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

1 JOHN 5.9, 10.

If we receive the witnesse of men, the witnesse of God is greater; for this is the witnesse of God, which he hath testified of his Son, &c.

HAving spoken in the former verse, of the manner of Christs coming, and of the witnesse born to it, three in Heaven, and three on earth, in these verses he excites us to receive the testimony of those witnesses by four ar∣guments.

1 A minori, If we receive the witnesse of men, how much the more ought we to receive the witnesse of God?

2 From the divinity of this testimony, whatsoever any of these fix witnesses speak, their testimony is not from the earth, but from God, verse 9.

3 From the nearnesse of this testimony, in the heart and conscience of every believer, and therefore the rather to be credited, because it is an inward testi∣mony that we feel in our own hearts.

4 From the dangerous condition that such fall into that doe not believe this truth, they do no lesse then make God a lya••, for all these bear witnesse from God, and therefore if we believe them not, we make God a lyar.

Doct. The three witnesses in heaven, and the three witnesses on earth, are all of them divine and inward testimonies in the hearts of believers, and therefore far more to be credited, then the witnesse of all men in the world.

1 That the Father, Son, and Spirit, are divine witnesses, is no question, for they are the three Persons in the Trinity, and yet are but one God, Deut. 6 4. Therefore their testimony must needs be divine. But the question is, How doe these hear witnesse in our hearts to this truth, he that believeth hath all these witnesses in himselfe?

1 The Father, as he is the Fountain of the God head, so his work is a work of Almighty power, and that is it which speaks in the heart of every believer, John 6.44. No man can come to me; except the Father which sent me draw him: as none come to Christ, except the Father draw him; so he draws none, but by the same power whereby he sent Christ, and that was by his So∣veraign authority; if God should draw us onely by the cords of men, we should break through all, as the Israelites did, Hos. 11.4. But when God shakes our hearts by an Almighty power, and lets us see the danger of our estate, and after enlightens us to see the wayes of salvation, then he draws a man on to Christ: take a naturall man, all the world cannot perswade him of his dangerous estate, but he is perswaded of his good nature and good heart towards God.

Secondly, If he be convinced of it, all the world cannot perswade him, that any promise belongs to him, and therefore here God must put forth an Al∣mighty power of a Spirit of adoption, whereby he is brought on to believe the promises; before he had onely an humane credulity, now he believes it from a testimony within himselfe, John 6.45.

2 The Son of God bears witnesse in our hearts of this truth, by speaking freedome and liberty to our souls from the guilt of sin, John 8.36. If the Son shall make you free, then shall you be free indeed, that whereas before we were bound to our sins, and lusts, and wayes, Christ comes and sets us free from all, so that now we serve not our selves or men, but the Lord Christ; & by this a Christian knows that surely Christ is the Son of God, that hath made me a son of God my selfe.

3 The Spirit bears witnesse to our hearts of this truth, by convincing our hearts of it, John 16.9.

Secondly, By working a Spirit of faith, and a spirit of joy in believing, John 14.16, 17. Hence he is called the Comforter.

Thirdly, By giving us a spirit to make us overcome the temptations of the world, and the lusts of our own hearts, 2 Tim. 1.7. 1 John 4.4. and this testimony is divine.

1 Because it is the revelation and will of God himselfe.

2 Because it is above all humane power thus to draw us and convince us, and strengthen and comfort us against all temptations.

For the three witnesses on earth, they likewise bear witnesse to this truth in our hearts.

1 The Spirit, that is, the Spirit breathing in the Word hath such a mighty pow∣er to enlighten, and quicken, and strengthen a soul, that whatsoever the Spirit speaks in the Scripture, the same it witnesseth in our souls, 1 Cor. 14.24, 25.

2 Water bears witnesse in our hearts to this truth, that is, the water of Sanctification doth so cleanse, and cool, and refresh the conscience of a man, and make him so fruitful in his Christian course, that it's plainly a divine testi∣mony, it passeth all the power of the creature thus to pacifie and quiet the conscience; it is only the Spirit of God that is able thus to pacifie a guilty soul; thus to cleanse an impure heart, and to make these dry barren stocks as we are fruitful; this is a divine work of Gods Spirit.

3 The bloud of Christ witnesseth this truth to our hearts, by being sprinkled on our consciences, and so speaking peace to us; this is a divine work.

2 The same bloud purifies every Ordinance, and creature; there would be no vertue in any Ordinance, nothing would doe us good, but for the bloud of Christ sanctifying it to our use: now this testimony is of greater force then the testimony of all the sons of men together. There be three things needful in a testimony.

