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 doc- trines 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
1640.] man's inability TO COME TO CHRIST. 389
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 be- coming 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 sal- vation—
[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 hima. 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 loveb," 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
il ver. 35. b IIos. xi. 4.