love Paul because Paul was the Minister that did convert him therefore he calls him 1 Tim. 1.2 Timothy his beloved son in the faith And hence it is that when the Apostle would draw love from the Corinthians to himself and the Ministers of Christ that were the means of their calling hee urgeth it upon this ground that they were the means that did beget them to Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 4. ver 1. compared with ver 15 16. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and as Stewards of the mysteries of God Why should men so account of them For ver 15. though you have ten thousand Instructors yet have you not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Hereby he would draw out their love to him because he was the instrument that did first convert them Now then put these two together A man that is effectually called he doth both love the Word of Christ that was an instrument of his calling and the Minister that preach'd that word which was the means by which he was called and try your selves by these Many of you haply have some good wrought as you think upon you and some change in you but truly let me tell you this if you are persons that are out of love with the Word if you are out of love with those Ministers God made instrumental to convert you you have just cause to suspect your calling for you see thorowout the whole course of Scripture their hearts did cleave with love to them that called them And therefore they that can slight and contemn those Ministers by whose ministry they were brought home to Jesus Christ they have just cause of jealousie to suspect their Call Again 2. If God hath effectually called you he will by his Spirit bring you out of a state of ignorance and darknesse and give you some measure of knowledg to be acquainted both with the mysteries of God and Christ and the sinfulnesse of your selves more then ever you were before This the Apostle Peter intimates 1 Pet. 2. ver 9. You are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a peculiar people that you may shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light i. e. out of ignorance into a great measure of knowledg And it is called a marvellous light 1. Because it is marvellous if you compare that knowledg you shall have under the Gospel with what men had under the Law 2. It is marvellous because men are astonish'd that they should after so long a night of ignorance come to so great a measure of knowledg 3. It is called marvell us because it is so contrary to that condition they were formerly in As if a man that hath 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 it is called marvellous light because it is so contrary to the condition you were in before your calling Isa 30.26 Acts 26.18 He hath sent his word to call you from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan to God 4. It is a marvellous light because such as none but the Mediator could procure it Isa 42.6 7. I will give thee for a light to the gentiles 5. It is a marvellous light because a light that shines out of darknesse 2 Cor. 4.6 God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse 6. It is a marvellous light because it hath more force then any other light 't is called the light of life Joh. 8.12 Now this call from darknesse to light hath two Branches 1. A man shall have more light to have more acquaintance with and more clearnesse in the mysteries of Jesus Christ And 2. more light to know the sinfulnesse of himself First He shall have more light to know the mysteries of Jesus Christ And hence it is that Paul tels us Gal. 1.16 It pleased God to call me by his grace and to reveal his Son in me implying that where God by his grace doth call a sinner he doth reveal his Son unto him Wherefore Beloved if Jesus Christ be not made known to your souls if you have no competent measure of the knowledg of Christ you may be under this conviction that you are not yet called by Jesus Christ Nay further he doth not onely call you unto this light to manifest Jesus Christ to you in some dim way but you shall have a clear light 2 Cor. 4.6 For God who commanded light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts not in a dim but shining light to give us the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ that is you have a cleer light to know God in the face of Christ you cannot know God in himself but in the person of Christ you shall have light to know him This therefore is the first Branch That God will put a light into thy soul whereby thou shalt have a clear knowledg of the things appertaining to Jesus Christ Again Secondly This light shall not onely reveal Christ to thee but this light shall also reveal thy Self to thee the sinfulnesse of thy self It is observable of Paul that before his calling he was after the law blamelesse he thought himself to be a faultlesse man but when the word called him then he cryes out I see sin to be exceeding sinfull then he saw sin to be sin and himself to be a vile and wretched man And therefore Beloved any of you that have not this marvellous light in your souls neither to know God nor know Jesus Christ nor the matters appertaining to him nor to know the sinfulnesse of your own hearts take it from God you are not effectually called either these passages in Scripture must be rased out or else your calling must not be sound and therefore take heed I would fain make my Ministrie searching that hypocrites may not lie lurking under it You would be better Christians if you were better acquainted with all that unsoundnesse and that wretchednesse of heart that is in you and therefore I intreat you look about you Though I would have no godly man discouraged by this that is spoken but that you that are not yet called might have your hearts a little staggered by what is and will be said 3. A man effectually called is cast out of himself and cleaves to and closeth with Jesus Christ with more complacencie and contentment then ever he could do in all his life before John 6.45 Hee that hath heard and learned of the father shall come unto me he doth not say all they that hear of the father many men do heare the word but never close in with Christ but all they that have heard and by hearing have learnt and are called come unto mee and close
the great props with which he bears up their hearts and comforts them by Then 3. he proceeds by way of Exhortation and Direction ver 5. and that is that they should give diligence to add grace to grace that they should make it their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or their main business for which they are sent into the world not only to get grace but to thrive in grace and begins with Faith because this is the foundation or mother grace And this he presseth by a double Argument First considering the benefit shall redound to them in case they perform this duty to labour to thrive in grace ver 8. If these things be in you and abound they shall make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of the Lord Jesus If you make it your work to grow in grace you shall never be a barren or unfruitful people but you shall be growing in grace and thriving in God still 2. From the inconvenience that would accrue in case they should neglect this work ver 9. He that lacks these things is blind and cannot see afar off that is he that lacks these graces if you do not grow in grace you will be so dim sighted you will so deaden your comforts and darken your evidences that you can have no assurance you shall be saved And then he comes in with a general Exhortation backing all this that seeing there is this good comes by adding grace to grace and seeing there wil be this evil if you do it not he brings all home by a practical inference in the words of my Text Wherefore Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure The words are not difficult though indeed they are mangled by the Papists who bring this Text to Martyrdome by their corrupt glosses I shall only give you a brief Paraphrastical Explication and so come to the Observations Wherefore That you may see the force of the connexion it is as much as if the Apostle should say thus Seeing there comes so great good by growing in grace and seeing the neglect of it doth so much hurt not only to deaden your hearts but darken your comforts that you can have no cleer and comfortable evidence for heaven Therefore give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Wherefore the rather brethren that is Brethren not in the flesh but in the faith of Christ imbracing the same faith keeping to the same head them the Apostle calls brethren Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word in the Greek is more emphatical and signifies to do a thing enough not agere but sat agere not in an overly and careless way but to do a thing with industry vigilancy and unweariedness of spirit