The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

Harmony and Explanation.

FROM Gen. 1. 1. the Evangelist sheweth that the redemption was to be wrought by him by whom the Creation was, namely, by the Word, or the second Person in the Trinity, as being sittest for that great work: as whereby confusion, both in the ex∣ternal works of the Trinity, as also in the term of Sonship might be avoided: In the external works of the Trinity, when the Creator of man became his Redeemer, and in the term of Sonship, when the Son of God, and the Son of Man were but one and the same person.

Ver. 1. [The Word] He is so called in the Old Testament. First, as the Author of* 1.1 the Creation, Psal. 33. 6. Secondly, as the Author of the Promise, 2 Sam. 7. 2. compared with 1 Chron 17. 19. Thirdly, as the very Subject of the Covenant and Promise it self, Hag. 2. 5. Deut. 30. 12. compared with Rom. 10. 6, 7. So that these things being laid together and well considered, they shew why John calleth the Son of God the Word, rather then by any other name. First, because he would shew that as the world was created by the Son, so it was most fit it should be redeemed. Secondly, that as in him the promise was given, so in him was fit should be the performance. Thirdly, that as he was the Subject of the Covenant in the Old Testament, so also was he the Substance of it in the New.

From such places as these forenamed, where the Son of God is called the Word in the Old Testament, it became most familiar and ordinary among the Jews to use this title personally for him. And this may be a second reason deduced from that that was named before, why the Evangelist here useth it, namely as a name most familiarly and com∣ly known amongst his own people. Examples hereof might be alledged out of the Chaldee Paraphrast, even by hundreds: It will suffice to alledge some few, Gen. 28. 20, 21. If the word of the Lord will be my help, &c. The word of the Lord shall be my God, Exod. 19. 17. Moses brought forth the People to meet the word of the Lord, Esai. 1. 14. Your appointed Feasts my word abominateth, and ver. 16. Put away the evil of your doings from before my word, and Chap. 45. 2. My word shall go before thee, &c. So Esay 48. 11. & 49. 5. 15. & 51. 5. Jer. 24. 6. & 27. 5. 18. & 29. 14. 23. Hos. 1. 7. 9. Zach. 2. 5. and in hundreds of other places: And so likewise in some of the writings of the Talmu∣dists, and Philo Judaeus in lib. De mundi opificio, explaineth this title.

This term, and in this sense also, was got even among the Heathen: for so Mercury Trismegistus useth it often in Pinmandro: as, The will of God contained his word. And, God with his word produced another intellect, which is a fiery God, and a Divine Spirit. And again, The word of God compacted the pure workmanship of nature. And, The work∣ing intellect together with the Word.

So likewise Orphe••s, as he is alledged by Justin Martyr.* 1.2

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c.

But Mahomet, in his Alcaron goeth yet further. Eise or Jesus (saith he) is the word of God, and this being the word of God, is reputed among the Saracens as the proper name of Jesus Christ, so that no other man is called by this name, but Jesus only, whom in Ara∣bick they call Eise. Sam. Maroch. lib. de advent. Messiae cap. 27. Drus. in praeter. in loc.

* 1.3 And the word was with God, &c.] The Evangelist goeth not about so much, immediate∣ly to shew the eternity of the word, or of the second Person in the Trinity, as he doth to declare how requisite it was that that Person should be incarnate rather then the first or the third, because by him the Creation was wrought, and answerably by him it was fittest should be the redemption, &c. Therefore the words in the beginning, have not reference to the words eternal being, but to his giving of being to the Creature: For as they are Moses his own Phrase, Gen. 1. 1. so are they to be taken in his sense, and further back then the Creation it is not possible to bring his words, and by those of his must these be understood. They trace not therefore his Divinity beyond the Cre∣ation, nor yet do they find it to have begun there, but this they say only, that then the word, was, and by him were all things made. And this was enough for the answering of Ebion and Cerinthus, which held that Christ was not before the Virgin Mary: And this being concluded, that the word was in the beginning, and created all things, his eternal being before the Creation will readily infer it self.

The Evangelist useth this manner of speech, The word with God.

