And as the believer's faith increases, working by love, fo doth the witness of the Spirit, and his affurance of the divine favour, increase likewife.Wherefore he faith; give diligence to make your calling and election fure; by adding to your faith, virtue, knowledge, patience, temperance, &c. For ye do these things, ye fhall never fall,

if

But it is not to be expected, that all these operations, and fruits of the Holy Spirit, are always manifeft, and brought forth by every believer; or that the faints are all of them, and at all times, full of faith, and of the Holy Ghoft: For there is a growing, and increafing in the knowledge of God; and in conformity to Chrift; and in the affurance of faith, and of hope, by the power of the Holy Ghost. -But he that would attain to this affurance, without which there is no perfect, abiding peace in the believer's foul; let him diligently bold fast faith, and a good confcience: looking unto Jefus, praying in the Holy Ghoft, walking bumbly with God, and in love towards men; with all purity, temperance, and fincerity.— Now, unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think: To him be glory, thro' JESUS CHRIST, both now and for

ever.

Amen.

SERMON

¡T

SERMON IX.

JOHN iii. 6, 7.

That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit.

Marvel not that I faid unto thee, ye must be born again.

EGENERATION, or the new birth, is a fundamental doctrine of the Gospel: and of the utmost importance to mankind. -No man is a Chriftian without it; nor can any one enter the kingdom of GOD, on whom this regenerating work of the HOLY SPIRIT hath not paffed: CHRIST himself, the faithful and true witness, hath exprefly declared, and teftified; that, except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom

of

of God-Therefore it highly concerns every man, seriously to confider what is meant by this Scripture doctrine of the new birth; and diligently to examine, if he himself is a partaker of the heavenly benefit.With a view to help the Reader that fincerely defires to be refolved, and certified in this moft interefting, and important doctrine, which CHRIST himself hath taught us: I shall,

FIRST, Endeavour to fet forth, and explain to him the nature of regeneration: That which is born of the Spirit is fpirit.-And,

SECONDLY, I fhall fhew its abfolute neceffity, and that no man can be faved without it: Ye must be born again.

THIRDLY, Point out the most effential properties of the new creature; and fhew by what means a regenerate perfon may be known, and is diftinguifhed in Scripture, from one that is not regenerate.

FIRST then, I am to explain the nature of the new birth: For, regeneration, being born again, or the new birth, are one and the fame thing.And this I fhall do;

1. By fhewing negatively what regeneration is not :-And,

2. By

2. By fhewing pofitively what it is.

1. Regeneration is not water baptifm; for water is but a created image, or natural emblem of the SPIRIT; and is not the SPIRIT itfelf: But he that is regenerated, is declared to be born of the SPIRIT.Our LORD affirms, that except a man be born of water, AND OF THE SPIRIT, be cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Now it is as irrational as it is unfcriptural, to understand these words and expound them of water baptifm only, which is but the fhadow; and exclude the HOLY SPIRIT, which is the fubftance of that fhadow. Moreover, it is abfurd to interpret the latter claufe by the former: For water, in Scripture, often fignifies the SPIRIT of GOD; but the SPIRIT never represents, or fignifies water, its own natural fign, and figure. Thus it is explained by the Prophet Isaiah; I will pour, faith he, water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy feed*: Here the laft clause explains the firft, and fhews that by water he meant the SPIRIT of GOD. Thus again, our LORD cried to the multitude of the Jews at Jerufalem; If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink; be that believeth

• Ifa, xliv. 3.