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

Doct. That such as love in brotherly love, the love of God is perfect in such, vers. 16, 17.

His love is perfect in us, he doth not mean, that love which God hath shed abroad in our hearts, for there is no love of God, but is perfect in every man, but his love is perfect, that is, that love by which we love God: If our love be not wanting to our brethren, our love is perfect towards God.

What is meant by perfect?

Perfect, is diversly taken, sometimes it is taken for sound and unfaigned; thus Amaziah did not that which was good in the sight of the Lord, with a perfect heart, 2 Chron. 15.2. But David and good King Hezekiah did that which was good in the sight of the Lord, with a perfect heart, 2 King. 18.3. that is, without hypocrisie and rottennesse, Let a man professe love to God, and not love to his brother, his love is not true, but hypocritical; but if a man unfeignedly love his brother, he doth soundly love God: a man cannot finde God pardoning his sins, healing his infirmities, but he will love his brethren, and do good offices to them.

2 Perfect is all one with entire, as a childe is then said to be perfect, when he hath all the parts of a man; this perfectnesse is opposed to that which is maimed, so his love is perfect, which is entire to God and man: All our duty is to love God, and to love our neighbour as our selves, 1 John 4.21. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to walk humbly with thy God? that is, to expresse thy love to God, and to do justice, and love mercy; that is, to our brethren, Mic. 6.8. This is perfection of spirit, Rom. 13.10. Therefore saith the Apostle, He that loves, fulfills the Law, the law of the first and second Table, and God would have the chiefest part of our love to him expressed in our love to our brethren, 1 Cor. 13.12. the chiefest of those is love; we do God more honour by faith and hope; but we edifie the Church more by love: so that God re∣quires, as we see, 1 Cor. 13.1, 2, 3. our love to him to be expressed by doing good to the sons of men, Hence our Saviour will reason with the sons of men at the last day, Come ye blessed of my Father. Matth. 25.34. to the end; so that all the love God expects we should shew to him, should be poured out to our brethren; if thou be righteous, what dost thou then give to God? Job 35.6, 7, 8. 1 Cor. 11.10. I have abounded more then they all, (saith St. Paul) by the grace of God, and that good was by doing many good offices to the Bre∣thren; hence God would have all the sons of men to serve him in their general callings, with such graces, 1 Cor. 16.14. as they may shew forth in their par∣ticular callings in doing all their duties in love, when David was earnest with God for the pardoning of his sins, Psal. 51.8. & vers. 18. and 12.13. shewes you; that as he would spend himself in Gods praise, so he would labour to bring on others in the ways of grace.

3 Perfection of degrees, which he means here, and though no man is per∣fect

in all degrees, yet he is more and more perfecting, he is on the growing hand, Ephes. 4.15, 16. As no member can grow in the body, except it be knit to the body by joynts and sinews, so Col. 3.14. in the body of Christ love is the bond that knits us together to God and our brethren, 1 Cor. 18. and 13.1, 2, 3.

4 A thing is perfect when it is expert; thus Ezra 7.8. so is a mans love to God perfect to any good office, a loving Christian is a perfect Christian, you cannot set him to any good duty, but he is perfect to it; love oyls the wheels of his affections, and sets him on that which is helpful to his brethren, and hence it is, that when our Saviour would set Peter on to feed his lambs, he would lead him on to this work, by propounding this question, whether he loved him or no? John 21.15, 16, 17. he pressed upon him this love; every time he asked him, his love required him to feed his lambs, 2 Cor. 4.15. The love of Christs constraineth Paul to be ready for doing and suffering: A man that goes about a businesse with ill will, he always bungles it.

5 A thing is then perfect, when it is durable; so is it with a mans love, it is durable if it be nourished with love to our brethren; if it make a man ready to be doing good offices to his brethren; this will make it not onely grow and continue, but also to abound for ever, Ephes. 2.4, 5, 6, 7. If love continue not, the Church will not continue, that is, the whole body of Christians, the body of faithful Ministers and people; the Church will be removing, if love begin to remove.

Ʋse 1. A signe of the truth of our love; we must have as great a care of the truth of our love to our brethren, as of faith and repentance from dead works: How shall we know our love is perfect to God? How stands your love to the brethren? If your love be closed up from your brethren, then your love is very unsound, or very sick, so much love, so much life; and so much failing in your spiritual love, so much failing in your spiritual life, Gal. 5.6. Faith works by love, and that avails much with God: we must receive the Sacra∣ment oft, that we may be strong in love, according as our love works, so works our faith.

2 It exhorts us all to the love one another, for by this means God dwels in us, and his love is perfected in our hearts. As you desire therefore that your love to God may be found entire, and thriving in your soules, give your selves to the unfaigned love one of another; edifie one another in love.

3 Comfort to such a man as knows he is of a loving heart, his love to God is perfect; you may know your love to God is perfect, if your love be sound to your brethren.