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his commandments, a dwelleth in him, and he in him : nd hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

CHA P. IV.

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DELOVED, believe not every fpirit, but try the fpirits whether they are of God: becaufe many alfe prophets are gone out into the world. 2. Hereby now ye the Spirit of God: Every fpirit that confeffeth hat Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh, is of God. 3. And every spirit that confeffeth not that Jefus Chrift is come the flesh, is not of God: and this is that fpirit of antihrift, whereof you have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world. .4. Ye are of God, ttle children, and have overcome them: because greater he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore fpeak they of he world, and the world heareth them. 6. We are f God: he that knoweth God, heareth us; he that is Dd

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b† I 1 Joh. 4. 13. See on Rom.

9.

2

CHAP. IV.

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4. 1 Joh. 2. 13. - I write unto you, little Children, because ye have known the Father. 1 Joh. 3.

I. tjer. 29. 8. See on Mat. 1o I, 9. Behold, what manner of

4.4.

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b I Cor. 12. 8, 10. To one is iven by the Spirit the Word of Vifdom. To another difcerning Spirits Cor. 14. 29. Let the rophets fpeak two or three, and et the other judge. Thef. 5. 1. Rev. 22. See on I Cor.

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1 Tim. 20 31. See on 2

No Man

ti Cor. 12. 3.an fay that Jefus is the Lord, but y the holy Ghoft. ti Joh. 25

. I.

32 Joh.ver.7. See on 1 Joh.

22.

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5. t Joh. 3. 31. He that is of the Earth, is earthly, the Earth: he that Heaven is above all.

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and speaketh of cometh from

See on Joh.

6. Joh. 8. 47. He that is of

God,

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not of God, heareth not us. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the fpirit of error.

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7. Beloved, let us

God.

8. He that

love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. 9. In this was manifefted the love of God towards us, because that God fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins. 11. Beloved, if God fo loved us, we ought alfo to love one another. 12. No man hath "feen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and a his love is perfected in us. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14. And we have feen and do teftifie, that the Father fent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15. Whofoever fhall confefs that Jefus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16. And we have known

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God, heareth Gods Words: ye there-
fore hear them not; becaufe ye are
not of God. t Joh. 10. 27. My Sheep
hear my Voice, and I know them,
and they follow me. ti Cor. 14.
37. If any Man think himself to
be a Prophet, or fpiritual, let him
acknowledge that the things that I
write unto you, are the Command-
ments of the Lord. † 2 Cor. 10.10
7. If any Man'truft to himself,
that he is Christ's, let him of him-
felf think this again, that as he is
Chrifts, even fo are we Christs.

+ Ifa. 8. 20. To the Law, and to the Teftimony: if they fpeak not according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them.

Joh. 14. 7. If ye had known me, ye fhould have known my Father alfo.

7. Joh. 3.10,11,23.See on Joh. 13.34

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8. "t1 Joh. 2. 4. See on 1 Joh..

3.6.

† Ver. 16.

9. P† Joh. 3. 16. 1 Joh, 3. 16. See on Joh. 15. 13.2

3.10.

at Joh. 15. 16. Ye have not

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20

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chofen me, but I have chofen you. Rom. 5. 8, 10. God com mendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet Sinners, Chrift died for us. When we were Enemies, we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son.

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12. t1 Tim. 6. 16. See on Joh. t. 18.

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a. Ver. 18. ti Joh. 2. 5. Whofo keepeth his Word, in him verily is the Love of God perfected13. Joh. 14. 20. At that Day ye fhall know, that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. † 1 Joh. 3. 24. See on Rom, 8. 9.

14. cti Joh.

Pet. 1: 16.

d See on

e

1.

1. See on

1 Joh. 2. 2.

15. See on Mar. 16. 16.

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known and believed the love that God hath to us. f God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17. Herein is our love [Gr. love with s] made perfect, that we may have h boldness in the day of judgment: becaufe as he is, fo are we in this world. 18. There is no fear in love; but perfect love cafteth out fear: becaufe fear hath torment: he that feareth, is not made perfect in love. 19. We love him; because he firft loved us. 20. If a man fay, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath feen, how can he love God whom he hath not feen? 21. And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, love his brother alfo.

CHA P. V.

WHOSOEVER

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HOSOEVER believeth that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him alfo that is begotten of him. 2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. 3. For this is the love of God, that we e keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous. 4. For whatfoever is born of God overcomcth the world and this is the victory that overcometh the Dd 2 world,

16. ft Ver. 8.

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13.34.

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CHA P.

མ.

See on Joh.

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on Mat. 11.30.

4. 81 Joh. 3. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commię fin. Joh. 4.4. See on Joh. ti Joh. 2, 22, 23. Who is a 203. 3, 5.

1.a † Joh. 1.

12.

3.16.

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world, even our faith. 5. Who is he that hovercometh the world, but he that believeth that Jefus is the So of God? 6. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jefus Christ ; not by water only, but by water and blood and it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7. For (1) there are three

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5. fi Cor. 15. 57. See on

Rom. 8. 37.

it Joh. 4. 15. See on Mat.

