the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hates you Yet do not mistake me I do not say in this Concomitant That every man that is reproach'd and mis-called is a called man but I say A man that is truly called will be mis-called by wicked men Now mis-calling or the reproaches of wicked men is a pledge of you effectual calling if you take in these qualifications First if they mis-call you meerely because you are godly and hate you because of your holinesse then it is an argument as Jesus Christ said Because I have called you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Secondly If they mis-call you when you give no occasion of offence wherefore they mâ—y justly mis-call you If you can say with David Psal 59. They mis-call me but it is neither for my wickedness nor for my sins if they mis-call you without any ground then it is a probable argument of your Effectual Calling 8. A man effectually called he makes it his endeavour to walk worthy of his calling 2 Thess 2.13 14. So Eâ—hes 4.1 Walk worthy of the calling wherewith you are called And thus I have briefly gone over these Eight Particulars I intreat you delude not your own hearts but bring the Word and your hearts together and trie by these Notes whether you can evidence to your own souls That you are effectually called by Jesus Christ or no. Now is this true That wiâ—h all those whom God hath effectually called he doth take those Methods before spoken of he doth work these Concomitants now named Then 1. By way of Vse This should be astonishment to all those that never had those Methods of God upon their souls that never had these effects within them to accompanie their Call O Beloved I wish I could fasten the naile of Terror deep into their hearts that never had any of these wrought in their souls that never loved the word nor the Ministers of it that never were brought by God out of a state of ignorance into a state of knowledge that never did close in effectually with Jesus Christ that never had indignation against the evils they did before Conversion that never had their hearts brought into an obediential frame to take impression of any command that God should laie upon them how sadly should this Consideration lie upon your hearts 2. Are you effectually called Labour to resemble him in your conversation that hath called you This Use the Apostle makes of this Doctrine 1. Pet. 1.15 As he that hath called â—ou is holy sâ— be you holy Resemble him that hath called you in holinesse An excellent phrase you have 1 Pet. 2.9 Shew forth saith the Apostle the praises of him that hath called you from darkness into his marvellous light The word is more full in the Greek Shew forth or manifest not the praises as we read it but the vertues or the graces of him that hath called you If God hath called you and Christ hath called you you should shew forth Christs graces in your Conversation that is live as Christ lived and walk as Christ walked If you say you have fellowship with Christ you ought also to walk as he walked 1 Joh. 1.6 3. Do nothing that may any way blemish this holy calling of yours this the Apostle presseth 2 Thess 1.11 We pray alwaies for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling So Ephs 4.1 I as a prisoner of the Lord Jesus beseech you that you walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith you are called Beloved If you are called take heed of any way blemishing your Call All the scandals and failings you commit laies a spot upon that holy calling of yours though indeed their is no reason to blemish a mans Profession although some should erre in their practice The Apostle takes off this Gal. 5.8 This perswasion saith Paul comes not from him that hath called you As if he should say many men seeing the Galathians turn Apostates they may blame Religion and blame God that call'd them but saith the Apostle do not blame them for this perswasion of their failings comes not from him that called them your calling is not in fault but your corruptions are in fault Therefore it is an unjust accusation because some men fail to blame God and blame Profession and Religion for it 4. If God hath effectually call'd you and you can evince it to your own souls upon the discovery before heard my last Use is this that you would live in exalting and magnifying of the grace of God in your calling you are called saith the Apostle according to the purpose of his grace not according to your own works O live live in magnifying that grace that hath called you And here I might presse upon you 7. or 8. Considerations why you should live in magnifying of grace I shall name them fiâ—st in general This exhortation should much sway with you if you would consider these three things 1. From what you are called 2. To what you are called and 3. For what you are called I shall put the two first together 1. The consideration of this from what and to what you are called should much heighten your magnifying of Gods grace And here I shal name seven particulars 1. A man effectually called he is called from ignorance to knowledge 1 Pet. 2.9 You are called from darknesse into marvellous light Now should not this make you magnifie mercy that you that lay in your sins uncalled as in a dungeon of darknesse now God should call you into a lightsome and pleasurable palace thy minde was a faire builded house without windowes or if any but woodden windowes that would let in no light now God hath opened these shuts and let in the Sun of righteousnesse to shine upon thy soul and brought thee from this dungeon of darknesse in thy soul and given thee the 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 wil the Divel in Pauls language to Timothy had you Captive at his pleasure but when God calls you he takes you from under the dominion and raign of sin and brings you into a course of holinesse 1 Thes 4.7 You are called not unto uncleannesse but unto holinesse 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 Devils drudges to be Gods freemen from being the Devils slaves to be Gods servants from being the Devils taskeman to pay thee thy wages in hel to be Gods workman for which he will give thee thy reward
also are out of Gods ordinary way of calling for God ordinarily takes this way to call a soul by the preaching of his word Luke 15.22 When the Prodigal was effectually called home to his father his father did not presently comfort him himselfe but he sends his servants and said Go take the best robe and put it upon my Sonne This son is a sinner the father is God Almighty the servants are the ministers now God doth not his work by himselfe but he leaves it to his Ministers and they shal put on the ring and the garment they shal be the instruments by the Ministry of the word to work grace in the heart Hence 't is that 1 Cor. 1.12 some are blamed that should say I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Christ Why are men blamed for saying they are for Christ Is that blame-worthy to cry up Christ No the fault is not simply in advancing Christ but the fault was this so to cry up Christ as to cry down duties and cry down the use of Ministers and the use of Ordinances and therein they were too blame because Christ would not immediatly by revelations and raptures cal any but leaves the conversion and cal of a sinner to the ordinary way of preaching the word and therefore a sad word it is to all out of Gods way of calling that either have not the word or if they have it never care to enjoy it 7. That if men continue long under the enjoyment of the word and are not effectually called by it they are likely never to be called I would commend to you that place to prove this in Luke 13.6 7. where Christ tels you of a fig-tree he sâ—ayed three years looking for fruit and he found none the husband-man prayed to spare it one year longer and if it did not beare fruit then he should cut it down and cast it into the fire Now this Fig-tree were the professing Jewes who lay some competent time under the Ministrie of Christ and of his Apostles and this Fig-tree if it were spared but one year and brought not forth fruit then it should be cut down and Christ did so it seems he curst it and said never fruit grow more upon this tree Now you would ask what the meaning of all this is Why Beloved a fig tree if it beareth not fruit within four years after it is planted it is likely never to bring forth fruit And here the Parable comes home thus far that if after some competencie of time in which in all likelihood men may have some sparks wrought in them by the ministrie of the word if after all this they are not converted the curse of the fig-tree is like to fal upon that mans heart never let the word doe that man good more and never let grace grow in that mans heart more let never fruit grow more upon that tree this the Parable holds forth that if you live under the enjoyment of the word long and are not converted it is an argument you shal not be called And this is a heartcutting consideration to all ancient men that have out-lived many Ministers and have seen their Ministers laid in the grave their Ministers have spent their strength and wasted their lungs in preaching to them and yet they are as profane as ever and as loose as ever and as regardless of God and grace as ever truely you are in a very sad case if it be thus with you you are likely never to be called by Jesus Christ 8. That God in the dispensations of his grace doth not ordinarilie let effectual calling run to the richer sort of men in the world but rather to the poorest sorts and ranks of men that are I remember that Austin in one of his books hath this saying Unlearned men they snatch away heaven from us that are great Scholars and truly as it was in his time so it is now Men that are great Scholars that understand Scripture know Languages they are turned into hel when unlearned and poor men they get heaven God hath chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith In all the dispensations of his grace though he cals some rich men it is true to carrie on the work and countenance his people yet Gods effectual calling doth not so commonly come among rich men as the poor of the world the poor saith Christ receive the Gospel the Learned Scribes and Doctors among the Jewes and the rich Pharisees they did all spurn at Jesus Christ when the poor and ignorant people that knew not the Law they followed him 1 Cor. 1.26 Not many wise not many noble not many mighty are called but God hath chosen the poore things of this world and things that are despised yea and things that are not to bring to nought things that are Here you see plainly this conclusion proved that Gods effectual calling doth not ordinarilie and commonly run among the greater sort of men in the world but it runs among the poorer sort of men they ordinarilie give best entertainment to the Gospel And the reason of this is 1. To magnifie the riches of his grace if Christ should cal rich men onely and chiefly many would think it was onely mens riches and mens honour did move Christ to call them Now Christ to vindicate and magnifie his grace he wil call poor despicable wretches that one would think there should be nothing in the eye of reason or sense why God should cast an eye of favour upon them 2. To magnifie and manifest his power that he wil preserve a companie of poor contemptible people among so many enemies so potent and so wealthy that they shal never be able to overthrow them 3. Because rich men lie under more temptations against effectual calling then poor men do Rich men think 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 sorrowful 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 shal eclipse their honour should they professe a course of Religion Gal. 22. I preacht publikely among the ordinary sort saith Paul but I preach privately to men of reputation lest I should run in vain As much as if he should say men of qualitie and of repute they would not own Christ publickly they were afraid they should lose their honour and credit therefore 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 onely externally called
are most sensible of their own vilenesse and see the most want and necessitie 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 wickedness 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 sinne 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 cal you to glorie 5. That a man may be elected by God from all eternitie and yet he may live a long time in a course of sin before he cal him and yet before he dies he shal be called John 10.16 I lay 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 heare 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 thâ—se are not all but I have others that are not converted yet I wil 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 may go a long time in a course of sin yet before you die you shal be effectually called and brought home to the sheepfold of Jesus Christ 6. A man may be effectually called when in his own apprehension he cannot finde 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 add grace to grace to make his calling sure that man is purblind and cannot see afar off that is cannot see as far as â—eaven that his name is written there cannot have cleer and strong comfort of his belonging to God Mâ—ny a godlie man may be effectually called and yet that man a purblind man not able to behold as with open face the evidence of his effectual calling 7. A man may have grounded assurance that he is effectuallie 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 presse-conversion so high that if a man cannot tel the time when or the manner how or the Sermon by which hâ— was called they say he is not yet converted this is too râ—gid a Doctrine and the Scripture makes more for the confirmation of this that a man may have a grounded assurance of his effectual calling when he neither knows the time nor the manner nor the instrumâ—nt by which he was called Mark 4.27 And he said so is the Kingdom 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 Kingdome of God saith Christ and here this seed springs up the man cannot tel haply the day he sowed it nor how he scattered it yeâ— this seed springs up he knows not how So a man may have the seed of grace sown in his heart which is effectual calling and yet it grows up he knows not how nor when heâ— was called So John 9. I onely allude to iâ— 19 20. It is spoken there of the man that was healed by Jesus Christ the blind Son 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 son 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 â—xâ—ctly determine But now this Conclusion doth not hold true in all causes If a man have been a profane liver then it is impossible in an ordinary 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 family and from their childhood to their dying day did never break out into any scandalous sin these men cannot give an account either when or by whom they were called and yet their calling may be effectual and therefore that is too rigid a Doctrine to presse such high qualifications before conversion for God hath different wayes and degrees of working though al are not obvious to our eye 8. That they who are called by Christ they shal be kept by Christ that they do not fal from their Cal 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 onely called by Christ but you are kept by Christ that you shal not fal 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 preserved by Christ and called and kept in a state of grace til you shal come to glory So 1 Thes 5.24 Faithful is he that called you who also will do it that is bring you to that glory which you are called unto 9. When Christ hath an intent to cal a poor sinner neithe their Povertie nor their impietie shal hinder the call of Jesus Christ Not your Povertie God hath chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heires 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 wil not cal me Why this shal not hinder Mary Magdalen a Harlot possessed with seven Divels yet called Manasseh a blood-sucker that
