Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-08-12

up their devot!ons to him, imputed to them
the righteousness Of Christ, and stamped
his own image on their hearts and sealed
them his forever through the atoning blood
OF Saviour slain from the foundation o1
the world. In the new or Christian dispen.
sation our relation to God is not changed
but we are required to believe in a risen Sa.
viour in order to obtain righteousness. To
understand Scripturally what is meant by
righteousness in this dispensation we must
have an experimental knowledge of the
new birth. Christ says, ''Verily, verify I
say unto you, you must be born again OF
| you never can enter into the kingdom of
heaven" This was said to Nicodemus, a
ruler OF the Jews, who, ashamed to b, seen
| in the day time with the humble Nazarene,
the king of kings and lord of lords, stole
away from his companions in the night and
went to Jesus to ascertain the truth Of his
wonderful doctrines. This was truly great
mystery to Nicodemus, as is evident by the
question, "How can these things be?" He
evidently put literal Interpretation upon
the language of the Saviour. To correct
this erroneous impression, Jesus said to
him, "You must be born of the water and
the spirit or you never can enter into the
kingdom Of God" ''That which is born OF
the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of
the spirit. isispirit. "Marvel not that said
unto you, you must be born again. The
wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou
nearest the sound thereof, but canst not
tell whence it cometh or whittier it goeth;
so is every one that is born of the spirit
Christ well knew that uubelief filled his
heart, and, therefore, refused any further
explanation, by saying to him, 81 have
told you OF earthly things and you believed
them not-how can you believe il tell you
Of heavenly thingst'' To be born again
implies a change ot heart. The term heart
means the affections, therefore to be born
again implies radical change in the aifec-
tlons. Before man fell from his first estate
these affections had stamped ON them the
image of God, and exerted controlling
influence over the Intellectual powers and
passions OF the mind.
When man fell, through disobedience,
this image was lost, and the affections be-
came totally depraved. How awful was
this fall, and how terrible the consequences
to man in this life, saying nothing of the
dreadful doom that awaits every sinner IN
an eternity of woe. To change these aztec
tions and restore the lost image of God,
requires that a man under the guidance and
operations of the holy spirit, believe in
CHtlSt the son OI 0Ou the saviour OF the
world, and not only believe in him but 20
to him as an humble, penitent sinner; in
fervent prayer confess oil his sins, and
most earnestly desire forgiveness and par.
don, and acceptance of his heavenly father
through his beloved son. This done, his
affections will be changed, the image Of
God will be restored to them, and he will
come forth new creature, henceforth to
walk before God and the world, Just, up
right and righteous man. He will no more
love sin because he has merged from dark
ness into the light of life and truth, where
II IS no longer concealed, but ever appears
in its naked deformity as the glorious light
ct the Son of God shines upon it. All
will love God and do good to all men, for
the love of God within him will work until
he is completely transformed into the like
ness o. Christ. lie will be righteous man
and the world will hate him for it.
Next week, the Lord willing, we will con-
tinue this subject, and tell You something
about the siuners of Muscatne. Close by
singing the doxology. HALO.