4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now Moses in 'the law commanded us, that [a] such should be stoned:

b those that were thus taken should be subject to any the severest punishment, such as stoning was : but what sayest but what sayest thou?

thou?

6 This they said, tempting him, that

they might have to

accuse him.

But

But Jesus gave them no answer; but, as if he

Jesus stooped down, heeded not, or understood not their question, and with his finger stooped down, &c.

wrote on the ground,

2

as though he heard them not.

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him "first

d supply the place of the prosecutors, and be the

cast a stone at her. first that casts stones at her, Deut. xvii. 7.

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9 And they which heard it, being con

conscience, went out

e

being every one of them convinced in conscience victed by their own that he was guilty of some as great commission as this, went out one after another, none remaining but ning at the eldest, Jesus and the woman, she standing before him in the even unto the last: posture of an accused person before a judge.

one by one, begin

and Jesus was left

alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man 'condemned thee? II She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her,

f adjudged thee worthy of death?

Neither do I adjudge thee to death, but rather

Neither do I con- call thee to repentance and reformation.

1 our law: so many copies read, μŵv Mwons. 2 As some copies read μὴ προσποιούμενος, making not shew, (as the word is used, Luke xxiv. 28,) viz., to hear or understand him, so most copies now used have not this.

demn thee: go, and sin no more.

12. Then Jesus, soon after the delivering those words, ch. vii. 38, and in pursuance of the same matter, said r2 ༈། Then spake to them all publicly, I am come to enlighten the Jesus again unto them, saying, I am hearts of all men; he that will leave his former course, the light of the and follow me, I will give him that illumination world: he that fol- which shall bring him to piety and bliss.

loweth me shall not h testimony is not to be heeded or credited, is no but shall have the valid testimony, or to be received by us.

walk in darkness,

light of life.

him, Thou bearest

true.

h

14 Jesus answered

Though I bear re

cord of myself, yet

14. Jesus answered, My testifying of myself doth 13 The Pharisees not invalidate my testimony, my coming from heaven therefore said unto on an embassy to you, on another's, not mine own errecord of thyself; rand, (and that testified by the Spirit to John Baptist, thy record is not and by John Baptist to you, if ye would believe, but, however, to myself undoubtedly known,) gives a validity to my testimony, and joins God the Father and said unto them, himself in the testimony with me. And as the Holy Ghost hath testified that I am sent by God, so my my record is true: ascension to heaven, (which will sufficiently prove for I know whence my mission,) being known to me beforehand, though I came, and whither not to you, and being discoverable by the event to tell whence I come, you also, especially when so many eyewitnesses shall have testified it to you, it will follow that my testimony of myself, though a single one, will be authentic and valid, though, perhaps, as the one is not already, so the other also will not be heeded by you. 15 Ye judge after 15. Ye that know not my divine original, ver. 14, the flesh; I judge no judge of me only according to my human extraction, and, in proportion to that, pass sentence of me; I am unwilling to say or judge the worst of you, otherwise I could say worse of you.

I

go; but ye cannot

and whither I go.

man.

16 And yet if I 16. And if I should do so, my judgment were valid judge, my judgment according to law, because this is the judgment also is true: for I am not and testimony of my Father, who, by his Spirit and alone, but I and the miracles, and the voice from heaven, requiring all to Father that sent me. believe on me, must needs judge them as pertinacious unbelievers who stand out against all this.

17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

18 I am one that

17. And it is known in all laws, particularly in that of yours, Deut. xvii. 6, that the testimony of two men is to be received as valid, in any cause whatso

ever.

18. And I and my Father are those two; for as I bear witness of my- now witness of myself, (which is not against law or self, and the Father reason for me to do, for it is not mine own cause, but concerns others to whom I am sent, and not myself, but only as a witness and declarer,) so my Father also, by voice from heaven, descent of his Spirit,

that sent me beareth witness of me.

3 witness of myself, εἰμὶ δ μαρτυρῶν.

