all Chrift's

diligently unto me, and eat that which is good, and let nication of your foul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and benefits. come unto me; bear, and your foul fhall live, and I will make an everlafting covenant with you, even the fure mercies of David, Ifa. 55. 2, 3. Thus be calleth us to his kingdom and glory, 1 Thess. 2, 12.

vided Tri

nity,

V. And fince Chrift cannot be feparated from his And with father and his Spirit, we are, at the fame time, the undi. called to the communion of the undivided Trinity. That our fellowship may be with the father, and with his Son Fefus Chrift. 1 John 1. 3; to which Paul joins the communion of the Holy Ghoft, 2 Cor. 13. 14. And it is the very top of our happinefs, to exult in God as ours, and fing aloud to him, my God. while he himself calls to us, my people, Hof. 2. 23

other.

VI. Moreover, as all the elect are partakers of And of all one and the fame grace, they are all likewife called the Elect to mutual communion with one another, that ye with each alfo may have fellowship with us, 1 John 1. 3. Believers of the New Teftament with thofe of the Old; the Gentiles with the Jews, being all of the fame body, Eph. 3. 6, in Chrift, who hath made both one, Eph. 2. 14. Nay, thofe on earth with thofe in heaven; For all things are gathered together in one in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him, in whom alfo we have obtained an inheritance. Eph. 1. 10, II. And this is that bleffed ftate, to which, by the holy and heavenly calling, we are invited; namely, communion with Chrift, and, by him, with the undivided Trinity, and confequently with all the faints, both militant and triumphant, not even excepting, the praifing affembly of angels, in order, with them, to exult in the moft delightful fruition of all the bleffings of God. For, all, who obey this call, are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general affembly and church of the first-born, which are written heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the

2

Spirits

terr al, partly internal.

Spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jefus the mediator of the New covenant Heb. 12. 22, 23, 24. What grander things can be fpoken, what more noble and divine can be conceived than thefe ?

The call VII. But this calling is given, partly externally, partly ex- by a perfuafive power, called moral fuafion; partly internally, by a real fupernatural efficacy, which changes the heart. The external call is, in fome measure, published by the word of nature, but more fully by that of fupernatural revelation, without which every word of nature would be infufficient and ineffectual. The internal comes from the power of the Holy Spirit, working inwardly on the heart, and without this every external revealed word, tho objectively very fufficient, as it clearly difcovers every thing to be known, believed and done, yet is fubjectively ineffectual, nor will ever bring any perfon to the communion of Chrift.

Nature calls on

man to

feek hea

venly. things.

VIII. Nature itfelf is not filent, but many ways calls on man, to lay afide his too eager care and purfuit of earthly things, and of this animal life, and to endeavour after the far better things of heaven and eternity. For when, with attentive eyes, he furveys that glittering canopy on high, befpangled with fo many conftellations, and fparkling with fọ many ftars, above which, according to the general belief of mankind, the throne of the fupreme being. is placed, he feels a certain ftrong defire excited in his breast, that, when he leaves this earthly drofs, he may, hereafter, afcend on high, be admitted into the inmoft receffes of nature, and received into fellowship with God. And when his thoughts pursue the feveral beauties of the ftarry heavens, he then takes a fecret pleasure, to look down, with contempt, on the pavements of the rich, nay on this whole earth, with all its gold, not only that, which it has already produced, but that which ftill lies conceal'd for the avarice of pofterity. And when

he

he further travefes the whole univerfe, he learns to
despise the most stately portico's, cielings inlaid with
ivory, woods formed by art, and rivers conveyed
home, and, looking down from on high on this small
terrestrial globe, a great part of which is covered
with the fea, and much of what remains greatly
uncultivated, many places being either fcorched
with heat, or frozen with cold, he thus fais to himself
"Is this that infignificant fpot, which fo many
"nations divide among themselves by fire and
"fword? When thou haft been engaged in the
" contemplation of these things truly great, then as
"oft as thou fhall efpy armies with banners difplayed,
" and, as if fome great event was in agitation, the
"horfe now advancing to gain intelligence, again
"pouring forth from the flanks, you may well fay,
"the deadly fquadron marches over the plain. This is
"but the excurfion of ants, toiling within a fcanty
compaís. Wheras there are vaftly extenfive.
regions above, into the poffeffion of which, the
“foul is admitted, and thus altho' it has fuffered
"fome inconvenience from the body, yet, if, by
"being content with little, it has dropt all its
"drofs, it is now light and ready to depart: unless
"then I be admitted into these regions, my birth.
"has been in vain. For why fhould I rejoice for
"being numbered among the living? Without
"this ineftimable good, life is not of fuch value,
"that I fhould fweat and fatigue myself therein.
"O! how contemptible is man, unlefs he is
"advanced above what is human." Thus the book
of nature, thus the contemplation of the heavens,
taught Seneca both to think and fpeak. In Præfat.
Quest. Natur.

