EXPOSITION OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF REGENERATION: THE DUTY AND MANNER OF PREACHING TO THE UNRE- BY JOHN T. DEMAREST. "If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracle of God." 1. PET. 4: 11. New-Brunswick, N. J. J. TERHUNE'S PRESS 1842. DISCOURSE I. "Who then is Paul, and who is Appollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Appollos watered: but God gave the increase. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."-1 Cor. 3: 5-7. Application of divine power to the heart necessary to the success of the gospel, and to the regeneration of the mind. We In the present day old exploded errors are revived, they have received a new name, and pass current in many portions of the visible church as the pure coin of apostolic truth, "as the faith once delivered to the saints." will mention one of these errors-against which it is our design to bring forward the clear testimony of "the word of truth." Many, in our day, contend that men are converted through the truth-by which they have de clared themselves to mean that the Spirit simply presents divine truth powerfully to the conscience and affections; but that hearers have it in their power after all to yield to its influence or not, according to their own will or choice. In other words, in the regeneration of the human soul, they consider the Holy Spirit purely as an eloquent orator, who does all he can to persuade sinners to comply with the terms of the gospel-which is the old Arminian doctrine of regeneration by Moral Suasion revived. From this it would seem to follow, that if ministers were only "as eloquent as the Holy Ghost, they could convert sinners as well as He." This, one of the new-old teachers, more honest than the rest, roundly declared. The words of the text however teach a doctrine exactly the opposite of this. They assert the application of divine power to the heart whenever the gospel is successful, and state also what part ministers bear in this most interesting, important, and delightful work. This subject intimately concerns all; for it involves. in it the question, what is necessary to the success of the gospel? for surely that (whatever it be,) which was needed to give efficacy to the preaching of apostles, and men of like gifts and character, must be equally necessary to the churches and ministry now, and to the end of time. First. What part do ministers bear in the regeneration of men by the gospel? "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord' gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase." The apostle in the preceding context is reproving the Corinthians. for their sinful partiality to ministers, and of the divisions, and disputes which this improper preference occasioned. In the first chapter he argues against this partiality in this way. "Is Christ divided ?" that is, is not the whole body of the faithful united by one spirit to Christ? why then, such partialities and contentions among you about Paul, Cephas, and Apollos, who all declare |