John Gill
Regeneration follows adoption,
being the evidence of it; regeneration describes the persons who have received
the power to become the sons of God, #Joh 1:12,13 and though these are distinct
things, yet they are closely connected together; where the one
is, the other is also, as to enjoyment and experience; and they bear a
similarity to each other. Regeneration may be considered either more largely,
and then it includes with it effectual calling, conversion, and sanctification:
or more strictly, and then it designs the first principle of grace infused into
the soul; which makes it a fit object of the effectual calling, a proper
subject of conversion, and is the source and spring of that
holiness which is gradually carried on in sanctification, and perfected in
heaven. Concerning regeneration, the following things may be enquired into:
1. What regeneration is, or
what is meant by it, the nature of it; which is so mysterious,
unknown, and unaccountable to a natural man, as it was to Nicodemus, though a
master in Israel; now it may be the better understood by observing the phrases
and terms by which it is expressed.
1a. It is expressed by being
"born again", which regeneration properly signifies; see #Joh 3:3,7 1Pe 1:3,23 and this supposes a prior birth, a first
birth, to which regeneration is the second; and which may receive some light by
observing the contrast between the two births, they being the reverse of each
other: the first birth is of sinful parents, and in their image; the second
birth is of God, and in his image; the first birth is of corruptible, the
second birth of incorruptible seed; the first birth is in
sin, the second birth is in holiness and righteousness; by the first birth men
are polluted and unclean, by the second birth they become holy and commence to
be saints; the first birth is of the flesh and is carnal, the second birth is
of the Spirit and is spiritual, and makes men spiritual men; by the first birth
men are foolish and unwise, being born like a wild ass's colt; by the second
birth they become knowing and wise unto salvation: by the
first birth they are slaves to sin and the lusts of the flesh, are home born
slaves; by the second birth they become Christ's free men: from their first
birth they are transgressors, and go on in a course of sin, till stopped by
grace; in the second birth they cease to commit sin, to go on in a course of
sinning, but live a life of holiness, yea he that is born of God cannot sin; by
the first birth men are children of wrath, and under tokens
of divine displeasure; at the second birth they appear to be the objects of the
love of God; regeneration being the fruit and effect of it, and gives evidence
of it; a time of life is a time of open love.
1b. It is called a being
"born from above", for so the phrase in #Joh 3:3,7 may be rendered; the apostle James says in general, that "every
good and every perfect gift is from above"; and regeneration being such a
gift, must be from above; and indeed he particularly instances in it, for it
follows, "of his own will begat he us with the word of truth", #Jas
1:17,18. The author of this birth is from above; those that are born again are
born of God their Father who is in heaven; the grace given in regeneration
is from above, #Joh 3:27 truth in the inward part, and wisdom in the hidden
part, or the grace of God in the heart produced in regeneration, is that
"wisdom that is from above", #Jas 3:17 such that are born again, as
they are of high and noble birth, they are partakers of the heavenly and high
calling of God in Christ Jesus, and shall most certainly possess it, #1Pe
1:3,4, Heb 3:1, Php 3:14.
1c. It is commonly called the
new birth, and with great propriety; since the washing of regeneration and the
renewing of the Holy Ghost, are joined together as meaning the same thing; and
what is produced in regeneration is called the new creature, and the new man;
and those who are born again are said to be new born babes, #Tit 3:5 2Co 5:17 Eph 4:24 1Pe 2:2 it is a new man, in distinction from
the old man, or the principle of corrupt nature, which is as old as a man is;
but the principle of grace infused in regeneration is quite new; it is something
"de novo", anew implanted in the heart, which never was before in
human nature, no not in Adam in his state of innocence; it is not a working
upon the old principles of nature, nor a working them up to
an higher pitch: it is not an improvement of them, nor a repairing of the
broken, ruined image of God in man. But it is altogether a new work; it is
called a creature, being a work of almighty power; and a new creature, and a
new man, consisting of various parts, and these all new: there are in it a "new
heart", and a "new spirit", a new understanding, to know and
understand things, never known nor understood before: a new
heart, to know God; not as the God of nature and providence; but as the God of
Grace, God in Christ, God in a Mediator; the love of God in him, the covenant
of grace, and the blessings of it made with him; Christ, and the fulness of
grace in him, pardon of sin through his blood, justification by his
righteousness, atonement by his sacrifice, and acceptance with God through him,
and complete salvation by him; things which Adam knew
nothing of in Paradise: in this new heart are new desires after these objects,
to know more of them, new affections, which are placed upon them, new delights
in them, and new joys, which arise from them, #Eze 36:26 1Jo 5:20 #1Co 2:9. In
this new man, are "new eyes" to see with; to some God does not give
eyes to see divine and spiritual things; but to regenerated
