God-Man, Exposition · Verse 2
Verſ. 2. The ſame was in the beginning with God.
What the Evangeliſt had affirmed in the former Verſe, The Word was with God; he now confirmeth in this ſecond Verſe, The ſame was in the beginning with God. There is a Repetition, but with ſome Illuſtration. It may be thought, that ſome, or all of theſe three things, may be aimed at.
Firſt, it may be thought to aime, at ſhewing us that theſe words, foreign, In the beginning, are to be referred to all the three Clauſes and Propoſitions, in the firſt Verſe, whereas they are there annexed but to one of them; In the beginning was the Word, ſaith he, verſ. 1. Now the ſecond Verſe, knitteth the ſame words to the ſecond Propoſition, The ſame, in the beginning, was with God, and the ſame was God. So that ye muſt put both into that Propoſition, which concerneth the eternall Exiſtency of Chriſt, and to that which concerneth the Perſonall Coexiſtency, The Word was with God; and the divine Eſſentialneſſe with God, The ſame was God.
Though he were with God in the beginning, may ſome ſay, yet it is queſtioned, whether he were God then. This addition will prevent ſuch miſtakes, to ſhew you, the words, In the beginning, is to be put to every Propoſition. That may be one aime.
Secondly, There may be another: In the former Propoſition. The Evangeliſt had told you of Chriſt's Co-exiſtency with the Father, when he ſaid, The Word was with God; and he addeth, The ſame was in the beginning with God. Here he telleth you of his Co-working with God, as well as of his Coexiſtency with God. In the beginning, As he was then a Perſon diſtinct from the Father, and coexiſtent with him; So, ſo ſoon as the Father began to work, He began to work. All things were made by him. He was ſo with him, as to work together with him, in the work of Creation in all things.
Or perhaps, neither of theſe are intended. But the Repetition aimeth at a third thing, which is, To ſhew the great neceſſity of the aforeſaid Truth. This ye may take with you, Repetition of much uſe in Scripture.as a rule to help you in the interpretation of Scripture: Repetitions have divers uſes in Scripture; we find them frequent both in Prayer and Prophecy, in Threatnings and Precepts, and in the laying down of Truths. Repetitions have their ſeverall uſes in all theſe.
1. In Prayer. Repetition ſerveth to note frequency in 1. In Prayer, it argueth affection.the ſame things, ſaid over again with new affections; as, O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, O Lord hearken, and do. Take the inſtance of Chriſt; we read of his fervency and earneſtneſſe in prayer, eſpecially in his Agony, Luk. 22. 44. Being in an agony, he prayed more earneſtly. How doth he expreſſe this earneſtneſſe? Matth. 26. 44. He went away the third time, praying the fame words, Father, if it be thy will, let this cup paſſe from me. So the ſecond, and the third time, it is ſaid. This Repetition ſerveth to note Chriſt's earneſtneſſe in Prayer.
Secondly, in Prophecies. Repetition ſerveth to note the 2. In Prophecies, it noteth celerity and ſpeed, and the certainty of them.certainty of them, together with their celerity and ſpeed. That reaſon is given by God himſelf, Gen. 41. 32. For that the dream was doubled to Pharaoh twice, it is becauſe the thing is eſtabliſhed by God, and he will ſurely bring it to paſſe. The doubling doth note the certainty of the thing.
Thirdly, in Threatnings. Repetition noteth unavoidableneſſe, 3. In Threatnings, it noteth unavoidableneſſe and ſuddainneſſe.and, perhaps, ſuddainneſſe. Ye have, Ezek. 21. 27. I will overturn, overturn, and it ſhall be no more. Twice, I will overturn, to ſhew, that their overthrow ſhould be unavoidable.
Fourthly, in Precepts. Repetition ſerveth to note 4. In Precepts, it noteth a neceſſity of performing them.a neceſſity of performing them. So, Pſal. 47. 6. Sing praiſes to God, ſing praiſes to our King; ſing praiſes, ſing praiſes. Four times, to ſhew the neceſſity of that duty.
And laſtly, to our preſent purpoſe, in Truths. Repetition ſerveth to ſhew the neceſſity of believing them, and of knowing 5. In Truths, it ſerveth to know the neceſſity of believing them.them. So, in that great Truth of Regeneration, ye ſee, Chriſt repeateth it thrice with one breath, in his Sermon to Nicodemus, Joh. 3. 3. Except ye be born again, ye cannot ſee the Kingdom of God. Verſ. 5. Except a man be born of Water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And, Marvel not I ſaid unto thee, Ye muſt be born again, verſ. 17. So here, the Evangeliſt repeateth this great Truth, to ſhew the abſolute neceſſity of our knowing it, and believing it. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. And the ſame that was in the beginning, was God.
