Effectual calling (Quality: Average)

[0:00] Please help me. I would direct you prayerfully to John's Gospel, chapter 6, reading verse 37.

[0:12] All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I would in no wise cast out.

[0:24] We have been singing of that effectual calling. This is most vital in the conversion and salvation of every child of God.

[0:40] What a mercy that the Lord has condescended, God the Father, has condescended to give unto Jesus all those that he hath loved eternally.

[0:55] Now, there are many may certainly cavil at the cause of election, but it is a sovereign God who has a sovereign right to do according to his will amongst the armies of heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth.

[1:16] And none can say his hand and say what do is there. We read through the scriptures of the favours bestowed upon Israel of old.

[1:29] And all we have to say, if by the grace of God we have been called to that grace, if in other words you have been born again, created anew in Christ, then we have to say why me? Why such a wretch as me who must forever lie in hell were not salvation free?

[1:54] And as we read this this morning, it brought back to my mind a humble hope of a promise of my own children.

[2:05] And that is, it is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Now, that promise has been very much tried and still is concerning one of my family over there.

[2:24] And it may be an exercise with you concerning your own offspring or offspring, offspring. You see no signs. You see them at war with God, at peace with the hell.

[2:40] And yet, dear friends, we also sang glory to God. They ne'er shall row beyond the limits of his love. And so while there is life, there is hope, And this encourages, I believe, poor sinners to go on praying without ceasing, that if it be according to his sovereign will, that he will fulfill those promises, and that he will yet appear to build again those broken walls of Jerusalem, to bring back the prodigals, and to cause them to come and hear what God, the Lord, shall speak unto their souls, and exhort them to turn not again to folly.

[3:27] Now, in our carnal mind, we are full of folly, I believe, left to ourselves. But this is a warfare of the newborn soul that will be pleading that we might be truly amongst those that have been given to Christ, and that as grace is given, we might come to him.

[3:49] He says, Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you bless. So if you're a coming sinner, you'll be burdened.

[4:01] Ah, you'll be labouring to come to him. You see, the devil would do his utmost to turn you and me out of the way. He will put obstacles in your way.

[4:13] He will put allurements in your way. He'll put temptation in your way. But ah, what a mercy that where sin hath abounded, yes, and does abound, grace might much more abound.

[4:28] And grace, dear friends, grace will reign, grace will be supreme, because it's the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is exceedingly abundant.

[4:40] And you'll be subjects of that grace, I believe, if you're one of his. He's called you by his grace. There's nothing in you, dear friends of me. We are vile sinners.

[4:51] We're defiled from head to foot, and cannot be bound up or mollified, but the blood of Christ cleanses. It's something you'll plead for. You'll plead that the Lord might be the bread of life to your soul and mind.

[5:08] We want to crown, we want to feed upon Christ. It isn't a literal bread, is it? It is faith in the truth and the promises that the Lord reveals to such as you and me.

[5:20] And so it's all that the Father gives. There won't be one that is left behind that is in this covenant. Everyone called by his grace, everyone, though born in sin, shaven in iniquity, as all human beings are, conceived in sin.

[5:38] Yet the Lord has loved them from all eternity. He has satisfied the just demands of the Lord for them. It doesn't make you and me careless, dear friends, in our walk and our conduct.

[5:49] It's an exercise you and me with the blessed law, the gospel. You see, the gospel will be your rule and your conduct of life, seeking to do that that is pleasing in the sight of God.

[6:03] And so, you see, the Lord Jesus Christ himself came down from heaven. He came down from the Father of light. We read, every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from the Father of light in whom there is no bearableness, neither shadow of turning.

[6:23] This is that perfect gift, the gift of God, the poor sinners, the life of the Spirit within, the love of Christ shed abroad in their hearts. These are coming sinners to Christ.

[6:36] He won't cast you out. If you come with a broken heart, you come empty. You come pleading mercy. You come as a beggar, poor knocking at mercy's door.

[6:49] And he says, come unto me. Oh, eat the labor and heavy labor. You'll have a cross to bear. You'll have something to burden you with me. We shall, dear friends, if we are true followers of Christ, you shrink from it.

