re not conjoined. He that would pretend to
a righteousness of Christ, without him, must withal study to have the
righteousness of the law fulfilled within him, and he that endeavours to
have holiness within must withal go out of himself, to seek a
righteousness without him, whereupon to build his peace and acceptance
with God, or else, neither of them hath truly any righteousness without
them, to cover them, or holiness within, to cleanse them. Now, here the
beloved apostle shows us this divine contexture of the gospel. The great
and comprehensive end and design of the gospel is, peace in pardon of sin,
and purity from sin. "These things I write unto you, that you sin not,"
&c. The gospel is comprised in commands and promises, both make one web,
and link in together. The immediate end of the command is, "that we sin
not," nay, but there is another thing always either expressly added, or
tacitly understood--"but if any man sin," that desires not to sin, "we have
an advocate with the Father." So the promise comes in as a subsidiary help
to all the precepts. It is annexed to give security to a poor soul from
despair, and therefore the apostle teacheth you a blessed art of
constructing all the commands and exhortations of the gospel, those of the
highest pitch, by supplying the full sense with this happy and seasonable
caution or caveat, "but if any man sin," &c. Doth that command, "Be ye
holy as I am holy," perfect as your heavenly Father, which sounds so much
unattainable perfection, and seems to hold forth an inimitable pattern,
doth it, I say, discourage thee? Then, use the apostle's art, add this
caution to the command, subjoin this sweet exceptive,--"but if any man,"
that desires to be holy, and gives himself to this study, fail often, and
fall and defile himself with unholiness, let him not despair, but know,
that he hath "an advocate with the Father." If that of Paul's urge thee,
"present your bodies a living sacrifice,--and be not conformed to the
world," but transformed, and "glorify God in your bodies and spirits,"
which are his, (Rom. xii. 1, 2, 1 Cor. vi. 20,)--and, cleanse yourselves
"from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit," (2 Cor. vii. 1,)--and, "walk
in the Spirit," and "walk as children of the light," &c.,--if these do too
rigorously exact upon thee, so as to make thee lose thy peace, and weaken
thy heart and hands, learn to make out a full sentence, and fill up the
full sense and meaning of the gospel,