need in this age as ever of such a caution wherein such a multitude of deceivers swarme to the endangering of ignorant and unstable Christians 2. To perswade in general a practise agreeable to Christian profession in reference to which he saith These things I write to you that you sin not and in special the practise of that most truly Christian-grace Love which therefore he calleth the message from the beginning It is observed of precious stones that each of them hath a several and peculiar excellency the like is taken notice of in sacred Bookes and the splendour of this is that it is much conversant in describing and prescribing the grace of charity For this reason St. Gregory adviseth those who would be enflamed with this heavenly sire to read St. John whose words are altogether as it were colour'd with love And St. Augustine taking notice of this affirmeth that Charity is the chief thing commended by Saint John in this Epistle And can any admonition be more seasonable to this licentious and malicious Generation That prediction of our Saviour The love of many shall waxe cold was never more verified then in these dayes The best of us need this advice as oleum in flamma oyle to nourish and increase the flame and the most as flamma ad fomitem a coal fetched from the Altar to kindle or recover this fire in us Indeed canting-language affected formes of Religious-speech were never more in use but the reality of a Christian and charitable conversation was never lesse in fashion And if as without doubt that of Solomon be true a word spoken in due season how good is it The discussing of this Epistle which was written for these ends so neerly concerning us cannot but be profitable for and so acceptable to us But 3. Lastly the chief argument which incited me to this undertaking is the comprehensive excellency and utility of the matter contained in this Epistle St. Hierome speaking of all the Catholick Epistles calls them breves pariter longas breves verbis long as sententiis Short and yet long short in phrase but long in sence This is singularly true of this Epistle which as in situation it is the middle so for matter the fullest of them all at once enriched with weight of matter and elegancy of words in which respect Lorinus is bold to say no other Epistle is more divine then this of him who is by the Church called the Divine The truth is a world of heavenly matter is contained in this little Map which that it may the better appear give me leave in few words to delineate it before you The Globe of Divinity parts it self into two hemispheres to wit credenda agenda the things we are to know and believe and the things we are to do and performe both which are here described and therefore those two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the second ver of the first Chap. are by Justinian considered as referring to those two heads the bearing witnesse to matters of faith and the showing or declaring to matters of practise Out of this Epistle we may gather an abstract of the things to be known and that concerning God our selves and Christ. 1. Concerning God we may hence be instructed in his nature attributes and persons as to his Nature that he is light and in him no darkness his Attributes that he is faithful just holy righteous pure invisible knowing all things and love it self The Persons that there are three which bear record in heaven the Father the Word the Holy Ghost and these three are one 2. Concerning our selves we may here learn what we are by nature namely lying in wickednesse what we are by grace to wit borne of God and what we shall be in glory like to him seeing him as he is 3. Concerning Christ we have him here characterized in his natures offices acts and benefits 1. In respect of his natures he is as to his Deity called true God and yet more distinctly with reference to his personallity the only begotten Son of God as to his humanity he is said to be sent into the world and so truly man that he was seen heard and handled by the Apostles 2. As to his offices he is here asserted in general to be the Christ and so annointed to those offices and in particular as Priest to take away sin to be the propitiation for our sins and our Advocate with the Father as Prophet by his Spirit to teach us all things and as a King to destroy the works of the devil 3. Most of his Mediatorial acts are here specified his Incarnation where he is said to come in the flesh Passion in that he layeth down his life for us his Resurrection in as much as eternal life is said to be in him and his Ascension and Intercession because he is affirmed to be an Advocate with the Father and his coming again in the day of judgement to appear as Judge of the world 4. Lastly we need not go further then this Epistle to meet with those benefits we obtaine by him in that he giveth his Spirit to us whereby we dwelling in him and he in us have fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and by vertue of this forgivenesse of our sins for his Names sake adoption whereby we are called the sons of God Finally Justification by blood Sanctification by water and eternal life 2. Nor are only doctrines of faith but rules of practice deducible from this Epistle 1. Would we know what to avoid this Book teacheth us in general to eschew all sin both describing what it is a transgression of the Law and dehorting us from the commission of it in particular to expell the love of the world to abandon hatred malice and envy to keep our selves from Idols and especially to beware of the sin unto death 2. Would we be instructed what we are to put in practise in this Epistle we are called upon to believe in the Name of Jesus Christ to love God who hath begotten us and to love those who are begotten of him to have the hope of glory fixed in us to declare our repentance by confessing our sins and purifying our selves to overcome the wicked one and the world to conquer the lusts of the flesh to walk as Christ walked by imitation of him and to abide in him by perseverance to hear the Word preached by the Ministers of Christ to aske the things we want according to his will to open bowels of compassion and distribute our worldly goods to our needy brethren finally to do righteousnesse keep Gods commandments and do those things which are pleasing in his sight In few words there are many golden Threes in Theology which I finde scattered up and down in this Epistle and being put together must needs much ennoble it
