The man

nea of that

is, to endeavour, by evident figns, to be fully perfuaded in their own mind. Vain alfo would have been Paul' glorification, 1 Theff. 1. 4, knowing, brethren beloved your election of God. For, by the fame evidences Paul could have known this of the Theffalonians, the Theffalonians could have known it with refpect to themselves. In fine, they could not pof fibly, in faith, give thanks to God for their election, unless they could be affured of it in their own mind. And yet they do give thanks to God for it, Eph. 1.

3, 4.

XXVIII. But, in what manner do believers attain the affurance of their Election? Who hath afcended

certainty. into heaven? Or who, with a prying eye, hath pe

rufed the volumes of God's decrees and fecrets? Who hath looked into the heart of God? We are here, indeed, to guard against rafh prefumption, But what God has, from eternity, determined about the falvation of his people, he declares to them in time by figns, that cannot deceive them. He has given them two books, from which they may gather what is fufficient to know, that, they are written in the book of life: namely, the book of Scripture, and the book of Confcience. In the book of Scripture, the diftinguishing marks of Election, are drawn out with great exactnefs. In the book of Confcience, every one may read, if he gives that proper diligence, as a matter of fuch importance requires, whether thefe marks are with him. The Scripture fhews, that the marks of Election are, 1ft, Effectual calling by the word and spirit of God, Rom. 8. 30. 2dly, Faith in God and Chrift, 2 Theff. 2. 13. 3dly, Hatred and efchewing of evil, 2 Tim. 2, 19. 4thly, The fincere and conftant study of holiness, Eph. 1. 4; 2 Theff. 2. 13. And when it is well understood and known, what effectual calling is, what faith in God and Christ, what efchewing of evil, and what the ftudy of genuine godlinefs are, the confcience is then to be examined, whether these can be found in itself; and upon dif covering that they are, the believing foul may, from

thefe

thefe undoubted fruits, be affured of his Election, And it frequently happens, that God favours his chofen people with the ravifhments of his moft beneficent love, that, while they are inebriated with thofe fpiritual and unfpeakable delights, which earthly fouls can neither conceive, nor relish, they are no Jefs perfuaded of their Election, than if they had feen their names written by the very hand of God himself. These things make them, with exultation, cry out to their infernal enemies, who, in vain, resist their faith, know that the Lord hath fet apart him that is godly, for himself. Pf. 4. 3. Efpecially if, what then is not ufually wanting, the internal witnefs of the fpirit to their adoption, is fuperadded, of which in Rom. 8, 16, and which is by way of feal. Eph. 1. 13. But there will be occafion to speak of this hereafter.

believers

to strive

XXIX. And it is the intereft of believers to en- The indeavour earnestly after this affurance of their Election. tereft of For, ift, It is not poffible, they fhould have a life of joy and exultation in the Lord, while they are ig- after this norant of this. They may, no doubt, happily fall affurance, asleep in the Lord, and, through death, reach to eternal life, though they are not affured of their Election. For, our falvation depends not on this full affurance of faith, but on our union and communion with Chrift, which may remain fafe and fecure without that. But a man, who has his falvation at heart, as he ought, cannot live in fecure joy, fo long as he doubts of his election. 2dly, Nor does this affurance greatly contribute to our joy only, but also very much to the glory of God. For then it is, that we properly value the riches of divine love, and are fweetly fwallowed up in the immenfe ocean of his goodness, when we afcend, in our minds, and in our praises, to the original fountain of all grace; and, in imitation of Paul, celebrate his free love, by which he hath chofen us in Chrift Jefus, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, Eph. 1. 6. 3dly, Nay, this certainty of the Election, which we preach,

C 4

The meditation of

preach, 'likewife promotes the careful study of piety, and kindles a fervent zeal therein; fo far is it from opening a wide door to ungodlinefs and carnal fecurity which none dare affert, but they who are ignorant of the good ways of God, or malignant perverters of them.

