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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88594	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.	Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.; Calamy, Edward, 1600-1666.; Cross, Thomas, fl. 1632-1682,	1653 (1653)	Wing L3178; Thomason E696_1; ESTC R202781	182,095	256

Jesus Christ they were called by belief of the truth that is by believing the word preacht and loving the word preacht faith comes by hearing faith is the first grace in a Christians Call and that comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 so Acts 26.17 18. When Christ would call and convert the Gentiles he doth it not immediately but he useth the Ministry of Paul God thou teach the Gentiles and bring them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God God doth it still by the preaching of his word Now this is a sad word to three sorts of men First it s a sad word to them that never sat under the powerfull preaching of the word they are out of Gods ordinarie way of being saved 2. It is a sad word to those that may enjoy the word and yet slight it they also are not likely to be called 3. It s a sad word to those that leave the ordinarie way of Gods calling by the preaching of the word and trust to raptures revelations inspirations and extraordinary means for God to call them by alas they also are out of Gods ordinarie way of calling for God ordinarily takes this way to call a soul by the preaching of his word Luke 15.22 When the Prodigal was effectually called home to his father his father did not presently comfort him himself but he sends his servants and said Go take the best robe and put it upon my Sonne This son is a sinner the father is God Almightie the servants are the ministers now God doth not his work by himself but he leaves it to his Ministers and they shall put on the ring and the garment they shall be the instruments by the Ministrie of the word to work grace in the heart Hence 't is that 1 Cor 1.12 Some are blamed that should say I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Christ Why are men blamed for saying they are for Christ Is that blame worthy to cry up Christ No the fault is not simply in advancing Christ but the fault was this so to cry up Christ as to crie down duties and crie down the use of Ministers and the use of ordinances and therein they were to blame because Christ would not immediately by revelations and raptures call any but leaves the conversion and call of a sinner to the ordinary way of preaching the word and therefore a sad word it is to all out of Gods way of calling that either have not the word or if they have it never care to enjoy it 7. That if men continue long under the enjoyment of the word and are not effectually called by it they are likely never to be called I would commend to you that place to prove this in Luke 13.6 7. where Christ tels you of a fig tree he stayed three years looking for fruit and he found none the husbandman prayed to spare it one yeare longer and if it did not bear fruit then he should cut it down and cast it into the fire Now this fig tree were the professing Jewes who lay some competent time under the Ministrie of Christ and of his Apostles and this fig-tree if it were spared but one year and brought not forth fruit then it should be cut down and Christ did so it seems he curst it and said never fruit grow more upon this tree Now you would ask what the meaning of all this is Why Beloved a fig-tree if it beareth not fruit within four yeares after it is planted it is likely never to bring forth fruit And here the parable comes home thus far that if after some competencie of time in which in all likelihood men may have some sparkes wrought in them by the ministrie of the word if after all this they are not converted the curse of the fig-tree is like to fall upon that mans heart never let word do that man good more and never let grace grow in that mans heart more let never fruit grow more upon that tree this the Parable holds forth that if you live under the enjoyment of the word long and are not converted it is an argument you shall not be called And this is a heart-cutting consideration to all ancient men that have out-lived many Ministers and have seen their Ministers laid in the Grave their Ministers have spent their strength and wasted their lungs in preaching to them and yet they are as profane as ever and as loose as ever and as regardless of God and grace as ever truely you are in a very sad case if it be thus with you you are likely never to be called by Jesus Christ 8. That God in the dispensations of his grace doth not ordinarily let effectual calling run to the richer sort of men in the world Surgunt indocti rapiunt coelum nos cum doctri nis nostris detrudimur in Geh●nnam but rather to the poorest sorts and ranks of men that are I remember Austin in one of his books hath this saying Unlearned men they snatch away heaven from us that are great Scholars and truely as it was in his time so it is now Men that are great Scholars that understand Scripture know languages they are turned into hel when unlearned and poor men they get heaven God hath chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith In all the dispensations of his grace though he cals some rich men it is true to