I intend brevity here; therefore, a word to the second, and so conclude.
Second, How it appears that he hath power to cast out. This appears also by what follows:—
1. The Father, for the service that he hath done him as Saviour, has made him Lord of all, even of quick and dead. “For to this end Christ both died, rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living” (Rom 14:9).
2. The Father hath left it with him to quicken whom he will, to wit, with saving grace, and to cast out whom he will, for their rebellion against him (John 5:21).
3. The Father made him judge over those who have been born again and those dead in their trespasses. He entrusted all judgment to the Son, and appointed that all should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father (John 5:22–23).
4. God will judge the world by this man: the day is appointed for judgment, and he is appointed to judge. “He has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man” (Acts 17:31). Therefore we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive for the things done in the body, according to what they have done. If they have closed with him, heaven and salvation; if they have not, hell and damnation! And for these reasons, he must be judged:—
(1.) Because of his humiliation and his Father’s word, he humbled himself, and he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This hath respect to his being judge, and his sitting in judgment upon angels and men (Phil 2:7-11; Rom 14:10,11).
(2.) All men might honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. “For the Father judged no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father” (John 5:225:22–
23.) Because of his righteous judgment, this work is fit for no creature; it is only fit for the Son of God. He will reward every man according to his ways (Rev 22:12).
(4.) Because he is the Son of man. He “hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man” (John 5:27).
Thus have I in brief passed through this text by way of explications. My next work is to speak to it by way of observation. But I shall be also as brief in that as the nature of the thing will admit. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
And now I come to some observations, and a little briefly to speak to them, and then conclude the whole. The words thus explained afford us many, some of which are these. 1. That God the Father, and Christ his Son, are two distinct persons in the Godhead. 2. That by them, not excluding the Holy Ghost, is contrived and determined the salvation of fallen mankind. 3. That this contrivance resolved itself into a covenant between these persons in the Godhead, which stands in giving on the Father’s part, and receiving on the Son’s. “All that the Father giveth me,” &c. 4. That everyone that the Father hath given to Christ, according to the mind of God in the text, shall certainly come to him. 5. That coming to Jesus Christ is therefore not by the will, wisdom, or power of man; but by the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father. “All that the Father giveth me shall come.” 6. That Jesus Christ will be careful to receive, and will not in any wise reject those that come or are coming to him. “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” There are, besides these, some other truths implied in the words. As, 7. They that are coming to Jesus Christ are ofttimes heartily afraid that he will not receive them. 8. Jesus Christ would not have them that in truth are coming to him once think that he will cast them out.
