and his blindness and nakedness and captivity if the Lord do mean any mercy to a man here comes in his effectual calling 2 THES 2. 14. Whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ I Have spoken already of the prepatory work that goes before Effectual Calling the next thing I am to speake of is the parts of Effectual Calling and they are Two parts of effectual calling 1. Offering of Christ two First the offering of Christ and his merits the objective propounding of Christ and his benefits when Christ comes and offers himself to a man in the Gospel he came to his own John 1. 11. but his own received him not he came and offered himself to them I am the way the truth and the light I am the Messias and the Saviour of the world and I have eternal life and here I am take me and all with me this is the first thing in Effectual Calling the objective propounding of Christ to a man The second thing is the receiving of Christ not only the offering of Christ 2. The receiving of Christ to a man for so he offers himself to those that are not of God even to all but in Effectual Calling as there is an offer on Gods side so there is a reflection on Gods side as many as received him c. John 1. 12. they received him these two now make up Effectual Calling the offering of Christ and the receiving of him when Christ calls a man to him and he answers to his call thus you see the parts of Effectual Calling First to speak of the first the objective propounding of Christ and all the things of Christ to a man and this hath two degrees like the morning light that hath two parts the dawning of the day and the Sunnes arising so there Two parts oâ— degrees of offering Christ 1. General are two parts in this objective propounding of Christ to the soul the first is that general propounding of him to every creature now the soul thinks what to every creature then it is propounded to me as well as to any body else but the effectualness of this call is that it breeds the seeds of grace in a man it breeds saving desires and saving longings and saving and kindly mournings for the want of this sweet good when it sees such an excellent good and a possibility of it and that it is propounded to every creature then the soule thinks I may be one as well as any body else and so the soul longs after it The second thing is the personal propounding of this to those that have these 2. Personal seeds of Grace the first was general to one as well as to another but now this is to this mans person rather then to any body else and now the soul begins to think seriously this proposition is to me this tender is to me I hunger and thirst and long and therefore this belongs to me and the effectualnesse of this call is to make the soul come to Christ and cast himselfe upon him by faith these are the parts of propounding of Christ and both these are twofold 2. Both 1. External 2. Internal the first is the external part of it by the Word the other the internal part of it by the Spirit Now we are to speak of the first of these how the Word works this general call and for this I have chosen this text Whereunto he hath called you by our Gospel c. For the coherence of these words in the former verses the Apostle had told the Thessalonians of a woful falling away that should he among all visible Churches in the whole world almost that there should be a general defection unlesse of Gods Elect and they should have fearful declinings and he sheweth that the power of the Devil and â—â—s instruments should be the cause of this falling away he should come with strong delusions and then the just cause why God doth suffer the Devil and his imps to bring this about that all they might be damned that had phas 〈…〉 in unrighteousnesse the Lord would have them damned and this made the Lord suffer the Devil to work Apostacy and declining to them Now this is a fearful thing and therefore in the next place he comes to comfort the Thâ—sâ—â—lonians for they for their part the godly amongst them need not to be dismayed for fear of falling away as if they should not hold out but he would have them encouraged that they shall stand out for ever and he comforts them by two Arguments First by Gods predestination of them to life from all eternity God hath chosen you to Salvation from the beginning and then â—e laies down the meanes God had appointed for the attaining this salvation and that was through Sanctification in the Spirit as who should say 't is true there shall be such a falling away but you that are godly need not be dejected for God hath chosen you from all eternity and therefore will sanctifie you and keep you through his mighty power unto salvation that you shall not fall away The second Argument is their Effectual Calling that is in the text Whereunto he hath called you by our Gospel c. as who should say the Lord hath given you a pledge that you shall never fall away finally for it is plaine that God hath chosen you and he hath given a pledge of hiâ— Election for he hath called you therefore be of good cheare Well then in the words of the text you may consider these four things First Effectual Calling he called you Secondly the meanes whereby he hath wrought this in you namely the Gospel Thirdly the tearme whereunto he called them noted in this word hereunto which if you look into the former verse was unto 〈…〉 tion Fourthly what this salvation is it is a most admirable incomparable thing no tongue is able to speak it Oh saith he It is to the attaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ the very same glory that the Lord Jesus Christ was advanced to you have part and communion therein Now three of these points I lay aside the point that serves our turn is the second he called you by our Gospell That the thing that calls Gods people home it is the General tender of Doct. The Gospel or general tender of grace is that by which God calls men home grace indifferently to any man without exception whosoever will have it that is the Gospel When Christ should call Nicodemus after he had convinced him of his blindnesse and cursed estate and made him see he was a fool in all the things of God now he gives him a call and how doth he call him it was even this general tender John 3. 14 15. As Moses lifted up the Serpent iâ— the Wildernesse so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish
