repentance." In this sense, every man who hears the gospel, who is encircled with the means of grace, and who bears about with him a secret but ever faithful monitor, is called by the Spirit. The existence of this call, places the sinner in an attitude of fearful responsibility, and the rejection of this call, exposes him to a still more fearful doom. God has never poured out his wrath upon man, without first extending the olive-branch of peace. Mercy has invariably preceded judgement. "I have called and ye have refused:"-" All day long have I stretched out my hand:' "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." He reasons, he argues, he expostulates with the sinner. "Come, let us reason together," is his invitation. "Bring your strong arguments." He instructs, and warns, and invites; he places before the mind the most solemn considerations, urged by duty and interest; he presses his own claims, and appeals to the individual interests of the soul, but all seems ineffectual. O what a view does this give us of the long-suffering patience of God towards the rebellious. That he should stretch out his hand to a sinner-that, instead of wrath, there should be mercy-instead of cursing, there should be blessing-that, instead of instant punishment, there should be the patience and forbearance, that invites, and allures, and "reasons:"-O who is

K

a God like unto our God? "I have called, and ye have refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man regarded."

But, there is the special, direct, and effectual call of the Spirit, in the elect of God, without which all other calling is in vain. God says, "I will put my Spirit within them." Christ says, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." And in the following passages, reference is made to the effectual operation of God the Spirit. Eph. iii. 7. “Wherefore I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power." 1 Thess. ii. 13. "The word of God which effectually worketh in you that believe." Thus, through the instrumentality of the truth, the Spirit is represented as effectually working in the soul. When he called before, there was no inward, supernatural, secret power accompanying the call to the conscience. Now there is an energy put forth with the call, which awakens the conscience, breaks the heart, convinces the judgement, opens the eye of the soul, and pours a new and an alarming sound upon the hitherto deaf ear. Mark the blessed effects. The scales fall from the eyes, the veil is torn from the mind, the fountains of deep evil in the

heart are broken up, the sinner sees himself lost and undone without pardon, without a righteousness, without acceptance, without a God, without a Saviour, without a hope! Awful condition! "What shall I do to be saved?" is his cry-"I am a wretch undone! I look within me, all is dark and vile-I look around me, everything seems but the image of my woe- -I look above me, I see only an angry God-which way I look, is hell!-and were he now to send me there, just and right would he be." But, blessed be God, no poor soul that ever uttered such language, prompted by such feelings, ever died in despair. That faithful Spirit that begins the good work, effectually carries it on and completes it. Presently, he leadeth him to the cross of Jesusunveils to his eye of glimmering faith, a suffering, wounded, bleeding, dying Saviour, and yet a Saviour with stretched-out arms! That Saviour speaks-O did ever music sound so melodious?"All this I do for thee-this cross for thee-these sufferings for thee this blood for thee-these stretched-out arms for thee. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest-him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out-look unto me and be ye savedonly believe. Art thou lost? I can save thee— art thou guilty? I can cleanse thee-art thou

poor? I can enrich thee. Art thou low sunk? I can raise thee-art thou naked? I can clothe thee -hast thou nothing to bring with thee-no price, no money, no goodness, no merit? I can and will take thee to me, just as thou art; poor, naked, penniless, worthless:-for such, I came to seek, such I came to call, for such I came to die.” 'Lord, I believe," exclaims the poor, convinced soul, "help thou mine unbelief. Thou art just the Saviour that I want. I wanted one that could and would save me with all my vileness, with all my rags, with all my poverty-I wanted one that would save me fully, save me freely, save me as an act of mere unmerited, undeserved grace-I have found him whom my soul loveth—and will be his through time and his through eternity." Thus effectually does the blessed Spirit call a sinner, by his especial, direct, and supernatural power, out of darkness into marvellous light. “I will work," says God, "and who shall let it." (Marg. "turn it back.")

This great work, the Holy Spirit sustains in the soul. As he is the author, so he is the supporter. He breathed the spiritual life, and he keeps, and nourishes, and watches over it. Let it not be supposed that, there is anything in this life that could keep itself. There is no principle in divine grace that can keep it from decline and decay.

If it be not watched over, nourished, sustained, and revived perpetually by the same omnipotent power that implanted it there, it is liable to constant decline. What experienced child of God has not felt this? Where is the believer that has not been made, solemnly and painfully, to learn it? That, there is not a grace of the Spirit in him, but that grace needs, at times, greatly invigorating—not a particle of faith, but it needs strengthening-not a lesson, but he needs to re-learn-not a precept, but requires to be re-written upon his heart. Now, this is the work of our ever-watchful, ever-loving, ever-faithful Spirit. He watches over, with a sleepless, loving eye, the work he has wrought in the soul. Not a moment, but he has his eye upon it. By night and by day-in summer and in winter, when it decays, when it revives, he is there its guardian and its protector-its author and its finisher.

And how does he nourish it? Spiritually. As the life is spiritual, so the support is spiritual. 1 Pet. ii. 2. “As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." 1 Tim. iv. 6. “Nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine." How does he nourish it? By leading the soul to Jesus, the substance of all spiritual truth. By unfolding his fulness of all grace, and strength, and sanctification. By lead