1821 Circular Letter of the Pearl River Association of Mississippi

THE POWER THAT WROUGHT SILENTLY, wonderfully, effectually in the tomb of Jesus, is the only force that can deliver men from the power of darkness, and translate them into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. They are dead in trespasses and sins, and none can quicken them but God. He reserves this right to himself, and he will not give this glory to another. The capacity or power to believe in God has many forms of expression. It is known in God’s word as a quickening, a deliverance, a translation, an opening of the heart, an opening of blind eyes, opening the eyes of your understanding, born of God, born from above, born from incorruptible seed, called with a holy calling, partaking of the divine nature, the gift of eternal life, renewed in the spirit of your mind, renewing of the Holy Ghost, washing of regeneration, a creation in Christ Jesus, and many others, and all of which denote the working of God’s mighty power.

Turn where we may in God’s word, a cloud of witnesses assures us that this mighty power goes before or underlies every manifestation of spiritual life. It is said that he that believeth is born of God, and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believe. This shows that God prepares the heart to receive his word. Of his own will begat he us, says James. He is the author and finisher of our faith, that is our belief and trust in God as a Redeemer and Savior.

The tree must be made good. Man must be made a new creature. This is the work of God. It is wrought by a power equal to that which created the world. The Apostle, addressing the saints at Ephesus, writes thus: “Not of works lest any man should boast; for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Prior to this work the sinner is dead, as to spiritual things, and all the works that he performs are dead works; and thus he remains until life is imparted from Christ, who is the life of every believer; and the life which he imparts is eternal life; for power is given him of his Father, to “give eternal life to as many as He hath given Him.”

They are under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, the third person in the glorious trinity, by whom they are instructed, in a certain degree, into the knowledge of spiritual things, of which they were before ignorant. Among these is the moral law, which is enforced in its purity and spirituality, and convinces them of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the impurity of their own works, which fall infinitely short of justifying them in the sight of an infinitely pure and holy law giver, who will accept of nothing from his creatures, but the perfection of holiness.

He now performs his services from notions of obedience, flowing from love to God and man. He has received the spirit of adoption, and, as far as his proportion of faith will admit, he claims God as his Father, and desires to approve himself as an obedient and loving child. All he does in the way of obedience, is in the name of the Lord Jesus, through whom he hopes, that himself and his works will be accepted before the throne of God. All his petitions, thanksgivings, and acknowledgements, are offered up through Christ; and he looks for all necessary blessings to flow down to him through the same channel.