ing, 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 Chrift. And, in this refpect, we own a phyfical, as well as moral influence of the Spirit in this work; and to the fcripture, expreffes it, Eph. i. 19, 20. "That "we may know what is the exceeding greatnefs of his power to"ward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty "power, which he wrought in Chrift, when he raised him from "the dead." Here is much more than a naked propotal made to the will; there is a power as well as a tender; greatness of power; and yet more, the exceeding greatness of his power; and this power bath 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 Chrift, 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. 11.

And this is that which the schools call gratia efficax, effectu. al grace; and others victrix delectatio, an overcoming, conquering delight: Thus the work is carried on with a most efficacious sweetness. So that the liberty of the will is not infringed, whilft the obstinacy of the will is effectually fubdued and overruled. For want of this, there are so many almost Christians is 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 perifhed like embryo's as they do. So then, God draws not only in a moral way, by proposing a fuitable object to the will, but also in a physical 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 Christ.

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

1. Gradually,

2. Congruously,
3. Powerfully,

4. Effectually,

and 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

↑ A certain heavenly fweetnefs. Janfenius Aug. lib. cap

:

Without humiliation,, there can be no faith, Matth. xxi. 32. "Ye repented not, that ye might believe." It is the burdenfome fenfe of fin, that brings the foul to Chrift for rest, Matth. 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 close with Christ, in the way of faith, for life and falvation.

These several steps are more diftinctly difcerned in fome Chriftians than in others; they are more clearly to be seen in the adult convert, than in thofe that were drawn to Christ in their youth; in fuch as were drawn to him out of a state of prophanenefs, than in those 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.

4.

Secondly, He draws finners to Chrift congruously, and very agreeably to the nature and way of man, fo he fpeaks, Hof. xi. "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. iii. 4. and whilft it is thus, no arguments or entreaties can poffibly prevail, to bring them off from the ways of fin to Christ.

The way therefore which the Lord takes to win and draw them to Chrift, is by rectifying their falfe apprehenfions, and fhewing them infinitely more good in Chrift, than in the crea ture, and in their lufts; yea, by fatisfying their understandings, that there is goodness enough in Jefus Chrift, to whom he is drawing them.

* Funibus hominum (i,e.) humanis : non quibus tṛahi ac deduci folent boves.

First, Enough to out-bid all temporal-good, which is to be denied for his fake.

Secondly, Enough to preponderate all temporal-evils, which are to be fuffered for his fake.

First, That there is more good in Chrift than in all temporal good things, which we are to deny, or forfake, upon his account. This being once clearly, and convincingly difcovered to the understanding, the will is, thereby, prepared to quit all that which entangles, and with-holds it from coming to Chrift: there is no man that loves money fo much, but he will willingly part with it, for that which is more worth to him, than the fum he parts with to purchase it: Matth. xiii. 45, 46. "The kingdom "of heaven is like to a merchant-man, feeking goodly pearls, "who when he hath found one pearl of great price, goeth and "felleth all that he hath and buyeth it."

Such an invaluable pearl is Jefus Chrift; infinitely more worth than all that a poor finner hath to part with for him and is a more real good than the creature. These are but vain. fhadows; Prov. xxiii. 5. Chrift is a folid, fubftantial good: yea, he is, and by conviction appears to be a more suitable good than the creature: The world cannot justify, and fave, but Chrift can. Christ is a more neceffary good than the creature, which is only for our temporal conveniency, but he is of eternal neceffity. He is a more durable good than any creature-comfort is, or can be: "The fashion of this world paffeth away,"

Cor. vii. 13. But durable riches and righteousness are in him, Prov. viii. 17. Thus Chrift appears in the day of conviction, infinitely more excellent than the world; he out-bids all the offers that the world can make; and this greatly forwards the work of drawing a foul to Jefus Christ.

Secondly, And (then to remove every thing out of the way to Chrift) God difcovers to the foul enough in him to preponderate, and much more than will recompenfe all the evils and fufferings it can endure for his fake.

It is true, they that clofe with Chrft, clofe with his cross alfo: they must expect to fave no more but their fouls by him. He tells us what we must trust to, Luke xiv. 26, 27. "If any

་་

man come to me, and hate not his Father and mother, and "wife and children, and brethren and fifters; yea, and his own life alfo, he cannot be my difciple: And whofoever "doth not bear his crofs, and come after me, cannot be my dif66 ciple."

To read fuch a text as this, with fuch a comment upon it, as VOL. II.

