1 Peter 1:23
Being born again not of corruptible seed: but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever.
The two things that make up the Apostle's exhortation are the very sum of a Christian's duty to walk as obedient children towards God, and loving brethren one towards another: and that it may yet have the deeper impression he here represents to them anew, that new birth he mentioned before, by which they are the children of God, and so brethren.
We shall first speak of this regeneration, and then of the seed. This is the great dignity of believers, that they are the sons of God (John 1:12), and the great evidence of the love of God, that he has bestowed this dignity on them (1 John 3:1). For they are no way needful to him — he had from eternity a Son perfectly like himself, the character of his person, and one Spirit proceeding from both, and there is no creation, neither the first, nor the second, can add anything to those, and their happiness — 'tis most true of that blessed Trinity. Satis amplum alter alteri Theatrum sumus. But the gracious purpose of God, to impart his goodness appears in this, that he has made himself such a multitude of sons, not only angels, that are so called, but man, a little lower than they in nature — yet dignified with this name in his creation (Luke 3:38): which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. He had not only the impression of God's footsteps (as they speak) which all the creatures have, but of his image; and most of all in this is his rich grace magnified, that sin having defaced that image, and so degraded man from his honor, and divested him of that title of sonship, and stamped our polluted nature with the marks of vileness and bondage, yea, with the very image of Satan, rebellion, and enmity against God — that out of mankind thus ruined, and degenerated, God should raise to himself a new race and generation of sons.
For this design was the Word made flesh (John 1) — the Son made man, to make men the sons of God — and 'tis by him alone we are restored to this; they that receive him, receive with him, and in him, this privilege (verse 12). And therefore 'tis a sonship by adoption, and is so called in scripture, in difference from his eternal and ineffable generation, who is, and that was the only begotten Son of God; yet that we may know that this divine adoption is not a mere outward relative name, as that of men — the sonship of the saints is here, and often elsewhere in scripture expressed by new generation, and new birth. They are begotten of God (John 1:13; 1 John 2:29). There is a new being, a spiritual life communicated to them; they have in them of their Father's spirit, and this is derived to them through Christ, and therefore called his spirit (Galatians 4:6). They are not only accounted of the family of God by adoption, but by this new birth they are indeed his children, partakers of the divine nature, as our Apostle expresses it.
Now though it be easy to speak and hear the words of this doctrine, yet the truth itself that is in it is so high and mysterious, that it is altogether impossible without a portion of this new nature to conceive of it. Corrupt nature cannot understand it — what wonder that there is nothing of it in the subtlest schools of philosophers, when a very doctor in Israel mistook it grossly (John 3). It is indeed a great mystery, and he that was the sublimest of all the evangelists, and therefore called the Divine, the soaring eagle (as they compare him) — he is more abundant in this subject than the rest.
And the most profitable way of considering this regeneration and sonship is certainly to follow the light of those holy writings, and not to jangle in disputes about the order and manner of it — of which though somewhat may be profitably said, and safely, namely, so much as the scripture speaks, yet much that is spoken of it and debated by many is but a useless expense of time and pains. What those previous dispositions are and how far they go, and where is the boundary, or point of difference between them and the infusion of spiritual life, I conceive not so easily determinable.
If naturalists and physicians cannot agree upon the order of [reconstructed: formation] of the body's parts in the womb, how much less can we be peremptory in the other — if there be so many wonders (as indeed there be) in the natural structure and frame of man, how much richer in wonders must this divine and supernatural generation be; see how David speaks of the former (Psalm 14:15). Things spiritual being more refined than material things, their workmanship must be far more wonderful and curious. But then it must be with a spiritual eye. There is an unspeakable luster and beauty of the new creature, by the mixture of all divine graces, each setting off another, as so many rich several colors in embroidery, but who can trace that invisible hand that works it, so as to determine of the order, and to say which was first, which second, and so on — whether faith, or repentance, and all graces, etc. This is certain, that these and all graces do inseparably make up the same work, and are all in the new formation of every soul that is born again.
If the ways of God's universal providence be untraceable, then most of all the workings of his grace in a secret unperceivable way in this new birth: he gives this spiritual being as the dew which is silently and insensibly formed, and this generation of the sons of God compared to it by the Psalmist — they have this original from heaven as the dew (John 3:3); except a man be born from above, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And 'tis the peculiar work of the Spirit of God as he himself speaks of the dew to Job (Job 38:28): has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of the dew. The sharpest wits are to seek in the knowledge and discovery of it, as Job speaks of a way that no fowl knows, and which the vulture's eye has not seen (Job 28:7).
