SERMON XVIII.

ON EFFECTUAL CALLING.

2 CORINTHIANS iii. 5.

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves our sufficiency is of God.

IN our previous context, St. Paul declares to the Corinthians-"Ye are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart." In our text, he informs them, that he and other preachers of the gospel were not of themselves sufficient, by their own wisdom, to devise the scheme of man's salvation; nor, by their own strength, to carry into execution the merciful purpose of converting Jew and Gentile to the faith and virtues of the gospel; but their sufficiency was of God, who appointed his own Son to be the saviour of men, who adopted efficient measures to establish Christianity among the nations, and who imparted to the first preachers of the gospel all the powers necessary to accomplish the high design of their commission, as the apostles of salvation.

This passage of scripture therefore must be a suitable text for the consideration of the fourth fundamental article of the Calvinistick system of theology, viz.

4. "All whom God has predestinated unto life, he is pleased, in his own time, effectually to call by his word and spirit, out of the state of sin and death in which they were by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ."

The proposition now stated necessarily results from the previous parts of the system of Calvin. If all men be totally depraved in consequence of Adam's sin; if they be naturally incapable of any religious act; if God elected only a particular number to salvation, and reprobated all others; and if Christ died only for the elect-it clearly follows, that to the effectual calling and sanctification of the elect, the irresistible operations of the Divine Spirit are necessary. But if this proposition be indeed a Christian truth, the plain inference is, that men, in a state of nature, have no religious act to perform. Duty extends not beyond the natural power of the agent. On this scheme, what motive can consistently be applied to the sinner, to induce him to the use of means in the concerns of salvation? But the observations made in former discourses have a direct bearing on the connected positions of Calvinism ; and I shall not repeat them. In handling our subject, I shall adopt a course which I trust will be more useful, viz.

1. To state the measures which God has been pleased to adopt for the salvation of men, without regard to human views or endeavours.

2. To state the agency which the scriptures assign to men in the Christian plan of salvation.

3. To define the nature of conversion, or describe the change which takes place in the character of the sinner, who is effectually called.

1. To state the measures which God has been pleased to adopt for the salvation of men, without regard to human views or endeavours.

All men, who read the bible, will admit that the sacred writers ascribe the salvation of man, at least in part, to the grace and mercy of God, without any regard to the moral agency or moral goodness of man himself." God so loved the world," says, St. John, (iii. 16)" that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The language of St. Paul is full on this point. (Rom. v. 8.) "God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and hath made us sit together in Christ Jesus, that in ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ. For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Eph. ii. 4-8.

From these and many other passages of the bible, it is evident that the plan of our salvation originated in the goodness of God, and that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, in his mercy into our world to proclaim to us the glad tidings of peace and life,

without any consideration of works of righteousness in men themselves. From these passages and others which bear a language like our text-" Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing, as of ourselves-our sufficiency is of God."-" It is God who worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Phil. ii. 13.) Many have adopted the opinion that the best works of man have no connexion with their acceptance in the sight of God; that their justification depends in no degree on their own endeavours. The whole business of salvation, they imagine, is accomplished by the sovereign and irresistible grace of God. According to their representation, men are no more agents in the personal preparation for heaven, than they were in the establishment of the general conditions of salvation. But this statement of the doctrine of divine acceptance to me appears to be inconsistent with other passages of the New Testament which will be introduced under the next head of our discourse; and the texts brought to support the position in their apparent sense teach a doctrine far more congruous with our most enlightened ap prehensions of a perfect moral government.

God is the father as well as the judge of mankind. All the blessings which we receive from him as the creator and the benevolent parent and friend of his rational offspring—all flow from his. goodness and mercy. God receives no profit from our services. In justice we can have no claim on him. For our existence, and for all the enjoyments of the present life, we are under obligations of gratitude.

In the natural world, men have consistent notions of their dependence on Heaven. They all readily acknowledge that in God they live, move, and have their being. At the same time, our labours are made necessary for the attainment of the purposes of the life that now is. Did men carry the same ideas into the moral world, they might form clear perceptions of their dependence on God in the concerns of their salvation: they might fully understand what God has already accomplished for our im.nortal happiness, and what we must do to prepare ourselves for it.

We are absolutely dependent on God for the whole plan of salvation, and for all the means and assistance with which we are favoured, as men and as Christians. God, in his benevolence, appointed his Son to be our saviour; and with him he grants us all things pertaining to godliness and life eternal. It is of divine goodness that we are called to knowledge and virtue, to glory and immortality; that exceeding great and precious promises are made us; that we are placed in a situation the most favourable to form habits of Christian piety and virtue, as the necessary preparation for the happiness of an immortal state. It is of divine mercy that pardon is extended to the repenting sinner, and that our weak and imperfect services are accepted as a compliance with the conditions of salvation.

Every intelligent, moral being is under obligations to act agreeably to the law of his nature; and for every wilful offence he may justly be punished, But when men had sinned against God, he constituted Jesus Christ the mediator of a covenant of