The children of God]

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

CHAP. III.

[and of Satan contrasted.

17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart condem! us not, then have we confidence towar God.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep s commandments, and do those thing that are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandment. That we should believe on the name his Son Jesus Christ, and love cre another, as he gave us commandment.

24 And he that keepeth his comandments dwelleth in him, and heja him. And hereby we know that be abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (D)

(D) Ver. 1-24. The grace of God in the adoption, sanctification, and salvation of his people." Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!" So astonishing did this seem, when one of the Malabarian converts was required by the Danish Missionaries thus to translate

this passage, that he shrunk from it, & far too bold: "Let me rather render it (says he), They shall he permitted to kiss his feet." But even this is not all; sot only are we to be recognized as the adopte children of God, but also, conformed to the image of his only begotten Son. And sart is the transforming efficacy of his glory. that when we see him as he is," we shall

Ver. 9. Doth not commit.-Doddr. " Doth not practise sin." Mackn." Doth not work sin."--—For his seed remaineth in him; i. e. says Doddr., "There is an immortal principle planted by God in the heart."-See 1 Peter i. 23.

Ver. 10. Doeth not righteousness.-Doddr. “Doth not practise righteousness."

Ver 11. The message.-Marg. "commandment." Doddr. and Mackn. prefer the text.

Ver. 12. Not as Cain, &c.-See Heb. xi. 4. Ver. 15. Is a murderer-i, e. in his heart; and circumstances may make him so in fact, as in the instance of Cain, ver. 12.

Ver. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of GodThe words" of God" being omitted in many and most printed editions, are put by our translat in italics: but Mackn. supplies from ver. 8, Son of God." Doddr. reads, " Hereby perceive se love!" Compare ver. 1.

Ver. 18. Not love in word, neither in tongue—i.4. in tongue only. So Mackn.

Ver. 19. And shall assure.-Marg. " persuade." Doddr. and Mackn. prefer the former.

Ver 20. If our heart-i. e. our conscience. Soia

next verse.

be changed into his image-we shall be pure, as he is pure; for we "know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin."

This similitude will not, we confess, be complete in the present life: we must see Christ even as he is, before we can be conformed wholly to his image. There is, however, a partial resemblance, which becomes more and more complete as grace prevails in us. In this state we "know but in part," and are sanctified but in part, as the holiest and best of men admit, and as St. John himself assures us: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (Chap. i. 8.) The same apostle, therefore, cannot mean to be understood absolutely, when he says, "He that is born of God doth not commit sin;" but it is yet a question how the words can be best explained, in harmony with other passages in this epistle, and of the Scriptures in general. We shall mention two ways in which this has been attempted.

1. It has been commonly understood, that by committing sin is here meant the habitual practice thereof, as the heathen practised idolatry, and the Jews their now obsolete and superstitious ritual. It must, however, be admitted, that every act of sin is as much forbidden as the habit; that neither the law nor the gospel tolerate even "the thought of foolishness" (Prov. xxiv.9); yet it is not every sinful thought, or even act, that proves a man hypocritical or insincere. Christians are bound to the practice of piety and good works; and yet, as St. James says (chap. iii. 2)," In many things we all offend," and as St. John"If any man sin," upon repentance and humiliation, 66 we have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ" himself; so that, as we must not presume on this to encourage ourselves in sin, neither must we despair of pardon when we repent. And this exposition is, we think, in perfect harmony with Scripture truth.

But, 2, The late ingenious Mr. Fuller has remarked (and we have met with the suggestion in him only), that the apostle had been before exhorting Christians to abide in the truth, and to "walk as Christ also walked." In the close of this Epistle, also, the apostle speaks of apostacy-that is, of complete and final apostacy-as " a sin unto death," or a fatal and soul-destroying sin of this sin, therefore, Mr. Fuller conceives that the apostle here treats, and which he describes as utterly inconsistent with true godliness. He that is born of God, in this seuse, " sinneth not," and" cannot sin." Mr. F. would, there fore, for the term sin, substitute apostacymeaning, inveterate and complete apostacy, and reads the text as follows:"Whoso abideth in him, apostatiseth not: whosoever apostatiseth hath not seen him, neither known him.-He that is guilty of apostacy is of the devil; for the devil hath been an apostate from the beginning.Whosoever is born of God doth not apostatise, for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot apostatise, because he is born of God." (Harmony of Script. p. 49.)

Either of these expositions may be sufficient to reconcile our apostle to himself, and to the general tenor of Scripture. Our readers will judge for themselves; we feel too much of our frailty to dogmatize, where wise and good men differ.

Mutual love among Christians is the burden of this Epistle; but that love must be connected with love to Christ, because we are commanded to love them as bre

thren, that is, as fellow Christians; and to the extent (ver. 16), that we should be ready to lay down our lives" for them, if circumstances should require. Now this mutual love produces mutual fellowship and communion, not with them only, but also with God, our common Father, and with Christ, our common Saviour, through the medium of his Holy Spirit, which he hath given to abide with us for ever.

CHAP. IV. Ver. 2. Every spirit that confesseth that, &c.-"Every spirit who confesseth Jesus Christ, who is come in the flesh, is of God." So

Doddr. thinks these words not only may, but must be translated.

Ver. 3. This is that spirit of Antichrist.-Roman

The witnesses]

CHAP. V.

WHOSOEVER believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

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

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God

[in heaven. overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

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 that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

it; if not, then most assuredly they must be actuated by another spirit. "To conless Jesus Christ (says Dr. Doddridge), seems to mean, not barely professing some kind of regard to him, but yielding a regular, consistent homage; and, as it were, harmonizing and falling in with his design." To confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh," implies, 1. His previous existence before he came; 2. His incarnation, that "the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us." (John i. 14.) 3. That this incarnation was real, and not merely apparent; for while some of the ancient heretics considered our Lord Jesus as man, and as man only, others thought his incarnation was in appearance only, and that himself, in reality, neither suffered nor died. That spirit which denies or contradicts Christ, either in his person or mission, is undoubtedly "the spirit of Antichrist," as being opposed to him, and consequently "the spirit of error" and of falsehood.

