Part 3

3. The necessary fruit of this love of God, is the love of our neighbour, of every soul which God hath made; not excepting our enemies, not excepting those who are now _despitefully using and ♦persecuting us_: a love, whereby we love every man _as ourselves_, as we love our own souls. Nay, our Lord has expressed it still more strongly, teaching us to _love one another even as he hath loved us_. Accordingly the commandment written in the hearts of all those that love God, is no other than this, _As I have loved you, so love ye one another_. Now [27]_herein perceive we the love of_ God, _in that he laid down his life for us. We ought_ then, as the apostle justly infers, _to lay down our lives for our brethren_. If we feel ourselves ready to do this, then do we truly love our neighbour. Then [28]_we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we_ thus _love our brethren_. [29]_Hereby know we_ that we are born of God, that we _dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his_ loving _Spirit_. For [30]_love is of_ God, _and every one that_ thus _loveth, is born of_ God _and knoweth_ God.

5. But some may possibly ask, Does not the apostle say, [31]_This is the love of_ God, _that we keep his commandments_? Yea; and this is the love of our neighbour also, in the same sense as it is the love of God. But what would you infer from hence? That the keeping the outward commandments is all that is implied in loving God with all your heart, with all your mind, and soul, and strength, and in loving your neighbour as yourself? That the love of God is not an affection of the soul, but merely an _outward service_? And that the love of our neighbour is not a disposition of heart, but barely a course of _outward works_! To mention so wild an interpretation of the apostle’s words, is sufficiently to confute it. The plain indisputable meaning of that text is, _This is the_ sign or proof of the _love of_ God, of our keeping the first and great commandment, to keep all the rest of his commandments. For true love, if it be once shed abroad in our heart, will constrain us so to do: since whosoever loves God with all his heart, cannot but serve him with all his strength.

5. A second fruit then of the love of God, (so far as it can be distinguished from it) is universal obedience to him we love, and conformity to his will: obedience to all the commands of God, internal and external: obedience of the heart and of the life, in every temper, and in all manner of conversation. And one of the tempers most obviously implied herein is, the being _zealous of good works_; the hungring and thirsting to do good, in every possible kind, unto all men; the rejoicing to _spend and be spent for them_, for every child of man, not looking for any recompence in this world, but only in the resurrection of the just.

IV. 1. Thus have I plainly laid down those marks of the new-birth, which I find laid down in scripture. Thus doth God himself answer that weighty question, What it is to be born of God? Such, if the appeal be made to the oracles of God, is _every one that is born of the Spirit_. This it is, in the judgment of the Spirit of God, to be a son or a child of God. It is, so to believe in God thro’ _Christ_, as _not to commit sin_, and to enjoy at all times and in all places, that _peace of_ God _which passeth all understanding_. It is, so to _hope_ in God ♦through the Son of his love, as to have not only the _testimony of a good conscience_, but also the Spirit of God _bearing witness with your spirits, that ye are the children of_ God; whence cannot but spring, the _rejoicing in him through whom ye have received the atonement_. It is so to _love_ God, who hath thus loved you, as you never did love any creature: so that ye are constrained to love all men as yourselves; with a love not only ever burning in your hearts, but flaming out in all your actions and conversations, and making your whole life one _labour of love_, one continued obedience to those commands, _Be ye merciful, as_ God _is merciful; Be ye holy, as I the_ Lord _am holy; Be ye perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect_.

2. Who then are ye that are thus born of God? Ye _know the things which are given to you of_ God. Ye well know, that ye are the children of God, and _can assure your hearts before him_. And every one of you who has observed these words, cannot but feel and know of a truth, whether at this hour, (answer to God and not to man!) you are thus a child of God or no? The question is not, what you was made in baptism: (do not evade:) but, what you are now? Is the Spirit of adoption now in your heart? To your own heart let the appeal ♦be made. I ask not, whether you _was_ born of water and of the Spirit. *But _are_ you _now_ the temple of the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in you? I allow you _was circumcised with the circumcision of_ Christ, (as St. _Paul_ emphatically terms baptism) but does the Spirit of _Christ_ and of glory _now_ rest upon you? Else _your circumcision is become uncircumcision_.

3. Say not then in your heart, I _was once_ baptized, therefore I _am now_ a child of God? Alas, that consequence will by no means hold. How many are the baptized gluttons and drunkards, the baptized liars and common swearers, the baptized railers and evil-speakers, the baptized whoremongers, thieves, extortioners? What think you? Are these now the children of God? Verily I say unto you, whosoever you are, unto whom any one of the preceding characters belong, _ye are of your father the devil, and the works of your father ye do_. Unto you I call in the name of him whom you crucify afresh, and in his words to your circumcised predecessors, _Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell_?

