Spirit consists is the giving of a meek, teachable, disinterested (continued)
them)." By these things, the preventing grace of God, the part that God does, in distinction from the part that we do, thoroughly decides and determines the case as to our conversion, or our faith and repentance and obedience, notwithstanding all the hand our free will is supposed to have in the case; and which he supposes is what determines man's conversion; and insists upon it most strenuously and magisterially through his whole book. Stebbing supposes the influence of the Spirit necessary to prepare men's hearts (pages 1518). He (pages 17, 18) speaks of this as what the Spirit does and as being his preventing grace, and speaks of it as always effectual, so that all such, and only such as have it, will believe. (See also pages 28-30.)
That these dispositions must be effectual (see pages 46-48).
This teachable, humble, meek spirit is what Stebbing speaks of everywhere as what the Spirit of God gives antecedent to obedience. He insists upon it, that God's assistance is necessary in order to obedience. In pages 20, 21, he plainly asserts that it is necessary in order to our obedience, and declares that our Savior has asserted it in express terms in these words, John 15:5, "Without me ye can do nothing;" i.e. as he says, no good thing. Hence it follows that this teachable, humble, meek disposition, and this good and honest heart, is not the fruit of any good thing we do in the exercise of our free will, but is merely the fruit of divine operation. Here observe well what Stebbing says concerning God's giving grace sufficient for obedience, in answer to prayer. (Pages 103-106.)
81. No reason in the world can be given, why a meek, humble spirit, and sense of the importance of Christian things, should not be as