May 24

"Which were born of God?"—John 1:13.

How mysterious and inexplicable to carnal reason are many of the doctrines of Christianity! Such is that of the new birth; and the language of the natural man concerning it is, "How can these things be?" The Scriptures make known to us the fact, though they do not explain to us the precise mode of the Spirit's operations in regeneration. John 3:8. Observe

THE AUTHOR OF THE NEW BIRTH. The melancholy description given us of the wickedness and depravity of man in his natural state, plainly demonstrates to us that he cannot effect this change himself; it is by the will of God, as the moving cause; and the word of life, as the instrumental means: therefore it is said, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." Every thing in the new birth is his workmanship. He gives the new heart, opens the eyes in the communication of light, and the ears to receive instruction; he gives a new name and a new nature; he puts his fear in our hearts; "We love him, because he first loved us;" faith is his gift; Christ is exalted to give repentance and the remission of sins; he imparts joy, and the joy of the Lord is their strength; he taught them the language they speak, and first enabled them to cry, though in broken accents, "Abba, Father;" he works in them to will and to do, and without him they can do nothing. Every one but an atheistical sceptic will grant, that in the animal world the principle of life and motion is from God; and in the rational creation, our souls, with their powers and faculties, are derived from the same Divine Being. Now, if every thing that lives received its life from God, the fountain of life, how unreasonable would it be to suppose that the Christian could receive his spiritual existence from any other source! The same power and wisdom that were necessary in forming man in the Divine likeness are requisite in re-impressing the image of God on his soul. How can we call in question the Divine agency employed in this work, when stones are raised up as children to Abraham, lions are changed into lambs, and the dead are raised to life? The finger of God is here; this is the Lord's doing, and it "is marvellous in our eyes."