Discourses of the Great Duties of Natural Religion, Sermon 6
SERMON VI.
Of the Nature of Regeneration, and its Neceſſity, in order to Juſtification and Salvation.
GALAT. VI. 15.
For in Chriſt Jeſus, neither Circumciſion availeth any thing, nor Uncircumciſion; but a new Creature.
IN theſe words are contained theſe two Things.
Firſt, That the Goſpel hath taken away the obligation of the Law, having taken away the ſign of that Covenant, which was Circumciſion.
Secondly, That according to the terms of the Goſpel, and the Chriſtian Religion, nothing will avail to our juſtification and acceptance with God, but the real renovation of our Hearts and Lives. For the full explication of this, I propounded to do theſe three Things.
I. To ſhew what is imply'd in this Phraſe of a new Creature.
II. That this is the great Condition of our juſtification and acceptance with God, and that it is the ſame in ſenſe and ſubſtance with thoſe other expreſſions, in the two parallel Texts of Faith perfected by Charity, and keeping the Commandments of God.
III. That it is very reaſonable that this ſhould be the Condition of our juſtification, and acceptance to the favour of God.
I began with the firſt of theſe, viz. To ſhew what is imply'd in this Phraſe of a New Creature; as to which I ſhew'd,
Firſt, What this Metaphor doth certainly import, ſo as to be undeniably evident from other more clear and full Texts of Scripture; namely, the greatneſs of this Change; and that it is effected by a Divine Power. I now proceed;
Secondly, To ſhew that it doth not import what ſome would extend it to, and that ſo as to found Doctrines of great Conſequence upon the meer and ſingle ſtrength of this and other like Metaphors of Scripture, without any manner of countenance and confirmation from plain Texts; ſuch Doctrines as theſe three.
1. That as the Creation was by an irreſiſtible act of the Divine Power, ſo is this new Creation, or Converſion of a Sinner.
2. That as Creatures were meerly paſſive in their being made, and contributed nothing at all to it; no more do we to our Converſion and Regeneration.
3. That as the Creation of the ſeveral Ranks and Kinds of Creatures was in an inſtant, and effected by the powerful word of God, only ſaying, let ſuch and ſuch things be, and immediately they were; ſo this new Creation, or the work of Regeneration is in an inſ…ant, and admits of no degrees.
Concerning theſe three Doctrines of great Mom…nt and Conſequence in Divinity, I ſhall ſhew, with all the clearneſs and b…evity I can, that they are built ſol…ly …pon Metaphors of Scriptu…e, …or…'d a…d ſtrain'd too far, withou… any real ground and foundatio… from Scripture or Reaſon, nay, contrary to the tenor of the one, and the dictates of the other; nay indeed contrary to the general experience of the operation of God's Grace upon the Minds of Men in their Converſion.
Firſt, It is pretended, that as the Creation was by an irreſiſtible act of the Divine Power, ſo is the new Creation, or the Converſion of a Sinner; and this is ſolely argued from the Metaphorical expreſſions of Scripture concerning Converſion; ſuch as being called out of darkneſs into light, alluding to that powerful word of God, which in the firſt Creation commanded the light to ſhine out of darkneſs; being quicken'd and rais'd to a new Life; and from this Metaphor here in the Text, of a new Creation.
But ſurely it is a dangerous thing in Divinity, to build Doctrines upon Metaphors, eſpecially if we ſtrain them to all the ſimilitudes which a quick and lively imagination can find out; whereas ſome one obvious thing is commonly intended in the Metaphor, and the meaning is abſolv'd and acquitted in that, and it is folly to purſue it into all thoſe ſimilitudes, which a good fancy may ſuggeſt. When our Saviour ſays, that he will come as a Thief in the night, it is plain what he means; that the Day of Judgment will ſurprize the careleſs World, when they leaſt look for it, that he will come at an hour when they are not aware; and tho' he reſemble his coming to that of a Thief in the night, yet here is nothing of Robbery in the caſe. So here when the change which Chriſtianity makes in Men, is called a new Creation, this only imports the greatneſs of the Change, which by the power of God's grace is made upon the hearts and lives of Men; and the Metaphor is ſufficiently abſolv'd in this plain ſenſe and meaning of it, agreeable to the literal expreſſions of Scripture concerning this thing, and there is no need that this Change ſhould in all other reſpects anſwer the work of Creation; and conſequently there is no neceſſity that it ſhould be effected in an irreſiſtible manner, or that we ſhould be altogether paſſive in this Change, and that we ſhould no ways concur to it by any act of our own, or that this work ſhould be done in an inſtant, and admit of no ſteps and degrees.
