George Hutcheson
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
In this ver. Christ clears the former testimony, and inference from it, by shewing that Gods teaching doth not import that men must first see God, and be taught of the Father apart, and without him; For not only is the Father invisible to the eye of our body (which is also true of the Sonne and Spirit, save in so far as the Sonne of God was incarnate, and made manifest in the flesh) but there is also no immediate sight of the minde, or knowledge of the Father, in his essence, will, or wayes about saving of sinners, but what Christ the Sonne hath; And therefore all others must be taught, not immediately by the Father, but mediately in and by him. And Christs scope in this, is, not only to cleare the mistake that might arise, but to make way for returning to his former doctrine; by leading them to himselfe, in whom, and by whom alone, they could expect any thing the Father promiseth. Doctrine 1. Men in hearing and studying sublime and divine truths, have need of much caution and warinesse, that their carnal and shallow conceptions and imaginations do not beget mistakes and errours about them, and withdraw them from the simplicity of what is revealed; Therefore doth Christ finde it needful to prevent mistakes about this mystery. 2. Gods condescending to stoop to sinners should be entertained with due reverence, and should not hide from us that distance that is betwixt his Majesty and our basenesse, nor hinder us to keep at due distance with him; Therefore, having spoken of his condescending to teach us, he guards that, by exalting the Father, and shewing that there is no immediate seeing or knowing of him. Hence it is that even that sweet name, the Lord they God, is declared to be a glorious and fearful Name, Deut. 28.58. 3. Not only is the Father invisible, but he doth not reveal himselfe, or his will concerning the salvation of sinners, immediately unto men; or, as Christ seeth and knoweth him and it; but is an incomprehensible God, a light which no man can approach unto, 1 Tim. 6 16. for, saith he, not that any man hath seen the Father, to wit, immediately, or without Christ, and as Christ seeth him, as is after cleared. For albeit he did familiarly converse with, and reveale himselfe more immediately to some in respect of others, and particularly to Moses, Exod. 33.11. Numb. 12.8. Yet any bodily sight he got, was but of his back parts, Exod. 33.23. and but the similitude of the Lord, Numb. 12.8. or some external signe of his glorious presence with him, and not a sight of his essence, which only Christ doth immediately see and comprehend. And what he got revealed of God, by his speaking with him mouth to mouth, and face to face, it was only through and by Christ, (who is the revealer of the Father,) and far short of that knowledge and sight, and of the way of it, which Christ hath. See on Joh. 1.18. 4. Christ is of the Father another way then either Angels, or men, or Saints; to wit, neither by creation, nor regeneration or adoption, but by unspeakable generation proper to himselfe; Therefore it is ascribed to him in a singular way, that he is of God. 5. This way of being of the Father, makes it Christs priviledge to be singularly and immediately acquainted with him, and to be the teacher and revealer of the Father, to all that know him; for, he which is of God, he hath seen the Father, and this cleares that it is by him men are taught of God, ver. 45. See Matth. 11.27.
