who have fallen. Mercy or goodness is bestowed; on whom? those who were standing by faith. On what condition? if they continue in his goodness. Mercy is offered to the rejected, if they continue not in unbelief. The presumption of the chosen is checked, otherwise thou shalt be cut off.

"AWAKE thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (Ephes. v. 14)

"Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and I will sup with him and he with

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." (James iv. 8)

"And the Spirit and the Bride say come, and let him that heareth say come, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Rev. xxii. 17)

These passages, with the others above quoted, clearly shew or imply the perfect free will of man to listen to, or reject the calls of the Gospel, and lead to the consideration of our fourth position :

IV. That the grace of God which is given equally to all, exerts no constraining power over the will— is not necessarily effectual to its intended purpose.

To prove the universal diffusion of God's assisting grace, I would adduce the following passages-" "That was the true light which lighteth EVERY MAN that cometh into the world." John i. 9. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation (or the SAVING grace of God) hath appeared unto ALL MEN." Titus ii. 11. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL MEN unto me." John xii 32. "And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon ALL FLESH." Acts ii. 17. It is written in the Prophets-And all men shall be taught of God." John vi. 45.

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We proceed to prove that this gracious influence of the Spirit is not always effectual (if so the whole human race would finally be saved) to its intended purpose, the salvation of the receiver, but that its efficiency and value depend upon the use he makes of it. To suppose that so much grace is imparted to one, as infallibly to secure his salvation, and to another so little as can only render him inexcusable, would in the latter instance contradict the very name of grace or favour, since it would be a miscalled favour to give a man so much light as could only increase his condemnation, unless there can exist in language or idea

* Και έσονται παντες διδακτοι του θεου.

the monstrous anomaly of DAMNING GRACE, and would in the former case utterly destroy man's free will, which we have before proved the scriptures expressly recognize.

Christ promises (John xiv. 26) to send to the disciples the Spirit to TEACH them all things, (see also Titus ii 12) Now what can avail the teaching of the most skilful, if the instructed possess not a willingness to learn, and improve the imparted knowledge? The Spirit is also promised (John xvi. 13) to guide Christians into all truth; this expression equally implies the co-operation of man's will, since it is only the office of a guide to point out the right path, or to invite and persuade us to follow it. They who are obedient to this divine guidance, who are "led by the Spirit," they and they only are the sons of God. Again, the "Spirit HELPS* our infirmities," (Rom. vii. 26) which could not be affirmed with truth if man were entirely passive in the work of his own salvation. That His gracious influences are not irresistible, is also apparent from the frequently recognized possibility of Christians receiving them in vain. "We then as workers together

* The original word συναντιλαμβανομαι is used of those who help others in carrying a load to which the assisted are unequal.. (Schleusner)

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with him, beseech you, that ye receive not the grace of God IN VAIN." (2 Cor. vi. 1) "Looking diligently lest any man fail of, or FALL FROM the grace of God." (Heb. xii. 15) "Wherefore we reeeiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us HOLD FAST [margin] grace whereby we may serve God acceptably." (Heb. xii. 28) "Quench not the spirit." (1 Thess. v. 19.) As we would no longer delay the reader with additionally proving what must be already clear to him, from many of the passages previously brought forward in this work; from all exhortations to continuance in the faith; all the proofs adduced of the scripturally recognized existence of man's free will; we conclude the present chapter, confident that in the judgment of the candid and unbiassed, our four positions are satisfactorily proved, which amount to this, that the Calvinistic opinions respecting Election, Reprobation, The Will, and the Grace of God, are decidedly contrary to what is revealed in Scripture on those subjects, and as we have before proved that these doctrines are not deducible from Scripture, we feel justified in declaring that the very possibility of their truth must be excluded, in the judgment of every one who admits the supreme authority of the word of God..

CHAPTER IV.

ORIGINAL SIN, IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS, REGENERATION, FAITH AND WORKS.

Having in the preceding chapter, we trust clearly, shewn that the doctrines there examined are not merely opposed to, but utterly irreconcileable with the statements revealed in Scripture on those subjects, we proceed to prove how utterly untenable are the other peculiar Calvinistic opinions when compared with our unerring guide, the word of God.

A misconception of the nature of ORIGINAL SIN may be almost considered as the foundation of Calvinistic error. The lamentable description of man's depravity, so often and justly given in Scripture, they refer not to the condition to which the human race have by vicious practices, reduced themselves, but to the state in which they were born into the world, in consequence of Adam's transgression. The whole race of man is repre

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