blood of Jesus Christ his Son, would procure them pardon for all such sins as they might fall into, not presumptuously, but through human infirmity. Such is the nature of the Christian fellowship, and such its unspeakable advantages, ver. 7.

To his account of the motives offered in the gospel, to the members of the fellowship of God to live in holiness after the example of God, the apostle subjoined an express condemnation of the corrupt doctrine of the Nicolaitans, described, pref. sect. 3. toward the close. For he declared, That whosoever saith he hath no sin to be cleansed from, deceiveth himself, and the true Christian doctrine is not in him, ver. 8.-He, therefore, advised every one to confess his sins to God, who, agreeably to his promise published in the gospel, and to his own righteousness, will cleanse penitent sinners from the pollution and punishment of all their sins, ver. 9.-Farther he declared, If any one affirmeth that he hath no sin to be cleansed from, he strives to make God a liar, who, as the apostle observes in the beginning of the next chapter, hath sent his Son to be a propitiation for the sins of the world, ver. 10.

NEW TRANSLATION. CHAP. I. 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have contemplated, and our hands have handled3 concerning the living word.4

COMMENTARY.

CHAP. I. 1 That which was from the beginning of the gospel, which we apostles have heard with our ears, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have contemplated at leisure and with the greatest attention, and our hands have handled pertaining to the really living word.

and handling his body after his resurrection, his eating and drinking with them at different times, and his ascending into heaven in a shining cloud, while they looked on.

2. Which we have seen with our eyes, which we have contemplated. The expression iiaganaμsv, which we have seen, is different from, incaμida. For the latter, as distinguished from the former, denotes the apostle's beholding attentively and considering at leisure, the life of the word in the flesh; his words, his actions, his sufferings, and all the other particulars by which he manifested the reality of his life in the flesh. To mark this dif ference in the expressions, I have translated iσausda, which we have contemplated.

3. And our hands have handled. In this John alludes to what Christ said to his disciples, when he appeared to them after his resurrection, Luke

2 (For the Life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal Life which was with the

Father, and was manifest ed unto us ;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is

2 (Και ἡ ζωή εφανερώθη, και εωρακαμεν, και μαρτυρου μεν, και απαγγελλομεν υμιν την ζωην την αιώνιον, ήτις ην

προς τον πατέρα, και εφανερωπη ήμιν.)

3 Ο εωρακαμεν και ακηκοαμεν, απαγγελλομεν υμιν, ἵνα και μεις κοινωνιαν εχητε μεθ' ἡμων και ἡ κοινωνια δε

with the Father, and with ἡ ἡμέτερα μετα του πατρος και μετα του διου αυτου Ιησου Χριςου.

his Son Jesus Christ.

xxiv. 29. Handle me and see; for a Spirit bath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. On many other occasions, the disciples had an opportunity of handling their master, and knowing that he had a real body. For example, when he washed their feet; when he took Peter by the hand to prevent him from sinking as he walked on the water; when the disciples gave him the loaves and fishes, and when he, after multiplying them, put them into their hands to be distributed to the multitude. John, in particular, had an opportunity of feeling Christ's body, when he leaned on his bosom, during the last passover supper, John xiii. 23.

4. Concerning the living word. Пegs To 2028 THE (wns: literally concerning the word of life. But the expression is an Hebraism, which, as the context sheweth, ought to be translated, concerning the living word. See Ess. iv. 18. The sentiment in this clause, John hath expressed more fully in his gospel, chap. i. 4. where speaking of the word he saith, In him was life, and the life, namely of the word, was the light of men. And ver. 14. The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The heresy which the apostle condemned in this and the following verse, is mentioned, 2 epistle, ver. 7. Many deceivers are entered into the world, who do not confess Fesus Christ did come in the flesh. See Preface to 1 John, Sect. 3. paragr. 2. Also 1 John iv. 3. note 1. In opposition to that pernicious doctrine, which overturned the gospel entirely, John solemnly affirmed, That what he and his brethren apostles, published to the world concerning the real manifestation of the word or Son of God in the flesh, and concerning his actions and sufferings in the flesh, all actually happened. That having heard him speak, and seen him die, and handled him both before his death and after his resurrection, they could not be mistaken in believing that he really appeared in the flesh.

(2 Kal, 207.) For the life1 was manifested, and we have seen IT, and bear witness, and declare to you that life which is eternal, which, was with the Fathers and was manifested to us.)

3 That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that ye also may have fellowship3 with us and our followship (de) truly is with the Father, and with his son Jesus Christ.

2 For the life of the word, or Son of God in the flesh, was manifested to the senses of all who conversed with him. And we apostles, who accompanied him during his abode on earth, have seen it, and bear witness, and declare to you that life which is eternal, which the word pussessed with the Father, and which was manifested to us at his baptisın, transfiguration, and resurrection.

SI say, that which we apostles have actually seen and heard, pertaining to the appearing of the word in the flesh, we declare to you as absolutely certain, that, by believing our testimony, ye also may enter into our fellowship; and our fellowship truly is with the Father of the universe, and with his Son Jesus Christ; consequently it is a more honourable and a more powerfully protected society, than any of the heathen fellowships.

Ver. 2.-1. The life. By this expression Benson understands Christ himself the author of eternal life, chap. v. 11. But as the apostle adds that they had seen the life, I rather think he means the life of the word in the flesh.

2. Was manifested. Eparepæn. This word is applied, not only to our Lord's appearing in the flesh, but to his second appearing at the end of the world, chap. ii. 28. See note 2. on that verse, and 1 Pet i. 7. note 2.

