The new birth: ...

Front matter

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Prefatory Note

3> HE first four chapters of this volume have £/ appeared, substantially, in the Bibliotheca 9S^P Sacra for the current year. By special

& arrangement with the publisher of that Quarterly they are now re-issuecl, with one additional Chapter.

If my brethren in the ministry, Sabbath-school teachers, and other thoughtful Christians, find suggestions in these pages which help them, either in their own Christian culture or in their efforts to win souls to Christ, my chief object in this publication will be gained. I cannot but hope, also, that thinking men w r ho do not own the Christian name w r ill find here the Way of Salvation, commended to them by the same intuitions and calm reasonings to which they are accustomed to judge of truth in other things.

AUSTIN PHELPS.

Andover Theological Seminary, Nov. 15, 1866.

CHAPTER I. Pagrg

CON VERSION — ITS NATURE 11

I. — Faith of Common Sense in the Necessity of Conversion 11

II. — Biblical Emblems of Conversion. ... 16

III. — Conversion not a Ritual Change . . . 22

IV. — Conversion not a Constitutional Change . . 24

Conversion more than Miracle .... 28

Conversion a Fact in Experience . • . . 30

Conversion a Reasonable Change . • • . 31

Constitutional Conversion not a Duty . . . 36

V. — Conversion not a Mystical Change ... 38

VI CONTENTS.

VI. — Conversion" a Radical Change Counterfeits of Conversion A Converted Man, a New Man Character under a Law of Perpetuity Conversion the Supreme Change

Pago

44 47 51 52 56

Chapter II. Regeneration The Work Of God ... 58

I. — What do we mean by Divine Sovereignty in Regeneration ? 69

II. — Regeneration a Solitary Disclosure op God . 63

III. — Biblical View op the Supernatural in the New

Birth . 67

IV. — Experience op the New Birth suggestive of a

Supernatural Cause 71

God suggested by the Manner of Conversion . . 73

God suggested by the Magnitude of Conversion . 78

God suggested by the Phenomena of Revivals . . SI

God suggested by Unconscious Conversion . . 84

COXTEXTS. Vll

Pago

V. — Moral Uses op the Doctrine of Supernatural

Regeneration 90

The Profound Nature of Depravity .... 90

The Harmony of Truth with Mind .... 94

Man's Renewal, a Work worthy of God ... 95

The Lowliness of God 96

The Holy Spirit a Personal Friend .... 99

The Law of Dependence 100

Chapter III

TRUTH THE INSTRUMENT OF REGENERATION . 103 I. — Biblical View op Truth as a Power . . 104 II. — The Instrumentality op Truth a Fact in Regeneration 109

The Instrumentality of Truth Invariable . . 112

The Regeneration of Infants 115

III. — The Mode in which Truth acts in Regeneration 119

TV. — The Simplicity of Regeneration . . . 124

V. — The Evidences of Conversion intelligible to

Common Sense ....... 129

Vlll

CONTENTS.

VI. — Creed Essential to Character . VII. — Christianity Independent of Fine Art VIII. — The True Ideal of the Pulpit

" Great Sermons " .

Affectations of the .Pulpit Popular Criticism of the Pulpit Repose in Truth

Page

132 135 140

143 146 150 155

CHAPTEE IY.

RESPONSIBILITY AS RELATED TO SOVEREIGNTY IN THE NEW BIRTH ....

I. — Difficulties of the Subject practical II. — The Sense of Responsibility an Intuition III. — Responsibility not Destroyed by Depravity IV. — Biblical Theory of Responsibility . V. — Ability the Measure of Obligation .

" I can, because I ought "

Ability the Teaching of Common Sense .

VI. — Responsibility and Sovereignty Harmonious

178 181

CONTENTS.

VII. — How to Answer the Inquiry, "What must I do

TO BE SAVED 7

IX

Page

, Repentance and Faith Practicable, like other Duties 192 The Dependence of Guilt more Absolute than the

Dependence of Necessity 196

Grace not Justice 203

Encouragement to Immediate Repentance . . 206

The Ruin of a Soul its own work

. 210

Chapter V. The Indwelling Oe The Holy Spirit . . 214

I. — The Sacredness op a Christian's Being . . 215

The Indwelling of the Spirit not an Incarnation . 218

IL — The Restoration op Lost Self-respect . , 221

The Tyranny of Remorse . . . . ,221

Discoveries of a Pure Conscience . . . ,224

Courage in the Day of Judgment . . . .272

K. CONTENTS.

Page

III. — The Intensity op Regenerate Life . . . 229

Latent Piety Unnatural 230

Is Regenerate Experience Fanatical ? . . .232

IV. — The Working op the Spirit by Discoverable

Laws 236

The Law of Harmony with other Revelations of God 238 The Law of Harmony with the Nature of Mind . 239

The Law of Co-operation 243

The Law of Sanctification by Prayer . . . 246 The Law of Trust in a Divine Plan . . • .250

THE NEW BIRTH.