"Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee,
except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John
iii. 3.
The literal rendering of this passage seems to be--"_except a man be
born above_." The word _above_ being substituted for _again_ more
forcibly demonstrates the correctness of my views in the two former
discourses.
Many charge the Universalists with denying the necessity of a new
birth, or regeneration. But take from me my faith and hope in that
glorious truth, and I must at that moment resign the salvation of
every human being. Convince me that not another child will be born
into this world, and you will at once convince me that this world will
shortly be destitute of a solitary inhabitant. Convince me that a man
will not be born again, and you will not only convince me that no one
will ever enter the kingdom of God, but that the many worlds, that
have already passed from the stage of mortal being, and those that
shall hereafter follow, will alike be consigned to eternal silence!
Endless misery is out of the question. That could have had no
existence even had there been no resurrection in _Him_ who is the life
of the world; but death would have terminated the existence of all.
Such a punishment is not threatened in all the writings of Moses and
the prophets. And we cannot reasonably suppose, if such were a
principal truth in revelation, that God would suffer four thousand
years to elapse without warning his creatures of such an awful doom.
Upon our first parents, for transgressing the law, he pronounced all
the miseries of life, and uttered the closing sentence, "Dust thou art
and unto dust shalt thou return." Here the doctrine of endless misery
(if that be the sentence of the violated law) ought to have been
clearly stated to the "covenant head" of our race, so that the same
sentence might pass upon all that have sinned, unless they complied
with the conditions set before them.
But we leave this point, and will notice the 5th verse which may,
perhaps, be considered as an objection to my views, and urged as proof
that the new birth is wholly confined to this life. "Except a man be
born of _water_, and of the spirit," &c. What is here meant by
"_water_"? Ans. Baptism by immersion. This, instead of being an
objection to my views, will strengthen them. Baptism in water is
nothing more than a _figure_ of our death and resurrection, by _which_
we manifest our _faith_ in the resurrection of the dead, by which
_faith_ our hearts are baptized into the spirit and truth of the
gospel of Christ.
Paul says, I Cor. xv:29 "Else what shall they do, which are baptized
for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized
for the dead?" Baptism being only a _figure_ of our death and
resurrection, is perhaps, in a gospel sense, of but little consequence
to christians in the present day.
Christ went to John and was baptized of him in Jordan. His being put
under water signified his death, when the condemning power of the law
under the first dispensation should lose its force--and his being
raised out of the water signified his resurrection from the cold
Jordan of death to immortal life in the kingdom of God, where the
victory shall be sung over _death and sin_; and over the _law_ which
"is the strength of sin." Having passed in figure through his own
death and resurrection, and having manifested to man that he was
baptized by the Holy Spirit into the faith and "powers of the world to
come," he perfectly lived up to his obligation, by never committing
one sin. He went through life free from transgression as though he
were already in eternity. When his crucifixion hour approached, he
said, [Luke xii:50] "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am
I straitened" [Greek--pained] "till it be accomplished." Here he had
reference to his being buried in death, (which was to be attended with
extreme sufferings) and rising again from it, which would be the
_reality_ of which his baptism in Jordan was but a _figure_.
To be put under water signifies our _death_, and to be raised out
again signifies our _resurrection_. A person, who is baptized, ought
therefore, to endeavor, as much as in him lies, to live as though he
were already in his resurrection state. Enjoying in faith the baptism
of the "Holy Spirit and of fire," he ought to consider himself as dead
to the world and alive to God walking in newness of life.
Let us introduce Rom. vi:3, 4. "Know ye not that so many of us as were
baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into _his death_? Therefore
we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life." Here we perceive they were baptized
into his death, and were rejoicing in hope of the _resurrection_,
having their hearts purified faith in the reality, Acts xxii. 16 And
now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins,
&c. Now, it is not only a scripture doctrine, but all denominations
acknowledge, that baptism in water is an _emblem_ of the washing away
of our sins. We then ask--are our sins to be wished in a stream of
water? No. Where then? The objector says, our sins are taken away _in
this life_ by the baptism of the "Holy Spirit and with fire." This
cannot be; because Paul told the believers that if there were no
resurrection, their faith was vain, and they were _yet in their sins_.
[See I. Cor. xv. 17.] This proves that believers receive the
forgiveness of their sins in this life _by faith only_, not in
_reality_.
The question returns, are our sins washed away in a stream of water?
No. Where then? Ans. Through death and the resurrection, for that is
the real baptism. And it is certain that the _reality_ must embrace
all that the _figure_ in water teaches. We then solemnly ask the
reader,--if baptism in water is a _figure_ of our death and
resurrection, and if _that water baptism_ signifies the washing away
of our sins, will not then our sins be washed away through death and
the resurrection? Yes; otherwise the figure in water has no meaning.
