1 John 5:1-12

er discourses of the character of those who are particularly describing them as lovers of Christ, as the world, and as courageously maintaining the witnesses to which, both in heaven and on earth, ally enlarges. 1 John V. 1—12.

1 JOHN V. 1.

HAVING been discoursing of the privileges of the children of God, let me a little farther illustrate, and remind you of the great essentials of their character, that you may judge the better of your own concern in what is said. And here nothing is of more importance 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: 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 we bear a becoming affection to him. And we may take the same truth likewise the other way, and say, that in this we know that we love the children of God, if we love God, and keep his commandments. For certainly if our

a 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.

b In this we know that we love the children of God, &c.] Dr Clarke supposes is clause to be transposed, and that it should be read, By this we know that we love God, and keep his commandments be-

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.

love to the children of God arise from truly 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 brotherly love. Wonder not, that I insist so much on the influence of religious principles on the life and conversation. For this is the love of God: this is the great evidence we are to give of it, that we impartially keep all his commandments, 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 all pleasant and delightful to us. Because, whereas the great obstruction to keeping God’s commandments is the influence of worldly motives and considerations on the mind, whatever is born of God, every son and daughter of 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 infinitely greater and nobler felicity. And indeed, as this is the happiness of true Christians, so only of them; for who is he that conquers the world, except it be he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? The great principles peculiar to our Divine religion, a sense of redeeming love, and the prospect of such a sublime and perpetual happiness as the gospel opens upon us, can alone be sufficient to teach us to triumph over these transitory vanities, and to

establish an uniform character, superior to the variety of temptations with which we can be assaulted: while the boasted triumphs of others, upon meaner principles, have been very partial and imperfect, and they have evidently been subdued by one vanity while they have gloried in despising another. This Jesus, of whom we have now been speaking, is he who came by water, and by blood, even Jesus the Christ, whose great design it was both to cleanse and purify his people, and to make an atonement to God for their sins. He came not by water only, did not only instruct men in the purest morals, or set them the most perfect and complete example; but by water and blood. He shed his most precious blood to expiate our offences, and God gave, as it were, a sensible intimation of these united purposes, when there came out of his wounded side, a stream of blood and water, which descended in such a manner, as that each might evidently be distinguished from the other. And the Spirit is that which witnesses, the extraordinary communication of the Spirit to his servants is the most glorious attestation of all; for we well know, that the Spirit is truth; and when we consider the wonderful manner of its interposition, we can no longer doubt of the truth of whatever shall be attested by such an authority. And indeed, when I consider this, I may say, that whereas the law admitted the concurrent testimony of two witnesses as valid, we have, as it were, a double trinity of witnesses, one in heaven, and the other on earth, to support this most momentous truth. For there are three, who bear witness to it, [in heaven, the Father, by whom the scheme of our salvation I think it a r Cradock and some that this relates to ex- wish sacrifices. who bear witness, &c.] whether unfit to intro- notes as these are in- cal dissertation upon celebrated text; I shall referring to what so many learned persons as have engaged the controversy, have written on side; but I thought myself obliged to imitate such a remaining doubt at least cerning its authenticity, as I have de enclosing it in crotchets. I am pers the words contain an important truth whether they have been added by so omitted by others, contrary to the or copy, I will not pretend to determine

If we receive the witness of men, much more th

was originally projected, and who revealed it so early to the church by the prophets; the Divine Word, whose great business it was, by such humiliations, labours, and sufferings, to bring it into execution; and the Holy Spirit, who seals and applies it to believers; and these three are one, as in the agreement of their testimony, so likewise in the perfections of their nature, and each worthy of those Divine honours, which cannot be communicated to any creature. And there are three on earth who bear witness,] the Spirit, sent down from heaven in its sanctifying and miraculous operations, which still continue to produce the noblest effect; and the water of baptism, and the representation made of Christ’s blood in the sacramental wine, which are intended, throughout all ages, to keep up the remembrance of these wonderful facts, and to bear, as it were, their testimony to this mysterious Person, who united in himself humanity and Deity, and came by water, and by blood; and these three agree in one; they join to advance the same end, by establishing the gospel in the world. And if we receive the testimony of men, which in many cases we cannot, without the most palpable absurdity, reject, surely the testimony of God is worthy of infinitely greater credit; for this is the testimony of God, which he hath witnessed concerning his Son, recommending him thereby to our most dutiful and obedient regard; that by a firm faith in him, and adherence to him, we may conquer the world, and all the enemies of our salvation. He, who upon this testimony believeth in the Son of God, hath not only an external evidence to produce, which may suffice for the conviction and con-

