Systematic Theology (Volume 3 of 3)Strong, Augustus Hopkins
Religion
Systematic Theology (Volume 3 of 3)
Strong, Augustus Hopkins
Baptists -- Doctrines; Theology, Doctrinal
See Luther, quoted, with other references, in Thomasius, Christi
Person und Werk, 3:325. See also Calvin, Institutes, 1:660;
Edwards, Works, 4:66, 69, 70; Andrew Fuller, Works, 2:685; Pascal,
Thoughts, Eng. trans., 429; Hooker, Eccl. Polity, book 5, ch. 56;
Tillotson, Sermons, 3:307; Trench, Studies in Gospels, 284, and
Christ the True Vine, in Hulsean Lectures; Schöberlein, in Studien
und Kritiken, 1847:7‐69; Caird, on Union with God, in Scotch
Sermons, sermon 2; Godet, on the Ultimate Design of Man, in
Princeton Rev., Nov. 1880—the design is “God in man, and man in
God”; Baird, Elohim Revealed, 590‐617; Upham, Divine Union,
Interior Life, Life of Madame Guyon and Fénelon; A. J. Gordon, In
Christ; McDuff, In Christo; J. Denham Smith, Life‐truths, 25‐98;
A. H. Strong, Philosophy and Religion, 220‐225; Bishop Hall’s
Treatise on The Church Mystical; Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ;
Stearns, Evidence of Christian Experience, 145, 174, 179; F. B.
Meyer, Christian Living—essay on Appropriation of Christ, _vs._
mere imitation of Christ; Sanday, Epistle to the Romans,
supplementary essay on the Mystic Union; H. B. Smith, System of
Theology, 531; J. M. Campbell, The Indwelling Christ.
II. Regeneration.
Regeneration is that act of God by which the governing disposition of the
soul is made holy, and by which, through the truth as a means, the first
holy exercise of this disposition is secured.
Regeneration, or the new birth, is the divine side of that change of heart
which, viewed from the human side, we call conversion. It is God’s turning
the soul to himself,—conversion being the soul’s turning itself to God, of
which God’s turning it is both the accompaniment and cause. It will be
observed from the above definition, that there are two aspects of
regeneration, in the first of which the soul is passive, in the second of
which the soul is active. God changes the governing disposition,—in this
change the soul is simply acted upon. God secures the initial exercise of
this disposition in view of the truth,—in this change the soul itself
acts. Yet these two parts of God’s operation are simultaneous. At the same
moment that he makes the soul sensitive, he pours in the light of his
truth and induces the exercise of the holy disposition he has imparted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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