NOTE S ON THE Gospel according to St. JoHN. In this Book is fet down the Hiftory of the Son of God dwelling among men; that OF the firft Days, where the Apostle, premising the Sum of the Whole, C. i. 1-14 Mentions the Teftimony given by John, after the Baptism After this, 12 II. Of the two Years between, Ipent chiefly in Journeys to and from Jerufalem: The first Journey, to the Paffover, 4. Tranfactions in the City, 1. Zeal for his Father's Houfe, 2. The Power and Wisdom of Jefus, 3. The Inftruction of Nicodemus, 6. His Abode in Judea; the reft of John's Teftimony, B. The fecond Journey to the Feaft of Pentecost. be obferved Transactions, a. In the City relating to the Impotent Man, healed at the Pool of Bethfaida, . In Galilee, before the fecond Passover, and after. Here we may note, 5. Apoftafy of many, and Steadiness of the Apostles, The third Journey, to the Feaft of Tabernacles, Here may be observed Transactions, 2 13 In the City A a 2 1. In 1. In the Middle and End of the Feast, 14-53 C. viii. 1 Where note, 1. The Woman taken in Adultery, 2. Chrift's preaching and vindicating his Doctrine, 2-12 13-30 3. His confuting the Jews, and Escape from them, 5. Several Difcourses on that Occafion, 8-41 6. Chrift the Door and the Shepherd of the Sheep, C. x. 7. Different Opinions concerning Him, 1-18 19-21 21 At the Feaft of the Dedication: Here occur, 1. His difputes with the Jews, 92-38 2. His efcaping their Fury, 39 40-48 b. Beyond Jordan, III. Of the laft Days which were, A. Before the great Week, where we may note, a. The two Days spent out of Judea, while Lazarus was fick and died, C. xi.i b. The Journey into Judea: the raifing of Lazarus: the Advice of Caiaphas; Jefus' Abode in Ephraim; the Order given by his Adverfaries, e. The fixth Day, before the Paffover; the Supper at Bethany; the Ointment poured on Jefus, 757 C. xii, 1-11 B. In the great Week, wherein was the third Paffover, Occur, 4. On the three former Days, his royal Entry into the City: 1. He appears to his Difciples at the Sea of Tiberias, 2. Orders Peter to feed his Sheep and Lambs, C. xxi. 1-14 15-17 3. Foretels 3. Foretels the Manner of Peter's Death, and checks 4. The Conclufion, St. JOHN. 18-23 24-25 I. TN the beginning exifted the Word, and the Word 2 The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not one fingle 4 thing made that was made. In him was life, and the V. 1. In the beginning—(Referring to Gen. i. 1. and Prov viii. 23.) When all things began to be made by the word; in the beginning of heaven and earth, and this whole frame of created beings, the word exifled, without any beginning. He was when all things began to be, whatsoever had a beginning. The word-So termed Palm xxxiii. 6. and frequently by the feventy, and in the Chaldee paraphrafe. So that St. John did not borrow this expreffion from Philo, or any heathen wri ter. He was not yet named Jefus, or Chrift. He is the Word whom the Father begot or spoke from eternity; by whom the Father Speaking maketh all things; who fpeaketh the Father to us. We have, in the 18th verfe, both a real defcription of the Word, and the reafon why he is fo called. He is the only begotten Son of the Father, who is in the bofom of the Father, and hath declared him. And the Word was with God--Therefore diftinct from God the Father. The word rendered with denotes a perpetual tendency as it were of the Son to the Father, in unity of effence. He was with God alone; because nothing befide God had then any be ing. And the Word was God--Supreme, eternal, independent. There was no creature, in refpect of which he could be ftiled God in a relative fenfe. The Godhead of the Meffiah being clearly revealed in the Old Teftament (Jer. xxiii, 6. Hof. i. 7. Pfalm xxiii. 1.) the other evange lifts aim at this, to prove that Jefus, a true man, was the Meffiah. But when at length fome from hence began to doubt of his Godhead, then St. John exprefsly afferted it, and wrote in this book as it were a fupple ment to the gofpels, as in the Revelation, to the prophets. V. 2. The fame was in the beginning with God-This verfe repeats and contracts into one the three points mentioned before. As if he had said, this Word, who was God, was in the beginning, and was with God. V. 3. All things befides God, were made, and all things which were made were made by the Word. In the first and fecond verfe is defcri bed the state of things before the creation; ver. 3, in the creation; ver. 4, in the time of man's innocency; ver. 5, in the time of man's cor ruption. V. 4. In him was life-He was the foundation of life to every living thing, as well as of being to all that is. And the life was the light of men -He who is effential life, and the Giver of Life to all that liveth, was alfo the light of men; the fountain of wisdom, holinets, and hap piness, to man in his original state. V. 5. Ang A a 3 5 life was the light of men. And the light fhineth in darkness, but the darkness perceived it not. 6 There was a man fent from God, whofe name was 7 John. The fame came for a teftimony, to teftify of 8 the light, that all through it might believe. He was not the light, but was fent to teftify of the light. 