Commentary on John, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
VER. 1. In the beginning,]
HEre this Heavenly Eagle, John the Divine, foreign.ſoars at firſt out of ſight: Here doth God, detonare ab alto, thunder from on high, ſaith Calvin. St. Auſtin ſtands amazed at the myſticall Divinity here delivered. This Barbarian (ſaid the Philoſopher, Amel. Platonic. ap. Clem. Alex.concerning our Evangeliſt) hath comprized more ſtupendious ſtuffe in three lines, then we have done in all our volumnious diſcourſes. Happy had it bin for him, if he had been made, by this firſt Chapter, Iun. in vitae ſua, operib. praefix.of an Atheiſt, a true Chriſtian, as learned Junius was: But he only ad mired it, and ſo left it where he found it; as too many do the Word at this day.
Was the Word.] Perſonall, and Enunciative, Iſa. 6.1. Dan. 8.13.Iſaiah ſaw him on the Throne, and heard him ſpeaking, Daniel calleth him Palmoni hammidabbir, that excellent ſpeaker, and asketh him of the Viſion, the Syriack Interpreter here calleth him Meltha, the Word uttered; and the Chaldee, Pithgam Adonai, The Lord, the Word.
And the Word was with God.] foreign, Chryſoſt.which ſweetly ſets forth his co-eternity and co-exiſtency with the Father, ſaith Chryſoſtome, Moſcopulus renders it, ſecundum Deum; as being the expreſſe Image of the Father. Others, ad Deum; as importing a deliberation and conference of the Father and the Son.
And the Word was God.] Selnec. Paedag. Chriſt. par. 1. pag. 150.foreign without an article: Hence the Arrians cavill, that the Son is not God co-equall, but a ſecondary God, inferiour to the Father. But Gal. 1.3. The Father is alſo called foreign without an article; Euſeb. Hieronym.therefore this followes not. This whole Goſpel is a continuate demonſtration of Chriſts Deity, which began to be denied, while this Evangeliſt lived, by Ebion, Cirinthus, and other odious Antichriſts.
Verſe 2. The ſame was in the beginning] In the inſtant of Creation, as Gen. 1.1. therefore alſo before the Creation, therefore from eternity, Epheſ. 1.4. 1 Pet. 1, 20. Prov. 8.22, 23. aH…nc Iohannes auguſtum illud et magnificum Evangelii ſui imtium aſſumpſit. Mercer. in loc. Pro foreign ſubſtituit foreign.The Lord poſſeſſed me (ſaith Chriſt, the eſſentiall Wiſedome of God there) in the beginning of his way. Arrius corrupted the Greeke text, reading it thus; The Lord created me in the beginning, &c. and there hence blaſphemouſly inferred, that Chriſt was no more then a creature. But he was ſet up bVncta ſum in reginam et dominatricem oleo laetitiae. Pſal. 45.7. foreign. Laert. in vit.from everlaſting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was, verſe 23. Hence he is called, the Ancient of dayes, Dan. 7.9. And Thales, one of the ſeven Sages of Greece, ſtileth him, The moſt ancient of any thing that hath Being.
With God.] Being alius from his Father, not aliud; a diſtinct perſon, yet co-eſſentiall and co-eternall; for he was with him in the beginning of the creature which God created, as himſelfe ſpeaketh, Marke 13.19.
Verſe 3. All things were made by him.] So, he was not idle with the Father (though he were his darling, ſporting alwayes before him, Prov. 8.30.) but by him, as by a principall efficient and co-agent with the Father, and the holy Ghoſt, all things were made; as ſome ſhadow and obſcure repreſentation of his Wiſedome, Power, Goodneſſe, &c. ſeen in the Creature, as the ſinn is ſeen in water, or as letters refracted in a paire of ſpectacles are beheld by a dimme eye. We can ſee but Gods back-parts, and live; we need ſee no more, Exod. 33.23.that we may live.
And without him was nothing made.] This is added for the more certainty: it being uſuall with the Hebrewes, thus by negation to confirm what they have before affirmed, where they would aſſure, that the thing is ſo indeed; as Pſal. 92.15. Ioh. 7.18.
Verſe 4. In him was life.] As he created, ſo he quickneth and conſerveth all, being the Prince and principle of life, Eſt Deus in nobis, agitante caleſcimus illo.Acts 3.15. both of naturall life, Acts 17.28. (The Heathen could ſay as much) and of ſpirituall, 1 Iohn 5.12. Hence his members are called heirs of the grace of life, 1 Pet. 3.7. and all others are ſaid to be dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, Epheſ. 2.1. living carcaſes, walking ſepulchres of themſelves. In moſt families (as in Egypt, Exod. 12.30.) there is not one, but many dead corpſes, Epheſ. 4.18.as being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them.
