and contents of youth this will become an heavy burden and bitter vexation in 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 imbrace the invitation of Christ consider That Jesus Christ will take it most kindly at your hands if while you are young you will give intertainment to his call Jer. 2.2 I remember thee saith the Lord and the kindness of thy youth that thou wouldst follow me in the Wilderness 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 will remember it and take it acceptably from you if while you are young while the Marrow is in your bones and strength in your joynts you will imbrace the wayes 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 all the other eleven Disciples Christ did love John above the rest and Divines give this reason of it John was the youngest of all 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 John 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 his 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 Matt. 19.20 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 will much more love Piety and true Sincerity It is observed of Timothy that of one particular man Paul expressed more love to Timothy then any other Read over all the book of God you shall never find Paul expresse so much love to any as to Timothy he cals him Timothy my son Timothy who serveth me as a child 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 Ministery of the word in Paul's mouth and this did more indear the heart of Paul unto him You read in the book of Leviticus that when God did require a Sacrifice he would not have an old Sheep but a young Lamb a Lamb of a year old and a Kid of the yongest of the Flook And it was significative in this not only to shew that Christ our Sacrifice should die and suffer for our sins in the flower of his age but also to shew that Jesus Christ looks upon that as an abominable Sacrifice when you will not be of his Fold while you are as young Lambs O Beloved Christ takes it wonderful kindly if in your youth you do imbrace 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 will Christ take this when he shall wait year after year and yet you not imbrace his call It is said in Isaiah All the day long have I stretched out my hand to a rebellious people yet they would not hear and Mal. 1. Offer the Lame and the Blind to thy 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 will 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 business of your salvation should you live never so long and therefore you have no cause to put off the call of Jesus 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 call of Jesus Christ and this I do for the sake of young men that they may take heed of being insnar'd by this delusion of the Devil 2. Sug. 2. Here it may be the Devil cannot insnare you in this Gin Old men will say this concerns not me 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 call 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 call 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 shall 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 necessary 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 glory and our own salvation It is said of Noah that he walked with God Gen. 6 14 and was perfect in his generation And yet Noah was imployed by God for some time to wit for 120 years in a Handycraft-calling to build an
we can go one step higher We do 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 an 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 Ioh. 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 fained 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 unfained love to the Brethren intimating that there may be a fained 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 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 the companie of godlie 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 godlie man this a wicked man may do 3. They may write Letters of commendation in the behalf of a godlie 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 that 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 behalf of Paul to Felix the Governor 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 did they grow and count Paul their enemy for telling them the truth 5. They may express such love that in times of danger they may take care of the safetie of godlie men so Acts 23.27 Claudius Lysias when he heard Paul was in danger of his life he came with an Armie 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 godlie 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 godlie 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 godlie 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 John did not love the Ladie because she was a Ladie or because she was a goodlie woman but for the truths sake that dwelt in her Whereas wicked men they love a godlie man but not as godlie under that notion Therefore you shal see the difference between Johns love to a godlie 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 godlie 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 Mat. 5.46 47. If ye love them that love you what reward have you do not even the Publicans so So that you see a wide difference between the love of a godlie 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 't 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 Sufferone with another love as Brethren This shewes your love to be true when it hath pity and compassion to attend it Delus I pass now to a third delusion which indeed is a main delufion and hath deceived many specially those that profess 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 days past and hereby the Divel 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 yee are washed c. Now this being so universall a delusion among 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 inlarge my selfe in speaking of this particular and shall lay downe six or seven particulars wherein I shall shew that this ground taken in generall is no infallible evidence of a mans effectuall calling First Because there are many graduall changes which do not come up or amount to a saving change or alteration
