2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God. Many false prophets were in the world. 301 1 John iv. 1 spirit, but try the caution you against credulously submitting to SECT. spirits whether they every one who pretends a divine inspiration for vi. are of God: because what he says: believe not therefore every premany false prophets are gone out into the tended spirit but make trial of the spirits, world. whether they be indeed of God or not: for it is certain, that many false prophets are gone forth into the world, boasting a Divine mission, and thereby laying snares for the souls of men, with such artifice, that might, as our Lord expresses it, (Mat. xxiv. 24,) deceive the very elect if it were possible. Now in this ye know 2 and may distinguish the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of truth, from that of error: every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ, who is come in the flesh,b that pays a becoming deference to his authority, and the Divine discoveries which he hath made, is of God: there cannot, in the general, be any better attestation of any spirit than this, that it tends, in its agency and operations, to promote the honour of the great 3 And every spirit Redeemer. And you may, on the other hand, 3 that confesseth not be sure of this, that every pretended spirit of come in the flesh, is revelation, that doth not confess and do homage not of God: and this to Jesus Christ, who is come in the flesh, is not is that spirit of antiof God: and indeed this is on the contrary, the have heard that it very [spirit] of antichrist, of whom you have should come, and heard in the Divine oracles and predictions even now already it which our blessed Lord delivered concerning 4Ye are of God,lit. this last time that he is coming, and is now in tle children, and have some measure already in the world. But, my 4 that Jesus Christ is christ, whereof ye is in the world. Believe not every spirit.] Many pretended to the character of the Messiah, and others, in an extraordinary manner to be sent and inspired of God; and this they did with a view of turning away Christians from their faith and hope. The apostle here, by a short turn of argument, demonstrates that they were indeed impostors from this very attempt. That confesseth Jesus Christ, who is come in the flesh ] So the words o quoraz Ιησεν Χρισον εν σαρκι εληλυθεία, may very well be rendered; and indeed they must be so in this connection, for the bare confession of Christ's incarnation would not have been sufficient to have cleared them from the suspicion of being impostors. To confess Jesus Christ, seems to mean, not barely professing some kind of regard to him, but yielding a regular consistent homage, and, as it were, harmonizing and falling in with his design. This is the spirit of antichrist.] From hence some have argued, that the Pope cannot be antichrist, because he confesses Christ; and that it must necessarily be some entirely opposing person or sect, and which does not bare the Christian name; but the interpretation above obviates this objection; for it is certain popery is an usurpation entirely inconsistent with a due homage to Christ, and founded upon principles most opposite to those of his government and religion. It is said to have been already in the world, as the ambitious, imposing, persecuting spirit, which is the very essence of antichristianism, did then greatly prevail. 302 SECT. 1John Whereas the apostles were of God. greater is dear children, ye are of God, and have overcome overcome them; bevi. them in all their snares and delusions, because cause d he that is in you, greater and more powerful by far is he that is than he that is in the than he that is in the world: the Son of world. iv. 4 in you, God, who stands at the head of that interest in which you are embarked, and who aids you by the mighty communications of his Spirit, is infinitely too strong for satan, the great head of the apostasy, and for all his confederates. world, and the world 5 They of whom I have now been speaking, are 5 They are of the of the world, and they know how to manage world: therefore their affairs in a manner which will be pleasing speak they of the to it therefore they speak as of the world, as heareth them. taking their instructions from it, they give their followers worldly hopes and expectations, and the world greedily hears them, and drinks in their fallacious maxims, to the unspeakable detriment of the interests of true religion. 6 Whereas, on the contrary, we are of God, and have approved ourselves to be so, by such irre- he that knoweth sistible evidence, that I may now venture to that is not of God, God, heareth us; he say, that he who knoweth God, and experiences heareth 6 We are of God: not us. the governing influence of Divine fear and Hereby know we sequence of which you may know assuredly that we are of God, and they of the world." Compare Bull's Serm. i. p. 11. I rather think, as Archbishop Tillotson has stated it, (Vol. III. p. 501.) He considers the Christian religion as now so abundantly demonstrated, that it might be made a test by which other doctrines and pretences might be tried; and to those who have received it upon full evidence,it must be so. Thus the Jews were directed to judge, and obliged to condemn, a pretended prophet, as ipso facto, proved an impostor, if he attempted to turn them aside from the revelation which God had given by Moses, Deut. xiii. 1-3. 