2. Within this is the royal gate of the soul, viz. The will of man, that noble and imperial power. Many things may pass into the mind, or understanding of a man, and yet be able to get no further ; the door of the will may be shut against them. There were many precious truths of God let into the understandings of the Heathens, by the light of nature, but could never get further, their hearts and wills were locked and shut up against them ; as you may see, Rom. i. 18. " They held the truths of God in un- " righteousness ;" that is, they bound and imprisoned those com- mon notices the law of nature impressed upon their minds, con^ cerning the being and natuix? of God, and the duties of both ta- bles. These truths could get no further into their souls, and, Avhich is of sad and dreadful consideration, Christ himself stands betwixt these two doors, in the soids of many persons; he is got into their understandings and consciences, they are convinced of the possibility and necessity of obtaining Jesus Christ, but still the door of their will is barred against him, which drew from him that sad complaint, John v. 40. " Ye will not come unto me that ye " might have life.'" When this door of the will is once effcctuaDy opened, then all the inner doors of the affections are quickly set open to receive, and welcome him; desire, joy, delight, and all the rest, stand open to him. These are the doors at which the Redeemer knocks.
Secondly, Next we must consider what is meant by Christ's knock- ing at the doors, and what that action implies. In the generaf, knocking is nothing else but an action sii^nificative of the desires of one that is without, to come in ; it is a sign appointed to
that end: And what is Christ's knocking, but a signification to the soul of his earnest desires to come into it ; a notice given to the soul of Christ's willingness to possess it for his own habitation P And it is as much as if Christ should say, Soul, thou art the house that was built by my hand, purchased and redeemed by my blood ;
1 have an unquestionable right to it, and now demand entrance, ]\Iore particularly, there are divers great things implied in this gracious act of Christ's knocking at the door of the soul.
1. It implies the special favour and distinguishing grace and goodness of Jesus Christ, that he will stand and knock at our doors when he passes by so great a part of the world, never giving one such knock or call at other men's doors ; it is certainly a most glo- rious and admirable condescension and favour of heaven, and wherever it is successful, it speaks a man highly favoured of God. O amazing ! when Christ passes by the souls of thou- sands and millions, that would certainly afford him as comfortable an habitation as our souls can do, and will not give one effectual knock or call at their doors all the days of their life ; that he will please to turn aside to thy soul, and wait and knock there for en- trance : I say, here is one of the greatest acts of favour that can be ehewn to the soul of a sinner. How many souls be there in the world equal in natural dignity to yours, and of sweeter natural tempers, whom yet the Lord Jesus lets alone in the quiet possession of Satan, Luke xi. 21. There is a deep silence and stillness in their consciences, no stirrings nor disturbances by convictions, but, through a dreadful judgment of God, they are left in a deep sleep ; and if their consciences at any time begin to grumble, how soon are they hushed and quieted again by Satan f What the condition of the world was in former ages, we may see in Acts xiv. 16. " Who *' in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own way." O ! it is the greatest mercy in the world for the sleepy conscience of a sinner to be roused by convictions, because it is introductive to all other spiritual mercies. I confess this act of grace is little appre- hended by the sons and daughters of men ; much rather would poor sinners be let alone, than be thus disturbed by troublesome tjonvictions ; and when Christ disturbs their rest, how do they startle at the knocks of his Word and Spirit? How angry are they that they cannot be let alone to enjoy their quiet sleep in sin till the flames of hell awaken them ? Mr. Fenner, that great and emi- nent instrument of God in this work, tells us, in one of bis sermons, how it fared with a certain man that came to hear him preach : It seems the word had got entrance into his conscience, and gave it a ter- rible alarm, and as he was going home, some that followed him, heard him thus blaming and bemoaning himself: ' O what a fool, what ^ a beast was I to come under this sermon to-day ? \ shall never
* have peace and quietness any more.' And what is the reason tliat smooth and general preaching is so much applauded and affect- ed in the world, and close convincing doctrine so much shunned and hated, but this, that sinners are very loth to be disquieted, and have their consciences thoroughly awakened ? Well, whatever your apprehensions be, certainly it is an unspeakable mercy for Christ to knock, and disquiet the souls of sinners by his calls. That is the first thing,