He shews his equality with the Father; CHAP. V. and the blessedness of those who believe. A. M. 4051. he will shew him greater works thaneth not the Son, honoureth not the A. M. 4031. A. D. 27. An. Olymp. these, that ye may marvel. a CCI. 3. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; quickeneth whom he will. even so the Son 22 For the Father judgeth no man, but committed all judgment unto the Son: Father which hath sent him. A. D. 27: An. Olymp. CCI. 3. He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and hath shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall Luke 7. 14. & 8. 54. ch. 11. 25, 43.ch. 3. 35. & 17. 2. Acts 17. 31. b Matt. 11. 27. & 28. 13. 1 Pet. 4. 5.- 1 Jolin 2. 23. ver. 27. Ch. 3. 16, 18. & 6. 40, 47. & 8 51. & 20. 31. 1 John 3. 14.- -f ver. 28. Ephes. 2. 1, 5. & 5. 14. Col. 2. 13. mediately mentions; Raising the dead, ver. 21. and Judging godhead. To lead them off from this error, our Lord spoke the world, ver. 22. the words recorded in these verses. That ye may marvel.] Or, So as to make you wonder. Our Verse 24. He that heareth my word] My doctrine-and Lord sometimes speaks of himself as God, and sometimes as believeth on him that sent me-he who credits my divine misthe Ambassador of God. As he had a human and divine sion, that I am come to give light and life to the world by nature, this distinction was essentially necessary. Many er- my doctrine and death-hath eternal life-the seed of this rors have originated from want of attention to this circum-life is sown in his heart the moment he believes; and shall stance. Verse 21. As the Father raiseth up the dead] This he did in the case of the widow's son at Sarepta, 1 Kings xviii. 22. by the ministry of the prophet Elijah. And again, in the case of the Shunamite's son, 2 Kings iv. 32-35. by the ministry of the prophet Elishah. The Son quickeneth whom he will.] He raiseth from death to life whomsoever he pleases. So he did, for he raised the ruler's daughter, Mark v. 35–42. the widow's son at Nain, Luke vii. 11—15. and Lazarus, at Bethany, John xi. 14-44. Whom he will. Here our Lord points out his sovereign power and independance; he gives life according to his own will-not being obliged to supplicate for the power by which it was done, as the prophets did; his own will being absolute and sufficient in every case. Verse 22. The Father judgeth no man] This confirms what he had said before, ver. 17, 19. that the Father acts not without the Son, nor the Son without the Father; their acts are common, their power equal. Verse 23. That all men should honour the Son, &c.] If then the Son is to be honoured, EVEN AS the Father is honouret, then the Son must be God, as receiving that worship which belongs to God alone. To worship any creature is idolatry; Christ is to be honoured even as the Father is honoured; therefore Christ is not a creature; and if not a creature, consequently the Creator. See chap. i. 3. He that honoureth not the Son] God will not receive that man's adoration who refuses to honour Jesus, even as he honours him. The Jews expected the Messiah as a great and powerful Prince, but they never thought of a person coming in that character, énrobed with all the attributes of not come into condemnation; els xgioiy, into judgment-that which will speedily come on this unbelieving race; and that which shall overwhelm the wicked in the great day. But is passed from death unto life.] Meraßßnxe, has changed his country, or place of abode. Death is the country where every Christless soul lives. The man who knows not God, lives a dying life, or a living death-but he who believes in the Son of God, passes over from the empire of death, to the empire of life. Reader! thou wast born in death: hast thou yet changed the place of thy natural residence? Remember, that to live in sin, is to live in death; and those who live and die thus, shall die eternally. Verse 25. The dead shall hear the voice] Three kinds of death are mentioned in the scriptures: natural, spiritual, and eternal. The first consists in the separation of the body and soul. The second in the separation of God and the soul. The third in the separation of body and soul from God, in the other world. Answerable to these three kinds of death, there is a threefold life: natural life, which consists in the union of the soul and body. Spiritual life which consists in the union of God and the soul, by faith and love. Eternal life, which consists in the communion of the body and soul with God, by holiness, in the realms of bliss. Of the dead, our Lord says, the hour is coming, and now is, when they shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and live. The hour is coming, when all that sleep in the dust, shall awake at the voice of the son of man, and come to judgment: for he giveth life to the dead, ver. 21, 28, 29. Again, the hour is coming, when some of those who have died a nutural death, shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live Christ shews himself to be the quickener A. M. 4031. A. D. 27. An. Olymp. CCI. 3. A. D. 27. hear the voice of the Son of God: and done good, unto the resurrection of A.M.401. