SERMON IV.

Concerning the work of the Spirit, as the internal, and most effectual Mean of the Application of CHRIST.

JOHN vi. 44.

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath fent me, draw him.

UR laft difcourfe informed you of the usefulness and influence of the preaching of the gofpel, in order to the application of Chrift to the fouls of men. There must be (in God's ordinary way) the external minifterial offer of Chrift, before men can have union with him.

But yet, all the preaching in the world can never effect this union with Chrift in itfelf, and in its own virtue, except a fupernatural and mighty power go forth with it for that end and purpofe. Let Boanerges and Barnabas try their strength, let the angels of heaven be the preachers; till God draw, the foul cannot come to Chrift.

No faving benefit is to be had by Christ, without union with his perfon, no union with his perfon without faith, no faith ordinarily wrought without the preaching of the gofpel by Chrift's ambassadors, their preaching hath no faving efficacy without God's drawings, as will evidently appear by confidering these words and the occafion of them.

The occafion of these words is found (as learned * Cameron well obferves) in the 42d verfe, " And they faid, is not this Jefus "the Son of Jofeph, whofe Father and mother we know?" Chrift had been preffing upon them in his miniftry, the great and neceffary duty of faith; but notwithstanding the authority of the preacher; the holiness of his life; the miracles by which he confirmed his doctrine; they ftill objected against him, "is not this the carpen"ter's fon ?" From whence Chrift takes occafion for thefe words; "No man can come unto me, except my Father which hath fent « me, draw him," q. d. In vain is the authority of my person urged; in vain are all the miracles wrought in your fight, to confirm the doctrine preached to you; till that fecret, almighty power of the Spirit be put forth upon your hearts, you will not, you

cannot, come unto me.

The words are a negative propofition,

In which the author, and powerful manner of divine operation in working faith, are contained: there must be drawing before be

Cameronis Myrothec. p. 139.

1

lieving, and that drawing muft be the drawing of God: every word hath its weight: we will confider them in the order they lie in the text.

Ουδεις

Oudts No Man] not one, let his natural qualifications be what they will, let his external advantages, in respect of means and helps, be never so great; it is not in the power of any man: all perfons, in all ages, need the fame power of God, one as well as another; every man is alike dead, impotent, and averfe to faith in his natural capacity. No man, or-not one, among all the fons of men. -Can] or is able: he speaks of impotency to fpecial Δυναται, and faving actions, fuch as believing in Chrift is: no act that is faving can be done without the concurrence of special grace. Other acts that have a remote tendency to it, are performed by a more general concourfe and common affistance; fo men may come to the word, and attend to what is fpoken, remember and confider what the world tells them; but as to believing or coming to Chrift, that no man can do of himself, or by a general and common affiftance. No man can.

Εχθειν προς με, Come unto me,] i. e. believe in me unto falvation. Coming to Chrift, and believing in him, are terms æquipollent, and are indifferently ufed to exprefs the nature of faving faith, as is plain, ver. 35. "He that cometh to me fhall never hunger,

and he that believeth on me fhall never thirst:" it notes the terms from which and to which the foul moves, and the voluntarinefs of the motion, notwithstanding that divine power by which the will is drawn to Chrift.

Ear μn o Пατng,—Except my Father] not excluding the other two Perfons; for every work of God relating to the creatures is common to all the three Perfons; nor only to note that the Father is the firft in order of working: but the reafon is hinted in the next words.

O pas μs, who hath fent me,]God hath entered into covenant with the Son, and fent him, ftands obliged thereby, to bring the promifed feed to him, and that he doth by drawing them to Christ by faith: fo the next words tell us the Father doth,

Ελκυσή αυτόν.

EXXUON AUTOV.Draw him.] That is, powerfully and effectually incline his will to come to Chrift; «Not by a violent coaction, "but by a benevolent bending of the will which was averse;" and as it is not in the way of force and compulfion, so neither is it by a fimple moral fuafion, by the bare propofal of an object to the will and fo leaving the finner to his own election; but it is fuch a per

• Non violenta coactio immediata, fed voluntatis a Deo averfæ benevola flectio. Glaf, Rhet. Sacra. p. 236.

fuafion, as hath a mighty overcoming efficacy accompanying it: of which more anon.

The words thus opened, the obfervation will be this:

Doct. That it is utterly impoffible for any man to come to Jefus Chrift, unless he be drawn unto him by the special and mighty power of God.

No man is compelled to come to Chrift against his will, he that cometh, comes willingly, but even that will and defire to come is the effect of grace, Phil. ii. 13. "It is God that worketh in you, "both to will and to do of his own good pleasure."

"If we defire the help and affiftance of grace, (faith* Fulgen"tius) even the defire is of grace; grace muft first be shed forth ❝ upon us, before we can begin to defire it." By grace are ye "faved through faith, and that not of yourfelves, it is the gift of « God,” Eph. ii. 8. Suppose the utmost degree of natural ability; let a man be as much difpofed and prepared as nature can dispose or prepare him, and to all this, add the propofal of the greatest arguments and motives to induce him to come; let all these have the advantage of the fittest season to work upon his heart; yet no man can come till God draw him: we move as we are moved; as Christ's coming to us, fo our coming to him are the pure effects of grace.

Three things require explication in this point before us.

Firft, What the drawing of the Father imports.

Secondly, In what manner he draws men to Chrift.

Thirdly, How it appears that none can come till they be fo drawn. Brg Firft, What the drawing of the Father imports.

