A49258:362
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.
Secondly, A mind filled with worldly cares, and running into encumbering employments in the world, this is a great hindrance of assurance. The cares of this life, Mat. 13.15. are compared to thorns: Now thorns they choke the seed, by drawing the juice that is in the seed to themselves, and so the Corn doth not grow, where thorns spring. The cares of this life they are like thorns in this, they are of an attractive power to suck and draw the juice of your spirits and comforts to themselves, so that you cannot have the juice of your spirits in gathering your evidences for heaven; the more encumbered you are in the world, the less clear you will be touching the evidence of your everlasting condition; The cares of this life, they pierce the soul through with many sorrows. Now when a man is pierced through with many sorrows, he is in a very unfit temper to be raised up in spiritual joy; the more you encumber your selves in the employments of this world, the less you will be in the comforts of heaven. I remember it was the speech of a Pope when he lay a dying, When I was a painful preaching Minister, then I had hopes of my salvation; when I came to be a Cardinal, I doubted of it: but when I came to be a Pope, I despaired of it; I was so entangled in the Affairs of this life: Beloved, so I may say to you, When you were but ordinary Christians in the world, you were in a way to get assurance of your salvation, but since you have been taken up with the affairs of the world, it doth so distract ⟨p. 109⟩your mind, that y•u may •• in no composed temper to have any settledness of heart about your everlasting estate. It is the observation of Philosophers, that the Sun is eclipsed by the interposition of the Moon, the Moon coming between the Sun and our sight: Beloved, the Sun of your comforts comes to be eclipsed by the Moon, (which is made an Emblem of the world, Rev. 12.9.) Now if the Moon of the world comes between your comforts and you, it will miserably darken and eclipse your comforts to you. Nothing in the world doth so much impede your comfort in assurance, as encumbering and carking cares about the things of this world.
Secondly, A mind filled with worldly cares, and running into incumbring imployments in the world, this is a great hindrance of assurance. The cares of this life,