The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the First Epistle of S. John
Ver. 22. — And whatsoever we ask , we receive of Him . Whatever, that is, that is good, and tends to the glory of God (see John v. 14). Because we keep His commandments , and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. For it is only a fitting thing that if man do the will of God, He on His side should do the will of man. (See Ps. cxiv. 19.) He alludes to Christ’s promise (John xv. 7). For deeds ought to be supported by prayer, and prayer by deeds. As S. Gregory says ( Epist . ix. 45), “ Prayer is void, when our deeds are wicked, for they outweigh the force of our prayers.” See Lam. iii. 41. On which Rabanus remarks, “ He lifts up his heart with his hands who supports his prayers with his deeds. For whosoever prays and makes believe to work, lifts up his heart, and not his hands ; while he who works, and prays not, lifts up his hands, and not his heart,” &c. The Laconians had a proverb, that we must first put our hand to the work, and then pray to fortune. S. John here teaches that our prayer is strengthened by confidence, and that confidence springs from obedience. See Isa. i. 15 ; Matt. ii. 2 ; Prov. xxviii. 9; Ps. 1. 16, xli. 13, xxxiv. 16, xxxiii. 20, xxxvii. 4, x.
67. He hears not only our prayers, but our thoughts and desires. S. Dominic said that he never asked anything from God which he did not obtain. So also S. Thomas Aquinas, S. Scholastica, S. Catherine of Siena, and others.
And do thou things that are pleasing in His sight. That is to say His commands, and also evangelical counsels (of perfection). For he who strives perfectly to please God, includes not merely His commands and precepts, but also His smallest hints and counsels. And this, as it is a hard matter, so is it most pleasing to God. And hence S. Bernard ( Serm . i. de dedic . Eccl.) calls a monk a standing miracle. All our holiness then consists in our ever studying and endeavouring to please God. For this is an act of most pure and constant love.
Observe that love is of two kinds, desire and friendship. The first is that with which we study to please God, that we may obtain from Him the reward of eternal glory. But this is rather an act of hope than of love. (See Ps. cxix. 112; see Vulgate, propter retributionem .) But the love of friendship is that which makes us strive to please Him merely out of love, and by doing those things in which He takes delight and pleasure.
Our Lord had this love from the very moment of His conception, and all His earthly life through. See John viii. 29 ; Ps. xl. 9 ; Rom. xii. 2 ; Col. i. 9. And accordingly wise men teach that it is an excellent practice to think every day, What does God wish me to do at this very moment ? Just as the servants of a king watch his every movement, and fly rather than go to do his bidding. Much more should we obey God in all things, for He is the Supreme Majesty, Justice, and holiness, the highest wisdom, goodness, and power, the Supreme Lord, Lawgiver, Judge, and Punisher of all men. And moreover, He who created us, preserves, redeems, and sanctifies us, and pours down on us, every instant, innumerable blessings. See S. Gregory (Mor. vi. 12). And the Abbot Ammon (apud S. Ephr. in parcen .) says, “ Desire to fulfil the will of God at all times, as being indeed the kingdom of heaven, and the crown of a perfect life, and as believing with all thy heart, that it far surpasses all human wisdom.” The Abbot John (see Cassian, de Instit . renunc. v. 28) said that “ he had never done his own will.” And Aloysius Gonzaga said that he had no scruple even about his excessive austerity, because he had done nothing except by the will of God, of which his superior was the interpreter. This is what God praises, Is. lxii. 4, “My delight is in her” (Heph-zibah), and S. Bernard, Serm. xxxviii. in Cant.
Ver. 23. — And this is His commandment, that we should believe in the Name of His Son Jesus Christ. That is, in the Person thus named. See Phil. ii. 9. And (2) that we should love one another . On these two commandments all the rest depend. For to believe in Christ includes loving, worshipping, and obeying Him, believing Him also to be the Son of God, and thus believing in God the Father also. And the command to love our neighbour presupposes the love of God. See Matt. xxii. 40. S. Augustine ( Confess . x. 29) says, “ He loves Thee, O God, but little, who loves anything together with Thee, which He loves not for Thy sake. O thou love that ever burnest, and art never extinguished ! O my love, my God, enkindle me. Thou commandest continence : give what Thou commandest , and command what Thou wilt.”
