1. He ought not to sin. Cannot indeed is sometimes taken for ought not; as Acts 4.20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. They had a Physical ability to hold their peace, but morally they could not, because of Christ's Precept to them to publish those things. What we cannot lawfully do, we cannot do; Non possumus quod non jure possumus; what we cannot honourably do, we are said not to be able to do, Mark 6.5. He could there do no mighty work. Christ had natural ability to do mighty works there, but morally he could not, honourably he could not, because of their unbelief, which was a moral hinderance; and according to God's Methods, there was no hope of doing any good among them; their unbelief was so strong, they gave him no opportunity to do any mighty work. But this is not the meaning of cannot here, ought not. For an unrenewed man ought not to sin any more than a regenerate man. But the Apostle attributes here something peculiar to the regenerate, adding the reason [because he is born of God.] Though it carry in it something of an obligation in a higher manner than upon a mere natural man: He ought not ⟨p. 88⟩to sin, not only upon the general obligation which lies upon all men not to sin, but upon the more special one of his state, being a Son of God, which ought to be counted a moral impossibility by a righteous man. Regeneration gives a man no advantage to sin, no external licence, no internal liberty or ability to sin; for the Apostle useth this as an argument to them, as well as an establishment, not to sin, because they are born of God, which was a more special obligation upon them not to sin, than what they had by nature.
1. He ought not to sin. Cannot indeed is sometimes taken for ought not; as Acts 4.20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. They had a Physical ability to hold their peace, but morally they could not, because of Christ's Precept to them to publish those things. What we cannot lawfully do, we cannot do; Non possumus quod non jure possumus; what we cannot honourably do, we are said not to be able to do, Mark 6.5. He could there do no mighty work. Christ had natural ability to do mighty works there, but morally he could not, honourably he could not, because of their unbelief, which was a moral hinderance; and according to God's Methods, there was no hope of doing any good among them; their unbelief was so strong, they gave him no opportunity to do any mighty work. But this is not the meaning of cannot here, ought not. For an unrenewed man ought not to sin any more than a regenerate man. But the Apostle attributes here something peculiar to the regenerate, adding the reason [because he is born of God.] Though it carry in it something of an obligation in a higher manner than upon a meer natural man: He ought not ⟨p. 88⟩to sin, not only upon the general obligation which lies upon all men not to sin, but upon the more special one of his state, being a Son of God, which ought to be counted a moral impossibility by a righteous man. Regeneration gives a man no advantage to sin, no external licence, no internal liberty or ability to sin; for the Apostle useth this as an argument to them, as well as an establishment, not to sin, because they are born of God, which was a more special obligation upon them not to sin, than what they had by nature.
