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not be justified by the law of Moses. Having told them this good news, he, ver. 40, 41. warns them: Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets, Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish. After his repeated pains on them, it is said, ver. 48. As many άς were ordained to eternal life, believed. It was a severe application of this word, that a very worthy divine made of it, that all the elect of God in this place were gathered in, by Paul's ministry in it, at this time. The grace of election is the spring of faith, 2 Thess. ii. 13. 1 Pet. i. 2. but this grace of election is not seen, but in the gift and light of faith.

2. All such, and only they, will come to the throne of grace, that are drawn by the Father: John vi. 44, 45. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Observe here the two universals: No man can come, unless drawn ; Every man that is drawn, doth come.

The first decries the power of nature, the latter advanceth the power of God's grace. The utter impotence of nature, and omnipotence of grace, in the business of man's salvation, are stumbling-blocks to all the ungodly, but are foundations in Christian doctrine. The one lays man in the dust, the other raiseth him on a new bottom of the grace of God. When God hath a mind to draw a sinner to Christ, and to make him a believer on him to salvation, he teacheth him secretly and by a strong hand; he whispers into his heart the excellency of the Saviour, and greatness of his salvation; so that surely the perishing sinner comes to Christ, and as surely is welcomed. and saved by him.

III. But who shall be welcome? Surely all that come, shall be welcome; as the word every where witnesseth and all that ever tried it, have found and testify it by their experience. For as the Son refused none that were given him of the Father in their eternal counsel, but took every one of them as his charge to redeem them; so all they, and only they, being drawn by the Father, and made willing to come to Christ, are

made welcome by him, John vi. 37. He knows his sheep, when wandering on the mountains, John x. 16, 27, 28. and accordingly receives them. When the Father drives home the lost sheep to their great Shepherd, Christ knows them before he opens the fold to them; and because he knows them, he lets them in, that they may find pasture, and feed on him and his grace to eternal life.

But there are some that are specially welcome to Christ, and speed well at this throne of grace. As,

1. They that come when they can do nothing else; they that come to the throne of grace as their last shift: We know not what to do, but our eyes are upon thee, said Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx. 12. Sincerest believing, and strongest believ ing, is acted, when a man hath no prop at all to lean upon, but God alone. Believing is called fleeing: We have filed for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us, Heb. vi. 18. Now, who flees? Only he that can stand no longer, that is not able to deal with his adversary and danger, that hath no hope of prevailing by his strength, and therefore betakes himself to his heels. It is men's great sin to endeavour to seek that elsewhere, that only is to be found here, mercy and grace. But it is the greatest sin of all, to count all lost, as long as this throne stands, and the Lord calls men to come to it. Be deeply humbled, and covered with shame; yet come notwithstanding. Such is the corruption of our hearts, and the Lord seeth it well, that if sinners could find grace and mercy any where else, they would never come to the throne of grace for it. Christ is the last shift of a distressed sinner; yet, blessed be his name, he welcomes the comer. The woman, Mark v. 25,-35. tries many means ere she comes to Christ, yet sped well when she came at last.

2. They are welcome to the throne of grace that come oftest, and ask the greatest things. It is otherwise in addresses to friends, or great men on earth. You may be welcome to them, if you come now and then, and if you ask little things; but if you come daily, and ask great things, and grow in your suits, they will quickly be weary of you. But what saith the King on this throne of grace? John xvi. 24. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye VOL. I.

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́shall receive, that your joy may be full. Had not they asked formerly great things? that he would expound his word to them, Matth. xiii. 36. that he would teach them to pray, Luke xi. 1. that he would increase their faith, Luke xvii. 5. But all this was as notg to Christ; nothing in regard of the great things he had to give, and they stood in need of. This is a great word of Christ's, Ask, and I will give, and ye shall receivė; ask still more, and ye shall receive more, even till your joy be full. The reason why our souls are so empty of joy, is because our mouths are empty of prayer. Christ's love-quarrels with his people are three. 1. That they do not ask great things, and often. 2. That they do not receive what he is so ready to give. Our narrow vessels cannot take in large floods from the fountain of living water. 3. That they do not praise for what they receive. It is his due, our duty, and our great mercy. Both prayer and praise widens the heart for receiving more of Christ's fulness.

