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
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
or embrace the call of Jesus Christ unto grace and glory And in answer to this I shal lay down onely four suggestions of the Devil wherewith he entangles a man that he should not yeild to the cal of Jesus Christ And as I lay them down I shal labour to take them a way As 1. The first temptation the Devil wil suggest is to you that are young men and to you he wil suggest that you are yet too young to embrace the call of Jesus Christ 't wil be time enough hereafter and you may do it soon enough hereafter you are two young now to be abridg'd of your pleasure and to mortifie your lusts and to betake your selves unto so serious a course as Christ cals you to and by this temptation the Devil prevails with young men more especially And I remember Austine saith that this temptation of the Devil made him keep off for seven years together from embracing the cal of Jesus Christ the Devil would stil tel him in his heart thou art too young to leave thy Drunkennesse and too young to leave thy Harlots til at last he cryed out How long shal I say it is too soon Why may I not repent to day This temptation I say it hath fastened upon many before you that they were too young to come in to Jesus Christ and to this end the Devil wil suggest to you that old and false Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil Whereas indeed if you are young Devils you wil be old Beelzebubs And therefore this being a suggestion prevailing witâ— many hearts I shal lay down six considerations to take off this temptation that it may not prevail with you First If the Devil tempt you that you are too young to hearken to Christs cal consider That the Devil cannot give you a Lease of your lives if the Devil could give you a Lease of your lives and tell you you should live til old age you might then with more safety harken to his temptation but your lives are not at the Devils disposal God is the Author of your life the issues of life and death are in his hands you may die in youth uncalled you may be damned as wel as dead You may be as these men Job 36.14 that shall die in their youth and their lives shall be among the unclean And therefore though the Devil tempt you that you are too young seeing he cannoâ— assure you of your lives you have no reason to hearken to his temptation Secondly Suppose the Devil could assure you you should live til old age yet take this consideration that in putting off your calling and the work of conversion from your youth this may so provoke God that he may harden your hearts in your old daies that you shal have no heart to think of and embrace the call and invitation of Jesus Christ Jer. 22.21 I spake to thee in thy prosperity but thou wouldst not hear and this hath been thy manner frâ—m thy youth Thou wouldst not obey my voyce God spake but they would not hear and it was from their youth that they did thus therefore God would never speak more God hardened their hearts that they should never receive or embrace the cal of Jesus Christ So Isa 6.9 10. Seeing the Jewes from their youth were obstinate against the word of God Go saith God make their ears heavy and their hearts fat and their eyes blind that they should not be called and converted and I should save them Let this therefore be a second consideration that the putting off your cal til your old age may so provoke God as never to give you hearts to embrace his cal Thirdly Suppose al this that you could have a Lease of your lives and you could be assured that when you come to old age your hearts should not be hardened yet consider this that the more sinful and evil the daies of your youth have been the more disquietnesse of minde and horror of conscience will this breed in you when you are old though you shal be called and converted by Jesus Christ Job 13.24.25 26. Thou â—idest thy face thou holdest me as thy Enemy Thou dost drive me as a leaf to and fro and thou dost pursue me like dry stubbâ—e Now why doth Job complain thus Mark the next words For thâ—u writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Job when he was a young man it seemâ— he was a wicked man and had many sins in his youth and this in his old age made him cry out and say that God took him for his Enemy and that God brake him like a leafe driven with the wind O beloved the sins of your youth though you should be Jobs converted yet they wil bring great disquietnesse and great horroâ— when you come to age the lusts of youth and the vanities of youth and the sensual pleasures of your youthful daies they wil lay a foundation of sorrow when you come to gray hairs to be neare your graves so Job 20.11 And therefore put the case you should repent and should be called when you are old you have no cause to put off the cal of Jesus Christ seeing sins of youth wil fill you with horror and disquietnesse of minde Hence it is that David after he was call'd by the power of the word cries out Psal 25. Lord remember not the sins of my youth that gravelled and gall'd his conscience the sins of his youth before his cal It is the speech of an Author that to look on the pleasurable vanities and contents of youth this wil become an heavy burden and bitter vexation to old age Beloved the more evil you run out into in your youthful daies the greater and deeper foundation of disquietnesse and sorrow you lay in your souls in your latter daies though you should be called by Jesus Christ 4. If the Devil suggest that you are too young to embrace the invitation of Christ consider That Jesus Christ wll take it most kindly at your hands if while you are young you wil give entertainment to his cal Jer. 2.2 I remember thee saith the Lord and the kindnesse of thy youth that thou wouldst follow me in the Wildernesse in a land that was not sown Mark how the Lord speaks and how kindly he takes it that they would in their youth follow God the Lord wil remember it and take it acceptable from you if while you are young while the Marrow is in your bones and strength in your joynts you wil embrace the waies of Jesus Christ It is an observation that some have concerning the Beloved Disciple John John 20. He is called the Disciple whom Christ loved and that leaned upon his brest of al the other eleven Disciples Christ did love John above the rest and Divines give this reason of it John was the youngest of al the Disciples he was converted and called by Christ when he was a young
