EFFECTUAL CALLING. ROM. viii. 30. Them he also called. QUEST. XXXI. What is effectual call-speak but by his ministers as a king speaks ing? by his ambassadors. Know, that in every sermon preached, God calls to you; and to refuse the message we bring, is to refuse God himself. ANS. It is a gracious work of the Spirit, whereby he causeth us to embrace Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel. In this verse is a golden chain of salvation, 2. The other means of our effectual call, is made up of four links; this is one, vocation, the Holy Spirit. The ministry of the word is -“Them he also called." Calling is nova the pipe or organ; the Spirit of God blowing creatio, a new creation, the first resurrec-in it doth effectually change men's hearts, tion. There is a two-fold call: 1. An ex- Acts x. 44, "While Peter spake, the Holy trinsic or outward call; 2. An intrinsic or Ghost fell on all them that heard the word of inward effectual call. God." Ministers knock at the door of men's hearts, the Spirit comes with a key and opens the door, Acts xvi. 6, "A certain woman named Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened." 1. An extrinsic or outward call, which is God's offer of grace to sinners, inviting them to come in and accept of Christ and salvation, Matt. xx. 16, "Many are called, but few chosen." This outward call shows men what they ought to do in order to salvation, and renders them inexcusable in case of dis-By nature the understanding is enveloped obedience. QUEST. From what doth God call men? ANS. 1. From sin; he calls them from their ignorance and unbelief, 1 Pet. i. 14. Iwith darkness. God calls men "from darkness to light," Acts xxvi. 18, as if one should be called out of a dungeon to behold the light of the sun. 2. There is an intrinsic or effectual call, when God with the offer of grace works grace; by this call the heart is renewed, and the will effectually drawn to embrace Christ. The outward call brings men to a profession of Christ, the inward to a possession of Christ. QUEST. What are the means of this effec-brimstone of hell, and from all those curses tual call? they were exposed to. ANS. Every creature hath a voice to call us. The heavens call to us to behold God's glory, Ps. xix. 1; conscience calls to us; God's judgments call to us, repent, Mic. vi. 9, "Hear ye the rod." But every voice doth not convert. There are two means of our effectual call: 1. The preaching of the word, which is the sounding God's silver trumpet in men's ears; God doth not speak by an oracle, he calls by his ministers. Samuel thought it had been only the voice of Eli that called to him; but it was God's voice, 1 Sam. iii. 6. So perhaps you think it is only the minister speaks to you in the word, but it is God himself speaks. Therefore Christ is said (now) to speak to us from heaven, Heb. xii. 25. How doth he A. 2. From danger. As the angels called Lot out of Sodom when it was ready to rain fire, so God calls his people from the fire and A. 3. He calls them out of the world, as Christ called Matthew from the receipt of custom: John xvii. 16, “They are not of the world." Such as are divinely called are not natives here, but pilgrims; they do not conform to the world, or follow its sinful fashions; they are not of the world; though they live here, yet they trade in the heavenly country; the world is a place where Satan's throne is, Rev. ii. 13. A stage on which sin every day acts its part. Now such as are called, are in, but not of the world. QUEST. To what God calls men? ANS. 1. He calls them to holiness, 1 Thess. iv. 7, "God hath not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness." Holiness is the livery, or silver star, the godly wear, Isa. lxiii. 18, “ Knam kodsheca, The people of A. 2. God calls them to glory, as if a man ANs. God's electing love, Rom. viii. 30, ene- talk of a moral persuasion,-that God in the conversion of a sinner, doth only morally persuade, and no more? He sets his promises before them to allure them to good, and his threatenings to deter them from evil; and here is all he doth. But sure moral persuasions alone are insufficient to the effectual call: how can the bare proposal of promises and threatenings convert a soul? This amounts not to a new creation, or that power which raised Christ from the dead; God doth not only persuade, but enable, Ezek. xxxvii. 