3. They are specially welcome to the throne of grace that come to stay, resolving never to leave it; that not only come to it at a pinch and strait, but come to abide there. Our Lord teacheth several parables, to encourage and direct us in plying the throne of grace, Luke xi. 5,-13. and xviii. 1,-8. Jacob was a blessed man, and knew well the manner of this court, when he wrestled with the angel, Gen. xxxii. 24,-30.; and that angel was the King of the throne of grace, Hosea xii. 3, 4, 5. After a long night's wrestling, with weeping and supplications, saith the Lord, Genesis xxxii. 26. Let me go, for the day breaketh, Jacob answers, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. I will, or I will not, looks like ill manners in speaking to God. He saith not, How can I hold thee? If thou hast a mind to go, it is impossible that I can detain thee. Can a man hold God when he hath a mind to be gone? But Jacob knew his party, and perceived that he tried him, if he would part without a blessing. Nay, saith Jacob, if thou ask my leave and consent "to part so, I will never give it. Let the day break, and "the next night come, the great Blesser, and lame halting "Jacob, shall never part, with Jacob's consent, without a blessing." And he prevailed. He had got his father's

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blessing, by the cunning of his mother, Gen. xxvii.; had it again ratified by his father, chap. xxviii. 3, 4.; he had the Lord's blessing, chap. xxviii. 12,-16.; he got it renewed again, on the Lord's calling him to return to Canaan, chap. xxxi. 3. Yet he was in a new strait, and wanted a new blessing, and wrestled for it, and obtained it. Let all the seed of Jacob imitate his practice, and they shall share in his blessing, and be fed with the heritage of Jacob their father, as the word is, Isa. lviii. 14.

In pressing the exhortation in the text, I shall lay before you a few considerations.

1. Consider the greatness of this privilege, that there is a throne of grace erected for sinners, and revealed to them. This throne is only erected for sinners: it had never been but for sinners. A throne of grace supposeth, that there are guilty sinners to stand before it, and to get good by it. The greatness of this privilege is apparent, in comparing the state of fallen man with that of fallen angels; and in comparing their state that have the gospel, with theirs that are without it.

1st, Compare the state of fallen man with that of fallen angels. Whatsoever the proper meaning of that word is, Psalm viii. 5. Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, these two may be well conceived; That man in his original make was lower in dignity than the angels; and that man was made a little after the angels were made: and long after it could not be; for the whole old creation was compleatly finished in six days. The angels that fell, are so sinful and miserable, that we cannot speak any good of them; yet, in their first make, they were a very glorious part of the creation. Notwithstanding, when they sinned, there was no throne of grace provided for them: God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, 2 Peter ii. 4.; yet, for his elect, he spared not his own Sen, Rom. viii. 32. The devils, (for such sin made them), immediately upon their sinning, were as much condemned as ever they shall be: I say not as much executed; for it seems that their full torment is reserved to the last day, Jude, ver. 6. 2 Peter ii. 4. Art thou come to torment us before the time? Matth. viii. 29.

say they to Christ. No wonder the devil be such an enemy to the gospel of man's salvation, and a hater of the throne of grace. The wonder is, that men should be deceived by Satan, to despise and slight this great privilege. Let Christians take a view of this astonishing appearance of God's grace, that fallen angels are all passed by, and fallen man taken up; not indeed all of them, but a great many, as one day will declare: Heb. ii. 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

2dly, Consider the greatness of this privilege in the revelation of it. You have it, but the greatest part of the world have it not. They that cannot receive the truth of God revealed in the word about the sovereignty of grace in election, and the efficacy of distinguishing grace in calling, must see the same sovereignty acted in dispensing or with-holding the means of grace as pleaseth him. And to be utterly ignorant that there is a throne of grace, renders people as miserable as if there was no throne of grace at all. They that never hear of Christ, must perish. It is an idle dream, that the efficacy of Christ's death may be applied, and profitable to the saving of adult persons that never heard of him. There is no salvation for men but by Jesus Christ; there is no knowing of it, or partaking of it, but by the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, Eph. i. 13. Christ and his name go together: Acts iv. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other; (no Saviour but he): for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. No other way of getting good by him, but by hearing of his name, and believing on his name: How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard? Rom. x. 14. It is a wonderful mercy to hear of him; but woe to them that hear, and do not believe. None can believe without hearing, Rom. x. 17. ; but alas! many hear, and believe not, Isa. liii. 1.

2. Consider the great advantages of this privilege, of having a throne of grace erected for us, and revealed to us. All blessings may be had here, by coming for them. If there was such a throne in this world, for silver, and gold, and health, and outward mercies, what strange crowding would there be to it? The blessings to be had here, are innumerable for mul

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