Commentary on John, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Verſe 1. That he ſhould depart, &c.]
THis definition of death, Calv. in loc.ſaith Calvin, pertains to the whole body of the Church. It is to the Saints no more then a paſſage to the Father, an in-let to eternall life. Whether a Chriſtians death be a burnt-offering (of Martyrdome) or a peace-offering (of a naturall death) whether it be by a ſudden change, as Eliah's, or a lingring ſicknes, as Eliſha's, it is a ſweet ſacrifice aſcending to God, as Manoah's Angel aſcended in the ſmoke. This made Baſil, when the Emperours Lieutenant threatned to kill him, cry out, foreign. …. Ioa. Manlij. loc. com.foreign, I would he would: for ſo ſhould he ſoon ſend me to my heavenly father, to whom I now live, and to whom I deſire to haſten. This made Velcurio a Dutch Divine, when he lay upon his death-bed, break out into theſe ſweet words, Pater est amator, Filius Redemptor, Spiritus Sanctus Conſolator; quomodo ita que triſtitiâ affici poſſim? The Father loves me, the Son redeemed me, the holy Ghoſt comforts me, how then can I be caſt down at the approach of death? And the like triumphant words were uttered to me, by my late Reverend good friend and father, Mr John Jackſon, Paſtour of Binton in Warwick-ſhire, when he lay a dying, and laid his laſt charge upon me, to preach Chriſt, who had ſwallowed up death in victory.
To the end he loved them] Such faſt frinds are hard to finde. foreign. Plato.A friend is a very changeable creature, ſaith one; as ſoon on, and as ſoon off again: as ſoon in, and as ſoon out, as Joabs dagger was; clear at the top, and muddy at the bottome, as ponds are; white at the waxing of the moon, and black at the waining of it, as the fiſh Scolopidus in the river Araxis is ſaid to be. Andronicus the Greek Emperour, whom but yeſterday he had uſed moſt kindly, and enrolled among his beſt friends, upon them to day he frowned and tyrannized moſt cruelly: Turk. hiſt.ſo that you might have ſeen (ſaith the Hiſtorian) the ſame man the ſame day (as it is reported of Xerxes his Admirall) to be crowned and beheaded, to be graced and diſgraced. So of Tiberius and Mahomet the firſt Emperour of Turkes, it is ſaid, that in their love there was no aſſurance; but their leaſt diſpleaſure was death. Chriſt whom he loves once he loves ever, and though we break oft with him, yet he abides faithfull. 2 Tim. 13. and his foundation ſtandeth ſteady, having this ſeal; The Lord knoweth them that are his, verſ. 19.
Verſe 2. The devil having now put] He is, likely, at one end of every temptation to ſin: as the hand of Joab was in the tale of the woman of Tekoah. He rubs the fire-brand of evil concupiſcence, and makes it ſend out ſparkles.
Verſe 3. Jeſus knowing, &c.] This is prefaced to the waſhing of his Diſciples feet; to ſhew that he did it not raſhly, or out of baſeneſſe of ſpirit, as forgetting the dignity of his perſon and place, as Ahaz did, 2 King. 16.7. and thoſe, Iſa. 57.9. and David alſo in the Court of Achiſh. There is a foreign, a comelineſſe to be kept in every condition.
Verſe 4. He riſeth from ſupper] So the rite of the Paſchall ſupper required: as Beza ſheweth in his Annotations upon, Mat. 26.20.
Verſe 5. After that he powreth water, &c.] So doth the Pope once a year, in an apiſh imitation of our Saviour. As likewiſe, when he is new elected, in his ſolemn Lateran proceſſion, he takes copper out of his Chamberlains lap, and ſcatters it among the people, D. Hall on Mat 5.20.and (lye and all) ſaith, Silver and gold have I none.
