is the Chriſt f? he is Antichriſt, that denieth rhe 9 2 Job 7- Father and the Son. f Eſpecially may the ill accord be diſcerned between Divine Truth, and a Lie, wheu the Lie 1s ſo diredly levell'd againſt the _ tions upon which the whole Fabrick 15s built, as the denying Feſus to be the Chriſt, ſtrikes . at all. q And though he that doth fo, ſeems only an Antichriſt, as direQing his Oppoſition but againſt Chriſt, he really as much denies the Father , who teftifid of him.
23 * Whoſoerver denieth the Sons the ſame hath 7 * Joh. 15. not the Father ; + bt be that acknowledgeth the Son, : 3 hath the Father alſo, -
r To have the Father and the Son, is by Faith, Love, and Obedi- ence, vitally, to adhere to the one and the other, The latter part of this Verſe, though it be notin the ordinary Greek Copres, 1510 ſome of the Verſions, and ſaid to be in ſome Greeh Manuſcripts alſo, whence it is ſupply'd very agreeably to the Apoſtle's Scope, and uſual way of writing. - |
24 Let that therefore abide in you, * which ye +,qupn 6. have heard from the beginning. It that which ye | have heard from the beginning ſhall remain in you, ye alſo ſhall continue 'in the Son, and in the Fa- ther /. |
{ He only exhorts them to perſevere in that Faith which they at firſt received, whereby their Union with God in Chriſt would be pre- ſerved entire, _ : :
25 And this is the premiſe that he hath promiſed us, ever eternal lite 7. | | |
t Which Perſeverance they are highly encouraged to, by the Pro-
miſe of ſo great a Thing as eternal Life at length. 26 Theſe things have I written unto you concerning them that ſeduce you *. * So much he thought requiſite to be ſaid, in reſpe& of their danger by Seducers, though their Safety was principally to depend upon what he next mentions.
27 But the anointing # which ye have received , "OREN
of him, abideth in you - and * ye need not that any ,, 24. man teach you w : bur, as the ſame anointing t teach- Heb. 8.x0, eth you of all x things, and 1s truth, and is no lie : 1. and even as it hath taught you, ye ſhall abide in || Y L__ "pp
him, Ver. 20.
f6l2]
% [t ji Or, 76
Chap. 4-
F Ir, knw.
yo. * Chap. 3»
'T £
*Chap. 3.2,
. * becauſe ir knew him not.
p FT, my O
# It is evident, that the ancient anointing cf Perſons to fome eminent Omce, was not a meer cmpty Rite of Inveſtiture, or Au- thuriz:tion, but alto a Symbol of their Qualtacation by another Spir Mt then coming up.,n them. Whereupon our Lord Feſus was egi1- nently rhe ChriF, or anointed one, not only as denoting his (olemn In- 2 itwre With the ſacred Othces of King, Priest, and Prophet, whicn
were all wont to be entred into by Un&rn; but as fignifyinz alto his receivinz tte Spirit (not by meaſure ) by which he was moſt per- fectly ouatifed for them And whereas he is alſo ſaid to have made thoſe that bclieve on him, in a far inferiour ſenſe, Kings and Prieſte to hu Father ;, to them alſo' he imparts of the ſame Spirit, Rom. 3. 5. whence they are fard to be anointed too, 2 Cor. I. 21, 22. Ani hence, as is here ſaid, and werſe 27. they do not need, &c. i Not as it they had al/ lutely no need at all of Human teaching ; tor
the 4poitle ſuppoſes not nimſclfto be now doing a vain, or needleſs
thinz ; but that theyhad Yet need, having the internal Prigciples of Light and Life in them,they were ina great meaſure capable of ſteer- ing their own Courſe. They had in themſelves a living, engrafted Word, enabling them to teach, and commune with themſelves, as Det. 30. 11,12. Ron. 10. 7,8, 9. Here upon the'r Reins could in- rut them, Pal. 15. 7. as that mav be read, Col. 3. 16. The Word of Christ dwelling richly in
27. Therefore they did not ſo need to be taught, as thoſe that know not the firſt Principles of the Oracles of God. x 7. e. All ſuch neceſſary and eſſential things to the Life and Being of Chriſtianity; of which ſort that Dodrine concerning the Meſſiah was, which he was now ſpeakinz of, not all things ſimply ; for that had been to attribute to them far higher Knowledge than he cculd pretend to himſelf, even that witich was peculiar to God only. Nor was that Knowledge vw hich they had of thoſe necefiary things to be thought the effect of an {'mmcdiate Inſpiration, but ſuch 2s by ordinary external means they had already learn'd, but made vital and efficacious by the ſpec*- a! lanQtifying Influence and Operation of the Holy Ghoſt ; who heving bezotten 1n them a correſpondent Impreſs to thoſe great Truths which are after Goglinefs, tormed the new Creature in them, winch 1s begotten -of the Word of Truth, had made then capa- ble of Dijudication, or of diſtinguiſhing by a ſpiritual Senſe, Phil. 1. 6. 10. between things that were erateful, ſutable and nutritive to the Lite of the new Creature in them, and ſuch things as were nox10us and offenſive, Whereas, in reference to things more re- mote from the Vitals of Religion and Godlineſs, none can afſure themſelves of ſuch a Priviledge. And ar to theſe, they are to expe@ itin a way of their own fincere and diligent Endeavours and Pray- ers, as the effeRt of the habit of Grace, maintain'd and kept up in Life, and Vizor; and a Reward of theigfincere Refignation and Sub- zeftion of Heart and Soul to the governing Power of Truth, ſo far as it ſhould be underſtood and known of them, according to that of our Saviour, Fobn 7. 17. If any man will ds his Will, he ſhall know of the DoErine whether it be of God, &c. And thus they might certainly keep their Station, and abide in him; unto which they are therefore exhorted.
28 And now, little children, abide in him : rhat * when he ſhall appear, we y may have confidence, and not be aſhamel before him at his coming.
x He condeſcendingly excludes himſelf with them, that we may have comm fadence ; intimating, for their Encouragement, the common mu- tual Joy they ſhould have together at Chriſt's appearance ; he, that he had not been wanting in his Endeavours that they might perſe- vere; and they, that they had perſevered ; which 1s impli'd in the menace of the contrary, upon the contrary Suppoſition.
29 If ye know that he 1s righteous, ye || know tt * every one that doth righteouſneſs, is born of him Z2.