Chap. XVIII. — Of our Vocation, or God’s Calling us.

Q. 1. How come we to have this saving faith?

A. It is freely bestowed upon us and wrought in us by the Spirit of God, in our vocation or calling.
John vi. 29, 44; Eph. ii. 8, 9; Phil. i. 29; 2 Thess. i. 11.

Q. 2. What is our vocation, or this calling of God?

A. The free, gracious⁷⁶⁷⁶   Our effectual calling is the first effect of our everlasting election. ⁷⁷⁷⁷   We have no actual interest in nor right unto Christ, until we are thus called. act of Almighty God, whereby in Jesus Christ he calleth and translateth us from the state of nature, sin, wrath, and corruption, into the state of grace and union with Christ, by the mighty, effectual working of his Spirit in the preaching of the Word.
Col. i. 12, 13; 2 Tim. i. 9; Deut. xxx. 6; Ezek. xxxvi. 26; Matt. xi. 25, 26; John i. 13, iii. 3, 8; Eph. i. 19; Col. ii. 12; 1 Cor. iv. 7; James i. 18; 2 Pet. ii. 20; Acts xvi. 14.

Q. 3. What do we ourselves perform in this change, or work of our conversion?

A. Nothing at all, being merely⁷⁸⁷⁸   They who so boast of the strength of free-will in the work of our conversion are themselves an example what it is being given up to so vile an error, — destitute of the grace of God. wrought upon by the free grace and Spirit of God, when in ourselves we have no ability to any thing that is spiritually good.
Matt. vii. 18, x. 20; John i. 13, xv. 5; 4871 Cor. xii. 3, ii. 5; 2 Cor. iii. 5; Eph ii. 1, 8; Rom. viii. 26; Phil. i. 6.

Q. 4. Doth God thus call all and every one?

A. All within the pale of the church are outwardly called by the Word, none effectually but the elect.
Matt. xxii. 14; Rom. viii. 30.