VI. JEffect. And then lastly, the last effect of Christ's voice or call is sweet rest and consolation to the inner man. When once the soul is come home to Christ by the efficacy of his heavenly call or voice, it enters into peace, Heb. iv. 3. " We, which have believed^ " do enter into rest ;" not only shall, but do enter into rest. As the first effect of Christ's voice was terror and great trouble to the soul, so the last effect is peace ; it puts the soul into the most excellent position in the world, for comfort and joy ; it nevei* stood upon sucli ground before ; for this vocation stands betwixt predes- tination and glorification, Rom. viii. 30. " Moreover, whom ho " did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them " he also justified ; and whom he justified, them he also glori-
" fied.*" See here into what a blessed mount of yisionj the voice of Christ calleth the souls of sinners ! where, let the soul look backward or forward, from eternity, to eternity, there is nothing but a vision of peace before its eyes. This call of God points it backward to God's eternal choice, which by this very call it is now manifest, he made of that soul before the world was ; and it also points forward to that eternal glory unto which God is lead- ing it. These are the effects of this Almighty voice of Christ, and these the special instructions sealed by it upon the hearts of men.
But now, this voice of Christ is not heard at all times ; but ii^ some special season or hour, as Christ calls it, John v. 25. " The " hour coraeth when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of *' God.*" And, elsewhere, by the apostle, it is called " the accepted " time, the dav of salvation,"" 2 Cor. yi. 2. And the conjunction of the Spu^t of Christ with the word, ordinances, or providences of God, but especially the w^ord, makes this blessed hour. The word alone, though never so excellently preached, conduces no more to the conviction and salvation of a sinner than the waters of Bethesda did, when the angel came not down to trouble them, John V. 4. But when the Lord pours out his Spirit with the word, accorchng to that promise, Prov. i. 33. " I wiH pour out my Spirit " upon vou, and make known my words unto you,'" then Christ speaks to the heart ; this great conjunction of the word and Spirit makes that blessed time and season of salvation the time of love, the time of hfe. Now the voice of Christ is heard with effect ; the ordinances inripregnated with convincing and converting effi- cacv. There was an abundant effusion of the Spirit in the first age of Cliristiaiiity, and then the voice of Christ was heard by multi- tudes of souls at cnce. There hath since been a resti'aint of tlie Spuit, comparatively speaking ; whereas three thousand souls were then converted at one sermon, possibly three thousand sermons have since been preached, and not one soul effectually called. This hath made the church like a wilderness; a land of drought; and so it is Uke to remain, " until the Spirit be poured upon us " from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field ;'" according to that prorai.se, Isa. xxxii. 15. And such a time we expect ; Lord hasten it, when the waters of the ordinances shall be healed, *' and every thing that liveth, which moveth whithersoever the " nver shall coa.e, shall live. And fishers shall stand upon it " from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim ; they shall be a place to ^•^ spread forth nets ; their fish shall be according to their kind, as " the fish of the gi'eat sea, exceeding many,"' Ezek. xlvii. 9, 10. Then ministers shall no longer fish v/ith angles, catching now one, a.nd then another ; but shall spread forth their nets, and inclose
whole shoals, multitudes of converts. In the mean time there are some signal periods, and happy seasons, wherein Christ uttereth his almighty voice in the word ; but that season is utterly unforeknown to man ; we cannot say when it will come, but are to wait for it, as the man did at the pool of Bethesda. Ministers must preach in hope, wait in hope, if at any time God will give the people repen- tance, 2 Tim. ii, 25. We are often mistaken in our conjectures; when we have made the best preparations, and find a more than or- dinary enlargedness of spirit, we are apt to conclude, certainly this is the blessed hour wherein Christ will speak to the heart as we do to the ear ; but we oft-times find ourselves mistaken ; yet we must wait in hope, and so must our people. Such a happy time may come, and when it doth, it will be a day for ever to be remem- bered ; because then the first actual appUcation of Christ will be made to your souls ; without which all that the Father hath done in election, and the Son in his meritorious redemption, had been of no benefit or advantage to your souls, And, therefore, you shall find that this work of the Spirit stands betwixt both those works, and makes them both effectual to our salvation, 1 Pet. i. 2. This is that blessed hour upon which our eternal blessedness depends ; eternity will be takeri up in blessing God for this hour : it will be celebrated for ever in your praises, in the world to come. O what an influence hath this hour to all eternity ! The hearing of this voice of Christ effectually opens the cabinet-counsels of heaven, and brings to light the eternal counsels of God concerning you ; 1 Thes. i. 4, 5, " Knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God : for '' our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, *' and in the Holy Ghost.''' This gives greater assurance of the eternal love of God to a man's soul, than the sweetest smile of pro- vidence or any oraculous voice from heaven could do. This is the time of life, the day of our spiritual resurrection, John v. 25. A greater and more glorious resurrection by far than that of your bodies at the last day ; so much greater, as the value of your souls is above your bodies. As also, because the blessedness of your cor- poreal resurrection depends upon this your spiritual resurrection, by the voice of Christ. Dreadful will the voice of Christ be at the resurrection of your bodies, except you first hear this vital voice of Christ quickening your souls on earth with spiritual hfe. To con- clude ; this is the great jEra, or head of account, from which you are to reckon and date all your spiritual sanctified mercies ; for as the Lord said unto the Jews, Hag. ii. 19- " From henceforth will I " bless you ;" so saith the Lord to you, from this hour wherein you have heard and obeyed the voice of Christ, will I bless ygu fqj: ever with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in him.
I. Use, for Lamentation.