but thou hast refused to walk in them I have written to you the great things of my Law but hitherto they have been accounted Hos 8. 12. as a strang thinge by you The Lord hath called you first in one place and then in another First by one Minister Friend and Book and then by another Hath sent many Epistles and Letters subscribed by his own hand sealed with his own Ring by his appointed Posts and Messengers and yet all will not do no answer is returned my unworthy self have divers years called you in the name of the Lord and this poor Book the meanest in the Library of Divine writings speaks to you to this purpose let not all these bear witnesse against thee so shalt thou not be judged with a witnesse Hath wisedome prepared all things and sent forth her Maidens several times to Prov. 9. 1 2. summon thee in and yet wilt not thou come but remain in the tent of thy folly Verily Friends this is a Lamentation and there is reason it should be for a Lamentation If you call your Child or Servant often to come to you and they move not how doth it trouble you How do you think the Lord will take it at your hands that come not after so many sendings for You have often heard of Christ and repentance but yet you will not accept of the one nor act the other You have often been intreated to close with Gods will and you would never yet enter upon his waies You can denie none of this that I say Your conscience tells you the same what not changed after all this what a wretched creature art thou that makest not the Lord welcome after all his journeies from Heaven to thee Had you had but one call it had been a great evil to have slighted it but when you have had so many how great must your contempt needs be For the Lord to send Servant after Servant to require repentance to call to conversion and you to return no sutable Fruits to give no demonstratious of ought but barrenesse is a sin of no inferiour nature What is that whereby the Lord in Scripture doth so aggravate the stubbornesse and sin of his people and doth leave and give them up into the hands of miserie and punishment for is it not this because 2 Chron. 36. 15 16. he hath spoken so often and they regarded not The Lord hath but whispered to some so that they have not understood his voice fullie to others he hath called but hath as soon turned his back upon them as they upon him and hath not returned to make any more offers but with thee it is far otherwise the Lord hath spoken to thee with a more clear and distinct voice and though thou hast run from him yet he hath run after thee and hath not ceased to call upon thee and to bespeak thine heart for himself but this hath he done daie after daie week after week and yet thou continuest in thy contradiction and perseverest in the perversenesse of thy rebellious heart 2. In regard of the variety of the agent The S. 4 Lord hath come to you in several shapes the manner of his calling hath been divers He inviteth Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden Matth. 11. 21. He commandeth This is his Commandement that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ 1 John 3. 23. He wooeth and intreateth We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 20. He threatneth Every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire Matth. 3. 10. He wisheth O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandements alwayes Deut. 5. 29. He chideth and expostulateth Why will ye die O house of Israel Ezek. 18. 30 31 32. He promiseth Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 19. The Lord doth as I may so say turn every stone and trie conclusions for the turning Quid est cor durum ipsum est quod nec compunctione scinditur nec pietate mollitur nec movetur precibus minis non cedit c. and conversion of thy stonie heart and varieth the manner of such dispensations on purpose to accommodate himself to us seeking our good and yet thy froward waieward spirit doth not regard He hath come as I may say in a several dresse and habit and yet thou hast not been taken with him The Lord hath come with a loud and with a low voice with melting mildnesse and with terrifying threats with pure Commands and with a precious Covenant with cordial invitations and with confounding comminations But you have not been allured by favours nor scared by frowns You have not been wonne by wooing nor converted by counselling It is strange and sad that you are so stubborn that you will not be drawn with the Silken cords and Golden bands of promises so stout that the discharge of God's Canon threatning doth not make you stoop so rebellious that the Authoritie of God's Command doth not awe thee so stiffe that his angrie chiding doth not make thee bend The Lord hath hung out his white Flag first and then his black Flag and yet thou dost not resign nor give up the Castle of thine heart to him He hath piped unto thee but thou hast not danced he hath mourned but Matth. 11. 