Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 4 · Verse 9
1 JOHN 4.9.
In this was manifeſted the love of God towards us, becauſe that God ſent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
THe ſecond Argument to move us to brotherly love, is taken from the example of God the Fathers love to us ward.
A third argument is taken from the benefit which ſuch receive, which walke in love among themſelves.
The benefit is twofold:
1 They have fellowſhip with God, they ſee the face of God, and find God dwelling within them, to verſe 16.
The ſecond benefit is, they grow up to perfection, without love there is no growth of grace.
Theſe words then contain an argument to move us to love our Brethren, and it's taken from Gods love; Wherein we have
1 The manifeſtation of Gods love.
2 The Object, towards us.
3 The evidence thereof, becauſe he ſent his Son.
4 The place whereto he ſent his Son, and that is, into the world, as alſo with the end, that we might live through him.
In this was manifeſted the love of God towards us.
Doct. That God doth not only beſtow love upon his people, but it is his good pleaſure to manifest it, Rom. 5.8, Pſal. 98.2, 3. Iſa. 52.10.
There is the mighty power of God by which he overcomes all our ſins, by which he redeemeth us, Luk. 3.6. All fleſh ſhall ſee the ſalvation of our God, yea more then all fleſh, for it is manifeſted.
1 To the Angels, Luke 2.13, 14.
2 To mens conſciences, Rom. 5.8. Gal. 2.20. God commonly gives us no gifts, but he is willing his Spirit ſhould ſhew unto us his love.
3 This love of God is manifeſted to the reſt of mankind, Rev. 3.9.
Reaſ. From Gods glory, Luke 2.14. the high praiſes of God were in their mouthes; Jeruſalem ſhall be comforted, becauſe God will make bare his arm in the redemption of his people, Iſa. 52.9, 10.
2 If God did not reveal our ſalvation to us, it would be no comfort to us, but when it is manifeſted, it is a ground of joy.
3 It's a means to draw on many men into the unfeigned love of God, which otherwiſe might be left in darkneſſe, Zech. 8.23. When the love of God, is manifeſted to the children of men, it doth raiſe them up to ſeek God, Cant. 5.16. therefore the daughters of Jeruſalem are provoked to ſeek Chriſt Jeſus with the reſt of his people; when they diſcern what a gracious God he is to them that cleave to him in a conjugall affection, Pſal. 106.45. this encourageth them that are coming on in the wayes of grace, and diſcourageth them that doe not, and convinceth them that are of the Synagogue of Satan, who know that he is the Lord.
Ʋſe 1. This ſhould teach the ſervants of God not only to bear an hidden love, but alſo a manifeſt love to Chriſt; now indeed are the time, wherein men need not be aſhamed to manifeſt their love; but if times grow hard, then men will come to Chriſt by night, as Nicodemus did; but God requires, if he manifeſt his love to your conſcience, that you ſhould make it known to the world, and not to be like Joſeph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, Joh. 9.38, 39. If we be aſhamed of him in the world, he will be aſhamed of us before his Father, Mark 8, 38. when Chriſt hung on the Croſſe, Joſeph came in boldly to Pilate, and asked the body of Jeſus, Mark. 15.43, which ſhewes you, that where there is truth of grace, though it be cloſe at the firſt coming on, yet when there is danger indeed, every man will put forth himſelfe to bear witneſſe to the truth.
Doct. That God bare love to us before he ſent his Son to reconcile us to himſelf.
The ſending of Chriſt into the world, was out of free love, for his love moved him to ſend Chriſt, Rom. 5.8. John 3.16. Chriſt ſaith God ſo loved the world that he gave hu only begotten Son into the world, &c.
Reaſ. He dyed for us to make an atonement for us, Chriſt did not come unſent, he was ſent before he went, Heb. 5.45.
Queſt. How can this be, ſeeing the death and blood of Chriſt is the Originall of our reconciliation? Rom. 5.10. Rom, 3.24, 25.
