But as many as received him
This is explained, in the latter part of the text, by believing
in his name; for faith is a receiving him as the word, and Son of
God, as the Messiah, Saviour, and Redeemer; a receiving grace out
of his fulness, and every blessing from him, as a justifying
righteousness, pardon of sin, and an inheritance among them that
are sanctified; for though the generality rejected him, there
were some few that received him:
to them gave he power to become the sons of
God;
as such were very early called, in distinction from the children
of men, or of the world; see ( Genesis 6:2 Genesis 6:4 ) . To be
the sons of God is a very special favour, a great blessing, and
high honour: saints indeed are not in so high a sense the sons of
God as Christ is; nor in so low a sense as angels and men in
common are; nor in such sense as civil magistrates; nor merely by
profession of religion; much less by natural descent; but by
adopting grace: and in this, Christ, the word, has a concern, as
all the three divine persons have. The Father predestinated men
to the adoption of children, secures this blessing for them in
the covenant of his grace, and puts them among the children, and
assigns them a goodly heritage: the Spirit, and who is therefore
called the spirit of adoption, discovers and applies this
blessing to them, and witnesses to their spirits that they are
the children of God: and Christ, the word, or Son of God, not
only espoused their persons, and in time assumed their nature,
and by the redemption of them opened a way for their reception of
the adoption of children; but actually bestows upon them the
"power", as it is here called, of becoming the sons of God: by
which is meant, not a power of free will to make themselves the
sons of God, if they will make use of it; but it signifies the
honour and dignity conferred on such persons: so Nonnus calls it,
"the heavenly honour"; as indeed, what can be a greater? It is
more honourable than to be a son or daughter of the greatest
potentate on earth: and it is expressive of its being a
privilege; for so it is an undeserved and distinguishing one, and
is attended with many other privileges; for such are of God's
household and family, and are provided for by him; have liberty
of access unto him; are Christ's free men, and are heirs to an
incorruptible inheritance. This is a privilege that excels all
others, even justification and remission of sins; and is an
everlasting one: and it also intends the open right which
believers have unto this privilege, and their claim of it: hence
it follows,
even to them that believe in his name;
that is, in himself, in Christ, the word: the phrase is
explanative of the former part of the verse, and is a descriptive
and manifestative character of the sons of God; for though the
elect of God, by virtue of electing grace, and the covenant of
grace, are the children of God before faith; and were so
considered in the gift of them to Christ, and when he came into
the world to gather them together, and save them; and so,
antecedent to the Spirit of God, being sent down into their
hearts, to make this known to them; yet no man can know his
adoption, nor enjoy the comfort of it, or claim his interest in
it, until he believes.