[7:03] Of course you do. Shrink from what cross might, or what difficulty might lie in your path. But oh, it's this walking by faith and not by sight, pleading daily.

[7:17] Lord, am I oppressed? Oh, Lord, undertake for me. Oh, Lord, hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not. Teach me to do thy will. Lead me in a plain path because of my enemies.

[7:29] You may not think you have enemies. Mercy if you haven't, but there will be an enemy and that's your self. Your self.

[7:40] Sinful self. You realize you have no control over thought, word, or deed. Bless the Lord that grants you that grace to suppress the power of the tempter's power in your soul and life.

[7:57] Time to taste the time to test the tempter's power. Time to feel it. So we have to realize, don't we, especially when we may dwell among those that appear to be ungodly in our circles, in our lawful circles.

[8:18] There's no life, no light in them. They do all things after the man of the flesh. Don't condemn them. Don't condemn them, friends. Such were some of you.

[8:30] What has made you and me to differ? There's nothing in us, dear friends, to merit a scheme or esteem or give the Creator the lie.

[8:40] We're vile. Oh, I believe you'll pity them because there is no light in them or life in them. That is spiritual lie. And yet you have your concerns called them because they are tied to you and the ties of the flesh.

[8:57] They're a burden to you. Oh, what a mercy that if they are the Lord's, they will come. He will gather them from the four quarters of the earth, all his dear people.

[9:10] They shall be with him in heaven one day. What a mercy often it is the case. One dies and it's the beginning of life in another soul spiritually.

[9:25] And so we would bless God for his word here. God's electing love. Christ that keeps them. Christ that upholds his dear chosen people.

[9:37] He begins that good work in their hearts. He teaches them his fear. We read the fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and whoso is wise this is spiritually wise and given grace to observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.

[10:01] And as I said earlier it will often be with you and me why men why such a wretch as me who must forever lie in hell for not salvation free.

[10:12] It's that free and that sovereign grace is without money and without price and it is how everyone that thirsted come. What a mercy to be given a thirst for these living things living truth living waters that flow out from the wells of salvation.

[10:33] what a terrible thing to have a name to live and be dead but what a mercy if the Lord has begun that good work in your heart and mine there'll be a spiritual appetite there'll be a longing and a panting after the living God like the heart we use sometimes don't we from that forty second song as the heart panted after the living water brooks for life for life to continue and so panted my soul after thee the living God when wilt thou come there's a desire a hunger a thirst a living desire that the Lord in his mercy would condescend to come and draw you by the cords of a man and by those bands of his love this then is the desire of a poor sinner that he might be amongst those that the Father had given him this is that predetermined counsel and poor knowledge of God before the words were made all that the

[11:52] Father give it me shall come to me said Jesus and oh how these Jews around him disputed this disputed his very coming down from heaven this then may be a stumbling block to you and me concerning God's elect love but Jesus came and Jesus trod this insane world and in his love and in his pity redeemed his sheep from the curse of the law oh what love there is in him and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out and he and he did come down to do the will of his father and so we would be amongst those coming sinners to Christ the Lord will receive you as you come venturing upon him and his merits alone and desiring that he would order your footsteps by his word that he would be your guardian your guide give you clearer views we so don't see him as I have said before in the flesh with the eyes of the natural man but the eye of our soul which is faith he that cometh to

[13:14] God must believe that he is the eye of the Lord that runneth through and through the whole of the earth he gives you faith to believe in his inspired word that we have before us oh what a precious word is the Bible to poor sinners as their eyes are enlightened and faith is given to believe in him and it is the bread of life isn't it when the Lord so takes of his word and seals it upon your soul we get very tempted and tried as to the life of the spirit in our hearts but those sweet moments that we can recall as led by the spirit we remember these things and we pray that the Lord will fulfill those things that he has revealed to us to make us more and more conscious of our need of him to draw us by the cords of a man by those bands of his love something secret that secret work begun in the hearts of these believers they become seekers they seek to know and do the will of the

