The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 355

XXIII. Regeneration and Faith. " Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of

Word

of God,

deth forever."

There

is

by the which liveth and abiincorruptible,

—

i

Peter

i.

23.

a possible objection to what has been said above con-

cerning regeneration.

our symbols of

faith,

It is

evident that God's Word, and therefore

offers a modified

representation of these

condemn our repreThis representation, which does not consider children,

things which, superficially considered, seems to sentation.

but

adults,

may

thus be stated

:

Among

a circle of unconverted per-

God causes the Word to be preached by His ambassadors of the cross. By this preaching the call reaches them. If there are elect persons among them, for whom it is now the time of loi^e, God sons

accompanies the outward ca.\\ with the inward. Consequently they turn from their ways of sin to the way of life. And so they are . begotten of God. Thus St. Peter presents the matter, saying: " Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." And also St. Paul when he declares, " That faith is by the hearing, and the hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. x. 17). It fully harmonizes with what St. Paul writes concerning holy Baptism, which he calls the washing of " regeneration," for in those days Jew and Gentile were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, immediately after their conversion, by the preaching of the apostles. For this reason our fathers confessed in their Confession (article 24) " We believe that this true faith, being wrought in man by the hearing of the word of God, and the operation of the Holy Ghost, doth regenerate and make him a new man." And likewise teaches :

the Heidelberg Catechism (see question 65)

:

"

Such

faith proceed-

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