774 and preach, Jesus Christ in his person, nature, and offices, as the incarnate Word, or Son of God, sent from heaven, ascribing virtue and efficacy to the sacrifice of his death, and attributing to him alone the whole glory of a perfect Saviour; this doctrine is of the Spirit, and this spirit is of God. But such teachers as will not hazard themselves, but for fear of sufferings and persecution, will deny either the Godhead or manhood of Christ, and disown either his incarnation, death, or resurrection: such teachers and such doctrines are not of God, but are the very spirit of antichrist, which, says he, you have been foretold should come, and is now already in the world. Learn hence, That such a teacher as disowns either of the natures of Christ, or denies any of the offices of Christ; that either denies the divinity of his person, or the meritoriousness of his satisfaction, is not of God, he is antichrist, against Christ, and shall find Christ against him in the day that he appears before him. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. Observe here, 1. A character and description given of these christians to whom our apostle writes. He tell them they were of a nobler descent, of a more excellent pedigree, and higher offspring, than their false teachers; Ye are of God, regenerated by the Spirit of God, quickened by his renovation, led by his manuduction, acted by his influences, animated by his assistances: Little children ye are of God. Observe, 2. What is affirmed of these christians, Ye have overcome them; that is, ye have resisted their temptations, withstood their seductions, and all their arts and endeavours to mislead you, when others have been perverted by them. Learn hence, That by stedfastness in the doctrine of Christ, christians do overcome impostors and seducers, when unstable souls are overcome by them. Observe, 2. The reason assigned why, and the means declared by which, they over come, namely, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world; that is, Christ, who by his Spirit and doctrine dwells in you, is greater and more powerfully efficacious than the spirit of error, which influences these vile impostors and seducers that are abroad in the world. fore 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. Here we have, 1. The character given of these seducers and false teachers, They are of the world; that is, men of worldly minds and interests. They speak of the world: that is, they preach a doctrine suitable to the lusts and inclinations of worldly men, who greedily hear them, and easily believe them: ordinarily our words are such as we are; for they who are of the world must needs speak of the world, for they have nothing else to speak of. The covetous man speaks covetously, and the proud man proudly. Observe, 2. The character which the apostle gives of himself and his fellow-apostles, We are of God; that is, taught and instructed by God. We have our mission and our message from God, and he has given us his attestation, by opening the ears and hearts of those that attend upon our ministry, to receive and embrace our doctrine; but such as are not taught of God, reject both it and us. Observe, 3. The inference and conclusion which our apostle draws from hence, namely, that by the doctrine and writings of the apostles and evangelists, the truth or falsehood of doctrines may and must be judged; for, says he, Hereby we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error: he that knoweth God heareth us: he that is not of God heareth not us. 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God, 8 He that loveth not, kuoweth not God; for God is love. Our apostle here resumes his exhortation to brotherly love, and urges and re-enforces it with fresh arguments. 1. He assures us, that love is of God: that is the fruit of his good spirit in us; common love is his common gift, and holy love is his special grace: Love is of God. 2. It is an evidence that we have a right knowledge of God, both of his nature and will, and that we understand both what he is, and what he requires: he that has not the grace of love in his heart, 5 They are of the world; there has not the right knowledge of God in his head, whatever he may think of himself, or pretend to others. 3. The apostle assures us, That love is not only commanded, but exemplified by God himself: God is love. He had said before, Love is of God, as a quality here he says, God is love; not as a mere quality, but his essence. God is love; 1. Essentially; love in the creature is an accidental quality, in God an essential property. 2. God is love, casually, the efficient cause of whatever is loving or lovely in us; all our love to him, and one another, is but a reflection of his love to us. 3. God is love, objectively; he is, or ought to be, the supreme object of our love: and we must love him above all, or he accounts we love him not at all. 4. God is love, declaratively; all his works, as well as his word, are a declaration of his love to us, and ought to engage us to stedfastness in our love to him. Let us, therefore, says the beloved disciple, love one another, for love is of God, and God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Observe, 1. That God doth not only bestow love upon his people, but it is his good pleasure to manifest that love. Quest. Wherein has God manifested his love towards us? Answ. 1. In our creation, making us out of nothing in such a wonderful manner; our bodies curiously wrought as with a needle, our souls beautified with understanding, will, and judgment. 