The Father, the Word, and the Holy The Father, Mat. iii. 16, 17; xvii. n xii. 28. The Word himself, Acts 56; ix. 3, 4; Rev. i. 10, &c. The Chos. John i. 32, 33. The water and the blood.] By the water He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He, He

witness is, that we have life in his Son.

demnation of the unbelieving world, but from the time in which he experiences the efficacy of his faith, hath also the witness within himself: the happy change it makes in the whole state of his soul, manifests the excellence and reality of its object. But he that believeth not God, offers him the grossest and most insufferable affront, for he in effect makes him a liar; charges him with attesting the most notorious falsehood in the most solemn manner; because he hath not believed in the testimony which God hath testified concerning his Son by so many prophecies, and other miraculous interpositions, to demonstrate the truth of his mission. So that if this may be rejected, it cannot be conceived, how he should ever be able to give any convincing proof, that he testifies any thing at all. And this is, in one word, the substance and abridgement of this testimony, that the blessed God hath, in his infinite condescension and bounty, given unto us, the promises of eternal life; and this life is in his Son; purchased by him, and laid up in him, to be bestowed according to his pleasure; and therefore only to be obtained through him. So that he who hath an interest in the Son by a lively and operative faith, hath this eternal life, in the sure pledges and beginnings of it in his own heart, and shall shortly enter on the complete enjoyment, though in himself acknowledged to be ever so unworthy of it; and he who hath not an interest in the Son of God, hath not life, whatever proud conceit he may entertain of his own merits and excellencies; but on the contrary, remains exposed to the righteous displeasure of God, and under a sentence of eternal death.

within himself.] Some explained this, as if that every Christian did give some miraculous in, by some communi- aordinary gifts of the nce of which he might, himself, know the cer- But I think this as-

sertion incapable of being proved, from this passage or any other; and prefer no sense of this celebrated that which Dr. Watts has so large tablished and illustrated in his a upon it; to which therefore I re-reader with the utmost satisfaction, J. Sermons, Vol. I, Serm. i—iii.

Reflections on the testimony which God hath given us.

IMPROVEMENT.

SEC. LET us regard the grand question, on which our life, our viii. eternal life, is suspended! I mean, whether we have, or have not, verse the Son of God? Let us then examine into this important matter with the greatest attention. Let us hearken to, and receive 11 the testimony of God, as comprehended in this one word, that God 11 hath given, even to us, dying, perishing men, eternal life; and this life is in his Son. Let us receive this transcendent gift with all humility and thankfulness; and so much the rather, as it is given us in him. By firmly believing this, we shall conquer the 10 world, and gain a victory of an infinitely different and more exalted nature, than they who are strangers to Christ, or who re- 4 ject him, ever have done, or can possibly do.

May our steadfast faith in him furnish us with a substantial attestation that we are born of God; and may we prove it to be sincere, by loving the children of God, and by keeping all his commandments. We must surely acknowledge, that his commandments are reasonable; and if we have a genuine love to God existing in our hearts, it will render the observance of them pleasant and delightful. And if we are not possessed of that evidence of love, which arises from a disposition to obedience, let us remember, he hath fairly and frequently warned us, that no other 3 expressions of love, how fervent and pathetic soever, will be accepted or allowed by him. That our faith my be confirmed, and our love awakened, let us often look to Christ, as coming by water, and by blood. Let us meditate on that mysterious stream of blood and water, which came forth from his wounded side. 5 Let us solemnly remind ourselves of the baptismal water, in which we were washed, and of the sacred cup, the communion of the blood of Christ, referring to this great important event. And while we are contemplating the memorial of his humility, let us also consider him as one with the Father and the Holy 7 Spirit; and as each of the sacred three join their testimony to the truth of the gospel, and join their kind offices for supplying to us the invaluable blessings of it, let us joyfully ascribe glory to each, world without end. Amen.