ones he does; they have a seeing eye, made by the Lord, #De 29:4 Pr 20:12 by
which they see their lost state and condition by nature, the exceeding
sinfulness of sin, their own ability to make atonement by anything that can be
done by them; the insufficiency of their own righteousness; their impotence to
every good work, and want of strength to help themselves out of the state and
condition in which they are, and the need they are in of the
blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ, and of salvation by him. They
have the eye of faith, by which they behold the glories of Christ's Person, the
fulness of his grace, the excellency of his righteousness, the virtue of his
blood and sacrifice, and the suitableness and completeness of his salvation:
and regeneration, in this view of it, is no other than spiritual
light in the understanding. Moreover, in the new man are new ears to hear with;
all have not ears to hear; some have, and they have them from the Lord, and
blessed are they! #Re 2:11 De 29:4 #Pr 20:12 Mt 13:16, 17 they hear the word in
a manner they never heard before; they hear it as to understand it, and receive
the love of it; so as to distinguish the voice of Christ in it, from the voice
of a stranger; so as to feel it work effectually in them,
and become the power of God unto salvation to them; they know the joyful sound,
and rejoice to hear it. The new man has also "new hands", to handle
and to work with; the hand of faith, to receive Christ as the Saviour and
Redeemer, to lay hold on him for life and salvation, to embrace him, hold him
fast, and not let him go; to handle him, the Word of life, and receive from him grace for grace: and they have hands to work with, and do
work from better principles, and to better purposes than before. And they have
"new feet" to walk with, to flee to Christ, the City of refuge; to
walk by faith in him; and to walk on in him, as they have received him; to run
with cheerfulness the ways of his commandments; to follow hard after him, and
to follow on to know him; and even to run, and not be
weary, and to walk, and not faint.
1d. Regeneration is expressed
by being quickened. As there is a quickening time in natural generation; so
there is in regeneration; "You hath he quickened", #Eph 2:1. Previous
to regeneration, men are dead while they live; though corporally alive, are morally dead, dead in a moral sense, as to spiritual things,
in all the powers and faculties of their souls; they have no more knowledge of
them, affection for them, will to them, or power to perform them, than a dead
man has with respect to things natural; but in regeneration, a principle of
spiritual life is infused; that is a time of life when the Lord speaks life
into them, and produces it in them. Christ is the resurrection
and life unto them, or raises them from a death of sin to a life of grace; and
the spirit of life, from Christ, enters into them. Regeneration is a passing
from death to life; it is a principle of spiritual life implanted in the heart;
in consequence of which, a man breathes, in a spiritual sense; where there is
breath, there is life. God breathed into Adam the breath of life, and he became
a living soul, or a living person, and breathed again: so
the Spirit of God breathes on dry bones, and they live, and breathe again.
Prayer is the spiritual breath of a regenerate man; "Behold, he
prayeth!" is observed of Saul when regenerated; who, just before, had been
breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of Christ. A
regenerate man breathes in prayer to God, and pants after him; after more knowledge of him in Christ, after communion with him, after
the discoveries of his love; particularly after pardoning grace and mercy: and
sometimes these breathings and desires are only expressed by sighs and groans,
yet these are a sign of life; if a man groans, it is plain he is alive. There
are, in a regenerated man, which shows that he is made alive, cravings after
spiritual food: as soon as an infant is born, it shows motions
for its mother's milk, after the breast: so newborn babes desire the sincere
milk of the word, that they may grow thereby. They have their spiritual senses
exercised about spiritual objects; they have what answer to the senses in
animal life, their seeing and hearing, as before observed, and also their
feeling; they feel the burden of sin on their consciences; the workings of the
Spirit of God in their hearts; as well as handle Christ,
the Word of life; which makes it a plain case that they are alive; a dead man
feels nothing. They have a spiritual taste, a gust for spiritual things; the
word of Christ is sweeter to their taste than honey, or the honeycomb; they sit
under his shadow with pleasure, and his fruit, the blessings of his grace, are
sweet unto their taste; they taste that the Lord is gracious, and invite others
to taste and see also how good he is; they savour the
things which be of God, and not of men; Christ, and his grace, are savoury to
them; his robe of righteousness, and garments of salvation, smell delightfully
as myrrh, &c. #So 1:3 Ps 45:8 and these spiritual senses, and the exercise
of them in them, show them to be alive, or born again; such persons live a life
of faith; they live by faith; not upon it, but on Christ, the
object of it; and they grow up into him their Head, from whom they receive
nourishment; and so increase with the increase of God; which is an evidence of
life. In a word, they live a new and another life than they did before; not to
themselves, nor to the lusts of men; but to God, and to Christ who died for
them, and rose again; they walk in newness of life.
