A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE PARAPHRASE AND NOTES ON THE FIRST CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. THE apostle John, to whom the unanimous suffrage of the ancients hath ascribed this epistle, is the same with John the evangelist, who is said to have written his gospel in extreme old age; and, as Eusebius informs us, with a view to record some particulars concerning our blessed Lord, which had been omitted by the other evangelists, though he explicitly acknowledged the truth of their history, as far as it went, and confirmed it by his own testimony. (See Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. iii. cap. xxiv.) According to the title of this epistle in the old Italic version, and the account which is given us by St. Austin and others, it was written to the Christian converts in Parthia, which was a part of the Upper Asia. But in the opinion of the learned Dr. Mill (see his Prolegom. p. 18, 150, Edit. Kuster.) this notion had its sole original from a tradition, that the apostle John had preached the gospel in that country; whereas, if we may credit the report mentioned by Eusebius, it was St. Thomas who exercised his apostolical office among the Parthians. Others have conjectured, from some passages in this epistle, in which the persons, whom St. John addresses, are represented, as having known Christ from the beginning, (see chap. ii. 13, 14, and other places,) that he writes only to the Jewish Christians, who inhabited Judea and Galilee. But I very much question, whether these expressions will support the stress which hath been laid upon them; and accordingly, in my paraphrase, I have assigned them a more general interpretation. And as we find nothing but conjecture and uncertainty concerning the persons to whom this epistle was addressed, so there is very little precision to be expected, in our inquiries concerning the time when it was written. From the apostle's saying, chap. ii. 18, It is now the last time; and chap. iv. 1, that many false prophets are gone out into the world, compared with Mat. xxiv. 24, where this is mentioned as a sign of the approaching dissolution of the Jewish commonwealth; some have indeed inferred this epistle was written a very short time before the destruction of Jerusalem; whereas, several others, (and in particular Dr. Mill,) are of opinion its date should be assigned to the year 91, or 92. It was probably written before the apocalypse, as I shall have occasion to observe hereafter, in sect. iv. note b. In the style of this apostle there is a remarkable peculiarity; and especially in this epistle. His sentences, considered separately, are exceeding clear and intelligible; but when we search for their connection, we frequently meet with greater difficulties than we do even in the epistles of St. Paul. The principal signature and characteristic of his manner is an artless and amiable simplicity, and a singular modesty and candour, in conjunction with a wonderful sublimity of sentiment. His conceptions are apparently delivered to us in the order in which they arose to his own mind, and are not the product of artificial reasoning, or laboured investigation. His leading design is, "To demonstrate the vanity of faith separate from morality, to sooth and refine the warm and over zealous tempers of the Christians to whom he writes, into that amiable charity and love for which he himself was so eminent and illustrious, and to guard and arm them against the snares to the first catholic epistle of St. John. 273 and efforts of antichrist, the grand apostate and seducer of the Christian church; and of all who were endued with his spirit." In pursuance of which pious and benevolent intention, he first testifies the Divine purity and holiness, and the grace and mercy which is exhibited in Jesus Christ, to all who lament and confess their sins with sincere desires of reformation and amendment; (chap. i. 1, to the end.) And then he urges the propitiation and intercession of Christ, as arguments to that obedience, that brotherly love, and that victory over the world, which are the genuine fruits of Divine love, (chap. ii. 1-17.) And that they might not be perverted from their course of fidelity and holy obedience, he forewarns them of the many antichrists who were springing up in the world; directing them to the best preservatives against their seducing and ensnaring doctrines, (ver. 18-28.) With the same intention of awaking a generous ambition in their breasts, to attain the Divine resemblance, he discourses of those exalted privileges, to which Christians, as the children of God, are entitled, and urges the necessity of holiness, both in heart and life, to prove that we are in that blessed number, (ver. 29-iii. 10.) In this view, namely, as the grand characteristic of the children of God, he further enforces brotherly love, (ver. 11, to the end.) Cautioning them more particularly against being deceived by seducing spirits, and directing them in what manner they might distinguish between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error; (chap. iv. 1—12;) Drawing to a conclusion, with decaring his general design to be the confirmation of their faith; reminding them of the ground they had to hope their prayers should be heard for themselves and others, who had not sinned unpardonably; and at the close, adding a reflection on the happy difference, which their knowing God in Jesus Christ had made between them and an ignorant and ungodly world, ver. 13, to the end. A PARAPHRASE AND NOTES ON THE FIRST CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. SECT. I. The apostle John opens the pious and charitable design which he had in writing this epistle, and lays the foundation of what he has further to say, in bearing his testimony to the holiness of God, and to the mercy which he exhibits in Jesus Christ to all who are truly sensible of their sins, and confess them with sincere desires of reformation and amendment. 1 John I. 1, to the end. 1 JOHN I. 1. Twas from the beginning, which HAT which we 1 JOHN I. 1. MY Christian brethren, I am now going to szer: address you on a very important sub i. have heard, ject; to speak of that which was from the be- 1John which we have seen ginning of the gospel declaration, and indeed i. 1 with our eyes, which from the beginning of the world, and previous we have looked up- to its existence; of that which we have heard VOL. 6. most credibly attested by authentic witnesses, and that which we have not taken merely on 35 |
