A Discourse of Regeneration, Discourse 1 · Chapter 5 – Chapter 6
CHAP. V.
Of the Time of Regeneration.
SOmething of this fell in under the former Heads, therefore I shall say the less of it now. The Time is in this life. All who live with God in Heaven hereafter, are born to him and of him here on Earth. This whole time is called the day of Grace;Heb. 13. 13, 15. To day if you will hear his voice: And there is a particular hour in that day, wherein Saving Grace takes hold of us by God's Effectual Calling, which is best known by our Obediential Hearing, when we answer to the Call, Lord here I am, ready to comply with thy Will in all things; What wouldst thou have me to do? and I will do it. Consult your selves about this; when you first find your wills brought over to Christ, write down that as the day of thy Conversion; you can give no account of a real work of Grace till then; your knowledg cannot prove it self Saving, till it thus operate upon the Will, in turning that to God: So that the time of thy Regeneration is when thy heart is first drawn up to trust in Christ, let it fall in what year of thy life, in what hour of the day it will, so the thing be done, it matters not when as to the issue of it; to be converted, is necessary to Salvation; but to know precisely the time when, is not necessary, provided you know the time when it was not; or at least not so manifest to you as now it is. It shall be done unto the last as unto the first; the last and the first Converts in an Age are equally welcome to God, and there is something peculiar in both, that does very much set forth and signalize the freeness of God's Grace, viz. That he converted the one so soon, and the other so late; that he came so early to one who had heard so little, and that he came at all to the other who had heard so much, and despised it. Late Converts are very rare; he that comes not in now, while 'tis called to day, may slip his opportunity, and die under a dreadful conviction, that he obstinately refused a fair offer of life and pardon that was made him at such a time, in such a Sermon, by such a Preacher, who may be called forth to witness against him at the last day. Whether you believe, or not believe, the Word will have its effect one way or other upon you all, either as a favour of life or death. When the favour of the knowledg of Christ is not a sweet Savour,2 Cor. 2. 14, 15. we take offence at it; Death indeed may follow that deadly scent; 'tis a dangerous symptome of Eternal death to be offended at Christ, at the purity and strictness of his Heavenly Doctrine. A distinct remembrance of the certain time, means and manner of our conversion, is very comfortable; but tho we be at some loss here, yet if we can prove the thing it self, 'tis enough. He that does the real actions of a living Man, gives sufficient proof and demonstration of his first conception and real birth into the World, tho he knows not the day and hour of either.
CHAP. VI.
The End of Regeneration.
1. THAT God may raise up a Holy Seed unto himself, that shall be counted for a Generation to serve him.Psal. 22. 30. That he may have a Church and People here on Earth, devoted to his fear, professing his Name, and keeping up his Worship.Ezek. 11. 19, 20. Micah 4. 5. All people will walk every one in the name of the Lord his God; and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. By our first birth we are brought forth into the World Enemies to God and Godliness; by our second birth, we partake of the Divine Nature,Deut. 14. 21. Tit. 2. 14. Exod. 19. 5, 6. become a Holy people unto the Lord our God: a peculiar people.
2. That his Elect may be made meet for Heaven, and fitted up for Glory. God begins all this in Regeneration, which is pursuant to Election.Rom. 8. 28, 29, 30. Luke 10. 20. Rev. 21. 27. All those Names that are written in Heaven, or in the Lamb's Book of Life, shall be begotten again unto that Life, which in the Eternal purpose of God belongs to their Names. They are a chosen Generation,1 Pet. 2. 9. which is the cause and ground of their Regeneration: All the rest of the World will be left in darkness, in Idolatry, to worship the Dragon, whose Names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World.R…v. 13 8. They who belong not to this chosen Generation, are rejected of God, never to be born again. Regeneration is a sure evidence of Election: God demonstrates his Eternal Love to us, by this signal effect of it in our Regeneration.