Commentary on John, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Verſe 1. Ieſus Went unto the Mount of Olives.]
HIs uſually Oratory. There he prayed by night; and then early in the morning he came again into the Temple to preach. Thus he divided his time betwixt praying and preaching. So did the Miniſters of the old Teſtament, Deut. 33, 10. and of the New, Acts 6.2. So muſt all that will do good of it; 1 Cor. 3.6.ſith Paul may plant, Apollos water, but God only gives increaſe.
Verſe 3. And the Scribe &c.] Deeſt haec historia apud quamplurimos interpretes. Beza.
Verſe 4. In the very act] Gr. In the very theft: foreign. Capell. of Tempt.perhaps to intimate the great theft that is in adultery; whiles the childe of a ſtranger carries away the goods or lands of the Family: which therefore the adultereſſe is bound in conſcience to confeſſe. Defraud. i. e. in re Venerea, in adulterio. Sic intelligunt. Hieron. Chryſoſt. Heinſous.Saint Paul gives charge, that no man go beyond, and defraud his brother in the matter: that is, in the matter of the marriage bed; but that every one poſſeſſe his veſſell, that is, his wife, the weaker veſſell, in ſanctification and honour, as ſome interpret it.
Verſe 5. Such ſhould be ſtoned.] Adultery was to be puniſhed with death. Society and the purity of poſterity could not otherwiſe continue amongſt men: Huet of Conſe. pag. 5….which is well obſerved by Divines to be the reaſon, why Adultery is named, under it all uncleanneſſe being forbidden; when yet other violations are more heinous, as Sodomy, and beſtiality: Nevertheleſſe, other ſinnes do not ſo directly fight againſt ſociety, which the Law mainly reſpects.
Verſe 9. Convicted by their own conſcience] Which is Gods ſpie, and mans over-ſeer; index, judex, vindex: foreign.ſo that ſinners are ſelf-condemned, and oft betrayed by their own bluſhing, and heart-beating, when yet the offence is ſecret. Yea, a man feels an inward ſhame in his own heart, diſgracing, and abuſing him, though he make no outward ſhew of it. For albeit an innocent perſon, upon the fulneſſe of an aſperſion, may conceive ſhame, as did David, Pſal. 44.15. Yet it is uſually the effect of an ill conſcience.
Verſe 11. Neither do I condemne thee] Hence an Anabaptiſt will argue, that adultery is not to be puniſhed (as they did from that Text, An…aptiſtae ſa…pſerunt adulteria noa eſſe pua…enda per h…tnes, &c. Joh. M…nl. loc. con. p 487, Jul. Seal De Subt…at.Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, therefore men ought not to meddle with them.) But they may as well ſay, that inheritances are not to be divided between brethren, becauſe our Saviour refuſed to divide them, Luk. 12.14. it being without the liſts of his calling; no proper employment of his.
Verſe 12. I am the light of the world] foreign, ut Plato loquitur, quia foreign, ut Scaliger.
The light of life] Light in good and bad men differs as the light of the Sun (wherein is the influence of an enlivening power) and the light of torches.
Verſe 15. I judge no man] viz. After the fleſh, as ye do. Chriſtians are Antipodes to the world; yea, they have their feet there, where other mens heads are; Prov. 15.24.they go not only another, but an upper way to work. Like Eagles, they delight in flying.
Verſe 18. I am one that bear witneſſe, &c.] Chriſt is Alius from his Father, not Aliud. Another perſon, not another thing. As in the perſon of Chriſt, there is aliud, & aliud (againſt Eutyches) not Alius & Alius: (againſt Nestorius.) In this Text, the Divinity of Chriſt is plainly diſtinguiſhed from his humanity: how elſe ſhould He and the Father be two witneſſes to himſelf?
Verſe 19. If ye had known me, &c.] For milk is not ſo like milk, as Chriſt is like his Father.
