The Fourfold State of Human Nature: Grace (State 3)

July 28, 2025/BCL/
Photo Credit: Ron and Patty Thomas / iStock.com

Photo Credit: Ron and Patty Thomas / iStock.com

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

Editor’s note: This is part three of a four-part series introducing Scottish theologian Thomas Boston’s book, The Fourfold State of Human Nature. (Click here to read part one on the state of innocence, and click here to read part two on the state of entire depravity.)

Thomas Boston (1676-1732) was a minister and theologian in the Church of Scotland, whose preaching and writings continue to encourage Christians around the world to this day. His book, Human Nature in Its Fourfold State, was second in popularity only to the Bible in Scotland in the eighteenth century. Such an influential book should not be overlooked by Christians today, as Boston has much to teach us about God’s redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation.

The book is divided into four main parts, covering creation, the fall of man, redemption in Christ, and the consummation of the kingdom of God. Boston writes,

There are four things very necessary to be known by all that would see Heaven: First, What Man was in the state of innocence, as GOD made him. Secondly, What he is in the state of corrupt nature, as he hath unmade himself. Thirdly, What he must be in the state of grace, as created in Christ Jesus unto good works, if ever he be made a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light And, Lastly, What he shall be in his eternal state, as made by the Judge of all, either perfectly happy, or compleatly miserable, and that forever. These are weighty points, that touch the vitals of practical godliness, from which most men, and even many professors, in these dregs of time, are quite estranged. I design therefore, under the divine conduct, to open up these things, and apply them.[1]

Here is a brief introduction of the third state of man, grace, in Boston’s own words. All quotations are from the uncopyrighted version in the University of Michigan Digital Collection (readers can also purchase the book online or access the book for free at Christianebooks.com):

3. The State of Grace; or Begun Recovery:

A person must be born again to be in the state of grace.

All men in the state of grace are born again. All gracious persons, namely, such as are in a state of favour with God, and endued with gracious qualities and dispositions, are regenerate persons. (p. 130)

Being born again is to be supernaturally regenerated by the Holy Spirit to be a new creation in Christ.

…regeneration is a real thorough change, whereby the man is made a new creature, 2 Cor. v. 17. The Lord God makes the creature a new creature, as the goldsmith melts down the vessel of dishonour and makes it a vessel of honor. Man is, in respect of his natural state, altogether disjointed by the fall; every faculty of the soul is, as it were, dislocate: in regeneration the Lord looseth every joint, and sets it right again. (p. 132)

Regeneration is a universal change that restores the image of God in a person.

Every thing that generates, generates its like: the child bears the image of the parent; and they that are born of God, bear God’s image. Man aspiring to be as God, made himself like the devil. In his natural state he resembles the devil, as a child doth the father, John viii 44. Ye are of your father the devil. But when this happy change comes, the image of Satan is defaced, and the image of God restored. Christ himself, who is the brightness of his Father’s glory, is the pattern, after which the new creature is made, Rom. viii 29. (p. 133)

In the state of grace a person finds his or her eternal rest in God.

This illumination in the knowledge of Christ, convincingly discovereth to men a fullness in him, sufficient for the supply of all their wants; enough to satisfy the boundless desires of an immortal soul. They are persuaded such fullness is in him, and that in order to be communicate: they depend upon it, as a certain truth; and therefore their souls take up their eternal rest in him. (p. 135)

Those who are regenerated are “enlightened in the knowledge of spiritual things.”

Tho’ men be not book-learned, if they be born again, they are Spirit-learned; for all such are taught of God, John vi. 45. The Spirit of regeneration teacheth them what they knew not before; and what they did know, as by the ear only, he teacheth them over again as by the eye. The light of grace is an overcoming light, determining men to assent to divine truths on the mere testimony of God. (p. 136)

Those who are regenerated now have wills that are drawn from evil to good.

The will is cured of its utter inability to will what is good. While the opening of the prison to them that are bound is proclaimed in the gospel: The Spirit of God comes to the prison door, opens it, goe to the prisoner; and by the power of his grace makes his chains fall off; breaks the bond of iniquity, wherewith he was held in sin, so as he could neither will nor do any thing truly good; brings him forth into a large place, Working in him both to will and to do, of his good pleasure, Phil ii. 13. Then it is that the soul, that was fixed to the earth, can move heavenward; the withered hand is restored, and can be stretched out. (p. 137)

In the state of grace the sinner now has a renewed will through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit and is eager to receive Christ as his or her Savior.

Now, the mind being savingly enlightened, and the will renewed; the sinner is thereby determined and enabled to answer the gospel-call. So the main work in regeneration is done; the fort of the heart is taken: there is room made for the Lord Jesus Christ, in the inner-most parts of the soul; the outer-door of the will being now opened to him, as well as the inner-door of the understanding. In one word, Christ is passively received into the heart; he is come into the soul by his quickening spirit, whereby spiritual life is given to the man, who in himself was dead to sin. (p. 139)

Those who are regenerated desire to be holy and find their happiness in the beauty of Christ.