that there be in some things a similitude though not in all things an aequality nor is it any wonder if there be more energy in the body then in the shadow since the shadow is but a resemblance of the body 2 Besides this allusion which no doubt is most congruous to S. Pauls phrase there is another more suitable to this of S. John and that is in reference to the Sacrifices of expiation attonement Almighty God in the Law appointed both the burnt-offering for sin in generall and trespasse-offerings for particular sins by which being offered up he became appeased towards the sinner Now all those Sacrifices did look at Christ and the attonement which was made by them was not as considered in themselves but as they did typify Christs death and the propitiation to be wrought by it That those sacrifices did all of them typify Christ seemeth to me an undoubted truth and that among others for this reason because by Christs death they were abolished and became mortua dead yea soon after mortifera not onely dead but deadly upon this account that to continue those Sacrifices was to deny Christ. That whatsoever efficacy those Sacrifices had towards attonement was onely in reference to Christ must needs follow upon the former since as when the antitype is accomplished the type ceaseth so the vigour of the type whilest inbeing is from its relation to the antitype in this respect it is that under the legall administrations the people offering Sacrifices were minded of Christ and beleeving in him and God was propitiated by those Sacrifices as they did prefigure and so as it were mind him of Christ to be offerred up a reall and effectuall propitiation To close up this it would not be passed by how emphaticall our Apostles expression is in that he doth not onely say of Christ he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a propitiatour but the propitiation it selfe that is victima 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the propitiatory Sacrifice Indeed he is both the Priest and the Sacrifice rhe propitiator and the propitiation according to which is that of Origen God hath set him forth a propitiation through faith in his blood that by the Sacrifice of his body he might render God propitious to men In one word to speak after the Schooles inasmuch as Christ by his death did removere peccatum take away the guilt of sin which causeth the enmity and offerre sacrificium Deo acceptissimum offer up a sacrifice most grateful to God he might be truly said to be the propitiation There is only one objection which carrieth in it a shew of reason and therefore calls for a solution It is drawn from those Scriptures in which Gods love to mankind is set down as the cause of sending Christ into the world whereas if Christs coming into the world to dye did propitiate God for our sins this love of his towards man should be the effect not the cause and those Scriptures should have run thus not God so loved the world that he sent but God sent his Son into the world that he might love it and not in this was the love of God manifested but by this was the love of God procured to wit the sending his only begotten Son To untye this knot you may please to know that these two assertions are not irreconcileable Gods love to us moved him to send Christ to dye Christs dying moveth him to love us Indeed the love of God to man is in one respect the cause and in another the effect of Christs death and that thus it appeared to St. John is plain in that he puts these two together in one verse he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins To clear the truth hereof briefly observe these distinctions 1. Man fallen is to be considered say the Schooles two wayes either quantum ad naturam or quantum ad culpam as made by God or marr'd by sin he loved us as the work of his hands and that love was the cause of sending Christ he hated us as transgressours of his Law and Christ by making satisfaction removeth that hatred and obtaineth his favour 2. There is a twofold love of God towards man The one of commiseration and benevolence whereby he was reconcileable yea himself appointed the way of reconciliation and this love was the cause of Christs death The other of friendship or complacency whereby he becomes actually reconciled and so conferreth all good upon us and this love is the effect of Christs death It is observable concerning the friends of Job that God said to them My wrath is kindled against you therefore take seven bullocks and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt-offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept wherein it appeareth God so far tendred them as to acquaint them with his wrath and the meanes of pacifying it but his wrath was not removed till those meanes were used An enemy may so far love as to propose and offer conditions of peace to his adversary but till those conditions be accomplished and performed there is no amity between them so is it in this case though God loved us so as to propose nay indeed to perfect