A treatise of effectual calling and election.: In XVI. sermons, on 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherein a Christian may discern, whether yet he be effectually called and elected. And what course he ought to take that he may attain the assurance thereof. Preached by that faithful servant of Christ, Mr. Christopher Love, late minister of Lawrence Jury, London.

2 PET. 1.10.

Wherefore the rather, Brethren, Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure.

THE Doctrine I am yet upon is this, That Christians ought to put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their soules, that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ. In the managing of which I came to an use of direction, to those who are assu∣red of their effectual calling, and to them I gave three directions. First, That you would rightly ma∣nage your assurance. Secondly, Carefully preserve your assurance. Thirdly, Daily improve your assurance; the last of which I have yet to handle And touching this third direction, daily to improve your assurance, I shall give you but three heads; which if you make use of, you may every day improve your assurance, and bring it from a little to a great measure. As

First, In case you would do this, improve your gra∣ces. The more you increase in grace, the more you will grow in comfort. Grace and comfort, they are two Twinnes, that the more one growes, the better the other thrives. Hence you read, that in the saluation of every Epistle, the Apostle puts both together, Grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied to you in Christ Jesus, 1 Cor. 1.3. There the Apostle makes the multiplying of grace, to be the multiplying of peace. The more you multiply

and grow in grace, the more you will increase peace, inward peace of conscience: they are both joyned to∣gether. You have a passage, 2 Peter 1.5, 11. compared together, Adde to your Faith vertue, &c. The Apostle there urgeth our diligence to adde grace to grace; that is, to live in the improvement of grace. And what will fol∣low? verse 11. If you doe these things, you shall ne∣ver fall; for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord Je∣sus Christ. You shall not onely go to heaven, but you shall have an abundant entrance ministred before you come there; you shall have abundance of assurance and inward peace before you come there. And here to give you a more particular direction, there are these foure graces chiefly you are to improve.

First, Improve the grace of humility. Esa. 57.15. the Lord doth promise there to revive the spirit of the humble. It is a particular promise to that grace, that God will revive you, and give you a new life if you have it. And reviving there is not meant of the first life of grace, but of a life of comfort. They had grace before, but God would give them a life of comfort, he will restore your consolation to you in case you are a humble peo∣ple. Hence it is, James 4.6. The Lord gives grace to the humble. Yea, he gives more grace. The Lord gives more grace to the humble person then to any man in the world. Now the more grace you have, the more com∣fort you must needs have. Humility is a foundation of more grace, therefore needs must be a foundation of more comfort.

That building, whose foundation is laid lowest, is of all the most beautiful and comely Fabrick above ground: So those Christians that lay a foundation low in humi∣lity, they are likely to rear up a most beautiful Building in way of comfort.

Secondly, Improve the grace of faith in believing, and that is the way to increase comfort. 1 Peter 1.8.

Whom though you have not seen, yet believing, you re∣joyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Though they did never see Christ, yet believing in Christ, and impro∣ving their faith, they had not only an ordinary measure of comfort, but they had more comfort in their hearts, then they could utter with their Tongue; They rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory. So Rom. 15.13. The God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in Believing, that you may abound in hope through the holy Ghost. Believing makes you full of all joy, and makes you abound in it. The more you are in Believing, the more you will be in assurance.

Thirdly, Improve the grace of love to Jesus Christ. John 14.23. If any man love me, my Father shall love him, and we will come in unto him, and make our abode with him. That is, If you improve in your love to Jesus Christ, God the Father and God the Son will make their dwel∣ling in your hearts. Now he must needs be a comfortable Christian, that hath so good a guest as God the Father and Jesus Christ to come in, and make their abode with him. As you know, to your bosome-friend whom you love, and you know loves you, you will communicate all your secrets: Thus will God the Father, if hee knowes you are his bosome-friends, and seeth you love him, he will communicate all his comforts to you; you shall never want comforts, if you increase in love to Jesus Christ.

