nominates an "enthusiastic regeneration, "* Nor is this all; it overlooks the wonderful works of God, which were performed through many ages of the world, for the revelation and establishment of his word, that the church might be "perfect" as to means, "thoroughly furnished for every good work;" it disregards the uniform tenor of divine providence, sending the word as the means by which the church has been established in every part of the world, where it has existed; it leaves out of view the total cessation of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit as soon as the canon of revelation had been completed and sealed up, and forgets the standing command to try the spirits, because many false prophets have gone out into the world, 1 John iv. 1. In short, it opens the door to every species of the wildest enthusiasm and disorder, it inculcates that fanatical regeneration, under whose shadowing wings Quakerism, Mormonism, and every other similar delusion may find a secure asylum in the church of God, it is that imaginary regeneration without a heart and life conformed to the whole revealed will of God, which has in every age slain its thousands, and in our day its * De Vocatione et Fide, Quest. 4, Sec. 17.

lieve in the resserection

tens of thousands. "Regeneration is no delusive, oraculous voice, sounding into the natural ear, giving an imaginary idea and representation of Christ, as a man, so and so glorious and comely: no, no: may God deliver his people from such satanical delusions, too much supported by some in our day. But here there is no sound of human voices, no sight of human shapes, but a spiritual view of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, as he is the wisdom of God and the power of God; and a spiritual hearing of his quickening word of grace in the gospel, coming 'not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance,' 1 Thess. i. 5. Others hear the sound of words and syllables as well as they, but they do not hear the voice of the Son of God, touching, and reaching, catching, quickening and captivating their whole soul."*

XVII. The immediate operation of divine power through the instrumentality of the word, in the regenerating act, is a supernatural work, and therefore incomprehensible. But not more so than the production of animal and vegetable life. For, although the latter may be denominated a natural work in distinction

* Sermon by Ralph Erskine, on John v. 25.

from regeneration, still the manner is equally incomprehensible. This, indeed, is true of all the works of God, which are effected through the operation of second causes. Could the doctrine of immediate action without instrumentality in regeneration be established, it would effectually exclude all means from the government of God, and destroy all responsibility of the creature. Consequently, every argument which has been or can be adduced against the instrumentality of the word in regeneration, will apply with equal force against its instrumentality in the work of sanctification. But the Lord sanctifies his people through the truth, John xvii. 17. Still it is the Spirit who works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure, (Phil. ii. 13,) by an immediate exercise of the same divine power that he put forth in the regenerating act. It is believed that few will deny this doctrine; but, that you may believe it, listen attentively to God's unerring testimony in the scriptures: "Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power," Col. i. 11. "Wherefore, also, we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and THE WORK OF

FAITH WITH POWER; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ," 2 Thess. i. 11, 12. "That ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead," &c. Eph. i. 18-20. "Who are kept by THE POWER OF GOD, through faith unto salvation," 1 Pet. i. 5.

XVIII. The point at present in controversy then is not,-1. How the Spirit works in the regenerating act, his action being supernatural and mysterious. 2. Nor how the soul operates by the word in this act, for it is effected antecedently, "at least in the order of nature to any act of grace put forth by us." 3. Nor how the word operates, for it does not operate effectually by itself; it is not active, considered as separate from the Spirit. But the Spirit employs it, and gives it efficacy in the regenerating act, which being a supernatural work, the manner of the word's operation in the hand of the Spirit, must also necessarily lie beyond the sphere of human observation. But

the question is,-DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT ALWAYS EMPLOY EXTERNALLY "THE WORD OF TRUTH," IN THE VERY ACT OF REGENERATING ADULTS, WHO ARE IN THE EXERCISE OF THEIR FACULTIES? This question, the reader will find answered in the affirmative in the next chapter.

CHAPTER II.

THE WORD PROVED TO BE THE INSTRUMENT OF REGENERATION.

Having divested the question of extraneous matters, the reader will be able to weigh the direct and positive testimony of the scriptures, without any unnecessary incumbrance.

I. It may tend to the removal of prejudices to call attention by way of introduction to the divine procedure in the natural world. This is so clearly marked by the use of means, that, reasoning from analogy, we might readily conclude, that the employment of means is a universal principle in the moral government of God. His word was employed in the creation of all things out of nothing: "God said, Let there be light, and there was light." Gen. i. 3. “Let his