A Discourse of Regeneration, Discourse 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
III. The Means of Regeneration.
I Have already spoken of the principal efficient Cause of Regeneration under the first Head; I am now to speak of the Instrumental Cause, or outward means of Regeneration. viz. The Word Preach'd, as appears by these following Scriptures, 1 Pet. 1. 23. where Regeneration is plainly ascribed to the Word, Iames 1. 18. God is said to beget us with the word of truth. 1 Cor. 4. 15. Paul is said to have begotten the Corinthians through the Gospel, or by the Word of God which is able to save our Souls. These Scriptures are an undeniable proof of these two things: 1. That there is a Virtue and Power in the Word, to work a change of heart and nature in those that hear it. 2. That this Virtue and Power is from God, whensoever his Spirit concurs with it, it becomes effectual for our Regeneration. I shall give you some Reasons, or rather some further Illustrations of this Truth, from the Scriptures; we must say nothing of the Word, but what we have from the Word, and what falls in with the experience of all Christians, who live in any observation of the way of the Spirit of God, in turning their hearts to himself. I shall make out this in sundry particulars:
1st. The Word is a proper medium for the Invisible God to work by; we cannot behold his face because he is Invisible in his Essence; but we may hear his voice when he speaks to us in our Language. God never acts more like a God, like a Creator, than when he works by his Word; He says, and 'tis done; let there be light, and there was light: Lazarus come forth, and immediately a Resurrection follows: He can as easily do as speak; his Word is operative. God chuses to work by his Word, that he may appear to do all by himself. As a Creator he has nothing else to work by: Thus he brings all things out of nothing; he that is the everlasting I am, makes that which is not, to be and exist; the essence and being of all things that are made, flows from the Lord Iehovah, the fountain of all being.
2dly, The Written Word is the most suitable means for God to make use of in all his dealings with his reasonable creature Man: Speech is proper to Man, he only of all creatures has Ears to hear and understand words; as men communicate their thoughts one to another by words, so does God communicate his sense to us by words; he puts his sense into our words, adapting them to Divine mysteries, and thereby drawing them up to a higher signification, than the wit of Man can reach unto. The VVord is a very proper means for God to work upon Man by, because it is full expressive of the mind of God; and when the Spirit is given from above, we shall have a right understanding of it; as a natural Man cannot know the things of God in the VVord, without the Spirit; so neither can a spiritual Man in this VVorld know them without the Word: we cannot come nearer to God now than the VVord brings us.
3dly, The Word is the Exemplar or Pattern of the Image of God, which is drawn upon the face of the new creature; plainly representing it to us in all its spiritual features. We have it before us as in a Table, that we may often examine our selves by it, and see how we answer to that Character which the Scripture gives of every renewed Soul, how like or unlike we are to it; the Word is the Mould into which we are cast.Rom. 6. 14. The Glory of the Lord reflected upon us through the Glass of the Gospel,2 Cor. 3. 18. leaves its own Image upon the Soul. As to know God in Christ is Eternal Life, so to behold his Glory with understanding, is the highest Glory we are capable of; as his Righteousness makes us Righteous, his Wisdom, wise, his Strength makes us strong, so his Glory let in upon the Soul, is our glorification. Thus God is all in all to the Saints; there is some appearance of God in every thing that is excellent in them; their All is Christ in them, without him they are nothing; and it is by the Word they are transformed into his likeness. What is Grace but Truth put into the inward parts? the Law written in the Heart, the Word abiding in us, and turned into grace in our hearts? which is nothing else but a living principle of Faith and Holiness, enclining us to keep the Word, which is an authentick copy, and transcript of the will of God to Man. Where there is an inward Man delighting in the Law of God,Rom. 7. we may be sure the Word has been effectual in that Soul. Who is that inward Man, but the new Man, the new Creature, born of the incorruptible seed of the Word?
4thly, The Word works morally, the Spirit Physically; in plain English, thus; The Word makes an outward proposal of the Object, the Spirit inwardly enlightens the faculty, disposes the heart to receive it: as things of sense are perceived by a more gross corporeal contact, so things of Reason and Faith are let in, in a more intellectual way, by mental conceptions. How all intelligible things, purely rational, do arise from Sense, I shall not now speak to; but 'tis certain that all inward representations of things purely spiritual and supernatural are made to us by the Holy-Ghost; revealing Christ in us, and in him discovering to us the reality and truth of all the Word speaks of.
