Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 4 · Verse 2
1 JOHN 4.….
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: … ſpirit that confeſſeth that Jeſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh, is … God.
IT is not rightly tranſlated (come … that Chriſt was come in the fleſh, as the … of Balaam, and the N…laitans, Hymeneus and Philetus, but it ſhould … tranſlated thus, Chriſt that hath come in the fleſh, Chriſt veiled over with …mane ….
Doct. That the people of God may well … the ſpirit of their Miniſters, by the confeſſion which their ſpirits make of Chriſt come in the fleſh.
What is it to confeſſe?
There is a threefold confeſſion in Scripture:
1. To acknowledge the truth, doctrine and worſhip of Chriſt, even before Rulers, Matth. 22.25. to confeſſe is to profeſſe, to bear witneſſe of the grace of Chriſt.
2. … of a mans Miniſtry, as it is ſaid of John John 1.20.
3. There is a conf…ſion of a mans work, Tit. 1.16. that is, by our life or … be Saviour, Matth. 1.21. the anoynted of the Lord … Prophet, and King, Jeſus Chriſt the ſecond Perſon in the Trinity, … in the fleſh, which is a great myſtery 1 Tim. 3.16.
What is it … ſpirit of a Prophet to confeſſe Chriſt Jeſus? By ſpirit is not … for body 1 Theſſ. 5.23. but the i…mation both of ſoul and body … elſe it is carnal, ſenſuall, and devilliſh: when the ſpirit … the be…t both of ſoul an… body, the inclination of … whole man doth …old forth Chriſt Jeſus; that is the mighty ſaving … revealed in humane infirmities: What is Pauls meani…, when he ſaith I deſire to know nothing, 1 Cor. ….3, 4. He means he deſires to expreſſe nothing in his life and … Chriſt Jeſus revealed in the fleſh in … infirmities: wh… the Corinthians … a ſign of Chriſt in … acknowledgeth that for his outſide he was weak; but yet he did ex… … the mighty …ving power of Chriſt crucified in his Miniſtry, 2 Cor. 13.3, …, 5. and he tels the Galatians, They knew, that through … infirmities of the fleſh, he preached the Goſpel at the firſt, Gal. 4, 13, 14, 15. Was any doctrine weakly delivered? he ſpeaks of his bodily preſence, for in his life he ſhewed ſuch a mighty power of Chriſt, as that they looked at him as an Angel of God, yea, they did ſo affect him, that if it were poſſible they would have pluckt out their eyes to have doth him good.
Reaſ. … …is cannot … from mans nature, for mans ſpirit comes ſhort of it, Phil. ….20. every man ſ…ks his own, Demas hath forſaken Chriſt and embraced this preſent world, 2 Tim. 4.10. Some men look too high, they look to their own profits and preferments in … and account the ſeeking to ſave ſouls, a matter n…t pertainin… … if they preach, they … ſome moral diſcourſe …hich … …hoſe that are looking towards the wayes of grace, … the mighty ſaving power o… …riſt Jeſus is not … their Miniſtry.
2▪ It's not from the ſpirit o… … ſpirit far exceeds his ſpirit, he c…v… own Ch… …ſus, Ezek…. … 22. he ſpeaks with envy againſt Chriſt, therefore it muſt needs …e the … that confeſſeth Chriſt Jeſus come in the fleſh.
Ʋſe 1: To teach Gods people … acq…ainted with the Lord Jeſus, or elſe they will not be able to diſcern … their Miniſter in doctrin, …, and carriage; it is … Saints to expreſſe their carnall excellencie… … complains of the Galatians, that they made a fair ſhew … fleſh… … …at make a fair ſhew i… the fleſh, when they come to … out, their ſpirits will not bear it; a Chriſtian ſhould ſa… of thoſe outward … Da…d of Sauls armour, if any man will come after Chriſt, he muſt … wiſdome, life, and carnal excellency▪ God …ts ho…r, upon many Chriſtians, and gives them carnal excellency, but they muſt take heed that they doe not darken the power of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt … by.
2. … tryal …ur eſtates; … whether the bent of our carriage doth hold forth the Lord Jeſus in … infirmities: God is not affected with our humane excellencies, … pleaſe him, when we ſhew forth the hidden man of the heart, this the … exhorts women to, 1 Peter 3.3, 4. Iſa. …2. & 53. there was no … or beauty in Chriſt, why he ſhould be deſired.
3. If there were ſo many falſe Prophets in St. Johns time, then this reproves the Papiſts, that are burthened with traditions, Col. 2.20. they much adore Venerable Antiquity, as they call it; true indeed, an hoary head is a crown of glory; but it is when it is found in a way of righteouſneſſe.
4. Labour now eſpecially to diſcern the ſpirits of your Miniſters, for many a man makes a fair ſhew, hath a faire outſide, but nothing within him but rottenneſſe; many again have a fair outſide, and as for their inſide are like empty ſhels, they have no power of godlineſſe, Col. 2.22, 23.