John 10. 16. Acts 18. 9, 10. The People that the Lord here fpeaks of, were not at this Time accounted his, by Reason of a Work of Converfion that already had paffed upon them, but by Virtue of the Gift of the Father, for he had given them unto him: Therefore was Paul to stay here, to fpeak the Word of the Lord to them, that by his fpeaking the Holy Ghost might effectually work over their Souls; to the caufing them to come to him, who was also ready with Heart and Soul to receive them.

Thirdly, Chrift by thefe Words alfo fuggefteth; That no more come unto Him than indeed are given him of the Father For the him in this Place, is one of the All, that by Chrift was mentioned before, All that the Father giveth me, fhall come to me; and every Him, of that All, I will in no wife caft out. This the Apoftle infinuateth, where he faith, He gave fome Apofiles, and fome Prophets, and fome Evangelifts, and fome Paftors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Miniftry, for the edifying of the Body of Chrift: Till we all come in the Unity of Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect Man, unto the Meafure of the Stature of the Fulness of Chrift, Ephef. 4. 11, 12, 13.

Mark, as in the Text, fo here he fpeaketh of All; Until we all come. We All! All who? Doubtlefs, All that the Father giveth to Chrift. This is farther infinuated, because he calleth this All, The Body of Chrift; the Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Chrift: By which he Means, the univerfal Number given, to wit, The true elect Church; which is faid to be his Body and Fulnels, Ephef. 1. 22, 23.

1

Fourthly, Chrift Jefus by thefe Words farther fuggefteth, that he is well content with this Gift

of

of the Father to him. All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out. I will heartily, willingly, and with great Content of Mind receive him.

They fhew us alfo, That Christ's Love in receiving, is as large as is Father's Love in giving, and no larger. Hence he thanks him for his Gift; and alfo thanks him for hiding of him, and his Things from the reft of the wicked, Matt. 11. 25. Luke 10. 21.

But Secondly, and more particularly, And (him) that cometh. And (him!) This Word him by it Chrift looketh back to the Gift of the Father, not only to the Lump and Whole of the Gift; but to the every bim of that Lump. As who fhould fay, I do not only accept of the Gift of my Father in the general, but have a special Regard to every of them in particular; and will fecure not only fome, or the greateft Part, but every him, every Duft: Not an Hoof of all fhall be loft, or left behind. And indeed, in this he confenteth to his Father's Will; which is, That of All that he hath given him, he should lofe nothing, John 6. 39.

(And him) Chrift Jefus alfo, by his thus, dividing the Gift of his Father into Hims, and by his fpeaking of them in the fingular Number, fhews, what a particular Work fhall be wrought in each. one, at the Time appointed of the Father. And it fhall come to pafs in that Day, faith the Prophet, that the Lord ball beat off from the Channel of the River, to the Stream of Egypt; and ye shall be gathered one by one, Oye Children of Ifrael. Here are the Hims one by one to be gathered to him by the Fathery: Ifan27 12 yild

a

He fhews alfo hereby, that no Lineage, Kindred, or Relation, cán at all be profited by any outward or carnal Union, with the Perfon that the Father hath given to Chrift. It is only Him, the given Him, the coming Him, that he intends abfolutely to fecure Men make great Ado with the Children of Believers; and Oh the Children of Believers: But if the Child of the Believer is not the Him concerned in this abfolute Promife, it is not thefe Mens great Cry; nor yet what the Parent or Child can do, that can intereft him in this Promife of the Bord Chrift; this abfolute Promife.....

And him.) · There are divers Sorts of Perfons that the Father hath given to Jefus Chrift; they! are not all of one Ranky of one Quality. Some are high, fome are low; fome are wife, fome Fools; fome are more civil, and complying with the Law; fomé more prophane, and averfe to him and his Gofpel. Now, fince thofe that are given to him, are in fome Sense so diverse; and again, fince he yet faith, And him that cometh," &c. He by that doth give us to understand, that he is not, as Men, for picking and chafing to take a best, and leave a worft, but he is for him that the Father hath given him, and that cometh to him. He will not alter nor change it; a good. for a bad, or a bad for a good, (Lev. 27. 9, 10.) But will take him as he is, and will fave his Soul.

