The sum, then, of what hath been said is this—The Christian hath now
nothing to do with the law, as it thundereth and burneth on Sinai, or as
it bindeth the conscience to wrath and the displeasure of God for sin;
for from its thus appearing, it is freed by faith in Christ. Yet it is
to have regard thereto, and is to count it holy, just, and good; which,
that it may do, it is always, whenever it seeth or regards it, to
remember that he who giveth it to us “is merciful, gracious,
long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,” &c.
BUNYAN’S LAST SERMON:
PREACHED JULY 1688.
“_Which were born_, _not of blood_, _nor of the will of the flesh_,
_nor of the will of man_, _but of God_;” John i. 13.
THE words have a dependence on what goes before, and therefore I must
direct you to them for the right understanding of it. You have it
thus,—“He came to his own, but his own received him not; but as many as
received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to
them which believe on his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, but of God.” In the words before, you have two
things—
_First_, Some of his own rejecting him when he offered himself to them.
_Secondly_, Others of his own receiving him, and making him welcome.
Those that reject him he also passes by; but those that receive him, he
gives them power to become the sons of God. Now, lest any one should
look upon it as good luck or fortune, says he, “They were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
They that did not receive him, they were only born of flesh and blood;
but those that receive him, they have God to their father, they receive
the doctrine of Christ with a vehement desire.
_First_, I will shew you what he means by “blood.” They that believe are
born to it, as an heir is to an inheritance; they are born of God; not of
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God; not of blood—that is, not by
generation; not born to the kingdom of heaven by the flesh; not because I
am the son of a godly man or woman. That is meant by blood, Acts xvii.
26, “He has made of one blood all nations.” But when he says here, “not
of blood,” he rejects all carnal privileges they did boast of. They
boasted they were Abraham’s seed. No, no, says he, it is not of blood;
think not to say you have Abraham to your father, you must be born of God
if you go to the kingdom of heaven.
_Secondly_, “Nor of the will of the flesh.” What must we understand by
that?
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