'that it may incline (propendeat) to holiness and 'justice, he bends, composes, forms, and directs it 'to the rule of his own righteousness; he esta'blishes and confirms it by the energy of his own 'Spirit, lest it should stumble and fall down. On 'which account Augustine says, Thou wilt say to 'me, therefore we are acted upon, we do not act: 'Yea thou actest and art acted on; and then thou 'actest well, if thou art acted upon by good'-or, by a good me, a bono. The spirit of God, who ' acts on (agit) thee, is a helper to those who act; 'he prescribes the name of a helper, because thou 'also doest something. In the former sentence 'he declareth that the action of man is not taken

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away by the motion of the Holy Spirit, because 'will is from nature, which is ruled that it may aspire unto good. That which he presently

addeth, as what may be collected from the title ' of helper, that we also do something, it is not 'consistent so to take it, as if he would ascribe any thing separately (seorsum) to us; but, lest 'he should cherish in us idleness, he thus conci'liates the action of God with our's, that to will may be from nature, to will well from grace.'1

'The terms of scripture represent the Spirit of "God as an assisting, not forcing power; as not suspending our own powers, but enabling them; as imparting strength and faculty for our religious work, if we will use them; but whether we will use them or not still depending upon ' ourselves.' 2

I Calv. Inst. Book II. c. v. sect. 14.

2

Paley in Ref. 32,

33.

The Spirit of God neither forces us, nor suspends our powers. We are, however, fully persuaded that something more is intended, when "God worketh in us both to will and to do," than what is stated in this quotation; but nothing inconsistent with our acting voluntarily.

'To walk after the flesh, is to follow wherever the impulses of sensuality and selfishness lead us, ' which is a voluntary act. To walk after the Spirit, is steadily and resolutely to obey good mo'tions within us, whatever they cost us; which ' also is a voluntary act.'1

This second part of the quotation is a fair statement of the subject to which it belongs. Selfish'ness' includes pride, ambition, envy, malice, and all incontinence and intemperance, equally with dishonesty and avarice: and to follow its impulses is a voluntary act,' and therefore justly deserving of condemnation. "To walk after the Spirit," includes repentance and faith, as well as all subsequent holy obedience; and these are voluntary acts. Indeed an act or an effort must be voluntary; else a man only seems to act, as those unhappy men do, whose limbs are involuntarily moved in certain diseases. The apostle, writing to the Corinthians, says, "Thanks be to God, who 66 put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus "for you. For indeed he accepted the exhortation; "but being more forward, of his own accord he "went unto you" (vásperos). God having " put "this care into the heart of Titus," did not prevent

1

Paley in Ref. 32, 33.

22 Cor. viii. 16, 17.

his acting" of his own accord ;" not only voluntarily, but promptly and zealously; yea, it excited him to do it.

'It is acknowledged, that man has not the disposition, and consequently not the ability, to do 'what in the sight of God is good, till he is influenced by the Spirit of God: but this influence of 'the Spirit is not irresistible, it does not solely of ' itself produce good works. It does not necessarily cause men to perform good works. A man may resist the influence of the Holy Spirit, and ""do despite to the Spirit of grace," by turning to 'sin and wickedness in opposition to its dictates. 'And, if we do listen to its dictates, it must be an ac'tive obedience, and not an indolent acquiescence.' '-indeed irresistible power, actually exerted over 'the minds of men, in the work of salvation, is repugnant to the acknowledged principles of the gospel.'1

The twofold concession in the beginning of this quotation, that the want of disposition is the want ' of ability;' and that man has not this disposition ❝to do what is good in the sight of God, till he is ' influenced by the Spirit of God,' comprises all that sober Calvinists desire, provided it were but adhered to, steadily and consistently. We do indeed maintain, that omnipotent power, to which all the resistance of depraved nature proves eventually ineffectual, is exerted on the minds of men, in the work of salvation: else what is meant by" a 66 new creation," and "a resurrection" from the

Ref. 61, 62.

' death of sin to the life of righteousness? But we by no means think, that this implies compulsion ; because its effect is to render us willing: "Thy

people shall be willing in the day of thy power.' The subject of necessity will require a brief but separate consideration for there are different kinds of necessity. Fire of necessity consumes wood, without consciousness on either side. The officer of justice renders it necessary to the murderer to suffer death by compulsion. God is necessarily holy, just, and good; yet most voluntarily, through the perfection of his nature. No necessity of the two former kinds is supposed by us, either in the persevering wickedness of some, or in the holy obedience to the gospel, by the grace of God in others: but a moral necessity cannot reasonably be denied in either case." We cannot but speak those things. "which we have seen and heard." "The love of "Christ constraineth us." Let this hint here suffice.

The word irresistible, and other words implying the same idea, occur very frequently in the writings of our opponents, and very seldom in ours. In my own various publications, which may be thought by many sufficiently voluminous, I do not think they are used once, in the meaning and application here intended. Even in Calvin they very seldom occur. But while we would give up the words resistless and irresistible, as not used in the sacred scriptures, it may be observed, that the idea conveyed by them would not be repugnant to the principles of the gospel,' nor even to sound philosophy; provided the exertion of this invincible or irresistible power

were employed merely to produce in us 'a dispo'sition, to do what in the sight of God is good;' or a willing mind, a moral ability, of which fallen creatures are confessedly destitute in themselves. Such intelligent agents, blinded and enslaved by their depraved propensities, must be disposed to resist the holy motions of the sacred Spirit; but it is impossible that, continuing unchanged, they should voluntarily comply with them: alas, cor repugnat! This aversion to good and propensity to evil must be overcome, not by itself, or by him in whom it exists and reigns, and in whom Satan, as á strong man armed," by means of it, reigns also; but by " a stronger than he ;" by the power of God overcoming all resistance, "working in him to

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will," and leading in him to say, “O Lord, thou "art stronger than I, and hast prevailed.”—The in-clination or disposition to good, being produced by a power against which all the resistance of depraved nature has proved ineffectual, they, in whom God hath worked to will (rò éλ) make voluntary efforts after holiness, and against all evil propensities and all temptations; and, by the continual help of God preserving this willingness, and " working in "them to do," (TO EVERYE,) they become active and diligent in every good work.

It will scarcely be denied, that Omnipotence could recover even fallen angels to holiness: and, for the sake of argument or illustration, it may therefore be supposed. If God should work this recovery at once, by his almighty fiat, the effect would be produced without any co-operation on their part, and against all the opposition of which they were at the moment capable. But, if it were