VER. 1, 2.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 449
5. You must submit to bear tbe world's hatred, if God see fit: Eev. iv. 29, ' They loved not their lives to the death ; ' Heb. ii. 10, ' For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings.' And therefore, as Christ said, so must we say, John xviii. 11, ' The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ? '
6. Think often and seriously of this wonderful and matchless love ; the subject requireth it.
[1.] These are things excellent and great, and such things usually force their way into our minds ; all other things are trifles to this love, in making us his children. Alas ! what are the things you dote upon, and wherein you applaud yourselves, to this ? honours, lands, reve- nues, to these glorious mysteries ? These are the most sweet and ravish- ing thoughts, a feast to the minds of all spiritual wise men: Epb. iii. 18, ' That we may, with all saints, comprehend the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of Christ, and to know the love of God, which passeth knowledge ; ' to know as much as we can, that we may be affected with it.
[2.] These are things that nearly concern us. Needless speculations we may well spare, or other men's matters ; all will seek their own things : in temporals it holdeth true. Now what doth more nearly concern us than to have God for our father, Christ for our elder brother, heaven for our inheritance, angels and saints for our fellow-members in the family ? It may be so, if we do not forfeit or lose this privi- lege by our neglect or contempt. These things are ours by offer ; they may be ours by choice. Consideration doth much promote it.
[3.] They are the most necessary things. What is more necessary to our happiness than to love God as a father, which is our work, and to know we are beloved of him as children ?
[4.] Things most profitable should be considered by us. There is more profit to be gotten by the tillage of a fruitful land than a barren heath ; and it is idle to stand telling stories when we have higher business of concernment in hand ; so it is foolishness in us to muse upon vanity when we have the love of God to think of, to let the mill grind chaff when there is such plenty of corn at hand.
SEEMON II.
Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it hieiv him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God ; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be : but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for ice shall see him as he is. — 1 John iii. 1, 2.
In the first part of these words we have observed two things —
1. A great privilege represented.
2. An anticipation of an objection, or an exception which might be made to that privilege.
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450 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SER. II.
For the first, we have discoursed of the excellency of the privilege of adoption, or being God's children.
The second will give us occasion to discourse of the inconspicuous- ness of this privilege for the present to the world.
The objection or exception may be framed thus: There is little seen of this dignity and prerogative which you speak of as so great and glorious. The world hateth them whom you say God loveth; and their present condition is so unlike such an estate, that how can we believe it ? many of God's children being mean, low, indigent, oppressed by the world, harassed with sundry calamities and afflictions, that it doth not appear that we have so great and glorious a Father ; yea, what with corruption within and temptations without, we have much ado ourselves to be persuaded that we are the children of God ; our condition being so much unsuitable to, and so much beneath, our rights and privileges. This objection the apostle would anticipate and prevent, both to vindicate the truth of the privilege, that it is as great and glorious as he had told them, and also to fortify them against the hatred and persecutions of the world.
But how doth he prevent it ? In this prolepsis and anticipation there is — (1.) A concession ; (2.) A correction.
1. By way of concession he granteth two things —
[1.] That the children of God are obnoxious to the contempt and hatred of the world, ' Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.'
[2.] That the privilege itself carrieth no splendid appearance in the world ; yea, it is much obscured by the present state of those that possess it, ' It doth not appear what we shall be.'
2. By way of correction, wherein —
[1.] He asserts the reality of the privilege notwithstanding the present state, ' Beloved, now are we the sons of God.'
[2.] That in the future state the glory of God's children shall be manifest, ' But we know, when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is.'