The Way to Heaven by Water, Lecture

The Way to Heaven by Water · Lecture

p. 1THE WAY TO HEAVEN BY VVATER, Concomitated with the ſweet breathing Gales of the SPIRIT.

JOHN 3.5, 6.

Jeſus anſwered, verily, verily, I ſay unto thee, except a man be born again of Water, and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the Fleſh, is Fleſh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit.

IN this Chapter we have a Divine Dialogue between a moſt illuminate Doctor, and a blind Phariſie, Chriſt and Nicodemus: the Phariſees were chiefe among the Jews, but Nicodemus was one of the chiefe among the Phariſees; he was a Teacher in Iſrael, ver. 10. a Ruler of the Jews, v. 1. The Phariſie had got the leading of all others in a three-fold reſpect: 1. In regard of the repute of their Learning Mat. 23.2. They ſate in Moſes Chair, and were accounted for their knowledge the onelyonly Rabbins of thoſe Times, 2. For their Piety, they were ſuppoſed to be the moſt religious and ſtrict Sect: of this Sect was Paul before his converſion, Phil. 3.5. By … p. 2a Phariſie; yea, and Act. 23.6. a Phariſie, ſaith Paul, and the Son of a Phariſie. And Acts 26.5. After the moſt ſtrict Sect of our Religion, I lived a Phariſie: For ſuch was the peoples opinion of their Piety, though they were Arch-Hypocrites, painted Sepulchers, both proud and covetous, and the greateſt enemies that Chriſt had among the Jewes. How often doth Chriſt pronounce woes againſt them, together with the Scribes, and brands them for their Hypocriſie, Mat. 23. no leſſe then eight times; Woe unto Scribes & Phariſies, Hypocrites, 1. They ſhut the Kingdome of Heaven againſt men, v. 13. They kept back from them the key of pure Religion that ſhould have made way to enter, and ſtopped it up by their owne tradition. 2. v. 16. notwithſtanding all their ſuppoſed knowledge, Chriſt calls them blind guides: they wanted the light of Gods Spirit to diſtinguiſh between Truth and Falſhood. 3. But outwardly righteous, v. 28. 4. And laſtly, they had more Authority in matters Eccleſiaſticall, than any others had, John 1.24. the Jews ſent them to examine John Baptiſt, they that were ſent were of the Phariſies; and v. 19. thoſe Phariſies that were ſent, were Prieſts and Levites, and the chief of them had Officers to ſend out, John 7.45. Then came the officers of the high Prieſts and Phariſies; And v. 48. Do any of the Rulers of the Phariſies beleeve on him? yea, Nicodemus that was one of the chiefe Rulers, v. 50. yet though he was a great man, they began to fear him: when they perceived that his judgment was byaſſed with any good opinion concerning Chriſt, v. 52. Art thou alſo of Galilee?

After Nicodemus had been with Chriſt, though then full of doubting, and full of fear, being a great man, and then one that lived in great pompe and command, and ſuch men you know are put to it; when the queſtion lyes, whether they will forſake their ſinfull pompe, and follow Piety, or forſake Piety, and follow their ſinfull pomp: they would go to Heaven, but they thinke ill to be perſecuted for Chriſt, and Religions ſake: Let ſuch remember what Chriſt indured for them, what contradiction of ſinners he ſuffered; let them ſet that before them, and it may the more incourage them. This Nicodemus, I ſay, after he had bin with Chriſt, his journey was not altogether fruitleſſe; he gained ſo much from Chriſt, as wrought upon him, and did ſo much change his minde, that all his life long he was afterwards better affected There is twice mention made of him after this Time, and this going to Jeſus by night, is inſerted in both places once, John 7.5. And Nicodemus ſaid unto him, he that came to Jeſus by night, &c in the next verſe, doth our Law judge any man before it heare him, &c. And ſecondly, Job. 19.39. when Chriſt was to be buried, he alſo joyned with Joſeph of Arimathea. There came alſo Nicodemus which firſt came to Jeſus by night, &c. Joſeph of Arimathea was a great man in the Civill State, a famous Counſellour, he was one of Jeſus his Diſciples, but ſecretly, for fear of the Jewes: Nicodemus a great Ruler in the Eccleſiaſticall State, but came by night; both of them p. 3great men, yet afraid of the Jewes; But now after his death, both are more manifeſt. Oh, the ſweetneſſe of true grace, where it is once infuſed, it will grow, and embolden ſuch as have it. Joſeph and Nicodemus grow better and better, and more emboldened, than at the firſt: You have heard, that both of them were great men, Starrs of a great Magnitude in their ſeverall Orbes, yet not to great to learn the way to Heaven.

Secondly, all the knowledge they had without this knowledge of Chriſt, could not have made them happy. This may teach great men not to be too proud, to ſubmit their necks to Chriſts yoke, and to labour for that wiſdome in Gods Word, that the World cannot afford them, 1 Cor. 1.20. Hath not God made the wiſdome of this world fooliſhneſſe? Alas, the height of the wiſdome of this world is but to teach a man how to live like a Politician, never how to dye like a Chriſtian. So that he that hath no more then that, hath no more then Ariſtotle, and Plato had, and the very Heathen that knew not God. The Doctrine of Chriſt is uſually more ſlighted of men that boaſt of their carnall knowledge, than any other men. Alas, poor ſoules, the greateſt part of what they know, is the leaſt part of what they know not: Nicodemus we hear, was a learned Phariſie, and for contemplative knowledge in the Law, no doubt an able man: yet notwithſtanding in point of regeneration a very novice; a child of ſeven yeeres old would ſcarcely have anſwered as he did: for when our Saviour told him of being born again, what? ſaith Niondemus, when he heard this, v. 4. Can a man be born again which is old, can be enter into his Mothers Wombe again and be born? And v. 9. How, ſaith Nicodemus, can theſe things be? Art thou a Teacher in Iſrael, ſaith our Saviour, and knowes not theſe things. 2. Tim. 4.2. Paul inſtructing Timothy how to preach, tells him, that he muſt rebuke, as well as exhort: Chriſt Jeſus gives example for it; for he you ſee, rebuked Nicodemus, as well as elſe where inſtructed him what to do q.d. if thou be a Teacher in Iſrael, it behoves thee to underſtand ſuch things as come within the compaſſe of thine office: Maye… thou not learn out of the Law, and the Prophets, that all men are ſinners, and that ſinne deſerves Gods curſe, and that there is no way to blot them out, bu… by the blood of Chriſt, and that applyed by Faith? haſt thou not read in th… Scriptures, 2 King. 5.14. how Naaman did waſh, and was cleanſed of his Leproſie? Might not this have taught thee, that wee muſt bewaſhed in the Fou… tain of regeneration, before we can be ordinarily cleanſed of the Leproſie … originall ſinne? Haſt thou not read, Ezek. 36.25. Ile power clean water u… on them, and they ſhall be clean, &c. haſt thou not read, Zach. 13.1. how a fou… tain ſhould be opened to the Houſe of David, and the Inhabitants of Jeruſal… for ſinne, and for uncleanneſſe? Art thou a Teacher, and knowſt not by th… places the neceſſity of regeneration? if thou be blind that art a Teacher, … ſhould the people have light, Mat. 23.2. the Scribes and Phariſies …a…e in M… ſes p. 4Chaire, and Rom. 2.19. perſwaded themſelves that they were guides of the blind, and a light of them that were in darkneſſe; but what a light art thou, that knows not this point? yet though Chriſt Jeſus thus reproved him, of all the Phariſees that we read of, he did the moſt kindly and freely reaſon with him and inſtruct him, becauſe he came honeſtly and plainly to learne of Chriſt how to be ſaved; but the reſt came either to catch him in his talk, or elſe to reaſon with him out of envie to diſhonor and diſgrace him, and then he either anſwers not at all, as Mat. 21.27. he would not tell them by what authority he taught; or elſe anſwers ſharply, ſo that they had no great mind to meddle with him, Mat. 22.18. Why tempt ye meye Hypocrites? and if he ſpoke what they underſtood not, they were too proud to be inſtructed in the meaning. Nicodemus was not ſo, John 2.19. when he bid them deſtroy the Temple, and that in three dayes, he would build it up againe: in the next verſe they reply frowardly, 46. years was this Temple in building, &c. Thus he ſpoke of the Temple of his body, but they underſtood not, nor deſired. And John 8.21. when he had ſaid, Whither I goe ye cannot come. In the next verſe they reply, what will he kill himſelfe, becauſe he ſaith, whither I go ye cannot come, &c. thus when the ſpeeches were dark, they never deſired to know the meaning of them of Chriſt, as Nicodemus did: for when Chriſt had told him of being born againe, and he knew not the meaning of it; yet he behaves not himſelfe like them, nor was to proud to learn, but never lets Chriſt reſt untill he knew the meaning of it; and our Saviour ſeeing him bent to learn, was as willing to teach him, as here in the Text, Verily, verily, I ſay unto thee, that except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God, &c.

In the words of the Text we have theſe five particulars. 1. A vehement aſſeveration, Amen, amen, dico tibi, Verily, verily, I ſay unto thee. 2. A change of Lifes ſpecification, except a man be born again. 3. The manner of it, of Water, and the Spirit. 4. The neceſſity of it, he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God. 5. Laſtly, the reaſon of it in the latter verſe, that which is born of the Fleſh is Fleſh, and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit. In order, and firſt of the vehement aſſeveration, Ieſus anſwered, verily, verily, I ſay unto thee. Jeſus anſwered, that was more you have heard, than he would do to many of his fellow Rulers. 2. He anſwered him courteouſly, and that was more than he would do to any of them when he did anſwer. 3. He anſwers earneſtly, and with a vehement aſſeveration, as arguing that he deſired, to have him underſtand the Truth: for you ſhall never finde our Saviour uſing this aſſeveration but upon weighty buſineſſe; and in the Goſpell of Saint John more uſually than any where elſe. Here its doubled, verily, verily, I ſay unto thee. Amen, Amen, The word (Amen) is in all the Cardinall Languages its Amen, in the Hebrew; Amen, in the Greek; and Amen, in the Latine; and we ſo continue it in the Engliſh in many places; the reaſon is this, p. 5The Septuagint who firſt tranſlated the Hebrew Text into Greek, they left is untranſlated. The Latine Interpreters finding it ſo left of them, they left it ſo to. Our Engliſh Tranſlators finding it ſo left of the Latine, they left it in moſt places ſo too. Thus again v. 11. verily, verily, I ſay unto thee, we ſpeak what we know, and thou mayeſt beleeve what I ſay unto thee. I ſpeake authoritative, by that authority which I have received from the Father; and therefore Mat. 7. two laſt verſes, it's ſaid, That when Chriſt had ended his word, the people were aſtoniſhed at his Doctrine, For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes: the majeſty and power of Gods Spirit appeared in his ſpeeches, they felt the dint of them upon their Conſciences, and were not able to withſtand the power of the Spirit by which he ſpoke, John 7. from 45. forward, Then came the Officers of the High Prieſts and Phariſees, and they ſay unto them, why have ye not brought him? the Officers anſwered, never manſpoke like this man. How happy was Nicodemus then to have this man ſpeaking unto him; but the Phariſees ſaid, are ye alſo deceived; q.d. we took you to have bin faithfull and firme Officers to us, to have executed our pleaſure upon this deceiver. Nunquid et vos ſeducti eſtis; and are ye alſo deceived? Doth any of the Rulers of the Phariſees, beleeve in him? yea, Iohn 12.42. many of them, but durſt not profeſſe him, for fear of you; it was more than they knew: and here Nicodemus one of them, Beleeves in him, yet durſt not let them know as much, q.d. If he had been a true Prophet, and if his Doctrine had bin from Heaven, doe not you think, that many ſo wiſe, and ſo learned men, and ſo religious men would not have received him, and it: No, for Chriſt and his Doctrine were received of more poor men, then rich Rulers, and great Potentates of the World, Mat. 11.5. The poor receive the Goſpel, Jam. 2.5. Hath not God choſen the poore, rich in Faith, 1 Cor. 1.26. Brethren you ſee your calling, how that not many wiſe men after the fleſh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. And Jer. 5.45. as though the poor did not receive correction, nor turn unto God when they were ſmitten, yet the Prophet thought that the great men and Rulers underſtood more, had bin better educated, could conceive better of Gods Truth. I ſaid of the other, that they were poor and fooliſh, and undeſtood not Gods way, but he ſuppoſed that the great men knew the judgments of their God, but they proved the worſe; for they had altogether broken the yoke, and burſt the bonds. It was therefore an ill Argument, mone of the Rulers nor Phariſees beleeved on him; ergo, others might not lawfully do it, or his Doctrine was not of God. As for this people that know not the Law, that know not the meaning, nor interpretation of it, as we do, they are accurſed: Thus baſely and contemptibly they ſpoke of thoſe that beleeved on Chriſt; theſe you ſee, are but a poor, baſe, and abject people, come of no great ſtock, nor bred in any famous Schools of the Phariſees, what great matter is it what they do: thus they vent their pride, and labour to block up the paſſage of Chriſtianity: well, but Mat. 11.25. theſe things were hid from p. 6the wiſe and men of underſtanding, God opened them unto Babes; And if the people knew not the Law, the more ſhame for themſelves that ſhould have taught them. Again, if the people did but follow him that did not know the Law, it ſeems that it was but of ignorance that the people did ſinne, if they had offended in following Chriſt. But many of themſelves ſinned of knowledge, and ſet malice, therefore by conſequence they will excuſe the People, and accuſe themſelves. But it may be objected, Mat. 5.37. that our Saviour taught, That our communication ſhould be yea, yea, and nay, nay, for whatſoever was more came of evill And Jam. 5.12. let your yea be yea, and nay, nay, leſt ye fall into condemnation: but our Saviour ſeems to uſe more here; for he doth not ſimply affirme, but with a double aſſeveration, verily, verily, I ſay unto thee.

I anſwer, the meaning of the words is, that we ſhould ſimply, ſincerely, and truly affirm what we affirm, without diſſembling, oaths, vows, or the like in our ordinary talk. And ſecondly, I anſwer, that this aſſeveration was but a more graduall Yea, and vehement than ordinary; or a more intenſive Yea: And thirdly, this were upon a weighty point; otherwiſe Chriſt did not uſe it, and ſo in him it was no offence: he did not ſinne, neither was any guile found in his mouth, 1 Pet. 2.22. Blaſphemy therefore was that of the Phariſees, who ſaid, that they knew that this man was a ſinner, Iohn 9.24. Then Jeſus anſwered, and ſaid, verily, verily, I ſay unto thee, I am the way, the truth, and the life, John 14.6. and no man comes unto the Father but by me. I am the Way without wandring, the Truth without errour, the Life without death; yea, I am the Reſurrection, and the Life, if any man beleeve in me, though he were dead, yet ſhould be live. John 11.25. I that am the good Shepheard, that lay down my life for my ſheepe, I ſay unto thee therefore, mark what I ſay, 1. Unto thee blind Phariſee that had too much conceit of the knowledge of the Law, or elſe thou might have had more knowledge of the Goſpel. 2. A man ignorant of a main neceſſary Truth; namely, of the new Birth of regeneration, and continuing without this, might have dyed and bin damned in Hell-Fire. 3. Unto thee, halting between two opinions, between Moſes, and the Meſſias, whether thou ſhouldeſt imbrace; wheras if thou had beleeved Moſes, thou had beleeved me, for he writ of me: yet 4. unto ye, becauſe though weak, yet mindfull to be made ſtronger: therefore, I will not deſpiſe thee, nor loath the tediouſneſſe of teaching of thee; for thus it was propheſied of me, Eſa 42.3. a bruiſed reed ſhal be not breake, nor ſmoaking Flax ſhall he quench; ſuch art thou, and I will fulfill the Propheſie 5. Laſtly, I ſay unto thee, though thou came unto me by night, when I ſhould have repoſed my ſelf, and have taken reſt, an unſeaſonable time, yet I upbraided thee not, nor ſtood upon it with thee, nor reproved thee for incivility, but ſeeing thou was ſo fearfull and weak, thou durſt not come by day; I'le receive thee kindly, take pains with thee, and teach thee by night: this for the firſt part.

p. 7The ſecond followes, the change of life ſpecified, Except a man be born again; this (again) notes once being born before; ſo that hence it appears, that there is a double Birth, as in Scripture we reade of a double death, the firſt and the ſecond Death: The firſt is nothing but ſeparation of ſoul from body: the ſecond is a ſeparation both of body and ſoule from God eternally, Revel. 2.11. He that overcomes ſhall not be hurt of the ſecond death; and what this ſecond is, you may further ſee, Rev. 21.8. In the Scriptures we alſo read of a double Reſurrection, 1. and 2. Rev. 20.6. Bleſſed and holy is he that hath part in the firſt Reſurrection, of ſuch the ſecond death hath no power: The firſt Reſurrection, I conceive, (as do many others) to be the reſurrection from the dead eſtate of ſinne, to newneſſe of life; ſo that the firſt Reſurrection, is the ſecond Birth, Epheſ. 2.1. there is a ſpirituall Death, and from that, a ſpirituall Reſurrection; And you hath he quickned, that were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, and this quickning was in Chriſt, v. 5.1 Pet. 1.23. being born a n…w, not of mortal Seed, (for ſo is our Naturall Birth) So is our firſt Birth, but of immortall by the Word of God, who liveth, and endureth for ever: there is our ſecond Birth, far more noble than our firſt, Luke 8.11. the Seed is the Word of God. In this Birth they have power to be the Sons of God, John 1.12. and they are ſaid to be borne of God, 1 Io. 5.1. becauſe they are born anew by the working of Gods holy Spirit in them: this is the change of life, being born thus again, except a man be borne againe.

