Commentary on John, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
Verſe 1. Let not your heart, &c.]
OUr Saviour ſweetly proceeds in his ſwan-like ſong. foreign Hoſt. var. lib. 1. Mortis articulo inſtante, & ſanguine vale affe…o va…de horridè mugiunt. Sirenes.Aelian tells us, that he once heard a dying ſwan ſing moſt heavenly and harmoniouſlly. The Poet ſhews the manner of it, when he ſaith,—longa canoros Dat per colla modos—. Of the Sirens, (on the contrary) it is reported, that how ſweetly ſoever they ſang before, yet at death they make a horrid noiſe, and unpleaſant roaring. Semblably, good men utter their beſt uſually at laſt; the wine of the ſpirit being the ſtrongeſt and livelieſt in them. Whereas wicked men are then uſually at worſt, and go out with a ſtench, as the devil is ſaid to do: And as Melancthon ſaid of Eccius his laſt wicked work, written of Prieſts marriage, 10. Manl. loc. com. Melch. Adam. in vita Calvini. M. Boltons Aſſiz… Ser…, … 7.Non fuit cygnea cantio, ſed ultimus crepitus: & ſicut felis fugiens pedit, ſie ille moriens, hunc crepitum cecinit. So of Baldwine the apoſtate, one ſaith, that vivere ſimul & maledicere deſiit, he died curſing, as that wretch did ſwearing, who deſperately alſo deſired the ſtanders by to help him with oaths, and to ſwear for him.
Verſe 2. I would have told you] And not have ſed you with falſe hopes of an Utopian happineſſe, as the devil deals by his, whom he brings into a fools paradiſe; as Mahomet by his, B…unts voyage, pag 6….to whom he promiſes in Paradiſe delicious fare, pleaſant gardens, and other ſenſuall delights eternally to be enjoyed, &c. Chriſt is no ſuch Impoſtour.
Verſe 3. I will come again, &c.] O look up and long for this conſolation of Iſrael; ſay as Siſera's mother, Why are his charets (thoſe clouds) ſo long in coming?
Heu pietas ubi priſca? profana ô tempora! Mundi Faex! Veſper! prope Nox! ô mora! Chriſte veni.
There may ye be alſo] Chriſt counts not himſelf full, till he have all his members about him: hence the Church is called, the fullneſſe of him that filleth all things, Eph. 1.23.
Verſe 4. And whither I go ye know] Some little knowledge they had, ſuch as Thomas in the next verſe denies to be any at all, yet Chriſt acknowledgeth it. The tenour of the new covenant requires no ſet meaſures of grace. The firſt ſpringings in the womb of grace, are precious before God, Eph. 2 1. he bleſſeth our buds, Iſa. 61.11. and in our dunghill of ignorance, can finde out his own part of knowledge, as here.
Verſe 5. Lord, we know not whether thou goeſt, &c.] No, Thomas? what, are ye alſo ignorant? They knew, but knew not that they knew: their knowledge was yet but confuſed and indiſtinct; they ſaw men, but as it were walking like trees, till their eyes were better anointed with the eye-ſalve of the Spirit. A man (ſaith one) may have grace, M. Gatak Juſt mans Jay, p. …1.and yet not know it, (as the Embryo hath life, and yet knoweth it not) yea, he may think he hath it not, as we ſeek for keyes that are in our pocket; or think we have loſt a jewel, that we have looked up in our cheſt: yea, as the butcher looketh for the candie that ſticketh in his hat, by the light of that he ſeeketh.
Verſe 6. I am the way and the Truth, &c.] As if he ſhould ſay, Thou haſt no whither to go but to me, nor which way to go but by me, that thou mayeſt attain eternall life. Which made Bernard ſay, Mel…h Adam. in vites exter. pag. 235.Sequemur, Domine, te, per te, ad te: Te, qui a Veritas, per te, quia Via, ad te, quia Vita. And this was one of thoſe ſweet ſayings, that old Beza had much in his mouth, a little afore his death.
No man commeth unto the Father, but by me.] Chriſt hath paved us a new and living way to God, with his own meritorious blood: and his fleſh ſtands as a skreen betwixt us, and thoſe everlaſting burnings, Iſa. 33.14. Let Papiſts ſay of their Saints, Per hune itur ad Deum, ſed magis per hune. Let us ſay of all their hee and ſhee Saints, as that Heathen, Contemno minutos iſtos Deos, modò Jovem (J…ſum) propitium habeam.
