aspects, an essential part in the work. In most cases conviction of the truth, and of sin, a sense of shame, of remorse, of sorrow, and of anxiety, and longing desires after peace and security, pre- cede the work of regeneration ; and faith, joy, love, hope, grati- tude, zeal, and other exercises follow it, in a greater or less degree. In all these states and acts, in everything, in short, which falls within the sphere of consciousness, the truth acts an essential part. Tliese states and acts are the effects of the truth attended by the power, or demonstration of the Spirit. But regeneration itself, the infusion of a new life into the soul, is the immediate work of the Spirit. There is here no place for the use of means any more than in the act of creation or in working a miracle. Moses' smiting the rock attended the outflow of the water, but had not the relation of a means to an effect. So the truth (in the case of adults) attends the work of regeneration, but is not the means by which it is effected. Much preceded and much fol- lowed the healing of the man with a withered arm ; but the res- toration of vitality to the limb, being an act of divine omnipotence, was effected without the cooperation of secondary causes. There are two senses in which it may be said that we are begotten by the truth. First, when the word to beget (or regeneration), is meant to include the whole process, not the mere act of impa'-ting life, but all that is preliminary and consequent to that act. The word " to beget " seems to be used sometimes in Scripture, and very often in the writings of tlieologians in this wide sense. And secondly, when the word by expresses not a cooperating cause, or means, bvit simply an attending circumstance. Men see by the light. Without light vision is impossible. Yet the eyes of the blind are not opened by means of the light. In like manner all the states and acts of consciousness preceding or attending, or following regeneration, are by the truth ; but regeneration itself, or the imparting spiritual life, is by the immediate agency of the Spirit.
The Use of the Word Physical.
This idea is often expressed by the word physical. The School- men spoke of " a physical influence of the Spirit." The Pope condemned Jansenius for teaching, " Gratia de se efficax vere, realiter et physice praBmovens et prasdeterminans, immutabiliter, infallibiliter insuperabiliter, et indeclinabiliter necessaria est," etc. Thus also Turrettin says : ^ " Gratise efficacis uiotio, nee physica 1 XV. iv. 18; edit. Edinburgh, 1847, vol. ii. pp. 461, 462.
686 PART 111. Cu. XIV. — VOCATION.
nee ethica proprie diceiida est, sed supeniaturalis et divina, qufe utramque illam cr;^ecrti^ quadatitenus includit. Non est sinipliciter physica, quia agitur de tacultate morali, qute coiigrueiiter iiaturjs su£e moveri debet; nee simpliciter ethica, quasi Deus objective solum ageret, et leni suasione uteretur, quod ])ertendebant Pelagi- ani. Sed supeniaturalis est et divina, qua3 Iranscendlt ouiuia ha^c genera. Interim aliquid de ethico et plijsico particii)at, quia et potenter et suaviter, grate et invicte, operatur S])iritus ad iiostri conversionem. Ad modum {)hysicum pertinet, quod Deus Spiritu fiuo uos creat, regenerat, cor carneum dat, et efficienter habitus su- pernaturales fidei et charitatis nobis infundit. Ad nioralem, quod verbo docet, inclinat, suadet et rationibus variis tanquam vinculis auioris ad se trahit." Here as was common witli the writers of that age, Turrettin includes under " conversion," what is now more frequently distinguished under the two heads of regeneration and conversion. The former including what the Spirit does in the soul, and the latter what the sinner, under his influence, is in- duced to do. With his usual clearness he refers what is now meant by regeneration to the physical operation of the Spirit ; and all that belongs to conversion or. the voluntary turning of the soul to God, to the mediate influence of the Holy Ghost through the truth.
Owen, in his work on the Spirit, streimously insists on the necessity of this physical opei'ation. He uses the words conver- sion and regeneration interchangeably, as including all that Tur- rettin understands by them. And hence he says that in the w^ork of conversion there is both a physical and moral influence exerted by the Spirit. Speaking of moral suasion, he says, " That the Holv Spirit doth make use of it in the regeneration or conversion of all that are adult, and that either immediately in and by the preaching of it, or b}'- some other application of light and truth unto the mind derived from the Word ; for by the reasons, mo- tives, and persuasive arguments which the Word affords, are our minds affected, and our souls wrought upon in our conversion unto God, whence it becomes our reasonable ooedience. And there are none ordinarily converted, but they are able to give some account by what considerations they were prevailed on thereunto. But, we say that the whole work, or tlie whole of the work of the Holy Ghost in our conversion, doth not consist herein ; but there is a real, physical work, whereby He infuseth a gracious pi-inciple of spiritual life into all that are effectually converted, and x-eally regenerated, and without which there is no deliverance from the