Gods Call from Heaven Echoed, Part 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. IX. The time of effectual calling; when God doth call.
1. MOre generally: In the time of this S. 1 life: while we have a natural life, we muſt have a Spiritual life, if ever we have any: As Chriſt ſaith, ſo muſt we, I muſt work the works of him that ſent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work. John 9. 4. This life is our Market, our fair day: when this life is ended, time is no more with us, but hath taken wing, and is fled away: This is Gods Preaching day; now he ſpeaks, pleads, calls, invites: when life is done, then is the glaſſe out, the time is ſpent, the Preacher ceaſeth: and never ſhall we hear him again in that way: Therefore to day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Heb. 3. 7, 8. Thoſe that live not now, ſhall never live; thoſe that die not now, ſhall never die: I mean to grace, to ſin: Thoſe that are not effectually called now, ſhall never be. Now is the day of grace, the ſeaſon of Salvation, the acceptable time; in this ſence as well as otherwiſe. 2 Corinth. 6. 2. And care you not though you Quidam antè deſierunt vivere, quàm inciperen….die before you live? how ſhall you then live when you die? after this life there is no Sacrifice for ſin: no grace to be had, no calling voice to be heard: Therefore whatſoever thine hand findeth to do (for thy Soul) do it with thy might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wiſedom in the grave, whither thou goeſt. Eccleſ. 9. 10. We may now, and we will not, we would hereafter, and we ſhall not: when this life is ended, we may ſay, the Summer is paſt, the Winter is come; the time of the ſinging of birds is gone, and the voice of the Turtle is heard no more in our Land: the time of this life is the time of our marring, or making for ever.
2. More eſpecially: In the time of youth: S. 2 The Lord can convert, and bring home to himſelf at all times, in middle age, in old age: at the very laſt, as the Thief upon the Croſſe; you know the ſaying: One, that none might deſpaire; but one, that none might preſume: The Lord is tender hearted, and ready to reach out Converſio noſtra ſemper inv niet Deum paratum. Aug. Ezek. 18. 21, 22. Nunquam ſera converſio vera. R. Jun.his Armes of love to a returning, mourning, believing Soul, whenſoever. True repentance is never too late, but late repentance is ſeldom true: but for any upon this account to run on in exceſſe of riot, and to reſiſt the Holy-ghoſt, is moſt deſperate and ſad: and yet many do thus, preſuming upon the laſt: but as one ſaith wittily, this is as if a man ſhould break his neck willingly, to trie the skill of the Bone-ſetter: The time of your youth is the choice time, therefore ſaith Solomon, Remember thy Creatour now, (mark now) in the dayes of thy youth, and illuſtrates it by the contrary. Eccleſ. 12. 1. &c. Some have obſerved the time of effectual calling to be between the years of eighteen, and thirty moſt commonly: Though but few can ſpeak punctually as to the particular time and means of their converſion, as a parted & pious man obſerveth: yet I do believe Maſter Baxter of Baptiſme. Jer. 2. 2.that moſt Saints experience ſaith, that the Lord wrought upon them in their younger dayes; and therefore the Lord tells his people, he remembers the kindneſſe of their youth; though youth there may be otherwiſe underſtood: and this early converſion is meant of thoſe that ſit under the dewes of grace, the diſtillings and droppings of Heavenly Doctrine; as for Heathens, and ſuch, who never heard of Chriſt, and his Laws, and their ſins; when they come under the ſound of the Silver Trumpet of the Goſpel, though in old age; their converſion may be more likely, becauſe they never had the means before: I limit not the Holy one of Iſrael; if he can convert at all times, yea even then when thou haſt worn up thy body, and yet will not, and doth not uſe it: What is that to thee? Follow thou his preſent call; as Chriſt ſaid to Peter in another caſe. Prize John 21. 22.then your youthful time; when thoſe dayes are gone, you ſhall never ſee ſuch dayes again: You may be twice a Child, but you can never be twice a young man: The morning Aurora Muſis amica.is obſerved by Schollers to be beſt for ſtudy: The morning of our age is the beſt time for Spiritual ſtudy; for ſtudying the condition and ſtate of our Souls: The ſpring of youth is the beſt time to take Phyſick, Heavenly Purgations in, for the working out of ſin, the cleanſing of our Soules, the making of our Spirits whole: It is the beſt time for the digging up the Garden of our hearts: then doth the Lord ſow the ſeeds, plant the ſlips of grace. There is a latter ſpring, but that is not ſo good: In youth are the white houres, the Golden ſeaſons: Marriages are moſt in younger time; ſo are Spiritual Contracts with Jeſus Chriſt. David was good when young; Daniel a young 1 Sam. 17. 23. Dan. 1. 3. 4. 1 Tim. 4. 12. 1 Sam. 2. 18. 1 Kings 4. 3, 13. 2 Kings 22. 1, 2. Diſcipulum minimum Chriſtus amavit pſurimum. Eccleſ. 3. begin. Pſal. 92. …3. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Nullum tempus occurrit Regi.Prophet; Timothy a young Preacher; Samuel began with God betimes; Abijah good when a Child; ſo was Jofiah; John the youngeſt of Chriſts diſciples, and moſt beloved, for he leaned on Chriſts boſome: There is a ſeaſon for every thing under the Sun, ſaith Solomon: then certainly for grace and Soul-affaires: there is a time to be Spiritually born, to be planted in the houſe of the Lord, to kill the heart of ſin, to heal the hurt of the Soul; to be built up a Spiritual houſe; to lament for ſin, to laugh in a ſence of Gods love; to embrace Chriſt, and refrain from embracing ſin; to love vertue, to hate vice: It is true as no place, ſo no time can preſcribe againſt the King of Heaven and Earth: yet in this ſeaſon doth the Spirit uſually breed, and bring forth its young: This is Gods more common order, which he can alter when he pleaſeth; and this time he ſeemeth to take for theſe reaſons.
