_ r Tobeinthe Light, ſignifies to be under the transforming govern- ing Power of it, as the Phraſes import of being in the Fleſh, and in the Spirit, Rom. 8. 9. being expounded by walking after the Fleſh, and after the Spirit, verſe 1. He therefore that hateth his Brother, a thing ſo contrary to the Deſign of the Goſpel, whatever he pretends is ſtill in darkneſs, ſ-under the Power of the unregenerate Principle of impure and malignant Darkneſs, The Goſpel hath done him no
good, 1s to himbutan impotent, and ineffetual Light, in the midſt
whereof, by {tiff winking, and an obſtinate refiſtance and excluſion
- = = and holy Light, he creates to himſelf a dark and an hel- ight.
_ To * He that loveth his brother z abideth in the
light z, and Þ there is no occafion of ſtumbling in
him z.
_ & Hs Brother, put indefinitely, muſt be underſtood univerſally, 7. e, He that loveth not this or that Fellow-Chriſtian, upon ſome perſonal or private Reaſon, but all upon one and the fame common and truly Chriſtian Account. # Shews or doth demonſtrate the ſet- led, conſtant Power, the regenerate Divine Principle hath over him. And there is u Gr, no Scandal, or occaſion of ſtumbling in him, no incon- ſiſtent thing that ought to occaſion him to judge otherwiſe of himſelf, or others to think otherwiſe of him.
11 But he thathaterh his brother,is in darkneſs,and * walketh in darkneſs,and knoweth not whither he go-
eth, becauſe that darkneſs hath blinded his eyes w.
w Hath no Principle to guide or govern him, but what is common to the unregenerate World, ſo that his whole Life is a continual Er- ror; nor doth he underſtand or conſider the tendency of his Courſe, being ſtill under the Power of an effeQual Darkneſs that makes his Eyes, or Underſtanding, of no more uſe than if he were quite blind, or had none at all. So weighty and important is the Precept which he had to Iay down, verſe 15. of not loving the World, &c. that he introduces it with the Solemnity of a moſt pathetick Preface contain- ed in theſe three following Verſes, wherein he applies himſelfſeveral- ly to the diſtin& Orders and Ranks into which Chriſtians were capable of being reduced, the matter being of common and equal Concern- ment to all of them. And he ſpeaks ſutable to the Condition and State of each, ſuch things as whereby,he might moſt effeually infi- nuate with them, and oblige them deeply to conſider what he had to fay ; doubling alſo his Application to each of them, out of the ear- neſtneſs of his Intention and Endeavour to faſten the Exhortation upon them which was to follow.
Chap. II.
| 7 Brethren, I write no & new commandment unto you, but an old /commandment * which ye had from * Ch.z.r1, the beginning : the old commandment is the word 2 Jot. s.
came pure firſt from our Lord Chriſt himſelf. mz The Commandment,
* oh, 13,
34+ | true light now ſhin- F Rom.13, I2,
I The, 5:
|| Joh. 1.9, « I2,
F x Cor.
I3. 2.
2 Pet. 1.9, Ch. 3. 14, I 5.
*Ch.3. 14.
T 2 Pet. r; ©
IO, || Gr. ſcan- dal.
Y Joh. 12,
350
12 I write untg you, little children x, becauſe *-, take as.
your fins are forgiven you, for his names ſake y.
. 47+ x He here uſes an Appellation before, verſe 1. applied to all in } (0 4 12. common, being put alone ; but being now ſet in coptradiſiin&ion to && 13, 38.
others, muſt be underftood to intend a diſtin Rank, of Chriſtians, viz. thoſe more newly entred into the Chriſtian State; and to
them he ſuggeſts the free remiſſion of their Sins for his = abe
« 13, N.13, f. 5:
1.9, I2,
14.
+ I,
AN-
.
Chap. II.
ſake. y i.g For his own ſake, as the Reaſon why they ſhould out of Ingenuity, and a new recent ſenſe of God's Mercy towards them, comply with his holy Pleaſure in the following Precept. The Remiſ- ſion of their Sins, being a firſt, and myſt early Priviledge with them that commenced from the beginning of their fincere Chriſtianity, and which was ſealed to them in their late Baptiſm ; 'tis the more fit- ly mention'd to this firſt Rank of Chriſtians.
13 [ write unto you.fathers,becaulſe ye have known him zbat zs from the beginning 2. TI write unto you, young men, becaule ye have overcome the wicked one a. 1 write unto you, little children, becauſe ye have known the Father b. ”
7 Unto Fathers, becadlfe to ſuch belongeth much Experience, and the Knewwledye of ancient. Things, he aſcribeth the Knowledge of him who is the Ancient of Days, from the beginning, and than whom none 15 more angient, and whom they ſhould be ſuppoſed ſo well gp know by their long continued Courſe in Religion, as fully to underſtand his good and acceptable W:ll, what would be pleaſing, and what dit- pleaſing to him. a To ſuch as were inthe Flower of their Strength and Age in Chriſtianity, he attributeth Victory; to whom therefore it would be inglorious to ſlur the Honour of that noble Conqueſt they had gained over the wicked one, the God of this World, as he is elſewhere called, 2 Cor. 4. 4. by ſuffering themſelves again to be en- rangled in 1ts Snares and Bands. His Method is, we ſee, to place this Order of Chriſtians laſt, as a middle State, which he would have us conceive afterwards to be interpoſed between the other two ; wiich Method we find he obſerves in going over them again the ſe- cond time. 7.e. He firſt again begins with his little Children, whom he now beſpeaks by another Compellation in the Greek { before 721, now 7zdz ) importing no material difference, except this latter fig- nifite more Capacity of Inſtru&ion ; and he now gives them another CharaFer, which implies ſo much, that he not only conſiders them as 'the paſſive SubjeFs of a priviledge, Remiſſion of Sins, which they were capable of in the firſt jyoment of their being born into the Chri- ftian State ( as the word --w;z, above, ſeems to intimate ) but as be- ing able to uſe their Underſtanding, and conſider whoſe Children they were, becauſe ye have known the Father ; before ſaid alſo of the elde$F fort of Chriſtians ; but he is there mention'd by a Deſcription more ſuitable to their more aged State; and therefore the Knowledge aſcribed to the one, and to the other, though the ſame in kind, mult, inreſpe& of degrees, be accommodately underſtood.
14 I have written unto you, farhers, becauſe ye
have known him that is from the beginning. I have
* Eph. 5. Written unto you, young men, becauſe * ye are ſtrong
F9. and the word of God abideth in you c, and ye have overcome the wicked one. |
c To the former ſort he only repeateth what he had ſaid before ;