T. Cross Sculpsit A TREATISE OF EFFECTUAL CALLING AND Election In XVI SERMONS On 2 PET. 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 faithful Servant of CHRIST Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE late MINISTER of Lawrence Jury LONDON LONDON Printed for John Rothwell and are to be sold by John Clark entering into Mercâ—rs Chappel at the lower end of Cheapside 1653. TO THE Reader Good Reader IT 's a true saying that the Assurance of an eternal life is the life 〈…〉 temporal life The Apostle◠〈…〉 that if in this life only we 〈…〉 in Christ we were of all men most â—â—â—â—rable None being exposed to so many troubles and tribulations in this life aâ— the best Christian And what could sustain and beare 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 wayes of duty as the charets of Amminadab 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 alwayes 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 is it hard to come by Difficilia quae pulchra '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 easily attained but Christian assurance not without great difficulty 'T is therefore much to be lamented that there is so little diligence used for obtaining the assurance of our effectual Calling and eternal Election which is of such great concernment to every Christian What care do men take 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 desparate hazards 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 wisedome to secure every thing except their own soules What evil have they deserved of you that you should neglect them so much The designe 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 appears 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 wilt 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 shalt 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 SIME ON ASHE JEREMIAH WHITAKER WILLIAM TAYLOR ALLEN GEERE OF THE ASSURANCE OF OUR VOCATION AND ELECTION SERMON I. 2 PETER 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 shall 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 knowledg I shall not stand long in Prefacing All that I have to do in the managing of these 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 lies 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 Paul's Office to preach to the uncircumcised Gentiles he writ this Epistle to the dispersed Jewes that were scattered throughout the world through Pontus Asia Cappadocia Galatia 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 first by way of Salutation ver 2. Grace and peace be multiplied to you 2. He writes by way of Consolation ver 4. telling them that they are Partakers of the Divine Nature that they are call'd to Glory and shall enjoy all the Promises of the Gospel These are
minde the dayes of old and the yeers of many generations Call to minde ancient dayes did not God shew thee his face did not God bear thee in the palmes of his hands did not God give thee many a smile of his countenance and many a pledge of his love even by affliction it selfe did not God set many a seal upon thy heart that thy comforts were true thy evidence clear and thy ends sincere towards God Beloved call to minde the former frame of thy spirit how thou wast in wonted times and this Meditation being backed by Gods Spirit may bee a great means to restore thy comforts to thee past goodnesse should be present encouragement Thirdly Meditate what way it was that you got your former comforts and assurance Ex quo gignimur eo dem nutrimur and the same way God will sanctifie to restore you your comforts again What Physicians say of the body We are nourished of those things of which wee are begotten and generated So I say of comforts The very same thing that begot comforts the same will restore your comforts againe Now think upon this in your practice and consider What way did I gaine my comforts in yeeres past did I gaine my comforts by godly sorrow and by lamenting after God and by mourning over those abominable failings in my practice now take the same course to restore thy evidences Go and mourn in thy Closet over thy uneven walking before God Go lament for thy sinnes mourne after thy Father and tell him thou art grieved at the heart that he is so great a stranger to thy soule Didst thou gain thy assurance in dayes past by humbling thy soule often before God Set upon humbling work again Didst thou gain thy comforts in dayes past by walking closely with thy God Amend thy paths and direct thy wayes unto thy Maker for dayes to come There is the very same way to restore your comforts that was at first to gain your comforts Fourthly Let your Meditations work upon those comforting Promises in the Gospel that hold forth most comfort to a dejected soule And truly I am perswaded Christians Meditations running more upon their own failings and their own jealousies and their own mistakes then upon Gospel-Promises hath been the great occasion they have layen so long under a spirit of bondage and under a dark eclipse in the want of the comforts of Gods Spirit Therefore now let your Meditations work upon those Promises that hold forth most comfort to a dejected and deserted soule And here I shall name five or sixe most comfortable Promises in the Word As Esa 57.15 The Lord that dwells in the high and holy places he doth revive the spirit of the humble and of the contrite one So Esa 66.2 The Lord dwels in the heavens and yet with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit that trembles at his Word with him will God dwell So Psal 34.18 The Lord is nigh them that are of a broken heart even them that are contrite in spirit So Luke 4.18 Jesus Christ was anointed that is appointed by God the Father to preach the Gospel to the poor to binde up the broken in heart and to comfort them that mourn So Esa 66.10 The Lord will restore comfort to thee and to thy Mourners And Heb. 12.12 The Lord will strengthen the weak hands and feeble knees And with that remarkable and most glorious Gospel-promise I shall end Esa 35.3 4 5 6. Strengthen the weak hands and confirme the feeble knees This saith God to weak Christians whose legs can hardly carry their bodies and their hands hardly reach to their mouthes Say unto the weak Christian in grace comfort and confirm and strengthen them And say unto them that are of a fearfull heart Be strong Poor fearful doubting soules that fear every Temptation and fear every corruption and fear they shall lose the recompence of their reward Say unto that fearful heart Be strong and fear not For your God will come with vengeance even God will come with recompence and save you And then the eyes of the blinde shall bee open and the eares of the deafe shall bee unstopped it is not meant of the bodily eye but those that were blinde and could not see the mysteries of Christ and could not read their own comforts then their eyes shall be open And the deaf that as Esaiah saith refused to be comforted that would not hearken to comfort but would stop their eares against all comfortable doctrines and onely give way to sorrow their eares shall be unstopped And the lame man shall leap like a Hart the poore halting Christian that halts in his comforts that is now believing anon staggering now rejoycing anon despairing the poor lame man shall leap like a Hart. And the Tongue of the dumb shall sing the poor man that could not speak one word of his owne graces and of his own comforts and touching his own evidence the Tongue of the dumb shall sing O Beloved here is your work in case you would bee Christians to restore your comforts againe set upon the work of Meditation to think upon these precious promises of the Gospell that hold forth most comfort