A Divine Cordial, Chapter 14 – Chapter 15
CHAP. XIV. Three Exhortations to them who are called.
1. ADmire and adore Gods free-grace in calling you; that God should leap over so many, that he should pass by the wise and noble, and that the lot of free-grace should fall upon you! That he should take you out of a state of vassalage, from grinding at the Devils Mill, and should set you above the Princes of the Earth, and call you to inherit the Throne of Glory! fall upon your knees, break forth into a thankful triumph of praise; Let your hearts be ten-stringed Instruments, to sound forth the memorial of Gods mercy. None so deep in debt to Free-grace as you, and none should be so high mounted upon the Pinacle of thanksgiving. Say as the sweet Singer, Psal. 145.2. I will extol thee, O God my King, every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name for ever. Those who are Patterns of mercy, should be Trumpets of praise. Oh long to be in Heaven, where your thanksgivings shall be purer, and shall be raised a Note higher.
2. Pity those who are not yet called. Sinners in Scarlet are not objects of envy, but pity, they are under the p…wer of Satan, Acts 26.18. They tread every day on the Banks of the bottomless pit; and what if death should give them a jog? Oh pity uncoverted sinners. If you pity an Ox or an Ass going astray, will not you pity a Soul going astray from God, who hath lost his way, and his wits, and is upon the precipice of damnation.
Nay, not onelyonly pity sinners, but pray for them; Though they curse, do you p…ay, You will pray for persons destracted; Sinners are distracted, Luke 15.17. When he came to himself; it seems the Prodigal before conve…sion was not himself. Wicked men are going to execution; Sin is the halter which strangles them, Death turns them off the Ladder, and Hell is their buring place; & will not you pray for them when you see them in such danger?
3. You who are effectually called honour your high calling, Ephes. 4.1. I therefore beseech you, that you would walk worthy *foreign.of the vocation whrewith you are called. Christians must keep a Decorum; they must ob…erve the foreign, what is comely *O anima mea formam tuam e…cole f…tem orne, maculas terge, mores corige, dignam sponsam omni nisu te redde. Ausl.. This is a seasonable advice, when many who profess to be called of God, yet by their loose incautelous walking, they cast a blemish on Religion, whereby the ways of God a…e evil spoken of. It is Salvians Speech, What do Pagans say when they see Christians live scandalously? Sure Christ taught them no better. Will you reproach Christ, and make him suffer again, by abusing your Heavenly calling *foreign. Ignat. Epist. ad Trall.? 'Tis one of the saddest sights, to see a man lift up his hands in prayer, and with those hands oppress; to hear the same tongue praise God, and at another time lye and slander; to hear a man in words profess God, and in wo…ks deny him: Oh how unworthy is this! Yours is a holy calling, and will you be unholy? do not think you may take liberty as others. The Nazarite that had a vow on him, separated him self to God, and promised abstinence; though others did drink Wine, it was not fit for the Nazarite to do it: So though others are loose and vain, it is not fit for them who are set apart for God by effectual calling. Shall not Flowers sweeter then Weeds? You must be foreign, A peculiar People, 1 Pet. 2.9. Not onelyonly peculiar in regard of dignity, but deportment. Scorn things that are sordid and heterogeneous to the Gospel. Scipio refused the embraces of an Harlot, because he was General of an Army Abhor all motions to sin, because it will disparage your high calling.
Quest. What is it to walk worthy of our Heavenly calling?
Answ. 1. It is to walk regularly, when we tread with an even foot, and walk according to the Rules and Axiomes of the Word. A true Saint is for Canonical Obedience, he follows the canon of Scripture, as the …reek word is, Gal. 6.16. As many as walk according to this Canon *foreign.. When we leave mens inventions, and cleave to Gods institutions; when we walk after the Word, as Israel after the pillar of fire; this is walking worthy of our Heavenly calling.
2. To walk worthy of our calling, is, to walk singularly, Gen. 7.1. Noah was upright in his Generation. When others walked with the Devil, Noah walked with God. We are forbidden to run with the multitude, Exod. 23. Though in civil things singularity is not commendable, yet in Religion it is good to be singular. Melancthon was the glory of the age he lived in. Athanasius was singularly holy, he appeared for God when the stream of the times ran another way. It is better to be a pattern of holiness, than a Pa…tner in wickedness: It is better to go to Heaven with a few, than to Hell in the crowd. We must walk Antipodes to the men of the world.
