and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." (1) And again, "By this we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." (m) We learn here how those, who are born of the Spirit, so overcome the enmity of the carnal mind, that they love God, and love the brethren, even the Lord's holy people.

And so again, the Holy Spirit enables them to overcome their natural tastes, and lustings for money, and ease, and the pleasures of the world: "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (n) What a wonderful distinction is this, that, while all others love the world, and seek their portion in its riches, or its comforts, or its esteem, the regenerate man has power to overcome his natural appetites for the things that are seen and temporal, and to set his affections on things above; so that while "they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh," they "that are after the Spirit, do mind the things of the Spirit."(o) They love what the others hate, and

hate what the others love.

(1)1 John iv. 16.

(m) 1 John iii. 14.

(n) 1 John v. 4.
(0) Romans viii. 5.

The third distinction between those who are born of God, and other men, is the holiness and obedience of their lives. This is perhaps the distinguishing mark of the regenerate beyond all others. As St. John testifies, "If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." (p) And again, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God; neither he that loveth not his brother." (q) And again he writes, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not: but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." (r) Surely, if we consider and lay to heart these testimonies of the word of God, we must perceive and confess that, "He that doeth good is of God."(s) "He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him." (t) But "If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth.” (u)

Let us proceed, 2, to consider the nature

(p) 1 John ii. 29. (g) 1 John iii. 9, 10.

(r) 1 John v. 18.

(u) 1 John i. 6.

of those signs and evidences, whereby persons, who are born of the Spirit of God, are distinguished from all others. First observe, that they are all such as relate to Christian character and Christian living. They are such as declare and manifest a new nature, and that a Divine nature, new powers of the mind, new dispositions of the heart, and new ways and habits of life. But I would not be misunderstood here. The new creation in a sinner's soul, of which spiritual regeneration is the commencement, does not, I conceive, imply the actual imparting of new senses and faculties to the soul, so much as the renewing and transforming of those, which were there before. It puts new life into them, it raises them up from the ruins of the fall, and gives them a new aim and direction in their exercise. Whereas the soul was dead, now it lives whereas the heart was cold, and careless about divine things, now it is full of warmth and interest: whereas the understanding was darkened, now it is enlightened: whereas the conscience was asleep, now it is awake, and sensitive; whereas the eye was blind, now it sees spiritually: whereas the ear was deaf, now it hears anxiously and joyfully the word of the Lord: whereas the tongue was dumb, now its sound is heard in the ear of Jehovah continually, confessing sin, crying

for mercy, seeking all things at God's hands, and praising and thanking and blessing his holy name for everything. The whole man is quickened, renewed, transformed gradually, brought out of darkness into light, out of death into life. "Therefore," says St. Paul, speaking of this mighty moral miracle, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are now become new." (v)

Secondly. Observe, that these signs and evidences are such, as declare the being born of the Spirit, to be not only a relative, but a real change.

In baptismal regeneration, if it be unattended with the birth of the Spirit, the change is only relative, not real: it is the change of condition, and covenant relationship to God; not of nature, and of the principles of life; and in such cases no signs and evidences follow, such as those which have been mentioned. But in spiritual regeneration, whether it take place at baptism, or whether the answer to the prayers then offered up be given at some later period, the change is not merely relative, but real. The spiritually regenerate person is "passed from death unto life." (w) From condemnation he has come to

(v) 2 Cor. v. 17. (w) John v. 24; 1 John iii. 14.

salvation. From a rebel and enemy, a neglecter and despiser of God, he is become a friend, a servant, a loving obedient child. He has passed over that secret, invisible, but awfully real and distinct line, which divides the whole human race into two parts. Whereas the prince of this world, Satan, dwelled and reigned in him; now the Spirit of God, even the Holy Ghost, dwelleth and reigneth in him. Now he is become one of those blessed and holy persons, who have part in the first resurrection, and on whom "the second death hath no power." (x) "For if the Spirit of him, that raised up Jesus in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit, that dwelleth in you." (y) He is, in short, a new creature, prepared and designed to dwell in the "new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (z)

from the dead, dwell

Thirdly, we should observe, that the signs and tokens of spiritual regeneration are such as in every case cannot but shew themselves. Indeed, in the case of infants, though they be, like John the Baptist, "filled with the Holy Ghost, even from their mother's womb," (a) this cannot in the

(x) Rev. xx. 6.
(y) Rom. viii. 11.

(z) 2 Pet. iii. 13.

(a) Luke i. 15.