The New Birth, Treatise · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Containing a deſcription of Regeneration.
SO hauehave we demonſtrated the truth of this neceſſary principle of Chriſtian religion. Now wee goe forward to explicate the ſame,The explication of the doctrine, by ſhewing foure things. and will endeuour to lay it open ſo cleerely, that eueryevery man may be able (if hee be willing to beſtow the labour of trying) to diſcerne of his own eſtate in this behalfe, and to ſay whether himſelfe be regenerated yea or no. So will there be a ready way made, to that application of the doctrine which hereafter we intend. Now that this matter may be ſoundly conceiued of by you, it ſhall be requiſite for me to enter into a diſcourſe conſiſting of foure heads. Firſt, to giuegive a deſcription of regeneration. Secondly, to ſhew in what order, and in what degrees, (as I may terme them) it is wrought in the ſons of men. Thirdly, to declare what effects doe follow vponupon it, there where it is wrought. Fourthly, to ſet downe the moſt eminent of thoſe graces, that are to be found in regenerate men. Of which foure I pray you reuiue your attention to heare in order.
For the firſt point Regeneration,1. A deſcription of regeneration. (called alſo ſanctification, and renouation, and conuerſion, and repentance, hauing the three former names giuen it, in as much as it is Gods worke in vsus; the two latter, in as much as we alſo being moued by God, doe worke together with him for the accompliſhing and fulfilling thereof; and fitly called a re-begetting, becauſe in it we are reſtored to that image of God, wherein we were at the firſt created: but now, by meanes of our corruption through the fall, are altogether deſtitute of it in our firſt birth). This regeneration, I ſay, ſeemes to me conueniently deſcribed in theſe or the like termes: It is a worke of the ſpirit of God, by meanes of the word of God, infuſing holineſſe into the whole man, for the glory of God in his ſaluation. I call it a worke, becauſe it is ſo called of God himſelfe, for wee are ſaid to bee his workmanſhip,Epheſ. 2.10. created in Chriſt, vntounto good workes: and becauſe to beget, is to doe; to bee begotten, to ſuffer; in the plaineſt diſcourſe of naturall reaſon. Now this worke is in this deſcription ſet out by all the cauſes, and by the ſubiect thereof. The cauſes are foure, all briefly named in the deſcription. The efficient, formall, materiall, and finall. The efficient is double, principall, and inſtrumentall. The principall, the ſole author (in whom remaineth all the power of working, and to whom all the praiſe appertaineth) is the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghoſt, the third Perſon in Trinitie. The ſame Spirit by whom our Sauiour Chriſts Man-hood was conceiued in his Mothers wombe, is the ſole worker of this conception of grace in the heart of Chriſtians. So doth our Lord himſelfe inſtruct Nicodemus in the words following, ſaying,verſ. 6. That that is borne of the ſpirit, is ſpirit: and before Saint Iohn had told vsus, that beleeuers were borne, not of blood, cap. 1. verſ. 13.nor of the will of the fleſh, nor of the will of man; that is, not by any natural power, vertue, or ſtrength, which is naturally inherent in them; but of God, that is, of the Spirit of God: wherefore in the New Couenant, the promiſe is made on this wiſe,Ezek. 36.16. I will put my ſpirit in your hearts: and in another place, I will poure forth my ſpirit vponupon all fleſh. The ſpirit of God that reſts vponupon our Sauiour Chriſt, doth deſcend frō him, vntounto thoſe that ſhall bee his members; at the ſame time implanting them into him, and imprinting his image vponupon them. No Angell can change mans heart, no Angell can quicken the dead ſoule, no creature can breath into vsus the diuine nature: but we are the workmanſhip of God, by his ſpirit created vntounto good workes. This is the annointing oyle, that being poured vponupon vsus, doth conſecrate vsus vntounto God. The holy Ghoſt himſelfe (in a wonderfull and vndiſcernable faſhion, as the winde that bloweth where it luſteth) doth conueigh and inſinuate himſelfe into the man, whom hee will beget againe to a new life, and becommeth purifying water to cleanſe him; and an holy fier, comming downe from heauen, to conſume his corruptions, and refine him for the Lords vſe. And yet the Spirit of God, that could work of himſelf, and without meanes, pleaſeth not ſo to doe in this great worke: but of his owne free-will, makes choice for himſelfe, of a fit and bleſſed inſtrument for that purpoſe; euen the Law of God, the whole doctrine of the Scriptures: which hee hath for that end, made knowne to the ſonnes of men by his holy Prophets; and which hath receiued this high commendation, from the Diuine teſtimonie left in writing by Dauids pen, that it is perfect,Pſalm. 