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19 - The Great Privilege of those that are Born of God - Sermons on Several Occasions · Sacred Texts Archive

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The great privilege of those that are born of God. First John three,
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verse nine. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. It has
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been frequently supposed that the being born of God was all one with the being
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justified, that the new birth and justification were only different expressions denoting the same
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thing. It being certain on the one hand that whoever is justified is also
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born of God, and on the other that whoever is born of God is
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also justified. Yea that both these gifts of God are given to every believer
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in one and the same moment, in one point of time, his sins
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are blotted out, and he is born again of God. But though it
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be allowed that justification and the new birth are, in point of time inseparable
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from each other, yet are they easily distinguished as being not the same,
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but things of a widely different nature. Justification implies only a relative the new
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birth a real change. God in justifying us does something for us. In
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begetting us again, he does the work in us. The former changes our
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outward relation to God, so that of enemies we become children. By the
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latter, our inmost souls are changed, so that of sinners we become saints.
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The one restores us to the favor, the other to the image of
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God. The one is the taking away the guilt, the other the taking
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away the power of sin, So that although they are joined together in point
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of time, yet are they of wholly distinct natures. The not discerning this,
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the not observing the wide difference there is between being justified and being born
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again, has occasioned exceeding great confusion of thought in many who have treated on
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this subject, particularly when they have attempted to explain this great privilege of the
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children of God. To show how whosoever is born of God doth not commit
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sin? In order to apprehend us clearly, it may be necessary first to
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consider what is the proper meaning of that expression whosoever is born of God?
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And secondly to inquire in what sense he does not commit sin. First we
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are to consider what is the proper meaning of that expression whosoever is born of
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God? And in general, from all the passages of Holy writ wherein this
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expression the being born of God occurs, we may learn that it implies not
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barely the being baptized, or any outward change whatever, but a vast inward
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change, a change wrought in the soul by the operation of the Holy Ghost,
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a change in the whole manner of our existence. For from the moment
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we are born of God, we live in quite another manner than we did
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before. We are, as it were, in another world. The ground
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and reason of the expression is easy to be understood. When we undergo this
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great change, we may, with much propriety be said to be born again,
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because there is so near a resemblance between the circumstances of the natural and
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of the spiritual birth, so that to consider the circumstances of the natural birth
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is the most easy way to understand the spiritual. The child, which is
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not yet born, subsists indeed by the air, as does everything which has
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life, but feels it not nor anything else, unless in a very dull
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and imperfect manner. It hears little, if at all, the organs of
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hearing, Being as yet closed up, it sees nothing, having its eyes
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fast shut and being surrounded with utter darkness. There are it may be,
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some faint beginnings of life, when the the time of its birth draws nigh,
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and some motion consequent thereon, whereby it is distinguished from a mere mass
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of matter, But it has no senses. All these avenues of the soul
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are hitherto quite shut up. Of consequence, it has scarce any intercourse with
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this visible world, nor any knowledge, conception, or idea of the things
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that occur Therein The reason why he that is not yet born is wholly a
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stranger to the visible world is not because it is afar off. It is
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very nonh It surrounds him on every side. But partly because he has not
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those senses. They are not yet opened in his soul, whereby alone it
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is possible to hold commerce with the material world. And partly because so thick
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a veil is cast between through which he can discern nothing. But no sooner
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is the child born into the world than he exists in a quite different manner.