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; CCI. 3. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 29 And shall come forth: they that have nesseth of me is true. Ver. 22. Acts 10. 42. & 17. 31.1 Thess. 4. 16. 1 Cor. 15. 52. b Dan 7. 13, 14.- Isai. 26. 19. Dan. 12. 2. Matt. 25. 32, 33, 46. Ver. 19.— Matt. 26. 39. ch. 4. 34. & 6. 38. See ch. 8. 14. Rev. 3. 14. Matt. 3. 17. & 17.5. ch. 8. 18. 1 John 5. 6, 7, 9. again here. It is likely that our Lord had not as yet raised any from the dead; and he refers to those whom he intended to raise; see on ver. 21. Lastly, the hour now is, when many who are dead in trespasses and sins, shall hear the voice (the word) of the Son of God, believe and receive spiritual life through him. Verse 26. Hath he given to the Son to have life, &c.] Here our Lord speaks of himself in his character of Messiah or envoy of God. is ing wisdom and justice, shall adjudge the wicked to hell, and the righteous to heaven. The first sense, however, of this passage, appears to some the most probable; though they both amount nearly to the same meaning. Verse 30. I can of mine own self do nothing] Because of my intimate union with God. See on ver. 19. ers. I seek not mine own will] I do not, I cannot attempt to do any thing without God. This, that is, the Son of man, the human nature which is the temple of my divinity, chap. i. 14. is perfectly subject to the Deity that dwells in it. In this respect, our blessed Lord is the perfect pattern of all his followIn every thing their wills should submit to the will of their heavenly Father. Nothing is more common than to hear people say, I will do it because I chuse. He who has no better reason to give for his conduct than his own will, shall in the end have the same reason to give for his eternal destruction. I followed my own will, in opposition to the will of God, and now I am plunged in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.” " Reader, God hath sent thee also to do his will :-his will is, that thou shouldst abandon thy sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus. Hast thou yet done it? Verse 27. Because he is the Son of man.] Because he is the Messiah; for in this sense, the phrase Son of man, often to be understood. But some join this to the next verse, thus:-Marvel not at this, because he is the Son of man. Verse 28. Marvel not at this] I think it quite necessary to follow here, as noted above, the punctuation of both the Syriac, the Armenian, Chrysostom, Damascenus, Theophylact, Euthymius, and others; which is found also in some very good MSS. Theophylact says that the common method of reading this which he highly objects to, was the invention of Paul of Samosuta. In ver. 26. and 27. our Lord speaking of himself as envoy of God, said, the Father had given him to have life in himself, so that like any of the ancient prophets, he could vivify others; and that he had given him authority to execute judgment, probably referring to that judgment which he was shortly to execute on this unbelieving nation: and apparently, in direct reference to Dan. vii. 13. Pehold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds, &c. a place which the Jews expound of the promised Messiah. In this verse he anticipates an objection, as if they had said: "This cannot be thou art a man-thou wast born among us." Our Lord answers: Don't marvel at this, BECAUSE I am a man-for greater things than these shall be done by me: he who now addresses you, though disguised under the form of a man, shall appear in the great day, to be the Judge of quick and dead: by his al- Verse 32. There is another] God the Father, who, by his mighty power, he shall raise all the dead; and by his unerr-Spirit in your prophets, described my person, office, and mi Verse 31. If I bear witness] If I had no proof to bring of my being the Messiah, and equal to God, common sense would direct you to reject my testimony: but the mighty power of God, by which I work my miracles, sufficiently attests that my pretensions are well founded. Bishop Pearce gives a different turn to this verse, by translating it interrogatively, thus: "If I only bear witness of my self, is not my witness true? i. e. is it, on that account, not true? In chap. viii. 14. he says, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true. And in ver. 18. he says, I am one that bear witness of myself.” His testimony concerning A. M. 4031. A. D. 27. a CHAP. V. b John the Baptist. A. D. 27. CCI. 3. 33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare 35 He was a burning and a shining A. M. 4031. An. Olymp witness unto the truth. light and ye were willing for a sea- An. Olymp. son to rejoice in his light. CCI. 3. