1 '",,..,.,,. \ theu.(hap.t;·the· H~b;:·---~~--- -···- et / fmh. ----------=---=~-------'--7--~-- i 1 A that, th:1: is in rhispluc vn(icrflood,isihisc:k. ---7 ~ ByJ.ritb Abrahmn when !u: WM called, Tlli~ ll:Oric is taken our of Gen. 12. The caufcof Abrtthamsfaith,is Godsctdling. Gods ca/:;,...,g is :111 aCtion ofGod,whercby he appoin• tcth a m:m ro fome E:Crtainc condition, or O:atc oflifc, i11 this world, o:- after this life. And in this regard, God iscompared to a Gener,1./lin the field, which ol1igncd~ cueric Sot-t!dirr his {bnding and t!utic: 10 cloth00cl appoint cuc– rie man his place :md dutic in the Chutc~l. Concc1i1ing rhcfc c;~llittgs, let vs .kc the ~anNhow he c:1llcth, and the feucrallftates \V hereto hce c:lllcrh men. For the ITic:an:es or tna.nncr, God callcth men t\-\'0 \o\'aics: il1mi:– dilcly, or by m.e:mcs. Somcdrnc immediate!; by himrclfc and his 0\o\'OC voice : as, the cxrraordinaric Prophets in the old Tcflamenr, & the Apofilcs in the new. So faith$; Pa11/ ofhimfclfe, he was cal/edro be ,m Ap?jile, nor of mm , nor 6; mm, but b; Iejiu Chrifl ,andGod the F(uher, G::~l.J.t. · Sometime mc.diatlybymCdire_Clcd byhim~fclfe, and furnlfhed, dr innbled l.or that dutic: and iOwere c:llled the ord~nlrie Prophets and Pridls ofthe old; and the ~uangcliHs,Pafl:ors, I and Doctors ofthe newe Teflament. The firfl was cxrraordinari_e; this is o:dinaric : the firll 't is f9ran vnbclccumg, or a rnJsbelecu1ng pco1 plc;thc fecond,is for an ordinary & dlablifhcd Church.Now,ofthefc rwowaies, God called .A!Jrahtt.mtmmediat'J by himreifc tfomhcaucn. I Secondly,for the cllarcs of life whereumo God calleth men they arc three: General, Parti– c!l!ar, Perfonall. Gods Grnmtll calling is,whercby h• <alleth all then to repentance by the Gofpcl, and fo to lift eternal!. Ofthis fpcakes the Apo!Ue, Rom. S.JO. whom a.d pmkftinatrd, thrm alfo he ea/. /rd:andRom.I I. z9. Thecal/ingofGodio"'tth– out rep~ntance. Hereby he calls men in this life ~o·the flare ofgra~e .' ~nd to the Hare of glol"ie m hc:aut:n; and thts IS to all. Hispttrticularcalling is, "'"'hen he calleth and -a.ffi.gneth men to fomc particular dbtc and du– tic, in Family, Church, or Commonwc3lth: 3S J whcnamanis calledro be a Magifirate, Mini– ;ller, Mall:er offami!y, la'".o..•ycr, phyfiriom, &c. \ Thirdly,God callcth fome men to fame pri– ! uatcperfonati dutic, which he ddigneth not to I others,buttobcdonebythem alone. Such a i ea/linghad he afli gncd him, that would necdes I be perfelt; Goefo/14/lth•t tb,uh.jl, &c. I Now the calling ?f.A~rah~m in thi.s ~lace, is tohercfcrredto thts th!rdJ.md.e. Foru was a \pritute :n1dperfonttl!c;-aUi·ng to lea~~ehH.cquntrsr, his kinrcd, his lands, hispolfellions,and rogo fcekc another !and to be father ofrhefaitiJfHII, and eo rccciucrhe coucn3ilt: and this du.tic be– longs to none, but who fhall per(on~lly ,~nd by name be c3llcd vnto it. :', · .,,_f.t . Yet all thciCrluce callingsm:1y cop~urJfe in ene, l!i here in him. For he was called-t-o bee~. Chriflian (for thegmera//) •nd a goucrn9~r'of a_great famiit{ for the .f'1Yticular cal~.·:,~L~~.:_ traordinaric and perfonu/1 c.alJing eo kauc bi.