A Discourse of Regeneration, Discourse 1 · Chapter 1

A Discourse of Regeneration · Discourse 1 · Chapter 1

p. 1THE Sound of these Words at the first reading, may convince any Considering Person, That Christian Religion is a great Mystery; the way to understand it aright, is to look into the internal Parts of it, not into the Words, but Power of Godliness. Many and various are the outward Forms by which Professors are unhappily distinguished, pleasing themselves with different Superstructures upon the same supposed Foundation; But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon, 1 Cor. 3. 10. There p. 2is Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones, in some Buildings; and too much Wood, Hay, and Stubble in others. Before I set fire to this by a spirit of Judgment and Burning, let us all examine our Foundations, and see whether the whole House is not to be pulled down, and built anew; we had better pull down a House weakly founded, than suffer it to fall upon our heads, then we perish in the ruins: My Text leads me to this search. I hope you will all join with me in feeling for the Rock; if we find it, we may with more comfort and success set upon the mending and repairing what is amiss otherwise.

The Text speaks of the Nativity, or first Original of a Christian, and derives his Descent from above, from Heaven, from God, from the Holy Spirit; this is very high; we may look for something extraordinary in such a Birth, which is here called Regeneration, or our being Born again, or a second time. This is a great Mystery, and cannot be understood, till it is in some measure felt. Regeneration is not a Notion, but a Nature; not a mere empty Speculation floating in the Brain, but an inward living Principle rooted in the Heart: I am not speaking of things without you, at a distance from you, that p. 3are foreign and extrinsecal to your souls, but of that which is essential to the Being and Constitution of a Christian as such; you are not only my Auditors this day, but each of you the subject of my present Discourse; I am not only speaking to you, but of you; 'tis what you are, or are not, in the inward state of your souls, that I am now enquiring after: By comparing your selves with the word, you may know how far you do, or do not, answer to the Character that is given there of the Newborn soul; the essential Properties of that Nature in which we live, must needs be owned by us, they are in us, they are of us, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh; they are our very selves; no sensible considering man can be without this knowledg of himself; he cannot deny his own Image which he sees with his own Eyes. In a glass, face answers face; so 'tis with the heart of a Man, describe it as it is, in its present Actings, Motions, Principles and Inclinations, 'twill fall in with you to a tittle. I would not speak a word, and I hope God will so guide me, that I shall not utter any thing concerning this new Birth, which falls not under the experience of the weakest Christian who is really born of God: If I shoot over the heads of others, p. 4'tis none of my fault, we must speak of Divine Things, as they are laid down in the Scriptures, whether we are understood, or not understood. Preachers do only explain the Object, they cannot enlighten the Faculty; they may open the Text, but they cannot open the Hearts of those that hear them, to understand the Scriptures, this is God's work; Faith cometh by hearing, therefore he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. I cannot bespeak your Attention by a stronger Argument than that in my Text, Except a man be born again, he cannot, &c. That which the Word of God so plainly puts as a bar to our entrance into the Kingdom of God, we are all concerned to see that bar removed, who have any hope of entring into that Kingdom.

Give me leave to reason with you out of the Scriptures about this great Point of Regeneration: Some place it in that which a mere natural man may pretend unto; passing over the whole Mystery of the Gospel, they construe the Word of God by Reason, bringing down all spiritual Expressions to the level of Man's Understanding: And if no more be intended by them, things are strangely worded in the Bible; 'tis not the manner of men to speak so, to cloath their natural Notions with such p. 5Phrases and Words (peculiar only to the Scriptures) as do not at all symbolize with any mere humane conception, and therefore must needs signifie something higher, something beyond all that ever entred into the heart of a Natural Man; if not, then farewel all Revealed Religion, it seems nothing is revealed in Scripture but mere words, Natural Theology is the thing into which all Scripture must be interpreted; all the use we are to make of the Scriptures, according to them, is only to borrow some peculiar words and expressions, as so many new Terms of Art appropriated to Religion, by Divine Authority: What a strange conceit is this, to borrow from the Scriptures new Bottles to put our old Wine into, our Sense into Gods word, so spoiling both; God's Words are too big for our sense, and our sense too low and mean to fill up such high Expressions which can never by any rule of speech be brought down and contracted to so narrow a signification; so that whilst we accommodate the Word of God to our own false Conceptions of Divine Things, we understand neither God nor our selves; we think absurdly, and speak improperly. But those who understand the pure Lauguage of the Gospel, they see a suitableness between the p. 6Words of the Holy Ghost, and the things of the Holy God.

