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A54651
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Calling and election, or, Many are called, but few are chosen being a consideration of Mat. 22.14 / by Charles Phelpes.
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Phelpes, Charles.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing P1973; ESTC R31116
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95,202
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218
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do go alone But he that hath Gods Word let him speak Gods Word faithfully What is their Chaff to this Wheat Is not His Word like as a Fire And like an Hammer that breaks the Rock in pieces Jer. 23. 28 29. It argues a secret fear and jealousie in men as if the Gospel of Christ were a Weak Forceless Spiritless Doctrine and needed some what of mans to make it powerful when they deliver it in the Words or with the Arguments which mans wisdom teacheth And in thus doing they are so far from making it more Effectual or Saving to men that they render it Inforcible and Inefficacious because they thus corrupt the Word of God 2 Cor. 2. 14. 17. Christ sent me saith the Apostle to Preach the Gospel not with wisdom of Words lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect For the Preaching of the Cross even this manner of Preaching it without wisdom of Words the foolishness of Preaching is to them that perish Foolishness but unto us that are saved it is the Power of God 1 Cor. 1. 17 18 21. The weapons of their Warfare who War not after the flesh after the Wisdom or Guidance thereof are not Carnal but Mighty through God to the pulling down strong Holds casting down Imaginations c. 2 Cor. 10. 3 4 5. It is good therefore for Christs Servants in Calling men to the Marriage and Marriage-feast to beware of Philosophy and vain Deceit Yea and to chuse rather to speak five Words with their understanding that they may Teach others also then Ten Thousand words in an unknown Tongue for in so doing they do as to the Generality of men speak into the Air Yea are unprofitable to all and not understood by the most of men 1 Cor. 14. 19. And to that end its needful both to deny desires of vain Glory Aswel as also to consider that the plain and foolish Preaching of the Gospel is the Way God hath pitcht upon for Saving men And how weak or foolish soever this Way appears to the Wise ones yet the FoolishnesS of God is Wiser then men and the Weakness of God is stronger then men 1 Cor. 1. 21 24 25. Col. 2. 8 9 10. Oh then how doth it behove His Servants seeing they have such hope to use great plainness of Speech And not as Moses who put a Vail over his Face c. 2 Cor. 3. 6 12 13. To renounce the hidden things of Dishonesty not walking in Craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the Truth commending themselves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4. 1 2. 4. It may exhort us to give diligent heed to their Words and Calls and to esteem them highly for their Works sake who speak to us the Word of God because their Master also is present with them and assistant to them it might therefore Ingage us when His Servants come amongst us to say in our hearts however as the Centurian did to Peter We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Acts 10. 33 34. The Apostle speaks this to the praise of the Churches of Galatia that when he first Preached the Gospel amongst them they received him notwithstanding his Temptation in the flesh as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Gal. 4. 13 14. Oh! How Beautiful are and should be the feet of them that Preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad Tidings of good things Rom. 10. 14 15. Did we indeed consider that they call us unto the Fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord and into the Grace of Him 1 Cor. 1. 9. Gal. 1. 6. And that the great King of Heaven and Earth speaks by them and with them and doth as it were by them beseech us to come and Eat of Wisdoms Bread and to Drink of the Wine she hath mingled To forsake the foolish and Live c. It would certainly be powerful with us to Ingage us to receive their Word and obey their Call not as the word or call of men but as it is in truth of God 1 Thes 2. 13. And to account them worthy of double Honour who Labour in the Word and Doctrine for their Masters sake even because they belong to and are Labourers with Christ And though not to Idolize them or think of them more highly then we ought to think yet to account them as Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 1 6. And to know that when in and with Preaching the Gospel of Christ they Call upon and Invite us to come unto the Feast God also Calleth us and enableth us to what He Calleth us unto And as our Saviour saith to His Disciples Verily verily I say unto you he that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth Me And he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me John 13. 20. Whereas were the most of men Called with an outward Call only they might either receive or reject the Caller and neither receive nor reject Jesus Christ or Him that sent Him 5. This Consideration shews unto us their causless Iniquity and inexcusable folly who when they are thus Called to Christ by such a Powerful and Effectual Call yet regard not but turn a deaf Ear thereto Of such our Saviour saith Ye will not come unto Me that ye might have life John 5. 32 36 39 40. This was the provoking Iniquity of Gods People in former Times whereby God was greatly Incensed against them They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their Eaers that they should not hear Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should hear the Law and the Words which the Lord of Hosts had sent in His Spirit by the former Prophets Therefore came a great Wrath from the Lord of Hosts Therefore it is come to pass that as he cried and they would not hear so they cried and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts Zech. 7. 11 13 14. Indeed those Persons who say the greatest part of the Called ones are only called with an outward and ineffectual Call put a Plea into their Mouths and fill them with Arguments to excuse their not coming They may say they had no power of themselves and God gave them none or not that which was sufficient These teach men to lay the blame upon God and to father the brats of their disobedience on Him But alas it will appear in conclusion that such charge God foolishly And that though the Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envic yet He giveth more Grace that Grace which brings Salvation to all men to enable us to come at His Calls And at last He will be Justified in His Sayings and overcome when He is Judged James 4. 5 6. with Tit. 2. 11. This is mens iniquity not that they cannot come of themselves but that they will not when God is enabling them hereto This
