AN EXPOSITION OF 1 JOHN BY SAMUEL EYLES PIERCE

AN EXPOSITION

OF THE

FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN

IN A SERIES OF SERMONS.

1 JOHN 1: 6

SERMON VI.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.-1 JOHN 1: 6.

IN the former verse the apostle had expressed an immutable truth, concerning God ; which he received from the Lord Jesus Christ himself, from the very beginning of his being admitted to be one of his disciples and apostles, and which he was commanded to declare unto all saints : That God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Which he makes use of, to speak on the subject of having fellowship with him, of walking before Him, of doing the truth from the heart. He here asserts in the most positive terms, that such as say they have fellowship with God, and are in a state of sin, are liars. So are those also who live in any known sin. So are they also, who walk in the course of sin. It signifies not what they know: what they profess : what they are in the Church by office. The apostle puts in himself, and the rest of the apostles, including them all in the word we. Denying this to be a truth of them; or any others : whosoever, or whatsoever they were ; let them profess Christ the Essential Word, who was constituted by the will of the Three in the Essence existing, to be the Mediatorial Word, in consequence of which, He became the Incarnate Word; yet if they walked in darkness, in a state and course of sin, it was not speaking the truth, to say they had fellowship with God the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. This was contradictory to the message which the apostles had heard of Christ which they received from Him : which they declared in his Name. It was directly and positively contrary unto the same. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. Thus you see the introduction of the words, and from the same may have some general insight into the true and proper meaning of them. To open them, so as that the general and particular meaning of them may be clearly understood, I will divide them into the following particulars.

1. We have a positive declaration, we have no fellowship with God, whilst we are in a state of sin. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

2. What it is to walk in darkness, and what we are here to conceive of the same. Darkness is here opposed unto light : walking is a progressive motion. It is therefore expressive here, not only of being in a state of darkness, but of a walk according to that state. If we say that we have fellowship with God the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, and walk in darkness, we lie, even in so saying.

3. To walk in darkness, and say we have fellowship with Him, who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all. This is not to walk according to the truth. Such do not the truth. The truth of God is not in them, neither are they even externally influenced thereby. I think these particulars if properly opened and explained, will give us a full and clear account of the subjects contained in these words : If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. May the Lord himself help and guide me through each of these particulars, so as to do justice to the text, give you satisfaction, and glorify the Lord. To which I say Amen. For without him we can do nothing. I am

I. To set before you, that which we have before us. A positive apostolical declaration. Which is this : we have no fellowship with God, whilst we are in a state of sin. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. This is delivered by our apostle, in the name, and as the universal acknowledgment of all the apostles, that it was wholly incompatible with the grace of God, to have fellowship with God, whilst any remained in a sinful state. And the Lord Christ himself had expressed the impossibility of it, when he said to Nicodemus, " Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John iii. 3. But this being a truth which seems to be universally acknowledged by all sorts of persons, and our apostle using the word we, If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth, I conceive it does not, nor is it designed, to express the state and case of sinners in their unrenewed and unprofessing state, but it must belong to such as made a profession of Christ, and might make a boast of having communion with the Holy Trinity. Which subject he had been writing on, to this very intent, that the persons written to, might have the same blessed fellowship with himself, and the apostles in this unspeakable grace. His words are these. "That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." He could not write thus to unregenerate persons it could neither suit him, nor them. Therefore it must be saints, or such as were connected with them in church communion, and by a Gospel profession, whom he must have his eye, and design upon, when he says, This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. So that such as are designed by the apostle, most certainly were under a profession of the same truths, the apostles declared unto them. They professed the knowledge of the Person of Christ-of his eternity-of his incarnation and manifestation in the flesh-of his being the Essential Word-of his being That Eternal Life which was with the Father, before all time. They also professed they had received the knowledge of Him, and that they had communion with Him. It may here be observed, it was in John's time, as it now is. The outward visible church of Christ, was constituted both of persons who were born again of God, and who were not. The former were partakers of Christ : the latter not: yet what they were, was with the Lord, and not known to themselves, and others, until it was manifested by outward conduct; or by a defection and a departure from the truth. And this declaration of the apostle contained in our text, if we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth, might he designed in the first place, to prevent real saints from being careless and remiss : to arouse their minds : to reach their hearts : to express how the best of them, had need to watch their hearts : to be careful of their walk to avoid in themselves, and others, every thing which tended to sin ; seeing it would interrupt them in holding and maintaining communion with their heavenly Father. He being Light, Purity and Holiness, there could be no communion held with Him, if the mind was impure. No. Holiness becometh the house and worshippers of the Lord forever. As also in the second place, to declare that such persons who were under the influence of their own sins, and corruptions, could not, so long as this was the case, say what they might, have fellowship with the Lord. To shew the impossibility of the same, he expresseth the subject thus. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. Were we, the apostles of Christ, to be found walking in darkness, and at the same time were we to say, we have fellowship with God the Father, who is Light, and in him there is no darkness at all, we are liars : we tell lies : we lie, and do not the truth. The if here, is not to express it to be a possible case thus to act. No. They were established in the immutable truths of Christ's Person and salvation, and the love of the Father in Him to them. They were most immutably fixed in their knowledge and evidence, that they had communion with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, and had in their own souls the evidence of the real blessedness of the same. They knew the influence and effect which it produced in their hearts, tempers, frames, lives, and conversations. In their walk with God, and in their holy warfare against self, sin, the. world, and devil, they knew the blessed effects of what flowed into their minds, from their fellowship with God.