Verſe. 5. And the light ſhineth,] The light both of nature, and of Scripture. The former is but a dim halfe-light, a ruſh candle, that will light a man but into utter darkneſſe. The later is a clear thorow-light: The Commandement is a lamp, et lex, lux, and the Law is light, Prov. 6.23. As for the Goſpel, it is ſet up as a Beaconon an hill, Tit. 2.11. or as the Sun in the firmament, foreign.Luke 1.78, 79. bringing life and immortality to light, 2 Tim. 1.10. Where God by his holy Spirit illightneth, Organ, and Object, Acts 26.18. and ſhineth on the heart, in the face of Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Cor. 4.6.
And the darkneſſe comprehendeth it not.] Nor will be comprehended by it, Phil. 3.12. but repels it, rebels againſt it, Job 24.13. impriſons it, as thoſe wizards did, Rom. 1.18. ſpurns at it (as Balaam the devils ſpelman did, Numb. 24.1, 2, when he ſet his face toward the wilderneſſe, and reſolved to curſe howſoever;) Herodat. Iob. 24.17.execrates it, as the Ethiopians doe the riſing Sun. The morning is to ſuch as the ſhadow of death; for, being born in Hell, they ſeek no other Heaven.
Verſe 6. There was a man ſent from God.] As he ran not, till ſent, Jer. 23.32. (St. Paul holds it not only for incredible, but for impoſſible, that men ſhould preach that are not ſent, Rom. 10.15.) foreign.So he declined not his Embaſſage, as did Jonas; who was therefore met with by another meſſenger of God, and ſent into the Whales belly, to make his Sermon for Nineveh; and in his prayer before, Ion. 2.8.to acknowledge out of ſad experience, that they that hunt after lying vanities (as he had done) forſake their own mercies.
Verſe 7. The ſame came for a witneſſe.] This he performed with a witneſſe, verbis non ſolum diſertis, ſed et exertis. He witneſſed plainly, and plentifully, with a clear and punctuall pronunciation, profeſſion, indigitation, verſ. 26, 29, 32, 36.
That all men through him might beleeve.] Our Saviour expected, that men ſhould have come as far to hear his fore-runner and him, as the Queen of Sheba came to heare Solomon, Mat. 12.42. But the one thing neceſſary lyes (alaſſe) neglected. Men will run to Hell as faſt as they can: and if God cannot catch them (ſaith one) they care not, M. Steph.they will not come to Chriſt, that they might live, John 5.40.
Verſe 8. He was not that light.] As ſome ſiniſterly conceited, which therefore occaſioned that moſt neceſſary digreſſion, verſe 6. to 10. and drew afterwards, from the Baptiſt himſelfe, that moſt vehement profeſſion, verſe 20. He confeſſed and denied not, but confeſſed, &c. He knew well the danger of detracting in the leaſt degree from Gods glory. To looke upon it only, and luſt after it, is to commit ſpirituall fornication with it in our hearts; for it is Gods beloved Spouſe, and he being jealous, cannot bear a corrivall. Looke upon it therefore, but with a ſingle eye, Matth. 6.22. and in all addreſſes to God, Illi da claritatem, tibi bumilitatem, Aug. ad Bonifas. epiſt. 205.give the honour to him; take humility to thy ſelfe, as Austin well adviſeth; let that be thy motto that was his, propter te, Domine, propter te. Study Gods ends, and we may have any thing of him, as Moſes, Exod. 32.
Verſe 9. Which lighteth every man, &c.] Or, that comming into the world, lighteth every man. All, with the light of reaſon, Job. 35.11. his own, with a ſupernall and ſupernaturall light, (To know heavenly things, is to aſcend into Heaven, Prov. 30.3, 4.) an affecting, transforming light, 2 Cor. 3.18. ſuch as maketh a man to be a childe of light, Epheſ. 5.8. partaker of the inberitance of the Saints in light, Coloſ. 1.2.
Verſe 10. He was in the world.] Here the Evangeliſt goes on where he left; reſumes, and proceeds in his former argument, verſe 5.
And the world was made by him.] This is the ſecond time here ſet forth, and re-inforced, that we may the better obſerve and improve it. See the like, Revel. 4.11. For thou hast created all things, and by thee, they are, and were created, without help, tool, or tireſomneſſe, Eſay 40.28. That one word of his, fiat, made alls ſhall we not admire his Architecture?
