heart by the power of the truths of Christ conveyed thither and working there There are three great effects of this water It begets it washeth it nourisheth It begets a dead man to life it begets a man unto God for it is a living and active water or rather it is the seed whereof a man is begotten and born or at least the vessel that living vessel which containes it It is that also wherewith he is washed after hee is born though there be a washing with blood too And it nourisheth him after hee is both borne and washed hee lives upon the very same water that he was borne of and with It is the first of these effects that is here spoken of that stroke that water hath in the generation and birth of the new creature He is born of it It is by letting in these waters upon the soule and into the soule that God changeth it and maketh it a new Our change in our spirits and our conversion to God proceedeth from and is to be attributed to that power of truth that God lets in upon us and to that the Apostle ascribeth it as in many other places Rom. 6. 17. Iam. 1. 1â— As our first change from God was by drinking of the Devils waters which were waters of darknesse and death waters of errour and deceit so this great change to God againe is wrought by drinking of Gods waters his spirituall waters of life which are his truths which hee holds out unto us wherein there is no darknesse nor deceit at all but they are cleare living and substantiall 3. What is it to be born of the Spirit It is to have this change from these waters wrought in us by the spirit A man can never change his own heart by any of the truths of God but it must be the spirit that must doe it This water is too spirituall a seed for any man to sow in his own heart No man no creature can sow anothers seed this is the spirits seed and hee must sow it if it be sown Christ himselfe openeth and illustrateth this further in the eigth verse of the third Chapter The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth nor whither it goeth So is every one that is borne of the Spirit The Spirit breathes his own breath blowes his own blast makes his own sound of life himselfe in our spirits and thus are wee born of him It is not all the changes a man can make by the light of naturall truths nay by the light of spirituall truths working them upon his heart with never so much paines that will amount to a new birth but it must be the spirit of Christ breathing this seed into him and forming him into a new creature by this seed As it is water or the word of truth whereby we are begotten So it is God alone who begets and that hee doth of his own inclination too Iam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth 4. What is it to enter into the Kingdome of God The Kingdome of God is his spirituall dominion in Christ to which every spirituall thing belongs and in which all spirituall excellencies and blessednesses are laid up To enter into this Kingdome is by a spirituall act of the soule to come within the verge and bounds of it even that very act which Nicodemus was speaking of vers. 3. namely an act of true saith by laying hold on Iesus Christ and becomming one with him a man presently hath right unto and entrance into this Kingdome Now saith Christ it is impossible for any man to doe this who is not first new borne hee can never truly mount upward whose earthly nature is not first changed A man may talk of spirituall glories and his right unto them but of a truth he is not entred into the Kingdome nor cannot by true Faith who is not born againe and that both of water and the spirit To partake of the priviledges of Christ to have life and blessednesse from him requires a birth of water and of the spirit There must a new birth of water and the spirit precede there without which the person is not in a capacity of it he must bee made up againe of water and that not of his own forming neither but of the spirits forming and then by Faith he enters into the Kingdome and becomes entituled to all the priviledges of the Kingdome which without this birth fore-going cannot be done Vers. 6. In this verse Christ layeth down a position to confirme the truth he had spoken in the former verse There is a necessity of being born of water and the spirit or else a man cannot enter into the Kingdome for that is a spirituall act and a man can act no higher then hee is and hee is not spirituall he is but flesh if hee be borne but of flesh That which is borne of flesh is flesh Flesh here is not to be taken in its latitude but for that part of it which is powerfull in spirituall generation and production for that power of man together with the meanes and engines that hee can come by whether naturall or spirituall whereby he works a change in his own heart or upon others in imitation of that change which God alone doth and can work by his Spirit Nature Reason Art with all the advantages they can possibly desire or have Nature enlightened and purified by reason and art Nature furnished as much as may bee with the knowledge of God with desires to be like God to recover his image to obey him c. This is here meant by flesh and doth more directly thus reach the state of Nicodemus to whom Christ spake whose present conviction was wrought by Christs Miracles meeting with his reason and ingenuity then if it were understood in a more grosse ence To bee borne of the flesh denotes the greatest change that possibly can be made in a man by this power with all the