carrie on the work and countenance his people yet Gods effectuall calling doth not so commonly come among rich men as the poor of the world the poor saith Christ receive the Gospel the learned Scribes and Doctors amongst the Jewes and the rich Pharisees they did all spurn at Jesus Christ when the poor and ignorant people that knew not the law they followed him 1 Cor. 1 26. Not many wise not many noble not many mighty are called but God hath chosen the poor things of this world and things that are despised yea and things that are not to bring to nought things that are Here you see plainly this Conclusion proved that Gods effectuall calling doth not ordinarily and commonly run among the greater sort of men in the world but it runs among the poorer sort of men they ordinarily give best entertainment to the Gospel And the reason of this is 1. To magnifie the riches of his grace if Christ should call rich men only and chiefly many would think it was only mens riches and mens honour did move Christ to call them Now Christ to vindicate and magnifie his grace he will call poor despicable wretches that one would think there should be nothing in the eye of reason or sense why God should cast an eye of favour upon them 2. To magnifie and manifest his power that he will preserve a companie of poor contemptible people among so many enemies so potent and so wealthie that they shall never be able to overthrow them 3. Because rich men lie under

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 Merc●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 ●●●●rable None being exposed to so many troubles and tribulations in this life a● 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

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 judgement 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 means of thy calling yet thou hast no reason to doubt of thine effectual calling First thou suspectest thy call because the meanes 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 meanes 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 onely 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 meanes to convert thy soule Secondly and more particularly that living among good people and seeing of their example both in life and worship we finde in Scripture to be a very efficacious means oftentimes to convince sometimes to convert and if you can finde out this in Scripture you may have abundance of comfort It hath been a meanes oftentimes to convince 1 Pet. 3.16 They shall be ashamed to speak evill of you while they behold your conversation in Christ When they shall see that you live in Christ and walk according to Christ they shall be ashamed ashamed of what they have done and what they have spoken it shall convince them So 1 Pet. 2.15 And the Apostle when he speaks of the orderly and regular managing the worship of God 1 Cor. 14.24 25. If there comes an unbeliever among you he sees your order saith he he shall fall down in the midst of you he shall be convinced and shall say Of a truth God is among you Seeing this saith the Apostle godly men holy in their lives and holy in their worship though he be an unbeliever he shall fall down and say Of a truth God is among you that is by way of conviction Nay further sometimes God doth blesse the gracious lives and blamelesse example of Christians to be a means to convert some when the Gospel cannot do it and you would think this very comfortable could it be made good I would commend but one Text of Scripture to you to prove what a blessing it is to live in a good family where either husband or wife or any one in the family is godly 1 Pet. 3.1 Wives be subject to your husbands what then that your husbands who are not wonne by the Word may be wonne without the Word whilest they behold the conversation of their wives A notable text There were many wicked Husbands that all the Sermons they heard would not convert them yet the Apostle tells them that if the wife did live a godly and holy life their lives sometimes should be more efficacious to convert their Husbands then the Word should be And this Beloved doth clearly take off this first plea of yours that because you were converted by example and by living among good Christians and seeing their walkings this gained upon you this is no cause of discouragement because sometimes I say the Lord doth blesse examples of gracious lives to make them winne and gain upon men that are brought home to Jesus Christ Secondly they go yet further There is another poore soul brought home to Jesus Christ and what saith he I do misdoubt the means of my call for a Sermon never wrought upon me the first thing of all that ever gained upon me it was the reading of some Chapters in the Bible or some other holy mans book and that made me first to hate sin and love the wayes of God and look after his Word for my salvation And here I doubt not but many Christians have found the Word read the first means of gaining upon their hearts And therefore to take off this likewise I shall speak two or three things in way of Answer As First that God is not tied to any means but can work with the meanest means to bring home people to Jesus Christ If Peters conversion was by a Cock a Cock crowing and a look of Christs eye why may not Christ use the Scriptures read to be a means of a mans