6. Amen, Lord Jesus! May every one who prepareth his heart yet again to seek thy face, receive again that Spirit of adoption, and cry out, Abba, Father! Let him now again have power, so to believe in thy name, as to become a child of God; as to know and feel he hath _redemption in thy blood even the forgiveness of sins_, and that he _cannot commit sin, because he is born of_ God. Let him be now _begotten again unto a living hope_, so as to _purify himself, as thou art pure_! And _because he is a son_, let the Spirit of love and of glory rest upon him, cleansing him _from all filthiness of flesh and spirit_, and teaching him _to perfect holiness in the fear of_ God! SERMON XIX. THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF THOSE THAT ARE BORN OF GOD. 1 JOHN iii. 9. _Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin._ 1. IT has been frequently supposed, that the being born of God was all one with the being justified; that the new birth and justification were only different expressions, denoting the same thing: it being certain on the one hand, that whoever is justified, is also born of God; and on the other, that whoever is born of God, is also justified: yea, that both these gifts of God are given to every believer in one and the same moment. In one point of time his sins are blotted out, and he is born again of God. 2. But though it be allowed, that justification and the new birth are in point of time inseparable from each other, yet are they easily distinguished, as being not the same, but things of a widely different nature. Justification implies only a relative, the new birth a real change. God in justifying us, does something _for_ us: in begetting us again, he does the work _in_ us. The former changes our outward relation to God, so that of enemies we become children. By the latter, our inmost souls are changed, so that of sinners we become saints. The one restores us to the favour, the other to the image of God. The one is, the taking away the guilt, the other, the taking away the power of sin. So that although they are joined together in point of time, yet are they of wholly distinct natures. 3. The not discerning this, the not observing the wide difference there is, between being justified and being born again, has occasioned exceeding great confusion of thought, in many who have treated on this subject: particularly when they have attempted to explain this great privilege of the children of God; to shew how _whosoever is born of_ God, _doth not commit sin_. 4. In order to apprehend this clearly, it may be necessary, first, to consider what is the proper meaning of that expression, _Whosoever is born of_ God; and, secondly, to enquire, in what sense he _doth not commit sin_.