Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

12

man at the beginning doth fet forth good wine; and when men have well (e) drunk, then that which is worfe but thou haft kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jefus in Cana of Galilee, and manifefted forth his glory; and his difciples believed on him.

After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his difciples; and they continued there not many days.

13 And the Jews paffover was at hand, and Jesus 14 went up to Jerufalem, And found in the (f) temple thofe that fold oxen, and fheep, and doves, and the 15 changers of money, fitting: And when he had made a fcourge of fmall cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the fheep and the oxen; and poured out the changers money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And faid unto them that fold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's houfe an houfe 17 of merchandize. And his difciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine houfe hath eaten me up.

18

Then answered the Jews, and faid unto him, What fign fheweft thou unto us, feeing that thou 19 doeft these things? Jefus anfwered and faid unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will 20 raife it up. Then faid the Jews, Forty and fix years

was this temple in building (g), and wilt thou rear it up 21 in three days? But he fpake of the temple of his

(e) It is not to be imagined, that there was any excefs in drinking ia our bleffed Lord's prefence. The expreffion well drunk in this place, cannot poffibly imply more than being cheerful within the bounds of fobriety, and the original word is often fo used in other

authors.

(f) Places dedicated to the fervice of God ought not to be put to any profane and common use, but treated with fuitable reverence and refpect.

(g) It had been forty-fix years in building, from the time when it was begun by Herod, to the time of this difcourfe with the Jews.

22 body.

22 body (b). When therefore he was rifen from the dead, his difciples remembered that he had faid this unto them and they believed the fcripture (i), and the word which Jefus had faid.

23 Now when he was in Jerufalem at the paffover,

in the feast day, many believed in his name (k), when 24 they faw the miracles which he did. But Jefus did

not commit himself unto them (1), because he knew all 25 men, And needed not that any fhould teftify of man: for he knew what was in man..

2

CHA P. III.

THERE was a man of the Pharifees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews (a): The fame came to Jefus by night, and faid unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do thofe miracles that thou doeft, except God be. 3 with him. Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, Verily, verily I fay unto thee, except a man be born again, 4 he cannot fee the kingdom of God. Nicodemus faith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the fecond time into his mother's womb, 5 and be born? Jefus anfwered, Verily, verily I fay unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit (b), he cannot enter into the kingdom of 6 God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and 7 that which is born of the Spirit, is fpirit. Marvel

(h) See Matt. xxvii. 40.

() What was told in scripture of the death and refurrection of Chrift.

(k) Many believed him to be the Meffiah.

(1) Jefus did not truft them fo far as to profefs himfelf the Mef fiah; because he forefaw that fuch a declaration might have exafperated the Jews, and haftened his deftruction before the time. (a) One of their great council called the Sanhedrim. (6) The birth I am fpeaking of is not a natural but a fpiritual birth, reprefented by baptifm, and effected by the holy Spirit.

N 3.

not.

[ocr errors]

not that I faid unto thee, Ye must be born again, 8 The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof; but canft not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth: fo is every one that is born of 9 the Spirit (e). Nicodemus anfwered and faid unto him, 10 How can these things be? Jefus anfwered and faid

unto him, Art thou a mafter of Ifrael, and knoweft II not these things? Verily, verily I fay unto thee, We fpeak that we do know, and teftify that we have 12 feen; and ye receive not our witnefs. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how fhall ye 13 believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath afcended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven (d),

14

And as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilder15 nefs, even fo muft the Son of man be lifted up (e): That whofoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have eternal life.

16

For God fo loved the world, that he gave his onlybegotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him, fhould 17 not perish, but have everlasting life. For God fent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (ƒ).

(c) The wind blows without any controul or direction from us: it is known only by its effects: fo likewife are the influences of the holy Spirit of God fecret and invisible, being entirely internal, and known to others only by the temper and difpofition they infpire.

(d) No man hath gone up into heaven to fearch into the fecret counfels of God; and therefore no man can reveal them but the Son, who came down from heaven, and in his divine nature is continually prefent there.

(e) Meaning that he fhould die on a crofs. See Chap. xviii. 32. (f) The end of Chrift's coming into the world was the falvation of mankind. If it has not that effect, it is their own fault; for if they will embrace and obey the Gofpel, they will escape condemnation.

[ocr errors][merged small]

18

He that believeth on him (g), is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begot19 ten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were 20 evil. For every one that doeth evil, hateth the light,

neither cometh to the light, left his deeds fhould be 21 reproved. But he that doeth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifeft, that they are wrought in God.

22

23

After these things came Jefus and his difciples into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them, and baptized (h).

And John alfo was baptizing in Enon, near to Salim, because there was much water there and 24 they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet caft into prison.

25 Then there arofe a question between some of John's 26 difciples and the Jews, about purifying (i). And they came unto John, and faid unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bareft witness, behold, the fame baptizeth, and all 27 men come to him. John answered and faid, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from 28 heaven (k). Ye yourfelves bear me witnefs, that I faid, I am not the Chrift, but that I am fent before him.

[ocr errors]

(g) To believe on Chrift, is to receive his doctrine, and obey his laws; not only to truft in him as our Saviour, but to be governed by him as our Lord. It includes virtuous practice, as well as found faith.

(h) It was not Jefus himself, but his difciples, that baptized. Chap..

iv. 2.

(i) The difpute was probably about the fuperior excellence of Jefus's baptifm compared with that of John.

(k) Let not your zeal for my honour tempt you to look upon him as a rival that will eclipfe me; but, on the contrary, treat him as I do, with the highest poffible refpe&t, for his authority is truly divine.

N4

29 He

29

He that hath the bride, is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which ftandeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly becaufe of the bridegroom's 30 voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled (7). He muft 31 increafe, but I must decreafe. He that cometh from above, is above all: he that is of the earth, is earthly, and fpeaketh of the earth: he that cometh from 32 heaven, is above all. And what he hath feen and

heard, that he teftifieth; and no man (m) receiveth 33 his teftimony. He that hath received his teftimony, 34 hath fet to his feal, that God is true (n). For he whom

God hath sent, speaketh the words of God: for God 35 giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him (0). The

Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things in36 to his hand. He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son (p), fhall not fee life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

I

CHA P. IV.

WHEN therefore the Lord knew how the Pharifees had heard that Jefus made and baptized 2 more difciples than John, (Though Jefus himself bap3 tized not, but his difciples) He left Judea, and de4 parted again into Galilee (a). And he muft needs go 5 through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of

(4) I am the bridegroom's friend, and instead of envying, rejoice in his honour and happiness.

(m) No man, that is, comparatively, very few.

(n) He that becomes his difciple, hath, as it were, given it under his hand and feal, that God's promise to fend the Meffiah is true, and fulfilled in Jefus.

(0) See Chap. i. 17. Note.

(p) He that will not obey the Son. Obedience is implied in Chriftian faith, and is made the joint condition of Baptism. Matt. xxviii. 20.

(a) To avoid the envy and malice of the Jews. 8

Samaria,

« AnteriorContinuar »