made unto them both righteousness and sanctification. The sprinkling of his blood purifies them from guiltiness, and quickens them to obedience. The appropriating or applying cause comes next under consideration, which is the Holy and holy-making or sanctifying Spirit, the author of their selection from the world and effectual calling unto grace. The source of all, the appointing cause, is God the Father; for though they all work equally in all, yet, in order of working, we are taught thus to distinguish, and particularly to ascribe the first work of eternal election to the first person of the blessed Trinity.

Through sanctification. So then I conceive this election is their effectual calling, which is by the working of the Holy Spirit. See 1 Cor. i, 26, 28, where vocation and election are used in the same sense. It is the first act of the decree of election, the beginning of its perforinance in those that are elected; and it is in itself a real separating of men from the profane and miserable condition of the world, and au appropriating and consecrating of a man unto God; and therefore, both in regard of its relation to election and in regard of its own nature, it well bears that name. See Rom. viii, 28, 30; Acts ii, 47, and xiii, 48; John xv, 19.

Sanctification in a narrower sense, as distinguished from justification, signifies the inherent holiness of a Christian, or his being inclined and enabled to perform the obedience mentioned in this verse: but it has here a sense more large, and is co-extensive with the whole work of renovation. It is the severing and separating of men to God by his Holy Spirit, drawing them unto him; and so it comprehends justification, as here, and the first working of faith, by which the soul is justified, through its apprehending and applying the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Of the Spirit. The word calls men externally, and by that external calling prevails with many to an external receiving and professing of religion; but if it be left alone, it goes no further. It is indeed the means of sanctification as John xvii, 17, Sanctify them through thy truth ; but this it doth when the Spirit, which speaks in the word, works in the heart, and causes it to hear and obey. It is a fit means in itself, but it is a prevailing means,

only when the Spirit of God brings it into the heart. It is a sword, and sharper than a two-edged sword, fit to divide, yea, even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, but this it doth not, unless it be in the Spirit's hand, and he apply it to this cutting and dividing. The word calls, but the Spirit draws, not severed from that word, but working in it and by it.

It is a very difficult work to draw a soul out of the hands and strong chains of Satan, and out of the pleasing entanglements of the world, and out of its own natural perverseness, to yield up itself unto God, to deny itself, and live to him, and in so doing, to run against the main stream and the current of the ungodly world without and corruption within. The strongest rhetoric, the most moving and persuasive way of discourse, is all too weak. The tongue of men or angels cannot prevail with the soul to free itself, and shake off all that detains it. Although it be convinced of the truth of those things that are represented to it, yet still it can and will hold out against it.

The hand of man is too weak to pluck any soul out of the crowd of the world, and to set it in amongst the select number of believers. Only the Father of Spirits hath absolute command of spirits, the souls of men, to work on them as he pleaseth, and where he will. This powerful, this sanctifying Spirit works sweetly, and yet strongly. It can come into the heart, whereas all other speakers are forced to stand without. That still small voice within persuades more than all the loud crying without; as he that is within the house, though he speak low, is better heard and understood, than he that shouts without doors.

When the Lord himself speaks by this his Spirit to a man, selecting and calling him out of the lost world, he will no more disobey than Abraham did, when the Lord spoke to him after an extraordinary manner, to depart from his own country and kindred. How easily did the disciples forsake their callings and their dwellings to follow Christ!

The Spirit of God draws a man out of the world by a sanctified light sent into his mind-discovering to him how base and false the sweetness of sin is, which with

holds men and amuses them that they return not, and how true and sad the bitterness is that will follow upon it-setting before his eyes the free and happy condition, the glorious liberty of the sons of God, the riches of their present enjoyment, and their far larger and assured hopes for hereafter-making the beauty of Jesus Christ visible to the soul, which straightway takes it so, that it cannot be stayed from coming to him, though its most beloved friends, most beloved sins, lie in the way, and hang about it, and cry, Will you leave us so? It will tread upon all to come within the embraces of Jesus Christ, and say with St. Paul, I was not disobedient to, or unpersuaded by, the heavenly vision.

