Here I fhall briefly explain to you the nature of effectual calling, and then apply it.

Effectual calling is the firft entrance of a foul into the ftate of grace, the firft ftep by which God's eternal purpose of love defcends unto finners, and we again afcend towards the glory to which we are chofen. And, upon the matter, it is the fame with converfion and regeneration. I shall fhew,

I. What the effectual call in the general is.

II. Who they are that are effectually called.

III. Whence and whither are they called that are effectually called.

IV. What makes the call effectual to fome, when it is not fo to others.

V. What is the neceffity of their being thus effectually called.

VI. I fhall more particularly explain the nature of effectual calling,

I. I am to fhew what the effectual call in the general is. An effectual call is opposed to an ineffectual one. An effectual call is the call that gains its real intent; that is to fay, when the party called comes upon the call. An ineffectual call is that which gains' not the real intent of it, but falls fhort thereof, the party called not anfwering and obeying the call. To apply this to our purpose, all that hear the gofpel are called; but,

1. To fome of them it is ineffectual, and thefe are the most part of gofpel-hearers, Matth. xx. 16. For many be called, but few chofen. They are called, invited, and obtefted to come to Chrift, but it is but a finging of a fong to a deaf man that is not moved with it, Prov. i. 24. The real intendment of the call is loft upon them. Though the intent of God great Caller can never be loft, who fays, My counfel fhall ftand, and I will do all my pleasure, 1. xlvi. 10. yet the defign of the thing is fo. Though they

the

are called, yet they come not to Chrift, they fit his call to their own deftruction.

2. To others it is effectual, and these are but few, Matth. xx. 16. forecited. They get the call, and they rife and come away to Chrift. It is not only the intent of the call, but of him that calleth them, to have them home to himself; and they receive not the grace of the gospel in vain. While others at beft do but play about the bait, they greedily embrace it, and are catched, according to that, Ye shall be fishers of men. They come away like Lot out of Sodom, while others account the call in effect but a jeft, and fo abide and perish in the overthrow.

II. I come to fhew who they are that are thus effectually called. The text tells us, that this effectual call is according to God's purpose and free grace in Chrift; and fo it follows, that the elect, and they only, are thus called, Rom. viii. 30. Acts xiii. 48. Others may be outwardly called by the ministry of the word, and have fome common operations of the Spirit too, but are never effectually called. The bow is fhot at a venture among the hearers of the gospel; but God, that knoweth who are his, directs the arrow, fo as to make it hit right. O the riches and freedom of grace that appears in this! For,

1. It is men, and not fallen angels that are called, though they should have been preferred, if God had refpected the dignity of nature among his loft creatures. But the angels which kept not their firft eftate, but left their own habitation, he hath referved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgement of the great day, Jude 6. There is fpecial love appears in that, Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the fons of man, Prov. viii. 4. O may we not fay, as Pfal. viii. 4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the fon of man, that thou vifiteft him?

2. It is fome men, and not others that are called efectually, and thefe naturally in as bad and finful a

condition as others, Eph. ii. 12. At that time ye were without Chrift, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and ftrangers from the covenants of promife, having no hope, and without God in the world. They cannot pretend here, that they made the difference by their works; for fays the text, he faved us, and called us, not according to our works. Nay, oft-times they are worse than many others, fuch as fornicators, idolaters, &c. of whom Paul to the Corinthians, 1 ep. vi. 11. fays, Such were fome of you but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, and juftified, in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. And says that apostle of himfelf, 1 Tim. i. 13. I was before a blafphemer, and a perfecutor, and injurious. But I obtained mercy. Ofttimes grace chufes to work on the most knotty piece of timber, which there is the leaft hope of.

3. Lastly, It is for the moft part thofe who have the leaft advantages as to their outward condition in the world. For fays the apoftle, 1 Cor. i. 26. 27. 28. Ye fee your calling, brethren, how that not many wife men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chofen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wife; and God hath chofen the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty; and bafe things of the world, and things which are defpifed, bath God chofen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.

The Lord takes fome of the greatest wits, of the greateft power, and the beft blood in the world, but not many fuch. But often grace paffeth by the learned man, and wife, and fits down and teaches babes in comparison of them. He paffes by the rich, the noble, and the gentle, and brings the meaner fort, the kinlefs things [ra aye] into a match with the Son of God, and an alliance with heaver.

III. I proceed to fhew whence and whither they are called who are effectually called. That I may anfwer this in a few words, obferve, that there was a bloffed

bond of fociety betwixt God and his rational creatures, and among themselves, till fin entered, and then all was fhaken loofe. As it was at the building of Babel, fo it was at the entrance of fin, there was a great fcattering; finners were feparated from God, and from the holy angels, and scattered up and down on the mountains of vanity. For remedy of this, God appointed Jefus Chrift the Head, in whom an elect world might meet again with God, and be gathered together among themselves, Eph. i. 10. That in the difpenfation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Chrift, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him. ii. 25. For ye were as sheep going aftray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your fouls. So· then they that are effectually called, are,

1 Pet.

1. Called out of the world that lieth in wickedness, 1 John v. 19. And hence the church has its name in the prophetical and apoftolical writings, xxxnx, q. d. A company called out from among others, a gathered congregation. And fo the gathering of them is made the great work of Jefus Chrift, the Founder of the church, John xi. 52. The elect of God in their natural condition, are loft fheep gone aftray among the devil's goats; effectual calling is the bringing them out from among them, back to Chrift's fold. They are the loft groat lying hid among the duft of the nafty houfe of this world; effectual calling is the taking them out from among that duft, and reftoring them to the use for which they were defigned.

Thus Chrift befpeaks his spouse (for that work is ftill going on, and will be fo, till they be quite out of the world, foul and body, 1 Theff. v. 24.), Hearken, O daughter, and confider, and incline thine ear; forget alfo thine own people, and thy father's houfe *. Pial. xlv. *Come with me from Lebanon, my Spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top **The author has fome excellent fermons on thefe texts, not yet printed.

10.

of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions dens, from the mountains of the leopards. They are called away from the Ifinful and miferable ftate of the world, from their ways, manners, and work; in a word, out of their fociety, fo that though they be in the world, they are no more of it, and therefore do they fare fo ill in it, John xv. 19. Because ye are not of the world, but I have chojen you out of the world, therefore the world bateth you.

2. Called unto Jefus Chrift, and through him to the bleffed fociety of another world. So the call runs, Matth. xi. 28. Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft. The fociety they are called and come to is that of God himself, the holy angels, all the faints in heaven and earth which have gone before them, Jefus Chrift being the bleffed bond of the fociety, the centre of union wherein they meet, Heb. xii. 22. 23. 24. Te are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general affembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the Spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jefus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of Sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Here the call is, All things are ready; come unto the marriage, Matth. xxii. 4.

Thus they are like Noah, called into the ark, where they will be fafe when the deluge of wrath fweeps away the world of the ungodly. Like Lot they are called into Zoar, where they will be fafe while fire and brimftone is rained on thofe that ftay behind. They are called to the feaft on the great facrifice, Chrift crucified, while others perifh for want; to the partaking of the benefits of Chrift's redemption, while others have neither part nor lot in that matter, but muft fall a facrifice for their own fins, to avenging juftice. The particulars they are called to, will ferve them to tell through eternity.

VOL. II.

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