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. d 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath Ch. 1. 15, 19, 27, 32.— 2 Pet. 1. 19.- racles. You read these Scriptures, and you cannot help seeing that they testify of me :-no person ever did answer the description there given, but myself; and I answer to that description in the fullest sense of the word. See ver. 39. And I know] Instead of oda, I know, odart, ye know, is the reading of the Coder Beza, Armenian, and two of the Itala. Ye believe the Scriptures to be of God, and that he cannot lie; and yet ye will not believe in me, though these Scriptures have so clearly foretold and described me! It is not one of the least evils attending unbelief, that it acts not only in opposition to God, but it also acts inconsistently with itself. It receives the Scriptures in bulk, and acknowledges them to have come through divine inspiration; and yet believes no part separately. With it the whole is true, but no part is true! The very unreasonableness of this conduct, shews the principle to have come from beneath, were there no other evidences against it. Verse 33. Ye sent unto John] I am not without human testimony of the most respectable kind :-Ye sent to John, and he bare witness. There are several circumstances in John's character, which render his testimony unexceptionable. 1. He is consulted by the very enemies of Christ, as a very holy and extraordinary man. 2. He is perfectly free from all selfinterest, having declined making the least advantage by his own reputation. 3. He is sincere, undaunted, and so averse from all kinds of flattery, that he reproves Herod at the hazard of his liberty and life. 4. He was so far from being solicited by Christ to give his testimony, that he had not even scen him, when he gave it. See chap. i. 19–28. Verse 34. But I receive not testimony from man [only] I have no need of John's testimony: the works that I do, bear sufficient testimony to me, ver. 36. But these things I say, &c.] You believed John to be a prophet a prophet cannot lie: he bore testimony that I am the Lamb of God, that beareth away the sin of the world, chap. i. 29. therefore, that ye may be saved by believing in me as such, I have appealed to John's testimony. Verse 35. He was a burning and a shining light] Ho λυχνος ὁ καιομένος και φαίνων, should be translated, He was a burning and a shining LAMP. He was not το φως του κόσμου, the light of the world, i. e. the sun: but he was o Auxvos, a lamp, to give a clear and steady light till the sun should arise. It is supposed that John had been cast into prison about four months before this time. See the note on chap. iv. 35. As The expression of lamp, our Lord took from the ordinary custom of the Jews, who termed their eminent doctors, the lamps of Israel. A lighted candle is a proper emblem of a minister of God; and alteri serviens consumor-" In serving others, I myself destroy:"—a proper motto. There are few who preach the gospel faithfully that do not lose their lives by it. Burning may refer to the zeal with which John executed his message; and shining may refer to the clearness of the testimony which he bore concerning Christ. Only to shine, is but vanity; and to burn without shining, will never edify the church of God. Some shine, and some burn, but few both shine and burn; and many there are who are denominated pastors, who neither shine nor burn. He who wishes to save souls, must both burn and shine: the clear light of the knowledge of the sacred records must fill his understanding; and the holy flame of loving zeal must occupy his heart. Zeal without knowledge is continually blundering; and knowledge without zeal makes no converts to Christ. For a season] The time between his beginning to preach and his being cast into prison. To rejoice] Ayañiasôniai, to jump for joy, as we would express it. They were exceedingly rejoiced to hear that the Messiah was come, because they expected him to deliver them out of the hands of the Romans: but when a spiritual deliverance, of infinitely greater moment, was preached to them, they rejected both it, and the light which made it manifest. Verse 36. But I have greater witness] However decisive lamp of Israel, a miracle of grace, filled with the spirit of the judgment of such a man as John may be, who was the Elijah, and more than any prophet, because he pointed out, not the Messiah who was to come, but the Messiah who was already come: nevertheless, I am not obliged to depend on his testimony alone; for I have a greater one, that of Him whom you acknowledge to be your God. And how do I prove that this God bears testimony to me? By my works: these miracles, which attest my mission, and prove by themselves, that nothing less than unlimited power and boundless love could ever produce them. By my word only, I have perfectly and instantly healed a man who was diseased thirty and eight years. Ye see the miracle-the man is before you whole and sound. Why then do ye not believe in my mission, that ye may embrace my doctrine, and be saved? The witnesses to the person ST. JOHN. and doctrine of Christ. A.M. 4031. given me to finish, the same works for whom he hath sent, him ye believe A.M. 4031. A. D. 27. An. Olymp. that I do, bear witness of me, that not. CCI. 3. the Father hath sent me. C A. D. 27. An. Olymp. 