Annotations Upon the New Testament, John · Chapter 14 – Chapter 15
CHAP. XIIII.
Verse 1. LEt not your heart be troubled] For my departure. It signifies such a trouble as is in water when the mud is stirred up, or when the waves and surges are raised by some tempest or storme, such a trouble as is in an Armie when the Souldiers are disranked and routed, or disordered.
Ye beleeve in God, beleeve also in me] That is, as ye beleeve in God the Father, so beleeve also in me: ye beleeve that God the Father is able to provide for you, beleeve in me that I am able to satisfie for you.
Vers. 2. In my Fathers house] He calls Heaven, which is the kingdom of glory and eternall blessednesse,foreign maneo. the house of his Father, to which Christ by his dea…h and passion contended; in it he saith there are many mansions, the word signifies a place of abiding, that he may shew the perpetuity of heavenly felicity and blessednesse, opposed to the shortnesse of our pilgrimage in this world,Paulus Tarnovius in loc. Vide Bezam. The word mansions in the Originall, and our language, signifies a Remaining, and denotes the perpetui…y, the everlastingnesse of that State. Dr. Donne on this Text. Psal. 39.13. Heb. 13.14.
Vers. 6. I am the way, the truth, Hoc est, per me venitur, ad me pervenitur, in me permanetur. Augustinus de doctrina Christiana. Viain exemplo, veritas in promisso, vita in praemio Bet…. Ingrediamur hanc viam, teneamus veritatem, vitam sequamur. Ambrose.and the life] These words have each their article in the Greeke; the way wherein, the truth whereby, the life whereunto we walke; or the only true way leading unto life; the way without errour, the truth without falshod, and the life without death. Bernard. This word way notes the meanes unto a thing, and when he saies, I am the way, it is as if he should say, Looke what ever meanes you do use in order to heaven, all those meanes have their vertue, power and efficacy from me. Truth lies between way and life, as if the way to life were through truth. The life, I, even I am he which gives life unto all your motions and actions for heaven, all grace is from Christ.
Vers. 10. I am in the Father] Vt in origine & principio, as in the originall and principle, and the Father in mee] Vt in charactere & imagine, as in the character and image.
Vers. 12. Hee that beleeveth on mee, the works that I doe shall he do also, Calvin. Austen. Chrysost.and greater workes then these shall he doe] It was a promise made unto the whole Church, neither peculiar to the Apostles, nor common to every Christian. Greater workes then these he should doe] for matter, as Peter, Act. 2. converted 3000. not for manner, because he did them not in his own name.
It is meant of the conversion of the world by the Apostles. 2. Of other miracles,Dike. Majora non quo ad originem & dignitatem, sed majora numero usu atque fructu. Act. 5.15.
Vers. 16. Comforter] Or Advocate, one that pleadeth the cause of another,foreign Vox Graeca frequens apud Iudaeos in versione Chaldaea & apud Thalmudicos, non pro consolatore, sed pro eo qui causam agit alterius, & quidem rei. Grotius. and him a guilty person.
Vers. 18. Not leave you comfortlesse] Or as Orphanes and Fatherlesse children.
Vers. 19. Because I live, ye shall live also] Some expound this of the life of nature, but he speakes of a life peculiar to his Disciples, purchased by his death,See Dr. Raynolds of the life of Christ. p. 481. accompanied with vision, which depends on the life of Christ, therefore it is meant of a Spirituall life; he gives it, continues it, augments it, manifests it.
Vers. 20. At that day ye shall know that I am in the Father] They knew it before, hee speaks of a more glorious and spirituall discovery.Calvin.
You in mee and I in you] We are said to be in him, because being ingraffed into his body, we are made partakers of his righteousnesse and all his goodnesse; he is said to be in us, because he cleerly demonstrates by the efficacie of his Spirit that hee is the authour and cause of life to us.
Vers. 21. He that hath my commandements] To have the commandements, signifies to be rightly instructed in them, to keepe himselfe and frame his life according to their rule.
Vers. 26. In my name] That is, the Father sendeth the Spirit through the Son, both as Mediatour and as an Intercessour.Teach and bring to your remembrance] or warne you, we are taught about those things wee knew not, and warned about those things we have forgotten. All things] that are necessary unto salvation for you to know and to be perswaded of.
These words were spoken to the Apostles onelyonly, but not of them onelyonly, Esay 54.13. And our Saviour citing this place, Iohn 16.45. delivereth the promise in generall termes.