1. The excellency of firſtlings.
2. The probability of a change.
3. The neceſſity of ſervice.
1. The excellence of firſtlings: The Lord doth S. 3 this, that he may have the firſt Fruits, in which he delighteth: Firſt fruits are ſavoury meat, ſuch as the Soul of the Lord loves: the firſt of our Eſtate, our health: the firſt of the day, the firſt of Prov. 3. 9.the week, the firſt of our life: the firſt in regard of time, in regard of dignity is to be the Lords. In the time of the Law the Lord challenged the Exod. 34. 19, 20, 23.firſt of men, of Beaſts, of the Fruits of the Earth. How welcome is the Primeroſe to us, becauſe it cometh forth early? ye creamy mornings, and not the flotten afternoons are of great price: we are loath to take into our ſervices of thoſe that have been worn up in others imployments? and will the Lord think we accept of our drie bones, when the Devil hath ſucked R. Jun.out the Marrow? as one ſaith wittily: and yet this is the way of the world, the common courſe: The firſt, and beſt; not laſt, and worſt is to be given to God: The morning rather than the evening, the Spring rather than autumne; Monday rather than Saturday; our flouriſhing rather than our fading dayes are to be devoted to the Lord: and ſuch Sacrifices ſmel ſweet in his noſtrils: The Lord loveth to be ſerved in the firſt place; to have the chief of our ſtrength, the choice of our ability: The Lord 1 Cor. 7. 36.looketh upon it as uncomely behaviour to himſelf, that we paſſe the flower of our age, and never ſeek for Marriage with himſelf: It is dearly delightful, ſo purely pleaſing to begin with wiſedom, when we begin with the world, that a gracious promiſe is made to it: I love them that love me, and they that ſeek me early ſhall find me. Prov. 8. 17. An early new heart is a rich Pearl; timely grace finds great grace in the eyes of the Lord. God calleth, and careth for early Piety: the Bloſſomes, Buds, Fruit of Godlineſſe in younger years is grateful to him; a young man or woman green all over, and putting forth the tender ſhoots of grace, is Jehovah's darling; a youth Saint, or a Saint youth is the Benjamin, the Son of the right hand of the moſt high; his deareſt Joſeph; as the apple of his eye; written in his heart, and wrought on the palmes of his hand by the engravings of love: ſuch indeed are his choſen, his choice ones; his loved, his loving, his lovely ones: Thus then you ſee God is in love with early goodneſſe: to give grace at all times lieth in his hand; to receive grace betimes lodgeth in his heart.
