John Trapp on 1 John 5

CHAP. V. Verſe 1. Loveth him alſo that is begotten]

His love, as Aarons ointment, ſloweth down from the head to the meaneſt member. Gods image whereſoever it appeareth, is very lovely.

Verſe 2. That we love the children of God] Really, aright, and not for ſelf or ſiniſter reſpects. Godlineſſe begins in the tight knowledge of our ſelves, and ends in the right knowledge of God. a Chriſtian begins with loving God for himſelf, but he ends in loving himſelf and others, in and for Chriſt.

Verſe 3. For this is, &c.] See the Note on Joh. 14.15.

His commandments are not] See the Note on Mat. 11.30

Verſe 4. Even our faith] Which ſhews a man a better project, puts his head into heaven afore-hand, gives him to taſte of the hidden manna. Now his mouth will not water after homely proviſions that hath lately taſted of delicate ſuſtenance. Are we afraid of men, ſaith one? faith ſets hell before us, Are we allured by the world? faith ſets heaven before us.

Verſe 5. But he that beleeveth] A believer walketh about the world as a conquerour. He ſaith of theſe things here below, as Socrates did when he came into a fair, and ſaw there ſundry commodities to be ſold, Quam mult is ego non egeo? Nec babeo, nec careo, nec curo, as another ſaid, I neither have theſe things, nor need them, nor care for them. He hath his feet, where other mens heads are, Prov. 15.24. Rev. 12.1.

Verſe 6. That came by water and bloud] So to fulfill and anſwer the legall waſhings and ſacrifices, ſo to ſignifie that he juſtifieth none by his merit, but whom he ſactifieth by his spirit: and ſo to ſet forth the two Sacraments of the new Teſtament. See The Note on Joh. 1934.

Verſe 7. Three that bear record] viz. That Jeſus Chriſt is the Son of God. Theſe three heavenly Witneſſes have given teſtimony hereof in earth. See the Note on Joh. 5.32 & 8.18.

Theſe three are one] In eſſence and will. As if three lamps were lighted in one chamber, albeit the lamps be divers, yet the lights cannot be ſevered: ſo in the God-head, as there is a diſtinction of perſons, ſo a ſimplicity of nature.

Verſe 8. The Spirit and the Water] The Spirit of ſactification teſtified by ſaving graces and new divine gifts, the water of repentance, and the bloud of Chriſt applied by faith. Theſe be the three Witneſſes of a mans happineſſe here. When the waters of ſactification are troubled and muddy, let us run to the witneſſe of bloud.

Verſe 9. If we receive, &c.] If two or three witneſſes eſtabliſh a truth with men, ſhall we deny that honour to Gods teſtimony?

Verſe 10. Hath the witneſſe in himſelf] Carries in his heart the counterpane of all the promiſes.

Hath made him aliar] As one may deny God in deed, as well as in word, ſo he may give him the lie too in like manner, ſc. by going away, and not heeding all the grace that he offereth by Chriſt: for ſuch a one ſaith in effect, Tuſh, thee is no ſuch thing as Chriſt: or at leaſt no ſuch benefit to be reaped by his paſſion, as they would perſwade us, &c.

Verſe 11. That God hath given to us, &c,] How plain is the holy Scripture in things needfull to ſalvation? Theſe God hath written for us, as it were, which the beam of the Sun, that none may plead difficulty. But we are, moſt of us, of the Athenian ſtrain, of whom Tully ſaies the Proverb went, Athenienſes ſ[illegible: 1 letter]ire quae recta ſunt, ſed facere nolle, that they knew what was right, Cic deſenct. but had no minde to make uſe of it.

Verſe 12. Hath life] For he is the prince and principle of life: and all out of him are dead whiles they live. Non ille din vixit, ſed diu fuit, ſaith Seneca of one, Non multum navigavit, ſed multum jactatus eſt, of another at ſea, He was long, but he lived little, He was much toſſed, but not much furthered, He moved much, but removed not at all, as a horſe in a mill, as a dog in a wheel, &c. See the Note on Joh. 1.4.

Verſe 13. That ye may believe] That ye may be confirmed, continued and encreaſed in it.

Verſe 14. According to his will] One ſaid, he could have what he would of god, and Fiat voluntas mea, ſaid Luther in a certain praier, but then he finely fals off with, Men voluntas, Domine, quiatua, Let my will be done, Lord, but ſo far forth, as it is thy will.

Verſe 15. We know that we have] Iste vir potuit quod voluit, That man could do what he would with God, ſaid one concerning Luther. See the Note on Joh. 15.16.

Verſe 16.Act. and Mon. ſol, 46. A ſinne which is not unto death] when John Frith and Andrew Hewet were at the ſtake, Dr Cook openly admoniſhed all the people, that they ſhould in no wiſe pray for them, no more then they would do for a dog. At which words Frith ſmiling, deſired the Lord to forgive him.

There is a ſinne unto death] That unpardonable ſin of doing deſpite to the Spirit of grace. Rockwood, a chief perſectour at Callice in the daies of Henry the 8. to his laſt breath ſtaring and raging, cried, the was utterly damned: And being willed to ask God mercy, Ibid. 1119. he braied and cried our, All too late: for I have ſought maliciouſly the deaths of a number of the honeſteſt men in the town, whom I knew to be ſo: All too late therefore, All too late.

Verſe 17. There is a ſin not unto death] All fins and blaſphemies ſhall be forgiven unto men: but the blaſphemy againſt the holy Ghoſt, &c. See the Note on Mat. 12.31, 32.

Verſe 18. Sinneth nor] ſc. That ſin to death, v. 16. not other ſins, as other men do. See the Note on Chap. 3.9.

And that wicked one toncheth him not] viz. Tactu qualitativo, as Cajetan expoundeth it, with a deadly touch: he thruſts not in his ſting ſo far as to infuſe the venome of that ſin that is properly his ſin, Joh. 8.44. and with which he toucheth their ſpirits that become the ſerpents feed.

Verſe 19. Lieth in Wickedneſſe] As a lubber in a lake, as a carcaſe in its ſlime. In fermento tota jacet uxor, ſaith he in Plautus. This people is wholly ſet upon Wickedneſſe, ſaid Aaron, Exod. 32.22. is under the power and vaſſallage of the devil. Nil mundum in mundo.

Verſe 20. And we know] This he brings in here for a corollary and concluſion of all.

Verſe 21. Keep your ſelves from idols] Negatively at leaſt (as thoſe 7000 in Iſrael, that had not bowed their knees to Baal) if not poſitively, by open declaration of your utter diſlike, as did Daniel and his aſſociates.