and born; Rev. i. 5. There is a famous instance of Christ--"He is the
first-begotten from the dead, he is the first-born from the dead;" unto
which our regeneration alludeth,--that is, if you be born again by
seeking those things that are above, then there is a similitude betwixt
Christ's resurrection and the new birth; which were born, which were
restored out of this dark world, and translated out of the kingdom of
this dark world into the kingdom of his dear Son, and made us live a
new life; this is to be born again; and he that is delivered from the
mother's womb, it is the help of the mother; so he that is born of God,
it is by the Spirit of God. I must give you a few consequences of new
birth.

First of all, 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, 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? Coffee-houses 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 new-born 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,