Commentary on John, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Verſe 1. A ruler of the Jewes.]
EIther a chieftain of the Phariſees, as he was, Luk. 14.1. Or one of the Sanhedrin, one of the ſeventy Seniours, whoſe learning hung in their light, 1 Cor. 2.8. Yet was neither learned Nathaneel, nor Nicodemus a Maſter of Iſrael excluded from Chriſts diſcipline (ſaith Joan. de Turrecremata;) leſt if he had admitted ſimple men only, Ne ſi ſolos ſimplices vocaſſet, credi poſſit quod fuiſſent ex ſimplicitate decepti foreign quaſi foreign Plato.it might have been thought they were deceived through their ſimplicity.
Verſe 2. We know] But will not know. Hence they became ſinners againſt the holy Ghoſt, Matth. 12.23. &c. The Devil that commits this ſin every day, is full of objective knowledge, and thence hath his name.
No man can do theſe miracles,] Thoſe juglers of Egypt, Jannes and Jambres, Miracula a diabolo edita ſunt praeſtigiae, impoſturae, mantaſmata, ludibria. Bucholc.did but caſt a miſt, and beguile the ſight of Pharaoh, and his followers. How Tindall hindered the jugler of Antwerp, that he could not doe his feats, ſee Acts and Monuments, fol. 985.
Verſe 3. Except a man be born again,] E ſupernis, Eraſſm. Except a man be firſt un-made (as St. Peter expounds our Saviour) and new-made up again; foreign 1 Pet. 2.24. 2 Pet. 1.3.except the whole frame of the old converſation be diſſolved, and a better erected, ther's no heaven to be had Heaven is too hot to hold unregenerate perſons; no ſuch dirty dog ever trampled on that golden pavement, it is an undefiled inheritance.
Verſe 4. How can a man, &c.] He underſtands no more of the doctrine of Regeneration (though he could not but have often read of it in Ezekiel elſewhere) then a common cowherd doth the darkeſt precepts of Aſtronomy, 1 Cor. 2.14. All this is gibbriſh to him. Water ariſeth no higher then the ſpring whence it came; ſo the naturall man can aſcend no higher then nature.
Verſe 5. Be born of water, and the holy Ghoſt.] That is, of the holy Ghoſt working like water, cooling, cleanſing, &c. In alluſion, belike, to that firſt waſhing of a new-born babe from his bloud, Ezek. 16.4. Or elſe to thoſe Leviticall waſhings, and not without ſome reference to Nicodemus, and his fellow-Phariſees, who placed a great part of their piety in externall waſhings, as do alſo the Mahometans at this day. Every time they eaſe nature (ſaith one that had been amongſt them) they waſh thoſe parts, Blunt voyage into Levant, pag. 100.little regarding who ſtands by. If a dog chance to touch their hands, they waſh preſently; before prayer they waſh both face and hands, ſometimes the head and privities, &c.
Verſe 6. That which is born of the fleſh, &c.] Whole man is in evil, and whole evil in man. Quintilian ſaw not this; and therefore ſaid, that it is more marvell that one man ſinneth, then that all men ſhould live honeſtly; ſin is ſo much againſt mans nature. Many alſo of the moſt dangerous opinions of Popery (as juſtification by works, ſtate of perfection, merit, ſupererogation, &c) ſpring from hence; that they have ſleight conceits of concupifcence, as a condition of nature. Yet ſome of them (as Michael Bains profeſſour at Lovaine, &c.) are ſound in this point.
Verſe 7. Marvell not, &c.] viz. through unbeliefe; Miracula aſſiduitate viteſcunt.for otherwiſe it is a juſt wonder, far beyond that of naturall birth; which, but that it is ſo ordinary, would ſurely ſeem a miracle.
Verſe 8. The winde bloweth, &c.] Libero et vago impetu. Watch therfore the gales of grace: we cannot purchaſe this winde (as Saylers in Norway are ſaid to doe) for any money. This Hawke, when flowen, will not eaſily be brought to hand again.