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He now feels the air with which he is surrounded, and which pours
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into him from every side as fast as he alternately breathes it back to sustain
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the flame of life, and hence springs a continual increase of strength, of
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motion and of sensation, all the bodily senses being now awakened and furnished with
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their proper objects. His eyes are now open to perceive the light which silently
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flowing in upon them discovers not only itself, but an infinite variety of things
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with which before he was wholly unacquainted. His ears are unclosed, and sounds
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rush in with endless diversity. Every sense is employed upon such objects as are
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peculiarly suitable to it. And by these inlets, the soul, having an
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open intercourse with the visible world, acquires more and more knowledge of sensible things,
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of all the things which are under the sun. So it is with
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him that is born of God, before that great change is wrought. Although
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he subsists by Him in whom all that have life, live and move and
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have their being, Yet he is not sensible of God. He does not
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feel, He has no inward consciousness of his presence. He does not perceive
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that divine breath of life, without which he cannot subsist a moment. Nor
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is he sensible of any of the things of God. They make no impression
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upon his soul. God is continually calling to him from on high, but
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he heareth not. His ears are shut, so that the voice of the
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charmer is lost to him. Charm he never so wisely. He seeth not
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the things of the Spirit of God, the eyes of his understanding, being
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closed and utter darkness covering his whole soul, surrounding him on every side.
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It is true he may have some faint dawnings of life, some small beginnings
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of spiritual motion, But as yet he has no spiritual senses capable of discerning
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spiritual objects. Consequently, he discerneth not the things of the Spirit of God.
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He cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned. Hence he has scarcely
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any knowledge of the invisible world, as he has scarce any intercourse with it.
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Not that it is afar off, No, he is in the midst
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of it. It encompasses him round about the other world, as we usually
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term it is not far from every one of us. It is above and
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beneath and on every side. Only the natural man discerneth it, not partly
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because he has no spiritual senses, whereby alone we can discern the things of
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God. Partly because so thick a veil is interposed, as he knows not
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how to penetrate. But when he is born of God, born of the
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Spirit, how is the manner of his existence changed? His whole soul is
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now sensible of God, and he can say by sure experience thou art about
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my bed and about my path. I feel thee in all my ways.
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He settest me behind and before, and layest Thine hand upon me. The
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spirit or breath of God is immediately inspired breathed into the new born soul,
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and the same breath which comes from returns to God. As it is continually
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received by faith, so it is continually rendered back by love, by prayer
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and praise and thanksgiving. Love and praise and prayer being the breath of every
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soul which is truly born of God. And by this new kind of spiritual
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respiration, spiritual life is not only sustained, but increased day by day.
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Together with spiritual strength and motion and sensation, all the senses of the soul
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being now awake and capable of discerning spiritual good and evil. The eyes of
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his understanding are now open, and he seeth Him that is invisible. He
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sees what is the exceeding greatness of His power and of his love toward them
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that believe. He sees that God is merciful to him a sinner, that
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he is reconciled through the sun of his love. He clearly perceives both the
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pardoning love of God and all his exceeding, great and precious promises. God,
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who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined and
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doth shine in his heart to enlighten him with the knowledge of the glory of
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God. In the face of Jesus Christ. All the darkness is now passed
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away, and he abides in the light of God's countenance. His ears are
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now opened, and the voice of God no longer calls in vain. He
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hears and obeys the heavenly calling. He knows the voice of his shepherd.
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All his spiritual senses being now awakened, he has a clear intercourse with the
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invisible world, and hence he knows more and more of the things which before
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it could not enter into his heart to conceive. He now knows what the
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peace of God is, what is joy in the Holy Ghost, what the
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love of God which is shed abroad in the heart of them that believe in
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Him through Christ Jesus. Thus the veil being removed which before interrupted the light
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and voice the knowledge and love of God, He who is born of the
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spirit, dwelling in love, dwelleth in God and God in Him. Having
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considered the meaning of that expression, whosoever is born of God. It remains
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in the second place to inquire in what sense he does not commit sin.
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Now, one who is so born of God, as hath been above discribed,
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who continually receives into his soul the breath of life from God, the
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gracious influence of his spirit, and continually renders it back. One who thus
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believes and loves, who by faith perceives the continual actings of God upon his
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spirit, and by a kind of spiritual reaction, returns the grace he receives
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in unceasing love and praise and prayer. Not only doth not commit sin while
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he thus keepeth himself, But so long as this seed remaineth in him,
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he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By sin, I
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here understand outward sin according to the plain, common acceptation of the Word and
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actual voluntary transgression of the law of the revealed written Law of God, of
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any commandment of God acknowledged to be such at the time that it is transgressed.
