Gel® ofEffe£fual Calling. SE Cr. XI I.. Lally, He that is thus called cloth keep up his heat, and comfort himfelf With that hope of eternallife, .andglory to Whichbe re called. Hence Paul faith, He preffetb Phil.;. forward for the mar!of hi,' highcalling. As a man in a race attends not to any diredions,butfixethhis eyeupon the crown that he runneth for Thus l'atti did, No earthly or worldly temptationsdo hinder him ;but hisheart,his thoughts,his affeihonsare let upon that eternal glory : Therefore we are fold to be called to this hope. A mannever bath truehopes till he be thus called. Alas, What be- comes of wicked mens hopes ? they placetheir hopes in outward greatneffe, in outward power, inoutward glory ; now theft perifh like' the graffe of the field: When Death comes, when Judgement comes, then all his hopes perifh : but the righteous hath hòpeinhis death ; and it is a lively hope, death and the grave cannot-quell it. We fay, If it Were not forhopetheheart wouldbreak; but what hope haft thou who livefi in thy frns,notforfakingofthem ? Will the world,will thy luf}s, thy carnal friends be any longer a comfort to thee? Oh it is much that every wicked man doth not tear himfelf, and roar out with horrour, I have no hope ! God is offended, Chrift did not give himfelf for fach as I am, living in, and loving of my fins. Till I come,but of thiselate, there is laid up no hope for me. Go thenand conclude with thy fell, I have no hope as yet but about worldlythings: Ohmiferable man that I am I There is but a (lep between me anddeath, between me and hell, and yet I look not out but when thou arc called, then thy hopes will furely be ellablifhed. Vfeof Exhortation. Are thecalledof God thus qualified? thenwhat matter ofLamentation is here, to fee fo few fuch among the number of thofe that are outwardlycalled? Where is the man oiewhoin we may pronounce all thefe things, that he readilyobeys, that he honours this calling, that he defireth to followGod in all things? Whois theman that doth this? Now the truth is,the tempationsof finand the world, they callfo violently, fo.pleafingly the contrary way, thatit is nowonderif fo few followGod. But to perfwadeyou to refufe theft Dalilahs alwales temptingof you, . Confiderfirft, What fin and the worldcals you to, Is it not to thofe walesthat end in death, inhell ? You willfee your folly, when you finde it too late, when the arrows of Gods anger havedarted through your Liver and Heart, then you will howl andcry out; Oh how have our fins deceived us ! Even as 7ael. called in Sifera to berhoufe, Come inmy Lord, Come inmy Lord, butit was his death. Do then any lulls callto thee and invite thee? fay, Whetherwill thefe lead me ? Whether will they carry me? a. Confider thefepleafures of finthat invite thee, theyare but for a moment, they are but a blaze, thoughtheymay ticklefor a while, yet the fmart and tor- ment will endure for ever. OAtheifts,if we believenot theft things I Andoh fools and mad men, ifwhen wedo believethem, we labour not to efcape theml As Sant fpake about David, Can thefonof}effe (faith he) mak,yyoosgrreot or ho- noured, Why then doyenfollow him ? Oh remember, Can the devil,can the world make you forever bleffed? Canthey put on robes ofglory ? Dothnot God'on- ly thefe thingsfor them that obeyhimcalling ? TJfe. Sliktu9,Y1
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