First, to shew the subsistence of the Son of himself, and his coexistence with the Fa∣ther; his subsistence, he was, his co-existence, He was with God. Secondly, the di∣stinction of the persons, He was with God, and the unity of the Essence, he was God. Thirdly, the relation between the Father and the Son; The Son is said to be with the Father, as children are apud Patrem, but not e contra. Fourthly, the Phrase, He was with God, is in Antithesis, or opposition to that that is said afterward, The word dwelt among us; And this doth illustrate the doctrine and benefit of the incarnation the more, when it shall be observed, that he that in the beginning was the word, and was with God, and was the Creator, did in the fulness of time, become flesh, and dwell with men, and became their Redeemer.

[And the word was God] God in the clause next preceding is taken personally for God the Father, but here essentially for the Godhead.

Moses all along the Story of the Creation called God Elohim, by a word plural, to de∣note the distinction of Persons; but at last, in Gen. 2. 4. he calleth him Jehovah Elohim, to signifie also the unity of Essence. So David when he had spoken of the Lord and his word, 2 Sam. 7. 21. and the Lord and his Servant, 1 Chron. 17. 19. He presently concludeth, that there is but one God, though those titles might seem to make them more. There is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, ver. 22. So the Evangelist here, when he hath named The Word, and God, and the word being with God, as two persons distinct one from another, lest this distinction should breed the supposal of difference, and the mention of more persons, the surmisal of more Gods, he preventeth betimes, and stoppeth all such misconstructions by saying, The Word was God.

Ver. 2. [The same was in the beginning with God] He had said, the same thing imme∣diately before, but not in the same respect. For there he spake of the words coexistency with the Father, as he explaineth himself after it, The word was God; but here he speak∣eth of the words co-working with the Father in the works of the Creation, and accor∣dingly explaineth himself after also, By him were all things made.

Ver. 3. [By him were all things made] Not as an instrumental cause only, as the Asi∣ans pleaded, but as the efficient; For so the word By often importeth. 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Thes. 5. 24. 2 Cor. 1. 1. Prov. 8. 15, 16. Ephes. 1. 1. Col. 1. 1. And so may 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be under∣stood, Col. 1. 16.

[And without him was nothing made that was made.] In this place there hath been great difference of readings, as was observed before, as see Chrys. in loc. Vulg. lat. Alcum. in loc. &c. but Ignatius Martyr, Epist. ad Antioch. Tatianus in Harmon: Chrysostome in loc. and other of the ancients, and the Arabick, Syriack, Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch, and all Latine translations that are not wedded to the vulgar, read as we do; and so the very sense of the place requireth to read: And so some of the Romanists themselves read, forsaking their own vulgar: as the Rhemists in margin: Maldonat. &c. For how crab∣bed, harsh and strained a sense the best is, that can be made of their reading; see in Alcuin: in loc. Victorin: adversus Arium. lib. 3. Aquin. per. 1. quaest. 18. art. 4.

Concerning the repetition of this, it being the same in effect with that before, All things were made by him; observe, that first, it is to heighten the expression, or to en∣force the sense: for so the Hebrews usually do by an affirmative and negative in the same sentence, as 2 King. 20. 15. Jer. 38. 25. Lam. 3. 2. Secondly, that the two distinct

clauses may seem to distinguish of the Creatures, and in the affirmative to understand the visible Creatures, which Moses had taught evidently were made by the Word; and in the negative, the invisible, of which there might be the more doubt, whether they were made by him or no, because Moses hath made no such plain expression. Or, thirdly, that the affirmative may mean the Words creating of all things, and the negative his disposal and ordering of all things; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; without him was nothing that hath been; either created, or disposed, as Joh. 5. 17.

Ver. 4. [In him was * 1.4 life] This hath allusion to Adams naming his wife Eve, or life, upon the apprehension of the Promise given him after his fall, Gen. 3. 15.

And the Evangelist having considered the Word in the former verse, as the Author of Nature, he cometh now to treat of him as the Author of Grace: there, as the Cre∣ator: here, as the Redeemer. For having related there, that by him all things were made, and amongst all things man received his natural life and being: he goeth on now to shew, that by the same Word also, man when he was fallen and perished, and had incur∣red the penalty of dying the death, he re-obtained a new and a better life, namely by Faith, and laying hold upon him in the promise, as Hab. 2. 4.

