Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 3 · Verse 10
1 JOHN 3.10.
In this the children of God are manifeſt, and the children of the Devill: whoſoever doth not righteouſneſſe is not of God, neither he that loveth not his Brother.
HErein is a manifeſt difference between the children of God, and the children of the Devill.
The ſignes of difference are twofold.
1. Generall, doe not righteouſneſſe.
2. Particular, doe not love the Brethren.
Doct. The children of God, and the children of the Devill, are not ſo alike one to another, but that there may be found a manifeſt difference betwixt them, even in this world, Gal. 5.10. Mat. 7.20.
Were there not a manifeſt difference, it were not ſo neceſſary for God to charge his Miniſters, Jer. 15.19. to walk with a divided affection towards them, Ezek. 13.22. If a difference had not been ſo manifeſt, God had not ſo juſtly blamed them.
If you ſay, this is peculiar to Miniſters, Levits; they muſt judge who are clean, who are not, and not private Chriſtians.
Anſw. That God makes it a badge of them that ſhall inherit Heaven, and have fellowſhip with God there, Pſal. 15.4. Jude v. 20, 21, 22, 23. which ſhews we ſhould put a ſigne of difference, not onelyonly between good and bad, but even between bads. Some ſin ignorantly, others more abſolutely.
How doth this manifeſt difference apear?
A double ſigne of it, 1 Cor. 12.10. It is a ſpirituall gift of diſcerning. He ſpeaks of diſcerning what gifts, and what meaſures a man hath, and wherein the ſtrength of a mans gifts lies, 1 Cor. 2 15. Although he cannot diſcern every mans ſpeciall gifts, what he is moſt fit for, yet plain and manifeſt things he diſcerns, and alſo between morall and ſpirituall, between things of God, and Satan, and the World.
The ſecond manifeſtation of this difference is the inclination of the end of the one and of the other. By their fruits ye ſhall know them, Mat. 7.20. Gal. 5.19.
Obj. Cannot an hypocrite paſſe ſo as that he cannot be diſcerned? What ſay you of Judas, he was not diſcerned of a long time, Mat. 26.22. for every of the Diſciples began to ſuſpect themſelves, 2 Cor. 1.13, 14, 15, 16. Again, Gods people carry things ſo weakly, and the pulſe of Gods grace beats ſo weakly, as if no life and ſtrength were in them, 1 Kings 19.17, 18. Pſalm 12.1.
Anſw. Sometimes hypocriſie is ſpun with ſo fine a thread, and it is ſo well dyed, as that you can hardly diſcern any difference. And ſometimes grace is ſo low in the heart, as that you cannot diſcern it. This is true, but it is but for a time. Judas at length was plainly known to have been but a theef, 2 Tim. 3.8, 9. Jannes and Jambres can do miracles as well as Moſes and Aaron, but in time they ſhall be diſcerned, 1 Tim. 5.22, 45. Lay hands ſuddenly on no man; for if he prove not pure, thou ſhalt be pertaker of his ſins, and all the hurt he doth. Some mens ſins lye open before hand, i. e. before the judgement of the Church, others follow after, they cannot be hid, God will have them made manifeſt in due time, Luke 12.2. There is nothing ſo ſecret but it will be diſcovered. If you put leaven into five pecks of meal, it will not alwayes lye hidden, but in time break forth.
Ʋſe 1. An argument of juſt reproof to good men and bad. If after a while we know not our ſelves, 2 Cor. 13.5. As if it were a dangerous ſign of a mans ſeparation from God, if after ſo long a time of the Apoſtles preaching, they knew not what was in them.
2. This reproves the Popiſh Doctors, that ſay no man can diſcern his owne eſtate. They alledge that place, Eccl. 9.1, 2. A man cannot know by outward things whether he be in Gods favour or not. If a man come in a ſheep-skin, I ſhall take him to be a ſheep, Mat. 7.16, to 20.
3. To teach every one to take heed of a devilliſh ſpirit, or any unrighteous courſe of life; for though a man may hide it long, yet at length it will be known. It is as impoſſible that a mans want of love ſhould not be known, as for a man to keep fire in his boſome, and it not to break out, Pſalm 36 2, 3, 4.
4. Of exhortation to all that are born of God, not alwayes to ſmoother grace; God will have your grace manifeſt, and that to edifie withall, 2 Cor. 12.7. Do not content your ſelves with cloſe and houſhold Chriſtianity, but manifeſt of what ſpirit you are. It was commendable in Elizabeth, to hide her ſelfe ſix moneths, Luke 2.6. When ſhe was ſtirring with childe, then ſhe viſited her Couſen Mary. So if God have wrought any conception of grace in our hearts, it doth well to be concealed a while, leſt like the ſtony ground, in time of perſecution it ſhould fall away. When thou art ſure there is a manifeſt work of Gods Spirit in thy heart, then manifeſt thy ſelfe.
Doct. Not onelyonly commiſſion of ſin, but negligence of a Christian courſe of life, is a manifeſt ſigne, not of a child of God, but a child of the Devil.
