Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 3 · Verse 3
1 JOHN 3.3.
And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himſelf, even as he is pure.
IN theſe words you have; A deſcription of a childe of God. He is ſuch a one as hath hope in Chriſt.
2. This hope is ſet forth by its proper work and efficacy, purging.
3. The pattern or rule, according to which it purgeth, even as Chriſt is pure.
Doct. 1. That every childe of God hath hope in Chriſt, to be made like him at his appearing.
Every man that is begotten again, is begotten to a lively hope, 1 Pet. 1.3, 4, 5. An hypocrites hope is dead, it hath neither comfort, nor power in it to cleanſe or purge. A childe in the wombe, when they doubt of the life of it, though the parent be very wealthy, yet hath not lively hope of his poſſeſſion; but if the childe be born alive, then there is a comfortable hope: ſo if we be not born again, all our hopes of eternall life are but vain, 1 Cor. 15.19. It's the property of the Iſrael of God to hope in their God, Pſalm. 130.7.
Q. What is this hope?
Anſw. It is a patient, certain, and grounded expectation of all thoſe promiſes in Chriſt, which by faith we beleeve to belong unto us. It's a ſure and patient expectation.
There are two acts of hope:
1. Expectation.
2. Waiting.
This is not an expectation of meer opinion, but a ſure expectation. The Apoſtle puts both together, Rom. 8.25. Heb. 6.11, 18, 19. An anchor is a ſure and ſtedfaſt ſtay to the ſhip, that though it waves up and downe; yet it hath a certaine ſtay. And ſo a Chriſtians hope, it's like an anchor to ſtay the ſoul, the object of hope is the accompliſhment of the promiſes to come, and ſo differs from faith; no man hopes for that which is preſent or paſt, but that which we ſee not, promiſes that belong to us in reverſion. Tit. 2.13, 14. Heb. 11.1. Faith looks at all promiſes as preſent, faith beleeves that all the promiſes are true, and then hope ſtirs up it ſelfe to look for accompliſhment, and if God tarry long, it waits, Rom. 5.5. It's a ſure hope, never was any man diſappointed; and yet hope, though it be ſure, it is not without all doubting. No true Chriſtian but hath this hope.
Reaſ. That Gods children might not be toſſed and hurryed up and down the world. A childe of God is never carryed far, an anchor ſticks in the foundation, Heb. 6.18, 19. While he hold on our hopes, and they are faſtned to Chriſt, we have ſtrong canſolation, hereby are we kept from daſhing againſt rocks, and ſands, and ſhoars; here is the difference between an anchor and hope, an anchor is faſtened in the earth, and hope in heaven.
Ʋſe 1. This may ſhew you the dignity and honour of a Chriſtian. He is a man of great hopes, he will not give his hopes for the beſt mans eſtate in the world, he hath a ſtedfaſt hope of being like Chriſt when he ſees him; though the cloathes he now wears be mean, yet he hopes to be clad with Chriſts righteouſneſſe; and though his houſe be mean, yet he hopes for an houſe not made with hands; this is his anchor, and this will hold whitherſoever we ſail:
2: This may be a ground of tryall, What be the hopes you build upon? There is a double difference between the hopes of a godly and wicked man.
1. The wicked mans hopes are groundleſſe, he hath no grounds but hopes:
2. It is fruitleſſe, Job 8 11. The hope of an hypocrite that is without ground, is like a ruſh or flag without water or mire. Graſſe if it have got head, will do well enough without much moyſture or water. Hope without a promiſe wants water to nouriſh it. A spiders web looks like a curious work but it's drawn out of its own bowels, and is ſoone ſwept away; ſo a hypocrite hath no hope but what he ſpins out of his own bowels, he builds upon preſent or future duties, his hope is fruitleſſe, it neither yeelds comfort nor ſelfe-purging. A true Chriſtian rejoyceth in tribulation, but an hypocrite is overthrowne with it, Rom. 5 2, 3. The hope of an hypocrite makes him careleſſe, he takes no pains with his heart, Prov. 14.23. Take an hypocrite while he is in proſperity, and he hath great hopes; takes away proſperity, and perhaps it may hold ſtill, for he may hope that friends will do ſomething; when he is sick, he hopes to recover; when he fears death, he hopes for another life, but when death comes, all his hopes are cruſht: But a godly man, he hopes in death, he hopes for Gods goodneſſe, his hope will never fail him, nor make him aſhamed.
