A supplement to the several discourses upon various divine subjects

6. He doth not commit sin, and cannot sin, as the Devil doth, or as one that is of a diabolical nature, as one that is acted by the Devil; which is clear by the Antithesis, v. 8. He that commits sin, is of the Devil, for the Devil sins from the beginning. He cannot set himself against Christ, as the Devil doth, as the Pharisees did, in which respect our Saviour calls them the Children of the Devil, for their remarkable and constant opposition to him. He cannot make a practice of sin, and persist in it, as the Devil doth, who began to sin presently after the Creation, and continueth in it ever since. He sins, the present tense noting the continued act of the Devil. Sin may be considered two ways; viz. As to

6. He doth not commit sin, and cannot sin, as the Devil doth, or as one that is of a diabolical nature, as one that is acted by the Devil; which is clear by the Antithesis, v. 8. He that commits sin, is of the Devil, for the Devil sins from the beginning. He cannot set himself against Christ, as the Devil doth, as the Pharisees did, in which respect our Saviour calls them the Children of the Devil, for their remarkable and constant opposition to him. He cannot make a practice of sin, and persist in it, as the Devil doth, who began to sin presently after the Creation, and continueth in it ever since. He sins, the present tence noting the continued act of the Devil. Sin may be consider'd two ways; viz. As to

1. The Act of sin. Thus a Believer sins.

2. The Habit of sin, or custom in it. When a man runs to sin freely, willingly, and is not displeased with it. Thus a Believer doth not commit sin, nor cannot sin. He commits it not. Potiùs patitur quàm facit; he gives not a full consent to it; he hates it while he cannot escape it. He is not such a committer of it, as to be the servant of sin,