Hence it appears
that the grace of God
(as this name is used when
regeneration is spoken of) is the
rule of the Spirit, in directing and
governing the human will.
Govern he cannot, without
correcting, reforming, renovating,
(hence we say that the beginning
of regeneration consists in the
abolition of what is ours;) in like
manner, he cannot govern without
moving, impelling, urging, and
restraining.
Accordingly,
all the actions which are afterwards
done are truly said to be wholly his.
Meanwhile,
we deny not the truth
of Augustine's doctrine,
that the will is not destroyed,
but rather repaired, by grace -
the two things being perfectly
consistent, viz., that the human
will may be said to be renewed
when its vitiosity and perverseness
being corrected, it is conformed to
the true standard of righteousness
and that, at the same time, the will
may be said to be made new,
being so vitiated and corrupted that
its nature must be entirely changed.
There is nothing then
to prevent us from saying,
that our will does what the
Spirit does in us, although the
will contributes nothing of itself
apart from grace.
We must, therefore,
remember what we quoted
from Augustine, that some men
labour in vain to find in the human
will some good quality properly
belonging to it.
Any intermixture
which men attempt to make
by conjoining the effort of their
own will with divine grace is
corruption, just as when unwholesome
and muddy water is used to dilute wine.
But though every thing good in the will is
entirely derived from the influence of the
Spirit, yet, because we have naturally an
innate power of willing, we are not
improperly said to do the things of which
God claims for himself all the praise; first,
because every thing which his kindness
produces in us is our own, (only we must
understand that it is not of ourselves;) and,
secondly, because it is our mind, our will,
our study which are guided by him
to what is good :
15 . Conclusion of the answer
to the last class of arguments.
Third and last division of the chapter
discussing certain passages of Scripture
http://www.reformed.org/books/institutes/books/book2/bk2ch05.html#fifteen.htm
5. THE ARGUMENTS USUALLY ALLEGED
IN SUPPORT OF FREE WILL REFUTED
http://www.reformed.org/books/institutes/books/book2/bk2ch05.html
The Institutes of the Christian Religion
http://www.reformed.org/books/institutes/entire.html
In God We Trust