Verſe 7. And from hence firth ye know him] Or elſe the more ſhame for you, having had me (his expreſſe image) ſo long amongſt you. Chriſtians have a priviledge above he Church of the old Teſtament. The ſea about the Altar was brazen, 1 King. 7.23. and what eyes could pierce thorow it? Now our ſea about the Throne is glaſſie, Revel. 4.6. like the Cryſtall, clearely conveying the light and ſight of God in Chriſt to our eyes.
Verſe 8. Lord, ſhew us the Father] They would have ſeen the Father face to face with their bodily eyes, as they ſaw the Son. But that no man can doe and live, Exod. 33. We cannot ſee the Sun in rota, as the Schools ſpeak, in the circle wherein it runs, but only in the beams. So neither can we ſee God in his eſſences: foreign. Heb. 1.3.in his Sonne we may, who is the reſplendency of his Fathers glory.
Verſe 9. Have I been ſo long, &c.] May not Chriſt juſtly ſhame and ſhent us all for knowing no more of him all this while? Ignorance under meanes of knowledge is a bluſhfull ſinne, 1 Cor. 15.34.
Verſe 10. The words that I ſpeak.] Our Saviour alledgeth for himſelf the Divinity both of his word and works. He was mighty, ſaith Peter, both in word and deed. Miniſters alſo muſt, in their meaſure, be able to argue and approve themſelves to be men of God, by ſound doctrine and good life. And not be, as our Saviour ſaith, the Phariſees were, and as Epictetus ſaith many Philoſophers were ſuch, foreign
Verſe 11. Believe me that I am, &c.] Take my bare word without any further pawn or prooff. This is an honour due to Chriſt onelyonly, that he is, foreign, He is Amen, the faithfull and true witneſſe.Revel. 3.14.
Verſe 12. And greater works then theſe.] Greater in regard of the matter, as converting three thouſand ſouls at a Sermon, reducing a great part of the world to the obedience of Chriſt, &c. But yet leſſe then thoſe Chriſt did, for the manner. For, 1. They did them not in their own name, but in his. 2. They preached not that they were Gods, as he, but they preached Chriſt the only Lord, and themſelves the Churches ſervants, for Jeſus ſake. They were the white horſes on which Chriſt rode abroad the world, conquering and to conquer, Revel. 6.2. In memory whereof, as it may ſeem, the Saxon-Princes, having born a black horſe till then, Cranzius in Saxon.in their military Enſignes did, after they had received the faith and were baptized, bear a white horſe, and gavo it for their Arms. And Tertulliam could ſay in his time, that, Britannorum inacceſſa Romanis loca, Christo in men ſubdita.
Verſe 13. that I will doe.] An undoubted argument of Chriſts Divinity, that he hears and grants prayers. When the people, in Ahabs time, ſaw God anſwering Elijah by fite from heaven, they cried out, 1 King. 18.39. Pſal. 65.2.The Lord he is god, the Lord he is God. O thou that hearest prayers, is a deſeription the Pſalmiſt gives of God.
Verſe 14. If ye ſhall ask any thing, &c:] This is not a vain repetition, Seneca.Nuquaàm ſaris dicitur, quod nunquam ſatis diſcitur. When God ſpake but onee, David heard it twice: O that we would once hear and believe, what Chriſt for our comfort hath ſaid over ſo often!
Verſe 15. If ye love me, keep my Commandments.] No better way to ſeal up love, then by being obedient. How canſt thou love me, Judg. 16.ſaid ſhe, when thy heart is not with me? Huſhai, to ſhew his love to David, ſet upon that difficult and dangerous ſetvice for him, of inſinuating into Abſaloms counſels, and defeating them.
Verſe 16. And lee ſhall give you another Comforter] Or, pleader, Deprecatour,foreign Advocate. Properly it ſignifies ſuch an one as weſnd for, when we are in any danger, to adviſe and counſell us. The devilies called the M…ſer, foreignin full oppoſition to this name and title given here to the holy spirit; whoſe office it is (as this Attribute here impoſts) to make interceſſion in our hearts to God for us, and; upon our true Repentance to make our Apologie, 1 Cor. 7.11. to comfort us, by diſcovering our graces, 1 Cor. 2.12. and by pleading our evidences, Rom. 8 18. which they that refuſe to read over and reſt upon, they help Satan the Accuſer, taking his part againſt themſelves, and pleading his cauſe againſt the Spirit their Comforter.