To open this, let it be confidered, that drawing is ufually diftinguished into physical and moral. The former is either by coaction, force, and compulfion; or, by a fweet congruous efficacy upon the will. As to violence and compulfion, it is none of God's way and method, it being both against the nature of the will of man, which cannot be forced, and against the will of Jefus Chrift, who loves to reign over a free and willing people, Pfal. cx. 5. "Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power." Or, as that word may be rendered, they fhall be voluntarineffes, as willing as willingness itfelf. It is not then by a forcible co-action, but in a moral way of perfuafion, that God the Father draws men to Jefus Chrift: He draws with the bands of a man, as they are called, Hof.

* Ut ergo defideremus adjutorium, boc quoque eft gratia: ipfa namque incipit effundi, xt incipit pofci. Fulgen. Epift. 6. ad Theod.

xi. 14. i. e. in a way of rational conviction of the mind and confcience and effectual perfuafion of the will.

But yet by moral perfuafion, we muft not understand a fimple and bare propofal or tender of Chrift and grace, leaving it still at the finner's choice, whether he will comply with it or no. For though God does not force the will contrary to its nature, yet there is a real internal efficacy implied in this drawing, or an immediate operation of the Spirit upon the heart and will, which, in a way congruous and fuitable to its nature, takes away the rebellion and reluctance of it, and of unwilling, makes it willing to come «to Christ. And, in this refpect, we own a phyfical, as well as a moral influence of the Spirit in this work; and fo fcripture expreffes it, -Eph. i. 19, 20. "That we may know what is the exceeding greatnefs of his power towards us who believe, according to the work"ing of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raifed him from the dead." Here is much more than a naked propofal made to the will; there is a power as well as a tender; greatnefs of power; and yet more, the exceeding greatness of his power; and this power hath an actual efficacy afcribed to it, he works upon our hearts and wills according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead. Thus he fulfils in us all the good pleasure of his will, and the work of faith with power, 2 Theff. i. 1I.

And this is that which the fchools call gratia efficax, effectual grace; and others victrix delectatio, an overcoming, conquering delight thus the work is carried on with a moft efficacious fweetness. So that the liberty of the will is not infringed, whilft the obftinacy of the will is effectually fubdued and over-ruled. For want of this, there are fo many almoft Chriftians in the world; hence are all thofe vanishing and imperfect works which come to nothing, called in fcripture, a morning cloud, an early dew. Had this mighty power gone forth with the word, they had never vanished or perished like embryos as they do. So then, God draws not only in a moral way, by propofing a fuitable object to the will, but alfo in a phyfical way, or by immediate powerful influence upon the will; not infringing the liberty of it, but yet infallibly and effectually perfuading it to come to Chrift.

Secondly, Next let us confider the marvellous way and manner in which the Lord draws the fouls of poor finners to Jefus Chrift, and you will find he doth it,

We do not fee God preaching, writing, and teaching, yet we believe as if we faw thefe; for all truth hath a power of inclining the mind to affent; the greater truth, the greater power, and the greatest truth, the greatest power of all. But why then do not all believe the gofpel? I anfwer, becaufe all are not drawn by God. Baptif. Mantuanus de patientia, lib. 3. cap. 2.

† A certain heavenly sweetness. Janfenius Aug. lib. iv. cap. 1.

5. Finally,

Firft, This bleffed work is carried on by the Spirit gradually; bringing the foul step by step in the due method and order of the gofpel to Chrift; illumination, conviction, compunction, prepare the way to Chrift; and then faith unites the foul to him: without humiliation there can be no faith, Matt. xxi. 32. "Ye repented "not, that ye might believe." It is the burdenfome fenfe of fin, that brings the foul to Chrift for reft, Matt. xi. 28. "Come unto "me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden." But without conviction there can be no compunction, no humiliation; he that is not convinced of his fin and mifery, never bewails it, nor mourns for it. Never was there one tear of true repentance feen to drop from the eye of an unconvinced finner.

And without illumination there can be no conviction; for what is conviction, but the application of the light which is in the understanding, or mind of a man, to his heart and confcience? Acts ii. 37. In this order, therefore, the Spirit (ordinarily) draws fouls to Chrift, he fhines into their minds by illumination; applies that light to their confciences by effectual conviction; breaks and wounds their hearts for fin in compunction; and then moves the will to embrace and clofe with Chrift in the way of faith for life and falvation.

Thefe feveral steps are more diftinctly difcerned in fome Chriftians than in others; they are more clearly to be feen in the adult convert, than in thofe that were drawn to Chrift in their youth; in fuch as were drawn to him out of a state of prophanenefs, than in thofe that had the advantage of a pious education; but in this order the work is carried on ordinarily in all, however it differ in point of clearness in the one and in the other.

Secondly, He draws finners to Chrift congruously, and very agreeably to the nature and way of man, fo he speaks, Hof. xi. 4. “I drew them with the cords of a man, with bands of love :” Not as beafts are drawn; but as men are inclined and wrought to compliance, by rational conviction of their judgments, and powerful perfuafion of their wills; the minds of finners are naturally blinded by ignorance, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. and their affections bewitched to their lufts, Gal. ii. 4. and whilft it is thus, no arguments or entreaties can poffibly prevail to bring them off from the ways of fin to Chrift.

The way therefore which the Lord takes to win and draw them VOL. II.

K.

• Funibus hominum (i. c.) bumanis: non quibus trabi ac deduci folent boves.