Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. 1. Of our effectuall Calling.
GOds effectual calling is that, wherby God calleth out of darkneſſe into 1. God cals by his word preached.his admirable light, from the power of ſatan vntounto God, in Chriſt Ieſu, thoſe whom hee knew from eternitie, and predeſtinated vntounto life, of his meere fauor, by the promulgation of the couenant of grace, or preaching of the Goſpell.
Such alſo as be called by the ſame grace of God, anſwer, 2. Man anſwers by beleeuing.and beleeue in him through Ieſus Chriſt. This anſwer is of faith, which is, in verie truth, the condition of the promiſe which is in the couenant of grace. Wherefore our effectuall calling doth conſiſt of the promiſe of the couenant (which is vnderunder condition of faith) and in faith alſo, which is nothing els but the fulfilling of the condition.
Therefore there be two parts of our effectual calling, the firſt is the outward calling of ſuch as are predeſtinate Two parts of our effectual calling.vntounto life, from darkneſſe vntounto light, and that of Gods meere grace; and that, I ſay, by the publication of the couenant of grace or preaching of the Goſpell. The latter part is their inward faith wrought in them by the ſame grace and Spirit of God, whereby they are conuerted from Sathan vntounto God: for I cannot ſee how this ſecond part of our effectual calling, can differ from faith it ſelfe.
In the firſt part of our effectual calling, firſt we are to conſider the perſons, calling & called. The perſon which calleth vsus, properly to ſpeake, is God himſelfe: for he only promiſeth in his couenant, calling thoſe things which bee not as though they were, Roman. 4. ver. 17. The perſons called, are they whom God knew before, and hath predeſtinated vntounto life; for whom he hath predeſtinated, them he hath called, Rom. 8. Secondly, in the firſt part of our effectuall calling, the cauſe which moued God hereunto, is his owne ſpeciall grace: for the cauſe of all Gods bleſſings vponupon vsus is in himſelfe. For as hee did predeſtinate vsus in himſelfe, according to the good pleaſure of his owne will, Ephe. 1. 5. ſo hath hee called and iuſtified vsus in himſelfe, and ſhall glorifie vsus in himſelfe, to the praiſe of the glorie of his grace; that all glorie may be wholy aſcribed vntounto him. Thirdly, we be to obſerue the inſtrument of our vocation, which is the couenant publiſhed, Inſtrument of our vocation.or the Goſpell preached. Fourthly, in this former part of our effectuall calling, we bee to conſider the eſtate from which; and the eſtate whereunto we be called. The condition from which we be called, is darkneſſe, the power of Sathan, and that miſerable plight, which is without Chriſt in ſin and death.
The ſtate whereunto we be called, is light, God himſelfe, and that bleſſed condition of man in Chriſt. Hence it is euident that theſe common places of Diuinitie, Of Gods word, and of ſinne, and the miſerie of mankind, muſt bee referred to this argument of our effectuall calling, as to a moſt generall head in religion.
In the ſecond part of our effectuall calling, theſe branches muſt be noted. Firſt, that the cauſe wherefore we anſwer Gods calling, or beleeue in God, is Gods own grace, which worketh in vsus this faith by the holy Ghoſt, which is giuen vsus with his word: For like as God of his meere grace calleth vsus outwardly vntounto himſelfe; ſo the ſame his grace and free louelove in Ieſus Chriſt kindleth this faith in vsus, whereby we anſwer his heauenly calling.
And in this 2. part of our calling (which we ſay doth 2. Part of our calling faith.conſiſt in faith) if we deſire yet more deeply to ſearch it, there is a double grace or working of God in our hearts▪ The 1. is whē he inlightneth vsus by his holy ſpirit, pouring a new & a heauenly light into our mind before ſo blind, as that it neither ſaw, nor could ſee the things which doe belong to the Spirit of God. 1. Cor. 2. 14. 15. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are fooliſhneſſe vntounto him, neither can he know them. In the wil which is altogether froward and quite fallen from God, he worketh an vprightneſſe, and in all the affections a new holineſſe. Hence proceedes the new creature, and that new man which is created after God in righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe Ephe. 4. 24.