if he hath been unfaithful it would kill his heart that his Master should take him in it so it is with Gods children let them sinne against God it doth dull and dead their hearts in regard of the throne of grace it makes them have small heart to come before it See it in Jonah when he had fled Jonah 1. away from God and had put off Gods charge and was gone downe to Joâ—pâ— and was shipped into the Sea see whether he had any minde to pray or call upon God or no he had none in the earth nay he was afraid of God and shy of his presence he knew he should be upbraided indeed when God laid it upon his conscience then Jonah prayed but he did not pray before that if he did it was as good as nothing So it is noted of David when he had committed his sins he confesseth he roared to God but we can hear of no prayer but when God sent Nathan then he could pray it is the title of the 51. Psalm A Psalm of David when Nathan came to him then he could pray but all the while sinne lay upon his soul he could not pray or if he did he did but roar he came before God with horror and unbelief and dismay and had no comfort Now when a man is privy to sin what man that hath the knowledge of God how ill God likes these courses how ill he likes a mans pride and security and neglect of worship and service how can it chuse but the thought of these things should gall his heart And thus we see for the general that it is sinne that deads mens hearts when they give way to it 2 Particâ— Now for particulars What are those sins that cause this deadnesse up and down First the niggardliness of people in Gods service they will do no more for him then they must needs doe whereas a quickened heart that loves quickning will rather overdoe then underdoe and will rather superabound then be wanting there are many duties in Religion that we have no express text of Scripture for for such a quantity or such a measure or such a time or how often as how often we should pray in secret every day how often we should meditate and how long at a time how much we should give out of almes how much we should doe thus and thus the duty is commanded but the quantity for time or frequency is not expressed in Scripture there be a thousand things of this nature Now a man that loves his own quickning will rather overdoe in this case then underdoe as it was with Philemon Phil. 21. Paul you knovv was to entreat him to doe an act of kindness to receive Onesimus now saith he I know thou wilt doe more then I ask of thee c. He would rather overdoe then underdoe So it was with the Israelites when God would have them offer to the building of the Tabernacle he did not tell them how much but they would rather overdoe then underdoe Exod. 36. 5. They brought so much that the Lord was fain to say there was enough and too much So it was with the Macedonians 2 Cor. 8. 3. Paul asked a little they gave more So it is with a man that loves quickning if God bid him pray twice a day rather then fail he will pray thrice a day if God hath required some time in his service he will rather give him more time then afford him smaller time as Christ saith If a man will have thy coat let him have thy cloak also as who should say rather overdo then underdoe if thou beest called to doe any thing for the glory of God and the good of thine own soul or the good of others we should imitate God in this God gives his people above that which they ask so we should doe more then is asked I doe not mean as if we could do more then God bids us for God requires all the heart and all the minde and all the strength but I speak of a frank and free heart when he doth not know Matth. 22. what measure God sets down in his Word he will rather doe more then lesse he will rather be with the forwardest then with the backwardest if he love his own quickning but when a man growes niggardly in Gods service and will doe no more then needs must and takes advantage that he may doe as little as may be this deads the heart because there is no expresse place in Scripture for prayer in this kinde he will take any advantage in the world for his own security and worldliness and littleness in Gods service he lieth at catch in this case this man sets open his heart to all deadness therefore no marvel he hath no life where is a man in town or country that is like to Philemon that a Minister may say I know then wilt doe more then I say It were well if we could say thou wilt do as much as I say nay it is come to this pass we may say I know you will doe nothing at all I may bid thee doe this and that but thou wilt do nothing at all people will hardly regard the Communion of Saints at all they will hardly regard secret prayer at all they will heartily regard any of those duties upon which life and quickning so much depends and this is one cause of the horrible deadness that is everywhere Secondly Another cause is unwatchfulness people doe not watch over their soules and over their wayes they doe not ponder their paths they have not an eye to their wayes this is a great cause of deadness of heart therefore here when Christ chargeth the Church of Sardis with deadness I know thou hast a name to live but art dead In the next words he gives a remedy Be watchful therfore as who should say here is the cause of thy deadness thou hast not been watchful if thou hadst been watchful thou hadst escaped all this deadness if thou hadst sloop upon thy guard and looked well to thy wayes this had never been if a man be quickened at any time the Devil lieth at catch and if he doe not vvatch he vvill be deaded again as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 5. 8. A man had need be vvatchful else he can never preserve himselfe from the temptations of Satan when a City is beleaguered with the enemy there are ever some Watchers and Scouts that lie in wait that so if any danger be towards they may give warning lest it be surprized on the sudden so when God doth good to our hearts how should we keep watch over our soules for we are beleaguered on every side sometimes with presumption and sometimes with despair we are every way in danger therefore we had need to watch no sooner had Eve gone apart from her husband and looked here and there but the Devil took her presently no sooner had Noah begun to taste the liquor of the
