A Discourse of Regeneration, Discourse 1 · Chapter 7

A Discourse of Regeneration · Discourse 1 · Chapter 7

p. 117CHAP. VII.

The Scripture Marks and Signs of Regeneration.

1. HE doth not commit Sin.1 Joh… …

2. He doth Righteousness.1 Jo… …

3. He believeth that Jesus is the Christ.1 Joh… …

4. He overcometh the World.1 John … 4,5 …1 John 4:5

5. He loves Christ and all the Saints.

6. He desires the sincere Milk of the Word.1 … …2 …

They are not my Marks, but God's, laid down in his own terms, as 'tis written in your Bibles; what you find in your selves answerable thereunto, I must leave to God and your own Consciences. The Text tells you, Vnless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And Iohn, in his Epistle tells you, unless these marks be found upon him, he is not born again: and dying in that estate, is excluded Heaven for ever. Iohn foreseeing what false notions of Regeneration men wou… taks up with, and rest in, to prevent all fraud, all mistakes in so great a point, lays down these infallible marks of true, real Regeneration, as 'tis distinguished from that which is but pretended, false and counterfeit▪ p. 118For ought I see, there is no more required to Regeneration, in the judgment of some men, than to be born in such a Country where Christianity is professed, and to be Baptized according to the custom of the place; this is the whole of Regeneration, as some state it, tho none of these marks appear in them, but the quite contrary: They commit Sin, they don't do Righteousness, they hate Christ and his Members, are overcome every day by the World, and the temptations of it; yet these must go for Regenerate persons, let the Scripture say what it will to the contrary. But let us not deceive our selves, God will judge us by the Word, and none will be looked upon at the last day as truly regenerate, in whom all these marks are not found. I do not say that all are unregenerate who see not all these marks in themselves, but those who have them not; to be wholly defective in any one of them, overthrows our state: These marks are so linked together, as to the certainty of their being, that they are inseparable, tho as to our perceiving 'tis otherwise: we may not so clearly discern some of these in our selves, as we may some others. I would carry it with as gentle a hand as I can; I perceive these marks in the right application p. 119of them, will bear hard upon us all, and it may be, leave us under a godly jealousy of our selves, examining our state with trembling. Truly this I aim at, I am sure we shall suffer no loss or damage by it in the end. God has put his own stamp upon his own workmanship, that it may be known to be his. Shew me your Regeneration under God's seal and mark, and I shall rejoyce with you in it, and pronounce it to be his workmanship indeed. And now Brethren, produce your evidences, such as the Word of God calls for. I shall begin with the first Mark:

1. He doth not commit sin,1 Joh. 3. 9.1 John 3:9 he cannot sin. He sinneth not,1 Joh. 5. 18.1 John 5:18 but doth righteousness. Here is a Negative and a Positive Mark,1 Joh 2. 29.1 John 2:29 what he doth, and what he doth not. I shall first speak joyntly of them both together, and then separately of each apart by themselves.

The sense in general of this Scripture, is, That he who is born of God, does so far express his Image, and take after his Holy Nature, as to hate that which is evil, and to love that which is good; he has put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Eph 4 23, 24.Eph 4:23Eph 4:24Escaping the corruption that is in the World p. 120through lust. 2 Pet. 1. 4. 1 Joh. 2. 29.2 Pet 1:41 John 2:29If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doth righteousness, is born of him. He proves the new-born Soul to be a true Child of God, because he so much resembles his Heavenly Father in Righteousness and true Holiness; we cannot be partakers of his Nature, but we must be also partakers of his Holiness: they are inseparable. But to keep to the Negative mark, He commits not sin &c. The common interpretation of this Text is, That such who are born of God, sin not with full consent and allowance, they go not on in a course of sin, they sin not the sin unto death, &c. All this is true, and does belong to the interpretation of this Text; yet I conceive there is something further intended as the ground of all this, viz. That he who is born of God, as such, sins not at all. He that is a new creature may sin, but not as a new creature; this is an absolute truth contained in the Text. Under all the distinctions, limitations, and soft interpretations that are given of this Scripture, we must be sure to maintain the words of the Text as they are expressive of a certain absolute truth, else we shall quite lose the mark here laid down by the Holy Ghost, of Regeneration; and therefore I shall p. 121first fix that, and make it as plain as I can, that we may the better judge of our state by it; 'tis matter of Life or Death; all is now upon Tryal; your eternal Interest lies at stake, therefore in so great a case we had need go by sure marks and signs, and none so sure as those that are in express terms laid down by the Holy Ghost, of Regeneration; as we must not raise them too high in contradiction to other Scriptures, so neither must we sink them too low, lest we lose that Characteristical difference that the Holy Ghost here puts between the Regenerate and Unregenerate; the mark lies here, viz.

That there is in every Regenerate Soul an inward living Principle of Grace and Holiness inclining us to good, but never to evil, always giving check to sin, never approving or allowing of it.

A Regenerate person may fall into acts of sin, through humane Infirmity, but cannot give himself over to sin in a constant habitual way; he cannot go on in sin; 'tis against his Nature; he may be surprized into an act of sin, but the new Nature will quickly recover it self, and cast out that sin by Repentance. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; sin is not so connatural to a RegenerateMat. 7. 18.Matt 7:18 p. 122Person; he can't brook it, his heart rises against it, from the Antipathy he has to it; when he does sin, he would not sin; and this we say, is from the Grace of Regeneration.

