Prevenient Grace (6)

Several errors of the Hyper Calvinists are behind their general rejection of any kind of prevenient grace or preparations for salvation.

First, their erroneous belief that regeneration is defined as the first act of God for effecting regeneration. Second, that regeneration is defined by the act of God or first cause of it to the exclusion of the effects. In my post titled "Regeneration - Devil in the Definition" (See here) I wrote about this in these words:

Hyper Calvinists who say "regeneration precedes faith" oftentimes, in explaining that proposition, will equate it with an act of God that produces faith and repentance, or evangelical conversion. What others call a pre-regeneration act of God, or "prevenient" grace and action, Hypers call "regeneration." This is their error. They have defined "regeneration" as

1) the first act that God does to bring about regeneration, by the cause alone, and

2) excluding any acts done by the one regenerated (or the effects)

By this definition, there are no preliminary acts of God prior to regeneration.

Another error of those who separate regeneration from conversion, faith, and repentance, is to define "regeneration" simply as respects the "cause," whereas biblical "regeneration" includes both causes and effects, and primarily focuses upon the effect.  On this point the great head of Princeton Seminary, Archibald Alexander, wrote:

"Evangelical repentance, conversion and regeneration, are substantially the same. They all signify a thorough change of views, affections, purposes and conduct; and this change is every where declared to be essential to salvation."

Alexander wrote:

"Curious inquiries respecting the way in which the word is instrumental in the production of this change are not for edification. Sometimes regeneration is considered distinctly from the acts and exercises of the mind which proceed from it, but in the Holy Scriptures the cause and effect are included; and we shall therefore treat the subject in this practical and popular form. The instrumentality of the word can never derogate from the efficient agency of the Spirit in this work. The Spirit operates by and through the word. The word derives all its power and penetrating energy from the Spirit. Without the omnipotence of God the word would be as inefficient as clay and spittle, to restore sight to the blind."

So, Hyper Calvinists shifted regeneration as far back in the experiences of believers as possible, and in doing this they denied that there were any preparations for it, or any prevenient grace. This led them to distinguish regeneration from evangelical conversion, something that many of the older Calvinists did not do, including John Calvin. In denying that conversion was regeneration they denied that regeneration included the effects, as Alexander said. Faith became an effect of regeneration rather than a means. Further, by this new scheme they had to believe that sinners who were experiencing being "awakened" to their lost condition and made "sensible" of their guilt was their regeneration rather than pre-regeneration or preparatory experiences thereto. So, conviction of sin became evidence of regeneration rather than a prelude to it. 

In the 1795 Circular Letter of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, a Calvinist association, on "The Gospel," Samuel Jones, D. D., wrote (See here) the following (emphasis mine):

"The applications of the Gospel under the influence of the divine Spirit, in the work of conviction and conversion, is absolutely necessary, in order to our receiving saving benefit from it. In this precious work of grace in our hearts, the Law and Gospel, considered as means, go hand in hand, and are often found in the same verse. By the one is the knowledge of sin, by the other the discovery of deliverance. The one worketh despair, the other faith and hope." 

In these words we see that Jones does speak of "the influence of the divine Spirit" as occurring "in the work of conviction and conversion" and says that these are "absolutely necessary in order to receiving saving benefit from" the Gospel. He also speaks of both law and gospel as "means" in preparatory works that precede regeneration. 

Jones wrote further:

"To this end means are appointed, chiefly the word and the ministration thereof; wherein the state of the sinner by nature, and the way of recovery through rich grace is unfolded; and it pleases God to enlighten the mind; move on the affections, and subdue the will. The sinner is awakened and convicted; he sees his danger; is filled with concern of mind; enquires what he must do to be saved; has repentance unto life given him; is led to see the fulness, freeness, suitableness, and glory of the way of life through a Redeemer; is enabled to lay hold by faith of this hope; is transformed by the renewing of his mind; has the constraining love of God shed abroad in his heart; is humbled and abased in himself, yet triumphs in the mercy and power of God; and thus being filled with holy zeal, he goes on his way rejoicing. He is sensible the Lord of his mere sovereign unconditional grace and mercy began the good work, is now carrying it on, and will complete it in glory, to whom, therefore, without reserve, he ascribes all the praise, and will to all eternity."

I find it interesting that Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church's web page is where this citation from the circular may be read. I find that odd since in the circular Dr. Jones says that the gospel is a means in saving the elect and "Primitive Baptist" of the Hardshell variety deny this truth. Jones identifies the pre-regeneration activity of God prior to regeneration, which includes enlightening the mind, awakening, convicting, moving on the affections, subduing the will, making "sensible," so as to cause the sinner thus affected to enquire about what he must do to be saved, and who then, after all these preparatory things, embraces Christ by faith and is given repentance unto life, is transformed and renewed, and has the love of God shed abroad in his heart.  Hardshells say that an awakened and sensible sinner has already been regenerated, but this is wrong, as Jones says.

Jones also wrote:

"From what we have said, various useful observations, by way of inference, might be made; but we shall only mention two: First, that according to the Gospel, the atonement of Christ did not extend to every individual of the human race; and, secondly, that the Gospel contains no conditional offers of salvation."

I include these words though they are somewhat off topic. I do this because it proves my previous statement that the Philadelphia Association and its confession of faith was Calvinistic. But, it also shows elements of Hyper Calvinism in saying that "the Gospel contains no conditional offers of salvation." How Jones could say this when he believed, and the confession affirms, that sinners must believe and repent to be saved. Many Particular or Predestinarian Baptists in the 18th and 19th century decried "conditional salvation" or "conditional offers of salvation." In J.H. Spencer's history, volume two, he writes the following about the Elkhorn Baptist Association of Kentucky in chapter one, published 1886 (See here):

"In answer to a query from Tates Creek, the churches were advised to use all tenderness to re-claim persons holding the error of conditional salvation, but if they could not be reclaimed, to exclude them."

Does this mean that they believed that a man could be saved without believing in Christ, or without repenting of his sins, or without abiding in Christ or persevering? No, rather, by denouncing "the error of conditional salvation" they meant the making of salvation dependent on the sinner's own doing alone, the making of gospel conditions into a kind of law. Spencer also records this information about the Elkhorn Association:

"1793. October 12. At South Elkhorn. Grassy Lick and Flat Lick Churches had been received, in May, and now Springfield Church was received. A union was formed with the four churches which had recently seceded from South Kentucky Association, on the following terms, proposed by the seceding churches:

"And that we do believe in the doctrines relative to the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the sacred authority of the Scriptures, the universal depravity of human nature, the total inability of men to help themselves without the aid of divine grace, the necessity of repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the justification of our persons entirely by the righteousness of Christ imputed, believer's baptism by immersion only; and self-denial..."

Here we see what they meant by "conditional salvation." It is equated with the idea that sinners obey the commands to believe and repent by "themselves without the aid of divine grace." This does not mean that they deny that faith and repentance are necessary things for a sinner to do to be saved for they say they believe in "the necessity of repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." 

