1 John 4

Love is a pleasing affection. Fear has torment in it (1 John 4:18). Love has joy in it.

Death is the cure of care. 2. Fear: fear is the ague of the soul, which sets it a shaking (1 John 4:14). There is torment in fear: fear is like Prometheus his vulture, it gnaws upon the heart.

Sin breeds a trembling at the heart (Isaiah 57:21). It creates fears, and there is torment in fear (1 John 4:18). Sin makes sad convulsions in the conscience.

Trouble is the vermin bred out of the putrid matter of sin. From where are all our fears, but from sin? (1 John 4:18). There is torment in fear.

How should we nourish this grace which shall outlive all the graces, and run parallel with eternity! 4. Our love to God is a sign of his love to us (1 John 4:19): We love him, because he first loved us. By nature we are 〈in non-Latin alphabet〉, we have no love to God, we have he…

And it is a never-fading crown (1 Peter 5:4). 4. By our loving God we may know that he loves us (1 John 4:19). We love him, because he first loved us.

He is the only wise God; he knows how to make evil things work for good to his children (Romans 8:28), he can make a sovereign treacle of poison: Thus he is the best Father for wisdom. 4. He is the best Father because most loving; (1 John 4:16) God is love. He who causes bowels…

It was said of Cataline, He was afraid of every noise. If a briar does but take hold of a thief's garment, he is afraid it is the officer to apprehend him — and fear has torment in it (1 John 4:18). (4.) The judgments which follow this sin.

There is nothing more contrary to God than a lie. The Holy Ghost is called the Spirit of Truth (1 John 4:5-6). Lying is a sin that does not go alone, it ushers in other sins.

Love is the soul of obedience, the touchstone of sincerity. By our loving God we may know he loves us (1 John 4:19), and those whom God loves he will lay in his bosom. Ambrose in his funeral oration for Theodosius, brings in the angels hovering about his departing soul, and bein…

Such as are unpardoned must needs lead uncomfortable lives (Deuteronomy 28:66): your life shall hang in doubt before you, and you shall be in continual fears. Thus the unpardoned sinner must needs have a palpitation and trembling at heart; he fears every bush he sees (1 John 4:1…

He who was God laid down for a season, and parted with that life, which was his own in that nature of ours which he had assumed. And that taking of our nature is called his coming in the flesh, which whoever denies, is not of God, but is the Spirit of Antichrist (1 John 4:3). Th…

In this state and condition all mankind, had they been left without divine aid and help, must have perished eternally. Sixthly, that God out of his infinite goodness, grace and love to mankind, sent his only Son to save and deliver them out of this condition (Matthew 1:21): "You…

They have not only liberty thus to admonish one another, but it is their express and indispensable duty so to do. The neglect whereof is interpreted by God to be hatred of our brother; such as wherewith the love of God is inconsistent (Leviticus 19:17; 1 John 4:20; 1 John 3:15).…

I take this to be implied in that phrase in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, where the apostle warns they should not be troubled 'neither by spirit nor by word' to think the day of judgment was at hand. By 'spirit' he means a pretense of revelation joined with a man's own private conceit an…

Yet though you are to lay it to heart so as to mourn under it, you are not to be discouraged — not to call all into question. For though you change, yet God does not, nor his love — for his love is himself (1 John 4:8-10). We may change in our apprehensions and opinions, and God…

And so he which justifies God, as others that do not receive the testimony, condemn God of lying (1 John 5:10). But we cannot justify God before he justifies us; no more than we can love him before he first loved us (1 John 4:19). If our faith be first active to lay hold on Chri…

And therefore by the rule of relation, they knew their son-ship and adoption: and if it should be asked, how they knew it; John tells, by the unction they had received from Christ (1 John 2:27), that is, by the Spirit itself, which taught them to know all things; which no create…

First, the cause of remission, the sacrificed body of Christ on the cross, or accursed tree; (Hebrews 10:4) by one offering, he has perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Secondly, the ground is a free promise tendered to us from God; as to Adam, The seed of the woman shal…

Are you he who is to come? And after his actual exhibition, the denying of him to be so come, is to overthrow the Gospel (1 John 4:3). And these things are called [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩], these good things; (1.) Because they are absolutely so without any allay or mixture.

No new spring or life can be given to Love, but by a new discovery, that God was Love, and had a Love for us. For so the Apostle tells us, Herein is Love, not that we loved God but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation of our sins (1 John 4:10). But if God so…

And upon this coming itself depended the demonstration of the faithfulness of God in his promises. And this is the great fundamental article of Christian religion in opposition to Judaism; as it is declared (1 John 4:2, 3). Therefore by his being come in this place, no one singl…

And thereunto in the Scripture are they constantly assigned, whether absolutely, that grace is bestowed on any, or comparatively, on one and not another, it is all from the will of God. For herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us first, and sent his Son to be…

After his incarnation and ministry, he was now with respect to them, he that was come. Yes, to deny him to be come in answer to that promise, is antichristian (1 John 4:3). Yet after this, he was to come again, on a double account.

But if we are always anxious and solicitous about what we do, whether it be accepted with God or no; how do we serve him without fear? This is the worst kind of fear we are obnoxious to, most dishonorable to God, and discouraging to our own souls (1 John 4:18). For how can we di…

And if you have seen him, you have seen your spiritual ignorance of him; and that ignorance that yet remains, is among your chief complaints. 2. If you love him, you will love those that are his (1 John 3:14), and on this account, for that of him, that is in them: and he that do…

To come to his titles, the first is Jesus, to which if we add the clause, I believe, on this manner, I believe in Jesus, etc., the article which we now have in hand will appear to be most excellent, because it has most notable promises annexed to it. When Peter confessed Christ…

1. It arises from the sense and apprehensions of God's love in Christ. Love is like a diamond, that is not wrought upon but by its own dust (1 John 4:19). We love him, because he loved us first.

