A88594:655
A treatise of effectual calling and election. In XVI. sermons, on 2 Pet. 1.10…
A treatise of effectual calling and election. In XVI. sermons, on 2 Pet. 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 Lawrence Jury, London.
London: printed for John Rothwell, 1653
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.
Fourthly, God in electing men to life, doth pass by moral and civill honest men, that trust and depend upon their own righteousness and strict living, rather then any sort of men in the World. Matth. 21.31, 33. saith Christ, John Baptist preached the Gospel of repentance, but you believed not, but publicans and harlots believed. Those Pharisees that did depend upon their own righteousness, & their own goodness, Christ did not call them, Christ did not own them, God made them not the objects of his election. Hence it is said, Matth. 9.13. Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance: that is, men depending upon their own righteousness, and their own parts, they are left out by Christ, as if he came not for them; but Christ came to call sinners, that see their sin, and were vile in their own eyes, Christ came to call such. Again,
Fourthly, God in electing men to life, doth passe by morall and civill honest men, that trust and depend upon their own righteousnesse and strict living, rather then any sort of men in the World. Matth. 21.31, 33. saith Christ, John Baptist preached the Gospel of repentance, but you believed not, but publicans and harlots believed. Those Pharisees that did depend upon their own righteousnesse, & their own goodnesse, Christ did not call them, Christ did not own them, God made them not the objects of his election. Hence it is said, Matth. 9.13. Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance: that is, men depending upon their own righteousnesse, and their own parts, they are left out by Christ, as if he came not for them; but Christ came to call sinners, that see their sinne, and were vile in their own eyes, Christ came to call such. Againe,
2. The second delusion, whereby the devil makes men think they are elected by God, is drawn from their external vocation; that they are not only civilized, and moralized ones, but they find the power of the word to call them; and upon this vocation they bottom the hopes of their election. And they have Scripture for it,