It was a preservative from sin : it saved them from it : their hatred against sin was increased by it. They could therefore set, and leave their seats on this as infallible truth, which concerned themselves, and others also. If we say that we have fellowship with him, (God the Father is the predicate here,) and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. Fellowship with God, and walking in sin, will never agree together. So that it may be here brought in by the apostle, by way of discrimination, to distinguish between one professor and another. The law of God is the holy will of God: by the which all sin is forbidden upon pain of eternal damnation. The gospel is a revelation of pure grace yet it connives at no one sin. It has no provision for the commission of any one sin, or any one act of sinfulness : whilst it contains a full, free, and glorious pardon of all sort and manner of sin. Yet this is founded on the sacrifice of Christ. And such as are effectually called, are, before they know Christ, and his salvation, brought by the omnipotent agency of the Holy Ghost, out of the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of God's dear Son. And on their being led to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, they hate sin with an eternal and an invincible hatred. It is a truth somewhere expressed by Dr. Goodwin, " that the gospel is more holy than the law." Not to contradict that most excellent Divine, how that can be I cannot say. For the law is holy: yea, it is immutably so : it is the will of God, and a transcript of his holiness. The gospel is as holy as the law : it being wholly and all of it from the Lord. Therefore the Doctor means most undoubtedly this-that there is a greater shine and display of God's holiness in the one than in the other. And this will be most readily admitted of. It contains the utmost shine of God in Christ, upon an elect world : it unfolds the glories of the Divine nature, and the Persons in God, beyond what the law doth : in it the Father shines on his Church, in the face of his anointed : and all the secrets of everlasting love, and divine clemency are declared. So that as the grace of the Gospel is unspeakable: so sins committed immediately and expressly out of opposition to it, are the most tremendous. And even such as are under the profession of the same, should be very careful of their walk and conversation : as should such as are the partakers of the grace of the gospel. It is not impossible but the apostle might have in his eye, what is too commonly a sin committed by persons under a profession of Christ in our day. Many will be bold and forward, they will put in their claim, and will insist on it, they have communion with the Lord, when it is evident by their whole walk and conversation, they have not. I do not here mean, such as are actually known to live in sin: I mean such as, as it respects outward things, are naturally religious, and devout : yet they know not Christ spiritually. His glories have never been supernaturally reflected on their minds, so as to have true and spiritual apprehensions of them : yet they will not acknowledge this, They are so far from this, that they will presume, and venture to assert they are as well acquainted with what is contained in fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, as any of the saints, be they who they may. Now it may be to knock off the fingers of such, the apostle expresses himself as he doth here ; with an if. For there were the same spirits in professors in John's days, as are in ours. He might well write such a sentence to such, as this before us. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. It implies, some would confidently affirm this to be their case, who were destitute of this grace and blessedness. They would not stand on telling a lie, that they might pass for saints on the highest form in the school of Christ. Yet their very want of spirituality was a witness against them yea, it was full proof, that they did not the truth : they neither walked in the truth, so as to give evidence of their having communion with God the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. So that their affirmation was real and substantial evidence, that the truth of this assertion could not be proved by them. Finally I conceive, the apostle writing thus, was to clear it to the very end of that age in which he lived, and down to the very end of time, that no unholy sinner could have fellowship with an holy God. Our Lord says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Now where the Holy Ghost hath created a new and spiritual mind, and illuminated the same with the true knowledge of God the Father, and of his Son Jesus Christ; by this means it is suited for communion with the Lord ; as without this it is not: so that it remains a truth, and an immutable one, that If we say that we have fellowship with God, who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all: yet walking in darkness at the same time we make this declaration, we lie, in so doing, and the truth of Christ's doctrine is not in us. I hope I have said enough to clear these words from any ambiguity. Therefore I will proceed to my next particular.