meanes that it can use The change is so great that a man is new born becomes a new man is changed inside and outside both to his own appearance and in the thoughts of others It is an imitation of that work whereby God brings a man forth a new man The flesh will take his tooles set about his work and seem to produce the same effect bring forth the New Birth but in truth and substance it fals short of it for it is but flesh This birth when a man hath done all he can used all the spirituall meanes hee can yet it is but flesh The fruit can have no more vertue or strength and spirituality then the root had from whence it did proceed which was but flesh and though there were never so many spirituall engines in the hand of flesh yet this will not alter the case for those engines cannot work of themselves and the flesh cannot make them work
spiritually So that all the births produced by man are but fleshly all the changes man can make in his own heart or any else is but from flesh to flesh from grosser flesh to flesh somewhat more refined Conversion by Miracles and strong arguments is but a fleshly conversion all the wayes that man can take to bring his owne heart to believe to close in with Christ to love Christ can produce but a fleshly Faith a fleshly love all the wayes man can take to kill and subdue sinne in him it is but a fleshly mortifying of sinne sinne is truly alive for all this and will discover its life again when it sees its time Christ doth especially allude to the Miracles that were in Nicodemus his eye wer 't thou born of these thy birth is but fleshly how spirituall soever such a person may seeme how spiritually soever he may seem to act yet at the root he is but fleshly The change is made but by flesh and the thing changed is still but flesh how glorious soever the change may seeme Think well of it it cannot be said too often all the wayes and meanes man can use to bring up his heart to God they are but fleshly and can produce but fleshly operations in him all this Faith and holinesse though raised to never so great an height it is but that his heart must bee mortified to if ever he live spiritually Oh! it would be sweet and profitable to consider the abundance of fleshly changes wherewith the Devill cozens men They see a reall change in themselves and so think they are sure whereas it is but a reall fleshly change not a reall spirituall change and so indeed not reall in the true sence a change from naturall unbeliefe to naturall Faith for there is a power in nature to believe which may either bee afrighted or perswaded to put forth it selfe for its own preservation Nature being convinced of its present danger and that there is no way of safety but by believing on Christ which Faith must bee accompanied with love to Christ the truths of Christ the people of Christ and that this love must shew it selfe in obedience Nature I say being convinced of this does presently muster up all its forces of Faith love obedience laying them at Christs feet to dispose of it will trust him love what he will have it love obey what he will command it hate what he will have it hate deny it selfe its own ends interests c. there is nothing so spirituall but it will undertake and goe thorough after its manner rather then perish and alas what is this All this is but nature working from its own principle with its own power to its own end There is no new birth necessary to all this though all this doth also proceed from a new birth where it is after more a excellent manner then nature can attaine to But now that which is borne or begotten of the Spirit is Spirit that which the spirit begets which the spirit produceth is spirit That Faith that love to God which hee breathes into a man that is truly spirituall If a mans heart bee changed not by reason not by the power of Miracles but by him by his immediate power then the change is true and sound As it is the spirit who begets so that which is begotten by him with that water which he useth in his act of generation is a true and spirituall birth There are three particulars which discover the reality of spirituall things as well as of other things 1 The originall from whence they come 2 the nature whereof they are and 3 the effects which they produce Every spirituall thing it commeth from the spirit it is spirituall it selfe and it worketh spiritually there is a true tincture of its nature and of its originall in every effect it produceth As every naturall man is begotten by a man hath the nature of a man in himselfe and acteth like a man worketh the operations of a man So every new man every spirituall man is begotten by the spirit hath the nature of the spirit in him and discovereth his nature and originall in every one of his spirituall motions and actions His Faith his love every thing in him proceeds from the spirit partakes of the nature of the spirit moveth and acteth spiritually The former of these Christ argues the truth of the new birth from in this place its comming from the spirit that which is born of the spirit is spirit What ever the spirit worketh in a man is truly spirituall that light he shews is true spirituall light that grace he gives is true spirituall grace that change hee makes is a true spirituall change but all other changes are but countersets of that true spirituall one which he alone can make And this may shew us the reason why there are so many changes in this flitting age it is because most men are changed