the meanes of reconciliation yet still he is not actually reconciled to us but only in and by those means the chief whereof is Christs passion The summe of all then amounts to this God considered without respect to Christ was though iratus yet placabilis actually angry yet so as that there was a possibility of appeasing it he was not so far provoked with men as with the Angels for whom he would not appoint nor accept a ransom but still it is only in and through Christ that he becometh placatus actually appeased toward sinners 2. He only is the propitiation for our sins only Moses must go up to God in the mount none but the High Priest must enter with the blood into the holy of holies Christ alone must mediate with God for man Indeed there was not could not be found in heaven or earth any one fit or able to undertake this work This will the better appear if we consider that whosoever would become a propitiation for our sins must both be free himself from all sin and be both capable and able to undergoe the punishment of our sins 1. He must be free from sin and therefore we could not propitiate God for our selves can it be imagined a Rebâ—ll should pacify the King towards himself or fellow-rebels whatever we could do whilest in our sins were but evaginato gladio pacem peterâ— seeking for peace with a drawne sword in our hand against our Soveraign indeed the good works of them that are in Christ do placere but not pacare please not appease and that only as dyed in Christs blood but as we are in a
and bread and wine common ordinary creatures to be the pledges of his love and conduit-pipes of his grace to the Church and as common things so ordinary persons are thought fittest by him to be imployed in his work indigent ignorant fishermen must be the publishers of his Gospel to the world It is that which lets us see the freeness the strangeness and the wisdom of divine dispensations 1. The freeness in that as the Apostle speaketh there is no respect of persons with God it is not external qualifications that Christ looketh at the poor as well as the rich the simple as soon as the wise the base as easily as the noble are accepted of him nay many times he passeth by these and chooseth those 2. The strangeness in that it is so contrary to the dictates of carnal reason who would not have thought it the most probable way of spreading the Gospel if Christ had imployed the Scribes that were learned in the Law and the Rulers of the people to have been the publishers of it but Gods wayes are not as our wayes neither are his thoughts as ours he loves to tread in uncouth paths and for the most part such as are crosse to our reason 3. The wisdom in that this serveth much to magnifie his own name look as the lesse aptitude there is in the matter so the lesse energie there is in the instrument so much the greater doth the skill power and causality of the efficient appear the less there is of men in any work the more of God is seen To do so great a work as the publishing and promoting of Christian Religion by such weak instruments as the Apostles were cannot but highly advance the honour of Christ since as S. Paul speaketh hereby the excellency of the power is manifested to be of God and not of man 2. And thus I have given you a view of the porch be pleased now to go into the house and therein to take a survey of the 1. Foundation as it is laid down in those words God is light and in him is no darkness at all if we consider these words in their utmost latitude they are both a position and a probation but this latter I shall defer to the following words For the more full handling of this clause as a position be pleased to observe something both more general and more speciall 1. In generall the words are a metaphoricall description of God For beloved when the Apostle saith God is light we must not think that the nature of God is the same with that of light indeed as St. Austin well observeth the Sun is light and the Moon is light and the other Stars are light but far be it from us to imagine that the Creators essence is the same with the Creatures but something far more choice and excellent only by light as a similitude the Apostle would represent something of God to us and thus it is not unworthy our consideration That 1. The metaphor which St. Iohn maketh choice of is drawn from a thing very obvious and familiar to us Indeed as one saith well light is that then which nothing is more unknown and yet nothing more known being that which is visible to every eye and in this respect the fitter to illustrate God by that by what we do know we may be instructed concerning him whom we do not know It is a fit pattern for all Ministers to follow whose work is not to make plain things hard as too many do but to make hard things plain and therefore to draw their similitudes from common and manifest things such as may not cast a vail over but give a lustre to the truth they deliver Indeed the end of these similitudes is chiefly to help the minde in conceiving and the memory in retainning what is by them represented now familiar comparisons are both more quickly understood and easily remembred and therefore ought espeoially to be used 2. The Apostle endeavouring to instruct us concerning the Creator borroweth a resemblance from the Creature Indeed as the Apostle Paul speaketh there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something to be known of God by the Creatures the earth and every pile of grass that groweth out of it but much more the heavens and the beams of light that flow from it declare the glory of God God hath vouchsafed somewhat of his excellencies to the Creatures and therefore in them we may nay ought to read something of God and that not onely in respect of his