The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-01-19


things?" "And no man hath assembled
up to heaven, but he that came down
from heaven-even the Son of Man which
is in heaven" Why these references to
His existence in eternity unless He in
tended to use it as illustrative of the
great subject of regeneration? Suppos-
ing then that the eternal generation of
the divine Son from the divine Father
was the basis of His illustration, we know
concerning it only three points which
illustrate regeneration on earth, viz:
l. That it was the work of infinite and
almighty Spirit
2. That it was done with the full con-
currence of the Spirit of the Son who, be-
ing God, must be held to have so con-
Cured from eternity.
8. That the relation of Father and
Son thus constituted, is mystical, indis-
soluble, and eternal
No definitions or explanations of the
new birth are given in the other New
Testament Scriptures which go beyond
the words of Christ to Nicodemus, or in
fact which go beyond the teaching of the
Old Testament when properly under
stood
And this fact was fully recognised by
the learned and plous men, from Angus
tine down to the Westminster divines
who have formulated the system of faith
commonly known as "Calvinism." The
wide mental calibre, clear logical power,
great learning and profound personal
Christianity of these men united in for
bidding them to attempt to define and
explain that which Christ presented as a
fact and work necessary to salvation
but which He neither defined nor ex-
planned. Hence we gather the explana-
ton of the very remarkable fact that no
where in our Confession of Faith" is
any attempt made to define regeneration
or the new birth. That Confession de-
fines, with marvellous clearness, effec-
tual calling, repentance unto life, faith,
justification, adoption, sanctifcation, in
short, all the steps in the divine life of
the saved sinner from its origin to its
eternal development, but no where de-
fines regeneration. No question concern
ing it is found either in the Larger or
Shorter Catechism In truth, if the word
itself be found in either of those Cate
chisms (Which are intended to impart
saving knowledge to adult souls) it will
require careful search to find it. And
in the Confession" proper, the word
regenerated" is only found in connec-
ton with the salvation of infants dying
in infancy and of other elect persons
who are incapable of being outwardly
called by the ministry of the word"
Therefore it is apparent to careful OBJ
server that our standards OF d, ctrine,
with their admirable Catechism, do not
pretend to be wiser than "what is writ
ten They do not attempt to define and
explain what the Bible has not defined
or explained They treat regeneration
as transcendant mystery-a fact indeed
but fact which holy Scripture has not
explained. They come to the adult sin
ner Just as the holy Scriptures come to
him; they address him as man with in
telligence, conscience, and freedom OF
will. They deal with the human element
in all Divine work, such as effectual call
ing, repentance, faith, and conversion.
And so do the Scriptures. If David
prays, Create within me a clean heart,
0 God, and renew right spirit within
me. Purge me with hyssop and I shall
be clean Wash me and I shall be winter
than snowF If Ezekiel says in the
name of the Lord God, " / will give them
one heart and will put a new spirit
within you: and I will take the stony
heart out Of their flesh, and will give
them an heart of flesh 1t is equally
true that Isaiah says to the sinners of
Judah: Wash ye, make you clean; cease
to do evil; learn to do WE'LL" and that
the same Ezekiel says to the same people,
Cast away from you all your transgres-
sions, whereby we have transgressed, and
make yOu new heart and a new spirit,
for why will we die, o house of Israel
Thus even in the sublime mystery of re-
generation, there was human element
there was work to be done by the human
spirit-by the reason, the conscience, the
power of attention, and, above all, by that
imperial power-the will And the same
truth is taught in the New Testament:
" Work out Our o1On salvation with fear
and trembling, for it is God that worketh
in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure. The preacher who tells his
hearers that the carnal mind is enmity
against God, that without regeneration
no man can be saved, and that no power
but Almighty power can regenerate-
does right-preaches sound doctrine; but
if he stops there, if he breaches that the
unrenewed sinner has nothing to do in
the hiuh rnoffer of HE o,t-,, ,orTonoro4;oO