working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ Jesus when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." Now, what is that calling which is here considered as the calling of God the Father, and his calling by way of eminence or distinction? a calling full of hope, which none can understand but those whose eyes are enlightened? a calling connected with the glory of God's inheritance in the saints, and with the exceeding greatness of his power towards them that believe? Was it, think you, a mere external call? a call to outward privileges common to all who hear the Gospel? a call which men may be the subjects of and yet live and die in unbelief? Or was it a sovereign and invincible call? a call of the Spirit, which quickens those that are dead in trespasses and sins and makes them alive unto God? a call of no less energy than that which awakened the sleeping Saviour from his tomb and placed him at God's right hand in the heavens, far above all principality and power? I leave you most cheerfully to judge, after putting two questions which ought never to be overlooked when examining this subject. (1.) To what end does God work in men, either first or last, with the exceeding greatness of his power, and according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ Jesus when he raised him from the dead, if it be not to raise them from a death of sin unto a life of righteousness? And, (2,) is it possible that after he has thus wrought in them, and notwithstanding this working, called also by the Apostle his effectual working, they should still remain dead in trespasses and sins, and under the reigning power of unbelief?

I cannot detain you with the consideration of all the places in which a call thus effectual is either expressed or intimated; let me, however, just refer you to two or three of this character. Thus Paul, in his second Epistle

to Timothy: "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God, who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." Here is a calling evidently peculiar to believers and connected with salvation; a calling according to God's purpose and grace, given in Christ before the world began. Thus, too, the same Apostle, in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians: "But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto" (or to which state) "he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Three things are here distinctly affirmed: first, that God had, from the beginning or from everlasting, chosen these persons to salvation; secondly, that he had chosen them to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth; and thirdly, that to this state of salvation he had called them by the Gospel, but manifestly not by the Gospel alone, for they were called to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, not in the sense of being invited to it simply, but of being qualified for it, and by promise entitled to it.

Judge ye, now, whether there be not a calling of the Spirit which is sovereign and effectual-a calling which is the fruit of God's electing love, and which takes place with regard to all those who are brought to believe unto salvation. It is this which is primarily respected by the Apostles when they speak of the high vocation of believers, their holy and heavenly calling, and their calling out of darkness into God's marvelous light. But suppose we had mistaken the use of this

term in the passages we have considered-a point, perhaps, which we should not very readily concede-yet suppose it were the fact, the doctrine we have set up in this discourse would be no less plain and indubitable, viz. that there is a work of the Holy Spirit, call it by what name you will, which is invincible in its nature, and which is by way of eminence the true and proper cause of men's repenting and believing, or complying with the terms of the Gospel. What else can we make of such a declaration as this? "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures," (James i. 18.) The Apostle had just said, "Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning;" and then adds, "Of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth," as if nothing could be more free and sovereign than this operation, and nothing more entirely and absolutely God's work. Again: "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved,) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Even when we were dead in sins, according to this, did the love of God find us. But what did this love do? It quickened us together with Christ; that is, raised us up from a death of sin to a life of holiness. But perhaps this spiritual resurrection was the consequence of faith? How can this be, when faith itself is rather a consequence of this spiritual quickening, or, at any rate, is involved in it? Hence, says the Apostle, in the words which follow: "By grace are ye saved through faith, and that (that thing) not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Certainly, then, if we

are his workmanship, we are not our own workmanship, and we do but disparage the riches of his grace, if we pretend that we are. What could be more decisive than this very passage of the doctrine we have advocated in this Lecture, that it is wholly owing to the work of the Divine Spirit that men believe unto life eternal ?

The same truth is taught in all those passages which speak of God as circumcising the heart, taking away the heart of stone, and giving a heart of flesh; of his putting his fear in the hearts of men, and writing his law there; in short, as working in them to will and to do of his own good pleasure. So it must be, if man is totally depraved by nature, or if the carnal mind be enmity against God, not subject to his law, neither indeed can be. For whence should there come into the heart of man that which is truly good, if not from the regenerating and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit? Or have we now to learn that when men are regenerated, it is partly of themselves, and partly from the Spirit of God? So taught not our blessed Lord, when he said, "Except a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God." So taught not his Apostle, when he said, that "to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." But I have done when I have remarked, that though it is God that works all our good in us and for us, and though our graces are but the fruits of his Spirit, yet there is no constraint upon our faculties, nor are we dragged into his kingdom against our wills, but only made willing in the day of his power. This is the creed of our Church, and, I doubt not, the doctrine of the Bible; but you must examine and judge for yourselves. Some of the objections which are offered against our view of the subject, we propose hereafter to consider.

LECTURE XVI.

ON EFFECTUAL CALLING.

IN a preceding Lecture we considered the doctrine of effectual calling, as it is embraced in our standards, and, as we believe, maintained in the Scriptures. In an effectual call we included the whole work of conviction and conversion-all that is done by the Holy Spirit in turning men from darkness to light, and from the power of sin and Satan unto God. We did not assert, nor do we believe, that this work is accomplished without the use of means. God's kingdom is pre-eminently a kingdom of means. Both in the natural and moral world, we perceive him carrying forward a system of operations through the medium of second causes, or in connection with them. And this is nowhere more true than in the work of our salvation, where the Word and ordinances of God are among the stated means he employs. Yet none of these means would prove effectual without the agency of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit which thoroughly convinces men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; the Spirit which enlightens them in the knowledge of Christ, and shows them the necessity of a vital union to him, if they would secure the pardon of sin and eternal life. Still this is not done without the instrumentality of the Word. They who never hear of Christ without, never hear of him within; for "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." It is the office of the Spirit, having enlightened the mind and renewed the