That be may abide with you for ever.] D. Sibb….The Spirit (ſaith one) is Chriſts Vicar-generall, with whom he leaves us, and, by whom, he is with us to the end of the world.
Verſe 27. For be dwelleth with you] Next to the love of Chriſt in dwelling in our nature, we may wonder at the love of the holy Ghoſt, that will dwell in the dark dog-hole of our defiled ſouls; and be there as thoſe two golden pipes, Zech. 4. thorow which the two Olive branches empty out of themſelves the golden oyls of all precious graces; which are, there hence, called the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. yea, the Spirit, verſ. 17. God alſo in giving us his Spirit, is ſaid to give us all good things, Matth. 7.11. with Luk. 11.13.
Verſe 18. I will not leave you comfortleſſe.] Orphans, or darkling. foreign, enebrae. foreign Dedi me in via. 1 Cor 2 ultI your Lord am taken indeed from your head for a while: but you ſhall have the ſupply of my Spirit, Phil. 1.19. And I, even I, will come againe to you ere long; yea, I am now upon the way: I come to fetch you, I come to meet you, I come, I come.
Verſe 19. But ye ſee me.] The ſpirituall man hath the minde of Chriſt, and thoſe things revealed onto him that naturall eye never ſaw, carnall ear never heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him; neither prepared only, but imparted to his aforehand, even in this life. For he reſerves not all for the life to come, but gives a grape of Canaan in this wilderneſſe, ſuch as the world never taſted off.
Verſe 20. That I am in my Father, and you in me.] O happy union, the ground of communion! Intereſt! the ground of influence! Hence we have communication of Chriſts ſecrets, 1 Cor. 2.16. the teſtimony of Jeſus, 1 Cor. 1.5. Conſolation in all afflictions, 2 Corinth. 1.5. Sanctification of all occurrences, Philip. 1.21. Participation of Chriſts merit and Spirit, and what not?
Verſe 21. And I will love him and manifeſt] Encreaſe of the ſaving knowledge of Chriſt is promiſed, foreign, 'aciiè & clam indicabo, …raſin. Imo palam & iu mediâ luic. Beza.as a ſingular reward of our love to him, and fruit of his love to us. This is, ſaith Agur, to aſcend into heaven, Prov. 30.3, 4. This is, ſaith our Saviour elſewhere, the great talent of all others. There is a (Much) in it, Luke 12.48. This is, ſaith Saint Paul, the Chriſtians riches, 1 Cor. 1.5. And David reckons of his wealth by it, Pſal. 119.32.
Verſe 22. How is it that thou wilt manifest.] Many a wiſe Queſtion the Diſciples ask him in this Chapter; and yer our Saviour bears with their rudeneſſe, and gently inſtructs them, preaching as they were able to hear, Mark 4 33. So did Paul, 1 Cor. 9.22. So muſt all Miniſters, 2 Tim. 2.25. if they mean to doe good on it.
Verſe 23. Jeſus anſwered and ſaid unto him] Our Saviour paſſing by that frivolous Queſtions proceedeth in his diſcourſe. Some follies are beſt confuted by ſilence. One having made a long and idle diſcourſe before Ariſtotle, concluded it thus; I doubt I have been too tedious unto you, Flutar de garru…tate.Sir Philoſopher, with my many words. In good ſooth, ſaid Ariſtotle, you have not been tedious to me, for I gave no heed to any thing you ſaid.
Verſe 24. But the Fathers] Therefore to be obey'd, becauſe of divine authority. Gods impreſſe makes authentike, and bindes every good heart to obedience. Inepiſt. ad Oeco…amp.Veniat, veniat verbum Domini, & ſubmittemus ei, ſexcenta ſi nobis eſſent colla, ſaid Baldaſſar, a godly Dutch-Divine.
