I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Ver. 1. _I am the true vine, &c._] Our Saviour's way lying (as it is thought) by the vineyards, he takes that occasion of comparing himself to a vine, as he doth elsewhere to many other creatures, everywhere obvious; that therein, as in so many o... [ Continue Reading ]
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every _branch_ that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Ver. 2. _Every branch in me_] That thinks himself to be in me, and is so thought to be by others, but proves not to be so. These are said to "deny the... [ Continue Reading ]
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Ver. 3. _Through the word, &c._] Which is the pruning knife, to lop off our luxuriances, rotten boughs, raw grapes, to pare off our gum of pride, moss of formality, _Vinitoris cultellus ad sordes purgandas._ (Col.) The word hid in the... [ Continue Reading ]
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. Ver. 4. _As the branch cannot bear fruit, &c._] All our sap and safety is from Christ. The bud of a good desire, the blossom of a good resolution, and the fruit... [ Continue Reading ]
I am the vine, ye _are_ the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. Ver. 5. _The same bringeth forth much fruit_] Christ is a generous vine, a plant of renown; and all his are "filled with the fruits of righteousness,"Phil... [ Continue Reading ]
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast _them_ into the fire, and they are burned. Ver. 6. _Cast them into the fire, and they are burned_] So they must needs be, may some say; but his meaning is, that temporaries, of all others, make th... [ Continue Reading ]
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Ver. 7. _Ask what ye will, and it, &c._] Either in money or money's worth. If ye ask and miss it is because ye ask amiss. One was wont to say of Luther that he could have from God what he would;... [ Continue Reading ]
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. Ver. 8. _Herein is my Father glorified, &c._] There is not (saith one) so much of the glory of God in all his works of creation and providence as in one gracious action that a Christian performs; how much more in a... [ Continue Reading ]
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. Ver. 9. _Continue ye in my love_] In the love wherewith I do dearly love you. As who should say, Suffer yourselves to be loved by me. Lo, the Lord Christ even makes love to the good soul, and woos entertainment.... [ Continue Reading ]
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. Ver. 10. _Even as I have kept my Father's_] Christ's obedience must be our pattern of imitation. All his actions were either moral or mediatory. In both we are to imitate him.... [ Continue Reading ]
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and _that_ your joy might be full. Ver. 11. _These things have I spoken, that, &c._] Sound joy is wrought in the heart by the hearing of the word; "Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken" (with th... [ Continue Reading ]
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Ver. 12. _This is my commandment_] Love is the complement of the law and the supplement of the gospel.... [ Continue Reading ]
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ver. 13. _Greater love than this, &c._] Of any such love, but in Christ, we shall hardly read. David in a passion may wish, "Would God I had died for thee;" but in cold blood I doubt whether he would have done it. A c... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Ver. 14. _If ye do whatsoever, &c._] In desire and endeavour lifting at the latch, though ye cannot open the door, and looking to both the _magnalia_ great matters and _minutuia_ small matters of the law _Boni Catholici sunt_ (saith Augustine) _... [ Continue Reading ]
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ver. 15. _I call you not servants_] And yet it was the top of David's titles, to be the servant of the Lord;... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and _that_ your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. Ver. 16. _And ordained you, that you should go, &c._] Not that ye should lord it o... [ Continue Reading ]
These things I command you, that ye love one another. Ver. 17. _That ye love one another_] That ye hold together, because the world will hate you. A spirit of perversities made way for the ruin of Egypt, Isaiah 19:14; Isaiah 19:16,17. _Si collidimur frangimur, _ if we clash we break. Of the ancient... [ Continue Reading ]
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before _it hated_ you. Ver. 18. _If the world hate you, &c._] As it will because it is condemned by your contrary practice, and is carried on by a contrary principle. Moab was irked because of Israel, or, did fret and vex at them,Numbers 22:3,4. Bats... [ Continue Reading ]
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Ver. 19. _If ye were of the world, &c._] They jangle among themselves, and intertear one another as dogs fighting. For though there be... [ Continue Reading ]
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. Ver. 20. _Remember the word, &c._] Else all is lost, 1 Corinthians 15:2. Naturally the word runs throug... [ Continue Reading ]
But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. Ver. 21. _Because they know not him, &c._] For had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. St Paul thanks his ignorance for all his cruelties to Christians. Ignorance is a bre... [ Continue Reading ]
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. Ver. 22. _If I had not come, &c._] Here our Saviour shows that their ignorance was affected, as theirs is with us. _Qui ut liberius peccent, libenter ignorant, _ they shut the windows lest the li... [ Continue Reading ]
He that hateth me hateth my Father also. Ver. 23. _He that hateth me_] It is wonder how any should, yet we read of God-haters, Romans 1:30, and all sin is a kind of God-slaughter, _Omne peccatum est Deicidium._ All sin is a a God slayer. The wicked wish there were no God, when David cries out, _Viv... [ Continue Reading ]
If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. Ver. 24. _Works which none other man did_] More stupendous, because by my own power, and all to the people's profit. These were of use in the Church's... [ Continue Reading ]
But _this cometh to pass_, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. Ver. 25. _They hated me without a cause_] So they dealt by David, so by Christ, and so still by his members. There is but the same pageant acted over again as of old. _In moribus... [ Continue Reading ]
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, _even_ the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: Ver. 26. _Whom I will send unto you from, &c_] Christ hath satisfied the wrath of the Father; and now the Father, and Christ both, as reco... [ Continue Reading ]
And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. Ver. 27. _And ye also shall bear witness_] Thus Word and Spirit go together, according to the promise, Isaiah 59:21. The manna of the Spirit comes down from heaven in the dews of the ministry of the gospel, Numbers 11:... [ Continue Reading ]