Doctrine of RegenerationThomas Boston
1. The Nature of Regeneration.
Many call the church their mother, whom God will not own to be His children.
Song of Solomon 1:6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children [false brethren] were angry with me; they made me thekeeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.
All that are baptized are not born again. Simon was baptized yet still
"in the gall of bitterness, and in the blond of iniquity"
(Acts 8: 13, 23).
Good education is not regeneration. Education may chain up men's lusts but cannotchange their heart. A wolf is still a ravenous beast, though it is in chains. Joash was verydevout during the life of his good tutor Jehoiada; but afterwards he quickly showed whatspirit he was of, by his sudden apostasy (2 Chron. 24:2-18).
A turning from open profanity, to civility and seriousness of mind, falls short of thissaving change. Some people are, for a little while, very loose, especially in their youngeryears, but at length they reform, and leave their profane course. But their righteousness isshort of the glory or God nor does it exceed the righteousness of the scribes andPharisees.
One may engage in all the outward duties of religion, and yet not be born again. Thoughlead maybe cast into various shapes, it remains but a base metal. Men may escape thepollutions of the world, and yet be but dogs and swine.
2 Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through theknowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, toturn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto themaccording to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Religious hypocrites may counterfeit all the graces of the Holy Spirit for we read of theneed for
'true holiness'
(Eph. 4:24) and a
'faith unfeigned'
(1 Tim. 1:5).
Individuals may advance to a great deal of strictness in their own way of religion, and yetbe strangers to the new birth.
Acts 26:5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
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