Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 4 · Verse 17
… John 4.17. latter part.
Becauſe as he is, ſo are we in this world.
IN theſe words, … whom love is perfect, ſuch …y have boldneſſe in … argument … who … in this world …
Doct. Such … this world at God himſelfe.
For proof, Eph. … 1. Be kind one to another … foreign be uſefull and … one the another, ready to doe … …ood, tender… … you any wrongs, and … them it their miſeries, … 1. Be … follower of Go… … dear …; they that walk in … Chriſt himſelfe did, … ſons … giving … and giving liber… to … is God in this world, all his path … and truth, in his love …, in … love … God in this world: When Adam ſtood …, be loved …, and … he fell, he would not let him lie, but in his love he ſent his Son to redeem him; ſo let men walk lovingly towards … love to thee decay, yet ſtretch out ….
… righteousneſſe, that is …est in the … …ercy, wiſdome, goodneſſe, all pro… from love, in his love he … his love he preſerves us, in his love he … his love he … 13.10. Love is the fulfilling of the … if it fulfill the law, then if … falls all the righteouſneſſe … to God …
Ʋſe. This is a notable … grow up in the grace of love: If a man would know how in a … of performance, he may be as God himſelfe is; why, this is the …, he who is perpect in love, is in this world … God himſelfe is: Many … the duties … …gion hard and … but to a loving … all is …; let there be but love in the … to God and … will come off eaſily; … many loving … god in reſemblances Magiſtrates are called gods in … they bear the Image of his Soveraignty; old men bear the Image … Eternity, learned men of his Co…iſciency; but a man may have all theſe Images of God, and yet periſh: The Divells are ſpirits of power and wiſdome, and yet bound in chains of darkneſſe; but a poor Chriſtian that walks in the ſpirit of love, he is in this world, as God himſelfe is, he goes beyond all other reſemblances, and they that are ſuch may have boldneſſe in the day of judgement, which is more them either wiſdome, or wealth for honour can afford; a man … have all them, and yet tremble at the tho…ts of death: If you obſerve, … ſhe … men in the world buſie the … about ſome of thoſe perfections, to be perfect in wiſdome, lear… or …nours, and theſe things they labour hard after; why, go … as hand after love, ſtrive to be as eminent in love, and … ſhalt get … purchaſe then they can get by … endeavours, all their contents … them boldneſſe againſt the day of judgments: great men, and learned … ſlept in the grave, and have … nothing in the morning … they …; but a loving Chriſtian what … in the duſt … the … when he awakes, ſhall be ſatisfied with the Image of God. But if … are bleſt with Magiſtracy wiſdome, rich learning, if you likewiſe bound with a ſpirit of love, you and more like Go… … Chriſtian, that wants thoſe other reſemblances; a rich … and a loving Chriſtian how much doe they ſet out the ſimilitude and fulneſſe of God himſelfe? God is royall and loving, God is wiſe and loving withall, he is Almighty and loving withall; its his love onelyonly that doth good to us, his Majeſty, Power, and Eternity, would be a terrour to us, its his love whereby he doth us good; therefore to all endowments, adde, what good doe riches, and honours, and knowledge, except thou have love withall.
Doct. They that are in this world, us God himſlfe is, they may have boldneſſe to the day of judgement, Mat. 18.33. to the end.
The which ſhews, that ſuppoſe a man ſhould live in this world, with a confidence that all his ſins are forgiven him, and in the mean time he grows ſtraight hearted and bitter to his brethren; why …on his ſick bed or ſome other tryall, the Lord takes him by the throat, and exacts the whole debt of his ſins at his hands; or if before he have had good aſſurance of the pardon of his ſins, yet he ſhall finde ſuch horrour and anguiſh, that he believe … his ſins ſtill lie on the ſcore. If we want love, we cannot have boldneſſe … judgement, Chriſt had ſo furniſhed his Diſciples with love, that thereby they abounded in much ſervice to him and his, and theſe being men of love, they ſhould not be afraid of Chriſts coming, but then he bids them lift up their heads with comfort, Luke 21.28.
What is this boldneſſe?
1. Boldneſſe is that which mortifies fear and ſhame, which two things are contrary to boldneſſe; if a man be fearfull, what boldneſſe is there? but this boldneſſe makes a man look at death and judgement without fear.
2. Boldneſſe removes ſhames, 1 John 2.28▪ when he ſhall appear we may have boldneſſe, and not be aſhamed; a man therefore that is like God in this world, is neither afraid nor aſhamed in the day of judgement.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe that which might be matter of fear is removed, for that which makes a man afraid at that day, is, becauſe he is not like God, God is of pure eyes, and they are altogether unclean, and then indeed Chriſt will command ſuch to depart from him, the workers of love, a worker of mercy and righteouſneſſe, and ſo God accepts of him.
2. This ſpirit of love, cloathes us with thoſe duties and works, which God moſt recompenſeth at that day; God will then crown men with glory, not becauſe they are wiſer and richer then others, but becauſe they ſaw me hungry and gave me meat, naked and cloathed me, &c. Mercy rejoyceth againſt judgement, God will there be abundantly mercifull, to recompence every work and office of mercy.
3. There is no cauſe of ſhame, for where there is a reſemblance of God there is cauſe of joy: God acknowledgeth his own Image, and will perfect it at that day, for love ceaſeth not; a man may have learning and riches, and honours, and be aſhamed at that day, but if we be cloathed with love, we ſhall never be aſhamed.
Ʋſe. Labour therefore above all graces, to cloath yourſelves with love, a loving Chriſtian is a couragious Chriſtian, when other mens hearts ſhall quail and tremble for fear, and ſhake like the leafs of a tree, Iſa. 7.2. then a loving Chriſtian may lift up his head with joy, becauſe then he knows his love ſhall be conſummate, and when others are aſhamed of their riches, learning, and honors, he is not aſhamed of his love, a loving Chriſtian, is ſafe and bold both in life and death: look at all the ſtraights of a Chriſtian, if they be upon any ground, its for want of love, he that neglects this duty of love, God and his conſcience will take him by the throat, and exact the due debt, becauſe he walked with a private ſpirit, in the publique world, whereas if we doe but walk in a ſpirit of love and helpfulneſſe to our brethren, and learn to walk with a publique ſpirit, neglecting private reſpects, the Devill and thy conſcience ſhall find nothing to accuſe thee of, but thou ſhalt meet death and judgement in the face, without fear or ſhame.