Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-14

book the contents of which seem TO nave
surprised many people, and their SUI
prise is surprising to many others. The
book is Begbie's Twice Born Men," in
which is set forth some instances of
spiritual regeneration, together with
some exposition of them and differences
from them. 1t is book worthy OF APP
prevail The style is readable, and the
facts which it records are important.
But there Is not fact nor an inference
in 1t which has not been paralleled a
thousand times over in the history OF
the evangelistic services of the evangel-
ical churches in England and America
during the last hundred years. An old
magazine lies before me, which was
printed more than hundred years ago
by the Wesleyan's, and it is full
of instances of twice born men," which
are quite as remarkable as any recorded
by Mr.. Begbie. In my own brief and
commonplace, ministry / recall many
cases of twice born men," which If re-
corded and treated would fill a larger
work than that of Mr.. Begbie, and I
doubt not that every earnest preacher in
our land, who has sought to bring souls
to Christ and has had any great success
in his work, could more than match all
interesting treatise These men are
surprised that any others should be sur
prised at the contents of Mr.. Begbie's
work, as if he had brought some strange
things to our ears. Why should it be
thought incredible that God by his
Spirit should work the grace Of regen-
GRAFTON in the penitent souls of men
Why should regeneration be accounted
so marvellous after all that Jesus and
his apostles said about being born
again? Why should the fact of regen-
GRAFTON be so surprising to some after
all these christian centuries, during
which multiplied millions of souls have
been born again? Surprise at this most
common fact in the history of christian.
ity is most surprising.
And yet, perhaps, we ought not to be
surprised 1t has always been the way
of mere conventional religionists to be
ignorant of the deep things of the Spirit.
The Apostle Paul explains their incapac-
ity to take hold of these things Writ
ing to the Corinthians he said, THE
natural man receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God: for they are foolish
ness unto him: neither can be know
them, because they are spiritually dis
cerned." This explains the case of Mic
odemus, to whom the new birth was so
incomprehensible when Jesus pressed it
upon his attention. He also was sur
prised, as some are now surprised by
the facts Of Mr.. Begbie's book, and the
Master said to him, MARVEL not that
said unto thee, Ye must be born
again" Before the wonders of regen-
Grafton the man of the Pharisees stood
amazed and perplexed, as all the men of
the Pharises since have been con-
founded by the same unearthly expe-
rience. He could only say in reply to
the words of Jesus, How can these
things be?" His spiritual dullness was
surprising to the Son of God even, who
responded TO his wondering question,
art thou master in Israel, and know
est not these things?" 1t was strange
indeed that teacher in Israel could not
accept the doctrine of the new birth. If
he had read and carefully considered no
more of the Hebrew Scriptures than the
ffty-hrst Psalm, he ought not to have
been surprised by the teaching of Jesus
concerning regeneration; for did not
David in that penitential Psalm pray,
Create in me a clean heart, o God and
renew a right spirit within me-" And
had not God said OF Israel through his
prophet Ezekiel, II will take away the
stony heart out Of their flesh. and will
give them an heart of flesh, that they
may walk in my statutes and keep mine
ordinances, and do themT But all
those heavenly teachings Of Psalmist
and seer and prophet. with which the
Hebrew Scriptures abound, had been
emptied of their lofty significance by
Nicodemus and the sect to which he be-
longed; they had made them to mean no
more than a lot of ritualistic perform
ances and pompous exercises. They lost
all knowledge of the new birth, and be-
gan to build their hopes of salvation
upon historical SUGGESTIONS and natural
descent from Abraham; they began to
trust in ''heredity and environment in
religion John the Baptist was sur
prised when some Of them came to his
spiritual preaching, and he cried, %
generation of yipers, who hath warned
you to flee from the wrath to come
Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet TOT
repentance. And think not TO say with
in yourselves, we have Abraham to our
father: for 1 say unto you that God IL
able of these stones to raise up children
unto Abraham" The preacher of the will
derness for a brief season startled them
from the unreality of their conventional
religion, and they stood trembling be-
fore him as he opened to the multitudes
the great spiritual world. But they soon
relaspsed into their old ways of sham
ara pretence, and were incapable of I'M
Outstanding how publicans and sinners
could enter the kingdom OF heaven anu
they themselves be excluded. The con-
version of men like Matthew and Zach
Gus and Of women like the Magdalene
and the nameless outcast who came to
Jesus when he sat at meat in the house
of Simon, the Pharisee, were spiritual
phenomena quite as surprising to them
as al the conversiC s recorded by Mr.
Begbie surprising to the conventional
religionists in our own day. A Saviour
who come to seek and TO save the
lost was past their comprehension. The
IA It that he would go to be the guest OF
people who but a few days before were
social outcasts was a reproach to him
in their eyes; it was conclusive con-
domination of him when they said OF
him, This man receiveth sinners, and
eateth with them" Was not religion
with them a mere matter of taste, de-