Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 3 · Verse 16
1 JOHN 3.16.
Hereby perceive we the Love of God, becauſe he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren.
THeſe words are part of the exhortation St. John uſeth to all chriſtians to love one another. He uſeth many arguments, verſ. 14. He tells us, It is a ſign we are tranſlated from death to life.
2. From the danger of the hatred of our Brother.
3 From the exemplary and ſtrong love of Chriſt.
4 From the emptineſſe of ſuch hearts of grace, when there is no love of their Brethren.
Theſe words are a notable motive to chriſtians. to expreſſe and abound in love, taken from the great love of God to us.
Doct. The death of Chriſt for us, is the manifeſtation of his love to us.
Such a manifeſtation, as makes it a certain and known truth that he loves us, Rom. 5.10. 1 Joh. 4 10. He gave his Son to be a propitiatory ſacrifice, Eph. 4.5. Gal. 2.20.
Reaſ. 1. From the greatneſſe of Chriſts ſelf-deniall. That which commends love is this, to beſtow ſo great matters, and to come off freely with it. Joh. 15.12. Greater love then this can no man expreſſe, then to lay down his life for his friend. But Chriſt did it for his enemies, 2 Cor. 3.8.
2 It farther magnifies his love, if we conſider the great benefit we receive; as reconciliation, pardon of ſins, 1 Joh. 4.10. Secondly, adoption of Sons, Gal. 4.4, 5. Such favour as to be accepted as his Sons and Daughters.
2. Our corruptions are deaded and mortified, Heb. 9.14. Gal. 1.14. Wc are crucified to the world; to all objects that draw us to ſin, temptations and ſnares.
4 Chriſtian liberty, that by virtue of Chriſts death we ſhould be delivered from the curſe of the Law, Col. 2.13. from the enmity we ſtood in againſt the Church, Eph. 2.14.15, 16. from hell and feare of death, Heb. 2.14. that we ſhould have liberty to call God Father, enter into his Sanctuary, have confidence our prayers are heard, have aſſurance when we dye that we ſhall enter into the holy place, that we ſhall have right and liberty to the Creation. Rrm. 5.1, 2, 3. Heb. 12.19. This benefit will appear; if we conſider how miſerable our eſtate had been. If Chriſt had not done this, we had been in our ſins, under the guilt of them, and in horror and anguiſh of ſpirit.
5 How freely hath God done it. We gratified God with no kindneſſe. Some will recompence a ſmall kindneſſe with a great reward, Rom. 11.35. But all we have done, hath been to abuſe every mercy of God to his diſhonor, Col. 1.10.20
Ʋſe 1. It reproves ſuch weakneſſe of Gods ſervants in time of temptations, that can ſee no love of God, becauſe he doth not gratifie them with ſomething in this life. Gods ſervants many times doe want neceſſaries the world abounds withall; therefore David hath cleanſed his heart in vain, Pſal. 73. But what though Gods ſervants never ſee good dayes? Yet here is abundant, rich, and ineſtimable love, that when you were enemies, ſtrangers, children of wrath, Chriſt dyed for you. God hath ſhewed you more love, then the Angels for he laid not down his life for the Angels, Heb. 11.14 And if he had done ſo, he had laid down his life for his friends, who never diſpleaſed him.
2 To teach ſuch as abound in outward things, not to content themſelves therein, Eccl. 4.2. We can perceive neither love nor hatred by thoſe outward things, Pſal. 17.14. Labour you to ſay that God hath laid down his life for you, …ſe you cannot ſay he loves you.
3 It teacheth us, that the death of Chriſt was not the cauſe of Gods love, Gods love is more antient then the death of Chriſt. Where ſhall we lay the foundation of Gods love, but in eternity? He hath loved me, and given himſelf for me, Gal. 2.20. Gal. 3.16.
Obj But doth not God attribute his love to the death of Chriſt? 1 John 4.10. Rom. 3.24, 25. Eph. 2.14, 15, Col. 2.21.27.
Anſw. In a double reſpect Chriſts death is ſaid to make this reconciliation. Hereby he hath ſlain the enemy and hatred on our part, that we might be no more enemies to him.
Obj. But Chriſt is ſent not only to make reconciliation on our part, but propition on Gods part.
Anſw. 'Tis true, Chriſt by his death hath made a way whereby God might ſhew his love to us, whileſt ſin was in the way, he could not ſhew it. Many a Father bears a tender affection to a childe, yet will not ſeem to regard him, ſhuts him out of doores, and though he be intreated, yet he thinks it not meet for him to expreſſe his love; he will have his childe humble himſelfe, acknowledge his faults; and will ſend ſome body to perſwade his Son to humble himſelfe: So God ſends his Son out of love, to take a courſe, that he might ſhew us favour, notwithſtanding his juſtice.
4 Of exhortation, to take a view of Gods love, that we may be able to ſay freely, We perceive the love of God. Reſt not in any ſpirituall duty, nor in any common gift, till you know that Chriſt dyed for thee.
How ſhall I know this?
