2. For the reasons, they are two, ' Because they are born of God ; ' and ' The seed of God remaineth in them.'
[1.] The general reason, from their change of state. (1.) What is it to be born of God ? It is to have a new life and nature wrought in us. To be made by God is one thing, to be born of God is another. All things are made by God, but all things are not said to be born of him; that is a terra proper to the new creature. In every perfect generation, that which is born receiveth from him that begets it life and likeness. Likeness is not enough to constitute a birth. An exquisite limner may draw an exact picture of himself, yet the picture is not said to be begotten or born of him, for there is no life. And life alone is not enough ; for putrid creatures, as frogs, toads, worms, animated and quickened by the heat of the sun, are not said to be born of it, because there is no likeness. When a man begets a man in his own image and likeness, then he is said to be born. To apply it to the case in hand : When we who were dead in trespasses and sins are framed anew to the life and likeness of God, we are said to be born of him. Life there is : Eph. ii. 1, ' And you who were dead in trespasses and sins hath he quickened.' Likeness, or a nature in some sort resembling God : 2 Peter i. 4, ' Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature ; ' Eph. iv. 24, ' And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteou.sness, and true holiness.' Now surely such a nature incliueth us to obey God and love him.
(2.) How this hindereth that we do not and cannot sin. (ist.) Because this change wrought in us by the wonderful opera- tion of God's Spirit puts a new bent and bias upon us : John iii. G,
64 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XIV.
' That which is born of flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of Spirit is spirit.' We are changed from evil to good, from obeying the flesh to obeying the Spirit, and inclined to live and walk after the Spirit, Therefore, this being the scope of the new nature, to live in a strict obedience to God, the reign of sin is broken, and the acts of it will be much prevented. Surely the dominion is taken away by the grace of regeneration, and the acts of it cannot be as frequent as before.
{2d.) He is interested in the care and protection of God. Who- soever is born of God is in covenant with him : Rom. vi. 14, ' For sin shall not have dominion over you ; for you are not under the law, but under grace ; ' and adopted into his family, under his fatherly care, and God is concerned in his preservation : 1 Peter i. 5, ' Who are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation ; ' and John x. 28, 'And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.' Christ therefore will not desert them so far as that they should be brought back again into the power and bondage of the wicked one, or that they should so fall into sin as to persist in it. Therefore consider a regenerate person in him- self, and he may sin himself out of the favour of God, and all the hopes he hath by Christ ; but as he is in the hands of God, and under his care, his heart is so governed and inclined by him, that he cannot totally and finally fall from the grace and life of the Spirit, nor easily fall into heinous acts of sin, though some infirmities remain still.
[2.] The second reason, ' Because the seed of God remaineth in him.'
(1.) What is meant by this seed of God? Some say the word; 1 Peter i. 23, ' Born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible ; ' Mat. xiii. 19, 'The good seed is the word of God.' Not improper!}'-, because the word sown in our hearts and rooted by faith is the great let and check to sin: Ps. cxix. 9, 'Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way ? by taking heed thereto according to thy word ; ' and ver. 11, ' Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee ; ' ver. 104, ' Through thy precepts I get understanding : therefore I hate every false way ; ' 1 John ii. 24, ' Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning : if that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you shall con- tinue in the Son and in the Father.' Others say this seed is the Spirit : John iii. 5, 6, ' Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh, is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit, is spirit.' Certainly the word of God, if it be this seed, is to be considered not in the letter, but in the Spirit ; for the word separated from the Spirit can do nothing to the regene- rating of a sinner. The Spirit is the principal efficient, the word is the instrument. But I think by this seed of God is understood the effect of both, the principle of grace infused, or that vital grace whicli is communicated to us in regeneration, called living in the Spirit, Gal. v. 25.