Christian King that ever England had and indeed the first Christian King that ever any Nation had to the glory of England so Gildas in his life tels us And this King though he was turned to Christianity yet for many years he had this temptation upon him that the Christians were poorer then the Romans that did not embrace Jesus Christ and this temptation he could hardly shake off the Romans were more wealthy and the Romans were more warlick and so had like to have been overcome with this suggestion Agolantus a heathen Prince being taken prisoner by the Emperor and being in his Court he saw thirty or forty poor men in poor clothes walking in the Palace and demanding of the Emperor who those poor men were the Emperor told him they are the followers of Jesus Christ are they so saith he If Christ keep his followers in such a low condition I wil never follow Jesus Christ The poornesse of Christs followers made him stumble at Christianity There are many men especially the gallants of the times they see a company of poor silly women come with a Bible under their armes and they embrace the faith and they love it and this is a marvellous great offence to them that they wil not follow Jesus Christ because of the poverty they are exposed to in the wayes of Jesus Christ And then for persecution also that they are not onely exposed to want but to losse of liberty and good name and life also Matth 10.38 You must take up the cross these are tedious termes to flesh and blood and this doth wonderfully gravel and keep back men from entertaining of Christ Now to take off this temptation of the Devil that it might not seize upon your hearts I shal lay down six paticulars by way of answer First That the servants of God of old time thâ—y had rather chuse poverty and persecution with the people of God then to enjoy the vanities and profits of this world with wicked men And this was Moses's choice Heb. 11.24 25. Moses when he came to years refused to be called the son of Pharaohs Daughter câ—usiâ—g rather tâ— suffer aâ—fliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ better then all the riches of Aegypt Moses when he came to years it was no childish act but an act of deliberation and it was no constrained act but Moses choice rather it was an act of his own choice rather to have affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season It was spoken of Mr. Philpot his being in the Cole-house at Windsor a dismal and dark place Saith one I had rather be with Philpot in the Cole-house then be with Bonner in his Palace And being asked why the one being so dismal the other so beautiful saith he the reason is because Bonners conscience makes his Palace a cole-house but Philpots God and Philpots Christ makes his cole-house a Palace And Beloved this is a truth though a man should be a beggar if he be rich in faith he is the happiest man in the world Though a man should beg his bread from door to door if he can beg Christ and have it and beg grace and have it he is the richest man upon earth This therefore is my first answer that the servants of God had rather chuse afflictions with the people of God then have pleasures with wicked men Secondly Suppose you meet with poverty and persecution in following Christ yet consider Jesus Christ doth make you abundant recompence with that inward peace and inward joy he fils your hearts withal for all the outward troubles you meet with in the world John 16.33 In the world you shall have tribulation but mark the Cordial In me ye shall have peace therefore be of good chear I have overcome the world Though you have troubles in the world yet you have joy in me and peace in me and therefore why should you be offended 3. Consider Though you want many things in the world yet you shal want nothing that is good for you Psal 84.11 He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that live a godly life If riches be good for thee thou shalt not want it if wealth be good for you you shal not want it if estate be good for you you shal not want that for he will with-hold nothing from them that live a godly life 4. A gracious heart if he hath or can finde that he hath a real interest in Christ though he wants much in the world he thinks he wants nothing but he hath all things in having a Christ nor wil he complain of poverty when endowed with riches of heaven Luke 22.25 And Christ said unto them when I sent you without purse and without scripe and shooes lacked you any thing Mark the question Now if a carnal man had been to answer this what would he have said What send a man without a purse then he wants money send him without a scrip he wants meat send him without shooes a man is a poor man indeed that hath no shooes to his feet a carnal man would have said Yes Lord we want mony and we want meat and we want shooes but ask the Disciples wanted you any thing They said Nothing And why was this Because the Disciples knew they had a grounded interest in Jesus Christ and a right to Jesus Christ and though they wanted these poor outward comforts they did not want Christs comfort and Christs graces and therefore when they had neither purse scrip nor shooes they wanted nothing Why O Beloved if you were of the temper of these gracious Disciples you would say so too that if you can finde a grounded and real interest in Christ though you want many of the comforts of this world you will say you want nothing Wanted you any thing and they said Nothing 5. You that make poverty and persecution a plea Consider this that the poor are ordinarily the most people that Jesus Christ doth call to embrace his Gospel The poor receive the Gospel saith Christ and blessed are you that are not offended at it Not many wise not many noble are called but the poor things of the world hath God chosen 1 Cor. 1.26 And in James God hath chose the poor of this world to be rich in faith Doe not therefore Beloved make this a plea to keep off from Christ because ordinarily they are the people Christ pitcheth most love upon and doth delight to make them rich in grace who are poore in goods 6. Consider That if upon this ground you refuse the cal of Jesus Christ you are exposed to more povertie and to worse pâ—rsecution then ever you could be exposed to in the entertaining of Christ In the following of Christ you are only exposed to an outward povertie but in neglecting the cal of Christ you are exposed
God in electing a certain number of men to life and salvation did not doe it upon the foresight of any good works he saw would be in them whether Faith Repentance Sanctification or any other grace Indeed it is true the Papists many of them doe not grosly say that it was foresight of good works in general but the foresight of faith only and so the Arminians But now to overthrow this ungrounded opinion First I shall lay down Scriptures to confirm this that God in electing of men to salvation doth noâ— doe it upon foresight of good works and then lay down reasons and after that take off those objections which seem to darken this truth First for the Scriptures that confirm this we have Rom. 11.5 He hath saved a remnant according to the election of grace Intimating that the remnant that are saved it is onely of grace not of foreseen works So Eph. 1.5 11. He hath elected us according to the good pleasure of his will Gods meer good will was the impulsive cause of mans eâ—ection and nothing in man So likewise Rom. 2.11 That Gods election might stand not according to our works but according to the good pleasure of him that called us So 2 Tim. 1.9 Not of works but according to his owne purpose and grace Upon his good pleasure and his good will to mankinde upon that ground election stands But now to adde some reasons why it cannot be that God should determine in his own councel to save man upon the foresight of his works I shall name four or five Aâ— First because the inferiour priviledges that God bestowes upon his peoples as vocation and justification are not for their good works though they are in actual being therefore much lesse is election for good works onely foreseen First for Vocation 2 Tim. 1.19 We are called not according to our owne works but according to the purpose of his own grace And then for Justification we are not justified for works neither Rom. 3.24 We are justified freely by his grace for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified Now if vocation and justification be not for works much lesse is election for works and for works foreseen not being actually in us Secondly because then it would follow that children dying in infancy could not be elected for the childe being in the mothers wombe if it hath life it hath a soule and so must either be saved or damned But a childe while it is in the wombe neither acts good or evil Now if God did elect persons to life upon foresight of works then children dying in the wombe could not be elected because there are no works God could foresee in them And then this would be a very uncomfortable doctrine for parents that have children dying young Thirdly then would man have somewhat whereof to boast before his God as if he could lay claim to salvation from him If God were bound to chuse men to salvation upon foresight of good works then man might say I thank not God but I thank my believing and thank my good works for these were the motives for which he chose me to glory and â—hus would poor man boast against his Maker Fourthly Because God hath elected the worst of men when others that have more natural worth and goodnesse are passed by 1 Cor. 1.27 28. God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world c. and base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen c. And Matth. 11.25 I thank thee O Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Those that had the greatest worldly wisedome and natural abilities that most excelled in outward strictnesse and moral vertues are rejected when those that are but babes in understanding who many times are the worst for their moralities are elected which is a clear demonstration that election is not grounded upon faith or works foreseen for then the best had been chosen before the rest Fifthly Our works carry no proportion to what God hath elected us unto we are elected to eterâ—al glory but our works are finite imperfect no more then our duty yea not done by our own strength but by the power of Gods grace and therefore cannot be that which moveth God to elect us Sixthly because God doth not chuse men to life for the sake of Jesus Christ therfore much less for their works sake It is true and mistake me not I confesse and so all Divines that are confesse this that God saves a man for Christs sake but God elects not a man for Christs sake but meerly for his own good pleasureâ— sake God in chusing a man to life hath no reference to Christ as if Christ were the motive Christ was predestinated himselfe therefore could not be the cause of our predestination 1 Pet. 1.20 We are chosen in him its true Eph. 1.4 as the common person God elected Christ first in order and all believers in him but it is not for Christs sake but according to his own will As suppose a Kingdome to be newly set up a King is chosen and his suecessors to follow after why then all the succeeding Kings are chosen in him that was first elected so are we chosen in Christ God doth chuse a man as freely as if Christ did never die and yet God saves none but for Christs sake and this makes election on Gods part most free God doth not consider Christ nor the good works we have but t is only his own good will engages him to save some and neglect others And thus much for proving this point There are some objections now that lie in the way which must be removed God say they doth elect men upon the foresight of their good works and they alledge four Scriptures to prove this James 2.2 Hath not God châ—sed the poor of this world to be rich in faith now say they their laying out their estates for good uses and so becoming poor that is the reason why God chuseth thâ—m and neglects richer men To which I answer That poor here is onely spoken of as the quality of the persons that are chosen not as the cause wherefore they are chosen And this answer Mr. Perkins gives that poverty is not the cause why but the description of the persons that are chosen that Gods decree of election doth commonly run among the poorer sort of men the more to advance his own grace that man shall not say election is intailed upon works for if poverty should be the cause of their election then all that are poor should be elected which is false Again further they object 2 Thes 2.13 God from the beginning hath chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth Now say they sanctification and faith is made as the channel through which elâ—ction
one outwardly that is that was conformable to the rites and customes of the Jewes but he was one that was one inwardly that had his sins mortified his nature changed and his heart cleansed he was an elect Jew So that to have a holy life if a man have not an holy heart is no sign that a man is within the compasse of Gods election Fourthly God in electing men to life doth pass by moral and civil honest men that trust and depend upon their own righteousnesse and strict living rather then any sort of men in the world Matth. 21 31 33. saith Christ John Baptist preached the Gospel of repentance but you believed not but Publicans and â—arlots believed Those Pharisees that did depend upon their own righteousness and their own goodness Christ did not call them Christ did not own them God made them not the objects of his election Hence it is said Matth. 9.13 Christ came not to call the righteous but sinnâ—rs to repentance that is men depending upon their own righteousnesse and their own parts they are left out by Christ as if he came not for them but Christ came to call sinners that see their sinne and were vile in their own eyes Christ came to call such Again 2. The second delusion whereby the devil makes men think they are elected by God is drawn from their external vocation that they are not onely civilized and moralized ones but they finde the power of the word to call them and upon this vocation they bottome the hopes of their election And they have Scripture for it Rom. 8.30 Whom God predestinates he calls Now God hath called them by the word and they have found the word come with power upon tâ—eir conscience to reforme the evils of their life And the power of vocation they deem higher as indeed it is then the power of education or natural temper and therefore think they I having vocation this is an evidence to me of my election To this delusion I shal only say two things by way of answer First it is true indeed the Scripture saith all whom God predestinates he calls but the Scripture doth not say that all whom he calls he predestinates No man that God appoints to life but before he dies God will call him by the word but God doth not say any where that those whom he calls them he did predestinate to life Secondly many men are outwardly called by the word into a profession of Christ when they are not eternally elected by God to salvation Mat. 22.14 Many are called but few are chosen Many are called but all those that are externally called by the word are not chosen nor all ordained to life A man may be called from ignorance to knowledge yet not elected Heb. 6.4 After they were enlightned and had tasted the word of God and the power of the world to come yet they fell away A man may be called from profanesse to profession from the world into the Church as Simon Magus was yet not elected but remain in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity Thirdly A third delusion whereby men are deceived by the Devil to think they are elected when they are not is this If they cannot plead their education and moral manner of living or if they cannot plead their vocation their last plea is the mercy of God they hope God is a merciful God and God made them not all to damn them they are Gods creatures made by him and God that made them will save them and hereupon they fasten their hopes that they are in the number of Gods elect ones This is a strong delusion especially amongst ignorant people And to this I answer in two particulars First when as men say God is a merciful God therefore they hope they are elected I answer It is true God is a merciful God yet God is as just as merciful he is mercifully just and justly merciful his mercy cannot intench upon his Justice nor shâ—ll his Justice intrench upon his mercy one Attribute shall not clash with another he is no more merciful then he is just nor is he more just then he is merciful Secondly though God be a merciful God yet Gods saving mercy is not so large as to extend to all creatures that live that he hath made You read Isay 27.11 This is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy upon them and be that formed them will shew them no favour Here you see the Prophet tels them that that God that made them will damn them and that God that formed them that God will shew them no favour So that Gods mercy extends not so far as to reach to all the works of his hands for if so the devils might claim salvation as well as man for God made them when they were glorious Angels as well as man and therefore if all the works of Gods hands should plead for salvation they might as well come within the compasse of Gods election as wicked men doe And thus you see in these several Sermons I have finished the Doctrines of Effectual Vocation and Eternal Election I will now a little illustrate the point by laying down â—en Propositions which will serve to clear the Doctrine of Election in many points about it and so conclude First That all men are not the objects of Gods election or of Gods choice And this proposition doth confute the opinion of Origen Origen was of this minde that all mankind should be saved nay the very devils themselves they should all be saved by Christ A most groundlesse and unheard of opinion for all men are not elected to salvation Jude tels us in his Epistle there were some of old ordained to condemnation and if so surely they could not fall within the compass of Gods election 1 Thes 5.9 There are some ordained to wrath but we are not amongst them saith the Apostle but we are ordained to obain salvation by Jesus Christ All are not objects of Gods election to life Secondly that the fewest sort of men and women that God hath made are the objects of his election God in his owne councel hath elected to life and salvation the fewest sort of mâ—n and women in the world And this is a very dreadful point Many are called but few are chosen Matth. 22.14 Rom. 11.5 A remnant according to the election of grace And here in pursuing this head I shall lay down two things under this proposition First that there are but few rich men chosen by God to life and salvation Secondly there are but few civil honest men chosen by God to life and salvation There are but few rich men that fall within the compasse of Gods purpose to save 1 Cor. 1.26 Not many mighty hâ— doth not say not any but not many mighty not many noble not many great ones of the world are chosen You read Matth. 19.24 That it is as easie for a Camel to go
