If we have the Spirit of God in will he

consent, and profess his doctrine in our hearts. Now if the commandments of God be written in our hearts, our members cannot but practice them and shew the fruit. So whether light or darkness be in the heart, it will appear in the walking. For though our members be never so dead unto virtue, yet if our souls knowledge the truth, and consent unto righteousness, we have the spirit of life in us. And Paul saith, (Rom. viii.) If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from death be in you, then will he that raised up Jesus from death, quicken your mortal bodies, by the reason of the Spirit that dwelleth in So that it is not possible for him that knoweth the truth, Christ. and consenteth thereto, to continue in sin. And then finally, if we have the light in our hearts, and walk therein, then we have fellowship with God, and are his sons and heirs, and are purged from all sin through Christ's blood.

you.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and truth is not in us.

If we think there is no sin in us, we are beguiled and blind, and the light of God's word is not in us, and either follow sin as beasts without conscience at all; or if we see the gross sins, as murder, theft, and adultery, yet we have hanged a vail of false glosses upon Moses's face, and see not the brightness of the law, how that it requireth of us, as pure an heart to God, and as great love unto our neighbours as was in our Saviour Jesus, and ceaseth not before to condemn us as sinners.

If we knowledge our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighte

ousness.

If we confess our sins, not in the priest's ear, (though that tradition restored unto the right use were not damna

raise us up with Jesus

He that saith he

hath no

sin de

ceiveth himself,

If we confess our sins to

God with true faith

ble,) but in our hearts, to God, with true repentance and fast belief; then is he faithful to forgive and to purge us, because of his merciful truth and promise. For he proand repent- mised Abraham, that in his seed all the world should be ance, he blessed from the curse of sin. And hath abundantly renewed his everlasting mercy unto us in the New Testament, promising that our sins shall be forgiven us in Christ's blood, if we repent and trust thereto.

will forgive us.

All men are sinners.

Nothing

can be so well done,

be amend

ed.

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

For his word testifieth agianst us, that we are all sinners, yea, and else Christ died in vain. Solomon saith, (3 Kings viii.) That there is no man that sinneth not against God. And Paul proveth by the authority of the Scripture, unto the Romans, that we are all sinners without exception. And the Scripture witnesseth that we are damnable sinners, and that our nature is to sin. Which corrupt and poisoned nature, though it be begun to be healed, yet it is never thorough whole until the hour of death. For the which cause, with all our best fruits, there grow weeds among. Neither can there be any deed so perfect that could not be amended. When a blind bungler wondereth at his glorious works, a cunning workman that hath a clear judgment, perceiveth that it is unpossible to make a work that could not be made better. Now the law

but it may requireth works of us in the highest degree of perfection, and ceaseth not to accuse us until our works flow naturally, as glorious in perfection as the works of Christ. And Christ teacheth us to pray in our pater noster, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our trespassers. Whereby ye may easily understand, that we sin daily one against another, and all against God. Christ taught also to pray that our Father should not let us slip into temptation; signifying that our nature cannot but sin if occasions be given, except that God of his special grace keep us back. Which

readiness to sin is damnable sin in the law of God. David prayed (Psm. Ixviii.) Let not the tempest drown me, let me not fall into the bottom, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me: as who should say, First, keep me, O God, from sinning, then if I shall chance to fall, as no flesh can escape, one time or other, then call me shortly back again, and let me not sink too deep therein though I yet fall never so deep, yet Lord let not the way of mercy be stopped: signifying that it is unpossible to stand of ourselves, and much less to rise again. Which impotency and feebleness is damnable in the law of God, except that we saw it and repented, and were fled to Christ for mercy.

and

All the nais sinful.

ture of man

CHAP. II.

MY little children, I write these things unto you, that ye sin not. And though any man sin, yet we have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ, which is righteous.