Verſe 6. Then cometh he to Peter] He came firſt to him (for the former verſe ſets forth his intent, rather then his act of waſhing.) And yet St Chryſoſtome tells of ſome, that would needs have it, that he began with Judas. Like as the Papiſts ſay, that our Saviour appeared firſt, after his reſurrection, to the Virgin Mary: though the text be plain, that he firſt ſhewed himſelf to Mary Magdalen. Antipheron Orietes apud Ariſtot.Theſe are like him in Ariſtotle, that thought that every where he ſaw his own ſhape and picture going before him.
Verſe 7. But thou ſhalt know hereafter] Diſterent degrees of knowledge are beſtowed at ſeverall times. Our hearts are like narrow mouthed veſſels: but then ſhall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord. Hoſ. 6.3. and take heed that we leak not, Heb. 2.1.
Verſe 8. Thou ſhalt never waſh my feet] This was an immoderate modeſty, a proud humility: ſo is it in them that refuſe Goſpel-comforts becauſe they are unworthy. Domine, non ſum dignus, at ſum indigens, Mat. 3.15.ſaid Pomeran. Tibi adeſt nimia humilitas, Thou haſt too much humility, ſaid Luther to Staupicius. So the Baptiſt was as much to blame, in refuſing to waſh Chriſt, as Peter here to be waſhed by him.
Verſe 9. Lord, not my feet only] Here he ſeems to be as far out on the other ſide. Medio tuti … mus ibis Ovid. Plin. lib. …. cap. 8.How hard is it to hold a mean? Vertue is placed between two extremes, as the Planet Jupiter between cold Saturne and fiery Mars.
Verſe 10. Needeth not ſave to was his feet] For though bathed in that bleſſed fountain, Zech. 13.1. and fully juſtified, yea, and freed from the ſtain and raign of ſin, yet not from the reliques, to keep us humble; that when we look upon our feathers, we may withall look upon the feet ſtill defiled, and ſo be ſtill cleanſing our ſelves from all ſilthineſſe of fleſh and ſpirit. 2 Cor 7.1.The inwards and the feet in a ſacrifice were to be waſhed above the reſt; becauſe the intrails contain the excrements: and the legs, becauſe they tread in the dirt. Anſwerable whereunto, we are called upon to waſh our hearts, Jer. 4.14. and our feet, here. The compariſon ſeems to be taken from thoſe that are waſhed in baths: for though their whole bodies beſides are waſhed; yet, going forth, they touch the earth with their feet, and ſo are fain to waſh again.
Verſe 11. He knew who ſhould betray him] And yet he vouchſafed to waſh his feet. This was ſtupenda dignatio, a wonderfull condeſcenſion, an imparallelled patience.
Verſe 12. Know ye what I have done to you?] This was our Saviours uſuall order to catechiſe his Diſciples, foreign Sicut in … una vox his audiri dehet, tain ex Cate… …e…o, quain …x i… ſo Catech ſta Palor.after he had ſaid or done any thing for their inſtruction. So did the Apoſtles, Gal 6.6. 1 Cor. 14.19. and the Primitive Paſtours: They had their Credis? Credo: Abrenuncias? Abrenuncio, as it were by an Eccho, as the word importeth.
Verſe 13. Ye call me Maſter, and Lord] A little before our Saviour came in the fleſh, the Jew-Doctours had taken up diverſe titles in this order, Rabbi, Rabban, Rab, Rabba, Gaon, Moreh, Morenu, Alſted Chrozol. pag. 429.and Moreh tſedek. Theſe they did arrogantly appropriate to themſelves: But Chriſt was the true owner of them all.
Verſe 14. Ye ought alſo to waſh one anothers feet] What ſo great matter is it then to ſalute others? to ſeek reconciliation with them, &c? Angels think not themſelves too good to ſerve the Saints: Kings and Queens ſhall bow down to them with their faces toward the earth, and lick up the duſt of their feet, Iſa. 49.23.
