A34689:941
A34689:941
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.
Use 2 It exhorts us to a conscionable diligent keeping of Gods Commandments, hereby we shall keep our profession true, our Consciences void of offence, and shall have an evidence that we know Christ; if a man say he knows God and yet keep not his Commandments, his profession is not true, but he that both saith so, and doth so, his profession is sincere.
Ʋse 2 It exhorts us to a conscionable diligent keeping of Gods Commandments, hereby we shall keep our profession true, our Consciences void of offence, and shall have an evidence that we know Christ; if a man say he knows God and yet keep not his Commandments, his profession is not true, but he that both saith so, and doth so, his profession is sincere.
2 It will keep your Consciences in Peace; when your Conscience checks you not, but bears you witness that you desire to do Gods will in truth, this brings great Peace.
2 It will keep your Consciences in Peace; when your Conscience checks you not, but bears you witnesse that you desire to do Gods will in truth, this brings great Peace.
3 It keeps your Grace sound, the more fruitful, and the more obedient; the more doth Grace increase; a Christian that lets his Grace lye at rest, it grows rusty, and he may doubt of the truth of his Grace; if any metal lye up and rust, we may suspect whether it be right or no; but if it be kept with continual use, we suspect it not; take a Christian that doth not exercise himself in Grace, he grows so rusty, that he suspects the truth of his Grace, but put thy grace to employment, let it be in continual use, and thou shalt easily ⟨p. 66⟩see it is good metal and currant; the employment of Graces proves the truth of them, therefore as we desire to keep our profession true, or our conscience clean, or our graces sound, keep in a daily course of obedience, always be doing good, and that from Gods Commandment.
3 It keeps your Grace sound, the more fruitfull, and the more obedient; the more doth Grace increase; a Christian that lets his Grace lye at rest, it grows rusty, and hee may doubt of the truth of his Grace; if any mettal lye up and rust, we may suspect whether it be right or no; but if it be kept with continual use, we suspect it not; take a Christian that doth not exercise himself in Grace, he grows so rusty, that he suspects the truth of his Grace, but put thy grace to employment, let it be in continual use, and thou shalt easily ⟨p. 66⟩see it is good metal and currant; the employment of Graces proves the truth of them, therefore as we desire to keep our profession true, or our conscience clean, or our graces sound, keep in a daily course of obedience, always be doing good, and that from Gods Commandment.
Use 3 Of Consolation to all such as take a good course, and labour to keep Gods Commandments, who may sometimes suspect all their grace is counterfeit, and there is no sincerity in them; why if there be no sincerity in you, you do not keep Gods Commandments as your way, but you cannot say, but you would gladly find your hearts keeping them as your way, and you endeavour it, and it is the grief of your souls when you go out of the way; do you keep them as your treasure, and ornament, and apple of your eye, and life? Why then there is truth of grace in you, truth of sincerity, though not of Perfection; you must not look to keep them without sin, but if you desire to keep them as the most precious thing, as your treasure, your ornament, your life, the apple of your eye, though a man may sometimes have a moat fall into his eye; but in this case do not say, your Graces are counterfeit, for if they were counterfeit you would not keep Gods Commandments, Psalm 36.1. Wickedness saith to the wicked, there is no fear of God before his eyes; how doth that appear to David? vers. 4. he sets himself in no good way, he is in a bad way, and goes on therein, and such a one, it is plain, he hath no fear of God before his eyes, by their fruits he knows them; if you set your selves in no good way, your profession cannot be true, but if the way you take be good, and if not thou dost not take it up; why if it be thus, your profession is true, and your grace sound; it is a question whether Solomon fell finally, or his graces were true or no; you may know his repentance was true, because he found his lust to women as bitter as death, Eccles. 7.6, 7. well then, if an Adulterous, or Idolatrous Wife were as bitter as death to him, then it is an evident sign, if he looked at his transgression as death, he looked at the Commandment as life, and therefore his repentance was sincere; so then if a man find his sin as as bitter as death, it is a sign his repentance is true. But yet we must here distinguish between the horror of sin, and sin it self, the horror of sin may be as bitter to us as death, but not the sin it self, as Judas, the horror of sin was so bitter to him that for it he hanged himself; but had Judas been troubled with the sin of his conscience, as he was with the horror of his conscience, he would not have gone about to help one sin by another;
had he hated sin for it self, he would have hated Murder as sin. So would you know whether it be horror of sin, or sin that troubles you? If it be horror, you will seek to drive it away by sin, as some do by merry company and merry Books, this is a plain sign that sin troubles them not, for then they would not seek to help one sin by another: but if a man look at the breach of the Law as the loss of his way, it troubles him as much as the losing of his Treasure, it is as a moat in his eye, he had as lief part with his life, if it be thus with thee thou mayest have comfort, thy profession is true, thy conscience clear, thy profession sound and sincere.