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
for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils Herod had done he added yet this above all to shut up John in prisâ—n He would hear John no more then Mark how the Scriptures points out a wicked man Herod heard John gladly when he preached of comfortable and general matter but when John came to reproving matter and convincing matter then he would hear him no more but added this sin to the râ—st to shut up Iohn in prison So that to be a partial hearer gladly to hear some part of the word but not all can be no evidence of effectual calling So those in Isaiah discovered this temper Isa 30.10 Prophesie to us smooth things prophesie deceits There were many men could delight to hear smooth and comfortable preaching but they could not endure to hear a true denunciation of Gods judgements against them for their sins They love to hear some part of Gods wil not all the promising part not the reproving part this is no evidence of effectual calling Ezek. 13.17 18. There were some lying Prophetesses that did preach but what did they doe They sowed Pillows under mens elbows and the Lord charges them for it that they did hunt after their souls To preach smooth Doctrines and plausible comfortable Doctrines is but to sow pillows and hunt after mens soules Now mamen love â—o be smoothed up and flattered in their sinnes whereas to be a partial hearer is no signe of your â—ffectual calling 3. Hearing the word with delight is no evidence of your effectual calling in case this be a fickle and unconstant hearing To delight to hear the word because the word comes in request because there is no danger in hearing this wicked men may delight to do when yet if times of persecution should arise they would be fickle and leave off their hearing Matth. 13.20 21. It is said of the stony ground that the seed that fell among stones are they that receive the word with joy there is their delight to hear but not having deep root in times of persecution fell away Here the Scripture Anatomizeth a man that he may hear the word with joy sometimes when the current of the times run for Religion when the word comes in fashion among a people but if persecution should attend the word and a prison attend hearing you would then see how flag their delights would be in hearing the word and in this case you may delight to hear the word yet be no evidence of your effectual calling 4. In case your hearing be a selfish hearing As now many men may hear the word with delight why Because they may get profit by hearing and praise and vain-glory by hearing the word and this may make them wonderfully delight to hear Luke 12.1 There was an innumerable company went to hear Jesus Christ insomuch the croud was so great that one trod upon another to hear him yet Christ saith of them John 6.26 They come to hear me preach but not for the word I teach or the miracles I doe but for the loaves they eat of It was not love to Christs person or his Ministry but onely beaause they saw Christ with a few fishes to feed so many men they seeing of this miracle this made them frequent the Ministry and word of Jesus Christ Many men may hear the word when selâ—ish advantage accompanies hearing to get more trading to be better thought of among their neighbours this is a selfish hearing and in this case you may hear yet not be effectually called There is a phrase in Hosea 7.14 They câ—ied unto me and they howled upon their beds and they assembled themselves for corn and wine Here was a people that assen blâ—d together at the Ordinances of God but what was their end there was a dearth and famine likely to come and here they would use duties to be a meanes to prevent a famine and get corn and wine together Here was a selfish end and thus men may hear yet have no evidence of their effectual calling 5. If your hearing be a divided hearing and your delight a divided delight this can be no Argument of your call As thus A man may delight to hear yet if that man divide and share his delights partly to sin and partly to the Word this can be no evidence of his effectual calling In the place before quoted Hos 7. They assembled together and howled upon their beds yet they sâ—n against me saith the Lord. There they divided their delight they would serve God in his worship yet they would sin against him So those Isa 58.3 6 7. They took delight in drawing neer to God yet in the day of their fast found pleasure in sin Now to have a divided love to delight in sin as wel as in Ordinances this can be no Argument of effectual calling and your hearing the word in these five cases is but a meer delusion But on the contrary if your hearing be not a bare hearing but with your delight in hearing you joyn practice If it be not a partial hearing but the commanding and reproving part as welcome as any other If it be such a hearing as is not selfish