2. To state what it is to walk in darkness, and what we are here to conceive of the same. Darkness is here opposed unto Light : walking is a progressive motion. It is therefore expressive here, not only of being in a state of darkness, but of walking according to it. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. We lie in so saying. This therefore is to add sin to sin.

I am under this head, to set forth and state what it is to walk in darkness, what we are to conceive of the same. I have in the former head suggested, it is not here to be considered as referring wholly to an unregenerate (or unprofessing) state ; which is indeed a state of darkness and such as are in it, cannot but walk in darkness. And they walk on, and proceed, they being alive to sin, cannot but so do. But as what is here spoken, belongs to such as are in the visible church of Christ, the darkness here is to be applied to the inherency of sin, and to the power and prevalency of the same on the mind, so as to have its awful influence, and produce its sad effects on the heart, life, and conversation. Yea, this may be the case, where there are no outward evidences of the same for sin being a mental act, it may put forth abundance of its effects on the mind, which are only discernible unto the all seeing eye of God, and which the mind alone is conscious of. The best fruits and effects of grace, which are produced in the minds of saints, by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, towards the Lord Jesus Christ, and God our Heavenly Father in Him, are only known to the Lord. They are all in his sight. It is but seldom we have the spiritual discernment of them : so with respect to sin which dwelleth within us: it puts forth, and produces ten thousand acts in our minds, which serve to damp our affections, and draw off our hearts from the Lord, the fountain of living waters. Now there may be an abundance of heart departure from the Lord, when the outward walk, and deportment, may have no irregularity in it. Yet even this cannot but be accompanied with a neglect of communion with God ; which can only be maintained in us, as we give our hearts to Him. He can hold communion with us, when we cannot with Him : but we cannot hold communion with the Lord, if we regard iniquity in our hearts. I would here observe in the words of our text, darkness is here opposed unto light. So that by the term darkness here, we cannot but understand sin : as by light, as here set in opposition to darkness, we must naturally and necessarily understand grace. It must be so for this invincible reason in the former words the apostle had said, God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