In the Circular Letter Licking Association of Particular Baptists (KY) for 1823 (See here) we have this question and answer:

"Ques. We have heard you do not preach the gospel to sinners. Is it true? [p. 15]

Ans. It is not true. We preach to them and pray for them too. No doubt by divine authority, we are to preach, publish, and proclaim the word of the Lord, both law and gospel, to every creature. We are to charge home on sinners the guilt of their sin in Adam, their head, and all their sins in heart, or action, the justice of the divine law in their condemnation forever, and to publish to them the only salvation, Christ Jesus. And we are to persuade men. This we believe every minister of the gospel is bound to do, as well as to comfort the feeble minded. And although it is the spirit that quickens, either before the preaching, or afterwards, it is clear that very often the first feelings of spiritual life, were under the preaching of the gospel, when it was made the power of God to salvation. The Bible, and confessions of faith too, will support these opinions. Let us not neglect to obey the divine commands, "Preach the gospel to every creature." "Preach the word." When God commands it is enough. He makes use of his word by the spirit, to feed those who have spiritual life, and in the same manner in first communicating that life. In either case the word will do nothing without the spirit. But in this question something more is intended; that is, that we should put the gospel out of its own shape, by accomodating it to the natural mind of man. It must have terms, offers, and invitations, it knows nothing of. A gospel of terms, would be a new book. That would be a law book, and not the gospel. The preaching of such a book would not be preaching the gospel to sinners at all. The gospel of Jesus Christ is quite different from a book of terms. If a poor sinner thinks of coming to Christ on terms, he cannot come that way. But if, agreeably to the gospel, he is drawn by love to Christ, he comes very willingly without terms. He comes bringing nothing with him but sin to be pardoned. The invitation of Christ Jesus to this sinner, proves as effectual as it will be when he shall be invited to Heaven. All whom the saviour makes welcome to himself here, he will make welcome to and with himself in Heaven." [p. 16]

Our chief reason for citing Jones was to show that he believed that a sinner's being "awakened" and "convicted" of his sin, guilt, and lost condition, were things that preceded salvation and were often a means to it. I think these old Baptists were confusing matters when they said that there were no conditions for salvation and then spoke of things the sinners must do to be saved. In the above citation they mention the sinner "coming" to Jesus for salvation, which is something the sinner does, and is therefore a condition for salvation. Though most of today's "Primitive Baptists" would not agree with Jones, nor with the view that there are things God does in sinner's prior to their salvation, yet many of their founders in the early 19th century agreed with Jones somewhat. Elder Wilson Thompson (1788-1866) in his book "Triumph of Truth" (1825) wrote the following:

"Now men do not feel their condemnation properly until they are quickened by the Spirit; but as soon as they are made alive they begin to feel and see, and so faith is one of the first fruits of the Spirit; it views the excellency of the divine character, and the beauty of holiness, and begins to pant for the living God. Although the awakened sinner now has faith; its eye is not directed to Christ, but he now sees the glory and justice of God, and the purity of the law, and by the law he has a knowledge of sin; and so he begins to abhor himself and repent; he looks at himself in his fallen state, in relation to the first Adam, and sees that he is a condemned criminal; he reads the law, it sentences him to death and condemnation, and as he is wedded to a covenant of works , and sees not his relation to Christ, he begins to try to reform and keep the law, and work for life; and however long he may work under this legal persuasion, he finds but a poor reward, and at length he finds that all his plans are thwarted, and he is like the woman in the gospel that had spent all she had with physicians, and had got nothing better, but rather grew worse. Now the quickened sinner sees what he is in himself, and in relation to the first Adam, and that in this relation he is condemned to death, and can never be justified by any work or sacrifice in his power; all his hopes of obtaining salvation by the deeds of the law, gives up the ghost, for sin now appears exceedingly sinful, and it takes an occasion by the commandment to slay the sinner , who is ready to say, the commandment is holy, just and good, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Sin works by that which is good, and the sinner dies to all hope of ever being justified by any works of his own, and as if cut off from every other refuge, he cries, "God be merciful to me a sinner. " His expectation being cut off from everything else, he looks to God only, and falls as a pensioner on his mercy and grace, filled with the deepest sense of his condemnation, and the impossibility of being justified by the works of the law. This is his state as he stands in himself, and in relation to the first Adam, and this he clearly sees; but here the gospel reveals to faith the righteousness of God, and by faith the soul views his justification complete in the blood and righteousness of Christ."

Notice that Thompson, like most of the first generation of "Primitive Baptists," thought that a sinner's awakening to see his lost state followed his being "quickened," or being made spiritually alive, but he did not believe that this was his new birth. That would come later after the awakened sinner had first gone to Mt. Sinai and tried to save himself by self reformation or law keeping, and then after failing in that effort, finally coming to Mt. Zion, and then believing in Christ and his saving work, and then being born again. So, Thompson did not agree with the Puritans or Jones that the sinner's awakening and conviction was a pre-regeneration grace or preparation, but affirmed that his awakening was an effect of his actual regeneration or quickening, but oddly, this was not his rebirth. As we saw in the previous chapter, Thompson and other 19th century "Primitive Baptists" believed that regeneration and rebirth were not the same, and that awakening and conviction took place after regeneration (or quickening) but before rebirth. 

He also wrote:

"Christian reader, is it not according to thy own experience? The awakened sinner has faith in God, and in Christ as being righteous, but sees not his own relation to that righteousness, and therefore he is not comforted, but hungers and thirsts after righteousness, and although the promise is positive, " He shall be comforted, " yet the soul cannot see how this can be; but when by faith the soul receives an evidence that it is related to Christ as its righteousness, it is then that it is filled and can rejoice in hope of the glory of God, and puts no confidence in the flesh; and so says Paul, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. "

I wrote more about this in this post (here). This view would deny any pre-regeneration work of the Spirit and any prevenient grace. They would see awakening and conviction of sin and guilt as evidence of having been previously regenerated or made alive.

In chapter fifty of my online work titled "The Hardshell Baptist Cult" I write about Thompson's view under the title "Law To Grace?" (See here) In that chapter I cited much from Thompson's autobiography showing how he believed the whole process of being born of God involved going from law to grace. I cited these words from Thompson:

"I BELIEVE my mind was more or less impressed with the importance of religion from my first recollection. I had a dread of death and fears of future misery, that betimes would harrass me very much; but, I am now convinced that these early exercises were the effect of education. My father’s house was a home for the preachers, and was called a “Baptist Tavern”...So I heard much about religious subjects, and, perhaps, this will account for the early impressions of my mind. I am very sure, from a retrospect of those early impressions, that they were just of that character which a carnal heart and a defiled conscience might be expected to have, under such circumstances as I have related."

These words seem to contradict what he said in the previous citation, because in the above citation he says that he was awakened and convicted of sin but did not believe that awakening evidenced a saved state.

He wrote further:

"I began to desire greatly to know what was meant by law and gospel, and what it was, in Christian experience, that was called passing from law to gospel. All these things oppressed me sorely. My mind was in a tumult, like a troubled sea, tossed with contending emotions, doubts, fears, hope, assurance, and despair."

