29 the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemishand nothing doth thus purify the church, until it ba without spot, wrinkle, or blemish, and until it be perfectly holy, but the baptism of the Spirit. And therefore, though the baptism of John was administered but once, yet the baptism of Christ is a continued baptism ; for as long as corruption is in the flesh, the baptism of the Spirit is in use: so that the nature and life of a Christian are under a constant and continual baptism, God every day pouring forth his Spirit upon a believer, for the purifying and sanctifying of him, and making him meet for the immediate presence of God, whither no unclean thing comes, nor the least uncleanness in any thing. Fifthly. Spirit baptism saves ; whatever in us is washed with the Spirit, is saved as well as sanctified; and how much any one hath received of the Spirit, so much is he already saved. Tit. iii. 5. “ According to his mercy he hath saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour:” where the apostle teaches us how God saves, and that is not by John’s baptism, or water washing, but by the laver of regeneration, which is the renewing of the Holy Spirit, poured on us abundantly through Christ; so that he calls the baptism of the Spirit the laver of regeneration ; such a laver that renews the old nature ; yea, and begets a new one ; so that a man through this baptism is wholly changed, not in a few good works, but in his whole nature ; and from his newness of nature flow's newness of life; so that he is no more as he was, but is, and lives, and loves, and thinks, and speaks, and acts, otherwise than he was w'ont; and this cannot be the work of water in any measure, but wholly of the Spirit; for where men are destitute of the Spirit, though washed with water a thousand times, there is no change of nature in them ; but the change of nature, wrought by Spirit baptism, is so much present salvation, even in this present world. There is another Scripture w itnesses the same
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