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DISPUTATION XLI.

ON THE PREDESTINATION OF MEANS TO THE END.

I. AFTER We have finished our discussion on the predestination by which God has determined the necessity of faith in himself and in Christ for the obtaining of salvation, according to which faith is prescribed to be performed as the bounden duty of man to God and Christ; it follows, that we treat on the predestination by which God determines to administer the means to faith.

II. For as that act of faith is not in the power of a natural, carnal, [animalis] sensual, and sinful man; and as no one can perform this act except through the grace of God; but as all the grace of God is administered according to the will of God,—that will which He has had within himself from all eternity,-for it is an internal act; therefore some certain predestination must be preconceived in the mind and will of God, according to which He dispenses that grace, or the means to it.

III. But we can define this predestination, that it is the eternal decree of God, by which [constituit] He has wisely and justly resolved within himself to administer those means which are necessary and sufficient to produce faith in [the hearts of] sinful men, in such a manner as He knows to be comportable with his mercy and with his severity, to the glory of his name and to the salvation of believers.

IV. The Object of this predestination is, both the means of producing this faith, and the sinful men to whom He has decreed either to give or not to give this faith; as the object of the predestination discussed in the preceding Disputation was faith itself, existing in the preconception of the mind of God.

V. The Antecedent or Inly-moving Cause impelling to make the decree, is not only the Mercy of God, but also his Severity. But his wisdom prescribes the mode which his Justice administers, that what is justly due to Mercy may be attributed to it; and that, in the mean time, regard may be had to Severity, according to which God threatens that He will send a famine of the word on the earth.

VI. The Matter is the conceded or the denied dispensation of the means. The Form is the ordained dispensation itself, according to which it is granted to some men and denied to others, or it is granted or denied on this and not on that condition.

VII. The End for the sake of which, and the end which, are conjoined to the administration itself at the very same moment,

and are the declaration of the mercy of God, and of his severity, wisdom and justice. The end [cui] for which it was intended, and which follows from the administration, is the salvation of believers. The Results are, the condemnation of unbelievers, and the still more grievous condemnation of some men.

VIII. But the proper and peculiar Means destined, are the word and the Spirit; to which also may be joined the good and the evil things of this natural life, which God employs for the same end, and of the nature and efficacy of which we shall treat in the Disputation on Vocation, where they are used.

IX. To these Means we attribute two epithets, "necessity" and "sufficiency," (SH,) which belong to them according to the will and nature of God, and which we also join together. (1.) Necessity is in them; because without them a sinner cannot conceive faith. (2.) Sufficiency also is in them; because they are employed in vain, if they be not sufficient: Yet we do not account it necessary to place this sufficiency in the first moment in which they begin to be used, but in the entire progress and completion. X. God destines these means to no persons on account of or according to their own merits, but through mere grace alone: And He denies them to no one except justly on account of previous transgressions.

DISPUTATION XLII.

ON THE VOCATION OF SINFUL MEN TO CHRIST, AND TO A PARTICIPATION OF SALVATION IN HIM.

I. THE Vocation or calling to the communion of Christ and its benefits, is the gracious act of God, by which, through the word and his Spirit, He calls forth sinful men, [reos] subject to condemnation and placed under the dominion of sin, from the condition [animalis] of natural life, and out of the defilements and corruptions of this world, to obtain a supernatural life in Christ through repentance and faith; that they may be united in Him, as their Head destined and ordained by God, and may enjoy [communionem] the participation of his benefits, to the glory of God and to their own salvation.

II. The Efficient Cause of this vocation is God and the Father in the Son: The Son also himself, as constituted Mediator and King by God the Father, calls men by the Holy Spirit, as He is the Spirit of God given to the Mediator, and the Spirit of Christ the King and the Head of his church, by whom the Father and

the Son both "work hitherto." But this vocation is so administered by the Spirit, that He also is properly denominated the author of it. For He appoints Bishops in the church, He sends teachers, He furnishes them with gifts, He grants them divine aid, and imparts force and authority to the word.

III. The Antecedent or Inly-moving Cause is, the grace, mercy and philanthropy of God, by which He is inclined to succour the misery of sinful man and to bestow blessedness upon him. But the Disposing Cause is, the wisdom and the justice of God, by which He knows the method by which it is proper for this vocation to be administered, and by which he wills to dispense it as it is proper and right. From this arises the decree of his will concerning its administration and mode.

IV. The Instrumental Cause of vocation is the word of God, administered by the aid of man, either by preaching or by writing: And this is the ordinary instrument. Or it is the divine word immediately proposed by God, inwardly to the mind and will, without human [operam] aid or endeavour: And this is extraordinary. The word employed, in both these cases, is that both of the Law and of the Gospel, subordinate to each other in their separate services.*

V. The Matter of vocation is, men constituted in their [animalis] sensual life, as worldly, natural, sensual, and sinful.