Verſe 9. How can theſe thing be?] Chriſt had told him that the manner of the Spirits working is incomprehenſible, and yet he is at it, How can theſe things be? Luth. apud Scultet. in Annalib.Sed ſcribo haec fruſtra (ſaith Luther in a certain letter of his to Melancthon) quia tu ſecundum philoſophiam vestram, has res ratione regere, hoc eſt, ut ille ait, cum ratione inſanire pergis.
Verſe 10. Art thou a maſter, &c,] The Phariſees and Philoſophers, for their learning, are called Princes of this world, 1 Cor. 2.8. And yet, had they known, they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory. Indoctirapiunt caelum, &c. The poore are goſpellized; foreignnot only receive it, but are changed by it. But Bellarmine cannot finde in all the Bible, Matth. 11.5. Promiſſio de remittendis peccatis eis quae conſitentur Deo non videtur ulla extare in divinis literis. Bell. de Iuſt if. l. 1. c. 21.where remiſſion of ſin is promiſed to ſuch as confeſſe their ſins to God.
Verſe 11. Ye receive not our witneſſe.] Our Saviour joyns himſelfe with the Prophets (whoſe writings Nicodemus had read ſo negligently) and takes it for a diſhonour, that he ſhould have written for men the great things of his Law, and they continue ſtrangers thereto, Hoſea 8.12.
Verſe 12. If I have told you earthly things,] That is, ſpirituall things, under earthly groſſe ſimilitudes, of winde, water, &c. In the myſtery of Chriſt, the beſt of us are acutè obtuſi. But for the naturall man, that cannot tell the nature of the winde, or enter into the depth of the flower, or the graſſe, &c. how ſhould he poſſibly have the wit to enter into the deep things of God, eſpecially if darkly delivered.
Verſe 13. And no man hath aſcended, &c. Caput & corpus unus Chriſlus.] Object. Therefore all but Chriſt are ſhut out of heaven. Sol. The Church, and Jeſus, make but one Chriſt, 1 Cor. 12.12. He counts not himſelfe full without his members, who are called the fulneſſe of him that filleth all, Epheſ. 1. ult.
Verſe 14. And as Moſes lifted up the ſerpent,] There it was, vide, et vive: here, crede, et vive. And as there, he that beheld the ſerpent, though but with a weak ſquint-eye, yea, but with halfe an eye, Selniccer. in pedag, Chriſt. pag. 321.was cured. So here, if we looke upon Chriſt with the eye, though but a weak faith, we ſhall be ſaved. Doctour Cruciger when he lay a dying, cried out, Credo languidâ fide, ſed tamen fide. I beleeve with a weak faith, but with a faith, ſuch as it is.
Verſe 15. That whoſoever beleeveth, Luther. Ioh. 6, 35, 36.] Faith is the ſoule, hand, (ſidei mendica manus, ſaith one) foot, whereby we come to Chriſt, mouth (hic credere eſt edere, ſaith Auſtine) wing, whereby wee foare up, and fetch Chriſt into the heart.
Verſe 16. God ſo loved the world,] This is a ſic without a ſicut, there being nothing in nature wherewith to parallell it. The world, that is, all mankinde fallen in Adam. This the Apoſtle fitly calleth gods, Philanthropy, Tit. 3.4. it being a ſweet favour to the whole kinde of us, that any are ſaved by Chriſt.
Verſe 17. Indg 9 At peitaru & viv…t re…ne… que beatus … …ſſe re…al. Her. ep… 1.] Not to condemne the world.] Unleſſe it be by accident, becauſe they will not be ſaved; they will not have heaven upon Chriſts tearms, they will not part with their fat and ſweet (with the V ne in Jothams parable) no not for a Kingdom: they will not be conſtrained to live happily, raigne eternally.
Verſe 18. Is condemned already.] The ſentence is paſſed, the halter about his neck; there wants no more then to turn him off the ladder of life, and he is gone for ever. In the mean while, he hangs but by one rotten twined thread, over hell-fire.
Becauſe he hath not beleeved.] He ſaith not, becauſe he hath committed adultery, murther. There is no righteouſneſſe now but of faith; no ſin (ſaith one) but from unbeliefe; for thy ſins againſt the Law are not imputed unto thee, if thou do but beleeve the Goſpel. foreign Gal. 3.23.It is unbeliefe that ſhuts a man up cloſe priſoner in the Lawes dark dungeon, whence faith only can fetch us out.
