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…

Secondly, Another direction is, to frame your selves to dispense Milk to Babes; Saint John was a Son of Thunder, and a Pillar among the Apostles, Gal. 2.9. yet he writing to little Babes, tells them thus, My little Children; these things I write unto you, that you sin not; it seems a weak line for such a man, but he tempers his Doctrine according to their strength; we should be ready to think it poor homely stuff to say thus, who could not have said as much?

Secondly, Another direction is, to frame your selves to dispence Milk to Babes; Saint John was a Son of Thunder, and a Pillar among the Apostles, Gal. 2.9. yet he writing to little Babes, tells them thus, My little Children; these things I write unto you, that you sin not; it seemes a weake line for such a man, but he tempers his Doctrine according to their strength; we should be ready to thinke it poor homely stuffe to say thus, who could not have said as much?

Use 2. Of reproof to the Papists, who lock up St. Johns writings from the people, they may not be suffered to read them; why if he write them for this end that they might not sin, then they give the reins to sin that deny leave and liberty to read them.

Ʋse 2. Of reproofe to the Papists, who lock up St. Johns writings from the people, they may not be suffered to read them; why if he write them for this end that they might not sin, then they give the reins to sin that deny leave and liberty to read them.

Use 3. To teach us the poysonful corruption of our natures, that out of the purest soundest Doctrine gathers poison, Saint John fore-saw that from his Doctrine they would be ready to gather false conclusions. So Rom. 5.20. when St. Paul had delivered the free Doctrine of Justification, see what use they make of it, he had taught that as sin abounded, so did grace much more ⟨p. 50⟩abound, now he saw that they would be ready to gather false conclusions from this, therefore he prevents it, Chap. 6.1. shall we then sin that Grace may abound? God forbid; therefore it must make us out of love with our selves; the commonest meats are most nourishing and good, other rare meats commonly breed distempers, but some stomach will corrupt any meat, so the plainest points of Religion, are the soundest and best, but such is the corruption of our nature, that it is ready to gather poison out of them.

Ʋse 3. To teach us the poysonful corruption of our natures, that out of the purest soundest Doctrine gathers poyson, Saint John fore-saw that from his Doctrine they would be ready to gather false conclusions. So Rom. 5.20. when St. Paul had delivered the free Doctrine of Justification, see what use they make of it, he had taught that as sin abounded, so did grace much more ⟨p. 50⟩abound, now he saw that they would be ready to gather false conclusions from this, therefore he prevents it, Chap. 6.1. shall we then sin that Grace may abound? God forbid; therefore it must make us out of love with our selves; the commonest meats are most nourishing and good, other rare meats commonly breed distempers, but some stomach will corrupt any meat, so the plainest points of Religion, are the soundest and best, but such is the corruption of our nature, that it is ready to gather poyson out of them.

1. If we can, to do no sin.

1. If we can, to doe no sin.

2. If we do, to disallow it, and hate it, and so it will be as no sin to us.

2. If we doe, to disallow it, and hate it, and so it will be as no sin to us.

We come now to the third point, viz. the consolation, If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, &c. as if he had said, how can it be that we should not sin? he had taught the contrary, and told them he wrote those things, that they might not sin, but yet for all that, notwithstanding their best care and endeavour, it could not be but they would sin; but here is the comfort, if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, &c. he doth not say any man hath an Advocate with the Father, but I, and you, and such as we are, we have an Advocate with the Father; now what is an Advocate? sometimes it is applied to the Holy Ghost, sometimes to the Son; to the Holy Ghost, John 14.16. he is called [Greek or Hebrew], both because he is a Comforter, and because he is an Advocate, how? not in pleading our case before the Father, but by pleading in our hearts, in giving us the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 8.26. as in Law, he may be said to be our Advocate that draws our petitions for us; the Holy Ghost doth not plead for us in heaven, but he draws our petitions for us, so that they are accepted in heaven, Rom. 8.27. he doth speak good things from God to us, and good things from us to God, 1 Cor. 2.3. he tells us of our peace with God, and our comfort, and helps us to plead with God.