1e. Regeneration is signified
by "Christ being formed in the heart", #Ga 4:19 his image is stamped
in regeneration; not the image of the first Adam, but of the second Adam; for
the new man is after the image of him who has anew created it, which is the
image of Christ; to be conformed to which God's elect are predestinated, and which takes place in regeneration, #Ro 8:29 Col 3:10. The
graces of Christ, as faith, and hope, and love, are wrought in the hearts of
regenerate persons, and soon appear there; yea, Christ himself lives in them;
"Not I", says the apostle, "but Christ lives in me"; he
dwells by faith there; Christ, and the believer, mutually dwell in each other.
1f. Regeneration is said to be
"a partaking of the divine nature", #2Pe 1:4 not of the nature of God
essentially considered: a creature cannot partake of the divine essence, or
have that communicated to it; this would be to deify men: the divine
perfections, many of them, are utterly incommunicable, as eternity, immensity,
&c. nor of the divine nature, or of it in such sense as
Christ is a partaker of it, by the personal, or hypostatical union of the two
natures in him; so that the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily in him. But in
regeneration there is that wrought in the soul, which bears a resemblance to
the divine nature, in spirituality, holiness, goodness, kindness, &c. and
therefore is so called.
1g. There are also several
terms, or words, by which the grace of regeneration is expressed; as by grace
itself; not as that signifies the love and favour of God towards his people, or
the blessings of grace bestowed upon them; but internal grace, the work of
grace in the heart; and which consists of the various graces of the Spirit implanted there; as faith, hope, and love: such as are
begotten again, are begotten to a lively hope, and have it, and believe in the
Son of God; and love him that begot, and him that is begotten, #1Pe 1:3 1Jo
5:1. It is called "spirit", #Joh 3:6 from its author, the Spirit of
God; and from its seat, the spirit of man; and from its nature, which is
spiritual, and denominates men spiritual men. It is also signified by
"seed", #1Jo 3:9. "Whosoever is born of
God----his seed remaineth in him"; which is the principle of grace infused
in regeneration; and as seed contains in it virtually, all that after proceeds
from it, the blade, stalk, ear, and full corn in the ear; so the first
principle of grace implanted in the heart, seminally contains all the grace
which afterwards appears, and all the fruits, effects, acts, and exercises of
it.
2. The springs and causes of
regeneration; efficient, moving, meritorious, and instrumental.
2a. First, The efficient cause
of it; who is not man, but God.
2a1. First, Not man; he cannot
regenerate himself; his case, and the nature of the thing itself, show it; and
it is indeed denied of him.
2a1a. The case in which men
before regeneration are, plainly shows that it is not, and
cannot be of themselves; they are quite ignorant of the thing itself.
Regeneration is one, and a principal one, of the things of the Spirit of God,
and which a natural man cannot discern and understand; let him have what share
he may of natural knowledge; as Nicodemus, a master in Israel, and yet said,
how can these things be? and a man cannot be the author of that of which he has
no knowledge: nor do men, previous to regeneration, see any
need of it; as those who think themselves whole, see no need of a physician,
nor make use of any; and who reckon themselves rich, and stand in need of
nothing; as not of righteousness, so not of repentance; and if not of
repentance, then not of regeneration. And whatsoever notion they may have of
it, from what others say concerning it; they have no inclination, nor desire,
nor will to it, till God works in them both to will and to
do; the bias of their minds is another way; yea, their carnal minds are enmity
to it; they mock at it, and count it all dream and enthusiasm. And had they any
disposition of mind to it, which they have not, they have no power to effect
it; they can do nothing, not the least thing of a spiritual kind; and much less
perform such a work as this: this is not by might or power
of men, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts; to all which may be added, and
which makes it impracticable, is, that men are dead in trespasses and sins; and
can no more quicken themselves than a dead man can; as soon might Lazarus have
raised himself from the dead, and the dry bones in Ezekiel's vision, have
quickened themselves and lived.
2a1b. The nature of the work
clearly shows that it is not in the power of men to do it; it is represented as
a creation; it is called a new creature, the workmanship of God created in
Christ, the new man after God, created in righteousness. Now creation is a work
of almighty Power; a creature cannot create the least thing, not a fly, as soon might he create a world; and as soon may a man
create a world out of nothing, as create a clean heart, and renew a right
spirit within him. It is spoken of as a "resurrection" from the dead;
and as soon might dead bodies quicken themselves, as men, dead in sin, raise
themselves up to a spiritual life; this requires a power equal to that which
raised Christ from the dead; and is done by the same. Its very
name, "regeneration", shows the nature of it; and clearly suggests,
that it is out of the power of man to effect it: as men contribute nothing to
their first birth, so neither to the second; as no man generates himself, so
neither can he regenerate himself; as an infant is passive in its natural
generation, and has no concern in it; so passive is a man in his spiritual
generation, and is no more assisting in it. It is an "implantation"
of that grace in the hearts of men which was not there before; faith is one
part of it, said to be "not of ourselves", but the gift of God; and
hope is another, without which men are, while in a state of unregeneracy; and
love is of such a nature, that if a man would give all he has for it, it would
utterly be contemned; it is a maxim that will hold, "nil dat quod non
habet", nothing can give that which it has not: a man
destitute of grace, cannot give grace, neither to himself nor to another. This
work lies in taking away "the heart of stone", and giving an
"heart of flesh"; even "a new heart" and "a new
spirit": and none can do this but he who sits upon the throne, and says,
"Behold, I make all things new". To say no more, it is a
"transforming" of men by the renewing of their minds, making them other men than they were before, as Saul was, and more so; the
change of an Ethiopian's skin, and of the leopard's spots, is not greater, nor
so great, as the change of a man's heart and nature; and which, indeed, is not
a change of the old man, or corruption of nature, which remains the same; but
the production of the new man, or of a new principle, which was not before.
