John Trapp on 1 John 4

CHAP. IIII. Verſe 1. But try the spirits]

AS Lapidaries do their ſtones, as goldſmiths do the [illegible: 1 letter]etals. A Briſtow ſtone may look as well as an Indian diamond; and many things gliſter beſides gold. Try therefore before you truſt that which is doctrinally delivered unto you: being neither over-credulous, the fool believeth every thing: nor raſhly cenſorious, as thoſe were that ſaid of our Saviour, This man blasphemeth. See the Note on 1 Theſſ. 5.21.

Becauſe many falſe Prophets] Both the old Church, Deut. 13.1. and the new. Act. 20.30 were ever peſtered with them.

Verſe 2. Herby know ye the spirit] Bring it to this teſt. Gold may be rub'd or melted, it remains orient; ſo doth truth. Whereas errour as glaſſe (bright, but brittle) cannot endure the hammer of fire.

That confeſſeth] That preacheth Chriſt crucified.

Verſe 3. Is not of God] And yet he is not called an Atheiſt, or an Antitheist, but Antichriſt, that is an oppoſite to Chriſt: as if his oppoſing ſhould not be ſo much to Chriſts nature, or perſon, as to his unction and function.

Verſe 4. And have overcome] viz. In your head Chriſt, and by the help of his holy spirit, your ſweet inhabitant, whereby ye are more then conquerours, becauſe ſure to overcome and triumph.

Verſe 5. They are of the World] i. e. The ſeducers: fit lettice for ſuch lips, Dignum patellâ operculum. Vosinfernates eſtis, Ye are from beneath, I am from above, ſaith Chriſt, Job. 8.23.

There fore ſpeak they of the World] The water riſeth not (unleſſe forced) above the fountain. Out of the ware-houſe, the ſhop is furniſhed. Carnall teachers gratifie their hearers with pleaſing poſitions. the Papiſts in their petition to King James for a toleration, plead this as an argument, That their religion is agreeable to mens nature; and indeed it is an alluring, tempting, bewitching religion, giving way to all licentiouſneſſe and laſciviouſneſſe, So Mahomet in his A[illegible: 1 letter]choran tels his followers concerning venery, That God did not give men ſuch appetites to have them fruſtrate, but enjoyed, as made for the guſt of man, not for his torment; and a great deal more of ſuch paltry ſtuff.

Verſe 6. Heareth us] Chriſts ſheep are rationall; they can diſcern his voice from that of a ſtranger: and will hear it not with that griſtle only that grows upon their heads, but with the car of their ſoul, which trieth doctrines, as the mouth doth meat, Job. 3. and knoweth the ſpirit of truth, and the ſpirit of errour.

Verſe 7. Beloved, let us love one another] This beloved Diſciple breaths nothing but love: as if he had been born with love in his mouth, as they ſay.

Verſe 8. Knoweth not God] If morall vertue could be ſeen with mortall eyes, ſaith Plato, it would draw all hearts unto it. If God were well known, he could not but be beſt beloved, and all that are his, for his ſake.

Verſe 9. In this Was manifeſted] The very naked bowels of his tendereſt compaſſions are herein laid open unto us, as in an anatomie. God ſo loved his ſon, that he gave him the world for his poſſ[illegible: 1 letter]ſſion. Pſ. 2.7. but he ſo loved the world, that he gave Son and all for its redemption.

Verſe 10. Not that we loved, &c.] Deus prior nos amavit, tantus, tantùm, & gratis, tantillos & tales. God, though ſo great,Bern. loved us firſt and freely, though ſuch and ſo worthleſſe. He loved us, becauſe be loved us, ſaith Moſes, Deut. 7.7, 8. the ground of his love being wholly in himſelf. He works for his own names ſake, Ezek. 20.8, 14▪44, 22. four ſeverall times, not withſtanding his word and oath, 13, 15, 23.

Verſe 11. If god ſo loved us] His one example eaſily anſwereth all our objections, taketh off all our excuſes. As that our brother is our inferiour, our adverſary, of whom we have better deſerved, &c.

Verſe 12. No man hath ſeen God] If we reade that any hath ſeen him, we muſt underſtand it, that indeed they did ſee,Rab. Maim. more Nevochimd. 3.07. Mercavah, velo harocheb, the charriot in which God rode, but not the rider in it, as that Rabbi ſpeaketh.

Verſe 13. He hath given us of his ſpirit] That is, of the fruits of his Spirit, his holy motions and graces. For thorow the two golden pipes the two Olive-Branches empty out of themſelves the golden oils of all precious graces, into the Candle-ſtick the Church.

Verſe 14. And We have ſeen] ſc. By ſpeciall priviledge (that which naturall eye never ſaw, v. 12.) the back-parts of Jehovah, his wiſdome, juſtice, mercy, &c. we can ſee no more and live, we need ſee no more that we may live.

Verſe 15. Whoſoever ſhall confeſſe] See the Note on 1 Cor. 12.3.

Verſe 16. And we have known and beleeved] That is, we know by believing. See the Note no Joh. 6.69.

God is love] Pellican tels of ſome in his time, that uſed to reade this piece of Scripture to their friends at their feaſts. A pious practice ſurely, and well beſeeming thoſe that feaſt before the Lord. The Primitive Chriſtians had at ſuch times their kiſſe of love, 1 Pet. 5.14. And S. Auſtin had theſe two verſes written on his Table, Quiſquis amat dictis abſentum roders famam, Hanc menſam indictam novorit eſſe ſibi.

Verſe 17. In the day of judgement] Thoſe that bear his image ſhall hear his Euge: he will own them and honour them in their ſaith, that worketh by love, ſhall be found unto praiſe, honour and glory at the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1.7. He that was ſo willingly judg'd for them, ſhall give no hard ſentence againſt them.

Verſe 18. There is no fear in love] But complacence and acquieſcence in the perſon beloved.

Becauſe fear hath torment] Quom metuunt, oderunt. Whomſoever men fear, they hate, ſaith the Proverb. And odium timorem spirat, ſaith Tertullian. Hatred hath fear, which ſets the ſoul on a rack, as it were, and renders it reſt leſſe.

Verſe 19. Becauſe be firſt lovedus] See the Note on Verſ. 10 Mary anſwers not Rabboni till Chriſt firſt ſaid unto her Mary. Our love is but the reflex of his. And as the reflected beams of the Sun are weaker then the direct, ſo are our affections weaker then Gods.

Verſe 20. Whom be hath ſeen] Sight uſually maketh love. Jnvenal greatly wondereth at one, Quinunquam viſae fiagrabat amore puellae, who loved a party whom he had never ſeen.

Verſe 21. Love his brother alſo] If he be a good man, love him in god, if bad, for God.