First, Of the concession ; and there the first granted truth is —
1. "that the children of God are obnoxious to the contempt and hatred of the world, ' The world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.' By ' the world ' is meant unbelievers, or the multitude of those that are without Christ. They know us not so as to own and love us, for they knew him not, that is, Christ. ' Him ' is not referred to the next antecedent, the Father ; for it is usual to express Christ by the relative word ' he ' by way of eminency, as is evident by the next verses, ' For when he shall appear.' Yea, all along the epistle : 1 John ii. 4, ' He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his command- ments,' &c. ; ver. 12, ' Our sins are forgiven for his name's sake ; ' ver. 25, ' The promise which he hath promised us ; ' ver. 27, ' The anoint- ing which he hath received from him ; ' ver. 28, ' When he shall appear, we shall have boldness at his coming.' So after the text, chap, iii. 5, ' He was manifest to take away sin ; ' ver. 16, ' Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us ; ' 1 John iv. 17, ' As he is in the world, so are we in the world.' It is by way of eminency appropriated to Christ ; so that the meaning is, they do not
VER. 1, 2.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 451
acknowledge Christianity, since they do not acknowledge Christ. Yet I will not rigorously insist upon this interpretation, so as to exclude the Father and the Spirit, because the world neither know Father, Son, nor Spirit, and therefore hate and contemn the people of God, and oppose the life and power of the gospel-dispensation. They know not the Father : John xv. 21, 'These things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.' They know not the Son, and therefore contemn and hate the saints : John xvi. 3, ' These things will they do unto you, because they know not the Father nor me.' Yea, they know not the Holy Spirit: John xiv. 17, ' I will send you another comforter, even the Spirit of truth ; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, nor knoweth him ; but ye know him, because he dwelleth in you.' This is the first concession, that the world discerneth not any such great privilege, or dear and near relation between God and us.
2. The second concession is the imperfection of the present state, by which the glory of this privilege is darkened. It doth not appear what we shall be by what we are now. We are stained with sin, and blackened with sufferings. How many infirmities are we compassed about with ! How many wants, necessities, and troubles are we pressed with ! There is no visible appearance of our great privilege ; it doth not appear who are God's children, or how they shall be glorified. The heirs of the world make a great show and noise ; they may be pointed at where they go ; there goeth such a prince, or such a lord's son and heir ; but God's children carry no such port and state.
Secondly, By way of correction ; and there —
1. He asserts the reality of the privilege, ■ Beloved, now are we the sons of God.'
[1.] Now we have the immediate ground and foundation of this new relation, which is the new birth or regeneration, whereby is given to us a new nature, which is called a divine nature, whereby we are made partakers of the life and likeness of God: Titus iii. 5, ' According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost ; ' 2 Cor. v. 17, * If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed away, and all things are become new.'
[2.] We have the right thence depending ; for it is said, John i. 12, ' But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name ; ' that is, right or privilege, for so the word is translated, Eev. xxii. 14, ' Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to eat of the tree of life.' A right then we have, though not the possession or full fruition ; that is reserved for the life everlasting ; but it is a title to a glorious inheritance, that surely and shortly will come in hand. Therefore this present state and condition of ours is the state and condition of the sons of God. There must be a distinction between earth and heaven ; though our filiation in the world to come be another thing to what it is in this world, yet now we are dear to God, reckoned to be of his family. God is with us now in our houses of clay, though we be not with him in his palace of glory. He is with us now in fire and water, in all conditions, though we be not in our everlasting con-