe, unleſſe alſo obedience to his will be joyned therewith; ſo much doth Chriſt teach by his own evidences that he is of God, contrary to theirs, I know him, and keep his ſaying. 9. Such as are of God, and know him, ſhould confidently avow their right and intereſt, and it is as great a wrong in a child of God, to deny his right, as it is in a prophane man, to claime an intereſt; Therefore, ſaith Chriſt, in oppoſition to them, But I know him, and if I ſhould ſay I know him not, I ſhall be a liar like unto you, who boaſt of an intereſt without ground. 10. Chriſt doth perfectly know the Father and his will, ſo that none can be deluded in reſiſting on what he reveals of him; And he was perfectly obedient to the will of the Father in all things, ſo that nothing can be objected againſt them, who flee to lay hold on his righteouſneſſe; for, I know him, and keep his ſaying.