Christ for his election and yet Christs sufferings were so full as if men were not bound to God for their election Thus they are pleased to expresse it And the reason why the Scripture speaks thus that we are onely chosen in Christ not for Christ is to give God the Father his due in electing men to life that God did it meerly of his own grace and thereiâ— Gods love and favour is apparent to all the world that he did elect man without Christ as the motive of his election and yet Jesus Christ being come into the world he carries on our salvation and he is the cause of it though he was not the cause of Gods first thoughts in electing man to life Sixthly All men that are elected by God to life and salvation shall sooner or later before they die be called into a state of conversion and believing Rom. 8.30 whom he did predestinate them be also called and Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed So that God the father in ordaining man to life hath ordained this also that before they die they shall be a converted and believing people and therefore men remaining unconverted uncalled unbelieving they are not the obiects of Gods election Seventhly that God in chusing or electing men to life doth let his election runne ordinarily unto the meanest and unto the worst sort of men in the world â—en that have least natural endowments least moral excellencies least worldly gallantry ordinarily election runs that way God hath chosen the poor things of this world and things dispised and things that are not hath be chosen 1 Cor. 1.27 Jam. 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith Ordinarily the Lord chuseâ—h poor and mean men that have no natural or moral excellencies Hence it was that when Christ left the learned Pharisees and Doctors among the Jewes the ignorant and poor people they flocked after Jesus Christ they looked after Jesus Christ when the rich and great men of the world had no shâ—re in him Eightly that a man may be an elect childe of God and yet not expresse the fruit of his election in many years here in the world and this is a very comfortable point An instance you have of this in Paul It is observable of Paul the Scripture tells us he was a chosen vessel Acts 9.15 and yet Paul lived many years before the fruit of his election appeared in him Some Historians say Paul lived 37. the least say 30 years before the fruit of election appeared in him for he was converted the very year after Christs death and all the while before he did expresse fruit that was seemingly repugnant to an elect estate as if a man could not be an elect vessel that was so vile as he he was a blasphemer a persecuter injurious to the Church â—aled men to prison mad with rage against the professors of Jesus Christ Nay he was a man that had a hand in putting Steven the first Martyr to death So long he lived in a course of iniquity for 30. years together and yet this man was an elect vessel then So the Thiefe upon thâ— Crosse an elect childe of God yet did not expresse the fruit of his election in repentance and conversion until the last hour of his life So that I say a man may be an elect childe of God and yet not expresse the fruit of his election in his life for many years Ninthly that God for the great love he beares to his elect that are in the world lets Reprobates and wicked men enjoy many mercies and outward deliverances for their sakes Mark 13.19 20. There shall be tribulation saith Christ such as was not from the beginning of the world nor shall be the end thereof but for the elect sake those daies shall be shortned For his elect sake God did mitigate did shorten God did take away that trouble from them So Esa 1.9 Had not God left us a small remnant we had been like Sodome yea like unto Gomorrah Had not God left a handful of his elect and godly men amongst them all the rest had been destroyed So Esa 65.8 And the Lord said destroy not the people for a blessing is among them That is my people is among them and my elect is among them therefore destroy them not God did not destroy the Nation of the Jewes because God had his own people mixed among them Lo Job 22.30 And this conclusion administers matter of thankfulnesse to all men upon earth to make you blesse God that he keeps his people alive among you for it is for the elects sake you have all the outward blessings and mercies you do enjoy Tenthly and lastly take in this conclusion That this world shall continue no longer then till the number of Gods elect be accomplished when God hath accomplished and brought in to Christ the number of his elect the world shall not stand one minute longer after this work is done God doth but uphold the world till the full numbers of Jewes and Gentiles be come in If the number were filled Jesus Christ would surrender up the Kingdome to his Father The Heavens should gather together like a scrowle and the Elements should melt with fervent heat and this world should come to a dissolution It is the elect in the world that keep up the world that it doth not fall about our ears And thus having spent these 16 Sermons touching mans Effectual calling and eternal Election I have now brought all unto a conclusion And I earnestly intreat you let it be your work to put forth your diligence to make this sure to your own soules that you are effectually called and that you are eternally elected to obtain life and salvation by Jesus Christ FINIS The Table A WE must give diligence to gain Assurance of our calling p. 21. and why p. 22. seq Whether Assurance of our calling be attainable in this life p. 93. seq Two extreams about this p. 17. Hindrances to be removed in getting Assurance of our Calling p. 115. seq Means to be used to get Assurance p. 119. seq At what time God fils his people with most Assurance p. 128. seq Difference between Assurance and groundless presumption p. 121. seq Directioâ—n to such as have Assurance p. 144 How to use Assurance p. 145. seq How to preserve Assurance p. 152. seq what must be done ibid. what avoided p. 154. seq How to improve Assurance p. 157. seq How to recover Assurance when t is lost p. 166. seq What sins chiefly forfeit our Assurance p. 161 Comforts to those that want Assurance p. 180 We should use diligence to get Assurance of Election p. 165 whether it be attainable in this life p. 166. seq objections against it answered p. 167 Not to be gotten by ascending into Gods decree but descending into our own hearts p. â—73 Afflictions no argument that we are
A TREATISE OF EFFECTUALL CALLING AND ELECTION In XVI SERMONS On 2 Peter 1.10 WHEREIN A Christian may discern whether yet he be effectually Called and Elected And what course he ought to take that he may attain the Assurance thereof Preached by that faithfull Servant of CHRIST Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE late MINISTER of Laurence Jury London LONDON Printed for John Rothwell at the Fountain and Beare in Goldsmiths Row in Cheapside 1655. To the Reader Good Reader IT s a true saying that the assurance of an eternal life is the life of this temporal life The Apostle tells us that if in this life only we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable None being exposed to so mâ—ny troubles and tribulations in this life as the best Christian And what could sustain and bear us up under them all but the certain hope and expectation of a better Resurrection This makes Christians glory in tribulation despise all the glory of the world run as swiftly in waies of duty as the chariots of Aminadab in a word to enjoy a Heaven upon earth They therefore are the greatest enemies of a Christians comfort that teach a doctrine of doubting that a Christian must alwaies hang in suspense about his eternal state and can never arrive to any certainty whether he shall be saved or no. But as this assurance is excellent so it is hard to come by Difficilia quae pulchar 'T is not to be obtained without a great deal of labour and diligence 'T is usually the fruit of much prayer and care and humiliation and long-waiting those that come by it so easily and get it so soon have great cause to suspect that their assurance is not of the right kinde Carnal security and presumption is eâ—sily attained but Christian assurance not without great difficulty 'T is therefore much to be lamented that there is so littâ—e diligence used for obtaining the assurance of our effectual Calling and eternal Election which iâ— of such great concernment to every Christian What care do men take and what diligence do they give to make sure their lands and goods and worldly estates They cannot be at rest till they have secured these But upon what uncertainties do they venture the salvation of their precious and immortal souls They run the most desperate hazard of their eternal salvation never consider whether they are in the way to heaven or hell until they drop irrecoverably into the bottomlesse pit Oh what a strange madnesse possesseth the mindes of men that they should look no more to their own safety that they think it wisedom to secure every thing except their own soules What evil have they deserved of you that you should neglect them so much The design of this Treatise is to awaken men from their security and to stirre them up to give all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure It was handled by the Author as a just Consectary from the doctrine of the Glory of Heaven and the Torments of Hell which Treatise is already published as appeares in the Introduction to this discourse That seeing there is such glory prepared for the Elect and such torments for the reprobate it concerns every Christian to give all diligence to make sure to himself that he shall attain the one and escape the other So that these three Treatises have dependance upon each other and together make up one compleat Systeme In this last thou shalt finde many practical cases handled of great soul-concernment both for the comfort of such as are sincere and the discovery of those that are unsound If thou wilt reap any profit by the perusal hereof let God have the praise and let them have thy prayers who are Ready to spend and be spent for the good of thy soul Edmund Calamy Jeremiah Whitaker Simon Ashe William Taylor Allen Geere OF THE ASSURANCE OF OUR Vocation and Election SERMON I. 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure TO give you an account why I pitch'd upon these words it is briefly thus Having spent seventeen Sermons in treating of the glory of Heaven for the Elect and of the torments of Hell for the Reprobate I deem'd it most meet to shut up those two Doctrines in the prosecution of this Subject of the Assurance of our Election and Vocation that so if this Doctrine be well improved you may have establishment in your own hearts that you are freed from the torments of the damned and may be confident you shal be stated into the Glory of Heaven which God hath provided for all his Saints And to the end you might have assurance that you shall be freed from the one and shall enjoy the other you must make it your work according to the words of my Text to make your calling and election sure Make but that sure and you are sure of heaven This is the reason why I pitch'd upon this subject And it is my care in preaching the Word not to chuse those Texts that are most for my ease in study but for your profit in hearing that so one Subject might back another and one Subject might strengthen another and being put together might more serve for your edification and knowledge I shall not stand long in Prefacing All that I have to doe in the managing of those words are these three things 1. To shew you the scope and dependance of the words 2. The sense and meaning 3. To draw out those practical observations which naturally flow from them and then apply the observations deduced For the scope and dependance of these words you may discern it lyes thus Peter who is called an Apostle of the Circumcision that is an Apostle whose work and office it was to Preach to the circumcised Jewes as it was Pauls office to Preach to the uncircumcised Gentiles he writ his Epistle to the dispersed Jewes that were scattered throughout the world through Pontus Asia Cappadocia Galacia and Bythinia whence observe Gods people are a scattered people And to them he writes that though they were persons living in different places yet they had the same faith Simon Peter a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith So that you see the spirit of God where it works in men though they live in different places yet they shall all believe the same Truth and all receive the same Faith Though different in language yet but one God and one Faith The spirit of God wrought the same Faith among those scattered Christians and the Apostle writing to these Jewes he begins his Epistle 1. By way of salutation ver 2. Grace and peace be multiplyed to you 2. He writes by way of consolation ver 4. telling them that they are Partakers of the Divine Nature that they are called to Glory and shall enjoy all the promises of the Gospel These are 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 adde grace to grace that they should make it their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or their main businesse 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 knowledge 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 afarre off that is he that lacks these graces if you do not grow in grace you will be so dim sighted you wil so deaden your comfoâ—ts and darken your evidences that you can have no assurance you shal 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 doe 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 shal only give you a briefe 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 cleere 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 carelesse way but to do a thing with industry vigilancy and unweariednesse 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 knowledge 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 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 then it is already whom he hath elected shal 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 glory by Jesus Christ Divines therefore give this distinction That there is an assurance of the Object and that is sure enough for if God hath decreed you to glory that wil 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 knowledge 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 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 til God hath effectually called us by the Preaching of the Gospel and therefore Calling is set bâ—fore 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 enjoyned 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 gain them to set upon the ready practice of this duty in that word Brethren Wherefore Brethren give diligence to make your
Grace and Peace be towards you Rom. 1.6 7. Called to be Saâ—â—tâ— Grace and Peace be multiplyed towards you and so in every Epistle besides to note that when a man is effâ—ctually called the more assurance he hath of his calling the more peace he hath in his own conscience It wil greaten your peacâ— and greaten your inward comforts therefore you should labour afâ—er this assâ—rance of your effectual calling And thus having shewn you what effectual calling is and why you â—ust give diligence to make this sure I now passe to a third Qâ—erie What are the Characters or discoveries whereby my soul may be assured that I aâ— effâ—ctually called by Jesus Christ And in the dispatch of this I shall resolve it onely by these two general heads First You may be assured of your effectual calling if God hath â—aken that method with your souls which he doth ordinarily take with those whom he doth effectually call Secondly If the Lord hath wrought in you those saving effects or concomitants which do ordinarily accompany those that are thus effectually called if these two things be done you may have a seal and assurance in your own hearts that you also are effectually called Beloved it is not for Ministers to flatter you there are among many in the world but few that are called among many that are called but few that are elected and therefore do not flatter your selves If upon tryal you finde you are not in the number of Gods called ones go home and bewail your unregenerate and unconverted estate But before I can speak of this method I must first lay downe some mistakes that are held by erroneous mindes about the method God takes in calling a sinner home to himself A fiâ—st mistake is of the Pelagians who hold this that a man is able to call and convert himself Now this opinion doth quite exclude and justle out God from having any hand therein they say a Christian is able to call and convert himselfe having only a general concurrence and assistance from God 2. Of the Arminians and they hold this That effectual calling consists only in moral perswasions and may be resisted by the person that is thus called and that a man being called into a state of grace may fall from his calling and fall from his grace and so have no profit by his calling at all which is a most uncomfortable opinion and surely God would never take this method in calling of his people 3. That of the Papists and they say that God calls and ordains a sinner to glory but it is upon the foresight of his good works God foresaw how good and holy the man would be and therefore God would chuse and call him to glory But this hath no ground from Scripture neither 4. That of the Familists and they hold this That Gods method in calling a sinner is not by the outward Ministry of the Word but it is by Raptures and Revelations and by divine inspirations and extraordinary wayes of working but this is not Gods usual method though God sometimes takes this way as he did by Paul who was called this way after an extraordinary manner Yet this is not Gods ordinary rule 5. There is another mistake and that is of those who presse a necessity of such measures of legal horrour and terrour upon the consciences of men else they can never be saved Sometimes Ministers have been so harsh now and then though indeed no such cause to blame them as is pretended yet sometimes lashes break out that men must be so and so humbled in such a measure and so long for duration Now this is not Gods method to presse for measure but a great mistake about Gods manner of calling a sinner though I must confesse this is the nearest of all the five to that rule God takes in calling a sinner to glory Having thus laid down the mistakes 't is the easier now to finde out the truth I come now to speak of that method God takes in calling a sinner And here I shall lay down a sixfold method in which God proceeds with those whom he doth effectually call which if he doth so with you you may go home with a seal upon your hearts that you are effectually called to grace and you shall one day come to glory First When God goes about effectually to call a poor sinner into a state of grace he puts a clear light into his soul whereby he may see the hainous and aggravated nature of all his sins more then ever he did before Rom. 7.8 9 13. Paul tells you Before the commandment came he was alive and sin was dead that is before the power of the word came upon his conscience to convert him he was alive i.e. he thought he was a good man and a just man and he thought sin was dead sin was destroied he never knew sin so sinful but when the commandment came sin revived and I died but when the word of God came with power upon my conscience and light upon my judgement then I saw I was a dead man sin had kil'd me and I saw sin was raigning and sin was raging in me and what then ver 13. I saw sin exceeding sinful he never saw sin so before conversion before his Call when he was a Pharisee but when the word of God came with power upon his conscience to call him then saith he I saw sin to be exceeding sinful Now O Beloved hath ever God done thus with your souls may be you look upon sin with a transient and general view but do you look upon sin so as to see more evil in sin then ever you saw before This is the course God usually takes Me thinks God deals with a converted sinner as it is spoken in Job 33.27 28. