First Epistle of John Applied Part 2, Sermon 4
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. IOHN.SERM. 4.
CHAP. I. Ver. 2.
2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the father, and was manifested unto us.)
AMong the mystical interpretations of those four living creatures, mentioned in Ezekiel and the Apocalyps, Ezek 1.5. Apoc. 4.6.that of resembling by them, the four Evangelists, is the most usual among the Antients; and St. Iohn is compared to the Eagle by them all, except Iraeneus, who likeneth him to the Lion. Iren adv. haeres. l. 3. c. 2.St. Hieroms reason is from the Eagles wing, which soareth highest of any bird: St. Gregories from the Eagles eye, which is able to look upon the Sun, and both very apposite, for so doth St. Iohn in his Gospel look upon the Sun of righteousnes, and so are high in contemplation of his Divinity;Dum in ipsâ divinitatis substantiâ intendit, quasi more Aquilae oculos in solem fixit. Greg. in Ezek. l. 1. hom. 4. Assumptis pennis Aquilae & ad altiora festinans de verbo dei disputat. Hier. in Matth. praefat. Ioh. 1.2. Ps. 36.9 Vide Theod. ibid. nor is this lesse observable in this Epistle than in his Gospel, which both beginneth and closeth with the Deity of Christ: Indeed we have here in this beginning, both the God-head and Man-hood of the Messiah, and the union of both in one person set before us, when he saith, That which was from the beginning, &c.
The second Character here given, and which now followeth to be handled, is of Christ as God, in those words, which was with the Father: It is the same no doubt in sense, with that in the Gospel, and the word was with God; and to this purpose Theodoret applyeth that of the Psalmist, With thee is the fountain of Life. For the better explanation of it, we must take notice of the Noun ▪ the Praeposition, and the Ve…; …ather, with the Father, was with the Father.
1. By the Father, we are here no doubt to understand the first person in the sacred Trinity; Indeed it is a word that is taken in Scripture, both foreign and foreign, essentially and personally; essentially it is common to all the persons;Quando divinitas intra se describitur, nomen patris sumitur foreign, Quando autem fit collatio divinitatis adcreaturas nomen patris sumitur foreign & complectitur omnes personas. Gerard. l. 6. de. Deo patre. 1 Ioh. 3.1. personally it is onelyonly true of the first: when it is used of God in respect to the Creatures, it is to be understood essentially, and our Apostle so intends it, when he saith, Behold what manner of love the Father, hath showed, that we should be called the Sons of God; But when of God in order to the persons, it is to be constru… personally, as here; and in the next verse, it is manifestly so used. And the first person is called the Father, say some, because he is the original of the Trinity, as connoting the relation he hath both to the Son and the Holy Ghost; but …hy others, more properly the first person i… the Father onelyonly in relation to the second, who is his begotten after the most perfect way of Generation, and so he only a Father in regard of him. But further.
2. The chief thing considerable, is what this meaneth, that Christ the life is said to be with the Father. The answer to which, I shall lay down both negatively and affirmatively.
1. Negatively, we must not strain the expression too far, as noting either an inferiority, or separability between those two persons, of the Father, and the Word.
1. Not a separability, as if Christ were so with, that he were without the Father, Vide Fulgent. ad Monim. l. 3. Ioh. 10.14.as a cloak which a man holdeth in his hands is with him; but yet without him in this sense with, is opposed to in: but that in this construction it cannot be verified of Christ is plain, because he is said not onelyonly to be with, but in the Father.
2. Not an inferiority, as it is sometimes used, when he that is said to be with, doth after a sort depend upon the person with whom he is in a way of subordination and subjection, in which respect, the Son is said to be with his Father, the servant with his Master, and the like. As for the eternal Son of God, St. Paul saith, he holdeth it no robbery to be equal with God, Phil. 2.6.and therefore his being with, cannot infer a disparity; indeed this expression is true reciprocally, Ioh. 14.11.the Father with and in the Son, as well as the Son in and with the Father; the three persons being mutually with each other, and none superiour to the other. But
2. Affirmatively, this exposition noteth,Qui ab aeterno latuit absconditus in sin… patris. T…in. in loc. Ve…ôum absconditū esse insinuat cum subjungit & verbū erat apud Deum. Greg. Mor. l. 5. c. 1… ▪
1. The secrecy of Christs subsistence before he came into the world, he was with the Father, to wit, in his bosome, and so hid from the world, as things in the bosome are recluse from common view, and the opposition of this with the Father, to manifesting, giveth some ground for this construction.
