634 Of EJeEtttal Calling. S a e r. XII. ven, without this power ofgodlinefs : And if the Apoftle fpeaketh but of thetongue onely, lames i.16. If any manTeem to be religious, and bridleth not l it tongue, thatmans Religionbin vain: Howmuch rather, if hedo not morti- fie his fin, andrefrain fromall other grofs impieties ? whenwill people drown- ed in fin, recover outof it ? Awake thou that fleepeft in this flupidity : What is Baptifm ? what is Chriftianity ? what is Prote(tantifm, but a meet empty (ha- clawand title, if thy life be polluted with impieties: As the Heathens called 'their Idols gods, when yet they had no Deity in them, being images of wood, Having o'er, and fee not ; ears,and hear not feet, and wall;, not : Thus are fuck Idol Chriftians, Idol Believers. There are (faith the Apoftle) many calledgoda in the world, bat we know that an Idolis nothing: Thus it is beret; there are many called Chriflians , many called Believers, but we know this is nothing, where the life and powerof godlinefs is wanting : Truttnot then to thygood faith, to chete glorious titles, they willdeceive thee. 3, Thirdly, If in the Primitive - times, among tbofe many that gaveap their names The number to Chrift, few were cho/en, how mach a lets number me there be now ofchofen ones e of ohofenones This I would have diligently confidered, If fo be in thofe primitive times of reri few. thofe many thoufands that believed in Chelft, few were chufen, how little a remnant or handful may we expert to be among our called perfons I For there were three Reafons, why all that were then called Ihould be cho fen: For Firft, To accept of theFaith and Marineof Chrift, was then a meet free and fpontaneous thing; there was no compullion by outward power, itwas nota Religion they were educated and brought up in, their Parents did not teach them faith in Chrift t Now whocouldnot think certainly, they are right indeed, they muff needs have the powerof grace in them, who did thus rea- dily and willingly receive a Doctrine that was wholly new to them, their parents did not iisfirull them in, noearthly power did force them to, but out of meer voluntary choice they ímbraced it : Yet in that company there was more chaff then wheat, in that garden there were more weeds then flowers: What thenmay we judge, when asthe contrary Reafons are with us? for the Chriflián faith we imbrace, is that we have byeducation, by Cuitons: Who is there that makes ufeof his own underftanding, of his own will to imbrace the truths of Chrift ? who is there, that upon fearching the Scriptures, and trying all things, doch thus adhere to the truth? Arenot menbruitifhin believing, as well as in living? "'Valiant Nomines credere, quam judicare, They takeup that Reli- gion their parents taught them, and its a meer hap, wholly accidental co them, that its the truth : Thus, like beafts, they follow one another, they go poi itar, non qua eandameft ; certainly, this is far from havingthe fpiric of Godo- pening our hearts, and inlightning our mindes : This is not by underftanding and judging, and proving all things, to hold fall that which is good; Thisis notfor a man to live by his faith, but by his Fathers,or Grandfathers faith ; in- deed, to be brought up in the true Dollrine of Chrift, is a wonderful mercy, its anexcellent feafoning of the veffel betimes ; but yet if a man have isomore from the Chriftian Doelrine, then his education, he bath no more to fay for the truth, then the Jews and Turks have for their grofs falfe hoods. Secondly, That all were not chofen, whowere then called, we may won- der, becaufe of the great and wonderful miracles that they enjoyed, which might greatly confirm their faith ; for who could be but perfwaded that Chrift was the Meffrah , when he faw thedead railed from the grave, the blinde made to fee, the deafto hear, and the glorious things ofGod, (hewing themfelves thereby? and to thefe great miracles, we may adde the zeal and remarkable godlinefs of thofe who lived in the former times; Alas! nocomparifonmaybe made of the graceand godlinefs thatnow is, with what bath beenformerly: ow
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