it should not be matter of constraint but free and voluntary Give diligence And the diligence you should use is in matters of the soul Give diligence In what To make your Calling and Election sure First I must shew you what is meant by Calling then by Election and then shew you why Calling is set before Election when in order of time election is before calling 1. What is meant by Calling which that you may understand you must know there is a twofold Calling an external and an internal Calling The External Calling is that general invitation which by the preaching of the Gospel is made unto men to invite them to come in to Jesus Christ and most in the world are called by this call both good and bad 2. The Internal Calling when the Spirit of God accompanies the outward administration of the word to call a man from ignorance to knowledg and from a state of nature to a state of grace and of this Calling my Text means Make your Calling sure that is you that live under the preaching of the Gospel be sure you be called thereby Your calling and election Election is an act of God whereby from all eternity he doth purpose within himself of his own pleasure and will to bring a certain number of men unto salvation by Jesus Christ But now how can it be said We must make our calling and election sure Doth not the Foundation of God stand sure as the Apostle saith And are not the gifts and calling of God without repentance How then must we make our Election sure when all the Decrees of God stand sure Answ Beloved when it is said you must make these sure you must take it in this sense not to make them sure on Gods part for it cannot be made more sure there then it is already whom he hath elected shall be glorified But make it sure on your parts that is Labour to have a real bottom'd and grounded assurance that you are effectually called that you are elected by God in his eternal Decree to obtain life and glorie by Jesus Christ Divines therefore give this distinction Certitudo Objecti certitudo Subjecti That there is an assurance of the Object and that is sure enough for if God hath decreed you to glorie that will hold sure for ever But then there is a certitude of the Subject an assurance to the person that is elected and that is when by a reflex act of faith you have a grounded perswasion in your own brests that you are effectually called and eternally elected An assurance in your own apprehension and knowledg Lastly Why is Calling here set before Election when in order of time Election is before Calling You are called in time by the preaching of the Gospel you are elected before all time before the world Before the foundation of the world was laid he hath elected us in Christ Eph. 1.4 And if so What is the reason that Calling in my Text is put before Election Answ To this I answer Calling in order of words is placed before Election not as if it were in time before it but to shew that we can never be sure of our election till God hath effectually called us by the preaching of the Gospel and therefore Calling is set before Election Thus I have opened the things most material giving you the sense of the words The whole Verse is made up of two parts First Here is a main duty enjoyned in these words Give diligence to make your calling and election sure Secondly Here is a strong inducement to inforce you to this duty and that in the last words If you do these things you shall never fall In the Duty injoyned there are several things observable 1. The matter of the duty To make sure your election and calling 2. The manner how you must set about this duty and that is with diligence Give diligence 3. The motive to draw you to it in the word Wherefore 4. Here is the comparison between this duty and all other duties Wherefore the rather do this rather then all other things in the world And Lastly Here is that loving compellation whereby Peter would
light of his knowledge 2. You are called from a course of sin to a course of holinesse Before your calling you were the Divels Drudges and did his work at will the Divel in Pauls language to Timothy had you Captive at his pleasure but when God cals you he takes you from under the dominion and raign of sin and brings you into a course of holiness 1 Thes 4.7 You are called not unto uncleanness but unto holiness 2 Pet. 1.3 He hath called us to glory and vertue Before calling thou wert the receptacle or common shore of all filth and uncleannesse when called thou art swept with the besome of Sanctification yea beautified and adorned as a pleasant palace for thy God to delight in And this should cause you much to magnifie grace that you are brought from being the Divels drudges to be Gods freemen from being the Divels slaves to be Gods servants from being the Divels taskeman to pay thee thy wages in hell to be Gods workman for which he wil give thee thy reward in heaven 3. God cals thee from bondage to libertie In the time that thou art uncalled thou art in bondage 2 Pet. 2.19 they are the servants of Corruption c. in bondage to thy lusts and bondage to thy Passion and a slave to the world thou art in bondage under the Law under the cause and rigour and condemnation of it but now Jesus Christ if he have called thee he hath called thee to libertie Gal. 5.13 You are called to libertie only use not libertie as a Cloak to wickedness Before calling 2 Tim. 2.25 you are in Sathans snares but after calling you are set at libertie you are freed from the guilt and freed from the bondage of your sinne 4. You are called from a condition of estrangednesse into an intimate familiaritie fellowship with Jesus Christ Before calling you are Strangers from the life of grace Ephes 4.18 You are without God in the world strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel Ephes 2.12 But when God calls you he cals you from the condition of a stranger and brings you into friendship and fellowship with Jesus Christ 1 Corin. 1.9 God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son You who were without Christ before calling being called you enjoy neer familiaritie with his Son 5. You are called from Sathan unto God Acts 26.18 He hath sent forth his word among you to bring you from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan to God Sathan who was thy lord and was thy master and ruler thou art now from under his clutches and brought under the dominion and subjection of thy God 6. When God effectually calls thee thou art brought from a state of enmitie against God to a state of amitie and reconciliation towards him and Jesus Christ and all the things of God Col. 3.15 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts for to this ye are called and be yee thankeful God hath called you to peace he hath not called you to wrath Before Calling God and thy soul were the most inveterate enemies in all the world After Calling God and thou are of enemies become the greatest friends You are called to peace therefore be thankful 7. You are called from a state of shame to a state of glory Before you are called you are vile and shameful creatures in Gods sight when God cals you he cals you into a condition of glory 1 Pet. 5.10 Who hath called us to his eternal glory and 1 Thes 2.12 Since thou wast precious in my sight and I have loved thee thou becamest honourable Isa 43. 1 Pet. 2.6 To you that believe Christ is precious or as it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is an honour to you Jesus Christ when once you are called to a believing state he is not onely precious to you and prized of you but he is an honour to you This then you are to consider that uncalled you are in a shamefull condition no badg of honour lies upon you but when once you are called by Christ he becomes an honour to you 8. And lastly which shall be accomplished in the end you shall be called from earth to heaven and from the grave to glory this shall be your call after death Now put all these Eight together To be called from ignorance to knowledg from sin to grace from bondage to liberty from estrangement to fellowship with Jesus Christ from a state of enmitie to a state of amitie and reconciliation with God and man from shame to glorie and from earth to heaven and should not this mightily highten your joy and greaten your praises in magnifying the grace of God in your hearts Secondly Again The consideration of this As From what and To what so For what you are called should greaten your praises Now for what are you called You are called meerly according to the purpose of his owne grace neither foreseen works nor good education nor grace in you none of all these were motives in Gods brest to call you And hence you may see it was nothing in you because there were many things in us might move God not to call us We have often withstood his call we have often strangled the motions of his Spirit in our hearts we have often carried gain saying hearts to the wooings of the Ministers of Christ So that it is nothing in us but meerly his own grace that conquers our unholinesse and conquers our unwillingnesse and overcomes that stoutnesse of heart that is in us meerly the grace and goodnesse of Jesus Christ Now summ up all these together and revolve them in your hearts and you will see what great cause you have to live in magnifying of Jesus Christ SERMON IV. 2 PET. