A Devotional for
December 20
From the Pen of John Bunyan
"Results of the New Birth"
“For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child”
Hebrews 5: 13.
I must give you a few consequences of a new birth.
First, a child, you know is incident to cry as soon as it comes into the world. For if there be no noise, they say it is dead. You that are born of God and Christians, if you be not criers then there is no spiritual life in you. If you be born of God, you are crying ones; as soon as he has raised you out of the dark dungeon of sin, you cannot but cry to God, What must I do to be saved? As soon as ever God had touched the jailor, he cries out, "Men and brethren, what must I do to be saved?" Oh! How many prayerless professors are there in London that never pray? Coffeehouses will not let you pray, trades will not let you pray, looking glasses will not let you pray; but if you were born of God you would.
Secondly, it is not only natural for a child to cry but it must crave the breast. It cannot live without the breast. Therefore, Peter makes it the true trial of a newborn babe; the new-born babe desires the sincere milk of the Word, that he may grow thereby. If you be born of God, make it manifest by desiring the breast of God. Do you long for the milk of promises? A man lives one way when he is in the world, another way when he is brought unto Jesus Christ; (Isaiah 66), "They shall suck, and be satisfied." If you be born again, there is no satisfaction till you get the milk of God's word into your souls; (Isaiah 66:11).
More Results of the New Birth
Sermon Cont.
“And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your writs and a chain on your neck. And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head”
Ezekiel 16: 11-12
Thirdly, A child that is newly born, if it does not have other comforts to keep it warm than it had in its mother's womb, it dies. It must have something got for its succor. So, Christ had swaddling clothes prepared for him. So those that are born again, they must have some promise of Christ to keep them alive. Those that are in a carnal state warm themselves with other things. But those that are born again, they cannot live without some promise of Christ to keep them alive, as he did to the poor infant in Ezekiel 17, "I covered thee with embroidered gold." And when women are with child what fine things will they prepare for their child! O but what fine things has Christ prepared to wrap all in that are born again! O what wrappings of gold has Christ prepared for all that are born again! Women will dress their children, that everyone may see them how fine they are. So, he said in Ezekiel 16:11—"I decked thee also with ornaments, and I also put bracelets upon thine hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head;" and he said in verse 13th verse, "thou didst prosper to a kingdom."
Fourthly, A child when it is in its mother's lap, the mother takes great delight to have that which will be for its comfort; so, it is with God's children, they shall be kept on his knee; (Isaiah 66:11), "They shall suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation." Ver. 13, "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you." There is a similitude in these things that nobody knows of but those that are born again.
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