Commentary on John, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
Verſe 1. Baptized more Diſciples.]
BAptizing was uſed by the Jewes, before John, or Chriſt took it up; Broughton on Dan. 9.from which cuſtome, though brought in without Commandement, our Saviour authorizeth a ſeal of entring into his Reſt; uſing the Jewes weakneſſe, as an allurement thither.
Verſe 2. Jeſus himſelfe baptized not] A ſweet comfort, that Chriſt is ſaid to baptize thoſe whom the Diſciples baptized. The Sacraments adminiſtred by Miniſters are no leſſe effectuall, then if we had recived the ſame from Chriſts own hands.
Verſe 3. He left Iudaea] God muſt be truſted, not tempted.
Verſe 4. He muſt needs go] Happy for them, that they lay in our Saviours way, Maſim praſente Chriſt… eſſe in inſerno, quòm abſente eo in calo Luth in Gen. c. 3…. Gen. 48.22. foreign, Proporttoratè ad miſeriam condelere. Heb. 5.2. Heb. 13.3.to be lookt upon; his feet drop fatneſſe. Luther had rather be with Chriſt in hell, then in Heaven without him.
Verſe 5. Iacob gave to his ſon Ioſeph] Having firſt wone it with his ſword and his bowe; that is, with his prayer and ſupplication (ſaith the Chaldee paraphraſt:) which as Sauls ſword, and Ionathans bowe, never return empty, 2 Sam. 1.22.
Verſe 6. Ieſus therefore being wearied] And in that he himſelf had ſuffered, he was the more able and apt to help this poor Samariteſſe. So the Apoſtle bids us pity thoſe in adverſity, as being our ſelves in the body, i. e. in the body of fleſh and frailty, ſubject to like miſery. He that hath had the tooth-ake, will pity thoſe that have it. Non ignara mali, &c. We are orphans all (ſaid Queen Elizabeth, Englands Elizab. p. 186.in her ſpeech to the children of Chriſts-Hoſpitall) let me enjoy your prayers, and ye ſhall be ſure of mine aſſiſtance.
Verſe 7. A woman of Samaria] A poor Tankerd-bearer, ſuch as Festus cals Canalicolas, quòd circa canalem fori conſiſterent, Berman. de Originib.becauſe they were much about the Conduits.
Verſe 9. Askeſt drink of me?] The Samaritans knew that they were ſlighted of the Jewes, and tooke it ill, Gens haec (ſaith Giraldus Cambrenſis, of the Iriſh) ſicut & natio quaevis barbara, quanquam honorem neſciant, honorari tamen ſupra modum affectant. No man would be ſlighted, how mean ſoever.
For the Iewes have no dealings, &c.] Ioſephus writeth, that at Samaria was a Sanctuary opened by Sanballat, for all Renegado Jewes, &c. The Jewes therefore hated the preſence, the fire, Antiq. lib 11. cap. 7.8.the faſhion, the books of a Samaritan. Neither was their any hatred loſt on the Samaritans part; for if he had but touched a Jew, he would have thrown himſelf into the next water, clothes and all; Epiphan.both of them equally ſick of a noli me tangere.
Verſe 10. The gift of God] That is, Chriſt himſelfe, foreigncalled by St. Paul, the Benefit, 1 Tim. 6.2. Let him not be to us as Iethers ſword to him, which he drew not, uſed not; but as Goliahs ſword to David, none to that; None but Chriſt, none but Chriſt, ſaid that Martyr.
Verſe 11. Sir, thou haſt no Bucket] See how witty we are naturally, with our armed dilemma's, to reject grace offered, and with both hands as it were, to thruſt away from us eternall life, foreign.Acts. 13.46.
Verſe 12. Our father Iacob] Ioſephus tels us, that theſe Samaritans, whiles the Jewes proſpered, would needs be their deare Couſens; but when they were in adverſity (as under Antiochus) they would utterly diſ-own, and diſ-avow them. They wrote to Antiochus, becauſe he tormented the Jewes, to excuſe themſelves as none ſuch; and they ſtiled Antiochus, The mighty God; Oh baſeneſſe!
Verſe 13. Shall thirſt again] So ſhall all they, quibus avaritiae aut ambitionis ſalſugo bibulam animam poſſidet. He that ſeeks to ſatisfie his luſts, goes about an endleſſe buſineſſe. Give, give, is the Horſleeches language. The worldling hath enough to ſinke him, not to ſatisfie him.
Verſe 14. Shall never thirſt] His lips water not after homely proviſion, that hath lately taſted of delicate ſuſtenance.
