Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1851-05-22
CITY OF HANNIBAL MO-, MAY %, 1851

Uuence arising from Tie eNll words ol those
whom we converse with, or whose books we
read.
Mr.. CAPLES said no one ever denied that
The word ol God was able to perform its part
in the system Of salvation. That the scrl piure
contained all the necessary instruction TO
briug man TO God was the very doctrine he
believed in. This, however, does not prove
that the spirit use, no other instrument.
Man, In his Fall, lost not only his position,
bu, the image OF God. For his recovery, ii is
not only necessary that he should have the
word, but he must have a cleansing, life giving
and quickening power. TIE carnal mind is
at cnmity against God, aud not subject to his
law; it is dead to spiritual life, and must be
reused and animated by renewing and quick
ening power; 1t must have the agency OF the
Holy spirit. lie was willing TO admit that the
word is the main agency; but God, in employing
this ngency, did not deprive himselfoi the pow
or Of direct application 10 the heart of the sin
ner. That system Of belief must be shockingly
deficient which would ooniine the operation Of
the spirit to asiugie agen, alone.
lst Cor. ill., 5.1.-"WhD then is Paul, and who
is Apolos, but ministers by whom ye believed,
even as the Lord gave to every man? l have
planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the
increase. SO then neither is he that planteth
any thing, neither he that waterclh; but God that
glveth The Increase This verse throws lit
tie light Oh the subject. Paul refers 10 the
Word. lie had planted; Apollos had wa,ered;
the seed wa, good, but there was no CROP
The seed had no power in itself to increase;
the power of Cod was necessary.
/ So the farmer may cultivate his ground, his
seed may be good, but there must be sun and
rain, or there " ill be no increase.
] II ia mt snil in ~ tpff f,nl's unrI n,,t
the spirit is limited to one agent and II is not
for us to limit it. The preparation Of the heart
to receive the Word must come from God, as
requisite to make that Word eilicent-as Ly-
dla, "whose heart the Lord opened, that she
attended unto the things which were spoken oi
Paul. Acts, xvi, ii.
Acts, vii, 5l.-"Ye .tiif necked and uncir-
cnmcised in heart and cars, yo do always resist
the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, do ye."
From this charge made against the Jews by
Stephen, 1t appears that man may resist the
sIrivinss OF the Holy spirit.
! Tie Savior said TO Nlcodrnu', Except q man be
born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God slow
can that be- said Nicohemus. The SAVIOR rcpli ed,
Except man be born OF water and OF the spirit. he
cannot cner into the Kingdom OF Heaven Hclc
Christ speaks OF the spiritual regeneration, when he
mentions new birth; for he proceeds To say shat
which Is born of spirit is spirit, aud that which is born
of flesh is flesh. Marvel not that | said unto thee yc
mus, be born again. The wind b!owcth where it list
eth and thou nearest the sound thereof, bat can~ not
tell whence it comcth, and whittier it goc: So i, cyc-
ry that is bora OF the spirit There is nothin.
bout the application OF the ordinance oil baptism that
would make this language applicable, expressive is
il Of mystery in the mode OF operating. This drives
away the idea of the figure Of natural birth beng the
isuc intended 10 be used in speaking Of the new BIRTH
The idea is that of crcation the manner of which
is my y,tcry, but the effect, the spiritual renewing aud
regeneration, complete. II is evident that the SayuI
speaks OF purely spiritual buth W" must be able
10 love God with all the heart The effect produced Is
too great, 10 be accomplished by anything less than
direct and powerful application of the spI, breaking
up the heart, and creating it anew.
Stephen in addressing his prosecutors, does
not say ye do always resist my word but Eye
do always resist the Holy Ghost" not ye resist
my preaching, is your fathers did the teaching O
the prophets; but ye resist the Holy Ghost
Man indeed, possesses the fearful power of re-
sisling the Holy Ghost; he is still lei, fully q
free agent, notwithstanding its friendly offices
If the spirit operates only through the word
why does 1t no. always produce the same effect!
The reason II does not, is because the ground is
not always alike broken mp, owing to the var
Gus degrees Of resistance which men offer IL
the Holy spirit
The speaker made new birth and conversion
Of soal to God, to be synonymous nconver,ioi
there is spiritual baptism. Conversion is moi
a mere change of opinion; it is an entire chang,
of the whole heart, visible in all its affections
What the converted man once hated he now
loves, and what ha once loved, he now hates
This is 10 be born Of the spirit, this is conver
sion to God.
John XIV, 26.-But when tho comforter is
come, whom will send unto You from the Faith
er. even the spirit Of truth, which proceeded
from the Father he shall testify Of me. Ant
ye also shall bear witness, because ye have beer
with me from the beginning" Here is concur
rent, but Independent testimony. The spirit
, and the apostles were to be witnesses through
/ all time.
) Acts v, 3l.-, Him hath God exalted with hi
right hand to be Prince and a Savior, for t.
gire repentance TO Israel and forgiveness Of sins.
Here the Savior is said to give repentance to Is
rael and to be exalted to be a Prince for tha
purpose, and the forgiveness Of sins. There i,
"a parallel verse in Acts xi, lS-When they
, heard these things, they held their peace, ant
glorilied God, saying, then hath God also to Tho
! Genti!es granted repentance unto life"
Does the Devil who is spirit have a written
code? surely, if the talleE angel works by di-
rect influence God would not limit himself to
single agency, and that indirect. God has no
sigEed away his right to meet the mortal foe o
God and man on equal footing. Man proves
from happy experience, that where the spirit is
there is liberty. Spirit can operate on spirit