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For,down from Adam, the true church had one and the fame precious faith, and the fame common falvation with the Prophets. God did not only speak to the Prophets, for their private ufe, but by the Prophets to the fathers, Heb. 1. 1. The Prophets would have acted perfidiously, had they put the candle, that was lighted for them, under a bufhel, and indolently wrapt in a napkin the talent entrusted with them.. Nor is it confiftent with the piety of the ancient fathers, not to have inculcated, with care and diligence, upon their children, what they themselves had learned about the promised feed of the woman. So that tho' we are not to determine any thing rafhly, as to the manner and meafure of knowledge, yet we are not to doubt, but that the revelation of a Saviour was made to the Elect from the beginning.

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univerfal

XIX. This gofpel-call was never given univerfally Yet never to all men; unless in the beginning of the world, just ly to the fpringing from Adam, or rifing again from Noab whole Tho' even then, God gave warning of the feclufion of world, fome from his grace, by the diftinction he made between the feed of the woman and the feed of the ferpent; and by feperating Ham from his brethren by a dreadful curfe, and the ancient prophecy of alureing, in after times, the pofterity of Japhet into the tents of Shem, which infinuated, that the pofterity of Japhet fhould, for fome time, be aliens from the communion of the people of God. Afterwards, the greateft part of mankind were left to themselves, and tho' God vouchsafed the word of his grace to the pofterity of Abraham, yet not to them all. In fine, when he claimed Ifrael to himself for a people, he rejected the other nations, and fuffered them all to go on in their own ways, Acts 14, 16. And tho', upon breaking down the wall of partition, the Apoftles were enjoined to preach the Gospel to every creature, without diftinction, yet it was never fo univerfally preached, but that there were always very many nations, and still are at this day, whom the report of the Gof

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pel never reached. They are therefore mistaken who, having feigned an univerfal redemption by Christ, and an univerfal objective grace, as it is called, have at the fame time devifed, for fupporting it, an univerfal call to Chrift.

'XX. This call contains the command of faith, obey the command by which all men without exception, to whom God of faith, vouchfafes the fame, are enjoined to believe in Christ, but in a in that way and manner, which is revealed in the proper or- Gofpel, If. 45. 22, look unto me and be ye faved all the

der.

ends of the earth. But the method of believing is this: first, that a perfon do heartily acknowledge all men, without exception, and himself among the rest, to be liable to condemnation because of fin: and then, that he embrace the principal truths of the Gospel ; namely, that there is no falvation but in Chrift, nor any communion with Chrift, but by a true and lively faith: moreover, that he do not neglect fo great falvation, but renouncing all earthly enjoyments, and every falfe remedy for his fins, he only defire the righteousness of Chrift, receive him as his Saviour, give himself up wholly to him, not doubting, but, in fo doing, he fhall find reft to his foul. All and every one in particular therefore, to whom the Gofpel is preached, are not commanded directly to believe, that Chrift died for them. For, that is a falfehood: but are commanded to proceed in that method, I have now defcribed; and not to take comfort to themselves from the death of Chrift, before, having acknowledged their own mifery, and renounced every thing but Chrift, they have given themfelves up fincerely to him. We cannot therefore conclude from this general call, who they are for whom Chrift died but only this, that there is no other name given under heaven, in which we can be faved; and that in him, as an all-fufficient Saviour, every believer shall have life.

XXI. But

external

XXI. But that external call will bring none to To the communion with Chrift, unless it be accompanied muft be with the internal, which is accomplished not only by added the perfuafion and command, but by the powerful ope- internal ration of the Spirit. There is a certain call of God, call. whereby he makes the things, he calls, to exift, by that very call. By fuch a call, he calleth those things which be not, as though they were Rom. 4. 17. For, when he faid, let there be light, immediately there was light, Gen. 1. 3. Not unlike this is that internal call of the Spirit, of which the Apoftle writes, 2 Cor. 4. 6, God who commanded the light to shine out of darkaefs, bath fhined in our hearts. But when he fays to the Elect, in the hour of their happy vifitation, awake thou that fleepest and arife from the dead, and Chrift fhall give thee light, Eph. 5. 14, it is no more poffible for them, to remain any longer in the sleep of death, than it was poffible for Lazarus to continue in the grave, after Chrift had faid to him, Lazarus, come forth, John 11. 43.

