"the love of God shed abroad in their hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto them." * "Because they are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father!" by this Spirit, continually looking up to God, as their reconciled and loving Father, they cry to him for their daily bread, for all things needful whether for their souls or bodies. They continually pour out their hearts before him, knowing t "they have the petitions which they ask of him." Their delight is in him. He is the joy of their heart; their shield, and their exceeding great reward. The desire of their soul is toward him: it is their "meat and drink to do his will:" and they are "satisfied as with marrow and fatness, while their mouth praiseth him with joyful lips.” 2. And, in this sense also, § "every one who loveth him that begat, loveth him that is begotten of him." His spirit rejoiceth in God his Saviour. He" loveth the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity:" he is so joined unto the Lord, as to be one spirit. His soul hangeth upon him, and chuseth him as altogether lovely, "the chiefest among ten thousand." He knoweth, he feeleth what that means, "My beloved is mine, and I am his. P Thou art fairer than the children of men; full of grace are thy lips, because God hath anointed thee for ever!" 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 t herein perceive we the love * Gal. iv. 8. 66 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 *"we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we thus love our brethren. 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 love is of God, and every one that thus loveth, is born of God and knoweth God." 4. But some may possibly ask, Does not the apostle say, "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 hungering and 1 John iii. 14. + Ch. iv. 13. t1 Johm iv. 7. thirsting . 225 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 be lieve in God through 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.".. Ye 2. Who then are ye that are thus born of God? Ye know the things which are given to you of God. 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 No. V. G g was 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 tir cumcision 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 tailers 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 how 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 Amalekitės! Let these Gibeonites be utterly destroyed! They deserve no less."No; nor Ï: 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, He that hateth his brother is a murderer. He that look 1 John iii. 15. 79 + Matt. v. 28. eth eth on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.-* Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not, that the friendship of the world, is enmity with God? 聊 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 n 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! |