The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

And if he be the Teacher, no matter what the Scholar be, he will make him learn: He maketh wise the simple, Psal. 19.7. Let simple be such B. Austin calls tardissimi ingenio, this Teacher makes such simple ones wise to salvation; yea, sometimes not only such simple ones, but those whom (saith he) the Greeks call Moriones, (we call them Fools) and gives a notable instance of such a Fool, ^*who with great folly would bear, and put up all injuries offered to himself, but if he heard any abuse, or blaspheme the name of Christ, he bare such a reverence to Christ, that he would spare no such man, but would throw stones at him: Thus he reveals to babes; even so Father, so it seemed good in thy sight, Matth. 11.25, 26.

1. *Aug. Tom. 7. Col. 669. Edi. Prab.

Second Position. That illumination which the Spirit works in the elect converting, or calling to Christ, differs ^*exceedingly from that light which any Hypocrite or unsound professor attains unto.

Second Position. That illumination which the Spirit works in the elect converting, or calling to Christ, differs ^*exceedingly from that light which any Hypocrite or unsound professour attains unto.

1. *Whether I should say it differs essentially, and so the whole work of grace in the sincere Convert, differs essentially from what the Hypocrite hath, and not only gradually? I do not much contend. I had rather make sure my grace be saving, let it differ how it will; though I cannot satisfy my self in a mere gradual difference. First, For take the knowledge of a Geographer, who writes of Countries which he never saw, having never travelled beyond the smoke of his own Chimney, the knowledge he hath of the Countries is true; but is it like the knowledge of him who hath seen the Countries, and travell'd in them? If such a one writes of the River that goeth up to Sevil in Spain, and tells me, when you get over the Bar which lieth at the mouth of the River, on the Star-board-side, as you sail up, there stands a Castle, higher stands the Town of Saint Lucar, higher another Castle, and a Monastery by it, higher the Chapel of Bonance, and still on the Starboard-side, this man saith true: But doth he know these as I (though I do not deserve the name of a Traveller) do, who have been in the Town, in the Castle, in the Chapel, and seen them? Thus let the Hypocrites, who by hearing, and reading, or common works, speak, concerning sin, Creatures, God, Christ, Holiness, Gospel-truths; he will speak as sound truths concerning all these, and seem to know them as well as the sound Convert: But doth he see them as the sound Convert, whom the Spirit enlightens and teacheth them as they are? We see by the effect, for one hath his heart and conversation framed according to the truth, and the other walks as if all these truths were falsehoods: Doth the knowledge which I have by my eye seeing those places, walking in them, differ only gradually from the knowledge of him who learned it out of a Book? Secondly, The work of Conversion is called a new Creation; Regeneration is Creation, and Generation only a gradual matter. Thirdly, Degrees do draw out the positive into a longer thread, but they draw out only that which was in the positive; when the superlative hath drawn it out to the longest thread, it is still but the positive extended; the same essence that was in the positive is here in the superlative: Draw the Hypocrite out as far as you will, some make finer threads then other, yet it is but Hypocrite still. Fourthly, If so, then an Hypocrite differs from a Child of God, one Modally; for gradus sunt modi entis, and no more. Fifthly, Then the Hypocrite and Child of God, are both of the same kind; for, gradus non variant speciem; yet the word makes but two sorts of men, Dead and Alive, Darkness and Light, which differ more then any Degrees, take them where you will. Sixthly, We will suppose a man loves the world four degrees, he loves God but three degrees, this man is naught; his love to God gets another degree, now he loves the world and God equally, yet he is naught; but then his love to God gets to five degrees, [he must rise by degrees, if Grace, as saving, consisteth in such a degree] now the man is a godly man, for he loveth God more then the world: Let this mans love rise to six or seven degrees, as well it may: Yet this we grant, degrees of love may be lost, too much experience proves this: What abatements of love, what coolings, do many Christians meet with? The seventh, the sixth degree may be lost,