And the world knew him not.] Man is here called the World, and Mark. 16.15. he is called every Creature. This little World knew not Chriſt, for God had hid him under the Carpenters Son; his glory was inward, his Kingdome came not by obſervation. And becauſe the world knew not him, therefore it knoweth not us, 1. John 3.1. Princes, the ſaints, are in all Lands, Pſal. 45 16. but they lye obſcured, as did Melchiſedech. The Moone (ſay Aſtronomers) hath at all times as much light as in the full; but oft, a great part of the bright ſide is turned to heaven, and a leſſer part to the earth. So it is with the Church.
Verſe 11. He came unto his own,] His peculiar pickt people; as touching the election, beloved for the Fathers ſake (Ownneſſe makes love) though the more he loved, the leſſe he was beloved. Rom. 11.28.This may be the beſt mans caſe, 2 Cor, 12.15. Learn we to deſerve well of the moſt undeſerving. God ſhines upon the unthankfull alſo, Luk. 6.35. Chriſt came to the ſtiffe-necked, and uncircumciſed in heart and ears, Act. 7.51. His comfort was (and may be ours) Though Iſrael be not gathered, yet I ſhalbe glorious, &c. Iſa. 49.5.
And his own received him not.] Nay, they peremptorily and pertinaciouſly denied the holy One, and the Juſt; and deſired a murtherer to be given unto them. For the which their inexpiable guilt, Acts 31 14.they are, as it were caſt out of the world by a common conſent of Nations, being a dejected and deſpiſed people. Howbeit, we long, and looke daily for their converſion, their reſurrection, Rom. 11.15.as Saint Paul calleth it. And Augustine argueth out of the words, Abba, Father; that there ſhall one day be a conſent of Jewes and Gentiles, in the worſhip of one true God. There are that ſay out of Daniel, 12, 11. That this will fall out, Anno Dom. 1650. Mr. Hout. Mr. Caſe.Fiat, Fiat.
Verſe 12. To them he gave power,] Or, priviledge, foreign Non.preferment, prerogative royall, heavenly honour, as Non…us here rendereth it, and fitly. For if ſons, then heirs, Rom. 8.17. Hence that Ecce admirantis, 1 John 3.1. and that Who am I? 2 Sam. 7.18. with 14. Kings can make their firſt-born onelyonly heires, as Jehoſhaphat, 2 Chron. 21.3. But here all are heires of God, and co-heires with Christ.
Even to them that beleeve in his name.] Though with never ſo weake a faith, ſuch as may ſeeme to be rather unbeliefe, then faith, Marke 9.24. The leaſt bud drawes ſap from the Root, as well as the greateſt Branch. The weakeſt hand may receive a ring. Credo languidâ fide, ſed tamen fide, ſaid Dr. Cruciger on his death bed. Selneccer. paedag. Chriſt.A weak faith is a joynt poſſeſſour, though no faith can be a joynt purchaſer of this precious priviledge here ſpecified.
Verſe 13. But of God.] Whoſe ſons therefore they are, and ſo higher then the Kings of the earth, Pſal, 89.27. as thoſe that prolong the dayes of Chriſt upon earth, foreign. Hom.being begotten by the travell of his ſoule, Iſai. 53.10, 11. Hence faith is ſaid to adopt us, verſe 12. in like ſort as it juſtifies us, viz. by vertue of its object, Chriſt. Filiabitur nomine ejus. Trem.Hence Pſal. 72.17. there is ſaid to be a ſucceſſion of Chriſts name; it is begotten, as one generation is begotten of another. This is true nobility, where God is the top of the Kin, Religion the root.
Verſe 14. And the Word was made fleſh,] Put himſelfe into a lowſie leprous ſuite of ours, Nazianz.to expiate our pride and robbery, in reaching after the Deity, and to heale us of our ſpirituall leproſie; for foreign if he had not aſſumed our fleſh, he had not ſaved us.
Verſe 15. John cryed, ſaying;] He entred upon his calling in the yeare of Jubilee, which was wont to be publiſhed by the voice of a Crier, Rolloc. in loc.with the ſound of a Trumpet. And hitherto allude the Prophets and Evangeliſts, that ſay, he cried, and call him, the voice of a Crier, &c.
Verſe 16. Of his fulneſſe.] Which is both repletive, and diffuſive; not only of plenty, but of bounty: not a fulneſſe of abundance only, D. Preſton.but of redundance too. In Chriſtians is plenitudo vaſis; but in Chriſt, Fontis: theſe differ (ſay the Schoolmen) ut ignis, et ignita. Take a drop from the Ocean, and it is ſo much the leſſe; but the fulneſſe of the fire is ſuch, that light a thouſand torches at it, it is not diminiſhed.
