A34689:4164
A34689:4164
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.
2 In the hearing of the word, we are to come like New born Babes, desiring the sincere milk of the word, and that is, when we come free from all malice and emulation, as babes be, 2 Pet. 2.1, 2. Therefore if a man come to the word with an heart full of envy and emulation, he professeth himself a Christian, but he deceives himself.
2 In the hearing of the word, we are to come like New born Babes, desiring the sincere milk of the word, and that is, when we come free from all malice and emulation, as babes be, 2 Pet. 2.1, 2. Therefore if a man come to the word with an heart full of envy and emulation, he professeth himself a Christian, but he deceives himselfe.
2 It overthrows the Gospel, because this is one of the great Commandments of the Gospel, that we love one another, Mat. 22.36. to 40. if a man therefore profess himself a hearer of the law, and so of the Gospel, (for he that renounceth the law, renounceth the Gospel; for the Gospel establisheth obedience to the Law, Rom. 3. ult. Besides, it is the Commandment of the Gospel, for the whole Gospel is compact of two, Faith, and love, 2 Tim. 1.13. Joh. 13.34.) and do not yield obedience to this particular Commandment of the Gospel, he is a liar.
2 It overthrows the Gospel, because this is one of the great Commandements of the Gospel, that we love one another, Mat. 22.36. to 40. if a man therefore professe himself a hearer of the law, and so of the Gospel, (for he that renounceth the law, renounceth the Gospel; for the Gospel establisheth obedience to the Law, Rom. 3. ult. Besides, it is the Commandement of the Gospel, for the whole Gospel is compact of two, Faith, and love, 2 Tim. 1.13. Joh. 13.34.) and doe not yeeld obedience to this particular Commandement of the Gospel, he is a lyar.
3 The Sacraments are seals of our love, in Baptism, We are baptised into one body, 1 Cor. 12 13. and in the Lords Supper, We are all partakers of one bread, and one spirit, 1 Cor. 10.17. If therefore there be a different spirit in us, we are not of the same spirit, work not by the same Spirit. In a natural body, if a member be cut off in a combat, in our hot blood we miss it not, nor feel the pain, but in cold blood we find the miss of it, and seek out for help; so in hot contentions betwixt Christians they fall off from one another, they discern no change for the present; but when they begin to look back at former passages, and see what wounds they have made, both jointly begin to be sensible of pains, and cannot rest till they have taken some course to set the members in joint again.
3 The Sacraments are seals of our love, in Baptisme, We are baptised into one body, 1 Cor. 12 13. and in the Lords Supper, We are all partakers of one bread, and one spirit, 1 Cor. 10.17. If therefore there be a different spirit in us, we are not of the same spirit, work not by the same Spirit. In a naturall body, if a member be cut off in a combate, in our hot blood we misse it not, nor feel the pain, but in cold blood we find the misse of it, and seek out for help; so in hot contentions betwixt Christians they fall off from one another, they discern no change for the present; but when they begin to look back at former passages, and see what wounds they have made, both joyntly begin to be sensible of pains, and cannot rest till they have taken some course to set the members in joynt again.
4 For private Communion, it calls for love; this profession David made, and so doth every true Christian, I am a companion to all them that fear thee, Psal. 119.63. He doth not say only, he is a well willer or favourer to such, (which yet is a great matter in our days) but he was a companion to them, he had sweet and comfortable familiarity with them; if therefore we be so far from making them our companions, that we can hardly be brought to be favourers of them, we renounce subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel.
4 For private Communion, it calls for love; this profession David made, and so doth every true Christian, I am a companion to all them that fear thee, Psal. 119.63. He doth not say only, he is a well willer or favourer to such, (which yet is a great matter in our dayes) but he was a companion to them, he had sweet and comfortable familiarity with them; if therefore we be so far from making them our companions, that we can hardly be brought to be favourers of them, we renounce subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel.
5 For discipline; this is one of the main ends of discipline, to see that no offence be given from one to another, Matth. 8.15. to 20. if therefore a man offend his Brother, and be not willing to be reconciled, in this case a man renounceth subjection to a main Ordinance of the Gospel.
