Use 2. To encourage prayer for grace ; God is able and willing.
1. For his willingness, here is the pleasure of his goodness. We are conscious to ourselves of undeservings and ill-deservings ; but when we can see no reason for his showing mercy to us, his goodness should keep up our addresses to him. We are unworthy, but these blessings come not from our deserts, but the pleasure of his goodness ; he is not moved by any foreseen worthiness in us. You will say, His goodness I could depend upon, but I doubt of his pleasure, whether to me. I answer — We must not dispute away the help offered to us. A man in danger of drowning with others will catch at the rope that is cast forth to him, not dispute what is the mind of him who casts out the cords and
VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 293
lines by which he is brought to shore. If a rich man cast money among the poor, would they stand scrupling whether the giver intend- eth it to them ? No ; every one would take his share. These scruples are affected, and must be chidden, not cherished.
2. For his power. He that can turn water into wine can change the heart of a graceless sinner, and make it gracious, a bad man to become good. Wait for this power in the use of means : Jer. xvii. 14, 1 Heal me, 0 Lord, and I shall be healed ; save me, and I shall be saved ; ' Jer. xxxi. 18, ' Turn thou me, and I shall be turned ; for thou art the Lord my God.' No creature can be too hard for him ; God can find a passage into the most obstinate heart.
SERMON XI.
Wherefore also ice pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of his calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the icork of faith with power. — 2 Thes. i. 11.
We come now to examine the particular expressions which contain the matter of the apostle's prayer. The first is, Xva v/j,a<; d^Koay t/}? /cX^o-e&K, ' That he would count you worthy of his calling.' Thence we note —
Doct. That it is an excellent benefit, and the mere fruit of the Lord's grace, to be counted worthy of the calling and privilege of being christians.
First, Let us see what is this calling. It is to be called to Chris- tianity. Now our christian calling is set forth by a double attribute — it is a holy calling : 2 Tim. i. 9, ' Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling ; ' and it is a heavenly calling : Heb. iii. 1, ' Where- fore, brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,' <fcc. The one rela- teth to the way, the other to the end ; therefore it is said, ' He hath called us to glory and virtue,' 2 Peter i. 3, meaning by ' glory,' eternal life, and by ' virtue,' grace and holiness ; the one is the way and means to come at the other.
Now both may be considered, either as they are represented in the offer of the word, or as they are impressed upon our hearts by the powerful operation of the Spirit.
1. In the offer of the word. There God is often set forth as calling us from sin to holiness : 1 Thes. iv. 7, ' God hath not called us to uu- cleanness, but to holiness.' The end of his calling is to make us be- come saints : and this must be the business of our lives, to be such, and show ourselves as such more and more. So also he hath called us from misery to happiness ; as 1 Peter v. 10, ' The God of all grace, who hath called us to obtain eternal glory by Jesus Christ.' So 2 Thes. ii. 14, ' He called you by my gospel to the obtaining of eternal glory by our Lord Jesus Christ.' The Lord doth not invite us to our loss when he calleth us to Christianity, but to our incomparable gain
294 SERMONS UrON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SeR. XL
and eternal happiness. There is a rich prize set before us, a blessed estate offered to us, if we will take it out of Christ's hands upon his terms.
2. As it is impressed upon us by the powerful operation of the Spirit. And the calling hath had its effect upon us, if we heartily listened to God's call, to seek after eternal glory in the way of faith and holiness. God offereth it, and we embrace. This is that which is termed ' effectual calling,' by which the heart is changed and sanctified and turned unto God, and so we are made a holy people: Kom. i. 7, ' Be- loved of God, called to be saints.' And also by this we have a right to the heavenly blessedness : Heb. ix. 15, ' They who are called do receive the promise of the eternal inheritance/ So that they are effect- ually called who are altered both in their disposition and condition. As to their disposition, of unholy they are made holy ; as to their con- dition, of miserable they are made happy. They are a people called out of the world, and set apart for this use, to honour and glorify God ; and also for the present they are heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and in due time shall be brought into the possession of it.