St. John wrote, that they might believe the Son of God.

1 John 5:13

The apostle concludes his epistle; declaring its general design to be the confirmation of their faith; and reminding them of the encouragement they had to hope, that their prayers should be heard, for themselves, and for others, who had not sinned unpardonably. And he then adds a reflection on the happy difference which the knowledge of God in Christ made between them, and an ignorant and wicked world. 1 John V. 13, to the end.

JOHN V. 13.

THESE things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

JOHN V. 13.

AND now, to draw towards a conclusion; these things have I written to you, who believe in the name of the Son of God, to confirm your faith, and establish your joy, that ye may know, that, if your attachment to him is of the right kind, you have, in consequence of it, an interest in eternal life; and that, this hope operating to produce the substantial fruits of genuine and universal obedience, ye may yet more fully and steadfastly believe on the mighty and Divine name of the Son of God.ᵃ Then you may be assured of the certain truth of his religion, in proportion to the degree in which you inwardly experience its noble effects; and may in consequence of this, keep your hearts continually fixed upon him, in the many important

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

views in which faith exhibits him. And this is the confidence which we have towards him, as our prevalent Intercessor and mighty Saviour at God’s right hand: that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth usᵇ graciously; that he observes and takes notice of

And if we know all our petitions. And we are sure his is not 15

ᵃ That ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.] It is manifest, the apostle does not in this epistle, to establish their faith, produce the evidences of christianity, and argue upon them. But the good dispositions, which his whole discourse has a tendency to promote, would certainly have a strong influence to confirm their faith; as such dispositions would appear to be the effect of the gospel; and as an ardent zeal in the teachers of the gospel to promote them, was a strong confirmation of their being faithful witnesses to the great facts which had before been received upon their credit. I look upon this as a strong text to prove, in opposi-

tion to what Dr. Whitby has advanced, that Christians are urged in the New Testament, to believe in Jesus Christ.

ᵇ That if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.] Archbishop Tillotson supposes this refers particularly to the apostles. (Compare Mat. xviii. 18, 19; John xiv. 13, 14; xvi. 23, 24.) But so few of the apostles could be concerned in this advice of St. John, and there are so many promises of the answer of prayer scattered up and down in the Old and New Testament, (see Dr. Clark, on the Promises, cap. iii. § vi.) that I would by no means thus confine the interpretation.

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There is a sin unto death, not to be prayed or.

an ineffectual notice; for if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know, as a farther consequence, since he is ever able to carry all his gracious purposes into immediate execution, that we shall certainly have an accomplishment of those petitions which we have asked of him;⁵ supposing, as I said before, they are agreeable to his will; and it is always his will, that his people should be truly happy, and be supplied with every necessary good.

And let me now add one precaution, with regard to the cases, in which it may be proper to remember offenders in our prayers: if any one see his brother commit a sin, [which is] not unto death, that is, any sin, but that which is marked out in the awful words of our Lord Jesus Christ as unpardonable; he shall ask, and may hope that, through the Divine goodness, he shall give him life: he may cheerfully expect, that God will return in mercy to those who sin, not unto death. There is indeed a sin, [that is,] unto death, I mean, such an apostasy from Christianity, as is attended with blaspheming the operations of the Spirit of God, and ascribing them to Satan; and I say not, that he, whose aid may be requested on such a sad occasion, should pray concerning that;⁶ for Christ has told us it shall never be forgiven in this world, or the next. And as nothing but a miracle of

⁵ If we know that he heareth—we shall have the petitions.] Hearing cannot, in the preceding verse signify merely knowing what we say; for then there would be no reason to limit the assertion to our asking any thing according to his will: and it may seem, that if we take it for answering our petitions, it is a mere tautology: it is therefore necessary to interpret the former clause of taking notice of us, the other of operating in consequence of that notice. The almighty power of God to fulfil all his gracious purposes in favour of his people, seems to be the medium on which the inference is grounded.