2a1c. Regeneration is
expressly denied to be of men; it is said to be "not of blood", the
blood of circumcision, which availeth not anything; but a new creature" is
of avail, when that is not; nor of the blood of ancestors, of the best of men,
the most holy and most eminent for grace; the blood of such may run in the
veins of men, and yet they be destitute of regenerating
grace; as was the case of the Jews, of multitudes of them, who boasted of being
of Abraham's seed, and of his blood: none need value themselves upon their
blood on any account, and much less on a religious one; since all nations of
the earth are made of one man's blood, and that is tainted with sin, and
conveys corruption; sin is propagated that way, but not grace: nor are men born "of the will of the flesh", which is carnal and
corrupt; impotent to that which is good, and enmity to it: regeneration is not
of him that willeth; God, of his own will, begets men again, and not of theirs:
nor are they born of "the will of men", of the greatest and best of
men, who are regenerated persons themselves; these, of their will, cannot
convey regenerating grace to others; if they could, a good master would regenerate every servant in his family; a good parent
would regenerate every child of his; and a minister of the gospel would
regenerate all that sit under his ministry; they can only pray and use the
means; God only can do the work. Wherefore,
2a2.
Secondly, the efficient cause of regeneration is God only; hence we so often
read, "which were born of God", and "whosoever and whatsoever is
born of God", #Joh 1:13 1Jo 3:9 #1Jo 5:1,4 and this is true of God,
Father, Son, and Spirit, who have each a concern in regeneration.
2a2a. God
the Father, who is the Father of Christ; he as such begets men again according
to his abundant mercy, #1Pe 1:3 and as the Father of lights, of his own
sovereign will and pleasure, regenerates with the word of truth; and as light
was one of the first things in the old creation, so in the new creation, or
regeneration, light is the first thing sprung in the heart by the Father and
fountain of light, #Jas 1:17,18 and as the Father of men by
adoption he regenerates; it is of him they are born again, who is their
covenant God and Father in Christ; he has chose them unto holiness, of which
regeneration is the root, seed, and principle; he has predestinated them to be
conformed to the image of his Son, which is done in regeneration; and it is by
the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he sheds abundantly through Christ the Saviour, that he saves his elect
ones.
2a2b. God the Son has also a
concern in regeneration, and so great a concern, that they who am born again
are said to be "born of him", that is, Christ; for no other is spoken
of in the context, #1Jo 2:29 he is the "resurrection and the life";
the author of the spiritual resurrection to a spiritual
life, which is no other than regeneration; he quickens whom he will, as the
Father does; and it is through his powerful voice in the gospel, that the dead
in sin hear and live; it is his Spirit which is sent down into the hearts of
his people, as to bear witness to their adoption, so to regenerate them; his
grace is given to them, yea he himself is formed in them; his image is stamped upon them; and it is by virtue of his resurrection that
"they are begotten" to a lively hope of the heavenly inheritance,
#Joh 11:25 5:21,25 Ga 4:6,19 1Pe 1:3,4.
2a2c. The Holy Spirit of God
is the author of regeneration, and to him it is ascribed by our Lord;
"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit", #Joh 3:5 by "water", is not meant the ordinance of water
baptism, that is never expressed by water only, without some other word with it
in the text or context which determines the sense; nor is regeneration by it;
Simon Magus was baptized, but not regenerated: regeneration ought to precede
baptism; faith and repentance, which are graces given in regeneration, are
required previous to baptism; nor is water baptism
absolutely necessary to salvation; whereas without regeneration no man can
neither see nor enter into the kingdom of heaven; but the grace of the Spirit
is meant by water, so called from its cleansing and purifying use, as it has to
do with the blood of Jesus, hence called the washing of regeneration; of this
grace the Spirit is the author, whence it bears his name, is called
"Spirit"; it is the renewing of the Holy Ghost,
or the new creature is his workmanship; quickening grace is from him; it is the
Spirit that quickens and gives life, and frees from the law of sin and death,
#Tit 3:5 #Joh 3:6 6:63.
