Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 3 · Verse 22
1 JOHN 3.22.
And whatſoever we ask we receive of him, becauſe we keep his commandements, and doe thoſe things that are pleaſing in his ſight.
THere is a double benefit of our aſſuring our ſelves that we are of the truth.
Firſt, If our hearts condemn us not. God will much leſſe condemn us, but we have boldneſſe towards God.
Secondly, Acceptance of all our prayers in the preſence of God. Which he proves from an argument taken from the practiſe of ſuch as have inward peace, they keep his commandements.
1 Here is a priviledge of ſuch as are at peace with God, they may aſſure themſelves that their prayers are heard.
2 A reaſon of this, becauſe they keep his commandements.
Doct. According to our hearing of Gods commandements, ſo he hears our prayers.
As we regard Gods Word, ſo he ours, John 9.33. The queſtion was, What he thought of him that opened his eyes? He thought he was a Prophet, becauſe God heard not ſinners. John 15.7. If my word abide in you, &c. Let us keep Gods Word, and he will keep our prayers to fulfill them. Gods Word abides in us, when in our judgements we approve of it, and in our hearts we cleave to it, in our lives we practiſe it. The Word of God abides not in us, except it rules as becomes the Word of God, Zech. 7.13. Prov. 28.9.
Reaſ. 1. From a rule of equity, which God uſeth in diſpenſing himſelfe, Mat. 7.2. As we diſpenſe our ſelves to him, ſo doth God himſelfe to us. This it a generall rule of Gods walking towards men. With what meaſure we mete, God will meaſure to us again. If we let no Word of God fall to the ground, but our conſcience ſtand in awe of it, and our hearts cleave to it, God will let none of our prayers fall to the ground.
2. From the unity of the Spirit that doth help us to keep the commandements. God makes account we keep the commandements, when there is none but our judgements approve, Ezek. 36.26, 27. Rom. 8.15. The Spirit helps us to pray, and it asks things according to the will of God, and he knows the meaning of the Spirit. As who ſhould ſay, He that prayes not in the Spirit is a Barbarian unto God.
3. From the love and reſpect God bears to them that keep his commandements. It is the way to become Gods Favourite, John 14.21, 23.
Ʋſe 1. It ſhews us the cauſe of the fruitleſneſſe of our prayers at any time, God hears not us, becauſe we hear not him. If our prayer fall to the ground, then ſurely Gods Word hath faln to the ground. A good prayer and a bad life can never meet, James 2.20. If we live in awleſſe reſpect to Gods commandements, he hears not our prayers.
2. Encouragement to the obedience of Gods commandements. What comfort would a man have more then to have his wiſh? If God give thee an heart to keep all his commandements, thou mayſt aſſure thy heart, that all thy petitions are granted.
3. A ground of comfort to every ſuch ſoule as makes conſcience of his wayes. If thou walkeſt with a care to fulfill Gods will, he will fulfill thine. Such as give themſelves to walk as Chriſt hath walked, may have this comfort, John 11.32. Pſal. 119.5, 6. Such petitions as are long delayed, and ſeem to be moſt ſtrongly denyed, are fulfilled, Dan. 10.3, 10, 11, 12. Daniels prayers were heard the firſt day, but not then anſwered. A petition is granted in Heaven, and a courſe taken for the accompliſhment of it, but yet there muſt be a time to bring it about, Deut. 5.25, 26. Though God delay our prayers, yet even then he grants them, Prov. 21.10. Jer. 17.10. God regards the hearts of his people, and their movings. Moſes deſired onelyonly to ſee the good Land, God bid him go up to the hill, and ſo ſtrengthened his ſight to ſee it; he ſhould not go over, becauſe the people ſhould ſee Gods diſpleaſure againſt him. We have an end alwayes in our prayers, and we preſcribe means to God, he many times denies the means in diſpleaſure, but gives the end, 2 Cor. 12.7, 8. So it was in Paul, God would not remove the meſſenger of Satan, but he did that by it which he would have done, the free paſſage of the ſpirit in his heart, Heb. 5.7. A Chriſtian prays for the light of his countenance, God hears not, Why doſt thou deſire it, to ſtrengthen thy faith? He will doe it by the word of promiſe. We pray that God would mortifie ſome corruption, Why doe we deſire it, that grace may have free paſſage in our hearts? God will by ſuch luſts mortifie a greater, that is, pride of heart; and God works ſuch a loathing in thy heart, and bitterneſſe in regard of ſin, that we might mortifie them.
The ſecond benefit is the acceptance of all our prayers in the preſence of God, amplified by an argument taken from the practice of ſuch men whoſe hearts doe not condemn them before God, they keep his commandements, and doe that which is pleaſing in his ſight, ſet forth in a Syllogiſme, Whoſo keeps Gods commandements, thoſe whatſoever they ask they receive of God. But thoſe whoſe hearts condemn them not, keep Gods commandements.
