4. Because they have great encouragements : Ps. cxxx. 4, ' There is forgiveness, wherefore thou shouldst be feared.' Mercy maketh God amiable to us ; a condemning God is not so easily loved as a gracious and reconciled God. None are so encouraged to serve him as those that have found him gracious.
Use. Let me now exhort you to seek after the pardon of sins. To this end —
1. Consider your necessity. If you were only as you were by nature, ' Children of wrath,' Eph. ii. 3, yet you must be converted, and become as little children, that you may be capable of the pardoning mercy of God. There is enough in little children of that which is hateful to God. Surely it is through the blood of Christ, which washeth them from their uncleanness, that they are accepted with him, and the cove- nant of God that forgiveth them. There is no way of saving any that belong to mankind but by a redeemer and a recoverer, the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore they need a pardon. But this is not your case; but you have for a long time neglected God, and wronged him by the continual excesses and breakings out of your sin and folly. AVhat have you to stead you but a pardon ?
2. Consider the grounds and hopes of pardon ; God's merciful nature and self-inclination to pity us. God hath made a way for it by the blood of Jesus, in the gospel-law or new covenant, if we will submit to the terms of it. There he hath bound his justice and faith- fulness : 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess and forsake our sins, he is just and
390 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN II. 12-14. [SeR. II.
faithful to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' Nothing sets forth his glory so much as this. It is the glory of a man to pass by an offence ; surely then it is a perfection to forgive sin ; for whatever is excellent in man is much more in God.
3. Consider what a blessed comfort it is to have sin forgiven : Ps. xxxii. 1, 2, ' Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered : blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile.' Sin is a burden to a troubled conscience, too heavy to be borne. Oh, how great a blessing is it to be eased of this burden, and to have our filthiness covered, and not to have iniquity imputed to us, not to have our sins charged upon us to our condemnation !
Use 2. To stir us up not to offend God any more, or provoke him to anger by our sins. God's mercy in remission of sin should make us more cautious in committing it. Because the old score is wiped off, let us not run on upon a new one ; being washed, let us not defile ourselves again, and wallow in that mire again out of which we were so lately drawn. If God forgets and remembereth our sins no more, let us not act them over again, as if we would strive to make work for pardoning mercy, and shame and sorrow to ourselves, and set our teeth on edge with the forbidden fruit of sin, whereof we are now ashamed.
SEKMON II.
I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have over- come the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the ivicked one. — 1 John ii. 13, 14.
Observe in these words —
1. That there are three sorts of christians, ' fathers,' ' young men,' and ' little children.'
2. Several things are ascribed to them, correspondent and proper to every age —
[1.] To fathers, that ' they have known him that was from the beginning/ The knowledge of ancient things which are past is best befitting old men.
[2.] That which he ascribeth to young men is, that they 'are strong,' that ' the word of God abideth in them,' that they ' have over- come the wicked one.' Strength for war is fit for young men.
[3.] To babes and little children, 'because you have known the Father.' Little children acknowledge their parents are dear to them, hang about them, and cannot live without them.
VeR. 13, 14.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN IL 12-14. 391
I shall now insist upon the first observation, the distinction of three sort of christians, ' fathers,' ' young men,' and ' little children.' The question is, whether this distinction respects the diversity of their natural age, or their different measures of growth in grace ? Some apply it only to their natural age, others more properly under- stand it of their spiritual growth.
I shall give you the sense of these words in several propositions.