A Wakening Call, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Regeneration.
BY true Regeneration, Man, that was made of God, by a First-creation, in the mortal, earthly, Law-life of the Creature, is born of God, in the immortal, heavenly, Gospel-life of the Creator, the living Creature-word of God, which is God, Iohn 1. 1-3. As for the Life and Things, given Angels and Men, in their First-creation, those are things which have been, but shall not be, for ever; temporary, transient things, to be laid aside, in order to their receiving God's own heavenly Creature-life, by a New-creation. To the blessed Submitters to the Terms of receiving this, does God look, with Regard and Delight, as Objects of his everlasting Love, Isa. 66. 2. The poor, broken, contrite Spirit of Man (under the Cross or Death-work of the heavenly Creature-spirit of Christ, on his earthly, in order to be born of his heavenly) is of more Value, in God's Sight, than all the unbroken Excellencies and Perfections of Men and Angels, in their First-creation-Make and Life. All, that by a delusive Confidence in their own earthly Life, given them in their First-creation, finally despise God's heavenly, offer'd by a second, do chuse Satan's Lie, in Union with him, in the first, in unchangeable Enmity to God's Truth, offer'd by a second. They prefer the Form of Godliness in the Life of the Creature, to the Power of Godliness, in the Life of the Creator, 2 Tim. 3.5. 2 Thess. 2. 10-12. True Saints are Followers of Christ, in the Regeneration, Mat. 19. 28. by the Death of their own Spirits, at best, into his everlasting true Salvation-life, above all Deaths. So, come they to be chang'd from a visible First-covenant People of God, in their own holy Flesh, Righteousness of Man, into an invisible People of God, in his Holy Ghost, or heavenly Creature-Gospel-spirit; and, therein, have a Life hid with Christ in God, Col. 3. 1-4. Their Peace with God, therein, passes (or surmounts) all natural Vnderstanding of Man, with all the Things of God, wherein it consists. Man's highest natural Understanding in the First-covenant, understands not the Saints spiritual Understanding, in the Second, nor any of the divine and heavenly Creature-things of God, he, thereby, sees, understands or speaks of. He therefore, reckons all, Foolishness, 1 Cor. 2. 9, 14, 15.
The Seed of Life, put into Angels and Men, in their First-creation, was corruptible, in the second, incorruptible. This latter is the Life, which by the Gospel, is preach'd and made known, 1 Pet. 1. 23-25. This, Saints come to be the happy Experiencers of, as the Root, Spring, and Principle of their Desire, Thought, and Action. By Death of the First-creation, and Resurrection into the Second, was Christ himself, as First-born from the dead, qualified to be the immediate Creator of Angels and Men, by a First, and the giver to them of eternal Life, by a Second-creation of them. So, only, can any be Subjects to him, in his heavenly Kingdom. None that finally refuse to suffer and die with him, in the First, can ever live and reign with him, in the Second, 2 Tim. 2. 10, 11.
By true Regeneration, the corruptible Life, with the fallible Understanding and corruptible Will of the Creature, is chang'd and transform'd into the incorruptible and infallible Life, Will and Understanding of the Creator; the marvellous Light and glorious Liberty of the Sons of God.
Awaken'd Saints, in the all-discovering Light of the quickning Spirit of the Second Adam, see an end, all natural Life, Wisdom, Glories, Excellencies and Perfections, in the living Soul of the First, will come to, Psal. 119. 96. No such changeable Life or temporary good Things will be found in the Heaven or Hell-part of the eternal World to come, Rev. 18.14-19. There will be nothing, then, but eternal Life or Death; eternal good or evil Things.
The changeable, fallible, womanish Spirit of the First Adam, at best, is the mystical Iezebel, or false Prophetess, as to Mens eternal Concerns, exactly serviceable to Satan's Designs, in such Interpretation of the Scriptures of Truth, as to preach up, with all Confidence, his Lie, for Salvation; to them and their finally deceived Hearers everlasting Destruction. All this Iezebel's Children, her Thoughts, Doctrines, Works or Fruits, will be kill'd with eternal Death; burnt up, and destroy'd, for ever, Rev. 2. 20-23.
By the wrong Use of their own Free-will, did evil Angels, at first, set up for themselves, in a Shadow of Divine Soveraignty, to be as Gods, in the uncontroulable Exercise of their own Wills, as God is, in his infinite Divine Will. And, they soon drew Mankind, in Adam, to make the same Choice, with them, to be as Gods, telling them, that God knows they shall be so, and will own them, therein, as having made a right Choice, for their everlasting Blessedness, Gen. 3.5. In pursuance of this first destructive Lie, as soon as any of Mankind are restor'd into the Life and Righteousness of Man, by the Redeemer, Satan is at the same Point, with them, as, at first, in Adam, and prevails with many such redeem'd ones, to strike up an everlasting Covenant with him, in the First-creation-life of the Creature, in unchangeable Enmity to God and the everlasting Life of their Creator. To all such, God says, what have you to do, to take the Words of my new and everlasting Covenant, in your Mouth, (Psal. 50. 16.) as pretending to preach my Gospel, when Ministers of Satan's other, no Gospel, in a direct Contrariety to mine? Gal. 1.6,7.
Saints, by true Regeneration, as born of God, do experience his working all their Works in them, by his heavenly Spirit, Isa. 26. 12. What a surprizing, amazing Answer, will all others find, at last Day, from Christ, we find, Mat. 7. 21-23. Depart from me, ye that work Iniquity.