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

[…] commandments, is an undoubted […]

〈…〉 commandents, is an undoubted 〈…〉

[…] to God before we can […] to •ee […] when […] Prov. 6.21. as the apple of […]

〈…〉 to God before we can 〈…〉 to •ee 〈…〉 when 〈…〉 Prov. 6.21. as the apple of 〈…〉

Reas. […] not his life […] against his Brother Herod […] loose form […] at […] of Gods […] our Breth•• […] cannot […] from […] from the other.

Reas. 〈…〉 not his life 〈…〉 against his Brother Herod 〈…〉 loose form 〈…〉 at 〈…〉 of Gods 〈…〉 our Breth•• 〈…〉 cannot 〈…〉 from 〈…〉 from the other.

Use 1. A ground of trial, whether […] love to our Brethren •e unfeigned or no; such as we may be bold to say, I know I love them. […] thou affected towards God? Dost thou look […] and wouldst thou […] his commandments as thy took precious […] life, that thou wouldst part with thy life sooner thou them […] it thus, […] sincere and unfeigned Many […] their […] very good, because they find their hearts love Gods children, and favour […] But exee•• you have […] heart fea•• God, making […] • meant, […] not […] •ouring religion that will […] the love of God and obedience to his commandment be […] otherwise you may affect Gods children, be […] you […] harmless as Pil•to did Christ, gave […] ••ting• […] the […] of Caesar wa• a sign the fear of God […] enemy to Christ, only out of conviction of conscience, […] he was a just man. […] respects may many times move a man […], the very sense of […] sings and helps by th•••; as La•a• […]. But this is far from tru••; otherwise, if we love them in obedience to God and his commandments, its an evidence of […] sincere […].

Ʋse 1. A ground of tryall, whether 〈…〉 love to our Brethren •e unfained or no; such as we may be bold to say, I know I love them. 〈…〉 thou affected towards God? Dost thou look 〈…〉 and wouldst thou 〈…〉 his commandements as thy took precious 〈…〉 life, that thou wouldst part with thy life sooner thou them 〈…〉 it thus, 〈…〉 sincere and unfained Many their very good, because they finde their hearts love Gods children, and favour But exee you have eart fea God, making ment, not ouring ligion that will the love of God and obedience to his commandement be otherwise you may affect Gods children, be you harmlesse as Pilto did Christ, gave ting the of Caesar wa a signe the fear of God enemy to Christ, onely out of conviction of conscience, he was a just man. respects may many times move a man , the very sence of sings and helps by th; as Laa . But this is far from tru; otherwise, if we love them in obedience to God and his commandements, its an evidence of sincere .

Use 2. For […] that desire to know that they love their Brethren. […] constantly conscionable of your obedience […] commandments, and love him, and then you may be assured […] to your Brethren is sincere. Break your obedience to God […], and your […] to him, and then you will soon break off you• […] Brethren, a• […] and […] did, bu• maintain obedience to Go• […] Brethren.

Ʋse 2. For 〈…〉 that desire to know that they love their Brethren. 〈…〉 constantly conscionable of your obedience 〈…〉 commandements, and love him, and then you may be assured 〈…〉 to your Brethren is sincere. Break your obedience to God 〈…〉, and your 〈…〉 to him, and then you will soon break off you• 〈…〉 Brethren, a• 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 did, bu• ••intain obedience to Go• 〈…〉 Brethren.

Use 3. Of comfort to Gods servants […] good evidence of their unfeigned love to their Brethren, If God give that […] to love God and keep his commandment. Its our an• •e if thy love hath this superscription on one side, Love of God, one the other side the •••ce to Gods commandments, it ••ll prove currant, before God […] a sufficient breast plate against all misconstructions of the world ••y this we ••ew our love to our Brother, if we love God and keep his commandments.

Ʋse 3. Of comfort to Gods servants 〈…〉 good evidence of their unfained love to their Brethren, If God give that 〈…〉 to love God and keep his commandement. Its our an• •e if thy love hath this superscription on one side, Love of God, one the other side the •••ce to Gods commandements, it ••ll prove currant, before God 〈…〉 a sufficient breast plate against all •isconstructions of the world ••y this we ••ew our love to our Brother, if we love God and keep his commandements.

1 JOHN 5.3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous.

1 JOHN 5.3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandements, and his commandements are not grievous.

Verse 2. he had given a double mark of our love to our Brethren, which was, if we love God, and keep his commandment. Now because a Christian might be inquisitive and doubtful, How shall I know that I love God and keep his commandments? why, v. 3. This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and they are not grievous.

VErse 2. he had given a double mark of our love to our Brethren, which was, if we love God, and keep his commandement. Now because a Christian might be inquisitive and doubtfull, How shall I know that I love God and keep his commandements? why, v. 3. This is the love of God, that we keep his commandements, and they are not grievous.

Doct. The keeping of Gods commandments, and the easiness of that yoke, is an undoubted sign of our unfeigned love to God; that is, If we be willing to bear the yoke of Christ, and account it easy, that evidently argues that the love of God in our hearts is sincere.

Doct. The keeping of Gods commandements, and the easinesse of that yoke, is an undoubted signe of our unfained love to God; that is, If we be willing to bear the yoke of Christ, and account it easie, that evidently argues that the love of God in our hearts is sincere.

