John 3

Notes

Ver. 3, 5, 6, 8. I, who am truth itself, solemnly assure you that be a man's moral attainments, religious advantages, or external privileges what they will, he can by no means be a true member of the gospel church, or admitted into the heavenly state, except his heart and life be thoroughly changed in their principles, courses, and ends, and there be a new vital principle of holiness formed in him by the divine influence of the Holy Ghost. Whoever is born of sinful parents, though it were ever so often, must be still sinful, and so unfit for fellowship with God. But whoever has by choosing Christ a principle of grace and holiness, working by the Holy Ghost, in all the powers of his soul, and acts accordingly, is made meet for the enjoyments and duties of the gospel state, and for the inheritance of the saints in light.—Nor is it any wonder that you cannot conceive how the Holy Ghost enlightens, quickens, and sanctifies the souls of men, when you cannot even account for the causes and motions of the wind.

11-13. My forerunner and the prophets, and especially I, my Father, and the blessed Spirit, speak and attest what we understand and know to be certainly true; but, through blindness and prejudice, ye Jews neither understand, believe, nor embrace our doctrine. If therefore you do not understand nor believe the nature or necessity of that work of grace which must be experienced on earth in order to salvation, when thus familiarly illustrated to you from earthly similitudes, how could you understand or believe my declarations of the more sublime mysteries of the gospel, relative to the dignity of my person and office, the design of my works, the spiritual nature of my kingdom, and the blessedness of the future state, which no mere man can comprehend, or fully declare to others, but only the Messiah who came from heaven, and who even now is still there, in respect of his divine nature?

14-17. And yet that divine person the Messiah must be put to an ignominious death, in order to his bringing about the salvation of sinners; for as Moses lifted up the brazen serpent on a pole in the wilderness, as God's ordinance for effectually healing all the Israelites who had been mortally bitten by the fiery serpents, and looked on it for a cure, so the Messiah, who appears in the likeness of sinful flesh, though holy, harmless, and undefiled, must be lifted up on the cross, and afterwards exalted in heaven, and exhibited as God's ordinance in the gospel, for sinners to look to, by faith, for salvation; that every one, of whatever rank, degree, or nation he be, who, under an affecting sense of his own sinfulness and obnoxiousness to divine wrath, shall, according to God's appointment, look to and trust in him for salvation, may be delivered from all sin and misery, and be made a partaker of grace here and glory hereafter, however weak his faith be, or great or many his sins have been. For God, who delights in mercy, looking with compassion on the sinful and miserable state of mankind, conceived such an amazing and unparalleled design of mercy and love towards the whole of them, both Jews and likewise Gentiles, that he freely gave his only begotten Son to be their Mediator and atoning sacrifice, that who soever receives him as God's free gift offered in the gospel, and depends on him for salvation, might not perish in his sins, however great or many, but obtain an everlasting life of holiness and happiness. For God sent not his Son into the world to pass and to execute a sentence of condemnation upon all others beside you Jews, as many of you think, but that persons of all nations may be really saved from sin and misery, and blessed with everlasting holiness and happiness. 18-21. And every one, Jew or Gentile, who believes on Christ, as freely offered in the gospel, is freed from the condemning sentence of God's law; but whosoever rejects or neglects him remains under the curse; yea, his guilt is increased, and his sentence of condemnation fixed and extended, through his rejecting the only Saviour and salvation by unbelief. And this will peculiarly aggravate the sin and misery of many, that, when blessed with the clearest light of the glorious gospel, they, both Jews and Gentiles, through attachment to their own corrupt courses, will prefer their vain traditions, superstitious and idolatrous notions and worship, to it. For every one that is resolved to adhere to his sins heartily hates the truths of divine revelation, which oppose and condemn them, stifles convictions, and shuns the light of that knowledge which presents his darling corruptions in their shameful, hideous, and dangerous forms; but an upright saint, who practises whatever divine truths he knows, is sincerely willing to be tried to the utmost, and to know the whole of the divine will, that his whole conduct, being regulated thereby, may evidently appear the effect of God's regenerating power, and the fruit of vital union and communion with him, and may tend to his glory. 27-30. Both Jesus and myself have our whole commission and success from God; nor can any receive our plain instructions without being enlightened and enabled by God. I appeal to you that I openly declared I was not the Christ, but only his forerunner, to prepare the nation for the manifestation of himself. As his friend, I have laboured to gain sinners to him, the glorious Bridegroom of his church; and I exceedingly rejoice to hear and see them following after and cleaving to him, whose property they are. For it is necessary that the manifestations of his glory, and the number of his disciples, should so continue and increase, that there will be no more use for me as his forerunner. 31-34. I, and every one of the ancient prophets, are but earthly in our origin and frame, and cannot of ourselves speak of divine things but in a weak, gross, and earthly manner; but he, being the Lord from heaven, and endowed with the Holy Ghost above measure, understands the whole mind of God, and speaks of heavenly things as one fully acquainted with them. And yet, alas! how few heartily believe and receive his instructions! but every one who believes them solemnly acknowledges him to be the Messiah, in whose person and work all the promises of God are, or will certainly be, fulfilled to the praise of his love. 35, 36. Nay, such is the superlative love of the Father to this his only begotten Son, who freely undertook to be our Mediator, that he has committed to his management all things relating to the kingdoms of providence, grace and glory, that he may judge and subdue the world, and distribute blessings among all people. Whosoever therefore receives his doctrine, and believes on him as the Son of God and Saviour of sinners, hath already in himself the beginnings, securities, and foretastes of eternal life, which may certainly issue in the complete enjoyment of it; and whosoever wilfully and finally' rejects him lies under the most awfully righteous justice of God, which shall certainly be completed fully to the uttermost, and for ever.

