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.

VERSE 24.

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

OUr Apostle in this Verse entreth upon the third and last part of this Chapter; and the sum and substance of this part is a declaration of that great work of calling the Gentiles, and refusing and rejecting the Jewes, which was foretold by the Prophets; and this from the 24 verse, to the end of the Chapter: and the Apo∣stle falleth upon this matter, upon occasion of that which he put down in the Verse foregoing, that the vessels of mercy are prepared of God unto glory; now he descendeth from the general, to the particular; and that which he had before spoken in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the general, he applyeth in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the particular; and he shew∣eth who they are, that he had ordained to mercy, and they are the called of God, the elect of God, calling being an effect of Gods predestination, and a fruit and effect of Gods eternal election: and the Apostle doth appro∣priate this to the particulars, Even us whom he hath called; and he reduceth it to the subjects of it, Jewes and Gentiles, and he putteth down that distri∣bution touching the subjects of Gods calling, not barely, but (if you mark it) very cautelously, and very warily, that his distribution might be free from all manner of exception, for he saith, not us whom he hath called, Jewes, and Gentiles, but even us whom he hath called, not of the Jewes onely, but also of the Gentiles: and now because Gods calling of the Gentiles, it was a thing odious and hateful to the Jewes, a thing seeming very absurd and incredible; the calling of such as were dogs, and without, therefore the Apostle dwelleth upon this point, and confirmeth it by a dou∣ble testimony out of the Prophet Hosea, in the 25. and 26. verses; and then after this the Apostle doth further amplifie the calling of the Gen∣tiles, by an Antithesis, by the rejection of the Jewes, and that not of the body of the Jewes, but a remnant of the Jewes onely; and this our Apo∣stle also confirmeth by a double Testimony out of the Prophet Isaiah, in the 27, 28, and 29. verses. And last of all, the Apostle maketh a Collection, and he putteth it down by way of Answer to an Objection that might be made touching the calling of the Gentiles, and rejection of the Jewes, from the 30. verse, to the end of the Chapter.

Now then to come to the particular handling of the 24. verse. In this verse for the general matter contained in it, we may observe two things:

First, an instance given by the Apostle, touching the persons that are vessels of mercy prepared of God unto glory, he instanceth in himself, and others, who are called, even us.

And secondly, a distribution of the subjects of this calling, Jewes and Gentiles, the Apostle ranging the subjects of Gods calling into these two sorts, Jewes, and Gentiles, and he putteth it down so warily, and so cau∣telously, that no Objection might be made against it, not of the Jewes onely, but also of the Gentiles.

There is no great difficulty in the words, Even us whom he hath called] Or, according to the text Original, those whom he hath called, namely us, whom he hath called, that is, whom God hath called; now Gods calling it is an act of his eternal love, whereby he doth please to call and invite men to salvation, this is the definition of Gods calling in the notion and genera∣lity: For when men are called by the preaching of the Word, and the Ministry thereof, and they hear it onely with the ears of their body, that is, the external and outward calling, they are called to come to hear and

obey, and they hear it, and answer not as Christ speaketh, Matth. 16.20. many are called, but few are chosen; or else Gods calling is inward, and effe∣ctual, namely this, when men are called by the voyce of God, and the prea∣ching of it, and they answer to it, their hearts answer, they are called effe∣ctually by the working of the holy Spirit, which bringeth them from Ig∣norance and unbelief to true knowledge and faith in Christ, and they are called out of darknesse into a marvellous light, 1 Pet. 2.9. the holy Spirit of God doth bend their hearts to yeeld to the call of the Lord, to receive the promise of mercy offered unto them, and he doth cause them to yeeld to the will of God revealed in their hearts and lives; this is Gods effectual calling, and this is the calling here meant.

not of the Jewes onely,] That is, not those onely who are descended of the line of Abraham, of Jacob, and of Israel.

but of the Gentiles also.] Which was indeed a hard thing for the Jewes to believe, that is, even us, who are descended of another line, and come of another nation of the world, and are termed Gentiles, and are aliens from the Common wealth of Israel, even us who are strangers from God, Ephes. 1.12. so that we may easily conceive the purpose of the Apostle here to be this, viz.

