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

Doct. THe Eternall life that God hath given us, is laid up for us in Jesus Christ, John 11.25, 26. Col. 3.3. John 14.6.

This life is fourfold, of Justification, Sanctification, Consolation, and Glorification. All these are laid up in Christ, Jer. 23.6. He is the Lord our righteousnesse, Psal. 4.1, 2. For them altogether, see 1 Cor. 1.30. He is made our Wisdome, Righteousnesse, Sanctification, and Redemption. Our Redemption not onely from the guilt eternall and punishment of sin, but from all the affli∣ctions both inward and outward that Gods servants he exposed unto, as for inward temptation in sicknesse, and griefs, &c. Col. 3.3. Your life is hid with Christ in God, Its sometimes under a veil of corruptions, sometimes of afflicti∣on, but yet laid up in Christ.

Quest. How is our life said to be laid up in him?

Answ. 1. Because he hath received it for us from God the Father to give unto us, John 5.21, 26. 1 Thes. 5.9, 10. He hath appointed us to salvation,

through Jesus Christ, that so whether we remain alive or die, yet we may live in Christ.

2. Christ hath purchased this life for us, 1 Thes. 5.9, 10. the Father hath not onely appointed us life, but he hath appointed it through the death of Christ, John 10.10. I am come that my sheep may have life, and that they may have it in abundance, and this is by giving his life for us.

3. Its laid up in Christ as one that prepares it for us, and us for it, Col. 1.12. its he that makes us meet to be made partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light, that whereas before we were unfit, now he hath adorned us, and made us fit Spouses for himselfe, which he doth by turning us from darknesse to light, by giving us of his Spirit, by dispensing himselfe to us in his Sacraments, and Christian communion, wherein all the members receive nourishment from the head, Eph. 4.16. and as he thus prepares us for eternall life, so likewise he prepares a place for us, John 14.2, 3.

4. Its reserved for us principally in himselfe, notwithstanding the commu∣nication of it dayly to us, Jude 1. we are said to be preserved in Jesus Christ to life, all our life of grace here, and of glory hereafter, is preserved in Christ.

First, Because all the claim of eternall life is laid up onely in him, we neither desire nor beg any pardon of sin, or any grace, or comfort, or glory, but through Jesus Christ, the claim of eternall life is wholly in him; for though God hath promised all those kindes of life, its onely in Christ.

Secondly, As he reserves the claim of it in his own hands, so he reserves the security of it in his own hand, even as a Father doubting how his son will spend his estate, he puts not into his hands the writings or evidences, but he keeps them in his own hands; so God saw the life he communicated to our first parents, they prodigally wasted it away, and therefore never since would he put it into our own hands, but reserved it in the hands of Christ, Rom. 4.16. Therefore it is faith that the promise might be sure. If our sal∣vation had stood upon our own works, the promise had been sure onely so long as we kept our obedience, but we are unsetled, sometimes inlarged, and sometimes straightned, so that we should have been at a stand oftentimes, not knowing whether we had life or no, therefore he hath laid it up in Christ, that it might be sure.

Thirdly, The possession of this life is reserved for us in Christ, our justifi∣cation is complete in Christ here, never increased, though the sence of it may; the first day we are regenerate, we are fully justified; the justification of all Christians is equall, though their sanctification be not alike; our life of justification is compleat, but yet our life of holinesse is but imperfect, We know but in part, and believe but in part, but its fully laid up in Christ: so for the life of consolation, we have some beginnings of it here, Phil. 4.7. 1 Pet. 1.8. But sometimes all our comforts are lost, and where then lies it but in Christ; as the sap doth in the root in winter time, so that in him we rejoyce alwayes, Phil. 4.4. and so our eternall life is reserved in him, John 14.2, 3. Eph. 2.5.

Fourthly, In regard of the glorious manifestation of this life at the last day, 2 Thes. 1.10. when he shall come to be admired of all his Saints, this life is now laid up for his Saints, which at that day he will dispense to his servants, to the admiration of all men.

Quest. Why hath God laid up this life in his Son?