The assertors of Free will, do hold, That man cannot incline to good, without the general assistance of the Spirit of God▪ but they own only such an assistance as may be resisted by us, and leaves it to our option whether we will do good or evil; but that the will of man should be determined by God to a good act, and yet act freely under that determination, is that which some will▪ not understand, supposing such an overruling efficacy of Divine Grace to be inconsistent with the liberty of man's will. The prevailing efficacy of sin in fallen man is undeniable; whose thoughts and imaginations are evil, only evil, and that continually; yet those thoughts and imaginations, with all outward acts proceeding from them, are free; so that what they deny to the efficacy of grace, they allow to the efficacy of sin; That, it seems, does not destroy the liberty of mans will, but the efficacy of grace does: the mistake lies in a misapprehension of the Nature of Irresistibility; grace is irresistible, not because it cannot be resisted, but because it cannot be p. 123overcome, else 'twould not be effectual; the efficacy of Saving Grace lies in gaining over the free consent of the will to follow its motions and inclinations.

God made man perfect; and that he might not impose upon his rational Nature, left him a free agent, giving him liberty to good or evil; his Perfection did not lye in having liberty to evil, but in not using it, in abstaining freely from evil out of choice; when he fell, God withdrew and left him perpetually inclined to his own first choice, which nothing can draw him off from, but effectual Grace; not by forcing, but changing his will. It was never the intent of God in our first Creation, that man should exert his power both ways, to do good and evil; but that he should freely chuse his own way at his first setting out, and be delivered up into that Power which he should first Exercise. By his obedience he would have been confirmed in good, never to have fallen from it; so by his disobedience he was confirmed in evil, never to be recovered out of it, till free Grace of its own accord relieved him. And this it does gradually, not all at once, which is the reason why the Saints in their imperfect state here, do both good and evil, being flesh as p. 124well as Spirit. Grace has the Predominancy, because it enters in against the full Power of reigning sin, breaks in upon corrupt Nature whether it will or no, sows immortal seed, where never good fruit grew before; the Predominancy of sin lies in a total exclusion of Grace, but the Predominancy of Grace lies in its gradual entrance into the Soul, because it opposes the whole body of sin, or indwelling corruption, in making this forcible entrance, forcible in respect of corruption that would keep it out; free in respect of the renewed will, through which it passes by consent; God in opening the heart, makes the heart to open it self. Believing is our act, but the power of doing it, is God's. They who are endued with this Divine Power, cannot do the evil they would do, and are inclined to by nature: Gal. 5. 17. They are no more servants of sin. Rom. 6. 17. But have ceased from it. 1 Pet. 4. 7. They cannot sin; there is something in them called here the seed of God, that cannot sin, 1 Iohn 3. 9. They are born of God; but he that committeth sin, is of the Devil, ver. 8. a Child of the Devil.

To clear up this further.

There are two different Natures, two p. 125contrary Principles in the Saints, Flesh and Spirit; the Scripture speaks of them sometimes according to one Principle, sometimes according to the other, and sometimes according to both; as Flesh, so no good thing dwells in us; we all sin; he is a liar that says he has no sin; as Spirit, so we don't commit sin, we can't sin; are inclined only to good, by that Divine supernatural Principle; as Flesh and Spirit, so not a just man upon Earth but sins, tho he be just and holy, truly sanctified in his Regenerate part, yet he is unjust, unholy, unsanctified in his unregenerate part; there he fights against God; the law of the Members wars against the law of the Mind; the sense of this remaining enmity against the Law of God, makes the Saints complain of their wretchedness. O wretched man that I am. Rom. 7. 24. What carefulness, what clearing of themselves, what Indignation and Revenge? 2 Cor. 7. 11. Tho God has forgiven them, they cannot, they will not forgive themselves, they cut off their right hands, and pluck out their right eyes.

The Scripture speaking of a Saint according to one or other of these two Principles, speaks of him personally as two Men, each distinct from the other; as if p. 126a Saint when acted by a carnal Principle, were not the same Man with himself, when acted by a spiritual Principle. Physically and substantially, he is the same Man under both Principles; but spiritually considered under those Divine Qualifications belonging to him, as a new Creature; he is not the same Person in God's account, nor by his own reckoning; not I, but Sin that dwells in me. Could we keep up this distinction under a prevailing Temptation, clearing our selves, and laying Sin at its own door; not I, but Sin; 'twould afford much comfort to us, and quicken us up to a speedy Repentance. An unregenerate Man when he sins, he can't say, 'tis not I; he lies if he says so; he sees nothing in himself that opposes Sin as Sin; no, 'tis his own proper doing, his own act, his whole Will is in it; he can't say, the Evil I do, I would not do.

Can we in any sense say, That we do not commit Sin, that we cannot Sin, do no iniquity? Is there such a Principle within us,Psal. 119. 3.Ps 119:3 that we can say from our Consciences, we would not Sin, even when we do Sin? That 'tis against our Inclinanation,Rom 7. 16Rom 7:16 'tis a force upon the new Creature; we are in Pain, and cry out under that Act of Violence committed upon us, p. 127'tis an unwilling Captivity that we are led into.

I have done with the Negative part; what a regenerate Person does not, He does not commit Sin. I come to the Positive part,1 John 2. 29.1 John 2:29 He doth righteousness.

Negative holiness in abstaining from such and such Sins, will never prove a Man to be born of God; we cannot conclude safely and strongly from this negative Mark, That we are born of God, unless it be from the universality of it; if we can truly say, We hate every evil way, do fly all appearance of Evil, cannot suffer Sin in our selves or others, without a holy Indignation against it; this indeed has something in it, is very significant; we may infer from hence, that we are born of God; that which makes this Mark so conclusive and significant, is not only the universality of it; but chiefly this, that where-ever this negative Mark is, there is also the positive Mark to be found; he that escheweth Evil, does Good. 1 Pet. 3. 11.1 Pet 3:11The force of one Mark is best understood in Conjunction with some other; one single Mark is but a slender evidence of a state of Grace, unless it run into some other, which is the inseparable consequence of it.

