HERE the Evangelift tells us, that Chrift by the Word Water, fpake of the Spirit which they that believe on him fhould receive, and in that Sense it is plain he us'd the Word Baptifm when he said to his Disciples Mark xvi. 16. He that Believeth, and is Baptized, fhall be faved; that is, he that believeth and is baptized with the Spirit, fhall be faved, for at that very Time Chrift told his Difciples that they fhould be baptized with the Holy Ghost. And in the Discourse which Chrift had with the Woman of Samaria at Jacob's Well, he us'd the Word Water feveral Times in a figurative Senfe, to denote or fignify the Effects Joh. 4.10. of the Holy Spirit; As when he faid to her, If thou knewest the Gift of God, and who it is that faith unto thee, give me to drink, thou would't have asked of him, and be would have given thee living Water.* And again, whofoever drinketh of the Water that I fhall give him, fhall never thirst, but the Water that I fhall give him, ball be in him a Well of Water Springing up into everlasting Life. We believe none that contend for Water Baptifm will fay, that Chrift fpake in this Place of Elementary or Material Water, but of the Spirit; why then do they take the Words of Chrift when he faid, Except a Man be born of Water, to be of Elementary or Material Water, fince it is plain by the Context that Chrift was speaking to Nicodemus of a fpiritual Birth, and Material Water can produce no fpiritual Birth? For fays Chrift, That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not that * Pool's Annot. Thou wouldst have asked of him, and be would bave given thee either a true Knowledge of the Dodrine, or the Grace tendered in the Gospel, or the Holy Spirit, call'd Water, because it washeth and cleanfeth the Soul; and Living Water, because it is always running and flowing. that I faid to thee, ye must be born again: The Wind bloweth where it lifteth. and thou bearest the Sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whether it goeth, So is every one that is born of the Spirit. This plainly fhows, that Chrift fpake then only of the Spirit's Operation, which he compared to the Blowing of the Wind, and of the New Birth wrought in the Soul (avalsv) from above by the Power of God: For the fame Evangelist fpeaking of Chrift fays, As many as Receiv'd him, John i. 12 to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name, which were born, not of Blood, nor of the Will of the Flesh, nor of the Will of Man, but of God. THESE Words, As many as Receiv'd him, to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name, are alfo a plain and clear Expofition of Chrift's Words, when he faid, He that believeth and is baptized fhall be faved, for as we have observ'd before, the Context fhows that Chrift fpake then of fuch Believers as fhould receive Power to caft out Devils, and fpeak with Tongues, and heal the Sick, &c. and confequently become the Sons of God. Now thefe Things could not be done without the Power of the Holy Spirit, therefore the Baptifm Chrift then fpake of, must have been the Baptifm of the Spirit, and not Water Baptifm. And as nothing but the Holy 03 Mark 16. 16. If we take the Words of Chrift John i. 5. Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, to be spoken of the New Birth wrought in Man by the Spirit only. And if we take the Words Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth and is baptized fhall be faved, to be Spoken only of the Baptifm of the Spirit, and of that Living Faith or Belief which is faid to be the Gift of God, Ephef. ii. 8. For by Grace are ye faved through Faith, and that not of 1 Pet. 1. 23. Holy Spirit or Power of God can purifie, wash and regenerate the Soul, we conclude that Chrift fpake to Nicodemus of the Spirit and its Effects only, and not of Water Baptifm. love one another AND, that a Man may be born again without Water Baptifm is very evident from these Words of Peter, Seeing you have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth, through the Spirit, unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren, fee that ye with a pure Heart, being born again, not of corruptible Seed, but of Incorruptible by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for Ever. And the Apostle John fays, Beloved, let us love one anoJoh.4.7. ther, for Love is of God, and every one that loveth 22. is born of God, and knoweth God. Now the being born of God, is, That ye put off concerning Ephef. 