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure IN the prosecution of these words the Doctrine I drew from the first particular dutie injoyned was this That Christians ought to put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ In the handling of which I have gone over several particulars I now come to laie down some Propositions or Conclusions about Effectuall calling and I shall name twenty in all First Ten sad Conclusions to all those men who are not effectually called Secondly Ten consolatorie Conclusions to all those men that are effectually called by Jesus Christ and mixing Conclusions procuring terror to the wicked with such as procure comfort to the godly one tempered with the other may do good to both I begin with the first 1. The first sad Conclusion I shal lay down is this That there are many men in the world that are called outwardly by the word unto a profession of Christ that are not called effectually by the spirit to a possession of Christ My meaning is this There are many men have the word of God
of singular parts that had they grace to manage them they might bring God much glory and it may be he hath called thee a poor ignorant sottish creature Jesus Christ it may be hath rejected many that have had less sinne then thou hast in thee Jesus Christ did reject many an honest heathen when he would call Mary Magdalen that had seven Divels in her Christ rejected Simon Magus and rejected Agrippa a half turned Christian and rejected Herod who heard John Baptist gladly and rejected Felix that trembled at a Sermon and rejected Ahab that humbled his soul before God when it may be he hath called thee that never hadst such workings in thy heart as these men had and O what ground of comfort is here 3. God in calling thy soul and bringing thee into a state of grace he doth it freely for his own names sake when there was nothing in thee to move him to call thee when there was much in thee to provoke him never to call thee yet his own grace compelled him and his own mercy ingaged him to cal thee 1 Tim. 2.9 We are called according to the purpose of his own grace not according to our own works 4. That they who are most senfible of their own vileness and see the most want and necessity of Jesus Christ they of all people are most likely to be called by him When Christ rejects civil honest men and self conceited men and morally good men and they are no way likely to be called yet those men that are sensible of their wickednesse and see their want of Jesus Christ they are of all men most likely to be called Matth. 9.13 I came not to call the righteous but whom but sinners to repentance All men are sinners but he means such as see their sin and see their need of Christ to pardon and subdue sin in them for so the words import The whole need not a Physician but they that are sick They that are sick of sin and see their infirmities they are most likely to be called by Jesus Christ And therefore this is most comfortable to you all you that are drooping Christians that hang down your heads under the sense of sin that see sin to be exceeding sinful this is the end for which Christ came into the world to call you to glory 5. That a man may be elected by God from all eternity and yet he may live a long time in a course of sin before he call him and yet before he dies he shall be called John 10.16 I laie down my life for my sheep and other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold under one shepherd c. The meaning is this Christ told them his converted ones were his sheep and these are not all but I have others that are not converted yet I will convert them and bring them to the same fold also So that Christ hath his sheep among them that are not yet converted and called and though many times you you may go a long time in a course of sin yet before you die you shall be effectually called and brought home to the sheepfold of Iesus Christ 6. A man may be effectually called when in his own apprehension he cannot find any real and sound evidence of his vocation This that Phrase in Peter imports 2 Pet. 1.11 Whoso doth not these things is blind and cannot see afar off It is spoken of a godly man of a man that hath his election sure but doth not adde grace to grace to make his calling sure that man is purblind and cannot see afar off that is cannot see as far as heaven that his name is written there cannot have clear and strong comfort of his belonging to God Many a godly man may be effectually called and yet that man a purblind man not able to behold as with open face the evidence of his effectuall calling 7. A man may have a grounded assurance that he is effectually called and yet neither know the time when nor the manner how nor the instrument by whom he was called And this is a very comfortable Conclusion There are some that press conversion so high that if a man cannot tell the time when or the manner how or the Sermon by which he was called they say that he is not yet converted this is too rigid a Doctrine and the Scripture makes more for the confirmation of this that a man may have a grounded assurance of his effectuall calling when he neither knows the time nor the manner nor the instrument by which he was called Mark 4.27 And he said so is the Kingdome of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring up and grow he knows not how The seed here sown is the work of grace for so is the Kingdom of God saith Christ and here this seed springs up the man cannot tell haply the day he sowed it nor how he scattered it yet this seed springs up he knows not how So a man may have the seed of grace sown in his heart which is effectuall calling and yet it grows up he knows not how nor when he was called So John 9. I only allude to it 19 20. It is spoken there of the man that was healed by Jesus Christ the blind Sonne that had his eyes opened by Jesus Christ What say his Parents We know this is our son and that he was born blind but by what means he now seeth we know not nor who opened his eyes Beloved So I may say of a poor sinner a poor sinner is like this blind sonne we know we are born blind neither knowing God nor our selves We know if we are converted we now see but how this was done or by whom this was done man cannot so exactly determine But now this Conclusion doth not hold true in all cases if a man have been a profane liver then it is impossible in an ordinarie way that that man should be effectually called but he must know the time when he is called but for others that from their childhood have been brought up in a godly familie and from their child-hood to their dying day did never break out into any scandalous sinne these men cannot give an account either when or by whom they were called and yet their calling may be effectuall and therfore that is too rigid a Doctrine to press such heights Qualifications before conversion for God hath different wayes and degrees of working though all are not obvious to our eye 8. That they who are called by Christ they shall be kept by Christ that they do not fall from their Call but be brought to the state of glory and that 's another comfortable conclusion you are not called by Christ and so left to your selves and the wide world as Adam was Adam was