27. If God, in conversion, should only morally persuade, that is, set good and evil before men, then God doth not put forth so much power in saving men, as the devil doth in destroying them. Satan doth not only propound tempting objects to men, but doth concur with his temptations: therefore he is said to "work in the children of disobedience," Eph. ii. 2. The Greek word, to work, signifies imperii vim, CAMER., the power Satan hath in carrying men to sin. And shall not God's power in converting, be greater than Satan's power in seducing? The effectual call is mighty and powerful; God puts forth a divine energy, nay a kind of omnipotency; it is such a powerful call that the will of man hath no power effectually to resist. A. 2. It is a high calling, Phil. iii. 14, “I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God." It is a high calling, 1st, Because we are called to high exercises of religion; to be crucified to the world, to live by faith, to do angels' work, to love God, to be living organs of his praise, to hold com QUEST. What are the epithets or qualifi-munion with the Father and the Son, 1 John cations of this call? ANS. 1. It is a powerful call; verba Dei i. 3.-2dly, It is a high calling, because we are called to high privileges; to justification and adoption, to be kings and priests unto God; we are called to the fellowship of angels, to be co-heirs with Christ, Rom. viii. 17. They who are effectually called, are candidates of heaven; they are princes in all lands, Ps. xlv. 16, though princes in disguise.3dly, It is an immutable call, Rom. xi. 9, "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance;" that is, those gifts that flow from election, (as vocation and justification) these are without repentance. God repented he called Saul to be a king; but he never repents that he calls a sinner to be a saint. Use 1st. See the necessity of the effectual call, a man cannot go to heaven without it. First, We must be called before glorified, Rom. viii. 30. A man uncalled can lay claim to nothing in the Bible but threatenings; a man in the state of nature is not fit for heaven, no more than a man in his filth and his rags is fit to come into a king's presence; a man in his pure naturals, is a God-hater, Rom. i. 30; and is he fit for heaven? Will God lay his enemies in his bosom ? Use 2d. Of trial. Whether we are effectually called? we may know it by the antecedent and consequent of it. 1. By the antecedent. Before this effectual call, an humbling work passeth upon the soul a man is convinced of sin, he sees he is a sinner and nothing but a sinner; the fallow ground of his heart is broken up, Jer. iv. 3. As the husbandman breaks the clods, then casts in the seed, so God, by the convincing work of the law breaks a sinner's heart, and makes it fit to receive the seeds of grace. Such as were never convinced, are never called, John xvi. 8, "He shall convince the world of sin." Conviction is the first step in conversion. 2. By the consequents, two, (1). He who is savingly called, answers to God's call. When God called Samuel, he answered, "Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth," 1 Sam. iii. 10. When God calls thee to an act of religion, thou dost run at God's call, Acts xxvi. 19, "I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." If God calls to duties contrary to flesh and blood, we obey his voice in every thing; true obedience is like the needle which points that way which the loadstone draws. Such as are deaf to God's call, show they are not called by grace.-(2). He who is effectually called, doth stop his ears to all other calls which would call him off from God. As God hath his call, so there are other contrary calls: Satan calls by a temptation, -lust calls,-evil company calls,-but, as the adder stops its ear against the voice of the charmer, so he who is effectually called, stops his ear against all the charms of the flesh and the Devil. Use 3d. Of comfort to them who are the called of God. This call evidenceth election, Rom. viii. 30, "Whom he predestinated, them he also called." Election is the cause of our vocation, and vocation is the sign of our election. Election is the first link of the golden chain of salvation, vocation is the second; he who hath the second link of the chain is sure of the first link; as by the stream we are led to the fountain, so by vocation we ascend to election. Calling is an earnest and pledge of glory, 2 Thess. ii. 13, "God hath chosen you to salvation, through sanctification." We may read God's predestinating love in the work of grace in our heart. To such as are called, to be thankful to God for this unspeakable blessing; be thankful to all the persons in the Trinity, to the Father's mercy,-to the Son's merit,-to the Spirit's