That which we are to note from hence, is this: Firſt, in generall, The uſefulneſſe and lawfulneſſe of repeating the ſame things: To me, (ſaith Paul) it is not burdenſom; for you, it is ſafe, Phil. 3. 1. We are all by nature, as Chriſt ſaid of his Diſciples, fools, and ſlow of heart to believe this great Myſtery of God, Luk. 24. 25. Then ſaid he unto them, Oh fools, and ſlow of heart to believe all that was ſpoken. Slow of heart, they had therefore need to be ſwitcht and ſpurr'd again and again; had need to have the goad thruſt in, a firſt, ſecond, and third time. That is the expreſſion, Eccleſ. 2. The words of the wiſe are as goads, and as nails faſtned by the maſters of the aſſemblies. So neceſſary are Repetitions of Truths. It is in this caſe, as with Peter, in his viſion of the Sheet, when all ſorts of Beaſts came down, clean and unclean. Upon the firſt letting them down, when it was ſaid, Ariſe, Peter, kill, and eat. Not ſo, Lord, ſaith Peter; he could not think it lawfull, when it was preſcribed at the firſt; but the Sheet was let down a ſecond time, and a third time; then he was convinced, which at firſt he was not. So, a man may hear a truth at firſt, and may ſay, Not ſo, Lord; he cannot reliſh this for a truth: but, it may be, at the ſecond, or third time, he may reliſh it. It is not with Truth as with Flowers, which we uſe to ſmell at for an hour or Truth, not like Flowers, quickly fading; but like pretious Stones, alwaies ſhining▪two, and ſo thtow them away. But for neceſſary Truths, they will not die in your hands: they are not like Flowers; they are like Jems, pretious Stones, that keep a luſtre from year to year, they are alwaies ſhining and bright. Ye may wear them while ye live, and not be weary of them. This in generall.
But then in Speciall: From this Repetition which the Evangeliſt maketh, obſerve, That the Eternity, the Perſonality, the Divinity of Chriſt, are of neceſſity to be believed. Becauſe we cannot rightly worſhip God, without the belief of theſe Truths; namely, That the Word was in the beginning, and that the Word was then God, and was with God from everlaſting to everlaſting. For we muſt worſhip the Son, even as we worſhip the Father; ſo ſaith Chriſt himſelf, Joh. 5. 23. And that, unleſſe we acknowledge the Eternity of Chriſt, and the Divinity of Chriſt, the Second Perſon; as well as of God the Father, the Firſt Perſon; we honour neither Father nor Son. And this is it that excludeth both Turks and Jews: who, though they both acknowledge one God, yet they deny the Diſtinction of Perſons, deny the Son of God, and ſo the Divinity of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as alſo of the holy Ghoſt. We ſee now, what miſerable caſe ſuch men are in, as deny Chriſt thus. It is remarkable, that in Epheſ. 2. 12. if you compare the beginning with the end, At that time ye were without Chriſt, being Aliens from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, having no hope, and without God in the world. Without Chriſt, and without God. He is an Atheiſt that knoweth not Chriſt; whatſoever he may hold of God. There can be no true knowledge of God, where there is not a true knowledge of Chriſt. Ye were without Chriſt, and without God in the world. Wherefore, my Brethren, pray, that ye may underſtand theſe things; for, indeed, they are things that depend upon Revelation, therefore they call for prayer. Saith Bernard, of the Myſtery of the Trinity, The beſt way of ſeeking it, and the eaſieſt way of finding it, is, not to enter upon Diſputings, but Prayer. To Prayer, add the uſe of the beſt Means, reading the Word of God, in which theſe Myſteries are revealed, that concern the Eternity, and Perſonality, and Divinity of Jeſus Chriſt, Scripture will help you more then Reaſon here.
There are two ſorts of things. Some things there are which we do firſt underſtand, and then believe; Others which we firſt believe, and then come to underſtand. If ye Naturall things are firſt underſtood, then believed. Supernaturals not ſo.go to naturall things, firſt ye underſtand them, apprehend the inſide and outſide of them, and then believe them, becauſe ye underſtand them. But now, in theſe great ſupernaturall Myſteries, that ye may underſtand them, you muſt firſt believe them. For this there are two rules.
If ye will firſt ſet Reaſon on work, believe no more then ye can find out in theſe Myſteries; That will hinder Faith; But if, after ye have believed them, ye will ſet reaſon a work, that may help faith. The Arians of old that denied the Divinity of Chriſt, they got a great deal of advantage, eſpecially over Women, by putting queſtions for grounds of reaſon to them: They were wont to come to Women, and The Arians deluſion and ſophiſtry.aske them. Haſt thou born a Child, ſay they? Yes. And art thou not older then the Child thou haſt born? why, yes, ſay they. And yet, ſay they, our Adverſaries, They tell us, that God hath a Son, and that the Son is Co-eternall with the Father. Athanaſius goeth to work to confute them, thus; I aske you a queſtion. Canſt thou build a houſe without Timber, and Stone, and other Materialls? no: yet God made the World without any of theſe things. If Gods building be not as an Artificer's, God made the World without Materialls. He hath his Son from Eternity, but not as a naturall parent, for who can declare his generation? If ye will aske a queſtion, Ask the Sun, if ever it were without its beams. Aske the Sun, if it did not ſhine as ſoon as it was Created. And aske the Fountain, if ever it was without its ſtreams. As the Sun was never without its beams, nor the Fountain without its ſtreams, ſo God was never without his Son: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, both Co-exiſtent, and Eternall.