called by God to a state of blessednesse but he was left to stand by his own strength but you are not so You are not only called by Christ but you are kept by Christ that you shall not fall from grace being once called to it Jude ver 1. Jude the servant of Christ to them that are sanctified by God the Father preserved in Christ and called Here then is your comfort that you are not called by Christ and left to your selves but you are preserv'd by Christ and called and kept in a state of grace till you shall come to glory So 1 Thes 5.24 Faithfull is he that called you who also will doe it that is bring you to that glorie which you are called unto 9. When Christ hath an intent to call a poor sinner neither their Poverty nor their impiety shal hinder the cal of Jesus Christ Not your Povertie God hath chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of a kingdome Jam. 2. Not your impiety poor Christians think Oh I am so vile and so sinful and profane that I fear Christ will not cal me Why this shall not hinder Mary Magdalen a Harlot possessed with seven Divels yet called Manasseh a blood-sucker that made the streets of Jerusalem run down with blood yet called Paul a persecuter a blasphemer a man mad with rage against the Church of God yet he obtained mercy and why that he might be an example to them that after should be called So that here is your comfort when Jesus Christ hath an intent to call you neither your Poverty nor your Impietie shall withstand his call nor turn the thoughts of his mercy from you 10. That though no man can prie into the decrees of God about election and reprobation yet if you can make good your effectual vocation you may be sure of your election and of your glorification Though no man I say can enter into the bosome of God to know his secret decrees yet if you can find upon good Scripture grounds that you are effectually called you may be sure you are eternally elected shall hereafter live in glorie Rō 8.28 Whom he predestinates them he cals whom he cals them he justifles and whom he justifies them he will glorifie And therefore comfort your hearts in these consolatorie Conclusions about effectuall calling SERMON V. 2 PET. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THe Doctrine I am yet upon in the prosecution of these words is this That Christians should put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ In the managing of which I laid down the last Lords day twenty Propositions ten in relation to wicked men not called and ten conclusions for the comfort of them that are effectually called by Jesus Christ I am now to proceed in the dispatch of six cases of conscience which I shall handle about effectual calling Three of which concern men not effectually called and three touching Believers who are called by Christ to grace here and to hopes of glory in the world to come The three first cases touching wicked men are these First Whether a wicked man be able to resist his own call Secondly What temptations doth the Devil suggest to keep a wicked man from entertaining and embracing the call of Jesus Christ Thirdly What delusions doth the Devil use to deceive Hypocrites to make them presumptuously believe that they are effectually called when they are not There are three cases more touching godly men As First Whether may a man that is effectually called be any way assured that he is so Secondly If a man may be assured then what is the reason many a godly man is not assured of his effectual calling And then Thirdly How may he come to get the assurance of his effectual calling I begin with the first about wicked men that are not called and the case is this First Whether may a wicked man a man as yet not called be able to resist and keep off his own cal And that you may understand the answer hereto I must lay down this distinction That there is a twofold calling of Christ A Significative calling and an operative calling First a Significative calling which is such a calling whereby Christ in the Ministry of the word signifies and declares what he would have men to do Now this kind of call wicked men may resist this call I say and this revealed will of God in declaring what graces he would have men act and what sins he would have men forbear Therefore we read Acts 7.5 You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in heart and eares you have alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost meaning the Preaching of the word by the Ministry of his Apostles So Prov. 1.24 I have called and ye have refused c. But then Secondly There is an Operative calling and that is such a call whereby God doth not onely signifie to a man what he must do but with the signification of his will gives a man a power to do what he calls him to do accompanying the word with his Spirit making the heart stoop and yeeld to Jesus Christ Now this cal no man can resist Grace is irresistable and this effectual calling by the operation of the Spirit a man cannot resist All the gain-sayings of the heart and all the stoutnesse of the will it must stoop and must be brought under subjection to Jesus Christ John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me saith Christ shall come unto me They shal not be able to withstand Jesus Christ but they shal come in unto him So Isa 55.10 As the rain comes down and the snow from Heaven and returns not thither again but waters the earth to make it bring forth so shall my word be that goes out of my mouth it shall not return in vain but shall accomplish that which I intended and it shall prosper in the thing wherto I sent it As all the world cannot hinder the rain from coming down on the earth no more can any man in the world if God hath an intent to convert and call him hinder the benefit of the word from redounding upon his soul Now the answering of this case thus briefly will admit of a double Use Vse 1 First an Use of Condemnation to wicked men that have often resisted the significative call of Jesus Christ When Christ hath signified this is my will I would have you leave these courses and I would have you walk in these wayes Christ signifies his will in the Ministry of the Gospel yet let Christ signifie what he will you will do what you list this is for thy great condemnation Vse 2 Secondly The answering of this Query is for consolation to elect men who are not yet converted Dost thou belong to Gods Election Why before thou art converted thou hast a stubborn wil thou hast
a gainsaying heart thou hast a stout spirit against God thy heart is as hard as an Adamant as hard as the Rocks yet here is thy comfort all the gain-sayings of thy spirit and all the stubbornnesse of thy will it shall not be able to keep off converting mercy and shall not be able to keep off calling grace from thee When God hath an intent to call thee he will come with Power by his call and make thee do what he commands thee and make thee imbrace what he cals thee to Did not Jesus Christ use an operative call as well as a significative call no man in the world would ever be called And this is the reason that in hearing the same Sermon and following the same Preacher one man is converted the other is not The reason is this The call of the Ministry is onely a significative call of a Reprobate onely signifying what God would have him do But there is no power conveyed with the invitation to make the man able to do what Christ cals him to and therefore one is called the other is not Thus much in Answer to the first case Case 2 Secondly What temptations doth the Devil suggest to men who are uncalled that they should not give entertainment to or embrace the call of Jesus Christ unto grace and glory And in answer to this I shall lay down onely four suggestions of the Devil wherewith he entangles a man that he should not yeeld to the call of Jesus Christ And as I lay them down I shall labour to take them away As 1. The first temptation the Devil will suggest is to you that are young men and to you he will suggest that you are yet too young to imbrace the call of Jesus Christ 't will be time enough hereafter and you may do it soon enough hereafter you are too young now to be abridg'd of your pleasure and to mortifie your lusts and to betake your selves unto so serious a course as Christ cals you to and by this temptation the Devil prevails with young men more especially And I remember Austin saith that this temptation of the Devil made him keep off for seven years together from embracing the call of Jesus Christ the Devil would still tell him in his heart thou art too young to leave thy Drunkennesse and too young to leave thy Harlots till at last he cryed out How long shall I say it is too soon Why may I not repent to day This temptation I say it hath fastened upon many before you that they were too young to come in to Jesus Christ and to this end the Devil will suggest to you that old and false Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil Whereas indeed if you are young Devils you will be old Beelzebubs And therefore this being a suggestion prevailing with many hearts I shall lay down six considerations to take off this temptation that it may not prevail with you First If the Devil tempt you that you are yet too yong to hearken to Christs call consider That the Devil cannot give you a Lease of your lives if the Devil could give you a Lease of your lives and tell you you should live till old age you might then with more safety hearken to his temptation but your lives are not at the Devils disposal God is the Author of your life the issues of life and death are in his hands you may dye in youth and if you die in youth uncalled you may be damned as well as dead You may be as these men Job 36.14 That shall dye in their youth and their lives shall be among the unclean And therefore though the Devil tempt you that you are too young seeing he cannot assure you of your lives you have no reason to hearken to his temptation Secondly Suppose the Devil could assure you you should live till old age yet take this consideration that in putting off your calling and