3. In regard of humility, and designs, and contrivances after great- ness in the world. They that become as little children seek not after dominions, and dignities, and honours. For, Mat. xviii. 1-3, when
382 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN II. 12-14. [SER. I.
the disciples were striving who should be greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Christ calleth a little child, and setteth him in the midst of them, and saith, ' Except ye be converted, and become as a little child, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' As if he had said, You strive for pre-eminence and worldly greatness in my kingdom ; I tell you, my kingdom is a kingdom of babes, and containeth none but the humble, and such as are little in their own eyes, and are contented to be small and despised in the eyes of others, and so do not look after great matters in the world. A young child knoweth not what striving for state meaneth. Thus by an emblem and visible representation would Christ take them off from the vain ambitious expectation and pursuit of a carnal kingdom. One part of the work of grace is to take down our pride, and to humble us, and make us little in our own eyes. David, when he would free himself from the crime of aspiring, and seek- ing great matters in the world, expresseth himself thus, Ps. cxxxii. 1, 2, ' Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty, neither do I exercise myself in great matters, nor in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother ; my soul is even as a weaned child.' He was not covetous nor ambitious. David proveth himself to be a child of God by the lowli- ness of his heart, the sobriety of his carriage, and submission to all God's dispensations, and desired no higher condition than God would, by the fair invitation of bis providence, call him unto. He was as a feeble, impotent child, looking wholly to be directed, supported, and enabled by God, with the greatest obedience, dependence, self-denial, and resignation that can be. A weanling, though he begin to go and speak, and live without the teat, yet wholly dependeth on the mother's aid, teaching, and provision for each of these : such a weanling was David, casting his affairs on the Lord as a child doth on the mother.
4. Innocent and harmless as a child, who, though infected with sin, and must be saved by Christ as others of grown age, yet cannot act sin. So saith the apostle, 1 Cor. xiv. 20, 'Brethren, be not childrenin understanding ; howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.' A man is a child in understanding when he hath no more use of spiritual knowledge than a child hath of natural reason ; so_we must not be children, but we must be harmless as children. It is a happy ignorance to be ignorant of sin, to be babes in mischief and evil ; not merely because we cannot act it, but because we would not : B-oni. xvi. 19, ' I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.' Better be a bungler in sin than that our souls should enter into that secret.
I will press the similitude no further, only see from thence who are not God's faithful ones. All such as are not born again, and brought into a new state; all such as have no spiritual relish and gust; aH such as please themselves with a vain confidence, and cannot submit to be handled and dealt with as the Lord pleaseth ; all such as are more crafty to do evil than wise to do good.
Doct. 2. That such who are as little children have obtained remission of sins for Christ's name's sake.
Here I shall inquire — (1.) What is forgiveness of sins ; (2.) How it is obtained, and for whom.
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN II. 12-14. 383
First, What is forgiveness of sins ? It is the judicial action of God, by which he doth fully release the penitent believer from the guilt of all the things committed against his law, without requiring satisfaction or punishment at his hands.
1. It is a judicial action of God. One man forgiveth another ; for our heavenly Father requireth that ' every one should forgive his brother their trespasses,' Mat. xviii. 35. But our forgiveness is an act of charity or duty imposed upon us. God's forgiveness is an act of authority, as he is the governor and judge of the world. We may forgive the wrong- done to us, when God doth not forgive the sin ; for an act of our charity doth not evacuate God's authority. Stephen forgave his enemies their wrongs done to him ; but he could not forgive their sin against God ; only prayed, Acts vii. 60, ' Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.' So for us ; the wrong to be forgiven is an offence against God. We have not power to forgive it, nor meddle with it any further than by prayer to God. In all sin God is the wronged party, and God is the highest judge, whose act is authoritative, and can only give satisfac- tion to the conscience. God's solemn judgment is at the last day, but he is a judge now : ' Verily he .is a God that judgeth in the earth,' Ps. lviii. 11 ; his private judgment passeth upon every one. Now every one is forgiven or not forgiven ; the last day's action is but a promul- gation and execution of this sentence. Now God justifieth or con- demneth men by his word, and doth either remit or retain their sins. But there is a threefold difference —