Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-06-28

such kind Of beauty, is clearly Illus raec
and proved, by i la;e ingenious PhIloso
pher. And that tn: idea o! spiritual beau
ty supposes an internal spiritual sense, com
municatcd to the soul by the Spri; of God
in the work of the new creation. is also as
clearly Illustrated and proved, by late dr.
vine, whose praise is in all he churches. -
I" Are men regencrated by the law, or by
the gospel? Ii by rcgcnerated, is meant
enabled to see the holy beauty of divine
truths, we are rcgenerated neither by the
law nor by the gospel, nor by any cNterna
means or Instructions whatsoever, out o!
the immediate influences of the Holy SFlr'
it."-Bc!lamy's works, vol. i. pp. SUI, oo3
532.
DR.. HorKlSs.-" The divine operation
in regeneration, of which the new heart is
the effect, is immcdiate, or it is not wrought
5y the energy of any means as the cause
of it; but by the immediate power and en-
crgy of the Holy Spirit. 1t is called IA ere.
alton, and the divine agency in it is as
much without any medium, as in creating
something from nothing. Men are not re.
rcuera.cd in the sense in which we are
now considering regeneration, by light or
the word OF God. This is evident from
what hath been said under the last particu-
lar, If the evil eye which is total darkness,
and shuts all the light out, be the evil
corrupt heart Of man, then, his corrupt
heart must bc renewed, in order to there
being any true Light in the mind, and pre-
vious TO it. There must be discerning
heart, which is the same with the new heart.
in order to see the light; and therefore
this cannot be produced by light" Hop.
kins' System, vol. i. p. 457.
DR.. DwIGHT.-" The soul of Adam was
created with a relish tor spiritual objects.
The soul of every man who becomes a
christian,is renewed by the communication
of the same relish. -" II has been exten.
sively supposed, that the spirit of grace re-.
generates mankind, by communicating to
them new, clear, and juster views of spirit.
ual objects. The understanding being thus
enlightened and convinced, the heart, it is
supposed, yields itself to this conviction !;
and the man spontaneously becomes under
its influence, child of God. shall not
attempt here to describe the metaphysical
nature of the work Of regeneration-let,
:. appears to me clear, that the account
which have now given of this subject, is
not scriptural, nor just. Without relish
fer spiritual objects, canno: see that any
discoveries concerning them, however dear
and bright, can render them pleasing TO
the soul. If they are unp!easing in their
very nature, they cannot be made agreea-
bic by having that nature unfolded more
clearly. He who disreishes the taste of
wine, will not relish it the more, the moss
distinctly, and perfec'' y, he percelves that
taste. Nor will any account Of its agreea-
bleness to others, however clearly given.
and with whatever evidence supported, rem
der the taste agreeable 10 him. To enable
him to relish it, it seems indispensable, that
his own taste should be changed, and IN
this manner fitted to realize the pleasant.
ness of the wine. Light is either evidence,
or the perception of it; evidence of the
true nature of the object which is contem-
plated, or the perception Of that evidence.
Blu. the great difficulty in the present case,
is this: The nature of the object Perclev-
ed is disrclished. The more, then, it is per.
ceived, the more it must be disrelished, Of
course, so long as the present taste contn.
ues. II seems therefore indispensable,
that, in order to the usefulness Of such su-
perior light 10 the mind, its relish with re.
spect TO spiritual objects should first be
changed" ."-Dwight's Theology, vol. j.
PIP. 4l9, 422.
DIR. SMALLEv-"T There are certain ten.
dencies IN minds, to be actuated by certain
motives Sc: before them; end when mans
mind is influenced or altered by arguments
and inducements suited to work such an.
effect, on one of such a disposition, the
effect is natural. But should man be
made to act contrary to every previous
propensity of his nature, or should a prln.
ciple of action radically new, at any time,
be given him, such all effect must be alto.
gether supernatural. Such an effect must
be as Immediately from the power of God,
as the termination of body which had
been ever so long lifeless, or as the original
creation of all things. -" tit be true that
man is by nature totally depraved in the
spirit of his mind, it is plain case, that
the beginning of holiness in him can be
no otherwise than by new creation. When
spiritual life is once begun in the soul, in
however low degree, it may be preserved
and increased by moral means; as well as
any plant Or animal can be kept alive and
made to grow by natural means. But the
first production of the radical principle OF
this life, can no more be the effect Of any
second cause, than the first root or seed OF
any plant or tree could have been produced
by rain, sunshine, and cultivation. ."-' 1t is
easy to conceive that whatever propensl;ies