the work of conversion from your youth this may so provoke God that he may harden your hearts in your old dayes that you shall have no heart to think of and imbrace the call and invitation of Jesus Christ Jer. 22.21 I spake to thee in thy prosperity but thou wouldst not hear and this hath been thy manner from thy youth Thou wouldst not obey my voyce God spake but they would not hear and it was from their youth that they did thus therefore God would never speak more God hardened their hearts that they should never receive or imbrace the call of Jesus Christ So Isa 6.9.10 Seeing the Jewes from their youth were obstinate against the word of God Go saith God make their ears heavy and their hearts fat and their eyes blind that they should not be called and converted and I should save them Let this therefore be a second consideration that the putting off your call till your old age may so provoke God as never to give you hearts to imbrace his call Thirdly Suppose all this that you could have a Lease of your lives and you could be assured that when you come to old age your hearts should not be hardened yet consider this that the more sinful and evil the dayes of your youth have been the more disquietness of mind and horror of conscience will this breed in you when you are old though you should be called and converted by Jesus Christ Job 13.24 25 26. Thou hidest thy face thou holdest me as thy Enemy Thou dost drive me as a leaf to and fro and thou dost pursue me like dry stubble Now why doth Job complain thus Mark the next words For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth Job when he was a young man it seems he was a wicked man and had many sins in his youth and this in his old age made him cry out and say that God took him for his Enemy and that God brake him like a leaf driven with the wind O beloved the sins of your youth though you should be Jobs converted yet they wil bring great disquietness and great horror when you come to age the lusts of youth and the vanities of youth and the sensual pleasures of your youthful dayes they will lay a foundation of sorrow when you come to gray hairs to be neare your graves so Job 20.11 And therefore put the case you should repent and should be called when you are old you have no cause to put off the call of Jesus Christ seeing sins of youth will fill you with horror and disquietness of mind Hence it is that David after he was call'd by the power of the word cryes out Psal 25. Lord remember not the sins of my youth that gravelled and gall'd his conscience the sins of his youth before his call Quae fuerunt inaenia juventut is gaudia haec sunt acerba senectutis gravamina It is the speech of an Author that to look on the pleasurable vanities
gracious people There is many a man will change his life when God brings pangs and death and sickness upon him these are forc'd waies that God takes to make a wicked and stout-hearted wretch change his life Isa 16.12 It s said there When Moab is weary Moab will come to my Sanctuary and pray What a change was here in Moab Moab an Idolatrous company that hated Gods people and were enemies to all goodness yet when they were weary and Gods hand lay heavie upon them then they would pray Ezek. 24.12 So that you see clearly though men do change their lives yet if this change flow onely from a present affliction they lie under that Gods hand upon them doth even force them to change their course this is no argument of a saving change and so by consequence no evidence of your effectual calling Secondly Men may change their course from this Principle also Because of that horror of conscience that seizeth upon them in the apprehension of hell and the wrath of God and from this Principle a Heathen may change his course It is noted by one upon that place in Peter It happens unto them as the Dog that turns to his vomit c. Upon those words he hath this note That the Dog in vomiting carries resemblance to a wicked man leaving his sin Now saith this Author The Dog when he vomits it is by reason of some qualm and pang that is in his stomack and when he hath that pang he will disgorge himself and ease himself by vomit not as if he loathed his meat but if he could free himself from those pangs he would fain have the meat in his body to nourish him Thus a wicked man he may disgorge and vomit up his sins and leave his sins but why it is not because he hates his sins no he would keep them as a sweet morsel under his tongue but it is because those sins cause horror and trouble of conscience he cannot deceive nor he cannot follow his lusts but conscience will follow him Now if thou change thy sin onely to stop consciences mouth and muzzle conscience this is no argument of effectual calling Delus Fourthly men are tempted by the Divel to nourish presumptuous perswasions that they are effectually called when they are not because they are miscalled and reproached by the men of this world Now think they I should never be miscalled and reproached by wicked men if I were not called by my God Now to take off this briefly I answer Every reproach from wicked men can be no argument of an effectual call from God because men may be miscalled upon a twofold ground There are some men suffer as Christians and some as evil-doers we may suffer either for Christs sake or for our own sakes The distinction is laid down 1 Pet. 4.15 16 17. Let none of you suffer as a Murtherer as an evil doer as a Theef as a Busie body in other mens matters but if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed So that some men may be punished for their own evils they have done and so suffer no more then they have deserved but other men suffer for their profession because they profess Jesus Christ Now to suffer because of your evil doings this can be no evidence but to suffer for Christ meerly for professing his Name this is an argument of effectual calling Therefore Christ pronounceth those blessed Matth. 5.11 Blessed are you when men shall revile you and speak evil of you for my sake This is an evidence of your effectual calling by Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 PET. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THE Doctrine I am yet upon drawn from these words is this That Christians should put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their soules that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ In the prosecution of which I have gone over many particulars and resolved some cases of conscience in reference to wicked men I am now at this time to dispatch some cases of conscience more touching them that are effectually called by Jesus Christ As 1. Whether men that are effectually called by Christ into a state of grace and hope of glory may in this life attain to an infallible and firm assurance of their own effectual calling 2. If it be found that it is attainable in this life then what is the reason that many Christians who are effectually called do so much suspect and doubt their own calling and walk so sadly for want of their assurance 3. What must be done that so you may make it sure to your own soules that you are effectually called by Jesus Christ First whether it be attainable in this life that men who are effectually called by Christ may have a firm and infallible assurance of their own call And in resolution of this I shall briefly free it from two extreames both of which are untrue about this Query The first is that of the Papists who utterly deny any such thing as assurance about a mans Calling Justification or Election by God and they hold all their followers in suspense affirming that the most a man can have is a conjectural faith an hope or conjecture that he shall be saved And hence it is that in that Popish Councel of Trent they made this Canon Si quis dixerit hominem renatum teneri ex fide ad credendum se certò esse ex numero Praedestinatorum anathema sit Sess 6. Can 15. That if any man doth say that he is bound of faith to believe that he is certainly in the number of Gods called ones or justified ones or elect ones let him be Anathema let him be accursed That man that would so much as take this assurance to himself they would hold that man accursed And the reason why they do it is because they hold another error to wit falling from grace which they could not maintain did they not hold this also this is the first extream 2. Another extream is of the Lutherans they being opposite to the Papists in this point of assurance to confute them who deny all assurance they run into this extream to hold that assurance is of the nature of faith and whoever hath faith hath assurance but this is another extream and an uncomfortable doctrine for doubting Christians were it true Therefore to keep this truth in the middle betwixt two extreames I shall lay down this position by way of Answer That though sometimes persons effectually called may be without a particular assurance of their own call yet this assurance is attainable by Christians in this life and Christians may be assured of their own effectual calling And this I shall prove by four Mediums First Because the Apostle injoynes it here in my Text Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Now this is a rule in Divinity No man is bound to do a thing
