In saving sinners, the Spirit does not supersede the normal processes of thought and choice. He does not overcome the sinner, but transforms him. The Spirit irresistibly draws the elect to Himself with lovingkindness and omnipotence (Jer. 31:3; Hos. 11:4; Luke 14:23). This, then, is the amazing truth of God’s grace: God makes the will willing to will God in response to His call. That amounts to what theologians call effectual calling.

Joel R. Beeke, Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism, Loc. 1448.

The Old Testament Hebrew term for grace and its derivatives suggests kindness, favor, and graciousness. The New Testament Greek term suggests goodwill, lovingkindness, and favor. When applied to sinful men in a redemptive context, grace means unmerited favor in the place of merited wrath. Too often, grace is defined only as God’s unmerited favor to sinners. The word unmerited, however, is too weak. As sinners, we have de-merited God’s favor. Not only do we not deserve grace, we do deserve hell. Grace is God’s blessing freely bestowed on ill-deserving sinners. It is a blessing bestowed at the cost of Christ’s sufferings and death. Grace is God’s love in Christ put into action. Grace is mightier than all our sins, our adverse circumstances, and our human impossibilities. Grace is the heart of the Bible and our salvation.

Joel R. Beeke, Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism, Loc. 1414

The Calvinist teaches that salvation is sure for every man, woman, teenager, boy, or girl who comes to the Lord Jesus Christ. None shall be turned away (John 6:37). The Calvinist says, “In His atonement, Jesus built a bridge from the depths of my depravity to God and heaven, and, by sending His Spirit, will bring every sinner for whom the bridge was laid all the way to glory.” That statement is the essence of the gospel. God will not fail to gather in every single one of His elect. There will be no empty seats in heaven.

Joel R. Beeke, Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism, Loc. 1318.

The good news of Christ’s definite atonement is that it means He is a complete Mediator. He both merits and applies salvation. Both are necessary because we are unable to do either. Christ must be a full Savior because sinners are spiritually dead and cannot independently receive a Christ presented to them. Though Christ has merited everything, God’s people know that they have no legs to run to Him, no arms to embrace Him, no lips to kiss Him. He must do everything – both the meriting and the applying. Thus, He receives all honor and glory as the Alpha and Omega for His own.

Joel R. Beeke, Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism, Loc. 1276.

Do not fret because of evildoers. Do not envy the wicked; for the evil have no future; the lamp of the wicked will go out.

PROVERBS 24:19

We grant that pastors and elders, whether they be considered distributively, or collectively in presbyteries and synods, being subjects and members of the commonwealth, ought to be subject and obedient in the Lord to the magistrate and to the law of the land; and, as in all other duties, so in civil subjection and obedience, they ought to be ensamples to the flock; and their trespasses against law are punishable as much, yea, more than the trespasses of other subjects.

George Gillespie, Aaron’s Rod Blossoming, 85.

The presbyterial government hath no such liberty or arbitrariness, as civil or military government hath, there being in all civil or temporal affairs a great deal of latitude left to those who manage the same, so that they command nor act nothing against the word of God. But presbyterial government is tied up to the rules of Scripture, in all such particulars as are properly spiritual and proper to the church, though, in other particulars, occasional circumstances of times, places, accommodations, and the like, the same light of nature and reason guideth both the church and state; yet in things properly spiritual and ecclesiastical, there is not near so much latitude left to the presbytery, as there is in civil affairs to the magistrate.

George Gillespie, Aaron’s Rod Blossoming, 84.

Presbyters and presbyteries are subject to the law of the land, and to the corrective power of the magistrate . . . In so far as the church is in the commonwealth, and a part of the commonwealth, not the commonwealth a part of the church . . . Ministers and elders are subjects and members of the commonwealth, and in that respect punishable by the magistrate if they transgress the law of the land. Yea, also as church officers they are to be kept with in the limits of their calling, and compelled (if need be) by the magistrate to do those duties which by the clear word of God and received principles of Christian religion, or by the received ecclesiastical constitutions of the church, they ought to do.

George Gillespie, Aaron’s Rod Blossoming, 82.

Presbyterial government is not despotical, but ministerial; it is not a dominion, but a service. . . . That power of government with which pastors and elders are invested, hath for the object of it, not the external man, but the inward man.

George Gillespie, Aaron’s Rod Blossoming; or, The Divine Ordinance of Church Government Vindicated, 81.

A detailed examination of the facts must furnish the basis upon which all debate must be conducted between conservative and destructive critics.

Geerhardus Vos, The Mosaic Origin of the Pentateuchal Codes, 11.