Exposition of John, Chapter 8 · Verse 33
Verſe 56. Your father Abraham rejoyced to ſee my day: and he ſaw it, and was glad.
Secondly, Chriſt anſwers in particular to the ground of their exception; and, comparing himſelfe with Abraham (who was greateſt, in their account, of any of the Prophets, they mentioned with him, and indeed was the father of the faithful) he proves that he was greater then he. For Abraham knowing of him, the true Meſſiah, to come of his ſeed, did earneſtly deſire to ſee that day, and did get a ſight thereof by faith to his joy and contentment. And by this he proves that Abrahams joy and comfort depended on him, and that he lived by faith in his words and the promiſes concerning him, according to that, ver. 51. And on the other hand, he proves by this, that they were not Abrahams true children, who rejoyced not in him, and in the day of the Goſpel. Doctrine 1. Chriſt will make uſe of wicked mens boaſted of priviledges, to aggreage their faults, therefore doth he deſigne him, your Father Abraham, to wit, according to the fleſh, that they might ſee how far they were degenerate from him in manners. 2. The time of the Goſpel is not only a day, in reſpect of the dark ignorance in which the world lies without it; But it is Chriſts day by way of excellency. For albeit the Goſpel and Chriſt were known and embraced before, yet that treaſure was but couched, for moſt part, under dark types, and ſeen at a great diſtance, and ſinne and the law and the curſe did bear much ſway: But now free-grace doth eminently reigne and ſhine, and Chriſt in his own perſon did appear on earth in our nature, to publiſh theſe gladtydings more clearly; Therefore doth he call it my day. 3. Men were not ſaved before Chriſts incarnation, by any thing beſide Chriſt; but as Chriſt and the Covenant of grace were known then, ſo men were made participant of him and his benefits by faith; for, ſo is clear in the matter of Abraham, to whom it is ſuppoſed Chriſt was known, not only as God, but as Mediatour to be incarnate, otherwiſe he could not have deſired a ſight of him, and it is expreſſely aſſerted, that he ſaw his day, and was glad. 4. Such as indeed have heard tell of Chriſt, their knowledge will produce earneſt deſires after him; and ſuch as prize Chriſt and ſalvation by him, will look upon the time of the Goſpel, and his incarnation, as a very ſweet ſight; for, Abraham hearing tell of it, he rejoyced to ſee my day, to wit, of my coming in the fleſh, as Luke 10.24. and this rejoycing preſuppoſeth and includes an earneſt deſire. 5. Even the beſt of men ſtand in need of Chriſt, and according as they grow in real goodneſſe, their deſires after him will grow; for, ſo even Abraham, that eminent Saint, rejoyced to ſee my day. 6. The ſpiritual deſires of Gods people may be, and (when they are well managed) are full of joy; begotten partly, by the eſtimation of what they deſire, ſeaſoned with hope that they ſhall come ſpeed in ſome meaſure; and partly, by what they do really enjoy who are ſincerely deſiring and purſuing, their very hunger proves a bleſſedneſſe, and that they do poſſeſſe in part. Therefore it is ſaid that Abraham rejoyced, or, skipped for joy, to ſee my day. His heart was warmed with the thoughts of it even in deſiring it. 7. The ſincere deſires of Gods people will not be fruſtrate, nor will a ſincere and cheerful pu…ſ…er be diſappointed, in Gods way and meaſure; for, he rejoyced to ſee, and he ſaw, not with bodily eyes, Luk. 10.24. but by faith, Heb. 11.13. 8. The Lord, for wiſe reaſons, may ſuſpend the ſatisfying the deſires of his people all their dayes in their way; and yet in effect be granting them in a way that is as good for them; for, albeit Abraham ſaw not this day with bodily eyes, in its full accompliſhment, yet for all that he ſaw it: The Lord indeed ſuſpended the exhibition of Chriſt in the fleſh, till long after Abraham; becauſe it would have croſſed his purpoſe of reſerving that to the fulneſſe of time, to have done otherwiſe; (and Saints muſt ſtoop to quit their will, when it doth not conſiſt with Gods great purpoſes concerning his Chruch:) Yet Abraham got that which was far better then a ſimple bodily ſight. For albeit believers and the Diſciples in that time had a double advantage, of getting both a bodily and ſpiritual ſight; yet a ſpiritual ſight of him, either in the word of promiſe, before he came, or in the word of performance, ſince his exhibition, is far beyond a bodily ſight of him, which avails, not without this, as was ſeen in the moſt part of them who ſaw and heard him. 9. The deſires of the godly, which ſlow from faith, are well ſatisfied, when they get more ground and encouragement yet to believe, and depend and wait on; for, Abraham behoved to believe before he could deſire, and now his deſires are ſatisfied with ſeeing more by faith. 10. Faith will ſee far off, and through many impediments, and will draw comfort from what is not only inviſible at preſent, but not to come for a long time; for, at that great diſtance, and through all theſe types, he ſaw my day and was glad. 11. A ſight of Chriſt by faith, though at never ſo great a diſtance, and under many vails, will bring true peace and joy, and will ſatisfie a believer, however he deſire often much more; for, he ſaw it and was glad. He was content of that, though his deſire was after more, and it did indeed bring true joy unto him, and made him (with the reſt of the Patriarchs) confeſſe they were ſtrangers and pilgrims on the earth, Heb. 11.13. I need not here curiouſly enquire, why it is ſaid that in deſi…ing he rejoyced, or, skipped for joy, and in getting that ſight, he was only glad. It may be conceived thus, that joy might be more ſolide, and make leſſe noiſe, when men have greateſt cauſe of joy, and particularly in enjoyment; or his rejoycing points at that more ſatisfactory meaſure of joy that he apprehended would be in ſeeing Chriſt incarnate, and with bodily eyes, as well as by faith, and his being glad, points at the meaſure of joy he attained to in the ſight he got, the other being reſerved till he came to his reſt.