sage; far less will it be admitted by any one who believes him to have been an apostle of Christ.-Upon the whole, it must be acknowledged that the confined sense which the Socinians affix to John's expression, Jesus Christ bath come in the flesh, is manifestly wrong.

In the Vulgate version the first clause of this verse runs thus: Every spɩrit (qui solvit Jesum) which dissolveth Jesus: ¡ auss Tov Inoouv. Socrates in his Ecclesiast. History saith this is the true reading; and affirmeth that the Nestorians changed it into the present reading. Yet, when it is considered how numerous the copies of the New Testament were, even in the first ages, it cannot be thought that any one sect of Christians could alter them all. Besides, in this instance the Nestorians do not appear to have attempted any alteration, as in no Greek copy which hath come to our knowledge, is there any reading of this clause different from the common one, which is the reading of the Syriac version likewise. For these reasons it is now generally agreed that the reading of the Vulgate above mentioned, was a scholium or explanatory note written on the margin of some copy of the Vulgate, which was afterwards inserted in the text, as a more direct confutation of the error of the Cerinthian Gnostics concerning the person of Christ, than the reading in the Greek copies.

John had good reason to affirm, that every teacher pretending to inspiration who did not confess Jesus Christ hath come in the flesh, was an impostor. For Psalm ii. 7. The Messiah or Christ is called by God, his Son, and bis King whom he would set on his holy hill Zion. And Psalm cx. 4. God with an oath constituted him a Priest after the order of Melchizedec. And, in other passages of the Jewish scriptures, it was foretold that he was to be the son of Abraham and of David: all which implied that the Christ, or Son of God, was to be made flesh. Wherefore, every spirit or teacher pretending to inspiration, who denied that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh, was by that denial demonstrated to be an impostor: for, as it is expressed, 1 John ii. 22. He denied the Father, that is, denied the testimony which the Father had borne to his Son Jesus Christ, not only in the ancient oracles, but also by a voice from heaven, first at his baptism, and after that at his transfiguration, and last of all by raising him from the dead.-Who the false

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have over

4. Υμεις εκ του Θεου εςε, τεχνια, και νενικήκατε αυτ

come them; because grea- τους ότι μειζων εςιν ὁ εν ὑ

ter is he that is in
you than
he that is in the world.

5 They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

6 We are of God: he

that knoweth God heareth

us; he that is not of God

heareth not us. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love

μιν, η ὁ εν τῷ κόσμῳ.

5 Αυτοί εκ του κόσμου εί σι δια τουτο εκ του κόσμου λαλουσι, και ὁ κόσμος αυτων

ακούει.

6 Ημεις εκ του Θεου εσμεν ὁ γινώσκων τον Θεον, ακουει ἡμων· ὁς ουκ εςιν εκ του Θεού, ουκ ακουει ἡμων. Εκ τουτου γινωσκομεν Το πνευμα της αληθειας και το πνευμα της πλανης. 7 Αγαπητοι,

one another: for love is of αλληλους, ὅτι ἡ

God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

του Θεου εςι και

αγαπωμεν

αγαπη εκ πας ὁ αγαπων, εκ του Θεου γεγεννη ται, και γινωσκει τον Θεον.

teachers were, who did not confess Jesus Christ had come in the flesh, and thereby denied the Father, See chap. ii. 18. note 2.

2. This is that spirit of Antichrist which ye have heard that it cometh, and nowy is in the world already. From this, as well as from chap. ii. 18. it appears, that Antichrist is not any particular person, nor any particular succession of persons in the church, but a general name for all false teachers in every age, who disseminate doctrines contrary to those taught by the apostles especially if these doctrines have a tendency to derogate from Christ's character and actions as the Saviour of the world.

Ver. 4.1. Greater is he who is with you, than be who is with the world. The issue of the divine government will be, that truth and virtue shall finally be victorious over error and wickedness, because God the patron of truth and virtue possesseth far greater power and wisdom, than the evil spirits who promote error and wickedness.

Ver. 5.-1. And the world hearkeneth to them. Lest the faithful should be discouraged by the success which false teachers oftentimes have in spreading their errors, the apostle observes that their success arises generally from their accommodating their doctrines to the prejudices and evil inclinations of the world. Wherefore, from the prevalence of any doctrine, no argument can be drawn in favour of its truth.

4 Ye are taught of God, little children, and have detected and confuted these false prophets; because more wise and powerful is God, who is present with you and instructeth you, than the devil who is present with, and instigateth the false prophets who are now in the world.

5 These false teachers belong to the wicked world, therefore they speak from worldly principles; and the wicked part of the world listeneth to them with pleasure.

6 W'e apostles belong to God, as is evident from the miraculous powers he hath conferred on us. The teacher who is acquainted with the will of God hearkeneth to us; he acknowledgeth our authority. The teacher who doth not belong to God, hearkeneth not to us. By this mark also we know the teachers who are inspired by the Spirit of God, and by the spirit of the devil.

7 Beloved, let us not imitate the false teachers in neglecting the offices of love, on pretence that knowledge is the only thing necessary to the children of God: But let us love one another; for love is from God, and every one who loveth his brother, hath been begotten of God, and knoweth God.

