stood, like other perverted texts of the Scripture, has been more strenuously followed and contended for in its perversion, than many important passages of Scripture that have not been misunderstood.)

Besides this text, I know of no other that contains the least proof that any person, in the apostles' times, was ever baptized with the Holy Spirit, before he was baptized or born of water.

The baptism of John by water, and of the three thousand at the day of Pentecost-of the eunuch-of St. Paul-of the jailer and his household-of all Samaria, and of Lydia and her household, &c. &c. : in some of these cases, there is positive proof that the baptism by water was performed first, and in other passages there is strong circumstantial evidence that it was, but there is no evidence that the baptism of the Holy Ghost

was.

That the case of the eunuch, mentioned in Acts viii. is not proof that he was born first of the Spirit, is evident; for, before he was baptized, he only believed that Jesus was the Christ prophesied of in Isaiah; and, therefore, according to Rom. x. he should be (not was) saved, for it is "by faith in Christ's blood, that we have" (not, shall have) both "the remission of the sins that are past," and "the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost." And not by believing that Christ is the Son of God; although this faith (as well as repentance towards God) must be exercised before that we can exercise saving or justifying faith.

He that exercises the faith that Jesus is the Christ, has the promise that he shall be saved; but when he trusts in Christ's blood, for "the remission of the sins that are past," he IS SAVED by being born of God; and "in" thus "believing he rejoices with joy unspeakable and full of glory, RECEIVING the end of his faith, even the SALVATION of his soul. And as the eunuch went on his way rejoicing, after he was baptized, it is evident from the circumstance, and the most of other passages that have been examined, that he exercised the saving faith whereby he rejoiced, &c., after that he was baptized. The expression in 1 John v. 5, "he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God,"

&c., is evidently, from the context, not an exception, for it inIcludes faith in the blood of Christ.

The case of Cornelius, although for good reasons being an exception to water baptisms having been previous to the baptism of the Spirit, yet, it furthermore shows that a person may (by believing on God and working righteousness) be accepted of God as a servant, (for Paul says, that to whom a man yields himself to obey, his servant he is, and, also, that before faith [in the blood of Christ,] has come, while we are under the law, that we are SERVANTS, not SONS,) before he is saved by being born of the Spirit; for, although Peter saw that Cornelius was accepted of God, by working righteousness, he was not saved, for Peter was to "tell him things whereby he and all his house should be saved:" and we find that, when Peter preached to him, from the prophets, that he should be saved by faith in Christ, (and him crucified, for Paul "determined to know nothing else,) he was saved by being baptized with the Holy Ghost.

And Lydia, who is spoken of in Acts xvi. 14, 15, was likewise a worshipper or servant of God, before Paul preached, but there is not the slightest evidence that she, or her household, were born of the Spirit, before they were baptized. And, in the account of the baptism of the jailer and his household, in the thirty-third verse of the same chapter, there is no proof that he or they were born of the Spirit, before they were of the water; for, we find in the thirty-fourth verse, that it was after they were baptized with water, that they rejoiced, by believing the promise of God that Paul had previously preached unto them. And, although Samaria rejoiced at beholding the miracle of Philip, yet, it is evident that their joy was not the joy of the Holy Ghost which is shed abroad in the heart, by the new birth, from the simple fact, that the Holy Ghost had fallen upon none of them.

Thus, we see, from a review of the most of the foregoing passages, (with the exception of the baptism of Cornelius and his household,) that there is positive proof, that the baptism of water was performed first; and, in the rest, there is (in connection with the others) strong circumstantial evidence that

it was; but, that there is no evidence that the baptism of the Spirit was ever performed first.

CHAPTER III.

Where John says, in Matthew iii. 11, "I, indeed, baptize you WITH water, but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire," it further plainly shows, that water baptism is typical or emblematical of baptism by the Holy Ghost. And, also, the words of our Lord where he says, "John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. And the fact, that purifications, by the Spirit, and by the water, are called baptism, shows, evidently, that water baptism is emblematical of the baptism by the Holy Ghost.