Verſe 15. For I have given you an example] foreign. This St Peter calls foreign, a copy for us to write after. 1 Pet. 2.2…. Ibid ver. 9. foreign.And in the ſame chapter ſaith, that we ſhould preach forth Chriſts vertues: our lives ſhould be as ſo many Sermons upon Chriſts life, whileſt we ſtrive to expreſſe him to the world, in all his imitable graces. This is to walke in Chriſt, Colloſ. 2.6. to walke as Christ walked, 1 Joh. 2.6. The meditation of Chriſts meekneſſe, converted the Eunuch, Acts 8.32, 33. &c. And we read of an Earl, called Eleazarus, that being given to immoderate anger, was cured of that diſordered affection, by ſtudying of Chriſt, and of his patience. This meditation he never ſuffered to paſſe from him, before he found his heart transformed into the ſimilitude of Jeſus Chriſt. In vita ejue apud …uriu….Crux pendentis, cathedra docentis.
Verſe 16. The ſervant is not greater, &c.] This anſwers all our exceptions againſt brotherly offices, I am his elder, better, greater then he, &c. But which of us can ſay, I am a God? Chriſt waſht his Diſciples feet, though he knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, &c. as is expreſly, and for this very purpoſe noted here by the Evangeliſt, verſ. 3.
Verſe 17. If ye know theſe things, &c.] Knowledge without practice, is but as rain in the middle region: or as a horne in the Un cornes head; which if it were in a wiſe mans hand, would be very uſefull and medicinable, but as now, is hurtfull.
Verſe 18. I know whom I have choſen] Judas he had not choſen, but to the Apoſtleſhip only. All this Judas hears, and is not moved at it: ſuch a ſtupifying ſin is hypocriſie. The Germans have a Proverb, Quam Deus excaecaturus est, huic primùm oculos claudit. And the Latines ſay, Deus quam destruit, dementat. Baclolcer.God beſots the man, whom he means to deſtroy.
Verſe 19. Ye may beleeve that I am he] And that ye may not ſtumble or ſtagger, though ye ſee Iudas play the traitour. 2 Tim. 2.18, 19. The apoſtaſie of Hymenaeus and Philetus, a pair of eminent profeſſours, was like to have ſhaken many: Inſomuch as the Apoſtle was fain to make apology, Nevertheleſſe, the foundation of God remaineth ſure, &c.
Verſe 20. Verily, verily I ſay, &c.] Here our Saviour ſeems to go on where he left, verſ. 17. That between, being a digreſſion. Digreſſions, ſaith one, are not alwayes and abſolutely unlawfull. Gods Spirit ſometimes draws aſide the doctrine, to ſatisfie ſome ſoul, which the Preacher knows not, and ſparingly uſed, it quickeneth the attention. Biſi…d in the Gelo….But God may force it, yet man may not frame it: and it is a moſt happy ability, to ſpeak punctually, directly to the point.
Verſe 21. He was troubled in spirit.] The Stoicks then were out, in holding, that paſſions befall not a wiſe man: And Jeſuited Gonzaga, was not ſo much to be magnified, who would not permit any man to love him: and when his father died, all the grief be took, Cae…erum foreign videtur veſter Gonzaga. &c. D. Prid. contra Eudemon.was no more then this; Now, ſaid he, there's nothing hindreth me to ſay, Our Father which art in Heaven. Chriſt was thorowly troubled here, that any one ſo highly advanced by him (as in the former verſe, He that receiveth whomſoever I ſend, receiveth me, &c.) ſhould be ſo ill-minded towards him, as to betray him. Id…ò deteriores ſumus, quia meliores eſſe debemus, ſaith Salvian, we are therefore the worſe, becauſe we ſhould be better. It was no ſmall aggravation to Solomons ſin, that he forſook that God, 1 King. 11.9.that had appeared unto him twice. Our offences are increaſed by our obligations.
Verſe 22. Looked one upon another, doubting, &c.] Our Saviour ſifted them; and hereby put them upon the duty of ſelf-examination; ever ſeaſonable, but eſpecially afore the Sacrament, as here, foreign. … 11.28.Let a man examine himſelf (and do it exactly, as the word ſignifies) though the heart hang off never ſo much. Men are as loth to review their actions, and read the blurt'd writing of their hearts, as ſchool-boyes are to perſe their leſſons, and falſe-latines they have made. But this muſt be done, or they are undone for ever. And ſparing a little pains at firſt doubles it in the end: As he who will not caſt up his books, his books will caſt him up, at length.C…lie… exuti, & put … inni…i, in l…u…is ſemiſupin ja…e…a…. …. in for.