17. thou hast not lamented If his Messengers tell thee of thy lost condition and dreadful condemnation then thou art readie to say he hath a Devil and Preacheth nothing but Hell If he tell thee of the grace of God in Christ and the freenesse of salvation then thou art readie to presume and goest on securelie in thy sins saying it shall be well with thee though thou adde drunkenesse unto thirst John Baptist and Christ both have come The Deut. 29. 19. Lord hath thundred from Sinai and breathed from mount Sion and yet you cavil and Nunquam deest impiis reprobis quod calumnientur have something to object against your own souls The Lord hath come to you like a Lion and like a Lamb he hath come to thee like a man of War and like a Friend in Peace he hath come with his drawn Sword in indignatition and his Royal Scepter of reconciliation he hath come with his rod of Iron and that of Gold too He hath called thee in a tempest and in a calm He hath used fair means and foul what are you so crosse that nothing shall please you Is your mouth so out of tast that nothing can be well relished with thee Are you so averse that you will shunne God in all these wayes and pathes wherein he comes to meet with you Shall neither sweet nor soure things have operation upon you Doth not the blustring storm make you seek a Sanctuarie Do not the warm Sun-beams melt and
of Christianity but the fire and heat will soon take off all this Paint your Blossomes and Buds will fall with an easy gust you will go back by as many degrees as ever you went forward and though a Saint to seeming in youth yet in old age you may turn Devil yea sooner too and so make good Sancti juvenes Satanici senes the Devils Proverb if you be onely called and are not also effectually called artificial Religion and made Piety is never durable or long-lived rootelesse flourishes will soon be saplesse and hang their heads if the Garment of your Profession be not made of the Sempiterno and Perpetuano of true grace it wil soon wear out If you put not the woofe of an inward work to the warpe of an outward shew you will never make strong Cloth fit for a Saints back The power of Godlinesse will stand where the forme dareth not shew it's head True Saints prove Standers when others turn starters This is your happinesse ye Children ye Sons and Daughters of grace ye shall hold out and continue Let not this breed security and sloth in you but rather confidence and courage and caution Let 1 Cor. 10. 12. him that standeth take heed least he fall If you would stand take heed you do not fall if you would not fall take heed that you stand if you would be sure you must not be secure 10 Glorification The last effect or consequence S. 10 of effectual calling is glory and happinesse in the highest Heavens this I put in the last place as the greatest of all what can be said more than glory enjoyment of God beholding his face for ever And this belongs onely to the effectually called as in the Text Verse Whom he called them he justified and whom he justified them he glorified They shall as certainly be glorified as it were done already and this Peter also teacheth when he saith Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Here he speaketh of being begotten again which is all one with effectual calling and by that Inheritance incorruptible reserved in Heaven is meant no other than glory It is undefiled and therefore suitable to them it is incorruptible and cannot perish and therefore they need not fear it shall decay or be lost during their stay on Earth while they are at home in the body and absent from the Lord gracious ones shall be glorious ones Holy ones shall be happy ones The effectually called shall be Eternally crowned Those that have Sanctifying goodness in possession have saving greatness in reversion All the rest of the consequences of effectual calling before mentioned are not enough the Lord will also give Heaven as the perfection and accomplishment of them all He hath given grace and he will give glory and no good Ps 84. 11 12. thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly O Lord God of Hosts blessed is the man that trusteth in thee that is called by thee The Lord called them to make them fit for Heaven for by nature we are as contrary to Heaven as to the way thereunto though we little think it and therefore have it they shall Giving Col. 1. 11 12. thanks unto the Father you see neither Peter before nor Paul now quoted can mention it without Doxology and we should imitate them Which hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light what is that but Heaven and how did he make them meet why that followes Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us unto the Kingdom of his dear Son Colos 1. 