8. A Word to the Moral Regenerators of Any Age

God, our heavenly Father, works through means, as we all acknowledge. His means are wisely suited to the ends he has in mind. His agents are the best agents for the work he has to accomplish. He does not use physical means or agents for moral ends and purposes. Nor does he produce physical effects through moral means and agents. He has chosen to use not angels, but humans in the work of regenerating the world. People have written, printed, and published the gospel for nearly two thousand years. They have passed it down from generation to generation. They have translated it from language to language and carried it from country to country. They have preached it in word and deed, and thus it has come down to our time.

During the current administration of the reign of Heaven, no change is to be expected; no new mission is to be started, no new order of preachers is to be established. The King has gone to a distant country; and before his departure, he gathered his servants and entrusted them with the management of his estate until he returns. He has not yet come to settle accounts with them. They were commanded first to proclaim the doctrine of his reign; then to write it in a book, and to entrust it to faithful men, who would be able to teach it accurately to others. By these faithful men the records have been kept; and through their vigilance and diligence they have been protected from corruption, interpolation, and change. One generation handed them over to the next; and if ignorant and unfaithful copyists neglected their duty, others more faithful corrected them; and now we are able to hear the words Jesus spoke and to read the very passages written by the Apostles.

Thus, whatever the Prophets and the Apostles have accomplished since their death has been done by human agents like ourselves. Where people have not carried this message in speech or writing, not one of our race knows God or his anointed Savior. No angel nor Holy Spirit has been sent to the pagan nations; and God has exerted no power outside of his word to enlighten or reclaim savage nations. These indisputable facts and truths have much moral significance and should strongly motivate our efforts to regenerate the world.

The best means of doing this is the task now before us; and this is one whose importance cannot be easily overstated. There are three ways of proceeding in this case, which now seem to occupy a considerable share of public attention. These are properly called theorizing, declaiming, and preaching; on each of which we may offer a remark or two in passing.

The theorists are those who are always speculating about correct ideas or the true theory of conversion. They are great masters of method, and with some of them it is a serious error to place faith before regeneration, or repentance after faith. Heresy, to them, is the disruption of the method they have proposed for God to work by in converting the sinner. And the true faith connected with salvation is an understanding of this theory and acceptance of it. These are all theorists, heady or speculative Christians; and with them the whole scheme of redemption is a splendid theory.

Our motto is, Theory for the doctors, and medicine for the sick. Doctors thrive on theories, but patients die who rely on theory for a cure. A few grains of practice are worth a pound of theory. The mason and the carpenter build the house by rule; but the one who lives in it lives by eating and drinking. No one has ever been healed physically, politically, morally, or religiously by learning a correct theory of their physical, political, moral, or religious ailment. We might as well expect to heal a liver ulcer by a lecture on that organ, its functions, diseases, and cures, as to restore a sinner by means of the theory of faith, repentance, regeneration, or effectual calling. But on this enough has already been said, and more than enough to convince those who can think and dare to reason on such topics.

The declaimers are not only those who praise virtue and condemn vice, but also the large and respectable group who appeal to the passions, hopes, and fears of people. They are those who are so rhetorical about the joys of heaven and the terrors of hell: who horrify, terrify, and entice by the power of their descriptions, the inflections of their voices, the force of their gestures, and their touching anecdotes. Their listeners are either dissolved in tears or frantic with terror. These talk much about the heart; and, in their view, if a person's heart were removed, all their religion would be removed with it. The religion of their converts flows in their blood and is based on their passions.

The preachers, properly so called, first address the understanding by declaring or narrating the wonderful works of God. They state, illustrate, and prove the great facts of the gospel; they lay the entire record before their listeners; and when they have testified what God has done, what he has promised and threatened, they urge their listeners on these grounds and persuade them to obey the gospel, to surrender themselves to the guidance and direction of the Son of God. They address the whole person—their understanding, will, and affections—and approach the heart by taking the stronghold of the understanding.

The skilled and wise proclaimer of the word will always find it wise to address his audience in their proper character; to approach them through their prejudices, and never to criticize these preconceptions, which are not directly opposed to the meaning and purpose of the ministry of reconciliation. He will present the examples found in sacred history, which show that the same message is not to be preached in every place and to every assembly, even when it is necessary to proclaim the same gospel. Paul's addresses to the Athenians, Lycaonians, Antiochians, to Felix, the jailer, and King Agrippa, are full of instruction on this topic.

Augustine wrote a treatise on preaching, which Luther proposed as a model for himself; but it is said that Augustine fell as far short of his own precepts as any of his contemporaries. We all find it easier to give advice to others than to follow it ourselves. In Augustine's treatise, which in some respects influenced and shaped the style and plan of Luther, and through him all Protestants, much is said about the best rhetorical way "of presenting the truth to others;" but it leans more toward the art of the scholastics than the wisdom of the Apostles. He focuses more on the best style and way of expressing oneself than on the content to be delivered.