2. In our apostasy, and degeneration; when no eye pitied us, and when we had no hearts to pity ourselves, then were his bowels of love and compassion yearning towards us; then he said unto us, live, when he might have said, die, and be damned. 3. In our redemption, recovery, and restitution, in sending his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Observe, 2. A threefold evidence of God's love to mankind in the work of redemption, that great and glorious work. 1. It was a wonderful instance of the love of God, that He should be pleased to take our case into consideration, and to concern himself for our happiness; as nothing is more obliging to human nature than love, so no love obliges more than that which is exercised with great condescension after a provocation; such was God's love to offending man. 2. That he should design so great a benefit to us, as is here expressed, even life: That we might live through him. 3. That God was pleased to use such a mean for the obtaining and procuring of this benefit for us: He sent his own Son into the world, that we might live through him. Where note, 1. The person sent, his own Son, his only-begotten Son. 2. The persons sent to, the men of the world, who were spiritually dead, and judicially dead. 3. The manner of his being sent, voluntarily and freely, not constrained by necessity, not prevailed upon by importunity, not obliged by benefit or kindness from us; but out of his mere pity and goodness towards us, he sent him into a wicked world, and into an ungrateful world, that we might live through him. From the whole learn, That God's bestowing a Son upon a lost world, was a manifest evidence of his great and wonderful love unto them: In this was manifest the love of God towards us, &c. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Herein is love; that is, the clearest, the fullest, the highest, expression of free and undeserved love that ever the world was acquainted with. Observe, That the wisdom and power of God did not act to the utmost of their efficacy in the work of creation; he could have framed a more glorious world, had it pleased him; but the love of God in our redemption by Christ could not be expressed, or set forth, in a higher degree: when Almighty God would give the most excellent testimony of his favour to mankind, he gave them his eternal Son, the Son of his love; and verily the giving of heaven itself, with all its joys and glory, is not so full and perfect a demonstration of the love of God, as the giving of his Son to die for us: Herein is love. Observe next, The priority of God's love to mankind he loved us, not we him; he loved us antecedently to our loving him, and he loved us that we might love him, when there was nothing in us either to deserve or to engage his love. Observe lastly, The great intent and gracious design of God in sending his Son; namely, To be a propitiation for our sins: that is, to die as a sacrifice for our sins, and thereby atone divine displeasure. Herein is love; that us. is, the triumph, the riches, and glory, of divine love, that God gave Christ to die for "But is there love in nothing else but this?" Yes, sure, to have a being among rational creatures, therein is love; to have our life carried so many years in the hand of Providence, like a burning taper, in the midst of winds and storms, and not blown out, this is love; to have food and raiment convenient for us, relations and friends to comfort us, in all these is love, great love; but comparatively none at all to the love expressed in giving Christ to die for us: herein was love, the flower of love. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and 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. Observe, 1. The genuine inference which our apostle draws from the doctrine laid down concerning the greatness of God's love to us; namely, "that seeing God so loved us, we should love one another, and be like him according to our measure, and in our degree." Observe next, The apostle's argument to provoke us hereunto; he tells us, That God himself is to be loved by us for his astonishing love unto us: but as God is not to be seen in his essence, but in man his image, so must we love God in man, his creature, made after his own image in likeness; and if we love the holy image of God in each other, it is an evidence that God dwelleth in us, and we in him; namely, by the inhabitation of his Holy Spirit, which being a spirit of love in us, draws forth our love towards himself, and one towards another. And further he assures us, that this will be a sign that love is perfect in us; namely, that this grace is in its vigour and perfection, in our souls, sincere and entire, having all its essential parts, though it be not absolutely perfect in all degrees. Note, That perfection here is not opposed to imperfection, but to insincerity. Our love is then said to be perfected, when it is considerably heightened and improved. Blessed be God! the hour is coming when this, and all other graces, shall be perfected, when this spark of love shall be blown up into a seraphic flame. Ob