by the flesh the greatest power of flesh still changeth them A strong Objection which they cannot answer will startle any man that is changed by a power of flesh Hence men take up one practise to day another to morrow now acknowledge this or that for a truth by and by it is false then true againe why because they see not things by the light of the spirit which never varies but by a force of argument by a power of reason which sometimes appeares stronger sometimes weaker sometimes greater sometimes lesser but a soule whose light is changed whose practises are changed by the spirit that change remaineth good let all the winds and gusts of arguments blow never so strongly Take heed therefore of changing your apprehensions or practises about any thing till you can say the spirit changeth them else it will be but a fleshly change What further remaines but that every one that loveth his soule should lay this to heart and consider thoroughly according to the weightinesse and importance of it how it is with him what that religion is whereupon he groundeth his hopes what oyl feeds his lamp whence his Faith his love came and of what rank and kind they are And not to doe this slightly or determine suddenly as is most usuall with men in matters of Religion but as on the one hand to be thankfull unto God for and make much of the least hope which is not every ones lot so on the other hand not to rest satisfied or let God alone till he hath brought us to an absolute certainty then and not till then we may safely without hazard give over the debate of this question And though we may perhaps be a long while before we attaine it yet if God carry on our hearts in the pursuite we may meet with sweet pledges and refreshings in the way as may much mitigate Gods seeming tediousnesse in deferring our full satisfaction herein And indeed though God leads his people in such harsh and difficult wayes to the eye of
such guides as have had glorious pretences in view but corrupt ends in their hearts they become ten times worse at present and will be ten times more miserable at last then if they had never known such and such wayes of Religion or had not been so zealous in them But this is not the true birth neither whence true Faith doth flow all the changes that are made in us from any corrupt end or desire of our own or of any others whatsoever will bee of little valew to us 3. Nor of the will of man The will of man being distinguished from the will of the flesh notes the purest and most ingenuous part and that either in a mans selfe or any other It notes that desire that is naturally in man to finde out God and his will and to worship and please him and so to use the best meanes the soule can meet with in reference thereunto as seeking into his word hearing conferring praying and observing what it findes to be his will This indeed is noble ingenuous and acceptable in the sight of God in its kind and degree but yet it doth not rise so high as this birth that is here spoken of All this prosecuted by the soule yet will never bring it to God though God doth ordinarily if not alwayes bring such persons to himselfe whom he thus seriously and constantly inclines Nor will this desire in others with all the meanes they can use accomplish it though they themselves be new born yet this will not beget another though the most pretious Saint that is should never so earnestly desire the begetting of a soule to God out of the purest ends that might be and should use all spirituall means towards it pray hard to God diligently spread the knowledge of Christ before the person and begge on him day after day with teares to pitty his poore perishing soule yet all this will not doe Abraham did as much for Ishmael as could be done if the will of man would have done it he was carefull to instruct his whole Family but in a speciall manner very faine would he have had grace breathed into him Oh that Ishmael might live before thee How faine would Isaac have had the blessing runne to Esau how much did Christ doe for the Iewes how large were his affections Oh that thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace how vaste his paines All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a foolish and gain-saying people So Paul for the Iewes Rom. 9. 2 3. The Apostles of Christ though they did travell with men yet they could not beget or bring forth whom they would and those persons that were born of this will of theirs yet that birth came to nothing they fell away from the Faith afterwards both from Christ while he was alive as this book abundantly testifies and from the Churches after his ascention So that here are the three great engines of Religion which turn all the world upside downe and make almost all the changes in Religion among men Tradition Corruption Reason and Ingenuity they are all here discarded as not being able to convey the true birth whence true Faith proceeds Then at last the Evangelist having shewn whence it did not proceed sheweth also whence it did proceed both the birth and the faith but of God the birth comes from God the faith from the birth or from the new born child God by his Spirit breathes a breath of life into him puts a new principle within him and by vertue of this he comes to believe on Christ God by the power of his Grace changeth him and maketh him a new creature and then he comes to put forth this new act of true and spirituall Faith God soweth a seed in him causeth this seed to grow and at length bringeth it forth so that the child is born and then Faith naturally after the law and manner of the Divine nature sprouts from it The first act of the living child is to exercise the power of Faith which before lay hid in him And this is done this birth is brought about not from a mans own will whether corrupt or ingenuous nor from the will of any else but from God from his will of his own will begat he us Iam. 1. 