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

the duty is ⟨p. 313⟩practised by most (at least true) Christians (I believe) in England, which might occasion the sending of the Question hither, supposing that Ministers did preach it as the duty to which Christians are bound, and I think they do so: What the Question was I will not set down, lest any should take advantage by it: I meet with a reverend Author, who hath pressed Christians with much vehemency unto meditation in such a manner as he sets down, who hath censured such men for ridiculous persons who move such a Question; his Book was published before the Question was sent: if they be ridiculous persons, let them answer for themselves: but as to the question, said this Divine, my practise hath been, is, and I am resolved ever shall be according to the Question: but if you urge this for a duty to which all Christians are bound, that they must thus perform it, give your Texts of Scripture: We that were present thought, that Scriptures might be easily produced, and did so; but upon serious examining of them, we were convinced, they were not clear enough to bind the practise as a duty incumbent upon Christians, as the question was propounded: yet for my part, as he said, it hath been, is, and shall be still my practise; withal I called to mind, that my own Father, during the time I lived with him (unless it were on the Lords day) did not perform the duty, what he did after I cannot well tell; but yet he was a man who kept his secret communion with God, had a heart for God, and tongue for God (as sometimes being a Gown-man in a Corporation, he had occasion to appear for God) while he lived in the world, was above the world; when he came to leave the world, he would several times send up short prayers to his Father, When wilt thou send thy Servant to fetch me home? With a smiling countenance he entertained Death, having some fore-tastes of what he was going to possess, by that expression of his, I shall have as much glory as ever I can bear. When he was dead, his Minister, who wrote to us the news of his death, said this of him, He lived much desired, he died much mourned for: Yet this my godly Father would scarcely ⟨p. 314⟩be esteemed for a serious Christian by some, for not performing that duty according to the question, though, I suppose, a year or two before his death he did take it up, but then I was far distant from him.

the duty is ⟨p. 313⟩