.0 O·sp=-E L-MAGAZINE - The Gospel Magazine

35°
, ,
THE GOSPEL,,-MAG.A.Z-I NE.
,may fafely condude, that ~o" fa:ints in this ii~e have e~~t
attained to abfolute perfection.. ,
The fcripture indeed tells us, "Wh6foever is born'Of GOl)
" cloth not cClmmit fin'; for his feed remained) in him, and
" he cannot fill, 'becaufe he is born of GOD," I John iiL 9.
And if the faints arc wit~out fin in this life, an: they not ,perfe~1?
This is anfwered, ,
- FirjJ~' If the fenfe of this place'fhould be, that fuch as are'
ram of' GOD do not commit fin at all, then no regenerate
- p~ rlons, 'who are born of GOD, would ever be found committing
of fin; but the fcripture doth record the fins of many
regenerate pereons, a~ hath been {hewn; ,and experience doth
evidence the fame, that fuch as 'are born of GOD commit fin,
llod therefore that cannot be the meaning of the place, that
fuch as are born of GOD do not commit fin at all.
Smnd!y; fucn as "are b'om of GOD do not com~it fin, as
wickeCl men do, who are not born of GOD. 'J. He does not
allow himfelf in it in his judgment, but his co'nfiant fettled
purpofc and refolution is, ~ot to'fin, Ro"!: vii. 15, 16. 2.'He
does not yield full'confeilt to it with his wal, bpt even wile!!
he does do it, he would not'do it; and it is againft his incli.
Ilation, Rom. vii. 16- I'~, '23' And confequently, 3. H~"
does nOLoel'fght in it, but is grieved for it; and complains of
it, Rom. vii. 24. and he does I~ot continue in it, but repent, of
it and returns from it. 4. He does not fin the fin unto'death,
1 John v.. 1), 18. "·All unrighteoufnefs is fin, and tnere is
.. a fin 'unto death: We know"that whofoever is bor; of
" GOD finnerh not," ~hat'is, not unto 'death. The root of
the rbatler, the !'lew nature, is a prin!,:iple and habit of
grace and bci!inefs in th~ heart: H.: is indued by GOD with
fuch a principle, which'wiJ.! not fuffer him to fib deliberately,
fre~ly;' delighrfully and impenitently; , ,
Are not '.lob, Hezekiah, aud PaliI called perfect men? Job L8.'"
2 !7{lng; xx;- 3. Phil. iii. T5. It is an (wered, 'I. This peifeCl:ion,
w:lich is afcribe~ to ~he faints. il? the fcript~re, is not to be
undN(to6d of abfuh~te petfeC1ion and (:'eedom- (renl all fin,
lQf'lhc reafons alr~adr ~ivell, which prove the contrary;
bU-l:
I
,