John 8:47

In the last place, Christ concludes the discourse with a sad note upon them; And doth himselfe answer that question he had propounded, verse 46. shewing, that the true cause why they did not beleeve, nor hear his word, was, because they were not of God, which he illustrates from the contrary, and so leaves them again to consider of whom they were. This assertion, as it must necessarily be understood of grown up persons; (for infants are still to be excepted in these ordinary rules) So albeit to be of God, be frequently understood of mens being elected from eternity; Yet here it is chiefly to be understood of regeneration, because even the elect of God, so long as they are unregenerate, may be guilty of the same sinnes with the reprobate, and particularly, in sleighting the Word. Only, if we conjoyne these two, to resist known truth, and to do so maliciously, (which was the sinne of many of these Jewes) it cannot befall any elect: For though Peter sinned wittingly, yet not maliciously, and though Paul sinned maliciously, yet he did it ignorantly, and in unbeliefe, 1 Tim. 1.13. Doctrine 1. Mens respect to the Word of God is a true touchstone, whereby they may try their own condition and state; for, so doth Christ here teach us. 2. Men have nothing in them by nature, that can entertain or receive the Word of God with any due respect, but what they attain to of that kinde, is of God, and not of themselves; for he must be of God, by election and regeneration who will hear Gods words. 3. An elect child of God being renewed, as he is begotten by the seed of Gods Word, so in his progresse he will not resist the known light thereof, but will receive and feed upon it; And whatever may be his fits of tentation, yet he will never reject it maliciously: for, he that is of God, heareth Gods words: He heareth it with faith, submission, and fruitfulnesse; for, so it is opposed to not beleeving, ver 46. See 1 Pet. 1.23. and 2.1, 2, 3. 4. Whoever they be that do not regard the Word of the Lord, but do maliciously reject it after conviction, they prove themselves to be unregenerate, if not also reprobates; for, ye heare them not, because ye are not of God. 5. Consequences soundly and solidly deduced from Scripture, are Scripture, and as valid a ground of faith, as the ground from whence they are deduced; for, so doth Christ here teach us by his own practice, deducing from that ground, He that is of God, heareth Gods words, this necessary and infallible consequence, ye therefore here them not, because ye are not of God. And this pen-man is full of such deductions, warranting this way of arguing. 6. Whatever affront men think to put upon Christ, by rejecting his doctrine: Yet the real ignominy redounds to themselves; Therefore, however they laid all the indignitie of this opposition on Christ himselfe, and on his doctrine; Yet he tells them it flowed really from this, ye are not of God, but lying in a reprobate unregenerate condition.