Reflections on the steady regard due to Christ. anointing teacheth you taught you, ye shall abide in him, you and 351 not that any man teach who hath given you the promise of eternal life, SECT. you: but as the same abideth in you perpetually and powerfully; iii. of all things, and is in consequence thereof have no such neces- 1 John truth, and is no lie; sity as others, that any one should teach you the II. 27. and even as it hath first principles of true religion. But let it be your care uprightly and humbly to yield up your souls to the superior instructions of this Divine Sprit; and as this same unction from him teacheth you concerning all things', and it is true, and has no mixture of falsehood in it, even as that has taught you, abide in him to whom by that spirit ye are thus vitally united. Yea, let 28 me now repeat it again, as a matter of the highest importance, comprehending in one word the whole of our duty and happiness; my dear Christian friends, dear to me as little children to their affectionate parents, abide in him, that when he shall appear, as he assuredly will, in all his pomp and glory, we may have humble boldness, and may not be put to shame and confusion before him at his coming; but may welcome him with cheerfulness, as those who have approved their fidelity to him, and expect by his grace, an abundant reward. 23 And now, little that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. children, abide in him; IMPROVEMENT, LET us not be surprized, if there are some who revolt from Ver. Christianity in our days; evincing thereby the insincerity of their 18, 19 former professions; since even the apostolic age produced some instances of this kind. But notwithstanding this, the foundation of God standeth firm, and the Lord knoweth them that are his : (2 Tim. ii. 19.) They will continue united with his church in faith and love, and no temptation will be able entirely to separate them from it. their spiritual enemies; as wrestlers were anointed with oil to make them fitter for their various exercises, and to prevent the advantages which might otherwise be taken against them. Whether this passage will be less capable of yielding support to the popish doctrine of chrism, or that of the Quakers, which asserts such an inspiration of all Christians as renders the office of a stated ministry unnecessary, it is hard to say. Compare Limborch's Theol. v. 77, 4, and Barclay's Apology, p. 52. With relation to the latter, it may be of some moment to observe, that the Christien ministry was in the highest repute in 352 SECT. iii. He tells them they were the sons of God: Vain are all pretences to adhere to the Father, if we desert the Son. To his gospel therefore let us stedfastly cleave, animated Ver. by the infinitely important promise of eternal life. Can we go 22, 23 to another Saviour? Can we expect from any other hand a no25 bler, or even an equal reward? May we all, who profess a relation 27 to him, receive an anointing from above, which may teach us all those things it is of importance for us to know, and which may 24 engage us to abide in him with inseparable fidelity. Yet a little while, and he will again come, will appear with a glory which will warrant, and will reward the firm attachment we have mani28 fested to his interests. May we not, at that important period, have reason to be ashamed before him; may he not be ashamed of us; but having confessed him before men, may we be confessed by him before his Father, and his holy angels. (Luke xii. 8.) SECT. jii. SECT. IV. The Apostle discourses concerning the exalted privileges of the chil dren of God, to which all true Christians are entitled, and urges the necessity of a holy temper, and of a holy life, in order to demonstrate that we are of that happy number. 1 John II. 29.III. 10. 1 JOHN II. 29. 1 JOHN II. 29. righteous, ye know HAVE before been discoursing of the Divine Iye know that he is I holiness and purity: now the consideration of that every one that do1 John this may enable you to judge, whether you are, eth righteousness is 11. 29. or are not, in the happy number of the children born of him. III. 1 of God. For since ye know, that he is perfectly Now on this view I would intreat you atten- And should hereafter be like him, seeing him as he is. be called the sons of children of God; as he hath himself expressed God: therefore the it, I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be because it knew him my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord Al-' world knoweth us not, not. 353 SECT. iv. 1 John mighty. (2 Cor. vi. 18.) It is true indeed, this III. 1. is a dignity which only attracts the observation of very few, and in this respect the world knows us not, and doth not acknowledge us for what we really are; because it knoweth not him, who is God's eternal and first-born Son, the Head of the family, through whom we have received the adoption. Such are the unhappy prejudices of apostate men against the Divine will, and the Divine image, that Christ himself was unknown while he dwelt in human flesh; and therefore it is no wonder that we are so, in that respect in which we resemble him. Nevertheless, my 2 beloved, it is a most certain, and a most joyful pear what we shall truth that now we are the children of God, and a Le: but we know, that truth which draws after it a long train of glorious consequences; for it doth not yet perfectly appear what we shall be; the inheritance we expected is far beyond what we can at present conceive. But this we know in the general, that if he, by whom we have received the adoption, be revealed, as he will certainly at length be, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; we shall have so clear and distinct a view and 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of. God, and it doth not yet ap when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. a We should be called the children