[14:34] Lord they seek to have the promises applied they want to know and have an interest in the merits of this sin atoning blood they want to be led to this fountain open for sin and uncleanness they want to be attracted to Christ we know his visits was marred more than any man in his natural in his natural stay but there be a suitability of Christ in Christ and desire that we might know him the power of his resurrection this is what is needful dear friends and every newborn soul will feel this and they know it too in due time time the desire will be this that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and that power he will give to you and me when we are brought into that faint hearted condition the law work in the soul will condemn cause you and me much grief of heart at times to realize that we stand guilty of breaking all ten commands no you want something more dear friends than than that you want the

[15:52] Lord to lift up the light of his cannons upon me upon you to show me Lord to show me thy hands and thy feet this is feeding upon the bread of heaven sent down this is feeding upon Christ as he shines into your dark night and so applies the word blesses you with his grace gives you a true token gives you a word to meditate upon him as Jeremiah said thy words were found he was led by the spirit he was directed to the truth thy words were found night at evening this is the bread of life meditating upon a portion of his word that he has laid in your heart you cannot escape it it's there and it's brought again to your remembrance from time to time what the Lord has spoken to you as I said earlier concerning my family see that thy children shall all that they shall be all taught of God what a teacher and so it will be your desire to be taught of God for who teacheth like him teacheth you and me dear friends that that is profitable to yourself the things that we speak from time to time amongst you will have no abiding effect unless the spirit takes it and seals it upon yourself you may have heard these truths many times over and you may have heard them to approval when the

[17:34] Lord applies them they will be truly heard for profit and it won't be the profit of the sinner that speaks but it will be unto him unto him that has loved you and washed you from your sins in his precious blood all these glorious truths of the gospel you know will be your meat and your drink indeed that the world knows nothing of you see as an aching void given to the newborn soul that the world will never feel however much your mind might be fogged over with many material things and many worldly things you learn many things by familiarity don't you and you have an interest in them to a certain extent because you're subjects of the land and the things that go on in therein but oh you see many evils too don't you what a mercy if beyond these time things there's an exercise of soul to know that you're one whom he hath chosen and he says plainly you've not chosen me oh poor sinners poor so-called

[18:49] Christians that have chosen Christ and all how the dreadful blind leaders say you've only got to wave your handkerchief to accept Christ what a delusion difference contrary to the teaching of this word many are called yes they're called by man but not for grace and that's the danger that's the danger called by man persuasion for his eloquent orations called by man subtle writings subtle works dear friends of man and in the name of religion they're dead dead what of you and me called by grace what a difference because you are chosen this is the you see this calling dear friends not many mighty not many noble God has chosen the foolish of this world what a mercy if you're one of them and this will be an exercise with you and me you see you won't any longer be a lover of pleasure but you'll be a lover of

[20:03] God men in their day are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God because there's no light in them and if there's no light in you then when you come to die that seeming light dear friends will go out you'll be like the foolish virgins no oil in your vessel the lamps go out when you have gone to buy more midnight the bridegroom came and the door was shut what of your heart and mine where are you this morning this day have you had that heavenly calling have you been called by grace or called by man all that the father given me should come oh here's a hope poor tried child of God you may be very tempted as you're calling as to the reality of your religion and the work of grace in your heart but I believe this is a little indication of light in your soul real light if there's a true exercise to receive this bread from heaven this water from the wells of salvation you'll pray continually

[21:19] Lord do grant that I might be taught of thee and thou would teach me and oh he will teach you dear friends profitable things and it may be through much tribulation but the tribulatory pathway of the child of God is to make you more concerned and more exercised as to how the case stands with your soul Lord to know this Jesus that I may know him as we said and the power of his resurrection only he can raise sinners from the dead only he can cause them to be born again even the very religious Nicodemus had to learn that didn't he he had to be born again created anew this this is something that we examine ourselves over we're exhorted to examine ourselves as to whether we be in the faith of God's elect or the election will obtain the blessing the chosen vessels those that he has bought with a price those promises given and applied with power to their hearts because of his everlasting love to these sinners they will come to him they come as beggars they come with a hunger and a thirst for righteousness they come boldly to the throne of grace because they have that liberty of the spirit not in a fleshly boldness they don't want to be seen of men but they go into their closet and pray to their father in secret that their father might reward them openly haven't you proved it some of you in your lives you've had to go not to man not to be seen at the street corners not to be seen a man but you've had to go into your closet and had that closet prayer in secret with your father pleading the merits of