4. How indeed, except ye be born again! For ye are now dead in trespasses and sins. To say then, that ye cannot be born again, that there is no new-birth but in baptism, is to seal you all under damnation, to consign you to hell, without help, without hope. And perhaps some may think this just and right. In their zeal for the Lord of Hosts, they may say, “Yea, cut off the sinners, the _Amalekites_! Let these _Gibeonites_ be utterly destroyed! They deserve no less.”――No; nor I: nor you.――Mine and your desert, as well as theirs, is hell. And it is mere mercy, free undeserved mercy, that _we_ are not now in unquenchable fire. You will say, “But we are washed, we were born again of water and of the Spirit.” So _were_ they. This therefore hinders not at all, but that ye may _now_ be even as they. Know ye not, that _what is highly esteemed of men is an abomination in the sight of_ God? Come forth, ye “saints of the world,” ye that are honoured of men, and see who will cast the first stone at them, at these wretches, not fit to live upon the earth, these common harlots, adulterers, murderers. Only learn ye first what that meaneth, [32]_He that hateth his brother is a murderer_.――[33]_He that looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart._――[34]_Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not, that the friendship of the world, is enmity with_ God?

5. _Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye_ also _must be born again. Except_ ye also _be born again, ye cannot see the kingdom of_ God. Lean no more on the staff of that broken reed, that ye _were_ born again in baptism. Who denies that ye were then made “children of God, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven?” But notwithstanding this, ye are now children of the devil. Therefore ye must be born again. And let not _Satan_ put it into your heart, to cavil at a word, when the thing is clear. Ye have heard, what are the marks of the children of God: all ye who have them not on your souls, baptized or unbaptized, must needs receive them, or without doubt ye will perish everlastingly. And if ye have been baptized, your only hope is this, that those who were made the children of God by baptism, but are now the children of the devil, may yet again receive _power, to become the sons of_ God: that they may receive again what they have lost, even the _Spirit of adoption, crying in their hearts, Abba, Father_!

6. Amen, Lord Jesus! May every one who prepareth his heart yet again to seek thy face, receive again that Spirit of adoption, and cry out, Abba, Father! Let him now again have power, so to believe in thy name, as to become a child of God; as to know and feel he hath _redemption in thy blood even the forgiveness of sins_, and that he _cannot commit sin, because he is born of_ God. Let him be now _begotten again unto a living hope_, so as to _purify himself, as thou art pure_! And _because he is a son_, let the Spirit of love and of glory rest upon him, cleansing him _from all filthiness of flesh and spirit_, and teaching him _to perfect holiness in the fear of_ God!

SERMON XIX.

THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF THOSE THAT ARE BORN OF GOD. 1 JOHN iii. 9.

_Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin._

1. IT has been frequently supposed, that the being born of God was all one with the being justified; that the new birth and justification were only different expressions, denoting the same thing: it being certain on the one hand, that whoever is justified, is also born of God; and on the other, that whoever is born of God, is also justified: yea, that both these gifts of God are given to every believer in one and the same moment. In one point of time his sins are blotted out, and he is born again of God.

2. But though it be allowed, that justification and the new birth are in point of time inseparable from each other, yet are they easily distinguished, as being not the same, but things of a widely different nature. Justification implies only a relative, the new birth a real change. God in justifying us, does something _for_ us: in begetting us again, he does the work _in_ us. The former changes our outward relation to God, so that of enemies we become children. By the latter, our inmost souls are changed, so that of sinners we become saints. The one restores us to the favour, the other to the image of God. The one is, the taking away the guilt, the other, the taking away the power of sin. So that although they are joined together in point of time, yet are they of wholly distinct natures.

3. The not discerning this, the not observing the wide difference there is, between being justified and being born again, has occasioned exceeding great confusion of thought, in many who have treated on this subject: particularly when they have attempted to explain this great privilege of the children of God; to shew how _whosoever is born of_ God, _doth not commit sin_.

4. In order to apprehend this clearly, it may be necessary, first, to consider what is the proper meaning of that expression, _Whosoever is born of_ God; and, secondly, to enquire, in what sense he _doth not commit sin_.

I. 1. First, we are to consider, what is the proper meaning of that expression, _Whosoever is born of_ God. And in general, from all the passages of holy writ, wherein this expression the being _born of_ God, occurs, we may learn that it implies not barely the being baptized, or any outward change whatever; but a vast inward change, a change wrought in the soul, by the operation of the Holy Ghost: a change in the whole manner of our existence; for from the moment we are _born of_ God, we live in quite another manner than we did before; we are, as it were, in another world.

2. The ground and reason of the expression, is easy to be understood. When we undergo this great change, we may with much propriety be said _to be born again_, because there is so near a resemblance between the circumstances of the natural and of the spiritual birth: so that to consider the circumstances of the natural birth, is the most easy way to understand the spiritual.