18. This and this alone is the true birth For a close to these two verses take notice of these foure great truths wherein much of the Gospel doth lie three of them are contained in these two verses the first of them in the fore-going part of the Chapter 1. That Christ is the light come into the world to lighten men out of their darknesse there is no getting out of spirituall darknesse but by Christ the true and only spirituall light 2. The persons for whom he doth this must believe must receive him by faith for their light 3. Faith proceeds from the new birth a man must be new born that he may believe 4. The great priviledge Christ bestowes on those that believe which is this he gives them Authority to become the sonnes of God Those that will be the sonnes of God must believe on his Christ Those that will believe on Gods Christ must be born of God Those that are born of God cannot but believe on Christ and Christ cannot but lighten them out of their darknesse for that end he came IOHN 3. Vers. 1. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Iewes 2. The same came to Iesus by night and said unto him Rabbi we know that thou ' art a teacher come from God for no man can doe these miracles that thou doest except God be with him 3. Iesus answered and said unto him Verily verily I say thee except a man be borne againe he cannot see the Kingdome of God 4. Nicodemus saith unto him How can a man be born when hee is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be borne 5. Iesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God 6. That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Here is an excellent Dispute betweene Christ and Nicodemus concerning true Faith Iohn had described it before in the twelf and thirteenth verses of the first Chapter where hee had shewed that those that did indeed believe were born of God This act of Faith in them which did entitle them unto Christ and whereupon they did receive the right of Sonship in and from him did not proceed from any light set before them by men nor from any inclination of heart which man could work in them but from a new principle of life breathed into their soules by God Here the case is more fully argued betweene Christ and Nicodemuus Nicodemus a Pharisee and Rules of the Iewes comes to Christ
our sinfulnesse from our filthinesse by the same blood Eph. 1. 17. Secondly we are made sonnes and have a sonne-like inheritance we are made Gods portion and God is made our portion vers. 5. 11. Thirdly we have all we can desire in this life we have accesse to God for any thing Chap. 2. 18. Chap. 3. 12. who will bee sure to doe every thing for us we need freely and to put us upon praying for every thing wee need and also upon believing and waiting that we may misse of no mercy his grace hath designed us God will take care of us as of his own houshold Chap. 2. 19. He will be as sure of our growing up as he is of the foundation he has laid to bottome us upon vers. 20. 21. II. We further suck in and better rellish the sweetnesse of the Gospel by comparing our present state with our former We were dead but are alive We were darknesse but now are light We were cursed with all spirituall curses in Adam but now are blessed with all spirituall blessings in Christ Wee were without God without hope strangers to life and blessednesse but now wee are in God and full of hope and every way nigh unto him and every excellency in him Chap. 2. 1. 2 3. vers. 6. 12. 13. and Chap. 1. 3. 2. To admire that God and that Christ who have done this for us who have made such a sweet change in our condition 1 Admire that great love wherewith they loved us which was working from all eternity to effect that for us which now they are carrying on amaine Chap. 2. 4. Chap. 3. 19. 2 Admire that abundant free-grace that has made no spare of any thing for us but has acted fully according to the strength of love Chap. 1. 7. Chap. 2. 5. 7. There were but two pretious lives The life of God and the life of Christ and grace hath given us them both To recover us from death the life of Christ was given for us and to keep us in life the life of God is given to us 3 Admire that rich mercy wherein all our former sinnes and every dayes unkindnesses even against Christ and his pretious Gospel and God our Father and the sweet Spirit are continually buried Chap. 2. 4. 4 Admire that various that manifold that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Chap. 3. 10. which laid all the plot of love and which worketh us up daily more and more into the heart of God and nearer and nearer to our happinesse notwithstanding all the pull backs in our selves in the world in our spirituall enemies in the varieties of our conditions which all almost distemper us that though we are untoward under every thing and in danger by every thing yet we lose nothing 5 Admire the mighty power which hath thus translated us from darknesse to light which daily preserves us from â—â—lling back againe and is often mightily working in us to raise us up to further degrees of perfection Chap. 1. 