Christ was in the world as a load-stone drawing all men to him ; liis deportment was every way suitable to his commission, which was " to preach good tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken- " hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of " the prison to them that are bound," Isa. h. 1.
3. As his life, so his doctrine was a wooing and inviting doctrine : a most pathetical invitation unto sinners : Never man spahe as he spake ; whenever he opened his lips, heaven opened, the very heart of God was opened in it to sinners ; the whole stream and current of his doctrine was one continued powerful persuasive to draw sinners to
him. This was liis language, " Come unto me all ye that labour, " and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, Mat. xi. 28. " In '' the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood up and cried, " If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink,'' John vii. 37. Himself resembles it to the clucking of a hen, to gather her chickens under her wings, Luke xiii. 34. " O Jerusalem, Jeru- " salem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, " as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings r Certainly the whole stream of the gospel is nothing else but the charming voice of the heavenly bridegroom,
4. The joy he always expressed for the success of the gospel^ speaks him to be an earnest suitor for the hearts of sinners. It is very remarkable^ that all the evangelists who have recorded the life of Christ, never mentioned one laugh or smile that ever came from him,^^r he was a man of sorrows. Yet once you read, that he rejoiced in spirit ; and you shall see the occasion of it, in Luke X. 21. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit And what was it that gladdened his heart, but the report brought him by the seventy, who returned with joy, saying. Lord, even the devils are subject to us through thy name. And he said unto them, / beheld Satan as lights ningfalljrom heaven, ver. 17, 18. Satan's kingdom was going down in the world, and the mysteries of salvation revealed unto babes ; this made his holy heart leap with joy within him, to be* hold the success of the gospel destroying Satan's kingdom ; and the poorest, meanest among men enlightened and converted by it. This was a cordial to his very soul, and spake the earnestness of his desire after union and communion with sinners.
5. His sorrows and mourning upon the account of the obstinacy and unbelief of sinners, speaks the vehemency of his desire after union with them ; it is said, Mark iii. 5. " When he had looked ** round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hard* " ness of their hearts," &c. You see from hence, that a hard heart is a grief to Jesus Christ. O how tenderly did Christ resent it, when Jerusalem rejected him I It is said, Luke xix. 41. " That " when Jesus came nigh to the city, he wept over it." The Re- deemer's tears wept over obstinate Jerusalem, spake the zeal and fervency of his affection to their salvation ; how loth Christ is to give up sinners. What a mournful voice is that in John v. 40. " And you will not come unto me, that you might have life.'^ How fain would I give you hfe ? but you would rather die than come unto me for it. What can Christ do more to express his willingness ? All the sorrows that ever touched the heart of Christ from men, were upon this account, that they would not yield to his calls and invitations.
6. This appears to be the great design of Christ, by the unwea- ried labours he underwent day and night to accompUsh it : Many weary journeys Christ took, many sermons and prayers he preach- ed and poured out, and all upon this design, to open the hearts of sinners to him, and win the consent of their wills, to become his ; this was the work which he preferred to his necessary food; John iv. 34. " My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to " finish his work :" q, d. My bringing home the elect of God, and saving them from A\Tath to come, is more to me than meat and drink. So vehement and intense were his desires after the win- ning of sinners, that he would lose no occasion to accomplish it. If he were never so weary with his travels and labours, yet if any occasion offered to save a lost soul, he would be sure to improve it. You have an instance of this in John iv. 6. " Then cometh he to ^' a city of Samaria, called Sychar, &c. now Jacob's well was there. *' Jesus therefore being weary with his journey, sat thus on the '' well,'' &c. Christ was weary with his journey, and sat on the well for a little rest and refreshment, in the heat of the day. At the same time comes a woman of Samaria, to draw water ; a great sinner she was: Christ compassionately beholding this miserable object, forgets his own weariness, presently falls a preaching re- pentance to this sinner, and opens her heart; a greater refresh- ment to him than that well could afford him, by giving him a seat to sit on, or water to drink.
7. The great and admirable encouragements Christ always gave to coming and willing souls, plainly speak the earnest desire of his heart after union with them ; never were the hke encouragements given that Christ gave to draw the souls of men to him. It is re- markable in what general terms and forms of expression he deli- vered them, that none might be discouraged, but come on in hope towards him : Come unto me all ye that labour, Matth. xi. 28. If any man thirst, John viii. 7. All along, the terms of invitation are exceeding large, which speak the desire of his heart to be so also ; and his practice was answerable to his invitation ; his mercies and compassions never failed when the vilest of sinners came to him in the way of repentance and faith. You read in Luke vii. 41, 42. that when Christ sat at meat in the house of Simon the Pharisee, there came in a poor convinced sinner, who had guilt enough upon her to sink ten thousand souls to the bottom of hell ; this poor wretch comes with a great deal of humility unto Christ,, not pre- suming to come before his face, but falls down behind him, kisseth his feet, washeth them with tears, and wipes them with the hair of her head ; all demonstrations of a broken heart. And how did the merciful Jesus welcome this poor sinner? He seals her pardon, commends the fervour of her affections, and sends her away a joy-
ful soul ; herein making good that gracious promise, He that comctk unto me I will in no wise cast out.