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calling and election sure." (Prov. i, 24; Heb. iii, 7; Rev. iii, 20; Eph. ii, 11-16; Titus iii, 8; Deut. vi, 4, 5; Jer. xxxii, 38, 39; Luke i, 74, 75; 2 Pet. i, 1, 10.)

X. The Remote End is the Salvation of the elect and the Glory of God, in regard to which the very vocation to grace is a means ordained by God, yet through the appointment of God it is necessary to the communication of salvation: (Phil. i, 6; Eph. i, 14:) But the Answer by which obedience is yielded to this call, is the condition which, through the appointment of God, is also requisite and necessary for obtaining this end. (Prov. i, 24-26; Acts xiii, 46; Luke vii, 30.) The Glory of God, who is supremely wise, good, merciful, just, and powerful, is so luminously displayed in this communication both of his Grace and Glory, as deservedly to raise into rapturous admiration the minds of angels and men, and to employ their loosened tongues in celebrating the praises of Jehovah. (Rev. iv, 8-11; v, 8—10.)

XI. Vocation is partly external, partly internal. External Vocation is by the ministry of men, who propound the word of the Law and of the Gospel, and who are on this account called "workers together with God, planters, waterers, builders, and ministers by whom the [members of the] church believe." (1 Cor. i, 5—9; iii, 3—6.) Internal Vocation is by the operation of the Holy Spirit illuminating the mind and affecting the heart, that serious attention may be given to those things which are spoken, and that [fides] faith or credence may be given to the word. The efficacy consists in the concurrence of both the Internal and External Vocation. (Acts xvi, 14; 2 Cor. iii, 3; 1 Pet. i, 22.)

XII. But that distribution is not of a genus into its species, but of a whole into its parts, or of the entire vocation into partial acts which concur to produce one conclusion-which is, obedience yielded to the call: Hence an assemblage, or congregation of those who are called, and of those who answer to the call, is denominated" the Church;" (1 Cor. iii, 5, 6; Rom. i, 5;) which is itself, in the same manner, distinguished into the visible and the invisible the visible, that "maketh confession with the mouth," and the invisible," that believeth with the heart: " (Rom.x, 10:) As man himself is likewise distinguished into "the outward" and "the inward." (2 Cor. iv, 16.)

XIII. But we must be cautious, lest with [Spiritualibus] the Mystics and the Enthusiasts, we consider the word which is propounded by the ministry of men as only preparatory; believe that another word is inwardly employed, which is [consummatorium] perfective: Or, (which is the same thing,) lest we

suppose, that the Spirit by his internal act illuminates the mind into another knowledge of God and Christ, than that which is contained in the word outwardly propounded, or that he affects the heart and the soul with other [sensibus] meanings, than those which are proposed from the very same word. (1 Pet. i, 23, 25; Rom. x, 14-17; 2 Cor. iii, 3-6; 1 Cor. xv, 1—4.)

XIV. The accidental Consequence, and that which is not of itself intended by God, is the rejection of the word of grace, the contemning of the Divine Counsel, the resistance offered to the Holy Spirit: The proper and per se Cause of this Result is, the malice and hardness of the human heart. But this consequence is, not seldom, succeeded by another, the just judgment of God avenging the contempt shewn to his word and call, and the injury done to his Holy Spirit; and from this judgment arise the blinding of the mind, the hardening of the heart, "the giving over to a reprobate mind," and "the delivering unto the power of Satan." (Acts xiii, 46; Luke vii, 30; Acts vii, 51; 2 Thess. iii, 2; 2 Cor. iv, 4; Psalm lxxxi, 11-14: Isai. lxiii, 10; vi, 9, 10; John xii, 37-40.)

XV. But, because "known unto our God are all his works from the beginning of the world," (Acts xv, 18,) and as God does nothing in time which He has not decreed from all eternity to do, this vocation is likewise instituted and administered according to God's eternal decree: So that what man soever is called in time, was from all eternity predestinated to be called, and to be called in that state, time, place, mode, and with that efficacy, in and with which he was predestinated. Otherwise, the Execution will vary from the Decree; which charge of mutability and change cannot be preferred against God without [noxam] producing mischievous effects. (Ephes. iii, 5, 6, 9-11; James i, 17, 18; 2 Tim. i, 9.)

DISPUTATION XVII.

ON REPENTANCE.

Respondent, HENRY NIELLIUS.

As IN the succeeding Disputations are discussed FAITH, and JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH, the order which has hitherto been observed requires us now to treat on REPENTANCE, without which we can neither have fellowship with Christ, nor be made partakers of his righteousness.

I. THE Matter on which we are at present treating, is usually enunciated in the three Latin words, Resipiscentia, Pænitentia,

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and Conversio,-Repentance, Penitence and Conversion. Greek word, MeTavola, "change of mind after reflection," answers to the first of these terms; Merausλsia, "regret on account of misdeeds," to the second; and Eispoon, "a turning about, a return," to the third. On this subject the Hebrews frequently employ the word 2, "a returning," as corresponding with the third of the preceding terms; and the word on or non), which expresses the sense of the second. But though these words are, according to the essence and nature of the thing, synonymous, yet each of them signifies a particular formal conception: The FIRST, Repentance, is a conception of the Understanding; the SECOND, Penitence, a conception of the Affections or Passions; and the THIRD, Conversion, is a conception of an Action resulting from both the others. The general term therefore comprises the Understanding, the Affections, and an ulterior Act resulting from both the preceding.-The FIRST signifies a change of mind after any thing has been done; and, after the commission of evil, a change of mind to a better state. The SECOND expresses grief or sorrow of mind after a deed; and, after an evil deed, sorrow after a godly sort," and not "the sorrow of the world," although the word is sometimes thus used even in the Scriptures. The THIRD denotes conversion to some thing, from which aversion had been previously formed: And, in this discussion, it is that conversion which is from evil to good; from sin, Satan and the world, to God.-The FIRST comprehends a disapproval of evil and an apppoval of the opposite good. The SECOND comprises grief for a past evil, and an affection of desire towards a contrary good. The THIRD shews an aversion from the evil to which it adhered, and a conversion to the good from which it had been alienated.-But these three conceptions, according to the nature of things and the commandof God, are so intimately connected with each other, that there cannot be either true and right Repentance, Penitence, or Conversion, unless each of these has the other two united with it, either as preceding it, or as succeeding.