19. 20. Chap. 3. â—0 3. To walk worthy of this blessed Gospel state Chap. 4. 1. wherein God is our Father and Christ our head wherein we have so many pretious priviledges at present and hopes for the future wherein we professe our selves broken to the world and to all the powers of nature in our selves too to live like men that live upon a new principle from God and in God and to God Walking it notes our whole course all the service wee are now to perform to Christ whose we are and whom alone we are now to serve in care over our own hearts in all duties of worship in our callings in our converse in every thing This walking worthy principally appeares in our manner of acting towards men whereof there are three sorts 1 Our fellow-Christians 2 the World and 3 Persons that stand in outward relations to us First Our fellow-Christians and specially those in Church-Communion with us for they are those God hath more specially set us to walk with they are those with whom we are chiefly to worship and whom we must especiall love and of whom wee must especiall take care and watch over Now the manner of our acting towards them must bee 1. With all humblenesse and meeknesse with low thoughts of our selves and in a meet manner Chap. 4. 2. 2. With long-suffering forbearing one another in love vers. 2. We must not be apt to apprehend injuries or seek recompence for injuries but suffer long and forbeare one another and not simply because it is the will of Christ who hath forborn us much and forgiven us much that wee should so doe but from the love we beare one to another from a tender brotherly affection and in a tender brotherly manner 3. The Apostle tells us what should be our great aime and endeavour in our actings one towards another vers. 3. To keep up unity the unity of the spirit to keep it in the bond of peace endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace we must not keep a sinfull unity a carnall unity in the bond of peace no the bond of peace must bind up no such unity in it but there must be warre with and opposition against all such unity but the unity of the spirit that unity the foundation whereof God hath laid among us who hath made us perfectly one in spirituals being all of the same body having all the same spirit of life running in us having all the same hope to attaine the same end all the same Lord to serve all the same way of union with him subjection to him and owning of him all the same God and Father who begate us all vers. 4. 5 6. to which might bee added wee have all also the same enemies and the same dangers Now God having laid such a foundation of unity in all our spirits we must endeavour to keep up unity so farre as it is spirituall and not to rent one from another in that wherein God hath made us one Humblenesse takes away the root of contention which is the bane of all societies quickly eating out both the sweetnesse and benefit of them for that still flowes from pride pride begets pride feeds contention A man that has low thoughts of himselfe has little minde to contend It is height of spirit that blowes up the fire of contention Meeknesse takes away the occasion of contention which arises much from a rough harsh manner of expression a meek spirit as it seldome takes occasion of contention but quietly lets it passe so it seldomes gives others occasion to contend with it Long-suffering and forbearance puts a stop to the breaking forth of contention when occasions are given But besides all these there must be an endeavour an industry used to keep up true and spirituall unity 4. The Apostle directs us how to make use of our severall gifts profitably according to the end for which they were given which is
recourse to him but to the light he was to point with the finger at Christ and to send men thither And hee gives a reason why Iohn could not bee this light vers. 9. because he wanted the property of this light This light is the originall light as it was described before who hath all light in him who giveth out all light who is the very light The true light that lightneth every man that commeth into the world It is he gives the light of reason to every man that comes into this outward world it is he gives the light of the spirit to every man that enters by faith into the inner world Now Iohn was not this true light this very light but only had his candlelighted by it Vers. 10. The Evangelist proceeds further to describe this light He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world know him not He did not only enlighten the world from the beginning of it but at length he himselfe came into the world and the world had a neere relation to him for hee gave it its being it was the workmanship of his hands and yet the world knew him not though he had not foâ—gotten the world but came in due time to look after it yet the world had forgotten him and knew not who he was Yea he came to his owne vers. 11. his own people the Iewes whom he had selected out of the world whom he had alwayes cherished to whom hee had promised this comming of his and who had long expected it and yet they received him not All this seemeth to be the Answer of an Objection such an Objection as this Object If Christ was the light what need he have such an one as Iohn to goe and proclaime it what need Iohn come to beare witnesse of him light discovers it selfe The Sun needs none to goe and proclaime that there is light in