First Epistle of John Applied Part 2, Sermon 14
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. IOHN.SERM. 14.
CHAP. I. Ver. 8, 9, 10.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confesse our sins, he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a lyar, and his word is not in us.
THat vision which Moses saw of a bush burning in the fire, Exod 3.2. Ignis in Rubo symbolum est sapientiae quae consistit in …ognitione D…i & nostri lap. in Exod. Vide Gualt. in loc.is symbolically applyed to instruct us in that most exquisite wisdom, the knowledge of God and our selves, nor unfitly, since flaming fire is a fit embleme of Gods purity, and the thornie bush of mans iniquity. This sight me thinketh St. Iohn presenteth us within this Chapter, if you please to cast your eyes on the sixth verse you may behold the fire, a delineation of Gods holinesse, who is light without any darknesse, here in these verses you may meet with the bush, a declaration of mans sinfulness. It was the prayer of a devout Ancient, Domine noverim te, noverim me. Lord let know thee, let me know my self; this ought to be the prayer, the study of every Christian to know Gods purity that we may admire him, ou… own impurity that we may abhorre our selves, no wonder if St. John having acquainted us with the one, here minds us of the other. If we say we have no sin, &c.
After the Preface contained in the first verses, we entered into the body of the Epistle, wherein we have taken notice of the Text, and the Commentary. The Text wherein is comprized the main subject of the whole Epistle is set down in the three preceding verses. That being handled, we are now to enter upon the Commentary as it is enlarged in the remaining part of the Epistle. There are three principal termes in the Text, to wit, fellowship with God through Christ, which is denied to them who walk in darkness, and assured to them who walke in the light. To one of these three (as will appear by the handling) every thing in the following part of the Epistle belongs. But that which our Apostle begins with, and most insisteth upon, is walking in the l…ght; his chief drift being to chalk out the steps of this way to divine communion, in which he often collaterally describeth them who walk in darknes. The words which I have now read, contain one, and that which is both the first and the last step of a Christians walking in the light, namely an acknowledgment of his sins, contrary to which, they who walk in darknesse, instead of acknowledging their faults, justify themselves as if they had no sin. For the more methodical handling of the words, be pleased to tade notice in them of two general parts,
A confutation of the arrogant begun in the eighth ingeminated and amplifyed in the tenth verse.
A consolation of the penitent briefly, but fully laid down in the ninth verse.
Begin we with the confutation, Gen. 1.wherein we have considerable
The truth implicitely asserted.
The errour explicitely confuted.
The first of these will justly take up this houres discourse; it is that, which is though implicitely, Part 1.yet manifestly asserted; and since accords to that Geometrical maxime, Rectum est index sui & obliqui, that which is straight, discovereth not only it self, but that which is cro…ked; so by the clear apprehension of this truth, we shall the better discover the odiousnesse of this errour.
The truth plainly layed down in these two verses, is, That all men are sinners; and that not only before, but after conversion: for if there be no truth, nay, Gods word is not in them, who say they have no sin, it must n…eds be a true saying, and consonant to Gods word, That all men have sin. It is a truth which you see consists of two parts, though the latter be principally here aimed at, and chiefly to be insisted upon.
1. All men before conversion are in a state of sin: Gal 3.22.thus S. Paul saith expresly, that the Scripture hath concluded all men under sin, nor can we understand this note of universality too largely, it being true not onelyonly of all sorts of men, but all men of all sorts; that either have, are, or shall be. Indeed, all men by corrupted nature, are so far from having no sin, that they have no good: and therefore that complaint of the Psalmist is enlarged by the Apostle, as true, of all, both Iews and Gentiles; P… ▪ 14.1. Rom. 3▪ 12.they are all gone out of the way, they are become unprofitable, there is none that doth good, no not one: but the truth of this is so evident, that I shall not need to expatiate upon it.
All men even after conversion continue sinners: indeed by grace we cease to be wicked, but not to be sinners. It is the note of St. Hilarie, upon these words, thou hast trodden down all them that erre from thy statutes, Ps. 119.118. Si enim peccatores spe…ne…et omnes utique sperneret quia sine pecca to nemo est Hilar. in Ps. 118that we are not by them that erre, to understand all sinners, but wicked Apostates: for if God shall tread down all sinners, he must tread down all men, because there is no man without sin.
