1 John iii. 23. This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.
SOME Christians, from a mistaken zeal for the Gospel, are ready to associate the idea of legality with the very mention of the term " commandment ;" forgetting that the commandments, if obeyed from love, are of the very essence of the Gospel ; obedi- ence to them being its necessary fruit, its appropriate end, its highest glory. St. John had as ardent a love to the Gospel, and as vigilant a jealousy for its honour, as Paul himself: yet does he lay the greatest stress on an obedience to the commandments, say- ing, in the very words before my text, " Whatsoever we ask, we receive of God, because we keep his com- mandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." But the very Gospel itself is here pre- sented to us under that character, as much as "love" itself, which is the sum and substance of the law :
m 1 John, in. 23. [2451.
" This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." In fact, the Gospel should be particularly endeared to us under this character. And, that it may be so, I will set before you,
I. The duty here commended to us —
If faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a grace bestowed*, so is it also a duty enjoined. We are commanded of God,
1. To receive Christ as he is revealed in the Gospel —
[He is spoken of as the person foretold from the beginning of the world, "the Seed of the woman," "the Seed of Abra- ham," " the Shiloh," " the Son of David," the Virgin's child, the Messiah that was to come. And it is our bounden duty, after comparing the history of the New Testament with the records of the Old, to receive him under this character.
But he is said also to sustain certain offices corresponding with the typical representations of him under the Mosaic economy. He was to be " a Prophet like unto Moses;" he was to fulfil and execute also all the services of the priest- hood ; and he was to " sit on the throne of David," as King over his Church and people. In all these views, then, we must inspect his pretensions : and from all that we read con- cerning him, we must be convinced, that in him were all these offices united ; that he is indeed the Prophet, who has revealed to us the mind of God ; the Priest also, that has offered him- self a sacrifice for the sins of men ; and the King, that will bring the whole world under his sceptre, and reign unto the very ends of the earth.
In a word, he is declared to be a Saviour, the only Saviour of our fallen race. And, from all that he wrought for the bodies of men in healing all manner of diseases, and from the effects which he produced also upon their souls, both during his so- journing on earth, and after his ascension to heaven, we must thankfully acknowledge him under that endearing character ; and confess him, as the Samaritan converts did, " This is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the worldV]
2. To depend upon him for all the blessings which he is commissioned to bestow —
a Eph. ii. 8. Phil. i. 20. »> John iv. 42.