A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first…

2. Do you not find that Sin is more loathsome and bitter to you? then it is in some measure mortified, for mortifying is a borrowed speech from a Surgeons mortifying a Wound: they use to bind the joint, and stop all spirit and blood, so that it is made insensible of pain; so if we have stopped the freeness of our spirits to Sin, we are not so lively and frolic to Sin, it is a sign corruption is mortified, but if you see you are as lively, and ready, and delight as much in Sin as before, Sin is not mortified, but if it grow loathsome and bitter to us, it is a sign of mortification.

2. Doe you not find that Sin is more loathsome and bitter to you? then it is in some measure mortified, for mortifying is a borrowed specch from a Surgions mortifying a Wound: they use to binde the joynt, and stop all spirit and bloud, so that it is made insensible of pain; so if we have stopt the freenesse of our spirits to Sin, we are not so lively and frolick to Sin, it is a signe corruption is mortified, but if you see you are as lively, and ready, and delight as much in Sin as before, Sin is not mortified, but if it grow loathsome and bitter to us, it is a signe of mortification.

Use 2. Directs us how to make good use of the blood of Christ, not only to pardon our Sins, but to heal them; we are not wont to make use of it for pardon, but we must make use of it as well for healing, for else we take the blood of Christ in vain, if we make use of it to pardon and not to cleanse, for his blood was sent as well to pardon as to heal, therefore pray not to God to pardon your sins through Christs blood only, but lay his blood warm to your hearts every day, that so you may have your hearts and ways cleansed; it is a continued act, not of one day or two, but throughout our whole life we should make use of Christs blood to cleanse us.

Ʋse 2. Directs us how to make good use of the bloud of Christ, not onely to pardon our Sins, but to heal them; we are not wont to make use of it for pardon, but we must make use of it as well for healing, for else we take the bloud of Christ in vain, if we make use of it to pardon and not to cleanse, for his bloud was sent as well to pardon as to heal, therefore pray not to God to pardon your sins through Christs bloud onely, but lay his bloud warm to your hearts every day, that so you may have your hearts and ways cleansed; it is a continued act, not of one day or two, but throughout our whole life we should make use of Christs bloud to cleanse us.

1. Consider what great things he did for us, the just for the unjust, and the meditation thereof will make us ashamed of sin.

Use 3. It may teach us all to labour to grow in cleanness of heart and life, for the blood of Christ cleanseth us, Zech. 13.1. a Fountain that runs into a Channel that is muddy, it will by continual running cleanse it; so though Christ find our spirits muddy and defiled, yet we should let it run daily on us, and be ever rinsing of our hearts at the fountain.

Ʋse 3. It may teach us all to labour to grow in cleannesse of heart and life, for the bloud of Christ cleanseth us, Zech. 13.1. a Fountain that runs into a Channel that is muddy, it will by continuall running cleanse it; so though Christ finde our spirits muddy and defiled, yet we should let it run daily on us, and be ever rincing of our hearts at the fountain.

Use 4. Comfort to all Gods Servants, that have had any experience of the pardon of their sins; you shall certainly in time feel and find healing and cleansing from your sins; if you see a clear Fountain running into a filthy Channel it is very muddy and the worse for the present, the mud being stirred, but afterwards it is cleansed and made pure and clean; so Christs blood may run into muddy spirits, and that blood at first may make corruption more stirring, you find more pride, and vanity, and uncleanness; but will it hold so? no truly, in cleansing it will cleanse, and go on till it hath purged all corruption.

Ʋse 4. Comfort to all Gods Servants, that have had any experience of the pardon of their sins; you shall certainly in time feel and finde healing and cleansing from your sins; if you see a clear Fountain running into a filthy Channel it is very muddy and the worse for the present, the mud being stirred, but afterwards it is cleansed and made pure and clean; so Christs bloud may run into muddy spirits, and that bloud at first may make corruption more stirring, you finde more pride, and vanity, and uncleannesse; but will it hold so? no truely, in cleansing it will cleanse, and go on till it hath purged all corruption.

1 JOHN 1.10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his Word is not in us.

1 JOHN 1.10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a lyar, and his Word is not in us.

These words are a repetition of the former, v. 8. but with some addition, he aggravates this sin; they do not only make themselves liars, but they make God a Liar, which is not only Blasphemous, but Heretical, it extirpates all the truth of the Word.

THese words are a repetition of the former, v. 8. but with some addition, he aggravates this sin; they doe not onely make themselves lyars, but they make God a Lyar, which is not onely Blasphemous, but Heretical, it extirpates all the truth of the Word.

Doct. Opinion and Profession of perfect righteousness even in those that are cleansed by the blood of Christ, is not only an Error, but a blasphemous and heretical Error, it is Sacrilegious and Heretical.

Doct. Opinion and Profession of perfect righteousnesse even in those that are cleansed by the bloud of Christ, is not onely an Errour, but a blasphemous and heretical Errour, it is Sacrilegious and Heretical.

For having told us before, that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and that the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all unrighteousness, yet if after this we say we have no sin, we do not only make our selves liars, but God a liar, for if he be not a true God he is no God, and his word is not in us; that is, no part of the Word is in such a man.

For having told us before, that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and that the bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all unrighteousnesse, yet if after this we say we have no sin, we doe not onely make our selves lyars, but God a lyar, for if he be not a true God he is no God, and his word is not in us; that is, no part of the Word is in such a man.

Q. But why doth St. John repeat this thing, had he not said enough before, that he repeats it?

Ans. 1. Before it might be thought that he spake of Carnal men, therefore to make it manifest, that even those that had confessed their sins, and were cleansed from unrighteousness, yet even those if they should say they had no sin should make not only themselves liars, but God a Liar; therefore he repeats it.

Ans. 1. Before it might be thought that he spake of Carnal men, therefore to make it manifest, that even those that had confessed their sins, and were cleansed from unrighteousnesse, yet even those if they should say they had no sin should make not onely themselves lyars, but God a Lyar; therefore he repeats it.

2. He saw that men were ready to cleanse themselves from sin sinfully; if we can by any pretence, we will be ready to free our selves from such opinion of sinfulness, therefore he presses it, that indeed we are so foul that if we say the contrary we have no spark of Religion in us, not one spark of the Word dwells in us.

2. He saw that men were ready to cleanse themselves from sin sinfully; if we can by any pretence, we will be ready to free our selves from such opinion of sinfulnesse, therefore he presses it, that indeed we are so foul that if we say the contrary we have no spark of Religion in us, not one spark of the Word dwells in us.

3. Because it is a point of great necessity to believe the contrary truth, therefore he takes up this conclusion again; To say, is either In Heart, In Word, In Carriage:

Well, to say thus, is to make God a Liar, and so no God, for if he be not a God of Truth, he is no God; for, Verum & bonum convertuntur.

Well, to say thus, is to make God a Lyar, and so no God, for if he be not a God of Truth, he is no God; for, Verum & bonum convertuntur.

Q. Why doth he make God a Liar?

Q. Why doth he make God a Lyar?