The great mystery of godlinesse opened being an exposition upon the whole ninth chapter of the epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans / by the late pious faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Edward Elton.

Even us whom he hath called, not of the Jewes onely, but also of the Gen∣tiles.

[Ʋse 2] IS it so that effectual Vocation doth prove unto men infallibly their Ele∣ction and salvation in Heaven? doubtless then effectual calling must needs be a ground of sweet and excellent and heavenly comfort unto the soules of all those that are indeed effectually Called? Hast thou then good Evidence of thy effectual Calling? Art thou sure that God hath wrought upon thee by the power of his Spirit? That he hath brought thee by the preaching of the Word out of thy natural estate of ignorance and unbe∣lief, to true knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ? Oh then comfort thy self, thou hast cause to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious, 1 Peter 1.8. For this sealeth up unto thee this comfort, that thou art one whom God loved from everlasting, from all Eternitie before this world was; that thou art one redeemed by Jesus Christ, that thou art justified in the sight of God; and acquitted and freed from the guilt and punishment of all thy sins, and that they shal never be laid to thy charge; for effectual calling and justification joyn hands together, it giveth thee assurance thou art ac∣quitted from all thy sinnes both past, present, and to come, and shalt as certainly goe to Heaven, as if thou wert already in Heaven, and all the power of hell shal never be able to prevail against thee; therefore thou art in a most happie condition.

[Object.] But here happily some may say, here is a sweet ground of excellent com∣fort (we must needs confess) if so be a man be effectually called, and truely believe in Christ; but alas (say the Papists) a man cannot know whether he hath the Spirit of God working in him or no; he may have a false spirit; neither can a man tell whether he doth truely believe in Christ or no. Now therefore to remove this stumbling stock of the Papists; [Answ.] we must consider that the Spirit of God is compared to fire, Matthew 3.11. He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire; and it is compared to the blowing of the wind, Joh 3.8. The winde bloweth where it listeth, &c. So are all that be born of the Spirit; thereby giving us to understand, that as sensibly as a living man may perceive the burning of the fire, and feel the blowing of the winde, so sensibly may a Child of God perceiue in himself the working of the holy Spirit of God. And indeed it is the very office of the Spirit of God to teach Gods Children to know the things of God; so saith the Apostle expresly, 1 Cor. 2.12. We, saith the Apostle, have not received the spirit of the world, but we have received the Spirit of God, whereby we know the good things that are given us of God; He teacheth us to know our Hope, our Faith, and a good life, it is the office of the Spirit, and he will certainly perform his Of∣fice.

And beloved, did not the Apostle know on whom he had believed, 1. Tim. 2.12. I know on whom I have believed; and cannot a Childe of God know assuredly that he truely believeth in Christ by the works and fruits of his faith purifying his heart, working in him a love to God and his Chil∣dren, Gal. 5.6. because they bear his Image, may not he certainly conclude true faith worketh by love?

[Object.] Oh but (say the Papists) for all this a man cannot know whether he tru∣ly love God or no: Do you (say they) prove your faith by your love.

[Answ.] This is more foolish then the other, for if one man love another he knoweth it, and in what measure he loveth him, and cannot a Child of God that layeth aside all earthly pleasures, and denieth himself and standeth for Christ and his Gospel to the shedding of his bloud, and yet not know whe∣ther he loveth God or no? surely then Christ did ask of Peter a very idle and frivolous question which were blasphemie to think; in John 21.15.

Peter lovest thou me? Peter might have said, Lord, thou knowest no man can tel whether he love thee, or no, but Peter saith, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee; so that a man may truely know whether he loveth God or no, and so be assured of his effectual calling.

I but (say the Papists) grant this, [Object.] that a Childe of God may know the good things given him of God, and may know Gods love for the pre∣sent, and know himself in the state of grace, yet here is a point you littlc think of, sc. he cannot be sure of his salvation, unless he hold out unto the end.

And herein they contradict the plain evidence of the truth of God, [Answ.] for Christ saith, John 3.36. He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God; hath everlasting life: He hath one foot within the gates of Heaven alreadie: For indeede the life, grace and holiness in this life shal be made perfect in Heaven, and the life of the godly here in this world, and of the Saints in Heaven is all one in substance, differing onely in degree; theirs is perfect, ours is imper∣fect; and the Apostle saith, in Romans 8.1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus; so that the faith and grace of Gods Children is permanent and lasteth for ever, and this Doctrine of theirs is a meere Antithesis or contrarietie to God and his Word, 1 Peter 1.5. Gods Chil∣dren are kept by the power of grace unto salvation; doubtlesse Gods Children shal continue unto the end, Gods grace shal never depart from them, for he hath made many gracious promises to that end, as namely these, that God will put his fear in their hearts, that shall never depart from me, Jeremie 32.40. And that he having begun the work of grace wil perfect it in Philippians 1.6. And that Christ Jesus is not onely the Authour, but the Consummator and finisher of our Faith, Hebrewes 12.2. Let then the enemies of Gods Grace, Papists, or Anabaptists belch out their blasphemies, they shal never be able to drive a Childe of God from this comfort, that commeth by his effectual calling, that he shall certainly be saved.