The Positive part is, He doth Righteousness; p. 128what do ye more than others? Opèratio sequitur esse; all things have their active qualities especially where there is Life, there must be active Faculties, and an active Principle; life it self is an act; the life of a Christian is a life of the highest activity, from Principles truly Divine and Heavenly, that have their energy, virtue, and efficacy from God himself, who is a most Pure, Simple, Eternal Act, the Fountain of all Action and Motion to his Creatures, as he pleases more or less to communicate himself unto them. Since we are made partakers of the Divine Nature, surely 'tis in order to a godly life, that it may appear whose off-spring we are, whose image we bear; being born of the Will of God, we must do the Will of God, which is the only rule and measure of all Righteousness; in doing which, we must respect the matter what God commands, and the manner of doing what is commanded. What is materially good, is obvious to all who know but the Moral part of Religion; all the difficulty lies in the manner of performing it; the spirituality of the action lies here, that it be done from a Gospel principle, and to a Gospel end; it must be done in Faith, and in a constant dependance upon p. 129Christ for strength, doing what we do as unto the Lord, out of a Religious respect to his Holy will; whatever we do, we must do to his Glory; 'tis below a Christian to seek himself, to live to himself. God hath set a part the man that is Godly, for himself.

These are sure marks of Regeneration. Hold the glass of the word close to your Consciences, look again and again upon these Scriptures, examin your selves strictly by them; Can you prove your Regeneration by these marks as they are proper and peculiar only to the Regenerate? 'Tis not every forbearance of sin, nor every outward act of righteousness, that will come up to this mark; these Scriptures speak something to the experience of every one who is born of God, that no Unregeneman in the world understands; The ear 'tries words as the mouth tastes meat; Job. 34. 3.Job 34:3the word has a peculiar rellish and savour in it to a Spiritual pallate, The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; the word reveals it, it opens the heart of God to man, and laies open a man to himself,Heb. 4. 12.Heb 4:12 discerns the thoughts and intents of his heart; 'tis foreign, a discerner, a critical judge of the frame of a mans heart, and of the state of his Soul; p. 130shews a Child of God how, and wherein he differs from an unregenerate person; and by this discerning Word we must judge of our selves: He that is born of God, commits not sin, cannot sin, but does righteousness; you who are born of God, do know what God means by these words; I am sure you know it; there is a strong spirit in these words; they are critical words; discerning, distinguishing words; and if there be any true life in you, they will more or less affect you; you cannot but be concerned at the hearing of them. Hold the highest Spirits to the Nose of a dead Man, rub him all over with them, yet no heat, no motion, no lively colour, because he has not a natural principle of life to mingle with them, to feed upon them: I would commend my self to your Consciences this day, I hope you feel me, as well as hear me. When you drink any strong spirits, they heat within; the vital spirits do take them in, feed upon them, are raised by them: so when spiritual truths are held close to the Conscience, if there be any life there, the Spirit of God within thee, will close with the Spirit of God without thee in the Word; there will be an inward burning in the heart: Luke 24. 32.Luke 24:32the Leaven works strongly; and under these inward workings p. 131of spirit I desire to leave you, debating the matter between God and your own Souls till you have brought it to an issue, and can say by the light of these Scriptures, that you are, or are not born again.

2. He doth righteousness: Every one that doth righteousness,1 John 2. 29.1 John 2:29 is born of him; and, Whosoever doth not righteousness,1 John 3. 10.1 John 3:10 is not of God.

The more we resemble Christ in righteousness and true holiness, the more evident it is both to our selves and others, that we are born of him, descended from him, and therefore cannot but take after him; a true Christian is, and will be a follower of Christ; this genius or disposition to all practical righteousness, flows from our new Birth, rises out of the new Nature, which the Apostle ascribes to the Death and Resurrection of Christ,Rom. 6. 4.Rom 6:4 as the procuring cause of all newness of life in us, which is but our likeness to his Resurrection; we die with Christ; that we may live with him, being freed from sin, not serving it any more,vers. 13. but yielding our selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness unto God. This plainly proves every regenerate person, as such, to be a doer of righteousness, inclined to all holiness, p. 132by virtue of his Regeneration, which casts in a new leven, makes us a new lump; as original Sin infected the whole man, so Regeneration sanctifies the whole man,1 Thess. …. 23. Eph. 5. 9.Eph 5:9 in Body, Soul and Spirit: The fruit of the spirit is in all, goodness, righteousness and truth; Regeneration inclines us to follow Christ; the filth of the Soul is carried off by the washing of Regeneration, Matth. 19. 28. Tit. 3. 5. John 3. 5.Matt 19:28Titus 3:5John 3:5and renewing of the Holy Ghost; hence we are said to be born of water, and of the Spirit.

There is a natural inclination in a regenerate man to do good; he does it willingly, not by constraint; Grace is got into his nature;Jer. 31. 33.Jer 31:33 the Law is written in his heart, therefore his heart inclines him to keep the Law.

