God neither chose us nor called us because we were holy, but he called us that we might be holy, and holiness is the beauty produced by his workmanship in us. The excellencies which we see in a believer are as much the work of God as the atonement itself. Thus is brought out very sweetly the fullness

of the grace of God. Salvation must be of grace, because the Lord is the author of it. Salvation must be of grace, because the Lord works in such a manner that our righteousness is forever excluded. Such is the believer's privilege—a present salvation; such is the evidence that he is called to it—a holy life.

A gardener does not go through the wood and prune the dog-roses, the blackberries, and the hawthorns; he does not care enough about them. But see how he purges the vines and prunes the fruit trees! My gardener cut my roses back so very much that I thought

there would be no flowers; but when I saw the luxuriant roses I owned that he and his knife knew more than I. Good roses must suffer the knife, and God's saints must be afflicted.