to a drooping and dejected sinner SERMON XII 2 PETER 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THe Doctrine I am yet upon is this That Christians ought to put forth a great deale of diligence to make this sure to their soule that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ to Grace and Glory In the prosecution of which I have gone over many particulars Vse There remains now onely one Use more to dispatch about this subject and then I passe to the third point drawn from these words And the Use shall be of Consolation from all that hath been said touching the assurance of our effectuall Calling I shall onely direct my discourse to lay down six or seven Consolatory Conclusions to those Christians who are effectually called yet happily have not a sensible assurance of their own calling First take this for a truth that Assurance is necessary not for the being but for the wel-being of a Christian It is not necessary to his estate but to his comfort It is not necessary as food is to the life but onely as physick is to the body A man cannot live without food a man may live without Physick Assurance is but as a comfortable Cordiall to the soule Grace is as food to keep the soule alive though you doe want assurance this Cordiall to beare you up Secondly that many of Gods deare Children they may lie a very long time in the want of this assurance touching their effectuall calling Psal 88. it is said of Heman 14 15 16 verses Lord why hast thou cast off my soule and why hast thou hid thy face from me Mark his complaint I am ready to die And was this onely a fit of desertion or was it a
you Do you look about you God will give you many a blow God will send you many a sad houre before he brings you to your peace 3. Those that have often sinn'd against Conscience that do as it were lay Conscience wast that are prodigall of sinning not caring for sinning against never so much light and never so much conviction Beloved you shall not have so easie a coming to heaven God wil first lay many stroaks upon you and draw heavie groans from you David saith By reason of thy terrors I am afraid and my bone are dried up You are subject to most horror and astonishment that do sin against Conscience Again 4. When God hath done thus made you see the aggravated nature of sin shewn you your misery by reason of sin and brought you into such a condition that you cannot tell how to be saved then 4. this is Gods Method to take you off from your own bottome beat you off from resting in 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 8th day of the stock of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews that is my father and mother were Hebrews what then and I was touching the Law blameless Mark he was so standing upon his own legs upon his own bottome that he thought himself a holy man a man blameless 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 my 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 righteousness See how God did unbottome Paul from any goodness in himself to make him rest upon Jesus Christ and this is Gods work with thee he will unbottome thee from thy self and make thee see thou canst not be thine own Saviour 5. After he hath unbottom'd thee from thy self 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 will 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 my 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 pearâ—e 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 miserie thereby and be in a maze not knowing which way to goe but these two are a form beyond the wicked they never unbottome themselves nor ever have any longings or breathings after Christ at all 6. It is Gods method after all this to make them find 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 picht upon him that is both able and willing to do me good 2 Thes 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 hehind that haply the Lord hath used none of these Methods with their souls O Lord I am not able to tell you your miserie but I intreat you take heed and do not nuzzle up your souls in Presumption and groundless Perswasions for believe it these are Gods ordinarie Methods he takes with most souls in bringing them to glorie 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 discoverie and that is by those saving Concomitants that doe and will accompanie a soul that is effectually call'd and these saving effects I shall 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 call'd by God heareth Gods word therefore you are not of God because you heare not his word There the Scripture tels us that they who are of God effectually called by him they heare 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 value 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 will love the Word of God that was an instrument of your Call Wherfore 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 finde no more savour in an Ordinance of God then as Job saith there is taste in the white of an egg this is an argument you are not yet called What 's the reason one man will rise early go far take pains and many times neglect his own lawfull affairs and all to enjoy the Word when another man will goe by the Church-door and haply go to a Tavern and will not go 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 onely 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 much as Timothie 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 hee served me And what 's the reason Why Paul was the instrument of Timothy's Conversion and Timothy being a Minister and come to a great pitch in grace hee 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 hee urgeth it upon this ground that they were the means that did beget them to Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 4. ver 1. compared with ver 15 16. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and as Stewards of the mysteries of God Why should men so account of them For ver 15. though you have ten thousand Instructors yet have you not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Hereby he would draw out their love to him because he was the instrument that did first convert them Now then put these two together A man that is effectually called he doth both love the Word of Christ that was an instrument of his calling and the Minister that preach'd that word which was the means by which he was called and try your selves by these Many of you haply have some good wrought as you think upon you and some change in you but truly let me tell you this if you are persons that are out of love with the Word if you are out of love with those Ministers God made instrumental to convert you you have just cause to suspect your calling for you see thorowout the whole course of Scripture their hearts did cleave with love to them that called them And therefore they that can slight and contemn those Ministers by whose ministry they were brought