I have read to you out of my Text, the Words of the Holy Ghost; 'tis God only, who must shew both you and me the thing it self intended, and meant by these words.

And now to come a little nearer, let me begin with the Context.

Iohn 3. 3. One would have thought the high Opinion Nicodemus had of Christ, ver. 2. As a teacher come from God, a worker of miracles, and one whom God was with: And Christs earnestness in asserting the truth of what he laies down so positively, ver. 3. under a solemn Asseveration, that it was certainly so, should have led Nicodemus to the belief of what Christ affirmed; but 'tis not the Opinion we have of the Preacher, nor his earnestness in Preaching, nor the certain truth of what he delivers, will perswade us to receive this Doctrine of Regeneration, till God enlighten our minds, and give us experience of the thing in our selves.

Observe, All natural Men have strange, gross Apprehensions of the Doctrine of Regeneration. Nicodemus applies all that Christ said, to natural Generation, mistakes the Mystery of the new Birth, not comparing p. 7Spiritual things with Spiritual, but with Natural. He cannot rise higher than a natural Generation, and thinks that must be repeated in Regeneration; if any such thing be, though never so often repeated, 'tis still the same thing done the same way by entring the second time, &c. And how can a man be born when he is old? But, suppose there were such a thing as a natural Regeneration in Nicodemus's Sense; this would not mend the matter in making us more fit for Heaven, for we should be sent again into the World, in the same corrupt Nature as we had before; whatever is born of the Flesh, is but Flesh still, omne simile, generat simile; therefore a natural Regeneration supposes no change, but reproduces a man in the same State, Form and Nature, as he had before. If a Man were ten thousand times Born naturally, he would be the same Man still: But the Regeneration Christ speaks of, makes him a new man; and therefore could not be by entring a second time into his mothers womb: Nicodemus knows nothing of any such new Birth, that should bring forth a new Kind, or Race of Men into the World, of a different Genius, Complexion and Principle, from all that are Born of a Woman; but because the Scripture does so p. 8plainly speak of such a thing, they who read the Word, dare not deny it altogether; and therefore place the whole Mystery of it in external Baptism; do suppose it always compleated there of course, and will hear no more of it ever after; they count it absurd to call upon grown baptized Persons, especially old Men and Women, to labour after a Regeneration; that they think is past and over long ago, when they were baptized.

Observe, None but a regenerate Person understands the true nature of Regeneration. Others can never reach it, because they don't feel it in themselves; 'tis a personal Change wrought in every individual Saint; men may see our outward Profession, our outward Walking, our Praying, Hearing, Preaching, our Moral and Religious Practices; but the Principle from which we Act, and by which we are carried out in all these things, is infallibly known to none but God, and our own Souls; we may search into our own Hearts so far, as to discern this new Birth, and we should not rest till we have found it out.

That we might the better understand the Nature of Regeneration, let us consider the several Names given it in Scripture; Regeneration, Renovation, New Creation, p. 9Conversion, are Synonimous terms in Scripture, and do all signify the same thing, do all imply the Corruption of Mans Nature, that produceth nothing but what is like it self; how specious soever it may seem to be, 'tis but Flesh; therefore all fleshly Wisdom, Beauty and Glory, must be mortified and abolished; the Scripture calls for a new Birth, a new Creation after the Image of God, that Man may be enabled to do good, created in Christ Iesus unto good works, Ephes. 2. 10. Baptism is the Sign and Symbol of Regeneration, and does imply the thing it self, when the inward Work of the Spirit goes along with the outward washing of Water, which it does not always do; this Wind bloweth where it listeth.

