Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 4 · Verse 19
1 JOHN 4.19.
We love him, becauſe he firſt loved us.
THeſe words depend on the former words, verſ. 17. he delivered this truth; that thoſe that are ſound-hearted in love, may have boldneſſe againſt the day of judgement, this he proves from the reſemblance that is between God and a loving heart.
2 from the contrariety betwixt fear and love, there is no fear in love, which he proves.
1 From the eff… of love, perfect love caſts out fear.
2 From the …nct of fear, Fear hath torment, therefore love that is a quiet peaceable gr… cannot ſtand with it.
3 From the …oundneſſe of fear, he that fears is not perfect in love.
The fourth argument is taken from the cauſe of love, which is Gods love to us, if we love God, becauſe God loved us firſt, then perfect love caſts out fear, but we do ſo: Ergo. For this is the nature of love, it makes us look at God as good and merciful to us, and therefore love caſts out all fear of evil from the hand of God.
In this 19 verſe obſerve two parts.
1 The freedom of Gods love to us, he loved us, not becauſe we loved him, but he firſt loved us.
2 The root and ſpring of our love to God, is Gods love firſt to us, preventing us. For the firſt part obſerve,
Doct. 1. The love of God to us is altogether free, un-prevented and un-deſerved on our part.
If the queſtion be, why God loved us? it was not becauſe we had done him any ſervice of love, but he loved us before we loved him. 2 Tim. 1.9. He called us not according to our works, but according to his free purpoſe and grace. Deut. 7.7, 8. The Lord did not ſet his love upon you, becauſe you were more in number then any people, for ye were the feweſt of all people, but becauſe the Lord loved you. So Deut. 9.4, 5. he loved them becauſe he loved them, and therefore ſurely without prevention or deſert on our parts.
Reaſ. 1. From the removal of ſuch cauſes of love, as might prevent God on our parts, if there be any cauſe on our parts, he loved us either out of foreſeen faith or good works; but from neither of theſe; not from foreſeen faith, for it's the love of God to us that produceth faith. Acts 13.48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed, ſo that our faith ſpringeth from Gods love, chooſing us to life; nor for our good works, for we are his workmanſhip, created in Chriſt Jeſus to good works, ſo that good works did not cauſe Gods ordaining us to life, but Gods ordaining us to life cauſeth good works, ſo that faith and good works are not cauſes, but fruits of Gods love to us.
Reaſ. 2. From the eternity of Gods love to us. Je. 31.3. I have loved you with an everlaſting love. Now if Gods love be eternal before the world was, then it was not for our ſakes, who were made after, Epheſ. 4.5. Nothing temporal can be the cauſe of that which is eternal, our love and faith began in time, his love was eternal.
Obj. Though our love and faith began but now, yet he fore-ſaw it from eternity, and therefore it might move him to ſet his love on us.
Anſw. It's all one with God, whether you have reſpect to that which is now, or what he knows will be hereafter, ſo a wiſe man ſerves a Prince, not out of meer affection to the Prince, but becauſe he loved himſelfe firſt; for he fore-ſaw if he ſerved him carefully, he ſhould have abundant recompence: Now to the wiſe man it's all one, whether he have reſpect to the future foreſeen recompence, or to the preſent, and therefore ſtill his ſervice is mercenary; therefore when God loved us, it was not for any thing we did, or was foreſeen to be done by us, for then we had not loved him, becauſe he firſt loved us, but he had loved us, becauſe we firſt loved him.
2 In Scripture account, that which comes after, is not the cauſe of that which went before, therefore our love coming after cannot be the cauſe of Gods love going before: To Abraham and his ſeed were the promiſes made, not by works or obedience to the Law, for the Law was given four hundred years after, Gal. 3.17. and therefore God had not reſpect to it, as the Apoſtle argues; So that which we have done four thouſand years after the world was made, cannot be the cauſe of Gods love before the world was, Rom. 9.12, 13, 14. If the Apoſtle there had not excluded foreſeen works, his arguing had been of no effect; for he ſpeaks not onelyonly of what was then, but hee conſidered nothing that might be afterwards as the cauſe of his love.
