First, That regeneration is the proper work of God, and the sole effect of his Spirit —
1. From the state of the person who is to be regenerated. The object of regeneration is a sinner lying in a state of defection from original righteousness, averse from God, yea, an enemy to him ; prone to all evil ; weak, yea, dead to all spiritual good. And how can such an one renew and convert himself to God ? It is true man hath reason left, and may have some confused notions or general apprehensions of things good or evil, pleasing or displeasing to God ; but to choose the one and leave the other, that is not in his power. They may have loose desires of spiritual favours, especially as apprehended under the quality of a natural good: Num. xxiii. 10, 'Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.* So that excellency which they discover in these spiritual things is apprehended in a natural way : John vi. 34, ' And they said unto him. Lord, evermore give us this bread.' These desires are neither truly spiritual, nor serious, nor constant, nor laborious ; so that to apprehend or seek spiritual things in a spiritual manner is above their reach and sphere. So man is represented as blind, perverse, rebellious ; blind in his mind, perverse in his will, rebellious in his affections, so as he cannot know : 1 Cor. ii. 14, ' But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them.' Cannot believe : John vi. 44, ' No man can come to me except the Father, which hath sent me, draw "him.' Cannot obey: Rom. viii. 7, ' The carnal mind is enmity against God ; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' You cannot think : 2 Cor. iii. 5, 'Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves ; but our sufficiency is of God.' Cannot speak : Mat. xii. 34, ' How can ye, being evil, speak good things ? ' Cannot do : John XV. 5, ' For without me ye can do nothing.' This is necessary to be considered ; for conversion beginneth in a sense of our impotency, and the first step to regeneration is a sense of the naughtiness and corrupt- ness of our hearts. When men only dislike their evil actions, and are not humbled for their evil nature, they rest only in a moral reforma- tion, and do not look after a spiritual change.
VeR. 23.] SERMONS UPON 1 PETER I, 23. 309
2, From the nature of that work by whicli this change is to be accomplished. It is a new birth. There is no more power ia any man to work this change in himself than there could be imagined to be in him to beget himself at first. It is ascribed to God: James i. 18, 'Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth ; ' 1 Peter i. 3, * Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resur- rection of Jesus Christ from the dead ; ' 1 John v. 1, ' Whosoever be- lieveth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God.' It is the infusion of a new life ; and to give life is God's prerogative : John v. 26, ' The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.' Therefore called the * life of God,' and the ' seed of God ; ' a principle of doing that which is savingly good according to the will of God. Christ bringeth it as a proof of his own Godhead, to be a fountain and cause of life ; for it is the prerogative of God alone. It is also called a 'resurrection,' or a quickening of the dead : Eph. ii. 1, ' And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.' Man's will is no co-worker with God ; it is his power, and such a power as raised Christ from the dead : Eph. i. 19, 20, 'And what is the exceeding greatness of his power tous-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead.' It is a new creature : Eph. iv. 24, ' And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness ; ' Eph. ii. 10, ' For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.' A new creature : 2 Cor. v. 17, ' If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.' Creation is a work of omnipotency. Vicious qualities are subdued, and contrary virtues and graces planted in their stead. In the beginning God made something out of nothing, and some things ex inhahili materia, out of such matter as was wholly unfit and indis- posed for those things to be made of it ; as when God made Adam out of the dust of the ground, and Eve out of the rib of man, Gen. ii. 7 22. Just such a work is this ; he maketh those that were wholly indis- posed to good, and averse from it, yea, perverse resistors of all motions towards that which is godly and holy, to be lovers of iioliness and walkers in it. God, that made man at first, must renew him, and re- store him to that image which he lost : Col. iii. 10, ' And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him.' Therefore we must hold this, and not so enforce exhor- tation as to weaken prayer ; it is the Lord's work, and he will be ac- knowledged in it.