1 This Caution implies the zealous Endeavour of the Scducers of that Time, to inſtil their poiſonous Do@rine and Principles of Licen- tiouſneſs , and his own Solicitude, leſt theſe Chriſtians ſhould re- ceive them, and be miſchiev'd by them. Whereas therefore they were wont to ſuggeſt, that a meerly notional Knowledge was enough to re- commend Men, and make them acceptable to God, though they liv'd never f impure Lives, he inculcates, That only they that did Rightes ouſneſs, viz. in a continued Courſe, living conformably to the Rules of the Goſpel, were righteous : and that they muſt aim to be ſo, even as he is righteeus ; not only making the Righteouſneſs and Holy Life of Chriſt, the 0bje& of their Tru, but the Pattern of their Walking and Practice,
$ * He that committeth zz fin, is of the devil z 3 for the devil finneth from the beginning. For this
deſtroy the works of the devil.
m The Apoſile's Notion of committing Sin, may be interpreted by his own Phraſe, 3d Epiff. terſe 11, © xzzominr, a Dyer of Ewvll ; and by that uſed in both Teſtaments, a Worker of Tniquity : Which is not every one that doth any one fingle A of Sin ; as his 5 :m.wr
£reat / a Called there ( as often referring to God as the Author _) LEgnifies to be made, or to be, Mitth. 5.5 45. John 1, 12.
Nairn, verſe 7. a Dog of Righteauſmeſ, and « 45:227ei@r, 3d Ep. A Deer of Good, is not every ene that doth any one righteous or good
7 Little children, let no man deceive you : * He , that doth righteouſneſs, is righteous, even as he is righ- ,
Rom, _ ls bs Sa -- 7;
=_y
45.
+ ÞCr
IF,
of his Son, who 1s then to come in the Glory of the Father, Matth. 15. 1 Cor. 1
I 2,
” -
* Chap. 5.
17.
Sin, or of tranſgrefſing his holy Law, which is the very Notion of
8 # 7 i DJ
'L) & - a” Q 4. 5,
T 2 Cor.g.
2 Beloved, * ngw are we the ſons of Goa, and t it *Ift.;-., I's,
whatſoever Hardſhips from the World, or ſeverer Diſcipline from || Row, 2 it is much above us to comprehend diſftin?/y the Glory of it : 7et 1 Cor, 1 drawn before it, which is to be drawn afide at the appointed Seaſon Phil, 4.2 ;,
of the Manifeſtation of the Sons of Ged, verſe 19, d But ſo mich we Col. z, 4
- ' {al. [4 5
3 yo
Cor. 5.7,
* Iſa. 53.
6, &c.
I Tiff; 1,
*4a-* a
ſoever ſinneth, « hath not ſeen him, neither known * = > 4. & 4. 8.
9.
Chap. 2.
* Mat. 13. purpoſe the Son of God was maniſeſted, that he might *oh.. 44.
race] Lo" ”
"Chap.4.3.
g92% AFR; NY more than we call him 2 Worker or Maker of any tlio, (45 tigniytng a manual Occupation) who only makes a fingle Attempt, but him who hath acquird the habitual Skill, and doth or- dinarily employ himfelf accordingly. AWorber or Maker of Sin, ( as Ve may ty reader this 6 TTLev THY 4 2pmey ) 15 an Habitual or Cult o- mary S:nner ; one that {inneth with deliberation, not by ſurprize, irom a preva!11ng Habit, that either continueth him in a Courſe -of actua! knwn $'1, or that with-holds him from repenting ſincerely, and furning to God trom the Sin which he hath committed ; by which Repentance he ſhould not only refrain from further groſs Ads of Sin ( which an impenitent Perſon upen other Inducemepts my do ) but mortifie and prevail againſt all finful Habits and Inclina- trons. In the ſame ſence he uſcth the Expreiſion of SirMing, terſe 6. and verſe g, n And ſuch a Sinner he ſ1ys, is of the Dev! ;, as if he were born of him, were his Child, really conform'd to him, and ha- ving his ianing Nature. As our Saviour tells the Jews, having ap- pited to them the fame Phraſe before of committing Sin, John 8.34. that they were of their Father the Devil, ver/e 44. As alſo this Apo- ſtle, 3 Fobn 1, fays, The Doer of Good i« of God, 1. e. born of God, or his Child, as wefind he uſes the Expreſſions of being born of God, and being of God, promiſcuouſly, and with indifference, verſe 9, 10. and Chap.'s. 18, 19.. the latter being elliptical in reference to the former. Whereas Sin was therefore orizinally the Devil's Work, he adds (as a further Engagement again(t it) that the Son of
;0d was manifcited (as werſe 5. ) appeared in the Fleſh, ſhew- ed fimtelf in this World of ours, on purpoſe to deſtroy, or { as the Word ftyniaes ) that he might diſſolve the Frame of all ſuch Works. |
9 * Whoſoever is born of God o, doth not commir ſin p, for his ſeed 9 remaineth in him : and he cannot {in 7, becauſe he is born of God.
9 To be born of God, is ( in the Words of a very Learned Annota- tor, Dr. Hammond )< to have received ſome ſpecial Influence from God, and by the help and power of that, to be raiſed to a pious Life. . Agreeably, 54301114 3» & at 28, he that .hathbeen born of God, is ſ1tterally he that hath had ſuch a bleſſed Change wrought 1n him, by the Operation of God's Spirit in his Heart, as to be trantlated from the Power of Darkneſs into the Kingdom of his own dear Son; transformed in the Spirit of his Mind, j. e. ſincerely changed from all Evil to all Good ; from an Obedience to the Fleſh, gc. to an Obedience to God. . Only it is here to be noted, that the Phraſe 1s not ſo to be taken, as to denote on/y the Ad of this Change; the brit Impreſſion of this Virtue on the Paticnt, the fingle tranſient AR of Regeneration, or Reformation ; and that, as in the Praeter- Tenſe, no:v paſt, but rather a continued Courſe, a permanent State: So as a Regenerate Man, ahd a Child of God are all one, and figni- © fies him that lives a pious and godly Life, and continues to do ſo, © &*c. Tothe ſame purpoſe this Author alſo ſpeaks, Nate on 7ohn 1. 12. andin his Paraphraſe on that Verſe : * Thoſe which live accor- « ding to the Will of God, and neither the natural, nor carnal, nor © bare moral Principle. This Change introducing the conſequent Courſe, divers Texts of Scripture explain; 7ohn 3. 3,5, 6. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Eph. 2, 10, & 4. 24+ Fam. 1. 18. gyc. p Now of one thus born of God, "tis ſaid, he doth not commit Sin, as verſe 8. and for the reaſon here alledged. q The Principles ob enlivened holy Truth, as 1 Pet. I. 23.