Even us whom God hath called effectually, and by the work of his Spirit brought from ignorance and unbelief, even us whom he hath wrought up∣on by the preaching of his Word, and made it effectual for our calling to believe in him, even us, not onely us who have descended according to the line, and from the loynes of Abraham, and of Jacob, but us whosoever we be that have come of other Nations and People of the World, and are called Gentiles, and aliens, and strangers, even us hath he called.

Now then come we to such things as hence are offered unto us for our Instruction: And beloved, it is worth our marking (in the first place) that the Apostle putteth himself in the number of those that are called of God, and doth aver himself to be a vessel of mercie whom God hath called, even us; you, and I, We that are effectually called, are the vessels of mercie. I as well as you, and you as well as I are in that number; Now then from hence it followeth directly.

That the Apostle Paul was assured of his own salvation, [Doctrine.] and he knew it that he in particular was one of Gods chosen, and that God had appointed him to life and glorie in Heaven, and that he should come to be partaker of it; how? By his true, inward and effectual calling he knew it, and was assured of it that he was a vessel of mercie, and that he was in the number of Gods Chosen, and should one day come to eternal salvation in Hea∣ven.

Admit this and grant it to be true, which the enemies of Gods Truth do contend about, that he had a special and Divine Revelation from Heaven, which declared to him that he was a chosen vessel, yet he knew it not by special Revelation onely but also by his effectual calling here affirmed: This Text is clear; but he knew it also by his effectual calling, and his effe∣ctual calling was an evidence that Heaven was prepared for him, and he prepared for Heaven; so that this is clear vnless they wil denie the evidence of the text.

And as this blessed Apostle was assured of his own salvation by his effe∣ctual calling, so doubtless they that are true Christians, that are effectual∣ly called, they come to have a particular assurance of their own salvation that they are in the number of Gods Chosen; for the Apostle (if you mark it) doth joyn others with himself; he doth not only say, I, but you also, speaking in the judgement of Charitie; therefore we are to abhor and de∣test that same damnable Doctrine of the Church of Rome. who teach, that a particular perswasion of a mans own salvation is presumption, it is an illusion and deceit of the devil, and (say they) you mock the people, and

are blind leaders; but this is a damnable doctrine of theirs: for beloved, take away all assurance of a mans salvation, and you leave a Christian in a miserable case, we strip him of all ground of joy, and true comfort and rejoycing, yea we take from him all ground of hearty thankfulnesse, and encouragements of going on in a good course of life; for how can a man truly and soundly rejoyce in the apprehension of the joyes of heaven, when he is uncertain altogether whether he shall enjoy them yea or no; how can a man be thankful for that thing that he is altogether uncertain whe∣ther he shall enjoy it, yea or no? And how can a man go on constantly in a holy and good course of life, when he cannot tell whether it will bring him to heaven, or to hell, yea, or no? as the Papists Doctrine doth say, Oh it is a most uncomfortable position, a position of Desperation that those enemies of Gods grace do hold and teach, that a special perswasion of Gods mercy, and of a mans salvation, it is presumption, and a false illu∣sion of the devil; for this is a Position directly contrary to the evidence of this Text.

Again, we see that the Apostle having spoken of Gods vessels of mer∣cy, that they are such as are prepared unto glory, he doth adjoyn a parti∣cular instance, who they are that are prepared unto glory, even such as are called of God, I, and you, that are effectually called: hence ariseth this Conclusion, viz.