[And the life was the light * 1.5 of men] The life of the promise was the light that shone in the world, and to which all the Patriachs and Prophets, and all the holy Men of God, that lived before the fulfilling of it, had an eye and respect as to a light shining in a dark place, and whereby they guided all their devotions, and whereto they aimed all their actions: And this light then shone, and yet shineth in all the types, shadowes, figures,* 1.6 and predictions of the Law, and of the Prophets, as we daily read them, and that dark∣ness * 1.7 and mystical cloudiness which lay over them, did not comprehend it, but that it gave some shine in that obsureness; And yet did they not reach to that brightness of revealing of Christ, but that it was necessary that the Gospel should be Preached: the beginning of which is mentioned in the very next verse, namely the Preaching of John.

Ver. 6. [There was a man sent, &c.] Here may the Reader look back, and see the method and intention of the Evangelist, and the reason why he calleth him by this name the Word, rather then any other. For first, he was the Word by whom all things; and among them man, were created. Secondly, The Word, by which man, being fallen, was recovered and obtained life. Thirdly, The Word of light, direction, and consola∣tion to the holy Patriarchs. Fourthly, The Word of promise, in the darkness of the Law and Prophets: And he is now come to be the Word incarnate, and the publisher of the Gospel, which began from John, Mark 1. 1. And thus hath the Evangelist made the whole Old Testament, no other then a vailed Gospel, speaking of Christ, though somewhat obscurely, from the beginning to the end. As in the Creation ver. 3. In the promise, ver. 4. In the expectation of the Fathers, ibid. Fifthly, In the darkness of the Law and Prophets, ver. 5. And sixthly, in the necessity of a clearer revelation of him by his own comming, ibid.

Ver. 7. [To bear witness of the light, &c.] The light in this verse, and those that fol∣low, is taken personally for Christ himself, whereas in ver. 4, 5. it is taken vertually only there, for the light that flowed from Christ, and therefore it is said that light was in him: here for Christ the light it self, for so is he called, ver. 9. See Isai. 10. 17. and 42. 6. & 49. 6. Mic. 7. 6. Num. 24. 17. Psal. 84. 1. Mal. 4. 2. &c. For first, Christ revealeth the Father and his will, Joh. 1. 18. & 16. 25. and whatsoever maketh mani∣fest is light, Ephes. 5. 13. Secondly, He is the brightness of the glory, and express image of the Father, Heb. 1. 3. who is a light without any darkness at all, 1 Joh. 1. 5. Thridly, He inlightneth the hearts of his by Faith, Ephes. 5. 14. Fourthly, Christ held out in the Gospel, filled the world full of the light of knowledge, in comparison of what it was under the Law, Isai. 11. 9. Psal. 19. 3.

[That all might believe] The word All joyneth the Gentiles with the Jews, which hi∣therto had been secluded: And in the same sense is Christs Lightning of every one that com∣meth into the world, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ver. 9. to be understood for his general and univer∣sal inlightning of the world, with the shining of the Gospel: For there is a comparison made here by the Evangelist, betwixt the light of the promise under the Law, and the light of the Gospel and Christ in it.

Ver. 10. [He was in the world.] Not vertually and invisibly only, in his power and providence, but even visibly, sensibly, and apparently, in audible voice and conspicu∣ous shape, before he came in humane nature, as Gen. 15. and 18. and 32. Exod. 3. Josh. 6. yea, even to the sight and hearing of wicked and heathen men. Gen. 4. and 20. and 21. and 31. Dan. 3. 24, 25. Exod. 14.

Ver. 11. [He came among his own] This speaketh of his incarnation, and of his own Na∣tion the Jews, amongst whom he came and conversed in humane flesh, yet they refused him. They were his own by choice, Deut. 7. 6. by purchase, Exod. 19. 4, 5. by Covenant, Deut. 26. 18. and by kindred, Heb. 2. 16.