"But still I could not understand their system. This something they called law and gospel was with them the great matter. The beautiful and satisfying evidence of Christian experience consisted, as they said, in a thorough and correct passing from law to gospel. This was all new matter to me. I could not understand what they meant by the phrase, “passing from law to gospel”." (Chapter Two - "Early Religious Impressions")

"When meeting closed, a company started with Father, some on horseback and others on foot. As they walked, I was all attention and felt impatient to hear them speak of the reception of these wicked children. They had not walked far until an old man from north of the Ohio River, by the name of Davies, introduced the subject by saying: “How beautifully them young people passed from law to gospel.” 

Obviously Thompson was experiencing pre-regeneration experiences that were instances of God's working on his heart and mind, or of prevenient grace. The Baptists that Thompson was associated with spoke of "Christian experience" involving "passing from law to gospel" and this shows that they believed that before a sinner is saved he would first come under conviction, then would try to save himself by reformation or by his own works, what Paul called "going about to establish their own righteousness"  (Rom. 10: 3), and that endeavor would invariably fail, and such failure would often finally cause the guilty sinner to come to Christ as a whipped supplicant to be saved by Christ and his righteousness, crying "God be merciful to me a sinner." 

What Thompson and the Baptists of his day meant by going from law to grace, or from Mt. Sinai (the place where the law was given and a label for the law) to Mt. Zion (a label for grace via the gospel), was what the Puritans taught when they spoke of how the law was a means of enlightening sinners about sin, guilt, condemnation, and the need for atonement. Once the law has done its work in conviction the gospel of Christ would then be seen as the remedy. So they cited the words of Paul who said that "the law" is a "schoolmaster" to "bring us to Christ" and be "justified by faith." (Gal. 3: 24) They also saw the law as God's means of preparing the soil of the sinner's heart for the planting of the gospel seed, which seed when received in a "good and honest heart" saves the sinner and makes it possible for him to bring forth good and lasting fruit. Charles Spurgeon in his sermon "The Plowman" said (emphasis mine):

"Jesus says to all of us, "You must be born-again." Unless God the Holy Spirit breaks up the heart with the plow of the Law and sows it with the Seed of the Gospel, not a single ear of holiness will any of us produce, even though we may be children of godly parents and may be regarded as excellent moral people by those with whom we live!" (Read his sermon here)

Luther viewed the law as a "hammer" or "thunderbolt" that breaks the impenitent heart and a "mirror" that shows us our true spiritual condition. Recall what happened on Mt. Sinai when God came down and met with the people on that mountain. The record says: 

"Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” (Exo. 20: 18-19 nkjv)

Well said one writer of Luther on the law as a means in conviction unto salvation (See here):

"Luther is very clear that we cannot offer the comfort of the gospel without first leading people to despair of their sin through the law. The law wounds, and the gospel heals. Luther did not want gospel presentations to be so focused on the wrath of God that people would be fleeing his wrath out of fear; rather, he wanted them to flee God’s wrath because they knew they were sinners and they despaired of their sin. This despair of sin only comes through the conviction of the law."

In chapter three of this series I cited from the words of Stephen Charnock who said: "The soul must be beaten down by conviction before it be raised up by regeneration." 

Getting back to Elder Thompson, he wrote further:

"At once I inferred that God had shown me my guilty and condemned condition, and had brought me solemnly on my knees, to confess that His judgment was just in my banishment, and that I had no just cause of complaint...Yet I never once thought of this being conversion, but my trouble now was that my former trouble was gone!"

When God showed Thompson his guilty and condemned condition, surely God was not showing him what was not true. This showing, or revelation of truth, therefore was a preparation for his salvation and an instance of prevenient grace, and not evidence of salvation. Thompson even says that he did not think that in this state of being convicted of sin was his conversion. So, was this work of God in awakening him to his lost condition and bringing conviction a gracious act? If yes, then is it not an instance of prevenient grace?

He wrote further:

"For several days I continued in this way; sometimes all my mind seemed shrouded in impenetrable darkness, but frequently an inward dart of light in the mind would reveal the way in which God could be just as a Saviour, through the mediation of His Son."

Again, these experiences were the workings of the Spirit and grace of God leading to his salvation and not the effects of salvation. There was some revelation and enlightenment prior to his coming to Christ. Those Hyper Calvinists who go overboard on the doctrine of "total depravity" will say that the dead sinner cannot feel guilt for sin, cannot receive any enlightenment, cannot understand anything about the bible. However, as the older Calvinists and Puritans taught, light is first given before life is given, and light of truth is the means for producing life. Wrote J.C. Philpot (emphasis mine):

"Nor shall we, as we wish to avoid controversial topics, enter at any length into the question whether light or life first enters into the heart—”The entrance of your words gives light.” (Psalm 119:130.) There it would seem that light came first. And so the passage—”To open their eyes, and turn them from darkness to light.” (Acts 26:18.) So Saul at Damascus’ gate saw and was struck down by the light before the quickening words came—”Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4.) In grace, if not in nature, it would seem evident that we see before we feel; and thus the disciples “beheld his glory, as of the only begotten of the Father,” before they received the Son of God into their hearts and believed on his name. It will be seen from these hints that without entering into the controversy, or pronouncing any dogmatical opinion, our own view inclines to the point held by Mr. Huntington, that light precedes life." (From his sermon "The Authority and Power of the Word upon the Heart" and cited by me in this post here)

So sinners, when they are first awakened to see their lost condition, as Thompson described, it is by the means of some light, some enlightenment, some realization, some epiphany, some moment of realization, that sinners come to Christ confessing their sins, and repenting and seeking forgiveness. 

Thompson wrote further:

"...Elder Riggs resumed his sermon...“We are told,” said he, “that Christ will come to judge the world in flaming fire, and with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. Now, if He should appear in this cloud, amid the streaming lightning and bellowing thunder, who is ready to meet Him? "At that instant the light that had so often flashed and darted before my inward eyes, now suddenly shone in me, and continued to shine in its splendor, revealing the fullness of the glory of the Person of Christ, and the mediatorial work He had performed for His people, through the redemption that was in Him, and obtained by Him for His people. God was revealed glorious in all His perfections, His law honored, and His truth and justice fully vindicated, while His grace was richly exercised in the free and full justification of poor, ungodly sinners who believed in His Son. This, to me, was the most transporting joy I had ever beheld. I knew it was the same blessed plan that, during several of the preceding days had been flashing across my mind. Christ was now All! He was truly the way, the truth, and the life, the end of the law, the fullness of the gospel." 

Several things are important to notice from the above words of Thompson. First, the preaching of the word of God was an instrument in Thompson's awakening. Second, it was the minister's question - "who is ready to meet him?" - that was a means in his conviction. Third, there was light that enlightened his darkness and this before Christ and the way of salvation was revealed to him. All this was an instance of prevenient grace and works of the Spirit and word of God upon him prior to his conversion.