Regeneration is of a larger Extent and Signification than Justification and Sanctification; 'tis initially all that belongs to a state of Grace; 'tis fully described, Tit. 3. 5. by washing and renewing; there is a double washing from Sin.

First, From the guilt of it, by the blood of Christ, 1 Iohn 1. 7. Rev. 1. 5. Rev. 7. 14. This washing is Justification, therefore called Baprism unto remission of sin, Mark 1. 4. Acts 2. 38. Gal. 3. 27. This is Baptism unto Justification by the blood of Christ.

p. 10Secondly, From the filth of sin by the Spirit of Christ, 1 Cor. 6. 11. 1 Cor. 12. 13. This is commonly called Regeneration, Tit. 3. 5. Ioh. 3. 4 Born of water, this is baptism unto sanctification, Rom. 6. 3, 4. Col. 2. 12. These two internal Washings are always joyned together, 1 Cor. 6. 11. the one perfect, the other imperfect; Justification in nature only precedes Sanctification; and being the Act of God upon us, and towards us, is perfect: but in Sanctification God takes us along with him, we concur in every Act of Sanctification; he works in us to will, and to do; but 'tis we that will and do.

I conceive it lies something wide from the truth, to put (as some do) Regeneration for Sanctification, lying in the mortification of sin, and newness of life, which is rather an effect of Regeneration, than that in which it consists; the renewing of our Nature supposes a union to Christ, an ingrafting into him, who is the Root that bears us, communicating all spiritual virtue and sap to those Branches that are vitally joined to him.

Therefore I shall describe Regeneration, or at large define it thus, viz.

'Tis a wonderful work of God, begetting the Elect again unto himself, by implanting p. 11them into Christ, from whom they derive a spiritual being, and in whom they live spiritually for ever and ever; growing up daily into his likeness, till they come to the stature of a perfect man in him.

In Regeneration there is a supernatural form of true holiness impressed upon the Soul, that the preternatural form of sin and ungodliness brought in by the Devil, may be abolished; nothing that is physically natural, is abolished by Regeneration, which takes not away any natural faculty or affection of the Soul, only sets them upon right Objects. Regeneration produces a new spiritual being in the Soul, draws the Image of God upon the heart, sets the Soul into a holy order and rectitude; when the natural faculties of the rational Soul are brought under the power of supernatural Principles, that man is regenerated.

Regeneration implies the beginning of the new Life, or new Creature; birth is the beginning of life; we are born of God, Iohn 1. 13. This is caused by God's quickning of us, Eph. 2. 5. in and through our union to Christ by faith, who is our life, a quickning Spirit in us, and to us, 1 Cor. 15. 45. They who are born of God, are not still-born, but born alive, quickned by the Spirit of Christ.

p. 12This new life appears most in the Will, by its real tendency towards God, Phil. 2. 13. Where you see the will of a man turned to God and Christ, you may be confident God hath been at work in that Soul; this great quickning work of Regeneration usually appears first in the Will, in the gracious motions and inclinations of the will of man towards God and Christ; there may be an illumination of the Mind, without any conversion of the Will; the darkness of the Understanding is sooner removed, than the corruption of the Will; there may be many strong convictions wrought, before there be any true conversion of the Will, that stands it out to the uttermost, before it consents to come to Christ, and cast the Soul upon him by an act of faith; and when the Father has drawn the Will to that act of faith, repentance is always joined with it, Acts 19. 4. Mark 1. 15. Faith principally respects Christ, but Repentance is towards God himself, whom we have offended by our sins, Acts 20. 21. therefore Repentance turns us into the Will of God, seeks to please him, by doing only what he approves of, Works meet for repentance, Acts 26. 20. These Works are an effect of Gospel-repentance, that flows from faith in Christ. p. 13Legal Terrors that accompany a legal Repentance, are before Faith, and cannot be removed but by faith in Christ Jesus; an unregenerate man may attain to a Legal-repentance, and be much terrified; but he cannot attain to a Gospel-repentance, in turning from sin as contrary to God's holiness. Indeed this Gospel-repentance that flows from Faith, may be sooner perceived than Faith it self; a Sinner cannot easily perswade himself that he is reconciled to God in Christ, before he finds in himself that he hath left those sins that separated him from God. Regeneration lies in creating in us a habit and vital principle of Faith, which disposes and inclines us to actual believing; this very principle denominates a man a Believer in the sight of God, before he actually believes; so regenerate Infants may be said to be Believers.