As He gave us a commandment. This signifies that Christ specially and frequently enjoined the duty of mutual love on His apostles, and required them to inculcate it on the faithful.
Ver. 24. — And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him . The word ‘abideth’ signifies indwelling, intimate union and intercourse. God then dwells in the person who obeys Him.
1. By virtue of the command. For the law and the maker of the law abide in those who are under it, just as the doctrine of the teacher abides in him who takes it in, and he who is subject to the law, abides therein by discipline and obedience.
2. By love, for he who keeps the commands of God loves Him, and is loved by Him, just as he who loves abides in the object he loves, for the soul abides more in the object it loves, than in him whom it animates, and God abides in a soul, both as loving it, and as loved by it. For “ he who cleaveth to the Lord is one spirit.” 1 Cor. vi. 17 ; and S. Bernard, Serm . xxxi. in Cant.
3. He who loves and obeys God abides in Him as being under His protection, and God abides in him by the protection He gives. Ps. xci. 1, and Zech. ii. 8. “ He who toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye,” naming the dearest and the tenderest part of the body ; see also Gen. xv. 1, Ps. xxxi. 3. Whence Bede says, “ Let God be thy house, and be thou the house of God. Abide in God, and let God abide in thee. God abideth in thee, to keep thee ; thou abidest in God, lest thou shouldest fall. Observe His commandments, hold fast charity, tear not thyself from His faith, that thus thou mayest glory in His presence, now by faith, and hereafter by sight. And He will abide in thee for ever, as the Psalmist says (Ps. v. 12).” And S. Chrysostom, on Rom. viii. 14, says, “ To obtain the inheritance of children, it is not sufficient to be once imbued with the Spirit, unless we are ever led by His guidance, for He is the steersman and the guide of our soul, leading us into battle against spiritual wickedness in high places." (4.) God abides in him who loves Him, as locally placed in Him. For a holy soul is the throne, the temple, and abode of God. See 1 Cor. iii. 17 ; Is. lxvi. 1 and 2, &c. (5.) And lastly, God abides in a righteous man substantially, because He communicates His essence and substance to him, making him partaker of the divine nature.
And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us . See Rom. v. 5, also below, iv. 16. So S. Augustine, Bede, Œcumenius, and others. S. Augustine says, “ This connection clearly shows that brotherly love, which we see so authoritatively preached, is not merely from God, but is God Himself . When therefore we love our brother with the highest love ( dilectione ), we love our brother for the sake of God."
We know . Not by special and divine faith, not even with absolute certainty, but with moral and conjectural certainty, from outward signs and tokens ; and the more a man experiences them, the more certain is he that he is in a state of grace, and the more he grows in virtue the more certain does he become. And therefore Andreas Vega teaches that holy men can have such certainty as to exclude all doubt. But this is the lot of very few and of pre-eminent saints ; and yet even those, if they look at their own infirmity, might perchance be afraid of being deceived in this matter, though in fact they may have no fear. As S. Jerome says (on Micah vi.), “ We ought at no time to be secure, but always to look forward to the day of judgment.” And S. Gregory (Epist. lib . vi. 22), “Thou shouldest not feel secure, but till the very end of thy life shouldest ever suspect thyself, and fear committing sin." And S. Bernard (Serm. iii. de Adv .), “ I know neither my own, or my neighbour’s conscience (though I ought to watch over them). Both are an inscrutable abyss, both are dark as night” (See Conc. Trid. sess. vi. cap . 16.) The confidence and certainty of holy men should ever be blended with fear, as St. Paul says, Phil. i. n. For God wishes that this fear should be a bridle to keep us low, and also a spur to stimulate our virtue.