being but attributes Oh let us study this divine Art learn this spiritual Alchimy to extract heaven out of earth God out of the Creature that as we behold the works of his hand so we may in and by them see the excellency of the worker It is a known maxime in Philosophy Omnis cognitio fit per sensum All naturall knowledge entereth into the minde by the sense and it is thus far true in Divinity that spiritual knowledge may be helped by the sense happy is that man who maketh the things which he seeth as so many stayres by which his contemplation goeth up to God whom he doth not see 2. In particular this metaphoricall description of God is set forth both affirmatively God is light and negatively in him is no darkness at all and both may be construed two wayes to wit as spoken of God considered either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in himself or in his influences 1. In himself And that 1. Affirmatively God is light And thus 1. This metaphor of light though but darkly shadoweth forth the Trinity the Father being as the body of light the Son as the beams the Holy Ghost as the Splendor of both Dyonisius illustrateth it by the similitude of three candles enlightning one and the same room Damascen of the parelii when there appear as it were three and yet it is but one sun some have observed a resemblance of it in the Hebrâ—w 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latine Lux which signifie light all of which are monosyllables consisting of three letters and in the Hebrew word they observe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the beginning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the Father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the beginning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the spirit and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the middle letter may aptly represent the Son which is the middle person especially being neer of kin to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first letter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the Son but as I would not altogether contemn so neither do I much delight in such kind of observations and besides it is no doubt aliene from the Apostles scope to intend by this metaphor a resemblance of the Trinity 2. That therefore which is to be considered is in what respects this metaphor of
as lyable to the penalty so is the forgiven sinner from the punishment it selfe which is the remote term and the obligation to it which is the proxime term of pardon in this respect it is that Anselm saith to forgive sinne is not to punish it and St. Austin to the same purpose it is Gods not marking inquity so as to inflict the penalty due to it and the Schooles to remit the sinne is not to impute it so as to punish it For the fuller opening this truth know 1 On the one hand there is a great deale of difference between these two to withhold the execution off and to withdraw the obligation to the punishment it is one thing for a creditor to give day of payment and another thing to cancell the bond indeed the phrase used by Moses of Gods forgiving his people from Egypt untill now seemeth chiefely to intend his sparing to punish them but that is forgivenesse in a larger and improper sence according to the genuine notion there is a vast difference between forgiving and forbearing mercy As learned Davenant upon those words forbearing forgiving one another hath observed that there is far more in the latter than in the former since a man may forbear revenge meerly for want of ability or opportunity so is it true though not upon the same ground in respect of God his forgiving is farre more then his forbearing and therefore this latter hee vouchsafeth even to those who goe on in sinne but the former onely to them who confesse theâ—r sin since whereas by the one it is onely hee doth not as yet by the other it is that he will not at all punish 2 On the other hand there is a great deal of difference betwixt afflâ—cting for sin and punishâ—ng for sin properly so called for though the meritorious cause of both be the same to wit sin yet the impulsive cause from within is different that from an anger mixed with love this from meer anger and purely judiciall wrath besides the finall cause is far differenâ— that is for emendation of the person this is for satisfaction of the law and so whereas that is medicinall this is exitiall That God doth afflict his own people for sin yea for sinne after it is forgiven is a case so cleare that it cannot upon any just reason be denied The Antinomians doe but discover their owne blindnesse whilest they deny that God seeth sinne so as to correct it in justified persons that instance of David is pregnant whom the prophet tels as it were with one breath that God had forgiven his sinne and yet for that sinne the childe must dye that of the Psalmist concerning the Isralites is very plaine Thou wast a God that forgavest their sinne though thou tookest vengeance of their iniquities finally that of the Corinthians is no lesse apposite who though they were forgiven and therefore should not be condemned with the world yet were judged and chastized of the Lord for their sinne of unworthy receiving the holy sacrament But still though God doe afflict yet hee doth not punish for sinne those whom hee forgiveth unlesse as all afflictions may in some sort bee called punishments and the reason is plain because punishing for sinne is in a war of revenge and Satisfaction which are direâ—tly opposite to forgivenesse and wee may as well say that â— judge can at the same time pardon a malefactor and exâ—â—ute him as that God can punish when hee forgiveth indeed because those eternall miseries have most properly in them rationem paenae the nature of satâ—sfactory punâ—shment therefore forgiveness chiefly consists in taking off the obligation to that according to St. Pauls Phrâ—se There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus but yet it is no less true that the oblâ—gation to temporall as well as eternall punishâ—enâ— is taken off so that though the same ouâ—ward miseries seize upon pardoned as well as unpardâ—ned sinners yet nâ—t in the same way as hath been already iâ—timated and therefore though God doe inflict many miseries of life yea death it self upon forgiven sinners to make them feel the smart of sinnâ— watchfull how they run into sinne and to declare his justice against sinne yet not in the least to satisfy his justice upon them for sinne that being already most fully as I shall hereafter shew performed by Christ. 