Now suppose that some of had said--the Son of God has declared "except
we are born of the flesh, we cannot see the natural world." This must
mean some great change we are to experience in the womb--we must be
born some number of days before we enter the natural world, as a
preparation, otherwise we can never see it.
We now ask the reader, whether it would not be folly to give to the
word _birth_ such an explanation? The Conclusion is unavoidable. We
then ask, whether it does not involve the same folly to contend, in
view of our text, ("except a man be born again, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God") that it means, he must be born again in this
world, as a preparation for another? It certainly does.
We once more repeat it--that as natural birth was the _very thing_
that introduced us all into this world of imperfection, sorrow and
pain; so the spiritual birth will be the _very thing_, that shall
introduce us all into another, where, imperfection, sorrow and pain
shall be no more.
The poor heathen, and infants, and all, will therefore be born again
into the kingdom of God, and "be equal unto the angels, die no more,
and be the children of God, _being the children of the resurrection_."
The only advantage we enjoy above them is, that we have heard the good
news, believed it, are "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever,"
and "have entered into rest." We are rejoicing in hope of the glory of
God to be revealed in us, while they are groping in darkness,
inasmuch, as they cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard.
In our next, we shall close this subject by urging the importance of
the new birth through faith in the truth.
SERMON XI
"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.
In our last three discourses we have endeavoured to lay our views of
the new birth thus far plainly before the reader, and wish him to bear
in mind that the three sermons, preceding those on the new birth, are
also to be read, and carefully kept in view, so that, from the whole
connexion, the gospel doctrine of salvation by _faith_ may be made
clear to his understanding. We dwelt so long, and laid so much stress
upon _faith_, because it is the _first_ christian grace, we are
exhorted to put on, and is the _first_ assent of the mind to the great
and interesting _truth_ revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which
is _life and immortality_ for the human family.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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