The darkness spoken of in my text, is the darkness of sin. It is not in God, it is in us: it is our fallen nature: it is there it hath its sole existence. Out of it spring all the errors and heresies which ever were in the human mind. And I conceive errors in judgment, concerning spiritual and eternal things, are comprehended in the words of the apostle, who says, If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. We cannot have fellowship with God, who is light without darkness, and walk in darkness. As the darkness in the words before us must mean sin; so the light which is opposed to it must therefore be the light of grace, which is communicated unto us, in and with that new birth the Holy Ghost is pleased to produce in us, by his omnipotent power, when he brings us out of darkness, into his marvellous light. As hath been already hinted, every doctrine of men, every thing which is contrary to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, all such as are derogatory to the honour and dignity of Christ's Person, and opposite to the glory of the free grace of God, in Election, Predestination, Salvation, Effectual calling, Perseverance in Grace, and eternal Glorification, all such are mental errors, and are sins in the sight of the Lord and before Him. He hath given us his truth, not for us to pass our own judgments on the same, but for us to receive into our minds with all submission to his own revelation thereof. And there can be no communion between the Lord and us, but in the belief of the truth. When, and whilst at any time, we walk in the reception of any thing contrary to the truth as it is in Jesus, we cannot have fellowship with God, who is light, and in, and with whom there is no darkness of error. It may may be this darkness of error, may be designed by this phrase, we lie, and do not the truth. Paul says to the Thessalonians, "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God, for you brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 2 Epis. ii. 13. The whole life of faith consists in living in the belief of the truth. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. This is fully expressive, that at such times we are not walking according to the truth of the gospel, nor in the belief of the same. I am further to observe, that walking is a progressive motion. It is therefore made use of here, not as expressive of a state of darkness, but of walking according to the same. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness. None can walk with God, and have fellowship with him, who are in a state of sin : neither can such walk in the ways of sin : neither can such as go on, and proceed in ;the commission and practice of sin. Such as are under the influence of sin, cannot have fellowship with God, who is light, and in whom is no darkness at all : nor such either as are alive to sin, for such will most certainly live in it, and walk in it. Neither can such as live in the habit of any one sin : nor such as walk in a course of sin, and willingly and willfully commit it, walking after their own heart's lust. Nor can such as walk, and live in any doctrine contrary to the gospel of the grace of God. It is by the truth of the everlasting gospel, we can only live to the Lord. It is only, as the glories of Christ's Person shine in upon our minds, and the love of God is enjoyed in our hearts, we are drawn into communion with the Lord. It is the true knowledge of the same, which make us rejoice in the Lord. It is as the Holy Ghost is pleased to reveal Christ unto us, and in us, by taking of the things of Christ and shewing the same unto us, and thereby glorifies Jesus in us, and sheds abroad the Father's love in our hearts, that we rejoice in Him and have fellowship with God who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all. If therefore we abide in the darkness of sin ; walk in the ways of sin, secretly, or openly, let us say, and think, let us profess and express whatsoever we may of God's everlasting love, and concerning the Person, work, and Salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ: yet we have not, we cannot have any fellowship with God, and with his Son Jesus Christ, if we are not born from above, If we are walking in darkness, this being our state, and case, If we say that we have fellowship with him, who is light, and in whom, and with whom there is no darkness at all, we lie, and do not the truth. The truths and doctrines of Christ, are all like God himself: they are light : they are pure and perfect : they are according to godliness: they promote it: they increase it : they administer such motives for the true practice of it, as carry all before it. They are only properly received, through the channel of regeneration : it is in the regenerate mind they work effectually. It is by the truths of the everlasting gospel, and those which most immediately concern the glory of the self-existing Three in the self-existing Essence, with such as have an immediate respect to the Person, Worth, Glory, Excellency, Perfections of Christ, his love and salvation, which the Holy Ghost is pleased to work most immediately by, so as to lead real saints into real and actual communion with the Father, and the Son : by these he works effectually. It is in the true knowledge of these, he produces faith, and all " the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." The Holy Ghost lets in spiritual and supernatural light, into the renewed mind, so that - the path of the just is as the shining light; which shineth more and more unto the perfect day." I proceed to my last particular.

3. I am to shew, that to walk in darkness, and at the same time to say, we have fellowship with Him who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all ; this is not to walk according to truth : such do not the truth : the truth of God is not in them. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