such a hearing in which you aim more at Gods glory then your own advantage If these be the qualifications then your delight in hearing the Word is an evidence of your effectual calling Yea but you wil urge further Though this be not an Argument of our effectual calling yet we can goe one step higher We doe not onely delight to hear the word but we love the godly who are effectually called to grace and glory and if we love them we hope it is argument that we also are called and they urge that Scripture for it We know that we are translated from death to Life if we love the Brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 Now to speak to this I answer It is clear in Scripture that every kind of love to the people of God is no Argument of effectual calling but there may be a feigned and a counterfeit love as wel as any other grace Hence the Apostle presses Rom. 12.9 Let your love be without dissimulation importing that men may dissemble their love as wel as any grace else 1 John 3.18 Let us not love in word and in tongue onely but in deed and in truth So 1 Pet 1.22 Let there be unfeigned love to the Brethren intimating that there may be a feigned and false love So that every kind of love is no evidence of effectual calling And this I shal make out by this demonstration because there are several acts or expressions of love that men who are not effectually called may shew to be godly men Now if a man uncalled may shew many expressions and acts of love to a man converted then meer shewing love to a godly man is no Argument of your effectual calling I shal reduce what I have to say unto six heads As 1. A man may be frequently in
nothing should be irksom to you that God would have you perform in case he would give you your wonted comforts If you finde this temper of spirit in you this is a very ready way to bring on your comforts and restore the joyes of your salvation to you Secondly Set upon humbling work the onely way to gain what you have lost is to mourn over your losses Jer. 31.18 19 20. See how Ephraim comes to have his comforts restored when he wept over his own discomforts I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe saith God and I said Is Ephraim my dear sonne I saw him smitting upon his thigh humbling his soul for his sins and since I saw him I do earnestly remember him and I will shew mercy to him Here you see lamenting Ephraim God in the very time of his bemoaning himselfe restored his comforts to him we hear many lament for their outward losses but who laments for the losse of inward comforts And David after he had lost his comforts by that great sin of adultery makes seven penitential Psalmes Psalmes of lamentation or repentance and he calls one of them A Psalm to call to remembrance And as an Author well notes when David came to renew his comforts he makes a Psalm to call to remembrance those sins that might provoke God to take away his comforts from him So Beloved let it be your work to make such Psalmes in your Closets and make it your practice to call to remembrance those evils that provoke God to eclipse your comforts to you and let that humble you If you cannot finde out the Particular sin labour to humble your soules for every sin and then to be sure you cannot misse that Thirdly Would you restore your wonted comforts then set upon praying work This course you sinde David took Psal 51.8 Make me O Lord to hear the voice of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken might rejoyce Create in me a new heart and establish me with thy free Spirit verse 12. Here you read of Davids praying work how he poured forth his soul in prayer that God would restore to him the joyes of his salvation And here in your praying work I would onely cast in three directions First pray for a distinct sight of those evils that provoked God to take your comforts from you Secondly After you have got a sight bend the strength of your prayers most against those evils that did so provoke God to cloud your comforts Pray against them as against the deadliest enemy you have in the world Thirdly Pray for attaining those graces that may be inlets to spiritual comfort as the graces before named the grace of godly sorrow the grace of humiliation the grace of faith and of love to Jesus Christ Thus if you set upon searching upon humbling and upon praying work you are in a likely way to have your comforts restored Fourthly Set upon the work of Meditation and in this work I shall commend four meditations you are to take into your thoughts which may be very helpful and useful to you in restoring your comforts As First Let your meditations run upon this that sometimes you are not so competent Judges of your own spiritual estate as others may be As First In a time of desertion when God hath left you and frownes upon you Secondly In times of temptation when the devils temptations are violent against you Thirdly In times of Relapse when you are fallen into some great sin at this time you are not so competent Judges of your own estate but standers by may see more of your own good and your own sincerity then your selves may do as the Proverb is Many timâ—s Lookers on see more then he that playes the game it is true in this A Looker on may see sincerity sparkle in thy practice and thy graces shine in thy conversatioâ— when thou canst not do it thy selfe A childe when it blubbers and cries can see nothing of his book So when Christians are sad and sullen and lumpish they can hardly read any thing of their evidence Mr. Throgmorten got his assurance this way by the Testimony of a company of godly Mâ—nisters that they could lay their soules in his souls stead Let this therefore run in your Meditations