That this truth is here intended and asserted by St. Iohn in these words, will appeare, if we consider,
1. The connexion of this with the precedent verse, which evidently seemeth to lye thus. The Apostle there affirmeth, that the bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth them who walk in the light, from all sin. Whereas it might be objected on the one hand, that they who walk in the light have no sin, and therefore need not the bloud of Christ to cleanse them, our Apostle here tacitely returneth answer, letting them know that even they who walke in the light, are not altogether free from sin, and therefore have continual need of cleansing by Christs blood: and whereas it will be said on the other hand, if the benefits here mentioned stand upon such termes of walking in the light as he is in the light, We who have darknesse mixed with our light, cannot hope to be partakers of them: our Apostle here preventeth it by acquainting us, that it was far from his intent by this phrase to exact unspott…d purity, or a perfect freedome from all sin.
2. The persons in respect of whom he maketh this supposition, to wit, himselfe; and the rest of the holy Apostles. Indeed I do not deny but that the aime of our Apostle in these words was to confute those in his time, who living in wickednesse, & thought themselves pure, but withall, it is manifest that the argument by which he confuteth them is drawn a majori ad minus, from the greater, to the lesse. If wee our selves, (St. John and the other Apostles) cannot say, much lesse might the Gnosticks say, that they had no sin, for doubtlesse the Apostle would never have made the supposall in such persons, if it were not thus far true, that supposing even they should say, they had no sin, they did but deceive themselves: and as his meaning at the 6. verse, by putting the reproof in his own person, is to assert that if he or any of the Apostles should walk in darknesse, and yet say they have fellowship with God, even they would be found lyars; so it is his intention here to affirme, that if he or any of the Apostles should challenge to themselves this immunity from sin, they would be found selfe coseners, yea injurers of God himselfe.
This truth which I am now to handle, hath met with many Antagonists, and therefore I shal the more largely and distinctly unfold it in these ensuing propositions. 1. This non exemption from sin is affirmed, not onelyonly de praeterito, but de praesenti; in respect of time past, but present: indeed we finde both tenses used by our Apostle in this matter,Soc. in loc. vorst. in loc. Grot. in loc. the present in the 8. the preterperfect in the 10. Vorstius, and Grotius in this, (as in too many other places,) tracing the footsteps of Socinus, would expound the former, by the latter, Praeteritum pro praesenti. Ambr. de Abr. l. 1. c. 8.as if the present tense used in the 8. verse, were to be understood of the time past, the tense of which is expressed in the 10. and so refer both to the state of Christians before their conversion to the fayth: but I know no reason why we may not as wel expound the 10. by the 8. as the 8. by the 10. besides, it is an usuall hebraeisme, which kind of phrase our Apostle much followeth, to put the preterperfect tense, for the present, & therefore it is more rationall to expound those words, we have not sinned, by those we have no sin, then these by those,Non dicit Joannes si pec at…n non habuerimus sed habemus. &c. Aug. de perfect. Justitiae. 1 Io…. 3.9.5.18. and so this assertion is verified concerning all Christians not only before, but after conversion, & indeed this is not mine, but St. Austins note upon the 8 verse. St. John doth not say, if we say we had, but have no sin; indeed there are two places in this epistle, which seeme to contradict this construction of these words; the one where he saith, he that is borne of God cannot sin, and the other not much unlike, where he saith, that which is borne of God sinneth not. What the full sense of these Scriptures is, I shall (God willing) insist upon, in their proper places… for the present,In quantum à Deo nati sumus non peccamus. &c Aug in Ep. it may suffice to answer, either with St. Austin, that he who is born of God, sinneth not, to wit, as he is born of God. Regenerate men being therefore subject to sin, because but in part regenerate, and that holy men fall into sin, is because of the remainders of the old man, not so far as their natures are renewed, or else, as St. John seemeth to expound himselfe, in the one place, that he who is born of God, doth not sin, that is, doth not commit sin, which being a synonimous phrase with working iniquity, is onelyonly true of unregenerate persons; and in the other place, that he who is born of God, sinneth not, that sin of which he there speaketh in particular, namely the sin unto death, notwithstanding which, it still remaineth as a truth, that even they who are borne of God cannot say they have no sin at all.
