S E c of"EeEfwal Calling: 349 Fifthly, He that ùoffeflually calledisgreatly thankefu/l even to aft oni/hment 5, and raviJhment, for thùhigh mercyvoachla fed to kin,. The grace of the Gofpel wherefoever it Both powerfully work, doth fo (often and melt the heart, that praife and thankfulnefs is the great duty hefludies ; Ohhow (hall I be thank- ful I and the Lord inlrgemyheart topraife him I Whatam ',that God should call me I Oh, Why is mySQUI fo barren, fo ftreightned I Why doeI no runne all over ? Why cloth not my heartboil within me ? Thusa man partaker of this heavenly calling is affefted ; See theApoftiesaggravationof Gods mercy here- in, á Tim. r .9. Who bathcalled iswith anholy calling, not according to our Work s, but according* his ownpnrpofeand grace. The Apoftie melts himfelfinto ravish- ing thoughts about this, The God that needed menot, yea the God that was fo greatly offended, and provoked by me, he out of his free gracecals me from finne and danger, from all that eternal wrath I wasobnoxious unto'; and there- foreBleffe the Lord, 0 m Soul, and let all withintheeblefe his holy. name. You mayobferve the ApoftlePatois difpofition, when he bath occafion to fpeak of Godsconverting and calling us out of the former lofts of finne he lived in, he is fo tranfported that henever fatisfieth himfelf with a thankful remembrance thereof ; Wherein men areaffeded, andwhat they account extraordinary mer- cies, . there theywill alwayes be fpeaking ; Their Meditations arefweet and bur-' ning about it. So that it is a fure fign thou wallnever yet effeftually called, if thy foul many times break not out withjoy and thankfgiving herein. Shall out- ward mercies, fafety, wealth, honours, fowork upon thee, as we feethey did on Hassan, and 'hall it not much more prevailwith thee tobe called tobe Gods friend, and Gods favourite ? all the atllietions and difcou- ragements in the world beeasily fubdued, when this confideration prevaileth with thee ! .Sixthly, He that is thus called according toGods purpofe, he is careful not to apo- 6 . . fíatizeor togs backagain into that conrfeoffin andWick{dneffe, out ofWhich he Was called. As a mancalled outof fetters, and a darkdungeon, by all means takes heed that hebe not thrown in there again. The Ifraelires were called only bo- dily out of r. gyps, not in tlaeir-affeftions and heart, when they fo deured to make themfelves a Captain, and to return thither again; yeawhen theyloath- ed that admirable Manna, and defired theirformer Onyons again : Oh it is a fign thou wail never powerfully called I who fora time indeed haft given over thy beaftly lofts, wilt commit them no more, but not long after dolt return to the prafticeof themagain; Thismakes it worfe with thee then if thou hadlt never beguntocleanfe thy feIf. OurSaviour bath a notableParable to this pur- pole, of a manout ofwhom a devil, wascall, but he returnedagain, andbrought feveamorfe with him . Mat. i 2.45' Oh look to this thenyou who formerly have given fome hopes of being called, yoU heard a voice, within you, faying, Doe no more fach abominable things ! You- begun to pray, to weep', to be greatly affefted; oh the conllidls that your fouls formerly felt, but now all I/reams are dried up, you areas barren, as prophane as ever ! Know to thy terrorand trem- bling, thouhalt caufe to examine whether the mighty power of God hach not yetcalled thee. Noman thatputtethhù hand to theploaghan i look§rh back is fir for thekingdomofHeaven: Our Saviour did alwayes attend Et) this, to lay fuch principles in thofe that would be his Difciples, that they might never revolt : Therefore he told them ofthe worft afore hand,anddaily inftrufted themabout the danger of not perfevering: He that is truly called doth (sand immoveably . like a rock, Like Mount Sionthat cannot beremoved; and indeed there is great reafon fòr it, Can he bebetter then he is ? Dothnot God make up all things tohim ? Arehis former tufts and the pleafures he took in them equal to God, andthe enjoyment of him ? Wasthere not bitternefs and gall even in thefovea- eft honey of anyof hisfins? But at Godsright hand thereare rivers of pleafeocefar evermore: Lafiio,
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