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To which I shall say first, that these figures are often used by Christ,* 1.1 and such expressions under the notions of Divinity more clearly intelligible; but when they are used by him, he give's some intimation to his Audi∣tor how he shall understand them figuratively onely, ei∣ther in that place, or some other; otherwise a man
would hardly assent to him in any but a literal sense. There are abundance of other such like names affirmed of our Saviour, besides those particularly specified by him in this place, all which to handle would require a Volume: I will not therefore engage upon them, but these, he instanceth in now, I will touch upon, that by them the rest may be discerned: First then he call's himself a vine,* 1.2 John 15.1. I am the true vine, that is, I am like a true vine, a true, not a false vine, which look's like a vine, but is not a true vine, that may be confided in, which will bring forth fruit, and not deceive the hus∣bandman: now that ye may discern the similitude, ob∣serve, he adde's, my Father is the husbandman, and so go's on with the branches: which evidently shew that it is a Similitude. For the second, John 10.11. I am the good shepheard,* 1.3 he explain's it immediately, a good shep∣heard giveth his life for his sheep, and so along in that chapter he shew's how his sheep are righteous, which make's it apparent that it was a Similitude. Again, his last Metaphor is used in the same chapter, ver. 7. I am the Door of the sheep;* 1.4 we see he was the shepheard, and he is the door, in a diverse sense; as he is the door, he admit's, and shut's out: now these things are so appa∣rent, that the words all about them express them to be Similitudes; if not, a thousand places of Scripture might teach us, that he could not otherwise be a Wooden door; or a vine, that is, a plant; or a shepheard, such as a countrey-shepheard, whose sheep were beasts. Now let us examine his Metonymy: He saith, he is the truth, life,* 1.5 resurrection; two of these I find in one sentence in the 14. of this Gospel the 6. I am, saith our Saviour, the way, the truth, and the life: Truth and Life are his in∣stances; our Saviour having told the Disciples ver. 4.
Whither I go, ye know, and the way ye know: Thomas an∣swered, Lord, we know not whither thou goest, how can we then know the way? Jesus answered to this, I am the way, the truth, the life; in this word, the way, no doubt but there may be both those figures he speakes of; a Metaphor first, for as a way is that Middle place which is between the two Termes (à quo and ad quem) from whence, and whither, participating of both and leading whither a man tend's; so our Saviour, God and man, participating of both the extreames, heaven and earth; and Man, walking a long by him, shall come to heaven; next we may observe a Metonymy, he was the way, be∣cause by his word he direct's us the way; because by his life he hath trod it out for us; and by his graces he help's us to walke in it; and this is apparent to any man who shall consider how impossible it is, for Christ to be a way, a trodden path of ground; or how impos∣sible it is for any such way to lead to the Journeyes end, which he aimed at.
The second Terme which is mentioned by Socinus is Truth,* 1.6 and for this I may say that I doubt whether there be any figure necessary; for Christ, as God, being Truth it self, he must needs likewise be verax, true spea∣king, as well as verus; and if he should deceive or misguide in the way, he should go against his nature, and deny himselfe, as St. Paul phraseth it, 2 Tim. 2.13. now I can justly say that here is no figure; or, if any, it is but this, which the context exact's, I am the way, by directing you to it, and that an infallible one, which no man can be deceived by, for I am truth its self, which make's good all I have said; and the same I may speake of his last Terme (Life) I may justly affirme that there needs be no figure in it; Christ is the life, there is an Article to
every Terme, life its selfe, life in the fountaine; all other lives are Peters, Pauls, a horse's or dog's life, but he is life its self, life in the fountaine, like light in the Sun, much more glorious then any other; therefore thou, who seekest life, life eternal, which is the journeys end of every man, must come by the way which I appoint who am Truth; and come to me, and thou shalt have it. I know as he is life in the fountain, and so may be under∣stood; so he may be a life to us, and called our life, the life of men, of which hereafter, both as an effici∣ent, and an object; as an efficient producing that life; as an object, that life of ours consisting in the beatificall vision of the most sacred and blessed Trinity; but I see no necessity forcing me to this second exposition; but if so the context lead's to it, I think I may run through Twenty more, and certainly there are Twenty more, such speeches; but we shall find that there is some∣thing in the matter of the discourse, or in the Circum∣stances of the Text, which induce to it; but in that I have in hand nothing to perswade any man that this Term (word) should be understood according to any of those figures.
Figures never used by Christ, with∣out intimati∣on how the text is to be understood.
So that of a vine.
A Shepheard.
A Doore.
His Metony∣mies of being the Truth, Life, and Re∣surrection, &c.
The Truth and life may be taken with∣out a figure.