Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 5 · Verse 16
1 JOHN 5.16, 16.
If any man ſee his Brother ſin a ſin which is not unto death, he ſhall ask, and he ſhall give him life for them that ſin not unto death. There is a ſin unto death, I do not ſay that he ſhall pray for it.
All unrighteouſneſſe is ſin, and there is a ſin not unto death.
THeſe words contain a third motive to ſtir us up to believe on Chriſt, and that is from another benefit, we ſhall thereby be enabled to beſtow on our Brethren, and that is, our prayer for him ſhall give him life.
Obſerve in them,
1. A promiſe to ſuch as ſhall pray for their Brother that ſins a ſin not unto death, he ſhall give him life.
2. An exception, or reſtraining a mans prayer, There is a ſin unto death, I do not ſay he ſhall pray for it.
3. The prevention of an objection, verſ. 17. All unrighteouſneſſe is ſin; and, the wages of all ſin is death, Kom. 6. ult. And therefore this promiſe is of none efect, for every ſin is unto death. Unto this St. John anſwers, verſ. 17.
1. By granting all unrighteouſneſſe is ſin, yet there is a ſin not unto death; not but that every ſin deſerves death, but every ſin doth not cut off all hope of recovery, but as Chriſt ſaid of Lazarus his ſickneſſe, Joh. 11.4. it was not unto death, yet he dyed; but he means, it was not irrecoverable, becauſe he was raiſed to life again; ſo every ſin is unto death, but every ſin is not irrecoverable, but that a man may be raiſed up out of it into life.
Doct. A beleeving Chriſtian is not to hide his eyes from beholding and obſerving the ſins of his Brethren.
If any man ſee his Brother ſin, he may ſee it, and ought to ſee it, Gal. 2.14. St. Paul did not turn away his eyes from ſeeing Peters diſſembling, but took notice of it, and reproved him, Heb. 3.12, 13. Take heed leſt there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe. He ſpeaks not only of a mans ſelfe, but of his Brother, that ye have not an evill heart, and therefore he propounds a means to help them, and that is exhorting one another. This the Apoſtle exhorts us to, Heb. 10.24.
Reaſ. 1. From the love we owe to our Brethren. God requires larger love towards our Brethren then towards our Oxe or Aſſe, and yet God requires that if we ſee them lying under their burthen, we ſhould help them up, Deut. 22.4. Now if God require ſo much help to their beaſt, much more to our Brethrens ſouls, that if we ſee them going aſtray, or ſinking under the burden of ſin, we ſhould raiſe them up again.
2. From the love we owe to our ſelves; this benefit we ſhall reap by it, we ſhall learn to keep better watch our ſelves, when we ſee our Brethren fall, Rom. 11.20. We muſt not by their falls grow high-minded, and pride our ſelves that we are not ſo bad as they, but their falls muſt be our fears.
Q. With what eyes ſhould we look at the falls of our Brethren?
Anſw. 1. Look not at them wirh a partial or hypocriticall eye, Mat. 7.3, 4, 5. But we muſt ſo look at the mote in their eye, as to ſee a beam in our own; we ſhould ſee as great ſins in our ſelves, or greater, if God did not reſtrain us, for we all have the ſame root of evill, and ſhould break out into as bad diſtempers as any, if God did not hold us back.
2. We muſt not obſerve them with a curious and cenſorious eye, for that is an imbred curioſity in us, that we love to be prying into other mens ſins, not to heal them, but to cenſure them. This St. James reproves, ch. 3.1, 2, 3. Be not many M ſters: that is be not of a Maſter-like ſpirit, be not buſie in every mans matters, and cenſorious of them.
3 Look not at them with an envious, malicious eye. This Jeremiah complains of, ch. 20.10. All my familiars watched for my haltings. That's an envious eye, when a man watches for an advantage to undermine his Brother.
4. There is a wanton eye:
1. When a man is not humbled at the ſight of his Brothers ſins, but puft up by it, like the proud Phariſee, Luk. 18.9, 10. he built his comfort on the falls of others. This the Apoſtle reprehends in the Church of Corinth, 1 Cor. 5.2. That there was fornication among them, and yet they were not humbled but puft up, they magnified themſelves that they were honeſter men.
