Use 4. And because St. John writes this Epistle, that their joy might be full, that the joy of a Christian may be always like the Moon in the Full, never in the Wane and Eclipse, as any Christian therefore desires such fullness of joy, let him be daily sensible of his sin, what is the reason that many Christians fail in their confidence, and fall into doubts concerning their estate? I would ask you, whether you have walked in a sense of your sinfulness daily? If not, no wonder though your joy be over clouded and Eclipsed; Saint John would have us strongly persuaded of this, If we say we have no sin, we make God a Liar, &c. therefore if any Christian can go all the day without any sense or remorse for sin, his heart startles him not, if it be thus, no wonder though his joy be eclipsed; On the contrary, if you go on continually in a sensible apprehension of your sinfulness, and so renew your Repentance, and Faith, and Mortification, this will make you still to cleanse your selves daily, and so you would keep your joy renewed daily. We never had cause to complain of our estate, but it was by reason of hardness of heart, and how come our hearts to be hardened, sin gets within us, and we perceive it not, and so we are hardened by it, and then our joy is overclouded, Heb. 12.13, 14. Heb. 3.13. therefore if we would keep our hearts from hardness, let us labour to spy out our sins, and be humbled for them daily, and so you will keep a soft heart, and a soft heart is commonly peaceable.
Ʋse 4. And because St. John writes this Epistle, that their joy might be full, that the joy of a Christian may be always like the Moon in the Full, never in the Wain and Eclipse, as any Christian therefore desires such fulnesse of joy, let him be daily sensible of his sin, what is the reason that many Christians faile in thir confidence, and fall into doubts concerning their estate? I would ask you, whether you have walked in a sence of your sinfulnesse daily? If not, no wonder though your joy be over clouded and Eclipsed; Saint John would have us strongly perswaded of this, If we say we have no sin, we make God a Lyar, &c. therefore if any Christian can go all the day without any sence or remorse for sin, his heart startles him not, if it be thus, no wonder though his joy be eclipsed; On the contrary, if you go on continually in a sensible apprehension of your sinfulnesse, and so renew your Repentance, and Faith, and Mortification, this will make you still to cleanse your selves daily, and so you would keep your joy renewed daily. We never had cause to complain of our estate, but it was by reason of hardnesse of heart, and how come our hearts to be hardned, sin gets within us, and we perceive it not, and so we are hardned by it, and then our joy is overclouded, Heb. 12.13, 14. Heb. 3.13. therefore if we would keep our hearts from hardnesse, let us labour to spy out our sins, and be humbled for them daily, and so you will keep a soft heart, and a soft heart is commonly peaceable.
