except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Surely, these words must have great weight with us, if we believe the God of truth. But you will ask, What is meant by the kingdom of God? I answer, it means the kingdom of grace upon earth, and the kingdom of glory in heaven. Now, without the new birth, no person whatever can see the kingdom of God. It is not said, he may not, or he shall not, but he cannot; it is impossible in the nature of things. With respect to the gospel state here, in which Christ reigns, no man can be a true Christian, unless he is born again; he cannot be a true member of the church of Christ, or of that society which is governed by Christ; he cannot perform any of the duties required in this kingdom; nor can he enjoy any of the privileges bestowed in it. He cannot perform any of the duties. Fallen man is ignorant of what is truly good, "He calls evil good, and good evil." He is, "to every good work, reprobate," Tit. i. 16. And he has a dislike to that which is good. "The carnal mind is enmity against God," and shews its enmity by rebellion against the law of God, Rom. viii. 7. Now, remaining in this state, he cannot answer the end of his being, which is to glorify God; and having this unfitness and unwillingness to answer that end, there is an absolute, an universal necessity for this change. It is "in Christ Jesus we are created to good works." We cannot pray in the Spirit," till we are "born of the Spirit ;" we cannot "sing with grace in our hearts," till we have grace; we cannot worship God in the spirit," while we are in the flesh. A dead sinner cannot present "a living sacrifice." The duties of a natural man are lifeless and selfish; "he cannot serve God spiritually," because he is carnal; nor graciously, for he is corrupt; nor vitally, because he is dead; nor freely, for he is enmity against God; nor delightfully, for his heart is alienated; nor sincerely, for his heart is deceit; nor acceptably, "for he that is in the flesh cannot please God." 66 In like manner, the unregenerate person cannot enjoy any of the blessed privileges of the gospel state. He knows nothing of the joys of salvation. He is a stranger to the peace of the gospel. He has no relish for the sincere milk of the word. He cannot delight in prayer; nor enjoy communion with God, or communion with the saints, for things that are not natural can never be delightful. And this also makes it plain, that The unrenewed man cannot see the kingdom of glory. The new birth does not indeed entitle a person to heaven; but it makes him "meet for the inhertiance of the saints in light." The unrenewed sinner is shut out from heaven by the unalterable determination of God himself, who has declared, that "nothing which defileth" shall enter that place, and that " without holiness no man shall see the Lord." And if you consider what the joys and employments of heaven are, and what the disposition of a sinner is, it will plainly appear that he cannot see the kingdom of God. "The happiness of heaven is holiness; and to talk of being happy without it, is as great nonsense, as to talk of be ing well without health, or being saved without salvation." People are ready to think, if they go to heaven they must be happy; but, without a new nature, a man might be as much out of his element in heaven, as a fish, out of the bottom of the sea, would be in a green meadow, or an ox in the bottom of the sea. Can a wicked man who now hates the godly, expect to be happy among none but saints? Can he, who cannot keep three hours of the sabbath holy, bear to keep an eternal sabbath? Can he, who now curses and swears, imagine that his tongue shall be for ever employed in praising God? Can he, who now hates to think of God, love to employ his mind in the eternal contemplation of him? No, no. Hell is the sinner's" own place;" there he will have his own company, and, in some measure his old employments, though without the pleasure of them; but as to heaven, he can never see it till he be born again. APPLICATION. From what was first said of the nature of the new birth, let us learn to avoid the common mistake, that baptism is regeneration. It is the sign of it, but not the thing itself. We must "be born of water and of the Spirit," John iii. 5; that is, of the Holy Spirit, whose grace is, to the soul, what water is to the body. Take not the shadow for the substance. Can baptism change the heart? Has it changed yours? Say, poor sinner, how is it with you? Conscience will tell you," Old things are not passed away; all things are not become new.' Do any of you live in drunkenness, profaneness, sabbathbreaking, whoredom, or any other sin? Or do you live unconcerned about your soul, careless about salvation, without Christ, without prayer? know for certain, that you are yet a stranger to this great and blessed change. And yet, without it, the God of truth assures you, it is impossible for you to be saved. You must be born again. Do not think that outward reformation, or morality, or religious professions, or religious duties, are sufficient. All these are far short of this inward spiritual change. You must be born again. As sure as there is a God in beaven, you must be born again, or you can never go to heaven. And can you bear the thought of being shut out? Put the question to yourself. "Can I dwell with everlasting burn-ings? Can I endure eternal darkness? Can I