2. The distinct personality of the Son from the Father; with the Father, that is, subsisting with the Father, and though not divided, yet distinguished from him, hence it is that St. Ambrose maketh use of this place, to stop the mouth of Sabellius, who would confound the persons; the same person cannot be said to be with himself,foreign declarat hypostaceos distinctionem Bez. in loc. Subsistens apud aliā subsistentē Serrar. ibid. Quod erat apud deū non commixtione confunditur, sed manentis verbi apud patrem folidâ perfectione distinguitur ut Sabellius annotat. Ambros. de fid. l. 1. c▪ 5. Qui est apud alium distinguitur ab illo quia nihil est apud se. Paul. palat. in Ioh. Quod erat apud deum sempiternae divinitatis in patre & filio inseparabilis u…itas edocetur ut erubescat. Eudoxi us & Eunomius. Ambros. de fid. l 1 c. 5. but with another person, and therefore the life which is with the Father, must be a distinct person from the Father.
3. The essential unity between the Father and the Son. He that is with another, though he is distinct from, yet he must be neer to, or else he could not be said to be with him; nor are we to imagine this with, when spoken of the Divine persons, to note a local (as a man who is in the same place, is said to be with another) but an essential union, whereby though they are personally distinguished, yet they are essentially united; and in this respect St. Ambrose maketh use of this phrase to confute Eudoxius and Eunomius. This then is the Catholick faith, the Father and the Son are alius and alius, another and another person, but not aliud and aliud, another and another thing; and this Praeposition with, may serve fitly to connote both these.
4. Lastly, the Sons eternity may, be insinuated in this Praeposition, in as much as with, stands in opposition to before and behinde; as the Son could not be before, so neither is he after the Father, but with him, and therefore as the Father is eternal, so also is the Son. Indeed in humane generation the Son is after, but in Divine, the Son is with the Father; nor can any moment be assigned to the Father, wherein the Son was not. This will yet further appear by,
3. The Verb which is set down in the Praeterimperfect tense, and that we may comprize the full of it, take it in a double opposition to the Present, and the Praeterfect-tense.
1. It is not said which is with the Father, St. Iohn might have said so of him as man, he being then ascended to heaven, and set down at the right hand of his Father; but here speaking of him as God, he useth the past-time, he was, that is, from all eternity with the Father: so that if any shall be so curious as to ask where this life was before it was manifested? Christ was before incarnate? the answer is, he was with the Father, by which the heresie of Elion and Cerinthus falls to the ground,An te omnia Deus erat solus ipse sibi, solus autem, quia nihil aliud extrinsecùs praeter illum, caeterum ne tum quidem solus▪ habebat enim secum quam habebat in semetipso rationem suam. Tertul contr. prox. c. 5. Prov. 8.22, 23. Ioh. 17.4. Si antequam mundus esset gloriā habuit apud deum & claritatē tenuit apud patrē ante mundū fuit, nec enim habuisset gloriā nisi ipse prius fuisset qui gloriā posset tenere. Tertul. de Trinit. lib. cap. 24. Erat, significat aliquid fuisse, & non esse adhuc determinatū, nec desinisse sed adhuc manere. Aquin. in Ioh. Evang. who deny him any being before he was born of his mother: upon this account it is, that Tertullian saith excellently, The father was alone before he made the world, and yet he was not alone because the eternal life was with him; and in this respect wisdome saith, the Lord (not created according to the unhappy mistake of the Greek, but) possessed me (according to the true meaning of the Hebrew) to wit, as a Father is said to possess his son, and this in the beginning of his way before his works of old, to wit (as it followeth in the next verse) from everlasting; suitably hereunto, Christ mentions a glory which he had with the Father, before the world was; from whence, an Antient strongly argueth, that he was with the Father from all eternity, since he could not have had that glory if himself had not been. Besides, when we find these two words, eternal, and was here put together, we have reason to conceive that eternity is to be taken in its most proper notion, as it excludes not onelyonly ending, but beginning; acco…ding to which, it were a contradiction in terminis, to say this eternall life was not with the Father from everlasting.
2. It is not said which hath been, but which was, to note that his subsistence with the Father is not now at an end, but this eternal life still remaineth with the Father; for that Aquinas maketh the notion of this word was, importing a thing so to have been, as that it doth not cease to be; and therefore when Christ is said to come forth from the Father, it must not be taken in a rigid sense, & is best explain'd by this phrase of manifesting, his making himself known to the world in our nature, being all that is meant by his coming forth from the Father; for the truth is, he so was, as that he still is, and for ever shall be with the Father; and in this respect it is not unworthy our observation, that the Apostle doth not say, which was with the Father, and is now separated from him, but onelyonly is now manifested to us, to wit, so as that this life still is with him, and that to eternity.
