Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 29
1 JOHN 2.29.
If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doth righteouſneſſe is born of him.
IN the former Verſe he had exhorted all to abide in Chriſt, and that from an Argument of boldneſs and confidence at the day of Death, and Judgement: In his Verſe he proves that ſuch may have boldneſſe; they that are born of Chriſt are children of God, may lift up their heads with joy at his coming; a Childe is not afraid, but glad of his Fathers coming, but ſuch as abide in Chriſt are born of God, Ergo. But how doe they know they are born of God? why they that doe Righteouſneſſe are born of God, but thoſe that abide in Chriſt doe Righteouſly; how appears that? they that know that Chriſt is Righteous, they know that ſuch as doe Righteouſneſſe are born of God.
Doct. 1. Jeſus Chriſt is Righteous.
Iſa. 53.11. Mat. 27.19. & 24. That juſt one, Acts 22.14. 1 Pet. 3.8.
Reaſ. 1. From his Righteouſneſſe, and innocent Conception, and Birth; he was not begot as other men, but the Holy Ghoſt over-ſhadowed the Virgin.
2. From his innocent Life, he fulfilled all Righteouſneſſe, Mat. 3.15. Heb. 4.15. John 14.30. Sathan could finde no ſin in him to take advantage of.
3. From the neceſſary uſe of his Righteouſneſſe, he muſt be Righteous.
1. To overcome the ſorrows of Death, one ſin would have kept him under death, Acts 2.24, 25. but by his innocency he overcame death.
2. That he might be an holy High Prieſt to us, and a perfect Sacrifice for us, Heb. 7.26, 27. had he not been innocent and harmleſſe he could not have been ſo; the Prieſts in the Law were to be without blemiſh, Lev. 2.17. to ſhew, that the great High Prieſt ſhould be ſo; ſo was the Offering to be without blemiſh, Lev. 27.7. and therefore requiſite Chriſt ſhould be ſo, Heb. 9.4.
3. It was needfull he ſhould be righteous, for the uſe and end of his righteouſneſſe, his righteouſne is imputed to us for righteouſneſſe.
4. That he might work inherent righteouſneſs in us, that we might do righteouſneſſe, had Chriſt been blemiſhed in one ſin, he could not have begot us righteous to God.
Q. What is it to be righteous?
A. Holineſſe gives God his due, Righteouſneſſe, man his due: but righteouſneſſe put alone, implies both giving due to God and man; ſo Chriſt, he gave to Caeſar what was his due, to the Phariſees their due, and every one their due.
Ʋſe. A ground of wonderfull conſolation to every poor ſoul, that is burthened with his own unrighteouſneſſe, though we are unrighteous, yet Chriſt is righteous, and what is wanting in our parts, is ſupplyed on his: this comfort Elihu gives to a man in extreamity of body and ſoul, Job 33.23. to declare where his righteouſneſſe is to be found, that is, it is not to be found in himſelfe, God will ſay of ſuch a ſoul, deliver his ſoul from going into the pit, for I have received a recompence: what though we have cauſe to complain as the Church? Iſa. 64.6. yet if we know Chriſt is innocent, and pure, and holy, why then his righteouſneſſe is imputed to us: what though we were born ſinfull? yet Chriſt was born without blemiſh: what though our lives be unclean and wicked? yet Chriſts life was innocent and harmeleſſe: what though we ſhould have dyed for our iniquities, as the good Thiefe ſaid, Luke 23.41. yet this man hath done nothing worthy of death, verſe 47. certainly this is a righteous man; ſo every ſoule that is ſenſible of his own unworthineſſe, as the good Thiefe ſaid, verſe 40. Feareſt thou not God, &c. if a man fear before God and tremble at his wrath, in ſuch a caſe, Chriſt will ſay as he did to the good Thiefe, this day ſhalt thou be in Paradice, or at leaſt have right to it.
Obj. Chriſt is righteous, but what is that to me? doe all wicked men receive righteouſneſſe from him? alas, I have nothing to move God to impute his righteouſneſſe to me.
Anſ. If thou canſt but find this in thine heart, that thou feareſt God becauſe of thy ſins, and art humbled, why then if Chriſt be righteous, thou needeſt not fear his coming, for his righteouſneſſe ſhall veil thy unrighteouſneſſe, and thy eſtate ſhall be happy.
Obj. Was not Judas afraid of the horrors of Hell, when he had betrayed Chriſt? did not he fear ſin, and it was a …rror to his ſoule?