Fourthly, Improve the grace of godly sorrow; you will never finde sweeter musick in comfort, then when you are laid down in teares. As the sound of the Trum∣pet is never more pleasant then when they are upon the water; so when God seeth you flow with the wa∣ter of repentance and godly sorrow, then you are like∣ly to hear the most melodious harmony in the appre∣hension of Gods love; Psal. 126. They that sowe in tears, shall reap in joy. You shall not onely have a dram, but a handfull of joy; as Reapers they cut down handfuls

of corne at once. And as you know in seed, though you sowe but one grain of corne, there may a dozen eares come from that one seed: so if you sowe but a little godly sorrow, a grain of godly sorrow may be a root to a great deal of spiritual joy.

Secondly, If you would improve your assurance, pre∣serve a clear conscience, both towards God and man. A good conscience is a continual feast, Prov. 15.15. Assu∣rance, I may say of it as a Father speaks of the Holy Ghost, and the comforts thereof, The Spirit of God is a very nice thing, every thing will give the com∣forts of Gods Spirit a check and distaste; now if you harbour sinne upon conscience, you will never thrive in comfort; every thing will give comfortable motions a check. And as Philosophers say when the Aire is fog∣gy, it ariseth from vapours that are exhaled from the earth, which makes the aire so cloudy as it is; So it is filth drawn from our earthly hearts, that makes such foggy mists to arise between our comforts and us, and between God and us. You must keep conscience clear, else you will never keep heaven clear. Heaven will be clouded, if the heart be filthy. Job 11.14, 15. If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away; If sinne be upon the conscience, harbour it not, for then thou shalt lift up thy face before God, thou shalt be stedfast, and not fear. You shall not only not fear, but you shall have a degree of assurance. You shall be stedfast, if you put sinne far away from you. A sullied and a polluted conscience shall never be in a Christian strong in assu∣rance. You will not grow in assurance, if your consci∣ence harbour guilt.

Thirdly, If you would improve your assurance, keep close in communion with God. Nothing that feeds comforts so much as a Christians holy walking, Esa. 32.17. The work of righteousnesse shall be peace, and the ef∣fect thereof quietnesse and assurance for ever. If you walk in works of righteousnesse, and in a way of keeping

close communion with God; this shall be peace, and this shall be quietnesse, and great assurance. Mark how the Holy Ghost makes a gradation; not onely peace and quietnesse, but assurance also: you shall have the highest degree of peace, and the highest step of comfort, if you walk diligently in a way of holinesse with your God. And thus much be spoken to the first sort of men, those that live in the enjoyment of the assurance of their effectual calling.

[Ʋse. 2] I have now a word to those men that live in the want of this assurance, who happily have in times past had some glimmering, and some dimme sight of com∣fort, touching their everlasting estate, and yet are now much clouded and eclipsed in their comforts, or have lost the comforts they once had, what they should do to recover it. And to these I shall by way of directi∣on speak only four things.

First, That you would set upon searching work. Secondly, Upon humbling work. Thirdly, Upon pray∣ing work. And fourthly, that you would set upon me∣ditating work: These four helpes will through Gods Blessing be very conducible to restore your wonted com∣forts to you.

First, My counsel shall be to you, that you would set upon searching and examining work. When you have lost any thing, the first thing you do is to look af∣ter it, where you have lost it, that you may finde it again. If you have lost this precious jewel of assurance, be thus wise for your selves; O set upon seeking and searching work. The Scripture gives you this hint, Gal. 6.4. Let every man search his own work, and then he shall have rejoycing in himselfe. This is the way to bring in spiritual joy and spiritual comfort, to be often deal∣ing with your own hearts. David when he lay under some foule distemper, mark how he deales with his own soule: Why art thou troubled, O my soule, and why art thou disquieted within me? he puts his heart

upon the Trial. And here in your searching work, I would commend five things to your examination.

First, Search how you got your assurance.

Secondly, Search how you grounded your assurance.

Thirdly, Search how you managed your assurance.

Fourthly, Search what should provoke God to take away your assurance.

Fifthly, and lastly, Search what you would give to God, so you might regain your former and wonted assurance. Put these questions to your hearts; As

First, Put upon the search, how you got your assu∣rance. It may be it was such an assurance as you have had ever since you were borne from your mothers womb: that you got without care, and without pain; and if so, this is presumption, not assurance; and if you have lost this, it is well. It is better to be in a state of dis∣couragement, then in a state of presumption.

