liars, either because they spake what they knew to be false; or at least what was in itself most false. Ver. 5.-1. Whosoever keepeth his word. Here, his word, does not signify God's commandments in general, but one commandment in particular, namely that which God gave at our Lord's transfiguration, and which is mentioned ver. 7. under the character of an old commandment; being the commandment which God delivered to the Israelites by Moses, to hearken to the prophet whom God was to raise up from among their brethren, like to Moses. See however ver. 7. note. 2. Truly in that man the love of God is perfected. The love of God of which the apostle speaks, is not God's love to us, but our love to God: Which, when we keep his commandment to obey his Son in all things, is carried to its greatest perfection. Hence Christ said to his disciples, John xiv. 21. He who hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is who loveth me. And 1 Jolin v. 3. This is the love of God, that we keep his command ments. 3. By this we know that we are in him. To be in Christ, is to be a member of that society, fellowship, or church, of which Christ is the head, and to enjoy all the blessings peculiar to that society; and in particular, to be the object of Christ's love, See ver. 6. note 1. This is called chap. i. 3. A having fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Beza thinks the expression denotes one's union with Christ by affection and interest ; because the force of love is such, that the parties are often in each other's thoughts. Some enthusiasts fancy, that to be in Christ, means a personal union with him by a mixture of substances; an error, which hath led enthusiasts into many extravagances.-See ver. 9. note 1. Ver. 6.-1. He who saith he abideth in him. This phrase which so often occurs in John's writings, is founded on our Lord's discourse, John xv. 1.— 10. and particularly on ver. 10. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. Wherefore to be in Christ, is to be the object of Christ's love, and to abide in Christ, is to continue in his love, by keeping his commandments, See chap. 6 He who saith he abideth in him,, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked, 3 7 Brethren, I do not write a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 6 He who saith he abideth in the fellowship of Christ, ought himself also so to valk, even as he walked when he was in the world: that being a much better proof of one's abiding in Christ, than a nominal profession. 7 Brethren, 1 do not write a new commandment to you, when I tell you that, by complying with God's injunction to hear his Son, the love of God is perfected in you: But I write an old commandment delivered by Moses, Deut. xviii. 15. which ye likewise had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word God uttered at Christ's baptism and transfiguration, ordering men to obey him; which word ye have heard us declare from the beginning. iv. 15. note 2.-It seems the false teachers boasted of their abiding in Christ, merely through the power of knowledge. But to overturn that pernicious doctrine, our apostle appealed to Christ himself, who, in the words just now quoted, declared the keeping of his commandments to be the only method of procuring his love, and abiding in it.—Though the phrase abide in Christ, be taken from the similitude of the vine and its branches, mentioned John xv. 4. which are substantially united, it does not signify a personal union with Christ, as was hinted, ver. 5. note 3: But that union of sentiment, affection and will, which subsists between him and all his rea! disciples, the members of his fellowship. 2. Ought himself also. The word also implies, that besides a person's saying that he abideth in Christ, he ought likewise to walk, or behave, as Christ behaved while on earth. 3. So to walk, even as he walked. He ought to abstain from sin, chap. iii. 8. and follow Christ's example in piety, temperance, justice, benevolence, disinterestedness, and charity to the poor. More particularly, he ought to carry his imitation of Christ's benevolence, so far as to lay down his life for the brethren, when called by God to do so, chap. iii. 16.—While Christ lived on earth he was subject to all the trials, and temptations, and sufferings, to which men are exposed. These he bare with admirable patience and fortitude. His behaviour therefore under sufferings, is a pattern which his disciples ought also to imitate. Ver 7.-1. But an old commandment. Because the apostle affirmeth, that in saying, ver. 5. Whosoever keepeth his word, &c. he did not write a new 1 8 Again, a new com 8 Παλιν εντολήν καινην mandment I write unto γραφω υμιν, ὁ εςιν αληθες you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. εν αυτῷ, και εν μιν ότι ἡ commandment, but an old commandment which they had heard from the beginning, in explaining ver. 5. I supposed his word, to mean God's command to the Israelites, Deut. xviii. 15. to hearken to the prophet he was to raise up to them, like to Moses; which commandment was certainly an old commandment, though it was renewed by a voice from heaven at Christ's baptism and transfiguration.-However, if the reader is of opinion that His word, ver. 5. is Christ's word, or precepts in general, it makes not the least alteration in the sense of the passage-The voice from the excellent glory, by which, at our Lord's transfiguration, God declared him his beloved Son, and commanded the disciples to hearken to him, Moses and Elijah being present, was an authentic and clear attestation, that Jesus is the prophet of whom Moses spake in the law. This miraculous attestation, and divine command to mankind to hearken to Jesus, being frequently repeated by the apostles, and referred to in their sermons and conversations, (2 Pet. i. 17.) John had good reason to call it a commandment, which they had heard from the beginning. Vor. 8.-1. On the other hand, I write to you a new commandment. The old commandment is that mentioned, ver. 5. that we keep God's word, or command delivered by Moses, Deut. xviii. 