The apostle now returns to his favourite theme of divine love (ver. 10): "Herein is love; not that we [first] loved God, but

that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." And what are the natural tendencies and consequences of this love? 1. "We love him, because he first loved us" (ver. 19); and, 2. “If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." (ver. 11.) Thus should all our love rise out of the infinite fulness of God's love; for he is the ocean of beneficence, and every thing in creatures which deserves the name of love, springs up therefrom.

Another criterion of love to God is, that it hath no fear"-no terror-no torment. Pagans, and unconverted Jews, might dread approaching into the presence of a dread Jehovah, or a terrific idol; but those who come to God through Christ, will have boldness in the day of judgment, for the Judge himself is also their Friend and Saviour.

"Oh! for a heart in thought renew'd,
And fill'd with love divine!
Perfect, and right, and pure, and good-
A copy, Lord, of thine!"
Anon.

CHAP. V. Ver. 1. He that loveth him that begat, loveth him also, &c.-Love to a friend naturally engenders love towards his offspring.

Ver. 6. This is he that came by water and bloodThat is, he was baptised first by water, and then by blood, and in both cases did the Holy Spirit bear witness. See Matt. iii. 17; xvii. 5; compare Note on ver. 8, below. See also John xii. 28.

Ver. 7, 8. There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." The evidence in favour of the genuineness of these words is so inferior to that on the opposite side, that the great majority of persons who have gone through the whole case (which is no trifling labour), are satisfied of their spurious

ness. The probability is, that the passage was originally a marginal comment on the Spirit, the water, and the blood;' and was introduced, by the ignorance or the predilection of transcribers, into the text of the Vulgate Latin version. There is no authority for it whatsoever in any manuscripts of the Greek original, except one, which is too modern to be of much value..... But it should be recollected, that critical disquisition upon the authenticity of any document, should be carried on with the most rigorous impartiality, and without either favour or disfavour to particular doctrines which the document might affect; that many who have denied the doctrines of the Trinity and the divine nature of the Saviour, have admitted the common reading of these

8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

[on earth

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he sha ask, and he shall give him life i them that sin not unto death. Ther is a sin unto death: I do not say tha he shall pray for it.

17 All unrighteousness is sin: a there is a sin not unto death.

18 We know that whosoever is b of God sinneth not; but he that begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

19 And we know that we are God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

20 And we know that the Son d God is come, and hath given us 2o

texts; and that many other persons who reject [this] passage.... are fully convinced of the truth of those doctrines, because they believe the general tenor of Scripture and the declaration of particular passages, both numerous and forcible, to be in their favour."-Dr. P. Smith's Answer to the Manifesto of the Christian Evidence Society," pp. 57, 58.Omitting the doubtful words, the passage reads thus: "There are three that bear record, the spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one."

In consequence of the above facts, the disputed words were omitted in several Protestant editions of the New Testament by Luther and Erasmus; and since, by Newcome, Griesbach, and others; also in several editions of the English Bible, in the reigns of Henry viii., Edward vi., and Queen Elizabeth, they are either placed within brackets (as by Doddridge), or printed in a smaller type, as of doubtful authority. In some copies, also, the 8th verse is placed before the 7th.

On the other hand, it is but justice to acknowledge, that the number of MSS. which have been examined and collated, makes but a small proportion of those existing, many of which are locked up in the libraries of the Catholic and Greek churches; so that it is yet possible, as the late Bishop Middleton suggests, that some future inquiries may materially change the state of the question.

For farther satisfaction on this suspected passage, see Mr. Horne's Crit. Introd. vol. iv.; Analysis, part 11. ch. iv. 5; and Dr. A. Clarke's Sacred Lit. 12mo. pp. 85-98.

Ver. 7. These three are one. The witnessing of the Father and the Holy Spirit to the mission of Christ, as also his own witness to the truth, are clearly and repeatedly referred to in the New Testament; and their union is no less inculcated in Matt. xxviii. 19, and other Scriptures.

Ver. 8. These three agree in one—i. e, in the siz testimony; but what may be meant by these witnesses, is by no means clear. Doddridge. plains them of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit baptismal water, and the sacramental blot; s Mackn. But the expression might, perhaps, be ferred to the scene of Christ's death, when their parting spirit of our Saviour, and the bed water flowing from his side, bore a united wit to the reality of his death. See John xix. 3,34A The Holy Spirit also bare witness to the effic Christ's death and atonement, by raising him a the dead. See 1 Tim. iiì. 16; 1 Peter iii. 18.

Ver. 13. On the name-i. e. the person and the racter of the Son of God. Compare Matt. 11 19.And that ye may believe with more ass confidence.

Ver. 14. This is the confidence that we have him-Marg," concerning him. Doder. "tow him."

Ver. 18. Whosoever is born of God sinnet neSee our Exposition of chap. iii. 1-24. Teschth him not.-Mackn." Layeth not hold on him; does not claim him as his own.

Ver. 19. The whole world lieth in wicked.— Mackn. "Under the wicked one." Not only was the Pagan world sunk into universal idolatry, also the Jews themselves were sunk into a sp of infidelity, no less dreadful and offensive.

Ver. 20. This is the true God, and eternal lifeCommentators are much divided, whether this st tence refers to Christ only, as both the true God and eternal life (so Doddr.); or whether the leer member of the sentence refer to the Father, as t° true God," and the latter to the Son, as elefa life." So Mackn.