Annotations on the New Testament
11. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.]
[Paraphrase] 11. For as the dark keeps any man from discerning which way to go, so doth uncharitableness obstruct all Christian practice.
12. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake.]
[Paraphrase] 12. A precept I have v 15. which I desire to enforce upon all sorts of you: First, on the tender Christians among you, because God hath been so kind to you, as to forgive your sins for Christ's sake, which will be an engagement to you, v. 15. to take off your love from the world, and place it on God.
13. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.]
[Paraphrase] 13. The same I have for you, the most ancient, for you know Christ, (which is agreeable to those of your age, to know the Antient of days) and that may be an engagement to you to love whom you know: And so 'tis likewise for young men, to whose age it is agreeable to entertain ambitions and desires of conquering, and have been enabled by God to do so, to overcome the evil one, both the devil, and every other that can mean you any hurt, and (if you adhere fast to Christ) all temptations of the world or devil. Which sure is an engagement to you not to love the world which you have overcome. And for you, little ones, again, your knowing of the Father is an obligation to love him with a most filial love.
14. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.]
[Paraphrase] 14. And again I reiterate and reinforce this exhortation upon you, ancient men, as I did before, to impress it the deeper, and so on you young men also; and the exhortation on which I lay so much weight to you all, is this,
15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.]
[Paraphrase] 15. Love not the world, nor anything in it; for whosoever doth so, that man hath not that love of God, which is prescribed now under the Gospel, of parting with all, when he calls for it, and following him.
16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life, is not of the Father; but is of the world.]
[Paraphrase] 16. For all that is in estimation in the world, those things that tend to our sensual pleasures, profits, honors, and the like, and the desires that are fastened on those objects, (which are so observable all of them in the Gnostics, first, their filthy abominable lusts, secondly, their love of the world, which makes them deny Christ, rather then incur persecution by professing him, and thirdly, their looking on themselves as men of deepest knowledge, and priding themselves in those perfections) are all from an earthy, not an heavenly principle.
17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doth the will of God abideth forever.]
[Paraphrase] 17. And all these, all wherein they so delight themselves, what are they but poor momentary transitory things? whereas obedience to God's will helps us to perpetuity.
18. Little children, it is [note b] the last time: and as you have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there [note c] many Antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time]
[Paraphrase] 18. This disseminating of unchristian doctrines among you, is no more then what Christ foretold should fall out about this time. For now the great day of destruction upon the obdurate Jews is close at hand, (see note on Mat. 24. b. and Heb. 10. a.) And as Mat. 24. 5, 11, 12. 'tis foretold by Christ that immediately before the destruction of Jerusalem, there must be false Christ's, that is, some that take upon them to be sent from God, as Christ was, and so to be counter-Christ's, false counterfeits of the true, and again false prophets, bringing in new doctrines, and pretending to do miracles, to get authority to them; so now we see it fulfilled, there having already appeared many who undertake to be the saviors and redeemers of the Jews, to rescue them (which is their notion of a Messias) out of their conquerors hands, &c. and now false teachers, the Gnostics, under Simon the Magician, by whom therefore you ought not to be seduced, but to look on them as the men foretold by Christ, which should, if it were possible, deceive the very elect, and by which we know infallibly that this is that time there prophesied of, which though it bring us some persecutions at present, yet withal it signifies, that if we continue constant in faith, we shall shortly be delivered.
19. They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us.]
[Paraphrase] 19. The Antichrists, or false teachers, that are now abroad, may persuade you, and be conceived by you to be of the same piece with us disciples, and Apostles, and Orthodox Christians, and not to differ from us in any considerable matters, because they lived in the same assembly with us, immediately before they thus went out, and taught these false doctrines among you: But let them not impose upon you thus: the truth is, they were not of us, or of the same faith with us, though they went out from among us, and an argument of that you may have from their leaving us, or going out from us; For if they had been of the same faith with us, what needed they to have separated? they would certainly have continued communion with us; and their not doing so, is a manifestation that, though they did live among us, yet they were none of them of the same faith with us, when they thus forsook us.
20. But ye have an unction from the holy One, and ye know all things.]
[Paraphrase] 20. And that testimony of the truth of the Gospel of Christ, which was given to it by the holy Ghost, is imparted to you, and gives you such an assurance of the truth against these impostors, that you cannot in any reason be thus cheated by them: see note on Act. 10. c.
21. I have not written unto you, because ye know not the truth; but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.]
[Paraphrase] 21. And consequently my writing to you now is not out of jealousy or suspicion that you are ignorant of the truth; for then I would write more largely on this matter, and give you the evidences and proofs of all this: but I satisfy myself with these brief admonitions, because you are so firmly rooted in the truth, that you cannot but discern the difference of every such false doctrine from the one revealed truth.
22. Who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? he is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.]
[Paraphrase] 22. There is no such liar, such dangerous false teacher, as he that denies Jesus to be the Messias, and thus do the ring-leaders of the Gnostic heresy (see note a.) Whosoever doth so is an Antichrist, denying in effect both the Father and the Son; the Son directly, the Father by consequence, because he hath testified of Christ by miracles, and voice from heaven, which testimony of the Father is not true if Jesus be not the Christ.
23. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same [note d] hath not the Father: [ but ] he that acknowledgeth the Son, hath the Father also. ]
[Paraphrase] 23. And so whosoever denieth the Son to be the Messias, renounceth the Father also, who hath testified him to be so. And this do the followers of Simon, the Gnostics, who deny Christ to have been born, or lived or died truly, but only in appearance.
24. Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning: if that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.]
[Paraphrase] 24. You therefore, whatsoever your temptations be, forsake not the doctrine which from the beginning of your Christianity you have received: To which if you firmly adhere, if you continue in the constant profession of the true faith of Christ at first revealed to you, you shall continue also in the favor and love of God the Father, and of Christ, which is reward sufficient for that constancy.
25. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.]
[Paraphrase] 25. And whatsoever hazard we run by so doing, it matters not, though it be to loss of life itself, because he hath promised eternal life to those that stick fast to him, though with the loss of this.
26. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.]
[Paraphrase] 26. And this have. I said to arm you against the seducing Gnostics, &c. that are now among you, and are so solicitous to do so.
27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you: and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie; and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.]
[Paraphrase] 27. And indeed I need give you no other armature against these, then what you have already: for the testimony of the holy Ghost, and so of God himself, given to the truth of that Gospel which hath been preached among you, is sufficient to fortify you, and that is still among you, and you have no farther need of testimonies of that truth against all opposers and deceivers; only hold fast and persevere in that which you have formerly been infallibly taught by that means, see ver. 20. and let not these seducers yet work upon you.
28. And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, & not be ashamed before him at his coming.]
[Paraphrase] 28. I beseech you, my tender children, keep fast to Christ, unmoved, that when that great fatal day of visitation comes, that coming of Christ so long expected (see note b. & Mat. 24. b.) wherein the obdurate unbelievers shall be destroyed, and the believers delivered and preserved, we may come with cheerfulness and confidence (see Joh. 7. a.) and not be turned with shame from him, or as inconstant (and so guilty) persons, be ashamed to meet him.
29. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doth righteousness is born of him.]
[Paraphrase] 29. Resolving of this, that Christ is a most just judge, and consequently that every upright person is a child of his, like unto him, and certainly shall be used by him as a son, have all protection and inheritance from him.
Annotations on Chap. II.
\1 \2 reads, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 because the darkness, or the shadow, passeth, and the true light already shineth. What is the meaning of these phrases is yet a farther difficulty, but by analogy with other the like in these books may be explained. Christ is called the true light, Job. 1. 9. Light in respect of his doctrine, which was the direction of every man's life, and true light in respect of the more imperfect shadows that had been before under the Law. Thus, when it is said, Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, truth denotes the substance in opposition to shadows, the substantial worship in opposition to the rudiments of the Law. And this sense is much favored here by the King's MS. which reads, not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkness, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 shadow, which is used of the Law, Col. 2. 17. Heb. 10. 1. and so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 passeth doth incline; for that is oft applied to a shadow, ( my time passeth like a shadow, &c.) but not so to darkness. And indeed as light is opposed to darkness, so true light, which is somewhat more, that in which is no mixture of darkness, is most fi • lie opposed to a shadow, in which there is some of that mixture. 'It is true indeed ver. 9, and 11. we read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkness, which may make it probable that it should be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkness, not shadow, here. But that argument is of little force, because there the opposition being betwixt that and light simply, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkness was necessarily to be used; and by that is meant the darkness of sin in both places, the hating the brother: but here it being not simply light, but with this addition, the true light, shadow is it to which that is most properly opposed. And it need not seem strange that both these oppositions should here be used so near one to the other it being evident, that the doctrine of Christ, which is opposed to sin, and so to darkness, which denotes that, is opposed also to the Law of Moses, as a more perfect to that which was less perfect, an higher degree of charity now exemplified and required by Christ, to a lower and more imperfect degree of it before required by Moses. As for the passing of the shadow, and shining of the true light, that evidently signifies the abolition of the Mosaical Law, and the Christian law taking place, prevailing over it. Which this Apostle, which knew that to be the last hour, and so the destruction of the Jewish Temple (and consequently service) so suddenly to approach, could not but know that it was now at hand. And indeed the Apostles having received revelations to that purpose, (see Note on Rom. 7. a.) it is here truly said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , this true light already shineth, the Law was already abolished, and only the Christian doctrine in force already. And so this is a most commodious, efficacious reason, to prove and press the matter in hand, that if this were a new commandment, which here he speaks of, and no old Judaical one, yet it was part of the doctrine of Christ, and that was now in full force over the world, the Judaical Law being already abrogated, and the destruction of their whole policy very near at hand, v. 18.
[ b] V. 18. The last time ] That 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here signifies that famous period, the destruction of the Jews, will not only appear by comparing that phrase with many other of that kind in these Books, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 end, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 consummation of the age, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the last days, but also by the whole Context in this place: For the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (here following) ye have heard, being a form of citing, must necessarily refer us to some prediction that had before been delivered of the matter here spoken of, viz. the coming of Antichrist. This prediction was certainly that of Christ 's Mat. 24. where before this fatal day, in three stages of his discourse, three several times he toucheth on this matter; first v. 5. There shall come many in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many; then v. 11. many Pseudo-prophets (that is, that pretend a mission when they have it not) shall arise and deceive many; then v. 23. If any shall say, Lo here is Christ, or there, believe them not: for there shall rise Pseudo-Christ's and Pseudo-prophets, and shall show many signs and wonders, so that they shall deceive, if possible, even the elect: behold I have told you before. Of the first sort are those counterfeit Christ's who pretended soon after Christ 's ascension; of which it is therefore said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the end is not yet, they were to be some years before this destruction. Of this sort was Theudas, not he which is mentioned Act. 5. 36, 37. as antienter then Judas Galilaeus; but another mentioned by Josephus, under Claudius 's reign, when Fadus was Procurator of Judea, who, saith Eusebius 1. 2. c. 1. a. out of Joseph. Ant. l. 20. c. 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 deceived many. Of this sort was the Egyptian, Act. 21. 38. mentioned also by Eusebius, 1. 2. c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . out of Josephus. And so also Dositheus, or Dosthes, in Origen cont. Cels. l. 1. and in Hegesippus apud Euseb. l. 4. c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . and divers others who undertook to be deliverers of the people, which is in effect to be Christ's, as a Christ is defined by S. Luke, c. 24. 21. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he that should redeem Israel. So again in the last place, the false Christ's & false prophets are the like to these, differing from them only in the time wherein they should show themselves, viz. after the besieging of Jerusalem, v. 15. when upon the sudden raising of it again by Cestius Gallus the Christians fled out of Judea, v. 16. for then was it an opportunity for false Christ's to attempt to gather followers, and undertake deliverances, if any would be deceived by them. But the deceivers that especially belong to this place are those of the second or middle stage, Mat. 24. 11. called there 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 many Pseudo-prophets, immediately before the standing of the abomination of desolation in the holy place, that is, (as S. Luke interprets it) before Jerusalem was encompass'd with armies, that is, besieged, as here the many Antichrists among them is a proof that it was the last hour, Of that point of time five things are there foretold by Christ which are so exactly fulfilled in this time wherein in S. John writes, that the very reciting them is almost the sum of this Epistle. First, that the Jews should be very cruel in persecuting the Christians, Mat. 24. 9. Secondly, that many Christians should be scandalized by this means, that is, renounce the faith to comply with the persecutors, v. 10. Thirdly, that they that did thus renounce the faith to comply with the persecutors, (viz. the Gnostic-heretics ) should persecute those that stuck fast to Christ, and deliver them up to the persecutors, v. 10. Fourthly, that Pseudo-prophets should rise, and, upon this advantage of ridding men from persecution, seduce many, v. 11. Lastly, that upon this increase of persecutions upon the orthodox Christians both from the Jews and Gnostics, called the increasing of iniquity, the orthodox themselves should begin to faint, their love to Christ grow cold, v. 12. After which it soon follows, v. 14. And then shall the end come. By the accordance of all which passages there and here, it is manifest who are these Antichrists here set down as the immediate forerunners of the siege of Jerusalem, viz. those false prophets, 2 Pet. 2, 1. who there are said to have denied the Lord that bought them, and here, c. 4. 3. to deny Christ to have come in the flesh, and so were Antichrists properly so called, professed enemies to Christ, and withal the most cruel enemies and persecutors of the Christians, that is, the Gnostics particularly, a sect of unclean abominable Christians, which being followers of Simon Magus, labored to deceive many by rehearsing the miracles which he did, and by their doctrines of the lawfulness of renouncing Christ in time of persecution gathered many to them, who were first willing to escape persecuting, and then hated and themselves persecuted all others. And to this 'tis clear that this whole chapter belongs; first asserting the doctrine of Christ, which these had perverted and denied, v. 1. then the necessity of Christian practice, v. 3, 4, 5, 6. against these most unchristian livers; then particularly the doctrine of Christian charity, against their hating and persecuting other Christians, v. 9, 10, 11. then the contempt of the world and bearing of the cross, and of all hardship for Christ 's sake, v. 15. and then in this v. 18. having told them, that (according to Christ 's prediction) this was the season to expect such deceivers, he comes particularly to them, v. 19. that they went out from the Christians, but were not of them, that is, were not true, but equivocal, and only nominal Christians, and now were separated from them, as a sect that brake off and went out of the Church, and so were no longer to be counted Christians, v. 21. especially when they denied Jesus to be the Christ, as the Gnostics did. And so he concludes that he had written to them of those that deceive them, v. 26. That this place, and peculiarly v. 19. belongs to the Gnostics particularly, see Cyril of Jerusalem, Cat. 6. p. 134. where speaking of Simon Magus he saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , of whom it is written, They went out from us, but they were not of us; and as the Barocian MS. adds, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , If they had been of us, they would have remained with us: which is that whole 19. verse applied to Simon and his followers, whom p. 137. he names, Cerinthus, (and in the Barocian Copy, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) Menander, Carpocrates, E • ion, and Marcion; and again Basilides and Valentinus. Before him see Polycarp in his Epist. to the Philippians, p. 20. in these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Everyone that doth not confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, is Antichrist; and whosoever confesseth not the martyrdom, or testimony, of the cross (that is, that doth not confess Christ when danger attends that confession) is of the devil: and whosoever converts the oracles of God to his own lusts, and saith that there is neither resurrection nor judgment, he is the first-born of Satan, (which is in the ancients generally the title of Simon Magus.) And accordingly in the Epistles of Ignatius the primitive Martyr, especially that to the Smyrneans, he fortifies them against this doctrine of the Gnostics, that Christ did not suffer, nor was born, nor rose again, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , truly in the flesh, but only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in appearance.