call If from stones God can raise up children to Abraham why cannot God do it by the Word also to make the Word read a means in his own hands to effect it God that can do all things with nothing without means can bring to passe great things by weak means Secondly and more particularly That though ordinarily preaching and hearing of the Word preached be ordained by God and crowned by him chiefly to be a means instrumental to convert souls yet God sometimes hath blessed the reading of the Word to be a means of converting souls likewise Yet Beloved I would not do as the Prelates did who would fain have brought in reading to justle out preaching Preaching is the more noble work and must be highest in our thoughts yet if God will go out in an unusual way who can controll him If God will do it by a Chapter read when not by a Sermon preached who can resist God if he will shew his power by weaker means Who shall gainsay it God sometimes honours the reading of the Word to give encouragement to reading to be a means of some mens call I have read of S. Austin that he was converted not by hearing a Sermon but by opening the Bible and reading that place Rom 13.13 Let us walk honestly as in the day time not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse and the reading of this verse wrought upon him I have read of Cyprian that he was converted by reading the Prophecie of Jonas hearing of Gods mercy to save such a wicked people and of Gods mercy to Jonas when he was in so pettish a mood as to be angry with God I have known likewise another famous Minister that going by a Book-binders shop he was converted by reading a Sermon of Repentance that cost but two pence hath bin a famous Minister since for the conversion of many hundreds to Jesus Christ Junius was converted by reading the first

their soules which words clearly import that men that draw back without returning they draw back to perdition to damnation but we are not of them saith the Apostle And here then beloved doth this word fall upon any man before God this day Hast thou left a course of strictnesse and fallen into a course of prophanenesse and loosenesse Hast thou fallen from thy God and never thinkest of a returning I shall not censure thee now but if thou livest and diest in this estate it is an undoubted argument thou art not within the compasse of Gods decree to save Secondly Men that doe make the mercies and goodnesse of God as arguments to embolden them the more in sinne such men are not likely to be the persons whom God hath elected to life and glory In the Epistle of Jude v. 4. It is spoken there of men that turned the grace of God into wantonnesse And what saith the Apostle of them they are men that are ordained of old to condemnation The Scripture there makes it the badge of a man ordained of old to condemnation when he shal persist in this sinfull temper to turn Gods grace into lasciviousnesse that is to take arguments from the grace and mercy and goodnesse of God to walk in waies of sinne And therefore look to it and with your hearts bewaile it all you that are apt to abuse doctrines of grace and because God is good you will be evil because God is mercifull therefore you will be sinful if you die in this temper the Scripture declares that you are the men ordained of old to condemnation Thirdly a man that doth walk in a course of sinne wilfully with malice and knowingly against conscience and obstinately without reluctancy and persist in this and live and die thus that man is not within the compasse of Gods election There is a phrase Psal 59.5 Be not mercifull O Lord unto wicked transgressors It is in some translations Be not mercifull to them that sinne of wicked malice or of malicious wickednesse Now there is this rule which Divines give that those prayers which were made by David they are rather Prophecies of what should be then meere prayers that this might be As David prayed against the Jewes Psal 69.22 that their table might be a snare to them and that they should alway bow down under their burden which was a prophecie and they did so And so he prayes here that God would not be mercifull to men that sinne of wicked malice which is as much as a prophecie that God will not be mercifull to men that sinne of malicious wickednesse And therefore beloved all you that so live and resolve you will die and haply doe die who sinne obstinately that let God command what he can you will do what you please let the Minister say what he will you will doe as you list that sinne against knowledge and against conscience and without any reluctancy resolve to live and die in a course of sinne the Lord be mercifull to such persons for certainly there must be no Bible if such men fall within the compasse of Gods election Fourthly That man that by living under the powerfull Ministry of the Word is more hard in heart and worse in life if a man grows thus it is an argument he is not within the purpose of Gods election Matth. 