ing on the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall 13 melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we look for new

*

heavens and a new earth, according to his promise, 14 wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved,

seeing ye look for these things, labour to be found of him 15 in peace, without spot and blameless. And account the long-suffering of the Lord salvation, as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given him, + 16 hath written to you: As also in all his epistles, speaking therein of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.

17

Ye, therefore, beloved, knowing these things before, beware, lest ye also, being led away by the error of the 18 wicked, fall from your own steadfastness: But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity!

* Isa. lxv. 17. lxvi. 22. † Rom. ii. 4.

V. 13. We look for new heavens and a new earth-Raised, as it were, out of the ashes of the old: (we look for an entire new state of things) wherein dwelleth righteousness-Only righteous spirits. How great a mystery!

V. 14. Labour-That whenever he cometh, ye may be found in peace-May meet him without terror, being sprinkled with his blood, and sanctified by his Spirit, so as to be without spot and blameless.

V. 15. And account the long-suffering of the Lord salvation-Not only designed to lead men to repentance, but actually conducing thereto; a precious means of saving many more souls: as our beloved brother Paul also hath written to you-This refers not only to the single sentence preceding, but to all that weat before. St. Paul had written to the same effect concerning the end of the world, in several parts of his epistles, and particularly in the epistle to the Hebrews.

V. 16. As also in all his epistles-St. Peter wrote this a little before his own and St. Paul's martyrdom. St. Paul therefore had now written all his epistles; and even from this expression we may learn that St. Peter had read them all, perhaps sent to him by St. Paul himself. Nor was he at all disgusted by what St. Paul had written concerning him, in the epistle to the Galatians speaking of these things-Namely, of the coming of our Lord, delayed, through his long-suffering, and of the circumstances preceding and accompanying it; which things, the unlearned-They who are not taught of God; and the unstable-Wavering, double-minded, unsettled men, wrestAs though Christ would not come: as they do also the other scriptures-Therefore St. Paul's writings were now part of the Scriptures: to their own destruction-But that some use the Scriptures ill, is no reason why others should not use them at all.

V. 18. But grow in grace-That is, in every Christian temper. There may be, for a time, grace without growth: as there may be natural life without growth. But such sickly life, of soul or body, will end in death, and every day draws nigher to it. Health is the means of both natural and spiritual

growth. If the remaining evil of our fallen nature be not daily mortified, it will, like an evil humour in the body, destroy the whole man. But if ye thro' the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, (only so far as we do this) ye shall live the life of faith, holiness, and happiness. The end and design of grace being purchased and bestowed on us, is to destroy the image of the earthy, and restore us to that of the heavenly. And so far as it does this, it truly profits us and also makes way for more of the heavenly gift, that we may at at last be filled with all the fulness of God. The strength and well-being of a Christian depends on what his soul feeds on, as the health of the body depends on whatever we make our daily food. If we feed on what is according to our nature, we grow: if not, we pine away and die. The soul is of the nature of God, and nothing but what is according to his holiness can agree with it. Sin, of every kind, starves the soul and makes it consume away. Let us not try to invert the order of God in his new creation: we shall only deceive ourselves. It is easy to forsake the will of God and follow our own: but this will bring leanness into the soul. It is easy to satisfy ourselves without being possessed of the holiness and happiness of the gospel. It is easy to call these frames and feelings, and then to oppose faith to one and Christ to the other. Frames (allowing the expression) are no other than heavenly tempers, the mind that was in Christ: feelings are the divine consolations of the Holy Ghost, shed abroad in the heart of him that truly believes. And wherever faith is, and wherever Christ is, there are these blessed frames and feelings. If they are not in us, it is a sure sign that though the wilderness became a pool, the pool is become a wilderness again: and in the knowledge of Christ-That is, in faith, the root of all: To him be the glory to the day of eternity-An expression naturally flowing from that sense which the apostle had felt in his soul throughout this whole chapter. Eternity is a day without night, without interruption, without end.

NOTES

ON

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN.

THE great similitude, or rather sameness both of spirit and expression, which runs through St. John's gospel, and all his epistles, is a clear evidence of their being written by the same person. In this epistle he speaks not to any particular church, but to all the Christians of that age, and in them to the whole Christian church in all succeeding ages.

Some have apprehended that it is not easy to discern the scope and method of this epistle. But if we examine it with simplicity, these may readily be discovered. St. John in this letter, or rather tract (for he was present with part of those to whom he wrote) has this apparent aim, to confirm the happy and holy communion of the faithful with God and Christ, by describing the marks of that blessed state.

In the preface he shews the authority of his own preaching and writing, and expressly points out (ver. 3) the design of his present writing. To the preface exactly answers the conclusion, more largely explaining the same design, and recapitulating those marks, by-we know-thrice repeated, ch. v. 18, 19, 20.

I. Severally,

THE TRACT ITSELF HAS TWO PARTS, TREATING,

1. Of Communion with the Father,

2. Of Communion with the Son,

C. i. 5-10 C. ii. 1-12

13-27

28-C. iii. 1-24

With a distinct Application to Fathers, young Men, and
little Children,

Whereunto is annexed an Exhortation to abide in
him,

That the Fruit of his Manifestation in the Flesh, may
extend to his Manifestation in Glory,

3. Of the Confirmation and Fruit of this abiding through
the Spirit,

II. Conjointly,

Of the Testimony of the Father, and Son, and Spirit: on
which Faith in Christ, the being born of God, Love to
God and his Children, the keeping his Commandments,
and Victory over the World, are founded,

C. iv. 1-22

C. v. 1-19

The parts frequently begin and end alike. Sometimes there is an allusion in a preceding part, and a recapitulation in the subsequent. Each part treats of a benefit from God, and the duty of the faithful derived therefrom by the most natural inferences.