19 Then said they miracles, prophecies, testifies my commission from unto him, Where him.

is thy Father? Jesus 19. They say therefore unto him, Is not Joseph answered, Ye neither know me, nor your father? have you any other? Jesus replied, You my Father: if ye had will not receive any knowledge concerning me or my known me, ye should Father. Your acknowledging of me is the only way have known my Fa- to bring you to the knowledge of my Father.

ther also.

20 These words 20. These things Jesus said in that part of the spake Jesus in the temple where the chest stood into which the offertreasury, as he taught in the temple: and ings were put, where he publicly taught the people, no man laid hands and that without any man offering to lay hands on on him; for his hour him, God so disposing of it for a season; for his hour— was not yet come. i I shall depart from hence, and then you shall seek 21 Then said Jesus me unprofitably, and by contemning (or as it is ingo my way, and ye terpreted, ver. 24, not believing) me now, bring shall seek me, and judgments upon yourselves, as they that take no shall die in your warning by the preaching of the prophet, Ezek. ii. sins: whither I go, 9; and then it will be too late to wish for this time

again unto them, 'I

ye cannot come.

22 Then said the again, for I shall be gone far out of reach of your Jews, Will he kill coming to me.

himself? because he 22. The Jews, not understanding to what his saith, Whither I go, speech drove, said one to another, What! will he kill ye cannot come. himself? &c.

23 And he said

not of this world.

unto them, Ye are k You and I are from very contrary distant origifrom beneath; I am nals; your affections, like yourselves, are of an earthly from above: ye are temper and original, and therefore can fancy such of this world; I am black interpretations of my speeches as if I would 24 I said therefore kill myself, when my meaning is, that I shall ascend unto you, that ye to heaven, whence I came : and if ye believe not that shall die in your I am the Messias, ye shall lose the benefit that I not that I am he, came to bring you, and die without any remedy in ye shall die in your your sins.

sins: for if ye believe

sins.

25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus

saith unto them, 'Even the same that

I have told you all this while, He that is sent

I said unto you from the Father, the Messias; and if you ask me never [b] from the begin- so often, I can tell

ning.

26 I have many

you no otherwise.

26. I could by many evidences charge and aggrathings to say and to vate your infidelity: but I will use no other but the judge of you: but he that sent me is true; testimony of my Father, which is alone sufficient to and I speak to the convince you, and, having my commission from him, world those things I speak nothing but what that commission extends to. which I have heard

of him.

4 I am, ἐγώ εἰμι.

5 the very same which I tell you.

HAMMOND, VOL. I.

D d

27 They under- 27. This speech of his they understood not: not spake to them of the yet conceiving, that by him that sent him he meant

stood not that he

Father.

m

the Father.

you

28 Then said Jesus m After the Romans' crucifying of me, which I now unto them, When foretell you, and that by your instance and urging 6ye have lifted up them to it, there will be those evidences yielded you the Son of man, then of my being truly what now you will not believe me shall ye know that I am he, and that to be, (viz. my resurrection, ascension, &c.,) that I do nothing of shall have no excuse to deny it, then shall myself; but as my Fa- convinced (either to the working your repentance or ther hath taught me, your destruction) that I am the Messias, and came I speak these things. from God, and do nothing but according to my comsent me is with mission from him.

29 And he that

me: the Father hath

ye

be

29. And as I had at my coming commission from not left me alone; him, so is he perpetually present with me in all I do, for I do always to advance and promote all the designs of my coming; those things that

8

[c] please him. that is, to prosper all I set about; for I do nothing 30 As he spake but by his appointment and commission.

these words, many

n

constantly practise my commands, you are truly believed on him. and really my followers and disciples.

31 Then said Je

sus to those Jews

32. And those truths which I shall reveal to you, which believed on shall bestow upon you a most valuable freedom. him, If ye "continue 33. Then the other Jews there present (not the bein my word, then lievers, ver. 31, but those that were more bloodily disare ye my disciples indeed; posed, ver. 37,) replied, saying, We are heirs to the 32 And ye shall promises made to Abraham, and never yet subdued know the truth, and to be slaves to any; and, besides, we are exercised the truth shall make in the study of the law; and of all such we have a proverb, that such a man is a servant to no man: 33¶They answered him, We be what can the meaning of those words be, That the Abraham's seed, and truth shall make us free?

you free.

