1 John 3 1 John 3:1–2 It is a mark of God’s singular love toward us, that we are now called his sons, and designed for further happiness hereafter, 1 John 3:3–10 and therefore we must obediently keep his commandments, 1 John 3:11–24 and love one another with true brotherly kindness and actual…

So late mention having been made of that great thing, in the close of the foregoing chapter, being born of God, the holy apostle is here in a transport, in the contemplation of the glorious consequent privilege, to be called his sons; and of that admirable love, from whence the whole hath…

Our present state he affirms to be unquestionably that of sons, whatsoever hardships from the world, or severer discipline from our Father, we must for a while undergo; but for our future state, it is much above us to comprehend distinctly the glory of it; it doth not yet appear, it is yet an…

Purifieth himself; i.e. not only is obliged hereto, but by the efficacious influence of this hope, if it be of the same kind, (that lively hope, unto which Christians are said to be begotten, 1 Pet.

Which is added, to signify nothing can be more unreasonable, than the expectation of partaking with God in the glory and blessedness of the future state, if we now allow ourselves in a course of sin, or of transgressing his holy law, which is the very notion of sin; and is again further enforced…

Implying how great an absurdity it were, to expect salvation and blessedness by our sinless Saviour, and yet indulge ourselves in sin, against his design, not only to expiate our sins, but make us sinless like himself.

By sinneth, he meaneth the same thing as afterwards by committeth sin: see 1 John 3:8–9. Seeing and knowing intend inward union, acquaintance, and converse; such as abode in him implies: see John 5:37, 3 John 11.

This caution implies the zealous endeavour of the seducers of that time, to instil their poisonous doctrine and principles of licentiousness; and his own solicitude, lest these Christians should receive them, and be mischiefed by them.

He that committeth sin: the apostle’s notion of committing sin may be interpreted by his own phrase, 3 John 11, ο κακοποιων, a doer of evil; and by that, used in both Testaments, a worker of iniquity; which is not every one that doth any one single act of sin; as his ο ποιων δικαιοσυνην, 1 John…

To be born of God, is, (in the words of a very learned annotator, Dr. Hammond), “to have received some special influence from God, and by the help and power of that, to be raised to a pious life.

Upon what was said, he reduces all men each to their own family and father, concluding it manifest whither they belonged; i.e. he shows, upon the grounds before expressed, who do not belong to God and his family, leaving it thence to be collected, since two fathers and families divide the world, to…

From the beginning: see 1 John 2:7–8; q.d. They cannot be of God, therefore, that cross so fundamental a precept, so expressive of his nature and will.

And what again, on the other hand, (q.d.) can be more devil-like, than such a temper as Cain’s was, whose hatred of his brother brake out into actual murder, upon no other account but because his brother was better than he? Which showed him to be of that wicked one, of the serpent’s seed: so early…

This being so devilish a quality, and the world so generally under his power, as the god of it, 2 Cor. 4:4, it is not to be thought strange, that good men should be the marks and designed objects of the world’s hatred.

The notion of brother must not be understood so narrowly, as only to signify such as we have particular inclination to, as being of our own party and opinion, or kindred, or who have obliged us by special kindness; for to confine our love within such limits, were no argument of our having passed…

That life into which the regenerate are begotten, is nothing else than the beginning or first principle of eternal life, John 4:14, whereof they cannot but be destitute who hate their brethren; a thing so contrary to the Divine life, nature, and image, and which makes the person affected with it,…

He laid down his life for us: the intimate union between the Divine nature and the human in Christ, gives ground for the calling Christ’s life as man the life of God; as, Acts 20:28, his blood is said to be God’s own blood.

i.e. If the love of God in us should make us lay down our lives for the brethren, and we be not willing, in their necessity and our own ability, to relieve them, how plain is the case, that it is not in us!

q.d. It is a vain thing to make verbal pretences of love, without any real proof of it.

And hereby we know that we are of the truth; i.e. this shall demonstrate to us, that we are the children of the truth, begotten by it, James 1:18, when we resemble it, have the correspondent impress of the gospel (that great representation of the love of God) upon us.

If our heart, or our conscience, condemn us, viz. in plain things, (as this of loving our brother is), and wherein the mind of God is evidently the same with our own conscience; his superiority, to whom our conscience is but an under-judge, ought much more to awe us, especially considering how much…

But for their not condemning us, though the expression be merely negative, it must imply somewhat positive; for there are many whose hearts condemn them not, through ignorance of their rule, or oscitancy, self-indulgence, or neglect of themselves.

It is supposed, where there is that accord with God, that what was last, and is next after, said implies, there will be no disposition to ask any thing disagreeable to his will, or otherwise than as he hath expressed his will about the matter of prayer. And then, whatsoever we ask, we receive, i.e.

Thus briefly is comprehended the whole of our duty towards God in Christ, and one another, in a like summary as that, Eccles. 12:13.

He that keepeth his commandments, i.e. he whose whole soul is thus formed to obediential compliance with the Divine will, dwelleth in him; hath most intimate union with God in Christ; which is evident by that Spirit given to us, which hath effected both that holy frame, and that union: see John…