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it doth not profit me he will deliver his soul from going down into the pit and his life shall see the light that is God looks upon the mass of mankind in the world and saith if any man say he hath sinned and it did not profit him that is if he look upon sin as an evil and that he never did get good by it then saith God I will deliver his soul from hell and bring him to heaven Yea but you will say May be sometimes God may do thus to affright men and trouble men in minde make them see their sins but is this Gods usual work Yes it is ver 29. Lo these things worketh God oftentimes with men Mark it is not a seldom work but it is Gods work often he will make you see your sins see them to be fruitlesse and see them to be unprofitable Lo these things God worketh oftentimes with men Hence you read John 16.8 When the Spirit shall come mark his Office he shall convince the world of sin The first act of the Spirit in converting a
soul and calling him is to convince him of sin And I Remember Piscator thinks this accomplished in Acts 2.37 When they saw their sin in crucifying of Jesus Christ this is the first work of the Spirit of God in you Calling he will convince you of sin Now O Beloved to how many do I speak this day with whom God hath never taken this Method since they were born into the world How many are there that have been told of their drunkennesse and told of their lusts and of their deceits and of their licencious living from day to day and yet to this day they never saw sin to be exceeding sinful they never were convinced of sin to purpose If they did indeed see their sin 1. it was but a transient sight soon come and soon gone or else 2. it was but a general sight â—o say we are all sinners or 3. If they did see their sin it was but a confused sight no way distinct or 4. If they did see sin it was an unhumbling sight the sight of sin did never humble them in Gods sight I intreat you Beloved do not lay hold or have hopes of being effectually call'd if God hath not shewn you the hainous and aggravated nature of your sins There is a speech Job 36.9 10. He first shews to men their works and their transgressions that they have exceeded and then he opens their ears to discipline and commands them to return from evil Mark then the Lord doth it when he makes them see their transgressions that they have exceeded Now have you seen that you have exceeded in your Passions and in your Pride have you seen sin to be exceeding sinful this is Gods first work and happy are you that are brought into Christs School that Christ doth take this Method withall 2. After God hath put a light into the soul to make you see the sinfulnesse of sin then 2. God fastens these thoughts on the soul to make you sensible of the great misery that your sins have brought you into to cry out with Paul Rom. 7.24 Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death There Paul cryes out of his wretchednesse and misery by reason of that body of death the sinfulnesse of his nature which he confesses did as much trouble him as if a dead body should be tied to his living body alluding to the custome of the Romans in punishing notorious Malefactors which he takes to be a most grievous punishment Why Beloved have you ever seen this did you ever see that misery that sin brought upon you that sin did devest you of righteousnesse did rob you of your God banish you from his presence intitle you to hell and make you objects of his wrath Now were you sensible of this misery this is Gods method to make you see your misery by reason of sin 3. God puts the soul into a kind of spiritual astonishment that the poor sinner doth not know where to go what course to take which way to turn how he may get pardon for his sin and recovery from his miserie This you finde mentioned as Gods method Acts 2.37 upon 3000 at once Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved They were even in amaze the word wrought upon them and they saw Jesus Christ crucified to be their sin and now they crie out in great astonishment Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved When God effectually calls a man he will leave him a little to himselfe that he knows not which way in the world to turn him Now when I speak of spiritual Astonishment mistake me not for first I presse not such a measure of Humiliation nor such a measure of trouble of minde how great it must be Nor Secondly do I presse the duration of it how long it must be that you must be so long and so long Nor Thirdly do I presse an absolute necessitie of this as if a man could not be call'd without it Indeed we read of Lydia that her heart was opened and she never troubled nor astonisht and God sometimes works thus in an extraordinary way but I presse this that ordinarily its Gods Method in some measure or other at some time or other to put his People in such a plunge that they shall not know which way in the world to turn themselves And so were those 3000 Acts 2. They could not tell what they should do to be saved And here further if you ask me With whom doth God most of all take this course to put them into such spiritual amazement to put them into horror and terror about their everlasting estate I Answer first Those that have liv'd in a course of prophanenesse before Conversion let them look to it if thou hast been a knottie and stout-hearted sinner against God God must give thee many a blow before he can hammer thee to his own will You that have been guiltie of Drunkennesse and guiltie of Adultery or guiltie of Sabbath-breaking in a grosse and licencious way that have made this world a stage to act wickednesse upon look to it boast not of your Calling if God hath not brought you in this way you have ground to suspect you are not yet call'd They that before Conversion were loose in their lives if they finde not this spiritual amazement it is not likely they are call'd And therefore I verily suspect your Call that can jump out of a course of Profanenesse into a course of Profession that can jump from a course of Malignitie to delight to hear Sermons and love Ministers You that have been opposers of godlinesse if you do not shew an eminent work in your Conversion I greatly suspect whether you are converted or no because it is Gods usual Method if men have been men of grosse lives before calling to bring them to great ashonishment when they are called 2. You that have often withstood and still withstand Gods call that Sermon after Sermon and invitation after invitation would not gain upon you Do you look about you God will give you many a blow God will send you many a sad hour before he brings you â—o your peace 3. Those that have often sinn'd against Conscience that do as it were lay Conscience wast that are prodigall of sinning not caring for sinning against never so much light and never so much conviction Beloved you shall not have so easie a coming to heaven God will first lay many stroaks upon you and draw heavie groans from you David saith By reason of thy terrors I am afraid and my bones are dried up You are subject to most horror and astonishment that do sin against Conscience Again 4. When God hath done thus made you see the aggravated nature of sin shewn you your misery by reason of sin and brought you into such a condition that you cannot tell how to be saved then 4. this is Gods Method to take you off from your own bottom beat
foolish and Christ weak men uncall'd they have low thoughts of Christ but to you that are called Christ is the power and wisdome of God You will have high thoughts of Jesus Christ if you are effectually called 4. That man that is effectually called he shall be inabled by the spirit of Christ to call upon God 1 Cor. 1.2 To all in Corinth called to be Saints with all that call upon the name of the Lord. There the Apostle joynes called to be Saints with this phrase to call upon God to shew that whoever is effectually called to be a Saint that man shall be inabled by the Spirit of Jesus to call upon God Psal 27.8 When thou saidest Seek my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek Hence ye read Acts 9.11 when Ananias doubted whether Paul was truly call'd or no and Jesus Christ would convince Ananias that he was truly call'd what means doth he use verse 11. do not suspect him but arise saith Christ and go to him into the street called straight and inquire at the house of Judas for one Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth If he were not called he would never go to God in such a cordial way and humble his soul before God for his by past failings and beg strength for time to come and labour to have his peace made with me Go to him for behold he prayeth and therefore all you that have not a spirit in any measure to call upon God and to pour forth your requests in a solemn prayer you have just cause of jealousie to suspect your Call 5. If you are effectually called God hath wrought in your souls an utter detestation and loathing of all the evils that in the former part of your lives before your calling you have committed and were guilty of Hos 14.8 Ephraim shall say what have I any more to do with Idols The interogation imports a vehement detestation of them and indignation against them 2 Cor. 7.11 the Apostle speaks there of repentance the same with calling when men come to have the work of grace in their hearts and this is a branch of it that godly sorrow causeth care and causeth feare and causeth indignation that is if any man be a repenting man and a converted man this conversion will cause indignation that is he will be even mad with himselfe and angry with himselfe that he should be so vile a wretch before conversion as he hath been Thus was Paul he speakes with indignation against the sins he was guilty of before his calling I have been a persecutor I have hal'd the Saints into prison Nay saith he I was even mad against the Church Beloved you will count your sins to be madnesse and count them to be greatly aggravated that were committed before God call'd you Anselm said to his body I 'le tame thee O unruly beasâ— with fasting and prayâ—r We read of one that bit off his tongue in indignation that therewith he had denied Jesus Christ Another Martyr put that hand first into the fire with which he had subscribed a recantation saying Burn thou O hand that didst subscribe to that which might have made me burn both body and soul in hell And therefore you that have no loathing thoughts against past deceit and past drunkennesse and past swearing and past evils suspect your calling You that do not abhor the thoughts of your formeâ— evils your wonted pride and wonted covetousnesse if you cannot look with indignation against these you have great cause to suspect your call For if God have called you he will make you even angry with your selves that ever you have been so vile as you have been Hence it is when God speaks of Israels conversion Isa 2.20 't is said they shall cast away their Idols from them they shall cast away their sins as with indignation against themselves because they have sinned And hence in the Prophesie of Ezek. 20.43 the Prophet tels them that for the evils they had done they should loath themselves in their own eyes their indignation should be so great against themselves that ever they should be so vile against God before their call So David with indignation saith after he had recovered himselfe and brought his heart into a repentant frame so foolish was I and Ignorant Psal 73.22 Now Beloved I would hear appeale unto you I will judge no man let your own consciences passe sentence upon you But let me appeale to your selves Have not many of you before these times been opposers of Religion men walking in ungodly lewd and profane courses of living haply now you are moulded into a form of Profession now you hear the Word speak wel of Ministers now you cry up Government many your plausible wayâ—s and actions you can carry on but what is in your hearts Have you indignation against your past persecution and evils If not belieâ—e it though you go far I fear you may comâ— short of heaven your calling is not real if you have not indignation â—nâ— wrath against your former sins commitâ—ed And therefore O what a sad word is this to all â—nsensible sinners that are men that never had their hearts touch'd with remorse for any evil What a sad word is this to you that have been drunk week aâ—â—er week and sworn day after day and dâ—câ—ived hour after hour and been unclean time after time and yet all these evils never touch'd the heart Truly you have grâ—at cause to fear that God hath not yet â—ffâ—ctually called you by Jesus Christ 6. The man that is effâ—ctually callâ—d his spirit is brought into an obediâ—ntial frame to yield obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ if God call you by his Spirit he will not leave you to the exorbitancies of your own wayes and will but he will bring you to a yeeldingnesse of heart to all his commands Rom. 15.6 We have received grace and Apostleship for obedience to the faith among all Nations among whom you are also the called of Jesus Christ The Apostle did not alone receive grace for obedience but the same was among them also You receive grace for the obedience of faith So that now if you are the called of Jesus Christ the Lord hath this work upon you he doth bring you to the obedience of faith that is he doth work in your souls a yeelding frame to obey all the commands of Jesus Christ and therefore any of you that stand out with stoutnesse of heart against Jesus Christ let Christ say what he will you will do what you list let him command what he will you will do what you please you that stand out thus with gainsaying of spirit against Jesus Christ you have great cause to suspect your Call Again 7. A man effectually called by Jesus Christ he will be mis-called and reproach'd by the men of the world John 15.19 If you were of the world the world would love his own but because you are not of
