John 1

They are not taught of God; they have Christ's Word to enlighten them, but not his Spirit to sanctify them. But, that you should have the inward, as well as the outward teaching, that Christ should anoint you with the heavenly unction of his Spirit, that you can say, as in (John…

1. Christ's person in two natures: 1. Look upon his human nature as incarnate. The Valentinians deny his human nature; but (John 1:14) the Word was made flesh; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It is spoken of Christ, the promised Messiah.

John 1:12 — To them he gave power to become the sons of GOD. Having spoken of the great points of faith and justification, the next is Adoption:

To consider Christ as he is crowned with all manner of excellencies, does rather stir up admiration and wonder; but Christ looked upon as bleeding and dying is the proper object of our faith: therefore it is called faith in his blood (Romans 3:25). 3. Appropriation, or the apply…

Response. Saint Austin understands it not of every [reconstructed: individual] person, but some of all sorts shall be saved: as in the ark, God saved all the living creatures; not every bird or fish were saved, for many perished in the flood; but all, that is, some of every kind…

The plainer the diamond is, the more it sparkles: the plainer the heart is, the more it sparkles in God's eye. What a commendation did Christ give Nathanael (John 1:47). Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile.

If a Christian has any assistance in duty, or victory over temptation, he rears up a pillar and writes upon it, Hucusque adjuvabit Deus — Hitherto the Lord has helped me. John the Baptist transferred all the honor from himself to Christ; he was content to be eclipsed that Christ…

In whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. It is said, not only Christ was with God before the beginning, but he was God (John 1:1), and (1 Timothy 3:16), God manifest in the flesh. The title of Lord so often given to Christ in the New Testament does answer to the ti…

The Child that is born, the Son that is given, is the mighty God; and as the mighty God, and a Child born, or Son, given, he is the Prince of peace, as he is there called, or our Savior. John 1:14. The Word was made flesh.

As, 1. That he offered himself a sacrifice to God, to make atonement for our sins, and that in his death and sufferings (Isaiah 53:10): "When you shall make his soul an offering for sin" (John 1:29): "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (Ephesians 5:2):…

For the Father, as he whom we worship, is often called so, only with reference to his Son; as the Son is so, with reference to the Father. He is the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14). But now, if this Son had no preexistence in his Divine nature before he was born of the V…

The Covenant was made with man, the obedience due to it was required of man; and therefore it must be a man that must do and die; no other kind of being, no not an angel, would have sufficed or answered the Covenant. The Son of God therefore became a man, assumed a true human bo…

Explication. The principles of mutual, spiritual love among believers, arise from their relation to one Father (Matthew 23:9): "One is your Father which is in Heaven," who gives to all them that believe in Christ, power to become the sons of God (John 1:12). And their being all…

Thus Abraham was instructed in the nature of the Covenant of Grace by circumcision (Genesis 17:10), which is often explained in the Old Testament, by applying it in particular to the grace of conversion, called the circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 10:16; chapter 30:6; Jere…

Question 2. By what means do we come to know that God will thus be worshipped? That God is to be worshipped, and that according to his own will and appointment, is a principal branch of the law of our creation, written in our hearts (Romans 1:21; Romans 2:14-15; Acts 15:16-17; A…

I will accept you with your sweet savour (Ezekiel 43:27). In both giving them intimate communion with himself by Jesus Christ (John 1:3). By all these, he gives that special presence which he requires an especial reverence and regard of faith to, whereby his name is yet farther…

Q. How may it be proved that Christ is God? A. By sundry places of Scripture, wherein he is expresly so called (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:6; 1 John 5:20). Q. How else?

Q. What is the work of Christ as a Prophet? A. To reveal and make known to his people the counsel and will of God (Deuteronomy 18:18; John 1:18; John 4:25; John 15:15; Matthew 11:27). Q. How does he this?

Q. You have spoken of the person, offices and actions of Christ; you are now to shew the benefits that come by Christ, and how we are made partakers of Christ and of his benefits? A. We are made partakers of Christ and all his benefits by faith alone (John 1:12 and 3:16, 18, 36…

But what a fearful course is this, that men should thus brutishly go on from day to day, not knowing how to worship God? Well, all such as love their own souls, and would be like to godly Jacob; or (as our Savior Christ said to Nathanael) would be true Israelites, John 1.47, the…

And verse 17. You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread: for that same day will I bring your Armies out of the Land of Egypt. And touching the second, that it was a sign of a more heavenly deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan, Paul tells us plainly, when as he says,…

And Saint John says, That as many as received Christ, to them he gave power to be called the sons of God. And lest any man should think that to receive Christ, is not to believe in Christ; he adds, Even to as many as believe in his name (John 1:12). And therefore faith is fitly…

And therefore as Isaac is called the child of Promise, and said, to be born by promise, Galatians 4:23. So, men regenerate and born to the Church, are said, not to be born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, John 1:13. And Saint James sait…

In the order of nature, the object is before the act that is conversant about it: therefore it is in the order of nature, before the act of our faith. To believe on the name of Christ is an act of faith; to believe on the name of Christ, is to receive Christ (John 1:12). Therefo…

If there be any gracious conditions, or qualifications, wrought in us before faith of dependance; then, before we receive union with Christ: The reason is, For by faith of dependance it is, that we first received union with Jesus Christ (John 1:12). But there be no gracious cond…

