4:7. "Beloved, let us keep loving each other."

For the third and last time the Apostle introduces the subject of brotherly love (3: 10-18; 2: 7-11).

Whoever keeps loving has been begotten by God.

God is the source of all love. So whatever love a man has comes from God.

This is the third of S. John's great statements concerning the nature of God: God is Spirit (S. John 4: 24); God

is light (I S. John 1:

5), and God is love.

Of the three great truths this is the last but at the same time the first, first in importance, first, because without it the others are as nothing to us, first, because it not only makes his nature far more clearly known to us, it brings him very close to us. By it the Spirit is shown to be a personal being, the Light partakes of warmth and life.

To the heathen world God is a powerful, terrible, and often a cruel being. His wrath must be deprecated. His ill will must be placated. To the Israelites of old he was a just and a jealous God. He was, indeed, also merciful. Yet nothing more was known of his inmost being than am that I am."

To the Christian alone is he known as Love.

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I

In no book of the New Testament does this word love occur so often as in these two and a half chapters (3: 15 12). In no book of the New Testament, except the fourth Gospel does the verb to love occur half so many times as here.

::

"If nothing were said in praise of love throughout the pages of this Letter, if nothing whatever throughout the other pages of Scripture, and this one thing only were all

we were told by the voice of the Spirit of God, For God is love'; nothing more ought we to require " (S. Augustin).

4: II. "We also ought."

As children of God we must exhibit his nature. We must follow his example. We must love those whom he loves.

Our love for God is developed and perfected by our loving each other.

4:17. "Just as he is so also are we in this world."

Our assurance with regard to the judgment is not presumption, because we have become in character like Christ. He need never fear the judgment of Christ who by loving has become like Christ.

Love moves towards others in the spirit of self-sacrifice. Fear shrinks from others in the spirit of self-preservation.

Perfect love excludes fear and fear prevents love from being perfect. Yet no believer's love has ever been so perfect as to entirely banish fear. But every believer experiences that as his love increases his fear diminishes.

But it is to be remembered that servile fear is altogether different from the childlike awe, which is a necessary element in the creature's love for the Creator. And yet even servile fear is sometimes necessary as a preparation for all true love of God.

His brother has been in sight and remains in sight. God has been out of sight and remains out of sight. "Out of sight out of mind" is a saying which holds good in morals

and religion as well as in society. And if a man fails in duties which he has ever before him and are easy, how can he persuade us to believe he is performing those duties which are out of sight and are hard?

If we

God has commanded us to love our brother men. really love him then we will love them (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19: 18; S. Luke 10: 27; S. John 14: 15).

5:1.

"Whoever keeps believing that Jesus is the Christ." To believe that Jesus is the Christ is to believe that one who was known as a man fulfilled a known and divine mission : that he who was born and was crucified is the anointed, the Messiah of Israel, the Saviour of the world. But, as S. Augustin so well remarks, belief without love is the belief of a demon.

5:5

"Not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood."

Christ came, not merely to purify by his baptism, but to give new life by his blood. "For the blood is the life." This Letter is the companion treatise of the Gospel.

5:8.

"Those who are bearing witness are three."

The Apostle is here answering the misgivings of those who fancied that when he, the last of the Apostles was gone, the Church would possess only second-hand evidence as to the person and mission of the Christ.

Eternal life has its seat and source in the Son. He is the Prince or Author of life (Acts 3: 15).

5: 14.

Conclusion and Summary.

5:13-21.

"And the boldness which we have."

For the fourth and last time the Apostle touches on the subject of the Christian's boldness. Twice he speaks of it in connection with the day of judgment (2:28; 4: 17); twice in connection with approaching God in prayer (3: 21, 22; 5:14).

According to his will.

It is only when men ignorantly ask for what is not good for them their prayers are denied. Then they are not according to God's will.