3. And declare to you that life which is eternal, which was with the Father and was manifested to us. By the life which is eternal which was manifested to the apostles, some understand that immortal life of blessedness which was brought to light, and promised in the gospel to believers. But as that life is said to have been with the Father, it must mean, either the eternal life, or existence of the Father himself, or of some other person. Now since the eternal existence of the Father could not be manifested to the apostles by revelation, which presupposes the existence of God, the life which is eternal must be that which the Word, or Son, possessed with the Father before the world was; and which was manifested to the apostles at our Lord's baptism and transfiguration, when, by a voice from heaven, God declared him his beloved Son: It was manifested likewise by God's raising Jesus from thre 4

VOL. VI.

4 And these things

write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

4 Και ταυτα γραφομεν ἱμιν ἵνα ἡ χαρα ύμων η πε iva πληρωμενη.

dead. That this ver. 2. is a parenthesis, is evident from the repetition of the words of the first verse, in the beginning of the third.

Ver. 3.-1. That which we have seen and heard. John having affirmed this in the first verse, he repeats it here to shew that he and his brethren apostles were the persons to whom Christ said, Matt. xiii. 16. Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.-Further, because the apostles by hearing and seeing had the fullest assurance of the things which they testified concerning their master, John told the elders of the Jews, Acts iv. 20. We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard; namely the doctrine, miracles, resurrection, and ascension of their master, and his return to judge the world.

2. We declare to you. As I am of the opinion of those who think John wrote his gospel a considerable time before the destruction of Jerusalem, I suppose he here alluded to his own gospel, in which he had related the particulars, whereby the word was proved to have been made flesh.

3. That ye also may have novæviav fellowship with us. In scripture, notava signifies both the communication of something to others, and the participation of something with others: A joint participation. In the former sense it is used, 2 Cor. ix. 13. where it is translated, distribution. In the latter sense it is used, 1 Cor. x. 16. Is it not nowvavia the joint participation of the blood of Christ? The Greeks likewise, as Chandler informs us, in his note on Ephes. v. 11. used the word xowave, to denote a participation in their religious rites and mysteries, and in the benefits supposed to be procured by them.-Kovova, also signifies A fellowship, or company of men joined together by some common bond, for the purpose of obtaining certain advantages by means of their union. Among the heathens there were a variety of such fellowships, called by the Latins Sodalitia. And because many of them were instituted for celebrating the mysteries, or secret worship of their gods, the particular god in honour of whom the fellowship was instituted, was considered as the head of it, and the author of the benefits which the associated expected to derive from their fellowship in his worship. In this sense, the word fellowship, is with great propriety applied to the disciples of Christ united, by their common faith, into one society or church for worshipping the only true God, through the mediation of his Son Jesus Christ, and for receiving from him through the same mediation, the great blessings of protection and direction in the present life, and of pardon and eternal happiness in the life to come.—Agreeably to this account of the Christian fellowship the apostle in this 3d verse contrasts the heads thereof with the heads of the heathen fellowships: Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. The heads of the Christian fellowship are the great Father of the universe, and his Son Jesus Christ, who governs the world under him. Whereas the heads of the heathen fellowships, were mere non entities. Or if any of them were real beings, they had no power

4 And these things wel write to you, that your joy may be complete.

4 These things concerning our fellowship with the Father and the Son, we write to you who have entered into our fellowship, that your joy, on account of the great honour and safety which ye have obtained therein, may be complete.

He

in human affairs: consequently their votaries could derive, neither protec. tion, nor any blessing whatever from them.-Farther, in verse 5. the apostle contrasts the knowledge of the nature and perfections of the true God, communicated in the gospel to the members of the Christian fellowship, with the knowledge of the pretended heathen divinities, communicated in their mysteries to the initiated. This is the message we have received from him and declare to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. possesses every possible perfection, and is absolutely free from evil. Whereas the heathen gods, according to the representation given of them in their mysteries, were polluted with every kind of vice.-Next, in verse 6. he contrasts the character and manners of the members of the fellowship of the true God, with the character and manners of the initiated into the fellowships of the heathen gods. No person could be in the fellowship of the Father who habitually practised any wickedness. Whereas, to be in the fellowship of the heathen gods, it was necessary to imitate them in their characters and vices. In verse 7. the apostle contrasts the benefits which the members of the fellowship of God, who imitate him in his moral qualities, receive from him, with the benefits which the votaries of the heathen gods receive from them. The former are the objects of God's love and care, and are cleansed both from the power and from the punishment of their sins through the blood of Christ: Whereas the latter receive neither of these blessings from their gods; nor indeed any benefit whatever.

Before this note is concluded, it may be proper to observe, that novia fellowship, is used by the apostle Paul likewise, to denote that intercourse which the members of a fellowship or society have with each other, 2 Cor. vi. 14. Now what nowvia (fellowship) intercourse bath light with darkness ?

4. And our fellowship, truly is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.-Fellowship with the Father and the Son, means our being members of that religious community, of which the Father and Son are the heads; and our sharing in all the benefits which the members of that cominunity derive from the Father and the Son, on account of their relation to them, as votaries or worshippers.—Paul likewise hath mentioned this fellowship, under the denomination of the fellowship of Christ. 1 Cor. i. 9 Faithful is God, by whom ye have been called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our

Lord

Ver. 4.-1. These things we write. Estius saith the apostle useth the plural we, because the things which he wrote were perfectly consonant to the doctrine of his brethren apostles.