2. This totall immunity from sin is denyed not onelyonly of ordinary, but eminent, even the holyest Saints that have been, are, or shall be. The We of whom my Text speaketh, were the Apostles, who as they were dignified in office above others, so no doubt they obtained greater measure of grace then others; yea, he that includeth himselfe in the number was St. John, Quis sine aliquo peccato sine aliquo vitio cum clamet qui s…pra pectus Domini recubuit &c. Aug Ep 29. ad Hieron. 2 Kings 10.3.who of all the Apostles was most beloved of Christ, and as St. Austin excellently, Who can say he is without sin, when he that leaned in the bosome of Christ, saith, If we say we have no sin. Indeed as Jehu wrote to the rulers of Iezreel in another case, look out even the best and meetest of your Masters Sonnes, I may say in this, looke out even the best and holyest of Gods children, & see, if any of them can, or dare wholly acquit themselves from sin; the truth is, as that forementioned Father saith, If we shall ask all the Patriarchs, Aug. contr. Pelag. Epist. ad Bonifa….Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, de sepissi dum in hoc corpore degerent una voce concorditer responderent, they would with one consent say of themselves as living on earth, in these words; If we say we have no sin, we deceive our selves. To this purpose is the observation of Beza, and Zanch. upon the text. Bez. in loc Zanch. in locConsider who it is that here speaketh, and that in his own person: who then can be excepted out of the catalogue? It is true, there is one whom he calleth in the next chapter, Iesus Chr…st the righteous, who is most justly to be excepted; of him it is said, He did all things well:Mark 7.37. Joh. 8.46. Himselfe maketh the challeng, Which of you can convince me of sins? he was no doubt altogether free from the least spot or staine of corruption, but as for any other exception, this generall rule admits none. I know the papists contend very earnestly, that the Mother might be exempted, as well as the Son, asserting her to be free from all kind of sin. It is true,Exceptâ sanctâ virgine de quâ propter h…norem D…mini nullam pro…sus quam de peccatis agitur habere volo quae st…onem &c. Aug de Nat & Grat. Excepto … mediatore Dei & hominum. &c. Id. de pers. J…st. Luc. 1.47. St. Austin in one place speaking of the saints sinfulnesse doth except her, but not in their sen…se, as if she were not a sinner, but for the honour of Christ, he would not have her mentioned as a sinner, and therefore elsewhere he is cleare, and expresse, that all are sinners, except the one onelyonly mediator between God and man; nor need we feare to injure the blessed Virgin in joyning her with the rest, when as her selfe calling Christ her Saviour, acknowledgeth her selfe to be a sinner: indeed that her conception of Christ should be without sin, was needful, but that she her selfe should be without all sin, was not necessary, nor doth the Scripture, or the ancient Church affirme. Clement. Alexandrinus is expresse, onelyonly the word is without fault, and St. Basil, the Scripture beareth witnesse onelyonly to one that he knew no sin, Cl. Al padag. l. …. c. ult. Bas. hom. de poenit. Tertul. de orat. c. 7.& Tertullian expressely, our Lord commandeth his disciples to pray, forgive us our trespasses, as knowing himselfe onelyonly without sin. I shut up this with St. Ieroms saying, If there be any who may attain to this state of perfect purity, he must be holyer then any, nay then all the Apostles.
3. This perfect freedome from sin is not denyed, Hieron. adv. Pelag.de suturo but de praesenti, of the future, but onelyonly the present time. Our Apostle doth not say, If we say we shal have no sin, nay it is an undoubted verity, there will be a time when we shall sin no more, yea, when sin shall be no more: As man in his created estate had a posse non peccare, a possibility of not sinning; so in his glorified condition he shall have a non posse peccare, an impossibility of sinning. But now, as in his fallen estate, he cannot say he doth any good, so in his renewed condition, he cannot say he hath no evill. Alexander Alensis starteth an objection of Pelagius seemingly very accute,Alex. Al. pars 3. quaest. 61. art. 5. nay solid, that either God would have us without sin, or he would not; to say he would not have us without sin, were to deny his nature, contradict his word, which calleth upon us to sin no more. If he would have us without sin, then surely we may be so, since the Divine Will cannot be conversant about impossibilities. To which he returneth this answer, and that very aptly to our present purpose, God would have us without sin, quantum ad futurum statum, as to the future, but not as to our present state. And if you desire a fuller untying of the knot, be pleased to know, that
1. Voluntate praecepti, God calleth upon us to be perfect as he is perfect, Math. 5.48. Jam. 1.21.and requireth us to lay apart all filthinesse, nor is it unjust for him to command that which we might once have done, but now through our own default cannot, and so is impossible, not per se, but per accidens, in its own nature, but accidently, yea in wisdome he commands men not to sin, Aug. de peccat. merit. et remiss l. 2. Id. de perfect. J…stit.though he know they cannot but sin, that in the disobedient he may punish, not the cannot, but the will not, thereby glorifying his justice, and in the obedient, he may reward the willing to doe what they cannot, and so glorifie his mercy; in a word, the designe of these precepts is to teach us what we ought, not what we can, to set the marke before us which we must shoot at, though we cannot reach to it till we come to Heaven. And therefore
2. Voluntate decreti, Gods decree is that we shall gradually come to perfection, and here indeavouring to attaine, hereafter attain what we indeavour. To this purpose it is that the Church which Christ is said to present to himselfe, Eph. 5.27.not having spot or wrinckle, is called a glorious Church: to intimate saith Chemnitius excellently, That then, and not till then, the Church shall be without spot, Chemnit. exam. Concil. Tridentwhen she is glorious, and that is, when it shall be t…iumphant, and appeare with him in glory.