As Sin entred, so Grace enters; Sin entred into all the powers and faculties of the Soul, weakning the whole man; so Grace diffuses it self through every part of the Soul, strengthning the whole man in every part In Regeneration we are renewed after the Image of Christ, growing up into his likeness, like in judgment and affection; not that our natural Faculties are altered, but only brought under the power of a supernatural principle; we don't cease to be men, only we become new men, men of other minds, spirits and dispositions, than p. 133before, taking after the second Adam, not after the first; being by Faith implanted into Christ, we are made partakers of his Divine Nature; this is called a second Birth, or a new Creation, though out of the same physical materials of Flesh and Blood, the change is only spiritual; as the Wild Olive, when engrafted into the True, as to its materials remains still the same; 'twas wood before, so 'tis still, only there is a new sap secretly convey'd through the pores of it, which make it bring forth more kindly, and pleasant Fruit: so the Sinner, as to his physical substance, was Flesh and Blood before conversion, and so he is still; yet there is an inward spiritual change wrought in him by his implantation into Christ, who infuses his Nature, Spirit and Grace through the Man, so making him a new Creature, not taking away his Manhood, but sanctifying his Nature. God is the Fountain of all Holiness, 'tis essential to him, it goes along with his Nature, is entail'd upon all who are born of God; being partakers of the Divine Nature, they must needs be holy as God is holy; God appropriates goodness and righteousness to himself in the abstract, and is the original Spring of all righteousness in the Saints.

p. 134Let us exert and put forth our new birth,Gal. 2. 20.Gal 2:20 and live a life of faith; The life which I now live in the flesh, I live, &c. We are created in Christ unto good works, that we should walk in them; Let us then abide in Christ, that we may bring forth much fruit; John 15. 5.John 15:5for without him we can do nothing.

Corruption indeed is always active in a Saint, because it acts naturally without any cessation; but Grace does not always act, at least so sensibly in a Saint, because it must be first acted by the Spirit, who is a free Agent: should Grace always be as active in us as Corruption, we should mistake it for Nature, and ascribe all to our selves; the Spirit of God is always in Believers, but does not always work so effectually, so sensibly; the operations of it are not so manifest to us as sometimes they are.

This righteousness that is said to be done, lies not so much in the perfection of the Deed, as in the perfection of the Doer; he aims well, though he cannot always hit the mark; he cannot do the good he would, yet he wills it, and that is doing in God's account, who accepts the will for the deed.

p. 135The inclination or tendency of a newborn Soul to holiness, appears three ways.

First, Before the Temptation, i. e. not before the being or existence of a Temptation, for there is no such season; we are always compassed about with many Temptations; a regenerate Soul is aware of this, and fears always. But before we enter into this or that particular Temptation that we see coming towards us, or have reason to suspect from the present circumstances we are under, here a regenerate person watches and prays that he may not enter into that Temptation, that God would some way or other divert the Temptation, or fortify our hearts against it, that we may repel it. A Temptation may enter into us, when we don't enter into it; then it goes, as it comes, and makes little or no impression upon us: when a Temptation shews it self to us at some distance, the Seed of God in a regenerate Soul presently takes the alarm, puts on the whole armour of God.

Secondly, Under the Temptation, when the Flesh has betrayed the Soul into the hands of a Temptation, has been tampering with it, then does Grace struggle and p. 136fight, and cry out unto God for help; all this shews the activity of Grace in a way of righteousness, how loth it is to be overcome of evil.

Thirdly, After the Temptation, when 'tis ended, or finished, then it issues either in the commission of the Sin, or conquest over the Temptation. Grace shews it self both ways.

First, After the commission of Sin; what repentance, what godly sorrow, what shame, what indignation, what revenge?

Secondly, After the conquest over the Temptation; what rejoycing, what thanksgiving, what triumphing in the Grace of Christ?

So that you see here lies the manifest difference between the Children of God, and of the Devil—An unregenerate man cannot do righteousness; his skill lies not that way; he is wise indeed to do evil; but to do good, no knowledg, he is a meer Bungler at a good work; his hand is always out, because his heart is never right with God. He may do what is materally good, but always fails in the manner; those spiritual Ingredients which the Gospel requires to a work truly holy, are wanting.

p. 137Thirdly,1 Joh. 5. 1.1 John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Iesus is the Christ, is born of God. 1 Joh. 4. 2.1 John 4:2And every spirit that confesses that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.

They prove each other, being inseparable.

The going forth of the Soul, by Faith,Observ. unto Christ, as the anointed of the Lord sent and sealed by the Father, to undertake the great work of Man's Redemption, is a sure evidence of Regeneration. All unregenerate men are strangers to Christ, they know him not, they desire him not, they think they can shift well enough without him: None know the Son of God, but those who are born of God. When the Spirit comes into us, then we confess that Christ is come in the flesh; Christ conveys himself through our nature, to our persons; the Divine and Humane Nature must be first united, before our persons can be admitted to any communion with him. The Humane Nature of Christ is the foundation of all our Communion with God: our access to God is through the veil of his flesh.Heb. 10. 20.Heb 10:20 Being born of the Spirit, we stand related to the Person of Christ, he is not ashamed to call us Brethren; we can then call God our Father, p. 138as he is the Father of Christ our elder Brother. God was the Father of Christ before his Incarnation, and continues still to be so after his Incarnation, not only to him, but to all who are born of his Spirit: The Spirit of Christ being the Spirit of him who is God and Man, knows how to raise up a seed of godly men and women.

The Infinite Eternal Spirit of the Son of God, being poured out without measure upon the Man Jesus Christ, operates through both his Natures, hypostatically united in his Divine Person, in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily, without any diminution of its infinite excellencies, and Divine properties, from the assumption of our finite humane nature; so the same Eternal Spirit of Christ dwelling in us, in a lower way of union to our persons, does act indeed Divinely; but yet according to our finite capacities; all intellectual acts are finite or infinite, as the persons are that do them; the Person of Christ being infinite, so are his spiritual actings, notwithstanding his finite nature as Man; so the actings of the Spirit of God in the Saints are finite, because their persons are so. Actiones sunt suppositorum: Actions are personal, of greater or lesser p. 139degree of efficacy and power, as the persons are that do them.

