vital truths upon each one of us more and more, for Christ's sake.

servants.

66

In conclusion, let us observe the father's direction to his "But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the Best Robe, and put it on him; and put a Ring on his hand, and Shoes on his feet." I shall not linger on the earthly, but on the heavenly meaning of the father's direction to his servants. In the 21st verse, the returning prodigal, acknowledged his sinnership to his Father, and confessed that he was no more worthy to be called His son. The Father's tenderness and compassion appear in the very first word of our text:— "BUT." The Father does not stop to chide and upbraid His son with his delinquencies. Not so. "BUT." What a gracious "But!" "And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." By nature ye were the children of wrath, even as others, but God is rich in mercy, love, and grace." St. Paul could say, I was "a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious, but I obtained mercy." "We were hateful and hating one another, but the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared." How truly are the following words of the Lord fulfilled in the experience of the children of God:-" And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." (Isaiah lxv. 24.) The ears of the Lord are always attentive to the cries and supplications of His poor, trembling, and unworthy prodigals. They are "miserable sinners," but their Father is "a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness." I would recommend you to read and meditate upon the following passages of Scripture,— I Cor. vi. 14, Eph. ii. 4, 1 Tim. i. 13, Titus iii. 4, and Nehemiah ix. 17.

Again, the Father said to His servants. Now who are the Father's servants, not in an earthly, but in a heavenly sense? I venture to restrict the meaning of the word Servants to the Ministers of the Gospel.

I know that it is frequently used in a very much larger sense in the Word of God. But, in the Old Testament, the prophets are spoken of as the Lord's servants (Jer. vii. 25), and in the New Testament, the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel speak of themselves as the servants of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. For proof, see the opening of the several Epistles. The Father's servants are His messengers, who go forth, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to perishing_sinners who dwell on the face of the whole earth. The Father commissions His ministering servants, qualifying them by His Spirit and grace for their office and work.

The Father's direction. "Bring forth the Best Robe." What is the minister's wardrobe? What else can it be, save the Gospel? This is the wardrobe which contains the "sheep's clothing,"-"the garments of salvation." And this is the wardrobe whence a sinner saved by grace is clothed for heaven and glory. This wardrobe has in it suitable clothing for every time and need, from the clothing of humility to that of a splendid Robe and a glorious crown. "Bring forth the Best Robe." To bring forth the Best Robe ministerially, is to preach the Lord Jesus Christ as the One Righteousness in which a sinner stands perfect and complete before God. Hence, the servant of God says, "I will go forth in the strength of the Lord: I will make mention of Thy Righteousness, even of Thine only." Bring forth the Best Robe, and put it upon him." This the servant of God does ministerially when he declares that God is just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. If there be a needy sinner present, let us put the Best Robe upon him by preaching unto him Jesus as his Saviour, his Redeemer, his Righteousness, his Resurrection and Life, his Salvation and Glory. The Lord says, "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." And the trembling soul answers: "Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Again, "Put a Ring on his hand." This is done ministerially by

preaching the indissoluble union betwixt Christ and His Church. That they are by eternal union one, and that once in Him, in Him for ever. Put this gold Ring upon the hand of the prodigal, and you will soon see how delighted he will be with this token and pledge of his Father's eternal loving-kindness toward him. And, again, Put "Shoes on his feet." Show him that the path of the saint is rugged and rough, and that his journey may be tedious and long, and that without the Shoes of the Gospel he will never be able to walk upon and over the high places of the wicked. May the God of all grace cause us to walk humbly, lowly, and meekly before Him, and at the same time to His honour, praise, and glory. "But the Father said to His servants, Bring forth the Best Robe, and put it on him; and put a Ring on his hand, and Shoes on his feet." Read the text again and again, and may the Holy Ghost bless it to your souls and mine, for Christ's sake. Amen! and

Amen!! My God and Father :

"Let the sweet hope that Thou art mine
My path of life attend;

Thy presence through my journey shine,
And crown my journey's end."

SERIES VIII. No. II

"SPIRITUAL LIFE."

A SERMON

PREACHED BY THE

Rev. J. BATTERSBY
(Vicar of St. James', Sheffield),

AT VERULAM MISSION CHURCH, KENNINGTON ROAD,
LAMBETH, LONDON,

THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1883.

In the 3rd chapter of St. John's Gospel, and at the 6th verse, you will read the following words :

"THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH IS FLESH;

AND THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE

SPIRIT IS SPIRIT."

time,—the

The words of my text were uttered by our Lord in a very remarkable interview between Him and Nicodemus. Nicodemus belonged to the strictest sect of religionists in our Lord's time, the Pharisees. He was also "a ruler of the Jews"-not a civil, but an ecclesiastical ruler, and as such, would be a member of the great Sanhedrim. "He was a master of Israel"-a teacher and guider of the people. He was a counsellor too, for he counselled the Pharisees, saying, "Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" Moreover, he was a man of riches, for he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight, to the burial of the body of Jesus." It has also been the opinion of some that he was a brother of Josephus, but this rests upon tradition. It is quite clear, from what we know of Nicodemus, that he was a man of great distinction and

learning, holding a high position among the Jews, and possessed of very considerable wealth. "The same

came to Jesus by night,"-doubtless afraid of the Jews, -"and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know,"-there were others who shared his opinion,-" we know that Thou art a Teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him." (ii. 23.) Our Lord preached to him the "new birth," saying, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus took a carnal view of our Lord's statement. But Jesus repeated His words with additional force, saying, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." This great man understood not the things of the Spirit of God. "Born of water and of the Spirit." I would only make one remark upon "water" in this verse. I believe, that it is a fact, that wherever water refers to the Ordinance of Baptism in the New Testament, another word, such as baptize, is used in connection with it. If this be so, and you can test it for yourselves, then by the expression, "born of water and of the Spirit," we must understand the cleansing and sanctifying grace of the Spirit in the regeneration of a sinner. This is consonant with other Scriptures.

We shall treat our text as two propositions: First, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." Secondly, "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit." And then, we shall conclude with a few practical observations. Let us now proceed to consider :

The first proposition: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." On this part of my subject, I shall be somewhat brief, because I wish to dwell more at length on the second proposition. The word flesh is used variously in the Word of God. I shall point out to you two of its uses. It is used for human nature in its creation purity and unfallen condition. Adam said of the woman, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." Adam and his wife in their unfallen state were "one flesh." (Genesis ii. 23, 24.) This was flesh.