Secondly, Examine how you grounded your assurance. It may be you bottomed it but upon selfe, not upon Christ. It may be, you bottomed it but upon the fan∣tastical delusions of your own hearts, and not upon the grounded evidence of Gods Word; if so, that your assurance have had an ill bottome, it is no wonder if God turne it upside-down. If it bee not rightly ground∣ed, it will never long bee continued. Examine there∣fore upon what grounds you have bottomed your assu∣rance, and if you finde the foundation of your comforts to be ill laid, you must pluck up all again.

Thirdly, Search how you managed your assurance. It may be you managed your assurance with pride, not humility; it may be with unwatchfulnesse, and careles∣nesse of spirit, and did not take notice of those tem∣ptations and suggestions that might impaire your com∣forts; and if so, it is no wonder if the devil sowes tares amongst your wheat; it is no wonder if the devil have stollen away your comforts, if you have laid down your watch.

Fourthly, Examine what special cause there was in your hearts, that might provoke God to cloud you in your comforts, and to take away your assurance from you. And here that you might a little bee directed in this search, you may reduce the cause of your eclipse, and of the removal of your assurance, unto this two∣fold head. Either it hath been the commission of some great transgression, or else the omission of some weigh∣ty duty, that may provoke God to darken your com∣forts. As,

First, the Commission of some great transgression. Great sins they lay a foundation for great discomforts in tender consciences. Great sins they lay the conscience waste; to make it that was as a well-trimmed and im∣paled garden, to be as a ruinous wildernesse. Great relapses they bring ordinarily dark eclipses upon the soule. And here that I might put you on this search, I would advise you to search what particular sinne it was, and how you might know the transgression that might provoke God, to take away your comforts from you. As,

First, if so be God did take away your comforts imme∣diately after the committing of any grosse sin, then you may be sure that sinne was the occasion. Or,

Secondly, If the commission of any sin, doth bring upon you more then an ordinary measure of hardnesse of heart, then you may be sure that was the sin. Or,

Thirdly, If any sinne makes you remisse in spiri∣tual duties, that was the sinne provoked God to take away your comforts from you. And by such a search as this, you might finde out, and give a shrewd guesse at the particular provocation.

And here the particular transgressions I would have you search about, they are ordinarily these four, that ingages God to take away comforts from a people. As

First, the sinne of superciliousnesse, and uncompassion∣atenesse of spirit towards doubting Christians. If a soul

carries a proud and supercilious eye over poor Christi∣ans, and carries no compassion towards doubting souls. God for that sinne of wanting bowels of compassion, may bring him to the same estate, which he could not compassionate in other men.

Secondly, the sinne of grieving the Spirit; if you grieve Gods Spirit, God will grieve yours, Esa. 63.10. Or,

Thirdly, The sinne of spiritual pride; ordinarily this may be the sinne. Or,

Fourthly, The sinne of worldly-mindednesse, or eager pursuit after the things of this world. As digging in the earth doth endanger a man to bee stifled with damps; so digging and poring in the world brings but a damp upon a Christians comforts, and many times stifles their assurance. As the Sun is eclipsed by the in∣terposition of the Moone between it and our sight; so if the world once get between the Sunne of righte∣ousnesse and you, it will eclipse the Sunne that you shall not see the glory of Jesus Christ, and shall not per∣ceive nor gain that interest in Jesus Christ you had in former time.

Secondly, Another cause you are to search; If it be not the commission of some great transgression, yet it may be the omission of some necessary and weighty du∣ty, and the Lord may bring you upon the stage of dis∣comfort for omission as well as commission. If a man doth let but a wound go undressed, he may as well die, as if you knockt him with a Beetle upon the head: Beloved, if you let your wounds be undressed, and let your discomforts be unlooked after, and let all run at sixes and sevens; if you interrupt in your duties, it is just with God to interrupt you in your comforts. If you keep not your watch, 'tis no wonder if you are surprized. There are many Christians that grow carelesse in keeping communion with God, that love seldome reading, and seldome praying, and seldome examining their owne

hearts; (alas) men casting away their duties, it makes God in judgement make stoppage in a way of com∣fort.

Fifthly, In your searching work examine your selves, what you would do in case God should restore to you your former evidences; could you bring your hearts to this temper, that you would think no pains too much to take, no cost too much to give, nothing should be irk∣som to you that God would have you perform, in case he would give you your wonted comforts? If you finde this temper of spirit in you, this is a very ready way to bring on your comforts, and restore the joyes of your salva∣tion to you.

