The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 381

;

THE CALLING OF THE REGENERATE sively the calling i.e.,

341

whereby we are called from darkness into

light,

the call unto repentance.

This call unto repentance is by many placed upon the same level with the "drawing," of which, e.g., Jesus speaks: "No man can come unto Me except the Father draw him." This we find also in some of St. Paul's words: "Who hath delivered [Dutch translation,

drawn J us from the power of darkness " " That He might deliver \draw\ us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father." However, this seems to me less correct. He that must be drawn seems to be unwilling. He that is called must be ;

able to

The

come.

and therefore refers

first

implies that the sinner

to the operation of

\.\\q.

passive,

is still

first grace j the

second

addresses the sinner himself, and counts him able to come, and

hence belongs to the second grace. This "calling "is a summons. It is not merely the calling of one to tell him something, but a call implying the command to come or a beseeching call, as when St. Paul prays " As tho God did beseech you, be ye reconciled to God"; or as in the Proverbs: ;

"

My

:

son, give

God sends

Me

thine heart."

this call forth

by the preachers

the independent preaching of

whom He

of the

Word

irresponsible men, but

Himself sends forth;

men

not by by those :

especially endowed, hence

whose calling is not their own, but His. They are the ministers of the Word, royal ambassadors, in the name of the King of Kings demanding our heart, life, and person yet whose value and honor depend exclusively upon their divine mission and commission. As the value of an echo depends upon the correct returning of the word received, so does their value, honor, and significance depend solely upon the correctness wherewith they call, as an echo of the ;

Word

He who

of God.

calls correctly

fills

the highest conceivable

on earth for he calls kings and emperors, standing above them. But he who calls incorrectly or not at all is like a sounding brass; as a minister of the Word he is worthless and without honor, True to the pure Word, he is all ; without it, he is nothing. Such is office

;

the responsibility of the preacher.

Arminianism creep into the holy of the Holy Spirit; even the sermon must be the product of the Holy Ghost. To suppose that a preacher can have the least authority, honor, or official significance outside of the Word, is to make the office Arminian This should be noticed

office.

lest

The preacher must be but instrument

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