Of Eleflion. There are four or five .Atls , or Tbmgs , which are proper to Chri£1 in his ~ Calling of us, and what he cloth then for us, that have a binding force upon Chap. 9· Clmfi to preferve you. · · ' . ~ I. The fir£1 is, .A Soltmft ow11ing of U5 by Chrifl thm at our calling. Iohn 17-6.1havem.mifefied thy Name tmto the Meu which thou gavefl m~ out of the World: Thine they were , and thougaveflthem me; and they have kfpl thy word. Speaking of his Difciples then l1ving, wl1om he had converted, Fir£1 he declares to illS Father, how he had manitefied his Name to them and the ground of his fo doing, Thine they were, and thou gaveflthem me. ' He gave Jhem to Chri£1 , both from everlafiing , ami in a renewed act, at that time when he firfi began to manife(t his Fathers Name to them: Both which were mighty Engagements for. him to plead with his Father, his keeping and preferving them, as alfo that accorping to the Trufi himfelfhad then com– mitted to him, he lhonld be careful to,give an account of their perfeverance thitherto, as that which was the Obl1g.uon of him upon their Calling; which there follows, They have-kept thy word : And V~rf 12. Whi!fll was with them;,. the World, I ktpt thrm ;,. thy Name; that is, I have hitherto per– formed my part : And his care in Heaven for all whom he doth manifect the Name of God unto, is the fame, yea greater, as his Power alfo is now, when he is in Heaven. And fo, as by what he faid on Earth ; counti-ng thofe few, lhews what his care will be to us all , now he is in Heaven; the fame Obligation is for ever upon him. II. Together with this owningof them at their Calling, There was alfo, a taki11g thechrJrge of them from that time:fo £he 101b ofJoh111here are two forts of Sheep, fomet~nca!Jed, aRd as yet going at\ ray , Oves palm1tes, Verf. I 5, J 6. ]lay my Ltfe down for thr Sheep ; andor her Sheep I have that are 1101 of this fold; that is the uncalled of the Gemsirs, who after his Aifenfion, were in all Nations Converted to him : Of whom he fays , Them nlfo I mufl /;ring in (as well as I have called D1fciples out of the JeTJs ) a11d they jba!J hear my voict, Now he fays two things of thofe, as yet, uncalled Sheep: 1. That ' tis-a Duty of neceffity which lay <>n him to call them, 1hemalfo 1 mufl /;ri11g. And they being his Sheep, he laiJ his Life down for them; and fo, whom he purchafed of the Fa1her, Thry )b,,!J ( fay he) hear my voiet; that is, they thall be effectually Called by me; that'sthe fir£1. 2 _ Then after they fhall be thus Called, obferve wlilt he as refolutely and peremptorily fays, con– cerningthemfo called by him, Verf, 27. My Shup htarmyvoice, aiJdlg•ve ~mto themeterual L ife , mJd they jhatl11ever penjh ; ntithtr (b,,u ar<y( :t is tranllatedany Man, but it is, 110t any Mmz or_Angtl) pluck thm• out of my hand. Now as he was engaged by his Father to turn them, wi1en they had gone aflray, fo being turned to tlwm, he becomes anew engaged to them, as becomes the B1jhop of tlmr So11ls, 1 Pet. 5· l)· Te were as jheep goi11g afiray, hut now are retunud to the Shepherd, atJd B•fhop of your Sott,/s. A.nd look as of thefe, whil£1 they went afiray, uncalled, he had faid, Them Imu{i 6ring i,n; fo after their being turned, they, having put themfelvesunder his Charge, as their Bijhop and Shepherd, he mlifi much more look upon himfelf engaged to keep them, _and preferve them, . It lies upon Pafiours to take care of their Sheep, much more upon Chnfl, I he great Shepherd, as the fame Apofile tells him : And therefore add to this, that folemn Profeffion of his, John 6. 3], lS, l9; wherein he fay~ thiscare and charge of fuch was committed to hiJn by the Father, All that thr Father giveth mt, fbalt come to m<; and hzm that cometh to me Jwi/J 111 110 wi(e c t{l out : For 1came d~w11 from Hravm, not to do my owtt Wi/J, but the Wit! of!JJm that fmtme..Andthis u the Fathrrs Wztt which hath [ent mr, that of rill wh1ch be htlth giveN me, I {boutdloaf~ ~10thing? 6ut fho:zldrai(e it up .•gaznat the lajl d,;y. , And when he fays, that 1t was hts Father s wstt , . and his ow1t. ; IHs meamrg ts not, 8$ tf 1t were not his will , but that hisObligation and Indearment lay not chiefly in this,_that it was his own will·, or fir£1 wilt-b'eginnirg in and of himfelf, fo much as that~~ was a matter of Tri:ifi committed to him, and therefore rhe more •_ngaging him to faithfulnefs : /lnd theTrufi is, to raifi> thm;_up at tl;~ la(/ qay; and therefore to be fu're he \Vi!i ; to his imriofi ; look to ;hem unto that ilay. An~ - matters
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