A Body of Practical Divinity

Branch 2. To such as are called, to be thankful to God for this unspeakable Blessing; be thankful to all the Persons in the Trinity, to the Father's Mercy, to the Son's Merit, to the Spirit's Efficacy. To make you thankful, consider, when you had offended God that he should call you, that when God needed you not, he had Millions of glorified Saints and Angels to praise him, yet he called you. Again, consider what you were before God called you, you were in your sins; when God called Paul, he found him persecuting; when he called Matthew, he found him at the Receipt of Custom; when he called Zacheus, he found him using Extortion. When God calls a Man by his Grace, he finds him seeking after his Lusts, as when Saul was called to the Kingdom, he was seeking the Asses. That God should call thee when thou wert in the hot pursuit of sin, admire God's Love, exalt his Praise. Again, that God should call you, and pass by others, what Mercy is this? Matth. 11.26. Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight. That God should pass by the wise and noble Persons of sweeter disposition, acuter parts, guilty of less Vice, and that the Lot of Free-grace should fall on you, O astonishing Love of God. It was a great favour of God to Samuel, that God called to him, and revealed his Mind to him, and passed by Eli, though a Priest and a Judge in Israel, 1 Sam. 3.9. so that God should call to thee, a flagitious sinner, and pass by others of higher birth, and better morals, here is that calls aloud for Praise. As God so governs the Clouds, that he makes them rain upon one place, and not upon another, so doth he dispense his Grace, it shall drop its sweet dew upon one, and not another. Two at a Sermon, one his heart the Lord opens, the other is no more affected with it, than a deaf Man with the sound of Music. Here is the Banner of Free-grace displayed, and here should be the Trophies of Praise erected. Elijah and Elisha were walking together, on a sudden there came a Chariot of Fire, and carried Elijah up to Heaven, but left Elisha behind; so when two are walking together, Husband and Wife, Father and Child, that God should call one by his Grace, but leave the other, carry one up in a triumphant Chariot to Heaven, but let the other perish eternally: O infinite rich Grace! how should they that are called be affected with God's discriminating Love;

Branch 2. To such as are called, to be thankful to God for this unspeakable Blessing; be thankful to all the Persons in the Trinity, to the Father's Mercy, to the Son's Merit, to the Spirit's Efficacy. To make you thankful, consider, when you had offended God that he should call you, that when God needed you not, he had Millions of glorified Saints and Angels to praise him, yet he called you. Again, consider what you were before God called you, you were in your sins; when God called Paul, he found him persecuting; when he called Matthew, he found him at the Receipt of Custom; when he called Zacheus, he found him using Extorsion. When God calls a Man by his Grace, he finds him seeking after his Lusts, as when Saul was called to the Kingdom, he was seeking the Asses. That God should call thee when thou wert in the hot pursuit of sin, admire God's Love, exalt his Praise. Again, that God should call you, and pass by others, what Mercy is this?