flesh Paul served the law of sin. John himself cautions believers against sin, which shews the possibility of a heaven-born soul sinning; "These things write I unto you, that ye sin not;" and yet guards the believer against despair, should this be the unhappy case; And, if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins."

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Furthermore, he tells the standing believer how to act with a fallen one; "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask of God, and he shall give him life for him that sins not unto death; there is a sin unto death, I do not say that he shall pray for it."

Nor do I believe that this great and holy apostle, however he might, like Paul, exercise himself day and night to have always a conscience void of offence; yet he did not always escape the bar of equity without some censure, reproof, accusation, or reproach; and this may be gathered from his own pen, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaketh. "For, if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God." Hence it appears evident that John was not unacquainted with the censures of his own heart, and of appeals to God in such cases, and acknowledges the happy enjoyment of a good conscience; if our heart condemn us not, &c.

And he is thankful also for an advocate, and he knew the use and value of Christ in that office; "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins." From all which we may conclude, that sinless perfection, or perfection in the flesh, is neither advanced in this text, nor intended by it.

Some have been ready to conclude, from this portion of scripture, that believers, because they would do good, and, if possible, would gladly be free from all sins, yea, from the very in-being of sin, that their slips and falls are no sins, and because the man is blessed to whom the Lord will not impute sin. But the confessions and groanings of all the saints contradict this notion; besides, they are called sins, though not imputed; that is, they are not imputed to the believer so as to be brought forth against him at the day of judgment, because Christ the surety has borne them, and made satisfaction and answered for them; nevertheless they are brought forth in the court of conscience, and procure many frowns, chastisements, desertions, reproofs, loss of comfort, deadness of soul, shame, and confusion of face, and for which they are often detained before the Lord in the court of equity, till the blood of sprinkling procures their enlargement and reintroduction to God's presence.

Others have thought that this seed in my text is faith, because it is said that "Whatsoever is born

of God overcometh the world; and this is the vic tory that overcometh the world, even our faith." And some have concluded it must be the word of God, because that is called incorruptible seed. Some have thought that it is Christ formed in us, as he is called a seed, the seed of David, &c. And others call it the implantation of grace, which the Spirit plants in the soul, which is called a bed of spices, and under whose influence these various graces, or spices, are made to flow out into exercise, and emit their odours, so as to make the believer a sweet savour of Christ; which, for aught I know, is true.

When this great apostle treats of the saint's spiritual birth, he says that he is born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but.of God. God of his own will begets him by the word applied, and the Spirit, operating with it, quickens him; and, when begotten from a state of death and insensibility, and quickened to a feeling sense of his danger, wrath seizes him, and awakens all his fears about him, and against him, and the sense of wrath chains his heart down to meditate terror; his mind is chafed, vexed, grieved, agitated, and tormented, for fear hath torment. Wrath and guilt, meeting together, bring on the labour; love, meeting with our misery, and operating against it, produces the birth, and brings forth the soul. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment; he that feareth is not made perfect in

love, and he that loveth is born of God and know

eth God."

We know that God hath used many similitudes in condescension to human weakness. We read of the seed of man, which is man; and of the seed of beasts, which are beasts; and we read of Christ being called a seed, who is God and man in one person; and we read of Christ's seed, which are partly flesh and partly Spirit; "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh," &c. Now, as all seed has the likeness of those from whom it springs, and the same nature, this seed in my text, whatever it is, must have some resemblance to God; yea, and the nature of him too. But then what is God? John answers, "God is love; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God;" and he that is thus begotten of God loves him that begets, and him that is begotten of him. Hence it appears that this seed is the distinguishing and everlasting love of God the Father shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us; for John always ascribes it to God the Father. We read of the love of the Father, and of the love of Christ, and of the love of the Spirit; of the fulness of Christ, and of all grace, which is produced by the Spirit, and distinctly called the fruit of the Spirit; and we read of the grace of Christ, and of him formed in the heart, &c. &c. But this seed is the everlasting love of God the Father, distinct from the love of Christ, and from the love of the

Spirit; who promises to circumcise our hearts to love him, and with lovingkindness to draw us. And, as God of his own will begets us, his seed is in those begotten of him; and Christ says, The Father himself loveth you; and it was love in God to send his Son; and this love is distinguished by John himself from the love of Christ, and from the love of the Holy Spirit, which he calls the anointing.

It was brought with power and comfort to my soul that this is the seed; and no wonder, for John owns that this seed is of the Father, for "Love is of God," and "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." This is the seed, this is the divine nature, this is the root of the matter; it is the more excellent way, and it is that charity that never faileth, and is the elder sister of the three, and the soul of all the rest; for faith, patience, humility, meekness, temperance, and every other virtue, are ascribed to her. Charity thinketh no evil, and is therefore a seed that cannot sin. "He that is born of God sinneth not." Paul delighted in the law of God after the inner-man; this is love, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh," saith the Saviour; "and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John doth not describe fully the old man, he only mentions the saint considered as a new creature that sinneth not, and the seed that remains in him that cannot sin.

Furthermore, it is an habitual course of sinning