William Law · 1 of 5

The Grounds and Reasons of Christian Regeneration · Part 1

I should reckon it a matter of great importance, if I knew how to bespeak the serious attention of the reader to one of the greatest articles of the Christian religion, and of the greatest concern to himself. And though the subject is particular, and seems only to relate to one point, yet the things which will here come under consideration, will extend to matters of the most general moment, and contain the most affecting reasons to awaken and convert the heart both of the Deist, and the Christian. For it is my intent so to search and lay open the true grounds and reasons of the Christian new -birth, that the things said, may equally reach both these sorts of readers. For the Deists, and unbelievers, have a great share of my compassionate affections, and I never can think, or write of the infinite blessings of the Christian redemption, without feeling in my heart, an impatient longing to see them the happy partakers of them. And as one naturally believes, what one strongly wishes; so I cannot help hoping, that both Christians and Deists will here find truths of such a nature, as must in some degree touch their hearts, if not read with prejudice and aversion. OF THE Nature and Necessity OF R E G E N E R A T I O N, OR, THE N E W - B I R T H.

[Reg-1] Man was created by God after his own image, and in his own likeness, a living mirror of the divine nature; where Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, each brought forth their own nature in a creaturely manner.

[Reg-2] (2.) As the Son, who is begotten of the Father, is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son, as an amiable, moving life of both; so it was in this created image of the Holy Trinity. In it, the Father's nature generated the nature of the Son, and the Holy Ghost proceeded from them both, as an amiable, moving life of both. {See "An Appeal to Deists, Arians, &c.ï, c.i., pp. 45-58.} This was the likeness or image of God, in which the first man was created, a true offspring of God, in whom the divine birth sprung up as in the Deity, where Father, Son, and Holy Ghost saw themselves in a creaturely manner.

[Reg-3] (3.) In the divine nature the Father cannot possibly be separated from the Son, nor the Holy Ghost from both, or either of them. But such separation could come to pass in the Trinity, become creaturely, or in the created living image of the Trinity.

[Reg-4] (4.) If such separation could not have happened, man could not have fallen out of paradise; for so long as this image of the Holy Trinity continued unbroken, so long it must be in paradise, heaven, or the kingdom of divine joy.

[Reg-5] (5.) But that this separation could happen in this created image of the Trinity, viz., that the birth of the Son, and the arising or proceeding of the Holy Ghost, could be separated or lost, is also certain; because man is actually fallen out of paradise into this poor, wretched, perishable world.

[Reg-6] (6.) Whilst man continued an unbroken image of the holy Trinity, he was necessarily in paradise, in the open enjoyment of the kingdom of God. He stood indeed upon the earth, and with the same outward world about him, as we do now; but paradise was over all, the cover of all; and therefore he neither saw nor felt either his own outward body, or the things of this outward world, in the manner, as we now see, and feel them. His own dark, gross, heavy, fleshly body, which appeared after the fall, and the naked grossness, heaviness, darkness, discord, contrariety, and enmity, of the elements of this outward world, the strife of heat and cold, of storms and tempests, were things suppressed in paradise, and as entirely hid from his eyes, as the darkness of the night is hid from our eyes by the light of the day.

[Reg-7] (7.) This is plainly taught us in the holy scripture, where it is said of our first parents in paradise, before the fall, that "they were naked, and were not ashamed." And again, after the fall it is said, "their eyes were opened," and "they saw they were naked," and through shame sought for a covering. It is not said, they saw their nakedness in paradise, but that though they were naked, that is, had such bodies as afterwards appeared to be naked, yet they were not ashamed, and the reason of their not being ashamed, was because that nakedness was not then visible, could not then show itself, but was concealed and covered from them by their paradisaical glory; but as soon as by sin, they died to the paradisaical life and glory, then they saw their nakedness, which sight filled them with shame and confusion.

