Page:Tracts for the Times Vol 2.djvu/379

Rh doctrinal statement, but for impressive practical truth: namely, whatever be our feelings, persuasions, pretensions, theories or dreams of good, there is but one test, whether we are of or the devil, with whom we hold, whose we are, and whose to all eternity we shall be, and that is, whose works we do,—sin or righteousness,—whom we serve. If we were entirely 's, then, as our Blessed did, we should do altogether the works of : "whosoever is born of, sinneth not" (as before he said, "whosoever abideth in Him (i.e. wholly, entirely) sinneth not; for His seed remaineth in him; neither can he sin, because he is born of :" and in whatever degree we have cherished and cultivated that heavenly seed, sown in our hearts by Baptism, we cannot sin: as there is no sin so grievous, into which but for 's grace we should have fallen, so through His grace, we should each feel, that there are sins into which we cannot fall: now, by that grace, we cannot sin, because thus far His seed remaineth in us. The Apostle's words declare to us then the height of the mark of our calling, the greatness of our end, the glory of our aim, that being "partakers of the Divine nature," (2 Pet. i. 4.) we might be without sin: that in purifying ourselves, we should stop short of no other end than this: that we should not stifle the impulses to loftier attainments, which  hath placed within us, nor indulge our natural listlessness, as if there were no hope; but should aim at being, what our Church has taught us twice at the commencement of each day to pray that we may be kept, without sin. But, applied to a particular case, it must manifestly be with the limitation, which our present imperfection requires, "as far," or "inasmuch as," we "are born of, we cannot commit sin:" in whatever degree we are realizing the life, which was in Baptism conferred upon us, we cannot sin: our sins are a portion of our old man, our corruption, our death; and so far, we are not living. St. John is not then speaking of the life which we have received of, but of that which we are now living: and is giving us a test whether we be alive or dead, or to which state we are verging, that of complete life, or complete death. We cannot indeed tell who they be in this world who are "twice dead," and, already,