And grace for grace.] That is (ſay ſome) the grace of the new Peſtament, for the grace of the old. And ſo in the next verſe, Grace ſhall anſwer to the morall Law, Truth to the Ceremoniall. Or, Beza. D. Preſton.(as others) Grace for grace; that is, a latitude anſwerable to all the Commandements, a perfection anſwerable to Chriſts owne perfection. As the father gives his childe limme for limme, part for part, &c. ſo doth this Father of Eternity (Iſa. 9 6.) There are that render it, Gratiam novâ gratiâ cumulata…. Paſor.Grace againſt grace, as in a glaſſe as face againſt face, See 2 Cor. 3.18. Or Grace upon grace, that is, one grace after another, a daily increaſe of graces.
Verſe 17. For the Law, &c.] Lex jubet, gratia juvat. Petamus ut det, quod ut habeamus jubes, ſaith Auguſtin. Aug in Exod. queſt. 55.We have his promiſe ever going along with his precept. The Covenant of grace, turns precepts into promiſes, and the ſpirit of grace, turns both into prayers.
Verſe 18. The only begotten Son,] In the year of Grace, 1520. Alſted. Chron.Michael Servetus a Spaniard, taught, that there is no reall generation or diſtinction in God; and was therefore worthily burnt at Geneva, in the year 1555. He would not recant; Bellarm. lib 1. de Chriſto c. 1. Calvin. Opuſc.and yet feeling the fire, could not with patience endure it, but kept an hideous roaring, till his life was exhauſted; crying out to the beholders, to diſpatch him with a ſword.
He hath declared him.] In a divine and extraordinary manner, foreign Lege Bez. Annot. major.as the word here uſed imports.
Verſe 19. Jewes ſent Priests.] Whoſe proper office it was to enquire into new Doctrines, and by preſerving, Bonos illos quidem viros, ſed certè non pereruditos. Cic. 20 de Finib. Vives in Aug. de Civ. Dei 4. c. 1.to preſent knowledge to the people, who were to ſeeke the Law at the Prieſts mouth, Mal, 2.7. Cicero complains of his Roman Prieſts, that they were good honeſt men, but not very skilfull. And V…o upbraids them with their ignorance of much, about their own gods and religions.
Verſe 20. He confeſſed and denied not, but confeſſed] Sincerely and ſtudiouſly; he put away that honour with both hands earneſtly, as knowing the danger of wronging the jealous God in his glory, that is as his wife. All the fat was to be ſacrificed to God.
Verſe 21. Art thou Elias? And he ſaith, I am not.] ſcil. That Elias that you imagine; Elias, the Thesbite, by a tranſanimation. foreign Pythagorica.As neither was he an Angel, as ſome in Chryſoſtomes time would gather out of Malch. 3.1. They that wreſt the Scriptures, are blinded; as Papiſts, and other brainſick hereticks.
Verſe 23. I am the voice of one crying] Chriſt ſpake not a word to Herod, faith one; becauſe Herod had taken away this voice of his, in beheading the Baptiſt.
In the Wilderneſſe.] Not in the Temple; To ſhew that the legall ſhadowes were now to vaniſh. Chryſologus cals John Baptiſt, fibulam legis et gratiae.
Verſe 25. Why baptizeſt thou then? Why doſt thou innovate any thing in the rites of Religion? A change they looked for under the Meſſiah, and had learned it out of Jer. 31. But this teſtimony brought by John Baptiſt out of Iſaiah, to prove his own calling; either they did not, or would not underſtand; nor yet do they ſeek to be better informed by him.
Verſe 27. I am not Worthy,] Yet Chriſt held him worthy to lay his hand upon his head in Baptiſme. And there is one that tels us (but who told him?) that for his humility on earth, he is preferred to that place in heaven, from which proud Lucifer fell.
Verſe 28. In Bethabara,] That is, by interpretation, the place of paſſage, or Traiectum, where Iſrael paſſed over Jordan. So the acts of Joſhua and Jeſus begin both at a place. Baptiſme alſo is firſt adminiſtred, where it was of old fore-ſhadowed. Chriſt is the true Bethabara, Epheſ. 2.18. we ſaile to Heaven on his bottome.
Verſe 29. foreign.Taketh away.] Or, that is taking away, by a perpetuall act, Iſa. 55, 7.as the Sun doth ſhine, as the Spring doth run, Zech. 13.1. This ſhould be as a perpetuall picture in our hearts. As we multiply ſins, he multiplieth pardons.
