A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first…

Doct. He that loves his Brother, walks constantly, and inoffensively in the state of Grace.

That they walk constantly, and persevere, you may see, 1 Joh. 3.14. Joh. 13.35. Heb. 6.9, 10. that they walk inoffensively appears, in that love covers a multitude of sins, 1 Pet. 4.8.

That they walke constantly, and persevere, you may see, 1 Joh. 3.14. Joh. 13.35. Heb. 6.9, 10. that they walk inoffensively appears, in that love covers a multitude of sins, 1 Pet. 4.8.

Reas. 2 There is a power in love, to fit us to dispense Gods ordinances willingly, and likewise willingly to have them dispensed to us, which doth exceedingly help us to walk constantly, and inoffensively, 1 Thes. 3.12, 13. love is apt to interpret all things well, 1 Cor. 13.7. and for want of this it is, that men withdraw themselves one from another, and so exhort not one another, and therefore are they subject to fall away, Heb. 10.24, 25, 26. every good duty establisheth us in grace, now love is strong in good duties, and therefore it is, that he that loves his Brother, walks constantly and inoffensively, in the state of Grace.

Reas. 2 There is a power in love, to fit us to dispence Gods ordinances willingly, and likewise willingly to have them dispenced to us, which doth exceedingly help us to walk constantly, and inoffensively, 1 Thes. 3.12, 13. love is apt to interpret all things well, 1 Cor. 13.7. and for want of this it is, that men withdraw themselves one from another, and so exort not one another, and therefore are they subject to fall away, Heb. 10.24, 25, 26. every good duty establisheth us in grace, now love is strong in good duties, and therefore it is, that he that loves his Brother, walks constantly and inoffensively, in the state of Grace.

Reas. 3 Because there is an holy light that shines about love, now in the light one may see, and avoid all stumbling blocks.

Reas. 3 Because there is an holy light that shines about love, now in the light one may see, and avoyd all stumbling blocks.

Use 1. To remove a false slander cast upon godly men, that they are the most bitter envious, and malicious men, the veryest cut-throats that are: you see that they that are in the light, are of another temper; such envious and malicious men may say that they are in the light, but if they were they would love their Brethren; therefore these you speak of, either are not so uncharitable as you say, or if they be, they are not as yet the children of light.

Ʋse 1. To remove a false slander cast upon godly men, that they are the most bitter envious, and malicious men, the veryest cut-throats that are: you see that they that are in the light, are of another temper; such envious and malicious men may say that they are in the light, but if they were they would love their Brethren; therefore these you speak of, either are not so uncharitable as you say, or if they be, they are not as yet the children of light.

Use 2. This shows us a way to help forward the settledness, and inoffensiveness of our Estate; if we be unsettled or offensive, it is for want of love, Prov. 13.20. if we keep love and communion with Gods Children, we shall find Grace secretly increase to establishment, if we ever were in the light, and now find our selves as it were in darkness, we are at a loss, we know not where we are; let us consider the first rise of it, and we shall find it was want of love, Rom. 13.10.

Ʋse 2. This shews us a way to helpe forward the setlednesse, and inoffensivenesse of our Estate; if we be unsetled or offensive, it is for want of love, Prov. 13.20. if we keep love and communion with Gods Children, we shall find Grace secretly increase to establishment, if we ever were in the light, and now find our selves as it were in darknesse, we are at a losse, we know not where we are; let us consider the first rise of it, and we shall find it was want of love, Rom. 13.10.

Use 3. Of comfort to those that love God and his Children, if we cannot discern any other Grace in our selves, yet if we know certainly there ⟨p. 85⟩is never a brother but we love him with all our hearts, this is an evident sign we are in the light, and that we shall walk constantly and inoffensively in the state of grace, we shall abide in the light.

Ʋse 3. Of comfort to those that love God and his Children, if we cannot discern any other Grace in our selves, yet if we know certainly there ⟨p. 85⟩is never a brother but we love him with all our hearts, this is an evident sign we are in the light, and that we shall walke constantly and inoffensively in the state of grace, we shall abide in the light.

1 JOHN 2.12. I write unto you little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake.

Because your sins are forgiven you for his sake, for whose sake? there is no name mentioned either before, or after, till we come to the sixth Verse, this Verse therefore hath reference to vers. 6. I write unto you, because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake, that is, for Christs sake, so that the Commandment of walking after Christ, to walk as he hath walked, he now amplifies by the motive to stir them up to it, and that is taken from pardon of sin, Little Children, [Greek or Hebrew] not [Greek or Hebrew] not Babes, as vers. 13. he calls Babes, [Greek or Hebrew] so that this word, [Greek or Hebrew] is of three sorts, some Fathers, some Young-men, some Babes.

BEcause your sins are forgiven you for his sake, for whose sake? there is no name mentioned either before, or after, till we come to the sixth Verse, this Verse therefore hath reference to vers. 6. I write unto you, because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake, that is, for Christs sake, so that the Commandement of walking after Christ, to walke as he hath walked, he now amplifies by the motive to stir them up to it, and that is taken from pardon of sin, Little Children, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 not 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 not Babes, as vers. 13. he calls Babes, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 so that this word, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is of three sorts, some Fathers, some Young-men, some Babes.

1 In the Verse we have, First, a loving compellation, Little Children.

2 An office of love, I write unto you.

3 A reason of his former exhortation, (Walk as Christ hath walked) because he hath forgiven you your sins.

3 A reason of his former exhortation, (Walke as Christ hath walked) because he hath forgiven you your sins.

Doct The Children of God, of what growth or strength soever they be in Christ, they must be as little Children, whither [Greek or Hebrew] or [Greek or Hebrew]

Doct The Children of God, of what growth or strength soever they be in Christ, they must be as little Children, whither 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 or 〈non-Latin alphabet〉

As this benefit reacheth to all, your sins are forgiven you, so this title also.