In Regeneration there is a power put into a man to believe and repent, which are acts of the new Creature; so that a man must first be a new Creature; and that which makes him so, is Regeneration; before that, an unregenerate person is called an old man, the old man is distinct from our selves as men; we must distinguish between the corruption of humane Nature, and humane p. 14Nature it self, which Regeneration does not destroy, but perfect; it implies a change of state, and a change of nature, the foundation of both is laid in our Regeneration, by virtue of our incorporation into Christ, who of God is made unto us righteousness and sanctification; the efficacy of his Blood and Spirit does reach our Souls, being one with him; we die with him, and rise with him, are discharged from sin upon the account of his Satisfaction, and are raised up unto newness of life by vertue of his Resurrection.

We pass through all the states that Christ passed through; we die with him, are crucified with him; we rise with him, ascend into Heaven with him, are glorified with him; there is nothing that God requires of Believers in a way of faith and hope, but he hath given some instance already in his Son Jesus Christ of the actual accomplishment of that thing. We hope to be justified from our sins, because Christ is justified from 'em; they were laid upon him, but he has freed himself now from the imputation of them; and therefore will appear the second time without sin, Heb. 9. 28. We hope for a resurrection of the Body, because Christ is risen; we hope for glory, because Christ is ascended and glorified: p. 15So the Apostle argues, 1 Pet. 1. 21. Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. There is as much reason for the justification of a sinner believing in Christ, as for the Justification of the Person of Christ himself; it is upon the same account; so that our case is an adjudged case, already upon record in Heaven; it is no new thing for God to pass by our sins, he having passed them all by in Christ; no new thing for God to justifie such sinners as we are, having already justified Christ, admitted him to Glory, and set him down at his Right Hand: These are all instances of what you may expect from God the Father: The Covenant of Grace requires no other Righteousness for your Justification, but that of Christ; therefore I would perswade you to keep up a high value and esteem for the Righteousness of Christ; it will support you under the greatness of your own sins, and under all the defects of your own Righteousness: What is it that troubles poor souls? their sins are great, and their Righteousness small, and what will become of them they know not. Set the Righteousness of Christ against the greatness of your sins, and against p. 16all the Imperfections of your own Righteousness, raise up your thoughts in a high esteem of this Righteousness of Christ. I would not have you say, as too too many do, and may be they mean no more than they say, if so, they do not say all the truth; how many real Believers have I heard say, Christ will cover the Imperfection of our own Righteousness, and so think they speak all the truth; but they must mean something beyond all this, or they do not speak right; for the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith, does not only cover all the Defects of your own Righteousness, but covers your very Righteousness it self, which must never be brought in as an Argument, why God should justify; you must not be found in your own Righteousness; not having my own Righteousness, says Paul, Phil. 3. 9. that is, not having it on; Faith in Christ does strip a Man of his own Righteousness, does not only speak comfortably, as to the Pardon of all the Defects of our own Righteousness; but take it in its best State, and highest Degree, as far as our Righteousness can reach, it must be covered when we come to God for Justification. There are two Seasons when Christ presents us to the Father, the one for Justification, the p. 17other for Glorification; when he does the first, he presents us sinners lying in our blood, as having no righteousness of our own, but what is imputed to us by God; and then for Glorification, he presents us perfectly Holy, inherently Holy, without any spot or blemish upon us; and this he doth with exceeding great joy: so that when you would make use of Christ for Justification, remember to cover all your own righteousness, and put it quite off, as to any trust or confidence in it; 'tis hard to do Righteousness, and not to be proud of it, conceiving we merit something by it; you must be workers of Righteousness, but not wearers of your own Righteousness: when you stand before God for Justification, take heed of having it, or being found in it. Nothing can make a man see the weakness and insufficiency of his own performances, but a true principle of Faith, that humbles him, and empties him, sending him stript and naked unto Christ, to cover him with the unspotted Robe of his perfect Righteousness.

