LECTURE XV.

Of REGENERATION.

THE Platonists divide the world into two, the sen sible and intellectual world; they imagine the one to be the type of the other, and that sensible and spiritual things are stamped, as it were, with the same stamp or seal. These sentiments are not unlike the notions, which the masters of the cabalistical doctrine among the Jews, concerning God's sephiroth and seal, wherewith, according to them, all the worlds, and every thing in them, are stamped or sealed; and these are probably near akin to what Lord Bacon of Verulam calls his parallela signacula, and symbolizantes schematismi. According to this hypothesis, these parables and metaphors, which are often taken from natural things to illustrate such as are divine, will not be similitudes taken entirely at pleasure; but are often, in a great measure, founded in nature, and the things themselves. Be this as it may, that great change, which happens in the souls of men by a real and effectual conversion to God, is illustrated in the holy scriptures by several remarkable changes both natural and civil, particularly by a deliverance from chains, prison and slavery; by a transition from one kingdom to another, and from darkness into light; by a restoration from

death to life; by a new creation; by a marriage; and by adoption and regeneration. Concerning this great change, as it is represented under the last of these figures, we propose, with divine assistance, to offer a few thoughts from these words of St John's gospel, which we have already mentioned; "to as many as received him, to them gave he power, or the privilege to become the sons of God." Together with these words of our Saviour in another place of the same gospel, "except a man be born again of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Godt."

If, indeed, we consider the nature and the original of man, it is not, without reason, that he is called the son of God, according to that passage, which the apostle, in his short, but most weighty sermon to the Athenians, quotes from the poet Aratus, and at the same time approves of, "for we are all his offspringt." Our first parent, in St. Luke's gospel, is also expressly called the Son of God S, not only because he was created immediately by God, without any earthly father, but also on account of the divine image, that was originally impressed upon the human nature.

And this glorious title, which distinguishes him from all other corporeal beings, he has in common with the angels, who are also so called in several

places in the book of Job*. It is indeed true, to use the words of St Basil, "That every piece of workmanship bears some mark or character of the workman who made itt:" for I should rather choose, in this case, to use the word mark or character than likeness: but of man alone it is said, "Let us make him after our own image." And this distinction is not improperly expressed by the schoolmen, who say, as we have already observed, that all the other works of God are stamped with the print of his foot; but only man, of all the visible creation, honoured with the image or likeness of his face. And indeed, on account of this image or resemblance it is, that he is in dignity very nearly equal to the angels, though made inferior to them. Here it is to be ob

served, that this inferiority is but little, "Who was made, saith the Apostle, a little lower than the angels" so that, with regard to his body, he is nearly related to the brute creatures, and only a little superior to them, with regard to temperament, and the beautiful elegance of his frame, but made out of the very same materials, the same moist and soft clay, taken from the bosom of their great and common mother; whereas, to use the words of the poet, "The soul is the breath of God, which takes its rise from heaven, and is closely

*Job i. 6. and xxxviii. 7.

† πᾶν τὸ ἐργαζόμενον ἔχειν τινὰ τὸ τέκτονος τύπον.

Heb. ii. 9.

united to his earthly body, like a light shut up in a dark cavern *."

That divine part ofthe human composition derives its original from the father of spirits, in the same manner with those ministers of fire, who are not confined to corporeal vehicles; concerning whom the oracle, having acknowledged one supreme and divine majesty, immediately subjoins; and we angels are but a small part of Godt."

And with regard to this principle, which excels in man, which actually constitutes the man, and on account of which he most truly deserves that name, he is a noble and divine animal; and whatever some fanciful and proud men may boast, concerning their families, " if we consider our original, and that God was the author of the human kind, none of Adam's race can be called ignoblet."

But if, on the other hand, we regard our woeful fall, which was the consequence of sin, we are all degenerate; we have all fallen from the highest honour into the greatest disgrace, and the deepest gulph of all sorts of misery; we have given away our liberty and greatest dignity, in exchange for the most shameful and most deplorable bondage;

* Ψυχὴ δ' εσὶν ἄημα Θες και μίξιν ἀνελλη

Ουρανίη χθονίοιο, φάος σπηλιγγι καλυφθεν. Naz. de anima.

† Μικρή δει Θια μερὶς ἄγγελοι ἡμεις.

Si primordia nostra,

Authoremq; Deum spectes,

Nullus degener extat.

Boeth. de Cons. Phil, lib. iii, met. 6.

instead of the sons of God, we are become the slaves of Satan; and if we now want to know to what family we belong, the Apostle will tell us, "That we are children of wrath, and sons of disobedience *.'

But, as the overflowing fountain of goodness and bounty did not choose that so noble a monument of his wisdom should be entirely ruined by this dismal fall; could any one be more proper to raise it up again, or better qualified to restore men to the dignity of the sons of God, than his own eternal Son, who is the most perfect and express image of the Father. Nor does his glorious person decline the severe service though he was the son of his Father's love, the heir and lord of the whole universe; though he might be called the delight of his most exalted Father, and of all blessed spirits, and now, with the greatest justice, the darling of the human kind; yet he left his Father's bosom, and, O wonderful condescension! became the son of man, that men might, anew, become the sons of God: whence he is also called the second Adam, because he recovered all that was lost by the first.

That all, who sincerely receive him, might be again admitted into the embraces of the Father, and no more be called the children of wrath, he himself submitted to the punishment due to our disobedience; and, by bearing it, removed our guilt, and pacified justice. He also went into the

* 'γιοι ἀπειθειας και τεκνα οργης. Eph. ii. 2, 8.