2. The probability of a change: This is the S. 4 ſecond reaſon: Young ones are more likely to be wrought upon; grace in youth is moſt like to be grace in truth; ſoon grace is likeſt to prove ſound grace; and early goodneſſe hath a probability Quo ſemel eſt imbuta teſta, &c. 2 Kings 22. 19.to become ever goodneſſe; the twigs of youth are more tender, when the grown boughes of age are more tough; young ones are more plain and ſimple; when old ones are more plicated and ſubtle: The heart is deceitful above all things, and deſperately wicked, who can know it. Jer. 17. 9. Theſe words are a fit meaſure for the hearts of all; for young hearts, and old hearts, are hard and naught: but yet the older they grow the worſe they grow, and the more unlikely to be mended; as the expreſſion of the Holy-ghoſt doth warrant: Can the Aethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots? Then may ye alſo do good that are accuſtomed to do evil, Jer. 13. 23. It is true, the ſpirit of God knoweth the things of a man as well as his own ſpirit; yea, more of man than man doth of himſelf; and hath line and lead, wherewith it can ſound and reach the profundity Jer. 17. 10.of wickedneſs, and hath a clue wherewith it can find a way into the midſt of the intricate labyrinth of mans deceitful heart, notwithſtanding all the windings and turnings that are in it: The Lord hath a fountain wherein he can waſh Black-moors white; he hath ſoap and nitre wherein he can take out ſpots of the deepeſt ſtain: yet aged, inveterate, cuſtomary ſinners, contract more ruſt, more filth, which calls for more rubbing, more filing: A tree long rooted may be pulled up, yet with more ado than a plant of a years growth: As Mr. Bridg.a godly Man illuſtrates this, by Chriſts raiſing to life ſeveral that were temporally dead, as Jairus his daughter, to which ſinners of the Matth. 9. 25. Luke 7. 14.lower form may be reſembled, and the widdows ſon of Naim, who was carried forth to be buried, to whom may be reſembled ſuch ſinners as have broken out into more notorious wickedneſſe, and have ſtood in the way of the ungodly; and Lazarus, who was laid John 11. 41, 42. 43.in his grave, and nigh unto ſtinking, to whom may be reſembled great ſinners, that have continued in their ſins a great while; all theſe Chriſt raiſeth up, one as well as other, but with various diſpenſations: the firſt with a touch of his hand; the ſecond with a work and a word; a touch and a call; the third and the laſt, in a more ſolemn manner, firſt ſpeaking to his living father, then to his liveleſſe friend, and that not with a low, but a loud voice. As our Saviour ſaith in another caſe, this kind goeth not out but by faſting and prayer, Matth. 17. 21. the like may we ſay of ſins riveted by cuſtome and time, they may be looſed, but with much a do: the Ice of a months freezing may be broken as well as the Ice of a nights freezing, though with more knocks. Many ſhifts and evaſions do people find for themſelves by continuance of time, whereby they keep ſin in, and grace out; by uſe ſin groweth ſtrong, ſenſe of ſin weak, and their hearts little affected with the word; being like the people that dwell by the water falls of Nilus, who regard not the great noiſe thereof, whereas it is troubleſome to ſtrangers: ſo they being accuſtomed to the ſound of the word, little regard it.
3. Neceſſity of ſervice: Therefore doth S. 5 God uſe to convert moſtly in the ſpring; for all that are ſanctified in converſion, are to ſerve him in their converſation: Thoſe that are called, are called not to loyter, but to labour; not to be truantly, but truſty; not to play in the open field of the world, but to ply his work in the walled vineyard of his Church; not to ſit with folded hands in our boſomes, but to run the way of his commandments. Much there is for a Chriſtian to do for God, for himſelf, for his relations, for his neighbours; for Gods praiſe, for his own and others peace: for the illuſtration of Gods glory, for the ſalvation of his own and others Ars longa, vita brevis.ſouls; and the time of people upon earth, at longeſt is but ſhort; at moſt is but little; and if they begin not betimes, what can they do? a long journey from earth to heaven, we had need take the morning, and ſet out by Sun: a great deal of buſineſs to do, and it muſt be done in the day of this life; we had need then be ſtirring very early: the good houſholder (which may well be an emblem of Gods calling ſinners) is ſaid to go out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard, Matth. 20. 1. As the whole man, ſo the whole time doth the Lord require; as our ſpirits, ſoul, and body, ſo our youth, middle, and old age; death often comes ſooner than old age; and if nothing be done before, nothing can be done after. Much work, and many works hath a Chriſtian to do; There is the foſtering of faith, the renewing repentance, ſubduing of ſin, conquering corruption, guarding his grace, fearing his falling, watching his walking, ſtudying the Scriptures, peruſing the promiſes, converſing with converts, admoniſhing acquaintance, defying the Divel, growing in grace, and in all glorifying his God; and as the Apoſtle ſaith in another caſe, 2 Cor. 2. 16.Who is ſufficient for theſe things? ſo may we in this, What time is ſufficient for theſe things? Beſides, in youth there is bodily ſtrength for the task of duties; for the body as well as the ſoul is to be and do for God; and ſpiritual ſervices take a tincture from the bodies temper: Though the ſpirit be willing, yet the leſſe will be done if the fleſh be weak; fervent prayer, frequent meditation of God, his works, his word; of it ſelf, its ways, its wants; ſolemn faſtings, whether publike or private; much reading, often hearing, ſelf examining; for which and many more is requiſite the vigor of the ſouls powers, the vivaſity Meus ſanein corpore ſano.of the bodies parts; which in age do age; lurk and languiſh; grow feeble and faint; the former whereof are evacuated in regard of ſpirits, the latter enervated in regard of ſtrength.