SERMON II. HOLY BAPTISM. ST. JOHN III. 5. JESUS ANSWERED, 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. THESE words were addressed by our SAVIOUR to Nicodemus, as explanatory of what He had said in a former verse: (6 Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of GOD." I need scarcely tell you that in these latter days there has been much disputing among Christians as to their meaning, but for fifteen hundred years after they were spoken, they were universally understood to relate to Holy Baptism, so that it is only about three hundred years since a different signification began to be found for them. Our own Church, (as you may see from her Baptismal Service, in which they are brought forward to establish the necessity of Baptism,) in common with every other branch of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, continues still to receive them in the sense in which they were taken at the beginning; and indeed I know not how any plain man, with a mind unbiassed by attachment to human systems, can explain the mention of "water" in any other. "I hold it," says Hooker, a very learned and holy man, who lived not long after the time when their meaning began to be doubted, "I hold it for a most infallible rule in expositions of sacred Scripture, that where a literal construction will stand, the farthest from the letter is commonly the worst."" This rule, I am assured, will commend itself at once to the understanding of all reasonable men, and therefore, in accordance with it, and with the judgment of the Church in all ages, I shall take it for granted, my brethren, that the words before us, and therefore, of course, those which they were intended to explain, are to be understood as referring to the Sacrament of Baptism. It appears, then, from this, that when a person is rightly baptized, he is born again,-born of water and of the SPIRIT,-and that without this, he cannot, in ordinary circumstances, enter into the Kingdom of GOD, cannot become a member of His Church on earth, or possess any covenanted title to be received into the Church above. It is true that God is not tied to His Promises; and as we know that He delighteth in mercy, and will judge us hereafter according to the opportunities we have had of knowing His Will, we may hope that He will receive into His Kingdom of Glory many of those, who, owing to their peculiar situation, or even to their mistaken judgment, provided it has not been wilful, have not been admitted by the washing which HE appointed, into His Kingdom on earth but the Promise of Salvation is made only to 1 Ecclesiastical Polity, Book v., § 59. : those, who believe and are baptized. It is plain, therefore, that Baptism effects a great change in our spiritual condition, and what it is, we shall best understand by considering the state in which we are born naturally. You have often heard, my brethren, of the fall of Adam. You know that he was created holy and happy, but by yielding to the temptation of the Devil, and transgressing the only Commandment which God had given him, he became guilty, and miserable, and inclined to evil. Now this change not only affected himself, but all his posterity. We read in the fifth chapter of Genesis, that "in the day that God created man, in the likeness of GOD made HE him": but that after the fall, when Adam begat a son, it was not, as he had been formed himself, in the likeness and image of GOD, but in his own likeness, after his image. The nature of Adam, therefore, which had now become sinful and corrupt, passed to all his children, and with such a nature, even in their earliest years, and before it had begun to show itself in sinful actions, they could not be acceptable in the sight of a Pure and Holy GOD; and far less so, when it had brought forth its natural fruits of wickedness and transgression. Thus, my brethren, "by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners," and so long as they remained at enmity with GOD, they could have no hope of happiness or safety. GOD, however, in His great mercy, sent JESUS CHRIST, His Only Begotten Son, to die for our sins, to repair our fallen nature by the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT, and so restore us to His favour, and give us the promise of eternal happiness. Now these benefits of CHRIST's Passion are bestowed upon us in Holy Baptism, as I proceed to show. From the low and inadequate ideas now so 1 Rom. v. 19. widely prevalent respecting this Sacrament, there are many, I know, who would hear this statement with surprise, and many more, who would condemn it at once as unspiritual, superstitious, and popish. It may be that there are some such here present. If there are, let me entreat them to listen with serious and candid attention to the observations I am now about to make. Indeed, as the subject is highly important, I would request this of you all; and I pray GoD so to bless the ministry of His Word, that if your views are correct, they may be strengthened; if erroneous, they may be corrected; if defective, what is wanting may be supplied. We are told, then, by St. Peter, that "Baptism saves us," and by St. Paul, that GOD" of His Mercy hath saved us by the washing of regeneration," which is doubtless the same as Baptism, "and the renewing of the HOLY GHOST." The same Apostle also connects with the washing of Baptism, Sanctification and Justification, i.e., a renewal of nature by the HOLY GHOST, and a deliverance from God's wrath, by the forgiveness of our sins, through the death of CHRIST,-"ye are," or rather, "ye have been washed, ye have been sanctified, ye have been justified, in the Name of the LORD JESUS, and by the SPIRIT of our GOD." Again, when St. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, had convinced the multitude of their sinfulness in crucifying the LORD of Glory, he exhorted them in these words: "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of JESUS CHRIST, for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the Gift of the HOLY GHOST"; and similar counsel was, by the express command of GoD, given 1 1 St. Peter iii. 21. 4 Acts ii. 38. 2 Titus iii. 4. 3 1 Cor. vi. 11. by Ananias to St. Paul, just after his conversion : "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the Name of the LORD." I might easily bring forward other passages of similar import, but I think these are sufficient to show the nature of the change which is wrought in us by Baptism, to show that we therein receive redemption through the Blood of our SAVIOUR, even the forgiveness of sins, and are made partakers of the HOLY GHOST to enable us to work out our salvation, and attain the inheritance of Heaven. Now, when this takes place, we are most truly and properly said to be born again. We pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to GOD. We are received by HIм as His children, and admitted to privileges and hopes to which we before were strangers. Having shown that this doctrine is taught in the Bible, I will now bring forward a few passages to show that it is also contained in the Prayer-Book; from which it will be satisfactory to us to perceive, how exactly the teaching of the Church agrees with the teaching of GOD's written Word. First, then, in the Office of Private Baptism, when a child who has been baptized at home, is brought to Church to be acknowledged as a Christian before the congregation, the Minister is directed to certify to the people that the child being born in original sin, and in the wrath of God, is now, by the laver of Regeneration in Baptism, received into the number of the children of GOD, and heirs of everlasting life." Again, in the Catechism, the same doctrine is taught in words so nearly resembling these, that I think it unnecessary to quote them, especially as they are, without doubt, familiar to you 1 Acts xxii. 16. |