A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first Epistle generall of John by ... John Cotton ...

1 JOHN 2.12.

I write unto you little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake.

BEcause your sins are forgiven you for his sake, for whose sake? there is no name mentioned either before, or after, till we come to the sixth Verse, this Verse therefore hath reference to vers. 6. I write unto you, because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake, that is, for Christs sake, so that the Com∣mandement of walking after Christ, to walke as he hath walked, he now am∣plifies by the motive to stir them up to it, and that is taken from pardon of sin, Little Children, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not Babes, as vers. 13. he calls Babes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 so that this word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is of three sorts, some Fathers, some Young-men, some Babes.

1 In the Verse we have, First, a loving compellation, Little Children.

2 An office of love, I write unto you.

3 A reason of his former exhortation, (Walke as Christ hath walked) be∣cause he hath forgiven you your sins.

Doct The Children of God, of what growth or strength soever they be in Christ, they must be as little Children, whither 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

As this benefit reacheth to all, your sins are forgiven you, so this title also.

Why as little Children?

1 You must be like them in modesty; Children are free from ambition, therefore our Saviour to wean his Disciples from ambition, tells them, they must be as little Children, or else they should never inherit the Kingdome of God.

2 We must be like them in innocency, free from malice and revenge, 1 Cor. 14.9. vex a childe never so, and he tell you, I will tell my Father, and will not do so without great cause, but if he doe, that is all; so should it be with christians, they should not easily complain, if they doe, let this be all, make known your wrongs; we see children, though they be angry, yet they will not seek to revenge themselves.

3 Like them in simplicity, affecting simple plain meat, Milk, 1 Pet. 2.1. so a Christian should not affect varnishing, but the sincere Milk of the Word.

4 Like them in weanednesse from the World, Psal. 131.1, 2. he could be content to be without his Kingdome which before he had affected; so should we be.

5 They are content with promises and hopes; tell a childe of some thing; let but his Father say, he will buy him such a thing at London, or he hath it laid up for him, he rests well pleased; so would God have us contented with promises and hopes; when we cry to God for this and that blessing, or grace, he tells us, we shall have it when he sees fit, it is laid up for us in heaven, and in the mean time we should sit down content, Psal. 131.2.3.

Ʋse 1. Of examination of our own estates, whether we be children of God or no, if we be, we are as little children, for outward honour, not ambitious of it, more carefull how to use it, than how to get it, and if we have not ho∣nour we will not contend for it; and for innocency, we will be like 〈◊〉〈◊〉 children; for revenge, we will lay it down; and be without malice; till you be thus framed you cannot enter into Gods Kingdome; if you be covetous, or ambitious, or malicious, if you rise up either with ambition, or malice, you shall never enter into Gods Kingdome; and for simplicity, doe you not affect curiosity? so for weanednesse, is your heart murm••ring and repining? if you

cannot get such a thing? why then truly you are not as little Children; Can you be content with promises, and hopes, and that is laid up in Heaven for us, or in Christ, our life is hid in him, Col. 3.3. if we can be thus content, it is a good sign we are Gods children.

Ʋse 2. If Saints be as little children, then take heed how you offend them. Parents will be more offended if you hurt their little children, than if you hurt their bigger, because a little hurt doth them more harm, Mat. 18.6. to 11. the Angels are ready to come from Heaven presently to help them.

I write unto you, &c. it was the greatest desire of the Apostles to be present if they could, but if absent, they helped them by writing, Gal. 4.20.

Doct. The Apostles of Christ, when they could not be present with the Chil∣dren of God, they were willing to advertise them by writing of things behoveful.

So Paul writ his epistles when he was absent, and Peter, and James, and Christ himself to the seven Churches.

1 They write first to help their knowledge, to make them wise, 1 Tim. 3.15. to know their duties, 2 Tim. 3.15.

2 They wrote to them to help their memories, 2 Pet. 1.12, 13.14.

3 To establish them in knowledge received, and to confirm them.

4 To stir them up to practise those things they knew, and remembred, and were established in, 2 Pet. 1.12, 13.

5 Moses gives the reason, Deut. 17.19, 20. he would have the King to read the book of the Law, that he might learn to fear God, and keep his Com∣mandements, &c.

6 That by this means their joy might be full; when they thus understood and remembred, and practised, it would increase their joy, which was the end of St. Johns writing this Epistle.

Ʋse 1. To refute the Papists, who with-hold these writings from the Com∣mon-people; to what end did they write them, if little children might not read them? Fathers, Young-men, Babes, St. John wrote to all, and would have all read them.

Ʋse 2. To stir us up to constant reading of the Scripture daily; how often? why the greatest man in the Kingdome must read them once a day at the least, Deut. 17.19. it will help our knowledge, our memories, establish us, stir us up to practise, help us to fear God, to grow in joy, and fulnesse of consolation; what an help was it to the Bereans, that they read daily? it wonderfully helped their faith and comfort, therefore many of them believed, and were confirmed in Grace; what if we be in a Journey, or Sick, what then? why in this case we must mediate in the Law of God, Psal. 1.2.

I write unto you because your sins are forgiven.

Doct. All the children of God have their sins forgiven them.

Acts 10.43. Ephes. 1.7. sometimes remission of sin is called the covering of sin, Psalm 32.1, 2. if sin be forgiven it is covered, it is not imputed un∣to us.

Sometimes it is called the throwing of them into the bottome of the Sea, Micha 7.18, 19. God when he forgives iniquity and sin, drowns them as deep out of sight, as things in the bottom of the Sea.