It is no wonder that the godly are by some called singular and precise-they are; so singular, a few selected ones, picked out by God's own hand for himself: Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself, Psalm iv, 3. Therefore, saith our Saviour, the world hateth you, because I have chosen you out of the world; for the world lies in unholiness and wickedness, is buried in it; and as living men can have no pleasure among the dead, neither can these elected ones amongst the ungodly. They walk in the world as warily as a man or woman neatly apparelled would do, amongst a multitude that are all sullied and bemired.

Endeavour to have this sanctifying Spirit in yourselves. Pray much for it; for his promise is passed to us, that he will give this holy Spirit to them that ask it. And shall we be such fools as to want it, for want of asking? When we find heavy fetters on our souls, and much weakness, yea, averseness to follow the voice of God calling us to his obedience, then let us pray with the spouse, Draw me. She cannot go nor stir without that drawing; and yet with it, she not only goes, but runs; We will run after thee.

Think it not enough that you hear the word, and use the outward ordinances of God, and profess his name; for many are thus called, and yet but a few of them are chosen. There is but a small part of the world outwardly called in comparison of the rest that is not so, and yet the number of the true elect is so small, that it Div. No. V.

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gains the number of those that are called, the name of many. They who are in the visible church and partake of external vocation, are but like a large list of names, as in civil elections is usual, out of which a small number are chosen to the dignity of true Christians, and invested into their privilege. Some men in nomination to offices or employments, think it a worse disappointment and disgrace to have been in the list and yet not chosen, than if their names had not been mentioned at all. Certainly it is a greater unhappiness to have been not far from the kingdom of God and miss of it, than still to have remained in the farthest distance; to have been at the mouth of the haven, and yet driven back and shipwreckéd. Your labor is most preposterous; you seek to ascertain and make sure things that cannot be made sure, and that which is both more worth and may be made surer than them all, you will not endeavour to make sure. Hearken to the apostle's advice, and at length set about this in earnest, to make your calling and election sure. Make sure this election, as it is here, your effec tual calling sure, and that will bring with it assurance of the other, the eternal election and love of God towards you, which follows to be considered.

According to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning. He sees all things from the beginning of time to the end of it, and beyond to all eternity, and from all eternity he did foresee them. But this foreknowledge here, relates peculiarly to the elect. It signifies, as it does in many other passages of the scripture, approbation, delight, love. It is no other than that eternal love of God, by which some are appointed unto life; his eternal and unchangeable love. And that thus he chooseth some and réjecteth others, is for this great end, to manifest and magnify his mercy and justice: but why he appointed this man for the one and that man for the other, made Péter a vessel of this mercy and Judas of wrath, this is even so because it seemed good to him. This, if it be harsh, is yet apostolic doctrine. Hath not the potter, saith St. Paul, power over the same lump, to make one tessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? This

deep we must admire, and always, in considering it, close with this; O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

III. The Connexion of these, we are now for our profit to take notice of; that effectual calling is inseparably tied to this eternal foreknowledge or election on the one side, and to salvation on the other. These two links of the chain are up in heaven in God's own hand; but this middle one is let down to earth into the hearts of his children, and they laying hold on it, have sure hold on the other two, for no power can sever them. If therefore they can read the characters of God's image in their own souls, those are the counter-part of the golden characters of his love, in which their names are written in the book of life. Their believing writes their names under the promises of the revealed book of life, the scriptures, and so ascertains them, that the same names are in the seeret book of life which God hath by himself from eternity. So that finding the stream of grace in their hearts, though they see not the fountain whence it flows nor the ocean into which it returns, yet they know that it hath its source, and shall return to that ocean which ariseth from their eternal election, and shall empty itself into that eternity of happiness and salvation. Hence much joy ariseth to the believer. This tie is indissoluble, as the agents are, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit: so are these indissoluble, election, and vocation, and sanctification, and justification, and glory. Therefore in all conditions believers may, from a sense of the working of the Spirit in them, look back to that election and forward to that salvation: but they that remain unholy and disobedient, have as yet no evidence of this love, and therefore cannot, without vain presumption and self-delusion, judge thus of themselves, that they are within the peculiar love of God. But in this, let the righteous be glad, and let them shout for joy, all that are upright in

heart.

If election, effectual calling, and salvation, be inseparably linked together, then by any one of them a man may lay hold upon all the rest, and may know that his hold is sure; and this is the way wherein we may attain and