Note 18 — Quest. LXVII., LXVIII.

The change in regeneration has been often called the communication of a principle of spiritual life. It is described as life, in the scriptures. Sensible objects make no impressions on dead bodies, because insensible; and those, who receive no impressions from divine truths, but remain unaffected by the charms of holiness, are figuratively denominated dead. Life being the opposite of death, such as are sensible of the Divine excellencies, and receive the impressions which religious truths are calculated to make, may, in the same manner, be termed living. Such also are called spiritual, because this holy activity is communicated by the Spirit of God. “You hath he quickened;” and, because it has for its object the things which have been revealed by the Holy Spirit.

These terms are derived from the Scriptures, but the word principle is destitute of such support. It is found in the Epistle to the Hebrews: there it is used for those fundamental doctrines, which are the beginnings of the doctrine of the gospel; but this is not the meaning of the term in the above description. This change is the immediate work of God, and not the communication of some operative axiom of truth. There are natural principles of action; as habit, affection, and passion: and there are moral; as sense of duty, fear of God, and love of holiness. These are all termed principles, because they excite to action, and so are the beginnings, or causes of it. But it is scarcely in this sense, that the term principle is used in the description of regeneration; for it is said to be communicated, and so must mean something distinct from, and the effect of the work of the Spirit. Accordingly it has been called “a fixed impression of some spiritual truth upon the heart.” But there is no truth, or other motive, sufficient to prevail against the obduracy of the unrenewed heart; or to become a principle of action to a soul dead in sin. Whatever that is in fallen man, which repels such motives, and prevents their influence until some more worthy motive is thrown into the scale, it is the work of the Spirit to remove it, and to give the soul an activity towards holy things. No intervention of mediate causes seems necessary; the Spirit of God is the agent; the soul of the man is the subject of influence; and He is said to open the heart, to give a new heart, to create anew, to enlighten the mind in the knowledge of the truth, to work in us to will and to do, or to give sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf. From such scriptural expressions it may be gathered that sight, knowledge, new dispositions, and a change of inclinations, are the effects of regeneration, and not the thing itself.

This change is more important than all the gifts of providence, if man therefore be the author of it, he is his own greatest benefactor, and must have the highest glory. If the Holy Spirit acts no otherwise on the human soul, than by addressing motives, angelic natures do also this; and no more power is ascribed to the Searcher of hearts, than to them. Then also it will follow, that all professing christians are of the same kind; and that it was improperly said, that they “were not of us,” who afterwards have “departed from us.” Then also the advice to those who are in the visible church “to examine,” and “prove themselves,” whether Christ be “in them,” is without meaning, or utility; because the thing to be inquired for is notorious, that is, their visible profession. And to “be born again,” is but “to see the” visible “kingdom” of Christ: and so the proposition spoken to Nicodemus was merely identical.