John 18:7–9

In these verses is contained Christs second conference with these men, his scope in which is to exempt his disciples from the trial. In order to which, they (as appears) rising and coming forward again, he propounds the former question, and getting the same answer that formerly they gave, v. 7. he binds them to their Commission, offering himself, and will have his disciples exempted, v. 8. which is amplified from a commendation of his fidelity, in that he would perform that word so lately spoken, chap. 17.12. v. 9. Whence learn, 1. Some of the sons of Adam, and especially persecutors, may be so far given up to obduration, a feared conscience, and desperate wickedness, as even wonders wrought upon them and against them in their evil course, will not availe to reclaim them; but they will either be insensible of the Lords hand, or seeing it, they will harden themselves the more to go on; for, albeit by their former fall, they might have been convinced of his Power and Godhead, yet they will not quit their wicked course, but come again avowing that they seek him. 2. Christ himself is the great Butt of persecutors malice; so long as he was in the world the stream of their malice ran against him, and when they assault his followers, it is because they cannot reach him. He is first hated of the world, and they for his sake, and could the world reach him in heaven, they would not much trouble themselves with his followers; for, so much may be gathered from their Profession, we seek Jesus of Nazareth, being compared with what Christ makes out of it, v. 8. that the disciples must be free, as not minded by them, nor put in their Commission by these who sent them. 3. Christ in the throng of his own trials, is yet mindful of his followers, to preserve and care for them; for, when he is to enter the lists himself, he is solicitous for his disciples, I am he, let these go away. 4. Christ in his lowest and suffering condition, doth set bounds to persecutors which they cannot transgresse; for, his reasoning, If therefore ye seek me, let these go their way, had been of small force with these absurd men, for the exempting of his disciples, if there had not been a commanding power with it to bound them, as it did. 5. Christs offering of himself to undergo his bitter sufferings, doth indeed exempt his people from the like; and he goeth betwixt them and all stormes in so far as they are destroying: for, so much may be gathered from his reasoning in this particular, If ye seek me, let these go their way. Albeit he do not exempt his followers from outward troubles, as he did the disciples at that time; yet his offering himself unto, and underlying that cursed death, did exempt them, and all his own, from that punishment due to sin, and satisfaction required by justice for it. So that when justice challengeth them, they may send it to Christ who was taken for them all. And as for outward afflictions, all that they meet with are but some few drops, sanctified and sweetned to them, by his essaying of that lot before them. 6. Christ is so tender of his followers, that he will not put them to any trial, till they be ripe and fitted for it; so that when he sends a trial, we are to reckon that we will be enabled for it, if it were but because he sends it, provided we do not cast away our strength, nor sin it away from us; for, therefore would he have them let these go their way for this time, because they were but yet weak, till after his resurrection, that the Spirit was poured out upon them. 7. Christ is a faithful Keeper and Performer of his Word, and they are not ill provided, who have but his naked word to uphold and assure their hearts in greatest extremities; for, this was also a reason why he would exempt them at this time, That the saying might be fulfilled which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me, I have lost none. 8. What Christ hath done for his people, may be looked on as a pledge of what he will still do, according as they need; for, that account which Christ makes of his by-past diligence, ch. 17.12. is here looked on as a promise to be fulfilled in their preservation at this time also. And that not only because in that passage he gave an account of his whole care till his removal from them, and so of this also, though not yet manifested, but also, that we may be assured that he will never change his way with his people, so long as they need it. 9. That sweet word, chap. 17.12. is here applied to bodily preservation from an outward trouble, though it chiefly point at their souls preservation from the evil, as he explains it, chap. 17.15. when he prayes for the continuance of that preservation from the Father; because that not only during the time of his being with them, he did indeed hide them from outward troubles, as here was verified. But further, in sparing them outwardly at this time, he had also a respect to their souls, which might have been crushed, had they been engaged in trial, as Peters experience makes evident. And so it teacheth, That as to tender the body and outward man with prejudice to the soul, is great cruelty: so where Christ vndertakes the charge of mens soule, he will also have a care of their body and outward condition, in subserviencie to their soules welfare. He will respect their very bodies and outward man, and will not expose them to hazards, save when it is for their souls good, and when he is to get service thereby, And he will make it evident at last, that he is not prodigal of their bodies, nor casts them away, when he exposeth them to suffering.