Diodati:

V.16. The world] Namely, mankind in its generality, which being all subject to eternal perdition through sin, God out of his Sovereign and absolute good pleasure, has saved his elect from it; whom he has taken of all degrees, and out of all the Nations in the world indifferently, that the whole kind might not perish, but that in his number of elect, as in a new and holy community, it might subsist before God for ever. A benefit wich he has not imparted to the apostate Angels, not universally to all men.

John Diodati, Pious and Learned Annotations upon the Holy Bible: Plainly Expounding the most difficult places thereof, 2nd edition (London: Printed by Miles Flesher, for Nicolas Fussels, 1648), 83.

Marlorate:

16. For so GOD loued the worlde, that hee gaue his onelye begotten Sonne that all that beleeue in him shoulde not perish, but haue euerlastig life.

R. Our Savior Christ, goes on still in the former disputation, still more plainly opening and declaring, that righteousness comes not by the Law, that is to say, by faith in Christ: and therewithal shows the first cause and principal original of our salvation, and that because we should not be the least in doubt.

No peace
of Conscience without
God’s love.

For our minds have no peaceable rest or quietness in which they may stay themselves, until we come to the free love of God. Therefore as the whole substance of our salvation consists in no other than in Christ, so we must so whereby Christ is united unto us, & why he is offered to us to be our savior.

Love in
God and
faith in us brings
us life eternal.

Both these thing are bear distinctly put down unto us: the first is a lively faith in Christ: the second is the love of God, by which he so loved the world that he sent life to the same by his only Son to save mankind from destruction. And this order is diligently to be noted. For when the original of our salvation comes in question, by and by, according to our natural ambition, burst forth devilish imaginations of or own merit. We fain that God is therefore merciful, because he has respect to none but those whom he judges worthy.

Mercy of God
makes man’s
merits frustrate.

But the Scripture does everywhere extol his mere and simple mercy, which clean abolishes all merits. And this is the very meaning of our Savior in these words, when he appoints the cause in God’s mercy. M. Therefore the love of God with the which he has loved the world, has so determined, that the world should be saved by the sending of the Son. And our Savior does slightly pass over this love, but does diligently amplify and inculcate the same, when he makes mention of sending of the only begotten son of God: who was given unto us, as a most certain and undoubted pledge of his Fatherly love toward us. R. Whereof then comes salvation, whereof comes justification? Whereof comes the hope of eternal life? Come these from the worthiness or merits of men? God forbid: but they have their original of the love of God. For we had always abode, so much as we could, in our sins, in death, and in hell, except God of his entire love, with the which he loved us being as yet miserable sinners, had not given his only begotten Son for us. Hereupon the Apostle says: “In this is love, not that we first loved him” (for the flesh is utterly void of the knowledge of God) “but because he loved us first, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins,” [1. Joh. 4:10.] And the Apostle Paul says: “GOD commends or declares his love toward us, in that when as yet we were miserable sinners, Christ died for us,” [Rom. 5:8.] C. Without all doubt where sin reigns, we shall find nothing but the wrath of God, which brings with it death. Therefore it is only mercy which reconciles us unto God, that therewithal we might be restored unto life. If any man demand in whom this love is founded, the Apostle Paul answers: “That it is founded in the purpose of his will.” Notwithstanding this manner of speech seeing to be contrary to many testimonies of Scriptures, which place the first and principal foundation of God’s love towards us, in Christ, and do show that without him, we are displeasing and hateful unto GOD.

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Trapp:

Verse 16. God so loved the world,] This is a sic without a sicut, there being nothing in nature wherewith to parallel it. The world, that is, all mankind fallen in Adam. This the Apostle fitly calls God’s Philanthropy, Tit. 3.4. it being a sweet favor to the whole kind of us, that any be saved by Christ.

John Trapp, A Brief Commentary or Exposition Vpon the Gospel According to St John (London: Printed by G.M. for John Bellamy, and are to be sold his his Shop, at the Signe of the three Golden-Lyons in Cornehill, near the Royal Exchange, 1646), 16.

Davenant:

1) The Doctors of the Reformed Church also from the beginning spoke in such a manner on the death of Christ, that they afforded no occasion of reviving the contest. For they taught, That it was proposed and offered to all, but apprehended and applied to the obtaining of eternal life only by those that believe. At the same time, they judged it improper to mingle the hidden mystery of Election and Preterition with this doctrine of the Redemption of the human race through Christ, in such a manner as to exclude any one, before he should exclude himself by his own unbelief. Let us hear their own words. Philip Melancthon constantly admonishes that we should not unseasonably mix the speculation of predestination with the promises of the Gospel. In his Common-places, “On the promises of the Gospel, page 195, he writes thus: As it is necessary to know that the Gospel is a gratuitous promise, so it is necessary to know that the Gospel is an universal promise, that is, that reconciliation is offered and promised to all mankind. It is necessary to hold that this promise is universal, in opposition to any dangerous imaginations on predestination, lest we should reason that this promise pertains to a few others and to ourselves. But we declare, that the promise of the Gospel is universal. And to this are brought those universal expressions, which are used constantly in the Scriptures, such as, GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD HOT PERISH, BUT RAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. And the reason why all do not obtain the promises of the Gospel, is because d do not believe it.” Calvin in many places gives his opinion in the same manner. On the same words, John iii. 16, God so loved the world, &c. he says, “He hath put an universal mark, both that he might invite all men promiscuously to the participation of life, and that he might leave the unbelieving without excuse. For this is the meaning of the word WORLD. For although there is nothing found in the world worthy of the Divine favor, yet he shows himself to be propitious to the whole world; since he calls all without exception to believe in Christ.” A little afterwards: “It appears that Christ is set before all, but God opens the eyes of the elect alone to seek him in faith. And on Rom. v. 18, He makes grace common to all, because it is set before all. not because it M actually extended to all. For although Christ suffered for the sins of the whole world, and through the goodness of God is offered to all indifferent, yet all do not apprehend him.”  John Davenant, “A Dissertation on the Death of Christ,” in An Exposition of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians, (London: Hamilton, Adams, And Co. 1832), 336-337.

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