19. and conuerteth the ſoule. This doctrin hath two maine heads; the Law, and the Goſpel: The former vſed by Gods Spirit, as a neceſſarie preparatiue; the other, as a proper & eſſential inſtrumēt in this buſines. Wherfore the Word is called the incorruptible ſeede, which being ſowne in the heart,1. Pet. 1.23. doth by little and little grow vp to a new creature; and Peter tels vsus, that by the pretious promiſes,2. Pet. 1.4. we are made partakers of the diuine nature; and to his Apoſtles our Sauiour vttereth as much, ſaying, Now are you cleane by the word that I hauehave ſpoken vntounto you. John 15.3.There may be a queſtion made, whither the Word of God read onelyonly, may become effectuall to regenerate? or whither it muſt want this efficacie, vnleſſe it bee preached, as well as read? To which queſtion, mee thinketh that this ſhould be a true anſwere, that the inſtrumentall power of regenerating cannot be denied to the Scriptures barely read, though preaching bee not ioyned withall. For why? ſeeing the doctrine of the Goſpell is called,2. Cor. 3.8. the miniſtration of the Spirit, and it is the doctrine of the Goſpell, when it is offered to the vnderſtanding by bare reading; therfore it muſt follow, that in ſuch caſe alſo, it may become the power of God to ſaluation, and the inſtrument of the ſpirit to regeneration. The ſame precepts, promiſes and threats are by reading, deliuered to the mind of the man that readeth, or heareth the Word read; and why then ſhould we thinke, that the Holy Ghoſt either cannot, or will not, worke together with them? Yea doubtleſſe he can doe it when hee will, and will doe it then, whenſoeuer he doth not (as often he doth not) affoord to men a poſſibilitie of enioying any other helpe then reading. Vnleſſe the not being preached, could make the Word not to be the Law of God: I ſee no reaſon that it ſhould bee thought vnable to conuert ſoules, without being preached. But withall wee muſt adde this, that the Word of God is made effectuall by the Spirit, more often, more vſually, more ordinarily, to beget a new life, in the preaching (that is to ſay, the interpreting and applying of it, by the mouth of a man, inabled and aſſigned to that worke) then in the bare reading: for the Lord hath appointed in his Church, Paſtors and Teachers to be his Workemen, his Laborers, Diſpenſers of his heauenly myſteries, and Fellow-workemen together with him; that by becomming his inſtruments, to conueigh grace into mens hearts, they might become ſpirituall Fathers vntounto them; and by attendance (not to reading alone,1. Tim. 4 13. but alſo) to doctrine or teaching, they might ſaue themſelues and their hearers. And when Chriſt himſelfe was pleaſed to raiſe vp the dead world of the Gentiles, vntounto the new life of godlineſſe (and ſo to fulfill that which himſelfe had foretold, ſaying,Iohn 5.25. The dead ſhall heare the voice of the Sonne of God, and they that heare it ſhall liue). Hee commanded his Diſciples to goe and preach vntounto all Nations: will any man make himſelfe ſo ſimple, as to ſay,Matth. 28.19. he meant thus; Take the volume of the Law in your pockets, and draw it out, and reade a Chapter or two at a time vntounto them? Nay doubtleſſe, hee willed his Diſciples to do that, which they had ſo often ſeene and heard him doing; whoſe cuſtome was (as wee may collect out of the fourth of Luke, where one inſtance is recorded, to make vsus conceiue his ordinarie practice), when he had read, to interpret the Scripture by him read, as there he did, ſaying, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares: and after to apply it to the hearers, as in the ſame place, he falles into the reproofe of their quarrelſomneſſe againſt him, that would vpbraide him with the Prouerb of, Phyſitian heale thy ſelfe;Prouerb. amplifying his reproofe, with allegation of the examples of the Widdow of Zarepta, and the Syrian Naaman. So the Apoſtles could not miſtake his meaning, when himſelfe had by conſtant practice gone before you, in doing what he bad them doe. And therefore it will not at all follow, that becauſe the word read, is able to beget faith; either the miniſters may content themſelues vſually to reade it, without preaching: or the people vſually content themſelues to heare it ſo; and not be carefull to ſeeke for the preaching of it. For of ſuch abſolute neceſſity, and of ſuch excellent worth is regeneration, that it is needfull to ſeeke it, (and ſinfull not to ſeeke it) not onelyonly in ſome one of the moſt eaſie meanes that may ſometimes procure it; but alſo in all the meanes (though neuer ſo painfull) that God hath appointed for it. EueryEvery man may reade himſelfe, yea muſt reade, if he can. This is