18 godly men, of good note, to this purpose, but do forbear, because I would not have our faith built upon the authorities of men ; but the thing is evident from the text itself, for it saith, “ Except a man be born of water,” which shews the water he speaks of, must be such as is able to give a new birth, and to make a man a new, that is, a spiritual, holy, heavenly creature; and no wa- ter can do this, but the Spirit; and therefore Christ adds to water, the Spirit, by way of explication, as if he had said, “ No man can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be born again of water;” but the water I speak of is no material water, but the Spirit, which is able to produce in you a heavenly nature, through which only we can have an entrance into an heavenly kingdom, seeing flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God ; so that the water Christ means in this place, is the Spirit. And many other places give witness to this, John iv. 10. “ If thou didst know who it is that saith unto thee, give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water and verse 13, 14. “Jesus said unto her, Whosoever drinks of this water (meaning the water of the well called Jacob’s well) shall thirst again ; but whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life;” and John vii. 37, 38, 39. “Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink ; he that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water;” but this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him should receive. Now by water, in all these places, is not meant material water, but the Spirit, as Christ himself explicates, and sure his testimony alone is sufficient. But again, if in this place, “ Except a man be horn of water and the Spirit,” you will needs understand material water, why then, upon the same ground, you must needs understand that place in Matthew of material fire, where it is said, Mat. iii. 11. “ He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire; which is absurd to
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