- - --------- ·- --- ----\.-.----.---. 62. rU1 Commentarie vpon .~- ; . l : to rou~h our hearts: and to call vs to grace and i ~· t"an~tihco.tio:l:lcr_vs ~frcn rcmcmbcr.an<_l freely I . .:.ckno,,·lcdgc thts Ius vnJcfcrucd mcrc1e, and fay Wtth the holyProphet: Vntothee bdongetb m~;·cic, !mr 7mto VJ openJbame. 1 Sccondlv,forrhct.i""me vvhcn Abrahttm \\·as t allt:J: It w'as whenhov.u 75. yeares ofttge, or thereabouts, as is tnan;tCilin the Sroric, Gcn.- J ::. • .4· thcrc:forc "'''cc fee tlut God for a long time let hin1 iic in his b~indndlc, and idohtry ere he called him, h ismore then likdy, !hat A6.,-,d,am _in th:tt mcam: time liucd ctuilly , and folowcd learning and other cluill courfcs: and in rh:~t time, his likelyhe au~incd to rh:u ~mcaiurcof knowlcdsc in Allronom.ic 3 and o– ! rher lcarning,for which,hc is renowned in old ! Wr·itcrs: But this was the firfltimc th~t h,· was ca~d to knowc :md tCrue the uuc God in hiS true fcrui,c. Here \\'C lc~rn,thJt though a 1':1311 perfruere i1~is finncs, for along time, and paf\C his belt )'-'tares in v~nicic without rcpct\tance ,& thereby be in a~ricuou::> ::mrl feardUll cfb,tc:yer true bclccucrs, and men pcnitcnr,muH notthcrforc iutlge them cai!:.Jaw'?cs. For, Gadsmtrcic Cals. AI heart; leaf! at thcfirll brunt bcfhonld hauc o-! ' bqed, and afu:rv\'ard haue f11mnke backc. For ! it is doubddlC, that d~is ca~ling._\Y~s h~~Dl_t~ ! rcafon, and th:lt AbratM.m found manv iHndc- ~ 1 :u1ccs, and therefore 1t V\' ered:moe;ous hce would h:1ue Haned b3ckc after iO~~c tri.z\1 of thcfCdifficulttcs hcmuft paffc through, jf hcc had had but a bare call, & c6mandcment togoe. But 'v\'henGo.d faith eo him, Gf>eoutofrh; na– tittc Co;mtrie, let it notftay thee, that thou \\':;fl: borne there; nor hind(r thee, that thv kjm·ed dwells there~ bur lcaue all, and come ,,~·ith me: 1 forfak§tdl, andrruft me: followme into thehnd 1 that I will fnew thre: I take thee from o:tlc, but : I will giue thee another: \-VhcnGod, l fay, \"- 1 B 'j feth all thtijfe, and it may b"cc, m:my more like · \·\:ords t~ A!Jrah~m,its a·pparant he would haue [ lum furndh,cd Wtth fircngth and rcfolution, w goc throu.gh withhis catrmg after he had once I made cmranl'c into it.. a man in his' olde age, and touchcth the heart when it plcafcthilim. Chrifi in the Parablcc4/s ~ fomc4t the t I .l.!()flrc, Mauh. : o.6. and fo God c3lleth mcr~t0gr3cc in.thdr old age .. Wcmuft t_hcrcfore fparc thcfc fi.}:lli!) and vi'lifauoury ccn.:. iuns, which fomc vna:dnifcdly ca{l vpon fuch men; f0r ch,.riti: think!timottuilf, I. Cor. 1 ;.5. where it may thinke or fuppo-fc auy pofiibiliti~ Out ofwhieh practiCe ofGod, "'e karn ch;s /njlrtrffion; that.Godwould haue no man c!ltt!' V}'onany calling or dmie, wi·thafCarefull anfi fa)m heart, nor with a dottbtfull mindc; but \vieh a11rong and fctlcd tcfolution to goc tho.... rough fHnch witO.it, ::fnd not to r£lent and re.. ~ent in the midlt.And for this end;God would hj.tJC all menafOre they enter, feriou£1y to con– fider t~cpltct ordmy theyarc to \'nderrake;for the Lord had ratheraman lhould refufeatthe C -firfil; then h:ming cmrcd, to look backc agein; and it is great folly for