This Christ teacheth his Disciples, John 15.14. Then are ye my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Now friendship argues integrity of love. Now betwixt friends there passeth a mutual covenant, a mutual communication of good one to another, and of secrets; so there is a certain community of all things, all things are common among friends: So, he that keeps Gods commandments, looks at Gods law, so as he makes it of his counsel and delight, and is ruled by it. And again, God communicates his attributes to him, which is something more then a parent doth to his child, though he love him well, yet he will not communicate to him whatsoever is his, nor always make him of his counsel, nor yet show familiarity towards him; but God looks at Christians as his friends, communicates his counsels to them, grows in acquaintance with them.

This Christ teacheth his Disciples, John 15.14. Then are ye my friends, if ye doe whatsoever I command you. Now friendship argues integrity of love. Now betwixt friends there passeth a mutuall covenant, a mutuall communication of good one to another, and of secrets; so there is a certain community of all things, all things are common among friends: So, he that keeps Gods commandements, looks at Gods law, so as he makes it of his counsell and delight, and is ruled by it. And again, God communicates his attributes to him, which is something more then a parent doth to his childe, though he love him well, yet he will not communicate to him whatsoever is his, nor alwayes make him of his counsell, nor yet shew familiarity towards him; but God looks at Christians as his friends, communicates his counsells to them, grows in acquaintance with them.

Obj. Its not for friends to be at command, but servants. Its a point of service, and not of friendship.

Answ. To do it as a duty of necessity, is a servants condition; but to do a thing for loves sake to his friend, this is an act of friendship. Further, a man is not said to keep the Commandments, when himself only strives to keep them, but when he draws others to the same conscionable obedience. Friends have all things common, and they do not love that any that belong to them, should be enemies to their friends: So God looks at it as a part of Abraham's friendship, that he would command his children and servants after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord, Gen. 18.17, 19. Hence in Scripture its a spiritual style give to Abraham, Abraham the friend of God, James 2.23. Isa. 41.8. Now, what eminent service did he above others? There were others as zealous as he, but this he had eminent in him, I know he will teach his children and household to keep my ways. Look at Moses, David, Eli, Jehoshaphat, all godly men, yet they were all failing in this, in instructing and bringing on their children and servants to the fear of God; but this was Abraham's friendship, that he was not only careful himself, but he sought to bring on his whole family to Gods worship. We see his care about Isaac, that God would establish his covenant with him, Gen. 17.18. And about Ishmael, that he might live in thy sight; and he brought on his whole family to be circumcised, though a painful thing, Gen. 17. ult. This was a fruit of true love. So David. professeth in his own person and Christs, Psal. 40.8. O Lord I delight in thy Law. Ps 19.9, 10. Thy commandments are more precious then gold, yea then fine gold: thy precepts are sweeter then honey and the honey-comb. A sign they were not grievous to him. Love makes us delight in the thing beloved.

Answ. To doe it as a duty of necessity, is a servants condition; but to do a thing for loves sake to his friend, this is an act of friendship. Further, a man is not said to keep the Commandements, when himself onely strives to keep them, but when he draws others to the same conscionable obedience. Friends have all things common, and they doe not love that any that belong to them, should be enemies to their friends: So God looks at it as a part of Abrahams friendship, that he would command his children and servants after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord,

What is the reason that this is such an undoubted argument of our love to God?

Reas. 1. From the strictness and purity of Gods law, and the crossness of it to our nature. The weapons of our warfare are mighty to bring down every high thought, 1 Cor. 10.4. Here two contraries meet together; the prerogative of ⟨p. 352⟩God he will have our thoughts brought into subjection; and the liberty of the Creature, We will not have our thoughts and tongues bound, Psal. 12.4. We are free born, we are servants to none. Now these being so cross one to another, for a man now not only to do Gods commandments, but to do them willingly, and out of love; why, this is such a yoke, that were it not for the mighty power of Gods love prevailing in our hearts, which constrains us to do it most willingly, which nature is most unwilling unto, it would never be wrought. Hence Gods people are said to be a willing people, Psal. 110. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of liberty, 2 Cor. 3.17. Its evident Gods Spirit is there where we do Gods commandments with freedom and willingness.

Reas. 1. From the strictnesse and purity of Gods law, and the crosnesse of it to our nature. The weapons of our warfare are mighty to bring down every high thought, 1 Cor. 10.4. Here two contraries meet together; the prerogative of ⟨p. 352⟩God he will have our thoughts brought into subjection; and the liberty of the Creature, We will not have our thoughts and tongues bound, Psal. 12.4. We are free born, we are servants to none. Now these being so crosse one to another, for a man now not onely to doe Gods commandements, but to doe them willingly, and out of love; why, this is such a yoke, that were it not for the mighty power of Gods love prevailing in our hearts, which constrains us to doe it most willingly, which nature is most unwilling unto, it would never be wrought. Hence Gods people are said to be a willing people,

2. From the experience such have had of the burden of sin, to whom Gods commandments seem easy: For this is certain, the more welcome sin, the more unwelcome Gods commandments; the more we delight in sin, the less we delight in Gods commandments; but when once sin is wearisome to a soul, to them Christs yoke is easy, and his burden light, Mat. 11.28, 29.

2. From the experience such have had of the burthen of sin, to whom Gods commandements seem easie: For this is certain, the more welcome sin, the more unwelcome Gods commandements; the more we delight in sin, the lesse we delight in Gods commandements; but when once sin is wearisome to a soul, to them Christs yoke is easie, and his burthen light, Mat. 11.28, 29.