For He, by virtue of what He did and suffered in their nature, and being Himself both God and Man, is the Mediator between God and them, always appearing in the presence of God, and there making intercession for them; that God would be graciously pleased to accept of His death instead of theirs, and for His sake give them all things necessary both for life and godliness; that they may become such as may be accepted of in Him as righteous, and accordingly inherit eternal life. By means of this Mediation or Intercession, which "His Only-begotten Son, in whom He is well pleased," is continually making in Heaven for them, the Almighty Creator and Governor of the world is so far reconciled to them, that He looks upon them as His own children, takes them into His own particular care, "works in them both to will and to do" what He would [Phil. 2. 13.] have them, prevents, directs, and assists them by His Holy Spirit in what they do, and makes all things work together [Rom. 8. for their good; that they may serve Him faithfully while they are upon earth, and be duly qualified to live with Him and His Holy Angels in Heaven: and then He takes them to Himself, that they may enjoy Him there, and praise Him for ever, for all the blessings and favours which they have received through His Son Jesus Christ; and above all, for Him, through whom they have received them.

Now seeing all our hopes of Heaven, and of all things relating to our coming thither, are grounded wholly upon what our blessed Saviour is there doing for us; we who hope to obtain that glorious Kingdom, through His merits and Mediation for us, must take special care to observe and do whatsoever He requires in order thereunto: and particularly what He saith in the words which I have now read. For here we see, that notwithstanding all that He suffered upon earth, and is now doing in Heaven for mankind, yet He positively asserts, "That except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." He doth not only say, that such a one shall not, but that he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; that none may ever expect it, but that all may look upon it as a thing impossible.

But the better to clear the way for our finding out the

N

28.]

XXXV.

SERM. true sense and meaning of the words, it will be necessary to look back a little, and see how they come in.

[ver. 2.]

ver. 3.

ver. 4.

Nicodemus,

a ruler of the Jews, hearing of the miracles which our Saviour did, could not but from thence conclude, that He was "a Teacher come from God;" and therefore had a great mind to learn something of Him: for which purpose he came to Him, but for fear of offending his brethren, the Pharisees, he came by night. And while they were discoursing together, our Saviour took occasion to acquaint him, "That except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Nicodemus, not rightly understanding His meaning, wondered at the expression, and said, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Our Lord, not regarding the absurdity of such a question, but pitying the man's weakness, expressed His meaning in fuller and plainer terms, saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." He useth the same asseveration that He did before, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee;" that Nicodemus might take the more notice of it, and believe it upon His word, whom he had before acknowledged to be "a Teacher come from God." And although these words were spoken only to Nicodemus, they are left upon record, for the benefit of all mankind; that all who expect the Kingdom of God, by Jesus Christ, may know from His own mouth, that none can enter into that Kingdom, "except they be born of water, and of the Spirit."

That by the Kingdom of God, or, as it is elsewhere called, "the Kingdom of Heaven," in Holy Scripture, is commonly meant that high and holy place, where the Saints and servants of God enjoy perpetual rest and felicity, none ever doubted; and therefore I need not stand to prove it, but shall only observe, that this expression is used also in a larger sense, not only for the place itself, but likewise for the way that leads to it, that also being wholly under the rule and governance of Almighty God. And seeing He Acts 2. 47. always "addeth to the Church those who shall be saved," or inherit eternal life and glory in Heaven; therefore the Church militant upon earth, as well as that which is trium

25.

ver. 47.

phant in Heaven, is called also, "the Kingdom of God:" and not only that part of it which is invisible, as being governed by the secret influences of God's special grace and Holy Spirit; but also the visible, consisting of all that profess the true faith and fear of God, although many of them do no more than only profess it. And therefore our Saviour Himself compares "the Kingdom of Heaven to a field, Matt.13.24, wherein tares are sown as well as wheat," and to "a net that being cast into the sea, gathereth of every kind of fish, both good and bad." But howsoever, as once the whole nation of the Jews, both good and bad, were the people of God, and had Him in a peculiar manner for their King; so now the whole Church of Christ, or the congregation of faithful people all the world over, is properly the Kingdom of God, where, in the administration of His Word and Sacraments, He exerciseth His power in the hearts of men, enlightening, renewing, and sanctifying them, so as to fit them to live with Him in the other world; and then He translates them into His Kingdom in Heaven, or rather to that part of His Kingdom that is there settled: for properly speaking, it is one and the same Kingdom, in different places, and under different circumstances; here it is militant, there triumphant; here it consisteth of sinners as well as saints, there they are all Saints; here the Saints themselves have many imperfections in them, there they are all perfect. But though many may be admitted into the Kingdom of God upon earth, and yet, through their own default, may not get to that which is in Heaven; yet none can get to that which is in Heaven, but only such as are first admitted into the Kingdom of God upon earth.