home to Jesus Christ they have just cause of jealousie to suspect their Call Again 2. If God hath effectually called you he will by his Spirit bring you out of a state of ignorance and darknesse and give you some measure of knowledg to be acquainted both with the mysteries of God and Christ and the sinfulnesse of your selves more then ever you were before This the Apostle Peter intimates 1 Pet. 2. ver 9. You are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a peculiar people that you may shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light i. e. out of ignorance into a great measure of knowledg And it is called a marvellous light 1. Because it is marvellous if you compare that knowledg you shall have under the Gospel with what men had under the Law 2. It is marvellous because men are astonish'd that they should after so long a night of ignorance come to so great a measure of knowledg 3. It is called marvell us because it is so contrary to that condition they were formerly in As if a man that hath lain long in a dark dungeon should be suddenly called into a glorious Palace the Palace would seem more glorious because it is so contrary to the dark Prison So this work of God when he calls you it is called marvellous light because it is so contrary to the condition you were in before your calling Isa 30.26 Acts 26.18 He hath sent his word to call you from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan to God 4. It is a marvellous light because such as none but the Mediator could procure it Isa 42.6 7. I will give thee for a light to the gentiles 5. It is a marvellous light because a light that shines out of darknesse 2 Cor. 4.6 God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse 6. It is a marvellous light because it hath more force then any other light 't is called the light of life Joh. 8.12 Now this call from darknesse to light hath two Branches 1. A man shall have more light to have more acquaintance with and more clearnesse in the mysteries of Jesus Christ And 2. more light to know the sinfulnesse of himself First He shall have more light to know the mysteries of Jesus Christ And hence it is that Paul tels us Gal. 1.16 It pleased God to call me by his grace and to reveal his Son in me implying that where God by his grace doth call a sinner he doth reveal his Son unto him Wherefore Beloved if Jesus Christ be not made known to your souls if you have no competent measure of the knowledg of Christ you may be under this conviction that you are not yet called by Jesus Christ Nay further he doth not onely call you unto this light to manifest Jesus Christ to you in some dim way but you shall have a clear light 2 Cor. 4.6 For God who commanded light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts not in a dim but shining light to give us the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ that is you have a cleer light to know God in the face of Christ you cannot know God in himself but in the person of Christ you shall have light to know him This therefore is the first Branch That God will put a light into thy soul whereby thou shalt have a clear knowledg of the things appertaining to Jesus Christ Again Secondly This light shall not onely reveal Christ to thee but this light shall also reveal thy Self to thee the sinfulnesse of thy self It is observable of Paul that before his calling he was after the law blamelesse he thought himself to be a faultlesse man but when the word called him then he cryes out I see sin to be exceeding sinfull then he saw sin to be sin and himself to be a vile and wretched man And therefore Beloved any of you that have not this marvellous light in your souls neither to know God nor know Jesus Christ nor the matters appertaining to him nor to know the sinfulnesse of your own hearts take it from God you are not effectually called either these passages in Scripture must be rased out or else your calling must not be sound and therefore take heed I would fain make my Ministrie searching that hypocrites may not lie lurking under it You would be better Christians if you were better acquainted with all that unsoundnesse and that wretchednesse of heart that is in you and therefore I intreat you look about you Though I would have no godly man discouraged by this that is spoken but that you that are not yet called might have your hearts a little staggered by what is and will be said 3. A man effectually called is cast out of himself and cleaves to and closeth with Jesus Christ with more complacencie and contentment then ever he could do in all his life before John 6.45 Hee that hath heard and learned of the father shall come unto me he doth not say all they that hear of the father many men do heare the word but never close in with Christ but all they that have heard and by hearing have learnt and are called come unto mee and close
in with me and cleave to me and take content and delight in me Beloved there are many that hear the word yet never go out of themselves and never close in with Christ yea but all they that heare and learne that hear and are called by hearing they all come in to Jesus Christ Wherefore all you that in hearing cannot find your hearts in love with Christ cannot find 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 foolishnesse but to you that are called Christ is the power and wisedome of God that is you do acknowledg and you do conceive of Jesus Christ that he hath as much power as God hath in him and as much wisedome as God hath in him and you close in with Christ for that end when other men think Christ to be foolish and Christ weak men uncall'd they have low thoughts of Christ but to you that are call'd Christ is the power and wisedome of God You will have high thoughts of Jesus Christ if you are effectually called 4. That man that is effectually called he shall be inabled by the spirit of Christ to call upon God 1. Cor. 1.2 To all in Corinth called to be Saints with all that call upon the name of the Lord. There the Apostle joynes called to be Saints with this phrase to call upon God to shew that whoever is effectually called to be a Saint that man shall be inabled by the Spirit of Jesus to call upon God Psal 27.8 When thousaidest Seek my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek Hence ye read Acts 9.11 when Ananias doubted whether Paul was truely call'd or no and Jesus Christ would convince Ananias that he was truely call'd what means doth he use verse 11. do not suspect him but arise saith Christ and goe to him into the street called Straight and enquire at the house of Judas for one Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth If he were not call'd he would never goe to God in such a cordiall way and humble his soul before God for his by past failings and beg strength for time to come and labour to have his peace made with me Go to him for behold he prayeth and therefore all you that have not a spirit