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erts his convert

XXII. Here God exerts his infinite power, by In which which he converts the foul no lefs powerfully than God exfweetly. While the Gospel is externally propofed to his chofen people, he gives them theeyes of their under- ing powftanding to be enlightened, that they may know what is er. the hope of their calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the faints, Eph. 1. 18; be openeth their heart, that they may attend unto the things which are Spoken, Alts 16. 14; and caufes them to receive the word with all readiness of mind, Alls. 17. 11. He writes his laws on their heart, Jer. 31. 33: puts the reverence of himself there, Ezek. 11. 20. And not only calls them from darkness to his marvellous light, but alfo, by the call, draws them, not to stand ftill in the path of doubtful deliberation, but to run after him, Cantic. I. 45 not only puts them in an equal poife, but turns them, Jer. 31. 18. Not only advises, but perfuades, and he is stronger and pre

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ment to human liberty,

vails, fer. 20. 7. Nor does he follicite, but tranflate, Col. 1. 13. Not by an ordinary, but by that mighty power, by which he raised Chrift from the dead, Eph. 1. 20. Let+changeable human nature put on what form it will, it must be obliged to confefs, that, in this matter, thefe are fo many displays of divine omnipotence, like fo many thunder bolts thrown out to bring down its pride.

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XXIII. Nevertheless, God deals here with the ra out detri- tional creature in fuch a manner, that the liberty of the human will is not, in the least, affected: which he is fo far from deftroying by the energy of his power, that, on the contrary, he refcues and maintains it. He put, indeed, into the heart of Titus the earnest care of going, yet so as to undertake the journey of his own accord, 2 Cor.8.16,17. It is a violence, indeed, but that of heavenly love, the greater the fweeter. A certain kind of compulfion, but that of the most charming friendship; to the end, that the foul being loofed from the chains of fin and Satan, may rejoice in the moft delightful liberty. God does not drag along the unwilling by head and shoulders, but makes them willing, Phil. 2. 13, bringing his truths fo clearly to their understanding, that they cannot but affent, fo effectually gaining upon their will by the charms of his goodness, that they are not able to reject them; but yield themfelves conquered, and that with the highest complacency; exulting with joy, “O Lord, thou hast enticed me and I was

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enticed; thou art ftronger than I, and baft prevailed, "Fer. 20. 7. I may well exult in this victory and triumph over the devil, for that I myself am con

+ The author's words are humani ingenii vertumnus alluding to Vertumnus a God worshipped by the Romans, under feveral hapes, becaufe he was thought to be the God of change, and to be graceful under every form, and therefore I have rendered it changeable human nature.

quered

quered by thee." And who can be fo rude, as to complain of any violence done to human liberty, by this winning power (fo to speak) of the Deity?

XXIV. It was certainly inconfiftent with the For there power and majesty of God, to attempt any thing, is a conand leave it in fufpence, and not bring it to a training final iffue; it was likewife unworthy both of his in the call perfuafion goodnefs and wifdom, fo to vex and diftrefs a of God. man endowed with reafon and will, as, in a matter of the far greatest moment, to act, without knowledge or againft his will, by a certain fatal and blind inftinct of his own. He therefore employs the highest degree of force, thereby to conquer the highest degree of the corruption of nature; but a pleafant force, a force under the direction of wisdom, as became an intelligent and rational nature; which is fo willingly overcome, as not only not to refift, becaufe nothing can refift God, when he comes to convert the foul: but also because, fhould it refift, it would think itself most unhappy. But yet we are here to diftinguish between the beginning and accomplishment of the call; as alfo between the object and the end, or that in which it terminates. For, at the beginning of the call man neceffarily refists, and cannot but refift, because the object is an unbelieving and rebellious finner, and a child of difobedience: but in the confummation, he neceffarily makes no refiftance, and cannot now refift, because the end of this call, or that in which it terminates, is a Believer, who owns himself conquered, and glories in the obedience of faith. This is, what the Greek authors emphatically call, váyun, the contracting perfuafion of God, who calls.

arguments

XXV. The many admonitions, promifes, and The chief threatnings, by which we are invited, make nothing of adveragainst this truth; for, as they inform us of our duty, faries fo they are made effectual to converfion by the inter- briefly anoperation of the Spirit. Nor ought the com-fwered.

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