A34689:1500
A34689:1500
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
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.
It is not the having of the World, for Davids mountain was strong, Joseph had his will in Egypt, Abraham was rich, but though they had the World, yet they had not the love of the World, Jam. 4.3, 4. whosoever is a friend to the World, is an enemy to God; it is not the Lordship of the World, but the friendship of the World, that is enmity against God, for the time shall come, that they that take the Lambs part, shall be Princes of the World; and Saint James calls the love of the World Adultery; as a woman that makes her self a friend to another man, and bestows that love upon him, which her Husband only should enjoy, is an enemy to her Husband, so a man that is a friend to the World, or to the lusts of it, is an enemy to God, alienated from him, and he would have them know, that there is no worldly covetous man, but he knows that his love of the World is enmity against God, it is the World that hinders you from the Word, and Prayer, and good duties.
It is not the having of the World, for Davids mountaine was strong, Joseph had his will in Aegypt, Abraham was rich, but though they had the World, yet they had not the love of the World, Jam. 4.3, 4. whosoever is a friend to the World, is an enemy to God; it is not the Lordship of the World, but the friendship of the World, that is enmity against God, for the time shall come, that they that take the Lambs part, shall be Princes of the World; and Saint James calls the love of the World Adultery; as a woman that makes her selfe a friend to another man, and bestows that love upon him, which her Husband only should injoy, is an enemy to her Husband, so a man that is a friend to the World, or to the lusts of it, is an enemy to God, alienated from him, and he would have them know, that there is no worldly covetous man, but he knows that his love of the World is enmity against God, it is the World that hinders you from the Word, and Prayer, and good duties.
Reas. 1 From the amplitude of that love which we owe to God, which cannot therefore be divided to others; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and mind, and strength, Mat. 22.37. then we must love the World no further than it may help us in his service, and we may employ it to his advantage, if we love it more we sin against the great Commandment; if we must love the Lord with all our heart, and mind, and strength, then what sorry weak affection is due to the World; even an heartless faint love; all our love and vigour of our spirits is to be set on God, now if a man love the World, he cannot thus love God, for if he love the World, his first and chiefest care is for wealth and riches, and then it may be he will a little look towards God; first let me bury my Father; first let me stock my Farm, and try my Oxen, and then if I have any time, I will come to the Feast.
Reas. 1 From the amplitude of that love which we owe to God, which cannot therefore be divided to others; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and minde, and strength, Mat. 22.37. then we must love the World no further than it may help us in his service, and we may imploy it to his advantage, if we love it more we sin against the great Commandement; if we must love the Lord with all our heart, and mind, and strength, then what sorry weake affection is due to the World; even an heartless faint love; all our love and vigour of our spirits is to be set on God, now if a man love the World, he cannot thus love God, for if he love the World, his first and chiefest care is for wealth and riches, and then it may be he will a little look towards God; first let me bury my Father; first let me stock my Farm, and try my Oxen, and then if I have any time, I will come to the Feast.
2 A covetous, or a lustful, or a proud man, when he hath the World, and the lusts thereof, he is fully satisfied with his portion, without God, Psal. 17.8. so Luk. 12.19. Soul take thine ease, thou hast goods laid up for many years; he wraps up the comforts of his soul in these outward things; if he have wealth, or pleasure, he is content without God, the more he hath of the World, the less he cares for God; as the Moon when it is at the full, it is most opposite to the Sun, so is it with a worldly man.
2 A covetous, or a lustfull, or a proud man, when he hath the World, and the lusts thereof, he is fully satisfied with his portion, without God, Psal. 17.8. so Luk. 12.19. Soul take thine ease, thou hast goods laid up for many years; he wraps up the comforts of his soul in these outward things; if he have wealth, or pleasure, he is content without God, the more he hath of the World, the lesse he cares for God; as the Moon when it is at the full, it is most opposite to the Sun, so is it with a worldly man.
3 The love of the World, will make a man part with God, rather than with the World, he will rather part with Grace and Heaven too than leave the World, he will rather part with eternal life than his wealth; as the young man in the Gospel, Mat. 19. from 16. to 22. he had rather part with Christ, and an express promise of heaven than part with his possessions; so we see how the love of the World keeps us from the love of God. Notable is that speech of Christ, Mat. 6.24. No man can serve two Masters, &c. God and this World are as two Masters, such is the amplitude of Gods service, that he that serves God as he ought, hath no time to serve the World. No man that hath a servant but he looks that his whole time should be spent in his service; so if we spend any time in the service of the World, we cannot be servants to God. Indeed if services be subordinate, we may serve many, so we may seek and take pains for the World, but be sure it be in subordination to Gods service, look that it may make you more free to Gods service.
3 The love of the World, will make a man part with God, rather than with the World, he will rather part with Grace and Heaven too than leave the World, he will rather part with eternal life than his wealth; as the young man in the Gospel, Mat. 19. from 16. to 22. he had rather part with Christ, and an expresse promise of heaven than part with his possessions; so we see how the love of the World keeps us from the love of God. Notable is that speech of Christ, Mat. 6.24. No man can serve two Masters, &c. God and this World are as two Masters, such is the amplitude of Gods service, that he that serves God as he ought, hath no time to serve the World. No man that hath a servant but he looks that his whole time should be spent in his service; so if we spend any time in the service of the World, we cannot be servants to God. Indeed if services be subordinate, we may serve many, so we may seek and take pains for the World, but be sure it be in subordination to Gods service, look that it may make you more free to Gods service.