a duty that might hauehave beene performed, without eſtabliſhing of any miniſtery in the Church. But the Miniſter is, not onelyonly to reade; but alſo to diuide the word of truth aright, to exhort, improue, rebuke, to ſpeake to mens edification, exhortation & comfort; that he may be truly called a fellow-labourer with God, in ye work of mens ſaluatiō. Shal we reſt our ſelues ſatisfied in one thing, that may conuert? ſhall we thinke it enough to bee conſtant in one exerciſe, that may worke grace? Doubtleſſe if wee doe ſo, our owne worldly wiſdome and diligence ſhal riſe vp in iudgement, and condemne our ſpirituall folly and negligence. Yea brethren, in things temporall, men ſtand thus affected: that as they will neglect nothing, that may promiſe them any furtherance to their good ſucceſſe; ſo they will ſhew moſt care, and moſt earneſtneſſe, in that which they hauehave cauſe to thinke, will be moſt auaileable for their purpoſe. Now without queſtion, the word preached is more vſually, and more powerfully effectuall to regeneration, then the word read. The holy Ghoſt doth more often, and more mightily worke by the word interpreted, and applied, then by it barely repeated out of the booke. I thinke him not worthy to bee reaſoned withall, that will ſtand in deniall of this matter. Reade the ſtories of holy writ, and ſearch and ſee, if the examples of men by onelyonly reading regenerated, bee not few, rare, ſeldome; nay ſcarce any where at all to be found: but on the other ſide, the examples of men by preaching made new, common, frequent, and vſuall. Therefore be it againe concluded, that he doth farre vnderualue the gift of ſpiritual life; which ſatisfying himſelf in the leſſe vſuall, and leſſe auaileable meanes of working it, becauſe it is moſt eaſie; pretermitteth the more auailable, and more vſuall, becauſe he is not willing to vndergoe the paines, labour, or coſt that it will require. And thus you hauehave the efficient cauſes of regeneration. Gods ſpirit as the chiefe, the word principally preached, as his inſtrument. The materiall cauſe is holineſſe, that is the thing, in the working of which regeneration is conuerſant: Holineſſe (I ſay) the moſt admirable of all things in all the world: as farre ſurpaſſing wit, and learning, and riches, and other earthly vanities; as learning ſurpaſſeth ignorance, and wealth beggery. This is (as it were) the character of Chriſt Ieſus, the image of God, the beauty, the riches, the ſtrength, the life, the ſoule, of the ſoule & of the whole man: It is a very beame of the diuine light, called therefore by the Apoſtle, The diuine nature; it is the moſt excellent and worthy thing vnderunder heauen, or (of things incident to creatures) in heauen. It is that, that diſtinguiſheth Angels from diuels; the Saints, from the damned Ghoſts. Take away from a bleſſed Angell his holineſſe, he will become a blacke fiend of hell. It is (in a word) the beſt of all things that a creature can hauehave; without which nothing is worth the hauing; and with which the meaneſt condition is able to affoord a man happineſſe enough. This admirable thing, that can by no words be ſufficiently commended, is giuen by regeneration; and therefore wee call it the matter of regeneration. Now holineſſe is nothing elſe but this, a ſupernaturall power of withdrawing the faculties of the whole man from ſinfull and earthly obiects, and exerciſing the ſame vponupon God, and the things of God. This Adam had in his firſt creation, and that in ſuch perfection as God required at his hand. This ſhould hee hauehave propagated to his ſonne; and his ſonne, to his ſonne, had he continued in his innocency: ſo that to him the ſame thing was naturall (and to his innocent poſterity ſhould hauehave been), which now to vsus is aboue the power and courſe of nature to attaine; and therefore need wee to get it by a ſecond birth, becauſe wee cannot get it in our firſt birth. For the naturall man doth not conceiue in his mind (and conſequently neither apply his will and affections to receiue) the things of God,1. Cor. 2.14. as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh: yea his minde is alwayes bowing and bending, after either bare earthly, or very helliſh obiects: but becauſe theſe things muſt be ſpiritually diſcerned, therefore the holy Ghoſt endues him with a new power of raiſing himſelfe vp, from theſe baſe and filthy matters, vntounto his Creator, the eternall fountaine and firſt cauſe of being and of bliſſe, euen vntounto the God of heauen; in compariſon of whom, all things are leſſe and worſe then nothing: and likewiſe vntounto the things of God, remiſſion of ſinnes, the fauour of God, communion with Chriſt Ieſus, encreaſe of holineſſe; and the like to theſe, which are by an excellency called the things