2. It is not in his heart, when he trusts not in it, and receives it not in love, and the saving efficacy of it; he that saith he hath no sin receives not the word; he speaks of the Word here, as Verbum salutiferum, Acts 20.32. 1 Thes. 2.13. 2 Tim. 3.15. Now the Word is said not to be in a man when there is not so much Word as will save; a man may be ignorant of some Divine truths, and yet the Word of God may be in him, but if he want the Knowledge and Faith of such Points, without which he cannot be saved, the Word dwells not in him; now he that denies sin to be in him, there is not only a denial of that truth, but he is empty of all other saving truths.

2. It is not in his heart, when he trusts not in it, and receives it not in love, and the saving efficacy of it; he that saith he hath no sin receives not the word; he speaks of the Word here, as Verbum salutiferum, Acts 20.32. 1 Thes. 2.13. 2 Tim. 3.15. Now the Word is said not to be in a man when there is not so much Word as will save; a man may be ignorant of some Divine truths, and yet the Word of God may be in him, but if he want the Knowledge and Faith of such Points, without which he cannot be saved, the Word dwells not in him; now he that denies sin to be in him, there is not onely a denial of that truth, but he is empty of all other saving truths.

All the Saving Truths of God are comprehended; 1 In Repentance for Sin. 2 Some lead on to Faith for pardon. 3 Some lead to Mortification of Sin. 4 Some tend to Sanctification from Sin, to be accomplished in due time; now if a man be without sin, to what purpose are all such exhortations to Repentance? To what purpose are all Scriptures tending to faith in Christ? To what purpose are such as tend to Mortification, or Sanctification; so that he that denies sin to be in him, he not only sins against God, and makes him a Liar, but he doth also Heretically err in overthrowing all saving Truth; the Doctrine of Repentance, of Mortification, of Faith, of Sanctification, all these are over-thrown.

All the Saving Truths of God are comprehended; 1 In Repentance for Sin. 2 Some lead on to Faith for pardon. 3 Some lead to Mortification of Sin. 4 Some tend to Sanctification from Sin, to be accomplished in due time; now if a man be without sin, to what purpose are all such exhortations to Repentance? To what purpose are all Scriptures tending to faith in Christ? To what purpose are such as tend to Mortification, or Sanctification; so that he that denies sin to be in him, he not onely sins against God, and makes him a Lyar, but he doth also Heretically erre in overthrowing all saving Truth; the Doctrine of Repentance, of Mortification, of Faith, of Sanctification, all these are over-thrown.

If a man apprehend or profess perfection in himself, it is impossible a man should have any truth of Grace, believing he hath no need of Repentance, or Faith in Christ, or Mortification, or Sanctification, this is a terrible point; St. John may well be called Boanerges, a son of Thunder, for these are thundering speeches; he that saith he hath no sin is a Liar, against himself, against God, a Blasphemer, an Heretic.

If a man apprehend or professe perfection in himselfe, it is impossible a man should have any truth of Grace, believing he hath no need of Repentance, or Faith in Christ, or Mortification, or Sanctification, this is a terrible point; St. John may well be called Boanerges, a son of Thunder, for these are thundering speeches; he that saith he hath no sin is a Lyar, against himselfe, against God, a Blasphemer, an Heretick.

1 God then should send his Son in vain, Gal. 2.19, 20.

2 Christ himself should be in vain, and should lye, for he teacheth us to pray, Forgive us our debts; now if we have none, Christ lies in saying so.

2 Christ himselfe should be in vain, and should lye, for he teacheth us to pray, Forgive us our debts; now if we have none, Christ lyes in saying so.

3 The Holy Ghost should be a Liar, when he was sent to convince us of sin, and there is none in us, he should lye unto us.

3 The Holy Ghost should be a Lyar, when he was sent to convince us of sin, and there is none in us, he should lye unto us.

2 It shows the wickedness of their Opinion, who say, the Virgin Mary had no sin; if she had said so her self, she had been a Liar, and no truth had been in her.

2 It shews the wickednesse of their Opinion, who say, the Virgin Mary had no sin; if she had said so her selfe, she had been a Lyar, and no truth had been in her.

