ction: Such, Lastly, as were National, and proper to revenge the Crimes, that had been fuch. So that, upon the whole Matter, every Man's own Sins are the true and proper Cause of his own Punishments. And This vindicates the Justice of Providence. But the Sins of Ancestors may be the Occafion of God's choofing to punish their Descendents, in this or that way; and may determine him as to the Kind, the Degree, the Time, and particular Circumstances, of the Punifhment he inflicts. All which, relating only to the Manner of doing it, and not to the Equity of the Thing done, no way affects the Juftice, but only argues the Wisdom, of Providence. Had the Parties been guilty of no Sin, that of their Parents should not have expofed them to fuffering. But in regard themselves had deferved to fuffer in this, or in any other, Manner, that their offended Lord faw fit; the Parents Sins, and Their Repetition of them, may reasonably be allowed to quicken the Seafon, and to fix the Method, of Punishing. So that this Time, and this Manner, fhould be thought more fit, than any Other. IV. Fourthly, This Paffage gives Men a fair Intimation, how far they may expect Affiftances from God, and how much depends upon themselves, in order to their Conviction and Obedience of the Truth. He fent his Prophets to Jerufalem, but he might choose, whether fhe would believe and reverence, or whether reject and stone them. He offered to gather her Children under bis Wings; but he left it in their Power, to accept or to refuse those kind Invitations. And, as the frequent repeating of fuch Proffers was Evidence fufficient of the Maker's Sincerity, fo the perfevering in fuch Refufals Exod. xix. Ifai. v. was Proof undeniable of the Rejecters Perverseness. Now the Jewish Nation are often termed God's peculiar, his beloved People, bis Vineyard, his pleasant Plant; And fince God God declares he had done all, that could be done, to make them fruitful; it must needs be of great use, to have a right Notion of his Dealings with thofe Men, into whofe Place and Privilege the Chriftian Church fucceeded. For, by finding out the true Caufes of Their Barrenness, we shall be enabled to justify the prefent Methods of Providence, and in good measure to pre vent our own. Now they, that fhall confider this Matter impartially, may fee very plainly, (I think) that, in the Bufinefs of Salvation, God proceeds with Men, by Methods of Perfuafion, but not of Conftraint. He allows the Means that are fufficient, but he does not think himself bound to render that, which is fufficient, neceffary and irrefiftible. He gives Men Opportunities of knowing their Duty; He warns them of the Danger of tranfgreffing it; He does this, by the Miniftry of his Word, by repeated Admonitions, by the Calls and good Motions of his Spirit; by the Checks of their own Confciences; by inflicting fuch Temporal Punishments, as are fitted to awaken them into better Confideration; and by threatning Eternal, fo fure, so terrible, as ought in all Reason to affright them into better Manners. But ftill the Succefs of all these Methods will turn upon our complying with, or holding out against, them. We may improve, or we may neglect, the Opportunities of Knowledge and Inftruction: We may duly apprehend, or we may defy, the Danger of Difobedience: We may hearken to, or we may ftop our Ears against, the good Advice of our Teachers and Friends: We may follow, or we may ftifle, the Motions to Godliness within, and filence the Reproaches of our own Minds: We may be reformed with David, or we may, with Pharaoh, be more defperately hardned, by Afflictions: We may dread the Terrors of the Lord, or we may laugh at Hell, and think it but a painted Fire. In fhort, all that is done, all that can be done in this Cafe, fuppofes an honeft felves to be rescued from Destruction. And every such Perfon, or People, will have the jufteft Occafion to apply to their own moft deplorable Circumftances, this moft tragical Lamentation, O how often would my Lord bave gathered me, and I would not! Therefore my House is left unto me defolate. Which wretched State God give us the Grace in due time to prevent, for His Sake, who shed his own Blood to prevent it, Jefus Chrift the Righteous. To whom with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, Three Perfons and One God, be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever. Amen. John i. 4. viii. 12. M St. John the Evangelift's Day. The COLLECT. Erciful Lord we beseech thee to caft thy bright Beams of Light upon thy Church, that it being enlightned by the Doctrine of thy bleffed Apoftle and Evangelist Saint John, may fo walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to the light of everlasting life, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. PARAPHRASE. "Τ The EPISTLE. 