He wrote these things to them that they might not sin. 341 SECT. i. with humble thankfulness, apply to that blood, which is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Most freely confessing our sins, in all their aggravations, so far as our weak and limited thoughts Ver. can attain to the view of them, let us humbly plead his promise, 10 and his covenant ; and then fidelity and justice will join with mercy, 9 to insure our deliverance from the punishment they merit: so that instead of being, as we have deserved, companions in condemnation and ruin, we shall share together in that complete freedom from all the penal consequences of sin, which will be the portion of all those who truly repent, and obey the gospel. SECT. II. Farther to promote that holiness of temper, which it is the great design of this epistle to recommend, the Apostle urges the propitiation and intercession of Christ, and the necessity of shewing our love to God, by obedience, by brotherly love, and by overcoming the immoderate love of the world. 1 John II. 1-17. 1 JOHN II. 1. MY little children, I unto you, that ye sin 1 JOHN II. 1. SECT. ii. these things write PERMIT me now to address myself to you, with all tenderness and endearment, as my 1 John And if any man little children, and to assure you, that I write II. 1. sin, we have an Advo- these things concerning the readiness of God to cate with the Father, Jesus forgive sin, not to encourage you to offend, but not. with a contrary purpose, that you may not sin. a An Advocate with the Father.] The word, advocate, in our language commonly signifies one who is to plead for a person in a court of judicature; but Dr. Samuel Harris bath taken great pains to show, that it properly signifies the same with patron amongst the Romans, or in the Hebrew, a great person, who used to patronize the cause of some of inferior rank, and who was also a sponsor for their good behaviour. By this he imagines se. veral scriptures may be illustrated, and particularly Isa. 1. 7-9; Job xxix. 12; Psal. Ixxii 12; Job xxxiii. 23, &c. And in confirmation of this sentiment he brings some remarkable quotations from the anci➡ ents. Harris's Observ. p. 49-61. Perhaps there is nothing that illustrates the matter more, than the residence of some eminent persons from distant provinces, in the courts of great princes or states, whose business it was constantly to nego ciate with them the affairs of those whom they represented, to vindicate them from any unjust aspersions, and to advance their interest to the utmost of their power. U u 2 b For SECT. Christ is the propitiation for our sins; plead for our pardon and renew our peace, even Jesus Christ, the righ ii. Jesus Christ, the righteous one; that great exalt- teous: 1 John ed Saviour, who was himself, by way of emiI, 1. nence, and in such a degree, as no other person dwelling in human flesh ever was, so perfectly righteous, that his obedience absolutely answered the demands of the Divine law in all its ex For he 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his command 2 tent and purity. And he is the great propitia-2 And he is the pro- b For the sins of the whole world.] Mr. Reyner has urged this as a proof, that the merit of Christ's death shall extend, not only to believers, but to virtuous heathens; and I do not see that Christianity can re. ceive any prejudice by our acknowledging, that if there are those in whom a truly virtuous temper prevails, they may be acsepted of God, in consideration of the And ments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him veri ly is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked, atonement which Christ hath made. But this will by no means prove the doctrine of universal redemption, in the sense in which some persons have stated it. But it seems to me, that the apostle is to be understood, as speaking only of all those who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, over the whole world. And he who would abide in him, ought to walk as he walked. Brethren, I write mandment is the word from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write un to you, which thing is true in him, and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. ii. 1 John 343 And this is so obvious and natural a truth, SECT. no new commandment that I persuade myself, brethren, ye already unto you, but an old commandment which know it; for herein I write no new commandye had from the begin- ment to you, but the old commandment, founded 11. 7. ing: the old com- in nature, recommended by the Mosaic law, which ye have heard and that which ye had especially inculcated from the beginning of your acquaintance with the gospel, the great practical intent of which was, doubtless, presently made known to you by whomsoever it was preached. I may therefore well say, it is the old commandment; for it is the word which you heard from the beginning of your acquaintance with Christianity. Yet consi-g dering its peculiar obligations, and the new motives with which it is enforced upon us continually, I may say again, a new commandment I write to you, which expression is true in him, and in you, for he has laid us under new engagements to observe it, by his admirable love declared and exhibited to us; because the darkness of heathenism, and twilight of the Jewish state, is now passed away, and the true light now shineth, and in proportion to our knowledge, he may reasonably expect that our care to act suitably should be awakened. He that saith, he g is in the light, that he enjoyeth, that he understands and receives the gospel, and hateth his brother, and does him any designed injury, is in the darkness even till now. And his ineffectual acquaintance with some principles of religion, which do not influence his heart to charity and beneficence, will, as to his real and final happiness, stand him in no stead. But 10 he that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, he improves the advantages which he enjoys by the Christian religion, and as he answers its end, he will continually share the pleasure and the security, which it gives; for there is no occasion of stumbling in him; this will secure him from giving any just cause of offence; whereas the malevolent passions turn a thousand circumstances into temptations, which prove fatal to a man's credit and repose in this world, and his 11 But he that hateth salvation in the next. But on the contrary, 11 his brother, is in darkas I said before, he who hateth his brother, is in ness, and walketh in darkness, darkness, and walketh in darkness; and the consequence of that is, that as one who walketh in the night, without any light to guide him, knows not whither he goeth; so such an one, while he flattereth himself with hopes of sal 9 He that saith he is In the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. vation, 344 ii. They had known him who was from the beginning: because that darkness SECT. vation, on account of his knowledge and pro- darkness, and knoweth fession, is really ignorant of his own state, be- not whither he goeth, cause darkness hath blinded his eyes; and so he is hath blinded his eyes. 1 John 11.11. in the utmost danger of falling, before he is aware, into the bottomless pit, from whence there is no redemption. 