SERM. SERMON VI. St. JOHN's Teft of knowing Chrift, and being born of bim. Preached against the Methodifts. I JOHN ü. 3. Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his Commandments. T HESE Words (together with great Part of the Epiftle from whence they are taken) are levelled by the Apostle against the Sect of the Nicolaitans,whofe Deeds and Doctrines Christ, (in the Epistles which he orders the fame Apostle to write to the Churches of Ephefus and Pergamus, Rev. ii. 6, 15.) declares that he hates. A Sect which (from whomfoever they received their Name) were certainly a moft filthy and abominable one. They boafted, it seems, of I don't know what Knowledge and Love they had, beyond other Men, of GOD and of Chrift: I VI. Christ: And in this Knowledge they placed SER M. the whole of Religion, without bearing any Regard or Efteem to a holy, religious or moral Life. But arrogantly confiding in their fuppofed profound Knowledge of Myfteries and Secrets, which they pretended were revealed peculiarly to them; they affumed the Title of GOD's Elect, his Favourites and Sons; and looking upon themselves as above all Law, and exempt from all Rules, they called their Lewdneffes and Debaucheries Holy Communions; and whatever Lasciviousness or Impurities they should commit, they were sure nothing would be imputed to them as Sin *. To prevent fuch hellish Doctrines and Prac tices from spreading in the Church, the Apostle fets himself through this whole Epistle to represent GoD in his true Nature. And after a fhort Introduction, thus he begins; This is the Message [or this is the Declaration] which we have heard of him, (i.e. from Chrift) and declare [again] unto you, that GOD is Light (i.e. pure as the Light) and in bimis no Darkness (no Impurity) at all, Ch. i. 5. If we say that we have Fellowship with * Clem. Alex. Strom. 2. p. 401. and Strom. 3. p. 436. and Epiphan. Hæref. 25. VI. SER M. him, and walk in Darkness [or Uncleanness] we lie and do not the Truth, ver. 6. If we Say that we have no Sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us, ver. 8. He that faith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a Liar himself, Ch. ii. 4. and maketh GOD a Liar too, Ch. i. 10. i. e, he directly giveth GOD the Lie. For be that committeth Sin, is not of GOD, but of the Devil, Ch. iii. 8. And therefore whatever Knowledge fuch a one may vaunt of Chrift, it is evident that he really knows him not. For whosoever finneth, hath not feen him, neither known him, ver. 6. Hereby (faith he) i. e. Hereby oNLr we do know that we know him, if we keep his Commandments. By this we may be affured that we indeed know Chrift, and that he does and will know us: We are fure that we have his Spirit to affift us here, Ch. iv. 12, 13. and we are fure that he will receive us to himself hereafter, John xiv. 3. But that we may fully understand the Words, and duly improve them, I shall explain and difcourfe of them in the Manner following. I. FIRST, I shall fhew what the Apostle intends by knowing Christ. II. SE VI. II. SECONDLY, I fhall enquire, what SER M. Means he directs to, for the attaining fuch Knowledge. I. FIRST, I muft fhew what the Apostle intends by knowing Chrift. For there are various and different Manners of knowing him mentioned in Scripture. There is a Knowledge of him, which even the Devils have: I know thee who thou art (faith one of them) the Holy One of GOD, Luke iv. 34. Others also came out of many which they had possessed, crying out, and faying, Thou art Chrift the Son of GOD, ver. 41. But our Saviour rebuked them, and would not suffer them to speak, because they knew he was Christ. They knew him not as a Saviour, but as a Judge; and therefore our Lord would receive none of their Confeffion, because it proceeded not from Choice but Neceffity. Inftead of reviving their Hopes, his Appearance amongst them but increased their Despair: They had nothing to expect from him but Indignation and Wrath: And therefore their knowing him could not but throw them into Horror and Confufion. A difmal Confequence this of knowing him! Though the Knowledge, which Men that are wicked have of him, is attended with no bet0 4 ter. VI. SERM. ter. And therefore their Knowledge alfo is very far different from that intended in my Text: For the Knowledge Saint John speaks of, he mentions as defirable: Hereby (faith he) We Do KNOW that we know him: -He fpeaks of it, you fee, as of a Knowledge, which they were very glad to attain. And with good Reafon might he do fo, as we shall perceive, if we look back upon the two Verses preceding my Text. My little Children, thefe things write I unto you, that ye fin not, i. e. that ye do not, like these Boafters, live in any Habit of Sin; or wilfully commit any one fingle Act of Sin: But if any Man fin through Inadvertency or Surprize, or for any Time paft has lived in Sin, but now fincerely repents and amends his Life; we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the Righteous: And he (in fuch Cafes) is the Propitiation for our Sins; and not for ours only, but alfo for the Sins of the whole World: i. e. of all that lay hold on him by Faith and Repentance. And then immediately follows my Text And bereby we DO KNOW that we know him, i. e, we don't vainly and impiously boaft, but we ASSUREDLY know that he is an Advocate for us, a Propitiation for our past Sins, and not only so, but also for our future |