Verſe 21. Ye ſhall dye is your ſins] A heavy doome, the very door to damnation. It is a ſad thing to dye in priſon, to dye in a ditch, but far worſe to dye in your ſins. This is to be ſlain with death, according to that Revel. 2.21. I will kill her children with death. All men dye, but wicked men only are killed with death. As a godly man ſaid, that he did aegrotare vitaliter: ſo do all the righteous, mori vitaliter, becauſe they have hope in their death; which to them is as the valley of Achor, a door of hope, to give entrance into Paradiſe. Whereas to the wicked, it is as a trap-door to let them into hell: ſo that it is a juſt wonder, that foreſeeing their danger, they go not roaring and raving out of the world. Nothing ſhould be done (we ſay) to trouble a dying perſon, no ſhreiking or crying out. Oh take heed, and prevent the ſhreikings of conſcience at that hour, &c. Take heed ye dye not in your ſin, in that your ſin of unbeleefe. foreignIn hoc peccato (as Beza here rendereth it;) for unbeleef ſhuts a man up cloſe priſoner in the Laws dark dungeon till death come with a Writ of Habeas corpus, and hell, with a Writ of Habeas animam, &c.
Verſe 23. Ye are from beneath] Vos infernales estis, Ego Supernas, Rev. 12.12. Gal. 4 26.Beza. So the wicked are called the inhabitants of the earth, and of the ſea, in oppoſition to the Church, which is ſaid to be in heaven, and called Jeruſalem which is above.
Verſe 24. For if ye beleeve not &c.] And yet Ʋenator the Arminian ſaith, Nego hanc propoſitionem, Nemo poteſt ſalvus fieri, qui Chriſto per veram fidem non eſt inſitus. Is not this to contradict Chriſt to his face? what an os durum is this?
Verſe 25. Even the ſame that I ſaid, &c.] To wit, The way, the truth, and the life. Some render it thus; Prorſus id quod loquor vobiſcum, I am the very ſame Word that I ſpeak with you.
Verſe 28. When ye have lift up the Son, &c.] 1. Upon the Croſſe, as the brazen Serpent was upon a pole. And 2. by the croſſe to the Crown, though they intended no ſuch thing. If there be any way to Heaven on horſe-back (ſaid that Martyr) it is by the Croſſe.Bradſ…rd.
Verſe 31. If ye continue in my Word] Non quaeruntur in Christianis initia, ſed finis, ſaith Hierome. foreign. Ba…l.And that which is but almoſt done, is not done ſaith Baſil. It is the evening that crowns the day, and the laſt act that commends the whole ſcene. Temporaries flaſhings, are but like Conduits running with wine at the Coronation, that will not hold: or like a Land-flood, … ſeems to be a great ſea, but comes to nothing.
Verſe 32. The truth ſhall make you free] From the tyranny of ſin, and terrour of hell. Pauls freedome ſaved him from whipping; Acts 22.29.this, from periſhing.
Verſe 33. Were never in bondage] When yet they were ſcarce ever out of bondage to one enemy or another. At this time they were vaſſals to the Romans. But brag's a good dog. Pride will bud. Ezek. 7.10. Spaniards are ſaid to be impudent braggers, Heyl. Geog. pog 30. Al…led Chronol. 43…. Servit… graveſſima eſt, ſibi. ipſi ſervire. S n. Victrix Gent um, captiva vitiorum. Aug.and extremely proud, in the loweſt ebbe of for tune. There is not a more vainglorious people this day under Heaven, then the Jews, (ſaith Alsted.) Antiquum obtinent, they are no changelings, they ſill up the meaſure of their fathers ſinnes.
Verſe 34. Is the ſervant of ſinne.] Hath as many Lords as luſts: That as Arguſtine ſaid of Rome, in her pride: She conquered countries, but was vanquiſhed of vices: And as the Perſian Kings commanded the whole world, but were commanded by their wives and concubines; Captivarum ſuarum captivi. …lut…ich.ſo is it with ſinnes ſlaves. This ſlavery they may eaſily ſhake off, ſaith Seneca: wherein the wiſe man was utterly out, heavenly-wide, as Sr Philip Sidney engliſheth, Toto errat cael….
