during this mortal state *. This regeneration, in the active sense, is what St. Peter speaks of, where he says; God hath begotten us again unto a lively hope t. And afterwards, in the same chapter, but in the passive sense; Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of Godt: that is, by the words used in the form of baptism; or else by the word preached, conducting men to faith and baptism. These texts relating to the new birth speak of it as a transient thing, once performed, and retaining its virtue during the whole spiritual life. But when the phrase of born of God is found to denote a permanent state §, it is to be understood of a person who has been born: of God, and abides entirely in that sonship, that spiritual and salutary state which he was once born into: so the phrase, born of a woman, is often used as equivalent to son of a woman, by a figure of

* Ουκ έσης δευτερας αναγεννήσεως, εδε αναπλάσεως, κ. τ. λ. Nazianz. Orat. xl. p. 641.-Conf. Nicet. Serron. Comment.

p. 1048.

Semel perceptam parvulus gratiam non amittit, nisi propria impietate, si ætatis accessu tam malus evaserit. Tunc enim etiam propria incipiet habere peccata; quæ non regeneratione auferantur, sed alia curatione sanentur. Augustin. ad Bonifac.

Ep. xcviii. p. 264. tom. ii. ed. Bened.-
ad Hebr. vi. 6. Op. tom. ii. p. 237. ed. sequ.

+ 1 Pet. i, 3.

+ 1 Pet. i. 23.

§ 1 John iii. 9. iv. 7. v. 1, 4, 18.

B

-Conf. Damascen

speech *, and is easily understood. Regeneration, on the part of the grantor, God Almighty, means admission or adoption f into sonship, or spiritual citizenship: and on the part of the grantee, viz. man, it means his birth, or entrance into that state of sonship or citizenship. It is God that adopts or regenerates, like as it is God that justifies 1: Man does not adopt, regenerate, or justify himself, whatever hand he may otherwise have (but still under grace) in preparing or qualifying himself for it. God makes the grant, and it is entirely his act : man receives only, and is acted upon; though sometimes active in qualifying himself, as in the case of adults, and sometimes entirely passive, as in the case of infants. The thing granted and received is a change from the state natural into the state spiritual; a translation from the curse of Adam into the grace of Christ. This change, translation, or adoption carries in it many Christian blessings and privileges, but all reducible to two, viz. remission of sins, (absolute or conditional,) and a covenant-clairs, for the time being, to eternal happiness. Those blessings may

all be forfeited, or finally lost, if a person re.

务

Job xiv. 1. xv. 14. xxv. 4. Matt. xi. 11. Luke vii. 28. + Rom. viii. 15. Gal. iv. 5. Ephes. i. 5. Johni, 12. Note, that our adoptive sonship is opposed to our Lord's natural sonship, the foundation of our adoption.

Vid. Bull. Harmon. Apost. par. ii, c. ii.p. 419,

volts from God, either for a time, or for ever; and then such person is no longer in a regenerate state, or a state of sonship, with respect to any saving effects: but still God's original grant of adoption or sonship in baptism stands in full force, to take place as often as any such revolter shall return, and not otherwise : and if he desires to be as before, he will not want to be regenerated again, but renewed, or reformed. Regeneration complete stands in two things, which are, as it were, its two integral parts; the grant made over to the person, and the reception of that grant. The grant once made continues always the same; but the reception may vary, because it depends upon the condition of the recipient *.

II. Having said what I conceived sufficient upon the first article, respecting regeneration, I now proceed to the second, which is renovation; and which I understand of a renewal of heart or mind. Indeed, regeneration is itself a kind of renewal; but then it is of the spiritual state, considered at large; whereas renovation, the other article in the text, seems to mean a more particular kind of renewal, namely, of the inward frame or disposition of the man; which is rather a capacity, or qualification (in adults) for salutary regeneration, than the regeneration itself. Regeneration may be

As many as received him, to them

he

Pozuer to become the sons of God. John i. 12. Rom. viii. 14, 15.

granted and received (as in infants) where that renovation has no place at all, for the time being: and therefore, most certainly, the notions are very distinct. But of this I may say more hereafter in a proper place. It may here be further noted, a that renovation may be, and should be, with respect to adults, before, and in, and after baptism. Preventing grace must go before, to work in the man faith and repentance ; which are qualifications previous to baptism, and necessary to render it salutary. Those first addresses, or influential visits of the Holy Spirit, turning and preparing the heart of man, are the preparative renewings, the first and lowest degrees of renovation*. Afterwards, in baptism, the same Spirit fixes, as it were, his dwelling, or residential abode, renewing the heart in

greater measuref: and if his motions are still

Spiramen est modicæ virtutis aliqua gratia, in audienda lege Dei multorum primum: Spiritus autem perfectionis est plenitudo: Spiramen itaque datur ab infantia & catechumenis: Spiritus autem in incremento doctrinæ fideique, & salutaris baptismi plena Dei gratia, ut intelligere, & ad majorem jam possit scientiam pervenire. Philastr. contra Hær. n. cxlvii. p. 329. ed. Fabric.

+ Spiritus ubi vult spirat ; sed quod fatendum est, aliter adjuvat nondum inhavitans, aliter inhabitans : nam nondum inhabitans adjuvat ut sint fideles, inhabitans adjuvat jum fideles. Augustin. ad Xyst. Ep. cxciv. p. 720. *In quibusdam tanta est gratia fidei quanta non sufficit ad obtinendum regnum cælorum; sicut in catechumenis, sicut in ipso Cornelio antequam sacramentorum participatione incorporaretur ecclesiæ: in quibusdam vero tanta est, ut jam corpori Christi.

more and more complied with after baptismal regeneration, the renewing grows and improves through the whole course of the spiritual life *. Therefore, though we find no scripture-exhortations made to Christians (for Nicodemus was a Jew) to become regenerated, yet we meet with several exhortations to them to be again and again renewed. For example; Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind f. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind I. The inward man is said to be renewed day by day ş. And when Christians have once fallen off, the restoring them again is not