A49258:246
A treatise of effectual calling and election In XVI. sermons, on 2 Peter 1.10.…
A treatise of effectual calling and election In XVI. sermons, on 2 Peter 1.10. Wherein a Christian may discern, whether yet he be effectually called and elected. And what course he ought to take that he may attain the assurance thereof. Preached by that faithful servant of Christ, Mr. Christopher Love, late minister of Laurence Jury, London.A treatise of effectual calling and election In XVI. sermons, on 2 Peter 1.10. Wherein a Christian may discern, whether yet he be effectually called and elected. And what course he ought to take that he may attain the assurance thereof. Preached by that faithfull servant of Christ, Mr. Christopher Love, late minister of Laurence Jury, London.
London: printed for John Rothwell, 1655
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.
3. Sug. Thirdly, The Devil suggests, if you give entertainment to the call of Jesus Christ, this will expose you to a great deal of poverty, and persecution in this world; and therefore you must not hearken to his call: And he will urge Scripture for this. First, for poverty, the Devil will urge Matth. 8.19, 20. Christ said, the Foxes have holes, the Birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath no where to lay his head: The Devil will urge this Scripture, and tell you, you are exposed to poverty, want, and beggary, if you follow Christ. And this we read in history likewise of Lucius, the fi•st Christian King that ever England had; (and indeed the first Christian King that ever any Nation had, to the glory of England; so Gildas in his life tells us) And this King though he was turned to Christianity; yet for many years he had this temptation upon him, that the Christians were poorer then the Romans, that did not embrace Jesus Christ; and this temptation he could hardly shake off: the Romans were more wealthy, and the Romans were more warlike, and so had like to have been overcome with this suggestion. Agolantus a heathen Prince, being taken prisoner by the Emperor and being in his Court, he saw thirty or forty poor men in poor clothes walking in the Palace; and demanding of the Emperor who those poor men were, the Emperor told him they are the followers of Jesus Christ; are they so, saith he? If Christ keep his followers in such a low condition, I will never follow Jesus Christ. The poorness of Christs followers, made him stumble at Christianity. There are many men, especially the gallants of the times, they see a company of poor silly women come with a Bible under their arms; and they embrace the faith, and they love it; and this is a marvellous great offence to them, that they will not follow Jesus Christ, because of the poverty they are exposed to in the ways of Jesus Christ: And then for persecution also, that they are not only exposed to want, but to loss of liberty, and good name, and life also; Matth 10.38. You must take up the cross: ⟨p. 70⟩these are tedious terms to flesh and blood, and this doth wonderfully gravel and keep back men from entertaining of Christ. Now to take off this temptation of the Devil, that it might not seize upon your hearts, I shall lay down six particulars by way of answer.