• 1 That it be certain.
• 2 Evident.
• 3 Powerfull and Effectuall.

1 This divine testimony is more certain, then all the testimonies of the world, because God is greater in knowledge, and so knows more then men can.

2 Because he is greater in truth; men may erre, but God cannot lye, Tit. 1.2, 3. Rom. 4.2.

2 This testimony is more evident, to make a thing evident is required,

• 1 Objectum perspicuum.
• 2 Organum bene affectum.
• 3 Medium apte dispositum.

Now God doth make this truth evident by the concurrence of all these.

1 He lets us plainly see the danger of sin, and the vertue and worth of Christs bloud; God reveals his Son to our hearts, John 3.12. Gal. 1.46. so what the Gospel speaks of his Son, the same is plainly revealed, and so he makes the object perspicuous.

2 He opens the eyes of men to discern it, to long after it, to tast of his ver∣tue and power, Acts 26.18. 1 Pet. 2.3. 1 Cor. 2.14, 15. A natural man sees nothing of this work.

3 He clears the Medium, that is, the Word and Sacraments, Prayer & Christian

Communion; so that whereas before we lookt at them, but as beggerly rudi∣ments, of little power or worth, after God hath once enlightned us, we see the power and vertue of God therein, so plainly, as if we had been touched by the Sun beams.

3 This divine testimony is far more powerfull then any humane testimony, Heb. 4.12, 13. 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. The Ordinances of God are mighty and ef∣fectual through God, so to change and renew our hearts, that no humane power is able to reach them.

Ʋse 1. To refute two doctrines of the Romish Church.

1 That the last ground-work of faith is resolved on the testimony of the Church: Ask them if they believe Jesus to be the Son of God, they say yes; ask them why? Because the Scripture say so: ask rhem, But why doe you believe the Scripture? From the testimony of the Church, say they; so that their best faith is but humane credulity: But ask a true Protestant, why he believes Jesus to be the Son of God? he tels you because the Scripture say so; ask him why he believes the Scripture? he saith, not because the Church believes so, but he believes it from a testimony within himselfe. What say they, you trust a private spirit of your own? nay his private spirit is com∣mon with him to all believers, ever since the world was, and that spirit is no other then the Spirit of God that breatheth in all his children. Besides, he hath other witnesses in his heart, the Spirit, the water, and the bloud, and this is a divine testimony, greater then the witnesse of all the world; so that here is a double errour of theirs; 1 In grounding their faith upon the Churches te∣stimony. 2 In blaspheming the Spirit of God, for a private spirit. Fundamen∣tal errours.

That Doctrine that lifts the Church from Christ, and builds it on the testi∣mony of the Fathers and the Schools, that doctrine overthrows the founda∣tion; for other foundation can no man lay, then what is laid already, even Jesus Christ.

2 It refutes another uncomfortable doctrine of the Romish Church, that teach, that a man cannot by divine faith have assurance of his estate in grace and salvation; for say they, all divine faith is generall; thus he that repents and believes shall be saved, but I repent and believe, this say they, the Scrip∣ture no where saith: But say we, besides the testimony of the Scripture, there is a threefold witnesse in heaven, and three on earth, all witnessing this truth; now their testimony is divine, and therefore my faith is divine, and they all witnesse to this truth, that Jesus is the Son of God; and that I believing on him shall be saved.

Obj. All these are but suavis quidam motus, & cannot produce a divine faith.

Answ. Can the testimony of men produce an humane certainty, and cannot three divine witnesses in heaven, and three on earth, produce more then an hu∣mane probabilty? If not, how doth the text say, their testimony is greater then the testimony of men?

Object. How comes it to passe then, that this witnesse is so low sometimes, that we can hardly discern it?

Answ. We so grieve the Spirit of God sometimes, that he delights not to reveal himselfe to us; but this is our own fault, that we so black this evi∣dence, that we cannot read it; but if we maintain and cherish it, it will be a strong testimony to our souls.

Ʋse 2. For tryal of our faith; wouldst thou know whether thy faith be true or not? If it be, it will convey a double trinity of witnesses into thy heart, witnessing that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he came by water and bloud. If you should resolve most mens faith into its principle, you should find most mens faith built upon antiquity, and authority, and universall consent of all men: Why, if these be the best grounds of thy saith, the Divel hath better grounds of faith then so; but if thou find this truth confirmed to thee, by the testimony of Gods Spirit within thee, this faith will hold tryall.

Ʋse 3. Of consolation to all them that find this witnesse in themselves. Why, they have grounds of full assurance of their good estates, seeing they have such divine and certain witnesse of it, both in heaven and earth.