V. But the proof will be still clearer, if the grace of God be directly opposed to the natural condition of man. The Scripture invariably proclaims, that God finds nothing in men which can incite him to bless them, but that he prevents them by his gratuitous goodness. For what can a dead man do to recover life? But when God illuminates us with the knowledge of himself, he is said to raise us from death, and to make us new creatures.[9] For under this character we find the Divine goodness towards us frequently celebrated, especially by the apostle. “God,” says he, “who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,” &c.[10] In another place, when, under the type of Abraham, he treats of the general calling of believers, he says, It is “God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”[11] If we are nothing, what can we do? Wherefore God forcibly represses this presumption, in the Book of Job, in the following words: “Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.”[12] Paul, explaining this passage, concludes from it, that we ought not to suppose we bring any thing to the Lord but ignominious indigence and emptiness.[13] Wherefore, in the passage cited above, in order to prove that we attain to the hope of salvation, not by works, but solely by the grace of God, he alleges, that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”[14] As though he would say, Who of us can boast that he has influenced God by his righteousness, since our first power to do well proceeds from regeneration? For, according to the constitution of our nature, oil might be extracted from a stone sooner than we could perform a good work. It is wonderful, indeed, that man, condemned to such ignominy, dares to pretend to have any thing left. Let us confess, therefore, with that eminent servant of the Lord, that “God hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace;”[15] and that “the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared,” because “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs of eternal life.”[16] By this confession we divest man of all righteousness, even to the smallest particle, till through mere mercy he has been regenerated to the hope of eternal life; for if a righteousness of works contributed any thing to our justification, we are not truly said to be “justified by grace.” The apostle, when he asserted justification to be by grace, had certainly not forgotten his argument in another place, that “if it be of works, then it is no more grace.”[17] And what else does our Lord intend, when