Verſe 40. A man that hath told you the truth.] Yea, but you tell them not toothleſſe truth, Hiſt. lib. 1. cap. 1.but ſuch as breeds hatred. He that prizeth (preacheth) truth, ſhall never proſper by the poſſeſſion or profeſſion thereof, ſaith Sr Walter Rawleigh. And, Truth is a good miſtriſſe, ſaith another; but he that followeth her too cloſe at heels, may hap have his teeth ſtruck out. The hearing of truth galles; as they write of ſome creatures, that they have fel in qure. Praedicare, nihil aliud eſt, quàm derivare inſe furorem mundi, ſaid Luther, who had the experience of it.
Verſe 41. We have one Father, even God.] Yet God is not in their heads, Pſal. 10 4. nor hearts, Pſal. 14.1. nor words, Pſal, 12.4. nor wayes, Tit. 1.16. In ſuch a poſture of diſtance, nay defiance, ſtand wicked men. And yet none ſo forward to call God Father, Jer. 3.4, 5.
Verſe 43 Why do ye not understand my ſpeech?] Any more then if I ſpake to you in a ſtrange language. So, many of our hearers.
Verſe 44. Ye are of your father the Devil.] Who hath ſet his limbes in you: ſo that ye are as like him, as if ſpit out of his mouth. Satan is called the God of this world; becauſe as God at firſt did but ſpeake the …, and it was done: ſo if the devil do but hold up his finger, give the leaſt hint, they obey him.
The luſts of your father ye will do.] If the fruits of the fleſh (ſard that Martyr) grow out of the trees of your hearts, Bradford. Serm. of Rep. p. 70.ſurely, ſurely, the devil is at Inne with you: You are his birds, whom when he hath well fed, he will broach you and eate you, chaw you and champ you, world without end, in eternall wo and miſery, &c.
And abode not in the truth. Bu…olc.] Si ſatan in conspectu Dei tantas res auſus est, quid apud nos non audebit?
When he ſpeaketh a lye, he speaketh of his own.] And ſo when we do evil, we worke de noſtro, & ſecundum hominem, 1 Cor. 3.3. It is as impoſſible for us naturally to do good, as for a road to ſpet cordials.
For he is a liar, and the father of it.] The devil did only equivocate to our firſt parents, and yet is here called a lyar, and 2 Cor. 11.3. a cozener. A lye hath been alwayes held hatefull: but equivocation is now ſet forth, of a later impreſſion. The Jeſuites have called back this peſt from hell, alate, for the comfort of afflicted Catholicks, as Arch-Prieſt Blackwell, and Provinciall Garnet ſhamed not to profeſſe. Est autem ſatanae pectus ſemper faecundiſſimum mendacijs, ſaith Luther. He began his kingdom by a lye, and by lyes he upholds it, as were eaſie to inſtance. See my Notes on Geneſis, chap. 3. ver. 5.
Verſe 48. That thou art a Samaritan.] And why a Samaritun, trow, but that they thought the worſt word in their bellies good enough for him? Malice cares not what it faith, ſo it may kill or gall: and theſe dead dogs (as he calleth Shimci) will be barking. 2 Sam. 16.9.The Primitive Perſecutours uſed to put Chriſtians into bears and doggs skins, or other ugly creatures, and then bait them: ſo doth the wicked put the Saints into ugly conceits, & then ſpeak againſt them.
Verſe 54. It is my father that honoureth me.] 1 Sam. 2.30.According to that, Them that honour me, I will honour: this is a bargain of Gods own making. Fame follows vertue, as the ſhadow, the body: or if not, yet ſhe is proprio contenta theatro, content with her own applauſe.
Verſe 55. Yet ye have not known him.] There is a two fold knowledge of God: 1. Apprehenſive. 2. Affective, or cognoſcitiva, ſtanding in ſpeculation, and directiva vitae.
Verſe 59. Then took they up stones.] This is merces mundi, the worlds wages. Let's look up, with Stephen, and ſee Heaven, as he did, thorow a ſhowre of ſtones, &c.