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

1 JOHN 4.9.

In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

THe second Argument to move us to brotherly love, is taken from the ex∣ample of God the Fathers love to us ward.

A third argument is taken from the benefit which such receive, which walke in love among themselves.

The benefit is twofold:

1 They have fellowship with God, they see the face of God, and find God dwelling within them, to verse 16.

The second benefit is, they grow up to perfection, without love there is no growth of grace.

These words then contain an argument to move us to love our Brethren, and it's taken from Gods love; Wherein we have

1 The manifestation of Gods love.

2 The Object, towards us.

3 The evidence thereof, because he sent his Son.

4 The place whereto he sent his Son, and that is, into the world, as also with the end, that we might live through him.

In this was manifested the love of God towards us.

Doct. That God doth not only bestow love upon his people, but it is his good pleasure to manifest it, Rom. 5.8, Psal. 98.2, 3. Isa. 52.10.

There is the mighty power of God by which he overcomes all our sins, by which he redeemeth us, Luk. 3.6. All flesh shall see the salvation of our God, yea more then all flesh, for it is manifested.

1 To the Angels, Luke 2.13, 14.

2 To mens consciences, Rom. 5.8. Gal. 2.20. God commonly gives us no gifts, but he is willing his Spirit should shew unto us his love.

3 This love of God is manifested to the rest of mankind, Rev. 3.9.

Reas. From Gods glory, Luke 2.14. the high praises of God were in their mouthes; Jerusalem shall be comforted, because God will make bare his arm in the redemption of his people, Isa. 52.9, 10.

2 If God did not reveal our salvation to us, it would be no comfort to us, but when it is manifested, it is a ground of joy.

3 It's a means to draw on many men into the unfeigned love of God, which otherwise might be left in darknesse, Zech. 8.23. When the love of God, is manifested to the children of men, it doth raise them up to seek God, Cant. 5.16. therefore the daughters of Jerusalem are provoked to seek Christ Jesus with the rest of his people; when they discern what a gracious God he is to them that cleave to him in a conjugall affection, Psal. 106.45. this encoura∣geth them that are coming on in the wayes of grace, and discourageth them that doe not, and convinceth them that are of the Synagogue of Satan, who know that he is the Lord.

Ʋse 1. This should teach the servants of God not only to bear an hidden love, but also a manifest love to Christ; now indeed are the time, wherein men need not be ashamed to manifest their love; but if times grow hard, then men will come to Christ by night, as Nicodemus did; but God requires, if he mani∣fest his love to your conscience, that you should make it known to the world, and not to be like Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, Joh. 9.38, 39. If

we be ashamed of him in the world, he will be ashamed of us before his Fa∣ther, Mark 8, 38. when Christ hung on the Crosse, Joseph came in boldly to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus, Mark. 15.43, which shewes you, that where there is truth of grace, though it be close at the first coming on, yet when there is danger indeed, every man will put forth himselfe to bear witnesse to the truth.

Doct. That God bare love to us before he sent his Son to reconcile us to him∣self.

The sending of Christ into the world, was out of free love, for his love mo∣ved him to send Christ, Rom. 5.8. John 3.16. Christ saith God so loved the world that he gave hu only begotten Son into the world, &c.

Reas. He dyed for us to make an atonement for us, Christ did not come un∣sent, he was sent before he went, Heb. 5.45.

Quest. How can this be, seeing the death and blood of Christ is the Originall of our reconciliation? Rom. 5.10. Rom, 3.24, 25.

Answ. 1. Christ by his blood wrought reconciliation, because God loved us before, yet we loved not him before, for there must be a mutuall fellowship in reconciling us to God, 2 Cor. 5.16. not so much in reconciling himselfe to the world, in the 20. verse, he saith we pray you in Christs stead, which shewes you that Christs blood did not so much reconcile God to us, as us unto God, that we seeing the blood of Christ shed for us, we might be stirred up to love God, who out of the abundance of his compassion takes a course, that we may be brought unto him.

2 Because though he did bear love to us before, yet his love was secret, and he did not breake forth into a manifestation of his love to us, untill he sent his Son into the world: though God did love us with an everlasting love, Jer. 31.3. yet God did not manifest it to our conscience, neither could it stand with his Justice so to doe, untill he had given his Son the Lord Jesus Christ to dye for us.

Quest. What kind of love was it, that God bare to the world in that he sent his Son, Tit. 3.5. was it his love towards mankinde, by which he did love the whole world, or a peculiar love which he bare to the people of the Election of grace? Joh. 3.16. The Arminians say, that he bare a love to the World, and this love was ge∣nerall to all, before the sending of Christ, and therefore all may be saved.

The truth is, that God bare a love to the world, a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 reaching to all, but he bare an antient love to his owne people, had he onely bore a generall love (as they say) all men might have perished, for if God sent his Son, that whosoever believed, should be saved, was it in the will to believe or not? yes say they, he gave them means, but they might will or not; if this was a generall love, then there was a greater love, then the sending of Christ, which is contrary to Scripture, Greater love then this hath no man.

Ʋse 1. Let us magnifie the love of God to us in Christ, we esteeme much of ancient love, it (like wine) is the best, God loved us, before he did send Christ, before the foundation of the world was laid Jer. 31.3. This love was without reason on our parts, for we were enemies to him.

2 This exhorts us to accept this love, shall God send his Embassadors, 2 Cor. 5.20. and shall we still stand out with God?

