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degeneration (in which state of unconversion) there is no man that sinneth not: yet in the regeneration or new birth, the apostle John, in the 3d chapter of his first epis tle, and 9th verse, saith, that "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." It is this seed which would beget this new and living birth, which makes us children of God, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven, which satan would destroy; for he knows he shall have an enemy of every such soul, and therefore it is the devil's interest and endeavour to destroy every such birth and such belief, that christians can possibly attain to live without sin in the world.

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3d. Prov. 20th chapter, 9th verse "Who can say, have made my heart clean, I am pure from sin," the words of Solomon, the son of David, who prayed to the Almighty in his Psalms: "Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right, or pure spirit within me;" which prayer was no doubt answered: but this is the work of God, and to him all things are possible, even that which looks impossible to men; for "He can make a man more pure than gold." So it being the work of God, no man can say, that he hath done it, that he hath purified himself, or made himself clean. Can the Almighty make a man pure? It might with much truth be answered, he can; and it is supposed no good christian can, or will deny it and then what will become of that absurd antichristian and antiscriptural tenet, that we cannot be clean or pure from sin, in this world?

It may be said, if there are any who live without sin, they are but very few (a sorrowful truth indeed!) but is it not every one's interest to strive to be one of those few, as it is also his indispensable duty our Lord also saith, that "The way (to his kingdom) is straight and narrow, and (that) there are but few that find it." Must we therefore give up the cause, and not seek the kingdom, and because of the difficulty of Christ's cross here in this world, must we go in the broad way, where there is much room and company. May every true christian say, the Lord forbid it, and (I humbly pray) not only say, but do that which is right in the sight of God.

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4th. The next is an expression of Solomon's, Ecclestes, chapter 7, verse 20. "There is not a just man on earth that doth good, and sinneth not." This should interpreted as the former, "And who may not sin :" speaketh of a man in the state of his vanity and sin, ore a reformation; for divine wisdom, and the fear of Lord (which he taught) keeps the heart clean, and serves from the snares of sin, death, and the devil: that this state of sin that he here speaks of, must be ore man attains to the wisdom of God, and before he nes truly to live in his fear. Therefore he must cerly do good, who lives in the fear of God, "Which (as same Solomon says) is the beginning of wisdom; and lepart from iniquity, is a good understanding." So t he shows man his state of vanity, and also his state sin, as above, and teacheth people how to avoid it, by ring the Lord, and walking in the counsel of wisdom e.) Christ's counsel, who is the wisdom of God to vation. That all men are sinners, before the work of version, is true, and that the devil intends to keep them re to their lives end, is as true; and no likelier way ʼn he do it, than by keeping them in a belief that they ist live in sin, and cannot live without it whilst they e in this world; and when they come to die, then fear prises the hypocrite, and terror takes hold of the undly and many times, when too late, they see the res which the devil and sin hath brought them into. ! what pity it is, that this veil of darkness is not done ay, in time of youth, strength, and health, when the nes are full of marrow, and the veins are full of blood: t the design of satan is to lead people on in this perniDus principle till death, and then before they are aware, ey may drop into eternal wo and misery, where the icked and the ungodly must be turned, and with all them at forget God; for in heaven, where Christ is, "If we e in our sins, we (as Christ saith) cannot come." 5th. The apostle John, in his first epistle, chap. i. verses 9, and 10, writes thus, "If we say we have had (as it ay be turned) no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the uth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful

