loved you; where the particle as, 1s only a note of compariſon,but doth not denote an equality ; only ſignifieth ryurh and greatneſs ; As truly and fincerely as the Father loveth me ; Oc I have loved you with a great l:ve, bearing ſome proportion to the love wherewith my Father loveth me ; the Father's love to Chriſt is Eternal, Immutable, Conſtant, Full, and perfe&, We, and Juſt, Free in all theſe reſpeds ; Chriſt loverh his people as the Father loveth him ; this ought to 1ngage them again to love him, and fo to walk, as they may continue 1n thar Nate of favour into which his goodneſs hath advanced them.
10 * If ye keep my commandments, ye ſhall abide in my love ?, even as I have kept my Father's command-
ments, and abide in his love . :
t Abiding in Chrift's love in this verſe, may be interpreted as be- fore, either a#ively ; you ſhall continue your love co me, according to what we had, Chap. 14. 15. Obedience to the commandments of Chriſt, being the only way to ſhew and declare the truth of our love to Chriſt, Or elſe paſſively, you ſhall keep your ſelves in my favour, I will love you: « Thus I abide in my Father's love ; Ido not ſhew love to my Father by my words and expreſſions only, nor by performance of ſome ceremonial ritual ſervices, which he hath required ; but by fulfilling his whole Will and Counſel, by yielding an Obedience to him in all things. I Jove you as my Father loveth me : and you muſt abide in my love, by the ſame ways and means that I abide in my Father's love. The Diſciple is not above his Ma- ſter, nor the Servant above his Lord.
11 Theſe things have I ſpoken unto you, that my
*Ch.16.2 4.109. might remain in you w, and * zhat your joy might
e full x. w The end of my preſſing ſo much the duty of holineſs upon you, under the notions of abiding in me, abiding in my love, in my words, bringing forth much fruit, &c. 15, that I might have a continual cauſe to rejoice in you. Joy is nothing elſe but the ſarisfa- Aion of the reaſonable Soul in its union with an obje&t which it lo- ved and deſired. Chrift willing and defiring the perfeCtion of his Diſciples, according to the rational workings of humane nature, 1s pro- perly (aid to rejoice inthe ſatisfaRtion of his will, in which ſenſe joy and rejoicing, are often in Scirpture attributed ro God. x Nor doth Chrift preſs them to this, that he might rejoice in chem, bur alſo that their joy might be full: That Joy and Peace which attends and follows believing, Row. 15. 13. Called the peace of God, Coloſ-3e1 5+
A o | char they might brng forth the fruit of holineſs, in obed; | kich th al und ding, Philip. 4. 7. No man maketh| that they might brng torth the fruit of holineſs, in obedience to the | rd 6 qurl qu rai OY het 16 cazeth unſpeakable joy Goſpel of Chriſt. g ea, not only to bring forth fruit, but that they and peace to himſelf. As no man grieveth his Spirit, but alſo purcha- might perſevere in bringing forth fruit ; þ and that thus doing, they
ſerb grief and ſadneſs to himſelf in the latter end.
*; Thee 12 * This is my commandment, That ye love one 4+ 9. another, as I have loved you y. 1 Per. 4.8. , This isthat which our Lord calſed the New Commanament, Chap.
1 John 3. x3. 34. (ſee the notes there) He had before preſſed the keeping of his 23.
words, continuing, and abiding in his words, keeping his commanaments,
& 4. 21» &c, Here he tells them what was his commandment : not his only
*Rom. 5.
7, 8
*Ch 14415. See Marth. I2, $50.
commandment, but that which he laid a very great ſtreſs upon; a commandment moſt neceſſary to be preſſed, becauſe ſo neceſſary to keep up and uphold his Church in the. World ; (love being the ve- ry ligament of that Society) and becauſe there was a greater failure in obedience to this, than in ſome others, as may be learned from our Saviour's correQtion of the Phariſees interpretation of that Law, Matth. s. This he preſleth to an higher degree; as he had loved them; not that it is, poſſible that our love to our Brethren can riſe up in any proportion to that Jove wherewith Chriſt hath loved us : but to mind us to eye him, to preſs forward toward this mark. As here again doth not ſignifie equality, but a compariſon ; as truly and ſincerely as I have loved you, and preſſing after the higheſt de. gree of love. |
13 * Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends z.
z The reaſon of this 15, becauſe Life is the greateſt Earthly good to men under ordinary circumſtances; Skin for skin, and all a man hath, for his life. Now it is impoſſible that a man ſhould ſhew a greater love to another, than by parting with the greateſt good he is in poſſeſſion of for his ſake. Hence our Saviour proves, that he loved them with the greateſt love, becauſe he for their ſake was abour to part with, what in the common judgment of men is the greateſt good. The greatneſs of the love of Chriſt to us, is from hence ofren commended to us in Scripture; and our mutual love to our Brerhren is preſſed upon this argument, Eph 5. 2. 1 John 3. 16. But how did Chriſt lay down his life for his friends ? when the Scrip.
ture tells us, That the juſt died for the unjuſ?, 1 Pet. 3 18. and thar|his own: but * becauſe you are not of the world n,*(
white we were enemies, we were reconciled unto God by the Death of his Son. Rom. 5. Io, Anl. Friends muſt not kere be taken as a name of Relation, but only as it ſfignifteth the 6bjetts of love ; perſons we
have ſer our love upon, whether they mutually Jove us or no ; as the |
World was the obje& of that Jove in God, which moved him to ſend his only begotten Son, Fehr 3.16. Tho they for whom Chriſt died, were enemies by their wicked works, yet by his death they were reconciled ; but poſſbly the firſt anſwer is beſt, for by Chriſt's Death they were only meritoriouſly reconciled, and after this enemies to God, till they received the word of reconciliation, and believed in Chriſt.
14 * Yeare my friends, if ye do whatſoever I com-
mand you 4.
a Our Lord preſſcth obedience to his commandments as a means, and inJeed che only means by which we can declare our loveto Chriſt ; 2nd allo ufeth a new argument to preſs their obedience, from his aſ- fuming them jnto the #ate and dignity of his friends.
15 Henceforth I call you not ſervants, for the ſer- vant knoweth not what his lord doth b: but I have cal-
led you friends; for all things that I have heard of my their faults or fins, but becauſe they were the objeds of