1 S. John i. Hat which was from the beginning, which we have beard, which we have feen with upon, our eyes, which we have looked and our bands bave handled, of the word of 1, 2, 3. The Defign of 1. this Epiftle is to acquaint you with the Dispensation made ufe of by God, to bring Men unto Happiness life: and Life Eternal. A Difpenfation, in the Purpofe and Decree of God from the Foundation of the World, and wrought by a Perfon, who was himself God, from all Eternity, foretold and revealed to the Prophets heretofore, but in this laft Age manifefted to us, in the plaineft and fulleft manner that could poffibly be. The Author of it becoming incarnate, and converfing with, and inftructing us in it. So that our Testimony in this Matter is above all ex 2. (For the life was manifefted, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and fhew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifefted unto us.) 3. That which we bave seen or beard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with bis Son Jefus Chrift. ception, ception, leaving no room for Doubt or Deceit, fince, for the Truth of what we declare, we have the utmost Evidence, that diftinct Knowledge, and Demonstration of Senfe, nay the concurring Report of all our Senfes, that are qualified to judge of fuch things, can give us. And therefore what we thus affuredly know, we impart unto You, that ye may be Partakers in the fame Bleffing; and united, as we are, to God and his Bleffed Son both by the fame Grace, through Jefus Chrift. 4. And thefe things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. plete, is the End aimed at 5. This then is the message that we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 4. So that your Comfort, and the rendring your Joy in believing comin fending this Epiftle 5. But in order hereunto, 'tis abfolutely necessary, you should rightly underftand the true Terms, up on which this Union ftands. For, whatever fome vain Pretenders to the highest degrees of it may fuggeft, the Doctrine given us in Commiffion to preach, is, that God is a perfectly Holy Being, without the leaft Blemish, or mixture of Impurity. 6. If we fay we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. 6. 'Tis therefore to no purpose, to boast of being like, or united to Him, (as the Gnofticks do) fo long as we indulge our felves in a vicious course of Life. For all fuch big Pretenfions are falfe and groundless, and a direct Contradiction to the Gospel. 7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we bave fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jefus Chrift bis Son cleanfeth us from all fin. 7. The only Proof to be made of this Privilege belonging to us, is fuch an Imitation of his Holiness, as we are capable of; by abstaining from all grofs habitual and wilful Sins at leaft; and, and if this be done, the Blood of Jefus Chrift will deliver us from the Guilt and Power of all Sin. 8. If we fay that we have no fin, we deceive our felves, and the truth is not in us. A Mercy, which we even then shall still have need of. For, to suppose in any Circumftances (much more in fuch as Theirs) that we are perfectly clear of Sin, is a wretched Delufion, and, in Effect, overturns the whole Scheme of the Gofpel. 9. If we confess our fins, he is faithful and just to Forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us from all unrighteoufness. 9. For this Gofpel plainly fuppofes all Men Sinners; and directs the Confeffion of their being fuch, and aftedfaft reliance upon the Truth and Gocdnefs of God, as the proper way to obtain Forgiveness. Since he, who cannot break his Word, hath engaged it, for the Salvation of all truly humble and penitent Sinners. 10. If we fay that we have not finned, we make bim a liar, and his word is not in us. 10. So, that for any Man who calls himself a Chriftian, (but especially fuch filthy Creatures as the Gnofticks,) to fay, they have been guilty of no Sin, is to give the lie, not only to themselves, but to God too. 'Tis in Effect, to renounce the Gospel, which declares fuch Practices as theirs, to be exceeding finful, and proceeds upon a Suppofition, that all Men have been Sinners, and confequently ftood in need of that Redemption preached by it. COMMENT. Thath been generally thought, and with great Proba of general to all Christians, was yet in a more efpecial manner defigned, to refute fome very grofs and pernicious Errors, which crept very early into the Church. Of thefe Simon Magus, and his immediate Followers, were the First Broachers. But, in procefs of time, they were improved and refined upon, and made up, all together, that abominable Scheme of Falfhood, commonly known, by the Iren. 1. 1. c. 16. 24. Pædag. 1. 1. Name of the Herefy of the Gnofticks. A Sect of Men fo called, from the vain Pretenfions they made, to extraordinary degrees of Illumination, and Knowledge, not imparted to Chriftians in common; Such, as they reprefented all others incapable of, who were not Partakers in the fame deteftable Principles and Pra&tices with themselves; And fuch, as they made their own excelling in, a certain Mark, of their being the truly Spiritual Perfons, and of a more intimate Union with God and Chrift, by Vertue of his Seed remaining in them, which rendred them his Children in a peculiar manner. To thofe and fundry other wicked and fantaftical Notions, feveral Expreffions in this Epiftle feem plainly to allude: Which are the more particular and uncommon, because speaking in the Language and Idiom, familiar to the Perfons it was written againft. And it was likewife intended to undeceive the honeft and Orthodox; whofe Simplicity might be liable to Danger, from the pompous Words, and boafted Perfection, of thofe arrogant Seducers. And therefore I conceive it neceffary, in order to a right Explanation of this First Chapter, briefly to obferve the falfe Doctrines, which the feveral Parts |