Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 5 · Verse 10, 11, 12
1 JOHN 5.10, 11, 12.
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witneſſe in himſelf: he that believeth not God, hath made him a lyar, becauſe he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son, &c.
HAving ſhewed verſ. 6, 7, 8. three witneſſes in heaven, and three on earth, that bear witneſſe to the Sonſhip of Chriſt, verſ. 9, 10. he ſtirs us up to believe this witneſſe,
1 A minori, If we believe the witneſſe of men, the witneſſe of God is greater.
2 From the Divinity of all thoſe witneſſes in our hearts and conſciences.
3 From the nearneſſe of this teſtimony.
4 From the danger that follows the not believing this teſtimony we thereby make God a lyar, and he gives a reaſon of it, becauſe he believes not the record that God hath of his Son, and he ſhews what that record is, this is the record that God hath given us of his Son, even eternal life.
From the change of the phraſe in this 10 verſ. believing on the Son of God, and believing God, obſerve
Doct. True faith that believeth God believeth alſo on the Son of God.
There is a double phraſe uſed,
1 Credere Deo.
2 Credere in filium Dei.
Credere Deo, is to believe that there is a God.
2 That every teſtimony God gives us is true, Act. 27.25. I believe God, that it ſhall be ſo as he hath ſaid, but to believe on God, or on the Son of God, is a phraſe peculiar only to Scripture, not found in any humane Writers.
Now to believe that there is a God, and that his Word is true, are acts of the underſtanding; but to believe on God, is not only an act of my underſtanding, but of my will; whereby I truſt on him, and rowl my ſelfe upon him, it's expreſt by laying a ſtone upon a foundation, 1 Pet. 2.5, 6. Chriſt lyes as the corner ſtone of his Church, every living ſtone lyes upon him, depends upon him, and that is to believe on God, to lift up our ſouls, and lye on the foundation, John 14.1. Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe on God, believe alſo on me; ſo much belief ſo much leſſe fear; and ſo much fear, ſo much leſſe faith, Jam. 2.19. The Devils believe and tremble; but he that believes on the Son of God feare not, this believing on him, is a reſting on him, for many may have faith, and not reſt on Chriſt, Iſa. 30.15. In quietneſſe and confidence ſhall be your reſt, there is no ſuch rowling our ſelves upon Chriſt; ſo that as living ſtones we lye ſtill and quiet upon Chriſt the corner ſtone, ſo that you cannot lift off a Chriſtian from his foundation, except you overthrow the building, and this is, when a Chrſtian is ſo eſtabliſhed in faith, that all miſts of doubtings are removed, and Gods favour clearely ſeen, and then the ſoul ſits down in calmneſſe, and quiet, Pſal. 3.5, 6. and this hand of faith the children of God are wont to put forth in dangerous times, Pſal. 91.12. He that abideth in the ſecret place of the moſt High, &c. Two things are in God, which are the ſecret place of the Almighty, and both expreſt in the Name of the Lord.
Which implyes, 1 his attributes of mercy, goodneſſe, and patience, and the like.
2 His truth, Pſal. 138.4. Thou haſt exalted thy word about thy Name, the Word of God doth more comfort, and command, then any attribute without the Word; ſo that the Name of God, is the ſecret place of God in danger; A Chriſtian runs to the attributes and promiſes of God.
2. But if this were all, it would exclude from faith, all thoſe whoſe faith is not grown to this quietneſſe and reſt, for many a day is it before we come to ſuch quietneſſe and reſt, but full of doubts and agitations are we: as if you commit ſuch a ſum of money to be paid at London, into a faithfull able mans hand; I never doubt of his care or faithfulneſſe, if I doubt of either, my heart is never at reſt, till I hear how matters goe? no Chriſtian ord… narily doubts of Gods power and ability; but he doubts whether God be willing to put forth his power for my ſalvation or no; hence a poor ſoule hath many thoughts and cares what will become of his ſoul, yet there is ſome kinde of ſaving faith in him that believes his ability, and this faith makes him in ſome meaſure to lean on Chriſt, as Mark 1.40. the poor Leper came to Jeſus, and ſaid, If thou wilt thou canſt make me clean, he believed his power, yet ſomething doubts of his will; yet he comes to him that he might be willing.
3. There is a weaker faith then this, that is, a Chriſtian comes ſometimes to doubt even of the power of God, that he is not able to ſhew him mercy, and ſo doubts of it, as thus, becauſe God hath ſaid, That they that have ſinned againſt the holy Ghoſt ſhall never be forgiven, and they are afraid they have committed this ſin, and they know God is not able to break his word, Mark 9.22. There comes a poor man to Chriſt for help for his ſon, and ſaid, If thou canſt doe any thing, have compaſſion on us; What ſaith Chriſt, If thou canſt believe, all things are poſſible to him that believeth? viz, that I am able; why, ſaith he, Lord I believe, help my unbeliefe, he believed God was able to help him, and yet was not certain of it neither, and yet this faith procured this bleſſing from God.
Queſt. How can this be called believing on Chriſt, when the heart is not grounded on Chriſt, nor reſts on him?
Anſw. As to believe on Chriſt, is to reſt on him, as a ſtone on the foundation, ſo there is a believing on Chriſt, when the heart yet reſts not one Chriſt, but rowls it ſelfe on Chriſt, and that may be done, while the heart is yet in motion. Reſting is a ſetledneſſe of condition, but rowling is an unſetled tumbling about, ſometimes rowls one way, ſometimes another; yet ſuch a Chriſtian believes on Chriſt, becauſe he is rowling towards him; that ſo he may lie on him, Pſal. 37.5. Commit thy ways to the Lord, in the original, rowl thy ways upon God, lean thy ſoul that way, that is done by rowling thy ſelfe towards him, that thou mightſt reſt on him, Prov. 3.6. Truſt on the Lord with all thy heart, lean not on thy own wiſdome: a man may be ſaid to lean that way, whereon he is not yet ſetled.
