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fined to the persons of his Apostles, but was to accompany those, who should succeed the Apostles in their ministry, as long as the world should stand "lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." From this particular inspection of the words of our Saviour in the text, we perceive a general command, that persons should be made his disciples by Baptism; and we perceive a general promise, that his blessing should attend the legitimate performance of the ceremony.

2. Secondly in the Gospel of St. Mark we find a similar injunction delivered by Christ to his Apostles, accompanied with a promise more specifically expressed of the blessing, which was to be made the companion of Baptism. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." By these words, which are very remarkable, we perceive, that

·

our Lord Christ himself, He, by whom alone it is possible for any man to be saved, makes Baptism as necessary as faith, to salvation. He saith indeed," he "he that believeth not, shall be damned;" but he does not say, "he that believeth shall be saved," whether he be baptized or not; but "he that believeth and is baptized;" as surely all must be, or at least must desire to be, who truly believe in him. For all who truly believe in Christ for their salvation, must believe what he has said to be true; and accordingly do whatsoever he requires in order to it. But he requires all that would be saved by him, to be first baptized into him. Baptism is the ceremony, which we see him appointing here as before: the specific blessing which he promises to annex to it is "salvation."

3. Nay, further; it is not only that this blessing is annexed to Baptism, He also tells us, that the blessing is not to be had without it. For speaking in another place of Baptism, as made up of " the outward visible sign and the inward spiritual grace,"

he soleinnly assures us, that “except à man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God b." I am aware that what Christ means by being born of water and of the Spirit is now made a question: I say, now, for it never was made so, till within comparatively a few years. For many ages together no man ever doubted it; but the whole Christian world took it for granted, that our Saviour by these words meant only, that except a man be baptized according to his institution, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God: this being the most plain and obvious sense of the words, forasmuch as there is no other way of being "born again of water," as well as "of the Spirit," but only in the sacrament of Baptism.

In order to understand more clearly what our Saviour means in this place by the being born again; and to appreciate more justly the importance of the ordi

John iii. 5.

nance, to which this privilege is annexed; we must call to mind what he says in another place; "My kingdom is not of this world." And therefore when a man is born into the world, he is not thereby qualified for the kingdom of God, nor has he any right or title to it. Before he enter into that kingdom, he must undergo a different kind of birth: he must be quickened with another kind of life: he must have the principle of a new and spiritual being infused into him: that he may enter into the kingdom of God, which is spiritual, he must be "born again of the Spirit."

But that we may thus be born of the Spirit, we must be also "born of water," which our Saviour here puts in the first place: not as if there were any virtue in water, by which it could regenerate us: but because this is the rite or ordinance appointed by Christ, as that wherein to regenerate us by his Holy Spirit. Our regeneration is wholly the act of the Spirit of Christ. But there must be something

C John xviii. 36.

done on our parts in order to it; and some, thing that is instituted or ordained by Christ himself, which in the Old Testament was Circumcision; in the New, Baptism, or washing with water, called expressly by St. Paul the washing of regeneration." And seeing this is instituted by Christ himself, as we cannot be born of water without the Spirit, so neither can we, in an ordinary way, be born of the Spirit without water, used or applied in obedience and conformity to his institution. Christ hath joined them together, and it is not in our power to part them. He that would be born of the Spirit, must be born of water also,

It were unnecessary to bring forward all the various passages in the New Testament, which speak of the blessings conferred by Baptism; yet I am unwilling to quit this branch of the subject, without pointing your attention to other texts, besides those very important ones, that have been already noticed, wherein the great benefit of Baptism is asserted.

d Tit. iii. 5.