To end this, let the meditation hereof,
1. Comfort us, in as much as it assureth us that Christ is very fit for the work he undertaketh, and therefore will accomplish it: The great designe of the Messiah is to reconcile us to the Father, and who fitter to do this than he that was with the Father? Indeed he that is here said to be with, is elsewhere said to be in the bosome of the Father; and who more fit to make our peace than he,Ioh. ….1…. who lyeth in the Fathers bosome? upon which ground, is that expression of St. Paul, He hath made us accepted in his beloved; Eph. 1.5.Christ and the Father are one by nature. Let us not doubt but he hath prevailed to make us one with God by Grace now, and by glory hereafter.
2. Encourage us against that contempt and scorn which is cast upon Christian Religion, Facit haec ad demonstrandam fidei nostrae dignitatē. Gualt. in Epist. Ier. 17.5.as if we did place our trust in a meer man; and therefore the Iews upbraid us with that curse in the Prophecy of Ieremy, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his Arm; but he is not a meer man whom we trust in, and therefore that curse doth not belong to us, for as he became man of his mother in the fulness of time, so he was God with his Father, before all time.
3. Exhort us to adore this eternal life which is with the Father, with the same reverence and worship we give to the Father; we need not fear idolatry, when as it is expressely said,Io…. 5.23. Ambros. de fid. l. 1. c. 5. that all men should honour the Son, as they honour the Father: let then St. Ambrose, his pithy counsel take place in spight of blasphemous Hereticks, Iungat honorificientia patri filium quem junxit divinitas, as the Father and the Son are joyned together in unity of essence, so let us joyn them together in unity of worship, saying in words, not much unlike those of the Elders: worthy art thou (oh Iesus) to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou art that eternal life which was with the Father.Rev. 4.1….
3. The last character remaineth which belongs to Christ as man, set forth in the word manifested, which as being of singular concernment, is twice repeated, to wit, both in the beginning and the end of the second verse; for the better explication whereof, these three things are briefly to be considered:
What this manifestation imports.
Who it is that was thus manifested.
Why the thing here intended,Intelligens illā exhibitionē promissi Messiae per incarnationem factā. Illyr. in loc. is called a manifestation.
1. As to the first of these quaeries, it is generally answered; that by this manifestation, we are to understand the incarnation of the Son of God: nor is it without sufficient reason, since
1. This phrase is manifestly used elsewhere in this sense, so by St. Paul, with that explicatory additament,Per incaernationē se… mundo manifestavit. Tirin. ib. 2 Tim. 3.16.1.10. 1 Ioh. 5.5, 8. when he saith, God was manifested in the flesh; nay without any addition when he speakes of the appearing of Iesus Christ, and which yet more confirms it by our Apostle himself in this Epistle, and that twice in one Chapter, he was manifested, and the Son of God was manifested, that is (as all agree) incarnated. But
2. Besides these parallel Scriptures, there is a convincing Argument in the Text it self, to which end, you may be ple…sed to observe, that this parenthesis is interserted by the Apostle, on purpose to prevent an objection that might be made against, and so add a confirmation to what is asserted in the precedent verse; whereas St. Iohn there saith, he and the rest heard, saw and handled the word of life: it might be asked, How could this be?Tacitae objectioni occurrit, &c. Illyr. in loc. this living word being spiritual and immaterial, to which he implicitly answereth by adding, and the life was manifested, to wit, in the flesh, in which respect, the▪ and after the Hebrew phrase,Manifestata est ipsae vitae in carne &c. Aug. ibid. may well be construed for; this being a strong reason to prove that this word of life might be seen by them, since he was manifested to them; yea, which giveth much light, and addeth much strength to the verity of this Exposition, the Apostle immediately knitteth these two together, manifesting and seeing: the life was manifested, and we have seen it, whereby it appeareth that the manifestation spoken of is such as was visible, Particula foreign pro foreign juxta Hebraicam phrasin accipitur. Zanch. ib.and therefore must be corporeal, since onelyonly that which is corporeal is visible.