Secondly, Set upon humbling work: the onely way to gain what you have lost, is to mourn over your losses. Jer. 31.18, 19, 20. See how Ephraim comes to have his comforts restored, when he wept over his own discom∣forts: I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe, saith God, and I said, Is Ephraim my dear sonne, I saw him smiting upon his thigh, humbling his soul for his sinnes; and since I saw him, I do earnestly remember him, and I will shew mercy to him. Here you see lamenting Ephraim; God in the very time of his bemoaning himself, restored his comforts to him: we hear many lament for their out∣ward losses, but who laments for the losse of inward comforts? And David after he had lost his comforts by that great sinne of adultery, makes seven penitential Psalmes, Psalmes of lamentation or repentance; and he calls one of them, A Psalm to call to remembrance. And as an Authour well notes, when David came to renew his com∣forts, he makes a Psalm to call to remembrance those sinnes that might provoke God to take away his com∣forts from him: So Beloved, let it be your work to make such Psalms in your Closets, and make it your practice to call to remembrance those evils that provoke God to eclipse your comforts to you, and let that hum∣ble you. If you cannot find out the Particular sin, labour to

humble your soules for every sinne, and then to be sure you cannot misse that.

Thirdly, Would you restore your wonted comforts? then set upon praying work. This course you finde Da∣vid took; Psal. 51.8. Make me, O Lord, to hear the voice of joy and gladnesse, that the bones which thou hast broken might rejoyce. Create in me a new heart, and esta∣blesh me with thy free Spirit, verse 12. Here you read of Davids praying work, how he poured forth his soule in prayer, that God would restore to him the joyes of his salvation. And here in your praying work I would on∣ly cast in three directions.

First, Pray for a distinct sight of those evils that pro∣voked God to take your comforts from you.

Secondly, After you have got a sight, bend the strength of your prayers most against those evils that did so pro∣voke God to cloud your comforts. Pray against them, as against the deadliest enemy you have in the world.

Thirdly, Pray for attaining those graces that may be inlets to spiritual comfort, as the graces before named: the grace of godlie sorrow, the grace of humiliation, the grace of faith, and of love to Jesus Christ. Thus if you set upon searching, upon humbling, and upon praying work, you are in a likely way to have your comforts restored.

Fourthly, Set upon the work of meditation; and in this work, I shall commend four meditations you are to take into your thoughs, which may be very helpful and useful to you in restoring your comforts. As,

First, Let your meditations run upon this, that sometimes you are not so competent Judges of your own spiritual estate, as others may be; As,

First, In a time of desertion, when God hath left you and frownes upon you.

Secondly, In times of temptation, when the devils temptations are violent against you.

Thirdly, In times of Relapse, when you are fallen into some great sinne; at this time you are not so compe∣tent

Judges of your own estate, but standers by may see more of your own good, and your own sincerity, then your selves may do; as the Proverb is: Many times Look∣ers on see more then he that playes the game; it is true in this. A Looker on may see sincerity sparkle in thy practice, and thy graces shine in thy conversa∣tion, when thou canst not do it thy selfe. A childe when it blubbers and cries, can see nothing of his book. So when Christians are sad, and sullen, and lumpish, they can hardly read any thing of their evidence. Mr. Throgmorton got his assurance this way, by the Testimo∣ny of a company of godly Ministers that they could lay their soules in his soules stead. Let this therefore run in your Meditations, that many times standers by and Chri∣stians that behold your walkings, and see your Actions, they may see more ground of comfort in you then your selves can do.

Secondly, Meditate and think upon the comforts God gave you in wonted time, and call them to minde. Do as David did, Psal. 77. I called to minde the dayes of old, and the yeers of many generations. Call to minde ancient dayes, did not God shew thee his face? did not God bear thee in the palmes of his hands? did not God give thee many a smile of his countenance, and many a pledge of his love, even by affliction it selfe? did not God set ma∣ny a seal upon thy heart, that thy comforts were true, thy evidence clear, and thy ends sincere towards God? Beloved, call to minde the former frame of thy spi∣rit, how thou wast in wonted times, and this Medita∣tion being backed by Gods Spirit, may bee a great means to restore thy comforts to thee; past goodnesse should be present encouragement.