Verſe 26. But the Comforter, &c.] The Spirit teacheth only things conſonant to the Scripture, and is thereby diſcerned from a ſpirit of deluſion: He is not novarum revelationum architectus, as Papiſts, Mahometans, Anabaptiſts, and Libertines would make him. The Jews alſo had many traditions and unwritten verities (as they called them) wherewith they believed their Scribes and Doctours were inſpired, for the peoples better direction in obſerving the law. Theſe they called Maſhlamnuthoth, Completiones, Perfectiones, Buxt. Tiberias.becauſe they thought that the written law was perfected and completed by them. Theſe were thoſe our Saviour cried down, Mat. 15.3. And the Prophet tels us, that in vain ſhall we look to hear the voice behinde us, where our eyes ſee not our teachers, Iſa. 30.20, 21.
Verſe 27. Peace I leave with you] As a farewell, or legacy, Sacroſancta foreign nobis committitur non foreign, aut foreign Chriſt is the Prince of Peace, yea, he is our peace, ſaith the Apoſtle, and brings true peace, which is a peece of his Kingdome, Rom. 14.17. Of him it may be more truly ſaid, then it was of our Henry the ſeventh, that the came in, Twinu… Comment de rebas Britan….Ʋt cùm pacem exulantem exul, extorrem que extorris concomitatus eſſet, reducem quo que redux apportaret.
Not as the world, &c.] They cry peace when there is no peace, and make fair weather, when ſuch a ſtorm of Gods wrath is ready to hurſt out, as ſhall never be blown over. They complement, and wiſh peace, when warre is in their hearts: as the Pope ſent away Henry the third Emperour in peace, Auth Apolog. de …it. eccleſ.but it was (ſaith the Hiſtorian) Qualem ſcilicet pacem Judas ſimulavit, non qualem Christus reliquit.
Verſe 28. My Father is greater then I,] To wit, as I have voluntarily ſubmitted my ſelf to the office of a Mediatour. Loe, here this Sunne of righteouſneſſe is gone back ten degrees in the diall below his Father. Thou haſt made him little leſſe then the Angels; Pſal. 8.there (as man) he is gone back ten degrees below the Angels. I am a worm and no man: there he is gone back ten degrees below men. A living dog is better then a dead lion: Pſal. 22. Eccleſ.there he is gone back ten degrees below worms. For he was not ſo much as a living worme, but was laid in the grave as a dead Lion; there to have been meat for wormes, but that it was impoſſible for Gods holy One to ſee corruption. foreign.See how he emptied and humbled himſelf, that he might exalt and fill us with his fulneſſe.
Verſe 29. And now I have told you before] Which none beſides God himſelf could doe, but by divine revelation. The knowledge of future contingents is of God only, and of ſuch as to whom he is pleaſed to communicate it; as he did to the Prophets: who when they foretold things only as in their cauſes, they might fall out or not, as Iſa. 38.1. Jonah 3.4. and 1 King. 21 20. Weemſ. his exercitar.But when they foretold things, ut futura in ſcipſis, then they fell out infallibly. The devil alſo may come acquainted with ſuch things, Cuſanus oblit, an…o 'Do. 1464. Alſted Chrono. log. p. 472. Trithem. ſcri. pſit. an. 1508. Genius verd. qui Trithemio haec dictavit, alb… an ater ſucrit, ego non facilè dixerim. Bucholcer.and be able to foretell them, if God reveal them to him, as he did Ahabs death: and as Trithemius the Abbot, and Cuſanus the Cardinall foretold a change of religion to fall out in the year, 1517. which was the year wherein Luther begun to ſtickle for Chriſt againſt the Pope.
Verſe 30. Hereafter I will not, &c.] Make we the beſt of our Chriſtian friends while we have them; as we would do of a borrowed book or tool, that we know not how ſoon they may be ſent for, by the right owner.
The Prince of this world cometh] In his limbs and inſtruments, thoſe breathing devils that put Chriſt to death. Perſecutours are ſet awork by Satan; The devil ſhall caſt ſome of you into priſon, Rev. 2.10. Why? Is he become a Juſtice of peace, to ſend men to priſon? Yes, by his Agents. But why would Chriſt be ſo uſed by him and his? Hear the next words;
Verſe 31. But that the world may know] Not you only, but all muſt take notice of my ready obedience to the will of mine heavenly Father, even to the ſuffering of death. Chriſts paſſion muſt ſhine as a perpetuall picture in our hearts: therefore is it ſo accurately deſcribed by all the four Evangeliſts; whereas his birth is recorded but by two of them onelyonly.