Believers Evidences for Eternal Life, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Evidences or Signes of being in Light, not in Darknesse; in Life, not in Death.
I.
ACtuall interest in, and enjoyment of 1.Iesus Christ, is an Evidence we are partakers of supernaturall and eternall life. This is the Record that God hath given to us eternall life, and this life is in his Sonne. He that hath the Sonne, hath life; and he that hath not the Sonne, hath not life, 1 John 5. 11, 12. Life is the sweetnesse of enjoyments; Eternall life, the best of lives that creatures can possesse: Of this eternall life here are laid down, 1. The Primary Fountaine of it, viz. God and his free grace. 2. The Mediatory Receptacle or Treasury, wherein God hath seated this eternall life for us, viz His Son 3. The way of conveyance of this life from Christ to us, viz. By having the Sonne. They have Christ, that believe in him, Joh. 1. 12, 13. They have him not that believe not in him. So they that beleeve in Christ have Christ: They that have Christ and actuall interest in him, have eternall life from him, yea, and saving light in him. For, (1.) Christ is light, John 1. 4, 9. light of the world, John 8. 12. Christ also is light, John 5. 26. and 11. 25. and 14. 6. The Prince of life, Acts 3. 15. (2.) Men in their naturall Christlesse condition are dark, yea, darknesse itselfe, Acts 26. 18. Eph. 5. 8. yea, dead in sinne. Eph. 2. 1. Consequently from both these, they that have the Sonne, which is light and life, must needs have light and life. Now they have the Sonne that believe in him.
Signes of true believing in Christ, see in Chap. II. Evidence II. p. 23, to 29.
Evidences of having the Sonne, (that we may come more closely to the expression here in the Text.) Having the Sonne, implies,
1. A true inward Covenant-right, Claim or Title to him, by spirituall union to him. Covenant and promises tender Christ, and that upon conditions Evangelicall, Ioh. 3. 16. Luk. 9. 23. Faith receives Christ tendred upon his own termes, Iohn 1. 12. As Saul converted, for Christ denyed himselfe, and all things, Phil. 3. 7, 8. Took up his Crosse daily, 2 Cor. 11. 23, to the end, and followed Christ, 1 Cor. 11. 1. Now Christ being thus received, Christ and the Soule are thus united. Faith eates Christ, and assimilates the beleever into his nature. Faith unites to Christ, so that he who is joyned to the Lord, is one Spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 17. Hast thou such a Covenant-right to Christ, and spirituall union to Christ?
2. Hence an happy spirituall fruition or enjoyment of him by holy Commnnion with him, in his Person, Offices and Benefits: in himselfe and all his; As, Cant. 2. 16. Iohn 20. 28. 2 Pet. 1. 3, 4. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Rom. 8. 32. 1 Cor. 3. 20, 21. Among other blessings communicated from Christ, life is one: Christ lives in us by faith, Gal. 2. 20. Further, they that have Christ, have these things in and with Christ,
1. They have the Spirit of Christ, 1 John 4. 13. Rom. 8. 9.
2. They are become New Creatures, old things are past away, all things become new, 2 Cor. 5. 17.
3. They have cencified the flesh with the affections and lusts, Gal. 5. 24.
4. They walke not af…r the flesh, but after the Spirit, Rom. 8. 1, 2.
5. They are most obedient to Christ and his Commands, Heb. 5. 9. How can he say that he hath Christ, *Ceterum credere se in Christū quomodo dicit, qui non facit, …uod Christus facere praecipit? aut unde perveniet ad prae…ium fidei, qui fidem non vult servare mandati? Nutet neces…e est, & vagetur, & Spiritu erroris ereptus, velut pulvis quem …entus excutit, ventiletur; nec ambulando proficiet ad salu…m, qui salutaris viae non tenet veritatem. D. Cyprian. de uni…. Eccles. lib. Sect. 1.that he believes in Christ, (saith Cyprian) that doth not what Christ commanded to be done? or how shall he come to the reward of faith, that keeps not the faith of the Command?
3. Finally, A sweet conformity to him in his Son-ship. They that have the Son are consorme to the image of his Sonne, that he may be the first-borne among many brethren, Rom. 8. 29. *Conformare imagini Filii sui, nempe tum in forma, h. e. justitia & sanctitate: tum in fine, i. e. faelicitate & gloria…tum in medtis ad finem, i. e. afflictionibus & cruce. Christus enim justus & sanctus per crucem ingressus est in Gloriam, Dav. Pareus in Rom. 8. 29.Conformity to Christ is either. (1.) In his gracious image, viz. in righteousnesse and true holinesse, Eph. 4. 24. (2.) In his glorious image, viz. when we shall be like him in glory, Phil. 3. 20. 1 John 3. 2, 3. (3) In his afflicted image, viz. when we suffer with him, and for him, Rom. 8. 17. Iohn 15. 18, to 22. and when we suffer for righteousnesse with Patience, Meeknesse, &c. as he suffered, 1 Pet. 2. 21. to the end. Are we thus conforme indeed to the Son? then we have the Son Jesus Christ, and live by him.
II.
Loving and not hating of our brother, 11.is another Sign we are in light, not in darknesse; in life, not in death. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darknesse even until now. He that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him; but he that hateth his brother is in darknesse, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darknesse hath blinded his eyes, 1 John. 2 9, 10, 11. And elsewhere; We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren: He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer: And you know that no murderer hath eternall life ahiding in him, 1 John 3. 14, 15.
In these passages the love of the brethren, is made a most cleare Note of out abiding in the lighe, (viz. spirituall or true illumination and grace,) and that we have already passed from death in sinne, to life supernaturall in Christ, We know that we have passed, &c. And contrariwise the not loving, or hating our brother, an evident Signe that we remain still under the state and dominion of carnall sinful darkness and death. Make sure of true brotherly love, you are in true light and life indeed.
Signes of true love of the brethren See, Chap. 2. Signe, VII. p. 168, to p. 173. and Chap. 8. throughout.