the word, or affliction, or both, the mind may be subdued so as to seek. That it is only as subdued, that men form a will of determination to return to God, appears again from the circumstance, that the Holy Spirit, in his word, represents them as conquered. Behold Christ, the king, riding forth "conquering and to conquer;" he "girds his sword upon his thigh, and his arrows are sharp in the hearts of the king's enemies." So on the day of Pentecost. Not until they feel the wound of the sword, or the piercings of the arrow, do they yield. "The weapons of our warfare," says Paul, "are mighty through God, to pull down strongholds, to cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." All this shows that men must be subdued, before they will surrender. The word convicting the conscience, and coming with the announcements of death, judgment, heaven, hell, and eternity; and a "heart being given to perceive" the nature and importance of these things; the soul, by the force of truth, sees the necessity of yielding, and is brought to inquire and seek. But all this does not suppose the will of inclination. the will of determination in the safety by yielding. The stone yields not till it is broken by the "hammer." The dross separates not, but by the action of "fire." The filthiness disappears not, until the Lord "consumes it out of us."

No, it only supposes soul to seek its own

That it is only as subdued that men inquire after Christ, appears again from the circumstance, that the Holy Spirit represents the remnant of Israel who

stiff

were saved with an everlasting salvation, as necked," until spiritually circumcised; as having a "heart of stone," until that heart was taken away, and a heart of flesh given. "Circumcise, therefore, the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked,” is the exhortation of God to Israel, by his prophet Moses; and, says Jeremiah, "Circumcise yourself to the Lord, and take away the foreskin of your heart." Now, until this circumcision takes place, this stiffneckedness is considered as remaining. Hence it is by the spiritual "circumcision of the heart to love God," that the heart yields. Again, it is said, " I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Not till God interposes, then, is it that there is a yielding heart. And how strikingly is this illustrated in " Ephraim," and in whorish Israel, as mentioned by Jeremiah and Hosea.

PROPOSITION III.

"That not only is it GOD, that, by subduing, produces the will of determination, but it is he that, by drawing, produces the will of inclination."

The subduing to seek is of God, and the drawing to take yoke and learn, is of God. The subduing is so; for whether the determination be formed in consequence of educational discipline, instruction and habits, or whether owing to affliction, or to contingent circumstances, in all these cases, God, who "worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will," is to be acknowledged. If education restrain and direct the "wild ass's colt;" if the ministry of the word proves as a "hammer to break the rock in pieces;" if

affliction build up a wall or make a hedge of prevention; if contingent circumstances bring or keep under the sound of the word;-these things are not of the man's devising; they are of God's devising and ordering. Therefore, the subduing is to be attributed to God. Indeed, who is there that considers the process of the work of conversion in himself, that will not be ready to say, not only "it is God's work," but, "O Lord, thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed."

And, as the subduing, so the drawing is of God. This latter is by teaching, as we find from our Lord's discourse in John vi. Having convinced the sinner of his sin, and its consequent misery, so as to subdue him to learn, the Holy Spirit enlightens his mind in the knowledge of Christ, renews his will, and persuades him, and enables him to embrace Jesus Christ as he is freely offered in the gospel."* And thus, at length, he comes to Christ, and becomes his follower, with his will of inclination. He "takes his yoke," &c. and in so doing, finds rest to his soul.

That the will and power are of God, may be further argued thus. When, as we have seen, God calls a sinner to himself, he subdues his mind, or brings him to a will of determination to seek salvation, by conviction of sin and fear of hell. Then, by instruction and persuasion, he draws him, or brings him to the will of inclination. Now, the power that subdued in the first instance, must have been from God, and not from himself. Such is the unwillingness of the sinner to part with his darling sins, with the world, with his own wisdom, and with his own confidences; or such

* Assembly's Catechism on "Effectual Calling."

of

is his indolence, that, when his conscience is alarmed, and his passions roused, he studiously endeavours to still the voice of the one, and to suppress the risings of the other; lest he should at length be obliged to make the called-for sacrifice; and under such feelings repugnance, the power that subdues cannot be said to be from himself. Nay, when God takes the sinner in hand, how often, upon his being visited with awakenings and alarms, is he like a wild bull in a net, or like the "bullock unaccustomed to the yoke," being, like "Ephraim, joined to his idols," and having "loved strangers," determined to go after them! And not until chastened by God in his own way, is his spirit subdued-or not till he finds that God has hedged up his way, will he desist from his evil courses. And as to the drawing, that also is of God. It is he that, having now taken away the heart of stone, and given a heart of flesh, and thus inclined the heart to receive instruction, raises new thoughts in the mind, gives new views of things, and produces a new disposition and temper; so that the will is not only determined from fear, but it is inclined in love. And thus is produced the will of inclination, a free will to good, to spiritual good; and so the gospel call is become effectual, and the man is become the efficacious grace of which we speak. shall treat more fully in our next section.

SECTION II.

subject of the But of this we

A more particular View of this Efficacious Grace of the Holy Spirit.

In discoursing on this branch of the subject, it may be useful to show how this saving work is distinguished

from that which is not saving; which, though presenting the appearance of it, yet does not prove effectual.

1. A man may be the subject of temporary and strong convictions, and yet not be the subject of this grace. Instance in the cases of Pharaoh, and Saul, and Ahab, and Judas, and Felix. We might enlarge upon each of these, but we forbear. The reader may profitably advert to them.

2. So a man may "receive the word with joy," as the stony-ground hearers in the parable of the sower; or "hear the word gladly," as Herod heard John gladly; and the preacher's voice may be as a "very lovely song to him," and yet he may not be a partaker of this grace. Thus there may be both convictions and comforts without it.

3. A man may "believe for a while," without this efficacious grace, or without "believing with the heart unto righteousness," as the stony-ground hearers are represented to have done, and as many of the Jews, and as Simon Magus did. A man may have a "dead" faith, not a living one.

4. A man may "know the way of righteousness," and, as Herod did, "do many things;" he may also

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escape the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the" (not "his") "Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," and yet not be possessed of this effectual grace.

But, in this saving work of the Holy Spirit, there is given "a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear;"-the heart is "circumcised to love God:" a "heart is given to know the Lord;" "there is given one heart and one way;" " a new heart and a new spirit;" the "heart of stone being taken away;" "the