I write unto you on the one side, that God is light, and therefore that no man which willingly walketh in the unfruitful works of darkness, hath any fellowship with that light, or part in the blood of his Son. And this I write and testify unto you my dear children, that ye sin not: that is, that ye consent not unto sin, nor should sin of lust and purpose maliciously; but contrariwise that fear God, and resist sin with all your might and power according as ye have promised. For whosoever sinneth of purpose after the knowledge of truth, the same sinneth against the Holy Ghost remediless. (Heb. vi. 10.)

And on the other side, I testify unto you that we be

We must resist sin

with all our

power and might.

We sin

daily by the frailty and weakness of our flesh.

Our advo

Jesus that

is God and

always sinners, though not of purpose and malice after the nature of damned devils, but of infirmity and frailty of our flesh, which flesh not only letteth us that our works cannot be perfect, but also now and then, through manifold occasions and temptations carrieth us clean out of the right way, spite of our hearts. Howbeit (I say) if when the rage is past, we turn unto the right way again, and confess our sins unto our Father with a repenting heart, he hath promised us mercy, and is true to fulfil it. So that if we sin not devilishly against the Holy Ghost, refusing the doctrine which we cannot improve that it should not be true, but after the frailty of man, there is no cause to despair; for we have an advocate and an intercessor with the Father, even Jesus Christ that is righteous.

The name of our advocate is Jesus, that is to say, a cate Jesus. Saviour. Call his name Jesus, said the angel to Joseph; for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matt. i.) And this advocate and our Jesus, to save us from our sins, continueth ever, as it written, (Heb vii.) and hath, Sempiternum Sacerdotium, an everlasting office, to make an atonement for sin; by the reason whereof (saith the text) he is able ever to save them that come to God through him, with repentance and faith, and liveth ever to speak for us. And besides that, our Jesus is God and almighty. He took our nature upon him, and felt all our infirmities and sicknessess, and in feeling learned to have compassion on us, and for compassion cried mightily in prayers to God the Father for us, and was heard. And the voice of the same blood that once cried, not for vengeance as Abel's, but for mercy only, and was heard, crieth now and ever, and is ever heard, as oft as we call unto remembrance with repenting faith how that it was shed for our sins. He is also called Christus, that is to say, king anointed with all might and power over sin, death and hell, and over all sins; so that none that flieth unto him shall ever come into judgment of damnation. He is

man, calleth unto thee O Father,

for us.

Christus.

anointed with all fulness of grace, and hath all the treasure and riches of the Spirit of God in his hand, with which he blesseth all men according to the promise made By Jesus to Abraham, and is thereto merciful to forgive unto all that call on him. And how much he loveth us, I report me unto the ensamples of his deeds.

And he is righteous, both toward God in that he never sinned, and therefore hath obtained all his favour and grace; and also toward us in that he is true to fulfil all the mercy that he hath promised us, even unto the uttermost jot.

And he is the satisfaction for our sins, and not for our's only, but also for all the world's.

That I call satisfaction, the Greek calleth Ilasmos, and the Hebrew Copar. And it is first taken for the suaging of wounds, sores, and swellings, and the taking away of pain and smart of them. And thence is borrowed for the pacifying and suaging of wrath and anger, and for an amends making, a contenting, satisfaction, a ransom, and making at one, as it is to see abundantly in the Bible. So that Christ is a full contenting, satisfaction and ransom for our sins. And not for our's only, which are apostles and disciples of Christ while he was yet here; or for our's which are Jews or Israelites and the seed of Abraham; or for our's that now believe at this present time, but for all men's sins, both for their sins which went before and believed the promises to come, and for our's which have seen them fulfilled, and also for all them which shall afterward believe unto the world's end, of whatsoever nation or degree they be. For Paul commandeth, (1 Tim. ii.) To pray for all men and all degrees, saying, that tobe acceptable unto our Saviour God, which will have all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, that is some of all nations and all degrees, and not the Jews only. (saith he) there is one God, and one Mediator between

For

Christ we

are made blessed.