116 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XX.
the one by his Spirit, the other by his new covenant gift. The one by his Spirit : 2 Peter i. 3, ' By his divine power hath given us all things necessary to life and godliness.' Therefore Christ is said to be our life, Gal. ii. 20. The other by his free donation, or grant, or deed of gift. In the covenant he granteth us to be heirs of eternal life, pardoning our sins, and removing out of the way what may hinder the enjoyment of it. Sanctification is wrought in us ; justification is God's act towards the sanctified : 1 Cor. vi. 11, ' But ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God.' Justified in the name of Christ according to his terms, and what way Christ is made known in the new covenant.
4. From the whole, it may be well said of those who are interested, that they are passed from death to life ; for the life of grace is begun in them, as they have new principles and powers infused, or gracious qualities planted in the soul : Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27, ' A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit I will put within you ; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes ; and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.' And these continually acted and excited by the influence of the Holy Spirit, who watcheth over the new creature. And as they have a right to glory : Titus iii. 5-7, ' Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regenera- tion, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost ; which he hath shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that, being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.' And as they are accompanied with peace of conscience, and joy unspeak- able and glorious, surely these are in a happy condition ; and we should give all diligence to see that it be our condition, that they who were dead in trespasses and sins, born heirs of God's curse, should have a new life communicated to them, and heavenly qualities planted in them, where- by the soul in some measure is made like God and Christ ; and whereas before they were without any true and well-grounded hope of a better life, whatever foolish and groundless presumptions they might enter- tain, they should now have this threefold happiness. First, They should be dispositively fitted for eternal life : 2 Cor. v. 5, ' For he that hath wrought us to this self-same thing is God ; ' and Kom. ix. 23, ' Pre- pared unto glory ; ' Col. i. 12, ' Hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light' Secondly, Have an unquestion- able and indefeasible right, by the grant and promise of God : John v. 24, ' He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.' Thirdly, Have the earnest, first-fruits, or begun possession of eternal glory : 2 Cor. i. 22, ' Who hath sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit.' Partly in the graces and partly in the comforts of the Holy Spirit. The graces in the new birth :■ Titus iii. 5, ' According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regen- eration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.' The immortal seed, 1 Peter i. 23. Saving knowledge, John xvii. 3. There is an eternal principle in them, which carrieth them to eternal ends. The life is begun which shall be perfected in heaven, and is still working towards its final
YeR. 14] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 117
perfection. As to comforts, in peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, by which we have a foretaste : Eora. xv. 13, ' The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing ; ' 1 Peter i. 8, ' In whom be- lieving, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious.' Surely of all privileges this is the principal and the choicest, which can be given us on this side heaven, and should be most rejoiced in and endeavoured after.
Secondly, What love of the brethren is here to be understood ; for I have observed that many will retreat to this evidence, as if this single and alone would witness their gracious estate, when they are grossly defective in other things. In my dealings with the consciences of men, I have observed several of the fallacies and cheats which men have put upon themselves ; sometimes in the object of this love, ' brethren.' If they have a love to their own sect and party, though they hate all the world besides, and are unconscionable in their deal- ings, and loose and uncircumspect in their walkings, yet still they have satisfied their consciences with this, that they love the brethren ; and this must bolster them up, and support their confidence, notwithstand- ing all their other enormities. Sometimes I have observed it to be in the affection itself ; they call that love to the brethren which is not. We may do many things which materially are acts of love to the brethren, but flow from false principles, as good nature, vainglory, gallantry. Some are of a soft and quiet temper, not difficult to any, but of a fair, loving carriage and behaviour ; and shall their natural easiness be taken for this high and special grace of love to the brethren ? Some will seem to do great and worthy things, but it is out of greatness of spirit and vainglory, without true charity and love to the brethren, without that love which the apostle mentions, 1 Cor. xiii. 3, ' If I give all my goods to the poor, and give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.' This love is something more than giving, something more than venturing our interests ; for charity, or christian love, containeth in it a sincere respect to God's glory, and a hearty desire of promoting the kingdom of Christ, and a holy com- placency in those who are our companions in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, and shall be our everlasting companions in heavenly glory, together with a public good-will and compassion to the souls of men. Some I have found will go lower, and maintain their comfort at a meaner rate ; they are not those that hate the brethren, and procure their molestation and trouble, but it may be frequent their meetings, applaud their persons, can now and then plead for them, and censure and speak against those that hate them : and here is their evidence ; how defective soever they are in other parts of Christianity, they think they love the brethren. But not to insist further, I am verily persuaded that if this one evidence were well thought of and understood, it were of as hard interpretation as any of the rest. There- fore let us see what this love of the brethren is, that will be such a sure note unto us.