Thirdly, Meditate what way it was that you got your former comforts and assurance; and the same way God will sanctifie to restore you your comforts again. What Physicians say of the body, We are nou∣rished of those things, of which wee are begotten and

generated. So I say of comforts: The very same thing that begot comforts, the same will restore your comforts againe. Now think upon this in your pra∣ctice, and consider, What way did I gaine my com∣forts in yeeres past? did I gaine my comforts by god∣ly sorrow, and by lamenting after God, and by mourn∣ing over those abominable failings in my practice? now take the same course to restore thy evidences. Go and mourn in thy Closet over thy uneven walking before God. Go lament for thy sinnes, mourne after thy Fa∣ther; and tell him thou art grieved at the heart that he is so great a stranger to thy soule. Didst thou gain thy assurance in dayes past by humbling thy soule often before God? Set upon humbling work again. Didst thou gain thy comforts in dayes past by walking closely with thy God? Amend thy paths, and direct thy wayes unto thy Maker for dayes to come. There is the very same way to restore your comforts, that was at first to gain your comforts.

Fourthly, Let your Meditations work upon those com∣forting Promises in the Gospel, that hold forth most comfort to a dejected soule. And truly I am perswa∣ded, Christians Meditations running more upon their own failings, and their own jealousies, and their own mistakes, then upon Gospel-Promises, hath been the great occasion they have layen so long under a spirit of bondage, and under a dark eclipse in the want of the comforts of Gods Spirit. Therefore now let your Me∣ditations work upon those Promises that hold forth most comfort to a dejected and deserted soule. And here. I shall name five or sixe most comfortable Pro∣mises in the Word; As Esa. 57.15. The Lord that dwells in the high and holy places, he doth revive the spi∣rit of the humble, and of the contrite one. So Esa. 66.2. The Lord dwels in the heavens, and yet with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit, that trembles at his Word; with him will God dwell. So Psal. 34.18.

The Lord is nigh them that are of a broken heart, even them that are contrite in spirit. So Luke 4.18. Jesus Christ was anointed, that is, appointed by God the Fa∣ther, to preach the Gospel to the poor, to binde up the broken in heart, and to comfort them that mourn. So Esa. 66.10. The Lord will restore comfort to thee, and to thy Mourners. And Heb. 12.12. The Lord will strengthen the weak hands, and feeble knees. And with that remarka∣ble and most glorious Gospel-promise I shall end, Esa. 35.3, 4, 5, 6. Strengthen the weak hands, and confirme the feeble knees. This, saith God, to weak Christians, whose legs can hardly carry their bodies, and their hands hardly reach to their mouthes. Say unto the weak Christian in grace, comfort, and confirm and strength∣en them: And say unto them that are of a fearfull heart, Be strong; Poor fearful doubting soules, that fear every Temptation, and fear every corruption, and fear they shall lose the recompence of their reward: Say unto that fearful heart, Be strong and fear not. For your God will come with vengeance, even God will come with recompence, and save you. And then the eyes of the blinde shall bee open, and the eares of the deafe shall bee unstopped; it is not meant of the bodily eye but those that were blinde, and could not see the mysteries of Christ, and could not read their own comforts; then their eyes shall be open. And the deaf that, as Esaiah saith, refused to be comforted, that would not heark∣en to comfort, but would stop their eares against all comfortable doctrines, and onely give way to sorrow, their eares shall be unstopped. And the lame man shall leap like a Hart; the poore halting Christian, that halts in his comforts, that is now believing, anon staggering; now rejoycing, anon despairing; the poor lame man shall leap like a Hart. And the Tongue of the dumb shall sing: the poor man that could not speak one word of his owne graces, and of his own com∣forts, and touching his own evidence, the Tongue of

the dumb shall sing. O Beloved, here is your work, in case you would bee Christians to restore your com∣forts againe; set upon the work of Meditation, to think upon these precious promises of the Gospell, that hold forth most comfort to a drooping and dejected sinner.

Notes

• Res delica∣ta est Spi∣ritus Dei.
• Vastare conscien∣tiam.
• Ex quo gig∣nimur eo dem nutri∣mur.