Sketches of the Life and Character of the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, A. M.: For Many Years Pastor of a Church in Rutland, Vt., and Late in Granville, New-York

by Timothy Mather Cooley

Sermon. John iii., 3 :—" Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot sec the kingdom of God." This chapter contains a conference between our blessed Lord and Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This great man came to our Saviour by night, and addressed him in this manner: "Rabbi," says he, "we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do the miracles that thou doest except God be with him." Doubtless he had a rational conviction, from the many miracles that Christ did, that he was come from God. Our blessed Lord did not stand to show who he was, but, like a wise and kind teacher, takes occasion to inculcate the importance of the great doctrine of regeneration; and tells him, with a double asseveration, that, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. But, as great as this man was, we find that he was ignorant in a fundamental point in religion. It appeared a paradox unto him; for he, supposing our Lord must mean a natural birth, asks him, as in vet. 4, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Christ, in order further to explain his meaning, and to show that it was • * Stephen B. Mi inn, Esq., New-York. not a natural birth that he had reference to, adds, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." By which, perhaps, we may understand, that...

Lemuel's first sermon