1. This being born again, is that which few men eye, but at being borne, Claro de Stemmale of ſome noble race, o… b…oud, that puſtes us up as if we were more than men. I remember I have ſomtimes read a paſſage between an upſtart Gentleman, and a facc…tious Herald; the Herald perſwaded this Gentleman of the firſt Head, that he was able to derive his Pedigree lineally from Adam; This parchment Gentleman was very importunate to have it effected; but upon ſecond thoughts, the Herald told him, he had better remain as he was: becauſe, the nearer (quoth he) that we come unto Adam, ſuch poor men as I ſhall be found of kinne to you. Truly ſpoken, all mankind, rich, and poore, are made of the ſame Elements.

2. All of them have ſoules given them of God that are immortall. 3. All are born naked, there is no King that hath any other Birth. 4 All are equally ſubject to death; the Poet truly obſerved as much, when he ſaid, aequopede puiſat mors pauperum tabernas regum que turres. 5. All are equally ſubject to be turned again into duſt, and to be diſſolved into their firſt principles, and what better duſt do the rich make then the poore? The Scriptures tells us, that God made of one blood, all Nations under Heaven. Diogenes therefore to quell the pride of A exander, wh… bore himſelf ſo much by his diſcent, when he heard that be was to march that way, got him into the place wherein his, father Philip had bin buried, p. 8and buſied himſelf in tumbling over dead mens bones with the end of his ſtaffe; whom, when Alexander ſaw, he muſt needes know the reaſon of his imployment. I ſaid Diogenes, am here ſeeking the bones of Philip thy Father, but they are ſo like to poor mens that I cannot know them. This might give Alexander an hint what his pride would come to after his death; Gen. 3.19. Duſt thou art, and to Duſt thou ſhalt return, belongs to all men alike; though in civill reſpects God makes a difference, as by qualification of mind, or exaltation to office, or by the meritorious managing of ſome humane affairs, &c. and herein honour to whom honour belongs. Yet alas, ſmall advantage will this be to them in any ſpirituall reſpect, or in matter of ſalvation; for in this ſenſe, God is no reſpecter of perſons, Acts 10.34. Therefore, though they may own the former birth, yet let them labour for the ſecond, and take more delight in it, and bee more thankfull to God for their perſonall worth, than for their lineall: the former may be advantagious for the next world, but the latter only for this; Nam genus, & proavos, & quae non fecimus ipſi, vix eanoſtra voco; as the Poet, That which our kindred, and fore-fathers have done, in which we have had no hand, we can ſcarcely own for ours.

So that as Chriſt ſaid of food, I ſay of bloud; labour not for the food that periſheth, ſo labour not for the bloud that periſheth. It's a wonder to hear what hours ambitious men take up in wearying of mens ears, with relating from how many great perſonages they are deſcended, to how many ſuch like they are of kindred; to how many allyed, &c. what famous acts theſe and theſe have done: it may be ſo, their times afforded them honour for it, and their poſterity others eſteeme for their ſake: but in the meane time what have themſelves done; Their Anceſtors I feare, dyed without Executors of any of their Heroick Acts: the moſt that any of them have done, is to talk of them in a Tavern; to ſwear big at an Ordinary; to fight with ſheild of Brawne; to flaſh ſhoulders of Mutton, and uſe the caſe ſhot of Olives, and Capers; to march under the colours of Sacke, and Claret, and to give fire upon their friends in a Tobacco pipe, egregias ſane laudes & ſpolia amplarefertis. Surely, noble atchievements, and high eſtimates to men of ſuch Memorials, let them know, that God requires another kind of nobleneſſe, another kind of action to bring them to Heaven; not the firſt birth will do this, but being born again. Niſi quis natus fueritdenua, except a man be born again.

I come now to the manner of it; it muſt be of Water, and the Spirit; except a man be born again of Water, and the Spirit. Learned Interpreters are ſomewhat troubled about theſe words; eſpecially, about the word (Water) all agree in this, that we muſt be born again, onelyonly, de modo, de medio, or de neceſſitate medij, is the queſtion, about the manner of our being born again, or the medium of it, or the neceſſity of the medium.

p. 9Some underſtand the word (Water) figuratively, for the grace of Gods Spirit, and it cannot be denyed, but that in Scripture it may ſometimes ſo ſignifie, as Iohn. 4.10. He would have given the water of Life, and John 7.38. Rivers of water of Life. Yea, but the word (Life) is added to it, which more explicates it, as it is not in this place: Well, but John 4.14. it's not added there, Whoſoever ſhall drink of the water that I ſhall give him, ſhall never thirſt againe: Yea, but this is added (the water that I ſhall give him) and that is ſpirituall water, Eſa. 44.3. is moſt like to favour this expoſition, I will power water upon the thirſty, (there is no addition to Water) and floods upon the dry ground: in that place no doubt but (Water) may be taken for the ſpirituall Water of Gods grace. And ſome would illuſtrate this Expoſition of the Text, by Mat. 3.11. He will baptize you with the Holy Ghoſt, and with fire; whereby (Fire) is meant the zealous and fervent grace of Gods Spirit, and is exegeticall or expoſitorie of the former word. Yea, but againſt this illuſtration it is excepted, that when a word is exegeticall it muſt follow the word it expounds, not go before it, as it doth here; not Water and the Holy Ghoſt, but the Holy Ghoſt and Water. 2. That it ought to be more plaine, then that it expounds, and not more dark, as here. I anſwer, ſome reaſon, and truth muſt be admitted in this exception. I conceive that it holds cata polu, but not cata panto's; it holds true very often, but not alwayes without any exception and in all places: for ſometimes one, and the ſame thing, one, and the ſame truth may bee expreſſed in divers manner of ſpeaking; metaphoricall and literall, and yet the ſenſe aequipollente, and all one, and ſometimes the latter more dark than the former. Thus Lamen. 3.19. Remembring mine affliction and my mourning, the Wormwood and the Gall.

Here the manner of ſpeaking is divers; the one ſentence literall, the other metaphoricall; literall, my affliction, and my mourning; metaphoricall, the wormewood, and the gall, yet the ſenſe aequipollent, they come to one, and the ſame ſenſe: yet the latter is more obſcure then the former. 2. Take the place of Eſaiah before quoted, Eſ. 44.3. Ile powre water upon the thirſty, and floods upon the dry ground; then it follows, Ile powre my Spirit upon thy Seed, and my bleſſing upon thy Buds. Here againe, the manner of ſpeaking is divers, metaphoricall and literall, in the words (Spirit) and (Bleſſing) yet the ſenſe is aequipollent, one and the ſame thing is meant by both: ſo they think that the like may in this Text (Water) and the (Spirit) though the former be taken metaphorically, the latter literally; yet the ſenſe aequipollent: of the Spirituall graces of God, and the Spirit preſent in thoſe graces. This I have ſaid, to ſhew the reaſonableneſſe of the Expoſition of the Text in this ſenſe, and I know that divers modern Divines ſo take it.

But now for the ſecond opinion to underſtand the Water literally, and ſo of the Water of Baptiſme. I conceive a difference betweene this ſpeech, (Water) the Spirit, and this, Water and the Spirit: the former may note out one, and p. 10the ſame thing: the latter two diſtinct things. In the former inſtance where the words are expoſitorie, or meant of one and the ſame thing: they are ſpoken without any conjunction between them. The words run not thus, The affliction, and the mourning: (And) the wormwood, and the gall, but thus, the affliction, and the mourning, the wormwood, and the gall, without any (And) between them; and the like we may obſerve in the latter. Eſa 44.3. Rivers and floods, my Spirit, and my Bleſſing. Not thus (Rivers and Floods) (And) my Spirit, and my Bleſſing; for that might have argued them to have been two diſtinct things. For further explication, or illuſtration, thus, Socrates Philoſophus, And Socrates & Philoſophus may admit of divers meanings; For Socrates Philoſophus by appoſition, may be meant of one, and the ſame man, being a Philoſopher. But Socrates & Philoſophus, Socrates & a Philoſopher, may be meant of him, and of ſome man elſe that were a Philoſopher. So Water, the Spirit, may be meant of one and the ſame thing; but Water (And) the Spirit may be meant of different things; And ſo Chriſt ſpeakes here, except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit: of Water as the outward element, or medium of the Spirit, or of the operatings and inward graces of God. And this ſenſe the moſt of the Ancients give of it, and take the word (Water) literally here, for the Water in Baptiſme. And indeed this ſenſe will agree with the like expreſſes of the Spirit of God in Scriptures, Act. 8.36. Here is the water, ſaith the Eunuch, what doth let me to be baptized, v. 37. more then water is required of thoſe that are of ripe yeers, and that is actuall Faith. If thou beleeveſt with all thine heart, thou mayeſt; the Eunuch anſwered Philip, I beleeve that Jeſus Chriſt is the Son of God; upon this he was baptized. And Epheſ. 5.26. That he might ſanctifie and cleanſe, by the waſhing of Water through the Word, through his powerfull promiſe made in the Word to do ſo. This was required in Nicodemus, as well as the Eunuch, He was to be born again of Water and the Holy Ghoſt, Titus 3.5. This waſhing or ſecond birth, or being born again, is called the new birth, by the waſhing of regeneration, & the renewing of the Holy Ghoſt. In this new birth we are waſhed ontwardly with water, but inwardly by the Holy Ghoſt: but God is pleaſed to uſe this as an Inſtrument, by which he will conveigh the graces of his holy Spirit. Some Divines think that the firſt grace is not given in baptiſme but confirmed and ſealed up. Indeed in men of ripe yeers it was ſo required; vve hear that Beliefe, or Faith was firſt required in them before they were baptized. Others might ſay ſo, and yet felt not the Faith they then profeſſed; but God having given them a mind to be baptized, might convey grace to them in their baptiſme. Its a great queſtion between us and the Papiſts, whether the Sacraments be inſtrumenta Phyſica or moralia, whether they Phyſically convey grace to the ſoul, as elebore temperature cure to the mind againſt Drunkenneſſe, or any drug of medicinal power to the Patient; Or but morally, which he uſeth to concomitate according to his pleaſure to make effectuall as he will: for as Saint Auguſtin ſaid long agoe. All that receive the Sacraments of grace, doe not receive the Grace of the Sacrament. Simon Magus was baptized as well as Simon Peter, Act. 8.13. Simon himſelfe beleeved alſo, and was baptized: He beleeved hiſtorically the Doctrine taught; whereupon he was ſo far convinced, that hee received baptiſme; but not ſalvifically, v. 23. For hee was ſtill in the Gall of bitterneſſe, and Bond of iniquity: yet upon the outward confeſſion of Faith, the Apoſtles not knowing the ſecrets of his heart, he was admitted to Baptiſme. But it may be ſome of the newly minted will quarrell me, for ſaying that Simon Peter was baptized, and where I can prove it in the Scriptures? As they doe for baptiſme of our Children. To which I anſwer, That all good Chriſtians that oportunely might, were baptized. But Peter was a Chriſtian, and oportunely might; Ergo, Peter was baptized: this they muſt grant, except they will deny Peter to have been a Chriſtian; and yet wee have no particular place, explicit, & totidem terminis in Scripture, to prove this: Even ſo, ſuppoſe we have no particular place explicit in Scripture, in terminis, to prove that Infants were baptized, yet we have ſuch generall grounds for it, as out of which we may ſafely deduce particulars, as we ſhall ſhew hereafter. It was no ſmall overſight in Reuben to devide himſelf from the reſt of the Tribes, when the common enemies threatned them all, and for this his diviſion there were great thoughts of heart. Its as little difcretion, for this too highly conceipted generation, who are all for preſcribing of Laws to their brethren, but for the receiving of none; to divide themſelvs from the reſt of their brethren, and make a rent in the ſeamleſſe coat of Chriſt, when the common enemies would take it away all, which hath been no ſmall grief to ſuch as do ſapere ad ſobrietatem, and are not byaſſed with that height of ſingurality, and conceipted infallibility: in ſtead of which, God grant unto them a greater meaſure of diſcretion, and a more common expreſſion of Charity. But I return, to the point, whole houſholds were baptized; Anabaptiſts, or whoſoever except againſt baptizing of children, cannot ſhew, that all theſe whole houſholds were without children, or that none of them had any in. 2. Where mention is made of Baptiſme in Scriptures, they are no where excepted. Which in all probability they would have beene, if Chriſt had meant that they ſhould not have been baptized. 3. In no other place, nor upon any other occaſion are they forbidden. 4. From the Apoſtles times downward, theſe 1600. yeeres it hath been the practice of the Church of God. Origen upon Rom. 6. ſaith, That the Church received baptizing of Infants from the Apoſtles themſelvs. And therefore Cyprian in his Epiſtle adfidum, would have care taken for the baptizing of new born Infants. Cyprill upon Levit. 8. to the like purpoſe. Herom. lib. 3. contra Pelagianos. Auguſt. lib. 4. contra Donatiſtes, cap. 23.24. not p. 12from the authority of men, or councels, but from the tradition, or Doctrine o… the Apoſtle: what need more for ſo ancient and cleer a truth. 5. Mat. laſt, 19. Go and teach all Nations, and baptize them, &c. But again, this place the exception is, that teaching and baptizing are there put together; and therefore, they ſay, that none might be baptized, but ſuch as were capable of teaching. To which I anſwer; that there is one conſideration, de eccleſia conſtituenda; another, de eccleſia conſtituta; one conſideration of a Church but in framing, another of a Church already framed: The Church was but in framing when the Apoſtles went firſt abroad; and then the Church was collected of men and women of ripe yeers, all which were capable of teaching, and ſo of baptizing, and therefore are they conjoyned: and becauſe they were then Heathens, and had never heard of Chriſt, it was needfull, that ſuch ſhould firſt be preached to, and taught, before they were baptized, to know what Baptiſme was, what was required to it, what was the end of it, and the benefit that came by it; and then the immediatum ſubjectum baptiſmi in ſacris were adulti, the immediate ſubject of Baptiſme in Scriptures were men of ripe yeers: then, no Infants might be baptized, but of ſuch men as had been firſt made Chriſtians, and baptized themſelves, and ſo being come within the Covenant themſelves, their Infants were intraducible by vertue of that.

