ofEireElìwal calling. s s ex. XII. Calling in theText is reckoned amongthofe other ineftimablebenefits of Pre - deftination, Juftification, and Glorification. How gladly didZacheres receive Chrifl, when Chrift called tohim ! and theApoftles whom Chrift called, how willingly did they partwith all toaccompany him 1 So then, if thou art thus effeftually called, there is a willingnefs, a delight , and exceeding great joy put into thy foul : Oh thoubleffeft God that ever he tooknoticeof thee,thou art evenravifhed with theadmirationof Gods love and kindenefs to thee, its no griefor trouble of heart to leave thy former lulls; yea, they are a burthen, a fhame now to thee. As ifa poor Peafants daughter fhould be called to marry a great King ; how doth this tranfcendently affeft her ? it doth not trouble herto leave her old Cottage, to put ofher old rags, toeatnomore of her courfe food, but rather, rejoyceth in thechange that is made : Thus it is here, when God gives thee this call, then thou abhorreft the prophane, igno. rant, andungodly life that thou didft once live : then thou fayeft, Ihave found Manna for thofe husks I fedupon; I have found goldfor that noifom dung I had before. Thirdly, Itsan nniverfal obedience: Thiseffeemal calling hash divers duties to whicha man is called, and it refufeth none. When God called Abraham out of his own Countrey, from his kindred, and from the Idolatry'he lived in; What an illimited obedience did e,4braham demonftrate? He Went, faith the Text, not knowing whither he didgo, Heb.r s 8. God called him out ofhis Coun- trey, and didnot tell himwhither he fhouldgo, nor what he fhould do, yet Abrahamsobedience is ready to all this: This thencuts offthehopee ofhypo. erices, whorun haflay after Gods command in force particulars, and in force duties, where fell. advantage, felf- intereft or applaufe may fhew itfelf; but univerfally to obey in every command , in every call, that they cannot yield unto. La[tly, Its a pure obedience: This calling bath a pureobedience, that is, obe- dience for obediencefake, becaufeof the Authority and Soveraigntyof God whocommands ; as you fee itwas in Abral3am,in Paul, inMofes, in the Apo- files : There was no reafon in the worldof their obedience, but meetly becaufe God called them : And then is obedience acceptable, when it is becaufe God requireth it. But 3. Thirdly, This efeílnalcalling gives afpiritual nnderffanding and abilities, to know how to perform the dutiesand parts of thiscalling: Hence they are laid to be madelight in the Lord, Ifa.4. Godnever called any man to a particular calling, eitherin Church or State; but he alto gave him abilities and fitnefs for it ; as Mofes, Aaron, 90Theta, yeaSaul hadKingly, though not gracious abilities be. flowed on him : Now God will much more do thus in a general and more no- hiecsalling. Oh then confider, how art thou qualified with abilities to be a Chriftian, tobe a Believer? God bathcalled thee out`of darknefs,out ofpro- phanenefs, to be-a Saint, to walkas a memberof Chrift ; now, haft thouabi- li tiesfor this calling? Do you not deride thofe that are in any calling, and have no abilities for it? do you not think Inch men unworthy of their place? Nolefsart thou of thiscalling, who knoweft not how tobelieve, topray, to live, to worfhipGod asthy callingdoth require. Fourthly, Thisoffellnul calling denotetba feparation, orfettingof a man apart Into that Which he is called: So that he mull not live as he bath done, but he muft folely bufre himfelf in that towhich he is called : Thus the Apoftle(peak ingof hiscalling tobean Apatite, hefaith, IleWasfet apart : And inall worldly callings, you icemen are fet apart betimes unto it, and that they wholly give themfelves to what' theircalling is; and its a lure forerunner of poverty, to be negligent herein : And thus it is in our fpiritual calling, God bath fet apart the godly man for himfelf, he calls him out of the world, and from all his former tufts, to live wholly unto him : Oh how little do men confider, that they
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=