Verſe 23. Now there was leaning on Jeſus boſom] So muſt we do at the Sacrament, by the actuation of our faith, aſcending up into heaven, and fetching down Chriſt into the heart, that we may have intimate and intire communion with him. By the force of our faith at the Lords table, cruci haeremus, ſanguinem ſugimus, Cyp. de ca…a Dom.& intra ipſa Redemptoris nostri vulnera figimus linguam, ſaith St Cyprian.
Verſe 24. Simon Peter therefore beckned:] Peter, that heretofore could not thinke his heart ſo unfound as to deny his maſter, now feareth the ugly monſter of fearleſſe betraying. In mans heart, as in the ſea, there is that Leviathan, therefore alſo creeping things innumerable, Pſal. 104.26.
Verſe 25. He then lying on Jeſus breast] Ad pectus allapſus, In accubitu mes ille ut accumberent uxores in ſinu vtrorum. Lipſ ad Tacit l. 11.as laying his ear to our Saviours mouth, that he might whiſper him who it was: for things were as yet ſecretly carried, and the traitour not diſcovered, ſave to John only, who knew Chriſts ſoul-ſecrets, and afterwards received his Revelation.
Verſe 26. He it is to whom I ſhall] Here our Saviour not only feeds his hungry enemy, but ſhews him like curteſie as we do to one we drinke to at table; yea, though he knew the traitour would make an ill uſe of it. Thus ſhould a Chriſtian puniſh his perſecutours. No vengeance but this is heroicall, and fit for Chriſts followers. Thus Bradford ſaved Bourn, that helped to burne him. Act and Mon. ſol. 1456. Ibid. 1358.Saunders ſent to priſon by Steven Gardiner, gave God thanks that had given him at laſt a place of reſt and quietneſſe, where he might pray for the Biſhops converſion. It was grown to a Proverb concerning Cranmer, Do my Lord of Canterbury a ſhrewd turne, and then you may be ſure to have him your friend, Ibid. 169…. Domine recedatis: nam ſi percipiunt T…u …onici, & noſtri devoti, morte moriem…ni. Func.while he liveth. Henry the ſeventh, Emperour of Germany, feeling himſelf poiſoned in the Sacramentall bread by a Monke, called him, and ſaid unto him, Domine, recedatis &c. Be gone, Sr, for if my followers finde you, you will die for it.
Verſe 27. Satan entred into him] Gat more full poſſeſſion of him. Let them that depart the publike aſſemblies ere all be done, as Judas did, take heed they meet not the devil at the door. Canon. 24.The fourth Councel of Carthage excommunicated ſuch, and ſo delivered them up to Satan; which is a grievous puniſhment; for then they lye open to all wickedneſſe, as Ananias, whoſe heart Satan had filled from corner to corner. Luther, when he had read certain letters ſent to him from Vitus Theodorus, fetcht a deep ſigh, and ſaid, Heu, Selneccer. Paedag. Chriſt.quam furit ſatan, & impellit ſecuros homines ad horrenda flagitia, quae corpus & animum perdunt! Oh how the devil rageth and driveth on ſecure perſons, to horrible and damnable wickedneſſe! That which moved Luther to ſay ſo, was a ſad relation made in that letter, of a certain widow, who being with childe by a young ſcholar, could not have her childe baptiſed, unleſſe ſhe would tell the Prieſt, who was the childes father: Whereat ſhe being grievouſly vexed, firſt killed her childe, and then hang'd her ſelf. Which when the ſcholar heard of, he likewiſe ſtabb'd himſelf to death. The Prieſt underſtanding what tragedies had followed, upon his refuſing to baptiſe the childe, hang'd himſelf alſo. Now, who can doubt but all this was done by the inſtigation of the devil? Men uſually defie him and ſpet at his name: but they ſpet not low enough, they ſpet him out of their mouthes, but not out of their hearts: there he playes Rex, and, ſo long cares no more for their curſings of him, then he doth for holy-water.