~. j CO!Illtrcy. And in 1c wee are lO conlider three circumlbnces : r~ VVho ~\'3S calk{r: 2. 'Vhcq; 3. Ho\'\' he was calkd. , · I For the firH: Aln·i!l·;~m v\':15" called, the fonne ofTaah: but neither his farher Tcrah, nor his : brother Nahor were c:11lcd 1 bm .AhYa/Jti :;;.!onc 1 J Bur it may worthily be dcp1"'-undc(t, vvhy. ( God fhoultl noEcall hisfiuhrrand/.:Jnr~d: t~1<;rc ~ can be no anf"'A·cr buuhis rhat the ApoHic 'gi• ucrh,Rom.9.18. Godb.;uh mtrcieou n:INm hee wi!l,antl witi:Jho!duh itfromwhoml:uwt/1. Hc~ callcrh lftac and refufeth J{.,.,e/ '.lqucoh laoob; and hatcrh Efou: takcth .A64, and lc-aucth Cain: C&lm 6rcaH[fhc wilt, and for no c:JUfc t;han ' B I we know. But.why.then calls hc)ib~ahnm, anrl l !!Ot h,1s k_inrcd? Is notthatparti~lli(y? I anfwcr 4 he is tied to none,hc might refufc qil:thrrefore the mcruailc is, rh;:uhccallsany.Bta wlw fomc and not other, w}ly Ahrahamand not his kiu– rcd, 1~0 realon caa{bc.giucn: for Gods iudg~... ments :1rc \.VondcrfuJJ. But :1s that that i-s im... poJ!iMewJ[hman,ispo.Jli6le with God 1 fo rl;at ~IJ;lj i~ iniHfticeorparti.'llilie \Vith mon, is J"ujlic:c w·i~h God, And it is cxcreamc follic, ~!ld,intolcrab1P. pt·et"'umpcion fo~ vs to ~,oveig~C;o4s ·at}ion.s in ~he b::llancc of ou.r {hallow rc:1fOn-. . Foi the fccond: But when .was A!Jraham I cailcd? fo.r the timc,thcrc arc t~vocircumllan ... ces worth the obfcruation, Firft, ~-thraham wis .ca.llc.d to this dignjri.c, whc.q he }jucd in idolq~ C .tric.,l\·.ith his, f~thers. So faith IoOm1, 24. >. 'fh'" fittch~ Lorq,[oHr fathm dwc/1 bry.,!rl th<jl~odinoljl timr; ""'" Teraf?th•f(/lh~r.f,Ahraham,an.dfo.rf!~d p~hergod{., I(~brt:h{!Vi~·~s . callcdbyGod, whcnhc was an idoi;m:r,thcu it is appadnt ho had not purchafed Gods fa– uour by his wotkf:s•.Whct<;-\ove J~p;.·tjC_,thar t~c \o\'~10le worke of a m:~hs falu_ad<;>q, is \o 9~,af ... cnbcci to ~o,ds meere merwi ~->"''.iro{ ~")~J~ ; Prophet faith;"'""found of!hem.,J,atfo~~J,ht./:Vi'J . not,Efa. 65. 1. Abraha'!' nc_uer_ !koa!ned of d!f trlic (~od, nor·of~ny l)cvy _.cb_UCJ'I:l{l~ g_f grace · and faluation, when God callrt{ hjm. Ami f01, . whcn.Pttul was goiqg ar.z.11cd ._~,i~lJ.)!oodi~;(u-, ric, ~ndhis furie armed w.i.th'commiffions a-nd authoritic again!t .~he Saints ,~r:f..~; Ced fr~·n. D heaucn c:lllcd him~ and of i p"rf<:,:urcr,Jl!••l!:'J him the principall infh:ml}CJ1tAfo~!S glrui(7, 1 ACl. 9· >.&c. Therefore (tqap.p.~ft!.hij to'9ur' (clues) if God haue vouch1:1f<;ll V&).ilo famcl grace, and taken vs to be hh· p~ople, ap d mad-e a1 co~cnamoffaluationv.·ith vs;;" hi'~j1 i.n fOz:tl!Ctf ..timc;s h:1uc bccnejini1etsoftheGentiln.; wc~nrfi Jc<\rnc here to fee ,,·.hence tQ~s fat},ovr i:;d·Q~j t~crcfore to afc~ibc norhing·t9 <:UJ {clues_,.~'!t] giU.Call the glonc vnto God. '· . ..: '·. ..,.\, 1 AndparticulariJ, for curry ot~e q_('(s. .; ifQq,l\ hauc bin fo merciful! ~o 2_ny_ o' V.S,:jl~ whcrrv~·c v:v~rc Popi/hor fuporjftttotuw.1th 9.1~ •PY~Fn;.~,,mkinrcd , ~o open 9\ll~eycs, :rnd):JJ;~~g,v;S~~onlt" to his h?ly trt,af1j qr, ~~-h~n."',.S..,.~\.tr;rd iiJ vyic,.,. ke,!ncfie an~fc;~~[.u:¥i~i<:.wit!uh.cprof'lf'.eJvor!d, Gg ~ -·- -· -.."
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