[ e] Ib. Many Antichrists] Who the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 were v. 18. hath been at large deduced, Note b. the whole sect of Gnostic heretics. One mistake only this matter may be farther liable to, by thinking the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Antichrist here to be some peculiar person, distinct from the many Antichrists there. If there were any convincing reasons to conclude this, it would soon be decided who it was; those first-fruits of Satan, Simon Magus, who may well be supposed alive at the writing of this Epistle, being affirmed by the ancients to have contended with S. Peter and S. Paul at Rome, and that most probably at their coming thither, before their Martyrdom, that is, about the twelfth of Nero▪ very little before the Jewish war, which brought that ruin upon them. See Arnobius l. 2. adverse. Gentes, Sulpicius Severus Hist. sacr. l. 2. Cyril. Hierosol. Catech. 6. Isidore Pelusiot. Ep. 13. All relating that contention between those Apostles and him, and that, saith Cyril, after the error of the Gnostics had spread itself over the Church, and so made it necessary for the Apostles to oppose him publicly, Beside him other particular persons there were also capable of this title, Cerinthus, opposed by this Apostle S. John particularly, and Carpocrates and Saturnilus & others. And accordingly Hippolytus the Martyr in his book, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . interprets the place, many shall say, I am Christ, of Simon Magus and others, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Some rose and said, I am Christ; as Simon Magus and the rest, whose names it is not seasonable to rehearse. So Hegesippus in that eminent passage, set down from him in Eusebius, having named the several heresies that were come into the Church in his time, the followers of Simon, Cleobius, Dositheus, Gorthaeus, Menander, Marcion, Carpocrates, Valentinus, Basilides and Saturnilus, concludes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from these were the false Christ's, false Prophets, false Apostles, which divided the unity of the Church with pestilent doctrines against God and his Christ. But there is no reason thus to affix the title, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Antichrist here being visibly of the same importance with the same word v. 18. and that there, either all one with, or contained under the many Antichrists that follow. For so the words must import, that the prophesy which had foretold that Antichrist comes in the last hour, was fulfilled in the many Antichrists that were then come; which could not be, if that Antichrist foretold were another from those many Antichrists. And besides it hath already appeared that the coming of that Antichrist foretold, was the arising of false prophets, Mat. 24. 11. and then though the word be here in the Singular number, yet must it be all one with those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 false prophets, in the Plural. And it is ordinary for a word in the Singular to be a complexum, and so to signify a whole sort or sect of people, as it is apparent 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the liar here v. 22. denotes all those false prophets, that is, heretical false teachers, that deny Jesus to be the Messias, and not some singular person that did so▪ By all which it appears, that what is here said both of the Antichrist, and the many false Christ's, belongs equally to the times before the destruction of Jerusalem, and denotes the Gnostics to be them, and cannot duly be applied to any other. And if it be here objected that there is a difference between false prophets and Antichrists, and so that the Antichrist here will not be the false prophets, Mat. 24. I answer, first, that here appears not the least difference in the importance of the words literally taken, (and accordingly, c. 4. 1. they that are here called many Antichrists, and there, v. 3. the Antichrist, are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 many false prophets, as appears also by comparing the characters of them there v. 2. with what is here said of them:) for first, Christ and prophet are all one; the word Christ denoting that divine unction or commission to that great Prophetick office which Christ exercised here on earth; and accordingly we know that Moses foretells his coming in that style, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you: and so secondly, the words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in composition are oft all one, as in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and the like; as when we use the word counterpart of one thing made like another, which yet is not it, and so counterfeit, one which pretends, and looks like another which he is not. And so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 will be (most literally) rendered a Counter-Christ, and that is a Pseudo-Christ, or false Christ. So Palladius expressly use • h the word. For speaking of the Devil, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , transforming himself into the shape of our Savior, and so adored by Valens, he saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he fell down and worship'd Antichrist, or this counterfeit Christ, that is, the Devil in this shape of Christ. And such it is certain was Simon Magus, who professed himself to be Christ Jesus, who appeared to converse among the Jews. See Cyril of Jerusalem in Catech. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . If this be not sufficient, then secondly, I answer, that the Gnostics or followers of Simon, as they were false teachers, and so might be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in that respect, so they were bitter opposers of Christ and all the orthodox Christians, denied Christ to be come in the flesh, and persecuted all that asserted it; and in that respect 'tis as visible that they were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies opposition, or contrariety, Antichrists beyond all that ever any Christians were, or can be imagined to be. And then though Antichrists are somewhat more then Pseudo prophets, because all false prophets, or false teachers, do not thus deny or oppose Christ, and the fundamental articles of our redemption, yet still the greater contains the less under it; and so that prediction that foretold there should come false prophets before the besieging of Jerusalem, was abundantly fulfilled in these false teachers, which were over and above Antichrists, professed opposers of Christ and Christians.
[ d] V. 23. Hath not the Father ] To have the Father is to be expounded by analogy with having grace, Heb. 12. 28. that is, retaining it, holding it fast, or making use of it, as in the parable of the Talents, He that hath is he that makes use of and improves the talents by so doing; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Thus here to have the Father is to retain and hold fast his doctrine, not to forsake or depart from it, which everyone must be said to do (and so here 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not to have the Father) who denieth Christ to be the Messias, of whom God hath so positively testified that he is so. So again in the end of the verse the phrase is used, and so c. 5. 12. He that hath the Son, is he that adheres and continues in the faith of Christ. So 2 Joh. 9. He that abides not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God, that is, forsakes and apostatizeth from him; but he that continueth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son, by adhering to Christ▪ and that doctrine which he hath revealed from his Father, adheres to God also.
CHAP. III.
1. BEhold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.]
[Paraphrase] 1. As for the persecutions that befall the orthodox professors at this time, and are such discouragements to many, tempting them to fall off from their profession, Mat. 24. 10. these are but effects necessarily consequent to God's loving us: For is not God's love very particularly and remarkably expressed and testified to us, that he acknowledges us to be his sons, and gives us the privileges that belong to such? Certainly it is: And yet this is the very reason that we are so persecuted by the world. They look on us as a people contrary to them, having other relations then they have; for they depend upon the world, and not upon God, have nothing to do with him and therefore no wonder that this befalls us.
2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.]
[Paraphrase] 2. My brethren, whatever our persecutions at present are, this state and condition of ours is the state and condition of the sons of God; and what we shall be hereafter, what inheritance shall be made over to those sons, is not yet revealed. But this we know, that when that blessed time shall come, we that are sons of God, shall (as the notion of sons signifies in the scripture) be like unto that Father of ours, like him in holiness, and like him in bliss, and that bliss shall consist in seeing of him as he is, a fountain of all that is desirable to our natures.
3. And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure.]
[Paraphrase] 3. And whosoever hopes or depends on God for any such future state, if he expect to receive it from him according to his manner of promising, not absolutely, but conditionally, or indeed whosoever sets his heart on the vision of God, a pure and blissful state, not any sensual paradise, but a spiritual state of bliss, made up of sinlesnesse and purity, will in all reason set a purifying here, be a practicing and aiming after that excellent copy, that he may be capable of that perfect purity hereafter.
4. Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the Law: for sin is the transgression of the Law.]
[Paraphrase] 4. Sin is a contrariety to the Law of God, an act of disloyalty to our King; and he that deliberately committeth any act of sin, doth proportionably commit a rebellon and disloyalty against Christ.
5. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.]
[Paraphrase] 5. And Christ both by his example, being sinless, never guilty of any act of sin, and by all that he hath done and suffered for us, hath designed this special end to himself, to purify our lives, and cleanse us from all deliberate acts of sin.
6. Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not: whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him.]
[Paraphrase] 6. He that adhereth fast to him, that as a member of his, continueth in him, falleth not indulgently or deliberately into any act of sin; he that doth so, disclaims all true knowledge of God, (is no Gnostic properly called) or conversation with him.
7. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.]
[Paraphrase] 7. My young tender Christians, let not the Gnostics seduce you to your ruin: he that continues in all righteous actions, that actually performs the will of God, and not only in intention of mind, and that through his whole course of life, and if he fail therein, returns again speedily by repentance, this person, and none but this, is the Christian righteous man, he and none else is accepted by God as righteous under the Gospel, in like manner and proportion as Christ doing righteousness is said to be righteous, upon that and not any other ground of denomination.
8. He that [note a] committeth sin, is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning: for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.]
[Paraphrase] 8. He that deliberately committeth any act of known sin, is in that, or so far, an imitator of the devil; for at the beginning, soon after his creation, he acted rebellion against God, and hath done so ever since: And to take off all men from following of him, was the very design of Christ's coming into the world.
9. Whosoever is [note b] born of God, doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he [note c] cannot sin, because he is born of God.]
[Paraphrase] 9. Whosoever is a true child of God, keeps himself strictly from all deliberate sin: and the reason is clear, because that principle of sonship, that from whence he is said to be born anew, or of God, to wit, his sincere resolute conversion to God, if that continue to have any energic or life in him, is directly contrary to, and incompatible with the committing any sin, and therefore he cannot thus sin, because he is a child of God, a regenerate person, that is, such sinning is irreconcilable with that state.
10. In this the children of God are manifested, and the children of the devil: whosoever doth not righteousness [note d] is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.]
[Paraphrase] 10. This is the character of difference between pious and wicked, regenerate and unregenerate men; he that lives an impious and uncharitable life is no regenerate child of God's, whatsoever he flatter himself of his state.
11. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.]
[Paraphrase] 11. For this of charity is the grand fundamental doctrine, which was so often and so earnestly commanded by Christ, when he was here on earth.
12. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother: And wherefore slew he him? because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.]
[Paraphrase] 12. And how contrary is this to that emulation, and maligning of those that are better then they, which was the affection that put Cain on killing his brother, and doth the like in the Gnostics now abroad, who hate and persecute all the orthodox Christians to death, and can have no other quarrel to them, but that their own works are evil, and the others good?
13. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.]
[Paraphrase] 13. But this you pure Christians have no reason to wonder at, if it prove to be your lot.
14. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren: he that loveth not his brother, abideth in death.]
[Paraphrase] 14. We know that we are regenerate Christians (see note on Luc. 15. c.) by our charity to other men, which he that hath not is clearly an unregenerate, unchristian person.
15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.]
[Paraphrase] 15. The hating of others is by interpretation the killing of them, because it is so in intention of heart, did not some outward restraint curb it; and he that is such is acknowledged by all men to be quite contrary to the Evangelical temper, the regenerate state, from the having spiritual life abiding in him, which the Gnostics, that are so malicious, do yet so much talk of.
16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.]
[Paraphrase] 16. Christ's love to us was expressed in this, that he was willing to incur the utmost hazard, even to venture his life, to reduce us; and agreeably Christian charity obligeth us to venture even our lives for other men, after the manner, and upon so noble a design, as Christ did, that is, to bring unto the Christian faith (as the martyrs did) any one or more enemies of Christ, and so likewise in other cases proportionable to this.
17. But who so hath this worlds good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?]
[Paraphrase] 17. But how contrary to this is the practice of the world, when rich men that have to spare for others, have yet no compassion or charity to them? which he that doth, how can he be said to be merciful as God is merciful, or how to love God, when he doth so contrary to his commands?
18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.]
[Paraphrase] 18. My dearly-beloved tender Christians, let our charity to our brethren show itself in actions of sincere kindness and bounty to them.
19. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall [note c] assure our hearts before him.]
[Paraphrase] 19. And by loving one another thus, we are able to discern or judge of ourselves, that we are such as we profess ourselves to be, v. 18. and by so judging we shall have our hearts secure and confident that God will hear our prayers, v. 22. and Joh. 9. 31.
20. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater then our heart, and knoweth all things.
[Paraphrase] 20. And indeed that this discerning ourselves to be such as we pretend ourselves to be, is necessary to the giving us this confidence toward God, appears by this, that on the one side our hearts condemning us is a sure argument that God will do so too, (and then not hearken to our prayers) because he knoweth all things of us that we can know of ourselves; and on the other side, if we have nothing to charge on ourselves, then we may come thus confidently to God, not fearing that he will lay anything to our charge (see note on Joh. 7. a.) that we are not guilty of, or that he will be wanting to them that walk sincerely before him
21. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.]
[Paraphrase] 21. And indeed that this discerning ourselves to be such as we pretend ourselves to be, is necessary to the giving us this confidence toward God, appears by this, that on the one side our hearts condemning us is a sure argument that God will do so too, (and then not hearken to our prayers) because he knoweth all things of us that we can know of ourselves; and on the other side, if we have nothing to charge on ourselves, then we may come thus confidently to God, not fearing that he will lay anything to our charge (see note on Joh. 7. a.) that we are not guilty of, or that he will be wanting to them that walk sincerely before him
22. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.]
[Paraphrase] 22. And he will certainly hear our prayers, supposing them such as to which his promise of hearing doth pertain, because by obeying him we are qualified to have our prayers heard by him: see Jam. 1. 6.
23. And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.]
[Paraphrase] 23. And one prime part of that obedience is to continue constant in the profession of Christ, and perform all the duty owing from us to Christ and our brethren, according as he by special precept hath required of us.
24. And he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him: and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.]
[Paraphrase] 24. And he that obeyeth him is really one of those which the Gnostics pretend to be, that is, dwelleth or continueth in Christ, and consequently receiveth all gracious influences from him, as the members from the head, as long as that is united to them: and that we are such, that is, that Christ hath not yet forsaken, but still continues united to us, appeareth by the gracious charitable temper and disposition, ver. 10, 17. which we transcribe from him, ch. 4. 13. see note on Luc. 9. c.
Annotations on Chap. III.
[ a] V. 8. Committeth sin ] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to sin, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to do, or commit, sin, which appear to be directly the same by comparing ver. 6, and 8. and so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , chap. 1. 8. to have sin▪ all one with having sinned, v. 10. have a special energy in the writings of this Apostle, to denote a deliberate, presumptuous commission of sin; not every sin of ignorance, incogitance, frailty, but, after deliberation, an advised commission of it. This is here affirmed to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the committing transgression, where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies opposition, or contrariety, to Christ 's law. Justinian renders the word iniquitatem (Institut. 4. de injur. Iniquitas & injustitia, quam Greece 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 vocant ) and iniquitas is this opposition or irregularity to the will of God, viz. that will of his revealed to us by Christ, to which we now profess obedience. It is here made matter of some question, whether these phrases, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to sin, and to commit sin, are to be interpreted only of an habit of such deliberate sin, or belong to one single act of it. But the resolution is easy, that though he that lives impenitently in any habit of known sin, be most eminently said to sin and commit sin, yet he that is guilty of any one deliberate act is here primarily meant by these phrases. This appears by the use of the words in some of the places, where it must necessarily denote an act, and not only an habit; as ch. 2. 1. These things I write unto you, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that ye may not sin, where it would be unreasonable to think that the holy Apostle designed his Epistle to keep them from habits only, and not also from each act of deliberate sin. This is again evident in this place: for not only he that lives habitually in sin, but he that commits any one deliberate act of it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 committeth a transgression of the Law, opposeth and doth contrary to the Law of Christ, which severely forbiddeth such single commissions, and not only the habits of them: and so ver. 5. when it is said that Christ appeared that he might take away our sins, and that there is no sin in him, 'tis evident that he came to take away our acts as well as our habits, and that there was no act as well as no habit of sin in him: and so in all that follows, v. 6, 8, 9, &c. one act of sin is contrary to abiding in Christ, that is, to adhering to him, to seeing and knowing, that is, to obeying him; one act is of, or from, the devil, one act as contrary to that seed, that purity, that principle of filliation, that is in him that is born of God, and not only an habit of it.