in any measure to call upon God and to powr forth your requests in a solemn prayer you have just cause of jealousie to suspect your Call 5. If you are effectually call'd God hath wrought in your souls an utter detestation and loathing of all the evils that in the former part of your lives before you calling your have committed and were guilty of Hos 14.8 Ephraim shall say what have I any more to doe with Idols The interrogation imports a vehement detestation of them and indignation against them 2 Cor. 7.11 the Apostle speaks there of repentance the same with calling when men come to have the work of grace in their hearts and this is a branch of it that godly sorrow causeth care and causeth fear and causeth indignation that is if any man be a repenting man and a converted man this conversion will cause indignation that is he will be even mad with himself and angry with himself that he should be so vile a wretch before conversion as he hath been Thus was Paul hee speaks with indignation against the sins he was guilty of before his calling I have been a persecutor I have hal'd the Saints into prison Nay saith hee I was even mad against the Church Beloved you will count your sins to be madnesse and count them to be greatly aggravated that were committed before God call'd you Anselm said to his body I 'le tame thee O unruly beast with fasting and praier We read of one that bit off his tongue in indignation that therewith he had denied Jesus Christ Another Martyr put that hand first into the fire with which he had subscribed a recantation saying Burn thou O hand that didst subscribe to that which might have made me burn both body and soul in hell And therefore you that have no loathing thoughts against past deceit and past drunkennesse and past swearing and your past evils suspect your calling You that do not abhor the thoughts of your former evils your wonted pride and wonted covetousnesse if you cannot looke with indignation against these you have great cause to suspect your call For if God have call'd you he will make you even angry with your selves that ever you have been so vile as you have been Hence it is when God speaks of Israels conversion Isa 2.20 't is said they shall cast away their idols from them they shall cast away their sins as with indignation against themselves because they have sinned And hence in the Prophesie of Ezek. 20.43 the Prophet tels them that for the evils they had done they should loath themselves in their own eyes their indignation should be so great against themselves that ever they should be so vile against God before their call So David with indignation saith after he had recovered himself and brought his heart into a repentant frame so foolish was I and ignorant Psal 73.22 Now Beloved I would here appeale unto you I will judge no man let your own consciences pass sentence upon you But let me appeal to your selves Have not many of you before these times been opposers of Religion men walking in ungodly lewd and profane courses of living haply now you are moulded into a form of Profession now you hear the Word speak well of Ministers now you cry up Government many plausible wayes and actions you can cary on but what is in your hearts Have you indignation against your past persecution and evils If not beleeve it though you go far I fear you may come short of beaven your calling is not real if you have not indignation and wrath against your former sins committed And therefore O what a sad word is this to all insensible sinners that are men that never had their hearts touch'd with remorse for any evil What a sad word is this to you that have been drunk week after week and sworn day after day and deceived hour after hour and been unclean time after time and yet all these evils never touch'd the heart Truly you have great cause to fear that God hath not yet effectually called you by Jesus Christ 6. The man that is effectually called his spirit is brought into an obediential frame to yeeld obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ if God call you by his Spirit hee will not leave you to the exorbitancies of your own wayes and will but he will bring you to a yeeldingnesse of heart to all his commands Rom. 15 6. We have received grace and Apostleship for obedience to the faith among all Nations among whom you are also the called of
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 waies 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 Dr. Preston any vain excuse wil be pretended When wil is wanting to walk in the waies of God any groundless 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 have no leisure to look after their effectuall calling by Jesus Christ 3. Sug. Thirdly The Divel suggests if you give entertainment to the call of Jesus Christ this will expose you to a great deal of povertie and persecution in this world and therefore you must not hearken to his call And he will urge Scripture for this First For povertie the Divel 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 Divel wil urge this Scripture and tell you you are exposed to povertie want and beggerie if you follow Christ And this we read in historie likewise of Lucius the first Christian King that ever England had and indeed the first Christian King that ever any Nation had to the glory of England so Gildas in his life tels us And this King though he was turned to Christianitie yet for many years he had this temptation upon him that the Christians were poorer then the Romans that did not imbrace Jesus Christ and this temptation he could hardly shake off the Romans were more wealthie and the Romans were more warlick and so had like to have been overcome with this suggestion Agolantus a heathen Prince being taken prisoner by the Emperour and being in his Court he saw thirtie or forty poor men in poor clothes walking in the palace and demanding of the Emper or who those poor men were the Emperour told him they are the followers of Jesus Christ are they so saith he If Christ keep his followers in such a low condition I will never follow Jesus Christ The poornesse of Christs followers made him stumble at Christianitie There are many men especially the gallants of the times they see a companie of poor silly women come with a Bible under their armes and they imbrace the faith and they love it and this is a marvellous great offence to them that they will not follow Jesus Christ because of the povertie they are exposed to in the waies of Jesus Christ And then for persecution also that they are not only exposed to want but to losse of libertie and good name and life also Matth. 