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dence, that it lies upon you ftill. If ye have never feen yourselves children of the devil, it is a fure token that ye are not yet the children of God.

(5.) Those whofe convictions have never gone deep enough, Matth. xiii. 6. Many have got the fluggard's awakening, who have been disturbed in their fpiritual fleep, but never thoroughly awakened, and therefore they have juft fallen afleep again. They have been frighted under the guilt of grofs fins, but never faw the evil of vain thoughts, idle words, &c. like children that are very easy playing with the duft, as long as it gets not into their eyes. If they have got a frightful fight of their actual fins, yet they never had the fin of their nature spread out before them. They have not been convinced of their need of Chrift's Spirit for their fanctification, as well as of his blood for their juftification.

(6.) Those who have ftifled their convictions, warred against an awakened confcience, and come off victorious. Many take ways and means to quench the Spirit, which prevail to their own ruin; a plain evidence that they are ftrangers to the efficacious irrefiftible operations of the Spirit in effectual calling. Some get their convictions laid by delays and off-puts, as Felix did, Acts xxiv. 25. Some for that end fill their heads and hands with business, like Cain building cities. Some with carnal mirth divert them, or, by rushing on to more fin over the belly of their confciences, do choke them, till they become as feared with a hot iron. O horrid cruelty against the foul! to refuse to be healed!

(7.) Thofe who have never had any special illumination in the knowledge of Chrift. It is certain, that hypocrites may be enlightened both in the knowledge of the law and of the gofpel, Heb. vi. 4.; but there is a faving illumination in effectual calling that is peculiar to the fo called, John iv. 10. Pfal. ix. 10. In that work there is fuch a difcovery made of Chrift in his ability and willingness to fave, as fhews him to be VOL. II.

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fo fuitable to the finner's cafe, fo tranfcendently excellent, as that the foul is determined to embrace him for all, Matth. xiii, 45. 46. It finks the value of all created things, and makes finful lufts to appear as hufks for fwine, in comparison of the bread of life.

(8.) Those who, whatever light they have got, yet there has been no heat with it, to melt down the heart and will into a pliableness to the will of God, and the call of the gospel, Job xxiv. 13. Many come a great length in light, by the common operations of the Spirit, from whom the ftony heart is never taken away, nor the power of it broken. Such was the cafe of Balaam, in whom the heart-enmity against God and holiness was ftill rampant, as appears from the hiftory of him. Such alfo was the cafe of thofe mentioned Heb. vi. 4. &c. The outer door is broken up by the force of a law ftorm, and fome common touches of the Spirit on their minds: but the inner door remains ftill fhut. The outworks are taken, but the fort of the heart remains impregnable. Some one luft or other ftill has the throne in the heart.

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(9.) Lastly, Thofe whofe exercises have never ifsued in a kindly clofing with Chrift in the gofpel-offer. O, it is lamentable to think how many a good work that feems once fairly begun is miferably marred. Some are ftill kept wavering and undetermined, halting be twixt God and Baal, light preffing them forward, love to their lufts drawing them back, fo that their time is like to go ere they come to a resolution what to do. Some, inftead of clofing with Chrift, close with duties; but never come out of themselves to Chrift, but like the fpider entangled in her own web, perish. But true believers rejoice in Christ Jefus, and have no confidence in the flef, Phil. iii. 3. Some clote with Chrift for juftification, but never mind or fee a need to clofe with him for fanctification.

USE II. of exhortation. Come away from the world lying in wickednefs, unto Jefus Chrift, and fo comply

with the gofpel-call. Come away, finners, unto him. For motives,

1. Confider what a fociety ye are called to come out of. See their character, Eph. ii. 12. Thofe that are without Chrift, being aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael, and ftrangers from the covenants of promife, having no hope, and without God in the world. We are all natives, of that fociety indeed; but it is a Godlefs, Chriftless fociety, which we have need to leave, and that timeoufly.

