Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 28
1 JOHN 2.28.
And now little Children abide in him, that when he ſhall appear, we may have confidence, and not be aſhamed before him at his comming.
THe Coherence ſtands thus; he had written to ſeverall Ages ſeveral inſtructions, verſ. 27. to Babes he had ſaid, they had received an Unction, whereby they did abide in him.
In this twenty eighth Verſe, he turns his ſpeech to all Chriſtians in general, for here it is foreign not foreign, having promiſed they ſhould …bide in him.
Two Parts.
1 An Exhortation to all to abide in Chriſt.
A Reaſon, or encouragement from the comfortable benefit that ſhall ariſe from it.
Doct. 1. The promiſe of perſeverance in the ſtate of Grace, doth not open a gap to carnal liberty, but rather gives us cauſe of encouragement to abide in Chriſt.
Now he had promiſed they ſhould abide in him, verſ. 27. he doth not ſay, therefore take your eaſe, take no care, you are ſafe; no, he ſaith not ſo, but abide in Chriſt. In other places of Scripture, when the cleareſt promiſes of grace and perſeverance are laid down, there is exhortation to carefull obedience, 1 Cor. 10.12, 13. though thou canſt not fall finally, yet let him that ſtandeth take heed leſt he fall, Phil. 2.12, 13. not a carnal fear, but ſuch a fear as is oppoſed to carnal confidence and pride, though God work both the will and the deed; Paul a man moſt confident of his good eſtate, ſo as he triumphed in his eſtate, Rom. 8. ult. Did this make him carnally ſecure? No, he is now more vigilant and carefull than before, 1 Cor. 9.26, 27. ſo we ſee confidence breeds not negligence, but rather diligence: ſo we read he renounced all for Chriſt, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. yet ver. 12, 13. the more aſſurance he had, the more vigilant he was; and now little Children even now you have a promiſe to abide in Chriſt, abide in him.
Reaſ. 1. For the nouriſhment of thoſe Graces (by theſe kinde of promiſes) whereby we moſt cleave to Chriſt, Faith feeds on theſe Promiſes, as it is bred by them, ſo it is nouriſhed by them, now the more Faith, the more do you purifie your hearts, Faith purifies the heart, Acts 15.9. no Promiſe promiſes perſeverance to us in our own ſtrength, but all are made in Chriſt, and therefore make a Chriſtian by Faith to cleave the faſter to Chriſt.
2. Theſe Promiſes breed Hope in us, and this Hope makes us purifie our ſelves, as Chriſt is pure, 1 John 3.1, 2, 3. A Maid that knows ſhe ſhall be married ſuch a day, will it make her the leſſe carefull to adorn her ſelfe? no ſurely, ſo have any hope to meet the Bridegroom at the laſt day as their Husband? do they go and ſoyl and defile themſelves with baſe luſts? no, they adorn and beautifie their ſouls the more. When Pharaoh ſent and called for Joſeph, and he had now hope to make his ſuit known to the King, doth he now come in his poor Priſon garments? no, he ſhaves himſelf, and puts on other garments; ſo thoſe Maids that were to go in to King Ahaſuerus, they ſpent twelve months in purifying themſelves, Eſther 2.12.
3. Theſe Promiſes encreaſe love in us; the more beautifull God is in his Promiſes, the more doth the love of Chriſt conſtrain us.
Ʋſe 1. To confute Popiſh ſpirits, that ſay, The doctrine of perſeverance breeds ſecurity; to what purpoſe ſay they doe you preſſe people to abide in Chriſt, when they can doe no other: we ſee St. Johns practice here; it is true, if theſe new Promiſes were put into old Bottles, it would breed ſecurity in us; but a Chriſtian ſpirit that is taught to believe in Chriſt, he is made the more watchfull by it, 1 Cor. 15. ult.
Ʋſe 2. May ſtir up all to abide in Chriſt, and for that end, to make uſe of theſe Promiſes to ſtir you to it, Pſal. 116.9. to 12. ſeeing God hath freed your ſouls from darkneſſe, and ignorance, and bondage, why, walk holily therefore in the ſight of the Lord, none more diſſolute and careleſſe then thoſe that are uncertain of their Salvation.
Doct. 2. It is the duty of all Chriſtians to abide in Chriſt, John 15.5.
Reaſ. 1. If ye abide in me, ye ſhall bring forth much fruit; no fruit without Chriſt.
2. If you abide in him, it keeps you from ſin, 1 John 3.6.
3. Abiding in Chriſt, is the means to have all our petitions heard, John 15.7.
4. Abide in Chriſt, and abide in eternall life, verſe 24, 25. hujus capitis.
Ʋſe 1. To reprove the Apoſtacy that is found ſometimes in Profeſſours, though many dead branches be cut off, yet the Vine is perfect, but not without living branches: ſome are Members, ſome onelyonly unperfect, ſo ſome may adhere to Chriſt by the redundancy of ſome graces, as Judas and Jehu, theſe may be cut off, and we ſee how woefull their caſe is, they wither and are cut down, John 15.6. and are caſt into the fire. Jer. 2.13. This people have committed two evills, &c. Jer. 18.14. It had been better they had never …aſted of Chriſt or known him.
Ʋſe 2. Let it exhort us, as we deſire to be faithfull, to abide in Chriſt.
