SERMON VI.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law ; for sin is a transgression of the law. — 1 John iii. 4.
In the words we have a new argument to persuade to holiness. He had reasoned before from the dignity of our adoption ; now from the indignity or base nature of sin, which is an act of rebellion and disloyalty against the sovereignty of God ; it is in effect to proclaim war, or to break out into open rebellion against his laws : for ' whosoever com- mitteth sin,' &c.
In which words observe —
1. A proposition concerning the danger of committing sin, ' Whoso- ever committeth sin.'
2. The proof of it from the proper definition of sin, it ' is a trans- gression of the law.'
The proposition respects the state of the sinner, the proof is taken from the nature of sin ; the proposition showeth who is in the state of sin, the proof what is sin.
1. Who is in the state of sin ; and so every transgressor of the law, even according to the new-covenant interpretation of it.
Observe here —
VER. 4.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 489
[1.] The subject, ' He that eommitteth sin.' To commit sin differeth from sinning simply taken ; we all have sin in the habit : 1 John i. 8, ' If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us ; ' and ' If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us,' ver. 10. We have sin in us, and we have sinned ; but committing sin implieth something more than bare sinning : John viii. 34, ' Whosoever eommitteth sin is the servant of sin ; ' 1 John iii. 8, ' He that eommitteth sin is of the devil ; ' they that give up themselves to a trade of sin. It is not meant of those who have sin in them, or are conscious to daily infirmities and failings, and lament and strive against them, and labour to purify themselves yet more and more : quisquis dat operam peccato ; so Beza rendereth it, one that is addicted to sin, and liveth in sin, against the checks of his own conscience, and doth not purify himself, and apply himself to a course of godliness.
[2.] The predicate, ' He transgresseth the law.' I would render it eommitteth a transgression ©f the law, or studiously breaketh it, and so forfeiteth the blessing of the gospel ; for wittingly and willingly to break the law of God showeth we are under the curse of it. All are under the rule of the law, but the impenitent are under the curse of the law. It is not meant of those who sin out of infirmity, either through ignorance or incogitancy or general frailty ; but of those who delight in sin, of those in whom sin reigneth ; of those who deliber- ately, voluntarily, easily, freely, frequently break God's laws. It is opposed to him that purifieth himself ; as sin and purity are contrary, so to purify ourselves and encourage sin, are exactly contrary.
(1.) Their designs are contrary ; the one is fitting himself for his everlasting estate, the other satisfieth his present lust's, and liveth according to the inclination of the flesh.
(2.) They are different in their course ; the one bendeth all his endeavours to be holy and pure, as Christ is pure, the other giveth up himself to a sinful life ; either maketh it his design to sin, or he giveth the boat to the stream, and does not heartily check and resist sin. Some wicked men's hearts are set in them to do evil ; but if they go not so far to make it their design and work to sin, yet they are grossly negligent ; they do not make it their work not to sin, but let it reign in them. Of one sort of unregenerate men it may be said, non pro- ponunt peccare ; but of all unregenerate^en, proponunt non peccare. Some are sons of Belial, who have no regard to the law of God, but live in an utter contempt and defiance thereof ; but others do not frame their doings to observe it, nor improve the aids of grace to keep themselves from it, but customarily break it, live under a con- tinual tenor and course of sin. Now if sin reign in them, they are not under grace, but under the law, transgressors in the new covenant sense.
2. The reason, ' For sin is a trangression of the law ; ' and wilful sin is a contempt of the law in general. It doth not become christians to do anything which doth disagree with the law of their Father ; but though God dispenses with infirmities, he will not bear with iniquities ; therefore if we remain in a sinful state, or live a sinful life, what manner of persons soever we are by profession, or how little soever
1 Qu. 'regenerate'? — Ed.
490 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III.' [SeK. VT.
those sins which we live in be esteemed in the world, they will prove baneful to our souls. Many carnal men, under colour of being freed from the curse of the law by Christ, indulge themselves in their sins, and either think they shall not be called to an account for these things, or, if they cry to God for mercy, think all is well, though they frequently, constantly, easily relapse into those sins again and again, and so turn the grace of God into wantonness, Jude 4 ; christian liberty into licentiousness, 2 Peter ii. 19. Now these are transgressors of the law, and must appear as such, and answer as such before the bar of God. And it is also a caution to good men ; they must not flatter themselves in their sins, nor give way even to their infirmities, as if they were no sins. No ; they are breaches of the law, and if we give way to them, we are pronounced as transgressors of it : Num. xiv. 41, ' Wherefore should ye transgress the commandment of the Lord your God ? ' Dan. ix. 11, ' All Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice ; therefore the curse is poured upon us.'