I. What we should come to Christ for [In general, we answer, that we must come to him for every thing; since all fulness is treasured up in him, on purpose that we may receive out of it according to our necessities. But more particularly, we must come to him for pardon, which we all need; which we cannot otherwise obtain; and which he is exalted to give. We must come for peace, since all peace derived from other quarters, is delusive, and he, as the Prince of peace, has promised to bestow it. We must come for strength, since without him we can do nothing, and by him, every thing; and St. Paul himself applied to him in prayer, and obtained from him, as we also shall do, grace sufficient for him. Lastly, we must come to him for eternal life and glory; since he frequently claims it as his prerogative to give it, and will surely be the author of it to all them that obey him.] II. In what manner we should come to him [Of course, our Lord meant not that we were to approach him with our bodies; since many thronged him, and pressed upon him, who nevertheless were cast out. It is therefore, not to the motion of our bodies, but to the frame of our minds, that we are to have respect, when we come unto him. We must come unto him empty. If, like the Laodiceans, we think ourselves rich and increased with goods, our application to Christ will be vain and fruitless 1. We must be deeply convinced of our own guilt and helplessness; and be thoroughly persuaded that we must perish if he receive us not. We must be like the Prodigal, when dying with hunger, or like the Disciples in jeopardy, crying, Save, Lord, or we perish. Moreover we must come believing. This is more particularly intended by our Lord, the words "coming" and "believing," being perfectly synonymous'. To come filled with unbelief, would be to insult, rather than to honour him. We should be convinced of his suitableness to our necessities, his sufficiency for our relief, and his willingness to receive us. We must regard him as the only way to life, the only door of hope". We must believe in him as appointed of God to be our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption"; and then we shall find by happy experience that he is "able to save us to the uttermost."] III. The encouragement we have to come to him [Though our Lord sometimes delayed answering the requests of those who came to him in the days of his flesh, he never finally refused any. Thus, though he may not instantly manifest his acceptance of us, he will not reject any who thus come unto him. No past iniquities shall cause him to reject us. This is evident from many strong and express declarations of Prophets, of Apostles, of Christ himself. If it be thought that the sin against the Holy Ghost is an exception, let it suffice to say, that no man, who desires to find acceptance through Christ, can possibly have committed that; since he would in that case have been given over to judicial blindness and obduracy, and consequently, would have continued altogether regardless of his eternal welfare. The same may be proved from manifold instances, wherein the vilest of the human race have found acceptance with him. We need only look at Manasseh', Davids, and above all at the Apostle Paul, who was in this particular intended for a pattern, and this blessed truth will be established beyond a possibility of doubt. Nor will any present infirmities cause our Lord to reject us. For his Disciples, long after they had found acceptance with him, betrayed manifest symptoms of pride", revenge, and cowardice; and Peter, whose misconduct was by far the most glaring, received by far the most striking tokens of our Lord's regard2. We say not this to encourage sin, but to illustrate the tender mercies of HIM, who carries the lambs in his bosom, and who, instead of breaking the bruised reed, will bring forth from it the sweetest melody.] ADDRESS 1. Those who are afar off from Christ [Can it be supposed, that, if we will not go to Christ, we can ever participate his benefits? Doubtless we cannot: if we keep at a distance from him in this world, there will be an "impassable gulf between us" in the world to come. Let us remember then, that we must go to him or perish. Let not any one object, I cannot go: for the truth is, we will not. Yet, notwithstanding our past obstinacy, we may go to him, with a full assurance that he will in no wise cast us out. Let us not then delay, lest death seize us, and the door of mercy be for ever closed.] o Isai. i. 18. q Matt. xii. 31. p Acts x. 43. and 1 John i. 7. 2 Kings xxi. 16. with 2 Chron. xxxiii. 9, 12, 13. 2. Those who are coming to him [We are told of one in the Gospel, whom, when coming to our Lord, the devil cast down, and tare, and left to appearance, dead. Such enmity will Satan discover against us also as soon as ever we attempt to come to Christ. He will raise every obstacle in his power: he will assault us by "fightings without, and fears within." But the more earnest he is in his endeavours to draw us from Christ, the more determined let us be in going to Christ: so shall we most effectually defeat his malice, and secure beyond a doubt our own salvation.] 