By the late DAVID DICKSON, Irvine.
(Continued from page 139)
AS to the fourth proposition—when the power of God is put forth invincibly for the converting of a soul, that invincible working is so far from destroying the natural liberty of the will, that it does indeed preserve it, and sets it right on the right object, and does perfect it. For, as when God opens the eyes of a man’s understanding that he does behold the wonders of His law, when He removes the natural blindness of the mind, and makes a man see that the gospel is the wisdom and power of God unto salvation, which sometimes he counted to be mere foolishness. He does, in no way, destroy the man’s judgment or understanding; but does correct, help heal, and perfect it—so when the Holy Spirit does powerfully and effectually move and turn the will of the man to embrace the sweet and saving offers of Christ’s grace in the gospel, and make him deliberately choose this blessed way of salvation, and to renounce all confidence in his own, or any other’s worth or works, he does not destroy, but perfects the liberty of the will, and raises it up from death and its damnable inclination, and makes it most joyfully and most freely to make choice of this pearl of price, and bless itself in its choice for ever. Therefore, let no man complain of wrong done to man’s free-will, when God stops its way to hell, and wisely, powerfully, graciously and sweetly moves it to choose the way of life: but rather let men beware to take the glory of actual conversion of men, from God, and either give it wholly to their idol of free-will, or make it sharer of the glory of regeneration with God; which glory God will not give to another, but reserve wholly to Himself; for all men, in the point and moment of regeneration, are like unto Lazarus in the grave, to whom God by commanding him to arise, gave life and power to arise out of the grave where he lay dead and rotting.
As to the fifth proposition—we must distinguish the work of regeneration, from the preparation and disposition of the man to be regenerated, whereby he is made more capable of regeneration to be wrought in him. For the material disposition of him, fitting him for regeneration, is neither a part nor a degree of regeneration; for albeit the Lord be not bound to these preparatory dispositions, yet He will have man bound to make use of these external means which may prepare him; because by the use of external means (such as are, hearing of the word, catechising and conference), a man may be brought more near unto regeneration, as Christ teaches us by His speech to that Pharisee, who was instructed in the law, and answered discreetly unto Christ; “Thou art not far (saith He) from the kingdom of God.” Mark xii., 34. This preparatory disposition, in order to regeneration, is like unto the drying of timber to make it sooner take fire, when it is cast into it. For dryness in the timber is neither a part nor a degree of kindling or inflammation of it; but only a preparation of the timber to receive inflammation when the fire shall be set to it, or it be put in the fire, possibly, a long time after. In these preparatory exercises then no man will deny, that the natural man unrenewed, has a natural power to go and hear a sermon preached, to read the Scriptures, to be informed by catechising and conference of religion and regeneration, whereof God, when He pleases may make use in regeneration of a man. Wherefore, whosoever in the preaching of the gospel, are charged and commanded to repent, to believe in Christ, or turn unto God, they are commanded also to use all these external means whereby they may be informed of the duty required, and of the means leading thereunto; in the exercise of which external means, they may meet with sundry common operations and effects of God’s Spirit, before they be regenerated or converted, whereof the use may be found not only in, but also after, conversion. And if any man shall refuse, slight, or neglect to follow these preparatory exercises, which may prepare him for conversion, he is inexcusable before God and man, and guilty of rejecting the offer of reconciliation; yea, guilty of resisting the Holy Ghost, of which sin and guiltiness, the holy martyr Stephen charges the misbelieving Jews. Acts. vii., 51.
As for the regenerate man, he it is who in the acknowledgment of his sinfulness and deserved misery, and of his utter inability to help himself, casts away all confidence in his own parts, and possible righteousness of his own works, and flees to Christ offered in the gospel, that in Christ alone he may have true wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; and does with full purpose of heart consecrate himself, and endeavour, in the strength of Christ, to serve God acceptably all the days of his life. For the ground of this description, we have the words of the apostle, where putting a difference between the true people of God, and the counterfeit, he says, “We are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Jesus Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Phil. iii., 3. In which description of the regenerate man, the apostle first points out to us three special operations of the Spirit of regeneration; then, three duties of the man regenerated.
The first operation of the Spirit of God, the only circumcision of the heart, is the humbling of the man in the sense of his sin, by the doctrine of the law, and cutting off all his confidence in his own worth, wit, free-will, and strength to help himself, so that the man has no confidence in the flesh. The second operation, is the infusion of saving faith, making the man humbled to close with Christ in the covenant of reconciliation, and to rest upon Him as the only and sufficient remedy of sin and misery; so that Christ becomes to Him the ground of rejoicing and glorifying. The third operation, is the up-stirring and enabling of the believer in Christ, to endeavour new obedience, and to worship God in the Spirit.