Faith in Christ Jesus being the birth of the Spirit, must needs be an infallible mark of Regeneration; the design of the Spirit of God in working Faith in us, is to bring us to the knowledg of Christ, and through him to the knowledg of God, wherein consists our true happiness; This is life eternal to know thee, &c. Faith is the beginning of Eternal Life in the Soul; and the manner of conveying this Eternal Life from God unto our Souls, is called Regeneration. Thus you see how he that believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God.

The next inquiry will be, how Faith does this; or how believing in Christ does work that universal change in the Soul, which the Gospel calls Regeneration.

Tho the beginning, or rather all the essentials of Regeneration are found in the first principle of Faith, created in us by the Spirit of Christ, yet this does not appear to us but by those lively operations of this Faith put forth by us. We have an inward feeling of these operations, the sense of which does lead us to some discerning of that spirit and principle from whence they p. 140flow. 'Tis actual Faith Iohn means in this. Epistle, therefore he joyns it with Confession, he lays the Mark upon actual Faith; for that only falls under our discerning. God indeed sees the first seeds and principles of Grace; but they are known to us only by the sense we have of their powerful actings in us: and therefore I shall consider the regenerating Power of actual Faith, and shew how it does discover that new birth that came in with a principle of Faith at first.—The Regenerating power of Faith, both in the principle and in the act, is very great, it makes a marvellous change in us.—So strong are the impressions of Faith, about Christ and our everlasting concernments in him, that we must needs be much affected with the discovery; which lies in two things:

1. In a convicting knowledg of our sin and misery by Nature.

2. In an astonishing discovery of God's Grace and mercy to us in Christ.

The Spirit of God demonstrating both unto us with such clearness and evidence, that we cannot but be persuaded of the truth of them in our own case; and being so persuaded, we must be concerned about them. Faith draws in the attention of the p. 141mind to those things we believe in reference to our selves, fixes our thoughts upon them, dwells upon the consideration of them; there is no evading the serious thoughts of Faith, no getting them out of our heads, nor out of our hearts; they lye close, they lye next us, always in our view, My sin is ever before me. Christ dwells in our hearts by Faith, we have the whole state of our Souls before us from first to last; Faith shews us where our true interest lies, what is of absolute necessity to be done in order to Salvation. We see all this in Christ, who is God and Man, made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Cor. 5. 21.2 Cor 5:21In Christ we see how matters stand between God and Man, we see all that passed between God and Man in order to his recovery; the whole method, way, and manner of our restauration from first to last; we see the wages of our Sins, and the price of our Redemption; we see the Law and the Gospel both fulfill'd in Christ; God's infinite Justice and Mercy highly exalted and glorified in him. 'Tis a pleasing ravishing sight to behold God in Christ reconciling the World unto himself; to observe the mystery of his manifold hidden wisdom in carrying on the great work of Man's Redemption; p. 142all this Faith discovers to us in some measure, filling us with a Holy admiration of God's unspeakable kindness and love to us, provoking us to pursue after the great ends of the Gospel. How busie is the Soul? how full of discourse with it self? What secret inferences does an enlightned Conscience draw from what it believes? This believing Jesus to be the Christ, takes in all that belongs to the Person of Christ, in all his Offices; takes in the whole Doctrine of Christ, all his Precepts, all his Promises, applies all to the Soul; Thou art the Man spoken of, and spoken to in the Gospel; hear, and thy Soul shall live. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of Salvation; Faith admits of no delays, won't give us one days respite from the work it hath cut out for us. So Faith wrought in Paul, when Christ was revealed in him, immediately he consulted not with flesh and blood; Faith changes our Counsels, alters the whole frame of the Soul; the Man is a new Man, born again into a new World, into a new Nature, quite of another spirit: This is the Regenerating power of Faith. Let us then judge of the truth of our Faith, by the great change that it always makes in those who are brought out of darkness into this marvellous light.

p. 143Should we ask some Professors, what effect their Faith had upon them; whether upon their believing in Christ they found themselves born again, made new creatures? It may be they will say, they hope they are the better for believing, that their Faith has not been without some good effect. Alas, what a slender account is this? how short of a new birth? You may be the same Man that ever you were for all this, in the same state in which you were first born.—Art thou born again? born of God?—Speak to this. Some outward Reformation there may be, where there is no inward Regeneration. Hast thou a new heart? dost thou lead a new life? is the whole course of thy life changed? are all things become new within and without? Faith in Christ changes us into the same image, transforms us into his likeness, lets in the Spirit of Christ further and further into the Soul, till we are so filled with the Holy Spirit, that there will be at last no room for a worldly spirit to breathe in us; it will be quite extinct and die away. The more we see of this newness of spirit in any, the more of the new creature appears in them. When the Apostle would take off the Ephesians from a vain,Ephes 4. 20.Eph 4:20 worldly course of life, he shews the p. 144inconsistency of such a course, with the true knowledg of Christ.—You have not so learned Christ, you have been taught better things by him than to walk as the Gentiles do, in the vanity of their mind. Faith in Christ works so great a change in all the faculties of the Soul, in the understanding, will and affections, and in our outward conversation too, that a true Believer may well be said to be born again, from the newness of life that appears in him; and to be born of God, from the holiness, spirituality, and heavenly nature of that life which he now lives by Faith in the Son of God.

Till the Regenerating power of Faith do thus appear in us, we have no reason to think we are born again.