Mat. 3.10. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit, is cut down, and caſt into the fire, Pſalm 36.1, 3, 4. There is no fear of God before their eyes. How ſhall this appear to David? He hath left off to do good, he doth not ſhun evill, but if an evill matter comes in his way, he ſets himſelfe to work it, Pſal. 116.12. He doth not ſtudy as David did, What ſhall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? He that ſets not himſelfe in a good courſe, is not the childe of God, but of the Devil.
Reaſ. 1. His wayes bear the image of Satan, he was ſet in a good eſtate, but he ceaſed to do good, and ſet himſelfe in a courſe now, not good.
2. From the neceſſary fruitfulneſſe of the ſeed of God whereſoever it is, Pſalm 1.2, 3. A childe of God is working in his minde and heart, and alwayes doing good.
3. From the hinderance which ſuch put upon others that would do be …r, if ſuch were removed, Acts 13.10. The Devill is alwayes an impediment of good, Luke 13.7, 8, 9. A man if he can do good, and do not, he cumbers the ground, therefore cut him down.
Ʋſe 1. To reprove the ignorance of ſuch people that conceive, if they do no body any harm, they hope God will accept them; but if it go badly with them, what will become of whoremongers and adulterers, &c. Can you ſay you have deviſed good, and watched your opportunity to be doing good? This is a comfort to you. But do not comfort your ſelves meerly in your innocency from evill, without doing good.
2. To teach us all, as ever we deſire an evident mark to our ſelves that we are children of God, to turn Poets of righteouſneſſe, it is the ſeed o… God that ſets you a work. God requires that we ſhould be doing good with our eſtates, that when we go hence we may ſay, as John 17.3, 4. Father, I have finiſhed the work that thou haſt given me to doe. 2 Kings 20.31. 2 Chron. Rehoboam did evil in the ſight of the Lord, becauſe he prepared not his heart, he ſtudyed not to do good.
Neither he that loveth not his Brother.
Doct. Not onelyonly the hatred of our Brother, but the want of love to our Brethren is a ſigne (not of a childe of God, but) of the devill, John 13.35. 1 Kings 18.17, 18:
Reaſ. 1. From the conſtant practiſe of God. Is there any one of them which he hath adopted, whom he loves not? Mat. 10. ult. And obſerve the contrary practice of Satan; there is no childe of God but he is eſtranged from, and ſits looſe from.
2. From the want of knowledge of God, 1 John 4.8. He knows not, &c.
Here is a double reaſon.
1. He hath not experience of Gods love.
2. God is love.
When the Sun ſhines upon a ſtone wall, though it be cold, yet it reflects the heat back again upon every perſon. So there is none that hath felt the warmth of Gods love upon his ſoul, but though his heart were cold before, yet he reflects it upon all.
2. God is love; It is a property inſeparable from the nature of God, he love… to communicate good.
3. From the like condition of all Brethren. He that loves not his Brother, becauſe he is a Brother, he loves none at all. He that loves not one of a mans children, becauſe he is born of ſuch a man, loves none of them. A man may hate a Brother for ſome ſiniſter reſpect, as Joſeph's Brethren; it was a certain ſigne they were not born of God, though afterward they came to good. And they that did not love Joſeph for his goodneſſe ſake, could not love Jacob nor Abraham. A man may hate and diſtaſte ſome injury offered, but if once the corruption of any childe of God ſhall prevaile with me to hate him, more then his goodneſſe to love him, it is a ſign there is a diſtemper in my heart.
Ʋſe 1 See a manifeſt difference between the children of God and of the Devil. If there be any Brother thou loveſt not, from whom thy heart is girded up, whom thou canſt not affect, thou art not born of God. I know provocations may be ſuch as may weaken affections, and turn the ſtreams, as that it ſhall not run ſo fully, nor ſtrongly, yet a childe of God dares not allow himſelfe, but he doth take a courſe to remove matters of enmity, and he takes himſelfe as much bound to hate himſelfe for neglect of his Brother, as he found cauſe to neglect his Brother. A man may be angry towards thoſe he loves, without ſin. But this want of love will do more injury to your ſpirit, then the injury that is done to you. A man may be angry, but when his paſſion is over, his love returns again,
What is it not to love any brother?
There are two things in love.
1. A Communion with them.
2. A communication of good to them. In ſome things a man deſires communion with others; other things there be, wherein though a man deſires not communion with them, yet he deſires communication of good to them.
Ʋſe 1. This ſhould exhort us to ſtretch our love univerſally to every ſoul. You were better beſtow your love upon ſome baſe hypocrite, then reſtraine your love from ſome poor Chriſtian. You cannot neglect one Chriſtian, but it will hazard your whole generall eſtate; In judgement of Charity, if they abſtain from groſſe ſins, and do good duties, we think well of them, and we had better loſe our love upon them; then neglect a childe of God, Pſal. 35.12, 14. And indeed it is not loſt, for it ſhall return into his boſome. It is a ſigne I love a man, if I love his picture; ſo though a man ſhould be an hypocrite, yet if we love the ſhew of grace, it is a ſigne we love grace indeed. Never ſay thou loveſt a Chriſtian, unleſſe thou loveſt the picture of a Chriſtian. What a miſerable thing is the want of this? ſuch a man is not born of God, but of the Devill. And what a poor caſe is a man in, that makes his ſpirit the ſpirit of Satan?