impossible and therefore in that we are commanded and bound to do it it is clear that it is possible and may be made sure Secondly Because it is the office of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work this particular assurance in the hearts of those that are effectually called that they are in the state of grace and shall be brought to glory 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God 1 John 5.10 He that believeth he hath a witnesse in himselfe a witnesse to his own soul that he doth believe Eph. 1.13 14. There the Spirit is called a Seal you are sealed by the Spirit of Promise and verse 14. It is called the earnest of our inheritance Now a seal and earnest is to give more assurance to a Promise and here the Spirit of God is given to Believers as a Seal and earnest-Penny that as they have the first fruits in grace they shall have their harvest in glory 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us his Spirit It is the office of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to assure our hearts in this particular Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witnes with our spirits that we are the children of God Thirdly Particular servants of God in Scripture that have been partakers of this mercy they have had this firm assurance of their effectual calling I shall instance in three First in Paul and the Scripture tells us of him that he had a clear evidence of his effectual calling Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me who loved me and gave himself for me There he had a particular assurance that Christ loved him and gave himself for him So 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded also that what I have committed to him he will keep till the last day So 2 Tim. 4.8 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is a Crown laid up for me Nay not onely Paul but Job also Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth and I shall stand up before him at the last day he knew Jesus Christ was his Redeemer And so David also saith Thou art my God and I will praise thee Psal 118.28 and Psal 23.6 Surely the goodnesse and merey of God shall follow me all the dayes of my life So that put these together God commands it it is the spirits office to work assurance in the heart and particular servants of God have had this assurance therefore why may it not be obtained But if you say these were not ordinary servants of God these were servants of a higher rank and form but may ordinary weak Christians know this also Yes Therefore Fourthly Not only particular Saints have had this but the people of God in General they have declared in Scripture that they have injoyed this particular assurance of their effectual Calling and safety of their condition by Christ Instance in a few Isa 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father They made no doubt of it they were so perswaded they feared it not Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength Surely a word of confidence they were assured they had righteousnesse for their justification in Christ Jesus So 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God eternal in the heavens They knew that when they died they should see God in heaven not only Paul but other godly Christians with him So Heb. 10.34 You know in your selves that God hath provided for you a better and more induring substance They were assured within themselves that when they should die or lose their estates here God had provided for them a more enduring substance So 1 John 3.19 Hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before God So verse 14. We know we are translated from death to life c. So that what can be more clearly proved then this that this assurance is to be attained in this life because God commands it it is the spirits office to work it particular Christians have had it and the people of God in general they have enjoyed and profest this Temper Vse Is it so then that assurance is attainable in this life Then how much to blame are our adversaries the Papists who hold their followers in suspense that they must live without the assurance of their own estate that their soules must hang in feares and doubts all their dayes that the most they can have is only a conjecture oh into what a gulph of discomforts do they plunge them Beloved the Lord in the Book of Deuteronomy chap. 29. did pronounce it as a curse that their lives should hang in suspense it 's a greater curse that mens souls should hang in suspense that men shall not know whether they shall be saved or damned it 's a hell on this side hell and therefore they are much to be blamed that hold their followers in hand with a peradventure they shall be saved peradventure not when the Scripture is so clear in this thing Secondly Let not the thoughts either of the impossibility or the difficulty of attaining this assurance discourage you from looking after it It is not impossible though it is difficult indeed and the difficulty should be so farre from discouraging you that it should quicken your endeavours to make your calling and election sure Thirdly Seeing assurance is attainable in this life inquire into the cause why you who are effectually called have not attained this assurance before now And this puts me upon handling of the second case of conscience seeing this assurance is attainable Therefore Answ Secondly what is the reason that many Christians who are called effectually by Jesus Christ do live in many doubts and feares about their effectual calling Doubt In answer to this I shall lay down these three particulars that the doubts that do arise in Christians about their calling they flow from this threefold fountain Either first from some seeming defect they apprehend in the manner of their calling Or Secondly some seeming defect they apprehend to be in the meanes of their calling Or else Thirdly some seeming defects they apprehend in the effects of their calling and these three grounds are the rise from whence many Christians effectually called do doubt of their call and are not assured of it First It doth arise from some seeming defect they apprehend to be in the manner of their calling They say I am not called in such a manner as I see others are As thus Think they I see other men when they are converted that their humiliations are great I see that they have horror of conscience that they are wrought upon by the terrors of the law
by good works to make your calling sure whether it be so or no I cannot affirm but this I am sure of and the context will clearly prove it that the way to make your calling sure is to adde grace to grace For after the Apostle had spoken of adding grace to grace he comes in with this Give diligence to make your calling sure Implying that the more you live in the Actings of grace the more you shall live in the enjoyment of comforts Esa 32.17 The works of righteousnesse shall be peace Not the habit but the work if you act righteousness and live in the workings and thrivings in grace this shall be peace and the effect of it quietnesse and assurance for ever So John 16.24 The more you pray the more you increase your joy So that the more you live in the improvement of grace the more likely way you are into get assurance Sixthly If you would get assurance spend more time in strengthening your evidences for heaven then in questioning of them It is the great fault of many Christians they will spend much time in questioning and not in strengthening their comforts They will reason themselves into unbeliefe and say Lord why should I believe why should I take hold of a promise that am so unholy and so unmortified a creature And so by this they reason themselves to such a passe that they dare not lay hold upon Christ whereas it should be your work to reason your selves into Christ as much as you can Labour to strengthen your comforts and reason thus Why should I not believe in Christ Thus David did Psal 42. Why art thou troubled O my soul and why art thou cast down within me Is not the mercy of God more then sin in the creature Is not there free grace where there is guilt Are not there pardoning mercies where condemnation is deserved you should reason up your comforts rather then reason them down and spend more time in strengthening then in questioning of them You would count him a very unwise man that hath a Lease of so much land and he himselfe shall create scruples and doubts and shall use no means to make his title good And