Lastly, The immediate effect of Regeneration is Adoption: You see I have been comparing Regeneration with other great Gospel Truths, that I might find out the proper place for it, and see what relation p. 18it stands in to all the other parts and members of the body of Divinity.

I say therefore, the immediate effect of Regeneration is Adoption; being born of Man, we became the Children of Men; so being born of God, we become the Children of God: Adoption and Birth go together here; he that begets, adopts those whom he hath begotten; 'tis not so among men, for this is another peculiar property of Regeneration: They who have power to become the Children of God, they are born of God; adopted, and yet born; born, and yet adopted; so that it pleaseth God the Father, by all the ways of Nature, of Art, of civil Custom among men, to set forth his Love by a natural generation, or being born. 'Tis a natural thing among men to be born, but adoption is a civil instituted thing, a thing of prudence and custom among men, it is brought in by Man: You know how fond men are of those they have Adopted; 'tis next to the natural affection they bear to the Children of their own bodies; so that no doubt there is much of mystery in this Doctrine of Regeneration. There is not a Man in the World almost, but lives in some hope of going to Heaven when he dies; yet the greatest part of mankind carry themselves p. 19so, as if they would only make the World believe they shall be saved, not as if they were under any real hope, or expectation of such a thing, nothing of this appears by any serious preparation they make for Heaven or Glory: But let their hopes be what they will, except a man he born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Thus much in general. I shall now come to particulars, and cast all I have further to say upon this Text, under these following Heads: viz.

1. The Author of Regeneration.

2. The Subjects of Regeneration.

3. The Means of Regeneration.

4. The Manner of Regeneration, how it is wrought and carried on in the Soul.

5. The Time of Regeneration.

6. The End of Regeneration.

7. The Scripture-marks and signs of Regeneration.

8. The Application of the whole.

1. The Author of Regeneration: viz. God. 1 Ioh. 5. 18. We are said to be begotten of God, born of God; and this is sometimes ascribed to the Father, sometimes to God the Son, sometimes to God the Holy Ghost; all that is called God, is p. 20concerned in Man's Regeneration. God the Father is said to beget us, 1 Pet. 1. 3. We are said to be Created in Christ Iesus unto good works, Eph. 2. 10. To be in him, even in his Son Iesus Christ, 1 Joh. 5. 20. to be born os the spirit, Joh. 3. 5. All the persons of the Trinity have a joint agency in this work of our Regeneration, &c. Page 1. And great is the efficacy of Three such concurring, total Causes of the same kind; this is above all our Logick and Philosophy, which own no such Causes. God is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working, Isa. 28. 29. We are in his hands, as clay in the hand of the potter, Jer. 18 6. He can make us Vessels of Honour if he please; and this Honour have all his Saints, his excellent ones, in whom he delights. The moving Cause is God's meer Good Will and Pleasure. Iames 1. 18. His abundant mercy and loving kindness, 1 Pet. 1. 3. Tit. 3. 4, 5. Ephes. 2. 4, 5. We should be much affected with the Love of God in our Regeneration: God stands in the relation of a Father to all who are begotten by him.

1. He is the Father of Christ, the Second person in the Trinity, Psal. 2. 7. whose Generation is Eternal, who can declare it? Isa. 53. 8. It is the profound object of our Faith, grounded upon Divine Revelation.

p. 212. He is the Father of all true Christians, who are spiritually born of his Will, at the time appointed of the Father for their effectual Calling. 'Tis termed a Calling, because they are begotten by the Word of God, speaking to their hearts by it, and so turning them to himself: God is the Father of Christ, and the Father of Believers. Iohn 20. 17. My father, and your father. Upon these accounts it is, that God glories so much in his own Paternity; not only in relation to Christ, his Eternal Son, who is God equal with the Father; but also in relation to the Saints, who are his true-born Children through Christ. See an instance of both:

1. In reference to Christ; Heb. 1: 5. Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. Let all the Angels of God worship him; thy throne is for ever and ever. Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. So Psal. 2. 6, 7, 8. Thus was this great Man, this Son of God, incarnate, brought into Heaven in state and triumph, at his Resurrection.

