Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 5 · Verse 9, 10
1 JOHN 5.9, 10.
If we receive the witneſſe of men, the witneſſe of God is greater; for this is the witneſſe of God, which he hath teſtified of his Son, &c.
HAving ſpoken in the former verſe, of the manner of Chriſts coming, and of the witneſſe born to it, three in Heaven, and three on earth, in theſe verſes he excites us to receive the teſtimony of thoſe witneſſes by four arguments.
1 A minori, If we receive the witneſſe of men, how much the more ought we to receive the witneſſe of God?
2 From the divinity of this teſtimony, whatſoever any of theſe fix witneſſes ſpeak, their teſtimony is not from the earth, but from God, verſe 9.
3 From the nearneſſe of this teſtimony, in the heart and conſcience of every believer, and therefore the rather to be credited, becauſe it is an inward teſtimony that we feel in our own hearts.
4 From the dangerous condition that ſuch fall into that doe not believe this truth, they do no leſſe then make God a lya…, for all theſe bear witneſſe from God, and therefore if we believe them not, we make God a lyar.
Doct. The three witneſſes in heaven, and the three witneſſes on earth, are all of them divine and inward teſtimonies in the hearts of believers, and therefore far more to be credited, then the witneſſe of all men in the world.
1 That the Father, Son, and Spirit, are divine witneſſes, is no queſtion, for they are the three Perſons in the Trinity, and yet are but one God, Deut. 6 4. Therefore their teſtimony muſt needs be divine. But the queſtion is, How doe theſe hear witneſſe in our hearts to this truth, he that believeth hath all theſe witneſſes in himſelfe?
1 The Father, as he is the Fountain of the God head, ſo his work is a work of Almighty power, and that is it which ſpeaks in the heart of every believer, John 6.44. No man can come to me; except the Father which ſent me draw him: as none come to Chriſt, except the Father draw him; ſo he draws none, but by the ſame power whereby he ſent Chriſt, and that was by his Soveraign authority; if God ſhould draw us onelyonly by the cords of men, we ſhould break through all, as the Iſraelites did, Hoſ. 11.4. But when God ſhakes our hearts by an Almighty power, and lets us ſee the danger of our eſtate, and after enlightens us to ſee the wayes of ſalvation, then he draws a man on to Chriſt: take a naturall man, all the world cannot perſwade him of his dangerous eſtate, but he is perſwaded of his good nature and good heart towards God.
Secondly, If he be convinced of it, all the world cannot perſwade him, that any promiſe belongs to him, and therefore here God muſt put forth an Almighty power of a Spirit of adoption, whereby he is brought on to believe the promiſes; before he had onelyonly an humane credulity, now he believes it from a teſtimony within himſelfe, John 6.45.
2 The Son of God bears witneſſe in our hearts of this truth, by ſpeaking freedome and liberty to our ſouls from the guilt of ſin, John 8.36. If the Son ſhall make you free, then ſhall you be free indeed, that whereas before we were bound to our ſins, and luſts, and wayes, Chriſt comes and ſets us free from all, ſo that now we ſerve not our ſelves or men, but the Lord Chriſt; & by this a Chriſtian knows that ſurely Chriſt is the Son of God, that hath made me a ſon of God my ſelfe.
3 The Spirit bears witneſſe to our hearts of this truth, by convincing our hearts of it, John 16.9.
Secondly, By working a Spirit of faith, and a ſpirit of joy in believing, John 14.16, 17. Hence he is called the Comforter.
Thirdly, By giving us a ſpirit to make us overcome the temptations of the world, and the luſts of our own hearts, 2 Tim. 1.7. 1 John 4.4. and this teſtimony is divine.
1 Becauſe it is the revelation and will of God himſelfe.
2 Becauſe it is above all humane power thus to draw us and convince us, and ſtrengthen and comfort us againſt all temptations.
For the three witneſſes on earth, they likewiſe bear witneſſe to this truth in our hearts.
1 The Spirit, that is, the Spirit breathing in the Word hath ſuch a mighty power to enlighten, and quicken, and ſtrengthen a ſoul, that whatſoever the Spirit ſpeaks in the Scripture, the ſame it witneſſeth in our ſouls, 1 Cor. 14.24, 25.
2 Water bears witneſſe in our hearts to this truth, that is, the water of Sanctification doth ſo cleanſe, and cool, and refreſh the conſcience of a man, and make him ſo fruitful in his Chriſtian courſe, that it's plainly a divine teſtimony, it paſſeth all the power of the creature thus to pacifie and quiet the conſcience; it is only the Spirit of God that is able thus to pacifie a guilty ſoul; thus to cleanſe an impure heart, and to make theſe dry barren ſtocks as we are fruitful; this is a divine work of Gods Spirit.
3 The bloud of Chriſt witneſſeth this truth to our hearts, by being ſprinkled on our conſciences, and ſo ſpeaking peace to us; this is a divine work.
2 The ſame bloud purifies every Ordinance, and creature; there would be no vertue in any Ordinance, nothing would doe us good, but for the bloud of Chriſt ſanctifying it to our uſe: now this teſtimony is of greater force then the teſtimony of all the ſons of men together. There be three things needful in a teſtimony.
