new birth, he fences it in like manner, (I Pet. i. 23,) and when he speaks of baptism '' saving " us, he carefallj adds that it is "not the putting away the filtli of the flesh." (1 Pet. iii, 21.) In the face of all these cautions, it is curious to observe the pertinacity with which many overthrow the whole doctrine of the new birth by the assertion that all baptized persons are born again !
We must be careful that we do not interpret the words " w^hich were born " as if the new birth was a change which takes place in a man after he has believed in Christ, and is the jnext step after faith. Saving faith and regeneration are insepa- Irable. The moment that a man really believes in Christ, how- ever feebly, he is born of God. The weakn»ess of his faith may make him unconscious of the change, just as a new-born infant knows little or nothing about itself But w^here there is faith there is always new birth, and where there is no faith there is no regeneration.