The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-11-02

work of Christ Hence the emphasis with
which we are told that Christ came by
water and blood; not by water alone, but
by water and blood-as the X. V. renders
it, ''by the water and the blood"
We all know what the blood means. We
are redeemed by the precious blood OF
Christ as of lamb without blemish and
without spot But some of us are much
at sea about the water. The water and
the blood are iigurative expressions. But
the figures are typical. And If we under.
stand the types. both will turn our
thoughts to the sacrifice OF Calvary. The
water was ''the water of purification" OF
mOnial efficacy to the sin Offering. But
the sin offering was only for i redeemed
people; a people already redeemed by the
blood of the Paschal Lamb. When the
Lord returns IN blessing to Israel, then,
as Ezekiel a6 teaches us, He will come by
the water" But this is because His first
coming was not by the water only. but
has already been shed, redemption is ac-
complshed
The two, ] repeat, must never he sepa-
rated. And as redemption is altogether
Gods work. 50 also is the new birth. Like
the Apostles ministry (Gal ]: J, X. W,
it is mot from men, neither through
man" No ordinance or sacrament has
anything to do with it. Men can fix time
and place for ordinances, for ordinances
relate to earth: but the new birth is from
/. above. The Spirit breathes where He
wills.
1t is to this thirty-sixlh chapter of Eze
kiel that these words of Christ refer.
Three elements in the new birth are speci-
he'd IN the prophecy;
CD II will sprinkle clean water upon
you, and We shall be clean" ". 30 ..
t2l II viii give YOU new heart j"
la!. And ! will pat NY Spirit within
THE WATER OF REGENERATION" D."
In Matt 1928, the time of its fulfill.
ment for the man is designated by the
Lord rs "The Regeneration And in the
on.y other passage in the New Testament
where that word occurs, it is used in CON
nectlon with ''the water OF publication
and the Ezekiel prophecy. ] aliude OF
course to- Titus 30: He saved us by
the wa,lin,- OF regeneration and renew
ing OF the Hoy Ghost" The word here
used is loutron. 1t is m'.rendered
washing, for it is Il noun substantive
and not verb; and the X. V. gloss (mar-
used in the Greek Bible for the LAYER.
But in the Greek Version OF Ecclus. "a p
it is used for the vessel which held "the
water OF publication
But to return to the Divnelv appointed
rite OF the Jewish religion, What was the
symbolism o! the water? Scripture itself
supplies the answer. The word loutron,
like the word regeneration" occurs only
twice in the New Testament. ] have al
ready spoken of Titus 3:5; the other pas
sage is Eph. 5:26. Christ gave Himself
for the Church, that He might sanctify
and cleanse it with the loutron OF water
by the Word" In the type the lsraelitt
reached the sacrifice by means OF the wa
ter: in the antitype the believer reaches
the sacrifice by means of the Word. Hence
the language of Scripture, "the loutron o
water in the Word" The water of puri
fcation was, as we have seen, the water o
regeneration; and it is by the Word that
the sinner is born again to God 1t has
nothing to do with mystic arts or shib
boleths after the pattern of ancient Pa
ganism. 1--WE are born again (as the IN
spired Apostle teachesl 'by the Word o
God''-''the living and eternally abidin!
Word of God"
And to guard against all possibility o
error or misapprehension. it is added
"And this is the Word which by the Cos
pei is preached unto you''--preached; a.
Ghost sent down from Heaven" No
the Spirit without the Word, nor thu
Word without the Spirit, but the WorC
preached in the power of the Spirit.
In all this the truth of Christianity i
the counterpart and complement OF th
teaching of the Old Testament. How can
sinners. helpless, hopeless, dead - as deaf
as dry bones scattered on the earth-b
! born again to God? "Can these bone
| live?" was the question which led tn
prophet to cast himself on God. And tn
| 37th chapter of Ezekiel gives the answer
| Preach to them. Call upon them to hea
the Word of the Lord ". A.. This i
mans part; or if anything more, remain
il is prophecy unto the breath"-pra
that the Spirit may breathe upon thes
dead The rest is Gods work altogether
For 'the Spirit breathes when He wills.
Men preach; the Spirit breathes; an
the dry bones live Thus it is that sinner
are horn again.-London Christian.