Annotations Upon the New Testament, John · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Verse 5. NEither did his brethren believe in him] That is, they did not know nor believe that he was the Messiah,Hinc. colligimus quàm nihili sit carnalis propinquitas perpetuam euim infamiae notam Spiritus inurit Christi cognatis, quòd tot operum testimoniis convicti, ne tum quidem credebant. Calvinus. and the Son of the living God, but they thought that he was only a man like to themselves. It belongs to a witnesse ingenuously to utter that which he knowes to be true, not to doe any thing for any mans favour or hatred which may oppose truth. Polyc. Lyser.
Vers. 17. If any man will doe his will] That is, beleeve it, and subject himselfe to it, He shall know] Viz. by that comfort which he shall feele upon his subjection.Perkins.
Vers. 20. Thou hast a Devill] It is all one as if they had said, thou art mad; It was an ancient saying among the Jewes that men are troubled by the Devill when they were in a fury, or when their mind and reason was taken away.Calvin.
Vers. 24. According to appearance] The originall is (as the vulgar rightly) secundum faciem, because the face only appears, the rest is hid.
Vers. 35. The dispersed among the Gentiles] By the Gentiles he here understands the Hellenists, that is, dispersed Jews, so called because they spake the Greek tongue,Mr Mede on Acts 6.5. Placet doctis per foreign hic intelligere Hellenistas, id est, qui origine & natione Judaei (in qua autem Graeci erant) urpote inter Graecos dispersi, quales etiam intelligi videntur Ioh. 12.20. de Dieu in loc. Vide Bezam, & Drus. Praeterita. and used the translation of the Septuagint (which was made in Aegypt) in their Synagogues.
Vers. 37. Jesus stood] When otherwise the custome of that age carried it,Polyc. Lyser. that the teachers sate, even as Christ also often did, but here he stood that he might signifie that he would seriously execute the great Office of Teaching.
Cried] Both for the multitude of the company that he might be heard of all, and that he might declare that he would speake of those things which it belonged all to heare and know, and also that he might shew an undaunted mind,Ibid. and that he feared no man.
If any man thirst] The metaphor of thirsting was suitable, because it was hot weather.Esay 55.1. Rev. 21.6. and 22.17. Sitis est sensus deficientis humiditatis in corpore. A thirst in Scripture in generall meanes a vehement desire, but here more, it is the same in the soule that thirst in the body. Three things meet in bodily thirst: 1. A failing of moysture. 2. A sense of unnaturall heat, therefore it is said in Scripture, burnt up with thirst, dried with thirst. 3. A vehement desire after moisture which may coole this heat, and supply this want. That is, finds himself empty of grace, is sensible of his corruption, and of the wrath of God, and then vehemently desires Christ.
Vers. 38. As the Scripture saith] That is, as the Scripture is wont to expresse it, for otherwise there is no such place to be found. See Dr. Hals Paraphrase.Ad scriptur…m alluditur, non quòd haec eadem verba in ullo veteris Testamenti loco reperiantur: sed quòd sensus idem, non uno, sed multis apud prophetas locis sit. Maldonat. in loc. Ita saepe Iohannes ubi non anum aliquem locum sed & multorum consensum indicat, quare & Syrus pluraliter hic Scripturas posuit. Grotius.
There is no Scripture that saith this in terminis, Alij censent id scriptum non in uno loco, sed in multis, idque omnino non quoad verba, sed quoad rem & sensum. Cornel à Lap. See ch. 4. ver. 14.but all those Scriptures which speak of the powring out of the Spirit may be alluded to saith Grotius; yet he and Rollock say Esay 58. is especially meant, Ioel 2.28. saith Brugensis.
Christ interprets what he meanes by the next verse.Vide Iun. Paral. l. 1. paral. 71. By Waters is meant the indwelling vertue of the Spirit. See Ver. 39.
By Rivers of water, the abundant and various operations and gifts of the Spirit. Calv.
By living water, or water of life, some say is meant the reality of these, they have reall graces, and comforts; others say it is so called from the effect, because the nature of this water is to give and preserve life; this phrase is rather an Hebraisme,Ventrem per catachresin vocat interiora animae. Cornel. à Lap. amongst the Jews a spring that never failes is called living water. See John 4.10, 11, 12, 13. That is, in his inward man shall be those inward graces that never faile.
Flow out] He shall not only have enough for himself, but wherewith to refresh others.
Vers. 39. The Holy Ghost was not yet given] That is, in comparison;Examen praefar. Morini. p. 180. See Calvin. The miraculous and sanctifying gifts of the Holy Ghost were not as yet so fully given as they were afterwards when Iesus was received into glory. Dr. Halls paraphrase. he was given before, but so sparingly, as in respect of this powring out, Tit. 3.6. He might seeme not to be given at all.
Because that Iesus was not yet glorified] He had not yet ascended into heaven. That was the highest and perfect glory of the man Jesus when that of the Psalmist Psal. 109.1. was fulfilled, when the Father said to Christ triumphantly ascending above all heavens, Sit at my right hand. Brugensis Comment. in 4 or. Evangelia, vide plura ibid.
Ver. 48. Of the Rulers, or of the Pharisees] Yet Nicodemus was a Ruler and a Pharisee. John 3.1.