10.38 You must take up the cross these are tedious termes to flesh and blood and this doth wonderfully gravel and keep back men from entertaining of Christ Now to take off this temptation of the Divel that it might not seize upon your hearts I shal lay down six particulars by way of answer First That the servants of God of old time they had rather chuse povertie and persecution with the people of God then to enjoy the vanities and profits of this world with wicked men And this was Moses's choice Heb. 11.24 25. Moses when he came to years refused to be called the son of Pharaohs Daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasure of sinne for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ better then all the riches of Aegypt Moses when he came to yeers it was no childish act but an act of deliberation and it was no constrained act but Moses chose rather it was an act of his own choice rather to have affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season It was spoken of Mr. Philpot his being in the Cole-house at Windsor a dismal and dark place Saith one I had rather be with Philpot in the Cole-house then be with Bonner in his Palace And being asked why the one being so dismal the other so beautiful saith he the reason is because Bonners conscience makes his Palace a Cole-house but Philpots God and Philpots Christ makes his Cole-house a Palace And Beloved this is a truth though a man should be a beggar if he be rich in faith he is the happiest man in the world Though a man should beg his bread from door to door if he can beg Christ and have it and beg grace and have it he is the richest man upon earth This therfore is my first answer that the servants of God had rather chuse afflictions with the people of God then have pleasures with wicked men Secondly Suppose you meet with povertie and persecution in following Christ yet consider Jesus Christ doth make you abundant recompence with that inward peace and inward joy he fils your hearts withall for all the outward troubles you meet with in the world John 16.33 In the world you shall have tribulation but mark the Cordial In me ye shall have peace therefore be of good chear I have overcome the world Though you have troubles in the world yet you have joy in me and peace in me and therefore why should you be offended 3. Consider Though you want many things in the world yet you shall want nothing that is good for you Psal 84.11 He wil give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that live a godly life If riches be good for thee thou shalt not want it if wealth be good for you you shal not want it if estate be good for you you shall not want that for he wil with-hold nothing from them that live a godly life 4. A gracious heart if he hath or can find that he hath a real interest in Christ though he wants much in the world Habent omnia qui habent habentem omnia he thinks he wants nothing but he hath all things in having a Christ nor will he complain of povertie when endowed with the riches of heaven Luke 22.25 And Christ said unto them when I sent you without purse and without scrip and shoos lacked you any thing Mark the question Now if a carnal man had been to answer this what would he have said What send a man without a purse then he wants mony send him without a scrip he wants meat send him without shoos a man is a poor man indeed that hath no shoos to his feet a carnal man would have said Yes Lord we want mony and we want meat and we want shoos but ask the Disciples wanted you any thing They said Nothing And why was this Because the Disciples knew they had a grounded interest in Jesus Christ and a right to Iesus Christ and
that they are exceedingly humbled before God Now for my part I never found this manner of Gods working in my soul I never found that I could see my sins clearly or could be humbled for them greatly I never found those humiliations and legal Terrours which I hear many men talk of and this makes me doubt whether I am effectually called or no. Now to take off this I shall onely speak three things by way of Answer First That it is true God doth proceed after this manner with some yet God is not tied and confined to one and the same way of working with all What if he come to you in a calm when he comes to others in a Tempest if God come to you in a more peaceable and quiet way What if God do not pierce your heart as he did those 3000. in the Acts if he kindely open thy heart like Lidia's without noise God is not to be tied to one and the same way in converting all As 't is said John 3.8 The winde bloweth where it listeth so how it listeth also Secondly You have no cause to doubt for this because it's Gods usual manner to proceed after this way only with such men who have been loose in their lives who have been obstinate in their wills who have been very scandalous in conversation before their conversion and call But it is not Gods usual way to work thus upon Christians who have been religiously brought up from their youth it is not Gods way to dowse them into such a pit of horror and plunge them into such a depth of fears that have been of a fair and ingenuous and moral life before their call As you know it is with Carpenters they give more blowes to knotty 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 him many blowes 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 blowes 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 terror Yea but others that are not so loose as they I taught Ephraim to go I led Ephraim by the Armes 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 terror 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 judgements 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 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 not 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 Judgement And so it 's like Felix was his Temper was such that nothing could convert 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 do 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 gaine more upon them then wrath will do he will take that course but if God see nothing but wrath and fire and horrour will do it then he will 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 tender Temper but others there are that you must save with feare that is preach terrible Sermons to them and fright them with hel-fire and Judgement 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 complaine thou never hadst these Terrors 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 to blame on the other side likewise if there be any such that preach onely Terror and wrath for God observes the Temper of mens dispositions some to be knotty and some soft and accordingly proceeds 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 believe I read this also that faith comes by hearing Now many a poore 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