But now, if Chriſt had meant that Infants ſhould firſt have been baptized, not men of ripe yeers, when the Church was but in framing, and was at firſt to be framed, and collected, and when the Apoſtles firſt went out to preach; then, no doubt, but Chriſt would have named them in particular, and ſub …a notione, as well as others: but the Church was not firſt framed, and gathered of ſuch, but of their Parents, and ſo they induce their priviledge: Yet they were but the ſecundarium, or mediatum ſubjectum baptiſmi; and therefore it will not follow: that becauſe Teaching was joyned with Baptizing, when the Church was firſt to be collected of the Gentiles, and Heathen people, and men of ripe yeers; as then the immediate ſubject of it, that therefore none might afterward be baptized, but ſuch as were capable of Teaching.

2 When our Saviour ſaid, Goe teach, and baptize all Nations, he made no exception of Infants in their Order, out of the Commiſſion generall: as thus, Goe ye, and teach all Nations, and baptize ſuch as are capable of Teaching, but no Children, or Infants, or none elſe: No, but thus, Goe, and teach all Nations, and baptize them, excepting neither ſmall nor great, young nor old.

3 Goe th…refore and teach all Nations, as many as are capable of Teaching, and baptize them firſt, as the immediate ſubject of it, as you have heard, and then all others that are theirs by vertue of them.

4 The word in the origin all is matheteuſate, to coyn a word Diſcipulate, make Diſciple; now they might make Diſciples, Baptiſmi adminiſtatione, as well as verbi p. 13praedicatione, by admitting them into the viſible Church by baptiſme, as well as by preaching unto them.

5 Illuſtrate it thus: Suppoſe a mighty Prince ſhould ſend a Meſſage into the Weſt Indies, into all the parts therof, and make it known unto them, that he would be their King, and labour for their well-fare, maintain and defend them againſt all their enemies, and graciouſly accept of them for his ſubjects: Do you thinke that the people then of ripe yeeres, that were capable of the Meſſage, and to whom it was immediatly ſent, would conceive themſelves concern'd in that Meſſage, and Covenant, and none elſe? Surely no, but though they were the immediate ſubjects to receive it firſt, yet they would conceive that it ſhould alſo extend as well unto their children, by vertue of them; even ſo, conceive it here.

6 The Jewiſh children were to be circumciſed at 8. dayes old, and our Baptiſme ſucceeds their Circumciſion, Col. 2.11, 12. and why then not the like ſubject in the one, as in th'other? I know, the common exception; becauſe they ſay, there is an expreſſe command for the one, and not for the other. I anſwer, that there is command in generall for the one, from which the particular may ſoundly be deduced, as well as for the other. 2. No good reaſon can be rendred why the Seal of the Govenant ſhould not as ſoon be applyed to the children of Chriſtians, as to the children of the Jewes, they are under no leſſe priviledge than they. 3. There is no hinderance in the ſubject of Chriſtian children, but want of underſtanding, and that alſo was equally wanting to the children of the Jewes; and if that be the reaſon, it might as well have hindred them: But this, I conceive, it may be ſaid of them, as Chriſt did of Peter, about the waſhing of his feet, John 13.7. What I doe, thou knoweſt not now, but thou ſhalt know it hereafter. So, though what Chriſt doth to Infants, they know not then, yet they ſhall know it afterwards; for though the act of Baptiſme be tranſient, yet the vertue is permanent. 4. The Kingdome of Heaven is theirs, and to ſuch it belongs: and why then not Baptiſme, as the way thither?

7. And laſtly, We find in Scripture, Infants baptized; as thus, 1 Cor. 10.1, 2. All our Fathers were under the Cloud, and all paſſed through the Sea, and were all baptized unto Moſes, ſaith Paul, in the cloud, and in the Sea. Now many hundreds of thoſe that Paul calls Fathers, were then Infants, and children; yet all then baptized: But it may perhaps be replyed, that this Baptiſme was extraordinary; never was the like before, nor ſhall be the like after. For anſwer, I ſay it may be ſo granted in a two-fold reſpect. 1. In regard of the Miniſter, which was Moſes. 2. In regard of the manner, as in comming through the Sea, which was the outward Viſible Sign: Their comming out of Egypt, might ſignifie comming out of the Kingdome of Darkneſſe, p. 14the drowning of Pharoah and his Hoſt in the Red Sea; the drowning of all our ſins in the Red Sea of Chriſts blood; to which Micah may allude, Micab 7.19. When he ſaith, that God will caſt all our ſinnes into the bottome of the Sea. Yet in other two things it agrees with ours; in Water, as in the outward wiſibleſigue; And in the end, which was for the remiſſion of ſins: Auguſt. tract. 26. in Joh: Sacramenta illa fuerunt in ſignis diverſa, in rebus quae ſignificabantur paeria. Wee are brought viſibly within the compaſſe of that, when we are admitted members by baptiſme; except a man he born again of Water, and the Spirit.

Of Water, not that Water, I ſay, contains grace Phyſically, and conveyes it to the Soul Phyſically, but Morally; not inhaerenter, but concomitanter: not that grace is inhaerent in the Water, and there conveyed to the ſoule: but God waits upon the the outward meanes with his grace, to beſtow it as hee will: Not ex neceſſitate, but ex libera voluntate; not of any ſuch neceſſity, that whoſoever receives baptiſme by Water, muſt needes alſo receive the Holy Ghoſt, but of Gods free favour and will, to give the Holy Ghoſt with the water, or after it, where he thinks good, 2 King. 5.14. The Water in which Naaman waſhed, was not able to have healed him of his Leproſie, by any inherent vertue in it ſelfe, ſo the Waters of Abana, and Pharpher, Waters of Damaſcus, might be as good as it: But when God had appointed it by the Prophet as a means, God was pleaſed ſo to wait upon it with his ſanative powre, that ſo concomitantly he was healed by the uſe of this appointed Element. God could have healed Naaman without waſhing in Jordan, onelyonly by a word of the mouth of the Prophet, but he would not: he would appoint a viſible means, and muſt look upon that, and wait upon God in his way; that way he will bleſſe: ſo, he could regenerate us, and we might be born again without water, onelyonly by the Holy Ghoſt, yet you ſee God is pleaſed to appoint the viſible ſigne, and will have us therefore wait upon it, as a morall Inſtrument to convey his grace by.

There are two extreams of this Doctrine, one maintained by the rigid Papiſts, the other of the Anabaptiſts, and of later times ſome of the newly minted Separatiſts; but before them Auxentius Arianus, and his Sectaries; as alſo the Pelagi…ms & Petrobraiſians, but upon other grounds. The rigid Papiſts attribute ſo much to the Water in Baptiſme, as Phyſically to conveigh grace (as you have heard) and makes it ſo neceſſary, that none can be ſaved without it; and St. Auguſtin himſelf was once deeply enough engaged in this way, and by reaſon of this Text: Of the Anabaptiſts, and the other Sectaries which ſleights it, and think too meanly of it; as if the Elect might bee borne againe of the Spirit without this, either Infants, or others. Theodoret lib. 4. cap. 11. writes, that the Meſſalians, and the Enthuſiaſts attributed the means of Salvation onelyonly to the inward work of the Spirit, without any outward means; but this is not to wait upon God in his way, but to go to Heaven per ſaltum a nearer p. 15way than God hath taught us; wherein they erre, and are much to blame.

True it is, Deus non alligatur mediis, God is not tyed to meanes, nor to outward Elements, if wee reſpect his potentiam abſolutam, or abſolute Power; but if we reſpect, potentiam ordinatam, or that Power by which God ordained, he would moſt ordinarily work, then God uſually works by meanes, and wee muſt wait upon the means, if we mean to have his grace: Yet though the rigid Papiſts hold as you have heard, the Sani…res Scholaſtici, or more moderate Schoolmen; as Bonaventure in this point, and others, upon the 4. of the Sentences: make not Baptiſme of ſo abſolute neceſſity, as if none could be ſaved without it. But whereas they make a threefold Baptiſme; Baptiſmus fluminis, Baptiſmus flaminis, Baptiſmus ſanguinis; a Baptiſme with Water, a Baptiſme with the Spirit, and a Baptiſme with blood: a Baptiſme with Water, as here in the Text; a Baptiſme with the Spirit, Luke laſt, 49. & Act. 2.4. they were all filled with the Holy Ghoſt; a Baptiſme with blood, Luke 12.50. I muſt be baptized with a Baptiſme, and how am I ſtreitghtned untill it be ended? Now they ſay that baptiſme of blood may ſuffice, where a man is crowned with Martyrdom, ex motu charitatis, and cannot have the other. 2. With the Baptiſme of the Spirit, Luke 23.43. The good Theife that was a Chriſtian, that dyed ſo, was not baptized with Water, but with the Spirit; by which he beleeved that Chriſt was able to ſave him. 3. Voto, When a man hath an earneſt, and hearty deſire to it, and yet is prevented by death: Thus Valentinian the Emperour, ſending for St. Ambros to baptize him, yet dyed before he taught him, being but in the way; Ambros was not afraid to ſay, that he was baptized voto, and was in caelo, in Heaven, to the ſame effect. St. Auguſt. lib. 4. contra Donateſtas, cap. 22.23. and its worth our obſervation, Mat. 16.16. in this point, He that beleeveth, and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved. Some might object, what needs a man baptizing if he beleeve? The Scripture tells us he needs, and you have heard of many that beleeved before, & yet muſt be baptized, then it follows: but he that beleeveth not, ſhall be damned; Its not ſaid, he that beleeveth not and is not baptized: So then, where the Text ſaith, except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit; we muſt not underſtand it abſolutely, but in ſome reſpect; that is, when God offers it, and we may have it: if no, then he cannot enter. For as St. Bernard hath it, Epiſt. 77. its not omnis deprivatio baptiſmi, but contemptus, or palpabilis neglectus: not every deprivation of baptiſme, but contempt, or palpable neglect, when God gives time enough, and we will not take it, the death of ſuch a man without it is fearfull. 2. Conſider to whom Chriſt ſpeaks in this Text, to Nicodemus, a man of ripe yeers: The immediate ſubject of Baptiſme, Except ſuch a one be born of Water and the Spirit; in ſuch a caſe as you have heard, he cannot enter: for Baptiſme is alwayes neceſſary, neceſſitate praecepti, p. 16in regard that God hath commanded it, though not alwayes abſolutely neceſſary, neceſſitate medii: thus much for ripe yeers eſpecially, and de eccleſia conſtituenda.

Now, de eccleſia conſtituta, of a Church conſtituted; wherein all that are of ripe yeers are actuall Chriſtians: in ſuch a Church, Infants themſelves are the immediate ſubject of Baptiſme: though I know, that in the primitive Times, or in the Times of the ancient Fathers, many men that profeſſed Chriſt would not be baptized till neere their death; becauſe they thought that by Baptiſme all their ſins were waſhed away, which they had committed before it; and if they had been baptized ſooner, they were afraid to have ſinned again, not well conſidering the vertues of it afterward; this they did, de facto, but it was not commendable in them, nor ſhould be imitable by us, though their intent was honeſt.

Now of Infants that dye without Baptiſme, what ſhall we ſay of them? ſhall we account them all for damned that dye without Baptiſme with Water, as rigid Papiſts do? or bury them on the North ſide of the Church, where no Sun can ſhine on them, to ſignifie that no Light of Heaven, nor Sun-ſhine of Gods countenance belongs unto them: Surely no, its an harſh an uncharitable opinion; for Gods eternall election cannot be over-turned for want of the outward element, where it cannot be had, God having deprived them of it, in taking them away by death; Its true, St. Auguſt. was of this opinion, Ep. 28. ad Hieron. and 106. contra Pelagianos. And lib. 1. de anima, cap. 9. diſputing againſt Vincentius Victor, urgeth this Text: To which I anſwer. 1. That St. Auguſt. was driven upon this rock of extremity by the Pelagians importunity, who denying that Infants were born in originall ſinne, he had no better Arguments than Baptiſme, for one, to ſhew the contrary; for if not uncleane, then they ſtood in no need of waſhing. 2. I anſwer, That St. Auguſt. did as vvell arre in the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper, lib. 1. de peccatorum meritis, cap. 20. that it was neceſſary alſo to ſalvation for Infants to receive, being miſtaken from John, 6. v. 53. See Maldonate in 6. Johannis, how long this errour remained in the Church: yet ſince the Councell of Trent hath condemned it, and the practice of the Chriſtian World is to the contrary. But Rom. 11.16. If the Roote be holy, ſo are the Branches: If the Parents be holy, we are to thinke the beſt in charity of their Children, till they come to yeers of diſcretion, and declare the contrary, Gen. 17.7. God eſtabliſhed a Covenant with Abrahams Seed, as well as Abrahams ſelfe, 1 Cor. 7.14. If either of the Parents be ſanctified, the Children are ſaid to be holy.

2. We know that the Infants under the Lavv vvere not to bee circumciſed before 8. days old: novv vvho knovves not that many of them dyed before that time, and yet vve read not that they might be circumciſed before it. p. 15Now if all had been damned that wanted circumciſion, then had God beene unmercifull to his Creature to prevent this: but this we know he is not the like; we may conceive of Infants dying before they were baptized by water, Mat. 2.16. Herod ſlew the Males in Bethlem, and in the Coaſts thereof, of two yeeres old and under, now its probable, that many of thoſe were ſo young, that they were uncircumciſed, yet the Papiſts acknowledge they dyed Martyrs in Chriſts cauſe and were ſaved.

3 Joſh. 5.5. By the ſpace of 40. yeeres in the wilderneſſe, they were not circumciſed, becauſe Moſer ſtill waited for removeall, and ſo they being ſore, were not ſo fit for it: Now if all thoſe that dyed there had been damned, Moſes and Aaron had been guilty of an horrible ſin.

4. And laſtly, wee know that in the Primitive Times they baptized but twice a yeer, at Eaſter, and Whitſuntide, which they would not have done, if the Popiſh Divinity had been true: but this is no warrant forus to deferre baptiſme when it may be had, but we are to uſe the means ſeaſonably which God hath preſcribed, & ſo Cyp. ad fidum, to take care for new born Infants Ep: 3.

The Element muſt be Water, none elſe; not Milke, nor Wine, nor Sand, nor the like. St. Aug: tells us of Seleucus and Hermias, two Heretiques, that baptized with an hot Iron, miſtaking that place, Mat. 3.11. but that was fulfilled, Acts 2.3. when cloven tongues of fire fell upon the Apoſtles. Niceph. lib. 3. hiſt. eap. 3.4. tells us of one that was baptized with ſand, but when it was known to the Church, he was further baptized. The former was not ſufficient, becauſe it had not Chriſts preſcription, for his was the Element of Water, who as it is the moſt common liquor to waſh filthineſſe from the body, ſo it moſt fitly reſembles Chriſts bloud, to waſh away all manner of filthineſſe from the ſoule, Ezek. 16.6. God ſaw the people of Iſrael in their blood and in their filthineſſe, in that corrupt ſtate of nature that every man is born in; but verſe. 9. Out of His meere mercy, He waſhed her with Water, and annointed her with Oyl, that was the graces of his holy Spirit. So here, a man muſt be born again of Water, and the Spirit. As for the circumſtances of Baptiſme, they are not ſo much materiall, whether the whole body be dipped in water, or it be ſprinkled upon the Party. In the Primitive Times, and eſpecially in thoſe hot countries, the whole body was put in water, as now its buried under the ground; hence Rom. 6.4. they were ſaid to have been buried with Chriſt in their Baptiſme unto his death, and the taking of them up again, which preſented our reſurrection; concerning which, you may reade more at large in the Counſels of Laodicea, and Neoceſaria. But we muſt know, that many of ripe yeeres were then baptized, that were able to indure it, and for Infants, the Country was hotter but now where Infants onelyonly are baptized, and ſuch as are in cold Countries, diving their whole bodies into the waters were enough to bury them indeed, o… p. 16cauſe them to dye, not onelyonly to baptize them. Againe, in thoſe times, ſome dipped them thrice into the vvaters, ſome but once: of thoſe that dipped them thrice, ſome would ſignifie Chriſts three dayes lying in the grave, as Tertull, and Cypr. others, the Trinity, in whoſe name they were baptized: thoſe that dipped but once, would ſignifie the unity in Trinity; but wee ſtand not upon theſe.