Gospel are brought in and prevailed with to believe through Grace And in that believing Sanctified by the Spirit Chosen out of the World into Christ delivered out of the power of Darkness and Satan and removed into the Kingdom of Gods dear Son that they might be and continue to be and accordingly in some measure they are a special People unto Him here an holy People an Habitation for God who is their Portion to shew forth His Virtues and be to Him for a Name and a Praise and a Glory for the good of the residue of men among whom they are set and preserved And might hereafter and being faithful to the death shall Inherit that Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in the Heaven for them who are kept by the Power of God unto Salvation c. 1 Pet. 1. 2 5. And so indeed Gods Elect are such as are redeemed by the Blood of Christ out of others amongst whom they dwell and of whom sometimes they were Rev. 5. 9. 10. Hence whereas in one place it is said They that were with the Lamb were such as were redeemed from the Earth and from among men In another it is said They that are with the Lamb are Called and Chosen and Faithful compare Rev. 14. 1 4. with Chap. 17 14. And so the Lord hath set a part for Himself or as the Vulgar Translation reads it Chosen to Himself the man that is Godly Even such as Worship him in Spirit and in Turth Psal 4. 3. And this is the first sense of Election A Chusing out 2. To Chuse doth sometimes in Scripture signifie the same with Appoint or Command And so to be Chosen doth signifie one who Obeys or Observes the Commands or Appointment of another So it is taken 2 Sam. 15. 15. David's servants said unto the King Behold thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my Lord the King shall appoint or Chuse as in the Margin So again 1 Sam. 19. 38. Whatsoever thou shalt require or Chuse of me that will I do for thee And thus it may be well here also taken in this place Many are Called viz. Unto Christ by the Gospel in the faithful Ministration thereof by his Servants Many are by the King commanded to come but few are Commanded Ruled or Appointed by Him but too many of them are Unruly and Disobedient to the Gospel or though some yield feigned Obedience unto Him and after a sort receive His Grace yet they receive it in vain So it is in this Parable The King sent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding and they would not come They would not have the Man Christ Jesus to Reign over them Again He sent forth other Servants when all was actually done and prepared to say unto them Come unto the Marriage But they made light of it c. And though the man that had not on the Wedding Garment came into the House yet he came not after the Appointment of the King he did not from the Heart obey that form of Doctrine delivered in the Gospel Mat. 22. 3 4 5 8 13. This is His Commandment and Appointment and that which He requireth of us in the Gospel when it is Preached to us That we believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another But the most to whom the glad tidings of the Gospel are Reported and unto whom these Commandments are given by the Lord Jesus will not come to Christ that they might have Life And they are therefore condemned because they obey not the Gospel in believing on the Name of the only begotten Son of God 1 John 3. 23. with John 3. 18. Rom. 10. 16. and 2 Thes 1. 8 9. God is faithful in Calling men in due time to the end they might come to the Knowledg of the Truth But alas few there are who receive and obey His Commandment but the greatest part remain sons of Belial in Heart such Persons as will not take Christs Yoke upon them nor learn of Him though His Yoke be easie and His Burden light and His Commandments are not grievous But give a with-drawing or back-sliding shoulder And so remain unruly and uncommanded Persons such as will do whatsoever goeth forth out of their own Mouth and will not be appointed and ordered by Him and the Light and Instructions of His Grace which teacheth that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present world Zech. 7. 11. Jer. 44. 16 17. 1 Thes 5. 14. Tit. 2. 11 12. And this understanding it well agreeth with and is sutable unto the former sense given 3. Chosen or Elect signifieth choice ones and such as are more Excellent then others more Precious and Eminent then others Hence we have Chosen and Precious twice joyned together and both opposed in one Verse to disallowed 1 Pet. 2. 4 6. So Chosen and Dispised are opposed the one to the other Jam. 2. 5 6. So whereas in one place it is said A good Name is rather to be Chosen then great Riches In another it is said A good Name is Better then precious Oyntment compare Prov. 22. 1. with Eccles 9. 1. To signifie that such Persons or Things are the Subjects of Election which are better then others Thus it is said of Christs Spouse There are threescore Queens and fourscore Concubines and Virgins without number But my Dove my undefiled is but one she is the only one of her Mother she is the choice pure or elect one as some read it of her that bare her She is a choice elect and excellent one one that excels all others whatsoever Cant. 6. 8 9. So where we read With the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure It is thus rendred by others With the Elect thou wilt be Elect Psal 18. 16. So Chosen oftentimes signifies Choice or Excellent whether Persons or Things Exod. 14. 7. and 15. 4. Psal 78. 31. Ezek. 24. 5. So it is here also Those who are chosen out of the World by the out-chusing of Grace and so Ruled and Commanded by the Gospel they are indeed the precious Sons of Zion in comparison of whom the residue of men though Called are yet Vile Refuse persons Psal 15. 4. The Righteous is more excellent then his Neighbour even such an one as comes unto and believes in and puts on Christ for his Righteousness to Cover Cleanse and Conform him to His Will and Image Prov. 12. 26. The Lover of God the Elect one is the most Excellent person Luke 1. 3. distinguished from and preferred before all others and is allowed of God the Saints are the Excellent ones 1 Pet. 2. 4. Psal 16. 2 3. Born of more excellent Seed then others even of incorruptible Seed 1 Pet. 1. 2. 23. Of a more excellent Father even of God in Christ 1 John 4. 7 9. Ingraffed into Christ and made partakers of him and are one spirit with Him and shall