Of .t.leflion. two things; the firfl at the j,Vtr[e, accordi;~g M hu1Jivine powtr h.llhgivm~ unto m all things that ptrtainNnto l1fr andgodluufs, through thr knowlrdge Cbap. 4-... of him who hathcallrdUJ toglory andvertur: From whence it is plain, That~ God when he calls,doth endow th~ foul w1th al.J a~d the whole of the Principles, and Seeds ofall Graces whatfocver, and wluth 11 lball for ever act: And thi• he cloth throughthr!wowtrdgcofhimwljohat!J C~l!cd us, that is, nkr10w!ed~e ofGod; and at Calling all this is tor to fignifie,w~y it is thofe words, Throughthr Knowtrdge of him ar~ added untowho hath ctJittt/ u.s. H.e works not on us as Stocks, but through a knowtedgrofGod, who is the c;aller: For.my Brethren, know it for a great truth, that the fir(\ light you have in your Calling, is a nrw tight ofGod (who is Primum crrd16ile) which is the Original Seminal caufe of all that work that accompanies Calling. It may be Objectively, you~ thoughts were not tsken up with God to as with nothing elfe, no, but yet light of him came in, and in the firength ofthat you began to fee what fin was, as it is in it felfagainfi an Holy God, a~d fo to fee what Holinds is; and this knowledge ofGod is that which is fa trninently, and in the firfi place mentioned in the work ofthe PltW Covmant ofGrtJcr, Jer. l x. I wilt teach them att to know mr, and when he hathdone that, thereby the Law becomes written in their hcaw. And thus he doth give us all things that pertain to life and Godlinefs, even together, with, and through the Kuowltdge ofhim who h<~th caUed :ut~ (all) gloryand11rrtut, He givesthe whole Clufier, the whole lump, whole Principles ofGraces at firfi. The Second thing he had faid before is, That when he bath thus inlaid the Principles of all Graces at firf1, he then ads them, he draws them out, and he doth it in what order he pleafes, and is a doing it all a mans life; and this fecond follows in Verj. 5, 6, 7· A11dbe(ides thu,givi11g alt dztigmcr, tJdd toyour faith vert11e, tmdto vrrtur knowledge, mzd to knowledge ttmperance; f!!!_d to ttmptranct patience, and to patience godtiue(s, andtogodtinr[s 6rotherl1 kindnefs,charity ;. And thusaddi~g of thefe Graces in acts and Exercifes ofthem one to another, is that I mean by drawing ofrhern forth all a mans life. Now obferve as to the Point afore us, That the effect or fruit ofthis Adding or Exercifing ofGraces all a mans life is in the following 1oth Vrrf. faid'to be a Makingyour Calting and EtelJiotJ furr. Wherefore Brethren fays he, G1ve aJt ditigencr, (that is, by thus acting your Graces, whereof you received all the Principles at your Callings) tomake~our Catlzng and EtetJion Jure; for if you do tho[r things yot< jhtJtt ttevtr fall. Brethren, you ufe to have recourfe to thefirfi work only, and what flaws you find in that, if you have not the whole of what Minifiers fet out to you, you are apt to Scruple and quefi ion the truth of your Calling; or if you have them not in that method in your difcerning, wich they fet them out in, you narrow your comforts thereunto, But give we leave to faytoyoubythe Apoflles warrant,That God,when the light andknowledg if Himfetfcomrs in, impreffeth withal! on your hearts all Principles of grace wich he is a broaching, and drawi11g out all your life time, and hence every Act of grace you perform is, and moy become an evi~ence ofyour Calling, as well a• what was wrought at firfl. The meafure therefore of your judging of your Calling,is not !imply to be mnfined to what work thou hadf1 at firf1, but to be extended to the" bole progrefs thy life, in the courle of which thou findefi ever and anon fuch and fuch an holy,and gracious dilpofition of heart•breaks forth towards God, that is certainly groce. Now you are to take thefe as evidences of your Calling, as well as that firfl work; and this,that paffage in Prtt>"lhews, put but the 5th Vrrft and 1 olh together, and it will rife up to it.And it is a thing you arc much to take in for your comfort, Suppofe thou had(\ at firfi ( I fpcak to them that are wrought on by degrees ) for thy ad;ings of grace, but fame few particulars, thou difcer– nedfi, which yet are fubf1antial to the fiate of grace ; yet for thy help and comfort, take in withal! what thou hafi thy whole life fince to view, and furvey, and therein all thy felf denials, and difpofitioAs of ingenuity towards God, &c, And there are all evidences of thy being truly Calli 2 led
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=