An expositon of all St. Pauls epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude : wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened. / David Dickson ...

CHAP. I.

In this Chapter hee propounds the summe of the Doctrine of the Gospel preached by himself, and the rest of the A∣postles. There are two parts of the Chapter. In the first hee confirms the excellency of his preaching, and shews the object of Saving Faith, to vers. 6. In the other hee laies down the notes of a true Beleever, to whom the Grace of the Gospel preached truly belongs, to the end.

Vers. 1. That which was from the beginning, which wee have heard, which wee have seen with our eies, which wee have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life,

Hee confirms the excellency of the Gospel which hee preached, by eight reasons.

Of the word] Reas. 1. Is contained in the last words of this verse, viz. That his Gospel treats of the most excel∣lent object, viz. the word of life, i. e. of Jesus Christ the Son of God, who is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Word, that wee may conceive the distinction of the person of the Son from the Father, and the order of their working, seeing that it is the Word of some one, viz. the word of the Father: And that hee may teach the spiritual and immanent man∣ner of the Sons Generation, and that his subsistence is in∣separable from the Father, and that wee may behold espe∣cially his office, which is to manifest God, and the coun∣sel of God concerning our salvation. Furthermore hee is called the word of Life: (1.) Because hee hath life in himself, and hee himself is life. (2.) Because hee hath purchased life for us, and hath shewed it to us; and Last∣ly, Because hee applies that to us, and brings it about, that wee may live an eternal life.

That which was] Reas. 2. Of the excellency of his preaching, that it is the ancient Truth preached, viz. that which was from the beginning; partly inasmuch as there was never any other ground of salvation besides this in Christ alone, who is the Lamb slain from the begin∣ning of the world; partly because Christ preached by the Apostle, did subsist, as to his Divinity, before his incarna∣tion, from the beginning of the world, the same SON of GOD, and MEDIATOUR of our sal∣vation, and was in the beginning of the world, when created things did not as yet subsist, but began to be, or who is the same from eternity to eternity: Therefore the subject of our Gospel is most excellent.

Which wee have seen] Reas. 3. Because the Truth

preached is certain, and experienced by the Apostles, be∣cause they by the infallible testimony of their senses, be∣ing eye and ear-witnesses, had observed that Christ himself in his own time was manifested in the flesh, or incarnate. Partly by hearing with their ears day by day the Doctrine of Christ, which was published by an holy and audible voice: partly by seeing with their eyes, both the ordinary and miraculous works, his sufferings in the flesh, and glorification in his transfiguration, and his Resurrection from the dead, and by most clearly per∣ceiving them, after a most deep inquisition into the truth of the thing: Lastly, partly by feeling with their hands, or handling his flesh, or his assumed humane nature. From whence the certainty of their testimony concerning Christ offered, is so manifest, that it cannot be doubt∣ful: Therefore most excellent is the truth that is preach∣ed by us.

Vers. 2. (For the life was manifested, and wee have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.)

Reas. 4. By a Parenthesis confirming the former; wee have known concerning Christ, (1.) That hee is life it self, the true Jehovah, who is essentially life in himself, and causally in respect of us: For hee is the Author of our life, not onely natural, but also spiritual and eternal, the Author of light and illumination, the Author of grace and every pious or commendable motion: (2.) That he is by divine inspiration manifested to be such, and re∣vealed to us, and by that revelation seen and acknowledg∣ed by us to be that life: (3.) Whom wee have seen and acknowledge to be the life revealed, him wee testifie to be life, and preach him to you, viz. to be both God eter∣nal, and the Procuror, Giver and Preserver of eternal life, to be communicated unto us. (4.) Wee have known the Son of God, the second distinct person of the Trini∣ty, which was from eternity with the Father, and from the making of the world, did plead our cause with the Fa∣ther, and is now revealed unto us after his incarnation by divine Revelation: Therefore this our preaching of Truth and Life is both most excellent, and most cer∣tain.

Vers. 3. That which wee have seen and heard, declare wee unto you, that yee also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Iesus Christ.

Reas. 5. Through the Truth preached by us Apostles, eye and ear-witnesses, beleevers are made partakers with us of the same felicity, and the same good things: There∣fore the Truth preached by us is most excellent.

And our fellowship] Reas. 6. They who are united in the Faith of the Truth preached by us, shall also be uni∣ted with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, by virtue of the Holy Ghost: Therefore, &c.

Vers. 4. And these things write wee unto you, that your joy may be full.

