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

Doct. 5. It is the holy end that God aims at, in giving up seducing corrupt spirits to Apostacy from the Church, that he might discover them that they were Hypocrites whilst they lived in the Church.

God punisheth Hypocrites with Apostacy.

What should move God to discover the Hypocrisie of men by Apostacy? a fearfull sin to forsake the Ordinances of God, the Covenant of the church; and what should be the cause moving God thus to work?

1 By this means God manifests the integrity, and sound-heartednesse of his own servants; God would have his name sanctified by his servants, and it is never more sanctified, than when their sincerity is approved, when others fall off, 1 Cor. 11.19. it is needful that heresies arise, that those which are approved, might be made manifest among you; as in winnowing time, when there comes a good wind, it carries away the chaff, but the wheat lyes on a heap more clean, Mat. 3.12. so Christ hath a fann to winnow his church and cleanse out the chaff, that it may be more clean.

2 That so he might prevent the corrupting and seducing of his weak servants, least any should be mislead by them, therefore God timely discovers them, 2 Tim. 3.9. they shall proceed no further though they had led away some sim∣ple women, laden with many lusts, yet they shall proceed no further, they shall glean no more then some weake judgments, or corrupt hearts, but they shall be discovered, their folly shall be manifest to all men, so carefull is God, that when his church is negligent in casting out such, why God in a speciall care to his Vineyard, gives up such to defection voluntarily.

3 He gives them up to Apostacy, that he may preserve the purity of his ordinances and law, Mal. 3.3, 4, 5. as if he should say, as long as corrupt teachers live among men, they so pollute Gods Ordinances, that they are not so pure and sweet, therefore God takes a course to refine them from their drosse, that is, not only Ministers, though when their spirits are refined, their Ministry is more savoury and fruitfull, but further he will make a difference be∣tween Hypocrites, and those that are sincere that so his ordinances may be refi∣ned, and this was fulfilled in John Baptists time, who came before Christ, Mat. 3.7, 8, 9, who discovered the Pharisees to be Hypocrites that should renounce Christ; and Christ himselfe said, Mat. 23. Woe be to you Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrites; so that by their defection, the Christian Congregations, and the Ordinances, were more pure and refined, Prov. 25.4, 5. so take away the drosse from the Ordinances, they come forth more pure.

4 To exempt his people from many scandals and aspersions, that would be cast upon the Church, if these corrupt persons should live among them, Jude 12. therefore that these spots might appear to be corrupt humours, and not members of the body, it pleaseth God that they depart, and so carry away these spots and scandals with them, that so his Church may not be de∣famed.

5 A fifth end is this, it tends to the just punishment of Hypocrisie; it is a just judgement of God to leave such spirits to be discovered and revealed; Matth. 12 33. it is more acceptable to God, to have things seem as they are; God will have the Tree known by his fruit at length, there is no great diffe∣rence between the Crab and the good Apple-Tree, by the leafe or the blossom, therefore it must be known by the fruit, Rev. 3.16. I would thou wert either hot or cold, that I might know what thou art.

Ʋse 1. It may teach us, that even the falls of the sons and daughters of men▪ are mannaged and ordered by the wise and good hand of Gods providence; so you see here is a hand going quite beyond all the ends of men, they went out that they might be manifest, and God hath alwayes challenged this, to have an hand in the sins of men, not to work, but to punish one sin by ano∣ther, if God sees envy in Josephs Brethren, he stirs them up to sell him into E∣gypt, and God challenges it, Gen. 47. Gen. 50.20. 2 Sam. 11.12. Ezodus 7.3. so Act. 4 28. 2 Chron. 32.21. Isa. 10.5. the worst evills that have been in the Church, God hath had an hand in it, 2 Sam. 24.1. not as an Author, but by accidental occasion, he gives them up to take such courses; if David be Idle, God gives him up to Adultery; if Pharoah vex Gods people, God leaves him to hardnesse of heart; if David commit Murther and Adultery, he gives up his Son to fratricide and incest; If Judas be covetous, he gives him to betray his Master; if they be his own Servants, he doth it to cleanse them; if wicked, he doth it to punish them, therefore let us fear that God that is not only able to cast both body and soul into Hell, but also into sin, which is worse than Hell, by propounding ••uch temptations as may leave a man to run into desparate courses; therefore give not way to any sin, thinking to recover your selves, but feare God will leave you to runne into worse.

