1 John 4

Ver. 1.—believe not every spirit.] That is, every teacher who pretends to be inspired, and every doctrine that lays claim to the authority of Divine revelation; “but try the spirits,” that is, examine their doctrine by the rule of the word of God, and try from whom they come, whether from the Spirit of God, or from Satan. Burkitt.

Ver. 2. By this we know that we love the children of God, &c.] As if he had said, And these two marks are reciprocal: namely, As we know that we love God, by our loving the children of God, so “by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.” Dr. Wells. The intention of the Apostle was to shew, how we may know when we love the children of God in a right manner. Now this was necessary to be shewn, since men may love the children of God because they are their relations, or because they are engaged in the same pursuits with themselves, or because they are mutually united by some common bond of friendship. But love proceeding from these considerations is not the love of the children of God which He requires. By what mark then can we know, that our love to the children of God is of the right sort? “By this,” saith the Apostle, “we may know that we love the children of God” in a right manner, “when we love God, and” from that excellent principle “keep His commandments,” especially His commandment to love His children, because they bear His image. True Christian love therefore is that which proceeds from love to God, from a regard to His will, and which leadeth us to obey all His commandments. Dr. Macknight.

1 John 4:2

2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: &c.] Hereby, for the present occasion, ye shall take a trial of the spirits, whether they be of God or not: every one, who confesseth Jesus Christ to have been God from all eternity, and in the fulness of time to have taken our nature upon Him, and to be come in the flesh, to accomplish the perfect work of man’s redemption, is of God, and speaks from God. So by the contraries, ver. 3. Bp. Hall.

1 John 4:3

3.—and this is that spirit of antichrist, &c.] From this, as well as from chap. ii. 18, it appears that antichrist is used as a general name for all false teachers in every age, who disseminate doctrines contrary to those taught by the Apostles: especially if those doctrines have a tendency to derogate from Christ’s character and actions as the Saviour of the world. Dr. Macknight. See the notes on chap. ii. 18.

3.—and his commandments are not grievous.] To one who truly loves Him. Because his will is conformed to the will of God, and so he only doth what he would do, and so he is then doing what he chooseth and delighteth in: and it cannot be grievous to be employed as we would, and as we do delight to be. Dr. Whaley.

What He commandeth us to do, He helpeth us to do; and thence it is that His commandments are not grievous. Bp. Sanderson.

1 John 4:4

4. Ye are of God, little children, &c.] But as for you, my dearly beloved children in Christ, ye have overcome the assaults of these pestilent false teachers; because that Spirit of God, which is in you, and hath taken upon Him your safeguard, is greater and more powerful than that wicked spirit, which animates and sets them on work to do this mischief to God and His church. Bp. Hall.

5. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.] Every true child of God gets above the affections and temptations of this world, in the strength of that faith, which gives him full assurance of, and sets his heart upon, another and better world. The world is one of those enemies, against which every Christian engages solemnly and formally, at the instant of taking that profession upon himself in baptism. And our entering into this covenant, the new relations we contract there, the new life we then begin and engage to lead, and the communications of God’s Holy Spirit received in that sacrament, to strengthen and enable us to persevere in the faithful discharge of those engagements, do in effect make up our second and spiritual birth. So that the persons “born of God” are baptized and faithful Christians; and this passage does not only imply the necessity such lie under of fighting and conquering, by saying that “whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world;” but it acquaints us, what weapon is put into their hands for that purpose, by adding, “And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Dean Stanhope.

Presumption in our strength is destructive to our virtue; confidence of our own merit is injurious to our Maker: but a deep sense of human unworthiness and of Divine grace will inspire us with that lowliness of heart which God will accept, and that vigilance of conduct which He will bless: “This,” therefore, “is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Abp. Secker.

1 John 4:5

5.—that Jesus is the Son of God?] Not only the Messiah, but also, as such, the only-begotten or true Son of God; and hereby duly qualified to become the Author of eternal salvation to all that love and obey Him, and abundantly to reward all their sufferings here for His sake. Dr. Wells.