[ b] V. 9. Born of God ] What 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , being born of God, signifies, hath been noted Joh. 1. Note b. to have received some special influence from God, and by the help and power of that, to be raised to a pious life. Agreeably 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he that hath been born of God, is literally he that hath had such a blessed change wrought in him by the operation of God's Spirit in his heart, as to be translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son, transformed in the spirit of his mind, that is, sincerely changed from all evil to all good, from obedience to the flesh, &c. to an obedience to God. Only it is here to be noted, that the phrase is not so to be taken, as to denote only the act of this change, the first impression of this virtue on the patient, the single transient act of regeneration or reformation, and that, as in the Praeter-tense, now past, but rather a continued course, a permanent state, so as a regenerate man and a child of God are all one, and signify him that lives a pious and godly life, and continues to do so. For so that phrase of being 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a child or son of any kind of father, signifies a resemblance or similitude of inclinations and actions, as a child of the devil is one that commits (and so continues to do) Satanical wicked practices, and so sons of Belial are vicious persons; and so our Savior interprets the phrase, If ye were the children of Abraham, ye would do the works of Abraham, but you are of your father the devil, that is, you do those things which are imitations of him, such things as he doth. And so generally in this Epistle, he that is born of God signifies a man truly pious, an obedient servant of God: and such is the subject of this Proposition here, when of such an one it is said, he cannot sin.
[ c] Ib. Cannot sin ] What is meant by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cannot here, will best appear by what S. Chrysostom on Rom. 8. saith of the tree in the Gospel, where 'tis said, A corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit, nor a good tree corrupt fruit: he, saith he, that saith a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , forbids not a change from vice to virtue (denies not that to be possible) but affirms, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the continuance in wickedness cannot bring forth good fruit; for, saith he, he said not that an ill tree cannot become good, but that remaining evil it cannot bear good fruit. So when Rom. 8 7. 'tis said that the carnal mind cannot be subject to God, Theophy lact interprets it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it cannot whilst it remains such, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not that the change is impossible; and so again v. 8. when it is said, they cannot please God, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they cannot whilst they are such. And so sure the affirming here of the child of God, the regenerate pious convert, that he cannot sin, is not the affirming that he cannot cease to be what he is, cannot fall off from the performance of his duty (against which the many warnings and exhortations that are given to pious men, ch. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 10. 12. Heb. 3. 12. 2 Pet. 3. 17. are evidences of the possibility of it) but that remaining thus, a pious follower, imitator, and so child of God, that in his actions resembles him, he cannot yield deliberately to any kind of sin. To which purpose saith Tertullian De pudicitia, Haec non admittet omnino qui natus e Deo fuerit, non futurus Deifilius si admiserit, He that is born of God will not at all admit such sins as these, he shall not be the child of God if he do admit or commit them. And Lactantius, Virtus sine ulla intermissione perpetua est, nec discedere ab ea potest qui semel eam cepit: Nam si habeat intervallum, si quande eâ carere possumus, redeunt protinus peccata, quae virtutem semper impugnant, Virtue is that which is perpetual without any intermission: He that hath once undertaken it, cannot depart from it. For if it have any interval (of sin) if we can want, or be without it, sins presently return, which always impugn virtue. And so S. Jerome on Mat. 7. 18. Bona arbor non fert malos fructus quamdiu in bonitatis studio perseverat, A good tree bears not ill fruit as long as it perseveres in the study or love of goodness. And so S. Augustine Serm. 29. de verb. Apost. Talia non facit bonae fidei & spei Christianus, A Christian of a good faith and hope doth not such things as these, that is, Homicide, Adultery, &c. In the same sense as Menander saith of the just man,
a just disposition knows not how to be unjust. In this sense is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he cannot, used by Ignatius, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , carnal men cannot do spiritual things. It will not farther be pertinent to inquire, whether the sinning here (so irreconcilable with a regenerate state) be an act only of willful sin, or an habit, because those Apostate Gnostics, to whom this place is opposed, and all that went over to them, were guilty of more then single acts, even of the foulest habits of impurity and persecuting the Christians, v. 10.
[ d] V. 10. Is not of God ] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to be of God, here • (and chap. 4. 6. and 5. 19. and 3 Joh. 11.) is a phrase to signify one that lives as God requires and approves of, a child of God in the beginning of the verse, born of God, v. 9. a sincere acceptable servant of his, that imitates the good, 3 John 11. or in brief, a good Christian; and that not only upon this ground, because all Christian virtue is of God, but especially because it is agreeable to his will, an imitation of that which is most eminently and originally in him. And so on the contrary, Ungodly living is expressed by the phrase, to be of the devil, Joh. 8. 44. explained by what follows, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , doing, or delighting to do his desires, and his works, v. 41. and so to be of the world. To this purpose many the like phrases there be observable in Scripture, which are set to signify this; as being in God, 1 Joh. 2. 5. & 5. 20. seeing God, 3 Joh. 11. that is, having considered and observed God in his actions, in order to imitating of them; for so to imitate is expressed, Joh. 8. 38. by doing what they have seen with their father: so again having known God or Christ, 1 Joh. 2. 3, 13. that is, so as to imitate or transcribe what we see in him; an evidence of which is, as it follows there, the keeping his commandments, and c. 4. 6. he that knows God, and he that is of God, are set as directly the same; and so v. 7, 8. and very often in this Writer. So seeing, and knowing him, together, 1 John 3. 6. and especially Joh. 5. 37. to hear his voice, and see his appearance, for that is there all one with having his word abiding in them. So to be the sons of God, Joh. 11. 52. the sons of God that are scattered abroad, that is, all that are or shall be pious faithful servants of his all the world over, that are qualified aright for the receiving of Christ when he preacheth to them, (such as are called the children of the kingdom, Mat. 13. 38.) and so oft in these Epistles, 1 Joh. 3. 2, 10. and to be born of God, 1 Joh. 3. 9. and 5: 4, 18. (contrary to which are generation of vipers, and children of darkness, or Belial, of the devil, of the wicked one, in an extreme degree, and born of blood, &c. Joh. 1 13. in a more moderate degree) signifying not any act of spiritual birth, but a state of pious life, of resemblance unto God. So those that are given to Christ by God, the pious virtuous-minded men, being the only persons that are by the promises and grace of the Gospel really attracted and brought to receive Christ, Joh. 6. 37. those whom the Father hath drawn, v. 44. whom the promises have effectually wrought on, which work only on pious men; so those that are taught of God, or are docile, teachable by him. So they whose heart God hath opened, Act. 16. 14. that is, whom God hath affected with the love of virtue or Christianity. So to abide, or dwell, in God, 1 Joh. 3. 6. and in the love of Christ, Joh. 15. 9. and God in him, 1 Joh. 3. 24. & 4. 15. to walk in light, c. 1. 7. to abide in light, c. 2. 10. to walk as he walks, c. 2. 6. to walk worthy of the Gospel, Phil. 1. 27. of our vocation, Ephes. 4. 1. to pass our sojourning in fear, 1 Pet. 1. 17. to walk in good works, Eph. 2. 10. to have his word abiding in us, 1 Joh. 2. 24.
[ e] V. 19. Assure our hearts ] What 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to persuade hearts, doth fully import, will appear, first, by the use of the phrase 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Mat. 28. 14. we will pacify him, and so in proportion it signifies to render our hearts peaceable and tame; secondly, by two other phrases that follow here, first, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , v. 21. having confidence toward God, to have boldness, to dare appear before God, to be such as dare on good grounds have confidence to pray to him; secondly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , v. 22. to have our prayers heard by God, which he that can challenge, and so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , draw near unto God in confidence in prayer, is said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Heb. 9. 9. to be perfected, or consecrated, according to conscience, viz. by having the conscience purged, to be made such priests as may with boldness draw nigh to God, which is the prerogative of every true Christian that doth that which is pleasing in God's sight, v. 22. the worshipper of God which doth his will, Joh. 9. 31.
CHAP. IV.
1. BEloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.]
[Paraphrase] 1. My brethren, let me admonish you not to heed or follow every teacher that pretends to be inspired (see note on Luk. 9. d.) but to make trial of all that shall so pretend, by the rules afforded you both by Moses and Christ; and so much the rather, because as it hath been foretold by Christ, Mat. 24. that at this point of time many false teachers should come into the Church, so now we find by experience there are many.
2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.]
[Paraphrase] 2. By this you may know the teacher to be truly divine, if he confess Christ thus born and crucified to be the Messias (see v. 15.) For no false prophet will ever teach that, it being not useful to the interest of the false pretenders, or those that consider their own advantages, to follow a crucified Savior to all kind of purity and self-denial, and taking up the cross after him, suffering persecutions, as now all that follow Christ are sure to do.
3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world.]
[Paraphrase] 3. And the Gnostics that in time of persecution do renounce and forsake Christ, by that appear to be not from God: and these are the Antichristian seducers, of whom Christ foretold Mat. 24. (see note on 1 Joh. 2. b.) that before the fatal day that expected the Jews, they were to come into the world, and now indeed they are come, Simon and his Gnostics, and are already everywhere visible among us.
4. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, then he that is in the world.]
[Paraphrase] 4. You, my tender Christians, have your doctrine from God, and have held out against the machinations and persuasions of those false teachers; for the true Christ, which is by his Spirit and his doctrines in you, is greater and more powerful then the false teachers and false Christ's which are now abroad in the world, v. 3.
5. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.]
[Paraphrase] 5. They come not by any commission from God, but from the incitation of their own worldly hearts, to save themselves from persecutions; they are worldly-minded, their affections are placed on worldly pleasures, &c. and accordingly their doctrine is a doctrine of licentiousness, of secular interests, and freedom from persecutions, and worldly-minded men follow them.
6. We are of God: he that knoweth God, heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.]
[Paraphrase] 6. Our doctrine is the true pure doctrine of Christ, hath nothing of worldly greatness or secular interests in it, but only of piety and purity, self-denial, contempt of the world; and every pious person hearkeneth to us: and this is a way of discerning true from false prophets; one is all for purity and confession of Christ even in persecutions, the other for worldly advantages and self-preservation.
7. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.]
[Paraphrase] 7. Again, another evidence of our being from God is charity to our fellow-Christians, for that is most strictly commanded, and exemplified to us from God, and no practice renders us so like to God's example, and so concordant to his precepts, makes us such Gnostics truly so called, as the sincere exercises of this duty; and therefore that is my next admonition, to be sure ye divide not, hate not, persecute not your brethren.
8. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love.]
[Paraphrase] 8. He that is not possessed and thoroughly acquainted with that grace of Love, by that appears to be utterly unacquainted with God, to have nothing of God in him, who is made up of love and kindness to mankind.
9. In this was manifested the love of God toward us because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.]
[Paraphrase] 9. And hath manifested that in a most eminent manner to us, in having sent his only Son into the world to reduce us sinners to an holy and pious life.
10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.]
[Paraphrase] 10. And in this appears the height of God love to us, not that we were earliest in our love to him, but that he began to us, and first sent his own Son to propitiate, or appease his wrath against us for our sins, to deliver us from the punishment of them.
11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.]
[Paraphrase] 11. This love of God to us must be answered with our imitating it toward our brethren, doing those acts of charity toward them which God is not capable to receive from us.
12. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.]
[Paraphrase] 12. For God is not in our reach to be seen or conversed with by us: whereas kindness or love is most what among such. The trial therefore of our love, whether we have any of that divine grace in us or no, and so whether God abide in us, that is, whether those eminent virtues (which are so remarkable in God, as that they are said to be God himself, such as charity, v. 8, 16.) are abiding in us, and whether the love which is in him toward men be copied out, and imitated, and so perfected by us (as the sufferings of Christ are said to be perfected in us, when we after his example suffer also) is this, by examining ourselves if we are kind and loving to those that are among us, our fellow men and Christians, whom we do see, and who are capable of kindness, and the effects of love from us.
13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.]
[Paraphrase] 13. This is an evidence indeed by which we know that we adhere to God, are disciples indeed, and as such acknowledged by him, (see ch. 3. 24.) because that temper and affection of love and charity, so illustriously observable in Christ, is observable in some measure in us also.
14. And we have seen and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.]
[Paraphrase] 14. And as an evidence of that, how great soever our hazard be from the enemies of the Gospel, yet we continue constantly to preach Christ, and being eye-witnesses of those miracles, &c. which evidence him to be what he pretended, we accordingly preach and testify that Christ is the very Messias sent by God.
15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.]
[Paraphrase] 15. He that shall venture to be a Martyr for Christ, to confess him v. 2. when dangers attend that confession (see note on Rev. 2. b.) as God is faithful to him, so shall he truly be said to be faithful to God: see Joh. 14. c.
16. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.]
[Paraphrase] 16. 'It is acknowledged by all, that God hath given us a most eminent copy and pattern of love, by us to be transcribed toward him, when he calls us to it. God is made up of love, and in that degree that we partake of that grace, we are members of God, not broken off from him, but continuing in conjunction with him, and God abideth in us, is allowed a place in us, is not rejected or cast out by us (see Joh. 14. c.) as he is by those that do not through love hold fast to him, do not adhere to, obey and imitate him in that great duty of charity.
17. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have [note a] boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.]
[Paraphrase] 17. In this the perfection of that love which is to be found in a Christian, (see note on ch. 1. b.) consists, that in a time of danger, when we are brought before judges, and may probably lose our lives for confessing of Christ, then we retain courage and cheerfulness, and confess him willingly, that we behave ourselves in this world as Christ did when he was here, that is, lay down our lives in testification of the truth.
18. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment: he that feareth is not made perfect in love.]
[Paraphrase] 18. Now such love as this which was in Christ, hath no fear in it: Christ ventured and underwent the utmost, even death itself, for us, did not through fear draw back from anything which love to man or constancy to the truth of God could prompt him to: and so indeed perfect love banisheth all fear of danger, even of death itself, suffers it not to interpose or keep him from expressing acts of love, makes the lover extremely valiant. For fear, in whomsoever it is, hath pain and anxiety in it, permits him not to do anything that may bring danger with it, and so is quite contrary to perfection of love toward God, makes one man deny Christ, another draw back for fear of danger of confessing him; or else perhaps, fear brings punishment eternal of body and soul, Mat. 10. 28. and never permits any in whom it is to arrive to perfection, or reward of love: see note on Rev. 2. b.
19. We love him, because he first loved us.]
[Paraphrase] 19. And certainly this love and degree thereof, and hazard run by it, though it be death itself, is but a mere duty of gratitude in us, (see v. 11.) because Christ hath begun to us, and when we were his enemies, sinners that had never deserved anything but hatred and vengeance from him, laid down willingly his own life for us.
20. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
[Paraphrase] 20. And it is not enough to profess this our love to Christ by appearing to be ready to die for him, or run hazards for the testifying the truth of our faith; for there may be a great deal of hypocrisy in this professing of our love to God, 1 Cor. 13. 3. and so there is certainly, if he that so professeth, doth not love, but malign and persecute Christians (it being impossible that any man should truly love God, and not do what God bids him, that is, love his brother also:) for the best way to try our love, whether it be sincere or no, is to observe how it expresses itself on occasion, when we meet with objects of charity; for if then we do not exercise and testify our love, sure we have not that virtue in us. Consequently, if to men, with whom we daily converse, and meet with such opportunities, we do not express any love, what reason is there to imagine we sincerely love God, when of our love to him, and the sincerity of it, we were never able to make this trial, because we never saw him, nor had opportunities offered us of showing any real acts of love to him? And beside, somewhat may be judged by the difficulty of the thing: for he that doth not the easier, will hardly be supposed to do the more difficult. Now 'tis hard to love one that I never saw; sight and conversation is one motive of love, and we see our brethren daily, but never saw God at any time: and therefore where the command, which is as punctual to the love of our brethren, as to the love of God, v. 21. is not able to prevail upon us for this, and where, beside the command, which is equal on both sides, there is one advantage to allure our love to our brethren, which there is not to invite or oblige us to the love of God, if that man manifestly fail in the one, which is so much more commended to him by that one circumstance, how can it be imagined that he doth, or will perform the other?
21. And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, love his brother also.]
[Paraphrase] 21. It being evident that by his command we are as really obliged to love our fellow-Christians, as to love himself.
Annotations on Chap. IV.
[ a] V. 17. Boldness in the day —] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is bold and public speaking, confession of Christ before men, especially when we have discouragements from doing so, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 fearlesnesse, saith Hesychius. So 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Joh. 11. 54. is to walk publicly and fearlessly, which Christ did not, because of their consultation to kill him, v. 53. So in many other places, particularly Heb. 10. 35. where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is their constant confession of Christ, to which all that chapter had exhorted them, (and that in despite of persecutions) explained by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , v. 36. patience or constancy in suffering, and opposed to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cowardly withdrawing, v. 38, 39. (see Note on Joh. 7. a.) And so here being joined with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the day of judgment, not the final judgment of God, but the day or time when we shall for the name of Christ be brought before any earthly tribunal, to be sentenced even to death itself. And so it is said of Ignatius, in the story of his Martyrdom, that he conceived that he could never come ad dilectionem Dei in plenum, to the full love of God, neque perfectum-ordinem doctrinae obtinere, nor to the perfection of Christian doctrine, nisi per Martyrii factam confessionem Domino appropinquaret, unless he came near unto God by martyrdom. And so the meaning will be plain, that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the love or charity toward God which is to be in, or among us Christians, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is perfected in this, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that we have this constancy in confessing him in the time of the greatest danger. And this yet farther appears, first, by the explication that follows, that as he is, so we are in this world, that is, that as Christ laid down his life in confession of the truth, so we do the same when occasion serves: and secondly, by the confirmation which follows, v. 18. There is no fear in love, fear being indeed the contrary to this boldness and constancy, wherein the perfection of our love consists. Thus hath Tertullian interpreted the place in his Scorpiacum or Antidote against the Gnostics, Johannes negat timorem esse in dilection, John denies fear to be in love. Quem timorem intelligi praestat, nisi negationis authorem? What fear must we here understand, but that which is the author of denying? Quam dilectionem perfectam, nisi fugatricem timoris, & animatricem confessionis? What perfect love, but that which puts fear to flight, and animates men to confess Christ? And so that which follows, For fear hath punishment, he thus interprets, Quam poenam timore puniat (sure it should be, quâ poenâ timorem puniat) nisi quam negator relaturus est, cùm corpore & animâ occidendus in Gehennam? What is the punishment which fear hath, or, with which he punishes fear, but that which he that denies Christ shall receive, when he is killed body and soul and cast into hell, Mat. 10. 28. or which, saith he, is threatened to the cowardly, among (yea before ) the other reprobates, in the lake of fire, Rev. 21. 8? See Tertull. cont. Gnost. cap. 12. and De fuga in Persecut. cap. 9. In these last words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , fear hath punishment, the posthumous Notes of the learned H. Grotius have attempted an emendation, and read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , rendering 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 out of the Glossaries, mutilation, imperfection, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . For this interpretation of that unusual word Hesychius may be consulted, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saith he, (it should be certainly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . To this the Context would very well agree, the next words being, he that fears is not made perfect in love; where yet the same Annotations would turn 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he that fears, into 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he that is mutilated. But to impose so remote an emendation without any authority of any Copy to avow it, is too adventurous an attempt: or, if it were not so, perhaps the substituting of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , impediment, hindrance, might be a more tolerable emendation, thus, for fear hath hindrance, it stops & encumbers love from doing such perfect acts as it ought, or would otherwise be apt to do; he that feareth is by this encumbrance kept back, is not made perfect in love. But as these or the like emendations ought never to be admitted without great necessity, so there appears no pretence of that in this place. For, first, it may thus be rendered, Fear hath pain or torment, a kind of rack in it, which always keeps men in awe, as the Apostle saith, Heb. 2. 15. that through fear of death some are all their lifetime subject to bondage or slavery, never dare do any thing of virtue, or duty, or heroic action, (and so 2 Tim. 1. 7. the spirit of fear or cowardice is set opposite to power and love ) and consequently never come to any perfection of love to God, or constancy of confession, to suffer anything for his sake, as love doth, 1 Cor. 13. 7. and accordingly it follows, he that feareth is not made perfect in love. Or else secondly, it may be set after Tertullian's way, the constant love of God is a most rewardable perfection, whereas fear of worldly dangers will be sure to bring destruction of body and soul along with it, and therefore must be cast out from having anything to interpose when the perfecting, or, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies, the crowning or rewarding of love, is spoken of. Fearfulnesse is so irreconcilable with perfect love, that it is the most detestable forsaking of God: the coward is all one with the Apostate. Either of these senses will accord very well with the Context, and with the literal importance of the words, but especially the former of them.
CHAP. V.
1. WHosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him.]
[Paraphrase] 1. Whereas the Gnostics pro • esse that they are the children of God, born of him, and also that they truly love God, as children a father; by these two marks you may judge of the truth of these pretensions. For the first, everyone that believeth and professeth Christ to be the Messias (and accordingly cleaves fast to that profession, whatsoever the temptations be to the contrary,) and expresseth the power of that faith by his love, by depending on his promises, and obeying his commands, and patient suffering of any persecution that befalls him, is a regenerate child of God, and none else (see note on c. 3. b.) And for the second, 'tis as certain, that unless a man love the brethren, he shall never be deemed to love God.
2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.]
[Paraphrase] 2. And not only our loving our brethren is an evidence of our loving God, without which we have no reason to think we do love him; but such an union and conjunction there is between these two, that if we would know whether we love our brethren sincerely or no, we cannot better judge then by knowing or examining whether we love God, for otherwise we may do many acts of love to our brethren, which may flow from other principles, good nature, gallantry, vain glory, &c. and not from charity, whereas this love of God, which I now speak of, must be such as expresses itself by keeping God's commandments.
3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.]
[Paraphrase] 3. Keeping his commandments I add, because this is to love God indeed: and of these let me tell you, they are not so heavy and so unsupportable as is now pretended by many, who fall off from Christ, because obedience to him is now like to cost them so dear; but it is an easy, gainful, gracious yoke, Mat. 11. 30.
4. For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith.]
[Paraphrase] 4. For every loving obedient child of God (see note on chap. 3. b.) whose affections are taken off from the world, and set upon God, chap. 2. 5, 7. doth with ease overcome the world, the terrors and other the temptations thereof, hath far stronger incitations to piety then the world can offer him to the contrary; and that which so much out-weight those carnal allectives or terrors, is that which the faith of Christ possesses us of, and he that is carried-captive to the world, cannot be counted a cordial believer. Faith is not only the means of overcoming, but 'tis victory itself.
5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?]
[Paraphrase] 5. And what faith is this so victorious? why, the cordial believing that Jesus is the Messias, which containeth the believing all his promises, threats and precepts; without which it is not imaginable that any man should resist the temptations of the devil, the delights and terrors of it, and with which it is easy to do it.
6. This is he that [note a] came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood: and it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.]
[Paraphrase] 6. For of this Christ hath given us an emblem and example in himself, and so an obligation to it; his whole course here upon the earth was compounded of innocence and purity of life, and also of sufferings, even of a shameful death: and these two things in him are emblematically expressed by the water and blood that came, not one or the other alone, but both together, out of his side at his crucifixion, (see John 19. e.) and one (if not both) of these, his sinlesnesse, and indeed his being the Messias, ver. 5. is also testified by the holy Ghost in many particulars (see note a.) and this testimony, being the testimony of the Spirit of God, is authentic, and fit to be believed, for it is his title to be the Spirit of truth.
7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost; and these three are one.]
[Paraphrase] 7. For as there being in heaven three able to testify, and those three agreeing in one divine nature, and so being all infallible in their testimonies, they have all testified that Christ, as he was here on earth, was the Messias; God the Father, by the voice from heaven, Mat. 3. 17. John 12. 28. God the Son, in saying to Saul, Why persecutest thou me? and striking him down in the place for doing so; God the holy Ghost, in that descending on him as a dove, and a • ter on the disciples:
8. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the Water, and the Blood; and these three agree in one.]
[Paraphrase] 8. So on the earth there are three witnesses too; first, the holy Ghost, first, on Christ, and secondly, on and in the Apostles, who saw and witnessed that the Father sent Christ, ch. 4. 13, 14. secondly, the Water, and thirdly, the Blood, that came both out of his side, and by doing so, first, prove the reality of his human nature against those that say he was only in appearance, not in flesh, or reality, and secondly, were an emblem of his innocence and sufferings; and so these three agree in this testimony, that Jesus is the Son of God, ver. 5. made up of all purity and patience, &c.
9. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God, which he hath testified of his Son.]
[Paraphrase] 9. For the believing anything, it is ordinarily thought sufficient to have the testimony of two or three creditable men, and then sure God's testimony from heaven is much more worthy of belief. And this testimony now produced for the truth of cur belief in Christ, is evidently the testimony of God.
10. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.]
[Paraphrase] 10. He therefore that thus believeth in Christ, and in despite of the Gnostics A postasie acknowledgeth the Son of God to have come truly in the flesh, hath no reason to fear, having God's testimony to secure him. And he that after all this, when God hath so testified in plain words, This is my beloved Son, &c. doth still refuse to believe it, he makes God a liar, in not believing his testimony of Christ.
11. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life: and this life is in his Son.]
[Paraphrase] 11. And the sum of this testimony of God's concerning Christ is, that the way that Christ hath put us in is the true way to eternal bliss, and that this is to be had by following the example and precepts of Christ, whom therefore in that voice from heaven he commanded all men to hear.
12. He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life.]
[Paraphrase] 12. He that doth so, that thus insists on Christ's doctrine and pattern set before him, is as sure of attaining this bliss, as if he were already possessed of it; and he that doth not, hath nothing to do with it.
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.]
[Paraphrase] 13. This I have said to all you that are true believers, to give you assurance that salvation, and all that on God's part belongs to it, is made over to you in Christ, that you may be encouraged to continue in the faith, and wholly depend on Christ for all that belongs to you with all the confidence imaginable, and so never fall off in time of worldly pressures.
14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we [note b] ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.]
[Paraphrase] 14. And of this confidence this is one special branch, that we come boldly and freely (see Joh. 7. a.) to make our request to him, depending on that promise which God in Christ hath made to us, viz. that he will hear all the faithful requests of his servants: but that promise with these limitations; first, that what they ask be according to God's will, not only not abhorrent from it, but truly agreeable to it; and secondly, according to his wisdom, that which at that time to that person he judgeth fit to be granted him, and neither contrary to anything he hath decreed, or such that by any accident God sees either hurtful, or not useful, or less profitable to him; thirdly, that he ask in faith, resolved to stick fast to God, whatsoever comes, to use no means of obtaining his desires but such as are perfectly acceptable to him: see Jam. 1. 6.
15. And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.]
[Paraphrase] 15. And if this of God's hearing our prayers be universally true of all whatsoever that are thus qualified, then in proportion it must be true of every particular petition, which we have or shall ask of him; 'tis certain that he heareth, and granteth it instantly, and will actually, in his time, and in that manner and way that he sees best for us (though not instantly, of in the kind which we ask) most infallibly bestow it on us.
16. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a [note c] sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.]
[Paraphrase] 16. One instance of this I shall mention to you, If any man see his fellow-Christian fall into any deliberate sin, yet so as not to refuse admonition or contemn advice to reform, that is, if he that thus sins do not remain incor • igible under the censures of the Church, then in that case it is the duty of the Church, and of each particular Christian, to pray to God for him, that he will pardon his sin, and raise him speedily by his grace to that state from whence he is fallen, and for any such essence, not obstinately continued in, God will thus hear the prayers of the Church for him. But this not so, that God will upon any intercession pardon him before his returning and repenting, but that the Church may admit such an one to repentance, and upon his approving his sincerity of repentance, receive him by imposition of hands, and blessing, and absolution. But in case he go on contumaciously and incorrigibly, there is then no mercy under the Gospel for such, nor promise that the prayers of the Church shall be available for such.
17. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.]
[Paraphrase] 17. 'It is true indeed, all deliberate sin is such as is not reconcilable with the fear and love of God, and consequently mortiferous without repentance: yet some difference there may be in this, and some that have sinned may not yet be so contumacious, so desperately incorrigible as others, and of those I now speak.
18. We know that whosoever is born of God. sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God, keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not.]
[Paraphrase] 18. As for these deliberate sins, which are not looked on as sins unto death, mortiferous in so high a degree, we know that a pious person (see note on c. 3. d.) will not be guilty of any of them, he useth all care and diligence to keep himself pure, that the devil or tempter get no hold on him.
19. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.]
[Paraphrase] 19. And we know that we Christians have by our profession undertaken pure and pious lives, are elevated to God, whereas the wicked riotous mulitude of Gnostics, &c. are setupon nothing else but villainy, Exod. 32. 22.
20. And we know that 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 his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.]
[Paraphrase] 20. But against the doctrines and infusions of these we are armed sufficiently by Christ, who, we are sure, is come in the flesh, and came on purpose to instruct us in the knowledge and obedience to the commands of the true God; so that hereby we have all security that we cannot mistake, it being God, who cannot lie, whom we adhere to, and his Son Jesus Christ, of whom he hath given his testimony. And thus we may confidently resolve that the Christian Religion is the true.
21. Little children, keep yourselves from [note d] idols. Amen.
[Paraphrase] 21. Farewell, my tender Christians, and be sure you keep yourselves from offering sacrifices to the false idol God's (which the Gnostics would do in case of persecution) and from those mixtures of heathenism and uncleannesses, practiced in their heathen worships by them, and brought in among Christians by that licentious sect, and even from images themselves, which the Gnostics (who pretended to have forsaken the idolatries of the heathens, and so to have become Christians) did again fall into, worshipping the images and pictures of Simon Magus and Helena, and offering sacrifices unto them. Amen.