thy mouth Trust to that As if he should say Let no man think to know Gods decrees by going into heaven and there searching into Gods decrees for that he cannot doe but look upon the word and there he shall finde whom God hath elected and decreed to save 1 Cor. 2.16 No man can know by looking barely upon the decree but if we compare Gods decree with his word and from the word look upon them that are elected we may easily know whether we are elected or no. Which puts me upon the third head premised How a man may be assured in his own soule that he is elected to life and salvation by God the Father SERMON XIII 2 PETER 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure IN the prosecution of this subject you may remember the last Doctrine I drew forth was this That Christians should put forth a great deale of diligence to make this sure to their soules that they are eternally elected by God the Father In the handling of which I have shewn you 1. what election is 2. That the people of God may make sure their own election though done from all eternity I come now to shew you how the people of God may be assured in their own hearts that they are eternally elected And here to compasse this knowledge or assurance of our election I doe not onely carry it so farre as the Papists doe that say you may have a perswasion which they call fides conjecturalis a conjecturall faith or hope you may be saved but will not come up so farre as the words of my Text to be sure of it Now should a man use no more then the words of the Text in that it is pressed as a command it is an argument it may be made sure to a mans own selfe For no man is bound to an impossible thing Nemo tenetur ad impossibile and in that it is a thing required to be assured of our election the Scripture would never oblige our obedience to that which is impossible in it selfe I doe not drive so farre onely but further What should an elect man doe to be certainly perswaded that he is eternally elected by God to obtain life and salvation I am now handling a doctrine to be trembled at while you are attending to it And in the resolving of this query you must take this rule that you cannot get assumnce by ascending into Gods decree but by descending into your own hearts searching them by the word whether those saving effects which God doth work in an elect person be wrought in your soules or noâ— and that is the way to come to a sure and certain knowledge of your election 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 testimony 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 goe by in searching whether 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 shall content my selfe with the naming of six saving effects First every man that is elected sooner or latter 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 Ghost that is our Gospel did not come in word onely to affect your eares and rest there but our word came with power being backt with the operation of the Spirit for your conversion This work all men that are elected sooner or latter must come under to have the power of the word come with authority upon Conscience for his effectuall calling So Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated whom he appointed to life them he called And therefore Beloved who ever you are if you live and die without having the power of the Word to passe upon your soule for your effectuall Calling you may lay your hearts under this Conclusion that you are not elected by God to obtaine life and salvation For Whom he hath predestinated them he calls Secondly a man that is elected by God to life sooner or latter God will sanctifie him by renewing and regenerating grace And this is onely different from the former in degree for calling is sanctification 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 you 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 forseen but it is through it as a means whereby we are brought to salvation sanctification shall runne through your 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 doubtlesse 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 shall sooner or latter be brought into a state of believing Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternall life believed No man that is ordained to eternall 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 onely to them Fourthly That man that is elected sooner or latter before he dies God will work in his heart a speciall 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 you heare not his words To be of God that is to belong to God
not God lest us a small remnant we had been like Sodome yea like unto Gomorrha Had not God left a handfull of his elect and godly men amongst them all the rest had been destroyed So Esa 65.8 And the Lord said destroy not the people for a blessing is among them That is my people is among them and my elect is among them therefore destroy them not God did not destroy the Nation of the Jewes because God had his own people mixed among them So Job 22.30 And this conclusion administers matter of thankfulnesse to all men upon earth to make you blesse God that he keepes his people alive among you for it is for the elects sake you have all the outward blessings and mercies you doe enjoy Tenthly and lastly take in this conclusion That this world shall continue no longer then till the number of Gods elect be accomplished when God hath accomplished and brought in to Christ the number of his elect the world shall not stand one minute longer after this worke is done God doth but uphold the world till the full number of Jewes and Gentiles be come in If the number were filled Jesus Christ would surrender up the Kingdome to his Father The Heavens should gather together like a scrowle and the Elements should melt with fervent heat and this world should come to a dissolution It is the elect in the world that keep up the world that it doth not fall about our eares And thus having spent these 16 Sermons touching mans Effectuall calling and eternall Election I have now brought all unto a conclusion And I earnestly intreat you let it be your work to put forth your diligence to make this sure to your own soules that you are effectually called and that you are eternally elected to obtaine life and salvation by Jesus Christ FINIS The Table A. WE must give diligence to gain Assurance of our calling p. 23. and why p. 24. seq Whether Assurance of our Calling be attainable in this life p. 105. seq Two extreams about this p. 206 Hindrances to be removed in getting Assurance of our Calling p. 125. seq Means to be used for getting Assurance p. 129. seq At what times God fils his people with most Assurance p. 136 seq Difference between Assurance and groundlesse presumption p. 141 seq Directions to such as have Assurance p. 153 How to use Assurance p. 154. seq How to preserve our Assurance p. 162. seq what must be done ibid. what avoyded p. 164. seq How to improve Assurance p. 167. seq How to recover Assurance when t is lost p. 171. seq What sins chiefly forfeit our Assurance p. 173 Comforts to those that want Assurance p. 193 We should use diligence to get Assurance of Election p. 200 whether it be attainable in this life p. 201. seq Objections against it answered p. 202 Not to be gotten by ascending into Gods decree but descending into our own hearts p. 208 Afflictions no argument that we are not elected p. 245. seq C A Twofold Calling externall and internall p. 4 Why Calling set before Election p. 5 Vse diligence to get assurance of our Calling p. 23. see assurance What effectuall Calling is p. 23 24 Signes of effectuall Calling p. 27. to 43 Gods method in Calling a sinner p. 27. seq Mistakes about it ibid. Who are most terrified in their Calling p. 32 We should resemble him that calls us p. 44 Not blemish our high Calling ibid. How great a mercy our effectuall Calling is p. 45. seq Ten sad Conclusions to those that are not effectually Called p. 49. seq Many cal'd to profession who are not cal'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. 