truly many Christians are as unwise for heaven They have as I may say good bond and seal that God will bring them to heaven and yet they will question and cavill themselves into unbeliefe Beloved this should not be but you ought rather to strengthen your comforts then question them Seventhly Be diligent in the earnest study of the Covenant of grace Beloved all a Christians doubts arise from ignorance of the Covenant of grace And here that I may speak a little to it I beseech you follow me study the Covenant of grace which if you do you shall discern five particular props in it to bear up your hearts against discomforts and to strengthen you in a way of assurance touching your effectual call First the Covenant of works it commands perfect obedience upon pain of damnation but the Covenant of grace doth command and accept of imperfect obedience if it be sincere there 's your first prop. Secondly the Covenant of works is not contented with good desires unlesse there be good deeds the Covenant of grace accepts the good will and good desires when the deed is wanting and is content with the will for the deed Thirdly the Covenant of works doth require that you should obey the will of God perfectly in your own person the Covenant of grace requires onely that you obey in the person of Christ so Christ obeyes for you it is accepted though you do not Fourthly the Covenant of works requires you to obey the whole will of God by your own strength the Covenant of grace accepts of it though not our own strength but the strength of Christ be put forth in doing any spiritual action Fifthly the Covenant of works requires the performance of the condition before it gives the Promise As Do this and live you cannot live saith the Covenant of works without you do this but the Covenant of grace it first tenders the Promise and then requires the condition Bids you first take Christ and first Believe and then shew forth the effects of faith First lay hold upon the promise and then hold forth and practise the condition of that Promise First believe and first take Christ though thou art unworthy and art a wretched creature if after taking of him thou wilt be consciencious to practise those obligations this lies upon thee and I will accept thee Now would you lay these to your heart to study that vast difference between the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace doubtlesse these would be great props for your inward comforts 2 PET. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THE point of Doctrine I am yet upon in the prosecution of these words is this That Christians ought to put forth a great deale of diligence to make this sure to their soules that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ to grace and glory In the handling of which I have gone over many particulars and resolved several cases of conscience I have yet two cases more to resolve and then shall winde up all in a general use Therefore Fourthly When or at what time doth God fill the soules of his people most with this assurance of their effectual calling And then Fifthly Wherein lies the difference between that assurance a godly man hath of his effectuall calling and those presumptuous perswasions that wicked men have that they are called effectually when they are not First when or at what time doth God give to his people most and strongest assurance of their effectual calling And here in answer to this I shall comprize all I have to say under four heads that in four cases or times God doth usually give to his people most strong assurance First After the Lord hath greatly humbled the hearts of his people and broken them for sinne then doth he usually give in most assurance of a mans effectual calling and of the happinesse of his future condition When you can say as David did Psal 38.3 There is no rest in my bones by reason of my sinne When you can say as the Psalmist doth Psal 51.8 Let the bones which thou hast broken rejoyce Then is the time for God to make you break forth with joy when he hath broken your hearts with sorrow God had broken Davids heart under the sense of that uncleannesse he had committed O saith David Thou hast broken my heart now let my broken spirit rejoyce and God gave him comfort and did restore the joy of his salvation to him You have a phrase Psal 34.18 The Lord it nigh to them that are of a broken heart to save them that are of a contrite spirit The Lord is nigh to them Nigh what to do not onely to give them deliverance from outward troubles but
minde the dayes of old and the yeers of many generations Call to minde ancient dayes did not God shew thee his face did not God bear thee in the palmes of his hands did not God give thee many a smile of his countenance and many a pledge of his love even by affliction it selfe did not God set many a seal upon thy heart that thy comforts were true thy evidence clear and thy ends sincere towards God Beloved call to minde the former frame of thy spirit how thou wast in wonted times and this Meditation being backed by Gods Spirit may bee a great means to restore thy comforts to thee past goodnesse should be present encouragement Thirdly Meditate what way it was that you got your former comforts and assurance Ex quo gignimur eo dem nutrimur and the same way God will sanctifie to restore you your comforts again What Physicians say of the body We are nourished of those things of which wee are begotten and generated So I say of comforts The very same thing that begot comforts the same will restore your comforts againe Now think upon this in your practice and consider What way did I gaine my comforts in yeeres past did I gaine my comforts by godly sorrow and by lamenting after God and by mourning over those abominable failings in my practice now take the same course to restore thy evidences Go and mourn in thy Closet over thy uneven walking before God Go lament for thy sinnes mourne after thy Father and tell him thou art grieved at the heart that he is so great a stranger to thy soule Didst thou gain thy assurance in dayes past by humbling thy soule often before God Set upon humbling work again Didst thou gain thy comforts in dayes past by walking closely with thy God Amend thy paths and direct thy wayes unto thy Maker for dayes to come There is the very same way to restore your comforts that was at first to gain your comforts Fourthly Let your Meditations work upon those comforting Promises in the Gospel that hold forth most comfort to a dejected soule And truly I am perswaded Christians Meditations running more upon their own failings and their own jealousies and their own mistakes then upon Gospel-Promises hath been the great occasion they have layen so long under a spirit of bondage and under a dark eclipse in the want of the comforts of Gods Spirit Therefore now let your Meditations work upon those Promises that hold forth most comfort to a dejected and deserted soule And here I shall name five or sixe most comfortable Promises in the Word As Esa 57.15 The Lord that dwells in the high and holy places he doth revive the spirit of the humble and of the contrite one So Esa 66.2 The Lord dwels in the heavens and yet with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit that trembles at his Word with him will God dwell So Psal 34.18 The Lord is nigh them that are of a broken heart even them that are contrite in spirit So Luke 4.18 Jesus Christ was anointed that is appointed by God the Father to preach the Gospel to the poor to binde up the broken in heart and to comfort them that mourn So Esa 66.10 The Lord will restore comfort to thee and to thy Mourners And Heb. 12.12 The Lord will strengthen the weak hands and feeble knees And with that remarkable and most glorious Gospel-promise I shall end Esa 35.3 4 5 6. Strengthen the weak hands and confirme the feeble knees This saith God to weak Christians whose legs can hardly carry their bodies and their hands hardly reach to their mouthes Say unto the weak Christian in grace comfort and confirm and strengthen them And say unto them that are of a fearfull heart Be strong Poor fearful doubting soules that fear every Temptation and fear every corruption and fear they shall lose the recompence of their reward Say unto that fearful heart Be strong and fear not For your God will come with vengeance even God will come with recompence and save you And then the eyes of the blinde shall bee open and the eares of the deafe shall bee unstopped it is not meant of the bodily eye but those that were blinde and could not see the mysteries of Christ and could not read their own comforts then their eyes shall be open And the deaf that as Esaiah saith refused to be comforted that would not hearken to comfort but would stop their eares against all comfortable doctrines and onely give way to sorrow their eares shall be unstopped And the lame man shall