Clitorio quicun que ſitim de fonte levanet,Ovid Metamor. lib. 15.
Vina fugit, gaudet que meris abſtemius undis.
Verſe 15. Sir, give me this water] We would all have immortality, but here on earth. Some think ſhe jeers our Saviour here; who therefore in the next words arowſeth her conſcience.
Verſe 16. Go call thy husband] It was a great favour in Chriſt to receive that ſinfull woman, that waſhed his feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair, and not to kick her out of his preſence, as the Phariſees expected. How much greater is this, to fetch in an idolatrous harlotry that fled from him, to entertain her that lad rejected him? foreign. 1 Tim. 1.14.&c. Well might St. Paul ſay, that the grace of our Lord, is exceeding abundant, or doth abound to flowing over, as the ſea eaſily over-floweth mole-hils.
Verſe 17. I have no husband] Lucretius ait, quaſdam mulieres effugere unius viri torum, Sphinx Philoſ.ut omnium fiant torus.
Ieſuitae etiam ſunt
Connubiſanctifugae, clammeretricitegae.
Verſe 18. He whom thou now haſt, &c.] Here he comes home to her conſcience; ſo muſt all that will do good on it, ſtriving not ſo much to pleaſe, as to profit. Bees are killed with honey, but quickned with vineger. The Eagle, though ſhe love her young ones dearly, yet ſhe pricketh and beateth them out of the neſt; ſo muſt Preachers drive men out of the neſt of pleaſure. Iohn Speiſer, preacher at Auſborough in Germany, did his work ſo well at firſt, that the common ſtrumpets left the Brothel-houſes (then tolerated) and betook themſelves to a better courſe, Scultee. Annal. 118.Anno 1523. Yet afterwards he revolted to the Papiſts, and miſerably periſhed.
Verſe 19. 1 Pet 3.Sir, I perceive that thou art a Prophet] To the hid m…n of the heart the plain ſong ever makes the beſt muſick. The Corinthian idiot, convinced of all, and having the ſecrets of his heart ript up by the two-edged ſword, 1 Cor. 14.4.25.fals down upon his face, worſhipping God, and reporteth that God is in the Miniſters, of a truth.
Verſe 20. Our fathers, &c.] No ſooner doth ſhe acknowledge him a Prophet, but ſhe ſeeks to be ſatisfied in a caſe of conſcience. Proh ſtuporem noſtrum! Wo to our dulneſſe.
Verſe 21. Ye ſhall neither in this mountain, &c.] Herods temple at Ieruſalem was ſo ſet on fire by Titus his ſouldiers, that it could not be quenched by the induſtry of man. And at the ſame time Apollos temple at Delphi was utterly overthrown by earthquakes, and thunder bolts; and neither of them could ever ſince be repaired, The concurrence of which two miracl s (ſaith mine Authour) evidently ſheweth, that the time was then come, when God would put an end both to Jewiſh Ceremonies, Godw. Antiq. Heo.and heatheniſh Idolatry; that the Kingdome of his Son might be the better eſtabliſhed.
Verſe 22. We know what we worſhip] Chriſt alſo, as man, worſhippeth, being leſſe then himſelfe, as God: Chriſt is worſhipped by Angels, as God, being greater then himſelfe, as man.
Verſe 23. The Father ſeeketh ſuch] Oh how ſhould this fire up our hearts to ſpirituall worſhip! that God ſeeks for ſuch, with, Cant. 2.14.Let me ſee thy face, hear thy voice, &c. He ſolliciteth ſuitours.
Verſe 24. God is a Spirit] Omnes nominis Iehovae literae ſunt ſpirituales, ut denotetur Deum eſſe ſpiritum. Though, Alſted.to ſpeak properly, God is not a ſpirit. For firſt, ſpirit ſignifies breath, which indeed is a body; but becauſe it is the fineſt body, the moſt ſubtile, and moſt inviſible; therefore immateriall ſubſtances, which we are not able to conceive, are repreſented unto us under this name. Secondly, God is above all notion, all name. Plut. lib. de Iſid. & Oſirid.Afri dicunt Deum ignotum Amon. i. e. Heus tu, quis es? One being asked what God is? anſwered, Si ſcirem, Deus eſſem.
In ſpirit and truth] As oppoſed to formality and hypocriſie.
Verſe 25. I know that Meſſias, &c.] As who ſhould ſay, we are not altogether ſo ignorant as you would make us, verſ. 23. A dead woman muſt have four men to carry her out, as the Proverbe is: we are apt to think our peny good ſilver.