50 Self-conceited persons most unlikely to be called ibid. That others are called and we not much aggrivates our sinne p. 51 The Word preached the ordinary moans of calling a sad Word to whom p. 52 Those that have long enjoyd the Word and are not yet called are never like to be p. 53 Poore and mean persons most commonly the objects of Gods Call and why p. 54 55 257 Consolations to the godly and what need they have of it p. 56 57 Christ cals us before we look after him p. 57 When he leaves our betters p. 58 Most sensible of our own vilenesse and need of Christ most likely to be called p. 59 An elect person may live long in sinne before he be called p. 59 258 A man may be called and yet not know it p. 60 yea though he knows not how nor when ibid. Those that are once cal'd shall neuer fall away p. 61 Nothing shall hinder our calling when Christ hath a minde to call us p. 62 65 Cases concerning effectuall calling p. 63 Wheâ—her a man can resist his own call p. 64 A twofold call significative and operative ibid. What temptations Satan suggests to hinder a call p. 66 Young men should not neglect the call of Christ p. 66. seq Our worldly callings should not cause us to neglect our effectuall calling by Christ p 71. seq The poverty of Christians hinders many from embracing Christs call p. 75 Antidote against this p. 76. seq Feare to be deprived of all comsort and mirth p. 80 This hindrance removed p. 81. seq By what delusions men are perswaded to think they are called when they are not p. 84 Hearing the Word with delight not alwaies a signe of effectuall calling p. 84. seq Nor all love to the godly p. 88. seq Nor every change of life and conversation p. 91. seq Nor to be reproached by wicked men p. 95 96 Why those that are effectually called doe sometimes doubt of their calling p. 109 want of great terrours and deep humiliations no ground to question our calling p. 110. seq Nor that we were not called by preaching the Word p. 113 Weaknesse in knowledge may stand with sound calling p. 122 What defects of obedience may stand with effectuall calling p. 124 Covenant of grance helpfull to assurance many waies p. 134 Calling to profession no sure evidence of Election p. 252 Christ not the cause of Election p. 156 D. SEverall Doctrines raised p. 6 Great diligence to be used in all matters of soul-concernment p. 8. and why p. 9. seq Cautions about thy diligence p. 16. seq In what our diligence is to be imployed p. 22 23 Delusions about our Calling p. 84 and Election p. 248. seq Papists doctrine of doubting uncomfortable p. 108 Vpon what grounds Christians doubt of their Calling p. 109 Difference between true assurance and vaine presumption p. 141 seq E. WHat Election is and how we can make that sure p. 5 Gracious Examples may be a means of conversion p. 114 The nature of Election p.
200 Signes of Election p. 208. seq Cautions about using them p. 210. seq What guesse may be made of persons not Elected and severall sorts of persons under that suspition p. 212. seq Comfortable positions about Election p. 218 Whether Election be universall p. 220 253 Whether any that is Elect can fall from his Election p. 225 Objections against it answered p. 226. seq Whether men be Elected for faith or works foreseen p. 230 Objections answered p. 233 256 Whether Gods Election doe make men secure and carelesse p. 235. seq Vpon what grounds the godly oft times question their Election p. 239 Sinfulnesse before calling no ground to question our Election p. 239. seq Falling into scandalous sinnes after calling may stand with Election p. 245 By what delusions men are perswaded they are Elected when they are not p. 248. seq Freedome from a scandalous conversation no sure argument of Election p. 249 It may preceed from other principles p. 250 That God is mercifull no certain evidence that we are Elected p. 253 The Elect very few p. 254 We are not elected for Christs sake though saved for his sake p. 256. See Calling and Assurance An elect person may not expresse the fruit of Election in many yeeres p. 258 Wicked men enjoy many mercies for the Elect sake p. 258 The world continues but till the number of the Elect be accomplished p. 259 F. FEw elected p. 254 Friends of the Elect no prejudice to Gods mercy p. 255 G. VVE should labour to thrive in Grace p. 3 Of the sinne of the Holy Ghost p. 217 H. HYpocrites will be discovered p. 56 Hearing the Word not alwaies a signe of effectuall calling p. 81. seq I. VVHat Ignorance may stand with Effectuall calling p. 122 Christians not alwaies competent Judges of their own estate p. 176 L. TImothies love to Paul p. 36 Light into which we are called how a marvellous light p. 37 All Love to the godly no signe of Effectuall calling p. 88 M. WIcked Ministers may be a means of conversion p. 116 Gods mercy no ground to believe we are elected p. 253 Paucity of the Elect in prejudice to Gods mercy p. 255 O. DEfects in Obedience may stand with Calling and what p. 124 P. GOds people a scattered people p. 2 Though they live in different places yet all have the same faith p. 3 The Poore most commonly called p. 54 55 Poverty hinders many from embracing the call of Christ p. 75 We may be truly called though not by the preaching of the Word p. 113 Comfort against want of a spirit of prayer p. 118. seq Difference between assurance and presumption p. 141. seq Comfortable promises to dejected soules p. 178 Terror to those that presume on their Calling p. 198 R. WHether a man can resist his own call p. 64 Reproach from wicked men alwaies a signe of effectuall calling p. 95 96 Reading the Word may be a means of conversion p. 115 S. The evill of Slothfulnesse p. 20 Sad conclusions about calling p. 49 Five things to be searcred for p. 172 What sinnes most damp our assurance p. 173 T. TEmptations of Satan to hinder our call p. 66 Want of great terrors no ground to doubt of our call p. 110 and who are usually most terrified in their calling ibid. p. 32 Terrour to those that presume of their calling p. 198 W. THe Word preached the ordinary means of calling p. 52 The Will of Gods good pleasure and his signifying Will p. 253 Y. YOung men not to neglect the call of Christ p. 66. seq FINIS