That thou doest, do quickly] This is no command, but a prediction by way of deteſtation; like as when God ſaid to Balaam, Go, for I know thou wilt go after the wages of wickedneſſe. Some note here, Wards Serm.that, even to Judas, Chriſt ſaith, That thou doeſt, do quickly, ſo odious is dullneſſe unto him.
Verſe 28. Now no man at the table knew, &c.] For John had not told Peter the ſecret committed to him by Chriſt, though he were very deſirous to have known it, Si ſapis, arcano vina reconde cado. foreign. L…nan exemp. Prigy …. Ch. 1.A friend, that can both keep counſell and give counſell, is worth his weight in gold. When one deſired to ſee Alexanders treaſure, he bad one of his ſervants ſhew him, not his talents of ſilver, but his truſty friends.
Verſe 29. For ſome of them thought] An example of Chriſtian ſimplicity. As bad men muſe as they uſe, ſo good men meaſure others by themſelves; and ſo are often deceived, as here. Charity thinketh no evil 1 Cor. 13.5.
Or that he ſhould give ſomething to the poor] Chriſt had not much, yet had ſomewhat for the poor: ſo muſt even the poor day-labourer, Epheſ. 4 28 the neceſſitous widow, Mar. 12 42.
Verſe 30. He then having received the ſop] So many, having received the Supper of the Lord, eat their bane, and drink their poiſon: that they eat is ſawced, and that they drink is ſpiced with the bitter wrath of God: their hearts are wofully hardened, and their diſpoſitions to ſinne ſeven times more inflamed then ever before.
Verſe 31. Therefore when he was gone out] The room being rid of the traitour, Chriſt deals more freely and familiarly with the reſt: and arming them againſt the ſcandall of the croſſe, he calls his death his glory, eſteems his crown of thornes, more precious then Solomons diadem; looks upon his wales as ſpangles, his blows on the face as ingots, his wounds as gemms, his ſpittings on as ſweet ointment, his croſſe as his throne. This is a paradox to fleſh and blood: Jews and Gentiles jear at it; foreign. Luc. in vita Per…er. Perſuaſerunt ſibt tefaelices ſe immortalitate fruitures, &c. Ibid. Actius Antoninus in Aſia cum perſe ueretur Chriſtianor, &c. Tertull.as Lucian the atheiſt, who rails upon Chriſt blaſphemouſly, calling him the crucified Impoſtour: And as for Chriſtians, they fooliſhly beleeve, ſaith he, that they ſhall enjoy immortality, and live in bliſſe for ever: therefore they ſet light by life, yea many of them ofter themſelves voluntarily to be ſlain for their ſuperſtition. Thus he. And another Heathen Proconſul, when he had tyred himſelf with killing Chriſtians, and ſaw no end of it, but that they came thicker upon him, crying out, we are Chriſtians, &c. he curſed them, and cried out, O miſeri, ſi libet perire, num vobis rupes aut restes deſunt? O wretches, can you finde no other way to die, but I muſt be troubled with you?
Verſe 32. And ſhall ſtraightway] Thus for the joy that was ſet before him, he endured the croſſe, deſpiſing the ſhame; as being ſhortly to ſit down at the right hand of the throne of God, Heb. 12.2. Look we on him, and do likewiſe. There were in Greece certain fields, called. Palaestrae, where young men exerciſed themſelves in wreſtling. In theſe were ſet up ſtatues of ſome valiant champions, that the young wreſtlers might fix their eyes upon them, and ſo be incouraged. Can we chuſe a better Champion then Chriſt to eye and imitate, ſhould we be called to reſiſt unto blood, ſtriving againſt ſin? He did not only ſanguinem ſuffundere, ſed effundere: And how did he ſupport himſelf under the croſſe, but by the forethought of the crown?
