2. The tenor of his life is for God ; his course is a course of godli- ness ; but in a natural man, his course is a course of sin, and he doth not avoid those failings which he might avoid if he were sincerely willing. Men are determined by their walk, whether it be after the flesh or after the Spirit, Rom. viii. 1. Their sins are not of settled interest and choice, but sudden passion.
3. To the godly sin is a great burden : Rom. vii. 24, ' 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? ' They are unwearied and instant in the use of means whereby they may get rid of it; they do not only dislike sin, but overcome it in some measure ; they are always cleansing their minds from vanity and sin, and ' perfecting holiness in the fear of God,' 2 Cor. vii. 1 ; ' As ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, and to please God, so you would abound therein yet more and more,' 1 Thes. iv. 1.
4. By their falls they are much better strengthened, and cautioned vol. xk. 2 1
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against sin for time to come : Ps. li. 6", ' In the hidden parts thou hast made me to know wisdom.' The others, if sin be complained of, it is not reformed nor mortified : they are sorry for their sins for a fit, but it is not a sorrow that wounds sin to the heart, that godly sorrow which worketh repentance unto salvation ' not to be repented of ; ' but the others do recover themselves in such a kindly manner that their health is bettered by their disease.
Use 2. Since it is hard to state how far a child of God may go in sinning, or what are mere infirmities consistent with grace, the best way will be to stand at a distance universally from all sin, hating all sin, and keeping a constant care and solicitude to please God in all things, and to pray with David, Ps. cxix. 133, ' Order my steps in thy word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.' It is enough to breed caution in us that a sin of infirmity in its own nature is a transgression of the law, whether it be imputed to us, yea or no ; and a man that doth not make conscience of infirmities will in time not make con- science of iniquities ; bnt that man that persists in a sinful course, cer- tainly doth not, cannot walk uprightly with God : 1 John v. 18, ' We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not ; but he that is be- gotten of God keepeth himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not.' When the rest of the world lieth in wickedness, the grace of God in his heart ordinarily is prevailing in him.
SEKMON VII.
Whosoever committeih sin transgresseth also the law ; for sin is a transgression of the law. — 1 John iii. 4.
From this scripture I have observed this doctrine —
That he that liveth in a course of sin forfeiteth the privileges of adoption offered to him, and maketh himself guilty before God as a breaker of the law.
I have showed you —
1. That all mankind is under the law of God, which still remaineth in force as an inviolable rule of righteousness.
2. That the nature and heinousness of sin is to be determined by a contrariety unto or want of conformity to this law.
3. That those that live in sin or the allowed breach of the law can- riot look upon themselves as God's adopted children, but are still under the curse of it.
4. I now come to show you the heinous nature of sin. Here — ■
I shall first show what heinousness, venom, and malignity there is in sin, to induce the children of God to a horror and hatred of it ; Secondly, Give you the practical corollaries thence ensuing, that sin should be an odious thing to christians, because it is a transgression of the law of God.
First, Let me speak of the evil of sin, as it is a transgression of the law. It may be represented —
VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 499
1. From the consideration of the lawgiver, to whom belongeth good- ness, wisdom, and power.
2. From the law itself, which may he considered either as to the precept or the sanction, by penalties and rewards.
3. The adjuncts of the law, which are — (1.) The providences where- by God confirmeth it ; (2.) The means whereby he doth enforce it ; (3.) The slenderness of the temptations that tempt and provoke us to break it.
If I should exactly follow this method, it would wonderfully show the malignity and evil nature of sin ; as if we consider the wisdom, power, and goodness of the lawgiver. His wisdom, as the law is given by a wise God, so sin is extreme folly. His goodness, and that is two- fold— either moral or beneficial. His moral goodness is his holiness and purity ; so sin is an express contrariety to it. His beneficial good- ness, which showeth his readiness to do good to the creature ; sin is a plain denial of it : or his actual beneficence, so sin is ingratitude. His power signifieth his authority, or might and strength. To break it, as it signifieth his authority, so sin is disobedience ; as his authority is grounded on his propriety, so it is robbery, or converting that which is another's to our own will. Or our covenant or consent by way of con- secration, so it is sacrilege. By way of marriage union, so it is not single fornication, but adultery. As it signifieth his might, strength, or omni potency, so it is a depreciation or contempt of his glorious majesty, or a slighting of his frowns, or a playing with the vengeance of the almighty and great God. I might go on, but because keeping to this method might be too perplexing to a popular auditory, I shall not exactly observe it, nor yet wholly deviate from it. Now I shall show you the heinousness, venom, and malignity there is in sin, the more to induce the children of God to a horror and hatred of it, in fourteen particulars.