An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…

It is possible to live without any known sin.

It is possible to live without any knowne sin.

Job knew of no injustice in his hand, nor was he conscious of any impurity in his prayer. The Apostle John writes to Saints of all Ages and Statures, under the title of His little Children, not to sin (1 John 2.1.) And in that he doth not only admonish them of what they ought not to do, but of what they might attain not to do: For though, he that saith he hath no sin, deceives himself, and sins in saying so (1 Joh. 1.9.) yet it may be said of some without sin, and they (in Jobs case) may say it of themselves without sin, that they sin not. The best Saints have, and know they have sin in their natures and sin in their lives, yea, and sometimes they fall into great sins; yet such a degree of holiness is attainable in this life that a man may be said, not to sin: For then (in a Gospel sense) we are said not to sin, when we cast off and are free from all gross and scandalous sins, and do both carefully avoid and make conscience of the least and the most secret sin. Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1.16.) were both righteous before God, walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless; that is, They did not live in any open or known sin; they lived so, that no man could blame them, or bring any just complaint against them, either in matters of morality, which seem to be meant in the word Commandment, or in matters of worship, which seem to be meant by the word Ordinance. And when I speak of not living in any known sin, I mean not only, that Saints may rise so high as not to live in any sin which the World takes notice of; but they may, yea and often do arrive at that height of holiness, not to live in any sin known to themselves; if once a true Believer discovers sin, he cannot own it, much less live in it, be it injustice or wrong towards men, be it any failing in the worship and service of God, he will not suffer it to lodge with him. He that hath grace in his heart, cannot live with injustice in his hand; there is an inconsistence between these two, a life of grace, and to live in sin. Sin may be much alive in him that hath grace, but he cannot live in sin; he may be often tempted to the act of it, and sometimes possibly overtaken with it, yet he cannot live in it: He cannot keep injustice in his hand, nor frame an impure prayer in his heart. A good man