2b. Secondly, The impulsive,
or moving cause, is the free grace, love and mercy of God;
"God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, hath
quickened us", #Eph 2:4, 5. Regeneration, as it is a time of life when men
are quickened, it is a time of love, of open love; it springs from love, which
moves mercy to exert itself in this way; it is "according to his abundant
mercy God hath begotten us again unto a lively hope", #1Pe 1:3 and this
was sovereign grace and mercy, not excited by any motives
or conditions in men, or by any preparatory works in them; what were there in
the three thousand, some of whom had been concerned in the death of Christ,
converted under Peter's sermon? what were in the jailor, who had just before
used the apostles in a cruel manner? what were there in Saul, the blasphemer,
persecutor, and injurious person, between these characters and his obtaining mercy? no, it is not according to the will and
works, of men that they are regenerated, but God, "of his own will begat
he us", #Jas 1:18 his own sovereign will and pleasure; and this grace and
mercy is abundant; it is richly and plentifully displayed; it is
"exceeding abundant", it flows and overflows; there is a pleonasm, a
redundancy of it, #1Ti 1:14 and to this, as a moving cause, regeneration is
owing.
2c. Thirdly, the resurrection
of Christ from the dead is the virtual or procuring cause of it; there is a
power or virtue in Christ's resurrection, which has an influence on many
things; as on our justification, for which he rose again, so on our
regeneration; for men are said to be "begotten again unto a lively hope by
the resurrection of Christ from the dead", #1Pe 1:3
and which also may be considered as the exemplary cause of it; for as there is
a planting together "in the likeness of his death, so in the likeness of
his resurrection from the dead"; as Christ's resurrection was a
declaration of his being the Son of God, so regeneration is an evidence of
interest in the adoption of children; and as the resurrection of Christ was by
the mighty power of God, so is the regeneration and
quickening of a dead sinner; and as Christ's resurrection was his first step to
his glorification, so is regeneration to seeing and entering into the kingdom
of God.
2d. Fourthly, The instrumental
cause of regeneration, if it may be so called, are the word
of God, and the ministers of it; hence regenerate persons are said to be
"born again by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever",
#1Pe 1:23 and again, "of his own will begat he us with the word of
truth", #Jas 1:18 unless by the Word in these passages should be meant the
Eternal Logos, or essential Word of God, Christ Jesus, since logov is used in
both places; though ministers of the gospel are not only
represented as ministers and instruments by whom others believe, but as
spiritual fathers; "though you have ten thousand instructors in
Christ", says the apostle to the Corinthians, #1Co 4:15 "yet have ye
not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the
gospel"; so he speaks of his son Onesimus, whom he had "begotten in
his bonds", #Phm 1:10 yet this instrumentality of the word
in regeneration seems not so agreeable to the principle of grace implanted in
the soul in regeneration, and to be understood with respect to that; since that
is done by immediate infusion, and is represented as a creation; and now as God
made no use of any instrument in the first and old creation, so neither does it
seem so agreeable that he should use any in the new creation: wherefore this is
rather to be understood of the exertion of the principle of
grace, and the drawing it forth into act and exercise; which is excited and
encouraged by the ministry of the word, by which it appears that a man is born
again; so the three thousand first converts, and the jailor, were first
regenerated, or had the principle of grace wrought in their souls by the Spirit
of God, and then were directed and encouraged by the ministry of the apostles to repent and believe in Christ: whereby it became manifest
that they were born again. Though after all it seems plain, that the ministry
of the word is the vehicle in which the Spirit of God conveys himself and his
grace into the hearts of men; which is done when the word comes not in word
only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost; and works effectually, and is the
power of God unto salvation; then faith comes by hearing,
and ministers are instruments by whom, at least, men are encouraged to believe:
"received ye the Spirit", says the apostle, "by the works of the
law, or by the hearing of faith": #Ga 3:2 that is, by the preaching of the
law, or by the preaching of the gospel? by the latter, no doubt.