[Doctrine.] That Gods effectual calling is unto men, a sure and certaine evidence of their election, such as are effectually called amongst men, and powerfully wrought upon by the preaching of the Word, and brought from their ig∣norance and unbelief and set out of the estate of Nature into the state of grace, they have hereby an infallible evidence that they are such as shall be saved eternally; and this truth we finde made good unto us in many places of Scripture, in Romans 8.30. VVhom he Predestinated, them also he called; where we see Gods effectual calling it is a fruit following necessarily upon Gods Predestination as the effect the cause, in Acts 13.48. As many as were ordained to eternal Life believed; they that belonged to Election, they were wrought upon effectually to believe in Christ and the Gospel, and through their Faith and effectual Calling, they were made known to be such as were appointed to life and glorie in Heaven, in John 10.16. saith Christ, Other sheep I have that are not of this fold; they also must be called, and they shall answer my calling and voice, and be effectually to their Calling, and shall know of what fold they are of, they shall re∣ceive my mark, and know my voice, and answer my call in 2 Thess. 2.13. The Apostle having said, That the believing Thessalonians were from the be∣ginning chosen to salvation, he presently subjoyneth in the 14. verse. where∣unto he hath called you by the preaching of his Gospel, that you might obtain salvation, thereby signifying that their effectual calling was an evi∣dence of their election, and to these many more might be added, all proving that effectual Calling is a certain evidence of Election, and it must needs be so for this Reason.

Because God in time doth call all those whom he hath before all time from everlasting, fore-ordained, and set apart to life and glory in Hea∣ven; and therefore effectual calling it is proper and peculiar onely unto Gods Elect, others are called outwardly, but Gods effectual calling is proper and peculiar to Gods Childeren, and all those shall in Gods due time be effectually called that are appointed to salvation in Heaven; so that it followeth necessarily, that Gods effectual Cal∣ling is unto men a sure evidence of Gods Election of them unto salva∣tion.

Now this point is of excellent use, [Ʋse:] in the first place it maketh known un∣to us how we may come to be assured of our own salvation, and that, that we in particular are in the number of Gods Chosen and such as shal be

saved, a matter of great weight, and a thing indeed wherein many do erre and goe astray in this one point: as those are strongly deluded by the De∣vil, who thinke, (as many doe) that if men doe live a civil and orderly life, (whatsover they be, though they be Papists, Familists, Anabap∣tists, or whatsoever) yet if they leade a Civil and orderly life and carri∣age in the World, they shall certainly be saved; but these are deceived; for it is not a Civil and orderly living in the World, (as Conscience doth enlighten them) that will bring to Life and Salvation; no Fami∣list, or Anabaptist, can have any assurance that they shall have Salva∣tion.

But if we would have assured Evidence, (that cannot deceive us) we must seek for the proofe of it in our hearts and soules, in our effectual Calling, see here what evidence of grace we have, then we need not in this case to climbe up unto Heaven, to search the Court-Rols of Heaven; but we may take a shorter cut, looke into thy owne Charter drawne out with the bloud of Christ in thy heart, and therein looke to Gods effe∣ctual Calling; to the Evidence of grace in thine own soul, and that wil Evi∣dence thee of thy Election, and that thou art in the number of those that are Gods Chosen and herein I desire that everie one wil deale truely with his owne heart and soul.

Haste thou answered the voyce of God? God calleth upon thee in his Word, to come out of thy Ignorance and thy unbeliefe, and other known sinnes, tel me, and deale faithfully, Art thou wrought upon by the Word of God? Doest thou come out of thy ignorance, and thy blindenesse of minde? by a through change from evil to good, is the course of thy sinnes broken off? thy pride, thy drunkennesse, thy usurie. Hast thou thus answered the Call of God, and hath the Word had a kindely worke∣ing upon thy soule, Romans 6.17. Doest thou finde sweetnesse in the Consolations of the Word of God, and doest thou yield obedience to it in all things; in one thing, as well as in another? Not onely in some things, but in all things that God requireth? yea, in those things that doe most of all crosse thy owne humour? Doest thou finde that the lusts of thy owne heart are curbed and ordered, and doest thot finde that thou art now brought to love God, to love his Children, to love his Messengers, to love the instrument of thy Calling? If thou hast these things in thee, thou art effectually called; and being effectually called, thou art a man or a woman, that shall certainly be saved; my soule for thine, thou shalt come to Heaven, all the Devils in Hell cannot deprive thee of it. Oh then let every one trie above all things their effectual Calling which will assure them of salvation; and be an infallible Evidence for their Election.

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.