Julian Pe- give us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous- Asia Minor.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
The Apostle, as their spiritual Father, addresses himself to
the newly converted, shewing that the Mercies of God in
Redemption by the Blood of Christ, should prevent instead
of encourage them to sin (Ps. cxxx. 4.)-Those who sin
from Infirmity, have an Advocate abiding with the Father,
who is the Sacrifice of Atonement for the Sins of all Be-
lievers, both Jews and Gentiles-The only sure Mark of
a true Faith and true Knowledge of God is the keeping of
his Commandments-For he who asserts he has a Know-
ledge of God (as the Gnostics did) and indulges in Sin
is a Liar, and acts contrary to the Truth; but those who
observe his Doctrines, in them the Design of the Love of
God in the death of Christ, is made perfect, and they
know they have Communion with him by the Influence of
his Spirit in their Hearts and Lives: for he that pro-
fesses to be united to Christ, through his Spirit, ought to
walk or behave as Christ did while he was on Earth.
1 My little children, these things write I unto you,
that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advo-
cate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
St. John, in exhorting them to Holiness and Obedience to
Christ, writes no new Commandment, but what was in-
culcated by the Law of Nature, and by the Mosaic Dis-
pensation (Deut. xviii. 15.)—On the other Hand it may
be called a new Commandment, as being renewed and
enforced by higher Motives and Obligations, for the typi-
cal Representations of the Mosaic Dispensation were
now past, and the Light of Truth is shining, pointing out
their Signification and Accomplishment-He who hates
his Brother has no Fellowship with God, but like the Jews
Julian Period, 4799. Vulgar Æra, 96.
who hated the Gentiles, he is in Darkness and Ignorance, Asia Miner.
whatever are his Pretensions-But he that loves his Bro
ther, gives Proof that he lives in Christ; and being in
the Light he can see his Way, and is preserved from
Stumbling, or giving Offence (John xi. 9.)-But he that
walketh in Darkness is in the greatest Danger of falling,
to his own Destruction, not knowing whither he goeth
He writes to the Infants, or those newly born into the
Family of their heavenly Father, because their Sins are
forgiven for Christ's sake-to those who had been of the
longest standing in the Christian Faith, because they had
attained to the greatest Knowledge of the Doctrines and
Manner of Life of Christ, who was from Eternity-To
those who are in the Vigour of their spiritual Life, be-
cause they had overcome the wicked one-To those who
had not made much progress, because they were adopted
Sons, and had received the Holy Spirit-He cautions the
whole Household of God, in their different Gradations,
not to love the World, or earthly Things, which are in-
compatible with the love of God and Man; for all its
Gratifications, Magnificence, and Honors neither come
from nor lead to God, but are excited by the Things of
the World which passes away with its Followers; but
they who do the Will of God, mortifying their worldly
Lusts, shall live for ever.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you,
but an old commandment, which ye had from the begin-
ning. The old commandment is the word which ye have
heard from the beginning.
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you: which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins
are forgiven you for his name's sake.
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known
him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young
men, because ye
have overcome the wicked one. I write
unto you, little children, because ye have known the
Father.
14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have
known him that is from the beginning. I have written
unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the
Julian Pe- word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the Asia Minor. riod, 4799. wicked one.
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
§ 4. 1 JOHN ii. 18, to the end.
The Apostle assures his Converts that the end of the apos-
tolic Age had come-He reminds them of Christ's Pre-
diction, (Matt. vii. 15. and xxiv. 11, 12. 24, 25.) which
was now accomplished in their false Teachers who went
out from the Christian Church, having, to serve their own
purpose, joined themselves to it-He writes to them not be-
cause they are ignorant of the Truths of the Incarnation
of the Word, and the necessity of a Holy Life, but be-
cause they know it, and can testify that every opposite
Doctrine must be false-Who then is the Liar, or false
Prophet, predicted by our Saviour, but he who denies
Jesus who came in the Flesh to be the Christ, the Mes-
siah of God-He is Antichrist, who denies that God is the
Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and who denies the divine
and human Nature of the Son-He who denies Jesus to be
the Son of God, hath no regard to the Father, who has
declared him to be so at his Baptism and Transfigura-
tion-but he who acknowledges him is accepted of the
Father also-He exhorts them to continue in the Doc-
trines they had received concerning Christ from the Apos-
tles, and they shall be in Fellowship with the Son and
the Father, and be made partakers of God's promise of
eternal Life through the Son-He has written these
Things concerning those who would attempt to seduce
them, to caution them against these Impostors, although
they had received the Holy Ghost, and needed not to be
taught how to judge between the true and false Doctrines,
for the Spirit had fully instructed them in the Truth-in
which they must abide, and be united to Christ through
the same Spirit, if they would have Confidence before him
at his coming-For as they know that God is perfectly
righteous, those only who practise Righteousness are born
or generated by his Holy Spirit-and become his Chil-
dren.
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there
Julian Pe- many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last Asia Minor, riod, 4799. time.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
The Apostle calls upon them to contemplate the wonderful
Love of God, in adopting those who persevere in Righte-
ousness for his Children-whom the World does not ac-
knowledge, because it did not acknowledge Christ-It is
not yet manifest how glorious the Children of God will
be-but it is known, that when Christ shall appear to
judge the World, they shall be made like him in Body and
Mind-and be admitted to the Knowledge and Enjoy-
ment of his Glory and Perfections—All who have this
Hope will endeavour to imitate his Holiness-But those
who persevere in Sin shall be certainly punished, because
Julian Period, 4799. Vulgar Æra, 96.
Sin is a Violation of the Law of God-for the Son of Asia Minor.
God was manifested in the Flesh to redeem Mankind
from its Power, and Punishment as he was free from
Sin himself, he would not obtain as the false Teachers
had insinuated, the liberty of sinning, for others-Those
who are in Fellowship with Christ therefore abstain from
Sin-but those who continue in Sin have no Knowledge of
him-He exhorts them not to be deceived in this Matter
-for those who work Righteousness are, in their limited
Nature and Capacity, righteous; as God is righteous ac-
cording to the infinitude of his Nature-He that persists
in Sin is a Child of the Devil, who introduced Sin into the
World for which end the Son of God was manifested in
the Flesh, that he might dissolve, or destroy, the Works
of the Devil, and restore Mankind to Holiness and the
Favour of God.
1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath be-
stowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of
God! therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew
him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law for sin is also the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin, is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
The Apostle contrasts the Conduct of the Children of God
with that of the Children of the Devil-and shews that
the former are distinguished by their Righteousness and
Brotherly Love-which was the Command given by God
from the very beginning-They are not to act as those
begotten of the Wicked One, as Cain did, who killed his
Brother, because his Works were righteous; nor are they
to wonder, after such an Example, if they should be
hated and persecuted by the World-But this to Chris-
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