2 You see the significancy of the first word and thereby the nature of the thing passe wee on to the second which though the same as to the thing with the former yet wants not its peculiar emphasis That distinction of Divines concerning remissio culpe paenae the remission of the fault and the punishment may not unfittly bee made use of for a distinct reference of those two expressions the former of forgiving more properly refers to the remission of the punishment though yet it includeth the fault as a creditor cancelleth the bond doth thereby remit the debt it selfe this latter of cleansing chiefely refers to the remission of the fault which defileth though it include the punishment because it is of that defilement which is contracted through the guilt of sinne And now as in the former so in this expression wee have two things considerable what unrightâ—ousnesse doth and what pardon doth 1 What unrighteousnesse dothâ— it maketh the sinner filthy and polluted in Gods sight sinnes as they are debita debts so they are said to bee remitted and blotted out and as they are sordes filthy so they are said else where to bee covered and here to bee cleansed Oh then how odious is an unpardoned sinner in Gods sight It is very observable how Almighty God describing the sinfull state of rebellious Israel borroweth a metaphor from a châ—ld that is not swadled but lieth polluted in its bloud the Psalmist speaking of wicked men saith They are corrupt â—nd become abominable where the former word iâ— borrowâ—d from a dead carkass and truely â— child in its bloud is not more loathsome to our eyes a carkasse on the dunghill is not more nâ—isome to our smell then a sinfull wretch is in Gods eyes and to his nostrils 2 What forgivenesse doth it cleanseth the sinner An expression that must not be strained too much as 〈◊〉 according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome the pardoning of sinne were an utter extinction and aboâ—â—tâ—on of it as cleansing doth wholy take away filthâ— truâ— it is where sinne is forgiven the filth of sinne is in some measure and shall at last bee wholly removed but that is onely the effect of glorification not of justification or sanctification and indeed as if our Apostle would prevent any such inference from this Phrase wee finde him subioyning if wee say wee have not sinned as before whâ—n hee speaketh of Christs cleansing he addeth if wee say wee have no sinne so that sinne is therefore said to bee cleansed not that the
by God for this end to publish the doctrine of salvation to men no wonder if St. Paul writing to the Corinthians resembleth himself to a Father and tells them I have begotten you in Christ Iesus through the Gospel to the Galathians compareth himself to the Mother and using this phrase of the Text my little children giveth this as the reason of whom I travaile in birth again till Christ be formed in you and to the Thessalonians likeneth himself to a nurse that cherisheth her children Thus Ministers are Fathers and Mothers to those who are converted and so as it were begotten and brought forth and nurses to them who are confirmed and it were so as educated and brought up by their labours Upon this ground it was that Paulinus writing to Delphiuns by whom he was baptized and instituted in christian doctrine saith to him Tu nobis à Domâ—no in Domino Pater factus you are under and in God a Father to me And oh beloved that every soule in this congregation might be able to say of me my Father oh that I might be able to say of you my children why tell me why do you enforce us to complain with the Prophet we labour in vain and spend our strength for nought when oh when will you by receiving this caelestial seed make us joyfull Fathers and Mothers surely what Abraham in another case said to God What wilt thou give me seeing I go childlesse that we say to you in this what will you give us reverence maintenance I but all this is nothing if we go childlesse our desire is like that of the King of Sodom to Abraham give us your soules that we may give them to God and as Isaiah prophesieth concerning the Messiah He shall see of the travaile of his soule and shall be satisfied so this is our prayer to God and desire of you that we may see the travaile of our soules in the conversion of yours then and not till then shall we be satisfied Oh that you would do us this honour afford us this comfort by your spiritual birth and growth under our ministery that we may be able upon this reall ground to call you as here St. John did those to whom he wrote My little children But further we may conceive our Apostle using this appellation by way of allusion thereby to teach them Implicitely how they ought to look upon him to wit as a Father Explicitely how he did look upon them as his children 1. By calling them his children he teacheth them to look upon him as their Father and not only in respect of his age for so old men