John 16 John 16:1–4 Christ warns his disciples of their sufferings for his sake. John 16:5–15 He comforteth them by a promise of the Holy Ghost. John 16:16–28 He intimates his death, resurrection, and ascension, telling them that their sorrow should soon be succeeded by joy, and that their prayers…

That is, that when you see these storms of persecution arise, and fall heavily upon you, they may not give you any occasion, or be any temptation to you, to desist from your duty, and be afraid or ashamed to own me, and the profession of my gospel.

The term synagogue, as it is used often in Scripture to signify those places of public worship which they had in country towns and cities, is proper to the Jews; but as it signifieth an assembly of people met together in any place, it as well agreeth to other people as to them.

This is but what our Lord said as to his Father, John 16:21 of the former chapter, (See Poole on “John 16:21”), and teacheth us, that all persecutions of good men speak in persecutors an ignorance both of God the Father and of Christ; and whoever they are that continue in such ignorance under the…

Whatsoever I have discovered to you formerly, of my going to my Father, the coming of the Holy Ghost, your sufferings from the world, I have told you of before; you will see that they will most certainly come to pass: then you will remember what I have said unto you; and I have told you them on…

Though I did not tell you this from the beginning, for many wise reasons; yet I now tell you, that I must die, but shall rise again from the dead, and go to my Father who sent me into the world to finish that work which I now have done, and so am returning from whence I came.

But all your thoughts are taken up about yourselves, what you shall do for want of my bodily presence; and sorrow for that hath so overwhelmed your hearts, that you cannot enough deliberate with yourselves, as to consider either mine or your own advantages, from my death, resurrection, and…

He doth not say it was expedient for him, though this was truth; for his human nature was not till his ascension glorified, as afterward, John 17:5; but he saith it was expedient for them. The saints may desire a dissolution, but it is for their own advantage, Phil. 1:23.

When the Holy Spirit is come in the days of Pentecost, he, by his inward operation in men’s hearts, and by his gifts bestowed upon you that are his apostles, will reprove the world.

Here may arise some doubt, whether these words import that the Holy Ghost should convince the world of sin in general, or of that particular sin of not believing on the Lord Jesus Christ: the first seemeth best to agree with John 16:8, where convincing of sin is mentioned, without the addition…

A second thing of which the Spirit is promised to convince the world, is righteousness, by which all interpreters agree is meant the righteousness of Christ.

The third thing to convince the world of which the Spirit is promised, is judgment. There is a great variety amongst interpreters in their senses, what is to be understood by judgment in this text. Mr.

Not any new articles of doctrine or faith, for, John 15:15, he had told them that he had made known unto them all things which he had heard of the Father of that nature; but some things (probably) which concerned them with reference to their office as apostles, the constitution, state, and…

The word which we here translate guide, odhghsei, is a word of great emphasis; it strictly signifieth to be a guide of the way, not only to discover truth as the object of the understanding, but the bowing of the will to the obedience of it.

That is, he shall make me famous in the world; as by the extraordinary gifts which he shall dispense and give out, so particularly by showing you things to come: for he shall guide and lead you into no other truth, but that which I have revealed, or which it is my will he should make known and…

All the Divine essence, wisdom, power, which is in the Father, are mine; I am, in all things that concern the Deity, one and equal with the Father; and that was the reason that I said that he should take of mine, and show it to you; which is the same as if I had said, he shall take of my Father’s,…

I must die, and so for two or three days you shall not see me; but after that you shall see me again, when I shall be risen from the dead: but because of the last words, because I go to the Father, which seem to give a reason of the first clause; possibly by the little while first mentioned, our…

Christ had used much the same expression to the Jews, John 7:33, Yet a little while I am with you; he had spoken the same to his disciples, John 13:33; yet it is plain from this verse, that his disciples did not understand him.

Still they do not understand what he meant. Who shall hereafter arrogate to man’s reason or understanding a power to comprehend spiritual mysteries? Had not the disciples reasonable souls? Will any say they had no mind to understand them? Certainly none can say so.

In the terms of this verse there is nothing difficult, but in the matter of it there is much instructive. We learn from hence: 1. That though good men may as to some points be ignorant as to the mind and will of God, yet they will be desirous of further instruction in it.

Our Saviour’s reply is no literal answer to their question, or exposition of the term which appeared so difficult to them to understand; but yet it is a substantial answer, by which he lets them know, that he should be absent from them for some time, which time would be to them a time of mourning…

Our Lord compares the state of the church in this life, and more especially in those first and most furious times, to the state of a woman that is big with child, and in her travail; when, he saith, she hath sorrow, that is, great pain, because God, when he cursed the woman for her transgression,…

The whole church, Rev. 12:1–2, is compared to a woman with child, crying, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. During this time of your travail you must have sorrow. All those that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution, 2 Tim. 3:12.

That the day here spoken of is that before mentioned, John 16:22, when Christ promised to see them again, and that their hearts should rejoice, is without question; but what that day is (as we before showed) is not so well agreed: some understand it of the general resurrection, when Christ shall…

All the prayers of believers under the Old Testament were accepted upon the account of the Mediator, who was typified by the temple, and the ark, where their solemn worship was performed by Divine appointment; but the explicit naming of him was not usual in their requests.

That by proverbs is meant any dark sayings, is plain from the opposition in the text of that term plainly. Christ had spoken, though not all things, yet many things to them in dark phrases, and under many figurative expressions; but (saith he) the time cometh, when I shall show you plainly of the…

When the Spirit shall come, then you shall fully and clearly understand how to put up your prayers to the Father in my name: hitherto have you done it imperfectly, not fully understanding what you did; but when I shall have poured out my Spirit, then you shall fully understand what it is to pray in…

I need not tell you (to beget in you a confidence that your prayers should be heard) that I will pray to the Father for you; for my Father himself hath such a love for you, that you may from thence alone conclude that he will hear you.

Though I be in the world, yet my original is not from the world; I am one with my Father, equal with him, God blessed forever. I came forth from him, as one sent in the fulness of time, to discharge the office of the Messias; the world, the place so called, was neither my original, nor yet is my…

Our Saviour having now plainly told them that he was leaving the world, put an end to their inquiries whither he was going, and satisfied them that in his former expressions of going away, not for a while to be seen, he meant no earthly motion: this they confess had no obscurity at all in it; These…

This confirmeth us in that faith, or persuasion, which we before had, though it was in us but weak, that indeed thou art come forth from God.

Some read the words, (not as a question), You do now believe. It is well you believe at last, you had reason enough to have believed before this time.

Though you profess that now you do believe, you had need look to your faith; there is yet a trying time coming upon you, when your faith will waver, and you, who have been so long my followers, will leave me to shift for myself, and every one of you shift for yourselves: this came to pass presently…

By peace here is not so much to be understood peace with God; which yet we have from Christ, and through Christ, according to Rom. 5:1, Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; nor yet peace of conscience, which is the copy of our peace with God; as a peace of…