The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 113

his own. The matter, for it gathers round a few koy-wor<ls-" light," "life," "love." The style, for it is not like Paul's, cumulative; it is rather radiative. V/e have no specimens of prolonged and closely connective argument; but a series r,f rich anrl beautiful teachings throughout a paragraph, on one of his key-words. Here the key- word is-love. Respecting it we have eight distinct assertions. 1 I. Goo IS LOVE, In John iv. 24 we have "God is Spirit." In eh. i. 5 "God is Light." Here "God is Love." The first indicates the substance of the Divine nature-personal, conscious, intelligent Spirit. The second declares the perfection of that nature in knowledge and in purity. The third shows the benevolence of th, Divine nature in its regard for those who are the creatures of bis power and the subjects of bis grace. 'l'hese three words contain more information about God than all the sacred books of the East put together. They are a revelation. ',Ve arc taught how to think about God, and if we keep within the Jines marked out by these three words, we cannot go far wrong. Note: This light thrown on God's nature gives ns the clue to the meaning of his works and ways in nature, providence, and grace. The three spheres give us the triple unfolding of infinite love, and nothing else. II. 'l'HAT LOVE HAS BEEN MANIFESTED TO OUR RACE. (Vers. 9, 10.) Through whom 1 "His only begotten Son." How 1 "A Propitiation." For what 1 "For onr sins." With what intent 1 That we might live through him. No true life of peace, joy, and fellowship with God was possible for us until sin was put away. No one could do this but One in and of the race, yet over it-One who by bis humanity could represent earth, and who yet as the eternal Son could represent the Father; he alone could take this place, and by offering himself to the Father, for us, on account of our sin, he revealed bow sin burdened the heart of God, and gave by his own sacrifice such au expression to man of the Divine holiness and rectitude, that, on the ground there0f, the infinitely Pure One might receive the prnitent lovingly to his embrace, yet make no compromise with sin. 2 III. Sumi A PROPITIATION REVEALS A LOVE ALTOGETHER UNIQUE. (Vers. 9, 10.) "In this," etc. "Herein is love;" as if it were seen nowhere else. All other love fades away in comparison herewith. This will appear as we study : 1. Its origin. God's own love, self originated and sustained, unbought, spontaneous. 2. Its method. 'l'he bestowment of the !(l'eatest possible gift, and that as a sacrifice. 3. Its objects. He loved us sinners, traitors, alienated ones. 4. Its extent. "The whole world;" i.e. all the race on the globe through all time I 6. its intent. That we might live. That all who believe might be made heirs of gl.9ry. IV. SuoH A LOVE, BO MANIFESTED, CREATES A NEW DUTY OF LOVE ON OUR PART.3 (Ver. 11.) Nothing ever threw so much light on the value of man in God's eye as the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on his behalf. Nothing else ever disclosed what God meant to do with us. But, it once beiJa.g shown how great are the possibilities opening up to man through Christ, all the relations between ma.n and man come to be invested with new meaning; and the self-evidencing force of the appeal of ver. 11 ought to be irresistibly felt. Y. Goo's AMAZING LOVE TO MAN IB ATTENDED WITH A NEW CREATIVE POWER. (Ver. 7 .) "Every one that loveth is born of God."• "It should never be forgotten," says Trench, "that A;,d1r11 is a word born within the bosom of revealed religion ; it ,>ccurs in the LXX., but there is uo example of its use in any heathen writer whatever." 'fhe pure anrl holy parental love, the love of children as we understand it, the fondest and purest affections of husband and wife, are the birth of Christianity, i.e. of Divine love as revealed in Christ. Men cannot know how truly and how largely this is the case till they examine into the state of the pagan world at the time of Christ. The aposUe himself declares, " We ·love, because he first loved us." 1 See footnote to homily on oh. iii. 4-12. • See homilies on oh. ii. I, 2; iii. I, 2. • Bee homilies on eh. iii. 16-18: ii. 7-11. • See homily on eh. ii. 29. Also the late Dean Stanley's 'Commentary' on 1 Cor. xiii,. and Archbishop Trench's 'New Testament Synonyms,' sub ve,·b. A;,iinr. The chapter on "A World without Love," in Dr. Uhlhorn's 'Christian Charity in the Ancient Church,' i8 deserving of careful study, as also Brace's 'Gesta Christi;' and the Ve11. Archdenoon l!'arro.r'e 'E1uly Christian Life,' vol. i. oh. i.  llO THE FlnST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN, [cH. 1v. 1-21,