Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A54651
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Calling and election, or, Many are called, but few are chosen being a consideration of Mat. 22.14 / by Charles Phelpes.
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Phelpes, Charles.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing P1973; ESTC R31116
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95,202
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218
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of Christ which is therefore also called the Blood of Sprinkling Heb. 9. 14. 10. 22. 12. 24. To this purpose the Apostle Paul saith How shall we that are dead to sin by the death of Christ live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were Baptized into Christ were Baptized into His Death into His personal Abasement Sufferings and Death whereto He was Abased and which He suffered for our sins 1 Pet. 3. 18. And how shall we then continue in sin God forbid let not such a thing be ever done by us The beholding sin in the Blood of Christ did fill them with an abhorrency and detestation of their sins Rom. 6. 1-3 And by the precious blood of Christ the Apostle Peter signifieth the Believers to whom he wrote were redeemed from their vain conversation in which sometimes they walked when they walked in Lasciviousness Lusts Excess of Wine Revellings Banquettings and abominable Idolatries 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. with chapt 4. 3. Hereby they were called out of Darkness out of themselves who were sometimes darkness and out of their sinful and polluted condition and ways into Gods marvellous light and so were made of the elect and chosen generation 1 Pet. 2. 9. with Eph. 5. 8. Yea and in the cross of Christ the vanity and emptiness of our Idols is discovered to us and therefore it also evidenceth the great iniquity of those men who prefer vain things before the Lord of Glory Herein is made known and shewn unto us the vanity and unprofitableness of the world and the riches thereof In that we were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. They that trust in their Wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his Bâ—other nor give to God a ransome for him Psal 49. 6-8 In the Cross of Christ is also discovered to us the bruitishness of our Wisdom and Knowledge In that this Wisdom was not found in the land of the living how we might be redeemed brought back to God from whom we were banished Job 28. 12-21 2 Sam. 14. 14. nay not only so but our judgment stood cross and contrary to that blessed way and means which God hath in His Wisdom and Pity found out and devised that His banished might not be expelled from Him Joh. 12. 31. 16. 11. And herein the Honour and Glory of this World is manifested to be vain and without â—…vail as to our acceptance with God in that Christ refused it and was made as the filth of all things His Visage was marred more then any mans and His form more then the Sons of men He received not Glory from men but He was a reproach of men and despised of the People Joh. 6. 15. 5. 41. Isa 52. 14. 53. 2 3. Bsal 22. 6 7. Herein is declared to us That the friendship of this World is enmity with God In that our Lord Jesus was hated and villified by the World disallowed rejected and refused by the men of it as one that was judged altogether unworthy and unmeet to be loved and delighted in by them Joh. 7. 7. chap. 15. 18. 17. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 4. Herein we may see the unprofitableness of our own works of Righteousness and of all we can do or perform in any wisdom and strength of our own to justifie us and render us acceptable in the sight of God in that Christ must needs have suffered For if Righteousness could have come by the Law then Christ died in vain Gal. 2. 21. The Holy Spirit in Glorifying Christ and taking of His things and shewing unto us doth convince the World of Righteousness and shews unto us the vanity and unavaibleness of ours in that He is gone to the Father and we see Him no more Joh. 16. 10. And such a discovery of the vanity of our Idols are we called unto in the Sufferings of Christ That no flesh might glory in the presence of God 1 Cor. 1. 29-31 but that thorow His Cross the World in the Riches Wisdom Honour Glory Customs Fashions Friendship Righteousness c. might be Crucified unto us and we to the World Gal. 6. 14. That we might not love the World nor the things that are in the World 1 Joh. 2. 15. And indeed in the Cross of Christ God hath wonderfully stained the pride of all our gloryings and brought into contempt all the honorable things of the Earth and World that we might not set our hearts upon them nor glory in our enjoyment of them nor covet after them nor trust in them seeing they were not crucified for us nor contributed any thing to our being delivered from that so great a Death under the sentence whereof we were fallen nor to the procuring and obtaining eternal Redemption for us 1 Pet. 1. 23-25 with Isa 40. 6-9 1 Cor. 1. 13. 2. Yea and unto Christ are men called by His faithful Servants in their preaching to them the Gospel as unto one in whom all things are ready and prepared for them Mat. 22. 4. Luk. 14. 17. Even all things appertaining unto and in which consists the Kingdom of Heaven and so unto such things as are infinitely better then our Sins and Idols unto those spiritual blessings in Heavenly things wherewith God hath blessed us in the Person of His Son Eph. 1. 3. unto Him are we called who is the desire of all Nations In whom there is that which may answer unto and satisfie all their desires And in whom is to be found by way of eminency and excellency that which they desire after and seek for in wrong objects and in such crooked Paths as in which they can find no peace Hag. 2. 7. To Him are men called in whom there is fatness to delight their Souls a river of pleasures of which they may drink and drink abundantly In whom are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Psal 36. 7 8. Col. 2. 3. In whom is everlasting Righteousness and Strength Prov. 8. 18. Isa 26. 4. with whom are Riches and Honour Prov. 3. 16. yea Glory and Honour that hath Immortality joyned with it Rom. 2. 7. In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily And in Him is all compleatness prepared for us Col. 2. 9 10. Unto Him all things are delivered of the Father even all that the Father hath is His Luk. 10. 22. Joh. 16. 14 15. And so He is evidenced to be more precious then Rubies yea that all the things men can desire are not to be compared unto Him In whose right hand is length of days even Life for evermore And in whose left hand are Riches and Honour Prov. 3. 13-16 And therefore is the excellency of Him and the preciousness and compleatness of that provision in Him declared and made known to us To buy us off from those things which are sinful
