Christian Regeneration or the New –Birth

Wm. Law

Our whole Christian faith stands upon these two great pillars, namely, the Greatness of our Fall, and the Greatness of our Redemption. In the full and true knowledge of these truths, lie all the reasons of a deep Humility, penitence, and Self-denial and also all the motives and incitements to a most hearty, sincere, and conversion to God. And everyone is necessarily more or less of a true Penitent, and truly converted to God, according as he is deeply, and inwardly sensible of these truths.

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And until these two great truths, have awakened, and opened our minds for the full reception of the divine light, all reformation and pretense to amendment, is but a dead and superficial thing, a mere Garment of Hypocrisy, to hide us from ourselves, and others.

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Nothing can truly awaken a sinner, but a true sense, of the deep inward possession and power that sin has in him. When he sees, that sin begins with his being, that it rises up in the essences of his nature, and lives in the first forms of his life and that he lies thus chained, and barred up in the very Jaws of death and Hell, as unable to alter his own state, as to create another creature; when along with this knowledge he sees that the free grace of God, has provided him a remedy equal to his distress, that he has given him the holy blood and life of Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, to enter as deep into his soul, as sin has entered, to change the first forms, and essences of his life, and bring forth in them a new Birth of a divine Nature, which is to be an immortal image of the Holy Trinity, everlastingly safe, blessed, and enriched in the Bosom of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; when a man once truly knows, and feels these two truths, he may be said, truly to know, and feel so much of the Power of Christ brought to Life in him. And there seems to be no more, that you need to be outward for him. The voice of his inward teacher is so ever speaking, so ever heard, and loved with him, that you can say nothing to outwardly of any humility, penitence, or self-abasement, but what is less, than his own wounded heart suggests to him. Humility can only be feigned or false, before this conviction. He can now, no more take any degree of Good to himself, than assume any share in the creation of angels; and all pride or self-esteem of any kind, seems to him to contain as great a lie in it, as if he was to say, that he helped to create himself.

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