And even as a man can but be once born naturally, no more can he but bee once born ſpirituall, which in the Text is called (being borne again) groſſe therefore is the opinion and practice of the Anabaptiſts, who re-baptize their proſylited into their errour. St. Cypr. fell about rebaptizing of Heretiques, againſt whom Cornelius did juſtly oppoſe himſelfe, &c.

In this Baptiſme, the Papiſt ſay, that originall ſinne is ſo taken away, that after it, its but an occaſion of ſinne: but we ſay with St. Aug. whom all orthodox Divines in this point have followed, tollitur reatu, remanet actu; though the guilt of it betaken away in elect Infants; yet it remaines a ſinne, as a Serpent remains a Serpent when his ſting is gone, yet cannot kill, and its kept under, and diminiſhed in the faithfull by degrees. Epiphanius compares it to a Tree growing in the Walls of ſome ſtately building, which may bee lopped, and kept under, but the root vvill never be pulled out, untill the Wall be pulled down; no more will originall ſinne, untill the body and ſoule bee pulled aſunder by death. Originall ſinne, remains a ſinne in the Elect, and regenerate after Baptiſme: Yet ſecondly, the guilt of that ſinne is taken away in elect Infants, And ordinarily in baptiſme, where it is compleat. If I had not bin occaſioned to the handling of theſe two points, I ſhould not have fallen ſo fully upon them, but the moſt vviſe God hath his providence in every thing I ſhall point a little at Originall ſinne, and then come home to the point. And in it, we vvill firſt conſider the quod ſit, that it is; and ſecondly, the quale ſit, what it is; for the former, briefly; Epheſ. 2.3. natura filii irae, and vvere by nature the children of vvrath; that is, by reaſon of our corrupt nature infected vvith originall ſinne, and Rom. 7.23. There was a Law in Pauls members, rebelling againſt the Law of his mind, &c. by vvhichwhich Lavv of his members is meant, vitioſitas naturae, the corruption of his nature, which did inhaerere, ſtick in them, and as a Law irritated him, to what was evill. 2. The quale, what ſuch it is, Its a defect of Originall juſtice, with an aptitude to all manner of evill, haereditarily come upon us, by vertue of Adams guilt. The Schoole Divines make two branches of it, and in it conſider the materiale, and the formale; the muteriale, they conceive to be concupiſcence; the formale, the defect of originall Juſtice, or privation of it: thus Aquinas, and his followers, who were both many acute and learned: though other wiſe carried …ay with the errours of their times. In his pr. ſec. qu: 82. art 3. in corporit calce: p. 17thus in particular Cajetan, Alexander Alenſis Durandus, this infected the whole man, both in all the faculties of the ſoule, or organs of the body, as inſtruments to vent & execute that inward corruption, and this is the Doctrine of all our Orthodox Divines. And Aquinas herein ſaid well, in his pr. ſec. qu: 82. art. 2. ad jum. in peccato originali virtualiter praeexiſtant omnia peccata actualia, ſicut in quodam principio; In originall ſinne, all our actuall ſins do praeexiſt, as in a certain common root, or principle; but I would be briefe in every paſſage. And ſeeing that this is an haereditary diſeaſe, or inhaerent corruption in our nature, not the ſubſtantiall nature it ſelfe; firſt hence, Illyricus was much to blame, who in his book de eſſentia juſtitiae, and injuſtitiae originalis, at que etiam in tractatu quodam adjuncto diſputationi quam habuit cum Victorino Strigetio vivariae, held that originall ſinne was a ſubſtance, a daemone factam, made by the Devil, which was viva, & eſſentialis ejus imago, his living and eſſentiall Image; not much unlike that of the Maniches, aſſerted by Auguſtine, Tom 7. lib. 6. contra Julianum cap. 1. Aug. in quod vult Deum haereſ. 88. who held that it was extranea mali naturanoſtrae naturae admixta. 2. Hence the Pelagians are condemned, who denied originall ſinne in Infants, contrary to Rom. 5.12. 3. The Anabaptiſts Armenians, and Albaneuſes, as Caſtrenſis hath it lib. 12. haereſ. And now I come to the point, that it remains in the regenerate as a ſinne, even after baptiſme, Ameſius Tom. 4. lib. 2. Bell. enervati, cap. 3. affirmes it to be ſinne in ſuch properly. And in the Argument of that booke, in the name of the reformed Churches. 2. Mr. Rogers on the Articles of Religion, condcluded for the Church of England, whoſe, propoſitions thence deduced, were printed by authority Anno 1585. and 87. upon the 9. Art. concerning originall ſinne, Propoſition 3. Originall ſinne remains in Gods children. 3. Perkins in the order of cauſes, page 98. Its the root of all actuall ſinne, and therefore, even after baptiſme, ſaith he, it muſt properly be a ſinne. in the 9. Art before quoted it ſelfe, this infection of nature doth remain even in them that are regenerate, plainly avouched by the publique Doctrine of our Church, grounded on Scripture, which teſtimony ought to go beyond any particulars. And 5. how often doth Paul manifeſt as much in himſelf, Rom. 7. calling it, non bonum, malum odio habendum, crucifigendum, mortificandum repugnans legi divinae, deſtruendum miſerum reddeus cui in eſt & ver. 14. Hee ſaid hee was carnall, ſold under ſinne, and v. 20.21. Sinne yet dwells in me, and evill that was ſtill preſent to hinder good, 6. Piſcator in locum Obſ. 8. this ſaith he, is corruptio naturae, the corruption of our nature; at que etiam Synec dochice, peecatum originis, originall ſinne. And Obſ. ultima, a quo renati perpetuo vexantur, of which the regenerate are continually troubled. See alſo v. 24. its a body of death, which he would gladly have been delivered from, it was out of meaſure ſinfull, v. 13.2 Cor. 12.7. He had a thorn in the fleſh, a Meſſenger of Sathan to buffet him; which though hee praid againſt p. 18often, yet God wold not remove it from him, but told him his grace was ſufficient for him, Jam. 1.14. Every man is tempted, when he is drawne aſide of his own luſt, and enticed; and Jam. 4.1. Whence, are wars and contentions, are they not from luſts that fight in your members? which place the Geneva note collates with the Law in our Members, Rom. 7.23. and ſo Piſcator, in locum 7. how plentifull is St. Auguſtine in this point, lib. 1. contraduas Epiſt. Pelag. cap. 1. as alſo in his Booke againſt Julian, and the like: what man of any reading in him knows not, lib. 1. de nuptiis & concupiſcentiis ad velerium, cap. 25. anſwering the qu: quomodo concupiſcentia carnis maneat in regenerato, in quo univerſorum facta eſt remiſſio peccatorum, &c. ad haec reſpondetur dimitti concupiſcentiam carnis in baptiſmo, non ut non ſit, ſed ut in peccatum non imputetur, Original ſin remains after baptiſme in the regenerate, but is not imputed to condemnation. So that though there be aliquid damnabile in renatis natura ſua, yet not damnandum, becauſe non imputandum. And quamvis reatu ſuo jam ſoluto manet tamen donec ſanctur omnis infirmitas noſtra; although the guilt of originall ſinne bee taken away in the regenerate, yet it ſtill remains ſinne, till we be cured of all ſinne by death; and lib. 1. ad valerium, cap. 26. illius concupiſcentiae quando remittitur reatus aufertur; when the guilt is remitted, it is ſo taken away, that it cannot hurt or condemne us: and on the contrary, actuall ſinne, though this be tranſient, yet ſo long as the guilt of them remaines untaken away in the regenerate, they are damnable: therfore, ſaith he, actuall ſins, although praeterierunt actu, yet manent reatu, in the wicked: but originall ſinne, maneat actu, praetereat reatu, in the regenerate. The act of ſinne may paſſe away, and the guilt remains in the unregenerate, but on the contrary, the guilt of originall ſinne is taken away in the regenerate, and yet it remains a ſinne. And cap. 30.31. he followes thoſe paſſages at large mentioned, Rom. 7. Gal. 5.17. The fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, &c. and theſe are contrary; now except it remained a ſin, though daily weakned by the power of the Spirit, there ſhould be no combate. And lib. 5. contra Julianum, cap. 3. concupiſcentia carnis adverſus quam bonus concupiſcit Spiritus & peccatum eſt, cauſa peccati, paena peccati, concupiſcence of the fleſh, againſt which the Spirit of God doth fight, is both ſinne; the cauſe of it, and puniſhment of it, ſinne, becauſe it rebels againſt the Law of the Mind; Puniſhment, becauſe it was put upon the diſobedience, as its reward and deſert; Cauſe, of all actuall, as we have heard: for omnia noſtra peccata immediate proveuiunt a corrupta noſtra natura, ac a diabolo, ipſa medianti, Polan. lib. 6.3 achoriſton, inſeparabile, niſi morte, all our actuall ſinnes, do ariſe immediately from our corrupt nature, and upon that, the Devill works us to wickedneſſe. I might adde many more teſtimonies, both out of St. Aug. the Scriptures, and the learned of the reformed Churches, than out of all theſe I have done: but theſe make the point plain enough. To theſe I added the publique doctrine p. 19of our Church: to which, I adde the confeſſious of other Churches, as that of Baſil, art. 2. of the Reformed in France, which is the ſame with that of Geneva, art. 11. of Saxony, art. 10. of Helvetia, art. 1. cap. 8. to which adde Aquin. himſelfe, pr. ſec. qu. 81. art. 3. ad jum. So that I hope its no blaſphemy, to affirm that Originall ſinne, remains a ſinne, even in the regenerate after Baptiſme, the guilt of it having been taken away. But now to affirme the contrary, that it remaines no ſinne after Baptiſme, but that both the guilt and ſtain is taken away in it, is downright Popery. For ſo Councell of Trent, ſect. 5. the Pontificians do hold, as Bellarm: greg. de valentia, lib. de peccato, originali, cap. 8. Eſtius in lib. 2. ſent. diſt. 32. ſect. 3. lit. C. and ſo the reſt, holding it a defect, or weakneſſe, or a fitting the heart, or diſpoſing it to ſinne, as tinder, that is no fire, but diſpoſed ſoone to receive it without much oppoſition, and is not cauſa peccati, niſi obediatur: but I anſwer, that nothing can be the cauſe of ſinne, per modum habitus interni, by way of an internall habit, and not bee a ſinne it ſelfe; for as an internall cauſe inclining to good, is good: ſo by the like reaſon an internall inclining to evill, is evill. Again, all unrighteouſneſſe is ſinne; ſuch is it. Againe, primi motus ſunt illiciti, it differs from the rule of the Law: therefore ſinne, and theſe are, ejuſdem rationis cum peccato originali, of the ſame nature, with originall ſinne. But they ſay, Rom. 8.1. there is no condemnation to thoſe that are in Chriſt: ſo ſay we, yet there is ſome what worthy of condemnation in them, if God ſhould impute it, but the guilt being taken away it is pardoned. Ob. 2. Deum nunquam remittere reatum, manente peccato, God will never remit the guilt, and yet the ſinne remain, ſaith Bell. Ameſius anſwers, and I am ſure hee was no Papiſt, Deus quando remittit non judicat peccatum non eſſe, ſed ex gratia judicat non eſſe vindecta pro ſe quendum, when God remits the guilt of originall ſinne, hee doth not judge it to be no ſinne, but of his grace, and favour hee ſo remits it, that it ſhall never be perſecuted by divine vengeance. Ob. 3. Its no more, I, but ſinne that dwells in me; that is peccatum naturae, the ſinne of nature, non perſonae, not of the perſon. In the firſt ſinne, perſona infecit naturam, in the poſterity, naturain fecit perſonam. And I anſwer, it was not he, comparative, in regard of his regenerate part, but it was he in the unregenerate part, Rom. 7.15. I allow not that which I do, v. 19. the evill which I would not, that doe I: For the whole man is principium [quod] both of good, and bad actions, but the principium [quo] of evill, is corruption; of good, Gods grace. Ob. 4. The guilt is inſeparable from the ſinne: I anſwer, its inſeparabile quoad dignitatem paenae, but its ſeparable, quoad ordinationem ad paenam, and that will ſerve to keepe us from ever comming into the fire of Hell. Obj. 5. What is properly ſinne is taken away by the grace of Chriſt in baptiſme, but defect of originall juſtice, not ergo, Anſ. Non ut non ſit, ſed ut non imputetur. But I may not ſwell the bulk, this ſhall briefly ſuffice for the former point, that though the guilt of originall … p. 21be taken away in the Elects, yet remains it a ſinne even in the regenerate, invitis Pontificiis, whether the Popiſh Divines, will or no.

