who believe on Jesus have this boldness with the Father, that if they pray to him for any thing according to his will, he hearkeneth to them, ver. 14.-and granteth them what they ask, because they are the disciples of his Son, ver. 15.-This assurance the apostle gave to the spiritual men in particular, and perhaps it was applicable to them only, telling them, That if any of them found a brother labouring under a bodily disease, inflicted on him for some sin he had committed, and if from the signs of repentance which the sick shewed, the spiritual man had reason to think his sin was not to be punished with bodily death, he might on account of his faith in God's promise, ask his recovery, if moved to do so by an impulse of the Spirit. And God, in answer to his prayer, would grant a miraculous recovery to such a sick person, the temporal punishment of whose sin was not a disease to end in death. At the same time, by observing that there was a sin unto death, for the removing of the punishment of which, he did not direct any spiritual man to pray, he insinuated that they were to pray for a miraculous recovery to the sick sinner, only in the case of his having repented of the sin for which he was punished, ver. 16.—And to shew this more clearly, he added, though every unrighteous action, especially those by which our neighbour is injured, is sin, there is a great difference in sins, according as they are repented of, or obstinately continued in. For there is a sin not unto death, from the punishment of which the sinner may be delivered, because he hath repented, ver. 17. However, to prevent them from falling into mistakes in judging what sins were unto death, and what not, he told them, that no one who hath been begotten of God sinneth habitually, because such a person keepeth himself from the dominion of the

OLD TRANSLATION.

CHAP. V. 1 Whoso

GREEK TEXT.

1 Πας ὁ πιςευων ότι Ιησους

ever believeth that Jesus is εςιν ὁ Χριςος, εκ του Θεου γε

the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth

him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him.

γεννηται και σας 8 αγαπων τον γεννησαντα, αγαπα και εξ αυτου. τον γεγεννημενον

Ver. 1.-1. Every one who believeth that Jesus is the Christ. This is not to be understood of a mere speculative belief, but of such a firm persuasion as influenceth the person who is possessed of it, to obey Jesus implicitly.

devil. By making this observation, the apostle, I think, insinuated to the spiritual men, that the persons for whose recovery by miracle they were to pray, were to be, not habitual sinners, but the begotten of God, whose sins were of infirmity, of ignorance," or of surprise; and of which they knew that the sinner had repented, ver. 18.—He added, That by keeping themselves from the dominion of the devil, they would know that they were begotten of God; as by the wickedness which then prevailed among infidels and idolaters, they knew that the whole of them were lying under the dominion of the devil, ver. 19.—But they knew also that the Son of God had come, and had given them understanding to acknowledge the true God; so that they were under the dominion of the true God, by being under his Son Jesus Christ, ver. 20. He, therefore, intreated them to keep themselves from idols, because by worshipping idols, they withdrew themselves from their subjection to the true God, and put themselves under the power of the devil, ver. 21.

Concerning the spiritual men's praying for the recovery of sick sinners, and the sinners being restored to health miraculously in consequence of such prayers, of which the apostle speaks in this chapter, it is proper to observe, that the infliction of diseases in punishment of gross irregularities, and the removing of them by miracle at the intercession of the spiritual men, like all the other miraculous powers, was intended to render the Christian societies venerable in the eyes of the heathens, by shewing that God was actually among the Christians, 1 Cor. xiv. 25. and to inspire the heathens with the desire of becoming members of a community which was honoured with such extraordinary privileges.

NEW TRANSLATION. CHAP. V. 1 Every one who believeth that Jesus is the Christ hath been begotten of God: and every one who loveth the begetter, loveth also the begotten of him.3

COMMENTARY.

CHAP. V. 1 Every one who believeth that Jesus is the Christ, and abideth in his fellowship and doctrine, hath been begotten of God; he is more truly a Son of God, than if he were descended from Abraham. And every one who loveth God the begetter, loveth also the begotten of him: Loveth all who bear his image.

from a sense of his authority as the Christ, or Son of God, sent into the world to save mankind.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his command

ments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments ; and his commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatsoever is

2 Εν τουτῳ γινωσκομεν ότι αγαπωμεν τα τεκνα του Θεου, όταν τον Θεον αγαπω

μεν, και τας εντολας αυτου τηρωμεν

3 Αύτη γαρ εςιν ἡ αγαπη του Θεου, ἵνα τας εντολας αυτού τηρωμεν και αἱ εντο λαι αυτον βαρειαι ουκ εισιν. 4 Ότι παν το γεγεννη

born of God overcometh μενον εκ του Θεου νικά τον

the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

κόσμον. Και αύτη εςιν ἡ νι κη ἡ νικήσασα τον κόσμον, ท πιςις ήμων.

2. Hath been begotten of God. See chap. ii. 29. note 1. where this translation of γεγέννηται, is supported.—The unbelieving Jews thought themselves the children of God, because they were descended from Abraham by Isaac, and possessed the knowledge of the true God: and some even of the believing Jews built their title to that high honour on the same foundation. But the apostle assured both, that God having attested Jesus to be the Christ, the only thing under the gospel dispensation which made men his children, was their believing on Jesus as the Christ or Son of God; and their loving the children of God.

