4. And _in_ Adam _all died_, all human-kind, all the children of men who were then in _Adam_’s loins. The natural consequence of this is, that every one descended from him, comes into the world spiritually dead, dead to God, wholly _dead in sin_: entirely void of the life of God, void of the image of God, of all that _righteousness and holiness_, wherein _Adam_ was created. Instead of this every man born into the world, now bears the image of the devil, in pride and self-will; the image of the beast, in sensual appetites and desires. This then is the foundation of the new birth, the entire corruption of our nature. Hence it is, that being _born in sin_, we must be _born again_. Hence every one that is born of a woman, must be born of the Spirit of God. II. 1. But how must a man be born again? What is the nature of the new birth? This is the _second_ question. And a question it is, of the highest moment that can be conceived. We ought not therefore in so weighty a concern, to be content with a slight enquiry; but to examine it with all possible care, and to ponder it in our hearts, ’till we fully understand this important point, and clearly see, how we are to be born again. 2. Not that we are to expect any minute, philosophical account, of the _manner how_ this is done. Our Lord sufficiently guards us against any such expectation, by the words immediately following the text: wherein he reminds _Nicodemus_ of as indisputable a fact, as any in the whole compass of nature: which notwithstanding the wisest man under the sun, is not able fully to explain. _The wind bloweth where it listeth_, not by thy power or wisdom, _and thou hearest the sound thereof_: thou art absolutely assured, beyond all doubt, that it doth blow. _But thou canst not tell, whence it cometh, neither whither it goeth._ The precise manner how it begins and ends, rises and falls, no man can tell. _So is every one that is born of the Spirit._ Thou mayst be as absolutely assured of the fact, as of the blowing of the wind: but the precise manner how it is done, how the Holy Spirit works this in the soul, neither thou nor the wisest of the children of men is able to explain.