serve lastly, The rule which our apostle lays down, whereby we may know assuredly, that God dwelleth in us, and we in him; namely, If he hath given us his Spirit, which is a spirit of holy love. Learn thence, That the Holy Spirit, (not in its extraordinary gifts, which are long since ceased, but) in its sanctifying operations, and gracious fruits, (of which sincere love is the first and chief,) is an undoubted evidence of God's dwelling in us by a special inhabitation, and of our dwelling in him; that is, resting in his love and favour, and under his protection and care : Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit: namely, as a spirit of holy and universal love. 14 And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in hini. As if the apostle had said, “ Though no man hath seen God at any time, yet we apostles who preach the doctrine of faith unto you, and press the duty of love upon you, have seen with our bodily eyes the Lord Jesus Christ, and do testify, that God the Father glorified his love, by sending his Son to be the Saviour of a perishing world; not of Jews only, but of the Gentiles also. And we further declare, That whosoever believing this our testimony shall confess with his mouth, and believe in his heart, that this Jesus whom we preach is the Son of God, and shall evidence of the truth of his faith by the sincerity of his love, and other good fruits, it is certain that God dwelleth in him by his Spirit, and he dwelleth in God by repeated acts of love. And, finally, we apostles well knowing, and firmly believing the love, the wonderful great love, which God hath manifested towards us, in and through his Son Jesus Christ, we again affirm and conclude that God is love. Love originally, the fountain from whence all love flows. Love efficiently, the producing cause of all love in the hearts of his people. Love subjectively, a God full of love and mercy, of goodness and pity towards his creatures. Love objectively; he is deservedly the first and chief object of our love, as he is the first and chief good. Love declaratively, both his word and works declare the purposes of his love unto us, and give demonstrations of innumerable instances of his beneficence towards us. But especially God is love essentially. Love in us is an adventitious and accidental quality; in God it is an essential property, it is his very essence and nature, inseparable from his being; he can as soon cease to be as cease to love. And as God is love, so we again affirm, that he that dwelleth in love, that is, he who has love, as the prevailing habit in his heart, and as the governing principle of his life, dwelleth by communion in God, as the eye dwells in the light, and as one friend by love dwells in another; and God, by his spirit of love, dwelleth in him." 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth, is not made perfect in love. Still our apostle proceeds by way of argument to enforce upon us the obligation of our duty to love one another; he assures us here, that if our love be made perfect, that is, heightened and improved by an exact correspondence with the divine pattern and precept; if we love one another in obedience to God's command, and in conformity to Christ's example: it will give us boldness in the day of judgment, and we may think and speak of, we may expect and look for, the approach of that day without fear and consternation of mind. The reason is added, because as Christ was, so are we in the world; that is, as he was full of holiness and purity, of love and charity, so have we endeavoured to be in imitation of his example, according to our measure in some proportion and degree. Learn hence, 1. That such as are sincerely gracious, and do excel in the grace of love, are in the world in some sort as Christ was in the world : such as walk in love, walk as Christ walked. Learn, 2. That such as are in the world, as Christ was in the world, shall have boldness when Christ comes to judgment, and need not fear the condemnation of that dreadful day: Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. The reason of this freedom from the fear of wrath is added, verse 18. There is no fear in love; that is, no slavish or distrustful fear, whereby we question the favour of God; but only a filial and reverential fear, whereby we stand in awe of offending him as a father: But perfect love casteth out fear; that is, either the actings of our perfect love to God, or the apprehensions of God's perfect love towards us, do cast out all that fear which has torment in it. Yet note, That although per fect love cast out tormenting fear, it calls in obeying fear, Eccl. xii. 13. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man: an awful fear of God is all duty, and every grace. Note also, The true reason of our disquieting and tormenting fear, is the imperfection and weakness of our love; fear may stand with faith and love, but not with perfect faith, nor perfect love: He that feareth is not made perfect in love, and because he is not made perfect in love, therefore he feareth. Blessed be God, as there will be no torment, so no fear, in heaven ; that is, no tormenting fear yet there is a fear of reverence, which will undoubtedly remain with glo. rified saints in heaven; they shall have an everlasting awe of the majesty and holiness of God eternally fixed upon their hearts and spirits, even in the kingdom of glory in heaven, as well as in the kingdom of grace here on earth; the saints serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Lord, hasten the perfecting of thy grace in us, particularly the perfection of our love, that perfect love may cast out tormenting fear, and cherish such a reverential fear, as will both prepare us for heaven, and accompany us in heaven to all eternity. