any longer therein? saith Paul. The soul that is born of God, cannot live in sin; he is kept by the mighty power of God through faith, not through the law, to salvation. Now, let us consider the import of this text out of John. Now are we the sons of God. And when Christ shall appear, we shall be like him. And every man that hath this hope in himself, of appearing in glory, in the image of Christ, purifieth himself, by faith in Christ's blood, and by unfeigned love of the brethren, even as he is pure. This is the description of a son of God, with a good hope through grace in his heart, and of the purity of one renewed and purified by the Spirit of adoption. Now comes in the sinful hypocrite. "Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. Whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, [Christ,] neither known him :" so shat the sinner here, or the transgressor of the law, is just such an one as Maria herself, who never saw Christ, and who never knew Christ. John goes on, and says, "He that committeth sin [is not a believer, but he] is of the devil." This is the sinner, not the saint: the one is a son with a good hope, the other is a sinner under the law; the former purifies himself, the other transgresseth the law; the former has a seed in him, and he cannot sin, being born of God; the other committeth sin, and is of the devil. And then John concludes; "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil," 1 John iii. 10. John

yokes the law upon the sinner, who, he says, belongs to the devil, and who is a child of the devil; who is under the law, and who transgresseth the law; who hath never seen the Saviour, nor known the Saviour; therefore, it is impossible that he should be delivered from the law, or from his sin, which is a transgression of the law. This is the very doctrine that I contend for. The law is made for the ungodly and for sinners, and upon them John saddles it: but the child of God is under the grace of Christ; he hath seen Christ, he hath known Christ, he hath a hope of glory in himself, he is born of God, has a pure heart, and he cannot sin; he is delivered from the law, that he might bring forth fruit unto God; his iniquity is forgiven, his sin is covered; and to him God never will impute sin. The law is not made for a righteous man; he is in Christ Jesus, and has crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts, and against such there is no law, Yea, he is delivered from the law, he is not under the law; and sin is not imputed where there is no law. The sins of Israel shall be sought for, but they shall not be found; for there shall be none, saith the Lord. These are the children of God, and this is God's testimony concerning them.

Quot. The law is still remaining in full force, as the rule of righteousness.

Answ. It is the only rule of righteousness, but not to the believer, but to the bond woman, and all her children, who go about to establish

their own righteousness, not submitting to the righteousness of God, and so stumble at that stumbling stone. But the elect receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, and shall reign in life by Jesus Christ. They are justified by faith, live by faith, and walk by faith; they walk in the Spirit, and are not under the law.

Quot. Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless.

Answ. Then they were justified by faith; and if they walked blameless, it is a full proof that the grace of God did not lead them to licentiousness, as Maria insinuates. But Zacharias did not obtain a very good report through faith, for he was struck dumb nine months for his infidelity, or disobedience to the law of faith; which looks, as if the law of faith was something like a rule of right and wrong, and a rule of obedience; though Maria says, it is not. If no rule of right, why is the virgin blessed for her obedience? and, if no rule that forbids wrong, why was the priest punished nine months for disobedience? Maria has forgot, that the old testament saints were under the legal commandments and ordinances; that the law and the prophets were until John; and, since that time, the kingdom of God is preached.

Quot. David's conduct with Bathsheba and Uriah must be either right or wrong; and if it was wrong, what constituted it so? It must be a

deviation from the rule of right; and what can that rule be but the moral law, which says, 'Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery?'

Answ. God will visit the sins of his children with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes; this he has declared he will do: but this is no proof that the law, under the gospel dispensation, is the only rule of life. Christ says, "The law and the prophets were until John." But even David, if he was under the moral law as his only rule of life, doubtless God must have proceeded against him according to that only rule; for, surely, the God of all the earth will do right. And yet God did not proceed against him according to that law, for by it he must have been cursed; for, by that, God never will clear the guilty. God proceeds against sinners according to the law they are under; against the heathens he proceeds according to their conscience, they being a law to themselves; against the bond children under the moral law, according to that; but those that are under grace, according to the law of faith. "If we would judge ourselves," says Paul, "we should not be judged." And David was shewn, that he ought to have done this himself; but, as he neglected it, the parable of the ewe lamb is brought in to remind him of it, which sets David upon the judgment seat in unsuspection; and he passed the sentence of the law, which is death, and swears to the execution of it: "And David's

anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die," 2 Sam. xii. 5. Here is David, according to Maria, under the law; which, as she asserts, was his only rule of right and wrong; and he is here cast by his own counsel, and condemned by his own mouth; yea, and an oath of God by David assures the execution of the sentence; and yet David lives. God does not say to him, "Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant; cast ye the unprofitable servant into outward darkness." Nothing like it. God certainly viewed him under some other law, and proceeded against him by some other rule; for God is without partiality, and without hypocrisy. It was with David, as Paul says: "But when we [the saints] are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." But this fatherly chastisement, and security from being condemned with the world, comes not from the two tables of stone; for that curses all that are under it, and all that are of the works of it; but it comes from the book of life, or law of faith, as it is written: "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." But those mysteries Maria and her company know nothing of; they are hid from the wise and prudent; bond servants that are under the law, know not what their Lord doth. "But I," saith the Saviour, "have called you friends; for all things