A34689:4572
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.
Secondly, As he reserves the claim of it in his own hands, so he reserves the security of it in his own hand, even as a Father doubting how his son will spend his estate, he puts not into his hands the writings or evidences, but he keeps them in his own hands; so God saw the life he communicated to our first parents, they prodigally wasted it away, and therefore never since would he put it into our own hands, but reserved it in the hands of Christ, Rom. 4.16. Therefore it is faith that the promise might be sure. If our salvation had stood upon our own works, the promise had been sure only so long as we kept our obedience, but we are unsettled, sometimes enlarged, and sometimes straitened, so that we should have been at a stand oftentimes, not knowing whether we had life or no, therefore he hath laid it up in Christ, that it might be sure.
Secondly, As he reserves the claim of it in his own hands, so he reserves the security of it in his own hand, even as a Father doubting how his son will spend his estate, he puts not into his hands the writings or evidences, but he keeps them in his own hands; so God saw the life he communicated to our first parents, they prodigally wasted it away, and therefore never since would he put it into our own hands, but reserved it in the hands of Christ, Rom. 4.16. Therefore it is faith that the promise might be sure. If our salvation had stood upon our own works, the promise had been sure onely so long as we kept our obedience, but we are unsetled, sometimes inlarged, and sometimes straightned, so that we should have been at a stand oftentimes, not knowing whether we had life or no, therefore he hath laid it up in Christ, that it might be sure.
Thirdly, The possession of this life is reserved for us in Christ, our justification is complete in Christ here, never increased, though the sense of it may; the first day we are regenerate, we are fully justified; the justification of all Christians is equal, though their sanctification be not alike; our life of justification is complete, but yet our life of holiness is but imperfect, We know but in part, and believe but in part, but its fully laid up in Christ: so for the life of consolation, we have some beginnings of it here,