there is no man is dead but he that hath no care to look after Christ and desire him if we would have Christ if our hearts be open to him if we doe but desire him and long for him if we have but these groanes and outgoings in our souls oh that I had but Christ shed abroad in my heart if I had him I should have life and quickning if I had him I should have right and title to all Gods heavenly comforts if our hearts did but goe up and down longing after Christ this is the way to attain to quickning Isa 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Come and ye shall have waters that shall never be dried up the want of faith is the cause of hardness of heart and of deadnesse as our Saviour Christ when he saw they were dead Matth. 16. he did upbraid them with unbeliefe if a man did but once believe if a man did but truly cast his soul upon God if he had but once his eyes opened to see the vanity of all other things to see the danger of sinne and iniquity the misery of all unregenerate people and to see the worth of Christ and the infinite goodnesse of God in Christ what an admirable pearl it is to enjoy him how it is better then life it selfe better then the whole world yea then thousands of worlds if a man did but see this and had his heart affected with this to be drawn to Christ and to have his heart and minde run after him to be possessed of him this is faith you that would know whether you have faith or no if you had all the faiths in the world you are infidels without this faith but if you have this faith you have true faith if you have a heart running after Christ minding him and longing for him and casting your soules upon him for all good accounting this your principal and total and main good and accordingly affecting this these are the works of faith and if you have these works you may be quickned believe in the Lord Jesus Christ set your hearts upon him and seek after him and you shall have all manner of good even life it self The second meanes is a careful learning of the Word of God preached Second means When the Corinâ—hians were marvellously blocked uâ— in their minds and hearts and were straightned in good things 2 Câ—r 6 12. mark what the Apostle saith v. 11. Our mâ—uth is â—pen to you c. as who should say in our Ministery there is abundance of grace abundance of life and largenesse of heart abundance of gracious things all manner of good things we bring with us in our Ministery peace and comfort and hope and all the promises of God and all the rich treasuâ—es of Jesus Christ we come with our armes full you are not straightned here but you are straightned in your 〈◊〉 bowels as who should say you may be enlarged sweetly by our Ministry wâ— deliver unto you abundance of grace and mercy and abundance of supply all those deadnesses and lockings up of heart in you would be healed by the Ministery of the Word so may I say if your hearts are locked up certainly it is for not taking what the Word offers if you would come hungerly and greedily to the Word of God with an heart desirous to be edified and instructed and to apply what the Word speaks to your souls certainly you shall here meet with abundance of grace and life for the Word is the Word of life and the Ministery of the Word is the Ministery of the Spirit of God and life so that the deadness of all people is meerly from their own bowels you are not straightned in us saith the Apostle no in thâ— Ministery of the Word is abundance of life The third meanes is A careful shunning of all those causes of deadness which we named formerly we must take heed of sin for if we give way to sinne it will dead the heart it will make a make a man shy of God and put a man to woful tasks and breâ—d loâ—hness to goe about duties it will make a man to have a guilty conscience and dead a man that way it will grieve the spirit of God and quench all the operations and sweet influences and gracious motions of the Spirit that the sweet livelinesse of his workings will be gone away if a man give way to sinne if he give way to the world or slackning in a godly course if a man give way to pride or vanity or any sin this will dead the heart a mans heart will presently be deaded if he give way to the Devil and to his temptations In particular you must take heed of niggardlinesse in Religion they that love quickning must labour for a frank and free spirit that will rather overdoe in Gods service then underdoe as long as a man hath a free heart he shall have a quickened heart therefore labour to preserve it doe as Philemon I knâ—w thou wilâ— dâ—e more than I say Paul knew he had a free spirit that if be commanded him a little he would doe more he would rather overdoe then underdoe our Saviour Christ calls for this free spirit Iâ— a man take thy coat give him thy cloak also rather overdoe then underdoe in any good thing have a free heart if God bid thee pray pray thrâ—e times five times a day rather then not often enough there be mâ—nâ— duties that God doth not set down how often and how frequent and hoâ— long now labour for a free spirit rather do twice as much then underdo Again Take heed of lownesse of Religion of taking up a low and base and mean kinde of Religion that will not reach the Kingdome of God there is a low kinde of Christianity that wil not be able to attain to salvation a low faith that doth not make a man to have his conversation in heaven a low repentance that reacheth not to mortification a low profession of Religion that comes not to the power of Godliness Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above it is an high thing therefore take heed of low Religion for people think that any kinde of righteousness will serve turn if they have but a little Reformation and Religion they presently think this is godliness but let us take heed of this low Religion that will never do the deed Again We must take heed of want of Watchfulnesse we must set up a gracious and Christian watch in our hearts from day to day when the Lord had found fault with the Church of Sardis for being dead in the next words he bids them be watchful as who should say the want of this watchfulness and looking to your selves and having a care over your thoughts and aâ—fections lest you should be drawn aside the neglect of this is the cause of all deadness Again We must take heed of vanity as David saith Psal 119.