bear to be eternally separated from the blessed God? Is my present sinful, sensual life to be preferred before eternal joys? Is there one text in the Bible to give me comfort in this state?" O that you may be so deeply convinced of the immediate necessity of this change, that you may, ere you sleep this night, fall down on your knees before God, and earnestly desire him to make you a new creature. He can do it in a moment; and he has promised his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Say not, as the foolish do, I will not change my religion. Let me ask you a question, Has your religion changed you? If not, it is high time to change it. But do not be deceived by appearances, forms, and names. True religion is not the business of the lip, or the knee, but of the heart. "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink," or outward ceremonies; no; but it is within; it consists" in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Be advised also to read and hear his word, for this is the instrument which God employs in effecting this great change. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." And as for you, who have experienced this blessed change, forget not to give the glory to God, and to take the comfort of it to yourselves. Are you born of God? then heaven is yours. The righteousness of Christ is your title to it, but herein is your fitness for it. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God: it follows, therefore, that if he be born again, he shall see it.— Thank God for it. You are renewed for this very purpose, that you should shew forth his praise. God has made you to differ from the mass of mankind. He has done more for you, than if he had made you kings and emperors; for he has made you sons of God and heirs of glory; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ." Often reflect on your former state; and admire the grace that has made the difference. God has given you his Spirit, and, in him, a sure earnest of your heavenly inheritance. "He that wrought for you the self-same thing is God." O, be concerned to live and walk as renewed persons; so shall you prove the reality of the change; adorn the gospel, edify your neighbour, and glorify God. IT SERMON VIII. REPENTANCE. Mark vi. 12. And they went out, and preached that men should repent. T is remarkable, that whatever different notions men have of religion, they all believe that repentance is necessary to salvation. But it may be feared, that many mistake its true nature, and take the shadow for the substance. There are also many, who, though they think it necessary, delay their repentance to some future period; and more than a few die without it, and perish in their sins. It is therefore of great importance, that we should know wherein true repentance consists; and that we should be urged ourselves to repent, that we perish not. That repentance, then, which is true and genuine, and "needeth not to be repented of," will be found to include the four following things: I. Conviction of sin. I. The first thing that belongs to true repentance is a conviction of sin, or a clear sight and feeling sense of our sinfulness; without this, there is no repentance, no religion; for the gospel may be justly called "the religion of a sinner;" none but sinners can need mercy or repentance; and Jesus Christ expressly declares," that he came not to call the righteous," that is such as the Pharisees, who thought themselves righteous, "but sinners to repentance." Now all men are sinners; not the most profane and openly wicked only, but the most moral, religious, and blameless people among us; for "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." The word repentance signifies a change of mind, or af terthought; a great change in the mind and disposition of a person, especially about himself, as a sinner. For this purpose the Holy Spirit opens his eyes to see the holy law of God, as contained in the Ten Commandments. This law requires of every person love to God, and love to man. It requires us to love God supremely, and our neighbours as ourselves. It requires perfect, constant, unsinning obedience, all our lives long. It does not demand only sincere obedience, doing as well as we can, but doing all, and doing it always; so that if a man fail only in one point, he is thereby made a sinner; the law is broken; the curse follows; and if he be not pardoned through the blood of Christ, hell must be his portion. In general, the repenting sinner is first alarmed on account of some great and open sin, if he has committed such as the woman of Samaria, when Chirst charged her with adultery; or as Paul was, when convinced of his murderous persecution of the saints. But conviction will not stop here; it will trace the streams of sin to the spring, namely, that corrupt nature we brought into the world with us. We shall freely confess with David, that "we were born in sin, and in iniquity did our mothers conceive us," Psalm. li. 5. We shall acknowledge with Paul, that "in us, that is, in our flesh," our corrupt nature," there is no good thing;" but that "every imagination of the thought of our hearts is only evil continually," Gen. vi. 5. The penitent will readily own he has been a rebel against God all his life; that he has indeed" left undone those things which he ought to have done; and done those things which he ought not to have done." |