13.14 15. By hearing you shall heare but not understand by seeing you shall see but not perceive this peoples heart is waxed grosse their eares dull in hearing their eyes shut lest at any time they should see with their eyes heare with their eares understand with their hearts and be converted and I should save them Here is the judgement God laies upon such sinners that they shall have eyes and not see they shall be ignorant their hearts shall waxe grosse they shall be uncapable of taking any impression of the word upon them And what 's the end of all this lest they should be converted and I should save them implying that if God lets you that live under the Ministry to have dark eyes and hard hearts it is an argument God hath no intent to save you and therefore his purpose is to condemne you So John 12.40 He hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and be converted Here it is laid down as an act of Gods that God did harden their hearts and God did blind their eyes lest they should be converted Implying that if men doe live and die in this temper that they have lived yeere after yeere under a powerfull Ministry and yet they grow more blind in judgement and more profane in life and more hard in heart after 20 30 40 yeeres hearing then they were before that the word doth but draw out their wickednesse and makes them more prophane and more to oppose godlinesse the Lord have mercy upon such soules for certainly if God leave you thus it is an argument he never intends to save you for the Lord doth thus with such that they might not be saved There is a passage Rom. 11.7 Israel hath not obtained that which he seeks for but the election hath obtained and the rest were hardned By election is meant the elected the Abstract put for the Concrete As often in Scripture Circumcision put for Circumcised and so here Election put for elected The elected have obtained it what did they obtaine they obtained salvation and glory but the rest that were not elected they were hardned The Lord there makes it the badge of them that are not elected that they are a blinded people and a hardned people Intimating that men that are not elected they shall live under the word yet shall be blind in mind shall be hard in heart shall be wicked in life and the Ministry of the word shall never reforme them And if any of you be such O that the Lord would make you tremble this day tremble lest you are not in Gods thoughts to doe you any good another day Fifthly when God doth give up men to strong delusions not onely to believe lies themselves but to teach lies to seduce others when the Lord leaves men to live and die in that estate the Scripture makes it an argument of them that are not chosen by God to life and glory You shall read therefore in that great delusion of Antichrist 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. God gave them up to strong delusions to believe lies that all might be damned that believe not the truth It is made a brand of damnation when God shall give them over to believe lies Though a godly man may die in a corrupt opinion for every errour is not a badge of damnation but errours that are fundamentall that strike at the foundation of Religion wherein men runne so far as never to repent of their errour that the Scripture makes the badge of a man whose soule is in a world of danger Read

places So that it is clear That he might save all or have mercy upon all It is not meant all universally but all with this limitation of Paul here all them that believe Again Another objection or Scripture they abuse is 1 Tim. 2.4 Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth This Text Origen doth grosly abuse holding hence that it is the intendment and will of God that all men should be saved Now to take off this objection We must first distinguish here of Gods will and then of this phrase All. Who will have all men to be saved First of Gods will Voluntas ben●placiti voluntas signi and the Schoolmen give this distinction about it That there is a will of Gods good pleasure and there is Gods signifying will Now the will of Gods good pleasure is that reall purpose in God to save a man And there is no man that in this sence God wils to be saved but he must be saved but in this sence God wils not all men to be saved But secondly there is Gods significative will that is whereby in Scripture God tenders salvation to every man that will lay hold upon Jesus Christ and so Gods signifying will excludes no man from salvation but the Ministers if they preach to ten thousand people they must tender Christ universally to them all because they know not which of them are elect and which reprobate which of them shall be saved and which damned This is Gods signifying will and though God by this will tell you what Ministers must doe to tender Christ and salvation to all yet this doth no way follow that the determinate will of Gods good pleasure is involved under this as if all men should be saved Perkins in his writings hath this distinction of it That there is Gods absolute will and so he wils not all men to be saved and Gods conditionate will that in case every man did believe they should be saved for God envies no mans salvation there is grace enough in God and willingnesse enough in God to save every man in the world But secondly there may be a more distinct answer given to this place God will have all men to be saved All is taken sometimes in a distributive sence and sometimes in a collective sence In a distributive sence for every man under heaven and so God wils not all men to be saved But secondly in a collective sence for all sorts and degrees of men and so God intends to save all that is some of all sorts