4. This impeccability is not denyed, as that which might not have been, but as that which supposing Gods councel, cannot be. Aug. de peccato… mer. & …emiss. l. ….S. Austin moveth the question whether it be possible for a man assisted by grace to be without sin, and resolveth it affirmatively, nor can it be gainsayed, but that if God had so pleased, he might have restored his Image to man perfectly at his first conversion, or he might have conferred such extraordinary grace (as a pecuilar priviledge) upon some particular men, whereby they should have been free from all sin. God neither hath commanded any thing which was impossible in it selfe for man to do, nor is it impossible for God to assist a man fully to performe what he commands: but what need we dispute of Gods power, when we know his purpose:foreign. Gr. Naz. hom. jact patr. divine decree hath placed impeccability beyond the reach of any meer man in this life, there cannot be any one named that hath been, and we may surely conclude, there never will be any one on whom such a praerogative shal be conferred. From hence S. Ierome hath wel reasoned against Pelagius, It is in vaine to assert such a power which never is reduced into act, and to say a man may do that which yet no man could ever do, yea (as he doth) to say a man might be without sin, Hier. adv. Pelag. dial. l. 1. Id. ad Chesiph. adv. pelag. Ro…. 7.19.if he would, when the blessed Apostle cryeth out, The good I would do, I do not, and the ev…ll I would not do, I do, is foolish, and absurd, yea, hereticall and impious.
5. There is a great deale of difference between these two phrases, Habere peccatum & Haberi a peccato, to have sin,A…g. de nat. & grat, l. 6. c. 2. and to be had by sin, to the one is required onelyonly the presence, to the other the dom…nion of sin: There are many that can say, nay, all truly regenerate persons may say, they are not had by, and under the possession of sin, but yet they cannot say, they have no sin, remayning in them; the weakest Christian is not under the raigne, and the strongest is not without the being of sin: aliud est non habere peccatum, Id. in ep. ad. Gal.aliud non obedire desideriis, it is one thing not to have sin, and another not to obey sin. He that obeyeth any sin, and yet saith he is a saint, deceiveth himselfe, and he that is a saint, should he say he had no sin, would but deceive himselfe likewise.
6. It is not a possibility of freedome from grosse, scandalous, enormous sins which is here denyed, H…c inter peccatum distat & crimen quod omne crimen peccatum &c. Greg. Mor. l. 21. c 9. Absque vitio quod graece dicitur foreign hominem esse posse foreign i. e sine peccato esse neminem. Hier. adv. pelag dial. l 2. Phil. 2.15. L…c. 1.6. Aliud est esse sine peccato▪ aliud esse sine querelâ. &c. Aug. de perfect. J…st. Id. in Joh. tr. 41.but from any sin whatsoever. St. Gregory maketh a distinction between crimen and peccatum, that though every crime is a sin, yet every sin is not a crime, and proportionably many in this life are without crime, but not without sin. To the same purpose St. Ierome asserts, that a man may be without that which the Greeks call malitious wickednesse, and yet not free from sinful spots: and not much unlike, St., Austin where he saith, It is one thing to be without sin, and aanother to be without blam. We may read of men without crime, without blame, but of none without sin ▪ It is the Apostles councell to the Philippians, that they should be harmless, without rebuke; and accordingly it is said of Zachary and Elizabeth, that they walked in all the commandements of the Lord blameless: and no doubt there are many godly men who lead such lives that the world cannot taxe them, nor they themselves with any known grosse wickednesse, but still they want not infirmities cleaving to them. When therefore St. Paul saith of the Saints ▪ that they are free from sin, it is an inchoate, not a consummate liberty, and a freeedome from great, not all sins, as St. Austin appositely, the truth is, to be without sin is the holynesse of Heaven: to be without grosse sin, the holynesse of earth.