of God: becauſe they are the chiefeſt of all thoſe things, that he beſtowes vponupon the ſonnes of men; and to the ſeeking whereof, hee directs them in his holy word, whereas elſe they would neuer hauehave ſought them. This is the materiall cauſe of regeneration. The formall is, infuſion, as witneſſeth the Lord himſelfe, ſaying; I will poure vponupon the houſe of Dauid, Zach. 12.10.the ſpirit of grace And in another place, I will poure flouds vponupon the dry ground. And Paul ſaith,2. Tim. 1.7. God hath giuen vsus the ſpirit of a right mind. For whereas ſome qualities are implanted in men by nature; ſome attained vntounto, by their owne induſtry, and by vertue of certaine actions for that purpoſe performed; and ſome againe are wrought in thē, by a ſupernaturall work of God: this gift of holineſſe, is neither naturally deſcended vntounto them, (as it ſhould hauehave been, had their parents been innocent); nor yet attained by their diligence and paines, or by force and power, of any action done by them: but is put into them, by the ſpirit of God, working aboue and beyond, either their power, or the power of the acts that they ſhall doe, for the attaining of it. Let vsus make the matter more plainly vnderſtood by compariſons. The power of ſeeing, is naturally beſtowed vponupon all men in their very birth, and by the courſe of nature working in their mothers wombe. This power or vſe of this facultie is altogether denied vntounto ſome men, and they are borne ſtarke blinde, as was hee of whom we reade in the Goſpell. Chriſt with ſpettle made cley, and hauing anoynted his eyes, bade him to waſh, and he returned ſeeing. We ſay now that into this man, the power or act of ſeeing was infuſed: for why by nature he could not ſee. The ſpettle, cley, water, had no ſuch naturall force in them, as to worke the power of ſeeing in an eye, that through naturall indiſpoſition, wanted it. Wherefore it muſt needes be infuſed, that is wrought in that perſon, by a ſupernaturall worke of God. So againe, Health is a qualitie; ſickneſſe (for example a burning ague) taketh away this qualitie of health. A man being ſo ſicke, of ſuch a diſeaſe conſulteth with Phyſitians, receiueth potions from them, and recouereth his health: this qualitie now was acquired, or gotten by paines and induſtrie. For by vertue of ſome inherent qualitie in the medicines receiued, was this qualitie of health reſtored vntounto the body. But a man that was ſick of an ague in the time of Peter, ſending to him receiueth a napkin from him, and by the receiuing of it is healed. This health was an infuſed health, for not any power inherent in the cloth, or deriued from the body of Peter; but a ſupernaturall worke of God, did procure that health at the preſence of ſuch outward actions. In like ſort, Holineſſe was to Adam a naturall power, or abilitie created in him, and with him, and immediatly accompanying his nature, or iſſuing from it. But the diuell robbed him of it, by taking that from him, and poyſoning him with the contrary naturall impotencie of ſinne, (for I ſuppoſe we may well call ſinne, I meane originall ſinne, a naturall impotencie, or a miſchieuous and corrupt diſorder in all the faculties). Wherefore it is requiſite, that he recouer it againe, if hee ſhall be ſaued. Now the Lord of heauen pleaſeth by meanes of the word (as it were by the ſpettle of his mouth making cley, to anoynt his eyes) to re-beget or recreate, this qualitie of holineſſe in him; not that the word hath any natural inherent ability of working holineſſe, no more then a napkin of curing an ague; but alone becauſe the Lord ſees it fit, in and with that doctrine to worke this worke, by a power immediatly and ſolely deriued from himſelfe. So may a man by long ſtudy obtaine the ſcience of naturall Philoſophie, which is a qualitie, and an habit; but the Lord did pleaſe by his owne immediate power, to deriue this ſcience into the minde of Salomon: and therefore his knowledge was an infuſed knowledge, and more excellent for meaſure and degree, then euer any man did, or could attaine by ſtudie. So the power of ſpeaking and vnderſtanding any language, is a quality, which by ſtudy, or cuſtome of hearing and ſpeaking, a man may worke in himſelfe; and he that by much labour and reading gets, for example, his Latin tongue, hath wrought this qualitie in himſelfe; but the Apoſtles had the knowledge of ſpeaking all, and by name the Latin tongue, put into them ſuddenly, by the immediate operation of the holy Ghoſt, and by vertue of a diuine worke, in an vnconceiueable manner working in their imaginations. So we call holineſſe an infuſed qualitie, becauſe the holy Ghoſt, by vertue of his owne hand, and by power immediatly deriued from himſelfe, not by vertue of any power naturally