Verſe 19. This is condemnation] This is hell above ground, and aforehand. Affected ignorance is the leproſie in the head, which makes a man undoubtedly uncleane, and utterly to be excluded, Levit. 13.44.
Verſe 20. For every one that doth evil, Herodot.] As the Ethiop ans are ſaid to curſe the Sun for its bright and hot ſhining. Chriſt came a light into the world; foreign Tit. 2.12.his Goſpel hath appeared as a Beacon on a hill, or as the Sun in heaven; his Saints ſhine as lamps, &c. Now when men hate theſe, as theeves do a torch in the night, and flye againſt the lights as Bats do, this is condemnation.
Verſe 21. But he that doth truth.] Tenebriones Papiſtae malè ſibi conſcii, Aeternùm atri, et tetri ſunte, et habentor, Rex Platon.qui non tam cute, quam corde Aethiopici, Solem quò magis luceat, eò magis execrentur. But our hearts (as our clymate) have more light then heat. Sir Philip Sidney uſed to ſay of Chaucer, that he wondered how in thoſe miſty times he could ſee ſo cleerly; and how we in theſe clearer times go on ſo ſtumblingly. If any be ignorant, 1 Cor. 14.38.let him be ignorant, ſaith Paul. And ſo much any one knowes, as he does of Gods will, as the Apoſtle intimates, when he tels us, 2 Cor. 5.21.that Chriſt knew no ſin; that is, he did none.
Wrought in God.] Right. 1. Quoad fontem, a pure heart. Aug.2. Quoad finem, the glory of God. Eſſe they are but ſplendida peccata, ſins in a ſilk n ſuite.
Verſe 22. And baptized.] Where ever we are we muſt be doing. If Moſes may not do juſtice in Egypt, he will do it in Midian, Malim mibi malè eſſe quam molliter. Sen.Exod. 2.14, 17. I had rather be ſicke, ſaid Seneca, then out of employment.
Verſe 23. And John alſo was baptizing,] Here Mimſters may learn not to be wanting to their duties, though God ſtirre up others about them of greater parts, and better ſucceſſe, to obſcure them. Ʋerbi minister es, hoc age, was Mr Perkins his Motto. Summum culmen affectantes ſatis honeſtè vel in ſecundo faſtigio conſpiciemur, D Ward. Colum. lib. 1. in praefat Cic. de Orat. ad Brut.ſaith Columella. And, Prima ſequentem, honestum eſt in ſecundis, tertiiſve conſiſtere, ſaith Cicero. Every man cannot excell, nor is it expected.
Verſe 24. Caſt into priſon,] The Primitive Biſhops were found more frequently in priſons, Act and Mon. fol 1565. foreign. Dio Caſſ.then Palaces. Bocardo became a Colledge of Quondams, as the Marian Martyrs merrily called it. If Petronius could tell Caeſar, that he had rather be with Cato in the Priſon-houſe, then with him in the Senate-houſe: why ſhould it grieve any to ſuffer bonds with, and for Chriſt? Chryſostome had rather be Paul a priſoner of Jeſus Chriſt, then Paul rapt up into the third Heaven. Homil in Epheſ. 3.1.
Verſe 25. And the Jewes] Who joyned themſelves to Iohns Diſciples, craftily, and maliciouſly, that they might both ſet againſt Chriſt. Like as the Jeſuits at this day, will cunningly comply with the Lutherans, and ſeem to ſide with them, that they may both ſet gainſt the Calviniſts.
About punifying] That is, Baptiſme; called elſewhere, the Laver of regeneration, Tit. 3.5. and by a Father, foreign a purging preſervative. Not the putting away of the filth of the fleſh, ſaith Peter, but a better thing, 1 Pet. 3.21.
Verſe 26. Rabbi, he that was with thee] They envied for Iohns ſake, as Ioſhna did for Moſes, and with as little thank. Iohn would have been glad they had gone after Chriſt, as Andrew did. Howſoever, it was good news to Iohn, that Jeſus was ſo frequented and buſied.