efficacy. To make you thankful, consider, when you had offended God that he should call you; that, when God needed you not, he had millions of glorified saints and angels to praise him, yet he called you. Again, consider what you were before God called you; you were in your sins; when God called Paul, he found him persecuting; when he called Matthew, he found him at the receipt of custom; when he called Zaccheus, he found him using extortion. When God calls a man by his grace, he finds him seeking after his lusts; as when Saul was called to the kingdom, he was seeking the asses; that God should call thee when thou wast in the hot pursuit of sin, admire God's love, exalt his praise. Again, that God should call you, and pass by others, what mercy is this! Matt. xi. 26, "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." That God should pass by the wise and noble persons, of sweeter dispositions, acuter parts, guilty of less vice, and that the lot of free grace should fall upon you. O astonishing love of God! It was a great favour of God to Samuel, that God called to him, and revealed his mind to him, and passed by Eli, though a priest and a judge in Israel, 1 Sam. iii. 6, so, that God should call to thee, a flagitious sinner, and pass by others of higher birth and better morals, here is that which calls aloud for praise. As God so governs the clouds, that he makes them rain upon one place, and not them! Let their sins more trouble you than upon another so two at a sermon,-one his your own sufferings; if you pity an ox or ass heart the Lord opens,-the other is no more going astray, will you not pity a soul going affected with it, than a deaf man with the astray? Show your piety by your pity. sound of music. Here is the banner of free 2. Walk holily. Your's is a holy calling, grace displayed, and here should the trophies 2 Tim. i. 9. You are called to be saints, of praise be erected. Elijah and Elisha were Rom. i. 7. Show your vocation by a Bible walking together; on a sudden there came a conversation. Shall not flowers smell sweeter chariot of fire, and carried Elijah up to hea- than weeds? Shall not they who are ennoven, but left Elisha behind; so, when two are bled with grace have more fragrancy in their walking together, husband and wife, father lives than sinners? 1 Pet. i. 15, "As he who and child, that God should call one by his hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all grace, but leave the other, carry up one in a manner of conversation." O dishonour not triumphant chariot to heaven, but let the your high calling, by any sordid carriage! other perish eternally; O infinite rich grace! When Antigonus was going to defile himHow should they that are called be affected self with women; one told him, "he was a with God's discriminating love? How should king's son." O remember your dignity: the vessels of mercy run over with thankful-'called of God!' of the blood-royal of heaness? How should they stand upon mount ven: do nothing unworthy of your honourGerizim, blessing and praising God? O be-able calling! Scipio refused the embraces gin the work of heaven here! Such as are of a harlot because he was general of an patterns of mercy should be trumpeters of army: abhor all motions to sin, because of praise. Thus St Paul being called of God, and seeing what a debtor he was to free grace, breaks forth into admiration and gratulation, 1 Tim. i. 13. Use 4th. To the called. Walk worthy of your high calling, Eph. iv. 1, "I beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called;" in two things. your high calling. It is not fit for them who are the called of God, to do as others; though others of the Jews did drink wine, it was not fit for the Nazarite, because he had a vow of separation upon him, and had promised abstinence. Though Pagans and nominal Christians take liberty to sin, yet it is not fit for them who are called out of the world, and have the mark of election upon them, to do so; ye are consecrated persons, your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and your bodies must be a sacristy 1. Walk compassionately. Pity such as are yet uncalled; hast thou a child that God hath not yet called, a wife, a servant? weep over their dying souls; they are in their blood, "under the power of Satan." O pity or holy of holies. OF JUSTIFICATION. Roм. iii. 24. Being justified freely by his Grace. QUEST. XXXIII. What is justifica- | justification is dangerous, like a crack in tion? ANs. It is an act of God's free grace, whereby he pardoneth all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of