are stiled by the younger but his office for so superiours are called by inferiours and accordingly behave themselves as children in his second and third Epistles he giveth himself the title of an Elder being an Elder he was a Ruler and therefore to be owned as their Father Naaman being a Ruler in Syria is called by his servant My Father Elijah being a Prophet in Israel is called by Elishah my Father Micah said to the Levite Thou shalt be a Father and a Priest to me and surely St. John being an Elder nay more then so an Apostle ought to be accounted by them as their Father Thus tacitè dignitatem suam indâ—cat saith one upon these words here is a tacite insinuation of his dignity and the authority he had over them whereby they might be minded of their duty and that both towards him and his writings 1. Towards him a duty of reverence filio semper honesta sancta persona patris videri debet saith the Civil law the person of the Father ought to be venerable in the sons eye when Alexander was asked why he did so highly respect Antipater answered because he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of a Father to him upon this account it is that Ministers may expect and the people ought to give them a filial respect It is Gods argument to the Priests that despise his name a Son honoureth his Father if then I be a Father where is mine honour saith the Lord of Hosts it may be the Priests argument to the people that despise their persons If we be your Fathers where is our honour 2. Towards his writings a duty of obedience Hear ye children the instruction of a Father saith Solomon indeed whose instruction should children hear if not their Fathers so that our Apostle in calling them his children intimateth what an obligation lay upon them of conformity to his writings and following those Counsels which were thereby given to them 2. But lastly by calling them his little children he expresseth how he loâ—keth upon them to wit with most endeared affections 1. He declareth his love and care of them in that he calleth them his children He letteth them see that it was no lesse then a paternal and maternal love which he did bear to them Father saith Tertullian is not only appellatio potestatis but pietatatis a word of power but of love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said the Poeâ— All living creatures love their young ones love many times doth not ascend from children to parents but it usually descends from parents to children such an affection had S. Iohn to those to whom he wrote 2. And yet further he sets forth the dearnesse of his love in that he calleth them his little children it was the language of his loving Master to his disciples and he learned it of him as being full of sweetnesse Indeed sometimes diminutives are words of contempt and scorn but sometimes of tender respect no doubt this was the reason of our Apostles using this dâ—minutive not out of a supercilious contempt but an affectionate esteem of them Clemens Alexandrinus hath observed that all little things are most regarded and delighted in There is in us a kind of sympathy with and care of little things It was Iacobs phrase to Esau that he must have regard to the tender children and young cattel in his journey Besides parents though they love all yet especially their little children let the other shift for themselves but their little ones they will be sure to take care of can a woman forget her sucking child is the question of God himself the sucking little babes are carried in the armes dandled on the knee fed at the brest and though the mother may love her â—lder children as truly yet not so tenderly no wonder if interpreters conceive this expression as a word of greatest love and manifesting his singular care of their good Thus he who was the beloved disciple sheweth himself a loving pastor and as he was dearly beloved of his Master so his flock was dearly beloved of him nor was this only the temper of S. Iohn spirit but of the rest of the Apostles especially S. Paul who therefore tells the Corinthians how gladly he would spend and be spent
unworthy of the least regard oh tell me iâ— each of these severally much more all joyntly be not strong obligations of love and thankefulnesse How should every beleeving sinner in the apprehension hereof break forth into these or the like ejaculations Dearest Iesus didst thou procure thy Fathers love to me and shall it not engage my love to thee didst thou snatch me as a brand out of the fire of Gods wrath and shall not I be inflamed with affection towards thee the propitiation which thou hast wrought for me was undeserved nay undesired shall it be altogether unrequited It is true I cannot recompence but surely I will acknowledge it I will love and blesse and praise thee for it saying in words much like those of the Angels Worthy is the lamb that was slain a sacrifice and so a propitiation for my sins to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing THE FIRST EPISTLE OF S. IOHN CHAP. II. Ver. 2. And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world WOrds amiable as beauty to the eye harmonious as musick to the ear sweet as hony to the taste and joyous as wine to the heart who can read them and not be affected hear them and not be ravished meditate on them and not be delighted beleeve them and not be comforted Diligenter observanda cordibusque inscribenda sunt haec verba saith Ferus aptly These words deserve to be written yea ingraven upon the tables of our hearts as containing in them that which cannot but afford unspeakeable joy to the wounded conscience The person spoken of is Iesus Christ whose very name is as a precious oyntment the thing spoken of is a pacification between God and sinners then which no