3. Hence learn, that hope and knowledge of the ſame thing may well ſtand together; In the former verſe; he ſaith, We know, here he hopes. A mans hope ceaſeth not in order to another world; for do not the Saints beleeve that their bodies ſhall riſe again? and do not they hope for it; They know the perperpetuity of their eſtates, and they hope for it, 2 Cor. 13.13.
4. This ſhould ſtir us up, as we would have a comfortable death, and ſafe, not to goe to Sea without this anchor of hope. The world is full of perplexities, carry your anchor about with you, ſee your hope well wrought, and you ſhall be ſafe. Mariners goe not to Sea without an anchor, but perhaps ſometimes though they have pitched their anchor in the bottome of the Sea, yet the ſtorms may be ſo great, that they may be forced to cut the cable; woman in childebed may be put to diſtreſſe, but hope in heaven will carry her through.
Q. How may we get this hope?
Anſw. 1. We can never come to it, till we be out of hope of any goodneſſe in our ſelves.
2: We muſt attend upon God in his ordinances, that ſo he may work faith in us; and where there is faith, there will be ſtrings of hope, hope is built upon faith.
Q. How ſhall we carry it about with us?
Anſw. Look at it as a mercy that you have it, ſtay your ſelves upon your anchor, look afreſh at the promiſes, and believe them, then thou ſhalt have hope enough: That which makes unquiet, is becauſe we have not viſited the promiſes many a day, nor renewed our faith in them.
Doct. 2: That every Chriſtian man that doth hope to be like Chriſt in glory hereafter, doth purge himſelfe, to be like Chriſt in grace here▪
The lively hope of a Chriſtian here, is ſet forth by the lively fruit of ſelfe-purging, 2 Pet. 3.12, 13, 14. Titus 2.11, 12, 13, 14.
How doth this hope thus purifie us?
1: By the holy meditations it doth ſuggeſt into the heart of every hopefull Chriſtian:
1. A Chriſtian that knows he hath long been impriſoned in the fetters of corruption, and knows he ſhall ſhortly be called to appear before God; it makes him to put off all ſuperfluity of uncleanneſſe, and to put on the garments of holineſſe. Shall I come before Chriſt inveſted in pride and wantonneſſe? This makes him carefull to purifie himſelfe, Jer. 2.32. Can a Maid forget her ornaments when ſhe is to be married? and can a Chriſtian forget ſuch ornaments as may befit him for ſuch a Kingdome?
2. A ſecond meditation which provokes a hoping Chriſtian to purifie himſelfe, is this, He conſiders, the more he is purged and purified, the more he is cleanſed, the greater ſhall his glory be, 2 Pet. 3.10, 11, 12.
2. Hope purifies by ſetting ſome graces on work, which doe cleanſe and purifie: As,
1. Repentance is a grace that purgeth us from ſin, Pſalm 130.1, 2, 3
2. Faith purifies our hearts, Acts 15.9. If God ſtir but up our hearts to wait on him, we may certainly know that he will do ſo as we have deſired, elſe our hope would make us aſhamed, Pſalm 119. 49. Remember thou the word unto thy ſervant in which thou haſt made me to truſt.
3 The meditation of the graces in Chriſt transform us into their image, 2 Cor. 3.18. There is ſuch a power in the promiſes of God, that they faſhion us like unto Chriſt.
