306 1 John as they also do, who dwell in love. 15 Whosoever God, God dwelleth SECT. be obtained. Whosoever, in a steady and univii. form manner, shall confess, that Jesus is the shall confess that JeSon of God, maintaining this profession of faith sus is the Son of iv. 15 with resolution and zeal, and acting in con- in him, and he in formity to it, gives the happiest proof that God. God dwelleth in him, and that he dwelleth in God: there is a blessed union between God and his soul; so that it is, in the language of scripture; (Isa. lvii. 15,) the habitation of God, and he may be said to be, as to his affections and hopes, with God in heaven, and shall ere long, in his complete person, reside there. 16 And we have known, and firmly believed the love 16 And we have which Godhath unto us; for as we have again and known and believed again taught you, and know not how to cease in- the love that God culcating it, God is himself love, and he that dwell-love; and he that eth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him, this dwelleth in love, is the bond of union, and the pledge of its perdwelleth in God, and 17 petuity. God in him. (Compare ver. 8, and 12.) And 17 Herein is our herein is love perfected in us, that notwithstand- love made perfect, ing all our acknowledged and lamented imper- that we may have fections, we may have boldness and confidence boldness in the day in the great day of universal judgment, in that cause as he is, so of judgment: beas he our Father and our God is, so are we are we in this world. in some prevailing degree, even while we reside in this world, so far as the imperfections of that mortal life, to which we are here confined, will admit. 18 And happy are they, who are arrived to such hath to us. God is 18 There is no but a temper and character as this; for there is no fear in love; servile and abject fear in love, but perfect love perfect love casteth casteth out such fear from the soul, in which it Whosoever shall confess, &c.] Bishop Hopkins accounts for this, and such pas sages, by observing, that in the primitive times there were no temporal inducements to embrace Christianity; and consequently most of the professors of it acted upon conscience, and it might be charitably hoped they were indeed regenerate. See his Works, p. 520. b Dwelleth in God, and God in him] Perhaps when John wrote this epistle, he might refer to that excellent prayer of our blessed Lord, which he has recorded in his gospel, and to such passages of it as John xvii. 22, 23. In the day of judgment] Some by this phrase understand the day in which Christians were judged: as if it had been said, The perfection of love is, when it induces us to maintain the cause of Christ before judges and persecutors, that we may be conformed to him, whose life was in a manner a continued series of sufferings: whereas the violent fear of death, which, where it prevails, is a tormenting passion, is inconsistent with the perfect love of Christ. This is the sense which Dr Bates gives to this passage, Bates's Works, p. 924. But the day of judgment has generally a different signification from what this explication gives it; and therefore I choose to paraphrase the words after the manner in which they are usually understood, He who loveth God, must also love his brother. He that feareth, is love. 19 We love him, because he first lov cd us. 307 iv. out fear; because resides. And this is a very desirable effect; SECT, fear bath torment. because fear hath torment, it throws the mind vii. not made perfect in into a most uneasy situation; but he that fear- 1John eth, is not made perfect in love. Study there- . 18 fore to increase more and more in that noble affection of love to God, and you will find your self enjoyment rising in proportion to it. And reflect upon this with all humility, that 19 if we do indeed experience any thing of that Divine principle in our hearts, we must freely acknowledge, that we love him, because he first loved us. He hath not only given us natures capable of these sublime actings, and poured in upon us, from their first original, numberless providential bounties, but hath also appointed his Son, to lay a foundation for our happiness in his own blood, and his Spirit, to diffuse that grace in our hearts, by which they are formed to every sentiment of pious gratitude. 20 If a man say, is a liar for he that And let this also be remembered, as of the 20 I love God, and hat- last importance, that if any one say, I love God, eth his brother, he and hateth his brother, how high soever his preloveth not his broth- tences to devotion may be, and to whatever ferer, whom he hath vour he may carry his zeal, he is a liar; for it seen, how can he is impossible, that the love of God should be love God, whom he sincere in the soul, which is destitute of this hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, that he brotherly affection; as will appear, if you con- 308 Reflections on the love of God, and our brother. SECT. professeth himself religious, should also love his wholoveth God, love vii. brother. And God hath hereby, in effect, de- his brother also. clared, that he will treat those as his enemies, who pretend to devout zeal, while they are destitute of brotherly love. 1John iv. 21 verse 14. IMPROVEMENT. THAT all these repeated exhortations may not be entirely in vain, let us now call our hearts to a deep and affectionate contemplation of the astonishing love of God, that he hath sent even his Son to be the Saviour of the world, according to the testimony of this Divine herald, who beheld his glory, and witnessed it to be such a glory, as became the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John i. 14.) Let us think of the world as lost, of the whole race of rational creatures in it as perishing, as going down to eternal perdition. But a Saviour is provided: and O, what a Saviour? The Son of God, that almighty Deliverer, to whom our salvation was dearer than his own life. So dear, that he was willing to be invested with mortal flesh, in order that he might be capable of enduring pain and death for our redemption. Have we not 16 herein seen and known the love of God to us? That love, wherewith he has so graciously prevented us; for surely nothing can 19 be more apparent than this, that if we do indeed love him sincerely and faithfully, it is because he hath first loved us. And therefore, instead of boasting of our love to him, as if we could make him our debtor, let us humbly acknowledge