A treatise of effectual calling and election. In XVI. sermons, on 2 Pet. 1.10…

Secondly, You have no cause to doubt for this, because it's Gods usual manner to proceed after this way, only with such men who have been loose in their lives, who have been obstinate in their wills, who have been very scandalous in conversation before their conversion and call. But it is not Gods usual way to work thus upon Christians, who have been religiously brought up from their youth; it is not Gods way to dowse them into such a pit of horror, and plunge them into such a depth of fears, that have been of a fair and ingenuous and moral life before their call. As you know it is with Carpenters, they give more blows to knotty Timber, then they will do to smooth and tender wood; thus doth God, when he meets with a knotty sinner, a wretched stout-hearted sinner, God must give him many blows by humiliation, before he will be humbled, before he can bring him to be a serviceable piece in Gods building; ⟨p. 111⟩whereas Christians of a mild and softer temper, they shall have fewer blows, and shall not have the terrors of God stick so fast in their hearts, as others shall. Hence you read that phrase, Hos. 6.5. Saith the Lord, I will hew them by my Prophets, &c. God doth hew some men, hew them with judgments, and hew them with terror: Yea, but others that are not so loose as they; I taught Ephraim to go, I led Ephraim by the Arms, and I drew him with cords of a man, and with the bands of love, Hos. 11.4. God you see, would hack and hew some men with terror and wrath, but others he would draw with love, and the cords of a man. Now suppose God hath not hacked and hewed thee with judgements, if God melt thee with loving kindness, and if God gain upon thy soul with mercy, and with love and grace, thou must not blame God, thou must not confine God; for this is Gods way of working sometimes, as well as by wrath. God works upon some with wrath, he will allure others with loving kindness; so that you have no cause or ground of fear, that you are not effectually called, because you apprehend some defects in the manner of your call; because it is Gods usual way to plunge them in most humiliation, and most terror, that have been most wicked lived men before their call, and not so ordinarily with men religiously trained up from their youth.

Secondly, You have no cause to doubt for this, because it's Gods usual manner to proceed after this way, only with such men who have been loose in their lives, who have been obstinate in their wills, who have been very scandalous in conversation before their conversion and call. But it is not Gods usual way to work thus upon Christians, who have been religiously brought up from their youth; it is not Gods way to dowse them into such a pit of horror, and plunge them into such a depth of fears, that have been of a fair and ingenuous and moral life before their call. As you know it is with Carpenters, they give more blowes to knotty Timber, then they will do to smooth and tender wood; thus doth God, when he meets with a knotty sinner, a wretched stout-hearted sinner, God must give him many blowes by humiliation, before he will be humbled, before he can bring him to be a serviceable piece in Gods building;