SER M. Nature and Life of God; each in their III. feveral Stations, according to the Degree

of Light and Knowledge which they injoy, indeavouring to approve themfelves to him by a chearful obedience to his Commands; and conftantly promoting the Great Ends of his Government by preferving the Harmony of the Moral World, in like manner as the Wisdom of his Government over the Natural and Material World is shown forth in the regularity of all its Motions. By Sin, Moral Agents · oppose and bring diforder into this Kingdom of God; which the inferior part of the Creation, having no Liberty of Choice, is not capable of doing. And they who thus oppofe God's Kingdom of righteoufnefs, become thereby Enemies to God, and alienated from his Favour. Nevertheless, man being a frail and falli→ ble Creature, liable to be feduced, tempted and deceived; and there being, in the cafe of moft Sinners, many Circumstances to excite Pity and Compaffion, therefore God does not immediately caft them off, but generally allows them Space and Time for Repentance. And for this very End did he fend his Son, our Lord Jefus

Christ,

Christ, into the World; that, inviting SER M. men to Repentance, declaring to them III. more diftinctly the Malignity of Sin, giving them the fulleft Affurances of Pardon (upon their real and fincere Amendment) through the Merit of his own once offering himfelf a Sacrifice for ever, and revealing to them more clearly the Certainty of a future Judgment, and the Rewards and Punishments of the Life to come, he might by these means reduce them to the Obedience of God's Commands, and confequently reftore them to the Divine Favour. Chrift has once fuffered for Sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, 1 Pet. iii. 18. And Col. i. 21. You that were fometimes alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now bath he reconciled in the body of this Flesh through death, to prefent you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his Sight. But then we muft here carefully observe, that in like manner as God originally and from the Beginning, while the inanimate world obeys him abfolutely and by neceffity of Nature, would not compel the Obedience of rational Creatures by the irrefiftible

nefs

SER M. nefs of his Power, but exacted it only III. from the willing Compliance of their.

own Choice; fo now likewife in the refloration of men by Chrift, he will have no one reduced to his obedience by Force, but by fuch Motives as work properly upon rational Agents, Reafon and Argu ments, Promifes and Threatnings, Hopes and Fears. Thus in the Old Teftament; I taught Ephraim to go, fays God by the Prophet, taking them by their arms, but they knew not that I healed them; I drew them with Cords of a man, with bands of Love, and I was to them as they that take off the yoke, Hof. xi. 3. And in the Gofpel; No man, fays our Saviour in the words of the Text, can come to Me, except the Father, which has fent me, draw him: No man can be a worthy Difciple of Christ, if he has not first upon his mind a due fenfe of God. No man can be a fincere Follower of the Son of God, who is not in a difpofition of being drawn. to a Love of Virtue, and of being prevailed upon to practise Righteousness, by a Senfe of the Goodness and Reasonableness and Excellency of the eternal Laws of God, even the Father, who fent him.

FOR

III.

FOR the clearer and more diftinct ex-SER M. plication of which doctrine, and of our Lord's full Meaning and Intention in these words; it will be proper to confider particularly,

First, WHAT is meant by the Phrase of Coming to Chrift: No Man can Come to Me, except the Father which has fent me draw him. Some enthufiaftick persons, judging of the Senfe of this Phrase merely from the conceptions of their own imagi nation, and not from its Ufe and clear Signification in other paffages of the fame Writings; (which indeed is the only poffible way of Understanding the true meaning either of Scripture, or of any book whatsoever :) and Others negligently following Their Interpretation, have fuppofed that Coming to Chrift means a relying or depending upon His Merits and Satisfaction, to bring them to Salvation, whether they obey his Commandments by a virtuous Course of Life, or no. But whoever confiders the many Paffages of Scripture, in which this expreffion is to be met with, cannot fail to observe, that it really fignifies quite another thing. Heb. xi. 6. He that cometh to God, muft VOL. III. believe

F

III.

SER M.believe that he Is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him: Coming to God here evidently expreffes the fame thing, as diligently feeking him: And, diligently feeking him, is the fame as fincerely defiring to know and obey his Will, in order to please him. Again, ch. vii. 25. Chrift is able to fave to the uttermost them that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them: Coming unto God by Chrift, is, Sinners returning by Repentance and real Amendment to the Obedience of God's Commands, in hopes of obtaining pardon for what is past, through the interceffion of Chrift. In like manner therefore, Coming unto Chrift, fignifies alfo ferving and obeying Him, becoming his Difciples, believing his doctrine and living according to it, fincerely defiring to understand and practife his Will: Joh. vi. 35. He that cometh to me, fhall never bunger; he that believes and obeys the Gofpel, fhall never want any thing neceffary towards his obtaining eternal Life.. And thus likewife in the words of the Text; No man can come to Me, No Man can be a worthy difciple of Christ, no Man can a be true and fincere Chrifti

an;