SERMON II.

The Caufe, Nature, and Means, that Change in which Men are born of God,

JOHN i. 13. WHICH WIRE Born, not of BLOOD, NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD.

I

'N the words preceding these we are told. in what way perfons become the fons of God; viz. by receiving Chrift, or believing on his name. It is by virtue of their union of heart to Chrift the eternal fon of God, which confifts in cleaving to him and trufting in him, in the character of Mediator between God and man, that they are received into the relation of fons, and made heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

In the text we are told by whom they who thus become the fons of God are brought into this state of union to Jesus Christ, and made to exift in this relation; or who

is the cause or author of their thus receiving Chrift, or believing in him, by which they become the tons of God, which is here called a being born. When a child is born into the world, there is fome cause of this production; this living, perfect child: fo, when any perfon becomes a new creature, and in a fenfe, enters into a new world, even into the kingdom of God, by believing on the name of Jefus Chrift, there is fome agent which is the caufe of this.

THE Evangelift firft tells us what this is not effected by. "Which were born, not of blood." That is, not by natural generation or descent. St. Paul fays, "God hath made of one blood all nations of men."*_ That is, he hath produced all nations by natural descent from one man. The evangelift here tells us, that the birth he speaks of is a quite different thing from this; it is not produced by natural generation, or defcent from father to fon: it does not thus run in the blood, and is not tranfmitted from generation to generation in this way. Men do not become the fons God, they are not regenerated, and do not become believers in Christ, by any thing derived from their natural parents; by their defcent from them, and near relation to them, by which the blood of the parents does, as it were, run in their veins. The piety or holiness of the parents: has no influence or hand in this production,

* A&ts, xvii. 26.

production, as a caufe; it does nothing towards regenerating, or producing faith in the child. The child of the most holy parent is by nature as corrupt, and as far from this birth, and always will be fo, without fome other caufe or influence, as are the children of the ungodly.

In this affertion there feems to be a particular defign to contradict and oppose a then prevailing notion among the Jews, that they were the fons of God by blood, as they were the children of Abraham. Of this they boast to our Saviour, and fay, that they were Abraham's feed, and therefore that God was their Father; as if by being the children of Abraham, they were the fons of God.* In oppofition to this notion of theirs, John Baptift lays to them, "Begin not to say within yourfelves, We bave Abraham to our father: for I lay unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."†

Nor of the will of the flesh. By flesh is meant man in his natural, corrupt ftate, as he is antecedent to regeneration. This is the meaning of fiefh as it is used in many places in holy fcripture: which is evident, among other things, by its being frequently put in opppfition to the fpirit, and to be in the flesh, and to walk after the flesh, or to be carnal, is spoken of as directly oppofite

E

JOHN viii. 33, 41.

+ LUKE iii. 8.

to

to being fpiritual, having the Spirit of Christ, and walking after the Spirit, and as if there was no medium between them. What is here afferted then is, that persons are not regenerated by any inclinations, choice, or exertions of their own, while they were in a ftate of unregeneracy. They do not, by the exercise of their own wills, or by their endeavors, do any thing towards their being born again; nor do they co-operate in the leaft degree with the efficient caufe. So far from this, that all their inclinations, and every act of will and exertion of theirs, is in direct oppofition to it; for the flesh always lufteth against the Spirit.

It is indeed, as great an absurdity as can be thought of, to fuppofe that the corrupt, vicious heart does any thing towards its becoming holy, or exercifes any will or choice. that has the leaft tendency to it as abfurd as to fuppofe that the exercife of perfect felfifhness, has a tendency to produce benevolence; or, that the heart is made better, and becomes holy, by the conftant exercise of luft and wickednefs. For all the exercises and volitions of the corrupt, unregenerate heart, are certainly the exercises of fin. It was nevertheless of importance that this fhould be particularly observed by the Evangelift, when treating of this matter: seeing, however

JOHN iii. 6. ROM. viii. 1, 4,-9. COR. ii. 14. 15. Chap. iii. 1. Gal. v. 17.

3

however plain it is, and though the contrary is fo very abfurd, men are ready to imagine they may be born again by the will of the flesh or at leaft, that by the exertions of their own wills and endeavors, they may do fomething towards it. In this delufion I suppose all men naturally are: and that no man beartily and really gives up this point, until he is taught of God. And multitudes of profeffing chriftians do perfift in exprefsly oppofing what is here afferted, all their days. But of this more will be faid before I have done.

Nor of the will of man. That is, not by the power and influence of others. No one perfon is born again by the will and endeavors of others. However pious and wife they are, and how much foever they exert themselves to bring others to holiness, they do in no degree produce the effect. If all the angels and faints in heaven, and all the godly on earth, fhould join their wills and endeavors, and unitedly exert all their powers to regenerate one finner, they could not effect it; yea, could do nothing towards it. It is an effect infinitely beyond the reach of finite wisdom and power. "Paul planted and Apollos watered: but God giveth the increafe. So then, neither he that planteth is any thing, neither he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase."*