that are spoken to us. We should come to hear the word with defires, that the Spirit of God would accompany it with power to our fouls; that the calls of God to us, may be made effectual to perfwade and enable us to come to Christ. Attendance on God's word with fuch defires of foul, gives hopeful encouragement, that the word may become mighty through God, unto the changing our hearts. Prov. viii. 34. Bleed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Direct. 2. Cherif all the good motions of the holy Spirit on your fouls. The Spirit of God is wont to move on the hearts of men under the means. There are none that live under the gofpel, but do, at times, experience fome operations of the Spirit in and upon their fouls. Sometimes they find their hearts fmitten with a fenfe of their fins, and hear a fecret call to turn afide and confefs them to God, with grief and forrow for them, and prayer for the pardon of them.---Sometimes, when they are inclining to comply with a temptation to fin, they feel an inward check, and hear a fecret whisper, O do not that abominable thing! the fin is reprefented to them as hateful and difpleafing to God. Sometimes there is light let into their fouls, that they fee their need of Chrift, and fee the things of another world to be realities. Now all thefe things are from the Spirit of God, and ought to be cherished by us. We fhould have a care, that we do not quench or ftifle these motions of his in our fouls. I Theff. v. 19. Quench not the Spirit. As ever we would have the Spirit proceed further, we should kindly entertain all his approaches to our fouls. If we refift him, he may be provoked wholly to withdraw from us, and ftrive with us no more at all. Gen. vi. 3.

Direct. 3. Pray earnestly to God, to make the call of the gofpel effectual to you. Tis he alone, as we have heard, who can put life and power into his word, and give efficacy unto it. Beg of God then to fhine into your fouls by the light of truth, and to give you a fpiritual

discovery

difcovery of Jefus Chrift; that you may behold him in his glory, and be made to prize. him above all things. O be much in prayer, that the word may become the power of God unto your falvation.

USE 2. Of Exhortation to those who already are, effectually called.--And this in three or four words.

Exh. 1. Blefs God for your being effectually called. We are to blefs and praife God for all bleffings, but more efpecially for fo great a fpiritual bleffing as this is. That we may fee what abundant caufe we have to praise God on this account, confider here a few things.

1. Confider the fovereignty of divine grace in our effectual calling. The more of the rich and free grace of God appears in any bleffing beftowed on us, the louder call there is to exalt God for it. Now, in this point the grace of God is exceeding wonderful. For,

I. We were altogether unworthy to be called. There was nothing in us, or done by us, that deferved fuch a favour, nor was there fo much as any thing to move God thereunto. Had God dealt with us according to our deferts, he would have left us to abide in our wretched condition, and never have called us out of it, into fo excellent an eftate. We were enemies to God, haters of God, and he might have called us unto judgment, and have caft us into hell, instead of calling us into a state of grace, and unto the kingdom of glory. Nothing but the free grace of God moved him to call us. 2 Tim. i. 9. Who hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpofe and grace. And to manifeft this unto the world, the Lord does many times. call those that have been the most notorious finners, as Paul a furious perfecutor, Mary Magdalene and others, who were moft vicious perfons. Such inftances as thefe are clear evidences, that God's own meer good pleafure, is the only motive of his giving a faving call to any of the finful children of men. God then, on the account of this his free grace, is to be praised by all

that

that are effectually called. Thus did the apostle Paul, 1 Tim. i. 13-17. I was a blafphemer, a perfecutor and injurious: But I obtained Mercy, and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant. Now to the King eternal, immortal the only wife God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.

...

2. Many others are left uncalled, while we are called. This further enhances the grace of God towards us. It makes our calling to be not only a fruit of meer grace, but alfo of Special and diftinguifbing grace. God herein is pleased to make a wonderful difference between us and others. And here confider,

(1.) Multitudes of perfons in the world never were fo much as outwardly called. The far greateft part of the world, do not enjoy fo much as the external call of the gospel. They have not the revelation of Chrift granted to them, and to have no offer of Chrift made to them, or any invitation to accept of him. Chrift is not fo much as made known to them; the word of falvation is not fent to them; they hear not the joyful found and glad tidings wherewith we are favoured. Ic was faid of old, that God gave his ftatutes and judgments to Ifrael, and that he had not dealt fo with any nation. Pfal. cxlvii. 19, 20. And it may now be faid, God has given his ftatutes and judgments to us, and he hath not dealt fo by many nations. What caufe then have we to praife God, that we are called into a state of grace and peace, wnile fo many are left without any gofpel-call?

