The souls vocation or effectual calling to Christ. By T.HThe soules vocation or effectual calling to Christ. By T.H

Practice. 1 First, labour to cut off all those carnal pleas and pretences, which would persuade thy heart, and that falsely, that thou doest desire the Lord Jesus Christ. This is an old rule, the soul is never cozened, nor never commits a sin, but it hath ⟨p. 93⟩a pretence for it. Therefore abandon all those carnal pleas and foolish imaginations, which delude thy soul, and persuade thy heart that thou hast desired, when indeed thou hast not: for this I say, a false presumption that a man hath a thing, doth hinder him as much from desiring of it, as if he possessed it already. We find it in nature, ¹the stomach is pinched with hunger, because meat is wanting; now from this hunger there follows a great endeavour to get succour and supply, but if there come a cold wind, that overpowers the stomach, and takes away the hunger, and the wind in a mans stomach deprives him of his appetite, though he hath no meat: So it is with the soul, there is a great want of mercy and comfort, and assurance of Gods love, the soul stands in need of holiness to purge it, and mercy to pardon it; Yet when a man hath a fond fancy that all is well, and all his desires are good, he fills his heart with a vain foolish desire, and that takes away all his endeavours, and the presumption that he doth desire, doth make him as well contented, as if he desired indeed. So that I beseech you, be not careless, do not groundlessly cast away the word that would inform thee, and convince thee.

Practice. 1 First, labour to cut off all those carnall pleas and pretences, which would perswade thy heart, and that falsly, that thou doest desire the Lord Jesus Christ. This is an old rule, the soule is never couzened, nor never commits a sinne, but it hath ⟨p. 93⟩a pretence for it. Therefore abandon all those carnall pleas and foolish imaginations, which delude thy soule, and perswade thy heart that thou hast desired, when indeed thou hast not: for this I say, a false presumption that a man hath a thing, doth hinder him as much from desiring of it, as if he possessed it already. Wee finde it in nature, ¹the stomacke is pinched with hunger, because meat is wanting; now from this hunger there followes a great endevour to get succour and supply, but if there come a cold winde, that overpowers the stomacke, and takes away the hunger, and the winde in a mans stomacke deprives him of his appetite, though he hath no meat: So it is with the soule, there is a great want of mercie and comfort, and assurance of Gods love, the soule stands in need of holinesse to purge it, and mercie to pardon it; Yet when a man hath a fond fancie that all is well, and all his desires are good, he fills his heart with a vaine foolish desire, and that takes away all his endevours, and the presumption that he doth desire, doth make him as well contented, as if he desired indeed. So that I beseech you, be not carelesse, doe not groundlesly cast away the word that would informe thee, and convince thee.