2. A man ſees his Brothers ſin with a wanton eye, when he thereby grows to imitate him; if ſuch a man venture into ſuch a courſe, I hope I need not ſtick at it. This God gtievouſly complains of in the Church of Judah, that though ſhe ſaw what her treacherous Siſter Iſrael had done, and that God had therefore caſt her off, yet ſhe feared not, but went and played the Harlot alſo, Jer. 3.7, 8. Now all thoſe heads of ſeeing our Brothers ſins ought to be far from us.
Ʋſe 1. Hence learn not to neglect the falls of our Brethren, as if they belonged not to us, and we would neither meddle nor make with them. This was Cains ſpirit, Am I my Brothers keeper? Gen. 4.9. We ſhould look at every mans ſin as belonging unto us, and ſtrive to heal them.
Ʋſe 2. To teach us to have a due regard to the falls of our Brethren, not to ſee them, and take no notice of them, but God requires we ſhould obſerve them, and help them, and make uſe of them.
What uſe ſhould we make of our Brethrens falls?
1. Let their falls affect us with a holy fear and jealouſie of our own hearts; in that we have a deceitfull heart, ſubject to the like. This uſe Paul would have the Church of the Romanes to make of the fall of the Church of Iſrael, Rom. 11.20.
2. Look at them with ſuch an eye as may move thee to pity thy Brother; if he be gone aſtray, bring him back; if he lye under the burthen of ſin, help him up, and if thou canſt not have opportunity to ſpeake to him, yet pray heartily for him, that is the frame of heart of every loving Chriſtian, to be compaſſionate of his Brothers miſery.
Object. Doth not the Holy Ghoſt ſay, love covereth a multitude of ſins? 1 Pet. 4. v. 8.
Anſw. True, it covers them, but how?
1. With a mantle of wiſdome, not ſo cover them as to skinne over their wounds, but ſo cover them as that they may be covered before God and men, Jam. 5.19, 20. This is a right covering, when a man takes ſuch a courſe as that his Brothers ſins may be covered from Gods eyes, and from the conſcience of the ſinner, that it may not be overwhelmed with them, Pſal. 32.1, 2. God would have us cover them not with a mantle of flattery, but with a healing plaiſter that may cure them.
2. We muſt cover theſe ſins with a mantle of faithfulneſſe, that is, not to blaze them abroad to their defaming; but as if our Brothers beaſt lay under his burden, and we were notable to help him up alone, we get the help of others; this is faithfulneſſe, no further to reveale their infirmities, then to ſuch as may help them, Prov. 11.13. And yet we may ſo …eveile them in this kind to others, as may be ſinfull, if it be done in as inſulting, ſoot… manner, Gen. 9.22, 23. Cham told his Brethren of their Fathers nakedneſſe, but he did it in a ſcornfull manner; beſide▪ he might have covered him himſelf, and never told them, and therefore Noah made him a curſe. This God requires of us, if we be able to heal an infirmity our ſelves, then to let it goe no further; if not, then to get the help of others, but not in a ſcornfull manner, but in a ſpirit of grief and holy fear.
3. Cover them with a mantle of compaſſion, that if they ſhall turn again, and ſay, It repents them, be ready to forgive them, even as God for Chriſts ſake forgave you, Luk. 17.13, 14. Eph. 4.2 laſt verſ.
Obj. 2. If a man be thus willing to obſerve other mens ſins, we ſhall be counted buſie bodies, and medlers in other mens di…ceſſes.
Anſw. True, we ſhall be buiſie, but yet not where we have nothing to doe, God layes the charge upon us to have regard of our Brethrens carriages; if we keep the true bounds of obſerving them, named before, we doe not goe beyond our commiſſion.
Obj. 3. But I ſhall be more buſie then I ſhall have thank for, I ſhall be worſe, and he never the better.
Anſw. True, for a while it may be ſo, but yet remember what Solomon ſaith, Prov. 28.28. He that rebuketh a man, afterward ſhall find more favour then he that flattereth with the tongue; but ſuppoſe thou ſhouldſt looſe his favour; yet thou ſhalt have favour with God.
Doct. 2. Ʋpon the ſight of our Brothers ſins a faithfull man is to pray for him.
So Moſes did pray for the people when they had ſinned, Exod, 32.30, 31. Either pardon them, or let me have no mercy. Thus God would have Job pray for his friends, Job 42.7, 8. So did Jeremiah, ch. 13.17, & 14.17.18. Our Saviours example is a full pattern, Luk. 23.24. Father forgive them, they know not what they doe. So Stephen the firſt Martyr, with a loud voyce prayed for his adverſaries, Act. 7.60. Lord lay not this ſin to their charge.