The Word is of a persuasive strain, full of reasonings and arguings with Man; God debates matters with us, would discourse us into a right understanding of his Will: Hence so many motives and exhortations; Faith it self is but a persuasion, foreign from foreign to persuade; but because the things discoursed of in the Word are supernatural, we must be spiritually illuminated before we can perceive them; the Natural Man perceives not the things of God. The Word is but an outward light, let it shine out never so brightly in the plainest and fullest Exposition that can be given of it, yet still 'tis but an outward light, which our dark minds cannot comprehend, 'till God enlighten them. Snuff a Candle never so often, a blind Man will see never the better; but when his eyes are opened, then he can distinguish between the dimness and brightness of the Candle: So 'tis with Believers, they are ready to take in the most spiritual sense of the Word; 'tis that they wait for, they know that God does open his mind further and further to the Saints by the Preaching of the Gospel, which makes them so much in love with Ordinances; and 'tis the rejoycing of their hearts to have any further discovery of the Mind of God made to them in any point of Doctrine, which they were not so clear in before, or at least did not take so much notice of before. 'Tis observable how strangely the Saints are affected, and that on a sudden, with some old known truths, which they have a long time owned and professed, but never found them so warm upon their hearts before; their hearts do glow and burn within them. What is this but the hand of the Lord with them at such a season, letting in his Word with power upon their Souls?
5thly, The Doctrine of Faith laid down in the Word, cannot be taken into the Soul, but by the Grace of Faith; no other principle will admit it.1 Cor. 2. 11. The things of God knoweth no man, but by the spirit of God. That this living principle of the Grace of Faith in the heart, may be exactly suited to the Doctrine of Faith in the Word, God has ordered it, that one should beget the other, to prevent all strangeness between them, that they may the better fall in with each other.
6thly, The Word, as 'tis the means of Regeneration, Acts. 5. 20.is called the Word of Life. Life is promised to the hearing of it.Phil. 2. 15. 'Tis therefore called the word of life, Isa. 55. 3.because 'tis the Word of Grace, Joh. 5. 25.in distinction from the first Covenant,Acts 20. 32. which neither expressed nor intended any pardoning Grace to a sinner: All the Words of the Bible, from the 3d of Genesis, to the end of the Revelations, are words of Grace, tho there is frequent mention of the Law, of the Curse of it, of fearful denunciations of wrath against sinners; yet the end of all is to stir us up to accept of the Grace of the Gospel. A pure Covenant of Works, exclusive of all Grace, is no where spoken of, but in the 2d of Genesis, where God places Adam under that Covenant before the formation of Eve; Gen. 2. 15, 16.And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden, and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree thou maist freely eat, thou, thou, &c. Here was none but God and Adam at the making of this Covenant: Eve was, no doubt, afterwards informed of it by her Husband, as appears Gen. 3. 2, 3. where she repeats over that Covenant to the Serpent. Were not the Word of the Gospel a word of Grace, there would be nothing for the Faith of a sinner to lay hold on; no virtue nor power in it to beget life in a dead sinner. The life we have by Grace, differs from the life Adam had at his first Creation, that came in with his first being; this is life from the dead, life given after the forfeiture of life, which is an act of mere Grace: To raise Man out of the dust of the earth, and to make him a living reasonable creature, was an act of God's Power and Soveraign good pleasure: But after the fall to give him a new life, after he had chosen death, and sunk himself under the power of it; What can this be ascribed to, but those Bowels of infinite compassion in God to Man? He was not willing that Man should die but live; and therefore fixes him in a state of Eternal Life in Christ Jesus. Since a creature-life was so uncertain, God joyns Man to himself in one Spirit, takes him into his own Life, that he may live for ever. Because I live, Joh. 14. 19.you shall live. I am resolved not to live without you: my delight is among the Children of men. I have chosen you from Eternity to be my Associates and Friends, to be about my Throne, and to have fellowship with me for ever.
7thly, There are as many instances of the Power of the Word in Regeneration, as there are Believers now in the World, who do all ascribe their New Birth to the Divine Virtue and Energy of the Word, set home upon their Hearts by the Spirit of God.
