A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first Epistle generall of John by ... John Cotton ...

1 JOHN 3.4.

Whoso committeth sin, transgresseth the Law.

IN the words, and in the following to verse 7. he useth four motives to stir up to self-cleansing.

The 1. is from the danger of committing sin, proved from the proper defi∣nition of sin. Sin is the transgression of the Law.

2. From the end of Christs coming, and that was to take away sin.

3. From the pattern of Christ, who was without sin.

4. From the practice of such, as have any fellowship by union with Christ. Whosoever abideth in Christ sinneth not; Set out by the contrary, He that com∣mitteth sin, he hath neither seen Christ, nor known him.

Doct. It is and ought to be a sufficient motive to every hopeful christian, to abstain from sin, because it is the transgression of the Law, Numb. 14.41. Why will ye goe up? why will ye transgresse the Law?

The Rechabites were commended because they kept their fathers commande∣ment. And he hereby convinceth the Jewes of rebellion, that the Sons of mortall men should make more conscience of obeying their dead fathers, then his people of his Laws, Dan. 9.11. Neh. 9.34▪ 35. Rom. 2.22, 23, 24. Jam. 2.9.

Reas. 1 From the Law-giver, he looks at every sin as an abrogation of his ordinances, Deut. 27. ult. He that walks in his Law confirmeth it, sets his seal to it. They who breake it would make it of no force. This is one act of high rebellion against God, 2 Sam. 12.7, 8.

2 From the wrath and displeasure God pronounceth against every trans∣gressor, Jer. 7.19. & 44.4.

3. God takes it as a dishonour to the power and efficacy of his word, Jer. 5.22, 23. God looks at it as a more boysterous and unruly passage in a man to break the bounds of his Law, then for the Sea to breake its bounds.

4. From the delight God takes in the keeping and keepers of his Law, 1 Sam. 15.22. He more delights in obedience, then in the cattle of an hun∣dred hills, Prov. 23.26. My Son, give me thy heart. That is more acceptable then all the Sacrifices. Transgression is as rebellion, and the sin of witch∣craft.

Reas. 2. Feom the Law it self.

1 It's holy, just, and good, and therefore it is abominable to transgresse it. For this is a sin against Holinessc, Justice and Goodnesse.

2. From the vigour and efficacy of this Law, offering life to the obedient, Psal. 19.11. 1 Tim. 4.8. Psal. 119.16. death to the disobedient, Gal. 3.10. Isa. 59.1, 2. 2 Chron. 16.11.

Ʋse 1. To reprove such as are afraid to breake mens Laws, for feare of pe∣nalty, and are sensible of such dangers, but are not afraid to violate and breake the holy and righteous Lawes of God. This argues a most rebellious and re∣volting heart. Such are not hopefull christians.

2. To teach and exhort us to make conscience of all our wayes, and to take heed to our paths, lest we transgresse the Law, and sin against God, Prov. 28.9. If we turn away our ears from hearing Gods Law, even our prayers are abominable. The consideration of this should keep us from secret petty sins. For though man seeth not, yet God seeth and will punish, 2 Sam. 12.11, 12. If we think to get honour, profit, or pleasure by sin, we deceive our selves. Is it not as grievous a thing to have our soule wounded by our darling childe, as our mortall enemy? It is all one to be stabbed to the heart with a pen knife and with a sword. Every sin wounds and rents our hearts. Abstain we from all sin, even the least sin is the transgression of the Law.

3. This refutes such as think the Law is not given to the regenerate. The Apostle here encourageth hopefull christians not to transgresse the Law.

Obj. But we are not under the Law, but under grace.

Answ. He means we are not under the covenant of works, but of Grace, Psal. 119.105.

Obj. As Christs passive obedience freeth from the curse, so his active obedience freeth from the commanding power of the Law.

Answ. 1. Christ hath done this, and therefore those that are in Christ fear not death by their disobedience, nor look for life by their obedience; but we look at the Law as a rule of obedience, that we may walke according to God, and shew that we live by endeavouring to keep his commandements. Take heed of Satans slights, that would make the Gospel a Supersedeas to the Law in cer∣tain things; pray not, preach not, but when the Spirit moveth. Thus you shall set up a Spirit of delusion.

For sin is a transgression of the Law.

This is a perfect definition of sin; transgression is the genus, the Law the difference.

By Law in Scripture without addition, is meant the Law of the ten comman∣dements, Jam. 4, 11, 12. & 2.10, 11.

