A34689:591
A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first…A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first…
A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first Epistle general of John by ... John Cotton ...A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first Epistle generall of John by ... John Cotton ...
London: printed by M.S. for Thomas Parkhurst, 1658
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
A. It is true, there are many means to purge us from sin, but no efficacy in any of them, except by virtue of Christs Blood; therefore those in Hell have no benefit, because Christs blood reacheth not thither, so that if any be bettered by Afflictions, or Word, or Sacraments, it is from the virtue of Christs blood, and if Christs blood be sprinkled on Purgatory, we will not reject it.
A. It is true, there are many means to purge us from sin, but no efficacy in any of them, except by virtue of Christs Blood; therefore those in Hell have no benefit, because Christs bloud reacheth not thither, so that if any be bettered by Afflictions, or Word, or Sacraments, it is from the virtue of Christs bloud, and if Christs bloud be sprinkled on Purgatory, we will not reject it.
Use 3. Of refutation of the opinion of many godly Divines, that hold we are purified from the sin of our Birth by the purity of Christs Birth; from Sins of Omission by his active obedience, from Sins of Commission by his passive obedience, but we must know there is thus much in the purity of his Birth, in his Obedience, in his Passion, that it makes us fit to be cleansed, but yet we must hold the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin, that brings this fitness to perfection. A Lamb defiled in the old Law was never accepted, though it were slain for a Sacrifice, and if it had been without spot and blemish, yet if it had not been slain it would not have been accepted neither; so had not Christ been a Lamb spotless and undefiled, his death would not have cleansed us from our sins, and though he were spotless and undefiled, yet he must be slain, or else we could not be cleansed ⟨p. 35⟩neither, the purity of Christs Nature doth not cleanse us from sin; but we must take all jointly together, all his active obedience was passive, and all his passive obedience was active, Gal. 4.4, 5. that he was obedient to the Law was part of his Passion, and by the obedience of Christ to the death, we are cleansed from all sin.