G Fvci Chris own Difci; les at the fir rither admired than pert: Cly under ovi their Loads It is fad of Cartit, Luke 24. 25. 5 little befere 1s Afcention into Heaven, Then opened he their 1n- derftanding, thot they might underſtand the Scripture. The Difct ples did not Gill in® lv underſtand many things, ll after Chritts Re- ſurrection from the Dead, when they ſaw the things accompliſhed ; 2nd when Chriti futher opened their Eyes, which was alfo further dove, when the Holy ghoſt came upon them 1n the days of Penze- coi, Thus we hear for the tzme to come 3 and the Seed which lieth a long time under the Clcds. ar laft ſpringeth up through the Influ- ence of Heaven upon it. r The Diſciples then more clearly and more firmly believed the Scriptures, and were able ro make a clearer Application ard Interpretation of theme By rhe Scriptures here, are meant the Scriprures of the Old Teft ament 3 ro which is 4dded, and the words of Jeſus. Chrifts words gavethemy a clearer inſight into the Scriprures of the Old Teſtament ; and the harmony of rhe writings ef the Od Teſtament, with Chrilts words under the New Teſtament, confirm the Diſciples Faith in borh. | =
H N.
-. 26 "'
C9 A © 4
Chri$ ſheweth Nicodemus the neceſſity of Regeneration, 1-19, jp,
Suffering, and Faith in ut, 14-15. The great Love of Goa ro 11, World in giving hu Son to die for 3*,16-17, The Condemyg:c,, them that do no: believe, 18-21 « Christ baptizeth in Fudey 1 Fobn in Enon, 22--24. The Jews atſpute with Jolms Dife),., about purifying, 25. Fohn ſhewerh the Excellency and Diourtis, of Chriſt above himſelf, 25-36. y
Here @ was a man of the Phariſees b, name N;. codemus c, a ruler of the Jews &d. 4 The Particle there, being put in only to fit our 1d, 1, the Greek, where is nothing bur the Verb, - 6gnifies nothing tg Prove that what we read in this Chapter was done at Hreryſalem, h j; : diſpute amongſt ſome Interpreters, whether he was there of ng; ſhould ſeem by C5. 7. v. 50. that Nzcodemns his chief Reſidence was there'z þ-he was one of the Pharifees, who were a Sect, { 14 ve have ſhewed before.) which had their. Name either from an H:4;;, word, which ſignifieth to explain, (becauſe they were expounde;; of the Law ) or from another .word, whica fignifieth to dive. becauſe they were ſeparate from others; the Opinions have hgy learned Patrons. c This mans name in, Greek, fignifieth theVj2,. 73 of the People'; d he was either the head of a Family amony the Fews, of'a Ruler of theSynagogue, or one of the. Sanhbedrin, i
2: & Now when he was at Jeruſalem at the/paſſover;
55 the teaſt day, many believed in his Name/; when
they law the Miracles which he did-e.% 7 4
{ To b:licve in Chriſts Name, and:to believe'in 'Chrift himſelf
ſeemerh moſt probable he is here called a Ryler upon the lalt accoyry, if- we - confider Chap. 9. 50. _ 2 2 The ſame came unto Jeſus.by night e,and faidunty
a2 one and the ſame thing ; as 1t 1s the ſame'to' call upon God, ang \*! 1 can { 1:2 call upon t/e Name of Goa ; ſo As 3-15: The meaning is. that: thou doeſt; EXCCept * God be with him g. q ey blieves) the things which were publihed: concerning his Perſon |... ce, yet the/Pertphrajts, Believing tm'n1s Name, 18 not yain ; it declareth a wrual Relacion betwixr God find rhe Word, by the Preebing of wInch le makerh himſelfknown to the World.” ' True F-ich cometh by hearing, and hearing by rhe word of God. "think 3: 13 to no purpoſe Ldifpured here by ſome, "whether the Faith here merrioned was une Faith, yea or no. It appeareth by what follow- eth ; that it was not trae juliifying Faith. 3 but it was true in its kind, To make up wue juitifying faving Faith, which the Apoftle 1. A know- 'of edge of the Propofarion of the Word revealing. Chriſt ; tes, fe which he bad wraught. God hath'rhis number among all Orders ir | 2 The ſecond' is;|and forts. ofmen.; :and thoſe rhar are his, ſhall come unto Chril; ſen, which is the act of the Underſtanding,” aprecing in the truth! there was 4 weakneſs'ir we Faith and Love of this Nicodem ; (his of rhe Word revealed, when fuch an Affent 1s given ro a'Propoſi- Station among the Fews was a great Tempration to him ) butyer tion, if mcerly upn the Divine Revel:ition of 1t; this is] Faith, a| there was a truth of both in him, which further difcoyered it felf, 3- Upon this naw, (in thoſe 'who. ſavingly| Fob. 7. 56. -and. more upon Chriſts death, Chap. 19. 39. Buthere beticve) the Will clofeth with Chrilt as an-adequare Object ; for ir | ariſerh. a greater. Queſtion, 9:3. How Nicodemus could conclude tha rectiveih him, accepreth him, relies on, him as its Saviour; and | Chriſt. was a Teacher ſent from God; by bis Miracles ? 4. tit woveth by the AteCtions, to Love, Defire, Hope, Rejoyce. in him; | be obſerved, thar he dorh nor ſay in rhe general, that no man dos cominznderh the outward man into an Obedience to bis Law. Now | Signs or Wonders of any kind, unleſs the Power and Farour of God it is very polible, that throngh a common Influence of the Holy' | Spirit of God, men upon the hearing of the Ward ;. eſpecially, bav-. ing the advantage of {ceing miricyſous. Qperations contirming'the Word, may give a true Affent ro the. Prppoſition. of the Word as a Propotition of Truth, and yet may never receive Chriſt as their Saviour, cloſe with fi, truit in lim, defire, loye, .or obey him; this was the caſe of theſe Perſons, (many ateait of them) c{They, believed freing the Miracies which Cbrift did; they wanted a.due Knowledge of Chritt founded in the Worg,;., neither -had rhey- any [our the omnipotent hand of God could do them. For 'tis clxrby certain, tieady, fixed Affent, founded in. the diſcerning the .Fruth of the Propoſition ; their Atſent was ſudden,: founded only upon rhe Miracles they faw wrought, ſo as tho* rhey night have fome confi- ſearch for Traths,'to believe a Lie. . The Magicians indeed perform- dence in him, as a famous Perſon, and ſome. great Prince, 'from | ed divers Wonders in Egypt, but they were our done by 1f:/e1,t0 whom they mighr expect ſome earthly good ; yet this was all, which
. 1 5% "| Bo �:: 079 $:
calls the Faith of Gods Elect, three things are required,
tured by Reading, Hearing, 'Medication,” Ec.
true Paith in its king.
was far enough from true faving Faith. .
24 Burt Jeſus did not commit himſelf. unto them u,
becauſe he knew all men >».