John Trapp on 1 John 3

CHAP. III. Verſe 1. Behold What manner]

QƲalem & quantum, as 2 Pet. 3.11. See the Note on Joh. 1.12. If Jacob was at ſuch pains and patience to become ſon in law to Laban; if David hold it ſo great a matter to be ſon in law to the king, What is it then to be ſons and daughters to the Lord Almighty? 2 Cor. 6.18.

The World knoweth us not] Princes unknown are unreſpected; Unkent, unkiſſ, as the Northern Proverb hath it. After the ſentence was pronounced upon Mr Bainham the Martyr,Act. and Mon. ſol 939. he was counſelled by M. Nicolas Wilſon to conform himſelf to the Church: To whom he anſwered, I truſt I am the very childe of god, which ye blinde aſſes (ſaid he) doe not perceive.

Verſe 2. What we ſhall be] Great things we have in hand, but greater in hope; much in poſſeſſion, but more in reverſion. Let this comfort us againſt the contempts caſt up on us by the world, blinde and beſides it ſelf in point of ſalvation.

For we ſhall ſee him as he is] Now we ſee as in a glaſſe obſcurely,1 Cor 13.1[illegible: 1 letter]. as an old man through ſpectacles, as a weak eye looks upon the Sun: but in heaven we ſhall ſee him as he is, ſo far as a creature is capable of that bliſſefull viſion.

Verſe 3. Purifieth himſelf] That's true hope that runs out into holineſſe. Faith and hope purge, and work a ſutableneſſe in the ſoul to the things believed and hoped for.

Even as be is pure] In quality. though not in an equality.

Verſe 4. Sin is the tranſgreſſion] As there is the ſame roundneſſe in a little ball, as in a bigger, ſo the ſame diſobedience in a ſmall ſin as a great.Concil Trident. Papiſts tell us that concupiſcence is not truly and properly a ſin: but S. Paul ſaith otherwiſe, Rom. 7. There are amongſt us, that ſay, That originall ſin is not forbidden by the Law: but ſure we are it is curſed and condemned by the law, as that which hath in it a tacite conſent to all ſin.

Verſe 5. To take away our ſins] Shall ſin live that killed Chriſt? Shall I drink the bloud of theſe men? ſaid David of thoſe that but ventured their lives for him. O[illegible: 1 letter] that each Chriſtian would turn Jew to himſelf, and kill the red cow, &c.

Verſe 6. Sinneth not] Sin may rebell, it cannot raign in a Saint.

Verſe 7. Let no man deceive you] As if you might paſſe è caene in coelum, ſhe to heaven with dragons wings, dance with the devil all day, and ſup with Chriſt at night; live ail your lives long in Dalilah's lap, and then go to Abrahams boſome when you die. Theſe are the devils dire-dawbers, that teach ſuch doctrine, his upholtſers that ſow ſuch pillows. Ezek. 13.18.

Verſe 8. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. He that committeth ſinne] That makes a trade of it, and can art it (as the word properly ſignifieth) not act it only.

Is of the devil] Bears his image, wears his livery: is as like him as if ſpet out of his mouth.

That be might deſtroy the Works] The devil then hath his works in the very hearts of the elect, for whoſe cauſe Chriſt came into the world.

Verſe 9. For his ſeed] The new nature which cauſeth that ſin cannot carry it away, without ſome counter-buffs.

He cannot ſine] i.e. Sinningly, ſo as to be transformed into ſins image: cannot doe wickedly with both hands earneſtly, Mic. 7.

Verſe 10. In this the children of God] As Davids daughters were known by their garments of divers colours, 2 Sam. 13.18. So are Gods children by their piety and charity.

Verſe 11. That We ſhould love, &c.] this beloved diſciple was all for love. See the Note on Chap. 2.9.

Verſe 12. Who Was of that Wicked one] Tertullian calleth Cain the devils Patriarch. Cain is dead, faith another, but I could wiſh that he did not ſtill live in his heirs and executours,Bucbol. Qui clavam ejus ſanguine Abelis rubentem, u[illegible: 1 letter] rem ſacram circumf[illegible: 1 letter]runt, adorant & venerantur, who bear about and make uſe of Cains club, to knock on the head Gods righteous Abels.

And ſlew his brother] Gr. Cut his throat. Acerbiſſima ſunt odia (ut ita nominem) ſaith one, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Theſe Divinity hatreds are moſt deadly.

Becauſe his own Works, &c.] The old enmity, Gen. 3.15. So Numb. 22.3, 4. Moab Was irked, becauſe of Iſrael, or did fret and vex at them, as Exod, 1.12. yet hey were allied, and paſſed by them in peace, and, by the ſlaughter of the Amorites, freed them from evil neighbours, which had taken away part of their Land, and might do more, as one bath well obſerved.

