A34689:4676
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.
Obj. Is it not ordinary for the word of the Law to cast down and humble us, before we can lay hold on a promise.
Answ. True. Yet this is not that which makes a man a new man, this may reach to the reformation of many outward sins, but yet it gives not spiritual life, till we begin to think of, and long after Christ, and meditate and talk of him, till at length the sight of Christ, doth so work on us, that we do not only long after him, but we so receive him, and embrace him, that we are enlightened by him.
Answ. True. Yet this is not that which makes a man a new man, this may reach to the reformation of many outward sins, but yet it gives not spirituall life, till we begin to think of, and long after Christ, and meditate and talk of him, till at length the sight of Christ, doth so work on us, that we do not only long after him, but we so receive him, and imbrace him, that we are inlightned by him.
A third cause of life, is the Spirit of God, John 3.6. There is a shedding abroad of the Spirit into the heart of every regenerate man, that he hath not the same spirit he had before. Now a mans spirit is the bent and inclination of the soul. Eph. 4.23. Be ye renewed in the spirits of your minds. The soul and the body is the same: But there is another spirit, they see other things they never saw before, judge otherwise then they did before; now they have new thoughts, and judgements, and affections, so that their heart is far off from earthly things, and let on spiritual things. All things are become new. A new heart, new conference, new employment, new company, the whole man hath another frame of spirit in him. He that finds it thus hath life.