As the purification by water, and the purification by the Holy Ghost, are both called "baptism," it is equally evident that, in John iii. 5, where Christ says, “except a man be born of the water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God," that the "being born of water," means water baptism, and the being born of the Spirit, means the baptism of the Holy Ghost. And as Christ has here called the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the being "born of the Spirit," it is evident that he alludes to the "baptism of water," when he says, that "except a man be born of water," &c.

As a man is born into the spiritual body or church of Christ, by being baptized with the Spirit, so he is born into the visible church, by being baptized with water. And this is undoubtedly the meaning of Titus iii. 5, 6, where it says, " he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly by Jesus Christ.

"The WASHING of regeneration," here spoken of, meaning their being “born of water," by "water baptism," (corresponds to 1 Peter iii. 20, when it says, "the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us.") And the expression, "the RENEWING of the Holy Ghost which was shed upon them abundantly by Jesus Christ," referring to their being born of the Spirit, by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This, also, is un

doubtedly the meaning of Eph. v. 25, 26, where it says of the church, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the WASHING of WATER BY the WORD," &c. "The washing of water," here mentioned, meaning "water baptism;" and the WASHING "by the WORD" (this being its meaning, for the word "washing" qualifies both the "water" and the "word," and) alludes to their being baptized of the Holy Ghost, by Hearing the word preached, as in Acts x. 44, xi. 15, 16, and elsewhere; (although it was sometimes given by the laying on of hands after the preaching of the word and prayer, as at Samaria and also at Ephesus.) The meaning of Heb. x. 22, where it says, “let us draw near with a true [i. e. a penitent] heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed [i. e. baptized or purified] with pure [or clean] water," is, that those who were not born of the Spirit, (but were SAVED from an evil conscience, by water baptism-by the Spirit that raised up Christ,) should receive it by boldly exercising that FAITH, that brought them into "the holiest"-"the rest"-that those "enter into" that thus "believe to the SALVATION of the soul." And in 1 Cor. vii. 11, where it says, "but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, &c., the word "washed" also undoubtedly alludes to their purification by water baptism, and the word "sanctified" to their baptism by the Holy Ghost.

Christ and Paul not only called water baptism the "being born of water;" "the washing of regeneration;" "the washing of water;" &c., but it was also called so by the whole primitive church; and they used the terms water baptism and regeneration as synonymous.

The reason that the early fathers in the christian church called water baptism "regeneration," was undoubtedly because Christ called it in John iii. 5, the being "born of water ;" and also in reference to Titus iii. 5, where Paul calls water baptism "the washing of regeneration."

The Jewish writers likewise called the baptism of a proselyte his regeneration; and it is likely that another reason why it was called regeneration was, that it was usually accompanied with, or followed [as was promised] at no great time after, by

the baptism of the Holy Ghost, when it was administered to adults, upon their being duly informed.

The expression, "that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come," &c. proves plainly that the refreshing was to come after they should be united to the church by water baptism, when they should become sufficiently instructed in the prophets to exercise saving faith, having previ ously believed the evidence that Christ was the promised Mes siah. (Saving faith, as well as other faith, is founded upon a knowledge of the conditions upon which God has promised in the prophets, the law and the types, to forgive the sins that are past. The conditions are "repentance toward God, water baptism, and faith in" the blood of "Christ,"

For when they should become thus enlightened from the prophets they would be justified; and being justified by this faith, they would receive "the refreshing from the presence of the Lord," by having peace, joy, and love, shed abroad in their hearts by "the baptism of the Holy Ghost," which is given to those that are thus justified.

This agrees with the command of our Saviour, in Matt. xxviii. 19, it reads, "Go ye therefore and teach" (mathetuesate proselyte)" all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you."

Our Baptist brethren being judges, (see “Scr. Guide to Bap.” p. 17,) the above means that "the first task is by teaching, to make disciples, which are by Mark called believers. The second work is to baptize them, whereunto, as has been shown, is annexed the promise of salvation. The third work is to teach

them all other things which are afterwards to be learned in the school of Christ. Christ says, "Go ye and (mathetuesate) proselyte all nations." As a proselyte or disciple, is a scholar, like as a child connected with a school, that he may be taught, is a scholar; so likewise Christ says, "disciple all nations." And how were they to do this? By baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." By this