Thus we perceive that being born of the water is no objection to our
views of the new birth, but affords them an unshaken support. If any
one contend that the sins of our race are not to be taken away through
death, we would then ask, where will the christian's sins be washed
away? The scriptures declare that there is not a just man upon earth
that doeth good and sinneth not,--and if there is no change through
death then there will not be a just man beyond the grave that doeth
good and sinneth not. But the baptism "with the Holy Spirit and with
fire" in all its solemn and interesting reality will take place in
death and the resurrection, and to exercise a living faith in that
truth, so as to influence our life and conduct according to the spirit
of the gospel, is what the scriptures term being baptized with the
spirit and with fire in this life. But this present enjoyment is not
the _reality_, but an antepast of _that reality_; because "we walk by
faith and not by sight." It is immaterial whether the scripture speaks
of _pardon, of justification; of sanctification, of redemption, of
regeneration, or baptism_ "with the Holy Spirit and with fire," it
simply means that those facts in the divine counsels unchangeably
exist, and will burst upon the whole groaning creation in the
resurrection world, while the believer only enjoys them in this state
of being through faith, which baptizes him into the spirit of Christ.
But if there be no resurrection, and nought is presented to our
anticipation but the dreary prospect of a beamless eternity, then
"preaching is vain," "faith is also vain," "christians are yet in
their sins," "and they that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished."
The taking away the sin of the world by the Lamb of God, who is the
resurrection and the life, is through death. Through death, to our
faith and hope, he has destroyed "him who hath the power of death,
that is the devil." The washing away of all sin, by the power of God,
is through death and the resurrection. _Then_ and not till then shall
the song of triumph be sung by redeemed millions--"O death! Where is
thy sting? O grave! Where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin,
and the strength of sin is the law", &c.
All the figures of baptism point to _death_--all the sacrifices for
sin, slain under the law for 4000 years, point to death, declaring
that without the shedding of blood there is no remission. There the
reality lies. There we are called upon to anchor our faith and hope
even within the veil. And it must be a _certain truth_ that our sins
are to be washed away through the Jordan of death, before we can be
called upon to believe it. It must be a _certain reality_ that sin is
there to be purged away, before we could, with any propriety, use
baptism in water as a shadow of it; because the _shadow_ cannot create
the _substance_.
We have now shown that as man is naturally born into this world, so he
shall be spiritually born into the kingdom of God. We have shown by
comparison that except a man be born of a woman, he cannot see this
world; and as this does not mean that he must be born twenty days
before he comes forth from the womb, as a preparation for entering
this world, so the expression, "except a man be born again he cannot
see the kingdom of God," does not mean that he must be born twenty
days before death as a preparation for entering a future existence.
The new birth, no more means a _reality_ that is to transpire _here_,
than natural birth means some change we underwent prior to our being
brought forth into life.
I believe in all the reformation or new birth here that others do, and
believe in much more to come. That change _here_, which they call the
new birth, I call the new birth in faith, or being born of faith,
while the solemn reality is yet to transpire, and that is to be born
from the dead in Christ our head. These facts we will now make plain
to every reader by the following example, so that our views on this
subject may not be misrepresented.
Suppose that before we were born, we had been able to conceive ideas.
And suppose it had been spoken to us by the Son of God--except you are
born of the flesh, you cannot see the natural world, which is most
beautiful to to behold, having sun, moon, and stars, and songsters,
fields and groves. It has never entered your heart to conceive the
glory to be revealed in you. Now suppose some of us had believed this
revelation, we would that moment, have been born of faith, and
rejoiced in hope of the glory to be revealed in us; and by faith have
looked forward to the reality. This, however, would not have made our
birth any more certain, because it must have been an absolute truth
before we could have, with any propriety, believed it. Suppose,
further, that some of us had rejected it; would this circumstance have
prevented our being born? Certainly not. All of us, who believed,
would have been born of faith, having an earnest of the reality, and
the unbelievers would have come short of that enjoyment by faith; but
their unbelief could in no sense make the truth of none effect. The
moment we were born, belief and unbelief would be lost in certainty.
Now suppose that some of had said--the Son of God has declared "except
we are born of the flesh, we cannot see the natural world." This must
mean some great change we are to experience in the womb--we must be
born some number of days before we enter the natural world, as a
preparation, otherwise we can never see it.
We now ask the reader, whether it would not be folly to give to the
word _birth_ such an explanation? The Conclusion is unavoidable. We
then ask, whether it does not involve the same folly to contend, in
view of our text, ("except a man be born again, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God") that it means, he must be born again in this
world, as a preparation for another? It certainly does.
We once more repeat it--that as natural birth was the _very thing_
that introduced us all into this world of imperfection, sorrow and
pain; so the spiritual birth will be the _very thing_, that shall
introduce us all into another, where, imperfection, sorrow and pain
shall be no more.
The poor heathen, and infants, and all, will therefore be born again
into the kingdom of God, and "be equal unto the angels, die no more,
and be the children of God, _being the children of the resurrection_."
The only advantage we enjoy above them is, that we have heard the good
news, believed it, are "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever,"
and "have entered into rest." We are rejoicing in hope of the glory of
God to be revealed in us, while they are groping in darkness,
inasmuch, as they cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard.
In our next, we shall close this subject by urging the importance of
the new birth through faith in the truth.