and malicious as a habit in others; but by the words of our blessed Saviour, that the "devil is the father of lies;" and therefore every one that tells a lie, is of the devil; 'eatenus.'-To which add also the words of St. John explicating his whole design in these and all his other words; "These things I write unto you, that ye might not sin,” that is, that ye might not do sinful actions; for it cannot be supposed, that he did not as verily intend to prevent every sin, as any sin, or that he would only have men to beware of habitual sins, and not of actual, single sins, without which caution he could never have prevented the habitual. To do sin is to do one, or to do many; and are both forbidden under the same danger.

28. The same manner of expression in a differing matter hath a different signification. To do sin is to do any one act of it: but to do righteousness is to do it habitually. ‘He that doth sin,' that is, one act of sin, 'is of the devil;' but 'he that doth righteousness,' viz. habitually, 'he only is righteous.'-The reason of the difference is this, because one sin can destroy a man, but one act of virtue cannot make him alive. As a phial is broken, though but a piece of its lip be cut away; but it is not whole, unless it be entire and unbroken in every part. "Bonum ex integrâ causâ, malum ex qualibet particulari b." And therefore since he that does righteousness', in St. John's phrase, 'is righteous ;' and yet no man is righteous for doing one act of righteousness; it follows, that by doing righteousness he must mean doing it habitually. But because one blow can kill a man or wound him desperately; therefore when St. John speaks of 'doing sin,' he means doing any sin, any way, or in any degree of act or habit. For this is that we are commanded by the Spirit of Christ; we must περιπατεῖν ἀκριβῶς, “ walk exactly, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any thing of that nature, ayioi kai auwμoi, holy and unblamable ;" so must the church be; that is, so must be all the faithful, or the men and women of the Christian church; for the church is nothing but a congregation or collective body of believing persons; Christ therefore intending to represent the church to God 'without spot, or wrinkle, or fault;' intends that all his servants should be so. For, let no man deceive himself. Eph. v. 15. 27. a Cæsar. Arelat, hom. 16.

b Dionys. de Divin. Nomin.

"Omnis homo, qui post baptismum, mortalia crimina commiserit; hoc est, homicidium, adulterium, furtum, falsum testimonium, vel reliqua crimina perpetravit, unde per legem mundanam mori poterat, si pœnitentiam non egerit, eleemosynam justam non fecerit, nunquam habebit vitam æternam, sed cum diabolo descendet ad inferna:" "Every man who, after his baptism, hath committed mortal or killing sins, that is to say, murder, adultery, theft, false witness, or any other crimes which are capital by human laws, if he does not repent, if he does not give just measures of alms, he shall not have eternal life, but with the devil he shall descend into hell." This is the sad sentence against all single acts of şin in the capital or greater instances.

28. But upon this account who can be justified? Who can hope for heaven, since even the most righteous man that is, sinneth; and by single acts of unworthiness interrupts his course of piety, and pollutes his spirit? If a single act of these great or mortal sins can stand with the state of grace, then not acts of these but habits are forbidden, and these only shut a man from heaven. But if one single act destroys the state of grace, and puts a man out of God's favour, then no man abides in it long: and what shall be at the end of these things?

29. To this I answer, that single acts are continually forbidden, and in every period of their commission displease God, and provoke him to anger. To abide in any one sin, or to do it often, or to love it, is against the covenant of the Gospel, and the essence and nature of repentance, which is a conversion from sin to righteousness: but every single act is against the cautions and watchfulness of repentance. It is an act of death, but not a state; it is the way of death, but is not in the possession of it. It is true that every single act of fornication merits an eternal hell; yet when we name it to be a single act, we suppose it to be no more, that is, to be rescinded and immediately cut off by a vigorous and proportionable repentance: if it be not, it is more than a single act, for it is a habit, as I shall remonstrate in the chapter of habits. But then upon this account a single act of any sin may be incident to the state of a good man, and yet not destroy his interests or his hopes; but it is upon no other ground

but this, it is a single act, and it does not abide there, but passes immediately into repentance: and then though it did interrupt or discompose the state of grace or the divine favour, yet it did not destroy it quite. The man may pray David's prayer: "I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost: O seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments."

30. So that if a man asks whether a good man, falling into one act of these great sins, still remains a good man ; the answer is to be made upon this consideration;—he is a good man that is so sorry for his sin, and so hates it, that he will not abide in it: and this is the best indication, that in the act there was something very pitiable, because the man's affections abide not there; the good man was smitten in a weak part, or in an ill hour, and then repents: for such is our goodness; to need repentance daily for smaller things, and too often for greater things. But be they great or little, they must be speedily repented of; and he that does so, is a good man still. Not but that the single act is highly damnable, and exclusive of heaven, if itself were not excluded from his affections: but it does not the mischief, because he does not suffer it to proceed in finishing that death, which it would have effected, if the poison had not been speedily expelled, before it had seized upon a vital part.

