[He will draw us, even as he did them, by rational con- siderations, and by gracious influences, or, as my text expresses it, " by the cords of a man, and by the bands of love "
When first God begins a work of grace upon the soul, he shews to a man his fallen state, and his utter incapacity to save himself. Then He makes known to him the Lord Jesus, who has died for the redemption of a ruined world, aiid shews to him, that through that adorable Saviour he may obtain a deliverance from all guilt and misery, and be made a partaker of everlasting happiness and glory. Now the question neces- sarily arises in his mind, ' Shall I persist in my wickedness ? Shall I pour contempt upon these offers of mercy ? Shall I plunge my soul into irremediable and endless perdition ? No : This were to act more stupidly than the beasts, and to forfeit all title to the rationality of man.' Thus is he drawn in the first instance by " the cords of a man." But in his further progress he experiences the still more influential drawings of God's love, which, as " bands," constrain him to surrender up himself a willing captive to his God. The Holy Spirit, whose office it is to " glorify Christ, takes of the things that are Christ's, and shews them to the believing soulh," and thus makes " Christ more precious to him" than ten thousand worlds'. In time he enables the soul to "comprehend the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of that love of Christ which passeth knowledge11;" and by witnessing with the soul that it is an object of God's love, he enables it with bold- ness and with confidence to address him by the endearing name of Father1, and to assure itself of an everlasting parti- cipation of his kingdom and glory. With such bands cast around him, the Believer is drawn to God in a way of holy obedience, and can " defy all the hosts of hell itself ever to separate him from his lovem." The abiding feeling of his heart from henceforth is, " The love of Christ constraineth me, be- cause I thus judge ; that, if one died for all, then were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them and rose again11."]
Observe from hence,
1. What reason unconverted men have to blush and be ashamed —
[They will take occasion from the doctrine of Divine influences to justify themselves, saying, ' If God do not draw me, how can I go to him V But I ask, Have not the cords of a man been spread around you, yea, and the bands of redeeming
h John xvi. 14. * 1 Pet. ii. 7. k Eph. iii. 18.
1 Rom. viii. 15, 16. m Rom. viii. 35 — 39. " 2Cor. v. 14, 15.