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

Secondly, God hath given his Son, sent a Saviour, and declared his Will to the life; all may know it, it is sounded with a loud Trumpet, that I must believe in him; he ⟨p. 134⟩declares it by call, offer, command, promise, threat, seal, if I do not embrace his Son, my Saviour and Lord, now I am sure I resist his Will most wickedly; but if I ought to entertain thoughts, surmises, suppositions, that he will never give me Christ, and must be content with this will of his, because (say you) it's possible it may be his will, none know: here is obedience to two contrary wills: we must set the Will of God at variance with it self. If he will say, I ought not to surmise so, nor entertain such thoughts or imaginations, but reject them, and embrace Christ, whom I am called to receive; I thank him for saying so, for then I shall not have any cause for such sinking discouragements, and so shall not resist the Will of God by them: these sinking discouragements, upon such imaginations, are properly a resisting of the Will of God revealed in the Gospel, as they hinder the Soul from closing with Christ offered, &c. as before.

Thirdly, If sinking discouragements under these thoughts be a resistance of Gods Will, then supporting encouragements under those thoughts that God will never give me his Love, Grace, but damn me, are obedience to his Will: the Rule of Contraries will help here. Then I request these two Worthies to give us some of these supporters.

That they do: And what, I pray, are they; Be content and quiet though God will never manifest Grace, never give you his Love, never pity you, never succour you, though he will give you up to your lusts, and damn you; yet since he shall have the glory of his power and justice, you must be content, well apayed, satisfied. These are the bladders put under our arms, to keep us from sinking under these discouragements: I fear these bladders are filled with gunpowder, as Bishop Ridley's friends gave him to him to help him; whether these will help poor Souls. I much doubt: these Supporters, while we lean on them, prove Spears rather to run into our very hearts; as he said of the Egyptian Reed, If one lean on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it,