f uo 'h i llinlfiP4rt. ·'· i ·art!S' B.ook II. Lookingunto:fefm. Chap.zSea.s SECT. Vlli. ofcAlling on Jeftu in that refpeel. 8. vv E muft call on [e[ut, or on God the Father in an~ through Jefus. This alfo is included in lookJ.ng; as <])avid while praying, Hnto thee do 1 lift up mine eyes, 0 thou that dwe!left in the he~tvm1. Now this calling on God, or looking to God; containes prayer, and praife. 1. 'vVe mufi pray that all thefe tranfactions betwixt God and Chrifi may be alfuredly ours , and that God would cleare up our titles more and ~pore . yea , and feeing all good things tending to falvation were fro~ aU Eternity prepared for us, we are therefore to pray , that by prayer we may draw them down from heaven; for what though our evidences be cleare? yet this muft not caft out meanes; God doth not ufe to beftow his faving graces on lazy fiuggards; thofe therefore who from the certamty of predeftination do pretend that the duty ofprayer is fuperfluousl, do plainly fhew that they have no certainty at all. Aquinas was orthodox in this, the predeJiinat muft pray ,becaUfe by thefe effeCFs of prede.ftination,thefalvati· on offoules is beft afcertained.The fame Spirit which witnelfeth to - our fpirit that we are his chofen, is alfo the Spirit ofprayer and · fupplication; and therefore he that believe[ that he is one of Gods Elect, he cannot but pray for thofe things which he believeth that God hath prepared for him before the foundation of ~ world.-2. We muil: praife God : what, that God' ould look on us , and predeH:inate us to life? ·that he fhould p ~e by fo many on the right hand, and on the left, and that I fbpuldbeone whom the L ord did eltEt ?_ what, fuch a vile, and fn~ . fol wretch aJ I am ? was there ever l:k! h-ve? was there ever !tk[ mercy ? m~J not heaven and earth ftand amaz,ed at this? 0 what foall I do to 6~ thankful fnopgh :o this deare C?od? Thus thou that knoweft thy intereft in Chnft , ftudy pra1fe and tpankfulnelfe: Say in thy felf, who made'me to differ from thofe caft-awayJoules ? ttlas ! we were all framed of the fame mould , hewed out ofthe f ame rock: It is ftoried ofone of the late French Kings , that in a feri-· ous meditation confideringhis-own condition of being King and .. • · Ruler
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=