men, hafii]y., and fud– dainely, or humoroufly tO call thcmfclu.cs vp011 31lY cd!lin~'{, and then vpon trial·and cxpcd– cnce ofthe dangers and difficulties thereof, to be wearie, $:. wrfh they had neuer-donc it.Mcn in this world arc generally wifer in m::!ttcrs of 1he world; Jfatnanbe to build.a houfe he wil n<>E forthwith fet vponbuilding Coch ahoufe as bis !mmour defirctl>, bm will firlt of all fet clowne and count the coft,and thenhis owne a– bilitic, to tee ifthe One will counteruail~ the o– thcr,c!Ce he neuer begins it.So}aith Chri!l(the wifcdome ofGod )ofrbewifodomegfrhe world, >nd the like alfo he faithforwar,that eo Prin" \V ill figh't with-his en!'mie on vnequa1 tearmes, but will kno\v himlelfe able to fulbiae the en– counter, luk.i4.28.3 r ¥· of good :But concr:uh.vttt, praylorihcm,.~ . hope of their_conucrfions, bcuu~ 'A' C k~bw, I [ zck.Ji. that ar wb~t ttmefoeutr .t /»merrepmBofbuJinwt 1 J :7,:.t-;. G'Jdw;llf()rgi«ehim. AndycdOrall this, mc~mu6f rtorp-rcfi.Imc tol~uc cart-Idly in their finMs., for that is dc– fJ>eiatlyto tempt God:bltt ,.,,,!\follow the ho– ly CoJ:Jnft:-ll·c;tfSillcmou, Eccl. J :.1. Tortmem– '6'H--thei'"l' Cr('Ator ~n thed.-l)e.t Q{theiryJUth;·and to rurnc: vnto'"God when they home incam.c', leafi: God ukt-a\(·~y the meane.s,-:1pd \'Vith t1he mcams. hisf41toHrftom thcrn• .Abr:tham\\'lsnottaDed, -t'illht wa~ oH:I; Olit when l1c was cal!ed,hc h:uk– tlcd":lnd ob!vrd: Somufl d1ou, when Godulh thtcbya~?cti0ns, or by his \'l'ord,thcn anfwcr ,D >3J1ci'obtya·s W!n·lib.un did;'or cls A6rah.~tmr cal– Hhrg !Jn Qi$ of,dc age, will be little comfort to thee. Thusmuth forth(.· time. ~'Thirdly', Lforthc manntrofhM c4lling, it is bid downc in thcStoric ofGcndis,to l>e in an carncfl kind o{ Counfell. Goe o11t, i3ith God, from rh;kJmwl, aildf>m thy Jathmhoufo, Vll– :to 'the Ltmdrh~dl1vill/hewe thu: \Vhere it is to be obferucO, he f:~ith not barelyGoe, er come , /orth :but hec Oll'!'lplificth, and ngcth it with fto:t'anfWords and circumfhnccs. 1 J .- Jfany 4ske why God did fo, '"'hen he might ~12ue•gincn th~ ccmmandcmcnt in one word? Th'ri(wer ;·the rcaron is . th:n .ADntham mij;ht h":1.uc c:1ufe rM,·rc rcriouny to confider of ~ods ca.!li-:og, :mcf to imprint ir n1ort dl'Cpcly in his So the t:allingof a ChrHlian, is to.profdfc tltcGofpcl ofChnlt. A<the Magiltrates is to defend it. the ~'1iniflr.rs to te'!ch it) fo ~n mens 1 toproft.fe it ~ now it is as. impoffiblc to {Jttilde 1 without c~ft, or to.ftght Without powerofmen, 1 3S top;·ofeJ!e Chrifi ill atly calling, either gcne- 1 rall or p:\rticular ;"'«·ithout cro~r:Wcc mufl i thcrefNc confider frfi \\'hat omr calling: and I profdlion will coftvs.-it is-fi1rc to coHvs a dan- , gering ~f our crc:dits and dHmacio~ in .the 1 w&rld.; 1t· may be our goods , our l1bemes, 1 , i.t may bee our /iues themfclucs. A~:tine , ..,,tJlildCtlcmic:s wee houe to encounter m this i ·fpifituai1 warrcfarc; the dcuill, death, hell, I finnt,C0t'rupti01l ,and the cr:lft)r malice of wic- , kCd.mgti~·o.ll thcfc we ore fure to meet withal!. ! \\"efC : . I I ' I I I l - ~~--""~=--=~----'~-------- ------ ~---- ~-·
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