An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

What then is to be done, ¹in order to our closing with Christ by Faith? for hitherto there is no foundation for our Faith. Why, you must not catch at Christ, but stay till God give him to you, till God take you into his Arms, that you may lean upon your Beloved; you must stay till God give you a particular call, to come to Christ; and whether that will be ever or never, no Man can tell. Many a wounded Sinner will be scrambling from some general reports of him (such as his Gospel makes) before the day and hour of Gods glorious ⟨p. 515⟩call: Now, for any Man to receive Christ, before he is called, is presumption: (I, unpardonable presumption too, to attempt impossibilities, for no Body can come till he is called) no man should come unless first called (and therefore no crime to stay away) as it is in calling to an Office, so it is in our calling to special Grace: No Man takes this honour, but he that is called of God, Heb. 5.4. (It is a great presumption to usurp the Office of a Priest, Prophet, or King, without a designation; and so it is to be a good Man, or Christian, without a particular call.) For what hath any Man to do with Christ, to make himself a Son of God and Heir of glory, (to take care to please God, and to make himself happy) but he that is called of God, Well, Sinner! wait with patience till thou art called, and so thy work is at an end for this time.

1. 1Mr Sherlock.

The Author laughs at Mr. Shepherds particular call,¹ let us therefore consider it; there is a double call, a general external call reaching to all in the Church, and a particular internal call, vouchsafed to some: The first, is a command, a sufficient warrant to come to Christ; The second, is a special Act of Grace, which infallibly produces Faith