CHRIST, imputed to us, and received by faith alone. JUSTIFICATION is the very hinge and pillar of CHRISTIANITY: and an error about the foundation, or an error in the first concoction. Justification by Christ is a spring of the water of life; and to have the poison of corrupt doctrine cast into this spring, is damnable. It was a saying of Luther, "that after his death the doctrine of justification would be corrupted;" as it hath been in these latter times: the Arminians and Socinians have cast a dead fly into this box of precious NESS. 1 Cor. i. 30, "He is made to us ointment. righteousness." This righteousness of Christ which doth justify us, is a better righteousness than the angels'; theirs is the righteousness of creatures, this of God. QUEST. What is the means or instrument of our justification? I shall endeavour to follow the star of scripture to light me through this mysterious point. QUEST. What is meant by justification? ANs. It is verbum forense,—a word borrowed from law-courts, wherein a person arraigned is pronounced righteous, and is openly absolved in the court. Thus God, in justifying a person, pronounceth him to be righteous, and looks upon him as if he had not sinned. QUEST. What is the ground of justifica-justification? tion? ANS. Faith, Rom. v. 1, "Being justified by faith." The dignity is not in faith as a grace, but relatively, as it lays hold on Christ's merits. QUEST. What is the efficient cause of our ANS. The whole Trinity; all the persons ANS. The causa,-the inward impellent in the blessed Trinity have a hand in the motive or ground of justification,-is the free justification of a sinner,-opera Trinitatis grace of God: so in the text, justified freely ad extra sunt indivisa. God the Father is by his grace; which Ambrose expounds, "not said to justify, Rom. viii. 33, "It is God that of the grace wrought within us, but the free justifieth." God the Son is said to justify, grace of God." The first wheel that sets all Acts xiii. 39, "By him all that believe are the rest a-running is the love and favour of justified." God the Holy Ghost is said to God: "being justified by his grace;" as a justify, 1 Cor. vi. 11, " But ye are justified by king freely pardons a delinquent. Justifica- the Spirit of our God." God the Father tion is a mercy spun out of the bowels of free justifies, as he pronounceth us righteous; grace. God doth not justify us because we are God the Son justifies, as he imputes his rightworthy, but by justifying us makes us worthy.eousness to us; and God the Holy Ghost QUEST. What is the material cause, or justifies, as he clears up our justification, and that by which a sinner is justified? seals us up to the day of redemption. QUEST. What is the end of our justifica tion? ANS. The matter of our justification, is Christ's satisfaction made to his Father. If it be asked, how can it stand with God's jus- ANS. The end is, 1. That God may intice and holiness to pronounce us innocent herit praise, Eph. i. 6, "To the praise of the when we are guilty? This answers it, Christ glory of his grace." Hereby God raiseth having made satisfaction for our fault, now the everlasting trophies of his own honour; God may, in equity and justice, pronounce how will the justified sinner proclaim the us righteous. It is a just thing for a creditor | love of God, and make heaven ring with his to discharge a debtor of the debt, when a praises!-2. That the justified person may satisfaction is made by the surety. inherit glory, Rom. viii. 30, "Whom he QUEST. But how was Christ's satisfac- justified, them he also glorified." God, in tion meritorious, and so sufficient to justify? | justifying, doth not only absolve a soul from ANS. In respect of the divine nature: as guilt, but advance him to dignity: as Joseph he was man he suffered, as God he satisfied; was not only loosed from prison, but made by Christ's death and merits, God's justice lord of the kingdom. Justification is crownis more abundantly satisfied, than if we had ed with glorification. suffered the pains of hell for ever. QUEST. Wherein lies the formality or eternity? essence of our justification? QUEST. Whether are we justified from ANS. No: for, 1. By nature we are under a sentence of condemnation, John iii. 18. But we could not be at all condemned, if we were justified from eternity.-2. The ANS. In the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us, Jer. xxiii. 6, “This is the name whereby he shall be called, Jehovah Tzidkennu," THE Lord our rigHTEOUS- Scripture confines justification to those who |