7 Beloved, let us for love is of God, Every one who loveth, is born of God. 303 of error, as the one receives, and the other re- sECT. jects, this Divine system. But think it not enough speculatively to adlove one another mit its authority. Let it be your great care and every one that practically to acknowledge it; and especially loveth is born of to the purposes of mutual benevolence. Yes, God, and knoweth my beloved, let us love one another for love is God. vi. 1 John iv. 7 as really from God, as truth itself; and every one who loveth, every one in whose heart this Divine principle reigns and triumphs over the selfish and contrary passions, shews by it that he is born of God, by his regenerating and transforming grace, and that he truly knoweth God; he makes it appear, that he judges rightly of God's nature and will; and that his acquaintance with him has made deep and powerful 8 He that loveth impressions on his heart. Whereas he who 8 not loveth not, whatever he may pretend, hath not God: for God is truly known God; for God is love, its great not, knoweth love. fountain and exemplar: he recommends it by his law, and produces and cherishes it by his influences; and the due contemplation of him will naturally inflame our hearts with love to his Divine Majesty, and to our fellow creatures for his sake, whose creatures they are. 9 In this was And in this great instance is the love of God, of 9 manifested the love which I now speak, when I say that God is of God towards us, himself love, in the most illustrious manner sent his only begot- manifested, and displayed in and towards us, ten Son into the that God sent Jesus his only begotten and well world, that we might beloved Son into the world, that we, condemned live through him. because that God and miserable sinners, might live through him; that the sentence of death to which we were obnoxious, might be reversed, that we might be quickened to a principle of spiritual life, and so conducted to the possession of life ever10 Herein is love, lasting. Yes, Sirs, I must repeat it again, that 10 not that we loved your hearts, and my own, may be the more God, but that he deeply affected with it, herein is love, not in deed that we loved God, for we were, on the Let us love one another.] It is reported, love one another. And the importance of which he here enforces repetition of it so fre 304 vi Reflections on the spirit of truth and error, &c. SECT. but that he loved us, and in boundless compas- loved us, and sent sion to our necessities and our miseries, sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. his Son [to be] a propitiation for our sins; to 1John make atonement to his injured justice for our iv. 10 11 Beloved, if God also to love one an offences, and so to introduce us on honourable 11 terms to his favour. And let me make this important inference from it, my beloved, if God so loved us, we ought so loved us, how ought we to love one another, other. in imitation of his Divine example, from a sense of the happy state into which we are brought, and in gratitude to him for so inesti 12 mable a favour? And the inference has the 12 No man bath at any in us. greater weight, as no man hath ever seen God, or seen God IMPROVEMENT. verse 1 THE spirit of error has been working, in some measure, in all ages of the church; nor are we to wonder, if having infested that of the apostles, it be transmitted to our own. It is neces sary therefore to try the spirits, whether they be of God; and we may safely try them by the homage they pay to Christ; and this not merely to his name, but to the genius of his religion, and to 2 the great standard of it, which he hath left upon record in his word, that it might not be that uncertain thing which the fancies 3 or traditions of fallible men might have rendered it. Antichristian principles and powers have arisen, but God has enabled, 4 and he will enable the remnant of his people to conquer them; for the spirit in them is greater than that which is in the world. 5 That may hearken to seducers as they accommodate their doc6 trine to its prevailing lusts and passions; but let us remember that the gospel is now established as a test, and may we admit, or reject, all human teachings, as they agree, or disagree with it. If we read and hear it to any valuable purpose, it will teach us to love one another: that great lesson of our Divine Master, with relation to which we have line upon line, and precept upon 8 precept. If we value ourselves in any degree upon knowing God, let us give this proof of it, without which all our most subtile 7 They who have the spirit of God dwell in him; 305 verse speculations or debates concerning his nature and perfections SECT will be utterly vain. And that we may attain to this, let us fre- vi. quently contemplate that incomparable display of his love towards us, in sending his only begotten Son into the world, that we might g live through him. Let us daily consider our lives as derived from that great act of mercy and grace; and that it is through Christ alone as thus given us of God, that we can obtain and secure life eternal, since in him we receive the only appointed propitiation for those sins, which would otherwise have obstructed the pas- 10 sage of all good to us, even from the great eternal fountain of felicity. He hath prevented us with the blessings of his goodness: we did not love him, but he first loved us. O that this love on 10 his part, may produce the warmest return on ours! and let us testify the sincerity of this affection, by remembering how it ought to influence our hearts to benevolence as well as devotion. And as we cannot see God at any time, nor extend any act of 11 beneficence to him, let us see his image with due regard in every Christian, and in some degree in every human creature, that we may express our love of him, by doing good to them for his sake. 12 SECT. VII. The apostle further urges the excellence of love, as a substantial proof of our knowing God, and dwelling in him; and as bringing the greatest honour to God, and affording the truest composure and confidence to the soul. 1 John IV. 13, to the end. HE I 1 JOHN IV. 13. 1 John iv. 13 1 JOHN IV. 13. EREBY know we that we HAVE been mentioning love as an argu- SECT. dwell in him, and he ment of our union to God; and I must now vii. in us, because he add, that in this also we know, that we abide in hath given us of his him, and that he dwelleth in us, because he hath Spirit. given to us the communication of his Spirit, which operating in us by its gracious influences,' sets, as it were, the mark of God upon us, and thereby assures us that he owns us as his, and is 14 And we have become our God: And animated and sealed 14 seen and do testify, by this Spirit, as we have seen and known by that the Father sent undoubted evidence ourselves, so we courfour of the world. ageously testify to others, how hazardous soever the bearing that testimony may be, that the great almighty Father of all hath sent Jesus the Son, under the high character of the Saviour of the world, and that it is in, and by him alone, how proudly soever the infidel world may reject and disdain him, that eternal salvation can the Son to be the Sav |