VI. The Boundary from which they are called is, both the state of sensual or natural life, and that of sin and of misery on account of sin; that is, from condemnation and guilt, and afterwards from the bondage and dominion of sin.

VII. The Boundary to which they are called is, the communication of grace, or of supernatural good, and of every spiritual blessing; the plenitude of which resides in Christ, also their power and force, as well as the inclination to communicate them.

VIII. The Proximate End of vocation is, that men may love, fear, honour and worship God and Christ; may in righteousness and true holiness, according to the command of the word of God, render obedience to God who calls them; and may, by this means, make their calling and election sure.

IX. The Remote End is the salvation of those who are called, and the glory of God and of Christ who calls; both of which are placed in the union of God and man. For as God unites himself to man, and declares himself to be prepared to unite himself to

* See the same clause, in p. 232, § V. The Latin text is, Et verbum quidem tum legis tum evangelii partitis operis sibi subordinatum. This would admit of a different translation, by applying sibi to God; but I think it would not be so correct and obvious.

him, He makes his own glory illustrious; and as man is united to God, he obtains salvation.

X. This vocation is both external and internal. The External vocation is by the ministry of men propounding the word. The Internal vocation is through the operation of the Holy Spirit illuminating and affecting the heart, that attention may be paid to those things which are spoken, and that [fides] credence may be given to the word. From the concurrence of both these, arises the Efficacy of vocation.

XI. But that distribution is not of a genus into its species, but of a whole into its parts; that is, the distribution of the whole vocation into partial acts concurring together to one result, which is obedience yielded to the vocation. Hence the company of those who are called and who answer to the call, is denominated "a Church."

XII. The accidental [per accidens] issue of vocation is, the rejection of the doctrine of grace, contempt of the divine counsel, and resistance manifested against the Holy Spirit; of which the proper and per se cause is, the wickedness and hardness of the human heart: And to this not unfrequently is added the just judgment of God avenging the contempt shewn to his word; from which arise blindness of mind, hardening of the heart, and a delivering up to a reprobate [sensum] mind, and to the power of Satan.

DISPUTATION XLIII.

ON THE REPENTANCE BY WHICH MEN ANSWER TO THE Divine

VOCATION.

I. As, IN the matter of salvation, it has pleased God to treat with man by [rationem] the method of a covenant, that is, by a stipulation, or a demand and a promise; and as even vocation has regard to a participation in the covenant; it is instituted on both sides and separately, that man may perform the requisition or command of God, by which he may obtain [the fulfilment of] his promise. But this is the mutual relation between these two,the promise is tantamount to an argument, which God employs that He may obtain from man that which He demands; and the compliance with the demand, on the other hand, is the condition, without which man cannot obtain what has been promised by God, and through [the performance of] which He most assuredly obtains the promise.

II. Hence it is apparent, that the first of all which accepts this

vocation is the faith, by which a man believes that, if he complies with the requisition, he will enjoy the promise; but that if he does not comply with it, [cariturum] he will not be put in possession of the things promised, nay, that the contrary evils will be inflicted on him, according to the nature of the divine covenant, in which there is no promise without a punishment opposed to it. This faith is the foundation on which rests the obedience that is to be yielded to God; and it is therefore the foundation of religion.

III. But divines generally place three parts in this obedience. The First is Repentance, for it is the calling of sinners to righteousness. The Second is Faith in Christ, and in God through Christ; for vocation is made through the Gospel, which is the word of faith. The Third is the Observance of God's commands, in which consists holiness of life, to which believers are called, and without which no man shall see God.

IV. Repentance is [dolor] grief or sorrow on account of sins known and acknowledged, the debt of death contracted by sin, and on account of the slavery of sin, with a desire to be delivered: Hence it is evident, that three things concur in penitence; the First as an antecedent, the Second as a consequence, and the Third as properly and most fully comprising its nature.

V. That which is tantamount to an Antecedent is, the Knowledge or Acknowledgment of sin. This consists of a two-fold knowledge: (1.) A general knowledge by which is known what is sin universally and according to the prescript of the law. (2.) A particular knowledge, by which it is acknowledged that sin had been committed, both from a recollection of the bad deeds perpetrated and of the good omitted, and from the examination of them according to the law. This acknowledgment has united with it a consciousness of a two-fold demerit, of damnation or death, and of the slavery of sin: " For the wages of sin is death;" and" he who sins is the slave of sin." This acknowledgment is either internal and made in the mind, or it is external and receives the appellation of "confession."

VI. That which intimately comprises the nature of repentance is, sorrow on account of sin committed, and of its demerit; which is so much the deeper, as the acknowledgment of sin is clearer, and more copious. It is also produced from this acknowledgment by means of a two-fold fear of punishment: (1.) A fear not only of bodily and temporal punishment, but likewise of that which is spiritual and eternal. (2.) The fear of God, by which men are afraid of the judgment of such a good and just Being,

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