3. The child which is not yet born, subsists indeed by the air, as does every thing which has life; but _feels_ it not, nor any thing else, unless in a very dull and imperfect manner. It _hears_ little, if at all, the organs of hearing being as yet closed up. It _sees_ nothing, having its eyes fast shut, and being surrounded with utter darkness. There are, it may be, some faint beginnings of life, when the time of its birth draws nigh; and some motion consequent thereon, whereby it is distinguished from a mere mass of matter. But it has no _senses_; all these avenues of the soul are hitherto quite shut up. Of consequence, it has scarce any intercourse with this visible world; nor any knowledge, conception or idea, of the things that occur therein.

4. The reason why he that is not yet born, is wholly a stranger to the visible world, is, not because it is afar off. It is very nigh. It surrounds him on every side. But partly, because he has not those senses, they are not yet opened in his soul, whereby alone it is possible to hold commerce with the material world; and partly because so thick a veil is cast between, through which he can discern nothing.

5. But no sooner is the child born into the world, than he exists in a quite different manner. He now _feels_ the air with which he is surrounded, and which pours into him from every side, as fast as he alternately breathes it back, to sustain the flame of life. And hence springs a continual increase of strength, of motion and of sensation: all the bodily senses being now awakened, and furnished with their proper objects.

*His eyes are now opened to perceive the light, which silently flowing in upon them, discovers not only itself, but an infinite variety of things, with which before he was wholly unacquainted. His ears are unclosed, and sounds rush in, with endless diversity. Every sense is employed upon such objects as are peculiarly suitable to it. And by these inlets, the soul having an open intercourse with the visible world, acquires more and more knowledge of sensible things, of all the things which are under the sun.

6. *So it is with him that is born of God. Before that great change is wrought, although he subsists by him, in whom all that have life _live and move and have their being_, yet he is not _sensible_ of God; he does not _feel_, he has no inward consciousness of his presence. He does not perceive that divine breath of life, without which he cannot subsist a moment. Nor is he sensible of any of the things of God. They make no impression upon his soul. God is continually calling to him from on high, but he heareth not; his ears are shut; so that _the voice of the charmer_ is lost to him, _charm he never so wisely_. He seeth not the things of the Spirit of God, the eyes of his understanding being closed, and utter darkness covering his whole soul, surrounding him on every side. It is true, he may have some faint dawnings of life, some small beginnings of spiritual motion; but as yet he has no spiritual senses, capable of discerning spiritual objects. Consequently he _discerneth not the things of the Spirit of_ God. _He cannot know them; because they are spiritually discerned._

7. *Hence he has scarce any knowledge of the invisible world, as he has scarce any intercourse with it. Not that it is afar off. No: he is in the midst of it: it incompasses him round about. The _other world_, as we usually term it, is not far from every one of us. It is above, and beneath, and on every side. Only the natural man discerneth it not; partly, because he has no spiritual senses, whereby alone we can discern the things of God; partly, because so thick a veil is interposed, as he knows not how to penetrate.

8. *But when he is born of God, born of the Spirit, how is the manner of his existence changed? His whole soul is now sensible of God, and he can say by sure experience, _Thou art about my bed, and about my path_; I feel thee _in all my ways_. Thou _besettest me behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me_. The Spirit or breath of God is immediately inspired, breathed into the new-born soul. And the same breath, which comes from, returns to God: as it is continually received by faith, so it is continually rendered back by love, by prayer, and praise, and thanksgiving: love and praise and prayer being the breath of every soul which is truly born of God. And by this new kind of spiritual respiration, spiritual life is not only sustained, but increased day by day; together with spiritual strength and motion and sensation. All the senses of the soul being now awake, and capable of _discerning_ spiritual _good and evil_.

9. *_The eyes of his understanding_ are now _open_, and he _seeth him that is invisible_. He sees what is _the exceeding greatness of his power_, and of his love toward them that believe. He sees that God is merciful to him a sinner; that he is reconciled through the Son of his love. He clearly perceives both the pardoning love of God, and all his _exceeding great and precious promises_. God _who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined_, and doth shine, _in_ his _heart, to enlighten him with the knowledge of the glory of_ God, _in the face of_ Jesus Christ. All the darkness is now passed away, and he abides in the light of God’s countenance.

10. *His ears are now opened, and the voice of God no longer calls in vain. He hears and obeys the heavenly calling: he _knows the voice of his Shepherd_. All his spiritual senses being now awakened, he has a clear intercourse with the invisible world. And hence he knows more and more of the things which before _it could not enter into his heart to conceive_. He now knows what the peace of God is: what is joy in the Holy Ghost: what the love of God which is shed abroad in the hearts of them that believe in him through _Christ Jesus_. Thus the veil being removed, which before intercepted the light and voice, the knowledge and love of God, he who is born of the Spirit, _dwelleth in love, dwelleth in_ God, _and_ God _in him_.

