gifts or graces from Grod, beyond those ordinnrily given to men, Tiius 1 Sam. xvi 18; iii. 19; and xviii. 12—14.
3. — [Jesvs answered.] Tiie question has often been asked, "To what did our Lord answer?" No question was put to him. What is the connecting hnk between the words of Nicodemus, and the solemn statement contained in the first words which our Lord addressed to him ?
I believe the true reply to these questions is, that our Lord, as on many other occasions, made answer according to what He saw going on in Nicodemus' heart. He knew that the inquirer before Him, hke all the Jews, was expecting the appearance of Messiah, and was even suspecting that he had found Him. He therefore begins, by telling him at once what was absolutely need- ful if he would belong to JMessiah's kingdom. It was not a tem- poral kingdom, as he vainly supposed, but a spiritual one. It was not a kingdom, in which all persons born of the seed of Abraham, would, as a matter of course, have a place because of their birth. It was a kingdom in which grace, not blood, was the indispensable condition of admission. The first thing need- ful in order to belong to Messiah's kingdom, was to be '' born again." Men must renounce aU idea of privileges by reason of their natural birth. All men, whether Jews or Gentiles, must be born again, born anew, born from above by a spiritual birth. — "Nicodemus," our Lord seems to say, "if you want to know how a man is to become a member of Messiah's kingdom, under- stand this day, that the first step is to be born again. Think not because Abraham is your father, that Messiah will acknowledge you as one of his subjects. I tell you at once, that the first thing you and all other men need is a new birth."
I am quite aware that several other explanations have been given of the link between Nicodemus' remark and our Lord's opening assertion. I will only say, that the one I have given, appears to me by far the simplest and most satisfactory.
[Verili/^ verily^ I say unto thee.] This expression, which is peculiar to St. John's Gospel, has "been already commented on. (John i. 51.) BaL it is useful to remark, in considering the verse before ua, that the phrase is never used except in connection with some statement oi^ great importance and solemnity.
[Except a man.] The Greek word which our version has ren- dered " a man," would be more literally translated, " any one," or "any person." The change called the " new birth," our Lord would have us know, is of universal necessity. Nobody can be saved without it.
[Born again.] The Greek word here rendered " again," might be tiu'islated with equal correctness, "fi:om above," i. e. from