To the ſecond, that their guilt is ordinarily taken away in elect Infants, in baptiſme: for the explaining of which, I muſt praemiſe the certaine propoſition as thus I deny not, but God may, and doth give his Spirit to elect Infants, ſometimes before Baptiſme; for many ſuch may dye before they attaine it. 2. He may do it after, for Baptiſme is as well ſigillum gratiae accipiendae, when it is once had, as acceptae. 2. When I ſay in Baptiſme, I meane by it, as the Fathers do, Baptiſmum completum, which includes three things, ſignum, ſignificatum, and analogiam; the ſigu is outward, the ſignified inward, the analogie mixed of both; the reſemblance ſtands us, that even as Water waſheth the body, ſo doth Chriſts bloud the ſoule: and this union is made by the Spirit Chriſt, applying the one, in, and by the thother, as by an outward Inſtrument, and if any of theſe be wanting, the baptiſme is not compleat, but onelyonly there is an outward Sacrament of Baptiſme; not the grace of the Sacrament. Ambros de iis qui initiantur Myſteriis, lib. 4. tres ſunt in Baptiſmate, Aqua, ſanguis ſpiritus ſi unum borum detrahas, non ſtat baptiſmatis in Saeramen…um; that is in the ſenſe you have heard: therefore when I ſpeak of baptiſme, to draw it onelyonly to the Baptiſme of Water, is an inſipid conceipt, which no man, either of learning or ordinary braines could in probability bee ſo voide of reaſon as to affirme, being that I had ſaid they were not Inſtrumenta Phyſica; not no Creature not devoid of common reaſon and charity, would have once offered for their own ſhame to have faſtened upon a man. So that I cannot meane onelyonly the act of Baptiſme, or Inſtitution without operation, nor the materiale of the Sacrament or the formale of words. 3. And laſtly, though all the Fathers that I have read, ſpeake of Baptiſme, in definitly, yet I meane not of all in generall, both Elect and Reprobate; for the unregenerate and reprobate never have the guilt removed, though they bee baptized: but of Elect Infants, to which I have ſaid, God is not ſo tyed to meanes, as that he may not give it either before or after, yet having been pleaſed to ſet up a ſtanding Ordinance of Baptiſme in the Chureh, I ſay that ordinarily, he takes away the guilt of their originall ſinne in this, or elſe it muſt bee an extraordinary thing to have the guilt of it taken away: Bulling lib. 6. adverſus Anabapt. Infautes habeant rem ſignatam, gratiam Dei, & remiſſionem peccatorum. Now whereas I ſay, the Fathers ſpeak indefinitely, we muſt know, that an indefinite propoſition in materia contingenti, is but inſtar particularis, as Doctus eſt pius, this is contingent; therefore not univerſall, but animal eſt ſenſibile, this is inſtar univerſalis: becauſe it is in materia neceſſaria. Yet now, and then, a man may gather by what hath fallen from the Pens of the Ancients, that their meaning is of the Elect, when they ſpeak of the efficacy of Baptiſme. Again, when it is ſaid (in p. 18Baptiſme, it may either point at the tempus baptizandi, or the virtutem baptiſmi; the time of baptizing, or the vertue, power, and efficacy of it: and howſoever, if we conſider the outward Sacrament of the Elementary materials, and the verball formale, as no proxima, propria, or immediata cauſa gratiae & fidei, as not having grace phyſically in it, or abſolutam aliquam cauſalitatem, ad diſpoſitionem recipientis, or any abſolute eauſalitie, to diſpoſe the receiver of it ſelfe, as Bonavent. in lib. 4. ſent. diſt. 1. qu: 4. yet they do this as morall Inſtruments, per quandam aſſiſtentiam divinam, quae proprie eſt fidei acgratiae cauſa; they doe efficere gratiam, afford grace, or work it. So that in this ſenſe, we ſay with Ameſius, aque baptiſmum aliquo modo cauſam inſtrumentalem regenerationis eſſe non negamus; in ſome ſort we deny not, ſaith he, the baptiſme of Water, to be an inſtrumental cauſe of regeneration; for it is an Inſtrument of the proper cauſe, and of the effect of the cauſe, which is the grace of the Spirit of God, though you have heard not the proper Proxime, and emmediate cauſe. Yet I ſay, by this morall Inſtrument, as Scotus, Durandus, Henricus, Bonavent. Alexan. Ales, and outward viſible ſign as the ſtanding Ordinance of God in his Church, he gives grace ordinarily to elect Infants, or elſe it ſhould be a prognoſtick of grace, or a ſigillum onelyonly: Dr. Featly in his Childrens Baptiſme juſtified, pag 41. ſpeaking of its neglect, ſaith, thereby they deprive them of that ordinary remedy of that originall malady, in which they are conceived and borne, or cata polu, but ſignum inane aut vacnum, or concerning whom I cannot but note what I reade in that learned, and worthy inſtrument of GOD in his Generation, Mr. Taylor, in his Sermons preached in the Univerſity in Cambridge, and in the ears of men, guifted to judge in point of Divinity, and printed as a comment on Titus, 1612. page 642. towards the end, he thus writes, diſtinguiſhing Infants, into ſuch as are elect, and ſuch as belong not the election of grace: the latter receive outwardly the element, and not inwardly waſhed; The former, (namely elect Infants) receive in the right uſe of the Sament, the inward grace: Not that hereby we tye the Majeſty of God to any time, or means, whoſe Spirit blowes when, and where it liſteth, on ſome before Baptiſme (as we have heard) who are ſanctified from the Wombe, on ſome after: but then marke what followes, but becauſe the Lord delights to preſent himſelfe gratious in his own Ordinances, we may conceive, that in the right uſe of this Sacrament, he [Ordinarily] accompanieth it with his Grace: here according to his promiſe, we may expect it, and here we may, and ought to ſend out the prayer of Faith for it. And page 643. to ſuch as dye Infants, giving that Spirit which works either Faith, or ſome thing proportionable for their juſtification, regeneration, ſanctification, and ſalvation; In the latter, which ſurvive, and live to diſcretion, vvorking the ſeeds, and inclination of Faith. p. 22which in due time ſhall fructifie to Eternal Life. See Polan. lib. 6. cap. 55. quo promiſſa eſt gratia inviſibilis, & exhibetur. Wallebius in compendio, Theol. lib. 1. cap. 23. Fidem non ſecus ac rationem habent, acſi non in fructu, tamen inſemine & radice, &c. They have Faith, as they have Reaſon, though not in the act and exerciſe of it, yet in the Root of Seed or it; they have virtuall, petentiall, and inclinative Faith; and they have it in Actu primo, ſaith Walleb. ſeeing they have ſpiritum fidei, the Spirit of Faith, though not in actuſecundo. Proſp. de vocatione gent. lib. 1. cap. 18. Originem verae juſtitiae in regenerationis Sacramento poſitam eſſe, ut vbi homo tenaſcitur, ibi etiam ipſarum virtutum veritas Oriatur; Yea, ſome moderne Divines have afforded them the habit of Faith, Polan. ſynagmat. lib. 9. cap. 6. though others cannot ſee how that ſhould be; of which never after any ſhew without new inſtruction. Eſtius in lib. 4. Sent, d. 4. ſect. 6. calls it habitum ſopitum, or qualitatem quieſcentem; which, ſaith he, conſtituat vere credentes, ſperantes, diligentes, &c. although it cannot actuate except the impediment of the age be removed, and externall doctrine or inſtruction accede by the outward ſenſes. I ſay thus, that if by an habit, bee meant an inchoat habit infuſed, it may be true; but not of a perfect habit, for then the former exception may take place: but an inchoate habit, and a diſpoſition to a perfect one, are all one: for Diſpoſition and Habit thus differ not ſpecie, but gradu, as tempor & fervor, and thus in effect: Its no more then what we heard before; the School-men that follow Aquin. part 3. qu. 69. art. 6. in corpore, ſay thus: for their perfect habit, the impotentia operandinon accidit pueris ex defectu habituum, ſed ex impedimento corporali; even as men that are ſleeping, they have the habits of vertue, though whilſt ſuch they cannot exerciſe them, Taylor on Titus, page 939. in his doctrine in Calce God (in baptiſme) not onelyoffers and ſignifies, but truly exhibiteth grace, &c. and that vertuall and inclinative beliefe in them, is acceptable to God in Chriſt, as actuall, in aedu tis; it ſavours therefore too ſtrongly of an Anabapticſticall conceipt, to think that Infants are not capable of inward graces of baptiſme, unleſſe they had actuall Faith. St. Auguſt. To 3. in enchirid. ad laurent. cap. 54. Baptiſm itis munere, quod contra origin ale peccatum donatum eſt, ut quod generatione attractum eſt, regeneratione detrahatur, and a little after, unde incipit hominis renovatio, here mans renovation begins. And Tom. 7. lib. 1. de peccatorum meritis, cap. 9. ſpeaking of the Pelagians, denying originall ſinne. Hinc enim etiam in paroulis nolunt credere per Baptiſmun ſolvi originale peccatum: they will not beleove that Originall ſinne is is taken away in children by baptiſme, lib. 2. cap. 28. Although Law of concupiſcence remain in our members; manente ipſa, reatus ejus ſolvitus, though it abide, yet the guilt of it is taken away, and then it followes: ſed eiſolvitur qui Saccamentum regeneration…s accaepit renov …i que (jam caepit) its taken away in ſuch as have received the Sacrament of regeneration, and now have p. 25begun to be renewed, lib. 6. contra Julianum, ergo quia & parvuli baptizantur in Chriſto, peccato moriuntur, & a poteſtate tenebrarum, ubi natura filii ira, fucrant erunutur, Children are baptized in to the death of Chriſt, and dye to ſinne, and although by nature they were the children of wrath, yet are they hereby plucked out of the power of darkneſſe, lib. 1. contra 2. Ep. Pelag. cap. 13. & ipſa carni… concupiſcentiain baptiſme ſic dimittitur, ut quanquam tract a ſit a naſcentibus, nihil noceat renaſcentibus, concupiſcence in baptiſme is ſo taken away, that though it be contracted to poſterity, yet it hurts not the party regenerate, lib. de nuptii… & cap. 23. haec in qu am concupiſcentia, quae ſola Sacramento regenerationis expiatur, &c. Martyr loc. com. claſ. 4. cap. 8. ſect. 2. cham. lib. 5. de Sacr. cap. 4. par. 6. Cal. Inſtitutionum lib. 4. cap. 14. ſect. 17. Gerar. voſſ. Theſ. Theol. de paedo baptiſmo pant 1. Theſ. 15. Muſclai com. q. 1. ſect. 8. Junius de paedo bapt. theſ. 10. Auguſt. Tom. 3. lib. 14. de Tul. cap. 17. This concupiſcence, which by the onelyonly Sacrament of Baptiſme is expiated, or purged; namely, front the guilt, and by the Sacrament (as you have heard) is then meant the thing ſignified, as well as the ſigne. Nazianzen in laudem Gorgonii, calls it, divinae bonum, the good of divine beginnings. Athanaſius in his book of Queſtions, dedicated to Antiochus, qu. 2. propounds this, when a man may know that he hath beene baptized, and received the Spirit (in Baptiſme) being but an Infant when he was baptized. Anſw. oſper oun en gaſtri labouſa gune; even as a woman may know that ſhe is conceived with child when there is life: Even ſo a Chriſtian by the ſpringing of his heart in ſolemn dayes of Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, and by the inward joyes he then conceives, oti to pneuma to agion elabe baptiſtheis, that he received the Holy Ghoſt when he was Baptized-Chryſoſt. Hom. 1. in Acta: Oti to curiotaten to pneuma eſti di hou cai to vdor energei: in Baptiſme the Spirit is the chiefe by which the water becomes effectuall, not as any proper cauſe, or any Phyficall Inſtrument, as you have heard, Baſil de ſpiritu ſancto, cap. 10. anſwers to the queſtion, how Chriſtians are ſaved; dia tes en too Baptiſmati caritos, by the grace he received in Baptiſme. St. Hierom. lib. 3. dialogorum contra Pelagianos; asking in cavelling manner, why Infants are Baptized: anſwers, vt ijs peccata in baptiſmate dimittantur; that their ſins might be remitted in Baptiſme. See further St. Aug. Ep. 23. ad Bonifacium, and the godly and learned Mr. Prinne, in his Perpetuity, page 354. To which I adde, learned Dr. Whittaker, de Sacramentis ingenere, qu. 4. cap. 2. reſpon. ad teſtimonium ſeptimum, Deus in Baptiſmo & ſignifieat remiſſionem peccatum & ſanae ita re operatur, & veritas cum ſigno conjuncta eſt in electis; God both ſignifies remiſſion of ſins in Baptiſme, and indeed ſo works it in the Elect: yet the truth of the ſigne is joyned with it: this alſo Dr. Fran. White makes good againſt Fiſher, page 176. God doth not uſe to mock his people with empty ſignes, but by his power inwardly makes good, what by the outward ſign he repreſents unto us; and what have beene ſaid of this p. 22duplicate page p. 25duplicate page p. 26of Faith in elect Infants you have heard, and how in time it fructifies. Dr. Fately in his Childrens Baptiſme in page 59. ſaith, the effects of the Spirit are begun at our Baptiſm, &c. & p. 60. they have purg'd away the guilt of their ſins, and Chriſts righteouſneſſe is imputed to them. Yet onelyonly give me leave to relate what St. Auguſt. ſaith of this, Ep. 23. ad Bonif. ſeme! perceptam parvulis Chriſti gratiam non amittit, niſi propria impietate, ſi aetatis acceſſu tam malus evaſerit, &c. this grace of Chriſt once received, the child looſeth not; except by his own vileneſſe when he comes to yeers, and then his actuall ſins are not removed by his baptiſmall regeneration: ſed alia curatione ſanentur, they muſt be healed by actuall repentance; and yet as Mr. Prinne Obſ. this will not follow: that therefore a converted child of God may fall, either totally or finally from actuall grace Our own Church Art. 25. printed 1562. they are called effectuall ſignes of grace? Now if God doe not effect grace in ſome ſort by them, they are not effectuall. In our Forme of Baptiſme in the Church of England, we have been taught thus to pray, That the child may be baptized with water, and with the Holy Ghoſt, be received into Chriſts Church, and made a lively member of the ſame, and that comming to baptiſme, it may receive remiſſion of its ſins by ſpirituall regeneration, and give thy Holy Spirit to this Infant that it may be born againe: And after Baptiſme, ſeeing now that this Child is regenerate, &c. and I do not quote this as any authority of its ſelfe, any further then made good by Orthodox Divines, Ameſ. Tom. 3. lib. 2. cap. 3.75. page; though all Infants receive not grace in Baptiſme: neither ſay we ſo, Deum tamen quibuſdam cum baptizantur habitum, vel Principium gratiae in fundere, non negamus Davenant in Col. 2.12. Spiritum gratiae inbaptiſmo acceptum, Dr. Featley, Part. 2. inward grace ordinarily accompanieth the outward ſigne: Except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit. Our Saviour, you ſee, begins at Baptiſme with Nicodemus and the Spirituall Birth, when he would have him a Chriſtian. And as in the Scriptures we reade of a twofold Circumciſion, ſo there is a twofold Baptiſme; a twofold Circumſiod, Rom. 2. two laſt, For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that Circumſion which is outward in the fleſh; that is, it is not that Circumciſion alone that makes a man acceptable to God, without the other, whereof that was a ſymbole, but he is a Jew which is one within, and the Circumciſion of the heart in the Spirit, not in the Letter, whoſe praiſe is not of men but of God: So hee is not an acceptable Chriſtian to God, that is onelyonly baptized outwardly with Water, but he that is one inwardly, baptized alſo with the Spirit: therefore our Saviour puts them both together, Except a man bee born again of Water and the Spirit. 2 Kings 4.31. When the Shunamites Child was dead, the Prophet ſent Gehezie with his ſtaffe to lay upon the face of the child, and to quicken it, but no life, nor motion did appeare by that, p. 27then verſ. 35. the Prophet himſelfe comes, and hee layes his mouth to the Childs mouth, &c. and then preſently it begins to revive, and life was reſtored unto it. Thus we may lay Water alone upon the Body, but it can introduce no Spirituall life; but when the preſence of Gods ſanctifying Spirit …omes together with it, then life is infuſed into the ſoule.

And ſecondly, as a man can perceive nothing of the things of this life except he be firſt born into the world naturally; no more can he perceive any thing of the ſweetneſſe of the life to come, except hee bee firſt borne againe ſpiritually.

Thirdly, even as the Children of Iſrael when they came out of Egypt were firſt to goe through the Red Sea. 2. Through the ſolitary wilderneſſe. 3. To be fed with Manna. 4. To paſſe through Jordan. and then 5. and laſtly, into the Land of Promiſe; even ſo are we firſt to paſſe through the water of Baptiſme. 2. Through the Wilderneſſe of Temptation. 3. God therein affords the Manna of conſolation. 4. After both, Death: and 5. and laſtly, then that aeternall Canaan, or reſt of glory.

Fourthly, our Saviour ſaith, not except this man, or that man be borne againe, but ſpeakes indefinitely, except a man be born againe; that is as much as except every man be born again that may: for the Logitians tells us (as you have heard) that in materia neceſſaria propoſitioni definita eſt inſtar vniverſalis; though in contingenti, but particularis. In a matter neceſſary, an indefinite propoſition is as an univerſall, ſo that its not left to every mans judgement as a thing indifferent, whether he will be baptized, or no; but he muſt, if he may, if he mean to enter Heaven.

Fifthly, we may obſerve, that this is ſpoken to a Jew, a man that had been circumciſed before; Amen, Amen, dico tibi, to ye, yet to circumſion he addes Baptiſme, putting an end as it were to the one, and beginning the other; therefore, the Jewes do wrangle in vaine, contending for Circumſion to bee for ever, and never altered; becauſe its ſaid, Gen. 17.7. That God made an everlaſting Covenant with Abraham, and his Seed, and Abraham believed before he was circumciſed, and afterwards received the ſigne of Circumſion, which is alſo called a Seale of the Righteouſneſſe of Faith, and to Ahraham it was given as a ſigne, that hee believed the divine promiſe of the Seed to come, Gal. 3.16. He ſaith not as to the Seeds, as ſpeaking of many, but to thy Seed, as to one, which is Chriſt, in whom all the Nations of the Earth were to be bleſſed. Circumciſion then was an open ſigne of the confeſſion of this Seed to come: now the Seed being come, if any man ſhould retain circumſion as ſtill neceſſary, he ſhould as much as ſignifie he were not come, Gal. 5.2. Behold, I Paul ſay unto you, that if ye be circumciſed, Chriſt ſhall profit you nothing: So that to the Jewes objection out of Gen. I anſwer thus, faedus Dei cum populo p. 28ſempiternum; but ſignumillud particul are non eſſet aeternum: although the Covenant of God with his people, was to be aeternall, yea their particular ſigne of circumciſion was not to be ſo; for though the covenant held, yet the ſign of the covenant was alterable: for circumciſion was not pactum, but ſignum pacti; circumciſion was not the covenant its ſelfe, but the ſigne of the covenant.

