Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

696 Of E/fectaal Calling. S a c yet theymay reftrain from the outward ae ings of many grofs fins: The very lightof nature would teach a man to abhor many things, whichyet the Hea- thens committed ; fo that God bath a jolt controverfiewith them, and willbe cleared when he judged] the World. Sixthly, Though God donot call all men, and thereby they are wholly ¡m. potent, andunable to anygood ; yet they do notfin fo much,becaufe theywant power, as becaufe they have a willing delight in it; and this indeed doth mainly remove all objeftions ; forits not a mans impotency, fomuch as his wil- ful confent to fin, that damneth him : his nonpoffs, is in force feafe, hisnon velle. Bernardfaithwell ofmans necefîity that is now brought uponhim to fin; the neceffity doth nottake away the voluntarinefsof it,nor thevoluntarinefs the ne- ceffrty : There is no man can fay, O Lord , I had a will , I was very ready to come to thee, but thou did!! not give me power : No, the will inevery man is thegrand enemy and adverfary unto Cbrif!in all his ways: Damnation is toman, becaufe unwilling, not becaufe unable. Tileof Exhortation, Comeand beholdthe feverity and goodnefs of God, as Paulin the like cafe; the feverityof God, in that he paffeth over fo many per- fonsand nations in theworld ; and his goodnefs, in that he drawethnigh to you; you are in the Land ofGellen, when othersare inEgyptian darknefs: This bath amazed and a(tonifhed all thewife!! men in the world, they have not been able toknow what to fayat this difference Godmakes;yea,many times God doth notvouchfafe theoffer of grace to facha people, who in all probability would be moreafìefted with it , and giveth it to filch who refufe and rejeft it: How nnfearchable is his Wildom, and hiswayspart finding out l Doth not our Saviour tell the menof Capes-nasssss, that bad the wonderful means ofgrace, Ma. i1.aI. If thole things had been done in Tyre and Sidon ( two Heatheni(h places) they Wanldhave repentedin daft, in ailes? Its thought, truerepentance andconvertì. onis not here meant; but palpable and fenfible demonftrations they would have made of tomeforrow andhumiliation ; and therefore Chrifi threatens to takeaway the Kingdomof heaven from the Jews; viz.. The Gofpel, andgive it toa nation bringing forth fruit better then they : Oh confider then, whe- ther the very Heathens and Pagans would not give more refpeCP, and rhea morejoy at the word preached then thou doeft: Take heed, for there are none further off grace, then thofe that have been called, and yet rejeft it : There. is more hopesof thofe towhom the Gofpel was never tendered ; for thofehea- vy judgements of an eye blinded, an heart hardened, do onely belong to "thole that have refufed this wordof life: Then Inch are onely fatted todeftruétion, who have been fed in thefe pleafant paflures ofthe Ordinances. F I S. REader, if notwithilanding all the care that hathbeen uCed in theprintingof thisbook, thou meet with Come faults, asthou wilt (for no book, if but i quarter fo big as this, canbe printed without) I pray'impute it not tothe Reverend,Author, but :oche Printer. rae: vw(trii 1.

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