believeth on me, as the Scripture hath faid, out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living water. But what doth the Scripture mean by this water? The infpired Apostle immediately tells us in the next words: But this fpake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him should receive†.-Thus water, because of its purifying and refreshing qualities, is an emblem, and figure in nature, of the HOLY GHOST.

Moreover, the Jewish ruler's furprize at the doctrine, the manner of his reply, together with his profeffed ignorance of the fecond birth, which our LORD fpake of; plainly fhew that he did not mean a figurative birth, or water baptifm: For the Jews had their baptifms; and, in this metaphorical fenfe, thofe who were profelyted from paganism to the Jewish religion, were counted new men, and faid to be born again: But 'tis evident that Nicodemus apprehended our LORD to speak of a proper birth; such as he himfelf had not heard of, and was utterly unacquainted with. Therefore he, conceiving carnally of it, replied; how can a man be born when he is old: can be enter a fecond time into his mother's womb, and be born?--Yea, he expreffed far greater aftonifhment at this new birth, and doctrine which JESUS taught, when he heard him folemnly affirm

John vii. 38, 39.

firm its abfolute neceffity, that no man could enter into the kingdom of GOD without it; and that he fpake not of a carnal, but of a fpiritual birth. Nor indeed could any one be religiously changed, or a whit bettered by being carnally born a fecond time; but the fecond birth must be fupernatural, by the regenerating power of the HOLY GHOST; else it would profit us nothing: For, That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is fpirit. Moreover, if a perfon was, ever so often washed, or baptized with water only, (altho' it be a divine ordinance) he could not be made a new creature by it; but would ftill remain in his carnal state, with the very fame principles, and difpofitions that he hath by nature: For no outward acts, or carnal wafhings, can make an inward change, or purify the heart and confcience : wherefore he faith; the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft*.

To understand then by regeneration no more than outward baptifm, as the papifts do, (and therefore they confecrate the water, and call it holy) is a grofs, and dangerous error; tending to deceive, and ruin immortal fouls. But this evil is not peculiar to the papists only; for many protestants retain the error, and contend for it. They are taught X

* Rom. xiv. 17.

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to believe that "water is fandlified to a mystical "washing away of fin": This by certain proteftants is fuppofed of water in general, but the papifts, more confiftent with their carnal notions of regeneration, restrain it to what they call confecrated, or "holy water".-Hence multitudes of both forts have been mifled, and deceived to believe a lie; that is, they have imagined themselves to be truly and actually regenerated, because they were washed, or sprinkled with water, in the name of CHRIST. But the Scripture fuppofes no fuch virtue or holinefs in water, as to purify the foul, and cleanse it from fin: Nor is it poffible that it should fanctify a person, but in a figurative, or ceremonial manner only, unto the purifying of the fileft; for no carnal caufe can produce a fpiritual effect. Therefore, baptifm, faith Peter, doth not fave us, by putting away the filth of the flesh; (which is all that material water can do) but as it fignifies, the anfwer of a good confcience towards God, by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the dead. -Our bodies alfo are faid to be washed with pure water; not that water hath any moral virtue in it, to cleanse a perfon from fin; but to denote their inward purity of heart who believe on CHRIST, and that their bodies alfo are to be kept holy, feparated unto CHRIST, for his facred ufe, and fervice: For

• Heb. ix. 13.

as

as many as are baptized into Chrift, do put on Chrift, and engage, by following him in the regeneration, to walk even as he alfo walked.

If by the washing of regeneration*, in St. Paul's Epiftle to Titus, is meant water baptifm, it must be understood (confiftent with other Scriptures) in a figurative sense only; as washing with water, is an outward and visible sign, of the invisible and inward washing by the HOLY GHOST: But I rather suppose that the Apostle there speaks of the purifying operations of the HOLY SPIRIT: whereby he teacheth us, that regeneration, or being born of the Spirit, is the true washing, that alone can purify the foul, and make it meet for heaven.

From thence it is alfo plain, that an internal, fpiritual regeneration by the HOLY GHOST, is the thing fignified in water baptifm, and the very fubstance of it. Yet the outward ordinance of baptifm is not to be contemned, nor neglected: By it, as CHRIST hath appointed, all that profeffedly believe on his name enter, and are admitted into the external communion, and fellowship of CHRIST's Vifible, profeffing Church on earth.-Therefore, Reader, don't mistake me, and imagine that I fpeak against the use of water baptifm; far beit from me X 2 Tit. ii. 5.

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to do this; I only endeavour to point out the grofs abuses and perverfion of it, contrary to its divine end, and appointment: For, as the Jews abufed and perverted the divine ordinances, which God gave unto them; even fo do many profefling Chriftians the ordinances of the New Teftament, to their own destruction.But, fome one may say, doth not the regenerating grace of the HOLY SPIRIT always accompany, and follow water baptism, the inftituted figure and fign of it? By no means: Simon Magus was baptized with water, but he was not baptized with the HOLY GHOST: And it is notorious, that very few of thofe that are baptized with water into CHRIST'S name, are regenerated, and led by the SPIRIT of GOD.

Is it not then a ftrange overfight in the compilers of the Church of England Catechism, to affirm of children, who are only baptized with water in the name of CHRIST, that they are thereby "made "the children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of Heaven;" when in a fubfequent part of the fame catechifm, they declare it to be but "an out"ward and visible fign, of an inward and fpiri"tual grace"?

It is true that repentance, and faith in CHRIST are required, and the Holy Spirit is prayed for to regenerate them that come, or are brought to be

baptized;

4