Verſe 33. Little children, yet a little while] Here our Saviour uſeth the ſelf-ſame words to his Apoſtles, which before he had uſed to the Jews, with whom he was angry; ſo to cut off all hope from them of his corporall preſence. The fiction of the Ubiquity began about the time of Berengarius; was foſtered and furthered by Gerſon, Chancellour of Paris, who firſt taught the reall communication of properties, by means whereof the humane nature of Chriſt received this prerogative, ſaid he, that at his Supper (and then only) it might be in many places at once, whereſoever the Supper was celebrated. But in the year of Chriſt 1524, Jacobus Faber Stapulenſis taught at Paris, that by the ſame reaſon Chriſt might be as well corporally preſent in all places at once, as he was at the Supper. For which doctrine of the Ubiquity, he was oppoſed, the year following, by one Natalis Beda, and, by the Sorboniſts, baniſhed out of France. This is the Nativity of that famous Ubiquity, which being caſt out of France, Luther brought back into the Churches of Germany; Brentius furbiſhed it over, and Smidelinus obtruded it upon many places and perſons, whether they would or no: whence he is ſirnamed, Ʋbiquitatis Apostolus. How much better that good woman in the book of Martyrs, that being asked by the Biſhops; Act. and Mon.Doſt thou beleeve that the body of Chriſt is in the Sacrament really and ſubſtantially? I beleeve, ſaid ſhe, that that is a reall lye, and a ſubſtantiall lye. Domitius Calderinus the Italian, who flouriſhed in the year 1442. when he was called by his friends to go to Maſſe, L. Vives.was wont to ſay (as Vives tells us) camus ad communem errorem.
Verſe 34. A new Commandement, &c.] New, ratione claritatis & facilitatis; for now there is abundance of ſpirit given by Chriſt, who writes this affection in our hearts; as of old, the Law was written in ſtone. Beſides that, he is become a new paterne and example of the rule: and ſo, it is become a new commandement: not in reſpect of the matter of the duty, but of the forme of obſerving it. For the old rule was, Thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thy ſelf. But now that forme (as I have loved you) hath ſomething in it that is more expreſſe; and, for the incomparable ſufficiency of the preſident, is matchleſſe and more full of incitation to fire affection: there being farre more incentives and motives to love ſince Chriſt came, and gave himſelf for us. And this is appointed here, for the Diſciples and our ſolace in the want of Chriſts bodily preſence, as loving fellow-members to ſtrive by all means to delight in the loving ſociety one of another.
Verſe 35. By this ſhall all men know] Other mens diſciples are known by their titles, habits, ceremonies, &c. as the Popes ſhavelings (which yet is grown ſo bald a buſineſſe, that now they begin to be aſhamed of it) but love is Chriſts cognizance, acknowledged by very Heathens; who could ſay, that no people in the world did love one another ſo, as Chriſtians did. As the curtains of the Tabernacle were joyned by loops: ſo are true Chriſtians by love Philadelphia is blamed for nothing, Rev. 3.18.
Verſe 36. Whither goeſt thou?] That deep conceit he had drunke in of an earthly Kingdom, ſo nung in his light, that he could not ſee whither Chriſt was aſcending. A little ſawcer held cloſe to the eyes, hinders the ſight of a huge hill.
But thou ſhalt follow me] Perhaps, in the ſame kinde of death; but to heaven, moſt certainly.
Verſe 37. I will lay down, &c.] Peter was meliùs ſemper animatus quam armatus, better affected then appointed. Petrus ſe Chriſto oppoſuit, ſe caeteris praepoſuit, ſibt totù…n impoſuit. Chryſoſt.His heart deceived him, as did Davids, Pſal. 39.1, 2. He ſaid he would look to his wayes, bridle his tongue, &c. but ſoon after, he brake his word; My heart was hot, &c.
Verſe 48. The cock ſhall not crow.] Chriſt mentioneth the cock, quià tam ſtrenuum pugnatorem decebat tale praeconium. So Rev. 6.13. Paſtours revolt, as green figgs fall off, with no adoe. In the Palatinate they fell to Popery, as faſt as leaves fall in Autumne.