2 It may teach Gods people not to admire▪ and be offended at it; first, if they see men of good esteem and profession fall off, wonder not, such were never of the Church, 2 Tim. 2.17, 18, 19. Prov. 10.25. the righteous are as an ever∣lasting foundation, which God hath founded, and every one of them hath this seal, The Lord knows who are his, and therefore be not discouraged, when you see others whom you thought better of than of your selves fall, for the founda∣tion of God standeth sure; 2ly, let not other men be offended, if they see some that were professors fall off into vile courses, say not they are all of one Sect, they are all of the same Spirit, none better than other, this is the course of them all; say not so, for God gives them up to these b••se courses to manifest it, that they were not true Members of the Church, God would have it thereby ma∣nifested,

that these spots of the face of the church are not spots of the Body of the church, but spots in the Vizards of the church; but God keeps his church unspotted and undefiled, so that even Balaam could say, How goodly are thy Tents, O Jacob; therefore if you see any in the church grow corrupt, and defiled, it implies they were never members of the church, God hath nothing to doe with such, therefore he turns them out that it may appear what they are; if God at any time leave his people to any scandalous course, that God casts shame on them (which is very rare) if he doe, he gives them such unfeigned humiliation, and broken-heartednesse, and such castisements that they recover themselves, that all the World may see, neither doth the church allow it, nor God, but as they were patterns of sin, so they shall be patterns of Repentance, 2 Sam. 12, 11, if David doe fall into scandalous sins, God will follow him with such chastisements, that God will manifest he is no ap∣prover of such courses; and David himself shall proclaim, that he repents un∣feignedly, so that he was not so carefull before to cover it, as he is now to di∣vulge it, and declare that it was the cause of bitter anguish to him, so that neither God, nor the church, nor themselves approve of their sin, but are a∣gainst it.

Ʋse 3. It may teach Gods servants to make an holy use of other mens falls; Dost thou see Professors fall into loose wicked courses, and give no testimony of their repentance, why God hereby would manifest that thou art sincere and upright, God hereby prevents thy mis-leading by their evill counsell, or practise; blesse God that hereby he purifies his Ordinances, and wipes away the soyle of his church, he wipes their face by casting out such; and especially make this use, Be not high minded, but fear? fear that God that is able to cast men from one sin into another, Isa. 6.2, 3. Why did the Angel there sing 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Holy, Holy, Holy? &c. why, because he was to send the Prophet on a Message, to harden the wicked, and make their hearts fat.

Ʋse 4. To exhort all in a speciall manner to take heed of Hypocrisie, if we take up a course of Religion, and good duties at home, and abroad, we think that God will be mercifull to us; but let us see that what we doe, we doe in spirit and in truth, Heb. 12.13. Lev. 10.3. God will certainly discover us, scarce ever any lived that dyed in Hypocrisie, but he was uncased before his death, there is nothing so secret but it shall be revealed. Hypocrisie must be manifest to all men, though there were good hopes of them, yet God washes off the spots of his church, and not only at the last day, but in this World, there∣fore let it not suffice you to live in the church, for you may be as ill Hu∣mours, and so annoy the church of God, and it will be well that you be cast out; or at the best, though you be ornaments and supporters to the church, yet you are but as glasse eyes, and wooden leggs, why God may stay long for the good of his church, but certainly he will lay you open to some corrupt Doctrine, or way, that you shall be manifest, 2 Tim. 3.9. why, vers. fifth he tells you what they were, They had a form of godlinesse, &c, implying, it is a mad course to be an Hypocrite, for by his outward profession, he gets the ill will of wicked men, and for want of sincerity, he gets the ill will of God.

There are sundry signs of this Hypocrisie.

1 If thou findest in thy self an hatred of admonition, Mat. 14.4. Herod was impatient of admonition, therefore he put John in prison, and thereby ma∣nifested his hypocrisie.

2 If thou beest given to praise wicked men, and accompany with them, Prov. 13.20. Prov. 28.4. that is a fore-runner of forsaking of the Law.

3 When a man makes no conscience of his tongue. but lets his tongue run at random, to passion, oc rayling, or slandering, Jam. 1.26.

4. If you see any man living in any known sin, and delighting in it, it is such a link as the Devil will chain him fast by.

5 When a man shall make use of Religon to any other end than for Gods glory, if you make Religion a stalking-horse to your own ends, certainly you will fall off▪ Joh. 6.26.60.66. those that followed Christ for the Loaves, not one of them continued with him, 2 King. 10.29. Acts 8.17. to 23. When Simon Magus would make use of Spiritual gifts to get money, he was in the gall of bitternesse, and bond of iniquity, his heart was not right; therefore as you de∣sire to have fellowship with God, be sincere and upright.