ER.18. Epbafianr,C-hap:i. us according tohis purpofe , is never without effct : his withius in this call, as it was with thofe Chrift called to follow him,Mat.4.zo. he did fo reveale his will withinthem,that they prelently obeyed. We may know our felves called. Firft, if our hearts anfwer God; Thus Paul, Xis9. Lordwhat wilt thou.lJhould doe ! 4th a6. I was not dfobedient to the heavenly vifion. When God fpeaketh within us his grace,or calleth us to this or that,according to hiseffeétuall purpofe;our hearts eccho.wife refound, Tbcaart our God,Nofea Z.#lt.Speak Lard, thy fervanthearer h. Secondly, it is feene by this, that it makethus feparate andHand out from the world. If agovernour call out a fervant to doe thisor that, he is feparated from all his fellow fervants, and let apart for abuuneffe wherein they intermedie not; fo it ishere ; From what time God doth call us unto falvation, he doth let us apart from all others,to be as it were thefirflfruits ofhiscreatures ,lam 1.18 .evenfrom prophane perfons, civili men,without religion, religious men in fhow, without power, He- retickes,Schifmatickes,his calling dothmake us come out from thefe,fo that we cannot be ofone heart with them, nor they with us. Thirdly, by the fpirit received ; When God calledSaul, he didput into him another fpirit, agreeing to the conditionwhereto he was cal- led : and men called to places ofdignitie, prefently there is a fpring of fpirits in them, anfwering that eftate; fo God alto, when he cal leth to his Kingdome and glory, he doth give them a fpirit which doth afpire and make them endeavour to that prife of this their high calling in Chrift. Laftly, by thankefulneffe to God in regard of this favour, that bee hath called us out of our naturali cftateof mifery, to fuch hope in Chrift. The Lifeis,to let men feetheir vanity, whothough they obeyno part ofGods will revealed to them , though they are fo far from feparating fromprophane worldly - minded perfons, that they cannot be themfelves in any other company ; they traduce others as proud, ungular, humo- rous Puritans, who have no fpirit apparent, but a fpirit of pride, wrath, luit, &c. yet they hope for falvation andGods Kingdome. This is to hope to have this or that fromGod, before he bath called me to ob- raine it; which is all one, as if I fhould hope to be Lord Cham- bedaine,though the King never made me heare any incklingoffuch a matter. This muff flirre us up to get knowledge of this, that we arecalled: Hencefolloweth all grounded hope ; Befide, this is all our flay, hewho hath called us,isable topoffeffeus of that whereunto he hath called us. If earthly Kings calla fubjea to this or that honour, their call is effe- ¿tuall, accompanied with that power which will fa them in it ; So the Lord will certainely fetus in poffeffion ofthat to which he bath called us in Chrift ; as Gods call and anointing David to the Kingdome,did fuftaine him againft all incounters ; fo muff it doe with us, who are cal. led and anointed in fpirituali manner, to that heavenly Kingdome ; Fie Yfe tâ
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