16. 16.

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6. Joh. 19. 34. One of the Soldiers with a fpear, pierced his fide, and forthwith came there out Blood and Water.

1 See on Joh. 14. 17, 26.

7. Mat. 28: 19. -Baptizing 10 them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost. Joh. 5. 37. The Father himfelf which hath fent me, hath born witness of me.- Joh. 8. 18. I am 15 one that bear witness of my felf, and the Father that fent me beareth wit

m

that

nefs of me: Joh. 15. 26. When the Comforter is come, whom I will fend unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which pro5 ceedeth from the Father, he shall te ftifie of me. 1 Cor. 12. 4, 5, 6. Now there are diversities of Gifts, but the fame Spirit. And there are differences of Admini ftrations, but the fame Lord. And there are diverfities of Operations, but it is the fame God, which worketh all in all. 1 Tim. 3. 16. -God was manifeft in the Flesh, juftified in the Spirit, received up into Glory.

(1) Though we grant this Text was not quoted by the Nicene Council against the Arians, and is not found in many antient Copies. Nay, tho we fhould grant that it was not originally in the Epiftle of St. John, it is however a good Argument for the Doctrine of the Trinity. For, If it was a Marginal Note, and fo crept into the Text, this however fhews it to have been the Opinion of the most antient and primitive Chriftians, who put this Comment to the Text.

If they fay this was put in by the Orthodox, it was done in Oppofition to Hereticks; and this was a fufficient Evidence of their firm belief of the Doctrine of the Trinity then.

But if this Text was expung'd by the Arians, who, as St. Ambrofe obferves of them, were remarkable for this fort of fraudulent Dealing with the Scriptures, then there was a great deal of Reafon for reftoring of it.

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Though it be not in fome Copies, yet it is in others, and thofe very antient. And that which may give us a ftrong Prefamption that it is genuine is, that it was quoted by St. Cyprian, a confiderable Time before the Nicene Council and before the Arian Herefie ran fo high, or that it was fo much for the Intereft of any Party either to infert or expunge it. But however this be, we are fure the Scriptures with it are all of a Picce, and very confiftent with themfelves. For the Substance of this Text is plainly expreft in other Places, which they don't deny to be genuine. Dr. Browne, now Lord Bishop of Corke, against Toland, pag. 56. Dr. Burner, the late learned and pious Bifhop of Salisbury, in his Letter from Zurich, tells us in what antient Manufcripts he found it, and in what it was wanting.

that (1) bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,

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n Joh. 5. 32, 36. There is another that beareth Witness of me.For the Works which the Father hath given me to finish, the fame Works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath fent me. Ich. 8. 17, 18, 54. It is alfo written in your Law, that the Teftimony of two Men is true. I am one that bear witnefs of my felf, and the Father 10 that fent me, beareth witness of me. -It is my Father that honoureth me, of whom ye fay, that he is your God. Joh. 10. 24, 25, 37,

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told you, and ye believed not: the Works that I do in my Fathers Name, they bear witness of me. If I do not the Works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, tho' ye believe not me, believe the Works: that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him. See more of the Witness of the Father on Mat. 3. 17.

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Joh. 1. 1. In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Rev. 19. 13. His Name was cal

38. If thou be the Christ tell us 15 led, The Word of God. plainly. Jefus answered them, I

(1) Were I to give a Reason of my Belief of the Trinity, laying afide all affectation of hard Words, and abftrufe Metaphyfical Notions, I would do it thus:

I am fully perfuaded of the Neceffity of a Revelation in general, in order to all the Purposes of Virtue and Piety in this Life; and I am convinced that thofe Revelations of the Things of another World, which are made in the Gospel, have better Proofs of their Divinity than any other what foever. They have fuch Teftimonies of their coming from God, from Prophecies, and Miracles, and the agreeableness of the Doctrine therein contained, to our common Notions, that if I ufe my Reafon with the fame impartiality in thefe, that I do in other things, I must give my Affent to them.

In thofe Writings, I find this Propofition:

There are Three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghof, and thefe three are one.

From whence, and from many other Paffages in the Scriptures, I find that there is a Diftinction made in the Godhead, under thefe three Names of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, which the Church hath expreft, altogether by the Word Trinity, and fingly by the Word Perfon. And I think thefe Terms proper enough, to exprefs all that we know of this Mystery.

Now I find no account of the Manner and Nature of this Distinction iņ the holy Scriptures, any otherwife than that the Son was begotten, and that the holy Ghoft comes from the Father and the Son. I conclude there is fomething more than a meer nominal Distinction, because we are faid to be baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Which muft needs import fomething more than if that Commiffion had run thus: Go baptize all Nations in the Name of Jehovahḥ, and of Elohim, and of Adonai. And if there were not fomething more intended, than barely that they should do it in the Name of God, this were a needlefs Tautology. Again, I conclude that they are not three diftin different Spirits; for then there must be three Gods, contrary to Refon and Scripture. From al which I infer, that there is in the Godhead fomething more than a

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