The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 99

not." If we shnro the immo nnture with Gnd, why are 011r circ11m8tanccs so unli!cc our origin? 'l'he reason given is that " the world knoweth us not," i.e. cannot detect th6 Divine imo.ge in us. Our thoughts, our delights, our motives and ways of acting, are all 11. riddle to men of the world. That this reason holds good is confirmed by the fact that, when God appeared in Christ, the world knew him not. Instf::1d of detecting his Divinity, when it we.s abundantly evidenced, to its utter condemnation, it took him to be nn impostor. 2. Future glory. (1) As concealed. "Beloved, now are we children of God, e.nd it is not yet made manifest what we shall be." His heart warming toward his readers 11.s recipients with him of fatherly love, be addresses them as "beloved." He reverts to the particular outgoing of that love, to mark it as the foundation of present blessedneHs. "Now [prominence being given to the thought of time] are we children of God," With the same nature as the Father, we revel in the Father's thoughts, we bask in the sunshine of the Father's love, we run the way of the Father's command~ ments. But what are we to say about our future state? To a certain extent that i-t concealed. "It is not yet made manifest what we shall be." The conditions of life will be changed. 'l'he great change, as indicated at the close of this verse, is that we shall see God as he is. There will not be the present veil of his works between us and God; but the veil will be rent in twain for us. Now we know not very definitely, or experimentally, how we shall be adapted for this vision of God. We can only imperfectly realize both the conditions and the experience. (2) As revealed. "We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for ,,e shall see him even as he is." It seems better to translate, "if it shall be manifested." It is not yet made manifest what we shall be; but it is certain that one day-we know not how soon-it shall be made manifest. Though we cannot very definitely anticipate this disclosure, yet we know this about it-that -we shall have likeness tr> God. This connects our future with our present. The main element in our present is that we are children of God. Our future is to be our full growth, the bringing out of the Divine features in us to their greatest distinctness, It may ba doubted whether this assimilation is regarded here as the result of the vision of God as be is. Rather are we being trans- :figured at present; and when the trans:figuration is completed then will be fulfilled the condition of the beatific vision. Though, then, much is dark about our future, we have this upon which our minds can work-that it is the consummation of what we have of likeness to God along with the direct vision of God. 3. Action in view of the future. ••:.And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he [that One] is pure," The future glory is a matter of hope to us, arising out of our present consciousness of sonship, our present experience of assimilation to God. It is a hope that rests for its realization on God. It is for him to complete the assimilation, and, with that, to give us the direct vision of himself. But it has been said of God (eh. ii. 29) that he is righteou~. What, then, is the duty of every one who bas his hope set on a righteous God-the hope of being made like to him in righteousness? It is to address himself to the work of self-purification. 'l'his implies that he has yet sin cleaving to him. It does not imply that he is to look to himself for purification, but simply that it rests with himself to use the appointed means, viz. as these have already .been set forth-trust in· the cleansing efficacy of Christ's blood, confessing sins, taking advantage of the services of the .Advocate. We may think of these as ass,,ciated with the exercises of prayer an,! reading of Scripture, and with the struggle aner purity iu the daily lile. W c have great assistance in the work of self-purification in the fact that we have a Model of purity set before us in that One, viz. Christ. 'l'hat was purity attaiued to in the use of means, and within humanity, and in the midst of the world's defilements; and therefore meaning the goal of purity for us, while giving us direction and stimulus toward that goal. It is purity which is viewed as in the present, a gain which has come dowu to him from his earthly life, inseparable from his bein~ lost. Obrist, at this moment, holds up before us an image of human purity, under the spell of which every one who hopes to get near to God should come. II. SIN INCOMPATIBLE WITH BEING CHILDREN OF Gon. 1. Sin in its esser.ce. .. Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessuess: and sin is lawlessness." Every one who hopes to behold God's face in righteousness purifieth himself, What is to be said ol e_.very ono who, instead of pmifying hims~lf, doelh sin 1 H~ is in c?nftict wit_h law, or -the Divine order. God lays down certain rules for our life, appomts certain meall.'I  96 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [orr. m. 1-2•.