In "Conviction of Sin Before Conversion" by John Owen under "Several Practical Cases of Conscience Resolved" (Available here), being Discourse One, from which we have previously cited, that Puritan wrote:

"The church owed no obligation to her free will and her own predispositions. There is not a smoke in the heart to heaven without a spark first from heaven; not a step till God enlarges the heart. Velleities are from common grace, under the preaching, of the word, fervent and saving desires are from special grace, by the hand of the Spirit. So that there are no preparations from nature to this, since both our apprehensions of it and desires of it spring not out of that stock."

What Owen describes is what Thompson describes as his experience. It was common or prevenient grace, under preaching, that led to receiving special grace.

Wrote Owen:

"The will willing would then be the cause of God's working, not God's working the cause of the will's willing and choice. God's working would be consequent upon the will, and so the effect of the will's free motion...To conclude; God must either be precedent in his operation to the act of the will, or follow it. If precedent, we have what we would, if subsequent, then God is a mere attendant upon the motions of the creature, and a servant to wait upon man."

Elder John M. Watson in his "Old Baptist Test," when speaking of the effectiveness of "means," i.e. the preaching of the word of God, said:

"This doctrine does not stop here, but includes all ordinances, conditions, means, and modes of divine "workmanship." None of these are accidental or fortuitous as we may suppose, Reader, "Is not the Lord gone out before thee" in all these?" (pg. 354)

"Means admit of a similar exposition. The Lord has gone out before us also in them. He not only gave us His Gospel, but ordained means by which it would become savingly efficacious to all His chosen. Isa. 55: 11...So we may say of Gospel means, without the power of God they never prevail over the hearts of sinners; but means in His power, whether great or small, in our estimation, are always efficacious. He derives no strength or advantage from them as adjuncts to His work. He employs them because it is His will to do so. Eph. 1: 11." (page 357)

For more of these citations from Watson see my post (here). By "the Lord going out before" the means we can see common and prevenient grace at work in preparations for genuine conversion. We see this in the case of the conversion of Cornelius the centurian. So we read:

"1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” (Acrs 10: 1-6 nkjv)

By the words "he will tell you what you must do" the angel means "he will tell you what you must do to be saved." That is clear from these words of Peter in the next chapter when rehearsing the events of Cornelius' conversion, where he said:

"And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ " (Acts 11: 13-14 nkjv)

The description of Cornelius prior to his salvation by faith in the message Peter delivered and in Christ, evidence that Cornelius had been prepared for salvation by God the Spirit's preparatory work. He had been brought to fear the God of the Jews. However, that in itself is no proof of salvation, for even the demons believe in one God. He was devout in his religious activities, but these too are not in themselves proof of salvation. His salvation did not occur until he believed in Christ and his way of salvation.

Prevenient Grace (5)

"The preparations of the heart in man, 

and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord"

Proverbs 16:1

Elder C.H. Cayce in an editorial titled "The New Birth" in the September 19, 1911 issue of "The Primitive Baptist" wrote:

"The very fact that a child cries is unmistakable proof that a living child has been born. So when one begins to mourn on account of sin and to cry unto the Lord, begging for mercy, it is positive proof that he has been born of God. Then one may ask, “Why does he mourn if he has been born of God?'' We answer, Because he does not know he has been born of God. When the fact is made known to him that Jesus is his Saviour and that he has been born of God, then he rejoices. The fact is one thing, and the knowledge of the fact is another thing." 

This is the Hardshell or Hyper Calvinistic view on the question of whether conviction of sin and guilt is a precursor to or an after effect of "regeneration" or new birth. I wonder what Cayce would say about the remorse of Esau and Judas. Of Esau we read:

"14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears." (Heb. 12: 14-17 nkjv)

Were Esau's tears evidence of regeneration? Hardshell Hyper Calvinists would have to say yes. About Judas we read:

"Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself." (Matt. 27: 3-5 nkjv)

Was the remorse of Judas an evidence of regeneration? It was good that he realized his sin, but what he did as a result sealed his doom. Why did he not simply go to Jesus and ask for forgiveness? Killing himself was not the right choice. His sorrow for sin did not lead to salvation.

Balaam said "let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his" (Numb. 23: 10) and yet he was never saved. Of Balaam Owen said:

"Men question what will become of them in the close; they fluctuate about what will be their latter end. Did not Balaam do so when he cried, “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my latter end be like his”? That wretched man was tossed up and down between hopes and fears. This is common to the vilest person in the world. It is but the shaking of their security, if they be alone." (From his sermon "the strength of faith"; See here)

Many of our Hardshell brethren will say that Balaam was a saved man because he expressed a desire to be saved. In this post (here) I cited a Hardshell Baptist on this very point and gave a short rebuttal to it. In that post I wrote:

Elder Moore, a Hardshell Baptist, in delineating what "Primitive Baptists" believe, responded to questions.  (see here)

8. Do you not then teach that some might want salvation but could not have it because they are not one of the elect?

Answer: No, the man who wants salvation already HAS it.

I have cited others who have said the same thing in my book on "The Hardshell Baptist Cult."  Such a proposition makes men like Baalim a child of God, even though the Scriptures clearly affirm that he is one of them who will "perish."  (Jude 11)

Looks like Balaam wanted to be saved, and by the logic of the Hardshells, this was enough to prove that Balaam was a born again child of God!  Who can believe it?

In "Conviction of Sin Before Conversion" by John Owen in "Several Practical Cases of Conscience Resolved" (Available here), Discourse One, page four, wrote:

"QUESTION. To what extent should I be convicted of my sin and guilt before I may turn to Jesus Christ to find salvation?" 

For, seeing conviction is so indispensably necessary, some may say, "It hath not been thus and thus with me,—according as hath been declared." Therefore,I would only show what I judge to be so necessary, as that without it a soul cannot be supposed sincerely to have closed with Christ. And we having all made our profession of choosing and closing with Christ, as I would be loath to say any thing that might discourage any, lest they should have failed in the very necessary work of conviction; so I would not betray the truth of God, nor the souls of any." 

Of what Owen meant by conviction of sin, and of "closing with Christ" we have already spoken in the previous chapters. Notice that Owen, though a Calvinist, believes that closing with Christ, involves choosing Christ, and that this choice is essential for being initially regenerated or born of God. He also again says that the "work of conviction" is "very necessary" in leading a person to repentance.

Owen wrote further:

"Therefore, I shall place it upon this: What Jesus Christ doth indispensably call men unto, in order to believing in him, that is indispensably required of them. And this I shall manifest out of two or three places of Scripture:—Mark 2:17, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Now, this calling them unto repentance, is a calling them unto it by the faith which is in him...What is the conclusion? "Lost sinners," saith Christ, "this is that I require of you." So that this is what I assert to be indispensably necessary,—namely, that they are so far convinced that they are sinners as to state and course, that they are not righteous in themselves, and can have no righteousness in themselves. I say, therefore, when a person is not really convinced that he is not righteous, he is not under the call of Jesus Christ; and if he doth believe this, he is under a sovereign dispensation, and let not such despond." 

