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called on the unbaptized Jews or Gentiles to rege nerate themselves; any more than professed christians, who had acted contrary to their profession. And I apprehend few quotations can be brought from the writings of Calvinists, in which either baptized or unbaptized persons are addressed in this language. Indeed many of them are rather too apt to shun the use of some scriptural terms to this effect; such as "Make you a new heart, and a new spirit, for why will ye die, O house of Israel ?”1 "Make the tree good and his fruit good." They, who attempt exactness in discrimination, consider regeneration as the immediate work of God alone, and conversion as the subsequent effect: the regener ate person, who had been dead in sin, being now made partaker of "divine life, repents, and is con verted;" by the assistance of divine grace he turns from sin, to God and holiness, through faith in Jesus Christ; and in this he is active and voluntary. They who do not approve, or attend to, such exa actness; are almost always led to call on sinners "to repent and be converted," to "repent and. "believe the gospel," "and do works meet for re"pentance," and not to regenerate themselves; and they address unbaptized persons exactly in the same

sion. The restoring those who had departed from the truth as it is in Jesus, is not called regenerating them, but "renewing them again unto repentance." St. John, in the Revelation, commands the churches, which held unsound doctrine, or were guilty of immoral practices, not to be regenerated, but to " repent."

Ez. xviii. 31. * Matt. xii. 39;

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way. St. James addresses those to whom he wrote in this manner; "Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, "and purify your hearts, ye double-minded;" without intimating any distinction between professed christians, and such Jews or others, as might see his epistle.It is not meant, that no exhortations respecting regeneration should be used. Parents should not only be exhorted, to present their children for outward baptism; but also earnestly to pray, and diligently to use every means, that they may have the inward and spiritual grace of baptism; even a death unto sin, and a new-birth unto righteousness: and, in like manner, there are many duties incumbent on teachers, ministers, and others, in this respect. Nay, such persons as are convinced, by suitable instruction, that regeneration is needful, should be exhorted, to read the scriptures, to attend on the preaching of the gospel, and to pray to God to create in them a clean heart." Indeed exhortations to this effect should be given to all persons without exception: hone should be taught to wait in a passive state for regeneration by the Holy Ghost. The inward man is renewed day by *day." This is certainly progressive: but it had a beginning, which we call negeneration; and without supposing the complete change meant by conversion, and much less the progressive renewal unto holiness, till perfected in heaven, to be sudden; we may fairly think, that the "passing from death unto “life," is sudden, since there must be a moment,

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Jam. iv. 8.

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in which we cease to be dead in sin, and become "alive unto God;" though the effects of the principle of divine life, may be produced far more rapidly in one case, than in another; and, in general, not so rapidly in modern times, as in those of the apostles.

If baptism do indeed succeed, as the initiatory sacrament of the New Testament church, to circumcision, the initiatory sacrament of the Old Tes tament: all the exhortations, both of the prophets and of John Baptist, and of our Lord and his apostles, before the publick establishment of christianity, were addressed to persons, precisely in the same situation, as nominal christians are. Indeed his Lordship has conceded, even more than this: for his words include also the Gentiles, to whom the gospel was first preached." Nor is it easy to assign a reason, why the apostle's words, "He is not "a Jew, who is one outwardly, &c," are not equally applicable to professed christians also. "a christian, who is one outwardly, "baptism which is outward in the flesh "christian, who is one inwardly, and baptism is "that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the "letter, whose praise is not of men but of God." If this be the case, it does not appear, on what account, when addressing persons of similar characters, in other respects, any difference should be made between the baptized and the unbaptized.

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See on p. 59. Refutation, Rom. ii. 28, 29.

Scriptures which speak of Regeneration considered.

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It appears necessary, before we proceed further, to consider the several passages in the New Testament, which more directly relate to regeneration, and other terms generally supposed of similar import. The word regeneration (waλiyyeveria) occurs in the gospel of St. Matthew; but, probably, with relation to another subject. Yet the following explanation from Leigh, is worthy of notice: By which is there ' understood, the perfect renovation and restoration, of our whole nature; the complete abolition of sin ' and death.' The same word occurs in the epistle to Titus; and will shortly receive a particular considertaion.

The terms, "regeneration," "born again," "born " of God," "begotten of God," do not, as far as I can recollect, occur in any other part of the three first gospels: but they are frequently used, in the writings of St. John. In the first chapter of his gospel, the apostle says of Christ, "He came to his "own, and his own received him not: but as many "as received him, to them gave he power to be"come 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." Whatever be the import of this passage, in another respect; it seems absolutely certain, that external baptism is not meant, at least

'Matt. xix. 28. 2 Tit. iii. 5 See on p. 28, Refutation.

3 John i. 11-13.

exclusively, by "born-of God." Whether being "born of God," be considered as the cause, or the effect, of believing, in the persons spoken of; it cannot mean external baptism, of which not the most remote hint had previously been given. This is a point, which I wish, to be especially considered, in this argument.

Similar language is used in the third chapter of this gospel, in a connexion, and with special circumstances, suited to render it peculiarly interesting and impressive. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and a ruler and teacher in Israel; no doubt one of the great council of the nation, and a man of learning and distinction, was so far convinced, by our Lord's miracles, that he was " a Teacher come from God;" that he came to converse with him on the subject of religion. Yet, aware of the opprobrium, which he must incur from his own company, if suspected of being a disciple of the unlettered Nazarene, he came to him by night.' Doubtless, he expected to receive some appropriate information from Jesus: and the Evangelist evidently records the fact, in a manner, which indicates a very deep conviction, that the instruction given was in the highest degree important. But if simply outward baptism were meant; what was there so peculiar and important, especially to one, who had before been fully informed concerning John the Baptist and his ministry?

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Our Lord introduces his discourse, with the words,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee. Amen, Amen.

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