It is not neceſſary that this Change ſhould be effected in an irreſiſtible manner. God may do ſo, when he pleaſeth, without any injury to his Creatures; for it is certainly no wrong to any Man to be made good and happy againſt his will; and I do not deny, but that God ſometimes does ſo. The Call of the Diſciples to follow Chriſt ſeems to have been a very ſudden and forcible impreſſion upon their Minds, without any appearing reaſon for it; for it is not reaſonable for any Man to leave his Calling, and follow every one that bids him do ſo. The Converſion of Saul from a Perſecutor of Chriſtianity, to a Zealous Preacher of it, was certainly effected, if not in an irreſiſtible, yet in a very forcible and violent manner. The Converſion of three thouſand at one Sermon, when the Holy Ghoſt deſcended in a viſible manner upon the Apoſtles, was certainly the effect of a mighty and over-powering degree of God's grace. And the like may be ſaid of the ſudden Converſion of ſo many Perſons from Heatheniſm, and great wickedneſs and impiety of Life, to the ſincere profeſſion of Chriſtianity, by the preaching of the Apoſtles afterwards.
But that this is not of abſolute neceſſity, nor the ordinary method of God's grace, to work upon the minds of Men in ſo over-powering, much leſs in an irreſiſtible manner, is as plain as any thing of that Nature can be, both from Experience, and the Reaſon of the thi…g, and the conſtant tenour of the Scripture. We find that many (perhaps the greateſt part) of thoſe that are good are made ſo by the inſenſible ſteps and degrees of a Religious Education, and having been never vicious, can give no great account of any ſenſible Change, only that when they came to years of underſtanding, they conſider'd things more, and the Principles that were inſtill'd into them in their younger years, did put forth themſelves more vigorouſly at that time, as Seeds ſprout out of the ground, after they have a good while been buried, and lain hid in the Earth.
And it is contrary to Reaſon, to make an irreſiſtible act of Divine Power neceſſary to our Repentance, and Converſion; becauſe this neceſſarily involves in it two things which ſeem very unreaſonable.
Firſt, That no Man Repents upon Conſideration and Choice, but upon meer force and violent neceſſity, which quite takes away the Virtue of Repentance, whatever virtue there may be in the conſequent acts of a Regenerate State.
Secondly, It implies that the Converſion and Repentance of thoſe, upon whom God doth not work irreſiſtibly is impoſſible, which is the utmoſt can be ſaid to excuſe the impenitency of Men, by taking it off from their own choice, and laying it upon the impoſſibility of the thing, and an utter diſability in them to chooſe and do otherwiſe.
And it is likewiſe contrary to the conſtant tenour of the Bible, which ſuppoſeth that Men do very frequently reſiſt the Grace and Holy Spirit of God. It is ſaid of the Phariſees by our Saviour, Luke 7. 30. that they rejected the Counſel of God againſt themſelves; that is, the merciful Deſign of God for their Salvation. And of the Jews, Acts 7. 51. that they always reſiſted the Holy Ghoſt. So that ſome operations of God's grace and Holy Spirit are reſiſtible, and ſuch, as if Men did not reſiſt them, would be effectual to bring them to Faith and Repentance; elſe why are the Phariſees ſaid to reject the counſel of God againſt themſelves, that is, to their own ruine; implying, that if they had not rejected it, they might have been ſaved; and if they had, it had been without irreſiſtible Grace; for that which was offered to them, was actually reſiſted by them. Other Texts plainly ſhew, that the Reaſon of Mens impenitency and unbelief is not any thing wanting on God's part, but on theirs; as thoſe known Texts, wherein our Saviour laments the Caſe of Jeruſalem, becauſe they obſtinately brought deſtruction upon themſelves. Luke 19. 42. If thou hadſt known in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace; intimating that they might have known them, ſo as to have prevented that deſolation which was coming upon them, and was a forerunner of their Eternal Ruine; but now they are hid from thine eyes; intimating, that then God gave them up to their own blindneſs and obſtinacy, but the time was, when they might have known the things of their peace; which cannot be upon the ſuppoſition of the neceſſity of an irreſiſtible act of God's Grace to their Converſion, and Repentance; becauſe then without that they could not have Repented, and if that had been afforded to them, they had infallibly Repented. So likewiſe in that other Text, Matth. 23. 37. Oh! Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, how often would I have gathered thee, even as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and you would not. And in John 5. 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life. He would have gathered them, and they would not; he would have given them Life, but they would not come to him. Are theſe ſerious and compaſſionate expoſtulations and declarations of our Saviour's gracious intention towards them, any ways conſiſtent with an impoſſibility of their Repentance? which yet muſt be ſaid, if irreſiſtible grace be neceſſary thereto; for then Repentance is impoſſible without it, and that it was not afforded to them is plain, becauſe they did not Repent. The ſame may be ſaid of that ſolemn declaration of God, Ezek. 33. 11. As I live, ſaith the Lord God, I have no pleaſure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and …ive. Can it be ſaid that God hath no pleaſure in the death of Sinners, and yet be true, that he denys to the greateſt part of them, that grace which is neceſſary to their Repentance? Upon this Suppoſition, how can it be true, that if the mighty works that were done in Chorazin, and Bethſaida, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have Repented, Matth. 11. 21. ſince irreſiſtible grace did not accompany thoſe Miracles? For if it had, Chorazin and Bethſaida had Repented, and without it Tyre and Sidon could not Repent.