Q. How may we abide in Chriſt?
A. 1. If his Word abide in us, Chriſt abides in us, 1 John 2.24. 2 Chron. 25.16.
2. Know that all your ſtrength depends on Chriſt, live therefore in his Grace.
3. Be fruitfull in Chriſt, make uſe of him to grow in Grace.
4. If at any time you turn from him, return to him ſpeedily, that ſo by repentance you may renew your Covenant, Jer. 3.1.
Doct. 3. Such as doe abide in Chriſt, doe with boldneſſe expect, and without ſhame receive him at his coming.
It is plain in the Text foreign.
Firſt, From the cauſes; what makes men afraid of his coming? either knowledge it ſhall go ill with them, or not knowing it ſhall go well with them, as the Cardinall ſaid, he had rather have his part in Paris, than his part in Paradiſe, the one he was certain of, the other uncertain; but now ſuch as abide in Chriſt, they know that it ſhall be well with them at that day, Pſ. 23.3, 4, 5. doubtleſſe mercy and favour ſhall follow them all their dayes, and therefore they are confident, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. what makes Paul thus bold? becauſe he knows he ſhall receive a Crown of Righteouſneſſe at his appearing.
Secondly, From the effects of their confidence,
1. They love the appearing of Chriſt, and therefore manifeſt, they look for it with confidence, 2 Tim. 4.8.
2. As they love Chriſts appearing, ſo they pray for it, Cant. 8. ult. and therefore it is a ſign with confidence they expect it, Rev. 22.20. Did you ever know any Malefactor write to the Judge to haſten his coming to the Aſſizes? No, but they would rather prevent his coming, but if they haſten his coming, they are confident it ſhall go well with them, the Priſon is a burthen to them, and at his coming they are confident to be freed. Many Afflictions, as ſo many bolts lie on Gods children, many vexations, therefore they deſire the Lord to haſten his coming, to rid them out of all their miſery, and revenge them of their enemies.
3. As they are confident, ſo they are not aſhamed, they profeſſe his name here without ſhame, and therefore Chriſt will not be aſhamed of them at that day.
Ʋſe 1. It reproves and refutes a Popiſh Doctrine of uncertainty of Salvation; how could Chriſtians love and pray for Chriſts coming, if they did not know it ſhould be well with them at that day? this love and deſire after it, ſhews they are confident of their good eſtate.
Ʋſe 2 Of tryall, whether you abide in Chriſt or no; why ſee how thou ſtandeſt affected to the coming of Chriſt; art thou bold, and confident at the hearing of the laſt day? art thou reverently bold, and lolveſt, and prayeſt for his coming? then it is a ſign thou abideſt in Chriſt; but if the hearing of it ſtrikes terrour into thee, and thou wouldeſt gladly put it off, ſurely thou art not in Chriſt; the Day of Judgement to the Godly is a day of Marriage, and therefore the Spouſe longs for it; to the wicked it is a day of Execution, and therefore they tremble at the thought and hearing of it; it is a day when he will ſhew himſelfe marvellous in mercy to every Chriſtian, and in flaming fire to the wicked and ungodly: conſider then how thou art affected to this Day, is it a day thy ſoul deſires? Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly, even ſo, Amen. But is the conſideration of it dreadful to thee, that thou knowſt not how to meet it? then thy ſpirit is corrupt, and not upright before God.
Obj. How comes it to paſſe, that many a godly ſoul fears and trembles at death? was not Hezekiah and David afraid of it? Pſal. 30.9. Did not he ſay, that though he walked in the ſhadow of death he would not be afraid, and he is now afraid?
A. In two caſes Gods children may be afraid to die.
1. When they have looſly and negligently laid up the evidences of their eſtate, as a man at the Aſſizes, that is to try his Evidences, if he have them to ſeek, he deſires the Aſſizes were put off.
2. Sometimes he is fearfull, when he knows he had lived ſomewhat looſly, and his heart hath run a Whoring from God by ſome carnall delights, ſo that he would gladly gather up himſelf better, before he go hence and be no more ſeen; becauſe our hearts have gone whoriſhly from God, we are affraid, not that he will caſt us off, but that we ſhall not find that welcome which otherwiſe we ſhould, if we had time to recover our ſelves. So David Pſal. 39. ult. he was in ſome grievous Diſeaſe, and ſomewhat conſcious his ſpirit was not perfect, but he had much weakned his grace, therefore he prayes, O ſpare me a little, that I may recover my ſelfe, before I go hence and be no more ſeen. Hence, oft Chriſtians at their converſion are afraid of Death and Judgement, becauſe their Evidences are not ſo good, and others afraid, becauſe they have blurred their Evidences by ſome ſinfull delight, and ſitting looſe from God, but yet their fear differs from wicked mens, wicked men tremble, becauſe they have no evidence at all, but a godly man knows he hath evidences, but he hath them not ſo ready, and therefore deſires to be deferred.
Ʋſe 3. It may ſtir us up all, as ever we deſire to live comfortably, and dye gloriouſly; ſo to have a care to abide in Chriſt, otherwiſe you will dye both with fear and ſhame; but if you abide in Chriſt, you may with boldneſſe look Death in the face, therefore abide not in your Naturall eſtate, Civil honeſty, but abide in Chriſt. It is a prophane and falſe ſpeech of ſome Politicians, that ſay, Religion makes men cowards, and never famous Warriors; no, doth that make us cowards that makes us look Death in the face, and Judgement alſo? were thoſe cowards that have lookt Fire and Faggot, and Torments in the face? therefore it is not Religion, but want of Religion, that makes men cowards; therefore ſtrengthen your Faith, and ſo you ſhall expect Chriſts coming with confidence, and boldneſſe, and courage.