4. Whosoever is born of God, 1 Joh 5. 4.1 John 5:4overcomes the world, &c. foreign, Omne quod ex Deo genitum est. He uses the neuter gender to comprehend all sorts, states and degrees of mankind; he does not say, he or she that is born of God, &c. but whatsoever is born of God, every Man, Woman and Child, rich or poor, bond or free, whosoever is born of God, has power and strength from Christ, to overcome the World; they are assured of the Victory at their first setting out, because greater is he p. 145that is in them, than he that is in the World. They know they are of the strongest side, Christ has overcome the World already in his own Person, and will not fail to conquer it in and by the Saints;1 Joh. 44. he will appear so great in them, that the whole World shall not be able to stand before them. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, and you in me have overcome it;Joh. 16. 33.John 16:33 and by me you shall personally overcome it your selves.

I prove this to be an evidence of Regeneration thus.

That which overcomes the World, must be of a higher extraction, of a more noble descent than the World it self in its present corrupt state; it must be something distinct from the World, and above it, whatever is born of the Flesh is but Flesh, falls in with the World to which it belongs, and of which it is a part: but God having chosen some out of the World, and called them to a Heavenly Life, has promised to give them a Heavenly Nature, to beget them again unto himself, to put his own Spirit into them, that they may walk as New Creatures, who are not of the World though they live in it; they are Born of God, do bear his image, their hearts are moulded into the belief of his word, they p. 146can do nothing against the truth, but every thing for the truth; these are they who overcome the World, the men of the world, and the Things of the World; the Spirit & Principles of the World, the Fears and Hopes of the World, the Lusts and Pleasures, and Temptations of the World, they are dead to all these, not moved by them, but do steer their course by a higher light let down from heaven into their hearts; and this is their Victory, even their Faith; they have nothing to oppose against the World and all things in it that may disquiet and discompose their Spirits, but their Faith, and by believing,Heb. 4. 3.Heb 4:3 they enter into rest; all who are Born of God do thus live by Faith here below; they consult not with Flesh and Blood, their affections are suited to the apprehensions of their Faith, they are filled with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory; by believing they see good days a coming, when all Tears shall be wiped from their Eyes, they wait patiently till then, rejoycing in the hope of the Glory of God. Till we get into this frame, walking in the evidence of things not seen, we shall never overcome the World; for the things that are seen, conceive them in what shape or posture you please, have their emptiness and vanity in them, will never satisfy; p. 147they are but finite and temporal; the present Fashion of this World, be it what it will, passes away into something else, while we are a beholding it; all things here below moulder and crumble away in our hands, perish in the using, are always the worse for wearing, which shews they cannot last long; when they are in their best state they are altogether vanity; the highest degree of Perfection in the Creature, tends to corruption, and indeed disposes to it; 'tis as Natural to Die as to be Born, there is an foreign a turning point, that stops the further growth of the Creature, and makes it to decline ever after, till its fading Glory be quite extinguish'd; therefore labour not for the meat that perishes, but for that which nourishes unto Everlasting Life. Till we come to Live upon Eternal unseen things, we live but meanly, in the midst of our Earthly sufficiencies we are in straights, still wanting something till Christ be ours, and then all is ours. There is no room left then for any further designs, in him we have plenary satisfaction and perfect rest, we shall never have true hearts ease till then. But the difficulty lies in bringing over our hearts to this Newness of Life to this Noble Life of Faith, that fetches all its Comforts from Heaven, casting up its anchor p. 148within the Vail, which is sure and stedfast; Flesh and Blood cannot do this, there is nothing in Nature that disposes us to it, therefore we must be born again, be made New Creatures, before we shall favour the things of heaven; and such is the power of Religion upon the minds of men, where it is in truth, that it always works this change in them; they find it, and feel it in themselves. Whether it be so with us, whether we have any certain experience of such a thing in our own Souls, we should do well to consider that even upon our knees, and give God no rest day nor night, till we see some better symptoms of Eternal Life in our selves; we may judge of our life whether it be Eternal or no, by the things we live in, and live upon; they who are of the Earth, are Earthly; they who are born from above, are heavenly, to be carnally mindedis death, but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace; The inward frame of the mind discovers what kind of Creatures we are,Prov 4. 23.Prov 4:23 whether old or new, flesh or spirit; the issues of life are from the Heart; as the pulse of your Souls beats upwards or downwards, so you may judge of your state, as you find your selves most concerned in things above or things below; till you have got above the world, and have overcome it, you are not born again.

p. 149Fifthly, Every one that loveth, is born of 5God, 1 Joh. 4. 7. 1 Joh. 5. 1. John 13. 34, 35. 1 Pet. 1. 22. vers. 23.1 John 4:71 John 51 Pet 1:22and knoweth God. That which is intended here, is,

First, Love to the Saints as such. Unfeigned love of the Brethren is a sign of a pure heart, and that we are indeed born again.

Secondly, Love to all men; 'tis due to all;Rom. 13. 8.Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but love; that, we owe to all; every man may challenge it; every man is our Neighbour in that sense, to be the object of our Love; we must extend it to our very Enemies; 'tis the fulfilling of the Law; the duty of man to man, prescribed in the Second Table, cannot be performed without it. —Love is above all Illumination and Knowledge;1 John 4. 16.1 John 4:16 a more sure mark of Regeneration: He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Love is one of the communicable Attributes of God,Rom. 5. 5. Eph. 5. 1.Rom 5:5Eph 5:1 shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost; we are followers of God, when we walk in love.