Anſw. 1. Chriſt by his blood wrought reconciliation, becauſe God loved us before, yet we loved not him before, for there muſt be a mutuall fellowſhip in reconciling us to God, 2 Cor. 5.16. not ſo much in reconciling himſelfe to the world, in the 20. verſe, he ſaith we pray you in Chriſts ſtead, which ſhewes you that Chriſts blood did not ſo much reconcile God to us, as us unto God, that we ſeeing the blood of Chriſt ſhed for us, we might be ſtirred up to love God, who out of the abundance of his compaſſion takes a courſe, that we may be brought unto him.
2 Becauſe though he did bear love to us before, yet his love was ſecret, and he did not breake forth into a manifeſtation of his love to us, untill he ſent his Son into the world: though God did love us with an everlaſting love, Jer. 31.3. yet God did not manifeſt it to our conſcience, neither could it ſtand with his Juſtice ſo to doe, untill he had given his Son the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to dye for us.
Queſt. What kind of love was it, that God bare to the world in that he ſent his Son, Tit. 3.5. was it his love towards mankinde, by which he did love the whole world, or a peculiar love which he bare to the people of the Election of grace? Joh. 3.16. The Arminians ſay, that he bare a love to the World, and this love was generall to all, before the ſending of Chriſt, and therefore all may be ſaved.
The truth is, that God bare a love to the world, a foreign reaching to all, but he bare an antient love to his owne people, had he onelyonly bore a generall love (as they ſay) all men might have periſhed, for if God ſent his Son, that whoſoever believed, ſhould be ſaved, was it in the will to believe or not? yes ſay they, he gave them means, but they might will or not; if this was a generall love, then there was a greater love, then the ſending of Chriſt, which is contrary to Scripture, Greater love then this hath no man.
Ʋſe 1. Let us magnifie the love of God to us in Chriſt, we eſteeme much of ancient love, it (like wine) is the beſt, God loved us, before he did ſend Chriſt, before the foundation of the world was laid Jer. 31.3. This love was without reaſon on our parts, for we were enemies to him.
2 This exhorts us to accept this love, ſhall God ſend his Embaſſadors, 2 Cor. 5.20. and ſhall we ſtill ſtand out with God?
3 If God ſo loved the world, we ought to love one another.
Doct. God ſending his only begotten Son into the world, is a manifeſt token of Gods love to us.
John 3.16. God ſo loved the world, this love is manifeſt.
1 If we conſider, that God doth not only ſend us bodily bread every day, but the bread of eternall life, not ſo much the gift, as the giver himſelf.
2 Conſider upon what tearmes we ſtood with God, when he ſent us his on? Even then when we provoked him to his face, and were enemies to his Majeſty, Rom. 5.8.
3 Conſider we that God looked not at the Angels, but the ſeed of man, God paſſed over Angels, left them in chains of darkneſſe, Heb. 2.16. but of man he ſaid, ſhall he fall and not riſe again?
Conſider we were ſtrangers and enemies to God; dead in ſins and treſpaſſes▪ and ſo we did neither deſire nor deſerve love, yet us he hath reconciled, Col. 1.21. Epheſ. 2.4, 5.
4 Conſider Chriſt who was ſent, had it been a morſell of dayly bread, it had been a great mercy, but in Chriſt he ſent an horn of ſalvation, Pſal. 89.19. Luke 1.69.
Conſider Chriſt, not as a ſervant, but a Son, and a well-beloved Son in whom he was well pleaſed, and ſuch a Son as thought it no blaſphemy to think and ſay, he was equall with God, Phil. 2.5, 6.
5 Conſider whither God ſent his Son, into the world; our ſalvation could not be wrought in heaven, it was no place for ſuffering, no place for a man to be born in; therefore needfull that Chriſt ſhould come down.
Conſider, the world did not put on Chriſt that honour which was due unto him, but rather diſhonour, a Crown of thorns.
Conſider, the more the world knew him; the more they hated him; in heaven they adore and honour him; but you have known me and hated me, ſaith he, John 15.18. This is the heir, come, let us kill him.
Ʋſe 1 Learn hence to acknowledge the Divinity of the nature of Chriſt, he is called the only begotten Son of God, therefore of the ſame nature with God, Phil. 2.5, 6.