[Reg-8] (8.) From these two passages of scripture it is most plain, first, that another sort of seeing, or another sight of things, was opened in Adam after the fall, than that which he had before it: for he then first saw his own nakedness, and therefore first also then saw the outward world, with such eyes as he saw his own body, that is, in the same state of nakedness, as he saw himself, destitute of its paradisaical glory. Secondly, that before his fall, his seeing was divine, by means of a divine light, shining forth from the kingdom of God, that was then not hid, but powerfully opened within him. It was then with him, as with the heavenly city, of which St. John says, "It had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; for the glory of God did enlighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." Rev.xxi.23. Thirdly, that after the fall, when the image of the Holy Trinity was broken in him, this divine light departed from him, and he was left to the firmamental light of this world, to the light of beasts, to see himself, and all other outward things, in no other light and glory, but such as the sun, stars, and elements, cast upon one another. Thus he stood with regard to this outward world, a poor prisoner of this earthly life, as much under the power and slavery of the elements, as his fellow-creatures the beasts.

[Reg-9] (9.) Paradise being departed from the earth (which before kept all in harmony) now discord and contrariety broke forth in all the elements, and animals upon it. The elementary nature in man, and beasts, was in the same disorder with the outward elements and stars. From this time storms and tempests, thunders and lightnings, earthquakes, and all sorts of strife and contrarieties through all temporal nature; and in man, and other animals, arose the same disquiet; for the elements in and without man, were of the same nature, and therefore acted upon one another. Hence, heat, cold, pain, sorrow, fear, disquiet, diseases, sickness and death, came upon man, fallen out of paradise into this world.

[Reg-10] (10.) This was the state of the world, and of man in it, after that paradise was retired from it; when, instead of the light and glory of paradise, which before made it all peace and unity, and a sweet habitation of divine joy, it had now only the light of the sun, which could only keep the elements in such harmony, and discord, as we now see in the world. Thus stood man in this outward world; let us now look at the inward state of his soul, and see what condition he was of, in the inward, and spiritual world.

[Reg-11] (11.) We have before shown, that man was created a living image of the holy Trinity in Unity, that the divine birth arose in him, and that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, saw themselves in him, in a creaturely manner.

[Reg-12] Now by his transgression this image of the Holy Trinity was broken; the generation of the Son, or Word, and the proceeding of the Holy Ghost in him, were at an end; in the day that he sinned, in that day he died this death. And therefore what was he as to his soul? What must be said of it? It was something, that was deprived of that birth, which was the brightness of its glory, and which should be that in it, which the Son of God is to the Father; it wanted that Spirit, which was its amiable life, and which was to be that to it, which the Holy Ghost is to the Father, and the Son.

[Reg-13] Yet the soul was still a life, an imperishable life, that could not be dissolved, or cease to be. Now seeing every life, whether spiritual or corporeal, consists in fire, or rather is fire; therefore we may say of the soul in this state, that it is a spiritual dark, fire-breath, an anger-fire, that must heat, and torment itself with its own inward burning strife, and yet be unable to reach, touch, or obtain any spark of light and love, to make its fire-life sweet and amiable, or such a flame of fire, as angels are said to be

[Reg-14] (12.) This was the state of the soul after the fall, when the birth of the Son of God, and the proceeding of the Holy Ghost, were no more to be found, or felt in it. It was in the state and condition of the devils, who in their fallen nature, are from flames of love, become this spiritual, dark, raging, aching fire-breath, that can draw no light of love into it Reg-15] And the reason why, even the most profligate persons do not fully know, and perceive their souls to be in this miserable state, a dark root of self-tormenting fire, is this, because the soul, though thus fallen, was still united to the blood of an human body, and therefore the sweet, and cheering light of the sun, could reach the soul, and do that for it in some degree, and for some time, which it does to the darkness, sharpness, sourness, bitterness, and wrath that is in outward nature, that is, it could enlighten, sweeten, and cheer it in a certain degree Reg-16] But as this is not its own light, that is, does not arise in the soul itself, but only reaches it by means of the body; so if the soul hath in this time got no light of its own, then, when the death of the body breaks off its communion with the light of this world, the soul is left a mere dark, raging fire, in the state of devils

[Reg-17] And if all the light of this world was to be immediately at once extinguished, all human souls that were not in some real degree of regeneration, would immediately find themselves to be nothing but the rage of fire, and the horror of darkness

[Reg-18] (13.) Now, though the light and comfort of this outward world, keeps even the worst of men from any constant, strong sensibility of that wrathful, fiery, dark, and self-tormenting nature, that is the very essence of every fallen, unregenerate soul; yet every man in the world has, more or less, frequent and strong intimations given him, that so it is with him, in the inmost ground of his soul