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. a Matt. 3. 17. & 17. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 17. 1 John 4. 12. ch. 6. 27. & 8. 18.b Deut. 4. 12. ch. 1. 18. Acts 17. 11. Deut. 18. 15, 18. Luke 24. 27. h. 1. 45. ver. 34. 1 Thess. 2. 6. ch. 1. 11. Verse 37. The Father himself-hath borne witness] That is, by his prophets. Ye have neither heard his voice] I make these words, with Bp. Pearce, a parenthesis: the sense is-" Not that my Father ever appeared visibly or spake audibly to any of you; but he did it by the mouths of his prophets." Lately, however, he had added to their testimony his own voice from heaven, on the day of Christ's baptism. See Matt. iii. 17. Verse 38. Ye have not his word abiding in you] Though ye believe the Scriptures to be of God, yet ye do not let them take hold of your hearts-his word is in your mouth, but not in your mind. What a miserable lot! to read the Scriptures as the true sayings of God, and yet to get no salvation from them! Thy word, says David, (Psal. cxix. 11.) have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. This, these Jews had not done. Reader, hast thou? The word gate, which might be translated, Ye search diligently, is very expressive. Homer, IL. xviii. 1. 321. applies it to a lion deprived of his whelps, who " scours the plains, and traces the foot-steps of the man." And in ODYSS. xix. 1. 436. to dogs tracing their game by the scent of the foot. In the Septuagint, the verb gruvaw answers to the Hebrew van chapash, to search by uncovering; to pn chakar, to search minutely, to explore; to chashaph, to strip, make bare; and to w mashash, to feel, search by feeling. It is compounded of EgEW, I seek, and a bed; " and is," says St. Chrysostom, a metaphor taken from those who dig deep, and search for metals in the bowels of the earth. They look for the bed where the metal lies, and break every clod, and sift and examine the whole, in order to discover the ore." Those who read the verse in the imperative mood, consider it an exhortation to the diligent study of the Sacred Writings. Search; that is, shake and sift them, as the word also signi fies: search narrowly, till the true force and meaning of every sentence, yea, of every word and syllable, nay, of every letter and yod therein, be known and understood. Confer place with place; the scope of one place with that of another; things going before with things coming after: compare word with The Rabbins strongly recommend the study of the Scrip-word, letter with letter, and search the whole thoroughly. tures. The Talmud, Tract. Shabbath, fol. 30. brings in God thus addressing David: "I am better pleased with one day in which thou sittest and studiest the Law, than I shall be with a thousand sacrifices which thy son Solomon shall offer upon my altar." Verse 39. Search the Scriptures] Egsuvate Tas ygapas. This should be translated, not in the imperative, but in the indicative mood-Thus, Ye search the Scriptures diligently. That these words are commonly read in the imperative mood is sufficiently known; but this reading can never accord well with the following verse, nor can the force and energy of the words be perceived by this version. Perhaps the Scriptures were never more diligently searched than at that very time: first, because they were in expectation of the immediate appearing of the Messiah; secondly, because they wished to find out allegories in them, (see Philo;) and thirdly, because they found these Scriptures to contain the promise of an eternal life. Ile, said they, who studies daily in the Law, is worthy to have a portion in the world to come, Sohar. Genes. fol. 31. Hence we may infer, 1st. That the Jews had the knowledge of a future state before the coming of Christ; and 2dly. that they got that knowledge from the Old Testament scriptures. See Parkhurst, Mintert, and Leigh. Leaving every translation of the present passage out of the question, this is the proper method of reading and examining the Scriptures, so as to become wise unto salvation through them. Verse 40. And ye will not come to me] Though ye thus scarch the Scriptures, in hopes of finding the Messiah and eternal life in them, yet ye will not come unto me, believe in me, and be my disciples, though so clearly pointed out by them, that ye may have that eternal life which can only come through me. Verse 41. I receive not honour from men.] I do not staud in need of you or your testimony. I act neither through selfinterest, nor vanity. Your salvation can add nothing to me, nor can your destruction injure me: I speak only