11 12. What is delivering from the power of darknesse but the bringing of a Soul out of an Estate of nature which is done in effectual calling But as for you that are in your sins for all your challenge Heaven glory is none of yours this Scepter shall never be put into the sinful hands the Crowns of this Kingdom shall never circle the heads that are void of the right knowledg of Jesus Christ unrighteous ones shall not enter in at the Gates of the new Jerusalem living and dying in your sins you shall ever be excluded and shut out let the serious thoughts of it daunt thy Spirit and stop thy course Heaven is not for all Aula coelestis non suscipit nisi Sanctos pios onely for some it is the City House Mansion onely of the Saints amongst the Sons of men onely converted ones shall be Courtiers there CHAP. IX VIII The subject of effectual calling or whom God doth call IN the next place according to the method propounded I am to shew you who they are who the Lord doth thus call for they are not all but some not many but a few and this I shall comprize under three heads 1. His Elect Those whom the Lord hath S. 1 predestinated and elected to glory those he calleth to grace whom he hath chosen for himself those he calleth to himself Election was Praedestinatio est causa gratiae gloriae Aqui. therefore Vocation shall be Vocation is therefore Election hath been The one goeth before the other certainly followeth after whom he had in his heart by Eternal Predestination those he bringeth to his hand by timely regeneration The Text speaketh this plain Whom he did predestinate them he also called And v. 28. foregoing To them that are the called according to his purpose God Elected but some and therefore doth effectually call but some he calleth homeward many he calleth home but his chosen he calleth into the bosome of the Church even those that are rejected into the bosome of Christ onely those that are elected He calleth not all in the world but some out of the world Election and effectual calling though they keep not time yet they keep Company what the number of the one is that is the number of the other The calling of God hath it's bounds it's limits out of which it doth not passe The Lord saith to it as to the waves of the Sea hitherto shalt thou go and not further It is not tied to place Countrey manners parts gifts or the like but onely to the Elect whosoever are not Elect shall not be effectually called whosoever are Elect shall be effectually called The Lord knoweth who are his and he will find them out First their names are written in God's Book then God's grace is wrought in their hearts God first marks them and then moulds them First registreth them and then reneweth them first takes their names then turns their natures multitudes there are whose names are not in Heaven multitudes there are who shall never attain to true grace we may suppose
you of sin and the danger of a natural condition it was mine own condition once and whether I have yet fully passed it I have much cause to fear I find my heart so carnal sold under sin Others of you may have some early glimmerings of the spirit dawning upon your souls The Lord cause the sun of righteousness to rise upon you with healing under his wings and bring your bloomings and buddings to ripeness and maturity Some others may have a through work of grace upon their hearts the Lord make such thankful for it is an inestimable mercy and keep their feet that they fall not Various are your conditions in regard of temporals and spirituals various are your relations to and acquaintance with me whatsoever the one or the other be let nothing be a bar to keep you from accepting the counsel of the holy Ghost which is sent in love let it therefore be so taken I would not these things should be a witness against you or me another day The Lord therefore for his Christ's sake so sanctifie these truths to us and us by these truths that we may all attain to grace and increase thereof to the comfort of our own souls to the praise and glory of God by Christ So prays Your dayly Orator at the throne of grace J. V. The Epistle to the READER Christian Reader THou mayst wonder to see me add to the pile and heap of books Not glory nor gain unless of God of souls though my heart be very evil and have the seeds of all sin in it are the wheels on which I move in this labour Not affectation but affection to my heavenly Father to my earthly Friends put me on to this Some years since in my publike preaching I went through the chief heads in Divinity and when I came to this of Effectual Calling I insisted the longer upon it because it was very practical and of great concernment I found it then making some impression I hope it may do so now if but one soul be thereby turned in to the Lord it is worth my pains though a thousand times more I was desirous to communicate it to my friends to whom I dedicated for their good if the Lord be pleased to bless it It had been a weary task to have transcribed many copies I was resolved therefore to take the shortest cut It is a complaint that the Press is oppressed and not without cause yet much Printing I think is no more to be indicted then much Preaching if so be the matter be sound and savoury That feminine toleration that Midwives so many spurious births into the world and that licentious liberty whereby any one and any thing may preach and be preached are well worthy of censure and sharp animadversions it is hard to say which more Much reading is a weariness to the flesh and so may much hearing yet if either be rendred under God a means of conviction and conversion to the spirit it is no matter Daniel got knowledge of things of concernment by books Dan. 9. 