3 It reproves the Catharists of old.

Use 2. It shows us a necessity of taking up daily such a persuasion as this, that this day we sin, this day we have need of Christ, and need of Faith; we must daily take up this persuasion, or else we have no saving truth in our hearts, and if every day we be possest with a persuasion that we are subject to sin, not only Venial but Mortal; that we have need of Christ, of Repentance, of Faith, and that we can never say, This is the day wherein I have not sinned, if we be thus possest, it will lead us on to all that saving Knowledge of God, and of the Word, as may keep our hearts always in an holy frame, such a man will be ready to think I have need to renew my Repentance to day, I have need to lay hold upon Christ, I have need of Mortification, therefore the Apostle would have us take up a daily continual persuasion of this, that we are sinners; therefore we are daily to consider with our selves wherein we have failed, and to renew our Repentance, and to look up to God for pardon of such and such sins, and for sanctification, otherwise we shall weaken our grace; and Divine truth daily; if we daily take not up such a persuasion, we shall begin to sit loose from the saving truths of Gods Word, and the power of it in our hearts: not but that many Christians may sit loose from this truth, yet so far as we neglect this, so far we dishonour God, and weaken our grace.

Ʋse 2. It shews us a necessity of taking up daily such a perswasion as this, that this day we sin, this day we have need of Christ, and need of Faith; we must daily take up this perswasion, or else we have no saving truth in our hearts, and if every day we be possest with a perswasion that we are subject to sin, not onely Venial but Mortall; that we have need of Christ, of Repentance, of Faith, and that we can never say, This is the day wherein I have not sinned, if we be thus possest, it will lead us on to all that saving Knowledge of God, and of the Word, as may keep our hearts alwayes in an holy frame, such a man will be ready to think I have need to renew my Repentance to day, I have need to lay hold upon Christ, I have need of Mortification, therefore the Apostle would have us take up a daily continuall perswasion of this, that we are sinners; therefore we are daily to consider with our selves wherein we have failed, and to renew our Repentance, and to look up to God for pardon of such and such sins, and for sanctification, otherwise we shall weaken our grace; and Divine truth daily; if we daily take not up such a perswasion, we shall begin to sit loose from the saving truths of Gods Word, and the power of it in our hearts: not but that many Christians may sit loose from this truth, yet so far as we neglect this, so far we dishonour God, and weaken our grace.

Use 3. It will serve to teach us, that whosoever walks in the sense of his own sinfulness, is possest of it, and conscious of it, such glorify Gods Truth, and magnify the power of his Word in their hearts, God hath said it, and we witness it in our hearts, we bear witness that Christ was not sent in vain, that the Holy Ghost was not sent in vain, Mat. 21.31. Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of God before you; Why? because Publicans and Harlots were sensible of their sinfulness, and so would soon be convinced of their sinful estate, and so acknowledge their need of Repentance, of Faith, of Mortification, and Sanctification, whereas the Pharisees that thought themselves just, they were not sensible of their sinful estate, and so saw not the need of Repentance, &c.

Ʋse 3. It will serve to teach us, that whosoever walks in the sence of his own sinfulnesse, is possest of it, and conscious of it, such glorifie Gods Truth, and magnifie the power of his Word in their hearts, God hath said it, and we witnesse it in our hearts, we bear witnesse that Christ was not sent in vain, that the Holy Gost was not sent in vain, Mat. 21.31. Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdome of God before you; Why? because Publicans and Harlots were sensible of their sinfulness, and so would soon be convinced of their sinfull estate, and so acknowledge their need of Repentance, of Faith, of Mortification, and Sanctification, whereas the Pharisees that thought themselves just, they were not sensible of their sinfull estate, and so saw not the need of Repentance, &c.

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,

1 JOHN 2.1, 2. My little Children these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 JOHN 2.1, 2. My little Children these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours onely, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Upon the former points delivered, might arise an Objection to encourage men to sin; thus it ariseth, If Confession of sins be a means to have them pardoned, and if the blood of Christ cleanse us from all unrighteousness, then it is but going to God, and confessing our sins after we have sinned, and we shall be pardoned.

VPon the former points delivered, might arise an Objection to encourage men to sin; thus it ariseth, If Confession of sins be a means to have them pardoned, and if the bloud of Christ cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse, then it is but going to God, and confessing our sins after we have sinned, and we shall be pardoned.

2. Whereas he saith, If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves, and there is no truth in us, it might be Objected, To what end then should we strive against sin, seeing do we what we can we shall still sin?

2. Whereas he saith, If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves, and there is no truth in us, it might be Objected, To what end then should we strive against sin, seeing doe we what we can we shall still sin?

Against both these Objections he shows them in the Text, that he writes not these things to embolden them in sin, but to discourage them from sin; These things I write unto you, that ye sin not.

Against both these Objections he shews them in the Text, that he writes not these things to embolden them in sin, but to discourage them from sin; These things I write unto you, that ye sin not.