2. In reference to the Saints; Jer. 31: 9. I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born. So 2 Cor. 6. 18. I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Tho p. 22God does greatly delight in his beloved Son, loves to see the brightness of his own glory shining out in Christ the express Image of his Person; yet next to his own Image in Christ, he loves to behold the Image of his Son in the Saints, and therefore has predestinated them to be conformable to the Image of his Son, Rom. 8. 29. Christ indeed is the first-born, but many Brethren are to follow (Rom. 8. 29.) to be added to the Lord, as the Phrase is, Acts 5. 14. God loves to see the number of his Children encreasing; to see his Family enlarged. Under this consideration Paul bows his Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named, Ephes. 3. 14, 15. With what reverence doth Paul draw nigh to this great Father? I told you but now, that God glories in Christ his first begotten Son; you heard in what triumph the great Man, Jesus Christ, was brought into Heaven, how God welcomed him to Glory; so there is joy in Heaven at the Regeneration of a Sinner; Angels rejoyce, God rejoyces. This day have I begotten such and such; Oh that there might be Joy in Heaven upon this account, this day, that it might be noted down above, that this and that Man were born here.

p. 23I will shew you the ground of this glorying, of this great satisfaction that God hath in his Children: Tho Christ be anointed above his fellows, yet there is a great measure of anointing poured out upon the Saints; the fulness of the Godhead is in none but Christ, yet the fulness of God is in all the Saints, Ephes. 3. 19. they are not shut out from any of the communicable Attributes of God, but have their share of all that is in him, according to their capacities as creatures: Cast an empty Barrel into the Sea, all the Sea is not in the Barrel, but the Barrel is in all the Sea; the Sea runs under it, over it, on every side of it: Thus are we swallowed up in God. He comprehends us, tho we cannot fully comprehend him; we are in Christ according to his infinite capacity, and therefore are perfectly justified by the infinite merit of his perfect Righteousness imputed to us: But Christ is in us, according to our finite, weak capacities, and therefore we are but imperfectly sanctified; we have what we are able to receive, and no more at present, till our hearts are farther inlarged.

Thus you see what it is to be a Child of God; how the fulness of God is bestowed upon us. God glories in this. And have p. 24not the Saints reason to glory in it also? But alas, how do Men please themselves with their Rich Relations, Great Families, they are Nobly descended? But I must tell you, all Nations are of one Blood, and that is tainted too, we are a Seed of evildoers, there is no Noble blood runs in your veins, till you are born of God; 'tis Regeneration only that makes you the Sons and Daughters of the Most High; then you are high born indeed.

To stir you up to a holy ambition after this new birth, do but consider the Father of the Family, the great God of Heaven and Earth, blessed for ever, the Father of Mercies, and the God of all Comfort.

Consider Christ the Elder Brother of the Family, Rom. 9. 5. He is over all, God blessed for ever. His Name is Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, Isa. 9. 6, 7. You see how the Dignity and Majesty of his Person is described.

3. Consider the many priviledges that are intailed upon new-born Souls, Heirs of God, joynt heirs with Christ; you are born to nothing but woe and misery, till you are born again. How should we long to be related to such a Father, to such a Brother, to such an Inheritance?

p. 25I insist the more upon this, because I am perswaded, discourses of your Heavenly Father must needs be very pleasing to you who are his Children, whom should Children hear of with more delight, than of their Father that begat them? Be not cast down at any thing that offends you here below, you have a Father in Heaven who takes care of you, numbers the hairs of your heads, will interest himself in your smallest concerns, and see that all things shall work together for good to you.

We may notionally, and according to the Letter, speak what we read and hear of Regeneration, and be little affected; but when once the New Nature begins to stir, when a Spirit of Adoption begins to breathe in us, 'twill carry us out by a secret instinct to God as to a Father; Nature works powerfully; we say, Love descends more strongly than it ascends; so 'tis here, God loves his Children better than they can love him; this is love, not that we love God, tho there is a great strength in the natural Affection of ingenuous Children towards their Parents.

