This is evident in the text, which may be gathered from the beginning of the Epistle▪ in Chapter 1.4. he writes to such, who by reading this Epistle might attain to fullness of joy, and those are only believers, who are capable of that mercy and blessing; you may gather the same from the three sorts of Christians, to whom he writes in particular, vers. 12. in chap. 2. I write unto you little children, because your sins are forgiven you; and these little children are divided into three sorts, vers. 13. Fathers, young men, and babes, so that look at all that John writes to, they are such as make a faithful acknowledgement of God the Father, as chap. 4. vers. 4. And look at his second Epistle, and that is to the Elect Lady; and look at his third Epistle, and that is first to the beloved Gaius; and he shows you what a notable Christian he was, he wishes no further prosperity to his body and outward estate, then his soul had attained unto, his soul was in great prosperity, only his body and estate was weak, for he was the Host of the whole Church of God, so that look at all Johns writings, and they are all written to them that believe on the name of the Son of God. And in very deed look at all the Epistles of all the rest of the Apostles, and they are all written to Believers; if you sum them all up from first to last, look at the Prothesis of every Epistle; in the first, second, and third verses of every Epistle, and they are written sometimes to Saints by calling, sometimes to faithful brethren, sometimes to the Churches of Christ, natural Sons, partakers of the common salvation; in a word, only to those that were faithful believers in Christ Jesus. And when our blessed Saviour himself writes, he writes to the seven Churches of Asia, all of them such as sometime had been eminent, and glorious, and gracious, and amongst the weakest he had a few names, even in Sardis, that had not defiled their garments, chap. 4.3. Now when a man shall consider, that all the Apostles do dedicate all their writings to believers and Saints, ⟨p. 179⟩it gives us just occasion of inquiry, Quest. Wherefore he writes to these, and to these only?
This is evident in the text, which may be gathered from the beginning of the Epistle▪ in Chapter 1.4. he writes to such, who by reading this Epistle might attaine to fulnesse of joy, and those are only beleevers, who are capable of that mercy and blessing; you may gather the same from the three sorts of Christians, to whom he writes in particular, vers. 12. in chap. 2. I write unto you little children, because your sins are forgiven you; and these little children are divided into three sorts, vers. 13. Fathers, young men, and babes, so that looke at all that Iohn writes to, they are such as make a faithfull acknowledgement of God the Father, as chap. 4. vers. 4. And looke at his second Epistle, and that is to the Elect Lady; and looke at his third Epistle, and that is first to the beloved Gaius; and he shewes you what a notable Christian he was, he wishes no further prosperity to his body and outward estate, then his soule had attained unto, his soule was in great prosperity, only his body and estate was weake, for he was the Host of the whole Church of God, so that looke at all Iohns writings, and they are all written to them that beleeve on the name of the Son of God. And in very deed looke at all the Epistles of all the rest of the Apostles, and they are all written to Beleevers; if you summe them all up from first to last, looke at the Prothesis of every Epistle; in the first, second, and third verses of every Epistle, and they are written sometimes to Saints by calling, sometimes to faithfull brethren, sometimes to the Churches of Christ, naturall Sons, partakers of the common salvation; in a word, only to those that were faithfull beleevers in Christ Iesus. And when our blessed Saviour himselfe writes, he writes to the seven Churches of Asia, all of them such as sometime had been eminent, and glorious, and gracious, and amongst the weakest he had a few names, even in Sardis, that had not defiled their garments, chap. 4.3. Now when a man shall consider, that all the Apostles doe dedicate all their writings to beleevers and Saints, ⟨p. 179⟩it gives us just occasion of inquiry, Quest. Wherefore hee writes to these, and to these only?
