will pray the Father, and he shall send you another Comforter :" so that, while we trace back our redemp- tion to the Father's love, we ascribe it also to the mediation of the Son.
The third Person in the ever-blessed Trinity also bears his part in this glorious work : we shall proceed therefore to set before you, III. The efficient cause of our redemption —
As our salvation is not procured by our own merit, so neither is it effected by our own power : the text informs us, that we are " saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." — The washing of regeneration may here refer to the rite of baptism, whereby we are introduced into the visible Church ; and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, to the internal change by which we are made real members of Christ's body ; or, they may both mean the same thing, the latter being explanatory of the former; and this I rather suppose to be the true meaning, because they are both put in opposition to the works of righteousness done by us : but, which- ever it be, the Holy Ghost is here declared to be the only efficient cause of our salvation. It is He who regenerates us, and makes us partakers of the Divine nature : we are of ourselves dead, and therefore cannot restore ourselves to hfe : we have only an earthly and carnal nature, and therefore cannot perform the operations of an heavenly and spiritual nature : this is effected only by " the washing of re- generation, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." We cannot of ourselves secure an interest in Christ, or discern the excellency of those things which he has purchased for us by his blood. We are told, that " the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, nor can know them, because they are spiritually discerned :" It is the Spirit's office to reveal them to us. Our Lord says, " I will send you the Holy Ghost, and he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you." So neither can we feel the kind- ness and love of God the Father, unless it be shed