All these things were necessary to be premised in general, as giv- ing some insight into the nature of the operations of the Holy Spirit in us and towards us ; and hereby we have made our way plain to the consideration of his especial works, in the calling, building, and carrying on the church unto perfection. Now, all his works of this kind may be reduced unto three heads: — 1. Of sanctifying grace; 2. Of especial gifts; 8. Of peculiar evangelical privileges. Only, we must observe that these things are not so distinguished as to be negatively contradistinct to each other; for the same thing, under several considerations, may be all these, — a grace, a gift, and a privi- lege. All that I intend is to reduce the operations of the Holy Spirit unto these heads, casting each of them under that which it is most eminent in, and as which it is most directly proposed unto us; and I shall begin with his work of grace.
CHAP. I.] WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, ETC, 20?
BOOK III. CHAPTER I.
WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW CREATION BY REGENERATION.
The new creation completed — Regeneration the especial work of the Holy Spirit — ^Wrought under the Old Testament, but clearly revealed in the New; and is of the same kind in all that are regenerate, the causes and way of it being the same in all — It consisteth not in baptism alone, nor in a moral reformation of life; but a new creature is formed in it, whose nature is declared, and farther explained — Denial of the original depravation of nature the cause of many noxious opinions — Regeneration consisteth not in en- thusiastic raptures; their nature and danger — The whole doctrine necessary, despised, corrupted, vindicated.
We have formerly declared the work of the Holy Spirit in pre- paring and forming the natural body of Christ. This was the be- ginning of the new creation, the foundation of the gospel state and church. But this was not the whole of the work he had to do. As he had provided and prepared the natural body of Christ, so he was to prepare his mystical body also. And hereby the work of the new creation was to be completed and perfected. And as it was with respect unto him and his Avork in the old creation, so was it also in the new. All things in their first production had darkness and death upon them ; for " the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep," Gen. i. 2. Neither was there any thing that had either life in it, or principle of life, or any disposition thereunto. In this condition he moved on the prepared matter, preserving and cherishing of it, and communicating unto all things a principle of life, whereby they were animated, as we have declared. It was no otherwise in the new creation. There was a spiritual darkness and death came by sin on all mankind ; neither was there in any man living the least principle of spiritual life, or any disposi- tion thereunto. In this state of things, the Holy Spirit undertaketh to create a new world, new heavens and a new earth, wherein right- eousness should dwell. And this, in the first place, was by his effec- tual communication of a new principle of spiritual life unto the souls of God's elect, who were the matter designed of God for this work to be wrought upon. This he doth in their regeneration, as we shall now manifest.
First, Megeneratio.n in Scripture is everywhere assigned to be the -proper and pecidiar ivork of the Holy Spirit : John iii. 3-6, " Jesus answered aud said unto Nicodemus, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
208 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE [BOOK III.
Except a man be born again, he cannot see tlie kingdom of God. Nicodemus saitli unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Yerily, verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." It was an ancient knowing teacher of the church of the Jews, a " master in Israel," whom our blessed Saviour here discourseth withal and instructs • for on the considera,tion of his miracles he concluded that " God was with him,'' and came to in- quire of him about the kingdom of God. Our Saviour knowing how all our faith and obedience to God, and all our acceptance with him, depend on our regeneration, or being born again, acquaints him with the necessity of it; wherewith he is at first surprised. Wherefore he proceeds to instruct him in the nature of the work whose necessity he had declared ; and this he describes both by the cause and the effect of it. For the cause of it, he tells him it is wrought by "water and the Spirit;" — by the Spirit, as the princi- pal efficient cause; and by water, as the pledge, sign, and token ^ of it, in the initial seal of the covenant, the doctrine whereof was then preached amongst them by John the Baptist: or, the same thing is intended in a redoubled expression, the Spirit being signified by the water also, under which notion he is often pro- mised.