Ʋſe 1. To refute thoſe that make Gods love to us depend upon our love to him, they expreſly blot out this Scripture, to ſay that any one is beloved of God for his fore-ſeen faith, is to ſay, that God loved us, becauſe we firſt loved him, which is expreſly contrary to this Text, ſo that if we enquire the cauſe of Gods love to us, we muſt ſeek it in God, not in our ſelves, for he loved us, becauſe he loved us.
Ʋſe 2. May teach us to love God betimes; for you can never begin too ſoon, but he hath prevented you, you can never begin ſo early, but he hath been up before you: what a ſhame is it for men to deferre this, till 30. 40. 50. yeares, till their old age? God was up betimes to manifeſt his love to you, and will not you begin to love God, till you are going out of the world?
Ʋſe 3. To ſuch as have already given their love to God; let them learn to maintain their love, and increaſe it: a man is wont to make much of an old friend; Thine own friend, and thy Fathers friend forſake not, Prov. 27.10. Why, God is the ancienteſt that ever thou hadſt, he loved thee before thou wert, before thou kneweſt what the world was, or what love was, therefore love him again.
Ʋſe 4. Of conſolation to ſuch as have experience of Gods love towards them, if God loved us before we loved him, when we were ſtrangers and enemies, then ſurely he will not caſt us off for our infirmities in our after loves, it may be we may be looſe and ſinful; but God loved us at firſt, not for our goodneſſe, neither will he caſt us off afterward for our wickedneſſe. Yet this is no encouragement to licentiouſneſſe, for God knows how to put us to anguiſhes and ſtraights, and croſſes, and yet reſerve everlaſting life for us. There is never a ſervant of God, but had he caſt him off for his failings, he had never been ſaved, none but have failed in many things, and abuſed Gods grace; but God knows how to heal ſuch diſtempers, and yet reſerve his mercy to us; if he began to love us, before we loved him, then as he was firſt in love, ſo he will be laſt.
Ʋſe 5. May teach us to be free in our love to God and our brethren, Mat. 10.8. Freely ye have received, freely give. God loved us, when we loved not him; So though men prevent you not with love, yet prevent you them; and if they provoke you, be faſt in your love, be like God in your love, begin firſt, and continue laſt, and ſo come off freely in your love to God; be content to part with all for him, for when ſhall we be able to give more to God, then he hath given us? If you ask In quo conſiſtit efficacia gratiae? What makes grace effectual to any ſoul? the anſwer is, the love of God to us.
Doct. 2. The preventing love of God to us, is the effectual cauſe of our love to God.
The love he here ſpeaks of, is ſuch a love as caſts out feare of judgement, and therefore muſt needs be a ſecuring love.
1. Objectivè, By ſetting us a pattern of love; but that's not all, for all have read and heard of the great love of God to us.
2 Phyſicè, by working ſomething in us, which makes us to love him. Jer. 31.3. With loving kindneſſe have I drawn thee, and this is not onelyonly a moral drawing, by propounding ſome ſuitable object, as an horſe is drawn by a lock of Hay, for that's a leading rather then a drawing; but Gods drawing us is not onelyonly by propounding fit arguments, but by a phyſical, or rather hyper phyſical work of his Spirit, he makes us of unwilling to be willing to follow him; objects do not give us a new heart, but God is ſaid to give us a new heart, Ezek. 36.26. this he works.
1 By ſtriking us with ſhame and horrour for our ſins, ſo that we are brought heartily to grieve for them, and when he hath drawn us to the ſuburbs of hell, then he ſhews us the glad tidings of ſalvation, and withal gives us a believing heart to long after them, to embrace them, and to aſſure our ſelves of them.
