A34689:4136
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
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.
Use 2. May teach us to love God betimes; for you can never begin too soon, but he hath prevented you, you can never begin so early, but he hath been up before you: what a shame is it for men to defer this, till 30. 40. 50. years, till their old age? God was up betimes to manifest his love to you, and will not you begin to love God, till you are going out of the world?
Ʋse 2. May teach us to love God betimes; for you can never begin too soon, but he hath prevented you, you can never begin so early, but he hath been up before you: what a shame is it for men to deferre this, till 30. 40. 50. yeares, till their old age? God was up betimes to manifest his love to you, and will not you begin to love God, till you are going out of the world?
Use 3. To such as have already given their love to God; let them learn to maintain their love, and increase it: a man is wont to make much of an old friend; Thine own friend, and thy Fathers friend forsake not, Prov. 27.10. Why, God is the ancientest that ever thou hadst, he loved thee before thou wert, before thou knewest what the world was, or what love was, therefore love him again.
Ʋse 3. To such as have already given their love to God; let them learn to maintain their love, and increase it: a man is wont to make much of an old friend; Thine own friend, and thy Fathers friend forsake not, Prov. 27.10. Why, God is the ancientest that ever thou hadst, he loved thee before thou wert, before thou knewest what the world was, or what love was, therefore love him again.
Use 4. Of consolation to such as have experience of Gods love towards them, if God loved us before we loved him, when we were strangers and enemies, then surely he will not cast us off for our infirmities in our after loves, it may be we may be loose and sinful; but God loved us at first, not for our goodness, neither will he cast us off afterward for our wickedness. Yet this is no encouragement to licentiousness, for God knows how to put us to anguishes and straights, and crosses, and yet reserve everlasting life for us. There is never a servant of God, but had he cast him off for his failings, he had never been saved, none but have failed in many things, and abused Gods grace; but God knows how to heal such distempers, and yet reserve his mercy to us; if he began to love us, before we loved him, then as he was first in love, so he will be last.