Application.
You see your Calling, Brethren, what outward Means God has appointed for your Conversion; Means not put into your hands for you to work by, and to shew your own skill in turning your own hearts, but a Means that God himself will work by: The reason why so few are converted by the Word, is because they don't put their Conversion upon God, saying with Ephraim, Jer. 31. 18. Turn thou me, and I shall he turned. 'Tis our duty to submit to the use of Means, to place our selves under them, waiting for the coming down of the Spirit to make the Word effectual; did we thus wait upon God in a real Dependance upon him, he would be found of us, his Arm would be revealed, we should see more of his Glory in the Sanctuary. Let us come then with raised Expectations of what God only can and may do upon our Hearts, praying that he would give some signal Testimony to the Word of his Grace.
The Word of God is either a certain Truth, or a cunningly devised Fable; if it be a Fable, Why don't you throw away your Bibles, lay aside your Profession, resolve never to hear a Sermon more? If it be a Truth, as I doubt not you all believe it to be, Why don't you follow it home, make something of it? 'Tis a Word whereby you may be saved; give God no rest day nor night, till you attain that Salvation. In our Saviour's time they followed him for the Miracles they saw done upon the Bodies of men; the Word can do as great Miracles now upon our Souls: When you are going to hear the Word, think with you selves, I am now going to see what further change of Heart God will work in me; what Renovation of Spirit; what further Enlightnings; what fresh Comforts; what further Increase of God I may find in my inward man: Did you come in expectation of these mighty works of God in and upon your Hearts, no place would be large enough to contain the comers to the word, that they might have some experience of his mighty saving Power passing upon their Souls: As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, so we lift up Christ that you may look unto him, and be healed: You look unto men, you judg how much of Mans Wisdom, Reason, and Understanding there is in a Sermon; but there is not that earnest looking for the power of God unto salvation, as there ought to be.—Many come with itching ears to hear some new Notion set off with the enticing words of Man's Wisdom, as if the strength of Human Reason, by a Natural Operation upon the minds of men, could lead them into the belief of any thing that is said in the Pulpit, without any inward efficiency of the Spirit; but if this be all you look for, 'tis not worth your coming hither; we don't pretend to any such Rhetorical Charms, to any such prevailing Influence over you; you may excel us in Acuteness of Wit, Quickness of Apprehension; you may be greater Masters of Reason than we are; but let me tell you, the right understanding of what we preach to you, depends neither upon your Reason nor ours, but upon the bare Testimony of God; we tell you, Thus and thus says the Lord; that's Reason enough for you to believe, and 'tis the highest Reason we can give for your belief; when you have once received any Gospel-Truth by Faith, you will easily in the light of that Faith, allow of every thing that may be rationally deduced from that Truth, as included in it, and belonging to it, though not discerned when you first believed; here lies your Edification, to know the extent of those Gospel-Principles which you first took in by Faith; this Faith is the Gift of God; Ministers perswade you to come to Christ, to repent and believe the Gospel, but 'tis God that turns the Heart to what we perswade you to: we call upon blind, dead, dark sinners to look unto Christ, but 'tis God must give them eyes to see him; all the perswasions in the world, won't cause a blind man to see.
You'l say, To what purpose then is all this moral Suasion in the Pulpit.
Answer, To very good purpose, that whilst we are proposing the Object to you, God may take occasion to open the eyes of your Understanding, that you may, as men, discern the Object through the proper Medium of Scripture-language so plainly representing it to you. Believers do find by daily experience, that the Words of the Holy Ghost in Scripture being so full, so apposite and proper, do mightily help them in understanding the things of God, and to this end has God given all Ministerial Gifts, That Preachers might be apt to teach, gathering up the sum and substance of the Gospel in their Sermons to the people; God has appointed this way of Instruction, has promised to be with us to the end of the world, and to work effectually upon the hearts of men by these very means; therefore let not any despise them, and count them foolishness; the Preaching of the Gospel is the Power of God to Salvation; these Weapons are mighty through God, as they are in our hands, they signifie little, if God did not fight with them even in our hands; we hold the Weapons, and manage them as well as we can, but the piercing edge, the overcoming weight and irresistible force of them is from God; 'tis he that gives the blow, and does all the execution by them. God has in Infinite Wisdom made choice of such outward Means as have least of Man in them, that whilst we compare the weakness of the Means in a human Judgment, with the wonderful Effects of them in our hearts, we may be convinced of a Divine Power accompanying them.
