670 of Effel/nal Calling. S a c T. XII âr;-s p acv-6:sr ,-vt*Sgreariii4 SERMON CX'VI. The Jcature, Pofibility, Duty andMeans of the efurance ofones Effectual Calling. 2PET.2.10. Wherefore the rather (Brethren) give diligence to make your Culling and Eleldionfury. THe Apoftle at the fifth vede, tnentionctha chainofgraces, which eve. ry Chriftian muli keep linked together: They are like fo many flowers tomake up a Garland that every believer isto wear ; and to this purpofe he fuggelts divers arguments. The firft is, that then they will not be barren in the knowledge of Ostia : Chrillianity without theft graces is like the figtreewithout fruit, it deferveth a perpetual! curie fromClain. Look not to leavesetbleffoms, but to fruit-. Secondly, He that bath the title ofaBeleever, but wants theft graces, he is blinde, and cannot fee afar off. Mosagn, fontede- rive it from !Jess Mouls, or earth.mice, that can fee nothing, though in the open light t Others from !hutting the eye, and fo purblinde men arelaid uvs,agww, who fee things that are near, but 'not afar c if Though foam fay tress . is not #ufciofur, but vunuto4. Thas wicked men have knowledge about the objedis that arc prefent to fente, but thematters of faith, which are more remote, they cannot difcern. Now here may feem a contradiftion by theApoflle,He al 6linde and canantfeeafar off: For if hebe blinde hecannot fee, neither near or afar off. Sometherefore make theft later words a correetion to the former, He is blindes at leaf' hecannot fee things that are afar ; if he benot blinde, he hath a dimme fight. But without any flraying, we may thus interpret the Apelde, He is blinde, viz. abfclu:ely in refpesB of heavenly things, and although hewn fee thofeobjedis that are obvious to hide, viz. all earthly things, yet he bath no perceiving about heavenly things. And indeed its very fad to confiderhow ma- ny are eagle-eyed in thematters of the world, and very blinde moles in heaven- ly things. The third argument is from the ingratitude fach men areguilty of a They have forgotten they were purged frotas their old fins; when they undertook theprofe[fion of faith in Chriii, and were baptized, there was Sacramentally, a atleall, acleanfing from their former waits of wickedneffe. Now it would be high ingratitude for any not to prefcrve themfelves from fuch defilements full. Laflly, Herein another argument for abounding in all grace, which is laiddown by way of'exhortation : There cannotbe any ail'urance hadof our calling or cle- ft on, unlefs we are fruitful! in theft. graces. This should greatly awaken, for it behoveth us above all things in the world to have fume comfortable knowledge hotvtt handsbetween Godand our fouls. In the words then confider the duty injoyned, and the way how to accotu- plifh it. The duty injoyned is to make your calling and elelfion fare. Calling, viz. the graces ofGod n e are called to in this lift, juhification, adoption, and union
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