Reas. From the impossibility of laying up life for us in the law, or in the first Adam, Gal. 3.21. If the Law could have given us life, verily righteous∣nesse had been given us by the law; No, the law that Adam had given him in Paradise could not have secured our life, but that we might forfeit it by our own fall, nor could Adam himselfe give us this life, for in Adam all dyed, 1 Cor. 15.22. and therefore its Christ alone that hath restored as to life and glory.

Ʋse 1. Hence learn the order of all that life, and grace, and salvation, that is derived to us, God did not first give us life, and then provide Christ to main∣tain it in us, but he first appointed Christ, that in him we might have life, Eph. 1.3, 4. He hath chosen us in Christ, Christ is the first fruites of all that life that we enjoy, he loved Christ, and in him loved us, he first gave him eter∣nall life that he might give it to whom he would, John 5.26. he poured this life first on his head, and from him this life runs down to the lowest skirt of his garment, to the meanest member that belongs to him, he poured on him the oyl of grace, and from him it drops down upon us; he first crowned him with glory, that he might glorifie us.

Ʋse 2. It teacheth us the dead estate of all men by nature, if all our life be laid up in Christ then such as want this life, they want pardon of sins, and want holinesse, and want comfort, and want eternall life, Eph. 2.11, 12. Eph. 4.19. We by nature are aliens from the life of God, strangers from the Covenant, that as strangers neither meddle nor make with that which is none of theirs, so we have nothing to doe with the promises of life, till we be in Christ; let naturall men goe look at themselves as dead men, all their best comforts are but as the crackling of thorns, they may warm themselves a while with the sparkles of their own fire, but this they shall have at length, They shall lie down in sorrow, Isa. 50.11. Nay by nature we have no hopes of eternall life, we must be re∣generate to this hope, 1 Pet. 1.3, 4.

Ʋse 3. May teach all such as live in a dead estate, to look out where they may have life; look into your own hearts, there you shall not find life, look in∣to the world, that is not able to give you life, but get Christ, and then you get life; as Jacob said to his sons, Why stand ye gazing one upon another, have ye not heard there is corn in Egypt? why, go up, go and buy it that we may live, Gen. 42.2, 3. So the Spirit saith to us, when we find our hearts ready to starve for want of this life, for want of pardon of sin, of grace, of comfort; why stand ye gazing upon the profits and pleasures, and contents of this world, none whereof can give you life? doe you not hear that there is life laid up in Christ, goe and buy of him: its the speech of Wisdome, even of Christ the wisdome of his Father, Prov. 3.85. Who so findeth me, findeth life, and all that hate me, love death.

Ʋse 4. Of consolation to all those that have found their parts in the Lord Christ; if you have found him, you have found life, pardon of sin, peace of con∣science, and life eternall, Rom. 5.1. If you have found him, your sins are done away, and no Saint under heaven is justified more then you. 2. Having found him, thou hast a life of holinesse said up in him, so that though we want zeal, wisdome, patience, we may fetch it from him, and though we find our hearts, sometimes drooping under heavy discouragements and afflictions, yet in him thou mayst rejoyce alwayes; and what though our life here be poor and base, yet there is an eternall life said up for us in him, and when he appears, we shall appear with him in glory, Col. 3.3, 4. And the more we may comfort our selves in that our life is not laid up in Satans hands, for then we should never finger any of it, nor in our own hands, for we should lose it at every hand; but this is our comfort, that our life is laid up in Christ, and reserved safely for us in him▪ and therefore it may teach Gods people, that if our life be laid up in Christ, we must be dayly spinning out life from him; what ever we doe, let us doe all in the Name and power of Christ, 1 Thes. 5.9, 10. all the peace and comfort we find in our selves or families, let us derive it from him, live not up∣on the stock of your own graces, but fetch your dayly supply from him, Gal. 1.20. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, live upon Christ daily, fetch all your help, and comfort, and life from him; and for eternall life, seeing it is laid up in him, let us lay claim to it in his Name, and lay up the security of all our life in him; that so though it be unsetled, yet in him it may be sure.