Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 5 · Verse 11
1 JOHN 5, 11. the latter part.
And this life is in his Son.
Doct. THe Eternall life that God hath given us, is laid up for us in Jeſus Chriſt, John 11.25, 26. Col. 3.3. John 14.6.
This life is fourfold, of Juſtification, Sanctification, Conſolation, and Glorification. All theſe are laid up in Chriſt, Jer. 23.6. He is the Lord our righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 4.1, 2. For them altogether, ſee 1 Cor. 1.30. He is made our Wiſdome, Righteouſneſſe, Sanctification, and Redemption. Our Redemption not onelyonly from the guilt eternall and puniſhment of ſin, but from all the afflictions both inward and outward that Gods ſervants he expoſed unto, as for inward temptation in ſickneſſe, and griefs, &c. Col. 3.3. Your life is hid with Chriſt in God, Its ſometimes under a veil of corruptions, ſometimes of affliction, but yet laid up in Chriſt.
Queſt. How is our life ſaid to be laid up in him?
Anſw. 1. Becauſe he hath received it for us from God the Father to give unto us, John 5.21, 26. 1 Theſ. 5.9, 10. He hath appointed us to ſalvation, through Jeſus Chriſt, that ſo whether we remain alive or die, yet we may live in Chriſt.
2. Chriſt hath purchaſed this life for us, 1 Theſ. 5.9, 10. the Father hath not onelyonly appointed us life, but he hath appointed it through the death of Chriſt, John 10.10. I am come that my ſheep may have life, and that they may have it in abundance, and this is by giving his life for us.
3. Its laid up in Chriſt as one that prepares it for us, and us for it, Col. 1.12. its he that makes us meet to be made partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light, that whereas before we were unfit, now he hath adorned us, and made us fit Spouſes for himſelfe, which he doth by turning us from darkneſſe to light, by giving us of his Spirit, by diſpenſing himſelfe to us in his Sacraments, and Chriſtian communion, wherein all the members receive nouriſhment from the head, Eph. 4.16. and as he thus prepares us for eternall life, ſo likewiſe he prepares a place for us, John 14.2, 3.
4. Its reſerved for us principally in himſelfe, notwithſtanding the communication of it dayly to us, Jude 1. we are ſaid to be preſerved in Jeſus Chriſt to life, all our life of grace here, and of glory hereafter, is preſerved in Chriſt.
Firſt, Becauſe all the claim of eternall life is laid up onelyonly in him, we neither deſire nor beg any pardon of ſin, or any grace, or comfort, or glory, but through Jeſus Chriſt, the claim of eternall life is wholly in him; for though God hath promiſed all thoſe kindes of life, its onelyonly in Chriſt.
Secondly, As he reſerves the claim of it in his own hands, ſo he reſerves the ſecurity of it in his own hand, even as a Father doubting how his ſon will ſpend his eſtate, he puts not into his hands the writings or evidences, but he keeps them in his own hands; ſo God ſaw the life he communicated to our firſt parents, they prodigally waſted it away, and therefore never ſince would he put it into our own hands, but reſerved it in the hands of Chriſt, Rom. 4.16. Therefore it is faith that the promiſe might be ſure. If our ſalvation had ſtood upon our own works, the promiſe had been ſure onelyonly ſo long as we kept our obedience, but we are unſetled, ſometimes inlarged, and ſometimes ſtraightned, ſo that we ſhould have been at a ſtand oftentimes, not knowing whether we had life or no, therefore he hath laid it up in Chriſt, that it might be ſure.
Thirdly, The poſſeſſion of this life is reſerved for us in Chriſt, our juſtification is complete in Chriſt here, never increaſed, though the ſence of it may; the firſt day we are regenerate, we are fully juſtified; the juſtification of all Chriſtians is equall, though their ſanctification be not alike; our life of juſtification is compleat, but yet our life of holineſſe is but imperfect, We know but in part, and believe but in part, but its fully laid up in Chriſt: ſo for the life of conſolation, we have ſome beginnings of it here, Phil. 4.7. 1 Pet. 1.8. But ſometimes all our comforts are loſt, and where then lies it but in Chriſt; as the ſap doth in the root in winter time, ſo that in him we rejoyce alwayes, Phil. 4.4. and ſo our eternall life is reſerved in him, John 14.2, 3. Eph. 2.5.
Fourthly, In regard of the glorious manifeſtation of this life at the laſt day, 2 Theſ. 1.10. when he ſhall come to be admired of all his Saints, this life is now laid up for his Saints, which at that day he will diſpenſe to his ſervants, to the admiration of all men.
