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

All that faith would have the soul do, is this: §1First, that the soul should labour to find out the means of grace; §2Secondly, that it should practice what it knows; §3Thirdly, that it improve ⟨p. 304⟩all means when it hath gotten them: now that it may be able to do this, faith lays all the weight of the work and burden of the day upon the Lord Jesus Christ, so that I shall know what I should do, or the Lord will pardon what I do not know; and either I shall be able to do what I know, or else God will accept of my poor endeavours; and either I shall find success in that I do, or else God will make me contented; so that all the burden is gone: therefore what if thou doest not know what thou shouldst do, seeing God will pardon thy ignorance? and what if thou dost not that which thou knowest, if God will pardon thee in it? and what if thou hast not that success thou desirest, if God will accept of thee without it? and therefore David chides his own heart, and rocks his own soul asleep, where it was golling; Psal. 42. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? &c. I am banished from my house, and from my friends, and especially from the house of my God; and have not I cause to be disquieted? no he had not; but how shall I amend my self in all these troubles? still trust in God, for he is yet the help of my countenance, and my God, and I will yet give him praise: as if he had said, thou shalt not need to be distracted, discouraged, nor vexed inordinately; still trust in God, and cast all thy care upon him: the faithful soul views all his sins that he hath committed, and all the miseries that are intended and inflicted; and when it hath done all, it conclude thus with it self, and saith, It is not in my power, ⟨p. 305⟩nay it is not my duty to determine of all these troubles; I lay all the weight of my sins upon Christ to pardon them, and all the weight of my corruptions to subdue them, and then I know he will care for me, that hath undertaken mercifully for me; all my care is to lean upon my Saviour, and this is my comfort, he will look to me, though I cannot do it for my self.