The three persons in the sacred Deity , God the Father , the Son and the Holy Ghost , their Trinity in Unity , and Unity in Trinity .

The three-fold state of man , to wit , deformed , reformed , and transformed , corrupt , regenerate , and glorified .

The three-fold coming of Christ , in the flesh , by his Spirit , and at the day of judgement .

Those three grand enemies of mans salvation , the flesh , world , and the devil .

The three Theological graces , Faith , Hope and Charity .

The three principal duties of Religion , Prayer , Hearing and Almes , are plainly set before us in this parcel of Holy Writ .

Nay , yet once more , Those three things which every Christian man ought to be acquainted with for his souls health , to wit , the Creed , the Lords Prayer , and the Ten Commandments , are here at least summarily comprized .

Our blessed Saviour telleth us the whole Law is reducible to these two great Commandments , the love of God , and our neighbour , both which are here amply taught us .

The Lords Prayer is intimated , in that we must aske according to Gods will , which cannot be unlesse according to that patterne ; yea , in that we are called sonnes of God , it teacheth us to cry Our Father , and that chief Petition in it , Forgive us our sins is once and again inculcated .

Finally , if you please , we may out of this Epistle , compile a Creed not much unlike that of the Apostles , ( no lesse justly then commonly heretofore received amongst us , though now almost forgotten by us , ) in these or the like words . I believe in God the Father , invisible , just , holy , pure and faithful , who knoweth all things , ( and is no lesse Almighty to do all things , ) who is love it self , whereby he vouchsafed to make the heaven and earth . And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son , who came in the flesh , ( to wit , by being conceived of the Holy Ghost , and borne of the Virgin Mary , ) and laid down his life for us , ( being crucified , dead , and buried , ) and having life in himselfe , ( rose from the dead , and ascended to heaven , where he sitteth at Gods right hand , ) is our Advocate with the Father , and at that day of judgment shall come and appear again , ( to wit , to judge the quick and dead . ) I believe in the Holy Ghost , the fellowship or communion of Saints , the forgiveness of sins , and eternal life .

By this time you cannot but see ( beloved , ) what a body of divinity , what a treasury of spiritual knowledge this Epistle is , Fer. proaem . well might F●rus say , Ipsam Evangelicae Doctrinae summam brevissimam complectitur , the summe of Evangelical Doctrine , is succinctly and yet distinctly comprehended in it ; and now me thinketh every one is ready to say with that Father , Tertul. adver . Hermog. cap. 22. Adoro plenitudinem sacrae Scriptura : I adore and admire the fulnesse of Holy Scripture , wherein every drop is as it were a rivulet , every rivulet a great river , and river an Ocean : every branch a tree , every tree an orchard , an orchard a field : I mean every Verse as it were a Chapter , every Chapter an Epistle , every Epistle a Volumne , for the abundance of precious truths contained in them ; and yet more particularly by these considerations sufficient reason cannot but appear , as for my discussion so your attention , and thus this discourse serveth to make way for the following .

But before I begin , I have one request to make to you , and that from my very soule , that as ( I hope ) you have not , are not , so you will not be wanting in your requests to God for me , and what you should aske for me , I shall not go out of this Epistle to tell you , even that unction from the Holy One , whereby we may know all things , that anoynting which teacheth us all things , and is truth and no lie , Chap. 2.20 , 26. Let this be the matter of your prayer , both for me , & for your selves , that it may teach me how to expound , & apply , you how to hear & receive , both you & me how to understand and obey the sacred saving truths which are delivered to us in this First General Epistle of St JOHN .

I shall not at this time enter upon the Epistle it self , only in a few words take notice of the Title which is prefixed , wherein we have two things considerable : Namely ,

The p●nman John , and the writing which is set down : for the nature of it , to be an Epistle : for the order , the first : and for the extent of it , a general Epistle .

First , The Epistle is asserted to be St. JOHNS .

Indeed we do not finde him setting down his Name in any part of the Epistle , the other Apostles are express in this particular . Iames and Peter , and Iude , and Paul in all Epistles , except that to the Hebrewes ; but Saint IOHN in this Epistle is altogether silent , in the other two he only giveth himself the common title of an Elder : when he hath any occasion to mention himself in his Gospel , and that in things much tending to his dignity , it is done in a third person by way of circumlocution , only in his Apocalypse he specifieth his Name , Rev. 1.4 . but that without any addition of honour or dignity .

It lets us see in general the humility of this holy Apostle , who thought so meanly of himself , that he accounts himself not worth the naming . Indeed on the one hand , ( though it s often too true of many , who arrogantly affect to blazon their own names and titles , ) we are not to imagine that when the other Apostles prefixe their nam●s , and most of them their high calling , that it is done out of vain glory ; But on the other hand , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idem quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomen compositum ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gratia Pass. Lex . we may justly conclude it a testimony of great humility in this Apostle , that he suppresseth his Name , his Office by silence . Thus whilest he was high in Christs , he became lowly in his own eyes ▪ whilest he was rich in grace ( his ve●y Name carrying as it were grace , as Benjamines sack did money in its mou●h , ) he was poor in spirit , scarce thinking himself worthy of a name . Oh let us learn by his pattern not to affect our own praises , nor speak high things of our selves , ever remembring , that as artis est celare artem , it is an art to conceal our art , so to neglect our own names and honour , is the best way to true honour and a good name .

Besides this notion of humility , it may further be conceived , and not improbably , that this concealment of his Name was an act of prudence , especially considering the time when it is most rationally conjectured to be written , to wit , ( as the learned English Annotatour hath observed to my hand , Dr. Ham. ) not long before the destruction of Ierusalem , when as the Church was under a sharp persecution , ( occasioned no doubt by those many Antichrists then arising , ) in which S. IOHN was peculiarly involved ; yea , of which he warneth those to whom he writeth , and therefore wisely forbeareth to publish his Name , which might have been prejudicial to him . There is no doubt a policy consistent with piety ; which as all Christians , so Ministers may use in persecuting times . It was that our Saviour at least allowed his Disciples , Matth. 10.16 . to be wise as serpents , with this caution , that they were innocent as Doves ; and sure it is no injury to truth and innocency , if a man , a Minister in prudence , with-hold the publication of his name , to prevent his enemies malice . Aug. de doctr. Christ . l. 2. c. 8 ▪ Euseb. Eccles. hist. l 7. c. 20.

But whether these or any other were the reasons of S. IOHN's silencing his Name , yet it is without controversie , that he was the Penman ; and indeed as Dionysius Alexandrinus hath not unfitly observed The Gospel and the Epistle are so concordant , often using the same phrases , that he who penned the one , must be acknowledged as the writer of the other .

But I shall not need to prove what all Christians grant , only it will not be amisse in a few words to give you a character concerning this sacred Amanuensis .