Ver. 2. This case of Nicodemus is recorded chiefly for the exposition of the new birth from above; but also for the encouragement of timid believers who, in fear of men's ridicule or displeasure, have not obtained full courage to follow conscience, and openly avow their profession of truth and godliness. But 'him that was weak in the faith' Christ received without reproach, and treated with tenderness; let 'them that are strong' 'go and do so likewise.' C.

Ver. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit. If this be spoken of what Bloomfield, Valpy, and others call 'baptismal regeneration,' then what availed the promise to the penitent thief? and what is the condition of myriads of the children of believers dying in infancy who were never baptized? Should not the passage rather be translated, 'Except a man be born of water, even of the Spirit,' of which water was the scriptural emblem? see Is. 44. 3; Eze. 36. 25-37. And this translation is in perfect accordance with that of many passages exactly similar in construction—such as 1 Co. 15. 24; 2 Co. 1. 3; Ep. 5. 5; Tit. 2. 13; Jn. 4. 9. See Middleton on Gr. Art. ch. ii. pp. 83, 84; ch. iii. p. 93. This translation seems absolutely confirmed by our Lord's immediate reference of this new birth (see ver. 6), not to water at all, but entirely to the Spirit. See Mat. 3. 11, where 'water' and 'fire,' as here 'water' and 'Spirit,' denote one thing. C.

Ver. 12. Earthly things. Things that have earthly similitudes, and that take place visibly on the earth.—Heavenly things. These are: (1) The incarnation and mission of the Son, ver. 13. (2) The crucifixion, and salvation by faith, ver. 14, 15. (3) The eternal and gratuitous love of God, &c., ver. 16. (4) The condemnation of unbelievers, ver. 19. C.

Ver. 13. No man hath ascended up to heaven. Moses merely ascended to the top of Sinai—Elijah was taken up—but he that 'came down' is the Word that 'was God,' who 'became flesh' (ch. 1. 14), and 'dwelt among us' as 'Son of man.' Which is, rather, 'who is being, in heaven:' whose proper dwelling-place is heaven, in 'the glory he had with the Father before the world was.' C.

Ver. 23. Ænon. A town on the west of Jordan, fifty-four miles north-east of Jerusalem, and situated in the district of Samaria. No vestige of its ruins is now to be found. C.

**Reflections.—**The miracles of Christ were manifestly divine, and his doctrines plain and important. He was ready to cure the most inexcusable ignorance, and to instruct by night such as were ashamed to own him by day. Infinitely important is the doctrine and experience of the Spirit's gracious implantation of new habits or principles of holiness in our nature, when we choose Christ as our Savior. Yet, alas! how many ministers and others are totally ignorant of it, and prejudiced against it! And because their carnal mind cannot comprehend how or why the Spirit works on the heart; how the Saviour can be at once God and man, in heaven and on earth; or how his being crucified and offered in the gospel, and received by faith, heals and saves sinners, they contemn and deny the same! But amazing is the love of God in setting up his only begotten Son as his ordinance for the salvation of sinners, even the chief, Gentiles as well as Jews. And dreadfully criminal and dangerous is that unbelief which rejects the testimony and offer of God; which hates his glory and detests his truth, as a disturber of indwelling lusts. Nothing can save the man who perseveres in his unbelief. And nothing can damn the soul which by faith credits God's testimony concerning Christ, and receives him as a divine and well-qualified Saviour. It is absurd for professors to be more concerned about external performances of religion than about the real work of grace in their heart. And it is honourable for all, and especially ministers, to view all their gifts and graces as coming from God, and to be content to be debased to the very lowest that Jesus Christ may be exalted, answerably to his Father's love to him, and the authority which he hath given him.