1 That it be certain.
2 Evident.
3 Powerfull and Effectuall.
1 This divine teſtimony is more certain, then all the teſtimonies of the world, becauſe God is greater in knowledge, and ſo knows more then men can.
2 Becauſe he is greater in truth; men may erre, but God cannot lye, Tit. 1.2, 3. Rom. 4.2.
2 This teſtimony is more evident, to make a thing evident is required,
1 Objectum perſpicuum.
2 Organum bene affectum.
3 Medium apte diſpoſitum.
Now God doth make this truth evident by the concurrence of all theſe.
1 He lets us plainly ſee the danger of ſin, and the vertue and worth of Chriſts bloud; God reveals his Son to our hearts, John 3.12. Gal. 1.46. ſo what the Goſpel ſpeaks of his Son, the ſame is plainly revealed, and ſo he makes the object perſpicuous.
2 He opens the eyes of men to diſcern it, to long after it, to taſt of his vertue and power, Acts 26.18. 1 Pet. 2.3. 1 Cor. 2.14, 15. A natural man ſees nothing of this work.
3 He clears the Medium, that is, the Word and Sacraments, Prayer & Chriſtian Communion; ſo that whereas before we lookt at them, but as beggerly rudiments, of little power or worth, after God hath once enlightned us, we ſee the power and vertue of God therein, ſo plainly, as if we had been touched by the Sun beams.
3 This divine teſtimony is far more powerfull then any humane teſtimony, Heb. 4.12, 13. 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. The Ordinances of God are mighty and effectual through God, ſo to change and renew our hearts, that no humane power is able to reach them.
Ʋſe 1. To refute two doctrines of the Romiſh Church.
1 That the laſt ground-work of faith is reſolved on the teſtimony of the Church: Ask them if they believe Jeſus to be the Son of God, they ſay yes; ask them why? Becauſe the Scripture ſay ſo: ask rhem, But why doe you believe the Scripture? From the teſtimony of the Church, ſay they; ſo that their beſt faith is but humane credulity: But ask a true Proteſtant, why he believes Jeſus to be the Son of God? he tels you becauſe the Scripture ſay ſo; ask him why he believes the Scripture? he ſaith, not becauſe the Church believes ſo, but he believes it from a teſtimony within himſelfe. What ſay they, you truſt a private ſpirit of your own? nay his private ſpirit is common with him to all believers, ever ſince the world was, and that ſpirit is no other then the Spirit of God that breatheth in all his children. Beſides, he hath other witneſſes in his heart, the Spirit, the water, and the bloud, and this is a divine teſtimony, greater then the witneſſe of all the world; ſo that here is a double errour of theirs; 1 In grounding their faith upon the Churches teſtimony. 2 In blaſpheming the Spirit of God, for a private ſpirit. Fundamental errours.
That Doctrine that lifts the Church from Chriſt, and builds it on the teſtimony of the Fathers and the Schools, that doctrine overthrows the foundation; for other foundation can no man lay, then what is laid already, even Jeſus Chriſt.
2 It refutes another uncomfortable doctrine of the Romiſh Church, that teach, that a man cannot by divine faith have aſſurance of his eſtate in grace and ſalvation; for ſay they, all divine faith is generall; thus he that repents and believes ſhall be ſaved, but I repent and believe, this ſay they, the Scripture no where ſaith: But ſay we, beſides the teſtimony of the Scripture, there is a threefold witneſſe in heaven, and three on earth, all witneſſing this truth; now their teſtimony is divine, and therefore my faith is divine, and they all witneſſe to this truth, that Jeſus is the Son of God; and that I believing on him ſhall be ſaved.
Obj. All theſe are but ſuavis quidam motus, & cannot produce a divine faith.
Anſw. Can the teſtimony of men produce an humane certainty, and cannot three divine witneſſes in heaven, and three on earth, produce more then an humane probabilty? If not, how doth the text ſay, their teſtimony is greater then the teſtimony of men?
Object. How comes it to paſſe then, that this witneſſe is ſo low ſometimes, that we can hardly diſcern it?
Anſw. We ſo grieve the Spirit of God ſometimes, that he delights not to reveal himſelfe to us; but this is our own fault, that we ſo black this evidence, that we cannot read it; but if we maintain and cheriſh it, it will be a ſtrong teſtimony to our ſouls.
Ʋſe 2. For tryal of our faith; wouldſt thou know whether thy faith be true or not? If it be, it will convey a double trinity of witneſſes into thy heart, witneſſing that Jeſus is the Son of God, and that he came by water and bloud. If you ſhould reſolve moſt mens faith into its principle, you ſhould find moſt mens faith built upon antiquity, and authority, and univerſall conſent of all men: Why, if theſe be the beſt grounds of thy ſaith, the Divel hath better grounds of faith then ſo; but if thou find this truth confirmed to thee, by the teſtimony of Gods Spirit within thee, this faith will hold tryall.
Ʋſe 3. Of conſolation to all them that find this witneſſe in themſelves. Why, they have grounds of full aſſurance of their good eſtates, ſeeing they have ſuch divine and certain witneſſe of it, both in heaven and earth.