Darkness and light can never become one: they are essentially distinct bodies : they cannot unite : it is contrary to their nature, properties, and qualities : the absence of the one, is the cause of the other. Sin and holiness are contraries to each other : there can be no communion with each other. Purity and impurity can have no commixture. Truth and error can never agree. There can be no walking in the truth, and at the same time living in that which is contradictory thereunto we cannot be true men, and at the same time utter lies. This appears to me to be the suns and substance, of the apostle's declaration and assertion here. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. We neither speak the truth, nor do we act the truth, nor according to it. As every thing which is not true must be falsehood, it must consequently be a lie. So the apostle avers such are liars, as make a profession of having communion with the Lord, who walk in sin, who embrace erroneous and bad doctrine, and are under the influence of the same. It might here be observed how clearly the apostle here speaks to the case. He is not speaking to such as made no profession of the Lord Jesus Christ, but to such as did.-He is not here upon the subject of free grace, but upon the glorious fruits and effects of it. He has been speaking on the very tendency of the truth, and what the truth of divine knowledge produces in the soul-Joy in God : yea, a fullness of joy. This is actually enjoyed in the spiritual mind, in communion with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ: the apostles enjoyed this : they would all the saints might partake of this inestimable favour : it being that unto which they were called. To this very end, and for this very express purpose, John wrote this Epistle to the saints : well knowing, their personal purity and holiness would increase and more fully appear, as they lived in real personal fellowship with the Lord. So that the words before us, may be considered, as designed to remove all impediments out of the way of real saints, which might prevent them from this holy fellowship with the Lord, as well as prevent such as were only professors from professing they had this blessedness in their souls, whereas they had not, by saying, This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. Suggesting hereby, that they should consider every unholy affection which might arise in their mind, if indulged, and given way unto, so as that their affections might be influenced thereby ; would be a preventive to their enjoyment of this most holy communion with Him, who is Light, Purity, and Holiness, beyond the uttermost of our conception, and who said to the saints under the Old Testament dispensation, and continues to say the same, under the present dispensation of grace, Be ye holy, for I the Lord your God am Holy. So it most certainly became them who called on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, to pass the time of their sojourning here, in this present time state, in his most holy fear. It might also be intended to put them on their guard, so as they might be preserved from receiving into their minds, that which might be the means of leading them off Christ. As for instance, such as have not with their hearts believed unto, or into the righteousness of Christ, as the end of the law for righteousness, can never aim after, nor desire to have fellowship with Him, who is the Lord Our Righteousness-with Him in whom all saints center ; and of whom they all say, "In the LORD have we righteousness and strength." We are made the righteousness of God in- Him. Yet if any error in judgment, arises in our minds to darken this, we cannot, so far as it prevails, have fellowship with Christ, as Jehovah our Righteousness before the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens. It must be so in, and as it respects all other branches of eternal and divine truths. It can only be in the true and clear knowledge of them, we are kept from those errors which are contrary to them : and it is by our true knowledge of them, we only can have communion with God in the belief of them, by the sacred influences which attend the reception of them into our minds. To be preserved from errors in judgment, respecting the glorious truths of divine revelation, is an unspeakable mercy. We only receive the knowledge of God ; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost into our hearts, as we receive the same in, and from the doctrine thereof set before us, in the word of inspiration in the sacred scriptures. The Holy Ghost teaches us nothing contrary to them : He teaches us nothing which is not contained in them : He neither leads us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, nor into fellowship with Him, and the Father in Him, but as he is pleased to make the written word the mean thereof. So that it is hereby we are most blessedly preserved from sin, and error, and are more and more advanced into true and real fellowship with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ. Thus I have endeavored to open the text before us, in the most comprehensive way and manner I could ; and I am not conscious of having done any injustice to it. For as it most assuredly must be confessed it must belong to the church of Christ, so it follows it is delivered by way of discrimination : which must be expressive here, not of saints, and open (or unprofessing) sinners, nor of saints as saints, so as to make a distinction between them as such : that is not the case here. It must therefore intend to point out some essential distinction between real saints and such as were merely and nominally so. We generally express ourselves on such a subject thus : we say, such are professors only : such are possessors. By the which we mean, such are only and merely professors of the doctrines of the gospel : such are the actual partakers of the grace of the gospel. Yet even the latter dare not say, if they walk in darkness, if they fall into sin, if they act and transact it in their minds, they have fellowship with God. He is light. So that even saints as saints, if they walk in the darkness of sin, and error, let it be ever so transiently, cannot say, at such times, and whilst in such cases; they have fellowship with Him. This is a truth worthy of the gospel. It sets a lustre on it. Therefore it should be in its place insisted on : yet not in the common way in which it is generally treated. We are generally disposed to insist, we must be holy that we may be interested in Christ : whereas holiness is the fruit of our being in Christ, not the cause of our being in Him. Our being in Christ is the fruit of God the Father's everlasting love to us, in Christ, God-Man : we being in Him, is our everlasting foundation. On this we are immutably fixed. From Christ, God-Man, as our Head, all the communicable blessings of the Holy Trinity flow forth in a way of communication to us. Nothing can put a stop to this. When we clearly apprehend this, and fully believe this, we have the real enjoyment of the same. When we live to ourselves in any instance, we drop our holy fellowship with the Lord. He being light without darkness, so there can be no fellowship on our parts, when we in any instance, be it in thought, word, or deed, act, or walk in the darkness of sin ; or receive, entertain, and maintain any thing contrary to sound doctrine, of the glorious gospel of the blessed God. Neither by such as have not received the Lord Jesus Christ, into their minds, hearts, consciences, and affections. To say, profess, or preach otherwise, is to declare a lie : it is to prove to a demonstration, that which is contrary to the truth ; we do not the truth we are not acting according to the truth : we do not agree with the truth If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. May the Lord seal and settle this as truth in our hearts, so as that at all times we may act under the influence thereof : so as to be kept from every thing which may mar and interrupt our communion with the Lord, and from acting, or saying that which is contradictory to his Truth, and so be chargeable with a lie, and not acting according to truth. Amen.