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

gree ever SO great, hdItl ITO teiiuGuCy "
degenerate person. Doctrinal light hath
its seat in the understanding, and 1t is con-
trary to all experience, that more knowl-
edge of an Object, TO which the heart or
will is for, its very nature. opposed, will
change the opposition into love. >" The
manner of divine acting IN this instance Of
creation, is as much above our conception,
as it was in the creation OF the worlds. -
"Al the dispute, which some have raised
concerning the direct agency Of God, and
kind of regeneration partially effected
by the creatures previous endeavours to
become right, will cease in those who have
become real subjects of the change. Feel.
Ing what it is by its effects, and comparing
them with what they were before, as ef-
lcctualy cenvinces them Of an Almighty
moral Creator, as a CONSCIOUSNESS of their
own existence, and the surrounding crea.
ton doth ofthe natural Creator. ."-Strong's
Sermons, vol. i. pp. 1G6 l67, l6s.
DIR. GR1FFIN.--" Though the word Of
God, in the shape of motives, has an impor-
tant instrumenta!ity in carrying on the
preparatory wok in the conscience, and in
occasioning the exercises Of the new heart,
it is, in no sense, instrumental in changing
the disposition. The motives must first
find the disposition already prepared 10 ia.
vor them, before they can act upon the
mind. The holiness and justice of God,
for instance, are no motives to love, while
they are hated. p" How can the motives
of religion be the instruments Of produc-
ing new disposition, when that disposition
must exist before the motives can take hold
of the heart Or the question may be de-
cided by fact. Have not all these motives
assailed the heart for many years, without
taking away a particle Of its opposition
For months together have they not been
set home upon the conscience, without al
all weakening the enmity? How comes
it to pass, then, that, at length, in one mo.
ment, they enter the heart and rise to su.
preme dominion Have they all at once
broken their way through, and assisted in
modelling heart, on which, TIL that
moment, they could have no influence?
The decisive question is, was the power
applied to The motireS to open passage
for themselves, or to the heart, to open
passage for them? Let the event DECLARE
the heart was new before the motives en-.
tered" Park Street Lectures, PIP. Isl,
15S.
Dr.. PORTER" In regeneration, 1t
has been said, the sinners heart is chan
eed by the influence of truth and mo-
tives, presented by God; just as one
mans mind is changed in any case by the
persuasion Of another. How does the Or
ator persuade his hearers! By appeals
to their understanding, conscience, pas
sions, interest, &c. that is, by addressing
principles that are in the men alleady,-
principles that are IN all men. He oper-
ates on their minds by an objective influ-
ence; by the presentation otcrternal mo-
tives, adapted TO sway their purpose
This is all he can do. But is this all that
God can do? He addresses men by the
solemn motives of the gospel, through
preaching and other external means OF
persuasion. But is this all that he can do }!
Certainly not; for besides the presenta-
tion of motives throughthe instrumental
ty of second causes, he can exert an i'm.
mediate influence on minds, such as no
man has the power of exerting on an
other man; and this is the influence
which he does exert in regeneration. 10
deny this, is to deny special grace. For
if regeneration is produced by an intlu-
enoe the same as that employed by one
man on the mind of another, in common
persuasion certainly it is not in any
sense a supernatural work. 1t takes
place according to the laws of nature, in IN
the ordinary course of cause and effect"
Letters on Revivals PIP. 81, 95.