what v9 eritand 3 import © ared aga0m, fgeth, 7 3!
;p. II.
the neceility of v nick our Saviour preerh from the impo::ibility otherwiſe # 0! his ſeezng the Kr: 40m of God; by which ſome under- {and the Ringuom of his Glory, (as the Phraſe is uſed, Luke 13
16.) others underitand i of tne mMAniietation of Chriit under the Goftel flate, or the vigour, power, and etfect of rhe Goſpel, and rhe Grace thereof. By jee1g of 37.15 meant enjoying, and being made Par- takets of it, 5s rhe term 15 uicd, P/ai.16. 19. Joh. 16.10. Revs 13.7. The Jes promited their w hote Nation a place in the Kingdom of che Mrſſiah, as they were born of Abraham, Mat.3.9. 2nd rhe Phariſees promiſed themſelves much from their Oufurvation of the Law, &c. Chriſt lets them Kriow nettiier Ol ineſe would do,burt unleſs they were wholly changed 1n their Hearts andÞrit:ciples{for fo much being horn gain fonifhierh; not forme parti:|Chanpe as to ſome things and in forme
warts) they could never have any true ſhare, either in the Kinzdom of
Grace in this Liſe, or in the Kingdom of Glory in that Lite which is 0 come» "Tis uſual by the civil Lawsof Countrys, that rione enters intro the Poſſe{tion of an earthly Kingdom bur by the righr. of Birth : and for the obtaining the Kingdom of Heaven, there mutt be a new Pirth, a heavenly Renovation of tlie whole man, Soul,Body,and Spi rit, to give him a Title by the wile and unchangable Conſtitution of God in the Goſpel, and to qualife him tor the Enjoyment of it. Nicodemus ſaith unto hin, How cag a man be born when he is old &? can he enter the ſe- cond time into his mothers womb, and be born / ?
k By the anſwer of Nicodemws, it ſhould ſeem thar he was an old man ; which is alſo probable, becauſe he was one of the Rulers ; he purs the Caſe as to himſelf ; I am, faith he, an old man, how ſhould I be born? {/ Can a man emer the ſecond time into kis Mothers Womb, and be born ? How true is rhat of the Apoſtle? 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit ef God. What a groſs conception doth Nzcedemus, (though doubtleſs a learn- ed, as well as a great man ) diſcover of Regeneration, as if it could not be without a mans Morher travelling in birth with him a ſecond time? Nicodemws his queſtion diſcovers a grear deal of Tpnorance and Weakneſs, but yer a grear deal of ſimplicity and plainneſs in him ; that he did not come, as the Phariſees generally were wont ro come toChrilt, to carch him by captious Queſtions, hut brought diſcend; Pictatem, a pious Defire ro learn from him, and to he in(tructed by him. The Phariſees had been uſed to Study the Traditions of the El- ders, and ſpent their time abour unprofitable Niceties, as to the meaning of the Law ; fo were not at all verſed in the great things which concerned the Kingdom of God. The like inſtance hath been in latter Ages, the Pop:ſþ Divines ſpending their time generally a- bout nice School queſtions, ſhewing themſelves much Ignorant of ſpiritval things, and rhe great Miiteries of the Kingdom of God.
5 Jeſus anſwered, Verily, verily, I fay-unto thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit m7, he cangot enter into the kingdom of God »,
m To excite his Spirit and Attention, our Saviour again expreſſes the Authority of his Perfon ; I ſay, and twice repeats the folemn AC.
| ſeveration, Verily, verily, to ſhew the infallible certainty, and im.
portance of what he propounds z that *ris a truth worthy of his moſt ſcrious Confideration, and ro be embraced with a ſedfaſt belief. Af- ter this Preface, - he declares, if any one be not born of Water and the Spirit, he cannot, Ec. to reCtific the carnal conceit of Nicodemns about Regeneration. In the third verſe, our Saviour compared the ſpiritual Birth with the natural, and with reſpect to thar, a renewed man is born a ſecond time. Bur in this verſe he exprefles the Cauſe and Quality of the new Birth, that diſtinguiſhes ir from the na- tural Buth, and reſolves the vain carnal Objection of Nicodemus. He ſpeaks not of the Terreſtrial, Animal Birth, bur of rhe Cceleſtial and Dvine; that is ſuitable to that Principle from whence it proceeds, the holy Spiriz of God, There is a grear difference among Interpre- ters about the meaning of being born of Water. The Romaniſts and mgid Lutherans, underſtand the Water in a proper Senſe for the Ele- ment of Baptiſm, and from hence infer the abſolute necefliry of Bap- lm for Salvation ; bur the Expoſition and Concluſion are both evi-
ently contrary to the Truth. Indeed the new Birth is ſignified, re- preſented, and ſealed by Bapriſm ;-*tis the Soul and Subſtance of thar ſacred Ceremony; and if our Saviour had only faid, That whoever is born of Water and the Spirir,ſhall enter into rhe Kingdom of Heaven, Nt might have been congruouſly underſtood of Baptiſm ; becauſe it is an urcoubted Truth, that all who are truly Regenerated in Baptiſm thall beſaved, But our Saviour ſays, He that is not born of Water and the Spirit, cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ; the excluſion - of the unlanCtified, is peremptory and univerſal. And our Saviour lens a manifeſt difference between an affirmative and negitive Pro- polition; when having declared, That whoever belzeves and # bap- 137ed ſhall be ſaved; and coming to the negative, he only ades, _ he that believeth not ſhall be damned, Mark 16. 16. The rea- Mm vhy he Goes not ſay, Whoever is not baptized ſhall be con- Cmned, is evident ; for withour Faith, 'tis impotTible to be ſaved ut withour Baptiſm, even as the Romani/ts themſelves grant, ma- 1} have been ſaved. For if we conſider the time when our Saviour kn Ke theſe worcs, they acknowledge, that Believers were not then en {Orecewve the Baptiſm of Chriſt for Salyation 3 for our Sa- « 4 ad this Conference with him ſome years before his death. And he 4 old, that before the death of Chriſt, Baptiſm was nor neceſlary, wan by vi, tre of Divine command, nor a8 a Means tO obrain Sal- = " Thavefous the Believers that lived then,mizhr enter into Hea- w_ "Cut Paptiſin» They alſo declare, that Martyrdom ſupplies the
; _ Baptiſm,and that Perſons ir{tructed in the Doctrine of the gy, and lincerely believing ir, if prevented by Death without "Sh vaprzed, rheir Faith and earneit Deſire is ſufficient to qualitic __ TT partaking of the heavenly Kingdom. Bur if by Water
ere, @ 3) a,