Annotations on the first Epistle of John. Chap. V.
[ a] V. 6. Came by water and blood ] What 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he that came by water and blood, here signifies, will appear by considering the Context, and the relation of these to the former words. There the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, is the means of victory over the temptations of the world, the baits then offered by the Gnostics, carnal pleasures on one side, and immunity from persecutions on the other. And to that this belief is a very proper instrument. For considering wherein Christ 's sonship was exercised here on earth, his innocence and his sufferings, and that if we will behave ourselves as sons of God, we must imitate him, and that our faith in him consists in thus transcribing these his filial qualifications, the conclusion hence follows, that he that is such a child of God, v. 4. that is, that believes that Jesus is the Son of God, v. 5. doth, or will, overcome the world. This then being the force of the Apostles arguing, it must follow that these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , this is he that came by water and blood, must be the description of Christ, as that sonship of his is expressed for our imitation in this matter, that is, as he approved his innocence, faultlesness to God on one side, and his patience, and (in spite of temptations, even of death itself) perseverance on the other side. And this is here figuratively expressed, and the figure fetched from an eminent passage in the story of Christ, particularly considered and related by S. John, and that with a special weight laid on it, both for the truth and the considerablenesse of it, viz. the water and blood that at his crucifixion came out of his side at the piercing of it, the water being a most proper emblem of his innocence, and the blood of his patience and constancy; and then the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , his having come by these two, is no more then the having had these two emblems, and the things signified by them, most eminently observable in the discharge of his office here on earth. For we know that being sent, or coming are the words that refer to discharge of office. Christ is said to be sent by God, and, which is all one, to come, and is proverbially styled 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he that cometh, and he that cometh into the world, that is, the great Prophet sent by God for the discharge of this office, which as Son of God, Mat. 3. 17. he was ordained to, and for which he came into the world, and which he did with perfect singleness, and resisting unto blood, suffering death in the cause: and those two were expressed by that joint emblem at his death, the water and blood, which John saw flow from him. In this matter also it is, that the Spirit is also joined as a testifier (that is the meaning of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is testifying ) viz. of the innocence of Christ (which being granted, the constancy and sufferings were sufficiently known and proved by that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , flowing out of water and blood, which was an evidence of the wounding and piercing him to the heart.) For first, the Spirit's descending on him at his baptism, and lighting on him as a dove, was one testimony of his perfect innocence and acceptableness in the sight of his Father. And secondly, by that Spirit's descent being instated on his Prophetick office, he is also furnished with the gift of miracles, &c. which were sure testimonies that what he preached was God's message, that he was no sinner, no seducer, no false prophet, seeing, as the Jews confessed, he did such miracles. Thirdly, the coming down of that Spirit upon the Apostles, and that according to the promise of Christ, was a testimony of the truth of what else he said, and by this descent the Spirit became a Paraclete or Advocate of Christ, and so testified and convinced the world, as of their sin in crucisying him, so of his righteousness, in that, after his crucifixion, he was raised and taken up to the Father. All this being thus said in this verse, as it is the proving of what went before, by these three witnesses, so doth it introduce what follows, v. 7, 8. which is but the saying the same again, and joining a parallel with it; for so, I suppose, the following words are to be understood, For there are three that bear witness in heaven, &c. not that that is a reason of what went immediately before (for it would be hard to show how thus the seventh verse could be a reason of v. 6. how the trinity of witnesses in heaven should be a proof that the water, and blood, and spirit, do witness, v. 6.) but that it is a parallel to illustrate it by, and might in sense be best expressed thus, As there be three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost; and these three are one: So also there are three that testify on the earth, the spirit, and water, and blood; and these three, though they are not one by any kind of unity of nature, as the former three are, yet they agree in one, that is, in one testimony, evidently confirming the same thing which they were brought to testify, v. 6. Of such like idioms of speech we have formerly noted many, in Note on Mat. 9. d. By this means, as this whole place is competently explained, and freed from all difficulty, so is it vindicated from a first mis-interpretation, which some late writers have fastened on it, interpreting the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , v. 7. are one, by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they agree in one. But of this, first, there can be no evidence, nor indeed any reason assigned that the phrase should be so suddenly altered, v. 8. if the same thing were meant which was (so immediately before, v. 7.) so differently expressed. If 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are one had signified no more but agree in one testimony, v. 7. is it imaginable that of those other three, which had so lately been affirmed to testify the same, v. 6. this would have been affirmed in other (so much plainer) words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , are to one purpose, or agree in one? If there had been any reason thus to vary the phrase, it would probably have been by applying the obscurer phrase to those three, of whom it had been before sufficiently affirmed, and the more perspicuous and explicit to the three in heaven, of whom it had not been formerly affirmed, and not so directly contrary as here we find it is. Secondly, the only reason pretended why 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , are one, should not infer really, as literally it doth, the unity of the Trinity, being this, because 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , agree in one, is attributed to the three on earth. That argument is of no kind of force; for the parallel here held between those in heaven and those on earth being only in respect of the testimonies, and of the number of the testifiers, there is no necessity that the Apostle or we should extend it to all other circumstances; or if there were, it would be as reasonable to interpret the latter by the former, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they are to one purpose, by the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they are one, (which were absurd, and is not imagined) as the former by the latter. Indeed no reason for either of them: But on the other side, having to the mention of the three witnesses in heaven, annexed, out of the Christian doctrine, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , these three are one, it was reasonable, when he came to the other three, of whom that could not be affirmed, to affirm of them as much as the matter would bear, that is, that they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , testifiers to the same purpose, though not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of one and the same nature. Lastly, if it were granted that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are one, did note (as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth) the according of their testimonies, yet that no way excludes the unity of the testifiers, because both those senses may belong to the place and be true, the unity of the testifiers necessarily inferring the according of their testimonies, though the according of the testimonies infer • e not the unity of the testifiers. And then both these being so consequent one to the other, and so pertinent to the Apostle's purpose, (viz. the consent of all witnesses to the truth he had to prove) and the words being in themselves so clear for the asserting of the unity, there can be no pretence or reason to doubt but this is the importance of them. One thing only is here needful to be added, that in the King's MS. (and many other Copies) a great part of these two verses is left out, and instead of them no more read but this, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , For there are three that bear witness, the spirit, and the water, and the blood. But of this it must first be observed, that the ordinary reading hath the authority of many ancient, and all, but one, printed Copies: secondly, that the omission may have been casual, by the error of some scribe, who having transcribed in the Copy before him as far as, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , his eye might by error pass to ver. 8. where the same words are again repeated, and so leap over what is in the midst, and immediately subjoin what there immediately follows after, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Many examples of visible omissions on this occasion are observable in this and most other MSS. as might largely be evidenced; and it is that to which the hast of transcribers, and the necessity of taking off the eye from the Copy, renders them very liable. Which error being once committed in one Copy, he that should come after, and transcribe that, might, upon judgment and reason, omit somewhat more, viz. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , because those two parts of the verse being set distinctly by way of opposition to two for mer, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the former verse, in which those two were, being once lost, these latter were by congruity to go after them, and to be left out also. To which purpose it is observable, that (as to these two phrases) there is yet a greater variety in the Copies, the Syriac and Arabic having the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and these three are one, or to one purpose, and many Copies having 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , on the earth, which yet have not the former verse; which shows that the former casual error was first committed before this other, which was taken up on judgment, and that all that followed the one, where there was no place of choice, did not, where there was choice, choose to follow the other. Thirdly, that it is not imaginable how, if this of the King's MS. and those others were the right reading, this which is now in the ordinary Copies should get in, unless it were by gross fraud and forgery: for to the infirmities of a Scribe (to which omissions may) these additions cannot be imputable. Fourthly, that if the addition be thought imputable to a fraud on one side, the leaving it out may much more reasonably be imputed to a fraud on the other side. For first, supposing it thus far equal, that as the omission was useful to the Arians and Anti-Trinitarians, so the addition was of advantage to the Catholics or Orthodox; yet it is presently visible, that the interest of those that were condemned in the Church as heretics was far greater, and the necessity more pressing on their part, (that I mention not the greater likelihood of heretics adventuring to make use of such a forgery) to leave out the words and commit this fraud, then that of the Catholics was to put them in. For if the words be once acknowledged to be the words of Scripture, it gives a conclusion to all the heretics pretensions and it necessarily follows, first, that they that deny the Trinity, most diametrically oppose the plain words of Scripture, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , these three, here; & secondly, that they that deny the Unity, contradict distinctly S. John 's affirmation of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , these three are one; thirdly, that they that deny the holy Ghost to be God, and yet do not affirm him to be a creature, and consequently conclude him to be nothing but the virtue and efficacy of God, do oppose the plain words here, which distinguish the holy Ghost from the Word, and from the Father, as much, and in the same manner, as the Word, or second hypostasis, from the Father on one side, or from the holy Ghost on the other. And so as long as these words stand in force, it is not possible for the heretics doctrines to be maintained, (and therefore it is that Socinus and his followers find it necessary to affirm, that these wordsare certainly supposititious.) But for the Catholics, that maintain the doctrine asserted by the first great general Councils, against the heretics of the Church, they had no such need of inserting and forging these words: their cause might be otherwise maintained, if these words were expunged, and put out of the Canon, first, by the form of Baptism, Mat. 28. 19. instituted by Christ; which, first, clears the distinction of the Father, the Son, and holy Ghost, as fully as this; and secondly, by making them the object of our faith, supposeth each to be God as well as any, the holy Ghost, and the Son, as well as the Father; which being supposed, the Unity may from thence be collected also, by force of Eph. 4. 5. where parallel to the one Baptism is added one God and Father of all, nothing the one form of Christian Baptism, In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the holy Ghost, to be the entering of us into the faith and name of the one God. Secondly, by the express words of Christ, I and my Father are one, John 10. 30. which affirming the unity of the Father and the Son, leaves no place to doubt of the like unity of the holy Ghost also. Thirdly, by the Apostles swearing by Christ, and (which is all one) calling to witness the holy Ghost, Rom. 9. 1. which is an act of Divine worship appropriated to God, by whom only we are to swear. Fourthly, by the Apostle's praying to our Lord Jesus Christ for his grace, to the holy Ghost for his communication, or liberal effusion of his gifts, as well as to God the Father for his love; which is become the solemn form of Apostolical benediction at the end of the Epistles. Fifthly, (as far as concerns the holy Ghost, ) by Act. 5. where deceiving or robbing the holy Ghost, v. 3. is lying to God, v. 4. and 1 Cor. 12. 11. where the Spirit, as a person, is said to work, and to divide to everyone according as he will. Lastly, (as far as concerns Christ, who bath been most eminently opposed by all sorts of heretics from the Gnostics to the Arians and Photinians ) by the frequent Doxologies, or forms of giving glory to Christ, in the very same style as the Jews, (from whom those forms are taken) customarily and solemnly made use of, to acknowledge the God of Israel to be the eternal God, (see Note on Rom. 9. c.) By all which & much more it appears, how impertinent and unnecessary it was for the Orthodox to feign and forge these words, and withal, how easy for their enemies to have disproved them, and detected their forgery, if they had attempted it; and how much more temptation there was on the heretics side to free themselves from the importunity of this place, by rasing that out of their Bibles, which could not otherwise be persuaded to comply with their pretensions. And accordingly, as in S. Cyprian, (who wrote before Arius was born, and consequently before the time in which there could be any motive to have made this insertion) the words are distinctly found, l. De Unit. Eccles. Dicit dominus, Ego & Pater unum sumus, & iterum de Patre & Filie & Spiritu sancto scriptum est, Et hi tres unum sunt. The Lord saith, I and my Father are one, and again of the Father, Son and holy Ghost it is written, And these three are one. And in like manner Tertullian Contra Praxeam, Quitres unum sunt, which three are one. So it is confessed of S. Jerome, that he asserted the truth of our reading from the Greak Copies which he had, and defended it against all, publicly complaining, and contesting it, that in those Copies where it was wanting, it was omitted or rased out by the fraud of heretics: and so S. Ambrose saith, that the heretics did erade that place. And this was so far from yielding matter of recrimination against the Orthodox in those days, that some learned men, who have expressed their opinion that the addition of these words is supposititious, have laid that to the Arians charge also, who, say they, from thence desired to conclude, that the Father, Son, and Spirit are one only by consent in this testimony, as the water and blood and spirit are said to be. But with how little reason this is suspected, appears already by what hath before been said, and needs no farther answer or refuting. It were here easy to deduce the doctrine of this verse, as it is most largely set down, from the tradition of the Church through all times. I shall only affix some few testimonies before the time of the first Council of Nice, since which there can be no place of dispute. In the first Age, that of Clemens Romanus is observable, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , God lives, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the holy Ghost. A testimony produced out of him by S. Basil the Great, c. 29 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . where speaking of the Doxology, as one especial Apostolical tradition, and reckoning up the ancients from whom it was derived, he urgeth this saying of Clemens for the use of it. In the second Century we have Justine Martyr Apol. 2. pro Christianis, who having mentioned the Father of righteousness, he adds, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Him and the Son coming from him, and the prophetic Spirit we worship and adore. A tract also there is cited by Leontius Hierosol. and by Euthymius owned as Justin 's, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Of the holy and coessential Trinity, which, if genuine, will clear the whole matter: for there we have 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the God of all, who is known in Father, Son, and holy Ghost: and of them all, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , these three partake of one and the same essence, have one and the same divinity: and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , three persons, asserted and cited from S. Paul, 2 Cor. 13. 13. and from Christ, Mat. 28. 19. and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. So again the Author of the Questions and Answers ad Orthodoxos, under Justin's name, resp. ad Quaest. 139. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , There is one God in the coexistence of three divine subsistences, differing from one another not in essence, but in the manner of existence. So Athenagor as in his Ambassie for the Christians, who were by the heathens looked on as Atheists; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; Who would not wonder to hear them called Atheists, who acknowledge God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghost, and demonstrate their power in the Union, and their distinction in the order? So Clemens Alexand. in the conclusion of his Paedagogus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To the only Father and Son-with the holy Ghost, one in all things, &c. So in the third Century Origen is by S. Basil 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . reckoned among the assertors of this Tradition, l. 6. Comm. in Johan. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Deity of the Trinity, which is to be adored; and on the Romans, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Deity of the holy Ghost. So Dionysius Bishop of Rome cited by Athanasius in Epist. de Decret. Synod. Nic. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , These, that is, the true disciples of Christ, evidently know that the Trinity is preached by divine Scripture, but that three God's are not preached by the Old or New Testament. So Tertullian against Praxeas, Deum unicum quidem, sed cum oeconomia, esse credendum: expavescunt ad oeconomiam, numerum & dispositionem Trinitaetis divisionem credunt Unitatis, quando Unit as ex semetipso derivans Trinitatens not destruatur ab illa, sed administretur, We are to believe one God, but with the oeconomie, or administration: they are affrighted at the oeconomie, and think the number and order of the Trinity is the division of the Unity • when indeed the Unity deriving the Trinity from it self is not destroyed by it, but administered. And, Ecce dico alium esse Patrem, alium Filium, alium Spiritum sanctum; non tamen diversitate alium, sed distributione, nec division alium, sed distinctions, Loe I affirm the Father to be another, the Son another, the holy Ghost another; yet not another by diversity, but by distribution, nor another by division, but distinction. And, Qui tres unum sunt, non unus, Quom • do dictum est, Ego & Pater unum sumus, ad substantiae unitatem, non ad numeri singularitatem, These three are one (nature) not one (person) as it was said, I and my Father are one, for the unity of the substance, not the singularity of the number. The like place out of S. Cyprian was before produced, and this text from 1 Joh. 5. made use of for the asserting it. And so we see the truth of what we find in the debates of the first Nicene Council, on which their decrees are founded, Christum consubstantialem Filium Patri- juxta olim traditam Ecclesiae Apostolicam fidim expressis testimoniis demonstrantes, that the doctrine of the consubstantiality of Christ the Son to the Father- is by express testimonies demonstrated to be according to the Apostolic faith of old delivered to the Church: and that of Hosius in the name of the Council, Trinitatem individuam, ineffabilem, unam divinitatem, & candem ipsius essentiam esse credentes; & eandem confitemur juxta nobis ab initio traditam ipsius fidei dogmatum integritatem à Domino per sanctos ejus Apostolos, & à sanctis ejus Apostolis, & à sanctis antiquis nostris Patribus qui Apostolorum sanctam fidem illibatam conservaverunt, We believe the individual Trinity, the ineffable, one Godhead, and that the essence thereof is the same; and we confess it the same according to the integrity of the doctrines of the faith from the beginning delivered to us from our Savior by his holy Apostles, and from his holy Apostles, and from our holy ancient fathers, who conserved the holy faith of the Apostles entire. So in Athanasius 's Epistle to the Africans, telling them of the Acts of the Council, and of the decree of adding 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the consubstantiability of the Son with the Father, he adds, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , The Bishops, in the Council, did not invent these words for themselves, but having testimony from their fathers, thus they wrote. For there were ancient Bishops about one hundred and thirty years, before that Council, both of Rome and of this city, who reprehended those who affirmed the Son to be a creature, and not consubstantial with the Father. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , saith he, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , And this Eusebius Bishop of Cesarea acknowledged, who having formerly gone on in the Arian heresy, but afterward subscribed to the Council of Nice, wrote and confirmed it with his own words, saying, We have found some of the ancients, considerable persons, and eminent Bishops and writers, which concerning the Divinity of the Father and the Son used the word Consubstantial. And these words of Eusebius are at length to be seen in his Epistle in Theodoret, l. 1. c. 11. All which being evidences of the doctrine of the Church before the Council of Nice, are of full force to demonstrate that which I have now in hand, viz. that the Catholics in their controversy against the Arians had no occasion to insert these words, and that this was the doctrine of the Church before that Council of Nice. Much more might be added on this subject. This I have chosen to say, on so great an occasion, once for all.
