He is the head of every man, by the grace of God tasted death for every man, and rose again for their justification.  The scriptures declare that “we shall be saved by his life” that he is “the bread of God that cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world.”  He is our way, our truth and life, and “because he lives we shall live also.”  “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive,” or born from the dead.  And he that is made alive in Christ is a new creature, old things are passed away—­all things are become new.

But says the reader, though the resurrection of Jesus is set forth by a birth from death, yet the resurrection of the human family is never so represented.  You mistake.  Out of the many passage that might be adduced, we have room, in this discourse, for only one.  It shall, however, be satisfactory.  In Romans, 8th chapter, Paul says, “Because the creature itself also, shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God; for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” [We would remark, that the word creature, is ktisis in the Greek, and is the same that is rendered creation in the next verse.] In this quotation, you perceive, that Paul represents the whole creation as groaning in travail pains, and declares that the whole creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.  He compares them to a woman in pain ready for delivery; and that they are delivered from corruption to incorruption at the resurrection is certain. [See 1 Cor. xv:42.]

You now understand what I mean by the new birth.  It is to pass from death to life and immortality, in Christ, beyond the grave, where flesh and blood can never enter.  For that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.

We have now pointed out the new birth, and shown that it bears some resemblance to the natural birth, with which Jesus compared it.  And how truly sublime and cheering the thought, that the great family of man, who are all born into existence under the certain sentence of death, are to receive a second birth into an existence entirely new, and the whole of his dying family are to be made the children of Jesus Christ by adoption.

In our next, we shall notice the change we experience in this life, called in scripture the new birth, and explain the term, “kingdom of God.”

SERMON IX

“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, we have shown, that the spiritual birth bears some resemblance to a natural birth with which Jesus compared it—­and as the first introduces us into this world, so the second will introduce us into the future and immortal world at the resurrection, where we shall be as the angels of God in heaven, and “be the children of God being the children of the resurrection.”  There we shall be completely free from sin and pain.  There the gushing tear of sorrow shall cease to flow, and the brow of disconsolate humanity be ruffled no more.