he, "begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh."

The destroyer may be suffered to tempt and afflict you, as severely and as long as he did the patient man: but ye may say with him, "Though God slay us, yet we will trust in him.” You serve an

almighty Protector. "Because you have set your love upon the Lord, therefore will he deliver you from the noisome pestilence; he shall defend you under his wings; his faithfulness and truth shall be your shield and buckler. Ye shall not be afraid for any terror by night, nor for the sickness, or earthquake that destroyeth in the noonday. A thousand shall fall beside you, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come nigh you, to overthrow your souls, or to destroy your peace. Yea, with your eyes shall ye behold and see the reward of the ungodly."

So long as ye hear your Shepherd's voice, and follow his steps, he numbers you among his sheep, and none shall pluck you out of his hand. Who or what shall harm you, if you are followers of that which is good? Were those fields this instant to reel again to and fro like a drunken man : did the earth open before your eyes a thousand new mouths as wide as this chasm, and burst all her rocks in ten thousand pieces under your feet: did impetuous rivers bend their course against you, and roaring seas roll mountainous waves around you; you would experience the serenity of mind which (even a poor heathen being judge) is the privilege of the just.* "The wreck of the world would crush your bodies without disturbing your souls." With trembling awe you could in that extremity rejoice in God your Saviour, and say with David, "The Lord is our hope and strength, a very present help in trouble: therefore will we not fear though the earth be moved, and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea: though the waters thereof rage and swell, and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same. The kingdoms are moved, but God hath showed his voice. The earth itself shall melt away, but we will not fear what roaring storms, bellowing earthquakes, wicked men, and raging devils, can do unto us: for "the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge."

Yes, O ye righteous, who walk as becomes the Gospel of his grace, he is your eternal refuge, and will be your exceeding great reward. The power that yesterday rent these rocks, opened these fields, and raised these mounts, will one day rend your tombs, open your graves, raise your dust, and place your immortal bodies upon Mount Sion that cannot be moved. There shall you shine as the sun in the innumerable company of angels, and in the assembly of just men made perfect. There brazen-faced scoffers and rioters, who glory in their shame, will interrupt your devotions no more: and there, with unutterable transports of joy and inexpressible ravishments of love, we shall meet again, to ascribe the glory of our present deliverance, and of an eternal salvation "to him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever."

* "Si fractus illabatur orbis,

Impavidum feriunt ruina."

THE NEW BIRTH:

A DISCOURSE,

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH

OF

THE REV. JOHN FLETCHER.

BY HENRY MOORE.

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold! all things are become new.--ST. PAUL

THE NEW BIRTH:

A DISCOURSE, &c.

"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 Corruption of the Christian world, and the almost general lukewarmness of those who have some respect for religion, render it impossible to preach openly and constantly the deep truths of Christianity without giving general offence.

How naturally, having made some efforts toward salvation, do we repose ourselves as if we were at the end of our career! Perhaps we even think ourselves sure of the prize before we have begun the race! And if any one should venture to show us the folly and danger of such conduct, we regard him as a melancholy person who considers only the dark side of things, and who takes a sorrowful pleasure to make us view them in the same light with himself.

This is one of the reasons why those who are commissioned to show us the way of salvation, are afraid to dwell upon what Jesus Christ has said concerning the difficulties of the way, and the small number of those that walk therein. Indeed, if we ourselves be in the broad way that leadeth to destruction, it is not surprising that we should speak but seldom of the unfrequented path that leads to life; and that we should but feebly and sparingly press those truths by which at length worldlings must be either convinced or confounded. But it is certain, that if we be more sincere, a thousand difficulties will rise up to deter us, and shake the resolutions which we have formed to resist the torrent of prejudice and ungodliness.

We fear being accused of want of charity if we declare as strongly as the Scripture does, "That if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." We are afraid of being charged with preaching a new doctrine, if we declare boldly with St. James, "That he who is the friend of the world is the enemy of God;" or with St. Paul, "That she who liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." And we find by sorrowful experience that we must submit to be counted visionaries and enthusiasts, or cease to declare, with the same apostle, that the true Christian is a man who "glories only in the cross of Christ, who, being justified by faith, has really peace with God;" that he feels the peace of God in his soul, as a seal of the pardon of his sins; that he "rejoices in hope of the glory of God;" and that he "glories in tribulation, because the love of God is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him." For it is certain that the world is always the same, and that the doctrine of Christ, as well as his cross, is still "to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness:" that it still excites the indignation of those who falsely call themselves children of God, and VOL. IV.

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is ridiculed by those whom the foolish wisdom of this world fills with presumption. Nevertheless, as among those who reject the counsel of God in giving it the names of enthusiasm and dangerous reverie, there are some who are distinguished by their good desires, and by some sparks of zeal for the religion of our fathers: and as among those who fight against God, many do it in ignorance, believing that they do him service; let us strive to explain, in this discourse, one of those essential truths of Christianity upon which these half Christians meditate so rarely, and which they decry so often; viz. the doctrine of our regeneration, or new birth in Jesus Christ.

And to sustain the attention by the order of the matter as well as by the importance of the subject, let us examine,

FIRST, Upon what occasion our Lord Jesus Christ declared, that "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

SECONDLY, What we are to understand by these expressions, "To be born again; to be regenerated."

THIRDLY, What are the reasons upon which the absolute necessity of our regeneration is founded; and how easy, and yet dangerous it is to take the reformation of our manners for the regeneration of our souls.

LASTLY, How we may come to a true renovation, without which no man can see the kingdom of God.

Reader, if you love the truth, and if you have respect to the eternal Son of God, whose words we are now to consider, lift up to him a mind disengaged from prejudice, and beseech him to apply to your heart and mine, the profound truths of our text! He taught them himself during the days of his flesh, and he still gives the knowledge of them by the unction of his Spirit. Yes, Divine Redeemer! let thy grace teach us, and thy word shall be in this hour also a light unto our feet! Deign to show us the path which conducts to thee, and give us the will and the power to run therein and follow thee in the regeneration, until we enter in by thee into thy kingdom: for thou art alone the path, the door, the truth, and the life!

PART FIRST.

To whom, and how our Saviour preached regeneration.

THE evangelist teaches us that Nicodemus, a Jew, as remarkable for his attachment to his religion as for his knowledge, his reputation, and his rank, having heard of the miracles of Jesus, concluded that he was a prophet sent of God, and came to see him by night; probably to put to him questions concerning the kingdom of God, which all the pious Jews then attentively waited for. Our Lord, knowing that the ideas which Nicodemus had of his kingdom were not less gross than those of the rest of the nation, took this occasion to undeceive and instruct him. He declares to him that the kingdom of heaven is of a nature so spiritual, that a man, far from having power to enter, cannot be in a state even to see it without a real conversion. "I say to you," adds he, "that except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."