CHAP. II. darkness to light; and the former is as contrary to the latter as midnight darkness is opposite to the brightness of the meridian sun. 53. Hence the Lord promised to "search Jerusalem with Zeph. i. 12. candles." And Jesus expressly declares, "There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be Luke,xii. 2. known." So sure then as his words are truth, every secret sin will yet come to light, either in mercy or judgment. Happy are they, whose sins go beforehand to judgment, that they may not follow after to condemnation; for such shall have mercy. No soul can cover his sins from God, but he may cover them from His appointed order; but such as do this shall not prosper; and they xxvii. 13. will be sure to be brought to light by the just judgments of God. 1 Tim. 5, 24, 25. Prov. Rom.vi. 11. & 1 John, ii. 6. 54. And therefore, in the present day, all such as receive the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, first honestly bring their former deeds of darkness to the light, by confessing all their sins, with a full determination to forsake them forever. By so doing they find justification and acceptance with God, and receive that power by which they become dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God, through Jesus Christ, and are enabled to follow his example, and walk even as he walked. CHAPTER II. THE SUFFERINGS OF JESUS CHRIST, IN THE WORK OF REGENERATION. FROM what has been stated concerning the coming of Christ, it is evident that every step of his coming, from first to last, was contrary to the wisdom of this world; and, although he was in the world, yet the world knew him not: and as little did they know whence he came, or whither he went when he departed out of the world. 2. Instead of descending through the air, from some unknown region, in a splendid appearance, and ascending in like manner, he first was revealed in the Son of man, who came forth from such a cloud as all other infants come from; and at whose departure, a cloud received him out of sight. The truth is, Jesus was born into the world, and he was born out of it; and his being born into the world was one birth, and his being born out of it CHAP. II. was another. 3. And, although millions had been born into the world before him, yet he was the first who was actually born out of the world. And as the world were dead in trespasses and sins, and as Jesus was descended from that nature, for he was "made of a woman, made under the law," and rose out of it by the travail of regeneration, he was therefore properly called the first-begotten from the dead, and the first-born of many brethren. For being found in fashion as a man, with all the propensities of mankind, and in all things made like unto his brethren, in things natural, and being tempted in all points as they were, it was necessary that he should be Divinely begotten, and conceived by the Holy Spirit, in relation to a second birth, or being born again. 4. And by him the Holy Spirit of Truth first practically taught the doctrine of the second birth. "Marvel not that I said unto you, Ye must be born again. Verily I say unto you, that who have followed me [or rather, who shall have followed me,] in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Heb. ii. 13. John iii. 7. 23. 5. Here then was the true design of Jesus coming into the world, not to continue in the nature and spirit which, in behalf of man's redemption, he received, through the medium of a fallen woman; but to overcome and be regenerated, or born out of it, into a state of immortality and eternal life, that others might follow him in the same example. Thus he became the Heb. ii. 13. Father of all the children of the regeneration. 6. It is expressly said, that Jesus was the first-born, (in Christ) and that he was to be followed in the regeneration; and as he came into the world by water and blood, as other infants do, by which means he being of the seed of Abraham, he inherited the nature and enmity of fallen man, and in this sense millions were born into the world before him; therefore it is to be certainly understood that he was regenerated and born again: for in truth, he could not teach others to follow him in a way which he did not walk himself: and he expressly testifies, Except a man John iii. 5. be born of water, and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 7. Accordingly Christ Jesus himself opened the way into the kingdom of God, by a real spiritual birth; and all who ever possess that kingdom, must enter in by the same way, after his example; therefore it is in vain for any to stand gazing up into the natural heavens, in hopes of seeing the sons of God ascend or descend, seeing the children of God come forth into his family, by being born again, as much as the children of this world are born into the society of men. CHAP. II. 8. And as the spiritual birth is as real as the natural, and the manner of the one is as expressly declared as the other, and as certainly known by the spiritual man; so from the time that the new man is begotten, he as really grows up into the nature and likeness of him that begat, as the natural man, from his conception, grows up into the nature and likeness of his father. 4, 6. 9. As the natural man is conceived in a body, and while in the generation consists of two parts, and those two parts are fully and finally separated, in his actual birth, so that the tie by which they were united, is cut off forever, and the inner part comes forth in perfect shape, with all the features of the father; so in the regeneration there are two, called the flesh and Spirit, both in the same body, and the one is enclosed in, and bound by the other, from which it must come forth, and be separated, and wholly cut off, before it can enter the kingdom of God. 10. And as the natural infant, within the second veil, in the womb of its mother, is in a state of ignorance of what passes among the living, until it has been brought forth, progressively matured, and borne upon the sides, and dandled upon the knees, and comes to sufficient age for knowledge; so is the natural man, covered up in the womb of nature's darkness, wallowing in the blood of his nativity, and is in an ignorant state of the spiritual birth, any further than he is brought forth, separated and cut off from the tie of the flesh, by which his soul is held in bondage. 