To contest much how in this regeneration he works upon the will, and renews it, is to little purpose, providing this be granted, that it is in his power to regenerate and renew a man at his pleasure. And how is it possible not to grant this? Unless we will run into that error to think that God has made a creature too hard for himself to rule, or has willingly exempted it — and shall the works of the Almighty, and of all others, especially this work wherein he glories most, fail in his hand, and remain imperfect? Shall there be any abortive births of which God is the father? Shall I bring to the birth (says he) and not cause to bring forth? No, no sinner so dead but there is virtue in his hand to revive out of the very stones. Though the most impenitent hearts are as stones within them, yet he can make of them children to Abraham; he can dig out the heart of stone, and put a heart of flesh in its place — otherwise he would not have made such a promise. (John 1:13) Not of flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. If his sovereign will is not a sufficient principle of this regeneration, why then says the Apostle, Saint James, "Of his own will he begot us," and he adds the subordinate cause, "by the word of truth," which is here called the immortal seed of this new birth.
Therefore it is that the Lord has appointed the continuance of the ministry of this word, to the end that his Church may be still fruitful, bringing forth sons to him. That the assemblies of his people may be like flocks of sheep coming up from the washing, none barren among them.
Though the ministers of this word, by reason of their employment in dispensing it, have by the Scriptures the relation of parents imparted to them, which is an exceeding great dignity for them as they are called co-workers with God. And the same Apostle that writes so calls the Galatians his little children, of whom he labored in birth again till Christ were formed in them. And the ministers of God have often very much pain in this travail, yet the privilege of the Father of spirits remains untouched, which is effectually to beget again these same spirits which he creates, and to make that seed of the word fruitful that way, where, and when he will. The preacher of the word, be he never so powerful, can cast this seed only into the ear; his hand reaches no further, and the hearer by his attention may convey it into his head, but it is the Supreme Father, and teacher above, that carries it into the heart, the only soil wherein it proves living and fruitful. One man cannot reach the heart of another — how should he then renew its fruitfulness? If natural births have been always acknowledged to belong to God's prerogative, (Psalm 127:3) "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward," and so Jacob answered wisely to his wife's foolish passion, "Am I in God's stead?" — how much more is this new birth wholly dependent on his hand.
But though this word cannot beget without him, yet it is by this word that he begets, and ordinarily not without it. It is true that the substantial eternal word is to us (as we said) the spring of this new birth and life, the head from whom the spirits of this supernatural life flow, but that by the word here is meant the Gospel, the Apostle puts out of doubt: "Verse last, and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached to you." Therefore it is indeed that this word is thus the seed of this new birth, because it contains and declares that other word, the Son of God as our life. The word is spoken in common, and so is the same to all hearers, but then all being naturally shut against it, God does by his own hand open some hearts to receive it, and mixes it with faith, and those it renews, and restores in them the image of God, draws the traits of it anew, and makes them the sons of God. "My doctrine shall drop as the dew," says Moses — the word as a heavenly dew not falling beside, but dropped into the heart by the hand of God's own Spirit, makes it all become spiritual and heavenly, and turns it into one of those drops of dew that the children of God are compared to. (Psalm 110) You have the dew of your youth.
The natural estate of the soul is darkness, and the word as a divine light shining into it transforms the soul into its own nature; that as the word is called light, so is the soul renewed by it — "you were darkness, but now are you," not only enlightened, but "light in the Lord." All the evils of the natural mind are often comprised under the name of darkness and error, and therefore the whole work of conversion likewise signified by light and truth: "he begot us by the word of truth." So (2 Corinthians 4:6), alluding to the first fiat Lux, or "Let there be Light," in the creation: the word brought within the soul by the Spirit lets it see its own necessity, and Christ's sufficiency, convinces it thoroughly, and causes it to cast over itself upon him for life, and this is the very begetting of it again to eternal life.
So that this efficacy of the word to prove successful seed, does not hang upon the different abilities of preachers, their more or less rhetoric, or learning. 'Tis true eloquence has a great advantage in civil, and moral things to persuade, and to draw the hearers by the ears, almost which way it will: but in this spiritual work to revive a soul, to beget it anew, the influence of heaven is the main, there is no way so common and plain (being warranted by God in the delivery of saving truth) but the Spirit of God can revive the soul by it, and all the skillful, and most authoritative way, yea, being withal very spiritual, yet may effect nothing, because left alone to itself. One word of holy Scripture, or of truth conforming to it, may be the principle of regeneration to him that has heard multitudes of excellent sermons, and has often read the whole Bible, and still unchanged, if the Spirit of God preach that one or any such word to the soul, 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever should believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' It will be cast down with the fear of perishing, and driven out of itself by that, and raised up and drawn to Jesus Christ by the hope of everlasting life, it will believe on him, that it may have life, and be inflamed with the love of God, and give itself to him, that so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son to purchase us that everlasting life. Thus may that word prove this immortal seed, which though very often read and heard before, was but a dead letter: a drop of those liquors that are called spirits operates more than large drafts of other waters; one word spoken by the Lord to the heart, is all spirit, and does that which whole streams of man's eloquence could never effect.