it If this were the fountaine of light the very light indeed what need hath he of Iohn's testimony of Iohn's finger to point at him Answ. Yes saith he need enough for though he was in the world yea and was the great Architect of the world yet the world knew him not and though he came to his own people who had all the light of God that was in the world yet they received him not The world they did not know him the Iewes they would not own him though they did partly know him yet they did not like him Surely he who was thus unknown who lay hid in the field of the world to the world who was thus rejected by his own had great need of a witnesse to declare to the world who he was and to testifie to the stubborn Jewes their rebellion against the light But then it may further be demanded what did the Iewes loose by not receiving or what should the world gaine by comming to this light when they were pointed to it by Iohn Why very much as verse the 12th holds out But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sonnes of God They should gaine this great dignity to be the sons of God comming into Union and Fellowship with him they should partake of his honour from and interest in the Father Christ would give them this priviledge to become the sonnes of the most High to go and call him Father and desire any fatherly act of him and if he be questioned for it tell him Christ bid him doe so hee gave him this right and priviledge to bee a sonne What meanes that what is it to have a Father what is it to be a sonne It includes these three things in it 1. Carefull education by the Father 2. A sonlike spirit in himself from the Father 3. A sonlike inheritance for himself with the Father Each of these is included in this prerogative of being a sonne 1. Carefull education by the Father The Father is to nurture and bring up his child sutable to his own state and degree This is an universall law of nature and universally observed by every creature every creature brings up what it brings forth and doubtlesse the substance of this law is written on Goâ—s heart who hath written the image of it on every thing that comes from him Now Education hath these three things in it First Instruction in such literature as becomes such a sonne Thou maist goe to God for such knowledge as becomes a sonne of God thou art to bee brought up in the knowledge of the most High this is thy right It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God they shall all know me from the least to the greatest The least of them shall not want sutable knowledge They shall all know God who is the greatest thing to be known and whom it requires the highest life to know This is life eternall to know thee the only true God Secondly Preservation from dangers The Father is to provide Tutors and Governours to look to the child that he doe not wrong himselfe nor that any else wrong him When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and thorow the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee All things shall work together for good to them that love God The stones of the field shall be at peace with thee Creatures men devils temtations sins corruption nothing shall hurt them nor they shall not hurt themselves nothing can hurt them but departing from God and their Father will look to that too I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Ier. 32. 40. Thirdly Provision of meat drink cloathes recreations and whatsoever else is needfull for him sutable to his degree This God wil take care for too he will take care of this for the body Hee that feeds the Ravens and cloathes the Lillies shall he not much more feed and cloath you but it is their spirit heâ—â—s specially the Father of that is his child and spirituall meat drink cloathes recreations c. hee will not faile to provide for it He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold The Lions may suffer hunger and want food for their bodies but none of his shall want food for their spirits as he promiseth the poore captive exile who is banished from his presence and in captivity under Satan bound in his pit he promiseth him that he shall not die there nor his bread faile there Esay 51. 14. The words in the Hebrew are in the future tense He shall not die in the Pit and his bread shall not faile 2. A sonlike spirit It is naturall to the sonne to be like the father but why because he hath it from his father God also will put his Spirit into his Sonnes I will put my Spirit within you Indeed it is the spirit of a son
by night acknowledging him to be a Teacher from God one who had the will of God revealed unto him by God himselfe and came to make it known unto the sonnes of men Hee giveth Christ the ground which induced him thus to believe which was because of the signes hee shewed the wonders hee did which no man could doe unlesse God were with him Those things he did were beyond the working of any humane power therefore God must needs be with that person who doth them he comes as one that would be a disciple though hee comes not so openly as others did and at his first salute hee acknowledgeth Christ to be a Teacher sent from Heaven by God rendring his reason withall whereby hee could not chuse but so judge which was no meane one neieher but drawn from the mighty things Christ did wherein the very power of God did appear to the eye of reason evidencing unto it that living Spring from whence he came and the Presâ—â—â—â— of that living Spring with