[Reg-19] How many inventions are some people forced to have recourse to, to keep off a certain inward uneasiness, which they are afraid of, and know not whence it comes? Alas, it is because there is a fallen spirit, a dark aching fire within them, which has never had its proper relief, and is trying to discover itself, and calling out for help, at every cessation of worldly joy

[Reg-20] Why are some people, when under heavy disappointments, or some great worldly shame, at the very brink of distraction, unable to bear themselves, and desirous of death of any kind? 'Tis because worldly light and comforts, no longer acting sweetly upon the blood, the soul is left to its own dark, fiery raging nature, and would destroy the body at any rate, rather than continue under such a sensibility of its own wrathful, self-tormenting fire

[Reg-21] Who has not at one time or other felt a sourness, wrath, selfishness, envy, and pride, which he could not tell what to do with, or how to bear, rising up in him without his consent, casting a blackness over all his thoughts, and then as suddenly going off again, either by the cheerfulness of the sun, or air, or some agreeable accident, and again, at times, as suddenly returning upon him? Sufficient indications are these to every man, that there is a dark guest within him, concealed under the cover of flesh and blood, often lulled asleep by worldly light and amusements, yet such as will, in spite of everything, show itself, which if it has not its proper relief in this life, must be his torment in eternity. And it was for the sake of this hidden hell within us, that our blessed Lord said when on earth, and says now to every soul, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

[Reg-22] For as the soul is become this self-tormenting fire, only because the birth of the Son of God was extinguished in it by our first parents; so there is no other possible remedy for it, either in heaven or earth, but by its coming to this Son of God, to be born again of him

[Reg-23] Oh, poor unbelievers, that content yourselves with this foundation of hell in your nature, and either seek for no salvation, or, what is worse, turn your backs with disregard on the one only savior, that God himself can help you to

[Reg-24] Think not of saving yourselves. It is no more in your power, than to save the fallen spirits that are in hell; you can no more do the one than the other. Talk not of the mercy and goodness of God; his mercy is indeed infinite, and his goodness above all conception; but then the infiniteness of it consists in this, that he of his own mere mercy found out, and offered this savior to all mankind, because in the nature of things, nothing less than this savior could redeem them

[Reg-25] Therefore to rely upon a mercy of God, that is not within the Christian scheme of it, is to rely upon a fiction of our own minds; because all the mercy that God can show to mankind, all that his omnipotent love can do for them, is done and offered to them in, and through the redemption of Jesus Christ

[Reg-26] If either devils, or lost souls could possibly be annihilated, neither of them would by the goodness of God, be suffered to exist in misery, for misery's sake. But a man may as well expect that his soul shall be annihilated through the goodness of God, though annihilation is impossible, and what cannot be done, as to expect to be saved through the divine goodness, without the mediation of the Son of God, when the birth of the Son of God in the soul, is the one only salvation, that the omnipotence of God can bestow upon him

[Reg-27] Therefore to choose or rely upon some other goodness of God besides that, which he has offered to us in Jesus Christ, is the most dreadful mistake that can befall any man, and must, if persevered in, leave him out of the possibility of any kind, or degree of salvation. For as the Son of God is the brightness and glory of the Father, so no soul made in the likeness of God is capable of any degree of brightness and glory, but so far as the birth of the Son of God is in it; therefore to reject this birth, to refuse this method of redemption, is to reject all the goodness, that the divine nature itself hath for us

[Reg-28] (14.) But to return. I have shown in few words the original dignity and glory of man's creation and state in paradise, and the lamentable change, that the fall has brought upon him

[Reg-29] From a divine and heavenly creature, he is so wretchedly changed, as to have inwardly the nature, and dark fire of the devils, and outwardly the nature of all the beasts, a slave of this outward world, living at all uncertainties, amongst the pains, fears, sorrows, and diseases, till his body is forced to be removed from our sight, and hid in the earth

[Reg-30] Now from this short view of what man is fallen from, and what he is fallen into, we may see at once in the strongest light the divine excellency and absolute necessity of those doctrines of our blessed Lord, calling us to all kinds of renouncing the world, to so many ways of denying all the passions and inclinations of flesh and blood