Why are men at that distance from him, who is goodness, and grace, and love itself? The reason is not on God's part (1 John 4:16): "God is love, and he that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him." What can our so great distance from this God signify! from the most perfec…

4. I see not how, if the faith of the saints be tried as gold in the fire, they may not through the prevalence of temptation be shaken in their faith, as Peter was, when he denied his Savior; and Paul; who (2 Corinthians 1:8) was pressed out of measure, above strength, despaired…

James commands not such a confession. Daniel's, Ezra's, Peter's confession were some other thing (John 1:20; Acts 19:18; Hebrews 11:13; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 4:2; Mark 3:6; Joshua 7:19; Daniel 9:4; Romans 10:10; 1 Timothy 6:13; Psalm 32:5; James 5:16; Leviticus 5:5; Leviticus 1…

Argument 6. Christ's Lordship and Princedome through his resurrection, is in turning of hearts (Acts 5:31; Romans 11:23). Grace is stronger than devils, sin, hell and death (Romans 14:4; Ephesians 3:20; Jude 24; 1 John 2:14; 1 John 4:4). Arg. 7. If it must lie at our door more t…

(1 John 2:27) You need not that any teach you, but the anointing that you have received teaches you all things. Why should then fewer have the Spirit of holy unction in them, than the world for whom Christ is a propitiation, and all the visible saints that John writes to? (1 Joh…

5 Another end was, that so by this means they might be strengthened in the faith, according to what you read in the words of the text, to them that did believe, he wrote that they might believe, meaning that they might be confirmed and established in believing. 6 Also, to the in…

Both doubting and presumption is contrary to the life of faith, and therefore must be cast out, cast out all fears, and all self-confidence. Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Faith strives against fear, and love strives against malice, and patience strives against frowa…

(Revelation 1:5) To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood. He thought no price too dear for our salvation; let us love him again who loved us first (1 John 4:19): We love him because he first loved us. And be contented to suffer with him and for him, that w…

3. Why is it put here. 1. To show the end for which Christ came to represent the amiableness of God, that he is love (1 John 4:8), and has love for his children. Christ is the pattern of all, for he is first beloved, and the great instance and demonstration of God's love to the…

Secondly, here we may observe what is true religion and godliness, namely, to love and serve God in serving of man. He that says he loves God, and yet hates his brother, is a liar (1 John 4:20). And here it follows that to live out of all society of men, though it be in prayer a…

It is further said, we must restore in the spirit of meekness. The word spirit is added, because it proceeds from the spirit of God, who is both the worker and continuer thereof: as on the contrary, the spirit of jealousy (Numbers 5:14), the spirit of error (1 John 4:6), the spi…

Love is the Spirit of Adoption, or the Childlike Principle; if that Slumbers, Men fall under Fear, which is the Spirit of [Bondage], of the [legal] Principle: And [on] the contrary. And if [it be] so, [that] the Spirit of Adoption, be carried to a great Height, it quite drives a…

So that not only the Persons are called spiritual, as having the Spirit of God dwelling in them; but those Qualifications, Affections and Experiences that are wrought in them by the Spirit, are also spiritual, and therein differ vastly in their Nature and Kind from all that a na…

Reasons hereof. (10.) Promise of the Spirit to supply the Absence of Christ, as to his Humane Nature. Concernment thereof. (11.) Work of the Spirit in the Ministration of the Gospel. (12, 13.) All saving Good communicated to us; and wrought in us by Him. (14.) Sin against the Ho…

To be of God, that is, to belong to God by election. Now, he that is of God, God will in time make him hear his word with delight and love; but he that takes no delight therein, is not elected of God (1 John 4:5-6). Fifthly, the Lord will sooner or later work in the heart of an…

There the Scripture tells us, that they who are of God, effectually called by him, they hear his word with abundance of delight, and abundance of joy and love. So in 1 John 4:5-6: "He that is of God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us." And therefore David, when he woul…

Now a seal, and earnest, is to give more assurance to a promise; and here the Spirit of God is given to believers as a seal, and earnest-penny, that as they have the first fruits in grace, they shall have their harvest in glory. (1 John 4:13) Hereby we know we dwell in him, and…

(1 Peter 1:22) Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit, to unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another, with a pure heart fervently. (1 John 4:21) And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God, do love his brot…

2. There is also love. In the economy of the blessed Trinity about the work of our salvation, that which is eminently and in an especial manner ascribed to the Father, is love, as has been at large elsewhere showed (1 John 4:9, 10, 16). God, that is, the Father says he, is love.

Fear contains faith, and fear contains love too. Though perfect love cast out tormenting fear (1 John 4:18), yet perfect love calls in obeying fear. Hear the conclusion of all, says the Preacher (Ecclesiastes 12:13), Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty…

The sum of it is, Your love is exceeding excellent, and I have more need, and greater esteem of it, than of any thing in the world, therefore I seek after it, and hope to attain it. There are four words here to be cleared, 1. Your loves (so it is in the original in the plural nu…

Christ's love and thoughts to his people, are still the same, whatever changes be upon their frame and way, which may occasion sad changes in his dispensations towards them. 2. That she might the more be persuaded of his love to her and esteem of her; Christ would have his own t…