2. I see the Lord owneth and blesseth reading as well as hearing printing as well as preaching though of all means of grace I take preaching to be the King Mine own soul through the mercy of God for ever blessed be his name hath received some good if it be not presumption to say so that way as well as by the preaching of the word and though this be drawn up by a weak worthless creature yet God I see sometimes makes use of and blesseth a wooden as well as a golden instrument And though hereby I expose my self who am weak to the acute judgement of parted and learned men yet I weigh it not if but one soul may be gained and brought in to God by this service as I hope there shall and the Lord raiseth mine heart to some comfortable expectation thereof What a rejoycing would it be to me if my poor labours might tend to the enlargement of my soveraigns Kingdom Reader I shall no further apologize for or give an account of this undertaking though more might be said I desire thine earnest prayers that while I give these counsels and cautions to others my self may not be a cast-away as thou hast mine If thou be a sinner the Lord conform thee to his will if a Saint the Lord confirm thee in his ways The Lord be with thy spirit and his who is Thine as he hopes for thy souls good J. V. Imprimatur Edmund Calamy A SURVEY OF EFFECTUAL CALLING THE FIRST PART CHAP. I 8. Rom. 30. vers the begin Moreover whom he did Predestinate them he also called IN the first part of this Chapter Paul endeavours to comfort the Roman Saints against the Remainders of sin yet with this proviso and caution that they remain not in sin In this Second Part which begins at the seventeenth Verse he Sect. 1 prescribes an antidote to fortify their Spirits against adversity which is made up of many ingredients the last whereof though not the least is in the 28. vers viz. that God like a skilful Chymist will extract good out of evil and by his wise disposing cause advantage to grow upon the stalk of affliction which is proved in the two next Verses because nothing can break that Golden Chain wherein foreknowledge Predestination Vocation c. are Cohaerence linked together so that the words which I have pitched upon fall out to be the middle linke of this Chain which reacheth from Eternity to Eternity viz. from fore-knowledge and Predestination to Glory For the opening of the words Predestination Explication is a fore-ordaining or appointing even from Eternity in reference to the reasonable Sect. 2 Creature and is sometimes taken largely so as the twins of Election and reprobation lye in the Womb of it and sometimes strictly and synecdochically that it and Election are identified and so is it here used Them hath he called We know what it is to call to or upon another to do this or that so God calls them to Sanctity obedience conformity to his will yet so it is to be understood that he opens their ear to hear and inclines their heart to submit to this call He hath called The Preterperfect tense used for the Future Bez. in loc tense after the manner of the Hebrews and to denote a continued Act But I should rather think he so speaks in reference to those that are called already and so in them Personating all others that are the Children of Predestination or else to shew that those that are Predestinated shall as certainly be called as if they were already called for it is the manner of Scripture Sic narrare futura tanquam praeterita Haym to call the things that are not as if they were In the words are two parts Divis 1. The Subject 2. The Predicate Or 1. The Appointment to the end 2. The first step of the means to the end Viz. 1.
the Company these are the goods that Saints converse with that Saints communicate off 4. Adhering to the truth This is the fourth S. 4 thing that followeth upon effectual calling Their hearts being united to Christ cannot but be united to his truths Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel 2 Thes 2. 14. Suppose this whereunto hath reference unto the whole that went before Vid. Bez. in loc then belief of the truth is included Many Books have it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the neuter gender but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Feminine and many Latine Books follow this and so then whereunto may referre to truth or belief so that it is plain that when they were called and converted by the Gospel they were called to the belief of the truth as well as other things It is a precious mercy when Soules can say with Paul that through the grace of God They can do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. This is a great favour at all times but especially in this age when there are so many backsliders and Revolters from the truths of God when others fall that some should stand when others like Weather-cocks turn every way that some should stand as firme Pillars in the house of their God when others like Children are tossed to and fro and carried about Ephes 4. 