We come now to the third point, viz. the consolation, If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, &c. as if he had said, how can it be that we should not sin? he had taught the contrary, and told them he wrote those things, that they might not sin, but yet for all that, notwithstanding their best care and indeavour, it could not be but they would sin; but here is the comfort, if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, &c. he doth not say any man hath an Advocate with the Father, but I, and you, and such as we are, we have an Advocate with the Father; now what is an Advocate? sometimes it is applyed to the Holy Ghost, somtimes to the Son; to the Holy Ghost, John 14.16. he is called 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, both because he is a Comforter, and because he is an Advocate, how? not in pleading our case before the Father, but by pleading in our hearts, in giving us the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, as the Apostle saith,

But properly it is the office of the Son, to be Advocate; an Advocate in Court, is a more special pleader in the behalf of another, whose person and cause is there to be judged of, and so Christ is our Advocate in special manner with the Father.

But properly it is the office of the Son, to be Advocate; an Advocate in Court, is a more speciall pleader in the behalfe of another, whose person and cause is there to be judged of, and so Christ is our Advocate in speciall manner with the Father.

Doct. Every sinner hath Enemies, that before the Father in heaven plead against him.

If any man sin, &c. there were no use of an Advocate to plead for us, if we had none to accuse us, and plead against us; we no sooner sin, but we have accusations put up in heaven against us, and so our Advocate puts in for us; what be these adversaries?

1 Our own sins, they plead against us, and accuse us day and night, some sins do in a special manner plead against us, and those are crying sins, Gen. 4.10. the murder of Abel was a crying sin, Gen. 18.20. the sins of Sodom cried, and Ezek. 16.49. there are four things of Sodom mentioned, which cried to heaven for Vengeance, Pride, Idleness, Intemperance, Unmercifulness to the poor; so sometimes detaining the labourers wages, James 5.4. so also oppression, Exod. 22.22.27. these are special crying sins, because they will give God no rest, till he hath revenged them in this World, they will not stay till the last judgment, but call for present judgment; but all sins do speak in the Lords ear, and call for vengeance against us.

1 Our own sins, they plead against us, and accuse us day and night, some sins doe in a speciall manner plead against us, and those are crying sins, Gen. 4.10. the murther of Abel was a crying sin, Gen. 18.20. the sins of Sodom cried, and Ezek. 16.49. there are four things of Sodom mentioned, which cryed to heaven for Vengeance, Pride, Idlenesse, Intemperance, Unmercifulnesse to the poor; so sometimes detaining the labourers wages, James 5.4. so also oppression, Exod. 22.22.27. these are speciall crying sins, because they will give God no rest, till he hath revenged them in this World, they will not stay till the last judgment, but call for present judgment; but all sins doe speake in the Lords ear, and call for vengeance against us.

2 Another Adversary that accuseth us, is the righteous Law of God, which we have broken, that the word may not be in vain, Joh. 5.45.

3 The third Enemy is Satan, that accuseth us night and day, Rev. 12.10. so he did, Job Chap. 1.9, 10, 11. he accused him of hypocrisy, because he had no real reason to accuse him, therefore he surmiseth one.

3 The third Enemy is Satan, that accuseth us night and day, Rev. 12.10. so he did, Job Chap. 1.9, 10, 11. he accused him of hypocrisie, because he had no reall reason to accuse him, therefore he surmiseth one.

4 Our own conscience accuseth us, and that is as a thousand witnesses, Rom. 2.15.

Use 1 To take heed how we make bold with any sin, you may put upon them a pretence of pleasure, or profit, or credit, but there is no sin we commit, but pleads against us, yea and stirs up the Law and Satan, and our own consciences to plead against us too.

Ʋse 1 To take heed how we make bold with any sin, you may put upon them a pretence of pleasure, or profit, or credit, but there is no sin we commit, but pleads against us, yea and stirs up the Law and Satan, and our own consciences to plead against us too.

2 It teacheth us the miserable Estate of a poor sinner that goes on in sin, and never takes any care to get Christ to be an Advocate for him, he may hope that Christ pleads for him in Heaven, but this is a vain hope, so long as he goes on in sin, but he may be sure that sin, and Satan, and the Law, and his conscience accuseth him, and he having none to plead for him, what a woeful case is he in?

2 It teacheth us the miserable Estate of a poor sinner that goes on in sin, and never takes any care to get Christ to be an Advocate for him, he may hope that Christ pleads for him in Heaven, but this is a vaine hope, so long as he goes on in sin, but he may be sure that sin, and Satan, and the Law, and his conscience accuseth him, and he having none to plead for him, what a wofull case is he in?