Let us come then into these Assemblies with raised Expectations of some signal Appearance of God in his Word, for the carrying on this Great work of Regeneration in our Souls; we should see the Glory of God, and be convinc'd that he is among us of a truth; you may come in one Spirit, go forth in another; come in one Nature, go forth in another; come in Scoffers, go home Believers; a plain proposal of Christ as Crucified for us, was the means of Conversion in the Primitive Times, and so I am perswaded it is still: Some may with more Art, Elegancy and Learning, preach the Gospel, yet there is nothing in all this for Faith to take hold of, but the naked Truth; it brings nothing else into the Conscience, but drops all the rest; What is the Chaff to the Wheat? I see nothing else required to believing, but a serious looking up to God in the use of means, for that anointing that teaches us all things; the Gospel is plain enough in its own terms, He that believes shall be saved; He that believes not shall be damned; Vnless you repent you shall perish: What can be plainer spoken? We do as men know the common Notion of Faith and Repentance; tho what Faith in Christ Jesus is, what Repentance towards God is, we know not: Here we are at a loss, and ever shall be, till our Heavenly Father reveals these things unto us, giving us a true spiritual discerning of them. You have had a Bible a great while, but it may be have not taken such notice of the Contents of it, as you should; go home and open it once more, and say, This is the word of God to Man, and to me in particular; why should I refuse him who speaks from Heaven? I will sit down, and consider what I have read, what I have often heard; you don't know what hold the Word may take of you, what impressions it may make upon you; it may fill your hearts with such serious thoughts of God and Eternity, as you never had before: And let me tell you, if ever you be born again, it must be under the power of such thoughts, kept up and impregnated in your hearts, whilst you are thus musing the fire will burn, and the work will be done, you'l find a real turning of the Heart to Christ, which is the Obedience of Faith, that every New-born Soul does yield to the call of Christ in the Gospel.
'Tis a harder matter to Convert Professors now to the power of the Gospel, than 'twas to convert the Heathen World at first to the Profession of it; then Profession and Power went together; now they are unhappily separated; men hide themselves under a National Profession, without any strict inquiries after their Personal Interest in Christ. They came out of Heathenism one by one, into the power of Religion: But now an hereditary profession of Religion come upon them, they know not well how, they have Abraham to their Father, born of Christian Parents, and Baptized, this is all the account they can give of themselves and their profession: Here Religion sticks, and here I am persuaded it will stick; till God by a special dispensation of his Spirit suited to the formality of this professing Age, does send out Ministers by a special mission, to awaken such who have only a name to live, but are indeed dead. When the Gospel was first Preached to the Heathen world, they knew they worshipped gods of their own making, they knew they were unbelievers, and enemies to Christ and the Gospel; but we Preach the Gospel now, to those who profess they worship the true God, profess Faith in Christ, and love to Christ; they profess themselves to be all that already which we exhort them to. Therefore how should we pray that God would pour out more of his Spirit upon his Holy Prophets, and send them forth under a fresh anointing, that they may convince the constant hearers of the Word, that something more is required to the Salvation of their Souls than an outward profession of Religion: And what that something else is, we are all concerned to enquire after.
We must not flatter those who have lived long under the means of Grace in an unregenerate state; but plainly tell them to their faces, that they have already outliv'd the most probable means of their own Conversion: There is yet a possibility of it, God calls some at the Eleventh hour; and if it be that time of day with any that hear me this Morning, and the hour of Conversion not yet come, let them wait upon God with trembling, for that blessed moment wherein his Arm may be revealed upon their hearts, before they have quite done hearing▪ and quite done living in this world; if God do them good, it must be by the Preaching of the Word, which is the power of God unto salvation, to all that believe.
As the Word is the means of Regeneration; so of all after edification, and growth in Grace: If you want comfort, more strength against corruptions, more communion with God, the Word is of excellent use to you in all these Cases;2 Tim. 3. 16, 17. 'Tis profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.