it described as altogether a matter of grace and favour, and one respecting which God acts according to his sovereign pleasure, then we may not unreasonably conclude that it is not necessary to the just responsibility, or to the power, of man. An examination of the holy scriptures will readily decide this question.

The gift of the Holy Spirit, we apprehend, is invariably spoken of as an act of grace, of rich and boundless grace.

1. This may be inferred from the passages which represent mankind in their natural state, and independently of any communication of the Spirit, as in a state of entire unworthiness and just condemnation; Rom. i. 18, et seq. ii. passim. So that any good thing given them must be of mercy, or free favour. But the Holy Spirit is not only a good thing, but one of the best things which the eternal Father has to bestow; wherefore it is of grace.

2. It appears also from the fact, that the gift of the Spirit is a part of the work of redemption; which is uniformly represented as originating in the free grace of God alone, and as characterized by it in all its parts. Now if the gift of the Spirit be a part of this

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dispensation, it must partake of its general and essential character of grace.

3. The same conclusion may be drawn from the connexion which exists between the gift of the Spirit and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is one of the fruits of his death, and could not otherwise have been bestowed. Gal. iii. 13, 14. But the gift of his Son is declared to be the very highest expression of the Father's love to a guilty world, John iii. 16, a gift as free as wonderful; and such therefore must be the character of every other gift which comes through this channel of mercy.

4. The discrimination and sovereignty which appear in the dispensation of the Spirit, lead us to the same result. Whatever is necessary to the power of men to act a right part in their present state of being, God has dispensed universally, with an equal, that is, an equitable hand; all that may be given to men over and above this measure of good, he considers as forming a department subject to his unequal and discretionary distribution, in relation to which, while he gives to every man severally as he will, he says to every other man, "Friend, I do thee no wrong: may I not do what I will with mine own?" Matt. xx. 13. No conclusion

can be more easy or more safe, therefore, than this; that, respecting whatever gift the blessed God uses sovereignty, giving it to some and not to others, that gift is not necessary to the power of man to secure his own welfare. It is plain, however, that God has used sovereignty in the gift of his Spirit, which is imparted to some and not to others; wherefore we maintain that the gift of the Spirit is not necessary to man's power for his duty.

5. Love, or kindness, is declared, also, to be the prevailing motive and character of the Spirit himself, in his gracious operations. Hence, the apostle speaks of "the love of the Spirit;" Rom. xv. 30, and the sacred writers generally represent the enjoyment of his influences as a matter of the highest thankfulness and praise.

If, therefore, the communication of the Spirit is thus, without exception, described as arising from the free grace of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we conclude that it is not requisite to human power, or just responsibility.

Some, who maintain the reverse of this conclusion, have been led also to question the premises, and to assert, with more or less distinctness, that, as a measure of the Spirit's H 2

influence is essential to enable every man to do his duty, so God is bound to give it to every man for this end; that such a help is due to our present condition; and that he could not justly judge and punish us, as fallen creatures, without previously restoring us to such a state of power. This is a fair specimen of the weight with which this sentiment bears upon every portion of divine truth; a sentiment not more mischievous in sapping the foundation of human responsibility, than it is injurious to the lustre of divine sovereignty. That the gift of the Spirit is in any measure due to man, is one of the last things which, with any regard to scripture, it would seem possible to maintain; nor can it be asserted without implying the connected, but incredible idea, that God was equally bound to redeem the world, and to effect it by the death of his Son.

The writer again recollects, that there have been supposed to be some influences of the Spirit exercising the minds of men not truly converted to God. These he is not called upon either to affirm or to deny it is enough for him to repeat the observation, that, as they have never been represented as affecting the question of a sinner's ability to repent, they are beyond the scope of the present argument,

CHAP. X.

Whether the ability of man is not maintained

in the holy scriptures: The argument from express words of sacred writ.

THE sacred scriptures are the standard and depository of all truth. They are not only a testimony, but a law; and nothing is truth which is not according to this rule. How deeply ashamed would the writer feel, if he were conscious of shrinking in the least degree from this test; or if he were fearful lest the word of God should overthrow an opinion of his! Infinitely removed be such a feeling! Welcome, thou light of heavenly wisdom, whatever shadows may disperse at thy rising!

Frequent references to the scriptures of truth have already been made; but it yet remains to notice some particular and important passages, which have not pointedly come under review.

I. We conceive, then, that there are por