and of all degrees of men in the world And this appeares if you mark the context He will have all men to be saved that is some of all sorts Some Kings and some great men some rich and some poore some Princes and some beggars And therefore the Apostle bids them pray for all men Pray saith he for Kings and for them in authority for God will have all men to be saved As much as if he should say Pray for Kings because God of his grace may save Kings as well as poorer men that have lesse incumbrances and lesse imployments in the world and lesse withdrawings in their own soule then they have God will save all salvation shall come to all sorts of men and therefore you may lawfully pray for them And so Calvin judiciously expounds this place that God will have all sorts of men to obtaine salvation by Jesus Christ but is not to be extended universally as if every individuall man and woman should be saved 3. These words are to be taken with those that follow after God will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth Now that God will be willing to save those that come to the knowledge of the truth is unquestionable all that repent Acts 17.30 all opposition to the time of the old Testament Rom. 16.25 Vse Now is this true that election is not universall but that some men are elected and others reprobated Then to wrap up this query in a short use this should teach you all who are in the land of the living not to deceive your selves lull not your selves asleep in security for it may be you may be in Gods counsell to save it may be not Peradventure you may be in Gods thoughts for salvation peradventure you may be in his counsell for damnation and this should put you upon the work my text calls upon you for to endeavour to make your calling and election su●e 2. A second Query is this Whether may one that is an elect man fall away from his election and come to be a damned man or no This the Protestant Divines against the Arminians and Papists have had large controversies about but I will not handle it in a controversall way onely as it best becomes a Pulpit shew you those positive Scriptures and reasons that may cleare the truth and then answer the strongest objections they produce to the contrary Q. Whether may a man that is elected fall away and afterward perish To this I answer No. A man that is once elected by God can never perish And this I shall give Scripture and reason to plead for it Matth. 24.24 Christ tels us of errour that it came in so easily that if it were possible it would deceive the elect Intimating that it is impossible so to seduce the elect as to make them finally fall away So John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me that is all that God the Father hath decreed to save by Christ shall come unto Christ Vers 39. This is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all that he hath given me I should lose none This is the Fathers will and Commission to Christ that of all those that by his decree he had given to Christ to save by redemption he should lose none And saith Christ I have lost nothing So John 10.28 29. I give unto my sheep eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any man take them out of my hands my Father that gave them me is greater then all and no man shall pluck them out of my Fathers hands By his Fathers hands he means his decree God by his decree intended to save so many and Christ to vindicate his Father tels us that so many as God the Father had decreed to salvation neither man nor divell should prevaile to pluck them out of his Fathers hand So Rom. 11.1 God hath not cast away his people whom he soreknew That is whom God did predestinate he casts none of them away none of them shall perish Many more Scriptures I might multiply to shew that a man once elected can never perish as 2 Tim. 2.19 1 Cor. 1.8 9. 2 Thes 3.3 But I would name reasons as well as Scriptures And First if Election were changeable then God must be changeable which to think there is nothing more absurd If

working much upon them to the changing of their lives altering their course and new moulding of them into an external profession that yet notwithstanding all this never had saving grace wrought upon their hearts which is effectual calling Many are called but few are chosen saith Christ Matth. 20.16 And this is a dreadful Conclusion to all you that are professors that have not a saving work upon your hearts to you that flock unto the ministry of the word yet are not called thereby 2. That they who are called outwardly by the preaching of the word to a profession of Christ and yet not called inwardly by the spirit they shall endure greater damnation and greater torments in hell then those that never heard a word of Jesus Christ Matth. 