A Word to Sinners and a Word to Saints, Part 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Sheweth the Reasons why Regeneration is necessary to Salvation.
HAving spoken of the point by way of explication; I come now to speak of it by way of confirmation, To this end I shall shew you the reasons of the point, why Regeneration is necessary to Salvation.
Reas. 1. From the immutability of Gods purpose. God who hath chosen us to life, hath chosen us also to holiness, as our way to it. We are bound to give thanks to God for you, 2 Thes. 2.13.brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation, through the Sanctification of the Spirit. Whoever will pass into glory, must take grace in his way. You ask, why may I not be saved, unless I be regenerated? Why! because God is resolved on the contrary.1 Thes. 4.3. This is the will of God, your sanctification first, and then your salvation. Now the purposes of God shall stand. With him is no variableness nor shadow of turning. All the world shall sooner be damned, then the purpose of God shall be made void. The Lord God must cease to be the unchangeable God, if thou ever be saved, who wilt not be sanctified.
Reas. 2. From the stability of Gods Word. God hath said, Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Is the word of God yea and nay? doth he say and unsay?Mat. 24.35. Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but his word shall not pass away. Count upon it sinner, as sure as God is true, thou shalt never see the salvation of God, unless thou be first made partaker of the renewing of the holy Ghost.
Reas. 3. From the respect that Regeneration hath to Salvation. Regeneration is a degree and part of Salvation. Grace is glory begun, holiness is the beginning of blessedness, the perfection whereof will be in Heaven hereafter,Eph. 4.24. where the image of God, which consisteth in knowledge, holiness, and righteousness will be perfected in our souls, where we shall perfectly love God, and delight in him, and be ever praising him with the Heavenly host. Now, how canst thou expect the participation and enjoyment of this blessed estate without regeneration and renovation here? Unless the image of God be renewed upon thee in holiness? and thou dost truly love God, and delight in communion with him here? Canst thou expect the consummation without a beginning! to be perfectly holy hereafter, and not initially holy here! to live with God in glory hereafter, and yet here live and lye in thy filthiness and uncleanness! Canst thou expect hereafter to live in the everlasting love of God, and yet here have no true love to him at all? Canst thou expect hereafter fulness of delight in the presence of God, and yet here have no delight in him at all? But takest thy whole delight either in satisfying thy covetous humour by heaping up riches, or in gratifying, thy sinfull lusts and affections, by yielding to the solicitations of the flesh?
Be not deceived, as I said before, so I must say it again, Grace is a necessary beginning of glory; As sin is death begun, and hell begun, so is grace the first fruits of life and glory. And as certain as it is, that he shall never find an hell hereafter, who is purged from his sins here; so undoubtedly certain is it, that he shall never come into the divine presence hereafter, who is not here made partaker of the divine nature; he shall never enter into the Kingdom of glory, who is not first born into the Kingdom of grace. Be a convert in this World, or thou wilt be a reprobate in the other World. Thou mayest as well expect a birth where there hath been nothing formed in the Womb; a Noon-tide where there hath been no dawning, as ever look to see the day-light of glory, who hast never known the morning of grace.
Reas. 4. From that corruption of mans Nature in which he is brought into the World. For our first Parents having by their fall defaced that image of God in which they were at first created, and being thereupon corrupted and polluted, in every power of their soul, and part of their body; all that come from them are in like manner corrupted and polluted, an unclean offspring from unclean progenitors.Job 14.4. For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one, as Iob speaketh. And saith our Saviour, That which is born of the flesh is flesh;Joh. 3.6. that is, Every one that is born of man, every mothers Child is carnal and corrupt: every man by his first birth is polluted and unclean: Now no unclean person can enter into Gods Kingdom. Rev. 21.27.Believe it Sinner, God will never take thee from the dunghill reeking in thy Lusts, and set thee down by him in the Throne. The holy land was never intended for a Sepulchre, to bury the dead in, to be filled with filth and rottenness, it's no den for Dragons, nor nest for Serpents and Vipers, nor was ever designed to be peopled with Dogs and Swine.Rev. 22. Without shall be Dogs. Corruption shall not inherit incorruption, nor shall flesh and blood inherit the Kingdom of God. Bastards may not inherit. Thou must first be a child, and have the spirit of a child in thee, and then thou art an heir, an heir of God, and a joynt heir with Christ.
Reas. 5. From the holiness of Gods nature, which is such that no unclean person can stand in his presence. The Prophet Habbakkuk sets him forth to be of purer eyes than to behold evil, Hab. 1.13.neither can be look on iniquity. And saith the Psalmist, Evill shall not dwell with thee, neither shall the foolish stand in thy sight. Psal. 5.4.Where by the foolish may be meant the wicked and profane, as it is often taken in Scripture; (wicked men are fools) and such shall not stand in the sight and presence of God. There is a contrariety between the holy nature of God, and the unholy nature of carnal and unregenerate men. And therefore what communion can there be between them? Between an holy God, and unholy creatures? Between a pure God, and impure creatures? Surely none at all. So much the Apostle expresseth where he saith,2 Cor. 6.14. what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? Or the righteous God with unrighteous men? What communion hath light with darkness? which interrogation implyeth a strong negation. Believe it sinners, if ever you look to enjoy communion with God in glory, you must have union with him in grace; you must here be regenerate, and become new creatures: yea holy as he is holy, that you may be such as he may dwell withall, and delight in. For as the Apostle speaketh,Heb. 12.14. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. He shall be so far from enjoying the presence of God, that he shall not so much as see him.
Lev. 10.3. Saith Moses to Aaron, God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him, that is, that draw near unto him in any of his Ordinances. Now to the sanctifying God in his Ordinances, there is required;
1. That his Nature be renewed and sanctified. An unsanctified heart cannot sanctifie God.Psal. 50.5. Gather my Saints together unto me.
2. That he have holy and awfull apprehensions of God. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints; and to be bad in reverence of all them that are about him.Psal. 89.7.
3. That he bring holy affections. Every ordinance of God, as it requires our affections to be employed and exercised in it, so holy affections: such affections as do arise from an holy heart, and are suitable to an holy God.
Now can carnal men thus sanctifie God? they pollute and profane his holy name, they cannot sanctifie it. Can they not sanctifie God, and can they be accepted of God? or find any pleasure in his presence? If God be not sanctified in them, he will be sanctified upon them: his wrath will break forth upon them, so far shall they be from enjoying any comfortable communion with him.
Now if such sanctity and holiness be necessary in those who draw near unto him in his ordinances: How much more to the enjoying immediate communion with him in Heaven? will not God meet thee at a prayer, and will he suffer thee to meet him in Paradise? will he not let thee see his face at his Table, and will he let thee sit down with him in his Kingdom? Maist thou not come into his Courts, and shalt thou enter into the holy of holies? Was the man without a wedding garment thrust out from his presence here below, and shall he be received into his mansion above? How can these things be?