Obj. 1. What if a man sin against the Law of nature, is not that a sin?

Answ. Ir is in effect and substance the same, Rom. 2.15. Though the Law of nature was more dimly and darkly known, Moses law was but a new draught of the Law of nature in innocency. Heathen Law-givers, Philosophers, and Poets have expressed the effect of all the commandements save the tenth, Rom. 2, 14.15.

Obj. 2. Was it not a sin to transgresse the Ceremoniall and Judiciall Law?

Answ. To the Jewes it was. The ceremoniall Law was but an examplifi∣cation

of the second Commandement, and the Judiciall Law doth but ex∣plain the second Table. The Judiciall, in regard of the equity, is in∣cluded in the morall Law, the Ceremoniall stood in force till Christ dyed.

Obj. 3 Is it not a sin to transgresse the Gospel? and is not unbeliefe a sin? Joh. 16.9. Is not new obedience required in the Gospel? Joh. 14.21. Ezek. 36.27. What say you to the commandements of the Gospel, that we should walke as Christ walked?

Answ. The commandements of the Gospel are all of them reduceable under the commandements of the Law, God commanding perfect conformity and obedience to his whole will, not only revealed, but to be revealed. If God command David to bring in musick into the Temple, 2 Chron. 29.25. though Moses speake nothing of it, yet this was expressed, to heare and obey God in all things, Deut. 18.18. God commanded to hearken to Christ, Moses im∣properly and hiddenly delivered the substance of the Gospel, partly in the cere∣monial Law, partly in the Sacrament of circumcision and the passover. Christ was veyled under them, Rom. 10.5.6, 7, 8. with Deut. 30.12. The word of faith spoken of by Moses, Gal. 3.24.

Transgression is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, want of Law, and absence of it, when a man speaks and doth without Law, what we doe against it, or beside the Law, it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Reas. Taken from the end for which God gives the Law, to be the means of perfection, 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. Sin is called errour from the Law, Isa. 63.17. Jam. 5.20. Prov. 21.16. He that wanders out of the way of righteousnesse, shall rejoyce among the dead.

Ʋse 1 Of refutation of the works of Popish supererogation, which are held forth as better and more perfect then the Law, for the Law never commands such things; such are those monkish vows of perpetuall virginity and volunta∣ry poverty: if these be above the Law, then they are transgressors of the Law, Isa. 1.12, 13. Will a man be wiser then his maker, holyer then the Law-giver? Josh. 1.7, 8. To devise a worship better then God hath appointed, is worse then to faile in breaking Gods Law. This is meer impotency, the other is arro∣gancy, casting aspersion on Gods wisdome.

2. They further hold some sins to be veniall in themselves, some mortal. If they be sins, then they fall under the curse, The wages of sin is death.

3. That originall sin in the regenerate is no sin, but David saith, that he was conceived in sin; and original sin in whomsoever it is found, it is a trans∣gression of the tenth Commandement.

4. They say that mans Law doth binde the conscience, and the transgression of mans law is sin.

We answer and grant, when these laws are grounded on Gods Laws, they binde, not otherwise. If the breaking of mens lawes is a sin, then the keeping of them were a virtue, but this is hypocrisie, Isa. 29. We must be subject for conscience sake.

2 Against those that hold, that infants are without original sin, but the Scripture saith, they are conceived in sin.

3 To reprove the familists, who hold, that godly and regenerate men are in no wise subject to the Law, but are freed from the condemning and com∣manding power of it. But if they sin, then certainly they are transgressors of the Law.

Ʋse 2. Of instruction.

1. That all the sins and good things found in the whole Bible, are to be ranked within the compasse of the ten Commandements.

2. That all nations are under the Law.

3. That the Law and Gospel mutually thus agree. That the Law of Moses is included in the Gospel, and yet the Law and Gospel are not con∣founded

founded together. The Gospel requires that in the way of thankfulnesse we should keep the Commandements of God, Ezek. 36.27.

3 This should discourage us from all sin, and encourage us to labour to purge our selves from all sin. All sin is the transgression of the Law of God. Let not pleasures, profits, or credit allure us to sin against God; Shall we for our own ends sin against God, and so transgresse his holy, good, and righteous Law, we must take heed how we meddle with that we have no Law for. We must prove all our paths by the stony Tables of Gods Law, Psal. 119.105. Obedience is the fulfilling of the Law, and hath great recompence of reward.