[23:33] Jesus and you've had to come and he's rewarded you openly he set before you an open door in whatever shape or form that was you set before you an open door a way of escape a way of deliverance a way of hell and the Lord's been in it you see this is he's rewarded you openly you've honoured him you've sought him with the whole heart and you've blessed him abundantly for that liberty of the spirit as you've come bold in the throne of grace he might obtain mercy you've obtained mercy you've found grace to help in your time of need you've feared the unknown way and the Lord has made that crooked thing straight he's removed the mountain he's made a way for you to pass over and all you've had to realise those that have been pursuing you have been destroyed they have been destroyed they've been stopped they've been hindered you've been able to go freely on the

[24:45] Lord has granted you his mercy or you look back over life's journey I believe and see this here little and there little the crooked made straight the rough place the darkness light before you because the Lord would have you come to him come unto him labouring heavy laden but he's given you rest rest from your enemies rest from your fears calm your troubled breath said be still and know that I'm God and he's calmed it has been a calming influence when the Lord has drawn you to himself now you don't see him in the flesh but you feel the times your bosom blow with love to this dear redeemer that has not failed you nor forsaken you has been your refuge and your strength have been a very present help in your trouble and you've had to prove this that I can do all things have done all things in difficulty through him that has strengthened me he has raised that me from the dead he's given new life into my soul

[25:51] I've gone on my way rejoicing seeing plainly that the Lord has gone before me oh what a mercy then to have that hope that the Lord has been your God of Providence it causes you to hope that God of all grace you prove in the midst of the fiery trials of the way that his grace is sufficient may not have taken away the cross or the trial but it's been the means hasn't it of bringing you down onto your knees in prayer the knees of a broken heart as it were as you sought the Lord and he has made a way for you where there seemed to be no way and why is there because the Lord has gone before you and he will surely be with you even though you may be brought into passing through the fiery trial and he says beloved Peter said under the influence of the spirit in his writings beloved think it not strange concerning fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange things happen unto you but rejoice in as much as you partake of the Christ sufferings that when his glory may be revealed he may be glad also with exceeding joy walking by faith oh poor sinner you seem to be very much confounded with fears that you know the

[27:28] Lord will not leave you to be desolate he won't leave you to be desolate you may feel there will be desolations in your heart of time but he'll not leave you there set time to favour you set time to bless you with those covenant blessings that he will grant you a sip a little touch here and there a little cry a little hope a little favour that you see the eyes of the Lord by the eye of faith the hand of the Lord going before you as he has blessed you abundantly with that life of the spirit within yourself and you can't give up can you you've not had that fullness revealed to you of the pardon or the assurance of heaven but there's a humble heart that he has begun that good work in you he that has begun the good work in you will perform it until the day of

[28:31] Jesus Christ I believe I gave those words to a sister-in-law when I had the privilege of baptising her offence and he that has begun that good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ I believe she's now in heaven what a mercy no way for reason of the Lord giving her that grace in spite of an afflicted body a disjointed family that grew up around her but all you see this is the mercy that in a pathway of affliction and sorrow there is still the throne of grace there is still those gifts of grace to enable a poor sinner to call upon his name this is coming to Christ isn't it pleading the merits of Christ that love that blood and that righteousness this is the refuge for your soul this is coming in the liberty of the spirit of the throne of grace this is obtaining mercy finding grace to help in the time of need you won't need him will you all the wild creature help is available but he strips you of all creature help this is the terrible state of religion today it's all creature help creature worship idolatry imagery popery blasphemy and superstition oh you know take away take away all these things dear friends and what have we got left take away imagination take away the tradition take away dear friends even our pathway of actions and that form of godliness what have we got left or haven't we anything left have we not a little dear friends of the work of grace a little evidence that the lord has called us by his grace has he never said to you thou art a man has he never convinced you of your sin has he never made you to come with weeping and supplication at the throne of grace confessing your sin have you never had to cry to the lord lord help me have you never had to feel oppressed and cast down and burdened have you never felt that you're a sinner in the sight of god and those sins testify against you if you've never come there dear friends you're in darkness in the form of godliness without the power but if the lord has begun that good work in you you'll be pleading the lord would have mercy upon your soul you'll be seeking for pardon you'll seek to be prepared for those prepared mansions in the sky you'll be seeking to know him the power of his resurrection the fellowship of his suffering painful to the flesh yes but oh it'll be by faith we walk by faith and not by sight for the just you'll live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him we're not of them that draw back to perdition and when he turned back from following the lord his truth was too was too sharp and cutting cut to the quick didn't it there may be some portions of scripture that come very sharp and seem at times as though you're cut off but oh when you're brought there dear friends this will make you truly cry to the lord lord do enable me to come to thee draw me draw me by the cords of a man and by the bands of thy love and oh don't lead me to perish lord deliver me from being a lukewarm believer because that night of hot nor cold

