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Birth, and intimated the Nature of the change of which he spoke, Nicodemus expressed his astonishment at the doctrine. But how did Christ address him in the text? "Marvel not, that I said unto thee, ye must be born again." And on the Pharisees afterwards asking, "How can these things be?" Jesus replied," Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" Nicodemus spoke of it as a Doctrine new, strange, and irrational. But Christ represented it in a very different light. He spoke of it throughout his discourse, as a Doctrine which had nothing mysterious or wonderful in it; and which Nicodemus ought to have known. In fact, it is a Doctrine, which the Scriptures plainly. -teach; which Reason fully approves; and which Facts strikingly confirm. Let us attend to these three points in order.

The Doctrine in the text is a doctrine which the Scriptures plainly teach; the writings of the Old Testament, as well as those of the New for in this respect there is no difference between them. They both teach the same doctrines. The only difference is, that the New Testament generally inculcates with clearness and decision those truths, which the Old Testament reveals in a manner obscure and shadowy, and oftentimes by inference, rather than by direct,

and open statement. But on the point before us, the writings of the Old Testament are sufficiently plain, and explicit; for otherwise Nicodemus could not have been expected to know the Doctrine in question. In fact, when we are told in the first chapter of Genesis, that man was originally created in the image, and after the likeness of God, that is, in righteousness and true holiness; and when, in the fourth chapter, we read that Adam, after the fall, begat a son in his own image, after his own likeness; nothing can be plainer, than that a great spiritual change, equivalent to a new birth, is necessary in order to fit mankind for that happiness, and for those services for which he was originally designed. Again, when we read such declarations as the following; "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth."-"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." -"How abominable and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquity like water!"

"God looked from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back; they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no not one."* — -I say, when * Genesis, viii. 21. Jerem. xvii. 9. Job, xv. 16. Psalm liii. 2, 3.

we read such declarations, as these, and compare them with the descriptions given of true religion, which represent it as a spiritual service; as truth in the inward parts; as consisting in the fear and love of God, in a desire of pleasing him, in a rejoicing in the light of his countenance; what can be more evident, than that the heart of man must be spiritually renewed, before it can be the seat of true religion? What are the commands of the Old Testament, "Circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked." "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes;" that is inwardly in the heart, "Cast away from you all your transgressions, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit; for why will ye die ?" * Surely the doctrine contained in these commands, differs but little from that contained in the text, "Ye must be born again. Look next at the promises in reference to these commands. "The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed after thee, to love the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." — And again, "then will I sprinkle clean water upon you; and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A

* Deut. x. 16. Isaiah, i. 16. Ezek. xviii. 31.

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new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them." * Surely the change promised to be wrought in these passages is nothing less than a new birth by the Spirit of God. Why then should Nicodemus have marvelled at the doctrine in the text? Why should he have said, "how can these things be?" He would not have so marvelled, and so said, had he searched and known the Scriptures. Why then should any of us be surprised at this doctrine? Why should we marvel at the thought of being born again? Why should we question the Nature, or the Necessity of this change? Let us search the Scriptures, and attend to them, and we shall see no cause for wonder, or for doubt. In addition to the writings of the Old Testament we have those of the New: we have the decisive testimony of Christ himself in this discourse with Nicodemus; we have numberless passages in the Gospels and the Epistles bearing on the same point. Take the following as a specimen. "As many as received Him, to them gave He power

* Deut. xxx. 6. Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 27.

to become the Sons of God; even to them that believe on his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.""You hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins."-" Whosoever be and ̄sins.” lieveth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God." And to mention only one more passage." If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold all things are become new." *

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I told you, my brethren, at the beginning my discourse, that the statement of this doctrine would be a trial of your heart, of its humbled, or unhumbled state; of its disposition to be taught of God, or to set up its own vain notions in opposition to His truths. For it is a doctrine which is directly levelled at the pride of our hearts, and calculated to excite our prejudices and to provoke our reasonings against it. But, at the same time, it is a doctrine which reason, rightly exercised, cannot but approve. Man is evidently far gone from original righteousness. He is naturally incapable of rendering to God spiritual service. 66 Being born of the flesh, he is flesh." He is utterly indisposed to love and obey God. He clearly loves sin, and folly, and the world, and self. These are the

*John, i. 12, 13.

2 Cor. v. 17.

Ephes. ii. 1.

1 John, v. 1.

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