in heaven 3. God calls 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 curse and rigour and condemnation of it but now Jesus Christ if he have called thee he hath called thee to liberty Gal 5.13 You are called to liberty only use not liberty as a Cloak to wickedness Before calling 2 Tim. 2.25 you are in Sathans snares but after calling you are set at liberty you are freed from the guilt and freed from the bondage of your sin 4. You are called from a condition of estrangednesse into an intimate familiaritie and 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 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom you are 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 Goâ— 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 ye thankful 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 state of shame to a state of glory Before you are called you are vile shameful creatures in Gods sight when Gon cals you he cals you into a condition of glory 1 Pet. 5.10 Who hath called us to his eternall glory and 1 Thes 2.12 Since thou wast precacus in my sight and I have loved thee thou becamest honouâ—able Isa 43. 1 Pet. 2.6 To you that beleive 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 believeing state he is not onely precious to you and prizâ—d of you but he is an honour to you This then you are to consider that uncâ—lled you are in a shameful condition â—o 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 knowledge 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 glory 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 own 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 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 lay 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 effectully called Secondly Ten consolatory conclusions to all those men that are effectually called by Jesus Christ and mixing conclusions procuring terror to the wicked and such as procure comfort to the godly one tempered with the other may be good to both I begin with the first 1. The first sad Conclusion I shall 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 working much upon them to the changing of their lives altering there course and new moulding of them into an external profession that yet notwithstanding all this never had saving grace wrought upon their hearts which is effectual calling Many are called but few are chosen saith Christ Matth. 20.16 And this is a dreadful Conclusion to all you that are professors that have not a saving work upon your hearts to you that flock unto the ministry of the word yet are not called thereby 2. That they who are called outwardly by the preaching of the word to a profession Christ and yet not called inwardly by the spirit they shall endure greater damnation and greater torments in hell then those that never heard a word of Jesus Christ Matth. 8.12 Many shall come saith Châ—ist from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaak and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven and what then but the children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into utter darkness where shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth Now who are meant here
by the children of the kingdome not those that have heaven prepared for them but the professing Jewes who are called the children of the kingdome because they enjoyed a greater and clearer and fuller measure of the things of God which shewed them the way to the kingdome of heaven then other men did And when Christ calls them the children of the kingdome he calls the heathen the children of the world Now many of the children of the kingdome shal be cast into utter darknesse If there be any more dismal place then other it shall be for the children of the kingdome those that have been as it were nursed up under Gods elbow by ordinances the children of the kingdome they shall have a more dismal portion and dismal room in hell then other men shall have that never enjoyed the ordinances of Jesus Christ And O what a sad word is this to you that live where ordinances do most abound that you may be called the children of the kingdome and yet you to be thrust into utter darknesse 3. That there are many men who are onely called outwardly into a bare profession that do harbour and nourish perswasions in their own hearts that they are effâ—ctually called by Jesus Christ when they never had any saving work of grace upon their hearts This I spake of some weeks agoe from John 8.41 The Jewes had strong perswasions they had Abraham for their father and when Christ beats them off from that they went higher and said we have God to our father and yet verse 44. Christ tels them they were of their Father the Divâ—l And Beloved you may also be deceived in harbouring strong pâ—rswasions thâ—t you are called effectually when you are oâ—â—ly calleâ— outwardly 4. That they that are conceited the opinion of their own goodnesse without seeing their want and necessitie of Jesus Christ are of all sorts of people in thâ— world most unlikely to be effecâ—ually callâ—d by Jâ—sus Christ This I urge from Matt. 9.13 I câ—me not sâ—ith Christ to call the righteous c. Mark who are they that is Christ came not to call the Pharisees who were riâ—hteous in their own eyes and who had a selfe conceitednessâ— that things went wâ—ll with them aâ—d saw no neâ—d of a Mâ—diator and Intercessor and Redeemer I came not to call the righteous Jesus Christ excludeâ— that sort of men frâ—m being called by him men that are selâ—-opinionated and have a conceit of their own goodnesse wiâ—hout any want of Jesus Christ Wherefore all you that â—â—â—k you have a strong faith towards God ever since you wâ—râ— born that think you live honestly among your neighbours pay every man his due and therefore see no need of Christ all your daies the Lord shew you mercy you are more unlikely to be called then any men in the world Matth. 21.31 There is a parable of a man that had two sons he bid both work in the vineyard one son said he would not work he was obstinate the other son said he would work but did not and so was worse then his word Now these two sons they are the emblem of two sorts of men within the pale of the Church some are profane and obstinate men and they answer as the first son and say they will not work the second are professing men men that make a good professâ—on but do not answer their profession in their practice Now mark Whether of these twain will the father accept and they said unâ—o him the first the most obstinate that said he would noâ— go but went Verily saith Christ so I say unto you Publicans and Harlots shall go into heaven before you Mark how Christ applies the parable from their own mouths you that are Phaâ—isâ—es that are righteous and honest in your own eyes I wil sooner call whores and harlots and the worst of men then I will call you Publicans and Harlots Publicans they were the worst sort of men that were they were sitting at the receit of custome their calling exposing thâ—m to a great deal of extortion and briberie yet these men should go to heaven before others that made a glorious profeâ—sion of Jesus Christ Again 5. A fifth sad Conclusion is this That when others are effectually called before your faces and yet you remain uncalled this should greatly aggravate your sin and condemnation when I say you shall see others that livâ— haply in the same house with you that hear in the same congregation that sit in the same seat with you when you shall hear these effectually called and you remain uncalled thiâ— shall greatly increase your sin and damnation Matt. 21 3â— John came to you in the way of righteousnesse and yâ—â— believed him not that is they were not called by his Ministry what then but the Publicans and Harlots believed what then and you when you had seen it repented not afterwards that you miâ—ht believe Mark how Christ argues he urges that those men that heard the same Sermons that the other men did hear they were converted saith he you see whores and harlots converted alluding to Mary Magdalen and others you see these and yet you repent not and yet you believe not now you see one then another and yet when you see this you repent not that you might believe Beloved This is a sad conclusion to you that shall see others converted when you that haply lie in the same bed sit at the same board and hear the same Sermons in the same Congregation yet they shall be converted and called and you not this wil greatly increase your sin and condemnation 6. That whoever God intends effectually to call it is Gods ordinary way to call them by the Ministry of his word 2 Thes 2.13 14. It s said there that they were called through the Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth to obtain eternal glory by Jesus Christ they were called by belief of the truth that is by believing the word preacht and loving the word preacht faith comes by hearing faith is the first grace of a Christians Call and that comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 so Acts 26.17 18. When Christ would call and convert the Gentiles he doth it not immediatly but he useth the Ministry of Paul Go thou teach the Gentiles and bring them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan untâ— God God doth it still by the preaching of his word Now this is a sad word to three sorts of men First it s a sad word to them that never sat under the powerful preaching of the word they are out of Gods ordinary way of being saved 2. It is a sad word to those that may enjoy the word and yet slight it they also are not likely to be called 3 It s a sad word to those that leave the ordinary way of Gods calling by the preaching of the word and trust to raptures revelations inspirations and extraordniary means for God to call them by alas they
to a profession of Christ and not called internally to a possession of him at one time or other before you die God wil discover the hypocrisie of your hearts and the unsoundness of your call There are many men who now are called a man cannot discerne whether they be effectually called or no but in likelihood before you die you wil discover somewhat or other that may give just ground of suspition you are not savingly called eiby falling into some errour in judgement or running nto 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 calls them be 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 shal now change my discourse and turn my speech to a second sort of men and to them I shal 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 shal 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 Devil Thirdly The stronger struglings 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 dayes 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 enlightned 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 Devil then ever you were before The Devil when he finds all things at peace he lets men alone but when he finds a man comming out of his clutches to be called then Satan troubles and assaults him 1 Pet. 5.8.10 Your Adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devoure These were they that the God of grace hath called to eternal glory Yet these were they thay that the Devil rageth so against Had not you therefore need of comfort because you are exposed to more temptations from the Devil 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 sin never troubled him the powerful vigorous workings of this 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 sin 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 sin 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 pass to the Conclusions which I shal lay down for the comfort of all them that are effectually called 1. That Jesus Christ doth effectually cal a poor sinner before that sinner doth look after Jesus Christ Should God entail 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 mercie and here is a ground of comfort that though we are the first in the transgression Christ is the first in suing out Reconciliation Jesus Christ doth effectually cal poor sinners before they either cal 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 cal thee before thou goest out to cal him And O what câ—mfort is this Christ doth not stay til thou look after a Christ but Christ casts an eye upon thee before thou look after him We read of Matthew the Pubcan that while he was looking after his money at the receit of custome at that time Jesus Christ was looking after his soul We read of the Disciples of Christ whilst they were mending their neâ—s 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 enlightning 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 natural good and lesse evil in them then thou hast in thy selfe 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 rigid and passionate disposition Jesus Christ hath left many a curious wit and pregnant Scholar and many 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 sin then thou hast in thee Jesus Christ did reject many an honest heathen when he would cal Mary Magdalen that had seven Devils in her Christ rejected Simon Magus and rejected Agrippa a half turned Christian and rejected Herod who heard John Baptist glaâ—ly and â—â—â—â—ed Felix that trembled at a Sermon and rejected Abâ—â— that humbled his soule 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 cal thee when there was much in thee to provoke him never to cal thee yet his own grace compelled him and his own mercie engaged 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
made the streets of Jerusalem run down with blood yet called Paul a pesecutor 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 cal you neither your Poverty nor your Impietie shal withstand his cal nor turn the thoughts of his mercy from you 10. That though no man can pry 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 finde upon good and Scripture grounds that you are â—ffâ—ctually called you may be sure you are eternally elected and shal hereafter live in glory Rom. 8.28 Whom he predestinates them he calls whom he calls them he justifies and whom he justifies them he will glorifie And therefore comfort your hearts in these consolatorie Conclusions about effectual 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 shal 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 cal 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 callng 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 cal wicked men may resist this cal I say and this revealed will of God in declaring what grace he would have men act and what sin he would have men forbear Therefore we read Acts 7.5 You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in heart and eares you have alwaies 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 wil gives a man a power to do what he cals him to do accompanying the word with his Spirit making the heart stoop and yeild to Jesus Christ Now this cal no man can resist Grace is irresistible and this effectual calling by the operation of the Spirit a man cannot resist Al the gain-sayings of the heart and al the stoutnesse of the will it must stoop and must be brought under subjection to Jesus Christ Iohn 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 shal not return in vain but shall accomplish that which I intended and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it As al 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 cal him hinder the benefit of the word from redounding upon his soul Now the answering of this case thus briefly wil admit of a double Use First an Use of Condemnation to wicked men that have often resisted the signicative call of Jesus Christ When Christ hath signified this is my wil I would have you leave these courses and I would have you walk in these waies Christ signifies his will in the Ministry of the Gospel yet let Christ signifie what he wil you wil do what you lift this is for thy great condemnation Secondly The answering 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 wil it shal 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 wil come with Power by his call and make thee do what he commands thee and make thee embrace what he calls thee to Did not Jesus Christ use an operative call as wel as a significative cal 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 cal of the Ministry is onely a significative cal 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 in Answer to the first case Secondly What temptations doth the Devil suggest to men who are uncalled that they should not give entertainment to