Verſe 27. Ʋidetur bominis appellatio magnum habere momeatum, &c. Equide on pluris ſecerim juſtam commendationem, &c. 3 Iohn 12.A man can receive nothing] There is much in this word [Man] as Beza thinks, to ſet forth the moſt miſerable indigency of all mankinde by nature. The Greeks, when they ſet forth one miſ reble indeed, they call him foreign, thrice a man.
Verſe 28. Ye your ſelves bear me witneſſe] I ſhould rather chuſe the juſt commendation of one good man (ſaith Rolloc upon this Text) then the fooliſh admiration of a whole multitude. Demetrius hath good report of the truth it ſelfe; that's enough for him.
Verſe 29. The friend of the bride-groom] Such is every faithfull Miniſter, 2 Cor. 11.2. whoſe office is to wooe for Chriſt, and not (as ſome) to ſpeak one word for him, and two for himſelfe. This is foul-play.
Verſe 30. He muſt increaſe, but, &c.] And this was Johns great joy. That man hath true light, that can be content to be outſhined by others; and nothing will more try a mans grace, then queſtions of emulation. Ezekiel can commend Daniel his Contemporary, Ezek. 14.14.matching him with Noah, and Job, for his power in prayer. And Peter highly praiſeth Pauls Epiſtles, though he had been publikely reproved by him at Antioch. Yea, 2 Pet. 3. Gal. 2Plato called Ariſtotle foreign & foreign the intelligent Reader. And Ariſtotle is ſaid to have ſet up an Altar in honour of Plato, with this inſcription. Hier. Walſ. in Hermiae libNulla ferent talem ſecla futura virum. But Luther ſhewed himſelfe ſo much diſcontent at the Reformation wrought at Wittenberg in his abſence, by Caroloſtadius, Cum Lutherus ex ſua eremo Wittenbergan redvſ…et, &c. Alſted. Chron. pag. 520.becauſe it was done without him, that he doubted not to approve thoſe things, that till then he had diſapproved, and to diſapprove what before he had approved of. So hard it is for a man willingly, and gladly to ſee his equals lifted over his head in worth, and opinion. Selfe-love makes men unreaſonable, and ever teacheth them to turn the glaſſe, to ſee themſelves bigger, others leſſer then they are, &c.
Verſe 31. He that commeth, &c.] Hitherto Chriſt hath been compared with John: In the reſt of the Chapter, he ſtands compared; Firſt, with all men. Secondly, with the faithfull, and infinitely preferred before them all. He is the chiefe of ten thouſand; Cant. 5.10.or the Standard-bearer, which ever are the goodlieſt.
Is earthy] Terra eſt, ſo Augustine renders it in the ſame ſenſe, as he is fleſh, verſ. 6. God will ſmite this earth with the rod of his mouth, Iſa. 11.6.
Speaketh of the earth] As Ducklings have alwayes their bills in the mud, as Swine are ever rooting in the mire.
Verſe 33. Hath ſet to his ſeal, &c.] Hath given God a teſtimoniall, ſuch as is that Deut. 32.4. After which, God alſo ſets his ſeal (quaſi in redhoſtimentum) to the beleever, Eph. 1.13.
Verſe 34. Speaketh the words of God] This the true beleever is convinced of; and therefore ſets to his ſeal, Luke 1.1.as to an undoubted truth. He is fully perſwaded, as Saint Luke was.
Verſe 35. The Father loveth the Son.] Therefore faith may have firme footing. God hath layd help upon one that is mighty, Pſal 89.19. that our faith and hope may be in God, 1 Pet. 1.21.
Verſe 36. Hath eternall life] 1. In promiſſo. 2. In pretio. 3. In primitiis. He ſtands already on the Battlements of heaven, he hath one foot in the porch of Paradiſe.
He that beleeveth not] There is a two-fold un-beleefe, one in the underſtanding, foreign. Heb. 8.10.and is oppoſed to faith: the other in the will, and lives, and is oppoſed to obedience. For cure of both, God hath promiſed to write his Lawes, both in the mindes of his people, and in their hearts too.
The wrath of God abides upon him] foreign, as in its manſion-place, as upon its baſis, tanquam trabali cbavo fixa, ſaith one; there it neſtles, ſettles, and never will away. The unbeleever can neither avoid it, nor abide it.