Ver. 12. [* 1.8 Power to become the Sons of God] The people of the Church, are called the Sons of God, Gen. 6. 2. And after the dispersion at Babel [where the Heathen became the Sons of men, Gen. 11. 5.] this title was appropriated only to the Jews, Exod. 4. 22. Hos. 11. 1. But now when the Jews, Christs own people, should not receive him when he so came amongst them, this priviledge should be conferred upon what Heathen or Gentiles so ever should receive him, that they should be henceforward, as the Jews had been hitherto, the Sons of God, or the Church of Christ.

[That believeth on his Name.] That is, In, or On him: For the Name of God in Scrip∣ture, doth often stand for God himself, as Psal. 71. 1. Mic. 6. 9. Act. 3. 16. &c. For God is without any mixture or composition, but a most pure and simple essence, and therefore his name and himself are not two several things, as they be in the creatures, but one and the same, R. Menahem or Exod. 60.

Ver. 13. [Which are born not of blood.] Greek, Not of bloods in the plural number. That is not of the kindred, descent, or continued Pedegree from the Patriarchal line, or the blood of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and successively: For John the Evangelist speaketh much to the same tenor here, that John the Baptist doth, Mat. 3. 9. That Christ would adopt the Heathen for the Sons of God, as the Jews had been, though they had no relati∣on at all to the Jewish blood or stock.

[Nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man.] The Evangelist hath traced Moses all along from the beginning of the Chapter, and so he doth here. He used the Phrase of the Sons of God, in the Verse preceding, from Gen. 6. 2. And this Clause that we have in hand, he seemeth to take from the very next Verse after; My Spirit shall no more strive with man, because he also is flesh: Where, as Moses by flesh, understand∣eth the brood of Cain, men that followed the swing of lust, sensuality, and their own corruption: and by Man, the Family of Seth, or Adam, that was regulated by Religion and reason, till that Family grew also fleshly like the other: so doth John here the like. For having in the next foregoing words, excluded one main thing (that was much stood upon) from any claim or challenge, towards the adopting of the Sons of God, or forward∣ing of the new birth, and that is descent from Abraham, and from those holy men suc∣cessively, that had the promise: So doth he here as much for two other, which only can put in for title to the same; and those are, first, the will of the flesh, or ability of nature; Secondly, the will of man, or power of morality.

Ver. 14. [And the word became Flesh,] Now hath the Evangelist brought us to the* 1.9 great Mystery of the Incarnation, in the description of which may be observed; First, the two terms, the word, and Flesh, expressing Christs two natures; and the word was made, or became, their hypostatical union. Secondly, the word flesh is rather used by the Evangelist, then the word man; though oftentimes they signifie but the same thing, as Gen. 6. 12. Psal. 65. 2. Isa. 40. 5, 6.

First, to make the difference and distinction of the two natures in Christ, the more conspicuous; and that according to the common speech of the Jews, who set flesh and blood in opposition to God, as Matth. 16. 17. Gal. 1. 16.

Secondly, to magnifie the mercy of God in Christs incarnation, the more, in that flesh being in its own nature, so far distant from the nature of God; yet that he thus brought these two natures together, as of them to make but one person for the reconciling of man and himself together.

Thirdly, to confirm the truth of Christs humanity, against future Heresies, which have held that he had not a true and real humane body, but only Fantastical, or of the air.

Fourthly, to explain what he said before, that Believers became the Sons of God; that is, not by any change of their bodily substances, but by participation of divine grace: for Christ on the contrary, became the Son of Man, by assuming of flesh, and not by changing into it.

Fifthly, to shew the Plaister fitly applyed unto the Sore, and the Physick to the Di∣sease; for whereas in us, that is, in our flesh, there dwelleth no good, but sin, death, and corruption; he took upon him this very nature, which we have so corrupted, sequestring only the corruption from it, that in the nature he might heal the corruption.

Sixthly, he saith, he was made or became flesh, and not he was made man, lest it should be conceived that Christ assumed a person; for he took not the person of any man in par∣ticular, but the nature of man in general.

[Was made flesh.] Not by alteration, but assumption; not by turning of the God∣head into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God; not by leaving what he was before, that is, to be God, but by taking on him what he was not before; that is, to bo man.