II. 1. Having considered the meaning of that expression, _whosoever is born of_ God, it remains in the second place to enquire, in what sense he _doth not commit sin_.

*Now one who is so born of God as hath been above described, who continually receives into his soul the breath of life from God, the gracious influence of his Spirit, and continually renders it back: one who thus believes and loves; who by faith perceives the continual actings of God upon his spirit; and by a kind of spiritual re-action, returns the grace he receives in unceasing love, and praise, and prayer; not only _doth not commit sin_, while _he_ thus _keepeth himself_; but so long as this _seed remaineth in him_, he _cannot sin_, because he is born of God.

2. *By _sin_, I here understand, outward sin, according to the plain, common acceptation of the word: an actual, voluntary _transgression of the law_; of the revealed, written law of God, of any commandment of God, acknowledged to be such, at the time that it is transgressed. But _whosoever is born of God_, while he abideth in faith and love, and in the spirit of prayer and thanksgiving, not only _doth not_, but _cannot_ thus _commit sin_. So long as he thus believeth in God through _Christ_, and loves him, and is pouring out his heart before him, he cannot voluntarily transgress any command of God, either by speaking or acting what he knows God hath forbidden. So long that _seed_ which _remaineth in him_, that loving, praying thankful faith, compels him to refrain from whatsoever he knows to be an abomination in the sight of God.

3. But here a difficulty will immediately occur; and one, that to many has appeared insuperable, and induced them to deny the plain assertion of the apostle, and give up the privilege of the children of God.

It is plain in fact, that those whom we cannot deny to have been truly _born of_ God (the Spirit of God having given us in his word, this infallible testimony concerning them) nevertheless not only could, but did commit sin, even gross, outward sin. They did transgress the plain, known laws of God, speaking or acting what they knew he had forbidden.

4. Thus _David_ was unquestionably born of God, or ever he was anointed king over _Israel_. He knew in whom he had believed; he was strong in faith, giving glory to God. [35]_The_ Lord, saith he, _is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing. He shall feed me in green pastures, and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort._ Yea, _though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me_. He was filled with love; such as often constrained him to cry, out, [36]_I will love thee_, O Lord, _my_ God: _the_ Lord _is my stony rock, and my defence, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge_. He was a man of prayer, pouring out his soul before God, in all circumstances of life; and abundant in praises and thanksgiving; [37]_Thy praise_, saith he, _shall be ever in my mouth_. [38]_Thou art my_ God, _and I will thank thee; thou art my_ God _and I will praise thee_. And yet such a child of God could and did commit sin; yea, the horrid sins of adultery and murder.

5. And even after the Holy Ghost was more largely given, after _life and immortality_ were _brought to light by the gospel_, we want not instances of the same melancholy kind, which were also doubtless written for our instruction. Thus he who (probably from his [39]_selling_ all that he had, and _bringing the price_ for the relief of his poor brethren) was _by the apostles_ themselves _sirnamed_ Barnabas, that is, _the son of consolation_; who was so honoured at _Antioch_, as to be selected with _Saul_ out of all _the disciples_, to carry their [40]_relief unto the brethren in_ Judea: this _Barnabas_, who at his return from _Judea_, was by the peculiar direction of the Holy Ghost, solemnly [41]_separated from the_ other _prophets and teachers, for the work whereunto God had called him_, even to accompany the great apostle among the Gentiles, and to be his fellow-labourer in every place; nevertheless was afterward so [42]_sharp_ in his _contention_ with St. _Paul_ (because he _thought it not good to take with them_ John, in his _visiting the brethren_, a second time, _who had departed from them from_ Pamphylia, _and went not with them to the work_) that he himself also departed from the work; that he _took_ John, _and sailed unto_ Cyprus; forsaking him to whom he had been in so immediate a manner joined by the Holy Ghost.

6. An instance more astonishing than both these is given by St. _Paul_ in his epistle to the _Galatians_. _When_ Peter, the zealous, the first of the apostles; one of the three most highly favoured by his Lord; _was come to_ Antioch, _I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from_ James, _he did eat with the Gentiles_, the Heathens converted to the Christian faith, as having been peculiarly taught of God, that [43]he _should not call any man common or unclean_. But [44]_when they were come, he separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that_ Barnabas _also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto_ Peter _before them all, If thou being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles_, not regarding the ceremonial law of _Moses, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews_? Here is also plain, undeniable sin, committed by one who was undoubtedly _born of God_. But how can this be reconciled with the assertion of St. _John_, if taken in the obvious literal meaning, that _whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin_?