(5.) We may notice, also, the language of the apostle, 1 Cor. ii. 14. "The natural man discerneth not the things of the Spirit of God; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." The important question respecting this passage is, what are we to understand by an object being spiritually discerned? Simply, I conceive, that the discernment of it is favoured or prevented by the state of the mind. We know that there are many things, or, to speak more strictly, many properties of things, which we discern more or less clearly, or not at all, according to the state of the mind. A miser does not see the happiness of liberality, nor a voluptuary the pleasures of beneficence. The things of God are pre-eminently of this kind. The glory of God, the excellence of his law, the sinfulness of sin, the awfulness of eternity, and all things else pertaining to salvation, have the property of being discerned or overlooked according to the state of the observer's mind. "They are spiritually discerned;" and because they are so, as long as the state of his mind is that of a natural man, namely, enmity to God, he cannot, that is, in point of fact he will not, discern them. But, inasmuch as the state of his

mind is the only impediment to such discernment, the absence of it is by this passage distinctly referred to a want of disposition, and not to a want of power.

(6.) There is another passage deserving of notice, in which our Lord plainly states the cause which induces him to say that men cannot come to him to be of a strictly voluntary kind. John v. 44. "How can ye believe, who receive honour one of another?" There is no compulsion upon sinners, we suppose, to attach an undue importance to the honour which cometh from men. It is nothing more than the state of their minds which induces them to do so; yet it was as influenced by this disposition alone that our Lord declared they could not believe. The inference seems to be irresistible, that nothing but the state of their minds prevented their believing.

(7.) To these references may be added, Luke viii. 15; where, in the parable of the sower, the fruitfulness of the word is ascribed to its being "received into an honest and good heart." All that is necessary to the efficacy of divine truth, therefore, is a right state of mind; and if so, there is no want of additional power.

The fact which we conceive to be established by the passages which have now gone under review is this: that the scriptures uniformly represent a sinner's impenitence as resulting, not from a want of power, but from a want of disposition alone. We conclude, therefore, that disposition is wanting, and power is not. Had it been so, we could scarcely have searched the bible so far, without finding some, we might rather say many and unequivocal, indications of the fact.

CHAP. XII.

The argument from express words of scripture concluded.

III. ANOTHER class of scriptures illustrative of the point under consideration, may be found in those which describe the nature of the change wrought in the conversion of a sinner. The work effected in this case must of course correspond with the previous impediment to conversion. Now, the scriptures speak frequently and expressly of this work, and uniformly represent it to lie, not in any alteration of the means or power of repentance, but of the state of heart, or disposition. The following passages may serve as a speci

men.

Ezek. xxxvi. 26. "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh.' A new heart here evidently means a new state of heart, or disposition, as appears from

the following phrase, a new spirit: and the beautiful metaphor which closes the verse, conveys the same sentiment under a different form. Here is no reference to power.

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Psalm cx. 2. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." By the day of power in this passage, of course, we understand the period when the blessed Spirit operates savingly on the heart; and when he does so, the making of a sinner willing is declared to be the nature of his work. Could this have been said if it were the Spirit's work to give power?

John vi. 44. "No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." The use of the word draw in this passage is worthy of observation. Drawing is a process not any way adapted to the need of a man who has no power; it pertains rather to one who wants inclination. The work of the Spirit denoted by this word must be the gracious influence exercised upon the heart of a sinner, sweetly overcoming his hitherto cherished resistance, and making him willing in the day of power.

Acts xvi. 14.

"The Lord opened Lydia's

heart, that she attended to the things which