⁶ I say not that he should pray concerning that.] It seems to be intended as a brand set on a person who had been guilty of the sin here specified, that he was not to be prayed for by his converted fellow Christians. Some indeed would interpret this sin of the more heinous kind of offences punishable with death by human laws:

but I can see no sort of reason for refusing the charity of our prayers to persons in such circumstances. Others think it refers to the case of illness; but there is no express mention of it here; and it seems to have been taken for granted without reason, that this text is parallel to James v. 14, 15. It is certain, that illness in case of a capital crime, would not delay the execution. The popish distinction between mortal and venial sins will however appear to have no foundation in this text upon the interpretation we have given, or indeed upon any we have mentioned. The chief difficulty remaining is, how it could be known, that the apostasy in question was attended with such circumstances as made it the unpardonable sin? Where it was most difficult to distinguish the gift of discerning spirits might infallibly decide; where it was dubious, charity would incline to the milder extreme; and conditional prayer might however be offered.

n there is a sin not unto death.

Divine grace, never to be expected, can recover a person in such circumstances, it is better to wave the petition, how much soever we may be disposed to lament the misery of the unhappy creature who is fallen into it. Every instance of unrighteousness is indeed sin, and every breach of his law must be displeasing to God, and be esteemed matter of just censure and lamentation; but there is a sin, not unto death, in the sense just assigned. There are indeed many, from which it evidently appears, that persons may be recovered; and in all such cases, christian charity will require you to pray for your brethren. And from this dreadful evil Divine grace will preserve every good man; for we know that whoever is born of God, does not sin, in this terrible and ruinous manner; but he who is born of God, diligently keepeth himself from it, and Satan, the wicked one, who is the great abettor of all evil, doth not touch, or come near him, but is immediately repelled in his first assaults. We Christians do indeed know, that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness: it is in subjection to the wicked one, and lies wounded and slain under him. But we know, that when the whole human race was in this helpless and miserable condition, the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in the Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ: he is the true God and eternal life; he partakes with the Father in proper

• The world lieth in wickedness: ο κοσμοί ολοίς ἐν τα πονημα πιθαί. The whole world here, as the whole creation, Rom viii. 22, signifies that part of the world in which Christianity was not received. Some imagine, that by the world’s lying in wickedness, ἐν τα πονημα, the apostle refers to the abandoned wickedness of the Roman emperors, by whose means the most enormous impiety and immorality was propagated through the whole empire by prefects, officers and soldiers. Gosp Truths Vindic. p 174. Mr Reynolds, who supposes that hell is situated in the air, observes, that the earth, on that hypothesis, lies, as it were, in the suburbs and frontiers of it. See his Inquiries concerning the angelic world, p. 191. But I rather think the word πιθαί alludes to the circumstance

of a body which lies slain; in which sense it is often used by Homer; and on this interpretation it gives us a most compassionate idea of the great misery and helpless state of mankind, fallen by the stroke of this formidable enemy, the wicked one, (ο πονημα,) and insulted over by him as his prey.

This is the true God.] To paraphrase this of the true religion, as a very celebrated divine does, is quite enervating the force of scripture, and taking a liberty with plain words by no means to be allowed. It is an argument of the Deity of Christ, which almost all those who have wrote in its defence have urged; and which, I think, none who have opposed it, have so much as appeared to answer.

Reflections on the helps given to confirm our faith :

seer. deity ; and our immortal life is supported by ix. union with him.

1John See to it, therefore, my dear little children, vi. 21 that you adhere to the worship of this true God alone, and keep yourselves from idols 8 of every kind ; whom the jealous God will not suffer to share with him, either in the offices of religious worship, or in the supreme affection of the mind. Amen, may you be so kept and preserved to eternal life.

Little children. keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

IMPROVEMENT.