4. Hope cleanſeth us, by giving us hearts faſtening on the Word, and applying it; and the Word applyed hath a ſtrong power to cleanſe even young men, Pſal. 119.9.
5. This hope hath a power to ſtir us up to faithfulneſſe, which hope perſwades us our labour ſhall not be in vain in the Lord, and this faithfulneſſe ſets God on work to purge us, Joh. 15.2. that we may bring forth more fruits. When God ſeeth us to ſtand at a ſtay, and to wax b…rren, then he is ready to cut us down, that we cumber not the ground.
3. Hope to be made like to Chriſt in glory hereafter makes us to abandon ſuch impediments as hinder our purification, 1 Cor. 5.6. When he ſaith, that every one that hath this hope purifies himſelf, it implyes it is a continued work, he makes it a part of his daily work.
2. He purgeth himſelfe, he doth not ſay from what, from wantonneſſe; and leaves covetouſneſſe behinde, he leaves it indefinitely, he includes all, and excludes none, James 1.21. This hope purgeth the whole man, the underſtanding, will, and affections, 2 Cor. 7.1. 1 Theſſ. 5.23. Well then may it be called a lively fruitfull hope.
Reaſ. Hope comes to all the ordinances of God, with expectation that it ſhall finde benefit from the Word, prayer, and good company. Hope waits on God for good in every ordinance, and then it never goes away empty; it ſtrive, before it comes to prepare the heart, and to cleanſe it from all filthineſſe.
Ʋſe 1. This may diſcover unto us the wonderfull loathſomneſſe of ſin. If ſin were not an excrement, why ſhould we purge it out? We purge out nothing but filthy loathſome things, and therefore when hope is ſaid to purge, it implyes that ſin is loathſome.
2. Hence diſcern the ſoundneſſe of our hope. Do you finde your hearts daily striving to …leanſe your ſelves? if not thy hope will make thee aſhamed. If thy hope do not ſet thee on work every day to cleanſe thy heart, truly thy hope is nothing but a vain deluſion, and nothing will more ſting thee at the laſt day, when thou ſhalt hope for heaven, thou ſhalt be caſt out of Gods preſence.
3. Let it teach all Chriſtians, as they would not be aſhamed of their hopes, to make their calling and election ſure. Let their hopes make them purge and cleanſe themſelves. And let not Chriſtians think it is enough to purge themſelves, but they muſt purge their families. A Chriſtian muſt ſuffer none in his family to be uncircumciſed. God would have killed Moſes becauſe he had one uncircumciſed. Magiſtrates muſt cleanſe their Towns and places where they live. Good Joſiah when he was to celebrate the Paſſover, he ſet himſelfe with all his heart to purge Jeruſalem and Judah.
Doct. 3. The purity of Chriſt is the pattern of every Chriſtians purity. Or thus: Every hopefull Chriſtian makes Chriſts purity the pattern of his, 1 Cor. 11.1. Heb. 12.12. Be ye followers of me, as I am of Chriſt.
Set before you a pattern of a cloud of witneſſes, 1 John 2.6. He that abides in Chriſt, ought to walk as he hath walked.
Why ſhould every Chriſtian make Chriſt the pattern of his purity?
1. From the end of Gods predeſtination. He hath predeſtinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son, Rom. 8.29. And God in all things requires that we ſhould grow up to the fellowſhip of the ſtature of Jeſus Chriſt.
2. From the perfection of the pattern. All other patterns of godly men will fail us in ſome things, but Chriſt is a perfect pattern, he will fail us in nothing,
Ʋſe 1. This ſhould teach us to reject the ſociety of ſuch men as inwardly loath the name of Puritans; alas if they cannot endure the name of purity in poor weak Chriſtians, how would they hate the purity of Chriſt? If they cannot endure the brightneſſe of a candle, how will they endure the brightneſs of the Sun? and yet they ſay, they love Chriſt. But if they have not purity, how can they love Chriſt? and if they love not Chriſt, they are accurſed for ever.
