John 8

John 8:6

TEmpting him,] to overtake him, howsoever he had answered. For if according to his wonted clemency in pardoning penitent beleevers their sins, he had spared the woman: they would have accused him for sparing malefactors, and doing things contrary to the law. And if he had condemned her, they would have taxed him with contradicting his own doctrine, and his ordinary practise. Or that he usurped the publike authority Wrote,] he seemes to do it, as it were in signe of contemning those things which they alledged, unlesse there be some more secret sense in it. As for to shew that sinne which is written before God. Isay 65. 6. and graven, as it were, with a steele. Ier. 17. 1. is pardoned and blotted out by Christ by means of faith, and repentance, even as easily as a writing slightly made in the dust.

John 8:7

He that is,] Christ here makes no law for the Judges and witnesses, that they should not prosecute malefactors; unlesse they be altogether guiltlesse. But leaving the law of God in is force, the execution of which did not belong to him hee contents himselfe with doing his office in convincing these hipocrits severe censurers of others, and in the meane time they themselves spotted with many sins and wicked tempters of Christ, and in correcting this woman Cast a stone,] according to the law. Deuteronomy 17:7.

John 8:11

Neither do I,] namely for the externall and corporall judgement which did not belong unto him. Insisting only upon the inward condemnation of the conscience to bring her to repentance, wherein he fulfilled the worke of the law and of the Gospell together.

John 8:13

Is not,] cannot be held valuable and certaine.

John 8:14

o I know,] and a witnesse must speake of certaine knowledge But ye,] your resusing to receive my witnesse, proceeds from that you malitiously suppresse the notice which I have given you of my divine calling: and of the full accomplishment thereof by my future glorification. And thus ought to be reconciled Iohns saying 7. 28 with this.

John 8:15

Yee judge,] yee taske me with false, or not sufficient witnesse, and I have more and better reason to reprove you for your false and perverse judgements of things belonging to God without any light or guide of his spirit, but only out of your own fleshly understanding, but I doe forbeare; as he saith afterwards I judge,] in mine office of Mediatour, I doe not proceed against you, nor against any one else, as arigorous and criminall judge: as mine authority would well extend unto it, mine end is to save by instruction, exhortation, conversion, and not to lose by judgement and condemnation. See Iohn 3. 17.

John 8:16

Alone,] that is to say separate from God my Father. Which ought to be understood as well in regard of the unitie of the essence: as of the perfect union of the will of the Father in his glory, and of the Son in his quality of Mediator.

John 8:17

Is true,] that is to say sufficient to be believed in judgement.

John 8:18

Beareth witnesse,] namely by his Prophets, but especially by his divine power wherewith hee hath endowed my person, and accompanieth my ministery as well in words as in deeds.

John 8:19

Yee neither know,] yee neither have nor will receave, any light nor knowledge of my person, office, and doctrine, by which only you might gaine, the saving knowledge of God, and therefore it is in vaine to speake to you of my Father.

John 8:20

In the Treasury,] See upon Marke 12. 41.

John 8:22

Will be kill,] that is to say, will hee goe out of the world? as Iohn 7. 35. they had said wil he goe into a farre Country.

John 8:23

Yee are from,] being worldly by birth, by nature, and affection, you are uncapable of raising your selves up to heaven, from whence I am; and whither I go, directing all my beleevers thither.

John 8:25

That I said,] that is to say, even from the beginning of my vocation, I told you that which I tell you still, that I am the Sonne of God, the Messias, the Saviour.

John 8:26

I have,] I could by many reasons convince your malice, and prove the truth of my word, but because you are unworthy of it by reason of your hardnesse, I will content my selfe with the witnesse my Father beareth of mee, and mine owne proper knowledge.

John 8:28

When yee,] that is to say after yee have crucified mee: I shall make you finde by the effect what my person and power is, Romans 14:1-23.

John 8:29

And hee,] hitherto my Father heareth witnesse sufficiently of the office which hee committed to mee, and of my faithfull executing of it.

John 8:30

Believed,] with a transitory faith, and for a time, without any lively roote, as appeares by the Lords ensuing discourses. See Matthew 13:20-21.