By “our faith,” in the 4th verse, is intended the belief of the Christian religion, as it is delivered down to us in the Gospel, and summarily contained at the 5th verse, in this one article, that “Jesus is the Son of God.” Hereby are implied a firm assent to the truth of His doctrines, a steadfast reliance upon the merit of His sufferings, and an assured expectation of His glorious promises: doctrines, which a person Divine could not have taught, had they not been true; suffer-

1 John 4:6

6. We are of God:] Our doctrine is the true pure doctrine of Christ. Dr. Hammond. —Hereby know we the spirit of truth, &c.] St. John means, that by the doctrine and writings of the Apostles and Evangelists the truth or falsehood of any doctrine may and must be judged. Burkitt.

1 John 4:7

7. Beloved, let us love one another:] Another mark is here given, whereby to judge aright whether we be actuated by the Spirit of God. Dr. Wells.

1 John 4:8

8.—for God is love.] He is, as it were, made up of love and goodness to mankind. Dr. Hammond.

1 John 4:9

9. In this was manifested the love of God &c.] Our belief in Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is necessary to raise us unto a thankful acknowledgment of the infinite love of God, appearing in the sending of His onlybegotten Son into the world to die for sinners. This love of God is frequently extolled and admired by the Apostles. See, besides this passage, John iii. 16; Rom. v. 8; viii. 32. If we look upon all this as nothing else, but that God should cause a man to be born after another manner than other men, and when he was so born after a peculiar manner, yet a mortal man, should deliver The obligation of mutual love upon Christians after Anno DOMINI 98. sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1 John 4:10

10. Herein is love, &c.] For of that love this is one great enhancement, that it began on His part, was voluntary and free, without any obligation or desert on our part to incline it. Dean Stanhope.

1 John 4:12

12. No man hath seen God at any time. &c.] As if he had said, The reason of the foregoing inference is plain: because God is not in the compass of our good offices; and therefore the only method left us of expressing our love to Him, whom we cannot converse visibly with, nor bring any benefit to, is to love those with whom we do converse, and who may be the better for us. This is in effect to do as He did. Dean Stanhope.

1 John 4:13

13. — because he hath given us of his Spirit.] Which, operating in us by His gracious influences, sets as it

1 John 4:14

14. And we have seen and do testify &c.] Such is the evidence which we Apostles give of having that Spirit; who to our utmost hazard preach Christ and His doctrine, of the truth whereof we have undoubted certainty. Dean Stanhope. 15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, &c.] He that is thus content to adhere to Christ, is the sort of man, that God is spiritually present with and united to. Dean Stanhope.

1 John 4:16

16, 17. And we have known and believed &c.] By firmly adhering to this fundamental truth of His religion, and by the practice of that love and charity so especially enjoined in it, and which is the principal instance of our conformity to His excellencies, and of our return of gratitude to Him; in short, by loving our brethren, as God loved us, and being ready to suffer for their sakes, as Christ suffered for us all, we prove ourselves His true disciples, in full and perfect communion with Him, and may assuredly expect the glorious reward He has promised at the great day of final judgment. Pyle.

1 John 4:18

18. There is no fear in love.] That is, no slavish or distractful fear, whereby we question the favour of God; but only a filial and reverential fear, whereby we stand in awe of offending Him as a Father. Burkitt. “Fear” in this place seems opposed to boldness in the foregoing verse. Pyle. For want of cultivating the love of God, the thoughts of Him are dreadful to the generality of men. Too many are tempted to wish in their hearts, if they durst, that He were not, or had no regard to human conduct: and if any of them can but persuade themselves for a while on the strength of some poor cavil, to hope what they wish, they triumph in the imagined discovery, that sets them so much at ease. From the same default, humbler and righter minds consider Him very often in no better light, than as a rigid lawgiver arbitrarily exacting a number of almost impracticable duties, and enforcing them with the dread of insupportable punishments; whence they are ready to sink under the terrors of religion, even while they are conscientiously fulfilling its precepts. Looking on God as the object of love would rectify these mistaken conceptions entirely. We should all see and feel, that a Being of infinite goodness, directed by infinite wisdom, is the highest blessing; and the want of such an one would be the greatest calamity that is possible: we should be satisfied that the strictest of His laws, and the severest of their sanctions, are means which He knows to be needful for our good; from the example and commandment of God.

perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:19

19. We love him, because he first loved us.] The love of God is, as our Saviour teaches us, the first and great commandment, and yet a commandment liable to be misrepresented and misunderstood: for love is an affection or passion; and it is not usual for men to have very accurate notions of the passions, and to know exactly what they are, and in what they consist, as any person may soon find upon making the trial. The most familiar and intelligible way of explaining any passion to common capacities, is to shew them the effects which attend it, and the actions which it produces. This method is used in the holy Scriptures: and that we may not mistake the nature and extent of the duty of loving God, a rule is proposed to us by which we may know whether we practise it; and we are assured that a careful endeavour to learn the will of God, and to act according to it, is a sufficient proof of our love.