[Reg-31] Were the world, as it now is, and we, as we now are, in the very first state in which God made it and us, there would be some foundation for saying, as some do, "What are all these things for, if they are not to be enjoyed? Why have we these passions and inclinations, if they may not be gratified?" But all these questions are fully answered, as soon as it is known, that the first state of things is quite altered; that we were not created to be in this world in the manner we are now in it; that paradise was our first state, where we should have stood in divine strength and ability, insensible of any evil from outward nature; that sin destroyed this first state of things, destroyed the divine life in the soul, and removed paradise from off the earth; that man, cast out of paradise, came as a malefactor into this outward world, to be punished and scourged by all its divided, warring elements; that by his falling into this world, it got the same power over him, as over the beasts, that are its proper inhabitants, and of the same nature with itself; that thus fallen under its dominion, it continually breathes its own corrupt nature into him, feeds him with such husks as the swine eat, and proposes such pleasures to him, as make him unwilling, and unable to regain his first divine life

[Reg-32] Now, as soon as this is known to be the condition of man, thus fallen from a divine life under the dominion of this world, then all the renouncing, self-denying doctrines of the gospel, appear to have the utmost reason and necessity in them; then it appears to be as much our happiness, to deny the tempers and inclinations of this earthly nature, and to be delivered from the power of its pleasures over us, as to be delivered from the power of death and hell

[Reg-33] And the most sober reason thus acquainted with the nature of our fall, must be forced to consider this world as having merely the nature of an hospital, where people only are, because they are distempered, and where no happiness is sought for, but that of being healed, and made fit to leave it

[Reg-34] (15.) To proceed: that I have not stated man's first dignity too high, is evidently plain from the scripture account of it. It is a fundamental truth of our religion, that he was created in paradise for a life suitable to it. But paradise is a divine habitation, still existing where it was at the first, though not visible to eyes which see only by the light of the sun, and is the habitation of such as have attained their first paradisaical nature; it was in this paradise, that our savior, through a miracle of love, promised to be with the thief on the cross

[Reg-35] It is also a fundamental truth of scripture, that man was created to be immortal, incapable of death, and of everything that had any likeness to it, so long as he continued in the perfection of his state. That it was sin alone which brought sorrow, pain, evil, distress, sickness and death upon him

[Reg-36] But if this be a truth that cannot be denied, then it must be equally true, that before he sinned, he must have stood in such a paradise, as kept everything in the outward world entirely under him, so that neither fire nor water, nor any other element, could have the least power over him. But if fire, the fiercest of the elements, had not the least power of touching his body in any hurtful manner, or of causing any pain to it; then it must be granted, that paradise covered, and governed the power of all the elements of this outward world; that man lived in it as an absolute Lord over it; and therefore it undeniably follows that the manner, in which he now is under the power of the elements, capable of receiving pain and evil from them, is a state that he was not in, till sin took paradise from him, and left him in the same poor condition, that we now are in, capable of receiving pain and death, from almost everything that is about us

[Reg-37] That man in paradise lived in this world insensible, and also incapable of any evil from it, superior to all its elements, is plain from the tree of knowledge of good and evil

[Reg-38] For how could it be more plainly told us, that outward things, the stars and elements could not affect his state, or make any impression upon him, than by telling us, that he had no knowledge of good and evil in this world, till he had eaten of that tree? Is not this directly telling us, that before such eating, he was above the nature of this world, that it had not power to operate upon him, or give him any sense or feeling, of what there was of good or evil in it

[Reg-39] Now that he was created to be, and to continue thus a lord over all temporal nature, superior to all the influences and effects of the stars and elements, is also plain from the prohibition given him, not to eat of this tree of knowledge

[Reg-40] But he was not content with this happy superiority above the evil and good of outward nature. His imagination, helped on by the devil, longed to look into, to know and feel the secret working powers of that outward nature, which it was his happiness, and paradise to be insensible of

[Reg-41] When God forbade his eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, it was the same thing as if he had said, Fall not into the outward world, under the dominion of its stars and elements, but keep thy state in paradise

[Reg-42] When man disobeyed God, and took the fruit of the tree into his body, which brought the nature and power of the stars and elements into it; this is not to be considered, as that single act of eating, but it signifies as much as if he had said; By eating this fruit, I desire to come within the influences of the stars and elements, and to be made sensible, and feeling of the good and evil that is in them