(2.) Multitudes that are outwardly called, are not effectually called. The found of the gofpel has reached a great part of the world; God by his word fpeaks to their ears but yet by his Spirit, he does not fpeak to their hearts. The call of the gofpel, is not made effectual unto their converfion. Though many are called, yet few are chofen and felected out of the world by converting grace. Matth. xx. 16. A fmall number is taken, and the far greatest part left. The fame word which is preached to multitudes, is made effectual

unto

into others, not unto the moft. What caufe then have you that are effectually called, to exalt the grace of God which fingles you out from the reft that are round about you ? It may be, others that are paffed by are on all outward accounts more confiderable than you are. Thofe that are left uncalled, may in many respects be far preferable to you. Men of greateft parts and eftates, of the most honourable and noble parentage, may be left uncalled, while you are called. I Cor. i. 26. Ye Jee your calling, brethren, how that not many wife men after the flefb, not many mighty, not many noble are called. As it was then, fo it is ftill. How fhould you 'then admire the free love and grace of God towards you? how fhould your lips break forth in the praifes of it; and your lives exprefs a moft grateful fenfe of it? This free, arbitrary grace of God, of which no reafon in the world can be given, but his own good pleafure, may juftly fill your hearts with all astonishment, and ravishing amazement. This is the mystery of God's grace, which you fhould be contemplating, and cry out, Why am I called, and not another? Why has the word of God come home to my foul with power, while others feel nothing of it at all?

2. Confider the great bleffedness of those that are ef fectually called. Of all men, they are the most happy; yea, they are the only happy and blessed men. great bleffednefs is to be feen in thefe following things.

Their

1. Thofe that are effectually called are interested in the electing love of God. Effectual calling is a fruit and evidence of eternal election. The eternal electing love of God is the fpring of effectual vocation. Jer. xxxi. 3. Tea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee. Whom Godcalls, them he did predeftinate. Rom. viii. 30. They are all called according to his eternal purpose, v. 28. So that be who is effectually called, is one on whom God from all eternity fet his love. And how happy is that man who is the object of electing love?

2. Thofe that are effectually called, are justified. Rom. viii. 30. Whom he called, them he also juftified. 'Tis their privilege to be interested in the glorious righteoufnefs of Chrift; a righteoufnefs by far more excellent than that of Adam, yea, than that of holy angels. This righteoufnefs is made over to every one that is called. In the gofpel it was offered to them, and by effectual calling they have been enabled to accept of it. So that now Chrift's righteoufnefs is imputed to them, accounted to them, and accepted of God for them. And being interefted in this righteoufnefs, there is now no condemnation to them. Rom. viii. 1. They shall never come into a judgment of condemnation, but fhall ap-. pear before God with greatest fafetv. For all their fins are forgiven unto them, and washed away in the blood of Chrift. Now all fuch pardoned ones, are blef fed. Pfal. xxxii. 1, 2. Bleed is the man whofe trans greffion is forgiven, whofe fin is covered: Bleffed is the man, to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.

3. Thofe that are effectually called, have all things working together for their good. Rom. viii. 28. We know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpofe. Let what will befal them, God will order and govern it fo, as that they fhall thereby be gainers. Nothing fhall hurt them, bat every thing fhall advantage them. The most wife providence of God will make every accident and difpenfation fubfervient unto their welfare. Their best good fhall affuredly be furthered, by things which feem most contrary thereunto. And how happy is that man, who has the providence of God continually at work on his behalf, to order and difpofe of every thing for his everlasting well-being?

4. Thofe that are effectually called, fhall moft affuredly be glorified. Effectual vocation, and glorification, are infeparably conjoined. Rom. viii. 30. Whom be called, them be justified; and whom be justified, them be alfo glorified. Thofe whom God has called into his kingdom of grace, he has called them unto the king-1

dom