him This is expressed in the first and second verses In the third verse Christ applyeth himselfe to his particular state wishing him to consider the ground whence this acknowledgement of his did arise telling him plainly that true Faith must arise from another root then sight of his miracles Iesus answered and said unto him verily verily c. as if hee had said Mark what I say I know what I speak Verily verily it is most certainly so unlesse a man be born againe he cannot see the kingdome of God What is the Kingdome of God The kingdome of God is that state of life and blessednesse which God hath brought to light by Iesus Christ As the kingdome of the Devill is that state of death and misery man lies in by nature so the Kingdome of God is the state of life and glory man is advanced to by grace Philip preached the things concerning the Kingdome of God and the Name of Iesus Christ Act. 8. 12. He opened the life and blessednesse that belongs to this Kingdome and the name of Christ who is to bring us into it To see this Kingdome is an act of Faith which is the eye wherewith wee behold every spirituall thing this eye no man hath but he that is born againe he that is born from above This eye doth not lie hid in nature and so only wants somewhat to cleare it and draw forth the act of it but it belongs to a new birth he that is begotten and born of God hee hath this eye in him and none else Therefore Nicodemus consider thy mistake Thou thinkest because thou seest by an eye of reason that I am come from God and art drawne by thy reason and ingenuity to acknowledge and owne it that therefore thou believest No no Nicodemus if thou hast Faith it ariseth from another ground then the sight of my miracles it comes from a new birth in thee though God may make this usefull to thee also to help thee to believe but if thy Faith have no better ground-work then this it is like the fore-mentioned Faith of those in the former Chapter vers. 23. whom I dare not I cannot owne as Disciples Oh weigh and consider this all wise and ingenuous men behold your snare and take notice of this also which may help to enervate the force of it That sight and acknowledgement of any spirituall thing which wee are drawn to by a power of reason by such evidences as reason it selfe cannot withstand as miracles were wee have just cause to suspect as not true and spirituall It is the sight of reason not of Faith it is such an act of Faith as proceeds from the naturall man not from the spirituall man it is that act the eye that was in us before puts forth not the new eye Oh see how men are quite out in seeking after the truths of God in every kind They call for reason for evidences to have it brought by such hands as no man could justly refuse Ah! they should call for new eyes or least for Gods discovering his truths in a spirituall way to their eyes which all the miracles in the world cannot doe They may by miracles bee brought to a rationall sight and so to a present acknowledgement of truths but never to a spirituall sight which alone â—s satisfactory and which alone wâ—ll be lasting Verse 4. Nicodemus apprehends this spirituall truth very carnally and grossely of a fleshly birth of the fleshly part and it seemeth a direct absurdity to him what Christ had now affirmed He thinks he hath caught the great Master whom hee acknowledged just now a Teacher come from God in a trap and hee so expresseth it as if Christ had overshot himself and could not tell how to make good what hee had laid downe How can a man be borne againe when hee is old is there any possibility of this can hee enter the second time into his mothers wombe and bee borne Verse 5. Christ doth not abate any thing of what hee hath said but affirmeth it againe with the same vehemency further opening and confirming it Iesus answerd Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be borne of water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Doest thou come to be a Disciple to learn the way to happinesse wouldst thou enter into that state of blessednesse that I come to preach thou must be born againe and not carnally not of carnall things but of water and of the spirit For the better apprehending of this let us enquire a little into these ensuing particulars 1. What is meant by water 2. What it is to be borne of water 3. What it is to be borne of the Spirit 4. What this entring into the Kingdome of God is which none none can doe but that person which it born of water and of the Spirit 1. What is meant by water By water is meant the knowledge of God in Christ the sight of God in the face of Christ wherein eternall life consists If thou hadst known the gift of God c. thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Ioh. 4. 10. What is this living water Why this is life eternall to know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Ioh. 17. 3. The heavenly doctrine of life and salvation is often expressed in Scripture by this tearm of water My doctrine shall drop as the raine my speech shall distill as the dew Deut. 32. 2. Is. 55. 10. Heb. 6. 7. As God is the fountaine whence all the life and sweetnesse of the creature flowes whether naturall Is. 65. 9. or spirituall Ier. 2. 13. So those beames of eternall light those streamings forth of life which issue out from God in the knowledge of Iesus Christ they are waters from this fountaine 2. What it is to be born of water It notes that fundamentall and radicall change which is made in the