A34689:1728
A34689:1728
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.
Q. 2. How do the lusts of the World pass away?
Q. 2. How do the lusts of the World passe away?
A. The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and pride of life, which are the sum of all the ways of the sons of men, all his time is spent either in pleasure, or profit, or credit, and now all these pass away.
A. The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and pride of life, which are the sum of all the ways of the sons of men, all his time is spent either in pleasure, or profit, or credit, and now all these passe away.
1 Because they are oft disappointed of those objects which they aim at, a man pursues pleasure, but he finds sorrow; another Profit, but it fades away; another in ambition seeks Honour, and Glory, but Psal. 112.8, 9. The desire of the wicked shall perish, it shall be as the house of the Spider.
1 Because they are oft disappointed of those objects which they aime at, a man pursues pleasure, but he findes sorrow; another Profit, but it fades away; another in ambition seeks Honour, and Glory, but Psal. 112.8, 9. The desire of the wicked shall perish, it shall be as the house of the Spider.
2 These pass away, because when a man doth enjoy them, they fade and wither away in it; a man strongly desires a thing, but as soon as he hath it ⟨p. 137⟩he is weary of it, 2 Sam. 3. as David that desired the water of Bethlehem, or as Children soon weary when they have that thing they desire, so Gal. 4.15, 16. see how their affections to him were dead, Psal. 26.2. & 139.23, 24. when David looked at the ways of his own lusts, he desired God to winnow him, and see if there were any way of wickedness in him, implying, though sometimes he had lusts in his heart, yet now he found none, 2 Sam. 13.15. Ammon had a strong lust to his Sister Tamar, but when he had fulfilled it, he hated her more than he loved her, so when we have fulfilled a lust, we are not satisfied with it, but say to it, arise be gone, as a Bee, when it hath sucked something from one Flower, goes to another, and then to a third, so we are soon weary of lusts, there is an emptiness in the Creature, no way able to satisfy the desires of mans heart, but they are soon weary, and therefore desire variety.
2 These passe away, because when a man doth enjoy them, they fade and wither away in it; a man strongly desires a thing, but as soon as hee hath it ⟨p. 137⟩he is weary of it, 2 Sam. 3. as David that desired the water of Bethlehem, or as Children soon weary when they have that thing they desire, so Gal. 4.15, 16. see how their affections to him were dead,
3 From the perpetual destruction of these lusts and our selves with them; when we dye, all our lusts dye with us, all our pride and wantonness, yea in Hell there are none remaining, but such as come from disappointment of hope, as discontent and murmuring, and obstinacy, and Blasphemy, and despair, but all other lusts, gluttony incontinency, ambition, dye with us, therefore well saith the Apostle, the World passeth away, and the lusts thereof, they are all but for a season.
3 From the perpetuall destruction of these lusts and our selves with them; when we dye, all our lusts dye with us, all our pride and wantonnesse, yea in Hell there are none remaining, but such as come from disappointment of hope, as discontent and murmuring, and obstinacy, and Blasphemy, and dispair, but all other lusts, gluttony incontinency, ambition, dye with us, therefore well saith the Apostle, the World passeth away, and the lusts thereof, they are all but for a season.
Use 1. Is it so, that they all pass away, all the Creatures, and all the lusts of the World are transitory? then it may be a strong ground of exhortation to old men and young, love not the World, nor the things of the World, this is the counsel of an aged Apostle, when he was near a hundred years old, he spake it out of experience of heavenly things, and vanity of the World; do but consider the things themselves in their own estate; love not the World, nor the things of the World, for they all pass away; on this ground Solomon exhorts us not to set our hearts on the World, Prov. 23.4, 5▪ on riches, which is the way to honour, cease from thine own wisdom, you think it wisdom to provide a large Estate, but it is folly: Wilt thou set thine eye on that which is not? riches certainly make themselves wings, and fly away like an Eagle; suppose one of you should invite your friend to dinner, and lead him to your Garden or Orchard, where he finds a company of w•ld fowl, and you tell him, be of good cheer, yonder is good store of wild fowl we shall have, but when you go to take them, they fly away, how will his expectation b• frustrate? so it may be thou hast thy fields well stocked, thy houses well filled and thou sayest now, soul, eat, drink, thou restest refreshed in them, and settest thy heart on them, but God saith, O fool this night thy soul shall be taken away, and then whose shall all these things be? or else sheep rot, and Cattle dye; casualties by Sea, heavy losses take away a mans Estate suddenly, never did wild fowl more deceive them that set their eyes upon them, than riches do the owners thereof
Ʋse 1. Is it so, that they all passe away, all the Creatures, and all the lusts of the World are transitory? then it may be a strong ground of exhortation to old men and young, love not the World, nor the things of the World, this is the counsell of an aged Apostle, when he was near a hundred years old, he spake it out of experience of heavenly things, and vanity of the World; doe but consider the things themselves in their own estate; love not the World, nor the things of the World, for they all passe away; on this ground Solomon exhorts us not to set our hearts on the World, Prov. 23.4, 5▪ on riches, which is the way to honour, cease from thine own wisdome, you think it wisdome to provide a large Estate, but it is folly: Wilt thou set thine eye on that which is not? riches certainly make themselves wings, and fly away like an Eagle; suppose one of you should invite your friend to dinner, and lead him to your Garden or Orchard, where he finds a company of wld fowle, and you tell him, be of good chear, yonder is good store of wild fowle we shall have, but when you goe to take them, they fly away, how will his expectation b frustrate? so it may be thou hast thy fields well stockt, thy houses well fil'd and thou sayest now, soul, eat, drink, thou restest refreshed in them, and settest thy heart on them, but God saith, O fool this night thy soul shall be taken away, and then whose shall all these things be? or else sheep rot, and Cattle dye; casualties by Sea, heavy losses take away a mans Estate suddainly, never did wild fowle more deceive them that set their eyes upon them, than riches doe the owners thereof
Use 2. May teach all that desire perpetuity and constancy in any condition, trust not in riches, honour, no nor in life it self, for they are all transitory, but entreat God to set your hearts on everlasting things, on everlasting life, and enduring riches and pleasures, for from him they flow, Psal. 16. ult. these are an abiding inheritance, and will stick close to us; this is the vanity of earthly things, the fullness of them breeds loathsomeness, and fulsomeness, and a man is dulled with them, they seem full of comfort, till we get them, and when we have them, we are weary of them: but grace on the contrary, seems hateful till it be got, but when it is once got; the more a man hath the more he desireth; godly sorrow breeds repentance never to be repented of, 2 Cor. 7.10. neither by God, nor by them, never did christian repent of his repentance, or Faith, or godliness; Riches profit not in the day of wrath, Prov. 11.4. therefore love not those things which cannot comfort us when we have most need, Joh. 6.26, 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth; so labour not for the riches, or honour, or pleasure that perish, but labour for that profit, and pleasure, and honour which endures for ever.
