There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: Ver. 1. _A ruler of the Jews_] Either a chieftain of the Pharisees, as he was, Luke 14:1; or one of the Sanhedrim, one of the 70 seniors, whose learning hung in their light, 1 Corinthians 2:8. Yet was neither learned Nathanael,... [ Continue Reading ]
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Ver. 2. _We know_] But will not know. Hence they became sinners against the Holy Ghost,Matthew 12:23, &c. The devil tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Ver. 3. _Except a man be born again_] _E supernis, _ Out of heaven, Erasm. Except a man be first unmade (as St Peter expounds our Saviour) and newly made up again, ταις α... [ Continue Reading ]
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Ver. 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, and elsewhere) than a com... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and _of_ the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Ver. 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 wash... [ Continue Reading ]
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Ver. 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 marvel that one man sinneth than that all men should li... [ Continue Reading ]
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. Ver. 7. _Marrel not, &c._] viz. Through unbelief, for otherwise it is a just wonder, far beyond that of a natural birth, which, but that it is so ordinary, would surely seem a miracle; _Miracula assiduitate vilescunt._... [ Continue Reading ]
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Ver. 8. _The wind bloweth, &c._] _Libero et vago impetu._ Watch, therefore, the gales of grace; we cannot purchase this wind... [ Continue Reading ]
Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Ver. 9. _How can these things be?_] Christ had told him that the manner of the Spirit's working is incomprehensible, and yet he is at it, How can these things be? _Sed scribo haec frustra_ (saith Luther in a certain letter of his to Mel... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Ver. 10. _Art thou a master, &c._] The Pharisees and philosophers, for their learning, are called "princes of this world," 1 Corinthians 2:8. And yet, had they known, they would never have crucified the Lor... [ Continue Reading ]
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. Ver. 11. _Ye receive not our witness_] Our Saviour joins himself with the prophets (whose writings Nicodenms had read so negligently), and takes it for a dishonour that he shoul... [ Continue Reading ]
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you _of_ heavenly things? Ver. 12. _If I have told you earthly things_] That is, spiritual things under earthly gross similitudes, of wind, water, &c. In the mystery of Christ, the best of us are _acute obtusi._... [ Continue Reading ]
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, _even_ the Son of man which is in heaven. Ver. 13. _And no man hath ascended, &c._] Objection. Therefore all but Christ are shut out of heaven. Solution. The Church and Jesus make but one Christ, _caput et corpus unus Christu... [ Continue Reading ]
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: Ver. 14. _And as Moses lifted up the serpent_] There it was, _Vide et vive; _ See and live, here, _Crede et vive._ Believe and live, And as there, he that beheld the serpent, though but with a weak squin... [ Continue Reading ]
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Ver. 15. _That whosoever believeth_] Faith is the soul's hand (_fidei mendica manus, _ saith Luther); foot, whereby we come to Christ; mouth (_hic credere est edere, _ saith Austin); wing, whereby we soar up and fetch Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Ver. 16. _God so loved the world_] This is a _sic_ _so_ without a _sicut, just as_, there being nothing in nature wherewith to parallel it. The world, that i... [ Continue Reading ]
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Ver. I7. _Not to condemn the world_] Unless it be by accident, because they will not be saved; they will not have heaven upon Christ's terms, they will not part with their fat and sweet (wit... [ Continue Reading ]
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Ver. 18. _Is condemned already_] The sentence is passed, the halter about his neck; there wants no more than to turn him off the ladde... [ Continue Reading ]
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Ver. 19. _This is the condemnation_] This is hell above ground and aforehand. Affected ignorance is the leprosy in the head, which makes a man undoubtedly unclea... [ Continue Reading ]
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. Ver. 20. _For every one that doeth evil_] As the Ethiopians are said to curse the sun for its bright and hot shining. (Herodot.) Christ came a light into the world; his gospel hath appear... [ Continue Reading ]
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Ver. 21. _But he that doeth truth_] _Tenebriones Papistae male sibi conscii, aeternum atri, et tetri sunto, et habentor, gui non tam cute, quam corde Aethiopici, solem quo magis luceat, e... [ Continue Reading ]
After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. Ver. 22. _And baptized_] Wherever we are we must be doing. If Moses may not do justice in Egypt, he will do it in Midian, Exodus 2:14,17. I had rather be sick, said Seneca, than ou... [ Continue Reading ]
And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. Ver. 23. _And John also was baptizing_] Here ministers may learn not to be wanting to their duties, though God stir up others about them of greater parts and better success to o... [ Continue Reading ]
For John was not yet cast into prison. Ver. 24. _Cast into prison_] The primitive bishops were found more frequently in prisons than palaces. Bocardo became a college of Quondams, _a_ as the Marian martyrs merrily called it. If Petronius could tell Caesar that he had rather be with Cato in the pris... [ Continue Reading ]
Then there arose a question between _some_ of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. Ver. 25. _And the Jews_] Who joined themselves to John's disciples, craftily and maliciously, that they might both set against Christ; like as the Jesuits at this day will cunningly comply with the Lutheran... [ Continue Reading ]
And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all _men_ come to him. Ver. 26. _Rabbi, he that was with thee_] They envied for John's sake, as Joshua did for Moses, and with as little thank. John w... [ Continue Reading ]
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ver. 27. _A man can receive nothing_] There is much in this word "man," as Beza thinks, to set forth the most miserable indigence of all mankind by nature. _a_ The Greeks, when they set forth one miserable indeed... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. Ver. 28. _Ye yourselves bear me witness_] I should rather choose the just commendation of one good man (saith Rolloc upon this text) than the foolish admiration of a whole multitude, _Equidem pluris fece... [ Continue Reading ]
He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. Ver. 29. _The friend of the bridegroom_] Such is every faithful minister,2 Corinthians 11:2, whose off... [ Continue Reading ]
He must increase, but I _must_ decrease. Ver. 30. _He must increase, but, &c._] And this was John's great joy. That man hath true light that can be content to be outshined by others; and nothing will more try a man's grace than questions of emulation. Ezekiel can commend Daniel his contemporary, ma... [ Continue Reading ]
He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. Ver. 31. _He that cometh, &c._] Hitherto Christ hath been compared with John. In the rest of the chapter he stands compared, first, with all men; secondly,... [ Continue Reading ]
And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. Ver. 32. _No man receiveth_] _i.e._ None to speak of; comparatively none. _Rari quippe boni, _ Few obviously are good, saith Juvenal. _Rari sunt qui philosophantur, _ There are few who are philosophers, saith U... [ Continue Reading ]
He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. Ver. 33. _Hath set to his seal, &c._] Hath given God a testimonial, such as is that, Deuteronomy 32:4. After which, God also sets his seal (_quasi in red-hostimentum_) to the believer, Ephesians 1:13 .... [ Continue Reading ]
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure _unto him_. Ver. 34. _Speaketh the words of God_] This the true believer is convinced of; and therefore sets to his seal, as to an undoubted truth. He is fully persuaded, as St Luke was, Luke 1:1 .... [ Continue Reading ]
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. Ver. 35. _The Father loveth the Son_] Therefore faith may have firm footing. God hath laid help upon one that is mighty, Psalms 89:19, that our faith and hope may be in God,1 Peter 1:21 .... [ Continue Reading ]
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Ver. 36. _Hath eternal life_] 1. _In promisso._ In promise. 2. _In pretio._ In reward, 3. _In primitiis._ In beginnings. He stands already on the battlement... [ Continue Reading ]