Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

Of Eleflion. none of thofe that are·the Calledaccordi11g to his purpofe, do fo fall. And th·e r-...A./\ reafon of that difference they give to lye in this, that EltClion, and the God of Chap. :f. all grace that wrought it, do maintain and carry oil the one, but Free I\ ill grace ~ having the keeping ofthe other, it'fquanders away that wotk in them, tnough it may fall out tiJat fome of fuch a>tmprove that, are faved: Thus they compound the bufinefs, . . But I fhould only ask of thofe of that Opinion, this QyeAion, which 'the former Difcourfe fuggefis, How can any man make his Eledibn fare by his C~lling, if thi• Opinion hold true? For the works,you fay, in Calli 0gare the fame, and there is no Charaderifiical difference: And lo thofe that are ·Eied, are fiill left as much, yea, utterly to feek to make their Election fure by their Calling, that's certain,unlefs there fhould be fomerhing in their Calling,which is not found in the others, that lhould put the difference. . The Papifis therefore to falve this, plainly fay, That no man \:an be alfured lmt by a fpecial Revelation, and by that they mean a Vifion from Heaven by an Angel, or the like, which iuheir way of Revelation: And as for tile Te– fiimonies of the Spirit in the cafe, they account that to be Fanatical. I demand again, if things bethu•, To whatpurpofe is this Scripture (my Text) and many other Scriptures exhorting to fiedfafinefs of Faith, and alfu– ranc~ in this point, That God, as the God of all Grace, will carry his C~lled on to the ehd, as having givenusthis pawn and pledge, that he hath called us (the God of a/J Grace who bath ca/Jrd tu, fays the Text) will therefore per– fed, eltablifh, t!ic. with which multitudes of oiher Scriptures joyn ilfue in the point, ·and give their fuffrage uhio, whereof feme I !hall have occafion after to mention? This Opinion of theirs, eaervates fuch Scriptures, bnd ma~es them void. That's the third thing concerning Calling (for I am yet but upon the fidl: Head, to premife fonie things concerning Calling.) • 4· And now you will ask me fome differences between fuch a Calling from Eledion, and the other. Truly it were infinite to enlarge upon differences: I !hall give you firfr a general i\.nfwer, and then mention two or three particular Differences after. For a General Anfwer, I !hall only fay this :There being·in everv tru• C'at– li"g ( ao you heard) a/J thingsgivm prrtainil!g to lifr mtdgodlinef!, the tri- :f" al of which , and the draWing forth of which, is throughout the whole - courfe of a Mans life ; that therefore there is throughout, from ihe firfi of a true Calling, a difference in all il.dings that do fpringfrom thar root; that is, in all ads whatfoever that are fpirit4al ads , exercifed about any fort of {pi– ritual things and objeds: And truly this is to me a great truth; ·I lhal! give you fome little account of it, If you demand ; Have not the Non·eled, and the Eled, from their very firft faving workings, many adings about fome things fpiritual that are meer– ly common tp both, that is, both go fo far and fo far, and thus far together, ns in hifiorical Faith, and the like; fo as that the adings of each, which they exercife towards feveral Divine Objeds, ate without any difference at all in the ads themfelves,having both but one and the fame kind of working,till they come to fome fuch or fuch fpecial ad or ads ; thn puts the firft difference, as of Faith jufiifying as jufi,fying, or the like, purely Evangelical? I confefs I am perfedly of another mind. I !hall give you two grounds for this my general Alfertion. r. Perhaps the very havmg faid, they receive all things pertaining to Life and Godlinefs, attirlt might catry it; in that having received all thefe in ordet unto the bringing forth all forrs of· ~dings about Objeds pertaining to Life and Godlinefs, whatfoever they are; that therefore, as they all do fprio& from that one univtrfal root and princ;ple received, fo they do all of them dif– fer from what other Men have or ad, who have not this root of the matter in them; for the·fruit always anfwers in kind· unto the root, and therefore as there is a new root differing in all things , fo mult the adings of it differ alfo; conforn;~1o which, and confirming which, is that 2 Cor, )• A/Jthings art 6/, (ome 11ew 111 she new Cr•atwr•: i\.s for the principle, hr receiving all r,hsngs f / .;.. . /;tj:. 'I '!"' -v .., . . I .& _1- /. ' ~~ f

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