Providence to communicate such conviction by supernatural influence, the preaching of Peter in the house of Cornelius would have been super'fluous and unnecessary." '1

"Lord, thou hast heard the prayer of the hum"ble; thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt "cause thine ear to hear."2 This was evidently the case of Cornelius, even before he was by an angel directed to send for Peter.3 And was there nothing above fallen human nature in this ?-But indeed are means superfluous and unnecessary,' when the effect is to be produced by a supernatural influence? Even in things miraculous, God appointed means to be used; nor were these means superfluous. The priests must carry the ark and blow the trumpets round Jericho; the people must march round in silence for six days, and at last shout against the city; yet God alone cast down Jericho's walls.4 Ezekiel must preach even to the dry bones, and say, "O dry bones, hear ye the word "of the Lord:" yet God alone restored them to life.5 The servants at the marriage in Cana must "do whatsoever Jesus commanded;" but Jesus alone turned the water into wine." "Paul must "plant and Apollos water; but God alone gave "the increase."7 To use means, and to expect success from them and not from God, is the part of those who depend on themselves but not on God, even in the common concerns of life. The pious husbandman, however skilful and diligent,

will trust in God for success, and give him thanks for it but others resemble those, who "sacrificed "to their net, and burned incense to their drag, "because by them their portion was fat, and their "meat plenteous." To expect the blessing from God, and to neglect means, is presumption and enthusiasm. To trust in God for every thing, in the use of appointed or allowed means, is the plan of scripture, the exercise of faith, and the dictate of sober reason.

2

If, in our admirable Thanksgiving, we bless God for the means of grace,' what ideas do we annex to the words, if these be not the means by which God confers grace? His Lordship would not maintain, that baptism, by its own efficacy, works that astonishing change which he ascribes to it; nor yet allow baptism to be superfluous and unnecessary. In all things there are limits between what man can do, and ought to do, and what man cannot do, but should trust in God to do. In respect of salvation, our Lord marks that as the very ground and encouragement of our labouring, which this kind of reasoning would set aside as superfluous: "Labour not for the meat "that perisheth, but for the meat which endureth "unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall

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give you." God could indeed effect the required change without means; But he has seen good to appoint them, and to bless the humble use of them, by ministers, teachers, parents, masters of families, and others. He " honours those, who thus honour "him" by meeting him in his appointed way: but

he frowns alike on those who neglect, and those who idolize the means and instruments.

'The faith of the Bereans was the result of the 'candour with which they listened to the preaching of the apostle, and of the diligence with which they inquired into the evidences of the gospel.'1

No doubt it was: but did this candour and diligence spring from fallen human nature; or was it produced by the preventing and preparing grace of God? According to the Indians, an elephant supports the earth: but does it never occur to them to inquire, what supports the elephant? Let this suffice concerning the term supernatural; as concessions in other places imply most, if not all, which is here maintained; for the influence of the Spirit of God' 2 is certainly something far above what is natural to fallen man and we do rot mean, that God acts on our minds in any way contrary to our natural powers, as rational agents, or so as to suspend those powers.

As, however, the term irresistible, and the objections to our doctrine as connected with it, are so interwoven with the whole argument, and have been touched on in this section; it may be expedient here to conclude that part of our subject.

Another infers that he has no concern whatever, in working out his salvation; and that the thoughts, words, and works of those who shall 'be saved, are the necessary and irresistible ef

'fects of divine grace: this is the error of the 'Calvinists.'1

This indiscriminate accusation of the Calvinists should have been supported by clear quotations from their approved writers; especially from the works of modern Calvinists belonging to the establishment. It is, however, impossible thus to support it in any degree: and it is a sufficient answer to this, and to many similar charges by his Lordship and other opponents to say, "Neither can they prove the things of which they now accuse us." 2

'The change in the minds, and hearts, and con'duct of those, who received the gospel as "the power of God unto salvation," was so great, that, in the strong figurative language of scripture, 'true believers, who, having been brought up in the vices and follies of heathenism, had embraced Christianity at a mature age, were said to "walk ' in newness of life," to "become new creatures;" to "put off the old man with his deeds, and to put on the new man after the image of him that 'created him ;" to "put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt ac'cording to the deceitful lusts, and to put on the new man, which after God is created in righ'teousness and true holiness."'3

6

Is there then any proof, that the apostles meant to restrict this language to those converted from the vices and follies of heathenism? If men called

'Ref. 47, 48.

2 Acts. xxiv. 13.

' Ref. 27.

Christians, and baptized in infancy, live as heathens, in ungodliness and unrighteousness, yet at length repent, believe, and obey the gospel:, if "the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, "teach them, that, denying ungodliness and "worldly lusts, they should live soberly, righ"teously, and godly in this present world:" is not the strong language of scripture equally applicable to them also? Those who call themselves Christians, merely because they happen to be born in a Christian country, but attend neither to the 'doctrines, nor to the duties, of the gospel, seem 'to differ but little, with respect to the point now ' under consideration, from those to whom the gospel was first preached. The process in both 'must be nearly the same.'-And surely the Jews, who before had" with wicked hands crucified the "Lord of glory;" and Saul the blasphemer and persecutor; when they became humble, zealous, loving, holy believers, were as much "new creatures," as any gentile convert could be. Indeed, "if any man be in Christ he is a new "creature."

'In no instance, in our public formularies, is 'the exertion of irresistible grace declared or supposed.' 2-Neither is it in any instance allowed or supposed in any of our writings. Let our opponents disprove this assertion, if they can, by clear quotations from our works.

'The argument against the doctrine of irresis

'Ref. 59.

VOL. VII.

2 Ref. 71.