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But whoever is born of God, while he abideth in faith and love,
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and in the spirit of prayer and thanksgiving, not only doth not,
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but cannot thus commit sin. So long as he thus believeth in God through
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Christ, and loves Him, and is pouring out his heart before him,
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he cannot voluntarily transgress any command of God, either by speaking or acting what
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he knows God hath forbidden, so long that seed which remaineth in him,
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that loving, praying, thankful faith, compels him to refrain from whatsoever he
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knows to be an abomination in the sight of God. But here a difficulty
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will immediately occur, and one that to many has appeared insuperable and induced them
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to deny the plain assertion of the at and give up the privilege of the
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children of God. It is plain in fact that those whom we cannot deny
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to have been truly born of God, the spirit of God having given us
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in his word this infallible testimony concerning them, nevertheless not only could but did
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commit sin, even gross outward sin. They did transgress the plain known laws
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of God, speaking or acting what they knew He had forbidden. Thus David
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was unquestionably born of God. Or ever he was anointed king over Israel,
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he knew in whom he had believed, he was strong in faith, giving
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glory to God, the Lord saith he is my shepherd. Therefore can I
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lack nothing? He shall feed me in green pastures and lead me forth beside
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the waters of comfort. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
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shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me
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Psalm twenty three, verse one. He was filled with love, such as
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often constrained him to cry out, I will love THEE, O Lord my
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strength. The Lord is my stony rock and my defense, the horn also
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of my salvation and my refuge, Psalm twenty eight, verse one. He
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was a man of prayer, pouring out his soul before God in all circumstances
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of life, and abundant in praises and thanksgiving, Thy praise saith. He
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shall be ever in my mouth Psalm thirty four, verse one. Thou art
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my God, and I will thank THEE. Thou art my God, and
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I will praise thee Psalm one eighteen, verse twenty eight. And yet such
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a child of God could and did commits, Yea, the horrid sins of
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adultery and murder, and even after the Holy Ghost was more largely given after
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life and immortality were brought to light by the Gospel. We want not instances
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of the same melancholy kind, which were also doubtless written for our instruction.
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Thus, he who, probably from his selling all that he had and bringing
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the price for the relief of his poor brethren, was by the Apostles themselves
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surnamed Barnabas, that is, the son of Consolation Acts four Versus thirty six,
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thirty seven, who was so honored at Antioch as to be selected with
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Saul out of all the disciples, to carry their relief unto the brethren in
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Judea. Acts eleven, twenty nine and thirty This Barnabas, who, at
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his return from Judea, was, by the peculiar direction of the Holy Ghost,
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solemnly separated from the other prophets and teachers for the work whereunto God had
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called him Acts thirteen, Verses one to four, even to accompany the great
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Apostle among the gentiles, and to be his fellow laborer in every place.
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Nevertheless, was afterwards so sharp Acts fifteen, verse thirty five and thirty nine
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in his contention with Saint Paul, because he thought it not good to take
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with them John, in his visiting the brethren a second time, who had
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departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work,
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that he himself also departed from the work, that he took John and sailed
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unto Cyprus. Acts fifteen, verse thirty nine, forsaking him to whom he
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had been in so immediate a manner, joined by the Holy Ghost. An
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instance more astonishing than both of these is given by Saint Paul in his Epistle
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to the Galatians. When Peter the Aged the Zealous, the first of the
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Apostles, one of the three most highly favored by his Lord, was come
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to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be
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blamed, for before that certain came from James. He did eat with the
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Gentiles the Heathens converted to the Christian faith, as having been peculiarly taught of
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God that he should not call any man common or unclean, Acts ten,
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verse twenty eight. But when they were come, he separated himself, fearing
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them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him,
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insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I
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saw that they walked not uprightly. According to the truth of the Gospel.
