Christ the fountain of lifeChrist the fountaine of life

Now at this time, we shall treat of the first part of this conclusion, which is an expression that John here makes, or a description of the persons here spoken to; to them that believe on the name of the Son of God; from the persons to whom ⟨p. 178⟩John dedicates this Epistle, to them that believe on the name of the Son of God; observe,

Now at this time, we shall treat of the first part of this conclusion, which is an expression that John here makes, or a description of the persons here spoken to; to them that beleeve on the name of the Son of God; from the persons to whom ⟨p. 178⟩John dedicates this Epistle, to them that beleeve on the name of the Son of God; observe,

Doct. This Epistle of John was written, or directed to believers on the name of Jesus Christ.

Doct. This Epistle of John was written, or directed to beleevers on the name of Iesus Christ.

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,