Anſ. Judas was afraid of that ſin, but he was not afraid of all ſin, for then he would have been as much afraid of hanging himſelfe, as betraying his Maſter; therefore he feared the horror of that ſin, but not of all ſin: but take a man fearing God for all ſin, and fearing other mens ſins, as the good Thiefe, afraid leaſt Children and Servants ſhould ſin, and looks at Chriſts righteouſneſſe; this is a ſuperſedeas of all danger at death, we may expect death and judgement with comfort and joy.
2. It is a ground of comfort likewiſe to ſuch as having found comfort heretofore in the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, are now in that caſe that they doubt of their Eſtate, why? what though you faile in many things, yet look up to Chriſt? he is pure and righteous: and ſo being cloathed with his righteouſneſſe, we may lift up our heads with comfort, and this Paul comforted himſelfe in, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. in that, he counted all dreſſe and dung in respect of the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt: here is the comfort of a Chriſtian, he ſhould not look to his own righteouſneſſe, never think to get any thing by your own works, but if you lay hold on Chriſts righteouſneſſe, you may know that you are born of God, and ſo may expect the laſt day with joy and comfort.
Doct. 2. Such as work righteouſneſſe are born of Chriſt.
1 John 3.10. The manifeſt difference between the children of God, and of the Devill, is working of righteouſneſſe.
Reaſ. 1. From the weakneſſe and impotency of nature to bring forth a righteous work, Rom. 8.3, 4. Rom. 7.18. & 3.10.12. none of the famous Heroes among the Heathen, but their beſt actions were ſplendida peccata. Deut. 32.32, 33. Gods people had corrupted themſelves, and the Spirit of God was not upon them; their ſweeteſt works were like the Grapes of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are fair to the eye, but if touched vaniſh away; there is a fair outſide, but no nouriſhment: none ſo oppoſite to Chriſt, as men of beſt naturall abilities, Acts 17.32.19.20. Rom. 11.17.20. Phil. 3.6. though Paul was clean in his own and others eyes, yet did he perſecute the Church of God, there is no power of nature, can reach to a ſupernaturall work, Rom. 6.16, 17, 18, 19.20.
2. From the impotency and weakneſſe of common Graces, Mat. 12.33. Heb. 9.14. untill Chriſts blood hath ſprinkled our conſciences, all our works are but dead works, every work that is ſpirituall, muſt
1. Spring from Faith, Gal. 3.14. Rom. 14. ult.
2. The end muſt be the glory of God, 2 Cor. 10.13. nature never works higher then its own glory. Brutus when he heard his Sons conſpired with the Tarquins, he ſent for them and cut off their heads, whereof the Poet ſpake thus, Vivit aemor patriae, laudumque immenſa cupido, had this been bounded in Gods glory, it had been good: let Saul Propheſie, let Jehu ſet upon reformation with great zeal, let Herod hear John Baptiſt gladly, yet all theſe detain the truth in unrighteouſneſſe.
3. From the neceſſity of abiding in Chriſt, to the performing of every duty, John 15.5. he doth not ſay without me ye can doe no great matter, but without me ye can doe nothing.
4. From the reſemblance that is between Chriſt and ſuch as work righteouſneſſe, there is ſuch a reſemblance as is between Father and Son, John 3.2. we are the ſeed of Chriſt, and are made like him; as a child is known to be born of ſuch a man, by his look, ſpeech, carriage: ſuch as work righteouſneſſe, their works will own them, Iſa. 61.1, 2, 3. Iſa. 9.6.
Q. How are we ſaid to be born of Chriſt?
A. He is ſometimes (though he be our elder Brother) called our Father, we are born of his Seed, his Word and Spirit, and we reſemble Chriſt as well as the Father, Rom. 8.29.
Ʋſe 1. This reproves the Jeſuits and Franciſcans Doctrine, that hold, that by ſtrength of common graces a man may receive juſtifying grace when it is offered, a man muſt be born of God, that will doe ſo good a work; it is therefore a Doctrine contrary to the Word of God.
Ʋſe 2. Thoſe that are in ſtate of nature or common grace, ſhould not reſt there.
Ʋſe 3. Such as are born of God ſhould make uſe of their new birth; walk in the life of the new birth, elſe thou doſt nothing, Gal. 2.20. we muſt doe all out of the ſtrength of the new birth: if the Sun ſhould ſhine into our houſes, and we ſhut up all the doors and windows to keep it in, we ſhut it out; ſo we muſt keep the windows of our hearts open to Chriſt.
