SERMON XIV.

THE CONQUERING WORLDLY AFFECTIONS IS BEING BORN OF GOD.

I JOHN V. 4.

Whatfoever is born of God, overcometh the

TH

world.

HE points of enquiry, which naturally arise here, are these two; - what it is to be born of God—and, what it is to overcome the world.

To be born, is to receive the principles of life. Thus, we are born of our parents, from whom we receive the principles of our natural life; and this expreffion of being born, which belongs to our first change of state, when we come out of darkness into life, is frequently and fitly applied in scripture to such future change as may be made in our condi

tion, when we come out of fin into righteoufnefs; and, as the former is called our natural birth, fo the latter is called our fpiritual birth, and our new birth; as the former is generation, or being born, fo the latter is called regeneration, or being born again.

Now, as we derive our natural birth from our parents, fo fcripture affures us, that we derive our fpiritual birth from God. - We derive indeed our natural birth from God, through the inftrumentality of our parents; as we derive our fpiritual birth from him, through the inftrumentality of those means, which he hath appointed for conferring the fpecial influence of his Spirit on our minds; by the power of which we are, at any time, awakened from a finful, to choose and perfift in a good life. And as, in confequence of our natural birth, we are the fons of our parents, fo, in confequence of fuch spiritual birth, the fcripture calls us fons of God.

But farther.— With the principles of life is implanted in us a love of those, of whom we are born. This circumftance, fo ftrongly connected with our natural birth, muft needs be found applicable to our fpiritual birth, and is applied accordingly; for as he who is born of his parents loveth his parents, fo he

I

who

Now the

who is born of God loveth God. love we feel for our parents not only operates by an inward tendency of heart towards them, beyond all other objects, but outwardly fhews itself in a resemblance of difpofition and conduct; and, ftill more exprefsly, in a ready obedience to their commands, and to whatever we know is agreeable to them. -This circumftance too is carried into the defcription of our spiritual birth, and fcripture exprefsly tells us, that, "This is the love of "God, that we keep his commandments."

and live a good.

In the cafe of

Thus are we born of God; thus are we the fons of God.-Not that we are fo merely, and only by the first impreffion of reformation and righteousness made on our hearts, but by a continued courfe in it. The true fons of God, the truly regenerate, are those who have not only refolved to forfake fin life, but continue fo to do. our natural birth, indeed, it is true, that, in confequence of the fingle act of being born, we are always the fons of our parents, be-have as we will;-yet even there, difobedience, though it takes not away the name, may deprive us of the privileges belonging to it; but, in the case of our fpiritual birth, our disobedience deprives us of both.

We

We are born of God, then, when, by the influence of God's Spirit in our hearts, having forfaken fin, and undertaken a good life, we perfevere in it, with a fincere love of him and obedience to his commands.

Now that which fupplies us with the means, and motives, for doing this is a faith in Christ. That is the means, which God hath appointed, through which he conveys that grace into our hearts, by which we firft feel ourselves. moved from fin towards righteousness, and by which we are afterwards fupported in it. A faith in Chrift's bleffings and promises prompts us to a love of God, and him, and encourages our obedience; so that, because it is through a faith in Chrift that we are born of God, therefore, to have faith in Christ, and to be born of God, are expreffions, used in scripture, as fignifying the fame thing; and · both are applicable to thofe, who, believing Jefus • Chrift to be, what the gospel represents him, have, by the grace of God, through Chrift, forfaken fin to purfue righteoufness, and, ufing their best endeavours for perfevering in it, do feel a trust in the promises of the gofpel, with a fincere obedience to the precepts of it, and as fincere a love for Chrift, who hath fet them both before

.C

' us.'