baptized; and I was born again when I was
baptized." They believe that because they were baptized into the
church, they were baptized into the Kingdom of God. I tell you that
it is utterly impossible. You may be baptized into the church, and
yet not be baptized into the Son of God. Baptism is all right in its
place. God forbid that I should say anything against it. But if you
put that in the place of Regeneration--in the place of the New Birth--it
is a terrible mistake. You cannot be baptized into the Kingdom of
God. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
If any one reading this rests his hopes on anything else--on any
other foundation--I pray that God may sweep it away.

Another class say, "I go to the Lord's Supper; I partake uniformly of
the Sacrament." Blessed ordinance! Jesus hath said that as often as
ye do it ye commemorate His death. Yet, that is not being "born
again;" that is not passing from death unto life. Jesus says plainly--and
so plainly that there need not be any mistake about it--"Except
a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of
God." What has a sacrament to do with that? What has going to church
to do with being born again?

Another man comes up and says, "I say my prayers regularly." Still I
say that is not being born of the Spirit. It is a very solemn
question, then, that comes up before us; and oh! that every reader
would ask himself earnestly and faithfully: "Have I been born again?
Have I been born of the Spirit? Have I passed from death unto life?"

There is a class of men who say that special religious meetings are
very good for a certain class of people. They would be very good if
you could get the drunkard there, or get the gambler there, or get
other vicious people there--that would do a great deal of good. But
"we do not need to be converted." To whom did Christ utter these
words of wisdom? To Nicodemus. Who was Nicodemus? Was he a drunkard,
a gambler, or a thief? No! No doubt he was one of the very best men
in Jerusalem. He was an honorable Councillor; he belonged to the
Sanhedrim; he held a very high position; he was an orthodox man; he
was one of the very soundest men. And yet what did Christ say to him?
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

But I can imagine some one saying, "What am I to do? I cannot create
life. I certainly cannot save myself." You certainly cannot; and we
do not claim that you can. We tell