As for the three duties of the man regenerated, the first is, to follow the leading of the Spirit in the point of more and more humbling of himself before God in the sense of his own insufficiency, and eschewing of all leaning to his own parts, gifts, works, or sufferings, or anything else beside Christ: he must have “no confidence in the flesh.” The second duty is, to grow in the estimation of Christ’s righteousness, and fulness of all graces to be let forth to the believer, enjoying him by faith, and comforting himself in Christ against all difficulties, troubles, and temptations: he must rejoice in Jesus Christ. The third duty is to endeavour communion-keeping with God in the course of new obedience in all cases, worshipping and serving God in sincerity of heart: he must be a worshipper of God. As to the last thing holden forth in the apostle’s words, which is the undoubted mark and evidence of the man regenerated and circumcised in heart, it stands in the constant endeavour to grow in these three duties jointly, so as each of them may advance another; for many failings and short-comings will be found in our new obedience, and worshipping of God in the Spirit. But let these failings be made use of to extinguish and abolish all confidence in our own parts and righteousness and that our daily failings may humble us, and cut us off from all confidence in the flesh. But let not these failings so discourage us, as to hinder us to put confidence in Christ; but by the contrary, the less ground of confidence we find in ourselves let us raise so much higher the estimation of remission of sin and imputation of Christ’s righteousness, and stir up ourselves by faith to draw more strength and ability out of Christ for enabling us to walk more holily and righteously before God. And having fled to Christ, and comforted ourselves in Him, let us not turn His grace into wantonness; but the more we believe the grace of Jesus Christ, let us strive, in His strength, so much the more to glorify God in new obedience. And in the circle of these three duties, let us wind ourselves up stairs toward heaven; for God has promised, that such “as wait on the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah xl., 31.
In the conjunction of these three duties, the evidence of regeneration is found. If there be not a sincere endeavour after all these three duties, the evidence of regeneration is by so much darkened, and short for probation: for it is not sufficient to prove a man regenerated, that he is driven from all confidence in his own righteousness, and filled with the sense of sin and deserved wrath; because a man that has no more than that, may perish in this miserable condition; as we see in Judas the traitor, whose conscience was burdened with the sense of sin, but did not seek mercy and pardon. Neither is it sufficient to boast of acquaintance with Christ, and profess great respect to Him; because many do cry, “Lord, Lord!” who neither renounce their confidence in their own righteousness, nor worship God in spirit; for, of such Christ says, “Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of God.” Matt. viii., 21. Neither is it sufficient to pretend to worshiping of God in spirit: for, all they who think to be justified by their own works, do esteem their manner of serving of God, true and spiritual service and worship; as may be seen in the proud Pharisee glorying before God in his own righteousness, and acknowledging that God was the giver unto him of the holiness and righteousness which he had. “I thank thee, O God,” says he, “that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” Luke xviii., 11. For, of this man, Christ says, he returned to his house unjustified, that is, a man lying still in sin, unreconciled.
Neither is it sufficient to prove a man regenerated, to confess sin and bygone unrighteousness, and to promise and begin to amend his ways and future conversation; for, so much may a Pharisee attain. And there are many that profess themselves Christians, who think to be justified by the merits of their own and other saints’ doings and sufferings, and do disdainfully scoff and mock at the doctrine of the imputed righteousness of Christ. How many are they also who think their bygone sins may be washed away, and be recompensed by their purpose to amend their life in time to come? How many are they, who, being willingly ignorant of the righteousness of God, which is of faith in Jesus Christ, go about to establish their own righteousness, as the Jews did? Rom. x., 3. And how few are they who follow the example of the Apostle, who carefully served God in spirit and truth, but did not lean to his own righteousness, but sought more and more to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, which behoved to be made up of his imperfect obedience of the law, but that righteousness which is by faith in Jesus Christ? Phil. iii., 9. But that man, who daily in the sense of his sinfulness and poverty flees unto Jesus Christ, that he may be justified by His righteousness, and endeavours by faith in Him to bring forth the fruits of new obedience, and does not put confidence in these his works when he has done them, but rejoices in Jesus Christ the fountain of holiness and blessedness, that man, I say, undoubtedly is regenerated, and a new creature, for so does the apostle describe him. Phil. iii., 3.
(to be continued)