4. the former Converfation, the Old Man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lufts; and be Renewed in the Spirit of your Mind: And that ye put on the New Man, which after God is created in Righteoufnefs and true Holiness. THIS is evidently the Work of the SPIRIT only, Water Baptifm can do nothing towards it. 'Tis the washing of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost which alone does it, as the fame Apostle has very clearly and fully set forth and of your felves, it is the Gift of God. Then we find an Agree- be and declar'd in the following Words, For we our felves alfo were fometimes Foolish, Difobedient, Deceived, ferving divers Lufts and Pleafures, living Titus 3.31 in Malice and Envy; Hateful, and hating one another; But after the Kindness aud Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared (not by Works of Righteoufnefs which we have done, but according to bis Mercy) He faved us by the Washing of Regeneration, and the Renewing of the Holy Ghoft. I Cor. 12, HAVING manifeftly shown that the Words Baptifm and Water, were us'd by Chrift in a metaphorical or figurative Senfe, to denote and fignify the cleanfing and purifying Nature and Power of the Holy Spirit; and that the Word Baptifm ought to be taken in that Senfe, both in Mat. xxviii. 19. and Mark xvi. 16. and alfo the Word Water in John iii. 5. we shall now show, that the Apoftle Paul us'd the Word Baptifm in the like metaphorical or figurative Sense as Chrift us'd it. By one Spirit, fays he, we are all baptiz'd into one Body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. In another Place, For ye are all the Gal. 3.26 Children of God by Faith in Chrift Jefus. For as 27. many of you as have been baptized into Chrift, have put on Cbrift. And to the Ephefians he says, There Ephef.4.4 is one Body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in One Hope of your Calling. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptifm. 'Tis very plain, that by being baptized, and by the One Baptifm, the Apoftle speaks of the Holy Spirit and its Operation and Effects, and not of Water Baptifm, for by the Spirit only, both Jews and Gentiles are made One Body, of which Chrift is the Head. *We are made, faith the Apoft le, 04 See Dr. Whitby's Comment and Appendix to the fixth Chap. of the fecond Epift. to the Corinth. When God is faid 13. Apoftle, an Habitation of God, through the Spirit, And the Temples of God through the Holy • Ghost faid to put bis Fear, and his Law in our Hearts, Fer. xxxii. 40. Heb. viii. 10. and his Spirit within us, Ezek. xxxvi. 27. to create in us a clean Heart, and renew in us a right Spirit, ibid. to give us a new Heart, Ezek. xi. 9. to circumcife, and to convert the Heart, Deut. xxx. 6. Jer. xxxi. 33. If he by his good Spirit raiseth no good Motions, or Ideas in us, which may dispose us to his Fear, and by Attention to them may convert and cleanse our Hearts, if he vouch fafes unto us no inward Illuminations, by attending to which, we may difcern the wondrous Things of his Law, • what can these Words or Metaphors import? Or why is his Spirit put within us, if he hath nothing to do there? Yea, why are we faid to be ftrengthned with Might through the Spirit in the inward Man to do his Will? Eph. iii, 16. to be enabled through the Spirit to mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh, Rom. viii. 13. Why is this Spirit faid to help our Infirmities, ver. 26. to purifie our Hearts, 1 Pet. i. 22. to ⚫ be unto us a Spirit of Sanctification, 1 Cor. vi. 11. the Com 'forter, the Spirit of Power, Love, and of a found Mind. 2 Tim. i. 7. Moreover, if the Holy Spirit hath no Hand in produc ing, and carrying on the New Life, why is he ftiled • TIVEŬμa (woтov, a quickning or Life-giving Spirit, seeing all vital Operations iffue from a Spirit acting in us, why are we said to live in the Spirit, Gal. v. 15. and to walk in the Spirit, Rom. viii. 14. and year to be led, or con ducted by the Spirit of God. For as in natural and moral Actions, we cannot be faid to live, or walk, without an inward Principle of Life and Motion, or to be led or guid ⚫ed in those Actions, but by the Light of Reafon, fo neither can we properly be faid to live, and walk in the Spirit, or to be guided by him, if he imparts no inward Light to ⚫ guide us in the Ways of Piety, no inward Motions to ex⚫ cite us to walk in them, no inward Srength or vital Efficacy for the Performance of them. And were it otherwise, why are all thofe inward Habits and Difpofitions which adorn the Soul, and make it meet for the Inheritance of • Saints in Light, ftiled the Fraits, not of the Preaching of • the Word, or of our own Confideration, but of the Holy Spirit. "To |