Our best guidance in this matter comes more from the books of Deuteronomy and Nehemiah than from any other source outside the New Testament. The book of Deuteronomy may be regarded as a series of sermons or discourses delivered to the Jews by their great teacher, Moses, rather than as part of Jewish history. Two things in this book deserve great attention. The first is the simplicity, fullness, and detail of his narratives of the incidents on the journey through the wilderness—God's actions and theirs for the last forty years are faithfully and clearly presented. The second is the use made of these facts—the conclusions drawn, the arguments made, and the exhortations offered based on these facts. For a clear and beautiful example of this, the interested reader should carefully read the first four chapters of Deuteronomy. The fact and the application, the argument and the exhortation in Moses' style, cannot fail to instruct.

The writings of the scribes during the captivity teach us how to address a people who have lost the true meaning of God's oracles. The readings, explanations, exhortations, and prayers of Ezra and Nehemiah are full of instruction for Christians in these days of Babylonian captivity. Addressing a people long accustomed to hearing the Scriptures, yet ignorant of them and therefore disobedient, requires all the wisdom and prudence that can be gained from Jewish and Christian records.

The manner of address, next to the content, is most important. The weightiest arguments, the most solemn appeals, the most heartfelt remonstrances, if not supported by the speaker's gravity, sincerity, and piety, will be like water spilled on the ground. A little levity, a few jokes, a sarcastic tone, a conceited attitude, or a harsh expression will often neutralize all the merits of the most scriptural and edifying discourse. The great work of regenerating people is too solemn, too awfully serious and divine, to allow anything like that. Humility, calmness, devotion, and all kindness in appearance as well as in language are essential to successfully proclaiming the great facts of the Living Oracles. He who can smile in his discourse at the follies need not weep over the misfortunes of the ignorant and superstitious. He who, while preaching the gospel, mocks and ridicules the errors of his fellow believers is, for the time being, disqualified to persuade them to accept the truth or gladly receive the message of salvation.

Those preachers have been sadly mistaken who have sought popularity through eccentricities and courted laughter rather than souls—who, by their anecdotes and foolish jokes, told with the Bible before them, have thought to make themselves useful by making themselves ridiculous—and to regenerate people by teaching them how to violate the precepts of the gospel and to disdain the examples of the Great Teacher and his Apostles.

It will not do. These are the weapons of this world, not part of the armor of light. Jesus and his Apostles never approved, by precept or example, such a course; and it is condemned by all sensible people, whether Jews or Gentiles, believers or nonbelievers. In attempting to regenerate people, we must present to them the new person, not the old person, both in the preacher and in the message; and while we seek arguments to convince and attract them, we must show in our speech and behavior that we believe what we preach. This is what the Apostles and Evangelists did. They commended themselves to every person's conscience in the sight of Jesus Christ.

Error must be confronted. It must be opposed by the truth. But it may be asked whether darkness may not be more easily dispelled by introducing light than by elaborate discussions about its nature and attributes. The same applies to moral darkness, or error. To dispel it most effectively, the easiest and quickest way is to introduce the light of truth. No preacher is required to learn all the errors of all ages to oppose them; nor is the congregation enlightened in the knowledge of God by such detailed expositions of error. Present opposing errors may require attention; but to attack these most successfully, it is only necessary to emphasize the opposing truths.

This is a very serious subject and requires very serious attention. Much depends on a rational and scriptural decision of the question, Which is the most effective way to oppose and destroy error? To help us in this inquiry, it is necessary to examine how the Prophets and Apostles opposed the errors of their times. The world was as full of error then as it has ever been since. The idolatries of the Pagan world and the various doctrines of the sects of philosophers, both inside and outside the land of Israel, presented as much work for them as the various heresies of apostate Christendom present for us. Their general rule was to turn the artillery of light and focus the arrows of day on the dark shadows of any particular error. Their philosophy was: — The splendor of light most clearly reveals the blackness of darkness and scatters it from its presence. Thus they opposed idolatry, superstition, and error of every kind. Going forth in the armor of light, like the sun in the morning, the shadows of night retreated from their presence, and the cheerful beams of day so delighted the eyes of their converts that they loved darkness no more. Let us go and do likewise.