Whosoever com

mitteth sin is the

were never in bond- 34. Jesus answered them, I assure you you are age to any man: how mistaken in that opinion of yourselves, in thinking sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? yourselves to be freemen; your being born of Abra34 Jesus answered ham's seed will not prove it; for living and going on them, Verily, verily, in gross courses of sin, ye are to know, that there are I say unto you, no such slaves as they that live indulgent in sin. 35, 36. And being such, you are far from having servant of sin. any right to be continued in God's family, which be35 And the ser- longs only to sons. In the common account of the vant abideth not in world, a servant is so far from being a son, and so from the house for ever: having any right to the inheritance of the family, that he is at the mercy of the son when he comes to 36 If the Son the father's estate, to cast him quite out of the family, therefore shall make and, unless the son make him free, he cannot be free

but the Son abideth

ever.

6 ye shall have lift up, "Οταν ὑψώσητε. appointed.

7 am, and, ἐγώ εἰμι, καί.

8 which he hath

you free, ye shall be (nor consequently be so much as capable of being free indeed. adopted); and this is the case of all such as you, of 37 I know that ye are Abraham's every indulgent sinner; Christ must loose him from seed; but ye seek his spiritual bondage, that of his sin, or else he is not to kill me, because capable of any benefit of sonship, so much as by my word hath no adoption.

place in you.

38 I speak that

37. And as long as you are engaged in any such which I have seen sinful course, (as by your designing my death it with my Father: and seems you are,) it is not your being Abraham's chil9ye do that which dren that will make you, or demonstrate you freemen. ye have seen with 38. I do after the example of my Father, and you 39 They answered of yours in proportion.

your father.

and said unto him,

o in his obedience and virtues be like him, as chilAbraham is our fa- dren resemble their natural parents in their nature ther. Jesus saith and feature.

unto them, If ye

were Abraham's 40. But you are most contrary to that: Abraham children, ye would was an hospitable person, and obeyed God in all his do the works of commands, would have been very far from designing the death of any the meanest prophet, for no other 40 But now seek to kill me, a ye crime but that of bringing God's truth unto him; and man that hath told yet this do

Abraham.

ham.

ye.

you the truth, which 41. Ye have another father, not willingly owned I have heard of God: by you, and him you are like in your actions. Herethis did not Abra- upon they reply, None have dubious parents, but 41 Ye do the deeds they that are unlawfully begotten; we are not such, we of your father. Then are none of those to whom the style of children of said they to him, whoredoms is given, Hos. ii. 4, but owned and acWe be not born of knowledged by God as his only children. fornication; we have 42. Jesus answers, Your hating of me is a certain argument that God is not your Father, for I am sent 42 Jesus said unto immediately from him; I came from heaven, and them, If God were what I do is by commission from God, not on mine your Father, ye own motion, or any business or errand of mine, or as I proceeded forth false prophets without mission.

one Father, even

God.

would love me: for

me.

not understand my

and came from God; 43. If God were your Father, whose commands neither came I of you received and obeyed as children, you would myself, but he sent know my language, being, indeed, the very language of that Father. But the reason is clear: the thing 43 Why do ye that makes you not believe in me is not want of speech? even be- means of conviction that my doctrine comes from cause ye cannot hear God, but because my doctrine is not agreeable to my word. your humour; you cannot abide to hear it, you have 44 Ye are of your not affections capable of it. father the devil, and the lusts of your fa44. The practices which the devil offers to you, or ther 10 ye will do. hath practised before you, you like much better than He was a murderer those which I commend to you; he was from the

9 ye therefore, or, accordingly do, kaì vμeîs ovν woLEÎTE. 10 ye delight to do, θέλετε ποιεῖν.