(8) Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of (b) [this] calling, and fulfil (c) all the good pleasure of [his] goodness, and the (d) work of faith with power:
(8) Seeing that we have the mark set before us, it remains that we go to it. And we go to it, by certain degrees of causes: first by the free love and good pleasure of God, by virtue of which all other inferior causes work: from there proceeds the free calling to Christ, and from calling, faith, upon which follows both the glorifying of Christ in us and us in Christ.
(b) By "calling" he does not mean the very act of calling, but that self same thing to which we are called, which is the glory of that heavenly kingdom.
(c) Which he determined long ago, only upon his gracious and merciful goodness towards you.
(d) So then, faith is an excellent work of God in us: and we plainly see here that the apostle leaves nothing to free will, to make it something which God works through, as the papists dream.