9. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

So far are all from possessing the internal as well as external light of grace, that some are found who profess to enjoy a state of Gospel illumination, whilst at the same time they hate their brethren who bear the sacred image of their common Lord. True it is, that the Gospel light now shines, and that all professors of the faith of Jesus, do in a certain sense walk therein. But what does the true light reveal ? Is it not this? That God has a people who are the peculiar objects of his favour? A people everlastingly beloved? redeemed with the precious blood of his own Son, and created anew in his own likeness? And shall this people so dear to God, be hated by any who profess allegiance to the name of Jesus? Can it be that those shall be despised, whom God has so delighted to honour? The strange and seemingly impossible case is but too often found to be a true one. Our Apostle supposes a condition of spiritual blindness which has been fearfully realized in the history of the church of Christ; a condition which is still every day disclosing itself, to be the very state of a large proportion of those who call Jesus Master and Lord. The seed of the serpent is not extinct, but it still persecutes the woman and her seed. The enmity of the children of Cain is unabated, although they are assimilated in external profession with the followers of righteous Abel. But from whence is this hatred of the brethren of Jesus? Do they not bear their Saviour's image? They do-for the Scripture affirms this of them all. None are excluded from the privilege of being stamped with His holy likeness. But is this likeness

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not recognized, and therefore not loved? That cannot be; because the lineaments of Christ, however faintly depicted, are always to be discerned by the light of the Spirit of truth. However feeble may be the glory of the new creature, most certainly it will be discovered by those who are possessed of spiritual discernment. But if on the other hand it be affirmed, as it ever has been, and is still, that the saints exhibit no form nor comeliness that they should be desired, but rather a character to be despised and hated, from whence is this, but because their adversaries are in darkness even until now." No saving light of divine truth has enlightened their darkened hearts. Their eyes are still holden that they cannot see. Spiritual glories are undiscerned by them, or they would discern the glory of the new man. And what if the outward demeanour of the saints be not altogether assimilated to the Lord's perfect image? "The king's daughter is all glorious within; " and it is there we look for her chief beauties, and most striking excellences. But shall we love the Saints for their virtues only? and because of their imperfections are we at liberty to diminish our regard? This is incompatible with a due respect to the command, "that the same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus;" for the Lord does not love his people for their virtues, nor does he hate them for their sins. It was when we were dead in sins, and the uncircumcision of our flesh, and his enemies by wicked works, that Jesus so loved us, as to give his life a ransom for our sins; nor does he now cease to love his own, because he discerns in them so much remaining imperfection. He does indeed chasten and rebuke those whom he loves, nor does he suffer the sins of his people to pass by without reproof, and in like manner we may mark the sins of our brethren and reprove them

when occasion requires, but not so as to feel hatred to them on their account. But indeed it is not the blemishes of the saints, but rather their comparatively holy lives, which excite the enmity of a persecuting world. "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." That carnal mind which is enmity against God, and is not subject to his law, must necessarily be opposed to those who are scrupulous observers of that law. In vain shall the faults of the saints be objected against them as the ground of offence. They may be faulty, but it is their faith in Jesus which is the real stone of stumbling. It is their faith overcoming the world, which makes them obnoxious to those who so love the world that the love of the Father is not in them. They run not to the same excess of riot as do others, says the Apostle Peter, and hence the unruly votaries of dissipation speak evil of them; the moderation of the godly reproving their own excess. Another cause of offence is this; that the saints will not flatter self-righteous professors of nominal Christianity so far, as to allow them to suppose that they will give them the right hand of fellowship, for the sake of those (nominally) good works which are not wrought in faith. And how grievous is this offence. Probably there is no greater. That the sins of the unregenerate should be condemned, excites their hostility, but a more deadly hatred is provoked when their good works are declared to be in the matter of justification no better than their sins; when both alike are condemned, and they are reminded that as the tree is, so is the fruit, and that "whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

But whatever be the exciting cause of enmity to the saints, the fact of its existence, clearly indicates the absence of saving faith. So our apostle affirms, "He

who hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now." His external light may have been bright, and of great extent, and his knowledge most comprehensive; also he may understand all mysteries, and his theoretic faith may appear correct in every particular; more than this, his works of piety and charity may be of a very imposing character: but still if there be found in him the dark spot of hatred to God's people, we cannot doubt that for such an one there is reserved, except he repent, the blackness of darkness for ever. In vain shall the enemies of the saints attest in the last day, that they did not discern the Lord's image in his people. In vain shall they say, "When saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?" This inquiry, so far from pleading their excuse, will convict them of having had only a name to live, whilst they were dead; and in righteous judgment, their part will be assigned them with the unbelievers; the God of truth vindicating in their awful doom his own love to that people, concerning whom he said of old by his prophet, "whosoever toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye."

10. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

The apostle now reverses the declaration of the preceding verse, and affirms that, as to hate believers is a proof of spiritual darkness, so to love them is an evidence of spiritual illumination. In the former case, he shows that if any man hate his Christian brother, his profession of faith is merely nominal; in the latter, that the love of our brethren in Christ, confirms the fact,

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that we are really members of the Lord's mystical body. The conscious possession, therefore, of love to the followers of Jesus, is a satisfactory evidence to the believer that his profession of faith is sincere. For nature does not inspire this affection, which is of a peculiar character, but rather excites the opposite feeling of disgust and aversion. Nature, in some of her best moods, does indeed prompt to a sort of general benevolence, which is both amiable and useful; and instead of the developement of unmitigated selfishness and enmity, we have often the agreeable spectacle of natural persons, who evince friendly dispositions to their fellow-creatures, and are zealous in promoting the temporal welfare of others. Through the mercy of God, and the operation of his Spirit in particular cases, there are exceptions to what is certainly one frightful characteristic of that fallen nature, which the Scripture describes, when it speaks of men as "without natural affection," and "hating one another; implacable, unmerciful, full of maliciousness, of envy, murder, debate, malignity." The apostate and depraved nature, which in its state of enmity to God, and alienation from him, must necessarily prompt to the kindred evil of hostility to man, is in very many cases so much softened and improved, that some may be led to doubt whether there is indeed in all hearts, that principle of enmity, of which the Scripture speaks as though it were common to all. But with the concession, that through the divine mercy all human hearts are not alike bad, and that some are even susceptible of benevolent emotions of a high order, we must still refuse to all except to the regenerate believer, the capacity for complying with the apostolic precept,

See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." Now the love of which our apostle speaks as