Now He who purchased this Kingdom for mankind, and is Himself the Head of it, here tells us, "That except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into it." Immediately before He had said, "That except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God;" to shew the necessity of a man's being regenerated, and made another kind of creature than he was at first born, before he can be capable of seeing or enjoying the privileges and delights of that Kingdom. But here, speaking of being "born of water and the Spirit," He alters the phrase, and saith,

XXXV.

SERM. without that a man "cannot enter into it;" he cannot so much as be admitted into it, or made a member of that Kingdom, so as to have any right or title to the delights and privileges of it. We have the word of Christ Himself for it, and therefore may well believe it: for it is He who rules and governs this Kingdom; it is His own, He takes in and keeps out whom He pleaseth, and how He pleaseth to do it. And therefore it is not for us to argue the case with Him, why He hath made this, or that way, for our entrance into His Kingdom. We must give Him thanks that He hath made any way at all for it, and take care to go in that way which He hath made, as ever we desire to enter in at all; and that is, by being "born of water and of the Spirit:" for He Himself here saith, "That except a man be so, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God."

But what He means by being "born of water and of the Spirit," is now made a question: I say now; for it was never made so till of late years: for many ages together none ever doubted of it, but the whole Christian world took it for granted, that our Saviour, by these words, meant only that except a man be baptized according to His institution, He cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; this being the most plain and obvious sense of the words, forasmuch as there is no other way of being born again of water, as well as of the Spirit, but only in the Sacrament of Baptism.

To understand what He means by being born again, we John 18.36. must call to mind what He saith in another place, "My Kingdom is not of this world:" though it is in this world, it is not of it; it is not a secular or earthly kingdom, but a Rom. 14.17. kingdom purely spiritual and heavenly: "It is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." And therefore when a man is born into this world, he is not thereby qualified for the Kingdom of God, nor hath any right or title to it, no more than as if he had not been born at all; but before he enter into that, he must be born again, he must undergo another kind of birth than he had before: he was before born of the flesh, he must now be born of the Spirit; otherwise he cannot be capable of entering into such a kingdom as is altogether spiritual. Thus our Lord Himself explains His own meaning in my

text, by adding immediately in the next words, "That which ver. 6. is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit." As if He had said, he that is born, as all men are at first, only of the flesh, such a one is altogether carnal and sensual; and so can be affected with nothing but the sensible objects of this world: but he that is born of the Spirit of God, thereby becomes a spiritual creature, and so is capable of those spiritual things of which the Kingdom of God consisteth, "even of righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." And he whose mind is changed, and "turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan [Acts 26. 18.] unto God," is truly said to be born again, because he is quickened with another kind of life than he had before; and to be born of the Spirit of God, because it is by it, that this new and spiritual life is wrought in him. So that he is now born into another world, even into the Kingdom of God, where he hath God himself, of whom he is born, for his Father; and the Kingdom of God for his portion and inheritance. And therefore it is, that except a man be thus born of the Spirit, it is impossible he should enter into the Kingdom of God; seeing he can enter into it no other way, than by being born of the Spirit.

But that we may be thus born of the Spirit, we must be born also of water, which our Saviour here puts in the first place. Not as if there was any such virtue in water, whereby it could regenerate us; but because this is the rite or ordinance appointed by Christ, wherein to regenerate us by His Holy Spirit; our regeneration is wholly the act of the Spirit of Christ. But there must be something done on our parts in order to it; and something that is instituted and ordained by Christ Himself, which in the Old Testament was Circumcision, in the New, Baptism, or washing with water; the easiest that could be invented, and the most proper to signify His cleansing and regenerating us by His Holy Spirit. And seeing this is instituted by Christ Himself, as we cannot be born of water without the Spirit, so neither can we, in an ordinary way, be born of the Spirit without water, used or applied in obedience and conformity to His institution; Christ hath joined them together, and it is not in our power