2. But let us explain the nature of this doing righteousness. It is to fear God, and walk in all his ways : Acts x. 35, ' He that feareth God and worketh righteousness.' Or he is said to do righteousness who, being justified and sanctified by the Spirit, doth give up himself to God to do his will, and maketh it the business of his life to grow more complete therein. Renewing is in it : Eph. ii, 10, ' Ye are his workmanship, created in Jesus Christ unto good works.' Dedication is in it : Rom. vi. 13, ' But yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.' The will of God is your rule : Rom. xii. 2, ' That ye may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God.' After dedication, our work and business should be to ' live soberly, i-ighteously, and godly in this present world,' Titus ii. 12. This is the righteousness which should so be carried on from an everlasting principle by a divine rule to eternal ends. Well, then, they do but arrogate a place and a name among God's people that do not live holily.
Secondly, The next mark is charity ; this is not mentioned at ran- dom, nor merely to bring on another discourse, but with good advice.
84 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XVL
1. The general note of God's children is holiness, and the particular note is love of the brethren. It is a great branch of righteousness, take it largely for holiness, or more strictly for our duty to our neighbour. So alms is often called righteousness in scripture ; for doing good is one special act of our duty, and so a branch of righteousness : Ps. cxii. 9, ' He hath given to the poor, and his righteousness endnreth for ever ; ' Isa. Iviii. 7, 8, ' If thou give thy bread to the hungry, then (shall thy righteousness go before thee.'
2. It explaineth the former note ; for righteousness and love to the brethren are joined together, and so it showeth that he doth righteous- ness whose works are good, and come from a good spirit, from love to God, which is the soul of all duties ; for he that loveth his brother for God's sake loveth God: Gal. v. 14, 'Ail the law is fulfilled in this one word, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' How all the law ? Namely, as second-table duties arise out of the first, and are done for God's sake.
3. He is speaking of being born of God, and the seed of God. We resemble God in nothing so much as love : 1 John iv. 8, 16, ' He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.' And we resemble the devil mostly by malice. It is the devil's work to do all the hurt he can to the bodies and souls of men, ' for the devil is a murderer from the beginning,' John viii. 44. Devouring malice is the true image of Satan, the devilish nature in us. When Jesus Christ came to discover the amiableness of the divine nature to us, it is said. Acts X. 38, ' He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.' Christ did nothing by way of malice and revenge ; he used not the power that he had to make men blind or lame, or to kill any ; no, not his worst enemies, when he could easily have done it, and justly might have done it. No ; he went up and down giving sight to the blind, and limbs to the lame, health to the sick, and life to the dead. Therefore those that are God's children, and are born of God, and have the seed of God abiding in them, should be as zealous in doing good to all as Satan's servants are in hurting.
4. Much of Christianity consists in love and doing good. Love is made to be the fulfilling of the law, Kom. xiii. 8, the end of the gos- pel institution : 1 Tim. i. 15, 'Now' the end of the commandment is charity.' The great lesson which God teacheth us : 'Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another,' 1 Thes. iv. 9. The grand character- istic of Clirist's disciples, by which they are notified to themselves and others : John xiii. 35, ' By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.' With what eyes do men read the gospel that can overlook all these things, and live in malice, envy, and hatred ?
5. The parties to be loved are called brethren, and elsewhere neigh- bours. Mat. xxii. 39. By common nature every neighbour is a brother ; but saints have the pre-eminence in this love, but not the confinement : ' Do good to all, especially to the household of faith,' Gal. vi. 8 ; 2 Peter i. 7, ' And add to brotherly-kindness, love.' Enemies are not excepted : I'lat. v. 44, 45, ' Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good