1 JOH. 4. 13.
THe Apostle John, as he was the beloved Disciple, so doth he frequently and vehemently presse the duty of love to the Church of God, for that being a spiritual body, love is as necessary to preserve them, as nerves and ligaments are in a natural body.
The Arguments used in this Chapter for love are many: As
First, That love is a stream issuing from no lesse glorious fountain then God himself is.
Secondly, That it is a demonstration of our spiritual Nativity, That we are born of God.
Thirdly, From the Nature of God, He is love, viz. Originally and Causally, which he proveth by a clear and unparallel’d manifestation of it, He gave us his only begotten Sonne; which love he also amplifieth by the removal of any impulsive cause on our part, it was not because we loved him first; and withall he giveth a reason, why a natural man loveth not God, because he seeth him not. The disputes about the Vision of the Essence of God, and that by corporal eyes, is wholly impertinent to this place, for the Greek word is […], and signifieth a contemplation and constant beholding of the beauty and lustre of Gods Attributes, his Wisdom, Holinesse, but especially his Love to us in Christ, all which doth kindle love in us again. And from this beholding of God doth arise that neer union with God, which is Gods dwelling in us, and we in him. All which the Apostle makes manifest to us by the effect, viz. by the Spirit, of which he hath given us. It is needlesse to trouble you with the several acceptions of the word Spirit; It is enough to know, That by Spirit is not meant the essence of the Spirit, for that is impartible; nor of any immediate testimony of the Spirit, as the phrase will imply, He hath given us of his Spirit, which denoteth some effects of the Spirit, and of effects, not the common effects, for they are not a sure Argument of Gods dwelling in us, and we in him; it remaineth therefore that it be understood of the gracious works of Gods Spirit, whereby in all our duties we are lifted up by Gods Spirit to do them in an higher manner, then natural strength could enable us unto: so that the Observation is,
Observ. The spiritual performing of holy duties, is a sure sign and demonstration of our being in God. and God in us.
Thus the same Apostle 1 John 3. 24. for as miracles did truly demonstrate those that did them, to be endued with the power of Gods Spirit from above, and they wrought miracles to confirm men in this belief, that they were sent of God; Thus the spiritual doing of those things required of thee, are a kinde of miracles to confirm thy soul, that thou art of God. And as actual discourse and laughter do infallibly prove a rational life, because these actions transcend a sensitive life; so do spiritual praying, hearing, &c. evidence a spiritual life, because of their transcendency.
For the opening of this point, which is necessary (and the want of which Paul did so greatly bewail in the Corinthians, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as carnal) take notice of these things by way of a foundation.
First, As in natural things there is a sensitive soul above the vegetative, and a rational above the sensitive, so (with more disproportion) there is a spiritual life vouchsafed by the holy Ghost above a rational. Insomuch that take the most rational man, that is endued with all intellectual abilities and moral perfections; so that he be Ultimus conatus naturae, as one said of Aristotle, yet he is no more able to do any thing spiritually, or to apprehend what are those spiritual operations, then a worm can comprehend the reason of the most wise men. Thus Paul saith, The natural man perceiveth not the things of God, […], that is, one who doth excolere animam, minde the polishing and dressing of his soul, such as Plato and Seneca. Now howsoever prophane men mock at the word Spirit, and the works thereof, yet that there is such an immediate participation of the holy Ghost in the operations thereof, the Scripture doth abundantly testifie, John 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit, where our Saviour makes such a spiritual birth absolutely necessary to salvation, and sheweth two contrary kinds of sinne, one carnal, abiding in the condition they were born in, the other spiritual, made so by God; and the Apostle in both places useth the abstract for the concrete, for more efficacy. This afterwards he cals, Being born of the Spirit. So that as a man born of a man, hath indolem humanam, is and doth more then a beast: so he that is born of the Spirit, hath indolem divinam, and doth more then a man. Indeed our Saviour makes the original of this spiritual being unknown to us, which he expresseth by a comparison from the winde, or as Maldonat will have it from the soul of a man, which we do not perceive infused into us, or how we come by it; so in this great work of Gods Spirit, Motum sentimus, modum nescimus; God breathed into Adam a natural life, and a soul, but this is a great mercy which God doth for his people. And because the spiritual being and working is of such important consequence, you may observe the Scripture in other places diligently inculcating of it. Therefore observe them diligently, whether you finde such things in you or no, for notwithstanding all parts and religious duties, if the Spirit of God dwell not and work in you, you are no more a true member of Christ, then an Ape is a man. Rom. 8. 1, 5, 6, 9, 13, 14. where the Apostle speaking of the glorious benefit of Justification, See to whom he appropriateth it, To those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, whereupon he is industrious to make a difference between the one and the other; and he useth several descriptions, […], Who are after the Spirit, which he explaineth by being spiritually minded: […] denoteth not only acts of the understanding, but chiefly of the will and affections; it seemeth to answer the Hebrew word Jetzer, The imaginations or frame of the heart. So that as the imagination and frame of a carnal heart is wholly upon things of the flesh: Thus the affections, imaginations, designs and purposes of a spiritual man, are upon spiritual things. As the Apostle cals them […], so vers. 9. […], Those that are in the Spirit, that is, Possessed of the Spirit, as if the holy Ghost were as wonderfull in gracious operations upon the heart of man; as in those prophetical and extatical Afflatusses, for they were said at those times, To be in the Spirit, and the Grecians call such […]; it is a similitude, saith Grotius, taken from those who are guarded on every side by keepers, and are wholly under their power; so mighty and efficacious is Gods Spirit in believers; and (by the way observe) this is called promiscuously, The Spirit of God, The Spirit of Christ, The Spirit of the Father, and that dwelling in us, which doth prove the holy Ghost to be a person, not a meer vertue and force, or power from God, as some hereticks of old would have it; and a person that is one in the Trinity, not the chiefest of the created Angels, as one of late would blasphemously maintain. In Adam, the holy Ghost wrought his holinesse, as the third Person in the Godhead; but now he worketh grace in us by another oeconomy or dispensation, as the Spirit of the Father, and of Christ. And that all this operation of Gods Spirit may not be rejected as a fancy, he saith, He dwels in us as in his Temple, which denoteth a fixed permanency, and abiding in us; It is true, the godly dispute, Whether a godly man be made partaker of the graces of Gods Spirit only, or besides these of the Spirit it self? The learned differ herein, but certainly these expressions do inferre, That the godly do not only receive the graces of Gods Spirit, but the Spirit also it self, only how to explain this, seemeth to me very difficult, if not impossible.