11. Hence the Lord by the Prophet, speaking figuratively of Ezek. xvi. Jerusalem in her natural state, and of the second birth or new creation, says, "Thy nativity, in the day thou wast born, thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee: thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee in thy blood, Live." 12. Such, in a true spiritual sense, is the highest perfection of man in his natural state, like an infant unloosed, wallowing in the blood of its nativity, and without a deliverance, and final separation from that in which he is held, must perish without remedy. 13. As nothing is born without a separation, and no separation can take place without suffering; so that which bears must suffer in proportion to the nature and quality of that which it bears, and that which is born is liable to suffer in proportion to the natural or inherent relation in which it stands to that which bore it, until it is weaned from that relation. 14. And as that which beareth is first in the order of things, and not that which is born; and as that is first which is natural, and not that which is spiritual; therefore, that which is natural CHAP. IL and earthly suffers death in the work of regeneration, while that which is spiritual, and heavenly, is quickened and made alive in the soul; and the soul can only suffer in proportion to the connexion, the near or distant relation in which it stands to that which is natural, until the natural is overcome by the spiritual. 15. The inner or new man in Christ Jesus, was borne by the outer man, or in other words, that which was spiritual was within that which was natural, and was brought forth out of that which was natural and old. And hence, as sin captivated the soul, and occupied that which was natural and old, and the sufferings of Christ Jesus for the redemption of souls, began in Christ's first appearing; therefore the sufferings must continue in his second appearing, until the work of regeneration is completed, and that which is natural and old, is finally overcome by the new. 16. Upon this distinction between the natural and spiritual body, hangs the whole of the Apostles' doctrines; take away that distinction, and the whole New Testament must appear, to every man of common sense, as the most absurd and incredible romance. 17. But admit that the Apostles meant as they wrote, that there was a natural body and a spiritual body then existing, and that the natural was first in the order of visible things, and afterwards the spiritual, the whole may be understood in the most perfect consistency. 18. This distinction between the natural and spiritual body, is variously expressed, by the old man and the new man; the first Adam and the second Adam; which in substance make one and the same distinction. And as each body must have a mind, or centre of influence, from whence proceeded all its operations; so the Apostles as plainly distinguish between the carnal mind, or mind of the flesh, which is enmity against God, and the spiritual mind, or mind which was in Christ. 19. And as the first, or carnal mind decreased, the second or spiritual mind increased; as the second was set at liberty, the first became a captive; as the first suffered, the second triumphed; as the first died, the second revived; and finally, when the first was completely dead, being crucified, the second was completely alive and glorified, and in the full and perfect stature of a new creature, self-existent aud wholly independent of the old forever. 20. From this principle of a distinction and separation, between that which is natural, and that which is spiritual, the fundamental doctrines relating to the sufferings of Jesus Christ, arise; which CHAP. II. Mat, xxii. 41, 45. are stated in such plain terms, through the New Testament, that no candid and enlightened mind can mistake the sense. 21. Those who do not make a clear distinction between Christ as the Divine Spirit, and Jesus as a man, equally confound the flesh and Spirit, generation and regeneration, the old man and the new man, and even good and evil; for the idea that Christians cannot live out of sin, arises from the want of this distinction. Jesus plainly showed the difference between himself as a man, and the original Christ, the Divine Spirit that anointed and dwelt with him. 22. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?" They say, "The son of David. He saith, "How then doth David in spirit, call him Lord, The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?" No wonder that no man was able to answer him, for they knew no distinction between the "quickening Spirit, the Lord from heaven," and the earthly man; nor have most professors understood any better to this day. 23. And doubtless Jesus here designed to show that Christ, the real Son of God, was not the offspring of flesh and blood, and thus to make a plain distinction between the first Anointed of heaven, and the first Anointed on earth; that it might be understood in the fullness of time. But the distinction is still more Rev. xxii. plainly declared, "I am the root and the offspring of David." This could not refer to the man Jesus only; for if he was the offspring of David, it is impossible that he should be his root. 1 Tim. vi. 14, 15. 16. • Heb. 1. 2. 24. But if it is understood that the Christ was the original Son of God, then it is evident, he was the root of all the human race, especially of those in the line of the promise, which David represented; and also that this Spirit dwelt with, Anointed, and inspired Jesus, in the work of redemption. Then we may see the propriety of the foregoing saying. 25. For Jesus was the offspring of David; he was the Son of man, or the true heir of man, as originally created of God, and being anointed with the fulness of the Divine Spirit, he was the first Anointed of the human race, therefore, he was their Redeemer. But the Divine Christ was the Son whom God had appointed Heir of all things. 26. The birth of Jesus is stated as being in the natural appearance of common humanity; that he grew in stature, and in favor with God and man; that he was subject to his supposed parents until he was of age; that he received the Holy Spirit, suffered and died, as to the common course and principles of nature; that he became obedient to his heavenly Father, even unto death; that he learned obedience by the things he suffered; |