Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-04-19
THE MIRACLE OF
| CONVERSION

| Some minds show a strange perNerSltE
to bell we my thing provided it is not
! in the Bib e. If from the ruins of Nip
pur tablets are taken on which are re-
corded the story Of the Deluge they can
believe il. although they could in no wise
credit the history when they read 1T in
the booL of Genesis.
Likewise the minds of this sort dis
credit re .igious experience when told by
some humble saint who knows God for
himself: but they arrend to all the in
conseque 'tial talk of Prof James on the
subject, who seems never to have known
for himself a religious experience of anv
variety" To such persons a book
| which has recently appeared in England
may be Of interest. AND POSSIBLY
OF SOME PROFIT. II is the work Of
| Mr.. Harold Begbie. and is called Twice
Born Men," 1t is described as a elm
ic in regeneration" 1T appears to be
most forcible and wise presentation of
the supreme importance OF conversion
by the power Of the Holy Ghost. Dwight
L. Moody, George Whitefield. John Wes-
ley, or Jonathan Edwards spoke not
more poInteoly on this great subject
than does Mr.. Begbie.
In his introduction the author saws:
Whatever it may pc, conversion is the
only means by which radically
bad person may be changed into a rad
ically good person. Whatever we may
think of the phenomenon itself, the fact
| stands clear and unassailable that, by
| this thing called conversion, men con-
sciously wrong, inferior and unh Apply be-
come consciously right, superior, and
happy. 1t produces not a change, but
| revolution In character. 1t does not al
ter; 1t creates a new personality.
The phrase a new birth is not a rne-
torical hyperbole, but fact of the ply
steal kingdom. Men, VINO have been ir-
retrievably bad and under conversion
have become ardent savers of the lost,
| tell us, with all the pathetic emphasis
of thu cir inexpressible and impenetrable
discovery, that in the change which over
| came them they were conscious of being
| born again To them-and we cap go
! to no other authorities--this tremendous
revolution in personality signifies new
birth. 1t transforms Goner1l into Cor
della, Caliban into Ariel, Saul OF Tarsus
into Paul the apostle.
There Is no medicine, no act oil Par
lament, no moral treatise. and no inven-
ton or philanthropy which can trans
| form a man radically bad into a man
radically good. If the State. burdened
| and shackled by it's horde Of outcasts
and sinners, would Dlarcn freely and eff
ficiently to it's goal, it must be at the
| hands Of religion that relief is sought.
Only religion can perform the miracle
that will convert the burden into assist
ance.
| There is nothing else; there can be
nothing else. Science despairs OF these
people and pronounces them hopeless
and incurable. Politicians find them
| selves at the end of their resources.
Philanthropy begins to wonder whether
it's charity could not be turned into
! more fertile channel. The law speaks
Of criminal classes 1t is only religion
that is not in despair about this mass
of profltless evil dragging at the heels
of progressive religion which still be-
lieves in miracle"
This Is no more than tens of thou
sands of good men and women have
been saying for years; but it may be
needed when uttered by Mr.. Begbie as it
| has not been when said by them. Whether
| said by one man or by many, it is nei-
Their more nor less than true, and to any
| religious teacher who knows not this
truth we may justly say what Jesus said
TO Nicodemus, 1.-The man of the Phari-
sees: Art thou a master in Israel and
knowest not these things?"
| Among certain classes in our day there
is manifest a marked unwilltngness TO
| accept anything that is supernatural;
thew scout miracles and magnify law.
| But our God is free Person, and He
has a way of making the theories of men
OF no effect when they stand in the way
OF his kingdom. While dainty takers
| in academic halls are discounting the
miraculous, ardent evangelists all over
the world are seeing daily wrought before
their eyes the greatest of all miracles,
THE miracle of conversion. In this mat
/ ter the Captain Of Salvation Army
band could give the sceptical scientists
| facts of unquestionable, history which
deserve explanation quite as much as any
OF the facts of earth and air and sea
Iupon which they bestow so much pains
taking study. But would they have the
| fairness and discernment required for the
correct Interpretation of these nobler
things of the spiritual world? Mr.. Darwin
had the fairness to admit such facts,
but his mind had become so atrophied
on one side he was wholly incapable of
understanding them. Speaking of him
Admiral Sir James Sullivan says, Mr..
Darwin had often expressed to me his
conviction that 1t was utterly useless to
send missionaries to such a set of savages
as the Fuegians probably the very lowest
of the human race. / had always replied
that 1 did not believe any human beings
existed too low to comprehend the sim
pie message OF the Gospel of Christ. At
ter many years he wrote to me that the
recent account of the Mission showed
that he had been wrong and 1 right a..
and he requested me to forward to the
Society the enclosed cheque for pounds
| S25), as a testimony 'of his interest in
| their good work.
| In both the home and foreign field /
have myself witnessed such transforma
tions of character as could in no wise be
| explained except upon the basis of the
new birth as taught in the New Testa-
ment. Wild men were tanned, proud men
were made humble and gentle. men of
lfierce passions and bloody records were