4 5{; Of EleClion. --------------------------~--------------------------- ~ More Particularly, If you woulJ know what fingular help it mJy afford v~ you in that Ad of Faith, of Coming to Chri fl, and of cajlmg, and adven– turing your felves upon Ghrtjl. 1 • The Confidcration of it may alone !land you in !lead again(\ all Car– nal Reafonings, and ob).chons agam!l your felves what ever ; which do exceedingly puzzle, and hmdcr others, . This ConGderation will quite cut off the Heads of them all at once;_ and ts a great help, though tbere were no other in our way to CJm(t; 1n wh1ch there are a great many fium– bling-blocks laid by Carnal Realon ,_that l<eep Men off, and become the greatell hinderance to Behevmg, I[ul, p. '4· cajl Jf 11p, cajl yt up, take the j/1lmblillg-blocks out of the W'!J' of my i'tople : He fpeal<s Literally of the great ob!tacles chat were in view againll their return from B tlbiio!l ; even a great Monarchy lymg 1n thetr way , which was fidi to be removed, But he aims under the Type thereof, at the hindcrances in the way of broken hearts to Chnfi ; as appeare[h by the 16, '7· and 19. verfes. For he fpeaks of giving Comfo~t to broken hearts, and Creatwg the fruit of the tips, peace, &c. Now tn the way of fuch , ( you know ) there lie a thoyfand ObjeCtions and carnal reafonings againlt themfelves , whicil their fletbly Reafon ( ignorant of Gods way, and of his freenefs in Par– doning) fuggefis, as things feeming to make it utterly impropable, that God wtll fave them: And thofe are the fiumbling-blocks he there meom. What, me1 ( will fuch a Soul fay) fo great a Sinner as I? whom God hath fuffered to live fo long tn Stn ? That have fo often refufcd to come in , after fo many enlightnings? that have had fo many falle works upon my heart already ? That have layn fo long . under Temptations ? That have had no enlargements thefe many years? What me? Alikely matter! No, no, If God had a mind to fave me , he would never have dealt [o with me; his Carriage towards me looks not as if he ever meant me any goocl. Thus the !\ranger objetted, lfai. 56. 3· [ The Lord bath utterly jfparated mt from bu Peoplt] I am a Gent1le, a Dog , and God means not to Jave me. Thtts tbt Eunttch , I am tJ dr1 Tree , &c. lji1i. 56. 3· There are Millions of fuch Carnal Reafonings as thefe, wbich do migh– tily hinder the work of Faith; being as fo many Shelves of Sand , on which the Soul lhcks fall .aground ; and off from wh1ch we have much a do to help Men. Well, but if thou beell the Child of a Godly Believing Parent , this Confideratwn alone may be put mro the Ballance agamfi a thoufand fuch: For why! that alone is a greater probability that thou art Eleded, than all thofe put t(}gether are able to make improbabilities to the contrary: It may weigh them all down. It brings the Promife fo neer thee within fo little of thee, that I may fay, as in that 57,ljai.I9, the Phraf; is, whereas others are tifar ojj , and have many ltumbling– blocks in their way, Thott art 11ear: The Prophet fpeaks in the Language of the State of the Jews then , in the Babylonilh Captivity, which was the Type of the times under the Gofpel ( as appears by the Apof\les u– fing of that Phrafc, Ephef. 2. •7· ) fome of the Jtws were difperfed far off among the A mmom tf!, and Moabites; and they had greater ob– f\acles , and difcouragements to Return: But fome of them were !till in the Land ; the Poorer fort were to T1ll it, yet had not a Peaceable Conditi– on; and they were ncer now; God would ~ettle Both in the Land, with Peace. And fo Ephe{. 2, •7· ( 10 the Anu-Type) fome are faid to be afar off , and fome 11tar: Such were the .1ews; and the Children of God· ly Parents are fuch : For I reckon them in refped to others , to be as the Jews then were to the Gentiles; And thefe have fewer obfiacles in their way: They are in the Land (the Church) already, and fo are near– er to Faith, and Peace , having their hindorances removed to their hand, nnd their way made clear , and fmooth. This Confiderotion may. fo lighten thy Velfel, as that thou mayli Sail over all fuch Shelves, wh1ch others
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