VeR 9.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. . 73
10. The evidence of this character, and as it concerneth the satis- faction of our consciences, is made to consist in two things — (1.) That he that is born of God doth not sin ; (2.) Cannot sin ; and both expres- sions contain great arguments in them.
[1.] That he doth not sin. It is not to be understood that he doth not sin at all, for the contrary is verified by sad and lamentable expe- rience ; nor yet it doth not limit and set out the bounds so exactly and plainly as that it may be stated in the word. If the scripture had set down how much sin is consistent with grace, we should then have gone as far as we could, and would not so strictly stand upon our guard as now we are obliged to do after such a warning and intimation. That the new creature doth not, cannot sin ; the very intent of these expressions is to make us afraid universally of all sin ; for the infirmities of the saints may be distinguished from the presumptions of the wicked, otherwise we could have no certainty of our sincerity, and the scripture would not distinguish between the spots of God's children and the spots of the perverse, Deut. xxxii. 5. Surely as the priests of the law had direction to distinguish between the leprosy that had malignity in it, and made the people utterly unclean, and the leprosy that did not fret the flesh, and made them only unclean for the present, so the ministers of the gospel have direction to distinguish between weaknesses and wilful failings. Yet there is great difficulty in the case ; partly because some sins, which in their nature are infirmities, may prove iniquities in the committer ; as suppose vain thoughts, idle words, distractions in payer, if a man abandoneth himself to them, the case is altered ; and partly because the same sin may be an infirmity in one man which is not in another, who hath more knowledge and helps of grace ; and partly because that may be an infirmity at one time which is not at another, as it cometh backed with temptations, which make such a sudden and forcible impression upon the will that there is no time of deliberation, but its consent is precipitated, whereas at other times the sin may be withstood and resisted ; and partly because that which was an infirmity at first may afterwards commence into ini- quity, as when a man hath sinned away his spiritual strength, broken the power of his will, lulled his conscience asleep by some foregoing sin ; partly because it is hard to determine how long sensual passions may keep the soul from sober consideration. Therefore our best way is to keep up a constant care and solicitous desire to please God in all things, at least to keep the soul from settling in a trade and course of vanity and sin.
[2.] The other part of the note, ' That he cannot sin ; ' that is, the constitution of his soul, or the settled purpose and habitual bent of his heart, is more against sin than for it ; and then it will follow that his constant course or the scope and tenor of his life is accordingly ; for where sin is more hated than loved, and men are sincerely willing to avoid it, they will be watchful against it, groan under the burden of it, seek to prevent and weaken it by all holy means, as I shall show in the next verse. But here a notable argument ariseth. If we should plead, You can avoid sin, at least more sin than you do, if you were sincerely willing, we should ])lead strongly, and leave you wholly under blame for your transgressions. It is a certain truth that a man hath power
74 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN 111. [SeR. XV.
to do more good than he doth, and avoid more evil than he doth avoid. But the Spirit of God puts the argument into other words, of a higher import and signification, 'You cannot sin ; ' as if the business were not whether you could avoid sin, but whether you can commit it, being thus constituted, and having these advantages of grace which you have. You complain, I cannot renounce this bewitching lust, whereas the debate lieth here, how you can live in it, and lie under the power of it ; which should rouse up christians out of their laziness and cowardly fears.
Use 2. Directions in this case.
1. The general mortification must go before the particular. The general mortification is when the first thorough change is wrought in us, and 'We put off the body of the sins of the flesh,' Col. ii. 11 ; for then the heart is fixed against sin. But the particular mortification is when some particular lust or sin is more struck at. Now the one must go before the other, because else all that we do is but like stop- ping a hole in a ruinous fabric, that is ready to drop upon our heads, or to make much ado about a cut finger when we have a mortal disease upon us. Besides, particular mortification dependeth on the general, as our avoiding sin doth on our being born of God : Col. iii. 9, * Put off all these, anger, wrath, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouths, seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds.' See- ing you have put off all corruption, allow yourselves in no one sin, Alas ! to set against a particular sin before you set against the whole body of sin, it is but to put a new patch upon a torn garment, and so to make the rent the worse ; or to lop off a branch or two while the root and trunk remaineth in full life and vigour, and so it sproutetli the more for cutting. Therefore look first after the general work, that you are born again ; when sin is stabbed at the heart, the particular branches and limbs die by degrees.