glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Effectual Calling I was looking through my library to see if I had any more books on the doctrine of regeneration. I came across a book titled "A Treatise Of Effectual Calling and Election" by Christopher Love (1618-1651) that I thought I might quote from since it is such good gospel material--- Sermon 3 from "A Treatise of Effectual Calling" "2. If God has effectually called you, He will, by His Spirit, bring you out of a state of ignorance, of darkness, and give you some measure of knowledge, to be acquainted with both the mysteries of God and Christ and the sinfulness of yourselves more than you ever were before. This the Apostle Peter intimates in 1 Peter 2:9 "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, that you may shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out darkness into His marvelous light"; i.e., out of ignorance into a great measure of knowledge. And it is called a "marvelous light": 1.) Because it is marvelous if you compare that knowledge you shall have under the gospel with what men had under the law. 2.) It is marvelous because men are astonished that they should, after so long a night of ignorance, come to so great a measure of knowledge. 3.) It is called marvelous because it is so contrary to that condition they were formerly in. If a man who has lain long in a dark dungeon should be suddenly called into a glorious palace, the palace would seem more glorious because it is so contrary to the dark prison. So this work of God, when He calls you, is called "marvelous light" because it is so contrary to the condition you were in before your calling, Isaiah 30:36. Acts 26:18: "He hath sent His Word to call you from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God." 4.) It is a "marvelous light" because such as none but the Mediator could procure it. Isaiah 42:6-7: "I will give Thee for a light to the Gentiles." 5.) It is a "marvelous light" because it is a light that shines out of darkness. 2 Corinthians 4:6: "God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness." 6.) It is "marvelous light" because it has more force than any other light. It is called "the light of life," John 8:12. Now this call from darkness to light has two branches. First, a man shall have more light to have more acquaintance with, and more clearness in, the mysteries of Jesus Christ. Second, he shall have more light to know the sinfulness of himself. First, he shall have more light to know the mysteries of Jesus Christ. And hence it is that Paul tells us, Galatians 1:15-16, "It pleased God to call me by His grace and to reveal His Son in me"; implying that where God, by His grace, calls a sinner, He reveals His Son unto him. Wherefore, beloved, if Jesus Christ is not made known to your souls, if you have no competent measure of the knowledge of Christ, you may be under this conviction: you are not called by Jesus Christ. Nay further, He not only calls you unto this light to manifest Jesus Christ to you in some dim way, but you shall have a clear light. 2 Corinthians 4:6: "For God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts (not in a dim, but shining light) to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." That is, you have a clear light to know God in the face of Christ. You cannot know God in Himself, but in the person of Christ you shall have a light to know Him. This, therefore, is the first branch, that God will put a light into your soul whereby you shall have a clear knowledge of the things pertaining to Jesus Christ. Second, this light shall not only reveal Christ to you, but this light shall also reveal yourself to you, the sinfulness of yourself. It is observable of Paul that, before his calling, he was, according to the law, "blameless." He thought himself to be a faultless man. But when the Word called him, then he cried out, "I see sin to be exceedingly sinful." Then he saw sin to be sin, and himself to be a vile and wretched man. And, therefore, beloved, any of you who do not have this marvelous light in your souls, neither to know God nor to know the sinfulness of your own hearts, take it from God, you are not effectually called. . ." pg.44-47 Christopher Love music: Tim Hecker "An Imaginary Country" 1:20 p.m. - 2009-12-21 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
||||||
|
||||||