Ver. 28. the 8th Chapter to the R OM A N S, .89 knock at the door of the heart, that doth not open to him ; knock by thè word knock by the motions of the Spirit, and checks of confcience; fo, many are called, bí i few are chofeu, Matti'', 22. 14. There is not the fruit of ele &'ion, nor Are thefe the called according to purpofe. 2. The of Phial call, is, when God changeth the heart, and bringetti it home to fiitíifelf by Jefus Chritt; we are not only invited to Chritt, but come to him by the ftrength and power of his own grace, John 6.44. No man can come td me, except the Father rhhïel; bath fens me, draw him. When we yeild to the call, as Paul who was extraordinarily called, faith, Ads 26. 19. 1 was not difobedient to the heavenly vifon; we have his con- feat and refignation recorded; Ads 9. 6. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Ele yeildett up the keys of his heart, that Chritt may come and take poffeflion. In an ordinary call 2 Cor. 8. 5. They firß gave themfelees to the Lord : 'Tis in other places expreffed, by our receiving or imbracing Chritt, john I. 12. both are itnplyed 5 our thankful accept- ing of Chritt, and our giving up our felves to him ; they both go together, and where the one is, the other, is alto: In every Covenant, there is ratio dati, & accept', fomething given, and fomething required: Chritt and his benefits, and what we have, are and dot both are ananlwer to Gods call. 2. The properties of efCtual calling; r. 'Tis an holy calling, 2 Tim. t. g. Who hash called us with an holy calling ? And 'Cis alfd an Heavenly calling, Heb. 3. r. Partakers oftbe heavenly calling, becaufè we are called to duties and priviledges, thefe mutt not be fevered; forme are forward to the priviledges of the calling, but backward to the duties thereof; .A good Chriftian mutt mind both the priviledges to take him off from the falle happinefs, and the duties that he may return to his obedience to God ; the one is the way and means to come to the other; for 'tjs faid, he bath called us to glory and virtue, 2 Pet. 1. 3. Meaning by glory, eternal life and by.virtue, grace and holinefs; in the way that God offereth it, we émbrate it; we heartily confent tó Peek after eternal glory in the way of faith, and holinef, and fo by it the heart is turned by Chritt, from the creature to God, from fin to holinefs. 3. The ends of effe lital calling, both on Gods part and the creatures. t. On Gad Bart, That God may thew his wifdom, power, and goodnefs. 1; His wifdom is feen, partly in the way and means that God taketh to convert fin. ners to himfelf. There is a fweet contemperation and mixture of wifdom and power a there is no violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor the liberty of fecond caufs taken away, and yet the effect is obtained. The propolal of good to the underftanr - ing and will, by the fecret power of the Lords grace, is made effeaual ; and at the fame time we are taught and drawn, John 6. 44, 45. No man can come to me, except the Father which bath font me, draw him; as it is written in the Prophets, They (hall all be taught df God; every man therefore that bath heard, and learned of the Father, cometb to me. There is opening blind eyes, and turning an hard heart, Ails ad. 18. He worketh ftrongly like himfelf, fweetly with refped to us, that he may not opprefs the liberty of our fa, culties ; and the Convert at the fame time, is made willing by his own choice, and ci . fedually cured by Gods grace; fo that Chrift comethconqueringly into the heart; and yet not by force, but by confent : We are transformed; but fo, as we prove what the good and acceptable will of the Lord is, Rom. 12. 2., The power of God, and the liberty of man, do fweetly conift together; and we have at the fame time, a new heart, and a free fpirit ; and the powerful efficacy of his grace doth not deftroy the confent and good liking of the firmer: The will is moved, and alto changed, and renewed. In the pés'- fwalive and moral way of working, God taketh the Kroft likely courfe to gain the heart of man, difcovering himfelf to us as a God of kindnefs, and mercy, ready to pardon and forgive, Pfal. 13o. 4. But there is forgivenefi with thee, that thou mayefi be feared. For guilty creatures would ftand aloof off from a condemning God: no, God bath laid the foundation of the offer of his grace, in the higheft demonftration of his love, and goodnefs, that ever could come into the ears of man to hear, of could enter into the heart of man to' conceive, viz. in giving his Son to dye for a finful world, a Cor. 5. 09, 20. To wit, that God was in Chrifi, reconciling the world to himfelf, not imputing their tref- paffes unto them, and 'bath committed unto us the word of reconciliation: now then we are AmbaJdors for Chilli, as though God did bef?ecb you by ui ; ire pray you iu Chei fls head, be ye reconciled to God. And not only in the offers of pardon, but eternal life and bleb' fednefs, fo infinitely beyond the falle happinefs that our carnal felflove inclineth to 9 0 unto
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