The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 360

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REGENERATION

320

what does the quickened sinner hear?" but also, "Who has given him hearing ears?" And this is all the more to be insisted upon because our children must not be ignored in this respect. At Dort, in 1618, our children were taken into account, and we may not deny ourselves this pleasant obligation.

And

herein lies a real danger.

without considering the

ening

— causes

first

For

to

speak of the

stage of regeneration

i.e.,

little

ones

the quick-

confusion and perplexity from which there

is

no

escape.

Salvation depends upon faith, and faith upon the hearing of the

Word hence our deceased infants must be lost, hear the Word. To escape this fearful thought it ;

for they can not is

the children are saved by virtue of the parents' faith

often said that

—a

misunder-

standing which greatly confused our entire conception of Baptism,

and made our baptismal form very perplexing. But as soon as we distinguish quickening, as a stage of regeneration, from conversion and sanctificatioti, the light enters. For since quickening is an unaided act of God in us, independent of the Word, and frequently separated from the second stage, conversion, by an interval of many days, there is nothing to prevent God from performing His work even in the babe, and the apparent conflict dissolves into beautiful harmony. Moreover, as soon as I regard my still unconverted children as not yet regenerate, their training must run in the direction of a questionable Methodism.* What is the use of the call so long as I suppose and know: " This ear can not yet hear"? Touching the question concerning " faith," we are fully prepared to apply the same distinction to this matter. You have only to discriminate between the organ or the faculty of faith, the poiver to exercise faith, and the worki?ig of faith. The first of these three, viz., \.h.Q faculty of faith, is implanted in the first stage of regeneration i.e., in quickening; the power of faith is imparted in the second stage of regeneration i.e., in conversion; and the working of Hence faith is wrought in the third stage i.e., in sanctification. if faith is wrought only by the hearing of the Word, the preaching of the

Word

does not create the faculty of

Look only works

in

faith.

what our fathers confessed at Dort man both to will and to do produces both the at

*See the author's explanation

:

of

Methodism

"

He who

7vill to be-

in section 5 of the Preface.

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