On this point we have already taken notice of in the preceding chapter. A person must first see himself as lost and guilty before he will ever seek or find salvation through Christ.

In DISCOURSE #6 "On the Work of the Spirit after Justification," Elder Wilson Thompson (1788-1866), leader of the newly formed "Primitive" or "Old School" Baptist denomination wrote the following in his 1821 book "Simple Truth." I wrote about this in this post (here).

"This change wrought by the spirit, is called regeneration because it is begetting them unto a divine nature. The first work of the spirit on the heart is regeneration, or the implanting of that incorruptible seed with cleaves to holiness, and so it is sometimes called quickened, because this is a living seed, that causes the motions of life to appear, and this is always followed by the new birth which is effected when the soul is enabled to view Christ by faith, and lay hold of the comfort contained in the gospel, and so they are said to be born again, not of corruptible seed, but of an incorruptible seed, by the word of God."

Notice that Thompson does not equate "regeneration" with "the new birth." He believes that one must be regenerated first before he can later be born of the Spirit. This was a common view among the Hardshells of the 19th century. In this paradigm "conviction of sin and guilt" followed regeneration but preceded the birth. In this paradigm "regeneration" becomes "prevenient grace." Unlike the view of Owens and the Puritans, which viewed conviction of sin as a step towards regeneration or rebirth, Hardshells and the Hyper Calvinists saw conviction as an effect of regeneration. It may be that it was rejection of prevenient grace that led many Hyper Calvinists to say that conviction of sin and guilt was an effect of regeneration and that regeneration precedes faith and evangelical conversion and that the gospel or word of God is no means in effecting regeneration. Here are some more citations from "Primitive Baptists" of the 19th century that show that this paradigm was their common belief.

Elder William Conrad of Kentucky (1797-1882), an associate of Thompson, wrote:

"There is also a begetting and being born, but our being born does not give us life; we are born because we have life; but there is a begetting, and previous to this begetting there is no vital or actual existence; but there is eternal decreed, purposed or treasured in Christ before it is given, and in due time we are said to receive it according to the election of grace; and therefore we are said to be the Temple of God, which is holy, which temple ye are." (Life and Travels of Elder William Conrad; chapter 25 and cited by me in this posting here)

Elder J. R. Respass (1831-1895) wrote:

"When a man is born again, he, the man, becomes a new creature...but as woman in pangs of travail is delivered by birth, so he is delivered by faith, and rejoices in the truth." (Elder J. R. Respass in The Gospel Messenger, 1883, pg. 57)

Elder Gilbert Beebe (1880-1881) wrote:

"When a sinner is thus quickened, the incorruptible seed, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, is implanted in his heart, and the evidence of this implantation is first given by a sense of the purity and holiness of God, and the spirituality of his law, contrasted with a sense of guilt, pollution and just condemnation of the person to whom this communication is made, and consequently a struggle for deliverance. The ear is now opened to hear the thunders of Sinai, and the eye is made to see the justice of God as a sin avenger; a brokenness of heart that he or she, as the case may be, has been all their lifetime in open rebellion against so holy, just and righteous a God, who has followed them with his mercies all their days. A sense of his goodness leads them to repentance, contrition and humble acknowledgment of their guilt. Now the quickened and awakened sinner becomes burdened with the load of depravity...Now all this conviction, contrition, lamentation and distress, is the legitimate consequence resulting from life implanted, and indicates to all who know experimentally the way of life, that the poor sin-burdened soul is drawing near to the time of his birth, or deliverance. He who has thus arrested him, and brought him to a sense of his lost and helpless estate, will perform the work in his own time, but the burdened soul must wait until "God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shines in [not into] his heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." -2 Cor. iv. 6. Or, as Paul relates his own experience, "When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me." - Gal. i. 15. Then by the revelation of Christ in us the hope of glory, the way of salvation through him is brought to view, the burden of guilt is removed, the blood of Christ is applied, the demands of the law are canceled, the curse is removed, the prison doors are opened, the captive is delivered, the love of God is shed abroad in the heart, old things are passed away; behold all things have become new; a new song is put in his mouth, even praise unto God, the gospel pours its joyful sound into his quickened ears, his goings are established and he is a new creature..."

("REGENERATION AND THE NEW BIRTH" - Middletown, N. Y., September 1, 1857 - Editorials of Gilbert Bebee Vol. 4; for more such citations see my post here)

Elder Samuel Trott (1783-1866), an associate of Beebe, also wrote:

"Thus in the new birth there is a striking correspondence to the natural birth; to each there is a seed implanted, and then a quickening by which life is manifested. And when the natural child is brought to the birth, the sorrows of the woman in travail, the fetus being broke loose from that by which alone it had been hitherto nourished, strongly represents the agonies and the killing by the law belonging to the second birth."  ("THE NEW BIRTH" From "SIGNS of the TIMES" - Vol.21 - 1853 - Writings of Elder Samuel Trott, pages 404 - 409)

Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) wrote:

"Hence God's work of grace runs through these three successive stages:

1st. Regeneration in its first stage, when the Lord plants the new life in the dead heart.
2d. Regeneration in its second stage, when the new-born man comes to conversion.
3d. Regeneration in its third stage, when conversion merges into sanctification.

What Arminians and many Calvinists, such as I am, saw as instances of prevenient grace, or preparatory steps towards being saved, Hardshells and some Hyper Calvinists saw as salvation. In their system there are no graces that precede salvation. This is what led many of them to see the experience of being "awakened" as regeneration.

Interesting, however, is the fact that other theologians who would not be characterized as Hyper Calvinists also believed in a similar paradigm, which paradigm was also the result of making spiritual birth to be in every way like physical birth, which has three stages to it, first the conception in the womb, then a time of development in the womb, and then a time of birth proper, when the living fetus is delivered from the womb. Alexander Campbell and some of his followers had a modified view of this paradigm. He believed that a sinner was regenerated when he believed and repented but was not born until the believer was baptized in water. A.W. Pink, a leading Calvinist of the 20th century also held to the Hardshell paradigm. In this post (here) I cited from his work titled "Quickening Is the Initial Operation of the Spirit," wherein Pink wrote:

"In earlier years we did not ourselves perceive the distinction which is pointed by John 6:63 and 1 Peter 1:23: the former referring unto the initial act of the Spirit in "quickening" the spiritually-dead soul, the latter having in view the consequent "birth" of the same. While it is freely allowed that the origin of the "new creature" is shrouded in impenetrable mystery, yet of this we may be certain, that life precedes birth. There is a strict analogy between the natural birth and the spiritual: necessarily so, for God is the Author of them both, and He ordained that the former should adumbrate the latter. Birth is neither the cause nor the beginning of life itself: rather is it the manifestation of a life already existent: there had been a Divine "quickening" before the child could issue from the womb. In like manner, the Holy Spirit "quickens" the soul, or imparts spiritual life to it, before its possessor is "brought forth" (as James 1:18 is rightly rendered in the R.V.) and "born again" by the Word of God (1 Pet. 1:23)."

