Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3.
Consequently, no outward form of religion will do; but we must be spiritually born by the spirit of God, and have our hearts changed, else we cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Christ confirmed it twice with an oath. How is it possible then, that mere honest and moral men can be saved? Will Christ break his double oath? No, surely. Therefore, outward, gross immoralities being only blamed and rebuked, moral Christians always slip through; and the looser sort think that they can leave off their open sins one time or another, and so none is duly concerned to be thoroughly converted. The new birth, and a real change of the heart being insisted upon, and Christ held forth in this only true way, every one who will, can be turned.
The second Adam shall restore
The ruins of the first,
Hosanna to that sovereign power,
That new creates our dust.
When from the curse he sets us free,
He makes our natures clean;
Nor would our Saviour come, to be
The minister of sin.
His spirit purifies our frame,
And seals our peace with God:
Jesus and his salvation, came
By water and by blood.