fecond is the predestination of these, electing them to everlasting life, and the means leading thereto. The third is the calling of the predeftinated, calling them effectually, which is done in time, of which we have spoke before. There are other two that hang upon this. The fourth is the juftification of the called, which may imply the whole of the relative change made upon them, both their juftification and adoption; for it is evident from ver. 29. that the apoftle has a refpect to adoption in this chain. The fifth is the glorifying of the juftified, which may import the whole of the real change made on the elect, namely, the fanctifying of them here, and glorifying of them hereafter. For what is grace but glory in the bud, and glory but grace brought to perfection? and therefore believers with open face beholding as in a glafs the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image from glory to glory, even us by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 18. Thus effectual calling, as it rifes from eternal love, fo it makes the foul happy here and hereafter.

The text affords this doctrine, viz.

DOCT. They that are effectually called do thereby partake of great and glorious benefits and privileges, both in this life and the life to come.

Here I fhall briefly fhew,

I. What are thofe benefits which they who are ef fectually called partake of in this life.

1. The benefits they partake of in the life to come. III. Apply.

I. I fhall fhew what are those benefits which they that are effectually called partake of in this life. First, There are three leading benefits which they partake of here.

1. They are all juftified. So fays the text. As foon as ever the foul anfwers the call of the gofpel, and comes to Chrift, the man is brought out of a ftate of condemnation, and gets his abfolviture, Rom, viii,

1. He lives not a moment longer under the black cloud of the curfe, but is tranflated into another climate, where he lives under the sunshine of the bleffing. His fins are all pardoned, and he is accepted as a righteous man. He is judged, and he gets the white ftone, Rev. ii. 17. The law and juftice have no more to demand of him; the cords of guilt are loofed and thrown away, and he is clothed with a perfect righteousness.

2. They are all adopted children of God, Eph. i. 5. They get not only the white stone, but the new name, the name of fons and daughters to God. They are brought out of the devil's family, and made members of the household of faith; not fervants only, but fons. From the moment they answer the call, new blood runs in their veins; they are of the blood-royal of heaven; Chrift's Father is their Father, he is their elder brother; and the Spirit of his Son dwells in them, teaching them to cry, Abba, Father. They are of the fame household with the excellent of the earth; All ye are brethren; nay with the faints and angels in heaven; for though the one dwell above, and the other below, they are all but one family, Eph. iii. 15.

3. They are all fanctified, 1 Cor. i. 30. 1 Theff. iv. 7. It is a holy calling, 2 Tim. i. 9. The author of it is holy, the means are holy, and the end and effect of it must needs be holy. As foon as the finner anfwers the call, the Spirit of fanctification goes on with the begun work in him, breaks the reigning power of fin, gives it a deadly blow, fo that it fhall never recover, but languifh on, till it quite die out. He adorns him with all faving graces, conforming the finner to the image of Chrift, John i. 16. fo that he begins to lead a new life, living to the Lord and his fervice. The call brings him like Lazarus out of the congregation of the dead, and then the remainder of his life is fpent in putting off the grave-cloaths of fin, and acting from a principle of fpiritual life.

Secondly, There are other benefits which accompany

or flow from thefe. For these come not alone, but each of them is the opening of a treasure to the called, the ftriking up of a fountain that runs out in many ftreams, Eph. i. 3. Some of these are mentioned in that question, "What are the benefits which in this "life do accompany or flow from juftification, ad" option, and fanctification? Anf. Affurance of "God's love, peace of confcience, joy in the Holy "Ghost, increase of grace, and perfeverance therein "to the end." But who can reckon up all these benefits? For all things are theirs; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, or things to come; all are theirs, 1 Cor. iii. 21. 22. I fhall only at prefent fingle out the following.

1. Reconciliation with God, Rom. v. 1. Being juftified by faith, we have peace with God. When the finner is effectually called, the real enmity is taken away, and the legal enmity is removed by juftification. God and the finner become friends, and are firmly fo in a covenant of peace, having common friends and enemies. Sin being removed and pardoned, the peace follows of courfe. The war is ended; for the treaty of peace propofed by the ambaffadors of peace is complied with. But of this I fpoke when treating of Chrift's prieftly office.

