But that you may more distinctly see how freely he loved us and called us, let us distinctly consider — (1.) The beginning; (2.) The progress ; (3.) The final consummation of this calling in our eternal reward ; and then your souls will be fully possessed with this truth, that all is to be ascribed to God's dignation, and that it is merely his grace which counteth us worthy of this calling.
1. For the beginning, that he was pleased to call us at first. Two considerations will evidence that —
[1.] The estate wherein he found us ; in an estate of sin and wrath, opposite to God and our own happiness, and unwilling to come out of our miserable condition, being blinded by the delusions of the flesh.
(1.) Wretched and sinful was our estate, objects of his loathing rather than of his love : Ezek. xvi. 8, ' I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, Live.' It is twice repeated, for the more emphasis. He called us, and gave us life, when we were wallowing in our own fi.ltb.i- ness. We were indeed God's creatures, and so bound to serve him, but then we were not what we were when we were first his. As we came out of his hands we were pure and holy, but strangely altered and changed after we had departed from God, and had cast away the mercies of our creation. Like a servant that runneth from his master sound and healthy, but by bad diet and ill-usage is altogether become blind, deformed, and diseased ; will a master look after or care for him
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in such a case ? This was our estate before, we were become wholly depraved and unfit for his service.
(2.) We were loath to come out of it : John iii. 19, 'This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved dark- ness rather than light/ We are not only careless of our remedy, but averse from it: Col. i. 21, 'Alienated, and enemies in our minds by wicked works.' Out of an indulgence to our fleshly and worldly lusts. How freely then did he love us, how powerfully did he work upon us, e'er we would, be brought off from observing lying vanities to seek our own mercies ! Sin having prepossessed us, and being affected by us, what through carnal liberty, what through legal bondage, we stood aloof from God, and would not come at him. Long did he continue calling and conquering, ruling and overruling all the passages of our hearts, until he had converted us to himself.
[2.] The second consideration is, how many were passed by. Thou- sands and ten thousands, who for deserts were all as good as we, and, for outward respects, far better than we: 1 Cor. i. 26, 'Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.' Some are altogether uncalled by the voice of scripture, whatever invitations they had to remember God by the voice of nature. Some only have an external call, that endeth in mere profession : ' Called, but not chosen,' Mat. xxii. 14. Some enjoyment of church privileges, and a participation of some common operations of the Spirit they have by it, but they are not effectually called and tran- slated out of their natural estate into the state of grace ; these are but few, very few, like two or three berries upon the top of the uppermost bough. Surely then it was the mere goodness of God that counted us worthy of this calling, and took us out of a state of sin, that we might be capable of everlasting glory.
2. For the progress, that we may walk suitably. God, that began the saving work of calling us to holiness and glory, still goeth on with it : 1 Peter v. 10, ' The God of all grace, who hath called us to his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.' Mark, he speaketh to those that were already called, effectually called to the faith of Christ and hope of glory, yea, to those who had suffered for these hopes in some measure ; yet these needed grace to make them perfect, and strengthen and settle them, and to carry them through their remaining conflicts. So in the text ; he had given thanks for the growth of their faith, and the abounding of their love, yet because their trials were not over, nor their course ended, he still prayeth that God would count them worthy of this calling ; for calling is not all perfected in the first instance of conversion. God must call us again, and by his efficacious persuasion confirm us in our christian hopes, and continue that grace which he hath begun. So elsewhere, when the apostle speaketh of progress in sanctification : 1 Thes. v. 24, ' Faithful is he that calleth you ; ' not that hath called, but still calleth ; the present tense noteth a continued call. And the same means by which grace was begun are blessed and sanctified, that it may be continued and increased.
Now this is necessary for two reasons —