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

Object. But many of Gods servants bring forth sour fruit, which will neither benefit themselves, nor others, therefore how is it said that Gods Spirit is in them?

Object. But many of Gods servants bring forth sowr fruit, which will neither benefit themselves, nor others, therefore how is it said that Gods Spirit is in them?

Answ. They have sour Oil distilling from the old stock, for there are many branches in us that suck sourness from the old stock; though there be a spirit of love in Gods children, yet many times it doth not run forth: But when you see Christian love expressing it self, it springs not from nature, but the Spirit of God.

Answ. They have sowr Oyl distilling from the old stock, for there are many branches in us that suck sowrnesse from the old stock; though there be a spirit of love in Gods children, yet many times it doth not run forth: But when you see Christian love expressing it self, it springs not from nature, but the Spirit of God.

2 A ground of much comfort to any soul that doth find his spirit suppled with any compassion; If you can find your spirits mourning for the evil case of your brother, it is a sign that Gods Spirit is in you.

2 A ground of much comfort to any soul that doth finde his spirit suppled with any compassion; If you can finde your spirits mourning for the evill case of your brother, it is a signe that Gods Spirit is in you.

Doct. That such to whom God hath given of his Spirit of love, they maintain mutual, entire, and constant fellowship with God, and they know it.

God dwells in us, which is more then to have God to dwell with us: if God did but dwell with us, it would argue much happiness; but this is more, for God to dwell in us; We are not only near one another, and branches one of another, but one body with another, he abides in us as the head, we in him as the members.

God dwels in us, which is more then to have God to dwell with us: if God did but dwell with us, it would argue much happinesse; but this is more, for God to dwell in us; We are not onely near one another, and branches one of another, but one body with another, he abides in us as the head, we in him as the members.

Quest. What is this, We know it?

Answ. This act of knowledge is more then an act of faith, men may believe more to be true, then they know, Heb. 11.3. By faith we understand the world was made, faith understands a thing to be done, and so we may be persuaded of the truth of a thing. Something we know by reason, which by sense we cannot know; if it be not evident by sense and reason, we cannot know it; the meaning is, we have evident sense and evident reason for it.

Answ. This act of knowledge is more then an act of faith, men may believe more to be true, then they know, Heb. 11.3. By faith we understand the world was made, faith understands a thing to be done, and so we may be perswaded of the truth of a thing. Something we know by reason, which by sence we cannot know; if it be not evident by sence and reason, we cannot know it; the meaning is, we have evident sence and evident reason for it.

Reason 1. Is taken from the evidence of sense; when God hath shed abroad into our hearts a spirit of love, we shall see and feel the favour of God shining in our hearts, the mercy of God pacifying our souls; so that now we do not only believe the promises belonging to us, but the feelings of Gods love is a manifestation of Gods grace, John 14.21, 22. If any man love me, saith Christ, and keep my Word, my Father will love him, and we will come in to him, and make our abode with him: As we grow in love, so the comforts of Gods Spirit grow in us. The ground of this reason is taken from Gods nature, who is love; God is not said to be faith or hope, but love; and the more any man hath received of love, the nearer doth he come to God, and the readier is he to be doing good offices, and to be helpful.

Reason 1. Is taken from the evidence of sence; when God hath shed abroad into our hearts a spirit of love, we shall see and feel the favour of God shining in our hearts, the mercy of God pacifying our souls; so that now we do not onely believe the promises belonging to us, but the feelings of Gods love is a manifestation of Gods grace, John 14.21, 22. If any man love me, saith Christ, and keep my Word, my Father will love him, and we will come in to him, and make our abode with him: As we grow in love, so the comforts of Gods Spirit grow in us. The ground of this reason is taken from Gods nature, who is love; God is not said to be faith or hope, but love; and the more any man hath received of love, the nearer doth he come to God, and the readier is he to be doing good offices, and to be helpful.

Reas. 2. From the cause of love we know; God dwells in us, and we in ⟨p. 311⟩him, because we have received a Spirit of love. We could not receive a spirit of love, if we did not receive a spirit of faith, Gal. 5.6. We could not love our brethren, if we had not faith to believe in Christ: Now where faith is, there Christ dwells, Ephes. 3.17. This reason is from the cause of love.

Reas. 2. From the cause of love we know; God dwels in us, and wee in ⟨p. 311⟩him, because we have received a Spirit of love. We could not receive a spirit of love, if we did not receive a spirit of faith, Gal. 5.6. We could not love our brethren, if we had not faith to believe in Christ: Now where faith is, there Christ dwels, Ephes. 3.17. This reason is from the cause of love.

