is used, it may be naturally referred to some one of these acceptations. The words of Peter, however, lively hope," seem very clearly to express an exercise of mind, without a figure. For the epithet "lively" is inapplicable to any other; and the ground of hope immediately follows, "the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Then is expressed immediately the object of hope, "an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, &c." And he who had “begotten them again," or regenerated them, to this lively hope, was God. In short, Saint Peter blesses God for preparing an inheritance in heaven for such Christians as are kept by his power through faith unto salvation; and for revealing to them the foundation on which they may confidently rest their expectation of it, the resurrection of Christ; and finally, according to the order of end and means, that he had regenerated them to a lively expectation of obtaining the inheritance.

§ 12. Regeneration, the immediate effect of which was "a lively hope," was from "the abundant mercy of God" principally in three respects. In the first place mercy prepared the blessing hoped for; secondly, mercy afforded the pledge, which is contained in the gospel; and, thirdly, mercy bestowed the principle which is begotten in the heart. And in each of these respects it

is "abundant." The blessing is of inestimable worth; an inheritance, a kingdom, an eternal weight of glory. The pledge is inconceivably precious, the son of God in his humiliation and exaltation, accompanied with the ordinances, the promises, and the oath of that God who cannot lie. And the principle is abundantly efficacious, when the mind contemplates the blessings and the pledge, the object and the foundation, to beget in it a lively, vigorous hope, that maketh not ashamed; unto which hope the soul is thus regenerated.

13. According to his Lordship's interpretation, however, these expressions, "begotten again unto a lively hope," relate to baptism! True indeed, a man may be said, figuratively, to be born of water, or regenerated by water, into a relation to God and Christ, and his church, to new privileges and obligations. True indeed, baptism is a sign and seal of the New Testament: but are not millions of human beings regenerated in this figurative sense, without a "lively hope?" Were not many adult converts actually possessed of it before they were baptized? Did they not previous to their baptism contemplate the object and the basis of their expectation, which excited in them a "lively hope?" Did they not profess, as candidates for baptism, that they had

renounced, as well as that they would continue to renounce, all earthly and sensual expectations inconsistent with that blessed hope which they possessed? And as to baptized infants,— how can they be said, without perverting the use of language, to be regenerated by baptism to a lively hope? They have no knowledge of those objects and foundations whereby this hope is excited, and are and are as destitute of Christian hope, as of Christian knowledge, of faith in Christ, or of the fear and love of God? That they are capable of regeneration, indeed, is admitted, as well as of remission, justification, holiness of nature, and heavenly blessedness and we reflect with pleasure, that the holy scriptures afford many encouraging intimations relative to the salvation of dying infants-whether baptized or not. Though they have no hope, we have hope concerning them.

§14. "Dead in sins, and quickened together with Christ." These expressions, his Lordship asserts, relate also to baptism. Let the context be examined, that peradventure baptism may be found. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together

* Eph. ii. 5.

with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk

in them."* The same spiritual and sublime strain is continued to the end of the chapter: but in what one part of the context there is an allusion to baptism, I am at a loss to conjecture. Let us then examine the words first quoted, where, if in any part, we may expect to find it. Here is, first, two states contrasted,—“ dead in

sin," and " quickened together with Christ:" secondly, an allusion to the resurrection of Christ, whereby he was quickened, or his humanity raised from death to a heavenly life: thirdly, the agent quickening us from a state of sin is God. But where is baptism?

§ 15. It is obvious that the two states are intended as a contrast. As the former state, therefore, is that of sinful death, the latter

Eph. ii. 4-10.

must intend that of holy life. The contrast to death is life, and the contrast to sin is holiness; not relative, but real. The contrast to that relative holiness to which baptism introduces the subject, was a relative uncleanness. But will any one pretend, that to be "dead in sins" means to be "common or unclean" in an outward and merely relative sense, as the Gentiles were, compared with the Jews; or as unbelievers are compared with professing Christians? Surely to be "dead in trespasses and sins," must be something very different from being "unbaptized" and consequently, to be "quickened" from that state, must be something different from being "baptized."

§ 16. How the allusion contained in the words to the resurrection of Christ, can befriend baptismal regeneration, is next to be considered. It will be found on impartial reflection, I believe, that a Christian cannot be said to be " quickened with Christ" any other way than by divine influence, in virtue of a vital union with Christ our divine head of influence, and by faith in him, who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. To suppose that being born of water" makes us alive to God, or begets faith in the subject, has not a ray of evidence, either from scripture testimony, from observed fact, or from rational analogy;