through my love for your souls, that ye may be saved. Verse 42. But I know you, that ye have not, &c.] Don't say that you oppose me through zeal for God's honour, and love for his name, because I make myself equal to him: no, this is not the case. I know the dispositions of your souls; and I know ye have neither love for his name, nor zeal for his glory. Incorrigible ignorance, and malicious jealousy, actuate your hearts. Ye read the Scriptures, but ye do not enter into their meaning. Had you been as diligent to find out the truth, as you have been to find out allegories, false glosses, and something to countenance you in your crimes, you would have known that the Messiah, who is equal with God, must be the Son of man also, and the inheritor of David's throne; and that the very works which I do, are those which the prophets have foretold the Messiah should perform. See Dan. vii. 13, 14. Isai. ix. 6, 7. xi. 1-5, 10. XXXV. 4-6. Verse 43. I am come in my Father's name] With all his influence and authority. Among the Rabbins, it was essential to a teacher's credit, that he should be able to support his doctrine by the authority of some eminent persons who had gone before. Hence the form, Coming in the name of another. If another shall come in his own name] Having no divine influence, and no other authority than his own, him ye will receive. That this was notoriously the case, may appear from Josephus, Antiq. b. xviii. c. 14. Acts v. 36, 37. Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. b. iv. c. 6. It is by the just judgment of God, that those, who will not believe the truth of God, shall be so given up as to believe the most absurd of lies. For an account of these false Christs, see the notes on Matt. xxiv. 5. Verse 44. How can ye believe, which receive honour, &c.] The grand obstacle to the salvation of the Scribes and Pharisees was their pride, vanity, and self-love. They lived on each other's praise. If they had acknowledged Christ as the only teacher, they must have given up the good opinion of the mu.titude; and they chose rather to lose their souls than to forfeit their reputation among men! This is the ruin of millions. They would be religious, if religion and worldly honour were connected: but as the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, and their hearts and souls are wedded to the earth, they will not accept the salvation which is offered to them on these terms-Deny thyself: take up thy cross, and 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that An. Olymp. accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. CCL. 3. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? & 18. 18. & 22. 18. & 49. 10. Deut. 18. 15, 18. ch. 1. 45. Acts 26. 22. follow ME. It is no wonder that we never find persons making any progress in religion, who mix with the world, and in any respect regulate their conduct by its anti-christian customs, maxims, and fashions. Θεου. From God only ?] Or, from the only GodПaga тou μovou Two of the ancient Slavonic Versions read, From the only begotten Son of God. Verse 45. Do not think that I will accuse you] You have accused me with a breach of the sabbath, which accusation I have demonstrated to be false: I could, in return, accuse you, and substantiate the accusation, with the breach of the whole law; but this I need not do, for Moses, in whom ye trust, accuses you. You read his Law, acknowledge you should obey it, and yet break it both in the letter and in the spirit. This Law, therefore, accuses and condemns you. It was a maxim among the Jews, that none could accuse them but Moses: the spirit of which seems to be, that only so pure and enlightened a legislator could find fault with such a noble and excellent people! For notwithstanding their abominations, they supposed themselves the most excellent of mankind! Verse 46. He wrote of me.] For instance, in reciting the prophecy of Jacob, Gen. xlix. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until SHILOH Come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. And in Deut. xviii. 18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, &c. Confer this with Acts iii. 22. and vii. 37. Besides, Moses pointed out the Messiah in a multitude of symbols and figures, which are found in the history of the patriarchs, the ceremonial laws, and especially in the whole sacrificial system. whole sacrificial system. All these were well defined, though shadowy representations of the birth, life, sufferings, death, and resurrection of the Saviour of the world. Add to this, Moses has given you certain marks to distinguish the false from the true prophet, Deut. xiii. 1-3. xviii. 22. which, if you apply to me, you will find that I am not a false, but a true Prophet of the Most High God. Verse 47. But if ye believe not his writings, &c.] If you lay them not to heart-if you draw not those conclusions from them which their very letter, as well as their spirit, authorizes |