Ver. 6.-1. We are of God. The apostle having appealed chap. iii. 24. to the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, which God at the first bestowed on the apostles, and still continued with them as proofs of his abiding with them; also in the beginning of chap. iv. having insinuated that the doctrine which they taught was given them by the inspiration of the Spirit; He in this verse, expressly asserted that he and his brethren were commissioned by God to teach the world; and that all Christians were bound to acknow. ledge their authority and receive their doctrine; and that if any teacher did not acknowledge their authority, it was a proof that he did not belong to God.

8 He that loveth not

μη αγαπων, ουκ εγνω knoweth not God; for τον Θεον· ὅτι ὁ Θεος αγαπη

God is love.

9 In this was manifest

εξιν.

9 Εν τουτῳ εφανερώθη ἡ ed the love of God toward αγαπη του Θεου εν ημιν, ὅτι

us, because that God sent 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 sent his Son to be the propitia

tion for our sins.

τον υιον αυτου τον μονογενη απεςαλκεν ὁ Θεος εις τον κοσ μον, ἵνα ζησωμεν δι' αυτου.

10 Εν τουτῳ εςιν ή αγαπη, ουχ ότι ημεις ηγαπησαμεν τον Θεον, αλλ' ότι αυτος ηγαπησεν ημας, και απέςειλε τον διον αυτου ἱλασμον περι των ἁμαρτιων ἡμων.

2. He who knoweth God. By the great pains which the apostle takes here and in ver. 7, 8. and chap. ii. 3, 4. to shew who the persons are who know God, it is probable he had the Gnostics and other false teachers of the first age in his eye, who by placing the whole of Christianity in the speculative knowledge of God, encouraged their disciples in all manner of licentiousness.

3. Hearkeneth to us. This mark, by which John directed his disciples to judge of teachers, is not to be understood of their hearkening to the apostles personally, but of their receiving their doctrine with that submission which was due to persons inspired by the Spirit of God. Wherefore though the apostles be all dead, yet as they still speak in their divinely inspired writings, John in this passage declares, that their writings are the test by which the disciples of Christ, since the decease of the apostles, are to judge both of teachers and of their doctrine.

Ver. 7.-1. Beloved, let us love one another. The frequency and earnestness with which the apostle in this epistle, inculcated the love of our brethren of mankind, is very remarkable. The greatest part of the present chapter and of chap. iii. is employed in pressing that duty, See also chap. ii. 10. We may therefore believe, that some in the first age professed themselves the disciples of Christ, who were deficient in love. Possibly they were Jewish converts, who by the rites of their law having been cut off from all familiar intercourse with heathens, considered them as unclean persons who were hated of God. And therefore, instead of regarding them with any degree of esteem, they despised and hated them as enemies; and thought themselves warranted by their law in so doing. This I think ap. pears from our Lord's words, Matt. v. 43. Ye bave heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy. Wherefore, it is not

8 He who doth not love doth not know God:1 for God is love. (See ver. 16.)

9 By this the love of God (ev, 163.) to us was manifested,1 that God sent forth his Son, the only begotten, into the world, that we might live through him.

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent forth his Son To Be a propitiation for our sins.

8 He who doth not love his brother, doth not know God aright, whatever he may pretend. For God is love, without any mixture of malevolence.

9 By this the love of God to us sinners was manifested, that God sent forth his Son, the only begotten, into the world made flesh, that we might live through his doctrine, example, and death.

10 In this is the highest love; not that we loved God first, (ver. 19.) but that he loved us, and sent forth his Son into our world made flesh, to die as a propitiation for our sins. See chap ii. 2. note 1.

improbable that some of the Jewish converts, retaining their ancient prejudices, considered it still as their duty to hate the heathens.

And some

of them who pretended to be teachers, no doubt taught their disciples the same lesson; and perhaps extended it to those who did not agree with them in their religious opinions, See chap. iv. 20, note. But this doctrine being contrary to the doctrine of Christ, John was at great pains to condemn it.

Ver. 8.-1. He who doth not love, doth not know God. See ver. 6. note 2. The love of which the apostle speaks, is the love of benevolence, as is plain from the reason subjoined, God is love. He who doth not love his neighbour with the love of benevolence, doth not know God. He hath no just knowledge of the character of God, whose benevolence extends to all, even to the evil and unthankful, and who in this ought to be imitated by all who know him.

2. For God is love: that is, according to Estius, God is essentially love; even as he is properly and essentially power, wisdom, and goodness. But it doth not appear that the apostle meant to declare what the essence of God is; but only to teach us that God greatly delights in the exercise of benevolence, and perhaps that his other perfections are exerted for accomplishing his benevolent purposes.-The declaration in this verse, and in verse 16. that God is love, being made by inspiration, must afford us the greatest consolation, as it assureth us that all God's dealings with us proceed from love, and in the end will assuredly issue in our happiness, unless we refuse to cooperate with him.

Ver. 9.-1. By this the love of God to us was manifested, that God sent, &c. This is an allusion to our Lord's words, John iii. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him