3. The
subjects of regeneration are next to be inquired into, or who they are God is
pleased to bestow this grace upon. These are men, and not angels; good angels
have no need of regeneration; they are holy angels, and continue in that state
of holiness in which they were created, and are confirmed therein; they have no
need of it to make them meet for heaven, they are there already; they are the
angels of heaven, and always behold the face of our
heavenly Father there: as for the evil angels, none of them ever had, nor never
will have any share in regenerating grace; they believe indeed, but they have
not the faith of regenerate ones, or that faith which worketh by love; they
believe there is a God, but they do not, nor can they love him; they believe he
is, and tremble at his wrath; they have no hope as regenerate ones have, but live in black despair, and ever will. They are men God
regenerates, and not brutes, nor stocks nor stones; these are not subjects
capable of regeneration; God could raise up children out of these, but it is
not his way and work; they are rational creatures he thus operates upon, and he
treats them as such in the ministry of his word; though he is represented as
dealing otherwise by the adversaries of the grace of God:
but though they are men, and men only, whom God regenerates, yet not all men;
all men have not faith, and hope, and love; they are a kind of first fruits of
his creatures, whom of his own will he begets with the word of truth; they are
such who are called out and separated from the rest of the world; they are such
who are the peculiar objects of his love; for regeneration is the fruit and
effect of love, and the evidence of it; they are such whom
God has predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son, in which image
they are created in regeneration; those whom the apostle speaks of as
"begotten again unto a lively hope, are first described as elect according
to the foreknowledge of God", #1Pe 1:2,3 and they are such who are
redeemed by Christ, for they that are chosen in him, have redemption through
his blood; and those are quickened by his Spirit and grace,
when dead in trespasses and sins, for such is their state and condition before
they are born again; they are such who are the sons of God by adopting grace,
who because they are sons the Spirit of God is sent into them, as to witness
their adoption, so to regenerate them, which gives evidence of it; and thus
they become openly the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus. Let it be further observed, that though the chief and principal seat of
regeneration is the spirit or soul of man, yet it extends its influence to the
body and the member's thereof; whereby they are restrained from the lusts of
the flesh, as to yield a ready, constant, and universal obedience to them; or
so as to "yield their members as instruments of unrighteousness unto
sin"; but, on the contrary, are so under the power of
the reigning principle of grace, implanted in them in regeneration, that they,
"through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, and live", #Ro
6:12,13 8:13.
4. The effects of
regeneration, or the ends to be answered, and which are answered by it, and which show the importance and necessity of it.
4a. A principal effect of it;
or, if you will, a concomitant of it, is a participation of every grace of the
Spirit. Regenerate ones have not only the promise of life made to them, but
they have the grace of life given them; they live a new life, and walk in newness of life: they partake of the grace of spiritual light;
before, their understandings were darkened; but now they are enlightened by the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of divine things; they were
before, darkness itself; but now are made light in the Lord. In regeneration is
laid the beginning of sanctification, which is carried on till completed,
without which no man shall see the Lord; for the new man is
created in righteousness and true holiness; the principle of holiness is then
formed, from whence holy actions spring. The grace of repentance then appears;
the stony, hard, obdurate, and impenitent heart being taken away, and an heart
of flesh, susceptible of divine impressions, being given; on which follow, a
sense of sin, sorrow for it after a godly sort, and repentance
unto life and unto salvation, which is not to be repented of: faith in Christ,
which is not of a man's self, but the gift of God, and the operation of the
Spirit of God, is now given and brought into exercise; which being an effect,
is an evidence of regeneration; for "whosoever believeth that Jesus is the
Christ", and especially that believes in Christ, as his Saviour and Redeemer,
"is born of God", #1Jo 5:1 and such have hope of
eternal life by Christ; while unregenerate men are without hope, without a
true, solid, and well grounded hope; but in regeneration, they are begotten to
a "lively hope", and have it; a good hope, through grace, founded
upon the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ, which is of use to them
both in life and death. Regenerated persons have their "hearts
circumcised", which is but another phrase for
regenerating grace, "to love the Lord their God with all their heart and
soul", #De 30:6 and though before, their carnal minds were enmity to God,
and all that is good; now they love him, and all that belong to him, his word,
worship, ordinances, and people; and by this it is known, that they "have
passed from death to life", which is no other than regeneration,
"because they love the brethren", #1Jo 3:14. In
short, regenerate persons are partakers of all the fruits of the Spirit; of all
other graces, besides those mentioned; as humility, patience, self-denial, and
resignation to the will of God. And they are blessed with such measures of
grace and spiritual strength, as to be able to resist sin and Satan, and to
overcome the world, and every spiritual enemy; "For whatsoever is born of
God, overcometh the world", the god of it, the men in
it, and the lusts thereof; "Whosoever is born of God, sinneth not",
does not live in sin, nor is he overcome by it; "but he that is begotten
of God, keepeth himself" from Satan, and his temptations, from being overcome
with them; "and that wicked one toucheth him not": being clothed with
the whole armour of God, which he has skill to wield; he keeps him off, and at
bay, so that he cannot come in with him; he holds up the
shield of faith to him, whereby he quenches all his fiery darts, #1Jo 5:4,18.
