The New Birth, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Shewing the order of the words, and the doctrine of them.
AFter that the report of our Sauiours many and great Miracles, had cauſed many of the common people in great multitudes to follow after him; at length alſo a man of better note and eſteeme (though commonly the men of moſt note in the world, are moſt backward to the things of moſt vſe for the ſoule), bethinkes himſelfe of viſiting, and conferring with him. This man, by Name, is called Nicodemus; by Place, he was a Ruler of the Iewes; by Degree, a Doctor; by Sect, a Phariſie; a generation of men, not ſo glorious in the world, for their faire out-ſide, as loathſome to Chriſt for their ſoule in-ſide. Now becauſe the carnall regard of his worldly credit (the maine blocke that many times lies in the way of greatneſſe, to hinder it from frequenting the poore and deſpiſed Schoole of Chriſt), made him vnwilling to bee ſeene, and accounted one of the followers of the poore Carpenter of Nazareth: hee therefore hides himſelfe vnderunder the curtaine of darkeneſſe, and chuſeth the opportunitie of the Night-ſeaſon; by benefit whereof, hee might enioy ſome priuate communication with our bleſſed Sauiour, vnobſerued of his proud and ſpightfull fellow-Phariſies. His firſt ſalutation to Chriſt is formerly ſet downe, and hath in it a manifeſt demonſtration of much reſpect and reuerence borne vntounto him; for he doth acknowledge him to be a Teacher ſent of God, and giues a iuſt reaſon of his ſuch co… feſſion, from the great Miracles which hee … wrought, and did daily worke amongſt them, … yond all poſſibility, either of ignorance or deniall. So hath our Sauiour gotten a new Scholar into his Schoole, and therefore enters him (as it was fit hee ſhould, though hee were for other learning a great Scholar) into the very A, B, C, of Chriſtian Religion, and begins to teach him the firſt principles and rudiments of the doctrine of ſaluation. The points of doctrine, wherein our Lord inſtructeth this Ruler and Doctor are two; in themſelues eaſie enough, yet the firſt and eaſieſt of them goes much aboue his carnall and ſhallow capacitie. The firſt point is of the perſons that ſhall be ſaued; the ſecond, is of the cauſes of ſaluation and damnation. The former is in this verſe propounded, and after to the thirteenth in more words diſcuſſed, vponupon occaſion of Nicodemus, his groſſe and vn-Doctor-like obiection: for which groſſeneſſe, hee being gently reprehended, giues Chriſt leaue to proceede in the ſecond, without interruption, from the thirteenth verſe to the two and twentieth. So then the words read, containe the very foundation and corner-ſtone, as I may terme it, of the doctrine of Chriſtianitie, which Chriſt ſeekes to lay faſt, in the heart of the honeſt-hearted, but (for all his great learning) ignorant Nicedemus. The words themſelues draw vsus to two conſiderable points in them; the proofe; the doctrine prooued. The proofe, Chriſts authoritie and word, deliuered in an earneſtly-doubled aſſeueration; Verily, verily, I (whom before thou didſt confeſſe to be a Teacher ſent of God) …y vntounto thee. The doctrine prooued, is about the …biect of ſaluation, or the perſons that may, or may …t attaine eternall life, laid downe in a conditionall propoſition negatiuely, thus; vnleſſe a man be (or if a man be not) borne againe, he ſhall not ſee the Kingdome of God. Of Chriſts vehement and repeated aſſeueration I will ſay nothing, but in that doctrine, whereof he ſees cauſe to make ſo plaine and ſtrong an affirmation, I will bee bold to dwell a while; becauſe the knowledge of it is ſo exceedingly needfull, that without it, in vaine, and idle is all elſe that we can poſſibly know concerning God, or Chriſt, or the doctrine of the Scriptures. Marke then, I pray you, this moſt neceſſarie inſtruction, and learne you (if you hauehave not hitherto learned) at this time, that which this ancient Teacher in Iſrael was firſt ſet to learne, that No man can be ſaued, vnleſſe he be regenerate. No perſon, be he Iew or Gentile, Chriſtian or Pagan, Phariſie or of other ſect, Ruler or of inferiour place, learned or vnlettered, Doctor or of lower degree; no perſon, I ſay, of what Nation, condition, wit, knowledge, vertue or other excellencie ſo euer he be, can poſſibly ſee (that is, enioy), the Kingdome of God (that is the bliſſefull eſtate of heauenly glory), if he be not borne againe (that is made quite a new man, from that that hee was in his firſt birth): not (as Nicodemus too too groſſely fancied) by a carnall re-entring into his mothers belly; but by a ſpirituall renewing of his whole man, in all the powers thereof. There is a totall, and abſolute impoſſibilitie of any mans being admitted into the place and ſtate of celeſtiall happines, vnleſſe he be regenerate. Sooner may Angels tume diuels; men beaſts; and beaſts ſtones; & all the world iuſt nothing; then that any one vnrenewed perſon, ſhal hauehave entrance into heauen. Yea, as poſſible is it, that God ſhould ceaſe to bee God, as that any man, not made a-new according to the image of God, ſhould be receiued into the bleſſed viſion, poſſeſſion, fruition of God; and of all vtterly impoſſible things, this is (if of ſuch things there might be any compariſon) one of the moſt impoſſible; that there ſhould bee any communion betwixt God and man (by Gods participating his fauour and bleſſedneſſe vntounto man), ſo long as man remaineth in the eſtate of his corrupted nature, not being created according to God, in righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe. It neither is now, nor euer was, nor euer ſhall bee found, that any man ſhould get within the gates of the kingdome of glory; vnleſſe he hauehave firſt entred into the kingdome of grace, through the Churches narrow wombe of regeneration. A new birth, is abſolutely needfull to an eternall life: and in a word, regeneration of perfect neceſſity to ſaluation. It were a matter euen very ſuperfluous,, to ſeeke more proofes, after ſuch a teſtimony, of ſuch a witneſſe (or author rather) as Chriſt is. But the vnbeleeuing ſpirit of man doth ſtand in neede of ouer-abundant conuiction, in truthes of this ſtraine. Wherefore I will a while ſtand to make good this point, and then (after explanation) proceed to apply it. Firſt, we may reade Ezechiel crying out to the old Church, in theſe words, Make you a new heart, and a new ſpirit, Ezech. 18.31.for why will you die, O houſe of Iſrael? What more euident, then that this queſtion doth take it for granted, that the houſe of Iſrael, the ſeede of Abraham, followers of the true God, profeſſors of true religion, ſealed with circumciſion, admitted vntounto the Altar, and participating of the ſacrifices according to the Law, and worſhipping the God of heauen, after the externall manner preſcribed by himſelfe: that theſe I ſay, (and therefore queſtionleſſe none other) could not eſcape death, euen eternall death; death of body, and death of ſoule, if they got not a new heart, and a new ſpirit; that is, (the ſame thing being expreſſed in diuerſitie of phraſes) were not borne againe, as our Sauiour pleaſeth to tearme it. For this cauſe the ſame Prophet a little after, and in one or two places more, calleth vponupon them,Verſ. 32. ſaying, returne and liue ye: ſo that but by conuerting, there is no liuing, and conuerſion and regeneration are alwaies and altogether inſeparable: therefore life and regeneration muſt needs goe together; hauehave one, and hauehave both; miſſe one, and miſſe both. To the ſame purpoſe the author to the Hebrewes ſpeaketh,Chap. 12.14. in theſe words, Without holineſſe, (and that no man hath but by being borne againe: for the image of God loſt in Adam, is not recouered but by the new birth in Chriſt), I ſay, without holineſſe, no man ſhall ſee God.