Verſe 13. Marvel not my brethren] Sith it was ſo from the beginning, and the very firſt man that died, died for religion: ſo early came martyrodome into the world.

Verſe 14. We know that we have paſſed] Not we thinke, we hope, &c.—fortunam rudentibus op[illegible: 2 letters] If we would not have with the Merchant an eſtate hanging upon ropes, and depending upon uncertain windes, let us make ſure work for our ſouls. This is a jewell that the Cock on the dunghill meddles not with. Senſum electionis ad gloriam. in hac vita nullum agnoſco, ſaith Greevinchovius the Arminian, I know no ſuch thing as aſſurance of heaven in this life. Papiſts allow us nothing beyond a conjecturall confidence, unleſſe by ſpeciall revelation, Miſerable comforters!

Verſe 15. Whoſoever hateth his brother] Not to love then is to hate, as not to ſave a man is to kill him, Mark 3.4.

Is a murtherer] Becauſe he wiſheth him out of the world, as Caracalla did his brother Geta, of whom he ſaid, Divus ſit, mod[illegible: 1 letter] non ſit vivus, I would he were in heaven or any where, ſo that I were rid of him. By like reaſon we may ſay that ſin is God-murther: foraſmuch as ſinners are God-haters, Rom. 1.30. and could wiſh there were no God, that they might never come to judgement. The godly man on the contrary cries out with David, Vivat Deus, Let the Lord live, and bleſſed be the God of my ſalvation, &c. Pſ. 18 46.

Verſe 16. Becauſe he laid down] See the Note on Joh. 15.13 Rom. 5.8.

We ought alſo to lay down our lives] If Pylades can offer to die for Orestes, meerly for a name, or out of carnall affection at the beſt: Should not Chriſtians lay down their own necks one for another, as Aquila and Priſcilla did for Paul, Rom. 16.4?

Verſe 17. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. This Worlds good] Gr. Livelyhood, Which is all that the world looks after.

And ſhutteth up his bowels, &c.] Not drawing out unto him both his ſheaf and his ſoul, Iſa. 58.9.

Verſe 18. Let us not love in Word] Words are light-cheap: and there is a great deal of mouth-mercy abroad. Julian the apoſtate is not preſently a friend to Baſil, though the write unto him, [non-Latin text not transcribed],Dio. thou art my friend and beloved brother. The Roman legions loved Otho the Emperour, ſaith the Hiſtorian, and gave him all reſpect, [non-Latin text not transcribed], not from the teeth out ward, but from the heart-root. See the Notes on Jam. 2.14, 15, 16.

Verſe 19. And ſhall aſſure our hearts] This, ſaith father Latimer, is the ſweet-meats of the feaſt of a good conſcience. There are other dainty diſhes in this feaſt, but this is the banquet.

Verſe 20.Conſcia [illegible: 1 letter]ens ui cui[illegible: 1 letter] ſua eſt, ita concip[illegible: 2 letters] [illegible: 2 letters] trapectera pro facto ſpem que metum que [illegible: 1 letter]uo. O[illegible: 2 letters]d. If our heart condemn us] Conſcience is Gods ſpie, and mans over-ſeer, Domeſticus index, judex, carnifex; Gods deputy-Judge, holding court in the whole ſoul, bearing witneſſe of all a mans doing and deſires, and accordingly excuſing or accuſing, abſolving or condeming, comforting or tormenting.

Verſe 21. Then have we confidence] Sincerity is the mother of ſerenity. Since qua, tranquillitas emnis tempestas est, ſaith Iſidore. Uprightneſſe hath boldneſſe. It is not a peace, but a truce, that the wicked have ſuch a ſtorm will befall them, as ſhall never be blown over. Iſrael is the heir of peace, Galatians 6.16. Iſa 32.17.

Verſe 22. And what ſoever we ask] ſc. According to his will. Fiat voluntas mea, quia tua, ſaid Luther. I can have what I will of God, ſaid one; for my will ſhall be concentrike with his will.

Becauſe we keep] The obedience of faith emboldens us: yet may no may ſay as the prodigall, Give me the por[illegible: 1 letter]ion that belongeth to me. It was a proud ſpeech of that Emperour that ſaid,Antonin Philoſ. Non ſic Deos coluimus, ant ſic vivimus, ut ille not vinceret, We have not ſo ſerved God, that the enemy ſhould overcome us.

Verſe 23. And this is his commandment] This is the ſum and ſubſtance of the Goſpel, that we believe and love: and the more we believe Gods love to us, the more love ſhall we bear one to another, for our love is but a reflex of his.

Verſe 24. By the Spirit] Chriſt hat ſatisfied the wrath of the Father: and now the Father and Chriſt both, as reconciled, ſend the Spirit, as the fruit of both their loves, to inhabit our hearts. And truly, next unto the love of Chriſt in dwelling in our nature, we may well wonder at the love of the holy Ghoſt, that will dwell in our defiled ſouls.