2. Accefs to God, as children to a father, Eph. iii. 12. as one friend to another. The war being ended and peace concluded, the communication betwixt heaven and earth is opened. They may export thither all their wants, petitions, and requests, being fure that they will be taken off their hands; and import fupplies of all kinds necessary to make them happy, light, life, ftrength, &c.

3 Freedom from the flavery of fin and Satan, John viii. 32. They that are fanctified by the Spirit, are loofed from the Egyptian bondage, and made the Lord's free men. Though Satan and fin moleft them, and put them hard to it, they fhall never get them back again into their former houfe of bondage. But

they fhall, like a dog fnarling at the horses heels, be bruifed under their feet at length, Rom. vi. 2c. And the foul fhall be more than conqueror.

4. Lastly, A right to eternal life, Rom. viii. 17. Acts xx. 32. They may claim it in their head Chrift, and their title is good and fure in him; for it is a heavenly calling, whereby they are called to the eternal And therefore fays the apoftle, 2 Cor. v. 1. We know, that if our earthly houfe of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

inheritance.

II. 1 fhall fhew what benefits they that are effectually called partake of in the life to come. The advantages of effectual calling are great in this life, but they do not ftop there. When a man must leave all temporal benefits, which he enjoys any manner of way here in this world, he will enter to the full enjoyment of the benefits coming by his anfwering the gospelcall. These are comprehended in one word, glorification, which will fall in afterwards to be treated of. In a word, at death the converted foul is received into heaven; at the laft day his body thall be gloriously railed, and both foul and body made perfectly happy for ever, 2 Theff. ii. 14.

I come now to make some practical improvement of this fubject.

USE I. of information. This doctrine lets us fee, 1. That the gospel is the best news that ever was heard in the world, and the most excellent offer that ever was made to poor finners, Eph. iii. 8. There are many to court the foul; Satan makes his offers, the world its offers, and fin has its offers too. But all that they offer will not tell far, it perishes in the ufing, at moft it cannot reach beyond this life. But Christ's offer in the gofpel is of the best of things here, and the best of all hereafter, that we may enter to the enjoyment of, when nothing remains but the bitter dregs of the offers of fin, Satan, and the world. VOL. II.

Bb.

2. God deals very liberally and kindly with his people that answer his call. He does not put an empty fpoon in their mouths, he fets them not down to hare. commons; they get much in hand, and yet far more in hope, Pfal. lxxxiv. 11. Their prefent poffeffions are more valuable than crowns and fceptres in the world; but what they have a title to, is what eye has not feen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man to conceive. And then all is firm and fure; they can never be fhaken out of their privileges, Rom. xi. 29. Heb. xii. 28.

3. Whatever men lofe by complying with and following the gofpel-call, they are gainers, Phil. iii. 8. He was a wife merchant that fold all to buy the pearl of great price. They are wife indeed that are wife for their fouls; and they are fo that come to Chrift on his call; while all the neglecters of the great falvation,, gain what they will otherwife, do lofe a talent while they gain a mite, lofing their own fouls, which lofs can never be made up.

USE II. of exhortation.

First, To unconverted finners. O comply with the gofpel-call at length, and come away to Chrift. 1 offer a few motives to prefs the exhortation.

Mot. 1. While ye do not come away upon the call, ye have no part or lot in these benefits. If ye presume to apply them to yourfelves, God's word knocks off your fingers from them, for they are the peculiar privilege of thofe that are effectually called. And,

1. Ye are not juftified, the fentence of condemnation is ftanding in force againft you, Gal. iii. 10. John iii. ult. And as fure as God's word cannot fail, it will be executed, if ye come not in in time. Every fin deferves God's wrath and curfe; all that thou doft is fin. But not one of all thy fins is pardoned; they are all wreathed about thy neck, and thou haft them all to reckon for. And thou haft not a cautioner to go between justice and thee; the burden must lie on thv own back.