7. It is not a possibility of freedome from this, or that particular sin, but from all sin that is here denyed. There are severall sins which godly men may say they have not; nay there is not any one particular great sin which a man may not, through divine assistance, be able to avoid;Alex Al. p. 3. quaest. 62. art. 5. Ex … partibus p…t…st esse ex omni non nisi in resurrecti…ne ca…nis. Aug. exp…s. in ep. ad Ga… but to say, We have no sin at all in no kind nor respect, were arrogancy in the holyest person: this is the position of that great schooleman, A man may shun any sin in particular, but not sin in generall, and his instance excellently illustrateth it. If there be an 100 leakes in a ship, it is easy to stop any one of them, but difficult to stop them all; we may be in a great measure, and in many respects, No…anter dicit foreign pr…p…i… ergo loquitur de peccato ut ita dicam foreign habituali & pe… petu … inhaerente. Ger. loc. com. de peccato. Ma…. 7.11. Per conditionem communis nobis originis &c. Hilar. ibid. Sine culpà in mundo esse non potest qui in mun dum cum culpa veni…. Greg. hom 39. in Evang. 2. Co…. 4.16 Pr…ecto qui de die in diem re novatur ad huc no…dum t…tus est renovatus &c. Aug. de peccat. mer. &. remiss. l. 2. c. 7.but not in all, free from sin, till the resurrection of the flesh.
8. Lastly these two expressions, the one of hav…ng sin, the other of having sinned, are not improbably referd by interpreters, the one to originall, and the other to actuall sins, and accordingly I shall demonstrate the truth of this doctrine in respect of both.
1. If we say we have no sin, (that is no originall sin) remaining in us, we deceive our selves. That our Apostle here intends originall sin, is probable, because he useth the singular number sin, not sins, as if it were some special sin he pointed at; and likewise because of the phrase of having, which intimateth, that he speaketh of that sin which is as it were habitual and innate in us. It is not unworthy our observation, that Christ speaking to his own Disciples, calls them evill; and St. Hilaries note upon it, is, that the reason of this appellation was in respect of that common staine of naturall corruption which did still adhere to them. Indeed we all, bringing sin with us into the world, cannot be without it whilest we are in the world; it is the Apostles expression, that we must be renewed dayly, and it is St. Austins glosse, that therefore we are but in part renewed, and so the old man is still ab… ding in us. Indeed according to that known elegant expression of St. Bernard, this sin is weakned, but not plucked up; cast down, but not cast out▪ subjugated, but not extirpated in the best of Gods saints. Hence the dolefull sigh, and sorrowful complaint of the holy Apostle, Bern. in. ps. qui hab. Serm. 10.Oh wretched man that I am, who shal deliver mee from this body of death? knowing (saith that devout Father) that he should not be loosed from the root of bitternesse, Id. de advent. Serm. 6. Dom.law of sin, till he was loosed from his body; nor could this sin which separateth between God and us, be separated from him, till his soule was separated from his body.
It may be here objected what is by the Romanists asserted, that concupiscence in the regenerate is no sin; and so, though they have concupiscence, yet not therefore sin▪ to insist upon this controversie would be a digression, it is enough, that whilest they only account it paenam and fomitem; a punishment of sin, and as it were the fuell of sin. St. Paul no lesse then fourteen times calleth it by the name of sin, in the 6.7. and 8. chapters to the Romanes.
Rom. 6.7.8. ch…pters.It may perhaps further be obj…cted what is generally agreed to, that baptisme be coming an instrument of regeneration, washeth away original sin: & therefore why may not regenerate baptized persons say, they have no original sin? But the schools answer to this objection is very ful, that Sacraments are administred to the person, & therfore the person is free from the guilt, whilest yet stil the nature is defiled with the stain of original sin; & whereas it may be retorted, that if the sin remaine, the guilt cannot be abol…shed, guiltiness being an inseperable adjunct of sin: I answer, that the …eatus simplex, guilt abstractively considered, is not taken away: but as redundans in personam, concretively considered, it is taken away, so that this guilt shall not be imputed to the person whilest yet there are some remainders of the sin in him, so that he cannot say truly he hath no sin, to wit, no originall corruption.
