(1.) That by the words, _he cannot commit sin_, the apostle does not intend that such an one is not a sinner, or that there is such a thing as sinless perfection attainable in this life; for that is contrary, not only to the whole tenor of scripture, and daily experience of mankind; but to what he had expressly said, _If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us_, 1 John i. 8. Therefore, in this text, upon which our present argument is founded, he is, doubtless, speaking of persons committing sins, inconsistent with the truth of grace, as he says in a foregoing verse, _Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him_, chap. iii. 6. it is such a sin therefore as argues a person to be in a state of unregeneracy; and then, _He that committeth sin is of the devil_, ver. 8. therefore he certainly speaks of such a commission of sin, as argues us to be under the reigning power of the devil: and that this may plainly appear to be his sense, we may observe, that he elsewhere distinguishes between _a sin that is unto death_, and a sin that is _not unto death_, chap. v. 16, 17. by which he does not mean, as the Papists suppose, that some sins deserve eternal death, and others not; the former of which they call mortal sins; the latter venial; but he is speaking of a sin that is inconsistent with the principle of grace, and that which is consistent therewith; the former is sometimes called _the pollution that is in the world, through lust_, 2 Pet. i. 4. the latter _the spot of God’s children_, Deut. xxxii. 5. The least sin deserves death, though they who commit it shall not perish, but be brought to repentance; but the _sin unto death_ is wilful sin, committed and continued in with impenitency; and with this limitation we are to understand the apostle’s words, _He who is born of God doth not commit sin_. (2.) We shall now consider the reason assigned, why the person he speaks of, cannot, in this sense, commit sin; namely, because he is _born of God_, and _the seed of God abideth, in him_. To be born of God, is what is elsewhere styled regeneration, or being born of the Spirit, in which there is a principle of grace implanted, which is here called _the seed of God_. And, indeed, this metaphorical way of speaking is very expressive of the thing designed hereby; for as in nature the seed produces fruit, and in things moral, the principle of action produces action, as the principle of reason produces acts of reason: so in things spiritual, the principle of grace produces acts of grace; and this principle being from God, which has been largely proved under a foregoing answer,[89] it is called here, _the seed of God_.