John 3

Thus it is before Christ teaches us; indeed, the darkness in which a sinner is, while in an unregenerate state, is worse than natural darkness; for, natural darkness frightens (Genesis 15:12): A horror of great darkness fell upon Abraham. But the spiritual darkness is not accomp…

He knew their thoughts. 3. Is God the Father omnipresent, so is Christ (John 3:13). The Son of man which is in heaven.

To this glorious inheritance has Christ redeemed the saints: an inheritance which cannot be fully described, or set forth by all the lights of Heaven, though every star were a sun: and that which is the diamond in the ring, the glory of this inheritance, is the eternal sight and…

Unbelief affronts God, it gives him the lie; he that believes not, makes God a liar (1 John 5:10). So faith brings glory to God, it sets to its seal that God is true (John 3:33). He that believes flies to God's mercy and truth, as to an altar of refuge; he does garrison himself…

1. Poena Damni: Punishment of loss; the soul is banished from the beatific presence of God, in whose presence is fullness of joy. 2. Poena Sensus: Punishment of sense; the sinner feels the scalding vials of God's wrath: It is penetrating, abiding (John 3:36). Reserved (2 Peter 2…

Faith believes the promise, but that which faith rests upon in the promise, is the person of Christ: therefore the spouse is said to lean upon her beloved (Song of Solomon 8:5). And faith is described to be a believing on the name of the Son of God (John 3:23), namely, on his pe…

Quest. Whether are we justified from eternity? Resp. No; for first, by nature we are under a sentence of condemnation (John 3:18). But we could not be at all condemned, if we were justified from eternity.

Meditation is the bellows of the affections. Meditate on God's love in giving us Christ (John 3:16). God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, etc.

Sons of the earth; they have the serpent's curse, lick the dust. John 3:31. He that is of the earth speaks of the earth: as if all their hopes were here, and they looked for an earthly eternity; these have brutish minds. Seneca being asked of what country he was, answered, that…

Thus we may know God is our Father by having his Spirit praying in us: as Christ intercedes above, so the Spirit intercedes within. 2. By having the renewing of the Spirit, which is nothing else but regeneration, which is called a being born of the Spirit (John 3:5). This regene…

3. A man may be said to be given to covetousness, when all his discourse is about the world. (John 3:31.) He that is of the earth, speaks of the earth: as it is a sign of godliness to be still speaking of heaven, to have the tongue tuned to the language of Canaan. (Ecclesiastes…

4. Unbelief is a wrath-procuring sin; 'tis Inimica Salutis, Bern. Dying so, he is as sure to be condemned as if already (John 3:18): Iam condemnatus est, [illegible]. He that believes not on the Son, the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).

2. Is God the Father infinitely immense, filling all places (Jeremiah 23:24), so is Jesus Christ. While Christ was on the earth by his bodily presence, he was at the same time in the bosom of his Father (John 3:13), in regard of his divine presence. 2. The same royal prerogative…

We are to prefer God's glory before our nearest concerns: Before there can be a preferring God's glory before private concerns, there must be a new birth wrought. The natural man seeks his own secular interest before God's glory (John 3:31): "He is of the earth, earthly." Let hi…

For illustration I shall show, 1. What a new creature is: 2. What a kind of work it is. 1. What a new creature is: It is a second birth added to the first (John 3:3). It may be thus described: It is a supernatural work of God's Spirit, renewing and transforming the heart into th…

In this state and condition all mankind, had they been left without divine aid and help, must have perished eternally. Sixthly, that God out of his infinite goodness, grace and love to mankind, sent his only Son to save and deliver them out of this condition (Matthew 1:21): "You…

Ver. 14. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. John 3:3. And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. John 8:56, 57, 58. Then said the Jews to him, you are not fifty years old…

Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, he died to satisfy divine justice for such, and therefore they hope that they shall escape condemnation, and be admitted into his favor, and be justified upon this mere account, but yet they never had the impressions of a saving…

And as these are all distinct in themselves, having several formal reasons of them, so they all concur to complete that effectual vocation or calling that is required to constitute persons members of the Church. For besides that this is signified by the typical holiness of the C…

Explication. What in general is required to the fitting of any persons to be members of a visible Church of Christ, was before declared, and that is, that which the Lord Jesus has made the indispensable condition of entering into his Kingdom, namely of being born again (John 3:3…

Q. How is this sinne propagated? A. It is conveyed from parents to children not by imitation but by generation (Genesis 5:3; Psalms 51:5; Job 14:4; John 3:6). Q. What do you understand by actual sins?

Q. If God did not work the deliverance of man because himself had need of it, or because man did desire it, what then was the cause that moved him to it? A. Only his free grace, mercy, and love (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4, 5; Titus 3:4, 5). Q. What is the true way and means of del…

Q. How was he furnished with gifts and abilities for discharge of this office? A. As God never calls any to any office, but he gives them gifts requisite thereto: so Christ was furnished with all wisdom and knowledge, and other gifts of the Spirit, that might fully fit him for h…

You have shewed many excellent benefits that come by faith; but whether is faith of such necessity that these things cannot be without it? Such is the necessity of this grace of faith, that in respect of the usual way of God's dispensation, there is no hope nor possibility that…

The promising is that, whereby Christ being from eternity ordained for the salvation and spiritual life of men, is revealed and offered to them, together with grace to be obtained by him: this promise is universal in respect of all and every one that do believe. John 3:16. God s…

First, here we learn, that though Gods Commandments seem foolish, and unreasonable, yet we must obey them. Christ says; If a man will ever come in the Kingdom of heaven, he must be born again, John 3:3. Saint Paul says; If any man among you seem to be wise, let him be a fool tha…

And this is not only true faith, but even the excellency of faith. For example, God's promise is (John 3:16,) God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son into the world, that whosoever believed in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. Now, when we are…

2. Secondary: all inferior promises annexed thereunto. The main promise is: So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life, John 3:16. Now true faith, first of all, directly and pl…

For there is salvation in none other (Acts 4:12). 2. The spiritual materials are such as are born of water and of the Spirit (John 3:5). Who are they which are born of the Spirit?

