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 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.

The Parts of these words are Three; 1. A loving compellation, My little Children; 2. A declaration of the end of his writing, viz. their innocency, that they sin not. 3. A consolation to them, who notwithstanding fall into sin, for this he tells them, Christ was both an Advocate and an Atonement.

The Parts of these words are Three; 1. A loving compellation, My little Children; 2. A declariton of the end of his writing, viz. their innocency, that they sin not. 3. A consolation to them, who notwithstanding fall into sin, for this he tells them, Christ was both an Advocate and an Attonement.

1. For the Compellation, My little children; he speaks not of Natural, but Spiritual Children, such as are justified and sanctified; justified, as appears v. 12. sanctified, as appears v. 13. when he calls them, My little Children; it implies therein such as his Ministry helped to beget to God.

Doct. Such as are the Instruments under God of our Conversion, Justification and Sanctification, they are to us as Spiritual Fathers, and we to them as little Children.

It is a speech often used by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 4.15. where he prefers himself before all other Teachers they had, he begat them; so he calls Timothy, 1 Tim. 2.2. Tit. 1.4. so he calls Onesimus in Philemon, Phil. 2.22.

It is a speech often used by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 4.15. where he prefers himselfe before all other Teachers they had, he begat them; so he calls Timothy, 1 Tim. 2.2. Tit. 1.4. so he calls Onesimus in Philemon, Phil. 2.22.

Reas. From the resemblance betwixt them and Natural Parents, as they beget Children of that seed they infuse, so Ministers beget Children of the Immortal Seed of the Word, 1 Pet. 1.23, 24, 25. as in Natural Seed, so in Spiritual, there is a more Material, and a more Spiritual part, the Material part is the Letter of the Word, the more Spiritual part is the Spirit conveyed in it; now because Ministers together with the Word convey the Spirit, therefore they begetting Children of such a Word, they are called Fathers, and those so begotten, Children.

Obj. Mat. 23.9. Call no man Father, &c.