Common Professors have some love one to another; but if you trace it up to its original, you'll find it a selfish, mercenary love, in which they rather respect themselves than Christ; 'tis not for his sake, but for some outward respects of relation, neighbourhood, or usefulness in the common concerns of this life; it may be for p. 150their agreement in opinion about some lower matters of Religion; this is but the friendship of the World, and may be consistent with real enmity against God and good men as such; but perfect love, i. e. real, sincere,Jam. 4. 4. 1 John 4. 12. Joh 13. 34. Vide Eph. 4. 23. compared with verse 31, 32.Jas 4:41 John 4:12John 13:34Eph 4:23 Christian Love, is for God's sake, because he has so loved us, and given us a new Command, to love one another. There is no true love among men, till we are born again. He exhorts those who have put off the old man, and are renewed in spirit, to put away all bitterness, wrath, &c. Before Regeneration, Tit. 3, 3.Titus 3:3we are foolish, disobedient, living in malice and envy, hatesul, and hating one another: Gal. 5. 15.Gal 5:15Biting, dev…uring, consuming one another. It looks rather like a description of Wild Beasts than men, so savage and fierce are we by nature; nothing but a spirit of Regeneration will sweeten and mollify the hearts of men; that which unites us to Christ, unites us one to another; we are all one in Christ, but we shall never be all one among our selves, till we are united to Christ; then the Peace of God rules in our hearts,Col. 3. 15. Joh. 17. 31. 22, 23.Col 3:15John 17:31John 17:22John 17:23 to which we are called in one body. There is no true good nature among men, but what flows from Grace; Sin hath so poysoned and sowred man's Nature, that till that Serpentine Venom be purged out, and a better Spirit be put into us, there p. 151will be little harmony or concord among men. Having put on the new man,Col. 3. 8, 13.Col 3:8Col 3:13 put on therefore as the elect of God, &c. Vide Loc. Were this mark of Regeneration more visible in our days, it would be a token for good, of a more effectual work of the Gospel among us, than for ought I see does yet appear. Hatred, variance, &c. are reckoned up among the Works of the Flesh,Gal. 5. 19, &c.Gal 5:19 as directly opposite to the Fruits of the Spirit. I will shew how this loving disposition arises out of Regeneration; that the fundamental ground of it is our conformity to Christ, which necessarily follows upon our Regeneration: Christ is the express Image of his Father; the Saints are in their finite capacities, the express Image of Christ, in whom they see the Father, who as God, is one with the Son; whilst they behold the Son as God-man, they see their humane Nature hypostatically united to the Divine; they see their humane persons joined to the Lord in one Spirit.

I doubt not but the spiritual glorified Body of Christ is the medium of the beatifical Vision to Angels and Saints above; the Godhead shines through it in all its brightness, as the Sun shines through pure Chrystal; shines upon it, shines into it, fills every part with light; there is nothing to obumbrate p. 152or shade it, it transmits the light to us with advantage.

The Bodies of the Saints at the Resurrection being freed from all mortality, and natural weakness, being then immortal, spiritual Bodies, like unto that glorious Body of Christ, they are capable of receiving this reflected glory from Jesus Christ; they have a nearer and more inward view of God in Christ than the Angels have, because they see him in their own nature face to face, and nothing between, the Glory of God shines out upon them in the Face of Christ; thus are they made light in the Lord, being changed into the same Image by the Spirit of the Lord.—What is thus done unto perfection upon the Bodies and Souls of glorified Saints at the Resurrection, is really done in some degree upon the Souls of the Saints in this life; the Image of God in all his communicable Attributes is impressed upon them; they partake of his Holiness, Wisdom, Goodness, Love; are merciful, as their heavenly Father is merciful; and cannot but express something of all this, as they are new Creatures, holding forth the Image of the heavenly Adam, which carries them out to a love and liking of it self, in whomsoever it appears: therefore he who says he loves God, and hates his Image in p. 153another, is a liar. Those who know God in Christ,1 Joh. 4. 20.1 John 4:20 will be sure to take notice of his Image in the Saints; God in Christ is the Object of our worship, and Christ in the Saints is the Object of our endeared love and affection; God is invisible, we see him not; it must be pure faith that keeps up love to God; but Christ in the Saints is more visible to us; here; we have something to help our faith, and to draw out our love; we see the Children of God, we converse with them, we may lay our hands upon them, and embrace them; God allows us to bestow our love to him upon his Saints, 'tis still to him, when showed to them for his sake;1 Pet. 2. 2.1 Pet 2:2 As much as you do it to one of these, you do it to me.

Sixthly, To desire the milk of the word. 6As a new-born Child does naturally desire the Breast of the Mother, so a new-born Soul does as naturally take the breast of the Word. God, as he is Iehovah, is the Fountain of being to all things that are: and as He is the Everlasting God, He is the Fountain of life to every living Creature; In him we live, move, and have our being: all things do subsist in him, and by him; He supports the whole Creation, which he raised out of nothing; For of him, Rom. 11. 36.Rom 11:36and through him, and to him are all things.

There is a Creature life, which is but a p. 154creature; and an uncreated and eternal life, which is God himself.

A Creature life is either of Spirits or Animals; of things incorporeal, or corporeal.

How immaterial spirits are maintained in their created natural living beings, we must leave to God that made them; only this I may say, that the Eternal life of the Elect Angels in which they were created, and confirmed by Christ, differs from that eternal life which Believers have in Christ; the one is a creature life, or a created life; it once was not, tho it shall never have an end; the other is the Eternal Life of God himself communicated in time, and in some degree to his creature Man, which makes him a new creature, taken into the Eternal Life of God himself, according to man's finite capacity.

