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

1 JOHN 4.21.

And this Commandement have we from him, that he who loveth God, love his brother also,

WE come now to observe one poynt out of the words themselves.

Doct. 1. The same commandement that requires love to God, requires love to our brethren also.

God requires no man to love him, but he requires him also to love his brethren; it's one of the great Commandements of the Law, neglect love to your brethren, and you neglect love to God likewi•••• and this direction Christ himselfe gives, Matth. 5.23, 24. Which imply•••• a•• God would not accept a service to himselfe without reconcilement to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Brother, so God will not accept any Office of love to himselfe, if we come not in love to our brethren. God loveth a cheerful giver, that doth it in hearty love and affection, God would stay for his service, and he would have us stay, till we be at peace with our brother, not but that our love to God ought to be greater, and in case of competition, God will be loved even with the hatred of our brother, but when there may be a suburdination of their loves, he requires the one as well as the other, 1 Tim. 2.8. Let us lift up pure hands, without wrath and doubting, and he means wrath to our Brethren; as when a man comes with doubtings he is not accepted, Jam. 1, 7. so neither is he accepted when he comes in ••••ath; nay, if he comes in wrath, he either wants faith, or his faith is full of doubtings, or else it's a false faith, The wrath of man accompli∣sheth not the righteousnesse of God, Jam. 1.20. a man can doe no righteous ser∣vice to God, if he come in wrath.

Reas. 1. From the near relation that lyes between God and our brethren, God looks at his people, as his children, as his Spouse, as his Members, and therefore oft times, he will longer bear with injuries done to himselfe, then to his members; Pharoah was an heathen Prince, but yet God past by that, he doth not charge him for his horrible idolatry and filthy abominations, God winked at these things, but when Gods people came amongst them, and were evill intreated by them, then Moses his message is, Exod. 4.22, 23. Israel is my Son, even my first born, and if thou refuse to let him goe, I will slay thy son, even thy first born; this was that which made God fall so heavily upon him, for opposing of his people: so though Babylon abounded with many Idolatries, yet God makes little mention of it, but he punisheth them, for the insolency against his people, Psal. 137.8.9. Zach. 1.15. I am very sore displeased with the Heathens that are at ease, for I was but a little displeased, and they helped for∣ward the affliction. They are his members like us, and therefore the injury done to them, redounds to God himselfe, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? and they are such members as art as dear to him as the apple of his eye, Zach. 2.8. Now he will endure touching any where else rather then on the apple of his eye. God knows that mens goodnesse extends not to him, so neither doth their hatred; if we be wicked and injurious; what harm can we doe to him? Why, God will bear much longer Idola∣try, swearing, and other grosse sins, then injuries put upon his people: how long did God endure the heathen Monarchs, till they fell sore upon the Church? the Roman state flourished exceedingly above seven hundred years; though their Capital was filled with all manner of Gods, but the times of this ignorance God regarded not, but followed them with great Victories and designes, and there were many worthy men among them for valour and prudence; but when the Emperours grew hot against the Christians, and persecuted them, God would endure them no longer, but tumbled their Monarchy into the dust: Touch not mine anointed, and doe my Pro∣phets

no harm. Some man will endure much more injury against himselfe, then against his children; so while the world trespasseth against God himself, by Idolatry, Superstition, or prophanenesse, he sits silent as if he regarded them not: but when they wax fierce against the Church, then he ariseth like a mighty Gyant, and raiseth his forces, even such plagues as the world rings of, as those ten plagues of Egypt witnesse; and all this ariseth from his tenderness over them, because their afflictions may doe them more harm then they can doe him, as long as the Church keeps any good termes with him, no man is more tender of his Spouse, no father of his child, then God is of his Church.

Reas. 2. From the delight God takes in the sincerity of his service; 1 Cor. 16.14. Let all things be done in love, what is done in love is an hearty sincere service; and if love be wanting, a man either performes no service, or else it's not done in truth, God that is a God of truth is most impatient of such overly, and ha••ting performances, Psal. 51.12. God requires truth in the inward parts, whether in dutyes of service to himselfe, or man, 1 Pet. 1.21.

Reas. 3. From the care God takes of the preservation of love unfeigned to himselfe; why, that it may be preserved spotlesse, God will still keep in us a diligent care of love to our brethren; for next after hypocrisie, nothing more odious to God then Apostacy, and more dangerous to us, as being the way to the sin against the holy ghost: Now so long as a man walks in love, and keeps a constant fellowship with the Saints, so long we keep a constant fel∣lowship with God himselfe; but let a man faile in his love to his brethren, he falls off from God, and so runs into grievous Apostacy against God to the spighting of the holy ghost; therefore as you would put honour on God, and maintain his Spirit in you, so take heed you neglect not brotherly love; if we neglect this, we are in rhe way to total Apostacy.

Reas. 4. From the delight God takes that all his servants should wear his livery, and be known to be his Disciples: now if God had only left us to faith in Christ, to calling on his Name, all this might have been and yet we never been known what we were; but because God would have it known thar there is a generation of men calling upon his name, and serving him in truth, he would never have them come abroad without this cognizance to their brethren, and by this mark all men should know ye are my Disciples, if you love one another, Joh. 13.35. therefore if a man throws away brotherly love, he throws away the profession of Christianity, he is no Christian, therefore offer not to say, thou lovest God, or love thy brother also.

Ʋse 3 To teach us that the love of our brethren, is not a conceit of per∣fection, or supererogation, but its a duty of necessity straightly lying upon all men, that if they love God they must love their brethren also, never say you have a God in heaven whom you love, if you neglect love to your Brethren; we think we may love our brother as long as he loves us, but if he comes betwixt us and our profit, we fall off from him; Why, if you love them that love you, what singular thing doe you? Matth. 5.45. Turks and Pagans will doe so much; but you must know you are bound to love your brethren by vertue of a Commandement; if thou thinkest thou art bound to love God by vertue of his Commandement by ver∣tue of the same Commandement thou art bound to love thy brother also.

Object. I, but my Brother is changed.

Answ. It may be so, but yet Gods commandement is not changed, indeed we are to carry the expressions of our love according to divers occasions; it's one thing to comfort, another thing to reprove, yet both acts of love; besides, there is no Commandement of God, but the transgression of it brings a curse with it, Deut. 27. ult. If therefore I love not my brother I fall under a curse, and so under seperation from Gods presence, for that is properly a curse, and so then we cannot so wrong our Brother, as we wrong God and our own souls, as soon as Cain hated his Brother and slew him, he went out from the presence

of God, and dwelt in the Land of Nod, a land of agitation; wandring prayers, and wandring performances does an hatefull soul put up: When David had once wronged Ʋriah, what poor work made he? He then makes nothing of the destruction of a worthy subject, that had before time been scrupulous of cutting an enemies skirt; whereas è contra, no man that expresseth hearty love to his brother, prayes for them, doth them good, but he shall find as he closeth with his brother, God will close with him; as he lifts up a cheerful countenance upon his Brother, so will God on him, so that he shall plainly find, that in keeping this great Commandement is great reward.

Ʋse 2. To teach us to love God so much the more, that hath such care that no man withdraw his love from us, but he will be as ready to sit loos from them▪ as they sit loose from thee; why, what marvellous love is this, that God should take it so ill, that any should offer injury to thee; so that he will not endure, that the greatest Monarch should evill intreat thee? how should this shame us, that we should sit so loose from God, and slight him, and wrong him, that is so carefull that none should wrong us?