CHAP. II.

The Evidence of the Doctrine of Original Sin from what the Scripture teaches of the Application of Redemption.

THE truth of the doctrine of original sin is very clearly manifest from what the scripture says of that change of state, which it represents as necessary to an actual interest in the spiritual and eternal blessings of the Redeemer's kingdom.

In order to this, it speaks of it as absolutely necessary for every one, that he be regenerated, or born again. John iii. 3. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man (yɛvvnŵn avwsεv,) be begotten again, or born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Dr. T. though he will not allow that this signifies any change from a state of natural propensity to sin, yet supposes that the new birth here spoken of, means a man's being brought to "a divine life, in a right use and application of the natural powers, in a life of true holiness*:" And that it is the attainment of those habits of virtue and religion, which gives us the real character of true christians, and the children of God; and that it is putting on the new nature of right action.‡

But in order to proceed in the most sure and safe manner in understanding what is meant in scripture by being born again, and so in the inferences we draw from what is said of the necessity of it, let us compare scripture with scripture, and consider what other terms or phrases are used, where respect is evidently had to the same change. And here I would observe the following things.

I. If we compare one scripture with another, it will be sufficiently manifest, that by regeneration, or being begotten or born again, the same change in the state of the mind is signified with that which the scripture speaks of as effected in true REPENTANCE and CONVERSION. I put repentance and conversion together, because the scripture puts them together, Acts iii. 19. and because they plainly signify much the same thing. The word (savola) repentance signifies a change of the mind; as the word conversion, means a change or turning from sin to God. And that this is the same change with that which is called regeneration, (excepting that this latter term especially signifies the change, as the mind is passive in it) the following things may shew.

In the change which the mind undergoes in repentance and conversion, is attained that character of true christians which is

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necessary to the eternal privileges of such, Acts iii. 19. "repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."-And thus it is in regeneration; as is evident from what Christ says to Nicodemus, and as is allowed by Dr. T.

The change of the mind in repentance is that in which saving faith is attained. Mark i. 15, "The kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye, and believe the gospel." And so it is in being born again, or born of God; as appears by John i. 12, 13. "But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, &c. but of God."-Just as Christ says concerning conversion, Matth. xviii. 3. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven:" So does he say concerning being born again, in what he spake to Nicode

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By the change men undergo in conversion, they become as little children: which appears in the place last cited: And so they do by regeneration. (1 Pet. i. 23. and ii, 2.) "Being born again. Wherefore, as new-born babes, desire," &c. ft is no objection, that the disciples to whom Christ spake in Matth. xviii. 3. were converted already: This makes it not less proper for Christ to declare the necessity of conversion to them, leaving it with them to try themselves, and to make sure their conversion: In like manner as he declared to them the necessity of repentance, in Luke xiii. 3, 5. " Except ye repent, ye shail all likewise perish."

The change effected by repentance is expressed and exhibited by baptism. Hence it is called the baptism of repentance, (Matth. iii. 11. Luke iii. 3. Acts xiii. 24. and xix. 4.) And so is regeneration, or being born again, expressed by baptism; as is evident by such representations of regeneration as those, John iii. 5. " Except a man be born of water, and of the spirit,”— Tit. iii. 5. "He saved us by the washing of regeneration.-Many other things might be observed, to shew that the change men pass under in their repentance and conversion, is the same with that of which they are the subjects in regeneration-But these observations may be sufficient.

II. The change which a man undergoes when born again, and in his repentance and conversion, is the same that the scripture calls the CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART.-This may easily appear by considering, that as regeneration is that in which are attained the habits of true virtue and holiness, as has been shewn, and as is confessed; so is circumcision of heart. Deut. xxx. 6, "And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul."

Regeneration is that whereby men come to have the character of true christians; as is evident, and as is confessed; and so is circumcision of heart; for by this men become Jews inwardly, or Jews in the spiritual and christian sense, (and that is the same as being true christians) as of old, proselytes were made Jews by circumcision of the flesh. Rom. ii. 28, 29. “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God."

That circumcision of the heart is the same with conversion or turning from sin to God, is evident by Jer. iv. 1--4" If thou wilt return, O Israel, return unto me. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and put away the foreskins of your heart." And Deut. x. 16. "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked." Circumcision of the heart is the same change of the heart that men experience in repentance; as is evident by Levit. xxvi. 41. "If their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they accept the punishment of their iniquity."

The change effected in regeneration, repentance, and conversion, is signified by baptism, as has been shewn; and so is circumcision of the heart signified by the same thing. None will deny that it was this internal circumcision, which of old was signified by external circumcision; nor will any deny, now under the New Testament, that inward and spiritual baptism, or the cleansing of the heart, is signified by external washing or baptism. But spiritual circumcision and spiritual baptism are the same thing; both being "putting off the body of the sins of the flesh;" as is very plain by Colos. ii. 11-13. "In whom also ye are circumcised, with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him," &c.