The ſame difficulty is in thoſe Texts, wherein God is repreſented as expecting the Repentance and Converſion of Sinners; and our Saviour wondering at their unbelief and hardneſs of heart, and upbraiding them with it, Iſa. 5. 4. What could I have done more to my Vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore when I looked that it ſhould bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? Mark 6. 6. 'tis ſaid our Saviour marvell'd at the unbelief of the Jews. And Chap. 16. 14. that he upbraided his Diſciples with their unbelief, and hardneſs of heart. But why ſhould the Repentance of Sinners be expected, or their unbelief marvell'd at, or indeed be upbraided to them, by him who knew it impoſſible to them, without an irreſiſtible power and grace, which he knew likewiſe was not afforded to them? Neither God nor Men have reaſon to wonder …hat any Man does not do that, which at the ſame time they certainly know he cannot do.
The bottom of all that is ſaid to avoid this preſſing difficulty, is this; that this impotency and diſability of Sinners is their Sin, and therefore cannot be pleaded in their excuſe, for their impenitency; but God may ſtill juſtly require that of them, which they had once a natural power to do, but wilfully forfeited and loſt it; they had this power in Adam, and forfeited it by his diſobedience. To ſhew how ſlight this evaſion is, I need not run into that Argument, how far we are guilty of the Sin of our firſt Parents. That by that firſt tranſgreſſion and diſobedience all Mankind ſuffers, and our Natures are extreamly corrupted and depraved, cannot be denied: but the corruption of our Natures is a thing very different from Perſonal guilt, ſtrictly and properly ſo call'd. I will take the buſineſs much ſhorter, and granting that Mankind had in Adam a Natural power to have continued obedient to the Laws of God, yet ſince by one Man Sin enter'd into the World, and all are now Sinners, here is an obligation to Repentance, as well as to Obedience, and Men ſhall be Condemned for their Impenitency. I ask now, whether in Adam we had a power to Repent? 'Tis certain Adam had not this power, and therefore I cannot ſee how we could loſe it, and forfeit it in him. Adam indeed had a Natural Power not to have ſinned, and ſo not to have needed Repentance; but no power to Repent in the ſtate of Innocency, becauſe in that ſtate Repentance was impoſſible, becauſe there could be no occaſion for it: he had it not after his fall, becauſe by that he forfeited all his power to that which is ſpiritually good. 'Tis ſaid indeed he had it in Innocency, but forfeited it by his Fall; ſo that he had it, when there was no occaſion or poſſibility of the exerciſe of it, and loſt it when there was occaſion for it: or if he did not loſe it by his Fall, we have it ſtill, and then there is no need of any ſupernatural, much leſs irreſiſtible grace to Repentance; ſo that our impotency, as to the particular Duty of Repentance, cannot be charg'd upon us as our fault, not ſo much as upon the account of Original Sin.