[ b] V. 14. Ask anything according to his will] '] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , asking according to God's will, seems to comprehend two things; the first in respect of the matter of his prayer, that that be according to God's will; and the second in respect of the disposition of the petitioner, that he duly be have himself in asking, according to God's will. For the former of these, the matter of the prayer, that must be according to the will of God: and so it may be two ways; First, by being not only perfectly lawful, and so not contrary to his will, (for so is every indifferent thing, which we have no reason to be confident that God will grant us upon our demand) but also good and acceptable in the sight of God: such is the gift of his Spirit, Luc. 11. 13. such the increase of faith, which the Disciples prayed for, meaning thereby God's gift of grace, so far as to enable them thus to grow and increase; not the habit, or degrees of the habit of that virtue, for those are regularly to be acquired by our acts or exercises of that strength which God bestows, our making use of that talent entrusted to us, to which his promise of more grace is confined, whilst from him that lays it up in a napkin he takes away that which he hath; nor again the acts of that virtue, for those are no otherwise given us by God then as he gives us strength to perform them, which the Apostle expresses by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Phil. 2. 13. his working in us to work or do, upon which the exhortation is founded of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , working, and working out our own salvation. Secondly, it may be according to his will, by being agreeable to his wisdom, which always bounds and limits and determines his will. And thus a thing may be supposed to be three ways; First, when that which is prayed for is not contrary to any decree of God, which being an act of his will, is also an efflux of his (incomprehensible) wisdom. This decree of God is to us expressed by God's oath past on anything, which makes it immutable, Hebr. 6. 17. as when of the provokers, Hebr. 3. 18. God sware that they should not enter into Canaan: for in that case it was certain that neither Moses's prayers for them, nor their own for themselves, should prevail to reverse it, though that others, who did not thus provoke, should thus enter, was perfectly acceptable to God, agreeable to his will and wisdom. And so when the iniquity of the people is grown to such a pitch that God decrees their excision (and the same may be said of any particular man, that hath so filed up his measure ) though Noah, Daniel and Job should intercede, they shall not prevail for them. Secondly, when that which is prayed for is not foreseen by God to be inconvenient or hurtful for him that prayeth for it; for if it be, in that case God's denying to grant the prayer is a greater mercy then the granting of it; He were au enemy if he would thus hear us to our ruin.
The heathens could charge it on their God's as too great a facileness to destroy whole cities by this means of granting men their wishes. Thirdly, when although that which is prayed for be good for the petitioners, yet somewhat else is better, and really more desirable to them. And then thus to deny what is asked, and thus to exceed their asking, what is that but the divinest and most advantageous way of granting it? And in that case God, that knows what we really most want, what is most truly agreeable to our desires, being able to choose for us better then we for ourselves, when he grants not our prayers in the kind, yet he grants them by way (not only of equivalence, but) of running over, denies us what we demand, and gives us what is more for our advantage; denies us what is good, but grants us that which is much better for us. Thus when Christ prayed for the departure of that cup, his prayer was not heard, but instead of it the angels sent to strengthen him, and enable him to drink it up, as that which was more for his & the world's advantage. And thus when S. Paul prayed thrice that the thorn in the flesh should depart from him, that prayer was not granted, but in stead of it that grace given which was sufficient to enable him to support that affliction; and that was better to him then the other: for God's strength was perficted and magnified in him through that weakness, or affliction, viz. by his Christian bearing of it. The second thing, that which respects the disposition or qualifications of the petitioner, may be reduced to these three branches; First, that he be such as to whom God's promises do belong, such an one as performs his part of the Covenant of mercy, the pious Christian liver, he that is a worshipper of God, and doth his will: For otherwise God, which is a hearer of prayers indefinitely, is not the hearer of his; we know that God heareth not sinners, If they incline to iniquity in their heart, the Lord will not hear them, when they make their long prayers, the Lord will hide his face, their hands are full of blood; they must wash and make them clean before they have any title to God's hearing or answering their prayers. Secondly, that in that particular for which he prays, he apply himself only to God, and such means as he knows to be acceptable to him. This is it which is called in S. James, asking in faith, c. 1. b. and is opposed to wavering (that is, doubting and demurring whether God's ways or his own are to be adhered to for the obtaining his end) and to the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 double-minded man, ver. 8. who sending one mind, one will unto God in prayer, hath another for the most ungodly instruments, makes a secret address unto them, which renders him there 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , unsettled and various, one while in the ways of God, and another while of the Devil, and, Let not such an one think, saith the Apostle, that he shall receive anything of the Lord, v. 7. Thirdly, that his asking be joined with importunity; for to that qualification of our prayers the promise is expressly made, in the Parable of the widow and the unjust judge, and in the joining together of asking, seeking, knocking, to which the having, finding, opening unto, are promised by Christ; by this importunity meaning a continuance and perseverance in our prayers for that which we want, and when at the first asking the mercy is not confer'd, repeating and re-enforcing the request, waiting upon the Lord which hideth his face, and never giving over the importunity until the request be graciously answered by God. All these being thus set down are the several ingredients to make up the entire qualification signified hereby, praying according to God's will; and to them that are thus qualified in each branch this confidence here belongs, that whatsoever they shall thus ask, God will hear them. By which it appears in what sense it may be deemed to be required of the petitioner to believe that his petition shall be granted, viz. only according to the importance of these words thus explicated. It being certain that no man is bound to believe that which is not true, or to believe that absolutely which depends upon so many conditions, upon performing of which, as he lawfully may, nay (as a duty of faith to God's promises) is obliged, and must believe that what he thus prays shall be granted; so if he perform them not, he is not obliged to believe that his prayers shall be granted him: and if through a great measure of humility and undervaluing his own performances he chance to err, and think himself unqualified when he is not unqualified, and consequently want this confidence toward God, that he will hear his prayers, when he hath (if he knew it) due grounds for that confidence, it is not to be imagined that the want of that confidence, or the excess of that humility, which is so acceptable in the sight of God, should render him or his prayers unacceptable and ineffectual to him. And accordingly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Let him ask in faith, in S. James chap. 1. 6. must no otherwise be interpreted.
[ c] V. 16. Sin unto death] What is meant by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a sin unto death, may, I suppose, be best learned from what we read in the Law, of him that sins contemptuously, to whom death without mercy was prescribed. This was described, Heb. 10. 28. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He that set at naught Moses 's Law died without mercy, upon a sufficient proof of it. And so he that is guilty of that, and, proportionably to him, he that useth the Son of God, now under the Gospel, after that manner, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 treading or trampling upon the Son of God, v. 29. setting his commands and terrors at naught, as there he is thought worthy of sorer punishment, so here his sin may fitly be said to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , unto death. What this contempt is, may appear by the second Council of Nice, which expounds the sin unto death by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to continue unreformed and incorrigible after all the admonitions and censures of the Church; of which as there were several degrees, so he that did not reform upon the first was, within some time, to be put under the second, or higher, and not reforming then, was to fall under the third, which was wont to be called by the Jews, Schammatha, which signifies there is death, a punishment proportioned to this sin, and from the title thereof this seems to be called here a sin unto death. Not that every deliberate or willful sin is here so styled (though that also be mortiferous without repentance) for of this sort is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sin, (indefinitely taken, according to the use of this writer; see Note on c. 3. a.) and according to that which follows, v. 17. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 every iniquity is sin, and yet every such, as it there follows, is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , unto death in this sense; but the phrase peculiarly belongs to a willful sin (to which, without repentance or reformation, eternal perdition is denounced) heightened and aggravated farther with the addition of obstinacy against all persuasions and means of melting, which renders him hopeless and owned to ruin, and there is nothing left for him but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , these that walk thus contrary to God, resist his admonitions, his grace, all his methods of reducing them. Of these the Apostle here saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , I say not that he, that is, the Christian brother, shall pray for such an one. Which words may seem very cautiously set, not that he forbids, but only doth not command to pray for them, or doth not promise any good success to the prayers that are offered up for such an one. Agreeably to what is said of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , c. 10. 26. those that sin willfully after the receiving the knowledge of the truth, (where the willfulness is added to the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the sinning deliberately, and denotes the contumacious continuing in any such 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or deliberate sin ) that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , there remains no longer any sacrifice, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , for such sins so willfully continued in, noting thereby the suspension of the prayers of the Church (or the inefficaciousnesse of them) which are answerable to the sacrifices of old time; as when of obdurate sinners it is said, that if Noah, Daniel and Job, the three great examples of powerful intercession, were there a praying for them, they should not be available for the pardon of such. That such as these were deprived of the benefit of the prayers of the Church, and out of meet pity delivered up to Satan, as the only remaining charitable method, by that means to rouse and awake them out of sin, is sufficiently known in the Antient Canons. And it is the advice of Clemens Alexandrinus, Str. l, 7. concerning such insensate, incorrigible sinners, that we should pray to God for some temporal punishments upon them, as the only reserve behind to make impression on them. And that was done in the anathema or Cherem, where they used execrations upon them, not as an act of hatred, but kindness toward them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord. Where still it is not defined unlawful to pray for such, either for their pardon, or for their repentance to qualify them for it, but they are only looked on as excommunicate persons, that must not be encouraged with admission to the public prayers of the Church or the privileges of Christians, but marked out and branded and shamed to reformation.
[ d] V. 21. Idols] The idols that are here mentioned are sure those that the Gnostics used. To which purpose there is an eminent place in Eusebius, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 — Those that were of the heresy of Simon Magus, pretended to be of the Christian religion, and to have forsaken the superstition of the heathens in worshipping of idols, and yet came back again to that which they pretended to have forsaken, falling down to the pictures and statues of Simon and Helene, and by sacrifice and incense and drink-offerings doing adoration to them. And besides these, many abominable impurities, not fit to be named, there were among them. All which together may well be the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , idols, which the Christians are here warned to beware of.
CHAP. I.
1. T Hat 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,]
[Paraphrase] 1. That which from the beginning of the world was in the decree and purpose of God (and was afterward foretold by him) but by us the Apostles of Christ heard from God speaking from heaven, and really beheld and looked on by us, known and testified by all our senses, concerning Christ and the Gospel of Christ, showing us the way to life eternal,
2. ( For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)]
[Paraphrase] 2. (Which Christ and which Gospel were revealed unto us visibly and discernibly, of which I can testify as an eye-witness, and do therefore now declare to you Christ the fountain of eternal life, who from all eternity continued with the Father, and at • ast became man, and was clearly revealed to us)
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.]
[Paraphrase] 3. What, I say, we know thus assuredly, that we make known to you, that you may partake with us in it, and that participation be of all others the most blessed desirable participation, (see Act. 2. c.) a participation of knowledge and grace and immortality, and that with God himself through Christ Jesus.
4. And these things we write unto you, that your joy may be full.]
[Paraphrase] 4. This Epistle and, in it, this testimony do I write unto you, for your encouragement in the profession of the Gospel, which many Gnostics and false Christ's are apt to shake you out of.
5. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is [note a] light, and in him is no darkness at all.]
[Paraphrase] 5. And this is the sum of the Gospel preached by Christ, which we now testify unto you, that all purity is required of you, that all God's commands are pure, and that there is nothing which hath any degree of impurity in it which God in Christ doth not now abominate, but on the other side, a far greater purity now required then before, which may sufficiently are you against all the deceits of the Gnostics, which under the notion of Christian liberty are apt to lead you into all the impurity in the world.
6. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:]
[Paraphrase] 6. If we say we are partakers of his purity, or have any likeness or conformity with him, and live in any impure course, as the Gnostics do, we neither speak nor act according to the Gospel, which prohibits and interdicts all such ways as they daily and avowedly practice:
7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
[Paraphrase] 7. But if we live pure lives, as he is perfectly pure, then we partake with Christ of his graces, and resemble him in his purity, (see v. 3. and v. 6.) and the death of Christ is beneficial (to us, who thus imitate his purity) and cleanse us from all the guilt of past sins, and present infirmities.
8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.]
[Paraphrase] 8. All these men's pretensions to perfection are a perfect cheating of themselves. Whosoever conceive, as the Gnostics do, (calling themselves, The perfect, &c.) that such actions as are done by them are reconcilable with persection or innocence, they most miserably deceive themselves, and must know that they are so far from any state of perfection, that they act quite contrary to the rule which the Gospel gives for the regulating of men's lives.
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.]
[Paraphrase] 9. The only way is to repent and acknowledge what we have done amiss, and then God, having promised pardon to all humble penitents upon sincere reformation, is obliged in fidelity and justice to make good this promise to you, to free you from all punishment of sin; and no other course but this will render you capable of his mercy.
