AIM 676 Of E" :cal Calling. S s c ObjcRíon a- ga ncccer- t.intyof Af- furance. Grounds for the poffibility ofalfuranc. r 2. I know the promifes are true and good, it is without all queltion, Ile that be- lieveth and rrpenteth, be Jball belaved; be that is bornof God, and effectually called, he may conclude, Tammy Beloveds, andmy Beloved is mine; butwhe- ther I do fo or no, there is any perplexity : The heart is full ofguile, and we readof Ahabs humiliation , of the fooldh Virgins , of the holly and thorny ground, lath whohad fome affections and delight in holy things, fome forrow and humiliation about fin ; yet for all that, their own hearts deceived them, their goldproved drofs, they took John Baptifl for Chrift, fome imperfect pofitions, for the cornpleat and effectual workingsof grace ; and why maynot I delude my felf? and the rather, betide every one is apt to flatter himfelf We fee all people, that are indeed -far enough from the Kingdomof heaven, between whom and godlinefs there is a great gulf; yet peremptorily conclude, All is well with them : So true is that of Solomon, Ever)mans way it pore is his own eyes but then that which followeth fhould make all tremble, But Godpon- dereth the heart, Prov.a a. a. This is very fpecious, and fofar this Objection bath ftrength, that no man Mould eafily and fpeedily perfwade himfelfthat all is well with him : That thofe duties of(earthing and trying the heart, and communing with our own (elves privately, areagainand again to bepraftifeoi by us ; butyet theDodirine ofthe hypocrifie and defperate guileof the heartovershroweth not this Scripture -cer- tainty. And before I giveyou the reafon of that, I (hall fet down fome args- meats briefly, out of Scripture and Reafon, that prove the pol1ibility, and then anfwer that ; for let it once be manifcfted by Scripture, that fncha thing maybe, then wearenot to regard a thoufand Objections that may be made to the contrary. Nowthe grounds for the poflibility of it, may be taken from the(e general heads: Firlt, The Scriptare requiring this of to : God would not put us upon fach a fearch, ifto finde had been inipof ihle; for betides this Text, which teems to fpeak this truth ín theSun beams, Givealldiligence to make yourcalingfore ; if certainty hereof had been impoflible, might notany one Rand up and fay, This is to command one to giveall diligence for that which cannotbe ? I maybe as well required to touch the heavenswithmy hands, or to remove the earth from its center ? Betides this(I fay)! (hal name youone impregnableplace,which bath -flood like a rock, that all thePopifh Engins have not beenable to air, 2 Cor.13. j. Examine your felves, &c. where you have the duty required, Toexamine, toprove ourfelves, as the Artificer doch his mecca(, to leewhether it berouis- cerfeitor true, fo the Greek word fignifieth ; and thus theyare todo to thein- felves : And he ingeminates the duty , to Phew his earnefnefs and affection therein. a. There is the obje'c matterofthis duty, Whether _ye be in thefaith, rain tbeeChriflhein ye; that is, whether yebe effeetually called or no; and he brings a reafon from an abfurdi ty, Ifyou donot knowChri/E üsajou, yeare re- probates -s As we ufethe Englifh word, it may feem harfh, but theGreek word is no more then unskilful in minde, not able to difcern : So that reprobate is not here taken for one that is not elected, but for one that is fooli(h, weak. unskilful, as the Scripture fpeaks ofreprobate flyer : feemore of this in thefirft Sermon. So that you fee theApoftle makes it an ignorant and weakunskilful- nefs in the ways of God, and in the workof grace, when we are not able thus, to difcern our felves. So then, let this Test put it outof all queftion ; for when the Apoillecommanded the Corinthians to make this proof andexamination, had the thing been impoflible tobe found ont : It would have been as abfurd, as for a Phyfitian to come to a difeafed perfon, and tell him, he cannot be cured, unlefslie eat ofa Phenix, or ufethe Philofophers (tone, which haply cannever be found out. Secondly, A fecund general ground is, From the peculiar office awl work at tribootett
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