To be "born of God," is to rise out of the ruins of a fallen nature into the glory of a redeemed one. It is to die to Adam, and to live to Christ; it is to see, and feel, and to forsake our own weakness and vanity and sin, and adhere to the strength and sufficiency and righteousness of Christ. The first great work of the Spirit of Truth, as our Lord assures us, is to "convince the world of sin." The foundation of that spiritual edifice which Heaven erects in the souls of men, must be laid in humility: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven!" He that is "born of God," lives and acts in direct opposition to him who is "born of the flesh:" meekness and love are the prevailing dispositions of the former; pride and selfishness the ruling tempers of the latter. A discerning mind, spiritually enlightened, and viewing mankind as they really are, and not through the false medium of worldly philosophy, will readily discover the manifest contrariety with which their characters are marked by these two principles. Look round you, my brethren; look into your own hearts; judge for yourselves: your own experience of what is continually passing within and about you, will afford you ample demonstration of these great truths.
Wherever we discover in ourselves, or in others, the corrupt passions of pride, envy, ill-nature, avarice, anger, jealousy, malice, prevailing, there we may be as certain of the marks of unregenerate nature, as we are of a disorder in the elements, when we see the heavens overcast with clouds, and thunders and lightnings issuing from every quarter of the sky. On the other hand, where meekness and gentleness, self-abasement, a forgetfulness of our own interest, and a chearful attention to the happiness of others, an heart-felt sympathy in their joys and sorrows, an universal love of God and man, testified by a life of uninterrupted piety and charity; wherever we find these amiable graces and virtues, there are the sure marks of Regeneration; there is the true disciple of Jesus, "born of God, and overcoming the world."
The state of such a soul, with respect to its God, may be expressed in words to this effect: "Lord, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him; or the Son of man, that thou visitest him?" "Behold, Lord, I am less than the least of all thy mercies!" And yet thou hast had respect even unto me; and yet thou hast visited even me, with the greatest of thy mercies! Thou hast caused thy light to shine into the darkness of my nature; thou hast laid open every secret recess of my heart, and shewn me those roots of evil, from whence the innumerable sins of my past life have sprung forth, and diffused their venom throughout my whole frame. Yea, thou hast not only discovered to me the depth and malignity of sin, but, with thy Light, thou hast also imparted thy Life to my soul; thou hast supplied me with strength from above; thou hast furnished me with armour of heavenly proof to encounter the enemies of my peace. Thou hast taught me to despair of my own strength, and to trust in thine arm alone for salvation; thou hast taught me to despise my own righteousness, and to seek thy righteousness in Christ Jesus. Though the world should present to me her most alluring charms; though she should give, to her visionary forms, the fairest features that fancy's pencil can delineate; though she should court me to accept her proffered pleasures, in all that false tenderness of language, which artful vice so frequently assumes; yet, armed with thy celestial panoply, I shall be enabled to contend with the enchantress, and overcome her magic power; I shall nobly triumph over all her devices, assert the dignity of my heavenly birth, and preserve my heart unspotted from her impurities. For sure I am; that whilst united in spirit with thee, my God and Saviour, I breathe the air of Heaven, I feed upon the bread of angels; the strength of Omnipotence is exerted amid the weakness of nature, and I shall go on, under thine auspicious guidance, "conquering and to conquer."
Such is the state of the virtuous and regenerated Christian, with respect to his God. With respect to man, his conduct flows from the same Divine and lovely principle. He deems every spiritual blessing, by which he may be distinguished from the rest of his brethren, as the gift of God, to be accepted and enjoyed, not with an haughty, but an humble mind. He does not, therefore, stand aloof from them, as if he was holier than they. He cannot, indeed, but shrink from their vices, and, by a prudent distance of behaviour, shew himself averse to, and even offended with their levities. But he pities their blindness, and compassionates the obduracy of their hearts. He is ever ready to exert himself for the real service of wicked, as well as of good men; knowing, that his "heavenly Father sendeth his rain, and causeth his sun to shine, upon the unjust no less than the just."
If he is blessed with worldly affluence, he cheerfully administers to the temporal necessities of his indigent neighbours. If he is poor, and can give them no earthly aid, he will do all he can—he will pray for them, and beg his God to shower down upon them his temporal, as well as spiritual comforts. He suffers no ill conduct on their part to excite his indignation, or make him forget that they are his brethren, to be redeemed by that precious blood, whose salutary influences he has himself experienced. He envies none their fortunes, honours, and accomplishments; neither does he repine, because he is not so rich, or learned, or polite, or advanced to such an exalted rank in life, as others are. He endeavours to be dead alike to the censure and applause of beings, mortal and fallible as himself; inasmuch as he is convinced, that their good or ill opinion cannot make the least alteration in the real state of his soul: he is, therefore, guilty of no mean compliances, or time-serving practices, to obtain the one, or to avoid the other. He gives "honour to whom honour is due." He endeavours to "owe no man any thing, but love:" he is, therefore, careful, not only to pay every just debt, but to avoid embarking in any worldly schemes or prospects of advancing his own interest, to the injury of others. In a word, by piety to God, justice and charity to his neighbour, and chastity and temperance in his own person, he seeks to maintain "a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards man;" to fill the station in which he is placed, and support the character in which he appears, in such a manner, as will do honour to the Religion of his Master.
This is Evangelical Morality, not confined, as you may observe, to the external conduct of life; but reaching inward, even to the secret thoughts and inclinations of the heart. What is generally called morality, I am afraid, is little more than an external decency, and common sobriety; and it is well, if, in every instance, it is carried even so far. But surely none, but the truly Regenerate Christian, acting under the immediate influence of the Divine Spirit, can properly be called a moral man. For morality, without an inward principle, is but a name; and the Scriptures tell us of no other true principle, but "the Love of God shed abroad in the human heart by his Holy Spirit."
Having thus given some of the marks or characteristicks by which the Regenerate Christian, or the "Born of God," is to be known, let us now enquire what the Apostle means, by "overcoming the world," and ascribing "the victory to Faith:" "Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world; and this is the Victory that overcometh the world, even our Faith."
"Overcometh the world!" methinks I hear some say—"that is impossible—human nature has passions, and the world abounds with objects suited to gratify them. Surely the God of nature hath not placed man in his present circumstances, to make him miserable. He created us for happiness, and hath furnished us with the means of obtaining it. What a senseless doctrine this, that would shut us out from all the joys, which earth holds forth for our acceptance?"
Alas, vain man! who told thee, that God had given thee such corrupt passions, as now solicit for indulgence? Who told thee, that God created thee for this world; and that thou art to take up thy rest in that visionary happiness, which thou findest here? These passions are the proofs of thy fall; for thou hast them in common with the beasts of the field. This world is thy temporary prison, though thy disordered imagination may represent it as a palace. Thou art dreaming, though thou thinkest thyself wide awake. Thou art in darkness, and canst not distinguish the true appearance of objects around thee. Let but the Sun of Righteousness dart one beam into thy benighted soul, and thou wilt soon discover the deception, and long for the power of his Grace to enable thee to triumph over those passions, that have been leading thee blindfold to destruction; and to overcome that world, which hath been cheating thee with visionary gratifications.
"Overcome the world!" says some faint-hearted Christian—"Ah me! how infinitely short do I fall of this glorious standard! I have been striving for months, for years, to get the mastery of this powerful adversary, without being yet able to discover that I have gained the least advantage; though I have exerted my utmost endeavours to disengage myself from his subtil, but violent assaults." Hast thou so? But didst thou ever attend to the true and only means, by which the Scriptures have assured thee this conquest may be obtained? "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our Faith."