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

1 JOHN 2.13. The latter end.

I write unto you Babes, because you have known the Father.

WE have heard of old men, and young men, now we come to his Apo∣stolical writing to Babes.

Doct. Little Children, even Babes, may know God as their Father.

For the proof of this,

1. I will shew it by Examples, 1 Sam. 3 1. though at first he knew not, yet from that time forward he knew God, 2 Chron. 34. see it in Josiah; so Ti∣mothy, it is said that he knew the Scripture of a childe, 2 Tim. 2.15. Luke 1.15. and our Saviour bears testimony of little children, Suffer little children to come unto me, for to such belongs the Kingdome of Heaven. Mark 10.14. and that they were little ones, we may see, in that he took them in his armes, as we use to doe infants, and whereas the Anabaptists say, he means not of these, but of such as are of years but little children in grace, this cavill is vain, for otherwise his rea∣son had been in vain▪ for he might have said it as well of Sheep as little Lambs, for such are Gods Servants, but yet he never mentions such, but onely these lit∣tle ones, that is, little children.

There are Three grounds of the Regeneration of little children.

1. From the Originall Sin that they are born in, for they that are capable of sin are also capable of grace, for no subject is capable of sin but it is capable of grace, and the greatest part of their sin is the privation of grace, which they are capable of, Luke 1.15. Psal. 58.3.

2. From their interest in the Covenant, they enter into a Covenant with God even from their childhood, as we may see, they brought their young Babes to enter into a Covenant with God, Deut. 29.10. to 14. and so are ca∣pab••e of grace, Joel 2.15, 16. In times of great dangers in the Land, God re∣quired little children and B••bes to humble themselves for breach of the Co∣venant, which implies they were in a Covenant; indeed the Ninivets made their Beasts fast, and their Children, but they were Heathen, and were not within the Covenant.

3. Children are capable of the seals of the Covenant of Grace, Gen. 17.7, 8. therefore capable of the righteousnesse of faith, Rom. 4.11. so that we see little children may know God as their Father.

Q. How soon doe children come to be capable of this grace, to know God as their Father?

1. They are capable of the habits and gifts of grace from their first Con∣ception, Luke 1.15. he was sanctified from his Mothers womb, and the rea∣son is, as soon as capable of sin, capable of grace.

2. They are capable of the acts of grace, as soon as they are capable of the use of reason; yea Grace is subject to work more silently than Reason, though there be no act of grace, but it is from reason, yea they are capable of exer∣cising grace and reason with it, sooner then we discern it, even as soon as they can discern their Naturall Father, so soon may they discern God to be their Father; you see Children sooner than they can well use reason, they content themselves much with looking on the light, and Looking glasses, and other toyes; so these little Children, something they have in their hearts which pleaseth them, though they know not what it is, and as you can still a Childe sometimes by some gesture, so can God refresh the spirit of a Childe by some silent consolation which pleaseth the Childe, though it cannot ex∣p••esse it, but so soon as they begin to know their Naturall Parents, so soon they begin to know God their Father; nay, no object so easily known as God, see∣ing he infuseth some light into all, especially to know that there is a God, and if the Holy Ghost strike in, they may discern that he is their Father.

Q. But how doe these expresse their knowledge of God to be their Father?

A. 1. They expresse it in their silent thoughts, in some inward comfort, which they cannot well expresse, but something they feel which chears their spirits.

2. In their affections, they will shew you some love of God, joy in God, fear of God.

1. Love of God, so that they are not averse or froward to good duties, but listen to them, though they know not the meaning, and have some delight in them, and some fear of God, that tell them of God and his Judgements, they will be broken off from evill courses, and they will be well pleased in God, and delight in his way, and fear him; these things may be found in a Childe; I call them Children till they be grown up to young men: and as a Child soon discovers that he knows his Parents, by smiling on them, by cry∣ing after them, and joying in them, so they will shew you their know∣ledge of God by delighting in him, longing after him, and fearing his name.

Ʋse 1. To reprove the sinfull vanity that is in that Proverb, A young Saint and an old Devil; for if St. John acknowledge it as a great matter, I write un∣to you Babes, because you know the Father, then surely it is no ill presage of their future miscarriage, because they begin to have the knowledge of God; no, it is a sign that in old age they will know him that was from the beginning; nay rather on the contrary, if he be a young Devill, it is likely he will prove worse, a young Devill an old Belzebub, but a young Saint an old Angel; you doe not use to think that it will make a vessell fusty if you season it well at the fi st; so if a Childe be well seasoned at the first, he will keep a good savour to his old age; a straight twig makes a straight tree, so if a Childe be well set, and straight in Childe-hood, he will grow more strong and compact when he is elder. Our Saviour was much moved, when they forbad little Children to be brought unto him, and when the chiefe Priests and the Scribes took it ill, that the Children cryed out after Christ, Hosannah, thou Son of David, he told them it was written, Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise, Mat. 21.15. therefore let not such a Proverb passe, if they prove old Devills they were never young Saints, but young Hy∣pocrites it may be.