14. with every wind of Doctrine that Gods people should speak and keep to the truth in love when others are like wandring Planets that they should be fixed Starres in the Right hand Nimiùm altercando peritas amittitur Sen. of the Father when others by vain janglings come to fall off from and reject the truth they by humble and sober inquiries find out and receive the truth Christ promised that if any do his Fathers will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether he speak of himself John 7. 17. It is true of all Doctrine those that are Doers are discerners those that are gracious have that Spirit within them whereby they know light from darknesse truth from errour that which is sound from that which is rotten and can judge of that which is taught whether it be Heaven or Earth-born from God or from Men that which is chaffe they refuse the pure grain they embrace the drosse they put away the massy Gold they take to themselves Truth is most welcome and sweet to them They receive the truth in the love thereof affectionately cordially they lodge it in their bosomes and lock it in the Cabinet of their Psa 119. 11. heart Verity is precious with them as well as Sanctity They have a care to look to the workings of their head as well as the walkings of their feet a sinful notion is displeasing to them as well as a sinful Action a sound head and a sound heart go together false Doctrine and filthy deeds shake hands they can both lie in one Bed no wonder that they walk loosely who are not girt about with truth ungodly Ephes 6. 14. Non benè cinctus non bene dictus conversation is usually supported by erroneous conceptions but an heart changed by grace doth not allow it self in sin and therefore needeth not to embrace false Doctrine for the maintenance thereof It dareth come to the light and a bide the Trial Truth is it's right hand it 's guide It hath bought the truth as Prov. 23. 23. the Scripture phrase is and will not sell it It is dear to it and as Jonathan loved David so it 1 Sam. 18. 1. loveth truth as it 's own Soul It beareth witnesse delighteth in speaketh and Prayeth for the truth and with the Martyr can say Though I have not a reaching head to dispute yet I have a resolved heart to die for the truth It will contend Jude 3. might main for the truth delivered to the Saints It s heart riseth within it to see wanton errour in these dayes take the Wall of truth Its Spirit is stirred within it to see false Doctrine ride on Horse-back and truth to go on foot a begging Thus it is with those whom the Lord hath wrought upon by grace they were born of truth they are the Children Friends of the truth And wisedom is and will be justified of Matth. 11. 19. her Children But as for you who are unconverted a little matter will divide between you and truth seeing your heart is not set upon it 5. Justification In the next place all that are S. 5 effectually called are justified and their sins forgiven as it is in the Text Vers And whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he called them he also justified There is remission of their sins imputations of Christs merits The Lord taketh their filthy Garments and causeth their Iniquity to passe from them Zech. 3. 4. and clotheth them with change of Raiment Their Rags are taken off and Robes are put on and they are clad in the Garments of their elder Brother It is a sign of favour from the Knolls Hist Great Turk when a rich Garment is cast upon any that come into his presence This is a special favour of God to cast by the hands of his grace the rich Scarlet Mantle of Christs perfect obedience upon the backes of any and this he doth onely to his Jedidyah his beloved one his called ones By him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could Acts 13. 39. not be justified by the Law of Moses Moses condemneth Christ condoneth Moses accuseth Christ acquitteth Moses chargeth Christ dischargeth all his Saints all his converts all his changed chosen-ones This Jewel is hung upon the ear this Chain about the neck onely of the regenerate Christ takes to himself their Nostra delicta sua delicta fuit ut suam justitiam nostram justitiam faceret Aug. unrighteousnesse gives to them his own Righteousnesse but as for you that are in the filth of your sins you are yet under the guilt of them they all stand uncrossed unpardoned what a dreadful thing is this when one and that the least of your sins is sufficient to plunge you into hopelesse and helpelesse depths of misery You that are Saints therefore consider what an unspeakeable mercy and Priviledge this is to have all thy sins done away and cast behind Gods Back that he should remember them no more Your sins are pardoned though the Teares of repentance stand in your eyes that you cannot read your Pardon thou art as perfectly pardoned as ever was Abraham Isaac Jacob or the Saints of the highest forme in Christs School though thou be but an Abcdarian and mean Scholler if thou beest called indeed all is wiped out in Gods debt Book that might be brought against thee yea in Am. lib. 1. Med. 27. cap.