Ʋse 2. May teach all that desire perpetuity and constancy in any condition, trust not in riches, honour, no nor in life it selfe, for they are all transitory, but intreat God to set your hearts on everlasting things, on everlasting life, and induring riches and pleasures, for from him they flow, Psal. 16. ult. these are an abiding inheritance, and will stick close to us; this is the vanity of earthly things, the fulnesse of them breeds loathsomnesse, and fulsomnesse, and a man is duld with them, they seem full of comfort, till we get them, and when we have them, we are weary of them: but grace on the contrary, seems hatefull till it be got, but when it is once got; the more a man hath the more he desireth; godly sorrow breeds repentance never to be repented of, 2 Cor. 7.10. neither by God, nor by them, never did christian repent of his repentance, or Faith, or godlinesse; Riches profit not in the day of wrath,
We come now to the opposition, that which is opposed to the transitoriness ⟨p. 138⟩of these things, the World, and the lusts thereof, viz. He that doth the will of God abideth for ever.
Q. 1 What is it to abide for ever?
A. 1 It implies, he is not of an unsteady fleeting temper, but of a constant and even frame of spirit and life, not now in and now out, and never of a constant frame, but of an even temper, as mountains are not easily shaken, or driven to and fro, but remain in their strength and place; why so, such as trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, that shall not be moved, Psal. 125.1. and he gives the reason, vers. 2. without any changing or removing.
A. 1 It implies, he is not of an unsteady fleeting temper, but of a constant and even frame of spirit and life, not now in and now out, and never of a constant frame, but of an even temper, as mountaines are not easily shaken, or driven to and fro, but remaine in their strength and place; why so, such as trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, that shall not be moved, Psal. 125.1. and he gives the reason, vers. 2. without any changing or removing.
2 He is said to remain for ever, because he doth abide in that Estate for ever; there is a difference between constancy and perseverance; a man may be said to go to London, though he keeps not even on, but goes out and in; so such a man as aims at heaven, and goes on as evenly as he can, and if he goes out, he gets in again, such a one perseveres in his way to heaven.
2 He is said to remain for ever, because he doth abide in that Estate for ever; there is a difference between constancy and perseverance; a man may be said to goe to London, though he keeps not even on, but goes out and in; so such a man as aimes at heaven, and goes on as evenly as he can, and if he goes out, he gets in again, such a one perseveres in his way to heaven.
Q. 2 What is it to do the will of God?
Q. 2 What is it to doe the will of God?
A He that doth the will of God, stands in opposition to the World, and the lusts of it, and by this will is not meant only the will of Gods pleasure, but the will of Gods Commandment, for all the Creatures do the will of Gods good pleasure, for they all do things, so far as God wills; so that if a man do his own will, he sh ll not go besides Gods will; but here he means the will of Gods Commandment; Not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into Heaven, but be that doth the will of my Father, Mat. 7.21. t•at is, the revealed Will of God, Joh. 8.51.
A He that doth the will of God, stands in opposition to the World, and the lusts of it, and by this will is not m•ant only the will of Gods pleasure, but the will of Gods Commandement, for all the Creatures doe the will of Gods good pleasure, for they all doe things, so far as God wills; so that if a man doe his own will, he sh ll not goe besides Gods will; but here he means the will of Gods Commandement; Not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into Heaven, but be that doth the will of my Father, Mat. 7.21. t•at is, the revealed Will of God, Joh. 8.51.
For the ground of the point, why they abide for ever?
1 Because they are born of the unchangeable Will of God, of his own Will begat he us, Jam, 4.18. and he means that Will, which is not dependant on the Creature, but free, Rom. 9.15. There is no cause moving, but the only Will of God, he will have mercy, because he will have mercy; therefore when God bestows any mercy on the Creature because he will do it, it puts the Creature on an unexchangeable condition.
1 Because they are born of the unchangeable Will of God, of his own Will begat he us, Jam, 4.18. and he means that Will, which is not dependant on the Creature, but free, Rom. 9.15. There is no cause moving, but the only Will of God, he will have mercy, because he will have mercy; therefore when God bestows any mercy on the Creature because he will doe it, it puts the Creature on an unexchangeable condition.