Its obſerveable in ſacred Writ, quod Deus ter faedus ſuum cum homine renovavit; renewed his covenant three times with man, and the ſign was every time preximius & perfectius, the nearer to him, and the more perfect. Firſt, he made a covenant with Noe, of not drowning the world again by Water, and his ſigne for this was his bow in the Clouds, Gen. 9.12, 13. This is the token of the Covenant which I make between me and you, &c. I have ſet my bow in the Clouds, and it ſhall be a ſigne betweene me and the earth. Secondly, with Abraham and his Seed; and promiſed Chriſt, Gen. 17.10. And that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth ſhould be bleſſed (as you have heard) and then he inſtituted the ſigne of circumciſion. 3. And laſtly, he renews the covenant in Chriſt to all believers, and of this covenant, Baptiſme was the more perfect than the former.

Sixthly, obſerve, that he joynes two things in the Sacrament together, that are valde diſſimili, greatly diſlike Water and the Spirit, the former corporall, the latter ſpirituall; the former viſible, and the latter inviſible: and herein anſwers to the two eſſentiall parts of man, his body and his ſoule; where of the former is viſible, the latter inviſible; the Water viſible, the Spirit inviſible: the Water waſheth the body, the Spirit works upon the ſoule and minde, John 3.8. the manner of our regeneration is compared to the blowing of the winde, The winde bloweth where it liſteth, and thou heareſt the ſound thereof, but thou canſt not tell whence it comes, nor whither it goes; ſo is every one that is borne of God. Now in the winde two things are obſerveable. 1. we feel it blowing, but 2. we cannot ſee the wind that bloweth; for though it be a body, yet naturall Philoſophy teacheth us, that it is corpus tam tenue, ſo ſubtle a body, that we cannot ſee it: even ſo it is here, we feel the ſweet working of the Spirit, but we cannot ſee that ſpirit that worketh.

The Papiſts that hold the Sacraments Phyficall Inſtruments (as you have heard) they ſay that the body is no leſſe ſanctified by the Water, than the ſoule by the Spirit: and they inſtance thus, quemadmodum aqua viribus ignis intenſius calefacta, non aliter quam ignis vrit, &c. Even as Water made very hot by the fire, doth no leſſe burn then the fireits ſelfe, ſo the Water in baptiſme by the operation of the Spirit of God adjoyned to it, doth cleanſe the body of him that is baptized, as the Spirit its ſelfe: but as ſome of the ſounder Schoole Divines have well conſidered, Water being but Creatura inſenſibilis, an inſenſible creature, its not capable to be the ſubject of any inhaerent grace p. 29as one body or element is capable of the heating by another. 2. You have heard that Spiritus, is not alwayes neceſſario ſihi adjunctus, the Spirit is not alwayes and of neceſſity joyned to it. 3. And laſtly, the corporall ſubſtance of water cannot immediately touch or work upon the ſoule. But even as the meat is firſt digeſted inwardly in the ſtomack, and then by ſecret paſſage the ſpirit and vigour of it is conveyed to the outward parts of the body; even ſo grace firſt infuſed into the heart and mind of a man, ſpread it ſelfe into all the faculties of the ſoule, and then into all the parts of the body, ſo that the whole man is infected So grace when God doth infuſe it, ſpreads it ſelfe as farre; thus in this ſenſe in regard of parts, where ſin hath abounded, there grace alſo may abound. And in what ſenſe God may be ſaid to have ſanctified us by the water of baptiſme, you have heard heretofore. But you will ſay, what need Chriſt water in baptiſme, as any outward ſigne to ſanctifie us by? cannot he ſanctifie us by his Spirit without this? I anſwer, what needed our Saviour clay or ſpittle, or waſhing in Siloam to have opened the blinde mans eyes: could he not have done it onelyonly by a word, and it ſhould have ſerved? Or, why did God create man of the duſt of the earth? could hee not have created him of nothing? I anſwer yes, but he was not pleaſed ſo to doe, but would uſe meanes, to teach us not to deſpiſe the uſe of meanes, but to waite upon God in the uſe of them when he appoints them, Rom. 9.20. O man, who art thou that diſputeth with God, ſhall thou teach him how he ſhall work his work, or by what meanes, Gen. 1. the latter part of the ſecond ver. its ſaid, That the Spirit of God moved upon the Waters, even ſo doth it upon theſe waters to ſanctifie us by them, as by an outward ſigne, giving us by that which we ſee, that which we ſee not, in what ſenſe you have heard before. This water in Baptiſme is thought to have been typified, per aquam expiationis, by the ſprinkling water mentioned, Numb. 19.9. But ver. 2. this water muſt have the aſhes of a red Cow mingled, that which was without blemiſh; to note out that this water muſt have the red blood of Chriſt without ſinne, to goe with it. As alſo by the Waters iſſuing out of the Sanctuary (as ſome will have it,) Ezek. 47. from v. 1. forward &c. as alſo by the Waters of the flood, Gen. 7.7. and this is plain by St. Peter, 1 Pet. 3.21.

Seventhly, he ſaith not, niſi quis baptizatus fuerit, ſedniſi quis natus fuerit, ne quis de ſolo externo baptiſmo gloriaretur; he ſaith not, except a man be baptized, but except a man be borne againe, leaſt any man ſhould glory onelyonly of his outward baptiſme, for outward baptiſme with water you have heard will not ſerve, without inward baptiſme with the ſpirit, by which the old man is put off, and the new man put on, or otherwiſe as many come through the red Sea, that afterwards periſhed in the Wilderneſſe, and never ſaw the Land of Promiſe, ſo many may paſſe though the Water of Baptiſme, that afterwards p. 30periſh in aeternall miſery, and never ſee the ſpirituall Canaan, no more then they did the temporall.

Eightly, As in naturall generation there is a concurrence of father and mother; even ſo in this ſpirituall generation, the Church, as the mother, ſhe affords water: and God, as our Father, he gives his Spirit, and ſo a man comes to be born a child of Light.

9. And laſtly, ſeeing that a man can but be once borne naturally, no more can he ſpiritually (as you have heard) therefore Donatus of old, and the Anabaptiſts of theſe latter times, have been much to blame, to baptize men over again, ſeeing that their former baptiſme was by lawfull Miniſters, and according to Chriſts preſcription, both for matter and forme. Donatus upon conceipt that the Miniſters were faulty in their lives that baptized them; as though the efficacy of the Sacrament did depend upon the bounty of the Inſtrument, and not upon GOD. Many that have been baptized by faulty Miniſters prove good men; and on the contrary, many that have beene baptized by good Miniſters, prove bad men.

But before I paſſe this point, I cannot but give you one collection from ſome of the Papiſts, out of this Text. You know they hold, that the Fathers dying before Chriſt came in the fleſh, were not in Heaven, but in Limbo, and that becauſe, ſay they, they were not thus baptized of Water, and the Spirit: or thus born again. Yet when Chriſt ſuffered, they ſay they were baptized with that water that came out of his ſides, and ſo were conveighed to Heaven, at his comming out of Hell: but we muſt know, that this Text will afford them no ſuch collection; for, firſt you have heard, that this Text is not meant of abſolute neceſſity, but in ſome reſpect. 2. Though they could not go to Heaven by Water, yet might they by Circumciſion, as the outward ſigne, or by the Sac…aments of the old Teſtament. 3 And laſtly, this way to Heaven by Water, was a new way, and not ordinarily required, before the comming of Chriſt, this Sacrament was not reſtituted before his comming in the fleſh: therefore, the Ancients could not be debarred Heaven, for want of being born again thus, as wee may. The Water as it cannot regenerate without the Spirit, ſo the Spirit ordinarily will not without this, where it may be had, and where it is contemned; therefore God is pleaſed to joy ne them together, in this ſenſe alſo then, thoſe things that God bath put together, let no man ſeparate. Seeing God hath beene pleaſed to put together Water, and the Spirit, let no man ſeparate them, Chriſt taught Nicodemus, that hee muſt be born thus of Water, and the Spirit; except a man be born againe of Water and the Spirit.

I now come to the next point, the neceſſity of it, He cannot enter into the Kingdome of GOD: except a man be borne againe of Water and the Spirit, be cannot p. 31enter into the Kingdome of GOD. He cannot enter, you have heard in ſome reſpect, there is an impoſſibility he cannot take this Kingdome of God by violence, as they did the Kingdome of God in another ſenſe, Mat. 11.12.

The Kingdome of God is ſeverally taken in Scriptures, as ſometimes for the Adminiſtration of the Goſpell, in which Chriſt did raigne in mens conſciences, as a King in his Throne, or in his Kingdome; thus 1 Cor. 4.20. The Kingdome of God is not in word, but in power, which words St. Paul expounds, 1 Theſ. 1.5. For our Goſpel came not unto you in word onelyonly, but alſo in power, and in the Holy Ghoſt, &c. In the former place its called the Kingdome of God; in this latter, the Goſpell: into this Kingdome of Heaven, the Phariſees would neither enter themſelves, nor ſuffer others, like Aeſops Dog in the Hay, that would neither eat it himſelfe, nor ſuffer the Cattle that would have made good uſe of it, Mat. 23.13. Wee therefore unto you, Scribes, and Phariſees, Hyporites, becauſe ye ſhut up the Kingdome of Heaven before men, for yee your ſelves goe not in, neither ſuffer yee thoſe that would enter to come in. 2. For the new eſtate of the Church, in the time of the new Teſtament, under Chriſt, Mat. 5.19. He that ſhall breake one of the leaſt of theſe Commandements, and ſhall teach men ſo, hee ſhall be accounted the leaſt in the Kingdome of Heaven.

3. And laſtly (to let other acceptions goe) its taken for the Kingdome of the bleſſed in the eſtate of glory; thus, Luke 12.32. Feare not little Flocke, it is your Fathers will, to give you the Kingdome: and that you may ſee in the next verſe, is meant of the Kingdome of Heaven, Whither no Theeves can come to ſteal; and Mat. 25.34. This is the Kingdome prepared for you, from the foundation of the world. Acts 14.22. Through many afflictions we muſt enter into the Kingdome of God; that is, that aeternall Kingdome reſerved for us in the Heavens, Gal. 5.21. having ſpoken of the workes of the fleſh, he tels us, that they which doe ſuch things, ſhall not in herit the Kingdome of God; that is, that Kingdome that is here ſpoken of in the Text, Epheſ. 5.5. its called the Kingdome of Chriſt, and of God, not that theſe are two Kingdomes, but one and the ſame, ſo called in ſeverall reſpects, Chriſt merited this Kingdome for us, God gave us the Kingdome which Chriſt merited. And Luke 22.29. where our Saviour ſpeakes of his Diſciples, and how they continued with him in his Temptations: therefore, ſaith he, I appoint unto you a Kingdome, as my Father hath appointed unto me; and that is the Kingdome into which the faithfull ſhall all enter, but ſuch as are not prepared for it, like the fooliſh. Virgins, may cry, Lord, Lord, long enough, and yet the gate of this Kingdome will be ſhut againſt them, Mat. 25.12. Chriſt will not know them, that will not know him, they ſhall not enter into this Kingdome of God; except a man be borne againe of Water and the Spirit, he ſhall not enter into the Kingdome of God.

He cannot enter, Hence obſerve, That regeneration, is of abſolute neceſſity p. 32to ſalvation, John 3.3. except a man be born againe, he cannot ſee the Kingdome of God, Heb. 12.14. follow peace and holineſſe, without which no man ſhall ſee God, for Mat. 5.8. its the pure in heart, that muſt ſee God. And Heb. 11.6. without Faith, its impoſſible to pleaſe God: now where God is not pleaſed, a man cannot be ſaved, and where no regeneration is, there is no faith, and ſo by conſequence no ſalvation. I ſtand not upon the manner of regeneration, whether it bee by Water as the outward ſigne, and by the Spirit and inward grace, as here in the Text: or it be by the Spirit without Water where it cannot be had: or it be ſacramentally or habitually, or howſoever: yet there muſt be a regeneration even in Infants that dyes before they come to riper yeeres, ſome meanes to cleanſe, and free a rationall nature from the guilt and damnable nature of originall ſinne, as well as actuall in riper yeers, before there can be ſalvation: but before we proceed any further, let us propound two queſtions concerning this baptiſme. Firſt, whether the Water ought to be conſecrated, in which we are to baptize, or no; or we may baptize in common water? I anſwer, if by conſecrated water be meant that ſuperſtitious popiſh conſecrarion, wee deny it, for that is thus performed. 1. By certain carefull croſſings. 2. By ſecret words. 3. By ſome odde geſtures. 4. By theſe breathing on it, as if like Chriſt theſe blind hypocrites would thus give the holy Ghoſt. 5. By taking a burning wax Candle, and putting it thrice into the water, and ſaying, Let the power of the Holy Ghoſt come down into this plentifull Fountain, and let it make the whole ſubſtance of this water faithfull with the fruit of regeneration: this they did upon that groſſe conceipt, that water was a Phyſicall Inſtrument to convey grace, we have no ſuch warrant in the Word of God, or direction for any ſuch thing. But if by conſecrated water, no more bee meant but water ſet a part for an holy uſe, and good end, and ſuch as concerning which we uſe prayers about baptiſme, and for no other uſe imployed than baptiſme, this ought to breed no quarrell amongſt intelligent Chriſtians, nor to denominate any man ſuperſtitious: for the thus ſetting it apart, and reviſing of it, ſeeing that its uſed in no other manner, nor for any other end, than the Apoſtles uſed water in their times; for wee acknowledge no more inhaerent holineſſe in this, than in other Water, as the Papiſts do: and in this ſenſe, water in the Font, is no worſe, than water in the Fountain, nor to be accounted more ſuperſtitious, being but thus uſed, though the Fonts have been abuſed: we know the Apoſtles, and Apoſtolicall men baptized in common Water, and ſuch as was moſt obvious for that occaſion, devoy'd of any ceremonious conſecration, Mat. 3.6. John baptized in Jordan, in the faire open River, becauſe he baptized many at one meeting, and thoſe of ripe yeers, and Acts 8.38. Philip baptized the Eunuch in the Water by the high way ſide, p. 33as they travelled, and if we wanted other places as they did, we might alſo doe the like.