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. There is a double reading of these words, according to the original. 1. They may be read, let us love him, because he first loved us, by way of motive; denoting that believers have great reason to love God with their choicest and highest affections, for as much as he has loved them, and first loved them. 2. They are here read by way of causality, we do love him, because he first loved us; intimating, that God's love to us is the root and spring of our love to him, and to one another; all our love to saints is the effect of his pre venting love to us, and but a reflection of those beams of love which God has first cast upon us: if God's love to us has been a mere dependant consequence of our love to him, how uncertain should we be of its continuance? But his love to us was the antecedent cause of our love to him; we therefore love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? Our apostle in these words prevents an objection. Some might be ready to say, "Who is it that doth not love God? Is there any that live who doth not love him?" The apostle replies, That whosoever says he loves God, and yet hateth his brother, is plainly a liar; for it is impossible truly to Jove God, and not to do what God commands; and if we do not exercise love to our brethren, whom we daily see and converse with, how can it be imagined that we love God, whom we never saw? Learn hence, First, That as God is infinitely above us, so he needeth not our love; but it is wonderful condescension in God to give us leave to love him, and to suffer himself to be embraced by those arms which have embraced sin and lust before him. Learn, 2. That though God needs not us, or our love, yet we need him, and stand in need of one another, and for that reason must and ought to love each other. Learn, 3. That if we love not God's visible image, it is certain we never loved the invisible God: if when we have our Christian brethren in our daily view, and the objects of our senses are their miseries and wants, and yet we shut up the bowels of compassion from them, can we, or dare we, pretend at the same time to love God whom we have not seen, and who is only present to our minds by raised expectations; as the sight of our brother is a strong inducement to love him, so the not loving him at sight is a strong argument that we love not God himself: For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not chief commandment above the rest, this summary and comprehensive commandment including all the rest, namely, to love God above all, for his own sake, and to love our brother as ourselves for God's sake; this command, so full of wisdom, so agreeable to right reason, and so much our duty and interest to comply with, have we received from God; and it is most certain that we love him not, if we keep it not. This commandment have we from God, that he who loveth God, love his brother also. Learn thence, 1. That the great God, by his gracious command, requires that we love him, and place the supremacy of our love upon him. 2. That as God requires us to love him above ourselves, so does he oblige us, by virtue of his command, to love our brother as ourselves; as sincerely, though not so intensely, as ourselves. Learn, quires us to love God, requires love to our brethren also: God interprets the neglect of our duty to our brother as a neglect of our obligation to himself. 3. That the same commandment that re CHAP. V. Our apostle in this chapter prosecutes the design of the whole epistle, which is to excite and infame in christians the love of God and their brethren, two comprehensive duties, and our principle perfections in heaven and earth; these he recommends by the most affectionate and obliging persuasives, namely, the superlative love of God to us, and our communion with the saints both in nature and grace, and accordingly thus he writes: WHOSOEVER believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. Observe here, 1. The grand proposition laid down as the object of our faith, namely, that Jesus is the Christ; that is, that Jesus of Nazareth, who was born with and lived amongst the Jews, was the Saviour of the world, the person whom Moses and the prophets foretold to be the Messiah. Observe, 2. The duty required of us, namely, to believe that Jesus is the Christ; that is, not historically only to assent that Jesus is the predicted and promised Messiah, but to express the truth of that faith in a suitable conversation. Observe, 3. How evidential such a faith is of our regeneration : whosoever thus believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God; faith in Christ Jesus, as the great king, priest, and prophet of his church, accompanied with an holy life, is a sure This commandment; this great and mark and undoubted evidence of our new seen. 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. |