NEW CREATION 8Y o Spirit, is Spirit." It was an ancient knowing teacher of the church of the Jews, a master in Israel, whom our blessed Saviour here discourseth withal and instructs. For on the consideration of his miracles he concluded, that Godwas with him, and came to inquire of him about the kingdom of God. Our Saviour knowing how all our faith and obedience to God, and all our acceptwee with him, depended on our regeneration, or beingborn again, acquaints him with the necessity of it, where- with he is at first surprised. Wherefore he proceeds to instruct him in 'the nature ofthe work, whose necessity he had declared. And this he describes both by the cause and the effect of it. For the cause of it, he tells him, it is wrought by water and the Spirit. By the Spirit, as the principal efficient cause; and by water, * as the pledge, sign, and token of it, in the initial seal of the covenant, the doctrine whereof was then preach- ed amongst them by John the Baptist; or thesame thing is intended in a redoubled expression, the Spirit being signified by the water also, under which notion he is often promised. Sect. 3.Hereof then, or of this work, the Holy Spirit is the principal efficient cause; whence he, in whom it is wrought, is said to be born of the Spirit, ver. 8: So is every one that is born of the Spirit. And this is the same with what is delivered, chap. i. 13. tt Who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the " flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." The na- tural and carnal means of blood, flesh, and the will of man, are rejected wholly in this matter, and the whole efficiency of the new birth is ascribed unto God alone. His work answers whatever contribution there is unto natural generation, from the will and nature of man. For these things are here compared, and from its ana- logy unto natural generation, is this work of the Spirit called regeneration; so, in this place, is the allusion and opposition between these things expressed by our Saviour; " that which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and o that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit," ver. 6. And herein also we have a farther description of this work of the Holy Spirit, by its effect, or the product of it; it is spirit, a new spiritual being, creature, na- Si in Gratia, non ex nature. Aquae sed ex prwsentia est Spiritus Sancti; numquid in Aqua vivimos, sicut in Spirits 2 numquid in Aqua signamur sicut in Spirits? Ambros. de Spirit. Sançt lib. 1. cap. G. Gg REGENERATION. 119 tore, life, as shall be declared. And because there is in it a communication of a new spiritual life, it is call- ed a vivification or quickening, with respect unto the state wherein all men are, before this work is wrought in them and on them, Ephes. H. 1, 5. which is the work of the Spirit alone; for it is the Spirit that quick- eneth, the flesh profiteth nothing, John vi. 63. see Rom. viii. 9, 10. Titus iii. 4, 5, 6. where the same truth is declared and asserted. tt But after that the " kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man o appeared; not by works of righteousness which we o have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, " by the washing of regeneration, and renewing o/ the a Holy Spirit, which he shed on us richly through Je- u sus Christ our Saviour." Sect. 4. What we have frequently mentioned occur- eth here expressly; namely, the whole blessed Trinity, and each person therein, acting distinctly in the work of our salvation. 'rhe spring or fountain of the whole lieth in the kindness and love of God, even the Father, Thereunto it is every where ascribed in the scripture; see John iii. 16. Ephes. i. 4, 5, 6. Whatever is done in the accomplishment of this work, it is so in the pur- suit of his will, purpose, and counsel; and is an effect of his love and grace. The procuringcause of the ap- plication of the love and kindness of God unto us, is Jesus Christ our Saviour, in the whole work of Isis me- diation, ver. 6. and the immediate efficient cause in the communication of the love and kindness of the Father, through the mediation of the Son unto us, is the Holy Spirit. And this he doth in the reno- vation of our natures, by the washing of regenera- tion, wherein we are purged from our sins, and sancti- fied unto God. Sect. 5. More testimonies unto this purpose need not be insisted on. This truth of the Holy Spirit being the author of our regeneration, which the ancients esteemed a cogent argument to prove his Deity, even from * the greatness and dignity of the work, is in, Similiser ex Spirito secundum Gratias, nos renasei, Dominus ipso testatur. Dicen; quodnutum est ex carne, caro est, quia de carnena- tum est; et quod natron est de Spirits, Spiritus est. quia Spiritus Deus est. Claret igitur spiritaliá quoquegeneratianis autborem esse Spiritus, Sanctus,, quia secundmn Deum ereamur et Filai Dei simas. Ergo cum ¡Ile nos in regnum suoni per Adoptienem sasen regenerationis as- 21
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