Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-04-13
MisrfIIamrons.
A Sermon.
Delivered al the FIRST Baptist Church in Bluehil.
March 18th. 1871, by the Pastor,
REV. c. q. HAYWOOD.
A Sermon.


am to speak this morning of the doc
trine of the new birth, which has had many
foes yet lives because it is true, and consc-
quently indestructible.
1t is not found alone in the Bible, but
more or less mingling with all sober
thought. Opposed in theory bv the few.
yet in practice adpitted by all. There is
no religious creed written or unwritten,
but through which 1t can be seen. Lying
back of language, or nesting beneath all
religious thought is this idea. As univer-
sal as the light that ushers the morning
into existence. and no one whose eve of
reason Il not extinguished can fail to sec
it,
The teachers who reject 1t endorse il
under another name. Before Christ tau. ht
1t, humanity proclaimed it. Christ merely
caught the key note of human misery, and
gave 1t the deep tone OF funeral song. The
past must be buried. The future must
exist under changed conditions. With all
our libcrality we can not teach otherwise
Tor before US is rising the q >ha rmony of
human life. and To secure harmony there
must indeed be a change
lhc figure OF speech used to en- hodv this
truth has perhaps been stretched TOO far
and thus many foes have been made To the
most transparent doctrine of the Bible
Di>mi>, from your minds therefore all
notions gathered from the past. and ad-
vance with ine Il look al the truth rather
thla the figure. Not that W. are about to
smooth down the truth which God has
made so prominent. Il i one of the
mountain doctrines Of the Bible. Wander
where we may. from Genesis To John. We
see 10 loomin. up denihg the lcvciling
power Of human reason.
Ne have intimated this change 10 be on
account of human misery. Let it not be
supposed that We alludc TO poverty or
bodily pain. We refer especially To our
spiritual or higher natures. There j. 4
sense ia which man may be said to be like
a musical instrument with many strings.
The world sweeps rough fingers over them.
and the di>cordant sound speaks of their
tangled aud slackened condition. Whose
magic touch shall restore ii TO order. and
call forth it, capabilities in the richest
music: His only, who made ii. or some one
equal in wis ON and power
Here then We touch the sovereignty Of
God in the conversion of the soul From
this every doctrine OF the Bible derives IL
force The minor and more important
truths, If degrees OF truth there be all
point 10 il Is many rays converge TO one
centre Knock tins out OF the gospel and
the spiritual edifce Christ built. falls into
truth becomes like 4 severed branch Juice
less aud dead.
| hold that the blessed dependence OF
the human on the divine, i the spring OF
all true JOY. That law is involved in IL.
a. eternal as God is eternal That heaven
or earth cannot give happiness unless 1t j.
felt 1t i ~ necessary a. Christ, and
Gabriel cannot break from it without los
Ing his Wilderness and power both for
.rNa. Z
God i not barrier 10 the new birth. II J.
rather the guarantee that Ii can be ours
Where can YOU see the marvellous simplici-
~ OF the gospel and it, adaptedncs> to
mankind % richly displayed ~ here Here
we see God aud his children moving ~ it
were IN one sphere, but sweep il away and
there i no God. Man j. his own Cod hi.
own Saviour, his own Christ
Think next Of the hclplcS>ness of man.
and whst it means. There j. Evidently A
truth here, for it i made known in rcveIa-
ton aud experience. But IL is not the
helple>sness that makes thg thing impos>i-
bic. or relieves man Of responsibility. Ii
j. not tle helple>>nc>s of the dead but OF
the living. Responsibility j. not lessoncd
thereby, nor an unregcnerate condition
made less sinful. The mariner clInsiny to
spar a. 1t floats on the waters NAV be
helpless 10 save himself but IL the life
boat l. pushed 10 HIM and lie refuses help
the grave he goes down INTO covers the
White face OF one who might have lived.
Let u swing out into deeper water, and
perhaps the beauty and strength OF this
thought viii be more apparent 1t is
impossible for God to lie says the Apostle.
Let Us treal carefully here. or ia our haste
We may gather poison instead OF truth.
l. he speaking of moral inability or
natural. IL OF natural inability truthful
ness IN Col j. no virtue any more than
the honesty OF the imprisoned thief. The
dumb man cannot utter a lie. but the rca-
sons why he cannot and why God cannot
are - far apart - the stars. 10 be more
simple AZ the risA of being tedious we say
OF a man la position OF trust lac cannot be
dishonest or lic. We reflect 4 moment and
then affirm that he can by virtue of hi>
freedom H. naE. What DO We mean:
HIT the cxplanai,un: This and uothin.,
more that hl, ~cL>e OF honor j. such that
II makes II moral mpos>ibIity. Tho
Ihlcf that walks YOUR streets cannot h..
honest. Yet because We know he can
we build him cage. Man cannot change
the current stream Of his life, or as the
scriptures phrase IT, confer upon himself
the new birth. But ii Is not because he j.
deficient ia the means for securing it, IL
\ not because of deficiency in natural
aDi4ltf p InF Nbtll THIS ceases RESPONSIBILITY
ceases but because of moral inability he
has no inclination to be good or TO partake
OF Gods nature and 20 the proflercd help
passes unhccacd.
Before your minds eye there j. picture
Gaze on il. What do you see: The bless
ed union Of God and man. Draw near to
II wiki reverence. IL j. infinite Spirit
working with finite spirit to produce an
eternal result. Man, not stock or a stone
but a living independent free individual.
whose freedom i never suspended. God
working with man. not arbitrarily a.
mason works on granite but rather as the
teacher works with his student the one
giving. the other receiving, the one help
ing. the other being helped. until we see
the desired result attained through the fire..
action OF each. Thus it is that Gods
sovereignty and mans free agency unite to
produce the new birth Thus il is we
pass into that life that is hid with Christ
in God, and wake up 10 ask the question
the apostle asked centuries ago. who hath
made u To differ:
Next let Us glance at the instrument
used by God To perform his part Truth
a. il is in Jesus" 10 quote the scriptures
i his instrument. You have stood on the
vessel when the winds swept over il, and
the waves against it. till it shivered from
stem 10 stern. Amidst this rolling and
tossing, flying spray aud creaking timber,
you have looked upon that quiet needle as
trembling it pointed TO the North. Mys-
FERROUS law, say you, giving a. much proof
the existance as wind or water. There
you perceive the lew Of magnetism doing
its work. Thus too the law Of grsvitation
is quiet in Its operations and unobseryed.
andyet what power ii is. Ii is Gods law
for holding worlds in their orbits Now
INT ha 81
there is working as quietly as the sunlight
strikes the leaf. 1t presses us on from
one event to another, and as we march
along. thrones are toppled over and
bristing bayonets trodden under foot.
whilst men stand with bated breath. won
dering what shall be the next sweeping
change Nations are SO pressed they
leap mountains they were wont to climb,
and stride over CULTS at which our fathers
stood appalled, We all know what it is.
though il sends no herald to proclaim its
approach, and makes no more commotion