(1.) It is a finful fociety, a corrupt, unclean one, where there is nothing pure, Tit. i. 15. Better lie in a kennel with dogs, or in a hog-ftye with fwine, than with the world in wickednefs. Their fouls are like Job's body, boils and fores all over, that they have not a free finger to fcrape themselves withal. The fociety of the unconverted are defiled in all their faculties, and fo they can do nothing that is good and acceptable in God's fight. Their thoughts are polluted with va nity or vileness, their words are abominable, for their throat is like an open fepulchre; their actions, their very civil actions, are finful, Prov. xxi. 4. and their religious ones are fo too, Prov. xv. 8.

(2.) It is a moft miferable fociety, Rev, iii. 17. Othe wretched state of the unconverted world! what tongue can tell their mifery, who are without Chrift, and without God in the world? They are the butt of God's indignation, and fet for a mark to the arrows of his wrath, Pfal. vii. 12. 13. They are thofe that are under God's curfe; their ftate is a prifon, out of which those that die in it are carried to the prison of hell; and there is no more difference betwixt them and the damned, than betwixt a dry faggot lying before the fire ready to be caft in, and the faggot that is in it already. A А black cloud of wrath hangs over their heads at all times, ready to break upon them, John iii. 36.

How can it be otherwife, fince it is a fociety which Satan is the head of, 2 Cor, iv. 4. ruled and governed A a z

by him, and with whom those that die in it muft lodge for ever?

Now, finners, have ye not been long enough there already? May I not fay, as Deut. i. 6. Te have dwelt long enough in this mount. O come away from Lebanon, Cant. iv. 8. Leave the world of the ungodly, that are to be fwept away with the flood of wrath, and come into the ark. Turn your back on that Sodom, which is to be overthrown in its own filthinefs; hafte and flee for your life; there is a Zoar to flee into, where ye may be fafe,

2. Confider what a fociety ye are called to. This calling is a high calling, Phil. iii. 14. It is a holy and happy fociety. All the faints, the excellent ones of the earth, are of it, the glorified faints, the holy angels, and God in Chrift is the head of it, Heb. xii. 22. 23: 24. O refufe not that high calling,

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If ye will come away, ye fhall enjoy the privileges of this fociety as members thereof, Eph. ii. 19. fhall be inheritors of glory, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrift: not only faved from wrath, but made happy here in the favour of God, and completely bleffed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity,

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3. Lastly, Confider who calleth you. It is the voice of a man that ye hear, but the word of the call is the Lord's own word; and therefore I fay, See that ye refufe not him that Speaketh, Heb, xii. 25. Jefus has got the grant of the kingdom from the Father; and he minds to raise it up on the ruins of Satan's kingdom. And therefore he comes to the world lying in wickednefs, to call out from among them whom he may make partakers of his glory. And therefore I fay to you, Arife, for the Mafter calleṭh you And fince it is fo, it is evident,

(1.) Ye may come; there is an open door for you, none of you i. all are excluded, If. lv. 1. The fallen angels have not that privilege, and therefore they grudge ye fhould have it, and they will do what they can to keep you from the benefit of it.

(2.) Ye fhall not be rejected, nor get the door caft in your teeth, John vi. 37. Your being called enfures your welcome. Let not unbelief fuggeft fuch jealoufies, as that it is needless to come now, for ye will not be accepted; for the market of free grace is not yet over, and as long as the call is given you, ye may be fure of welcome. Indeed the day will come, that Chrift will ceafe to call you; and then it will be needless to think of coming: but O come while the door is open. Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate: for many, I fay unto you, will feek to enter in, and fhall not be able, When once the master of the houfe is rifen up, and bath but to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, faying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall anfwer and Jay unto you, I know you not whence you are, Luke xiii. 24. 25.

(3) Laftly, If ye do not come, it is upon your peril, the peril of the Mediator's vengeance. Does he call you, and will ye not come? Nay, you must come under the pain of the King's highest displeasure, Matth. xxii.

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As for you that are called, fee that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, being holy in all manner of life and converfation,

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Of the Benefits of effectual Calling,

ROMANS viii. 30.

-Whom he called, them he also juftified; and whom he juftified, them he alfo glorified.

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N this and the preceding verfe is the golden chain of falvation, confifting of five links. The firft two lie out of the finner's view, till they be brought to light by means of the third. The firft is God's foreknowledge, or eternal free love and favour to fome of mankind, laid on them from everlafting. The

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