come unto and are built on him are reckoned after him And though before they were not chosen yet now they are an Elect Generation Kind or Offspring 1 Pet. 2. 4 5 6 9 10. with Isa 28. 16. And hereby it appears both that some who were before out of Christ and so not Elected afterward were brought into him and then chosen in him and reckoned after him Compare Eph. 2. 11 13. with Chap. 1. 1 4. As well as also that some are Elected and chosen before other some because some are in Christ before others Rom. 16. 7. So in our Types of old Abraham was chosen before his Seed God chose him when he was in Ur of the Chaldees Neh. 9. 7. But he chose his Seed after him Deut. 4. 37. 10. 15. Ezek. 20. 5. The Lord hath chosen Zion even Jesus Christ first of all who came and shall come out of Zion Psal 14. 7. And who sitteth now in our Nature on Gods holy Hill of Zion Psal 2. 6. And in whom God dwelleth and will dwell for ever John 14. 10 11. Col. 2. 9. And secundarily those that are born in Zion Christs Children who come unto him and so are born of the Law and Doctrine of Christ which proceeds from Zion Psa 87. 5. And who trust in the Lord such as are good and are of upright hearts Psal 125. 1 5. and 132. 11 13. Even Zion whom no man careth for to wit Christ who is disallowed indeed of men and those that are brought into and born of and walk in Christ hath the Lord chosen and being chosen in Christ they are called into Gods marvelous Light for Christ is the Light of the World the Sun of Righteousness and Fountain of Light 1 Pet. 2. 9 10. Psal 36. 9. And so also are chosen and called into the Grace of Christ into his special peculiar favour and are the subjects of that Gal. 1. 6. to which afterwards Qu. 5. Unto what are the Elected chosen Answ Unto Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Christ namely that as Children of Obedience they should not fashion themselves according to their former lusts in their ignorance But as he who hath called them is holy so they should be holy in all manner of Conversation And that their Hearts might be sprinkled from an evil Conscience and their Consciences from dead works to serve the living God and their bodies washed with pure Water 1 Pet. 1. 2. with Heb. 10. 22. and 9. 14. He hath chosen them to be an holy people to himself Eph. 1. 4. thus it was said to our Types Ye shal be holy unto me for I the Lord am holy and have severed you from other people that ye should be mine Levit. 20. 26. And again The Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the Nations upon the Earth a peculiar people Zealous of good Works Deut. 7. 6. 14. 2. with Tit. 2. 14. Hence an Elect Generation and Holy Nation are put together 1 Pet. 2. 9. And as they are chosen in Christ in the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth as hath been said So the end also is That they should be holy and without blame before him in love Eph. 1. 4. And so he hath chosen them to be and continue a Spiritual House an Habitation for himself through his Spirit 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. And his House they are who hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Heb. 3. 6 14. The Lord hath chosen Zion be hath desired it for his Habitation This is the rest for ever here he will dwell for he hath desired it Psal 132. 13 14. And as in our Types he did chuse the Temple to be a place of Habitation in some sense for himself whence it was often called the House of God c. 2. Chron. 7. 12. 16. So now those that come unto and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone they grow unto an Holy Temple in the Lord Eph. 2. 20 21. 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. They are and to that end he hath chosen them that they might be the Temple of the Living God As God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 2 Cor. 6. 16 18. He hath chosen them to bear his name unto and before others and to render his praise glorious And as in former times God did chuse the Temple that his name might be there forover 2 Chron. 7. 14. So he hath chosen them that come unto Christ that they might be a Spiritual Priesthood to offer Sacrifices and hold forth the Word of Life to others and so be Instruments of good unto others So it is said of Paul after he was Converted He is a chosen Vessel or a Vessel of Election unto me to bear my name c. Even to be Christs Witness unto all men of what he had seen and heard To the End he might be an Instrument for opening the Eyes of the blind both Jews and Gentiles and turning them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may rereive the forgiveness of their sins and Inheritance among them that are sanctified and so chosen thorow faith that is in Christ Acts 9. 15. with Chap. 22. 14 15. 26. 16 18. And this is his end also more generally in chusing others that they might be Instruments of good to those that as yet are not chosen As the Apostle Peter signifieth Ye are an Elect Generation a Royal Priesthood c. That ye might shew forth the Praises If Him that hath called you out of Darkness into His marvellous Light That whereas others speak evil of you as of evil doers they may by your good Works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of Visitation 1 Pet. 2. 9 10 12. So Simeon else-where declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a People for His Name and so to Build again the Tabernacle of David which was fallen down c. That the residue of men might seek after the Lord and together with them be happy also in finding Him Acts 15. 14 17. with Isa 55. 6 7 8. Mat. 7. 7 8. And ultimately He hath Chosen them that they might obtain the everlasting Glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ So the Apostle Paul saith God hath from the beginning Chosen you unto Salvation c. 2 Thes 2. 13 14. And again I indure all things for the Elects sake viz. for Christ's Bodies sake which is the Church that they also may obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal Glory compare 2 Tim. 2. 10. with Col. 1. 24. and Ephes 3. 13. And so God's Elect here spoken of are such as by the discovery of the Grace of God in Christ by the