2. If we say we have not sinned by actual transgressions, we deceive our selves ▪ Is. 32.13.that expression of the prophet, upon the land of my people shal come up briars & thornes, is not unfitly moralized by St. Gregory to this purpose, since the bryers and thornes of iniquity are to be found growing in the land of Gods people, the hearts and lives of Gods saints. Greg. mor. l. 17. c. 10. Quis inveniatur ita immunis à culpâ ut in eo non ha bea… vel justitia quod culpet, vel misericordia quod remi…tat. Leo epiph. Serm. 7. 1 King. 8.46. James. 3.2. Cypr. de orat. dom.Excellently to this purpose saith L…, who is found so voyd of fault, that there is not in his life, what justice may blame and mercy perdon? it is the position of Solomon in his prayer upon his supposition, If they sin against thee, for there is no man that sinneth not; and the assertion of St. Iames including himself in the number, who yet was called Iames the just, In many things we offend all; yea our blessed Sav… our prescribeth it as part of a forme of prayer, for his own disciples, Forgive us our trespasses; and as St. Cyprian well noteth, to check any high conceits of our sanctity, he mindeth us of our dayly sins for which we have need dayly to ask pardon.
Indeed as St. Gregory aptly, we must know there are some faults not to be avoyded by the most righteous persons; such are those delicta quotidianae incursionis, Tertull. de pud…cit.as Tertullian calls them, sins of quotidian incursion, to which all men are subject: yea in respect of these it is St. Ambrose his complaint,Ambros. de Apolog. david. unus quisque nostrum per singulas horas quàm multa delin… … ? in how many things doe every one of us offend every hour?Cypr. l. d. no wonder if St. Cyprian assert, opus est nobis quotidiana sanctificatione; We have need of renewed sanctification; that as we sin dayly, so we may be dayly purged by repentance; nay that the wise man makes the challenge, P. …. 20.9.who can say I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? We can neither ascribe what purity we have to our selves, nor yet attribute perfection to our purity.
To illustrate this more distinctly, consider
1. Even the externall conversation of the best men is not exactly pure. The life of a Christian is as it were a book, his birth the Title page, his Baptisme the Epistle Dedicatory, his years the leavs, and his actions the lines in those leaves, and there are some lines in the leaves of the fairest life, which by reason of their errata, are legenda cum venia, to be looked upon with a favorable eye, since if God should examine our acts with a severe eye, Aug. confess. l. 9. c. 13.woe would be to the most commendable life, as St. Augustine excellently.
2. Put the case that a man were free in respect of his externall actions, yet who is free from internall motions? though thy hands were perfectly cleane,Leo de quad… ages. Serm. 3. yet thy heart is not. To be free from all titillations, and motions, is not for this life, which is a continued temptation: that expression of our Saviour, Ioh. 13.…0.He that is washed, need not, save to wash his feet, is fitly alluded to by St. Bernard, for our present purpose,Bern Serm. de coenâ dom…. He is washed, whose head, that is, his intentions, and hands, that is, his operations, are cleane. But our feet, which are lusts and affections, whilest we walke upon the dust of this world, continually need washing.
3. And yet further, though one might arrive at such a perfection, 1 Cor. 4.4.as to say with St. Paul, I know nothing by my selfe, yet as he saith of himselfe, he could not thereby be justifyed. Indeed it is most probable, that the Apostle there speaketh onelyonly in respect of the discharge of his calling, concerning which he knew nothing by himselfe, for which he was blame worthy: but take it in the largest extent, that he knew nothing by himselfe in the present bent of his heart, and course of his life, yet he as well as David, and so every Saint, hath reason to pray, Cleanse me from secret sins; many things being sins, which yet we know not to be so▪ Ps. 19.…2.and there being much filth, and uncleannesse in our hearts, which by reason of their deceitfullnesse we are not able to discover and finde out.
