John 18:14

18:13-27 Simon Peter denied his Master. The particulars have been noticed in the remarks on the other Gospels. The beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water. The sin of lying is a fruitful sin; one lie needs another to support it, and that another. If a call to expose ourselves to danger be clear, we may hope God will enable us to honour him; if it be not, we may fear that God will leave us to shame ourselves. They said nothing concerning the miracles of Jesus, by which he had done so much good, and which proved his doctrine. Thus the enemies of Christ, whilst they quarrel with his truth, wilfully shut their eyes against it. He appeals to those who heard him. The doctrine of Christ may safely appeal to all that know it, and those who judge in truth bear witness to it. Our resentment of injuries must never be passionate. He reasoned with the man that did him the injury, and so may we.

Now Caiaphas was he which gave council to the Jews,.... The chief priests and Pharisees, who met in council about Jesus, John 11:47 , the counsel he gave was, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people; and which advice was given out of ill will and malice to Christ, and to prevent, as he thought, the people of the Jews being destroyed by the Romans; though the words have a very good sense which he did not understand. The people Christ was to die for, was not all the, people of the world, nor only the people of the Jews, nor all of them; but all the elect of God, whom God has chosen for his special and peculiar people, and has given to Christ as such: these Christ were to die for, and did, not merely as a martyr, to confirm his doctrine to them, or as an example to teach them meekness, patience, and courage, but in the room and stead of them, as a surety for them; and it was expedient that he should, in such sense, die for them, because of his suretyship engagements, that he might make satisfaction to the law and justice of God, and procure the salvation of his people, and send forth the Spirit to make application of it to them.

Of his giving that counsel, and the wickedness of it, (though it proved an oracle beyond his intention), we discoursed before: See Poole on "John 11:51" . The meaning of the high priest was, that right or wrong, whether they had any just accusation against Christ or no, yet they might for expediency put him to death, because his death might prevent mutinies and seditions amongst the people.

[Reformed Biblical] John tells us, that Jesus, knowing all things that should come upon him, when they approached him, asked them whom they sought? and that they replied, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus informed them that he was the person they sought. They, when they heard it, overawed by his presence, and smitten with the consciousness of guilt, went backward, and fell to the ground. He again asked them whom they sought. They made the same declaration—Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus then, since they professed to seek only him, claimed the right that his disciples should be suffered to escape;— "that the saying might be fulfilled which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none," John 18:9. See also John 17:12. {s} "saying" Psalms 38:12 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW - Chapter 26 - Verse 49 ## Verse 49. Hail, Master . The wor

The Epiftle to the Reader. There, I fliy, will read and be glad "to hear that th have iXwAdvocnte at Court that will fiand up to pic Icr til cm, and that will yet fccure to. them a Riglit the Heavenly Kingdom. Wheref -re it is n.ore pai culurly r->r thofe that at preftntjor that hereafter a be in this dreadful plight, that this my Book is n< j made publick ; becaufe it is, as I have fhewM^for fu j that Jcfiis Chrifi is Advocate ii'iih the Father, j Of the many and (ingular Advantages thcrefi that fuch have by rhis ihtir Advoratc^ in his advo ting for them, this Book gives forae account *, as iih he plead:-, lovj he pleads, <ivhat he pleads, tvaheK plciids, ^:i'h avlom he pleads, for iihoni he pica and how rlic Enemy is put to Shame and Silence icrc tiicir CoJ. and all tiie Holy Angels. Here is aifo ihew'd to thofe herein concern'd, h ihcy inGc;.d may know that Jcfus is their Advocn yea, and Jiow their Macrers eo before thpir God, Jndge i and particularly, that they fhall come well at lat% yea^.tho* their Caufe (as 'tis theirs) fuch, in Juftification of which themfelvts do not d \ to fhcw tlieir Heads. ^ . "^ J . Kor have I left the dejeftcd Souls without DtVc ons how to entertain this Advocate to plead tl: Caufe : Yea, I have alfo (hewn that he will be w \ tiiem named by him. Their Comfort alfo is, that never loft a Caufe, nor a Soul, for whom he uiic • tcok to be an Advocate with God. But, Reader, I will no longer detain thee from '

Jbamo for. Sin ' ^L I& not Chiffki aa /^dvocato for. lu^Xle^ ^And if Any Manfm^ rve have an Advo€A:\* rvith the Father^ "Jefu^ Chrifi the Righ-^ teous. THat^hc Afjoftle might obtain due Rcgarc^ from choie to whom he wrote, touchir.i; the things about which he wrote;, he cells them. That he received not his-Meflage to them atfecofld or third hand, but was himielf an Eye aod Ear-witnefs thereof. That which was from thefieginningyWhich we have feen with our Eyes, . ; which we have looked upon, and our Hands have ihandlcd, of the Word of Life, (for the Life wav<s manifeft, and weluve feen it, and bear witneft^ and ihew unto you that Eternal Life which wz^ v^ith the Father, and was manifeft unto us.) chac ^hich we have (een and heard, declare we unto JOD. Having thus told them of bis -Ground for Wlut he faid, he proceeds to tell them alfo i\\e. Mattcrconrain*d in his Errand, to wit, Thar ho itrought them News of Eternal Life, as freely offr'd in the Word of the Gofpel to them, or rarhec liat the Gofpel which they had received would Certainly uftier them in at tbe<Gatcs of the Kinglorn of Heaven, were their recc^ption of it fincere tad in truth : For, fiuth he, then the Blood ofjrfus Chrift thf !)t>n o/GoJcieanJethyoufrdthi aU Sii* Havj'og thus far cold th€mYi\[2X'WK%\i\i^\\%yA^ r fees upon an Explication of viba^ \\(; Vi^.\ ^i^^