JOHN 3. 3.
OUr work formerly hath been to shew the possibility of knowing our selves to be in the state of grace, as also the lawfullnesse of proceeding by signs: We have also discovered what are true signs, and what insufficient. The next thing therefore in order is to handle the nature of the state of grace, which because the Scripture expresseth in severall words, all which have a peculiar notion with them, we shall take them in order:
And first I shall begin with the expression of regeneration or new-birth, out of these words, which are part of a remarkable History, viz, a Dialogue between Christ and Nicodemus; wherein is in a most lively manner represented the ignorance and stupidity even of the most learned and knowing men about the work of regeneration; and certainly it is of infinite consequence that the holy Ghost hath left a full testimony of the stupidity of those in this matter who were reputed the Masters of Israel.
In the Text you have a Proposition, unlesse a man be born again, &c, then the asseveration, verily, verily. It’s observed that whereas other Evangelists use this asseveration seldom, or if so, singly only. The Evangelist John for the most part doubleth it: some assign one cause, some another, but it may be attributed to the peculiar disposition of John, for the Spirit of God useth their peculiar abilities to his work.
In the next place there is the occasion of these words, implied in that, Jesus answered, for it doth not appear to what words of Nicodemus Christ doth answer, and therefore the ground of this speech seemeth very difficult to finde out. In the New Testament to answer is sometimes no more then to begin to speak, not denoting any relation to a discourse going before: but here it may well be connected to the words before: Either thus, as some, Thou thinkest, Nicodemus, I am a meer Prophet only, Thou lookest upon me only as a man sent from God, verily thou canst not perceive or discern any more, unlesse thou art regenerated. Others think more probably that Nicodemus after that honourable compellation given our Saviour, did then enquire how he might be made partaker of the Kingdom of heaven, only the Evangelist did not relate it, because our Saviours answer did sufficiently manifest it.
We come then to the Proposition, where is considerable, 1. the subject, then the attribute: The subject, unlesse a man be born again, wherein mark the universality, unlesse a man, he doth not say, Unlesse thou, including hereby every one: And be born again, he doth not say, be healed, or cured, or restored to health, but born again; The greek word […] some make from above, as it is used afterwards in the Chapter: but it’s plain that it signifieth as much as […], by the reply of Nicodemus, how can a man be born the second time: The attribute is, he cannot see the Kingdom of God, that is, possesse it, as the Latinists say, cernere haereditatem, by this is meant, not the present dispensation of grace, but future glory in heaven.
Without regeneration there is no salvation.1
It is not enough to be born once naturally, but we must be also a second time spiritually. The main thing to clear this doctrine, will be to shew what regeneration is, and I shall do that first negatively, then positively:
What it is not.2
And first, It is not as Nicodemus grosly conceived, a second entring into the womb; It’s a wonder that Nicodemus a learned man, not in Aristotle, or humane arts, but in the Law of God, in the Scriptures, where he had read of a new heart, and taking away the heart of stone, Ezek. 36. 26. yet should apprehend no better: but though a man could in a naturall way be born a thousand times over, yet such is that abominable defilement and pestilential contagion in every one, that this natural being can be no more made glorious in heaven then a black coal a glorious Starre. Thus our Saviour afterwards shewing the ground of regeneration, saith, That which is born of the flesh, is flesh. What a folly then is it to glory in a mans birth, a Prince, a Nobleman, a Gentleman by birth! for though these have priviledges among men, yet they do not exempt from curses before God: Oh that those who glory in their bloud could discover well the works of Gods Spirit in them, and this is universally true, even of those who have excellent, ingenious, good natures, such as Bonaventure of whom by an hyperbole it was said, In hoc homine non peccavit Adam: This good nature, this kinde, this ingenious nature must be born from above; It must not only have external culture and dressing, but internall alteration, and without that it burneth in hell as well as others.