The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 333

jFourtb Cbapter.

REGENERATION. XIX. Old and

New

Terminology. " That which

is

born of the

flesh."—:/(?>^«

iii.

flesh is

6.

Before we examine the work of the Holy Spirit in this imporwe must first define the use of words. The word " regeneration " is used in a limited sense, and in a more

tant matter,

extended sense. It is used in the ti'/nited sense when it denotes exclusively God's act of quickeni7ig, which is the first divine act whereby God translates us from death into life, from the kingdom of darkness into the

kingdom

of

His dear Son.

In this sense regeneration is the start-

in iniquity and dead in trespasses and sins, and plants the principle of a new spiritual life in his soul. Hence he is born again. But this is not the interpretation of the Confession of Faith,

God comes to one born

ing-point.

for article

24 reads

:

"

We

believe that

this

Word

true faith, being

God and the operation of the Holy Ghost, doth regenerate and make him a new man, causing him to live a new life, and freeing him from the bondage of sin." Here the word " regeneration," used in its ivider sense, denotes wrought

in

man by

the hearing of the

of

the entire change by grace effected in our persons, ending in our

dying to sin in death and our being born for heaven. While formerly this was the usual sense of the word, we are accustomed now to the limited sense, which we therefore adopt in this discussion. Respecting the difference between the two formerly the work of grace was generally represented as the soul consciously observed

—

it

;

while

ness.

now

the

work

itself is

described apart frotn the conscious-

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