Verſe 31. And I knew him not.] By face not at all; left the people ſhould think, that this was done and ſaid by conſent, or compact afore-hand betwixt them. Nor did John ever know Chriſt ſo fully, till now: his former knowledge was but ignorance, in compariſon; none are too good to learn. The very Angels know not ſo much of Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1.12.but they would know more, Epheſ. 3.10. and therefore looke intently into the myſterie of Chriſt, as the Cherubims did into the Arke.
But that he ſhould be manifested,] Miniſters muſt hold up the tapeſtry, as it were, and ſhew men Chriſt. They are the mouth of the holy Ghoſt; whoſe office it is to take of Chriſts excellencies, and hold them out to the world, John 16.14.
Verſe 37. And they followed Jeſus.] So powerfull is a word or two (many times) touching Chriſt and his croſſe, to change the heart. Phil. 1.13. Acts & Mon. fol. 920.Paul ſheweth, that the very report of his bonds, did a great deal of good in Caeſars Court. Bil…eyes confeſſion converted Latimer. Galeacius Caracciolus (that Italian Marqueſſe) was wrought upon by a ſimilitude, uſed by Peter Martyr, reading on the 1. Epiſt. to the Corinthians. So were Earle Martinengus, and Hieronymus Zanchius (both of them Canonici Lateranenſes) by ſome ſeaſonable truth, Ea…ch. Miſcel Epiſt. ad Lanteran. p. 3, 4.falling from the ſame mouth. Luther having heard Staupirius ſay, that that is kinde repentance, which begins from the love of God; ever after that time, the practice of repentance was ſweeter to him. Alſo this ſpeech of his, tooke well with Luther, The doctrine of Predeſtination, Melch. Adam. in vita Luth.begins at the wounds of Chriſt.
Verſe 41. He firſt findeth] Yet afterwards Peter out-ſtript Andrew in faith, and forwardneſſe for Chriſt; as likewiſe Luther did Staupicius, &c. So the firſt become laſt, and the laſt firſt. But that charity is no churle, Andrew calleth Simon, and Philip Nathaneel, &c. as a Load-ſtone drawes to it ſelfe one iron ring, and that another, and that a third, So &c,
We have found the Meſſias.] Little it was that he could ſay of Chriſts perſon, office, value, vertue, &c. but brings him to Chriſt. So let us do ours to the publike ordinances. Do the office of the ſermon-bell at leaſt, we know not what God may there do for them. Bring them as they did the palſie-man upon his bed, and lay them before the Lord for healing.
Verſe 43. Follow me.] Together with Chriſts word, there went out a power. His words are operative and efficacious. This Prophecie the Atheiſt, and Julian the Apoſtate underſtood not; and therefore lighting upon this and the like places of the Goſpel, they blaſphemouſly affirmed, that either the Evangeliſts were lyars, or the Apoſtles fooles; that with one word only of our Saviour, would be drawn to follow him. So the Papiſts blaſpheme aſſurance, which they have not, as if it bred ſecurity and looſneſſe. They may aſwell ſay, the ſea burns, or fire cooles.
Verſe 44. Now Philip was of Bethſaida, Mark. 9.27.] So was Andrew and Peter, who would not be wanting to preach to this Towne, and pray for it. But all in vaine: whence that Woe to thee Bethſaida, Matth. 11.21. Chriſt would not ſuffer ſo much as the blinde man he had cured to go thither, Mark. 9.
Verſe 45. Philip findeth Nathaneel,] Whom ſome make to be the ſame with Bartholmew. I affirm nothing.
We have found,] The Greek word imports, foreign lu…rum n…ſperatum, & repentè oblātū.the ſudden and unexpected finding of ſuch a commodity as he looked not for. See Iſa. 65.1.
Verſe 46. Can there any good, &c.] When men take a toy in their heads againſt a place or perſon, they are ready to reaſon in this manner. Good Nathancel was in the common errour, as was likewiſe Philip, in the former verſe, with his Jeſus of Nazareth, the Son of Joſeph. Foure words only, and ſcarce ever a true one. Epidemicall diſeaſes are ſoone caught.
Verſe 47. Behold an Iſraclite, &c.] Here Chriſt wondereth at his own work of Renovation, as wonderfull, doubtleſſe, as that of Creation. Or the upright perſon hath here an ecce for imitation, as the hypocrite, for deteſtation, pſal. 52.7.
Verſe 48. Before that Philip, &c.] Chriſt thinks of us, when we little think of him. See Rom. 5.10.
Verſe 52. foreign.Ʋpon the ſonne of man.] The Jacobs Ladder, the bridge that joyneth Heaven and earth together, as Gregory hath it.