Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-12-28
REGENERATION.
BY REV. j. T. CURRY.


ment. Hence the term occupies a
much larger place in theology than
it does in the New Testament. The
first passage in which the term is
found, is from the lips of the Master,
Matt. xix, %: "And Jesus said unto
them, verify 1 say unto you, that We
which have followed me, in the re-
generation, when the Son of man
shall sit in the thrown of His glory,
We also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes
of Israeli" The exact sense of this
passage is obscure. The radical idea
Of the word regeneration is reproduc-
ton. 1t carries this meaning always,
whether applied to material or spir-
itual things. Hence in the passage
Just quoted there is the general idea
of the reproduction or renovation of
the material world, an event which
is to follow the second coming of
Christ, and which marks the compile
ton of his mediatOrial works, and in
PRODUCES the final glorious dispense
ton, in which the redeemed shall
reign with Christ and share his glory.
In the sermon which Peter delivered
in SolomOn's porch, after healing the
lame man, an allusion is made to
this general renovation in the follow
ing words: "And He shall send Jesus
Christ, which before was preached
unto you, whom the heaven must
receive until the times of the resti-
tuition of all things, which God hath
spoken by the mouth Of His holy
prophets since the world began"
Acts iii, 20, 2l.) The restitution Of
all things" will include the "regener-
alton" or reproduction of the world.
These passa ges give the most general
idea of regeneration. But in
this sense the word does not
apply, or rather come within
personal experience. The word
RECREATION holds its radical meaning
in personal experience most truly;
lie. it is reproduction of divine life
in the soul. at is that great change
which God works in the soul when
he brings it into life: when he raises
it from the death of sin to the life of
Righteousness. 1t is the change
wrought in the whole soul by the al
mighty Spirit of God when it is
created anew in Christ jesus
when it is renewed after the image
of God, in righteousness and true
holiness when the love of the world
is changed into the love of God; pride
into humanity; passion into meek
ness, hatred, envy, malice, into sim
cere, tender, disinterested love of all
mankind"
Regeneration has its radical mean>
ing as realized in experience in Titus
iii, 5; mot by works of Righteousness
which we have done, but according
to MS mercy he saved us, by the
washing Of regeneration, and renew
ing of the Holy Ghost, which he
shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Savior" Here the work
Of regeneration is expressed by the
phrase renewing of the Holy Ghost
and this phrase is subjoined to the
washing of regeneration" to indi-
cate its spiritual importance in the
transaction. The washing" or
laver of regeneration is the outward
act, the religious use Of water in hap.
tism, by which the real renewing by
the Holy Ghost is emblematically SET
forth, and as this use of water sym.
bOlizes the work of the Spirit, the
phrase (which he shed on us abun.
dantly' relates both to the descent Of
the water in baptism and to the de
scent of the Holy Ghost in its renew
ing and lifeNgiving power. Both
were "shed on u.s." both fell upon
the subjects Of salvation, as rain falls
upon the earth. The outward and
the inward washing and renewal are
joined together, because the one is
the ordained symbol of the other
and in this representation of the di-
vine order, the apostle assumed that
the outward was not an empty and
meaningless ceremony, but a true
baptism, marking and signifying an
inward work of grace, the renewing
Of the Holy Ghost" which is the
real regeneration. The outward act
Of baptism, though emblematic
pledged the recipient to new life o.
faith and obedience; and, therefore
the whole transaction formed an era
a new departure, wherein the ole
life of sin was renounced and the new
life of holiness was begun; and the