1. Partly because the word yivcoaKeiv, which is here used, is proper to the light of faith ; and so it is used ver. 7, ' They have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee ; ' and ver. 8, ' They have known surely that I came out from thee.' Vision is proper to the light of glory. It is more usually expressed by seeing than knowing : ver. 24, ' Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, iva Oeoopcoai, that they may behold my glory.'
2. Christ is proving tlie reason, that unless he were glorified, he could not bestow eternal life ; for there could be no knowledge without his ascension into heaven, and effusion of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and so by consequence no eternal life. So that the words must be explained, ' This is life eternal ;' that is, this is the way to life eternal, or life eternal begun, and in the root and foundation.
' That they may know thee.' — That must be understood by way of apposition ; this is life eternal to know thee : and knowledge is here put for faith or saving knowledge; It is a known rule that words of knowledge do imply suitable affections ; as 1 Thes. v. 12, ' We beseech you to know them which labour among you ;' that is, reverence them. Or, more clearly to the present case : 1 John ii. 4, ' He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Our Saviour understandeth not naked and unactive speculations concerning God and Christ, or a naked map or model of divine truths. Bare knowledge cannot be sufficient to salvation, but a lively and effectual light. Faith is intended, as is clear by the mention of the double object — God and Christ. He that knoweth God in Christ knoweth him for his reconciled Father, and so leaneth on him. And affections and motions of grace are intended ; for it must be such a knowledge of God as discerneth him to be the chiefest good and only happiness. They know not God that do not choose him for their por- tion : ' They that know thy name will put their trust in thee,' Ps. ix. 10. Again, suitable practice and conversation is implied ; for surely St John knew Christ's meaning : 1 John ii. 3, ' Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.' So that in know- ledge all the genuine effects of it are included — assent, affiance, prac- tice, choice, necessary respect to God and Christ. Literal instruction is not enough to eternal life. A carnal man may know mucli of God and Christ, and yet be miserable. In point of the object, I know no difference between godly and carnal persons ; all the difference is in the force and efficacy ; as fair water and strong water differ not in colour, but only in strength and operation. -I confess, in matters evan- gelical, nature is most blind ; but by reason of common gifts they may have a great proportion of knowledge, as to the letter, more than many of God s children. But of this elsewhere.
' The only true God : ' rbv fiovov aXrjOivov Oeov. — Much ado there hath been about this clause, I shall endeavour to bring all to a short
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decision. The doubt is, How can the Fatlier be said to be the only true God, since the Spirit and the Son do also communicate in the divine essence?
1. Some to solve the matter, invert the order of the words thus, ' To know thee and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent, to be the only true God.' But if the construction would bear it, what provision is there then made for the godhead of the Holy Spirit, which is also a funda- mental article ?
2. Some say that the Father is not to be taken strictly and per- sonally for the first person, but essentially for the whole godliead. But this seemeth not so plausible an answer, for then Christ must pray to himself. He ])rayeth here as God-man, and all along to the Father. For my part, I think the expression is used for a twofold reason — (1.) To exclude the idols and false gods ; (2.) To note the order and economy of salvation.
[1.] To exclude the idols of the Gentiles, foreign and ftdse gods, such as are extra-essential to the Father ; and to note that that godhead is only true that is in the Father ; ere top /jlovov uXtjOlvov 6eov — ' Thee the only, thee the true God.' The Son and the Holy Ghost are not excluded, who are of the same essence with the Father. Christ and the Spirit are true God, not without, but in the Father : John x. 30, ' I and my Father are one : ' John xiv. 30, ' I am in the Father, and the Father in me ;' not divided in essence, though distinguished in personality. Such kind of expressions are usual in the scriptures, when any of the persons are spoken of singly ; as Rom. ix. 5, where Christ is said to be ' God over all, blessed for ever.' And more ex- pressly, he is said to be ^eo? uXtjOivo^, ' the only true God,' 1 John V. 20 ; by which neither tlie Father nor the Spirit are excluded from the godhead. Many such exclusive particles there are in scrip- ture, which must be expounded by the analogy of faith ; as Mat. xi. 27, ' None knoweth the Son but the Father ; neither knoweth any man the Father, but the Son ;' where the Spirit is not excluded, ' who searcheth the depths of God,' 1 Cor. ii. 10. One person of the Trinity doth not exclude the rest. So see Isa, xliii. 11, 'I, even I, am the Lord ; and besides me there is no Saviour;' which is applied to Christ : Acts iv. 12, * Neither is there salvation in any other ; for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved;' it only excludeth Xejofxivov; ^eoi)?, those that are called gods, 1 Cor. viii. 5. There is no God but one. Many are called gods, ' but to us there is but one God, the Father.' As also it is the scope of Christ ; he would lay down the summary of christian doctrine ; the one mem- ber being opposed to the vanity of the Gentiles, the other to the blind- ness of the Jews.