4. Finally, Our holiest services are full of infirmities, so that if we say, we have not sinned in the best duty that ever we performed, Exod. 28.38.we deceive our selves. This was visibly represented, where Aaron the high priest, a tipe of Christ, was to beare the iniquity of their holy things; and it is not improbably conceived as the assertion of Solomon, when he saith, There is not a just man on earth that doth good, and sinneth not, that is, who sinneth not in the good he doth;Ecles. 7.20. yea it is the confession of the Church, All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; upon which St. Bern…rd, Is…. 64.6. Bern. Serm. 5. de verb. Isaiae. Gers. de consol. l. 4.Our righteousnesse though upright is not pure, unlesse we think our selves better then those who uttered those words; and Gerson upon the same Scripture, infers, Who dare then boast of his righteousnesse before God? No, brethren, there is a worme in our best fruits, drosse in our purest gold, smoak in our brightest fire, spots in our most beautiful & splendid performances: our graces are not without their defects, our duties not without their defaults: who finds not his knowledge d…mme, his faith weake, his love cold, his zeale remisse? Who may not complain of dulness: deadness, wandringnes in his devotion? Who ever could say, he loved God with all his heart, with all his soule, with all his might, and with all his strength? & ex hoc vitio nō est justus super terram, by reason of this defect no man can be perfectly just upon earth:Aug. ep. 29. for though a negative imperfection (such as there was in Adam as created by, if compared with God) be no sin, yet a privative imperfection, (such as is now in our best righteousnesse) undoubtedly is. It is no fault for a thing not to be so perfect as another is, but it is a fault for a thing not to be so perfect as it ought to be; and therefore because no grace existing in us ariseth to that degree, no duty performed by us is exactly according to the manner which Gods law requireth, it must needs be a sin: where then it is said of any person by God himselfe, that they are righteous, as of Noah, Job, and others,Cham d… ope…um Imper. l. 11. c. 22. it is to be conceived, saith the learned Chamer, as a testimony given of them according to the indulgence of mercy, not the rigour of justice;Id. ibid. and where the works of godly men are called good works, though they are absolutely called good works, yet they are not absolutely good, since as St. Gregory saith of himself, so may every Saint,Greg. Mor. l. 8. c. 8. My … vill actions are purely evill, but not so my good actions; duplicate page duplicate page indeed, we must distinguish of sins per se, & per accid…ns, the good actions of wicked men are not sins in themselves, but as performed by them: we must further distinguish between sinful actions, and sin in an action; the good works of the godly are not sinful works, but yet they have sin in them: so that to summe it up, the best actions of bad men are turned into sin, and the best actions of good men are accompanied with sin: so that none can say, no not in respect of their good duties, We have not sinned. And yet I do not hereby assert, what some do too rigidly, that a man sinneth in every action he doth; there are some actions done by men that are not humane, but natural, and those cannot be said to have sin in them; besides, there may be in a renewed man some suddain emanations of the will as regenerate, antecedencies to the conflicts and lustings of the will as corrupt, and those may be conceived as sinlesse, but still all deliberate actions must needs have some sin cleaving to them.
As for those doctrines therefore which assert a possib…lity of keeping the law, of an unsinning estate in this life, I say (as Jeremy upon Hananiahs prophesie of the speedy deliverance to the Jews) Amen, Jer. 28.6.the Lord do so; Oh that we might be so perfect! but still I must assert with St. Austin, it is a state, magis optandus quàm sperandus, to be desired,Aug. de pe…f. Just. yea and endeavoured, but not to be hoped for in this life; and here with St. John, If we say we have no sin: if we say we have not sinned, we deceive our selves.
To apply this doctrine. It is worthy to be considered by three sorts of persons, The wicked, the weak, the strong.
1. Let wicked men take heed how they abuse this doctrine, it is too usual a consectary, which ungodly wretches draw from these pr…mises, If the best cannot say they have no sin, no wonder if we commit sin: and they think it a sufficient excuse for their flagitious wickedness, every man hath his faults, would you have us chaster then David? soberer then Noah? have not the godliest fallen into sin? so that as we may say of many rich men, It were happy for them if they did beleeve that errour of Pelagius to be true, an impossibility of rich mens salvation, since it would divert them from Earth to Heaven, whereas because they may lawfully care for the things of the earth, they care for nothing else: the like we may say of many wicked men, It were happy for them they did beleeve Pelagius his errour in this particular to be true, That men might be without sin: sure, because they hear no man can be without sinne, they think themselves safe enough, though they live in sin. But oh thou foolish sinner, knowest thou not that though no man can be without moats, yet good m…n are without beams? they have infirmities, but they are free from enormities? knowest thou not that though no man can be altogether without sin, yet he is best that hath the least?Vitiis nem… sine nascitur, optimus ille qui minimis urgetur Flac…. and every good man striveth to his utmost against all sin; and therefore take heed how thou cheat thy self with these false reasonings.