man and Christ seeing a young man follow him took this very kindly at his hands and cals him his beloved Disciple As you that are Parents you let your little Children sit in your lap when your great ones shall not so Iohn he being a young man Christ would let him lean upon his brest and lie in his bosome expressing his kindnesse to him Now O how should this beat off this temptation that you are too young to follow Christ because Christ takes it so kindly at your hands if you imbrace this call in time nay Christ doth take it so kindly that he doth love bare Morality and Civility in young men and therefore it is said in Matthew when Christ saw the young man and he told him I have observed these things from my youth Christ look'd upon him and loved him Christ shewed a general love to the young man that was but a Moral man from his youth and if Christ love Morality he wil much more love Piety and true Syncerity It is observed of Timothy that of one particular man Paul expressed more love to Timothy then to any other Read over al the book of God you shal never finde Paul expresse so much love to any as to Timothy he cals him Timothy my son Timothy who serveth me as a childe and Timothy my dearly beloved and why was all this Why the reason is because Timothy from a child was converted and knew the Scriptures 2. Tim. 3.6 He was from a child converted and called by the Ministry of the word in Paulâ— mâ—uth and â—his did indear the heart of Paul unto him You read in the book of Lâ—viticus that when God did require a Sacrifice he would not have an old Sheep but a â—oung Lamb a Lamb of a year old and a Kid of the youngest of the Flock And it was significative in this not only to shew that Christ our Sacrificâ— shâ—uld die and suffer for our sins 〈◊〉 flower of his age but also to shew that Jesus Christ looâ—s upon that as an abominable Sacrifice when you wil not be of his Fold while yâ—u are as young lambâ— O Beloved Christ takes it wonderful kindly if in your youth you do embrace his call Fifthly Yield not to the Devils temptation considering this that though you should be converted in your old age yet Christ cannot but take this very unkindly at your hands that you should put him off until your last end that you reserve if any part yet the worst part for his service You know when Christ stood all the night for his Spouse till his head was full of dew and his locks were wet with the drops of the night he got him gone because she came not and would stay no longer O how unkindly think you wil Christ take this when he shal wait year after year and yet you wil not embrace his calâ— It is said in Isaiah All the day long have I stretched out my hand to a rebellious people yet tâ—ey wâ—uld not hear and Mal. 1. Offer the lame and the blind to the Governour will he accept of it Christ must needs take this unkindly that you should give the Devil the flower of your age and give to Christ but the decrepit and infirm parts of your lives that the Devil should suck out the Marrow of your youth and onely give God the dry bones a palsie head a dim eye a weak body and so all your services must needs be weak also and think but how unkindly Christ wil take your services thus performed Sixthly consider this That from your Birth-day to your dying day you have time little enough to carry on the businesse of your salvation should you live never so long and therefore you have no cause to put off the cal of Iesus Christ And thus much be spoken by way of satisfaction to take off the first temptation that you are too young to give entertainment to the cal of Iesus Christ and this I doe for the sake of young men that they may take heed of being insnar'd by this dâ—lusion of thâ— Devil 2. Sug. 2. Here it may be the Devil cannot insnare you in this Gin Old men wil say this concerns not â—e I am not taken with this temptation therefore now the Devil comes upon them with this suggestion Saith the Devil to them You cannot now give entertainment to the cal of Jesus Christ for you have callings in the world to follow you have a particular calling and you must provide for Wife and Children and Familie and lay up for future times against old age and sicknesse and therefore you cannot be at leasure now to give entertainment to the cal of Jesus Christ when I am more at leasure I may look after my effectual calling And this also sticks very close to a great many And to take off this suggestion of the Devil I shal lay down six particulars also by way of Answer As First God never intended that our outward calling should any way hinder us in the work of our conversion God never intended that our imployments upon earth should justle out the necessarie provision for heaven But God hath so given out our callings here in the world that he hath made and ordained them to be subordinate to our general and effectual calling to the great business of Gods glorie and our own salvation It is said of Noah that he walked with God and was perfect in his generation And yet Noah was imployed by God for some time to wit for 120 years in a Handicraft-calling to build an Hrk to shew that God did never intend that Noah's making an Ark should any way hinder his walking with God or carrying on the work of his soul Though you have callings to follow and families to provide for yet God did never intend your outward calling should justle out your inward and effectual calling Secondly Consider you that make this plea whether you doe not imbezel away much time from your outward calling which you do not imploy in the concernments of your souls but in the works of sin and Satan There is many a man that can plead he hath no leasure to pray nor no leasure to hear a Sermon he must follow his calling yet this man can follow a Whore and follow a Tavern and these men can spend a whole day upon recreation and yet can spare no time finde no leasure to hearken to Jesus Christ This now should be a great conviction to you that pretend you must follow your calling that you can neglect your calling to follow your sensual and vain courses and yet can spare no time to make your souls happie Thirdly You that plead your outward calling in the world to be an excuse why you cannot hearken to your effectual calling by Jesus Christ consider this that this plea hath damned many a soul before you and wil damn you also if you look not to it This hath been an ancient plea Luk. 14.18 19
20. When Christ called a companie of men there to come to him what excuse have they Saith one I have bought a yoke of oxen and I must prove them I have bought a Farm saith another and I must manage that I have marria wife and therefore cannot come saith a third All these were lawful callings and yet these callings kept them from Heaven and kept them from Jesus Christ You read Acts 24.25 When Paul did startle Felix's conscience by a powerful Sermon of judgement to come Felix's heart trembled but mark now how did Felix put off the power of the word Why Now saith he I am not at leasure but go thy waies and in convenient time I will send for thee to speak of this matter As if he should say I am now to go about some other business about the affairs of my Kingdome and cannot have leasure to hear thee now and so by some outward imployment he justled the power of the word from his heart and had not convenient time to imbrace Jesus Christ Fourthly Consider this That this plea of yours in making your callings an excuse to neglect your effectual calling it is the only way to provoke God to curse and blast all your outward callings to you and to engage him to curse all you put your hands unto Hagg. 1.6 9. Because they neglected Gods Worship and Gods Ordinances Therefore saith God you shall have much but it shall come to nothing and what you get you shall put into a bag with holes You shal lose all you get and all you sow and all you labour for because you would not look after Gods worship So Micah 6.13 14. I will make thee sick in smiting thee and desolate because of thy sins Thou shalt eat and not be satisfied thou shalt sow and not reap thou shalt tread Olives and not anoint thy selfe with oyle and make sweet wine but shalt not drink it For the statutes of Omri are kept and all the manners of the house of Ahab and you walk in their counsels As much as if the Lord should say You wil not hearken to my Statutes and to my Counsels but Omri's statutes and Ahabs counsel you wil hearken to Therefore now you shall eat and not be satisfied sow and not reap That is God wil curse what you have and what you doe because you wil not hearken to Gods cal and counsel So Deut. 28.38 to 46. Thou shalt carry much seed into the field and gather but little the Locusts shall consume it ther 's one curse And shalt plant Vineyards but shalt not drink the wine nor gather the grapes the worm shall eat them another curse Thou shalt have Olive-trees throughout all thy coasts but shalt not anoint thy selfe with Oyl for thy Olives shall fall there 's a third curse Thou shalt beget sons and daughters but shalt not enjoy them all the trees and fruit of the Land shall be consumed Now what 's the reason of all this that God should thus blast their callings and their comforts to them Verse 45. Yea all these curses shall come upon thee and pursue thee and overtake thee because thou hearknedst not to the voice of thy God to keep his commandements and his statutes which he commanded thee Here is the reason they would not hearken to God nor obey God and therefore God would blast their comforts to them Now then Beloved think of this you that make your callings a plea why you cannot hearken to the call of Christ this plea is a great provocation to engage God to blast and to curse your very callings to you Fifthly Take this consideration that God will the more blesse you in your callings and prosper you in the work of your hands the more consciencious you are in hearkning to the call and invitation of Jesus Christ And the reason is because Godlinesse hath not onely a promise of the life to come but of this life also 1. Tim. 4.8 And Mal. 3.10 11 12. Bring yea all the tythes into the Store-house that there may be meat in my house that is saith God Use all means and take all care that there may be meat in my house that Ordinances may be on foot that my worship may be maintained and what then And if you will take care of his Ordinances God bids you prove him and try him if he will not take care of you ver 11. Mâ—rk the words Let there be meat in my house and prove me now saith the Lord if I will not open the windows of heaven and poure forth a blessing upon you and there shall not be room enough to receive it A strange blessing that if men wil take care to have meat in Gods house have a care of Gods ordinances God would open the very windows of heaâ—en and make the earth so fruitful they should not have room to receive Gods blessings And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and all Nations shall call you blessed and call you a delightsome land Here now you see if you will take care of Gods Ordinances and imbrace his cal God wil blesse your outward calling the more and give you in a more abundant increase if you imbrace the cal of Jesus Christ 6. You that urge your outward callings as a reason why you cannot hearken to the cal of Christ take this for answer that if truth were known it is not the urgencie of your callings but the obstinacie of your wils and the slugishnesse of your spirits is the cause you do not give entertainment to the cal of Jesus Christ If it were mens callings urged them they would not take pleasure in sin therefore it is not their callings but the badnesse of their hearts they do not love Christ and love his waieâ— but think it too industrious a work to labour for conversion and therefore they make this plea. John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life When will is wanting saith Doctor Preston any vain excuse wil be pretended When wil is wanting to walk in the waies of God any groundlesse pretence wil be made to excuse their negligence And thus much to take off the second suggestion that men have callings to follow in the world and therefore they haue no leisure to look after their effectual calling by Jesus Christ 3. Sug. Thirdly The Devil suggests if you give entertainment to the cal of Jesus Christ this wil expose you to a great deal of povertie and persecution in this world and therefore you must not hearken to his cal And he wil urge Scripture for this First for poverty the Devil wil urge Matth. 8.19 20. Christ said the Foxes have holes the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath no where to lay his head The Devil wil urge this Scripture and tel you you are exposed to poverty want and beggery if you follow Christ And this we read in history likewise of Lucius the fiâ—st
to be poor in faith and to be such a beggar as not to be endowed with one dram of grace and then you are beggars indeed As we say he is a poore man that God hates He that hath not Christ and hath not the treasures of heaven in him he is exposed to worse poverty a thousand times then he can be for imbracing the cal of Jesus Christ Rev. 3.17 Yea and he is exposed to worse persecution also that for fear of persecution neglects Jesus Christ Psal 83.5 The Lord will persecute them saith David with fury and wrath speaking of wicked men All persecution from man reaches but to the body but this from God reaches to the soul 7. And then lastly This should not hinder you from following Jesus Christ considering that though you should be poor and should be persecuted yet heaven wil make you amends for all Heb. 11.35 Heaven wil make amends for povertie when you are endowed with all the riches of Christ and Heaven wil make amends for persecution when there the weary shal be at rest and there the troubled shal be at ease And thus much be spoken of the third suggestion of the Devil that if you entertain the cal of Jesus Christ you shal be exposed to much povertie and persecution here in the world SERMON VI. 2. Pet. 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 deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ In the prosecution of which I have resolved one case of conscience and am yet upon the second case namely what suggestions the Devil doth use to keep men off from imbracing the cal of Jesus Christ I have laid down and answered three already 4. Now there is one suggestion more When the Devil sees either of these wil take place then he comes in with a fourth to disswade men from imbracing the call of Christ and that is this Why saith the Devil if you wil entertain the call of Christ you wil abridge your selves of all the joy and comfort of your lives you wil never have merry daies while you live upon earth You see men that pretend to be converted and doe hear Sermons what lumpish and melancholy men they are not so jocund and jolly as others are that walk not so precisely if you follow Christ and his Gospel this wil casheer all your merry daies and this wil put you into a sad temper all your jovial daies are gone Therefore to take off this aspersion that the waies of Christ are sad and melancholy waies which hath been an aspersion that from age to age and generation to generation hath been as a Gin the Devil hath used to keep men from Christianity And I remember it is one of the greatest Engines Antichrist useth to support and uphold his Kingdom The Papists to deter men from Christianity and the Protestant Religion they would hold their Disciples in hand with this that the spirit of a Calvinist is a sad and lumpish spirit and therefore they would disswade all Nations from turning to their Religion and this the Priests were to tel in all the Churches of Rome how sad and melancholy they were that turned to the Calvinists religion and this did mightily stay the people from imbracing the truth And this aspeâ—sion hath passed from hand to hand and is many times prevalent upon the spirits of men that are of the true Religion that they must not be too forward in the practice of Religion fearing lest this should work melancholy and sad thoughts in them Now to take off this I shal onely urge four or five heads briefly First Whereas you say they are melancholy sad that are called by Christ to a profession of his waies I would answer thus That they of all people in the world have most cause of mirth gladness and they are the most truly joyful people in the world That they have most cause of rejoycing is apparent When the Disciples came triumphing that they could cast out Devils heal the diseased and work Miracles O but saith Christ Rejoyce not in this but rejoyce that your names are written in the book of life Luke 10.20 As much as if Christ should say All the endowments and extraordinary gifts of the spirit they are no such grounds of joy if you had them all but here is your joy and cause of rejoycing that your names are written in the book of Life that you are in Christ and your souls shal be saved And so Paul tels us Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes again I say rejoyce The Apostle would not speak it to them with a single command but doubtless his expression to shew that they that are people that have their sins pardoned that have their souls reconciled that have a title to glory whose names are written in the book of Life these of all men in the world have most cause of joy and gladness And they have not onely most cause but they doe most truly rejoyce and have more real joy in their hearts in one day then the wicked can have all their lives 1 Pet. 1.8 They rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory What joy you have in the world the tongue is able to speak of it but the tongue is not able to speak of that inward joy that godly men have in their hearts upon the apprehension of the interest they have in Jesus Christ Psal 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance And Thou shalt put more gladness in mine heart c. Prov. 14.13 A good conscience is a continual feast Men are never more merry then when they are at a feast godly men they carry clear consciences about them and that makes them as joyous and pleasant as if they were alwayes at a great and sumptuous feast Indeed this is true they do not rejoyce with such exorbitancies of joy as wicked men do Wicked men rejoyce in sin that they cannot do wicked men rejoyce in their lusts in their drunkenesse and their adulteries and wayes of sin that godly men dare not do Such a rejoycing as this is the foundation of sorrow This rejoycing like the Prodigal in a riotous course of living is the foundation of sorrow and will meet with you when you are to die Secondly Grant this should be true yet consider that this sorrow that godly people have it is such a sorrow that they shal have no cause to repent thereof but it is a foundation of future joy to them 2 Cor. 7.9 10. I rejoyce saith the Apostle in that I have made you sorrowful What rejoyce to see them a sad people Yes for the sorrow I made you sorrowful with was a sorrow never to be repented of you wil never repent of that sorrow and therefore Paul would do it because it was a
