been announced by the Baptist; it seems probable that he supposed that the mission of Jesus, sanctioned by miracles, and superior, therefore, to that of the Baptist, had reference to the kingdom which John had proclaimed. And such indeed was the subject, in which Jesus was prepared to instruct those, who allowed him to be "a teacher come from God." He therefore immediately entered upon it with Nicodemus; thereby confirming his suspicions, and meeting his wishes; although he began by a statement which was designed to rectify his erroneous conceptions. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." A Gentile, when converted to Judaism, abandoned his former principles, and began, as it were, a new life; and they themselves inculcated upon him such a thorough revolution of sentiment, and acknowledged the necessity of it. But a change of the same nature was also requisite for the Jew, as the very door and entrance into the kingdom of God. The many incorrect notions, which they had adopted, would be an insuperable obstacle, until they were abandoned, and replaced by others of a wholly different aspect. This Jesus announced in general terms at first; and in words which appear to refer only to obstacles of such a nature as we have just mentioned, whether, in fact, they be Jewish or Gentile prejudices. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." The verb (yevvnen) being in the past tense, both in this verse, and in a subsequent one, it would, perhaps, be more accurately rendered, "Unless any one has been born (or rather begotten) anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God." He does not yet speak of water and the Spirit; nor does he yet use the expression, "enter into the kingdom of God." There seems reason to believe, that this difference of expression is not merely casual; and that in this proposition he does not advance so far as in the subsequent one; but that he speaks only of the disposition to which we have already alluded, viz., a readiness to abandon all those preconceived opinions, which, as long as we resolutely abide by them, oppose the admission of revealed truth; and to embrace those which bear the impress of divine authority, though they may have been unexpected, and are at variance both with our prejudices, and inclinations. This, in fact, seems to parallel another of our Lord's declarations, in which he speaks of the necessity of being "taught of God";" and also that of St. Paul, in which he declares, that "no man, speaking by the Spirit a John vi. 45. of God, calleth Jesus accursed; and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost"." The same Apostle also laments that the Jews, "being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God; for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth "." 'Christ crucified was to the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;" but he, who had been begotten anew to more correct views of the kingdom of God, would see that Christ was the power of God, and the wisdom of God;" and thus seeing and believing, would desire to be "baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, that he might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost"." This further step in the way of salvation by the Gospel, our Lord proceeded to explain to Nicodemus, who misunderstood the former statement, by supposing it to speak of a literal birth. "Jesus answered and said, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The full import of these words Nicodemus certainly could not comprehend; but their general tenor he might have -b Rom. x. 3, 4. a1 Cor. xii. 3. Acts ii. 38. apprehended, from the passages, in which Moses speaks of the circumcision of the heart, and in which David prays for the renewal of a right spirit, and his establishment by the free Spirit of God, in order that, "having been shapen in iniquity, and conceived in sin, he might be made to know wisdom"." The same also might he learn from many passages, in which the prophets connect the promise of the Spirit with an allusion to the pouring out and sprinkling with water, in order that God might "write his laws upon their hearts in the latter days." And more especially, might he have learnt the meaning of these things, if not, as "the Teacher of Israel," yet as the disciple of the Baptist, who had accompanied the preaching of the kingdom with the administration of baptism; at the same time exhorting to a repentance issuing in reformation, and predicting the baptism of the Spirit. We, at least, comparing the baptismal doctrine of John with these words of our Lord, with the remainder of his teaching, with his last commission to the Apostles, and with their practice and declarations in consequence of it, can surely be at no loss to understand the meaning of our Lord. And we d Deut. x. 16; xxx. 6. Psalm li. 5—13. e Isai. xliv. 3-5; lv. 1. Jer. xxxi. 31-34. Ezek. xxxvi. 25-27. See also Numb. xix. 20. shall not surely doubt, that, although "to be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost, to be received into Christ's holy Church, and to be made lively members of the same," is assuredly "that thing, which by nature we cannot have;" yet that "a means by which we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof," is instituted in Christ's Church. We, as Christians, have already been instructed to believe, that, "after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy God hath saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he hath shed upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs, according to the hope of eternal life." This is certainly the instituted, covenanted, and ordinary way, in which we are brought to "enter into the kingdom of God;" by which we are enabled to walk therein as the sons of God, and to grow in grace and holiness, till we are made meet, by means of God's word, and the various ordinances of his house, to be "partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." The end for which these doctrines are revealed, a Baptismal Service, and Catechism. Titus iii. 4-7. |