But the want of this Power is the conſequent and juſt puniſhment of our firſt Tranſgreſſion. Be it ſo; but if this impotency ſtill remain in all thoſe to whom God doth not afford his irreſiſtible grace, how comes th grace offer'd in the Goſpel to aggravate the impenitency of Men, and encreaſe their Condemnation? For if it be no Remedy againſt this impotency, how comes it to inflame the guilt of Impenitency? Or how is it Grace to offer Mercy to thoſe upon their Repentance, who are out of a poſſibility of Repenting; and yet to puniſh them more ſeverely for their impenitency after this offer made to them, which they cannot accept without that grace which God is reſolved not to afford them? If this be the Caſe, the greateſt favour had been to have had no ſuch offer made to them, and it had been happier for Mankind, that the grace of God had not appear'd to all Men, but only to thoſe who ſhall irreſiſtibly be made partakers of the benefit of it.
Secondly, Another Doctrine grounded upon this Metaphor of a new Creation, is, that we are meerly paſſive in the work of Converſion, and Regeneration, and contribute nothing to it; that God does all, and we do nothing at all; and this follows from the former, eſpecially if we allow the Metaphor as far as it will carry us. For as the firſt Creation of things was by an irreſiſtible act of Divine Power, ſo the things that were made, were only paſſive in their Creation; and as they could make no reſiſtance, ſo neither could they contribute any thing …o their being what they are. And this Doctrine is not only argued from the Metaphor of a new Creation, but from ſeveral other Metaphors uſed in Scripture to deſcribe our Natural State; as namely, darkneſs, blindneſs, and our being dead in treſpaſſes and ſins; from whence it is inferr'd, that we contribute no more to our Renovation, than darkneſs doth to the introduction of light, than a blind Man can do to the recovery of his ſight, or a dead Man to his own Reſurrection; but are wholly paſſive in this work. And to countenance this Notion, they make great advantage of the Character which is given in Scripture of the moſt degenerate Heathen, taking it for granted, that their Condition is the true ſtandard of a Natural and unregenerate State; and to this purpoſe they inſiſt particularly upon that deſcription of the gentile Idolaters, Eph. 4. 18, 19. Having the underſtanding darken'd, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, becauſe of the blindneſs of their hearts; who being paſt feeling, have given themſelves over to laſciviouſneſs, to work all uncleanneſs with greedineſs. Which is indeed a deſcription of Men in their Natural State, but not of all, but of ſuch as by the worſt ſort of vicious practices of the groſſeſt Idolatry, and moſt abominable lewdneſs, were degerated to the utmoſt, ſo that their Condition ſeemed deſperate, without a miraculous and an extraordinary grace of God, which was probably afforded to many of theſe. In like manner they argue the common Condition of Mankind, from the deſcription which is given of the wickedneſs of Men, before God brought the Flood upon them, G…n. 6. 5. God ſaw that the wickedneſs of Man was great in the Earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. This they make the Character of all Men in their Natural State, whereas this is a deſcription of an extraordinary degeneracy of Men, ſignifying that the world was then extreamly bad, and depraved to the higheſt degree; for God gives this as a Reaſon why he was reſolved to drown the World, and to deſtroy Man from the face of the Earth, becauſe their wickedneſs was grown to ſo great an height. But if this were a deſcription of the Natural State of Mankind, this could be no particular Reaſon for bringing a Flood upon the World at that time, there being the ſame Reaſon for it for fifteen hundred years before, and ever will be the ſame Reaſon to the end of the World, that is, that Men are naturally corrupt and depraved. Surely they conſider the Scripture very ſuperficially, that interpret it at this rate.
'Tis too true, that the Nature of Man is ſadly corrupted and depraved; but not ſo bad as by vicious practices and habits it may be made; all Men are not equally at the ſame diſtance from the grace of God; ſome are nearer to the Kingdom of God than others, and leſs force and violence will ſerve to reſcue them from the power of Satan, and to tranſplant them into the Kingdom of Chriſt. The prevalency and dominion of ſin makes an unregenerate ſtate, as the prevalency of Grace puts a Man into a Regenerate ſtate. An unregenerate Man is not neceſſarily as bad as is poſſ…ble, no more than it is neceſſary to a regenerate ſtate, that a Man be per…ectly good; ſo that it is a great miſtake to argue the common Condition of all Mankind, from the deſcriptions that are given in the Scripture of the worſt of Men; and therefore if it were granted that irreſiſtible grace were neceſſary for the Converſion of ſuch, it will not follow that the ſame is neceſſary to all.
