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Rh physical agents, and so physical life, desires, powers; and, since from a corrupted author, powers weakened and corrupted: in the other, the of, and so spiritual life, strength, faculties, energies; still, in either case, a real existence; and, to the Christian, a new, real, though not physical beginning—an existence, real, though invisible—and, though worked by an unseen Agent, yet felt in its effects, like the energy of the viewless winds.

Our Blessed words declare the absolute necessity of regeneration, for the entrance into the kingdom of heaven, or our state of grace and glory, in which we live in His Church, and in which we hope to live with Him for ever; and that this regeneration is the being "born of water and the ," or by  again moving on the face of the waters, and sanctifying them for our cleansing, and cleansing us thereby. To this St. Paul was directed to add the irrespectiveness of our calling and election to this grace of Baptism, and privilege of sonship. "But when the kindness and love of our  toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we had done, but according to His mercy. He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and of the renewing of the , which he shed on us abundantly, through  our ." Thereby is excluded, not merely "grace of congruity," but all such previous preparation as should make Baptism "a seal only of spiritual grace already given;" for we are saved, it is said, not by regeneration which should be attested and confirmed by Baptism, but by "the washing of regeneration, and of the renewing of the ," i.e. a Baptizing, accompanied by, or conveying a re-production, a second birth, a restoration of our decayed natures, by the new and fresh life,