that many times standers by and Christians that behold your walkings and see your Actions they may see more ground of comfort in you then your selves can do Secondly Meditate and think upon the comforts God gave you in wonted time and call them to minde Do as David did Psal 77. I called to minde the dayes of old and the years of many generations Call to minde ancient dayes did not God shew thee his face did not God bear thee in the palmes of his hands did not God give thee many a smile of his countenance and many a pledge of his love even by affliction it selfe did not God set many a seal upon thy heart that thy comforts were true thy evidence clear and thy ends sincere towards God Beloved call to minde the former frame of thy spirit how thou waft in wonted times and this Meditation being backed by Gods Spirit may be a great meanes to restore thy comforts to thee past goodnesse should be present encouragement Thirdly Meditate what way it was that you got your former comforts and assurance and the same way God will sanctifie to restore you your comforts again What Physicians say of the body We are nourished of those things of which we are begotten and generated So I say of comforts The very same thing that begot comforts the same will restore your comforts again Now think upon this in your practice and consider What way did I gain my comforts in yeares past did I gain my comforts by godly sorrow and by lamenting after God and by mourning over those abominable failings in my practice now take the same course to restore thy evidences Goe and mourn in thy closet over thy uneven walking before God Goe lament for thy sins mourn after thy Father and tell him thou art grieved at the heart that he is so great a stranger to thy soul Didst thou gain thy assurance in dayes past by humbling thy soul often before God Set upon humbling work again Didst thou gain thy comforts in dayes past by walking closely with thy God Amend thy paths and direct thy waies unto thy Maker for daies to come there is the very same way to restore your comforts that was at first to gain your comforts Fourthly Let your Meditations work upon those comforting Promises in the Gospel that hold forth most comfort to a dejected soule And truly I am perswaded Christians Meditations running more upon their own failings and their own jealousies and upon their own mistakes then upon Gospel-promises hath been the great occasion they have layn so long under a spirit of bondage and under a dark eclipse in the want of the comforts of Gods Spirit Therefore now let
you off from resting on duties and beat you off from dependance upon graces and beat you off from every thing in your selves This was Gods work in Paul Phil. 3.9 10. I was saith Paul Circumcised the eigth day of the stock of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamen an Hebrew of the Hebrews that is my father and mother were Hebrews what then and I was touching the Law blamelesse Mark he was so standing upon his own legs upon his own bottome that he thought himselfe a holy man a man blamelesse touching the Law But now saith he what things were gain to me I count loss for Christ yea doubtlesse I count all things lost that I might be found in Christ not having mine own righteousnesse Here Paul before Conversion depended upon his holy living and honest dealing but now I am converted and see my folly now I desire to be found in Christ not having mine own righteousnesse See how God did unbottome Paul from any goodnesse in himself to make him rest upon Jesus Christ and this is Gods work with thee he will unbottome thee from thy selfe and make thee see thou canst not be thine own Saviour 5. After he hath unbottom'd thee from thy selfe he puts thee upon earnest longings and looking after Jesus Christ When the poor soul hath ransack'd duties and gone to this Minister and the other Minister to be satisfied and he sees duties cannot help him and prayer wil not help him now he thinks I see none but Christ to lay my head upon and I see none but a Christ I must make recourse unto And now he is so longing after Christ that if all the stones in the streets were gold and all the building of his house were diamond and all his garments bespangled with pearle none of these should interrupt or stay him from running after Jesus Christ and this as I may say is Gods second work The three first may be in wicked men they may see their sin and misery thereby and be in a maze not knowing which way to goe but these two are a form beyond the wicked they never unbottom themselves nor ever have any longings or breathings after Christ at all 6. It is Gods method after all this to make them finde abundance of contentment and acquiescence in Jesus Christ that they may have occasion to say I see I have laid my help upon one that is mightie I see I have pitcht upon him that is both able and willing to do me good 2 Thess 2.16 Hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace And now beloved having spoken of these things how many in the Congregation have I left behind that haply the Lord hath used none of these methods with their soules O Lord I am not able to tell you your miserie but I intreat you take heed and doe not nuzzle up your soules in Presumption and groundless perswasions for believe it these are Gods ordinary methods he takes with most souls in bringing them to Gloâ—y SERMON III. 