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

1 For his own glory, that his name may be magnified and feared, Psal. 130.4. Psal. 103.1, 2, 3.

2 For the honour of Christ, he doth it, that he may be honoured through Christ, Ephes. 1.6, 7.

3 For his own sake, that is, without any desert of ours, yea sometimes ⟨p. 88⟩without any desire of ours, Isa. 43, 22, 23, 24, 25. Thou hast not called upon me, nor offered sacrifices unto me, &c. yet I, even I am he, that for mine own names sake putteth away thine iniquities, and will remember thy sins no more.

Use 2. It must teach us all that have any comfortable experience of the forgiveness of our sins, to walk even as Christ hath walked, for even upon this ground doth St. John here press it, it should be our meat and drink to do his will, to glorify him in all our course, as it was Christs care, Joh. 17.4. and that is the end that God aims at in forgiving our sins, that we should walk as Christ walked.

Ʋse 2. It must teach us all that have any comfortable experience of the forgivenesse of our sins, to walke even as Christ hath walked, for even upon this ground doth St. John here press it, it should be our meat and drinke to doe his will, to glorifie him in all our course, as it was Christs care, Joh. 17.4. and that is the end that God ayms at in forgiving our sins, that we should walke as Christ walked.

Use 3. For Consolation; If our sins be forgiven for Christ name sake, then we need not fear the continuance of them, for had he forgiven us for our own sake, we might justly have feared that he might yet afterwards through our defaults lay them again to our charge, but he hath forgiven us for Christs sake, he doth not forgive for thy Prayers sake, but thy sins were pardoned before thou calledst on him, Isa. 65.24. God was answering before, and your prayers grew so zealous because your sins were forgiven, Isa. 43.22. and therefore God will cancel our acquittance, because he did it for his names sake, for the glory of his own grace.

Ʋse 3. For Consolation; If our sins be forgiven for Christ name sake, then we need not fear the continuance of them, for had he forgiven us for our own sake, we might justly have feared that he might yet afterwards through our defaults lay them again to our charge, but he hath forgiven us for Christs sake, he doth not forgive for thy Prayers sake, but thy sins were pardoned before thou calledst on him, Isa. 65.24. God was answering before, and your prayers grew so zealous because your sins were forgiven, Isa. 43.22. and therefore God will cancel our acquittance, because he did it for his names sake, for the glory of his own grace.

1 JOHN 2.13 I write unto you Fathers, because you have known him which is from the beginning, &c.

Verse sixth, he commended this duty to all Christians, to walk even as Christ walked; which duty and Commandment, vers. 7. he amplifies by the antiquity of it, vers. 8. from the newness of it. Thirdly, instanceth in one special duty of it, that is, love of our Brethren, vers. 9, 10, 11. vers. 12. he amplifies it by a benefit or motive to walk as he hath walked; and that is from the pardon of sin generally granted to all christians, therefore walk as Christ hath walked, because he hath forgiven you your sins; now vers. 13. these [Greek or Hebrew], or little children, he distinguisheth into three sorts, Fathers, Young-men, and Babes; little children is the quality of all christians, but Babes are newly born to Christ; now all these should walk as Christ hath walked.

VErse sixth, he commended this duty to all Christians, to walke even as Christ walked; which duty and Commandement, vers. 7. he amplifies by the antiquity of it, vers. 8. from the newnesse of it. Thirdly, instanceth in one speciall duty of it, that is, love of our Brethren, vers. 9, 10, 11. vers. 12. he amplifies it by a benefit or motive to walke as he hath walked; and that is from the pardon of sin generally granted to all christians, therefore walke as Christ hath walked, because he hath forgiven you your sins; now vers. 13. these 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, or little children, he distinguisheth into three sorts, Fathers, Young-men, and Babes; little children is the quality of all christians, but Babes are newly born to Christ; now all these should walke as Christ hath walked.

In the Verse we have these three parts.

1 An Enumeration, or distribution of the several ages of christians, to whom he commends this duty.

1 An Enumeration, or distribution of the severall ages of christians, to whom he commends this duty.

2 A Ministerial duty of love he tenders to them, that is, he writes unto them.

3 He propounds to every one of them a several Reason why he urges this duty upon them, I write unto you Fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning; I write unto you Young-men, because you have overcome the wicked one; I write unto you Babes, because ye have known the Father.

3 He propounds to every one of them a severall Reason why he urges this duty upon them, I write unto you Fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning; I write unto you Young-men, because you have overcome the wicked one; I write unto you Babes, because ye have known the Father.

What is meant here by Fathers, Young-men, and Babes? some think it is meant of the several statures of Grace that Christians grow to, some are Fathers, some Young-men, some Babes, but we never read these distinct; but ⟨p. 89⟩that an old man in Christ is a strong man in Christ, for grace doth not grow weaker but stronger, and the elder in Grace the more wise, the more fruitful; the more gracious; therefore I think by Fathers he means ancient Christians, yet old men too; he therefore hath respect to their natural age, and by young-men he understands men young in years, yet stronger in Grace: By Babes, such as are tender in years, and so Babes in Christ too; therefore it may well be understood of the natural difference of ages, and this interpretation may be confirmed from the reason he gives, taken from the several inclinations in Natural ages: take old age, that takes pleasure in study, and rehearsal of old things that have been long past; so, you have known the ancient of days, you have known how Christ hath been dispensed from the beginning, so that your natural desire of old things you have turned to the antiquity of Christ.

