There is dignitas dignationis, or worthiness of acceptance. So it is taken, Acts v. 41, ' They went away, rejoicing that they were counted
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worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Christ ; ' that this honour was put upon them. So we in common speech say, Such a one counted me worthy of his company or his presence, or conference with him, or to sit down at his table ; by these phrases of speech, not ascribing any worth to ourselves, but condescension in the party vouchsafing the honour to us. So here the apostle prayeth that they may be accounted worthy of this calling ; that is, that God would vouchsafe them to partake of his grace and glory. This worthiness is nothing else but God's gracious acceptation of a sinner through Jesus Christ, calling them to this grace by the knowledge of the gospel, and giving them eternal life because they are worthy ; which noteth liberality in the giver, but no worth in the receiver. So it is taken, Luke xxi. 36, ' That ye may be counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man ; ' and Rev. iii. 4, ' They shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy ; ' because in Christ they are accepted as worthy, having given them a right by his grace. All is to be ascribed to God's dignation ; for Christ's sake God doth take our carriage in good part, though many failings.
Thirdly, That this is an excellent benefit, and the mere fruit of the Lord's grace.
I shall prove two things —
1. That it is an excellent benefit to be counted worthy of the calling and privilege of christians.
[1.] By this calling your natures are ennobled. You are made most like God of all creatures under heaven : 2 Peter i. 4, ' Partakers of a divine nature ; ' 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord/ There is no such glorious and valuable being on this side heaven as the new creature. God is a holy and happy being ; here you are made like him in holiness, hereafter in happiness. The heathen, when they would express the excellency of any person, they would say, He is like to God. Certainly holiness is the beauty of God, for it is his image impressed upon us.
[2.] This calling bringeth us into an estate, wherein not only we are amiable unto God, but God is amiable unto us ; for he doth adopt us into his family, pardon our sins, accept our persons, deliver us from the flames of hell and wrath to come ; for we are called to be the sons of God, 1 John iii. 1. By this calling we are severed from the world, to be a peculiar people unto God : Rom. i. 6, ' Among whom are ye the called of Jesus Christ' It is a great and excellent privilege.
[3.] Being called unto this estate, we are under the special protection and care of God, so that all things that befall us are either good or turn to good, Rom. viii. 28. The called, Kara rrpoaOeo-w, are his special charge, and God will not be unmindful of them ; all things do concur and co-operate to their advantage.
[4] They are not only preserved by the way, but are admitted into everlasting blessedness at the end of their journey ; for this calling mainly respects our estate in heaven : Eph. i. 18, ' That ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and the riches of the glory of the inheritance of the saints.' So it is called, Phil. iii. 14, ' The high prize of the calling of God in Jesus Christ.' We are called to the partici- pation of glorious things ; and where this calling is effectual, we have
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a sure right. When once we are renewed by the Spirit, and believe God's offers, and give hearty obedience to them, what a large door of hope is opened to us of access to an excellent and glorious inheritance t So it is said elsewhere, 1 Peter iii. 9, ' We are called to inherit a bless- ing.' A blessedness which consists in the clear vision and full fruition of God, which is much for us, who are naturally under the curse, that we should be called to possess this blessing ; it should make us more apprehensive of the greatness of the privilege.
2. That it is the mere fruit of the Lord's grace. This will appear, because the scriptures are so tender in this point of preserving the honour of grace in our calling, and do everywhere show that on God's part the grace is rich, on ours undeserved ; as Eom. ix. 11, { That the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.' That the purpose of God, founded in his own free choice, and manifested and declared by the effectual vocation of his Spirit, enlightening their minds and changing their hearts, was the only reason of their calling or bringing them into a state of grace. So again, 2 Tim. i. 9, ' He hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling ; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ before the world began.' God reco- vered us, and rescued us from the evil sinful estate, not because we had deserved this mercy, but out of his mere goodness, designed to us in Christ long ago. No work of ours did merit this calling, or move him thereunto, but only that mere grace which he appointed to the elect by Christ. So that you see how tender the scriptures are in this point, to make effectual calling the fruit of his elective love ; for as by elective love we are distinguished from others before all time, so by calling in time separated and set apart from others to honour and please God, and seek after eternal life.