#1Ttee 1 ov, his proper E.ther, or {1:3 own Father ; by which (as} tiny ory he Fadk himfelt equal with God. Nor did he by that alons, make himſelf equal with God, bur he aſcribed alfo r. himſelf 2 Co-operation with God, in works proper to God alone: Nor Gid ke think th's any Robbery, P/:/.2. 6, This was on] Charge ; we full now hear how our Siviour Cetendeth himſelt againſt it. : 15 Then anſwered Jeſus, and ſaid unto them, Veri- Verily, IT fay unto you, *® The Son can do nothing of} in;feif, but what he ſceth the Father do i: For whatſoever things he doth, theſealſo dochthe Son like- wiſe &. | # Conſider Chriſt as God ; fo, he cando nothing bur what the Fa- ther coth ; that is, nothing thar reſpected Created Beings : For it 1s a known Rule, That the works of the Trinity out of at ſelf ate not divided ; whatſoever one Perſon doth, rhe others do ; rho to denote the order of the Trinities working, ſome works are moſt ordinarily aſcribed ro the Father ( ſuch are. the works of Creatzon and Provi- dence ) Some to the Son, as Redemption; ſome to the Holy-Spirit, as SanArfication ; yer they are nor ſo aſcribed ro any Perſon, but that other Scriptures juitifie the Co-operation of all three Perſons. Con- f34er the Son as the Meſſias ; fo alſoir is true, That the Son can do u0thing of himſelf, but what he ſeeth the Father do, Nor is this any diminution to the Glory of Chriſt, nor doth it ſpeak any Imp. rency in him ; from whence the Arr7ans and Secirrans, would con- ciude his Inferiority to his Father ; bur rather his Perfet:0n,that he did only what pleaſed the Father: So that Phraſe ( what be ſeeth the Father do) is to be interpreted. And rhat Term, (can do nothing) ſignifies no more than, he doth, or will do nothing.See ſuch an uſage of the Phraſe, Gen. 19. 22. Luke 16. 3. Fohn12. 39. From this he Jeaverh them eaſily ro conclude, that what he had done, in Curing this Impotent man upon the Sabbath=day, wasthe Fathers work,tho' by him. For whatſoever the Father doth, or willeth, the fame doth the Son likewiſe. From hence will appear an eafie Solution to the difficulty arifing upon the firſt view of the words, v:z7, How theſe words can prove Chrift equal with tbe Father tohen they rather prove the contrary ; becauſe he can do nothing of himſelf, but what he ſeeth the Father do. Some ſeek a Solution in the words cannot, he that
bi
cannot do thoſe things which God cannot ds, 1s equal with God. Soine ſeek it in the word /ee 5 which they fay, tignifieth here an identity of Nature and Will. Some feck the Solution in the word do, which they ſay, ſignifieth to wil, and conſent tro, The beſt So- lution is to be taken from rtbof* words of hsmſelf, the Son hath done many things which he did nor fee the Father do, bur he did then not of h77yelf. Our Saviours meaning 1s plainly this: The $>n nenher willerh, nor can Co any thing, but what the Farher witterh, and doth in him : Thereiore hes one in Effence with the Father, and equalro him. & The Sororh thoſe things which the Father doth ; and as the Meſſias he doth thoſe things which the Fa- ther willeth to be- done.
20 For * the Father loveth the Son /, and ſhew-:h
him all things that himſelf doth, »: and he will fhuw
him greater works than theſe, that you may marvel ».
1 Both as his Son by eternal Generation, Mat. 3. 17. and alſo as the Meſſiah ſent by him into the World, to finiſh the work the Fa ther had given himto do: Andm look as a Father will make his
XX NN, Rather ; and are concladed by this Toxt nct in warl; to
Father.
24 Verily
Chap
« Honour the
4
, Verily, I ſay unto you, * He
hath everlaſting lite, and {hall nor come into condem. nation x, bur is pailed fiom death to lite y,
& He that fo heareth my words, that they are not a meer Soun in his Ears, nor effect his Heart with ſome meer ſudden and _ : ing Paſſion ; bur fo, that he gives an Afſenr ro them upon my Fog thority, and that firmly and fteadily believeth him that fer» - { the Particle on ſeemeth not well put in by our Tranſlators - A = Greekit is To T$p-44v71 ps } giveth Credit tothe words of my _ ther thar ſent me, believing that I am his only begotten Son whe, he hath ſent into the World, and receiving me as ſuch, "Vang = according to the Command of the Voice from Heaven, Ma. he x He hath a certain Title to everlaſting Life ; and hath receives ©, firit Fruits of that Harveſt, Rom. 8. 23. the incarruptible $eeq gf th Word, 1 Pet. 23. and already fitteth in Heavenly places in Chrig
Jeſus, Eph.2.6.and bath the Kingdom of God within him, Luk. 1. ,,
and ſhall not come into thar Judgment which ſhall Iflue in Etern;] Condemnarion y ; but is pafled out of a State of Spiritual Death into a Stare of Spiritual Life ; and ſhall be art laſt eternally faveg and paſs into the actual Fruitian and Enjoyment of Life Frerna!, '
25 Verily, Verily, I ſay unto you, the hour is con. ing, and now 1s, when * the dead ſhall hear the voices; of the Son of God z, and they that hear ſhall live ©
x Some undesſtand this concerning the ſpecial Reſurrection of ſuch Bodies as Chrilt raiſed while he was upon the Earth from Death to Life { of which number was Lazarw,and the Daughter of Fairy; &c. ) Others underitand it of the general Reſurrection ſpoken 0: v.28. 29. That which favoureth this Senſe is, becauſe here is no mention of believing, bur only hearing a Voice. Bur the moſt an beit Interpreters, rather underſtand theſe words of thoſe who ir;
dead in Treſpaſles and Sins ; and the quickning and Life mention. ed, Epheſ.2. t. which is called che fir Reſurrefion, Rev. 20, 5,
becauſe of what was ſaid immediately before, that ſuch a one ;; pal
ſed from Death toLife; and what was ſaid betore, He that heareth ny
word, agreeth with what 1s ſaid here, of hearing the Voice of Chris: and whar followerh, ſeemeth berter ro agree with this Senſe, Arg v. 28. 29. ſpeak plainly of the ſecond and general Reſurrection of the Body. 4 Thoſe who fo hear the Voice of Chriſt in the Goſpel ro givea firmand iteady Afent toir ; and upon the Credirofi, ſhall receive Chriſt as their Mediator and Saviour, ſhall Live etern. ly ; they do live the Life of Grace, and ſhall live the Life of Glor,
26 For as the Father hath life in himſelf; ſo hathhe given to the Son to have life in himſelf þ.