thers," and "beloved." To believers then, whether strong or weak in the faith, we may rest assured the words of our text are spoken. "If we believers say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

But before I proceed, it will be necessary to reconcile an apparent contradiction. In the ninth verse of the third chapter it is said, "Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." How is this assertion to be reconciled with that in the text, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us?" I answer: when the Apostle says, whosoever is born of God, doth not_commit sin, and cannot sin, he means that a truly converted man cannot sin wilfully and habitually, because the love of God shed abroad in his heart, and the fear of

God ruling in his conscience, will keep him from habitually and wilfully transgressing the commands of his heavenly Father. And for the justness of this explanation an appeal may be made to the hearts of all believers. For my own part, I verily believe that the most exalted saint that ever lived, never attained a state of sinless perfection: I believe that no one, laying his hand upon his heart and appealing in sincerity to God above, from whom no secrets are hid, can say, that for any length of time together, a day for instance, "O Lord, I have not transgressed thy laws in thought, word, or deed."

But to proceed: I take it for granted, that the apostolic assertion in our text is in unison with the universal experience of every child of God, begotten of the incorruptible seed of God's word: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us;" or, as the Apostle more forcibly expresses himself in the next verse, "If we say that.

we have not sinned, we make him (i .e. God) a liar, and his word is not in us" (i. e. we are not born of God).

In illustrating the truth of the apostolic assertion, I make my appeal to the consciences of those who are professed believers; to those who have reason to conclude that they are passed from death unto life, from darkness to the marvellous light of the Gospel. I make not my appeal to those who live without God in the world, as in the midst of heathenish darkness, when Gospel light shines all around: such both know of themselves, and their every action testifies to the whole world, that they are altogether sinful; they are full of the words and works of the devil, indulging themselves in all the lusts of the flesh, fornication, adultery, drunkenness; and their hearts teem with envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness. cannot deceive either themselves or others, by saying or thinking that they have no sin.

Such

To believers then, I say, I appeal. I take it for granted that all such live not in the wilful and habitual commission of any one known or any gross sin; they are not adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, thieves, &c. &c.; but upon the whole their walk is circumspect and decorous. By their outward conversation and behaviour they give the enemies of religion no cause to blaspheme, or speak evil of the purity of the religion they profess.

Yet, if believers will examine themselves closely, and will enter with boldness into the recesses of their own hearts, and search them by the word of God, with respect to actual sins, sins of omission, sins of negligence, sins of ignorance, sins of thought, word, and deed, they will find abundant matter to exclaim with the Apostle in the words of my text, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.'

I cannot too often remind you, that religion is entirely a matter of expe

rience, and that the seat of true and unadulterated religion is the heart. The Holy Spirit first indeed enlightens the understanding to acknowledge the truths of the Gospel, and then applies them to the heart. "The heart," as Flavel observes, "is the worst part of man before it be regenerate, and the best part afterwards. It is the seat of principles and fountain of actions. The eye of God is, and the eye of the Christian ought to be, principally fixed upon it. The greatest difficulty in conversion, is to win the heart to God; and the greatest difficulty after conversion, is to keep the heart with God."

I. Examine your hearts then, my Christian brethren, with respect to actual sins. You confess every time you come to church, and, as you are believers, I trust with sincerity, "We have done. those things which we ought not to have done." A variety of particulars to show that we are all guilty on this head, will be suggested immediately, to the diligent