Sometimes it is called a changing of them, Isa. 1.18. Come let us reason to∣gether, though your sins were as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; they are quite changed, though they were deep scarlet sins, yet they shall be made as white as snow.

Sometimes it is called, a washing away of sin, Psal. 51.8. Sprinkle me with Hysop, it is an allusion to the Bloud in the Law sprinkled with Hysop; so when we are sprinkled with Christs bloud, our sins are washed away.

Sometimes it is called, a blotting out of sin, as a thick Cloud have I blotted out your sins, Isa. 44.22. As when the Sun appears in its brightnesse, the Cloud is suddainly vanished, and cleared, so our sins when they are forgiven,

Isa. 43.25. Jer. 31.34. I will remember your sins no more, Jer. 50.20. when God pardons sin, he doth so utterly blot it out, and it so vanisheth, that it is no more to be found, there is no such thing extant.

Q. How comes it, that when your sins are forgiven, they are so througly purged?

Reas. Because all are washed away in Christ, our sins are imputed to him, and his righteousnesse is imputed to us, Isa. 53.5. 2 Cor. 5. ult. our sins are his, and his righteousnesse ours.

Ʋse 1. To reprove the Popish opinion, who teach, That the sins of the godly, though they be forgiven, yet they are not utterly forgiven, but with re∣servation of a Temporall punishment, partly here, and partly in purgatory: but it is a false Doctrin; for if he cover them, if he wash them away, if he throw them into the bottom of the Sea, if he blot them out as a thick Cloud, if he remember them no more, they are throughly forgiven, without any reser∣vation of punishment.

Ʋse 2. It reproves their Doctrin that say, The afflictions of Gods children are punishments for sin; but we must know, if sins be not accounted ours, punishments are of another nature, if sins be changed then punishments also; all the sins of Gods Children are not accounted as sins, but diseases of the soul; and so all the afflictions of Gods servants are not as punishments, but as medi∣cines and purges to root out distempers, Dan. 11.35. so that now afflictions doe not come out of Gods justice in way of revenge, but in mercy, in way of cure.

3 It confutes purgatory; If God pardon sins so as he remembers them no more, then what need of purgatory, to punish the reliques of sin in Gods Children?

Ʋse 4. It may teach all that desire to have their sins forgiven, to be of Child-like dispositions, free from ambition, and malice, and revenge, to frame themselves to humility, and innocency, and meeknesse, and simplicity, and con∣tentment, and resting on promises and hopes; if it be thus with us, God will forgive us our sins; what is the reason why we doubt of Remission, but be∣cause we faile in this condition?

5 It may comfort all Gods Children, they have this white stone, that is, Absolution for sin, and in that a new name written, that is, Adoption; and if we be of a meek, humble, innocent, simple frame of heart, we have this comfort.

Ʋse 6. Of exhortation, and 1. If God hath thus freely forgiven us, let it teach us freely to forgive others, and it is an argument of our own remission, Mat. 6.11, 12.

2 It must stirre us up to be carefull that we offend God no more; if God when he pardons our sins remembers them no more▪ let us be carefull not to offend him any more, 1 Joh. 5.18. As a woman when her cloaths are washed very white, she would be loath that they should be spotted, or mired; so after God hath made us white like snow, let us take heed of polluting our Consci∣ences any more; it is a good argument our consciences are pure, when we are afraid to spot them.

3 It must teach us to walke fruitfully, and be aboundant in Gods service, Luke. 7.47.

Lastly, It must teach us to be exceedingly thankfull to God, that hath thus forgiven us, Psal. 103.

Doct. God forgives the iniquity of his Saints for his name sake, Isa. 43.25.

For his own sake he blots out our sins:

1 For his own glory, that his name may be magnified and feared, Psal. 130.4. Psal. 103.1, 2, 3.

2 For the honour of Christ, he doth it, that he may be honoured through Christ, Ephes. 1.6, 7.

3 For his own sake, that is, without any desert of ours, yea sometimes

without any desire of ours, Isa. 43, 22, 23, 24, 25. Thou hast not called upon me, nor offered sacrifices unto me, &c. yet I, even I am he, that for mine own names sake putteth away thine iniquities, and will remember thy sins no more.

Ʋse 1. To teach us to be aboundantly the more thankfull to God, to feare him the more, to serve him the more, to honour and praise him the more, that for his own sake hath blotted out our iniquities; if we had run further into a mans debt than we were ever able to get out, and he freely forgave it, we would be loath to offend him, we would honour him, and be ready to doe him the best service we could; so we should be carefull, seeing God hath forgiven us so great a debt, to take heed that we run not into further Arrerages, that we dishonour not, nor offend that God who hath so freely for his own sake for∣given us.

Ʋse 2. It must teach us all that have any comfortable experience of the for∣givenesse of our sins, to walke even as Christ hath walked, for even upon this ground doth St. John here press it, it should be our meat and drinke to doe his will, to glorifie him in all our course, as it was Christs care, Joh. 17.4. and that is the end that God ayms at in forgiving our sins, that we should walke as Christ walked.

Ʋse 3. For Consolation; If our sins be forgiven for Christ name sake, then we need not fear the continuance of them, for had he forgiven us for our own sake, we might justly have feared that he might yet afterwards through our de∣faults lay them again to our charge, but he hath forgiven us for Christs sake, he doth not forgive for thy Prayers sake, but thy sins were pardoned before thou calledst on him, Isa. 65.24. God was answering before, and your prayers grew so zealous because your sins were forgiven, Isa. 43.22. and therefore God will cancel our acquittance, because he did it for his names sake, for the glory of his own grace.