A34689:4200
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.
Reas. 3. From the care God takes of the preservation of love unfeigned to himself; why, that it may be preserved spotless, God will still keep in us a diligent care of love to our brethren; for next after hypocrisy, nothing more odious to God then Apostasy, and more dangerous to us, as being the way to the sin against the holy ghost: Now so long as a man walks in love, and keeps a constant fellowship with the Saints, so long we keep a constant fellowship with God himself; but let a man fail in his love to his brethren, he falls off from God, and so runs into grievous Apostasy against God to the spiting of the holy ghost; therefore as you would put honour on God, and maintain his Spirit in you, so take heed you neglect not brotherly love; if we neglect this, we are in rhe way to total Apostasy.
Reas. 3. From the care God takes of the preservation of love unfeigned to himselfe; why, that it may be preserved spotlesse, God will still keep in us a diligent care of love to our brethren; for next after hypocrisie, nothing more odious to God then Apostacy, and more dangerous to us, as being the way to the sin against the holy ghost: Now so long as a man walks in love, and keeps a constant fellowship with the Saints, so long we keep a constant fellowship with God himselfe; but let a man faile in his love to his brethren, he falls off from God, and so runs into grievous Apostacy against God to the spighting of the holy ghost; therefore as you would put honour on God, and maintain his Spirit in you, so take heed you neglect not brotherly love; if we neglect this, we are in rhe way to total Apostacy.
Reas. 4. From the delight God takes that all his servants should wear his livery, and be known to be his Disciples: now if God had only left us to faith in Christ, to calling on his Name, all this might have been and yet we never been known what we were; but because God would have it known that there is a generation of men calling upon his name, and serving him in truth, he would never have them come abroad without this cognizance to their brethren, and by this mark all men should know ye are my Disciples, if you love one another, Joh. 13.35