If it be thought this knowledge of Christ is attain- able by any human efforts, let the Apostle's declaration be borne in mind : " By grace ye are saved, through faith ; and that not of yourselves : it is the gift of God0." And he elsewhere tells us, that " it is given to us to believe in Christ p." It was " by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that any of old attained the knowledge of Christ q :" and it is by the same divine Teacher that we must all be brought to him at this time ; as it is said, — "All thy children shall be taught of Godr:" and again, " No man can come unto me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw hims."
But I observed, that the Spirit of Christ yet further (in the third place) enables the believer to devote himself wholly and unreservedly to God. This is as necessary as either of the former. In fact, without this, where it can be effected, the others, even if they could exist, would be of no saving benefit to the soul. An entire surrender of the soul to God is that for which the graces of penitence and faith are given. But this also is the work of the Spirit, and can never be wrought by any finite power. The man now possesses " a divine nature1," totally distinct from that which he brought into the world with him. He is altogether "a new creature11;" made so by him who created him at first, and " breathed into him a living soulx." And can there be any doubt by whom this change is wrought 1 Let the Apostle's testimony determine this point : " We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus y." And again, " He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God; who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit2."
I have said that the Spirit of God makes known to the believing soul the mercies of God in Christ Jesus ; and by this manifestation of God's love, he constrains the believer to " give himself up, a living sacrifice to Goda;" and, from a consciousness, that "he has been
0 Eph. ii. 8. p Phil. i. 29. fi Eph. i. 17.
r John vi. 45. s John vi. 44. l 2 Pet. i. 4.
II Gal. vi. 1"). x Gen. ii. 7. * Eph. ii. 10, z 2 Cor. v. ">. a Rom. xii. 1.