into the kingdom of heaven." Burkitt, in his notes upon this passage, observes, that " our Saviour, intending to cure the pride and ambition of his disciples, (who had just been inquiring of him, who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,) first preaches to them the doctrine of humility; and to enforce his doctrine he sets before them a little child, the proper emblem of humility; assuring them, that unless they be converted, or turned from this sin of pride and ambition, and become as a little child, in lowliness of mind and contempt of worldly greatness, they cannot be saved." He then further remarks, that "persons already converted, do stand in need of farther conversion: they that are converted from a state of sin, may want to be converted from a particular act of sin."

St. Peter, in speaking to the Jews, whom he charges with having killed the Prince of Life, says, "Repent and be converted." That. is, as the same expositor remarks, "Repent of your rejecting Jesus Christ, and be converted to true Christianity. To repent, doth denote a change of the mind and judgment;

and to be converted, a change in the life and conversation." And then he justly observes, "The exhortation doth denote our duty, and supposes our ability also, by the assistance of that grace which will never be wanting, to sincere endeavours."

St. James says, "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death; and shall hide a multitude of sins. From this passage, as well as others which might be cited, it appears that conversion may.be often repeated. As often as we relapse into sin, or err from the truth, so of ten must we be converted from the error of

our way.

I have been thus particular in explaining the scriptural meaning of the term conversion; because that, and the words regeneration and renovation, have been so often indiscriminately used, as words of the same import.

Regeneration signifies a new birth. Therefore, to be regenerated, and to be born again,

mean the same thing. But they are not of *the same meaning with conversion. A person may be converted before he is regenerated, and he be converted after he is regenermay ated ; but he cannot, correctly speaking, be regenerated, or born again, but once. This idea, which I take to be a correct one, will assist us to understand the nature of regeneration, and the manner in which it is effected.

In order rightly to comprehend the doctrine of the new birth, we must have recourse to the conversation of our blessed Saviour with the Jewish ruler, as related in the 3d chapter of the Gospel by St. John, where the subject is concisely indeed, yet, I think, plainly illustrated. In the first place, our Saviour says,

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Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingkom of God." This learned Rabbi, not comprehending the meaning of this declaration, and desiring farther instruction, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto you, except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." According, then, to our Saviour's explanation of the new birth,

two distinct things must concur in it ; namely, water, and the Spirit; the application of water to the outward, and of the Spirit to the inward man. Without their conjoint application, there can be no scriptural regeneration. Separate them, and see what is the consequence. It must be this; that we make two regenerations, two new births, necessary, one of water, and another of the Spirit; and that these may take place at different periods. For instance, according to this idea, a man may be born of water to-day, and of the Spirit to. morrow; or he may be born of the Spirit today, and of water to-morrow; or the next year, or twenty years hence; making two new births necessary; for he must be born of water, and he must be born of the Spirit. Yet it is admitted on all sides, that there is but one regeneration, one new birth, spoken of in the Gospel. Consequently, we must be born of water and of the Spirit at the same time. Now that, by being born of water, baptism by water is to be understood, none I believe will controvert; and if so, it follows, that without baptism by water, there can be no regenera

tion. Yet water baptism alone, would not be regeneration; nor are the influences of the Spirit without baptism, regeneration. But when baptism with water is duly administered to a proper subject, accompanied with the influences of the Spirit, (which in that case we have reason to believe are never withheld,) the person thus baptised with water and the Holy Ghost-thus born again of water and the Spirit is truly, and in the scripture sense, regenerated; that is, he is placed, as it were, in a new state; the principle of a new and holy life is implanted in him; he is born into the kingdom or family of God; becomes an heir of that new covenant, or dispensation of the Gospel, of which Jesus Christ is the Mediator; and (complying with the conditions which on his part are enjoined) is entitled to all its privileges and its promises.

Nor is this account of Baptism and Regeneration new or singular, whatever different opinions and practices some may have adopted.

In the 29th chapter of the Presbyterian and Congregational Confession of Faith, it is thus