Sword & Trowel 2015: Issue 1 


is not the language of an instantaneous ‘zap’ event, in which there is little intelligent, con- scious response from the sinner. Goodwin again, preaching on Ho- sea 11.4 (‘I drew them with cords of a man’) says, ‘I did not exces- sively haul them, but just as one man would persuade another, so I insinuated my love and power to them.’ John Flavel agreed, saying, ‘God draws us by way of a rational conviction of the mind and con-


Nearly a Christian, the updated edition of Spurgeon’s Around the Wicket Gate in Russian.


science and an effectual persuasion of the will, in the ordinary way some- what gradually.’ Puritans in general thought that


regeneration was followed by further troubles, fears, temptations and de- lays in which the role of the minister was to continue urging the way of re- pentance and faith. Then, when fully awakened to his need, and convicted of his sin, the sinner would respond in repentance and faith. This might


be the longest point of delay. How long, we may wonder, might the delay be that could lie between regeneration and repentance? The Lord’s words in John 3.8 warn us to be care- ful. We cannot tell the moment of regenera- tion, but it will surely be quite closely con- nected with repentance and faith. As we have seen, to account for very protracted periods of seeking, the Puritans thought in terms of works of preparation.


The trouble with instantaneous, all-embracing regeneration is the curtailing of personal, conscious con- vincing of sin and of need, and there is certainly no scope for promising salvation’s blessings. Yet of the latter, the Bible is full. Those who advocate the all- embracing, instantaneous view of regeneration appear to work with very few Scripture passages – usu- ally no more than three. Yet there


Metropolitan Tabernacle Sunday Services 11.00am (teaching service)


and 6.30pm (evangelistic service) – sign language interpreting at all public services, and simultaneous interpretation into Spanish, Chinese, Korean and French.


Children’s Sunday Schools and Teenagers’ Bible Classes at the Tabernacle (and at Surrey Gardens Memorial Hall, Surrey Square Mission,


East Dulwich Tabernacle, and Minet Road Branch) 3.00pm. College Classes and Young Adults’ Doctrine Class 3.15pm.


Main Prayer Meeting, Monday 7.30pm. Bible Study, Wednesday 7.30pm.


Deaf Fellowship Meetings, weeknight meetings for the young, and other ministries are posted on the Tabernacle website: www.MetropolitanTabernacle.org


page 14 Regeneration and Gospel Persuasion


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