In the primary change of disposition, which is the most essential feature of regeneration, the Spirit of God acts directly upon the spirit of man. In the securing of the initial exercise of this new disposition—which constitutes the secondary feature of God’s work of regeneration—the truth is used as a means. Hence, perhaps, in _James 1:18_, we read: “_Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth_” instead of “he begat us by the word of truth,”—the reference being to the secondary, not to the primary, feature of regeneration. The advocates of the opposite view—the view that God works _only_ through the truth as a means, and that his _only_ influence upon the soul is a moral influence—very naturally deny the mystical union of the soul with Christ. Squier, for example, in his Autobiog., 343‐378, esp. 360, on the Spirit’s influences, quotes _John 16:8_—he “_will convict the world in respect of sin_”—to show that God regenerates by applying truth to men’s minds, so far as to convince them, by fair and sufficient arguments, that they are sinners. Christ, opening blind eyes and unstopping deaf ears, illustrates the nature of God’s operation in regeneration,—in the case of the blind, there is plenty of _light_,—what is wanted is _sight_. The negro convert said that his conversion was due to himself and God: he fought against God with all his might, and God did the rest. So our moral successes are due to ourselves and God,—we have done only the fighting against God, and God has done the rest. The sand of Sahara would not bring forth flowers and fruit, even if you turned into it a hundred rivers like the Nile. Man may hear sermons for a lifetime, and still be barren of all spiritual growths. The soil of the heart needs to be changed, and the good seed of the kingdom needs to be planted there. For the view that truth is “energized” or “intensified” by the Holy Spirit, see Phelps, New Birth, 61, 121; Walker, Philosophy of Plan of Salvation, chap. 18. _Per contra_, see Wardlaw, Syst. Theol., 3:24, 25; E. D. Griffin, Divine Efficiency, 73‐116; Anderson, Regeneration, 123‐168; Edwards, Works, 2:547‐597; Chalmers, Lectures on Romans, chap. 1; Payne, Divine Sovereignty, lect. 23:363‐367; Hodge, Syst. Theol., 3:3‐37, 466‐485. On the whole subject of the Efficient Cause of Regeneration, see Hopkins, Works, 1:454; Dwight, Theology, 2:418‐429; John Owen, Works, 3:282‐297, 366‐538; Robert Hall, Sermon on the Cause, Agent, and Purpose of Regeneration. 4. The Instrumentality used in Regeneration.