A41331:845
The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…
The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God is drawing the soul to Christ ... : to which is added, in the epistle to the reader, a few words concerning Socinianism ... / by Giles Firmin ...The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God is drawing the soul to Christ ... : to which is added, in the epistle to the reader, a few words concerning Socinianisme ... / by Giles Firmin ...
London: printed for Dorman Newman, 1670
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Things which I would premise are these.
First, Though it is true, the Spirit of God must put to his assistance, and must be the chief Actor in the drawing up the Conclusion, and setting the Soul in the comfortable assurance of it; yet this doth not take it off, but it may be my duty as well to draw up this Conclusion: This I put in to take off that Objection, which some may have, and many no doubt have it, lye secretly within them, this is the Spirits work and so look no further to any act of theirs, but only to listen for some kind of revelation, whisper, or some such secret word, as Mr. Bolton mentions, which I quoted before out of him, without making use of their examination, and spiritual reason upon that self-examination. If the Spirit of God doth not put to his hand in all the works we do, and duties we perform, we make bungling, untoward work: but this doth not take off my obligation, nor my endeavour to perform those duties. My duty is one thing, what that free Agent will help me to do is another thing: I am to attend my duty, and look to him for his assistance. It is the same case here. Do our duty (if it prove a duty) and wait for the Spirit in doing it; He witnesseth with our spirits, Rom. 8.16. While we are doing our duty, and our spirits witness, the Spirit of God doth co-witness: What do you know but he may do it now.
Secondly, The drawing up this Conclusion, as to the degree of the strength and clearness of it, is very various among Christians, some do it more strongly and clearly by far than others: but what then, if you cannot come to their degree, will you endeavour nothing at all? or is your little, though weaker, nothing, because it is not so strong, so clear as his? I do not doubt, but in many Christians, where this work of examination, heart-inspection, is kept up, but the Conclusion is in some small degree, a supporting degree, drawn up, and might be more, did they apprehend, or could be convinced, that there lay any duty upon them as to this work,