The truth is, nothing does more enoble our Minds, raise our spirits to a true Christian Magnanimity; nothing does more uphold and encourage us in our way, more p. 26strengthen our Faith and Hope in Prayer, than lively Apprehensions of God, as our Father in Christ Jesus; see how Christ hangs upon this word [Father] in his Prayer, Iohn 17. Father, Father; Oh Father; Holy Father; Oh Righteous Father; we should eye nothing more in Prayer, than our Relation to God as a Father: How can an unregenerate man say, Our Father which art in Heaven? Alas! thou hast never a Father in Heaven, thou art a Child of Wrath, a Child of the Devil: Though some unregenerate Persons may be within the Election of God, yet the Scripture speaks of them according to their present state, calls them Aliens, Strangers, Foreigners: Could we conceive aright of our Covenant-relation to God, and keep our thoughts working upon it, it would afford an Argument to us, where all other Arguments fail; as Isa. 63. 16. Doubtless thou art our Father; it cannot be that our Heavenly Father should forget us; a Mother may forget her Child,—but the Lord is gracious and full of Compassion, Psal. 145. 8. There is a greater fulness of Compassion in our Heavenly Father, than in our Natural Parents; they can do, and will do, what God cannot do, because he will not: Since the Priviledges of the p. 27Children of God are so great, how should we long to be born again! to be born of spirit, Joh. 3. 6. To be a new lump, 1 Cor. 5. 7. New creatures, 2 Cor. 5. 17. To have Christ formed in us, Gal. 4. 19. To be quickned, Ephes. 2. 1. Baptized with the Holy Ghost, Mat. 3. 11. To be renewed in the spirit of our mind, Ephes. 4. 23. These are Scripture-expressions of a great depth, of a high signification, which if well studied and pondered in our hearts, seriously and often prayed over, will give us more light into the Mystery of Regeneration, than the tongue of Men and Angels can utter; none can open these Scriptures to you but the Holy Ghost; tho Ministers cannot bring down these Scripture expressions to man's Understanding, yet the Spirit of God can lift up man's Understanding to some discerning of the mind of Christ in them, by shining in our hearts the light of the Knowledg of the Glory of God in the face of Christ. We see how much Glory and Honour is derived to us by God's being the Author of our Regeneration. I will now look a little further into this Mystery.

Regeneration is our passing over into Christ, into his Life, Nature, and Spirit; they who are thus joined to the Lord, are p. 28one Spirit. Christ is their Life; being united to Life it self, they must needs be quickned by it; it is present death to be separated from Life it self; in Regeneration Life doth not so much enter into us, as we into it; and being once born of God, we gradually enter further and further into his Life, till all Mortality be swallowed up of it. Thus Grace reigns through Righteousness unto Eternal Life, and this Eternal Life is God; there is but one Eternal Life; when we are in him that is true, in him that is Eternal, this is life eternnl, John 5. 20. Therefore to be in Christ, and to be a New Creature, is all one. All Creatures that have breath, live, move, and have their Being in God, yet they are not so in God, as the New Creature is in Christ: God, as a Creator, bestows a Creature-life upon man, distinct from his own Eternal Uncreated Life; and man having this natural root of his own, from the God of Nature, grows up by himself, with all the specifical Properties belonging to his kind, whereby he is distinguished from his fellow-creatures, he stands forth at some distance from God, yet under the general influence of his Providence, without which no creature can subsist: But in Regeneration God does not only breathe the breath of p. 29life into us, making us living souls, but breathes his own quickning Spirit into us, that we may live the very life of God in our measure; 'tis one thing for God to give forth something virtually from himself, as he does in our first Creation; another thing to give himself really unto us, as in the second Creation. God as a Redeemer, raises up a new Creature in himself, partaker of his own Divine Nature, Life and Spirit; this life is hid with Christ in God, Col. 3. 3. and cannot in the Root and Principle of it be distinguished from God himself; Christ is our Life, which according to our finite capacity as Creatures we partake of; the new Creature is but a Creature for all this, though quite of another make, constitution, and original, from all the first Creation, and therefore called a new Creature, standing in a nearer union and conjunction to God, so born of him as no other creature is; all Creatures are made by him, non born of him but the new Creature; as Christ took part of our Flesh and Blood in his Incarnation, so we partake of his Divine Nature in our Regeneration; as the soul is the life of the body, so the spirit of Christ dwelling in us, is the life of our souls, acting them in a supernatural way; we live the life of God, p. 30which we were estranged from, knew nothing of in our unregenerate state; 'tis not we that live, but Christ living in us, Gal. 2. 20. Because I live, you shall live also, John 14. 19. Christ in us the hope of glory, Col. 1. 27. Till Christ be formed in us, we cannot be said to be born of God; a spirit of life must first enter into us from Christ; and how does this spirit enter? Not as a separate Principle from Christ, but in and with Christ Jesus; the spirit of life in Christ hath made me free from the law of sin and death, Rom. 8. 2. Have a care of leading a separate life from Christ, in the strength of your own Graces, for they are but streams issuing from the Fountain of Life in Christ Jesus, and will quickly dry up, if not continually fed by the Fountain: Branches cannot bear fruit, if they abide not in the root; as the life of the branches is in the root of the tree, so our life as new creatures is radicated in Christ; he is the root that bears us under all our deadness and dulness; we should go to Christ for fresh quicknings; many times we seek for life in our selves, and can feel none; but if we would seek for it in Christ, and come up closer to him, how reviving would that be? animus cum sole redit; so get but under this Sun of Righteousness, you'l quickly p. 31find healing; your spirits will return, your cold frozen hearts will grow warm, the fire will burn within ere you are aware; what is a state of death, but a state of alienation from Christ, who is our life? Eph. 4. 18. Put him on then, and wear him next your hearts, let him but stretch himself all over your dark dead souls, as the Prophet did over the dead child, 1 Kings 17. 21. 2 Kings 4. 34, 35. and life will return, you'l find a sudden Resurrection, a fresh vigor of spirit will suddenly come upon you; if ever you would be quickned, it must be by Christ, and with Christ, who hath quickened us together with Christ, Eph. 2. 5. What do you alone without Christ? No wonder you are in a dead frame, while you are musing upon what you are in your selves, while you are in this solitary condition, wandring up and down without Christ; let Christ and you come once together, and there will be life, there will be strength, there will be another Spirit in you.

If God be the Author of Regeneration, let not the Eunuch say, I am a dry tree; all things are possible with God, who can raise up children to Abraham of stones. I would have none despair of becoming the Children of God, who do sincerely desire p. 32it, and long for that day. New Births are sudden things. I am perswaded they will be so towards the end of the world, when a Nation shall be born in a day, and sinners be converted by thousands, as in the Apostles time. Now we travel in birth a great while with one and another; many pangs, many throws, yet they stick in the place of bringing forth; we prophesie over dry bones, but no ratling, no coming together, no spirit of life yet entring into them, they stick in the place of bringing forth; how many hearers are there in our Congregations who are stuck between Christ and the World, can get neither backwards nor forwards, are now where they were many years ago? They dare not cast off Religion altogether, neither dare they come up to the power of it; they come and go to and from the place of the Holy One, conversing only with the dead Letter of the Gospel, are not yet brought under the glorious ministration of the Spirit; 'tis the Spirit gives life, by bringing in Gospel Truths in their natural living Principle into the Heart; then we live, and the Word lives in us; the heart and the Word are quickned together; one was in a dead frame, the other lay in a dead Letter before, but now both do live together, and agree with each p. 33other; the sense of the Soul, is the sense of the Word; and the Sense of the Word, is the sense of the Soul; they both mean the same thing, they fall in with each other, they dwell together in Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding; there is but one Spirit between them; what one says, the other does; and this is the great work of God as he is the Author of Regeneration, to make our hearts thus to agree with his Word, by casting them into the mould of the Gospel. If ever the Word be ingrafted upon the Soul, it must be ingrafted upon a living Principle of Holiness that suits with it, for nothing else can receive it, or hold it, and this is the Work of God upon the Soul in Regeneration.