Use 1. To discourage any man from the love of the World; there is no greater discouragement than to say, If we love the World, the love of the Father is not in us. As if a Father come to a child and say, if you love such a young man or woman, you cannot love me, and I shall take you for my utter enemy, and you shall never make it up again, would not any ingenuous child rather than he would be an enemy to his Father, part with any? so when God saith, If you love the World, you cannot love me, I shall look at you as my enemies, were not this enough to make any christian out of love with the World? therefore choose whether you will love God, or the World, if you love the one, you cannot love the other; therefore it is not a matter of frugality or providence to love the World, for I say, If any man loves the World, he makes the World his God: therefore covetousness is called Idolatry, Col. 3.5. a mans belly may be his God, the love of the World is directly against God, the love of God requires all your hearts, souls, and strength, therefore no part to be set on the World.
Ʋse 1. To discourage any man from the love of the World; there is no greater discouragement than to say, If we love the World, the love of the Father is not in us. As if a Father come to a childe and say, if you love such a young man or woman, you cannot love me, and I shall take you for my utter enemy, and you shall never make it up againe, would not any ingenuous childe rather than he would be an enemy to his Father, part with any? so when God saith, If you love the World, you cannot love me, I shall look at you as my enemies, were not this enough to make any christian out of love with the World? therefore chuse whether you will love God, or the World, if you love the one, you cannot love the other; therefore it is not a matter of frugality or providence to love the World, for I say, If any man loves the World, he makes the World his God: therefore covetousnesse is called Idolatry, Col. 3.5. a mans belly may be his God, the love of the World is directly against God, the love of God requires all your hearts, souls, and strength, therefore no part to be set on the World.
Use 2. It may exhort Christians to mortify their love to the World, you must either crucify your love to the World, or to God, If you love the world, you cannot love God; if you love God, you cannot love the world, you cannot serve God and Mammon. Motives.
Ʋse 2. It may exhort Christians to mortifie their love to the World, you must either crucifie your love to the World, or to God, If you love the world, you cannot love God; if you love God, you cannot love the world, you cannot serve God and Mammon. Motives.
1 If a man can but withdraw his mind from the World, he may be Master of the field in any temptation, that befalls him; what is the World? all that is in the world, is either profit, or pleasure, or credit, and we regard the World no further; so that if thou beest weaned from thy profit or pleasure, in meat or drink, or Pastime; if thou beest weaned from credit thou shalt bereave Satan of the weapons he fights against thee with, for how doth he keep men back from Religion, but that it will not stand with his credit, and applause in the World? what hinders them from holy duties, but love to their profits and pleasures? therefore could but a man wean himself from them, he might easily overcome the wicked one; how did Josephs Mr. work on him? was it not from pleasure? and if Joseph be content to leave the lusts of the flesh, he over-masters that temptation; what made David fall, but the lust of the flesh? what made Peter deny his Master? was it not fear of death? what made Dumas forsake Paul? was it not love of the World? so that there is no temptation, but it is headed with the World: if it be not pointed with the World, it can do little, so that if the Prince of the World come and find nothing of the world in us, or love to profit, or pleasure, or credit, he can do nothing: as Christ when he ⟨p. 116⟩saw he had no love to these things, he had nothing to do with him.
1 If a man can but withdraw his mind from the World, he may be Master of the field in any temptation, that befals him; what is the World? all that is in the world, is either profit, or pleasure, or credit, and we regard the World no further; so that if thou beest weaned from thy profit or pleasure, in meat or drink, or Pastime; if thou beest weaned from credit thou shalt bereave Satan of the weapons he fights against thee with, for how doth he keep men back from Religion, but that it will not stand with his credit, and applause in the World? what hinders them from holy duties, but love to their profits and pleasures? therefore could but a man wean himself from them, he might easily overcome the wicked one; how did Josephs Mr. work on him? was it not from pleasure? and if Joseph be content to leave the lusts of the flesh, he over-masters that temptation; what made David fall, but the lust of the flesh? what made Peter deny his Master? was it not fear of death? what made D•mas forsake Paul? was it not love of the World? so that there is no temptation, but it is headed with the World: if it be not pointed with the World, it can doe little, so that if the Prince of the World come and find nothing of the world in us, or love to profit, or pleasure, or credit, he can doe nothing: as Christ when he
Use 3 Of consolation to every soul, who though he be busy in the World, yet loves not the World, it is not the having of the World, nor the having of the lusts of the World, that makes you enemies to God, but the love of them, so that you may have the World, and the lusts thereof, and yet have God too, so that you love them not, but desire to mortify them, and crucify them, let God see that your heart, and strength, and the vigour of your spirits be towards God, not for your own lusts, but for Gods service, and then though a man have the World, and many lusts in him against his will, these do not separate him from the love of the Father.
Ʋse 3 Of consolation to every soul, who though he be busie in the World, yet loves not the World, it is not the having of the World, nor the having of the lusts of the World, that makes you enemies to God, but the love of them, so that you may have the World, and the lusts thereof, and yet have God too, so that you love them not, but desire to mortifie them, and crucifie them, let God see that your heart, and strength, and the vigour of your spirits be towards God, not for your own lusts, but for Gods service, and then though a man have the World, and many lusts in him against his will, these doe not seperate him from the love of the Father.
1 JOHN 2.16. For all that is in the World, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the World.
IN the former ver. the Apostle dissuaded both old and young from the love of the World, and the things of the World, that is, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
IN the former ver. the Apostle diswaded both old and young from the love of the World, and the things of the World, that is, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
And he dissuades them from this, from a threefold reason.
And he diswades them from this, from a threefold reason.
1 Love not the World, for it evacuates the love of God in us, verse 13. latter end.
2 The lusts of the World are not of God, but of the World, verse 16.
3 The third reason, why we should not love the World, and the lusts thereof, is from their nature and original, they are not permanent, but pass away.
3 The third reason, why we should not love the World, and the lusts thereof, is from their nature and original, they are not permanent, but passe away.