The Papiſts call this firſt grace in the faith, and work of the holy Ghoſt, not the creation of any new creature, which was not before, but the ſtirring vp of ſome goodneſſe and ſanctitie, which (as they ſay) was left in nature, Free-will.after the firſt fall of man, which they call alſo free-will, which (they ſay) was not quite loſt in the fall, but leſſened and weakened. But this free-will whereof they ſpeake, is in verie truth nothing els, but that holineſſe of nature and life of God, and the ſpirituall light of man in his firſt creation and innocencie. But of this more in place conuenient. This they ſay then, that after the fall, man retained not only the faculties of his ſoule, but alſo the holy qualities of thoſe powers, only hurt and weakened. And this is that free-will, which they ſay is quickned by Gods preuenting grace, which they define to be an externall motion, ſtanding as it were without, and beating at the doore of the heart.
In this firſt grace of God, which we call a new creation of diuine qualities in the ſoule, man ſtandeth meere paſſiuely before God, and as the materiall cauſe of Gods worke. For in this firſt renewing of the ſoule of man, what diuine vertues hath man to work with Gods Spirit, or to helpe the worke of grace? Yet we ſay not that man in this new birth is no more then a trunke or dead tree: for that there is in man (that ſo I may ſpeake) a paſſiue power to receiue that diuine grace, and life of God; as alſo the vſe of reaſon, which dead trees hauehave not. The aduerſaries ſay, that in quickening of free-will, there is a libertie or ſtrength in it to reiect, or to receiue, that grace which they call preuenting grace. Therefore they giuegive a fellowworking vntounto grace, and a fellow-working vntounto freewil.
The ſecond grace, or the ſecond worke of Gods ſpirit The action of faith.in the ſecond part of our effectuall calling, or in faith, is the verie act of faith, or an action proceeding from this new creature, the action of the mind enlightned in knowing God in Chriſt; of the will ſanctified, in imbracing and apprehending God in Chriſt. And here the principall agent is that verie Spirit of Chriſt, who after the firſt grace and creation abideth and dwelleth in vsus, not idle, but euer working ſome good in vsus, and by vsus. The ſecond agent working with Gods holy Spirit, is the very ſoule of man, or rather the new man, or the new creature in the ſoule and all the faculties thereof. By this the holy Ghoſt (that ſo I may ſpeake) knoweth God; or otherwiſe to ſpeake the ſame; to know God, the holy Ghoſt vſeth the new creature in man: and by this the holy Ghoſt doth embrace and apprehend God in Chriſt. Thus ſpeakes the Apoſtle, Rom. 8. The holy Ghoſt (ſaith hee) maketh interceſſion for vsus with ſighes which cannot be expreſſed. Obſerue here how he aſcribeth this action of ſending forth ſighes vntounto the Spirit, as to the principall agent.
In this ſecond grace, which is the action or worke of faith, we ſtand not as meere paſſiuely, but being moued by the holy Ghoſt we worke our ſelues, as being ſtirred vp to beleeue, we beleeue; and in a word, we worke foreign.with Gods Spirit working in vsus.
The Aduerſaries ſay, this ſecond grace in faith is an action of free-will, when as we by our own free-will diſpoſe and prepare our ſelues to a iuſtifying grace, in beleeuing, in hoping, in repenting. In this action they ſay, not the holy Ghoſt is the principall agent, or any motion (to vſe their owne word) of the Spirit; but free-will it ſelfe, which (as they ſay) goes before, whē as that motion of God working together with their free-will, muſt follow after. They ſpeake not a word here of Gods Spirit, either in the firſt or ſecond grace, who works effectually in both, as is aforeſaid: but in ſteede of the holy Ghoſt they talk of, I know not what motion ſtanding without and knocking at the doore. They ſay, this motion ſtirres vp free-will; they ſay it worketh with free-will when it worketh, and prepareth vsus vntounto the grace of iuſtice or iuſtification. This their doctrine is ſtrange; it ſauoureth not the holie Scripture of God, nor the phraſe of Scripture. Thus farre of Gods grace in faith, or of the ſecond part of our calling, and of the two ſpeciall branches of it.
Next, in it we are to conſider of the points or conditions before noted, which are the verie ſame with thoſe in our calling afore-going. To this ſecond part of our effectuall calling, referre the doctrine of faith, which in verie truth is the ſame with it. Hope, louelove, and repentance follow faith; and Free-will is a common place in diuinitie ſubalterne, or to bee referred vntounto that of Repentance.