2. That the manifestation is the incarnation is clear, but it would be further inquired, who it is that was thus manifested? the answer to which appeareth by those two Characters, the word of life, and the life which was with the Father: it was not then the Father himself, but the word with the Father, the second person in the sacred Trinity that was incarnated. True it is, the divine essence was incarnate, and therefore St. Paul saith, God manifested, Vide damase. de orthod. fid. l. 3 c. 6. Chap. 3… 8. Licet tota Trinitas in hujus formae assumptionem, operata sit tamen, neque sp. sanctus sed solus filius eam sibi junxit Tho. Aquin. pars. tertia q. 3 art. 1. Vide Lomb. sent. 3. dist. 1. li…. 8. Aug. in. l. de dogm. Eccles. c. 2.because the whole divine nature is in every person, but yet onelyonly as in one of the persons, and therefore our Apostle saith, as here, the word, so elsewhere the Son of God was manifested. It is true, that as all external works, so this of the incarnation belongs to the whole Trinity; but yet the termination of this work was onelyonly in the Son, as three persons may make a garment, and onelyonly one weareth it, or three persons conclude a match, and onelyonly▪ one of them, the Person married.
If it shall be further inquired, why the word, the second person was manifested? divers reasons are given in answer by the Antients 1 By the word all things, were at first made, fit it is that the new, as well as the old creation, should be his work. 2 This word is the image of the Father, and therefore most fit to restore the image of God in man. 3 The third is the middle person in the Trinity, and therefore most fit to be Mediator between God and man. 4 He is the word to reveal his Fathers will to the world,Athanas de Incarnat▪ Verbi. and therefore he fittest to be manifested in the flesh for this end. 5 He onelyonly the Son, and therefore most suitable for him to become the Son of man, that he might make us the Sonnes of God. 6 In a word, had either the Father, or the Holy Ghost been incarnate, there must have been two sonnes in the Trinity, which were incongruous. 7 But when all is said, that which we must acquiesce in, is the good pleasure of the blessed Trinity, by whose mutual consent, the second person, the Son of God, the word of life was made flesh, and so manifested.
3. The last quaere cometh now to be unfolded: Why the thing here intended is called a manifestation? whereby we shall see the aptitude of this phrase, and to this end I shall answer it, both by way of remotion, and of position.
1. We must not by any means construe this phrase in favour of those who deny Christ to have a reall body, as if Christs coming into the world were onelyonly a phantasme or apparition, a manifestation in,Vide Athanas. de salutari. adventu. Christ. but no real assumption of the flesh. In opposition to this heresie, Athanasius saith solidly, That as in the manifestation of this word, there was no transmutation of the God-head into flesh, so neither a phantastical representation, but a true assumption of flesh. It is true, the Holy Ghost onelyonly appeared in the shape of a Dove, but he came not to redeem doves: Christ came to redeem man, and therefore would be truly man.
2. But if you will know the true reason of this expression, it is because the Deity in our flesh, hath most clearly manifested it self to men.Vide Dyonis. ep. 3. ad Cajum. Naz. orat. 38. The Fathers phrase foreign, is not much unlike those Scripture expressions, foreign and foreign; and Gregory Nazianzen enquiring why Christs Nativity is called by this name, giveth this pregnant reason, foreign foreign, because God made himself in a special manner manifest to the world, by coming into it.
The truth is, never did God so familiarly reveal himself, as when he took our nature. Indeed, there is a manifestation of God in the works of his Creation, the invisible things of his power and God-head are seen in this visible fabrick;Rom. 1.20. but this is onelyonly of his attributes, as a picture discovereth the art,Non pater in rubo, non pater in eremo, sed filius Moysi loc…tus est. Ambr. de fid. l. 1. c. 5. Hilar. de T…in. l. 4. but not the Person of the Painter. There was indeed some manifestation of God to the Patriarchs of old and (as is probably conceived) it was the Son of God which did appear unto them, yea, and that in an humane shape; for one of those three men that came to Abraham, is not irrationally thought to be the second person in the Trinity; but still those apparitions were but at sometimes, and to some few persons, and indeed were but as Irenaeus calleth them, praeludia verae incarnationis, Iren l. 4. c. 37.forerunners of his incarnation, and as it were, the dawning of the day, wherein the Sun of righteousness did arise. Indeed, so clearly did the Deity manifest it self in Christ incarnate, that when Philip desireth him to shew him the Father, Ioh. 14.9.Christ tells him, he that hath seen me, ha…h seen the Father. Thus as the candle giveth its light through the lanthorn, and the face is seen through the vail, so did the God-head manifest it self through our flesh.
