Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 5, 6
1 JOHN 2.5, 6.
But he that keepeth his Word, in him is the love of God perfect indeed, &c.
THe words do declare a double comfort that betides all thoſe that keep the Commandments of Chriſt Jeſus.
1 The perfection of Gods love in ſuch, In him is the love of God perfect.
2 The knowledge of their fellowſhip or abode in Chriſt, Hereby we know that we are in him. So, that he that keeps his Commandments, if he look within him, his love is perfect: if he look without him, he is in Chriſt: yea and more, he knows it too: whence he concludes, verſ. 16. that he that ſaith he is in Chriſt, ought ſo to walk as Chriſt hath walked.
To keep his Word, or his Commandments (as I told you) is a borrowed ſpeech from many things which we keep with great care; as our way, our treaſure, our ornaments, the apple of our eye, our life. What is ſuch a mans benefit? Why,
1 The love of God is perfected in him.
2 He knows he is in Chriſt.
The love here ſpoken of, is not the love whereby God loves him, but the love whereby he loves God, and that is perfected in him.
Doct. The keeping of Gods Commandments is undoubtedly, and truly the perfection of our love to God.
Q. What is here meant by perfection?
A. 1. There is a double perfection one compleat without all want or imperfection, and that is denied to any man in this World, Philp. 3.12. foreign that is, not exempt from all weakneſſes, our knowledge is imperfect, and our love is imperfect, there is a continual reluctance, Gal. 3.17.
2 There is a perfection without falſhood, hypocriſie, diſſimulation, or guile, and ſuch a perfection is found in all true Believers that keep Gods Commandments, the love of God is perfected in them; that is, without hypocriſie, diſſimulation, or guile. Gen. 6.9. Noah was a perfect man, and Aſa 1 King. 15 his heart was perfect; that is, ſincere, though he had many and great failings; 1 King. 20 3. Remember, ſaith Hezekiah, how I have walked before thee with a perfect heart. This phraſe is uſual in Scripture, to call that perfect which is ſincere and true.
Reaſ. 1. Sincerity of obedience is called perfection, becauſe whatſoever is wanting is covered in the blood of Chriſt, and if a mans ſin be covered, it is as if he had no ſin, Pſal. 32.1, 2. Bleſſed is the man whoſe wickedneſſe is forgiven, and whoſe ſin is covered; bleſſed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile; when there is ſo much uprightneſſe in a mans heart that he walks without any guile, to him the Lord imputes no ſin.
Q. Is there any in whoſe heart there is no guile?
A. There is none that they tollerate or juſtifie, none that they nouriſh or maintain, if they have any they ſtrive againſt it, are not well till they be rid of it, no guile but what their judgments diſallow, and their wills conſent not to, bleſſed are ſuch to whom no ſin is imputed, in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile.
2 Such are ſaid to be perfect, becauſe they ſtrive after perfection, and if they have a willing mind the Lord accepts of it, according to that a man hath, and not according to that a man hath not, 2 Cor. 8.12. See how Chriſt approved the two Mites of the poor Widow, becauſe ſhe had an heart to give all her eſtate, Chriſt ſaith, She gave more than they all; ſo if a man gives all his heart to God, and if he had more he would give more, why, God accounts it as perfect.
3 God accounts of any ſincere truth of grace as perfect, becauſe in time it will be ſo, and he looks at things to come as preſent, he that hath begun a good work will alſo perfect it, Phil. 1.6. 1 Theſ. 5.23, 24.
Q. But how comes it to paſſe, that ſuch a keeping of the Commandments argues love to be perfect?
A. A thing is ſaid to be perfect three ways,
1 When there is Perfectio partium, a perfection of all parts, none wanting, Gen. 2.1.
2 A man is called perfect, that is ready, and skilful, and nimble at any buſineſſe.
3 A thing is ſaid to be perfect that will hold, that is conſtant, as wee call them perfect colours that will hold their hue in every weather, now ſuch a true perfection of love to God is in all keepers of Gods Commandments.
1 There is a perfection of all the parts of love in all ſuch men, there is none of the parts wanting; and the parts of love are,
1 An affection unto fellowſhip with Chriſt.
2 An affection to be doing good to him.
What we love compleatly, Firſt, We deſire communion with it.
Secondly, We deſire communication of good thereunto; if we have it we rejoyce in it, if we want it we earneſtly deſire it; how doth a man know his love to his friend, but by deſire of communion with him, and communication of good to him, now ſuch a man as keeps Chriſts Commandments thus loves Chriſt.
1 He is broken off from the love of all other things, and he hath an unfeigned affection to have fellowſhip with him, and to get that, he keeps his Commandments, and ſo dwells in him, and he in him, Joh. 14.21, 22.
2 For communication of good to him, our works cannot profit God, yet if we be willing to do God any ſervice, to be at his command at any time, then the love of God is perfect in us, when we deſire fellowſhip with him, and deſire to do him the beſt ſervice we can.
2 Again in perfection there is a readineſſe to a work; ſo ſuch a man as keeps Gods Commandments, his love is ready, he is forward to every good duty, becauſe it is a Commandment of God. He is a willing perſon, Pſal. 110.3. 2 Cor. 8.12. you need not ſtand urging him, he is willing to do Gods Will, His tongue is the pen of a ready writer, Pſal. 46.1.
3 There is perfect love in him, becauſe it is conſtant and durable, and will not change, ſuch a mans love is the ſame in health and ſickneſſe, in the Church and at home, in proſperity and adverſity, and if it be any way diſturbed at any time, yet it will return again to its former conſtant courſe.
