"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." "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," Psa. xxiii, 1, &c. He was filled with love; such as often constrained him to cry out, "I will love thee, oh Lord, my strength: the Lord is my rock, and my defence; the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge," Psa. xviii, 1. He was a man of prayer; pouring out his soul before God in all circumstances of life; and abundant in praises and thanksgiving: "Thy praise," saith he, "shall be ever in my mouth," Psa. xxxiv, 1: "Thou art my God, and I will thank thee; thou art my God, and I will praise thee," Psa. cxviii, 28. 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 selling all that he had, and bringing the price for the relief of his poor brethren) was by the apostles themselves surnamed Barnabas, that is, the son of consolation, Acts iv, 36, 37; who was so honoured at Antioch, as to be selected with Saul out of all the disciples, to carry their relief unto the brethren in Judea, Acts xi, 29; this Barnabas, who at his return from Judea, was, by the peculiar direction of the Holy Ghost, solemnly "separated from the other prophets and teachers, for the work whereunto God had called him," ch. xiii, 1-4, even to accompany the great apostle among the Gentiles, and to be his fellow labourer in every place; nevertheless, was afterwards so sharp, ch. xv, 35, 39, 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," Acts xv, 39; 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 aged, 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 he "should not call any man common or unclean." But "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 Gen tiles,"--not regarding the ceremonial law of Moses," why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" Gal. ii, 11, &c, 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 ?"

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7. I answer, what has been long observed is this: So long as that is born of God keepeth himself," (which he is able to do, by the grace of God,)" the wicked one toucheth him not:" but if he keepeth not himself, if he abideth not in the faith, he may commit sin even as another man.

It is easy therefore to understand, how any of these children of God might be moved from his own steadfastness, and yet the great truth of God, declared by the apostle remain steadfast and unshaken. He did not "keep himself," by that grace of God which was sufficient for him. He fell, step by step, first into negative, inward sin, not " stirring up the gift of God which was in him," not "watching unto prayer," not "pressing on to the mark of the prize of his high calling;" then into positive inward sin, inclining to wickedness with his heart, giving way to some evil desire or temper; next, he lost his faith, his sight of a pardoning God, and consequently his love of God; and, being then weak and like another man, he was capable of committing even outward sin.

8. To explain this by a particular instance: David was born of God, and saw God by faith. He loved God in sincerity. He could truly say, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth' [neither person nor thing] "that I desire in comparison of thee!" But still there remained in his heart that corruption of nature, which is the seed of all evil.

"He was walking upon the roof of his house," 2 Sam. xi, 2, probably praising the God whom his soul loved, when he looked down, and saw Bathsheba. He felt a temptation; a thought which tended to evil. The Spirit of God did not fail to convince him of this. He doubtless heard and knew the warning voice; but he yielded in some measure to the thought, and the temptation began to prevail over him. Hereby his spirit was sullied; he saw God still; but it was more dimly than before. He loved God still; but not in the same degree; not with the same strength and ardour of affection. Yet God checked him again, though his Spirit was grieved; and his voice, though fainter and fainter, still whispered, "Sin lieth at the door; look unto me, and be thou saved."

But he would not hear: he looked again, not unto God, but unto the forbidden object, till nature was superior to grace, and kindled lust in his soul.

The eye of his mind was now closed again, and God vanished out of his sight. Faith, the divine, supernatural intercourse with God, and the love of God, ceased together: he then rushed on as a horse into the battle, and knowingly committed the outward sin.

9. You see the unquestionable progress from grace to sin: thus it goes on, from step to step. 1. The divine seed of loving, conquering faith remains in him that is born of God. "He keepeth himself," by the grace of God, and "cannot commit sin:" 2. A temptation arises; whether from the world, the flesh, or the devil, it matters not: 3. The Spirit of God gives him warning that sin is near, and bids him more abundantly watch unto prayer: 4. He gives way, in some degree, to the temptation, which now begins to grow pleasing to him: 5. The Holy Spirit is grieved; his faith is weakened; and his love of God grows cold: 6. The Spirit reproves him more sharply, and saith, "This is the way; walk thou in it :" 7. He turns away from the painful voice of God, and listens to the pleasing voice of the tempter: 8. Evil desire begins and spreads in his soul, till faith and love vanish away he is then capable of committing outward sin, the power of the Lord being departed from him.

10. To explain this by anotner instance: the apostle Peter was full of faith and of the Holy Ghost; and hereby keeping himself, he had a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man.

Walking thus in simplicity and godly sincerity," before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles," knowing that what God had cleansed, was not common or unclean.

But "when they were come, a temptation arose in his heart, "to fear those of the circumcision," (the Jewish converts who were zealous for circumcision and the other rites of the Mosaic law,) and regard the favour and praise of these men, more than the praise of God.

He was warned by the Spirit when sin was near: nevertheless, he yielded to it in some degree, even to sinful fear of man, and his faith and love were proportionably weakened.

God reproved him again for giving place to the devil. Yet he would not hearken to the voice of his Shepherd; but gave himself up to that slavish fear, and thereby quenched the Spirit.

Then God disappeared, and faith and love being extinct, he committed the outward sin: Walking not uprightly, not "according to the truth of the gospel," he "separated himself" from his Christian brethren, and by his evil example, if not advice also, "compelled even the Gentiles to live after the manner of the Jews;" to entangle themselves again with that "yoke of bondage," from which "Christ had set them free."

Thus it is unquestionably true, that he who is born of God, keeping himself, doth not, cannot commit sin; and yet, if he keepeth not himself, he may commit all manner of sin with greediness.

