imparted by the Holy Ghost. As before our Blessed Saviour had respect unto the contrary tendencies of our nature, the neglect, as well as the bare acquiescence in the outward ordinance; so here, also, the Apostle has been directed both to limit the imparting of the inward grace by the mention of the outward washing, and to raise our conceptions of the greatness of this second birth, by the addition of the spiritual grace.
Such, then, are the only passages of the Holy Scriptures, in which the first origin of regeneration (so to speak) is marked out, and the circumstances under which it takes place are at all hinted at. And surely this ought, to any careful Christian, to be of great moment; and, instead of longing, as the habit of some is, for more evidence, he will thank God, that the evidence is so clear, that all Christians of old times confidently relied upon it, and transmitted it to us.
But though these passages alone speak of the means of regeneration, they do not alone speak of the effects of Baptism. And here, again, if men read Holy Scripture as the living word of God, they would read it with more fruit. For how can one reconcile the way in which some now allow themselves to speak of Baptism, with the stress which our Blessed Saviour lays upon it? "Go and teach all nations, baptizing them." "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved[1]." Does it consist with their reverence to their Saviour, to think or to speak disparagingly of that, which He enjoined, wherever He should be
- ↑ Persons have sometimes supposed that the omission of Baptism, in the following words, "he that believeth not shall be damned," implies a comparative disparagement of Baptism; yet a little thought would have shown them, that, though our Saviour annexed the reception of the sacrament of regeneration to belief in Him, as a condition of salvation, there was no occasion to mention it in the case of unbelief: unbelievers would not be "baptized in Christ's name, for the remission of sins:" since they believed not, the "wrath of God abode upon them." (John iii. 36.) Baptism, without faith, undoubtedly would save none; as faith, also, without charity, profiteth nothing (1 Cor. xiii.): yet no one would think this was said in disparagement of faith; much less, then, the omission of Baptism, in the other case, when our Saviour had just ordained it, without any limitation, as necessary for all who believe.
