Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 1 · Verse 5
1 JOHN 1.5.
God is light, and in him is no darkneſſe at all, &c.
THe parts of theſe words are two;
1 The condition of God, he is Light.
2 The perfection, or purity of that condition, in him is no darkneſſe.
In opening the meaning of them, I muſt ſhew you,
1 In what reſpect God is called Light.
2 To what end it is added, in him is no darkneſſe at all.
For the Firſt, of Light there be three Attributes;
1 It is bright and ſhining; hence it is put for Knowledge, Mat. 4.16. Hence alſo, Eccleſ. 2.13. hence Miniſters conceiving Knowledge are called Lights, Mat. 5.14. Rom. 2.19.
2 It is pure and clear, thence it is put for purity and holineſſe of life, 2 Cor. 6.14. Mat. 5.16. your Light, that is your Doctrin and holy life; hence alſo godly men in regard of their holy converſation are called Lights, Phil. 2.15.
3 It is pleaſant and cheerful, Eccleſ. 11.7. hence it is put for joy and comfort, Pſal. 112.4. Now God is ſaid to be Light in all theſe three reſpects, but the laſt is not here intended, a man may have fellowſhip with God, that walketh not alwaies in joy and cheerfulneſſe, but we cannot have fellowſhip if we walk in ignorance and uncleanneſſe.
He is ſaid to be light,
1 Becauſe he is ſo in himſelf;
1 He knoweth all things, Heb. 4.13. Pſal. 147.5.
2 He is holy, Levit. 11.44. Hab. 1.13.
2 He is ſaid to be light, becauſe he makes us ſo;
1 Men of knowledge, ſcattering the darkneſſe of ignorance, Pſal. 91.10.
2 Holy, Levit. 20.8.
Hence at our firſt Creation, Gods Image conſiſted in
1 Knowledge, Col. 3.10.
2 Holineſſe, Epheſ. 4.24.
And by our Regeneration we are again light, Epheſ. 5.8.
Furthermore, God is ſaid to be Light, not tropically by an Hyperbole, becauſe theſe things are in him, but properly, becauſe he is Light, that is, Wiſdom and Holineſſe it ſelf, for God is Knowledge, and ſo his Holineſſe is Himſelf, for either God underſtandeth all things by his own Eſſence, or by the Species, or Images of things, this he could not, becauſe he underſtood them before they were, therefore he underſtood them by his Eſſence; Gods Holineſſe alſo is Himſelf, or elſe it is in God, and ſo ſome compoſition will be found in God, at leaſt of Subject and Adjunct, then ſomething will be found before God, for a Simple thing is in Nature before a Compound: now in Nature nothing can be before God, if it could, he were not God.
2 In him is ſaid to be no darkneſſe at all,
1 In way of confirmation of what he ſaid before, for ſo St. John uſually as he affirmeth a truth, ſo he denieth the contrary falſhood, Joh. 4.2, 3. & 7, 8. as Pharaohs repeated Dreams, were for confirmation, Gen. 41.23. Gal. 1.8, 9.
2 In way of oppoſition to our
1 Knowledge, 1 Cor. 13.12.
2 Holineſſe, 1 Joh. 1.8.
Ʋſe 1. Obſerve Gods Simplicity of Nature, he is in the Light, the Light is in him: he is Light it ſelf, which ſhews that whatſoever is in him is himſelf; the Sun, though light be in it, yet it is not Light it ſelf.
Ʋſe 2. Then no wonder if we cannot ſee the full Wiſdom of the wayes of God, who can look on the Sun in its full ſtrength? Yet the Sun is not Light it ſelf: whoſe eyes doth not his glorious Light dazle? 1 Tim. 6.16. Rom. 11 33, 34.
Ʋſe 3. If in Gods Light there be no drams of darkneſſe or ignorance, then he knoweth all things, Joh. 21.17. Four things eſpecially.
1 Events of things, Iſa. 41.22, 23. & 44.7. and therefore is not ſubject to after Counſels: hence we know, though God be ſaid to repent, as of Creating Man, and chuſing Saul, yet both are ſaid Humanitus, when he went about to do otherwiſe, Gen. 6.6. 1 Sam. 15. ult. and Numb. 23.19. how needful then is it to conſult with him, and ſeek his direction in all our Counſels?
2 the moſt ſecret ſins that are committed, Pſal. 139.11, 12. Job. 24.14, 15. Iſa. 29.15.
3 The inmoſt heart of man, Jer. 17.9, 19. how vain then is Hypocriſie, how doth it dance in a Net before God? Heb. 4.13. 1 Sam. 16.7.
4 The wants of his Children, Mat. 6.32. hence we are eaſed of deſtructful, and diſtructful care, verſ. 31.
Ʋſe 4. Then ſuch as live in ignorance and uncleanneſſe are without God in the World, for he is Light, Epheſ. 4.18, 19. then we are to labour to be light, in all manner of knowledge and holy converſation, 1 Pet. 1.15, 16.
Ʋſe 5 Then we are to ſeek to him to enlighten our darkneſſe, he is the Fountain of Light, Light it ſelf, he alone ſcattereth the miſts of our darkneſſe, our ignorance, and pollutions, Pſal. 119.33. Pſal. 5.7.
Ʋſe 6. If no blemiſh of darkneſſe be in God, then he is holy in all his ways, Pſal. 145.17. well ſaid Chemnitius, De cauſa peccati tenenda eſt haec veritas, Deum non eſſe autorem peccati, etiamſi ſi non poſſimus omnes argutias, quae contra opponuntur excutere.