Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-01-11
geaaiinag 4 folt ii the Sabbath,
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
Original
IOngIHHr
gaga - REaENERATHDN. ~g y :

parts The first part embraces all that the
three persons of the Godhead did for man in
order to reconcile God to man. The second
part embraces all that the Supreme Being has
done, is doing and will do in order to reconcile
man to God. In what God did for man, man
was passive, or did nothing. God devised the
remedial scheme. He furnished the Saviour,
and the Saviour, alone, met all the require
ments Of the divine law! The obedience and
death of Jesus Christ reconciled God to his
chosen people, but his people were still unre-
conciled to God This is effected by the ope-
ration of the Holy Spirit.
In the first part of the remedial scheme,
God furnished the Saviour and the Saviour
performed the work assigned him. This work
consisted in furnishing for those chosen IN
Christ Jesus before the foundation OF the
world, arighteousness by which they could he
justified, and suffering the penalties OF the VI
olated law in their place. BY his obedience,
Jesus Christ furnished perfect Righteousness
for his people, and by his sufferings, which
| terminated in his death, he took away the
guilt of sin, or the liability to be punished for
| sin.
|
Christ were vicarious. That is, they were for
Others Not simply for the benefit OF, others,
| but they were in the room of others. In other
words, Jesus Christ obeyed and died as the
surety of his people.
A moments reflection will convince any one
| that none of the human family had anything
to do in all that Jesus Christ did in reconciling
God to man. Of the countless millions of the
human family now on the earth, not one had
an existence, save in the determinate purpose
of God, when Jesus Christ obeyed, suffered
and died. The death of Jesus Christ did not
| take place for four thousand years after the
| fall of man. During that period of forty CEN
turies, God the Father, trusted God, the Son,
| that he would, in the fullness of time, accom-
| plish the work he had voluntarily undertaken,
| and God, the Son, trusted God, the Father,
that he would fulfll his promises TO him. gg
| That those chosen in Christ Jesus may be
| made partakers of the redemption which he
purchased, they must be made new creatures.
It will not be denied that a great change is
| produced in. some of the human family. All
are shapen in iniquity, but some are made new
creatures in Christ Jesus. All are, by nature
dead in trespasses and sins, but some are
quickened into life.
This change, the Scriptures designate by a
variety of modes Of expression. In Deut.
3O:6, and Romans 30, it is described as a
circumcision of the heart. In Psalms 81 10,
| it is called the creation of clean heart. In
Eph. 2 10, it is thus described, "We are his
workmanship, icreatedi in Christ Jesus" tits
called resurrection in John 5 25 and Eph
5:14. In John 81 and 1st Peter 1 :23, it is
called a second birth and being born again.
In Titus 8 5, it is described as "the washing
of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy
Ghost.'
Strictly speaking, in none of the passages
referred to, nor in any other passage of the
Scriptures is regeneration defined. 1t is de.
scribed, but not defined. 1t is spiritual life,
and, consequently, cannot be defined. This
does not preclude our learning something about
it's nature. -' -. ~"
In the application of redemption, regenera-
ton is, in the order of nature and grace, pre-
ceded by vocation or calling The gospel is
offered to all, but only those regenerated actu-
ally accept of the offer" The reason that the
many to whom the gospel is offered reject:it,
is because they are dead in trespasses and sins,
and the reason that some accept the offer is
because they are quickened into life by the
HOLY Spirit. Their minds are enlightened,
their affections are renewed and their wills
subdued, and they are thus made new creatures
in ChristsJesus. ( !. = 4 . l..
1t is evident that the offer of the gospel is
accompanied by something in some cases that
it is not in all cases. The offer is to all, and
it is made in good faith, but only the few ac-
cept it. The natural state of all is the same,
and that state is everywhere in the Bible des-
cribed by the word death. Every one knows
that in the natural world death terminates all
action. The senses become extinct. There is
no more seeing or hearing, or tasting, or SMELL
ing, or feeling. The heart and lungs cease to
discharge their functions, and decay, putre-
faction begins it's work. The soul, dead in
trespasses and sins, is incapable OF action. The
understanding is darkened, the affections
alienated and the will rebellious. These fac
ultes of the soul are, in regeneration, restored
by the Holy Spirit. Those who were formerly
in darkness are made light in the Lord. Eph.
5:S; ''the desire of their souls is to the name
of God and to the remembrance of him." Is.
26 :S, and they are made willing in the day OF
Gods power. Psalms 1903.
Regeneration may be called a restoration.
In the fall, man lost the image of God in which
he was created. This image the Holy Spirit
restores in regeneration. The old man, which
is corrupt, is put off and the new man is put
| on.
From the Scriptures we learn that regenera-
tion is absolutely necessary in order to saliva
tion. No one who has read, with any care,
the Scriptures, will for one moment call this
declaration in question. Ye must be born
again, says our Saviour to NicOdemus. Faith
is necessary in order to salvation. Only those
who believe can be saved. The soul, dead in
trespasses and sins, is no more able to exercise
faith in Jesus Christ, than the body bereft of
life is capable of action.
Regeneration is absolutely necessary in Or
der to happiness. The body dead is incapable
of receiving any pleasure through the senses.
It ceases to be sentient. In the same way, we
conclude that the soul dead in trespasses and
sins, is incapable of holding communion with
God. The unregenerate are incapacltated to
serve God here and to enjoy him hereafter.
Since regeneration is a "creation," a ''new
BIRTH" 'being born again." its author is
God In the Scriptures it is sometimes as
cribed to the Father, sometimes to the Son,
and sometimes to the Holy Spirit. This will
appear from the following Scriptures 'The