DISCOURSE Xl. 20$ First, I wouldopen the way towards a plain and easy notion taf this ordinary or assisting sv tness of the Spirit of God with our own spirits, in a few propositions : I. God, in his word, has given us the description and the characters of his children. This is evident, and beyond dis- pute. Many scriptures there are that evince it. He has told us what we are by nature; viz. children of wrath; and laid down the character of sinful men in anunregenerate state, who are called the children of the devil. He has acquainted us with what the are bygrace ; viz. his ownchildren, born again, or born of God ; and has laid down various marks of that privilege also, that so we might distinguish between good and evil, between saints and sinners. The marks of the children of God in scripture, are chiefly such as these : 1. They believe in Christ Jesus; John i. 12. To as many as received him, to them gave hepower to become the children of God; even to as many as believed in hisname; 1 John v. 1. You have the _same thing expressed in other words: Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is bornof God: Whosoever so believes him to be theMessiah, as to receive him for a Saviour fromsin and hell, according to his commission to save. 2. They are such as do not willingly indulge sin, that do not make sin their practice. See 1 John iii. O. He that is born of God sinneth not: He doth not drink in iniquity with. greediness, as others do ; he has still a settled rooted aversion in his mind, to those sinful practices into which sometimes he is drawn by the power or surprize of temptation ; for he has the. seed of Godabiding in him, and the divine likeness and temper communicated to him by regeneration, so that he sins not with a full bent ofsoul, nor with his whole heart, as he loves God, and seeks him, nor with constancy and perseverance ; Ps. cxix. 2, 10, 38, 44. 3. Such as love. God, and keep his commandments, they are thechildren of God : And this you have frequently repeated in the 1st Epistle of John. When a principle of divine love reigns inthe heart, we keep the commands ofour heavenly Fa- ther with delight and they arenot an heavy task or burden to us Hiscomnzandenents are not grievous; 1 John v. 3. 4. Justice and charity toward men, and special affection toward our fellow-christians, are further evidences of our adop- tion ; 1 John iii. 10. In this the children of God are manifest, and the childrenof the devil: Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not lais brother. When our righteous and friendly conduct toward our fellow-creatures pro- ceeds from a sense of the authorityof God, andhis divine com- passion ; when our meekness, gentleness, goodness to all men, 17 3
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