8 12. Many shall come saith Christ from the East and from the West and shal sit down with Abraham Isaak and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven and what then but the children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into utter darknesse where shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth Now who are meant here by the children of the kingdome not those that have heaven prepared for them but the professing Jewes who are called the children of the kingdome because they enjoyed a greater and clearer and fuller measure of the things of God which shewed them the way to the kingdome of heaven then other men did And when Christ cals them the children of the kingdome he cals the heathen the children of the world Now many of the children of the kingdome shall be cast into utter darknesse If there be any more dismal place then other it shall be for the children of the kingdome those that have been as it were nursed up under Gods elbow by ordinances the children of the kingdome they shall have a more dismal portion and dismal room in hell then other men shall have that never enjoyed the ordinances of Jesus Christ And O what a sad word is this to you that live where ordinances do most abound that you may be called the children of the kingdome and yet you to be thrust into utter darknesse 3. That there are many men who are only called outwardly into a bare profession that do harbour and nourish presumptuous perswasions in their own hearts that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ when they never had any saving work of grace upon their hearts This I spake of some weeks agoe from John 8.41 The Jewes had strong perswasions they had Abraham for their father and when Christ beats them off from that they went higher and said we have God to our father and yet verse 44. Christ tels them they were of their Father the Divell And Beloved you may also be deceived in harbouring strong perswasions that you are called effectually when you are only call'd outwardly 4. That they that are conceited in the opinion of their own goodnesse without seeing their want and necessitie of Jesus Christ are of all sorts of people in the world most unlikely to be effectually called by Jesus Christ This I urge from Matt. 9.13 I came not saith Christ to call the righteous c. Mark who are they that is Christ came not to call the Pharisees who were righteous in their own eyes and who had a selfe conceitednesse that things went well with them and saw no need of a Mediator and Intercessor and Redeemer I came not to call the righteous Jesus Christ excludes that sort of men from being called by him men that are self opinionated and have a conceit of their own goodness without any want of Jesus Christ Wherefore all you that think you have a strong faith towards God ever since you were born that think you live honestly among your neighbours pay every man his due and therefore see no need of Christ all your daies the Lord shew you mercie you are more unlikly to be called then any men in the world Matth. 21.31 There is a parable of a man that had two sons hee bid both work in the vineyard one son said he would not work he was obstinate the other son said he would work but did not and so was worse then his word Now these two sons they are the emblem of two sorts of men within the pale of the Church some are profane and obstinate men and they answer as the first son and say they wil not work the second are professing men men that make a good profession but do not answer their profession in their practice Now marke Whether of these twain will the father accept and they said unto him the first the most obstinate that said he would not go but went Verily saith Christ so I say unto you Publicans and Harlots shall go into heaven before you Mark how Christ applies the parable from their own mouths you that are Pharisees that are righteous and honest in your own eyes I wil sooner call whores and harlots and the worst of men then I wil call you Publicans and Harlots Publicans they were the worst sort of men that were they were sitting at the receipt of custome their calling exposing them to a great deal of extortion and briberie yet these men should go to heaven before others that made a glorious profession of Jesus Christ Again 5. A fifth sad Conclusion is this That when others are effectually called before your faces and yet you remain uncalled this should greatly aggravate your sin and condemnation when I say you shall see others that live haply in the same house with you that hear in the same congregation that sit in the same seat with you when you shall hear these effectually called and you remain uncalled this shall greatly increase your sin damnation Mat. 21.32 John came to you in the way of righteousnesse and you beleeved him not that is they were not called by his Ministry what then but the Publicans and Harlots believed what then and you when you had seen it repented not afterwards that you might believe Mark how Christ argues he urges that those men that heard the same Sermons that the other men did heare they were converted saith he you see whores and harlots converted alluding to Mary Magdalen and others you see these and yet you repent not and yet you beleeve not now you see one then another and yet when you see this you repent not that you might beleeve Beloved This is a sad conclusion to you that shall see others converted when you that haply lie in the same bed sit at the same board and hear the same Sermons in the same Congregation yet they shall be converted and called and you not this will greatly increase your sin and condemnation 6. That whoever God intends effectually to call it is Gods ordinary way to call them by the Ministry of his word 2 Thes 2.13 14. It s said there that they were called through the Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth to obtain eternall glory by