this? What new doctrine is this?"

The Jews could well ask the question set forth in the text: "What new
doctrine is this?" To them the teachings of Christ were all new.
Whilst he came not to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill,
nevertheless his fulfillment of them was so spiritual, so essentially
holy, so pure in motive, so beneficent in act, that the Jews were
entire strangers to it: or probably better, it was strange and new to
them. Even Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews, failed to perceive what
Jesus meant when he told him about the nature and necessity of the new
birth. Our Lord manifests something of surprise at the ignorance and
stupidity of Nicodemus. Such ignorance as Nicodemus exposes in the
presence of Christ appears to us as wholly inexcusable, when we look
at what had already been taught on the subject of a change of heart,
or regeneration, in the law of Moses and the prophets.

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, walked with God three hundred years, and
never saw death, for God took him. Did he walk with God in a fleshly
mind, or in a spiritual mind? Hear what Jesus and Paul say: "That
which is born of the flesh, is flesh," and Paul says: "Therein
dwelleth no good thing." "But that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit," and therein serve we the Lord acceptably. Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, Moses and Elijah are to-day in the heavens. Are they there in
the flesh? Nay, verily, but in the spirit; in the new nature which God
had implanted in them. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
heaven."

"And what shall I say more? for the time would fail me to tell of
Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephtha; of David also,
and Samuel," who prayed: "Create in me a clean heart, and renew a
right spirit within me." But the Jews had become carnal, fleshly
minded, and, like Nicodemus, were unable to see the spirituality of
their own Word. How, then, could they apprehend the grace or see the
truth which came by Jesus Christ! Let us, Brethren, search the
Scriptures and acquaint ourselves much with the Gospel of our
salvation, so that when we read or hear, it may not be to us as it
was to the Jews, a new doctrine, but the

"Old, old story,
Of Jesus and his love."

This is nearly the substance of what I said.

Night meeting at Samuel Cave's. I speak from John 1:29. Fine day. We
stay all night with Brother Cave. We are now in Wayne County.

MONDAY, October 21. Start eastward to William Minni