Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 5 · Verse 16
Verſe 16. laſt part.
I doe not ſay you ſhall pray for it.
Doct. The ſin unto death, or the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt, we have no warrant to pray for it.
I doe not ſay; that is, I give you no warrant, nor any other of the Apoſtles, to pray for it, that is, for the good or ſalvation of them that have ſinned this ſin. Though Paul bide us pray for all men, 2 Tim. 2.1. yet St. John excepts them that have ſinned this ſin; and Paul himſelfe is ſo far from praying for them that he prays againſt them, 2 Tim. 4.15. Alexander the Copperſmith hath done me much harm, the Lord reward him according to his works. No more dangerous curſe, then to be dealt with according to our works. Indeed David ſometimes deſires to be dealt with according to his works, Pſ. 18. but he means according to the innocency of his cauſe, not of his perſon; in caſe of ſome particular action he may plead ſo, but if it be ſpoken at large, in generall, that the Lord would reward us according to our works, no more heavy curſe; therefore when he prays ſo againſt Alexander, 2 Tim. 4.14. he means that God would confound him; whatever he was, no doubt he was a member of the Church, for Paul judged not them that were without, 1 Cor. 5. ult. Whether it were that Alexander ſpoken of, Acts 19, that bec…ed with the hand, as if he would have pleaded for Paul, and the people eſteemed him an enemy to their ſuperſtition; or whether it were that Alexander, 1 Tim. 1.20. whom Paul delivered to Satan (as is likely) certainly he had formerly been a profeſſor of the truth, who afterward made ſhipwrack of faith and a good conſcience, and withſtood Paul, and therefore Paul prays againſt him. Some think he did it as diſcerning by extraordinary revelation that he was in a ſtate of reprobation, but that is not likely, he leaving his prayer as exemplary to all after comers. Gal. 5.12. I would that even thoſe were cut off that trouble you, that ſubvert or unddermine you, thoſe he wiſht they were utterly cut off from Church and Common-wealth. Thoſe falſe Apoſtles they would have overthrown the Goſpel of Chriſt, and brought in another Goſpel; and becauſe thoſe falſe Apoſtles were all alike, the Apoſtle diſcerned them to be in a ſtate of damnation, as being enemies to the Croſſe of Chriſt, Phil. 3.18, 19. At the firſt they preached the Goſpel, but afterwards turning aſide to earthly things, they began to magnifie themſelves, and vilifie the Apoſtles, and ſo hindered the preaching of the Goſpel, and therefore he looks at them as deſerving to be cut off, he looks at them as dogs, Phil. 3.2. 1 Cor. 16.22. If any man love not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, let him be anathema maranatha; that is the greateſt curſe that can befall a man.
There was a threefold Excommunication in the primitive Church.
1 A mere reſtraint from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, of ſuch as were ignorant, till they were better inſtructed.
2 There was Excommunicatio major, when they cut them off from all fellowſhip with the Church, from the Word and Sacraments, and Chriſtian communion, and from eating with them. This ought to be inflicted upon notorious, ſcandalous ſinners.
3 Let him be Anathema Maranatha, was a greater curſe then any of thoſe; for in the former Excommunication, though they excluded them from their fellowſhip, yet they ought not to count them as enemies, but might admoniſh them, and bring them on to repentance, that they might recover themſelves, 2 Theſſ. 3.14, 15. There was hope of ſuch, for they did therefore excommunicate them that they might be ſaved, 1 Cor. 5.5. And when it was rightly diſpenſed, it was a notable means to humble them, when they conſidered, that if the Church ſaw cauſe to baniſh them from their ſociety, God might ſee much more cauſe to baniſh them from heaven. But yet there was a greater Excommunication, Let him be Anathema Maranatha; that is, let him be accurſed untill the coming of the Lord; ſurely then their ſin is a ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt.
Obj. Some will ſay, Paul loved not Chriſt at firſt.
Anſw. True, He ſpeaks not of men without the Church, but within the Church.
Obj. Why, are there not many carnall men in the Church, that love not Chriſt, that deſire him not, that never look towards him?
Anſw. I take it to be a kind of foreign, in this ſlender expreſſion he intends much more then he expreſſeth; If any man love not; that is, if any man hate the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, if he have partaken in the gifts and graces of Chriſt, if he have received nor onelyonly Baptiſme, but taſted of the ſweetneſſe and goodneſſe of his grace, if after he come to oppoſe and maligne Chriſt and his wayes, Let ſuch a man be Anathema Maranatha.
Reaſ. 1. From the deſpight ſuch perſons doe to the chiefe means and help of prayer, one is the Spirit of grace, for the Spirit of grace is the Spirit of ſupplication, Zech. 12.10. Now they that deſpight the Spirit of grace, the Spirit is ſo grieved, that it will not aſſiſt us in any prayer we make for ſuch, Heb. 10.29.
Reaſ. 2. From the like deſpight they offer to the other principall help of prayer; that is, asking in the name of Chriſt: upon thoſe two wings our prayers fly up to heaven, viz. upon the mediation of Chriſt, and the Spirit of grace, with theſe two they prevail; now theſe men that ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt, they make a ſcorn of Chriſt, Heb. 10.29. They trample under foot his blood, and put him to open ſhame, Heb. 6.6. that is, they put him to open and exemplary puniſhment, as the moſt notorious malefactor. Now if a man ſhall know Chriſt, and afterwards hate him, what doth he but ſhew that Chriſt was a notorious malefactor, and ſuffered not for other mens ſins, but his own? Therefore there is no hope Chriſt ſhould lend his Name to be a Mediator.
