The Door of Salvation Opened by the Key of Regeneration, Treatise · Reasons – Application
In the next place I ſhall ſpeak to the Reaſons why there is a neceſſity of Regeneration in every man that would obtain Salvation.
FIrſt, Becauſe every man muſt be prepared for (before he can be admitted into) that holy place. We ſay in Philoſophy, Nature doth nothing per ſaltum; the ground is prepared for an harveſt, by being dunged, ploughed, and ſowed; it is as true in this point of Divinity; the god of Nature will not ſave a man per ſaltum, not remove a ſwine out of a Stie immediately into a Dining-room, not take a ſinner reeking in his luſts, and preſenly inveſt him with a Crown of life; no, the man muſt be prepared by Regeneration or holineſs in part, for ſalvation or holineſs which is perfect. The heathen King would not admit Virgins to his bed till they had been purified, Eſther 2.12. and ſurely the King of Kings will not receive any into his neareſt and deareſt embraces, till they are cleanſed from all pollutions both of fleſh and ſpirit.
Every man by his firſt birth is polluted, meer darkneſs, not receiving the things of God, Eph. 5.8. meer hardneſs, as unable as a ſtone to move in the wayes of God. Ezek. 36.26, wholly captivated under the dominion of ſin and Satan, Eph. 2.1, 2, 3. and hereby is unprepared for that holy place. The moſt godly father begetteth an ungodly child, Adam begat a ſon after his own (not Gods) image, Gen. 5.3. The white Halegens hatch black young ones. Though the Wheat be threſhed, fanned and parted from the ſtraw and chaff, yet when ſowed, it bringeth forth Wheat both with ſtalk and husk. That which is born of the fleſh is fleſh, John 3.5. now fleſh and blood (eſpecially in this depraved ſenſe) cannot inherit the Kingdom of heaven, 1 Cor. 15.
A raker in Privies is not fit for a Kings preſence, but Regeneration prepareth the ſoul (by purifying it) for heaven, it maketh the creature meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12. We ſcald and ſeaſon veſſels with hot water, and thereby fit and prepare them to hold wine, or ſome precious liquour: ſo God ſeaſoneth the ſoul with grace, and thereby prepareth it for glory. Grace and glory differ not ſpecifically, but gradually grace is aetas infantilis gloriae, as learned Davenant calleth it the infancy of glory. Glory is the maturity or full growth of grace the ſame ſtate is an higher ſtature: grace is glory inchoate, glory is grace conſummate; therefore as cloaths by lighter colours are fitted to receive a deep ſcarlet die, ſo Chriſtians by grace or Regeneration are prepared for glory and ſalvation.
The Grammar teacheth the Scholar to conſtrue and pierce, and that fitteth him in time for the Vniverſity. Regeneration teacheth the Chriſtian, what mediate Communion with God meaneth, and that fitteth for immediate Communion. Regeneration makes us capable of the beatifical viſion, Matth. 5.8. not as a meer condition, but as a neceſſary diſpoſition in the agent towards its object, as the ſenſitive faculties are required to the act of ſenſation, as well as ſenſible objects.
And indeed heaven would not be heaven, that is, a place of happineſs to them which are not fitted for it by holineſs. We ſay of men brought up in the Countrey, that they would not delight in the honours and pleaſures of a Court, becauſe ſuch things would neither ſuit their education or diſpoſitions: ſo men who know no other heaven, then to eat and drink, and ſleep, and roar, and revel, and like ſwine to wallow in the mire of ſenſual luſts, would never delight in that place of Spiritual and Angelical pleaſures; for it would ſuit neither their ſinful breeding, nor ſenſual natures. If their ſore eyes which are continually running with a thume of corruption, cannot without pain behold the ſtar-light of holineſs in the Saints, how can they with any delight ſee God face to face, and behold that bleſſed Sun in his eternal noontide of purity and glory: Therefore, as they that are to live in another Countrey are fitted for it by learning the Language, Cuſtomes and Carriage of people in that Countrey: So God will have them who are to live in the heavenly Countrey learn before hand the work of the Citizens there, namely, how to pleaſe, praiſe, glorifie and enjoy his Majeſty,
Secondly, Every man muſt be regenerated, or he cannot be ſaved, becauſe all that attain heaven muſt be intereſted in the purchaſer of heaven: Thoſe that go to that place muſt be united to, and have a part in him that laid down the price; though man may be a poſſeſſour of heaven, yet Chriſt alone was the purchaſer of it. We have boldneſs to enter into the holieſt by the blood of Jeſus, Heb. 10, 19. Acts 4.12. 1 John 2. ult. He alone is the Jacobs ladder reaching from earth to heaven, by the help of which the Chriſtian may aſcend thither; all other deeds of conveyance will be found forged, and all claims made to the undefiled inheritance which are not under him, are falſe (therefore heaven is called the purchaſed poſſeſſion, Eph. 1.14. becauſe bought with the precious blood of Chriſt) for till a mans perſon be juſtified it can never be glorified: the guilt of ſin muſt be removed, or the ſinner cannot be ſaved; the ſoul muſt be reconciled to God, and accepted as righteous in his Son, or it can never dwell with God, and be made glorious as his Son.