Reaſ. 1. From the efficacy of Gods gracious work; there is no work of God in us, but it works in our hearts the like ſuitable work; If God chooſe us for himſelf, then we chooſe him for our God, we chooſe him, his Word, and favour, and promiſes, above all treaſure; Gods election of us ſtamps on us an election of him: Hath God purchaſed us at a dear rate? then we learn to purchaſe Chriſt at a dear rate, though with the loſſe of all we have. Doth God call any of us to be his ſons? then we learn to call him Father, Hoſ. 2.1. to 3. In what wayes he walks towards us, we begin to walk towards him, but ever God begins firſt, Pſal. 27.8. When God ſaith to a ſoul, Seek my face, then it anſwers, Thy face O Lord will I ſeek. If God go on in a conſtant courſe of helpfulneſſe by his Spirit to us, then we go on in a conſtant frame of grace towards him. Jer. 32.40. I will not turn away from them, and then he will put his feare in our hearts, that we ſhall not turn from him. So that Gods work ever leaves ſome impreſſion of the like frame in us: if God firſt love us, then we learn to love him.
Ʋſe 1. To reprove the Papiſts and Pelagians, that have attributed the efficacy of grace to other cauſes. If you ſhould ask the Pelagians of old, & their followers at this day, what is the reaſon why Peter accepts Gods love. Simon Magus refuſeth it? They would ſay, the one was willing to accept the offer, the other not: Well then, the efficacy of grace conſiſts in our wils, then we begin firſt. Many of the Papiſts ſay the ſame, but the more moderate amongſt them ask them why Peter accepts grace, Simon Magus refuſeth it? they ſay the grace offered was ſufficient for them both; but God offered it to Peter in a fit time and place, when his heart was free from temptation; but it was offered to Simon Magus at ſuch a time, when his heart was carried away with the love of money: But the true cauſe was, Gods firſt love to Peter, that made him love God again; ſhould God wait for times and opportunities? why, at the beſt time, mens hearts will finde ſome evaſions; if God ſhould ſtay for a fit time, he ſhould never find it, for Chriſtians can tell, God took hold on them, when their hearts were moſt undiſpoſed to it. How long is it before they can be convinced of their dangerous eſtate, or will be brought on to ſeek for help, till God awaken their hearts and open their eyes, ſo that they would be glad to ſee one glimpſe of favour? why, tell them of never ſo fair promiſes, they cannot be brought to embrace them; ſo that unleſſe God mightily draws us to it, we ſhould never come on to accept of the offer of grace; but we therefore love God, becauſe by his preventing love he brought us to that, which of our ſelves we could never have been brought to.
Ʋſe 2. Would a man know whether God love him or no? a needful point to be known. Why, no man can know it by theſe outward things, theſe fall alike to all, Ecleſ. 9.1. Why, enquire you how thy heart ſtands affected to God? if thou canſt find in thy heart that thou loveſt God, the Text will tell thee, that God loveth thee.
Object. Love God? who doth not? God forbid that any ſhould not love God.
Anſw. That thou mayeſt know this indeed, doſt thou find thy heart chooſing God above all things in the world? Why, thou couldſt not thus chooſe God, unleſſe he had firſt choſen thee; if thou findeſt thou canſt be content to purchaſe Chriſt at the loſſe of thy deareſt comforts, then make account that God hath loved thee, and been willing to part with Chriſt for thee: What made Abraham willing to offer up his Son, but that he knew that God had given his Son to dye for him? Canſt thou look up to God as thy Father? then he hath adopted thee for his Son; doſt thou find thy heart cleaving cloſe to God, as David did, Pſal. 73. ult. It's good for me to draw near to God? why, it's evident that Gods love is conſtant to thee, becauſe thine is ſo conſtant to him.
Ʋſe 3 Of conſolation to ſuch as doe find in their hearts that they doe love God; if thou findeſt thou couldſt be willing to part with all for his ſake; why, then ſurely, God ſo loved thee firſt, that he will rather part with any thing then thee, Iſa. 43.4. O how this ſhould ſtir us up to love God more then ever we did; if thou loveſt God dearly, and prizeſt him above all things; why, this will ſeal up to thee, that he loveth thee as dearly; if you would know whether God love you with a love unto life, why, labour you to love him with a lively love.