But perhaps you will say, how can this be, that the Deity should be manifested in flesh? whatsoever is a medium of discovering any thing, must be somewhat proportionable to that it discovereth: Now Flesh and God are at a distance, nor is there any proportion between them;2 Tim. 3.16. but beloved, St. Paul speaking of this, calls it a great mysterie, and therefore if we cannot see how it should be, let that content us. Besides, it cannot be denyed, but that the assumption of our flesh, was in respect of the Deity, not a manifestation, but an obscuration, and therefore it is said of him by St. Paul, he emptyed himself, he humbled himself, when he took on him our nature; but yet still in respect of us, Phil. 2.5, 6.it was a manifestation.
To clear this briefly, and yet fully, you must know, That objects of excelling brightness are best manifested through allaying mediums: thus the Sun being in it self so transcendently lightsome, cannot be looked on by us as it shineth in its own lustre, but best conveyeth its light to us through the clouds; and hence it is, that whilest the clouds obscure, they make the sun beams to us more obvious; the same is the case in this present matter, Gods face in it self, is so bright, that we cannot see it, and live, which made the Israel…tes desire that God would no more speak to them by himself, but by Moses: whereas,Exod. 20.19. in the face of Iesus Christ through the cloud as it were, of our humanity, God is become familiar with men, and we partake of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, as St. Paul speaketh.
1. To apply this,2 Cor. 4.8. here is matter of
1. Exultation, and that upon several grounds.
1. Because it is spoken of, as a thing already accomplished; it is not the life may be, or shall be, but was manifested: Coelesti lumine perfusi Christū venturum expectabant, & videre exoptabant, quem illi futurum praestolantur, apostuli praesentem conspexerunt Iren. l. 4. c. 24.this manifestation was that which the Saints of the Old Testament waited for, and rejoyced in the very expectance; for so it is said by Christ concerning Abraham, He saw my day, and rejoyced, much more cause have we to rejoyce in the reall performance.
2. When we look upon the impulsive cause of this manifestation, which was no other than free love and mercy. Revelatio deitatis, revelatio charitatis, in the appearing of our Saviour Christ, there was an appearing of the Grace of God, in the manifestation of this eternal life, was a manifestation of immense love to the sonnes of men, and therefore saith Athanasius, Athanas. de Incarnat.our Saviour gave a great experiment of his singular affection, in that foreign, being in himself invisible, he was pleased to manifest himself as the eternal word to us.
3. And yet lastly, considering this manifestation in the effect, whereby it appeareth, that as he was manifested to us, so likewise for us, even our Redemption. The Pagans, when any great works are done beyond the common course of nature, ascribe it to the apparition of some deity; the Son of God appeareth to do a great work, such as not all the creatures in heaven or earth could possibly have effected, this life was manifested, yea, and he was manifested, that we might have life through him: Why art thou strange poor trembling soul, and standest afar off from him, who draweth so nigh to thee? the blessed God was willing to manifest the riches of his love, and that all terror might be prevented, he appeareth as a man; God is come down, and that not in a flaming fire, roaring thunder, warlike armour, but cloathed with the garment of flesh; thus whilest he vaileth his greatness, he unvaileth his goodness, and therfore say not, Who shall go up to heaven to bring down this life to us? or down into the deep, to fetch it thence? it is nigh us,Rom. 10.6. even manifesting it self in, yea, conveying it self to us by our flesh.
2. Excitation, to endeavour, that as this life was manifested to, and for, so it may be in us. Those words in the Canticles, Cant. 8.6.Set me as a seal upon thy heart, and a signet upon thy arm, are by the Antients understood, as the words of Christ to his Spouse, thereby stirring her up to pious affections, and religious actions, in quibus figura Dei Christus luceat, Ambr. de Virg. l. 1.by which Christ may shine forth, and it may appear that this life liveth in her. That expression of St. Paul, holding forth the word of life, is by some referred to Christ, Phil. 2.16. Zanch.whom we must hold forth to the world by pious & exemplary conversations, that so as he was pleased to manifest himself in our nature, we may manifest him in our lives.
I end this first generall, which is the Messiahs character, who is the object of the Gospel.
He is the …ord, let us give …are to him.
He is the life, let us seek it from him.
He is the eternal life with the Father, let us adore him.
He was in due time manifested, let us acknowledge him.
And to this word of life, who being from eternity with the Father, was thus pleased to manifest himself; let us give in heart, in word, in life, faith and affection, praise and thanksgiving, obedience and subjection to all eternity, Amen.