John 5:26

What Christ hath said in the two former verses, is here confirmed; that he can give everlasting life to beleevers, and quicken those who are spiritually dead, because Christ, as God, hath a fountaine of life, equal with the Father, communicate to him from the Father by eternal generation. And this is a sixth instance and proofe of his equality with the Father. Whence learn. 1. The power and efficacy of the Gospel for quickening and keeping in the life of beleevers, will never be rightly seen nor beleeved, till we see that inexhaustible fulnesse that is in Christ for that effect, who hath all fulnesse of life in himselfe, as God, to be forthcoming to his own, as a cause of life in them; and when that is seen, difficulties will easily be removed; Therefore, doth he prove the truth of the former doctrine, by this reason, they shall live, because he hath life in himselfe equally with the Father. 2. No lesse is able to beget, and keep in and cherish life in the elect, and to revive it when it is decaying and ready to dye, then that infinite and independent fountaine of life, which is Gods own prerogative; So much also doth this dependance teach; No lesse can assure that the dead shall hear, and that the quickened shall persevere in life, then such a fountaine employed for that end. So many invincible impediments are there in the way of our quickening, and so many blasting stormes doth our life meet with, 3. It is the propertie of God to be a living God; that independent inexpressible life is his own essence and nature, and he is the fountaine of all life in the creatures; for, it is Gods prerogative, and a proofe of Christs equality with him, that he hath life in himselfe. 4. This property of life is common to each person of the blessed Trinity, to the Father and to the Sonne; Yet the Father is first in order in having of it, and doth communicate it to the Sonne; for of both it is said, he hath life in himselfe, and that the Father hath given it to the Sonne, which is to be understood of his communicating it, in communicating his nature with him, by eternal generation; And as for the humane nature, this is only gifted to it in this respect, that by the grace of the personal union, the humane nature is assumed into the unity of person with him, who hath this life by eternal generation. 5. The Fathers communicating of life to the Sonne, argues no inequality nor inferiority in the Sonne, but he hath the same life, infinitely, independently and equally with the Father; for as the Father hath it, so hath the Sonne; and he hath it in himselfe, as the Father hath. Such a fountaine and store-house have beleevers to trust to.