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

But as to the preparatory works which we have gone through, how few are acquainted with them. Some it may be will deny any such preparation for Christ as necessary, and think it was only the Opinion of Mr. Hooker, Mr. Shepherd, or it may be two or three more such rigid men; but surely that man is little acquainted with the Scriptures, or with the Writings of the ablest practical Divines, besides our Divines at the Synod of Dort, who deny it: ¹the Popish party will not deny it, when especially they can talk so high of mens preparing and disposing themselves for Grace, with whom their own Bradwardin hath dealt sufficiently and solidly in confutation of them: [Surely God hath his people in this mystical Babylon; he must be very censorious who reads Bradwardin, and Jansenius his August, besides others, who will not yield it.] But to return to those who deny preparatory works: I pray what is the work of a Minister? Is not it to labour to bring home Souls to Christ, and being brought home, to labour to build them up in Christ? This is the sum of a Ministers work. If you deny preparatory works, you will deny half the work of a Minister. For doth any Minister think he shall ever persuade people to come to Christ, and receive him, upon his own terms, who were never throughly enlightened to see their miserable state they are in by sin, and convinced that this is their state? Will they ever come off from this term from which he calls them, unless they feel the evil and burden of sin so, as to cause fears and sorrows? Will a man thus far wrought on, if he can set up a trade of duties, and self-righteousness, and find his life in these, ever come home ⟨p. 231⟩to Christ? He that thinks he can do his work soundly without these, understands little of his work, and less of any saving work upon his own heart. But how little of this working do we find amongst Christians? How few enlightened to see, and convinced of their own sinful and miserable state, as it is? How few under this sense and conviction through the fears and sorrows accompanying this conviction, cry out, what shall we do to be saved? Such cries, such questions, how rarely do Ministers hear from those who are called Christians?

But as to the preparatory works which we have gone through, how few are acquainted with them. Some it may be will deny any such preparation for Christ as necessary, and think it was only the Opinion of Mr. Hocker, Mr. Shepherd, or it may be two or three more such rigid men; but surely that man is little acquainted with the Scriptures, or with the Writings of the ablest practical Divines, besides our Divines at the Synod of Dort, who deny it: