ting power of the Holy Spirit? But with the regenerating power
of the Holy Spirit, there is every use; for the preacher can never tell
where the Spirit of God is going to strike and do His mighty work. There
sits before you a man who is a gambler, or a drunkard, or a libertine.
There does not seem to be much use in preaching to him, but you can never
tell but that very night, the Spirit of God will touch that man's heart
and transform him into one of the holiest and most useful of men. It has
often occurred in the past and will doubtless often occur in the future.
There sits before you a woman, who is a mere butterfly of fashion. She
seems to have no thought above society and pleasure and adulation. Why
preach to her? Without the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, it would
be foolishness and a waste of time; but you can never tell, perhaps this
very night the Spirit of God will shine in that darkened heart and open
the eyes of that woman to see the beauty of Jesus Christ and she may
receive Him and then and there the life of God be imparted by the power of
the Holy Spirit to that trifling soul.

The doctrine of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit is a glorious
doctrine. It sweeps away false hopes. It comes to the one who is trusting
in education and culture and says, "Education and culture are not enough.
You must be born again." It comes to the one who is trusting in mere
external morality, and says, "External morality is not enough, you must be
born again." It comes to the one who is trusting in the externalities of
religion, in going to church, reading the Bible, saying prayers, being
confirmed, being baptized, partaking of the Lord's supper, and says, "The
mere externalities of religion are not enough, you must be born again." It
comes to the one who is trusting in turning over a new leaf, in outward
reform, in quitting his meanness; it says, "Outward reform, quitting your
meanness is not enough. You must be born again." But in place of the vague
and shallow hopes that it sweeps away, it brings in a new hope, a good
hope, a blessed hope, a glorious hope. It says, "You may be born again."
It comes to the one who has no desire higher than the desire for things
animal or selfish or worldly and says, "You may become a partaker of the
Divine nature, and love the things that God loves and hate the things that
God hates. You may become like Jesus Christ. You may be born again."

CHAPTER X. THE INDWELLING S