h constantly rise in the effort to
break out, even gross external vices. These have to be resisted. They
are strong enough utterly to enslave a man, to subject him to the
deepest guilt, as Paul complains (Rom 7, 23); and they will surely do
it unless the individual, by faith and the aid of the Holy Spirit,
oppose and conquer them.

29. Therefore, saints must, by a vigorous and unceasing warfare,
subdue their sinful lusts if they would not lose God's grace and their
faith. Paul says in Romans 8, 13: "If ye live after the flesh, ye must
die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye
shall live." In order, then, to retain the Spirit and the incipient
divine life, the Christian must contend against himself.

This cannot be accomplished by the monastic hypocrisies wherewith some
expect to resist sin. For the pollution of sin is not merely something
adhering to the clothing, or to the skin externally, and easily washed
off. It is not something to be discharged from the body by fasting and
castigation. No, it penetrates the flesh and blood and is diffused
through the whole man. Positive mortification is necessary or it will
destroy one. And this is how to mortify sin: It must be perceived with
serious displeasure and repented of; and through faith Christ's
forgiveness must be sought and found. Thus shall sinful inclinations
be resisted, defeated and restrained from triumphing over you. More
has been said on this topic elsewhere.

_Sunday After Easter_

Text: First John 5, 4-12.

4 For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is
the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith. 5 And who is
he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the
Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus
Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the
blood. 7 And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit
is the truth. 8 For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and
the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one. 9 If we receive
the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for the witness of
God is this, that he hath borne witness concerning his Son. 10 He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in him: he that believeth
not God hath made him a liar; because he hath not believed in the
witness that God hath borne concerning his Son. 11 And the witness is
this, that God gave unto us eter