Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

s E e T. XII, àf EffcdfualCálling. 59; fhould own him, give up themfelves to him, and glorifie him, which is mans- feftly done by a fincere, pure worfhipping of him : Its (range therefore' that people fhould be no more inquiutive about Gods pure worfhip, wherein itcon- fins ; notto dote upon, or affeét culloms and traditions ofwosfhip, but to look forthe inflitution and command of God. Fourthly, /i's a call oat of the World, andall thingstherein , to the enjoyment 4, of God, andapplyingour (elves finely to him : And herein lyeth theexcellency of Out of the this call. All theworld lyeth in wickednefs, their principles, aetions and ends wail Coca- are all wicked nowGod calls us out of this Sodom, out of this Egyptiandark JoY God. nefs, toenjoy him. Hence pure Religion is Paid tobe, In keping a manunfpotted from theWorld, James 1,27. thatexpreflion denotes,That the world, andwotldr ly things are like pitch, there is a reàdinefs to defile, to pollute ; and a godly man laborsto keep his garments clean : So the Aponte exhorts, ThatWe Amid not be conformed to thefa/hion of the World but transformed through the re- iseWinq of the miede, that We may know What is the good and acceptable Will of God, Rom.' z a. And thusthe world and the Church are two dininft, oppofite things ; its therefore defined to be Ctetuu evocaterum, A company calledout of the world : Though we be men made of the earth, yet our Chrinianbeing is by aDivine call and power : As precious floues, though their materials are of theearth, yet theprecious nature they have, is onely from the heavens; as the clouds, though they be vapors anfing from the earth, yet they fly up to heaven, and follow the motions thereof : So it is here, The people of God, though confining of flefhand blood, and living an animal life, as others, yet they have afpiritual life; infomuçh, that though they live in the world, yet they are not of theworld: So that our calling is not onely from grofs foul fins, butallo from immoderate and inordinate affeftions, even o lawful things ; called therefore An heavenly calling, becaufe itsfrom heaven, and lifteth upto heaven. Hencethe godly have their converfation in heaven, Phil. 3.2o. heaven, andnot the world, is that Corporationand City they areof; they liveby the Laws of heaven, not the world ; their comforts are heavenly comforts, not earthly ; their priviledges areheavenly priviledges, not worldly. Art thou effectually called ? herein it will difcover it felf, if thy heart and affeftionsbe let on heavenly things, whereGod and Chrift are, who are the belovedof thy foul: Itsnot enoughwean off all the noifom rags and menftrouscloathes of impiety, but to throwaway all burthens, and any heavy weight that may hinder thee in thy race to heaven : The Apoflle fuppofeth this, when he pre- fcribes us loch a fpáredyet uponthefe things : They that marry,mule beas if they marriednot, t Cool. fo they that buy, and have the world : Godbath called you to look upwards; and as mancannot at the fame time look with one eye up toheaven, and another towards the earth ; fo neither can a man have his heart towards God, and allo towards theworld : Live not then, as if thy foul were madeof dun, at well as thy body, as if thouwert a worm in this fente ; for feedingon the earth, as well as for contemptiblenefs : The Devil feeding on thedunof theearth, is the Devil poffeffìng earthly men. Confider, that God hath calledyou to injoy himfelf, to be made one with Chrift , and to havecommunion and fellowfhip with him a Ohhow fhould this funne put out the (tars ; this Manna, that Garlike. Fifthly, This calling is from a(late of guietnefs and fecurity in the World, toa rate of trouble andaffiltlion: The very calling of a Chriftian, is accompanied Froma flare with many oppofitions and fuffetings, which formerly hewas not ufed unto; of quiemefs, and hereinour Saviour dealt very aithfully, when heinvited men to come un- ro a !late of af- to him, Hebid them prepare for thecroft, for all evil-intreating in the world : fliEtioa. The worldloves bis own, but it will hare thofe that are Chrins ; and again, He i thatWill be bis difciple, mull take up his croft, andfollow him ; this Chrift admo- nifhethaforehand: That as the Devil inticeth by the prefent pleafures but G ggg concealeth

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=