 

In that same post I also cited from several other Calvinists, such as Hardshell Jimmy Barber, W.E. Best, Bryan Schwertly, and John Hendryx of the web site monergism.com. I cited these words of Hendryx:

"I. Regeneration is described as a spiritual new birth.

1. This is affirmed in the following New Testament passages: John 1:12-13; 3:3-8; I Corinthians 4:15; Philemon 10; James 1:18; I Peter 1:3,23; I John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18.

2. The embryonic stage of regeneration is what is called "quickening", and it is the work of the Holy Spirit alone.

3. The final stage of regeneration is delivery or birth, and it is the work of the Holy Spirit in dependence upon the Word as a means. Consequently, the spiritual knowledge conferred by illumination is the spiritual content or revelation (holy Scripture)."  ("Biblical Regeneration and Affectional Theology," see here)

In Owen's work "Discourse of the Efficient of Regeneration" (Available here) he wrote:

"These preparations are many times without perfection. The pangs of conviction resolve sometimes into a return to the old vomit, and make no progress in a state of life and grace. The apostle's rule will hold true in the whole compass of the work, Rom. vi. 11, 'If it be of works, then it is no more grace.' So much as is ascribed to any work or preparation by the creature, so much is taken from the glory of grace, and would make God not the author, but assistant, and that too by obligation, not by grace."

By "these preparations" he means those workings of the word and Spirit of God upon the hearts and minds of lost sinners prior to their being raised out of spiritual death. He also says that many sinners experience conviction of sin and guilt but who do not avail themselves of the salvation which is in Christ Jesus. I contend that being convicted of sin is not only a necessary precondition, except in cases of small children, for being regenerated but that it also is an example of both common and prevenient grace. Owen also makes a distinction between any preparatory works of the creature made apart from the work of the Spirit and grace of God and those preparations which are the result of the Spirit and grace of God. So Owen wrote further: "From this it follows, that man does not prepare himself by any act of his will, without the grace of God." 

Owen mentions the "pangs of conviction." The people I cited previously who believed that regeneration preceded the new birth would see these "pangs" as denoting the "travail" a quickened, awakened, or regenerated sinner experiences while in the womb of darkness and guilt and before he is delivered from those travails in the birth. 

Owens wrote further:

"Thirdly, What preparation had any of those we read of in Scripture from themselves? What disposition had Paul, when he was struck down with a heart fuller of actual enmity than he had at his birth? Did the apostles expect any call from their nets, or set themselves in a readiness before they heard that call? A voice from Christ was attended with a divine touch or power upon their hearts; both the preparation and the motion itself took birth together. And what preparations are there in Scripture, but are attributed unto God? If a conviction be thorough and full, and consequently a preparation, it must refer to that Spirit which our Saviour asserts to be the principal cause of it, John xvi. 8, 9, 'When he is come,' that is, the Comforter, 'he will reprove the world of sin.' It is laid wholly upon this, as the end of the almighty Spirit's coming, whereby it is not likely men would be convinced without him. Is there any desire or prayer for it? Even this, if true, is from the Holy Ghost; 'no man can call Christ Lord, but by the Holy Ghost,' 1 Cor. xii. 3. Did any of those our Saviour cured of bodily infirmities, prepare themselves for that cure? Neither can any man prepare himself for his spiritual cure...If one man of the same nature with another be endued with rich morals, it is from the common grace of God exciting natural light, and the common notions of fit and just; as the reason one vine of the same kind brings forth more generous fruit than another, is from the stronger influence of the sun. All nature assents to this truth, that nothing does prepare itself for a change."

It is true, as Owen says, that sometimes a conviction of sin, or an awakening, instantly brings forth a birth of the Spirit, as in the case of the apostle Paul. But many times there is much time between the preparatory steps and the birth. Further, as he has stated, people may be convicted and thus prepared but who are never saved. It seems also that Owen makes a distinction between the conviction that sinners experience, for he says "if a conviction be thorough and full" it is then definitely a work of the Spirit and will surely bring a sinner to the birth. 

Many Calvinists, especially those who say that a sinner must be born again or regenerated before he can be converted by faith and repentance, in arguing against any type of prevenient grace, will say that if God convicts a sinner of sin and does not bring about his regeneration, that such a scenario would violate what Paul affirmed when he wrote: 

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace." (Phil. 1: 3-7 nkjv)

If God initiates the "good work" in conviction of sin, or in some other preparatory work in a sinner's heart and mind, then it can never be the case that such a convicted sinner would fail to be regenerated or finally saved, according to the words of the apostle. If God began the good work of convicting of sin in some and yet it did not end in salvation, it is argued by Hyper Calvinists that what Paul said is wrong. To which I reply first by saying that the "good work" Paul refers to is the conversion of the believers at Philippi. However, there are some, such as Kenneth Wuest, well known Greek exegetist, who say that the good work Paul has in mind is the financial support the Philippians gave to Paul and the first missionaries. In his commentary on the above passage he wrote:

"Paul had come to a settled persuasion concerning the fact that the God who had begun in the Philippians the good work of giving to missions, would bring it to a successful conclusion right up to the day of Christ Jesus."

We may also say that where there has been what Owen called a "thorough and full" conviction, a good work in the hearts of those chosen to salvation, he will indeed complete what he designs to accomplish by that conviction; And, as Owen taught, even in those cases where some have been convicted and yet never saved God still completes his design therein. 

Consider also the fact that a person must hear the gospel first before he can believe in Christ (Rom. 10), and if hearing the gospel is a gracious gift or good thing, then we see where there is prevenient grace at work prior to salvation by his bringing the sinner into contact with the gospel and word of God. However, Hyper Calvinists will sometimes go so far as to assert that one must be regenerated before he can savingly hear the gospel. Oftentimes he does not see that hearing the gospel is in itself a gracious thing, even if one does not believe it. 

Wrote Owen:

"If the preparations were from the will of man, man would begin the noblest work that ever was wrought, and God would be made no more than an attendant upon the creature's motion; whereas the very beginning in the will, as well as the perfection, is ascribed to God: Philip. ii. 13, 'God works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.' God's good pleasure is the original cause of this work upon the will, not the will's good pleasure. The work then depending on God's good pleasure, excludes any dependency on the will of man; it is therefore called a creation, to show God's independence upon anything as to this work."

God works in the heart of the elect to will or to choose to be saved before he is actually saved or regenerated. The work of making willing does not always occur in an instant either. God may work long on a hard heart before he softens it and makes it receptive to him and his word. So Owen agrees when he writes further:

"If we seek, we shall find; if we ask, we shall receive, but who first touches the heart to seek or to ask? If we cannot think a good thought of ourselves, how can we think so good a thought as a desire of regeneration? To say, then, we can desire the new creation of ourselves, without some kind of grace, is to assert another doctrine than what the apostle Paul asserted to those already regenerate. The first will, which is the necessary spring of all actions, is wrought by God, Philip. ii. 13."