Queſt. When is a man ſaid to lean on Chriſt?
Anſw. 1. When a man is perſwaded that God is able to help him, yet doubts of his willingneſſe, and yet comes to him, leans towards him, craves his help: as Mark 5.25. there comes a woman to Chriſt with a bloudy iſſue, ſhe came, neither doubting of his ability, nor will, If I may but touch the hemme of his garment, I ſhall be made whole, this was a reſting on Chriſt: But the poor Leper was not come ſo far, as to aſſure himſelfe that Chriſt would doe it; but he believes his power, and uſeth the means to make him willing, Lord if thou wilt, thou canſt make me clean
2 A man may be ſaid to lean on Chriſt, when he believes not his willingneſſe, nor yet confidently his power, and yet deſires God to help his unbelief, this is a rowling upon Chriſt; If thou ca… doe any thing, help us, in Scripture phraſe, this kind of rowling upon Chriſt, is called a coming to Chriſt: it's one thing to be coming to Chriſt, and another thing to reſt on him, but yet he is a believer, if he doe but come to Chriſt, Math. 11.28. this coming to Chriſt, is believing on him, for to ſuch he promiſeth that he will refreſh them, and he refreſheth none but believers, Joh. 6.35, 37, 67. By coming to Chriſt, we believe on him, and he that cometh to him, he will in no wiſe caſt out; if a man be but coming onwards, humbled for his ſins, and perſwaded that God is able to help him, if not, yet if he be grieved for his unbelief, and prayes to God to help his unbelief, this is coming to Chriſt, that is, making towards him, and this is faith. Suppoſe a man tell you in ſuch a field of yours is a rich treaſure, if you believe the man, will you not goe about to dig it up? but if you doubt of the truth, then you let it alone: ſo God tels you all the treaſures of life and grace are laid up in Chriſt this record God gives of his Son; now if we believe this record, we will uſe all good means to attain this eternal life, otherwiſe if we doe not uſe the means to get this treaſure, we make God a lyar; as if his record were not true.
Ʋſe 1. It reproves the dangerous ſin of ſuch as neither relye on Chriſt, nor rowl towards him, St. John tels us, we make God a lyar, a fearfull thing for mortal men, to make the God of truth a God of lyes; now if we make God a lyar, we make him no God at all; if we live in unbelief, we live in Atheiſm; all ſuch as find not their hearts reſting on God, or rowling towards him, they make God a lyar, and there is no truth in them, for if we did but believe that eternal life were to be found in Chriſt, we would not reſt till we were aſſured of it; if we know of any Inheritance left us, we will …ow from one end of the land to the other to obtain it; ſo if we believed that the treaſure of ſalvation were laid up in Chriſt, we ſhould never reſt rowling towards him, till we had got poſſeſſion thereof.
Ʋſe 2. May ſtir us up never to reſt, till we have brought our hearts to relye upon Chriſt, to lean on him, to rowl towards him, if we doe not this, we are Atheiſts; therefore as we deſire to make God, a God of truth, let …s never reſt, till we have found our hearts relying on him. Pſal. 132.…. to 6. It was a notable reſolution of David, in the midſt of all his …bles, that he would not give himſelfe reſt, till he had prepared as habitation for God, ſo let us never ceaſe rowling towards Chriſt, till at length we find our ſelves reſting on him.
Queſt. What would you have us to doe to …ing our hearts to relye and … on God?
Anſw. 1. Rowl your ſelves to ſuch places where you may have means of grace, Faith comes by bearing, Rom 10.17.
2 Rowl off your hearts from all your ſins, come out of your ſinful corruptions, rowl your ſelves out of your bod… of ſecurity, 2 Cor, 6. two laſt verſes.
3 Rowl your ſelves ſo far from all worldly comforts, as that you ſet not your hearts on them, Pſal. 62.10. nor on great friends, Pſal. 146.3.
4 Caſt your meditation on the mighty power of God, which is able to heal ſuch untoward hearts as yours.
5 Uſe all the means you may, and endeavour with all the ſtrength you may, that God may heal you.
6 If you doubt of his will, and are not confident of his ability, pray that God would give you a believing heart. Lord help my unbelief.
Ʋſe 3. For them that have rowled themſelves on Chriſt, reſt not in rowling, there is no reſt to be had in rowling, therefore from rowling … come to eſtabliſhment in Chriſt, and th…re reſt, ſit down in quietneſſe and confidence; now if thou wouldſt have a ſtone lye on the foundation, thou moſt cut off all the roughneſſe and unſquareneſſe, or elſe it cannot lye … there is none but either he hath ſome doubts that make him under or elſe pride that is a great ſwelling, therefore we muſt lay down all our high thoughts and … levell with Chriſt, for he is meek and lo…ly: beſides, all hatred and …, is an uneven ſwelling in our hearts, and how … can they lye ſmooth in the building? bowles and ſwelling bodies will not touch but in … point, ſmoo… things lye flat: what ſwelling of heart we ſee in us, either to pride, on covetouſneſſe, or wrath; if we would lye ſmooth and ſure in the building, we muſt pare off all theſe out-running and ſwellings of our hearts, and ſo bring … ſmooth and even, we ſhall lye ſure upon the foundation.