A34689:1226
A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first…A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first…
A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first Epistle general of John by ... John Cotton ...A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first Epistle generall of John by ... John Cotton ...
London: printed by M.S. for Thomas Parkhurst, 1658
A COMMENTARY UPON The First Epistle general OF JOHN. › Chapter 2 › Verse 13
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
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.