2. This reproves thoſe, who though they do not hate purity, yet, they think themſelves very well, if they exceed the worſt ſort of men; they are no whore-mongers, nor theeves, nor deceivers. Alas, if there be no more then morall honeſty, they ſhall come far ſhort of Heaven.
3. This reproves the Romiſh Church, that think ordinary Chriſtians are not bound to ſo ſtrict a pattern as their regular Chriſtians. Did ever any of them reach higher then Chriſt? and is not every Chriſtian exhorted to ſet Chriſt as a pattern?
4. This reproves another ſort of Chriſtians, who if they have got but ſuch a meaſure of grace, as they are aſſured to be in a ſtate of grace, they never look further, but now they look out for themſelves in the world, as if they might reſt in what is behinde, and never preſſe forward to what is before them, contrary to Paul: Know, O Chriſtian, it is not enough to get truth of grace, nor ſome purity, but you muſt grow pure as Chriſt is pure.
Ʋſe 2. This may exhort us all, as we would maintain our hope to be made like Chriſt hereafter, ſo to ſtrive to this exactneſſe of purity, to purifie our ſelves as he is pure. If you would be hopefull Chriſtians, you muſt be growing Chriſtians, growing up to the meaſure of the purity of Chriſt; decay in growing▪ and you decay in hope. No Chriſtian ſo full of joy and hope, as he that is every day getting ſomething, and growing up to perfection, 1 John 2.6. Phil. 3.12, 13, 14.
Motives to ſtir us up to grow in grace.
1. So ſoon as you ſlack this care, your hope, faith, and grace waxeth weak. If we ſee our bodies do not voyd excrements for many dayes, we think our bodies are not in a good ſtate but ſome diſeaſes lye on us. How can we have an healthfull ſoul, when we purge not our corruption many a day?
2. From the great uncomelineſſe that is in us, if we do not ſtrive to be pure. Is it not an uncomely thing to ſee the head to be of gold, and the members partly braſſe, partly clay and dirt?
3. It's very grievous to the Spirit of God, that we ſhould be no better for all it hath dwelt ſo long in us. When Chriſt had been long with his Diſciples, and they were not bettered by him, he up braids them, O fooliſh and ſlow of heart to believe! how long ſhall I be with you? It was a griefe to Chriſt that he ſhould be long with his Diſciples, and they not to grow up to ſtrength of grace.
Obj. But doth not virtue conſiſt in a golden mean?
Anſ. Virtue conſiſts not in a mean between two degrees, but in a mean between two extreams. You may exceed the bounds of righteouſneſſe, and ſo be unrighteous; but you cannot exceed the degrees of righteouſneſſe, Chriſt ſaith, Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. Can you then be too pure and holy. No you cannot, though you were as full of g…ace and holineſſe as Chriſt himſelfe.
4. As ever you deſire to be worthy partakers of the Sacrament, then labour to purifie your ſelves. The reaſon why many a chriſtian comes to the Sacrament, and finds no comfort, is, becauſe they grieved the Spirit of God before they came, by neglecting to caſt out thoſe obſtructions which hinder the influence of the head to the members, 1 Cor. 11.30, 31.
Means to help us to purifie our ſelves.
1. Be perſwaded that you are not in a ſafe eſtate, till you are grown up to ſome good meaſure of purity. You would think him in a poor caſe, that ſhould live 200 years, and yet for want of evacuation ſhould live in ſickneſſe and weakneſſe. And ſo a chriſtian is in an uncomfortable eſtate unleſſe he purge himſelfe.
2. Be very watchfull over thy wayes.
3. Uſe the ordinances of God conſtantly. Say not after converſion, It is no matter whether we be alwayes converſant in Gods ordinances, but at ſome times, when the Spirit moves us. Labour we to carry our ſelves not as idle hearers, but as faithfull doers; labour we to ſee our ſpots and deformities, and ſtrive to purge them, labour we to practiſe new duties, as they are renewed to us.