2. Let weak Saints hence comfort themselves against the stirrings of their lusts, the sense of their infirmities, and their daily frail…ies, which they find accompanying them; it is too usuall with tender consciences, to be too harsh to themselves; and because they find much sin, to conclude, that they have no grace. Indeed it is good to be jealous of our own hearts, still to suspect our graces, our duties, lest they be counterfeit: but withall, we must take heed how we censure them to be counterfeit, because they are imperfect. There may be good gold where there is much drosse, burning fire hid under many ashes, and the truth of grace may be in that heart which is sensible of various and strong lusts; indeed these burres of sinfull corruption as they cleave to us, so they should prick us; our manifold imperfections and infirmities, should be the matter of our griefe, but not of our despair; we cannot be too bitter against our sins, even the least; yet we must not be too severe against our selves, because of those lesser sins which we cannot be rid of: if the holy Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, could not, whilest on earth, say they had no sinne, no wonder if thou groan under the weight of many sins.
3. Let strong Saints be hence admonished to be
1. Lowly in their own eyes: That God will not have his Saints altogether free from sinne in this life, is not opus impotentiae, but sapientiae, from want of power, but abundance of wisdome: and one special reason why the godly have sinne still adhering to them, is to keep them humble and poor in spirit: Indeed Pelagius scoffes at this as a great absurdity, that sinne should be a meanes to prevent sinne, as if fire could put out fire: but St. Austin answereth him fully,Aug. de nat. & grat. c. 28. that it is no unusuall thing for a Chirurgion to cure a griefe, by causing grief; puting his patient to pain, that he may remove his pain; and we may answer him in his own instance, That fire is the way to fetch out fire. The truth is, it is not the remainder of sin, but the sence of those remainders which is a means to humble us, and abate that spiritual pride, which is too apt to arise, even from our graces; and look as grace accidentally causeth the sin of pride, so our sins accidentally cause the grace of humility: when therefore we are at any time apt to pride our selves in our gay feathers, let us look upon our black feet; and as with one eye we behold the good that is done by us, so with the other, the evill that remaineth in us.
Ga…. 6.1.2. Charitable towards their brethren. If thy brother be overtaken in a fault, restore him with a spirit of meeknesse: give to thy neighbours actions the allowance of humane frailty, and be not too rigid in censuring other mens faults. If they offend in one thing, perhaps thou art more guilty in another; if they fall to day, thou mayst tomorrow; the same corruption that hath led another aside, is still in thee; and (if grace withdraw) will soon prevail over thee; indeed, if you practise the former duty, you will soon learn this, pride and censoriousnesse are ever companions, and he that is lowly in his own esteem, will be charitable towards others.
3. Watchful over their own hearts: indeed, he that carrieth gun-powder about him, had need beware the least sparks of fire: what cause have we to take heed of every temptation who are at best so prone to be led into it? Happy is the man (saith Solomō) that feareth always; no doubt, he sinneth least, that most feareth lest he should sin; it is Jobs saying of himself, according to the vulgar Latine, verebar omnia opera mea, Iob 9.23.I did fear all my works; let the best do so, fear themselves in all their actions, lest they should fall into sin.
4. Frequent in prayer to God; for this shall every one that is godly pray to thee, saith David: for this,Paal. 32.6. what because of his sins? and who? not the wickedest, but the godly in this respect have cause to pray;Vide Aug. ibid· and for what should he pray? surely for renewed pardon, for increase of grace, and for the perfection of glory. We cannot say we have no sin: Oh then let us pray with David, Enter not into judgement with thy servant oh Lord; where there is a double emphasis observable, it is not ab hoste, but à servo; though Gods servant, yet he would not have God to enter into judgement with him: and again, ne intres, it is the very entrance into judgment, that he dreads and prayeth against; not only do not proceed, but do not so much as enter; when we have done our best, we have need to crave for mercy. Again we cannot say, we have no sin, let us pray for more grace, Vide Hier. adv. Pelag. Aug. de lit. & Sp. c. 36.that we may every day have lesse sin; so doth Paul in effect, when he confesseth himself not to have already attained, but resolveth to reach forward: we must never cease to hunger and thirst after greater measures of righteousness, till we are wholly and perfectly without any stain of sin;Luke 17.5. and therefore we must continually say with the Apostles, Lord increase our faith, and all other graces of thy spirit in us. Finally, since we cannot now in this life say we have no sin, how should we pray and sigh, and long to be possessed of that future felicity? indeed, in this respect only it is lawful and commendable to desire death, that we may be free, not from pain or misery, but from sin and iniquity, upon this ground we may, we ought, and the stronger we are in grace, the more earnestly we should groan for the day of our perfect redemption, when we shall be cloathed with unspotted purity, perfect felicity, and that to all eternity. AMEN.