Secondly, where our Saviours mentions being borne again of Water, and the Spirit, but expreſſeth not in the Text who ſhould apply it; the ſecond queſtion may be, who ſhould adminiſter baptiſme? I anſwer, he that hath a lawfull calling to meddle in the Adminiſtration of the Church Sacraments, and to touch the people, and can ſhew the nature, the end of them, &c, Mat. laſt, 19. thoſe that went out to baptize, went out alſo to teach, ſuch as were capable of it: Yea, that's ordinarily; but in caſe of neceſſity, may not Laymen baptize, or Midwives, &c. the Papiſts ſay they may: for whom thus much may be ſaid in briefe. Firſt, for private men to adminiſter Sacraments, the maſter of every family killed the Paſſeover in his owne private houſe, Exod. 12.…. to 7. and diſtributed it to them: why may not private men now as well miniſter Sacraments? I anſwer, that when the Paſſeover was firſt appointed, then the Aaronicall Prieſthood was not inſtituted, but the eldeſt of every Family was a Prieſt, if not uncapable, and performed all Prieſtly duties, unto God: but after the Lord had choſen the Tribe of Levie, and ſetled the Prieſt-hood in that, then theſe things were done by them to whom it appertained, and not by others. 2. For Midwives, its uſually urged, that Zipporah circumciſed the ſonne of Moſes, Exod. 4.24, 25. God met Moſes in the Inne, and would have killed him for neglecting the Circumciſion of his Child. Let negligent Parents take notice hence, how Gods anger will bee alſo kindled againſt them, if they neglect baptiſme now, the like to their children: then Zipporah, Moſes his wife, took a ſharp knife, and circumciſed her ſon, & then Gods wrath ceaſed. To which I anſwer. 1. That one example makes no rule, as one Swallow makes no Summer, Judg 4.4. Deborah a woman judged Iſrael, yet it will not honce follow for a rule, that any woman may be Judge; neither may we hence collect, like that wiſe man in Norfolke, who reading how Deborah judged Iſrael, would needs hence collect, that a woman might be a Juſtice of Peace: there are divers particulars in Scripture, out of which we cannot well draw generall Rules, if we do, we ſhall conclude many abſurdities. 2. I anſwer, that this was an extraordinary example, and therefore can no more make a rule for ordinary actions, than Moſes his baptizing in the cloud, and in the Sea, or his making of Aaron a Prieſt, Moſes and Aaron among his Prieſts, &c. this might not be drawn into a rule, no more might Zipporahs. Objection, that neither doe they make this common rule, but in caſe of neceſſity, or in anticulomo…tis, in danger of death. To which I anſwer. 1. That they make it more common many times then they need, becauſe they would be doing, and be accounted ſome body. 2. That there is no ſuch abſolute neceſſity, as to compell them to abuſe the Ordinance of God, as if God had no other wayes p. 34…o ſave by, but by the powring on water by the hand of a woman, they are no ſuch grace-wives, as to conferre grace thus. 3. Moſes was then ſick, when Zepparah circumciſed the child, and was not well able to do it; yet what if Moſes ſpeak of this rather by way of indignation, then any point of Religion, or commendation of her. 4. She did it not in any love, or reverence to the Sacrament, but for by reſpects, ſhe did not performe it in that reverend manner that Sacraments uſe to be performed, but very unreverently and furiouſly both in deeds, words, and geſtures. In deeds, ſhe threw the fore skinne in an anger at his feet. In words, a bloudy husband haſt thou been unto me, grudging againſt God that inſtituted the Sacrament, as well as Moſes. In geſtures, frowning, and looking diſdainfully upon him. 5. And laſtly, though God was pleaſed when the Child was circumciſed, yet it followes not, that therefore he was content with the manner of it, or with the approving of the party that did it, and the caſe I ſay was extraordinary. Obj. 2. But howſoever, they may apply the element, and uſe the right form of words, and better ſo, than no baptiſme at all. I ſay that more is required to baptiſme than water, and the words, and that is authority from God, and a ſolemn calling from the Cſturch to do it, which they cannot have, and neceſſity is no ſufficient authority to Prieſt a woman, though I know how ſome have cavelled amongſt the reformed, as I have known ſuch as have been baptized by them, afterwards brought to the Miniſter to be baptized of him; and wee know that the opinion of abſolute neceſſity put them upon the point. But 1. Chriſt hath had a ſetled order of men, ſince the beginning of the preaching of the Goſpel to do this, therefore no need of them, 2 Mat. 28. 19. Teach, and baptize, this is a Sacrament of the Church, and the Sex of a woman excludes her from Teaching, and by conſequence from adminiſtring Sacraments, Joh: 4.2. Jeſus baptized not, but his Diſciples; which ſome underſtend excluſively, none but they did it; yet no doubt but many Children were then in danger, 2 Tim. 22. I permit not a woman to teach, that is, publiquely to inſtruct in the open Congrcgation, 1 Cor. 14.34. Let your women keepe filence in the Church, for it is not permitted them to ſpeake, their Sex deprives them of ſuch Miniſteriall functions, Tertullian de velgandis virginibus, its not permitted a woman to ſpeake in the Church, much leſſe to teach, or to baptize, or to offer; neither to take to her ſelfe the execution of any mans office, much leſſe the Prieſts. And Concil. 4. Carth aginenſi Epiphanius, diſputing againſt divers Heretiques, and confuting Marcion, complained that he alſo gave women leave to baptize: he ſaid the like of the Quintilian, and Pepatian Heretiques: and concerning the neceſſity of Baptiſme by Water (you have heard before) that its not alwayes abſolutely neceſſary reſpectu medii, but neceſſary in ſome reſpect, where God offers it, and men may have it. But this baptiſme by the Spirit, or regeneration by p. 35ſome means, or other is abſolute neceſſary, none ever was, or ſhall be ſaved without it, 1 Cor. 6.9. Know yee not, that the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdome of God, &c. The reaſon is, becauſe no unclean thing ſhall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, Rev. 21. laſt, and there ſhall enter into it no unclean thing? Now we are all unclean by nature, Epheſ. 2.3. and we by nature, ſaith St. Paul, were the children of wrath, as well as others; that is, by our corrupt nature, being born with Adams guilt upon us: ſo that wee may all cry, as the Lepers did under the Law, I am unclean, I am unclean, Lev. 13.45. and as the Lord ſaid to Jeruſalem, ſo may we ſay to you, O Jeruſalem wilt thou not be made cleane, when ſhall it once be, and you have heard, how this cleanſing muſt be by regeneration, 1 Cor. 6.11. having ſpoken of groſſe ſins, he addes, And ſuch were ſome of you; but ye are waſhed, ye are ſanctified. q.d. Without this waſhing, this ſanctifying, this cleanſing, yee had been in the ſame eſtate with the unrighteous, and ſo could not have inherited Heaven.

Well, is this ſo, that regeneration is abſolutely neceſſary to ſalvation: this then may firſt afford us an Uſe of exhortation, for every one of us to uſe the means to be regenerate, if we mean to be ſaved: Be diligent in hearing Gods Word taught: reade good bookes of practicall Divinity, and of ſuch men as have writ for thee that which they have found by experience in themſelves: frequent Prayer, deſire it from others to pray for thee, that God would come and make himſelfe knowne to thee. God workes by means, and not by any means, but by ſuch as are of his owne directing. If wee uſe theſe means, Gods bleſſing is ready to attend them, and make them effectuall to as many as he will ſave.

Secondly, If ſo, then an Uſe of Reproofe to ſuch as dream of ſalvation, and ſay they hope for it as well as the beſt, when in the mean time, they labour not for regeneration: but hates the meanes God hath ordained to ſave them by and cannot indure thoſe that uſe them, but revile them, and ſlander them, and perſecute them, becauſe they affect not any ſuch goodneſſe themſelves. Or elſe, 2. they uſe but the meanes in part, and have not a care to ſhare in all the Ordinances of God: if they practice one, they will not another if they heare, they have no great mind to remember, or practice accordingly or to joyn prayer to it, that's a wearineſſe to the fleſh; before they durſt not quando ſatis fuit criminis fueſſe bonum, when it was matter enough of accuſation to have been good, but now by Gods mercy they may; but becauſe its weariſome to the fleſh, though great comfort to the conſcience, they decline if Or 3. if more amply, yet but of cuſtome, and ſuperficially, not as in conſcience, and as in obedience to Gods direction, or in care to grow in grace, o out of any experimentall ſweetneſſe they have found in the Ordinances.

3. And laſtly, if ſo, then an Uſe of Juſtification, of ſuch as have a care … p. 36labour for regeneration, and experience of Gods love in Chriſt: ſo they muſt either do, or be damned, its a matter of no leſſe conſequence then life and death. Suppoſe a man had committed ſuch a capitall Crime, as for which he knew by the Law he was to be hanged, or ſhould ſuffer ſome ſhamefull kind of death: oh how would it break his ſleepe? and how would he imploy all his friends? how would he ride and run night and day to procure his freedome, or pardon, which his deeds had merited, and all this, but to free him from a temporall death: Well, and every unregenerate ſinner in that eſtate, is in as great danger of Hells eternall Torments, for the ſinne he hath done, as this man is of his temporall death. Oh! doth it not concern them thon to be diſquieted in mind on the night ſeaſan, to procure the prayers of all their friends: to faſt, pray, cry, and what not, and ſay with thoſe heart-pricked Jewes, Act. 2.37. Men and Brethren, what ſhall wo doe to be ſaved? who would raile againſt ſuch a man as he ſaw to he troubled, or to run and ride to ſave himſelfe from a temporall Death? yet ſo ſhameleſſe are many wicked men, that they revile, and raile againſt ſuch men as they ſee thus troubled to eſcapean eternall death. Fooles and blind, how long will it be ere they underſtand the errour of their way, how long would they be taught? how ſhould they ſee their errour, and cry mightily unto God for the pardon of it? Seeing then that regeneration is of abſolute neceſſity to ſalvation; let us lay downe ſome motives to inflame our affections to be in love with that eſtate: Firſt, God himſelf is much affected with it, if therefore we would ſympathize with him, let us be ſo too. Great men what they affect, their ſervants either affect the like, or at leaſtwiſe make ſhow of it; to the end, that ſympathizing with their Lords, they may obtaine more favour from them: Well, and God I ſay is in love with this eſtate, 1 Theſ. 4.3. This is thr will of God, even your ſanctifieation, and Rom. 6.12. he would not have ſinne to raign in your mortall bodies.

The ſecond motive may be the reward that men ſhall have when the work is over, though this be painfull, yet the reward is gainfull, Rom. 8.13. If ye morrifie the deeds of the body, by the Spirit, ye ſhall live, not as Neſtor tertiam aetatem hominum, as long, as 3. men in this life preſent, but eternall in the life to come, 1 Tim. 4.8. Godlineſſe is profitable to all things, which hath both the promiſe of this life, and of that which is to come.

The third, that Chriſt may attaine his end in dying for them; Titus 2.14. which was, that he might redeeme us from all our iniquity, and purge us to be a peculiar people to himſelfe, zealous of good workes, performe them not coldly, or outwardly, but zealouſly, and conſcionably: for as St. Auguſtin and Bernard haze ſpoken, though they be not cauſa regnandi, yet they are, vi… …d regnum, though they be not the cauſe of reigning, yet they are the way hither; and the Apoſtle tells us, that we were created in Chriſt Jeſus to good p. 37workes, that wee ſhould walk in them. I now come to the laſt point in the Text, the reaſon of the other: for that which is born of the fleſh, is fleſh; but that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit. Firſt, for the former branch, quod natum eſt excarne, caro eſt, that wich is born of the fleſh, is fleſh. Its worth our obſervation, that when our Saviour had told Nicodemus the neceſſity of being born againe of Water, and the Spirit, that he ſtayes not for Nicodemus his asking him a reaſon of this Doctrine, ſed ipſe ultro rationem raddit; he willingly renders a reaſon himſelfe in this verſe of the Text, That which is borne of the Fleſh, is Fleſh, which may let us ſee how a ſound Teacher ſhould render a good reaſon of his Doctrine, and not onelyonly dictate, and afford no proofs, to eſtabliſh the faith of his hearer. If the men that pretend ſo much now light would do ſo, it werewell, I have lately ſeen a little Pamphlet concerning Church offices in New-England, wherein it is reported, how that American Jezabel, one Hutchinſon, a Gentlewoman under the pretence of this new light, did exceedingly trouble the Churches, and yet of a long time could not cleerly diſcover the originall of it, that linnen propheteſſe under pretence of new light, did ſo gull and infatuate old Profeſſors, that they ſleighted and undervalued their old Teachers in regard of it, whom they had followed by Sea and Land, and forſaken the places of their nativity for the love of them; which light, was indeed nothing elſe but a mere imaginary flaſh in the Phariſie, by which the Divell changing himſelf into an Angell of light, beguiled them, untill at length, her impoſtures were found out, ſhe after long debate of the matter convicted, and adjudged to be baniſhed, that their Churches might have reſt; ſome of the beames of this light are extended to our Nation, there may bee ſuch imaginary illuminates in it, but qua tales, wee know they are not of us. The enemy that too well loves his croſſe rowes, is ſtill in hand with his A. and his B. ANABAPTISTS and BROWNISTS; but they will not C. that the Church of England deſelaims theſe Suppoſe the graces of Gods Spirit may be in ſuch men, as are of the more tollerable temper amongſt them: yet St. Paul would not forbear Peter, becauſe of his graces, when he did wrong, but reproved him roundly for it: the peace of the Church ſhould be valued at an high rate, of all ſuch as do ſapere ad ſobrietatem, and ſuch as ſpeak not the words of ſoberneſſe, as well as truth, deſerve cenſure, as Paul ſaid to Feſtus, Act. 26.25. Gen. 1.16. God made two great lights, the Sun to rule the day, the other the night, he made alſo the Stars, but theſe borow their light from the Sun. Now if any man ſhould tell us of new light, and yet after that of more new light; be it of Candle, or Torch, or the like: I would aske what theſe were in compariſon of the light of the Sun, Moon, &c. So god made other two great lights in the Firmament of the Church, the Old Teſtament to governe the Jewes; the New to governe both Jewes and Gentiles, p. 38that Lumen innatum, or light God lent from Heaven contained in them, wee willingly receive from them, and all the Stars of the Churches horrow their light from hence. Lord open their eyes, to diſtinguiſh betweeen this light to be drawn from it, and that lumen adventitium, or adventitiall light brought to it, Hoſ. 6. latter part of the 5. verſ. thy judgements are as the light that goeth forth.

Now this adventitiall light in compariſon of the innate light, is but as a Candle before the Sun, between which there is no compariſon, and where the Sunne can have acceſſe, a candle is needltſſe: ſo where the light of the Scriptures can take place, there is no need of this imaginary light of man. If a man ſhould conceive that there were not innate light enough in the Sunne to illuminate our hemiſphaere, but ſhould deviſe ſome new light of Torches, to ſet upon every Beacon to illuminate the Ayre, and let men ſee how to travell, would not all men laugh at him, knowing that this was but a ſuperfluous conceipt, and that many ages had travelled well enough without any ſuch light, as well as with them: even ſo here, If we ſhall boaſt of new light, and more light, which cannot be found in the Scriptures, nor drawne from them, and ſet up that, and magnifie it amongſt men; as though the other contained not ſufficient, may not men either think them proud, or ridiculous, in not being content to travell by that light, in which ſo many ages of the Church have gone to Heaven before them, ſurely yes. But they will ſay, that they have a greater meaſure of Gods Spirit infuſed to ſee, and interpret that innate light than hath been before them. I anſwer, 1. That divers points of their illuminate Doctrine cannot be made good by the Scriptures, neither are they according to the analogie of Faith. 2. That Light in the Scriptures, being the Light of Gods Spirit, if their Light agree not with that, it cannot be from God. 3. Many of Gods people that have the Spirit in as great a meaſure as they have, and ſhew it by the effects, cannot conceive their opinions to be truth, as conſonant to that ſacred Truth of God, Eſ. 8.20. To the Law, and to the Teſtimony, if they ſpeak not according to this Word, it is becauſe there is no Light in them, let them boaſt of what they will, and Gal. 1.8. If an Angel from Heaven preach any other Dectrine, let him be accurſed, 1 John 4.1. Try the Spirits, whether they be of God, or no, and beleeve not every Spirit, &c. that is, every Doctrine that is pretended to come from the Spirit; intimating, that there may not be Doctrines pretended from the Spirit, that are not of the Spirit, &c. This indeed, I willingly grant, that there may lye a truth in a text, which a carnall eye may travell over many yeeres, and not be diſcovered; thus the Rabbins of the Jewes, the Scribes, and Phariſees, did often reade over many Texts in Moſes, the Prophets, and the Pſalmes, which concerned Chriſt, and which they underſtood not: theſe very places, Chriſt himſelf and his Apoſtles, p. 39whoſe underſtandings he had opened to underſtand the Scriptures, Luke laſt, 49. did often quote againſt them, and confute them, Hoſ. 6.6. Its ſaid, I will have mercy, and not ſacrifice: this, though often read, yet not underſtood of them; therefore, Mat. 9.13. Goe yee (ſaith our Saviour) and learne what that meaneth, I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice: See againe, Pſalm. 100.1. The Lord ſaid unto my Lord, ſit thou on my right hand, untill I make thy Foes, thy Foot-ſtoole: This place, though they had often read, yet they did not underſtand, as may appeare by Mat. 22. from 44. to the end, When thoſe learned Pharifies were aſſembled, verſe 41. our Saviour begun to poſe …hoſe Owle-eyed Doctors, and moves his queſtion upon theſe words, The Lord ſaid unto my Lord, &c. whereas they had ſaid before, verſe 42. that CHRIST was DAVIDS Sonne, he replyes; If be bee Davids Sonne, how doth he then call him Lord: but they could not anſwer him a word, neither durſt any from that day forth, aske him any more queſtions; thus you ſee how a truth may lye in a Text, which carnall eyes cannot diſcover, though otherwiſe learned. But this will not hold; that becauſe they before Chriſt could not; ergo, not wee. 2. That carnall eyes could not; ergo, not thoſe that are illuminated by Gods holy Spirit, and being the righteous to whom he reveales his ſecrets: theſe could never be ſo far over-ſighted, but if the light came from the Scripture, they would ſee it, as well as others: yet the moſt excellent of them cannot finde this new pretended light juſtified there: ſo much for that point.

