9 * That was the true Light «, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world w. _ # Trueis ſometimes oppoſed to wizat 1s falſe, Zph. 4. 25. Some- times to what is Zzpical and Figurative, John 1. 17. Sometimes to what is not Original, and of it ſelf ; in Oppoſitien to all theſe Chriit 1s the Tive Light ; he who alone deſerved the name of Light, having Light in himſelf, and from himſelf, x Jobn 2. 8. and- ſhining more gloriouſly than the Prophets or Apoſtles. w He lizhteth not the Jews only (as the Prophets of old_) but both the Jews and Gen:iles. Some underſtand this of the Light of Reaſon , but beſides, that Reaſ-n 1s no where in Holy Writ called Lzght ; neither did ti:is illumination agree to Chriſt as Mediator. of the Lizht of Goſpel Revelation, which Chriſt cauſed to be made to all the World, Matth. 28. 19. Markb 16, 15. Thoſe who Inter- pret :t of the more internal illumination by the Holy Spirit of God, by which Chriſt is not revealed to only, but in #s, ſav, That Chriſt hath done what lay in him (as a Miniſter of the Goſpel) fo to in!isht- en all that came into the World ; and that Chriſt is ſaid to inlizhe- en every man, becauſe none is inlightened but by him; and that ſome of all ſorts are by him inlightened ; in one of which two lat- ter Senſes, the terms Al! and Every man muſt be Interpreted in a multitude of Texts in the Goſpel. The words in the Greeb are ſo, as they may either be Tranſlated as we read them, or thus, 1{%9 commg into the World inlightened every man. A more univerſal Spirt- tual Light, or means to come to the Knowledge of God, overſp;ead- ing the World after Chriſt's coming, than betore. So John 12. 45. T am come a Light into the World, And it is by ſome obſerved, that the Phraſe, coming into the world, doth not barely fignifie a being barn, but being /ent into the World by the father, being SanTified, as iD John 10. 36. and 17. 18.
by him y ;and the world knew him not z.
x He was inthe place called the Wirld, and amongſt the men of the World: for fo the term World is often taken, chap. 15. 28. 2 Pet. 3-6, Chriſt before he came in the Fleſh, was in it ; filling both the Heavens and the Earth, and ſuſtaining it by the Word of his Power, and manifeſting his Will to it, more immediatcly to Moſes and to the Prophets, and more immediately by Moſes and by the Prophets, y And the Heavens and the Earth, all things viſivle and invitible (as was ſaid before) were made by him. And x the men of the Worid took no notice of him, did not acknowledge him, believe 1n him,nor were ſubjedt to him; fo the word hnow often ſignifies (according to the Hebrew Idiom) Fohn 10. 14, 15, 27. not a bare comprehenſi- on of an Object in the Underſtanding, but ſuitable affections : So Matth 7. 23. 1 fohn 3. 1. This 1s not to be underſtood of all individual perſons in the World; for Abraham, Iſaac, and Facob, and David, and many particular perſons, did in this ſenſe know him 3 but the generality of the Wor'd did not. The Heathens did not (who are ſometimes called the World, diſtint!ly from the Zews, 1 Fohn 2. 2. . 1 Cor. 1. 21.) and moſt of the Fews did not, though fome did.
11 Hecame unto his own 4, and his own received kim not b.
a Chriſt came into. the World, which being made by him, was in
his own Hovſe, Land and Pofſeſſion, Pjal. 85. i. Fohn 16. 32. Toe Greeh word is in the Plural Number,and uſed in the places before men- tioned, as alſo A#s 21.6. Sometimes ſignifying mens proper Coun - try, ſometimes their proper houſe. But it is a farther queſtion, what coming is here ſpoken of ; tho” it be generally (or by many at leaſt) interpreted of Chriſt's coming by his Incarnation, yet that ſeemeth not to be the ſenſe; partly, becauſe that coming is ſpoken of, v. 14. And partly, becauſe in that ſenſe the Fews did receive him 3 nor was it in their power, to hinder his manifeſtation in the fleſh. The coming therefore here mentioned, ſeemeth to be intended ot his com- ing by the Prophets, John the Bap'iſt, and his own perſ:nal Preach- ing of the Goſpel. þ Whom in this way of coming, they dic not receive, believing neither the Teſtimony given by his Prophets, nor by the Baptiſt, nor by himſelf, 12hn s. 43.
12 But * as many as received him c, to them gave he power to become the fons of God 4, ever ro them that believe on his name e.
-
him, believed in him, and ſubmitted to him; and to. as many as thus received him, not into their Houſes only, but into their Kearts, c He gave a Power, or a Right, or Privilege; not that they might if they wquld be ; but to be actually, to become, or to be the Sons of God by Adoption ; for Believers are already the Sons of God, Ga'. 3. 25. 3 Though it doth not yet appear what they ſhall be in the Adopti- on, mentioned Rom, 8. 23. which the Apoſtle calls the Redemption
read it 5y hams te 3 |
Pugs ”v him, it is oſt proper to undcritand the Pronoun of John - apt1f - for we are nct ſaid to velieve by Chri#, but in him, in 3 name, XC,
(drenofc of all that believe in the name of Chriſt z by which term he
of the body, viz. in the Reſarreim ; hence Luke 29 36. . the Chil- dren of God are called the Children of the Reſurreftion. 4 This is the
cpens
Eph. 5. 8. Nay, in a peculiar ſenſe our Saviour bearcth him Wir-
b-fore mentioned, v. 5. that ſhineth in darkneſs, and again, v. g.
man ſent from God. The men of the World are ordirarily 1 cxtreams,
1o He was in the world x, and * the world was made ;;.
'c Though the generality of thoſe amongſt whom Chriſt came, re-| ccived him not in the manner before expreſſed ; yet ſome did own p;u;lege.
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