3. Every one who loveth the begetter, loveth also the begotten of him. The apostle knowing that all the children of God love him as their Father, declareth it to be a characteristical mark of the children of God, that they love all their brethren because they bear the image of their Father.

Ver. 2.1. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. Grotius, to render the apostle's reasoning clear, thinks the original should be construed and translated in the following manner. Εν τότῳ γινωσκομεν ότι «τον Θεον αγαπωμεν όταν αγαπώμεν τα τέκνα τ8 Θεό και τας εντολας αυτό τηςωμεν; By this we know that we love God, when we love the children of God and keep his commandments. But, not to mention that this construction is forced, it represents the apostle as giving a mark by which we may know when we love God; whereas his intention is to shew, how we may know when we love the children of God in a right manner. Now this was necessary to be shewed, since men may love the children of God because they are their relations, or because they are engaged in the same pursuits with themselves, or because they are mu tually united by some common bond of friendship. But love proceeding

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.1

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his comandments are not burdensome,1

4 (or, 254.) because all1 that is begotten of God, overcometh the world. And this is the victory which overcometh the world, EVEN Our faith.2

2 By this we know that we love the children of God in a proper manner, when we love God, and from love to him obey his commandments; especially his commandment to love one another.

3 For this is the natural expression of our love to God, that we keep his commandments; which is not a burdensome thing to the begotten of God; because his commandments are agreeable to their inclinations, and

4 Because all that is begotten of God, overcometh the temptations which the world layeth in their way, to induce them to break God's commandments. And this victory over the world, we the begotten of God obtain through the influence of our faith.

from these considerations, is not the love of the children of God which he requireth. By what mark then can we know that our love to the children of God is of the right sort? Why, saith the apostle, by this we may know that we love the children of God in a right manner, when we love God, and from that excellent principle keep his commandments, especially his commandment to love his children because they bear his image. True Christian love, therefore, is that which proceeds from love to God, from a regard to his will; and which leadeth us to obey all his commandments. Ver. 3.-1. And his commandments are not burthensome or difficult to his children. This must be understood of the commandments of God in ordinary cases. For his commandment to suffer the loss of liberty, the spoiling of goods, torture, and death, in times of persecution, must be excepted. To a good man in ordinary circumstances, the keeping of God's commandments is easy, being the delight of his soul.

Ver. 4.-1. All that is begotten of God, overcometh the world. John useth way, the neuter gender, to comprehend all sorts of persons; males and females, old and young, Jews and Gentiles, freemen and slaves.

2. And this is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith. Our faith is the cause of our victory over the world. The power of faith in enabling men to overcome the temptations laid in their way, by the things of the world, and by the wicked men of the world, is finely illustrated by examples, Hcb. xi. which shew, that before the coming of Christ, the chil

5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 This is he that came

by water and blood, even Jesus Christ ; not by water only, but by water and

blood; and it is the Spirit

5 Τις ἑςιν ὁ νικών τον κοσ μον, ει μη ¿ πιςευων ότι 1ησους εςιν ὁ ὑιος του Θεου ;

6 Οὗτος εςιν ὁ ελθών δι' ὕδατος και αἱματος, Ιησους ὁ Χριςος ουκ εν τῷ ὕδατι μου νον, αλλ' εν τῷ ὕδατι και τῳ

that beareth witness, be- αἱματι. Και το πνευμα εςι

cause the Spirit is truth.

το μαρτυρούν, ότι το πνευμα εςιν ή αληθεια.

dren of God by believing the things which he discovered to them, whether by the light of natural reason, or by particular revelations, resisted the greatest temptations, sustained the bitterest sufferings, and performed the most difficult acts of obedience, and thereby obtained a great and lasting fame. But now that Christ hath come, and made the gospel revelation in person and by his apostles, the faith of the children of God by which they overcome the world, hath for its object, all the doctrines and promises contained in that revelation: and particularly the great doctrine which is the foundation of all the rest, namely that Jesus is the Son of God and Saviour of the world, as the apostle observes in the following ver. 5.

Ver. 5.-1. Who is it that overcometh the world, but he who believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? That the Jews universally believed their Messiah, or Christ, was to be the Son of God, appears from the following passages of scripture, Matth. xvi. 16. Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God.-Luke iv. 41. Devils also came out of many, erying out and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God.-John xx. 31. These are written, that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. Acts ix. 20. He preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is Son of God.— Farther, that the Jews universally believed the Son of God to be God, appears from John v. 17. Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.—John x. 33. The Ferus answered him saying, for a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because that thou being a man, makest thyself God.-Matth. xxvi. 63. The high-priest said to him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us, whether thou be the Christ the Son of God. 64. Jesus saith to him thou hast said.-65. Then the high-priest rent his clothes saying he hath spoken blasphemy.—Behold now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66. What think ye? They answered and said, he is guilty of death. The high-priest, and council composed of men of the highest rank and learning among the Jews, equally with the common people believed that the Christ was the Son of God, and that the Son of God is himself God,