Reaſ. 1. From the compaſſion we owe to our Brethren, we are bound to pray for them in ſickneſſe, Pſal. 35.13. or in any other calamity, Pſ. 141.5. How much more in the calamity of ſin, which is the greateſt calamity that can be.
2. We are bound to exhort and reprove them, now neither will doe good without prayer, 1 Tim. 4.4, 5.
3. From the deſperate condition of ſin, which is ſuch that none alone is able to help them, except God doe it. It's the work of an Almighty power to redeem us from any ſin, Pſal. 130. ult. Sin is of a poyſen ſome nature, ſome poyſons take away our eyes, and ſome benumme us, ſo ſin takes away our eyes that we cannot ſee our condition, and ſo hardens us, that not any thing can help us but God, and therefore God muſt be prayed to for help.
4. From the diſpleaſure of God againſt men, if he ſee none to ſtand up and intercede for their Brethren, Iſa. 56.16, 17.
5. From the benefit that befalls Gods ſervants, if he ſee them praying for their Brethren. Job's prayer for his friends was the riſe of his deliverance, Job 42, 8, 9. Iſa. 57.18. If ever God reſtore comfort to thoſe we pray for we ſhall be ſharers in their comforts, God will reſtore comfort to them and their mourners.
Doct. 3. A faithfull Chriſtian praying for his Brother faln into any ſin, ſhall obtain life and peace for him.
If any man, … his Brother ſin a ſin not unto death, he ſhall pray for him, and ſhall give him life. He that prayes for him ſhall be an inſtrument to convey life unto him; or God himſelfe moved by his prayer, ſhall give him life; it's all one: he ſhall give him life of juſtification, ſanctification, and conſolation: This is evident by other examples, when the Iſraelites had committed a great ſin, ſo that God in his diſpleaſure had threatned to deſtroy them, yet at Moſes earneſt requeſt, he ſpared them, and Aaron, Deut. 9.15. to 21. Job prayed for his friends, and the Lord accepted him. Our Saviours prayer for his enemies is thought to be the cauſe why Peters Sermon was effectuall to the converſion of three thouſand at once, Stephens prayer made way for the converſion of Paul.
Reaſ. 1. From the pleaſure God takes to knit the members of his body together, now no better means to knit them then to make them uſeful one to another, 1 Cor. 12.21, 22. So Jobs friends ſhould not prevail by their own prayers, but they ſhould all be beholding to Job whom they had wronged.
2. From the oyntment of Chriſt that is poured on the head of every believer. This honour have all his Saints▪ that they ſhall become interceſſors for others. What is ſaid of Chriſt, Rom. 8.34. the ſame word is uſed of our prayers, 2 Tim. 4.1. James 5.15.
Ʋſe. Its a ground of much encouragement to all that ſee their Brethren ſin a ſin not unto death, to pray for them; be it a ſin of covetouſneſſe; nay, be it a ſin of frowardneſſe, which is of a deep nature; yet the Lord promiſeth to hear us for them, Iſa. 57.17, 18.
Motives.
1. The Lord will be angry with you, if you neglect it. Is it nothing for you to ſee your Brethren be under the burthen of ſin?
2. It will encreaſe your comfort, if you pray heartily for them, God will return all your calamities, Job 42.
3. None can help but God, therefore pray to him.
4. This is a mavellous benefit, that thy prayers ſhall be an inſtrument to raiſe the dead to life.
Obj. Many pray for their Brethren, yet full ſhort of giving them life. What ſay you to Abrahams prayer for Iſhmael, Gen. 17.18. and Samuels for Saul? 1 Sam. 15.11, 31. & 16.1.
Anſ. 1. It would be conſidered whether he be a Brother thou prayeſt for; Abraham prayed for ſuch a one as was neither yet gracious, nor belonged to the election of grace, as is likely, for that is prerequired; Samuel prayed for Saul, but God tells him he had rejected him.
2. Conſider whether you uſe the other means that God requires in your places. David no doubt prayed for his Sons, yet he neglected other means; as its ſaid of Adonijah, that his Father never diſpleaſed him at any time ſaying, Why haſt thou done ſo? 1 Kings 1.6.
3. A man may pray, but it may be without faith or fervency, for thats required, James 5.17. If we be wanting in none of theſe, God will make good undoubtedly that which he hath here promiſed.