There is but one thing more which I shall take notice of in relation to Babes attainments, and that is, Their Love to the Brethren, whereby they act like members of the Body of Christ, whose office it is to have the same care one for another, 1 Cor. 12.25. and not be like this world, every man for himself, or say like Cain, Am I my Brothers keeper? That they do love the Brethren (in their degree fervently as well as truly) is attested by Peter, who writing to Babes saith, Seeing ye have purified your hearts in obeying the truth by the Spirit unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren, see that ye (continue to) Love one another, with a pure heart fervently, 1 Pet. 1.22. he exhorts them to do that fully, which they already did in part, according to that, 1 Thes. 5 11. Comfort your selves together, and edify one another, as ye also do. 'Tis the great Character of Christs Disciples that they Love one another, Joh. 13.35. and by this they are known to have part from death to life, because they love the Brethren, 1 Joh. 3.15. Where give me leave to note this as to this Epistle of John, the great duty urged ⟨p. 169⟩in it is to love one another (spoken to and of all the children of God) and the sin so much declaimed against is hating or not loving of one another: and when he saith, Chap. 3.8. He that sinneth is of the Devil, he meaneth this sin in special, For, saith he, Vers. 9. whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, viz. this sin, because the seed of God (of whom he is born) remaineth in him (which is the same reason that is given by Peter pressing to the same duty, 1 Pet. 1.22, 23.) and Vers. 10. he distinguisheth the Children of God from them of the Devil by this very thing: and Vers. 12. instanceth in Cain who was of the wicked one, as he proves by his breaking this command of loving his Brother. And perhaps the sin unto death spoken of, Chap. 5.16,—19. is meant of this sin, for such an one abideth in death, Chap. 3.14. compare Chap. 3.7,—16. with Chap. 5.16,—19. and this seems to be very clear.
THere is but one thing more which I shall take notice of in relation to Babes attainments, and that is, Their Love to the Brethren, whereby they act like members of the Body of Christ, whose office it is to have the same care one for another, 1 Cor. 12.25. and not be like this world, every man for himself, or say like Cain, Am I my Brothers keeper? That they do love the Brethren (in their degree fervently as well as truly) is attested by Peter, who writing to Babes saith, Seeing ye have purified your hearts in obeying the truth by the Spirit unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren, see that ye (continue to) Love one another, with a pure heart fervently, 1 Pet. 1.22. he exhorts them to do that fully, which they already did in part, according to that, 1 Thes. 5 11. Comfort your selves together, and edifie one another, as ye also do. 'Tis the great Character of Christs Disciples that they Love one another, Joh. 13.35. and by this they are known to have part from death to life, because they love the Brethren, 1 Joh. 3.15. Where give me leave to note this as to this Epistle of John, the great duty urged ⟨p. 169⟩in it is to love one another (spoken to and of all the children of God) and the sin so much declaimed against is hating or not loving of one another: and when he saith, Chap. 3.8. He that sinneth is of the Devil, he meaneth this sin in special, For, saith he, Vers. 9. whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, viz. this sin, because the seed of God (of whom he is born) remaineth in him (which is the same reason that is given by Peter pressing to the same duty, 1 Pet. 1.22, 23.) and Vers. 10. he distinguisheth the Children of God from them of the Devil by this very thing: and Vers. 12. instanceth in Cain who was of the wicked one, as he proves by his breaking this command of loving his Brother. And perhaps the sin unto death spoken of, Chap. 5.16,—19. is meant of this sin, for such an one abideth in death, Chap. 3.14. compare Chap. 3.7,—16. with Chap. 5.16,—19. and this seems to be very clear.