2 It refutes an error of the Papists, that think it a point of presumption to say, that a man knows his state in grace, why St. John writes it to all sorts, to old men, to young men to Babes, that they know their Father.

If it were extraordinary it would not be so common; and this indeed may justly discourage us from Religion: that woman that holds it impossible that her Childe should know his Father, is a Strumpet; so that Church that holds her children cannot know their Father, is an Harlot, because they worship so many gods, they know not of what seed they be, for if they were begotten of the Seed of the Word, hereby we might conclude, we know that we know him, because we keep his Word; neither let them put it off, and say, We have a conjecturall knowledge, but not a certain knowledge, for when we say we know such a thing, we doe not say we think it; Opinion breeds conjecture, but Knowledge breeds certainty; Contingentium est opinio, necessariorum & certorum est scientia, whether it be à causis or effectis.

But say they, This Doctrin breeds presumption.

I answer, No Doctrine makes us more circumspect than to know that God is our Father, and if we grow secure, God will shew he is a Father as well to correct, as to shew indulgence.

Ʋse 3. To confute the Anabaptists, that exclude Infants from Original sin, and so from capability of Grace, and so from Baptism, therefore they rebap∣tise men, because, say they, till then they are neither capable of Sin, nor Grace; how doth David then say, that he was conceived in sin? how is it here said of Babes, that they know their Father? and why were infants Circumcised

under the Law the eighth day; if they did but as well know God as some of these little Children, they would not hold such an opinion so contrary to Scripture.

4. It reproves elder people, if they doe not know God to be their Father, if even Babes may know God to be their Father, if they know him so soon why doe we neglect it? St. John writes it as an ornament to Children, that they know their Father, and it may shame elder people, if Children in this point go beyond them, Heb. 5.12.

5. It may teach little Children, that God looks at it as their duty, to know God their Father; you have known your Naturall Fathers thus long, and why should you not know God the Father of Eternity? you might hereby honour God, and confute elder men; you have entred into Covenant, there∣fore fly not back; you have received the Seals of the Covenant, therefore give up your selves unto God, and labour to know him to be your Fa∣ther.

6. For Parents, and Governours of Children, if little Children may know God their Father, then learn them to know him to be their Father, and the Church their Mother; fill their heads with knowledge of God, learn them to love God, and rejoyce in him, and delight in his ways in some measure.

Motives hereunto.

1. In respect of God.

First, From Gods command, Eph. 6.4. Deut. 6.7. take all good occasions, dull them not, a little and often will bring them on; the water falling drop by drop hollows a Flint, so by dropping now and then a little, you will learn them the knowledge of God.

2. From Gods acknowledgement of it, and his Promise to reveal himselfe to such Parents, Gen. 18.19.

Secondly, In respect of Children, they are capable either to scoff, as the Children that mockt Elisha, 2 Kings 1. or to cry Hosannah, Matth. 21.15. though they be not so easily brought on to that which is good, yet they are not so corrupt then, as when they are grown up to more years.

3. In respect of Parents, it is an irrecompensible injury you offer to your Children, if you have begot them into the World sinfull and wicked, as we are by nature, and doe not seek by all means to redresse this evill, they will cry out against you for Judgement; therefore that they may not curse you at the last day, let it be your care to bring them up in the knowledge and fear of the Lord.

What course may we take thus to redresse young Infants?

1. Teach them the Principles of Religion, their Baptism, that will teach them they are unclean by Nature, and that they are cleansed by the Bloud of Christ; they were Baptized into the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, therefore learn them to know God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, and that will make them think of it, when they see others bap∣tized, Prov. 22.6. Train up a Childe in his way wherein he should walk, and he will keep it to the end; nurture him, or initiate him in the trade of his way, in the original it is, in the mouth of his way, that is, at the beginning of his way, set him right at the first in his way, and he will keep to the end; if a Travellor be set right in his way at first, it will help him the better to keep his way all his Journey; so set a Childe in a good way, learn him to cease from evill, and to doe well, and he will the better keep that way in his age, as David teacheth, Psal. 34.11, to 15.

2. Learn them to read the Scriptures, and be conversant therein, 1 Tim. 1.4, 5. & 2 Tim. 3.15. reading brings much benefit to little Children.

3. Bring them to Church, and help them to remember something, and tell them the meaning of it, and take a little in good part, and encourage them, and that will make them delight in it.

4. Give them a good example, let them learn no wickednesse, no disorder, or miscarriage from you, 1 Chro. 29.9. Know the Lord God of thy Fathers, &c. know him, and serve him, as I have served him.

5. God hath sanctified seasonable and wise correction to Children, Prov. 29.15. Prov. 22.15. it is a means to give wisdome, which is the fear of the Lord, and drive away folly, and more, to deliver his soul from Hell, but if you use correction without instruction, it is b••utish, Prov. 6.23. therefore in∣struct them also, and withall use Prayer, and still wait on God for a blessing.