And the Evangelist saith rather, He was made flesh, then he assumed it. i. e. that he might set out the truth and mystery of the Incarnation to the life, both for the hyposta∣tical

union of the two natures, and their inseparablity, being so united. For, first, whereas Nestorius said, that the word was not that man that was conceived and born of the Virgin Mary; but that the Virgin indeed brought forth a man, and he having obtained grace in all kind of vertue, had the word of God united unto him, which gave him power against unclean Spirits; And so he made two several Sons, and two several persons of the two na∣tures: his Heresie is plainly and strongly confuted by this phrase, he was made flesh, which by the other, he assumed it, might have had more pretext and colour. Secondly, where∣as Eutyches, Valentius, and others averred, that Christ had not a true humane body, but only a body in appearance: This also confuteth them home, and taketh away all probability of any such thing, which the word assumed might have left more doubtful; since we know that Angels assumed bodies, and those bodies were not truly humane: So that in this manner of speech, The word was made flesh, is evidently taught: First, that there are two distinct natures in Christ, the God-head, and the Man-hood; for he saith not, the word was turned into, but was made, or became flesh. Secondly, that these two na∣tures do not constitute two persons, but only one Christ, for he saith, he was made flesh, and not assumed it. Thirdly, that this union is hypostatical, or personal; for he saith, the word was made flesh, and not joyned to it. And lastly, that this union is indissoluble and never to be separated: For Angels in assumed bodies laid them by again, and were parted from them, but the word being made flesh, the union is personal, and not to be dissolved.

[And dwelt among us, &c.] That is, among us his Disciples: for so the next clause, we saw his glory, importeth: And this Evangelist speaketh the same thing more at large, 1 Joh. 1. 1.

[Full of grace and truth.] For these words follow next in Grammatical construction and connection; lying thus. And the word became flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. The reason of the Parenthesis, and we saw his glory, may seem to be: First, because he would explain what he meant by Us, before he left it, viz. us Disciples, that saw his glory. Secondly, because the Apostles beheld not the very fulness of his grace and truth, till they had beheld the fulness of that glory, which he shewed on earth.

[Grace and truth.] As the Soul hath tow noble faculties, the understanding and the will, the objects of which are, verum & bonum, [truth and goodness:] so the whole tenor of Scripture doth run upon these two, and they are indeed the sum of all, as Psal. 25. 10. and 40. 12. and 36. 5. and 138. 2. Hos. 2. 19. &c. Now Christ being the sub∣stance of the promises, which had the original from grace, and their performance in truth; they being in him yea, and in him Amen; the Evangelist saying, that he dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; holdeth out, that he was the performance and accomplishment of all the promises of grace, and the truth of all the types and prophecies before the Law, and under it, that tended to such a purpose; and in him was the fulness of that mercy and truth, that the Patriarchs, Prophets, and holy men looked after, and he the whole tenor, scope, and subject of the Scriptures.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2 Sam. 7. 2. For thy words sake; which in 1 Chr. 17. 19. is expres∣sed, For thy servants sake, the title of Christ, Esay 42. 2.
• * 1.2

  I adjure the••by the Heaven, &c. I adjure thee by the word of the Father.
• * 1.3

  Prov. 8. 27. 30.
• * 1.4

  Deut. 30. 20. Ps. 66. 9. Prov. 4. 13. Joh. 5. 24 & 6. 35. & 20. 31. Col. 3. 3, 4. 1 Joh. 5. 12.
• * 1.5

  Eph. 5. 14. 1 Pet. 2 9. 1 Joh. 2. 8.
• * 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.7

  See Isa. 25. 7. & 32. 3. & 9. 30. 2 Cor. 3 13. Heb. 12. 18.
• * 1.8

  Or Privi∣ledge, dignity, or licence, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is u∣sed 1 Cor. 8, 9. and 9. 5, 6. Acts 5. 4. Mat. 7. 29. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A∣rist. Eth. 8.
• * 1.9

  Apollinaris from this clause, the word became flesh, would wickedly con∣clude, that the word assumed not an humane soul, but only humane flesh, and that the Godhead ser∣ved that flesh instead of a reasonable soul Con••uted, Luke 5. 52. Mat. 26. 38.