The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

To this it is answered, That seeing a godly man regenerated is made a new creature, and so that which is fundamentally predominant in him is grace; and sin is praeter naturam, beside his nature. Insomuch that the Scripture saith, Being born of God, he doth not sin, 1 John 3.9. He is a godly man, but not perfect. As a sick man is truly a man, if life be in him, though not a sound, healthful man. This must be granted; and therefore these Corinthians, that were godly for the main (we speak not of individuals, but indefinitely) when absolutely considered, are called Saints, 1 Cor. 1. and the Temple of the Lord, and the sanctified ones in Jesus Christ. But if we take them comparatively, as the Apostle here doth, then that Rule comes in, Minus boni respectu majoris, habet rationum mali. So that if these Corinthians were compared with others of greater progress, they were carnal. Even as in learning, one of competent knowledge, compared to an eminent Scholar, is but an ignorant man: so that this is spoken by way of reproach unto them. They suffer those remainders of corruption in them to prevail; they cut not off the hair, wherein the strength of sin lieth; they have a flux of this noisome blood running on them, and yet they seek not out to a Physician, to have it cured. Observe,

To this it is answered, That seeing a godly man regenerated is made a new creature, and so that which is fundamentally predominant in him is grace; and sinne is praeter naturam, beside his nature. Insomuch that the Scripture saith, Being born of God, he doth not sinne, 1 John 3.9. He is a godly man, but not perfect. As a sick man is truly a man, if life be in him, though not a sound, healthfull man. This must be granted; and therefore these Corinthians, that were godly for the main (we speak not of individuals, but indefinitely) when absolutely considered, are called Saints, 1 Cor. 1. and the Temple of the Lord, and the sanctified ones in Jesus Christ. But if we take them comparatively, as the Apostle here doth, then that Rule comes in, Minus boni respectu majoris, habet rationum mali. So that if these Corinthians were compared with others of greater progresse, they were carnal. Even as in learning, one of competent knowledge, compared to an eminent Scholar, is but an ignorant man: so that this is spoken by way of reproach unto them. They suffer those remainders of corruption in them to prevail; they cut not off the hair, wherein the strength of sinne lieth; they have a flux of this noisome blood running on them, and yet they seek not out to a Physician, to have it cured. Observe,