CHAPTER IX.

NATURE OF REGENERATION.

THIS world is divided between two spiritual kingdoms, that of Satan and that of God. Satan is declared to be the prince of the power of the air, reigning in the children of disobedience.* He therefore has a kingdom in our world. It is unnecessary to be born again, in order to become a subject of his kingdom. But born again we must be, in order to become subjects of the kingdom of God.† Let us endeavor to ascertain the nature of this second birth. This is a subject of the very highest importance:—all that is valuable to the soul, in God's holy kingdom, is staked upon it; and we should spare no pains, to render our views respecting it as clear and scriptural as possible. To be born again—what can this mean? The language is figurative, but strongly expressive. The first or natural birth is a great physical change, at which the bodily eye is opened on this material world;-the second birth is a great spiritual change, at which the

mental eye is opened on the kingdom of God. The first birth makes us heirs of earth; the second, of heaven. It would be injustice not to give a passing notice to the various theories of men on this subject.

Some have supposed that this new birth is merely a renunciation of heathenism; and consequently, that none but heathens require it. This cannot be true;— for the Jewish ruler, whom Christ taught that he must be born again, or he could not see the kingdom of God, was not a heathen.

Others have supposed that it is merely a renunciation of Judaism, as it is opposed to Christianity; and consequently that all who live in Christian lands, and acknowledge the divine mission of Christ, do not require it. This cannot be true;-for the Jewish ruler had just acknowledged this faith in Christ.-" Master, we know that thou art a teacher come from God." But Christ, not allowing him for a moment to suppose this sufficient, replied to him, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Others have labored to maintain that the new birth is baptism. But Christ said, in describing the event, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of God."

* The Episcopal church employs the term regeneration to denote the rite of baptism, holding still to the same spiritual renovation here contended for, and designating it by other terms. This is very well, if so understood;-it is not the name, but the reality, to which importance belongs. The term regeneration may with propriety be applied either to the rite, or to the thing which the rite signifies.

By no conceivable interpretation can this language possibly be descriptive of a water baptism. Christ here describes the new birth as the result of some mysterious operation; like that of the wind, whose coming and going we cannot tell. But there is nothing mysterious in baptism;-it is a very plain and obvious ordinance, performed by a gross and visible fluid, which has no resemblance to the subtle and invisible wind, and whose coming and going we plainly see and understand. Moreover the same authority said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Now whether you understand this literally, or figuratively, the result is the same, so far as the present point is concerned. If literally, the declaration clearly is, contrary to a prevalent error, that a mere water baptism is not sufficient, but that there must also be a spiritual baptism :-There must be that done, internally, by the Spirit of God, which is signified externally by water. If it be understood figuratively, there was of course no reference to water baptism. To be born of water and of the Spirit, is an idiomatic expression, well known to the Hebrew scholar, importing a spiritual renovation or cleansing, similar to that intended by John when he said of Christ, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." In such expressions, the purifying agents in nature, such as water and fire, are coupled with the Holy Spirit, to convey the forcible idea of his purifying agency in the heart.

Others have thought that this new birth is merely a renunciation of secular vices, and becoming virtuous.

This cannot be;—for the young man who came to Christ to learn what he must do to inherit eternal life, was very virtuous and amiable, insomuch that Jesus himself loved him. Yet he went away sorrowful, when taught the necessity of renouncing the world.

Others again, going to an opposite extreme of error, have supposed that the new birth is a change in the constitution of the mind. But is it not incredible that God should have committed an error in making the mind, and find it necessary to do his work over? Moreover, what God does, even if it were wrong, his creatures are not responsible for. But man is held responsible-he is under condemnation-for unregen. eracy. Consequently the necessity for a change in him, cannot pertain to his constitutional properties. No man is to blame for not having been made taller than he is; for inheriting a weak or asthmatic constitution, instead of a healthy one; for not possessing the native intellect of a Newton or an Edwards, when he has only an ordinary one; nor for any thing whatever, whether of mind or body, which he received from God, or paternal inheritance, and over which he never could have any possible control. The man who denies this,

The new birth in question

is not to be reasoned with. cannot, then, imply a constitutional or physical change, in any proper sense of that term.

In order to see clearly the nature of the change in question, we must consider what man was as created by God; what he has made himself by sin; and what he actually becomes by regeneration. We then arrive at the truth here, just as we do on other subjects,

by observation and experience. We examine facts and decide upon them, as they are.

Man originally came from the hand of the Creator perfect in his entire nature. He was not only perfectly planned, but perfectly executed. God himself pronounced the work "good." All his physical members and functions were in a state. of vigorous and happy health; all his intellectual and moral powers were sound and upright; all his social affections were pure. So soon as his eyes opened on creation, his heart rose in love and gratitude to God. Affectionately and supremely devoted to his Maker, he was a truly religious, a holy man. But he was not confirmed in holiness. He had not been tried. Possessing all the natural susceptibilities to temptation which our Saviour did, without being like him confirmed in holiness, it was of course possible for him to yield to temptation, and thus fall into sin. He did yield; he fell; he became a sinner.

So long as God was by him supremely regarded, the presence to his soul of so glorious an object, so blessed a portion, kept all his powers in order. But so soon as he forsook God, sought to hide from his presence and find his happiness in forbidden ways, his love of worldly things became excessive, his appetites impatient, his passions feverish, and his whole nature diseased. His understanding was darkened, his intellect enfeebled, his social affections disordered, and his body became diseased and prone to death. His soul fell into the fiery gulph of selfishness; and instead of entertaining its former love, joy,