Reas. 7. The summe of our preaching which is writ∣ten to you, hath this end, that yee being made certain of your election and glorification, may have a true and spi∣ritual joy, and that your joy may remain and be perfect∣ed: Therefore it is deservedly to be accounted the most excellent.

Vers. 5. This then is the message which wee have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Reas. 8. The summe of our preaching is, that God is light, or a most present and perfect remedy against the e∣vils of ignorance, errours, falshood, vices and miseries, which are in us: and that God in himself is most free from these evils, so that it is impossible for those that come unto him to be deceived, not to be illuminated and direct∣ed, not to be delivered from sins and misery, and not to obtain eternal life: Therefore it is necessary that my preaching and the rest of the Apostles should be excellent.

Vers. 6. If wee say that wee have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, wee lye, and do not the Truth.

The other part of the Chapter follows, wherein hee propounds partly negatively, and partly affirmatively, the notes or signs of him that is a true Beleever, who shall be partaker of the good things promised in the Gospel. And the Notes are five.

Note 1. Is negatively propounded, with his confirma∣tion. Hee that is a true beleever doth not walk in dark∣ness, is not given ever to sin, leading his life according to the lusts of the flesh: Because if any one profess him∣self to have communion with God (who is light and holi∣ness,) and in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mean time walketh in the darkness of his sins, hee is an hypocrite and a lyar, seeing that hee doth not that which is right, but that which hee professes with his mouth, hee denies in his works.

Vers. 7. But if wee walk in the light, as hee is in the light, wee have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Note 2. Is propounded affirmatively, Hee that walks in the light, or hee that follows after holiness, that hee may be conformable to God (who is light and perfect holiness) hee is a true beleever, having communion tru∣ly with God and the Saints, to whom the fruit also of Christs death to the remission of sins doth wholly be∣long.

Vers. 8. If wee say that wee have no sin, wee deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us.

Note 3. Is negative. Hee that is a true Beleever is not so just in his own eies, that hee denies that hee cannot sin, either in word, or deed, or that hee hath not sinned after Justification, or that hee (as if hee could not want the daily intercession of Christ, and the daily applying of his merit for the delivering of his conscience from new guilt) is not touched with the sense of sin▪ so that hee must forthwith flye unto Christ as his Redeemer. For whosoever either in word or deed doth really so deny that hee hath sin in him for the present, deceives himself, and is an hypocrite, in whom there is no sincerity.

Vers. 9. If we confess our sins, hee is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Note 4. Hee that is a true Beleever, is so affected with the sense of his sins, that hee acknowledgeth them before God, and doth confess from his soul that hee deserves e∣ternal death, and that his guilt can no otherwise be ex∣piated, but by the merit of the blood of the Son of God, and that hee cannot be sanctified, but by the divine vir∣tue of the Spirit of Christ, or be free from the pollution of sin.

Faithful] The Apostle promiseth to him that doth so confess his sins, that upon the faithfulness and righteous∣ness of God, hee shall be absolved, and purged from the guilt of sin, or sanctified from the stain of it: For God is faithful, who hath promised these things, and God is just, who hath taken satisfaction from Christ the Surety, hee doth not exact the debt from him, for whom Christ hath satisfied; but on the other side, hee bestowes all the good things upon him that beleeves, which Christ hath purchased for his salvation.

Vers. 10. If wee say that wee have not sinned, wee make him a lyar, and his word is not in us.

Note 5. Is negative. Hee that is a true Beleever, doth neither deny, nor extenuate his sins past, as if either with that Pharisee hee had performed all the commands of God from his youth; or as if there was no original sin, or as if it was not at all worthy of death: Neither is hee im∣penitent, as if the sins which hee had committed were light and venial, which need not the expiation of the blood of Christ, or as if there were not so much corruption in his nature, but that by his free will hee might confide in his own strength, to dispose himself for grace, and

merit it, or at leastwise bee able to obtain it. For hee that either so, or by any other means, directly or indi∣rectly denies that hee hath not sinned, and consequently denies that hee is not, nor hath not been so guilty of death, that hee needed such an expiation as the death of the Son of God is, hee is a blasphemer against God (ac∣cusing him of a lye, who hath in his word condemned all as sinners, and guilty of death, and hath affirmed that there is no remission of sins, but by the blood of his Son) neither is the Word of God received by Faith at any time in his heart, i. e. neither hath hee beleeved the Doctrine of the Law, not yet of the Gospel.