[Reg-43] Therefore, small as the action seems to be at the first view, and of a very limited nature, it was his refusing to be that, which God created him to be; it was his express, open, voluntary act and deed, by which he chose to fall into this outward world, in the manner we now are in it

[Reg-44] Therefore it was not the mere eating of a fruit, that brought Adam's misery upon him, but it was the eating a fruit, as his chosen means of entering into this world

[Reg-45] God himself was not angry at all, or at a small act of eating a fruit, and so in anger turned man out of paradise, into a world cursed for that sin. But man freely and voluntarily chose, against the will, and command of God, to be in the world in its cursed state, unblessed by paradise; for he chose to enter into a sensibility and feeling of its good and evil, which is directly choosing to be, where paradise is not; for nothing that is in paradise, can be touched, or hurt by anything of the outward world. Therefore the first state of man was a state of such glory, and heavenly prerogatives, as I have above related; and his fall, was a fall into, or under the power of this outward world

[Reg-46] (16.) If it be also further asked, What sufficient proof there is, first, that the likeness and image of God, in which man was created, signified thus much, that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, each brought forth their own nature in him, and in him saw themselves in a creaturely manner? And then, secondly, that by the first sin, this birth of the Son of God, and proceeding of the Holy Ghost was extinguished and lost in the soul of man? It may be answered, that these great truths stand attested by undeniable evidence of scripture

[Reg-47] First, from the means and manner of our redemption. For there is nothing that can so fully, and justly show us the true nature of our fall, as the nature and manner of our redemption. And it seems highly suitable to the wisdom of God to let the first, be but in part discovered, till the latter showed and proved itself in an undeniable manner. And this, no doubt, is the reason why Moses is suffered to write no more of the nature of the fall of man, or what it implied, than he has done. Because the time for a plain insight into that matter, was not then come, and it was to lie as much a secret, as to the true nature of it, as the nature and manner of our redemption then did; which was then only obscurely declared, by an enmity between the seed of the woman, and the seed of the serpent

[Reg-48] But when the seed of the woman showed itself to be the Son of God, the second person of the holy Trinity, united to our human nature; then the nature of our fall, and what we fell from, and what was the seed of the serpent in us, manifested themselves in the same degree of certainty. And therefore it is very unreasonable to hold, that we ought to say no more of our first state before the fall, of its dignity and perfection, and what was lost by the fall, than what is openly and expressly declared by Moses. For as it seemed good to the divine wisdom to conceal the mystery of our redemption and salvation for many ages, and to let Moses only discover it under a declaration of a serpent-destroyer; so there was a fitness, and even necessity, that the nature and degree of our fall should be kept in the same degree of secrecy, then only to be discovered with a sufficient degree of plainness and certainty, when our redemption and salvation came plainly to be laid open. The religion of the Jews was suited to that state of things and times in which they lived; neither the mysteries of the creation, nor redemption, were then discovered; things past, and things to come, had then only their figures, shadows, and types

[Reg-49] But when the Son of God became incarnate, and showed forth in the plainest manner, the nature, manner, and necessity of our redemption through his blood, and a life received from him, then the nature and degree of our fall became equally plain and manifest; and everything that he has told us of the nature and necessity of a new or second birth from him, was so much told us of our first birth in paradise

[Reg-50] For the nature and greatness of our redemption, must show the nature and greatness of our fall. These things have such a necessary correspondence, as cannot be denied, but by a mind utterly indisposed to receive conviction

[Reg-51] If our redemption proposed to restore to us a divine sight, would not this be a sufficient proof, that by the fall we had lost some divine manner of seeing? So, if God himself takes our nature upon him to redeem us, and it be declared that nothing, but this uniting the divine nature to the human, can be our redemption, can we want a proof, that the divine nature existed in some manner in us, before the fall

[Reg-52] Now it is a plain, manifest doctrine of the holy scriptures, that man by the fall is in such a condition, that there was no help or remedy for him, either in the height above, or in the depth below, but by the Son of God's becoming incarnate, taking the fallen nature upon him. If this alone could be the remedy, does not this enough show us the disease? Does not this speak plainly enough, what it was that man had lost by his fall, namely, the birth of the Son of God in his soul; and therefore it was, that only the Son of God in so mysterious a manner, could be his redeemer

[Reg-53] If he had lost less, a less power could have redeemed him. If he had lost something else, the restoration of that something, would have been his redemption