Vers. 27. Peace I leave with you] As bonum haereditarium. my peace] The peace which I have purchased and paid deere for, or mine for kind; the same tranquility from righteousnesse imputed which I have; it is his also to give; men wish the peace of God or Christ, he gives it.
Not as the world giveth] Plainely distinguishing his peace from the worlds,Mundus dat pacem ut amoliatur res adversat carni, Christus non ita dat pacem, sed pax Christi tum demum viget cum rebus secundum carnem advers…s non premimur modo sed opprimimur; conferatur cum hoc loco C. ad Philip. & res erit manifesta. Cameron de ecclesia. both in the gift and manner of giving.
Vers. 28. My Father is greater than I] The Arrians objected this place to prove Christ a secondary God. The Orthodox Fathers said this ought to be referred to his humane nature; but Calvin dislikes this answer. Hic (inquit ille) nec de humana Christi natura, neque de aeterna ejus divinitate sermo habetur, sed pro infirmitati… nostrae captu se medium inter nos & Deum constituit. Calv.
Vers. 30. The Prince of this world] The Devill is called the Prince of the world, not simply, but as it is corrupted; the Prince of this world saith the Text, that is, which now lies in malice and hostility against the Son of God. See 2 Cor. 4.4.
Hath nothing in mee] That is, either nihil sui no sin in mee, or nihil juris no authority over mee.
CHAP. XV.
Graecè est geminus articulus foreign, Id est, illa vitis illa vera. Syrus: Ego sum vitis illa veritatis. Cornel. à Lap.Vers. 1. I Am the true vine] Greeke that Vine, that true one. Christs seemes to have begun this Sermon upon occasion of seeing some vine as he passed in the City, for he was wont to take occasions from earthly objects, to teach them spirituall things. Piscat.
Vers. 2. Every branch in mee that beareth not fruit] He speakes of a withered branch, that hath no life;Cyrill. Theophylact. Id est qui videtur esse in me, quum tamen revera non sit, quippe alioqui ferret fractum. Piscat. they are called the branches and members of Christ in a generall or equivocall sence; because they professe the faith of Christ, and are numbred among the members of the Church.
Vers. 5. The same bringeth forth much fruit] Both the Syriacke and Greeke take speciall notice of this; it is added emphatically; Christ points at such a one as abides in him, as John Baptist at Christ. Psal. 52.7. Such a one will bee fruitfull in unfruitfull times. 2. Comprehensively, it comprehends all true Christians as well as the Apostles, he changeth the second person into the third, See v. 4. 3. Exclusively, the same and onelyonly hee.
Bringeth forth much fruit] viz. By that life and sap of grace which he receiveth of mee; fruits of many kindes, groweth is universall. 2 Pet. 1.5. 2. For degrees and quantity. 1 Phil. 11.
foreign Vulg. & Erasm. sine me. Beza Seorsim à me.Without mee] Or separate from mee. See Cameron. Piscat.
Yee can do nothing] It is more emphaticall in the originall, two negatives, cannot doe nothing, not no great thing, but nothing at all. August. against Pelagius. Neither facere nor perficere as some of the Latines.
Vers. 6. He is cast forth as a branch] There are two chiefe ejections, Ab interiori sanctorum communíone, per separationem spiritualem. 2. Ab exteriori communione, per publicam Apostasiam. First, from the internall communion of the Saints, by a Spirituall separation, Secondly, from an externall communion, by apostasie.
Vers. 7. Ye shall aske what ye will] Meaning with a will ruled by the word of God and ordered according to Gods will.
Omnia inter amicos communia.All things that I have heard of my Father I have made knowne unto you] As if he had said, I will communicate and impart my secrets unto you, as one friend doth unto another, as farre as shall be fit for you to know.
Ferus de observatione non obsequiosa sed insidiosa interpretatur. Si me in verbis meis insidiose observarunt, & vobis pariter laqueos ponent. Gatak. de Nov. Instrument. Styli dissertat. c. 17.Vers. 20. If they have kept my saying, they will keepe yours also.]
Vers. 22. They had not had sinne] The sin of contempt of mee and my doctrine, their sin had been nothing in comparison of that now it is, or they had had some cloake and colour for their sinne, as in the next words. Vide Piscat.
But now they have no cloake for their sin] That is, no colour of plea, nothing to pretend by way of excuse. The Greek word foreign which is also used, 1 Thes. 2.5. signifieth a faire shew, pretence, or colour, which we use to call a cloake; Thereby intimating that usually man hath a cloake for his sinnes.
Vers. 26. Which proceedeth from the Father] Which very word Iohn useth of the two edged sword proceeding out of the mouth of Christ, Rev. 1.15.