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

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.

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.

Reas. 2. From the knowledge that such have of Gods love unto themselves, the Lord hath sent his Son to save the world, the Lord hath sent his Son into the world to save us from his own wrath, and shall we bear wrath and malice towards those that are his? a Christian will be ashamed that his heart should be wrathful and malicious, he will be reconciled to his hrethren; when a Christian walks in love, he hath seen the Saviour of the world, and hath known him, for that makes him love them, because God sent his Son to save them. They bear witness.

Reas. 2. From the knowledg that such have of Gods love unto themselves, the Lord hath sent his Son to save the world, the Lord hath sent his Son into the world to save us from his own wrath, and shall we bear wrath and malice towards those that are his? a Christian will be ashamed that his heart should be wrathful and malicious, he will be reconciled to his hrethren; when a Christian walks in love, he hath seen the Saviour of the world, and hath known him, for that makes him love them, because God sent his Son to save them. They bear witnesse.

If a man refuse the love of his brethren, he denies, that God sent his Son to be a Saviour of his brethren from his wrath. God sent his Son to save us from hell, death, and the grave, and from all evil we may meet with. God hath promised to with hold no good thing from them that fear him; but if death and sickness be good, we shall have them, Psal. 84.11. Now if we with-hold any good from our brethren, we bear witness that Christ came not into the world to save them.

If a man refuse the love of his brethren, he denies, that God sent his Sonne to be a Saviour of his brethren from his wrath. God sent his Sonne to save us from hell, death, and the grave, and from all evill we may meet with. God hath promised to with hold no good thing from them that feare him; but if death and sicknesse be good, we shall have them, Psal. 84.11. Now if we with-hold any good from our brethren, we bear witnesse that Christ came not into the world to save them.

Use 1. This should teach us to lay down all wrath and hatred, and to be discouraged from harbouring any such distempers in our souls, for else you proclaim before God, Angels, and men, that God did did not send his Son to be a Saviour; for shall Christ come to save his people from the wrath of God, and from the Devil, and shall he not free his people from my wrath? Either make Christ a whole Saviour, else make him no Saviour at all. If Christ save from any evil, he will save from all. Agrippa was a Christian in part, but Christ was not a Saviour in part.

Ʋse 1. This should teach us to lay down all wrath and hatred, and to be discouraged from harbouring any such distempers in our souls, for else you proclaim before God, Angels, and men, that God did did not send his Son to be a Saviour; for shall Christ come to save his people from the wrath of God, and from the Devil, and shall he not free his people from my wrath? Either make Christ a whole Saviour, else make him no Saviour at all. If Christ save from any evill, he will save from all. Agrippa was a Christian in part, but Christ was not a Saviour in part.

2 To exhort every soul to be loving to their brethren; the more you abound in love to your brethren, the more you testify that God sent his Son into the world to be a Saviour, and the more love will God express to your souls.

2 To exhort every soule to be loving to their brethren; the more you abound in love to your brethren, the more you testifie that God sent his Sonne into the world to be a Saviour, and the more love will God expresse to your soules.

3 Of consolation to such as love all men, but especially to such as are of the household of Faith, such a man hath seen that God hath sent his Son to be a Saviour of the world; As Gods will is they should be saved, so for his part, his will is they should be saved, such a man may be persuaded that God hath forgiven him his sins.

3 Of consolation to such as love all men, but especially to such as are of the houshold of Faith, such a man hath seen that God hath sent his Son to be a Saviour of the world; As Gods will is they shou d be saved, so for his part, his will is they should be saved, such a man may be perswaded that God hath forgiven him his sins.

1 JOHN 4.15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

1 JOHN 4.15. Whosoever shall confesse that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

The 14 and 15 verses contain an argument of Gods love dwelling in us, the proposition is laid down, vers. 14. the assumption, vers. 15.

THe 14 and 15 verses contain an argument of Gods love dwelling in us, the proposition is laid down, vers. 14. the assumption, vers. 15.