Chapter X. Of Effectual Calling.

CHAP. X.

Of Effectual Calling.

1. Those whom God hath predestinated unto Life, he is pleased in his appointed, and accepted time, ¹⁷⁹effectually to call by his word, and Spirit, out of that state of sin, and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and Salvation ¹⁸⁰by Jesus Christ; inlightning their minds, spiritually, and savingly to ¹⁸¹understand the things of God; taking away their ¹⁸²heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his Almighty power determining them ¹⁸³to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come ¹⁸⁴most freely, being made willing by his Grace.

2. This Effectual Call is of God’s free, and special grace alone, ¹⁸⁵not from any thing at all foreseen in man, nor from any power, or agency in the Creature, coworking with his special Grace, ¹⁸⁶the Creature being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickned & renewed by the holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the Grace offered and conveyed in it; and that by no less ¹⁸⁷power, then that which raised up Christ from the dead.

3. Elect Infants dying in infancy, are ¹⁸⁸regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and ¹⁸⁹how he pleaseth: so also are all other elect persons, who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the Ministry of the Word.

4. Others not elected, although they may be called by the Ministry of the word, ¹⁹⁰and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will, nor can truly ¹⁹¹come to Christ; and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men that receive not the Christian Religion ¹⁹²be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the Law of that Religion they do profess.