[32:50] I will spew the out of my mouth these are the this is the book of judgment dear friends the book of the law that speaks plainly to sinners oh do you feel oppressed do you feel cut off this morning oh you know if you're brought to feel dear friends what a sad state you're in it'll make you cry it'll make you plead lord do grant me faith to believe in thee for thou art the author of faith living faith as a substance in the soul of a true believer a chosen vessel it's the substance of things hope for the evidence of those things that are not seen because these are the things that are eternal the things that are seen are temporal things that are not seen are eternal and you pray lord do grant that I might be one chosen vessel you've not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you and if you've been ordained of the spirit of god dear friends you'll be favoured to be anointed you'll be favoured and privileged to feel the spirit resting upon you and you'll feel at times such sweetness the sweetness of the streams of the anointing power of the spirit and the power of christ rest upon a sinner this is not understood naturally but it is spiritually the spirit of the lord upon a sinner great mystery and a great mercy when the lord so touches your heart when he favours you to feel his nearness and his presence he warms your cold heart you're melted down when this blessed jesus draws you when you feel union and communion with him from off the mercy seat can you not recall those sweet moments brought before the cross raised from those dead feelings looking under jesus to be brought here in your afflictive dispensations to acknowledge his way was much rougher and darker than mine did christ my lord suffer and shall i reply oh lord you say deliver me from these repinings that might i be pining for christ these pinings prove that christ is near you're pining for christ you know sometimes in our lives we've had to pine the lost ones for those that have been taken from us you know you don't pine before men necessarily but you do pine before god don't you now you are brought to pine for christ look into him does thy heart for jesus pine he understands the side divine and marks each secret love and this is the work of the spirit in a sinner's heart i believe as he is looking to jesus praying that he will have mercy upon him that he will reveal his love to him and confirm his soul with the blessing of the lord that maketh rich and addeth no sorrow with him he says i am the lord and there's another thought concerning all that the father giveth me and i if i be lifted up will draw all men unto me he draws a sinner a sinner that is so burdened with his sins he draws him to calvary he draws him to that cross i if i be lifted up will draw all men unto me and you'll be drawn to calvary and you'll be looking there with the humble hope that all your sins he has cast behind his back in the depths of the seas of that crimson ocean that blood that blood that was shed for many that blood that cleanses from all sin and unrighteousness nor we need the blood like the israelites of old they had to take the lamb and put the blood over the lintels of the doorpost when the destroying angel came he would pass over them so with the child of god we want this blood of christ from the lintels of our souls to be to have our filthy garments washed and made white in the blood of god sacred precious blood we fear to speak much of it we know so little of it understand so little of it that we believe in any man sin we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous shed his blood on calvary's tree able to stand in the midst able to come where you are and say peace be unto thee my peace i leave with thee not as the world giveth give unto thee let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid what a promise this is something that the child of god will be looking for to be coming to him and not be cast at it well if you're coming right if you're coming feeling the guilt you'll be like this guilty weak and helpless worm on thy kind are my fault be thou my strength and righteousness my jesus and my all all that the father giveth me shall come to me him that cometh unto me cometh to me i will in no wise come may the lord in his mercy bless our few remarks this morning as we have the ordinance to attend and forgive all of this amen