cr

IX. But feeing the fame nature teacheth us, Nay,calls that God is far more excellent than those very to feek heavens, which are his throne and the work of his after God. hands, that he is both the Creator and ruler of the heavens; the fame works invite man to feek after

the

the communion of God himself above all things. For, happiness cannot confift in barely dwelling in heaven, unless one enjoys the fellowship and communion of God there. Thus by the voice of nature men are invited to feck God, if haply they might feel after him, Acts 17. 27. He left not himself without witness, in that he did good, Acts 14. 17; and that by discovering himself to be the fountain of all good, both the greatest and the best of Beings, whofe communion alone can render any perfectly bleffed. It is therefore an old faying and handed down from our ancestors to mankind, that all things were both framed by God and in him confift: and that no nature can be fufficient for its own fafety, which is only entrusted with its own prefervation, without God. Thus the author of the book de mundo, extant among Ariftotle's works, c. 11, and who concludes with thefe excellent words; whoever would attain to a blessed and happy life, muft partake of the Deity from the very beginning.

X. But God not only invites men by the light of Andyields fome hope nature to feek him, but alfo gives fome hope of of enjoy enjoying him. For why elfe fhould he forbear ing him. finners, with fo much long-fuffering, unless he had

decreed to take pity on fome of them? would it be worthy of the moft paré Deity to have preserved, now for fo many ages, the world fubjected to vanity by the fins of men, unless there were fome of mankind, to whom he was willing to fhew himself glorious in their happiness? The Lord is long-fuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all fhould come to repentance, 2 Pet. 3. 9. And as this confideration of the divine patience and forbearance, fhining forth in the whole government of the world yields fome hope of falvation, and the long-fuffering of our Lord ought to be accounted falvation, ib. v. 15. So this goodness of God fhould lead every one to repentance, ·Rom. 2. 4.

1

XI. For,

1

nature

XI. For, nature also teaches, that it is not poffible, Forwhich, any one can enjoy converfe and familiarity with the fame God, who does not fincerely endeavour after purity teaches and holiness, and, as the emperor Marc Antonine that purity fpeaks, lib. 2 §. 5 labours not to live a life refembling of foul is God. For, like delights in like, and rejoices, to requifite. communicate itself thereto. Plato de Legibus, lib. 4, fays well, what practice is it that is agreeable to, and in imitation of God? This, and that ancient one; that like delights in like. Thus man is invited to the practice of the ftricteft purity, by the voice of nature herself, in order to the enjoyment of God. I cannot forbear adding the gradation of Agapetus, which is really fine, and strictly true. Thus he fais to the emperor Juftinian: for, he who knows himself shall know God. But he who knows God, shall be made like to God. He shall be like God, who is worthy of God. He fhall be worthy of God, who does nothing unworthy of God, but meditates on the things of God, and what he thinks he speaks, and what he speaks be *acts.

23

y

"

Pf. 19. 1,

o XII. All these things the royal prophet, P/19. 1, A para2, 3, 4, has exhibited in a concife, but very ftrong phrafe on manner. The heavens declare the glory of God; for, 2, 3, 4. as they are his throne, curiously framed, fo they difplay his power, majesty, greatness and holiness, before which the heavens themfelves confefs they are not clean: however their very excellence invite men, within their circuit to endeavour, to the utmoft, after the enjoyment of communion with the great and good God. And the firmament fbeweth his bandy-work, proclaiming, that by his word only, it was framed together. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. Thefe viciffitudes of light and darknefs mutually Ocorrefponding in fo exact and conftant an order, prove a moft wife director. And there is no day. nor night but fpeaks fomething of God, and declares