John 16

John 16:1

OFFended,] See upon Matthew 11:6.

John 16:4

Yee may,] to dispose your selves to a voluntary patience, and to be prepared as against foreseene, and foretold accidents: and to bee perswaded that they doe not happen casually, but by my providence; and to take from part of my prediction concerning your suffering, verified by the event, a certaine argument concerning the other part, touching your deliverances and glory to come I said not,] so particularly, nor as a thing that should so shortly come to passe: for otherwise, he had oftentimes discoursed unto them touching the persecutions of this world I was,] I preserved you by my presence, and put away all dangers, and never put you alone upon any great tryalls. See Matthew 9:15.

John 16:5

None of you,] you suffer yourselves to be so transported with griefe, that you are carelesse of being instructed and strengthened by mee in the faith, by my documents concerning my departure out of the world, and the fruit thereof.

John 16:7

For if I goe not,] God doth not give the gifts of his spirit, if hee bee not first fully satisfied, which cannot bee but by my death. And besides I being appointed Head of my Church, for to dispence this spirit to all my members, I cannot enter into the glorious possession of my dignity, but by my Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven.

John 16:8

Reprove,] by his secret power joyned to the preaching of my word, he shall imprint in mens knowledges, and especially of those who are enemies to my Kingdom, a lively feeling and remorse of sin, and likewise by the example of the Devill their head, already irrevocably condemned, hee shall seale unto them the certaintie of their condemnation. And shal’. on the other side give unto Gods true children, irreprovable perswasions; of the true righteousnesse and perfect satisfaction, which I have obtained for them by my death. Whereof the most certaine argument shall bee that by vertue of it, I my selfe have passed to the heavenly and glorious life, to take possession of it for me and my whole Church.

John 16:10

And yee see mee,] that is to say you shall have mee no longer present in this corporall life with you: Which doth no way contradict those transitory appearings after his Resurrection: nor the sight of faith spoken of, Ioh. 14. 19.

John 16:12

Can not beare them,] comprehend them, nor gather the fruit of them, by reason of the grossenesse of your understanding, and the weakenesse of your faith.

John 16:13

He shall not speake,] hereby is shewed the order of the Holy Ghosts working in the most holy Trinitie. See Iohn 5. 19 and 8. 38. and 12. 49. and 14. 10. and especially in the elect, in whose hearts it is the property of the holy Spirit of grace to imprint only the doctrine of Christ Will shew you,] he shall give you a lively light and apprehension of the life everlasting, and of the glory of my Kingdom, which hitherto you could not apprehend. Or hee shall inspire you with the knowledge of many future things, by the gift of prophecie.

John 16:14

Hee shall,] that is to say, all that I have done in my state of humiliation, shall then produce its glorious effect, and obtaine its end: which is the redemption of my Church, thorow the application of my righteousnesse, and by the communication of my life, which shall bee wrought by the Holy Ghost, who shall also make mee knowne to all mine for their true head, and everlasting King. And finally shall bee a plaine argument of the excellency of my doctrine above all other doctrines, it only being brought, and rooted in the hearts of men, by a living divine power.

John 16:15

Are mine,] that is to say, I, as I am Sonne, have by generation the same essence, glory, and power, &c. that the Father hath. Who hath also deposited in mee, as I am Mediator, the whole treasure of his grace, Col. 2. 3. 9 Therefore,]though I tell you that hee shall take of mine: yet all grace, and good gifts come originally from my Father: Neither have I any thing severall from him. And I speake it to shew you, that as the Father workes, and communicates himselfe by me, even so do I worke by the Holy Ghost.

John 16:16

Shall not see me,] namely not corporally and in ordinary conversation, as ver. 10 Againe a little,] namely after my Resurrection, which shall bee as it were a first fruit and an essay unto you, of seeing me in glory, the time being in Gods presence, and to faith very short, 2 Peter 3:8 I goe,] my death shall not bee a destruction, or annihilation, but onely a change of estate, and of a corporall, and terrestriall life, into a heavenly and glorious life. Whereof you shall also participate by eternall sight.

John 16:19

Doe yee enquire,] that is to say doe not yee trouble your selves concerning the understanding of my words; the end of my doctrine is the practice, and the exercise, and not speculation and discourse insist yee’ therefore chiefelie upon this, that as by reason of my corporall absence you shall suffer manie calamities: So by my spirituall presence, I will comfort and strengthen you in them, untill such time as by my comming to judgment, I doe perfectlie deliver you and gather you up into my kingdome.

John 16:23

In that day,] namelie in that everlasting glory, yee shall perfectlie know all these mysteries, Verily,] a new discourse of Gods favour and assistance towards them, by meanes of their prayers, and his intercession whilest they yet remaine in the world.

John 16:24

Hitherto,] You have not yet well learned, nor made use of grounding all your prayers to God, upon my merit and mine intercession as Mediator, by reason of your ignorance, and weakenesse of faith That your joy,] that you may have a solid and compleat fruition of all truely good things.

John 16:25

Have I,] I have hitherto taught you as little children, by figures taken from naturall and humane things, which hath often caused obscurities and ambiguities in you, but hereafter I will illuminate you in the cleare understanding of divine things, as men of ripe age.

John 16:26

And I say not,] Not that Christ is not everlasting intercessor for his elect in heaven, Romans 8:34, eb. 7. 25. but the meaning is, that whereas in his life time, hee had incessantly prayed for them: after his ascent into heaven, he would move them, by his spirit of grace, and of supplications, Zach. 12. 10. Romans 8:26. to pray for themselves, by the free accesse which he hath obtained for them by the reconciliation which he hath wrought. Or simply there will be no need of any great instance to make you obtaine your holy desires: seeing the heavenly father will of himselfe bee sufficiently inclined out of his owne love to grant them you. Or the meaning is I need not to replie that unto you, which you may sufficientlie know already, namely that I will be intercessor for you in heaven. Or I will not offer any new sacrifice, but will onely represent unto him that sacrifice which I have already offered, Hebrewes 10. 19, 20.

John 16:28

I came forth,] as you have already by faith, apprehended the beginning of my vocation, in my comming in the flesh; so to have the whole sequell of it, conceaved by the same spirit, the accomplishment thereof in mine ascent, and glorious exaltation.

John 16:29

Loe now,] it should seeme that the Disci¦ples moved by the Lords last words, commending their faith, presumed they did already understand all things, contrary to that which he had said unto them ver. 23. without having need any further to expect the Holy Ghost.

John 16:30

Now are we sure,] it is likelie that Christ having prevented them in the question which they would aske him, v. 19. by the divine knowledg hee had of their secret ambiguitie, they took from thence a greater occasion of believing in him.

John 16:31

Doe yee now,] that is to say, doe you alreadie presume that you have so much faith.

John 16:32

I am not alone,] namely I am not quite deprived of all faithfull company, of all favour, and assistance of every one.

John 16:33

These things,] my precedent discourses do not tend, to the putting you presently into the state of perfection but to comfort and strengthen you, in your weaknesses, and combates Peace,] namely rest of spirit, and securenesse in mee, by faith I have overcome,] namely I, head of the Church, have for her overcome, what was mortall in the Devills Kingdom: your salvation is now out of danger, follow on freely the remainder of the victorie, Romans 16:20.