to call", by his word and Spirit, out of that ftate of fin and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and falvation by Jefus Chrift'; enlightening their minds fpiritually and favingly, to understand the things of God", taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of 1. a Rom. 8. 30. Moreover, whom he did predeftinate, them he alfo called, and whom he called, them he alfo juftified; and whom he juftified, them he also glorified. Rom. 11. 6. What then? Ifrael hath not obtained that which he fceketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the reft were blinded. Eph. 1. 10, 11. 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. b 2 Thefs. 2. 13, 14.---God hath from the beginning chofen you to falvation, through fanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth :-Whereunto he called you by our gofpel, to the obtaining of the glory of cur Lord Jefus Chrift. 2 Cor. 3. 3, 6. Forafmuch as ye are manifeftly declared to be the epiftle of Chrift ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of flone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. Who alfo hath made us able minifters of the New Teftament, not of the letter, but of the fpirit; for the letter killeth, but the fpirit giveth life. c Rom. 8. 2. For the law of. the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus, hath made me free from the law of fin and death. 2 Tim, I. 9, IO. Who hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Chrift Jefus before the world began; but is now made manifeft by the appearing of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gofpel. See alfo Eph, 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. d Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness, of fins, and inheritance among them which are fanctified by faith that is in me. I Cor. 2. 10, 12. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit fearcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. Now we have received, not the fpirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good; and effectually drawing them to Jefus Chrift; yet fo as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace". II. This effectual call is of God's free and fpecial grace alone, not from any thing at all foreseen in man', who is altogether paffive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer that are freely given to us of God. e Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart alfo will I give you, and a new Ipirit will I put within you; and I will take away the ftony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. f Ezek. 11. 19. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. Deut. 30. 6. And the Lord thy God will circumcife thine heart, and the heart of thy feed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy foul, that thou mayeft live, See alfo Ezek, 36. 27. g John 6. 44, 45. No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath fent me, draw him.-Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. h Cant. I. 4. Draw me, we will run after thee. Pfal. Iro, 3. Thy people ball be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning: Thou haft the dew of thy youth. John 6. 37. II. i 2 Tim. 1. 9. Who hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Chrift Jefus before the world began. Tit. 3 4, 5. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Rom, 9. 11. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might ftand, not of works, but of him that calleth. See also Eph. 2. 4, 5, 8, 9. k I Cor. 2. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; For they are foolishness unto this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it'. . III. Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and faved by Christ through the Spirit"; who worketh when, and where, and how he pleaseth". So alfo are all other elect perfons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the miniftry of the word". IV. Others not elected, although they may him; neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned. Rom. 8. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not fubject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Eph. 2. 5. Even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Chrift; (by grace ye are faved.) 1 John 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me, fhall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out. Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you, and caufe you to walk in my ftatutes, and ye fhall keep my judgements, and do them. John 5. 25. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead fhall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear, fhall live. John 6. 37. Ezek. 36. ciples faw it, they rebuked them:-But Jefus called them unto him, and faid, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of fuch is the kingdom of God. Acts 2. 38, 39. Then Peter faid unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiffion of fins, and ye fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call, n John 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof, but. canft not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; fo is every one that is born of the Spirit. o Acts 4. 12. Neither is there falvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be faved. be called by the miniftry of the word", and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come to Chrift, and therefore cannot be faved: much less can men, not profeffing the Chriftian religion, be faved in any other way whatsoever, be they never fo diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profefs'; and to affert and maintain that they may is very pernicious, and to be detefted'. q Mat. 13. 20, 21. But he that received the feed into ftony places, the fame is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it:-Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: For when tribulation or perfecution arifeth because of the word, by and by he is offended. r John 6. 64, 65, 66. But there are fome of you that believe not. For Jefus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him..--And he faid, Therefore faid 1 unto you, that no man can come un to me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his difciples went back, and walked no more with him. John 8. 24. I said therefore unto you, that ye fhall die in your fins: For if ye believe not that I am hc, ye fhall die in your fins. f Acts 4. 12. Neither is there falvation in any other: For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be faved. John 14. 6. Jefus faith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. John 17. 3. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jefus Christ whom thou haft fent. t 2 John 10. 11. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God fpeed.-For he that biddeth him God fpeed, is partaker of his evil deeds. Gal. 1. 6,7,8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gofpel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accurfed, TH CHAP. XI. Of Justification. HOSE whom God effectually calleth, he alfo freely justifieth"; not by infusing righteoufnefs into them, but by pardoning their fins, and by accounting and accepting their perfons as righteous: not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Chrift's fake alone: not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and fatisfaction of Chrift unto them, they receiving I. a Rom. 8. 30.---Whom he called, them he alfo juftifi. ed. Rom. 3. 24. Being jufti fied freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Chrift Jefus. b Rom. 4. 5, 6, 7, 8. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufnefs.---Even as David alfo defcribeth the bleffednefs of the man unto whom God imputeth righteoufness without works, Jay ing, Bleffed are they whofe ini. quities are forgiven, and whofe fins are covered.--Bleffed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute fin. 2 Cor. 5. 19, To wit, that God was in 21. Chrift, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them: and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.--For he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Rom. 3. 22, 24, 25, 27, 28. Tit. 3. 5, 7. Not by works of righteoufnefs which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft.---That being justified by his grace, we fhould be made heirs, according to the hope of eternal life Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood, |