Use 1. To teach Christian men, if you would be honest true hearted men, let there be no christian brother in the world, but thou canst say, that thou lovest him; if there be any one that thou neglectest, and canst not have fellowship with; why there is no soundness in thee; better it is thou shouldst love an hundred hypocrites, then hate one christian brother; he that professeth himself a christian, and professeth subjection to the Gospel, and yet wants love to his brethren, he renounceth subjection to every Ordinance of the Gospel, and therefore his profession is but hypocrisy, and he himself is a liar: è contra, if God give thee an heart unfeignedly loving every brother, if you make ⟨p. 339⟩them your companions, and the men of your delight; why then, If he that saith he loves God, and hates his brother is a liar, then on the other side, he that doubts whether he loves God, and yet unfeignedly loves his brother, he deceives himself; if thou canst say, thou lovest thy brother, the text will tell thee thou lovest God: if thou canst but find in thy heart true love to thy brethren, though thy profession may be but weak and poor, yet it is sound and sincere; so much love, so much sincerity; so much want of love, so much hypocrisy.
Ʋse 1. To teach Christian men, if you would be honest true hearted men, let there be no christian brother in the world, but thou canst say, that thou lovest him; if there be any one that thou neglectest, and canst not have fellowship with; why there is no soundnesse in thee; better it is thou shouldst love an hundred hypocrites, then hate one christian brother; he that professeth himself a christian, and professeth subjection to the Gospel, and yet wants love to his brethren, he renounceth subjection to every Ocdinance of the Gospel, and therefore his profession is but hypocrisie, and he himselfe is a lyar: è contra, if God give thee an heart unfeignedly loving every brother, if you make ⟨p. 339⟩them your companions, and the men of your delight; why then, If he that saith he loves God, and hates his brother is a lyar, then on the other side, he that doubts whether he loves God, and yet unfeignedly loves his brother, he deceives himself; if thou canst say, thou lovest thy brother, the text will tell thee thou lovest God: if thou canst but find in thy heart true love to thy brethren, though thy profession may be but weake and poor, yet it is sound and sincere; so much love, so much sincerity; so much want of love, so much hypocrisie.
For some might say, What though I love not my brother? he is full of weaknesses and failings, yet I can love God, for […] more cause, the Apostle tells you the sight of your brother is a greater oc•••s•on to love him, then any that hates his brother, can have to love God […] a true indeed, he that loves his Brother, hath more cause to love God then his Brother, but he that hates his brother, shall find less cause to love God then his brethren.
For some might say, What though I love not my brother? he is full of weaknesses and failings, yet I can love God, for 〈…〉 more cause, the Apostle tells you the sight of your brother is a greater oc•••s•on to love him, then any that hates his brother, can have to love God 〈…〉 a true indeed, he that loves his Brother, hath more cause to love God then his Brother, but he that hates his brother, shall find lesse cause to love God then his brethren.
By sight is meant not only viewing the face, but to have familiarity and fellowship with him, to have daily intercourse and commerce with him, now this much furthers love.
By sight is meant not only viewing the face, but to have familiarity and fellowship with him, to have dayly intercourse and commerce with him, now this much furthers love.
Reas. 1. From the strength that is in daily commerce together to procure love.
Reas. 1. From the strength that is in dayly commerce together to procure love.
Our brother doth many things in our sight; which might justly win our love, we see many good parts in them, many good offices which they do to us, and we to them, which much increases our love, the more we see our brothers, and communicate good one to another, the more we love them.
Our brother doth many things in our sight; which might justly winn our love, we see many good parts in them, many good offices which they doe to us, and we to them, which much increases our love, the more we see our brothers, and communicate good one to another, the more we love them.
Reas. 2. From the little cause a man hath to love God that hates his brother; take a man that is estranged from his brother, he is much more estranged from God.
1 Such a man hath no faith in God, that wants love to his brother, for faith works by love.
2 He can have no sense of Gods love, for God never reveals sensible love to such, as have no love to these brethren, and then how can we love God, if we have no sense of his love to us?
3 Much less can he have experience of Gods love to him, for he never had it.
3 Much lesse can he have experience of Gods love to him, for he never had it.
4 You will say, he may have reason to love God, for many bounties of God towards him; I, but what reason can such have to think, that God gives them these in love? and therefore he will have little cause to love God; if he find in his heart no reason to love his brother, he will find less reason to love God.
4 You will say, he may have reason to love God, for many bounties of God towards him; I, but what reason can such have to think, that God gives them these in love? and therefore he will have little cause to love God; if he find in his heart no reason to love his brother, he will find lesse reason to love God.