have we confidence towards God. £ But for their net condemning 1s, though the Expreſſion be meer- ly negative, it muſt imply ſomewhat poſitive : For there are Many whoſe Hearts condemn them not, through Ignorance of their Rule, or Oicitancy, Self-indulgency, or Negle& of themſelves. But if at- . ter thcrow ſearch with Sincerity in the ſight of God, our Hearts do not condemn, but acquit us as upright towards him, not willing to allow our ſelves in any ill Temper or PraQtice, (ſuch as, for inſtance, this of not loving or negleing our Brother ) then we have Confidence C Liberty of Speech the word litterally ſignifies, which well ſuits with what follows) t2wards God; we have nothing to hinder or lye as a * Matth. Par 2gainſt us in our recourſe to him, 21, 22. 22 And * whatſoever þ we ask, we receive of him, Joh.14.13- becauſe 7; we keep his commandments, and do thole &15.7- things that are pleaſing in his fight. | x & 15. 33- þ It is ſuppoſed, where there is that Accord with God, that what Jam. 5.16. was laſt, and is next after ſaid, implies there will be no diſpoſition to ask any thing diſagreeable to his Will, or otherwiſe than as he hath expreſt his Will about the matter of Prayer. And then, whatſoever we #sþ, we receive, 1. Ce. are as ſure to receive it, in the kind or in equivalence, as if we had it, Chap. 5.14. 71 7. e. This 1s the Cauſe of our Certainty, being the Evidence of our ſtate Godward, Pſal. 66. 18,19.not of our receiving the Things prayed for,which we only owe to his free promiſed Mercy 1n Chriſt, *Toh.6.29.
2 - 23 And* this is his commandment, that we ſhould n ver. 77, believe on the name of his Son Jeſus Chriſt #, and love
Chap.4.21. One another #, as he gave us commandment. & Thus briefly 1s comprehended tlie Whole of our Duty towards God iv Chriſt, and one another, i'a like Summary as that, Eccleſ. [34
4 | : _ 24 And* he that keepeth his commandments /, T5 Ii0.
Chana 12, Iwelleth in him, and he in him : and tf hereby we m4 know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he
Chap.4.13. hath given us. L ;. e. He whoſe whole Soul is thus formed to obediential Compli- ance with the Divine Will, hath moſt intimate Union with God 1n Chriſt ; which is evident by that Spirit given to us, which hath ef fefted both that-h1/y Frame, and-that Union. See John 14. 23.
CHAP. IV. Falſe Teachers ſhould braſt of the Spirit ; but muſt be tried by the Rules of the Catholick Faith, and overcame by the Principles of the Spiritual Life in 145, 1 6. of which Love is an Evidence ,, for God 4 Love : he firſt loved us, and ſent his Son to die fir us, 7 II, Hereby we are aſſured by his Spirit that we have Communion with God ; as alſo if we confeſs that Jeſius is the Saviour of the World and the Son of God, 12——15. By Love we abidein God, and ſhall have boldneſs in the Day of Fudgment : this drives away fear of damnation, and trouble of mind, 16——19. We cannot love God if we love not our Neighbour : ſeeing both theſe Commandments are given us together, 20, 21,
Nat. 24. 4. Rio * believe not every ſpirit 2, but f try 7: + Rev. 2.2. the ſpirits whether they are of God, becauſe || ma-
| Matth. ny falſe prophets are gone out into the world.
24+ 5» 24+ 71 j,e, Not every one pretending to Inſpiration, or a Revelation
2 Pet. 2:1. Spirit, whether good or bad , beinz put tor the Perſon ated there-
2 John 7. by. n There being a Fudgment of Diſcretion or . Diſcerning, common to Chriſtians, de Fure, and which they ought to endeavour for, and to uſe upon ſuch occafions, Affs 17. 11. Phil. 1.9, 10. 1 Theſſ. 5. 21. And the Attainment and Exerciſe whereof is, in reterence to the great Eſſentials of Religion, more facile and ſure: As when heretofore a- mong the Jews, any ſhould attempt the drawing them off from the true God, as Deut. 13. I, 2. and ſo when with Chriſtians it ſhould be endeavoured to tempt them away from Chriſt, as the falſe Prophets or Teachers did, now gone out into the World.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God ; Every ſpirit that confeſieth o that Jeſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh, is of God.
o He here gives them the general Rule, both affirmative and nega- tive, which would ſuffice them to judge by in their preſent Caſe. This being the great Controverfie of that Time with the 7ews, Whether 7eſus were the Meſſiah ? and whether the Meſiah were as yet come or no ? And with the Gnoſtichs, Whether he were really come in the Fleſh, in true Human Nature ? or were not, as to that appearance, a meer Phaytaſm ? And he affirms, They that confeſt him fo come, were of God , 1.e. thus far they, were in the right, this Truth was of God. Of the two litigating Parties, this was of God, the 0- ther not of God; this took his Side, that was againſt him. Yea, and they that not only made this true Confeſſion, but did alfo truly confeſs him, 1, e. ſincerely, cordially, praftically, ſo as accordingly to truſt in him, ſubje& and devote themſelves to him, were born of God, his very Children, a&ed and "influenced hereunto by his own holy Spirit, as Chap. 5, 1, 5. Mat. 16. 16, 17. 1 Cor. 12.3,
3 And * every fpirit that confeſſeth not that Jeſus Chriſt is comein the fleſh, is not of God : and this is that {7777 of antichriſt, whereof ye have heard that
Ch 2.22. d Jobn 7.
H N. » Chap. IV.
it ſhould come, and|| even now already is it in the || 2 Theſf, world p. ot fy
þ Buton the contrary, concerning them who againſt ſo plain Evi- Chap. _ dence denied him to be ſo come,the Caſe was plain, as with the Jews, 3%* 22: Fohn 8. 24. And with the preſent Hereticks, who denying the true
Manner, could not but deny the true End of his coming; and who
alſo liv'd fo impure Lives, as imported the moſt open Oppoſition
and Hoſtility thereto, and ſo diſcovered moſt evidently that An- tichriſtian Spirit, which it was foreknown would ſhevw it {elf in the
world.