XXX. Here then is the meditation of one, who an affured is thus fully perfuaded, and this is his language to believer, his God. Didft thou, O lord, from eternity, en"tertain thoughts of glorifying me, a miferable wretch, who am lefs than nothing; and fhall I not again carry thee for ever in my eyes, and always in my bofom? fhall I not delight in meditating on thee, fhall I not cry out, how pre"cious alfo are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great "is the fum of them! Pf. 139. 17. Shall I not, with "the moft fincere repentance, bewail that time, in

which fo many hours, days, weeks, months and હૃદ years, have paffed over my head, without one fingle holy and pleafing thought of thee? Didft "thou, out of mere love, choose me to falvation? "And fhall not I again choofe thee for my Lord, ૬૯ my king, my husband, for the portion of my foul, for my chief, or rather my only delight? Didit thou choose me from among fo many others, "who, being left to themfelves, have eternal deftruction abiding them? And fhall not I exert myself to the utmost, to excel others in love, in thy worship, and in all the duties of holiness? "Didft thou predeftinate me to holiness, which is fo amiable in ittelf, and fo neceffary for me, • દ that, without it, there can be no falvation? "And fhall not I walk therein? Shall I prefume to

..

cavil with thee, thou brightest teacher of truth; "that, feparating the end from the means, I fhould fecurely promife myfelf the end, as being predeftinated thereto, in a neglect of the means, to which I was no lefs predeftinated? Is thy purpofe concerning my falvation, fixt and unchangeable? And fhall I change every hour; at one time, giving

66

<< my fervice to thee, and another time to the devil? fhall I not rather cleave to thee with fuch a firm purpose, as fooner to choose a thousand deaths ra "ther than perfidiously forfake thee? Shall I not be Steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as I know, my labour shall "not be in vain in the Lord? 1 Cor. 15. 58. Wilt "thou by thy fpirit, affure me of thy love, which paffeth all understanding? And I not love thee again with all my heart, all my mind, and all my "ftrength? Wilt thou give me the affurance of my falvation? And fhall not I, having this hope, purify myfelf, as thou art pure? 1 John, 3. 3. Who, that understands these things, can deny, that the doctrine of Election, as we have explained it, affords ample matter to a pious foul for thefe and fuch like meditations? And who also can deny, that in the practice of thefe meditations confifts the very kernel of piety and holiness?

I.

T

CHA P. V.

Of Effectual Calling.

HE first immediate fruit of eternal election, Effectual and the principal act of God, by which ap- defined. calling pointed falvation applied, is EFFECTUAL CALLING. Of which the Apostle, Rom, 8. 30, whom he did predeftinate, them he also called. And this CALLING is that act, by which those, who are chofen by God, and redeemed by Chrift, are fweetly invited, and effectually brought from a ftate of fin, to a ftate of communion with God in Chrift, both externally and internally.

The term

II. The term, from which they are called, is a ftate from of fin and mifery, in which all men are involved, which a ever fince the fin of our first parents; having the un- ftate of fin derstanding darkned, being alienated from the life of and mife

God,

ry.

The term to which,

commun

Christ.

God, thro' the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, Eph. 4. 18. For we are brought to fuch a pass, that we are wholly excluded from the faving communion of God and Chrift. Being funk in the deep gulf of mifery, and having loft all notion of true happiness, we wallow in the mire of the wickednefs and vanities of this world without end and without measure, and are enslaved to the devil, to whom we have fubmitted as,conquered captives; for all have fined, and come fort of the glory of God, Rom. 3. 23. But out of this darkness of ignorance, fin and mifery God calleth us unto his marvellous light, 1 Pet. 2. 9, and delivers us from this prefent evil world, Gal. 1. 4. And we are never to forget our former ftate; remember, that, at that time, ye were without Christ, being aliens from the common-wealth of Ifrael, and strangers from the covenants of promife, having no hope, and withaut God in the world, Eph. 2. 12. The meditation of this tends to humble us the more deeply before God, who calleth us; the more to prize the riches of his glorious grace, and the more to quicken us to walk worthy of our calling, and of God, by whom we are called.

1

III. The term, to which we are called, is Chrift and communion with him. For, this he calls out If. 45. ion with 22, 115, look to me, or incline yourselves to me, and beye faved, all the ends of the earth. In this commu nion with Chrift confifts that myftical and most delightful marriage of the elect foul with Chrift, to which he invites him with all the allurements of his gofpel, and whofe exalted nuptial fong Solomon fung, wifdom bath builded ber house.---She bath fent forth her maidens, she crieth upon the highest places of the city,-turn in hither, come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine, which I have mingled, Prov. 9. 1, 3, 4, 5. IV. From this communion refults the communiflows the cation of all the benefits of Chrift, both in grace and commu- in glory, to which we are likewife called. Hearken diligently

Whence