3. Those who have come to him [Whence is it that so great a difference has been put between you and others? Is it that you were of yourselves more inclined to good, and that you made yourselves to differ? No: : you were once as far from God as any; nor had the smallest inclination to seek him till God gave you the wille; nor could you then have come to Christ, except the Father had drawn you by his Almighty power'. Be careful then to give all the glory of your salvation to God alone. And remember that you are still to be coming to Christ every day you lives. "All your fresh springs are in him;" and "out of his fulness you must continually receive." Live then a life of faith on the Son of God; and the communion, which enjoy with him on earth, shall soon be perfected in the realms of glory.] you c Mark ix. 20, 26. f John vi. 44. d 1 Cor. iv. 7. e Phil. ii. 13. MDCXL. MAN'S INABILITY TO COME TO CHRIST. John vi. 44. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. THERE are in the Holy Scriptures many doctrines which prove an offence and a stumbling-block to the world: but the reason of their exciting disgust and aversion, must be looked for, not so much in the doctrines themselves, as in the depravity of the human heart. To a humble and contrite spirit every truth in the Bible will appear reasonable and worthy of God: it is the pride of man that takes offence at the sacred records, and that renders him unable to receive the declarations of God. Our blessed Lord had told the Jews repeatedly, that he came down from heaven: they knowing his mother and his reputed father, could not endure that he should arrogate to himself such high honour: but he informed them, that the ground of the offence was within themselves; they were blinded by their own prejudices, and fettered by their own lusts, so that nothing but the almighty grace of God could ever draw them to him in a becoming manner. Now this subject is difficult; we shall therefore explain it: it is deemed objectionable; and therefore we shall assign the reasons of it: it is liable to abuse; and therefore we shall guard it. I. It is difficult, and therefore we shall explain it— To "come to Christ" is to believe on him for salvation [It cannot refer to a mere bodily approach; because in that sense the assertion would not be true. Our Lord himself explains his meaning, and informs us, that to come to him is of the same import with believing in him. Our coming to him has respect to the characters which he sustains. Is he a Prophet? we must come to him for instruction: is he a Priest? we must come to him to make atonement for us: is he a King? we must come to him to deliver us from all our spiritual enemies. In whatever view he is represented in the Scriptures, whether as a sun to enlighten, a fountain to cleanse, a physician to heal, or as bread to support our lives, we should come to him, feeling our need of him under that very character, and relying on him to supply our every want.] In order to this, we should experience the drawings of the Father [When we speak of "the Father drawing us," we appear to some as if we ascribed to him an irresistible agency, and considered men as mere machines. But we entertain no such absurd unscriptural notions. It is not with the cords of a beast, or with force and violence, that God draws us, but, as the prophet well expresses it," with the cords of a man, and with the bands of love," that is, by rational considerations, and by the sweet attractions of his love. Perhaps this subject will be best understood by a familiar illustration. How was it that Jacob was drawn into Egypt? He was made to feel the b Hos. xi. 4. a ver. 35. pressure of a very grievous famine: he was informed that there was plenty of corn in Egypt; and that his dearly-beloved Joseph was the Lord of all that land, and that he disposed of the good things thereof to whomsoever he would: he was told, moreover, that Joseph had expressly invited him; and had sent waggons for the conveyance of his family, together with abundance of provisions by the way: and finally, he was assured that, at the end of his journey, all the good of the land of Egypt should be his. Did he need, after this, to have a rope or chain fastened round him, and to be dragged into Egypt? No: all that he needed was faith, to believe the tidings; and when once he was fully persuaded of the truth of these things, he was willing of himself to go into that good land. It is thus that God draws his people: he causes us to feel our need of mercy; he informs us that our beloved Jesus has all heaven at his disposal; that he has sent to invite us to him, assuring us of whatever is needful by the way, and promising us all the glory of heaven at the end: and finally, he gives us faith to believe his testimony. Thus "he makes us willing in the day of his power;" and a thorough belief of these truths will bend the most stubborn heart, and overcome the most reluctant mind.] Without these drawings we cannot come to Christ— [We may give an assent to all the truths of the Gospel, and may profess an attachment to our Lord himself, without any such gracious influence; but we cannot really come to him in the manner before described, unless we be drawn by an almighty power. We can never apprehend him, till we are thus, as it were by a kind of magnetic influence, apprehended by him.] Such is the plain import of the subject before us; but, II. It is deemed objectionable, and therefore we shall assign the reasons of it There is no doctrine of the Bible that is loaded with more opprobrium than this: it is represented as grossly enthusiastic, and almost bordering on blasphemy. But the truth of it will immediately appear, if only we consider the grounds and reasons of it. It is founded, 1. On our indisposition to come to Christ [Consider what the coming to Christ implies: First it implies a sense of our lost state without him: and do men like c Ps. cx. 3. |