Ꮓ

SERM. IV. fatan and our flesh can make; is enough to fright a Man from Christ for ever: Nor is it poffible, by all the arguments in the world, to draw any foul to Chrift upon fuch terms as these, till the Lord convince it, that there is enough, and much more than enough in Jefus Chrift to recompenfe all these fufferings, and loffes, we endure for him.

But when the foul is fatisfied, that thefe fufferings are but external, upon the vile body, but that the benefit which comes by Chrift is internal, in a man's own foul; these afflictions are but temporal, Rom. viii. 18. But Chrift and his benefits are eter nal: This muft needs prevail with the will to come over to Chrift; notwithstanding all the evils of fuffering that accompany him, when the reality of all this is difcovered by the Lord, and the power of God goes along with these discoveries. Thus the Lord draws us in our own way, by rational convictions of the understanding, and allurements of the will.

And it is poffible this may be the reason why fome poor fouls mif-judge the workings of the Spirit of God upon themselves, thinking they never had that wonderful and mighty power of God in converfion, acting upon their hearts, because they find all that is done upon their hearts that way, is done in the ordinary courfe and method of nature: They confider, compare, are con vinced, and then refolve to choose Chrift and his ways; whereas they expect to feel fome ftrange operations, that thall have the visible characters of the immediate power of God upon them, and fuch a power they might difcern, if they would confider it as working in this way and method: But they cannot diftin. guish God's acts from their own, and that puzzles them.

Thirdly, The drawings of the Father are very powerful. The art of the Lord is revealed in this work," Ifa. liii. 1. It was a powerful word indeed, that made the light at first thine out of darknefs, and no lefs power is required to make it thine into our hearts, 2 Cor. v. 14. That day in which the foul is made willing to come to Chrift, is called "the day of "his power," Pfal. cx. 3. The fcripture expreffeth the work of converfion, by a threefold metaphor, viz.

That of a refurrection from the dead, Rom. vi. 4.
That of creation, Eph. ii. 10.

And

That of victory or conquest, 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.

All these fet

forth the infinite power of God in this work; for no less than almighty Power is required to each of them; and if you strictly examine the diftinct notions, you fhall find the power of God more and more illuftriously displayed in each of them.

To raife the dead, is the effect of almighty Power; but then

་

In the work of

the refurrection fuppofeth pre-existent matter. creation, there is no pre-existent matter; but then there is no oppofition: That which is not, rebels not against the power which gives it being. But victory and conqueft supposes oppofi tion, all the power of corrupt nature arming itself, and fighting against God; but yet not able to frustrate his defign.

66

Let the foul whom the Father draws, struggle, and reluctate as much as it can, it fhall come, yea, and come willingly too, when the drawing power of God is upon it †. O the felf-conAlicts, the contrary refolves, with which the foul finds itself diftracted, and rent afunder! The hopes, and fears; the encou ragements, and difcouragements; they will, and they will not: but victorious grace conquers all oppofition at laft. We find an excellent example of this in blessed ‡ Augustin, who speaks of this very work, the drawing of his foul to Chrift, and how he felt in that day two wills in himself, one old, the other "new; one carnal, the other spiritual; and how in these their contrary motions, and conflicts, he was torn afunder in his "own thoughts and refolutions, fuffering that unwillingly, "which he did willingly." And certainly, if we consider how deep the foul is rooted, by natural inclination, and long conti nued custom, in fin, how extremely averfe it is to the ways of ftrict godliness, and mortification; how Satan, that invidious enemy, that ftrong man armed, fortifies the foul to defend his poffeffion, againft Chrift, and intrenches himself in the underftanding, will, and affections, by deep-rooted prejudices against Chrift and holiness, it is a wonder of wonders, to see a foul quitting all its beloved lufts, and fleshly interefts and endeare ments, and coming willingly under Chrift's yoke.

Fourthly, The drawings of God are very effectual: There is indeed a common and ineffectual work upon hypocrites, and apoftates, called in fcripture a "morning cloud, an early dew," Hof. vi. 4. These may believe for a time, and fall away at laft, Luke viii. 13. Their wills may be half won, they may

A fweet moving from the word, and a powerful drawing on God's part. For there is a certain kind of voluntary neceffity. Moulin Amut. Armin.

Ita duae voluntates meae, una vetus, alia vetus, alia nova, illa carnalis illa fpiritualis confligebant inter fe, atque difcordando diffipabant animam meam-----ibi enim magis jam non ego, quia, ex magna parte id patiebar invitus, quod faciebam volens. Aug. confef. lib. 8. cap. 5. ·