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living God: when shall I come and appear before God!

Psal. xlii. 2.

If Jesus hide his lovely face,

What griefs o'erwhelm my mind!
I search the whole creation round,
But no relief I find.

All earthly beauties fade away,
If he withhold his light;
His presence makes it shining day,
His absence gloomy night.

I want the visits of thy grace,
To thee I lift my cry;
Once more unveil thy lovely face,

Nor let me sink and die.

Return, dear Saviour, oh return,
And never more remove;
For thee I sigh, for thee I burn,
To feel and taste thy love!

Regeneration.

SERMON V.

JOHN iii. 7.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

No subject in religion is of greater importance

than that of the new birth, and yet no one has been more misunderstood. Some have supposed that we are regenerated by baptism, made children of God. and heirs of the kingdom of heaven: but baptism is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God. Sin lies too deep to be thus removed, and can only be put away by the sacrifice of Christ. A person may be baptised in infancy or in riper years, and yet, like Simon Magus, remain in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity, and know no more of the new birth than those did of the holy Spirit who had not so much as heard whether there was one. A change of moral conduct, especially if attended with some light in the understanding and warmth of affection, has also been mistaken for the new birth: but it is possible for a person to become "another man," like Saul, and yet not be a new man. Ahab humbled himself, and yet was not truly humble; and Jehu drove on furiously, but not towards heaven. A man may perform a multitude of duties, and yet have an unholy heart; be honest and fair in his dealings, and yet be an enemy to God. He may be of a generous, and

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yet not of a gracious disposition: may go through the round of all religion, and yet have no religion. He may be able to say, with the young ruler, “ All these things have I kept from my youth up," and yet want the one thing needful.

Let us then enquire into the nature of the change intended in our text-notice some of its evidences— and consider its necessity.

I. Enquire what it is to be born again.

In general, it is that change in which sinners, dead in trespasses and sins, are made alive to God. He who was once darkness is now made light in the Lord, and he who was a child of wrath now becomes a child of God, and heir of the kingdom of heaven. It is a change which brings him into a new world, a new state of existence, and gives him a new capacity for action. The temper of the heart is renewed, as well as the outward conduct; a spiritual and vital influence is felt, and a spiritual and vital principle imparted. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Cor. v. 17.-More particularly,

1. It is a divine and supernatural change, effected by the agency of the holy Spirit. When out of stones, as it were, children are raised up to Abraham, we may well say, This is the finger of God. He who gave man his being at first, can alone create him in Christ Jesus unto good works. Ministers may be the instruments, but God is the agent. He alone can enstamp his own image, and make us partakers of a divine nature. He every where assumes this work to himself, and all who are born again ascribe it to him. "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth -Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God-He that bath wrought us for the self-same thing is God

-You hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins-God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts.' In the spiritual as well as in the natural world, it is He that brings to the birth, and gives strength to bring forth. To give life to the dead, and to bring a clean thing out of an unclean, is the work of omnipotence, and the effect of sovereign grace. John i. 13. 2 Cor. iv. 6. v. 5. Ephes. ii. 1. James i. 18.

2. It is an instantaneous change; and herein it differs from sanctification, which is a progressive work. The former is "a passing from death unto life" the latter a 66 changing from glory to glory :" and both are by the Spirit of God. He who took up six days in creating a world, performs this work in an instant. He says, Let there be light, and there is light: Let there be life, and there is life! When men undertake a curious piece of workmanship, they require much time to bring it to perfection: but it is not so with the Lord. He needs no previous preparation, nor is he circumscribed in his actions: He is wonderful in counsel, and mighty in working. The temple at Jerusalem was forty-six years in building; but the spiritual temple is built at once.

In a mo

ment, in the twinkling of an eye, God can transform Saal the persecutor into Paul the preacher, and make the chief of sinners the most eminent saint. The, operations of the holy Spirit in this wonderful work are compared to the wind, which bloweth where it listeth its effects are secret and powerful, yet sudden and surprising. John iii. 8.

3. It is an internal and invisible change, yet may be known by its effects. "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God;" yet it is not fictitious, but a real life it is truth in the inward parts, the life of God in the soul of man. It is thus expressed by the prophet: "A new heart 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 judgments and do them." (Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27.) Regeneration cleanses the corrupt fountain of the heart, and demolishes the strong-holds of Satan. It is a change from internal wickedness to internal goodness, from lukewarmness to zeal, from enmity to love, and from the image of Satan to the image of the living God.

4. The change is universal, extending to the heart and life. Universal beauty spread over the whole man, and universal rectitude influenced all his powers, and ran through all his actions, at the first creation; and in regeneration, the new man is said to be created after God, in righteousness and true holiness. Not only the mind, but the man is renewed: old things are passed away, and all things are become new. There are not only new thoughts and desires, hopes and fears, aversions and inclinations; but also a new ' conversation and course of action. The former is expressed in scripture by newness of spirit, and the latter by newness of life. The tree is made good, and its fruit is good. The soul is beautified with salvation, and its glory is seen. The flesh is crucified, with its affections and lusts, and the spirit is renewed and sanctified: the old man is put off, and the new man put on. The dark understanding is enlightened, the abstinate will subdued, and carnal affections are mortified. "Sin no longer reigns in their anortal bodies, that they should obey it in the lusts thereof; neither do they yield their members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield themselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and their members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Had they a thousand hearts, they would yield them all to him; or a thousand necks, they would bow them all in subjection to his authority.

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