31. But, secondly, I answer, that being in the state of grace is a praise of the schools, and is of a large and almost infinite comprehension. Every Christian is in some degree in the state of grace, so long as he is invited to repentance, and so long as he is capable of the prayers of the church. This we learn from those words of St. John," All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death;" that is, some sorts of sins are so incident to the condition of men, and their state of imperfection, that the man who hath committed them, is still within the methods of pardon, and hath not forfeited his title to the promises and covenant of repentance: but there is a sin unto death; that is, some men proceed beyond the measures and economy of the Gospel, and the usual methods and probabilities of repentance, by obstinacy, and preserving a sin, by a wilful, spiteful resisting, or despising the offers of grace and the means of pardon; for such a man

St. John does not encourage us to pray: if he be such a person as St. John described, our prayers will do him no good; but because no man can tell the last minute or period of par don, nor just when a man is gone beyond the limit; and because the limit itself can be enlarged, and God's mercies stay for some longer than for others, therefore St. John left us under this indefinite restraint and caution; which was decretory enough to represent that sad state of things, in which the refractory and impenitent have immerged themselves, and yet so indefinite and cautious, that we may not be too forward in applying it to particulars, nor in prescribing measures to the divine mercy, nor passing final sentences upon our brother, before we have heard our judge himself speak. Sinning a sin not unto death,' is an expression fully signifying, that there are some sins, which though they be committed and displeased God, and must be repented of, and need many and mighty prayers for their pardon,-yet the man is in the state of grace and pardon, that is, he is within the covenant of mercy; he may be admitted to repentance, if he will return to his duty: so that being in the state of grace, is having a title to God's loving-kindness, a not being rejected of God, but a being beloved by him to certain purposes mercy, and that hath these measures and degrees.

of

32. I. A wicked Christian that lives vilely, and yet is called to repentance by the vigorous and fervent sermons of the Gospel, is in a state of grace,—of this grace. God would fain save him, willing he is and desirous he should live; but his mercy to him goes but thus far, that he still continues the means of his salvation; he is angry with him, but not finally. The Jews were in some portions of this state until the final day came, in which God would not be merciful any more: "Even in this thy day, O Jerusalem," said our blessed Saviour; so long as their day lasted, their state of grace lasted; God had mercy for them, if they had had gracious hearts to receive it.

33. II. But he that begins to leave his sins, and is in a continual contestation against them, and yet falls often, even most commonly, at the return of the temptation, and sin does in some measure prevail; he is in a state of further grace, nearer to pardon, as he is nearer to holiness; his hopes are greater and nearer to performance; "He is not far

from the kingdom of heaven," so our blessed Lord expressed the like condition; he is τεταγμένος εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ordered, disposed towards life eternal:" and this is a further approach towards the state of life.

34. He that loves no sin, but hath overcome his affections to all, and hates all, but yet with so imperfect a choice or aversation, that his faith is weak, and his repentance like an infant; this man is in a better state than both the former: God will not quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed;' God hath in some measure prevailed upon him: and as God is ready to receive the first unto the means, and the second unto the grace of repentance; so this third he is ready to receive unto pardon, if he shall grow and persevere in grace. And these are the several stages and periods of being in the state of grace.

I. With the first of these not only an act, but a habit of sin is consistent; but how long and how far, God only knows.

II. With the second period a frequency of falling into single sins is consistent: but if he comes not out of this state, and proceed to the third period, he will relapse to the first: he must not stay here long.

III. But they that are in the third period, do sometimes fall into single sins, but it is but seldom, and it is without any remanent portion of affection, but not without much displeasure and a speedy repentance; and to this person, the proper remedy is to grow in grace: for if he does not, he cannot either be secure of the present, or confident of the future.

35. IV. But then if, by being in the state of grace, is meant, a being actually pardoned and beloved of God unto salvation, so that if a man dies so, he shall be saved,-it is certain that every deliberate sin, every act of sin that is considered and chosen, puts a man out of the state of grace; that is, the act of sin is still upon his account, he is not actually pardoned in that for any other worthiness of state, or relation of person; he must come to new accounts for that; and if he dies without a moral retractation of it, he is in a sad condition, if God should deal with him summo jure,' that is, "be extreme to mark that which was done amiss."-The single act is highly damnable; the wages of it are death,' it defiles a man;' it excludes from heaven, it grieves the