1 John 1

1 John 1:1

That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

That ever-living Son of God, the co-essential Word of the Father, which was from all eternity; whom we Apostles had the honour and happiness to hear with our ears, to see with our eyes, and to touch with our hands;

1 John 1:2

(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, &c.)

(For that life-giving Word of his Father was manifested in the flesh; and we have, for many years together, seen him, and conversed with him, and bear witness of him, &c.)

1 John 1:3

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Even that same coeternal Son of God, whom we have personally seen and heard, do we declare and preach unto you; that ye, by our Gospel, may have the happiness of being partakers with us, of these glad tidings and means of salvation: wherein ye shall unspeakably benefit and advance yourselves; for ye shall therein enter into a blessed communion with God the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:5

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

This then is the message, which we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God is of a most pure, simple, holy, perfect, and glorious nature; resembled by no creature so much, as by exquisite Light, in which there is nothing but a clear and exact brightness, without any the least mixture of darkness.

1 John 1:6

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

As he is Light, so every aberration from him is darkness: if we then say, that we have fellowship with this pure and holy God, and yet walk in the darkness of any sin whatsoever, we belie ourselves, and do not according to that truth which we profess.