the company of godly men yet not be effectually called and so Demas was a companion with Paul in the Gospel yet he not called but imbraced the world and fel away 2. They may speak wel of the people of God And this John tels us 1 John 3.18 Let us not love in word or in tongue This loving in word and tongue was to speak wel of a godly man this a wicked man may do 3. They may write Letters of commendation in the behalf of a godly man And so you read of Pilat's Wife which the Scripture gives as no evidence of her conversion Mat. 27.19 She wrote a Letter to her Husband in the morning before he was to arraign Christ and told him Have nothing to do with the blood of this just man Here you see she wrote in the behalf of a good man of Jesus Christ And so we read of Claudius Lysias that he wrote a Letter in the behalfe of Paul to Felix the Governour Here were great acts of love yet these no evidence of their effectual calling Nay 4. They may think nothing too much to give to good men yet not be called And so did the Galathians whose calling Paul questions Gal 4.15 They would pull out their own eyes and not think them too dear for Paul Yet at length how cold they did grow and count Paul their enemy for telling them the truth 5. They may expresse such love that in times of danger they may take care of the safety of godly men So Acts 23.27 Claudias Lâ—sias when he heard Paul was in danger of his life he came with an Army of men to rescue him that they should not take away his life from him and yet Claudius Lysias lived and died a Heathen for ought the Scripture mentions Lastly They may relieve the necessities of the godly yet not be effectually called Now here are high expressions of love yet it is evident all these may be where calling is not But now its true in some cases love to the people of God may prove a good evidence of ones effectual call to wit if it have these four qualifications 1. If you love the people of God under this notion because godly it is an evidence of your effectual call because there is good in them more then because you receive good from them Hence it is John tels us wicked men may love a godly man because they have good from him 2 John 1. To the elect Lady whom I love in the truth for the truths sake dwelling in her Iohn did not love the Lady because she was a Lady or because she was a goodly woman but for the riuths sake that dwelt in her Whereas wicked men they love a godly man but not as godly under that notion Therefore you shal see the difference between Iohns love to a godly person and Claudius Lysias a man unconverted Acts 23.27 Claudius Lysias tels you there that Paul was in danger of his life and with an Army I rescued him Now why was it he did so did he love Paul because a godly man no for mark the next words With an Army I rescued him because it was told me he was a Roman He loved Paul for his Nation not for his conversion had he loved Paul as Paul Paul as a Christian this were an Argument of grace but to love Paul as a Roman because of Country and Nation sake this was no evidence of his call So Matth. 5.46 47. If ye love them that love you what reward have you doe not even the Publicans so So that you see a wide difference between the love of a godly man and of a wicked man 2. To measure your love to them by their graces that you love that man most that hath most grace that 's an Argument of effectual calling because it is grace in the man and nothing else you love 3. If your love be universal to all that are godly of what sort or condition soever they be this is an evidence of your effectual calling for then ' â—is evident that grace as grace is the object of your love Lastly to love a man so as to carry compassion in your brests towards him to have a sympathizing heart with him in his sufferings 1 Pet. 3.8 Suffer one with another love as Brethren This shews your love to be true when it hath pity and compassion to attend it I passe now to a third delusion which indeed is a main delusion and hath deceived many specially those that professe the Gospel to make them believe they are effectually called when they are not And that is because they discern a change in their conversation that they are not the same men they were in dayes past and hereby the Devil props up this perswasion that surely they must needs be effectually called and he alledges Scripture for it 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed c. Now this being so universal a delusion amongst most men in the world that if they have hopes of heaven it is upon this ground that they are not the same now they were in times past I shall therefore a little enlarge my self in speaking of this particular and shall lay down six or seven particulars wherein I shall shew that this ground taken in general is no infallible evidence of a mans effectual calling First Because there are many gradual changes which do not come up or amount to a saving change or alteration of the heart of man As there as a change from a Pagan to a Christian so was Julian chang'd yet a man never called by Jesus Christ Thâ—n there is a change from a persecuter to be a countenancer of Religion so we read Valerius Maximinus was changâ—d who was the vilâ—st persecuter of all men in his time and the hand of God lying so sore upon him for that sin that his very bowels rotted within him and the very worms crept out of them and in horrour of conscience he cryed out to his Nobles about him perswading them by his example to take heed never to persecute the Christians more Now both these were great changes and yet they are but gradual changes that leave men abundantly short of those saving changes that God works in them that are effectually called Thirdly There is a change from prophanenesse to profession and yet this is a step below a saving change Fourthly there is a step from profession into sincerity into a real possession of Iesus Christ Now those three steps they fall short of a saving change and therefore every change of life doth not not argue a man to be effectually called because there are many gradual changes that do not amount to so high a pitch as this to be savingly changed Secondly There may be a change in the life when there is no change in the nature or in the heart Matth. 23. they may wash the outside of the cup when within it is full of pollution The
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 horrour and trouble of conscience he cannot deceive nor he cannot follow his lusts but conscience will follow him Now if thou change thy sin only to stop consciences mouth and muzzle conscience this is no Argument of effectual calling Fourthly Men are tempted by the Devil 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 Thief 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 professe 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 SERMON VII 2. Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THE Doctrinâ— 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 doe 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 extreams 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 suspence affiâ—ming 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 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 himselfe they would hold that man accursed And the reason why they doe it is because they hold another errour 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 whosoever 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 extreams 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 injoyns it here in my Text Give diligâ—â—ce to make your Calling and Election sure Now this is a rule in Divinity No man is bound to doe a thing impossible and therefore in that we are commanded and bound to doe 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 himself a witness 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 Iohn 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 selfe beareth witness 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 tels us of him that he had a clear evidence of his effectual calling Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I
had some defects and they had somewhat lacking in their faith for all this See also Psal 55.5 and Psal 77. So that here is very great comfort for Believers that the strongest Christians in the Faith have had great defects that have attended their graces Thus having finished these seven comfortable Conclusions because I would have no deluded sinner nuzzled up in presumptuous perswasions of his own blessednesse when he is a cursed man and designed for hell I have two or three sad conclusions to lay down for all you that harbour groundlesse and presumptuous perswasions of your effectual calling when you are not As First You that nourish presumptuous perswasions of your effectual calling when you are not take this conclusion to dread your hearts That it is likely you shall never be effectually called by Jesus Christ There is no man so unlikely to be truly called by Christ as that man that thinks he is called when he is not Matth. 9. I came not to call the Righteous but sinners to repentance Righteous men i.e. that thought they were righteous and in their own eye thought they had grace and were as good as the best I came not saith Christ to call them but sinners i.e. sinners that see their sin and see their need of a Saviour and are sensible of their lost and undone condition without Christ Christ came to save them and to call them to repentance Of all men in the world you are most unlikely to be called that nourish ungrounded perswasions of your effectual calling Secondly whilst you live in this world you are meere strangers to that inward and spiritual joy which every true Believer feeles and findeth by Jesus Christ You do not intermeddle with those inward solaces and sweet enjoyments of heart which every sincere Believer hath in Jesus Christ A man that hath assurance upon good ground he is so filled with joy that it will bear him up against all the sufferings and sorrowes he may meet with here in the world He that hath assurance no suffering can daunt him As Adolphus Clarebachius when he was burning at the stake he was so filled with the assurance of Gods love that he saith of himself I think in my heart there is not a merrier heart in the world then mine is And so another Martyr burning at the stake saith I taste as much sweetness and finde as much ease now I am in the flames as if I lay upon a bed of Roses The fulness of his joy in the assurance of Gods love made him willingly undergoe any torment Mr. Sanders was in prison till he was in prison Bainam said when he was in the fire I feel no more then if I were in a bed of down Whereas thou that harbourest false perswasions thy hopes will shrink when thou commest to suffer like cloth not well woven on a rainy day thy delusions will never bear up thy spirit to so high a pitch as these are This is thy misery thou wilt never have that sweet peace and rejoycing in thy heart Believers have who are assured upon Scripture grounds Thirdly take this for thy dread that thou wilt be thrown into hell before thou art aware It is the speech of Mr. Bolton That man that takes up a false perswasion of his effectual calling when he is not he is like unto a man that is in a pleasant dream who dreames he is a King and hath a Kingdome and hath Treasures full of Silver and Gold yet when he awakes behold the man hath nothing He compares him likewise to a man that is asleep upon the Mast of a Ship he is in a golden dream and dreams of Kingdoms and of thousands which he hath and happily in a moment the wind ariseth the ship is tossed upon the waves and the man is tumbled into the Ocean and drowned It is so with many men who nourish golden dreames and hopes that heaven is theirs and Christ theirs when as alas they are tumbled and thrown into hell before they are aware And this should be a dreadful meditation to thy heart that harbourest presumptuous perswasions of thy effectual calling when thou art not Thus I have done in eleven Sermons with this Doctrine touching effectual calling I pass now to the third and last point drawn from these word and that is That Christians ought to put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls that they are eternally elected by God to life and salvation Give diligence to make your calling and election sure There are many profitable points to be handled in the dispatch of this Doctrine I shall only in this remnant of time prosecute a few And first I shall shew you what rlection is Secondly whether a man may be sure of his own Election seeing election is an act from eternity How can a man be sure of that which was done in Gods councel before we had a being Thirdly by what discoveries may a man infallibly judge that he is elected In the discussion of this Doctrine I begin with the first What election is Which that you may know I shall lay down this brief description of it Election is an eternal decree or purpose of God whereby he hath freely chosen out of the mass of mankinde a small eompany of men and women that shall come to everlasting life and salvation by Jesus Christ This is election And here in this description there are these things to be taken notice of First I call it an eternal purpose because though a man be not justified from eternity yet he is elected from eternity God from eternity had a purpose that man should be justified and should be called and should be saved Election is from eternity though vocation justification and glorification be not so Hence you read in Scripture when it speaks of Election Eph. 1.4 He hath elected us in Christ before the foundation of the world But it is never said so of Justification God had a purpose to make us happy and a purpose to call us in time and a purpose to justifie us from â—ternity though the acting of this purpose is in due time fulfilled Secondly I call it a purpose whereby he doth freely chuse And this I doe in opposition to that Papistical Tenet that God doth predestinate or elect men to salvation upon the foresight of good works A most abominable opinion and takes off the freenesse of this act of Gods election 2 Tim. 1.9 Not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace so I say thirdly Whereby God doth freely chuse out of the masse of mankinde a few to obtain life and salvation In opposition to those that hold for universal redemption and universal Grace As Origen and from him many more have been tainted with this error to hold Election universal And so many of the Papists Now the Scripture tells us that many are called but few are chosen Election signifies a choice now a choice
the very word emports a rejecting of some and a culling out of others The word Election imports that all shall not be saved Origen held this that all men should be saved that Election shall extend to every man Yea the very Devils at the day of judgment shall be saved which is an opinion among Christians not to be named for Election belongs but to a few Fourthly I say that t is to bring them to eternal life and salvation therefore called ordination to eternal life Act. 13.48 Secondly Whether may a Christian in this life be assured of his eternal Election forasmuch as Election was done in the decree of God before ever he had a being or the world was Therefore seeing we are not privy to Gods decree and councel how can it be said that we may know and be assured of our Eternal Election Indeed the Papists they beat down this Doctrine And hence it is that in the Councell of Trent there was this Canon made that if any man should say he was bound to believe that he was of the number of them that God hath predestinated or elected to life let him be an accursed man They did endeavour to beat down assurance and held that all that a man could have must be onely a conjectural assurance or some kinde of hopes of salvaiton and no other Now that you might not erre in this point see what the Scripture speaks in this case That though Election be an act of God from eternity yet a believer may firmly and fully know his own election And this I shall make good by several places of Scripture Read Luke 10.20 Rejoyce not saith Christ to his disciples that you have power to cast out Devils that they are subject to you but rather rejoyce in this that your names are written in the book of life That is rejoice not that you can work miracles that wicked men can doe that are not elected but rather rejoyce that your names are written in the book of life that is that in Gods decree you are elected to salvation Now how could they rejoyce unlesse they knew this So 1 Thess. 1.4 Knowing brethren beloved your election of God The Apostle takes it for granted that believers did know they were elected So Ephes 1.3 4 5. The Lord hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world was having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ Many more Scriptures I might urge but in the mouth of two or three witnesses it is enough to confirme every truth But now though the Scripture be thus clear yet there are some objections that seemingly oppose this truth which I must satisfie The Papists as far as I have read in their writings I finde five objections they draw from Scripture against this truth that a man may be assured of his Election for say they it was an act of Gods done before we had a being and how can we be assured of that I will therefore beloved first produce those Scriptures that they pretend wil overthrow this point and then take off what seemes to make against it The first Text they urge is 1 Pet. 1.17 Passe the time of your sojourning here in fear This Scripture say they bids us passe our time in fear and if so then we cannot be assured of our Election but we must fear all the daies of our life whether we are elected or no. To this I shall answer briefly You must know the fear that the holy Ghost here presseth that men should passe their time in fear is not meant of a fear about our election but it is meant of a feare of sin that we must not sinne against God but feare God and feare to provoke God by our sinne And if you ask how this appeares I make it appear plainly thus for vers 18. it is said Knowing beloved that you are not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious blood of Christ c. Now this verse proves clearly that they knew they were redeemed by Christs blood and so by consequence knew their Election Therefore the Apostle did not presse a fear to beat down the knowledge of their election bâ—t passe your time in fear i.e. fear to offend God and fear to sin against him Another objection they urge â—s this The Scripture say they doth often commend feare to us and surely fear and assurance cannot stand together Prov. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies Now if a man must alwaies fear then the mâ—st a man can have is hope and so hang between hope and fear all our daies To which I answer That the fearing alwaies iwhich Solomon annexed blessednesse unto is not meant of the fear about a mans election but only a fear to sin against God And if you ask me how that appeares read the whole verse Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but he thaet hardens his heart shall run into mischiefe Now mark by the Antithesis it is apparent that fear there is not a fear of our everlasting estate but onely a feare in opposition to hardnesse of heart in wicked men that go on in a course of sin Another place they urge is 1 Cor. 10.12 Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall Now say they the Scripture tells us that every man though never so firm as he thinks about his election yet he must take heed he may fall from grace and be damned for all this Now by way of answer to this I would lay down two things First The Apostle doth not speak of men that have a grounded assurance of their election but to men that lie in carnal security and have deluded perswasions of their good estate and this appeares by the Text for he saith let him that thinks he stands He doth not say let him that stands for he cannot fall but he that thinks he stands Those men that nourish presumptuous and ungrounded perswasions that they are in a good estate and in a happy condition let them take heed lest they fall Secondly the falling here is not meant a falling away from grace or a falling away finally after election for that is impossible but it is onely meant of a falling into sin and so the meaning is this Let him that thinks he stands i. e. that thinks he is strong in grace and stands upon his own legs let that man take heed lest he fall into sinne Now a man may take heed of falling into sinne yet no way question his assurance And if you ask how I make it appear that this is the intendment and scope of the place I answer by the Context Read the foregoing verse Let us not tempt Christ as they tempted him let us not us murmur as some of them murmured for these thingâ— hapned to â—hâ—m for ensamples and are written for our admonition Therefore let him