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II. According to this distinction of the various conceptions, have been invented different definitions of one and the same thing as to its essence. For instance," Repentance is a change of mind and heart from evil to good, proceeding from godly sorrow." It is also "sorrow after the commission of sin on account of God being offended, and through this sorrow a change of the whole heart from evil to good." And "It is a true conversion of our life to God, proceeding from a sincere and serious fear of God,

which consists in the mortification of our flesh and of the old man, and in the quickening of the Spirit." We disapprove of none of these three definitions, because in, substance and essence they agree among themselves, and, sufficiently for [the purposes of] true piety, declare the nature of the thing. But a more copious definition may be given, such as the following: "Repentance, Penitence, or Conversion is an act of the entire man, by which in his Understanding he disapproves of sin universally considered, in his Affections he hates it, and as perpetrated by himself is sorry for it and in the whole of his life avoids it: By which he also in his Understanding approves of righteousness, in his Affections loves it, and in the whole of his life follows after it: And thus [avertit] he turns himself away from Satan and the world, and [convertit] returns unto God and adheres to Him, that God may abide in him, and that he may abide in God."

III. We call Repentance "the act of man," that we may distinguish it from REGENERATION, which is "the act of God." These two have some things in common, and are on certain points in affinity; yet, in reality, according to the peculiar nature which each of them possesses, they are distinct; though, according to their subjects, they are not separated. We add, that it is "the act of the entire man :" For it is his act with regard to the entire mind or soul, and all its faculties; and with regard to the body as it is united to the soul, and is an organ or instrument subjected to the pleasure and command of the soul. (1 Kings xviii, 37; Rom. xii, 1, 2.) It is an act which concerns the whole life of man as it is rational, and as it was born [apta] with an aptitude to tend towards sin and towards God, and to turn aside from either of them: It consists of the understanding, the affections, the senses, and motion; and concurs with all these conjointly, though subordinately, to [the production of] Repentance, Penitence, or Conversion. (1.) In this act the UNDERSTANDING performs its office both by a general [æstimatione] appreciation of its value and by its particular approbation and disapprobation. (2.) The AFFECTIONS or Passions perform theirs, as they are ewiduμytixos, concupiscible, by loving, hating, mourning, and rejoicing; and as they are Suμotions, irascible,* by being angry, zealous, indignant, fearful and hopeful. (Ephes. iii, & iv.)—(3.) The SENSES, both internal and external, perform their office, by their aversion from unbecoming objects, and by their conversion to those which are suitable and proper. (Rom. vi, 13, 19.)—(4.) Lastly, the

* See Disputation IV, § LXXI, p. 131.

MOTIONS of the tongue, hands, feet, and of the other members of the body, perform their office by removal from things unlawful and inexpedient, and by their application to those which are lawful and expedient.

IV: The Object of Repentance is the evil of unrighteousness or of sin, (considered both universally, and as committed by the penitent himself,) and the good of righteousness. (Psalm xxxiv, 15; Ezek. xviii, 28.) The evil of unrighteousness is first in order, the good of righteousness is first in dignity: From the former, Repentance has its commencement; in the latter, it terminates and rests. The Object may be considered in a manner somewhat different: For since we are commanded [converti] to return to God, from whom we had turned away, God is also the Object of Conversion and Repentance, as He is the Hater of sin and of evil men, the Lover of righteousness and of righteous men, Good to those who repent, and their Chief Good, and, on the contrary, the Severe Avenger and the certain Destruction of those who persevere in sin. (Mal. v, 7; Zech. i, 3; Deut. vi, 5.) To this Object may directly opposed another personal object, the Devil, from whom by Repentance we must take our departure. (Ephes. iv, 27; James iv, 7.) To the Devil may be added an Object which is an accessary to him, and that is, the World, of which he is called "the Prince," (John xii, 31; xiv, 30,)-both as it contains within it arguments suitable for Satan to employ in seduction, such as riches, honours and pleasures, (Luke iv, 5, 6; 1 John ii, 15, 16,)—and as it renders to the Devil something that resembles personal service. (Rom. vi, 9, 7.) In both these methods, the world attracts men to itself, and detains them after they are united to it: From it also we are commanded to turn away. Nay, man himself may obtain the province of an object opposed to God; and he is commanded to separate himself from himself, that he may live not according to man but according to God. (Ephes. iv, 22; Col. iii, 9-17; Rom. vi, 10-23.)

V. The primary Efficient Cause of Repentance is God, and Christ as He is through the Spirit Mediator between God and man. (Jer. xxxi, 18; Ezek. xxxvi, 25, 26; Acts v, 31; xvii, 30.) The inly-moving Cause is the goodness, grace, and philanthropy of God our Creator and Redeemer, who loves the salvation of his creature, and desires [declarare] to manifest the riches of his mercy in the salvation of his miserable creature. (Rom. xi, 5.) The Outwardly-moving Cause, through the mode of merit, is the obedience, the death and the intercession of Christ; (Isai. liii, 5; 1 Cor. i, 30, 31; 2 Cor. v, 21;) and,

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