I now come to the laſt, That which is borne of the Fleſh, is Fleſh, and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit. Our Saviour having ſhowne Nicedemus the neceſſity of regeneration, ſtayed not (as you have heard) to ſee whether hee would aske a reaſon of it, or no, but willingly renders one, as alſo the manner of it, of Water and the Spirit, without which you have, heard, he could not enter. Now if our Saviour had not ſaid thus, man might have imagined that he might have gone to Heaven by his owne Wiſdome, or civill righteouſneſſe, or humane ſtrength, or depth of Learning, or the like: nay, alas, whatſoever is in a man naturally, or from mans naturall ſtrength will not do it, for ſo he is but fleſh, Quod natum eſt excarne, caro eſt, That which is born of the Fleſh, is Fleſh.

Theſe words are dark, we muſt therefore draw the vaile of them, and then we ſhall the more cleerely conceive of them; the [Fleſh] in Scriptures is taken in ſeverall ſenſes: it vvill be our labour therefore, to finde out the true ſenſe of it in this place.

Firſt, the Fleſh in Scriptures, is ſometimes put for this preſent Life, 1 Peter 4.2. the Apoſtle would have men for the ſpace of their lives, yet p. 40unſpent, for as much time as remained in the Fleſh, not to live after the luſts of men, but after the will of God, and 1 Phil. 1.24. Its better for you (ſaith the Apoſtle) that I abide in the Fleſh; that is, in this preſent life.

Secondly, we are ſometimes to underſtand the body of Fleſh, the one eſſentiall part of man, Levit. 19.28. Yee ſhall not cut your fleſh for the dead, nor make any print of a marke upon you, either by burning, laſhing, or flaſhing, as the Gentiles did. I have not thus taught you to hate your fleſh, neither can this any way benefit the dead.

Thirdly, by the fleſh, we are ſomtimes to underſtand the humane nature of CHRIST, 1 Peter 3.18. He was put to death, concerning the Fleſh; that is, in his humane nature; for in his divine nature, he could not ſuffer, that ſupported his humane nature in his ſuffering.

Fourthly, for the unregenerate eſtate of a man when he is in his corrupt nature, which he drew from Adam, and in many actuall ſinnes drawne from that unhappy roote: thus, Gen. 6.3. My Spirit ſhall not alwayes ſtrive with man, becauſe he is but Fleſh; that is, a corrupt and ſinfull creature, naturally devoid of grace, and that which is born of this fleſh, is fleſh like unto it; for Job. 14.4. who can bring a clean thing out of filthineſſe, there is not one but of ſinfull nature, is born ſinfull nature, Gen. 5.3. Its ſaid, that Adam lived one hundred and thirty yeere, and begot a ſonne in his owne likeneſſe, after his owne Image, and called his name Sheth; that is, he was like him in Sex. 2. Humano ſpecie, in humane ſhape, in all the members of the body. 3. And laſtly, after his Image, in the corruption of nature; for he had corrupted, and defaced that Image of GOD, after which he was created, which was in righteouſneſſe, and true holineſſe, Epheſ. 4.24. for the moſt principall part of Gods Image did conſiſt in theſe, and ſo did not beget a ſonne in that Iniage, in which GOD created him, but in his likeneſſe, and after his Image: ſuch a one as by ſinning he had made himſelfe, here was ex earne caro, fleſh of fleſh, quod natum eſt ex earne card eſt, that which is born of the Fleſh is Fleſh; thus againe, Rom. 8.5. they that are after the Fleſh, doe ſavour the things of the Bleſh; that is, thoſe that are as yet in their unregenerate eſtate, they affect thoſe courſes the moſt, that ſuite the beſt with the corruptions of nature,, they are in love with them, and doe the moſt delight in them, and cannot endure to be croſſed in them: yet verſe 6. The wiſdome of the fleſh is death, not onelyonly temporally, for ſo all dye, but eternally, yet how doe men beare themſelves by their carnall wiſdome; yea, ſo much, that it teacheth them how to ſleight the wiſdome of God, revealed in his holy Word, and will, and will be ſubject no further to it, then where it eroſſeth not p. 44theirs: but ſee the miſery of their wiſdome, verſe 7. This wiſdome is enmity againſt GOD, it is not ſubject to the Law of God: true, ſay ſome, that is de facto, but it may be, if it will; nay, the next words marre that, neither indeed can be; and verſe 8. they that are in the fleſh, cannot pleaſe GOD; that is, they that are in an unregenerate eſtate, in the pleaſure of theſe ſinnes, and have not had the guilt of repentance from God: they cannot in this eſtate pleaſe God, all they doe in point of Religion, are but ſplendida peccata, as St. Auguſtine termes them, guilded ſinnes, or ſinnes per accidens, ſinnes in that reſpect, that the perſon is not juſtified, or ſanctified that doth them: their cauſe therefore is lamentable, the wrath of God abides upon them for ſinne, though they will not be ſenſible of it.

5. And laſtly, (to ſtand upon no more acceptions) the fleſh is ſometimes taken for the unregenerate part of a regenerate man; for wee are but regenerate in part, either in faculty of ſoule, or inſtruments of body, we are not perfectly and wholly ſanctified; ſo that no corruption, or ſinne remains in us: therefore, in Scriptures that is in us, is called fleſh, and the regenerate is called Spirit: thus, Rom. 8.1. you have them oppoſed, there is then no condemnation to thoſe that are in Chriſt, that walke not after the Fleſh, but after the Spirit; and thus againe, verſe 4. that the righteouſneſſe of the Law might be fulfilled on us, who walke not after the Fleſh, but after the Spirit, And Verſes, 12.13. therefore Brethren we are not Daughters to the Fleſh, to live after the Fleſh; that is, to live after the motions, and corrupt imaginations of our owne corrupt heart, is minde, for of thoſe can come no good, we are no debtors to the fleſh; for any thing wee can doe after the wiſdome of it, or the direction of it, but wee are debtors to the Spirit, who is ſtill moving to goodneſſe, and to put us forward in that way, which will ſave our poore ſoules. If we live after the Fleſh, we ſhall dye, but if we mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit, we ſhall live: thus againe, Gal. 5.17. the Fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit luſteth againſt the Fleſh: theſe are contrary one to another; that is, the unregeneracie that is in man, ſtrives againſt the regeneracy that is in him, and theſe are ſo contrary one to another, even as fire, and water, that ye cannot do what ye would St. Paul found this by experience, you have heard, that hee perceived a Law in his members, rebelling againſt the Law of his mind, and when he would haved one good, yet evill was preſent with him, Rom. 7.21. and Rom. 7.18. I know that in me, that is in my Fleſh, in me by nature; in me, in as much as ſuch unregenerate, there dwells no good thing. In quantum renati, for as much, or in as much as we are regenerate: ſo farre forth, we both will, and do that which is good, but the defect in either is from p. 42the imperfection of regeneracie, or that unregenerate part that is in us; throughout the whole man, in the underſtanding, will, and affections, and in all parts of our bodies, and that which is born of the fleſh, in this ſenſe is fleſh alſo; for we muſt know, that our children are ours, naturali propagatione, not ſpirituali regeneratione, by naturall propagation, not by ſpirituall regeneration, wee beget them as we are naturall, not as we are ſpirituall we can convey unto them, all that Adam by guilt, and generation conveighed unto us, but what ſpirituall grace God conveighed unto Adam, that was not in his power to convey unto us: it was Gods free gift to his perſon, not intayled upon his poſterity, and lineally to deſcend upon them as was his nature; no more is grace then to any of us, or to the moſt holy men in the world, they can but convey what they have by nature, grace is Gods free guift, not any eſſentiall part of mans nature; and that is the reaſon why many good men have oftentimes had bad children; as Abraham had an Iſmael; Iſaac an Eſau; David an Abſolam, &c. becauſe they were there by nature, not by grace. And before God beſtowed grace upon their fathers, they were wicked, and walked, and ſwayed by ſinne as well as others, and as they, though it may be in a more remiſſe manner. St. Aug. obſerves of the Jewes that though they were themſelves circumciſed, yet they begot children uncircumciſed, becauſe themſelves were ſuch by nature, even as the corn which if you winnow it never ſo clean, in fanning away the chaffe, yet if you ſow it, it will grow with chaſſe on again as much as ever it had before, becauſe it was naturally ſo, it was but by art; even thus conceive of the Text, that whether a man be in the fleſh, as to tally unregenerate, uncircumciſed, unfanned, or of regeneration; yet that part of unregeneracie was naturall to him, and according to that eſtate he begets his children, even as the circumciſed Jewes begot uncircumcifed children, as well as did the uncircumciſed amongſt the Gentiles, becauſe uncircumciſion was in both naturall: even ſo regenerate men beget unregenerate children, as well as unregenerate men do; becauſe unregeneracie whether in part, or in whole, is naturall in both, and may bee called fleſh in both, and in either of theſe accoptions, fleſ…; quod natum eſt ex carne, caro eſt, that which is borne of the Fleſh, is Fleſh: and thus by this time, I hope you may perceive that the vaile is taken from the ſence of the Text.

Whence we may obſerve, that our Parents which begot us, can convey no ſpirituall abilities for regeneration, converſion, or ſalvation of us, unto us; that we have heard is beyond the power of nature, and by increaſing, and multiplying, they can conveigh no more to us, but that; for if they could, we ſhould ſtand in leſſe need to be born againe: in which ſecond p. 43birth, we have our abilities from God, Phil. 2.13. Its God that works in you both the will, and the deed of his good pleaſure: your Parents can neither give you wills, nor good works, for the power of theſe come ab extra, from without, above the compaſſe of nature, 1 Cor. 2.14. The naturall man perceives not the things of the Spirit of God: the naturall man, that is, he that hath no more abilities then meer nature can afford him, ſuch as he drew from the loynes of his Father, for they are fooliſhneſſe unto him, neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned; as if he ſhould have ſaid, a more naturall man wants the meanes, and the light of knowing of them, nature can afford him no ſuch thing, Eph. 2.3. we are by nature (ſaith Paul) the children of wrath, as well as others: thus we have the Doctrine illuſtrated. This may firſt teach us, that as wee muſt have a ſecond birth, as well as a firſt (as we have heard) that for this ſecond birth, we muſt rely upon the Lord for ability, we muſt look higher than our Parents; not they, nor the Angels of God, nor any creature can be the Author of the grace of regeneration, or converſion, onelyonly God muſt do that, Acts 11.14 though Peter by his preaching was an inſtrument of converſion to thoſe Gentiles that heard him; He ſhall ſpeak words unto thee, whereby both you, and all thy houſe ſhall be ſaved; yet God was the Author of that grace they then received, v. 18. Then hath God alſo to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. And Lam. 5.21. Turne us unto thee, and we ſhall bee turned. 2 Tim. 2.25. proving if God at any time will give repentance, that they may know the truth. 2. If whatſoever be born of the fleſh, be fleſh; this may let us ſee what free will we have to any ſpirituall good by nature, or what grace to ſalvation by nature, from it we can receive nothing but nature. Mat. 7.19. do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of Thiſtles? No, we know that Thorns naturally bring out no ſuch things, as Grapes, nor Thiſtles, Figs; even no more can we looke that corrupt nature ſhould bring forth ſpirituals: no, but like its ſelfe, fleſh, quod natum eſt excarne, caro eſt, that which is borne of the Fleſh, is Fleſh. It followes, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit: In the former verſe, the words runne thus; except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit: In theſe no mention made of Water, or being born of Water; becauſe, that without the concomitance of this, the other cannot do it, but whatſoever is born of the Spirit, is Spirit; becauſe the efficiencie of the birth, proceeds from that, though Water be the outward viſible ſigne, which it pleaſed God to uſe in working; you have heard, that a man may be born again of the Spirit, and yet want water, but none can bee borne again of Water onelyonly, if the Spirit be wanting; therefore the birth of the Spirit is here mentioned, that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.

The Spirit in Scripture is ſometimes put for the ſoule of a man, but here the Spirit is not oppoſed to the Fleſh, or body, as Heb. 12.9. where mention is made of the Father of our bodies, and how we gave them reverence; much more ſhould wee bee ſubject to the Father of Spirits, Prov. 18.19. a wounded Spirit who can beare, and Eccleſ. 3.21. Who knowes the Spirit of a man that goeth upward p. 44but that cannot be meant here. 2. The Spirit is ſometimes taken for the Divell, the evill Spirit, Mark 9.26. then the Spirit cryed, and rent him ſore, but neither can that be meant here. 3. That Spirit is put for the holy and ſanctifying Spirit of God, and that is meant in this place, as may appeare by the verſ. going before; except a man be born again of Water, and the Spirit, and Epheſ. 5.18. be not drunke with Wine, wherein is exceſſe, but be filled with the Spirit: the Spirit of God where it is in any ſpeciall operation, is accompanied with the graces of it, which are alſo called the Spirit, and where the graces of God are, the eſſence of the Spirit is there alſo, to cheriſh and inrich thoſe graces, as Gal. 3.2. received yee the Spirit by the works of the Law, &c. and whoſoever is born of the Spirit, is ſaid to be born of God (as you have heard) 1 John 5.1. that is, he is regenerate, and born againe by the vertue and power of the Spirit, upon his heart, minde, and ſoule; and ſo far forth, as he is regenerate, pure, gratious, and ſpiritually good; ſo farre forth is be born of the Spirit: for … …at good Spirit there can be no bad effects, but whatſoever is born of it, is of a ſpirituall, and holy nature; that which is borne of the Spirit, is Spirit: ſee what the Lord ſaith, Ezek. 36.25, 26. ſpeaking of the return of his people out of Captivity, and out of the Countries, into which he had ſcattered them, then (ſaith he) will I power clean Water upon you, and yee ſhall be cleane; yea, from all your filthineſſe, and from all your Idols will I cleanſe you: this cleane Water is expounded in the next words after; a new heart alſo will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the ſtony heart out of your body, and I will give you an heart of Fleſh; that is, I will take away your hard, and unregenerate heart from you, that nothing could work on, and I will give you … …eart ſoftened, with the oyle of the graces of my Spirit, and by the … waſh away your filthineſſe, Luke 11.3. If ye which are evill can give good gifts unto your children, how much more ſhall your Hea…ly Father give the Holy Ghoſt unto them that deſire him: And ſo make you truly ſpirituall, being born of this Spirit, Quod natum eſt ex ſpiritu… ſpiritus eſt; that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit.

FINIS.

End of the text · John Waite, The Way to Heaven by Water (1645)