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living who was present on this interesting Saturday evening has kindly furnished some of the facts here. stated.*

This sermon, being the production of a young man who had never enjoyed an hour's instruction beyond the district school, and being delivered under such peculiar circumstances, will be read with curiosity and delight. It is here presented in its original form, with scarcely the slightest alteration from the manuscript.

SERMON.

JOHN iii., 3-"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

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This chapter contains a conference between our blessed Lord and Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This great man came to our Saviour by night, and addressed him in this manner: "Rabbi," says he, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do the miracles that thou doest except God be with him." Doubtless he had a rational conviction, from the many miracles that Christ did, that he was come from God. Our blessed Lord did not stand to show who he was, but, like a wise and kind teacher, takes occasion to inculcate the importance of the great doctrine of regeneration; and tells him, with a double asseveration, that, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. But, as great as this man was, we find that he was ignorant in a fundamental point in religion. It appeared a paradox unto him; for he, supposing our Lord must mean a natural birth, asks him, as in ver. 4, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Christ, in order further to explain his meaning, and to show that it was

*Stephen B. Munn, Esq., New-York.

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not a natural birth that he had reference to, adds, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." By which, perhaps, we may understand, that, as water is often made use of in the Scriptures as a symbolical representation of the regenerating and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit on the hearts of the children of men, so, unless we are born of the water of the Spirit (as divines interpret it), we cannot see the kingdom of God.

Our Lord proceeds to tell him, That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Q. d., It would be to no purpose if a man should have another natural birth, seeing it would not alter his nature; for that which is born of the flesh is flesh; let it be born ever so many times of the flesh, it would still remain fleshly; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. "Marvel not that I said

unto thee, Ye must be born again." And now it seemed a greater mystery to Nicodemus than ever; therefore he cries out, as in ver. 9, "How can these things be ?"

Thus you see, as I observed before, that, although Nicodemus was a great man, a ruler of the Jews, he was ignorant about the new birth. And doubtless it is so now. There are many of the great ones of the earth-tell them about experimental religion-tell them that they must feel the Holy Spirit working powerfully on their hearts-that they must be born again— they are ready to cry out, with this master in Israel, How can these things be?

But, to return to the words first read. . . . . . In speaking something from these words I shall pursue the following method:

I. Show the necessity of regeneration, or of our being born again.

II. Explain the nature of the new birth, or what it is to be born again.

III. Show what we are to understand by seeing the kingdom of God.

IV. Make some remarks.

1. This will appear, if we consider that state that mankind are in antecedent to the new birth. And if we view mankind as they come into the world, we shall then find them haters of God-enemies to God -estranged from God-nay, the very heart is enmity itself against all the Divine perfections; and we shall find them acting most freely and most voluntarily in these exercises. There is no state or circumstance that they prefer to the present, unless it be one whereby they may dishonour God more, or carry on their war with heaven with a higher hand. They have no relish for divine things, but hate, and choose to remain enemies to, all that is morally good. Now, that this is actually the case with sinners, is very evident from the Scriptures. We are told in the chapter of which the text is a part, that that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit; which teaches us that there is nothing truly spiritual or holy in the first birth, but that this comes by the second, or by the renewings of the Holy Ghost. Christ tells the Jews that they hated him without a cause. And the inspired apostle says, "That the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So, then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God."-Rom. viii., 7, 8. Therefore,

2. Seeing this is the state that mankind are in antecedent to the new birth, it is not fit or reasonable that God should bring them into favour with himself, or be at peace with them, without regeneration. Nay, he cannot, consistent with his perfection, for this would be for him to connive at wickedness when he tells us that he can by no means clear the guilty. And,

3. To suppose that sinners can see the kingdom of God or be happy in the Divine favour without regeneration or the new birth, is a perfect inconsistency, or contrary to the nature of the thing. The very essence of religion consists in love to God; and a man is no further happy in the favour of God than he loves

God. Therefore, to say we enjoy happiness in God, and at the same time hate God, is a plain contradiction.

4. It is evident from Scripture that those to whom God gives a title to his spiritual kingdom are regenerated or born again, and those that are not, and remain so, shall be miserable. This is not only asserted in the text by the Son of God, who was co-equal, coeternal, and co-essential with the Father-whose words. stand more permanent than the whole fabric of heaven and earth-and who stands at the gate of the universe, and will not alter the things that have gone out of his mouth; I say, it was not only spoken by this glorious being who cannot lie, by his own lips, with a repeated verily, but has been confirmed by those whom he inspired, and who, we are assured, had the mind of Christ. St. Paul gives us the character of a good man, or one entitled to the heavenly world, 2 Cor. v., 17: "If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new." And they are said to be renewed in the spirit of their mind, Eph. iv., 23. Compare Rom. xii., 2. And to be born of God, John i., 13. And they are spoken of as being lovers of God, Prov. viii., 17. And [respecting] those that are not of this character, or that remain enemies to God, he tells us that he will pour out his fury upon them. Hence we read that the wicked shall be turned into hell, even all the nations that forget God; and that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. And St. John the Divine, having a view of the glory of the heavenly world, says that there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Thus we see the propriety of our Lord's assertion, that, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

But, as I mean to handle the subject with the utmost brevity, I pass on,

II. To show the nature of regeneration, or what it is to be born again. And here,

1. I would consider the agent, or who it is that effects this great work. And if we consider that state that mankind are in by nature, as has been described above, we need not stand long to know who to attribute this work to. It is a work too great to attribute to men or angels to accomplish. None but He who, by one word's speaking, spake all nature into existence, can triumph over the opposition of the heart. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is represented in Scripture as emanating from the Father and the Son, yet coequal with them both. It is God alone that slays the native enmity of the heart-that takes away those evil dispositions that govern the man-takes away the heart of stone and gives a soft heart-and makes him that was a hater of God, an enemy to God, to become friendly to his divine character. This is not wrought by any efficiency of man, or by any external motives, or by any light let into the understanding, but of God. Hence we read that those that receive Christ are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.-John i., 13. And that it is the gift of God.-Eph. ii., 8. Also that it is God which worketh in us.-Phil. ii., 13.

Thus, I say, the man is entirely passive in this work, but it is all wrought immediately by a Divine agency." The man now becomes a new creature. Although he cannot discern what is the way of the spirit (as the wise man observes), or how God thus changes the heart, yet he knows that. he has different feelings from what he had before. Therefore,

2. It is necessary that we consider those things that are the attendants or consequences of regeneration or the new birth; for there are no gracious or holy exercises that are prior thereto, to be sure, in the order of nature. Some seem to suppose faith to be before regeneration, but a little reflection upon the matter will.

* "In regeneration man is wholly passive; in conversion he is active. Regeneration is the motion of God in the creature; conversion is the mo tion of the creature to God, by virtue of that first principle whence spring all the acts of believing, repenting, and quickening. In all these man is active; in the other he is merely passive."-CHARNOCK,

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