Verſe 26. I, that ſpeak unto thee, &c.] No ſooner do we think of Chriſt, with any the leaſt true deſire after him, but he is preſently with us. He invited himſelf to Zacheus his table, &c. Tantum velis, & Deus tibi praeoccurret, ſaid a Father.
Verſe 27. That he talked with the woman] Solum cum ſola. Beza.He might do that that we muſt beware of, leſt concupiſcence kindle. Abraham may ſee Sodome burning, Lot may not.
Yet no man ſaid] All ill thoughts, and ſiniſter ſurmiſes, of ſuperiours eſpecially, are to be preſently ſuppreſſed, and ſtrangled in the birth.
Verſe 28. Left her water-pot] She had now greater things in hand, better things to looke after. As Alexander, hearing of the riches of the Indies, divided his Kingdom among his Captains.
Verſe 29. Come ſee a man, &c.] Weak means may, by Gods bleſſing, work great matters. He can make the words of Naamans ſervants greater in operation, then the words of great Eliſha, and by a poor captive girl bring him to the Prophet.
Verſe 30. Then they went out] More to ſee the news, then elſe: as Moſes his curioſity led him nearer to the buſh, where-hence he was called. It is good to come to the Ordinances, though but for novelty: abſence is without hope. What a deal loſt Thomas by being out of the way but once?
Verſe 31. Maſter, eat.] Animantis cujuſ que vita in fuga eſt, and muſt be repaired by nutrition, in a naturall courſe. Only we muſt eat to live, and not live to eat only, as belly-gods.
Verſe 32. I have meat to eat, &c.] Abrahams ſervant would not eat, till he had diſpatcht his errand, Gen. 24.33. When we are to wooe for Chriſt, we ſhould forget our own intereſts and occaſions, Quaerite primum, &c.
Verſe 33. 1 Cor. 3.3.Hath any man brought, &c.] Are not theſe yet carnall, and talk as men? How dull and thick-brain'd are the beſt, till God rent the vail, and illighten both organ and object?
Verſe 34. My meat is to doe the will, &c.] Job preferred it before his neceſſary food, that that ſhould keep him alive. So did Chriſt, Iob. 23.12.when diſappointed of a break-faſt at the barren fig-tree, and comming hungry into the City, Mat. 21.17.33.he went not into a victualling-houſe, but into the Temple, where he taught the people moſt part of that day.
Verſe 35. Say ye not, there are yet three moneths.] As who ſhould ſay, ye ſo long for the time, that ye count how many moneths, weeks, daies, it is to harveſt: Should ye not be much more ſollicitous of ſuch an heavenly harveſt? Theſe Samaritans doe but hang for mowing, &c.
Verſe 36. That he that ſoweth, &c.] That is, that both the Prophets that ſowed, and the Apoſtles that reaped, &c. for the people were prepared by the writings of the Prophets to be wrought upon by the Apoſtles. The Samaritans alſo had the Bible, agreeing for moſt part, with that we have from the Jews. The copy of this Samaritan Bible was firſt brought from Damaſcus into Chriſtendom by one Petrus de Valle, an. Dom. 1626.
Verſe 37. That ſaying true, &c. Camerarius recites the Senary at large,
foreign.
Verſe 38. foreign of foreign.Other men have laboured] Laboured even to laſſitude, as the word ſignifies. The Miniſtery is not then an eaſie trade, an idle mans occupation. Luther was wont to ſay, Sudor Oeconomicus est magnus, Politicus major, R…leſiasticus …ximus: The houſholder hath ſomewhat to do, the Magiſtrate more, but the Miniſter moſt of all.
Verſe 39. For the ſaying of the woman.] An unlikely means to effect ſo great a matter. But what's that to the Almighty? So Junius profeſſeth, that the very firſt thing that turned him from Atheiſme, was conference with a Countrey man of his, not far from Florence. The next was, the Majeſty of the Scriptures, which he obſerved in Joh. 1. So, for our fore-fathers in times of Popery, Act. and Mon. fol. 767.Mr Fox obſerveth, that by the reading of Chaucers books ſome were brought to the knowledge of the truth. And, in that rarity of books, and want of teachers, this the thing I greatly marvell at (ſaith he) to note in the regiſters, and conſider how the word of God did multiply … exceedingly, as it did amongſt them. For I finde that one neighbour reſorting to, and conferring with another, Ibid 750.eftſoons, with a few words of their firſt or ſecond talk, did win and turn their mindes to that, wherein they deſired to perſwade them, touching the truth of Gods Word and Sacraments.