15. which in reality was a command to us to obey all Christ's precepts.-The new commandment of which the apostle speaks, is that contained in ver. 6. That Christ's disciples ought to walk even as he walked : and in particular, That as Christ laid down his life for his people, they ought to lay down their lives for one another, chap. . 16. Thus to walk as Christ walked, John, with great propriety, termed a new commandment, because, notwithstanding the precept to love one another was strongly enjoined in the law of Moses, consequently was not a new commandment, the precept to love one another as Christ loved us, is certainly a new commandment, and is so termed by Christ himself, John xiii. 34. A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. This new commandment, being included in the precept ver. 6. of walking even as Christ walked, the apostle called that precept a new commandment, and thus explained it, chap. iii. 16. He laid down his life for us, therefore we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 8 (Пaλiv, 268.) On the other hand, I write to you a new commandment,1 which is tiue (ev, 168.) concerning him and concerning you.2 For the darkness io passing away, and the light which is true now shineth. 3 9 He who saith he is in this light,1 (xx, 211.) and yet hateth his brother, is in the darkness until now. 8 On the other hand, when I exhort you to walk as Christ walked, I write to you a new commandment, which is true concerning him seeing he laid down his life for men, and concerning you, who ought to imitate him. For the former darkness of heathenism and Judaism is passing away, and the light of Christ's doctrine and example, which is the true light, now shineth, and teacheth you to lay down your lives for the brethren after his example. 9. He who saith he is in the true light and yet hateth his brother, is in the darkness of ignorance and wickedness until now, whatever his pretensions may be. 2. Which is true concerning him and concerning you. Andes being in the neuter gender, cannot be construed with Ton, commandment, which is feminine. We must therefore supply @gazua, or some such general word expressive of the subject of the command. See Ess. iv. 21.—By saying, that the thing enjoined in the new commandment, was true concerning the persons to whom the apostle wrote, he perhaps meant, that some of them had already hazarded their lives in assisting their brethren. 3. For the darkness is passing away, and the light which is true now shineth. By the darkness which was passing away, we may understand, not only the darkness of heathenism, but the darkness of the Mosaic dispensation, together with the corrupt doctrines and practices of the Jews under that dispensation and particularly, the impious notion that they were commanded in the law to hate the Gentiles, Matt. v. 43. This darkness agayeral was gradually passing away, by means of the shining of the light which was true, that is, by the publication of Christ's doctrine and example in the gospel.-The Mosaic law, with its obscure types, was likewise ready to vanish in consequenue of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the Jewish nation, which were soon to happen. Ver. 9.-1. He who saith he is in this light. The apostle had declared, chap. i. 5. That God is light, and chap. i. 7. That if we walk in the light, we have fellowship with him. And ver. 8. of this chapter, That the light which is true now shineth, hamely by the preaching of the gospel. From these things he justly inferred in this verse, That he who saith he is in the light; that is, in the fellowship of God, and well instructed in the doctrines of the gospel, and yet hateth his brother, is in the darkness till now : He is still in 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth 10 Ο αγαπών τον αδελφον αύτου, εν τῷ φωτι μενεί, και σκανδαλον εν αυτῷ ουκ εςιν. 11 Ὁ δε μισων τον αδελ his brother is in darkness, φον αύτου, εν τη σκοτία εξί, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that και εν τη σκοτια περιπατεί, και ουκ οιδε που ὑπάγει, ὅτι darkness hath blinded his ᾗ σκοτια ετύφλωσε τους οφθαλμους αυτου. eyes. 12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 13 I write unto you, 12 Γραφω ὑμῖν, τεκνία, ότι αφέωνται ὑμιν αἱ ἁμαρ ται δια το ονομα αυτού. 13 Γραφω ὑμῖν, πατέρες, fathers, because ye have ότι εγνωκατε τον απ' αρχης" known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because γραφω υμιν, νεανίσκοι, ότι νενικήκατε τον πονηρον γρα ignorance and wickedness, and is no member of the fellowship of God, notwithstanding his loud pretensions to illumination. Ver. 10. 1. He who loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no stumbling block to bim. This is an allusion to Christ's words, John xi. 9. If any one walk in the day he doth not stumble, because be seeth the light of this world. But if any one walk in the night he stumbleth, because there is no light to him. The apostle, by comparing benevolence to the light of day, hath beautifully illustrated its efficacy in directing men's actions. By expelling ill-will, pride, anger, immoderate selfishness, and all other evil-passions which are occasions of sin, love removes every stumbling block lying in one's way, and enables him to do his duty to his neighbour with ease and pleasure. Schismatics and heretics, on pretence of having attained to a greater knowledge of the truth, and a greater purity of conduct than others, think themselves authorized to hate and persecute those who differ from them in opinion and practice. But these persons, being void of the dispositions of the really illuminated, are not in the light, but stumble, or sin in their treatment of their brethren-In the same manner, They who are severe in censuring the faults of others, or who aggravate them, and refuse to forgive them, being destitute of love, are not in the light, but are still in the darkness of ignorance and error; as the apostle remarks in the following verse. Ver. 11.—1. But be who bateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in that darkness. By representing a malevolent person as involved in the |