All unregenerate Men are not equally devoid of a ſenſe of God, and Spiritual things, they have many Convictions of what they ought to be and do, and under thoſe Convictions are very capable of perſwaſion, which dead Men are not. The grace of God is neceſſary to the Converſion of a Sinner, but it is not neceſſary that he ſhould be only paſſive in this work. Experience tells us the contrary, that we can do ſomething, that we can cooperate with the grace of God; and the Scripture tells us the ſame, and makes it an argument and encouragement to us to work out our own Salvation, becauſe God works in us both to will and to do of his own goodneſs. Phil. 2. 12, 13. Beſides that, it is the greateſt and juſteſt diſcouragement in the world to all endeavours of Repentance and Reformation, to tell Men that they can do nothing in it. He that is ſure of this, that he can do nothing in this work, is a Fool if he make any attempt to become better, becauſe he ſtruggles with an impoſſibility, and if the work will be done at all, it will be done without him, and he neither can, nor ought to have any hand in it. But will any Metaphor bear Men out againſt ſo palpable an abſurdity as this?
And yet after all, there is no force in theſe Metaphors, to prove what they aim at by them. For if to be dead in ſin ſignifies an utter impotency to goodneſs, then to be dead to ſin muſt on the contrary ſignifie an impoſſibility of ſinning; for juſt as the unregenerate Man is dead in ſin, ſo he that is regegenerate is ſaid in Scripture to be dead to ſin: But yet the beſt of regenerate Men, notwithſtanding they are dead to ſin, and alive to God, do offend in many things, and too frequently fall into ſin. Why then ſhould the Metaphor be ſo ſtrong on the one ſide, that a Man who is ſaid to be dead in ſin, ſhould not be able ſo much as to cooperate with the grace of God in the work of Repentance and Converſion?
In ſ…ort, if this be true, that Men in an unregenerate and unconverted ſtate are perfectly dead, and have no more ſenſe of Spiritual Things, than a dead Man hath of Natural Objects, then all Precepts and Exhortations to Repentance, and all Promiſes and Threatnings to argue and perſwade Men thereto are vain, and to no purpoſe; and it would be every whit as proper and reaſonable for us to preach in the Church-yard, over the graves of dead Men, as in the Church to the unregenerate; becauſe they can no more act and move towards their own recovery out of a ſtate of Sin and Death, than the dead Bodies can riſe out of their graves.
But it is ſaid, that the end of Exhortations and Promiſes is not to declare to Men their Power, but their Duty. But if they be inſenſible, it is to as little purpoſe to declare to them their Duty, as their Power. Beſides, it will be an hard thing to convince Men that any thing is their Duty, which at the ſame time we declare to them to be out of their Power.
But this is Pelagianiſm, to ſay that of our ſelves we can Repent and turn to God. and who ſays we can of our ſelves do this beſides the Pelagians? We affirm the neceſſity of God's grace hereto, and withall, the neceſſity of our co-operating with the grace of God. We ſay that without the powerful excitation and aid of God's grace, no Man can Repent, and turn to God; but we ſay likewiſe, that God cannot be properly ſaid to aid and aſſiſt thoſe, who do nothing themſelves.
But Men can do more than they do, and therefore are juſtly Condemned. Not in the work of Converſion ſure; if they can do nothing at all. But they can do more by way of preparation towards it. Suppoſe they do all they can towards it, will this ſave them, or will God upon this irreſiſtibly work their Converſion? No, they ſay, notwithſtanding any preparatory work that we can do, Converſion may not follow; how then does this mend the matter?
But ſtill they ſay the fault is in Men's want of will, and not of power; You will not come unto me, that ye might have life. But can they will to come? No, that they cannot neither. Why then it is ſtill want of power that hinders them. The offer of Life is a very gracious offer to them that are guilty, and liable to death, as we all are; but not if the Condition be utterly impoſſible to us, tho' the impoſſibility ſprings from our own fault, as I will plainly ſhew by a fair inſtance. A Prince offers a Pardon to a Traytor faſt lockt in Chains, if he will come to him and ſubmit himſelf; but if he be ſtill detained in Chains, and the Prince do not ſome way or other help him to his Liberty, 'tis ſo far from being a favour to offer him a Pardon upon theſe terms, that it is a cruel deriſion of his miſery, to ſay to him you will not come to me that you may be pardon'd; and this notwithſtanding that his being caſt into Chains, was the effect of his own Crime and Fault; the application is obvious. I ſhould now proceed to anſwer an Objection or two, and then to give a clear ſtate of this Matter, ſo as is moſt agreeable to Scripture, and the Attributes and Perfections of God; but this I ſhall reſerve for another Diſcourſe.