Let us thankfully own the Divine goodness, in giving us so many helps for the confirmation of our faith ; and learn the importance of its being thus confirmed, from that variety of provision made for its establishment. The declared end of the apostle in writing this epistle was, that they who believed in the name 13 of the Son of God, might more firmly believe in it. Lord, increase 14, 15 our faith, and with it our zeal for him, in whose name we believe, and our love to each other, for his sake : then shall we have eternal life, the gift of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord ; and in the mean time may address the throne with cheerfulness, and present our petitions in a pleading and confident hope, that asking what is agreeable to his will, (and all that he knows to be subservient to our truest interest is so,) he will hear us, and we shall receive the things that we ask. Encouraged by this promise, with what boldness may we come to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and grace to help in every time of need ! 16 (Heb. iv. 16.) Let his compassion to us teach us to have compassion on our brethren, on our afflicted brethren ; yea, on those, whose miscarriages have evidently brought their afflictions upon them. Let us not too soon pronounce the case of a sinner hopeless ; but rather subject ourselves to the trouble of some fruitless attempts to reclaim him, than omit any thing where there may be a possibility of succeeding. May Divine grace awaken all to stand at the remotest distance, not only from the unpardonable sin, but from whatever might dishonour God, and 17 endanger our own souls : for every sin is deadly and malignant,

Keep yourselves from idols ] Archbishop Tillotson, (Vol. II. p. 488,) who interprets the sin unto death, as signifying total apostasy from the Christian religion to the heathen idolatry, urges this clause, the connection of which with the context he thinks not else to be accounted for, as proof of it. But a man might commit the sin unto death by falling back into Ju-

daism, though guilty of no idolatry ; and the caution here suggested, may be very well accounted for, from the general circumstances of the church near that time, even though there should be no such immediate connection between this clause and the preceding context, as the Archbishop supposes.

and on our boldness of access to the throne of grace.

though every one be not the sin unto death. May we keep ourselves, and be kept by Divine grace, in such a manner, that the wicked one may not touch us; but all his attempts be turned into his own shame and confusion!

And O, may God excite our pity to a world which lies in wickedness; and animate us to use our utmost endeavours, to recover those out of the snare of the devil, who are led captive by him at his pleasure. (2 Tim. ii. 26.) May we be made sensible of the rich and distinguishing grace of God, if we can say that we are, not only by an external profession, but an inward union, in him that is true in the Lord Jesus Christ. Him let us adore, as with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, the true God. Him let us seek, as eternal life; and let us keep ourselves from all those idols, which would alienate our regard from God, and by the pursuit of which our eternal life might in any degree be endangered.

The END of the FAMILY EXPOSITOR on the FIRST CATHOLIC EPISTLE of ST. JOHN.

THE

FAMILY EXPOSITOR;

OR,

A PARAPHRASE

ON

THE SECOND CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF

ST. JOHN;

WITH

CRITICAL NOTES, AND A PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF EACH SECTION.

A

EARL INTRODU

TO THE

PARAPHRASE AND NO'

ON

SECOND AND THIRD

OF

ST. JOHN.

THESE epistles have been both very improperly ranked under the denomination, general or catholic; since each is inscribed to a single person; one to a woman of distinction, styled here the elect lady; and the other to Gaius; probably the same person with Gaius of Corinth, who is styled by St. Paul his host, and is celebrated for his hospitality to the brethren; a character very agreeable to that which is here given of Gaius by the apostle John.

There is no fixing the date of these two epistles with any certainty. It in a great measure depends on the date of the first epistle; soon after which, it is generally agreed, both these were written. And this indeed appears exceeding probable, from that coincidence both of sentiment and expression, which occurs in all these epistles; and from hence it is inferred, that the state of things in the Christian church, referred to in these smaller epistles, was very much the same as it was at the time of writing the first epistle, and that the apostle having lately written it, had it now particularly in his view, and the sentiments and expressions of it present to his mind. And possibly about the same time that he sent his

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A genera introduction, &c.

first epistle to the Christians in general, he might send his second to this honoured lady, and his third to his friend Gaius in particular, as a mark of peculiar regard. I shall not here enter into the debate concerning the authenticity of these two

epistles, especially as I have already suggested or occasions, such general sentiments as on this.

The brevity of these epistles renders it rather than other analysis of them than I have done in regard to each respectively; to which I refer

A

PARAPHRASE AND

ON THE

SECOND EPISTLE OF ST