The ground on which many have asserted, that the grace of God may be resisted, is taken from some scriptures, that speak of man’s being in open hostility against him. Thus we read of a bold daring sinner, as _stretching out his hand against God, and strengthening himself against the Almighty, running upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers_, Job xv. 25, 26. And Stephen reproves the Jews as having _always resisted the Holy Ghost, both they and their fathers_, Acts vii. 51, 52. and the Pharisees are said to _have rejected_, Luke vii. 30. or, as the word[27] might have been rendered, _disannulled the counsel of God against themselves_. And elsewhere, the prophet speaks of God’s _stretching out his hand all the day unto a disobedient and gainsaying people_, Rom. x. 21. These, and such like scriptures give occasion to some to suppose, that the power and grace, as well as the purpose of God, may be resisted. But that we may understand the sense of these scriptures, and, at the same time not relinquish the doctrine we are maintaining, and thereby infer the consequence above-mentioned; we must distinguish between our opposition to God’s revealed will, contained in his word, which is the rule of duty to us; and resisting his secret will, which determines the event. Or, as it may be otherwise expressed, it is one thing to set ourselves against the objective grace of God, that is, the gospel, and another thing to defeat his subjective grace, that when he is about to work effectually in us, we should put a stop to his proceedings. The former no one denies; the latter we can, by no means, allow of. Persons may express a great deal of reluctancy and perverseness at that time, when God is about to subdue their stubborn and obstinate wills; but the power of God will break through all this opposition; and the will of man shall not be able to make his work void, or without effect. The Jews, as above-mentioned, might _resist the Holy Ghost_, that is, oppose the doctrines contained in scripture, which were given by the Spirit’s inspiration; and they might make this revelation of no effect, with respect to themselves; but had God designed that it should take effect, then he would have prevented their resisting it. Israel might _be a gainsaying people_, that is, they might oppose what God communicated to them by the prophets, which it was their duty and interest to have complied with; and so the offers of grace in God’s revealed will, might be in vain with respect to them; but it never was so with respect to those whom he designed to save: and if the hardened sinner, _stretching out his hand against God_, may be said hereby to express his averseness to holiness, and his desire to be exempted from the divine government; he may be found in open rebellion against him, as hating and opposing his law; but he cannot offer any real injury to his divine perfections, so as to detract from his glory, to render his purpose of no effect.