THE DIFFERENT GROWTH AND PRIVILEGES'OF GOD's CHILDREN.
1 John ii. 12 — 14. 7 write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake, I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is foom the beginning. I ivrite unto you^ young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you^ fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning, I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strongs and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
THE word of God is intended for every indivi- dual of mankind, that all, being acquainted with their own state, may know what God says respect- ing them. On this account it is the duty of Mini- sters to mark with accuracy the discriminating fea- tures of every character, and, by " rightly dividing the word of truth," to " give to every one his por- tion in due season." St. John affords us a good example with respect to this : for, not content with ** separating the precious from the vile," he arranges the saints themselves into distinct classes, according to their several attainments, and declares to each those peculiar marks wherein they differ from each other.
There
There is indeed a tautology in this place, such as does not occur in any other part of the Inspired Vo- lume. Whether this was intended, or whether a considerable part of the thirteenth verse was inserted by the mistake of an early transcriber, we cannot say : but the whole of that verse, except the last clause, might be omitted without any loss, because every word in it is repeated afterwards.
Our intention is simply to address the several classes of Christians here specified ; first drawing their respective characters, and then setting before them their distinctive privileges and attainments. . I. We speak to '* you, little children" —
[In order to come under this title, it is necessary that you should have been " begotten witli the incorruptible seed, the Word of God," and been brought into God's family by the renewing influences of his Spirit. It is not supposed ^ that you have grown to any stature in the family of Christ, but, on the contrary, that you have either recently " come out of darkness into the marvellous light of the Gospel," or, at least, made very little advance in the Divine life. You are, however, born again. Ye have seen your guilt and helpless- ness ; you have fled to Christ for refuge : you have sought for mercy through the blood and righteousness of your incar- nate God. You have obtained a new nature : and, though you are yet weak in all your faculties and all your powers, there is no i)art in you that is wholly unrenewed. Your understanding, though dark, is enlightened with some rays from the Sun of righteousness. Your atfections, though far from pure, are j'et, on the whole, turned to God, and hea- venly diings. The Divine Image, though far from perfect, is, in a measure, form.ed upon your souls ; so that it already appears whose you are, by the resemblance which you bear to your heavenly Father.
Hear then the privileges M^hich belong to you. In the first place, we declare from God himself, that " your sins are for- given you." Whatever they may have been, however nume- rous, however heinous, (God makes no distinction, nor can we presume to make any,) they are all " blotted out of the book of God's remembrance," nor shall so much as one of them ever apjjcar in judgment against you. From the first moment tluit you believed in Clu'ist, and became truly rege- nerate, this was your happy portion: you were not to wait for it till a life of lioliness should confirm your title to it: a free and fidl pardon was youi-s, the very instant you became