An intimate knowledge of the Holy Scriptures is the best tool for the work of regenerating people. The best passage I have found in the celebrated treatise of Augustine on preaching is the following: —

"He, then, who handles and teaches the word of God should be a defender of the true faith and a conqueror of error; and in accomplishing this, the goal of preaching, he should win over the opposed, encourage the indifferent, and point out to the ignorant their duty and future prospects. When, however, he finds his audience favorably disposed, attentive, and teachable, or succeeds in making them so, then other things are to be done, as the case requires. If they are to be instructed, then, to make them familiar with the subject in question, narration must be used; and to establish what is doubtful, reasoning and evidence must be employed. If they are to be moved rather than instructed, then, to awaken them from stupor in putting their knowledge into practice, and bring them to fully agree with those things they confess to be true, there will be need for the higher powers of eloquence; it will be necessary to plead, rebuke, excite, restrain, and do whatever else may prove effective in moving the heart.

"All this, indeed, is what most people constantly do regarding those things they undertake to accomplish by speaking. Some, however, in their way of doing it, are blunt, cold, inelegant; others, clever, ornate, passionate. Now he who engages in the business of which I am speaking must be able to speak and argue with wisdom, even if he cannot do so with eloquence, so that he may benefit his audience; although he will benefit them less in this case than if he could combine wisdom and eloquence. He who is full of eloquence without wisdom is certainly all the more to be avoided, because the listener is delighted with what is useless to hear and thinks what is said is true because it is spoken elegantly. Nor did this idea escape the notice of those among the ancients who still regarded it as important to teach the art of rhetoric; they admitted that wisdom without eloquence benefited states very little, but eloquence without wisdom benefited them not at all and generally proved highly harmful. If, therefore, those who taught the principles of eloquence, even though ignorant of the true, that is, the heavenly wisdom 'which comes down from the Father of lights,' were compelled by the force of truth to make such a confession, and that too in the very books in which their principles were developed; are we not under far greater obligation to acknowledge the same thing, who are the sons and daughters of this heavenly wisdom? Now a person speaks with greater or less wisdom according to the proficiency he has made in the sacred Scriptures. I do not mean in reading them and memorizing them, but in rightly understanding them and diligently searching their meaning. There are those who read them and yet neglect them — who read them to remember the words but neglect to understand them. To these, without any doubt, those persons are to be preferred who retain fewer of the words of the Scriptures but search for their genuine meaning with the deepest feelings of the heart. But better than both is he who can repeat them when he wishes and at the same time understands them as they ought to be understood."15

Luther's favorite maxim was, "Bonus Textuarius, Bonus Theologus;" or, One well acquainted with the Scriptures makes a good theologian.

There is one thing, above all others, that must never be lost sight of by anyone who devotes himself to the work of regeneration. This all-important consideration is that the goal of all his efforts is to impress the moral image of God upon the moral nature of man. To imprint this image on the heart, to transform the mind of man into the likeness of God in all moral feeling, is the goal proposed in the remedial system. The mold into which the mind of man is to be cast is the Apostles' doctrine; or the seal by which this impression is to be made is the testimony of God. The gospel facts are like so many types, which, when scientifically arranged by an accomplished compositor, make a complete form, upon which, when the mind of man is placed by the power God has given to the preacher, every type makes its full impression on the heart. There is written on the understanding and engraved on the heart the will, or law, or character of our Father who is in heaven.

The Apostles were these accomplished compositors, who gave us a perfect 'form of sound words.' Our role consists in bringing the minds of people to this form or impressing it on their hearts. To do this most effectively, the preacher or evangelist must have the word of Christ dwelling in him richly, in all wisdom; and he must 'study to show himself approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.' He who is most eloquent and wise in the Holy Scriptures, who has them most at his command, will have the most power with people; because being furnished with the words of the Holy Spirit, he has the very arguments the Spirit of God chooses to use in quickening the dead and converting sinners. For not only Paul testifies to the effectiveness of the living word, but James and Peter also bear ample witness. 'Of his own will he brought us forth, by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.'16 'Having been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the word of the living God, which endures forever.'17 To the fruits of his labor, such a preacher with Paul may say, 'To Jesus Christ, through the gospel, I have regenerated, or brought you forth.'

Thus, in the midst of numerous interruptions, we have attempted to present to our readers the whole doctrine of Regeneration, in all its length and breadth, in the hope that after more particular attention to its meaning and value, by the blessing of God, they may devote themselves more successfully to this great work; and not only enjoy more of the Holy Spirit themselves but be more useful in advancing the moral regeneration of the world.

To God our Father, through the great Author of the Christian faith, who has preserved us in health in this day of affliction and great distress, be everlasting thanks for the renewing of our minds by the Holy Spirit, and for the hope of the regeneration of our bodies, of the heavens, and of the earth, at the appearance of the Almighty Regenerator, who comes to make all things new! Amen.