Verſe 40. Were come unto him.] We no ſooner beleeve, but we would fain ſee, and be brought à ſpe ad ſpeciem.
Verſe 41. Becauſe of his own word.] This is it alone that is the foundation of faith, and converts the ſoul, Pſal. 19.7. That, of good wives winning their husbands, 1 Pet. 3.1. is meant, by way of preparation only …enerall. And that of winning a ſoul by private admonition, … ult. is meant of perſwading them to ſome good duty, or to receive ſome truth, or to forſake ſome one evil or …ur.
Verſe 42. Not becauſe of thy ſaying.] properly, foreign, propter lo …acitatem tuam. Intùs exiſtens prohiber alien….becauſe of thy prittle-prattle. So perhaps it ſeemed to ſome of them at firſt, who believed indeed when they hea…m. Plato give a good rule, Conſider not ſo much …. Prejudicate opinion bars up the underſtand … cauſeth the beſt liquour to run over.
Verſe 43. After two daies he dep….] … never ſo much made of, we muſt away, when the … ſomething elſewhere to be done for God.
Verſe 44. Jeſus himſelf teſtified.] Had teſt… when he was caſt out at Nazareth therefore he came no more there. A Miniſter that can doe no good on't in the place where he lives, is bound to remove, though the fault be not in him, but the people, ſaith an Interpreter here; Metuendum eſt ne donum quod acceperla, amittas, vel degeneres in errores, vel haereſes, vel, ſi retineas puritatem doctrinae, evadas tamen frigidus & aridas do etor. Rolloc. in toc. Zanch. Miſcel. epiſt. dedicat. foreign, A Royaliſt.otherwiſe (if for ſelf-reſpects he there abide) it is to be feared that he will loſe his gifts, and either fall into errours and hereſies, or prove but a dull and dry Doctour.
Verſe 45. The Galileans received him.] Though thoſe of Nazareth would not, others did. He that is ſent and gifted by God, ſhall have one where or other to exerciſe his gifts, as the Engliſh exiles at Geneva, Zurich, &c. as Zanchius, when he could not reſt at Argentina, was received at Clavenna.
Having ſeen all the things he did, &c.] Chriſts miracles were as the Sermon-bell, that called them together. Theſe the men of Nazareth alſo had ſeen, but with prejudice, and therefore to no profit.
Verſe 46. A certain Noble-man.] One that belonged to the King: for ſo the vulgar flatteringly ſtiled Herod the Tetrarch. Few Noble-men came to Chriſt: this, not till he was driven to him, by his ſons ſickneſſe, Not many Noble are called: if any, they are as black Swans, 1 Cor. 1.20.and thinly ſcattered in the firmament of a State, even like Stars of the firſt magnitude.
Verſe 47. Beſought him that he would, &c.] Even Darius king of Perſia, can give order for prayers to be made at Jeruſalem, for the Kings life and his ſons (Ezra 6.10.) when he had ſeen divers of his children die before him, as Cteſias relateth.
Verſe 48. Except ye ſee ſignes, &c.] Our Saviour firſt chides him, and upon his well-bearing of that, accommodates him. He ſaw the Courtiers unbelief more dangerous to his ſon, then the diſeaſe could be to his ſons body.
Verſe 49. Sir, come down.] He fumes not at reproof (as many great ones would have done, Heb. 13.Tange montes, & fumigabunt) but ſuffers the word of exhortation, being ſubdued thereunto by affliction.
Verſe 50. Thy ſonne liveth.] Is in very good health; for non eſt vivere, Martiat.ſed valere vita: So, God is better to us, oft-times, then our prayers, then our hopes.
Verſe 51. Thy ſonne liveth.] So the ſonne was reſtored by his fathers faith. It is a benefit to be born of good parents. Perſonall goodneſſe is profitable to poſterity.
Verſe 52. Then enquired he, &c.] by a ſweet providence, that God might be the more glorified, and the mans faith confirmed. All things co-operate, &c. Rom. 8.28. So, at the ſame time, wherein the States of Germany. (after long debate) concluded for the truth of the Goſpel. Luther came leaping out of his cloſet where he had been praying (though many miles diſtant) with vicimus, vicimus in his mouth. Act. and Mon. fol. 669.So Muſcle-borough field was wone by the Engliſh, the ſelf-ſame day and hour, wherein thoſe Balaams-blocks (idolatrous images) were burnt at London, by order of Parliament.
Verſe 53. And himſelf believed,] With a juſtifying faith, introduced at firſt by a common faith.