Q. But how may I know, wherein doth it appear, that if I keep Gods Commandment, my love is perfect?
A. 1. From the contrariety of our tempers naturally to any Commandment, ſo thnt if you ſee any one willing and ready to be at Gods command, you may ſay, certainly the love of God hath overcome him, the Commandments of God do croſſe his will, croſſe his affections, croſſe h…s profit and pleaſure, ſo that if you ſee any one give himſelf up to keep Gods Commandments and croſſe himſelf, it is an undoubted ſign that there is the love of God in him, which conſtrains him to do what Nature would not do.
2 You may know ſuch a mans love to be perfect that keeps his Commandments, becauſe whatſoever weak beginnings of love you finde in ſuch as keep Gods Commandments, that mans love grows perfecter every day, ſuch a man ſtill grows in fruitfulneſſe, he grows ready to every good work, Joh. 15.2. ſo that the love of God is perfected in him by obedience; As a fruitfull Tree, the more it ſticks his root downward into the ground, the faſter it grows, ſo a Chriſtian, the more he ſticks his root on Chriſt, the faſter it grows. And ſo the Husbandman will have more care of a fruitful Tree to prune it, he hath no ſuch care of a ſower barren Tree, but if a Tree be fruitful, he cuts off all ſuperfluous Boughs that hinder the increaſe of ſuch a Tree, ſo a man that is fruitful in Gods Commandments, he doth not only ſtick his root, his faith and hope deeper in Chriſt, but the Lord himſelf is willing to cut down all thoſe noyſome Luſts that ſuck away the ſap of grace; if God ſee a man ſet himſelf fully to follow God, and keep his Commandments, the Lord will cut off all cumberances, all corruptions, all things that hinder the growth of grace.
Ʋſe 1. For trial of our love to God, whether it be perfect or no, whether ſincere or counterfeit; how doſt thou finde thy heart affected to Gods Commandments? Doſt thou look at them as thy way? it grieves thee to be out, doſt thou look at them as thy treaſure, as moſt profitable to theee? Doſt thou look at them as thy ornaments, as moſt honourable to thee? Doſt thou look at them as the apple of thine eye, as thy life, moſt near, and dear, and precious to thee? If thou doſt, thou haſt that love in thee that is perfect without guile, perfect in every part of love, and in regard of readineſſe and conſtancie; but if a man looks at Gods Commandments as a by-path, as if he were out of the way; if he looks at them as unprofitable, and diſhonourable, if he can break them without any ſcruple, if he would rather part with them all than his life, verily the love of God is not perfect in ſuch.
Ʋſe 2. For direction to all ſuch as deſire perfection of love to Chriſt; do any deſire to love the Lord Jeſus in perfection, not only of truth, but parts, and degrees, if he could? Why this is the way, keep his Commandments, take heed of breaking any one of them. What is the reaſon we deceive our ſelves in our love to Chriſt? We think it is love to Chriſt, if we keep a ſolemn Feaſt to him at this time of the year in memory of his Nativity, but is there no better Argument, nor furtherance of thy love to Chriſt than this? Take heed of it, if Chriſt hath commanded us to deck our bodies and houſes, if Chriſt hath commanded us to feaſt and be liberal, you will finde that a great help to further your love to Chriſt, and an evidence thereof; but if you go on in any courſe without a Commandment, if you keep ſuch Feaſts, which end in all exceſſe and ryot, and gaming and playing, they begin it may be, pretty well, but we fall from Religion to civility, from civility to intemperance, and wantonneſſe, &c. and what is the reaſon? Becauſe we have the cuſtom of our Fathers for it, not the Commandment of Chriſt; the Apoſtle doth not ſay, he that keeps cuſtoms his love is perfect, but he that keeps Chriſts Commandments, therefore if you would get your love to Chriſt perfected, it muſt not be by keeping of old cuſtoms, but by keeping his Commandments: what is the reaſon why the moſt are ſo ready to keep ſuch Feaſts, is it becauſe it is Chriſts Commandment? if it were, the more you would find your love perfected, you would be more forward to good, your ſpirits grow from one grace to another, but becauſe men look at cuſtoms, they begin in the Spirit and end in the Fleſh. Take a Chriſtian at the beginning of the Sabbath, he findes his heart unlifty to holy Dutie, but before it be ended, he is ſo enlarged, that he is ſorry it is done? Why, becauſe he obeys a command, but if we do any thing out of cuſtom, it grows from better to worſe, ſo that Chriſt hath not more diſhonour the reſt of the twelve Months than he hath theſe twelve days; but would you have your love perfected, then frame your lives and courſes according to Gods Commandments, and then the more you practiſe the more you may, you ſhall finde your grace growing, and your love perfected to every good work; be doing Gods will, and the Lord will be with you, bleſſed is that ſoul whom the Lord ſhall finde doing his Commandments; be doing, and your doing ſhall multiply your ſtrength and growth in grace.
Ʋſe 3 Of Conſolation to all ſuch as apply themſelves to be doing of Gods Commandments; doth a man find himſelf ordering his ways according to a Commandment? if you finde it delightful to you, that you would ſtill walk in it, you look at it as your way, your treaſure, your ornament, &c. why this is your comfort, the love of God is perfect in you, and will grow more perfect, ſo perfect that God covers all your infirmities, ſo perfect, that it grows up high to perfection, even to all the parts thereof, ſo perfect, that God ſees you willing and ready to be doing his will; ſo perfect, that you reſolve to hold on and be conſtant, and if God ſee you thus moulded to a Commandment, and not to cuſtoms; God will uphold you, and help you, and ſtrengthen you, till he make you perfect, which is no ſmall comfort to a ſoul.