9 This was the true light, who lighteth every man that 10 cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him; yet the world knew him He came to his own, and his own received him 11 not. 12 not. But as many as received him, to them gave he privilege to become the fons of God, to them that 13 believe in his name: Who were born, not of blood, nor, by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but of God. 14 And the word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of V. 5. And the Light Shineth in darkness-Shines even on fallen man; but the darkness--Dark, finful man, perceiveth it not. V. 6. There was a man-The Evangelift now proceeds to him who teflified of the Light, which he had fpoken of in the five preceding verfes. V. 7. The Jame came for (that is, in order to give) a teftimony-The Evangelift, with the most ftrong and tender affection, interweaves his own teftimony with that of John, by noble digreffions, wherein he explains the office of the Baptift, partly premifes and partly fubjoins, a farther explication to his fhort fentences. What St. Matthew, Mark, and Luke term the Gospel, in refpect of the promise going before, St. John ufually terms the teftimony, intimating the certain knowledge of the relater to testify of the Light-Of Christ. V. 9. Who lighteth every man-By what is vulgarly termed natural confcience, pointing out at leaft the general lines, of good and evil. And this Light, if man did not hinder, would fhine more and more to the perfect day. V. 10. He was in the world-Even from the creation. V. 11. He came-In the fulness of time, to his own-Country, city, temple: And his own-People, received him not. V. 12. But as many as received him-Jews or Gentiles; that believe on his name That is, on him. The moment they believe, they are fons; and because they are fons, God fendeth forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father. V. 13. Who were born-Who became the fons of God not of bloodNot by defcent from Abraham, nor by the will of the flesh-By natural generation, nor by the will of man~~ -Adopting them, but of God-By his Spirit. V. 14. Flesh fometimes fignifies corrupt nature; fometimes the body! fometimes, as here, the whole man. We beheld his glory--We his apofties, particularly Peter, James, and John, Luke ix. 32. Grace and truth-We arc all by nature liars and children of wrath, to whom both grace ། 15 17 the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth. John teftified of him and cried, faying, This is he of whom I faid, He that cometh after me is preferred 16 before me, for he was before me. And out of his fulnefs have we all received, even grace upon grace. For the law was given by Mofes, but grace and truth 18 were by Jesus Christ. No man hath feen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bofom of 19 the Father, he hath declared him. And this is the teftimony of John, when the Jews fent Priefts and Levites from Jerufalem, to ask him, Who art thou ? grace and truth are unknown. But we are made partakers of them, when we are accepted through the Beloved. The whole verfe might be paraphrased thus: And in order to raise us to this dignity and happiness, the eternal Word, by a most amazing con defcenfion, was made flesh, united himself to our miserable nature, with all its innocent infirmities. And he did not make us a tranfient vifit, but tabernacled among us on earth, displaying his glory in a more eminent manner, than even of old in the tabernacle of Mofes. And we, who are now recording these things, beheld his glory with fo ftrict an attention, that we can testify, it was in every respect fuch a glory, as became the only begotten of the Father. For it fhone forth not only in his transfiguration, and in his continual miracles, but in all his tempers, miniftrations, and conduct through the whole feries of his life. In all be appeared full of grace and truth: he was in himself molt benevolent and upright made thofe ample difcoveries of pardon to finners, which the Mofaic difpenfation could not do: and really exhibited the moft fubflantial bleffings, whereas that was but a fhadow of good things to come V. 15. John cried-With joy and confidence; This is he of whom I faid John had faid this, before our Lord's Baptifm, although he then knew him not in perfon, he knew him firit at his baptifm, and after wards cried, This is He of whom I faid, &c. He is preferred before me→ In his office; for He was before me--In his nature. V. 16. And Here the apottle confirms the Baptift's words: as if he had faid, He is indeed preferred before thee: fo we have experienced We all That believe: Have received-All that we enjoy, out of his fulnefs; and in particular, Grace upon grace-One bleffing upon another, immeasurable grace and love. V. 17. The law-Working wrath and containing shadows: was given -No philofopher, poet, or orator, ever chofe his words fo accurately as St. John. The law, faith he, was given by Mofes: Grace was by Jefus Chrift Obferve the reafon for placing each word thus; The law of Mofes was not his own. The grace of Chrift was. His grace was oppofite to the wrath, his truth to the fhadowy ceremonies of the law. Jefus St. John having once mentioned the incarnation, ver. 14. no more uses that name The Word, in all his book. > V. 18. No man hath feen God-With bodily eyes: yet believers fee him with the eyes of faith. Who is in the bofom of the Father-The cx. preffion denotes the higheft unity, and the most intimate knowledge. 19. The Jews - Probably the grea: council fent. V. 20. I am |