In hearing of the Word, men look usually too much upon men, and forget from what spring the Word has its power, they observe too narrowly the different hand of the sowers, and too little depend on his hand that is great Lord both of seedtime and harvest. Be it sown by a weak hand, or a stronger, the immortal seed is still the same, yea, suppose the worst that it be a foul hand that sows it, that the preacher himself be not so sanctified, and of so edifying a life as you would wish, yet the seed itself being good contracts no defilement, and may be effectual to regeneration in some, and strengthening of others. Although he that is not renewed by it himself, cannot have much hope of such success nor reap much comfort by it, and usually does not seek nor regard it much; but all instruments are alike in an almighty hand.
Hence learn. 1. That true conversion is not so slight a work, as we commonly account it. 'Tis not an outward change of some bad customs, which gains the name of a reformed man in the ordinary dialect, 'tis a new birth, and being, and elsewhere called a new creation, though it be but a change in qualities as 'tis such a one, and the qualities so far distant that it bears the name of the most substantial productions, from children of disobedience, and that which is linked with it, heirs of wrath, to be sons of God and heirs of glory. They have a new spirit given, a free princely noble spirit, as the word is (Psalm 51), and this spirit acts in their life and action.
2. Consider this dignity, and be kindled with the ambition of it, how does a Christian pity that poor vanity that men make so much noise about, of their kindred, and extraction; this is worth glorying in indeed, to be of the highest blood royal and in the nearest relation, sons of the King of Kings by this new birth, and adds matchless honor to that birth which is honorable.
But we all pretend to be of this number. Would we not study to cozen ourselves, the discovery would not be so hard to know whether we are or not.
In many their false confidence is too evident: no appearance of the Spirit of God, not a footstep like his leading, and that character (Romans 8:14) not a lineament of God's visage, as their father, 'if you know that he is righteous,' (says Saint John (1 John 2:29)) 'you know then that every one that does righteousness is born of him.' And so on the contrary, how contrary to the most holy God the lover and fountain of holiness are they, that swinishly love to wallow in the mire of unholiness. Is swearing and cursing the accent of the regenerate, the children of God? No, 'tis the language of hell. Do children delight to dishonor and disgrace their father's name? No, earthly mindedness is a countersign. Shall the king's children, they that were brought up in scarlet (as Jeremiah laments) embrace the dunghill? Princes by their high birth and education have usually their hearts filled with far higher thoughts than mean persons, the children of the poorer sort being pinched that way, their greatest thoughts as they grow up, are ordinarily how they shall shift to live, how they shall get bread, but princes think either of the conquest, or governing of kingdoms. Are you not born to a better inheritance, (if indeed born again) why then do you vilify yourselves? Why not more in prayer? No dumb children among those that are born of God? They have all that spirit of prayer by which they not only speak, but cry Abba Father.
2. The most part of us esteem the preaching of the Word, as an evanishing discourse, that amuses us for an hour, we look for no more, and therefore we find no more, we receive it not as the immortal seed of our regeneration, as the ingrafted Word that is able to save our souls. Oh! learn to reverence this holy, and happy ordinance of God, this word of life, and know that they that are not regenerated, and so saved by it, shall be judged by it.
Not of corruptible seed] It is a main cause of the unsuitable, and unworthy behavior of Christians (those that profess themselves such) that a great part of them either do not know, or at least do not seriously, and frequently consider what is indeed the estate and quality of a Christian, how excellent and of what descent their new nature is, therefore they are often to be remembered of this. Our Apostle here does so, and by it binds on all his exhortations.
Of this new being we have here these two things. 1. Its high original from God, begotten again of his word. 2. That which so much commends good things, its duration, and this follows of the other — for if the principle of this life be incorruptible, it itself must be so too. The word of God is not only a living and ever abiding word in itself; but likewise in reference to this new birth, and spiritual life of a Christian, and so it is here intended that is spoken of it, and therefore called not only an abiding word, but incorruptible seed, which expressly relates to regeneration. And because we are most sensible of the good and evil of things by comparison, the everlastingness of the word and that spiritual life which it begets is set off by the frailty, and shortness of natural life, and all the good that concerns it. This he expresses in the words of Isaiah in the next verse.