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I he said unto Peter before them all. If thou, being a Jew,
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livest after the manner of the Gentiles, not regarding the ceremonial law of
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Moses, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews Galatians two,
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verse eleven. Here is also plain undeniable sin committed by one who was
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undoubtedly born of God. But how can this be reconciled with the assertion of
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Saint John, if taken in the obvious literal meaning that whosoever is born of
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God doth not commit sin? I answer what has been long observed is this,
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So long as he that is born of God keepeth himself, which he
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is able to do by the grace of God, the wicked one toucheth him
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not. But if he keepeth not himself, if he abide not in the
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faith, he may commit sin even as another man. It is easy therefore
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to understand how any of these children of God might be moved from his own
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steadfastness. And yet the great truth of God declared by the Apostle, remained
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steadfast and unshaken. He did not keep himself by that grace of God which
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was sufficient for him. He fell step by step, first into negative inward
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sin, not stirring up the gift of God which was in him, not
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watching unto prayer, not pressing on to the mark of the prize of his
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high calling. Then into positive inward sin, inclining to wickedness, with his
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heart giving way to some evil desire or temper. Next he lost his faith,
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his sight of a pardoning God, and consequently his love of God,
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and being then weak and like another man, he was capable of committing even
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outward sin. To explain this by a particular instance, David was born of
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God and saw God by faith. He loved God in sincerity. He could
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truly say, whom have I in Heaven but THEE. And there is none
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upon earth, neither person nor thing that I desire in comparison of THEE.
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But still there remained in his heart that corruption of nature, which is the
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seed of all evil. He was walking upon the roof of his house Second
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Samuel eleven, verse two, probably praising the God whom his soul loved.
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When he looked down and saw Bathsheba, he felt a temptation, a thought
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which tended to evil. The spirit of God did not fail to convince him
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of this. He doubtless heard and knew the warning voice. But he yielded
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in some measure to the thought, and the temptation began to prevail over him.
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Hereby his spirit was sullied. He saw God still, but it was
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more dimly than before. He loved God still, but not in the same
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degree, not with the same strength and ardor of affection. Yet God checked
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him again, though his spirit was grieved, and his voice, though fainter
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and fainter, still whispered, Sin, liath at the door, look unto
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me, and be thou saved. But he would not hear. He looked
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again, not unto God, but unto the forbidden object, till nature was
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superior to grace and kindled lust in his soul. The eye of his mind
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was now closed again, and God vanished out of his sight. Faith,
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the divine supernatural intercourse with God and the love of God cease together. He
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then rushed on as a horse into the battle and knowingly committed the outward sin.
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You see the unquestionable progress from grace to sin. Thus it goes on
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from step to step. One The divine seed of loving, conquering faith remains
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in him that is born of God. He keepeth himself by the grace of
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God and cannot commit sin. Two a temptation arises. Whether from the world,
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the flesh, or the devil, it matters not. Three the Spirit
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of God gives him warning that sin is near and bids him more abundantly watch
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unto prayer. Four he gives way in some degree to the temptation, which
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now begins to grow pleasing to him. Five the Holy Spirit is grief,
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his faith is weakened, and his love of God grows cold. Six the
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Spirit reproves him more sharply and saith, this is the way, walk thou
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in it. Seven he turns away from the painful voice of God and listens
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to the pleasing voice of the tempter. Eight evil desire begins and spreads in
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his soul, till faith and love banish away. He is then capable of
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committing outward sin, the power of the Lord being departed from him. To
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explain this by another instance, the apostle Peter was full of faith and of
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the Holy Ghost, and hereby keeping himself he had a conscious void of offense
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toward God and toward man. Walking thus in simplicity and godly sincerity. Before
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that certain came from James. He did eat with the Gentiles, knowing that
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what God had cleansed was not common or unclean. But when they were come,
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a temptation arose in his heart to fear those of the circumcision, the
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Jewish converts, who were zealous for circumcision and the other rights of the Mosaic
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law, and regard the favor and praise of these men more than the praise
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of God. He was warned by the Spirit that sin was near. Nevertheless,
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he yielded to it in some degree, even to sinful fear of man,
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and his faith and love were proportionably weakened. God reproved him again for
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giving place to the devil. Yet he would not hearken to the voice of
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his shepherd, but gave himself up to that slavish fear, and thereby quenched
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the spirit. Then God disappeared, and faith and love being extinct, he
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committed the outward sin, walking not uprightly, not according to the truth of
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the Gospel. He separated himself from his Christian brethren, and by his evil
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example, if not advice, also compelled even the Gentiles to live after the
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manner of the Jews to entangle themselves again with that yoke of bondage from which
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Christ had set them free. Thus it is unquestionably true that he who is
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born of God, keeping himself doth not cannot commit sin. And yet if
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he keepeth not himself, he may commit all manner of sin with greediness.