perfume can be sweeter finally this benefit is set forth as obtained by this person not for a few but many some but all and so like the light diffusing it selfe through the whole world and therefore I trust since we are all concerned in we shall all be diligently attentive to this precious Scripture And he is the propitiation for our sins c. Having already unfolded the nature we are now to handle the extent of this excellent benefit which is expressed two wayes Negatively and not for ours only Affirmatively but also for the sins of the whole world 1. A word of the former not for ours onely it is that which lets us see the nature of faith True faith applyeth but doth not appropriate or if you wil it doth appropriate but it doth not impropriate to it selfe a beleever so maketh Christ his own as that still he is or may be anothers as well as his and the reason of this is Partly in regard of the nature of the object which is such that it is capable of being communicated to many as well as few for as the ayre is a meanes of refocillation the sun an instrument of illumination and the sea a place of navigation for the people of our country and yet not ours only those being things so communicative that every one may have a share in them nor is one mans or peoples enjoying an hindrance to another so is Christ a propritiation for the sins of St. Iohn and the rest of beleevers then living but not for theirs only he being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common good and his propitiation such as that the participation of it by some doth not at all impede others from having the like interest And partly in respect of â—he temper of the subject this being the frame of a beleevers spirit that he would have others pertake of the same benefit with himselfe The Apostle St. Paul saith of faith that it worketh by love and accordingly as faith brings Christ home to it self so the love by which it worketh is desirous he might be imparted to others To this purpose it is observable that that Holy Apostle when he speaketh of a Crowne which shal be given to him presently addeth and not to me onely as here St. Iohn for our sins and not for ours onely To wind up this whereas there are two objections amongst others made against the applying act of faith as if it were a bold presumption in regard of Christ and an uncharitable excluding of others from having the same benefit to say he is ours and that he is the propitiation for our sins both will be found no better then calumnies since on the one hand faiths particular applycation is within the bounds and according to the tenure of the Gospel-promise and therefore it s no presumption and on the other hand faiths applying Christ to our selves is not thereby to withhold him from any other and therefore it is no uncharitablenesse for whilest faith saith He is the propitiation for our sins Love addeth and not for ours onely And so much or rather so little of the Negative pasâ—e we on to the 2. Affirmative clause But also for the sins of the whole world favores ampliandi is a rule in the civill law favours are to be extended to the utmost so doth our Apostle here this benefit of Christs propitiation Amplificatio est misericordiae dei it is an amplification of Gods mercy and Christs merit and that 1. Implicitely in respect of the object since Christ did not pacify God onely for the original sin of our natures but the actuall sins of our life and not onely for one but for all kind of sins The sins of the whole world are a world of sins what a numberless number of sins are every day committed in the world yea what sin is there so vile so heynous which commeth not within this latitude the sins of the whole world so that this propitiation extends it selfe not onely to one but many lesser but greater sins not the multitude nor magnitude of all the sins which are acted in the world can exceed the virtue of Christs propitiation and therefore though the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ellâ—ptically cut of in the Greeke both it and its substantive are fitly supplyed in our translation for the sins of the whole world But further this enlargement is chiefly to be considered 2. Explâ—citely in regard of the subject the persons to whom this propitiation belâ—ngs and it is set forth with the fullest advantage that may be Indeed there are divers phrases by which this universality is represented Sometimes it is saâ—d He gave his life a ransome for many and that is opposed to a few more then this it is said that He dyed for all and that He gave himselfe a ransome for all yea the Author to the Hebrews saith He tasted death for every man not onely all in generall but every man in perticular in like manner the usuall phrase of the Scripture when it speaketh of the subject of reconciliation â—nd salvation is in the comprehensive
from Gods pleasure not any want of dignity and sufficiency in the price which was payed by him 2 But when the schooles speak of Christs dying for all sufficiently and accordingly some Expositours interpret this expiation sufficient for the sins of the whole world it is as the Learned Davenant hath excellently observed solidly proved another kind of value to wit such as ariseth from divine ordination and thus though we must exclude Angels and consider men onely as viatores whilest they are in the way since as S. Bernard truly The blood of Christ which was shed on earth goeth not down to hell yet we are by the whole world to understand omnes singulos all and every man that hath been is or shall be in the world so that we may truly assert It was the intention of God giving Christ and Christ offering himselfe to lay down such a price as might be sufficient and so upon Gospel termes applicable to all