3 If God so loved the world, we ought to love one another.

Doct. God sending his only begotten Son into the world, is a manifest token of Gods love to us.

John 3.16. God so loved the world, this love is manifest.

1 If we consider, that God doth not only send us bodily bread eve∣ry day, but the bread of eternall life, not so much the gift, as the giver himself.

2 Consider upon what tearmes we stood with God, when he sent us his

on? Even then when we provoked him to his face, and were enemies to his Majesty, Rom. 5.8.

3 Consider we that God looked not at the Angels, but the seed of man, God passed over Angels, left them in chains of darknesse, Heb. 2.16. but of man he said, shall he fall and not rise again?

Consider we were strangers and enemies to God; dead in sins and trespasses▪ and so we did neither desire nor deserve love, yet us he hath reconciled, Col. 1.21. Ephes. 2.4, 5.

4 Consider Christ who was sent, had it been a morsell of dayly bread, it had been a great mercy, but in Christ he sent an horn of salvation, Psal. 89.19. Luke 1.69.

Consider Christ, not as a servant, but a Son, and a well-beloved Son in whom he was well pleased, and such a Son as thought it no blasphemy to think and say, he was equall with God, Phil. 2.5, 6.

5 Consider whither God sent his Son, into the world; our salvation could not be wrought in heaven, it was no place for suffering, no place for a man to be born in; therefore needfull that Christ should come down.

Consider, the world did not put on Christ that honour which was due unto him, but rather dishonour, a Crown of thorns.

Consider, the more the world knew him; the more they hated him; in heaven they adore and honour him; but you have known me and hated me, saith he, John 15.18. This is the heir, come, let us kill him.

Ʋse 1 Learn hence to acknowledge the Divinity of the nature of Christ, he is called the only begotten Son of God, therefore of the same nature with God, Phil. 2.5, 6.

2 This shewes you the love of the Father to us, in that he sends his Son to be a ransom for us; when all other signes fail you; if God give you his only Son, that is a true token of Gods love, Eccles. 9 1.

3 This shewes us the woeful misery that we naturally ly in, when as Christ must come down from heaven, or else we could not have heen saved, no man nor Angel could doe it.

4 This should stir us all up to accept of this love of God, that God sends forth such a manifest token of his love to us; and shall not we accept of it? We should accept a small gift from a Prince.

5 To perswade us all, that if God gives Christ, he will deny us nothing, Rom. 8.32. we may goe boldly to the throne of grace, and he will fill our mouthes.

6 This should cause us to returne back again to God, manifest pledges of our love to him, let us give body and soul to God, since he hath not been want∣ing in his love to us; doth not love require love? Psal. 116.12. Train we up our children to know God; and draw we as many as we can to know God: there is no greater dishonour to God, then to refuse this manifest love of God. The end for which God sent his Son into the world was, that we might live through him.

Doct. That our life was the end why God sent Christ: Or thus; God there∣fore sent Christ, that we might live by him▪ Joh. 1.10, 11.

Quest. What is the life that Christ came to procure for us?

Answ. 1. A life of Gods favour in poynts of Justification, sanctification, and consolation, that is the chiefest life for the soul of a christian, the manifestation of Gods love to his conscience; though God loved us before he sent Christ, yet we knew not so much: there is a life of Justification, Rom. 5.18. that is, the pardon of our sins.

In his favour is life, Psal. 30.5. The Sun is the life of many Vermine, take away the Sun, and they dye, as flyes; but when the Sun shines in its sea∣son they live; let God take away the Sun-shine of his favour from us, we can neither pray nor preach, we live a life of grace, of holinesse, Prov. 16.14, 15. Rom. 8.2. Ephes. 2.4, 5. there is life enougst in Christ, to procure us life.

2 There is a life of glory, of which it is said, John 10.27, 28. That Christ gives to his sheep eternall life, 1 Cor. 15.4, 5. John 5.24, 28, 29. so many whose souls receive life by the Word of the Gospel, their bodies shall rise to e∣ternall life.

How did Christ procure us this life?

He procured this by his death, Rom. 5.9, 10. while we were yet enemies, we were yet reconciled by the death of Christ.

We received life of grace and holinesse by his means, I will pour out my Spirit of grace upon all flesh.

Reas. 1. It was unpossible our corrupt nature should fulfill any law of God, Rom. 8.4. Gal. 3.21.

2 The glory of Christ requires, that as the Father quickneth, so he also, John 5.21.

Ʋse 1. This shewes us what our condition is without Christ, if God send Christ, that we might live through him, then in Gods fight without Christ, we are dead, as dead flyes, dead wormes in a cold frost; we are utter∣ly dead without true peace, we are like thorns that give a blaze; but we lye down in sorrow, Isa. 50.11. Christ is our life, without him we can doe no∣thing, we are not able to put forth any spirituall action.

2 Let us try our estates, Whether can we say that God sent his Son into the world, and hereby manifested his love to us? Doe you live in Gods sight? without him we are but dry bones, untill we can say we live in Christ, we can∣not say we have any sense of Gods favour.

3 It teacheth such as have any evidence of life in Christ, Joh. 10.10. to come into Gods presence, as dry bones, intreat God that he would so speake the word, as that those dry bones may live.

4 To teach all such as have received this manifest token of Gods love, to acknowledge the Lord Christ to be their life, Phil. 1.21. For me to live is Christ, and to dye is gain; now Paul is crucified with Christ, Gal. 2.20. and now for him to live is Christ; now every day he lives, he doth the more ex∣presse Christ.