to salvation Secondly though men have been notoriously wicked in their lives before calling yet if this notorious wickedness doth lay any engagement upon them to make them labour to be more eminent in grace after calling this is rather a sign of election then reprobation It is observable in Paul he was a notorious wicked man before his call but now this exceeding wickednesse of his before call did engage him to labour to exceed all others in goodnesse after he was converted and the more evil he was before the more holy he labours to be after As he laboured before to hale men to prison for professing Jesus Christ he is now as zealous to draw men to Jesus Christ after his call he was very industrious to do evil before his call and this made him after his call as he saith himself I was in labours more aboundant then they all And so Mary Magdalen who before her calling was a vile woman one that was a common harlot a woman out of whom Jesus Christ cast seven devils and yet this woman after her calling she laboured to be more eminent in godly sorrow then any woman before or since she washed Christs feet with her teares and wiped them with the haires of her head The like of which you do not read of any woman in Scripture And this was a very good sign when your notoriousness in waias of sin before calling shall lay such an engagement upon you to become more eminent in grace after calling this is a very good encouragement or evidence that you are within the compasse of Gods election and therefore you have no cause to be discouraged Suppose before the word laid hold upon your conscience you were guilty of filthy sins not fit to be named in the congregation if you will the more honour God and praise God now and walk more humbly and labour to excell each other in grace now as you did in sin in times past This is a great sign that you are in the compasse of Gods Elect ones Thirdly you that have been scandalous in your lives before calling for your comfort know that God in his eternal counsel doth commonly make the profane and wicked and the worst of men the objects of his election rather then civil honest men rather then men that are of an honest and civil and moral conversation here in this world And the Lord doth it upon this ground the more to magnifie the freenesse and the riches of his own grace in electing men to life For should God only chuse moderate and civil honest men in the world men would be apt to think it is that mans morality and that mas civility that was the motice which provoked God to elect them and therefore God to overthrow these thoughts he lets electfon runne rather unto men that have been notoriously grosse and sinful in â—heir lives then other men Manasseh a notorious bloody man yet falls within the compassâ— of Gods election when many a civil man is left out Maâ—y a common harlot yet chosen when many a modest chaste woman was cast into hell Matth. 21.31 32. That Christ urgeth a parable of two men One that said he would go and follow Christ but did not and the other said he would not go but did now which of these twain did the will of Christ and they said the first And Jesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that publicans and harlots shall go into heaven before you But you will say was this common this was onely one single time therefore mark the next words For Johâ— came to you in the way of righteousness and you believed not but the publicans and harlots believed in Christ John came preaching and you would not believe you Phrisees strict moral men that did not flie out into such scandals as other men did you would not believe saith Christ but Publicans men that were most addicted to extortion and unconscionable gain they imbraced Jesus Christ when moral men would not This therefore should be another comfort for you that many times election runns rather to the profaner sort of men then to men that are civil and righteous dealing men here in the world and this God hoth to magnifie the riches of his own grace Fourthly that it is no matter what you were before your callâ—ng if you are a repentant and holy people after your former miscarriages shall no way prejudice your future blessednesse 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Neither Fornicator nor Idolater nor Adulâ—erer nor envious nor thiefe nor covetâ—us nor reviler shall enter â—nto the Kingdome of Heaven and such were some of you c. Here you see a Catalogue of vile evils heaped together and such wâ—re some of you but now you are washed now you are sanctified â— So that no matter what you were before conversion though guilty of great sins so you are now a reformed people now a sanctified people Titus 3.3 We our selves were sometimeâ— foolish disâ—bedient decieved serving divers lusts and pleasures and living in malice and envy c. You were so but after the kindness love of God appeared to you after they were converted they were not so So that these four particulars wil clearly take off this objection that no matter what you were before conversion if you are now a repentant people and bewail your evils and reform your waies your former ill led life will be no hindrance at all to your election Indeed this I must needs say that you that have been most notorious in sin God expects this at your hands that you be most eminent in grace most deep in humiliation most eminent in godly sorrow though your former evils do no way prejudice your election Secondly if the devil cannot fasten this upon you he will come upon you with this assâ—ult viz. your frequent falling into scandalous and foul and grosse enormities after you took upon you a profession of Jesus Christ And this the devil will lay close happily sin before conversion was not so great but now since you have followed Sermons and since you have professed Jesus Christ since that time you have fallen foulely into grosse and scandalous sins and surely this is inconsistent with grace and cannot befal persons within the compasse of Gods election And I confesse this is both sad and hazardous yet I shall lay down three things to uphold thee that yet for all this thou maiest be within the compasse of Gods election As First that divers persons that were within the compasse of Gods election have fallen foulely into grosse sins after their call Lot after he was called fell to be incestuous and fell to drunkenesse David after he was called fell into Adultery Peter after he was called fell to a denial of Jesus Christ Yea you read of Solomon 1 Kings 11.9 That his heart was tuâ—ned from the Lord after the Lord had revealed himself unto him twice After God had revealed himself to Solomon and converted him
not elected p. 205. seq C A Twofold Calling external and internal p. 3 Why Calling set before Election p. 4 Vse diligence to get assurance of our Calling p. 23 see assurance What effectual Calling is p. 21 22 Signs of effectual Calling p. 24. to 37 Gods method in Calling a sinner p. 24. seq Mistakes about it ibid. Who are most terrified in their Calling p. 28 We should resemble him that calls us p. 38 Not blemish our high Calling ibid. How great a mercy our effectual Calling is p. 39. seq Ten sad Conclusions to those that are not effectually Called p. 44. seq Many call'd to profession who are not call'd to possession of Christ ibid. To be called outwardly and not inwardly brings heavier condemnation ibid. Many presume they are called when they are not p. 45 Self-conceited persons most unlikely to be called ibid. That others are called and we not much aggravates our sin p. 46 The Word preached the ordinary means of calling a sad Word to whom p. 47 Those that have long enjoyd the Word and are not yet called are never like to be p. 48 Poor and mean persons most commonly the objects of Gods Call and why p. 49 50 Consolations to the godly and what need they have of it p. 51 Christ cals us before we look after him p. 52. When he leaves our betters p. 53 Most sensible of our own vileness and need of Christ most likely to be called p. 54 An elect person may live long in sinne before he be called ibid. A man may be called and yet not know it p. 55 yea though he knows not how nor when ibid. Those that are once call'd shall never fall away p. 56 Nothing shall hinder our calling when Christ hath a mind to call us p. 57 Cases concerning effectual calling ibid. Whether a man can resist his own call ibid. A twofold call significative and operative ibid. What temptations Satan suggests to hinder a call p. 58 Young men should not neglect the call of Christ p. 60. seq Our wordly callings should not cause us to neglect our effectual calling by Christ p. 65. seq The poverty of Christians hinders many from imbracing Christs call p. 69 Antidote against this ibid. Fear to be deprived of all comfort and mirth p. 73 This hindrance removed p. 74. seq By what delusions men are perswaded to think they are called when they are not p. 76 Hearing the Word with delight not alwaies a signe of effectual calling ibid. Nor all love to the godly p. 81. seq Nor every change of life and conversation p. 86. seq Nor to be reproached by wicked men p. 88 Why those that are effectually called do sometimes doubt of their calling p. 96 want of great terrors and deep humiliations no ground to question your calling p. 97. seq Nor that we were not called by preaching the Word p. 99 Weakness in knowledge may stand with sound calling p. 105 What defects of obedience may stand with effectual calling p. 107 Covenant of grace helpful to assurance many waies p. 116 Calling to profession no sure evidence of Election p. 215 Christ not the cause of election p. 148 D SEveral Doctrines raised p. 5 Great diligence to be used in matters of soul-concernment p. 7. and why p. 8. seq Cautions about thy diligence p. 13. seq In what our diligence is to be imployed p. 17 18 Delusions about our Calling and Election p. 76 p. 216. seq Papists doctrine of doubting uncomfortable p. 100 Vpon what grounds Christians doubt of their calling p. 101 Difference between true assurance and vain presumption p. 130. seq E WHat Election is and how we can make that sure p. 5 Gracious Examples may be a means of conversion p. 101 The nature of Election p. 168 Signs of Election p. 173 Cautions about using them p. 175. siq What guesse may be made of persons not Elected and several sorts of persons under that suspition p. 176. seq Comfortable positions about Election p. 208 Whether Election be universal p. 181 Whether any that is Elect can fall from his Election p. 186 Objections against it answered p. 187. seq Whether men be Elected for faith or works foreseen p. 191 Objections answered p. 194 Whether Gods Election do make men secure and carlesse p. 196. seq Vpon what grounds the godly oft times question their Election p. 199 Sinfulness before calling no ground to question our Election ibid. seq Falling into scandalous sins after calling may stand with Election p. 204 By what delusions men are perswaded they are Elected when they are not p. 207. seq Freedom from a scandalous conversation no sure argument of Election p. 208 It may proceed from other principles p. 209 That God is mercifull no certain evidence that we are Elected p. 213 The Elect very few p. 214 We are not Elected for Christs sake though saved for his sake 216. See Calling and Assurance An Elect person may not express the fruit of Election in many years p. 217 Wicked men enjoy many mercies for the Elect sake ibid. The world continues but till the number of the Elect be accomplished p. 218 F FEw Elected p. 214 Friends of the Elect no prejudice to Gods mercy p. 215 G WE should labour to thrive in Grace p. 3 Of the sin of the Holy Ghost p. 175 H HYpocrites will be discovered p. 45 Hearing the word not alwayes a signe of effectual câ—lling p. 77. seq I WHat Ignorance may stand with Effectual calling p. 105 Christians not alwaies competent Judges of their own estate p. 162 L TImothies love to Paul p. 30 Light into which we are called how a marvâ—llous light p. 31 All Love to the godly no sign of effectual calling p. 81 M VVIcked Ministers may be a means of conversion p. 104 God mercy no ground to believe we are elected p. 213 Pâ—â—â—city of the Elect no prejudice to Gods mercy p. 215 O DEfects in Obedience may stand with Calling and what p. 112 P GOds people 〈◊〉 sâ—attered people p. 2 â—hough they live in different places yet all have the same faith p. 3 The Poore most commonly called p. 49 50 Poverty hinders many from embracing the call of Christ p. 6â— We may be truly called though not by the preaching of the VVord p. â—01 Comfort against want of a spirit of â—â—â—yer p. â—08 seq Difference between assurance presumption p. 131 seq Comfortable promises to dejected soules p. 166 Terror to those that presume on their Calling p. 184 R VVHether a man can resist his own call p. 57 Reproach from wicked men alwayes a signe of effectual calling p. 88 Reading the VVord may be a means of conversion p. 100 S THe evil of Slothfulnesse p. 17 Sad conclusions about calling p. 42 Five things to be searched for p. 162 VVhat Sinnes most damp our assurance p. 159 T TEmptations of Satan to hinder our call p. 60 VVant of great Terrors no ground to doubt of our call p. 110 and who are usually most terrified in their calling ibid. p. 28 Teâ—rour to those that presume of their calling p. 184 W THe Word preached the ordinary meanes of calling p. 47 The Will of Gods good pleasure and his signifying Will 231 Y YOung men not to neglect the cal of Christ p. 60. seq FIMIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ Certitudo Objecti certitudo Subjecti Answ Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Doct. 3. Doct. 4. Doct. 5. Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Reas 1. Reas 2 Reas 3. Rule 4. Reas 5. Reas 6. Vt jugulent homines surgunt de nocte latoones Reas 7. Reas 8. Reas 9. Reas 10. Magna pars vita nihil agendo maxima malè â—oâ—a aliad agendo elabituâ— Sâ—nec Vse 1. Caut. 2. Caut. 3. Causae sineâ— quiâ—us non Caut. 4. Vse 2. Outinam hoc esset laborare Si uâ—uâ— tantum homo damnandus esset caeterique omnes salvandi Ego totis viribus anniterer ne essem ille solus Talis dili gentia â—espicit tantam rem tanta res requirit talem diligentiam Nâ—n mimor est virtus quam quae rerâ—â—atra tueri Doct. 2. Doctr 3. Reas 1. Reas 2. Reas 3. Object Ans Vse 1. Vse 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vse 3. Vse 4. 1 Tim. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surgunt indocli rapiunt coelum nos cum doctrinis nostris detrudimur in Geheâ—nam Vse 1. Vse 2. 2 Case Quae fueâ—â—nt inania jâ—ventutis â—â—udia haec uâ—t acerba senectâ—â—â—s gravamina Matt. 19.20 Gen. 6.14 Psal 126. Delu 1. Delâ—s 2. Delus 3. 2 Kin. 12.2 Delus 4. Si quis dixerit hominem renatum teneri ex fide ad credendum se certò esse ex numero Praedestinatorum anathema sit Sess 6. Can. 15. Vse Doubt 3. Heb. 10 35. * The sense of the pardon of their sin shall take away the sense of any outward suffering Si dixeris sufficit periisti Aug. de verb. Apost Serm. 18. Vse Cui incipit dulcescere Christus ei necesse est â—marescere mundum Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri Res dâ—â—icaâ—a est Spiritus Dei Ex quâ— gignimur eo dem nutrimur Vse Q. 2. Nemo tenctur impossâ—ile Vse Q. Q. Q.