mankind and every individuall man in the whole world To unfold this truth aright I shall briefly present two things to your consideration 1. A price may be said to be sufficient either absolutely or conditionally a price is then absolutely sufficient when there is nothing more required to the participation of the benefit but onely the payment of the money and thus we are not to conceive of Gods ordination that Christs death should become an actuall propitiation without any other intervenient act on our part He dyed not in this sense for any much lesse for all when therefore we say God would that Chrâ—st should lay down a prâ—ce sufficient and so applicable to every man it is to be understood in a conditionall way upon the termes of faith and repentance And hence it is that though Christ dying suffered that punishment which was designed to be satisfactory for the sins of every man yet God doth justly inflict the punishment upon the persons of all them who are not by faith partakers of Christs death because it was intended to satisfy for them onely upon condâ—tion of beleeving 2. Know further that though God intend Christs propitiation conditionally applâ—cable aequè as well to every as any man yet he did not ex aequo aequally intend it for every man it is one thing to say He is a propitiation not for our sins onely but for the sins of the whole world and another thing to say He is a propitiation as fully for the sins of the whole world as He is for ours It is observable in Scripture that some places speake of Christ laying down his life for his sheep and giving himselfe for his Church and others of Christs dying for all and tasting death for every one in one place He is called the Saviour of the body and in another the Saviour of the world nor will it be hard to reconcile these if we distinguish of a general a speciall intention in God that the fruit of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love to mankind this of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good will to some particular persons by the former he intends Christs propitiation applicable to all by the latter He decreth it to be actually applyed to some according to this it is that S. Ambrose saith Christ suffered generally for all and yet specially for some and Peter Lumbard Christ offered himselfe on the Altar of the Crosse for all as to the sufficiency of the price for the elect onely as to efficacy because he efâ—ects salvation onely for them that are praedestinaâ—ed Sutably hereunto it is â—hat Divinâ—s conceive a double covenant to be intimated iâ— Scripture the one universall and condâ—tionall the other speciall and absolute the one made with all and every man upon these termes Whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall not perish the other made with Christ concerning a seed which He should see upon makâ—ng hâ—s Soule an offering for â—in to whom He promiseth not onely Salvation by Christ upon condition of beleeving but the writing his law in their hearts whereby they are inabled to performe the condition and so infalâ—â—by pertake of that salvation By all which it appeareth that notwithstanding Gods speciall affection and dâ—crâ—e of election whereby he hath purposed this propitiation shall be actually conferd upon some we may tâ—uly assert God hath a generall love whereby He hath ordained the death of Christ an universall remedy applicable to every man as a propitiation for his sins â—f he beleeve and repent And hence it is that this propitiation as it it is applicable so it is annunciable to every man Indeed as God hath not intended it should be actually applyed so neither that it should be so much as aâ—â—ually revealed to many men but yet it is as applicable so annunciâ—ble both by virtue of the generall covenant God hath made with all and that generall mandate He hath given to his Ministers of preaching the Gospel to all so that if any Minister could go through all the parts of the world and in those parts singly from man to man He might not onely with a conjectural hope but with a certain faith say to him God hath so loved thee that he gave his onely son that if thou beleeve in him thou shalt not perish and that this is not barely founded upon the innate sufficiency of Christs death but the Ordination of God appeareth in that we cannot may not say so to any of the fallen Angels for whom yet as you have already heard Christs death is intrinsecally sufficient And now what should the meditation of this truth afford us but matter of 1 Admiration at the riches of divine love to all mankind and which rendereth it so much the more wonderfull that whilest it is conferd on the whole world of men it is denied to Angels That God should cause his wrath to smoake against those spiritual and noble creatures the Angels and appoint a propitiation a ransome for such crawling wormes sinful dust and ashes as men are is it not to be admired at St. Ambrose speaking of these words the whole earth is full of thy mercy puts the question Why is it not said the heaven as well as the earth and returneth this Answer because there are indeed spiritual wickednesses in high places sed non illae ad commune jus indulgentia Dei remissionemque pertinent peccatorum but the remission of God and propitiation of Christ belongs not to them well may we in this consideration take up those words of the Psalmist quoted by the Authour to the Hebrewes upon this very occasion Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him 2. Consolation to all despairing soules it is an excellent saying of Leo The effusion of Christs blood is so rich and availeable that if the whole multitude of captive sinners would beleeve in their Redeemer not one should be detained in the tyrants chaines