All sublunary living creatures have their proper nourishment assigned them by the Providence of God; they all live upon their fellow creatures, and have their food suited to their several kinds, which by a natural appetite they are carried out unto; Man who has the dominion over the creature, has his choice of every thing made for food; but the new man, or the new creature, being born of God, united to God in Christ, and quickned by his Eternal Spirit entring into him, has Eternal Life continually communicated p. 155to him from Christ the second Adam, who is a quickning spirit, dwelling always in the Saints. If it be asked, what is the Patulum vitae, to the Saints, as they are new creatures; I answer, they have meat to eat that the World knows not of, hidden Manna, secret communications from Christ, who is their life; and because they have not an immediate fruition of him here, therefore they are commanded to feed upon Christ by Faith in the Word, and to gather up the Heavenly Manna they meet with there. Faith knows how to live upon God in the Word, till the Soul can have a nearer access to him by vision above, face to face; then we have life more abundantly, are even swallowed up of life, are all life, without any symptomes of mortality about us: then that life and immortality which the Gospel has brought to light, will more fully appear, and be made manifest in all glorified Saints.

APPLICATION.

You have heard the Doctrinal part, what Regeneration is, the necessity of it, what are the signs of it. The next thing to be considered is, whether you and I are regenerated, and do feel any symptoms of this new birth in our selves? If not, the Text does p. 156plainly conclude against us, that we can't see the Kingdom of God. If these marks, if all these Scripture marks be not found in you, and upon you, it is because there is no life in you. Shew me but one of these marks, and I'll shew you all the rest in that one, at least make it evident to discerning Christians, that they are all comprehended in that one, which you see and own in your selves. I have been searching you from head to foot, feeling for life in every part, and 'tis well if we can find it in any part: O how dead, how cold, how wan, how earthy are many Professors under all their forms, like a Carcass stretched out and stiff, no breath, no motion, no heat, laid out for the Grave, free among the dead, unconcern'd in all the mysteries of the Gospel: The reason of our mistakes about Regeneration, is because we don't look for so great an inward change in our selves as we ought to do.

We are more given to contemplation than practise; grown so purely speculative in Religion, that we are no further concerned in our own notions, than to maintain and defend our Opinions against all others of a contrary sentiment; and this has filled the World with disputes, and set us all a wrangling one with another; every p. 157one thinks he is in the right. When Scripture and Reason are against a Man, that Man is under a temptation to be against both; so fond are we of our own Tenents, even when we put darkness for light, and evil for good, things must be as we have put them. At this rate the truth and power of Religion will quickly be lost amongst us, unless both be better exemplified in our Lives and Conversations.

The Gospel is set before us as a new mould into which we our selves must be cast; it comes to work a great change in us, not of our opinions only, but of our Hearts and Nature, to create us again in Christ Jesus unto good works; Is this done? where this is not done, that man's pretended interest in Religion will deceive him, and come to nothing. You may be of this or that Persuasion, of this or that Party, have excellent notions of Divine things in your heads, and yet not have one tittle of the truth writ upon your hearts. I don't ask what you hold, or what you profess, or what you know, but what you are, what Newness of Spirit do you find in your selves? My Text speaks of something to be done in you, and upon you, Is that done? Art thou born again? Art thou a new creature? I speak the Language of God to you, a new creature is that which p. 158you must be before you die, else you'l be undone for ever; it concerns you to look what that is, do you look to that; A new creature you must be, else you perish eternally: better you had never been born, if you are not born again before you die. Let not the strangeness of the expression, nor the mystery of the thing it self, take you off from seeking after this Regeneration in the Text; 'tis something must be wrought in you, you need not go further than your own selves for a proof of it; let every one view his own heart well, wait for a change there, carry thy old, carnal, unbelieving heart to God, and say, Lord create in me a clean heart; take away this heart of Stone; I lay it down at thy feet, I dare not take it back again, I dare not go from thee in my old sinful corrupt nature: O let thy creating power pass upon me this instant, that I may become a new creature. Did we come with raised expectations of such a work, we should see the Glory of God in some inward astonishing effects of his mighty power upon our hearts: He that commands light to shine out of darkness, and calls things that are not as tho they were, gives them a being by his creating power. Things that are not, do answer to this call of God, as if they had been there before; p. 159they come forth out of their own nothingness, deriving a real being and existence from the operative Word of the Lord; he speaks, and it is done: So able is God to raise up Children unto Abraham, even out of Stones; a Stone may as soon turn it self into a living creature, as a natural Man turn himself into a new creature; only there is this difference, a Stone has no sense to perceive any such change brought upon it, but a natural Man has; he is a living Soul; and when converting Grace comes upon a Man living in sin, to turn him from it, he must needs feel the opposition that is made to the whole course of his corrupt nature; the conflict that is between two living contrary principles is felt on both sides; Sin feels it, and Grace feels it; the Flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh; the Flesh is hindred from doing all the evil it would do, and the Spirit from doing all the good it would do; they retard each others motions; one pulls one way, and the other another; these two are contrary, they never agree in any thing. A sinner finds himself dying to sin, under the quickning regenerating influence of the Spirit of God; though corrupt nature perceives not the beauty and glory of Grace, yet it sees and feels the contrariety of p. 160Grace to it self, and is full of enmity against it; as the Spirit of God does assist our dying graces, so the Devil, that evil spirit, does what he can to keep alive our dying sins; he would fain prevent the utter mortification of sin in Believers, if it were possible: You see what striving and strugling there is in every regenerate Soul, two living men contending with each other, the old man and the new; there is a mighty strength in the old man, but the new man is stronger than he, enters in upon him by an irresistible force, binds him, and at last casts him quite out. Let us either throw away our Bibles, and resolve never to look into them more, or else submit to the judgment of the Scriptures in so great a Case as this is—Verily, Verily, &c.

THE END.

A DISCOURSE OF FAITH, IN TWO POINTS: VIZ.

I. How Faith comes by Hearing.

II. How we are Justified by Faith.

By Thomas Cole Minister of the Gospel.

LONDON, Printed for Thomas Cockerill, at the Three Legs over against the Stocks-Market, 1689.