!; ;'l~ ' 6"" ,The New-Birth. ' ., - - - - • < 473 made rhe ChiLdrrn of God, <lnd bro-Jght. wirhiQ" _rfle_~Bol'i_~ of rh~ Covenant; bur all this is bllt ~frer an external man_n~r, as bcmg m tfu~ Ordinance cnrred •MembeTS; of the vifible Church: NowrliiS external Regeneration by Water, en-· tides none to erern::~l ,Life · Out as the Spirit moves upon the Face of rhefc Wa'- 1 rers, and doth fomerim~s fuc retly convey quickning Verr~e thorough them. ~ • · Why aow, if you take this bemg born ofW~ter t~ figmfie ext.~rnal Regeneration in the Ordinance of Bapti[m, the Que{bon will be, How I t can be vcd- ~ed that witHout this none can enter into the kingdom-ofGod? It was a Miftake of f~rne of the F~rhers, and among rhcm Sr. Aujfin, who excluded all, borh In- ,fanrs and Adulr,out ofHeave:n, that died without Baptifm, a!rho' by' no Default Of their own, bur by an infuperable Ncccfficy, unle~ they were fuch as died , Martyrs, their being baptiz'd with their oW~ Blo~d~ as S_t. Auftin fpcaks, fcrYing them inftead of Bnpti[m by W:.uer; bur this Opmwn 1s unwarrancabl e, and con~rary to the moft received JuClgmcnt of the Church in the Primitivt Timts, who if they had thought this Bapti{mal Rtgeneration wa s indif[>enfibly ncceffary to Salvacion, would not cerrainly have fiinced and confined the Admini(hati.. on of it only to two times of the Year, Eajler and Pen:uo{!, thcr~by to bring upon themfelves the Dlood of thei r So!lls, that fhould in that Interim have died without Baptifm; therefore char Opinion was rather private, "than che publick Juclgmcmofthe Church, though learned Men were of it. . Therefore, if you will under!tand Bapti{m by being bornofWarer 1 ifir berrue What~; that J,.lQnC are fa ved that are not born of Warer; we muft difiinguifh of being b;~;;;,n unavoidably and inevirablydep riv'd of thcOpporcuniry of Bapti{m, and a wil,.; ofwaur. ful Contempt of it; and in this hmer Scnfe muft our Saviour's Affercion ·be underfi:ood,He char contemns being born by Bapti{m, and out of eh !:le Concern pc . ~nally neglects being baptized, he !hall never enter into chc Kingdom of God; but for others, whom not Comempt, buc Neceilicy, 'deprives of this Ord inance -the Want of it £hall nor in the lcaft prejudice their Salvation. ' secondly, To be born of Water and the Spirit, may denote rp us the manne·r . ohhe Spirit's proceed ing in the Work of Regemration; Except a Mtm be born of JVattr and vf the_ Spirit; ~hac i·s, except he· be renew'd. by theHolyGhoff working us Water, leavmg the fame Effecl: upon the Soul, 111 cleanfing and purifying of it from finful Defilements; as Water doch upon che Body in wafhing off cont(atled Dire aod Filth : Nor indeed is this manner of Expreffion ftrange eo the Hot_, Scripture ; for .fahn Baptiff, Sr. Matt, ;. 1 r. fpeaking of Ch~iff, cells them That btJhoJdd baptiz-e them witbthtHoly Ghoil and n;ith Fire; that is, he fhould baptize rhcm with the Ho/1 Ghoff working as Fire ; for, as Fire cars out and confUmes che Ru!l and Drofs of Nierals, fo thofc char are baptized with rhe Spirit, are as ic were plung'd imo char heavenly Flame, whofe fCarching E11ergy . devours all chdr DrofS, Tin, and bafe Alloy. So rhen here alfo eo be born of !'f'ater, a.nd ofzhe Spirit; may be.~o more than robe b?rn of.che Spirit, purifymg ~he Sou\, even <IS Warer punties rhe Body ; fo vanouOy IS rhe Efficiency of tbt: Ho&· Ghofl in the Work of Regeneration exprefs'd in Scriptttre Language it -con(iunes our Dro!S as fire, c~nd wafherhoff our Filth as Warcr. ' . Thcfe twoimcrprctations may be given of the Ttxt, Except a Man bt born of H:'imr, and oftbe Spirit; that is, ~xccpt he be .excernal\y regenerated by Baprifm when he hath fuch an Opportunity ro recelve chat Ordinance, tlwc nothing but his own \Vilful Comcmpr of ir can· hinder ir, and bealfo imernallyregcnera.ccd by che Spirit of God, working a mighty thorough Change Upon hisHedrt he fhaH never be f<1v-ed. Or asain, it may be undcrficod rhus, Exceec a Ma~ be rcne.w'd by thL: E_fficacy ot the Holr GhoH dean ling the ir1ward ,Man from ;::,in, as Wac~r _dean(erh t~e ourw~rd Man from Filth, he fhall never encer in ro He;n-en: In e_1rl~er of whlch. Scn(~s )'Clf take it,. che Words will we ll bear it. Th~i having g iven you 'rhis Explication of the Words, for rhe more full and dear ProiCcucion of chis Doctrine of Rcgeneration,ic will be cxpediencro fhcwyou FicJt, Wb.1t this Ntw Birth or Rtgeneration is, and rha:: I fhall do boch nc~a~ rivdy and pofirivcly. , · Fidl:, Negatively, and here to be born again, or mw born. Firfl:, It il not to btJ'Utan; ejfinti.:ol Change to pafs upon the effi,;tial Parts of human I. Nr:~urt ~ the_ Effenrial Parts of Human Nacure, I c:~Jl che Soul and Body,~:;~~~ wh!ch 1cmam the fame for Subfiance after Regencraaon, as they were beforC. i l , 1 at. P p pp Indeed, -
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=