of God. The original word is Texα, not vio, and therefore should be rendered children rather than sons. It is worth observing upon this text, that when the Danish missionaries appointed some of their Malabarian converts to translate a catechism, in which it was mentioned as the privilege of Christians to become the sons of God, one of the translators was startled at so bold a saying as he thought it, and said, It is too much; let me rather render it, They shall be permitted to kiss his feet. Let. of Dan. Miss. No. 7, p. 56. b It doth not yet appear, &c.] It is observable that these are the words of John, of him who had not only so familiarly conversed with Christ on this sublime and delightful subject, but had seen his transfiguration, when Moses and Elias appeared in such refulgent glory. He also, as Mr. Baxter observes in this connection, (see bis Works, Vol. III. p. 16,) saw a most glorious vision of the New Jerusalem. But it may be doubted whether this epistle were not of an earlier date than the apocaLapse, and it seems most probable that it was, both considering the great age of the c If he be revealed.] This is one of the d We shall see him as he is.] Archbishop Tillotson well observeth, and proves at large, that the sight of God is put to express the knowledge and enjoyment of him, because of its excellency and dignity, its largeness and comprehension, its spirituality and quickness, its evidence and certainty. (See his Works, Vol. III. p. 194.) Seneca has some most sublime passages in his ciid epistle, relating to that Divine light which good men should behold in a fu. ture state; the very thought of which, he says, will prohibit any thing sordid, base, or malevolent, from settling in the mind that entertains it. e Sin 354 Therefore Christians should be pure, as he is pure. SECT. and discernment of him, as shall transform -us 4 state. 8 And every man 4 Whosoever com mitteth sin, transgressin is the transgression of the law. seth also the law: for 3 But let not any imagine this is an expectation My take away our sins; and in him is no sin. he was manifested to 6 Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth him. hath not seen neither knowa e Sin is the violation of the law.] I of those remainders of sinful imperfecchoose violation as rather a more expressive word than transgression, and so answering more exactly to avoua, which implies not only wapavoja, a passing the bounds of God's law, but an attempt, if possible, to annihilate and destroy it. f Every one who habitually and allow edly sinneth] It seems absolutely necessary to interpret the expression thus, not only to prevent some of the best of Christians from falling into despair, on account tion, which their very eminence in religion causes them to discern, and to lament; while others, evidently their inferiors, are vain and ignorant enough to conclude themselves perfect, and lacking nothing; but likewise to make one scripture consistent with another, (compare James iii. 2,) and even to reconcile this assertion to other passages in the epistle before us. See chap. i. 8-10. He that is born of God, doth not commit sin. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doth righteous. ness, is righteous, even as he is righteous: you 355 iv. 1 John My dear little children, let no one deceive SECT. on this important matter by vain words, with whatever pomp, or solemnity, or plausibility, they may be attended. A being himself immu- III. 7. tably holy, can never dispense with the want of holiness in his reasonable creatures. He who practiseth righteousness is righteous, even as he himself is righteous: it is his own image, and he must invariably love and delight in it, and must as invariably abhor sin, as utterly contrary to his nature. For indeed he who practiseth g sin, is of the devil: he imitates his character, For this purpose the and complies with his instigations; for the deSon of God was mani- vil sinneth from the beginning: he introduced sin destroy the works of into the creation of God, and he continues still 8 He that commit teth sin, is of the devil; the beginning. for the devil sinneth from fested, that he might the devil. to promote it ever since, to the utmost of his power and influence: whereas the appearance of the Son of God was to a quite different and contrary purpose; for he was manifested in human flesh, that he might dissolve and destroy the works of the devil, that he might recover mankind from the apostacy into which they were seduced by the temptations of Satan; and deli vering them from the bondage of sin, might restore them to the practice of universal righteousness, and thereby to the favour and enjoyment of God. Every one who is born of God, 9 who is regenerated by Divine grace, and adoptremaineth ed into the number of his children, doth not practise sin, because his seed abideth in him; ? Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin; for his seed He that practiseth righteousness is righ. teous. It is very necessary to interpret the phrase thus, to avoid an indulgence as extravagant as the severity we have opposed above. For certainly it is not every one who performs some one just or righte⚫ ous action, that can be denominated righ. teous; nor can any man be intitled to that character, who doth not in the main course of his life, practise universal righteous ness. h Sinneth from the beginning, &c.] Mr. Limborch imagines this phrase refers to repeated acts of sin, and a continued course of it which preceded Satan's expulsion from heaven. See Limb. Theol. lib. ii. eap. XX. sect. 4. But it seems, that the use of the present tense implies a continuance in a course of sin; which is indeed the case with respect to this malignant and unhappy spirit, who continues incorrigible, notwithstanding all he has already suffered, VOL. X. there and all which he certainly knows, he has i Destroy the works of the devil: Avon.] Y y k He |