3. To walk worthy of our calling, is to walk chearfully; Phil. 4.4. Rejoyce in the Lord evermore. Too much drooping of spirit disparageth our high calling, and makes others suspect the godly life to be Cynical and Melancholy. Of all complexions Christ loves the Sanguine. Causin…s in his Hieroglyphicks speaks of a Dove, whose wings being perfumed with sweet Ointments, did draw the other Doves after her. Chearfulness is a perfume to draw others to godlines. Religion doth not banish all mirth. As there is a seriousness without sowrness, so there is a chearfulness without lightness. When the Prodigal was converted, then they began to be merry, Luke 15.24. Who should be chearful if not the people of God? They are no sooner born of the Spirit, 2 Tim. 4.8.but they are heirs to a Crown: God is their Portion, and Heaven is their Mansion, and shall not they rejoyce?
4. To walk worthy of our calling is to walk wisely. Walking wisely implies three things.
1. To walk warily, Eccles. 2.14. The wise mans eyes are in his head. Others watch for our halting, therefore we had need look to our standing. We must beware, not only of Scandals, but Indecencies, least by our indiscretion we open the mouths of others with a fresh cry against Religion. If our piety will not convert men, our prudence may silence them.
2. To walk courteously. The Spirit of the Gospel is full of sweetness and candour, 1 Pet. 3.8. Be courteous, foreign Take heed of a mo…ose supercisious behaviour. Religion doth not take away civili…y, but refine it, Gen. 23.7. Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the children of Heth. Though they were of an Heathenish Race, yet Abraham gave them a civil respect. S. Paul was of an affable tem…e…, 1 Cor. 9.20. I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. In lesser matters the Apostle yielded to others, that by his obliging carriage he might win upon them, and catch them by an holy guile.
3. To walk magnanimously. Though we must be humble, yet not base. 'Tis unworthy to prostitu…e our selves to the lusts of men. What is sin…ully imposed ought to be zealously opposed. Co…cience is Gods Diocess, where … ha…h right to visit, but he who is The Bishop of our souls, 1 Pet. 2.25. We must not be like hot I…on, which will be beat into any form. A b…ave spi…ited Christian will chuse rather to …ie, than suffer …he Virginity of his Conscience to be super…itiously des…ured. Here is the Serpent and the Dove united, sagacity and innocency; this prudential walking comports with our high calling, and doth not a little adorn the Gospel of Christ.
5. To walk wo…thy of our calling, is to walk influentially; to do good to others, and to be rich in acts of mercy, Heb. 13.16. *Vt vita ex sensu & motu dignoscitur, ita fides ex operibus. BernGood works honour Religion. As Mary poured the oyntments on Christ; so by good works we pour sweet oyntments on the head of the Gospel, and make it give forth a fragant smell. Good works, though they are not Causes of Salvation, yet they are Evidences. When with our Saviour we go about doing good, and send abroad the refreshing influences of our liberality; now we walk worthy of our high calling.
Lastly,Vse ult. Here is matter of Consolation to you who are effectually called, God hath magnified rich grace towards you; you are called to great honour, to be Co-partners with the Angels, and Co-heirs with Christ: This should revive you in the worst of times. Let men reproach and miscall you; set Gods calling of you, against mans miscalling: Let men persecute you to death, they do but give you a pass, and send you to Heaven the sooner: How may this cure the trembling of the heart! What though the Sea roar, though the Earth be unquiet, though the Stars are shaken out of their place? you need not fear; you are called, therefore are sure to be crowned.
GODS ETERNAL PURPOSE.
CHAP. XV. Concerning Gods Purpose.
3. THe third and last thing in the Text, which I shall but briefly glance at, is, The Ground and O…iginal of our Effectual Calling, in these words, foreign, According to his purpose: Anselm renders it, according to his good will *Signifaetern… Dei b…n… placitum. Ans Im.. Peter Martyr reads it, foreign, according to his Decree; and so Beza Interprets it. This purpose, or decree of God is the fountain-head of all our spiritual blessings †foreign est decre…um Dei▪ a aeterno sanctum, ex mera ipsius non s…ruta…da sed adoranda vol…tate. Beza; it is causa foreign, the impulsive cause of our Vocation, Justification, Glorification; it is the highest link in the Golden Chain of Salvation. What is the reason that one man is called, and not another? it is from the eternal purpose of God. Gods Decree gives the casting voice in mans salvation.