692 Of Efeiival Calling. Sac T. XII. him andpartly, themighty power and ftrength of 'God , wbofe word onely canmake fuch a change. Chrift from heaven faid, Saud, Saul, Whyperfecutef thon me, and his Blackamoor skin, yea, heart, was prefently made white and clean : Chrift did by .a word only call Matthew the Publican from his place of gain andprofit, and heprefently leaveth all and followeth him : Thus as he faid to Chrill, Lord,ifthou fay but the. Word, my /ervant /Gall live : Snits here; Lord, ifthou fpeakbut the word, the mountainswill melt like wax, iron fwim , the rivers offordan runbackward, thehills skip like lambs ; that is, the lives, the thoughts, thepurpofes of men will be wholly altered andchanged; its but Gods call, and that will make the deaf to hear, and the foolifh.tonudet- ftand : And partly this doth imply, the mcer good will and pleafure of God,it sefolveth all intohis grace : Here is no goodnefs, no worth in there men that are afar off, movingGod, but, Asmany as GodAd! The utmofiinto which all is refolved is God Will have mercy, on whom he Willhave mercy. I (hall at this time pitch on thereftricion or limitation ofthe fubled, Not all that are afar off, onely fuch whom God (hall call : And from thence obferve, Obferv, That not all of mankjnde, Gatlone onely doth Cod call, With alaving call. The Apoftle plainly, makes a difference of thefe that are thus afar off, and this only tocome fromGod ; forceare fo afar off, that they never hear thevoyce; of God in theword calling them to repent , and believe, in Chrift: Others again have falvation brought uetto their houfe; and if thouask, why God calls fuch, andnot others? NoliScrtseari, do not curioully pry in this myftery,GodS: ways are juft, even when they arehidden tons Too muchgazing on this Sun, . map quicklyblinde us. Toopen and clear this point, confider, 7 . Firft, That there isageneral and common invitation, evenof all in theworld by Conlderati- God ; and there- is Afpecialgracisus one: The former invitation is by thecrea- ens open;ng cure's, by theworks of God; and as thePfalmB faith, -There s'nothing hidfrOlii ' ,hr l'01nt, the heat of the Sun, PfaLr9. That doth penetrateone wayor other toevery fub- lunarything : So its trueof this invitation and call, none is denyed it, none are fo afar off, but that God thusealls.: Now indeed, this is not properly, and in theScripture fenfea calling, I do not remember that the Scripture any where makes theworks of Creationand Providence, as a callingof men, unlefsin a ve- ry large fenfe ; as theheavens arePaid, todeclare the gloryof God, And the rod of God, or his judgements (though that be fpoken of his judgementson the Church) arefaid to have a voice. Now that Godby the works of his Creation and Providence in theworld, doth teach and convince men, and.fo in thatgene- cal way call men, is plain, Rom,:. where the creatures made by God, are laid to 'declarethofeinvifible properties of Gods wifdom, power and goodnefs. Thus Divines fpeakofa twofold School God bath, the School of the Creatures, and the School of Grace by the Gofpel : And though thebooks in the fiefSchool,' viz. Of the Creatures, be very dark, and in cbaraeters hardly legible, yet God did punifh and chaflife men with very fore and heavy judgements, yea, fpirituat judgements,the worlt ofall, Rom.:. becaufe theydid not learn this leffon, and were not proficientsin that School: So then, thewhole world, in theexcellent harmony of it, doth necellarily teach a God : Even laitydothby an excellent fitr.ilitudedemonflrate thin: 1f (faith he) you fhould fee a Book confifting of many letters, andall thole exaftly fet togetherand orderly,,fo asto make up a complea t fenfe; no man will fay,, Thole letters-and words put themfelves toge- ther, or that they canje together by chance : So it is with the world,This great book, theexcellent compofition and harmony of all things, do fully declare that thefe things did1tot make themfelves,orthat they came accidently together, but a great God difpofed them byhis wifdom andpower. Thisinvitation Paul confiders of inhis Sermon at Athens, Ails r7.27.That they (hould leek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him,-and finde him. Now there have been Tome of
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