This change rectifies the affections, placing them on suitable objects, 2 Thess. iii. 5. The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God. The regenerate man’s desires are rectified; they are set on God himself, and the things above. He who before, cried with the world, Who will shew us any good? he changes his note, and says, Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, Psal. iv. Sometimes he saw no beauty in Christ, for which he was to be desired; but now he is all desires, he is altogether lovely, Cant. v. 16. The main stream of his desires is turned to run towards God: for there is the one thing he desireth, Psal. xxvii. 4. He desires to be holy, as well as to be happy; and rather to be gracious than great. His hopes, which before were low, and staked down to things on earth, are now raised, and set on the glory which is to be revealed. He entertains the hope of eternal life, founded on the word of promise, Tit. i. 2. (p. 139)

In the state of grace, the renewed person desires the company of the saints.

Tho’ sometime he despised the company of the saints, now they are the excellent in whom is all his delight, Psal. xvi. 3. I am a companion of all that fear thee, saith the royal Psalmist, Psal. cxix. 63. A renewed man joins himself with the saints: for he and they are like minded, in that which is their main work and business; they have all one new nature; they are traveling to Immanuel‘s land, and converse together in the language of Canaan. (p. 143)

Those in the state of grace care about the advancement of God’s kingdom and desire to share the gospel with others.

They have a special concern for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ in the world: they espouse the interests of religion, and prefer Jerusalem above their chief joy, Psal. cxxxvii 6. How privately soever they live, grace makes them of a public spirit, which will concern itself in the ark and work of God; in the gospel of God; and in the people of God; even these of them whom they never saw in the face. As children of God, they naturally care for these things. They have a new and unwonted concern for the spiritual good of others. And no sooner do they taste of the power of grace themselves, but they are inclined to set up to be agents for Christ and holiness, in this world; as appears in the case of the woman of Samaria, who, when Christ had manifested himself to her, went her way into the city, and saith unto the men, Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did! Is not this the Christ? John iv. 28, 29. (p. 144)

Entering the state of grace is entirely due to the work of God and nothings of ourselves.

As the child is merely passive in generation, so is the child of God in regeneration. The one contributes nothing to its own generation; neither does the other contribute any thing, by way of efficiency, to its own regeneration: for tho’ a man may lay himself down at the pool: yet he hath no hand in moving of the water, no efficacy in performing of the cure. One is born the child of a king, another the child of a beggar: the child has no hand at all in this difference. God leaves some in their depraved state; others he brings into a state of grace or regeneracy. If thou be thus honoured, no thanks to thee; for who maketh thee to differ from another? 1 Cor. iv. 7. (p. 146)

Those in the state of grace can be reassured of their status by examining their own heart.

These things should indeed stir us up a most serious and impartial examination of ourselves; but ought not to keep us in a continued suspense as to our state. Sirs, ye see the outside of hypocrites, their duties, their gifts, their tears, &c. but ye see not their inside; ye do not discern their hearts, the bias of their spirits. Upon what ye see of them, ye found a judgment of charity, as to their state; and ye do well to judge charitably in such a case, because ye cannot know the secret springs of their actings: But ye are speaking, and ought to have a judgment of certainty, as to your own state; and therefore are to look in to that part of religion, which none in the world but yourselves can discern in you; and which ye can as little see in others. (p. 154)

There is no admittance to heaven without regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

Regeneration is absolutely necessary to your being admitted into heaven, John iii. 3. No heaven without it Tho’ carnal men could digest all these things, which make heaven so unsuitable for them; yet God will never suffer them to come thither Therefore born again ye must be: else ye shall never see heaven, ye shall perish eternally. For, (1.) There is a bill of exclusion against you in the court of heaven, and against all your sort: Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, John iii. 3. Here is a bar before you, that men and angels cannot remove. And to hope for heaven, over the belly of this peremptory sentence, is to hope that God will recall his word, and sacrifice his truth and faithfulness to your safety; which is infinitely more than to hope the earth shall be forsaken for you, and the rock removed out of his place (2) There is no holiness without regeneration. It is the new man, which is created in true holiness, Eph. iv. 24. And no heaven without holiness; for without holiness no man shall see the Lord, Heb. xii. 14. (p. 161)

In the state of grace believers are in union with Christ.

It is a most close and intimate union. Believers, regenerate persons, who fiduciously credit him and rely on him, have put on Christ, Gal. iii 27. If that be not enough, he is in them, John xvii. 23. formed in them, as the child in the mother’s belly, Gal. iv. 19. He is the foundation, 1Cor iii 11. They are the lively stones built upon him, 1 Pet ii. 5. He is the Head, and they the body, Eph. i. 22, 23. Nay, he liveth in them, as their very souls in their bodies, Gal. ii. 30. And, what is more than all this, they are one in the Father, and the Son, as the Father is in Christ, and Christ in the Father, John xvii 21. That they all may be one, as thou the Father art in me, and I in thee, they also may be one in us. (p. 166)

Everyone who is regenerated to new life in Christ in under the covenant of grace and can never lose their status as God’s child.

God’s covenant is everlasting: once in, never out of it again; and the mercies of it are sure mercies, Isa. lv. 3….God’s covenant is a filial covenant, in which the sinner takes Christ, and his salvation freely offered, and so becomes a son, John i. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God: and being become a son, he serves his Father, not that inheritance may become his, but because it is his, through Jesus Christ. (p. 180)

Readers can purchase Boston’s The Fourfold State of Human Nature online or access the book for free at Christianebooks.com)

Related Articles:

Notes:

[1] All quotations from Thomas Boston’s Human Nature in Its Fourfold State are sourced from the University of Michigan Digital Collection; some minor updates in spelling have been made to modernize the text from the original version.