John 8:32

Yee shall know,] yee shall be enlighthed by the Holy Ghost, in the lively knowledge of the truth of the Gospell, by which you shall bee freed from the bondage of sin, the devill, and death. See Romans 8:2.

John 8:33

Were never,] wee are of the blessed progeny, to whom liberty, and domination is promised Genesis 25:23. and therefore nobody hath any right to bee Lord over us but only God. The subjection wee now are in, and have bin in at other times hath alwayes been by oppression and violence, and not by any just title.

John 8:34

Is the servant,] you thinke upon nothing but onely upon the right of temporall liberty: but I speake to you of the spirituall liberty, whereof man depriveth himselfe, giving himselfe over to sinne, which makes him his slave, and takes away from him the title of Sonne of God: and excludes him o of Gods house and inheritance: a it is seene in you.

John 8:36

If the Sonne,] this title of Sonne doth by nature belong to me alone you, as all other men are become bondmen by reason of sinne: and in mee alone can bee adopted, and enjoy the benefit of children.

John 8:37

Seed,] according to the flesh, but not according to the spirit and faith, Rom. 4. 16. and 9. 6, 7. Galatians 3:7.

John 8:38

Which yee have seene,] Namely which the devill doth, and induceth you to doe.

John 8:39

Children,] Namely true and lawfull imitatours of Abrahams faith: Father of all beleevers: wherein consists the true meaning of this name of Children of Abraham, Romans 4. 16. and 9. 6, 7. Galatians 3:7.

John 8:41

One Father,] a namely, spirituall Father, for they perceaved that Christ did not speak of a carnall father.

John 8:42

If God,] if ye were regenerate by Gods Spirit, you would know me, and love me, as the substantiall sonne of the same father, 1 Iohn 5. 1. and cause of your adoption, Galatians 4:5.

John 8:43

Why doe,] you cannot pretend ignorance, for your malice onely, which the Devill hath excited and ingendred in you, thorow your voluntary inclination, to follow his suggestions, is that which lets you not learn my doctrine.

John 8:44

The Devill,] it is he that hath ingrafted in you as it were the beginning of all your actions, and hath made you like unto himselfe in malice and other vices A murtherer,] in that thorow his envie and deceipt he seduced man, and precipitated him into death: and afterwards incited Cain and all his other instruments to cruell and bloudy acts From the beginning,] not from his creation, but from the beginning of the world, after the fall of devils In the truth,] namely, in the purity and integrity in which all the Angels were created And the Father,] namely the first author and introductor of the false-hood 〈◊〉 deeds and sayings, which he also soeth, and〈…〉tereth abroad amongst men.

John 8:47

Of God,] namely regenerate by his Spirit. Seeing it is the property of children to know their fathers voice. See Iohn 10. 4.

John 8:48

A Samaritan,] that is to say, apostated from the Iewish religion and their deadly enemy, Iohn 4. 9. and transported with a devilish rage.

John 8:49

I honour,] that is to say, through a just jealousie of Gods glory, I cannot suffer you to call your selves his children, having the Devils stampe upon you, and not Gods.

John 8:50

There is on,] namely, the Father glorifying me, Iohn 17. 1. 5. shall revenge the contempt and ignominy which you have done me.

John 8:51

Keepe,] that is to say, keep it in his heart by faith, and observes it in his workes, Death,] namely, everlasting death.

John 8:54

That honoureth,] that hath given me a glorious office, Heb. 5 5. and hath borne honourable witnesse by words and deeds, and at last shall crown my obedience with celestiall glory.

John 8:55

Not knowne him,] by a lively and spirituall light, which hath imprinted in you a true and resident image of the heavenly glory, to regeneration.

John 8:56

My day,] namely, my comming and manifestation in the flesh He saw it,] by faith, which is a demonstration of things which are not to be seen by the eye, Hebrews 11:1.

John 8:58

I am,] namely, a true and eternall God, and Saviour of the world.

John 8:59

Hid himselfe,] it is very likely that he miraculously became invisible.