And I might further adde this as a third use, [Ʋse:] that seeing Gods effectual Calling is so sure and certain an evidence of our Election and salvation; therefore men ought to make special account and reckoning of the preach∣ing of the Word; because it is the ordinarie means of Calling, and of con∣veying grace, and faith, into the hearts and souls of men, Romans 10.17. Faith cometh by hearing, and therefore miserable is the case of all Recusants, Papists, Anabaptists, and Familists that refuse to hear the Word, and also all prophane Atheists that despise the preaching of the Word, and also Carnal Gospellers that are wearie of the preaching of the Word, it is a burthen unto them: but to passe by this.

Again further, observe we in the next place, that the Apostle he rangeth the calling of God into these two sorts, not onely Jewes who came of Ja∣cob, which was no strange thing, because they had many excellent privi∣ledges, but also even us that are Gentiles; of another Nation and People, heathen Pagans, such as were without the Covenant, without God, aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, dogs, such as were not worthie of the name of a reasonable creature; hence then the Conclusion is this.

That Gods effectual Calling of men out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace respects not mens persons, it respecteth not any station, [Doctrine.] con∣dition or qualification; the excellency of the Jew is no help, nor the basenes of the Gentiles, no hindrance to Gods effectual calling, the Lord calleth some high, some low, some rich, some poore, some masters, some servants: yea, it is worth our marking, that the Lord called some few among the Gentiles before Christs incarnation, as Jethro Moses his father in Law, Job, Ruth, and others, that might be named in 1 Cor. 7.21. Art thou called being a servant, thereby implying that the servants may be called aswell as care not for it, and in 1 Tim. 6.2. The Apostle speaketh of believing masters, so that some of all sorts and conditions are called, and the ground is this.

[Reason.] Because Gods grace is most free, effectual calling respecteth not the qua∣lification of men: for if it were tied to the qualification of men, then in all likelihood those persons should be called of God sooner then others who are of best disposition, of best wit and understanding, and best towardnesse, those that are most civil in their carriage, and most unblameable in their lives; but it is not so, for the Apostle saith the contrarie in 1 Cor. 1.26. God hath refused the rich and wise of the world, and revealed his secrets to babes, not to noble and great, and learned men; yea, we finde in the dayes of Christ, that Publicans and harlots were made to know the good things of God, when the Philosophers among the Gentiles, and the Scribes and Pharisees, and Doctors among the Jews were passed by, and passed over, so that God respecteth not persons, nor stations, nor qualificati∣ons.

[Ʋse 1] This being a truth, surely then that cannot be true which some do hold and affirm, that Gods grace, and the effectual calling of men, it is given unto men whom God seeth fit to receive it, and able to use it; If this were so then there should be a natural correspondencie in men answerable to the supernatural Will of God; then there should be a power in nature to use the grace of God, which indeed is an old rotten Pelagian heresie, long a∣gone rooted out of the Church of God.

[Ʋse 2] This may yield a ground of sweet and of excellent comfort to such per∣sons that are of poore and mean condition in the world, of mean gifts, of mean parts in respect of understanding, here is a matter of sweet comfort for them, for they are commonly despised of the men of the world that are of proud dispositions; and indeed such is the cursed corruption of our hearts, that men doe commonly exempt themselves from the hearing of the Word, because they are silly and simple poore people; alas say they, it is for learned men, for great men, for scholars to heare Sermons; we are poore unlettered men and women, and so hereby they wrong themselves; but marke what the Holy Ghost saith of Wisedome, in Proverbs 9.9, 10. VVho so is simple, let him come to me, and those that are destitute of wisedome and understanding, let him eate of my bread, and drinke of my wine. And the Lord Jesus rejoyced in his Spirit, when he considered that his Heavenly Father had hid (the things that concerned his Kingdome) from the wise and pru∣dent, and revealed them unto babes. So then for to conclude, art thou one that art a mean person, and of simple understanding, be not discoura∣ged, for Gods effectual calling is not revealed to rich and great men onely, but whosoever attendeth to the voyce and call of God, and to the Mi∣nisterie and preaching of his Word among the Gentiles; As Solomon speaketh, Proverbs 8.33. That doth beat the thresholds, and trample in Gods House, and be diligent, and frequent in hearing the will of God; assuredly shall in Gods due time be wrought upon and effectually called, and be made a Member of the mystical Body of Christ Jesus: Therefore doe not thou absent thy selfe from Gods Word, but come cheerfully to it, and hear upon all occasions.