2 This ſhewes you the love of the Father to us, in that he ſends his Son to be a ranſom for us; when all other ſignes fail you; if God give you his only Son, that is a true token of Gods love, Eccleſ. 9 1.
3 This ſhewes us the woeful miſery that we naturally ly in, when as Chriſt muſt come down from heaven, or elſe we could not have heen ſaved, no man nor Angel could doe it.
4 This ſhould ſtir us all up to accept of this love of God, that God ſends forth ſuch a manifeſt token of his love to us; and ſhall not we accept of it? We ſhould accept a ſmall gift from a Prince.
5 To perſwade us all, that if God gives Chriſt, he will deny us nothing, Rom. 8.32. we may goe boldly to the throne of grace, and he will fill our mouthes.
6 This ſhould cauſe us to returne back again to God, manifeſt pledges of our love to him, let us give body and ſoul to God, ſince he hath not been wanting in his love to us; doth not love require love? Pſal. 116.12. Train we up our children to know God; and draw we as many as we can to know God: there is no greater diſhonour to God, then to refuſe this manifeſt love of God. The end for which God ſent his Son into the world was, that we might live through him.
Doct. That our life was the end why God ſent Chriſt: Or thus; God therefore ſent Chriſt, that we might live by him▪ Joh. 1.10, 11.
Queſt. What is the life that Chriſt came to procure for us?
Anſw. 1. A life of Gods favour in poynts of Juſtification, ſanctification, and conſolation, that is the chiefeſt life for the ſoul of a chriſtian, the manifeſtation of Gods love to his conſcience; though God loved us before he ſent Chriſt, yet we knew not ſo much: there is a life of Juſtification, Rom. 5.18. that is, the pardon of our ſins.
In his favour is life, Pſal. 30.5. The Sun is the life of many Vermine, take away the Sun, and they dye, as flyes; but when the Sun ſhines in its ſeaſon they live; let God take away the Sun-ſhine of his favour from us, we can neither pray nor preach, we live a life of grace, of holineſſe, Prov. 16.14, 15. Rom. 8.2. Epheſ. 2.4, 5. there is life enougſt in Chriſt, to procure us life.
2 There is a life of glory, of which it is ſaid, John 10.27, 28. That Chriſt gives to his ſheep eternall life, 1 Cor. 15.4, 5. John 5.24, 28, 29. ſo many whoſe ſouls receive life by the Word of the Goſpel, their bodies ſhall riſe to eternall life.
How did Chriſt procure us this life?
He procured this by his death, Rom. 5.9, 10. while we were yet enemies, we were yet reconciled by the death of Chriſt.
We received life of grace and holineſſe by his means, I will pour out my Spirit of grace upon all fleſh.
Reaſ. 1. It was unpoſſible our corrupt nature ſhould fulfill any law of God, Rom. 8.4. Gal. 3.21.
2 The glory of Chriſt requires, that as the Father quickneth, ſo he alſo, John 5.21.
Ʋſe 1. This ſhewes us what our condition is without Chriſt, if God ſend Chriſt, that we might live through him, then in Gods fight without Chriſt, we are dead, as dead flyes, dead wormes in a cold froſt; we are utterly dead without true peace, we are like thorns that give a blaze; but we lye down in ſorrow, Iſa. 50.11. Chriſt is our life, without him we can doe nothing, we are not able to put forth any ſpirituall action.
2 Let us try our eſtates, Whether can we ſay that God ſent his Son into the world, and hereby manifeſted his love to us? Doe you live in Gods ſight? without him we are but dry bones, untill we can ſay we live in Chriſt, we cannot ſay we have any ſenſe of Gods favour.
3 It teacheth ſuch as have any evidence of life in Chriſt, Joh. 10.10. to come into Gods preſence, as dry bones, intreat God that he would ſo ſpeake the word, as that thoſe dry bones may live.
4 To teach all ſuch as have received this manifeſt token of Gods love, to acknowledge the Lord Chriſt to be their life, Phil. 1.21. For me to live is Chriſt, and to dye is gain; now Paul is crucified with Chriſt, Gal. 2.20. and now for him to live is Chriſt; now every day he lives, he doth the more expreſſe Chriſt.