7 He proverh Chriit ro be ſent from God, { tho” it appears by v. 33. that he looked as yer upon him in no higher Notion than a man) from the nature of the Miracle that was wrought, which was not the recovery of a Blind mans Sighr only, but giving Sight to one who was born blind. Now, faith this poor man, Ths #» ſuch a work us 1as never done by Mojes. or by anv of the Prophets who have been lice the Creation of the Worid, Some who have been Blind from ſome accidental Cauſe. and ſomething which hath befallen them, Fiamesand Cataratts. &c. haye been Cured ; and poſlibly God by his Almighty power may have given Sight to one born Blind. Bur we never heard of any ſuch thing done by Moſes, whom we magni- fe, nor by the Prophets, for whom we have the greateſt Venera- tion.
33 *If this man were not of God, he could do no- thing [. : |
/ Iftherefore thy man | for he ſtill apprehender bh him no more ) had nor ſome ſpecial Authority from God, and there were nor ſome ſpecial Preſence of God with him, he could do nortung thar is of this Nature, Ir is a work beyond the Power of man, arid beyond that power that we read God did ever be-truit any man with.
14 They anſwered, and faid unto him, Thou waſt altogether born in ſin, and doſt thou teach us : ? Anu cy || caſt him out «.
in. t The Phariſees ſeeing that rhey conld by no Arts bring this poor in, Bind man to their lure; either ro deny, or ſpeak any thing in a- batemenr of the Miracle which Chriſt had wrought upon him ; nor yet to agree with rhem, That Chriſt was a great ſinner ; fall at lat: toa downright Railing, They tell him, -e was al. ogether born 1n ſins, ſo were all of them; David had taught them. That there was none righteous, no not one; and confetled concerning himſelf, Pſat. 51.5, That he was conceived in Iquity, aud thatin fin by mother haa brovgbt him forth. They had learned from Fob, That none can bring a clean thing out af that which # unclean. Nothing can be clean that 1 torn of a Woman. Job. 14. 4, Their meaning therefore in this Phraſe muſt be ſomething more. and poilibly rhe Ady-trve 8x05 which fig- nifieth whole ; we Tranſate it{as if it were 5aws) altogether, doth im
port thus much, They do nor only tell rhis n.n, that was born in fin, bur that he was z-ho/e,or altogether born in fin, rhar 1s, under theGuilr of tin, nor do they mean only the common Corruption and Conta- gion of Humane narure, deriv'd trom the loſs of Gods Image in man, upcn the Fall of 4dam, bur ſome notorious fin. It any fay, How could they think that he was guilty of any ſuch thing before hz was born. An. It was the Opinion of Pythagoras, one of the Heathen Philoſophers. That when Men and Women dyed, their Souls went into other Bo- dies, that were then born, and in thoſe Bodies ofren ſuffered Pu- niſhment for thoſe enormous Acts, which they had been Guiity of in former Bodies. Ir is apparent, that tne Fews were ſome of them tainted with this Notion, from Ferods ſaying, Mat. 14. 2. Mark 6. 14, when after"the beheading of Fob» te Bapri#, he heard what great works Chriſt did, That Fohr Baprift, was riſen from the dead, and therefore mighty works did fſrew forth themſelves im ham. By which the belt Interpreters think, that Herod meant no more, than that 7:9 BaptiFts Soul was gone into another Body, according to their Notion borrowe( from the Heathe's ; tor it bad heen eatie for Herod by Search to have found, wherher John Baptrsts Body was riſen trom the dead. So it is thought, that the Phariſces here ſay
g, Thou art altogether born in fin, meant, That his Soul was a for- Ont cid, tlihy Soul, which in another Body had commirred, vile and a- 208 & ! bominahle things ; and for thoſe Sins, God fer a Mark upon him, LETTER even 1n his Birth, and he was born Blind. Or perhaps ;rhis Phraſc | beniaeth no more, than a term of Revi'ing, of which, no great ac- ; count Can be viven ; as Paliionate men in the madneſs ot their Paſ- 23% ons, oft thiow out words ot Reproach, of which neither them- : eves nor o' hers can give any jutt and reaſonable account. And do- harde 3} 592 teacus © Thou art ſuch a marked Villain from thy Mo-
g)
16
vs
S. 70 H N.
"4 thap. IN (_ 1aP: A £ %- thers Woh, or thar art ſuch 5n ignorant Tleot, dot thou think thy ſelf fit to inſtruct vs about true and falſe Prophets, who arc of God, and who are nor? Surely we are to be thy Teachers, and
not thou ours. Ard rey caft himort. Sorne think that caſting out here, fignifieth na wore than turnins him cur of the Place where they were; as the word ſizmfieth, Ats 7.58. and 13. 592. Others think it 1s here to be underito0d of a Judicial Excommuni- cation, or calt him out of Communion with the Few:ſþ Church ; which Iatrer ſeemeth more probable, becauſe of the notice of it brought to our Savicur, and the notice which he rook of this poor man upon rhis occaſion. It it had been only a turning bim out of the Place where they were mer, it is not probable, rhat it wont have made ſuch a noiſe. : ;
35 Jelus heard chat they had caſt him out 9, and when he had found him, he faid unto him, Docſt thou believe on the Son of God x ?
w As was ſaid in the former Verſe, probably by Excommunica. tion. x When he had found him, whether caſually, or upon an it- duttrious Search for him,theScripture doth nor ſay he'ſa'd unto him DoFt thou be/reve on the Son of Go! 2 Art thon one who art ready truly and ſeriouſly to embrace the MeHiah and Saviour of«the World who muſt not be only the Son of Man, but alto the Son of God > Art thoa willing to accepr, receive, and cloſe with him, and to give up thy ſelt to his Obedience ?
36 He aniwered and faid, Who is the Lord, that I might believe on him y ?
y It 18as much as if he had ſaid, Lord how ſhould I believe on him, of whemT. have not heard, (So the Diſciples anſwered Pan! asking them, Mhether they had received the Holy-Gho#. We have Ae
Jo much as yeard whether there be an Holy-Ghoſt, Acts 19. 2 ) Bur
ſaith he, Lord T am ready ro believe on him, may I but know who he g. Our Lord had prepared this poor mans Heart, for the receiving of bir, there wanted now nothing bur the due Reyelation of the Meſ- hah unto,him. Thais our Sav:our givech him.
37 And Jeſus ſaid unto him, Thou haſt both ſen him, and it it is he that talketh with thee &z.