There is many a fad Wretch given by the Fa ther to Jefus Chrift; but not one of them all is defpifed, or flighted by him.

It is faid of thofe that the Father hath given to Chrift, that they have done worse than the Heathens that they were Murderers, Thieves, Drunkards, unclean Perfons, and what not? But he has received them, washed them, and

faved them. A fit Emblem of this Sort, is that wretched Inftance mentioned in the fixteenth of Ezekiel, that was caft out in a ftinking Condition, to the loathing of its Perfon in the Day that it was born: A Creature in fuch a wretched Condition, that no Eye pitied, to do any of the Things there mentioned unto it, or to have Compaffion upon it: No Eye but his that speaketh in the Text.

And bim.) Let him be as red as Blood, let him be as red as Crimson: Some Men are bloodred Sinners, Crimson Sinners, Sinners of a double Dye; dipt and dipt again, before they come to Jefus Chrift. Art thou that readeft these Lines fuch a one? Speak out, Man; Art thou fuch a one? and art thou now coming to Jefus Chrift for the Mercy of Juftification, that thou mightest be made white in his Blood, and be covered with his Righteoufnefs? Fear not; for as much as this thy coming betokeneth, that thou art of the Number of them that the Father hath given to Chrift; for he will in no wife caft thee Come now, faith Chrift, and let us reason together; though your Sins be as Scarlet, they shall be as white as Snow; though they be as red as Crimfor, they fhall be as Wool, Ifa. 1.918.

Out.

And him) There was many a ftrange bim came to Jefus Chrift, in the Days of his Flesh; but he received them all, without turning any away. Speaking unto them of the Kingdom of God, and bealing fuch as bad Need of healing, Luke 9. 11. chap. 4. 40. Thefe Words, and him, are therefore Words to be wondered at: That not one of them, who by Virtue of the Father's Gift, and drawing, are coming to Jefus Chrift: I fay, That not one of them, whatever they have been whatever they have done, fhould be rejected, or fet by, but admitted, to a Share in his faving

Grace.

Grace. It is faid in Luke, that the People wondered at the gracious Words that proceeded out of bis Mouth, Luke 4. 22. Now this is one of his gracious Words; thefe Words are like Drops of Honey, as it is faid, Prov. 16. 24. Pleafant Words are as an Honey-comb, fweet to the Soul, and Health to the Bones. Thefe are gracious Words indeed, even as full as a faithful and merciful High-prieft could speak them. Luther faith, When Chrift Speaketh, he hath a Mouth as wide as Heaven and Earth: That is, to fpeak fully to the Encouragement of every finful him that is coming to Jefus Christ. And that this Word is certain, hear how himfelf confirms it: Heaven and Earth, faith he, shall pass away; but my Words fhall not pass away, Ifa. 63. 1. Mat. 24.

35.

It is alfo confirmed by the Teftimony of the four Evangelifts, who gave faithful Relation of his loving Reception of all Sorts of coming Sinners, whether they were Publicans, Harlots, Thieves, poffeffed of Devils, Bedlams, and what not? Luke 19. 1, to 10. Mat. 21.21. Luke 15. & chap. 23, 41, 42. Mark 19. 9. chap. 5. 1, 2, 3,

to 9.

This then fhew's us,

Firft, The Greatness of the Merits of Christ. Secondly, The Willingness of his Heart to impute them for Life to the great, if coming Sinners.

First, This fhews us the Greatnefs of the Merits of Chrift; for it must not be fuppofed, that his Words are bigger than his Worthiness. He is ftrong to execute his Word: He can do, as well as fpeak. He can do exceeding abundantly more -than we ask or think, even to the Uttermoft, and Out-fide of his Word, (Ephef. 3. 20,)