96 SEKMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SeR. IX.
will I seek.' God no sooner calleth but they hear ; and what God biddeth theni do they do, and forsake they forsake. To many God ■stretcheth out his hands in vain ; God calleth them to purity, but oh, the uncleanness of heart and life ! God looketh for grapes, but behold wild grapes. But where God inclineth the heart, they obey his call, though it be to mortify their dearest lusts, to cast away their beloved transgressions, to part with anything rather than part with their God and their Christ. When God called Paul, he made an absolute resig- nation of himself : Acts ix. 6, ' Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? ' ready to go where God will lead him, to do what God will have him.
[3.] The benefit flowing upon both. There followeth a great change, both in the disposition and condition of the man called. As to his disposition, he is made of unholy, holy. As to his condition, of miser- able, he is made happy. Two attributes are given to effectual calling ; it is a holy calling and a heavenly calling : 2 Tim. i. 9, ' Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling ; ' Heb. iii. 1, ' Wherefore, brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.'
(1.) As to his disposition, the man is powerfully changed, and there is a plain alteration to be found in him ; before sinful, now made holy, 'called to be saints,' 1 Cor. i. 2 ; 1 Peter i. 15, 16, 'As he that hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation : because it is written, Be ye holy as I am holy/ We are called out of a state of sin into a state of holiness. God who hath called us is holy, and he calleth us into communion with himself in holiness ; and the calling itself is the setting us apart from a common to a holy use ; and the grace and favour showed in our calling, obligeth us to holiness. When we consider in what a sinful estate God found us, how freely he loved us, with how great mercy he called us, passing by others worthier than ourselves, we cannot be so unthankful as to deny obedi- ence to his holy will : Eph. iv. 1, 'Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.' Especially the honour of him that calleth us being concerned : 1 Peter ii. 9, ' That we should be to the praise of him who hath called us.' In short, your calling giveth you great ad- vantages of being holy, a principle or nature in part healed : 2 Peter i. 4, ' Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious pro- mises, that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature.' A holy and perfect rule: Gal. vi. 16, 'As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the whole Israel of God.' A pure reward : 1 John iii. 3, ' He that hath this hope in him ; purifieth himself as Christ is pure.' The assistance of the Holy Spirit : Heb. xiii. 21, ' Make you perfect in every good work, working in you what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord.' Ordinances : John xvii. 17, ' Sanctify them by the truth ; thy word is truth.' Providences : Heb. xii. 10, ' They verily for a few days chas- tened us after their own pleasure ; but'he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.' Now all these things considered, it is a holy calling.
(2.) Their condition is altered; of miserable he is made happy. The great end of our calling is eternal glory : 2 Thes. ii. 14, ' Where- unto he hath called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.' That is the end and ultimate effect of it :
VER. 13, 14.] SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. 97
1 Peter v. 10, ' The God of all grace, who hath called you to his eternal glory by Jesus Christ.' The miserable estate out of which, the blessed estate into which we are called, should deeply affect us. For the present he is an heir of glory, and in due time he shall be translated into the heavenly kingdom. We receive some part of this happiness here, in our justification and adoption, but the great and chief part is not given us in present possession, but reserved in heaven for us, 2 Peter i. 4.
Use. If there be such a prize set before us in effectual calling, then all good christians should look upon themselves as deeply engaged to pursue after it —
1. In respect of the invitation of the external call, that we may not disobey God's call, and neglect this preventing grace, whereby God would draw us to himself. Your sin will be more heinous than the sin of others who were never called. God beggeth for entrance, he standeth at your doors, but you deny entrance to him : Eev. iii. 20, ' Behold, I stand at the door, and knock ; if any man open to me, I will come in and sup with him.' Christ will bring his entertainment with him, and he knocketh that you may give entrance ; he knocketh by the word ; he knocketh by his providence, mercies, and afflictions ; he knocketh by the motions of his Spirit. Men are a little roused, begin to hearken ; conscience stirs a little, yet lie down to sleep again. But God knocketh again, and they are more awakened, and have some affections and desires after heavenly things ; but these are choked by the cares of the world, and voluptuous living. Therefore God cometh a third, yea, many a time, and giveth them further calling, that maketh them startle, and awaken a little more ; but if they return to their old lusts, and negligent way of living, he may justly give them over to a spirit of deep sleep, to that blindness and wilfulness, that they may be sealed up to eternal condemnation, because they love darkness more than light, a base dirty world before the glory and blessedness promised by Christ. There are thousands, yea, millions in the world, who have not had such an outward powerful call, nor an offer of heaven so im- portunately urged upon them. Oh, how great is their ingratitude who have offer upon offer, and motions and convictions, but outgrow all feelings of conscience! You judge it disobedience and rebellion in a servant, if called again and again, and yet he will not come ; how shall God judge it otherwise if you harden your hearts and will not hear his voice ? Certainly your punishment will be more grievous than that of others : Pro v. i. 24-26, ' Because I have called, and ye refused ; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded ; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would not turn at my reproof : I will also laugh at your calamity ; I will mock when your fear cometh ; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind ; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.' When death cometh, you will only serve for a warning to others not to make bold with God. In the anguish of your souls God will not hear you.