Ʋſe 4. Have reſpect to works of righteouſneſſe: it is injuſtice to ſell places of office, and ſuffer men to ſell them; if men buy dearly, they muſt be forced to deale hardly.
Obj. A man that buyes dearly, may ſell ſo.
Anſ. A man may ſell what he bought juſtly, a man may but his own right, yet not ſell it; it is injuſtice to ſell what is not our own, as places in free election.
Doct. 3. Such as know that Chriſt is righteous, they doe know that every one that doth righteouſneſſe is born of God, a Child of God.
Q. What is it to know Chriſt to be righteous?
A. It doth not conſiſt in the underſtanding of it, conceiving it, and acknowledging it; for Pharaoh could ſay, The Lord is righteous, Exod. 9.27. and yet he could not come to ſay, that Gods people were righteous, and born of God, he did not ſee that God afflicted him for oppreſſing his people, this he was convinced of, that God was righteous, but yet he would not ſay, you Moſes and his people are born of God. Luke 23.47. certainly ſaith the Centurion, this was a righteous man, and yet we doe not read that he joyned himſelfe to the Diſciples of Chriſt; but this Teſtimony was extorted by the wonderfull works of God.
To know therefore that Chriſt is righteous, is to acknowledge him by divine Faith; and they know, that he that doth Righteouſneſſe is born of God.
There are three things implyed in it.
1. No man knows Chriſt to be Righteous, but he that is ſenſible of his own unrighteouſneſſe, otherwiſe he cannot know that Chriſt is Righteous, Phil. 3.6, 7, 8. Paul before his calling, thought himſelfe Righteous, and unblameable, but when he ſaw that Chriſt was Righteous, he ſaw that himſelfe was unrighteous; therefore he thought all his own Righteouſneſſe loſſe in reſpect of Chriſts, his education, his profeſſion, his wiſdome, his zeal, his priviledges, he counted all loſſe to win Chriſt.
2. It implies a ſenſible experience of the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, pacifying our conſciences, and purging them from dead works, Heb. 10.22. for Chriſts Righteouſneſſe doth both; none know Chriſt to be Righteous, but they that know that in his Righteouſneſſe, they have their conſciences quieted and purified, they are freed from the guilt and uncleanneſſe of an evill conſcience, they know that they are ſuch grievous ſinners, that if Chriſt were not Righteous, they could never look for pardon.
3. They finde the power of Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, purging their conſciences from dead works, Heb. 9.14. all our works before were dead, but now by the blood of Chriſt we are purged from them, and quickned to doe him lively ſervice, though a man may have a good opinion that Chriſt was a good man, and may have a generall beliefe that he was ſo, and that he was both God and Man, yet none know it, but thoſe that know they have ſo woefully provoked, that if Chriſt their Mediator were not Righteous, they could have no hope of pardon or mortification, ſuch onelyonly know it certainly by experience in their own ſoules, for Scientia eſt rerum certarum & neceſſariarum.
Q. How doe ſuch know that they that work Righteouſneſſe are born of God?
A. 1. They know him by experience of their own ſpirits, they know themſelves that they never wrought a work of Righteouſneſſe, till they were born of Chriſt; all their works before, were for the World, or for ſelf-love; therefore if they find a man denying himſelfe, not looking at his own ends, going out of himſelfe, not relying upon himſelfe, nor aiming at his own ends; they know ſuch are born of God, or elſe they could not doe ſo, Rom. 3.10.12. not one naturall man comes off with a good work.
2. They know it from the life of Chriſt that breaths and works in every work of Righteouſneſſe, and the works of it, they know their own ſpirits would not reach it.
Two things make our converſion to be called a new birth, for in it ſelfe it is but onelyonly an alteration, not in ſubſtance, but in qualities, which is properly called alteration, but it is called a new birth, or regeneration.
1. Becauſe it changes the whole man: as in generation, there is a whole change from one thing to another; ſo in regeneration, there is an alteration of the whole old man, into the whole new man, a new heart, new judgement, new affections.
2. It is the mighty power of God, as in generation, there is more in it than any work of Parents, it could not be without a ſpeciall concurrennce of Gods mighty power: ſo in converſion, there muſt not onelyonly be a change of ſome qualities, but a mighty power in changing us wholly, from our old Eſtate to a new.