12 12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's 13 I write unto you, have known him that These things I say unto you, and they are of universal concern; I hope therefore you will all attend to them, and improve them for your own advantage. I write unto you, little children, sake. amongst the rest, to guard the least and weakest of you against sin: because by his name, even the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has made an atonement for them, your sins are forgiven you, and I am very solicitous that you may inake all due return for so inestimable a favour, as a pardon purchased at the expence of such sacred 13 blood. [I write to you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning; be- fathers, because ye cause ye have heard of his divine dignity and is from the beginning. glory, who was in the beginning, who was I write unto you, with God, and himself God; that ye may be- young men, because have aright towards that Divine Saviour, who wicked one. I write submitted to such abasement for us, though ori- unto you, little chilginally he was so exalted and glorious. dren, because ye have known the Father. write to you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one, have bravely bid defiance to his allurements and terrors, in taking upon you, in so solemn a manner, the Christian profession; and I would by no means have you disgrace the victory you have already gained. I write to you, little children,] because even the youngest of you have known God, as the Father c To you, little children, &c.] There is such an apparent tautology in these three verses, as cannot, that I know of, be equalled in any other part of scripture. Some have imagined, that the signification of little children here, (in the original wat da,) is different from that in the 12th verse, (where the word is Txvia,) which Wolfius says is used to signify Christians in general; whereas waisia refers either to those who were young in years, or lately converted to Christianity. (See Cure Philolog. Vol. V. p. 259.) And they have supposed the meaning of the apostle's exhortation here is, that as one of the first persons children become acquainted with, is their father, so they should know God, and improve more and more in a practical acquaintance with him: and each of these congratulations contains a tacit exhor I of ye have overcome the tation to go on in that which he commends them for, or congratulates them upon. But on the whole, comparing the beginning of the 13th with the 14th verse, where the same words are repeated, I am ready to conjecture, that if they were writton in the original, they were left out again, and were written more perfectly afterwards in the 14th; and consequently, that all that should be retained, is the last clause of it, in connection with the 12th. Yoursins are forgiven-because ye have known the Father. Thus all tautology is avoided, and every sentiment and expression, in either of the verses, is preserved. I have therefore inclosed in a parenthesis all that part, both of the text and paraphrase. which may be left out without taking away any thing from the sense, or burden. ing it with an unnecessary repetition. d la And therefore should not love the world. 345 written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome ii. of his people, have been taught to call upon him SECT. as your Father in heaven; and I desire you may, with all filial reverence and love, approve your 1 John selves dutiful and grateful to him under that re- II. 13. 14 I have written lation. And (as I have before said,) I have 14 unto you, fathers, be- written to you, fathers, because ye have known cause ye have known him that is from the him who is from the beginning; so also, I have beginning. I have written to you, young men, because ye are strong, you are in the full vigour of nature; and may God preserve your hearts in a right frame, and lengthen out your lives to do him much service in future and distant years. And this may the rather be expected, as the word of God abideth in you, as you have been instructed in the principles of Divine truth by your pious parents, and other teachers, and many of you have given noble specimens of the good effects of their instructions, in that ye have already overcome the wicked one in many of his attacks; for otherwise ye could not have assumed the profession of the Christian faith in these circumstances, nor have retained it for such a length of time. the wicked one. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the kim. And now whatever your age, station, and cir- 15 cumstances may be, suffer me to address to you world. If any man love one farther word of exhortation; which is this, the world, the love of Love not the world, nor the things [which are] the Father is not in in the world, in an irregular and excessive degree; for if any one love the world with too great an attachment, and have his heart chiefly set on its interests, or its pleasures, it may justly be concluded, that the love of the Father is not in him; for there is a real inconsistence between the love of the world in this sense, and that of God: which will easily appear, when we consider what we may justly understand by the world: For 16 all that is in the world, when it comes to make of up the largest catalogue of good things, which it can promise to those who eagerly and idolatrously pursue it, [is] to be comprehended under these three well known particulars, the lust of the flesh, that is, the pleasurable indulgence of our carnal appetites; and the lust of the eyes, that is, the acquisition of money, which if not expended for other purposes for which it is designed, only serves us to behold and count over; 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust d In an irregular and excessive degree.] It is plainly necessary to attend to such a limitation; for otherwise there is a degree of love to worldly enjoyments which is ra and tional, and which we must have for them, e The |