1 By longing and thirsting after him.

2 Seek him in all the means. Hear diligently and your souls shall […], Isa. 55.13. It's a notable promise, Prov. 8.35, 36. Therefore men should be willing to straitened themselves a little in their worldly businesses, to loy• and hear Gods Word.

2 Seek him in all the means. Heare diligently and your souls shall 〈…〉, Isa. 55.13. It's a notable promise, Prov. 8.35, 36. Therefore men should be willing to straighted themselves a little in their worldly businesse•, to loy• and hear Gods Word.

3 Seek him in prayer, Isa. 55.6.

Use 7. Of consolation to every soul that hath Christ. If thou hast Christ, thou hast life, and shalt have it more abundantly; he that findeth him, findeth life; and they that seek not Christ, seek death.

Ʋse 7. Of consolation to every soul that hath Christ. If thou hast Christ, thou hast life, and shalt have it more abundantly; he that findeth him, findeth life; and they that seek not Christ, seek death.

1 JOHN 5.13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that you may believe on the Name of the Son of God.

WE are now come to the beginning of the conclusion of this whole Epistle, wherein he sets down the persons to whom he writes;

These things have I written to you, to you that believe.

2 The end wherefore he writes these things to these: the end is twofold.

1 That ye may know that ye have eternal life.

2 That ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God; which he amplifies in the verses following.

These words afford three Notes.

Doct. 1. This Epistle of John was written and delivered to believers only.

This is evident not only in the Text, but sundry other places of the Epistle, cap. 1.4. He wrote it to such, as by reading this Epistle might attain to full joy. This is evident likewise by recounting the several sorts of persons to whom he wrote, cap. 1.12, 13, 14. Which were of three sorts, Babes, Young men, and Fathers, yet all believers so, cap. 4.4. Ye are of God little children. His second Epistle was written to the elect Lady; and the third Epistle to his beloved Gaius, vers. 1, 2. All his writings were directed to believers; so were all the Epistles of the rest of the Apostles, directed to believers, to Saints, to the chosen of God, to their brethren, as will appear in all their first greetings; when our Saviour himself wrote, he wrote to such in whom he acknowledged many special graces, yea even in the worst of them, in the Church of Sardis, he acknowledged that she had a few names. Now this gives us just occasion to enquire; Why they were written to believers? 2 Why to them only.

This is evident not onely in the Text, but sundry other places of the Epistle, cap. 1.4. He wrote it to such, as by reading this Epistle might attain to full joy. This is evident likewise by recounting the several sorts of persons to whom he wrote, cap. 1.12, 13, 14. Which were of three sorts, Babes, Young men, and Fathers, yet all believers so, cap. 4.4. Ye are of God little children. His second Epistle was written to the elect Lady; and the third Epistle to his beloved Gaius, vers. 1, 2. All his writings were directed to believers; so were all the Epistles of the rest of the Apostles, directed to believers, to Saints, to the chosen of God, to their brethren, as will appear in all their first greetings; when our Saviour himself wrote, he wrote to such in whom he acknowledged many special graces, yea even in the worst of them, in the Church of Sardis, he acknowledged that she had a few names. Now this gives us just occasion to enquire; Why they were written to believers? 2 Why to them only.

To Believers, 1. In regard of the special help, and benefit their writings afford the Church; the benefits of their writing to the Church, were 1 Teaching, 2 Thess. 2.2. 2 Putting them in remembrance, 2 Pet. 1.22, 23. 3 Stirring them up to practice what they knew, 2 Pet. 1.2, 3. 4 To humble the spirits of them that were puffed up, 2 Cor. 7, 8. 5 That they might be strengthened in their faith, 1 John 5.13. 6 That their hearts might be filled with joy, 1 John 1.4. which was effected, Acts 15.31. 7 These writings have bin the foundation of the faith of all Christians to the end of the world, because they have afforded matter of all the preaching of the Ministers, for by them the men of God are fully furnished, and made perfect to every good work, 2 Tim. 4.16, 17.

To Believers, 1. In regard of the special help, and benefit their writings afford the Church; the benefits of their writing to the Church, were 1 Teaching, 2 Thess. 2.2. 2 Putting them in remembrance, 2 Pet. 1.22, 23. 3 Stirring them up to practice what they knew, 2 Pet. 1.2, 3. 4 To humble the spirits of them that were puft up, 2 Cor. 7, 8. 5 That they might be strengthned in their faith, 1 John 5.13. 6 That their hearts might be filled with joy, 1 John 1.4. which was effected, Acts 15.31

2 He writes to believers only, the reason is taken from the little use or profit that unbelievers will make of these writings, till they be brought on to believe, which is so little, that not one of the Apostles directs any of their writings to them, but only for the believers sake, amongst them; it's with the Apostles writings, as with prophesies, and not miracles; Prophesies are not for them that believe not, but for them that believe; Miracles are not for them that believe, but for them that believe not; not but that Miracles may confirm believers; but believers should chiefly attend to Prophesies. Take a company of unbelievers; it's little good they get by reading their writings, for no good is done without faith; now faith comes not by reading, but by hearing, had God ordained that reading should be effectual to the conversion of men he would have confirmed it by Miracles, as he did the preaching of the Apostles. Again, had their writings been sanctified for the conversion of men, they would have sent them abroad to the most remo•e places of the world, where they were never likely to come, but we see they did not, but rather took pains themselves to go about the world, Rom. 10.15, 16, 17, 18.

2 He writes to believers only, the reason is taken from the little use or profit that unbelievers will make of these writings, till they be brought on to believe, which is so little, that not one of the Apostles directs any of their writings to them, but only for the believers sake, amongst them; it's with the Apostles writings, as with prophesies, and not miracles; Prophesies are not for them that believe not, but for them that believe; Miracles are not for them that believe, but for them that believe not; not but that Miracles may confirm believers; but believers should chiefly attend to Prophesies. Take a company of unbelievers; it's little good they get by reading their writings, for no good is done without faith; now faith comes not by reading, but by hearing, had God ordained that reading should be effectual to the conversion of men he would have confirmed it by Miracles, as he did the preaching of the Apostles. Again, had their writings been sanctified for the conversion of men, they would have sent them abroad to the most remo•e places of the world, where they were never likely to come, but we see they did not, but rather took pains themselves to goe about the world,