9. *You see the unquestionable progress from grace to sin. Thus it goes on, from step to step. 1. The divine seed of loving, conquering faith, remains in him that is _born of God. He keepeth himself_, by the grace of God, and _cannot commit sin_. 2. A temptation arises, whether from the world, the flesh, or the devil, it matters not. 3. The Spirit of God gives him warning that sin is near, and bids him more abundantly watch unto prayer. 4. He gives way in some degree to the temptation, which now begins to grow pleasing to him. 5. The Holy Spirit is grieved; his faith is weakened, and his love of God grows cold. 6. The Spirit reproves him more sharply, and saith, “This is the way; walk thou in it.” 7. He turns away from the painful voice of God, and listens to the pleasing voice of the tempter. 8. Evil desire begins and spreads in his soul, ’till faith and love vanish away. He is then capable of committing outward sin, the power of the Lord being departed from him. 10. To explain this by another instance. The apostle _Peter_ was full of faith and of the Holy Ghost; and hereby keeping himself, he had a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man. Walking thus in simplicity and godly sincerity, _before that certain came from_ James, _he did eat with the Gentiles_, knowing that what God had cleansed, was not common or unclean. But _when they were come_, a temptation arose in his heart, _to fear those of the circumcision_, (the _Jewish_ converts, who were zealous for circumcision and the other rites of the _Mosaic_ law) and regard the favour and praise of these men, more than the praise of God. He was warned by the Spirit that sin was near. Nevertheless he yielded to it in some degree, even to sinful fear of man, and his faith and love were proportionably weakened. God reproved him again for giving place to the devil. Yet he would not hearken to the voice of his Shepherd; but gave himself up to that slavish fear, and thereby quenched the Spirit. Then God disappeared, and faith and love being extinct, he committed the outward sin. _Walking not uprightly_, not _according to the truth of the gospel_, he _separated himself_ from his Christian brethren, and by his evil example, if not advice also, _compelled_ even _the Gentiles to live after the manner of the Jews_; to entangle themselves again with that _yoke of bondage_, from which _Christ had set them free_. Thus it is unquestionably true, that he who is born of God, keeping himself, doth not, cannot commit sin; and yet, if he keepeth not himself, he may commit all manner of sin with greediness. III. 1. From the preceding considerations we may learn, first, To give a clear and incontestible answer, to a question which has frequently perplex many, who were sincere of heart. Does sin precede or follow the loss of faith? “Does a child of God first commit sin, and thereby lose his faith? Or does he lose his faith first, before he can commit sin?”