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234 notice. Of his discourses nothing now remains but their commencing sentence: 'Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.' Multitudes soon gathered around him, and his fame spread throughout all Syria.

"His first recorded discourse is that which he held with Nicodemus at Jerusalem, at the first passover which occurred after the commencement of his ministry. This conversation introduces to us one of the most interesting scenes of the New Testament. It presents us a practical proof of that miraculous wisdom with which Christ was endowed, which made him equally at home with the learned, acute, and experienced member of the Jewish Senate at Jerusalem, and the humble, simple peasants and fishermen of Galilee. 'And it came to pass when he was in Jerusalem, at the Passover on the feast-day, many believed on his name when they saw the miracles that he did.' 'Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth whither it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.' Spiritual birth, true religion, is not confined, as you Jews suppose, to one tribe or family. It is as free as air, and the kingdom of God, which you expect to be a national thing, will spread over the earth as that does, without any regard to the boundaries of nations and kindreds. Its empire is the soul, everywhere free, everyone capable of receiving it, not more in those whose material bodies have descended from