The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 359

REGENERATION AND FAITH

'319

second stage, that of conversion, He employs means, viz., the preaching of the Word; and in the third stage, that of sanctification, He uses means in addition to ourselves, whom He uses as means.

Condensing the foregoing, there

is

one great act of God which viz., the comprehen-

new man,

re-creates the corrupt sinner into a

which contains three parts

sive act of regeneration,

— quickening,

conversion, and sanctification.

For the ministry of the Word it is preferable to consider only the last two, conversion and sanctification, since this is the appointed means to effect them. The first, regeneration, is preferably a subject of private meditation, since in it man is passive and God only active; and also because in

most apparent. Hence there is no

tion

it

the majesty of the divine opera-

is

conflict or opposition.

Referring, according only to conversion and sanctification, the unstopping of the deaf ear as preceding the bearing of the Word to the Confession, article 17,

is

not denied.

version,

"

in

And

the canons of Dort),

and

penetrating into the work which antedates conin us without our aid" (article 12 of

which God works it is

not denied, but confessed, that conversion

sanctification follow the unstopping of the deaf ear,

in the

proper sense, regeneration

is

and that, completed only at the death of

the sinner.

Do

not suppose that

we make

a biography of Napoleon his birth, but one

it

these two to conflict.

would be

sufficient

might also mention, more

that took place before his birth.

In writing

simply to mention

in particular, the things

Just so in this respect

:

I

may refer

two parts of regeneration, conversion and sanctification, or I may include also that which precedes conversion, and speak also of the quickening. This implies no antagonism, but a mere difference of exactness. It is more exhaustive, with reference to regeneration, to speak of three stages— quickening, conversion, and sanctification; altho it is customary and more practical to either to the

speak only of the

last two.

Our purpose, however, calls for greater completeness. The aim of this work is not to preach the Word, but to uncover the foundations of the truth, so as to stop the building of crooked walls

upon the foundation-stone, ists, and Supematuralists.

after the

manner

of Ethicals, Rational-

Exhaustiveness in treatment requires to ask not only,

"

How and

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