Secondly, Christ says of John: "This was that Elias that was to come, that should prepare the way before him" (Malachi 3:1). Thirdly, he was the greatest Prophet born among women: for he saw him come in the flesh, and said to two disciples, "Behold that Lamb of God which takes a…

In the explicating of it, I must first speak what it is that justifies us. First, we do believe, that in our effectual calling, God draws us to union with Christ (John 6:44), shedding abroad his Spirit in our hearts (Romans 5:5), and working faith in us to receive Christ (John 1…

Seeing no man can say, (that is confessed) that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). Hence I find it written (John 1:11), Jesus came to his own, but his own received him not, that is, for the Christ, that Messiah which was to come: but only for the Carp…

(2.) He was not called or set apart to his office by any outward unction, solemn consecration, or ceremonious investiture. For the Lord Christ Jesus had none of these, who was made a Priest after the manner that he was; only there was an outward sign of his call to all his offic…

His revelations from the foundation of the world were gradual and partial, increasing the light of the knowledge of his glory from age to age. But put them all together from the first promise, with all expositions of it, and additions to it, with prophecies of what should afterw…

For God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). He sent him in the flesh, for he sent him made of a woman, made under the Law (Galatians 4:4), wherein the Word was made flesh (John 1:14); but he sent him only in the likeness of sinful flesh. And that becau…

In his incarnation, and his whole converse on the earth, he cast a vail over his eternal glory, so as that it appeared not in its own native lustre. Those indeed who believed on him, saw his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:…

Therefore God will now secure all the good things of this Covenant, both as to grace and glory, in a third hand, in the hand of a Mediator. Hereon the Promises are made to him, and the fulness of grace is laid up in him (John 1:14; Colossians 1:17; Chapter 2:2; Ephesians 3:8; 2…

He therefore alone is this true Tabernacle. 2. In answer hereunto when he was incarnate, and came into the world, it is said that [in non-Latin alphabet], He fixed his Tabernacle among us (John 1:14); that is the signification of the word which we have translated to dwell, becau…

And he did all things that belong to the establishment of this Covenant, in a spirit of meekness and condescension, with the highest evidence of love, grace and compassion, encouraging and inviting the weary, the burdened, the heavy and laden to come to him. And by his Spirit he…

And Christ called his own body the temple (John 2:19). His flesh was the vail (Hebrews 10:20), and in his incarnation he is said to pitch his tabernacle among us (John 1:14). Herein dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9), that is, substantially; represented by…

Effectual vocation is the only way of entrance into the eternal inheritance. For it is accompanied with adoption, which gives us right and title thereunto (John 1:12). In vain do they expect it who are not so called.

True in these expressions is opposed to shadowing and typical, not to that which is false or adulterate. So (John 1:17, 18) real, substantial, the things originally in all these institutions. This is a brief description of the place whereinto the High Priest under the Law did en…

It denotes a concurrent operation, when one works with another. Nor does it always denote a subservient instrumental cause, but sometimes that which is principally efficient (John 1:5; Romans 11:34; Hebrews 1:2). So it does here; the eternal Spirit was not an inferior instrument…

Christ himself with all the grace and mercy we have by him, is from the free love and will of God. So is our election (Ephesians 1:4, 5), our vocation (1 Corinthians 1:26, 27), our regeneration (John 1:13; James 1:18), our recovery from sin (Hosea 14:4). So is our peace and all…

Substantially in the human nature, as it dwelt typically and by representation in this Tabernacle. Hence is it so expressed, He was made flesh, [in non-Latin alphabet] (John 1:14), and pitched his Tabernacle among or with us. The consideration hereof, the Apostle on set purpose…

For no perfection, no consummation in divine favor, no settled peace of conscience could in this way be obtained; all things openly declared that so they could not be. And hence have we an evidence of what is affirmed (John 1:17): The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth…

Once it is used to express his eternity (Revelation 1:8), but generally it has respect to the promise of him. The foundation of the Church was laid in the promise that he should come, and he came in his Spirit to them from the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:11; ch. 3:18, 19,…

Our Apostle uses it for to make manifest, that is, bring to light (1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Timothy 1:10). And the meaning of it (John 1:9), where we render it lighteth, is to teach. And [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] is knowledge upon instruction (2 Corinthians 4:4); [〈 in non-Latin a…

Hence (3.) There is a reaching after these things: a pressing on towards them: a person does not only use means, but in them he seeks after these things. If the question be as to them of old (John 1:28), whom seek you? the answer will be as before; more of God, and more of Chris…

Look to ME. He is the propitiation: as many as received him (John 1:12). He is the portion of the soul, and in Him it hopes (Lamentations 3:24).

In those first beginnings of the Gospel, even pious persons, and men fearing God, such as the Eunuch, and Cornelius, must have further instruction, and preparation, before they could be baptized: may a man from there infer, that now in the Christian Church constituted, a Christi…

Some do place faith in the mind, and partly in the will, because it has two parts; knowledge, and affiance: but it seems not greatly to stand with reason, that one particular and single grace should be seated in diverse parts or faculties of the souls. The form of faith is, to a…

God's call is the offer of grace, our answer is the accepting of grace offered; there must be receiving, as well as offering. Vocation is not effectual unless it end in union; it is receiving that gives us interest (John 1:12). The Scriptures do everywhere imply and signify this…

The second, that saving faith is a particular assurance, is proved by this, that the property of faith is to apprehend and apply the promise, and the thing promised, Christ with his benefits. (John 1:12) As many, says Saint John, as received him, to them he gave power to be the…