4b. Knowledge, and actual
enjoyment of the several blessings of grace, follow upon regeneration. The
covenant of grace is "ordered in all things", and is full of all spiritual blessings; and a grant of all the blessings of grace
was made to Christ, and to the elect in him, before the world began, and they
were secretly blessed with them in him as early; but then till the Spirit of
God is sent down into their hearts in regeneration, to make known unto them the
things which God has freely given them, they are strangers to them, and have no
knowledge of them, cannot claim their interest in them, nor
are they actually possessed of them. They are loved of God with an everlasting
love; but then the first open display of it to them is in regeneration, when
God draws them with lovingkindness to himself, as a fruit and effect, and so an
evidence of his ancient love to them. They are chosen in Christ before the
foundation of the world; but this is not known by them till the gospel comes, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost;
working powerfully in them, regenerating, quickening, and sanctifying them;
when that holiness to which they are chosen, is implanted, and that image of
Christ, to which they are predestinated, is stamped: there is an union with
Christ, which election in him gives; and there is a legal union between him and
the elect, as between a surety and debtor, in virtue of
suretyship engagements for them; and there is a mystical union, as between head
and members; and a conjugal one, as between man and wife: but before
regeneration there is no vital union, or such an union as between vine and
branches, by which they actually receive life, and grace, and nourishment, and
bear, and bring forth fruit. They are the sons of God by predestination; and in
covenant, the adoption of children belongs, unto them; but
this does not appear till regeneration takes place, when they receive in person
the power and privilege of it, and are manifestly the sons of God by faith in
Christ. Justification was a sentence conceived in the mind of God from
eternity; was pronounced on Christ, and his people in him, when he rose from
the dead; but is not known to those interested in it, till
the Spirit of God reveals the righteousness of Christ from faith to faith, and
pronounces upon it the sentence of justification in the conscience of the
believer; until he is born again, he has no knowledge of this blessing, no
comfortable perception of it; nor can he claim his interest in it, nor have
that peace and joy which flow from it. And now it is that an awakened sinner
has the application of pardoning grace and mercy; for
though pardon of sin is provided in covenant, and the blood of Christ is shed
for it, and he is exalted to give it; yet it is not actually given, applied,
and enjoyed, until repentance is given also; for they are both in Christ's gift
together; and when also it is that God blesses his people with peace, with
peace of conscience, flowing from the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ.
4c. Another effect of
regeneration is, a fitness and capacity for the performance of good works. In
regeneration men are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works"; and
by their new creation, become fit for, and capable of, performing them; the new
man is formed in them "unto righteousness and true
holiness", to the acts and exercises of righteousness and holiness, #Eph
2:10 #Eph 4:24 such who are born again, are "sanctified and meet for the
Master's use, and prepared unto every good work", #2Ti 2:21 whereas, an unregenerate
man is "to every good work reprobate"; he has neither will nor power
to perform that which is good, till God "works in him both
to will and to do". The principal ingredients in good works are wanting in
them, wherefore they cannot be acceptable to God: and, indeed, "without
faith", as these are without it, "it is impossible to please
God"; nor can they that are "in the flesh", who are carnal and
unregenerate, "please God"; that is, do those things which are
pleasing to him, #Heb 11:6 Ro 8:8 without the Spirit of God, and the grace and strength of Christ, nothing of this kind can he
performed; wherefore God has promised to put his "Spirit" in his
people, which he does in regeneration, to "cause them to walk in his
statutes, and to keep his judgments, and do them": so though they can do
nothing of themselves, yet, through the Spirit, grace, and strength of Christ,
they can do all things, #Eze 36:27 #Php 4:13 to which they must be referred; even a very heathen could say,
Whatever good thing thou dost,
ascribe it to God {1}.
4d. Regeneration gives a
meetness for the kingdom of God; without this, no man can see,
nor enter into it, #Joh 3:3,5 whether by "the kingdom of God" is
meant, a gospel church state, and a participation of the privileges and ordinances
of it, or the ultimate state of glory and happiness: the former may be meant,
into which publicans and harlots went before the Pharisees; and which they
would neither enter into themselves, nor suffer others to go in who were
entering; and a removal of which from them, Christ
threatens them with, #Mt 23:13 21:31,43. Unregenerate men may indeed, in a
sense, see and enter into this kingdom of God; they may attend the word, and
embrace the truths of it, make a profession of faith, submit to gospel ordinances,
and become members of a gospel church; this they may do in fact, but not of
right; they are such as do not come in at the right door, Christ, and true faith in him; but climb up another way, and are thieves
and robbers; hypocrites in Zion, tares in Christ's field, and foolish virgins
among the wise; to whom the kingdom of God is compared. Unregenerate men have
not the proper qualifications for the church of God, and the ordinances of it;
these particularly, are faith and repentance; these are required to a person's
admission to baptism, #Mt 3:2,8 Ac 2:38 8:12,37 and so to
the ordinance of the Lord's Supper; "Let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat", #1Co 11:28 whether he has true repentance towards God, and faith
in our Lord Jesus Christ; and if such a man, devoid of these, which attend or
flow from regeneration, gets admitted to these ordinances, and into a church
state, of what avail is it to him here or hereafter? what does it signify now to have the form of godliness, without the power? a name to
live, and yet be dead? or hereafter; for "what is the hope of the
hypocrite" of what use is it to him? "though he hath gained" the
name of a professor, of a religious man, and a place in the house of God,
"when God takes away his soul", these will be of no service to him?