and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from al unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us;" which answers to the 8th verse, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." The 9th verse fully lets us into the meaning of the 8th verse, i. e. if we confess our sins, for all ought to confess, and also to forsake their sins, "All having sinned, and being by nature children of wrath;" otherwise we have no assurance of mercy from the holy scriptures: then he (i. e.) the Almighty, "Is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And pray what sin is there, when we are cleansed from all unrighteousness? And then, in the 10th verse he says, "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar." There is no doubt but that we have sinned, which is what the apostle plainly points at in the 8th verse. And if any man sins (when he repents and forsakes) “We have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ, the righteous and God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." But then we must repent and forsake, if we expect to find mercy; though we have sin, or have had sin, we must not always have it, for if we have it always, wo will be to us, according to the words of God and Christ. Thus we see how satan is put to his shifts to support his sinful kingdom, and how he abuses the holy scriptures, when he makes use of them, as will further be made manifest in what follows, as the same apostle doth plainly demonstrate in his third chapter of the above epistle, verses 7, 8, 9, and 10, saying, "Let no man (nor the devil neither, say I) deceive you: he that doth righteousness, is rightcous: he that committeth sin, is of the devil." This is plain and naked truth, let who will like, or dislike it. Further, in the 9th and 10th verses he again repeats to the same purpose, saying, "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doth not righteousness, is not of God." (Ergo, then he must be of the devil, while he is in unrighteousness.)

There are divers other places in the holy scriptures, which he abuseth in like manner, and which he and his children wrest to uphold him and his kingdom of sin and

unrighteousness, and themselves therein: so by and through the grace of God, we may see his wiles and delusions, and the rottenness of his cause, as also the unsafe and dangerous foundation of his building, though endeavouring unduly to support the same, by that which was always designed to destroy him and his kingdom, (i. e.) the holy scriptures. May all men judge in this matter, whether that spirit which would bring, pick, and cull out a few verses, and some times a few words out of a verse, in order to make them speak contrary to the whole scope and tenor, or tendency of the holy scriptures, and to plant a belief that we shall never overcome sin and unrighteousness in this world, though they (i. e.) the holy scriptures all along exhort, and teach us to avoid sin and unrighteousness, and live a holy righteous life in this present world; I say, may all mortals judge whether such a spirit can be of God, or whether it be not of, and from the father of lies: wherefore, if it be plainly proved, that there have been those who have overcome sin and satan, and that Christ repeatedly, and his holy apostles (he in them, and they in him) exhorted to fight against sin and the devil, who is the author of all sin; and Christ faithfully promising most sweet and gracious rewards to those who shall overcome, in order to encourage the spiritual warrior to a faithful perseverance, and resisting of sin and satan: then it is hoped that satan will be wounded, his kingdom shaken, and this evil destructive principle, in some measure laid waste in some poor soul or souls, into whose hands these may come.

1st. Then beginning with the great apostle of the gentiles, (a notable soldier in the Lamb's spiritual war) "L have (says he) fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all those that love his appearing." And if this be not encouragement, what is? He also saith, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." Here is example, exhortation, and encouragement, with experience.

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2d. Another of the apostles, John, in his first epistle, chapter ii. verse 13th, is positive, that those young men he writes to, had already overcome the wicked one. “I write unto you (says he) young men, because you have overcome the wicked one." And in the 14th verse he repeats it again, as though he would doubly and deeply imprint it in their minds, "I have written unto you young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." Here were young men, who were truly valiant and noble, to wage war with the wicked one. If it was possible for them, why is it not possible for us also? Oh! that our young men of this generation, would take those young men for their examples, to make war with the wicked one, and truly endeavour to pull down his kingdom. It is worth our notice, that those young men had the word of God abiding in them; by this sword of the Spirit they overcame, by it they were cleansed, by taking heed to walk according to its directions, as it is written, "Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his ways? By taking heed thereto, according to thy word." The great reason why young men are overcome, instead of overcoming, is their heedlessness to, and of the word; for notwithstanding their bones be full of marrow, and their veins full of blood, and nature strong, having many temptations to sin and evil; yet, by taking heed to the word, they might be reformed: and through the immediate power and strength thereof, may overcome the wicked one. So here were young men who actually overcame sin and satan, that this holy servant of Jesus wrote to, by way of encouragement. Is the arm of the Lord shortened? Surely no. It is true, mortals are short in their duty, but not the Almighty in his holy arm of power, nor his dear Son, in his unparalleled love, and most pure doctrine; whose doctrine shall be set down, as the Spirit endited it to the seven churches in Asia. First, to the church of Ephesus. Secondly, to the church of Smyrna. Thirdly, to the church of Pergamus. Fourthly, to the church of Thyatira. Fifthly, to the church of

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