There is a double argument couched in it. You make yourselves an opposite party to Christ, and so build again what he came to destroy ; or at least you do not improve the help and remedy offered. Let me open these things more particularly.
1. The argument itself, ' He that committeth sin is of the devil.' The argument is, that they who live in sin are so far from being the children of God, that they are the children of the devil ; for so must that 'of the devil' be interpreted ; for it is presently added in the 10th verse, ' In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of
VeR. 8.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 43
the devil ; ' and John viii. 44, ' Ye are of your father the devih' Like- ness inferreth relation ; as he that first inventeth, teacheth, or per- fecteth any art, is called the father of it or them that use it. So Gen. iv. 20, 21, ' Jahal was the father of them that dwell, in tents, and Jubal the father of such as handle the harp and the organ.' So Satan was the inventor of sin, and the beginner of sin and rebellion against God, and therefore the father of sinners.
2. It is confirmed with reasons.
[1.] That sin entitleth us to Satan, and showeth our cognation and kindred to him, and confederacy with him : ' For the devil sinneth from the beginning.' The devil is the eldest and greatest sinner, who presently sinned upon the creation, and ever since is the grand architect of wickedness, the author and promoter of sin among men. ' He sinneth' noteth a continued act; he never ceaseth to sin. He was created good, but kept not his first estate, fell betimes ; and having given himself over to sinning, abideth and proceedeth therein: John viii. 44, 'He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth ; ' Jude 6, * The angels kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation.'
[2.] That to belong to the devil misbecoraeth christians, and should be a detestable tiling among christians: 'For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.' Where observe —
(1.) The way the Son of God took to obviate this mischief, ' For this cause the Son of God was manifested.'
(2.) His end and design therein, ' That he might destroy the works of the devil.'
(1.) Tiie way the Son of God took ; he was manifested in our flesh : 1 Tim. iii. 16, ' And without controversy, great is the mystery of god- liness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, ])reached to the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into gloiy ; ' which compriseth all the acts of his mediation performed in our nature.- God had foretold in the first gospel that ever was preached tiiat 'the seed of the woman should break the serpent's head/ Gen. iii. 1.5 ; that in our nature, which was so soon foiled by Satan, one should come who would conquer and vanquish him, and introduce a love and care of holiness. The manifestation of the Son of God in the work of redemption doth apparently cross and counterwork Satan's design, which was first to dishonour God by a false representa- tion, as if he were envious of man's happiness. Now in the mystery of our redemption God is wonderfully magnified, and represented as amiable to man : ' For herein God commendeth his love to us,' Rom. V. 8 ; that the Son of man appeared for our relief, and died for our sins; partly to advance the nature of man, which in innocency stood so near God. Now that the human nature, so depiessed and abased by the malicious suggestions of the devil, should be elevated and advanced, and set so far above the angelical nature, and admitted to dwell wiih God in a personal union above all principalities and powers, Eph. i. 20, 21, surely this should be such an everlasting obligation upon us to adiiere to God and renounce Satan, that his counsels and sugges- tions should no more have place with us. This is the way he took.
44 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XII.
(2.) The end and desi(]:n, for this purpose, 'That he might destroy the works of the devil/ Where we have an act and an ohject.
(1st.) The act, to destroy. The word signifieth also to dissolve and loosen. To dissolve ; many things are destroyed when they are not dissolved ; as suppose a building, when the parts are taken asunder or severed one from another. So he came to dissolve that frame of wicked- ness and rebellion against God which Satan had introduced into the world. So it is said, ' Chi-ist came to finish transgression, and to make an end of sin,' Dan. ix. 24 ; and in time will do it. Or else to loosen or untie ; to loosen a chain or untie a knot ; and so it implieth that sins are so many chains, and cords, and snares, wherein we are bound and entangled : Lam. i. 14, ' The yoke of my transgression is bound by his hand ; they are wreathed and come up upon my neck ; ' and the wicked are said to be held with the cords of their own sins, Prov. v. 22. Christ came to loosen this yoke, to untie these cords.