Though may be the ultimate state of glory may be meant by the kingdom of God, in the above passages; as in #1Co 6:9 #Lu 12:32 Mt 25:34.
An unregenerate man has no apparent right unto it; nor meetness for it. The
proper right unto it lies in adoption; "If children, then heirs". But
this right, so founded, does not appear till a man is born again, which is the
evidence of adoption; nor can he be meet and fit for it, without this grace of
God regenerating, quickening, and sanctifying; for without
holiness man shall see the Lord; and nothing shall enter into the heavenly
state that defiles or makes an abomination; but when men are born again, they
are, heirs apparent to the heavenly inheritance; they are rich faith, and heirs
of a kingdom; and are meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints
in light.
5. The
properties of regeneration; and which may serve to throw more light on the
nature of it.
5a. Regeneration is a passive
work, or rather, men are passive in it; as they must needs be, in the first
infusion and implantation of grace, and the quickening of them;
even as passive as the first matter created was, out of which all things were
made; and as a dead man, when raised from the dead is; or as the dry bones in
Ezekiel's vision were, while the Spirit of God breathed upon them, and then
they became active; and as infants are in the natural generation of them; for
men no more contribute to their spiritual birth, than infants do to their
natural birth; all this appears from regeneration being a
creation, a resurrection from the dead, and a being begotten and born again.
5b. It is an irresistible act
of God's grace; no more resistance can be made unto it, than there could be in
the first matter to its creation; or in a dead man to his resurrection;
or in an infant to its generation. Regeneration is of the will of God, which
cannot be resisted; the Spirit, in regeneration, is like "the wind",
which "bloweth where it listeth", and none can hinder it "so is
everyone that is born of the Spirit", #Joh 3:8 it is done by the power of
God, which is uncontrollable; whatever aversion, contrariety, and opposition
there may be in the corrupt nature of men unto it, that is
soon and easily overcome by the power of divine grace; when the stony heart is
taken away, and an heart of flesh is given. When God works, nothing can let; an
unwilling people are made willing in the day of his power; high thoughts,
reasonings, and imaginations of the carnal mind, are cast down by him.
5c. It is an
act that is instantaneously done, at once; it is not like sanctification it
gives rise to; which is but a begun work, and is carried on gradually; faith
grows, hope and love abound more and more, and spiritual light and knowledge
increase by degrees, till they come to the perfect day: but regeneration is at
once; as an infant in nature is generated at once, and is also born at once,
and not by degrees; so it is in spiritual generation; one
man cannot be said to he more regenerated than another, though he may be more
sanctified; and the same man cannot be said to be more regenerated at one time
than at another.
5d. As it is done at once, so
it is perfect; some persons speak of a regenerate and an unregenerate
part in men; and that they are partly regenerate and partly unregenerate. I
must confess I do not understand this; since regeneration is a new creature,
and perfect in its kind. There are, indeed, two principles in a man that is
born again; a principle of corrupt nature, and a principle of grace; the one is
called the old man, and the other the new: the whole old man is unregenerate,
no part in him is regenerated; he remains untouched, and is
just the same he was, only deprived of his power and dominion; and the new man
is wholly regenerate, no unregenerate part in him: there is no sin in him, nor
done by him, he cannot commit sin; "the king's daughter is all glorious
within": a man child, as soon as born, having all its limbs, is a perfect
man, as to parts, though these are not at their full growth
and size, as they will be, if it lives: so the new man is a perfect man at
once, as to parts, though as yet not arrived to the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ.
5e. The grace of regeneration
can never be lost; once regenerated, and always so; one
that is born in a spiritual sense, can never be unborn again; for he cannot die
a spiritual death; he is born of incorruptible and immortal seed; he is born of
water and of the Spirit, or of the grace of the Spirit, which is as a well of
living water in him, springing up unto everlasting life: and all such who are
begotten again unto a lively hope of a glorious inheritance, are kept by the
power of God, through faith, unto salvation, #1Pe 1:3-5,23.
To which may be added,
5f. An adjunct which always accompanies
regeneration, a spiritual warfare between the old and the new man, the
principle of sin, and the principle of grace; the flesh lusting against the
spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; the law in the members warring against the law of the mind; which are, as it were, a
company of two armies engaged in war with each other, which always issues in a
victory on the side of the new creature; for whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world; and sin and Satan, and every enemy, and is more than a
conqueror over all, through Christ.
{1} ti an
agayon pratths eis yeous anapemte, Bias apud Laert. l. 1. in vita ejus.