"

J. St. John.

CHAP. I. 1. THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have beheld, and our hands have handled of 2 the word of life: (For the life was manifested, and we saw it, and testify and declare to you the eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested to us :) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we to you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus 4 Christ: And these things write we to you, that your joy may be full.

5

And this is the message which we have heard of him and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no 6 darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth.

CHAP. I. Ver. 1. That which was-Here means, he which was the Word himself; afterwards it means, that which they had heard from him which was— Namely, with the Father (ver. 2) before he was manifested: from the beginning --This phrase is sometimes used in a limited sense. But here it properly means from eternity, being equivalent with in the beginning, John i 1, that which we -The apostles, have not only heard, but seen with our eyes, which we have beheld-Attentively considered on various occasions: of the word of life-He is termed the word, John i. 1, the life, John i. 4, as he is the living Word of God, who, with the Father and the Spirit, is the fountain of life to all creatures, particularly of spiritual and eternal life.

V. 2. For the life-The living Word, was manifested-In the flesh, to our very senses: and we testify and declare-We testify by declaring, by preaching and writing, (ver 3, 4.) Preaching lays the foundation, (ver. 5-10.) Writing builds thereon; to you-Who have not seen: the eternal life-Which always was, and afterward appeared to us. This is mentioned in the beginning of the epistle. In the end of it is mentioned the same eternal life, which we shall always enjoy.

V. 3. That which we have seen, and heard-Of him, and from him, declare we to you-For this end, that ye also may have fellowship with us-May enjoy the same fellowship which we enjoy: And truly our fellowship-Whereby he is in us and we in him: is with the Father, and with the Son. Of the Holy Ghost he speaks afterwards.

V. 4. That your joy may be full-So our Lord also, (John xv. 11. xvi. 22.) There is a joy of hope, a joy of faith, and a joy of love. Here the joy of faith is directly intended. It is a concise expression; your joy-That is, your faith and the joy arising from it: but it likewise implies the joy of hope and love.

V. 5. And this is the sum of the message which we have heard of him-The Son of God; that God is light-The light of wisdom, love, holiness, and glory. What light is to the natural eye, that God is to the spiritual eye: And in him is no darkness at all—No contrary principle. He is pure, uumixed light.

V. 6. If we say-Either with our tongue, or in our heart, if we endeavour to persuade either ourselves or others, we have fellowship with him--While we

7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ 8 his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say we have no 9 sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say, we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

CHAP. II. 1. My beloved children, I write these things to you, that ye may not sin. But if any one sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the 2 righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins; and walk, either inwardly or outwardly, in darkness-In sin of any kind; we do not the truth-Our actions prove, that the truth is not in us.

V. 7. But if we walk in the light-In all holiness, as God is (a deeper word than walk, and more worthy of God) in the light-Then we may truly say, we have fellowship one with another-We who have seen, and you who have not 'seen, do alike enjoy that fellowship with God: the imitation of God being the only sure proof of our having fellowship with him. And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son-With the grace purchased thereby; cleanseth us from all sin -Both original and actual, taking away all the guilt and all the power.

V. 8. If we say-Any child of man, before his blood has cleansed us; we have no sin-To be cleansed from, instead of confessing our sins, ver. 9, the truth is not in us-Neither in our mouth nor in our heart.

V. 9. But if with a penitent and believing heart, we confess our sins, he is faithful-Because he had promised this blessing, by the unanimous voice of all his prophets. Just-Surely then he will punish: no, for this very reason he will pardon. This may seem strange; but upon the evangelical principle of atonement and redemption, it is undoubtedly true. Because, when the debt is paid, or the purchase made, it is the part of equity to cancel the bond, and consign over the purchased possession: both to forgive us our sins-To take away all the guilt of them, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness— To purify our souls from every kind, and every degree of it.

V. 10. Yet still we are to retain, even to our lives end, a deep sense of our past sins. Still if we say, we have not sinned, we make him a liar-Who saith, -All have sinned; and his word is not in us-We do not receive it; we give it no place in our hearts.

CHAP. II. Ver. 1. My beloved children-So the apostle frequently addresses the whole body of Christians. It is a term of tenderness and endearment, used by our Lord himself to his discples, (John xiii. 33.) And perhaps many to whom St. John now wrote, were converted by his ministry. It is a different word from that which is translated little children, in several parts of the epistle, to distinguish it from which, it is here rendered beloved children. I write these things to you, that ye may not sin-Thus he guards them before hand against abusing the doctrine of reconciliation. All the words, institutions, and judgments of God, are levelled against sin, either that it may not be committed, or that it may be abolished. But if any one sin-Let him not lie in sin, despairing of help: we have an Advocate-We have for our Advocate, not a mean person, but him of whom it was said, This is my beloved Son: not a guilty person, who stands in need of pardon for himself; but Jesus Christ the righteous: not a mere petitioner, who relies parely upon liberality, but one that has merited, fully merited, whatever he asks.

V. 2. And he is the propitiation-The atoning sacrifice, by which the wrath