LECTURE VI.

REGENERATION.

JOHN III. 3.

EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

THE connection, in which the conversation with Nicodemus occurs, casts so essential light upon the meaning of our text, that I will commence my discourse by calling your attention to it. Unfortunately, the arbitrary division of chapters breaks the thread of the narrative, which includes the last three verses of the second chapter, When Jesus was in Jerusalem in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did,' that is, believed in him theoretically, acknowledged him as a divine teacher, but without submitting their hearts and lives to his teachings. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them,' did not repose entire trust in them, - did not admit them to a confidential footing; for he placed no value upon mere profession, or a mere barren belief. 'He knew all men,' read their characters, 'knew what was in man;' and bestowed or withheld his confidence accordingly. Under this general statement, to illustrate

the mode in which Jesus dealt with those, to whom 'he did not commit himself,' the evangelist now brings forward the case of Nicodemus as an individual example. There was one of these intellectual, yet not spiritual converts, 'Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews,' who for fear of losing caste among the Pharisees, 'came to Jesus by night,' no doubt with the purpose of securing his favor, whenever his star should be on the ascendant. He came with a profession of the belief, at which he had arrived on the feast-day: 'We know that thou art a teacher sent from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.' Jesus, knowing what was in the man, and perceiving that his heart had not been touched by 'the word of the kingdom,' makes to him the declaration, which I have taken for my text: 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' By this we must obviously understand our Saviour as saying to him: Nicodemus, it is not enough for thee to believe me a divine teacher, miraculously empowered and endowed. It is not enough for thee to be willing to follow me outwardly, when wealth and honor shall be in my train. Wouldst thou truly be my disciple, thou must be mine inwardly, in principle and character, thou must be a different man, a new man, - thou must be born again.'

With regard to this passage, several erroneous views have been maintained. Some have supposed these words addressed to Nicodemus as a Jew, and have understood them as referring merely to the change of opinion, necessary in order for him to become

a Christian. But, as we have seen, this change had already taken place, at least so far as it took place in the apostles during their Master's lifetime; for they ceased not to be devout Jews on account of their allegiance to Jesus. Nicodemus already believed Jesus to be a divine teacher. The change, which remained. to be wrought in him, was that of principle and char

acter.

It has been maintained by the Romish Church, and by many members of the English and American Episcopal Church, in whose service-book the idea is distinctly recognized, that baptism, even infant baptism, is the regeneration here spoken of; for, in amplifying his meaning, our Saviour says: Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' But, in my opinion, water in this verse does not even refer to Christian baptism; but to a form of baptism, with which Nicodemus was well acquainted. When the Jews received a proselyte into their fold, it was their custom to baptise, or wash with water, him and his whole family; and after this process, they were accustomed to call the proselyte new-born, or one born again. Now our Saviour introduces the water in this discourse, to signify to Nicodemus, that it was no such superficial process that he intended by the new birth, that a washing with water was not enough, and that something inward, not outward, must be wrought, in order to constitute true regeneration. Except a man be born, not merely of the water, which you deem enough to admit a man to the privileges of Judaism, but also of the divine spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.'

We have arrived, then, at the conclusion, that it is no mere change of opinions, nor yet a mere outward rite or profession, that is implied in being born again ; but that the phrase denotes something inward and spiritual. Nicodemus stood, with reference to Christianity, precisely as the great mass of those born in Christian countries, and baptized in infancy, now stand, in the attitude of intellectual belief, but not in that of moral obedience; nor is there any ground, on which the requisition of the new birth could have been made of Nicodemus, on which it should not also be made of every person of mature understanding, who is not already, in heart and life, a sincere and devoted follower of Christ. We are now prepared to answer the following questions, with reference to REGENERATION. What is regeneration? Is it essential to every human being? Is it instantaneous, or gradual? Is it an indelible process; or may the regenerate fall from their high estate? By what agency is it affected? What evidence of it in ourselves may we deem sufficient? What evidence of it should we seek in others, as a prerequisite to Christian fellowship?

I. What is regeneration? I hardly need tell you, that regeneration and being born again are synonymous, the former being a word of Latin derivation, equivalent to the latter in Saxon English. The idea is that of a second birth. There are various orders of beings, that are born twice.

first a caterpillar, a mere

The butterfly is born at earthworm, an unsightly,

grovelling creature, without any apparent means of rising higher or becoming more beautiful. He is born

again, a light, airy, beautiful being, with wings of gold and scarlet, the playmate of the zephyrs. Yet, when you examine his body, it is still the caterpillar, the earthworm, though etherealized, the same shape, though endowed with an elasticity and beauty, to which before it was an utter stranger. And so likewise, in the caterpillar, there were the unseen rudiments of those beautiful wings, the power, in its hidden germ, of that graceful flight. change, but a development, of his nature, not a new creation, but the putting forth of portions of his being, previously dormant. Man, too, in order to be what God means that he should be, must be born twice. For he is at first born merely an animal being, and a child of earth, — with powers, that fit him for a residence here, and the enjoyment of outward and earthly good, with propensities, that dispose him to a grovelling life, without any aim beyond the present sphere of being. He is born indeed with spiritual capacities, but they are like the caterpillar's wings, at first unseen, folded, dormant; and, before they manifest themselves at all, the animal nature has acquired a decided, fearful preponderance and supremacy. Thus, when the spiritual nature at length begins to put forth, it generally finds itself overshadowed and dwarfed by the animal, so that it remains altogether subordinate, verifying, in him who has been born but once, the words of the wisdom of Solomon: The corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things.' Therefore is it that a man must be born again, — born into

Thus his new birth is not a