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure HAving finisht the first part of the discoverie in relation to the method God takes with those whom he doth effectually call I now proceed to the second way of discovery and that is by those saving Concomitants that do and will accompany a soul that is effectually call'd and these saving effects I shal reduce under eight heads First A man effectually call'd by Christ he doth unfainedly love the word of God and the Minister that preached that word that God did use as an instrument of his call First I say he will love the word John 8.47 He that is of God that is he that is calld by God heareth Gods word therefore you are not of God because you hear not his word There the Scripture tels us that they who are of God effectually called by him they hear his word with abundance of delight and abundance of joy and love So 1 John 4 5 6. He that is of God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us And therefore David when he would evidence a work of God upon his heart Psal 119.14 Thy word saith he is as great riches to me And as if he did not vulue riches comparable to the word vers 72. I love thy word above thousands of gold and silver Beloved if you are converted and called by Jesus Christ you wil love the Word of God that was an instrument of your Call Wherefore all you that spurn against the Gospel that cannot endure to have the word come with power upon your consciences all you that are weary of Ordinances and find no more savour in an Ordinance of God then as Iob saith there is taste in the white of an egge this is an argument you are not yet called What 's the reason one man wil rise early goe far take pains and many times nâ—glect his own lawful affairs and all to enjoy the word when another man will goe by the Church-door and haply goe to a Tavern and wil not goe to hear the word at all What 's the reason One is call'd by the word and the other not one is called by the Word and therefore loves it another is not called and that makes him neglect it 2. He doth not only love the word but the Minister that by preaching the word was an instrument of his conversion And therefore it is observable which some Divines note That of all men that we read of in Scripture there was no man did love Paul so well as Timothy For I have no man like minded saith Paul Phil. 2.22 No man that did so naturally care for him and for the Church of God as he For as a son with his father hath he served me And what 's the reason Why Paul was the instrument of Timothies conversion and Timothy being a Minister and come to a great pitch in grace he thought that of all Arguments in the world that should indear him to love Paul because Paul was the Minister that did convert him therefore he calls him 1 Tim. 1.2 Timothy his beloved son in the Faith And hence it is that when the Apostle would draw love from the Corinthians to himself and the Ministers of Christ that were the means of their calling he urgeth it upon this ground that they were the means that did beget them to Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 4. ver 1. compared with ver 15 16. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and as Stewards of the mystâ—ries of God Why should men so account of them For ver 15. though you have ten thousand Instructers yet have you not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Hereby he would draw out their love to him because he was the instrument that did first convert them Now then put these two together A man that is effectually called he doth both
love the Word of Christ that was an instrument of his calling and the Minister that preach'd that word which was the meanes by which he was called and try your selves by these Many of you haply have some good wrought as you think upon you and some change in you but truly let me tell you this if you are persons that are out of love with the word if you are out of love with those Ministers God made instrumental to convert you you have just cause to suspect your calling for you see throughout the whole course of Scripture their hearts did cleave with love to them that called them And therefore they that can slight and contemn those Ministers by whose Ministry they were brought home to Jesus Christ they have just cause of jealousie to suspect their Call Again 3. If God hath effectually called you he will by his Spirit bring you out of a state of ignorance and darkness and give you some measure of knowledge to be acquainted both with the mysteries of God and Christ and the sinfulnesse of your selves more then ever you were before This the Apostle Peter intimates 1 Pet. 2. ver 9. You are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a peculiar people that you may shew forth the praise of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light i.e. out of ignorance into a great measure of knowledge And it is called a marvellous light 1. Because it is marvellous if you compare that knowledge you shal have under the Gospel with what men had under the Law 2. It is marvellous because men are astonish'd that they should after so long a night of ignorance come to so great a measure of knowledge 3. It is called marvellous because it is so contrary to that condition they were formerly in As if a man that hath lain long in a dark dungeon should be suddenly called into a glorious Palace the Palace would seem more glorious because it is so contrary to the dark Prison So this work of God when he calls you it is marvellous light because it is so contrary to the condition you were in before your calling Isa 30.26 Acts 26.18 He hath sent his word to call you from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God 4. It is a marvellous light because such as none but the Mediator could procure it Isa 42.6 7. I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles 5. It is a marvellous light because a light that shines out of darknesse 2 Cor. 4.6 God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse 6. It is a marvellous light because it hath more force then any other light 't is called the light of life John 8.12 Now this call from darkness to light hath two branches 1. A man shal have more Light to have more acquaintance with and more clearness in the mysteries of Jesus Christ And 2. more Light to know the sinfulness of himself First He shal have more Light to know the mysteries of Jesus Christ And hence it is that Paul tels us Gal. 1.16 It pleased God to call me by his grace and to reveal his Son in me implying that where God by his grace doth call a sinner he doth reveal his Son unto him Wherefore Beloved if Jesus Christ be not made known to your soules if you have no competent measure of the knowledge of Christ you may be under this conviction that you are not yet called by Jesus Christ Nay further he doth not only call you unto this Light to manifest Jesus Christ to you in some dim way but you shal have a clear light 2 Cor. 4.6 For Gâ—d who commanded light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts not in a dim but shining light to give us the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ that is you have a cleer light to know God in the face of Christ you cannot know God in himself but in the person of Christ you shall have light to know him This therefore is the first Branch That God will put a light into thy soul whereby thou shalt have a clear knowledge of the things appertaining to Jesus Christ Again Secondly This shall not only reveal Christ to thee but this light shal also reveal thy Selfe to thee the sinfulness of thy self It is observable of Paul that before his calling he was after the law blameless he thought himself to be a faultless man but when the word called him then he cries out I see sin to be exceeding sinfull then he saw sin to be sin and himâ—elfe to be a vile and wretched man And therefore Beloved any of you that have not this marvellous light in your souls neither to know God nor to know Jesus Christ nor the matters appertaining to him nor to know the sinfulnesse of your own hearts take it from God you are not effectually called either these passages in Scripture must be rased out or else your callâ—ng must not be sound and therefore take heed I would fain mâ—ke my Ministry searching that hypocrites may not lie lurking under it You would be better Christians if you were better acquainted with all that unsoundness and that wretchedness of heart that is in you and therefore I intreat you look about you Though I would have no godly man discouraged by this that is spoken but that you that are not yet called might have your hearts a little staggered by what is and wil be said 3. A man effectually called is cast out of himself and cleaves to and closeth with Jesus Christ with more complacencie and contentment then ever he could do in all his life before John 6.45 He that hath heard and learned of the father shal come unto mâ— he doth not say all they that hear of the father many men doe hear the word but never close in with Christ but all they that have heard and by hearing have learnt and are called come unto me and close in with me and cleave to me and take content and delight in me Beloved there are many that hear the word yet never goe out of themselves and never close in with Christ yea but all they that hear and learn that hear and are called by hearing they all come in to Jesus Christ Wherefore all you that in hearing cannot finde your hearts in love with Christ cannot finde your hearts to close in with Christ and believe in Christ you have just cause to suspect your call that your calling is not effectual 1 Cor. 1.24 The Apostle tels you there were other men counted Christ foolishness but to you that are called Christ is the power and wisdome of God that is you do acknowlâ—dge and you do conceive of Jesus Christ that he hath as much power as God hath in him and as much wisdome as God hath in him and you close in with Chrrst for that end when other men think Christ to be
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
call As you know it is with Carpenters they give more blows to knotâ—y Timber then they will do to smooth and tender wood thus doth God when he meets with a knotty sinner a wretched stout-hearted sinner God must give many blows by humiliation before he will be humbled before he can bring him to be a serviceable piece in Gods building whereas Christians of a milde and softer temper they shall have fewer blows and shall not have the terrors of God stick so fast in their hearts as others shall Hence you read that phrase Hos 6.5 saith the Lord I will hew them by my Prophets c. God doth hew some men hew them with judgments and hew them with terrour Yea but others that are not so loose as they I taught Ephraim to go I led Ephraim by the Arms and I drew him with cords of a man and with the bands of love Hos 11.4 God you see would hack and hew some men with terrour and wrath but others he would draw with love and the cords of a man Now suppose God hath not hacked and hewed thee with judgments if God melt thee with loving kindnesse and if God gain upon thy soul with mercy and with love and grace thou must not blame God thou must not confine God for this is Gods way of working sometimes as well as by wrath God works upon some with wrath â—he will allure others with loving kindnesse so that you have no cause or ground of fear that you are not effectually called because you apprehend some defects in the manner of your call because it is Gods usual way to plunge them in most humiliation and most terrour that have been most wicked liv'd men before their call and so ordinarily with men religiously trained