Use 1. Of consolation to loving Christians, they have manifest experience and knowledge of Gods love; Hereby we know that God dwells in us, and we in him. The benefit of a loving spirit is this; that it keeps fellowship with God, and that entire fellowship: A loving man doth not only believe that he hath fellowship with God; but he knows it, he hath evident reason for it.

Ʋse 1. Of consolation to loving Christians, they have manifest experience and knowledge of Gods love; Hereby we know that God dwells in us, and we in him. The benefit of a loving spirit is this; that it keeps fellowship with God, and that entire fellowship: A loving man doth not onely believe that he hath fellowship with God; but he knows it, he hath evident reason for it.

2 To teach such as want the goodness of the promises; they are not sensible of Gods favour, they have no sensible experience of it, they may be persuaded that God will show them mercy at the end, but yet they do not know it: If thou wilt know the fellowship between God and thy soul, then pray more that the Spirit of love may dwell in thee; as thy love grows, so shalt thou grow in sensible experience of Gods love to thee; God crowns faith with trust and confidence, and assurance, but he crowns love with experience; If you want experience of Gods love, then think surely there is some weed of envy wrath and hatred; from which if thou cleanse thy heart, thou shalt not only have assurance, but experience.

2 To teach such as want the goodnesse of the promises; they are not sensisible of Gods favour, they have no sensible experience of it, they may be perswaded that God will shew them mercy at the end, but yet they do not know it: If thou wilt know the fellowship between God and thy soule, then pray more that the Sprit of love may dwell in thee; as thy love grows, so shalt thou grow in sensible experience of Gods love to thee; God crowns faith with trust and confidence, and assurance, but he crowns love with experience; If you want experience of Gods love, then think surely there is some weed of envy wrath and hatred; from which if thou cleanse thy heart, thou shalt not onely have assurance, but experience.

3 This refutes the Papists, that say, a man cannot know that God dwells in him, this is an evident sign that they have neither faith nor love; if they had faith, they should have assurance; if love, they should have experience.

3 This refutes the Papists, that say, a man cannot know that God dwels in him, this is an evident signe that they have neither faith nor love; if they had faith, they should have assurance; if love, they should have experience.

1 JOHN 4.14. And we have seen and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

1 JOHN 4.14. And we have seen and doe testifie, that the Father sent the Sonne to be the Saviour of the world.

Doct. That such as love one another, they have seen, and do bear witness of the Father sending his Son to be a Saviour of the world, John 13.4.5.

Doct. THat such as love one another, they have seen, and do beare witnesse of the Father sending his Son to be a Saviour of the world, John 13.4.5.

Reas. This word sight is more then believing, for the Apostle put; a difference between them, 2 Cor. 4.3. We believe that Christ sits at the right hand of God, but we have not seen it; when he saith, They have seen, he would have you know that they have had experimental knowledge; all sight is an act of sense, and riseth from some ground of reason, reason is from sensible feeling, which every loving soul hath found, that God hath sent his Son to be a Saviour of the world; a Christian knows that except his heart be warmed with the love of God, he cannot love his brethren: The woman in the Gospel, of whom Christ asked a little water; when she saw that Christ was the Messiah, and had convinced her of her sins, John 4. she left her water pots, vers. 20. and ran into the City, and saith to the men, Come see a man that hath told me all that ever I did, is not this the Christ? Vers. 29. and vers. 39, 40. When the Samaritans were warmed with his words, they besought him to stay amongst them, and many of them believed in him; so that so much sight of Christ, so much love.

Reas. This word sight is more then believing, for the Apostle put; a difference between them, 2 Cor. 4.3. We believe that Christ sits at the right hand of God, but we have not seen it; when he saith, They have seen, he would have you know that they have had experimental knowledge; all sight is an act of sense, and riseth from some ground of reason, reason is from sensible feeling, which every loving soule hath found, that God hath sent his Son to be a Saviour of the world; a Christian knows that except his heart be warmed with the love of God, he cannot love his brethren: The woman in the Gospel, of whom Christ asked a little water; when she saw that Christ was the Messiah, and had convinced her of her sins, John 4. she left her water pots, vers. 20. and ran into the City, and saith to the men, Come see a man that hath told me all that ever I did, is not this the Christ? Vers. 29. and vers. 39, 40. When the Samaritans were warmed with his words, they besought him to stay amongst them, and many of them believed in him; so that so much sight of Christ, so much love.