dwelling, either in man, or in the Word, doth pleaſe, in and with the word to worke it in man. The ſpirit of life doth breathe it into thoſe in whom it is, and they hauehave it by the meere efficacie of his diuine power, not of the meanes in themſelues, conſidered. Neither yet muſt we neglect thoſe exerciſes and ordinances, in and by which it pleaſeth him to co-operate, and to conueigh vntounto vsus this grace; but rather muſt with all diligence apply our ſelues vntounto them; that by making our ſelues ſubiect vntounto his bleſſed will, we may likewiſe bee capable of this excellent worke of his. Though cley made of ſpettle, and the water of Siloah, had no ſuch vertue in them, as to make a blinde eye ſee, and to turne the naturall impotencie backe againe into the power of ſeeing; yet the man that was borne blinde, was to vſe that waſhing, and that cley: for elſe his diſobedience to Chriſt, would hauehave depriued him of the diuine vertue of Chriſt, which vponupon his obedience, ſhewed it ſelfe in healing him. So regeneration is not attaineable by vertue of any act or acts, that wee or any creature can doe; but it commeth from aboue, and is effected by an inconceiueable power of Gods ſpirit, (for it muſt needes farre ſurpaſſe the ſtrength of a creature, to change the ſoule, and to cauſe a returne, from ſo miſerable a priuation or naturall impotencie, as ſinne is, vntounto ſo glorious, bleſſed and excellent an habit, or ſupernaturall abilitie, as that holineſſe is, into which we are transformed). But for all this, he that would hauehave the holy Ghoſt ſhew his infinite power in making ſuch a change in him; muſt willingly ſubmit himſelfe to the doing of any actions whatſoeuer, wherewithall the ſpirit of God ſhall manifeſt, that it is his pleaſure to ioyne, this his happie and powerfull working. And ſuch is the formall cauſe of regeneration. The finall cauſe, or the end of it, is the glorie of God, in the ſaluation of the partie regenerate. For to ſpeake truth, it were a ſhame and reproch to the God of heauen, to let a ſinner (that is to ſay, his profeſſed enemie) come into heauen: for this would vpbraide him with falſehood, in regard of his word, and with want of holineſſe and iuſtice in his nature. Now the Lord cannot be ſo weake, as to doe any thing, that ſhould giuegive him iuſt cauſe (to ſpeake (as of God wee muſt needes ſpeake) after the manner of men) of being aſhamed thereof. Wherefore that he may with glory, and honour, and praiſe, and the content of his owne moſt holy nature, take thither, ſo many of the corrupted ſonnes of Adam, as hee pleaſeth to make veſſels of honour; it is his will and care, thus to change their nature, and to renew them by his ſpirit: and ſo he obtaineth the fulleſt fulneſſe of glorie that may be, in their happineſſe; being for euer praiſed, by all his holy creatures, and (which more is) infinitly ſatisfying himſelfe in the beholding of the excellencie of that great work of their bleſſednes, and the moſt pure and holy and admirable meanes, that hee hath ordained to bring them vntounto it. And theſe are the cauſes of regeneration. The next thing mentioned in the deſcription is the ſubiect of it: which is the whole man, in all the powers of the ſoule and of the body, according as the Apoſtle prayeth for the Theſſalonians,1. Theſ. 5.23. that they might bee ſanctified throughout, and that their whole ſoule and body might be kept blameleſſe. And by this note it is differenced from all other changes, that may carrie any reſemblance to it; they being all but partiall changes, either of the outſide alone, and not the inſide; or of ſome one power alone, not of all the powers: becauſe indeed they are not fruites of holineſſe, but either of hollowneſſe, and ſelfe-louelove; or at beſt, of a bare and weake worke of illumination. And thus hauehave I performed the firſt thing intended, in deſcribing regeneration; of which if any man demaund what it is? wee ſay it is a change, that is, a bringing of a new and (here too of a) contrary qualitie, in ſtead of the old that was before; if who makes the change? the holy Ghoſt: if by what meanes? by the word: if in what manner? by infuſion; that is, by the working of a proper and immediate vertue deriued from himſelfe. If from what, and to what this change is? from the ſinfulneſſe of a man (which he receiueth from Adam ſucceſſiuely) to holineſſe. If wherein? in the whole man, ſoule and body, and all the powers of both: If to what end? to the glory of the worker, and ſaluation of him in whom it is wrought. O happy worke of an happy workman, by an happy inſtrument! and thrice happy that man, in whom this bleſſed worker ſhall vouchſafe to accompliſh this his moſt worthy, and excellent, and onelyonly bleſſed worke, to ſo worthy and bleſſed a purpoſe.