Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-08-06
&eaatua fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED By
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
(Orlglnal.]
REGENERATION.

some nave Ill experimental huoWiooSo Va
this change. They know that they once
were dead in trespasses and sins. They once
loved sin and hated holiness. Now it is diff
ferent. They are alive and hate sin and
love holiness. This change cannot be ac-
counted for by the laws which govern phys
ical development. All men do not, as they
grow in years and experience, cease to sin
and learn to do we'll. The reverse of this is
true. Those who break off their sins by
Righteousness, and their iniquities by turn
ing unto the Lord their God, are exceptions
to the general rule. Rather they act con-
trary to the rule of nature.
The change which some experience is va
riously designated in the Scriptures. 1t is
called "being born again." "being begotten
again." "being quickened," and in theolog-
ical works, lit is often called "being regene-
rated."' tits described in the Scriptures as
"creation," as resurrection" and by SIM
liar modes of expression, all of which i'm
press us with the idea that there is some
thing mysterious but real about the change
which takes place in all that believe in
Jesus Christ.
Since none will deny that such a change
takes place, except those who will refuse to
believe the Scriptures and the testimony of
their own observation, it will be profitable
for every Individual to examine carefully
which is commonly called regeneration,
may be learned. 1t will help us in our ef-
forts to investigate this subject, to consider
the moral condition of the human family
since the fall. This is expressed in one
short sentence -"dead in trespasses and
sins.n The, word dead, in this connection,
does not mean that the human family have
ceased to exist, or ceased to act, or ceased to
be responsible for their acts, but that on &C,
count of their sins, or because they nave al!
sinned, they are dead to all that is good and
alive to all that is evil. The death spoken
of is spiritual, and must be SO considered,
otherwise no definite idea can be attached
to it. The entrance of sin into the heart OF
man produced fearful change. The soul
was not blotted out of existence, but every
lineament of the image of God, in which it
was created, was effaced It did not cease
to be an immortal soul, capable of knowing,
and feeling, and willing, but it lost the Ca
pability of knowing and feeling and willing
acceptably to God. No matter how much
individuals may disagree as to the manner
in which 'all men sinned in Adam and tell
with him in his first transgression,"' the tact
still remains This the history of the race
demonstrates to a moral certainty. All men
sin, and sin because there is in every hu-
man being an irresistible prOneness to sin.
| This proneness to sin or alienation from
| God, can be accounted for in no other way
| than that Through one man sin entered into
the world, and death through sin; and SO
death passed unto all men, for that all
sinned." Here it is evident that death in
cludes all the physical and moral conse-
quences of sin.
In the Scriptures there is a parallelism
| traced between Adam and Christ AS splr-
itual death and a reign of sin entered
through Adam, so eternal life and reign OF
Righteousness enter through Jesus Christ.
| What was defaced in Adam is renewed in
Jesus Christ; what Adam lost was restored
| by Christ. Whatever detriment the souls
of the descendants of Adam suffered by, or
through the sin of Adam on account OF their
covenant relation to him, is restored by
Jesus Christ to all who are in covenant with
him.
| In its nature, regeneration is the restoring
to the soul what it lost in Adam. 1t is q
work of the Holy Spirit, by whom spiritual
life is communicated and the soul is maze
spiritually alive. No new faculties are be-
slowed upon the soul, and no original facui-
ties are taken away from it, but the primi-
tive faculties with which it was originally
endowed are restored to their proper eXer-
else. The perceptive faculty of the soul,
which, by nature, is blind, is made able to
see; the affections, which by nature are
beastly. are purified and elevated and set
upon God the will, which by nature is stub
born and rebellious, is subdued into subjec-
tion to the will of the ruler of the universe.
Regeneration, it is evident, is not the re-
suit of natural causes. To create is the pc.
culiar province of God, yet those who are
regenerated have clean heart created and
right spirit renewed within them. Edu-
cation may do; much to develop, but to Gre
ate is not within its province. Regenera-
ton is not hereditary. It does not descend
| to children from their parents as the color OF
| their hair, the features of their face, or the
diseases of their bodies descend. Sin is he
reditary, but each individual who is regen-
Grated is "born of God"
The feature of regeneration which de-
mands our special attention is it's necessity.
That it is necessary to "be born again." or
regenerated is evident from the express dec
laration of the Saviour. This he repeats
several times in his conversation with Mich
odemus, and it is a plainly taught doctrine
of the whole Scriptures.
A moments reflection will enable any one
| to see that there can be no practical cove
| nant relationship with Jesus Christ until re-
generation takes place. Allare born into the
world subject to the conditions of the cove
nant of works. Its penalties still hang over
them and must continue to rest upon them
until they pass out of the covenant relation
ship with Adam and enter into covenant re-
lationship with Jesus Christ. 1t IS impos-
sible for them to be united in covenant with
both Adam and Jesus Christ at the same
time. So long as they stand connected by
covenant, or in the covenant of works with
Adam they can have no connection with
Jesus Christ in the covenant of grace. In
Adam is to be out Of Christ, and in Christ
is to be out of Adam. So long. as. we are
dead in trespasses and sins we are in Adam,
but so soon as we are born from above we
are in Christ Jesus and out of Adam.
Without regeneration there can be no con-
forlnity in life to the will of God. Without
life there can be living. So long as we are
dead in trespasses and sins we must contin-
service to God. Without the germ there
can be no terminating. Regeneration is the
germ Of all spiritual growth.
Without regeneration we are lncapaclta-
ted, either for the service of God in this
world, or the enjoyment of the bliss of heav-
en-. Without holiness no man shall see the
Lord. Without being clad with marriage
garment no one shall enter into the mar
riage supper of the Lamb. Without spirit
ual life there can be no spiritual living, and
where there is no spiritual living there can
be no spiritual enjoyment,
While regeneration is the work OF the
Holy Spirit, it is not effected without
means, as the creation of the world, or con-
trary to means, but in the use of means OF
divine selection and appointment. The
connection between the use OF the means
and the result isvery delicate and cannot
connection and it is all-important. The
nr;po;n,I ,ooonc calootnd hv the HOlv Snirit