River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-04-22

l above, and PrOI.
Drummond in his
Natural Law in
the Spiritual World" shows the anal
ogy of it in nature. The soil into
which the seed drops belongs to the
mineral world, but, picked up by the
vital power in the seed and lifted up
into the vegetable world, it is thus
born from above. An OK eats the
vegetable which is soon transformed
into flesh, and, thus lifted into the
animal world, is born from above.
Man eats the OK which, thus changed
into human muscle, nerve, bone and
brain, IS born into the higher realm
of association with soul The spirit
of God touches the soul which, becom-
ing partaker of the divine nature, is
born from above into the highest
spiritual realm
Every growing mind has it's new
births. I remember the day | learned
that the stars were not bright points
in the sky, but worlds with infinite
spaces between them. 1t was to me
an intellectual new birth, as was that
was produced by waves in the air.
Science has its new births. The
discovery and application of steam
was a new birth of travel and com
merce from narrow limitations to vast
possibilities. So the discovery and ap-
plication of electricity and now of
aerial navigation. Why should not the
soul have it's new birth from the mar
row limitations of the self-life to the
higher life of self-sacrifice and minis
try to others?
This new birth means a vision of
Christ as king on the cross.
Except man be born from
above he cannot see the kingdom of
God" To see the kingdom is, of
course, to see the king and Jesus
makes it plain that it is not the king
on the throne but on the cross. GAS
Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the son of
man be lifted up that whatsoever be-
lieveth on him should not perish but
have everlasting life Seeing Christ
as a martyr to a noble mission and
dying as victim is not the new birth.
He died as a king, not because he
was compelled to die, but because he
wished to die.
The incarnation from the birth
in Bethlehem to the ascension from
Olivet marks the procession of a King.
His birth of virgin was an act of
his royal will. He was not captured
and killed. Twelve legions of angels
stood ready to do his bidding and he
could have released himself at any
time. He went to Calvary bearing
the cross and was nailed to it be-
cause he came to this world to be the
lamb of God that taketh away the sin
of the world. To believe that Jesus
died willing sacrifice for my sins is
to have vision of Christ on the cross
as king and make the crown of thorns
crown of glory.
A vision of Christ as a great teach
er is not sufficient. Nicodemus gladly
confessed Jesus as a teacher with di-
vine credentials, confirmed by mir
acles, but it was after he had said:
1--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." that Jesus said to
him: "Ye must be born again." Ac-
cepting Christ as a good man, great
and noble, does not settle the sin
question and remove his guilt. Moral
ity is no substitute for the new birth.
Nicodemus was evidently moral
man. and, as a Fharisee, was punctil-
ious in keeping the law. But morality,
which is right relation with ones fell
lows, does not bring into right rela-
ton with God those who are "alien-
ated and enemies in mind by wicked
works"
Nor is religion the new birth. Nico-
demus was intensely religious. He
prayed and gave tithes. We get re-
ligion in the first birth, for we are all
religious animals. We will worship
something or somebody The Pagans
are very religious. Their religious
nature leads some of them to walk
on spikes, stand between baking fires,
and hold up their hands till their arms
become rigid. Nicodemus was man,
of culture. He was up with the his
TORY ana SCI6uCS VI Alo IlluSo' DuC llO
amount of knowledge which refuses
to know God in Christ reconciling
the world unto himself" can justify
a sinner before God.
Jesus says to Nicodemus: Moral
religious and educated as you are, you
must be born again" And the mes
sage comes with equal force to every
moral. religious and educated man of
to-day. who thinks that his morality
religion and education are all that
God requires. Except We be born
from above We cannot see the king
dom of Cod" and the birth from above
means a vision of Christ as king on
the cross, apublic confession of Christ
before men and needing of the voice
of the spirit as he speaks to our in
most souls.