Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." Not surely as privileges inseparable from baptism, according to Augustine's fixed principle that justification commenced with that, and not otherwise, but as the blessings received through faith, by which the heart is purified', and the benighted slaves of sin and Satan are freed at once from the defilement, the power, and the guilt, of sin, or obtain pardon, and are invested with the righteousness of Christ, and are "made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light." This last is the exclusive privilege of those who are truly born of God, as soon as they are so born, not a blessing to be attained by subsequent effort; but every genuine believer in Christ is born again of the Spirit, or of God, and it is by virtue of this thorough transformation, and the implantation of a new, energetic, and vital principle in his soul, that he cleanses himself, works righteousness, and walks consistently before the Lord and man.

The beloved disciple explicitly declares, that "whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;" because "his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God;" and that for the same reason he overcomes the world, and keeps himself, so that "that wicked one toucheth him not," abiding in Christ to the end'.

Now to predicate such things absolutely of the baptized, whether in infancy or in maturer life, would be preposterous. The case of Simon Magus is decisive on that point. The elect alone are "regenerate in spirits." The justified are also glorified. The links of the golden chain of love, by which God binds His people to Himself for ever, are no human, nor contingent, nor destructible bands".

a Followed by Wordsworth.

b According to Acts xv. 7—9; xxvi. 18. The past participle is used also in Heb. x. 10; the present, "who are being sanctified," ib. 14; ii. 11.

• ἱκανώσαντι εἰς, Col. i. 12 (ἱκάνωσεν hμâs diaкóvovs, 2 Cor. iii. 6). See 2 Cor. v. 21, and on Phil. iii. 9.

d See John i. 12, 13, with ch. iii. and I John v. I.

ever abideth in Him sinneth not. iii. 6. Cf. 1 Pet. iv. I. The perseverance of the anointed of God (see Ps. cv. 15; 2 Cor. i. 21) is witnessed to them by the anointing Spirit. I John ii. 27.

8 Lord Bacon, Advancement of Learning. He distinguishes them from the reprobate who have no lot in the matter, and the visible church "according to appearance" only.

Rom. viii. 30, &c. John x. 27-30.

Even to reconcile the apostolic declarations with the experience of true and generally consistent believers is at first sight apparently impossible. But "the flesh lusteth (in us) against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, in order that we should not do the things that we would," whether good or evil. Hence our mixed and imperfect conduct, oftentimes our strange inconsistencies, the painful fact that "in many points we offend all," the explicit declaration of St John himself, concerning those who have "fellowship with the Father and the Son," and walk in the light as He is in the light, some of whom, like himself, were the privileged companions and associates of Jesus upon earth, that even if such as these should "say, that we have no sin, we (should) deceive ourselves, (and thus prove that) the truth is not in use." To understand this correctly, it is necessary to examine the context. This announces, in the first place, the comforting promise, that, though it be so, yet "if we confess our sins," His faithfulness and justice, (not merely His mercy,) guarantee our pardon and purification; and secondly, that "if we say that we have not sinned" we should “make Him a liar," and prove that "His word is not in us." Surely this is not a repetition of the original proposition. It is one thing to have sin, another to sin! This at least is our conclusion from the 7th chapter of the epistle to the Romans, about which so much controversy has arisen. For St Paul speaks there of the sin which dwelleth in him; and the only question is whether this declaration refers to past or present experience; and the beloved disciple authoritatively tells us that it is present, and that if we are not conscious of its presence, it is through self-deception! But for this remaining principle of evil, "even in the regenerate," which subjects them to a sore conflict as long as we are in the world, the children of God would have no besetting sin, nor ever be overtaken by a fault, neither would they have any need of watchfulness, nor any earthly members to mortify, nor any actual offences, or sins, to

a Galat. v. 17, as it should be rendered.

b James iii. 2. As Solomon exclaimed, "there is no man that sinneth not." 1 Kings viii. 46; 1 Chron. vi. 36. For there is not a just man upon

earth that doeth good, and sinneth not. Eccles. vii. 20. Cf. Prov. xx. 9.

с

I John i. 8.

d Ib. 9, 10.