Ʋſe 1. Diſcovers the fond Paganiſh Ignorance of ſuch that know not that they that doe Righteouſneſſe are born of God; we would account him no Chriſtian, but a very Pagan, that ſhould deny Chriſt to be righteous, why if thou doſt not know that they that doe Righteouſneſſe are born of God, thou knoweſt not that Chriſt is righteous, therefore this ſhews their great Errour that maligne Gods Servants, for ſurely if they knew they were the children of God, they would not oppoſe them, or injure them, but becauſe they conceive them to be new-fangled perſons, and likely to prove hurtfull to the State and Kingdome, therefore they caſt them out, but thereby they manifeſt that they doe not know that they are born of God, and if they know not that, they do not know that Chriſt is righteous, Iſa. 66.5. they caſt them out in pretence of Gods glory, but they ſhall know that they are born of God, and they ſhall be aſhamed that they did not know it before; therefore there lies a Paganiſh Ignorance on the hearts of all oppreſſors.
Ʋſe 2. May ſerve for a ground of tryall; doſt thou know that they that work Righteouſneſſe are born of Chriſt? as many a poor ſoul can teſtifie it of others, that will not ſay it of himſelfe; but thou couldeſt not have known that others were born of Chriſt, unleſſe thou hadſt known it thy ſelfe, thy own unrighteouſneſſe, and Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, pacifying and purifying thy conſcience; therefore let it comfort thee.
Object. May not a carnall man ſee plainly by common illumination, that ſuch are Gods Servants? they ſee a broad difference between them and others.
Anſ. So far as they know Chriſt is Righteous, ſo far they may know, that thoſe that work Righteouſneſſe are born of Chriſt; they have no true knowledge that Chriſt is Righteous, but onelyonly an opinion, and this opinion aftewards they may doubt of; therefore it is no knowledge, but if thou knoweſt it, then thou ſeeſt it by experience of his Righteouſneſſe pacifying thy conſcience, and purging it from dead works; and if thou knoweſt that Chriſt is Righteous, thou knoweſt alſo that they that doe Righteouſneſſe are born of God, but if thou knoweſt not that Chriſt is Righteous, thou canſt not know experimentally that thoſe that doe Righteouſneſſe are born of God.
Ʋſe 3. Here is a notable encouragement to all that are born of God, to work Righteouſneſſe, for if you work Righteouſneſſe, not one Righteous man but ſhall know you are born of God, and teſtifie it of you; not that I would have men practice Righteouſneſſe for their credit, that they may be known, &c.
Object. May not a man doe many works of Righteouſneſſe, of Prayer, and Alms, and yet doe them out of his own ends, ſo that others may be deceived in him?
Anſ. Though Chriſtian Charity is apt to think the beſt, yet none will ſay they know thou art born of God, till thou deny thy ſelfe, and thine own ends, and thou doſt things in vertue of Chriſt, and walkeſt conſtantly in a Chriſtian courſe; therefore walk humbly before God, doe things in the power of Chriſt; and if it come, that your ends, and Chriſts ends cannot ſtand together, if they ſee that you willingly leave your own way, and take Chriſts, though it coſt you much, why, this will be your encouragement, every one that doth Righteouſneſſe will know that you are born of God.
Ʋſe 4. May diſcourage every man from evill wayes, from doing unrighteouſneſſe; for if Chriſtians know, that they that doe Righteouſneſſe are born of God, then they will know that they that doe unrighteouſneſſe are born of the Serpent; if they ſee that you work for your own ends, and by your own gifts, not by vertue of Chriſt, they may wiſh you well, but they know, that you are not born of Chriſt; as in nature, the ſpirit of a noble man and a peaſant, will much differ, though they ſhould be educated both alike, yet a noble mans ſpirit, will be riſing to higher matters; ſo if you ſee a Chriſtians ſpirit reach higher than the World, he cannot confine himſelfe within the limits of the World, but he is lifted up to heavenly ſpirituall matters for Gods glory, and he doth things from Chriſts vertue, this makes it evident he is born of God; a worldly man cannot riſe higher than his own ends: a thing riſeth no higher than the originall it comes from; therefore let it diſcourage you from working unrighteouſneſſe, from looking at your own ends, and gifts, and abilities, for if you doe, you will be known to doe unrighteouſly, and ſo are not born of God; therefore walk … as you would be known to be indeed, you cannot be hid; if you would be counted Righteous, be doing Righteouſneſſe, and then you ſhall be known to be born of God.