up from their youth Thirdly God when he goes to call a sinner to conversion he looks upon the temper of those that are to be called and God sees some men of a rugged temper that their tempers will not be won but by wrath and by fire and by hell and by judgment And so it 's like Felix was his temper was such that nothing could conveâ—t him but wrath and judgement to come terrible Doctrines Some are of this temper that nothing but wrath and hel-fire can work upon them As children there are some that are of such soft and tender tempers that the shaking of a rod may doe them good there are other children if a man should whip them every day they would never leave their childish tricks It is so with sinners God sees some of a more tender and soft temper that love will gain upon them others are of a rugged disposition that nothing but wrath can affright them Now God in the dispensations of his grace he observes their temper and if he seeth love will gain more upon them then wrath will do he will take that course but if God see nothing but wrath and fire and horrour wil doe it then he wil work that way This you read in the Epistle of Jude ver 22 23. On some saith the Holy Ghost have compassion making a difference but others save with fear pulling them out of the fire The meaning is this There are some that you must shew tendernesse and compassion to in calling and working upon them they are of a tendâ—r temper but others there are that you must save with fear that is preach terrible Sermons to them and fright them with hel-fire and judgment to come For God doth observe the different tempers in men and hereupon doth proceed in different wayes of Administration in working upon them Now it may be thou that dost thus complain thou never hadst these terrours in thy soul and yet art effectually called it may be God saw thy temper more to be won by kindnesse and more gained upon in a way of love therefore wrought upon thee this way God is not bound to one way And therefore we may justly count them blame-worthy who preach onely free grace and Gods love and so tie God to one Method and they are too blame on the other side likewise if there be any such that preach only terror and wrath for God observes the temper of mens dispositions some to be knotty and some soft and accordingly proceeds ceeds in his way of working with them This ground therefore for your doubts is insufficient Secondly A second ground that makes men doubt of their effectual calling is upon the apprehension of some seeming defect that may be in the means of their calling As thus Think they I have read in the Word that it doth please God to use preaching as the ordinary means to call and convert sinners to Christ It pleased God by preaching to save them that beleeve I read this also that faith comes by hearing Now many a poor soul hath this that gravels his conscience and troubles his spirit but alas I finde a defect in this means For my part I cannot say I was converted by hearing a Sermon that which did work upon me was some other means One of these three either I was converted saith one by living in a godly family among good Christians seeing their example that first gained upon me Or saith another I was gained upon by reading a Chapter in the Bible or in some good Book and that first wrought upon me Or saith a third it may be if it was the Word it was the Word preached by a wicked man that is now turned either erroneous in judgment or prophane in practice and this occasioneth a great deal of jealousie The word preacht by the mouth of a godly Minister is Gods ordinary way but I was altogether out of this way and therefore this doth make him suspect the truth of his effectual calling Now Beloved I beseech you lend me your thoughts a little for I would fain make this Doctrine as comfortable to every called one as I can I shall speak of all these in order and shew you that put case either of these have been the meanes of thy calling yet thou hast no reason to doubt of thine effectual calling First thou suspectest thy call because the means hath been sayest thou not by hearing a Sermon or the word preacht but by living among good Christians and seeing their example and their living thou camest by this means to love the wayes of God and this was the first meanes that converted thee Beloved I doubt not but I speak to a great many that cannot say a Sermon ever converted them but only that they were gained to Gods wayes to imbrace the truth this way now what shall I say to such men as these why I would say thus much that though the Lord did not use his Word preached the ordinary meanes of converting soules in calling thee yet God is not tied and bound up to his word preacht but he may use other means to convert thy soul Secondly and more particularly that living among good people and seeing of their