had he hated sin for it self, he would have hated Murther as sin. So would you know whether it be horror of sin, or sin that troubles you? If it be horror, you will seek to drive it away by sin, as some do by merry company and merry Books, this is a plain signe that sin troubles them not, for then they would not seek to help one sin by another: but if a man look at the breach of the Law as the losse of his way, it troubles him as much as the losing of his Treasure, it is as a moat in his eye, he had as lieve part with his life, if it bee thus with thee thou mayest have comfort, thy profession is true, thy conscience clear, thy profession sound and sincere.
1 JOHN 2.5, 6. But he that keepeth his Word, in him is the love of God perfect indeed, &c.
The words do declare a double comfort that betides all those that keep the Commandments of Christ Jesus.
THe words do declare a double comfort that betides all those that keep the Commandments of Christ Jesus.
1 The perfection of Gods love in such, In him is the love of God perfect.
2 The knowledge of their fellowship or abode in Christ, Hereby we know that we are in him. So, that he that keeps his Commandments, if he look within him, his love is perfect: if he look without him, he is in Christ: yea ⟨p. 67⟩and more, he knows it too: whence he concludes, vers. 16. that he that saith he is in Christ, ought so to walk as Christ hath walked.
To keep his Word, or his Commandments (as I told you) is a borrowed speech from many things which we keep with great care; as our way, our treasure, our ornaments, the apple of our eye, our life. What is such a mans benefit? Why,
1 The love of God is perfected in him.
2 He knows he is in Christ.
The love here spoken of, is not the love whereby God loves him, but the love whereby he loves God, and that is perfected in him.
Q. What is here meant by perfection?
A. 1. There is a double perfection one complete without all want or imperfection, and that is denied to any man in this World, Philp. 3.12. [Greek or Hebrew] that is, not exempt from all weaknesses, our knowledge is imperfect, and our love is imperfect, there is a continual reluctance, Gal. 3.17.
A. 1. There is a double perfection one compleat without all want or imperfection, and that is denied to any man in this World, Philp. 3.12. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 that is, not exempt from all weaknesses, our knowledge is imperfect, and our love is imperfect, there is a continual reluctance, Gal. 3.17.
Ʋse 3 Of Consolation to all such as take a good course, and labour to keep Gods Commandments, who may sometimes suspect all their grace is counterfeit, and there is no sincerity in them; why if there be no sincerity in you, you do not keep Gods Commandments as your way, but you cannot say, but you would gladly finde your hearts keeping them as your way, and you endeavour it, and it is the grief of your souls when you go out of the way; do you keep them as your treasure, and ornament, and apple of your eye, and life? Why then there is truth of grace in you, truth of sincerity, though not of Perfection; you must not look to keep them without sin, but if you desire to keep them as the most precious thing, as your treasure, your ornament, your life, the apple of your eye, though a man may sometimes have a moat fall into his eye; but in this case do not say, your Graces are counterfeit, for if they were counterfeit you would not keep Gods Commandments, Psalm 36.1. Wickednesse saith to the wicked, there is no fear of God before his eyes; how doth that appear to David? vers. 4. he sets himself in no good way, he is in a bad way, and goes on therein, and such a one, it is plain, he hath no fear of God before his eyes, by their fruits he knows them; if you set your selves in no good way, your profession cannot be true, but if the way you take be good, and if not thou dost not take it up; why if it be thus, your profession is true, and your grace sound; it is a question whether Solomon fell finally, or his graces were true or no; you may know his repentance was true, because he found his lust to women as bitter as death, Eccles. 7.6, 7. well then, if an Adulterous, or Idolatrous Wife were as bitter as death to him, then it is an evident sign, if he looked at his transgression as death, he looked at the Commandment as life, and therefore his repentance was sincere; so then if a man finde his sin as as bitter as death, it is a sign his repentance is true. But yet we must here distinguish between the horror of sin, and sin it self, the horror of sin may be as bitter to us as death, but not the sin it self, as Judas, the horror of sin was so bitter to him that for it he hanged himself; but had Judas been troubled with the sin of his conscience, as he was with the horror of his conscience, he would not have gone about to help one sin by another;