10. If we say that we have not sinned, we [note b] make him a liar, and his word is not in us.]
[Paraphrase] 10. Nay they that live such lives as these men, and yet pretend to perfection, do not only lie, v. 6. deceive themselves, v. 8. but proceed farther, and make God a Iyar, who having sent Christ into the world to reveal his will, to give certain rules of life, to define what is now sin, and what is not, hath universally defined such actions as are committed by these pretenders to perfection, to be horrible and damning sins; and therefore they that do thus, and yet thus pretend, give God the lie, and manifest how far they are from obeying his commands, living according to God's will.
Annotations on Chap. I.
[ a] V. 5. Light] The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 light is a figurative expression to signify the most perfect, immaculate purity; and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkness is directly the contrary, mixture of all impurity: The affirming of which concerning God, that he is perfect purity, without any mixture of impurity, is no such strange thing as that the Apostle should introduce it with so much ceremony as here we see made use of, That which we have heard and seen, which we have looked on, and our hands have felt, V. 1. What we have seen, we declare, V. 3. and, This is that message which we declare, V. 5. That which all this solemnity was thought fit to introduce, was certainly somewhat either doubted of and questioned by the doctrines, or opposed and resisted by the lives of those to whom he writes. And that which seems most probable to be the full importance of it, is in the general to denote the great perfection of purity which is now commanded in the Christian law, and more particularly the great obligation that lies upon Christians not to make that profession or pretence or excuse for the favoring themselves in any degree of liberty or impurity. Christ came certainly from God to declare his will unto us; that God a God of all purity, and consequently his commandments which Christ came to reveal (like himself) made up of severe rules of purity: And then how contrary to all piety and Christianity must the Gnostic infusions necessarily be, which allow and practice all impurities, and make them a special part of their religion, and call themselves 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 perfect and knowing men, beyond all others, and living in a sink of all uncleanness, say they have not sinned for all this, ver. 10?
[ b] V. 10. Make him a liar] What it is to make God a liar hath no great difficulty in it; it is certainly to deny the truth of that which God hath somewhere affirmed; and so 'tis used c. 5. 10. The greater question is, wherein the truth of this affirmation here is founded, that if we say we have not sinned, we thus deny the truth of what God hath affirmed, or give God the lie. The best way of deciding this, will sure be taken from the Context, where v. 6. the foundation of this speech is laid. There it is, If we say we have fellowship or partnership with God, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. There certainly we may discern who are the we that are here spoken of, viz. not the Apostle, and the pious Christians (for the first person doth not always signify so, but is used to personate any other that the Apostle would speak of: see Rom. 7. Note d.) but those that are supposed to walk in darkness, that is, to go on in unchristian sins, and yet to pretend partnership with God, that is, to a state of great innocence and perfection. These are certainly the Gnostic-heretics, whose character that is, to live in all carnality and uncharitableness, &c. and yet to pretend themselves to be the most perfect men: Of those he there saith, that they lie notoriously, their foul actions and pretensions to perfection are very contrary, and they do not the truth, they live contrary to that rule of life which as Christians they have received to live by. To these same persons he proceeds, ver. 7. to tell the positive truth, contrary to their lie, that if they walk in the light, that is, live Christian lives of purity and charity, then they may truly be said to have partnership with him, (as the King's MS. seems to have read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and as is most agreeable with v. 6.) that is, to be blameless, pious, perfect men; and then for any frailties, or forsaken sins, the blood of Christ is accepted as a sacrifice of expiation for such. This is again said (both in the former and latter part of it, ver. 8, 9.) but with some little change of the phrase, which must be interpreted by analogy with the former. If we say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 we have not that is all one with the precedent, we have partnership with him; for sinlenesse is that property of God's which they pretended to be communicated to them: and then though there be nothing in that verse answerable to their walking in darkness, ver. 6. Yet the persons being still supposed the same that are spoken of in both verses, the impious carnal Gnostics, this of their wicked lives is supposed in the 8 th verse, having been already, ver. 6. sufficiently expressed: and so as of them, whose lives of carnality and pretensions of perfection were so contrary, it had been affirmed, ver. 6. that they lie, and do not the truth; so in that 8 th verse, 'tis said with little change, they deceive themselves, and the truth is not: in them, which only adds to the former the consideration of their danger that they thus brought upon themselves, they flattered themselves to their ruin, whereas v. 9. If they would acknowledge their sins and danger, and forsake them, and fly to God for pardon upon repentance, he having promised it to such, would be faithful and just to forgive them their sins, would deal with them according to his promise. And then follows v. 10 If we say that we have not sinned (which is directly all one with, we have not sin, v. 8. see Ntoe on c. 3. a.) that is, if these men that thus live, pretend still that they are the perfect (as of their followers in Irenaeus we read, that they called themselves the spiritual, and affirmed that all the foulest actions did no more pollute them then gold was polluted by being in the mire, or the sun beams by shining on a dunghill) they make God a liar, (which is an addition to their lying first, ver. 6. and then deceiving themselves, v. 8. and so frees these repetitions from tautology) that is, directly give God the lie, who hath everywhere declared such actions as these men practiced confidently, (abominable pollutions, &c.) to be most vile and most punishable sins. And so this appears to be the full meaning of this verse, and being so, leaves no place of disputing from hence, whether of any regenerate man it can be said at any time, that he hath not sinned (in that notion which belongs to that phrase in these Epistles of S. John, and is explained Note a. on ch. 3. to belong to willful, advised, deliberate sin) for sure these Gnostic soul livers were far from regenerate men. That this is the full meaning of the place will farther appear by the words immediately subsequent, ch. 2. 1. These things I write unto you that ye sin not, which are very fitly adapted to this purpose: for there is no such way to persuade men not to fall off into those soul sins that now solicited them, as this of undeceiving them in this point, and assuring them that if they lived Gnostic lives, they should never be deemed perfect men, which as long as they entertained themselves with any hopes of, nothing could convince them of the necessity of so saking them. Whereas any other way of understanding the place would not tend to that end of exhorting and warning them not to sin. For if it were to be understood of all the best men's being guilty of sin, how could that be a way of enforcing on them their duty of not sinning? Many more arguments might be used by refuting all other imaginable interpretations of this place to confirm this, but this one of the Context may be sufficient, which accordingly in the next Chapter pursues the same subject more expressly; Hereby we know that we have known him, that we are true Gnostics indeed, (and not those that falsely assume that name) truly perfect men, such as Christianity was designed to make us, if we keep his commandments, v. 3. practice those virtues of purity and charity which Christ commandeth: and then v. 4. just as here in this Chapter, but more largely and explicitly then in this verse, He that saith, I have known him, that is, calls himself a Gnostic, perfect man, and keepeth not his commandments, lives so contrary to the rules of piety and purity, and all Christian virtue, as these pretended Gnostics do, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is a liar (just as c. 1. 6. we lie ) and the truth is not in him, as c. 1. 8. the truth is not in us. But who so keepeth his word v. 5. that is, lives according to the strict commands of Christ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in this man hath the love of God been truly perfected; he may on some grounds of truth pretend to perfection of charity toward God, to which these Gnostics falsely pretended, and so was the occasion of all this discourse of pretended perfection, when men live in vile sins, as after of that perfect love which, if truly such, casteth out fear, ch. 4. • .
Annotations on Chap. I.
[ a] V. 5. Light] The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 light is a figurative expression to signify the most perfect, immaculate purity; and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkness is directly the contrary, mixture of all impurity: The affirming of which concerning God, that he is perfect purity, without any mixture of impurity, is no such strange thing as that the Apostle should introduce it with so much ceremony as here we see made use of, That which we have heard and seen, which we have looked on, and our hands have felt, V. 1. What we have seen, we declare, V. 3. and, This is that message which we declare, V. 5. That which all this solemnity was thought fit to introduce, was certainly somewhat either doubted of and questioned by the doctrines, or opposed and resisted by the lives of those to whom he writes. And that which seems most probable to be the full importance of it, is in the general to denote the great perfection of purity which is now commanded in the Christian law, and more particularly the great obligation that lies upon Christians not to make that profession or pretence or excuse for the favoring themselves in any degree of liberty or impurity. Christ came certainly from God to declare his will unto us; that God a God of all purity, and consequently his commandments which Christ came to reveal (like himself) made up of severe rules of purity: And then how contrary to all piety and Christianity must the Gnostic infusions necessarily be, which allow and practice all impurities, and make them a special part of their religion, and call themselves 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 perfect and knowing men, beyond all others, and living in a sink of all uncleanness, say they have not sinned for all this, ver. 10?
[ b] V. 10. Make him a liar] What it is to make God a liar hath no great difficulty in it; it is certainly to deny the truth of that which God hath somewhere affirmed; and so 'tis used c. 5. 10. The greater question is, wherein the truth of this affirmation here is founded, that if we say we have not sinned, we thus deny the truth of what God hath affirmed, or give God the lie. The best way of deciding this, will sure be taken from the Context, where v. 6. the foundation of this speech is laid. There it is, If we say we have fellowship or partnership with God, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. There certainly we may discern who are the we that are here spoken of, viz. not the Apostle, and the pious Christians (for the first person doth not always signify so, but is used to personate any other that the Apostle would speak of: see Rom. 7. Note d.) but those that are supposed to walk in darkness, that is, to go on in unchristian sins, and yet to pretend partnership with God, that is, to a state of great innocence and perfection. These are certainly the Gnostic-heretics, whose character that is, to live in all carnality and uncharitableness, &c. and yet to pretend themselves to be the most perfect men: Of those he there saith, that they lie notoriously, their foul actions and pretensions to perfection are very contrary, and they do not the truth, they live contrary to that rule of life which as Christians they have received to live by. To these same persons he proceeds, ver. 7. to tell the positive truth, contrary to their lie, that if they walk in the light, that is, live Christian lives of purity and charity, then they may truly be said to have partnership with him, (as the King's MS. seems to have read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and as is most agreeable with v. 6.) that is, to be blameless, pious, perfect men; and then for any frailties, or forsaken sins, the blood of Christ is accepted as a sacrifice of expiation for such. This is again said (both in the former and latter part of it, ver. 8, 9.) but with some little change of the phrase, which must be interpreted by analogy with the former. If we say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 we have not that is all one with the precedent, we have partnership with him; for sinlenesse is that property of God's which they pretended to be communicated to them: and then though there be nothing in that verse answerable to their walking in darkness, ver. 6. Yet the persons being still supposed the same that are spoken of in both verses, the impious carnal Gnostics, this of their wicked lives is supposed in the 8 th verse, having been already, ver. 6. sufficiently expressed: and so as of them, whose lives of carnality and pretensions of perfection were so contrary, it had been affirmed, ver. 6. that they lie, and do not the truth; so in that 8 th verse, 'tis said with little change, they deceive themselves, and the truth is not: in them, which only adds to the former the consideration of their danger that they thus brought upon themselves, they flattered themselves to their ruin, whereas v. 9. If they would acknowledge their sins and danger, and forsake them, and fly to God for pardon upon repentance, he having promised it to such, would be faithful and just to forgive them their sins, would deal with them according to his promise. And then follows v. 10 If we say that we have not sinned (which is directly all one with, we have not sin, v. 8. see Ntoe on c. 3. a.) that is, if these men that thus live, pretend still that they are the perfect (as of their followers in Irenaeus we read, that they called themselves the spiritual, and affirmed that all the foulest actions did no more pollute them then gold was polluted by being in the mire, or the sun beams by shining on a dunghill) they make God a liar, (which is an addition to their lying first, ver. 6. and then deceiving themselves, v. 8. and so frees these repetitions from tautology) that is, directly give God the lie, who hath everywhere declared such actions as these men practiced confidently, (abominable pollutions, &c.) to be most vile and most punishable sins. And so this appears to be the full meaning of this verse, and being so, leaves no place of disputing from hence, whether of any regenerate man it can be said at any time, that he hath not sinned (in that notion which belongs to that phrase in these Epistles of S. John, and is explained Note a. on ch. 3. to belong to willful, advised, deliberate sin) for sure these Gnostic soul livers were far from regenerate men. That this is the full meaning of the place will farther appear by the words immediately subsequent, ch. 2. 1. These things I write unto you that ye sin not, which are very fitly adapted to this purpose: for there is no such way to persuade men not to fall off into those soul sins that now solicited them, as this of undeceiving them in this point, and assuring them that if they lived Gnostic lives, they should never be deemed perfect men, which as long as they entertained themselves with any hopes of, nothing could convince them of the necessity of so saking them. Whereas any other way of understanding the place would not tend to that end of exhorting and warning them not to sin. For if it were to be understood of all the best men's being guilty of sin, how could that be a way of enforcing on them their duty of not sinning? Many more arguments might be used by refuting all other imaginable interpretations of this place to confirm this, but this one of the Context may be sufficient, which accordingly in the next Chapter pursues the same subject more expressly; Hereby we know that we have known him, that we are true Gnostics indeed, (and not those that falsely assume that name) truly perfect men, such as Christianity was designed to make us, if we keep his commandments, v. 3. practice those virtues of purity and charity which Christ commandeth: and then v. 4. just as here in this Chapter, but more largely and explicitly then in this verse, He that saith, I have known him, that is, calls himself a Gnostic, perfect man, and keepeth not his commandments, lives so contrary to the rules of piety and purity, and all Christian virtue, as these pretended Gnostics do, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is a liar (just as c. 1. 6. we lie ) and the truth is not in him, as c. 1. 8. the truth is not in us. But who so keepeth his word v. 5. that is, lives according to the strict commands of Christ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in this man hath the love of God been truly perfected; he may on some grounds of truth pretend to perfection of charity toward God, to which these Gnostics falsely pretended, and so was the occasion of all this discourse of pretended perfection, when men live in vile sins, as after of that perfect love which, if truly such, casteth out fear, ch. 4. • .
CHAP. II.
1. MY little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.]
[Paraphrase] 1. My tender Christians, I write this to you which I have last written, v. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. (see ch. 1. note b.) to deter and forewarn you of this deceit that so many are now fallen into, that you may not be drawn away into the heresy and impurities of the Gnostics, either by following them into unclean, bestial sins, or by depending on and pretending to such a perfection in yourselves, which may secure you in any one act of deliberates sin, but that if you have fallen, or shall fall into any such act, that then persently you confess it, and forsake it freely, and lay hold on Christ, who (for your encouragement, you may know) is on God's right hand, acting as an advocate for those that have sin'd, and now reform and amend their lives, and, when the Church prays to him for any lapsed sinner, he is just and faithful to perform his promise, to hear the Churches prayers, and to present them to his Father, and to manage all that belongs to such, to their best advantage.
2. And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.]
[Paraphrase] 2. And he, having entered by blood into the holy place, that is; having died for us, and gone to heaven, where he is now invested with power, which he exerciseth in our behalf, is a powerful means of reconciling God to us, of obtaining free pardon for our sins (on condition of our giving of ourselves up to new life) and not for ours only, but for all the sins of all the world of men, (on condition of faith in Christ, and new life.)
3. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.]
[Paraphrase] 3. And this is a character by which it may be discerned whether we truly know Christ or no, (as the Gnostics call themselves by that name, which signifies knowledge, 1 Tim. 6. 20.) that is, whether we have a right notion of Christ as he is our advocate, v. 1. and propitiation for our sins, v. 2. and of his Gospel, or no, viz. if we do what he commandeth us to do, live obedient to the directions of Christ, (see note on c. 1. b.)
4. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.]
[Paraphrase] 4. He that undertaketh to be a Gnostic, or perfect Christian, that is, one that hath more perfection of divine knowledge, and love of God, v. 5. then all others, if he express not this in a pure and holy life, is the greatest hypocrite in the world, (see c. 1. note b.)
5. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.]
[Paraphrase] 5. But the observing his commands is the only sure argument, that he that doth so is a perfect lover of God, truly so called, (the appellation being falsely assumed by the Gnostics) and an argument of evidence to himself, that he is a branch, a member of Christ, as the Gnostics boast that they are, and that whatsoever they do, it cannot make them cease to be so, (see note on c. 1. b.)
6. He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk even as he walked.]
[Paraphrase] 6. He that pretends to be a member of Christ (see Joh. 15. 4.) doth by that engage himself to live as Christ lived, or if he do not, to give over so pretending.
7. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had [note a] from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.]
[Paraphrase] 7. 'It is not any new matter which I now discover or write unto you, but that which you were taught at the first preaching the faith unto you, and that which was taught you so early may deserve to be styled an old commandment.
8. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.]
[Paraphrase] 8. 'It is that indeed that Christ called a new commandment, and so it is in comparison with the Mosaical Law, to which Christ hath added some degrees of perfection; but that is no prejudice to it, it is not the less true for being so, nor the less considerable to you, but ought in all reason (as proclaimed by God from heaven, and Christ sent on purpose to preach it) to be looked on as a thing wherein we are at this time concerned most particularly, those dark imperfect shadows of the Mosaical economy being now at an end, and the more perfect Christian precepts which are to take place, and to turn out the Mosaical performances, being already, as the Sun, risen, and shining in our Horizon, in full force obligatory to all Christians.
9. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.]
[Paraphrase] 9. This consideration obligeth you to all Christian practices, actions of light, particularly that of charity and kindness to all your fellow-Christians, contrary to those emulations, and contentions, and seditions, and persecutings of their fellow-Christians, that are observable in the Gnostics among you.
10. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.]
[Paraphrase] 10. He that is thus charitably disposed and inclined, is the true Christian, and hath little occasion to ensnare him in any sin, little temptation to any ill, most of the suns that men fall into flowing from this original of uncharitableness, see Mat. 6. 22.
11. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.]
[Paraphrase] 11. For as the dark keeps any man from discerning which way to go, so doth uncharitableness obstruct all Christian practice.
12. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake.]
[Paraphrase] 12. A precept I have v 15. which I desire to enforce upon all sorts of you: First, on the tender Christians among you, because God hath been so kind to you, as to forgive your sins for Christ's sake, which will be an engagement to you, v. 15. to take off your love from the world, and place it on God.
13. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.]
[Paraphrase] 13. The same I have for you, the most ancient, for you know Christ, (which is agreeable to those of your age, to know the Antient of days) and that may be an engagement to you to love whom you know: And so 'tis likewise for young men, to whose age it is agreeable to entertain ambitions and desires of conquering, and have been enabled by God to do so, to overcome the evil one, both the devil, and every other that can mean you any hurt, and (if you adhere fast to Christ) all temptations of the world or devil. Which sure is an engagement to you not to love the world which you have overcome. And for you, little ones, again, your knowing of the Father is an obligation to love him with a most filial love.
14. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.]
[Paraphrase] 14. And again I reiterate and reinforce this exhortation upon you, ancient men, as I did before, to impress it the deeper, and so on you young men also; and the exhortation on which I lay so much weight to you all, is this,
15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.]
[Paraphrase] 15. Love not the world, nor anything in it; for whosoever doth so, that man hath not that love of God, which is prescribed now under the Gospel, of parting with all, when he calls for it, and following him.
16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life, is not of the Father; but is of the world.]
[Paraphrase] 16. For all that is in estimation in the world, those things that tend to our sensual pleasures, profits, honors, and the like, and the desires that are fastened on those objects, (which are so observable all of them in the Gnostics, first, their filthy abominable lusts, secondly, their love of the world, which makes them deny Christ, rather then incur persecution by professing him, and thirdly, their looking on themselves as men of deepest knowledge, and priding themselves in those perfections) are all from an earthy, not an heavenly principle.
17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doth the will of God abideth forever.]
[Paraphrase] 17. And all these, all wherein they so delight themselves, what are they but poor momentary transitory things? whereas obedience to God's will helps us to perpetuity.
18. Little children, it is [note b] the last time: and as you have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there [note c] many Antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time]
[Paraphrase] 18. This disseminating of unchristian doctrines among you, is no more then what Christ foretold should fall out about this time. For now the great day of destruction upon the obdurate Jews is close at hand, (see note on Mat. 24. b. and Heb. 10. a.) And as Mat. 24. 5, 11, 12. 'tis foretold by Christ that immediately before the destruction of Jerusalem, there must be false Christ's, that is, some that take upon them to be sent from God, as Christ was, and so to be counter-Christ's, false counterfeits of the true, and again false prophets, bringing in new doctrines, and pretending to do miracles, to get authority to them; so now we see it fulfilled, there having already appeared many who undertake to be the saviors and redeemers of the Jews, to rescue them (which is their notion of a Messias) out of their conquerors hands, &c. and now false teachers, the Gnostics, under Simon the Magician, by whom therefore you ought not to be seduced, but to look on them as the men foretold by Christ, which should, if it were possible, deceive the very elect, and by which we know infallibly that this is that time there prophesied of, which though it bring us some persecutions at present, yet withal it signifies, that if we continue constant in faith, we shall shortly be delivered.
19. They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us.]
[Paraphrase] 19. The Antichrists, or false teachers, that are now abroad, may persuade you, and be conceived by you to be of the same piece with us disciples, and Apostles, and Orthodox Christians, and not to differ from us in any considerable matters, because they lived in the same assembly with us, immediately before they thus went out, and taught these false doctrines among you: But let them not impose upon you thus: the truth is, they were not of us, or of the same faith with us, though they went out from among us, and an argument of that you may have from their leaving us, or going out from us; For if they had been of the same faith with us, what needed they to have separated? they would certainly have continued communion with us; and their not doing so, is a manifestation that, though they did live among us, yet they were none of them of the same faith with us, when they thus forsook us.
20. But ye have an unction from the holy One, and ye know all things.]
[Paraphrase] 20. And that testimony of the truth of the Gospel of Christ, which was given to it by the holy Ghost, is imparted to you, and gives you such an assurance of the truth against these impostors, that you cannot in any reason be thus cheated by them: see note on Act. 10. c.
21. I have not written unto you, because ye know not the truth; but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.]
[Paraphrase] 21. And consequently my writing to you now is not out of jealousy or suspicion that you are ignorant of the truth; for then I would write more largely on this matter, and give you the evidences and proofs of all this: but I satisfy myself with these brief admonitions, because you are so firmly rooted in the truth, that you cannot but discern the difference of every such false doctrine from the one revealed truth.
22. Who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? he is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.]
[Paraphrase] 22. There is no such liar, such dangerous false teacher, as he that denies Jesus to be the Messias, and thus do the ring-leaders of the Gnostic heresy (see note a.) Whosoever doth so is an Antichrist, denying in effect both the Father and the Son; the Son directly, the Father by consequence, because he hath testified of Christ by miracles, and voice from heaven, which testimony of the Father is not true if Jesus be not the Christ.
23. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same [note d] hath not the Father: [ but ] he that acknowledgeth the Son, hath the Father also. ]
[Paraphrase] 23. And so whosoever denieth the Son to be the Messias, renounceth the Father also, who hath testified him to be so. And this do the followers of Simon, the Gnostics, who deny Christ to have been born, or lived or died truly, but only in appearance.
24. Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning: if that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.]
[Paraphrase] 24. You therefore, whatsoever your temptations be, forsake not the doctrine which from the beginning of your Christianity you have received: To which if you firmly adhere, if you continue in the constant profession of the true faith of Christ at first revealed to you, you shall continue also in the favor and love of God the Father, and of Christ, which is reward sufficient for that constancy.
25. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.]
[Paraphrase] 25. And whatsoever hazard we run by so doing, it matters not, though it be to loss of life itself, because he hath promised eternal life to those that stick fast to him, though with the loss of this.
26. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.]
[Paraphrase] 26. And this have. I said to arm you against the seducing Gnostics, &c. that are now among you, and are so solicitous to do so.
27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you: and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie; and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.]
[Paraphrase] 27. And indeed I need give you no other armature against these, then what you have already: for the testimony of the holy Ghost, and so of God himself, given to the truth of that Gospel which hath been preached among you, is sufficient to fortify you, and that is still among you, and you have no farther need of testimonies of that truth against all opposers and deceivers; only hold fast and persevere in that which you have formerly been infallibly taught by that means, see ver. 20. and let not these seducers yet work upon you.
28. And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, & not be ashamed before him at his coming.]
[Paraphrase] 28. I beseech you, my tender children, keep fast to Christ, unmoved, that when that great fatal day of visitation comes, that coming of Christ so long expected (see note b. & Mat. 24. b.) wherein the obdurate unbelievers shall be destroyed, and the believers delivered and preserved, we may come with cheerfulness and confidence (see Joh. 7. a.) and not be turned with shame from him, or as inconstant (and so guilty) persons, be ashamed to meet him.
29. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doth righteousness is born of him.]
[Paraphrase] 29. Resolving of this, that Christ is a most just judge, and consequently that every upright person is a child of his, like unto him, and certainly shall be used by him as a son, have all protection and inheritance from him.
Annotations on Chap. II.
\1 \2 reads, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 because the darkness, or the shadow, passeth, and the true light already shineth. What is the meaning of these phrases is yet a farther difficulty, but by analogy with other the like in these books may be explained. Christ is called the true light, Job. 1. 9. Light in respect of his doctrine, which was the direction of every man's life, and true light in respect of the more imperfect shadows that had been before under the Law. Thus, when it is said, Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, truth denotes the substance in opposition to shadows, the substantial worship in opposition to the rudiments of the Law. And this sense is much favored here by the King's MS. which reads, not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkness, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 shadow, which is used of the Law, Col. 2. 17. Heb. 10. 1. and so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 passeth doth incline; for that is oft applied to a shadow, ( my time passeth like a shadow, &c.) but not so to darkness. And indeed as light is opposed to darkness, so true light, which is somewhat more, that in which is no mixture of darkness, is most fi • lie opposed to a shadow, in which there is some of that mixture. 'It is true indeed ver. 9, and 11. we read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkness, which may make it probable that it should be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkness, not shadow, here. But that argument is of little force, because there the opposition being betwixt that and light simply, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkness was necessarily to be used; and by that is meant the darkness of sin in both places, the hating the brother: but here it being not simply light, but with this addition, the true light, shadow is it to which that is most properly opposed. And it need not seem strange that both these oppositions should here be used so near one to the other it being evident, that the doctrine of Christ, which is opposed to sin, and so to darkness, which denotes that, is opposed also to the Law of Moses, as a more perfect to that which was less perfect, an higher degree of charity now exemplified and required by Christ, to a lower and more imperfect degree of it before required by Moses. As for the passing of the shadow, and shining of the true light, that evidently signifies the abolition of the Mosaical Law, and the Christian law taking place, prevailing over it. Which this Apostle, which knew that to be the last hour, and so the destruction of the Jewish Temple (and consequently service) so suddenly to approach, could not but know that it was now at hand. And indeed the Apostles having received revelations to that purpose, (see Note on Rom. 7. a.) it is here truly said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , this true light already shineth, the Law was already abolished, and only the Christian doctrine in force already. And so this is a most commodious, efficacious reason, to prove and press the matter in hand, that if this were a new commandment, which here he speaks of, and no old Judaical one, yet it was part of the doctrine of Christ, and that was now in full force over the world, the Judaical Law being already abrogated, and the destruction of their whole policy very near at hand, v. 18.
[ b] V. 18. The last time ] That 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here signifies that famous period, the destruction of the Jews, will not only appear by comparing that phrase with many other of that kind in these Books, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 end, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 consummation of the age, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the last days, but also by the whole Context in this place: For the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (here following) ye have heard, being a form of citing, must necessarily refer us to some prediction that had before been delivered of the matter here spoken of, viz. the coming of Antichrist. This prediction was certainly that of Christ 's Mat. 24. where before this fatal day, in three stages of his discourse, three several times he toucheth on this matter; first v. 5. There shall come many in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many; then v. 11. many Pseudo-prophets (that is, that pretend a mission when they have it not) shall arise and deceive many; then v. 23. If any shall say, Lo here is Christ, or there, believe them not: for there shall rise Pseudo-Christ's and Pseudo-prophets, and shall show many signs and wonders, so that they shall deceive, if possible, even the elect: behold I have told you before. Of the first sort are those counterfeit Christ's who pretended soon after Christ 's ascension; of which it is therefore said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the end is not yet, they were to be some years before this destruction. Of this sort was Theudas, not he which is mentioned Act. 5. 36, 37. as antienter then Judas Galilaeus; but another mentioned by Josephus, under Claudius 's reign, when Fadus was Procurator of Judea, who, saith Eusebius 1. 2. c. 1. a. out of Joseph. Ant. l. 20. c. 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 deceived many. Of this sort was the Egyptian, Act. 21. 38. mentioned also by Eusebius, 1. 2. c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . out of Josephus. And so also Dositheus, or Dosthes, in Origen cont. Cels. l. 1. and in Hegesippus apud Euseb. l. 4. c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . and divers others who undertook to be deliverers of the people, which is in effect to be Christ's, as a Christ is defined by S. Luke, c. 24. 21. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he that should redeem Israel. So again in the last place, the false Christ's & false prophets are the like to these, differing from them only in the time wherein they should show themselves, viz. after the besieging of Jerusalem, v. 15. when upon the sudden raising of it again by Cestius Gallus the Christians fled out of Judea, v. 16. for then was it an opportunity for false Christ's to attempt to gather followers, and undertake deliverances, if any would be deceived by them. But the deceivers that especially belong to this place are those of the second or middle stage, Mat. 24. 11. called there 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 many Pseudo-prophets, immediately before the standing of the abomination of desolation in the holy place, that is, (as S. Luke interprets it) before Jerusalem was encompass'd with armies, that is, besieged, as here the many Antichrists among them is a proof that it was the last hour, Of that point of time five things are there foretold by Christ which are so exactly fulfilled in this time wherein in S. John writes, that the very reciting them is almost the sum of this Epistle. First, that the Jews should be very cruel in persecuting the Christians, Mat. 24. 9. Secondly, that many Christians should be scandalized by this means, that is, renounce the faith to comply with the persecutors, v. 10. Thirdly, that they that did thus renounce the faith to comply with the persecutors, (viz. the Gnostic-heretics ) should persecute those that stuck fast to Christ, and deliver them up to the persecutors, v. 10. Fourthly, that Pseudo-prophets should rise, and, upon this advantage of ridding men from persecution, seduce many, v. 11. Lastly, that upon this increase of persecutions upon the orthodox Christians both from the Jews and Gnostics, called the increasing of iniquity, the orthodox themselves should begin to faint, their love to Christ grow cold, v. 12. After which it soon follows, v. 14. And then shall the end come. By the accordance of all which passages there and here, it is manifest who are these Antichrists