Lord; and as referred to by the apostle Peter:

The trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth." &c. Indeed faith may justly be acknowledged to be the most productive of all the Christian virtues; and is therefore sometimes not unaptly considered as the root or parent of them all; and, in an eminent sense, must be acknowledged to precede them: "For He that cometh to God, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

The principle or spiritual endowment which is most fitly denominated Divine Grace, because it is a free gift wholly unmerited by the creature, cannot be too highly exalted in point of efficiency and sufficiency, for every purpose for which it is communicated. It is indeed the originating cause, the author, and the principle agent in the production of every right disposition, holy desire, good thought, word, or work; and in all these its primary operations, as well as in some others, which are not only more secret, but more especially preparatory, it is not too much to assign to Grace even an irresistible influence, so far as it may please Divine Wisdom to direct its course; as is apparent in rebukes and secret

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chastisements for sin. Yet that these may prove finally ineffectual, in bringing the soul to repentance and amendment, by the subsequent resistance of the creature, must be acknowledged, according to Scripture testimony. "Like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke," some, in every age, have refused chastisement; turned not at Divine reproof though sensible of it; and though convicted and brought to acknowledge their sin, yet have not forsaken it yea though warned of its danger, and led to deprecate it, (but too superficially indeed,) they have become its unhappy victims ; as Saul, Hazael, Balaam, &c. which sufficiently proves that such visitations of Grace though irresistible in conviction, are not irresistible in their results.

To represent Divine Grace as irresistibly effective, in the whole process of the work of the soul's sanctification and salvation, independently of the co-operation of the human subject, would properly describe the gift as coercive grace, and not as free Grace. The gifts and powers of the natural man, in his fallen state, though utterly incapable of themselves of producing any good word or work, are the appointed instruments of his salvation, when they become subordinate to

the operations of Divine Grace. And such instrumentality, whether passive or active, being at the option of the human agent to yield or to withhold, constitutes him a responsible, an accountable being, susceptible of the obligations of duty, and obnoxious to the consequences of its violation.

The natural man therefore is not merely mechanical, having no power to resist or to yield submission; but is intelligent, having volition, and can yield itself to the direction and control of that powerful principle; or can refuse and rebel against all the sensible attractions of Grace, and thus remain the willing slave of sin and depravity: "To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey," said the apostle, "his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness." Yet such is the infinite superiority of Divine power, to the power of the grand adversary or any of his agents, that if the soul do but as it were stand still in the faith of the former, it shall be delivered from the

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por of the latter; and in fulfilling the term of probation appointed it, the beginning or duration of which is known only to Him who appoints it, the principle of Divine Grace will so

effectually impart continued increase of strength, that the soul will become a willing and even an active instrument, in "working out its own salvation with fear and trembling;" knowing who it is who has alone worked, or can work in it, "to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Lecture VI.

CONTINUATION ON GRACE AND DUTY.

The injunction to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who worketh in us, to will and to do of his good pleasure," like many other passages of similar import, appears to be imperfectly understood by those who would deduce from it, the doctrine of the irresistible operation of free Grace; considering it not only as the origin and primary cause, as indeed it is, but also as the sole agent, in the work of man's salvation; and this to the entire exclusion of his own instrumentality.

This is to degrade the capacities of man's intelligent nature, by placing them on a level with the powers of an inanimate or irrational machine; thus excluding not only the distinguished faculties with which the great Creator