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From the preceding considerations, we may learn first to give a clear and incontestable
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answer to a question which has frequently perplexed many who were sincere of heart.
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Does sin precede or follow the loss of faith? Does a child of God
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first commit sin and thereby lose his faith? Or does he lose his faith
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first before he can commit sin? I answer, some sin of omission,
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at least must necessarily precede the loss of faith, some inward sin, but
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the loss of faith must precede the committing outward sin. The more any believer
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examines his own heart, the more will he be convinced of this, that
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faith working by love excludes both inward and outward sin from a soul watching unto
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prayer. That nevertheless, we are even then liable to temptation, particularly to
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the sin that did easily beset us that if the loving eye of the soul
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be steadily fixed on God, the temptation soon vanishes away. But if not,
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if we are excel Cominoi, as the apostle James speaks James one,
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verse fourteen, drawn out of God by our own desire, and Deliazaminoi,
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caught by the bait of present or promised pleasure, then that desire conceived in
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us brings forth sin, And having by that inward sin destroyed our faith,
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it casts us headlong into the snare of the devil, so that we may
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commit any outward sin whatever. From what has been said, we may learn
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secondly, what the life of God in the soul of a believer is,
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wherein it properly consists, and what is immediately and necessarily implied therein it immediately
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and necessarily implies the continual inspiration of God's Holy Spirit, God's breathing into the
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soul, and the soul's breathing back what it first receives from God, a
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continual action of God upon the soul, and a reaction of the soul upon
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God, an unceasing presence of God, the loving, pardoning God, manifested
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to the heart and perceived by faith and an unceasing return of love, praise
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and prayer, offering up all the thoughts of our hearts, all the words
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of our tongues, all the works of our hands, all our body,
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soul and spirit, to be a holy sacrifice acceptable unto God in Christ Jesus.
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And hence we may thirdly infer the absolute necessity of this reaction of the
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soul, whatsoever it be called, in order to continuance of the divine life
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therein, For it plainly appears God does not continue to act upon the soul
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unless the soul reacts upon God. He prevents us. Indeed, with the
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blessings of his goodness, he first loves us and manifests himself unto us,
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while we are yet afar off. He calls us to himself and shines upon
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our hearts. But if we do not then love him who first loved us,
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if we will not hearken to his voice, if we turn our eye
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away from him and will not attend to the light which he pours upon us,
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his spirit will not always strive. He will gradually withdraw and leave us
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to the darkness of our own hearts. He will not continue to breathe into
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our soul, unless our soul breathes toward him again, bless our love and
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prayer and thanksgiving, return to him a sacrifice wherewith he is well pleased.
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Let us learn, lastly to follow that direction of the Great Apostle. Be
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not high minded, but fear. Let us fear sin more than death or
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hell. Let us have a jealous, though not painful fear, lest we
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should lean to our own deceitful hearts. Let him that standeth take heed,
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lest he fall. Even he who now standeth fast in the grace of God,
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in the faith that overcometh the world, may nevertheless fall into inward sin,
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and thereby make shipwreck of his faith. And how easily then will outward
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sin regain its dominion over him. Thou, therefore, o man of God,
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watch always that thou mayest always hear the voice of God. Watch that
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thou mayst pray without ceasing, at all times and in all places, pouring
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out thy heart before him. So shalt thou always believe, and always love,
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and never commit sin. End of Section nineteen