THE MARKS OF THE NEW BIRTH. JOHN iii. 8.
_So is every one that is born of the Spirit._
1. HOW is every one that is _born of the Spirit_? That is _born again_? _Born of_ God? What is meant by the being _born again_? The being _born of_ God? Or, being _born of the Spirit_? What is implied in, The being a _son_ or a _child of_ God? Or, having the _Spirit of adoption_? That these privileges, by the free mercy of God, are ordinarily annexed to baptism, (which is thence termed by our Lord in the preceding verse, the being _born of water and of the Spirit_) we know: but we would know what these privileges are? What is _The New Birth_?
2. Perhaps it is not needful to give a definition of this, seeing the scripture gives none. But as the question is of the deepest concern, to every child of man, (since _except a man be born again, born of the Spirit_, he _cannot see the kingdom of_ God) I propose to lay down the marks of it in the plainest manner, just as I find them laid down in scripture.
I. 1. The first of these (and the foundation of all the rest) is faith. So St. _Paul, [3]Ye are all the children of_ God _by faith in_ Christ Jesus. So St. _John, [4]To them gave he power_ (♦ἐξουσίαν· right or privilege, it might rather be translated) _to become the sons of_ God, _even to them that believe on his name: which were born_, when they believed, (_not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh_, not by natural generation, _nor of the will of man_, like those children adopted by men, in whom no inward change is thereby wrought,) _but of_ God. And again in his general epistle [5]_Whosoever believeth that_ Jesus _is the_ Christ, _is born of_ God.
2. But it is not a barely notional or speculative faith, that is here spoken of by the apostles. It is not a bare assent to this proposition, “_Jesus_ is the _Christ_;” nor indeed to all the propositions contained in our creed, or in the Old and New Testament. It is not merely “an assent, to any, or all these credible things, as credible.” To say this, were to say (which who could hear?) that the devils were born of God. For they have this faith. They trembling believe, both that _Jesus_ is the _Christ_, and that all scripture having been given by inspiration of God, is true as God is true. It is not only “an assent to divine truth, upon the testimony of God,” or “upon the evidence of miracles.” For they also heard the words of his mouth, and knew him to be a faithful and true witness. They could not but receive the testimony he gave, both of himself, and of the Father which sent him. They saw likewise the mighty works which he did, and thence believed that he _came forth from_ God. Yet notwithstanding this faith, they are still _reserved in chains of darkness, unto the judgment of the great day_.
3. For all this is no more than a dead faith. The true, living, Christian faith, which whosoever hath, is _born of_ God, is not only an assent, an act of the understanding, but a disposition which God hath wrought in his heart; “a sure trust and confidence in God, that through the merits of _Christ_, his sins are forgiven, and he reconciled to the favour of God.” This implies, that a man first _renounce himself_; that in order to be _found in_ Christ, to be accepted through him, he totally reject all _confidence in the flesh_; that _having nothing to pay_, having no trust in his own works or righteousness of any kind, he come to God, as a lost, miserable, self-destroyed, self-condemned, undone, helpless sinner; as one whose _mouth_ is utterly _stopped_, and who is altogether _guilty before_ God. Such a sense of sin commonly called _despair_, (by those who speak evil of the things they know not) together with a full conviction, such as no words can express, that of _Christ_ only cometh our salvation, and an earnest desire of that salvation, must precede a living faith: a trust in him, who “for us paid ransom by his death, and fulfilled the law in his life.” This faith then, whereby we are born of God, is “not only a belief of all the articles of our faith, but also a true confidence of the mercy of God, through our _Lord Jesus Christ_.”