Queſt. Why hath God laid up this life in his Son?
Reaſ. From the impoſſibility of laying up life for us in the law, or in the firſt Adam, Gal. 3.21. If the Law could have given us life, verily righteouſneſſe had been given us by the law; No, the law that Adam had given him in Paradiſe could not have ſecured our life, but that we might forfeit it by our own fall, nor could Adam himſelfe give us this life, for in Adam all dyed, 1 Cor. 15.22. and therefore its Chriſt alone that hath reſtored as to life and glory.
Ʋſe 1. Hence learn the order of all that life, and grace, and ſalvation, that is derived to us, God did not firſt give us life, and then provide Chriſt to maintain it in us, but he firſt appointed Chriſt, that in him we might have life, Eph. 1.3, 4. He hath choſen us in Chriſt, Chriſt is the firſt fruites of all that life that we enjoy, he loved Chriſt, and in him loved us, he firſt gave him eternall life that he might give it to whom he would, John 5.26. he poured this life firſt on his head, and from him this life runs down to the loweſt skirt of his garment, to the meaneſt member that belongs to him, he poured on him the oyl of grace, and from him it drops down upon us; he firſt crowned him with glory, that he might glorifie us.
Ʋſe 2. It teacheth us the dead eſtate of all men by nature, if all our life be laid up in Chriſt then ſuch as want this life, they want pardon of ſins, and want holineſſe, and want comfort, and want eternall life, Eph. 2.11, 12. Eph. 4.19. We by nature are aliens from the life of God, ſtrangers from the Covenant, that as ſtrangers neither meddle nor make with that which is none of theirs, ſo we have nothing to doe with the promiſes of life, till we be in Chriſt; let naturall men goe look at themſelves as dead men, all their beſt comforts are but as the crackling of thorns, they may warm themſelves a while with the ſparkles of their own fire, but this they ſhall have at length, They ſhall lie down in ſorrow, Iſa. 50.11. Nay by nature we have no hopes of eternall life, we muſt be regenerate to this hope, 1 Pet. 1.3, 4.
Ʋſe 3. May teach all ſuch as live in a dead eſtate, to look out where they may have life; look into your own hearts, there you ſhall not find life, look into the world, that is not able to give you life, but get Chriſt, and then you get life; as Jacob ſaid to his ſons, Why ſtand ye gazing one upon another, have ye not heard there is corn in Egypt? why, go up, go and buy it that we may live, Gen. 42.2, 3. So the Spirit ſaith to us, when we find our hearts ready to ſtarve for want of this life, for want of pardon of ſin, of grace, of comfort; why ſtand ye gazing upon the profits and pleaſures, and contents of this world, none whereof can give you life? doe you not hear that there is life laid up in Chriſt, goe and buy of him: its the ſpeech of Wiſdome, even of Chriſt the wiſdome of his Father, Prov. 3.85. Who ſo findeth me, findeth life, and all that hate me, love death.
Ʋſe 4. Of conſolation to all thoſe that have found their parts in the Lord Chriſt; if you have found him, you have found life, pardon of ſin, peace of conſcience, and life eternall, Rom. 5.1. If you have found him, your ſins are done away, and no Saint under heaven is juſtified more then you. 2. Having found him, thou haſt a life of holineſſe ſaid up in him, ſo that though we want zeal, wiſdome, patience, we may fetch it from him, and though we find our hearts, ſometimes drooping under heavy diſcouragements and afflictions, yet in him thou mayſt rejoyce alwayes; and what though our life here be poor and baſe, yet there is an eternall life ſaid up for us in him, and when he appears, we ſhall appear with him in glory, Col. 3.3, 4. And the more we may comfort our ſelves in that our life is not laid up in Satans hands, for then we ſhould never finger any of it, nor in our own hands, for we ſhould loſe it at every hand; but this is our comfort, that our life is laid up in Chriſt, and reſerved ſafely for us in him▪ and therefore it may teach Gods people, that if our life be laid up in Chriſt, we muſt be dayly ſpinning out life from him; what ever we doe, let us doe all in the Name and power of Chriſt, 1 Theſ. 5.9, 10. all the peace and comfort we find in our ſelves or families, let us derive it from him, live not upon the ſtock of your own graces, but fetch your dayly ſupply from him, Gal. 1.20. I live, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me, and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, live upon Chriſt daily, fetch all your help, and comfort, and life from him; and for eternall life, ſeeing it is laid up in him, let us lay claim to it in his Name, and lay up the ſecurity of all our life in him; that ſo though it be unſetled, yet in him it may be ſure.