Doct. That ſuch as keep Gods commandements, they keep a good conſcience, and Gods favour together: They have peace at home and in heaven.
Firſt, They have peace at home in their own conſcience, Heb. 13.18. We have a good conſcience in all things, deſiring to live honeſtly; that is, to keep Gods commandements.
Secondly, As they keep a good conſcience on earth, ſo they keep favour in heaven, 1 Kings 15.5. Thus its ſaid of David, that he did that which was good in the ſight of the Lord, he had a care to keep Gods commandements. Thus did Aſa, 2 Chron. 14.2. Hezekiah, Ib. 29.2. So did Joſiah, 2 Kings 23.25. and 2 Chron. 34.2.
What is it to keep Gods commandements?
Anſ. It is not barely to keep them in our minds and memory; but, Firſt, to keep them as one would keep his high-way: A traveller, ſo ſoon as he is out of his way, and ſees it, he blames himſelfe for it, and haſtens to get into it again. Secondly, as a man would keep his jewells, Prov. 6.20, 21. Thirdly, to keep it as the apple of our eye, Prov. 7.1, 2, 3. If the leaſt more fall into our eye, we never leave till we get it out; ſo we muſt make ſcruple of the leaſt ſins. Fourthly, we muſt keep the commandements as we would keep our life. Now, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life: So we ſhould loſe our lives, and all we have for Gods commandements
Reaſ. From the ſuitableneſſe of the will or commandements of God, and the conſcience of a Chriſtian. You pleaſe a man when you doe that which is according to his will; and ſo look what is good in Gods ſight, that is according to Gods commandements. The commandements of God are a lively image of his will. God is a God of pure eyes, Hab. 1.13. he hateth wickedneſſe, Pſal. 5.4. Any thing that is evill, is diſpleaſing in Gods ſight. When Ʋriah was ſlain, and David took his Wife into his houſe, it is ſaid that thing diſpleaſed the Lord, 2 Sam. 12.27. But the will of God is our ſanctification, 1 Theſ. 4.3. A man is ſaid to be made after Gods own Image, when he is righteous and holy. The Apoſtle exhorts us to put on the next man, which after God is created in righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe, Eph. 4.24. Holineſſe is the ſum of the commandements of the firſt Table, Righteouſneſſe of the ſecond.
Ʋſe 1. Hence we may have a tryall of our conſcience, whether it be good or no, for upon the goodneſſe of our conſcience depends the peace of this world, and another, Heb. 13.18. Examine your ſelves, Doe you keep Gods commandements as a man would keep his way, the apple of his eye, his life and ſoul, or his Jewells? Elſe you doe not keep a good conſcience. There are four ſorts of conſciences.
Firſt, A conſcience that is quiet, yet not good: As, when the ſtrong man keeps the houſe, all that he p…ſſeſſeth is in peace, Luke 11.21.
Secondly, There is a conſcience which is good, but yet not quiet: Such was Davids, Pſal. 31.22. when he ſaid in his haſt, he was utterly caſt out of his ſight; though it was good, yet it did not ſpeak the truth concerning David.
Thirdly, There is a conſcience which is neither good nor quiet; ſuch was Judas his conſcience, Mat. 27.3, 4.
Fourthly, There is a conſcience both good and peaceable, which walks in Gods commandements; and if he ſlip out of Gods commandements, he looks at himſelfe as out of the way; he finds refreſhments in walking in Gods ways, he could not by any means part with Gods commandements, he had rather part with his life, and all that he hath. But on the contrary, if a man keep not Gods commandements, he is ſo far from making ſcruple of any ſin, that he allows himſelfe in any ſin, yea in all ſin.
Ʋſe 2. It exhorts us all, to take the right way, to keep Gods commandemens, and to keep a good conſcience.
Obj. What ſhall we get by this?
Anſw. In keeping Gods commandements is great reward. You ſhall keep a good houſe at home, and favour in heaven. A good conſcience is worth keeping, it will uphold thy heart againſt all diſcouragements thou ſhalt meet withall in the world, and thou ſhalt have peace with God by keeping his commandements, you ſhall keep a good conſcience, which is a continuall feaſt. The peace of a good conſcience is the greateſt bleſſing in the world, nothing in the world can take it away. A man may keep all other things, and yet not a good conſcience; but without a good conſcience, what good will they all doe thee at the laſt day? Wherefore, above all things have a care to keep it, it will be more joy to thee then all worldly contentments, Pſal. 4.6, 7.
3. This may be matter of comfort and conſolation to every ſuch ſoule that hath a care to keep Gods commandements, for ſuch a man keeps Gods favour in heaven, and a good conſcience on earth, which is a continuall feaſt.