Prevenient Grace (4)

Common operations of the Spirit, for Puritans, refer to the Holy Spirit's temporary or superficial work on the hearts of unregenerate people. Unlike special saving grace, these operations restrain sin, convict conscience, enlighten the mind, and enable superficial obedience. They are often preparatory, bringing sinners to fear punishment or experience emotional, non-saving convictions. These common operations may easily be called common or prevenient grace. Puritans emphasized that these operations do not regenerate nor save. A person might experience them, such as fearing hell or conviction of sin, and feeling deep guilt, and yet remain unregenerate. 

The Spirit may enlighten the mind of an unbeliever to understand many truths of Scripture and even produce "pangs of conscience" and yet he remains aloof from Christ. Puritan preachers often described these as "beginnings of compunction" or a "ministry of the law," which can lead a person to seek God, even if they do not lead to actual salvation.

God’s Word teaches the doctrine of irresistible grace, but it also teaches that there is resistible grace, as we have previously stated. It teaches that there is common grace and special grace that is always effectual. It teaches that there are degrees of grace (Eph. 4: 7; etc.), and that some effects require abundance of grace. (Rom. 5: 17) Regarding these things we will have more to say, but first let us return to reviewing things the Puritan Calvinist John Owen wrote on this subject.

In "Conviction of Sin Before Conversion" by John Owen under "Several Practical Cases of Conscience Resolved" (Available here), Discourse One, page four, wrote (emphasis mine):

"QUESTION. To what extent should I be convicted of my sin and guilt before I may turn to Jesus Christ to find salvation?"

For, seeing conviction is so indispensably necessary, some may say, "It hath not been thus and thus with me,—according as hath been declared." Therefore, I would only show what I judge to be so necessary, as that without it a soul cannot be supposed sincerely to have closed with Christ. And we having all made our profession of choosing and closing with Christ, as I would be loath to say any thing that might discourage any, lest they should have failed in the very necessary work of conviction; so I would not betray the truth of God, nor the souls of any."

By the words "closed with Christ" he means the result of all these preparatory works of God which is the salvation of the soul. Many of the authors of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith spoke of sinners "closing with Christ." It denotes the time when the sinner and Christ covenant with each other, as in a marriage union, and when they become one. It is when the convicted sinner is fully drawn to Christ and surrenders all to him. Notice also how Owen speaks of the "very necessary work of conviction." This is of course an example of prevenient grace. We need to be careful, however, of going to extremes in regard to this. 

Very young children may truly come to Christ and be saved even though they have not felt severe pangs of conscience over sin as have adults who have spent years in sin. We must also keep in mind that even in conviction there is some degree of faith, for there is belief that one is a sinner before God. But, this faith is not yet saving faith for it has not yet fixed itself on Christ and his atoning blood, there being not yet "faith in his blood" for "propitiation." (Rom. 3:25) Remember that "even the demons believe and tremble" and yet are not saved. (James 2: 19) One said to Jesus "I know who you are--the Holy One of God." (Mark 1: 24) There are those shallow superficial believers described in the parable of the soils who "believed for awhile and then fell away" when trials and persecution come because they "have no root in themselves." (Luke 8: 13) Their faith is not sincere nor genuine. 

Owen wrote further:

"Therefore, I shall place it upon this: What Jesus Christ doth indispensably call men unto, in order to believing in him, that is indispensably required of them. And this I shall manifest out of two or three places of Scripture:—Mark 2:17, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Now, this calling them unto repentance, is a calling them unto it by the faith which is in him...What is the conclusion? "Lost sinners," saith Christ, "this is that I require of you." So that this is what I assert to be indispensably necessary,—namely, that they are so far convinced that they are sinners as to state and course, that they are not righteous in themselves, and can have no righteousness in themselves. I say, therefore, when a person is not really convinced that he is not righteous, he is not under the call of Jesus Christ; and if he doth believe this, he is under a sovereign dispensation, and let not such despond."

On this point we have already spoken in the previous chapter. This conviction that a person is a justly condemned sinner is the result of the working of both the Father and the Spirit. It is the result of the Father's teaching and drawing, as Jesus said: "everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me" (John 6: 45); And of the Holy Spirit he said, "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." (John 16: 8-11 nkjv) Whether all are drawn by the Father, or only the elect, is a question we will address later, along with the question as to when a person is born again, whether it was when drawn and taught, or afterward when he comes to Christ. The point now is to show that there are things that God does in the hearts and minds of lost sinners before they are given spiritual life out of spiritual death. 

Owen continued:

"Another direction of Christ is, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick,” Matt. ix. 12...Now, these things I do account indispensably necessary, antecedently to believing, as to the substance of them. And this, I hope, hath been found in all our souls. And if we have obtained so far, we need not then question whether our closing with Christ be sincere or not. This is all that I dare assert to be absolutely and indispensably necessary. Many pretend to believe, though they never were convinced thoroughly that they were not righteous, — never were sick in their lives, — never had fears that they should die. These are contrary to the express rule Christ hath given, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners;” — not those that say, “There is hope,” but those that say, “There is no hope.""

As we have said, being awakened nearly always precedes being saved or born again. Further, as we will see, some enlightenment is also experienced in this awakening.

In "The Spirit’s Work of Conviction through the Conscience of a Sinner" (See here) Owen wrote:

"The work of conviction of sin on those who expected it not, who desired it not, and who would avoid it if by any means possible they could. The world is filled with instances of this nature. While men have been full of love to their sins, at peace in them, enjoying benefit and advantage by them, the word coming upon them in its power has awed, disquieted, and terrified them, taken away their peace, destroyed their hopes, and made them, as it were, whether they would or not—that is, contrary to their desires, inclinations, and carnal affections—to conclude that if they comply not with what is proposed unto them in that word, which before they took no notice of nor had any regard unto, they must be presently or eternally miserable."

As a Calvinist I have, in my discussions with Arminians and Pelagians about "free will" and "irresistible grace," mentioned that God convicts sinners of their sinful and condemned state without the sinner's permission or choice. I have pointed this out because of the objection that says "God does not force or compel anyone to believe or convert." I ask them -- "does God force or compel people when convincing them of sin?" Of course, God does not force in one sense, meaning he does not compel a sinner apart from making the sinner willing. Owen, in the above words, mentions the fact that God convicts sinners of sin even when they did not expect it nor desired it. This happened in the case of the apostle Paul on the Damascus road. He was forced to acknowledge that Christ was indeed the Messiah and Son of God. Further, in the day of judgment "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord" and this is because they are forced or compelled to do so. (Rom. 14: 11; Phil. 2: 10-11)

That people may experience conviction of sin and yet remain degenerate is seen in several cases in the bible. However, let us notice a couple of them.