What is meant here by Fathers, Young-men, and Babes? some thinke it is meant of the severall statures of Grace that Christians grow to, some are Fathers, some Young-men, some Babes, but we never read these distinct; but ⟨p. 89⟩that an old man in Christ is a strong man in Christ, for grace doth not grow weaker but stronger, and the eld•r in Grace the more wise, the more fruitfull; the more gracious; therefore I think by Fathers he means ancient Christians, yet old men too; he therefore hath respect to their natural age, and by young-men he understands men young in years, yet stronger in Grace: By Babes, such as are tender in years, and so Babes in Christ too; therefore it may well be understood of the naturall difference of ages, and this interpretation may be confirmed from the reason he gives, taken from the severall inclinations in Natural ages: take old age, that takes pleasure in study, and rehearsal of old things that have been long past; so, you have known the ancient of dayes, you have known how Christ hath been dispenced from the beginning, so that your naturall desire of old things you have turned to the antiquity of Christ.

And for young-men, they have natural strength, and strive to put it forth in Fightings, or Combats: why, I write unto you young men, because you have overcome the wicked one, because you have turned your strength to fightings against Sin, Satan, and the World, and have overcome them; and for Babes, though they know little, yet they first discern their Parents, and express their joy in them; so, I write unto you Babes, you that are very young in years and young in Christ, because you have learned to know the Father; First, in that he writes to all sorts of Christians, Fathers, Young men, and Babes, and all well seasoned with Grace, Obedience, Knowledge, &c. observe thus much.

And for young-men, they have naturall strength, and strive to put it forth in Fightings, or Combates: why, I write unto you young men, because you have overcome the wicked one, because you have turned your strength to fightings against Sin, Satan, and the World, and have overcome them; and for Babes, though they know little, yet they first discern their Parents, and express their joy in them; so, I write unto you Bahes, you that are very young in years and young in Christ, because you have learned to know the Father; First, in that he writes to all sorts of Christians, Fathers, Young men, and Babes, and all well seasoned with Grace, Obedience, Knowledge, &c. observe thus much.

Doct. God hath his children among all sorts of Ages of men, some of them are aged, some young, some Babes in Nature, and in Grace.

He hath his Children out of old age, Youth, and Child-hood, out of all he hath elected some to do him service: these old men, he doth not tell you when they came on, but whensoever they came they had strength of grace; so Young men, he tells you not when they came on, whether in Child-hood or no, but they had strength of grace, sure they had overcome the wicked one; and for Babes they came on in child-hood, and yet had strength of grace, and it may be some old men might in their old age come on to the knowledge of the ancient of days, so that there is strong grace found in all sorts of men, Wisdom in Old men, Spiritual vigour in young men; and he speaks of Babes, as knowing their Father in heaven, as well as their Parents on earth; God hath a company of all ages calling on him, justified, and sanctified: Amongst old men and women we read of Abraham and Sarah, an old couple stricken in years, of Isaac and Rebecca, an old couple also, and knowing the promises made of Christ, Joh. 8.56. Your Father Abraham saw my day and rejoiced; so did Sarah rejoice in the promised Seed. We have also the examples of Moses, and David, and Zechariah, and Elizabeth, that continued till they were old both in age and grace; there were some such among the Priests, as Aharon, and Hojadah 2 Cron. 24.15. some among the Soldiers, there were some old Soldiers of Christ, old Kings, old Nobles, &c. which knew him which was from the beginning.

He hath his Children out of old age, Youth, and Child-hood, out of all he hath elected some to doe him service: these old men, he doth not tell you when they came on, but whensoever they came they had strength of grace; so Young men, he tells you not when they came on, whether in Child-hood or no, but they had strength of grace, sure they had overcome the wicked one; and for Babes they came on in child-hood, and yet had strength of grace, and it may be some old men might in their old age come on to the knowledge of the ancient of days, so that there is strong grace found in all sorts of men, Wisdome in Old men, Spiritual vigour in young men; and he speaks of Babes, as knowing their Father in heaven, as well as their Parents on earth; God hath a company of all ages calling on him, justified, and sanctified: Amongst old men and women we read of Abraham and Sarah, an old couple stricken in years, of Isaac and Rebecca, an old couple also, and knowing the promises made of Christ, Joh. 8.56. Your Father Abraham saw my day and rejoyced; so did Sarah rejoyce in the promised Seed. We have also the examples of Moses, and David, and Zachary, and Elizabeth, that continued till they were old both in age and grace; there were some such among the Priests, as Aharon, and Hojadah 2 Cron. 24.15. some among the Souldiers, there were some old Souldiers of Christ, old Kings, old Nobles, &c. which knew him which was from the beginning.