If I have told you earthly things
Not that the doctrines he delivered were earthly ones; for he was
not of the earth, but from heaven, and above all, and so spake
not of the earth, but of heaven, ( John 3:31 ) ; and this
doctrine of regeneration was an heavenly doctrine; and the thing
itself required supernatural power, and grace from above: but
either they were the more easy doctrines of the Gospel; or were
delivered in a plain and easy style, and illustrated by similes
taken from earthly things, as from human birth, from the water,
and from the wind:
and ye believe not;
i.e. those things; ye do not receive them, nor give credit to
them; or "me", as the Ethiopic Version adds, who relate them on
the best evidence, having fully known, and clearly seen them:
how shall ye believe;
give credit to me, or receive my testimony:
if I tell you of heavenly things?
of the more sublime doctrines of the Gospel, such as the descent
of the Messiah from heaven; the union of the two natures, human
and divine, in him; his being the only begotten Son of God; his
crucifixion and death, signified by the lifting up of the serpent
on a pole in the wilderness; and the wonderful love of God to the
Gentile world in giving Christ to, and for them; and the
salvation, and eternal happiness of all that believe in him,
whether they be Jews or Gentiles; and these delivered in language
suitable to them, without figures, or natural similes, which help
the understanding, and convey ideas of things more easily to it.