The love of God differs so much from the love of sensible objects, and from our other passions, that it can hardly be called a passion in the same sense in which they are so called. It differs in this, that it is at first raised, and afterwards kept up, by reason. It is therefore a religious habit and a virtue, which no other passion is, unless it hath God and morality and religion for its objects. In this also it differs from them, that being both produced and preserved by reason, it is a sober and moderate affection, accompanied with no blind impetuosity, no restless uneasiness, no violent commotion of mind, like other passions; and, as it riseth not to the same height with them, so neither does it sink as low at other times, but shews itself in an uniform and sedate love of righteousness, of every thing that God approves.

Some persons, not duly considering this, sincerely desire to please God, and carefully endeavour to lead a good life; and yet sometimes are afraid that they have no love for God, because they experience not in themselves that warmth of affection, to which others pretend, and which is expressed and required in some books of devotion. They may learn from the Scriptures, that where there is obedience there is always love; and that whosoever delights in holiness, and justice, and goodness, and mercy, and truth, may reasonably conclude that his heart is right towards God.

Others, looking upon the love of God as upon a mere passion, a disposition of mind producing devotion and ending there, have excited in themselves a high zeal and affection for God, and a firm persuasion that they were His favourites: and, having done this, have thought themselves arrived to Christian perfection; whilst at the same time they have perhaps been under the dominion of evil habits, and addicted to wrath, malice, covetousness, uncharitableness, censoriousness,

injustice, pride, ambition, sensuality. This strange mixture of hypocrisy, vice, and enthusiasm, hath been common in all ages, and ever will be so. There are always those, whose religion and devotion is, to use the words of St. Paul, “sounding brass,” or clamour and confidence; whilst true goodness is modest and unaffected, and teaches men to make less noise, to live more honestly. To preserve us from such delusions, Christ hath told us, that we should either keep His commandments, or not pretend to love Him; and that it signifies nothing to say to Him, “Lord, Lord,” and not to do what He requires.

Other love towards God than this the Scriptures know not: they never recommend that spiritual fever, those warm transports, and that bold familiarity, which some zealots affect; nor that cold, refined, mysterious, and disinterested devotion, which another sort of fanatics require: for, first the love of God is sober reason, and not blind passion; reverence, and not presumption: secondly, it is gratitude; and “we love Him, because He first loved us.” Dr. Jorlin.

1 John 4:20

20. — he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, &c.] If we love not them, whose persons and wants strike and affect our senses, we can hardly be supposed to be carried with much affection to Him with whom we cannot converse but at a distance, who is neither the object of our senses, nor within the compass of our charity. Pyle.

1 John 4:21

21. And this commandment have we from him, &c.] Observe the firm basis on which is for ever fixed the morality of the Gospel. How clear in its principles! how powerful in its motives! “We love God because He first loved us,” “and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” For he who “loveth Him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of Him.” The head of the most unlearned cannot but comprehend the meaning of these few words; and the heart of the most learned must feel the force of them. Such is the ground of that charity, which performeth every duty of social life, and fulfilleth the law. To inculcate and produce in us this heavenly disposition, is the end of the Gospel, and of all its doctrines. It is deduced in Scripture even from those that may seem to be of the most mysterious and speculative nature: the unity of the Divine Persona; the divinity and the satisfaction of Christ: doctrines, which cannot therefore be denied or degraded, without removing or proportionally lessening the most endearing and affecting incitements to the Christian life. Indeed the happy temper of a Christian is the natural and kindly effect of the great evangelical truths, when treasured up in the mind, and made the subjects of frequent meditation. The ideas of a reconciled God; a Saviour and Intercessor on high; a gracious Spirit, informing our ignorance, purifying our hearts, relieving our necessities, alleviating our cares, and comforting our sorrows: such ideas as these enable us to bridle the appetites of the body, and to calm the emotions of the mind; to bear with patience and cheerfulness the calamities of life: they sweeten the temper, and harmonize the affections, resolving them all into one, diversified according to the different situation of

He that loveth God loveth his children. True faith overcometh the world. After Anno DOMINI de. # CHAP. V.