that he is the great Original and support of that beautifying affection of the human mind; and that our obligations to him are great, in proportion to the degree in which we feel it working in us. Let 15 us be encouraged boldly to confess Christ as the Son of God. Let us seek after more perfect love to him, and to the Father, as that which tends to make the mind happy by casting out every tormenting passion, and to establish it in an humble boldness 17 amidst the most awful prospects. It is matter of deep lamen20 tation, that our spirits should be so degenerate, as that while we are strongly impressed by sensible objects, we should be the less inclined to love the blessed God, because he is an invisible being. Let us adore his goodness, that in condescension to our weakness, he hath made himself visible in the person of his Son; and as Christ has constituted our brethren, in some degree, his representatives, to receive, as in his name, the tokens of our kind21 ness and affection, let us be studious, by our love to them, and particularly to the poor among them, who have peculiarly this honour; let us, I say, be studious to approve the sincerity of that love to him, which we so universally profess, and the absence of which were so inexcusably criminal. He is born of God who confesses Jesus is the Christ. 309 SECT. VIII. The apostle further discourses of the character of those who are born of God, particularly describing them as lovers of Christ, as conquerors of the world, and as courageously maintaining the gospel; on the witnesses to which, both in heaven and on earth, he more especially enlarges. 1 John V. 1-12. 1 JOHN V. 1. 1 JOHN V. 1. WHOSOEVER of the children of God, let me a little far. viii. H JAVING been discoursing of the privileges SECT. believeth that is born of God: and 1John Jesus is the Christ, ther illustrate, and remind you of the great every one that loveth essentials of their character, that you may v.1 him that begat, lov- judge the better of your own concern in what is eth him also that is said. And here nothing is of more importance begotten of him. than to observe, that every one who truly believeth that Jesus is the Christ, so as to have his heart duly affected with the belief, without which faith does not deserve its name, is born of God.a he is brought to that Divine temper by the influences of the Spirit of God upon his heart, and in consequence of this he may be assured of his adoption. And every one who loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten by him we naturally love the children of our common friends, and much more will the children of our heavenly Father be dear to us, if 2 By this we know we bear a becoming affection to him. And 2 that we love the we may take the same truth likewise the other children of God, when we love God, way, and say, that in this we know that we love and keep his com- the children of God, if we love God, and keep his commandments.b mandments. Is born of God.] It is probable the apostle may here refer to the vain boasts which the Jews made of being the children of God, while they set Christ at defiance, and poured the greatest infamy on his name and cause. Mr. Locke quotes this place to prove that this was the only fundamental of the gospel; but it is evident, this proposition may be understood in very different senses; and consequently there is no room to lay all the stress that he supposes may be laid on such an expression. In this we know that we love the children of God, &c.] Dr Clarke supposes this clause to be transposed, and that it should be read, By this we know that we love God, and keep his commandments, be For certainly if our cause we love his children." Posth. Serm. Vol. II. p. 102. To the common reading it has been objected, that the medium is more obscure, than the thing to be learnt from it. Dr Bates answers, that the apostle speaks concerning our knowing that our love to the brethren is of the true Christian stamp: now a strong internal principle of love to God may be more self evident to the mind, as less in danger of being confounded with a merely human affection, or benevolent instinct. Bates's Works, p 695. Some have queried, whether, it might not be translated, Hereby, even in that we love the children of God, do we know that we love God, and keep his commandments. -310 1John v. 2 And the victory over the world is our faith. ments and his com SECT. love to the children of God arise from truly viii. religious motives, it will be an uniform thing, and all the other precepts of God will have a suitable influence upon our hearts and lives; whereas any pretended benevolence of temper, which leaves us rebels to the authority of the common Father of the family, is a mere natural impulse, and deserves not the noble name of 3 brotherly love. Wonder not, that I insist so 3 For this is the much on the influence of religious principles love of God, that we on the life and conversation. For this is the keep his commandlove of God, this is the great evidence we are to mandments are not give of it, that we impartially keep all his com- grievous. mandments, without allowing ourselves in the violation of any one of them. And to a mind influenced by true love, his commandments are not grievous: as they are all most equitable, reasonable, and gracious in themselves, all adapted to promote the true happiness of our lives, so we shall find, that fervent love will make them 4 all pleasant and delightful to us. Because, 4 For whatsoever whereas the great obstruction to keeping God's is born of God, overcommandments is the influence of worldly and this is the victo motives and considerations on the mind, what- ry that overcometh ever is born of God, every son and daughter of the world, even our his, not excepting even the feeblest, conquers the world, and would despise and trample upon all the glories of universal empire, if opposed to the favour of his heavenly Father. And this is the great victory that conquers the world, the grand triumphant principle which accomplishes things which appear so incredible, [even] our firm faith in the great articles of the Christian religion; particularly, that Christ is the Son of God, that he came into the world to redeem us from its lusts and vanities, and that he will assuredly conduct all his people to seats of in5 finitely greater and nobler felicity. cometh the world: faith. And in- 5 Who is he world, but he that deed, as this is the happiness of true Christians, that overcometh the |