Some will ſay, that Chriſt dyed for all, and ſo all may know. True, the ſufficiency of Chriſts death reacheth to all, but none can ſay Chriſt dyed for him, till he find in his ſoul ſome fruits of the death of Chriſt.
5 To encourage Gods ſervants to expect offices of love from God to us and ours all his dayes. He hath given his Son, what would you have more? Pſal. 84.11. Lay hold on this love of God, and plead with him upon his love. All bleſſings are wrapt up in his Son, Gal. 4.4. As God in fulneſſe of time ſent his Son, ſo will he every other mercy.
6. To teach us to abound in love to God, and to his children, hatred againſt ſin. Give up all to God, work for him, ſuffer for him, he loves us being ſtrangers and enemies.
Doct. Chriſtian men ought to be ready to lay downe their lives for their Brethren.
The exemplary love of Chriſt in laying down his life for us, ought to provoke us in like ſort to lay down our lives for our Brethren, Rom. 10.3, 4. The Apoſtle doth extoll the love of Aquila and Priſcilla: as if all the Church and himſelfe were bound to them that were ſo ready to lay down their lives, Phil. 2.17. If I be poured out as a drinke-offering.
R…aſ. From the example of our bleſſed Saviour: He laid down his life for us. This is an imitable practice of Chriſt, this is none of his miraculous works but one wherein he ſets forth himſelf as a pattern to us.
2. To this add Chriſts command, which binds us to the imitation of this, John 13 34.
3. From the neer fellowſhip of our brethren with Chriſt. We fulfill the ſufferings of Chriſt, for his Body, Col. 1.2, 4. He calls them Chriſts ſufferings, Chriſt ſuffered in him, and he for Chriſt in his Saints.
4. From the ſubordination of Gods eminenteſt ſervants to the Church of God, as Chriſt is for God, ſo Paul and Cephas for the Church, God hath ſubordinated the life of his ſervants to the Church, and the Church to Chriſt, and Chriſt to God, Chriſt the head of the Church, the Church the head of the Members, Phil. 2.17.
5. From the rule of love God hath given in ancient time, Levit. 19.18. We muſt love our neighbour as our ſelves. Many a chriſtian will lay down his life for himſelfe, therefore muſt in ſome caſes lay down his life for the Church. A man will lay down his life for his own ſalvation, and for honour; therefore how much more for God and for the honour of Religion.
In what caſes is a man to lay down his life?
Anſw. The Apoſtle meanes, we ſhould be ready to doe it for the ſervice of the Church, if it cannot be otherwiſe.
1. In heat of perſecution, to confirme the faith of the people of God, who would be ready to think much if he ſhou…d withdraw himſelfe, though he might eſcape, yet a miniſter or eminent perſon is bound to goe before in ſufferings. So Paul, if he be poured out as a dr nke offering, every drop of blood in his body poured out, if it be for the ſtrengthning of the faith of weak chriſtians, he rejoyceth, Phil. 2.17. The ſtronger muſt lay down their lives for the confirmation of the faith of the weaker.
2. There may be a caſe wherein the weaker are to lay down their lives for the ſtronger: Aquila and Priſcilla were ready to lay down their lives for Pauls life; they thought it better to expoſe themſelves to the utmoſt extremity then that Paul ſhould be hurt. I muſt not ſpare my own life, if it may be ſerviceable to God and the Church, Rom. 16, 4, 5. 2 Sam. 21.16, 17. & 18.3.
3. When we perceive it would much advantage the glory of God, that we ſhould rather periſh then our brethren, Rom. 9.2, 3. He could wiſh himſelfe accurſed for the Jewes, even his ſoul for a ſacrifice. Thus Moſes, Exod. 32.33.
4. When a man doth ſee that the wrath of God is kindled againſt others for his ſin, he muſt rather offer himſelfe to death, then that that evill ſhould be upon them that converſe with him, Jonah 1.22. 2 Sam. 24. in David.
Ʋſe 1. Learn we from hence to juſtifie our ſelves and others. If we ſhould be called to lay down our lives to ſuffer for our Brethren, here is a direction how to ſuffer. Phil. 2.5. God hath given us a commandement to love our Brethren as our ſelves. Alſo, God hath ſubordinated the members of his Church to the body of it.
2. To teach us, that though it be lawfull to fly in time of perſecution, yet if it cannot be without weakning the Church wherein we live, we muſt in heart live and dye together.
3. To teach miniſters when they are called by God for the ſervice of any Congregation, not to diſpenſe with themſelves for air or health, fearing the cutting ſhort of his dayes. You muſt not live from your meanes. Either never take ſuch a charge, or make account you muſt hazzard your lives for the people of God, unleſſe upon tryall it appears you may doe more good in ſome other place.
4. It reproves ſuch as are ſo far from laying down their lives, as that they will not lay down their eſtates, nor the ſuperfluities of their eſtates for their Brethrens neceſſities, 1 Sam. 25.11. How ſhall ſuch ever perſwade themſelves that Chriſt dyed for them?
5. A ground of ſuch thankfulneſſe, that God ſhould not only give Chriſt to dye for us, but alſo would have chriſtians to be fitted to lay down their lives for their Brethren.