They do not disbelieve in the graces of the

of God that comes of

They are just the peo

Spirit, nor in the peace the forgiveness of sins. ple that Jesus wants. If they will only have faith in him, and disdain a fatal repose in present possessions, they shall certainly be taught the way of God more perfectly. They shall advance, as did Apollos, to that which is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets in the blessed Christian life.

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IV.

THE REGENERATION.

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. John iii. 3.

THE REGENERATION.

WHAT Our Lord said to Nicodemus as to the necessity of being born again is the substance of all Christian teaching with respect to any natural or possible relation of mankind to the kingdom of God. Of course, to take his words for just the truth they were meant to convey must be an object of surpassing interest and importance to us.

The matter being so very grave, I hardly need say that our spiritual attitude with regard to it should be correspondingly humble. We must sit at our Lord's feet, and listen to him. If he has presented the truth in the way of suggestion and illustration, it is because that way is the best. Let us look through his medium, and see in his light. If he has left anything vague, we need not undertake to make it definite. If he has referred to no personal exemplification of his meaning, it would be particularly ungracious for