© vii. 20. ἡ ἁμαρτία οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοί.

bewail and to confess continually. When Satan came he would find nothing in them on which he could work, as he found nothing in the Lord Jesus"; they would be altogether holy and without blemish in the world, and all equally so for the same reason at all times. But now we know that in us (that is, our flesh, which is never regenerate) there dwelleth no good thing, but evil; and therefore to deny the outbreakings of this principle (which daily becomes more apparent, as we become more enamoured of holiness, and conscious of its real character) in actual transgressions, would be to make God a liar, to shew our real ignorance of His word, to "harden our hearts through the deceitfulness of sind," whereas confession enables us to realise the glorious truth, that as we are walking in the light, which exposes every transgression, "the blood of Jesus Christ" is cleansing "us from all sin?"

Then let us not delude ourselves. It is only as we consciously abide in Christ, as branches in the living vine, knit to Him by steadfast faith, that we are really accepted and complete in Him; but, being incorporated into Christ, we are separated from the world and its service, sanctified unto God by His indwelling Spirit making us "new creatures;" and the consciousness of this constrains us to follow after practical holiness, in thought, word, and deed, that we walk worthy of our heavenly calling1, in earnest emulation of His spotless character and example, and enjoy in humble access to a throne of grace1 with all our shortcomings a constant sense of pardon and acceptance.

The laver in the Tabernacle was not, as some maintain, a type of "the laver of regeneration," but of the constantly recurring application of the blood of Christ. For Aaron and his sons were only required to wash their hands and their feet at the former before they came near to minister at the altar, or to present a burnt-offering unto the Lord; but this was to be daily

repeated, although they had been already washed, and anointed once for all, at their solemn consecration to their holy office. A beautiful illustration of the truth here taught is set before us in the Gospel of St John. Peter objected to the marvellous condescension of his Master, when shortly before His crucifixion, though conscious that He was come from God and that He was going to God, in abiding love to His disciples, He girded Himself with a towel, and began to wash their feet. It was an ordinary act of hospitality to provide such refreshment for guests on their arrival, but not to perform the operation for them”. And supper on this occasion was already in course, so that the act of Emmanuel seemed the more extraordinary. As soon, however, as He says to His astonished disciple, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me," Peter exclaimed, with characteristic ardour, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." This was unnecessary; for the act was symbolical; and “he that is washed (or, has taken a bath) needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." Daily defilements, as we journey through this sinful world, though washed, sanctified, and justified, we shall all contract, as the orientals walking with almost uncovered feet require to wash them, even after the shortest passage through any of their lanes or streets, and must do so before they can enter the guest-chamber of their friend with decorum. And thus, as Rutherford observed, "new washing, new application of purchased redemption, by that sacred blood that sealeth the free covenant, is a thing of daily and hourly use to a poor sinner:" the bath is not to be repeated, but to the laver we must continually recur; for "God justifies once as a judge, but forgives daily as a father," and this forgiveness in confession and prayer we are therefore taught daily and hourly to seek.

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We know our acceptance; we feel that we have been forgiven and justified freely, but the very "iniquity of our holy things,"

the sin cleaving to every act, the imperfection marring all our services, must be humbly acknowledged at the footstool of divine mercy, "that we die not," or lose not our comfortable assurance of the divine presence. For our sufficiency is not of ourselves, but of Him alone, through whom, as our righteous Advocate 66 if any man sin,”—and our constant Intercessor as our great High Priest, however blamelessly we may walk in the light, who through "one offering of Himself hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified,”—we have freedom of access into the holiest of all, or into the very presence of a reconciled Father, so that we rejoice continually in the assurance of His mercy and unalterable love in holy and intimate fellowship".

His all-sufficient grace enables us at once to "live righteously, soberly, and godly" here, and to overcome in all our trials and conflicts, and to realise our interest in His everlasting salvation, and that blessed hope of the Church, which is the appearance of His glory in the last day, whilst peace thus follows in its train, as His legacy and parting gift to His disciples, as the purchase of His blood and the seal of His triumpha.

St Peter emphatically addresses those who are "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father," as so chosen "through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ," in which the order of the words is most worthy of observation; for they imply the imperfection of all our best obedience, and the necessity of ever pleading that blood, and "looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life," without presumption and without hesitation. Grace and peace will assuredly be multiplied upon such, according to the promise of the Father, the "God of all grace," the source of every blessing, through the sacrifice of His Son, "the Prince of Peace," the channel through which each blessing flows down to us, through their united gift, in the power of the Holy Ghost.

[2] (3-8) Whenever the apostle remembered the Christ