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III. This inward change, called regeneration and circumcision of the heart, which is wrought in repentance and conversion, is the same with that spiritual RESURRECTION SO often spoken of, and represented as a dying unto sin, and a living unto righteousness.-This appears with great plainness in that last cited place, Col. ii. "In whom also ye are circumcised, with the circumcision made without hands,-buried with him. in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, &c. And you, being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him; having forgiven you all trespasses."

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The same appears by Rom. vi. 3-5. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptised 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," &c. ver. 11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." In which place also it is evident, and by the whole context, that this spiritual resurrection is that change in which persons are brought to habits of holiness and to the divine life, by which Dr. T. describes the thing obtained in being born again.

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That a spiritual resurrection to a new, divine life, should be called a being born again, is agreeable to the language of scripture. So those words in the iid Psalm, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee," are applied to Christ's resurrection, Acts xiii. 33. So in Col. i. 18. Christ is called the first BORN from the dead; and in Rev. i. 5. The first BEGOTTEN of the dead. The saints in their conversion or spiritual resurrection, are risen with Christ, and are begotten and born with him. 1 Pet. i. 3. "Who hath begotten us again to a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible." This inheritance is the same thing with that KINGDOM of HEAVEN which men obtain by being born again, according to Christ's words to Nicodemus; and that "inheritance of them that are sanctified," spoken of as what is obtained in true coNVERSION. Acts xxvi. 18. "To turn them (or convert them) from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sin, and inheritance among them that are sanctified, through faith that is in me." Dr. T.'s own words, in his note on Rom. i. 4. speaking of that place in the iid Psalm, are very worthy to be here recited. He observes how this is applied to Christ's resurrection and exaltation, in the New Testament, and then has this remark, note, begetting is conferring a new and happy state: A son is a person put into it. Agreeably to this, good men are said to be the sons of God, as they are the sons of the resurrection to eternal life, which is represented as a Taλyysvedia, a being BEGOTTEN, or BORN AGAIN, regenerated. So that I think it is abundantly plain, that the spiritual resurrection spoken of in scripture, by which the saints are brought to a new divine life, is the same with that being born again, which Christ says is necessary for every one, in order to his seeing the kingdom of God.

IV. This change, of which men are the subjects when they are born again and circumcised in heart, when they repent, and are converted, and spiritually raised from the dead, is the same change which is meant when the scripture

speaks of making the HEART and SPIRIT NEW, or giving a new heart and spirit.

It is almost needless to observe, how evidently this is spoken of as necessary to salvation, and as the change in which are attained the habits of true virtue and holiness, and the character of a true saint; as has been observed of regeneration, conversion, &c. and how apparent it is, that the change is the same. Thus repentance (Tavola) the change of the mind, is the same as being changed to a NEW mind, or a NEW heart and spirit. Conversion is the turning of the heart; which is the same thing as changing it so, that there shall be another heart, or a new heart, or a new spirit. To be born again is to be born anew; which implies a becoming NEW, and is represented as becoming new born babes. But none supposes it is the body that is immediately and properly new, but the mind, heart, or spirit. And so a spiritual resurrection is the resurrection of the spirit, or rising to begin a NEW existence and life, as to the mind, heart, or spirit. So that all these phrases imply having a new heart, and being renewed in the spirit, according to their plain signification.

When Nicodemus expressed his wonder at Christ declaring it necessary that a man should be born again in order to see the kingdom of God, or enjoy the privileges of the kingdom of the Messiah, Christ says to him, " Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" i. e. 'Art thou one who is set to teach others the things written in the law and the prophets, and knowest not a doctrine so plainly taught in your scriptures, that such a change is necessary to a partaking of the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom?" But what can Christ refer to, unless such prophecies as that in Ezek. xxxvi. 25-27? Where God, by the prophet, speaking of the days of the Messiah's kingdom, says, "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.-A NEW Heart also will I give you, and a NEW SPIRIT will I put within you-and I will put my spirit within you." Here God speaks of having a new heart and spirit, by being washed with water; and receiving the Spirit of God as the qualification of God's people, that shall enjoy the privileges of the Messiah's kingdom. How much is this like the doctrine of Christ to Nicodemus, of being "born again of water, and of the spirit?" We have another like prophecy in Ezek. xi. 19.—Add to this, that regeneration, or a being born again, and the renewing (or making new) by the Holy Ghost, are spoken of as the same thing. Tit. iii. 5. "By the washing of REGENERATION and RENEWING of the Holy Ghost."

V. It is abundantly manifest, that being born again, spiritually rising from the dead to newness of life, receiving a new heart, and being renewed in the spirit of the mind, are the