There are two changes indiſpenſably requiſite in all that would be ſaved, The one is the change of a mans ſtate, or a moral change, when of a bondman to ſin and Satan he is made a freeman, John 8.36. when of a ſlave to the Devil, he is made the Son of God; when he is brought from under the covenant of works to be under the covenant of grace; when of an enemy to God he is reconciled to him by the death of his Son; when though he were far off, he is made nigh; though he was not beloved, yet now is beloved; though he was a child of wrath, is now a veſſel of mercy, John 1.12. Rom. 5.10. Eph. 2.3. Rom. 9.23. 1 Pet. 2.9, 10. The other is the change of a mans nature, or a Phyſical change, when the whole man is renewed after the image of God. The former is relative, this is real; the former is the change of his condition, this of his diſpoſition; the former change is wrought in Juſtification, this in Regeneration; now the change of a mans nature is abſolutely neceſſary, becauſe till this be wrought there is no change of a mans ſtate; the perſon is unjuſtified while the nature's unſanctified: For though Chriſt be the purchaſer of the pardon of ſin, of peace with God, of perſeverance in grace, of an inheritance in glory, yet it is only for thoſe that are in him, that is, really united to him There is no condemnation to them which are in Chriſt Jeſus, Rom. 8.1. A Virgin hath no right at all to the honors and treaſures of a man (notwithſtanding ſome well wiſhes towards him) till ſhe be married to him, and become one fleſh with him; ſo a Chriſtian hath no right at all to the great and good things which are Chriſts, till he be married to the Lord Jeſus, and become one Spirit with him: Union is the ground of communion; probably when the flood came, many hung about the Ark, but the waves quickly waſht them off, thoſe onelyonly that were in the Ark were ſaved; thus all that hang only about Chriſt, the true Ark, by a general profeſſion, will be drowned, will be damned when the deluge of wrath cometh; they only that are in him by a real implantation ſhall be ſaved. Now, ſaith the Apoſtle, and obſerve it Reader, if any man be in Chriſt, he is a new creature, 2 Cor. 5.17. Therefore regeneration is required, becauſe by it the creature is planted into Chriſt; Regeneration cutteth the man off from his own ſtock, and grafteth him into the Lord Jeſus; Regeneration troweth the ſiner off from his own bottom, and builds him on the Saviour, as a ſure foundation: Regeneration is as it were the Miniſter which marrieth Chriſt and the ſoul together, therein the ſoul giveth it ſelf unfeignedly to Chriſt, and Chriſt giveth himſelf really to the ſoul; and thereby the ſins and weakneſſes of the ſoul, the Wife, become the Husbands; and the riches, and righteouſneſs, the home, and heaven of Chriſt, the Husbands, become the Wives.
When God converteth a ſinner, he ſendeth his Meſſenger (as Abraham his Steward) to provide a Wife for his only Son; the Miniſter, like the ſervant with Rebeckah, treateth with the ſoul, telling it how infinitely bleſſed his Maſters Son is, how rich, even the heir of all things; how beautiful, even the faireſt of ten thouſands, and altogether lovely, how exceedingly this marriage will be for its advantage; upon this (the Spirit ſtriking in) the ſoul conſenteth to take Chriſt for its Lord, and Husband, and ſo becometh the Spouſe of the God of Iſaac, and hath heaven entailed on it for a Joynture.