233 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 pasturés, 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 are with me. He was filled with love; such as often constrained him to cry out, 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; ‡ Thy praise, saith he, shall be ever in my mouth. § 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 || 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 Prelief unto the brethren in Judea : 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, even to accompany the great apostle among the Gentiles, and *Psal. xxiii. 1, &c. + Psal. xviii. 1. ‡ Psal. xxxiv. i. Psal cxviii. 28. Il Acts iv. 36, 37. P.Ch. xi. 29. *.Ch. xiii. 1, 2. 4. Hh No. V. to to be his fellow-labourer in every place; nevertheless was afterward so 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 bim to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles, the Hea thens 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 cir cumcision. 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? 7. I answer, what has been long observed is this: so long as be 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 stedfastness, and yet the great truth of God, declared by the apostle, remain stedfast and unshaken. He did not keep * Acts. xv. 35—38, 39.. *Ch.xi. 28. Gal. ii. I. &c. himself 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 sunto 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, probably prais→ ing 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 ardor 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 va nished out of his sight. Faith, the divine, supernatural intercourse with God, and the love of God ceased toge ther. 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 another instance. The apostle Peter was full of faith and of the Holy Ghost; and hereby keeping himself, he had a conscience void of offence toward God and toward 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. what G 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 that 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 tinct, he committed the outward sin. ly, not according to the truth of the gospel, and love being exWalking not uprighthe separated himself from 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 the that joke 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 easily beset us that if the loving eye of the soul be steddily fixed on God, the temptation soon vanishes away: but if not, if we are * EVO, (as the apostle James speaks) drawn out of God by our own desire, and deneagquevo, caught by the bait of present or promised pleasure: then that deşire 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 |