Reaſ. 3. Where Chriſt is not a ſacrifice of propitiation for ſins, there be cannot be expected to be an interceſſor for ſuch. Now there remains no more ſacrifice for ſuch, Heb. 10.27. If the ſacrifice of Chriſt reach not to ſuch, then he will never make interceſſion for them.
4. From the incouragement God is wont to give his ſervants in their prayers. He will fulfill the deſires of them that fear him, Pſal. 145.19. And this is their confidence, that whatſoever they ask in the Name of Chriſt, they ſhall receive; and therefore God will not ſo much diſhonor his promiſe, nor diſcourage us, as to give us hearts not to pray when we ſhal be anſwered; we may pray for wicked men, whom we know not in what condition they are, but then our prayers ſhall return into our own boſomes, Pſal. 35.13. But if men be profeſt enemies to Chriſt, then we doe not ſhew our ſelves to be Gods friends, if we ſhew friendſhip to them, or pray for them, and therefore our prayers will doe them no good, and our ſelves harm.
Ʋſe 1. To teach us, that ſin unto death may be diſcerned even of common Chriſtians, for elſe why doth he write to common Chriſtians, to all believers in generall, Verſe 13. That if his Brother ſin a ſin unto death, then he ſhould not pray for him?
Ʋſe 2. It may therefore teach Gods people to learn the nature of this ſin, left they pray unawares for ſuch whom their prayers ſhall doe no good. If therefore you ſee profeſſors that have taſted of the grace of God, if afterward they maligne and oppoſe thoſe wayes, and the ſervants of God, in this caſe, ſave your labour in praying for them, your prayers will doe no good, but harm.
But how ſhall we diſcern when they are inlightned and convinced? We may indeed diſcern their malignity, and oppoſition, but it may be they doe it of ignorance. In this caſe our Saviour and Stephen prayed for their adverſaries, becauſe they knew not what they did; therefore three thouſand after they were convinced that it was the Chriſt whom they had perſecuted, they were pricked in their hearts and brought on to repentance. Therefore, if you diſcern they doe this out of ignorance, pray heartily for them.
But how may we diſcerne they commit this againſt the light and knowledge of the truth?
Anſw. If they doe expreſſe in their ſpeech and converſation, that they are affected with Chriſt, and the wayes of his grace, and convinced that thoſe are the right wayes, and yet afterwards they maliciouſly oppoſe thoſe wayes, then pray not for them, Mat. 21.28. The Phariſees knew Chriſt to be the heir, and yet ſaid, Come let us kill him; and in the mean time they ſaid he was a Conjurer, and caſt out devills through Belzebub the Prince of devills, when as they knew he was the Son of God and did it by his own power, therefore Chriſt tells them, their ſins ſhould never be forgiven them. But if they ſhall go further, and affect the ſociety of Chriſtians, delight to doe them good offices, and take the like from them, if ſuch after fall off, and maliciouſly oppoſe thoſe wayes, they more plainly manifeſt themſelves to have ſinned this ſin, and therefore pray not for them.
Ʋſe 3. Shews us the deſperate condition of all ſuch as commit this ſin, and therefore to bleſſe our ſelves from it, they are cut off from all means of ſalvation, a man may neither admoniſh nor reprove them, nor ſhew them any courteſie, or doe any good to them; for if I might, I ought to pray for them, for no office of love ought to be diſpenſed without prayer; and therefore take heed of all ſins againſt conſcience, of all preſumptuous ſins, and ſins of boldneſſe, for they lead to this great tranſgreſſion, Pſal. 19.13. And that you may be kept from preſumptuous ſins, take heed of ſecret ſins.
Ʋſe 4. Of direction. If we be Children to Parents, or Wives to Husbands, or Subjects to Kings, and they ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt, yet they may do civill ſervice and offices towards them, as thoſe that lived under Julian the Apoſtate; he committed this ſin, therefore the Chriſtians prayed againſt him; but he had many Chriſtians in his Army that doubted whether they might ſerve him, or acknowledge him as their Emperor, or depoſe him; it was concluded they might ſerve him, but yet they prayed that God would take a courſe againſt him, as David ſaid, his day ſhall come on, or he ſhall deſcend into the battle and periſh; which ſhews, that if a Prince ſhall ſin this ſin, his Subjects ought not to depoſe him, but to doe him offices of ſervice. The like may be ſaid of Children to Parents, and Wives to Husbands, if there be any tye of nature, a may doe them civill offices; which confutes that deſperate doctrine of the Romiſh Church, that whoſoever denyes the Pope to be the Supreme head of the Church, he is to be excommmunicated, and then no man is bound in allegiance to him, but that whoſoever ſhall ſlay ſuch an hereticall Prince, ſhall merit ſalvation.
Ʋſe 5. Learn hence to diſcern the nature of peremptory prohibitions. When St. John would peremptorily forbid praying for ſuch, he ſaith, I doe not ſay he ſhall pray for it. Neither do you ſay he ſhall pray againſt it (might ſome ſay.) St. John makes account this is a ſtrong prohibition. I doe not ſay; that is, you have no warrant from me, I give you no commiſſion; ſuch is the manner of Scripture prohibitions, Iſa. 1.12. Who hath required this at your hands? So Jer. 7.31. I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart; implying, that it is a moſt peremptory prohibition if Gods Word give us no warrant of direction; for if there be nothing for it, there is enough againſt it; for this is our direction, that we are to doe onelyonly what God commands in his Word, to that we muſt add nothing, nor take away any thing.
THE END.