leap like a Hart the poore halting Christian that halts in his comforts that is now believing anon staggering now rejoycing anon despairing the poor lame man shall leap like a Hart. And the Tongue of the dumb shall sing the poor man that could not speak one word of his owne graces and of his own comforts and touching his own evidence the Tongue of the dumb shall sing O Beloved here is your work in case you would bee Christians to restore your comforts againe set upon the work of Meditation to think upon these precious promises of the Gospell that hold forth most comfort to a drooping and dejected sinner SERMON XII 2 PETER 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THe Doctrine I am yet upon is this That Christians ought to put forth a great deale of diligence to make this sure to their soule that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ to Grace and Glory In the prosecution of which I have gone over many particulars Vse There remains now onely one Use more to dispatch about this subject and then I passe to the third point drawn from these words And the Use shall be of Consolation from all that hath been said touching the assurance of our effectuall Calling I shall onely direct my discourse to lay down six or seven Consolatory Conclusions to those Christians who are effectually called yet happily have not a sensible assurance of their own calling First take this for a truth that Assurance is necessary not for the being but for the wel-being of a Christian It is not necessary to his estate but to his comfort It is not necessary as food is to the life but onely as physick is to the body A man cannot live without food a man may live without Physick Assurance is but as a comfortable Cordiall to the soule Grace is as food to keep the soule alive though you doe want assurance this Cordiall to beare you up Secondly that many of Gods deare Children they may lie a very long time in the want of this assurance touching their effectuall calling Psal 88. it is said of Heman 14 15 16 verses Lord why hast thou cast off my soule and why hast thou hid thy face from me Mark his complaint I am ready to die And was this onely a fit of desertion or was it a
more temptations against effectuall calling then poor men do Rich men thinke should I be called to be a Professor I may lose my riches endanger my estate and eclipse my honour and these are great temptations to rich men to hinder their calling Therefore you read Mark 10.22 of the young man that when Christ called him it is said he went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions and would not follow Christ who had not a house wherein to put his head Many men for fear of losing their estates they lie under this sore temptation to hinder them from being called And then also for their honour men may think they shall eclipse their honor should they profess a course of Religion Gal. 2.2 I preacht publikely among the ordinarie sort saith Paul but I preach privately to men of reputation lâ—st I should run in vair As much as if he should say men of qualitie and of repute they would not own Christ publickly they were affraid they should lose their honour and credit therfore Paul was enforc'd to indulge them so far as to preach privately to them hence Nicodemus a great man came to Jesus by night 9. If you are only externally called to a profession of Christ and not called internally to a possession of him at one time or other before you die God will discover the hypocrifie of your hearts and the unsoundness of your Call There are many men who now are called a man cannot discern whether they be effectually called or no but in likelihood before you die you will discover somewhat or other that may give just ground of suspicion you are not savingly called either by falling into some error in Judgment or running into some scandalous sin or the like Lastly If God hath not or intends not effectually to call thee thou maiest take this for an undeniable truth God neither intends to justifie thee nor to save thee whom he cals them he justifies and none else and whom he justifies them he glorifies and none else So that Justification and Glorification depends upon calling Rom. 8.30 And thus I have done with these ten sad Conclusions I shall now change my discourse and turn my speech to a second sort of men and to them I shall lay down ten consolatory Conclusions for the comfort of you that are the called of Jesus Christ And here before I lay these down I shall first shew you what need there is that Ministers should preach comfortably to you that are effectually called Because first after you are called effectually you are more exposed to meet with persecutions from men Secondly Temptations from the Divel Thirdly The stronger strugling of Corruptions from within then ever you were before therefore you had need of comfort 1. I say After calling you are more exposed to meet with persecutions from men then ever you were before Heb. 10.32 33. Call to remembrance the former daies in which after you were illuminated you endured a sore fight of affliction partly by being reproached and made a gazing stock c. They endured nothing before but after they were inlightned they endured a great fight of Affliction had not you therefore need of comfort 2. After Calling you are more exposed to temptations from the Divel then ever you were before The Divel when he finds all things at peace he lets men alone but when he finds a man coming out of his clutches to be called then Satan troubles and assaults him 1 Pet. 5.8 10. Your Adversarie the Divel goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour These were they that the God of grace had called to eternall glory Yet these were they that the Divel rageth so against Had not you therfore need of comfort because you are exposed to more Temptations from the Divel And 3ly You are to meet with more strong and vigorous workings of inward Corruptions in your own hearts as Paul before his calling was not troubled with his Corruptions sinne never troubled him the powerful and vigorous workings of his lusts never wearied him but when the command came then sin revived When the power of the word came with Authoritie upon his Conscience then he saw sinne to revive and get strength upon him Beloved I would appeal to any of you whom God hath called to grace and glory whether before you were called you ever found sinne so strong as after and ever found the workings of your inward corruptions so violent as after and therefore upon these three grounds you have need that comfort should be preached unto you I now passe to the Conclusions which I shall lay down for the comfort of all them that are effectually called 1. That Jesus Christ doth effectually call a poor sinner before that sinner doth look after Jesus Christ Should God intail heaven upon this condition that you that had been first in the transgression should be first in seeking reconciliation we should never have the difference ended betwixt God and us but behold here is mercy and here is a ground of Comfort that though we are the first in the transgression Christ is the first in suâ—ng out Reconciliation Jesus Christ dâ—th effectually call poor sinners before they either call or look after Jesus Christ at all Isa 65.1 I am sought of them that asked not for me I am found of them that sought me not I said Behold me Behold me to a Nation that was not called by my name Here you see Jesus Christ goeth out first to call thee before thou goest out to call him And O what comfort is this Christ doth not stay till thou look after a Christ but Christ casts an eye upon thee before thou look after him We read of Matthew the Publican that while he was looking after his money at the receipt of custome at that time Jesus Christ was looking after his soul We read of the Disciples of Christ whilst they were mending their nets and looking after their fish Jesus Christ takes this occasion with the Hook of the Gospel to catch them We read of Paul that whilst he was breathing out persecution against the Church of God and raging with malice against the Saints of God at that time he was even called to be a Saint So that this is very comfortable God doth first look after a sinner in his effectual calling before a sinner looks out after Christ God doth first look after thee inlightning thee by a Sermon and seizing upon thy conscience by a command before thou look after him 2. That Jesus Christ hath effectually called thee when he hath left many thousands in the world of better parts and better dispositions more naturall good and less evill in them then thou hast in thy self and yet he hath rejected them and called thee Jesus Christ hath many times rejected a patient heathen when he hath called thee who art of a passionate and rigid disposition Jesus Christ hath left many a curious wit and pregnant Scholar and many