1 For Fact, Testimony and Faith, see pp. 109-121.

2 Num 5:7-8.

3 Lev 5:16.

4 Acts 26:20.

5 Adam Clarke on Gen 42:1-38:

6 Acts 19:18-20.

7 See Family Testament, Note 39, p. 74.

8 Gen 2:4.

9 Gen 5:1.

10 See Num 8:7. — xix. 9, 13, 20, 21. — xxxi. 23.

11 Ephesians, chap. 5: 26.

12 It may again be necessary in this sensitive age to note that in this essay, to clear the public mind on our use and understanding of the term regeneration, we have taken the broadest range that a supreme regard for the apostolic style could, in our judgment, allow. While we argue that the phrase bath of regeneration (Titus 3:5) is equivalent to immersion, as already explained, and as distinguished from the renewing of the Holy Spirit, of which the immersed believer is a proper subject; we have spoken of the whole process of renovation, not in the strict application of the phrase Titus 3:5, but rather in the full scope of the figure used by the Apostle. It is not the first act of begetting, nor the last act of being born, but the whole process of conversion alluded to in the figure of generation, to which we have directed the attention of our readers. For, as often stated before, our opponents deceive themselves and their listeners by representing us as ascribing to the word immersion, and the act of immersion, all that they call regeneration. While, therefore, we contend that being 'born again' and being immersed are, in the Apostle's style, two names for the same action, we are far from supposing or teaching that in forming the new person, there is nothing necessary but to be born. If anyone asks why this matter was not fully developed in our first essays on this subject, our answer is, Because we could not have anticipated that our opponents would have represented or misrepresented our views in such a way. If a General were asked why he did not arrange all his troops at the beginning of the battle as he had them arranged when he triumphed over his enemy, he would reply that the maneuvers and assaults of the enemy directed the disposition of his forces.

Our opponents argue for a regeneration that begins and is completed before faith or baptism—a spiritual change of mind by the Holy Spirit, prior to any knowledge, faith, or repentance, of which infants are as capable as adults; and, therefore, as we argue, they nullify the gospel. In response, they want their converts to think that we focus on nothing but water, and sarcastically call us advocates of "water regeneration." They believe there is something more sublime and divine in "spirit regeneration," and therefore claim the title of orthodox. This slander has been one reason for the present essay, and it has led to the part of it that gives the broadest possible meaning to the term regeneration, as analogy allows for the figure used by the Apostle. But when we speak in the exact language of the living oracles on this subject, we must represent being born again (John 3:5) and regeneration (Titus 3:5) as relating solely to the act of immersion. See Extra Defended, pp. 24-36.

13 August 1st. — I have just now opened the Cincinnati Baptist Journal of July 26, from which I read an approved definition of regeneration. It is orthodox,

spiritual, physical, mystical, and metaphysical Regeneration. It is quoted from the "STANDARD." Regeneration, in the Evangelical Standard, is defined as follows: —

• Is the sinner active in regeneration? Certainly he is. His mind is a thinking

rational principle, which never ceases to act; and therefore, when the word passive is applied to it by Old Divines or Calvinists, they do not mean that it is literally dead, like inert matter, which requires a physical impulse to set it in motion. They only mean to convey the scriptural idea that the Holy Spirit is the sole agent in regeneration, and that the sinner has no more effective agency in accomplishing it than Lazarus had in coming back to life from the dead. Still, they admit that his mind is very active, but unfortunately its activity is all against the Divine influence; as the Scriptures assure us, unregenerated persons 'always resist' the strivings of the Spirit. ' Every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil continually.' 'There is none who does good, no, not one.' The sinner, therefore, instead of voluntarily cooperating with the Holy Spirit, does all he can to resist his divine influence and prevent his own regeneration, until he is made willing by almighty power."

What a comforting thing this theory of regeneration is! The sinners to be regenerated are actively striving against the Divine influence. At the moment of regeneration, "he has," in one sense, "no more effective agency in accomplishing it than Lazarus had in coming back to life from the dead;" and in another sense, he is not passive, but "does all he can to resist the Divine influence and prevent his own regeneration, until he is made willing by almighty power." This is standard theology; and anyone who preaches this theology is a pious, regenerated, Regular Orthodox Baptist Christian Minister! How much value, on this theory, is there in all the preaching in Christendom? The Holy Spirit may be busily at work on some drunken sot or some vile debauchee, who is as dead as Lazarus on one side, and on the other resisting the Spirit with all his moral and physical energy, up to the moment that the Almighty arm pierces him to the heart with a sword and makes him alive by killing him!!!

The absurdity and licentiousness of such a view of the great work of renewal we had thought so glaring that no editor in the West would have had the boldness to publish it. This is proof of the necessity of our present essay and will explain to the intelligent reader why we have given the whole process of renewal the name of regeneration, which properly belongs to the last act.

14 Matt. 19:28.

15 From the Biblical Repository, p. 574. Translated from the Latin by A. O. Taylor, of Andover, Mass.

16 James 1:18. 17 1 Pe 1:23.