2. The immediate fruit alfo, or effect of a perfon's being thus regenerated is, that he believes on CHRIST: With the heart he believeth on him for righteousness.Faith in CHRIST is exprefly mentioned in Scripture as a mark of regeneration Whosoever believeth that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of Godt. No man can heartily receive, nor understand this truth, unless he is born of GOD; and therefore it is an evidence of it. Many indeed may, and do talk of this faith in CHRIST, and pretend to have it; but the Scripture witneffeth, none fave the children of GoD only, are partakers of it indeed, and in truth : For this believing cannot confift with any self-trust or dependence.JESUS, who was crucified, is our righteousness, in whom alone we have hope, and peace with GOD; because we believe him to be that CHRIST who was promised in the Scriptures of the Prophets, to make an end of fin, and bring in everlasting righteoufnefs: Which he hath fulfilled and perfected according to the will of God, even the Father; whereof he hath given an affured evidence, and demonftration unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.- This truth every one that is born of GOD, with the heart firmly believes; therefore alfo he confeffes CHRIST before men, + 1 John v. 1. men, to be the fole dependence, and hope of his foul in the fight of GOD for eternal life; which confeffion is the immediate and certain effect of his believing on him: Whosoever confeffeth that Jefus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and be in Godt. Wherefore he faith, If thou shalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and fhalt believe in thine heart that God bath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be faved. 3. The third mark of the new birth is, love to the faints. This is the neceflary fruit of regeneration, and always accompanies true faith in the SON of GOD: Therefore it is generally mentioned, both by our LORD and his Apostles, as the standing mark, and fureft evidence of our being the children of GOD: Hereby, faith CHRIST, fhall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye have love one towards another: And St. John alfo affirms, by this we know that we are passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren . But he that loveth not his brother, abideth in death; that is, remains in his old unregenerate ftate, dead in trefpaffes and fins. But he that loveth his brother, walketh in the light, and there is none occafion of ftumbling in him. Now this love is governed by no other principle but the truth as it is in Jesus only; or that faith in him which purifieth the heart, + 1 John iv. 15. John xiii. 34, 35. || John iii. 14. heart, and worketh by love. The love of the faints is not directed nor influenced by any fhew of natural gifts or endowments; by external connections of church order, or fellowship; modes of worship, &c. altho' the nearer and more perfect any of these are to the Scripture plan and ordinance, as established by the Apoftles, the more it tends to edification; but the very end of this order, which CHRIST hath appointed in his church, is for the building up, and perfecting of the Saints in faith and love: If therefore this grace be not in them, and prevail also, whofe outward order and fellowship appears to be fcriptural and pure, it can profit them nothing; and in whomfoever this grace is found, altho' the externals of that Chriftian fociety to which he be longs are very defective, and in fome things fuperfluous, he is beloved of GOD, and dear to the Saints: For, If the uncircumcifion keep the righteousness of the law, fhall not his uncircumcifion be counted for circumcifion? And thus every regenerate perfon loves his brother in the faith, only for the truth's fake which dwelleth in him, or because he is born of GOD; who alfo lives in his fear, and ftudies, by his walk and converfation, to please GOD in all things. 4. The next mark is, he doth not commit fin.For it is written; whosoever is born of God, finnetb not; not; and he cannot fin, because he is born of God* : In this the children of Gon are manifeft; and the children of the Devil. This may be understood of the fin unto death †, he cannot wholly depart from the faith, nor trample under foot the blood of Chrift, nor hate his brother: or it may be understood of his living in a course of fin; yielding, and giving himfelf up to the practice and fervice of fin. Others again feem to understand it of his finning wilfully and prefumptuously: But this alfo a child of God cannot do: He would not fin; for he hates it, tho' he doth it; and mourns for it, when he hath done it. When he falls, he is overtaken with the fault‡, thro' fudden, or strong temptation: If he is overpowered, and taken captive, it is fore against his will; which is fometimes permitted, to humble his pride, convince him of his weakness, and make him fenfible of his fin and folly in boafting of his own ftrength, as was the cafe with Peter; yet even then the LORD looks upon him, and he calls upon GoD for mercy, and deliverance out of the horrible pit, out of the belly of hell; thus did Jonah, and the LORD heard, and delivered him, for his own name's fake: Therefore alfo, tho' he falls, he fhall arise again; he knows that in many things he ordinarily offends, but it is thro' weakness, unwillingly; for he would not offend at all. If a believer therefore be fuffered 1 John iii. 9. † 1 John v. 16, 17, 18. ‡ Gal, vi. 1. fuffered to fall foully, as both David and Peter did; yet he fins not wilfully as the ungodly man doth, nor finally.-Hence David, in his confeffion and prayer LO GOD, fpeaks thus; Who can underftand his errors? cleanfe thou me from fecret faults: Keep back thy fervant alfo from prefumptuous fins, let them not have dominion over me; then fhall I be upright, and I fhall be innocent from the great tranfgreffion +.-But the Apostle John feems to mean more than a believer's not finning customary, prefumptuously, or finally: For the reafon which he gives why a regenerate person cannot fin, is, because he is born of God; whereby he plainly fignifies, that a new creature, as the offspring of God, bearing his image, and nature, cannot poffibly fin; for that which is born of the Spirit, is fpirit: Sin is wholly oppofite to the very nature of the new creature; he can no more fin, than he can cease to be what he is As that which is incorruptible cannot fee corruption, nor light have any fellowship with darknefs; fo that which is born of the Spirit, cannot will or do the works of the flesh. Therefore, when a believer fins, it is by the prevalence of temptation, thro' his own weakness, folly, and rashness, according to the flesh only: But, with his renewed mind, according to the Spirit, he never doth, nor can commit fin, for the feed of GOD remaineth in him. And therefore + Pfal. xix. 12, 13:... he |