The case of Felix

"And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." (Acts 24: 24-25 kjv)

Felix was a very wicked man and never became a Christian. Yet, under the powerful preaching of the apostle Paul about the "judgment to come" this king was made to fear and tremble. We see how the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation." By this power Felix was made to fear being judged for his lack of righteousness. Felix, for a moment, experienced an awakening, and the thought that what Paul was saying may be true. However, as Jesus taught in the parable of the soils and seed, the seed of truth fell on wayside ground so that the birds of the air (symbolizing Satan) came and devoured the seed. ("Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved"; Luke 8: 12 nkjv) This is what happened to Felix. Still, it was a fact that God was gracious to Felix in having the seed of the gospel broadcast to his heart and mind and given an opportunity to be saved. 

Felix trembling from fear of divine judgment was no evidence of salvation as many of the Hardshell Baptists teach. The demons believe in God's existence and tremble with fear. (James 2: 19) Wrote Isaiah: "The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” (Isa. 33: 14 nkjv) Even lost sinners when under conviction of sin may realize that "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (He. 10: 31) Sadly, however, these thoughts are quickly pushed out of the mind and never lead to repentance. 

Some preachers, especially some Calvinists, believe that it is wrong to "hell scare" sinners into a decision for Christ. However, that is unbiblical. In fact, I wish more lost and hardened sinners were even more afraid of coming judgment. So too did the apostle Paul who wrote:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men..." (II Cor. 5: 10-11 nkjv)

On this text Spurgeon said the following in his sermon (See here) on the text "persuading them concerning Jesus" (Acts 28: 23):

"But are we right trying to persuade men? Are not human hearts too hard to be broken by so feeble a hammer as our persuasion? Yes, I most solemnly believe they are: but that is not the question. “What is the use of persuading them, if you know that they will not be won by your persuasion in and of itself?” Well, brethren, I feel safe in doing what Paul did. I will not stop to solve difficulties, but merely say, Paul persuaded, and so will I. “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” “Oh,” says one, “we may persuade awakened sinners, but not dead sinners!” But I reply that Paul persuaded these chief men of the Jews, some of whom never believed in Jesus, for their hearts were gross, and their eyes were blinded. Paul persuaded them, though they were judicially blinded. He knew that they were living men, and that they were possessed of reason, even though they had no grace; and so he appealed to what remained in them, and he persuaded them. Again I say, I will do what Paul did. But I know, as Paul also knew, that all the human persuasion in the world will fall short of the mark without divine power. I never dreamed that my persuasion was of the slightest avail without the Holy Ghost." (emphasis mine)

Dr. Barnes in his commentary wrote:

"We persuade men - We endeavor to persuade them to flee from the wrath to come; to be prepared to stand before the judgment-seat, and to be suited to enter into heaven. Observe here the uniqueness of the statement. It is not, we drive people; or we endeavor to alarm people; or we frighten people; or we appeal merely to their fears, but it is, we persuade people, we endeavor to induce them by all the arts of persuasion and argument to flee from the wrath to come. The future judgment, and the scenes of future woe, are not proper topics for mere declamation. To declaim constantly on hell-fire and perdition; to appeal merely to the fears of people, is not the way in which Paul and the Saviour preached the gospel. The knowledge that there would be a judgment, and that the wicked would be sent to hell, was a powerful motive for Paul to endeavor to "persuade" people to escape from wrath, and was a motive for the Saviour to weep over Jerusalem, and to lament its folly, and its doom; Luke 19:41. But they who fill their sermons with the denunciations of wrath; who dwell on the words "hell" and "damnation," for the purpose of rhetoric or declamation, to round a period, or merely to excite alarm; and who "deal damnation around the land" as if they rejoiced that people were to be condemned, and in a tone and manner as if they would be pleased to execute it, have yet to learn the true nature of the way to win people to God, and the proper effect of those awful truths on the mind."

I can agree with what Barnes here says but would call attention to his frequent use of the word "mere" or "merely." I also agree that there is a way to provoke or teach people to fear the Lord (Psalm 34: 11), which is a good thing, yea "the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9: 10), but that it may be done in the wrong way and in a wrong spirit. However, that does not mean that it is always wrong for preachers to put people in fear of coming judgment. I am sure that this is what the apostle Paul means in the above text. Further, what is wrong with sounding the alarm to sinners in view of coming judgment? So we read such verses as this:

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand." (Joel 2: 1 nkjv)

Noah, when being warned about the coming judgment of God upon the world, was "moved with fear" and acted to build the ark as God commanded. (Heb. 11: 7) So sinners should be moved with fear of coming judgment and turn to God and "flee from the wrath to come." (Matt. 3: 7)

Spurgeon in a sermon on Felix (1858) said:

"But I take it that conscience of itself is so thoroughly corrupt, together with all the other powers of manhood, that it would never even make a man go so far as trembling, if there were not something at work upon the conscience, besides being left to its own natural force. My brethren, I believe that what some people call natural conviction is, after all, the work of the Spirit. Some very profound divines are so fond of the doctrine that the Holy Spirit always works efficaciously, that they think that the Spirit never can work a transitory emotion in a man’s soul; they impute such things to conscience. And if they see a man like Felix trembling, they say ’tis all natural conscience! Now, do they not see that they are in this touching on another doctrine equally dear to them—the doctrine of total depravity?—for if men be totally depraved by nature, then as trembling is a good thing, they are not capable even of that without some influence of the Holy Spirit. The fact is, my hearers, the Holy Spirit works in two ways. In some men’s hearts he works with restraining Grace only, and the restraining Grace, though it will not save them, is enough to keep them from breaking out into the open and corrupt vices in which some men indulge who are totally left by the restraints of the Spirit. Now, there was in Felix some little portion of this restraining Grace; and when the Apostle laid the Gospel open to him, this restraining Grace quickened the conscience, and compelled Felix to tremble. Mark you, this Grace man may resist and does resist; for albeit that the Holy Spirit is Omnipotent and never can be resisted when he works Omnipotently, yet as a strong man may sometimes not put out all his strength, but work with his finger, for instance, so that he may permit even a gnat or an ant to overcome him, even so the Holy Spirit sometimes works but temporarily and but for good and excellent purposes, which he always accomplishes; but he allows men to quench and resist his influences, so that salvation is not so much as approached thereby. God the Holy Spirit may work in men some good desires and feelings, and yet have no design of saving them. But mark, none of these feelings are things that accompany sure salvation, for if so, they would be continued. But he does not work Omnipotently to save, except in the persons of his own elect, whom he assuredly bringeth to himself. I believe, then, that the trembling of Felix is to be accounted for by the restraining grace of the Spirit quickening his conscience and making him tremble." (See here)

These are excellent observations of Spurgeon and I agree with them completely. They are examples of how prevenient grace is at work in the hearts of both elect and non-elect and that in the case of the former it will always bring salvation, but in the latter will not. 

The case of Agrippa

"Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!” But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” (Acts 26: 24-28 nkjv)

Agrippa was experiencing some working of God upon his heart and mind, some aspect of prevenient grace, when he was almost persuaded. It was an act of grace that Agrippa was sent a messenger by God and that he was being persuaded by such a messenger. It was also a good thing that he had in some measure a willingness to give Paul a fair hearing. It is also good that he was positively affected to some degree.