Exposition of John, Chapter 8 · Verse 4
Verſe 10. When Jeſus had lift up himſelfe, and ſaw none but the woman, he ſaid unto her, Woman, where are thoſe thine accuſers? hath no man condemned thee?
11. She ſaid, No man, Lord. And Jeſus ſaid unto her, Neither do I condemne thee: go, and ſinne no more.
In the third place, We have Chriſts dealing with the woman herſelf; who being left by her accuſers, and not condemned by them, he doth alſo diſmiſſe her with a gentle warning, to watch over her wayes in time to come. In doing whereof, he doth not make void the Law of Moſes, nor ſay that none ought to condemne her to death, but he declines to act the part of a civil Magiſtrate in paſſing ſentence upon her, and doth act the part of a Miniſter of the Goſpel, in abſolving an humbled ſinner. Doctrine 1. As they who run away from Chriſt, when they are convinced, do but go on in their ſinne, and carry their ſhame with them; So they who attend upon Chriſt, and betake themſelves to the poſture of condemned ſinners, will at laſt get a gracious anſwer; as this womans experience doth teach, who (when her accuſers went out) did ſtay ſtill, to her own great advantage. 2. It is neceſſary, that ſuch as are waiting on Chriſt for grace, be ſerious obſervers of his dealing, that from thence they may learn to know what a one he is: for, his queſtions, when he lift up himſelf, Where are thoſe thine accuſers? hath no man condemned thee? did not ſlow from any ignorance in him, but ſerve to excite her to conſider the power of his word, and what effects it had produced, and to ſhew that his doings are not eaſily marked, even when they are acted before our eyes. 3. Such as are truly humbled with the ſence of their ſins, will get little pleaſure to meddle, ſave with theſe things which nearly concern themſelves: for, albeit Chriſt propounded two queſtions, yet ſhe anſwers onelyonly to what concerns herſelf, and that no man had condemned her, not meddling with what concerned them. 4. Such as Chriſt hath a minde to do good unto, are not to expect that ſo much will be intimate unto them at firſt, but they muſt be content to be exerciſed with attendance, and ſpeaking to Chriſt, till the compleat deliverance come; for, ſo much appears in his dealing with this woman, He ſpeaks ſo in her cauſe to the Phariſees, as encourageth her to ſtay ſtill, till ſhe ſee what further he will ſay: Then, he leads her up to ſpeak to him, and gives her a ground of an argument, that ſince no man had condemned her, therefore he, the Saviour of ſinners, would deal gently with her: and at laſt, he brings out his ſweet ſentence, 5. The charge and office of the Miniſtry is inconſiſtent, in Gods appointment, with the exerciſe of the office of Magiſtracie, in one and the ſame perſon; and it is ſo weighty a calling, that it is enough to take up the whole man: Therefore, doth Chriſt, the great Meſſenger of the Covenant and Preacher of the Goſpel, refuſe to take on that calling, Neither do I condemne thee. So alſo Luke 12.13, 14. 6. It is the allowance of Chriſt, that humble and caſt down ſinners be gently dealt with by his Miniſters; and his rich grace will abſolve ſuch as do condemne themſelves before him: for, by this ſentence, he not onelyonly declines to exerciſe the office of Magiſtracie, but doth abſolve her, whom he knew to be humbled, in the Court of conſcience. 7. It ought to be no impediment to humble ſinners to expect abſolution from Chriſt, that their ſins are ſuch as by the Law of God and man deſerves bodily death, or that they are to die a violent death for them: for, though this ſin deſerved ſtoning by the Law of God; yet that doth not hinder Chriſt to give her a pardon. 8. Grace is ſo abſolute and free, that it can make a very ſudden change in ſinners; it can take them, as it were, in the very height of their impiety, and convert and make pardoned Saints of them; for, ſo it appears in this woman, who being taken in the very act of adultery, goeth not away from Chriſt till ſhe be abſolved. 9. Such as have taſted of Chriſts grace in pardoning their ſin, will retain ſo much ſenſe of their own corrupt inclinations, and of their obligation to Chriſt for his mercy, that it will put them to a wary and circumſpect walking for time to come: for, ſo much is imported in the direction ſubjoyned to her abſolution, Neither do I condemn thee; go, and ſin no more. See chap. 5.14. 10. Albeit humble and pardoned ſinners ſhould have an eye eſpecially, upon the ſins they have been formerly addicted unto, and upon groſſe and ſcandalous evils, that they break not out into them; Yet they ſhould alſo be ſenſible of their proneneſſe to all ſinne, as having the ſeed of all ſin within them, and ſhould have an univerſal hatred againſt all ſin, and be watchful over themſelves, that they fall not into any ſin: Therefore is the direction general, Sin no more, that ſhe ſhould not onelyonly be jealous of her own inclination to her former debordings, or oppoſe and ſtrive againſt ſome ſins, while ſhe delighted in other ſins, but that ſhe ſhould watch againſt all kind of ſin.