III. 1. From the preceding considerations we may learn, first, to give a clear and incontestable answer to a question which has frequently perplexed many who were sincere of heart: "Does sin precede or follow the loss of faith? Does a child of God first commit sin, and thereby lose his faith? Or does he lose his faith first, before he can commit sin?"

I answer, some sin of omission, at least, must necessarily precede the loss of faith; some inward sin: but the loss of faith must precede the committing outward sin.

The more any believer examines his own heart, the more will he be convinced of this: That faith, working by love, excludes both inward and outward sin from a soul watching unto prayer; that nevertheless we are even then liable to temptation, particularly to the sin that did casily beset us; that if the loving eye of the soul be steadily fixed on God, the temptation soon vanishes away: but if not, if we are seλxoμevol, (as the apostle James speaks, chap. i, 14,) drawn out of God by our own desire, and deλeaZoμevo, caught by the bait of present or promised pleasures; then that desire conceived in us, brings forth sin; and, having by that inward sin destroyed our faith, it casts us headlong into the snare of the devil, so that we may commit any outward sin whatever

2. From what has been said, we may learn, secondly, what the life of God in the soul of a believer is; wherein it properly consists; and what is immediately and necessarily implied therein. It immediately and necessarily implies, the continual inspiration of God's Holy Spirit; God's breathing into the soul, and the soul's breathing back what it first receives from God; a continual action of God upon the soul, and a reaction of the soul upon God; an unceasing presence of God, the loving, pardoning God, manifested to the heart, and perceived by faith; and an unceasing return of love, praise, and prayer, offering up all the thoughts of our hearts, all the words of our tongues, all the works of our hands, all our body, soul, and spirit, to be a holy sacrifice, acceptable unto God in Christ Jesus.

3. And hence we may, thirdly, infer, the absolute necessity of this reaction of the soul, (whatsoever it be called,) in order to the continuance of the divine life therein. For it plainly appears, God does not continue to act upon the soul, unless the soul reacts upon God. He prevents us indeed with the blessings of his goodness. He first loves us, and manifests himself unto us. While we are yet afar off, he calls us to himself, and shines upon our hearts. But if we do not then love him who first loved us; if we will not hearken to his voice; if we turn our eye away from him, and will not attend to the light which he pours in upon us; his Spirit will not always strive: he will gradually withdraw, and leave us to the darkness of our own hearts. He will not continue to breathe into our soul, unless our soul breathes towards him again; unless our love, and prayer, and thanksgiving, return to him, a sacrifice wherewith he is well pleased.

4. Let us learn, lastly, to follow that direction of the great apostle, "Be not high minded, but fear.". Let us fear sin, more than death or hell. Let us have a jealous (though not painful) fear, lest we should lean to our own deceitful hearts. "Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall." Even he who now standeth fast in the grace of God, in the faith that overcometh the world, may nevertheless fall into inward sin, and thereby "make shipwreck of his faith." And how easily then will outward sin regain its dominion over him! Thou, therefore, oh man of God! watch always; that thou mayest always hear the voice of God! Watch, that thou mayest pray without ceasing, at all times, and in all places, pouring out thy heart before him! So shalt thou always believe, and always love, and never commit sin.

SERMON XX.-The Lord our Righteousness:

Preached at the Chapel in West-street, Seven Dials, on Sunday, Nov. 24, 1765. "This is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness,' Jer. xxiii, 6.

1. How dreadful, and how innumerable are the contests which have arisen about religion! And not only among the children of this world. among those who knew not what true religion was, but even among the children of God; those who had experienced "the kingdom of God within them;" who had tasted of "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." How many of these, in all ages, instead of joining together against the common enemy, have turned their weapons against each other, and so not only wasted their precious time, but hurt one another's spirits, weakened each other's hands, and so hindered the great work of their common Master! How many of the weak have hereby been offended!—how many of the lame turned out of the way! -how many sinners confirmed in their disregard of all religion, and their contempt of those that profess it !—and how many of "the excellent ones upon earth" have been constrained to " weep in secret places!"

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2. What would not every lover of God and his neighbour do, what would he not suffer, to remedy this sore evil; to remove contention from the children of God; to restore or preserve peace among them? What but a good conscience would he think too dear to part with, in order to promote this valuable end? And suppose we cannot make [these] wars to cease in all the world," suppose we cannot reconcile all the children of God to each other, however let each do what he can, let him contribute, if it be but two mites, towards it. Happy are they who are able, in any degree, to promote peace and good will among men ;" especially among good men; among those that are all listed under the banner of "the Prince of Peace;" and are, therefore, peculiarly engaged, as much as lies in them, to live peaceably with all men."

3. It would be a considerable step towards this glorious end, if we could bring good men to understand one another. Abundance of disputes arise purely from the want of this; from mere misapprehension. Frequently neither of the contending parties understands what his opponent means; whence it follows, that each violently attacks the other, while there is no real difference between them. And yet it is not always an easy matter to convince them of this; particularly when their passions are moved: it is then attended with the utmost difficulty. However, it is not impossible; especially when we attempt it, not trusting in ourselves, but having all our dependance upon him, with whom all things are possible. How soon is he able to disperse the cloud, to shine upon their hearts, and to enable them both to understand each other, and "the truth as it is in Jesus!"

4. One very considerable article of this truth is contained in the words above recited, "This is his name whereby he shall be called, The LORD our RIGHTEOUSNESS;" a truth this, which enters deep into the nature of Christianity, and, in a manner, supports the whole frame of it. Of this, undoubtedly, may be affirmed, what Luther affirms of a truth closely connected with it; it is Articulus stantis vel cadentis