1 John iii. 8. For this purpose the Son of God ivas mani- fested, that he might destroy the ivorks of the devil.
THE author of this epistle survived all the other Apostles ; so that, long before his death, the pro- fessed followers of Christ had had ample opportunity of shewing what the effects of religious principle would be, after that the impulse of novelty should have ceased : in some the sacred fire would burn with undiminished ardour; but in others it would languish so as to leave room to doubt whether it were not altogether extinguished. Hence, in this General Epistle, St. John lays down a variety of
l.i 2 1 .10IIN, III. 8. [21 1.5.
marks, whereby men might judge of their stale before God. In the chapter before us he shews the indispensable necessity of holiness, and the extreme danger of imagining ourselves in a state of accept- ance with God, whilst destitute of his image on our souls : he shews this, as from other topics'"1, so especially from this, that the indulgence of any sin counteracts the very end for which Christ came into the world ; since " he was manifested on purpose to destroy the works of the devil."
Let us inquire, I. What are those works which Christ came to destroy —
Satan, envious of the happiness of man in Para- dise, endeavoured to bring him to the same state of guilt and misery to which he himself was reduced. How successful he w:as, it is needless now to men- tion : we all without exception experience in our- selves the sad effects of Adam's fall. Two things in particular that wicked fiend has introduced :
1. Sin —
[This was unknown to man, till Satan invaded the peace- ful regions of Paradise, and prevailed on Eve to eat of the forbidden tree. He questioned the prohibition itself, or at least the equity of it ; and then, denying that any evil conse- quences would ensue, he urged the vast advantages that would be derived from transgressing the Divine injunction ; and thus " beguiled Eve by his subtilty." From that time he has practised upon others in a similar way, " blinding their eyesb," and putting all manner of wickedness into their hearts0. It is at his instigation that all the children of disobedience execute their wicked purposes'1: he, as their father, teaches them, and constrains them, as it were, to fulfil his will.
Even the godly he tempts, and labours to deceive by innu- merable " wiles," and most subtle " devicese :" and, " if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect."]
2. Death—
[This also he introduced ; for by sin came death, as its proper " wages," and its necessary consequence. Satan had
a ver. 3—10. b 2 Cor. iv. 4.
c Luke xxii. 3. Acts v. 3. d Eph. ii. 2. and vi. 11, 12.
e 1 Thess. iii. 5. 2 Cor. xi. 3.