1 John. v. 11, 12. This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life ; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
IN matters that are established by human testi- mony, we necessarily proportion our assent to the number and credibility of the witnesses. And if we will act in the same manner towards the Holy Scrip- tures, we shall not entertain a doubt, either of their Divine authority in general, or of the way of salva- tion contained in them. Moses and all the prophets concur with the Apostles in directing our eyes to Christ as the only Saviour of the world : but in the words before us we have the testimony of One whose information cannot be doubted, and whose veracity
cannot be impeached ; of One who is too good to deceive, and too wise to be deceived. This witness is no other than Jehovah himself.
Let us then consider,
I. His testimony concerning his Son, and concerning the way of salvation through him —
This record embraces two points ; and asserts,
1. That " God hath given to us eternal life" —
[Since the fall of Adam, man has lost all right to life. In him we died, and through him condemnation is come upon us all. Moreover, we have all increased our guilt and condemna- tion by our own personal transgressions. But God willed not that we should perish, and therefore sent his only dear Son to deliver us : and, having opened a way for our return to him through the blood and righteousness of his Son, he has pub- lished the glad tidings, and offered freely to give eternal life to as many as would receive it in his appointed way. He has not tendered it to us as a blessing to be earned or merited, but as a free unmerited gift to be received*.]
2. That " this life is in his Son"—
[This life, comprehending all the blessings of grace and glory, is in Christ as the Proprietor, the Dispenser, and the Guardian of itb. He is the Proprietor of it. As the light is primarily in the sun, so is all good originally and essentially in Christ. " In him was life," says St. John ; " and the life was the light of menc." The same writer says of him again at the conclusion of the chapter from whence the text is taken, "This is the true God, and eternal lifed." He also is the Dispenser of it. As life was in him essentially as well as in the Father, so was it committed to him officially, in order that he might impart it to whomsoever he would e. He himself arro- gates to himself this honourf ; and all his Apostles acknow- ledge themselves indebted to him for all that they possessed g. He is moreover the Guardian of it. When life was entrusted to Adam, he, though perfect, and in Paradise, was soon robbed
a See Bom. vi. 23. Eph. ii. 8, 9. Tit. ii. 5.
b For this just and elegant mode of expressing this idea, the Author is indebted to that very judicious author, Mr. Robert Walker, of Edinburgh ; whose four volumes of Sermons are well worthy of every man's perusal.
c John i. 1. d ver. 20.
Col. i. V.). John v. 21, 20. and xvii. 2. <" John x. 28.
6 John i. 16.