he might give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." By his obedience many were to be made righteous. As the Captain of their Salvation, he was to bring many sons unto glory. To him many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. "The gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many." And as he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one, he is not ashamed to call them brethren. But as in all things he must have the pre-eminence, so this limitation is introduced, that among them all he must be the "first-born;" that is to say, the first, the principal, the most excellent; the governor, the Lord.

Under the law the first-born had authority over their brethren, and to them belonged a double portion, as well as the honour of acting as priests; the first-born in Israel being holy; that is to say, consecrated to the Lord. Reuben forfeiting his right of primogeniture by his sin, its privileges were divided, so that the dominion belonging to it was transferred to Judah; and the double portion to Joseph, who had two tribes, and two portions in Canaan by Ephraim and Manasseh; while the priesthood and right of sacrifice was transferred to Levi. The word first-born also signifies what surpasses any thing else of the same kind, as "the first-born of the poor," Isaiah, xiv. 30; that is to say, the most miserable of all; and the first-born of death, Job, xviii. 13-signifying a very terrible death, surpassing in grief and violence. The term first-born is also applied to those who were most beloved, as Ephraim is called the first-born of the Lord, Jer. xxxi. 9—that is, his" dear son." In all these respects, the appellation

VOL. II.

X

of first-born belongs to Jesus Christ, both as to the superiority of his nature, of his office, and of his glory.

Regarding his nature, he was as to his Divinity, truly the first-born, since he alone is the only begotten-the eternal Son of the Father. In this respect he is the ' Son of God by nature, while his brethren are sons of God by grace. In his humanity he was conceived without sin, beloved of God; instead of which they are conceived in sin, and are by nature children of wrath. In that nature he possessed the Spirit without measure; while they receive out of his fulness according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Regarding his office, he is their King, their Head, their Lord, their Priest, their Prophet, their Surety, their Advocate with the Father; in one word, their Saviour. It is he who of God is made unto them wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. They are all his subjects, whom he leads and governs by his Spirit, for whose sins he has made atonement by his sufferings. They are his disciples, whom he has called from darkness into his marvellous light. Concerning his glory, " God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth." "He is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." He is the first-born from the dead, as being raised the first, and being made the first fruits of them that slept, and by his power they shall be raised to a life glorious and eternal.

V. 30.-Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. Here the Apostle connects our calling which is known, with God's decree which is concealed, to teach us that we may judge of our election by our calling, 2 Pet. i. 10. For Paul says, they whom God hath predestinated he hath also called and justified, so we may say those whom he hath called and justified, he hath elected and predestinated. If God hath called us, then he hath elected us. Paul had spoken of God's predestinating his people to be conformed to the image of his Son, he now shows us how this is effected. They are to be moulded into this likeness to their elder brother by being called both by the word and Spirit of God. God calls them by his grace, Gal. i. 15; that is, without regard to any thing in themselves. Effectual calling is the first internal operation of grace on those who are elected. They are not merely called externally, as many who are not elected. The Scriptures speak of the universal call of the gospel addressed to all men ; but this is not inseparably connected with salvation, for, in this sense, the Lord has said, that "many are called but few are chosen." At three periods all mankind were called. They were called through Adam, they were called by Noah, and finally by the Apostles, Col. i. 23. Yet how soon in each period was the external call forgotten by the great body of the human race. They did not like to retain God

in their knowledge."

In the passage before us, and in various other places, as in verse 28, it is effectual calling that is spoken oï.

This calling, then, signifies more than the external calling of the word. It is accompanied with more than the partial and temporary effects which the word produces on some, and is always ascribed to the operation of God by the influence of the Holy Spirit. Even when the external means are employed to most advantage, it is God only who gives the increase, 1 Cor.iii. 6. It is he who opens the heart to receive the word, Acts, xvi. 14-who gives a new heart, Ezek. xxxvi. 26-who writes his law in it, and who saves his people, not by works of righteousness which they have done, but by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. iii. 5.

That which is meant, then, by the word called in this passage, and in many others, is the outward calling by the word, accompanied with the operation of God by his Spirit in the regeneration and conversion of sinners. When Jesus Christ thus calls, men instantly believe; Matt. iv. 19. Grace the operation of the favour of God in the heart-is communicated, and the sinner becomes a new creature. Regeneration is not a work which is accomplished gradually; it is effected instantaneously. At first, indeed, faith is often weak; but as the new-born infant is as much in possession of life as the full grown man, so the spiritual life is possessed as completely in the moment of regeneration as ever it is afterwards, and previous to that moment it had no existence. There is no medium between life and death; a man is either dead in sin, or quickened by receiving the Holy Spirit. He is either in Christ or out of Christ. God has either begun a good work in him, or he is in a state of spiritual death and corruption. By means of the word, accompanied by his Spirit, God enlightens the understanding with a heavenly light, moves the

66

will and the affections to receive and embrace Christ, and forms in the heart his image and the new man, of which the Apostle says, that it is created in righteousness and true holiness. God says, Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." He prophesies upon the dry bones, and the Spirit enters into them. Thus the same grace that

operates in the election of the saints, is exercised in their calling and regeneration, without which they would remain dead in trespasses and sins. "No man," says

Jesus,

can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him."

All who are elected are in due time effectually called, and all who are effectually called have been from all eternity elected and ordained to eternal salvation. Effectual calling, then, is the proper and necessary consequence and effect of election, and the means to glorification. As those whom God hath predestinated he hath called, so he hath effectually called none besides. These words before us, therefore, are to be taken, not only as emphatical, but as exclusive. Consistently with this we read of the faith of God's elect, Tit. i. 1, as that which is peculiar to them. With this calling sanctification is inseparably connected. It is denominated a holy calling; "Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling," 2 Tim. i. 9. The author of it is holy, and it is a call to holiness. "As he which hath called

you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation," 1 Pet. i. 15. "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light," I Pet. ii. 9. It is a calling into the grace of Christ, Gal. i. 6.