them by the word whether those saving effects which God doth work in an elect person be wrought in your soules or no and that is tâ—e way to come to a sure and certain knowledge of your elecâ—ion The knowledge of your election is not attainable by ascending into Gods decree for who hath made you his Counsellors Nor is it enjoyned you by way of Revelation That is an unsure ground and you may runne into Enthusiasme as well as perswasion about your election It is not done by Revelation neither against nor without the word What ever tâ—stimony there is if it come not from the word you may suspect it to be a delusion Now the safest way though I know much cried down for you to go by in searching whethâ—r you are in the number of Gods elect is to search into your own hearts whether those things be wrought in you which are wrought in those whom God hath elected to life and salvation and here I shal content my self with the naming of six saving effects First every man that is elected sooner or later shall be effectually called and savingly converted by the power of the word This the Apostle laies down 1 Thes 1.4 5. Knowing brethren beloved your election of God How should this be known Vers 5. For our word came not to you in word onely but in power and in the holy Ghâ—st that is oâ—â— Gospel did not come in word onelâ— to affect youâ— eâ—rs and rest there but our word came with poweâ— being bâ—â—kâ— with the operation of the Spirit for your conveâ—â—ion This work all men that are elected sooner or later must come under to have the power of the word come with authâ—rity upon Conscience for his effectual calling So Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated whom he appointed to life tâ—eâ— he called And therefore Beloved who ever you are if you live and die without having the power of the Word to pass upon your soule for your â—ffectual Calling you may lay your hâ—arâ—s under this Conclusion that you are no elected by God to obâ—ain life and salvation For Whom he hath predestinated them he calls Secondly a man that is elected by God to life sooner or later God will sanctifie him by renewing and regenerating grace And this is onely different from the former in degree for calling is sanctificaâ—ion begun Now when God elects a man he doth not onely begin the work of grace but he carries it on in a course of sanctification And of this your read 2 Thes 2.12 13. We are bold to give thanks to God alwaies for you beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth If God hath from the beginning chosen a man to salvation the Lord doth it through sanctification not for sanctification as the Papists say or for faith foreseen but it is through it as a means whereby we are brought to salvation sanctificaâ—ion shâ—ll runne through our lives as water through a channel So 1 Pet. 1.2 They that are elected according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by Christ through sanctification So 2 Tim. 2.21 And therefore beloved if men live and die and have not the power of sanctifying grace upon their hearts and consciences and working in their lives doubtless those men are not elected because this you see clearly that at one time or other God will work this in such men Jude 4. Thirdly men elected by God to life and salvation shal sooner or later be brought into a state of believing Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed No man that is ordained to eternal life but shall be brought to a believing estate And therefore men living and dying in a state of unbeliefe are not elected Hence you read Tit. 1.1 it is called the faith of Gods elect implying that all that are elected before they die shall have faith and none shall have faith but onely they and therefore in a peculiar manner called the faith of Gods elect appropriated only to them Fourthly That man that is elected sooner or later before he dies God will work in his heart a special delight in and an intire love to the word preached This you have expressed John 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods word therefore ye are not of God because ye hear not his words To be of God that is to belong to God by election Now he that is of God God will in time make him hear his word with delight and love but he that takes no delight therein is noâ— elected of God 1 John 4.5 6. Fifthly The Lord will sooner or later work in the heart of an elect man love to the people of God and compassion to those who are not the elect and chosen one of God Col. 3.12 Put on as the elect of God bowels of mercy and loving kindness The Apostle there by the manner of phrase doth seem to intimate thus much Put on as the elect of God c. As if it were a thing ordained to and inseparable from an elect man after his effectual calling that he should have bowels of mercy towards those that are not called and that he should have loving kindness towards those that are called For a man that is once elected and hath the execution of that decree in effectual calling it is proper to him to have bowels of mercy Sixthly God will sooner or later work an elect man into a new course of living and of obedience from what he had in times past 1 Pet. 1.2 You are elected according to the foreknowledg of God through sanctification to obedience that though you were disobedient before serving divers lusts yet God if he hath chosen you will bring you in a course of obedience Rom. 8.29 He hath predestinated us What to doe that we might be conformable to the image of his Son God intends that that person whom he chooseth to life should be conformable to Jesus Christ and that he shall live another manner of life then before that though he hath formerly been subject to sinne and satan yet then he shall walk in waies of obedience to Jesus Christ Thus having briefly finisht these heads I have onely foure or five cautions to lay down to bound what hath been said within the limits of truth As First Take notice that these six defects do not extend to children who die while they are children but to men and women that are grown in years A childe that cannot act reason as he is a childe cannot have any of these particulars wrough in him at least in that way and manner men of years have A childe as it is an infant hath not conversion in that way a man hath though it hath somewhat equivalent to it as somewhat like sanctification and somewhat like that faith men of years have but what that is and how wrought man cannot determine In pressing of this therefore I
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.