2. The internal call is merely of Grace. The Spirit breathes where it lists. God calls as he pleases: some are called according to purpose; all are not so. Every heart under the Evangelical means, is not opened as Lydia's was. God works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. If God be God, an infinite Mind, he must needs be free; if free in any thing, he must be so in acts of Grace, in his calling men home unto himself. It is true, that according to some, the Spirit is annexed to the Gospel, and works equally on all the Auditors. But this opinion labours under prodigious consequences; I mean, some such as these following are. The Holy Spirit, whose prerogative it is to breathe where he list, and divide to every one as he will, is here affixed to his own organ the Gospel, and must part out his Grace equally to all: The Ordinance of Preaching, as if it were no longer a mere Ordinance, or pendant on the Spirit, must confer Grace, if not ex opere operato, yet in a certain promiscuous way to all. The Minister, who uses to look up for the spirit and excellency of power to succeed his labours, may rest secure, all is ready and at hand. The peoples eyes, which ought to wait on the Lord, if peradventure he will give faith and repentance to them, will soon fall down and centre on the Ordinance, where they are sure without a peradventure to have their share of Grace. Those emphatical Scriptures, which speak of singular Grace to some, must now run in a much lower strain. The opening of Lydia's heart, how remarkable soever, must be no singular ⟨p. 269⟩Grace, but common to the rest. The tractions and inward teachings of the Father, which make some to come to Christ, must be general favours, and extendible to those who come not to him. When the Apostle saith, That Christ is to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but to them that are called, the power and wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 1. 23, 24, How signal soever the difference in the Text be, the internal call must be all one; in those to whom Christ was a stumbling-block and foolishness, as in those to whom he was the power and wisdom of God. The called according to purpose, are called but as other men: Gods purpose is to call all a-like, mans only makes the difference. These are the consequences of that opinion, and too heavy, I confess, for me to stand under.
2. The internal call is meerly of Grace. The Spirit breathes where it lists. God calls as he pleases: some are called according to purpose; all are not so. Every heart under the Evangelical means, is not opened as Lydia's was. God works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. If God be God, an infinite Mind, he must needs be free; if free in any thing, he must be so in acts of Grace, in his calling men home unto himself. It is true, that according to some, the Spirit is annexed to the Gospel, and works equally on all the Auditors. But this opinion labours under prodigious consequences; I mean, some such as these following are. The Holy Spirit, whose prerogative it is to breathe where he list, and divide to every one as he will, is here affixed to his own organ the Gospel, and must part out his Grace equally to all: The Ordinance of Preaching, as if it were no longer a meer Ordinance, or pendant on the Spirit, must confer Grace, if not ex opere operato, yet in a certain promiscuous way to all. The Minister, who uses to look up for the spirit and excellency of power to succeed his labours, may rest secure, all is ready and at hand. The peoples eyes, which ought to wait on the Lord, if peradventure he will give faith and repentance to them, will soon fall down and center on the Ordinance, where they are sure without a peradventure to have their share of Grace. Those emphatical Scriptures, which speak of singular Grace to some, must now run in a much lower strain. The opening of Lydia's heart, how remarkable soever, must be no singular ⟨p. 269⟩Grace, but common to the rest. The tractions and inward teachings of the Father, which make some to come to Christ, must be general favours, and extendible to those who come not to him. When the Apostle saith, That Christ is to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but to them that are called, the power and wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 1. 23, 24, How signal soever the difference in the Text be, the internal call must be all one; in those to whom Christ was a stumbling-block and foolishness, as in those to whom he was the power and wisdom of God. The called according to purpose, are called but as other men: Gods purpose is to call all a-like, mans only makes the difference. These are the consequences of that opinion, and too heavy, I confess, for me to stand under.