If our faith be first active in laying hold on Christ for his righteousness, before God imputes it to us; then we do justify God, before he does justify us. For he receives the testimony which God has given of his Son: that God has given us life in his Son, he has set to his sea…

But why may not the holy Spirit breathe his first comforts into our souls, even on such conditions? Is not this to limit the Spirit, who is free, and blows where he lists (John 3:8)? He does not breathe his first comforts in such conditions, because he lists not: it is not his g…

First, the cause of remission, the sacrificed body of Christ on the cross, or accursed tree; (Hebrews 10:4) by one offering, he has perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Secondly, the ground is a free promise tendered to us from God; as to Adam, The seed of the woman shal…

Until he set us the example of it in his inexpressible love to us which is so frequently proposed to our imitation, we could not know what kind of love it was wherewith we ought to love one another. So says he here, that you love one another as I have loved you; see John 3:16. H…

For those who render the words, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] — Et venit Jacob pacificus or incolumis ad Urbem Shechem, so making the word appellative, and not the name of a place, are undoubtedly mistaken. For the same place is mentioned again in the New Testament by the same nam…

But quite otherwise, above all thoughts that could ever have entered into the hearts of angels or men, after he had declared the nature of the apostacy, and his own indignation against it, he proposes and promises a way of deliverance and recovery. This is that which the Scriptu…

Although he came down from heaven, though he descended into the lower parts of the earth, although he was exposed to all miseries, was obedient to death, the death of the cross, wherein God redeemed his Church with his own blood, yet did he all this in the humane nature that he…

The Son of God in his own Person did declare it. This he spake from heaven, as the Apostle observes, in opposition to the giving of the Law on the earth (Hebrews 12:25), yet did he speak on the earth also; the mystery whereof himself declares (John 3:13). And he did all things t…

They were the shadow, he the body or substance, as he speaks elsewhere. He was the Lord from Heaven; who is in Heaven, who speaks from Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:49; John 3:13). (2) All spiritual and eternal grace, mercy, blessings, whereof the souls of men are made partakers by t…

His appearance before God in Heaven, is his [in non-Latin alphabet]. And his illustrious appearance at the last day, is his [in non-Latin alphabet]; though that word be used also to express his glorious manifestation by the Gospel (2 Timothy 1:10); see 1 Timothy 3:16, 1 John 3:8…

In him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:4). God gave to him the Spirit not by measure (John 3:34). And the Holy Spirit rested on him in all variety of his gifts and operations, especially those of spiritual light, wisdom and understanding (Isaiah 11:2, 3).

And there is an antithesis included herein, between the Law and the Gospel; the former being given on Earth, the latter being immediately from Heaven. God in the giving of the Law made use of the ministry of Angels, and that on the Earth; but he gave the Gospel Church state, by…

For, (1.) his coming into the World in the act of the assumption of our nature, was in obedience to, and for the fulfilling of the Word of God. For God sent him into the World (John 3:17). And he came not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him.

Therefore consider this; did you ever find any thing of this change, of this new way of living; do you grow still less and less, and does Christ grow greater and greater in your hearts? John said of Christ; he must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30), and as verse 29, ther…

You say, perhaps that you dare not believe, you dare not cast your selves upon Jesus Christ, and you think you are much humbled; but the truth is, you are full of ignorance, and spiritual Pride, and in danger of eternal ruin. See Matthew 16:16. John 3. the wrath of God abides up…

But it does not appear that more was pre-required of them, than what was necessary to a humble submitting to the ordinance, and to that new and reforming administration then on foot, which was betokened and sealed thereby. And he that shall consider the multitudes that were bapt…

He who is afraid to own Christ, has but little love to him. Nicodemus came sneaking to Christ by night, John 3.2. He was fearful of being seen with him in the day time.

And here we must take heed of two opinions: the first is of the Anabaptists, which hold, that the flesh of Christ came down from heaven, and passed through the virgin Mary as through a pipe, without taking any substance from her: the places which they allege for the purpose are…

Their wares and drugs; like the fish in the Gospel that had a piece of money in its mouth. He that is of the earth speaks of the earth (John 3:31). And too often corrupt communication proceeds from the wicked; their mouth being like a sink where all the filth of the house runs o…

Civility, which is nothing else but a fair demeanor in the world, or in the Apostle's expression, a fair show in the flesh, a darker representation of holiness, rather Heathenish strictness than Christian: you may descry it by these notes. 1. It is usually accompanied with ignor…

Fourthly, in the conversion and salvation of a sinner, the scripture ascribes all to God, and nothing to man's free will. (John 3:3) Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Ephesians 2:10) We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works.